Hanley-boy: 5/1994 - 11/2010

Today our beloved dog Hanley had to be put down. He was the most wonderful companion dog I have ever known, and he will be sorely missed.

Hanley lived a long and happy life with us. He just turned 16-1/2 years old last Saturday, and he brought us many years of joy. We are so thankful to God for the time we had with him.

When we moved to St. Louis in 1995, Linda and I decided to adopt a dog. We had three criteria: The dog had to be small, female and have short hair. We visited at least three agencies and saw many dogs. The APA in Richmond Heights is where we first met Hanley.

We perused the puppies at the APA and could not quite find the right fit, so we checked out the adult dogs, which are typically more difficult to place into homes. When we entered the kennel area where adult dogs were kept, chaos ensued. Every dog in the place seemed to be barking, howling and acting crazy. Hanley, however, was calmly and quietly sitting at the back of his kennel. As Linda approached his kennel, Hanley came forward and simply licked her finger through the chain link door. He owned Linda's heart at that point, but we still had a problem.

Hanley didn't fit any of our criteria. He was male, larger and very hairy. So, we decided to look at more dogs located at other agencies. We played with puppies and petted more adult dogs, many of whom would have made great pets. Trouble was, Hanley stole our hearts! We finally confessed the obvious: We had to return to the APA and adopt Hanley. Fortunately for us, he was still there when we returned. He would be ours for sure.

We took him home that day and, since the APA was on Hanley Road, we decided to toss his given name of Simba and replace it with Hanley.

Linda and I have been married for 18-1/2 years and Hanley has been ours for 15-1/2 of them. He's been around longer than most of our friends' children!

During our seminary years, Hanley would wrestle with all the other dogs around our Gulf Drive apartment. He often slept on our bed and routinely cuddled with Linda on the easy chair every evening. We used to wonder aloud how anyone could simply abandon a dog as beautiful and well-behaved as Hanley.

Hanley, or Hanley-hoo as we sometimes called him, loved us through seminary, five job changes and finally a move to Maine. He kept Linda safe when I worked late during seminary, and even put up with our new kitten Country constantly pestering him. When our younger dog Foster nearly died during the move to Maine, Hanley somehow found an extra measure of strength in order to pick up her slack (at least that's how it appeared).

Hanley always looked young for his age, and people were amazed when told how old he really was. He always looked as if he were smiling and enjoying life. I think he was indeed very happy, and we were so happy to have him as our dog.

Goodbye Hanley boy. Thanks for loving us so well and adding immeasurable joy to our lives.

Go Guiltless

If you belong to Christ, guilt has no place in your life.

All of us are guilty of sinning, but the guilt we own is purely temporal. That is, we may say that, yes, we are guilty of doing a certain behavior which violates God's law. Yet, Christ died for every one of any given Christian's sins -- Christ took that guilt, died for it and thus paid the price. His death has eliminated our guilt, how dare you or anyone else point fingers at one of his beloved children!

If you belong to Christ, you have no standing, justification or right to cling to your guilt.

God himself, through Christ's work on the cross, has forgiven our sins and thus will never demand we pay for them ourselves. Nor will God ask Christ to die for us again! He is done with our sin -- you must be also! To hang onto your guilt is to say that Christ's death may have accomplished forgiveness for others, but for yourself something more than his death and resurrection is needed. That's egregious on a number of counts.

What a slap in God's face it is to NOT be satisfied with Christ's work on the cross! God sent his perfect, sinless son to die in our stead; would we now dare to claim: Not enough! Could there be a bigger offense to God than our claim to pay our own freight?

God means for us to be free. When we arrogantly, yes arrogantly, insist on paying our own debt, we enslave ourselves to a lifetime of work. Work is the engine that drives us to still more work. Ultimately, this leads to self-righteousness and entitlement, both of which seize our freedom and drag it away in chains. This cycle begins when we accept guilt.

Guilt is a pointed finger. It screams judgment and shame and demands recompense. It has no place in a Christian's life.

Conviction is what Christians rely upon to reveal sin. Conviction is an upturned palm with four fingers beckoning us to return to the one who heals. It is personal, truthful and firm, yet gracious and loving. Conviction invites us into relationship with the same God who eliminated our guilt. It's a promise of healing and growth and it is void of judgment.

Guilt has no place in a Christian's life -- reject it with every fiber of your being!

