We all can Help

I have been trying unsuccessfully to find script for a link to the Salvation Army, for donations. I want to put it here at Sanity's Bluff. The website of Salvation Army is overwhelmed. Typical American Behaviour. Every time a disaster happens, the good of America shows. The churches and charities are swamped right now. I want to encourage you to lift a prayer for the citizens of the Gulf States. I also want to encourage you to cut your personal use of your automobile or truck, in half. Combine errands, car pool, call around and shop together.
Call around to your neighbors and plan group travel. Several families could go to the grocery store together in one minivan. Be creative, find a way to cut your gasoline or diesel use in half.

Of Hurricanes and War

At the same time Americans are pulling the wallet out of their back pockets, or reaching into the opened purse, to help fellow Americans who have lost so much because of the Hurricane…….

…….there is a small band of people who are really upset, (in fact they are cursing God at this time) all for the wrong reason.

Don’t expect Cindy Sheetham to be getting any face time on TV in the next few weeks. She is probably seething mad, and still just as wrong. She is past history; just another JaneFonda wannabe. Her four weeks of fame and worship by the MSM is over. I think God Himself was tired of listening to her lies about a good man.

I know Michael Moore, George Soros and Bin Laden are all cursing God for getting the war off of the front page.

The MSM is in a bind……they know, American’s can multitask.

We are quite capable of fighting a war that needs to be fought and at the same time, helping our neighbors. Hey, we’re Americans.

Gas prices, looneytune moms, or rich bigots will not get in the way of Americas compassion for others.

We will dig deep and often into our pockets, to help our brothers and sisters who are in pain.

We won’t complain about the cost, and we will risk our comfort, because so many are in need.

An interesting fact.

Even while the bloodiest war on the American Continent, the Civil War, was being fought, Hard working people were building the greatest railroad in the world. Even as the war raged on, The Federal Government of the United States was helping the needy around the globe.

The next time you start to open your mouth to put the United States of America down, look at what is happening and will happen along the gulf coast. Wal-Mart was the first to pledge millions, and they sent a fleet of trucks and drivers to help with the cleanup. Many other companies didn't wait to be asked for help.

I am challenging George Soros and MoveOn.org to donate a sum equal to what they have spent trashing and lying about our president, in the last 5 years, Yes donate it to the Salvation Army. The churches of America are already at work. The Salvation Army is feeding hundreds of thousands. The Red Cross is busy. And, I imagine the evil Boy Scouts are already helping.

I wonder how much help the rich trial lawyers of the ACLU have donated so far? There is nothing like a tragedy to show the good heart of most Americas.

Perhaps God has tired of hearing the constant whining and complaining by the American Left. Mark my words, the left will attempt to put the blame for this storm, and any destruction or misery involved, on President George W. Bush. We all know that, no good deed will go unslandered by the MSM, and friends. When more troubles arise, it will somehow be George Bush's fault, or the evil conservatives. I am hoping the left can rise above political postering, now that there is a National Emergency. I really do, but their track record is not that great. It only took 6 months for them to start using 9/11 for political gain.

Can you say...."laughingstock"?

I imagine in the next few weeks the left will not be able to contain themselves, they will put their UnAmericanism on public display, yet their schemes will be transparent. People have learned to question the MSM, and the American Left. When I read a New York Times Article, the first question I ask myself, is, "I wonder if this could be true"?

God is sending us all a message. LISTEN

WE ARE AT WAR

WE ARE AT WAR
WE WERE ATTACKED
AMERICA CHOOSES A LEADER
EVERY FOUR YEARS, AND IT IS THAT
LEADERS DUTY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND
ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF THE LAND.
WAR IS NOT PRETTY OR SANE
IT IS NOT PREDICTABLE
WE ARE AT WAR

The anti-war crowd is strange. Near the Presidents ranch we find a bunch of misfits who hate America. There we find the darlings of the media, Michael Moore, George Soros, and an assortment of sworn enemies of the USofA.
Well they are not my darlings.
The MSM has become a joke. Almost all of my Democrat friends at work, laugh at the one sided media.
The media likes polls, When will you take a poll about your own believability Main Stream Media?

From this point forward when you see MSM…referred to in my writings, I am not talking about the Main Stream Media. I have a new name to fit the initials MSM.

I will be thinking about the media as
MOSTLY SEWAGE MEDIA
For that is what it is.

More pictures you won't find in the MSM

I know some people will not like these photos, more that you will never find in the MSM. The children of Iraq have a future free from Saddam Hussein. The smiles are returning to the childrens faces. We will have many friends for life in this country. The children will remember the red, white and blue.

What young boy wouldn't like to high five a soldier. The older men are smiling broadly. They probably remember Husseins Republican Guard. There was no smiling when they owned the streets of Iraq.

What do you take with you into battle. These men know what is important.
Our soldiers are the best in the world, but they ask for help not of this world.

This is a patrol of Iraqi soldiers in Iraq. They will be very good soldiers, because they were taught soldiering by the best in the world.

Yes, many of the worlds finest have fallen, but there have been NO MIA's, No unrecovered wounded or killed. Teamwork, Training and Guts. I'm proud, are you?

You will not find these photos in your newspaper

U.S. Army Pfc. Harold Sandoval, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, performs medical aid on an Iraqi man while Maj. Jason Yeates, executive officer for 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, helps secure the area. Yeates and Sandoval rescued the man when they pulled him from a burning building in Baghdad, Iraq, just moments after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeted their convoy, July 15, 2005. U.S. Army photoTwo Bedouin children talk with U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Jennifer Smith during an operation to provide local Bedouins donated food and clothing at Ali Base, Iraq, Aug. 10, 2005. Smith is assigned to the 407th Expeditionary Operation Support Squadron at Ali Base, Iraq. Defense Dept. photo by U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Maurice Hessel

U.S. Army Sgt. Amber Aki helps proctor an Iraqi woman as she takes the entrance exam to become an Iraqi police woman. The exam tests reading and writing skills and is the first step in the screening process to select women into the Iraqi Police Forces and provide the unique services needed for crimes against women and children. The police screening was held at the Iraqi Army compound in Iskandariyah, Iraq, with assistance from female U.S. Army personnel attached to the 155th Brigade Combat Team, July 12, 2005. U.S. military personnel are stationed at Forward Operating Base, Iskandariyah, Iraq, supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer Edward G. Martens


U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith’s family waits for the applause from the audience to die after President George W. Bush presented them with Smith’s Medal of Honor April 4, 2005, at the White House. (From left) Daughter Jessica, 18; wife, Birgit; and son David, 11, honor the two-year anniversary of Smith’s death by receiving the award from President George W. Bush. Smith died protecting his unit in Baghdad in Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Reeba Critser

A female Iraqi Police officer waves the Iraqi flag during an Iraqi Police graduation ceremony at Camp Shield, Iraq, July 21, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ben Brody

Feyzabad, Afghanistan — A U.S. military Chinook helicopter stands ready to receive medical supplies and whooping cough vaccine donated by the World Health Organization. U.S. officials approved a request by the organization to carry three doctors and enough vaccine to treat 2,000 people to Badhakshan Province, in northern Afghanistan, where an outbreak of whooping cough had claimed the lives of between 70 and 200 children. Two doctors were from the Afghan Ministry of Public Health and one was from the Aga Khan Development Foundation. Treating the children was complicated by the fact that travel takes three days by horse or mule to get over the mountains to the affected area. The only other way in is via helicopter. However, the altitude is such that most helicopters can’t fly that high because the air is too thin to provide lift. The affected region is 15,000 feet above sea level. Going over the mountains by pack animal was out of the question simply because the vaccine becomes inert after being un-refrigerated for more than 48 hours. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Marie Schult

