The Fireside Post

Obama on The Economy

He is right on – it is time to get our economy back on track. This is really not rocket science – without speed limits people speed recklessly through our neighborhoods.  Without Law (regulations) people will do just about anything.  If this is about faith the try this “Trust God, but lock your car.” Did […]

United Way – agency corruption

This writer is a big supporter of the concept of United Way – with skepticism for the actual practice. The concept is simple – there are many social service agencies in all communities that compete for the limited local dollars available. The idea of the United Way was to eliminate all of the individual fund […]

Coldingham Pork Loin (stuffed with cheese)…

In November of 1998 we lived with nine of my fellow sailors in a large, colonial style brick house near a man made lake in Virginia Beach, VA. The house was at the end of a cul-de-sac called Coldingham Court. Thanksgiving came along, and my friend Mike and I decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner, […]

Debt, Spending, and Social Justice

We admire the determination of people who do not have debt. The Congress and Administration should be so wise. As a young parent we ventured into the world of credit cards.   The result was that our children lived in virtual poverty.  We had a good job and made good money – but the debt […]

The Wall Street Bailout is Personal – KISS

This is personal.  This disaster on Wall Street and in the halls of Washington.  Most of us have no idea what our Government leaders are talking about.  Most of us don’t understand why every man woman and child in America has to put up something like $2,500 to bailout a rich Wall Street Banker.  But […]

Brigham Young, Jim Jones, Rush Limbaugh

There is evidence throughout history that desperate people will follow just about anybody.  Generally the numbers do not reflect the majority.  Generally the numbers are quite small in proportion to the whole.  That was the case with the Mormon cult, it was the case with the Jim Jones cult, and it is the truth with […]

Ronald Reagan and Ron Paul on Government

These are the oversimplified ideas of orators hoping to get elected. Ronald Reagan on Big Government: Ron Paul on Big Government:

Redneck Loan Sharks

We was run out of the general store cause we talk too much politics.  So we is now hanging out at the Bait Shop.  It’s good cause they expect us to lie. Bobby Joe:  Where is Hank these days, ain’t seen him around much?” Bobby John:  He decided to start a bank. Bobby Joe: How’d […]

Commander in Chief – Role of a Citizen

The Constitution of the United State of America vests the power of Commander in Chief with the Executive – The President. This feels clear to this writer that the intent was for a citizen, elected by the people, to act as Commander of the military. There was purpose in this intent. Here is a quote […]

The Iraq Surge Has Not Worked!

On September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked America.  America launched a military assault – The Mission – find and either kill or capture the murderous terrorists. But the George Bush administration did a shell game with the American people, distracting everyone from the defined mission.  As a result – The terrorist leaders have not been punished. […]

Resurrecting Gordon Lightfoot

Gordon Lightfoot is one of the most polite and graceful of all Folk Legends.  He is quiet and unassuming.  We are grateful to have lived in his lifetime.  His music and his life deserve a resurrection. From Parade Magazine Personality Parade: In 2002, Lightfoot suffered a ruptured aortic aneurysm, similar to the condition that killed […]

McCain/Palin – Unstable/Unable

This is the week that was.  John McCain could not have had a harder time.  Every day, and sometimes twice a day, McCain changed his position and philosophy on the economy.  At times he sounded like he might be in early stages of oldtimers disease. John McCain, that once bold and brave warrior, has been […]

The Real McCain – The Keating Five

John McCain has desperately floundered this week to adopt a meaningful policy to deal with the economy.  He changes his position two or three times every day.  As if this were not enough to violate our trust, his entire history is one of catering to exactly the sort of people who have crashed Wall Street.  […]

McCain gets really NASTY!

Check out his new ad.   Three black men doing bad things followed by an elderly white woman.  What a cheap and nasty campaign ad.   Let’s elect McCain and Palin, we can set Civil Rights and the Women’s movement back fifty years in one shot.  The Republican Party is the Lynching Party – bring your own […]

Wall Street Terrorizes America

Osama Bin Laden, who remains free, launched four planes at American’s financial and military structure on September 11, 2001.  Bush reacted and has weakened our military.  The Republicans reacted and eliminated regulations on Mortgage Banks and Investment Banks.  Then the American Terrorists took over. The Stock Market has dropped more this week than at any […]

States Rights – a Feudal System

Bear with me – sometimes the answers to current problems have historical roots – and the answers to complex problems have already been worked out.  Over time people have tried varieties of government and economic systems.  Our Founding Fathers studied the history of government and molded the bold liberal experiment that we now call the […]

Woody Guthrie Sings About Immigration

I took some minor liberties with the title. Woody Guthrie was singing about immigration – but he was referring to the dust bowl immigrants to California. We forget that time when Americans were denied entrance into another State because of economics. See Also: Where is Woody Guthrie.

The Palin Principle (Peter Principle revisited)

Sarah Palin has resurrected an old business adage:  The Peter Principle. The idea is relatively easy to grasp:  A good employee is promoted to the point of their incompetence.  It is a classic management error.  Take a good Surgeon and make him Administrator of the Hospital.  Take a good computer analyst and make him the […]

Eroding Deliberative Democracy

The United States of America is a Republic.  From Wikipedia: The word originates from the Latin term res publica, which literally translates as “public thing” or “public matter”.  The idea resides in a representative form of government.  The people elect one of their own to represent them in the government.  Deliberative Democracy is a form […]

Obama’s Rope-A-Dope Strategy

McCain swings a haymaker.  Obama ducks – suffering only a glancing blow.  McCain swings again, connecting solidly on a defensive shoulder.  Obama is against the ropes, protecting himself with energetic arms – arms raised to defend against a fatal blow.  The barage continues. Obama dances away from the ropes.  McCain stalks, bristling for opportunity.  Then […]

The Bush Doctrine

Doctrine: ‘a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of beliefs’ – from the Merriam Webster Dictionary. When we think of Government we think of the Wilson Doctrine or the Monroe Doctrine or the Truman Doctrine – the fundamental belief systems that guide decision making.  We have […]

I Can See Kansas From Here

Rob Caldwell, a little known reporter from WCHS gave John McCain all he could take in this video interview.  This writer has never heard of Mr. Caldwell or WCHS – but he did a masterful job of being polite while not letting McCain off the hook. There are several important elements in this interview, but […]

911 – The Shadow of Death

What does the 23rd Psalm mean to you? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the […]

Matt Damon on Sarah Palin

Republicans have no Shame!

The Republican attack machine was operating at full steam in their criticism of Barack Obama as not having enough experience to be President.  Then Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for President, chose Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate.  Now we find all of the Republican strategists bowing at the alter of […]