Just Good Ole Boys, Never Meaning No Harm

Just good ole boys; never meaning no harm.

The Dukes of Hazzard

Several years ago, I remember Glenn Beck saying that in a few years, you will not recognize your country. We have arrived at that destination in a thunderclap of wreckage not witnessed since the Bandit ran through a funeral procession while Buford T. Justice was in high speed pursuit.

In the aftermath of some asshole racist punk murdering some of America's finest citizens in Charleston last month, the left has seized the opportunity to take political correctness, as they see fit, to mind boggling levels. With their main goals set at, as Michelle Obama stated, at changing our history and traditions, the Confederate Flag, or some semblance of it, has now been banned everywhere.

And with political correctness completely run amok, Viacom has pulled the classic favorite "The Dukes of Hazzard" from rerun circulation on channels they own, most notably TV Land and CMT Television.  Fans of the show, those who support free speech and folks who have had it to their eyeballs with political correctness, are seething.

Viacom can show hour after hour of television that is offensive to many, with sexual situations, murders, conspiracy and hours of endless reality shows, but for the love of Pete, The Dukes of Hazzard is much too offensive with that flag on the roof of the car.

Actually, Viacom can show whatever they want on their network, and they can be as politically correct as they wise. However, I can choose not to watch their product, or invest in their company (VIAB:NASD), whose stock price is challenging yearly lows.

The General Lee

Although the show was very successful,  both during the initial CBS run and in rerun circulation, even though it had a hot chick and a fast car, two of my favorites, I was never a big fan. The chick, Catherine Bach, was nothing short of fantastic and the car, The General Lee, a 1969 Dodge Charger, was a hot rod to be sure.

I hardly ever caught this show on reruns.  However, the removal of "The Dukes of Hazzard" from the airways is symbolic of the absolute ridiculousness of the level of political correctness in this nation at the moment. You might say folks have lost their mind, but you must recognize this is an effort by the progressives to remove any traditional items from the marketplace and change our history, moving us to a different place they, not you, deem appropriate.

Even NASCAR, home to the real good ole boys, is running scared and has asked those attending the Coke Zero 400 on Sunday to leave their Confederate Flags at home or exchange them for an American Flag at the World Center of Racing on raceday.

Just good ole boys, never meaning no harm, which is no matter to the progressive left, who think they know what is proper for us to consume.  I do not plan to let them steal my rights without a fight.

An Appeasing Hamburglar?

McDonald's is America.

Born in the nostalgic fifties and booming into among America's most successful companies in part due to placement at exits along the newly installed Interstate system, McDonald's gave America consistently prepared hamburgers, french fries and milkshakes at affordable prices.

With gifts for children in specialized packages, it was a quick win win for the households of America.  In addition, founder Ray Kroc always utilized the success of McDonald's in various charitable forms, most notably the Ronald McDonald House's which offers a home away from home for families with serious ill children in various cities, including right here in Central Florida.

But times are tough for the company. Although the stock price has risen sharply over the decades, McDonald's (MCD:NYSE) has been churning sideways for about three years.   The company has been getting pummeled in the mainstream media, for producing food deemed unhealthy by the food police.  The attacks have been relentless, and sales have been affected.  In fact, McDonald's has announced it will discontinue releasing monthly comparable sales beginning this June, as it's global comparable sales have declined for 12 consecutive months.

Protesters routinely find the nearest McDonald's to march upon seeking higher wages, fueled on by Obama, the unions and the media.  The marching morons think flipping burgers is a job you can raise a family on, but the political leaders know better and are just using McDonald's as a punching bag to advance their progressive agenda.

Steve Easterbrook will take over as CEO after the "announced early retirement" of former CEO Don Thompson, who did not perform well for a variety of reasons.

The ad campaigns of recent years have been not been near historic standards, and the company has been trying to appease the members of the food police by altering the menu in hopes of oiling the squeaky wheel.

Appeasement always works so well, but with Michelle Obama having stated that Obama will make America change it's history and traditions, McDonald's may feel compelled to make moves to protect their history and traditions.