Short Takes

Weird thoughts passing through my noggin':

1) Have you ever noticed that almost every political pundit, regardless of party allegiance, often begins a statement by saying "look..."? Look at what?

2) When was the last time you saw a political leader actually get swayed by another person's argument, then publicly admit to being wrong? Doesn't this likely mean our leaders make decisions based on emotions instead of rational thought and truth?

3) The Declaration of Independence affirms the unalienable right to life. That's basic to the DOI. If any candidate for political office, regardless of party affiliation, is pro-choice, by definition he/she stands against the Declaration of Independence. Therefore, if a candidate is pro-choice he/she should relinquish the right to run for office. He/she is the secular equivalent of a heretic.

4) A study was recently completed to discover which drugs have caused the most harm to our society. Surprisingly, the most damaging drug was alcohol. Alcohol eclipsed even Heroin and Cocaine. Why? Because it's legal. The fact that alcohol is legal makes it much more acceptable in our country. Legality means alcohol can be more than just allowed, it can be encouraged.

Cocaine and Heroin are both illegal, which means they are harder to find and more expensive. Users of these drugs are generally thought of in our society as losers. Make them legal, sell them in liquor stores and Wal-Marts and everything will change. The government will enjoy enormous tax revenues, and both drugs will not only become acceptable, but encouraged. This will result in huge numbers of traffic deaths, divorces, domestic violence and misery. Government may be able to control prices, taxes and quality (debatable), but government has no control whatsoever over addiction.

5) If you think football is the most exciting sport around, consider this: A man in Maine used a stopwatch to time the last Superbowl game, the Colts vs. the Saints. He wanted to know how much time during a three-hour game was spent actually playing the game. His results revealed that the two teams combined for approximately 14 minutes of actual playing time. What was happening during the remaining two hours and forty-six minutes? A whole lot of standing around.

You want action? Watch soccer, hockey or basketball. So all of you who enjoy mocking soccer, realize that you are spending nearly three hours in abject boredom in order to watch fourteen minutes of essentially choreographed action. Zzzzzz!

6) I have Narcolepsy and you don't. You got no clue what tired is (with apologies to those suffering with Sleep Apnea).

7) If you ask me, there is hope for anyone walking into a counseling office. That said, the closest thing to hopeless is a wife beater. They just don't change.

Borifying the NFL

Every year the NFL tinkers with a great sport, which usually results in a negative effect. This year has so far followed suit. Football is a delicate balance between sport and business; for several years now the scale has been tipping toward business, and it's getting ever harder to enjoy the competition.

-- Tonight I watched the 2010 opening game between the Saints and Vikings. Favre was clearly rusty and unfit due to his late arrival to camp. Why was he late? Who knows, but once the Vikings offered him a huge raise and massaged his delicate ego he changed his mind and showed up to camp.

-- Every year my favorite team seems to turn over large numbers of players. How can I stay committed to a team every year when the locker room sports a revolving door?

-- Rules changes have damaged competitiveness. Quarterbacks are over-valued and over-protected; defensive backs can barely look at receivers without getting flagged for interference; there is an unbelievable amount of time-outs, commercial breaks and slow-downs due to instant replay calls; players fall down and drop the ball, but don't get charged with a fumble, etc.

-- Pass interference is the most ridiculous rule the NFL has. It's called so much during a game that games are often decided on the basis of a referee blowing his whistle. The penalty for offensive pass interference results in the offensive team advancing to the spot of the foul. If, then, a quarterback throws a sixty-yard pass, and the defender is called for pass interference, it is tantamount to a sixty yard gain. The assumption is that the offensive player, were it not for being interfered with, would have caught the ball. However, if the pass interference happened in the end zone, there is no assumption that the receiver would have caught the ball. So, the offensive team gets the ball at the one-yard-line instead. Does that make sense? Of course not. There is never a guarantee that a receiver will catch any ball thrown his way.

-- When offensive pass interference is called, there never exists the assumption that, were it not for the pass being interfered with, the defender would have caught the ball. To be consistent, whenever an offensive player is called with pass interference shouldn't the defensive team be credited with an interception?

-- The league itself is structured and run as if it were a small communist country in Eastern Europe. Instead of allowing teams to reap the benefits of hard work, and spend their profits any way they wish, the NFL is forcing parity upon the league. It is patently un-American to force teams to share their wealth, either through extorting profits or limiting teams' ability to use those profits to gain an edge on the competition.

