The Ressurection of Ohg Rea Tone

Ohg Tone and I have been friends for forty years.  I first remember him when my oldest daughter was two years old.  Ohg showed up and brought sarcastic humor into my family.  As crude as he is – there is always a spark of humor.  Ohg became a writer for thefiresidepost.com in 2007.  After five […]

Profiling the Usual Suspects – We Are All Guilty

The facts are not yet clear.  They are muddled more every day by people with agendas who leak information.  One thing is certain – everyone with a comment about Trayvon Martin’s death has an opinion based on limited data.  It seems the profiling did not end with the assessment by the neighborhood watch man accused […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

Bush and Cheney are WMD’s

George W. Bush, mixed with equal amounts of Dick Cheney, produces Weapons of Mass Destruction. These two men, more than Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden, have themselves destroyed mass numbers of humans. And about 5,000 of the dead are American service men. We can not even begin to count the number of innocent Iraqi’s killed in a war of vengeance.

The lethal combination of Bush and Cheney needed only a spark of inflamation. The entire Republican Party has bought into this mixture of vengeance and lusts after another opportunity to mix their potions of destruction.

Obama’s Chicago Vulnerablitiy

Here we go again.  Washington partisan politics 101.  The political corruption in Illinois will dramatically affect the Obama Administration.  This is not about guilt or innocence – it is about perception.  And particularly the perception of vulnerability. When Bill Clinton won the Presidency in 1992 there followed some corruption news in Arkansas.  This gave rise […]

Obama’s Team Chemistry – the X-Factor

President Elect Barack Obama is forming his team for governing the United States of America.  The buzz in the media centers around the personalities and talents of selected team members.  The entertainment value of media questions has been noted by the President Elect, “I know you are having fun with this,” when asked about previous […]

Governing from Center Left or Center Right

Americans are finally experiencing rational government.  As the Obama transition progresses we watch, with hope and with fear.  The troubled world is scary and important decisions are at hand.  Nearly every day there is a headline in the news about the transition.  One day the media reports a ‘center-left’ process.  The next day another headline […]

Barack Obama’s Leadership Paradox

Barack Obama has assumed the Presidency.  Might we say he has transcended the transition?  He will not take the oath of office until January 20, 2009 – but Barack Obama is the President in everything but title.  Obama has assumed the leadership role in America and around the world.  And the paradox of Obama centers […]

Obama – Focal Point of Mature Stability

This election was tough.  Hard hitting, loud, boisterous, negative, slanderous, and sometimes mean spirited.  All of us have enjoyed and distressed over the emotional roller coaster.  This was better than any Hitchcock thriller – if tense excitement is what you like.  But the election is over and we are seeing the emotional aftermath.  We can […]

Life or Death – Warrior Virtues

The disaster of September 11, 2001, redefined our nation’s leadership. Perhaps. It may also be that the disaster of terrorism merely focused or gave clarity to a foregone destiny. Our President, George W. Bush, issued his proclamation. He did so with a sense of nobility right out of the Dark Ages. He said, “There is […]

Obama Drives the American Mini Van

Barack Obama has taken the reins, he is behind the wheel, with a delicate foot on the gas pedal.  The American family Mini Van is on a new journey.  With President-Elect Obama at the wheel, Rahm Emanuel riding shotgun, and the back of the van is loaded with the children of an American President. This […]

Trust God, But Lock Your Car

The Federal Government of the past eight years reminded this writer of an old computer axiom – we can now make a million mistakes a minute. In 1972 I worked in the world of finance with an IBM 370, Model 145 – one of those mainframe computers with a front panel of flashing white, yellow, […]

Barack Obama, Romanticism Restored

H. W. Brands has written a compelling biography of Teddy Roosevelt, “T. R. The Last Romantic.” Published by BasicBooks in 1997, Brands biographical depiction of Roosevelt is as intriguing as any novel. But I cannot help making a comparison to Barack Obama of 2008.

The Transition – Governing From the Center

Barack Obama has won a decisive victory over his Republican rival, John McCain.  Ironically – it may be McCain who can most help Obama with the Presidential Transition.  Obama must select a team of people to fill his cabinet and lead the new Government.  While McCain demonstrated poor judgment in choosing Sarah Palin – Obama […]

Obama Will Govern From The Center

Take a look at Barack Obama’s life.  His whole life is about hard work, education, empathy for others, and compromise.  Check that last word, compromise.  Whatever Obama believes about particular issues, he is all about compromise.  Combine compromise with intellect and integrity – and you have a powerful leader. Barack Obama was born to a […]

Senator Obama, To Sir With Love

Senator Obama, Thank you.  You have brought a sense of hope to this country, nay – to this world.  It seems so long since we felt hope. On  September 11, 2001, the rooster crowed.  A new age was upon us but the world was slow to awaken.  Stumbling in the early morning darkness we knocked […]

Obama’s Best Chance – Palin’s Example

The opportunity for the White House increased dramatically with the McCain choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate.  Initially Palin energized what the Republicans call their base.  She did and she does energize those people and that is exactly what is wrong with the Republican Party. Check out the latest Obama advertisement: Plain represents […]

McCain’s Spiritual Guide – Inciting Hatred

John McCain’s Republican Party is attacking Barack Obama this week with advertisements highlighting the loony Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  McCain has said that he would not go there – and now claims he can’t control independent groups. We are talking about the Republican National Committee.  John McCain is the standard bearer of his party.  John McCain […]

Missourians For Obama

Is it Missourians or Missourites?  We never know.  We live in Punkin Center, Missouri, and we are voting for that Chicago politician, Barack Obama.  Generally we don’t take much to Chicago politicians, but this fella seems different.  Down the road in St. Joe the Newspaper just came out for that McCain boy.  We figured they […]

The Root of Obama’s Calm is Humility

Why is Barack Obama so calm.  People have been throwing rocks at him for two years that we know about – and he smiles and nods his head, he remains calm.   The world of finance collapses and Obama remains calm.  John McCain calls him a Muslim terrorist and he remains calm.  What is going on […]

Mr. Greenspan Goes to Washington, Shock and Disbelief

Alan Greenspan goes to Washington.  And this time he sounds more like Jimmy Stewart as the naive Boy Scout leader who is appointed to the Senate in the movie “Mr.  Smith Goes to Washington.”  The Jimmy Stewart character is a Boy Scout, full of innocence, always hopeful, and believing in the honesty of others.  He […]

The Prophecy of Barack Obama

Two years ago Barack Obama decided to run for President of the United States.  There were others.  Seasoned politicians.  Politicians who have been representing people in an official capacity for years.  Each of the candidates spoke to the people.  Each presented their case.  Obama said, “This is about change.” We the people cheered. Think of […]

Obama, Kennedy, Lincoln, Jefferson

Great men.  Men of honor, of words.  Words do matter, and these four, Obama, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Jefferson demonstrate the point.  We in America are blessed that men who commanded words also commanded the birth of this nation. “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”  […]