Tragically, it is necessary to again bring up the subject of RACE, because our media is obsessed with the subject as a result of the recent Shirley Sherrod debacle. This past Sunday every single morning news program dwelled on RACE, and most of those voices held narrowly focused positions on both sides of the issue. One wonders why it is always the white side that is found to be the major negative influence. Rarely do we hear any comments from the minority side accepting any accountability or responsibility to improve RACE relations.
Personally I am getting tired of hearing the extreme flame-throwers from the black community crying wolf when in fact many of these same strident voices are profiting from their agitation. It is time for an introspective analysis of the issue instead of pointing fingers across a table.
There is plenty of blame to go around for this subject to continue to fester and divert this country from getting on with making significant improvements in the American experience. It is your Commander’s opinion that there remains a RACE problem, but we have made significant advancements over the last fifty years.
It is naive to think that the problems will be totally solved within our lifetime, because any student of history knows that RACIAL tensions have existed since the beginning if time, i.e., tribe against tribe; ethnicity; religion.
Politicians failed programs are essentially the basis of the continuing tensions. Federal programs have poured billions of dollars into the RACE issue and they have failed miserably to make any real achievement. Our politicians have funneled precious dollars into buying votes, but fail to improve the quality of life for anyone. Educational efforts for all our children are shameful, and the lack of meaningful employment continues the erosion of the family structures across the country and world.
Even the liberal lioness Maureen Dowd of The New York Times and the Washington Post has taken Barack Hussein Obama to task in a stinging article titled “YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT THIS WHITE HOUSE IS MISSING.” Obama does not want to touch this emotional, politically sensitive issue with a ten-foot pole. Read it at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/opinion/25dowd.html?_r=1&ref=maureendowd
Senator James Webb (D-VA) wrote a compelling piece in The Wall Street Journal, “Diversity and the Myth of White Privilege.” It is well worth your time to read. You can find it at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703724104575379630952309408.html
Personally, I am sick and tired of hearing the same egotistical liberal minority Ivy League PhD’s spout their elitist vocabulary of hate that never uses the words US or OUR, but only charge YOU and ME.
Until there is an honest dialog we cannot expect to see anything but a continuation of charges and counter-charges where RACIAL tensions are concerned. Politics is the cancer that fuels RACIAL division.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Friday, July 30, 2010
GENERAL ELECTRIC BRIBES AND BUYS VOTES
Apparently the lobbyists and attorneys for General Electric (GE) are very busy these days. Between the recent judgment of corruption in the Iraqi Oil for Food program and the long-running behind the scene efforts to receive Congressional approval for aircraft engines that are redundant. General Electric is throwing money around Washington to buy Congressional votes.
On May 15, 2010 I wrote a piece titled “Do You Know How Your Congressman Voted?” and raised questions as to why my local Congressman would support the expenditure $485 million for an alternative jet engine (manufactured by GE) for the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Those aircraft are contracted to be manufactured by Pratt & Whitney with Rolls-Royce engines.
In my May 15th commentary I reported my telephone conversation with a gentleman in Congressman Joe Donnelly’s (D-IN) Washington office. At that time I was told Donnelly wanted to support the project because it was beneficial to have a back-up engine if the Rolls-Royce products resulted in defects. Additionally, I was told that the GE product would result in jobs. I was certain I got Washington double-talk and his support was totally inappropriate.
Personally I think this is another clear example of Washington waste that is leading to our massive debt burden. I suspect, but I do not have the ability to prove it, that Donnelly is receiving GE contributions to his re-election campaign and thus is participating in Play for Pay. Why do we need two different sets of engines for one airplane?
Now the Associated Press reports today that GE has agreed to pay a fine of $23.4 million to settle claims it paid kickbacks to Iraqi officials. This dates back to the Iraqi Oil for Food program that was run by the equally corrupt United Nations.
The point I am making is that the ruling by the Security and Exchange Commission regarding GE’s illegal conduct should be a sufficient reason to stop any further consideration to buy the redundant GE engines. If logic prevailed, Donnelly should withdraw his support to buy the GE engines, but I suspect he will dive for the campaign contributions.
With GE Chairman/CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, being a big pal of President Obama, I bet the deal for the engines goes through and we will be left holding another bag of corrupt debt. Obama’s CHANGE stinks and the smell is getting stronger by each passing day. Soon we will all be wearing face masks just as they do in China.
COMMANDER GRANGER
On May 15, 2010 I wrote a piece titled “Do You Know How Your Congressman Voted?” and raised questions as to why my local Congressman would support the expenditure $485 million for an alternative jet engine (manufactured by GE) for the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Those aircraft are contracted to be manufactured by Pratt & Whitney with Rolls-Royce engines.
In my May 15th commentary I reported my telephone conversation with a gentleman in Congressman Joe Donnelly’s (D-IN) Washington office. At that time I was told Donnelly wanted to support the project because it was beneficial to have a back-up engine if the Rolls-Royce products resulted in defects. Additionally, I was told that the GE product would result in jobs. I was certain I got Washington double-talk and his support was totally inappropriate.
Personally I think this is another clear example of Washington waste that is leading to our massive debt burden. I suspect, but I do not have the ability to prove it, that Donnelly is receiving GE contributions to his re-election campaign and thus is participating in Play for Pay. Why do we need two different sets of engines for one airplane?
Now the Associated Press reports today that GE has agreed to pay a fine of $23.4 million to settle claims it paid kickbacks to Iraqi officials. This dates back to the Iraqi Oil for Food program that was run by the equally corrupt United Nations.
The point I am making is that the ruling by the Security and Exchange Commission regarding GE’s illegal conduct should be a sufficient reason to stop any further consideration to buy the redundant GE engines. If logic prevailed, Donnelly should withdraw his support to buy the GE engines, but I suspect he will dive for the campaign contributions.
With GE Chairman/CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, being a big pal of President Obama, I bet the deal for the engines goes through and we will be left holding another bag of corrupt debt. Obama’s CHANGE stinks and the smell is getting stronger by each passing day. Soon we will all be wearing face masks just as they do in China.
COMMANDER GRANGER
AFTER THE ARIZONA DECISION
It is your Commander’s opinion that the decision of the Federal Judge regarding the Arizona Immigration Bill will only acerbate the intensity of the debate for the average American citizen. Clearly all the polls indicate that a decisive majority of Americans want the Arizona Bill to become law. In my local newspaper its poll indicates 80% support for the Arizona position.
It is obvious to me that this federal judicial action supports the Administration’s ulterior motivations to attract the minority population vote in coming elections. The Democrat Party has clearly played the race card, causing class warfare tensions that can only lead to tragic, unintended consequences. Our Federal Judiciary’s activism now supports illegal immigration, which is forbidden by federal law.
This issue will not be solved or addressed anytime soon, but will only fester until the time that the eggheads in Washington secure both borders of the United States and move forward with an honest, non-political, comprehensive immigration legislative agenda.
The Editorial in The New York Times yesterday was shamefully biased, and sounded like a speech that I would expect to emanate from a liberal professor in one of those Ivy League halls of socialism. When will our government understand that the people of Arizona are scared and in danger as a result of its total neglect of a growing series of illegal immigration problems. This issue should not and cannot continue to wait until the November 2010 election.
Show me where it says in the United States Constitution that a State does not have to legal right and obligation to protect their citizens. Judge Susan Bolton sold out Arizonians with her politically biased decision, and I suspect the well known to be extremely liberal 9th Circuit will uphold her flawed action. How in clear conscious can Judge Bolton deny Arizona when the Federal Government has repeatedly failed to uphold existing immigration laws?
Trouble is brewing in the Arizona sun, and it will spread across the entire country just as the sun does every single day. Already local demonstrations are springing in many States with strong, emotionally charged lines being drawn by both sides. Passions are running high and it will only take one unfortunate incident to bring forth tragic results.
Obama, the Democrat Party, and the Justice Department will rue the day they opened this can of worms, and the only way the Democrat Party can win in November is if they stuff the ballot box, and that would not surprise me having lived in Chicago. Many believe that was done for Jack Kennedy, so why wouldn’t they do it for their boy Barack Obama?
COMMANDER GRANGER
It is obvious to me that this federal judicial action supports the Administration’s ulterior motivations to attract the minority population vote in coming elections. The Democrat Party has clearly played the race card, causing class warfare tensions that can only lead to tragic, unintended consequences. Our Federal Judiciary’s activism now supports illegal immigration, which is forbidden by federal law.
This issue will not be solved or addressed anytime soon, but will only fester until the time that the eggheads in Washington secure both borders of the United States and move forward with an honest, non-political, comprehensive immigration legislative agenda.
The Editorial in The New York Times yesterday was shamefully biased, and sounded like a speech that I would expect to emanate from a liberal professor in one of those Ivy League halls of socialism. When will our government understand that the people of Arizona are scared and in danger as a result of its total neglect of a growing series of illegal immigration problems. This issue should not and cannot continue to wait until the November 2010 election.
Show me where it says in the United States Constitution that a State does not have to legal right and obligation to protect their citizens. Judge Susan Bolton sold out Arizonians with her politically biased decision, and I suspect the well known to be extremely liberal 9th Circuit will uphold her flawed action. How in clear conscious can Judge Bolton deny Arizona when the Federal Government has repeatedly failed to uphold existing immigration laws?
Trouble is brewing in the Arizona sun, and it will spread across the entire country just as the sun does every single day. Already local demonstrations are springing in many States with strong, emotionally charged lines being drawn by both sides. Passions are running high and it will only take one unfortunate incident to bring forth tragic results.
Obama, the Democrat Party, and the Justice Department will rue the day they opened this can of worms, and the only way the Democrat Party can win in November is if they stuff the ballot box, and that would not surprise me having lived in Chicago. Many believe that was done for Jack Kennedy, so why wouldn’t they do it for their boy Barack Obama?
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, July 29, 2010
WHAT IS AMERICA TO ME?
It is funny how a reference to an old song jars one’s memory of the good old days. That just happened while reading a book that made reference to the popular Frank Sinatra song “The House I Live In.”
If you are old enough to remember, Sinatra sang the song in a ten-minute short film produced by Frank Ross and Mervyn LeRoy to oppose anti-Semitism and racial prejudice at the end of World War ll. The song was so popular that it became a big hit, and the film received an Honorary Academy Award and a special Golden Globe award in 1946.
During the current rash of racial charges and counter-charges your Commander suggests it may be appropriate to read the inspirational lyrics or even sing the song again.
What is America to me?
A name, a map, or a flag I see;
A certain word, democracy.
What is America to me?
The house I live in,
A plot of earth, a street,
The grocer and the butcher,
Or the people that I meet;
The children in the playground,
The faces that I see,
All races and religions,
That's America to me.
The place I work in,
The worker by my side,
The little town or city
Where my people lived and died.
The howdy and the handshake,
The air and feeling free,
And the right to speak my mind out,
That's America to me.
The things I see about me,
The big things and the small,
The little corner newsstand,
And the house a mile tall;
The wedding and the churchyard,
The laughter and the tears,
And the dream that's been a growing
For a hundred-fifty years.
The town I live in,
The street, the house, the room,
The pavement of the city,
And the garden all in bloom;
The church, the school, the clubhouse,
The million lights I see,
But especially the people;
That's America to me.
The house I live in,
My neighbors white and black,
The people who just came here,
Or from generations back;
The town hall and the soapbox,
The torch of liberty,
A home for all God's children;
That's America to me.
The words of old Abe Lincoln,
Of Jefferson and Paine,
Of Washington and Jackson
And the tasks that still remain;
The little bridge at Concord,
Where Freedom's fight began,
Our Gettysburg and Midway
And the story of Bataan.
The house I live in,
The goodness everywhere,
A land of wealth and beauty,
With enough for all to share;
A house that we call Freedom,
A home of Liberty,
And it belongs to fighting people
That's America to me.
Remember that the song was released at the end of WWII when there was still very strong ethnic tensions across the country. I suggest that the lyrics could be put to an effective use by the Tea Party movement. Unfortunately, we will certainly not hear these words from Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, because the song does not support their agenda of division and racial unrest.
Do you suspect that if we were successful in getting some artists to sing the song on national television or radio that it would cause irritable bowel syndrome at the ACLU, the Justice Department, and within the Halls of Congress or the White House? I bet the 9th Circuit Court would call an emergency meeting and rule against its airing as a violation of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
COMMANDER GRANGER
If you are old enough to remember, Sinatra sang the song in a ten-minute short film produced by Frank Ross and Mervyn LeRoy to oppose anti-Semitism and racial prejudice at the end of World War ll. The song was so popular that it became a big hit, and the film received an Honorary Academy Award and a special Golden Globe award in 1946.
