Choices

" The end cannot justify the means, for the simple reason that the means determine the nature of the ends produced." -----Aldous Huxley (1937)

Ah, morality- it seems so hard to live by a code these days. Everybody from Freud to Dr. Spock has alibied the lack of a moral code. Secularists ridicule the 10 commandments as so intrinsically religious that they must, by that definition, be outmoded and worthless. We have a president (now ex- president) defending his behavior by attempting to parse the word "is". Really, is this the behavior anyone really wants their children to learn?
If you can truthfully answer this question yes, you too have lost your way in the murky world of moralless behavior.
This is a predicament that runs through out our society at all levels. The CEO who wants to increase the profits at his company, so he does away with the pensions that were promised to his workers is lacking morals, as his company PROMISED those things to the workers. Backing out of a promise to people just for an increase of monetary gain is a lack of morals.
The Geneva Convention accords are a moral statement. Anyone who does not abide by them could be considered to be lacking morals.
The ten commandments are a moral code, and a good one. These are what our society is based on, and for atheists to deny this jusst because the commandments came from the bible, shows the lack of morality that they possess. I shall deem them to be irrelevent until they can come up with a moral code that is at least as good as the one they wish to tear down.
The serial killer who decides that it would be kinda fun to filet someone might be lacking a moral code.
The pedophile who sexually abuses and kills young children has no morals.
What are we supposed to do? Even if you ascribe to no religion in particular, you must has a code to live by, or you tend to go in whatever direction the prevailing current wishes to push you.
This is no way to live a life. If you think that there is truly no God, and we are just protoplasm randomly put together, what is the point to life?
If it is just senseless pleasure, you will get bored- there must be an end that you work toward, whether it be eternal life, or the betterment of mankind, or just your personal satisfaction in a job or life well done, and the best way to do this is to develop a moral code, a line in the moral sand that you will not cross, and hold to these beliefs.
Beliefs, you see, are not just for religion anymore- indeed, they have never been exclusively religion's domain, but people who do not like beliefs would like to make it all about the religion. These are people who have no rudder but hate, and that will always steer you wrong.

Bill Clinton and Islamo-Facism

I have to shake my head at most of the people who seek to be President- I sure wouldn't- because these people, by and large, are seriously flawed. I am secure in my manhood, so I guess that I wouldn't qualify or care enough to subject either my family or myself to the endless probing the press would do in hunting the one scintilla of information to bring me down, because that is what the press do. I will do a column on the press in the future- I have plenty on my plate just talking about the fallibility of the types of people who wish to be president.
It seems to me, from the observations I have made over the years, that there are two basic types of politicians in this world. There is the business politician, who knows that the economy flows smother when you say one thing, and do that one thing. Perhaps he is wrong, but at least he keeps his word, and the economy keeps going. Maybe it goes slower, if the policies aren't right, but everybody knows that it IS going.
Then there is the Idealist politician, who can ( and often does) go in whatever direction seems expedient to his or her advantage. Beware of this one however, as they will take you in any direction, indeed switch directions at the drop of a hat, just to make themselves seem good. The classic example of this is Jimmy Carter, a president whose failed economic policies were SO disastrous that words had to be invented to even begin to describe this mess. Does anybody remember " Stagflation"? I am not saying that he wasn't well-intentioned, but the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and we were well on the way there. Luckily, we were rescued by an ACTOR An actor, for God's sake.
I like Ronald Reagan for what he did, which was made us feel better about ourselves. It was a balm we sorely needed afteer Nixon, Ford, and then Carter. I mean, God bless him for the fall of the Wall, and of communism, but the most important thing he gave us was a small shot of self confidence.
George Bush is someone I have respect for, even if I at times disagree with some of his policies. He didn't ask for 9/11, and he has dealt with it as best as he could, given the fragmented state of our intel community. That is where I find fault, for if a President acts because of intel that is not timely and accurate, it is not his fault, it is the bureaucracy that provides that intel.
The problem I have with Clinton was not the blow jobs he got- it was the lies and obfuscations he made about it. We are the American people, not his wife, and if he is in front of a grand jury, we expect him to tell the truth, just as we (the People) are supposed to. If he had, he might have weathered this much better. Now, he is a joke, no matter what else he does( see Jimmy Carter).
The problem as I see it, is that Clinton was slow to act when he had the chance to kill bin laden, so the terrorist got away. He, like so many liberals, still think that this terrorist problem is a law-enforcement problem. Nothing could be further from the truth. The plain fact is that this is a war problem, and when terrorists are found, they need to be shot and left where they lie. They do not need to be given a forum in which they can rant about their twisted, perverted, heathen faith( for it IS heathen if it seeks to kill innocent women and children, plain and simple.) Just KILL them. How hard can that be? If you kill enough of them, they WILL get the message.
I know, we are supposed to be a nation of compassion, but you give compassion where it should be given, and that is NOT for people who want you, your family, and your country DEAD. These people have lost their right to live, and they are a danger to all, including their own people.
Much as you would do to a rabid dog, you shoot these people, and go on with your life, secure in the knowledge that you have done mankind a service, and saved countless others who ARE deserving of life.
It is not a law-enforcement problem, it is an animal- control problem, and we must solve it soon.