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Larenzo Smartt, 455th Expeditionary Mission Support Group administrator, hands a bag of school supplies to a little Afghan girl from Ja Farkel during one of the Adopt-A-Village visits March 29, 2005. U.S. Air Force photo

U.S. Army soldiers from Company A, 864th Engineer Combat (Heavy) Battalion and Company C, 926th Engineer Battalion, survey progress of the Tarin Kowt road. Task Force Pacemaker has constructed 117 kilometers of road in six months. U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Laura Walker

Iraqi Army recruits stand in formation at the Eastern Fallujah Iraqi Camp at Camp Fallujah, July 26, 2005, prior to receiving a class and performing practical application on entering and exiting a convoy during hostile fire. The recruits are assigned to the 1st Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Division. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. JonDior Ferrell



New Iraqi Police officers participate in their graduation ceremony at Camp Shield, Iraq, July 21, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ben Brody


New Iraqi Police officers celebrate after their graduation ceremony at Camp Shield, Iraq, July 21, 2005. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ben Brody

BY MISTAKE, WHILE I WAS TWEAKING THIS ENTRY TO MY BLOG, I DELETED ALL OF THE COMMENTS POSTED BY READERS........SORRY..........THERE WERE ABOUT 6 COMMENTS. IN THE CONTINUING EFFORT TO IMPROVE SANITY'S BLUFF.........I GOOFED. EXPECT MORE IN THE FUTURE, GOOFS THAT IS, I'M HUMAN.

Todays links and pics

First lets start off with a report card of sorts. I came across a most interesting compilation. It is a list of the most wanted terrorists. Take a look at the work the allies have done so far. It is amazing. Most of these scumbags would still be free if we had not went on the offensive and taken the war to the Middle East. No apologies…..all the remaining terrorist on this list will be caught or killed. I would prefer killing them.

Now for a little homeland news. How about this: Pro-war kin take down crosses at Sheehan site

Sometimes reality escapes people. Read this article and think about it. I won’t comment on it until tomorrow.

Now for the link of the day……which just so happens to be a page of links……go figure.

And finally here is a windows media file that chronicles
Disgusting behavior at Walter Reed Hospital.

I had to start somewhere

Links of the day…….

Here is a slide show that will grip your heart, slides about the general election in Iraq early this year. If you have 3 minutes to spare, spend it looking at the faces of hope.

I’ll be posting a lot of links at Sanity’s Bluff, to articles that get my attention. Send your links or comments please.
The first link of the day is a website with hundreds of pictures of the schoolchildren of Iraq, and the schools they attend.

http://www.iraqkids.org/schoolPics/schools5.html

The second link of the day is a journal of a soldier in Iraq. It has pictures of Iraqi school children and other interesting info.

http://www.neaca.com/Current%20Iraq%20Report%20.html

A Change of Mission at Sanity's Bluff

Tired of the American media's constant negative put down of America, in spite of all the good that is happening in the world because America is standing up to the cowardly terrorists? You know what I mean, the daily papers, and TV programs, that bring all of the bad news of war to you? The media of America presents fewer postitive articles about America, then say Al Jeezera!

I'm tired of it, and I am going to do something about it.

The good news is available. Enough of this onesided look at Iraq. There are myriads of good things happening in Iraq BECAUSE America's finest, liberated that country. Yes, there are much more good things happening in Iraq since we liberated the nation, then there are bad things happening. But you couldn't tell it from reading the New York Times, or watching CNN. Who believes the claptrap of the media? I don't! A lot of hard working Americans have been led down the wrong road by the media, and they think that there is no good news coming from Iraq.
This is only possible because the Americans are working hard, day in and day out, and in their free time, they turn the TV to get a little news, only to find AMERICA BEING PUT DOWN BY THE CLOWNS OF THE MEDIA. If the truth could be presented to the public, their doubts about what is going on, would turn into pride in the facts of all the good America is doing for the world. (This is not a new thing, America has helped the world, over and over and over, spilling blood to keep nations free, and working hard to grow food for the hungry, studying hard to find help for the sicknesses that plague mankind, and sending relief to the needy)
The problem is that the average citizen in America who graduated from the public schools in the last twenty or thirty years, is not smart enough to find the news that the media is suppressing.

BUT IN STEPS SANITY'S BLUFF.

This will become the place for good news about Iraq, and the wonderful warriors we sent to help Iraq. I am calling upon all patriotic Americans to leave links to the millions of pictures of the good things happening in Iraq, since America has liberated Iraq and Afganistan.

Here's my plan.

I'll scour the net, and find pictures and the related stories, I am good at this. But I need your help too. VISIT SANITY'S BLUFF AND COMMENT ON WHAT IS HERE, AND THEN LEAVE ANY LINKS TO GOOD NEWS YOU HAVE FOUND IN YOUR SURFING THE NET. I'll check out all the links, and edit it all, deleting the crude, rude, stewed, liberal drivel, that the uncouth of our society will try to add.. Life is too short to attempt to convert the liberals. Forget them. They are the loud vocal MINORITY of America. They have had their way too long. Just ignore them, in fact treat them like they treat our President, George Walker Bush. Seriously now, it is time to turn the tables and treat the liberals like they treat the leader of our wonderful nation.

This will take a lot of effort from me, but I am willing, because I know with your help, we can make Sanity's Bluff, a repository of Good News From Iraq, Good News That Happens Because Of America.

I'm looking forward to this, John(aka, webloafer)

Clash of Cultures

How Long Must This Go On?

Two Muslims boarded a flight out of London. One took a window seat and the other sat next to him in the middle seat. Just before takeoff, an American sat down in the aisle seat. After takeoff, the American kicked his shoes off, wiggled his toes and was settling in when the Muslim in the window seat said, "I need to get up and get a coke." "Don't get up" said the American, "I'm in the aisle seat. I'll get it for you."

As soon as he left, one of the Muslims picked up the American's shoe and spit in it. When he returned with the coke, the other Muslim said,
"That looks good, I'd really like one, too."
Again, the American obligingly went to fetch it. While he was gone the other Muslim picked up his other shoe and spit in it.
When the American returned, they all sat back and enjoyed the flight.
As the plane was landing, the American slipped his feet into his shoes and knew immediately what had happened.
"Why does it have to be this way?" he asked. "How long must this go on? This fighting between our cultures? This hatred? This animosity?
This spitting in shoes and pissing in cokes."

A speech you might have missed

Somehow America’s ‘Intelligentsia’ the media, missed reporting this Speech. It was a great and historic speech. I guess it did not fit into the media's template for Iraq. If it is bad for Iraq and America, they report it. Shameful, but true.

But webloafer was on the spot, and has saved it, and shares it with you now. God Bless Iraq. They have enemies who don’t want them to succeed, and many of those enemies, frolic and cavort in the ivory palaces of the American Elitist Media.

In Iraqis We Trust
By JALAL TALABANI

13 April 2005

Through their democratically elected representatives, the people of Iraq have entrusted me with the office of the presidency of the republic. After 50 years of political struggle against discrimination and dictatorship, this is a grand honor and a humbling moment. As we look ahead to a new Iraq based on tolerance and equality, federalism and unity, democracy and freedom, we remember those whose sacrifice made this possible -- Iraqis, Americans, Britons, Poles, Italians, Czechs and so many others from around the world.

