A New Year

Happy New Year, woo, woo, whistle, whistle, the MSM has made me sick , the finger down the throat was John Lennon's "Imagine", the most overrated fool in history, as the lead up in New York. The moonbats think it means something, it is just another day in the socialist tax cycle. In fact the words left with the Barnyard are " the groom's bride is a whore" . That is such a nice message to send for a new year in which are going to see a major assault from the GLBT on marriage and the same from the Islamists on civilisation as we know it. The Barnyard also forsees a continued assault on the 1st and 2nd Ammendments by the socialist left as well as a full scale assault on our pocketbooks to finance their socialist beauracracy.
The Goat is still optimistic but his heels are dug in and the horns are polished and hardened with The Constitution and our Founding Fathers defining who and what we represent.
Our many and bountiful blessings coming from the Lord's bosom, it is time to turn to Him.
God Bless all that seek His Grace and those that are lost so they may one day discover that Grace.

Happy New Year!

Weekend Rambler

Needless to say 2006 was a year for the history books and so many far more erudite minds than mine will pen plenty of editorials circumspecting the year. The favorites of the Barnyard so far go to Jed Babbin and James Lilecs.
Jed's can be found at The Americam Spectator, an excerpt:

All right, all right. Calm down. Yes, it's New Year's Eve again. So what's the big deal? Read the calendar, pilgrim. No matter how fervently Maureen Dowd and Keith Olbermann might wish it to be, next year isn't 2008. I almost wish it were. The Christmas Eve edition of the Washington Post gave us two headlines that I wish could reappear same time next year. One was Vichy John Kerry's op-ed entitled, "The case for flip-flopping." The second was, "Monica Lewinsky flashes her intellect." Those will be mighty hard to beat.

Well, maybe not. If last week's presidential wannabe polls could repeat themselves in, say, late December 2007, we'd be laughing so hard we'd probably not be able to breathe. Last week's polls showed Hillary running fourth to Baby Obama in Iowa and in a dead heat with him in New Hampshire (and only a few points ahead of the Breck Girl, John Edwards). Who among us wouldn't have paid big money to have been in the room when she found out?

Few say it better than Jed, read the whole thing, a conservative mount up call.


The American Thinker has a couple excellent editorials on the war and I like the way Col. Tom Snodgrass puts it, some good ideas, a couple lead in graphs:

What are the basic factors in war?


With appropriate deference to Clausewitz, war reduced to the most fundamental equation is WAR = MOTIVATION(S) + CAPABILITY. Historical war motivations have been religious, political, geo-strategic, economic, and revenge. Capability is composed of firepower and re-supplying that firepower (logistics). Remove one or both of these motivation-capability factors in war, and the war is over in short order.


What are the motivations driving the warring combatants in Iraq?


The motivations driving the battle for Iraq and the larger GWOT on the part of the Muslims are "all of the above," that is, religious, political, geo-strategic, economic, and revenge. Although it is probably fair to say, if we take what they say and do seriously, that economic reasons factor least in the equation. The bottom line motive of the Muslims (Sunni and Shi'ite) in Iraq and GWOT is religious conquest together with attendant political and geo-strategic domination.

And from Douglas Hanson on the differences between today's Generals and two of history's favorites "Ike" and Patton.:

CENTCOM Commander General John Abizaid's planned retirement in the middle of a war reflects a business as usual mentality on the part of our senior leaders, who seemingly find it impossible to fight and kill the enemy all the way to victory. There were no such inhibitions on the part of Ike and Patton in WW II. Comparing the current leadership with the way Ike held together a complex coalition, while getting the most out of his brash and colorful general, shows how far we have slipped into military-academic skullduggery, meant to excuse incomplete victories behind a veneer of professional elitism.

My uncle followed "Ole Blood and Guts" on his entire European campaign,"Our blood, his guts" and earned Bronze and Silver Stars enroute along with a couple Purple Hearts. We need a Patton in Iraq or as head of Centcom, preferrably in Iraq and readt and determined to exit via Syria and Iran as Patton wanted to leave through Russia, in hindsight we should have followed his wisdom.

