Not One Penny

How much of the stimulus, signed into law last week, is responsible for the stock market rebound? Zilch. Nada, Zero, Zip. The government has not sent one penny of the stimuls into the economy. Yet we are going to see them claim credit and say, "If a little worked so well, let's do it again and really get the economy going." Hold onto your wallets.

The Semi-American Dream

It is incredible to me that so many people are buying the class envy that is promulgated by the leftist elite. The aim seems to be to pit race against race, gender against gender, and brother against brother. This isn't a shocker but it is indicative of the lack of a quality education in the U.S.

Joe Wurlzelbacher was thrust into the national spotlight last week when he asked Barack Obama a question about his tax plan. Joe is a single father who is trying to live the American dream of having his own business and providing a better life for his son and himself. When Sen. Obama came to his neighborhood to campaign, Joe walked forward and asked the candidate a question. He asked the Senator if his taxes would go up under Obama's economic plan. He plans to buy the plumbing business where he works and it makes about $250,000 per year. After a sanctimonious verbal pat on the back, Obama said that while he supports Joe's ambition to succeed, he (Obama) wants to take the fruits of Joe's success and "...share the wealth."

Actually Joe, the tax on small businesses that you would see would be an increase is $200,000 because you are single. In later interviews, Joe accurately observed that Obama's plan is simply socialist philosophy. All that is missing the rhetoric decrying the bourgeois and red hammer and sickle flags behind the podium. Obama's campaign is a brazen attempt to change the government of America by stealth election. By running as a liberal Democrat, he hopes to get elected and then use that as a mandate to implement $1 trillion in new spending strengthening the iron fisted grip that government already has over the pocketbooks of the average American.

In case you are skeptical, let's look at some facts:

1. Obama wants to penalize the success of hard-working Americans making over $250,000 and re-distribute that money to people who did absolutely nothing to earn it.
2. Obama's campaign, by demonizing the "rich", is hoping to maximize class envy in a propaganda campaign that would make any true Marxist proud. Saul Alinsky would be so proud.
3. Obama wants to socialize the health care system in America. By mandating mandatory coverage for everyone, the government will be forced to pick up the slack when employers can't foot the bill.
4. Obama pledges to raise the corporate tax which is already the second highest in the world on the greedy corporations. These are the same corporations that employ the majority of Americans. Can guaranteed jobs be far behind?
5. Obama wants to curtail a citizen's ability to invest his earnings and better his life by increasing the capital gains tax.

Where does he get this Marxist philosophy?

1. Barack Obama embraced, applied, and taught the philosophies of Rules for Radicals avowed Marxist author, Saul Alinsky.
2. Barack Obama chose as close confidant and business partner unrepentant terrorist David Ayers. Ayers was the founder of the weather underground, a group that sought to bring about a socialist America by violence.
3. Barack Obama worked for an associate group for ACORN, was a trainer to ACORN in radical community organizing, and provided legal services for ACORN. ACORN's stated mission is to destroy capitalism by overloading the system with its own regulations and bureaucratic red tape. It is unclear if the goal is anarcist or socialist.
4. Barack Obama and his wife chose membership in a radical racially bigoted church that espoused hatred for white America regularly from the pulpit. Obama was a member and attender for 20 years before he disassociated himself from the church for political expediency.

The list could go on and on. The point is that the Democratic playbook has been supplanted by the Socialist Worker's Party playbook. What, or who, gives Obama the right to determine how successful you can be? That is exactly what he wants to do. He has decided that you are only allowed to be successful up to $250,000. After that he will make sure that your American dream goes to provide welfare for the derelict who would rather live off of your hard earned success. Should your dream include owning a business, mandatory health care, and astronomical minimum wage, and an oppressive tax system would limit your income, forcing you to hire less employees or go out of business altogether.

The American dream is not about amassing wealth. It is not about living in the largest house, driving the newest car, or wearing the most fashionable clothes. The American dream is about opportunity. It is about the chance to go as far and as high as you want if you work hard enough, are innovative enough, and are willing to risk failure for the prospect of great gain. An Obama presidency would suppress and water down that American dream. Under Obama you can't have the whole American dream, just a semi-dream. To me, that is a nightmare.

Why is the ACORN scandal important?

The federally supported group ACORN has been all over the news lately for faulty votr registration. No one can say that I don't have a firm grip on the obvious. I work with a blue-dog Democrat that is trying to tell anyone who will listen that this doesn't matter. "They can sign up as many as they want and it doesn't matter because they won't be allowed to vote." That is the mantra that I heard a dozen times today ad nauseum. That is, unless you live in a state like New Mexico.