As president of Iraq, I shall strive to represent the diversity of a country that has too often in the past denied difference. I shall stand for freedom of thought and expression in a place where it has been trampled and penalized. I will work with the prime minister to ensure that our government's finances are transparent and that our citizens have access to government records; above all, I shall pursue the politics of reconciliation in opposition to the politics of hatred and incitement.

My door will always be open to those who genuinely renounce violence and seek peaceful accommodation into our nascent democracy. That is why I proposed, in my first speech as head of state, an amnesty for those who have been led astray by terrorism.

But while the new Iraq is open to all, there must be no underestimating our determination to vanquish terrorism. Conciliation is not capitulation, nor is compromise to be deemed equivalent to imbalanced concession. Rather, it is through conciliation and compromise that we are building a fair Iraq, a just state for all its peoples. Democracies, unlike dictatorships, are forgiving and generous, but they cannot survive unless they fight. And fight we shall.

* * *
The choice of peace or war lies not with the Iraqis who ignored terrorism and intimidation to vote in their millions, the Iraqis to whom I am accountable. No, that decision lies with the terrorist minority that despises freedom and spurns every offered opportunity to enter the political process. The attacks on election officials, the suicide bombings of voters, and the cowardly attacks on brave Iraqis waiting in line to join our fledgling security forces are not the tactics of "resistance" or "freedom fighters" but of murderers and criminals.

Nor are the terrorists by any stretch of the imagination the repressed or the disadvantaged. They chose violence despite consistent exhortations to contribute to the new Iraq. They are, for the most part, representatives of the old regime, Baathists who gorged themselves on their compatriots' riches. They are not the dispossessed of the earth but those who have been deprived of their palaces.

Slaying terrorism, and the extremist nationalism and perversion of religion that breeds it, will require our greatest effort, both as Iraqis and as new members of the alliance of democracies. We will again and again ask and work with our neighbors to assist us by controlling their borders, intercepting the transmission of funds to the terrorists and by handing over Baathist fugitives. We, in turn, will work with our neighbors to ensure that Iraq is never again a haven for terrorists. All such foreign-armed groups in Iraq must be neutralized and rendered harmless in a manner that is just and legal. Iraqis, the victims of the vilest stratagems and subterfuges, will not fight a "dirty war."

Our commitment to human rights, primarily of the individual, but also of our diverse ethnic and religious heritage for which we suffered, must be absolute. The justice of our cause must be reflected in the manner in which we rectify the crimes of the past.

The rehabilitation of Basra, the refloating of the ancient marshes of southern Iraq, the return of the ethnically cleansed to Kirkuk, the renaissance of the holy cities as centers of learning and piety, all these are acts of justice. They must be accompanied by the trials of the major Baathist criminals. Justice for the major perpetrators cannot be separated from the vindication of the rights of the individual victim.

Nor is justice independent of constitutionalism. Here the progress in Iraq has been remarkable, in place of the provisional Baathist constitution of 1970 we now have the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), a progressive liberal interim constitution. The TAL represents the highest achievement of the new Iraq. The result of intense argument between the legitimate representatives of all of Iraq's communities, the TAL embodies the virtues of compromise. By sensibly sharing power under the TAL we all acquire more rights and security than if we were to each selfishly pursue our maximal objectives.

The TAL governs all politics in Iraq until the adoption of a final constitution. There can be no government, no elections, and no politics of any kind outside of the framework of the TAL. Any attempt to circumvent the TAL would not only be illegal, and an affront to the rule of the law, but an implicit rejection of the justice of the liberation of Iraq from the outlaw Baathist regime.

For all the talk of Iraq as a "model" for the Middle East, we know that there are unique factors at play in building our federal, multi-ethnic democracy. Indeed, we do not seek to export our political ideas or experiences, a practice that has too often led to instability in the Middle East. Rather, we ask that the uniqueness of the Iraqi experience be recognized and our newly restored sovereignty respected. We will not allow the naysayers (who predict disaster awaiting us around every corner) and their companions in despondency, the apologists for despotism, to distract us with their uninformed comment from our vision of a democratic and equitable society: The rectification of past crimes and the binding up of the many wounds inflicted upon us by the Baathist regime -- these are matters for Iraqis alone.

We seek foreign assistance to help us develop our security forces and to partner with us as we try to further sustainable economic growth in our shattered country. We hope that the United Nations will live up to its ideals. The assistance provided by the U.N. during the recent elections was invaluable and an important step toward the return of this organization to Iraq. A continued and consistent U.N. engagement, which bolsters the new Iraq, will convince Iraqis to put aside their qualms about an organization that many of them identify with the previous Baathist regime.

A greater international role is important to lift some of the burden from the shoulders of the United States. Our gratitude to the American people is immense and we should never be embarrassed to express it. Time and again the U.S. has given the world its most precious resource in the cause of freedom, the lives of its most talented and courageous young men and women.

Now, the time has come for the rest of the world to recognize that a federal, democratic Iraq that can defend itself against terrorism is a goal worthy of broad international support. The victory of the new Iraq will be the triumph of freedom over hate, of decency over intolerance. Who would not want to share in such a worthy campaign?

Mr. Talabani is the president of Iraq.

Wearing your heart on your sleeve.

America should be proud of it's warriors. I am. A job needs done, some have answered the call, some are cowering in fear (usually in coffeehouses in Berkely, CA, or near Columbia University in New York City, or other haunts of the cowards) hoping the terrorists don't bother them.

"They love our milk and honey, but they preach about some other way of living, when you're running down this country hoss, you're walking on the fightin' side of me." Merle Haggard.

I can guarentee you this...The terrorists know the mettle of our young men and women.

Even while facing the cowardly terrorists in Iraq and Afganistan, some of our finest keep their sense of humor.

In fact some of them wear it on their sleeves.

I think you will see the humor here.

On this warriors sleeve under the American Red, White and Blue, is a little black patch that says...Doing the work of.....

Yes, doing the work of the three countries he has added military patches for.

Russia, Germany and France.

Where are these nations warriors? Cowering in fear somewhere no doubt. Chatting on the internet with likeminded cowards from Berkely, California orNew York City,New York.

God Bless America. And the young warriors protecting us.

The Lure of the Road

The Lure of the Road.

This article was one I submitted as a guest blogger at the popular blog called kn@ppster. Tom was gracious in allowing someone who he is often in disagreement with to post an article. If you haven't visited his blog, now would be a good time to do it. http://knappster.blogspot.com/

Many of you know I am a diesel truck driver. I could not begin to count the miles I have driven, the places I’ve seen and the people I’ve met as a truck driver.

Have you ever wondered what that semi-truck driver is listening too as you pass his rig, or his rig rolls past you?

For ease of writing I will refer to truckers as male, from now on in this article, although I know many fine and talented female truck drivers.

That driver may be listening to one of a thousand songs about the road.

There have been more songs written and sang about the road, and truck driving specifically, then all the songs about doctors, lawyers, nurses, politicians, factory workers, NASCAR drivers and movie stars combined.

Here is a link to a Government website that lists songs written about the road. The people who compiled this list say this is only a partial list, they know there are more songs about the road than these Songs about the Road

Like me, you’ll probably say “our government has way too much time and money on their hands” but this list is great. Probably not worth the money spent compiling it, but you know how government works.

