The Rattington Post

MEET THE REAL HERMAN CAIN!.....QUITE A RESUME!!!!

2011-10-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

What you may not know about Herman Cain who is running for president....

  He’s not a career politician (in fact he has never held political office). He’s known as a pizza guy, but there’s a lot more to him. He’s also a computer guy, a banker guy, and a rocket scientist guy.
Here’s his bio:

   • Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.
   • Master’s degree in Computer Science.
   • Mathematician for the Navy, where he worked on missile ballistics (making him a rocket scientist).
   • Computer systems analyst for Coca-Cola.
   • VP of Corporate Data Systems and Services for Pillsbury (this is the top of the ladder in the computer world, being in charge of information systems for a major corporation).

All achieved before reaching the age of 35. Since he reached the top of the information systems world, he changed careers!

   • Business Manager. Took charge of Pillsbury’s 400 Burger King restaurants in the Philadelphia area, which were the company’s poorest performers in the country. Spent the first nine months learning the business from the ground up, cooking hamburger and yes, cleaning toilets. After three years he had turned them into the company’s best performers.
   • Godfather’s Pizza CEO. Was asked by Pillsbury to take charge of their Godfather’s Pizza chain (which was on the verge of bankruptcy). He made it profitable in 14 months.
   • In 1988 he led a buyout of the Godfather’s Pizza chain from Pillsbury. He was now the owner of a restaurant chain. Again he reached the top of the ladder of another industry.
   • He was also chairman of the National Restaurant Association during this time. This is a group that interacts with government on behalf of the restaurant industry, and it gave him political experience from the non-politician side.

Having reached the top of a second industry, he changed careers again!

   • Adviser to the Federal Reserve System. Herman Cain went to work for the Federal Reserve Banking System advising them on how monetary policy changes would affect American businesses.
   • Chairman of the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. He worked his way up to the chairmanship of a regional Federal Reserve bank. This is only one step below the chairmanship of the entire Federal Reserve System (the top banking position in the country). This position allowed him to see how monetary policy is made from the inside, and understand the political forces that impact the monetary system.

After reaching the top of the banking industry, he changed careers for a fourth time!

   • Writer and public speaker. He then started to write and speak on leadership. His books include Speak as a Leader , CEO of Self , Leadership is Common Sense , and They Think You’re Stupid .
   • Radio Host. Around 2007—after a remarkable 40 year career—he started hosting a radio show on WSB in Atlanta (the largest talk radio station in the country).

He did all this starting from rock bottom (his father was a chauffeur and his mother was a maid). When you add up his accomplishments in his life—including reaching the top of three unrelated industries: information systems, business management, and banking—
STACK THAT UP AGAINST THE 'COMMUNITY ORGANIZER'....
Herman Cain may have the most impressive resume of anyone that has run for the presidency in the last half century.

This guy has No class Welllll, he was a "community organizer..."

2011-09-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

What do all these pics have in common?

They all show a basic disrespect for The White House and its

furnishings! The White House belongs to the People of America

and should be more revered than to use anything and everything

for a foot rest! What all these shots have in common is that they

continue to prove that this man has no class!

SO HERE’S A MESSAGE FROM THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA:

KEEP YOUR DAMN FEET OFF OUR FURNITURE!

On Obama Calling For a National Day of Service

2011-09-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

This year's Tax Freedom Day arrived on April 12. Tax Freedom Day was the first day this year which I no longer worked for the Government, but myself. All my tax obligations are satisfied. This is in theory, naturally. Supposedly, my taxes to all levels of government—local, state and federal—have been paid. This does not account for sales tax, and hidden fees, of course.

Some of you may be asking; "Where are you going with this?" Well, since Barack Obama and Jerry Brown tax me, without representation, and since my Congressman and Senator are both Progressive Democrats who do not represent my interests, I have worked a total of 102 service days this year.

Now Barack Obama and Mr. Bush before him, have the balls to ask me to give more in service to my nation?

My time volunteering at my kid's school is not enough? My time volunteered to my church is not enough? My donations to charity are not enough?

I'm sorry, but I have no more time or money to give. I resent any American leader, Liberal, Progressive, or Conservative asking me to give more in the service of my country. I have already done my fair share. I always do my fair share.

But, thanks for asking me Mr. Obama. However, I must decline your generous request.

The problem with public housing

2011-09-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

The problem with public housing is that the residents are not the owners.

The people that live in the house did not earn the house, but were loaned the property from the true owners, the taxpayers.

Because of this, the residents do not have the "pride of ownership" that comes with the hard work necessary.

In fact, the opposite happens and the residents resent their benefactors because the very house is a constant reminder that they themselves did not earn the right to live in the house. They do not appreciate the value of the property and see no need to maintain or respect it in any way.

The result is the same whether you are talking about a studio apartment or a magnificent mansion full of priceless antiques.

If the people who live there do not feel they earned the privilege, they will make this known through their actions.

The picture below illustrates the point:

The Resolute Desk was built from the timbers of the HMS Resolute and was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes. It is considered a national treasure and icon of the presidency.

Mr. Obama, you are not in a hut in Kenya , or public housing in Chicago.

With all due respect, get your fucking feet off our desk!

Andrew Breitbart On Combatting Conservaphobes

2011-08-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

Andrew Breitbart is an, American publisher, commentator for the The Washington Times, author, guest commentator on various news programs, former editor for the Drudge Report, former researcher for Arianna Huffington, and contributing architect for the launch of the website, The Huffington Post.

Breitbart currently runs his own news aggregation site, Breitbart.com, and five other websites: Breitbart.tv, Big Hollywood, Big Government, Big Journalism, and Big Peace. Breitbart has a simple solution to combat the huge gathering of conservaphobes found on Digg.

In an interview by R.J. Carter, featured in The Trades, on April 29, 2011 Andrew Breitbart tells how to combat conservaphobes on social news aggregator sites like Digg.

Breitbart says, "Keep fighting. Recruit more people for the Digg Patriots."

This is an excellent suggestion, and a non-violent approach that pays homage to the spirit of our First Amendment rights.

Faithful to the last: Slain Navy SEAL's dog stays by his side at funeral

2011-08-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

It was at his side in life ... and refused to be parted from him in death. As the US mourned at the funeral of Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson, 35, who was one of 38 killed when his helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan early this month, it was a photo of his pet dog Hawkeye lying by his former master's coffin throughout the ceremony that has captured hearts around the world.

Petty Officer Tumilson joined the US Navy in 1995 and was awarded the Purple Heart and Defence Meritorious Service Medal posthumously.

Images from Fox News

SAD NEWS OUT OF NEW ORLEANS

2011-08-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is true all over the country, not just in New Orleans.

It seems that every couple of days New Orleans loses one of its treasured ENTREPRENEURS.

Lets get the players straight before we go on with this.

LARMONDO "FLAIR" ALLEN

His Companion: Kawanner Armstrong

His Sons: Christian Allen

Kwan Allen

Larmondo Allen, Jr.

His Daughters: Deidra Allen

Larmenshell Allen

Lamonshea Allen

Larmomdriel Allen

Larmerja Allen

Korevell Allen

AT AGE 25 - He had 9 Children

(Could Kawanner Armstrong Possibly Be The Mother Of All Of His Kids?)

His Father: Burnell Thompson

His Mother: Esther Allen

His Stepfather: Bruce Gordy

His Brothers: Burnell Thompson

Edgar Thompson

Wil Willis

Danta Edwards

Reshe Edwards

Mattnell Allen

Burnell Allen

Lester Allen

His Sisters: Shannail Craig

Lekiksha Thompson

Gwendolyn Carter

Jessica Willis

Katina Gordy

Grandparents: Delors Allen

J.C. Allen

Anna Laura Thompson

Will Thompson

So, lets see now:

His Father, Burnell Thompson, fathered his brothers Burnell, Edgar and his sister Lekiksha.

His Stepfather, Bruce Gordy, fathered his Sister Katina.

His Mother, Esther Allen, must have been unwed when she gave birth to: Larmondo, Mattnell, Burnell and Lester.

We don't know who fathered Wil Willis and Jessica Willis, or Dante and Reshe Edwards.

Lets hope sisters Shannail Craig and Gwendolyn Carter are married.

GOT THE ABOVE ALL STRAIGHT?

********************

NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY

He's 25 and has 3 sons and 6 daughters
NINE welfare recipients collecting $1500 each.....
That equals $13,500 a month !!! Now add food stamps,
Free medical, free school lunches, on and on and on AND ON.

Do the math, that's $162,000 + a year.

Anyone out there, sittin' on their butt while reading

this e-mail, making that kind of money?

Now that, to me, is a real Entrepreneur.

(AND BECAUSE OF THEIR FATHERS DEATH, ALL OF THE KIDS WILL PROBABLY COLLECT SOCIAL SECURITY UNTIL THEY ARE 18)

And people wonder what is wrong with our country!

Muslim Culture Meets German Engineering ...

2011-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

A 15-second commercial.

VW could never get away with this advertisement in the politically correct U.S.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland it is the most popular TV commercial playing.

This sign is priceless!!!

2011-07-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Now That Obama Has Announced He Is Running Again

2011-04-05T10:23:00.000-07:00

If any other of our presidents had criticized a state law that he admitted he never even read, would you think that he is just an ignorant hot head?

If any other of our presidents joined the country of Mexico and sued a state in the United States to force that state to continue to allow illegal immigration, would you question his patriotism and wonder who's side he was on?

If any other of our presidents had pronounced the Marine Corps like Marine Corpse, would you think him an idiot?

If any other of our presidents had put 87,000 workers out of work by arbitrarily placing a moratorium on offshore oil drilling on companies that have one of the best safety records of any industry because one foreign company had an accident, would you have agreed?

If any other of our presidents had used a forged document as the basis of the moratorium that would render 87,000 American workers unemployed would you support him?

If any other of our presidents had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

If any other of our presidents had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take his First Lady to a play in NYC, would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had reduced your retirement plan holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought it a proud moment for America?

If any other of our presidents had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia , would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had visited Austria and made reference to the nonexistent Austrian language, would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?

If any other of our presidents had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?

If any other of our presidents had stated that there were 57 states in the United States, wouldn't you have had second thoughts about his capabilities?

If any other of our presidents would have flown all the way to Denmark to make a five minute speech about how the Olympics would benefit him walking out his front door in his home town, would you not have thought he was a self important, conceited, egotistical jerk?

If any other of our presidents had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Quatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, wouldn't you have winced in embarrassment?

If any other of our presidents had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?

If any other of our presidents' administrations had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?

If any other of our presidents had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?

If any other of our presidents had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America, would you have ever approved?

If any other of our presidents had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive?

Can't think of anything? Don't worry. He's done all this in 21 months so you have that much time to come up with an answer.

Every statement and action in this post is factual and directly attributable to Barack Hussein Obama.
Every bumble is a matter of record and completely verifiable.

The Donald on the View: Show Us The Birth Certificate!

2011-03-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

5:30 into the video The Donald asks the question

Trump asks: “Why doesn’t he show his birth certificate? I want him to show his birth certificate!”

Economic Terrorism Plot Against U.S. Exposed! UPDATE!

2011-03-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

Attorney General Eric Holder

A letter from Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has been sent to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting a Justice Department investigation for threat of economic terrorism allegedly being plotted by a former SEIU executive, Steven Lerner. Full Story Here Letter to Holder

Economic Terrorism Plot Against U.S. Exposed!

2011-03-22T16:27:00.000-07:00

The Left's Sinister Plot of Economic Terrorism Revealed! Plans to Bring Down The U.S. Economy! A Coalition of Unions, Community Groups, Lawmakers and Students Make Plans to Take Down US Capitalism and Redistribute Wealth and Power! - Courtesy 'The Blaze'

Edited Video

Uncut Video

Analysis by Henry Blodget of Buisness Insider With Partial Transcript

Stephen Lerner, formerly of SEIU.

Obama: SEIU's Agenda is My Agenda (see 3:15)

Audio: Glenn Beck Breaking the story of former SEIU leader Steven Lerner's plan to attack JP Morgan Chase

On radio this morning, Glenn broke a story that he called a “clear case of economic terrorism”. In shocking audio Glenn received over the weekend, former SEIU leader Steven Lerner lays out a plan to attack JP Morgan Chase.

“Yesterday afternoon in my office, Scott Baker came in from The Blaze and he said here is the tape I said I want the unedited tape. He said it’s 25 minutes. This is the unedited tape. We listened to it,” Glenn described.

“I called in all of the producers. I called in all the heads of my company, and we sat in a room and we listened to Americans describe how they were going to take down a major U.S. bank in May and how they were going to collapse the stock market and bring on a second economic collapse, how this could not appear to be coordinated and could not appear to be coordinated or union‑backed, how the unions were dead and the only way to really restart the unions is to collapse the system.”

“When you hear this tape, you will recognize some of the things that we have been warning about. You will recognize what I believe the Pentagon was warning people about.”

Stu gave the context on who exactly Steven Lerner is, “The entire time [Glenn was] speaking about SEIU, this guy, by his own description, was the director of SEIU’s banking and finance campaign. He’s not just some guy in some little group. He is a big figure in SEIU until very recently and the entire time you were talking about SEIU, this is the guy heading up the banking.”

Thanks goes to Glenn Beck, Pam Key of Naked Emporer News, & The Blaze

See our newest link added for The Blaze in our 'Favorite Blogs' links section.

Obama Priorities More Pressing Than Japan, Libya and the Budget Crisis

2011-03-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

This is the leader of the most powerful nation in the world? How many of you who voted for Obama feel buyers remorse now? Jimmy Carter 2.0, will be Obama's legacy.

Andrea Tantaros of Fox News reports; "...the president was seen golfing this weekend – the second one in a row – in the middle of the crisis in the Middle East, and as Japan tried to pick up the pieces from a giant earthquake and damaging tsunami. Instead of broadcasting his weekly radio address on any of the stern and sobering problems facing our nation and the globe, the president picked equal pay as the subject of his speech.

Then, amidst the criticism that he was disengaged, he decided to invite ESPN to the White House so he could publicly select his March Madness brackets, not exactly the chart topper of presidential priorities.

So is President Obama tone deaf, or is it that he really doesn’t care?

It’s more likely that he simply doesn’t know what to do. The president is simply out of his league. (emphasis mine)

Excellent analysis Andrea! -Biff Wellington

UPDATE: Forbes reports that President Obama will finally grab the bull by the horns to show leadership in the face of adversity while vacationing in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

From Forbes; 'President Barack Obama will take his first official trip to Brazil this weekend where he will speak in the popular Cinelandia Square in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The Obama family will also take in the sights in Rio. A trip to Corcovado mountain, where the Christ the Redeemer statue stands (France gave us Lady Liberty, gave Brazil Jesus) is supposedly on the itinerary. What trip to Rio would be complete without it?'

USS Obama Departs For Japan With Humanitarian Aid

2011-03-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

The USS Obama departed from the Port of Mombasa, in Barack Obama's home country of Kenya., fully laden with ten cases of Newport cigarettes, 11 basketballs, fourteen golf fairway woods, and seven refurbished iPods filled with Obama speeches.

Eyewitness T.J. reports; "The USS Obama attempted to leave 5 times, but due to the tidal surge they keep coming back to port. The cigarettes are nearly gone."

After four days, and finally out to sea, the mighty dugout was last seen seven miles off the coast of Kenya. The USS Obama is expected to arrive in Japan in about four months.

Upon its arrival to the stricken Japanese homeland, its cargo of humanitarian aid will be distributed to the Japanese people.

Do You Know What This Is?