-- Parity slowly ruins the sport. The more parity there is, the less distinction there is between teams. Following the league is more fun when there are teams to hate (usually the "haves") and underdogs to root for (the "have nots"). Right now, on any given Sunday any team could beat another. On its face, this seems positive. But it ultimately dumbs down the league; it's exciting when a weaker team squeaks out a win against a giant, but there really are no "weaker" teams any more (maybe a few). The only real difference between teams nowadays is the jerseys.

-- Instant replay is just plain boring, and it smacks of self-importance. Instant replays almost always occur at pivotal and exciting times during a game. They destroy momentum, excitement and pace, and they force folks to endure ever more TV commercials. In the end, even the Superbowl is just a game. It's just not that important to get each and every call perfectly correct.

-- Corporate influence hurts the blue collar fan. How many middle-class fans, the ones who wear their team's jerseys and buy advertisers' products, actually get to attend playoff games and Superbowls? Very few. Corporate sponsors, NFL cronies, families and friends, media employees and guests of the above people get seats at the most important games.

-- Greed is ruining the sport. Both owners and players alike are greedy; neither of these entities care a lick about the basic fan, and it's the basic fan that pays for everything through ticket sales, concessions, team merchandise and advertisers' products. Players charge for autographs, owners and players combine to overcharge for tickets and, thanks to greed, fans are priced-out of important games. Not only are they priced-out of playoff and Superbowl tickets, but taking Joe fan's seat in the stadium is usually some corporate sponsor.

Despite all of these annoying aspects to professional football I, like millions of Americans, will continue to be riveted to Sunday and Monday football on TV. It is still a great sport. Like a lot of things in our culture, however, the folks in charge need to learn when to leave a good thing alone. A few more changes to football and they'll lose me, and I won't be the only one hitting the door.

Bush vs. OJ

Where does the NCAA find the cojones to strip Reggie Bush of the Heisman Trophy, while allowing O.J. Simpson to keep his?

The Two-Faced Left

Is burning a pile of Korans constitutionally protected? Yes. Should people burn a pile of Korans? Probably not.

That was simple. So, why can't liberals see this predicament as nearly synonymous with the mosque controversy near Ground Zero? It's not that they can't; they won't.

The Reverend Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL, is planning a huge cookout. What's on the menu? The Koran. He plans to burn a pile of Islamic "holy books" on September 11, the anniversary of the largest terrorist attack ever perpetrated against the United States. The attack, of course, was carried out by Islamic extremists.

Pastor Jones has every right under the constitution to burn the Koran, but he has almost no backing from the American public. Rightly so. This is one of those rare occasions in which both Democrats and Republicans stand together. He has the right, but on moral grounds he really should refrain from exercising it.

Even today, the eve of this fiery event, President Obama is contemplating a personal call to Pastor Jones entreating restraint. The FBI has already spoken to him, so has Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Even General Petraeus has chimed in against the Koran burning event.

The president won't lift a finger, however, to discourage building a mosque near Ground Zero, despite the disdain expressed by an overwhelming majority of U.S. citizens. He won't call the Imam in charge of building the mosque, won't send the FBI or Secretary Gates. In fact, President Obama will no longer entertain questions about the mosque; he won't even proffer an opinion. Additionally, the Imam has now warned us that moving the mosque location will result in further violence against the U.S. In response to this threat, the White House has offered only its silence.

Liberals have been barking the same drivel regarding the mosque from the start: It's constitutionally protected. They have accused conservatives of denying Muslims the right to worship and the right to purchase private property. If you are conservative, liberals have pegged you as constitutionally illiterate and bigoted.

Lost in the din of liberal bluster is the truth: conservatives have throughout the controversy trenchantly affirmed the Muslims' right to build near ground zero. They have questioned only the wisdom and sensitivity of building so close to Ground Zero. Nothing more.

The mosque issue and the Koran burning issue are nearly identical. Both leaders have the right to carry out their plans, but neither should exercise that right. Only one of these situations has the liberals in a tizzy, that would be the one involving a professing Christian and his church.

Might there be religious bigotry harbored in the hearts of liberals? They might be saying no, unfortunately I can't hear their words over the deafening volume of their actions.

Arguing With Fools

Let's get a few things straight. There is no such mental illness as Homophobia, nor is there a disorder called Islamophobia. Both terms are political in nature and are meant to denote bigotry in anyone disagreeing with either the homosexual or Islamic agenda. Additionally, both terms are derived from groups unqualified to psychologically diagnose.