In New Mexico, you don't have to show any ID to register to vote. You don't have to show a picture ID to cast your vote. Those are normal ballots cast at a polling center. Throw in absentee ballots on top of it and all of a sudden the potential for fraud becomes a lot more real. In a race that has been projected to fall according to several swing states, the actions of ACORN cast a looming shadow of doubt over the legitimacy of the election, regardless of the winner.

Perhaps the greatest problem of the ACORN scandal does not have a direct impact on the election. If it so wanted, the FEC could declare that because of unreliable voter registrations, all voters in the federal election must show a picture ID to cast a vote. Absentee ballots would have to be signed by an officer of the court, clerk, our military officer. You would have to quarantine the votes already cast and count them all but separate them to insure that they were not disenfranchised. The greatest ACORN scandal problem though is the use of federal dollars to fund a group whose stated agenda is to bring about the collapse of the capitalist economy by overloading it with regulation. I'm not going to regurgitate the best article on the topic. Read it here. The fact is that ACORN used deception to receive federal taxpayer support to advance its radical agenda, strong arm tactics to force the mortgage lending industry to issue worthless loans, and illegal voter registrations to throw elections into chaos and receive more funding for their socialist cause. The cause of destroying the capitalist economic system of the U.S.

The past days have demonstrated that they almost succeeded. But there is no accounting for the resilience of the American people and the unbridled potential for growth in the proper environment. That environment rewards innovation with success, hard work with personal satisfaction, and risk taking with wealth. In that environment a computer geek and his friends took some risk, worked hard and created an innovative system and business model that made them the richest men in the world. In that environment a WW II vet went from appliance salesman to developing and selling his own vacuum and now it is the largest vacuum cleaner company in the world. There are literally millions of stories similar to these on different scales throughout the American landscape.

That environment does not include the socialist paradigm of wealth redistribution to the witless, lazy, and timid. Barack Obama believes that it is unfair that the hard work of Bill Gates and David Oreck goes unpunished. His economic scheme would take away the incentive for future Gates and Orecks to make their mark in American history. If there is the intent to penalize and take away success beyond $250,000, why would anyone aspire to exceed that threshold? Why should a man who has never done anything for society except expand his political ambitions, determine what is a fair wage for everyone. That's what the $250,000 is. In a perfect ACORN/Obama world, everyone would receive $249,999. The producers would have their success stripped from them and given to the lazy, petulent, and apathetic.

I hear what he's selling and I'm not buying.

New Medical Crisis: Obanity

This is an urgent message about a huge medical crisis that is spreading across our country. This is a new mental illness that threatens the very foundation of our country. The symptoms are pretty much the same: a visceral hatred of G.W. Bush, an unfounded loathing of Sarah Palin, or an ignorant acceptance of the left wing media mantra of the Obama worship.

Yes, I've heard about all of the conspiracy theories on both sides. But there is a wide-spread ignorance of what and who Barack Obama is. I don't mean a lack of knowledge, although there is plenty of that. No, as more comes to light about Obama and his true past, not the covered-up, manufactured, Manchurian candidate that MSM feeds us, people are choosing to IGNORE the facts about this unqualified, leftist, radical, puppet of the financiers of the socialist agenda. I call this "Obanity".

When voting records are examined of Obama's vote for infanticide, the victims of Obanity say that is only a technicality. When his work with, for, and organizing the radical group ACORN is verified, the victims of Obanity claim that is just a right-wing smear (they have quit arguing that it isn't true because it's be proven over and over). When his voting record in the Illinois state senate is examined, where he voted"present" 129 times, the victims of Obanity say that he's nuanced, kinda like John Kerry. When graduates of high school argue that Obama's math doesn't add up in his tax policy, the victims of Obanity cry racism. When his big government ideology falls right in line with his membership in the Socialist New Party of Illinois, the victims of Obanity scream, "San Dimas football rocks!"

Please help stamp out Obanity by intervention. If you hear someone who is afflicted with Obanity spouting the stupidity of this disease, the immediate cure is to walk up to them and slap them on the left cheek. If they continue to regurgitate the socialist screed a second application of the antidote may be required.

Please do not hate these people. They are the tragic victims of a horrible disease. Please apply the antidote in a loving, caring, and firm manner and help eradicate this American tragedy before it's too late.