"The first, the supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgment that the statesman and commander have to make is to establish by that test the kind of war on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature. This is the first of all strategic questions and the most comprehensive." - Carl von Clausewitz, ON WAR (Howard/Paret trans.), p.88.

A Meander

Some lesser-goldfinch enjoy some thistle seed while hanging out in the Barnyard.

There has been been four new visitors for a bite or bath in the few days I have been home, a varied thrush, some juncos , a ruby crowned kinglet and an oak titmouse. The thrush and titmouse were new additions to my list of yard sightings. The Barnyard being a clearing in a rural forest/ orchard, two sections are left unraked and I spread lawn clippings there as well so there are ample worms and bugs about, big nightcrawlers. It is not unusual to have ten or twelve species foraging at one time, at the feeder or scratching about in the leaves or bare ground. Though the the Barnyard does not support the World Wildlife Fund for their far left views, some of their ideas are held so my yard meets their habitat guidelines for songbirds. The Barnyard is dead smack in the center of the California Flyway migration route so as time passes and the feeding or winter layover stops will increase as it becomes remembered and noticed by keeping the locals happy . The water station is right out of my kitchen window under the old plum so I can get really close views and my hummingbird feeders are very visible from windows. My plantings are aimed towards hummers and butterflies as well and the vegetable garden is left to rot which the robins, sparrows and myrtle warblers love.

The birds definately add color and life to the gray, fog-ridden winter days that are so prevalent in these parts. The views of the sierra's in their winter lace when the fog clears make life even sweeter, the sunsets on the rice paddies with clowds of migrating fowl and the crystal range as a backdrop can make the soul melt in the sheer beauty of His Grace.

This is my vacation so I will get back to politics as usual after the first of the new year, I am just enjoying myself with life until then, taking care of winter chores and cooking some good food. Some of the time has been spent stocking the ammunition shed of political thought with the high powered rounds of Originalist thinkers throughout the conservative movement. The Barnyard is ready.

Sidenote: I hope the Hatter can find her way to the updated site, and I made a brief foray into forbidden territory the OReilly message boards on a lark as the ghost of the Goat and had some fun till the staff caught me, banned as I am.

Home Vacation

Ten Days off work has traditionally had this mountain goat playing in the desert or the mountains on some serious climbing foray or driving across the country to be with family for Christmas. This year found the Goat at the Barnyard, my home as it finally feels like such after two and a half years having accomplished all my goals for the year plus some; new roof, new wiring, new space-age insulation, new exit plumbing and wood burning stove. The stove really improved a rather cold, impersonal feeling house since the Barnyard still lacks livingroom furniture, thanks to Mom and a friend of hers there at least some cool pictures on the walls, plus a few of mine.

It's actually been an enjoyable experience, and the Barnyard is getting prepped for the spring bloom with lots of pruning, weeding and tilling yet to do, a labor of love. I am also prepping to put in a new shop building from which to build my own company. I am tired of making other people rich and paying deadbeats' salaries with my labor.

It has been an eventful year with the passing of the boss and owner of the best shop I have worked for, the exposure and removal of deadweight and flakes, the completion of large involved contracts, and now the final closing days of a thirty-five year old company. It was a Sacramento cornerstone of a tight knit guild of craftsmen and artisans and the Barnyard intends to carry that tradition forward. All the designers, builders, contractors and architects that we have worked for are asking where I am going to go so I can continue to do their work for them, these are some really big names in NoCal and I am very proud to deliver for them and their demanding clients.

This is a dream come true and placed in my lap, in many ways like a newborn infant with all its human qualities, mine to develope and grow, learn from and teach through. If you have ever dealt with serious designers and their clients you may know the comparison with infants is not so far fetched as it may seem, developing a long working relationship takes time and their fickleness cannot be matched, I gotta luv'em though. The way I see it, as long as it is safe and to code I will do it, I don't have to live there or like it as long as the client is happy.

Clients can be put on a 1-5 scale with one being a grumpy goat/picky snoot wanting perfection overnight, five being a joy to work for, decisive, friendly and expecting professional work while allowing time for it. My goal is to turn the ones into fives, it works that way in the pocketbook as well, turning over in referrals. I do have a couple years sales training with one of the oldest and most successful direct sales companies in America making sales manager before going back to my trade. I love Zig Ziglar and Dale Carnegie, they teach you everything you need know to succeed.

