Disaster

Here is a very good and succinct description of (from one person's perspective, albeit very well informed) of the disaster that is the world of Islam.

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/01/29/what-the-msm-is-failing-to-tell-you/

Here's the pull quote that should have us all very worried:  "And the United States? It’s too late. Having abdicated responsibility to suppress such a major regional security competition, there is no way now to get back to relative stability."

And here is a great summation of adults saying out loud what a mess the Obama administration has made of our foreign policy.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/americas-strategy-deficit-1422573879

Here's the pull quote from that one that sums it all up:  "the complexity of the present moment is daunting. The Cold War was more dangerous, but the world we face now is more complicated."  We don't seem to have anyone in the Administration who is capable of realizing this.

Cool Pic

Don't know where this is, but it's pretty cool.

Nice View!

Nothing better than a beautiful sunset!

Tally Ho!

The Thumb???

Jackass!

Unfortunately Yes...

Dogs are Cool!

Friday Funnies

Truth

Read this story...http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/01/27/former-top-officers-absence-of-white-house-strategy-makes-isis-iraq-syria-afghanistan-wars-unwinnable

Gen Mattis, Gen Keane, Adm Fallon.  Speaking truth.

Cool Pic!

Hope

One small effort that reflects the hope of mankind!

Giving a Hand Up!

The Pain!

Hard to imagine that the pain produced by this plant is so bad that you'd actually pull the trigger.

Thank Goodness

In the event of a war involving nuclear weapons, it's nice to know at least we'll have beer!

Motivation Monday

Cool Pic

Friday Funnies

SOTU

You know...State of the Union.  Boring!!!  So tonite we had Obama 6.0.  Predictable.  Blah, blah, blah...we can be great....blah, blah, blah...the rich are greedy bastards and I'm going to protect you from them because we need to be "fair"...blah, blah, blah...and I'm going to give away a lot of stuff for "free"...blah, blah, blah...send me something I don't like and I'll veto it in a heartbeat...blah, blah, blah...we need to strengthen unions...blah, blah, blah...the world is safer and there is no threat especially from the group I won't name (Islamic Jihadists)...blah, blah, blah...we need to lead but in a smart way with coalitions, and from behind, and mindlessly killing with drones...blah, blah, blah...and I've made buddies with the Iranians and don't you dare impose sanctions (or I'll veto them)...blah, blah, blah...climate change is our biggest threat...blah, blah, blah...now can't we all just get along and do the right thing.

A couple things struck me.  He and the Dems just got their asses kicked in the election and you'd think it was still 2008.  No acknowledgement that their policies have been repudiated.  He also seems to be in denial.  I say that because it's difficult to accuse the President of being a bald-faced liar.  There are a ton of economic problems and he just glosses over them.  Instead, he touts all the "free" things he's going to provide.  It is beyond me that we can just continue to provide more and more "free" programs for people.  I mean...someone is paying.  At the Federal level maybe they ought to try leaving us all alone.  Or maybe put programs in place that would result in jobs so people could pull themselves up.  Like a humongous pipeline that will provide thousands of jobs.  But no...that's because the Unions don't want it.  He also bragged on and on about how great he's done even though all that is in spite of him and his policies, not because of them.  But now...he wants to raise taxes.  Beyond belief!  He also is dangerously clueless (and I must assume is staff is just as bad) when it comes to international relations.  It's like he's living in an alternate universe.  The coalitions he spoke of are a fantasy.  The only thing he is doing is mindlessly killing people (and often innocents) with drones.  And at the end he had an impassioned plea for all of them to work together, get along, and get things done.  This is after issuing veto threats and laying out programs and taxes that are DOA at best.  And what is up with all the sycophants crowding around, kissing his butt for an autograph, telling him how great he is?  I mean, these people are members of Congress for God's sake.  They need to act like it.

Bottom line for me is he could have given this speech 6 years ago.  He is good at giving speeches.  He is terrible at almost everything else.

731 days!

Dogs Are Cool!

Cool Pic!

Martin Luther King, Jr

Usually for me the Martin Luther King, Jr holiday in January is a non-event.  I mean, it's not very relatable and it has always seemed really far removed from my life.  But I participated in a couple of events over the last few days that has gotten me to look at this holiday in a different light.