2011-02-26T09:43:00.000-08:00

This statue currently stands outside the Iraqi palace, now home to the 4th Infantry division. It will eventually be shipped home and put in the memorial museum in Fort Hood, Texas

The statue was created by an Iraqi artist named Kalat, who for years was forced by Saddam Hussein to make the many hundreds of bronze busts of Saddam that dotted Baghdad. Kalat was so grateful for the America's liberation of his country; he melted 3 of the heads of the fallen Saddam statues and made this statue as a memorial to the American soldiers and their fallen warriors .
Kalat worked on this memorial night and day for several months.

To the left of the kneeling soldier is a small Iraqi girl giving the soldier comfort as he mourns the loss of his comrade in arms.

Do you know why we don't hear about this in the news? The media avoids it because it does not have the shock effect.

To me, it is news that must be passed on.

The Benson-Reagan Letter Story

2011-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

(Note: This previously ran at badgerbenson.com)

The Reagan Centennial Celebration

A Super Sunday…

It’s Super Bowl Sunday! A big party day across the country. As a Chiefs fan I usually cheer on the AFC teams, so I’ll probably back the Steelers this year.

Today is also a very special day for another reason. I’m sure you’ve heard the past few days about the celebration of Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday. Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney were two of the speakers for the festivities this weekend. President Reagan touched everyone. He is now one of the most admired presidents we’ve had.

1st Inductee into Badger’s AmeriCAN Hall of Fame:

He was a transformational leader with charm and grace. He had amazing wit and humor. His humble beginnings in Illinois to his time at WHO radio in Des Moines, his days in Hollywood, the "time for choosing" speech, challenging Republican leadership, turning around the nation’s economy, comforting our nation during disaster, ending the Cold War, and his last days on his loved ranch…He lived a great American life! He’s exactly what I look for each month when I put together the AmeriCANS/CANTS for each month. For those reasons he is the first inductee into my AmeriCANS Hall of Fame. You might recall that recently I announced the winners for the AmeriCANS/CANTS of 2010. The new Hall of Fame will be for historical figures, with selections done three times each year – Reagan’s birthday, Independence Day, and New Years Eve. I’ll have more about that on the show this week.

The Benson-Reagan Letter Story

I also wanted to pass along a personal story I have with President Reagan. In 1980 Reagan made a stop at the Marshall County Courthouse (Marshalltown, Iowa) during the presidential campaign. At the stop a two year old boy was placed on his lap for a photo-opt. That kid was me! My parents also invited Reagan to speak at the family farm.

Unfortunately the photo did not turn out. And unfortunately Reagan was unable to speak at the farm. However, he did receive word of the botched photo and sent my parents a nice letter along with an autographed picture addressed to me. Today both items sit in frames in my office. Everything that I am doing today can be traced back to the inspiration that I take from that letter and the knowledge of one of our most important leaders taking the time to address an Iowa farm family. Reagan’s historical accomplishments stand on their own. But it was the simple acts like the letter to Rod and Sherry Benson that made this man so loved by his countrymen.

Last spring I put together a promotional video when I started my show. It contains a reading of the letter done by our family friend, Postmaster Bob Nusbaum from State Center, Iowa. The Reagan Letter video. You can hear the show featuring the Reagan Letter story here.

Also here is the scanned copy of the letter. I was fortunate about 10 years ago to meet Michael Reagan at the Iowa State Fair and he signed the newspaper article about the young Benson and his father back in 1980.

The Global Warming Bubble Begins to Burst.

2011-02-02T14:45:00.001-08:00

While surfing the web last week I came across an article titled "Oh my! Greenpeace founder is an anthropogenic global warming denier". My curiosity piqued I clicked on the image under the title, as there was no accompanying text, and was directed to a page on the Amazon.com site featuring a book written by Dr. Patrick Moore titled "Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist"

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dr. Moore, he has been a leader in the international environmental field for over 30 years. He is one of the co founders of Greenpeace and has served for nine years as President of Greenpeace Canada and seven years as a Director of Greenpeace International. As the leader of many campaigns Dr. Moore was a driving force shaping policy and direction while Greenpeace became the world's largest environmental activist organization.

As described on the Amazon site

Confessions of a Greenpeace Dropout: The Making of a Sensible Environmentalist is Dr. Patrick Moore's engaging firsthand account of his many years spent as the ultimate Greenpeace insider, a co-founder and leader in the organization's top committee. Moore explains why, 15 years after co-founding it, he left Greenpeace to establish a more sensible, science-based approach to environmentalism. From energy independence to climate change, genetic engineering to aquaculture, Moore sheds new light on some of the most controversial subjects in the news today.

A proponent of nuclear energy Dr Moore has spent the last several weeks promoting his book and making appearances on the various cable station news shows most notably Stuart Varney where he unequivocally stated:

"We do not have any scientific proof that we are the cause of the global warming that has occurred in the last 200 years...The alarmism is driving us through scare tactics to adopt energy policies that are going to create a huge amount of energy poverty among the poor people. It's not good for people and its not good for the environment...In a warmer world we can produce more food."

"A powerful convergent of interests. Scientists seeking grant money, media seeking headlines, universities seeking huge grants from major institutions, foundations, environmental groups, politicians wanting to make it look like they are saving future generations. And all of these people have converged on this issue"

Another defection. Another dropout. Another soon to be vilified and excommunicated member of the Church of Global Warming. This, however, is no normal heretic. This is akin to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John recanting the scriptures that bear their names. Just kidding. No harm, no foul. We didn't mean for you to take it so seriously.

This is just the latest setback to befall the Global Warming believers. In February of 2010 the prestigious Institute of Physics in their memorandum to Parliament admonished the CRU for many of the methods and methodologies in their research concerning Global Warming.

Among their findings

The Institute is concerned that, unless the disclosed e-mails are proved to be forgeries or adaptations, worrying implications arise for the integrity of scientific research in this field and for the credibility of the scientific method as practised in this context.

The CRU e-mails as published on the internet provide prima facie evidence of determined and co-ordinated refusals to comply with honourable scientific traditions and freedom of information law. The principle that scientists should be willing to expose their ideas and results to independent testing and replication by others, which requires the open exchange of data, procedures and materials, is vital. The lack of compliance has been confirmed by the findings of the Information Commissioner. This extends well beyond the CRU itself - most of the e-mails were exchanged with researchers in a number of other international institutions who are also involved in the formulation of the IPCC's conclusions on climate change.

There is also reason for concern at the intolerance to challenge displayed in the e-mails. This impedes the process of scientific 'self correction', which is vital to the integrity of the scientific process as a whole, and not just to the research itself. In that context, those CRU e-mails relating to the peer-review process suggest a need for a review of its adequacy and objectivity as practised in this field and its potential vulnerability to bias or manipulation.

Rather damning criticism from an organization whose mission statement is described as

The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics.

It has a worldwide membership of around 40 000 and is a leading communicator of physics-related science to all audiences, from specialists through to government and the general public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dissemination of physics.

As President Obama, the Democrats, and the eco-facists continue their assault on fossil fuels and American energy independence, more and more scientists are expressing their concerns over global warming. In October of 2010 Professor Emeritus of physics Hal Lewis of the University of California at Santa Barbara resigned from the world's second largest organization of physicists The American Physical Society. In a tersely worded letter to the President of the society Professor Davis stated the following

Dear Curt:

When I first joined the American Physical Society sixty-seven years ago it was much smaller, much gentler, and as yet uncorrupted by the money flood (a threat against which Dwight Eisenhower warned a half-century ago)..........How different it is now. The giants no longer walk the earth, and the money flood has become the raison d’être of much physics research, the vital sustenance of much more, and it provides the support for untold numbers of professional jobs. For reasons that will soon become clear my former pride at being an APS Fellow all these years has been turned into shame, and I am forced, with no pleasure at all, to offer you my resignation from the Society. It is of course, the global warming scam, with the (literally) trillions of dollars driving it, that has corrupted so many scientists, and has carried APS before it like a rogue wave. It is the greatest and most successful pseudo scientific fraud I have seen in my long life as a physicist.

As many of us have long suspected the Global Warming scam has always been about money jobs, and power. Those who were able to manipulate the media and have their voices be heard over those who held dissenting views were the ones who received the funding and science be damned. The squeaky wheel always gets the grease. With the passing of each day more and more scientists begin to express their reservations over man made anthropogenic global warming.

For further reading.

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/01/brrr-analysts-predict-freezing-winters-in-europe-will-be-the-norm-for-20-40-years/

http://notrickszone.com/2010/10/14/winters-comparable-with-the-harsh-1939-42-winters-october-13-2010-snow-to-blanket-parts-of-europe/

http://www.climatedepot.com/a/9035/SPECIAL-REPORT-More-Than-1000-International-Scientists-Dissent-Over-ManMade-Global-Warming-Claims--Challenge-UN-IPCC--Gore

http://www.akdart.com/warming4.html

The Innate Peacefulness of Progressives & Liberals

2011-01-11T00:07:00.000-08:00

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” -Barack Obama, June 13, 2008, Philadelphia fundraiser.

I see no problem with what was said by Barack Obama. It's well known that this is simply harmful, political rhetoric when it comes from a Democrat politician playing the politics of fear.

Everyone knows that Liberals and Progressives don't really mean anyone any physical harm... 'cept Jared Loughner. But, we're not talking about him now.

As I was saying, liberals aren't violent. They would rather smoke dope, have free sex and sing Kumbaya...'cept Bill Ayers and his wife, Bernadine Dorhn. But, we're not talking about them at this time.

Liberals and Progressives just want to love everyone up... 'cept Van Jones... He’s called for violent revolution. But, that would be seen only as vitriol and hate speech, if it came from someone on the right. But it didn’t come from the right, it came from Van Jones. He’s a Progressive. Jones REALLY didn't mean that, did he? Jones gets a pass!

Liberals and Progressives are a lovable lot, devoid of any hatred, and incapable of hate speech... ‘cept for Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Everyone knows his kind of black liberation theology is harmless, non-incendiary, and isn’t violent. Not really...

Liberals and Progressives AREN'T violent. 'cept for Andy Stern, a crony of Obama. He allowed his SEIU thugs to beat up an African-American conservative. But that wasn't really violent. Not REALLY...

As I was saying, Liberals and Progressives NEVER call for violence. Not really... 'cept Bill Maher, who "joked" about Sarah Palin being the first of the useless people to be killed. That’s not really violent. No siree!

As I have been pointing out, Liberals and Progressives are incapable of violence, or hate speech. 'cept maybe Ed Schultz, who on MSNBC has stated several times that Conservatives need to be killed. But, that was just Ed exercising his right to free speech. Not really a call for violence. Not really.

As I was saying, in defense of Liberals and Progressives, they just don’t have a violent bone in their collective bodies. They NEVER engage in hate speech, 'cept maybe the SEIU thugs who assaulted black Conservative and a senior citizen Tea Party member. But, that wasn't REALLY violence. Uh-uh, Nope!

Liberals and Progressives NEVER call for harm against conservatives. 'cept maybe Randi Rhodes, who recommended as a "joke" during her Air America (Liberal talk) radio show, that G.W. Bush should be assassinated. It was just a harmless joke though. Rhodes wasn't serious.... Not really. She's a LIBERAL! Rhodes only said that, jokingly; tongue n’ cheek, "Like Fredo, somebody ought to take him out fishing and pow!" NOT VIOLENT! NOT HATE SPEECH! The funny part of the whole thing is when Rhodes imitated that sound of the gunshot. But, there was no harm done. Not REALLY. It was FUNNY though… Wasn’t it?

As I have been insisting... Liberals and Progressives only want to make love, not violence. 'cept maybe the criminals that destroyed and vandalized a large glass door with a chunk of cinder block at the Republican Party headquarters, in downtown Flagstaff. But, we must remember, it wasn't THAT violent, or hateful.

Nope! No violence or hate from the left. NEVER!

‘cept maybe the marching ‘Brownshirts (Oct, 2004) for Kerry’. Or, maybe the Leftist who spit (Oct, 2004) on Major Jerry Boyle, USMC, an Iraq War Vet, and candidate for Congress. They were just marching and spitting with peaceful intentions. But, they weren’t being violent.

There is NO violence from the left. It just doesn't happen. 'cept for one Joe Stack, who flew his plane into a Federal Building in Austin, TX. He was just peacefully expressing himself. It wasn't all that violent.

Folks, I cannot stress it enough. The Liberals and Progressives are not into violence. PERIOD!

Well… 'cept maybe for Clay Duke, who waltzed into a Florida school board meeting, armed with a handgun. Clay spray-painted a left-wing "V for Vendetta" symbol on the wall. Then peaceful Clay attempted to gun down the school board members. Eventually Clay inflicted peace upon himself. He shot himself. Good thing the peaceful Progressives and Liberals didn’t try to blame Clay’s actions on the right. That would never cross a Progressive’s or Liberal’s mind. They’re all peaceful and ethical!

Ethical? Remember Pelosi’s promise to drain the swamp? But, I digress…

Face it folks... There are no violent Liberals, no violent Progressives out there! Just as there are no racist African-Americans, there are no violent Liberals, or Progressives. It's a scientific fact! It’s 'scientifical', and etched into stone, as are all the transitional fossils in the evolutionary fossil record! 'cept for maybe Norman Leboon.

Laboon was registered as a Democrat, and had been a donor to Obama’s campaign. Leboon shot into Eric Cantor’s Virginia office. Leboon is also responsible for the peaceful, touchy-feelyYoutube video manifesto:

"My Congressman Eric Cantor, and you and your cupcake evil wife. Remember Eric, our judgment time, the final Yom Kippur has been given. You are a liar, you’re a Lucifer, you’re a pig, a greedy f*cking pig, you’re an abomination, you receive my bullets in your office, remember they will be placed in your heads. You and your children are Lucifer’s abominations."

But, that's hardly violence from the left. Not really. Leboon was just having some harmless fun.

Again, I cannot stress any more than this; Liberals and Progressives are NOT violent. 'cept maybe for the anonymous, peaceful liberal who called Congresswoman Jean Schmitt, then left the following voicemail:

"Yeah, I'm glad the president passed health care. Yeah. Funky ass, racist-ass Republicans hate that, don't you? Jean Schmitt, when you got hit by that car, you should've broke your back, b*tch. And Boehner, motherf****r that Mitch McConnell. All you racist f**king Republicans. Why don't you just change your party name to racist? Cuz if one of those f**king Tea baggers had spit on me, I'd have shot all them in the f**king face with my f**king 9 millimeter. F**k all you racist motherf****rs.

Laboon and the anonymous liberal caller are shining examples of how peaceful Progressives and Liberals truly can be!

It is amazing how peace loving Progressives and Liberals actually are… ‘cept for maybe a member at the social news site, Old Dogg. His handle is Novenator; He also goes by Novae elsewhere on the web. Novenator regularly uses multiple handles at the dig social news site. That way he can get maximum effect for his loving and peaceful, Progressive rants. Novenator’s legions of peaceful Liberal, and Progressive fans who follow him on his Twitter account, know him best under his nom de plume, Ole Ole Olson.

In Early August, 2010, Novenator posted following peaceful rant at Old Dogg: We need a little Che action in America right now. The yolk of corporate tyranny has taken over, the brownshirt fascists on the right who wrap themselves in the flag and carry a cross are only too happy to whore themselves out to this beast.

Armed revolution FTW!

The rabid Novenator types, are just more examples that Progressives and Liberals do not always practice what they preach, when they speak of peace and tolerance.

What we have learned from these examples of tolerance shown by the Progressives, and Liberals who occupy the fringe, is that the caustic vitriol and poisonous rhetoric does not originate from the mainstream, Conservative side of the political aisle. Both sides are responsible for what is said. Only, the fact of the matter is, while both sides of the aisle should be working together to repair problems that are sinking this listing nation, it is the pundits on the left, supported and encouraged by a biased, left leaning media, who are getting all the traction in demonizing the right for the heinous crimes that Jared Loughner committed.