Truck Drivers listen to all kinds of music, but in the noisy world he works in, a truck driver wants songs with lyrics he can hear above the roar of the road. That is one of the reasons country music is the staple of most music loving truck drivers. I love country and western music, because I can hear the lyrics. The last thing I would want booming on the speakers of my diesel truck, is rap, or some heavy metal band screaming out unintelligible dribble. I might choose to listen to some when not at work, but when I am at work, I have to be able to understand what is being said or sung. Yes, I want to hear words, words I can understand. This is one of the reasons talk radio is so popular with truck drivers. To me, talk radio is how I invite people into my world as I work.

Sometimes it almost seems like Rush Limbaugh is sitting next to me in the passenger seat, talking just to me.

Here is where Tom added the remark, "It would probably be best to avoid the scales then". This was an example of humor that digs deep, but it civil. I am trying to learn that technique, wish me luck..LOL.

Good company of country western singers, and talk experts have helped me compile a remarkable driving record, several million miles of safe driving.

Truck driving gets in your blood, some of the truck driving songs say, I know they speak the truth.
Truck driving can be a lonesome vocation; I know this to be true.
Truck driving will test your nerve and mettle, oh, how I know this to be true.

Truck drivers love their job. Yes they may be cranky old men like me when I climb out of the drivers seat, but they love their work. I love driving truck. YET. There is no logical reason anyone should love driving truck, at least not one I can lay my finger on. It is hard work, the pay is not all that great for the constant stress of the road. It is dangerous, very dangerous. A truck driver must be 100% right 100% of the time, or he ends up in the ditch, or piled up against a bridge pillar. And, it is hard on relationships and marriages. I am fortunate to have a dedicated route now, the same 400 miles, 5 days a week and home every night with my family.
There are not many vocations that require as much perfection as truck driving. Soldiering would be one equally as demanding, but there aren’t many more. Perhaps that is why truck drivers are sometimes referred to as ‘Road Warriors’.

There is one intangible though, which trumps all of the hardships of the road, it is the Lure of the Road.

The lure of the road became apparent in my life at an early age of fifteen, almost sixteen. That is when me and my friend, Jerry took to the road. Yes we thought we were ready to head down the road, and remove ourselves from parental control. There was a ‘Youth for Christ’ rally every Saturday evening that Jerry and I were required by our parents to attend. A bus picked us up and took us to the auditorium where the rally took place. It was very easy to skip out of the rally and sneak back on the bus later when the rally was over. We did this many times, got caught and punished a few times, but this night 43 years ago, Jerry and I, decided to run away from home. Somehow we obtained ten Rum Soaked Crooks and we figured this would be all we needed to get to California.

We walked for several hours until we spotted train tracks. We both joyfully spoke “we’re on our way now”. We hid in the darkness and watched what was going on. We decided to leap up into a boxcar that was headed west. This was a reckless dangerous plan, but we were young. Somehow we both safely held onto the side of the boxcar at the open door and vaulted up into the boxcar. Yes we were finally on our way.

But we had no idea we had chosen to jump a freight train in a large switching yard of the Union Pacific Railroad. The trains were going slow, but not very far. We knew something was wrong when the train switched directions and headed back east. We jumped out of the boxcar and waited for another westbound train. It wasn’t long until a long line of hopper cars rolled towards us. We decided to jump onto one of them, I jumped the ladder on the front of the hopper and Jerry jumped the same hopper at the other ladder.

We both made the leap safely and climbed to the top of the ladder, and there it was! Coal, hard, dark, dirty coal. By this time we were tired and starting to get scared, but we wouldn’t talk of such things out loud. We both lit a cigar and fell asleep talking about California. I was sure that when the sun came up, we would be almost to California. It was not to be! Like I said it was a switching yard. I don’t know which of us realized our mistake first, but it became apparent that we had goofed, so we decide to jump off of the train and walk to a nearby highway where we would then hitch (bum) a ride to California. By this time it must have been well after midnight and there was not much traffic on the road, but we headed for the highway. Standing there in the chill of the morning, things didn’t look too promising. One or two cars passed us by, but finally a big diesel truck and trailer pulled over and we ran toward it. The driver got out of the rig and started asking us questions. Questions like, “what are you two young boys doing out here in the middle of nowhere hitching rides?” “We’re headed for California” we said, and the driver answered, “Jump up in the cab, boys” He actually never said he would take us down the road on our way to California, and he did the wise thing and drove us to the nearest police station. The great trip to California was over, and we both were in lots of trouble at home.

The short ride that night, in the semi truck was like heaven to me, the headlights beaming down the road, the gauges and switches glowing in the cab, and the noise, yes the noise of the rig was glorious to me. I think I remember the song, ‘I’ve been everywhere’, by Hank Snow filling the cab of that diesel truck on that fateful morning.

I was hooked on the road, at a very young age and have been on the road since then.

By the time I was 18, I had made my mind up to follow in the steps of Jack Kerouac and head to places unknown somewhere down the highway.

I have a wealth of memories from the days of my youth. Dropping out of college, hitchhiking like my heroes, Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac. For many years I would emulate either Jack or Neal, and lived on the road. Now as I look back upon those years of my life, I realize I was headed down the road to a sad ending, just like Jack Kerouac.

During these ‘beat years’, later known as ‘hippie’ years of my life, I rode in a lot of diesel trucks. I have lost all my journals, but I know I crisscrossed this great land at least 40 times with only the use of my thumb. Every time a truck stopped for me and anyone else I was traveling with, I found myself envying the driver. But, I knew truck driving took dedication, and I was not ready at that time to be reliable.

Truck Driving helped save me from a dead-end path, and has provided me with a comfortable life for over 3 decades. No wonder I like Truck driving songs.

TruckDrivingLament....#1

As you have noticed, my blog has been redesigned. It was redesigned by Irma with Digitally Essential. I wanted a blog design that would not detract from the reason why I blog. The reason I blog? I like to talk. But I wanted a simple truck driving theme, and I like this design. Hey, I may never win again at Battle of the Blogs, (I just lost to Mike Hitchens' commercial blog, LOVE YOU MIKE and have voted for you a few time) but it won’t be because of my blogs’ design, it will be because of my big mouth, which talks too much.

There, I said it. Truck Drivers usually talk too much when they are not in the drivers seat, steering 40 tons of metal and freight along the highways of America.

Don’t get upset when I talk only about American truck drivers, I am what I am.

I know there are truck drivers all over the world, but I cannot imagine a French Truck Driver grabbing gears and listening to Merle Haggard. Sorry, I know where truck driving began, It began in America. I know what it has done for my country, and I am proud I have had a part in moving freight and making everyone’s life better.

When was the last time you heard a good song on the radio about a nurse, or the nursing profession? I thought so, you have never heard one.

You mean you haven’t heard one of ‘Country Joe and the Fish’s songs about nurses? I kid you not, old CJ and Fish are still around, peddling home produced CD’s and cassette tapes of their latest anti-american songs, along with some songs about nurses. Consider your mind expanded, courtesy of Sanity’s Bluff. But the fact remains, concerning songs about nurses, there are only a few that have been written, and produced.

It is a strange world when you can find several hundred truck driving songs and very few songs about nurses, teachers or preachers. I personally can’t think of a more caring profession than nursing, but where are the songs?

You will find a lot of songs written about rodeo cowboys, cowboys themselves, or NASCAR drivers. You won’t find many songs that have been written about policemen, and thank God there are not many songs written about politicians. But now that I think about it, Senator KKK Byrd writes songs about himself.

I will now attempt to begin explaining the lure of the highway and truck driving by sharing a few song lyrics with you. Other songwriters lyrics, not mine.