During the current rash of racial charges and counter-charges your Commander suggests it may be appropriate to read the inspirational lyrics or even sing the song again.
What is America to me?
A name, a map, or a flag I see;
A certain word, democracy.
What is America to me?
The house I live in,
A plot of earth, a street,
The grocer and the butcher,
Or the people that I meet;
The children in the playground,
The faces that I see,
All races and religions,
That's America to me.
The place I work in,
The worker by my side,
The little town or city
Where my people lived and died.
The howdy and the handshake,
The air and feeling free,
And the right to speak my mind out,
That's America to me.
The things I see about me,
The big things and the small,
The little corner newsstand,
And the house a mile tall;
The wedding and the churchyard,
The laughter and the tears,
And the dream that's been a growing
For a hundred-fifty years.
The town I live in,
The street, the house, the room,
The pavement of the city,
And the garden all in bloom;
The church, the school, the clubhouse,
The million lights I see,
But especially the people;
That's America to me.
The house I live in,
My neighbors white and black,
The people who just came here,
Or from generations back;
The town hall and the soapbox,
The torch of liberty,
A home for all God's children;
That's America to me.
The words of old Abe Lincoln,
Of Jefferson and Paine,
Of Washington and Jackson
And the tasks that still remain;
The little bridge at Concord,
Where Freedom's fight began,
Our Gettysburg and Midway
And the story of Bataan.
The house I live in,
The goodness everywhere,
A land of wealth and beauty,
With enough for all to share;
A house that we call Freedom,
A home of Liberty,
And it belongs to fighting people
That's America to me.
Remember that the song was released at the end of WWII when there was still very strong ethnic tensions across the country. I suggest that the lyrics could be put to an effective use by the Tea Party movement. Unfortunately, we will certainly not hear these words from Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton, because the song does not support their agenda of division and racial unrest.
Do you suspect that if we were successful in getting some artists to sing the song on national television or radio that it would cause irritable bowel syndrome at the ACLU, the Justice Department, and within the Halls of Congress or the White House? I bet the 9th Circuit Court would call an emergency meeting and rule against its airing as a violation of the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
U. S. BORDER INTEGRITY
It is beyond your Commander’s comprehension that the United States Government and its citizens would permit our borders with Mexico and Canada be left to penetration by illegal immigration and forces who intend harm to our country. Beyond the transit of dangerous drugs and the smuggling of illegal contraband, both human and material, why is nothing or little done to put a stop to the violation of our laws?
One can only suspect that there are forces operating within our government that are sympatric to illegal immigration or are complicit to that end. Considering the massive negative financial effect to this continued disregard for the law, it is troubling to say the least.
How can our government justify the fact that over 56 years ago the Korean War ended in an armistice and we still have some 30,000 troops stationed along the North Korean/South Korean border to assure security? Now after years of total neglect and political horse-play, we are sending a measly 12,000 National Guard troops to our Southern Border. Additionally, there are no plans to secure our northern border at this time. America can secure the border for South Korea, but we cannot secure our own precious borders. Who is on the take is a legitimate question.
Un-damn believable! Your Commander firmly believes that it is the height of arrogance to delay border security until the current Administration tries to jam down the throats of the American people a comprehensive immigration bill that in essence will buy the loyalty of millions of illegal immigrants. It is far past the time for all illegal immigrants to get to the back of the line, and enter this country legally along with their anchor babies.
COMMANDER GRANGER
One can only suspect that there are forces operating within our government that are sympatric to illegal immigration or are complicit to that end. Considering the massive negative financial effect to this continued disregard for the law, it is troubling to say the least.
How can our government justify the fact that over 56 years ago the Korean War ended in an armistice and we still have some 30,000 troops stationed along the North Korean/South Korean border to assure security? Now after years of total neglect and political horse-play, we are sending a measly 12,000 National Guard troops to our Southern Border. Additionally, there are no plans to secure our northern border at this time. America can secure the border for South Korea, but we cannot secure our own precious borders. Who is on the take is a legitimate question.
Un-damn believable! Your Commander firmly believes that it is the height of arrogance to delay border security until the current Administration tries to jam down the throats of the American people a comprehensive immigration bill that in essence will buy the loyalty of millions of illegal immigrants. It is far past the time for all illegal immigrants to get to the back of the line, and enter this country legally along with their anchor babies.
COMMANDER GRANGER
THE JIG IS UP FOR CHARLIE
You cannot pick up a newspaper or watch a newscast these days without hearing fresh revelations about the misbehavior of Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY). Throughout Rangel’s long political career he has been a lighting rod, since he won election defeating controversial Congressman Adam Clayton Powell in a 1970 primary election.
Isn’t it ironic that Rangel is now facing a primary contest this November from Powell’s son who is currently a New York State Assemblyman? The Washington Post and The New York Times are all running long articles covering the growing concerns of Rangel’s fellow Democrats, because they are scared they will be painted by his tainted brush come the November election. A Washington Post poll reports that 60% of the responders believe Rangel should resign now.
This story has deeper implications, because of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s earlier strong statements of running a clean House and rooting out corruption. The truth of the matter is that the House Ethics Committee has stalled its investigation of Rangel for two years, and they are now fearful of a televised Committee interrogation that will have voters believing all Democrats are like Rangel.
Rangel is accused of a whole list of infractions that should result in his removal from office, but nothing will surprise me when it comes to Congress protecting their own fellow wheeler-dealers. Way back in 2008 the Ethics panel began looking into claims of improper use of his office to raise money for a New York City college for a building in his name, his failure to pay taxes on a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic, failure to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets, and violation of New York City rules through his rent-controlled apartments in Harlem.
Clearly it is time for Charlie to cut and run. Apparently at this time his arrogance is preventing him from getting out while the getting is good. I suspect that Congressional pressure will force his resignation in the near future. The real sad part of this story is not the fact that he is guilty, it is the fact that he will leave Washington with a fat bank account and a huge pension that you and I must pay.
Don’t tell me that crime does not pay. Charlie is laughing all the way to the bank, and he will go back to Harlem as a hero to his neighbors when in fact he is a crook, and should be required to pay for his crimes.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Isn’t it ironic that Rangel is now facing a primary contest this November from Powell’s son who is currently a New York State Assemblyman? The Washington Post and The New York Times are all running long articles covering the growing concerns of Rangel’s fellow Democrats, because they are scared they will be painted by his tainted brush come the November election. A Washington Post poll reports that 60% of the responders believe Rangel should resign now.
This story has deeper implications, because of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s earlier strong statements of running a clean House and rooting out corruption. The truth of the matter is that the House Ethics Committee has stalled its investigation of Rangel for two years, and they are now fearful of a televised Committee interrogation that will have voters believing all Democrats are like Rangel.
Rangel is accused of a whole list of infractions that should result in his removal from office, but nothing will surprise me when it comes to Congress protecting their own fellow wheeler-dealers. Way back in 2008 the Ethics panel began looking into claims of improper use of his office to raise money for a New York City college for a building in his name, his failure to pay taxes on a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic, failure to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal assets, and violation of New York City rules through his rent-controlled apartments in Harlem.
Clearly it is time for Charlie to cut and run. Apparently at this time his arrogance is preventing him from getting out while the getting is good. I suspect that Congressional pressure will force his resignation in the near future. The real sad part of this story is not the fact that he is guilty, it is the fact that he will leave Washington with a fat bank account and a huge pension that you and I must pay.
Don’t tell me that crime does not pay. Charlie is laughing all the way to the bank, and he will go back to Harlem as a hero to his neighbors when in fact he is a crook, and should be required to pay for his crimes.
COMMANDER GRANGER
REVIEW - THE OVERTON WINDOW
Thanks to a lovely Father’s Day gift I received a copy of Glenn Beck’s bestseller, THE OVERTON WINDOW. As I have repeatedly reported in previous commentaries, I am not a big fan of Glenn Beck. His presentation style on his radio and television programs are a little too provocative for me, and having read this well-written book I am further suspicious of his true agenda.
No doubt there may be a serious flaw in my appraisal, because his programs are highly rated, his personal appearances are sold-out, and this book is way up on several bestseller lists. Personally, I prefer less strident voices such as Walter E. Williams or Charles Krauthammer when it comes to political analysis.
As far as the book is concerned, Beck has authored a well crafted story that holds the reader’s attention, but the story line keeps reminding me of the last time I viewed a Glenn Beck program. There is nothing in the story line that I have not heard when I used to watch or listen to his programs. The book is worth reading, and I will be interested to see if other readers have a similar experience. Beck is clearly a smart cookie, and his substantiation of theories is clearly first-rate.
There is no question that Beck has found a good gig that works for him, and more power to him for his accomplishments. He has a growing loyal following, but I wonder what he will do for his next act when there is no Barack Hussein Obama to kick around. That day will surely come, and I wonder if he has another pony in his stable or if he is simply a one-act pony.
COMMANDER GRANGER
No doubt there may be a serious flaw in my appraisal, because his programs are highly rated, his personal appearances are sold-out, and this book is way up on several bestseller lists. Personally, I prefer less strident voices such as Walter E. Williams or Charles Krauthammer when it comes to political analysis.
As far as the book is concerned, Beck has authored a well crafted story that holds the reader’s attention, but the story line keeps reminding me of the last time I viewed a Glenn Beck program. There is nothing in the story line that I have not heard when I used to watch or listen to his programs. The book is worth reading, and I will be interested to see if other readers have a similar experience. Beck is clearly a smart cookie, and his substantiation of theories is clearly first-rate.
There is no question that Beck has found a good gig that works for him, and more power to him for his accomplishments. He has a growing loyal following, but I wonder what he will do for his next act when there is no Barack Hussein Obama to kick around. That day will surely come, and I wonder if he has another pony in his stable or if he is simply a one-act pony.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Monday, July 26, 2010
PERCEPTION AND REALITY
I will start by defining each key word as specified in The New World Dictionary of the American Language – Second Edition
PERCEPTION – The act of perceiving or the ability to perceive; mental gasp of objects, qualities, etc by means of the senses; awareness; comprehension.
REALITY – The quality or fact of being real. A person or thing that is real; fact.
Based upon the definitions outlined in the above quoted dictionary, PERCEPTION is not always or necessarily REALITY.
Let me tell you why I address this issue. Recently I had the occasion to research some facts about Sir Winston Churchill and in doing so I read a very revealing report totaling 36 pages from Wikipedia (understanding that is not always the most reliable source). The meat of the data was actually only 25 pages, but after reading I came to the conclusion that Churchill was not actually the positive historical figure that we commonly PERCEIVE. He was far more complex.
Over Churchill’s long life (1874-1965) he had several set-backs, and real blemishes that do not match the high status his historical reputation now carries. I am certainly not trying to diminish the many positive accomplishments credited to Churchill, such as his adroit leadership during and after World War ll. His contributions to literature are legendary, as were his skill as an accomplished painter of landscapes. His contributions were far greater than just political leadership, and his many famous quotes are legendary.
Less noted or known is the influence he held in the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, which resulted in the creation of many of the countries in the current Middle East and the resulting long brewing difficulties. Churchill was an avid supporter of the British Empire’s colonial holdings and fought against the independence of India. He was a strong opponent of Mohatma Gandhi, and favored letting Gandhi die in prison when he went on a hunger strike.
In the British General Strike of 1926 Churchill is reported to have suggested that machine guns be used on the striking miners. During the early days of the First World War Churchill served as First Lord of the Admiralty, and was forced from office after the disastrous Battle of Gallipoli where hordes of British and Turkish troops were killed in the ill-fated attack.
The point I am making is that we cannot judge a book by its cover. There are few among us who do not have events or circumstances in our past that we are all proud of or would not change if we had the opportunity.
If you like history and have any interest in Sir Winston Churchill I highly recommend that you simply go to your computer, and search his name and read the highly interesting article posted on Wikipedia. You will learn a lot of enlightening facts about a very complex individual who contributed greatly to the human experience.
Getting back to my original point there are thousands of examples of individuals whose PERCEPTION has not matched up with REALITY, such as John F, Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, so be careful when you praise some historical figures before you know all the facts. The exploration is half the fun, informative, and extremely illuminating. Look before you leap is appropriate.
COMMANDER GRANGER
PERCEPTION – The act of perceiving or the ability to perceive; mental gasp of objects, qualities, etc by means of the senses; awareness; comprehension.
REALITY – The quality or fact of being real. A person or thing that is real; fact.
Based upon the definitions outlined in the above quoted dictionary, PERCEPTION is not always or necessarily REALITY.