The left took a map posted by Sarah Palin on her Facebook page, and blamed if for encouraging Jared Louhgner to gun down an Arizona Congresswoman and dozens of her supporters. The left took the message of Palin’s map and spun it out of context, in order to politicize the murders committed by Louhgner. Palin’s map was intended to target political seats for the 2010 elections, in a grass roots effort to get certain public servants voted out of office. Clearly, it was not Palin’s objective to get anyone killed, or to put a literal gun-sight on a candidate’s back as some subliminal message that the target should be shot.

If Sarah Palin is guilty of the above allegations, and if we as a public are gullible and stupid enough to believe the spin the left is engaging in, then we as a nation have no hope to survive.

If Sarah Palin is guilty of calling for the assassination of political figures through the use of a simple drawn and simply understood graphic, then those leveling such charges against Sarah Palin and the Tea Party are guilty of the same, when they posted their own graphic targeting Conservatives.

One of Several ‘bull’s-eye’ and ‘Target’ maps created by the left.

The map shown above comes from the blog Verum Serum, who has done an outstanding job in displaying the several ‘bull’s-eye’ and ‘Target’ maps created by the left. I invite you to visit Verum Serum to fully appreciate the hypocrisy from the left who point their corked fingers at Sarah Palin’s ‘Target’ map.

It is time that the American people see through the spin, the lies and the chicanery perpetrated upon them by the Liberals and Progressives for political points and political gain. The left is not the solution, nor does it know the solution to all this nation’s ills, when it is the left that politicizes those ills for their own political gain.

The left has no solution. The left creates the problem.

As a nation, we should demand better from those on the left, and we should also hold the right to a higher and a better standard than what we expect from the left. For the right to achieve such standards would be a standard the left is incapable of ever achieving.

I dedicate this article to all the peaceful Progressives and Liberals out there. You guys need to really wake up.

Don't Jump to Collusions!

2011-01-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

When I was very little I was on a trip with my mother, aunt and two cousins. My cousin Clint said something or other, and my cousin Meredith said, "Clint! Don't jump to collusions!" This was met with laughter...because she obviously meant "conclusions."

I have to admit something. When the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City happened...I jumped to the conclusion that it was Islamic terrorism. You'll have to excuse me...I had returned to the USA from Europe where Islamic terrorism had been an issue.

Boy, did I learn my lesson as the details unfolded after that event. It was one of our own. I was utterly disgusted by the idea that any one of us could do something that horrible. I was ashamed that I had assumed it was an Islamic extremist.

As a result, whenever something happens, I do not assume.

Even on 9/11...I felt the horror as it unfolded and I waited to hear details before I let myself think that any specific group or movement was behind it.

I don't know what you did the other day after hearing about the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords and others in Arizona.

Several thoughts percolated in my brain. She is a Democrat, so I wondered if it could be a right-wing extremist. She is a Blue Dog (conservative) Democrat...so I wondered if it could be a left-wing extremist. She is an American political figure, so I wondered if it could be an Islamic extremist. She's in Arizona, so I wondered if someone upset about immigration issues could have perpetrated it.

We have a mixed blessing these days concerning access to "information".

When I heard, I prayed. Then I heard she was dead. Then I heard she wasn't dead.

Then...the absolutely predictable, but shameful, happened.

Before ANY details except that the suspect was a "white male" were released...I began to see sites online and political figures and news outlets infer that it was a crime perpetrated by a right-winger. The idea that the gunman was a Sarah Palin fan went viral.

Someone created a fake Facebook account for the gunman that listed Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin among his interests. Some gullible folks seized on this and went ballistic online.

The national dialogue quickly turned into an indictment of "right-wing" rhetoric.

I was stunned because, if anything, it seems the rhetoric has simmered down a bit post-election.

Then gradually I became sickened. Some could NOT allow us to get the news, digest the news and seek answers and information before they turned this tragedy into a political football. A consensus formed. A consensus trumpeted that this was the act of a "right-winger" spurred on by "hate speech." Quite egregiously, reports emerged that the shooter may have been an Afghan War vet.

As it has evolved, it appears that the perpetrator of this is a very mentally ill young man. He was kicked out of his college due to mental issues and disturbances. He was rejected by the military. He is anti-US flag and even showed a video of a flag burning on his Youtube. He likes Mein Kampf AND The Communist Manifesto. He thinks the government controls our minds through our grammar. He is an atheist. He likes to smoke marijuana. He doesn't like immigrants...and maybe doesn't like Jews.

So now we know. He's neither left nor right...but someplace out in the wilderness of his own twisted and incoherent thoughts. Certainly, he IS ill.

We did our nation a disservice the other day when we jumped to collusions. In future, instead of hearing indictments of an ideology or a political movement...ANY movement...I hope that we are allowed the time to receive bad news, pray about it (or not, whatever floats your boat), share OUR collective grief and express our sadness.

May we never again use corpses not yet cold as a soapbox for a political fight.

Guest posting written by Quirkopatra from Digg

Roy Beck's celebrated gumballs presentation of U.S. Census population growth projections

2011-01-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Rattington Post welcomes NumbersUSA to our favorite blogs area!

NumbersUSA Education and Research Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan immigration-reduction organization. We conduct research on the impacts of high numerical levels of immigration and educate the public, opinion leaders and policy makers on the results of those and other studies. Undergirding our work are beliefs in environmental sustainability, economic justice, the rule of law, and individual liberty, and opposition to federal immigration policies that threaten these values by forcing massive U.S. population growth.

What Really Happened When Pelosi Handed Boehner the Gavel...

2011-01-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

My dad sent me this one! -Biff

So how the HELL did that happen?

2011-01-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

A Person's Mind and His Desk...

2011-01-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

There's an old saying that seems to apply: Creative minds are rarely tidy. I've used that often to explain my desk/workspace.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

A person's mind and his desk...

William F. Buckley

Nat Hentoff

Albert Einstein

Numb Nuts

The True Face of American Unions

2011-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

A sleeping sanitation worker in Queens.

This is how tax dollar funded unions spend your money. They sponge up generous pensions, perks, and benefits. They enjoy generous vacation and time-off plans, with job security through seniority and tenure; all in exchange for their half-assed, and lackadaisical work ethic.

If private companies operated under the same standards of excellence demanded by Federal, State, County and Municipal bureaucracies and unions, private companies would go belly up.

This is outrageous!

Perhaps it's time the American public demands that the unions place more emphasis on the quality of work they provide, rather than the quantity of benefits they can steal, for the minimal possible work output.

CARTOON FOR THE DAY: AAAAAAAWWWWWWW Poor Baby !!!!

2010-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Since Nancy Pelosi is no longer Speaker of the House, she must give up her taxpayer's private jet.

She'll be flying Southwest from now on because "Bags fly free" [ even "old"ones ]

And Now For Something Completely Different!: Hilarious British Animal Voiceovers

2010-12-14T08:41:00.000-08:00

Social News Sites- There's a New Kid On The Block

2010-11-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

There's a new player in the world of social news sites, which arose from the ashes, and carnage left behind from when digg rolled out its new, sucky, 4.0 user interface this past summer. This little upstart of a social news site was founded as an alternative to digg, when digg failed to respond to complaints from digg's user base about some unpopular changes. Old Dogg keeps the easy and familiar user interface that the Old Dogg's membership has grown to appreciate in its simplicity.

Old Dogg is large when it comes to accommodating its fast growing user base by way of respecting all user viewpoints and submissions in an evenhanded fashion. At the same time, Old Dogg wields the ban stick lightly and only on rare occasions has had to brandish it. Unlike the big social new sites, the administration of Old Dogg does not impose its political agenda on Old Dogg members. Nor, does the administration penalize those with differing political ideas by banning them. The Old Dogg administrators simply endeavor to run Old Dogg neutrally. Old Dogg does not allow a certain political group to run Old Dogg, like these groups attempt to control and run the other sites. How refreshing!

Phil Mitchell, and the staff at Old Dogg have discovered a novel concept in the administration Old Dogg, which flies in the face of the conventional wisdom of how other administrators manage their social news sites. Old Dogg has abandoned the 'God Complex' that other sites operate under, in favor fair, balanced, and more open online discussion.

Old Dogg is based in the U.K. and is the brainchild of Top Dog, Phil Mitchell. Phil manages to stay involved in the Old Dogg community. He also makes regular submissions to Old Dogg, and is quite active in voting for the submissions of others. Phil has his finger on the pulse of the Old Dogg, and is responsive to user's requests and inquiries, while he still finds time to respond to the many messages that are sent to him from the members of the Old Dogg.

What I find quite refreshing about Old Dogg, and in Phil's excellent managerial style, is that Phil does not appear to adhere to any political agenda. He graciously allows for all viewpoints to be heard and Phil rarely bans anyone, at least for any article they submit. There has been a handful of bans that I have observed at Old Dogg, but such bans seem to be reserved for spammers.

Unlike digg, Mixx, the now defunct Propeller and the dozens of other social news sites, Phil allows for Old Dogg to run off the leash on its own track, using a hands off managerial approach. The other sites are overtly agenda driven. The other sites allow those who's political agenda that matches their own, to control the content, while at the same time shutting down the opposition, and in denying a voice to differing viewpoints. But, not at Old Dogg. If it's newsworthy, those commenting regardless of their ideological stripes, are left alone, providing that they are observant of the rules and decorum at Old Dogg.

Old Dogg doesn't claim to operate under some suspect and bogus 'patented' algorithm, which purportedly pushes the popular stories to the front page. Old Dogg allows its user base, through simple voting, or unvoting, to determine which stories become popular, and which stories make the front page.

In some ways Old Dogg is still still a puppy, and is still young, being only paper trained. But, when Phil completes Old Dogg's training through his endless sessions of add-ons, tweaks and adjustments, there soon will emerge a more robust, confident and noble Old Dogg, that will go the distance in providing hours of enjoyment and companionship to its many fans throughout the world. If you seek a quality social news site, Old Dogg is the one. Try visiting old Dogg and see for yourself. And why you're there, it wouldn't hurt to click on a banner, or two, to help support Old Dogg. Old Dogg can be found here.

For its welcoming atmosphere, hands on administration, and lack of political agenda I give Old Dogg four paws running!

Build the danged Canadian fence

2010-11-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration. The recent actions of the Tea Party are prompting an exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray, and to agree with Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal-rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Rupert Cummerbatch, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry. He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left before I even got a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Cummerbatch erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. He then installed loudspeakers that blared Rush Limbaugh across the fields. "Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through and Rush annoyed the cows so much that they wouldn't give any milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons and drive them across the border where they are simply left to fend for themselves." A lot of these people are not prepared for our rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a single bottle of imported drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley Cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumours have been circulating about plans being made to build re-education camps where liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR races.

In recent days, liberals have turned to ingenious ways of crossing the border. Some have been disguised as senior citizens taking a bus trip to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching half a dozen young vegans in powdered wig disguises, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior citizens about Perry Como and Rosemary Clooney to prove that they were alive in the '50s. "If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we become very suspicious about their age." an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and are renting all the Michael Moore movies. "I really feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them." an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"

Author unknown

The Alan Grayson Defeat Party

2010-11-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

My pick for image of the night.

I was listening to Glenn Beck's Insider Extreme coverage of the election and Glenn and the gang started talking about this picture taken tonight. It's Alan Grayson's concession speech. It's pretty comical as is, but it reminded me of something. So I went to work.

The Tea Is Served

2010-11-02T14:15:00.000-07:00

Today we dump the Kool Aid. We begin to rid our blood of the toxin known as progressivism – an addiction to other people’s money, an infection that doesn’t discriminate by party name and its side effects are corruption, class warfare, political correctness, judicial activism and revisionist history. Today we start rehab. Today the TEA IS SERVED! For those elected to the table don’t you dare forget who fills your cup. - Badger Benson

Obama's Halloween Costumes

2010-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a great Halloween weekend! Let's end the horror show tomorrow, get out and vote!

Over at the Badger Den we put together some of the costumes Obama tried on for yesterday's White House trick or treaters.

It's all cool with Obama Fonz in charge!

What's this?! It's Obama Claus and he's stuffing someone's stocking with your money!

Well now it's settled. Real walking proof!

Rumor is that he actually dressed up as a president yesterday! More at BadgerBenson.com

The real rally in DC this weekend

2010-10-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

Now that the goof troop is off the stage I wanted to make sure everyone knew about the real rally going on this weekend in DC. As you know John Stewart and Stephen Colbert had their "thing" going on today at the National Mall. I tried to watch parts of it. What an embarrassment. And I emphasize the "ASSment" that took place at the event. Complete non-sense and joke.

But enough about them. The real rally taking place today was the Constitution Ride Across America. Daren Gardner, a small businessman from Virginia rolled into DC to end his his 48 state journey across the United States. Daren started riding his motorcycle across the country back in August. He stopped at 48 state capitols and presented ceremonial copies of the Constitution to elected officials. Those officials then signed a resolution to uphold the Constitution. This document is being presented in DC today. This guy...an ordinary citizen, got out of his seat and set about to do something to make a REAL difference in this country.

Find out more about Daren's ride here. The ride may be over, but the real journey has just begun! www.craa2010.com

How sad is that two jokers and their nitwit audience get more coverage than a real American doing something remarkable and noteworthy? Chances are you haven't heard about it until today.

What kind of a country are we? A bunch of jokesters that yuck it up in our capitol...or are we people that roll up our sleeves and actually do something?

God bless Daren Gardner and what he has done. A true inspiration!

Nebraska Democratic Party challenges Tea Party

2010-10-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

York, Nebraska

York is a small city in east-central Nebraska, about 40 miles west of Lincoln. It's your common midwest community. It's Tea Party country! Nebraska is pretty conservative state. We're also a smaller state in population. So over the past two years there hasn't been much challenge or hate towards the Tea Party movement here, at least not the extent that we see elsewhere. That changed this week.

The York County Tea Party scheduled at event at the York County Courthouse for Thursday, October 28th. The rally featured candidates and speakers, nothing out of the norm. The York County Tea Party has gone to great lengths to stress their non-partisan nature and any candidate from any party was welcome to attend or speak at the event. They don't even endorse candidates. Their web site even explains the nature of the group. http://www.yorkteaparty.com/ I'd think most reasonable people would have no problem with such an event taking place. YCTP even had the necessary permits.

However, the Nebraska Democratic Party would have none of it. On October 27th Jeremy Jensen of the YCTP was served notice of the following complaint.

Followed by this notice from the York County Attorney.

Is the Nebraska Democratic Party correct? At first glance it might appear so. Afterall the courthouse is a public place, and a polling place.

Not so fast. The NDP left out an important detail. The timeframe of the event. The York County Courthouse closes at 5 PM. The rally was scheduled for 6 PM.

Jensen and other York County Tea Party leaders quickly jumped into action. They called several former leaders at the state level with legal experience for their opinions. Jensen's understanding of the law is, "To prevent people from campaigning close to a polling place, while the polls are open." The legal minds he contacted agreed.

Brad Stevens of Americans for Prosperity in Lincoln also agreed. AFP helped organize the event. Stevens provided the following statement as a disclaimer for the group's event. "The York County Tea Party is not an actual registered political party, and does not desire to be. We are a group of bi-partisan citizens who are concerned with making good public policy at the local, state and national level. We are not here to support any political party, or any candidate. We are here to talk about the important issues facing our state and nation and how we can get involved to promote limited government and free-market enterprise. Let me reiterate, we are about issues, not candidates, and would appreciate your help. Please do not bring campaign stickers, yard signs or banners to this event."