The first song I share was written by Merle Haggard.
Back in my hippie days I hated Merle Haggard, because of his song ‘Okie from Muskogee’. But today, Merle’s haunting voice travels with me down life’s lonesome road. Of all the professions one can pursue, truck driving is one of the loneliest. That isn’t why I drive, it is just a fact. If not for the CB radio, America might be a different place altogether. This nation owes a lot of its wealth and abundance to truck drivers. The CB radio made trucking a group endeavor, and helped bring greater prosperity to America. You may not see it that way, but I sure do. The CB radio makes trucking a little more enjoyable, and not as lonesome. More miles can be driven, and a happier worker, does more work.

Back to Merle’s song. Upon close examination you will notice Merle describes truck drivers as sick.

Hmmmmm, well here are the lyrics to


White Line Fever

White line fever,
A sickness born down, deep within my soul.
White line fever,
The years keep flyin' by like the high line poles.
The wrinkles in my forehead,
Show the miles I've put behind me.
They continue to remind me how fast I'm growin' old.
Guess I'll die with this fever in my soul.
Well, I wonder just what makes a man keep pushin' on?
Why must I keep on singin' this old highway song?
I've been from coast to coast a hundred times or more.
I ain't seen one single place where I ain't been before.

White line fever,
A sickness born down, deep within my soul.
White line fever,
The years keep flyin' by like the high line poles.
The wrinkles in my forehead,
Show the miles I've put behind me.
They continue to remind me how fast I'm growin' old.
Guess I'll die with this fever in my soul.

*************************

If you have heard this song, you know it is presented as a sad lament. But, I love to hear it while driving truck, even though it is not a happy song. Well, truck driving is not a happy job. It is hard, and you can’t make mistakes. If a barber makes a mistake, one person is mad, but his hair will grow back.

If a truck driver makes a mistake, death is most likely the result.

The same goes for pilots, bus drivers, ambulance drivers, submarine captains, marine corporals, etc.etc.etc.

100% right or dead.

A good percentage for a weatherperson on TV being right would be 40%.

Not all truck driver songs are sad and haunting, take for example, Six Days on the Road. Written by Dave Dudley.

Six Days on the Road.....

Well, I pulled out of Pittsburgh,
Rollin' down the Eastern Seaboard.
I've got my diesel wound up,
And she's running like never before.
There's a speed zone ahead, all right,
I don't see a cop in sight.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.

I got ten forward gears,
And a Georgia overdrive.
I'm taking little white pills,
And my eyes are open wide.
I just passed a 'Jimmy' and a 'White':
I've been passin' everything in sight.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.

Well, it seems like a month,
Since I kissed my baby good-bye.
I could have a lot of women,
But I'm not like some other guys.
I could find one to hold me tight,
But I could never believe that it's right.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.

I.C.C. is checking on down the line.
I'm a little overweight and my log's three days behind.
But nothing bothers me tonight.
I can dodge all the scales all right,
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.

Well my rig's a little old,
But that don't mean she's slow.
There's a flame from her stack,
And the smoke's rolling black as coal.
My hometown's coming in sight,
If you think I'm happy your right.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.
Six days on the road and I'm gonna make it home tonight.

**********************

All I can say to this song is….

Yeah!!!!

Six days on the road is a rocking fast paced delightful song.

Dave Dudley wrote and sang it long ago, and it has been recorded by numerous artists, including Sawyer Brown, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, Taj Mahal and the Flying Burrito Brothers, just to name a few. George Thorogood changed a few words of the song and many people think he wrote it, but ask any truck driver who wrote and sang it first, they’ll tell you, Dave Dudley. The groups that have recorded Six Days on the Road are diverse, but they all put a lot of energy into this song about truck driving.

This is probably enough about truck driving for today, and I didn’t even start to talk about the reasons I am a truck driver. Oh well, visit Sanity’s Bluff again. But, I really should start a separate Truck Driving Blog.

If there is any interest, I will continue to write about the lure of the road in upcoming blogs. Let me know in the comment section, should I start a separate blog for my truck driving thoughts, or work it into Sanity’s Bluff?

Truck driving has been my life for a long time. It perhaps pulled me away from the Bluff of Insanity, got me off of drugs, and has made my life comfortable. (Comfortable that is when I am not in the drivers seat bouncing all around. My job is far from comfortable, but it pays for what comfort I have)

Truck Driving Man

Truck Driving Man

I stopped at a roadhouse in Texas,
A little place called Hamburger Dan's
I heard that old jukebox a-playing,
A song 'bout a truck driving man

Pour me another cup of coffee,
For it is the best in the land
I'll put a nickel in the jukebox,
And play The Truck Driving Man

The waitress then brought me some coffee
I thanked her and called her back again
I said, "That ol' song sure does fit me
'Cause I am a truck driving man

I stepped back on board my old semi
And then like a flash I was gone
I got them ol' truck wheel a-rollin
I'm on my way to San Antone

Jimmy Martin probably wrote this song, there is some doubt. But hey, I had to give someone credit for writing this. It sure wasn't me, I'll share my truck driving songs at some future time.

Air America sinks to new lows

I must share a sad laugh with you now. I am sure some of you have heard how Air America Radio has been caught diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars that was granted by the federal government to be used in activites for the children of welfare parents; using it to pay some of the bills of Air America Radio. Al Frankin and company are sweethearts aren't they? I do not think there are many Democrats who would condone this behaviour and crime. But it has been done. Tar and feathers anyone?

Cause and Effect

Tony Camilleri of Dearborn Heights covered up the Chevrolet logo on his Silverado with a Toyota sign as a tribute to the Marines.

I sure didn’t stay out of politics very long. About twelve hours, LOL. Here I am making a liar of myself. But all for a good reason. I wish to demonstrate how hasty decisions based on emotions, not fact, or logic, can hurt in the big picture of things.
The top picture here is a picture of my brand new pickup truck. A Nice Toyota Tundra Double Cab, isn’t it? It is quality through and through. Some time earlier this year I read the article I now post here. When it was time to shop for a new truck I went to the usual places, The Dodge Dealer, Chevy and GMC dealer and the Ford Dealer like I always do. But I added one more stop to the shopping trip this time, Toyota. I had never bought an automobile or truck that had a foreign name, before this purchase. As I checked the Toyota out, these actions taken by the UAW officials in this article weighed heavy on my decision.