Enter Robert Gibbs, the smart aleck former Obama press secretary, who was the face of the administration and perhaps among the most hated people in America. Gibbs, who has been hired as Executive Vice President, Global Chief Communications Officer, otherwise known to the causal observer as go make the Obama administration leave us alone.

But maybe not, as Easterbrook was quoted as saying “Robert (Gibbs) and Silvia are both highly-respected, talented leaders who will bring a wealth of experience and outside perspective to McDonald’s as we build a more modern, progressive burger company.”

Rut row.

News flash to Mr. Easterbrook. Folks have differing definitions of progressive, although you may be oblivious to it all, the hiring of Mr. Gibbs signals McDonald's, like Levi Strauss before it, is ready to jump on board the progressive train carrying the likes of Stuart Chase and Barack Obama.

Many Americans are not coming aboard with you, and that will be a tragedy.  McDonald's has been representative of what America is all about, a integral cog in the history and traditions of America our anti-American president is feverishly working to change.

Although not currently a shareholder, I have held shares in the company most of my adult life having been enrolled in their dividend reinvestment program.  All they need to do is polish the product, make sure the stores are clean, get rid of the non-serious employees and pay a salary slightly above what the market dictates for those who recognize the opportunity at hand and by all means continue to make those great burgers, fries and shakes we all have enjoyed all our lives.

For those who deem you products unhealthy, they are not to be appeased, but rather told to fixate their taste buds elsewhere.  That would certainly include Obama and his know it all wife Michelle, and their wise ass mouthpiece Mr. Gibbs.

Is FSU Target of Political Left?

It was shortly before President Obama was elected in 2008, when comments made by Michelle Obama got her yanked off the campaign trail, as these comments, if appropriately analyzed by a curious media, would pull the mask away from the blank canvas many considered Barack Obama to be and alert the nation to some of the real, hidden objectives.

Please take a listen to the following commentary from Michelle Obama while in Puerto Rico in 2008:

 

"Barack knows that we are going to have to make sacrifices; we are going to have to change our conversation, we're going to have to change our history, our traditions. We're going to have move into a different place as a nation", said Mrs. Obama.

Might changing of traditions include the demise of football in America?  Without question, the game of football is under attack from the political left, all the way up to the White House.  President Obama has publicly admonished the use of the nickname Redskins by the Washington Redskins of The National Football League, and through his associates, most notably Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D:NV), have gone after Redskins owner Daniel Snyder, a republican, for both failing to bow to political pressure and for having the audacity to not support Obama and his vision of American.  The NFL remains under attack.

Fast forward to what is happening to Florida State University in college football, the currently undefeated defending national champions.  Last fall, star quarterback Jameis Winston, a redshirt freshman, was leading the Seminoles to their undefeated championship season when he was questioned about a sexual assault.

After an investigation by the state attorney, the state attorney's office found the evidence did not support charging Winston with any crime.  While many in the media were in uproar, Winston went on to win The Heisman Trophy while guiding the Seminoles to their third National Championship.

Since that time, Winston has had some lapses in maturity, walking out of a grocery store without paying for crab legs he ordered and yelling obscenities, sexual in nature which is certainly inappropriate considering the charges which considered against him, in the FSU student union.

No doubt, while Winston is stellar on field, he is at times immature off it, failing to accurately gauge the temperature outside in this era of appropriate non-tolerance of assault against women.  Although the Winston case was and is a factor, the blowup surrounding Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice, who struck his girlfriend and now wife in an elevator and who has been suspended from the NFL ever since, has been at the forefront publicly.

But has the left found Winston as a vehicle to punish political opponents, be they individuals, agencies, or even public universities? Don't laugh.  I am wondering, as I review a series of events.  Maybe you should too.

In 2008, as reported by The Tampa Bay Times, "A foundation bankrolled by Libertarian businessman Charles G. Koch has pledged $1.5 million for positions in Florida State University's economics department. In return, his representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting "political economy and free enterprise."  The article references "a separate grant from BB&T (formerly run by John Allison, who is supporter of Rand philosophies) funds a course on ethics and economics in which Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is required reading. The novel, which depicts society's collapse in the wake of government encroachment on free enterprise, was recently made into a movie marketed to tea party members".