Finally late in the afternoon Jensen recieved the call the group had been waiting for. Neil Ericson, Deputy Secretary of State, confirmed that the time of the event did matter. He was not notified of the rally start time and had assumed that it was taking place during the day. (Interesting how NDP left that information out of their complaint.) Thus, Ericson determined that the event was not in violation of any law, and further more stated that even if campaigning was part of the program the event would still be legal.

Shortly after County Attorney William Sutter issued the following to the YCTP and the NDP.

The event took place on Thursday without any problems. TV out of Lincoln covered the event. Even the New York Times ran a story. Pictures from the rally can be found on the YCTP web site. Here's some good footage from the event. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u5uj_hUfsY

But....that's not the end of this story! According to the story run by Channel 10/11 out of Lincoln, the NDP plans to pursue action towards the York County Tea Party. http://www.1011now.com/home/headlines/106333289.html?storySection=story

We'll keep you posted...

'Twas the night before elections

2010-10-18T11:51:00.001-07:00

'Twas the night before elections
And all through the town
Tempers were flaring
Emotions all up and down!

I, in my bathrobe
With a cat in my lap
Had cut off the TV
Tired of political crap.

When all of a sudden
There arose such a noise
I peered out of my window
Saw Obama and his boys

They had come for my wallet
They wanted my pay
To give to the others
Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money
And quick as a wink
Jumped back on his bandwagon
As I gagged from the stink

He then rallied his henchmen
Who were pulling his cart
I could tell they were out
To tear my country apart!

'On Fannie, on Freddie,
On Biden and Ayers!
On Acorn, On Pelosi'
He screamed at the pairs!

They took off for his cause
And as he flew out of sight
I heard him laugh at the nation
Who wouldn't stand up and fight!

So I leave you to think
On this one final note-
IF YOU DONT WANT SOCIALISM
GET OUT AND VOTE!!!!

I Fought For You

2010-09-19T11:54:00.001-07:00

Obama at the Bat

2010-09-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

Burning Crayons?

2010-09-10T07:08:00.000-07:00

I've kept myself out of the news loop the past week. I keep hearing talk about some preacher in Florida wanting to burn crayons tomorrow.

What did Crayola ever do to him? Also what business is it of anyone else if he does burn crayons? Especially if the crayons are non-toxic...should be some colorful smoke. I do feel for the kids that want some crayons but might not get them because this guy burns a few boxes. It is back to school time you know, so in that regard it's very insensitive.

But still here in America we've allowed burning of all sorts of things - bras, books, flags...athletes foot.

In short...the whole thing is just childish.

A Gentle Reminder of Things to Remember on 9/11

2010-09-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

As you wander through
your daily life, don't
forget the important things
that really matter...

Don't forget that Sean Penn, Angelina Jolie,
and Paris Hilton are worthy of our undivided,
national attention as the newsmakers, but
concern about the subversion of our liberties
and the American Constitution is racist and
fear mongering.

Don't forget the important stuff.

Important things... Things like,

Lindsay Lohan, and how she

is innocent, misunderstood, and
was treated very badly by our
court system.

Important things. Things like, how
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid are
true patriots, who love their country.

The very important things.

Things that matter, like the

Chinese are our friends and

Most Favored Nation Trading

Partner.

Try to Remember that the

United Nations has the interests

of the United States in mind when

soliciting the Congress for more

money. Very important!

Something we ought not to

forget!

Remember that 'Cap and Trade'

is innocent, a great strategy which
will solve the 'Climate Change'
problem (or, whatever it's called
this week) while stimulating our
struggling economy. This is extremely
important to remember!

Remember that we are a

global village now, and that

the U.S.A. has no enemies.

North Korea, Iran, Russia,

China, the Palestinians, and
Hamas offer up support and
good will towards America!

This MUST me remembered!

Move through your life with

no worries. Focus on yourself.

All is well and things are moving

along just fine! Remember this!

While you're focusing on

yourself, try to remember...

Like... Remember the Iraq war?
It was supposed to be a war about oil.
The war is over now. We're in an oil
glut. Combat has 'officially' ended.
Our president says hostilities have ended,
too! Our soldiers are now safe!

Terrorists are are no

longer terrorists. They're

millitants, insurgents and

freedom fighters. Terrorism

does not exist, we are not

vulnerable to attacks, and
the White House says the

Mexican border is secure

and tight as a drum! Worth

remembering!

Here's something that needs

remembering. Forget all that

other rubbish and remember

the really vital and important

stuff.

For now on, while

you're remembering,

focusing, moving through

life, and trying not to forget;

try to remember that 9/11

happened. We as a

nation have become

complacent all over again,
and it's not "if" it will happen
again... But, "when" it will
happen again; that America
suffers another, perhaps more

devastating attack than
we felt on 9/11.

Remember this....

Support our troops, support
the President by praying that
his eyes are opened, and that
the damage he is doing to our
nation can be undone, when he
and the progressives are thrown
all out of office in 2010, and
2012.

Above all, get out and vote the
next two election cycles. Be
vocal to your representatives,

demanding that they do all they
can do to stop our enemies, both

foreign and domestic. Demand
that they place America first,
above all other nations.

Remember 9/11. Never Forget.

Never become complacent.

The Burning Question This September 11th

2010-09-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Bring thousands of people together in a rally, and it gets ignored because it wasn't millions. But bring together 50 people to send a symbolic message by ceremoniously (or unceremoniously, as the case may be) burning the Quran (Koran, pick a spelling), and the administration and media hone in on it with laser-like focus.

This September 11th, the Dove World Outreach Center -- consisting of Pastor Terry Jones and a congregation of 49 others -- has announced their plan to protest radical Islam by burning the Koran (Quran. Whatever.) And even before the first match has been lit, the reaction has been incendiary. General David Petraeus has warned that the action could endanger our troops. David Axelrod is concerned about the security threat it could provoke. Eric Holder has called the plan "idiotic and dangerous." Hillary Clinton has called it "disrespectful" and "disgraceful." Even Angelina Jolie has weighed in with her regrets, so you know this has to be major news!

Let me be perfectly clear where I stand on this: I think burning books -- any book (or record, or film) -- is just plain stupid and creepy. It doesn't accomplish anything positive, and generally spreads the message contained in the book wider than before. If anything, radical muslims might want to consider thanking the Dove church a few years down the road for helping spread the message of Islam through their actions.

On the other hand, it is just a book. It is pages, pulped from trees, with ink splashed on it. And yes, that goes for the Holy Bible as well. They're published texts. They can (and will) make more. And as I must assume that the congregation of the Dove church went out and bought these Korans (as opposed to going door to door, taking them by force, and clearing the local library shelves in a mob frenzy), I'm sure the publisher's thank them for their contributions, and would gladly sell them twice as many should they wish their next Koran burning to be a larger event next time.

But could I burn a Koran? Sure, it's the sacrosanct text of some idiots who crash planes, set off bombs, and ambush our soldiers. But it's also the holy book of my friend Saidul, and Ramesch, and Saritha. It's the holy book of muslim soldiers serving in the American military. How could I burn a Koran with the caveat, "But it's just meant against those people, not you." That would be like organizing a Bible burning to protest the terrorist activities of the Westboro Baptist Church.

So it's stupid -- but it's also small and inconsequential. At least, it was, until this Gainesville gathering began to be addressed by our own government. Then it became notorious, dangerous, and a threat to national security. Not that I recall any organized Koran burnings prior to the collapse of the World Trade Center, or the crash outside Shanksville, Pennsylvania, or the assault on the Pentagon. I don't think a Koran even got charred before the attack on the USS Cole.

And I'm not sure I've heard any of the aforementioned administration officials (and celebrity) speak out anytime in the past when someone's burned the US flag (except to remind everyone that it's an expression of free speech).

When the government puts all their attention -- or, rather, all our attention -- on something so undeserving of attention at all, I have to wonder: what should we be focused on? What are we being distracted from? Follow the agendas, keep your eyes on the real problems, and don't buy into the hype generated by a roomful of malcontents who, were it not for the government and the media, would have gone largely unnoticed.

A Letter to Nancy Pelosi

2010-09-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Below is a letter written by Dennis Gutherie to Nancy Pelosi.
Mr. Gutherie's credentials precede his letter:

Born St. Louis , Missouri , August 21, 1944
Bar Admissions:
North Carolina , 1969
U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina , 1969
U.S. Tax Court
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Education: Woodford College , 1966 A.B.
Mercer University , 1969 J.D.
Phi Alpha Delta
Vice-Justice, District XIV, 1968 - 1969
Professional Associations and Memberships:
North Carolina and American Bar Associations (Member, Sections on:
Administrative Law; General Practice; Litigation)

26th Judicial District and North Carolina State Bar
Mecklenburg County Bar Association
American Association of Justice
North Carolina Trial Lawyers Association
Captain, U.S. Army, 1969-1971, Vietnam
National Defense Medal, 1969
Republic of Viet Nam Service Medal, 1970
Bronze Star Medals (2), 1971
Assistant District Attorney, Mecklenburg County , 1971 - 1974
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce
Chairman, Board of Trustees Providence United Methodist Church
Board of Directors, Alexander Children's Home
Board of Directors, Charlotte Culinary Institute
Wofford Alumni Executive Council
Scoutmaster, Boy Scouts of America
Board of Directors, Boy Scouts of America of Mecklenburg County
Board of Directors, Girl Scout Council
Life Member, National Eagle Scout Association
Life Member, Girl Scouts of America

Dear Ms. Pelosi:

I write to you out of utter disdain! You are as despicable and un-American as the traitor Jane Fonda.

I am a soon to be 65 year-old who has voted in every state and local election since 1966. I have voted for both Republicans and Democrats alike. I have worked on campaigns for both Republicans and Democrats, white and black. I served the country that I love in Vietnam, as my son did in the Middle East. I was awarded two bronze stars. I have been involved in politics since age 6 when my father was campaign manager for a truly great American Congressman, Charles Raper Jonas, who worked for his constituents and his country, and was to be admired, unlike you.

You obviously haven’t read the Constitution recently, if ever, the Federalist Papers, or even David McCullough’s book on John Adams. You ought to take the time while riding around in your government provided luxury executive jet to do just that. You represent Socialistic and even Marxist principals that our founding fathers tried to avoid when setting out the capitalistic republican form of government represented by our Constitution.

I find it interesting that you and your husband are multi-millionaires with much of your fortune being made as a result of your “public service”. You have controlled legislation that has enhanced your husband’s investments both on and off shore. At the same time you redistributed the wealth of others. Our system of a free market economy is being destroyed by the likes of you, Harry Reid, and now our President. You ride around in a Gulfstream airplane at the tax payer’s expense while criticizing the presidents of companies who produced something for the economy. You add nothing to the economy of the United States; you only subtract therefrom.

I would like to suggest that you return to the city of fruitcakes and nuts and eat your husband’s canned tuna and pineapple produced by illegal immigrants and by workers who have been excluded from the protection that 90% of the legal workers in the United States have.

I await your defeat in the next election with glee.

Don’t ever use the term “un-American” again for protesters who love this country and are exercising their rights upon which this country was founded. By the way, while I served in the Army, I was spit on by the same type of lunatics who support you and who you probably supported in the 60’s and 70’s. You are an embarrassment to all of us who served so that you would have the protected right of free speech to call us un-American. But at the same time, I have the right to write you to notify you that I consider you to be un-American, as do the majority of the people of this formerly great country. You are a true disgrace to most of the people who served this country by offering themselves for public service in the United States Congress.

I feel certain your aides will not share this letter with you, but I intend to share it with many.

Sincerely,

Dennis L. Guthrie

Verified By Snopes - http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/guthrie.asp

A Jewish Prayer

2010-09-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

A female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who hadbeen going to the Western Wall to pray, twice a day, every day, for a long, long time.

So she went to check it out. She went to the Western Wall and there he was, walking slowly up to the holy site.

She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, when he turned to leave, using a cane and moving very slowly, she approached him for an interview .

'Pardon me, sir, I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. What's your name?

'Morris Fishbein,' he replied.

'Sir, how long have you been coming to the Western Wall and praying?'

'For about 60 years.'

'60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?'

'I pray for peace between the Christians, Jews and the Muslims.' I pray for all the wars and all the hatred to stop. I pray for all our children to grow up safely as responsible adults, and to love their fellow man.'

'How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?'

'Like I'm talking to a f-----g' wall!

James Jay Lee-Crazy Leftist Envirowacko or RWNJ?

2010-09-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

The story of the day has been the hostage taking and subsequent police shooting death of James Jay Lee after a several hour stand off at the Discovery Channel headquarters in Maryland.

43 year old Lee wrote on his website what he called his ‘demands’ for the cable giant Discovery Channel of what he called, “The Idea to Save the Planet.” (Google's cache only).

His MySpace page, which at the time of this writing is still accessible, links to his Demands page and shows a terribly troubled soul.

Here's Lee's demands as they appeared from the Google cache page:

The Discovery Channel MUST broadcast to the world their commitment to save the planet and to do the following IMMEDIATELY:
1. The Discovery Channel and it's affiliate channels MUST have daily television programs at prime time slots based on Daniel Quinn's My Ishmael pages 207-212 where solutions to save the planet would be done in the same way as the Industrial Revolution was done, by people building on each other's inventive ideas. Focus must be given on how people can live WITHOUT giving birth to more filthy human children since those new additions continue pollution and are pollution. A game show format contest would be in order. Perhaps also forums of leading scientists who understand and agree with the Malthus-Darwin science and the problem of human overpopulation. Do both. Do all until something WORKS and the natural world starts improving and human civilization building STOPS and is reversed MAKE IT INTERESTING SO PEOPLE WATCH AND APPLY SOLUTIONS

2. All programs on Discovery Health-TLC must stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions. In those programs' places, programs encouraging human sterilization and infertility must be pushed. All former pro-birth programs must now push in the direction of stopping human birth, not encouraging it.

3. All programs promoting War and the technology behind those must cease. There is no sense in advertising weapons of mass-destruction anymore. Instead, talk about ways to disassemble civilization and concentrate the message in finding SOLUTIONS to solving global military mechanized conflict. Again, solutions solutions instead of just repeating the same old wars with newer weapons. Also, keep out the fraudulent peace movements. They are liars and fakes and had no real intention of ending the wars. ALL OF THEM ARE FAKE On one hand, they claim they want the wars to end, on the other, they are demanding the human population increase. World War II had 2 Billion humans and after that war, the people decided that tripling the population would assure peace. WTF??? STUPIDITY MORE HUMANS EQUALS MORE WAR

4. Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is. That, and all its disgusting religious-cultural roots and greed. Broadcast this message until the pollution in the planet is reversed and the human population goes down This is your obligation. If you think it isn't, then get hell off the planet Breathe Oil It is the moral obligation of everyone living otherwise what good are they??

5. Immigration: Programs must be developed to find solutions to stopping ALL immigration pollution and the anchor baby filth that follows that. Find solutions to stopping it. Call for people in the world to develop solutions to stop it completely and permanently. Find solutions FOR these countries so they stop sending their breeding populations to the US and the world to seek jobs and therefore breed more unwanted pollution babies. FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THEM TO STOP THEIR HUMAN GROWTH AND THE EXPORTATION OF THAT DISGUSTING FILTH (The first world is feeding the population growth of the Third World and those human families are going to where the food is They must stop procreating new humans looking for nonexistant jobs )

6. Find solutions for Global Warming, Automotive pollution, International Trade, factory pollution, and the whole blasted human economy. Find ways so that people don't build more housing pollution which destroys the environment to make way for more human filth Find solutions so that people stop breeding as well as stopping using Oil in order to REVERSE Global warming and the destruction of the planet

7. Develop shows that mention the Malthusian sciences about how food production leads to the overpopulation of the Human race. Talk about Evolution. Talk about Malthus and Darwin until it sinks into the stupid people's brains until they get it

8. Saving the Planet means saving what's left of the non-human Wildlife by decreasing the Human population. That means stopping the human race from breeding any more disgusting human babies You're the media, you can reach enough people. It's your resposibility because you reach so many minds

9. Develop shows that will correct and dismantle the dangerous US world economy. Find solutions for their disasterous Ponzi-Casino economy before they take the world to another nuclear war.

