I hate to do this so soon, but it looks like I'm going to need to take an indefinite hiatus from this blogging. I'll leave all the previous posts up, but I need to focus on other matters for now.
I realized I'm trying to do too much at once, and it looks like there are plenty of other excellent conservative blogs out there fighting the good fight. I'll leave the blogosphere in their capable hands, while I focus on two main objectives: 1) getting my career in order and 2) learning as much as I can about American history.
Maybe after I'm far along on that second objective, I might return someday with a historical-themed conservative blog. We shall see.
For now, I'll leave you with these words of advice:
Learn as much as you can about history and learn from its mistakes.
Don't become a victim to your own emotions. Balance emotions with rationality.
Acquire your news from several different sources and form your own opinions.
Check out the blogs on my blogroll.
Realize there has never been a U.S. President who is all good or all bad.
Don't expect perfection from any human being.
Balance idealism with reality.
Watch out for peer pressure.
Read through the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence to see for yourself what the founders were all about.
Know that as long as you are an American citizen, it's up to you as to whether or not you succeed in your endeavors.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Just for fun...
I've got an especially busy week of work ahead, so it'll be several days before I get a chance to do a substantial post.
In the meantime, please enjoy this:
Pure brilliance and awesomeness.
In the meantime, please enjoy this:
Pure brilliance and awesomeness.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Follow-up to the Bush post
For more information about President George W. Bush, please read: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/12/myths_and_facts_about_the_real.html
Here's an excerpt:
"Myth 1: The last eight years were awful for most Americans economically and President Bush's deregulatory policies caused the current financial crisis.
Reality: President Bush's time in office is ending as it began, with our economy under stress. The recession President Bush inherited as he entered office ran through the attacks of September 11, 2001, but during the recovery that followed, and due in no small part to the tax relief President Bush worked with Congress to provide, this country experienced its longest run of uninterrupted job growth - 52 straight months, with 8.3 million jobs created."
Thanks to http://www.paulibrahim.com/ for pointing out the article.
Here's an excerpt:
"Myth 1: The last eight years were awful for most Americans economically and President Bush's deregulatory policies caused the current financial crisis.
Reality: President Bush's time in office is ending as it began, with our economy under stress. The recession President Bush inherited as he entered office ran through the attacks of September 11, 2001, but during the recovery that followed, and due in no small part to the tax relief President Bush worked with Congress to provide, this country experienced its longest run of uninterrupted job growth - 52 straight months, with 8.3 million jobs created."
Thanks to http://www.paulibrahim.com/ for pointing out the article.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sesame Street and Political Correctness
I learned something today that saddened me. Apparently, some adults now feel that the earliest episodes of Sesame Street, from 1969 through the ‘70s, are inappropriate for children.
Google "Sesame Street inappropriate," and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The DVDs collecting the first several years warn parents that the content may not be suitable for today’s preschoolers.
Not only does Cookie Monster practice poor eating habits, but he has the nerve to smoke (and eat) a pipe during his "Monsterpiece Theatre" bit. Can’t have today’s kids watching that! Yet, I clearly remember being a young child watching Cookie Monster with his pipe, and to this day, I have never even touched a cigarette or pipe, much less smoked either. That’s because my parents and teachers made it clear that smoking was a bad idea. Cookie Monster didn’t really have much influence one way or the other over my decision never to smoke.
Yes, to this day, I do eat many cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies and always have, but that’s because they’re delicious, not because I saw Cookie Monster eating them.
Oscar is another offender. He’s a grouch who should have been treated for clinical depression, or so the politically-correct folks say. Looking back, I’d say he’s a great opportunity for teaching kids to deal and interact with difficult, cranky people. In literary terms, he serves the antagonist role. Through his exploits, kids can learn about conflict and resolving conflict. But we can’t have such characters today, says the PC crowd––No, we must shield our children from such horrors as Oscar the Grouch!
Ernie and Bert, apparently, lived in substandard housing conditions. I don’t recall ever noticing.
And there are other issues, probably more than I’m aware of.
I survived watching the 1980s Sesame Street, which included plenty of earlier material. I remember fondly Grover running back and forth shouting, "Near! Far! Near! Far!" And I remember Kermit’s reporting and that bit with the x-ray machine. And Ernie singing about his rubber duckie. And so on. It was all quite harmless.
Now, if Oscar or Cookie Monster were, say, decapitating their fellow muppets or bombing inhabited buildings, then that would be inappropriate for children. But being a grouch or eating too many cookies? Please. This notion that we can only expose children to situations and characters that are purely shiny, happy, and squeaky-clean...that’s not doing the children any favors. Because eventually, these children will grow up and will forced to live in reality, where the reality is that not everyone is perfectly nice and cuddly.