In my opinion, Atlas Shrugged, should be required reading for students within the economics department. The writings of Ayn Rand are an excellent defense of capitalism, although in my view they lack a necessary moral component.

The political left reviles the Koch Brothers, thinking anything they touch is evil.  As such, the interaction of the Koch brothers with the FSU Economics Department has stirred up plenty of controversy, with the progressive left labeling it a clandestine takeover of Florida State University.

Fact are always stubborn things, and never mind the Economics Department is still run by the many of the same folks, inclusive of the Dean of the College of Social Sciences Dr. David Rasmussen and Dr. James Gwartney, that were running things when I graduated from there in 1987. 

The department was always centered on free markets drawn upon from the Austrian economic models, and although Keynesian model coursework was engaged upon, social justice through economic policy was not deemed a logical and efficient mechanism of theory.

Not only has the debate centered upon the Economics Department, even FSU's Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science has come under fire, for the truth about climate change may derail many a progressive dream of citizen control. 

Liberal and progressive ideology is bankrolled by groups and individuals all across the nation in public universities, hiring faculty to teach these theories nationwide.  See Ward Churchill and Austan Goolsbee.

The relationship between the Koch Brothers and Florida State University recently came to a head in the form of additional attacks as the university engaged in a search for a new president with Eric Barron accepting the same position at Penn State.  Representatives from the left, inclusive of students and media outlets, lambasted FSU as John Thrasher, an alumni and republican in the state senate, became the leading candidate.  A lack of transparency, the fact he is a conservative and that he may have gotten political donations from the Koch brothers were among the reasons cited.  Facebook pages and websites, (with support from leftist organizations such as MoveOn.org), sought to force FSU to eliminate Thrasher from consideration.  At the conclusion of the rocky search, Thrasher was hired as the fifteenth president of the university.

In the background have been countless insinuations and accusations surrounding the football program, most of which was without merit. Some weeks back, four competing "sports" outlets, Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports, ESPN and The New York Times each released a detailed report citing transgressions on a Friday evening.  Since when do competing firms sync up for the release of a report to share eyeballs? They don't, unless there is orchestration.

It is worth noting, nothing of material significance was found to be of consequence within these reports.

With respect to Winston, few if anyone has actually read the report surrounding the sexual assault case.  Any reasonable assessment of the facts of the case will lead the reader to easily conclude that the accuser lacks credibility.

The reports of investigators continuing to investigate Winston is simply staggering.  Recent accusations, primarily from ESPN, told a tale of Winston getting paid to sign autographs, which would make him ineligible for collegiate competition.  However, after months of stories of this action blasted all over the sports media, it is now reported that the items he supposedly autographed are fake, not actually having his signature.

Winston signs thousands of autographs, as I have personally witnessed on many an occasion.  In fact, at a baseball game FSU played at Stetson University in Deland, FL, ESPN reporter Marty Smith stood two feet away from me watching Winston sign hundreds; for free.

Recently, The New York Times released a report indicating favoritism by the Tallahassee Police Department regarding a traffic citation issued to cornerback PJ Williams.  With seemingly no action to investigate as President Obama sadly runs roughshod over our Constitution, The New York Times appears well staffed in Tallahassee, fabricating targeted news unfit to print. Guilty until proven innocent is now en vogue with the media.  FSU responded quickly and with assertion, and the story seems to have gone away.

The New York Times is agenda driven to be sure.  In the aftermath of a tragic shooting at the Strozier Library on the Florida State campus, in describing the story, The Times made reference to the issues surrounding the football team (fabricated), which has zero relevance to the actions of a disturbed individual.

ESPN continues to blatantly target FSU as well. In a recent report of talented Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota receiving a traffic ticket, it was the picture of Winston that was presented, and no, he was not involved.  This was not an error, but rather an orchestrated opportunity to tarnish FSU.

Why are all these media outlets exhausting all efforts to take down Florida State. While one could envision Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and certainly ESPN performing investigative sports reporting, I find it offensive that The New York Times cannot find enough in Washington to keep them busy without the gray lady taking up hotel rooms in Tallahassee.  I wonder who is directing their investigative action, and why?