Homophobia has a much longer history than Islamophobia. If a person happens to express disagreement with any aspect of the homosexual political and/or social agenda, that person will be tagged "homophobic." This tag is used to quash criticism and slap a label on people. This label is currently akin to calling someone a racist. It is often applied to Christians, who find homosexuality anathema to God's will. Despite the paranoia and anger homosexuals seem to harbor against Christians, there is no such term as Christophobia -- nor should there be.

Islamophobia is now the new trendy label to throw around. Currently, anyone against building a mosque near Ground Zero is "Islamophobic." Rational arguments against building the mosque are shot down in shame once this term is applied. Again, it's akin to being labelled a racist, which in America seems to be the absolute worst label one may be stuck with. And yet, there is no such mental illness as Islamophobia.

Tossing these labels around is tantamount to covering ones ears and shouting la la la la at the top of ones lungs. It is a cheap, arrogant and pathetic tactic used to win an argument. Most of us, however, see through this petty and immoral maneuver and ultimately lose all respect for the one employing it. It doesn't silence people due to shame; rather, people clam up once they realize they are arguing with a fool.

Are You Serious?

Why is our federal government subsidizing Imam Rauf's books and trips to Europe? He has been exposed as a slum lord and yet the federal government and city of New York are poised to entrust him with millions of federal dollars. He has blamed the U.S. for "creating Osama Bin Laden" and has even blamed us for 9/11 itself. He refuses to denounce Hamas, a universally recognized terrorist organization.

This is more than an intelligence gaffe on our part. It's bigger than President Obama's usual naivete in thinking he can build bridges reaching terrorist entities who hate us. Our government, more specifically liberals and progressives within our government, are standing behind this man. This is outrageous and completely unacceptable.

Imam Rauf has deliberately hidden information about funding for the NYC mosque, and he is clearly untrustworthy. There is no reasonable defense for this man, yet our current leaders are not just defending him but actually standing beside him. The Obama administration has aligned itself with an obvious terrorist sympathizer at best and at least a Muslim extremist.

As citizens of this great country, is this what we want from our leader and his administration? He has split allegiances. That's right -- split. Can you seriously say with any confidence that President Obama is for America over-against all others?

You may or may not agree with the policies of any particular president, but Bush I & II, Clinton, Reagan and even Carter at the very least made America's interests their highest priority. Can you say the same for Obama? If you can, you just may be delusional.

Got my gun, got my fishing pole!

Got my hunting license last week, and today I got my fishing license. I'm now ready to grunt like a man, fight the elements and swat voracious entomological beasties, all for the purpose of putting grub on the table. Okay, that's a little melodramatic, but at least I'll feel manly about it.

Not sure about my prospects for success. I went fishing today with a friend so that he could teach me a thing or two. I had a great time but only caught a glimpse of a fish when a bald eagle flew a few lazy circles near us, then with the greatest of ease dove into the lake and retrieved dinner for four. We, however, were consigned to starvation.

I did indeed glean important angling instruction today, and now I'm eager to test my abilities. Stay tuned; pray for Maine's fish population because I'm taking no prisoners!

See With Clearer Eyes

Despite the media's attempt to blur the lines between the issues, the NYC mosque is about only one thing: One group is asking another group to change its mind about where it builds its mosque. Simple.

As often happens, a difficult and contentious issue is twisted by the press and made into something it really is not. As explained above, the mosque issue is about only one thing. But the press, as well as certain politicians, have taken two distinctly different issues regarding the mosque and have tried to make us believe they are one and the same.

Those who wish to build the mosque near Ground Zero absolutely have the right to do so. The U.S. Constitution guarantees it. As it currently stands, no reasonable people, either left or right wing, are disagreeing with this assertion. So, the "rights" issue has been resolved, agreed upon, settled. This is a non-partisan agreement. No compromise between left and right, no appeasement or sacrifice, just simple agreement. We haven't seen the two major political parties so easily agree in a long time.

The second issue, however, is completely different. Is it appropriate to build the mosque that close to Ground Zero? They have the right, but is it wise? We cannot seem to solve this problem as easily as we have the other. Part of the problem is that they have been melded into one issue. This is neither correct nor helpful.

This blending of two separate issues is irresponsible regardless of who initiates it, and the mosque situation is not the first time we've seen it. For instance, illegal immigration is vastly different than the need, or not, for immigration reform. By combining these two issues, those who stand against the unlawful practice of sneaking into our country can be painted by others as racist. This is inappropriate at best and perhaps altogether sinister.