Let me tell you why I address this issue. Recently I had the occasion to research some facts about Sir Winston Churchill and in doing so I read a very revealing report totaling 36 pages from Wikipedia (understanding that is not always the most reliable source). The meat of the data was actually only 25 pages, but after reading I came to the conclusion that Churchill was not actually the positive historical figure that we commonly PERCEIVE. He was far more complex.
Over Churchill’s long life (1874-1965) he had several set-backs, and real blemishes that do not match the high status his historical reputation now carries. I am certainly not trying to diminish the many positive accomplishments credited to Churchill, such as his adroit leadership during and after World War ll. His contributions to literature are legendary, as were his skill as an accomplished painter of landscapes. His contributions were far greater than just political leadership, and his many famous quotes are legendary.
Less noted or known is the influence he held in the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, which resulted in the creation of many of the countries in the current Middle East and the resulting long brewing difficulties. Churchill was an avid supporter of the British Empire’s colonial holdings and fought against the independence of India. He was a strong opponent of Mohatma Gandhi, and favored letting Gandhi die in prison when he went on a hunger strike.
In the British General Strike of 1926 Churchill is reported to have suggested that machine guns be used on the striking miners. During the early days of the First World War Churchill served as First Lord of the Admiralty, and was forced from office after the disastrous Battle of Gallipoli where hordes of British and Turkish troops were killed in the ill-fated attack.
The point I am making is that we cannot judge a book by its cover. There are few among us who do not have events or circumstances in our past that we are all proud of or would not change if we had the opportunity.
If you like history and have any interest in Sir Winston Churchill I highly recommend that you simply go to your computer, and search his name and read the highly interesting article posted on Wikipedia. You will learn a lot of enlightening facts about a very complex individual who contributed greatly to the human experience.
Getting back to my original point there are thousands of examples of individuals whose PERCEPTION has not matched up with REALITY, such as John F, Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Kennedy, and Richard Nixon, so be careful when you praise some historical figures before you know all the facts. The exploration is half the fun, informative, and extremely illuminating. Look before you leap is appropriate.
COMMANDER GRANGER
REPUBLICAN WAKE-UP CALL
Assuming that my public school education in mathematics is correct there are only 100 days before our next General Election on November 2, 2010. With that in mind, I am of the opinion that the current predictions that the Republican Party will sweep or dominate the coming election may be very premature.
The 24 hour news channels have all those talking heads that spiel either the Republican or Democrat lines of double talk. The Republicans repeatedly cannot get their act solidified without another commission of “foot in the mouth” reducing the chances of their possible election victory. Some loud voices contend that there is plenty of time before the 2012 election for the Republicans to rally behind a strong presidential candidate, but I suggest that they better get their act together quickly. While the Congressional election is coming up shortly, there must be a strong, attractive candidate to lead the Republican ticket stepping forward soon. Remember how early Obama announced his candidacy?
Your Commander suggests that the Democrat Party has been very successful in dividing and conquering the Republican Party thus far, which is an old Chicago-style political ploy. Remember, too, that the Chicago political machine is behind this current administration so you must expect this election to be down and dirty. The race-card and fear are already evident in the Democrat Party play-book.
The fact that the Democrat Party continues to hold minority voters in their pocket is mystifying, because after fifty years of legislation favoring blacks and Hispanics their plight is still sub-standard. Why do they continue to support a party that continues to hold them in bondage with repeated failed initiatives?
Who are the prominent candidates to lead the Republican Party come this November? I do not believe that Sarah Palin (Momma Grizzly) is viable, although she does voice words that are well-received by a decent size audience. I think she is capable of solidifying the Republican base and a better choice as the head of the Republican Party replacing Chairman Michael Steele.
The Tea Party movement is strong, influential, and effective, but without a leader of its own, it cannot be a source for a candidate for election. It is, however, a force to be effectively used. There is a great article by Peggy Noonan in a recent Wall Street Journal that is worth your time and effort, which you can read at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575355403205238916.html?KEYWORDS=Peggy+Noonan
There are other voices out there with a following such as Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal, and Rudy Giuliani. There are other individuals, but their current viability is questionable. The one that I suggest who has the best chance to be our next President is Mitt Romney, but he carries substantial baggage that must be nullified if he has any real chance of victory. Let me suggest that you read a very interesting article he wrote for The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html
The fact that Romney is a Mormon is considered a stopping point, but if we can elect a black man with no leadership experience, and if we can elect a Catholic (JFK), we certainly should be rational enough to elect an ex-Governor who has acknowledged successful experience as a business leader. With jobs being one of our major problems, and getting America back to work an essential issue to settle our unsustainable nation debt I believe he is currently the best candidate. Romney carries himself well, and exhibits a tone that has leadership written all over him.
Looking down, the road I believe an individual like the new Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie could be a hot candidate if his actions in cleaning up New Jersey bear fruit. He talks the talk and walks the walk that many people could get behind. Senator Ted Kennedy’s replacement Senator Scott Brown is an attractive candidate, but may turnout to be an opportunist and not a real Republican conservative.
President Obama and many on the White House Staff lack any experience in the Executive ranks, and it is showing with the repeated failures of his Administration. His crisis management is obviously lacking, and is creating a growing dissatisfaction with the electorate. One must wonder just how long the electorate will continue to support an Administration that continues to stuff down the throats of the public legislation they do not endorse. Just look at the President’s plunging poll numbers.
Unless the Republican Party gets its act together quite soon they will not achieve their anticipated goals come this November, and our precious democratic form of government will be doomed to further socialization.
Currently we have a leader who was supposedly an authority on Constitutional Law, but what we elected was an individual with a devious agenda that has proven to subvert our founding documents. Time is running out to save our way of life, and the clock is ticking away every single day. It is 100 days, and counting.
COMMANDER GRANGER
The 24 hour news channels have all those talking heads that spiel either the Republican or Democrat lines of double talk. The Republicans repeatedly cannot get their act solidified without another commission of “foot in the mouth” reducing the chances of their possible election victory. Some loud voices contend that there is plenty of time before the 2012 election for the Republicans to rally behind a strong presidential candidate, but I suggest that they better get their act together quickly. While the Congressional election is coming up shortly, there must be a strong, attractive candidate to lead the Republican ticket stepping forward soon. Remember how early Obama announced his candidacy?
Your Commander suggests that the Democrat Party has been very successful in dividing and conquering the Republican Party thus far, which is an old Chicago-style political ploy. Remember, too, that the Chicago political machine is behind this current administration so you must expect this election to be down and dirty. The race-card and fear are already evident in the Democrat Party play-book.
The fact that the Democrat Party continues to hold minority voters in their pocket is mystifying, because after fifty years of legislation favoring blacks and Hispanics their plight is still sub-standard. Why do they continue to support a party that continues to hold them in bondage with repeated failed initiatives?
Who are the prominent candidates to lead the Republican Party come this November? I do not believe that Sarah Palin (Momma Grizzly) is viable, although she does voice words that are well-received by a decent size audience. I think she is capable of solidifying the Republican base and a better choice as the head of the Republican Party replacing Chairman Michael Steele.
The Tea Party movement is strong, influential, and effective, but without a leader of its own, it cannot be a source for a candidate for election. It is, however, a force to be effectively used. There is a great article by Peggy Noonan in a recent Wall Street Journal that is worth your time and effort, which you can read at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704111704575355403205238916.html?KEYWORDS=Peggy+Noonan
There are other voices out there with a following such as Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Haley Barbour, Bobby Jindal, and Rudy Giuliani. There are other individuals, but their current viability is questionable. The one that I suggest who has the best chance to be our next President is Mitt Romney, but he carries substantial baggage that must be nullified if he has any real chance of victory. Let me suggest that you read a very interesting article he wrote for The Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/05/AR2010070502657.html
The fact that Romney is a Mormon is considered a stopping point, but if we can elect a black man with no leadership experience, and if we can elect a Catholic (JFK), we certainly should be rational enough to elect an ex-Governor who has acknowledged successful experience as a business leader. With jobs being one of our major problems, and getting America back to work an essential issue to settle our unsustainable nation debt I believe he is currently the best candidate. Romney carries himself well, and exhibits a tone that has leadership written all over him.
Looking down, the road I believe an individual like the new Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie could be a hot candidate if his actions in cleaning up New Jersey bear fruit. He talks the talk and walks the walk that many people could get behind. Senator Ted Kennedy’s replacement Senator Scott Brown is an attractive candidate, but may turnout to be an opportunist and not a real Republican conservative.
President Obama and many on the White House Staff lack any experience in the Executive ranks, and it is showing with the repeated failures of his Administration. His crisis management is obviously lacking, and is creating a growing dissatisfaction with the electorate. One must wonder just how long the electorate will continue to support an Administration that continues to stuff down the throats of the public legislation they do not endorse. Just look at the President’s plunging poll numbers.
Unless the Republican Party gets its act together quite soon they will not achieve their anticipated goals come this November, and our precious democratic form of government will be doomed to further socialization.
Currently we have a leader who was supposedly an authority on Constitutional Law, but what we elected was an individual with a devious agenda that has proven to subvert our founding documents. Time is running out to save our way of life, and the clock is ticking away every single day. It is 100 days, and counting.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Saturday, July 24, 2010
LEBRON HYPE
Fortunately the LeBron James hype is actually dying down, and the world is better for it. I am embarrassed to admit that I did actually watch the July 8th ESPN announcement fiasco, and I was just like all the other suckers who swallowed the promotional bait. It’s been said that 7 out of 10 viewers in major markets took the hook too.
Frankly, I have never been a fan of the National Basketball Association or many of their immature, over-paid, egotistical playmates (except for when the Chicago Bulls were winning their championships in the 90’s). Commissioner of the NBA Howard Stern is right in his element, and big-money is the driving factor behind every decision he has made since accepting his over-paid position.
Role models are something that does not compute when talking about NBA players and this latest episode of self-anointment is no exception. In an article in Fanhouse recently it was reported, “No self-respecting newsgathering organization ever lets the subject take control of an interview, even if a charity as noble as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a beneficiary.”
Not surprising, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has again opened his pie-hole labeling James as “a runaway slave.” Nice work Jesse, because there was never an issue that he did not classify as RACIAL to prop-up his extortion oriented pulpit. This debacle has gotten so far out of control that New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd said “ESPN’s 28 minutes of contrived suspense over James’ narcissistic announcement that he was going, aptly, to My-Am-Me played like ‘The Bachelor,’ without the rose for the winner.”
David Israel, a Los Angeles Times TV writer said, “Never has so much time, effort and money been expended by an individual to diminish himself.” Your Commander wonders just when we will stop admiring narcissist punks.
Just like the NBA, ESPN took a dive for audience and money. LeBron played those big guys like a Stradivarius violin. Phil Rosenthal wrote on Chicago Tribune.Com, “Self-celebration became self-immolation,” and James’ cavalier attitude will haunt him.
As LeBron’s old Cleveland Cavalier jerseys burn on the streets of Cleveland the story moves to sunny Florida. Now he better deliver or those South Florida clowns (fans) will turn on him as if he were Fidel Castro.
Although I never watch NBA games, for the coming season your Commander is putting “THE CURSE OF THE COMMANDER” on the Miami Heat. Do you suppose it will be as effective as "THE CURSE OF THE BILLY GOAT" has been on the Chicago Cubs?
COMMANDER GRANGER
Frankly, I have never been a fan of the National Basketball Association or many of their immature, over-paid, egotistical playmates (except for when the Chicago Bulls were winning their championships in the 90’s). Commissioner of the NBA Howard Stern is right in his element, and big-money is the driving factor behind every decision he has made since accepting his over-paid position.
Role models are something that does not compute when talking about NBA players and this latest episode of self-anointment is no exception. In an article in Fanhouse recently it was reported, “No self-respecting newsgathering organization ever lets the subject take control of an interview, even if a charity as noble as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, is a beneficiary.”
Not surprising, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has again opened his pie-hole labeling James as “a runaway slave.” Nice work Jesse, because there was never an issue that he did not classify as RACIAL to prop-up his extortion oriented pulpit. This debacle has gotten so far out of control that New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd said “ESPN’s 28 minutes of contrived suspense over James’ narcissistic announcement that he was going, aptly, to My-Am-Me played like ‘The Bachelor,’ without the rose for the winner.”
David Israel, a Los Angeles Times TV writer said, “Never has so much time, effort and money been expended by an individual to diminish himself.” Your Commander wonders just when we will stop admiring narcissist punks.
Just like the NBA, ESPN took a dive for audience and money. LeBron played those big guys like a Stradivarius violin. Phil Rosenthal wrote on Chicago Tribune.Com, “Self-celebration became self-immolation,” and James’ cavalier attitude will haunt him.
As LeBron’s old Cleveland Cavalier jerseys burn on the streets of Cleveland the story moves to sunny Florida. Now he better deliver or those South Florida clowns (fans) will turn on him as if he were Fidel Castro.
