True Grit vs True Grit

   I'm having a hard time with coming up with a title for this, so I guess this one will have to do.

   Now, as all y'all know, I love a good western and think that John Wayne is one of our greatest heroes. That being said, I'd like to offer my thoughts on a movie I saw last night which some are calling a "remake" of a classic. I am going to have to disagree on that point for several reasons. Now, before y'all get all up in arms; this is not a critique, only a comparison.

•    In the John Wayne version, the central character is Rooster Cogburn; whereas in this version, Maddie is the main character. This allows Rooster to be Rooster if you get my drift.
• I think the casting in the Coen Brothers version is more appropriate than the Henry Hathaway version. Be honest here, except for Duke and some of the minor characters, it wasn't that good. Kim Darby was too old to play Maddie and Glenn Campbell was at best, terrible as La Beouf. However, Robert Duvall was outstanding as Lucky Ned Pepper.
• There is a more developed relationship between Maddie and Rooster in the Coen version. There are several scenes that allow this to come through. In the original, this relationship never seemed to quite click. Maybe it was because of the fact Kim Darby and  Duke never quite hit it off on a personal basis.
• The backdrops in both movies are outstanding in their own way. In the original, the scenery is crisp and pristine. In the new version, it's much grittier which is in line with where this movie takes us.

   Those are just a few of the points that might be up for conjecture. I'm sure there are more, but to be honest, I quit trying to compare them and settled in to watch what in my opinion, is a really good movie. One final thought here; There is nothing wrong with someone  remaking something. How many times have we seen different versions of the same story? Should we have stopped with the originals of Shakespeare's? How about the remakes on the stage as well? Each version should be judged on its own merits and not compared to the other versions. But then, if we did that, what would we have to talk about?

 

An Inconvenient Christmas?

   It seems that as the Progessives' war on the Religious Front wages forward as city after city gives into a rabid minorty to take the "Christ" out of Christmas; they have become emboldened enough to even open a second front centering on the big guy himself, Santa Claus! Picture this if you will:

An Inconvenient Christmas

   Santa is now a target for the Liberals and Progressives that want to control every process of our daily lives. He is fighting lawsuits from the ACLU for his hiring practice of only using elves and not having enough "diversity" in the workplace. The unions  are on his case for not using union workers and paying his employees a living wage. The EPA is trying to close him down because of allegations that his toy factory is destroying the Polar Cap and endangering the polar bears. The FAA is after him for flying 24 hours straight while being sleep deprived, endeangering the safety of air travelers.

   Now, here's where it really gets sticky. Children's Protective Services is wondering why he is always giving little boys and girls candy for sitting in his lap and why he discriminates by giving good kids toys and naughty kids a lump of coal;for in the eyes of the government, the naughty kids can't help being a product of the environment.

   Even the SPCA is getting into the act. They are thinking of taking him to court for abusing reindeer by making them pull such a heavy sleigh. Why can't he use something "green?" such as an electric sleigh to deliver toys?

   Now, the kicker, Santa has incurred the wrath of the First Lady herself because of his habit of eating nothing but milk and cookies. Imagine that, Santa eating all those cookies! What kind of example is that for children? To be overweight is a cardinal sin for a First Lady that feels only the government knows what best for our kids to eat, regardless of the fact that the cost of one of their State Dinners would keep most families in groceries for a lifetime!

   I'm sure it won't be long until Santa will have to appear before a Congressional Comittee to explain all these accusations, but the upside of this will be that we will have a new look in Congress and he might have a fighting chance.....

 

Now, Y'all all know that this is just a piece of fiction.....

For Now!

Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa....

Well, it's been a while since I sent a  letter to Santa Claus, but desperate times call for desperate measures, so here goes:

Dear Santa,
  I hope you are well and feeling generous this Christmas for though this list isn't long it might be kinda difficult to fill. But here goes.

1. Secure Borders- It doesn't seem like the government is capable of doing this yet is willing to sue a state that tries to do it on their own, so if you could help on that one, I'd be really grateful.
2. A Rollback of Federal Spending to at least levels of FY 2005.
3. Pay cuts for all members of the Legislative Branch. In fact, let's make it performance based, like the private sector.
4. Defunding "Obama-Care" until it can be repealed.
5. Kill "Cap and Tax" once and for all.
6. An email to Speaker Boehner reminding him that his job is only temporary and will be yanked out from under him if he forgets the people that entrusted him with his new position.
7. Remind the Supreme Court that United States  is indeed founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, regardless of what the ACLU says.
8. Either diction lessons or a bib for Barney Frank
9. A Sandals Resort vacation for Nancy Pelosi's husband. God knows he could use one after having to put up with that scary b***h for so many years.
10. A  federal prison cell with a nice view for Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters.
11. A fair and simplified tax code.
12. A one way ticket to OHare Airport for the Obama family on January 21st 2013. Let's see how they like getting felt up before boarding!

   Now, Santa, I know you won't be  able to fill this list because it will be up to the people of these United States to accomplish this. But, it did feel good to get it off my chest and I thank you for listening and look forward again to leaving BBQ'ed Brisket and Sweet Tea for you again. I know you are accustomed to milk and cookies, but when you cross that Red River, you're in Texas and to get across it you're gonna need something that'll stick with ya!
Your Friend
Ed Carter

PS
If you could arrange it, my last Christmas wish is that none of our Servicemen and women become a casualty of any kind on Christmas. Christmas should be a time of joy and faith and not a day to mourn.

Merry Christmas all yall!