Hugo Chavez and Social Responsibility

Ah, Hugo Chavez- What can one say about the Clown of Venezuela? Whatever one might say becomes understated by his own words and antics. A Statesman? No, an uneducated buffoon, with an overrated sense of his self- worth.
He became what he is by promising poor people that he would take care of them, and to a certain extent, he has done that, but in doing so, he has alienated most, if not all the business interests that might, in other circumstances, have sided with him. In the long term, this is not good for Hugo's country, but then I don't get the sense that he really cares about his country, only about his continued rule. The thing is, when the poor people find out that his policies have ruined the country, ( and more to the point, as regards their continued feed at the country's trough), that the end for them is near, Chavez will have to resort to force to keep them in line. This has been the story for the last hundred years at least, when it comes to dictatorships- first the carrot, then the stick.
There is a true difference between the United States and the rest of the world, and it seems that the more money one makes in this country, the more angst one feels regarding the money one has.
That might be OK, but for the rest of us, who actually DO work in this country, we haven't the luxury of doubting our self- worth. We are too busy feeding and clothing our family- we have no nanny to do things for us, leaving us with idle time to ponder just how unjust this country is that gives us the opportunity to be free, and strive to be better than we were yesterday. Can Chavez's country really say that? Can many other countries say that?
I always thought it funny that people here protest here, no matter what their cause. Could it be because they really are gutless wonders who know that if they protested in Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Chana, or many, if not all the troubled areas in the world today, they would be killed? Or maybe they are just scared to get too far from their TIVO, lest they miss out on their favorite shows.
Social Responsibility begins at home, a lesson that Chavez missed out on. Indeed, the lesson is lost on a lot of people here. All those who say that they do not mind taking government money, because " we paid it, so we should get it back", has completely missed the point here. Taxes, and other forms of payment to the government are paid to keep the infrastructure of the country going. Highways, military, water treatment, law enforcement, and other infrastructures must be maintained.

In addition, the welfare and social services end of government must be funded. The trouble comes when people believe that they " deserve" this money. This money is not a lottery winning, andf a person should not get this for life, except in the most dire of circumstances. It is meant to be an interim cushion, until one can get back on one's feet again, and while it is there to help, it is not necessarily something to brag about. I have never taken government money, and I hope I never have to, thus saving it for someone who truly needs it. If I had to, to keep my family going, I would, but believe you me, I would be looking for an end to this, so I could earn my own way.
Free money is never valued like money one has had to work for. Don't believe me? Just look at the majority of lottery winners. Many are now broke, addicted, and unhappier than before they had won that money, and yet, if they had earned that money, they would possibly be more well adjusted than otherwise.
What is needed in this country are more people who truly understand that this life, as it pertains to this country that gives them the freedom to be whatever they can dream to be, is not sstrictly all about them, but also about the other three hundred million of us that live here.
No grandstanding about how socially pious one might wish to appear to be, no selfish me, me, me cries while you eat bon bons and watch your programs. If yo want to talk the talk, then walk the walk, bitch- if not, you are irrelevant, and need to step aside before you get stepped on. This country needs people who understand that this country needs to come first, and all else can then proceed.