Although I never watch NBA games, for the coming season your Commander is putting “THE CURSE OF THE COMMANDER” on the Miami Heat. Do you suppose it will be as effective as "THE CURSE OF THE BILLY GOAT" has been on the Chicago Cubs?
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, July 22, 2010
QUOTES TO CONTEMPLATE #2
Here are some comments from noted humorist Will Rogers.
“Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’
it back in.”
“If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.”
“If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.”
“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
Have a great day, because it is and always will be unlike any other.
COMMANDER GRANGER
“Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’
it back in.”
“If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.”
“If you get to thinking you’re a person of some influence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around.”
“The quickest way to double your money is to fold it over and put it back in your pocket.”
“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”
“Never miss a good chance to shut up.”
Have a great day, because it is and always will be unlike any other.
COMMANDER GRANGER
I FINALLY SENT THE JERK AN EMAIL
Frequently when I am sitting at my computer crafting commentaries for my blog I also have the television droning away in the background. July 15th was no exception, but I was drawn away from the computer when I heard another boring, almost incoherent rant by that loud mouth Shepard Smith on Fox News.
Yes, I know that some of you will tell me that I deserve to be upset just because I was viewing Fox News. Guilty as charged, but that rant was totally different from some of the disturbing things I hear on television lately. This time I stopped what I was doing and sent an email directly to Fox News in New York City venting my spleen, which reduced my elevated blood pressure immediately.
That day Shepard Smith went ballistic when he received a BREAKING NEWS alert from his in-house producer advising him of the fact that BP had stopped the flow of oil leaking from its well-head. Smith started yelling to the point that I could almost not understand anything he was saying, but I finally established the point that he did not trust BP and BP should be shut-down because they are the evil empire for all things bad in the world. How about celebrating the event, and report the news in a professional unemotional way? Regretably Shepard Smith cannot do that, because he is one of those egotistical clowns that permeate journalism today.
In my email to Fox News I noted the fact that Smith should take into consideration that if BP is shut-down, how could the citizens of
the Gulf Coast get their bills paid or the beach fronts cleaned. Without a profitable BP the bill will go the federal government and we all will be paying a greater tax bill to save the economic difficulties beset on the area for years to come.
Smith in my opinion is the true definition of hubris. If Smith had one ounce of sense he would get his facts together before shooting off his trap. Being one of the big “Mouths of the South,” Smith is one of the poorest examples eminating from the University of Mississippi educational system. Fox News would do well to put a muzzle on that sweet thing once and for all time, and make some effort to return to professional, factual journalism.
Ok! I know that I lost my cool, but I’m glad I sent the email. I strongly suggest that when you get uptight about something that you should write a nice letter. It is very therapeutic
FYI – I am not holding my breath waiting for any letter from Smith, and I am smart enough to suspect my email will end up in some entry-level worker-bee’s wastepaper receptacle.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Yes, I know that some of you will tell me that I deserve to be upset just because I was viewing Fox News. Guilty as charged, but that rant was totally different from some of the disturbing things I hear on television lately. This time I stopped what I was doing and sent an email directly to Fox News in New York City venting my spleen, which reduced my elevated blood pressure immediately.
That day Shepard Smith went ballistic when he received a BREAKING NEWS alert from his in-house producer advising him of the fact that BP had stopped the flow of oil leaking from its well-head. Smith started yelling to the point that I could almost not understand anything he was saying, but I finally established the point that he did not trust BP and BP should be shut-down because they are the evil empire for all things bad in the world. How about celebrating the event, and report the news in a professional unemotional way? Regretably Shepard Smith cannot do that, because he is one of those egotistical clowns that permeate journalism today.
In my email to Fox News I noted the fact that Smith should take into consideration that if BP is shut-down, how could the citizens of
the Gulf Coast get their bills paid or the beach fronts cleaned. Without a profitable BP the bill will go the federal government and we all will be paying a greater tax bill to save the economic difficulties beset on the area for years to come.
Smith in my opinion is the true definition of hubris. If Smith had one ounce of sense he would get his facts together before shooting off his trap. Being one of the big “Mouths of the South,” Smith is one of the poorest examples eminating from the University of Mississippi educational system. Fox News would do well to put a muzzle on that sweet thing once and for all time, and make some effort to return to professional, factual journalism.
Ok! I know that I lost my cool, but I’m glad I sent the email. I strongly suggest that when you get uptight about something that you should write a nice letter. It is very therapeutic
FYI – I am not holding my breath waiting for any letter from Smith, and I am smart enough to suspect my email will end up in some entry-level worker-bee’s wastepaper receptacle.
COMMANDER GRANGER
WHAT HAS AMERICA BECOME?
Normally it is my policy to present material based upon my personal research, reading or life’s experience. In the interest of full disclosure I want you to know that this is a copy of an attachment in an email I received today, which is purported to be a Letter to the Editor from Ken Huber in Tawas City, Michigan. That being said I am unable to ascertain the authenticity of this letter, but I do agree totally with the sentiments expressed.
“Editor,
Has America become the land of the special interest and home of the double standard?
Let’s see: If we lie to the Congress, it’s a felony and if the congress lies to us its just politics; if we dislike a black person, we’re racist and if a black dislikes whites, it’s their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child, but it’s wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don’t burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of the communist and socialist threat by renaming them progressives; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama’s policies you’re a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.
You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it’s wrong to use an animal.
We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don’t want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.
And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who’s at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes, tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.
What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?”
Well said Ken. This is another well written expression of the current challenging predicament we confront and I wish I had composed it.
COMMANDER GRANGER
“Editor,
Has America become the land of the special interest and home of the double standard?
Let’s see: If we lie to the Congress, it’s a felony and if the congress lies to us its just politics; if we dislike a black person, we’re racist and if a black dislikes whites, it’s their 1st Amendment right; the government spends millions to rehabilitate criminals and they do almost nothing for the victims; in public schools you can teach that homosexuality is OK, but you better not use the word God in the process; you can kill an unborn child, but it’s wrong to execute a mass murderer; we don’t burn books in America, we now rewrite them; we got rid of the communist and socialist threat by renaming them progressives; we are unable to close our border with Mexico, but have no problem protecting the 38th parallel in Korea; if you protest against President Obama’s policies you’re a terrorist, but if you burned an American flag or George Bush in effigy it was your 1st Amendment right.
You can have pornography on TV or the internet, but you better not put a nativity scene in a public park during Christmas; we have eliminated all criminals in America, they are now called sick people; we can use a human fetus for medical research, but it’s wrong to use an animal.
We take money from those who work hard for it and give it to those who don’t want to work; we all support the Constitution, but only when it supports our political ideology; we still have freedom of speech, but only if we are being politically correct; parenting has been replaced with Ritalin and video games; the land of opportunity is now the land of hand outs; the similarity between Hurricane Katrina and the gulf oil spill is that neither president did anything to help.
And how do we handle a major crisis today? The government appoints a committee to determine who’s at fault, then threatens them, passes a law, raises our taxes, tells us the problem is solved so they can get back to their reelection campaign.
What has happened to the land of the free and home of the brave?”
Well said Ken. This is another well written expression of the current challenging predicament we confront and I wish I had composed it.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
DOES ONE WORD DESCRIBE THE U.S.A.
When they get around to writing current events in the history of the U.S.A. some fifty years or so from now, I wonder what one word will surface that best defines our country during the early years of the 21st Century. Hopefully the country will have somehow survived the Obama revisionist movement, and the assaults upon the Constitution, but that will be for the future to tell.
During the past week I have read several very interesting articles that shed some light on the title above. In The Chicago Tribune there was an article by Katherine Skiba that surprised me by revealing the fact that the Obama administration has spent about $20 million dollars of the Stimulus Act funds on green highway signs of self-congratulations. At a production cost of a minimum of $300 each and a minimum of $300 to install them it ends up representing about 3% of the total legislative expense. Obviously, $20 million is considered an insignificant sum in Washington.
Apparently only eight States installed the signs, and when the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board was questioned about the expense, the answer was, “I don’t have any idea, nor does the board, on how much has been spent.” White House mouth-piece Robert Gibbs maintained the tab for signage is about three cents on every $100 spent on the recovery.
Does the word HUBRIS come to mind?
Popular conservative columnist George F. Will ran a very poignant article in recently in The Washington Post titled “The high price of American hubris”, which you can easily find on the internet. Charles Krauthammer wrote in the same paper warning America not to take the Obama Administration for granted in his article titled “Obama’s next act”, which is also worth your effort to read.
These writings bring me to suggest that historians will contend that during this time the one word that best describes the American scene is HUBRIS. That applies to our government, leadership, and citizens. This is a scary and tragic scenario, but oh so true. Just look around and tell me if I have not hit the nail on the head.
COMMANDER GRANGER
During the past week I have read several very interesting articles that shed some light on the title above. In The Chicago Tribune there was an article by Katherine Skiba that surprised me by revealing the fact that the Obama administration has spent about $20 million dollars of the Stimulus Act funds on green highway signs of self-congratulations. At a production cost of a minimum of $300 each and a minimum of $300 to install them it ends up representing about 3% of the total legislative expense. Obviously, $20 million is considered an insignificant sum in Washington.
Apparently only eight States installed the signs, and when the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board was questioned about the expense, the answer was, “I don’t have any idea, nor does the board, on how much has been spent.” White House mouth-piece Robert Gibbs maintained the tab for signage is about three cents on every $100 spent on the recovery.
Does the word HUBRIS come to mind?
Popular conservative columnist George F. Will ran a very poignant article in recently in The Washington Post titled “The high price of American hubris”, which you can easily find on the internet. Charles Krauthammer wrote in the same paper warning America not to take the Obama Administration for granted in his article titled “Obama’s next act”, which is also worth your effort to read.
These writings bring me to suggest that historians will contend that during this time the one word that best describes the American scene is HUBRIS. That applies to our government, leadership, and citizens. This is a scary and tragic scenario, but oh so true. Just look around and tell me if I have not hit the nail on the head.
COMMANDER GRANGER
QUOTES TO CONTEMPLATE
Over the coming months I intend to present for your contemplation a series of quotes that have stood the test of time. Please give them some serious thought, because they just could assist you in reaching sound conclusions that may impact your life going forward.
The following are all attributed to SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL:
“Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon.”
“We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
“If you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.”
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”
“Do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is the first sip, the first foretaste of the bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigor, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.”
“We have not journeyed across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountain, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.”
That is enough for one day, but there are plenty more to come in the ensuing weeks.
COMMANDER GRANGER
The following are all attributed to SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL:
“Some see private enterprise as a predatory target to be shot, others as a cow to be milked, but few are those who see it as a sturdy horse pulling the wagon.”
“We contend that for a nation to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”
“If you have ten thousand regulations, you destroy all respect for the law.”
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”
“Do not suppose that this is the end. This is only the beginning of the reckoning. This is the first sip, the first foretaste of the bitter cup which will be proffered to us year by year unless by a supreme recovery of moral health and martial vigor, we arise again and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time.”
“We have not journeyed across the centuries, across the oceans, across the mountain, across the prairies, because we are made of sugar candy.”
That is enough for one day, but there are plenty more to come in the ensuing weeks.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
SWISS JUSTICE STINKS
I read an article in The Washington Post about ten days ago announcing the fact that Roman Polanski would not be extradited back to the United States leads me to believe that the Swiss Justice System stinks. Apparently money talks and the European Court systems do not feel that raping a minor is a crime, and that pedophilia should not be punished.
Apparently the creative community in Europe jumped to the defense of Polanski since his arrest in Switzerland and had sufficient influence to sway the Swiss Justice Ministry to reject the lingering 10 month U.S. extradition application.
Quoting from an article written by Edward Cody of the Washington Post Foreign Service, “It is an enormous satisfaction and a great relief after the pain suffered by Roman Polanski and his family,” said Herve Temime, a French lawyer who was on the team representing the director. Additionally the article said, “The decision constituted a victory not only for Polanski but also for a broad array of European intellectual and political figures that had come to his defense with petitions and statements of outrage denouncing the efforts to continue prosecution after so many years.”
This story gets even sicker. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called the U.S. extradition request “a little sinister,” coming so long after the fact. His colleague, Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, said Polanski was being thrown to the lions for an old story that doesn’t really make any sense.”
This story makes me sick to my stomach. This criminal should have been placed behind bars many years ago, because he is a convicted sex pervert, and rapist who plied his sick acts on children. The next thing will be our President and Attorney General will send the French and Swiss a Thank You letter.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Apparently the creative community in Europe jumped to the defense of Polanski since his arrest in Switzerland and had sufficient influence to sway the Swiss Justice Ministry to reject the lingering 10 month U.S. extradition application.
