Rants, Raves, Pieces of My Mind
If anything can go wrong…
Remember when the Federal Withholding on your paycheck changed (that is, if you still have a job)? Well, all that money that you spent, because BO gave the little guy a break – well guess what? You still owe it to Uncle. Because while the withholding changed, the tax rate didn’t.
Surprise.
If you think we’ve got problems, just wait until you see the (government) solutions….
Unemployment
December 1999 4%
December 2009 10%
Source – US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Gas prices (per gallon\US)
January 2004 $ 1.39/gall.
January 2010 $2.52/gall.
Source – Gas Buddy.com
Median Home prices are falling, foreclosures are rising, insurance rates are going up (while coverage is declining), grocery prices are rising, livestock feed prices are going up, existing taxes are going up, tax credits are being axed, new fees are being added to many services, wages are static, declining or not keeping up with inflation, our government officials are increasingly corrupt (seriously, folks – how can BO keep a straight face when he appoints a tax cheat to run the treasury dept.?), and EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE, IT’S ALL BUSH’S FAULT AND THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE, MOVE ALONG.
I swear, if I see that unicorn, I am going to shoot the S.O.B. and barbecue him.
Unicorn, the other white meat.
Most likely, you will get kicked in the teeth. At least, if you are in the Military, and you are a blogger.
The treatment of milblogger C.J. Grisham of A Soldier’s Perspective (http://www.soldiersperspective.us/) by his community and his command structure, has been deplorable. C.J. has earned accolades and respect, from the White House on down for his honest, and sometimes blunt, discussion of issues — particularly PTSD. In the last few months, C.J. has seen an issue with a local school taken to his command who failed to back him, and has even seen his effort to deal with PTSD, and lead his men in same by example, used against him as a part of this. Ultimately, C.J. has had to sell his blog to help raise funds for his legal defense in this matter.
On Wednesday 16 December 2009, many milblogs — including This Ain’t Hell, From My Position, Blackfive, Miss Ladybug, Boston Maggie, Grim’s Hall, Bouhammer, and those participating in the Wednesday Hero program — are going silent for the day. Some are choosing to go silent for a longer period of time.
Participating blogs:
A Soldier’s Perspective
You Served
Bouhammer
The American Legion
Laughing Wolf
Hugh Hewitt
This Ain’t Hell
Castle Argghhh
Boston Maggie
Blackfive
Miss Ladybug
Hooah Wife
Kiss My Gumbo
Some Soldiers Mom
Assoluta Tranquillita
Knee Deep in the Hooah
Soldiers’ Angel New York
Drunken Wisdom
Grim’s Hall
From my position
CDR Salamander
Confederate Yankee
Chromed Curses
Homefront Six
Pvt Murphey’s Law
Delta Bravo Sierra
The Sniper
Another Voice
Support your Local Gunfighter
Knottie’ s Niche
Great Reader JihadGene
America’s North Shore Journal
Righty in a Lefty State
Thunder Run
Gazing at the Flag
Neptunus Lex
Soldiers Angels Germany
Bring the heat, bring the stupid
Little Drops….. Into the pool of life.
The Gun Line
Thirdwavedave
In Iraq Now (at 56)
Milblogging.com
Army Houesehold6
Susan Katz Keating
The Mudville Gazette
Covering the story:
Instapundit
Michelle Malkin
National Review’s The Corner
Ace of Spades
Jawa Report
Winds of Change
Cao’s Blog
Free Republic
Dr. Melissa Clouthier
Villainous Company
The Washington Independent
You can donate to CJ’s Legal Fund by logging into PayPal, go to the send money page, and put in his email: dj_chcknhawk (AT) yahoo (DOT) com; or, you can send donations directly to:
Grisham Legal Fund
c/o Redstone Federal Credit Union
220 Wynn Drive
Huntsville, AL 35893
Please write “Grisham Legal Fund” in the memo line if you use this option.
Stop and think for a moment: Here is a man who has put his life on the line for our country, and he is being treated like crap by the very people who should be thanking him for his service. The people who ran whining to C.J.’s commanding officer, were exercising their freedom of speech by trying to deny the very same right to the man who has spent his career protecting their right to behave like a jackass. And the fact that his command failed to back him up, sucks. How can we expect to get and retain the caliber of people we need to protect us, if we kick them in the teeth when they need backup?
Freedom of Speech is one of the keystones of what keeps our country what it is. We can’t continue to silence every voice that we disagree with, just because we have a different agenda. We should expect people in positions of authority to behave like adults. Unfortunately, from what I see here, our Military folks are under attack from more than just the Taliban.
To quote Pogo “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
I sent a letter to my Congress Critters today. It was less than polite. In fact, on reflection it was probably downright rude. On further reflection, I’m sorry. Not sorry that I sent it. Not sorry that I was rude.
Sorry, that the people we have elected to represent us aren’t listening to us. Sorry, that they look sincere, nod their heads (kind of like a bobble head doll) and then go ahead and do the things they just said they wouldn’t do. Sorry, that they evidently don’t take the oath they swore upon taking office very seriously. Sorry, that they don’t learn from history.
So far, my letters have elicited a generic form letter, thanking me for my interest. I’ll be willing to bet that some lower level flunky will (eventually) skim the letter and either file it in the round file or put a tick mark in the spread sheet in the “Doesn’t support your policies” column. I doubt if the Critters themselves will ever see it.
Occasionally, I used to have to grab my Border Collie by the collar and say in my best “Attention Voice” “YOU’RE NOT LISTENING!!!”
Do you suppose it works with government officials?
Well, the leaders (gack, cough, cough) of our country are poised to screw us over pass more legislation that will send us to the poor house lead us into a new era of politically correct, peace and prosperity.
The “Health Care Reform Bill” (and boy, will it ever reform us) has even more little goodies that they hope the common serfs will never see until it’s to late.
“After spending almost $80 million during the last election cycle, unions are on the brink of reaping a significant return on their investment. Despite representing only about 7.6% of private sector employees, unions are poised to gain significant privileges, authority and financial windfalls from health care reform. Coming at the expense of tax-paying patients and businesses, these specific benefits would do little or nothing to improve our health care system.” The Houston Chronicle reports that pro-union legislators have quietly slipped many provisions into the bill that will directly benefit unions, and guess who gets to pay for it?? BINGO – WE DO!!
Check this out:
With all of the special interest groups that have their heads up BO’s ass, it must be getting crowded up there.