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News
DETROIT -- The United Auto Workers union waved a white flag Monday in its parking skirmish with neighboring reservists, but the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines are not accepting surrender” I made the wrong call on the parking issue, and I have notified the Marine Corps that all reservists are welcome to park at Solidarity House as they have for the past 10 years," Gettelfinger said in a statement. Facing intense criticism, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger reversed his decision to ban Marine Corps reservists driving foreign cars or displaying pro-President Bush bumper stickers from parking at the union's Solidarity House headquarters in Detroit.
Wounded by what they consider an unpatriotic ambush, the Marines rejected the union's olive branch and secured an alternative parking lot.
"I talked to Ron; I let him know that I understand he has rescinded his decision," said Lt. Col. Joe Rutledge, a top-ranking officer at the reserve infantry rifle battalion. "However, I've made my decision -- either you support the Marines or you don't."
The UAW's reversal Monday followed a barrage of criticism from both union members and nonunion members. The dispute became instant fodder for such Web sites as The Drudge Report and various radio programs.
The News received hundreds of e-mails Sunday and Monday about the controversy, the majority criticizing the UAW's decision.
"I have never belonged to the unions, but I've always bought (domestic) brand cars," Jenny Pulcerm 74, of Harrison Township. "Right now, I'm driving a Chrysler. But the next car will definitely not be union-made."
Outside the Marine reservists’ headquarters, it wasn't hard to find signs of hard feelings. A Toyota pickup truck parked in front of a phalanx of military Humvees sported three bumper stickers. One touted Semper Fi, the Marines' motto, the second was a Bush/Cheney campaign sticker and the third an anti-UAW sign.
The UAW decision to ban Marines struck a nerve with many who say U.S. armed forces deserve more respect, especially during a time of war.
And certainly, some said, Marines should be able to support their commander in chief, President Bush, without facing repercussions.
"The Marines who fought at Iwo Jima -- including yours truly -- and those who are now in Iraq, took an oath to defend this country and its citizens," said Russ Paquette, an 87-year-old lawyer from St. Clair Shores and former commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines. "There is nothing in the oath which indicates that we Marines will only fight for citizens who drive certain automobiles, or who voted in the last election for a certain president."
But many of those who weighed in said the episode changed their opinion of the UAW. Bill Reiber of Vista, Calif., whose son is serving in Iraq, is trading in his Chevrolet S-10 pickup for a vehicle made by a foreign automaker.
"I'm looking at the Toyota Tacoma," he said. "What (the UAW) did, it just wasn't right. These are Marines and they have a right, like anybody else in America, to express their First Amendment rights."
Lt. Col. Rutledge said he's anxious to get past the dispute and get back to business. Owners of a nearby apartment complex have agreed to allow reservists to park on their premises.
"I know people are incensed by this thing," Rutledge said, "but in the big scheme of things, what I do is train Marines and I'm preparing these guys to go overseas."

Annoucement

I am going to declare Sanity’s Bluff a success and spend some time thanking everyone who has helped make it successful.

I plan to go back through all the hundreds of comments and revisit all of your blogs again. That will take quite sometime, but I want to do it. There are a few I must thank by name or at least the name you blog with. Jay, Scooter, booklover, aubreyj, phildillion, loneranger, vulture6, Thomas and many more people who have read and commented here. THANKS.

I am going to give politics a rest for awhile.
I can hear the applause.

Very soon, my blog will be redesigned by the folks at digitally essential. I have requested a truckdriving theme for the blog. It was a tall order for the artist, but it is what I want. Truck Driving has been my life for a long time. It has perhaps saved my life, (more on that in later blogs) and now makes my life comfortable. Comfortable when I get through with the driving part of my day, that is.

Most truck drivers have a world view much like I do. Like it or not, we are mostly neocons, and Christians. I have been a dues paying Teamster of 23 years now, but I rarely agree with the union’s politics. A majority of Teamsters are now Republican, and that is why the Teamsters left the AFL-CIO. Members have been griping about the union spending their dues money on only Democratic campaigns. All of this will change, and so the Liberals will be losing more financial backers. See, I am hopeless; I drag politics into every discussion. I need help, a twelve step program or something. LOL.

Truck drivers used to be known as the knights of the road. That used to be the case, but it is difficult in today’s world to be of much help to the motoring public. Our interaction nowadays with the public is mostly smiling at the four wheelers giving us the finger. Gone are the days of the sleepy truck driver pulling over to give a hippie a ride down the road, so that the conversation will keep him awake. Our world is changing constantly and most people are also changing. Life happens.

Again THANKS, and I am going to try
to give politics a rest starting right now.

The Way to Lose a War

Is this any way to fight a war?
Or
The way to lose at war

Here is one of my very first blog entries: Not much has changed.

In America a war is being fought. It is for the very heart and soul of our nation, and our right to the liberty our ancestors fought and died for.
I still see, one of the warring parties constantly in denial.
This portion of America (the majority) will not even admit to being in this war. Remember how denial of the terrorist war being fought against us from abroad served us? Two skyscrapers fell to the ground, our Pentagon was damaged, and thousands were killed, because our enemy had been at war with us, but we denied that fact. Because of our denial, we actually made it easier for them to hit us hard.
Not only are this majority of people in denial, most of the majority don’t even want to hear about their enemy. The few that do see the problem, notice many of their leaders acting at times like the young boy, drawing a line in the dirt, and announcing to the playmates around him. "You better not cross this line."
What will it take America?
“You better not cross this line, and persecute the Boy Scouts of America.”
“You better not mess with the pledge of allegiance.”
"You better not make it illegal to pray at school."
Well these lines were crossed without a fight, and I could cite you hundreds of other instances when the line was drawn only to be crossed without a fight. We just keep surrendering more of America, I guess hoping that our enemy will be satisfied with all that has been gained by them and lost by us, and leave the rest of our liberty alone. They haven’t even been slowed in their plan for America. We keep surrendering ground to the ACLU and their socialist minions.
We just kept backing away from the fight.
Over and over again, we have said,
“You’ll be in trouble if you cross this line.”
Oh really? It doesn’t appear like that to me. And it's obvious that the ACLU and friends are not in trouble at all.
Look at your adversary closely. Do you want to live in the world they want? Most of you wouldn’t enjoy life in the world they envision.
The ACLU and many of their friends want the USA to become a socialist nation. You may think “Why would they want Socialism in America? No one is rich or free in a socialist nation.”
Study the now defunct USSR and you will find that the ruling class did quit handsomely in the days of communism. The ruling class in the USSR (politburo, for one) had lots of freedom, and wealth.
Lawyers, Judges, Journalist, and Serial Killers were the big winners in the USSR, as long as the party line was followed. That is until the people had finally had enough.
What is your limit? When will you have had enough?
Is the brutal starving of Terri Schiavo the last straw? If not, Just what will it take?

Just to Jog Your Mind

In the Interest of Equal time and Fairness.

A lot has been written lately about President Bush exercising too much. I have never before witnessed such childlike ridiculing of a decent man .

I know America though, and her citizens can recognize 'piling on' when they see it. Wait until the next election, you'll see what happens when the American people think someone is getting piled on.

Some of the things the party out of power says about our LEADER, are obtrusively childish, and asinine.

The Honorable Senator, Ted Kennedy made some comments about working out and the Presidency.

I started investigating and found out that Teddy is a exercise freak himself. So in fairness I want to include his picture here. It is a picture of him jogging, and to jog your minds, I again post a picture of the President jogging.

You also can find this picture on an earlier blog entry of mine that generated a lot of comments, both good and bad. But hey, that's what I like about Sanity's Bluff.

If you would like to revisit that blog, it is called What is sacrifice?

Tell me how I can help

I feel like I've been left out of the circle

I have been in a funk lately, as you may have noticed.

It seems like nothing is going as I prayed it would.

Especially disturbing, is the War.

Can we dispense with the fancy names, it is War. It is a bloody and difficult war, not a struggle, not a fight against an insurgency, not a police action, not a scrimmage, it is a fight for our very life. Someone wants all of Western Civilization DEAD, and that alone should make all of us come together to fight the enemy.

It isn’t about to happen though, not in present day America.

I wonder if the Allies could have won the War against the Axis, in the 1940’s with the same amount of non-cooperation, and just plain stubborn political posturing?

I know that some of the western worlds greatest minds are working, trying to win this war, but if I may, let me give some suggestions. Don’t say “You don’t know what you’re talking about, and your ideas are stupid or what could you possibly have to add?”

I have observed Americans for many decades, the people that the politicians never meet, or talk too. The ones that make America great. It isn’t the politicians that make America great it is the people, the common people.

