Paranoid? I Hope So

I think I'm paranoid. Yup, I am almost certain of it. I guess it's something that can't be helped on my part when the powers that be make it so easy.
I have been reading a lot of posts and warnings in the last few months, talking about the EBS system that is going to be tested @2pm on Wednesday the 9th of November. I had kind of ignored it somewhat but today a friend of mine posted that her local TV station had announced it. They warned that it was going to affect all the TV stations and last for an unspecified amount of time but that it would be lengthy. In addition it will effect all radio and from what I have come to understand all internet as well, though I can't be certain at the moment on the internet part, so we will have in effect a total news blackout all across this country and possibly Canada as well. This troubles me.
On Sept.11, 2001 we were conducting simulations of a terrorist attack on this country and when the attacks happened for real, we were, in a proverbial sense anyhow, caught with our trousers down around our ankles. We didn't know if what was happening was real or simulated. It didn't take long to figure it out, but in the meantime serious damage had been done and our country was shaken to the core. Who actually did what to whom is a debate for another day but one thing is sure; everything that we had ever known was completely and fundamentally changed.
What happens on Wednesday? Perhaps it will be nothing more then then the a fore mentioned test, I don't know, but I can tell you that it makes me nervous to think that we will all be left in the dark for a while with no sources of information to be had. They , the government, could be doing anything during that time and we will not know it's happening and little to no way to find out even if we hear rumors. It would be a great time for them to round up everyone who has ever dissented or protested the government. Perhaps the Occupy folks might want to consider taking a day off, I don't really know, all I do know is that it makes me nervous. The other thing to consider is that if I know about it and others know about it, and we have a real enemy out there, they surely know about it. Whats to stop them from trying something then? The date all in itself is scary because it mirrors 9/11 (11/9) and in many ways the situation will be similar, no information and no one will know for sure whats happening.
So am I paranoid? I hope so. I hope that this is nothing more then a real test and that I am nervous for no reason. See you Thursday....I hope.

To Marines and all Veterans

I heard a statistic the other day that kind of surprised me. It said that 1.3 million veterans had served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At first I thought that this was a large number until I read further and they said that this only came out to less then one half of one percent of the entire population of the country. Count veterans, no longer serving, and I think you actually get close to that one half of a percent. To put this in another way 99.5% of our nations population have never served.

I find this statistic quite significant when you consider how much criticism is thrown at those who serve from various groups out there. I grew up during the Vietnam war and I saw how our returning vets were treated then, and had kind of hoped that we had learned, alas we have not. I can't begin to tell you how many articles I have read, concerning various veterans issues, where the commentaries were filled with people doing little more then being critical of all of us who have served. We have been called everything from baby killers to idiots, puppets of the New World Order or extreme right wing and even little more then cannon fodder. Amazing how such a large group of people can be so critical of the extremely small group of people who's very job is to see to it that the large group can actually have the right to insult us!

But that's OK, let them say what they will about us, just shows who the real idiots are.

The truth of the matter is that I have served with the best and the brightest in the world. Some of them may have thought that I felt otherwise at the time ,especially if I was screaming at them for something, but the fact of the matter I knew then , just as I know now, that these were and are the best this nation has to offer. Duty, Honor, and Commitment are more then just mere words to all of you that I have served with and have known. Most of you will get to the end of your lives knowing that in some small way that you made a difference and that your life actually meant something. You may not see it now but you will. To all of you "thank you" doesn't do it justice, especially in this time of war, but that is all I can offer you and ,sadly, is more then your likely to hear from the other 99.5% this week.

To my Marine Corp friends I want to take just a moment to wish you a happy birthday. We are a very unique family amongst warriors with strong traditions and history and to you I wish to send a hearty Semper Fi and to call you out to be recognized for your time and service.

WO George Thomas and Keisha, GySgt O'Hara ,GYSgt. Steve and Denette Bolton , all of whom are still serving, Happy Birthday.
Retired- Scott and April Thurston, Bijan Aleagha, USMC Happy Birthday
Honorably discharged: Scott Bodkin, Jay and Kim Horner,Les Marcue, Joshua Hogshead, David Conrad, Joie Cascella, Dylan Allander, Willam and Loretta Carr. Happy Birthday!

My other friends and family desrve to be recognized as well because they sacrificed them selves for our nation as well.
Airforce: Wayne Mckenny, Tiffany Bonnette
Coast Guard: Dan Enright
Army: David Lacy, Dani Parrish,Steve Wilson
Navy: Tim and Julie LaBonte

To all of you I wish to say thank you for your service. We may ,in time, be forgotten by others but hopefully we will never forget and continue to keep the faith with each other.
Semper Fi.

A Return To Sexual Harassment.