Vote Aqui?

I saw something today that distressed me to no end. I was out voting early when I saw this sign on the door: "Vote Aqui". Vote Aqui? Last time I checked, that was Spanish. What is that doing at a US polling place?  This for a group of people that say we are prejudiced against them and keeping them from voting? Why is it that there are no other foreign languages at our  polling places?  Such as:
Vote Hier : Dutch, German, Afrikaans
Vote Dito : Filpino
Vote Ici :    French
Vote Qui:   Italian
Vote O day: Vietnamese
Vote Tutag: Polish
Ect......

  I guess the point I'm trying to make without sounding like a Bigot, is why is Spanish the only other language? If we are supposed to be so politically correct, then why aren't all the other languages repersented?  To me this is not discrimination, but preferential treatment. Ever wonder just how much extra it costs the the government and businesses to have to be bilingual? What is wrong with just having English or in our case Texan as an official state language and do business accordingly?  The same goes for our school systems. Teach everything in English and just provide help as needed. In the long run, this will benefit everyone.
 Finally,it is true that we are a Nation of immigrants, but the sooner we all learn or remember we are Ameicans now, the better off we are all gonna be.

Freedom

   As y'all may or may not know, I work at a sporting goods store and sell guns for a living. It's something I love doing and if I say so myself, I'm  quite good at it.  I get to talk hunting and fishing with people of like interests and I really don't have to work to hard in selling our products.

  But, ever once in a while something happens that makes my day really click and I get a good warm feeling about it. Yesterday was one of those. It happened late in the afternoon when  a group of young  people came to the gun counter where I was working and young woman began trying to explain Texas to a pair of young men who happened to be from England. They were curious about Texas and how our laws worked concering gun ownership, such as Right to Carry, and Castle Doctrine. See, in England, they have no rights as we do. I found out that they are merely victims waiting to be preyed upon. Here in America, especially in Texas, we have a right to fefend ourselves and our property using up to, and including, deadly force.

 The two Brits were amazed that guns could be so openly displayed and asked if anyone could buy one. I told them that any resident who was of age and could pass a quick background check. I also informed them that in most states it was legal to carry a gun with a license and in some states no license was needed to carry.

 They asked so many questions abour hunting, shooting sports, self defense that we ended up talking quite a while with now a few other customers chiming in with their thoughts and opinions.  One finally screwed up enough courage to ask if he could hold one. He was shocked when I went to the rack and pulled down a shotgun and after checking it,  handed it to him. He held that gun like it was something rare and precious. He told me that was the first time he had ever held a gun in his life. He asked all sorts of questions ranging from how many shells it would hold to what kind of game it would work for. After a bit he handed it back saying, " I've not held such power before". I told him it wasn't power he was holding but, Freedom. I told that it is our Second Ammendment that protects all the other ones, and that we would only be citizens as long as we had them and not subjects to a govenrment that had taken them.

 That talk I had with those Brits only helped to drive home the point that we must constantly be on guard against any effort to limit our freedom. No matter how good it sounds coming  from a politician or reads in the news; any effort and limiting what we can say, do or own is a slippery slope that can only lead to us becoming like most of Europe and the rest of the World. That, to me y'all, doesn't sound like being an American.

 

 

Have Parents Made It Too Easy?

   This is a follow-up on my previous posting. After writing it, I had to ask myself, could we also be part of the reason the young in this country are tilting left? I have to ask this because in trying so hard to make it easy for our kids, have some of us gone too far? Have our children come to expect everything  to come easily and want to be taken care of by us then the government?
   Ponder this, when most of us were young, we didn't get an allowance. We wanted spending money, we got jobs and earned it. That was how we got cars and date money. We learned about economics from practical application and not in the abstract from some professor that never did anything but teach theory.
  But look at  a lot of today's kids. We have them given so much , that we in essence have taken from them. They have no work ethic, no sense of accomplishment. We have killed their competitive drive by allowing every kid to have a trophy, instead of the winners. We have have given them the things that we wanted and had to work for with no effort on their part. How are they supposed to function an economy that is fragile at best with no survival skills? I think this in part is what has made it so easy for them to accept the false promises of our President. They are so used to getting it for free and being taken care of, it seems only natural to them that the government should pick up where we leave off.
   I know that some kids do have what it takes. Look at the enlistment rate of the kids coming right out of school and the average age of the young men and women in our armed forces. They are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. Yet, so many that I see and talk with have no idea what is in store for them once they are out of school. They have this embedded notion that  we as a society owes them something. They think it will be just like in school where they can skate along just getting by with out having to worry about anything. If you have read "The Time Machine" , then you will get what I'm saying; we have turned a lot of this generation into the Eloi and the government has become the Morlocks. Long story short, in the book, the Morlocks take care of the Eloi, feeding them, clothing them, and taking care of them from cradle to the time that they eat them.
  To me, that's the problem. Our kids don't realize that they are nothing but fodder for a government that's lost control of  itself and if they don't wake up; they're going to be eaten.

And They Call it Football?

   I used to think that the "Europeanization"(my word) or Liberalization of America would come from either the government ot all the libreal educators in this country. Boy was I wrong! It's coming on all the soccer(football?) fields across the country.
   I have tried and tried to wrap my head around this game. forget the strategies and nuances, I can't even grasp the basics. I mean my gosh, I have no idea what's going on. Guess I'm too old and set in ways to  understand a game that a miss is cheered.
   So, in order to see if I might understand the game better, I thought I'd note all the diferrences between soccer( sorry, I can't bring myself to call it football) and football. Now mind you I'm talkin bout kids playin' here so bear that in mind.

