Twilight

I am not ashamed to confess that I read the book. There were 148 people before me on my library's waiting list to read it, but I waited. I didn't want to buy the book because, except for Jane Austen, I just don't re-read books. Now I'm number 81 on the library's list for the second book Blood Moon. After reading Twilight I have really been thinking about splurging and buying the remaining 3 books. Thank goodness, though, that I haven't felt well enough to go to all those after-Thanksgiving sales or I surely would have bought the books.

I thought the book was very good even though it's obvious target is teenage girls - just like Harry Potter's target was children. As way of explanation I happen to love books about vampires as long as the main vampire character is a reluctant vampire - you know, hates what he's become. I don't like explicit violence, blood and guts. I like sensitive vampires as lead characters. I did like "Underworld" because the Scott Spedman character became a vampire against his will (and a werewolf). And the Kate Beckinsale character hunted bad vampires although she was a vampire herself. It was way bloody and violent and I didn't like that, but I liked the story.

Getting back to Twilight, I thought it was enjoyable - no sex, any violence was left up to the reader's imagination. The vampire family unit were good vampires in that they drank the blood only of wild animals, no humans. I won't say anymore just in case you want to read it. I have decided to not see the movie because the book was so good, and the movie can't possibly be as good as the book. But read the book especially if you are a vampire fan!

Rock Band

I LOVE Rock Band! My son-in-law brought their X-box 360 over for Thanksgiving and all the instruments. I didn't think I'd try it because it was songs I didn't know, but I ventured out and tried the drums. Totally hooked! I haven't tried the guitars or singing yet, but if we play tonight, baby, watch out!

Giving Thanks

Tomorrow our house will be full of family for the first time since Christmas. And we will be celebrating with members of our extended family for the first time. My daughter-in-law's parents and brothers are joining us. And we'll all be under the same roof which is probably the biggest blessing of having a big house. Breakfast, lunch and dinners filled with the fellowship of those who love each other and have so much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to you.

Mike Huckabee

I don't know about you, but I don't trust Mike Huckabee. I listened to part of his interview (the transcript is here) with Hugh Hewitt last night and I was struck by his talking around some of the questions instead of giving straight answers. I felt like he was already running for the nomination for 2012 and trying not to give answers that might come back to haunt him. I'm irritated by the way he toots his own horn and he seems a little smarmy. I am also troubled by his negative comments about Mitt Romney that are in his new book, Do the Right Thing. I speculate that he's trying to take Romney out before 2012. I also have questions about whether he is a true conservative. Romney was my guy and I'm an evangelical Christian. I just had too many questions about Huckabee's sincerity. I don't believe I could ever support him

Blind Eye On Terror

I ask you: what good is economic security if we don't win the war against Islamofascism? Why hasn't Obama ever talked about the dangers of radical Islam? Is it because Bush's policies have kept us safe since 9/11 so we no longer see terrorism a problem? I think because Bush's policies have worked to keep us safe, we have grown very complacent and are in denial about the danger. I fear we're going to come face to face with our denial at some point in the near future. I pray it isn't so, but I don't believe Obama has the fortitude to deal with it as Bush has. Like Carter I believe he'll try to endlessly and unsuccessfully negotiate with those who want to destroy us and our way of life. I pray I'm wrong.

$7 Trillion and Counting

Obama will be ready on January 20 to sign another $700 billion stimulus once he takes office. The Federal Reserve stated that when it's all over over $7 trillion dollars will be "invested." Welcome to taxpayer hell. Obama wants to create 2.5 million jobs to "get the economy going." These jobs are going to consist of repairing the infrastructure: highways and bridges. More jobs are promised in building windmill and solar facilities. That means we become employers of 2.5 million people. How does he plan to pay for all this plus a new stimulus package? Tax the rich. Windfall profit taxes on "Big Oil." But that's okay, the Treasury can just print more money.

I, for one, look forward to these new jobs. Bureaucrats are going to be needed to keep up with all the paperwork the government is famous for. I'm going to get a job as a bureaucrat. That's job security. Bureaucrats NEVER get laid off.

Word to all you "middle class" and lower class expecting tax rebates (Obama misleads the public when he says tax "cut."). Don't spend it yet. In fact start cutting back because your taxes will be going up. Payroll taxes are going to increase in order to sustain Medicare and Social Security. Even if you pay no taxes, you'll be getting hit with higher payroll taxes. So don't come crying to me that Obama broke his promise - I didn't vote for him. I knew exactly what he'd do.

