Archive for July, 2011
What is “Operation Gratitude” and how can people support the troops in their own unique way?
My name is Penny and I volunteer with Operation Gratitude in California. I appreciate your allowing me to tell your readers about our efforts.
The Mission Statement for Operation Gratitude begins “Operation Gratitude seeks to lift morale and put smiles on faces by sending care packages addressed to individual Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed in harm’s way.” But it wasn’t long before we learned that Operation Gratitude ALSO brings a smile to the faces of our volunteers. People come to our package assembly events with the intention of showing their support for our troops, and leave, (often after standing on their feet for 8 hours), with the biggest smiles, thanking US for allowing them to volunteer! People return time and time again, bringing family and friends, and over the past 8 years, the ranks of our volunteers has grown larger and larger. So many Americans feel helpless and want to find a way to show their appreciation to our wonderful troops, and Operation Gratitude provides that for them. Our tasks include everything from writing customs forms to driving a forklift, and everything in between.
Violence in Boystown at Dangerous Levels This Summer — How Long Until Someone Is Killed?
Here and there this has made national news, though I have not been able to comment on it myself until now: there’s been a crime wave in Boystown involving robberies, burglaries, and stabbings (one near-fatal). The Chicago Police are still terrified of telling the truth about what’s going on, since in PC-controlled Chicago they are seemingly forbidden to state the obvious…which is that black youth from the Southside are drawn north to Boystown by the Center on Halsted, and when the Center closes at night the underaged black youth then hit the streets. Too young to go into any of the bars, the youth then lurk on the corners along Halsted Street, where — with nothing else to do apparently — they plot crimes.
Monday Open Thread: July 25th, 2011
A U.S soldier speaks to a colleague wounded in a roadside bomb, before loading him onto a medevac helicopter from the U.S. Army’s Task Force Lift “Dust Off”, Charlie Company 1-52 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Saturday, July 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
(thanks Weasel)
As the fighting on Capitol Hill heats up, let’s not forget that we are also fighting for freedom in a far off land called Afghanistan and that there’s more at stake than just whether a debt ceiling will be raised or not.
These wonderful young men and women of the United States Armed Forces are putting their lives on the line for us every day and I am eternally grateful. They make me proud to be an American.
God Bless our Troops.
So…what’s on your minds this Monday?
What are people talking about in your part of the world?
Did you see Captain America this weekend?
Captain America debuted at the box office this past weekend — to an impressive $65.8 million.
Here in Chicago opening night, the crowd was as eclectic as it was enthusiastic…there were many people who looked for all the world like they’d never even heard of Captain America…yet there they were cheering him on up on that big screen.
A good many of them were probably just intensely into the newly-buffed-beyond-belief Chris Evans, star-spangled and muscled to perfection.
But there was something else too…a palpable energy…a sense that people here in Chicago wanted to root for the US and cheer loudly in parts of the film where USO-styled rah-rah, salute-the-flag spectacle took center stage.
Pop culture and politics are intrinsically linked — which is something the Republican Party never seems to understand, with many in the GOP just dismissing Hollywood and foolishly failing to scry into box office receipts for election year clues. True, Hollywood hates conservatives and makes a big show of that every chance it can. And quite often Hollywood hates America as well, despite the uncomfortable fact that most in Hollywood carry US passports and dodge their taxes here.
But Hollywood execs are driven by profit, and they’ve learned how to gauge public sentiment before shelling out massive expenditures for big-budget films…particularly summer blockbusters like “Captain America”.
Here’s what the Republican Party needs to understand about the success of this film and its reception in Leftist bastions like Chicago:
(1) Remember the spat of anti-American, anti-military, Iraq War films Hollywood rushed into production in 2007-2009, attempting to ride the Obama wave of anti-Americanism the Left whipped into such a frenzy back then? Well, all of those films bombed. I can’t remember a single one of them and honestly don’t care to pull them up for reference here…they stunk that much, and made nothing at the box office. So despite Obama’s rise and election, and despite the Left’s conquest of our entire government, the American public STILL didn’t want to see America trashed on the big screen. That says something about just how far the Left can ever control this country. The Left, by way of Big Labor and a stranglehold on various segments of the bureaucracy, might control the GOVERNMENT but it will never, ever control the hearts and minds of the American people. If that was true, every one of those anti-American films would have been huge hits…but they weren’t. For good reason.