• The Basics (as I see it): In football, you run a set of plays to move the ball. In soccer  the team runs  up and down the field kicking to one another will-nilly.
• Uniforms: In football, you wear pads and everbody has the same uniform. In soccer, the  team wears shorts  and the goalie has on a diferent shirt?
• Team names: Football- Rams, Lions, Raiders, Bears, Etc. Soccer- Wind, Breeze, Storm, Etc.
• Player Nicknames: Football- Hacksaw, Moose, Bubba, Etc. Soccer( I swear to God I'm not making this up)- Pookie, Boo-Boo, Sweetie, Baby and there wasn't a girl on either team!
• The Field: Football has an endzone and goalposts. Soccer has a net.
• Football: receiver drops a pass inn the endzone and coach might yank him. Soccer: player makes a kick on goal and misses and everybody cheers?

   It seems like soccer is kinda for lack of a better word,"wimpifyin' " our younger generation.  The coaches don't seem to emphasize winning along with the basics of the game. To me, that should go hand in hand. Why practice and work hard to learn the skills then be told it's not important who wins?
To me, that just drives home what I'm trying to say about all this... soccer is a game for Liberals,where intentions matter more than results. And, if you don't have to worry about losing, then how will you ever know how it feels to win?

Friday Nights Are Back

  Lions, Tigers, Bears.... No it's not the Wizard of Oz; It's football time in Texas again. Bright lights, bands playing, cheerleaders and flag teams rousing the fans and exhorting the team on to victory. Not since the days of Rome and the Colesseium has such a spectacle been seen!
 For the unfortunate many who have never experienced Texas football, I feel for you. Around mid August the fever begins to build across the state with the opening practices under the Texas sun which can reach temps of over 100F by 10am. This rite of passage into the high school warrior class is known as " Two-a-Days".  This is a winnowing process, for the weak and unwilling must be purged and this time honored practice is guaranteed to accomplish it. Only the most willing and the most able will be allowed to set foot on that hallowed ground known as the "Field".
 Practices are run like boot camp. Strict discipline and conditioning are the norm. Conditioning, both physical and mental  are needed to play football in September when temps are still on the 90's.
 As the practices continue, folks come from all around to watch them. Some come to see how the team is progressing, some come to relive their past glories. Whole towns get into the spirit of it. Team colors are worn, schedules are posted in in every business. All talk is about the team and the coach.  There is but one subject in all this, can he take the team to the very end and if not, who can they hire to replace him? All eyes are on the prize; the State Championship, or as we say in Texas,"Winnin' State".
   As you may or may not know,Texas is a mixture of both urban and rural.  For the small towns, football is about all they have since the "oil bidness" petered out and farming has gone into the tank. I have seen whole towns load up to go watch their team in the playoffs, with police volunteering from neighboring towns to watch the town while its deserted. It's a good thing and yet sad in a way. You see  for some boys, this will be the high point of their lives. They will peak at eighteen and this will be all they have. Not much to look forward to 'ceptin a job and a family.
  But, for a magical few months, Texas, on Friday night is lit up with lights in stadiums from Beaumont to El Paso, from Dalhart, to Brownsville. With team names like Eagles, Tigers, Cougars, Longhorns and yes even Kangaroos and Jackrabbits, towns all over Texas are in the spirit and it will build to  fever pitch culminating in that quest for that first rung on the ladder: District Champs... Stadiums will be overflowing with family and fans cheering the home team on with no quater asked or none given. Age old rivalries will be fought on that 120 yard battlefield... memories will be made and dreams shattered. It is an  unforgettable experience. It truly can't be described... But one thing is common to every team in Texas... Each September is the start of a new season and new dreams.

When Did I Grow Old ?

  It occured to me today (not the first time mind you) as I looked in the mirror shaving that I had suddenly gotten old! So, later, as I sat in my den ; I looked back to try and figure when it happened.

It certainly didn't happen that Christmas I got my first pair of boots. Shoot all I could think of then  was when do we eat again and I think I need some  jeans .



I don't think it was in the 4th grade when our only worries were who was going to choose who for sides in baseball. I think there might have been some thoughts about girls during all that. Such as why would any guy want anything to do with them.

It still hadn't happened when I was 15.  It was my freshman year and mainly all I worried about was trying figure a way to drive my algebra teacher crazy and lamenting the fact freshmen are lower than pond scum and no girl wants to be seen with them.

Dont think it was when I turned 18 and had the world by the tail. I was so smart then. A head  full of knowledge and  a mind of mush and no idea what was in store for me. But who cared? Plenty of time in life right?

I don t think it was in the Navy. Nineteen and ready to see and take on the world.

Little did I realize just how big and unforgiving the world can be.  But still  young and bullet proof.

Looking back I don't think it happened when I was rodeoin'. though there were some days I felt real old after a rough night in the arena and a rougher night at the dance after! Not  quite as young, but I realized I  was only average in talent and that could get me hurt bad. Getting smarter, not older.

Might have started happening in my thirties. Seems like as the hair got thinner, the waist got thicker. Age does have a way of creeping subtly upon us when we least expect it. That knee I got from football would pain me some, but it was easy to walk off. But not as easy as it used to be.