Back-Room Deals

When Obama won the Democrat nomination it appeared the Clintons would be ambivalent about campaigning for Obama especially after he passed over Hillary for Veep. And at first they weren't spending much time out on the stump for Obama and there was speculation that they didn't want Obama to win so Hillary could run in 2012. But then there was a change. Bill Clinton met a couple of times with Obama. (If only I could have been a fly on the wall!)

All of a sudden there are Bill and Hill out campaigning for Obama and I seriously ponder what exactly went on during those private meetings. Obama is President-elect for not even a month and Hillary is his "choice" for Secretary of State. Hmmm. I wonder if that came up during those meetings. Of course that sort of thing is illegal because it's looks like a bribe. And of course, Democrats would never participate in anything that looked like a bribe - right? Right!

I am going to speculate on what I believe occurred during those meetings. Please take my speculations with a grain of salt. I'm as much wrong as I am right.

My conjecture: A deal was brokered that if the Clinton's campaigned actively for Obama, Hillary would become Secretary of State, the most powerful position in the Cabinet, more powerful than even the Vice-President. There had to have been another part to it that Hillary would not run against Obama in 2012 for the nomination. She'll be 68 in 2016 which is not too old to run for President.

Another possibility is that within four years Joe Biden will resign as VP for "personal reasons" and Hillary will become Obama's VP. Actually I think it's possible for Biden to resign before the Democrat convention in 2012 so Hillary would be named Obama's running mate.

I think there's another possible deal: Obama will, at some point, name Bill Clinton as US Ambassador to the UN. If Hillary were president she could not do that. but Obama can. Bill Clinton has for years expressed interest in the position.

It will be interesting to see if I read any of the tea leaves right, but I'm betting on at least one becoming true.

Hope and . . . Change?

We are now looking at Bill Clinton's third term rather than Bush's had John McCain been elected. Why? Because Obama is filling his Cabinet and other positions of power with the Clinton Adminstration's former officials. I believe he's doing this because he lacks any association with people with true government experience. Who are his peers, his advisors? Well, there's the convicted Tony Rezco who was a big contributor to Obama's various campaigns. He also helped the Obama's purchase their multi-million dollar home in one of Chicago's most exclusive subburbs. Then there's William Ayers, the unrepentent terrorist. Ayers hosted Obama's "coming out" fundraiser when he first ran for office in Illinois. His peers and associates also include most of the corrupt political figures of Chicago politics. (Chicago is known for its political corruption and cronyism.) Which of these supporters would he dare put in his Cabinet? So where does he go? Clinton's former officials and cronies.

This doesn't look like much change to me.

Don't Let the Door Hit You On the Way Out!

There's not been an official announcement from the Obama transition team, but the rumor is that our Governor, Janet Napolitano, will become the Secretary of Homeland Security. I have mixed feelings. On the plus side is that her replacement will be Secretary of State (of Arizona) Jan Brewer who is a true conservative Republican. Since Napolitano became Governor our deficit and taxes have grown. When the state ran a surplus, instead of cutting taxes and returning the money rightfully to the taxpayers, she spent it. Arizona is a balanced budget state and cannot run a surplus or a deficit. Any surplus is required to be returned to the taxpayers. She did nothing to stem the tide of illegal aliens into our state and strove rather to invite them. We have laws in Arizona to stop illegal immigration, but Napolitano defied them. In Maricopa County (Phoenix-area) we have a wonderful sheriff, Joe Arpaio, who did enforce the laws. Thank goodness for Sheriff Joe!

On the negative side of her leaving the state for Washington is that having Homeland Security in her hands is a frightening aspect. As stated above, she did practically nothing to stop illegal immigration - except when she was running for re-election 2 years ago. She has also stated that she disagrees with many of the Bush Administration's immigration laws. I don't even want to imagine what she would do in charge of homeland security. I only hope we won't look back to the new administration after another terrorist attack.

So as much as I dread her leading the Department of Homeland Security, hopefully I'll be waving her right out of the state!

Somebody, Bail ME Out, Please!

Congress is as good at managing private business as . . . well, as Tony Romo is in picking a girlfriend. Congress should stay out of the rescuing business and instead pick Romo's girlfriends for him. (Seriously, could Congress do worse than Jessica Simpson?)