There is no secret formula other than personal drive and a commitment to your client, being polite, honest, wellspoken, knowledgable and at least as clean as your trade/profession lets you be. I have been working in the homes of the flaky uppercrust of our society for a couple of decades now and have seen it all from awful to neat to awesome and as I pick up that infant, the size of the shoes becomes apparent. I have some growing to do but I know I am being lead by the surest Hand there is, for without Him this blessing would not be so clear and my full thanks goes to Him. He does reward those that keep their heads up even as the going gets rough and work hard to maintain that grasp on His hand while working hard to better themselves and their families' lives.

He shoved me to the bottom of the barrel and it has been a long climb out though a joyful one as I had a Partner to lend me His strength, light and warmth at the darkest times and Hope and guidance when the trail was unclear. Wisdom is the gift of a life of hard hits and disapointments and the lessons learned, faith is getting up time and time again knowing Christ alone will be at your back. He helps those that help themselves and thank Him for the lessons(failures) and blessings(successes) for they both make us stronger in faith.

Merry Christmas

In this digital age of Ipods and Blackberries, the art of communication at the personal level has lost so much. I will be honest, I do not understand this need to have the equivalent of 20,000 songs, podcasts or whatever attached to my temples., "Borg" like, plugged into the machine. When we lose touch with our fellow man on a personal level we lose part of our contact with God, the Father. Christmas and Thanksgiving in America have that blessed tradition of bringing families together, let us truelly remember the roots and sacrafice from which that Blessing springs.
We get caught up in the commercial maelstrom that has come to represent a figment of Christmas that little represents the Glory of His Gift to us, the Christ Child, that truelly is the Light in the darkest of days. Often many of us forget the many blessings bestowed upon our nation and take for granted the footing that the Lord gave us to be free,
Freedom, our greatest gift, what is it? Jewish Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky will tell one story, Jim and Huck Finn through Samuel Clemens another and the lessons of both are deep. Let us remember those that gave us, provide us and insure that not only us but millions more are able to begin a life because of their efforts, our Patriot Armed Forces.
America has much to be thankful for, let us pray She remembers why.

Rejoice in the Love of Christ as we celebrate His Birth and Gift of Salvation, rejoice in the birth of Life and the Promise He brings to all. Only in freedom does His Word reign and only in His Word can freedom be found, after all He gave us the freewill to recognize His message:

Peace on Earth and goodwill to all!

Merry Christmas Weekend

I am spending a ten day Christmas vacation at home putting down roots so that I can bring my extended family here next year. This Christmas will be solitary though I will not be alone for I have held Christ's hand for many years and I know He is with me always. With many thanks to Him I was able to accomplish all my goals for this year plus a few more including the ability to launch my enterprise with lauded backing. Dreams are coming true after decades of hard work for me, a true blessing and I shan't let that blessing down.

It has become a true Christmas for me away from family even though I would love to be there to feel the excitement of my niece on Christmas Day, The joy of chidren on that so Holy of days should be the epicenter of all celebration as we celebrate the Birth of Christ, a celebration of His light during the darkest day of winter after the solstice so birth and rebirth become the joyeous celebration we know.

It is the perfect time to rejoice in His Birth when His light comes to bear over darkness and despair.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Global Warming