Quoting from an article written by Edward Cody of the Washington Post Foreign Service, “It is an enormous satisfaction and a great relief after the pain suffered by Roman Polanski and his family,” said Herve Temime, a French lawyer who was on the team representing the director. Additionally the article said, “The decision constituted a victory not only for Polanski but also for a broad array of European intellectual and political figures that had come to his defense with petitions and statements of outrage denouncing the efforts to continue prosecution after so many years.”
This story gets even sicker. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called the U.S. extradition request “a little sinister,” coming so long after the fact. His colleague, Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, said Polanski was being thrown to the lions for an old story that doesn’t really make any sense.”
This story makes me sick to my stomach. This criminal should have been placed behind bars many years ago, because he is a convicted sex pervert, and rapist who plied his sick acts on children. The next thing will be our President and Attorney General will send the French and Swiss a Thank You letter.
COMMANDER GRANGER
EXTREME FIGHTING - ANOTHER POOR SOUL DEAD
Back on April 3rd I wrote a commentary titled “FIGHTING – TIME FOR IT TO END”, but tragically nothing happened and now another poor soul has been killed in the name of sport. Several days ago I read a long article on the internet at the FANHOUSE site that reported the death of Michael Kirkham in a professional cage fight sanctioned by MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championships). This is another clear example of a senseless death that could have been prevented.
For years the sport of boxing and now MMA/UFC has endorsed violent behavior that can result in the death of desperate individuals trying to make a living by beating the hell out of each other. I recognize the fact that this savage business could not survive unless there was a great opportunity to generate huge amounts of money at the expense of the participating pawns.
Reading the Fanhouse article, it is clear that Kirkham was a troubled individual who by his own actions was in a desperate financial position with a court action requiring him to fulfill his legal parental support payments. Apparently Kirkham was unable to secure gainful employment beyond the use of his fists. All too often financial short-comings, lack of education, or criminal records are the trademarks of these so called fighters.
Why do federal, state and local governments permit this mayhem to continue? Who is really making the money off the backs of these desperate individuals? Just why states permit this threat of death to occur in the first place is beyond me. Now it will be up to you and me to pay for the welfare of his two children. I am in favor of helping out individuals and families for a while…providing a hand up, not a hand out.
Money is the root of this evil for certain. This 30 year old desperate man would have made the grand sum of $300 if he won his MMA bout. The organizer undoubtedly made considerably more. The fact that some of these fights are being televised also needs to be examined. Tragically there is a viewer thirst for blood shed. No doubt it will take a few more deaths before politicians step forward with their phony, righteous indignation. STOP BOXING AND MMA/UFC NOW, because it is not sport, just an opportunity for legalized murder to occur.
COMMANDER GRANGER
For years the sport of boxing and now MMA/UFC has endorsed violent behavior that can result in the death of desperate individuals trying to make a living by beating the hell out of each other. I recognize the fact that this savage business could not survive unless there was a great opportunity to generate huge amounts of money at the expense of the participating pawns.
Reading the Fanhouse article, it is clear that Kirkham was a troubled individual who by his own actions was in a desperate financial position with a court action requiring him to fulfill his legal parental support payments. Apparently Kirkham was unable to secure gainful employment beyond the use of his fists. All too often financial short-comings, lack of education, or criminal records are the trademarks of these so called fighters.
Why do federal, state and local governments permit this mayhem to continue? Who is really making the money off the backs of these desperate individuals? Just why states permit this threat of death to occur in the first place is beyond me. Now it will be up to you and me to pay for the welfare of his two children. I am in favor of helping out individuals and families for a while…providing a hand up, not a hand out.
Money is the root of this evil for certain. This 30 year old desperate man would have made the grand sum of $300 if he won his MMA bout. The organizer undoubtedly made considerably more. The fact that some of these fights are being televised also needs to be examined. Tragically there is a viewer thirst for blood shed. No doubt it will take a few more deaths before politicians step forward with their phony, righteous indignation. STOP BOXING AND MMA/UFC NOW, because it is not sport, just an opportunity for legalized murder to occur.
COMMANDER GRANGER
CUSSLER AND SCOTT WIN WITH THE SPY
Collaborating with Justin Scott, well-known action/adventure author Clive Cussler has written another sure bestseller. The Spy is the third in a series featuring the travails of Detective Isaac Bell. If you intend to read The Spy I suggest that you read the first two books, namely The Chase followed by The Wrecker, because there are frequent references that having read the earlier books makes this one even more enjoyable.
The authors do a beautiful job of tying the glory days of rail travel back in the early 1900’s along with international intrigue, and there are plenty of interesting and dangerous circumstances developed throughout the book. This is a great relaxing summer reading experience that I hope you will enjoy as much as your Commander has over the past couple of days.
COMMANDER GRANGER
The authors do a beautiful job of tying the glory days of rail travel back in the early 1900’s along with international intrigue, and there are plenty of interesting and dangerous circumstances developed throughout the book. This is a great relaxing summer reading experience that I hope you will enjoy as much as your Commander has over the past couple of days.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Monday, July 19, 2010
HAITI AT SIX MONTHS
Your Commander has written numerous articles relative to the tragic conditions that persist in Haiti. As predicted and as history has long proven, the people of Haiti continue to be exploited, and underserved by a corrupt small number of individuals who dominate the government and economy.
The New York Times carried a strong editorial recently calling the situation to the attention of their readers, but this is getting to be an old story. Nothing ever seems to happen that provides a positive influence to the average citizen on the streets of Haiti. After a period of six months and the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars, there is little or no improvement to the quality of life for the people who are living in tents.
It is interesting to note, too, that the millions of dollars pledged to Haitian Relief headed by former Presidents Clinton and Bush now reports that only a small percentage of the pledges have been collected. Additionally, the pitiful achievements of the United Nations represent another example of its inefficiency and internal corruption.
The good old USA has already given $1 billion in emergency aid and now is sending another $175 million for cash-for-work projects. Where is the accountability and where are the results?
At the core of Haiti’s problems is the lack of any real middle-class structure to their economy. The small ruling cadre stifles any improvements for the majority of poverty stricken Haitians, and I just do not see anything changing in the years to come. Were I to be living in Haiti today I would be doing everything possible to get the hell out of there ASAP.
It is long past the time that our State Department should call the leaders of the Haitian government to task. It is time to stop throwing our money down a bottomless pit. We should not provide one more dollar in aid until we see a definitive plan that will represent real, honest, corruption-free results.
If I see one more bleeding-heart public-service commercial on my television set where First Lady Michelle Obama emotionally begs for our hard-earned dollars to help the poor people of Haiti I will puke. Someone better wake up to the fact that all the pleas and good intentions are not working, and the time for someone or something to get their act together is long overdue. When is someone going to recognize that our well is running dry, because I know mine is certainly getting shallow?
COMMANDER GRANGER
The New York Times carried a strong editorial recently calling the situation to the attention of their readers, but this is getting to be an old story. Nothing ever seems to happen that provides a positive influence to the average citizen on the streets of Haiti. After a period of six months and the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars, there is little or no improvement to the quality of life for the people who are living in tents.
It is interesting to note, too, that the millions of dollars pledged to Haitian Relief headed by former Presidents Clinton and Bush now reports that only a small percentage of the pledges have been collected. Additionally, the pitiful achievements of the United Nations represent another example of its inefficiency and internal corruption.
The good old USA has already given $1 billion in emergency aid and now is sending another $175 million for cash-for-work projects. Where is the accountability and where are the results?
At the core of Haiti’s problems is the lack of any real middle-class structure to their economy. The small ruling cadre stifles any improvements for the majority of poverty stricken Haitians, and I just do not see anything changing in the years to come. Were I to be living in Haiti today I would be doing everything possible to get the hell out of there ASAP.
It is long past the time that our State Department should call the leaders of the Haitian government to task. It is time to stop throwing our money down a bottomless pit. We should not provide one more dollar in aid until we see a definitive plan that will represent real, honest, corruption-free results.
If I see one more bleeding-heart public-service commercial on my television set where First Lady Michelle Obama emotionally begs for our hard-earned dollars to help the poor people of Haiti I will puke. Someone better wake up to the fact that all the pleas and good intentions are not working, and the time for someone or something to get their act together is long overdue. When is someone going to recognize that our well is running dry, because I know mine is certainly getting shallow?
COMMANDER GRANGER
ERIC HOLDER DOUBLE TALK
This commentary was written immediately after viewing Face the Nation Sunday, July 11th. The Editor has been busy as Publicity Chairman for a National Junior Girls Golf Tournament.
I don’t know about you, but I just viewed Attorney General Eric Holder being questioned by CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer, and my blood pressure rose substantially. Again I witnessed another example of a government official spinning his political agenda, and not answering the simple questions posed by the host.
Holder danced around several very direct questions about the long ago announced closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility, and now spins the official line that the delay is due to the failure of Congress to fund a new facility. That is simply a lie, because the delay is due to the subject’s political sensitivity, and the Obama Administration is trying to plot an acceptable alternative. With money short, why spend more money when we already have the prisoners in a secure facility?
More shocking were Holder’s answers to questions about his inflammatory words that Americans should be ashamed about their position on RACE. Here we go again with another black man complaining about RACE and calling for an extended discussion and dialog. I have got an answer for Holder’s concerns about RACE…How about just suggesting that everyone black, white, red, brown, and yellow follow the Ten Commandments?
Let us all stop all the double talk and make it simple. We will never move forward effectively until we stop all the political spinning and RACE baiting. Accountability continues to be ignored as a foundation to solving the big issues of the day. The pronouncements emanating from the politicians and the lawyers resolve nothing and represent little or nothing to solving the pressing issues of the day. I do not hear Holder calling for support and adherence to the Golden Rule in the black community, and it makes me wonder exactly what his real objectives are? I suggest Holder’s motivations are odious.
I believe that black leaders such as Barack Hussein Obama, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Vernon Jordan, and the new NCAA President Benjamin T. Jealous are playing a very Machiavellian hand when they play the Race Card to drum up votes. Instead of calling out the Tea Party movement as RACISTS how about challenging the black/minority groups to clean up their act? It is time to denounce their devious gamesmanship, and denounce their ploy of transference.
COMMANDER GRANGER
I don’t know about you, but I just viewed Attorney General Eric Holder being questioned by CBS Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer, and my blood pressure rose substantially. Again I witnessed another example of a government official spinning his political agenda, and not answering the simple questions posed by the host.
Holder danced around several very direct questions about the long ago announced closing of the Guantanamo Bay facility, and now spins the official line that the delay is due to the failure of Congress to fund a new facility. That is simply a lie, because the delay is due to the subject’s political sensitivity, and the Obama Administration is trying to plot an acceptable alternative. With money short, why spend more money when we already have the prisoners in a secure facility?
More shocking were Holder’s answers to questions about his inflammatory words that Americans should be ashamed about their position on RACE. Here we go again with another black man complaining about RACE and calling for an extended discussion and dialog. I have got an answer for Holder’s concerns about RACE…How about just suggesting that everyone black, white, red, brown, and yellow follow the Ten Commandments?
Let us all stop all the double talk and make it simple. We will never move forward effectively until we stop all the political spinning and RACE baiting. Accountability continues to be ignored as a foundation to solving the big issues of the day. The pronouncements emanating from the politicians and the lawyers resolve nothing and represent little or nothing to solving the pressing issues of the day. I do not hear Holder calling for support and adherence to the Golden Rule in the black community, and it makes me wonder exactly what his real objectives are? I suggest Holder’s motivations are odious.
I believe that black leaders such as Barack Hussein Obama, Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Vernon Jordan, and the new NCAA President Benjamin T. Jealous are playing a very Machiavellian hand when they play the Race Card to drum up votes. Instead of calling out the Tea Party movement as RACISTS how about challenging the black/minority groups to clean up their act? It is time to denounce their devious gamesmanship, and denounce their ploy of transference.
COMMANDER GRANGER
THE VOICE OF GOD
Yes, I can tell you that I did hear the voice of God some twenty years ago. It was on a clear warm spring evening in New York City, and I was having a couple of pops with some broadcasting friends on the lower level of 30 Rockefeller Center. As the evening passed, someone suggested we go to the Yankee baseball game. We all jumped in a cab, and off we went to Yankee Stadium.
I know it was a long time ago, because the tickets were very inexpensive for great seats right along the third base line. Just before the singing of The Star Spangled Banner, a booming, magnificent voice came over the public address system and Yankee Stadium fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium.”