Something has been bugging me ever since 9-11. Why hasn’t anyone asked the people to help in this war? In WWI and WWII the president asked a lot of the citizens to help in the war effort. But here we are in 2005 All we are supposed to do now is….quote…. “Go about your normal everyday life”….I’ve heard that until I am sick. Nothing is normal since Sept. 11th 2001.

Mothers and Fathers are asked to give up their most precious possession, (and cry as they march off to war) but outside of that, life goes on pretty much like it always has. But life isn’t the same, we are all targets, and we want to do something. Can you hear me George W. Bush? We want to help. Why so secretive, lay it out for us, we want to help.

Again, in WWI, and WWII people were asked to contribute to the war effort. Everyone did a little. Some saved bacon grease, picked up scrap metals, collected milkweed seed pods, and many other things that helped in the war effort. Another thing that truly amazes me is that there are no War Bonds being issued. No war drives in the schools. Dimes for Victory or something, the children would love to help. Yes the children want to help, it is the teachers that I worry about, some of them seem to be almost anti-American. There are only a few drives going on to collect things our soldiers need.

You hear very little good news from the War front, our papers are mostly antiwar, and to be antiwar in 2005 is a death sentence. I’m sorry that is how I see it. Ignoring the evil killers will not make them go away.

Hollywood put out patriotic films by the dozens in WWII, now they are noticeably silent. I wonder if they realize they are a high priority target of the Islamafacists? They rail against war, but someone will have to protect them if the war comes to our shore. I imagine they are already targeted. It’s not rocket science, read some of the things Bin laden has said about Hollywood, and the moral cesspool he said is one of the reasons that the 'Great Satan' must die. They don’t want Hollywood filth in their countries, so I imagine Hollywood is a prime target of theirs. Remember how scared the movie stars were when it came time for the Oscar’s just after 9-11? They postponed and postponed that Oscar Presentation, out of fear. They have done nothing for America in this war, so I have no pity for them, none, and like millions of decent people, I have quit spending any money on movie going.

Outside of the country western music industry, the music industry has done very little to help in the war effort. They have done lots to hurt the war effort, and that is why their sales are dropping. Newspapers for the most part have sided with our enemies, and presented our soldiers as evil. There is a lot of blood on the hands of the present day journalists. Instead of calluses and blisters on their hands from helping the war effort, they are the soft handed dandies of our enemies. Is it any wonder newspaper sales are down drastically?

If the Islamafacists win this war, I wonder how the rappers, journalists, porn merchants, or movie stars will be treated?

Just a few things to think about.

I know most of the common people in the Allied Nations want to win this war, and would love to help in some way. I can’t put my life on the line at the front, but I want to do something.

Before I close this rant, I want to thank those people doing all they can to help. On their own, people have set up scholarship funds for the children of our fallen warriors, have welcomed our heroes home, have visited the wounded in hospitals, and most importantly, have lifted prayer on behalf of those protecting our freedom to worship God, as we always have. I will never prostrate myself to Allah.

You won't like this post

You won’t like this blog post, I don’t like writing it. But I must be honest.

There is no way we can win the war on terror. So, get out the white flags ladies and gentlemen.

Our politicians have made it impossible for our soldiers to win in Iraq or any other place they fight terrorism.
It isn’t one persons fault, no one president is to blame, no one general is to blame, no one Senator is to blame. Let me tell you who is to blame.

We are to blame, and we will pay a heavy price for being so incompetent in the most important thing a civilian must do. As civilians we need to send people to Washington D.C. that care about us, and our safety.
The ones we have sent to Washington, (R’s & D’s both) are not up to the task of protecting us, they are there to line their own pockets, and to be seen.
They only care about themselves, and their image on TV.
The current crop of Senators, Representatives, the judges they choose, and almost all civil servants that have unionized public service jobs, all of these people are incompetent, and dangerous to our health.
Yes I include the President and Vice President.

America is devoid of leaders in leadership roles.

We have brave young people ready to fight the enemy, but they are being used incorrectly, and the cost is high in blood.

This is a sad time, never in our past would the murder of 20 United States Marines be tolerated, and you know that. We should have flattened 20 square miles around where these Marines were murdered within minutes. These brave Marines did not fall on the battlefield, they were set up and murdered. Not one sniper, but 4 or 5 of our trained snipers have been killed. I have no proof of what I now say, this is only a possibility.The killing of these Marines was a double cross, there is no other way in my opinion this could have happened without prior information available to our enemies. Their position was given to the enemy by someone. The taxpayers have paid for the best weapons in the world, but the military is hamstrung, or the leadership is incompetent. Here it is several days later and we look like wimps. Sorry if the truth hurts, but I am right.

I want you to know that the terrorists are high fiving and jiving today. If I was president, I would have Al Jezeera’s buildings, transmitters, and reporters flattened right now, and then go about winning the war.

I could smell this defeat coming a long time ago. Long ago when a destroyer of the United States Navy was attacked and nothing was done in retaliation. Or when our airmen were killed and their bodies drug behind vehicles in broad daylight through the streets of Mogadishu sp mine, while people cheered. People that were being kept alive by food sent to them, from the farmers and taxpayers of America.

I am too sick to go on thinking about the future. There isn’t one for me and you unless our leaders get the courage to fight our enemies. And not only soon, but yesterday.

At our nations borders we have enemies walking and even driving across with their weapons and money, to set up fifth columns, and we can’t seem to stop it. When concerned civilians try to help out the President calls them vigilantes.

The best soldiers in the world cannot seal off the Iraq/Syria border, the Iraq/Iran border, the Iraq/Turkey Border or the Iraq/Saudia Arabia border. All of those borders combined are about the total miles of the Texas/Mexico border.

We cannot seem to find one sick, feeble terrorist, Bin Laden, or do we even want to find him? One person is making our life’s miserable, and our government and military cannot find and kill that person. What makes you think these same incompetent people could find an atomic bomb being smuggled into our nation in broad daylight?

Our enemy is shrewd, and is using our weakness to kill us. We are too weak to battle this enemy, it is an enemy that believes we should die, and they will die to see us die.
What do we have to combat these killers for Islam?
Political Correctness, Dinosaurs (Kennedy, Pelosi, Byrd, etc.) in the nations highest offices, A president who won’t turn the armed forces loose to fight, and a game playing, pleasure driven population that can’t even see the enemy, and a media that loves our enemies more than those fighting them.

Now after all of this negative talk, I must point out that throughout the short (YES SHORT) history of the United States of America, in the darkest hours for this nation, real men have stepped up to protect this union. There may be a Lincoln somewhere who will step up to the task, or there may not be one.

The Black Plague

I don't like spiders or snakes either!

I am going to share some personal writings with all of you now, and draw my own conclusions. Yes I will be drawing the conclusions. I guess it is all right to draw conclusions about your own words. In this instance the words are in the form of a song I wrote 32 years ago. Wow, that long ago?