Now the forties did have me showin' some wear and tear and feelin' it, too. But it wasn't nothing I couldn't handle. More grey in the hair ( what was left of it), but I could still do all the physical stuff I enjoyed doin, from riding a bike to doing a hard day"s work in the plant. I could still walk a field hunting all day and crush the hand of any of the football players my daughter brought home for me to meet.

Well, I'm in my mid-fifties and  things are still very good. I have had some problems and medical issues, but was fortunate and by Grace of God to have caught them early. I don't run as fast as I used to, but  I have learned running just gets you there a little quicker and walkin' lets  me see more. As I think back on it, I have gotten older. But I still don't think of myself as old. I think if you fight aging, specially the mental part, then you may age without getting old. And, isn't that what we all want to do? In the  words of that Toby Keith song, " I may not be as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was". Well said, Toby.

They Say a Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. How many tears have these cost?

Did Our President Actually Say Things Might Look Bad for Democrats?

  Mama, don't tell me this is a dream, but did Obama truly say things might not go well in November? Surely that has to be some kind of joke the media is playin' on us! After all he's promised and all that Congress has rammed down our throats (among other places), that he might have gotten the message?
  I don't think so; you see, one must be in touch with the pulse of America to know how people are really feeling right now. and ideologues rarely have any idea of what goes on around them.
So if i might illuminate the "Annointed One", here's what we're upset about:

• Blame Bush Syndrome: Com'on Mr. President, surely after nearly two years why are still blaming GW? Might I enlighten you a little? The economy was growing steadily until 2007. Does that year strike a chord? It was the year the Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate.
• Promising a clear and transparent government, then using backroom deals and last minute votes to push forward your Leftist Agenda.
• Being the American "Apologist" instead of the President. Sir, we know America isn't perfect, but that's no reason to apologize and denigrate our way of life to anyone that will listen.
• Appointing "Czars" accountable to no one but you. Seems like you have manged to grab control of a lot of power in this manner. I think you'll pay dearly for that.
• Losing the trust of our closest Allies while trying to make friends with people who want to destroy our way of life.
• Telling us how you're going to ease the burden on the Middle Class yet adamantly refuse extend the Bush tax Cuts.
• Obamacare. Nothing more need be said
• Filing suit against Arizona. This isn't about Immigration. It's about usurping the power of the States.

  Mr. President, those are just a few things that have Democrats avoiding you like the plague as the days wind down to election. Ponder this, if what you're doing is so good for America, Why are Democrat candidates conveniently away whenever you show up? Might I cite a few instances? Bill White was indisposed when you came to Texas and brushed aside Governor Perry's greeting and letter. Russ Feingold was away when you were in Wisconsin rambling on about how things were getting better. Why are people in your own staff literally throwing you under the bus to save their own reputations? How does it feel to wear tire tracks for once?
Senior Democrats in both houses are retiring; why is that? It's because they don't want to be in on the coming election when every thing you stand for gets thrown back in your face and they have nothing to run on thanks to your heavy handed way of doing things.
  I truly think this mid-term election is going to  be a bellwether one way or another for the United States. I pray to God it goes the right way.

Remembering the Duke

Wow, so much to remember... He was a box office star... An Oscar winning actor of great range...And an American of the First Order.

I remember nearly every line of every John Wayne Movie... As kids we would be so excited when we heard a new John Wayne movie was coming to town.. We even got to stay up late if one was on TV.




I guess if it came right down to it, I can't pick any one of his movies that I could call my favorite. I can't for the life of me think of any movie I've seen of his
that I could truly say I didn't like. Oh he made some that didn't do well and some he did to finance his Production company; but, all in all, he made some real good movies.




The things I like about the Duke's movies were the fact that most of them were cut and dried; good vs evil, right vs wrong. And of course never let it be said he couldn't make a funny movie... Nothing too slapstick but he did have a great sense of humor and it was spot on in his timing and delivery... in fact I cant think of many movies that didn't have some humor in it.



As for being a great American,just look at the characters he portrayed. They were the personification of the way he saw America: strong, independent, willing to do the right thing no matter the cost, and not perfect but human.




Take some of his greatest roles: Sgt. John Stryker, Ethan Edwards, Tom Donovan, and of course, Rooster Cogburn. they were just men, doing what they thought right; each with his own demons that they also had to battle, whether it be alcohol or just having time pass them by.









But, in all honesty, it's his politics and stances that made him my hero. In an era of turmoil and Hollywood swinging even further to the left, Duke stood fast in his beliefs. He didn't hide them as some Hollywood Conservatives did. He went out and told the country what he stood for. He went his own way, even making a movie honoring our Special Forces at a time our servicemen and women were being spat on by their peers as they returned home from serving in Viet Nam. The Duke loved his country; the country that gave the opportunity Marion Morrison to become John Wayne. And as John Wayne, he died as he lived, his own man. Sounds kinda like his role as JB Book in last movie, The Shootist.



God Bless Ya, Duke! America and the World will never forget you

Thank You President Obama

Yall, I think we are being way too tough on our president and i think he deserves some thank yous.

Thank You for:

The most massive debt load this country has ever seen.

The weakening of our National Defense.

The loss of respect in the eyes of the World.

The strained relations between us and our Allies.

The loss of trust in how our system should work by bringing your "Chicago-style" way of doing business to Washington.

The "Shanghai-ing" of our health care and banking under the guise of reform.

Now to be fair (and balanced as the saying goes), I'm gonna thank you for some good things that have happened since you took office.

Thank you for:

Nearly single-handedly crippling the Democratic Party with your agenda of "Hope and Change".