10. Stop all shows glorifying human birthing on all your channels and on TLC. Stop Future Weapons shows or replace the dialogue condemning the people behind these developments so that the shows become exposes rather than advertisements of Arms sales and development

11. You're also going to find solutions for unemployment and housing. All these unemployed people makes me think the US is headed toward more war.

Humans are the most destructive, filthy, pollutive creatures around and are wrecking what's left of the planet with their false morals and breeding culture.

For every human born, ACRES of wildlife forests must be turned into farmland in order to feed that new addition over the course of 60 to 100 YEARS of that new human's lifespan THIS IS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE FOREST CREATURES All human procreation and farming must cease

It is the responsiblity of everyone to preserve the planet they live on by not breeding any more children who will continue their filthy practices. Children represent FUTURE catastrophic pollution whereas their parents are current pollution. NO MORE BABIES Population growth is a real crisis. Even one child born in the US will use 30 to a thousand times more resources than a Third World child. It's like a couple are having 30 babies even though it's just one If the US goes in this direction maybe other countries will too
Also, war must be halted. Not because it's morally wrong, but because of the catastrophic environmental damage modern weapons cause to other creatures. FIND SOLUTIONS JUST LIKE THE BOOK SAYS Humans are supposed to be inventive. INVENT, DAMN YOU

The world needs TV shows that DEVELOP solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupify the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans.

Saving the environment and the remaning species diversity of the planet is now your mindset. Nothing is more important than saving them. The Lions, Tigers, Giraffes, Elephants, Froggies, Turtles, Apes, Raccoons, Beetles, Ants, Sharks, Bears, and, of course, the Squirrels.

The humans? The planet does not need humans.

You MUST KNOW the human population is behind all the pollution and problems in the world, and YET you encourage the exact opposite instead of discouraging human growth and procreation. Surely you MUST ALREADY KNOW this

I want Discovery Communications to broadcast on their channels to the world their new program lineup and I want proof they are doing so. I want the new shows started by asking the public for inventive solution ideas to save the planet and the remaining wildlife on it.

These are the demands and sayings of Lee.

Of course the George Soros funded leftist site Think Progress was quick to try and paint Lee a rightwing nut job (RWNJ) in their hit piece Purported Eco-Terrorist Angered Over 'Immigration Pollution And Anchor Baby Filth' and one must wonder where those who write and read this trash were educated, UC Berkley? The comments are almost as sad as the hit piece itself.

From his own admissions Lee was an Malthus-Darwin Evolutionist ("...forums of leading scientists who understand and agree with the Malthus-Darwin science and the problem of human overpopulation"), against all human population Earth Firster ("The planet does not need humans"), anti-trade and anti-economy Anthropogenic (man-made) Global Warming Environmentalist ("Find solutions for Global Warming, Automotive pollution, International Trade, factory pollution, and the whole blasted human economy"), anti-war ("All programs promoting War and the technology behind those must cease"), anti-religion and anti-culture ("Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is. That, and all its disgusting religious-cultural roots and greed") and all around Obama voting liberal.

No matter how hard you try libby's you can't for a even a second paint this leftist envirowacko as anything other then what and who he really was, one of your Hero's!

A Letter to President Obama

2010-09-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Obama: I'm planning to move my family and extended family into Mexico for my health, and I would like to ask you to assist me.

We're planning to simply walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico , and we'll need your help to make a few arrangements.

We plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws.

I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Calderon, that I'm on my way over?

Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. Please print all Mexican Government forms in English.

4. I want my grandkids to be taught Spanish by English- speaking (bi-lingual) teachers.

5. Tell their schools they need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my grandkids to see the American flag on one of the flag poles at their school.

7. Please plan to feed my grandkids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do plan to get a car and drive in Mexico , but I don't plan to purchase car insurance, and I probably won't make any special effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from their president to leave me alone, please be sure that every patrol car has at least one English-speaking officer.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my housetop, put U.S. flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, or have any labor or tax laws enforced on any business I may start.

13. Please have the president tell all the Mexican people to be extremely nice and never say critical things about me or my family, or about the strain we might place on their economy.

14. I want to receive free food stamps.

15. Naturally, I'll expect free rent subsidies.

16. I'll need income tax credits so that although I don't pay Mexican taxes, I'll receive money from the government.

17. Please arrange it so that the Mexican Government pays $4,500.00 to help me buy a new car.

18. Oh yes, I almost forgot, please enroll me free into the Mexican Social Security program so that I'll get a monthly income in retirement.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all his people who walk over to the U.S. from Mexico . I am sure that President Calderon won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

A Letter By Arizona Rancher Ed Ashhurst

2010-08-29T19:11:00.000-07:00

According to the Arizona Daily Star, Ed Ashurst's 53,000 acre ranch lies to the east of the ranch of Bob Krentz, who was killed on his ranch on March 27, 2010.

July 28th, 2010

By Ed Ashurst

Apache Arizona

I believe story telling to be an art form, certainly verbal record is the oldest form of recording history and recognized by historians worldwide. There is an old adage among those who love to tell a good tale, "Never let the truth get in the way of a good story." And yet there are times when the truth is even more fantastic than exaggeration. What I write here is the truth, plain and simple.

I reside on, and manage a large cattle ranch in the far southeastern corner of Arizona. I've been here for 13 years and in that time frame have become far too familiar with the illegal trafficking in human beings, marijuana and other illicit drugs. Some have called it "the wetback culture" or "America's border problem". Lately it's been taking steroids.

The recent murder of Robert Krentz by an illegal alien has received massive amounts of publicity worldwide. I live on the ranch bordering the Krentz ranch to the east and north. I can see the Krentz home looking out of my front door approximately 10 miles away. The day after Rob's death I was involved in tracking the outlaw into Mexico. I saw the outlaw's footprints where he crossed the border fence. I mention this to say I feel that I'm qualified to speak about current border issues.

My home has been broken into twice. My son's home has been broken into also and between us we have had between twenty and thirty thousand dollars worth of stuff stolen from us including two ranch pick-ups, a four wheeler, 9 firearms (including a loaded AK 47) cash, jewelry all of our credit cards, driver's license, etc. A guest house here on the ranch has been broken into so many times we quit counting... many times we haven't even called the Sheriff's dept. The Cochise County Sheriff's dept has no less than fifteen reports on file where I've called for assistance dealing with an outlaw illegal alien.

Several months ago, not long after Rob Krentz's death, Fox news (channel 10 in Phoenix AZ) contacted me and expressed interest in coming down and doing a news story about me and the problems myself and other ranchers in this area have had in recent months with illegal outlaws. To prepare for my interview with Fox, I asked for assistance from six other neighboring ranchers and businessmen. All of these men are prominent men in the community, tax payers, business owners and individuals who have the best of reputations. Together we made a map of the area which covered from the southeastern corner of AZ going west about 20 miles to the silver creek area, and going north about 30 miles to the area around the towns of Portal, AZ and Rodeo, N.M. On this map we made marks recording violations to United States law committed by illegal aliens. We did not use government statistics (we wouldn't know how to get them) but recorded incidents that we knew had happened first hand, many of which we had witnessed. We tried to record only the incidents that have happened in the last several years.

The sum total of what we recorded is this:

The arrest or capture of 40 illegal in one bunch - 40 (we didn't bother with the countless smaller groups)

Loads of Marijuana found and captured - 213

Dangerous encounters with illegal aliens - 132 (assault, burglaries, forced entries, etc.)

Dead illegal aliens found by civilians - 16

High speed vehicle chases between dope haulers and law enforcement - 14

Illegal aliens spotted with firearms - 12

Fires started by illegal aliens - 9

Over 1000, 000 acres burned with the cost to taxpayers of $ 40,000,000. One fire near Portal AZ in June of 2010 cost $10,000,000. to fight (forest Service estimate)

Outlandish incidents - 4

Example: One bachelor in the Portal area was burglarized around 100 times. He finally took all his valuables and put them in a steel vault and welded the door shut. He then moved out of his house into a shed hoping the illegal aliens would leave him alone. They did not and he finally abandoned his property. Another outlandish event was when outlaws stole a brand new Caterpillar motor grader on the Geronimo Trail east of Douglas, AZ and drove south through the border fence never to be seen again. The grader belonged to Cochise County Hwy Dept.

Financial losses to private sector - $100,000,000.00 (losses in real estate value, personal property, etc., losses in wildlife habitat - immeasurable)

Last but certainly not least, the murder of Rob Krentz, which is right in the center of our map.

Let me put this in perspective. The area I'm talking about is an area that covers approximately 17 or 18 townships with only 20 miles being adjacent to the US - Mexico Boundary. Within this area, there is a population of perhaps 600 people, 90% of which reside in Rodeo, N.M. or Portal, AZ, 30 miles or so north of Mexico. No less than 80% of the people in this area have been burglarized or otherwise molested by illegal aliens. This area is about half as big as the Diamond A ranch or Babbitt ranch in northern AZ, both of which I've been employed on.

I'm sorry to report that this, in my opinion, is the small part of the story. The Mexican-American border has taken a dramatic change for the worse in the last several years. Those of us who live here see it first hand. As early as February of 1999 Sheriff Larry Dever warned me and others at a town hall meeting at the Apache School that the Sinaloa Cartel was moving into the Douglas-Agua Prieta area (Rob Krentz was at this meeting). The cities of Nuevo Laredo, Coahila, Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, and other border towns south of Texas have been controlled by outlaws for years. There is virtually no law enforcement in those places. The law is the law of the jungle. Until the last two years it seemed that Agua Prieta and Nogales were safer places but that has dramatically changed in recent months.

I am personally acquainted with 2 Mexican men, that I know to be honest and trustworthy, who have been involved first hand with Mexican outlaw terrorist acts. One witnessed first hand an execution of several people in broad daylight in Juarez. Several weeks later his daughter witnessed an assassination in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua no less than fifteen feet from where she stood. The other man is a legal Mexican green card holder (who was employed by the Krentz family for years) whose nephew was murdered by cartel members in Sonora. At night people in Douglas are hearing machine gun fire from Agua Prieta south of the border fence.

The Sinaloa Cartel is now putting a stranglehold on Agua Prieta. No more than 2 months ago 8 armed Mexicans were confronted by 2, U.S. Border Patrol agents north of the International Boundary in southeast Cochise County disguised as Federalizes. They were in fact cartel employees armed with assault rifles and automatic pistols. Mexican people that know tell me the situation in Agua Prieta has deteriorated dramatically in recent months. The good people are told to look the other way "or else." Volumes could be written about this subject alone, but I will move on.

You could ask, "So what does this have to do with us living north of the border fence?" Plenty! The situation on the border isn't just about a few workers walking north. It has everything to do with big business. Billions of dollars are being made trafficking humans, drugs, and contraband across the International Boundary. The Sinaloa Cartel, headed by Chapo Guzman and others, is reaping huge profits doing business along the border. The average coyote charges $1500 - $2500 to guide an illegal alien north to find work; usually abandoning them a short distance north of the line. A young man willing to pack dope north can make more than a construction worker or a teacher in the U.S. and only work a day or two a week.

This is not all south of the line. I could take you and show you businesses where checks and credit cards are not accepted and where very few customers walk through the door, yet the owners live in the largest mansions in town and drive very expensive cars. Could there be some money laundering going on? There are only two industries of any significance in Douglas, AZ: law enforcement (Douglas has one of the largest Border Patrol stations in America), and the illegal trafficking of drugs, people, etc. across the border. These two industries feed on each other, and the powers that be seem happy with the situation. Crooked politicians look good to the public when they clean up drunk driving and prostitution, until you find they own bars and whore houses south of the line. These things have happened!

But this, in my opinion, is only the beginning. Chapo Guzman who heads up the Sinaloa Cartel is a multibillionaire. This guy and others like him may be cruel and sinister people but they are also very smart businessmen. They are reaping profits off of the largest tax free unregulated business on the planet. They have so much cash they are befuddled what to do with it all. But they are going to figure it out.

There are rumors that Guzman is financing modern, state of the art feedlots and packing houses in Mexico with plans to overtake America as the Western hemisphere's leading beef producer. This is probably only a small part of his plans. Mexico is a nation rich in natural recourses. Petroleum is abundant and the corrupt Mexican government is in control of all of it. Pemex is the only gas station in town. Pemex, because of the incompetent Mexican government, is broke. Chapo Guzman is at war with the Mexican government and has dreams (not unrealistic) of controlling the entire nation. Think of all of Mexico's natural resources in the control of Chapo Guzman! He already has the most profitable business in the world - selling Marijuana to your next door neighbor. Think what he could do with a tax free unregulated strangle hold on a nation of poor people begging to work for practically nothing.

Do you think that Chapo Guzman and others like him haven't thought of all of this? Do you think that Guzman isn't laughing all the way to the bank as he watches the evening news and hears how the American Government proclaims that the situation on the border is under control? What is going on in northern Mexico is capitalism in its rawest form. They have an untaxed unregulated business making huge profits and they have no plans of closing up shop any time soon. We here in the U.S. are overtaxed, overregulated and being smothered by increasingly intrusive government that makes it hard to do business in a successful manner. You don't have to be rocket scientist to figure this one out.

This has nothing to do with being Republican or Democrat or Latino or White. It has everything to do with being right or wrong. I came from a long line of Democrats. My great uncle was a U.S. Senator for several decades. My grandfather was an attorney, and a Superior Court Judge. I have a 1939 copy of a Time Magazine with his picture when he ran as a Democrat for Congress. The only time in history the U.S deficit was paid off was by a Democrat - Andrew Jackson. John Kennedy announced nearly 50 years ago that America could put a man on the moon and in less than a decade we did it.

I am now a registered Republican, but I'm not a Democrat hater. But, how can the president of the "can do" nation of Andrew Jackson's and JFK's party say we can't seal the border? We conquered Adolph Hitler in World War II, but can't seal the border? We put a man on the moon but can't seal a leaking oil well in less than 90 days? While this is going on we tax and regulate American business with a vengeance that stifles the free market system that has made our country great. While Janet Napolitano announces the border is safer than ever, Chapo Guzman and others pack billions of American dollars south to invest in a tax free market with one of the largest cheap labor force on the planet at his disposal!

I challenge you to come to Douglas, AZ and drive east on the Geronimo Trail, or northeast on US Hwy 80 to places on the map like Chiracahua and Apache. Or go to Rodeo and Hatchita, NM. Go and search out the 5 biggest cattle ranches in the Apache, AZ area and ask them what they think. Go to Hidalgo County, N.M. and ask the ranchers and cowboys there what they are seeing and hearing. Ask the people who we do business with what they think of our opinions. I challenge you to ask the prominent people in this area, who work hard and pay taxes if they agree with Barack Obama or Ed Ashurst when it comes to what is really going on near the U.S.-Mexican border. Unlike Obama and others I don't have to be surrounded by sycophants to make a statement. I purposefully left out the names of those who helped me with my map and the data I collected when preparing for the Fox interview.

In closing I challenge you to look around to see if what I say is the truth. This isn't about a few Mexicans wandering around looking for a job. This is about American civilization going into a time of tremendous change - a building has foundations and walls, maybe the foundation of our country is still strong, I don't know, but the walls have certainly fallen down and the keepers of the house are out to lunch.

When you have time, we think you will want to read this. Everyone living in AZ (and elsewhere) should know what is happening near our borders and near our homes.