But then again, perhaps due to the relationship between Florida State and the evil Koch brothers, we can find a logical reason these competing interests are relentless in their investigative attacks on FSU.  It appears Florida State University may be getting attacked by the political left, who gleefully employ the tactics of their mentor Saul Alinsky; achieving goals by any means necessary to punish political enemies both financially and in the court of public opinion.

No worries. Florida State University remains The Unconquered!

Hail To The Redskins

The fact that the world is on fire matters not to a powerful ruling class, who know they are on the verge of major gains in their attempt to turn America into a tyrannical oligarchy.  The scandals, are not really scandals, as they are a means to an end to crash the system as defined through the Cloward and Piven strategy.

You would think our President would be spending most waking moments dealing with the potential loss of Iraq, and the consequences there of.  No, he is golfing, and fundraising, and amidst all the chaos, has escalated his effort to transform America.

Case in point; the ruling yesterday by the US Patent Office, without question at the direction of President Obama, cancelling the trademarks of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.   The Redskins, who have their own fight song, are among the most established, traditional and lucrative brands around.

Roy Helu, JR. of the Washington Redskins

Shall we back up and follow the trail, Indian style, on how this orchestrated event came to pass. Make no mistake; it is on the command of the Obama regime.

Late last fall, as reported by The New York Times, President Obama weighed in claiming "legitimate concerns over Redskins name".  TheTimes noted that in response to a letter presented by 10 congressional members that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote back saying the Redskins name was “a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.”

A month or so ago, 49 members of the US Senate, all Democrats, wrote the Roeger Goodell urging the league to endorse the change of the Redskins' name.  Democrat Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who as far as I know has not lifter finger to earn the release of Sgt. Andrew Tahmoorhessi, one of his constituents, from captivity in Mexico, took time to write his own letter as he was unavailable to sign with the other members.

Meanwhile, the 2014 College Football National Champion Florida State Seminoles, although having presented several dates for consideration, have been unsuccessful in the planning the traditional nation champion visit to the White House.  As an alumni of Florida State University, I am fine skipping an afternoon with Obama, but the inability for the White House to make this tradition happen, given the attack on the Redskins name, raises the eyeballs.

Last week, again with the middle east on fire, President Obama made a rare presidential visit to an Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota, telling those gathered his "administration is determined to partner with tribes".

Then came the bombshell announcement by the patent office, catching most everyone by surprise.

Redskin owner Daniel Snyder, who reportedly contributed to the Romney campaign in 2012, is in the cross hairs of Obama for steadfastly denying any and all request to consider changing the Redskin name.

The ruling was supposed levied due to the Redskin name being viewed as disparaging by some and considered a racial slur of Native Americans.  This is quite ridiculous, as Oklahoma means "red people" and I don't hear a peep about changing the name of the Sooner state or universities within the state.

In fact, the Redskin name came from an effort to honor their inaugural head coach, who was Native American. Opponents of the Redskin name are now calling Lone Star Dietz an "impostor", aiming, to discredit and destroy any and all traditions that get in the way of their objective.

Many sportswriters across the nation have jumped on the bandwagon, with some vowing to not use the Redskin name in their work.  This includes longtime NFL writer Peter King and The Kansas City Star newspaper.

George Diaz, of the hometown Orlando Sentinel, penned an utterly ridiculous editorial, which clearly exhibited his liberal bias.  While he find the Redskin tradition a relic of the past that needs to be buried, although I champion his right to pen it, I found his column offensive.

Forget the Redskins.

If President Obama was so inclined, perhaps buoyed by a small vocal group, perhaps financially compensated,  might he direct the patent office to cancel the trademarks of The Coca Cola Company (KO:NYSE) or the McDonalds (MCD:NYSE) corporation because the First Lady finds their product contributes to obesity?

Although a historical hoax, will President Obama, peeved by the nation continuing to buy SUV's, direct the patent office to cancel the trademarks of Ford and General Motors because they continue to make vehicles that, according to the global warming crowd, are significantly contributing to the demise of the world?