Re-energizing the Conservative movement. You, Mr. President have brought more people to the fold than Ronald Reagan.

Being the driving force behind the Tea Party Movement.

The landmark sales of guns and ammo. Even with every other industry suffering you have managed to help them with your stances on gun control.

Reuniting the country. You have managed with just two issues, the Mosque and the Arizona Bill, to get 70% of the citizens of this country to agree on something: They don't like what you're doing!

Showing us what can happen when we let apathy and some well placed sound bites from a teleprompter reading, conniving, hustler worm his way by lying through his teeth, into being elected the President of these United States.

Now, Mr President, I think you owe us some thanks. You by now must have realized just how overwhelming the Presidency can be, 'specially for someone as ill-equipped to handle as obviously you seem to be; so come election time, we're gonna do our dead-level best to take this job off your hands so you and your globetrotting wife can vacation and play golf to your hearts' content. Even if it's still on our dime, it will still be cheaper than allowing you to serve another term. That, Sir, is the "Change" I'm hopin for.

Are We Getting TOO Casual?

Y'all I have to ask this question, “Do all y'all think, as I do, that we as a society might have gotten a little too casual?". Not only in attire but also in attitudes and manners? Think about it, not only is it acceptable to walk around looking like bums but our manners have gotten way too casual in how we treat people.
Okay, I'll admit I don’t care much for flip-flops and how they are creeping into every style of dress, however, I do think that there can be other choices in footwear once in a while. What's wrong with dressing up a little to go somewhere once in a while, if for no other reason than to stay in practice? We went out the other night and I couldn’t believe how most folks were dressed. It was like they had rummaged thru the bottom of the closet and just grabbed something. Wrinkled, scruffy and flip flops, some way to dress to go out for an evening. To me, and I may be off base, but it shows a lack of respect for self and for whom your with. When I was going out when was younger, my boots had to be shined, clothes ironed and my hair combed. I’m serious about this, I had to pass an inspection by my grandmother before leaving. To this day, this has stuck with me and I think it has served me in good stead.

And that leads me to this. Has attitude about dress affected our attitude to how we should treat people? I guess it was my upbringin’ by mother and my grandma Adele that instilled in us kids both manners and how to treat people. It was always yes/no maam/sir; never yep or nope. God forbid a yeah came out ever came out of mouth. We were taught to respect ourselves as well as others. Men were expected to rise the first time a lady walked into the room, chairs were to be held and doors opened. Men were to hold a coat so the lady might don it more easily. Men were to walk on the outside (curbside) and to offer an arm if the lady desired. A date was to begin and end at the front door, not with the honk of a horn.

Why is it that it’s now acceptable to just kinda talk at people instead of to them or with them? I’ve seen it more than once when people would ask a question and someone would either just blow them off or just barely acknowledge their very existence? I seem to notice this more in large urban areas and up north. Not sure why that is, but like I said, I’ve seen it firsthand. If communication is the cornerstone of society, then good manners should be the mortar that holds it together.

More to Remember

These are just off the top of my head but here goes:

Chris Dodd: King of the Sweetheart mortgage. Just how crooked does a Democrat have to be to go to jail these days?

Charles Rangel: See above.

Barney Frank: Volumes could be written but will just ask,"How many Republicans could remain in office after his boy toy ran a gay callboy(?) service out of his apt?".

Maxine Waters: More corruption from the Golden State.

Nancy Pelosi: A tragic waste of Botox. God, just what does this woman want from us? she's got more perks than a case of coffee. So in favor of labor that she forced through a minimum wage hike that affected all workers making minimum wage except in certain areas, one of those being American Samoa; where she and her husband own a cannery.

Harry Reid: we need to pull handle against him and see if people still like him.

RINOS: Every Republican that votes with the Democrats on Kagan's confirmation needs to be voted out. PERIOD

Allowing the Bush Tax Cuts to expire: Trying to say this isn't a tax hike is like trying to say Barney Frank is straight!

Cap and Trade:Cap and Tax. This proves that the government is definitely anti-business and a bunch of post-turtles.

Value Added Tax: No tax hikes for people making less than 200k? When they tax everything you make purchase, make or sell; how is that not a tax hike?

Card Check: So much for a secret ballot if that passes.

And the Biggie: The Stimulus! what Stimulus??? It's slush fund for services rendered to every thug, crook, and sleazeball that had anything to with his getting nominated. it was even used to keep Michelle's brother from losing his job. Hmmm does that job count??

Unrevising History

Jeez it galls me to think of how our History of this great nation is being "cleansed"(censored, revised and diluted) so that it's less offensive to the ethnics who might be offended by the real truth. Why is it our history is so distasteful? Think I’ll give a few examples of some that rankle me and see if I can shed some illumination on them.

Texas over throws a repressive military regime: US steals southwest from Mexico. How did it get there? Because we don't want to offend Hispanic sensitivity. And to prove that we over threw a bad government, can anybody name a Mexican government that actually accomplished anything for its people? Now we have to deal with the mess the Feds have made of immigration and granting them rights and benefits that are bankrupting the entire Southwest in the hopes of gaining a few votes.

The Indian Wars: We stole the land from an indigenous people. Well most tribes took land and held it not by treaty with other tribes but by force. The Lakota raided Crow territory and bragged about it. Why is it they cry over land they couldn't hold when they took it from a weaker tribe as did we? The worst thing we ever did was in allowing them to continue to live on Reservations I instead of assimilating them into our society. Other groups have melded yet still retained their heritage.