Back to the rant. What is wrong with letting GM, Ford and Chrysler go into bankruptcy? The president of GM said if Congress does not bail them out there will be 3 million autoworkers unemployed. I object!

Let's do a little comparison - the cost of a worker at GM and Ford is $1500 to $1600 per car. At Toyota's American plants the cost of a worker per car is $300. Why the difference? Because the Detroit automakers are held hostage by the United Autoworkers Union. They've been held hostage for decades, but it only started hurting when Americans started driving superior Japanese autos. It took another couple of decades to get to the point of bankruptcy, but they continued to give in to the demands of the UAW. Over the past few years the UAW has given them a few concessions here and there, but $1500 in pay, benefits and pensions is breaking the companies. And Congress wants to bail them out, but really they would be bailing out the autoworkers union. Doesn't that infuriate you? Congress is so beholden to unions that they would rather give them what they want than solve the real problem.

If the 3 Detroit automakers go into bankruptcy all their contracts with the UAW are voided and would have to be renegotiated. That's a good thing, right? Not to the unions. If union contracts can be renegotiated to more reasonable pay and benefits, Detroit will be on its way to profitability. And the claim that 3 millions jobs would be lost is false because if Detroit is making cars with a lower cost per car, then people will be employed. And Detroit would be making more money with which to pay them.

And if Congress ends up not bailing them out, they can bail me out! I could really use some of that $700 billion.

Cement-Head

This morning Rush Limbaugh related a story about Eagles' quarterback, Donovan McNabb, not knowing that an NFL game can end in a tie. Some sportscaster called him a "cement-head" and another sportscaster, defending McNabb, said that calling McNabb a "cement-head" must have stood for something else. I am assuming that person thought it was a racial invective. Are you KIDDING me?

I am reminded of Joe Biden's comment about Obama early in the nomination process. About Obama, Biden noted that he was articulate. Black leaders took it to mean - "He's articulate - for a black guy."

Now it's just fine to say some white person is a cement-head when appropriate. Like Tony Romo is a cement-head for dating Jessica Simpson who IS a cement-head.

Milton Friedman's Words of Wisdom

Economist Milton Friedman wrote that some “businessmen believe that they are defending free enterprise when they declaim that business is not concerned merely with profit but also with promoting desirable social ends; that business has a social conscience and takes seriously its responsibility for providing employment, eliminating discrimination, avoiding pollution and whatever else may be the catchwords of the contemporary crop of reformers.”

Friedman added, “In fact, they are . . . preaching pure and unadulterated socialism (emphasis mine). Businessmen who talk this way are unwitting puppets of the intellectual forces that have been undermining the basis of a free society these past decades.”

He's always been my favorite economist.

Reflections About Obama

I have thought about the election of Obama quite a bit since the election - who hasn't? I've made a few conclusions about this . . .

1) Obama won the election fairly and decisively. I did not vote for him and do not really care for him either, BUT now that he will be President it becomes my job to pray for him to have wisdom and integrity and ask God to bless his presidency. I doubt any Hollywood leftist ever prayed for President Bush, but that is not an excuse for me to do the same. As a Christian we are told to submit to the authority (rulers) God has placed in our lives. I believe this means to obey the law and pray for our leaders - although it's almost impossible to pray for Senator Durbin, Kennedy, Harry Reid, Biden and so on. Still as a Christian I believe that I am to pray for our leaders' success in leading our country.

2) I believe that Obama's presidency will be as bad or a close second to that of Jimmy Carter's. Carter, arguably, was the worst president of the 20th century. Only those of us who were adults during those terrible days remember just how bad it was. Inflation, interest rates and unemployment were out of control. There were price controls on gas which meant long lines at the gas stations. There was a malaise and discouragement in the nation. Carter was one who naively believed that just being kind and talking to our enemies would keep us protected. Sound like anybody else? His administration had undercut the CIA's ability to keep up with what was going on in Iran and in 1979 our embassy in Tehran was overtaken by Islamic militants and the embassy personnel were held hostage for 444 days. Carter tried one military action that was an utter failure and then did nothing other than try to negotiate the hostages release. We were humiliated internationally. I believe Obama and liberals will negotiate until they are blue in the face, which will ultimately fail because we are dealing with Islamic fascists. I believe Obama will be a one-term president - although that will depend on whether the Republicans have a unified vision for our country and are able to get that vision to the people.