The true debate over global warming is not about the environment it is about another attempt by socialist lefties to control the people. It is an effort to tell people what they can drive, where they live and how they get to work. The Al Gores of the world want power over our lives from what we eat to where and how we live.
The earth has cycles of warming and cooling and anyone with a half-ass education should know that, the sun gets active, we warm up, the sun takes a break, we cool down, the sun has cycles as well. Is the earth warming? It could be, there is some evidence to support that but is man the cause? There is little hard evidence supporting that. It has been shown that a vast majority of "greenhouse gasses" are created naturally, animal farts and tropical rainforest decomposition that send far more harmful plumes into the air than my truck. How much effect do we as little ants on this planet have, about that, little ants, we are meaningless to the planet and its cycles within the solar system.
Just consider a time when forest fires burnt till they died, the entire world used wood for heat and there was no EPA or Kyoto Protocal. I have to wonder how much sulphor dioxide is released from Yellowstone and Lassen National Parks every year or Mt. St Helens and the thousands of other thermal vents around the world? Should we attempt to stop one of the largest volcanoes on earth from venting, Yellowstone NP?
I heard some countries are even trying to ban science that disproves the hypothesis that the warming is man made, how socialist is that? Science is ever evolving and these same people that call it their 'god' reject it when it does not go their narcissictic way, proving they have no foundation. Global warming may be occurring but it it is for its own reasons not ours and there is little input we have to our orb's path through space and time.
Our impact is aesthetic to us alone. I am all for living clean of litter and pollution that we can stop in our neighborhoods and favorite haunts. I don't believe we can correct the solar system so do your part by just being clean as you can.

Over Zealous Press

Remember the Duke University Lacrosse players acused of raping a black stripper and convicted by the media and their institution even before exonerating evidence was revealed and continued to well afterwards. Turns out the DNA found on the sex performer was from other men , plural, and none from the accused, hmmm. It also appears the DA , prosecutor at the time, kept that information secret till he was elected DA and fed the media firestorm. These young men will be exconerated of any crime though they will carry that scar forever.

Guys, you young ones full of jism and gusto better pay attention, a promising young man was recently sent away for ten years for accepting a blow-job from a minor. He was 17, she 15 at the time, the little slut also awarded a few other fellows at the same party and they are all going to jail while the little tramp continues to prey on men.

These days, men have to be wary about even holding a door or offering an honest compliment that could be twisted for evil purposes especially in the workplace. A woman can claim anything and be taken seriously at their word immediately with full backing, the man is put on the defensive with little back-up. They can and will ruin your life out of spite for even rejecting their entreaties, something is seriously wrong in that picture.

My guess is those three Lacrosse players didn't tip the stripper enough or may have offered some impolite razzing for the charge or the stripper just had lawsuit on the brain from the start, rich white guys, team party, why not?

The media blew it so far out of proportion and ran with it so long now they have to deal with the mudbog of their own creation. If I were those three students I would be sueing every media establishment that tarred and feathered them without evidence on the words of a stripper/sex dancer. If it had happened at a club and she was accosted that is one thing but at a party with lots of witnesses it is another to make such accusations.

It is nothing new. our Press has become more often wrong than right but of course anything 'right' would mess with their leftist/socialist agenda driven reporting called "The News".

Weekend Rambler

As an avid outdoorsman I am all for protecting and having a clean environment though I do not buy into the global warming claptrap and its causes. Pollution is a bad thing and we should keep our planet clean but the Barnyard will not side up with the enviro-nuts. I left the Sierra Club and snubbed Al Gore because I just don't buy it anymore than I do 'end of times' evangelicals. My Godfather was a Doctor in Geology and Physics and loved nature. He would take me for hikes and tell me all about it from the rocks to the trees. I learned about dinosaurs through fossils, abundant in the area, volcanoes and tectonic plates, looked at space through the largest telescope in the South East at the time, I was taught the the earth and how to love it.
So we produce CO2, plants love CO2 and remove the carbon to release the oxygen we need. America's forests are back to where they where at the turn of the last century, I know Sacramento is an urban forest thus rated Tree City USA for many years, many huge Ashes , Oaks, Poplars, Sycamores and ancient orchard trees of all types . These type really bring little to the debate, the alarmists that is, and leaves me wondering how many pounds of garbage Al Gore has personally carried out of the backcountry, or how many fishing and swimming holes he has cleaned up. How many personal truckloads and garbage bags have you filled Mr. Gore? How many pounds of dirty diapers and broken beer bottles have you personally removed from BLM land? The Barnyard can lay claim to tons of litter removed from some of our most pristine environments., heck, John Muir is a major hero of mine. We share an exquisite love of the Sierra range and nature in general . The Barnyard does not accept the Kyoto Protocols and finds them deeply flawed.
I'll be glad to argue with you but for now The Barn Yard is going to enjoy a cozy fire, a fine cigar and a beer.