In the case of illegal immigration vs. immigration reform, one is a matter of law-breaking and the other is a matter of rethinking standards. They overlap to some degree, but each is specific enough to warrant exclusivity to each.

We as Americans need to be sharper listeners, viewers, observers. We would rather formulate good comebacks than listen to another's point of view, consider ideas and then respond respectfully. If we cannot pay attention long enough to see the basic structure of the issues, how can we expect our words to be heard? Further, if we don't hold our leaders accountable for muddying the waters of these issues instead of providing clarity, we will get exactly what we ask for.

We can be vociferous defenders of our ideas and stances, but if we refuse to listen to others, and demand forthright communication from our leaders, we prove to be nothing but clamorous fools.

Israel vs. Iran, part 2

Have you noticed the gradual isolation happening to two different countries? Our government has systematically distanced itself from Israel, while throwing bones to Islamic countries. President Obama snubbed Israel's leader; he's done nothing to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons; Iran is only days away from being nuclear capable and our president is busy campaigning somewhere.

How can President Obama embark on the campaign trail while Iran puts finishing touches on nuclear capability? Iran has many times threatened Israel's extinction, and they are about to obtain the ability to make good on that threat.

An Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could spark World War III; likewise, an Iranian attack against Israel could do the same.

As President Obama builds relationships with Islamic countries, and continues to apologize for America's behavior, those same countries are becoming ever more bold in their aggression. And Israel is increasingly isolated.

Meanwhile, President Obama, and to be fair former President Bush also, has not addressed the increasingly brazen presence of Hezbollah and Hamas in South America. He's ignored overwhelming evidence that the American people want the border sealed. To believe that no Islamic terrorists have smuggled across our southern border is akin to believing the Earth is flat. We have terrorists in our country, and by ignoring the illegal immigration problem we have made it easy for these people to kill American citizens. When this happens, there will be blood on the hands of every president, and his administration, extending at least as far as Reagan.

President Obama has allowed the isolation of Israel. Should Israel be attacked, I'm no longer confident that we will come to her aid. Additionally, Obama is allowing America to be isolated also. We are being closed in by people who hate us. Despite the every increasing danger both America and Israel face, President Obama apparently thinks campaigning is more important.

Israel vs. Iran

Israel has just a few days in which to knock out Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons. Will they do it? Don't think so.

Where do we stand on this? Our president has done essentially nothing at all to keep Iran, the very seedbed of terrorism, from acquiring nukes. He's proven that he's weak and incapable of protecting us. Iran knows he's incompetent, so does Russia. Now, either Israel stands alone in defending the world against the single most tyrannical regime, or we get used to living in a world where terrorists own nuclear weapons.

President Obama seems comfortable with a nuclear-armed Iran, are you?

Father knows best

True story:

Like many teenage boys, I got my first speeding ticket about six months after earning my license at age 16. I had attended one of my high school's football games and was returning home, but not before first depositing Walter Seagal at his own home. You see, Walter was stinkin' drunk that night and obviously in no shape to drive. Now, had you attended my high school, Herbert Hoover High School in Fresno, California, you would have some sympathy for Walter. Our football team was so bad for so long, it could drive even a teetotaller to pound a few barley pops.

In taking Walter home I was serving the Fresno community. Doing my part to keep the city's streets free from drunk drivers. I was speeding, however, and therefore deserved the citation.

I was doing fifty in a forty zone; not a huge infraction, but definitely speeding. Additionally, when I got pulled over, Walter felt an urgent need to exit the vehicle and defend me to the cop. Despite his noble intent, there's nothing like spewing bear breath into a policeman's face to pretty well insure a citation. But the cop knew I hadn't been drinking at all, so he wrote me the ticket, added the requisite and stern, "slow down" command, and sent me on my way.

I delivered Walter to his home then returned to my own home. When I walked in the door, I immediately told my parents that I had suffered my first summons. You can imagine how angry my dad was, just like everyone else's dad when faced with his son's first ticket. But no, my dad wasn't angry at all. Instead of reading the riot act, he gave me a wry smile and a hug. He said, "Yeah, I remember when I got my first ticket too." That's it. That's the punishment.

Dad knew how to navigate the delicate tight-wire between judgment and mercy. The cop did nothing wrong in writing me a ticket, but he lost a chance to reinforce responsible behavior in a young man. Dad, on the other hand, didn't need to punish me, the ticket itself accomplished punishment. Instead, he saw an opportunity to apply mercy. It worked. Big respect for dad!