The Rest of the Vacation

Well, I'm gong to try and wrap up everything else that we did in one post. It took us a couple of days to get out of England and into Germany. We met up with some friends of ours and spent a couple of days with them. While we were there, we toured Trier, which claims to be the oldest city in Germany. It was amazing to view the ruins from the Roman empire when Constantine wanted to make this his capital. Germany is a beautiful country but the most striking thing that we noticed was that most Germans are much taller than the rest of Europe and America. We definitely felt our short stature.

After the days spent with our friends, we went back to Ramstein and managed to catch the first flight out to Dover. We had gotten used to riding on military transports so this was becoming routine and we made the crossing in about 8 hours. It was around noon at Dover so we packed up and hit the road. We drove until we were too exhausted to go any further which ended up being the first town in Ohio. We crashed for the night and awoke refreshed and ready for the marathon trip across the country.

The plan was to drive straight through in shifts. All in all, it only took a little over 36 hours to get to Pinole, CA. We were tired but we felt at home and able to relax and recoup for a couple of days. My in-laws took us to their health club and the kids spent the afternoon in the pool. I fell asleep and got a really bad sunburn. TRAVEL TIP: If you are going to Hawaii, don't get sunburned right before you go. I got to wear a sunscreen swim shirt the whole time we were there. I may be one of the few people in history to came back from Hawaii less tan than when I went there.

We had a great time in Hawaii. We swam with the turtles, snorkeled at Hanama Bay, ate shave ice at Matsumoto's, and just lazed around on Waikiki Beach. It was the first time that I really relaxed since we left New Mexico. We ended up staying there 10 days because we couldn't get a hop out. I've traveled through Hawaii for years and never had any problems. Oh well, there are worst places in the world to get stranded for a few days. We checked back into our hotel, got a new rental car and hit the beaches again. Moneyspender and the boys liked Hawaii the best but my daughter and I still prefer Scotland. We finally caught a plane out and made it back to California.

Our original plan was to catch another hop to Alaska and spend two weeks fishing and camping. My goal was to send 200 lbs. of salmon back home. Unfortunately, my father-in-law had to have by-pass surgery and we had to cancel this portion of the trip. He made it through the surgery fine and he now owes me 200 lbs of salmon. Maybe we can go to Alaska next year and get it.

We made it back to New Mexico fine and immediately began football, cheerleading, church, and a multitude of other activities. I finally feel like I've closed out what I intended to do 8 months ago and I can begin to get back to regular blogging on things near and dear to my heart.

Edinburgh

Our third day at the Kirklands broke with a sense of excited melancholy. The excitement of awaking in one of the most beautiful places on earth was dampened with the realization that by nightfall we would be leaving. Gill and Peter again prepared a delicious breakfast that I still miss today. Our plans for the day called for driving to Edinburgh, touring the castle, and then shopping on the royal mile until about 4:00 when we had to leave to catch our plane back to England.

Before we left Kirklands, my wife took the opportunity to take some pictures of my daughter around the gardens. She donned her tartan skirt and they took about 25 photos. A beautiful young lady in a beautiful setting yields beautiful pictures. We said our goodbyes to Gill, Peter, and Harley, packed our things into the rental car and started for Edinburgh. As I drove, I reflected on the things that I had marveled at while here. The charming village of Luss, the splendor of Stirling, and the unquenchable thirst for freedom and self-rule at the Wallace monument. As I realized that our time here was terminal, I knew that I have to one day return because we had only scratched the surface of this amazing country.

We could see the castle high on the crag as we drove into the city. The GPS navigator took us right to a car park only a few blocks from the royal mile. I had to keep the family focused because the shops along the street beckoned for our attention but I knew that if we didn't tour the castle early, we would feel rushed and I wanted to enjoy every second of the experience.

We paid our admission and joined up with a tour group. I was able to strike up a friendly conversation with the guide because of my military background. As a former member, he was lamenting the recent decision to combine the regiments and I was able to understand. A person of an elite unit is always proud of his military heritage and when that is diluted it is a bit like a death. My impression of Edinburgh castle is that it was indeed a fortress. Where Stirling was a palace, this was a secure refuge. We wound our way to the top and explored each of the buildings.

I can't express the emotions that I felt as we were able to view the honors of Scotland. They do not have the rich splendor of the English crown jewels but their magnificence shown all the more brighter because of the blood that was spilt to preserve them. I can't fathom the news that many Scots are ambivalent toward their history and nationalism. Every Scot should take the opportunity to explore the nature of the honors and reflect on the price that was paid for them. Not just of Wallace and Bruce, but also remember nameless people who struggled through the centuries to win Scottish independence. Even today the fight continues, not on the battlefields but in the halls of parliament, in the pubs, universities, and on the streets. Only when the people of Scotland demand truly independent governance will freedom be realized.