Where will one throw anchor on this slippery slope?

Obama is crashing the system in an effort to gain power over the people.  Part of the effort is, as Michelle Obama worded it in 2008,  "we're going to have to change our traditions, our history; we're going to have to move into a different place as a nation."

Will the history or traditional a powerful elitist from the ruling class want to change be one you value?

Before you join in the celebration of the government, on a whim, leveling attack on private property, you may want to think twice, for there may not be anyone around to protect the tradition you hold dear when the deem it inappropriate.

Hail to the Redskins!

Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins

Tradition Tackled?

There it is.  The Seminole Head logo from Florida State University, proudly representing Florida State University since 1971 with heartfelt significance to all Seminoles.

Florida State Seminole Head Logo

A traditional logo rivaled by few, if any.  In fact, the iconic Seminole Head transcends sports; showcasing our university and the Seminole Tribe of Florida we are so honored to represent, with class and dignity.

On April 2, much of Seminole nation became aghast and angered at an effort by Florida State, in conjunction with NIKE, to change the logo for a more modern representation.  A bungled release of the new logo, a picture snapped by a fan from a Florida Wal-Mart, has set off a firestorm FSU of negativity at FSU, and rightfully so.  Take a look:

New Florida State Seminole Head Logo

Given the outstanding logo all Seminoles cherish, one has to wonder the motivation behind the nonsensical idea to change the best looking logo in all of sport?

Amidst the backlash, FSU athletics issued a statement in which they mentioned a two year study revealed the iconic logo did not reproduce well in a number of mediums and was difficult to embroider.

To learn it is being changed due in part due to "embroidering" issues is insulting. 

The outrage by the Seminole faithful is out of control and has FSU in significant damage control. 

Gene Williams, the purveyor of WarChant.com, a fantastic web platform chronicling FSU athletics, was in Orlando on Thursday night, April 3rd, to discuss spring football practice and the prospects for the football team as it regards the 2015 season.  In talking with Gene, it was apparent to me the full extent of the outrage had not yet been adequately assessed.  That is no way a knock on Gene, who is on his game 24/7, a leading source in FSU athletics and a real nice guy, but more a sense that FSU Athletics and its tentacles were oblvious to the brewing storm.

Williams, affectionately known as Dot.com, penned a great piece on this most unfortunate situation on WarChant.com

But FSU, no doubt in a bout of arrogance, failed miserably in appraising the pulse of the fan base and measuring the emotional level Seminole fans have regarding the traditions we hold so dear.  In fact, a fan, Jodi Slade, with some level of skill in marketing and design presented a logo alternative that is appealing to many faithful, if, and that is a big if, the design needing changing the first place.  Take a look:

Current Logo and new Jodi Slade designed logo

 

FSU and Nike took two years and Jodi Slade needed an evening.  Oh my!

Then word leaked there would be changes to the uniform, including the helmet, which is simply fighting words.  Changing our helmet, appropriately voted the best looking helmet in the game by ESPN, is unnecessary and without merit. 

FSU 2013 Helmet

I am spitting tomahawks!

Jeff Cameron, of ESPN 97.9 in Tallahassee, a well connected and respected media voice in the Florida State community, although not a big fan of the new Seminole Head logo, has seen the uniforms, including the helmet, and thinks they are really nicely done.  Cameron mentioned the embrace a historical element of the Seminole Tribe and are classy in the approach. 

In addition, he says the helmet changes are very minimal. Among the changes was the spear supposedly wraps around the back, which seems slight.  The facemask may be gold like the helmet, which I would be a loud opponent of. 

In fact, leave the helmet alone. Period. 

Perhaps it is the turning of the clock.  Perhaps it has been assisted by the baseless rhetoric of our president, Barack Obama. Michelle Obama said Barack knows the citizenry will have to change our history and our traditions.  But, there seems to be an overriding notion to affect change on just about anything; not change due to necessity or the will of the people or for the better in most cases, but seemingly just to do it.

As the clock ticks, change in inevitable.  But, as evolutions in cell phones is one thing, manipulating things our society has gotten right, as an effort of appeasement or political correctness, is a display of weakness and lack of principle.