Let The Japanese Mourn Their Own

For the first time ever the U.S. government has sent an ambassador to take part in a memorial in Hiroshima, Japan. This ceremony exists to honor the Japanese killed in WWII when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. There's a reason we've never participated in this ceremony before. We have nothing to apologize for!

Although the 140,000 death toll is tragic and awful, many experts agree that casualties would have been much higher had we continued fighting conventionally. One of the reasons for this was Japan's stubborn refusal to surrender when they had obviously lost the war. The Japanese government itself can be blamed for untold Japanese deaths. Conventional fighting would have resulted in many more American deaths, also.

I don't know if any Japanese envoys/ambassadors have ever taken part in Pearl Harbor memorials, but if not they had better step up now. Our fight against Japan began as a result of a cowardly sneak attack from Japan. It has been well-established that the Japanese military fought savagely and brutally, regularly mistreating its prisoners and even commanding its own people to commit suicide.

America has no place at a Hiroshima memorial ceremony. It is, of course, appropriate to remember the dead, and even strive for a nuclear-free world. But the ceremony itself held the air of Japanese victimhood and American immorality and brutishness. Lots of talk about never using nukes again, but nothing about pre-emptive sneak attacks. No acceptance of responsibility. Nothing about declaring war before attacking, not after. The gist is that America is evil for using nukes on poor Japan. That attitude is the last thing we should put up with and the very reason no American ambassador should be there.

Additionally, I don't agree that nuclear weapons should be eliminated. Why did we have to drop the second bomb? Because killing 140,000 Japanese in the first explosion still wasn't enough to convince Japanese leadership to surrender. They would have gladly endured a protracted war until the last Japanese citizen died for his country. Stupid! Arrogant! Irresponsible!

Once again, President Obama has shown his contempt for America in sending an envoy to Japan. How inappropriate; how insensitive, not only to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, but for all those who fought a lengthy and brutal war with Japan. The Japanese need to take a sober look in the mirror. Don't hold your breath waiting, however, you're likely to hear an official apology from Obama before hearing the Japanese admit they were at fault.

...it's bush's fault?

President Obama's penchant for blaming former president George W. Bush for everything negative in America has long ago grown old. And really, George Bush has been out of office for quite some time. President Obama is happy to take credit for anything he deems positive; apparently Mr. Bush has done nothing positive at all, however. Well, let's take a look at just a few items:

1) Unemployment - The average unemployment rate during the Bush administration was 5.3% compared to Obama's approximate 8.8%.

2) Terrorism - During Bush's term, no terrorist acts occurred on U.S. soil. During Obama's term there have been several.

3) Jobs - Obama has so far lost more jobs than any president since Hoover. Bush's first term had marginal job loss, then in his second term he added jobs.

4) Illegal Immigration - Neither president sports a good record here, but President Obama has gone so far as to shut down one state's (Arizona) effort to protect itself from illegal immigration . This despite the fact that Arizona's new illegal immigration law goes no further than federal law itself. President Obama has, by fighting Arizona's ability to protect itself, confirmed he intends to do nothing to protect the U.S. from a huge influx of illegal immigrants.

5) Taxes - President Bush cut taxes. President Obama intends to overturn the "Bush tax cuts," which have been law for nearly ten years.

6) Liberty - Bush allowed federal phone tapping to ferret out potential terrorists. President Obama is forcing all Americans to buy insurance or face financial penalty; he is proposing to force every American to report his/her Body Mass Index (BMI); despite promises to the contrary, President Obama is forcing every tax payer to help pay for abortions; he has admitted to being a proponent of wealth distribution, and in some ways has already implemented this ideology.

7) Patriotism - President Bush immediately reacted to 9/11 by bringing U.S. military might to bear on those who intend us harm. President Obama has attended a ceremony in Japan marking the dropping of the atomic bomb by the U.S. in WWII. He has failed to stand up to Iran, and has publicly disrespected the leader of one of our staunchest allies, Israel. President Obama continues to apologize for America's behavior around the globe, while refusing to recognize the tyranny associated with Islamic countries and organizations. He vacationed instead of attending a Memorial Day service at Arlington Cemetery and he went on "The View" instead of honoring the 100 year anniversary of the Boy Scouts.

President Bush has never uttered a word of blame toward President Obama, while Mr. Obama has spent his entire term blaming Bush for everything from the economy to rough toilet paper in the White House.