Yesterday, my church had a reading of Martin Luther King, Jr's "Letter From The Birmingham Jail".  I had heard of the letter and may even have looked at it in High School.  But never seriously.  The document is long.  And it is beautifully written.  There were four of us who took it section by section and read it to a large gathering.  It took almost 50 minutes and you could hear a pin drop.  As I said, the document is beautifully written and it is very powerful.  There are many, many passages that cause one to really ponder the state of race relations in our country, both in that time and today.  One portion I read really resonated with me.  Here it is:

• But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in Birmingham, even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation, because the goal of America is freedom. Abused and scorned though we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny. Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here. Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words of the Declaration of Independence across the pages of history, we were here. For more than two centuries our forebears labored in this country without wages; they made cotton king; they built the homes of their masters while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation -and yet out of a bottomless vitality they continued to thrive and develop. If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us, the opposition we now face will surely fail. We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage of our nation and the eternal will of God are embodied in our echoing demands.

As I said...powerful.  And then tonight, we had a showing of the movie "Ruby Bridges" at Church followed by discussion.  This is a Disney movie that tells the story of a little 6-year-old who integrates schools in New Orleans, seemingly single handedly.  It is also a great story with many, many relevant messages.  Highly recommended.  

Both of these events got me thinking about Martin Luther King, Jr.  His life, his devotion to non-violence, his ability to rally people to a cause, his determination.  He was a guy who is easy to admire.   When I think about how much pain and despair he had to put up with in his life, it is amazing to me that he was able to consistently rally people to the cause of racial justice.  I think his legacy will only widen and increase as time goes on.  And when I read the stories, look at the difference he made, and think about his journey, it's not very surprising.

Update:  Maybe not so much update as completion.  I was tired last night and hit publish when I should have just saved and completed my thoughts today.  I've blogged about this before, especially in light of recent events in Ferguson, NYC, and Ohio.  So combine those events with a heightened awareness of Martin Luther King, Jr day and the thoughts seem to coalesce.  So just to be clear there are no easy answers.  But this dialog will continue because of the legacy of slavery and segregation, because of the poverty and despair in a large segment of the black population, and because, I hope, the determination of good people to make things better.  I continue to believe that the keys are personal responsibility, education, and increased economic opportunity.  These things can all be attacked on the Federal, State and local levels.  There are no silver bullets though and things won't change overnight.  As we go through our lives, all of us need to be aware, be working where and when we can to make it better, and vote for people who will actively work on those three things.  To date I haven't seen anyone take these issues head on and offer programs to help.  My opinion is that there are too many shrill voices making unreasonable demands for their own good (Sharpton, Jackson, et al), too many politicians giving lip service to the problem (Obama, who has been massively disappointing on the issue), and too many obstructionists (teachers unions) to give these things a chance.  

Uhhh...This Guy Needs a Bigger Boat!

Actually, he just needs a boat!

Totally Agree!

Motivation Monday

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Friday Funnies

An old blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake…

He finds his way to a bar stool and orders a shot of Jack Daniels.

After sitting there for a while, he yells to the bartender, ‘Hey, you wanna hear a blonde joke?’

The bar immediately falls absolutely silent.

In a very deep, husky voice, the woman next to him says, ‘Before you tell that joke, Cowboy, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know five things:

1. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat.
2. The bouncer is a blonde girl with a ‘Billy-Club’.
3. I’m a 6-foot tall, 175-pound blonde woman with a black belt in karate.
4. The woman sitting next to me is blonde and a professional weight lifter.
5. The lady to your right is blonde and a professional wrestler.

‘Now, think about it seriously, Cowboy…. Do you still wanna tell that blonde joke?’

The blind cowboy thinks for a second, shakes his head and mutters, ‘No…not if I’m gonna have to explain it five times……’

Motivation Monday

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Friday Funnies

Taking Gluten Free a Bit Too Far...

Censorship

As you would expect from an American who has a fundamental right (perhaps the most fundamental right) to free speech, the events today in Paris are hard to fathom.  12 people killed over cartoons.  Cartoons!  It is almost beyond belief.  A couple of things strike me after the dust has settled and we've had some time to think and reflect.

First, this act took terrorism to a new level.  These guys were trained and carried out a military operation.  And it was inside the borders of France.  This is not a lone, wild act.  It's deliberate and well planned.  They were ruthless.  In their ruthlessness they showed their lack of humanity.  Think about that the next time someone suggests we should accommodate these people.

Second, This was Islamic Terrorism.  I know our government is not inclined to call this what it is, but there is no debating it really.  I've blogged about this before.  Don't tell me Islam is a peaceful religion.  It's not.  It is mired in the seventh century and is a violent, oppressive, non-forgiving religion.  If and when the majority of "peace loving muslims" condemn these assholes, then we can talk.

