Happy Birthday Mom

 When we think of heroes, we often think of larger than life characters such as Superman, John Wayne and in my case; Ronald Reagan. But my real hero will always be my mother. 10 foot of all Texan packed into a 5'2'' frame.
  Mom was the one person we kids knew we could always rely on. She was the first to be asked to help out at school and with extracurricular activities. She was a band mom, worked with Scouts and never missed anything we kids participated in. Okay lotta moms do that, but how many drove a car home from Second Monday at 5 miles an hour while her nine year old son  held a lead line through the window to bring home a pony she bought on a deal?
  Let me tell y'all some more about our mother. she was what I like to call a "Leftivist". No, she wasn't a Leftist but a "Lefty". Not sure why, but lefties didn't seem to be so prevalent in those days. Might be we lived in a small town and not as noticeable.  Mom actively crusaded for lefties. She tried us all out as kids.I was at best ambidextrous and until our youngest sister was born, I was the closest thing to a lefty in the family. Do not laugh or scoff, I think if Laura had been a righty, there might be more of us. I'm just kidding but you never know.
 Here's a few more things about her I'd like to share. Mom took care of us, but she never over "mothered" if you follow. She encouraged us to be independent and self sufficient. In fact, she encouraged(insisted) we earn our allowance. She also taught me to ride a bike, sit a horse, play baseball and a lot of other things a dad was supposed to teach his son. She did just fine.
  But she also instilled in me a love of Texas. Not just the state, but a state of mind that comes from knowing you are a Texan. She bought me books on the early days of the Republic, on its early settlers and on its geography. And I think this kinda played into the most  important thing she ever taught me. Respect. Respect for myself as well as others. For without self respect, how can you respect others? I was taught to keep my hands off others and to expect the same from them. To be able to back up, but not down and to respect the rights of others; and to be able to stand  up for my own.
  Mom has been gone for a while now, but she still lives in all us kids. We still talk about her and remember our times with her. Some good, some rough, but never any real bad times, She wouldn't have allowed that.

Happy Birthday Mother

1935-1994

Ever Wonder?

 I was driving round this morning and an old Hank song (Cold Cold Heart) came on the radio and it got me to wondering what Country Music would be like with Hank and his music. Would it be the same without his influence? So me, being me in a very nonlinear way of thinking got to wondering about other things that might be different without someones influence, such as:

What would the movies be like without John Wayne? Would the Western have faded from the scene?

What would  rock and roll be like without Buddy Holly? Did he really have that much influence?

What would the GOP look like without Barry Goldwater? Would Reagan have been the man he was without his influence?

What would baseball be like without the Babe? Would homers be as prevalent as they are now?

What would computers be like without the likes of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? Were they indispensable or would have someone else have done what they did?

What would our country be like without Lincoln? Would it have splintered into separate nations to be gobbled up by Europe?

  After pondering, this for a while; it struck me that in some small way everyone is indispensable in some way.Think on it, if you had never existed, what would your world be like? What have you done, no matter how small, has made an impact that would be missed if you hadn't been born. We've all wished at one time or another that we hadn't been born, but what would it be like if you hadn't? It could be as simple as saying hello to someone to make their day a little brighter. Encouraging someone, being there for a friend or family member in a jam; these things do matterand would be missed if we ever had gotten our childish wish. I'm glad that wish of mine didn't come true, I'm not meant to be a George Bailey.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanksgiving Memories

