Those Krazy Koreans (North, that is)

All I can say is Good Lord...

In an effort to consolidate his power in the wake of his father's death, and to strike at his internal enemies - real or imagined - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been eliminating high-ranking members of the North Korean military and intelligence services.  In some cases, the method of elimination has been rather... exotic.

Case in point:  Death by mortar round.

Kim Chol, vice minister of the army, was taken into custody earlier this year on the orders of Kim Jong-un, who assumed the leadership after the death of his father in December. On the orders of Kim Jong-un to leave "no trace of him behind, down to his hair," according to South Korean media, Kim Chol was forced to stand on a spot that had been zeroed in for a mortar round and "obliterated."

Apparently, the reason given for this bizarre execution was because Kim Chol was, "reportedly drinking and carousing during the official mourning period after Kim Jong-il's death."

Kind of makes you appreciate freedom just a little bit more, doesn't it?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson

Will U.S. sovereignty give way during this election season?

Incredible as it may seem, the word is that there will be international observers from the United Nations keeping tabs on our upcoming elections on November 6th.

According to The Hill newspaper, the U.N.'s Human Rights Office will be sending out observers from such countries as Germany, France, Serbia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan to look for, "voter suppression activities by conservative groups."

That's right: Conservative groups.

There are so many aspects of this story that bother the hell out of me:

1. Our elections are none of the U.N.'s G**Damn business.  The Hill article never makes it clear who exactly is providing sanction to allowing U.N. observers to interfere with our elections, but there has been push-back.  Happily, the state of Texas (God Bless Texas) has threatened to arrest any U.N. observers they see near their polling places.

2. It offends me that there would be U.N. observers from any country involved in our elections, but what makes it doubly offensive is that some of those observers would be from such un-free countries as Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Ukraine. The human rights organization Freedom House has designated Kazakhstan and Belarus as entirely not free, and Ukraine as partially not free.  And observers from these countries would deign to criticize our electoral process?

3.  Conservative groups?  Really?  That's tragically hilarious, considering that the most famous recent case of voter intimidation/suppression was the 2008 Black Panther billy club incident in Philadelphia that was thrown down the memory hole by the Obama/Holder Justice Department.  Just to remind you of what that incident entailed:



I don't know... does Mr. King Samir Shabazz - the Black Panther in the video - strike you as belonging to a Conservative group?

This would all be so humorous if it wasn't so deadly serious.

Folks, be very wary in the weeks ahead.  Hurricane Sandy does not seem to be the only storm brewing.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson

Just in case you were unsure who the NEA supports for President...

The National Education Association (NEA) purports to be a non-partisan organization that represents several million teachers and others who work in education around the United States.

I quit the NEA (along with my state and local teachers union) several years ago, because these organizations do not, in reality, adhere to non-partisan practices.  However, the California Teachers Association (CTA) and the NEA still send me their respective union rag propaganda in the form of their monthly magazine.  CTA's magazine is called California Educator, and NEA's is called NEA Today.

The other day, the latest issue of NEA Today was waiting for me in my mailbox, and after looking at the front cover, I had a pretty good idea of who the non-partisan NEA supported for president in the upcoming election.  Here is the front cover; see if you can figure it out:

I was pretty sure they were endorsing Barack Obama for president, but I reserved final judgement and turned the magazine over to look at the back cover.  Here is what I saw:

Yep, that did it for me. There was no mistaking it now. I would say that after viewing the front and back cover of this month's NEA Today magazine, it is painfully clear who the "non-partisan" NEA is supporting for U.S. President. But wait, there's more. Within the magazine, I found this page where the NEA compares the two main candidates:

If you read the positions of the two candidates about the two candidates, it is again painfully clear who the NEA supports. But here is where I finally began to become rather agitated. It is one thing to lay out - even in a rather biased manner - the positions of the two candidates. But what pissed me off was the choice of photos for Obama and Romney. Obama is shown smiling and pleasant. Meanwhile, Romney is shown with a look on his face that reminds me of a dog trying to pass a peach pit. It is subtle what these flunkies at the NEA have, but it is in your face if you only care to pay attention. I have many problems with candidate Romney on such issues as his past positions on health care, gun control, immigration, and spending. But I have to tell you, I would love to see Romney win just so I can watch the reaction of the Obamabots out there if Obama loses.  

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson

Does this sound like a guy who thinks he is going to win?

Perhaps I'm a masochist, but long ago, I signed up with the Obama campaign in order to receive their daily emails on my iPhone.  These emails are often an amusing read, and it lets me know what they are up to.  I have especially chuckled after receiving the numerous emails where Obama and his campaign cronies complain about how Romney is outraising them and outspending them.  This from the same campaign that, in 2008, was bragging to anyone who would listen that Obama was the first candidate to raise over $1 billion.