Pearl Harbor: We forced Japan into attacking us because of the US being racist and repressing their national ambitions. MY God folks, they attacked us, they slaughtered hundreds of thousands of innocent Asian men, women and children and we're the racists? Revisionists say that the only reason we nuked Japan was because they weren’t white. Did they ever think of how many lives would have been lost if we had had to invade Japan like we did Germany? How much longer the war would have lasted?

These are jus a couple of example of out our History is being distorted to further the Progressive Agenda to destroy our National Heritage and to weaken us further as a nation. We are nation of many that are as one; or at least we should be.

Remember In November

Well it's under 100 days to the mid-term elections and as mid-terms go, this one could turn out to be a real barn burner. Remember back in school how we should have taken notes to help us with our mid-term exams? Well here are some notes we might want to remember as the elections draw closer. after all, this is going to be much more important than a good grade in Home-Ec or Shop Class. A failing grade here could ruin this country for a generation. This isn't all about the president but will include his minions,lackeys and the kool-ade drinkers that thought it would be Earthshaking to be part of a whole new era for the US.

* "CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN!" How many believe that any more? any more changes and we're not going to recognize this Country.

* No tax increases for any one make less than 200K annually. What about the expiration of the Bush tax cuts that will actually affect every taxpayer in this country? Not to mention the lapsing of the Death Tax and taxes on interest income, just how many people will that really hit?

*Refusing Help From Non-Union Oil companies during the BP Fiasco. Guess he didn't want to bite the hand that feeds him?

*Health Care Reform. Reform? you call handing over our health care system to a bunch of people not even qualified to run a lemonade stand smart? it ain't about reform, it's about control!

*This is going to be a "Transparent" Administration. Hmmmm no hearings on anything, cover ups and stalling on something as simple as a birth certificate don't make much for transparency, however his stand on so many issues and his action makes it pretty easy to see right through him.

*Suing the state of Arizona for wanting to secure its borders and to protect the lives and property of her citizens. Hmmm so much for States Right and the will of the People here. Looks like they are gonna ram amnesty down our throats like Health Care. When a government won't lift a finger to protect its own people, then to me it has ceased to be a government and has become an ideological regime.

*Failure to support Israel. How can this man not see the writing on the wall? We have distanced ourselves from a strong ally, a loyal friend and the only stable government in the Middle East. and for what, to seem more empathetic to an ideology that wants to destroy all we stand for in the name of their God?

*Unemployment. How many more people will have to be laid off or under-employed to realize that it don't matter to them as long as they can make them dependent on the Federal Government and make them loyal voters to perpetuate the system. Figger that's why they are wanting to extend unemployment benefits?

*Sanctions. Hmmmm how can you walk the walk, when nobody believes you when you talk the talk? I mean we have alienated our allies with this. Israel is backed into a corner and feels like she is alone now.

*Afghanistan. Giving our enemies a time lime? what the heck is that? a recipe for disater if you ask me, but i never knew a liberal yet that knew how to fight a war, except maybe to lose one to further their agenda.

Well these are just a few notes for y'all to peruse and contemplate. I'll be posting more as elections get closer.
Remember November
May God Bless and Keep our Armed Forces Safe!!

The Acceptance of Growing Older

I've learned a lot of things in this life and now that I've got older, acceptance is one of them. A big thing to accept is the fact that everyone grows older. So after having fought the good fight I've come to accept I'm getting older now and need to accept a few facts such as:

Two or Three weeks of exercise won't get me back into "Football" shape.

It's okay to be able to hide your own Easter Eggs.

Naps are wasted on the young.

Senior Tees are a good thing.

I'm liking the discounts.

Younger women are't that young anymore.

More than three trips to the bathroom after going to bed
should count as exercise.

Nooners, quickies and matinees now refer to naps.

Music seems louder than it used to.

It's okay to start a sentence with,"back in my day".

Being into leather now refers to upholstery and truck seats.

I've turned into my parents.

It's not ADD but OLD!

I know there are more and there will come a time I'll
look at a piece of rope in my hand and wonder,"did I find some rope,
or lose a horse?"; but until them I'm going to do like I always have and live each day like the new one it is and give thanks for the memories I have.

All I Needed To Know About Life, I Learned by Going to the Show

Having grown up with a deep affection for going to the "show" as we small town folks like to say, I would like to share some things I've learned from being an avid (some would say obsessed) movie buff.

The days of the week: "Monday, Wednesday Tuesday, Friday"- The Godfather

It's about to hit the fan: "Houston, We have a problem".- Apollo XIII

Do something NOW!: "Too close for missiles, switching to guns!"- Top Gun

Going your own way: " A man oughta do what he thinks is right".- Hondo

Entrepreneurism: "We rob banks."- Bonnie and Clyde

Optimism: "After all, tomorrow is a another day". - Gone With the Wind

Life aint fair: "I coulda been a contender." - On the Waterfront

Perserverance: "A Commanche will only chase something till he thinks he chased it enough; then he quits. He dont understand something that just keeps chasing him." - The Searchers

Romance: "Any man that wouldn't cheat for a poke, don't deserve one." - Lonesome Dove

Courage: "Today, I feel like I'm the luckiest man on the face of the Earth." - Pride of the Yankees

A chance meeting of an old girlfriend that dumped you: "Of all the gin joints in all the world, why'd she have to come into my place?" -Casablanca

On what's important in life: "Only two things in life worth havin, a beautiful woman from anywhere or a Swiss watch. Ever had a Swiss watch?" - Red River

On "coming of age"; "Mrs. Robinson,are you trying to seduce me?"- The Graduate

On Life in general: "It ain't dyin' I'm talkin' 'bout Woodrow, it's livin'." Lonesome Dove.