These emotions come flooding back almost a year later as I write this. This is the power of the honors. This is the essence of Scotland. We continued our tour of Edinburgh castle and felt a sense that our time was complete. None of us wanted to leave because I think that we realized that once we did, the magical visit to this magical land would end. We left the castle and made our way through the shops of the royal mile. We visited a mill where they were manufacturing tartan. It really is an amazing operation. At lunchtime, the boys and I ate in a restaurant called "Wanna Burger." It may have been the best hamburger I've ever eaten. It certainly was not what we expected when we entered. It was so good that I sent my youngest son to bring his mother and sister so that they could enjoy this last new discovery.

We at last ordered my oldest son a kilt for his graduation present and made our way back to the car. We were a little earlier than planned but this worked out quite well as we had a traffic delay in Glasgow. We arrived at the airport with precious few minutes to spare. I turned in the rental car and we boarded our flight back to Stansted. We were able to catch a late bus back to Mildenhall and arrived back at the base around 5 in the morning. From there it took us a couple of days to get out of England but we fortunately did and we were able to meet up with our friends in Germany.

I'll wrap up our vacation tomorrow.

The Wallace Monument

We reluctantly pulled ourselves away from Stirling Castle and started for the Wallace Monument. We made a brief stop for lunch and then followed the GPS to the foot of the hill and the Wallace car park. I know that we call them parking lots but we were in their country so we will use their terms. We bought our tickets and made a brief tour of the gift shop. There was a long line of people waiting for the minibus so we decided to walk "up the gentle slope" of Abbey Craig. Gentle is a bit of an understatement but not too bad. We made it just fine.

When we reached the top, we needed to catch our breath a bit before ascending the 246 stairs to the top of the monument. There was an actor in period costume delivering a monologue from the perspective of one of the Scottish warriors that fought that day and later with Bruce. He was very entertaining and it was interesting to hear a true Scottish perspective untarnished by Hollywood. We went inside the base of the monument and received the audio tour handsets. We had the opportunity to speak with the gentleman who delivered the monolog for a few minutes. My wife asked him if the Scots still had anger or animosity for the English. He replied with an anecdote of a tourist from London who came to the monument. "He was a nice lad but he remarked how the Scots didn't seem to be as friendly as he had expected. It was then that I realized that you shouldn't hate a man but you can hate a nation."

Educated on current English/Scot relations, we proceeded up the first of four sets of steps to the top of the monument. Every 65-70 steps brings the visitor to a new level depicting the Wallace story and Scottish history. The steps are an extremely steep, narrow, and winding circular staircase. There is little room for two people to pass and we discovered who was claustrophobic and who wasn't. The first level has a display of Wallace's life, the battle of Stirling, and his trial at Westminster. It is the display of the 700 year old Wallace sword that everyone was drawn to.

Onward and upward to the nest level which is called the hall of heroes. It contains the busts of 16 prominent Scots. From Bruce to Burns and more. It was interesting to learn of new heroes. I think that my wife and I were far more interested than the kids. So we trudged up yet another set of stairs to the third level.

Here on the third level is a geographic map called the Diorama that points out specific points of interest and battlefields around the tower. It was very helpful to help us find our bearings from the summit. We left the room and climbed the last few steps to the summit, or crown, of the monument.

The view from the summit is breath-taking. The views of the Ochils, Stirling, and the Trossachs are some that I'll never forget. A quick storm blew in and chased us from the crown a bit too soon but it was clear and sunny once again when we reached the bottom. We exchanged pleasantries with the workers and our new actor friend and proceeded down the mountain. We managed to catch the minibus and saved ourselves the climb down the mountain.

I must admit that there was one disappointment in the trip. At the base of the hill and the top of the car park, there is a stature of Mel Gibson as Braveheart. I understand that the movie brought out a new sense of national and ancestral pride from Scots around the globe. However, to have it here commercialized the monument a bit much for me. No one else seemed to be bothered by it.

We left the monument and returned to our B&B in Saline. Originally we had wanted to go to St. Andrews and if time permitted to Inverness and Loch Ness but our detour to Luss that morning negated any possibility of going anywhere else. We at dinner in Dunfermline again and walked around the beautiful, charming, and historic city. This was probably the first time on the trip that I relaxed. Finally we returned to a sound night's sleep at the Kirklands.