That is just as true for Uncle Same as it is Chief Osceola.

History and tradition should be embraced, and unless significant issues exist, and none do at Florida State, major changes in the top notch uniforms and logos of our beloved university should not be entertained. Our highly valued traditions are not in need of change, and I strongly disagree with those in FSU Athletics who found the idea of this change welcoming.

At the unveiling this Friday night, I have no doubt a cascade of booing will fill the air of the evening with the "official' presentation of the "new" logo. With any luck, FSU will have to backtrack and keep the traditional Seminole Head logo, which should have never been changed to begin with.

Go Seminoles!

Do We Get The Picture?

Nelson Mandela
(RICHARD LEWIS/AP)

Today, in South Africa, was the funeral of Nelson Mandela, who died this past week at 95.  Mandela, who was held prisoner for some 27 years, is an interesting iconic political figure to be sure who was held in high regard around world. 

Through an association with Oprah Winfrey, a friend of mine met Mandela in 2000, and was deeply moved. She noted at his passing that Mandela provided a "blueprint showing each of us that by staying in-spirit, rather than in-ego & fear, it is possible to overcome anything".  She has that right.

It is said Mandela was free to be released on an annual basis if he would simply renounce terrorism, which he never did.  But rather than focus on that potential line in the sand, we can note the actions of Mandela after he gained his freedom.  Adjectives such as peace, freedom and most importantly, forgiveness, come to mind.

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others" is a noted quote from Mandela expressing his thoughts on freedom. 

While there is little doubt Mandela will live forever as a pioneer of freedom for many and an everlasting ambassador of forgiveness, it must be noted that Mandela was a communist, a political party that controls its citizenry and places substantial limitations on freedom.

While many of us vehemently disagree with the political affiliation and associations with fellow political leaders that at a minimum embrace communism held by Mandela, we must recognize that much good came from many examples he set until the time of his death.

Therefore, it was entirely appropriate for dignitaries around the world to pay homage to this man for his many contributions to the advancement of freedom for millions.  From the United States, among many, were former presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush.  Of course, President Barack Obama and the First Lady attended, with Obama speaking.

Sadly, as expected, the arrogance of Obama could not be contained. 

In his speech, President Obama cited himself on numerous occasions, and if there are boundaries to the arrogance of Obama, we would need Captain James T. Kirk to consult Mr. Spock to locate them. It is alarming and sad America has put herself in the position of having this narcissist as our president.

The narcissist in chief behaved like a spoiled brat all afternoon, embarrassing and demeaning yet again not only the stature of our nation, but torquing the First Lady.  She sent ole Barack the "death glare".

FLOTUS is far from pleased; we are embarrassed.

Engaging in laughter at this solemn time, embracing all the teen rage by posing for "selfies" during the event and exchanging pleasantries with the Prime Minister of Denmark (a female if you were wondering) is without question inappropriate behavior for my teenager, much less our president representing the United States in an official capacity.



It is all about ME!

In addition, Obama shook the hand of the leader of Cuba, a longstanding enemy who currently hold US citizens hostage, which any freedom loving American with their head out of the sand would be appalled by.

Election as the President of the United States is not an invitation to engage in your own reality television program, hit the late night talk show circuit, host concerts, attend sporting events, play endless golf and chase sexual partners. Many of those activities are left for those of us outside of the top level of public service, where the existence of our nation and lives of our citizenry are at stake.

Shame on our citizens who either are idiots or failed to adhere to their responsibilities during the election process to elected this charlatan, particularly the second time around.  Obama does not see this country the way our founders, or you and I, see it, and I think his actions seemingly on a daily basis provide multiple exhibits.

The citizenry should immediately engage in the necessary legal steps to have Obama impeached, and removed from office prior to an epic financial or terrorist action leaves us in such great peril that odds of a full recovery are remote.

Perhaps that is the result President Obama is seeking?  As with Nelson Mandela, actions speak louder than words.

Clock of the Heart

Last night,  I reported a major shark jump on the evening. It is not even Thanksgiving, and yet Rudolph is courting Clarice on CBS television. Good Grief!

