Archives:January, 2009 | The Fireside Post January, 2009 | The Fireside Post
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Archive for January, 2009

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Republican Peanut Butter

Have you bought any peanut butter lately? If so, perhaps you should check the label for signs of the GOP. The current wide spread salmonella poisoning of peanut butter is a great metaphor for the leadership of the GOP for the past eight years. The Bush administration, supported by the same congressmen who now oppose Obama, had one simple philosophy in domestic affairs: Leave Business Alone!

29Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Republican Peanut Butter | Continued
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Delusional Politicians, Pelosi, Boehner, Blago

These folks are really off the rail, sidetracked, stumbling over old rhetoric. I am talking about politicians who somehow think that worn out political tactics can continue to fool the public.

The most obvious is the Illinois Governor. The Illinois Senate is holding impeachment hearings for unethical practices by the Governor. The Governor, known now simply as Blago, is tooting his horn in any parade that will have him. Blago made the rounds of the New York based talking head shows – he claims he is a martyr, being nailed to the cross of injustice by local politicians who want to rape the Illinois treasury. It is only Blago who stands between the corruption of the Illinois Congress and the safety of America. Just about everyone is entertained – and not convinced.

28Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Political Parlor Games and Obama’s Oracle

The Obama Oracle predicts the need for at least 825 BILLION in additional stimulus to the economy. It seems the parlor games are in full swing. The Democrats put some dubious spending in the proposal. Things like re-sodding the lawn on the Washington Mall. The oinking could be heard across the aisle. Too much pork the Republicans cried. Not enough tax cuts was the simple refrain. Obama was listening to the poetry of the Congress. Obama chose to go to Capital Hill himself to meet with Republican leaders (Republican Leader is an official oxy moron).

28Jan2009 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Redneck Gazette –

Redneck Gazette Fifth Edition Stimulating Economics Stimulating Economics Ohmydidhesayjihad We is having some trouble figuring out what we is hearing.  We got us a new President hoping that he would fix the problems this country is having.  We don’t know nothing about economics.  We only know that we should save more than we spend. We […]

27Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Redneck Gazette – | Continued
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Economic Illiteracy

Illiteracy. Generally we think of this word in terms of simple reading and writing. Some have changed the phraseology to ‘functional illiteracy.’ I suppose this means that a person knows the alphabet, can discern some words, and can perhaps sign their name. People are ‘functionally illiterate’ when their comprehension of reading impairs their ability to function in a complex society. If we apply this axiom to our economy, we might easily conclude that most of us are economically functionally illiterate.

27Jan2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Packed With Pork – Economic Stimulus in Perspective

One might think that the Republicans have been on the ropes for about twenty years – judging merely from the whining coming out of Congress. That Republican Congressman Boehner talks like he and his biddies have been the standard bearers for fiscal moderation for many years. Boehner and his cohorts are claim the economic stimulus package proposed by President Obama is packed with pork.

26Jan2009 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Detainee Hypocrisy of Politicians

Sam Brownback (an appropriate name for this man) is busy covering his tracks. He is a Republican Senator from the great state of Kansas. Senator Brownback ran for President and brought the morque of the Republican candidates down about 20 points. (Morque is the scale of combined morals and IQ). Senator Brownback is in a big toot about potentially having the detainees at GITMO being moved to the Federal Prison at Leavenworth, Kansas.

23Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Detainee Hypocrisy of Politicians | Continued
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Music of the Night – Videos

Andrew Lloyd Weber describes “The Music of the Night” as the most sexual song he has ever written. My take on the music is that it is the most sexual song I have ever heard. Here are three renditions, ordered from least to best – and they are all good. We begin with David Cook, then Josh Grobin, and conclude with Gerard Butler.

23Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Amazing Grace – Dr. Wintley Phipps

Dr. Wintley Phipps can make an atheist believe. There is no way to listen to this man sing without feeling something divine. We are truly living in a blessed time – a time when this talent can be readily shared across the globe.

23Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Amazing Grace – Dr. Wintley Phipps | Continued
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Super Nigger

Richard Pryor broke the rules, and we are grateful. Pryor was most effective in using humor to contrast the insanity of racism and the ultimate humor inherent in absurd words. Oprah will not like this post – but she failed to renew her advertising so we got nothing to lose, bro.

21Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Super Nigger | Continued
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Inauguration 2009: Exploring the Hero Myth

The idea of hero is old, and treasured in mythology. The hero metaphor influences our understanding of the world. This ancient value of hero lends credence to the fierce patriotism of America. No Congressman will vote against our military, our heroes.

20Jan2009 | | 5 comments | Continued
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The Changing Face of Etiquette

As we, our culture, are catered to by technology and the marketing machine, we begin to feel more entitled to the things that we consume and the benefits of our service industry. The idea of serving others is lost on those who become complacent with being served themselves.