(2) The fact that not a single person in a Chicago screening of “Captain America” scoffed or huffed at the proud patriotism on display in this movie speaks volumes about where people’s sentiments rest at this particular moment in time. However they may have felt in 2008 byvoting for Obama (and thus giving their tacit approval to his “America is flawed and must be changed” garbage), they are feeling differently in 2011…after suffering three years’ worth of hopeychange. The Republican Party might not understand this yet, but there’s just no compelling reason to re-elect Obama…and the American people know this. The reason they are cheering so loudly for an established American hero decked out in red, white, and blue is because the false-messiah the media crammed down the public’s throat in 2008 has been spectacular only in his failures. The pendulum has swung far away from the Obama Kool-Aid personality cult, with the public back in control of its senses, realizing their own personal survivals are tied intrinsically to the survival of this nation…as it stands…and certainly not as the Left wanted to change it. There was a sick and delusional flirtation with a charismatic snake oil salesman the media pushed onto the country…but Americans are now in their seats cheering on a real hero in “Captain America”…and cheering all this symbol stands for as well.
Yes, it’s a movie. It’s just a movie. And observations in one screening in Chicago aren’t scientific data applicable to anything other than a gut feeling that the worm has indeed turned on the Left. I can’t imagine “Captain America” even being made back in the 2007-2009 Obama cult epoch…let alone being this enthusiastically received.
The Obama fad is really and truly over, and people are turning back to the things they knew before the media revved them up to hate their country and demand it be “changed” without ever asking what that change would entail…or what it would cost all of us.
Have you seen “Captain America” yet?
If so, what did you think of it…and more importantly, what sort of reaction did the film receive from your fellow moviegoers in the theater?
It’s especially interesting to observe the younger moviegoers, the 20-something “Obama crowd”, to see if the patriotism has infected them as well.
Separated at birth?
Could be twins....
(h/t HillBuzz reader Mary)
I definitely see it. They’re at least half siblings.
What do you think?
( I know…..I’m being a mean girl today. Sorry Debbie but you asked for it)
House leaders working on a “compromise”.
Is Speaker Boehner taking a nap?
I really don’t like the word “compromise” when it comes to dealing with Obama. It makes me very nervous. However…that’s the word that’s being thrown around after yesterday’s meeting between congressional leaders and the President. They are now scrambling to get some kind of a deal done before the Asian markets open Monday morning (Sunday evening EST). Word on the financial street (aka Wall Street) is that the markets are going to take a real beating if some deal isn’t made.
(MSNBC) House Speaker John Boehner told House Republicans in a conference call after meeting with President Barack Obama Saturday that he hoped to be able to announce a “viable framework for progress” by 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, before Asian financial markets open, two participants told The Associated Press.
Please Mr. Boehner….don’t sell America out.
Of course….Obama isn’t really concerned about the welfare of our country. He’s mainly concerned about his re-election.
Obama’s only bottom line
Obama said his only requirement for an agreement was legislation that provides the Treasury enough borrowing authority to tide the government over through the 2012 election. Boehner said he had little interest in a short-term extension either.
That is so typical….and disgusting.
What an egotistical self-serving loser.
Sunday Open Thread: July 24th, 2011
This is the face of EVIL
While most of America is waiting on Washington to come to some sort of solution on our astronomical debt …the people of Norway are trying to come to grips with it’s worst terror attack ever. One single malevolent soul took the lives of almost 100 people. Chilling.
God bless the people of Norway…the survivors, the victims families and anyone involved in this horrific event.
What’s on your minds this Sunday?
What are people talking about in your part of the world?
Saturday Open Thread: July 23rd, 2011
Lots of drama yesterday afternoon but still no agreement on a debt solution. Obama is playing the politician instead of the leader. Blame…blame…blame. He’s also telling lie after lie when he says that he wants to help the little guy….the average Joe American. The Republicans only want to help the rich (will he ever get off his “corporate jet owner” kick?). Does anyone buy into his sleazy tactics? I pray that most of America has become wise to his ways.