Welcome back to the 1990's! Where sexual harassment and political correctness runs amok to the detriment of many a decent person... oh wait this isn't the 90's?! Well what is going on then? What is up with the accusations against Herman Cain? It's starting to sound like the redux of Bill Clinton and Clarence Thomas, no wonder I am so confused.

I am not a republican. In fact, I have no political affiliation at all, though I would say libertarian best describes me. This post has little to do with politics. Instead, I am going to focus on the mere accusation of sexual harassment and it's results.

During the early 90's I worked for an institution that took care of mentally disabled adults and children. We were a private organization but those in charge at the time, were very liberal, very politically correct and I enjoyed most of my time working there. During my time we had 2 cases of sexual harassment that came up that really opened my eyes to what sort of damage can be done by just the mere accusation. All Names have been changed but the stories themselves are true to the best of my memory.

Paul was a young man of about 30 who loved his job. He was the kind of guy who would work extra hours or bring residents home for the holidays, pretty much anything, just so he could help. This was not an ego trip for him, this was just the kind of person he was. He was one of those kind of people that you could depend on. Then he was accused of sexual harassment by a female resident suggesting that he had made sexual advances at her. All of us who worked with him knew that this was a bunch of bull. Not because she was mentally handicapped, no. He was Gay. He wasn't an inside the closet gay man, no, he brought his boyfriend to work related events and made no bones about who he was and he was accepted by all. But because the accusation had been made it had to be investigated and his reputation in Human Services was ruined from that point on. When the investigators were done he was cleared but the charge, the mere accusation, will always be on his work record and he wound up leaving the line of work he loved.

The second case was a bit more personal because I was involved in it. I wasn't accused but I was the supervisor of the two people in question.

The girl, who I will call Maria, was a very good looking woman and could easily catch the attention of any of the men there. One young man, whom I will call Bob, was particularly taken with her and as things would have it they started dating. I had to put them in different buildings during working hours so that there wouldn't be a conflict at work, but as things tend to happen their personal life came into play at work. After they had had a rather nasty argument they showed up to work, she came to me, and accused him of sexual harassment. Honestly, I didn't see how she could justify that claim, but because I was the supervisor, I sent him home and made my report. When my boss came in in the morning, I told her what had happened and she made her report. It turned out that it was a good thing that I took notes, as did my boss, because after the investigation showed no credible evidence, Maria sued the man and the institution that I worked for. Her claims were that we didn't take it seriously enough and that he had caused her psychological damage. Our paperwork and notes clearly showed that we had taken it seriously and had followed procedures exactly as we were supposed to, but the damage had been done. Nothing was ever proven, but just the mere accusation had destroyed Bob, and had seriously hurt the reputation of the place where I was working.

Is this the kind of thing that we are going to return to? Mere accusations without proof? I am not suggesting that real sexual harassment cases don't exist, they do, but usually they are brought to light when they happen and not 10 or 20 years down the road.

Truly it never ceases to amaze me the timing and politics of all these accusations. With Bill Clinton, it wasn't really until it became clear that he was a serious contender, that the accusations of sexual harassment began to fly, granted that in the end much of it was proven, but the timing was incredible, and despite the fact that the budget was balanced, he will always be remembered for what he was accused of rather then what he did. I had never even heard of Clarence Thomas until he was accused of sexual harassment, which was never proven, during his confirmation hearing. And for him as well, he will always be remembered for the accusation against him, rather then what he does as a justice. Now it's Herman Cain's turn. All of them top dogs, all of it timed, so it appears, to take them down.

I don't know Herman Cain, no more then any other politician, I can't say as I agree with him, politically speaking, on everything, but don't you think it's time that we come up with another way of bringing down a political foe then sexual harassment, without proof? He may be guilty, as was Bill Clinton, but I would think that we would have finally come to a place in time where we would demand the proof before we just assume that the accusations are fact but with the media being what it is I guess that would be too much to ask.

The Joy Of November

I love November. I like the fall in general but in my mind there is really something special about November that far surpasses all the other months combined. The end of September the fall officially begins but with it comes the beginning of the school year and all the madness it entails. October is usually pretty good with all the leaves changing color and the change in temperatures, but really there is something just completely special about November, that when it comes, brings a sigh to my mind and rejoicing in my heart.

November is a special month. Most of the leaves are gone off the trees and the days are generally much cooler, but it's almost as if nature pauses for just a few weeks and allows us to relax a bit.The squirrels are busy gathering the fallen acorns and the birds and chipmunks are hanging out at the feeders, there is the smell of wood smoke in the air and you can hear the leaves rustle in the trees as the deer move through the woods, and all the leaves have that satisfying crunch or swishing sound as you walk on old dirt roads. If you walk by some houses you are likely to smell the Cinnamon smell of apple pies and pumpkin as people prepare to have families come for Thanksgiving. Perhaps that is the greatest joy of them all for this month. This is the time of year that we really start to appreciate just what we have in life and the ways that G-D has blessed us. This is the time of year when we think of family and friends and we make plans to celebrate this great bounty together. This is also the time of year when we start to think of others who are less fortunate then ourselves and small ways that we might be able to help someone, who has nothing, at least enjoy blessings for one day.

