Archive for October, 2008
McCain’s World View, Power and Control
John McCain likes to say that one of his model Presidents is Teddy Roosevelt – the Republican President at the beginning of the 20th Century. This writer is also a fan of Roosevelt. There are stark differences in the world view of McCain and Roosevelt. Roosevelt was deliberately forceful, McCain reacts out of anger. The […]
8Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
An Intro to the American Coffee House
From the truck stop burners to the gourmet air pots of the local coffee shop to the drive through of the Starbucks on the way to work, coffee dispensing has become more American than preemptive strikes. Coffee has been around. It is nothing new, really. It is not even a product of American culture. In […]
8Oct2008 | bryan | 1 comment | Continued
Creamy Vodka Sauce…
On the subject of tortellinis, we would impart another recipe from our own Italian friends in Staten Island, NY. We would like to thank Eileen for this one, and we are forever grateful as it is a family favorite. You will need: one cup of ham – cubed one cup of onion (yellow or white, […]
7Oct2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Creamy Vodka Sauce… | Continued
Obama, McCain, Townhall Debate, 10-7-2008
Obama and McCain will be facing off tonight in a Town hall style debate. This is a format that McCain has favored. During the primaries, when McCain was down in the polls and in money, he resurrected his campaign with a town hall format. McCain is relaxed in smaller groups of people, talking freely with […]
7Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
EPA Puts Republicans on Endangered Species List
The Environmental Protection Agency, a cousin to the National Parks, has declared the species of neanderthal Republicans to be endangered. Qualifying as endangered provides specific government protection. Specifically, the EPA is developing a Republican Wildlife Refuge. Preliminary plans are to locate the Refuge in Alaska. Drastic action is called for after a recent study by […]
7Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on EPA Puts Republicans on Endangered Species List | Continued
Democrats are Complicit in Economic Collapse
Democrats and Republicans mixed the Perfect Economic Storm. A big part of the collapse of Wall Street should rightly be put at the feet of the Wall Street Bankers. These are the ‘experts’ who were charged with managing the bank’s resources. Our government sanctioned lunacy in the banking industry – but that does not excuse […]
7Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Democrats are Complicit in Economic Collapse | Continued
John McCain and Coercive Diplomacy
The United States is winding down on another ill conceived War. Vietnam taught some lessons about getting into an open ended war with no clear definition of success. The first Gulf War seemed to alleviate any lingering concerns Vietnam might have created. Superior technology, overwhelming force, and arrogant diplomacy replaced professional statesmanship. John McCain is […]
7Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on John McCain and Coercive Diplomacy | Continued
Obama and the Christian Right
The conservative media and christian right refers to “The Liberal Blogosphere” and the “Liberal Media” and the “Liberal Internet.” We looked around the internet and found these clips attacking Obama. According to these folks Obama is anti-christian, the anti-Christ, a Muslim, and anything else they can think of. This writer believes the Bible is not […]
7Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Coffee and the American Gourmet Experience
Coffee is in the news. There is a lot of talk about providing a gourmet experience for consumers. McDonald’s is the latest to join the coffee experience bandwagon. Discretionary income is down, but the enjoyment of coffee continues to proliferate. The inherent problem here is that we are seeking an experience with coffee, as in […]
7Oct2008 | bryan | 3 comments | Continued
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for…..a cheaper product
International trade has been the key to successful nations for hundreds of years. Trading is more than just about making money. Trade has allowed nations to export surplus of goods, has helped establish treaties, create a balanced market and allow less prosperous nations to advance technologically. So what happened to America? America happened to America. […]
6Oct2008 | Cole James | Comments Off on I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for…..a cheaper product | Continued
McCain and the Keating Situation
I have to admit, I was one of the people in the late eighties that was in middle school, listening to the Beastie Boys and trying to get away with not showering in gym class. I don’t remember Charles Keating. I watch the news today and have no recollection of a time when this was […]
6Oct2008 | bryan | Comments Off on McCain and the Keating Situation | Continued
Ethics in Journalism – Blogging
Blogging is writing on the edge of the cliff. Blogging is a perilous business. Blogger can write anything they want – but if bloggers want to attract regular readers and build a following – they should follow some code of ethics. Even aside from any commercial or egotistical success – as members of the civilized […]