After realizing all I have learned from the movies, makes me wonder what all y'all might have learned from them that has helped in life. So until time; adios,
au revoir and pass the popcorn.

Building a Better Brisket

Howdy again yall,

Well summer is full on us and time to unlimber all those pits, grills and cookers and get out our special rubs and begin to work our magic on that Texas specialty....BRISKET!!

Most Texas Folk have their own secret rub or marinade to prep a brisket ranging from the simple to the very complicated with everything from chili powder to thyme...Me, I prefer to just seaon with cracked black pepper and some kosher salt. I like to wood to impart the flavor.. and the right temp to infuse into the brisket.
Sooooo, here we go: Start with a vacuum packed brisket, then store in frig and fip it every day for a week. this will age it some and deepen the flavor, I've done this and and if you want two weeks is even better. It will also tenderize the meat some.

Next, open pack and remove brisketand trim some fat. Rinse it lightly if you want. I said some, not all, for you'll need it to self baste during cooking. Now this is important,; after trimming brisket, season as you desire. Now, let it come nearly to room temp as you get fire ready. This will open the meat fibers to let rub in deeper.

Fire: Okay, this is important, I’m talkin’ a real fire here, y’all; not a propane grill, but an honest to Pete wood or charcoal fire with a way to offset the fire. You need a way to keep the heat about 225- 250F. Too high of temp and meat will cook too fast leaving it tough. Not good, folks. If you’re usin charcoal, build fire, then let burn to white then add your wet chips or chunks of wood. Then cover with some more charcoal so it’ll smoke some. That’s what gives the meat it’s flavor. Then add a water pan and place brisket fat side up so the juices will drip though the meat.

Now, close cooker sit back, open a beer and let the cooker do the work. Only open to add chips or wood. The more smoke, the deeper the bark will go. What you’re looking for underneath the bark is a red rind under the bark.This is important, it will take at least 12 hours of slow cooking to get that brisket to where it needs to be. So just relax for a few hours and let the meat to itself. Then check fire and add chips as needed for about 6 hours. Then wrap good in foil and place back in cooker. This will keep it moist and aid in tenderizing. Let it cook some more until it’s ready (about another 5 hours). Keep adding small amounts of wood, chips or charcoal as needed to keep temp up.

Okay, now its done. Now it needs to rest for a bit to let the juices settle to keep moist. Then open foil, and place on cutting board and trim away most of the fat. This is most important, carve brisket on the bias! It will be much more tender that way.

Well that’s how I do it; but im sure there’s a lot more ways to do it and they all work, so find one that works for you and have at it. Some might say Bon Apetit! But I prefer “come and get it”!

What Texas is to Me.

Well, it's nearly tax time again and as I think of all the wonderful things the governmant has planned for our money, I like to think how fortunate we Texans are to live in this great state. It's easy to desribe certain aspects of our state to outsiders but unless they have experienced it, how can they ever understand what we sometimes take for granted? These thoughts are in no particular order, just as they pop into my head. For y'all that don't know me, I have a very non-linear thought process.

To me, Texas is.....

a sunrise on the Gulf

a sunset in Big Bend

pheasunt hunting in the Panhandle.

a cold beer on a hot day floating lazily down the Gudalupe.

the Texas A&M- Texas Rivalry

a corn-dog at the State Fair

Friday Night Lights

George Strait

standing before the Alamo after dark when the street is quiet. If you listen real careful, you just might just hear or feel the Ghosts of the Alamo.

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

fishing Lake Fork

skinny-dippin at Lake Travis

Smoked Brisket.

a cherry lime at the drive-in

Ice Tea

a stiff starched shirt and Wranglers

Lucchese Boots

Big hair

quail huntin in Central Texas

Dove Huntin in the Valley

a Pandandle winter

A Houston Summer

sitting at picnic table in the back yard running a window unit air conditioner on it(plugged into an orange extension cord from the house)trying stay cool.

The River Walk

Chicken Fried Steak

Lone Star Beer and a local band at Gruene Hall

sittin outside lissenin to the pickers at Luckenbach

the ongoing debate over who makes the best truck

tamale vendors

chili queens

a hitchin rail chock full of horses at a beer joint in Bandera on a Saturday afternoon

Pearl Beer

Dr Pepper

The Canadian Rodeo

Billy Bob's

the Stockyards

the Texas Two-Step

no state income tax

the oil "bidness"

the cattle business

Large ranches like the King Ranch and 6666's

day cowboys

the " Texas Barbecue Trail"

The Colonial and golfers like Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson

Texas Rangers such as Jack Hays, Rip Ford, and Frank Hamer.

repecting the rights of the individual versus the power of the government

flying the Lone Star the same height as the US Flag

knowing the difference between a drawl and twang

My list could go on for quite a while but will stop it here.
I would welcome any additions to it in the comments section.
I would love to know what Texas means to yall.
GOD BLESS TEXAS YALL!!!

Texas is...

Texas has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been reading an old book on the history of my state. Last night it started running through my head just how many songs are about Texas and how they can be used to describe it. Here are some examples.

Texas is...