Third, I'm at a loss why media outlets around the world aren't showing the cartoons.  For a good read on this check out the story in Mashable.  And why isn't the Hollywood actor community immediately putting on a show depicting these cartoons somehow and daring the Islamic Terrorists to take action.  These guys always talk about their courage and their right to free expression.  But when there is a risk, they turn their tail and run.  Oh they'll have some tribute at their next big award show when they present each other with oh so important awards, but they don't remotely have the courage to actually do anything.

Fourth, Europe better wake up.  They have made their own bed with their immigration laws.  If you haven't been in a while, you'll be shocked at the Muslim influence.  Go to some of the outskirts of London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, etc, etc, etc.  Or rather, don't.  You might not come out alive.  There are many, many rats nests in the capitals of Europe.  They need to be cleaned out.  It can be done.  Ask the NYPD!

Go For It!

Obama's Failures

If you've read any of my posts on our national security or foreign policy disasters, you know I'm no fan of Obama in this vein.  Simply put, he has put us all in danger.  At one point I thought maybe it was only incompetence, but really I've been thinking that there is something more.  Something more sinister and something more pathetic.  I'm not remotely reluctant to look at the writings of other, more articulate authors than me and post them here.  That is especially true when someone nails a thought that I've had pinging around in my brain for awhile but couldn't pin it down.  Such is the case with the latest article by Victor Davis Hansen on his blog.  It is called "The Timid Generation" and you can read it here. 

Here's the quote that really resonated with me:

President Obama hinted that he might someday retaliate against North Korea in a “proportionate” fashion. Would our grandparents have warned Japan that after Pearl Harbor we might conduct a similar raid against Tokyo Bay? Was the U.S. response that in fact followed, and flattened Japan, “disproportionate”? What happened to the idea that wars are prevented by creating deterrence — or the notion that aggression is unwise because the response will certainly be unpredictable, if not disproportionately severe?

I know I'm an old guy and have certain views.  But those views have been shaped by a lot of years of seeing both good and bad (and sometimes dangerous) things being done by our leaders.  In the foreign policy arena, failure seems to have been more prevalent than we'd all like.  And Obama is easily the king of failure.  I used to think Carter was the worst, but he doesn't hold a candle to Obama.  I truly have never seen a leader who consistently does not do what he says he's going to do and even more amazingly, get a pass from the people.  It is beyond me how anyone could remotely think that his foreign policy initiatives (such as they are) are anything but a complete disaster.  And it's one thing to address these failures in a blog post or as an intellectual exercise, but the truth is that we as a country will have to live with them for a long time.  Or they will overwhelm us.

Borders

The new year brought a new law for California that has made a big splash in the news.  It seems that now illegal aliens can apply for and receive drivers licenses.  In reading all the articles, this law has been coming or a few years and now is implemented in 2015.  On the face of it, it is difficult for me to reconcile providing an official State document that can be used for all sorts of things to someone who is fundamentally living an illegal life.  I get all the rationalizations on why this is something that the State should be doing.  There are the arguments about giving them more mobility, allowing them to get insurance, giving them some legitimately, allowing for sanctioned identification, etc, etc, etc.  But...like I said it's difficult for me to reconcile it.  They are illegal.  Illegal.  As in breaking the law.

But this issue of driver's licenses is a subset of the whole immigration issue.  No matter where you turn we are being failed by our elected representatives when it comes to immigration.  Comprehensive immigration reform is something that would be good for everyone, and something that can be achieved, but as far as I can see partisan bickering is preventing it.  Every faction has their ideas about what to do, what to prioritize, what the solution is.  But fundamentally, this is a human problem.  Our country is made up of immigrants.  Hell, that's how it started.  So on the one hand we should be bending over backwards to accommodate as many as possible.  On the other, a society cannot continue without the rule of Law.  And when laws are broken, it's difficult to reconcile the rationalizations that are provided by people who want a solution at any price.

I also don't get why we can't solve this problem when so many others can.  Look at the borders in the European Union.  They seem to be able to create a system in which people can move freely.

And then there is our border with Mexico.  It's like an armed fortress.

There are a wide variety of border issues throughout the world.  Some are extremely secure, some are a lot looser.  Look at Israel/Gaza.  Talk about secure!  Or North Korea/South Korea.  Now that is a demarkation.  But it seems to me that we should be able to come to some accommodation with Mexico regarding our border.

But one thing is for sure.  This problem isn't going away.  Here in SoCal we are becoming more and more of a Hispanic based culture.  That isn't bad...it just is.  And we'd better figure out how to make it more rationale and legal for as many as possible to live a life without fear.  It's in all our interests.

Monday Motivation