A Quote

"Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important questions, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves."-- Joseph Warren (Boston Massacre Oration, 6 March 1775)
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So True are the words of our Founders today that they ring resolute and timely for those that can hear them. They concieved a tree unheard of that has born fruit around the world, the tree of freedom and liberty combined with Judaic/Christian and Natural Law, one only has to read the Federalist Papers to understand the basics of our foundation, and our Creator was very much a part of it. America represents the boldest and most vibrant account of human civilization and the greatest experiment in representative democratic federalism that humanity has known. I pray the Lord continues His Grace upon our country, it is up to us.

A Tuesday Trot

GOP bloggers has a new straw poll out for '08 contenders and Newt Gingrich has a narrow lead over Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, John McCain is not even in the race. Newt will control the debate and set its parameters as he has more good ideas before breakfast each day than most pols do their entire lives. Rudy and Mitt are the only ones that could hang in a debate, John would be embarressingly outclassed . McCain has one good thing going for him, he is a reliable "Hawk" and won't go for appeasement or retreat in the face of the enemy.
The Barnyard finds the ISG report to be a farce that anybody that has closely followed the war would find abysmal and truely lacking in wisdom. It says nothing new except opening negotiations with the enemies in Tehran and Damascus. Does Neville Chamberlain talking to Hitler and appeassing him sound familiar.
Yes, we should exit Iraq, straight through Syria and Iran and not the way the defeatists want but with all barrels of American and Israeli supremacy and power blazing with full force if we are to win this war outright. America needs to show that "Rocky Balboa" attitude and ability to get up off the mat and fight to win, our troops are more than capable, is America? It is now time to wipe the Muslim scum from the lens of freedom so that all can see clearly and freely choose to be free.
Islam followers are free to post just expect strong rebuttals from the Barnyard.

Wintry Piictures

Neat icicles and an attempt at black and white photography. A good digital SLR camera is my next toy. I know a good picture, I need to perfect the medium or base of my shots and work on lighting.

Weekend Roundup

On my regular "Road to the Whitehouse" watch on Cspan I caught Evan Bayh and Mitt Romney at a GOP Governor's gathering in his last speech as their chairman . Anybody that has been to the Barnyard knows we are supporters of Mitt Romney and see the GOP contest as being between Mitt, Rudy Giulliani and John McCain with Newt Gingrich setting the debate parameters and it should be one of the finest in American history.
On the other side Barak Obama, Evan Bayh, and John Edwards will give Hillary fits with noone setting the parameters except the media and that leftist agenda is all too obvious to anybody with a brain that actually functions. Al Gore, John Kerry, Joe Biden and others will chime in making it very entertaining but devoid of context or substance and impossiple to actually draw a principled line on policy. Sen. Bayh is very good and delivers a polished stump speech with a message that could resound with the people. He is a popular ex-Gov. of Indiana and has a JFK type persona. He is one of the few centrist Dems the Barnyard takes seriously even joining with Sam Brownback and other conservatives on legislation and judicial confirmations. He is their darkhorse with a winning pedigree just as Mitt Romney is ours, he would have caught my ear as an independant making him a very strong darkhorse.
Mitt was on today as well and I love the energy I feel from this man, it is invigorating to have a politician of this quality in the race.
The Barnyard is a huge fan of Newt Gingrich as well and wish that he did not have to carry the baggage he does. The guy has more positive ideas before breakfast than most people have in their lifetime, we receive his news letter and it is always ontrack for America as his Contract For America laid out a decade ago.

Weekend Rambler

Hugh Hewitt has published an absolute must read speech by the Most Rev. Charles Chaput on Christmas and what it means to be a Christian in today's mixed up world. I personally gained much from it in refocusing on the challenge ahead and what the Lord has promised us and the Jews if we allow Him into our lives. Here is an excerpt from this profound speech:
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Certain beliefs have always held Americans together as a people. Christianity and its Jewish roots have always provided the grounding for our most important national principles, like inalienable rights and equality under the law. But as a country, we're losing the Founders' perspective on the meaning of our shared public life. We have wealth and power and free time and choices and toys-- but we no longer see clearly who we are. Material things don't give us meaning. We're in danger of becoming the "men without chests" that C.S. Lewis talked about in The Abolition of Man - people sapped of their heart, energy, courage and convictions by the machinery they helped to create. And if we can't find a way to heal that interior emptiness, then as an experiment in the best ideals of human freedom, America will fail.