6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ethics in Journalism – Blogging | Continued
Ethics In Journalism – Be Accountable
Blogging is unique in the world of Journalism. Blogging is working on the edge of the cliff. The Fireside Post began as a blog and evolved into an internet magazine. We have kept some qualities of the ‘blogs’ that we deemed worthy. Most notably in the area of accountability. We are accountable to our readers. […]
6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ethics In Journalism – Be Accountable | Continued
Ethics in Journalism – Act Independently
Is Opinion different than reporting news – certainly. The Fireside Post is all about opinion – and we clarify our bias in “Who Are These Guys.” In terms of ‘acting independently’ we are the champions. We have no affiliations other than the United Methodist Church – and only one of us participates there. What might […]
6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ethics in Journalism – Act Independently | Continued
Wicked – A Garden of Good and Evil
You can’t beat a good story in the hands of a skilled craftsman. Gregory MaGuire has crafted a Fabula story in “Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The story has the freshness of spring flowers in a perennial emerald green garden. But this story is not for the faint […]
6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Born in the USA – Is Springsteen anti-war? (video)
We present here the lyrics and a video of Bruce Springsteen performing ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Here is the question – is this anti-war, anti-American, anti-insanity? This writer believes Springsteen is following the tradition of historically great artists. His art reflects the conditions of society at a given time. Art lives in history as a […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Born in the USA – Is Springsteen anti-war? (video) | Continued
Voting on Faith, or Faith in Voting
This is a tough one. We allow freedom of religion, of spirituality, freedom to worship as one chooses. But what about when it is time to vote. We want a person in office who is reasonable, intelligent, some education about government or economics or business or work or something is useful. We look to past […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Voting on Faith, or Faith in Voting | Continued
Old people exercising
A couple of months ago this writer decided that we needed to get our body into shape, one more time. We were once an active member of the local YMCA for about thirty years. A few years ago we stopped exercising and began to really enjoy evening ice cream and a movie. We are paying […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
I Am A Pregant Teen
It was difficult for me to sleep last night. I was checking the statistics on our magazine yesterday. The statistics page gives us two views of where our readers came from. ‘Referrers’ lists the other sites that reference our site. ‘Search Engine Terms’ is a list of the key words individuals used to search the […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on I Am A Pregant Teen | Continued
Rovians From The Planet Bushanus
They are finally being arrested, secured, immobilized. They come from the planet Bushanus and are called Rovians. Rovians live in the bowels of humanity, infecting civilized people with flu like symptoms. We wander through the news cycle, feeling nauseated, faint-hearted, and dismayed. Some suffer lethal effects, others are carriers. They came to this planet about […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Rovians From The Planet Bushanus | Continued
The Tragedy of Sarah Palin
The McCain Campaign is absolutely ruthless. These folks will use and abuse anyone necessary for a win at the polls. Caught up in this disaster of morality is Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska. Palin has to own some of the choices she makes – but the allure of power has distorted her powers of […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 12 comments | Continued
Ethics In Journalism – Minimize Harm
Journalism on the internet has corrupted the world of reporting. The Fireside Post is an opinion magazine, with our bias clearly stated in “Who Are These Guys.” Even admitting we are about opinion does not excuse us from having some ethical boundaries. This is the second post in a series examining journalistic ethics. We will […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ethics In Journalism – Minimize Harm | Continued
Ethics in Journalism – Seek Truth
The internet has thrown the world of journalism off balance. The reality today is that anyone can be their own publisher and editor. The Society of Professional Journalists have a code of ethics. These ethics are the definition of right and wrong in reporting news. The Fireside Post is doing a series on ethics in […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Ethics in Journalism – Seek Truth | Continued
Tina Fey In The Debate
Saturday Night Live has hit a gold mine with Governor Sarah Palin. Tina Fey has mastered the impersonation. This particular piece of October 4, 2008, captures the comedy of Joe Biden and Sarah Palin in their one and only vice presidential debate. …… Check out Brian Williams with David Letterman HERE.