I’m proud of John Boehner for standing firm and I think he gave a darn good speech. He looked humble and serious about trying to get things done. He must be exhausted and frustrated. He was the statesman to Obama’s childishness. I felt like at any moment Obama was going to say something like “Mr. Boehner doesn’t want to play with me anymore”… boo hoo.
I would like to suggest that we contact Speaker Boehner to give him some encouragement. It looks like he will be headed back to the White House this morning for some more rounds of boxing (hey…he should write a book and title it “Boxing Obama”). Anyway, I think he could use a little moral support from us.
What else is on your minds this Saturday?
What are people talking about in your part of the world?
Debt Plans 101: Gang of Six vs Cut-Cap-Balance
The Infamous Gang of Six
As that August 2nd debt deadline looms over the nation, those on Capital Hill are surrying to find a solution. There are 2 major plans in play at the moment ….the “Gang of Six” proposal and Cut-Cap and Balance. The House has already passed one of the bills (C-C-B) by 234-190 and is waiting on the Senate to vote on it….probably sometime tomorrow. It’s not expected to pass the senate but who really knows. I’ve been on vacation for the past 10 days so I haven’t paid too much attention to the specifics of each plan (sham on me). I am now scrambling to understand the difference in the plans so I’ll know just what’s at stake. It’s very clear to me that the C-C-B bill is the one that most conservatives want….most Tea Party Americans.
Here’s the C-C-B Bill in a nutshell:
-Cut US spending for the next fiscal year by $111 billion.
-Cap annual federal spending at less than 20 percent of the economy, as measured by the gross domestic product.
-Balance the budget each year via a constitutional amendment, called the Balanced Budget Amendment. The measure, if passed, would send the amendment to the states for ratification.
(if you are in support of the C-C-B Act, so to their site and sign the pledge. You can also see who in the House and Senate has signed it. This will send a very strong message as to what we support)
Should the bill make it past the Senate, President Obama has said that he would veto it because it would set “unrealistic spending caps”. This is where the White House is using scare tactics like “the GOP wants to kill you grandmother”. Obama also doesn’t want a balanced budget amendment.
“We don’t need a balanced budget amendment,” Obama said on Friday. “We simply need to make these tough choices and be willing to take on our bases. And everybody knows it. I mean, we could have a discussion right here about what the numbers look like, and we know what’s necessary.”
Blah-blah-blah. Every senator is in support of the Balanced Budget Amendment as are 72 percent of Americans. Most say that if we give Obama an increase in the debt ceiling then we must have the balanced budget but so far, Obama won’t budge on this issue. Probably because he would have to be held accountable for his out-of-control spending.
So now…how about the Gang of Six plan? It appears to be very short on specifics except for a few things.
1. It would raise the debt ceiling.
2. It would close some current tax loopholes (aka tax breaks) including mortgage interest, health insurance and charitable giving.
3. It stops short when it comes to demanding a balanced budget.
Of course….Obama has applauded the Gang of Six and is in total support of their plan (well, maybe not “total”). I don’t know about you but if Obama and the White House are in support of this plan then I am NOT. I know that there will have to be some compromise but I feel like we will be selling our souls to the devil with the Gang of Six plan. Everything I have been reading about the Gang of Six leads me to believe that their plan is just smoke and mirrors.
Am I wrong?
What are your thoughts?
Let’s rename Debbie…..as in Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Thanks to you guys for giving me the idea of a DWS naming game. Since she insists on bringing attention to herself ( her name and personality are RIPE for “re-naming” )….let’s have some fun with it.
I read a couple of things on the internet that had some choice nicknames for her…..
1. DWS: Dumb White Sister
2. Porker of the Month: given to her by the group Citizen’s Against Government Waste. “For making false claims about job creation, and her mendacious attitude toward the facts of our economic crisis, CAGW names Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz its October 2010 Porker of the Month.”
Now it’s your turn….
Go for it.
Give it your best shot.
Can we start something on Twitter with #nicknamedebbiewassermanschultz? Let’s make this a Gold Team Action Item.