I suppose it can be argued that every time of year has it's own beauty but for me there is nothing quite like the middle part of the fall. Perhaps it's because in some ways I have approached that time of my life and despite everything I kind of like it. The winter of old age is still a ways off and the spring and summers of my youth are but pleasant memories, and I have finally reached that place where I prefer that which is simple to complex much like what this time of year offers.
An author, who's name escapes me at the moment, wrote this about fall but I'd like to think he was talking about November." Fall comes in like and old friend, takes off his shoes and stays for awhile, telling stories of places he's been and the things that he has seen." I guess that's how I see fall and November in particular, not as a time to fret over the winter that is to come, but a time to rejoice over the simplicity and beauty of this time of year and of life.

So I hope that as we enter into the Thanksgiving holiday time, that you will take a moment to really appreciate this time of the year and remember all the blessings that G-D has bestowed on you over the last year.
Shalom,
Ignacio

Radical Politics and Antisemitism

Radical Politics and Antisemitism.

Two years ago there was a phenomena known as the "Tea Party" They met all over the country in many state capitals and DC, expressing their frustrations with out of control spending and taxation by the government and bankers being bailed all on our tax dollars. Democrats and some Republicans were voted out of office because of their stances on various issues that the tea party was not in favor of. Needless to say it was quite a thing to see.
This year we now have Occupy Wall street,who at least at it's face ,seems to be very much like the Tea Party, arguably with a much younger crowd, and not as well organized, but certainly as vocal and though their actual political impact has yet to be determined.

There have been a few very major differences though in the conduct of the participants, both those involved, and in the media.

Before the Tea Party became another wing of the Republican party, they held peaceful rallies all over the country. They had their grievances and they made them known but they also thought highly of our country and believed that the government had gone way beyond it's constitutional mandate and wanted that to change. The media did two things. They either ignored them or they ridiculed them and said that they were a bunch of racists. Though there was never any proof of ,accusations flew, rewards were offered to prove such a thing and then nothing, no proof just accusation.

Now we have Occupy Wall Street. Let me state right here that I am no fan of the bankers and other thugs who ripped off everyone, or the government people who allowed it to happen. This is simply my observations.

Occupy Wall Street is a group of people that seem to be very un organized. No one really seems to know who is in charge and there seems to be a massive amount of varying views of what these protestors are trying to accomplish. The media ,in this case, is giving them plenty of air time and many a politician and famous person has come out in favor of the protestors. There has been violence and chaos as well as very clear antisemitism. No, that's not all there is to it but this is the stuff that headlines are made of.

This is where the media has failed all of us. They went out of their way to try and prove hatred and racism in the Tea Party, which they were never able to prove, and yet when there are blatant incidences of it in the "Occupy" movement it is ignored by the MSM. Only twice has the national media done it's job yet even then it was so quick as to be missed by most of us,and the only reason that I can come up with is because it was against Jews. Had it been against African Americans, such as what was alleged to have happened with the tea party, it might have made the national spotlight but no it was against the Jews so it was given a pass. Well for me I won't give it a pass so here are two examples.

The first one that I saw was an interview with an African American woman who said that she was representing herself as a teacher and a school union. She put all the blame for the current economic mess on Jewish bankers and financiers. She said that we would be better off if all the Jews left the country. Here is the link. Once you are done that one you can find more linked to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMjm4LxFa1c

That is just one example. Another was a caller to the Glen Beck show. Now whether or not you care for Mr. Beck or his politics, this should concern you that in this day and age, someone would call his show and be so anti Semitic that he suggests " neutralizing" the Jews in this country and shipping them to " Madagascar."

http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/10/25/what-does-america-stand-for/

I am all about speaking out against injustice. I love living in a country where people can march in protest against perceived wrongs, but I can not find any justice or rightness in condemning an entire group of people based on alleged wrongs of a few who share the same name or heritage. If we have reached that point where this is going to be acceptable, anti Antisemitism that is, then you may start by throwing me out of the country I will leave with a smile on my face. No, I am not Jewish, though I practice Judaism as much as I am able to understand it, but I will stand with the Jewish people and Israel without reservation and if that means leaving these shores to defend Israel I will gladly do so. Bigotry in any form, by any one, regardless of their race or perceived gender, is not acceptable and does not speak well for your cause.

May calmer and cooler heads prevail in the days to come.