20Jan2009 | | Comments Off on The Changing Face of Etiquette | Continued
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Jesus: Radical Rabbi or Practical Mystic?

There is a lot of talk these days about being “spiritual” but not being “religious.” We often hear, “I see myself as a spiritual person, but not as a religious person.” This is the mantra of the children of the counter cultural movement of alternative spirituality. It is so much the mantra of a movement that it is no longer counter cultural, but represents the mainstream American thought process.

19Jan2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Politics of Racism, 1903, 1968, 1988, 2009

I collect political memorabilia. As I looked through my junk last night I realized how much we have changed.

I have a George Wallace neck tie from his 1968 run at the Presidency. It is a thin white tie with bold red letters horizontally positioned that reads Wallace ’68. Twenty years ago I attached a campaign button to the Wallace tie – it reads Jesse Jackson ’88.

19Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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America Derailed

Rights organizations have historically been a blessing to life as we know it today. While they did not necessarily reflect the ideology of every person in this great country, their purpose was for progression and prosperity of the nation as a whole. Women’s rights, abolishment of slavery, equal opportunity employment and to a good degree, affirmative action have all been for positive change to move our country forward. Now we are stuck in a gravy bowl of economic turmoil and some of these new found organizations are just adding flour.

17Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Obama, Cheney, Gitmo, and the Founding Fathers

In the beginning there was a revolution. Talk of revolution whispered through the ranks of community leaders. The whispering was necessary because if King George III heard of the treasonous acts he would have the perpetrators jailed, and the possibly deported to some far off prison colony – all with out the benefit of due process. The leaders finally agreed on revolution, a Declaration of Independence was drafted, and the participants secretly stole into Philadelphia to sign the now historic document.

14Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Sarah Palin, Visibility or Exposure

Sarah Palin is on the airways.  Her tact today is to blame others for her troubles.  She forgot the first rule of politics – Get Visibility without Exposure.  Sarah Palin exposed herself as  a small town redneck, generally ignorant of the world beyond the boundaries of Wasilla, Alaska.  This writer is proud to be included […]

14Jan2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Redneck Gazette – Fight the Bad Guys

Redneck Gazette Fourth Edition Get The Bad Folks > Osama Bin Laden George Bush Fails Well, Ronald Reagan said, “There you go again.” And here we go again. Osama Bin Laden, that fella what kicked our butts in New York back in 2001, is poking at us again. This time he did an audio tape […]

14Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Redneck Gazette – Fight the Bad Guys | Continued
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Risk Adverse Politicians

The art of politics is often seen as the art of compromise, the art of the deal.  Politicians ask themselves, “How might I explain decisions made, and please 51% of the people?”  The job of the politician is viewed through two lenses – what is best for the country, and what is best for the […]

12Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Bernie Madoff, Traitor, Turncoat, Judas, Treason

Is there a greater crime against our country than that which Bernie Madoff is charged?  I don’t think so.  This is not ‘just’ stealing 50 Billion dollars – this is about the harm done to our way of life.  Our way of life is based on capitalism tempered by faith, or consideration for others.  Bernie […]

8Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Bernie Madoff, Traitor, Turncoat, Judas, Treason | Continued
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Bread or Circus Journalism

Bread sustains our lives, while circus entertains.  We stand at the precipice of change in journalism – debating the choices of bread or circus.  There have not yet been any Pulitzer Prices awarded for blogging – and this writer does not see this happening in the near future.  Pulitizer Prizes in journalism are reserved for […]

7Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Ann Coulter – an America Tragedy

When Ann Coulter is dismissed or challenged by anyone in the media the radical right claims another attack by the Main Stream Media.  Back and forth bickering that accomplishes nothing other than to continue to polarize America. To be clear up front, this writer has never been a fan of Ann Coulter.  But Ms. Coulter […]

6Jan2009 | | 4 comments | Continued
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Bar Room Brawls in the Middle East

Here we go again.  The fighting in and around Israel reminds me of the metro section of the local news paper on Saturday morning.  The small headlines on page 3B are like this:  “Man stabbed in bar room brawl”  or “Two shot escaping street fignt”  “Lover’s quarel errupts into violence”  – You get the idea.  […]

4Jan2009 | | Comments Off on Bar Room Brawls in the Middle East | Continued
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Breed Specific Legislation

BSL is another rights stripping phenomenon that has gained momentum through fear tactics. This is another example of individual’s willingness to accept anything from the media as the gospel truth. BSL has snowballed in that last couple of years. What this type of legislation does is either outright ban a certain breed of dog or […]

3Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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WalMart Sweat Labor – The Case for Tariffs

My son and I agree on just about everything philosophically – but we differ in problem solution.  He and his friends are on a big toot to boycott WalMart in protest of Chinese sweat labor.  There is no argument from me on the atrocities of the Chinese labor market.  But the idea of boycotting WalMart […]

2Jan2009 | | 2 comments | Continued