" Republic- I like the sound of that word. It means people can live free, talk free. Go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose.
Some words give you a feeling, the same feeling you get when your boy first shaves, or makes his first sound like a man. Republic is one of those words."
John Wayne as Davy Crockett
in the movie
THE ALAMO

The Pope and Islam

" It's not the dying for a faith that is so hard- every man of every nation has done that- 'tis the living up to it that is difficult"----------- William Makepeace Thackeray

About a week ago the Pope orated a sermon where he Quoted the Bysintine Emperor Manuelo, who had some thoughts on the state of Islam at that time. That time was several centuries ago, and yet these words have stirred up the ignorant masses of Muslims who have no idea of what they are protesting. They just follow the lead of radical imams, and protest because they see it as an insult to their faith. Instead of rational discourse, they choose to act like infants.
What is truly surprising to me is the reaction of the Western nations, who first sought to explain what the Pope said, then began to distance themselves from his remarks in a show of cowardice that makes them look distinctly French.
In the west, where there is still ostensibly civilization, as well as the freedoms that go with a truly civilized society, we have the freedoom of speech, but we are being muzzled by the infantile rants of back-country nomads that haven't discovered plumbing yet. This is ridiculous, and I for one will say anything I wish to- if there is any muslim that takes offense, that's too bad. I AM AMERICAN. I will say what I will, and nobody can tell me otherwise. I f I choose to mock Mohamed, I shall. If I choose to take my government to task, I shall do that also, and noone shall tell me otherwise. I would laugh in their face.
The Islamic countries need to grow up and mature, for right now, they are looking like they need a spanking, or, as the liberals would have it, a time out. The one thing they do not need is nuclear weapons. Are the French insane? Would they give their children loaded pistols to play with? I think not, and yet they shrug their shoulders and say that it is not a big deal.
How wrong they are, but then they have been wrong on virtually every issue since the first World War, and we have had to pull their asses out of the fire every time. Yet they have no memory, and certainly no gratitude. Pitiful.
Then you have Hugo Chavez------I shall save him for another time- suffice to say that he has trashed Venezuela. I know, for I know people from there.

Common Sense

"Irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors."- T. H. Huxley

Common sense, the one thing your parents tried their damnest to drum into your thick, childish head when you were a young lad or lass, is seemingly in very short supply, if one can judge by the idiotic reality shows on the television these days.
Unfortunately, this lack of thinking rooted in the real world, also seems to be exceedingly prevalent in other aspects of the world these days. Politics, religion, even day-to-day living appear to be the victim of what can only be termed naked stupidity.
Take politics- I am a conservative, although I was much more liberal in my youth, and even today I have positions on issues that are not quite what the traditional conservative might hold to. In my mind, this is what is truly what an independent thinker would do, that is to weigh the issues and decide for themselves just what they would do.
But in this day of polarized politics, if you are republican, or democratic for that matter, you are expected to march in lockstep to "traditional" issue resolutions particular to the party in question. This is also known as being lazy. If, after careful thought on the issues, you truly believe that those positions reflect how you truly feel, then fine- vote on those positions with the party that reflects how you feel.
If, however, you find that you have differences with the positions of the parties, you need to do what I would call "damage Control" voting. This would be along the lines of " If he (or she) can't help me regarding these issues, which one will hurt me the LEAST?"
The good thing about our form of government, is that no branch of the government can completely take over the government entirely, despite the fear- mongering of some of the more liberal members of our society. Everybody in government values power, and noone wants any of their power to be rescinded, so they guard their personal power jealously- I just wish they could be as zealous about the welfare of the country as they are about their political asses.

Religion is another part of society that has little or no common sense when it comes right down to it. Witness the Muslim world today. Idiots, every one of them- but it is not limited to Muslims alone, oh no. The Christian world has much to reflect on also. Don't get me wrong, I believe in God, but I also believe that He is shaking His head sorrowfully, as he contemlates the utter stupidity of Man.
Obviously wars have been fought in the past over religion- you might think that Mankind had learned, but no, we arer apparently as ignorant as ever. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result. This is Insanity.
I could go on ad infinitum about Common Sense, and the remarkably sad lack in our lives regarding Common Sense, but the truly sad thing is that I know most people see this, and do nothing to change it. That, my friends, is Common Stupidity.