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
MLK, I Have A Dream” video
In 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. gave the speech of his life time. Some contemporary politicians seem to believe that words do not matter – that giving an inspirational speech is not important. Listen to Martin Luther King and see if you agree. [wp_youtube]PbUtL_0vAJk[/wp_youtube]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on MLK, I Have A Dream” video | Continued
Wind and Wild, energy and nature
The Global Warming phenomenon is powerful. People across this great country are taking action. They are not waiting for an Act of Congress to be responsible. I drove the rural countryside on Saturday, traveling deep into the Missouri hills. Along the way I saw a sight right out of a Holland Science Fiction movie. There […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Letterman with Brian Williams
This is just a fascinating segment on David Letterman. Letterman, as most know, has been after McCain for a week – McCain bailed out on a Letterman segment. But to have Brian Williams on this talk/comedy show brings up issues that would really be funny if they were not so serious. Brian Williams notes with […]
4Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Stubborn McCain Champions War
John McCain owns the Republican Party – at least for the next two months. He owns the Republican National Convention. He owns the message being presented by every speaker and every video. The stubbornness of John McCain is evident in the message presented. McCain’s life bookends are all about War. His adult life is framed […]
4Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Americans want a Revolution – 2008
We are ready. We are ready for change. We are ready for a Revolution. The American people have already demonstrated a powerful desire for revolution. Witness the Party Primaries of 2007 and 2008. Democrats have registered to vote in historic numbers. Barack Obama – a relative unknown – won because he represented the best chance […]
4Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 7 comments | Continued
Palin – Cheerleader Who Wants to be Quarterback
Joe Biden said “Drill, Drill, Drill.” Governor Palin was excited because she had found the “gotcha moment.” Palin was so enamored with her revelation that she almost could not get it out quick enough. Palin, leaning forward and looking smugly at Biden said, “The chant is Drill Baby Drill” Then she was just pleased with […]
3Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Palin – Cheerleader Who Wants to be Quarterback | Continued
Respecting Joe Six-Pack
Governor Sarah Palin has resurrected an old term – Joe Six Pack. Her notion is that she represents that demographic – folksy, hard working, beer drinking, regular American people. Her position is not so much that she can represent Joe – it is more that she is Joe. This is troubling. The Founding Fathers wrote […]
3Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 6 comments | Continued
Nuclear Energy – a Video Debate
No one really knows. Or if they do they don’t agree with others equally confident of their knowledge. There are some things we can know – for instance, people are generally afraid of anything they do not understand. We step on harmless spiders and kill friendly snakes because we do not understand. Many of us […]
2Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Nuclear Energy – a Video Debate | Continued
Biden, Palin Debate, 10-2-2008
Tonight is the night. This is the most talked about debate in recent memory (we have Alzheimers, or some cousin of that dementia) – so it should be interesting. Everyone is looking for theater – It is almost as if no one expects substance – we are looking for the big gaff. The nice thing […]
2Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Baking Bread – Recipe and Discussion
This writer began baking bread about fifteen years ago. We have experimented with white bread, egg bread, sweet bread, rolls, loafs, braided loafs, and combinations of these. We now use a single recipe of my own design – it is a sweet egg bread. Recently we tried using some wheat flour. We found that if […]
2Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Vice Presidents – how do we measure
There is a big hoopla about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. Why don’t we measure Governor Palin against past Vice Presidents? Let’s take a look at the last seven. Dick Cheney Al Gore Dan Quayle George H. W. Bush Walter Mondale Gerald Ford Nelson Rockefeller Rank these people in terms […]
2Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 4 comments | Continued
Conservatives of 2008 – Raping and Pillaging
Something is way out of whack in the logic of the Conservatives of 2008. The logic is guilt or honor by association. The logic goes something like this: “I believe in Jesus and I believe we should drill for more oil in our backyard.” Thus given that Jesus is a solid belief it follows that […]
2Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 8 comments | Continued
Cooking for a Crowd: Walking Tacos
Basically, here is how it works: you will crumble the chips in the bags and then cut the tops of the bags off. You can also turn the bag on its side and cut the bag along the edge from top to bottom.
2Oct2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Cooking for a Crowd: Walking Tacos | Continued
Rednecks For Palin, Wasilla, AA
“How come we don’t got two names like my cousins in Punkin Center, Missouri?” Jed was pondering out loud. “Cause down in Missouri they all gots the same first name, they gots to have two names so’s they can tell each other apart,” responded Jeb. “Well how come my cousins down in Punkin Center is […]
1Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Obama Explains Economy in Speech
Barack Obama has come through with a practical explanation of the economic problems and the fear Americans are experiencing. Obama has remained cool and Presidential while McCain continues to harangue anyone who questions his judgement. This is an excellent example of the difference in leadership styles. McCain is erratic and risk taking, bounding from one […]
1Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Obama Explains Economy in Speech | Continued
McCain Palin, Visibility Without Exposure
What a sad predicament our free press finds itself in – it has to deal with John McCain. McCain refuses to take reporters questions and shields his running mate from scrutiny. Sarah Palin has met with foreign leaders in New York – but McCain’s camp did not allow reporters to participate, other than with video […]
1Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on McCain Palin, Visibility Without Exposure | Continued