3) Obama was not my guy because I do not trust him. We know very little about him. He is not transparent. He has questionable associations which say a lot about his character. He did not release his birth certificate nor has he released his college records. If there is nothing to hide, then why not release them. President Bush has been transparent in his Presidency and in particular, during his campaign. Even John Kerry released his university records. If he refuses to be transparent it is easy to assume he is hiding something. However, I do not know what is in his heart and therefore must give him the benefit of the doubt - although liberals never gave President Bush the benefit of the doubt.

3) I am suspicious of his character because we know very little about the man. We do know he has accomplished little during his government service, yet has lied about what he has done. I repeat that I do not trust him or his character.

There are many things about Obama that are questionable, but that does not relieve me of my burden to continue to pray for him, his leadership and our great country. God is in total control and knows exactly what He is doing though we may not be able to see it now.

Have faith and pray, pray, PRAY!

Like It Is

I've added a new link to my blog. It's a little right-wing, but it's my son so what can I do? The link is here: Like It Is - you know as in he's going to tell you "Like It Is!"

New Link

I am adding a link to Victor Davis Hanson's website. He is a prolific writer and a regular guest on Hugh Hewitt's radio show. He writes for National Review Online and is an expert on military and classical history. When he is on Hugh Hewitt's show, he talks about terrorism and matters concerning it. I urge all of you to visit his site: victorhanson.com.

What Is Conservative?

Matt Lewis at Townhall.com gave this answer to a reader asking about the core principals of conservatives:

"In his classic book, "The Conservative Mind," Russell Kirk established six "cannons" of conservatism, which on Wikipedia, Russello (2004) has abbreviated as follows:

1) A belief in a transcendent order, which Kirk described variously as based in tradition, divine revelation, or natural law;

2) An affection for the "variety and mystery" of human existence;

3) A conviction that society requires orders and classes that emphasize "natural" distinctions;

4) A belief that property and freedom are closely linked;

5) A faith in custom, convention, and prescription, and

6) A recognition that innovation must be tied to existing traditions and customs, which entails a respect for the political value of prudence. "

I think that pretty well sums it up. After reading that who wouldn't want to be a conservative?

More On Attacks on Sarah Palin

Last night, CNN's Campbell Brown had this to say about the attacks on Sarah Palin:
"I find it so stunning that the very people who introduced us to Sarah Palin, who told us she would make a great Vice President, have now turned on her with a vengeance..."

There is speculation that it may have been some McCain staffers who have a "horse" in the 2012 elections and want to eliminate any competition from Palin in favor of their unnamed candidate. Interesting.

Startling Facts About Election Numbers

Michael Medved has brought to light how much the actual turnout was to what was estimated in his post "CNN FINDS 26 MILLION MISSING VOTERS!" Even the day-after estimations were wrong. Check it out.

McCain's Attack Dogs

Yesterday Carl Cameron of Fox News reported that McCain staffers were sniping about Sarah Palin. This is an attempt to destroy any future in national politics she might have. I wonder if they resent the fact that Palin was more popular than McCain; that were it not for Palin energizing the base, McCain would have lost by a landslide. Let me add that Cameron seemed to revel in reporting this gossip and failed to mention the possibility that this was simply gossip.

Rush Limbaugh speculates that these campaign staffers are covering themselves for running a lousy campaign and want to be hired for future campaigns. For the most part these staffers are "moderate" Republicans and we know from the results of the election, moderates didn't win; conservatives won. Limbaugh says it's interesting that these McCain staffers are not attacking Palin's ideas, they are attacking her personally.

Ronald Regan's 11th Commandment "Thou shalt not speak ill against your fellow Republican" fell by the wayside not long after he left office. At this point it's just a distant memory as Republicans eat their own. Democrats don't really have to try to destroy our Party - we'll do it ourselves.

To get more information abou this story, check out this link at townhall.com. Part of this article states: "Meanwhile, RedState launches "Operation Leper," focused on, "tracking down all the people from the McCain campaign now whispering smears against Governor Palin to Carl Cameron and others."

The best site to get the most information is at Michelle Malkin's site:
"The McCain campaign’s classless cowards; Update: Palin reacts."

The Future of the GOP

I believe the future of the Party lies with strong conservatives. Sarah Palin will be leading the way. Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana, will be right behind her. Mitt Romeny is also a bright star of the Party.