The Obama administration is incompetent at best, and possibly evil. The president has no regard for the U.S. Constitution, no economic skill or knowledge. He's flailing in a job that is way over his head. His arrogance is monumental and bordering on narcissism. He's the biggest spender this country has ever seen, and while the country buckles under this irresponsible and immoral frittering, he and his wife have been taking lavish vacations at the expense of suffering constituents.

Recently he spoke to the Ford Motor Company, ostensibly to congratulate them on turning a profit during this recession. He recognized Ford's accomplishment, which they managed without taking any bailout money. Then, he tried to take credit for Ford's success by claiming that, "without the bailout of GM and Chrysler, Ford would not have succeeded." He said that if GM and Chrysler had gone under, they would have forced many of Ford's suppliers to fail, which would have then caused Ford to fail.

Essentially, President Obama said that if Ford's competitors had gone out of business Ford would have followed. Think about that one for a moment: If your largest competitors go out of business, what do you think would happen to your own business? It would boom, that's what would happen! That would be every business person's dream. Somehow, our president isn't smart enough to figure this out.

If you're a person who still believes in this president, I don't know what to say. His policies are horrible and he's ruining this country. If you don't see this then you must be either blind, or blinded by your own pride.

Help Arizona fight back.

If you would like to assist Arizona in appealing this repugnant decision by the courts, brought on by an immoral, controlling and socialist Obama government, you can donate at www.keepAZsafe.com.

I donated because our current government is the worst I've seen, and it's time the American people stood up for what's right.

Obama's win is America's loss!

Today our government's unwillingness to protect our borders from illegal aliens, some of whom are drug dealers, murderers and terrorists, has been etched in stone via the court. The Obama administration has won its suit against the state of Arizona, thus paving the way for illegal aliens to stroll into our country, fleece our resources and spit on our constitution.

Arizona employs the only government entity willing to take a stand against brazen illegal immigration. The job of protecting us from invasion belongs squarely with the federal government, but for some reason the feds refuse to protect us. Not only have they failed to protect us, but they have aggressively fought against anyone who would defend us. Why? Maybe Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) can shed some light on the question.

Senator Menendez in an interview today essentially admitted that the lawsuit against Arizona was about securing Latino votes for the Democrats. This is deplorable to say the least. If it doesn't elicit disgust within you, then you've probably just gone numb.

Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is currently on trial; he's accused of essentially selling Barack Obama's state senate seat, left vacant when he moved to the presidency. Blago could receive upwards of 400 years in prison if found guilty. Apparently selling government appointments is bad, yet here we have a U.S. senator admitting to bribing an entire ethnic group, at the expense of America's safety, and there's no ensuing outcry.

Polls indicate that around two-thirds of Americans support the Arizona law, which, by the way, does not deviate from federal law itself. Despite this overwhelming support the Obama administration, which has done almost nothing to stem the flow of illegal immigration, has snubbed its nose at the American people.

If someone climbed your back yard fence, broke into your house and cooked a meal in your kitchen, you would demand police action. If your neighbor broke into your garage and took your car for a joy ride he would face legal repercussions. If someone broke into your house in order to steal your valuables, you would absolutely have the right to defend yourself using lethal force. If that same robber shot your spouse he would face serious prison time.

If you are an illegal alien invading America's borders, President Obama has now given you carte blanche to do as you please. Don't worry, there's nothing I can do to stop you...at least not without being arrested for violating your rights.

All hail Arizona!

What do you call hundreds of thousands of people illegally entering our country, using our resources and sometimes committing additional crimes? I call it an invading force.

What do you call a federal government whose utter failure to secure our borders has made this invasion an almost inevitable reality? I call it incompetent at best. With really only two major jobs to do, protect us and fix our roads, the current government has solidified itself as one of the poorest administrations we've seen.

Rising before the Obama government's immoral reluctance to deal with illegal immigration is one lone state: Arizona. Before Arizona flipped the bird to political correctness, the rest of us cowardly buckled from the sheer terror of being labeled racist. Arizona, however, has given this country enough room to grow a backbone. Thanks, Arizona, for the splash of cold water.

It's time to quash political correctness forever in favor of basic common sense. Those who try to blur the line between immigration and illegal immigration should be called out and held accountable. We have always been a country open to immigration; no country, however, is open to illegal immigration. There is a huge difference between these two terms; those who equate the two as synonymous are irresponsible at best.