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He speaks much of clarity of perspective, something Dennis Prager also seeks with his national radio audience. There is much to be found for the conservative, I encourage you to read it. America has been so blessed that so many take so much for granted that it is a shame. Lining up days ahead of time for a toy, a video game station, when millions line up for food in unfree countries makes this Christian step back and ask why? What is so important about an unrealistic, virtual world versus the incredible miracle we live in that so draws good minds? Is it an escape from a reality they can never really leave, unable to cope with the miracle of God's reality. Personally I know one thing, my hand is firmly in the Hand of Christ and nothing can remove that grip, no ideology or sect, only I or Christ can let go and He won't and this far into the wilderness of life I will not loosen my grip either. The path is narrow and steep ,frought with hazards though the view is spectacular perhaps that is why I love to climb, a desire to rise above it all. I will climb with Christ as my belay in full confidence of the route ahead.
A merry Christmas Season to all!

New Blogger

My co-bloggers on both blogs will have to reload, it is painless and only takes a few minutes. It supposedly allows for easier formatting so expect a trial of new looks for the Barnyard, feedback is very welcome. It is time to retool the look and I have some ideas for background and header that are very different and far less bland. I am slowly learning this craft and mastery is always a footstep away so I plod on with big dreams, after all that is what America is about, big dreams and the ability to bring them to fruition.

A Redneck Christmas

On the lighter side, I rolled when read this one, courtesy of LilFeathers.
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Christmas with Louise
by Jeff Foxworthy
As a joke, my brother used to hang a pair of panty hose over his fireplace before Christmas. He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them.
What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Jay's kids' stockings were overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.
One year I decided to make his dream come true. I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll. They don't sell those things at Wal-Mart. I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown. If you've never been in an X-rated store, don't go. You'll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like, "What does this do? You're kidding me! Who would buy that?" Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section.
I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour.
Finding what I wanted was difficult. Love Dolls come in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for Lovable Louise. She was at the bottom of the price scale. To call Louise a doll took a huge leap of imagination. On Christmas Eve and with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life.
My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours. Long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours. The next morning; my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy; but had left the dog confused. She would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more. We all agreed that Louise should remain in her panty hose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.
My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door. "What the hell is that?" she asked. My brother quickly explained, "It's a doll." Who would play with something like that?" Granny snapped. I had several candidates in mind, but kept my mouth shut. "Where are her clothes?" Granny continued. "Boy, that turkey sure smells nice Gran" Jay said, to steer her into the dining room. But Granny was relentless. "Why doesn't she have any teeth?"
Again, I could have answered, but why would I? It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying, "Hang on Granny, hang on!" My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up to me and said, "Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?" I told him she was Jay's friend. A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise. Not just talking, but actually flirting. It was then that we realized this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home. The dinner went well. We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise like my father in the bathroom in the morning. Then she lurched from the panty hose, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa. The cat screamed. I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants. Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.
It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember. Later in my brother's garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause of Louise's collapse. We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh. Fortunately, thanks to a wonderful invention called "duct tape", we restored her to perfect health!

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A Happy start to the Christmas Season

Life

Tiny footprints can cross great distances,

with faith involved,

belief in Life!

is all we have,

fragile and indefinate as it is

as God's most precious gift.

It really is our choice,

It always will be.

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Update: This is a site prolife advocates and those on the edge really should visit. It explores the beginnings of eugenics and what gave us the horrific practice of partial-birth abortion and the rest of the movement. It is based in much in the same beliefs of those that made the Holocaust possible. We must protect life at its most fragile state not eliminate it, Helen Keller is the perfect example.
Let us rememeber and respect life for the true power it has.