This is what truly bothers me––this all-or-nothing mentality, this elimination of any middle ground. The real world is not all black and white, and it’s not all shades of grey either. There’s black, grey, and white. Teaching kids to add = good. Teaching kids to kill = bad. A muppet smoking a pipe = who cares?
The people who say that old-school Sesame Street isn’t appropriate for children need to realize that Sesame Street is not a parent.
Google "Sesame Street inappropriate," and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The DVDs collecting the first several years warn parents that the content may not be suitable for today’s preschoolers.
Not only does Cookie Monster practice poor eating habits, but he has the nerve to smoke (and eat) a pipe during his "Monsterpiece Theatre" bit. Can’t have today’s kids watching that! Yet, I clearly remember being a young child watching Cookie Monster with his pipe, and to this day, I have never even touched a cigarette or pipe, much less smoked either. That’s because my parents and teachers made it clear that smoking was a bad idea. Cookie Monster didn’t really have much influence one way or the other over my decision never to smoke.
Yes, to this day, I do eat many cookies. I love chocolate chip cookies and always have, but that’s because they’re delicious, not because I saw Cookie Monster eating them.
Oscar is another offender. He’s a grouch who should have been treated for clinical depression, or so the politically-correct folks say. Looking back, I’d say he’s a great opportunity for teaching kids to deal and interact with difficult, cranky people. In literary terms, he serves the antagonist role. Through his exploits, kids can learn about conflict and resolving conflict. But we can’t have such characters today, says the PC crowd––No, we must shield our children from such horrors as Oscar the Grouch!
Ernie and Bert, apparently, lived in substandard housing conditions. I don’t recall ever noticing.
And there are other issues, probably more than I’m aware of.
I survived watching the 1980s Sesame Street, which included plenty of earlier material. I remember fondly Grover running back and forth shouting, "Near! Far! Near! Far!" And I remember Kermit’s reporting and that bit with the x-ray machine. And Ernie singing about his rubber duckie. And so on. It was all quite harmless.
Now, if Oscar or Cookie Monster were, say, decapitating their fellow muppets or bombing inhabited buildings, then that would be inappropriate for children. But being a grouch or eating too many cookies? Please. This notion that we can only expose children to situations and characters that are purely shiny, happy, and squeaky-clean...that’s not doing the children any favors. Because eventually, these children will grow up and will forced to live in reality, where the reality is that not everyone is perfectly nice and cuddly.
This is what truly bothers me––this all-or-nothing mentality, this elimination of any middle ground. The real world is not all black and white, and it’s not all shades of grey either. There’s black, grey, and white. Teaching kids to add = good. Teaching kids to kill = bad. A muppet smoking a pipe = who cares?
The people who say that old-school Sesame Street isn’t appropriate for children need to realize that Sesame Street is not a parent.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Civics lesson
I found this excellent video at Moonbattery.com...
There is indeed a difference between a republic and a pure democracy. We're a constitutional republic, as we're governed by laws and not by any one group of people. Our system of checks and balances ensures that no one branch of government seizes control, while any citizens majority is checked by only having the authority to elect representatives.
There is indeed a difference between a republic and a pure democracy. We're a constitutional republic, as we're governed by laws and not by any one group of people. Our system of checks and balances ensures that no one branch of government seizes control, while any citizens majority is checked by only having the authority to elect representatives.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Year-old Daily Kos quotes
With an extra year's worth of hindsight, Right Wing News' 2007 list of the worst Daily Kos quotes appears even more ridiculous/frightening:
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2007/12/the_2nd_annual_worst_quotes_fr.php
Did Bush declare martial law and I missed it? I guess I was busy working that day.
http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2007/12/the_2nd_annual_worst_quotes_fr.php
Did Bush declare martial law and I missed it? I guess I was busy working that day.
An observation...on hope
To all those who credit Obama with instilling a renewed sense of hope within the American people, I present to you this quick observation, which I'm sure someone else must have made already. Even if that's case, it bears repeating:
The American people created that hope themselves. Obama merely presented the most readily available blank slate to paint that hope onto.
Just think about that for a little while.
For months, I wondered, about that "Yes we can" catchphrase. "Yes, we can...what exactly?" Now I realize that’s the point. It allows folks to fill in the blank with whatever they want, so they’re cheering on whatever they want to cheer on. From the marketing perspective, it was quite clever.
The American people created that hope themselves. Obama merely presented the most readily available blank slate to paint that hope onto.
Just think about that for a little while.
For months, I wondered, about that "Yes we can" catchphrase. "Yes, we can...what exactly?" Now I realize that’s the point. It allows folks to fill in the blank with whatever they want, so they’re cheering on whatever they want to cheer on. From the marketing perspective, it was quite clever.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)