Sarge

Crossing the Rubicon

"Crossing the Rubicon" means to pass a point of no return. Julius Caesar and his army’s 49 B.C. crossing of the river was obvious insurrection. He threw a gauntlet into the face of the Roman Senate and uttered the famous phrase; “the die is cast”. The rest is history.

From ink to pixels and bytes

What’s the most deadly poison available to kill a politician? The answer used to be ink. Now, we have computers and the Internet changing the answer to pixels and bytes of information explaining and challenging the politicians’ machinations. In the end result we have debate so we can educate people as to just how badly the politicians’ actions will affect them.

The Gallows we built

Cultures more refined than modern American culture see things through more patient eyes. Orientals see the world evolving through the “Thousand Year Plan” meaning the plan’s ultimate goals will be realized after a thousand years of hard work have passed. Native Americans believe the fruition of any idea planted comes after “Seven Generations”. The adage of “good things come to those who wait” is an axiom; not a theory.

Back-to-the-future (kinda)

Definitions: Insurance (n): contract that guarantees compensation for theft, damages, etc., for a fee Ensure (v): to protect Assure (v): 1. a guarantee; 2. to confirm confidently; 3. (Brit.) insure Risk(n): hazard: a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune; 2. a venture undertaken with regard to possible loss or injury; 3. expose to a chance of loss or damage; 4. Gamble wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn In a strange circumstance reminiscent of the “Back-to-the-future” © movie franchise, I find myself looking at an old, possibly geriatric column written to deal with the problems brought about by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2009 aka “ObamaCare”.

Democracy?

Democracy is a tough political format to defend. If you’re for it, then you want to spread the word and allow everybody to enjoy the benefits of freedom and the personal liberties derived from it. But, as I said it’s a hard format to defend. Witness Egypt.

The Remora

In an appearance on WFLA’s “The Morning Show with Preston Scott ©” in Tallahassee, Fla., Marco Rubio said “I have been saying now for over a year I believe that this president is tempted, will be tempted, if nothing happens in Congress he will be tempted, to issue an executive order like he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago, where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen,” Rubio said. “We won’t get an E-Verify, we won’t get any border security — but he’ll legalize them. So what I have tried to do is come up with as best as possible, given who controls the Senate, a way to start this conversation to at least address some of these issues because it only gets worse as times goes on.” “Daily Caller (8-14-2013)

The strength of the beast

I’d like to give Entitlists (I know it’s not a real word) the same treatment as a golf ball (hit them very hard with a long, club-headed stick) but we must appear civilized. Notice I said “appear”. This differentiates between actually being civilized and looking like I am (which I’m not; always).

Weakest link

In the United States’ Intelligence Community (IC) there are more operations charged with the gathering of intelligence activity than you can shake a stick at. There are 16 organizations to be exact. These individual offices are both civilian and military organizations charged with accomplishing the same thing: gather information to be necessarily analyzed to assist in the conduction of foreign policy and defense of national security.

Air Freshener

It would make sense to be this weary if life presented the only “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. Unfortunately, we our government is populated by fools and tools.

Fleas and all

Ms. Sandra Bates RN (ret.) of Baton Rouge, in a Letter to the Editor of the Advocate stated:

“When will Americans realize that morality has very little to do with a man or woman’s ability to lead? In an ideal world, we would wish it so. But history has proven that is not the case. These constant uproars over sexual hi-jinks (sic) only serve to distract the public from the issues that truly matter. The fact is that the movers and shakers of this world are generally not the most morally circumspect.”

In search of style

“You see, there's a difference between style and class, Mr. Griffin. You got class and I got style. And before we eeeeever get to the courthouse, you're going to know the difference between the two." 
-Larry Flynt (Falwell Deposition) I recently spoke with my editor (a young man with experience and wisdom far beyond his years) concerning why our little hometown newspaper did so dismally in the last state-wide competition when once, we were highly competitive. He explained the newspapers’ categories were changed. We were moved into a category having more newspapers enrolled and responding to the competition. The judges look more critically at the efforts of the individual writers and the newspapers they represented. This closer scrutiny will stress closer adherence to the writers’ (and newspapers’) accepted “Style Guides”.