TSA IN TN

Apparently the so called terrorists have won another battle here in the good old USA. I knew that they had conquered all of our Federal buildings and airports as well as many other public venues, such as the ever dangerous library and sports stadiums, but until today I hadn't contemplated the depths of just how large that victory actually is.
We were told that one of the reasons that the so called terrorists hated us was our freedom and liberties. We could come and go as we pleased, buy and sell as we wished and essentially do what we wanted unless it harmed someone else.This , apparently pissed them off, so they "attacked" us. Since then it has been nothing but one so called security measure after another, and just like most gun laws, they have been implemented on the wrong people. If and I say "IF" we were really attacked by people of middle eastern descent then shouldn't they be the focus of all this BS that goes by the name of home land security? Show me the last time that grandma in a wheel chair tried to blow up a plane? Or a 6 year old or, for that matter, an American citizen who is white or black,Asian or Hispanic or Jewish. Worse yet is they send out memos suggesting that those of us who oppose these draconian measures, or are in any way opposed to government mandated programs that violate the constitution and are war vets, that somehow we are the bad guys?!The only ones that they can ever find, such as Timothy McVeigh, are so far off the deep end that anyone with a half a brain can see the words " set up" written all over it. No, sadly, this isn't about terrorists, this is about your government being afraid of you and wanting to monitor everything that you do.
A year ago I had written ,from a biblical perspective, why I have been so opposed to all the methods of enhanced security that they have at our airports. The idea of someone giving me a choice between irradiated testicles, and seeing me and or my family virtually naked, or someone feeling them really has no appeal to me so I simply refuse to fly. I am a poor man so that isn't to hard to do. Then they started talking about bus stations and train stations and started implementing the VIPR teams there, to randomly check on passengers, all the time arguing that if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear or you don't have a constitutional right to privacy while traveling.
So today my beef is with the clear victory that the" terrorists" won in the state of Tennessee. If it's not bad enough that they have invaded our privacy in the libraries and have tapped our phones and computers, now they are going to go after the one thing that most of us can't avoid and that is driving. Yes! Now the state of Tennessee is going to allow random VIPR units to interrupt your travel plans, if you happen to go by one of their randomly placed units. The fact that they are located on every major highway through the state should mean that you have little to no way to avoid them. So if Tennessee does it how long before the rest of the state run sheeple allow it to happen in their state?
So as I said earlier the "terrorists" have won another major victory today. We have officially become a police style nation and sadly very few of you will give a rats backside about it. The forefathers of this nation had balls the size of boulders when they took on the biggest and most powerful nation in the world. When they wrote the Constitution they knew first hand what a tyrannical government was like and so they wrote into the constitution the ways to avoid that ever happening here. But alas we are all too stupid to see just whats happening and we deserve exactly what we are receiving. So while you rejoice over Qaddafi being killed, or you rejoice over the prospect of 4 more years of Obama, just remember that there is a VIPR team courtesy of TSA and Home Land Security just waiting to touch your Testicles and Vagina out there on the highway, and you will either submit or be arrested and you can wipe the tears of your abject humiliation on a copy of the Constitution which apparently isn't worth much more then toilet tissue anymore. Welcome to the new "Land of the free".

Lessons from Steve Jobs

Today the world mourns for a man that made a huge impact on all of our lives, Steve Jobs. Whether or not you ever owned any of his products, there was no way that you could avoid the impact on our day to day lives. iPhone, i pads all the way back to the first "Macs" his innovation and futuristic thinking effected us all. He will be missed.

My wife found a quote of his that I wanted to share with you: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me. I was worth over $1,000,000 when I was 23, and over $10,000,000 when I was 24, and over $100,000,000 when I was 25, and it wasn’t that important because I never did it for the money.” Steve Jobs
There are many lessons that we can learn from that statement. The first being that money isn't everything.This was a man who was looking at his own imminent death and he knew the truth to the matter. Money was not going to save him.

Another reason though was because he simply enjoyed his work. Imagine if all of us had that kind of attitude, that the money wasn't important because we enjoy what it is that we are doing, that attitude alone could change the world.

There is a lesson as well that the government could learn if they would simply pay attention. Get rid of all the cumbersome rules and regulations so small business can get to the business of hiring people and stimulating the economy.

In his bio it says that Steve Jobs started in his garage back in 1974. Just imagine the world in that day having all the rules and regs that we have now and then ask yourself if Apple would have every got off the ground. I doubt it. I have friends who are small business men who don't see a whole lot of hiring going on because of all the regulations coming out of DC. I am not talking major corporations here, I am talking about people that I know that are trying to make it and expand but can't because of all the regs.

So essentially there are two lessons to learn here. One is to love what you do so that the money is a secondary issue at best and second is to let loose the chains that are currently stopping small businesses from expanding because you never know where you will find another " Steve Jobs."

Rest in Peace. Steve Jobs, 1955-2011