We should jam the federal government's phone lines with complaints about its lawsuit against Arizona. The highest priority of the American government is to keep its citizens safe, yet if the Obama administration wins its lawsuit against Arizona it will actually advance the cause of illegal immigration and make us much less safe. Our safety is priority one. Priority one!

I don't need Obama's help to choose a doctor, nor do I need his help deciphering a proper diet for myself. President Obama said he would sign an executive order ensuring that my tax dollars would never pay for abortions; it disgusts me that he lied about this and is now taking my money and using it to kill children. He wants to force me to report my personal body fat! How is that his business? All I need is safety, and his administration is doing a crappy job protecting me. He's not interested in keeping us safe; he's interested in controlling our lives.

No other administration has come anywhere close to the control Obama is wresting from the American people. Does this not frighten you? Anger you? Disgust you? The American people are asleep at the wheel. We are so sure that a Hitler, Mao, Stalin could never rise to power here, meanwhile Obama is slowly taking our liberty from us one by one. Do you think any of the aforementioned "leaders" came to power by admitting they would kill a lot of their citizenry? No, they came full of promise and ideals, but they grabbed almost total control of their constituents' lives. The Obama administration is doing this same thing.

I'm not accusing President Obama of genocide, evil or even entertaining designs on dictatorship. He has admitted, however, to having the goal of wealth redistribution, and he is most definitely taking a number of our freedoms away from us. As for dictatorial designs, he has appointed how many "czars"? These appointments, most of them, are not subject to the will of the American people, nor are they subject to the scrutiny and approval of Congress. They are simply appointed by the president.

Nearly the only real assignment the government has is to protect us. Obama is not even trying to hide his antipathy toward this lofty but simple call. He is brazenly snubbing his nose at the very idea of protecting our borders, but he's certainly and arrogantly embracing a desire to control each of our lives.

You can either wake up, show up at the polls and kick this fool and his minions out, or you can remain ignorant, give up your liberties and join the Obama chorus in blaming George Bush.

Bolting, cat-like, from the brush, Bullwinkle here, with gnashing teeth, stood between my wife and I as we were driving home yesterday from Rangely. I know this photo is a little blurry, but if you look closely at the top of the road just to the right of the yellow lines you will see the frightful beast.

Linda was so excited that she leapt from the truck and fired off several photos, all of which are a bit blurry. I think this adds a bit of mystique, in an Area 51 sort of way.

It's our first Maine moose sighting. And, of course, I couldn't help but think of the moose meat summer sausage I had earlier this year. Mmmmmm!

You're paying for abortions!

Also this week, it was revealed that under Obamacare, federal tax dollars will be funding abortions in Maryland.

Abortion is America's holocaust; now whether or not you are pro-life you will be paying for doctors to kill babies. This is a time for all of us to be in prayer, and it's a time all of us need to take action. Call your congressmen/women and let them know how you feel.

If our leaders cannot stand for the most basic human right, life itself, please explain to me how I can trust them to make any major decisions.

Watch out for the fat police!

I just discovered that the Obama administration is going to "monitor obesity." Whose obesity? Why yours and mine, that's whose!

According to a Fox News report on July 17, the federal government is going to demand obesity rankings for all citizens by 2014. Does this sound like "change you can believe in"? It doesn't to me. Rather, it sounds like federal control over individual lives. Or, put another way -- you cannot be trusted to feed yourselves properly, so the government will decide for you. That glub glub glub sound you just heard was yet another of your individual rights circling the drain. Will you do something about it, or will you blithely bid it adieu?

The outrage over this issue is shocking in its peaceful tranquility! Are we a gaggle of frogs warming in a pan? This administration has in less than two years told us we are too incompetent to choose our own doctor, too impulsive to handle our own retirement money and now too daft to feed ourselves. Meanwhile many of us would rather cling to personal pride than admit that electing Barack Obama was a horrible mistake.

Wake up! If you think there is any evil under the sun that simply cannot happen here in America, you are delusional.

Welcome to my opening salvo!

Welcome to my blog.

I am a frustrated American male with very few outlets in which I can vent. The wife can take only so much.

So this is it. My intention is to convey thoughts on whatever floats my boat. My frustrations are often a result of political issues, so many of my thoughts will be of that nature. I am conservative, so that's your only warning! That said, I am happy to hear your thoughts on my thoughts if you fancy engaging. Please don't be crude, but feel free to be incendiary, sharp or even angry. I can take it.