Weekend Roundup

First there are these two brilliant essays at The American Thinker, one defining the Leftists for who and what they really are, socialists, and the other ripping apart their favorite pastime, 9/11 conspiracy bunk.
Jonathan Gallant writes on that puzzle the Left has become:

What has the American and British Left been doing in recent years? Well, very recently the Anglo-American invasion of Iraq gave them something exciting to demonstrate about, but in the 1990s the lack of a plausible cause did not hold them back. In those days, remember, they were out protesting against the insidious danger of international trade, against the injustice of MacDonald's selling fries to people who wished to buy fries, and against the horrible injustice of ....wait for it...genetically modified plants! These causes represent the spiritual line of 1641, 1789 and 1848? These arguments are the intellectual descendents of the Grand Remonstrance, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the Communist Manifesto?

And here Michael Lopez-Obrador takes dead aim at the conspiracy nuts and the baby:

Conspiracy theories have been around for centuries, if not millennia. Conspiracy theories offer explanatory models of complex events to large audiences of the unsophisticated and under-educated. [1] In the past these conspiracy theories gave us rather fascinating alternative explanations of reality or seeming realities that proved entertaining and interesting but ultimately, with a few exceptions, harmless. [2] That cannot be said of our present era.

September 11 conspiracy theories undermine our democratic nation's war against the theocratic forces of radical, Jihadi-driven Islam, and could prove extremely dangerous in the long run. It is these particular conspiracy theories I wish to criticize as well as argue that they are in many ways different from most of the preceding ones.

They both say it so much better than the Barnyard so the goat encourages you to read both essays.They both address what has beeb elected into power of two Houses of power in our National leadership. So far it more resembles the Three Stooges with my apologies to Curly, Larry, Moe and Of couse Shemp. It will be entertaining times for conservative talkers and bloggers and the debates leading into '08 should be the best yet.
Newt will drive the debate on the GOP side and Barack will for the DNC and both have real ideas just Gingrich's and the GOP's are on the table, Obama is faking even running to the right, pulling our tackles, marh my words he will make that crossfield pass a long ways down the left sideline. We have to make sure our safeties can knock it down or intercept it, better yet, he gets sacked by the blitz.
Mitt Romney is still the Dark Horse and my favorite in what looks to be a three man race between John McCain, Rudy Guilliani and Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Duncan Hunter will keep the real issues up front and voice them very well. There is some very real conservative firepower here and it needs to be used wisely to win and win big.
Let's see, on the left we have Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, John Edwards, a couple Gov.s, and just about every DNC Senator, this should be a barrel of monkeys to watch. (I'll hear about that one...) Wow, it is a vast political junky's fantasy land with so many foibles and follies it will be difficult to just scratch the surface of it all.
Its gonna be a political hayride for sure and the rig pulling those trailors must be built for some serious mud, horsepower and traction and the ability to handle the torque needed at the end to win.

Gotta Love College Football

The SEC Championship has got to be the hardest fought, best game in the toughest conference to stay undefeated and todays between Arkansas and Florida has lived up to the reputation, what a game. With USC's loss to UCLA it has implications in the BCS computers that may cause them to smoke. I have been an advocate of a playoff for years.
My team, Alabama, continues to have problems related to upper management and "Booster clubs", and has little to do with the team or a coach's ability, so I root SEC. I say Florida should get the shot at Ohio, champion of the second best conference, since Ohio already beat Michigan.
I like the top eight teams entering a quarterfinal playoff with the top eight bowls sponsoring the brackets on a rotating basis, incuding the all-star game, leave all other minor regional bowls in place as they are fun, in the spirit of the season and settle localized bragging rights. It is the oldest formula on the books because it works.
I don't follow to closely anymore , just enjoying a good rivalry here and there and absolutely love it when the BCS is in a tizzy. I am from Alabama so college football is in my blood, it is the culture more so than most outside the SEC could understand, maybe the Big 10 or Big12 would but few others. It is tradition, it is ingrained because the SEC is the best! USC would be a mediocre team in the SEC, like Vanderbilt or Ole Miss, hard to beat, not champions but champion killers. The rivalries are deep, rich and tremendousely fun, the source of much comraderie and good eats. We play hard and party hard and enjoy, no violence or hard feelings just ribbing rights for a year.
We need a playoff, there is just to much parity for a computer and stats analysis to determine the Champion. The Goat's hat is thrown with Florida in a sunshine state faceoff, classic east vs. west duel.
Go Gators!