 

The rush of engaging in the Christmas shopping season seems to have overtaken the real meaning behind each of the three holidays during this time period, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day.

 

Thanksgiving was created by George Washington to give thanks to our creator, God, for the blessings we have received.  Christmas, of course, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, as our Father gave his only Son to forgive us for our sins.  New Years represents a new beginning, an opportunity to redirect and eliminate the branches of evil that prohibit us from reaching our full potential.

 

We should give proper credence to the holiday of Thanksgiving, so important that the indispensable man George Washington thought it worthy of recognition. Thomas Jefferson found it so meaningful it required annual recognition, which is why our nation celebrates this day annually.

 

After we give thanks for the blessings we have been granted, we can move on to the celebration of Christmas and then seek the opportunity to reach redemption and make the new year better than the previous one. 

 

As a capitalist, I hope everyone can enjoy the shopping for gifts till your hearts content, but please remember the reason for the season and recognize the blessings and opportunities we have been given.

 

In closing, a memo to the national television networks.  Please give paramount consideration to the chronological order of these holidays, for this is a tradition we are not in favor of changing, even if it is the wish of our current First Lady.

Nothing To See Here

What in the world is going on in Boston?

Obviously, we are all well aware of the tragic terrorist acts which marred the Boston Marathon. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost their life and those who have forever been negatively impacted by the actions of these terrorists.

However, the aftermath of the event has been quite confusing and with all the scandals engulfing the Obama administration, it is hard for the public to keep their eye on the ball.  Heck, we don't even know what game we are playing.

While the authorities chased down the publicly know suspects, a major US city was in lock down. It was the Tsarnaev brothers, Chechen immigrants, with the older brother killed in a shootout and the younger brother, after being identified by a private citizen, having been captured in cuddy cabin boat on a trailer in the yard of a suburban Boston home.  Tsarnaev is awaiting trial. 

It is over, and the bad guys have been caught and are off the street.  All is good; nothing to see here.  Not so fast my friend.

Where did it all begin?  One of the aforementioned scandals had to do with the National Security Agency spying, without warrant, on all Americans in the name of prohibiting our nation from being hit again by terrorists.  As Benjamin Franklin so eloquently said, "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety". Even though reports have the Russian government warning us about the brothers Tsarnaev, with the federal government spying on the citizenry with high tech surveillance, it did nothing to stop terrorism from striking our streets, literally, in Boston. 

That ole Franklin was a real gem.

Although we are not aware of any intelligence gathered from surveillance tactics, there were significant clues something was up.

On September 11, 2011, a vicious homicide took place in the area in which the Tsarnaev brothers resided, with the victim having been a close friend of the older Tsarnaev brother.  The case remained unsolved, but it is noteworthy that news reports indicate Tsarnaev did not attend the funeral.  That type of behavior should have raised some suspicion.

Only after the bombing investigation got going did the authorities stumble upon the obvious; that mounting evidence suggested Tsarnaev brothers were involved in the grisly killing.

In the weeks prior to the Boston bombing over in Hanover, nearby the area the Tsarnaev brothers and their friends lived, came news reports of two recent incidents where homemade explosives were detonated.  At the first location, it was noted that witnesses at the nearby Target store on Washington Street reported seeing a bright flash and hearing two explosions from that area. The local news report noted that several unexploded devices were found at the scene and later detonated under secure conditions by the State Police Bomb Squad.  Obviously, these were dry runs.

On the day after the bombing, a series of photographs were published on the internet.  I became aware of the pictures from a Facebook post by FOX News Eric Bolling, and you can see the entire portfolio of photos HERE.

These photos are very interesting indeed.  Several potential suspects, most carrying backpacks, are seen in the screen shots.  I am particularly interested in the picture presented below.  The first is a photo of the immediate aftermath of the bombing, and something peculiar is quite noticeable.  Standing right beyond the start finish line are two men dressed in similar attire who appear stationary and not at all fazed by what has occurred.  Take a look.