Flip-flops

There’s a particular style of summer footwear goes by many different names: sandals, Japanese Zoris, flip-flops, thongs (a northern appellation having nothing to do with staving off visible panty lines), no-heel sandals, chinelos (Brazil), japonkis (Poland), shlapfen (Austria) and slappies or slaps. The look is universal and equally utilitarian as footwear. But there are some problems with the ubiquitous little “slappers”.

The Practicality Of Idealism

Years ago, while working as a callow and green EMT, I asked a resident physician why he’d chosen anesthesiology as his practice. I expected to hear, at the least, an idealistic statement of wanting to help people. Instead I got, “why the hell do you think I became a doctor? I don’t get dirty and the money’s good.” Needless to say it burst my little idealistically inflated balloon. But, it also schooled me as to why professionals become, well, professionals. The bucks are better and there’s little manual labor. They don’t get down in the dirt like you do and sweat and haul until they die. They work “smarter” not “harder”. It’s not an indictment as much as it is a fact.

Going off the reservation

“I would like to begin by repenting to Almighty Allah and apologize to the (Mujahideen), the believers, and the innocent. I ask for their forgiveness and their prayers. I ask for their forgiveness for participating in the illegal and immoral aggression against Muslims, their religion and their lands.” [Nidal Hassan, in a six-page letter attacking the U.S. Army and America while defending, on Islamist grounds, “his workplace violence” episode which took the lives of 13 Americans.] The Hayride.com 7-31-2013 Okay. I’ve had a cup of coffee and damned near smoked a cigarette to modify my blood pressure and get myself under control. Nidal Hassan made his statement and I can actually respect what he says because I believe he has the right to hate whomever he wants. He DOES NOT have the right to slaughter them as they congregated, without defensive weaponry, in a staging area for the purposes of conducted Army business. That’s something I refuse to accept. And, I won’t accept his apologists any longer.

Conservatives know

After the most recent post I accomplished, I have to admit it’s difficult to find good subject matter to address.

Conscience of dissent

Chris Christie, New Jersey’s Republican governor, was elected with great fanfare. His stand against blind acceptance of union pressure and its ability to pressurize candidates and incumbents is legend.

An indictment

Synonyms for lying: deceitful, deceptive, delusive, delusory, dissembling, dissimulating,double-crossing, double-dealing, equivocating, false, falsifying, fibbing, guileful, inventing, mendacious, misleading, misrepresenting, misstating, perfidious, prevaricating, shifty,treacherous, tricky, two-faced, two-timing, unreliable, untruthful, wrong Thesaurus.com

Another blow-out

We have another rig blown a gasket in the gulf. The Hercules Offshore rig had a blow-out causing 44 workers to be evacuated without known injuries. The company and the Coast Guard have taken steps to contain the Natural Gas discharge that’s causing a “sheen” on the water’s surface and a continuing fire as this is written.

Terrorism’s modern face

Rolling Stone Magazine ©, an ultra-left-wing rag, is highlighting Islamist terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in a depictive photo more akin to Jim Morrison of The Doors than Joe Stalin dripping baby’s blood from his maniacal leer. The guy’s a genocidal provocateur and murderer.

Moral cowardice

"Most people prefer to believe their leaders are just and fair even in the face of evidence to the contrary, because once a citizen acknowledges that the government under which they live is lying and corrupt, the citizen has to choose what he or she will do about it. To take action in the face of a corrupt government entails risks of harm to life and loved ones. To choose to do nothing is to surrender one's self image of standing for principles. Most people do not have the courage to face that choice. Hence, most propaganda is not designed to fool the critical thinker but only to give moral cowards an excuse not to think at all." Michael Rivero – Radio Talk Host When you start looking into the depths of the American Political Psyche (APP) you find interesting subjects to debate. We have the American Work Ethic, an instance of extant drives for superior productivity and the progress derived from such. Then we have the ideal of Patriotism which is devoted love, support and defense of one’s country; it’s a condition of national loyalty.