Muslims: The Great Enablers

It has now been five years since9/11, and I have watched as we ( the United States) have been forced to clean up the Muslim World's mess. This role has been forced upon us, since the Arab sector in this world is SO ignorant, that they cannot even wipe their ass clean of bin laden and others of that ilk.
I have to wonder, since the Arab silence is so profound, are they complicit in the sad but deadly behavior of these extremists? I am not a conspiracy buff, but if I were, you can bet that a favorite scenario would involve most of the Muslims in the world. I would postulate that they secretly would give approval to these assholes by turning away from their duty to distance themselves from them, and even to actively pursue and destroy them. But that is not happening.
One would think that the Muslim world might have come to the conclusion that these extremists are doing their cause no good, even damaging beyond repair the image of Islam in the modern world. I guess that the Arabs must still have that "Tribal" mentality- What happens in Beirut stays in Beirut- but that is not the case, and they are woefully ignorant if they think otherwise.
What the Arab world has not fully realized is that if they truly piss us off, we can kill them much more completely than they can imagine (see Japan 1945a.d.). Do they truly believe that our technology stopped with the end of WWII ? The United States has made a career out of things that explode. The Russians Knew that, so do the Chinese. Our policy is MAD- Mutually Assured Destruction- and the Arabs who would like to blow us up should take heed of what that truly means. So should the host countries because, God forbid that bin laden or others should build a nuclear device, once we found out where it was built, we would make that country a sea of molten glass. Examples must be set.
Iran should take heed also, because the Europeans couldn't stop us, if it came to that (see Iraq). With Iraq, we were just a little pissed- you should see us when we have a good head of steam.
The simple truth is that we, the United States, would much rather trade with the world, but if we are pushed to it, we can fight and win in the most efficient way.
All you have to do is get our attention, but you would have to be insane to want to do that.
The question remains- Are the Arabs, and really Muslims throughout the world, THAT insane?
I surely hope not, for their sakes.

Muslims: The Great Enablers

It has now been five years since9/11, and I have watched as we ( the United States) have been forced to clean up the Muslim World's mess. This role has been forced upon us, since the Arab sector in this world is SO ignorant, that they cannot even wipe their ass clean of bin laden and others of that ilk.
I have to wonder, since the Arab silence is so profound, are they complicit in the sad but deadly behavior of these extremists? I am not a conspiracy buff, but if I were, you can bet that a favorite scenario would involve most of the Muslims in the world. I would postulate that they secretly would give approval to these assholes by turning away from their duty to distance themselves from them, and even to actively pursue and destroy them. But that is not happening.
One would think that the Muslim world might have come to the conclusion that these extremists are doing their cause no good, even damaging beyond repair the image of Islam in the modern world. I guess that the Arabs must still have that "Tribal" mentality- What happens in Beirut stays in Beirut- but that is not the case, and they are woefully ignorant if they think otherwise.
What the Arab world has not fully realized is that if they truly piss us off, we can kill them much more completely than they can imagine (see Japan 1945a.d.). Do they truly believe that our technology stopped with the end of WWII ? The United States has made a career out of things that explode. The Russians Knew that, so do the Chinese. Our policy is MAD- Mutually Assured Destruction- and the Arabs who would like to blow us up should take heed of what that truly means. So should the host countries because, God forbid that bin laden or others should build a nuclear device, once we found out where it was built, we would make that country a sea of molten glass. Examples must be set.
Iran should take heed also, because the Europeans couldn't stop us, if it came to that (see Iraq). With Iraq, we were just a little pissed- you should see us when we have a good head of steam.
The simple truth is that we, the United States, would much rather trade with the world, but if we are pushed to it, we can fight and win in the most efficient way.
All you have to do is get our attention, but you would have to be insane to want to do that.
The question remains- Are the Arabs, and really Muslims throughout the world, THAT insane?
I surely hope not, for their sakes.