On Playing Soldier and the Real Thing

2010-08-27T23:15:00.000-07:00

When we were kids, my brother and I were crazy about playing war. We didn’t play cowboys and Indians though, we thought that was for sissies. We played army. We thought of ourselves as hardcore soldiers. Our favorite TV shows were Combat and Hogan’s Heroes. My brother and I had plastic army helmets, the toy rifles, the canteens, and we used branches and twigs for camouflage. Mom would get upset if we used her green eye shadow and black mascara to paint our faces in camouflage.

Any rock or dirt clod was well suited for us to be used as an imaginary hand grenade. If we ran out of grenades we would simply pick up a “Potato Masher” grenade that had been thrown at us by a Gerry, to throw it back, before it exploded. By pulling on a handful of long grass, we were able to pull it up by the roots. If done right, the grass came out of the earth with a dirt clod on the end. This served as the “Potato Masher” grenade, that when thrown back at the Gerry machine gun nest we were about to overrun.

The hills behind our home became our battlefield. One day we would walk out our back gate into the hills, and we would find ourselves on Guadalcanal. The next day we were at Normandy. We saw many days of imaginary battle.

I was the youngest of all our friends and out of all the boys in my family. I wasn’t always happy with my role in some of our war games. My older brother, my cousin, and their friends always got to be the American soldiers. As the youngest, I always had to be a Jap or a Gerry. Then I would get captured and I was relegated to Jap, or Gerry POW status. This meant that I would not get to have a weapon, and that I would spend most of our play time tied to a tree, or a fence post. This was to prevent my escape.

One day I protested, and I demanded that I was to be an American G.I. I thought, that If I was an American, that I wouldn't have to be tied up. Moreover, I would get to have a weapon. The other boys agreed to my demand. So, I got to be an American POW. They were one step ahead of me. I spent all my time weaponless and tied up. I felt gypped. Today I look back upon those days fondly, even the times when the older boys picked on me.

We were just innocent schoolboys back then. We were unaware that there was so much turmoil and unrest on the social scene, back then. My Mom and my step-dad were able to shelter us from the nightly news reports of what was actually happening in the world. We did not know that a war was raging in a place we had never heard of. A place called Vietnam.

My step-dad complained about people called ‘Hippies’ who were always protesting about something. But we didn't really know what they protested. Dad said they hated our soldiers, that they were downright ugly and disrespectful of our soldiers. But, we didn't know why anyone would act like that towards soldiers.

As I would learn years later, the Zodiac killer was also prominent in the news. The Zodiac had caused the San Francisco Bay Area to become paralyzed with fear. The Black Panthers were also in the news reports of the day. Carrying assault weapons on the streets of Oakland as a political movement. There was so much unrest that we were unaware of.

The only thing we knew of the outside world was that Americans had recently walked on the moon. More missions were being planned for the Apollo space program. And we relished watching anything that had to do with NASA, and space exploration. The best part for us was that all of the astronauts in the Apollo program were also American soldiers!

We didn’t know, or understand much about Vietnam. As far as my brother and I were concerned, soldiers were to be looked up to. Soldiers were our heroes, and we were prideful that our nation had been victorious in WWII, a war which had ended just over two decades ago. To us, the Japanese and Germans were still the enemy, and when we played war with our friends, not one of us wanted to be a stinking Jap, or a lowdown Gerry. This is the way it was. In those days, we got to be kids, unburdened with the ugliness of the outside world.

In 1969 I was but a naive six year old boy. My older brother was eight. As we did every summer, we hopped a flight aboard the now defunct PSA airlines, from Oakland to Phoenix. My brother and I were going to see my dad. Our folks had divorced a few years earlier and my dad had us for two weeks over summer vacation.

As we were about to get onto the plane, my brother and I walked across the tarmac escorted by a stewardess. We always thought the stewardesses were pretty. The stewardess assisted us as we climbed the stairs to the plane, and as she showed us to our seats. She made sure that we were all buckled in. My brother got sit by the porthole, and I was in the middle seat. As we could looked out the porthole we could see Mom waiting for the plane to take off. Other people began boarding the plane. Some people settled in and smoked cigarettes while they waited for the no smoking light to come on. Others moved about the cabin to stow their belongings, then to take their seats.

I remember sitting impatiently on the plane as we waited to pull away from the gate. That was always exciting for us. My brother and I looked around impatiently as we waited. Looking up, I saw a soldier making his way down the aisle. My brother spied him too. Both our eyes were riveted on him. We immediately knew that the soldier had to be a general, or something. He had a chest full of colorful ribbons. To us, he appeared to be an old guy too. He was tall, and he was a Negro, just like Reggie Jackson was, of the Oakland A’s. We hadn’t seen too many Negroes in our time growing up in the suburbs. Now, a Negro, and a real soldier was making his way down the aisle towards us.

When the soldier reached our row of seats, he sat down, right next to us! We couldn't believe our good luck! A soldier was seated right next to my brother and me. We were dumbfounded. All of the sudden the two of us, formerly rambunctious, loud little boys, had became shy. We couldn’t even muster up the courage to look at the man. The only thing I could think of was that this man must have killed hundreds of Japs and Gerries in hand-to-hand combat, to get all those ribbons on his chest. My brother and I just didn't know what to do, or to say to him.

As the door closed and the engines revved up, the plane began to move. Looking out the porthole, Mom waved to us. We waved back. The plane taxied from the gate and soon was gaining speed as it moved down the runway and climbed into the sky.

Soon, the pretty stewardess came around with drinks. I remember I took a Coke. My brother did too. I also remember that my brother had a knack for cracking me up, at just the right moment, when I was taking a drink. Ultimately, Coca Cola would squirt out my nose. As usual, my brother once again pulled his stunt. I cracked up, and Coca Cola came streaming, and foaming out of my nose.

When I stopped sputtering and giggling, a large, strong and dark hand appeared in front of me with a napkin. I can remember that I sheepishly took the napkin from the man and I thanked him. I began to clean the Cola from my face, my shirt my clip-on bow tie, and from my jacket. Then, I glanced sideways and studied the soldier sitting next to me as I worked up some courage. Finally, I looked up at the man and asked, “Are you a real army man?”

“Yes, I am.” He said with a hint of a smile. "I am a corporal in the U.S. Amy." He said.

My brother asked, “Are all those ribbons and medals on your chest from killin’ Japs n’ Gerries?”

“No”, he said. “I got these from doing other things in the army. I never killed a Jap or a Gerry.” He went on, “Don’t you boys know it’s rude to ask a soldier if he’s killed someone in battle? Killing enemy soldiers is hurtful and troublesome to American soldiers. Those enemy soldiers have wives and little boys just like you.”

“We didn’t mean to say anything wrong, mister.” My brother replied.

The soldier answered back, “Of course not, son. I’m just pointing out some good manners for you to use later, when you see another soldier. All you need to do is to thank him for being brave and for doing his duty in protecting you and your country. That’s his job and he’s glad to do it for you. But, don’t ask him about the ugly things of war, like killing. That’s private and some soldiers feel sad that they had to do it, even when it was necessary. OK?” The soldier smiled at us.

My brother and I made chit-chat with the soldier for the rest of the flight. As we landed in Phoenix, and as the plane taxied to the gate, the soldier took two off two of the ribbons from his chest. He then reached over and he pinned one on my brother's lapel, and one on mine.

As the stewardess took us off the plane, before the rest of the passengers disembarked, we said goodbye to our new soldier friend. We puffed our chests out with pride. We had an honest for goodness medal, from an honest to goodness, real soldier, pinned on our chests!

The memory of my encounter with an American military man made a profound impact in my life. I had learned a valuable lesson from him. Over time, as I matured, I learned other lessons. I learned to always be grateful for the service to our country that these fine men and women provide to our nation. I learned what not to ask a soldier, so that I would never hurt their feelings. I learned war causes pain for our soldiers, for some of the tasks that they must undertake while fighting wars are not pleasant ones. I learned that war is an ugly affair. As ugly as war is, I learned that war is a necessary evil.

That day on the plane took place over 40 years ago. It has stuck with me ever since. Every so often I think of that soldier, and I wonder how his life may have turned out. I wonder if he remembers two little boys on a plane bound to Phoenix. I am sure that he would be happy to know that he made a positive impact in our lives. He taught us to appreciate soldiers and to understand the human side of a soldier, if just a little bit.

To him, and to all other soldiers who have served in war and in peace, I share another lesson taught to me by that soldier on the plane,

To always stop and thank a soldier for their service and sacrifices for our country.

I wish I knew who that man is today. I'd like to shake his hand and thank him for his service to our country.

Please pray for our soldiers.

(Repost) - Copyright 05/02/2005 & 08/272010. Use granted to all who identify this website

موقع, موقع, موقع

2010-08-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

Anyone even remotely familiar with the workings of real estate knows it always boils down to the same old formula: Location, Location, Location. You want the curb appeal, you want the picket fence, you want the country view but the proximity of business.

But sometimes, as much as you want the location, the location doesn't want you. There are rules in place to make sure that you don't build a liquor store too close to a school, that you don't build a strip club too close to a church, and that you don't build a high-rise in the middle of a neighborhood of single-family dwellings. These rules are enforced by a special board of politicos called a Zoning Board, and it's their job to keep things as organized as possible by making things as difficult to change as possible.

Now, there's a certain bit of real estate in New York that has attracted quite a bit of attention lately -- the old location of the Burlington Coat Factory, destroyed when the wheel housing of a jet fell through it as said jet crashed into the side of one of the World Trade Center towers. It is here that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and his partners wish to establish a mosque (which quickly became a "mosque and community center," then "community center and mosque") -- a center for Islamic worship, in the shadow of a still-fresh tragedy created in the name of Islam by a group of radical extremists. At its most basic, the proponents of the mosque should see the notion as extremely insensitive. And in another example of America continuing to accommodate in the name of its core values, notably freedom of speech and religious expression, the zoning commission gives every appearance of having allowed Rauf an easy skate in getting approval to construct on the location.

Contrast this with the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, destroyed in the fall of the Twin Towers. Nearly a decade after the events of September 11, 2001, the church is still looking to be rebuilt. But negotiations have been stymied, and the church and Port Authority have broken off negotiations after too many bureaucratic impasses. All to reconstruct a worship building that pre-dated the attacks.

It is still hopeful that the mosque will relocate, should its builders come to understand the feelings of non-Muslim Americans in and around New York. A very similar situation occurred in the late 1980s when the Catholic Church prepared to build a convent: on Auschwitz. As one can reasonably imagine, even after half a century the site so pivotal to the Holocaust remained raw in the memories of Jews worldwide. The controversy was just as heated as that surrounding the so-called Ground Zero Mosque. The idea that there would be a Catholic facility on the site so sacred to Jews was seen as extreme insensitivity on the part of the Church. And, eventually, the Vatican agreed, and the convent was moved.

Would that a similar accord might be reached today.

The Ant & The Grasshopper

2010-08-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

This one is a little different ...
Two Different Versions ...
Two Different Morals

OLD VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE OLD STORY: Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION
The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house
and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshoppernext to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green...'

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, “We shall overcome.”

Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray for thegrasshopper's sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back off the grasshopper,and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government GreenCzar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading  friends finishing up the last bits of the ant’s food while the government house he is  in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't  maintain it.

The ant has  disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

The grasshopper is found  dead in a drug related incident.

The house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.

This Is Sheer Genius. . . Your Democratic Congress in Action.

2010-08-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

In a bid to stem taxpayer losses for bad loans guaranteed by federal housing agencies Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) proposed that borrowers be required to make a 5% down payment in order to qualify. His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, "passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to only those who can afford it."

Burning Man - Getting Freaky in the Desert

2010-08-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

We at the RattPo believe in the old adage, “know thy enemy,” so we’ve broken open the piggy bank and purchased a ticket for our brave correspondent, Richard Waxer, to attend this years Burning Man event Aug 30-Sept 6, 2010.

For those of our readers who have no clue what this Burning Man is, we Salute You!

Click for larger image

What is Burning Man? It’s so far out there that we’ll use their own words to describe the event.

“Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in Nevada's Black Rock Desert (also known as "the playa") to create Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression* (*We can't help but to think back to Onan for that last one), and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever.”

And from their history page...

“There is, of course, the founding myth: the story of how Larry Harvey and his friend Jerry James burned a wooden man upon the beach in San Francisco on June 21, 1986. Many stories now embroider this initial act: accounts of Larry's broken heart, his vanished love affair, his allegiance to his father—a self-made man, a carpenter, and the original bearer of the famous hat he now wears. Myths, however, are important because they represent the first and founding form of things. They are the seeds out of which things grow.”

Still want more? The Burning Man website has more information for your perusal.

The official Burning Man website lists a 'Survival Guide', so we thought it only appropriate that we supply our humble correspondent with his own “Survival Kit.”

Dick’s survival kit will include the following items:

(1) full body condom
(1) snake bite kit
(1) case 'Pit Putty 100% Organic Deodorant
(3) cans EchoSmart Organic Insect Repellent
(1) can Bactine First Aid Antiseptic/Pain Reliever.
(1) bottle of Amoxicillin, a broad spectrum antibiotic
(1) bottle VALTREX caplets for the treatment of Herpes
(1) Divine Derriere Personal Anal Bleaching Kit
(1) Lithium I.V. Drip Kit
(4) Dental Dams
(1) HazMat suit w/rebreather
(1) can RID Step-3 Lice Control Spray
(1) Geiger Counter w/spare batteries
(1) Emergency use Fleet Enema Kit for impacted colon
iPhone with $500 for apps and of course a RattPo app
(1) Fifth of scotch (to help Dick cope through the first day)
(1) set weave-in faux dreadlocks to enable Dick to better blend in with the 'unwashed' masses.
(1) bottle Prozac

To better fit in at Burning Man, Dick is currently reading and studying the following:

Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals
Dreams from My Father : A Story of Race and Inheritance
The Audacity of Hope : Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Change We Can Believe in : Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise
Atlas Slouched - Al Franken
Know Your Power: A Message to America's Daughters - Nancy Pelosi

Dick has been watching the following moves on a loop:

Debbie Does Dishes
Sicko (Signed Copy)
An Inconvenient Truth (Signed Copy)
Ben Hur
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex *But Were Afraid To Ask

Grizzly Man - The Timothy Treadwell Story

We’re looking forward to Dick’s first report. Stay tuned.

NOTE: This is parody, you idiot. Don't believe everything you read on the interweb.

The Winning Hand

2010-08-19T11:10:00.000-07:00

Here's my latest creation. Usually I save these for my own site. But I did want to share it here. Which tired old card will the left use next? Burning Churches or Grandma Eats Dog Food?

Feel free to pass it on!

Nancy Graham and The Greatest American Hero

2010-08-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

"There she is Mrs. America!" Yes, Skeletor has crawled out of her dungeon to scare the good people of America again. Speaker Pelosi will you stop speaking for a minute and listen to the American people instead of trampling on them every opportunity you're given?

What more needs said? So instead of adding more to what we all know about her highness I thought I'd pull out some blasts from the past to put Pelosi in her place.

I give you the hideous mutation of left and right - The Nancy Graham! (Inspired by the Glenn Beck program. Glenn suggested that Nancy Pelosi and Lindsey Graham are the same person.)

Her she...he...it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DYoze_Otb0

As an added bonus here's The Greatest American Hero!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzzynO6OAag&feature=related

Look at him folks! Our hero at his best!

"Those Voices Don't Speak for the Rest of Us"

2010-08-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

President Ronald Reagan reminds us that the out-of-touch voices of the Democrat Party don't speak for all Americans.

Suzanna Gratia-Hupp: What the Second Amendment is REALLY For

2010-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Texas state representative, Suzanna Gratia-Hupp, whose parents were killed by an insane gunman while her gun was out in the car, gives very moving and bold testimony about the REAL reason that the second amendment was designed to protect our God-given right to keep and bear arms. On Wednesday, October 16, 1991, Hupp and her parents were having lunch at the Luby's Cafeteria in Killeen She had left her gun in her car to comply with Texas state law at the time, which forbade carrying a concealed weapon. When Geroge Nennard drove his truck into the cafeteria and opened fire on the patrons, Hupp instinctively reached into her purse for her weapon, but it was in her vehicle. Her father, Al Gratia, tried to rush Hennard and was shot in the chest. As the gunman reloaded, Hupp escaped through a broken window and believed that her mother, Ursula Gratia, was behind her. Hennard put a gun to her mother's head as she cradled her mortally wounded husband. Hupp's mother and father were killed along with twenty-one other persons. Hennard also wounded some twenty others. As a survivor of the Luby's Massacre, Hupp testified across the country in support of concealed-handgun laws. She said that had there been a second chance to prevent the slaughter, she would have violated the Texas law and carried the handgun inside her purse into the restaurant

Congressional Cha Ching

2010-08-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

Wonder where your tax dollars are going? Take a look!

Rep. Bishop (GA)

Proposed Recipient: Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Improvement Program
Amount Requested: $100,000

Description: This project would address the design of a new commercial building, aircraft apron improvements, new building curb front, and new building terminal building site work and utilities - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $500,000
Cha Ching +$400,000

Rep. Bishop (GA)

Proposed Recipient: Leesburg North Bypass
Amount Requested: $100,000
Description: The program will fund the Leesburg North Bypass from US 19 to SR 195 as well as acquire the right-of-way - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $450,000
Cha Ching + $350,000

Rep. Ellison (MN)

Proposed Recipient: Lowry Avenue Bridge Replacement Phase II
Amount Requested: $487,000

Description: Funds are requested for the Phase II part of the Lowry Avenue bridge replacement project, the bridge spans the Mississippi River in Northeast Minneapolis - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $900,000
Cha Ching +$413,000

Rep. Fudge (OH)

Proposed Recipient: City of Shaker Heights. Warrensville/Van Aken Transit Oriented Development.
Amount Requested: $500,000.
Description: Improve popular intersection and provide intermodal transit center as a gateway to the East side of Cleveland. 250 jobs - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $550,000
Cha Ching +$50,000

Rep. Doyle (PA)

Proposed Recipient: Mount Washington Community Development Corporation -- Workforce and Trail Development in Pittsburgh’s Newest Regional Park
Amount Requested: $99,900
Description: Funding would go towards the trail development at the Grand View Scenic Byway Park, Pittsburgh’s newest Regional Park. The Park aims to provide a sustainable economic development tool for the region while restoring a healthy native ecosystem for the benefit of the people and environment of Western Pennsylvania. Because over 1 million people visit Mount Washington every year, the Park’s Master Trail Plan, creating 19 miles of trails, can play a significant economic development role - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $100,000
Cha Ching +$50,000

Rep. Rangel (NY)

Proposed Recipient: Positive Workforce
Amount Requested: $240,000

Description: A 4 story building in Harlem, NY City completely renovated that will provide over 10,000 square feet of space, for non-profit workforce development programs along with other multiple programs and services for the community. Estimated cost for this project is $1,450,000. Funding streams for the Positive Learning Center have been in-kind, equity/sponsor and private contributions - appropriation request, see pg 43.

Amount Received: $250,000
Cha Ching +$10,000

Rep. Olver (MA)

Proposed Recipient: New England Freight Rail Infrastructure Study
Description: This project would study what investments would have the greatest benefit to increasing the capacity of rail infrastructure that moves goods from the west across Massachusetts to access New England markets.
Amount Requested: $250,000
Note: Rep. Olver's office has since changed the amount, to 300,000 citing a ‘clerical error’ on their website - appropriation request.

Amount Received: $300,000
Cha Ching +$50,000

Total Requested: $1,776,900
Total Received: $3,050,000

Difference: CHA CHING +$1,273,100

A Response to the Article Published Thursday Regarding the Digg Patriots Group

2010-08-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

In response to the article published yesterday regarding the Digg Patriots group, the Digg Patriots user group has been accused of censoring liberal stories and gaming Digg. Is it not odd that with all that alleged censoring, the front page of Digg is and has always been dominated by liberal news, from liberal sites, submitted by liberal Digg users. A group of conservatives and libertarians came together in a Yahoo group roughly a year and a half ago to keep in touch with each other and share Digg submissions, comments, opinions and fellowship after Digg removed the shout system which allowed much of the same within the site itself.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that since Digg added the Political News and Political Opinion categories to the site, the membership is decidedly Democratic. The addition of these categories prior to the 2008 election completely changed the tone of Digg forever. No longer was Digg known as a tech site. The front page would soon be populated with story after story bashing Republican and Conservative politicians or pundits and submissions glorifying left-leaning politicians. Conservatives had no chance of being heard, much less getting Conservative submissions to the front page of Digg. Those submissions were systematically buried in the same fashion in which the Digg Patriots group is being accused. Comments made by right-leaning members under liberal or progressive submissions were buried into oblivion.

In very popular stories regarding Democrats, comments made by Conservatives were buried into double and even triple digit negative numbers.

Not only is the general membership of Digg overwhelming left-leaning, but the site administrators often make decisions that seem to favor Liberals over Conservatives. Most users are certainly going to come down on one side of the aisle at some point. Our group did not exist to stifle all left-leaning content on Digg and accusing the group of censorship is hardly justified.

A quick look at all the top political news and opinion stories over the last year and half proves how inacurrate that claim is. Looking through the first 10 pages of submissions that became popular under the Political News category over that last year, there is only 1 submission out of the 150 that has a conservative bias, which is the news story about Scott Brown winning his Senate race.

On any given day on Digg, left-based submissions made popular outnumber right-based submissions easily by a factor of 20:1. And look at the content of those popular left-leaning submissions.

How many are attacks on Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Fox News, etc? If we were truly censoring submissions, we did a pretty crappy job of it.

In addition, most conservative comments are met with replies that are nothing more than childish personal attacks. Though not all, most liberals commenting on Digg are more likely to label a conservative with one of their many catchy tags such as "freeper", "birther", "racist" or simply make vulgar or obscene insults. There is no debating or arguing with such behavior. How many of you reading this right now are guilty of making such comments or voting up those comments? How many times have we seen the Glenn Beck rape meme posted? What value does that add to Digg?

Did we vote down left-leaning stories or vote up conservative submissions? Yes. However, that vote up or down was still a personal choice of each individual user and done with only a single vote up or down. No one ever used any form of scripts or any other aid to promote or bury a story on Digg, unlike several power users who were previously banned for exactly that reason.

In fact, what we have been doing is hardly different than anyone else using any other form of communication to promote a submission or even attempt to bury it. Groups of Digg users exist on Twitter or Twitter-clones, Facebook and many other social media sites that do the exact same thing. Anyone on Digg who has ever asked anyone else to digg or bury a story at any time in the past is just as guilty or innocent as anyone in Digg Patriots. We received nothing for this, other than personal satisfaction.

If you look at submissions of left-leaning Digg users it is a daily occurence for the same story to be submitted ad nauseum. With hot stories, it's not unusual to see the exact same story or slight variations submitted dozens of times in the same day. Even the story about Digg Patriots has been submitted no less than a dozen times in the last 24 hours, 3 alone are exact duplicates from DailyKos. Without a doubt, this is one of our biggest issues with Liberal Digg submissions.

No one was trying to censor actual news or even opinions, but we certainly targeted submissions that were known or obvious duplicates or pieces that we deemed were inacurrate or were from sources that had questionable credibility. We also have pointed out to Digg admins numerous sites that are regularly submitted seeking donations or who copy content from other sites.

I personally find it ironic that so many Democratic and Liberal Digg users are so quick to judge and condemn this group, as these are typically the same people who are the first to go into fits of rage regarding due process. In addition, I also find it ironic that these same Digg users calling for our heads have yet to condemn the invasion of privacy, possibly criminal in nature used to access our personal and private emails, which is how 95% of this information was exchanged between Digg Patriot users. These are the same Digg users who were frothing at the mouth in response to the passing of The Patriot Act under the Bush administration and who have had little criticism of Obama for not only voting for the Patriot Act as a Senator, but continuing the policies under his presidency.

As individuals, we have an expectation of privacy to exchange correspondence, thoughts, concerns, or simple greetings with our friends. It now appears as though our privacy was breeched days, weeks, maybe even months ago. It has even come to our attention that attempts were allegedly made by the author of the piece and his hit squad to goad DP members into confrontations in order to elicit certain responses. How would you feel to find out that someone was spying on you with the intent to collect and distibute your personal correspondence at their discretion for their own personal gain?

Most if not all Digg users have certainly been aware of the constant attacks made on various Conservative/Libertarian Digg users lately, namely Capt Carrot and ThePartyStar, both who were on the Digg Patriots member list. The attacks on ThePartyStar are the most vile and hateful of any I have witnessed on the internet. For nearly two months we have seen new accounts created where the user friends many of the same Digg users, most on the Digg Patriots list and then launches a series of personal, profane and sexual-assault based attacks on Digg user ThePartyStar. This has happened several dozen times in the last few weeks and only seems to have subsided now that Digg has closed new membership. Since it was mentioned in the article about our group that we were allegedly targeting these people who were creating these accounts and attacking ThePartyStar, a group we labeled as the NoBros, it seems odd that the author of this piece is essentially siding with those attackers. It leads me to suspect someone associated with the author is perhaps behind those attacks. The comments made toward ThePartyStar were graphic and heinous. I cannot imagine anyone attempting to defend those who perpetrated these acts.

In regards to the continuing attacks on Digg user Capt Carrot (RJ Carter), this seems to be related to an ongoing issue he has dealt with personally for years in which he is attempting to uncover and confront child predators and pedophiles on the internet. This is apparently something that Mr. Carter was involved with long before his affiliation with our group and none of us had any dealing with the matter. Based only on what RJ has told us, the people he is confronting will stoop to the lowest levels and stop at nothing in their attempt to discredit him and paint him as the wrongdoer. It would not surprise me to find out that those attacking Mr. Carter also had a hand in illegally obtaining access to our personal information.

So who is behind the attack on the Digg Patriot group? The author of the piece on Alternet and also a duplicate submission on pubrecord.org is none other than Digg user Novenator who goes by the pen name OleOle Olson. Mr. Olson is a writer/contributor/co-owner of the site NewsJunkiePost.com Mr. Olson chose to attack us and single us out as our members often confronted and debated with him.

I doubt that anyone is shocked by this revelation as there is possibly no one on Digg who is more of a progressive advocate or radical. His submissions are almost always divisive, political opinion pieces. Apparently Mr. Olson took exception to us continually pointing out his hypocrisy on Digg as he often commented about reporting conservatives for "hijacking" submissions by editorializing the title or description, as he was either guilty of exactly the same thing or had a history of digging liberal or progressive articles in which the submitter had also done the same thing. In addition, as he had attacked various users who had submitted articles or sites that requested donations, we found that his site, newsjunkiepost was also guilty of the same thing that he claimed was a violation of Digg ToS policies.

We also believe Digg user Anamoly100 to have a hand in these attacks as the site she runs and regularly submits from, freakoutnation.com, is also guilty of these alleged Digg ToS violations, not to mention consistently submitting, digging and promoting known duplicates her site published in order to generate web traffic. It doesn't take much to deduce that these people are not only writing and submitting pieces from their own site in order to promote their personal and political agendas, they are doing it for profit, another violation of Digg's policies that we have continued to point out.

So as you see, the Digg Patriot group, in an effort to help Digg police their own policies, we are now being singled out and attacked because Mr. Olson may be financially taking a hit due to lost ad revenue on his site. This has less to do with censorship, than it does with his personal vendetta against Digg Patriots for constantly admonishing his less than ethical behavior. Novenator is guilty of exactly the same things he has accused the Digg Patriots of, which is organized digging and burying. I'm certain that the Digg administrators and many Digg users are also aware of his behavior which is why he is not being taken seriously.

During last nights show on Social Blade, Digg user MrBabyMan mentioned that Novenator had approached him in the past to submit this hit piece, but he refused to do so due to the lack of credibility and believability of the submission and the author. This obviously took courage and understanding on the part of MrBabyMan as the article published an alleged list in which he was mentioned as a Digg power user whose politics at times seemed to favor the Democrats based solely on his submissions made prior to the 2008 election. I would like to offer an apology to Andy (aka MrBabyMan) that he was involved in this in any way. I hope Andy understands that many of us on the Digg Patriots list are either mutual friends with him on Digg and/or regularly Digg and promote his submissions. There is no one else in all of social media with as much savvy and who has enjoyed as much success as MrBabyMan. Did I personally bury submissions from MrBabyMan that I didn't agree with politically? Absolutely. That's why Digg has a bury feature. I would expect him and any of those who disagreed with my politics to do the same with any of my submissions or comments, which I am certain happens frequently. That does not take away from the fact that even though his name was mentioned as a Digg power user with tendencies to submit articles partial to Democrats, many on the DP list are loyal to MrBabyMan as this screenshot shows.

Is it considered to be "gaming Digg" to email a small group of friends and ask them to vote up or down a submission? As it has been pointed out many times since yesterday, is this not exaclty what Digg asked for when they did away with the shout feature? Is this not the very same thing that other users do every single day on Twitter, Facebook and via other means? It seems more than anything, that Novenator and the others behind this attack are trampling our civil rights and attempting to deny us the right to assemble and the right to free speech because our views do not agree with his. If the group were assembled in a single room and discussed digging, burying and various user actitivities, would it still be a violation of Digg ToS. If it were done via phone, would that also be a Digg violation? If it's done at a location that has nothing to do with Digg, why would Digg care or intervene? According to those on the Social Blade show last night, it is apparently common knowledge that other "bury brigades" exist and have existed. If Digg has the ability to investigate the Digg Patriots group for these alleged violations, there is little doubt that they can investigate others on Digg for the same, but as I and apparently many others agree, no one in the Digg Patriots group did anything wrong, except piss off a few very liberal, sensitive Digg users who are exacting their revenge. It's really quite sad and pathetic that someone would go to such extreme lengths to attack this group due to political differences. One thing is for certain, this is controversial, and controversy creates interest, which leads to press and much more exposure for Digg, and business is good at Digg.

Many Digg users in the Digg Patriots group are very successful "Diggers" who are loyal to Digg and have generated tremendous traffic for the site. Our group has constantly reported bad behavior, SPAM submissions and comments and other violations of Digg rules. Digg Patriots is nothing more than a small group of ordinary people who came together because we all connected on Digg and had common interests. Our group welcomed people of any race, gender, age, nationality, religion or sexual preference, and the group was comprised of exactly that. The common thread was conservatism or libertarianism. At any given time, there were probably never more than 10 active members. Most people listed as members rarely if ever had any involvement or participation in any way.

If Digg is so skewed to the left, why stay if our views conflicted with the majority? It would have been much easier to simply leave such a hostile environment, but we all enjoy Digg and its' members. Many of us even have quite a few friends on Digg with opposing political views; Many of whom we have civilized discussions and debates with. There are however others, such as those who wish to attack us, for which there is never common ground and rarely if ever civil debate.

It is for that reason, we have been targeted and violated. This is no Watergate scandal. This is much ado about nothing. This amounts to nothing more than a silly confrontation of people with vastly different political views, taken completely out of context and blown way out of proportion. As is the case with most controversy on Digg, mob rules and sheep follow, which accounts for the incredible number of diggs and comments the original submissions received. What amazes me more is that this insignificant story has received so much attention, yet the JournOlist story that was uncovered recently and proved there was a concerted effort by the media to show favoritism to Obama during the presidential campaign, never saw the light of day. I wonder who was responsible for censoring those stories from Digg?

