Things to Think About

In passing, a few things have occurred to me at random. For example, how come it’s so important for the Dems to have a super majority when the Repubs seem to do fine without it? Suddenly it came to me: you only need the sixty votes when a cash outlay is involved. If you want to give some one a meritorious citation or enable national parks to allow more bears you just vote, seeking a simple majority. It’s only when the words billion and trillion are there that you need the sixty.

Not that I’d dance on a grave or anything (yes, I would) but how much good news can one man take in one week? Air America has gone officially belly-up. Programming has come to a complete halt and the attorneys are now in charge. Chapter seven now rules the air waves and the spewers of hate are, like everyone else, looking for work. It couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of cretins. Oh, you didn’t realize they were gone? Never mind.

Even Hillbuzz who worked tirelessly for Hillary has come out in favor of bringing the Chicago hood down. The full scale socialist agenda has even become too much for them to swallow. Although they espouse plots and plans which are repugnant in some areas, we welcome them as allies in the greater cause, absolute rejection of Obamania. To fully understand their posture, click on the link and listen to life-long Democrats rant about the “one.” They write well and more important, they understand the problem. Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.

Tuesday, Jan. 19, the report from those who track the listeners on cable news came up with some predictable numbers. On Fox, Hannity, Greta, O’Reilly, Beck, Baier, and Shep posted a combined total of 28,461,000 viewers during the “Tuesday night massacre.” From CNN, MSNBC, and CNNHN combined, King, Cooper, Brown, Olberman, Maddow, Blitzer, Behar, and Matthews, managed only 9,788,000. One suspects that a large portion of those were, like your host, folks who dialed in listen to them whine and cry over their epic loss.

For the reason why the previous paragraph is important I recommend you view this video of Jon Stewart dressing down Keith Olberman for his over-the-top remarks. Come on Keith; don’t hang back; tell us what you really think. On my lame computer this thing had a balky load. Don’t give up—it’s funny!

Erroll Southers, Obama’s pick for TSA head, who was blocked by Sen. Jim DeMint some time ago, has withdrawn his availability for the critical job. Claiming hyper-partisanship as the reason, he endorsed union membership for the employees manning our airports in security roles. This would have led to necessary union approval for policy changes in our overall national protection from foreign terrorist threats. The bureaucracy has too many layers now to be effective and one more obstinate source would have been too much. The fact that he provided false information to the investigating committee didn’t help. All thanks to Senator Jim DeMint.

This week, the First Amendment to the Constitution received a real shot in the arm. Huge portions of the McCain-Feingold were invalidated on a 5-4 decision by the US Supreme Court. An enactment which did little to elevate my opinion of either of its sponsors, in my opinion, has finally been pared back to be consistent with the desires of the founders. The overlooked unfairness of the act was in the components which allowed large groups (unions, NGO’s, et al) a voice in elections but denied it to corporations who are the victims of the elected officials. Now those who would tax and regulate our greatest source of national opportunity into oblivion will be subjected to legitimate objection. Lifting the bans on finance will allow them to contribute in the fullest to defeat those who would run them into the ground. Terrific news!

If you have a low tolerance for good news, this was definitely not your week. It has been a long time since so much has taken place in such a short time to warm this old Ozarkian’s heart. I sense that the people, who seem to be asserting their voice, may gain the attention of the formerly blasé and selfish politicians and realize some benefit. All we are really looking for is restoration of the principals which formed and grew the country in the first place.

We haven’t changed that much at the grass roots level. There are just more of us with a somewhat more complicated life. For those who think that they are superior to their forefathers because of their Blackberry, TV, and fast car, let’s see you skin a possum for supper, walk to Kentucky, and avoid hostile indigenous neighbors. Let us see your ability to form the greatest nation the world has ever seen. For all you have learned you may come up short in real skills.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Parasites

It never ceases to amaze that we can unfailingly look to the natural world for analogy to identify general social parallels. A premier example is the relationship of the parasite to the host. This symbiosis between variant organisms of different species results in the parasite living at the expense of the host. Dependence upon the host for nutriment and habitat require an overall, but gradual, reduction in fitness. This intentioned assault then results in overall weakening of the body it inhabits and the parasite is then in the role of attacking its own best interests.