Steve Erwin's Death

Well, the Crocidile Hunter, Steve Erwin, died the other day, and now people are jumping all over him about the Exploitation" of the animals he highlighted in his career. What a crock. The astounding ignorance of these people would be mindboggling if not for the fact that they are not known for rational thought. The feminist Germaine Greer is in the forefront in this criticism of a dead man. I guess she got tired of beating on the live ones, or maybe a dead man is more her speed.
The man in question, Steve Erwin, has educated more people than Greer, and if he did it with a flair for showmanship, well, that is the nature of the video beast- it wants entertainment with its education, and he delivered.
I mean, if you wanted to be a stickler about it, you could postulate that ANY interaction with animals changes the animals, but get real. We, as a people who believe in progress, NEED to understand the animals so we can attempt to live with them in a partnership of space.
That which we do not understand, we kill, either overtly, or by omission of understanding. It is not that we necessarily mean to (most of the time), but ignorance is deadly. Think of all the inner-city kids, who may never see the "Great Outdoors"--- Their only interaction with most wildlife would be programs like Erwin's.
I grew up on the bayou, catching snakes from about the age of seven. My folks, realizing that there were worse things a kid could get into, wisely bought me books about reptiles. I read them avidly, and since the country around my house was thickly forested at the time, I was able to find many of the species listed in the book. I had a blast, being the outdoors person I was, and formed a friendship with the Herpetologist at the Zoo, who was a kindly, respected man. From him I learned much, and I was sad to find that the woods I had known as a child had been all replaced by apartments and houses.
Such is progress. I know that progress will happen, as certainly as the sunrise, but some progress would have been more intelligently planned if we had known more about the species in our midst.
The knowledge of the animals Steve Erwin showed on his programs cna only have helped begin to shape the thoughts of people around the world.
This is why Germaine Greer should just shut the hell up--- Her ignorance is showing.

Rehabilitation

I know that if anyone reads this post, they might be puzzled initially at the content, as it deviates from the usual rant I post, regarding the essential airheadedness of most of the population. Bear with me for a moment.
Allow me to show you a bit of my world- my wife and I are Wildlife Rehabilitators- we help songbirds have a recovered life after their unfortunate run-in with civilization, cats, or storms. Most of these unfortunates are little babies that would die if we did not intervene. We are different from other do-gooders in that we know what we are doing, what to feed a certain bird, what they need to go back into the wild, and most importantly, we do our best not to allow the bird to "imprint" ourselves as their parents.
This is harder than you might think, as some birds are easily domesticated, and all of them have little fear of someone who is feeding and raising them. We are essentially their parents, and although we try our best, there are some times that are more difficult than others.
One example is a present situation we have regarding a Gold Finch from Arkansas. Yeah, I said Arkansas- these knumbnuts on a trip found the bird as a youngster in the street, and rather than take it to a Vet, who is trained to work on animals, they brought it home with them. They fed this young bird bread and sugar water. Where on earth they think a bread tree grows is beyond me, but they fed the bird this, until they had a very brief, shining moment of clarity, and figured that the food they fed this bird DID NOT EXIST NATURALLY IN NATURE!
DUH!
So they brought the bird to the Veterinary Hospital my wife works at, and we took custody of it. We are attempting to re-introduce this mental cripple of a bird to nature, but it is difficult, as the bird now looks to people as the providers of food, and has no fear of people. This is not a good thing for this bird.
Yeah, it might seem cute to some that a bird lands on you, but this is not something that they naturally do in nature, and is contrary to survival instincts they need.
Another time we found that this family was trying to keep some birds alive by feeding the birds milk in an eyedropper. People, birds have no tits! Milk is not a good thing for them. Also, seed- eaters might not be able to digest insects, and vice-versa. It takes a trained person ( and one who is licensed by the Government, I might add), to begin to raise these birds so they can return 100% recovered to the wild, where they belong.
I have friends who do not understand why I quit hunting, and re-hab wild doves instead. Well, I know it probably goes against some manly code I have no inkling of, but after you have raised a few of them from egg to adulthood, the thrill is gone. I like to go on hunts because I like to be in the midst of nature, and I do not begrudge anyone either the right, or the pleasure of the hunt. For myself, I am content in what I do. I just tell my friends that without me, and others like my wife and me, there would not be as many birds for them to hunt.
It is a sometimes grueling job, especially for the smaller birds, who must be fed every 15- 20 minutes during the first days of their formative growth, and for others, it becomes rather specialized, with feeding tubes, and percentages of insect to seed mixtures. Most birds, the true junkyard dog types, survive on whatever is available during a particular season, others are more prissy, thus the annual migrations, as they follow the food.
The point I make here, is that most people do not know what goes on in nature, indeed some people have not been in the country, or seen nature up close and personal, so they are uniquely UN- qualified to take care of a bird that has fallen out of the nest, no matter how much their brat squeals " Mommy? Can we keep him?" NO you may not- first reason being that it is against the law, both Federal and State- second, the chances are unfortunately excellent, that you will permanently harm or even kill the bird with your ignorance.
The Bible commands us to be good stewards of this earth, and sometimes, as in government, the less you do, the better.
Children, do not try this at home.