I did not know it at the time, but it was the legendary voice of Bob Sheppard, “The Voice of the Yankees,” who died a few days ago at the wonderful old age of 99. Let me tell you I have never had the same experience as I had that evening, and the memory has lasted all these ensuing years. His commanding, clear, articulate voice made the game something special, and he continued as he introduced each and every player as they came to the plate. A New York Sports writer once said that Bob had the “Voice of God."
Rarely are their voices such as Bob’s, and his was part of the Yankee mystique. Something has been lost in baseball with the passing of a wonderful human being who represented everything that is special about the game of baseball, America’s Game.
This was one of the highlights of my long life, and I thank God that I had the privilege to experience one of the great pros and voices in the history of sports. Baseball, America, and the entire world will miss Bob Sheppard, but we are all the better for his rich contribution to life on this Planet.
Thanks Bob Sheppard and May you Rest in Peace.
COMMANDER GRANGER
I know it was a long time ago, because the tickets were very inexpensive for great seats right along the third base line. Just before the singing of The Star Spangled Banner, a booming, magnificent voice came over the public address system and Yankee Stadium fell so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium.”
I did not know it at the time, but it was the legendary voice of Bob Sheppard, “The Voice of the Yankees,” who died a few days ago at the wonderful old age of 99. Let me tell you I have never had the same experience as I had that evening, and the memory has lasted all these ensuing years. His commanding, clear, articulate voice made the game something special, and he continued as he introduced each and every player as they came to the plate. A New York Sports writer once said that Bob had the “Voice of God."
Rarely are their voices such as Bob’s, and his was part of the Yankee mystique. Something has been lost in baseball with the passing of a wonderful human being who represented everything that is special about the game of baseball, America’s Game.
This was one of the highlights of my long life, and I thank God that I had the privilege to experience one of the great pros and voices in the history of sports. Baseball, America, and the entire world will miss Bob Sheppard, but we are all the better for his rich contribution to life on this Planet.
Thanks Bob Sheppard and May you Rest in Peace.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Sunday, July 18, 2010
FACE THE NATION'S QUICK COVER UP
If you are a regular viewer of Face the Nation on Sunday mornings as I am you will quickly remember host Bob Schieffer’s incorrect statement during the last week’s July 11th program. At that time Schieffer erroneously spoke about the Arizona Immigration Legislation when making a comment to Attorney General Eric Holder. In essence he said that the Arizona action would cause racial profiling, which if he read the Bill he would know that it is specifically prohibited.
Viewing the program today, Schieffer very casually corrected his error when addressing the issue with ex-Congressman and Senatorial candidate J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ). Nice effort, Schieffer, to cover-up your clear bias against Arizona’s efforts to protect its citizens.
The verbal dancing that takes place on the Sunday morning political talk shows makes them almost un-watchable. I personally would like to see them stop showcasing the bloviating politicians, and put some people on the programs that will give an honest appraisal of the issues confronting the average viewer. At one time the Federal Communications Commission urged broadcasters to function “In the public interest convenience and necessity.” Today the viewers of these programs only receive tornados of politically biased hot-air.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Viewing the program today, Schieffer very casually corrected his error when addressing the issue with ex-Congressman and Senatorial candidate J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ). Nice effort, Schieffer, to cover-up your clear bias against Arizona’s efforts to protect its citizens.
The verbal dancing that takes place on the Sunday morning political talk shows makes them almost un-watchable. I personally would like to see them stop showcasing the bloviating politicians, and put some people on the programs that will give an honest appraisal of the issues confronting the average viewer. At one time the Federal Communications Commission urged broadcasters to function “In the public interest convenience and necessity.” Today the viewers of these programs only receive tornados of politically biased hot-air.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Saturday, July 17, 2010
UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION
As charges and counter-charges float across the airwaves and newspapers between Democrats and Republicans, the real intent is not to inform, but to confuse the electorate.
One of the debates in the Halls of Congress these days is the politically charged statement from the Democrats that the Republicans are denying the poor unemployed workers in this country a vitally needed helping hand by not further extending unemployment payments, which are already at 90 weeks…nearly 2 years! Your Commander does not think that is the real question or the specific problem.
Certainly I have great concern and sympathy for anyone who has lost their job and cannot pay their bills. This country has a long justified reputation for helping those in need, and we must find a way to do that again. BUT!
I understand the anguish of unemployment, because after 29 years with one company I found myself on the beach when the company shuttered its doors. Being in my mid-fifties the job prospects were dismal, but I never received one unemployment check and never applied for one. It became necessary to move across the country, but I found a job. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary requirements to find a viable job.
There is another even more important question confronting the American electorate and politicians. Where is the money coming from to pay extended unemployment payments? Currently the government continues to pass legislation causing additional borrowing and debt, which every single knowledgeable economist contends to be unsustainable.
Considering federal, state, and local financial obligations, we must determine where we can cut expenses or how we can increase the revenue coming to government. Those goals must be the first priority, not additional unsustainable expenditures. An honest objective appraisal will clearly indicate where the waste can be found, but we have to take the political considerations out of the investigation or nothing will ever be truly accomplished, and the country will just go bankrupt. That is not an acceptable alternative, and it is about time that we all recognize that proven fact.
I am not standing up for the Republicans on this charge, but let’s be honest. We cannot continue to feed an endless wasteful welfare and entitlement system to satisfy political considerations only. Charging Republicans as heartless, big-business prone people is simply a bogus argument. It is time to be both honest and objective on both sides of the political spectrum.
Taking the above into consideration there is another vital question that we must put into the national conversation, and that is: Is it the job of government to pay unemployment support; and if it should, just how long a period of time is justified? Do we want our country to become a “womb to the tomb supported society?” In an effort to initiate the debate, I do not think that is what the majority of Americans want this country to become. Do you?
America cannot carry two gallons of water in a one gallon bucket.
COMMANDER GRANGER
One of the debates in the Halls of Congress these days is the politically charged statement from the Democrats that the Republicans are denying the poor unemployed workers in this country a vitally needed helping hand by not further extending unemployment payments, which are already at 90 weeks…nearly 2 years! Your Commander does not think that is the real question or the specific problem.
Certainly I have great concern and sympathy for anyone who has lost their job and cannot pay their bills. This country has a long justified reputation for helping those in need, and we must find a way to do that again. BUT!
I understand the anguish of unemployment, because after 29 years with one company I found myself on the beach when the company shuttered its doors. Being in my mid-fifties the job prospects were dismal, but I never received one unemployment check and never applied for one. It became necessary to move across the country, but I found a job. Sometimes sacrifices are necessary requirements to find a viable job.
There is another even more important question confronting the American electorate and politicians. Where is the money coming from to pay extended unemployment payments? Currently the government continues to pass legislation causing additional borrowing and debt, which every single knowledgeable economist contends to be unsustainable.
Considering federal, state, and local financial obligations, we must determine where we can cut expenses or how we can increase the revenue coming to government. Those goals must be the first priority, not additional unsustainable expenditures. An honest objective appraisal will clearly indicate where the waste can be found, but we have to take the political considerations out of the investigation or nothing will ever be truly accomplished, and the country will just go bankrupt. That is not an acceptable alternative, and it is about time that we all recognize that proven fact.
I am not standing up for the Republicans on this charge, but let’s be honest. We cannot continue to feed an endless wasteful welfare and entitlement system to satisfy political considerations only. Charging Republicans as heartless, big-business prone people is simply a bogus argument. It is time to be both honest and objective on both sides of the political spectrum.
Taking the above into consideration there is another vital question that we must put into the national conversation, and that is: Is it the job of government to pay unemployment support; and if it should, just how long a period of time is justified? Do we want our country to become a “womb to the tomb supported society?” In an effort to initiate the debate, I do not think that is what the majority of Americans want this country to become. Do you?
America cannot carry two gallons of water in a one gallon bucket.
COMMANDER GRANGER
QUOTE OF THE CENTURY
That is the title of a very interesting email that has been floating around the internet recently. I cannot provide attribution, but I have seen a reference to a source in the Czech Republic. I tried to check its authenticity at both Snopes.com and FactCheck.org, but have come up empty. Be that as it may, I endorse the sentiment and would like to share it with you, my valued audience.
“The danger of America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.”
I do not know about you, but I find this to be most interesting. Upon reflection the old expression “The Truth Hurts” is probably apropos.
COMMANDER GRANGER
“The danger of America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America. Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools such as those who made him their president.”
I do not know about you, but I find this to be most interesting. Upon reflection the old expression “The Truth Hurts” is probably apropos.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
MORE GOOD ACTION BOOKS
Knowing how much I enjoy reading, my children and grand-children often send gift cards to Barnes and Noble on special occasions. Recently I stopped by our expanded and recently relocated Barnes and Noble site and picked up several interesting books.
Already I have completed two action adventure shoot-em-ups. Anything written by Jack Higgins is of interest to me and ROUGH JUSTICE is certainly no exception. As I read along I noted several characters from previous Higgins offerings and began to note some familiar incidents, but I kept telling myself that they were only similar. It was not until the last chapter that it finally sank into my decaying brain that I had read the book some time ago. Actually I enjoyed the book more the second time and I am looking forward to reading additional really new offerings from Higgins.
Then I started into Brad Thor’s FOREIGN INFLUENCE and I questioned myself if I had actually read this one, too. Fortunately this is a new effort, and I am glad to report that Thor is at the top of his game again when it comes to looking into the best interests of America in his novels. He hates the bad guys and does anything and everything possible to protect our flag across the world.
Several characters return in FOREIGN INFLUENCE, but their new adventures are even more involved and unique. Thor is one of the best adventure writers on the horizon today.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Already I have completed two action adventure shoot-em-ups. Anything written by Jack Higgins is of interest to me and ROUGH JUSTICE is certainly no exception. As I read along I noted several characters from previous Higgins offerings and began to note some familiar incidents, but I kept telling myself that they were only similar. It was not until the last chapter that it finally sank into my decaying brain that I had read the book some time ago. Actually I enjoyed the book more the second time and I am looking forward to reading additional really new offerings from Higgins.
Then I started into Brad Thor’s FOREIGN INFLUENCE and I questioned myself if I had actually read this one, too. Fortunately this is a new effort, and I am glad to report that Thor is at the top of his game again when it comes to looking into the best interests of America in his novels. He hates the bad guys and does anything and everything possible to protect our flag across the world.
Several characters return in FOREIGN INFLUENCE, but their new adventures are even more involved and unique. Thor is one of the best adventure writers on the horizon today.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
CONSIDER READING COFFEE HARBOR
I suggest that it is a rare occasion when a writer or blogger suggests that their precious readers take a peak at another author’s endeavors. Since your Commander’s site, FrobertsWorld.blogspot.com, is totally non-profit, but very therapeutic for me, why not recommend something that I feel is important, fresh, and emotionally rewarding?
If you take a few minutes and review Coffee Harbor I am certain that you will quickly place it on your favorite list. I have done so and find myself checking in frequently for a wonderful experience. The author of Coffee Harbor is an old friend from my years in the broadcasting business. At that time Coffee Harbor’s creator, Kim Carlson, was the General Manager/owner operator of a fine independent UHF television station in Rockford, Illinois.
Since those days, both Kim and your Commander have been very fortunate to pass into the delightfully privileged world of retirement, and Kim and his family spend their days between Colorado and Maine. As his profile indicates he is a Painter, but more importantly a gifted writer who has the ability to reminisce about the important side of life on this wondrous planet.
You can check into Coffee Harbor at:
http://www.coffeeharbor.blogspot.com/
You will be rewarded with a series of wonderfully written essays that are sure to give you a very warm glow about the important things in life. While your Commander tends to be a provocateur with a much harsher tone, Kim repeatedly delivers a softer, more insightful peak into all our lives. Coffee Harbor is time well spent, and an extremely rewarding experience. In the morning, pour a cup as you check your favorite sites.
COMMANDER GRANGER
If you take a few minutes and review Coffee Harbor I am certain that you will quickly place it on your favorite list. I have done so and find myself checking in frequently for a wonderful experience. The author of Coffee Harbor is an old friend from my years in the broadcasting business. At that time Coffee Harbor’s creator, Kim Carlson, was the General Manager/owner operator of a fine independent UHF television station in Rockford, Illinois.
Since those days, both Kim and your Commander have been very fortunate to pass into the delightfully privileged world of retirement, and Kim and his family spend their days between Colorado and Maine. As his profile indicates he is a Painter, but more importantly a gifted writer who has the ability to reminisce about the important side of life on this wondrous planet.
You can check into Coffee Harbor at:
http://www.coffeeharbor.blogspot.com/
You will be rewarded with a series of wonderfully written essays that are sure to give you a very warm glow about the important things in life. While your Commander tends to be a provocateur with a much harsher tone, Kim repeatedly delivers a softer, more insightful peak into all our lives. Coffee Harbor is time well spent, and an extremely rewarding experience. In the morning, pour a cup as you check your favorite sites.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Monday, July 5, 2010
HOLIDAY RAMBLINGS
As this wonderful three-day holiday continues, it is appropriate to consider some additional sentiments about our country’s early days. Much has been written over the past few days about historical events, and Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal is no exception.