 

A closer inspection of the photo, zoomed in below, shows two men hiding backpacks apparently engaged in some form of communication.  Certainly, to engage in identification of these men would be speculative, but it does appear the man on the left is the older Tsarnaev brother.  However, it is clear that the other individual is not the younger Tsarnaev brother.  Take a look. 

 

To gain clearer perspective, an opportunity a better look exists. Click here for full resolution image.

If we assume the individual on the left is in fact the older Tsarnaev brother, who is the individual on the right?  Although some friends of the Tsarnaev brothers have been arrested on lesser charges, none resembled this man. 

The authorities have informed the public there are no outstanding suspects related to the bombings, but regardless if the man pictured on the left is the older Tsarnaev brother or not, these two men are reacting unlike most everyone else pictured, which at a minimum raises suspicion.

I have not heard anything in the media about who these two men, and particularly the one pictured at right, are.  I would like to know.  Oh well, nothing to see here. Move on.

In the immediate aftermath of the bombings, new reports suggested a man who had been hospitalized with injuries likely sustained at the bombing.  The injuries were described as consistent with someone who was not injured from the bombing, but participatory in implementing the bombing.

Respectable journalists over at CNN reported the news, labeling the suspect as a Saudi Arabian. Seemingly due to political correctness, the reports were retracted.  CNN promptly regretted the error, but I conclude there was no error.  John King has been at this a long time and he would not recklessly report such a thing, and Fran Townsend has a credible reputation as well.  CNN may be publicly apologizing for the error, but there was no error. Wonder who got to these guys?

The story of the error has no credibility because the problem is that this individual actually exists, and The Blaze, among others, did extensive reporting on this individual.  The young man had been classified by our government as very dangerous, as The Blaze reports.

In what appeared as a stunning jailbreak of lemmings, the media quickly retracted that this individual, complete with burned hands, was not a suspect at all.  In fact, although there was no official recognition of the event, pictures indicate Michelle Obama visited him in the hospital. Reports now suggest he was deported and will not face further interrogation on the subject.  Just lovely.

With the propaganda arm of the Obama administration, the mainstream media, having dropped the subject from the daily news reel, the American people lost focus on the subject as a slew of scandals suffocated the Obama administration.

With the dust seemingly settled came news of a rather startling event just north of Boston.  On May 14th, patrols were stepped up after seven chemical engineering students were caught trespassing at the Quabbin Reservoir.  As CBS Boston reports, State Police say the five men and two women are from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, and “cited their education and career interests” for being in the area. The men told police they were chemical engineers and recent college graduates.

No charges were to be filed against the trespassers, but that did not sit well with Glenn Beck.



After the early and prompt decision not to charge the trespassers, Massachusetts Police are appealing that decision. The reservoir, which provides the city of Boston their drinking water, was accurately deemed "critical infrastructure" and thus the Mass. Police found charges were appropriate.  It should be noted the trespassers included adults, five men and two women, who were from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.

Common sense would have you believe the authorities within and surrounding Boston would be on high alert given these wide ranging events with terroristic suspicion.  We are unable to conclude that after learning what took place at the Boston Aqueduct on June 3. 

Three padlocks to hatches were cut at the Boston aqueduct, which supplies water to greater Boston. Seemingly oblivious to the previous incidents, CBS Boston reports State Police are investigating, though they say “there is no evidence of any crime other than vandalism.”  Nothing to see here.

While the events following the Boston Marathon bombing may be isolated incidents with no relation to the terroristic acts of the bombing, my tolerance for coincidence expired a long time ago.  In addition, there are several unanswered and troubling aspects regarding the bombing that have not been adequately addressed.

Obviously, our government values their relationships with countries and groups that harbor terrorists.  While questions regarding Boston remain unanswered, the administration aims to engage in assisting in weaponizing terrorists in Syria and welcomes terrorists into The White House.

Goodwill is quickly contracting globally, and with the United States in decline due to weak leadership and financial constraints, a significant event could catapult Uncle Sam into a very perilous position.  Such an event could well be financial, but it certainly could be the actions of terrorists, or both.

Before discounting the events in Boston, recognize those who carried out the events of September 11, 2001 were not Rhodes Scholars. It would be prudent to remain vigilant.