Rehabilitation

I know that if anyone reads this post, they might be puzzled initially at the content, as it deviates from the usual rant I post, regarding the essential airheadedness of most of the population. Bear with me for a moment.
Allow me to show you a bit of my world- my wife and I are Wildlife Rehabilitators- we help songbirds have a recovered life after their unfortunate run-in with civilization, cats, or storms. Most of these unfortunates are little babies that would die if we did not intervene. We are different from other do-gooders in that we know what we are doing, what to feed a certain bird, what they need to go back into the wild, and most importantly, we do our best not to allow the bird to "imprint" ourselves as their parents.
This is harder than you might think, as some birds are easily domesticated, and all of them have little fear of someone who is feeding and raising them. We are essentially their parents, and although we try our best, there are some times that are more difficult than others.
One example is a present situation we have regarding a Gold Finch from Arkansas. Yeah, I said Arkansas- these knumbnuts on a trip found the bird as a youngster in the street, and rather than take it to a Vet, who is trained to work on animals, they brought it home with them. They fed this young bird bread and sugar water. Where on earth they think a bread tree grows is beyond me, but they fed the bird this, until they had a very brief, shining moment of clarity, and figured that the food they fed this bird DID NOT EXIST NATURALLY IN NATURE!
DUH!
So they brought the bird to the Veterinary Hospital my wife works at, and we took custody of it. We are attempting to re-introduce this mental cripple of a bird to nature, but it is difficult, as the bird now looks to people as the providers of food, and has no fear of people. This is not a good thing for this bird.
Yeah, it might seem cute to some that a bird lands on you, but this is not something that they naturally do in nature, and is contrary to survival instincts they need.
Another time we found that this family was trying to keep some birds alive by feeding the birds milk in an eyedropper. People, birds have no tits! Milk is not a good thing for them. Also, seed- eaters might not be able to digest insects, and vice-versa. It takes a trained person ( and one who is licensed by the Government, I might add), to begin to raise these birds so they can return 100% recovered to the wild, where they belong.
I have friends who do not understand why I quit hunting, and re-hab wild doves instead. Well, I know it probably goes against some manly code I have no inkling of, but after you have raised a few of them from egg to adulthood, the thrill is gone. I like to go on hunts because I like to be in the midst of nature, and I do not begrudge anyone either the right, or the pleasure of the hunt. For myself, I am content in what I do. I just tell my friends that without me, and others like my wife and me, there would not be as many birds for them to hunt.
It is a sometimes grueling job, especially for the smaller birds, who must be fed every 15- 20 minutes during the first days of their formative growth, and for others, it becomes rather specialized, with feeding tubes, and percentages of insect to seed mixtures. Most birds, the true junkyard dog types, survive on whatever is available during a particular season, others are more prissy, thus the annual migrations, as they follow the food.
The point I make here, is that most people do not know what goes on in nature, indeed some people have not been in the country, or seen nature up close and personal, so they are uniquely UN- qualified to take care of a bird that has fallen out of the nest, no matter how much their brat squeals " Mommy? Can we keep him?" NO you may not- first reason being that it is against the law, both Federal and State- second, the chances are unfortunately excellent, that you will permanently harm or even kill the bird with your ignorance.
The Bible commands us to be good stewards of this earth, and sometimes, as in government, the less you do, the better.
Children, do not try this at home.