Amarillo by Morning

Lubbock in my Rearview Mirror

Across the Alley From the Alamo

Deep in the Heart of Texas

The Streets of Laredo

The Red River Valley

Houston

Amarillo Highway

Dallas Days and Fort Worth Nights

Bob Wills is Still the King

Abilene

San Angelo

McKenzie Park

Waltz Across Texas

Big Ball in Cowtown

San Antonio Rose

T for Texas


Well those are the ones I can think of right off hand. I'm sure there are others and if you have any you would like to share, please post them in blog comments.
Oh, one more title:

God Bless Texas!!

THINGS I LEARNED FROM BEING RAISED IN TEXAS

Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road
with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in Texas .

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000
live in Texas , plus a couple no one's seen before.

If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites.

'Twiced' is a word.

People actually grow and eat okra

'Fixinto' is one word.

There is no such thing as 'lunch.'
There is only dinner and then supper.

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you
start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar!

'Backwards and forwards' means I know
everything about you!

Djeet is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'

Hats and boots aren't fashion statements.

You don't have to wear a watch because it
doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done
or it's too dark to see.

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them.

You measure distance in hours. Like its 6 hours from Houston to Dallas .

You'll probably have to switch from 'heat' to
'A/C' in the same day.

'Fix' is a verb. Example: 'I'm fixing to go to
the store.'

You install security lights on your house and
garage and leave both unlocked.

Yes, Friday night high school football games is serious football!

You carry jumper cables in your car . . .
for your OWN car.

Always cook extra in case friends drop by at suppertime.

There are only four spices: salt, pepper,
Tabasco and ketchup.

The local papers cover national and
international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.

100 degrees Fahrenheit is 'a little warm.'

A seat belt buckle can be used as a branding iron during the middle of summer.

We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer,
still Summer and Christmas.

Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past time
known as 'goin' to Wally-World.'

A cool snap (below 70 degrees) is good
pinto-bean weather; any thing below 60, break out the chili pot.

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or
pop. . . . it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example:
'What kind a coke you want?'

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don't need no stinking driver's ed . . .
if our mama says we can drive, we can drive.

Never try to pet a cow dog on the back of his owner's truck.

Yes/No Maam/Sir are the only way to reply to your elders. Nuh-Uh or Uh-huh can be risky.

EVERYONE can't be from Texas ..
You might say it's a gift from God!

And the most important thing we learn growing up in TEXAS is...

IN GOD WE TRUST

More Wonderin' and Musin"

Howdy,
I just thought I'd share some thoughts that passed thu my head here lately

on health care.... does seem like its on a layaway plan? I mean its like financing a car and not getting to drive it till it's paid for!

On Obama's treaty with the Russians....did he ever fight for his lunch money or did he just give it up in hopes of not being smacked? can you see this guy trying to survive in prison? wait, that's not a bad idea.

on Tea party'ers... domestic terrorists? has any of them hijacked a plane and flown into a building or beheaded anyone? That's like calling our forefathers traitors!

on our forefathers....if they thought taxation without representation was bad, they should see what we got now.

on gun control... finger tip on trigger and lightly squeeze for better accuracy.

on Sarah Palin..... "you don't retreat, you reload" what a quote and words to live by.

on Nancy Pelosi....what a waste of Botox. So radical the only piece of chicken she'll eat is the Left Wing. Why couldn't the house have fallen on her instead of her sister?

on Harry Reid... people liking you on your chartered plane don't count.

on Tiger Woods.... how good would he be if the the only holes he concentrated on were limited to the ones on the golf course.

on Jesse James... just because you were named after an infamous outlaw don't mean you should live like one. I think Tiger owes you big time for shoving him off the front pages of the tabloids.

on Obama's remarks about Sarah Palin's lack of experience...... guess being a community organizer make you eminently more qualified.

on Jimmy Carter.... how does it feel to not be the "worst President in history" anymore?

on Joe Biden.... saying "Big F#%%g Deal" on tape is a "Big F@%$#%g Deal"!

on the "Chicago-ization" of Washington Politics.... same dog with just a different bunch of fleas.

A Conservative's Guide to "Lib-Speak"

Howdy!
After the election of Scott Brown as the new Senator from the state of Massachusetts, I switched over from FOX News to get the other side of the story from MSNBC News. What I heard was a vitriolic outpouring from Keith Olberman that labeled Senator-Elect Brown among other things: racist, homophobic and sexist.

At first I was more than a little angry that someone in the media could make such unfounded allegations. But then I realized that I was hearing a non-repentant Liberal just speaking his mind. No wonder their ratings are so low. In fact, I think MSNBC owes me a thank you for watching them and boosting their ratings for the night by at least ten percent!

So, to help others like me that venture over to that news channel, I have decided to create a small guide to help translate "Lib-Speak" into terms we poor so-called "ignorant" Conservatives can understand.

Progressive: A Liberal that believes that intentions are better than results and that any means to accomplish will justify the end result.

Racist: Any person that is against Affirmative Action or Quotas and believes that talent, qualifications, and ability should be the guidelines.

Sexist: Pro-life

Homophobic: A person who believes in the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.

Nativist: A person who thinks our National Borders should be secured.

Isolationist: A person who believes in our National Sovereignty

Warmonger: A person who believes in a strong National Defense.

Religious Extremist: A person who believes God has a major place in our daily lives.

Voter Suppression: Valid identification in order to vote.

Politically Incorrect: A person that speaks what on his/her mind without worrying about whom it might offend.

Well, there y'all have it a quick guide to understand what the MSM is trying to say in terms most of can now understand. so, by applying these simple translations to what Olberman was saying about Scott Brown, it looks like the citizens of Massachusetts got it right after all.