Some of the most popularly related tales of the parasite/host relationship is gathered from recent travelers to Mexico. Water is water, but what it carries varies widely within different cultures. Various single-celled organisms universally inhabit their water and, lacking the conditioned immunity from a life-time of consumption, the incautious traveler is invariably tripped up. Hence, we have the commonly named Montezuma’s Revenge. The unprepared visitor, upon the first sip, acquires the organism which immediately attacks and works to the destruction of the host.

The only solution is twofold. Either bring sufficient “safe” water for the trip or boil the local supply at the rate of three minutes per liter. Some have sought refuge in the alleged safety of beer, wine, and spirits which also have a serious downside without verifiable protection. Few relish the thought of tooth brushing with Tecata.

A quick look in the mirror will reveal the habitat of the demodex folliculonum and the demodex brevis which live in the hair follicles and the sabeceous glands of the face and less visible body parts. These tiny “face mites” are quite common and have little to do with personal hygiene. They have four legs, are long and thin, generally are found close to the nose and eyes but also may be common on the cheeks and forehead. Don’t bother looking, they are microscopic. The likelihood of their presence increases with age and they present no immediate threat. Personal contact and exchange of towels or other fabrics are the most common transfer method.

It serves no purpose to enumerate the other less common parasites to illustrate their common goal of living off their host. The most common social parasite is the citizen who is dependent upon government and social agencies for their livelihood. They are most commonly identified by the presence of regular welfare payments in the mailbox, food stamps, diversity programs, antisocial behavior, public housing, free medical clinics, transportation subsidies, educational advantage in advance of others, food bank use, dangerous drugs, and irresponsible sexual activity. Most or all of these will be present.

These are multi-celled organisms whose numbers are encouraged to increase by ever-expanding governmental programs which, if left unchecked, will eventually kill the host. At the least they will affect the quality of life and the ever-dimishing prosperity of the nation. The only known remedies available are quashing the tendency to increase dependency, elevating the acceptance of responsible behavior, returning to old-fashioned educational standards, celebrating individual achievement, enabling people to help themselves, and returning to unity in favor of diversity.

Recovery from the infestation of this parasitic influence will not be easily accomplished. It will be required that we understand that equality is guaranteed only in opportunity, not wealth. Each citizen has the right to that equality from birth or naturalization and it should not be abridged. We ignore the damage caused by any parasite at our peril both personally and as a nation. The time to set things right is now. To delay is suicidal.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Brown Routs Coakley!

If you need more than this to enjoy one of the finest evenings of your life; you don’t understand the momentous event which just took place in Massachusetts.

Take the rest of night and revel in this resounding victory and its meaning for the future. It is the dawning of a new day. To quote Rev. Wright: "the chickens have come home to roost."


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Another Note from my old Pal, Barry

You’d think, what with running the country and all, Barry wouldn’t have time to keep sending me notes. You would be wrong. I just got another one this morning. I’m pretty sure he wants me to vote for someone named Coakley. Now I’m the kind of guy who wouldn’t let down a pal, so I checked down at the Catholic Church where we go to vote and the place was near empty.

Aside from the priest and a couple of stray nuns, the usual voter people weren’t there. If I could have voted, I sure I would have delivered the precinct because no one else showed up. Then I checked the note from Barry and he mentioned Massachusetts so I guess he got the Missouri stack mixed up with the Massachusetts stack by mistake. Like I said, he’s been really busy these days.

When I get letters from prominent people I like to share so here’s my reply and I put it in red right in the letter so you know it’s mine.

“Friend –Now I know for sure he hasn’t read the blog.

Right now, the polls are open to elect a new senator to the seat that my friend Ted Kennedy held for 47 years. Well, that explains everything. Kennedy and I were the same age so I guess he’s got a “thing” for old guys.

The choice could not be more stark, and the result could not be of greater consequence -- for Massachusetts or the nation. Boy, I heard that!

The Bay State can send progressive (progressive, is that more like liberal, Marxist, or just plain old communist?) champion Martha Coakley to Washington to fight for everything we believe in -- health reform (I’m not so sure about that one,) getting all of our money back from Wall Street (Good luck there.), and holding corporate interests accountable (does that include GM and Chrysler?)

Or the Senate can get one more person already walking in lockstep with Washington Republicans. Brown learned that “lockstep” when he was in the military, unlike Coakley and Kennedy and Barry.