After reading the following email I received this morning from Barack Obama himself, I can tell you that the mood in the Obama camp is not one of optimism in the 2012 campaign:

W.R. -- 

I don't want to lose this election. 

Not because of what losing would mean for me -- Michelle and I will be fine no matter what happens. But because of what it would mean for our country and middle-class families. 

This race is very close. I'm not willing to watch the progress you and I worked so hard to achieve be undone. 

Time is running out to make an impact -- please don't wait any longer. Donate $5 or more today: [right here he provides his website link, but do your really think I am going to make it that easy for you if you truly want to give him money?]

 I believe in you. If you stick with me, and if we fight harder than ever for the next two weeks, I truly believe we can't lose. 

Thank you, Barack 

P.S. -- I don't know what Election Night will hold, but I'd like you to be a part of the event here in Chicago. Any donation you make today automatically enters you for a chance to meet me -- airfare and hotel for you and a guest are covered.

I especially love the P.S.  Usually, no matter how bad things look for a candidate, we are used to seeing him or one of his surrogates out there on the idiot box, oozing enthusiasm and telling us how great things are going and how fired up the candidate's supporters are.  Instead, we get Obama whining in an email about how he doesn't want to lose this election and begging his supporters to stick with him.

So, God willing, Obama will become a lame duck on November 6th, and then we can await the January arrival in Washington D.C. of... Mitt... Romney.

Why don't I feel all warm and fuzzy?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson

Obstructionism is in the eye of the beholder

h/t Revealing Politics:

Watch these Obama-bots excoriate those mean ol' Republicans for "obstructing" all the wonderful things Obama wants to accomplish, and then listen to their incredible hypocrisy when asked if the Democrats should "reach across the aisle" in the event Romney becomes president.



Remember, these people vote.  

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be." -Thomas Jefferson

Password Politics

At my school, my fellow teachers and I have been going through hell as our online grade system - known as PowerTeacher - had a recent meltdown.  The district's techie people described the situation as "PowerTeacher threw up all over itself."

For almost two weeks, the teachers at my site were not able to enter any grades while the techies tried to work the problem.  They finally did get it working again, but much of the system had to be reset.  This included wiping out all the individual passwords that we teachers use to access the system.

The other day at our site's staff meeting, a district techie gave us an update on what was going on with PowerTeacher.  He told us that we would need to get back on to the system using a generic password and then once in, we could change our password to something more personal.

So what was the generic password given to us by our district office?

Change2012

As soon as the techie uttered it, the Republican/conservative teachers in the room all winced and glanced at each other.  I began to say something, but one of those fellow teachers said, "Plant your flag on another hill today, lads."  He had a point - would it have made any difference to say something?

I realize that most people who work in public education are Democrats/statists, but must they be so blatant about it?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson

Romney/Obama Town Hall Debate

I'm currently watching tonight's debate online, and I swear for a second there, I thought those two were about to come to blows.  They were practically facing off.

Obama is lying his arse off up there.  I couldn't believe he was bragging about his shoveling billions of $$$ toward "green" energy projects when A123 went bankrupt today, making a quarter-billion of our tax dollars go *poof*.

If I hear him say that the wealthy need to, "do a little bit more," one more time, I will scream.

Is Obama really mocking Romney about the trillions of dollars of debt he supposedly wants to add to the national debt?

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson

Yeah, yeah - I'm still here

Yes, hello there everyone; those of you who have stuck around to see what musings have traveled from my brain, through my fingers, to a computer screen near you.

I am finding it hard to find inspiration to blog lately, because, frankly, I feel defeated by this upcoming election.  It has sapped my energy just thinking about the bind in which we, the American People, find ourselves.  My largest energy sapper stems from the fact that almost half the population (your typical Obama supporters) doesn't realize we are in a bind, or they like their situation just fine, as they are the ones receiving taxpayer-funded swag that is being funneled their way, courtesy of our statist president and a Congress operating on cruise control and inertia.

The other half of the population (your typical Romney voter) is pissed that they are stuck with an empty suit like Mitt Romney, and are wondering how it is possible that we conservatives/Republicans got stuck with this perpetually smiling milquetoast.  I just read a quote from someone tonight who said that many "independent" voters have no other choice but to consider themselves independent because if McCain and Romney are Republicans, then, "I'm not a Republican."

To borrow a phrase from my father, we are truly stuck during this election with choosing between an asshole and an idiot.  I leave it up to you, dear reader, to decide who is whom.

So, early next month, it is pretty sad that our best case scenario is that Mitt Romney will be the new President-elect.  If that is the best we can do, then I know why I feel defeated.  Even if we win, we lose.

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free... it expects what never was, and never will be."  -Thomas Jefferson