 Well, Jane has the turkey in  the oven and the aroma is intoxicating. I'm watching the Texan's game and I'm thinking about a lot of Thanksgivings from times past. From the time I spent thanksgiving on Guam with some shipmates to the ones that bring back my fondest memories; the ones I spent at my Grannie's.
 I am the product of two families. My parents divorced very early and I grew up with two dads. Not in the way it's spoken of now, but with two men of thought of as my dad. My Grannie was my father's mother and her house was the gathering place for the Carter family for most holidays. At any given time, there would be a mess of them there for no other reason than it was Grannie's. But come Thanksgiving, it would be packed from one end to the other with family. Grannie had seven children and all but one had kids, so there were plenty of cousins, and aunts and uncles, not to mention friends who would drop by. 
 Thanksgiving there for me would begin on Wednesday afternoon when school would let out. I'd have my suitcase packed and mom would drop me off at the bus station for the two hour bus ride from Bowie To Electra. I started doing that when I was about six years old. (Anybody feel safe letting your six year old travel alone on a bus for two hours these days?) Sometimes someone would meet me but most times I just lugged my suitcase and hoofed it to her house. I could always smell it from the corner. The aroma of pies would make my mouth water. Add to it, I'd hit town about supper time and be ravenous for some of her cooking. After supper, we'd start setting the tables up, the long table up front and the kids tables in the back. The long table by the time we got the glider stand and door off the front bedroom and used for an extension would seat nearly 30 people. the card tables would then hold the kids in the back room off the kitchen. The average head count back then was around thirty ans have seen nearly fifty be there. 
  Now,Grannie and my Aunt Willene didn't do all the cooking, it was a family style pot luck where every family brought something. Dad always brought something he smoked or barbecued which was either a big sirloin roast or a ham.I kid you not, I've seen three turkeys, a couple hams and a roast on the table and every vegetable imaginable, including a pot of red beans(this is Texas after all.) before the meal, we'd all gather for the blessing round the big table so my uncle Jr. would say the blessing. It was a Baptist blessing and I swear he was trying to pray those turkeys into heaven. He and I were the Baptists in the family, the rest were Methodists if you get my drift. Then we'd load our plates and settle in for a family meal.
  After the meal while the women cleaned, covered the leftovers, and set out the pies; the menfolk would claim  the card tables for games of Spades and the domino game. Now Carters are not what you'd call competitive, Carters play for blood in anything we do. And the domino game was watched by all us kids as long as we were quiet. The teams usually consisted of my cousins Tommy and Don, Dad and my Uncle Edward and my Uncle Jr and his son Larry. Tommy and Don had grown up together and were the team to beat. The yelling from the tables along with the laughing, taunting and occasional cuss word or ten could be heard down the street. Once, when I was there on leave while in the Navy, I had to sub for my dad as Edwards' partner. I'm a fair player,  but  nowhere in their league. After a very poor play of mine that cost us the game, Edward chucked his last domino at me, catching me right between the eyes, then cussed dad for not teaching me to play better. Lesson learned: Never bring fives without blanks. Tommy nearly fell out of his chair laughing. Good times.
 My Grannie is gone now along with my dad and all his brothers and sisters. A few cousins have passed also. They may be gone, but my memories of them are still here and strongIf I close my eyes, I can still see them; circled round grannie in her rocker as we all watched and rooted for out team, the Dallas Cowboys playing the Thanksgiving Day Game. Like I said earlier, Good times.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all

Lies From Your President

 Listening to the radio this morning while going down the hiway, I heard an excerpt of Obama's book,
Dreams of My Father. From the little bit I heard, it soounded like he was channeling Kunta Kinte from Roots, but that's another story. Coupling that with the recent debates, I figgered it's time for Obama to churn out another book about his time in office and I thought this might lay the groundwork.(Bobby, feel free to interject with what you have at anytime.)

 

Lies From Your President

February of 2009 found President Obama vowing to reduce the deficit by 50% by the end of his first term in office. [I think we can see that never happened]

In early 2010, Mr. Obama claimed that the border fence is “basically complete.” [It is, if you consider 5% as “basically complete.”]

In March of this year, the President promised his new gas mileage standards would save the average American household $8000 per year. [There is only one small problem with that statement.  The American family on average spends around 4000 dollars anually on gasoline.]

You Didn’t Build that”  [Yes we did!]                                                                                                           

I’ve done more for Israel’s security than any President ever has before me.
[Obama aided Islamic Extremists take over of Egypt/ Libya.]

The GOP is responsible for Obama Jobs Bill Not Passing.
[Dems Rejected Jobs Bill.]

Benghazi violence was caused by an internet video & demonstrations.[ Well that one should bite him on the ass.]

“Under Gov. Romney’s definition … Donald Trump is a small business.”  [Donald Trump employ over 25,000 people. Define "the".]

“I think it’s important for us to understand that the Fast and Furious program was a field-initiated program begun under the previous administration” [Fast and Furious was reinitiated without tracking devices in October, 2009. President Bush left office in January of that same year.]

My budget will cut the deficit by $4 Trillion over 10 years. [I thought the nose was supposed to grow when you tell a lie. To me, it looks like his ears are getting bigger!]

These are obligations that the United States has taken on in the past. Congress has run up the credit card, and we now have an obligation to pay our bills. [Looks like it’s been incurred mostly in the years of Obama.]

We have run out of places in the US to drill for oil. [Then why is production is up on private lands and you cut drilling permits by 50% and closed off drilling in the Gulf?]

Gas prices have been spiking for years! [The national average for gasoline in January 2009 was around 2.00. Now it's closing in on 4.00]

 We have created 5,000,000 new jobs! [Maybe so, but it it doesn't offset the number of jobs that have been lost with his policies, so at best it's only a half truth. My mom taught me that a half truth equals a whole lie!]


If I don't get the job done in three years, then I'm a one term president. [Job's not done and now he's running on platform of I need more time.]


In closing, I think that as loyal citizens, we should do our best to help him keep one of his promises. We should do everything we can to help him become a one term president. That way he won't  be a complete liar!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crazy(?) Joe

 Like a lot of people, I watched the debate last night and also like a lot of people, my mind is already made up. But,like a lot of other people, I enjoy a good show, and that is all the Veep Debate is.

 Seems like all anybody can talk about  are Biden's antics during the debate. Folks, he did exactly what he was supposed to do, and that was disarm Ryan. He was was sent in there not to make points but deflect and blunt Ryan.  No one is going to base their vote on the VP, but Biden to some extent, did manage to get some points in while brawling Ryan. If this were a boxing match, I'd give it a draw at best and split decision at worst. Neither candidate landed a knockout punch. Ryan did manage a few jabs to the face but failed to land a solid body blow. When Biden stated the Administration acted on bad Intel, he could have waded in then, but for some reason held back. But, when discussing Iran and Biden said our Intelligence said they were still a long way from a nuclear devise, that was when Biden was wide open! He should have landed the shot then, asking him why we should trust Intel on Iran, after Biden threw the Intelligence Community under the bus concerning Libya?

 Another point he should have followed up on was Biden's propensity for plucking numbers out of the air. I know he couldn't have called him a liar, but he might have been a little more forceful as was Romney. I know he was having to defend himself on two fronts, but when you're in a fight, you swing back at whomever is swinging at you. He should have known going in he was going to have to debate Biden and and handle a moderator that is friendly to the Administration.

 I though Ryan was excellent on domestic issues such as Social Security, taxes and Medicare. (I do think he should have brought the fact this Administration has failed to come up with a budget since Obama was elected.)Unfortunately, facts rarely trump emotion and rhetoric and Biden is a master of misinformation and parroting the Party Line. But Ryan did manage to get his point across to some extent. I know people are hollering for specifics on the plans. BUT, before you can get specifics you need a goal. Then you can tailor the plan to achieve that goal. Okay back to sports,  no winning coach goes in with a rigid game plan right down to the specifics. At most he has a flow chart. If one thing don't work you go a different way. You have to adapt, innovate and overcome. This seems to have been lost on Biden even though Ryan tried to dumb it down enough for him to understand.

 One final note here, this debate will definitely set the tone for the ensuing debates. You can look Obama to come out swinging at the bell and low blows from him are going to be overlooked. Mitt better have his jockstrap on and be ready to rumble. And, on that, y'all can make book.

POLLS? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' POLLS!

 Rassmussen, Gallup, Zogby, Quinnipiac... OK, show of hands, how may of you are hooked on polls? Bobby, why aren't both your hands up? For those of you who don't know him, my good friend Bobby lives down in Austin or as I like to think of it as Austingrad or San Fran East. He is a rabid Conservative in a sea of Liberalism. He can prolly tell you verbatim what Rush and Sean said on their shows and gives a running annotation to his long suffering wife while he watches Fox news.
 More of Bobby later, back to polls. How many of them them do u actually think they are accurate? Are they informative? Do we need so many of them? Who's paying for them? Which brings me to another question, Why is the main-slime-media putting out so many polls? What do they have to gain? And, being who they are and their reputation, how many of us can believe them?
  Remember when the Gold standard of polls used to be Gallup? Now, these days, there are more polls than Heavyweight Boxing titles. And if you take the time to research their polling data,it's so heavily skewed that it's actually worthless. Cases in point: Reagan was behind right up till he won.
Dukakis was ahead till he lost. Gore had it wrapped up till GW moved to DC[Dems still think he won]. Kerry had the election sewn up according to MSM exit polls. Ooops again.
 I have several theories on media polls, and some are rather convoluted. Here goes:

1. They poll heavily Democrat to skew the poll in order to depress the GOP base so they will give up and stay home. [These folks obviously don't know Bobby and others like him.] They also hope it will cause Republican donors to close their wallets.

2. With polls slanted that way, it is also hoped it will cause some major  Wall Street addresses to figger they have to cover their bases and toss money to Obama. This is a two-edged sword here folks. It might could give them reason to toss even more money to Mitt in order to help him catch up rather than suffer four more years of Obama and his assault on the Free Market.

3. Slanted polls will also give them the reason to file protests and holler recount in some very tight results in several states[Florida springs to mind here].

I do admit to watching and following polls, but only for their entertainment value. Like most Conservatives, the only poll that will count for anything is the one I take part in on Election Day.

I'm Back!

  Howdy y'all! After a brief Sabbatical wondering if Romney is the best we conservatives can do, it occurred to me that I was looking the wrong direction.He may not be the best we can can get, but I'd bet the farm we'll be better off under him than four more years of  "Hope and Change" Ooops, my bad, it's now ''Forward".
  Okay, now that I've choked the bile down from reading those two Marxist slogans, I'd like to rant some on what passes for a media in this country...when you have to get the truth from the Enquirer, something is definitley wrong. You realize that one of the few stations running with Fast and Furious is Univision? There has to be something inherently wrong that when we have agents killled and a government coverup is taking place about the only station keeping this on the airwaves brings us Telemundo and Sabaddo Gigante? And how about the media being a willing stooge for the Administration during all this Libyan crap? The Media may  think they are his allies, but Obama has no allies. Obama for Obama, that should be his message. Let the media spin that.
  Let's move on to Libya and the death our people there. Anybody out there really belive it was a spontaneous protest? Hmmm,  I went to several protest marches and rallies during the Viet Nam War to see what they had to say. You, know in all those people, I never saw one RPG or mortar and those were carefully scripted and choreographed events. While the government lies through its teeth about this event and panders and aplogizes to those people, the media happily stirs the koo-aid and congratulates itself on being the watchdog for the country. More like lapdog for the annointed one if you ask me. about the only questions asked by the media today is will this story help or hurt Obama? And, if will hurt him, how can we shift blame to the conservatives?
  I don't remember the last time I watched Network National News. I tend to gravitate to Fox and I do enjoy them and the fact they have had more Liberals on their shows, than all the other News stations combined have had Conservatives on theirs.
  So, until we can figure out what we can do to swing the media back to center again, I'm just gonna do what I've been doing, read about a story from a lot of different apsects and judge for myself. And a little of the El Rushbo daily don't hurt either.

The Vets In My Family

On this Memorial Day, I'd like to mention and say thank you to a special group of veterans.
They are the ones in my family. I've learned a lot from them over the years and though some have passed; a lot of them are still here and to all of them past and present; I'd like to say thank you.

 

Joe Carter         (father)

Edward Carter  (uncle)

WR Carter        (uncle)

Fred Carter       (uncle)

Bob Carter        (uncle)

Bill Moore        (uncle)

Jack Phipps       (cousin)

Scott Gladden   (cousin)

Lance Logue     (cousin)

 

 

Beverly Colby   (sister)

Al Colby            (brother-in-law)

Daryl Phipps     (cousin)

 

 

Diedre Phipps Cundiff (cousin)

 

 

Winton Kemmis (stepfather)

Ed Carter

 

To all the other Veterans still living, I salute you and  say thank you.

To the Veterans who have passed or have made the ultimate sacrifice

I pray to God to grant you the Eternal Peace you have earned and so richly deserve.

 

 

Adele

 You ever notice than when you ask a Liberal who inspired them or or helped to mold their character, it's always someone great or esoteric such as Ghandi, The Dalai Lama, Kennnedy, Mao... and so on. 

  As all y'all know, I'm no liberal, so I'd like to tell you about the second greatest influence in my life[after Mom], my maternal grandmother, Adele.

 Now mind you, Adele wasn't your regular run-of-the mill Grandma.  I don't ever remember the smell of cookies coming from her kitchen or chicken fryin for Sunday dinner. I do remember sitting quietly as a very young boy waiting for her to finish her first cigarette and cup of coffee, before I could talk to her.

Adele, okay from here on out, I'm just gonna call her Granmda because that's how I remember her. Grandma was a strog-willed person and very opinionated and lived her life accordingly. She was very  big on manners, attire and rules.

Grandma was a firm believer in manners. God help you no matter who you were if you replied with words such as yeah, huh or a uh uh, nope, etc.  It was yes ma'am, or no ma'am. I don't mean just family, I mean everybody. I have sat next to her in diners and coffee shops and watched her "counsel" a waitress for using those words when taking her order. She was never rude about it, but would get her point across very quickly.

Grandma was big on appearance also. When I was a boy playing football in school, I was allowed from time to time to stay with her in town to keep mom from havin to drive into town after practice all the time. Wellsir, before going to bed, I'd have my clothes laid out the next day, and boots polished and she'd check them along with my homework, which she would go over for neatness as well as being correct. To this day, I still like my shirts and jeans starched and when I go out my boots are done and hat brushed.

She had her rules, too. Not a lot of them, but the one I remember most was no hat on in the house. To this day, I can't wear a hat indoors. Even with cowboy etiquette allowing you to wear if no safe place for it, I'll hold it in lap or hang on my knee. She allowed us 15 seconds to take it off after comin inside. I never was sure what would happen after 15 seconds because I didn't want to know.

Earlier, I told you Grandma wasn't your regular grandmother. She was one of a kind, When most grandmothers would be cookin, bakin, and such as; Adele ran a bar. And it really wasn't a bar, it was as we say in Texas, a beer joint. Nope it wasn't a pub, people it was a beer joint. And in this beer joint, she catered to mostly oilfield workers and cowboys. Now Adele  had her rules in there, too. No fights, no touching the help(my mom) and no feeding the kid in the playpen by the jukebox(me).  Ever wonder how she enforced those rules with out a bouncer in one of the rowdiest places in Texas? Sheer force of will.

Okay, let me tell u about the one thing in my life that has shaped and influenced my thinkin and actions to this day. When I was about 10, Mom got real sick and was confined to bed and in and out of the hospital. My stepdad was on the road a lot and without a thought to anything, Grandma quit, packed up moved to Bowie and moved in to take care of us. She took a job in a laundry, because Bowie was dry, and  when she wasn't workin, she was taking care of  me and my sisters. She even cooked! Up till then, I had no idea she used a burner for anything but lighting a cigarette. She never complained, she just moved in and took over. I asked her once why she did it, and she replied, "Eddie, that's truly the dumbest question you have ever asked. Family takes care of their own. We don't need to rely on nobody but family". All I could say was, yes ma'am.

 She's been gone a while,but she has a special place in Heaven. I like to think it's right next to Peter at the gate makin sure people look presentable before thu the Gates, lookin presentable and I guarantee you, there's a hat hook close by.

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

My Texas

I was sitting at my second or third favorite watering hole tonight when I heard this song:"Meet My Texas" and it got me to thinking.... Funny thing, I think I think so darn deep when I do my thinking after a couple ice cold Lone Stars and some Eight Ball. I got to to thinking about my Texas and just thought I'd pop some random thoughts down and see where it goes... here goes..

• Tyler Roses
• Lone Star Beer and Bob Wills' Music
• Pheasants flushing in a milo field
• Buddy Holly
• Willie on every juke box
• Abilene sunrises
• Sunset over Palo Duro Canyon
• Robert Earl Keen
• Waltzing Across Texas
• Ben Hogan
• Ton Landry grimacing on the sideline
• Earl Campbell draggin half the opposing defense across the goal line
• The "Hail Mary"
• Aaron Watson singing about Ernest Tubb
• The smell of BBQ driving thu Llano or Mason (Brisket,German Sausage and of course, cabrito)
• The Colonial
• GW biking with our "Wounded Warriors"
• Rodeos and the dances after
• Sittin on any corner with the spit and whittlers
• Cowdogs on tool boxes ( do not ever attempt to pet or touch truck)
• A Panhandle Blue Norther
• Any afternoon at Gruene Hall
• Toobin
• High School Football
• Openin Day
• Adjustin a Waterdog's attitude with a tree stump on Lake Fork
• A West Texas Sandstorm taking the paint off your truck
• Canton
• Second Monday
• Texas vs OU
• Girls from Lubbock being mistaken for sunburned when actually exfoliated by wind
• Homecoming Queens and rodeo Princesses
• Luby's after Church
• Chicken Fried Steak
• Chicken Strip dinner at DQ

My list could run on forever, but am really interested in your Texas which really is... Our Texas

The Unfairness of Fairness

  I been lissenin' and readin' about all the 1%'ers whinin' and cryin' about how unfair it is they have so much debt  from school loans and feel the fair thing to do is have the government  forgive their debt.
"Scuse me but have I been hearin' right? they want the government to pay? I guess when they were taking all those college course like Basket Weaving 101 and Primitive Art Appreciation and running a 200k+ debt, they forgot to learn one simple thing...WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT!!  They get a free ride and my taxes go up! How the heck is that fair.?

  I think the politically bandied about term "Fairness" is the ultimate in  paradoxes. Think about it, the more you try to be fair to one person, the harder some other person  gets screwed(pardon my French).
Cases in point here:

• Kids' Sports: Team A works hard during practice. They play hard in games and win championship. Team B just kinda goes thu season, just kinda playin' at the game. They get a trophy too. Fair? I don't think so. To be fair though, Team A did get a lesson in why perform if some schmuck can get the same for doing less?
• A family works hard, saves and buys a home. They buy what they can afford,  then work and scrimp to pay it off. Another family buys a home assuming a massive debt hoping the market will go up and cover it. Market goes south and they are underwater. President says it's unfair that it happened. Says Gonna bail you out! Okay how fair is that? One family sacrifices and keeps theirs, the other gets a bailout and the government passes it onto people already struggling by raising their taxes all in the name of fairness.
• A student works hard, studies, saves and applies to a good college. Admissions says sorry, we have to admit someone who is less qualified because they have to be fair by letting in more minorities. Fair? You decide.
• A president decides that health care in this country is unfair. So he wheels ,deals, threatens and cajoles and to force a massive boondoggle of a  bill through both Houses of  Congress. Result: Health care costs go up care goes down and fewer people can afford insurance. Add this in, waivers are given to people and unions that supported his election. Hmmmm, how fair is that? Add this to it, he won't be subject to the plan even though it's mockingly called "Obamacare".

 I know we all like to think that life should be fair and in a perfect world it might be; but the world ain't perfect and neither are the people who inhabit it. Best we can hope for is to treat folks as we'd like to be treated ourselves. To want anything more than that might be considered unfair.

It's in the hands of the Supremes!

 Can it be happening? Is Obamacare about to die the slow strangulating death the the president had hoped would happen to our freedom?

 The Court is reviewing the Bill now and should reach a consensus in the very near future. Hopefully at the very least, it will kill the mandate, which is the head of the snake. It's what will feed the beast and without it, it will die a slow starving death. Even though we most likely hear the decision till mid June at the earliest, it will be the most opportune time for it to happen.

Mid June won't be enough time for the Dems to do adequate damage control and seein' how this is about all he can brag about,  there isn't gonna be much for the Anointed One to campaign on and he will have to resort to  payoffs, smears, half truths and outright lies.

 On the other hand, if Romney wins the nomination, he won't have to defend his Romney Care as it will become a non issue and will allow him to focus on the economy, jobs and foreign policy mistakes Obama has made.

This is going to be the best shot we have of killing this abomination of a law. The longer it remains on the books, it will be like crabgrass in a lawn; spreading and choking the life out of it. If the Court rules for the bill, I honestly don't think the economy will be able to sustain the burden and will collapse under the added weight.  I don't think this will factor into their decision, but anything that might tip scales towards freedom is something worth praying for.

One final note here, y'all remember back during one of his speeches where he took the Supremes to task over a ruling he didn't agree with and basically trashed them on National TV? All I can say is,"paybacks can be a b***h!"

Romney and the Conservatives

 I know, I know, Mitt Romney is saying he's a solid Conservative. But stickin' your boots in the oven won't make them biscuits any more than saddlin' a mule will make it a Thoroughbred.

This may seem early in the primaries to make this prediction, but I think he's going to pull it off. Let's be open and up front about this. Santorum and Newt are winning in the states that are so red that they are going into the Republican column regardless of who gets the nomination. Mitt is winning in the swing states which are vital in defeating Obama in November.

 So here is what I think Mitt needs to do to get the base of the party behind him:

• First off,  he's going to have to pick a strong conservative for his running mate. My suggestion would be one from the one of the states in play such as Marc Rubio or even Rick Santorum. They would add to his bona fides and might even bring those states back to  the Red Column.
• He's going to have to crush Obama in the debates. He will have to have to present a very clear contrast between himself and the "Anointed One".
• He will promise to open up ANWR and the Gulf to drilling along with agreeing to let the Keystone XL Pipeline come down from Canada to Texas.
• Kill Obamacare
• He's going to have to listen to the Social Conservatives and the Fiscal Conservatives when creating his platform. If he wins, he will have a majority in the House and hopefully, in the Senate. More than likely, he will be picking one, maybe two Justices for the Supreme Court. He will have to stand tall against the threat of a fillibuster and hold out for Contitutionalist Justices.
• He will have to get the endorsement of the NRA.
• He will have to simplify his message about his 58(?) Point Plan.

  Now the fly in the buttermilk here, is that he's going to have to do all this and still win over a majority of the Independents from the Obama camp. If Mitt is the right man for the job, I think he will do it. Presisdent Regan did it, so let's see what Mitt can do if he gets the chance. He may not be my first choice for president, but Obama is definitely my last choice!
 

May We Always Remember

 One of the commanders was an alleged swindler and fraud. The other had abandoned his family and had left behind a pile of unpaid debts. And yet another was a politician who had been voted out of office for taking an unpopular stand against a very popular president and had also left his family behind. Sounds like some of our present day leaders don't it? But the men I'm describing are James(Jim) Bowie, William Travis, and David(Davy) Crockett.

The troops  they led were men who had left their homes wives and families to take a stand for freedom and were willing to fight and even die for what they believed in. They weren't professional soldiers or even a well trained militia. They were men who had  heard the siren call of freedom and had taken up their rifles and possibles bags and had stepped across a line in the sand. Most weren't even natives but men who had left a life, be it good or bad, to come to a country where a man was only limited by himself.  Nearly every state in the in the US was represented. Some weren't even Americans. They came from countries such as England, Ireland, Germany, and Mexico. They had names such as Garza,Bourne,Blazeby, Hawkins, Lightfoot...... They were for the most part farmers while some had a profession, But for the most part, they were all strong men in a tough country.

 They never lost their faith and hope, either in themselves or the ideal they were fighting for in a broken down, crumbling, abandoned mission just on the outskirts of San Antonio de Bexar.  Numerous dispatches had gone seeking reinforcements but only a few had responded. Once resigned to their fate, these men exacted a high price for their lives. They fought gallantly against overwhelming odds, opposed by a well trained, determined force. The final battle of the thirteen day siege was over quickly and all the defenders had either been killed in battle or executed after being captured.

 We have honored these fallen heroes by naming counties and cities after them so their names will forever be remembered in our great state. Let us ask God to grant them eternal peace and Salvation.

Let us also remember them by standing tall and stepping across a new line in the sand to stand united against another oppressive leader who wants to strip us of our God-given rights and freedom. The battle won't be won with bullets and cannon shot, but at the ballot box. But, the battle will be just as fierce. And, as we all know from history, Freedom isn't free!

One final note here; the commander of the Texas Army that defeated Santa Anna was  a man known to have frequently tipped a jug or two. He had also resigned under a cloud of rumors and disgrace as Governor of the  State of Tennessee after his wife left him. His name? Sam Houston.

Remember The Alamo!!

God Bless Texas!

Things I'll Never Understand

As I've gone thru life, I've always like to slow down and just ponder. Not sure how the stuff pops into head, but once it get's in there, I try to work it out to where it makes sense to me. But, there are a few things and more happening ever day that just  make no sense and I don't think I'll ever understand them, such as:

• A dog will stick his head out a truck window when you're going down the highway and just enjoy the crap out of it, but if you blow in that same dog's face; it'll flap its head and maybe even snarl some.
• Why some women who are "pro-choice" can't understand why there mothers aren't (My guess is they didn't pay attention in Health Class).
•  Okay, a double ponder here. How some people can be ''pro-choice'' and ''anti-death penalty is beyond me. It's okay to kill an unborn child, but wrong to execute a convicted killer?  I mean they worry about a murderer's possible innocence while never thinking about the innocence of a baby?
• How you can pack 50 head of cattle in a 10x10 foot five strand barb wire pen and not one of them will  get cut, yet toss a six inch piece of the same wire in the middle of a pasture and a horse will cut himself to pieces on it?
• How you can be against something you helped to implement?
• When did it become okay not to have losers anymore?
• Why is the food that is so unhealthy,  taste so good?
• Why is kiddie soccer even considered a sport?
• How does three cans of beer turn into a six pack's worth of pee?
• Why a young person today that graduates from college with a bachelor's degree in philosophy or ancient art forms thinks they are going to land a job that pays 100k a year?
• Why women think denim causes instant weight gain on their posterior?
• Why Obama apologizes to our enemies who hate us and want to destroy us, yet craps down the well of our friends?(I cleaned that up a little)
• Why some people think it would be too hard to round up the illegals in this country? Well, we could start in the jails, and go to the addresses they used to get a driver's licence for a start.
• How in the world did we let Obama become President?
• Lastly, How can anybody in their right mind vote for him again?

A Man and His Deck

  Have you ever wondered about the special relationship between a man and his deck?  Have you ever noticed how men like to talk and compare the decks with each other and how some men are embarrassed by the size of their deck? There's a lot that can be said about a man and his deck. To me, I think it should be an  ''extension'' of himself.   It should ''project out'' letting the shape be prominent.

   Now here's a question for yall, should it  be elevated to qualify as a deck? The reason I ask is because I have a concrete deck.  And when I was in the navy and on board  ship, I had a steel deck. Now I know a lot of men have prefer their deck made of wood, and there's nothing wrong with getting some wood, but you have to admit concrete is harder and will last longer under repeated use. It is also impervious to disease and we all know what can happen to a deck if it gets infected with something. Concrete can also handle the wet better. Sometimes you, have to cover your wood deck with something in order to protect  it.

  Another question that comes to mind is size. How big should a man's deck be? Is size all that important? I think if a man is happy with his deck and it gets the job done of entertaining properly, then he has nothing to worry about. And if you do happen to suffer from ''deck envy'', you can always add on to it pretty easily, right? To me, the perfect size would be large enough to entertain on(nothing worse than not having enough deck for people) yet of a size you can easily maintain by proper cleaning and preservation.

  My final question is now the foliage around the deck. How much does a man need around his deck? I guess it depends on what the man prefers. Some men seen to like it fairly bushy while others prefer the well trimmed manicured look. To each man's deck, his choice to make I say.

 Lastly,  a deck is a personal thing with a man. Although primarily used for entertaining, there's something to be said just sitting alone outside, a man with his deck............

Just What Kind of "-ist" is Obama?

I've heard and read about all the ''ists'' that Obama has been called from a Socialist to a Crony Capitalist and I'm gonna lay out the what I like to call The Cow Theory of Economics in a bit. But first I think I might just toss in some background on our Fearless Leader.

 You ever wonder why he hasn't succeeded in fixing our economy? Maybe he doesn't want to? I do know that happy and well off people make lousy revolutionaries. You need them angry such as the 1%'ers. and let's be honest here, is there a method to his madness?

 He talks of redistribution thru fairer taxes, of everyone having insurance( thanks to the state) and has tried to consolidate power thru the appointments of ''czars'' which seems like he's bypassing the Cabinet to his own version of a Secretariat. He, thru his czars, has managed to gain of control of quite a bit of our economy. There are  other things he's done and plans to do but Y'all know about those. So apply what you know of his actions and words and see if you can figger out where he fits in on my Cow Chart

The Cow Theory of Economics

Socialist: You  have two cows. You offer give one to a neighbor who doesn't have one. However, the neighbor thinks it's unfair for him to have to tend the cow. He thinks you should just give him a share of the milk.

Marxist(Communist): You have two cows, the government seizes them and gives you a share as dictated by a central committee. unfortunately, the committee has now experience with cows so the cows die and you are let with no cows or milk.

National Socialist(Nazi): You have two cows. The party says you are guilty of crimes against the state and seizes your cows, then tosses you into a camp or prison before eventually shooting you.

Great Society-ist: You have two cows. the government buys the milk, then dumps it out and pays you not to milk your cows in order to maintain an artificial high price for milk. It never realizes that by doing so it causes  unemployment to rise because of less work for the dairy industry.

Capitalist: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull. You are willing to risk  your capital by reinvesting in your business. You work long hours for for a promise of reward in the future. As your heard increases, you are able to hire workers and raise their standard of living; which in turn provides more money to be spent in your community.

  There you have it. Now take Obama's words and actions and see just where he fits in and what kind of an ''ist'' he really is. It's kinda frightening isn't it? I can think of one other person that started as an ''organizer'' in the late 1920's and  he wound up cowering in a bunker about  20 years later.

 Well I know this might seem like an over simplification of economics, but I didn't spend four years in in college studying it. So I have to rely on good old horse sense. it's served me in good stead over the years, so I think I'll just keep on riding that horse.

Cooking With The Pioneer Woman

 As all y'all know, I love to cook and have amassed quite a collection of cookbooks from all over ranging from The New York Times' to Paula Deen's. I read them as a bookworm would a novel or a musician would a book of sheet music. To be honest, I look at cooking as an art form which allows an individual an opportunity to express themselves. There are as many cuisines as there are genres in painting or music. And I love to try out recipes from my cookbooks and add my twist to them much as a musician would when playing.
 Now one of my favorite cookbooks isn't even mine. It belongs to my wife, Jane. However, I did get it for her and even sent it to the author who was kind enough to autograph it and mail it back to me in time for Christmas; so I don't feel bad about borrowing it from time to time.
The author of this book is none other than Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. 

  For the few of you who might not know who she is,  she's a wife and mother who happens to help her husband run a working cattle ranch up in Oklahoma along with being an author and star of her own cooking show. I've tried several of her recipes and found them to be delicious... In fact I've used some of her methods for food prep and it has really made a difference in  the texture and how it tastes.

What makes her book one of my favorites is the fact the she uses what's available and does most of her shopping in a small town grocery store.And, one of her favorite ingredients is butter. If a little is good, then more has to be better? My kinda thinking.Her recipes are simple yet very tasty and very filling. She has all different kinds of recipes in her books, but I'm drawn to the "Stick to Your Ribs Food" recipes. You know, the kind of food that will get you to the next meal without your stomach thinkin' your throat's been cut. A meal that will let you do a day's work with feeling famished. If you've ever worked cattle and been in the saddle from breakfast till dinner, or any other kind of hard physical labor, you know a watercress and cucumber sandwich isn't going to cut it. 

 I'd like to share some of her recipes that have really been favorites that not only were delicious but very simple to make. I'm gonna just tell about them starting with:

Breakfast: Her Blueberry Pancakes are awesome to say the least. Very simple to throw together and delicious. Couple them with some sausage and eggs and you have a serious meal on your hands.

Dinner: Comfort Meatballs are filling, tasty and easy to make... Ever mixed milk with your hamburger?? You need to try it once before turning up your nose. It gives it a whole new texture and works well as a binder.

Sunday Dinner or Supper: Ree's Perfect Pot Roast... the name says it all. Her roast has a depth of flavor from one of the cheapest cuts of beef you can buy. Add the obligatory root vegetables and you got yourself a Sunday Dinner that will be a regular on your table.

I do think it would be fun and educational to share a kitchen with her and see what we could concoct. Be a lot like like a musician "jammin' with Willie", but  I heard he uses a different blend of herbs. Who knows, her being from Oklahoma, she might like some real Texas Style Barbecue.

 Well, there you go, a cookbook that even the most inexperienced cook can use and recipes that will make you a hit and hero with your family.. Oh, did I mention my wife, Jane has also tried some of her recipes with some successes and some that didn't quite turn out the way she had expected... But, as in life, it happens to all of us from time time to time... All we can do is just keep trying... Soup's on...

Oh, on a closing note, if you'd like to read about Jane's trip down recipe road just  click!

Click Here

Who's My Candidate?

  I've been following the debates, listening to the candidates and watching the ads and have yet to really pick one I can truly rally to. It seems they all have these big ideas and the same answer to all our problems: " When elected, I will enact programs to solve those problems."

  I guess my problem is that I don't want a candidate with big and grand ideas. I'm waiting for one with small ideas. I want one who will say, " I don't think big; I think small. Such as smaller government, smaller taxes, less interference in your lives, and smaller budgets."

  The government is bloated and unwieldy as it is and more programs will grind our ecconmy to a halt. Between the banking regulations that have crippled the housing industry, a tax code that even lawyers can't comprehend, ag regulations that prevent farmers from raising the crops that could feed most of the planet to strangling regulations on our enegery providers that force us to pay higher costs,the government is collapsing under its own weight(I'm not even going to go into Obama-Care).

 The country has had enough of grandiose schemes, ideas and programs. We need small ideas, and it will take a "Big Man/Woman" with matching cojones/ huevos to be willing to run on a ''small'' platform.

As Ronald Reagan so aptly stated, "Government isn't the solution to our problems;it's the cause".