The polls are still open, (not here in the Ozarks) the choice has not been made, and you still have a crucial role to play by calling voters in Massachusetts. In a low-turnout special election like this one, every single voter counts. And every married voter and every dead voter and every voter bused in from out of state counts too.

Please call Massachusetts voters today.

Opponents of change and progress have been pouring money and resources into the Commonwealth -- they want to keep things just as they are. No, they want to change everything which has happened over the last year.

The most important thing you can do to stand up to them is call voters and urge them to get out to vote for the leader we need representing Massachusetts. Don’t be shy Barry, tell them to vote for Brown.

In a race as close as this one, no matter how many voters you call, you could tip the balance. I’ll bet the SEIU, ACORN and the Black Panthers could do an even better job.

So please make sure you do everything you can today. Click here to start calling voters in Massachusetts right away: You’re right—I should call my sister-in-law.

If you were fired up in the last election, I need you more fired up in this election. I was, and you won anyway.

Thanks for everything you've done, and for your efforts in this final push. No problem!

President Barack Obama”

Please note that we are so tight now that he didn’t even ask me for money. Next thing you know he and Michelle will be inviting me over for grits and gravy. Maybe I’d get a chance to meet the kids. That little one looks like she’d be a pistol.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

It Takes a Lot of Gaul

The United States was accused of supplying an “occupation” force on the island of Haiti by a French minister in charge of humanitarian relief. Not to take light the tragedy on that island in the wake of the devastating earthquake but one must question the sanity of anyone who could see a possible advantage in taking over the island. Apparently miffed over landing procedures put in place by American air traffic controllers which reduced priorities for Geneva based Medicins sans Frontieres, Alain Joyandet voiced the complaint.

With over a third of the population directly affected by the earthquake our military has responded with in excess of 10,000 trained personnel on the ground to take up the slack in Haitian services busy elsewhere. The French minister was convinced that his medical aid took priority over every other aid relief effort in progress from any other country or the UN to provide food, water, shelter and rescue equipment. Although he may have been correct, the thought of calling our relief efforts an “occupation” is well past ridiculous.

That designation, “an occupation”, implies some foreign force to take over a country. Who in their right mind would wish to occupy one of the poorest countries on the face of the earth with no commercial or military value which had just suffered the greatest calamity in their history? Part of his complaint is probably because our people are armed. That may well be because they are SOLDIERS! I seriously doubt that if you are thirsty, hungry, out in the open, or trapped under a pile of rubble that you would be terribly concerned if your rescuer was armed or not. On the other hand, if a looter showed up to take your miserable cache of provisions, you might appreciate having gun-toting protectors on the scene. It’s possible he sees us prosecuting a “War for Bananas.”

I would suggest that rather than consume valuable air, he and his UN buddies take their little spat elsewhere and let the men and women of our armed forces do their work to restore vital services, food, water, sanitation and infrastructure to these unfortunate people. How French!

In short—take your egos and go home.


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon

Monday Morning Rant 128

Frequently we drive by a pasture up the Spring River, which we monitor. Lately, there have been Wisconsin-size flocks of geese making a stop by the spring. It takes us back to the great years we had in the land of Favre, cheddar, and bratwurst. We often shared our little four-acre patch with a thousand or so noisy visitors. Until we spotted these travelers we didn’t realize how much we missed them. I guess that is why God gave us memories so that life’s delights are never far from our minds.

We would miss living in the northern states except for the reminders we get from our old friends up there. They invariably enclose pictures of homes so buried in snow one can barely recognize whose house it is. Oh, I remember now; that’s why we moved. They rarely enclose copies of their fuel bills.

Brown vs. Coakley

Tuesday will tell the tale. A scant threat a month ago has now been transformed into an historic possibility. Scott Brown, the Republican challenger for the seat vacated by the death of Ted Kennedy has conducted a stellar campaign and the race is now a toss up. His meteoric rise is attributed to his extreme good looks, his clean record, and his absolute desire to listen to his constituents and do the will of the people. It is assumed that would include heeding the latest lop-side poll number in opposition to the socialist health care initiative before the congress. Seen as a dependable “NO” vote, he could be in a position to derail the vote on the issue and destroy the Obama signature issue.