If you are a subscriber to the Journal, this will be redundant, but if you are not I strongly urge you to connect to the link below and read her article “A Cold Man’s Warm Words”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703571704575341403234545296.html
I find it most interesting to read and experience the depth of reasoning and the foresight our Founders possessed when creating our document of Independence. Contrary to the e-mail information I just posted in the “Founding Fathers” blog, Wikipedia cites that of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 35 were lawyers, and the remaining 20 were from a variety of endeavors. You can read the interesting and informative article at:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_Founding_Father’s_occupations
Your Commander finds it interesting that few of our Founder’s were professional politicians. Now our governments is predominantly served by professional politicians. Maybe that is our core problem.
COMMANDER GRANGER
If you are a subscriber to the Journal, this will be redundant, but if you are not I strongly urge you to connect to the link below and read her article “A Cold Man’s Warm Words”:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703571704575341403234545296.html
I find it most interesting to read and experience the depth of reasoning and the foresight our Founders possessed when creating our document of Independence. Contrary to the e-mail information I just posted in the “Founding Fathers” blog, Wikipedia cites that of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, 35 were lawyers, and the remaining 20 were from a variety of endeavors. You can read the interesting and informative article at:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_Founding_Father’s_occupations
Your Commander finds it interesting that few of our Founder’s were professional politicians. Now our governments is predominantly served by professional politicians. Maybe that is our core problem.
COMMANDER GRANGER
FOUNDING FATHERS' DEDICATION AND SACRIFICE
July 1st I presented Ron Chernow’s reflective article “The Feuding Fathers” for your information and consideration. Now I want to share with you another series of details about this same group for your reflection.
Recently I received the following titled email “4th of July history lesson,” and I felt it important to also share with my readers.
“Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.Remember: freedom is never free!
It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics and baseball games.”
I suggest that we all compare those 56 original signers of the Declaration of Independence with the current cast of characters sitting in the Halls of Congress. Your Commander suggests that there are but a handful of individuals serving in Washington today that would step forward and risk all for their country as the Founding Fathers did.
This comparison and information makes one realize just how important each and every election is to our collective futures. So when it is time to vote, execute your precious right and privilege. I firmly believe we should fly our precious flag every day of the year, not just on certain holidays.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Recently I received the following titled email “4th of July history lesson,” and I felt it important to also share with my readers.
“Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.Remember: freedom is never free!
It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics and baseball games.”
I suggest that we all compare those 56 original signers of the Declaration of Independence with the current cast of characters sitting in the Halls of Congress. Your Commander suggests that there are but a handful of individuals serving in Washington today that would step forward and risk all for their country as the Founding Fathers did.
This comparison and information makes one realize just how important each and every election is to our collective futures. So when it is time to vote, execute your precious right and privilege. I firmly believe we should fly our precious flag every day of the year, not just on certain holidays.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Sunday, July 4, 2010
BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY
The following opinion piece appeared in today’s edition of the South Bend Tribune, and I want to share it with you.
"Born on the Fourth of July
OUR OPINION
American children learn early that our nation celebrates its birthday on the Fourth of July.
One of the first chapters of United States history they're taught is that the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, approved wording of the Declaration of Independence, establishing our sovereignty and separation from British rule. It was the first document that officially named our country as the United States of America.
These schoolroom lessons are so ingrained, that even as adults it is sometimes easy for Americans to ignore the complexities and tensions that forged the new republic.
The country already was a diverse place in the late 18th century. Most colonists had descended from parts of the British Empire, but African Americans, both slave and free, American Indians, and other Europeans of various cultures and religions were here, too.
The economy was in flux. Despite cheap land and abundant resources, the imperial taxes Great Britain imposed on manufactured goods from Europe strained commerce.
Colonists were divided over the country's future, and the militia was already at war.
The country's leaders, however, introduced new ways of thinking about the challenges of the New World. Their ideas, in fact, were revolutionary.
The basic values of the new republic they enshrined in the Declaration of Independence not only laid the foundation for our great country, but have inspired hundreds of similar declarations of rights in countries the world over.
July Fourth, though, is not just a day for reflection on the nation's enduring struggles to ensure the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In 1777, citizens marked the nation's first birthday with an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades and fireworks. The tradition is one that Americans are happy to continue.
Designation as a federal holiday means that many workers here and throughout the country have an extra day off work to enjoy the beginning of high summer.
Families and friends are sure to enjoy outdoor fun and picnics this weekend.
Communities throughout our area are celebrating July Fourth, as usual, with loads of activities, including parades, festivals and fireworks.
We recommend taking the time to read the Declaration as part of your celebration. How many of us would have had the courage to sign that document?"
Here is a link if you want to read the Declaration:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document
This is an important message and the question raised is one that I am certain many American citizens have asked themselves in recent weeks. Hopefully, we all will remember that question come the next election in November, 2010. God Bless America.
COMMANDER GRANGER
"Born on the Fourth of July
OUR OPINION
American children learn early that our nation celebrates its birthday on the Fourth of July.
One of the first chapters of United States history they're taught is that the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, approved wording of the Declaration of Independence, establishing our sovereignty and separation from British rule. It was the first document that officially named our country as the United States of America.
These schoolroom lessons are so ingrained, that even as adults it is sometimes easy for Americans to ignore the complexities and tensions that forged the new republic.
The country already was a diverse place in the late 18th century. Most colonists had descended from parts of the British Empire, but African Americans, both slave and free, American Indians, and other Europeans of various cultures and religions were here, too.
The economy was in flux. Despite cheap land and abundant resources, the imperial taxes Great Britain imposed on manufactured goods from Europe strained commerce.
Colonists were divided over the country's future, and the militia was already at war.
The country's leaders, however, introduced new ways of thinking about the challenges of the New World. Their ideas, in fact, were revolutionary.
The basic values of the new republic they enshrined in the Declaration of Independence not only laid the foundation for our great country, but have inspired hundreds of similar declarations of rights in countries the world over.
July Fourth, though, is not just a day for reflection on the nation's enduring struggles to ensure the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In 1777, citizens marked the nation's first birthday with an official dinner for the Continental Congress, toasts, 13-gun salutes, speeches, prayers, music, parades and fireworks. The tradition is one that Americans are happy to continue.
Designation as a federal holiday means that many workers here and throughout the country have an extra day off work to enjoy the beginning of high summer.
Families and friends are sure to enjoy outdoor fun and picnics this weekend.
Communities throughout our area are celebrating July Fourth, as usual, with loads of activities, including parades, festivals and fireworks.
We recommend taking the time to read the Declaration as part of your celebration. How many of us would have had the courage to sign that document?"
Here is a link if you want to read the Declaration:
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document
This is an important message and the question raised is one that I am certain many American citizens have asked themselves in recent weeks. Hopefully, we all will remember that question come the next election in November, 2010. God Bless America.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Saturday, July 3, 2010
CNN HAS LOST ITS MORAL COMPASS
Over the past number of years the television viewing habits of Americans has changed dramatically due to technological advancements such as the explosion of cable channels, satellite television, digital television and now high-definition. Whether 3D television transmission really impacts our viewing habits is something that remains to be seen, but right now it is not a significant factor and perhaps just a fad.
As channels scramble to maintain saleable audience levels viewing has shifted dramatically. The 24 hour news channels get all the publicity, but they are only one factor. The talent on the older cable outlets is getting a little long in the tooth, i.e., Larry King (who has finally announced his retirement) and those channels are scrambling for solutions and ratings.
CNN over the past ten years has lost a substantial amount of its audience to that new competitor, Fox News, especially in primetime. Recently CNN announced the hiring of disgraced, discredited, and should have been disbarred ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and conservative columnist Kathleen Parker to replace the failed nightly offering at 8pm with ex-NBC star Campbell Brown.
When CNN was formed by eccentric visionary Ted Turner many years ago, it quickly grew into a profitable highly desirable cable channel and the only one broadcasting 24 hour news. With Ted’s success with his Super-Station (WTBS) and CNN he moved on to join forces with Time Warner. Then there was the now disastrous merger between Time Warner and the then high-flying AOL. That action alone did not cause the drop in CNN viewing, but weak management changes and the growth of the Fox News Channel along with some successes at MSNBC has led to its current state of audience erosion.
This Spitzer announcement is, in my judgment, the last straw. How can a supposed reliable news source hire and present a shamed, sex-hungry pervert such as Eliot Spitzer to represent it without the obvious assumption that it has become desperate to attract an audience of any and all fools. Spitzer should be ignored and shunned, but CNN is showcasing a lying, cheating scoundrel in primetime. Have the executives(?) at CNN lost their collective minds or are they attempting to attract a Jerry Springer audience?
Why Kathleen Parker, a noted Washington Post syndicated conservative journalist, would compromise her reputation to sit next to a man with Eliot Spitzer’s blackened reputation can only be explained as a financial sell-out of her professionalism. Parker’s recent article in the Washington Post titled “Obama: Our first female president” suggests the tone of the coming Spitzer/Parker program.
You can read it at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062903997.html
Shame on the management of CNN! Even Ted Turner should be ashamed of what his once proud pioneering venture has become under Time Warner’s floundering direction. CNN’s liberal vent did not work, so now they will try to attract an audience with a criminal sex offender as a spokesman. In my household CNN will no longer be viewed, because it no longer has any credibility or integrity.
COMMANDER GRANGER
As channels scramble to maintain saleable audience levels viewing has shifted dramatically. The 24 hour news channels get all the publicity, but they are only one factor. The talent on the older cable outlets is getting a little long in the tooth, i.e., Larry King (who has finally announced his retirement) and those channels are scrambling for solutions and ratings.
CNN over the past ten years has lost a substantial amount of its audience to that new competitor, Fox News, especially in primetime. Recently CNN announced the hiring of disgraced, discredited, and should have been disbarred ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and conservative columnist Kathleen Parker to replace the failed nightly offering at 8pm with ex-NBC star Campbell Brown.
When CNN was formed by eccentric visionary Ted Turner many years ago, it quickly grew into a profitable highly desirable cable channel and the only one broadcasting 24 hour news. With Ted’s success with his Super-Station (WTBS) and CNN he moved on to join forces with Time Warner. Then there was the now disastrous merger between Time Warner and the then high-flying AOL. That action alone did not cause the drop in CNN viewing, but weak management changes and the growth of the Fox News Channel along with some successes at MSNBC has led to its current state of audience erosion.
This Spitzer announcement is, in my judgment, the last straw. How can a supposed reliable news source hire and present a shamed, sex-hungry pervert such as Eliot Spitzer to represent it without the obvious assumption that it has become desperate to attract an audience of any and all fools. Spitzer should be ignored and shunned, but CNN is showcasing a lying, cheating scoundrel in primetime. Have the executives(?) at CNN lost their collective minds or are they attempting to attract a Jerry Springer audience?
Why Kathleen Parker, a noted Washington Post syndicated conservative journalist, would compromise her reputation to sit next to a man with Eliot Spitzer’s blackened reputation can only be explained as a financial sell-out of her professionalism. Parker’s recent article in the Washington Post titled “Obama: Our first female president” suggests the tone of the coming Spitzer/Parker program.
You can read it at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062903997.html
Shame on the management of CNN! Even Ted Turner should be ashamed of what his once proud pioneering venture has become under Time Warner’s floundering direction. CNN’s liberal vent did not work, so now they will try to attract an audience with a criminal sex offender as a spokesman. In my household CNN will no longer be viewed, because it no longer has any credibility or integrity.
COMMANDER GRANGER
FIREWORKS
This is a very appropriate question to address with the 4th of July celebrations scheduled across the country. Last night the sound of fireworks was heard in my neighborhood well after midnight, and it seems to be lasting later and later as each year passes. Perhaps it is just the fact that I am getting older and grumpier.
Each year children and adults are being severely injured as a result of July 4th fireworks accidents. As a matter of fact, in 2009 a staggering total of 9,000 people were injured according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). One out of every three people hurt was a child under the age of 15.
Fireworks are responsible for more than 30,000 fires annually nationwide based upon data from the U.S. Fire Administration. More fires are reported in the USA on Independence Day than on any other day of the year, and fireworks are attributed to be the cause of 50% of those fires. The statistics report that fireworks injuries are predominately to the hands, eyes, and face and more boys than girls are harmed by them.
Certainly the sight of exploding fireworks is enjoyable, and they remind us of those bombs bursting in air as so beautifully stated in our national anthem. Considering all the facts outlined why do we still permit fireworks to be sold legally and illegally across the country? Are the taxes received by the federal, state and local governments so vital to justify the loss of life and limb to our fellow citizens?
It is equally concerning that 9,000 individuals would take the chance of hurting themselves and risking life time injury. It just seems to me that this is a no-brainer. All “amateur” fireworks should be banned and let the professionals handle the many pyrotechnic shows that take place across the country at this time of the year.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Each year children and adults are being severely injured as a result of July 4th fireworks accidents. As a matter of fact, in 2009 a staggering total of 9,000 people were injured according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC). One out of every three people hurt was a child under the age of 15.
Fireworks are responsible for more than 30,000 fires annually nationwide based upon data from the U.S. Fire Administration. More fires are reported in the USA on Independence Day than on any other day of the year, and fireworks are attributed to be the cause of 50% of those fires. The statistics report that fireworks injuries are predominately to the hands, eyes, and face and more boys than girls are harmed by them.
Certainly the sight of exploding fireworks is enjoyable, and they remind us of those bombs bursting in air as so beautifully stated in our national anthem. Considering all the facts outlined why do we still permit fireworks to be sold legally and illegally across the country? Are the taxes received by the federal, state and local governments so vital to justify the loss of life and limb to our fellow citizens?
It is equally concerning that 9,000 individuals would take the chance of hurting themselves and risking life time injury. It just seems to me that this is a no-brainer. All “amateur” fireworks should be banned and let the professionals handle the many pyrotechnic shows that take place across the country at this time of the year.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, July 1, 2010
ZAMBRANO HAS TO GO!
Nothing surprises me anymore when it comes to overly-paid professional athletes. Whether it is a new sex scandal, a physical altercation, DUI, or even the latest temper tantrum perpetrated by another spoiled punk, the polish that once glowed on professional sports continues to be smudged.
At one time professional athletes were looked up to by innocent young admirers, and even their fawning adult supporters. Even as the ticket prices climbed out of any reasonable amount, we sports fans kept coming back for more and more abuse. I suggest that the professional athletes have gone too far lately, and it is time to start teaching all of them an impressive lasting lesson.
We have lived through loaded bats, drugs, cheating, sex scandals, and steroids and human growth hormones, and during all this time the player’s unions and management have coddled these spoiled over-paid so-called professionals because they made the players and owners one hell of a lot of money.
The latest public blow-up by Chicago Cub pitcher Carlos Zambrano is in my opinion the last straw. The Cubs were correct in suspending this over-emotional punk, but they must go farther. Zambrano should be tossed off the team and out of baseball. I cannot believe that a major corporation would sign a contract covering over $91.5 million, and not have a clause included that permitted it to toss him out for his off the wall conduct.
Your Commander cannot imagine that the Players Union will support this episode, but wonders will never cease. Zambrano is a petulant lad in great need of professional assistance. He is an embarrassment to professional sports, baseball and the Cubs. If the team cannot act, then the Commissioner of Baseball should have the back-bone and ability to ban this clown, but I suspect that will never happen. The outcome will be that the lawyer’s will make a killing, and the baseball fans will get screwed again. Oh, and yes the Cubs will try again next year to field a winning team.
Only in America can a horse’s ass like Zambrano thrive, because we collectively no longer have any sense of morals or values.
COMMANDER GRANGER
At one time professional athletes were looked up to by innocent young admirers, and even their fawning adult supporters. Even as the ticket prices climbed out of any reasonable amount, we sports fans kept coming back for more and more abuse. I suggest that the professional athletes have gone too far lately, and it is time to start teaching all of them an impressive lasting lesson.
We have lived through loaded bats, drugs, cheating, sex scandals, and steroids and human growth hormones, and during all this time the player’s unions and management have coddled these spoiled over-paid so-called professionals because they made the players and owners one hell of a lot of money.
The latest public blow-up by Chicago Cub pitcher Carlos Zambrano is in my opinion the last straw. The Cubs were correct in suspending this over-emotional punk, but they must go farther. Zambrano should be tossed off the team and out of baseball. I cannot believe that a major corporation would sign a contract covering over $91.5 million, and not have a clause included that permitted it to toss him out for his off the wall conduct.
Your Commander cannot imagine that the Players Union will support this episode, but wonders will never cease. Zambrano is a petulant lad in great need of professional assistance. He is an embarrassment to professional sports, baseball and the Cubs. If the team cannot act, then the Commissioner of Baseball should have the back-bone and ability to ban this clown, but I suspect that will never happen. The outcome will be that the lawyer’s will make a killing, and the baseball fans will get screwed again. Oh, and yes the Cubs will try again next year to field a winning team.
Only in America can a horse’s ass like Zambrano thrive, because we collectively no longer have any sense of morals or values.
COMMANDER GRANGER
COMMANDER'S CALL FOR ACTION
At the earliest possible date your Commander urges all of his readers to contact their two United States Senators and their Representative in the House of Representatives suggesting they act NOW on the two following issues:
1. Exercise all possible authority to see that the United States’ southern and northern borders are totally secured before comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
2. Exert all appropriate action to curtail, and reduce federal spending that will reduce our budget deficit.
Please do not permit your attention to be confined to the appropriate uproar that surrounds the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is your Commander’s personal opinion that the administration does not want Congress to address my two priority action points until after the November, 2010 election. The failure to address these vital issues legislatively is sufficient justification to vote all the currently office holders out of office ASAP.
Based upon my personal experience in contacting members of both the Senate and House I suggest you send them a personal letter or email them, because only a hard-copy of your position will get their attention. Telephone calls to them seem to be a waste of our time.
Act before it is too late.
COMMANDER GRANGER
1. Exercise all possible authority to see that the United States’ southern and northern borders are totally secured before comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
2. Exert all appropriate action to curtail, and reduce federal spending that will reduce our budget deficit.
Please do not permit your attention to be confined to the appropriate uproar that surrounds the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It is your Commander’s personal opinion that the administration does not want Congress to address my two priority action points until after the November, 2010 election. The failure to address these vital issues legislatively is sufficient justification to vote all the currently office holders out of office ASAP.
Based upon my personal experience in contacting members of both the Senate and House I suggest you send them a personal letter or email them, because only a hard-copy of your position will get their attention. Telephone calls to them seem to be a waste of our time.
Act before it is too late.
COMMANDER GRANGER
WHY AM I WASTING YOUR TIME?
The subject is why do we continue to watch or even recognize the antics of Lady Gaga? After you read what I have to say that might be a fair question to ask me.
The first time I saw her perform I could not believe my eyes, but I must admit that I was intrigued and wanted to see her act again. Obviously, the costumes were explosive and the act was most unusual, but in my opinion it did not have lasting interest and reminded me of a “one act pony.”
Recent actions by Lady Gaga suggest that she may be in need of serious medical attention after her antics at a recent New York Mets baseball game, and now another outlandish exhibition at the New York Yankee stadium. Extending one’s finger to the hand that feeds one is just plain troubling behavior. It is one thing to be an outrageous clown, but to be a crude clown is totally unacceptable. Lady Gaga is just plain crude and, I suspect, a little nuts.
AOL.com recently carried an interesting article, which suggested that she has gone too far with her act and her over the top public appearances. Even the readers suggested the same, because a poll of 82,239 page viewers reported that 94% felt her actions were disrespectful, and 71% of 75,411 respondents felt she needed to show some respect.
The real question your Commander asks of even himself is, “Why do we continue to even care what this nut-case does or says?” To give this wacko any attention or recognition says something is really wrong with our society. What has happened to our values? The next thing will be that Lady Gaga runs for Congress, and gets elected to join the other clowns who daily waste or steal our hard earned dollars. After viewing her act one time we should all totally ignore her, and then urge her to drift into obscurity.
COMMANDER GRANGER
The first time I saw her perform I could not believe my eyes, but I must admit that I was intrigued and wanted to see her act again. Obviously, the costumes were explosive and the act was most unusual, but in my opinion it did not have lasting interest and reminded me of a “one act pony.”
Recent actions by Lady Gaga suggest that she may be in need of serious medical attention after her antics at a recent New York Mets baseball game, and now another outlandish exhibition at the New York Yankee stadium. Extending one’s finger to the hand that feeds one is just plain troubling behavior. It is one thing to be an outrageous clown, but to be a crude clown is totally unacceptable. Lady Gaga is just plain crude and, I suspect, a little nuts.
AOL.com recently carried an interesting article, which suggested that she has gone too far with her act and her over the top public appearances. Even the readers suggested the same, because a poll of 82,239 page viewers reported that 94% felt her actions were disrespectful, and 71% of 75,411 respondents felt she needed to show some respect.
The real question your Commander asks of even himself is, “Why do we continue to even care what this nut-case does or says?” To give this wacko any attention or recognition says something is really wrong with our society. What has happened to our values? The next thing will be that Lady Gaga runs for Congress, and gets elected to join the other clowns who daily waste or steal our hard earned dollars. After viewing her act one time we should all totally ignore her, and then urge her to drift into obscurity.
COMMANDER GRANGER
PROFILES IN AUDACITY, A VERY GOOD READ
When I first saw the title of this book I thought it was something relative to Barack Hussein Obama, but I was totally wrong. First of all, Obama has never made a decision or executed any action that would rise to the high standards required for inclusion in this extremely interesting and informative historical offering.
PROFILES IN AUDACITY by Alan Axelrod beautifully addresses "Great decisions and how they were made." This read will certainly appeal to all those interested in history and the relationship of decision making has to life on this planet.
The book is separated into four parts: The Decision in Crisis, The Decision to Venture, The Decision of Conscience, and The Decision to Risk Everything. To wet your whistle, just imagine learning about behind the scenes fundamentals of decisions rendered by the likes of George Washington, Harry Truman, Galileo, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Personally I found numerous chapters to be most illuminating, but the one that really impressed me was the depth of understanding of the human experience shown by Gandhi in forging independence from the British Empire’s domination. One is led to wonder just how influential Gandhi could have been regarding conditions and events had he been permitted to impact the world for a more normal period of time. Your Commander has great respect and admiration for the work and teachings of Gandhi.
Happy reading!
COMMANDER GRANGER
PROFILES IN AUDACITY by Alan Axelrod beautifully addresses "Great decisions and how they were made." This read will certainly appeal to all those interested in history and the relationship of decision making has to life on this planet.
The book is separated into four parts: The Decision in Crisis, The Decision to Venture, The Decision of Conscience, and The Decision to Risk Everything. To wet your whistle, just imagine learning about behind the scenes fundamentals of decisions rendered by the likes of George Washington, Harry Truman, Galileo, and Mahatma Gandhi.
Personally I found numerous chapters to be most illuminating, but the one that really impressed me was the depth of understanding of the human experience shown by Gandhi in forging independence from the British Empire’s domination. One is led to wonder just how influential Gandhi could have been regarding conditions and events had he been permitted to impact the world for a more normal period of time. Your Commander has great respect and admiration for the work and teachings of Gandhi.
Happy reading!
COMMANDER GRANGER
THE FEUDING FATHERS
For several years I have been writing in glowing terms about our Founding Fathers, but it is time to set the record straight concerning their day to day behavior. Based upon a very interesting article in The Wall Street Journal, it is clear that there was little difference between the decorum of today’s Congressional leadership and that portrayed by our Founding Fathers.
I suggest you read the wonderful essay by Ron Chernow who is the author of Alexander Hamilton and Titan: The life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. He also has a new book Washington: A Life due for release in October.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575326891123551892.html?KEYWORDS=Ron+Chernow
As the sub-headline states, “Americans lament the partisan venom of today’s politics, but for sheer verbal savagery, the country’s founders were in a league of their own.” Overall there clearly was a different tone to their discourse, but the political game has changed little over the years. We must appreciate however the value of the Founder’s work, because it has held strong over the test of time.
One must speculate just how propitious the actions of our recent governance will be some fifty or one hundred years from today. My bet will be on the Founding Fathers.
COMMANDER GRANGER
I suggest you read the wonderful essay by Ron Chernow who is the author of Alexander Hamilton and Titan: The life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. He also has a new book Washington: A Life due for release in October.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704911704575326891123551892.html?KEYWORDS=Ron+Chernow
As the sub-headline states, “Americans lament the partisan venom of today’s politics, but for sheer verbal savagery, the country’s founders were in a league of their own.” Overall there clearly was a different tone to their discourse, but the political game has changed little over the years. We must appreciate however the value of the Founder’s work, because it has held strong over the test of time.
One must speculate just how propitious the actions of our recent governance will be some fifty or one hundred years from today. My bet will be on the Founding Fathers.
COMMANDER GRANGER
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