At the time I was a bohemian turned hippie turned greenie and nearly turned anarchist, living in California. If you read this song of mine, and compare the emotions behind the song, with what you think you know about me now, you are bound to make wrong assumptions.
In the 32 years since writing this song, I have not abandoned any emotion this song brings to mind. Well that is not entirely right, I do not doubt the existence of God anymore. Maybe that fact alone has helped me along my sojourn upon Earth.
But you are a neocon! I can almost hear you saying this.
Let me be clear about this, I am a conservative, because I believe with all my heart that the problems I bring up in this song of 30 years ago, cannot be solved by the liberals as we know them today.
I could write long on this subject, but I will only relate one thing.
I practice good stewardship of the earth. I can take you on a drive by the 10 leading liberals of this city, and point out to you that their lawns are beautifully manicured, and green even now in the midst of a drought. Their sprinkling systems use more water in one day, then I will use all year. Sniff....sniff...sniff Yes you can smell the chemicals they use to kill weeds, and insects. Good Stewards? Not. Just a lot of rhetoric and little action.
Now visit my small city lot. I use no chemicals to kill insects or weeds in my yard. None! I also use my showers greywater in my garden. A pump takes it out to my garden. I have several varieties of marsh plants that need a lot of water, so they love my shower water. No jokes about bath water please. In the remaining space of my garden I have 30 or more different herbs growing that attract beneficial insects by the thousands. I have honey bees and many other kinds of pollen loving insects by the thousands. Many liberals have never seen a honeybee anywhere near their palatial estates. The bees are smarter than Dan Rather.
I don’t like spiders or snakes, but they are here also.
What I am trying to share is simply this……there is a lot of misinformation about conservatives, but I don’t care, I am what I am.

Now for the song.

The Black Plague

Verse One:
Orphans of war knock on my door,
Begging “Sing a song for our cause”
Neglected lands of the universe,
Begging “Pollute us no more”
Up steps a man whose skin is black,
Asking “Is my face that hard too look at?”
My vote the politician buys,
Then he tries to tell me I’m too high.

Chorus:
Lately I’ve been confused,
As to why now we’ve misused?
This our world and its populace.
Did God really create us?
Or did we just fantasize him,
So we could continue in our sin?
And go on dreamin’ of a heaven somewhere,
Neglecting our beautiful world down here.

Verse Two:
The tax collector tells me “Pay up.”
Today or go to jail!
Fourteen different ministers,
Say, walk this way or go to hell.
In my own simple way,
I walk upon this earth,
Hoping for some better days,
Taking life for what it’s worth.

Chorus here

Verse Three
This is the saddest dream I’ve ever had,
It’s screaming but I can’t awake.
It’s all too real, kinda makes me sad,
Is it all an unfortunate mistake?
Can the wrongs be corrected?
Can a good man be elected?
Can social wrongs, be rejected?
Will this world remain so infected?

Chorus here

Verse Four
We lay claim to the moon and outer space,
A prize for our egotistical brains.
If we’re allowed to leave this place,
I wonder who would want the remains?
Dirty water, over burdened soil,
Beer cans thrown everywhere.
Buffalo’s gone, broken glass,
Everything to breathe but good air.

Chorus and out………..
Copyright 1973

Unsolicited Advice to the Democratic Party of America

Sometimes you just have to let a person drown.

One of the saddest occurrences I have read about in recent years is the unfortunate drowning of a local father and son. Both were swimming in a nearby lake, when for some unknown reason the young son started floundering and began calling for help. The father swam to his son and tried to help. The young son was physically as large as his father and in the panic of moment, the son grabbed onto his father so tightly that instead of helping save the son, both drowned and there was nothing the witnesses could do for them.

I know how frightening it is to be drowning. When I was still in high school I almost became a victim of drowning. While swimming some distance from the shore in Lake Tenkiller, of Oklahoma, I got a cramp (Charlie horse) in one leg followed quickly by a cramp in the other leg Those classmates swimming close to me, thought I was joking when I went under, came back up and then cried out for help. When I went back under for the second time, quick action by some of my classmates helped save me. I let them pull me to safety.

The Democratic Party of America is drowning. Look at the facts people, don’t quit reading simply because you don’t like the truth. In 1992, America elected Bill Clinton as president. Along with the White House, there was a majority for the Democrat Party in the Senate, and House of Representatives. I believe the number of Governors was close to equally split between Republicans and Democrats. Bill Clinton did not receive a majority of the votes cast, because there were three candidates for president in that race.

In a little over a dozen years the Democrats no longer control the Senate, House or Presidency. There are also more Republican Governors, and more states with a Republican controlled House and Senate. I contend the Democratic Party is drowning. Because I am an old Democrat who is now a Republican, I don’t expect my help is wanted, but I hate to see the party of Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy drowning. But I cannot help myself I must tell all good Democrats that this situation will remain the same, or grow worse until you look at yourself, and see yourself as the majority of America does. Liberal nut cases control the Democrat Party today, and like it or not, Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy or Hillary Clinton do not inspire the hard working voters of America.

There is no doubt that President Bill Clinton was popular throughout the 1990’s in his own party, all of the media and in many countries of the world. He chose not to build on that popularity, but the media still treated Bill as a popstar. This worshiplike treatment of Bill Clinton was part of the undoing of the Democrat party. I personally liked Bill in a lot of ways, but not as president.

I am not going to offer much advice to Democrats since I don’t want the present Democratic Party defending my country in this dangerous time of war. You are on your own, but I will leave you with the name of a candidate that could have easily beaten George W. Bush in 2004, but was treated like a pharaoh in his own party. If this candidate had been chosen along with a moderate Democrat, I would have voted Democratic. This is not a stretch of my imagination, it is the gospel truth. Instead of choosing two of the most liberal senators in the Senate for candidates, if Zel Miller had been the presidential candidate, George W. Bush would have joined the long list of one term presidents.

A Little Experiment

After spending 3 days without TV, INTERNET, RADIO or NEWSPAPER, I feel that a political rant would be out of place, for my first blog entry upon returning. I don't want to ruin this enjoyable state of mind I now have, but if I've gotta, I've gotta. Here is something I need some help on.

I am posting a little thought that turned into a big thought as I pondered it in my new found peace of mind. Here is what I want to know of you. Read this blog entry and let me know if I should go back to ranting and raving about politics and other things I can not do anything about, or create prose like I now share. Thanks for taking the time to assist me.


Pleasures, Passions and Other Talk that No One Wants to Hear About from Me. OR, Lessons Learned the Hard Way.

You are still going to finish reading this.

I am no longer a very passionate person,
Yet I consider myself to be compassionate.
The reason is not all that hard to understand;
I spent one life’s worth of passion,
Before I was old enough to vote.
I still have flashbacks to my youthful passion,
But passion for the most part is stopped cold,
Before it gets out of control, or in control.
For the most part is the key to this thought, because,
I still have a few demons dancing with my karma.
Passion is not given out in equal measure,
And sometimes passion and compassion,
Do not find common ground to work upon.
In fact, they rarely work together.
When an overly passionate person falls in love,
With a compassionate person,
Failure is almost always the result.
Perhaps a compassionate person wishes only to give,
Not wishing to receive a return measure.
Why would a person so compassionate,
Refuse to be compassionate to ones own self?
Could this be why there are occasions,
When I take a mental whip to my thoughts,
Just to rein in my passionate desire?
When I have set a goal, and fail,
Defeat is not that unbearable.
For even in defeat the goal is still there,
Unchanged by my desire.
The goal is still in the same condition; unobtainable.
A person denied an equal measure of passion,
To the passion they spend is still not poor.
And the person denied passion for passion,
Who turns to hatred or retribution,
Is too poor to be helpful to others.
It is the one striving that fails, not the sought after.
The goal is never tarnished by the failure to obtain.
I learned this lesson over a 40 year span of time,
So maybe now I can put it to some good use.
Yes it was best to have not tarnished the goal,
I sought so desperately, by obtaining it.
Sounds like a good plan, but I know myself.