Onward.

This response was submitted by an anonymous contributor. -Editor

Digg is in danger of fading away!

2010-08-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

In light of recent events that have rocked the popular social media site Digg.com and the modifications that are proposed with the roll out of Digg 4.0, I have some serious concerns regarding its future. As a result of the title and introduction to this post, some of you may believe that I have a political agenda to my post, but here the purpose is to demonstrate how this will gravely affect the interests of all Digg users.

The nearing release of Digg 4.0 seems to be unleashing a great deal of angst between Digg users, and one sign of this is the recent scandal involving an alleged bury brigade that has been denominated "Digg Patriots". The Digg Patriots scandal broke out into the open when Ole Ole Olson, a contributor to Alternet, posted a bunch of screenshots from a hacked Yahoo Groups account and viciously attacked Digg's Conservatives and Libertarians for allegedly gaming the the system and "ruining Digg for independent progressive bloggers".

The Digg Post That Started the Fire

In this very post, other blog articles, worldwide news articles, and user comments, the proposed format of Digg 4.0 is erroneously seen as a panacea to the perceived epidemic of "Digg gaming". The reasons cited include mainly the ability of a publisher to automatically submit its news stories, the removal of the bury button, and the default personalization of a user's front page to only display the content that is popular to his friends.

A Peek At How Digg Will Become a Glorified Twitter-style RSS Feed of Publishers

The average digger of all political persuasions may ask me, "Why is this a bad thing? This will take power away from power users and make Digg very difficult to "game"?". Well the answer is rather simple in the fact that it not only takes the ability away from the user to decide which stories should be submitted, it actually has the dual effect of promoting article spamming and an echo chamber effect.

As Digg currently stands, just about any user has a good shot at making the front page, regardless of political affiliation or interests by effectively identifying and connecting with mutual friends who have the same interests and submitting content that catches the user's eye. Under this system, a wide variety of articles do hit the front page and independent news sites of all stripes have had success in generating traffic and readership, as well as mainstream media outlets. That my friends is what made Digg such a success and a vehicle for actually promoting news stories and articles that may have never gotten a wide audience without it.

Well if that is what attracts you to Digg, prepare for a format that will preserve the influence of the power diggers while at the same time reducing the potential influence of the average digger on what gets submitted and noticed. For one, all of the power users already have established a wide following, and they will still have their influence in the new twitter-like format. Moreover, the defaulting of a user's front page to that which is popular amongst his friends will reduce the exposure to novel ideas and news stories to most Diggers, thus reducing the educational aspect of Digg.

But remember that that isn't the worst of what is to come down the pipes folks! Once publishers are able to automatically submit their content to Digg, there will be the additional issue of the "Digg Power Publisher" that will rise up on the scene and give an additional advantage to the large and established blogs and media sites. Therefore, the people who believe that these changes are going to give an added voice to the "community" in its decision of which blogs to benefit and direct traffic to, they are sadly mistaken.

The final nail in the coffin of the Digg we knew, the Digg that offered a voice for just about every user who got to know how it works, is the removal of the bury button. The bury button is used by diggers to remove articles that they find to be in poor content, slant, or taste, and has been a point of contention by diggers from all points of view. However, by removing this button and replacing it with a report button, the decision to remove an article will be taken away from diggers and be placed in the direct hands of Digg staff. This, in fact, will remove a very important aspect that made Digg a user-moderated site.

Once large components of user moderation on Digg pass by the wayside, a large number of Diggers will most likely see the site as a glorified Twitter or RSS feed and go elsewhere. This in the end would have a negative effect on all independent bloggers and reduce the overall power of Digg to bring good backpage news to the forefront. Therefore, the changes will not just simply "make the site harder to game", and it will just be a detriment to the ability of the average digger in having his voice heard without having a large social network or MSM popularity.

The common response to my conclusion may very well be that I am just blindly criticizing the changes and that "something must be done about those Digg abusers". Well, I ran across a very thoughtful article that discusses the "Digg Censorship Scandal" and offers a solution that would definitely benefit content submitters of all kinds.

Joe Porter proposes that Digg's algorithm be altered to detect stories in all categories that have large amounts of Diggs and buries and promote them to the front page at random. This solution would actually help protect all users from organized bury brigades and still allow for articles that are poorly submitted or obviously spammy to be buried.

Here is a snippet of his solution:

"Digg, you have come up with a great algorithm to determine which articles go popular and which ones don’t. No one has cracked it and no one should. Suggestion: make the “bury” action a part of the algorithm. If it’s an article that is getting a lot of diggs AND also a lot of buries, maybe it would be great front page topic of discussion. This would prevent a mass group from doing a mass bury because then it could actually HELP the Digg submission in some instances. Obviously, if a submission has no diggs and has an abundance of buries, then this could be determined as a spam submission and then let it be buried away off the site."

Link to Joe Porter's Article that Plants Solution to Bury Controversy

Fellow diggers, I hope that we can all send a unified message to Digg and encourage them to save the Digg that we all know and help heal the nasty rift that has developed between several factions on the website. I recognize that a lot of the anger involves the desire of people to be heard and to benefit monetarily (AdSense) and socially from the added traffic and influence that Digg can provide. But, if we don't stop accusing each other of foul play and demanding that Digg put a stop to our perceived problems on the site, we will all lose Digg.

Greetings from the Badger Den!

2010-08-06T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well it seems like a perfect fit - rats and badgers! Why not?

I'm an old friend to the grand blog master here at Rattington Post and have been asked to contribute here. I didn't have to think twice. I'm pleased to be a part of Rattington and look forward to the partnership.

Hopefully the readers here will enjoy my stuff and also visit my site: www.badgerbenson.com and also give my show a whirl on BlogTalkRadio - www.blogtalkradio.com/badger-benson I try to do a show each Friday at 2 PM Central. We'll be featuring the Rattington Post on the show from time to time.

A little background about myself - In my 30's, living in a smalltown outside of Omaha, Nebraska (Ben Nelson sends you all his love. You can forward your hate and I'll make sure he gets it. Note - Nebraska don't like him either, especially me!) I've been married for a year now. We have no small badgers or rats running around yet. I'm actually a Nebraska transplant from rural Iowa. (You may also forward all hate mail to Senator Harkin to me, I'll do my best to get it to him.) I've always been a farmboy. From an early age I've been interested in history and politics. At age two I was held by Ronald Reagan during a campaign stop. There's a sidestory to that where he was invited to the family farm, but unable to attend - which led to the meeting, and a nice letter addressed to my parents. At age 14 I began exploring the early concept that was the Internet, (get your head out of the gutter!) it was through the Prodigy service I was able to find a contact that works with Rush Limbaugh. I didn't believe the guy. The next day was my birthday and Rush wished me a happy birthday over the national airwaves, referrring to me as a "courageous young warrior". Well the warrior is all grown up now, but still in the fight. Aside from my rural routes and brushes with fame I've spent time in numerous fields - seed corn production, both UPS and FedEx, Pella Windows, time in both radio and television, and also my own business as a wedding videographer.

Today I'm just having a good time annoying liberals with my blog posts, piffy Facebook status messages, email alerts to friends and family, cartoons, short videos, blog posts, and Internet radio program.

Thanks for the invite to be a part of the Rattington Post. It's going to be a lot of fun!

Five Common Digg Trolls

2010-08-03T20:22:00.000-07:00

Digg is a high traffic website that according to Alexa ranked 116th globally and 50th in the United States based on traffic. Digg is a high visibility website. It is expected that trolls would be attracted to such a widely viewed forum in order to wreak some havoc. Well, I began studying the different trolling tactics on Digg...The stories you are about to read are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

1. The Brute Force Troll

The Brute Force Troll resorts to viciously attacking a user or pasting highly objectionable content in the comments section in order to utterly disrupt a discussion, badger a user, or make a name for himself. Such trolls are very adept at ban evasion and often work in teams to saturate highly-visible front page articles with their invective monologues. Thankfully, Digg has not fallen victim to too many types of these trolls, and Digg staff usually brings things under control in a reasonable amount of time.

Examples:

The Onetimer Troll- The Onetimer Troll was a particular species of a Brute Force Troll that started off having many believe that a former user, Onetimer, had been killed by being drowned in his own bathtub. Subsequently, Digg was barraged with racist and antisemitic tirades with graphic and sexual threats that even came to include Kevin Rose.

Even though there has been general speculation and a consensus that The Onetimer Troll was none other than the banned user Onetimer trying to garner sympathy, there hasn't been any hard proof to establish this. However, we can all just be thankful that Digg took appropriate action, and we no longer have to deal with this psychopath.

Digg Story That Discusses the Onetimer Troll

The PS Troll- The PS Troll is Digg's most recent Brute Force Troll, and was mainly attributed to the No crowd, another group of trolls we will discuss later on in this article. PST started viciously attacking the Digg power user ThePartyStar with sexist epithets and political slander that came to include threats of rape. So far all evidence points to a team effort.

His first attack occurred on this Digg submission, as you can see by the replies to the first comment. NoClone/ThePartystar Troll then sent Digg on a two-week odyssey of sick and twisted comments.

First Evidence of the NoClone/Partystar Troll

You can see his postings in their full glory by viewing these Ubervu caches. Just scroll through the comments until you find "TheLegionOfNo" or other similar names.

2. The Clone Troll

NoLibrarians
NoCFL
NoGoldSurge
NoPaul2012
NoLasagna
NoLiberties
NoRand2010
TheLegionofNo
NoTeaParty
NoPaultards
NoSharronAngle
NoPeterSchiff
NoDipsticks
StatistOne
StatistTwo

Do any of these guys look familiar to you? Well you are not alone in suspecting foul play! We have thoroughly researched and documented this band of ne'er-do-wells who troll and prey on any Digg sub that would ever suggest that the government has too much power.

Although a few of these accounts are actually unique individuals, such as NoLasagna and NoLibrarians, the vast majority of these pricks are thought to be the same person due to their propensity of using identical sentence structures and jargon. Moreover, they can usually be spotted by their overuse of the word "son" and the branding of anybody who disagrees with them as immature losers.

It is thought that this band of merry trolls was behind ThePartyStar Affair, being evidenced by the fact that several of the NoClones who weren't posting such nasty diatribes were banned at the same time. Due to such evidence, The Rattington Post recommends that anybody who runs across a NoClone bury and ignore his comments without even responding.

NoClones After ThePartystar Affair

NoClones Welcoming NoTeaParty to His "Legion of No"

3. The Sly Name-Calling Troll

The writer of this column recognizes that certain degrees of trolling add spice to the Internet experience, but like the other two examples of trolls that have been given, I believe that it is necessary to be vigilant of those who go out of their way to personally attack users and sully the Digg experience. Having said this, now it is time to start detailing some of the insidious but more garden varieties of trolls, beginning with The Sly Name-Calling Troll.

The Sly Name-Calling Troll is one who will stir up a heated discussion to then later have supposed justification for directly insulting a fellow digger with at heinous epithet and then backpedal and try to justify it after being called out and reported. Sadly, this breed of troll is much more difficult to have banned than the first two categories already covered.

Examples:

RaceBaiter- Racebaiter's normal claim to fame is tracing friends of friends of a user on Digg and then accusing that person of being a White Supremacist just because there are numerous 2nd degree relationships on Digg. This is kind of like saying that just because your cousin is a racist that you have to be, and most of us don't disown our family over a few harsh opinions.

But, this is not the worst of his antics! Below is a link to a prime example of when Racebaiter called one of our female diggers a "twat".

Racebaiter Gets Frustrated and Calls Quirkopatra a Twat

"God you are such a mouthy twat. Do you have problems with people running out the door directly after sex? I would imagine so."

DrunkTroll- This individual is normally a rather intelligent poster, albeit on an equivocated and authoritarian side of the political spectrum. However, he morphs himself into SuperTroll whenever he decides to drink while digging. Just recently he told Dilberto to kill himself, an offense that DrunkTroll had been banned for previously. After being reported, he wasn't banned, but they simply deleted his comment.

DrunkTroll Has Comment Removed For Telling Dilberto to Kill Himself

4. The Copypasta Troll

Perhaps all of our readers are highly familiar with this sort of troll, but it doesn't lesson their annoyance. This troll copies and pastes a canned answer to many Digg subs and comments.

Example:

BongPuffer- The staff at The Rattington Post has agreed that posting examples of Digg's copy pasta trolls is a difficult task because normally their comments are deleted in a short period of time. However, we have a perfect example of a subtle copy pasta troll that only attacks a certain source, Fox News, rather than actually debating the issue at hand. Granted, I am not a big fan of any mainstream media outlet, Fox News included, but they all do report events, and one can easily verify or debunk the content. To just say, "This is crap because it came from over there!" is very immature and is considered standard troll bait on Digg.

"Buried for Fox News. Please submit credible sources.

http://www.newshounds.us/
http://www.outfoxed.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News_Channel#Crit ..."

Buried for Fox News 1

Buried for Fox News 2

Buried for Fox News 3

Buried for Fox News 4

Buried for Fox News 5

Buried for Fox News 6

Buried for Fox News 7

Buried for Fox News 8

Buried for Fox News 9

Well, I think you get the general idea! ;-)

5. The Good cop/bad cop Troll

The Good cop/bad cop Troll is one of the hardest to detect, due to the fact that it involves one user with two Digg accounts. The two accounts are comprised of his principle account that actively participates in Digg discussions and often even submits articles that make the front page and another account that contributes very little to Digg and attacks users and submissions. Normally it is a necessity that the "good account" be the principle Digg user, because nobody wants to have their well-connected and successful Digg account banned.

Example:

Giovanny and Navarro- It has taken some time to hunt and track down this troll, but after a while the pattern becomes obvious. On any sub that is in any way critical of authoritarianism, both are often seen posting in concert.

Giovanny, the bad cop, will go in and post diatribes about how Digg is supposedly being gamed and that the post is spam. In addition to this, anybody who disagrees with him is assumed to be a "Freeper". Never mind that I myself have never partaken in a Free Republic discussion. This twerp will even brag self-righteously that he only has a limited number of mutual friends on Digg and that he makes the front page by way of "community approval". But, of course he doesn't mind having mutual friends on Digg who have 100s of mutual contacts, which brings us to his Dr. Jekyll half!

The good cop in this case is Navarro, a friendlier version of the same troll, and he often comes in to try to sound moderate and conciliatory after Giovanny has done his damage. Also note that Giovanny complains about people who use large numbers of mutual friends to make the front page, but his Siamese twin, Navarro, has a large network of diggers and frequently makes the front page. Below we have some documentation of this.

Self-righteous Remark About Not "Spamming

Example of Bitching About Standard and Accepted Digg Friending Practices

Note the "one right after another" technique on this one. Navarro starts off with a calm post, and his Mr. Hyde half follows up with a hateful diatribe.

Giovarro Makes His Good cop/bad cop Routine Way Too Obvious

Amazingly, soon after getting ripped into by Giovanny for having a healthy list of Digg mutual friends, as seen by the first link on this list, Smooth Navarro kindly "cautions" a fellow Digg user about the company he keeps on Digg.

Good Cop Tries to Make Good With Dilberto After Bad Cop Rips Him on First Link

Disclaimer: This article is meant to be nothing more than a parody of some of the shenanigans that occur on a regular basis in Digg's comment sections. The designator of the title "troll" should not be construed to imply that the users are bad people in real life. The author of this article does take care to not sully the actual identities of the mentioned users and has no intention of harassing or intimidating them. Where appropriate, the Digg trolls mentioned have had their names altered in the text in order not to directly jab at them, but the reader is free to check the links I have provided to verify and check out some of the trolling tactics that have been mentioned. If there is a troll that you would like to report, please don't hesitate in contacting the poster.