Coakley has followed a more patrician style and shown a sense of entitlement to the seat vacated by death of the late senator. Among her many notable gaffes was a reference to claiming “Kennedy’s” seat for her own. She was reminded that the seat was not his and actually it was the property of the people of Massachusetts (which she promptly misspelled in a campaign ad.) She further distanced herself from the electorate by showing ignorance of the locally beloved Red Sox and their perennial star, Curt Schilling.

On a more serious level, a deeper investigation of her activities as the attorney general of the state has revealed prosecutorial irregularities which aren’t sitting well with the citizens. They involve unjust prosecution on both the over-zealous and the lax side to different accused. In both cases the leverage exerted from the AG’s office was wrong-headed, unfair, and unprincipled. Many folks have taken notice and it is working to Mrs. Coakley’s disadvantage. That in combination with the populist appeal and fine campaigning by her opposition, Brown has turned the odds on their head.

A number of side issues cloud whether Brown can be successful. None of them have to do with waging a victorious battle for the seat. Most have to do with possible interference from SEIU goons, Black Panther poll watchers, ACORN operatives drumming up sufficient corpses for a victory, and creative efforts to otherwise stuff the ballot boxes. The Democrat Party has sufficient expertise in these matters to affect the outcome.

The two unknowns in Brown’s favor are the populist fervor in opposition to current Democrat initiatives and, I’m ashamed to admit, a natural reluctance demonstrated by Mass voters against any woman candidate for high office within the state. No woman in memory has achieved that lofty goal. Coupled with serious opposition to the socialized medicine factor, the chance of Coakley’s victory is in doubt.

Election is one thing and seating the successful candidate quite another. There is a likelihood that the senate, which alone has the power to seat, may delay until the conclusion of negotiations on the pending bill. A close election would provide opportunity for endless recounts and delays. Only a smashing victory would lessen the impact of efforts to delay seating. Our best wishes and prayers are with Scott Brown.

Found on Another Blog

From Giovanni’s World, a serious trivia question on Washington D.C..

There are two fine institutions in the area: The White House and the National Zoo. What is the difference between them?

The Zoo has an African Lion. The White House has a lyin’ African.

Da-da-boom! Folks, we’ll be here all week—try the veal—be sure to tip your server.

Safe Giving

Many people are overcome with a desire to give aid to the helpless victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. Among them are those who do not have the resources to do research on the validity of various relief agencies. In response to a pastor's request, I did some background checks to help insure that the generous nature of his congregation was not wasted on high priced executives, fancy offices, gratuitous expense accounts, etc..

The criteria, published on registers provided to evaluate charities, include % of income to actual aid, in house salaries as a % of income, overall strength in reserve dollars, and the number of published complaints about the organization. In checking, I found many charities with lengthy negative comments about their operations. Although not the only ones who operate a valid assistance program--there are many I’m certain—I came up with a couple that I consider squeaky clean in their activity. To my knowledge, both are on the scene and have been since the start.

The Convoy of Hope is on site right now and distributing necessary supplies and activities to help out the disadvantaged in Haiti. They benefit from being a smaller presence than some and more agile in their relief effort. Check out their website for information about their programs in progress, pictures, and detail on how to support their efforts.

The ever familiar Salvation Army is a much larger organization but endowed with the benefit of very low overhead since each official is a pastor with other responsibilities. Your money sent to them will be available for Haitian relief but I understand, not directly dedicated. They have an extensive program in progress. They have been on site and a presence in Haiti since 1950 and the link will lead you to a rundown of their activities and access to their donations page.

No preference is implied by the placement of the two organizations: both are worthy. We can only hope this research is of assistance in selecting the object of your giving.

And finally

A glance at the ten day forecast shows a prediction of 50º+ days and some sunshine to give much appreciated relief from the numbing cold. If memory serves, nearly every place I have ever lived, with the exception of Las Vegas, had a terrible cold snap between 12/15 and 1/15. Denver, Wisconsin, the Ozarks, Iowa, Nashville, to mention a few, shared the experience and were followed by a normal winter. Obviously, some were worse than others. Now that the immediate threat is past, is it possible that we can all forget from one year to the next just how typical this weather pattern actually is?

What we are seeing is the emergence of some of the smaller wild animals (armadillos, possums, rabbits, et al) occupying the night-time roadsides and evading the dogs. It appears life is returning to normal here on the ridge. Thank God!


In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon