Weekend Rambler

Wow, what a beautitful spring day here in NoCal, the trees are full of birds singing for their mate to be, flowers are popping out everywhere and the veggie garden is off to a strong start.

I got polled today by proponents of a socialist program, the details of which are not the interesting outcome or point here. I always answer legitimate polls and have fun with the interviewer by being lighthearted and not grouchy about it. Legitimate polling places record comments as well as just the vote on a topic and it is a chance to be heard even just a bit more. I question who they are with and inform them that I am a political blogger and then answer their questions in a connversational way while voicing my opinion, invariably I get laughs to my dry jokes. Anyway, I chatted with the poll taker for a few minutes after the poll was concluded and she had thanked me for answering. I gathered from her that my opinion was valuable as most conservatives/republicans that identify as such in the initial basework hang up after the first few questions thus are left out of the poll. She said those that trend to the liberal side are much more open to pollsters and more friendly. I asked her if this could skew most national polls in a liberal bend and though she said she had never thought about it really, she agreed that it definately could. She was calling for a reputable Ca. polling firm about an initiative here, I agreed not to name the firm for her honesty in answering my follow up questions.

Hmm, this is why I take the time to talk to them, we always have a good conversation as I ask for clarification of the questions and answers and answer the questions with a qualified answer not just a yes or no. I could hear her typing away as we talked and asked if commentary was considered in the answers ans she confirmed that it was. This has been very typical of conversations I have had with various pollsters, all big name through the last few years as I took a different stance towards them.

Fellow conservatives, if you get polled, take the time and have a conversation with them while answering the questions, be heard and not as a clang on the other end of the line as you hang up. I have invariably brought them around to the conservative view point on a personal level. Quit hanging up and let your views be known, they always shed light on an issue, so lets help by shedding some of our own light as well. I suppositioned that since conservatives were generally quieter and less apt to be vocal and as I put it "poll burst" the numbers and she agreed the demographics fit the stereotypes I had suggested. Needless to say it was compelling enough to blog about it and I informed her of such early on and she was happy to talk for about fifteen minutes after the poll as long as the firm was not mentioned in my report. They are just commissioned to do surveys and given a list of questions to ask and she did not know the sponsor of the survey.

I encourage other conservatives to engage likewise, it's fun, go for it!

Its Friday, I''m Celebrating

Yeah, it is a very steep climb but worth every inch! Loving life on the "Weeping Wall" of Suicide Rock in SoCal, the route is "Duck Soup".
Life was not meant to be easy though the joy of living life, to it's fullest, is unmatched, challenges are worth conquering.

A New Future Unfolds

Living on solid rock in the "Phantom Spires" just east of Kyburz Ca.
Off on my own, I passed some key exams to advance my career today, time to fly if the government stays off my back.

The Wolf Has Shed It's Sheepskin

The Democrats are pushing a budget that would kill American prosperity, add in Al Gore's proposals and we would be bankrupt in no time flat. $400,000,000,000.00 in tax increases to support their socialist agenda where we are all slaves to the government. My taxes as a small businessman would see about a $4000.00 increase, please tell me how that helps my business? That is money that could be used to grow and expand and possibly eventually hire another person, isn't that what we want? My tax input would increase because I had the capital to grow and hire taxpayers, plus the purchase of equipment needed to expand fuels other jobs creating demand. That is also money that could be used to supply health insurance to myself or future employees. The fools haven't a clue how economics work, Dr. Thomas Sowell has written several books for the layman on the subject, "Applied Economics" comes to mind as the perfect starter. Freedom, not big government is how to prosper, the Democrats want to put the jackboot of taxes on the American economy so they can pour it into some beaurocratic cesspool of income redistibution for whatever cause du jour., allah, Europe.
The average taxpayer would see their income decrease by about $3,000.00 bucks as it went to the IRS, and married folks can another $2900.00 to that, and capital gains go back through the roof. Somebody tell me how this would help our economy? Socialism does not work, sheesh, even the Chinese know that. Notice to the Democrats, an American version of Socialism will not work either.
Baaaa, I hope they go for it, dang, not only are they giving us the guns , they are loading them for us, just like they do our real enemies.

Further Reading
Roy Blunt
John Cambell, check daily for fresh info off the floor of the House

I thought they pledged to cut the pork and not raise taxes, you know more transparency, yeah right.

It is a thrill to be on top of the world, even if it is local.

A mighty buttress "Temple Crag" and climbers' dream.

It is John Muir's "Range of Light", sunrise in the Palisades region of the High Sierra.

I Must be Strange

I find politics and reading about it strangely relaxing after studying labor and business law for the last couple months especially the dense California version, even after a hard days work. I have followed politics fairly closely since the '92 season as a Ross Perot supporter, probably why I like Mitt Romney today, I like leaders that know how to deal with massive numbers of the economic type. Frankly, I am very pleased with the group of folks running for the GOP nomination, all of them are qualified and capable of doing the toughest job in the world, being POTUS of America, including the undeclared Fred Thompson and Newt Gingrich.
America is first and her health and well being as a nation is upheld by the freedom of her children, us, and our ability to achieve that dream that built America based in the Judeo-Christian ideal of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness with a system of laws to adjudicate the unjust. Yeah, I'm a small l libertarian that thinks the government should stay out of our personal lives. I other words, if I choose to ruin my life as a drugged up loser, fine, but I should not expect the taxpayer to fund it. Teach the man to fish and you feed him for life, give him a fish, you fed him for a day. The homeless want state money, earn it by picking up garbage, same with welfare and foodstamp beneficiarys. It would be a good family thing and teach the young'uns to be clean.
Its the old "broken window" philosophy that Rudy employed so well in New York. I can personally attest to this philosophy on my street. I bought my house about three years ago and the yard was a mess. I cleaned and beautified and though it ain't Augusta National I am proud of my efforts, since then nearly every house has cleaned up and many have even upgraded, a pleasant mini-renaissance. It is a small unincorporated township with small cottages on big lots in one of the fastest growing counties in California with a Mayberry atmosphere now, kids, gardens and neighborly conversation and friendship is as abundant as our crops and mini orchards. It is a great place to live despite all of our state government problems and dedication to socialism.

Rainy Monday Musings

Green lake, a couple miles upstream from the cabin, this is an archive photo but is very close to the conditions we found.

We got enough rain to put the dust down, Lord knows we need it, it's been a dry winter out here, pretty but dry. It got cold too, trashing alot of our citrus crop, mine survived, where was the global warming when you need it? Ask the mid west, they are still thawing out.
Speaking of the global warming moonbats, aren't they they same ones in an all fired hurry to rebuild and repopulate New Orleans with all its displaced black folks? Lets see, they were living fifteen feet below present sea levels and if Al gaseous energy hog Gore is correct and the sea levels are going to rise 20 feet if we don't jump off a cliff at his behest, that would put them 35 feet below sea level. Is this a conspiracy to eradicate poor blacks by elite white socialists like Al Gore? Something stinks here besides the moonbats' lack of personal hygiene, ever walked past an anti-war socialist rally? I prefer the smells of a real barnyard.
I see that San Fran Nan Pelosi was able to bribe enough dhimmicrats to support her retreat in defeat agenda wth over twenty billion dollars in pure fatback pork attached to the War supplemental spending bill. This is a gross display of political arrogance that will not go unnoticed by those constituents of the freshmen dems that ran on a conservative message against weak republicans last year. Victory Caucus has more, so does Congressman John Cambell's, the RSC's money man, at his Green Eye Shades blog.
John also reports on the taxicrats desire for the largest tax increase in US history to pay for their socialist agenda while destroying our military and stripping us of our rights to speech, religion and arms. Now that they have been elevated we get a good look at the socialist infested backside of the donkey party, somehow I doubt America will buy it.
Something many don't know is that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are both students of 60's radical lefty Saul Alinsky, a believer in the end justifies the means school of thought. He was a master organizer and did accomplish some good things which gave his radical views some weight, he was also a socialist. At least John Edwards is up front about his populist class ism, while living in style in a half acre sized house, a typical lot is a tenth to a quarter acre, for example a typical small home in the city sits on a 4500 square foot lot or smaller for a garden home. Mr. Edward's house is 28,000 square feet, give or take a couple of typical lots.
While I vehemently oppose Mr. Edwards' policy positions, I pray for he and especially his wife as her cancer has been found incurable and the difficult road they have to travel together. He won't win the nomination, as the campaign has been sputtering for weeks if not months but I imagine the campaign trail is an absolute blast, traveling the country for free, speaking to and meeting all kinds of folks from all different backgrounds, the hypnotic lure is understandable. To speak to adoring cheering crowds giving you money by the bucket has got to be a rush and a half. Let them have fun for the next few months on their whirlwind tour of the nation and then they can return to private life to deal with this tragic news on their own.
Barack sucked the wind out of those sails long ago and is catching Madame Hillary, with a full wind behind him. This race will definately be interesting to watch as one of the hardest hitting ads yet is the Apple/Hillary remake by an "amateur". Yes, the art of politics is changing and those that get it and those that don't will be very evident this political cycle as even the last two cycles have shown, the old media has lost its monopoly and is doing the lemming in response by throwing itself over a cliff into leftwing lunacy, while the new media is learning to pick up the slack left behind and run with it especially on the conservative side though the moonbats are more fervent and vocal and they get more hits, I would hazard to guess its their groupies returning dozens of times a day to see if their latest foul puke got any more foul responses, at least Kos clamped down alittle and is trying to become a respectable left wing blog.
While my weekend was uneventful, no bears and lots of down branches and a dead camera battery, oh well, it was relaxing. I have been enjoying the use of the cabin for a decade now and most of the mountain pictures posted here come from the area. I am happy to share them and appreciate the positive feedback I have received for my photo essays, I have been into nature photography for thirty years since learning to read a light meter and set an old 35 mil camera. There will be more to come, its fun!

March Cabin Trip, WooHoo

Play time

Back Porch from the creek.

A buddy just called and wants to take an early trip up to the cabin and with low snow pack this year it should be easy to get in this early.

It is located about seven miles outside the northeast-border of Yosemite NP at about 8'000 ft. It is time to get up there and make sure no bears took up winter residence, happened before, and assess the recent earthquake results and other winter damage. It was about six or seven years ago when the bear broke in, what a mess and a hole in the wall, yes, it came through the wall to get in. We have trailed it for miles in the snow and never have seen it. The cabin has historic significance serving as the baker's cabin for the miners and shepherds in the area around the turn of the last century.

The old oven still functions well

The movie "The High Plains Drifter" was filmed about 20 miles southeast at Mono lake and the Historic ghost town of Bodie is just to the north of that. In fact the creek that flows past the cabin powered the worlds first hydro-electric generator which powered the massive stamp mills in Bodie. Dynamo pond still exists though much smaller and just a trout hole and bald eagle hangout now, alas, I have never had a camera handy when I have seen them there because to watch them rise against the backdrop is breathtaking to say the least.

west from Dynamo pond

view east

It is a step back in time to be there for sure, and in this day and age, a welcome respite.

I need to clean up my photofiles, what a mess they are, ouch.

A Watchdog on Post

John Cambell(Rep), freshman congressman, is trying to pull the wool off with his site,. Do you want to know what is going on in the Swamp? Check it out through a Green Eye Shade, the days action on the floor of congress and what's to come.

Thank You Lord

From on High

The water

of life springs from the Lord's bossom .

Tuesday Tidbits

I see our Sheepdog (Honus R) is back from some good Christian missionary work, he also went to the Katrina region for a few months in the aftermath. His opinion is valued here as a stalwert, rock-ribbed conservative and like a good sheepdog can get a bit wound up at times. We go back a few years, though the conversation is sporadic, starting in Bill O'Reilly's forum almost four years ago now, a good man and very welcome here. Sheepdogs are always the righthand of a Barnyard keeping us critters in line. While he is not out gathering lambs maybe he will think about this scenario, Mitt Romney/Duncan Hunter, Rudy at AG, Newt gets a high level policy position, Chief of Staff. I believe most of our GOP candidates are worthy and able of to be a POTUS, and to me so far Mitt Romney stands apart from the field thus the huge amounts of negative attacks, generated by the left and some ignorant conservatives. Mitt has built his economic team out of staunch Reaganites, as man of his caliber would easily do. My fellow blogger, Lisa, and I both reject the flipflopper retoric and fully support Mitt Romney for President as the man best able to do the job. His changes on social policy very much mirror my own as we mature and become better educated and more involved in what is at stake, America itself and the bastion of freedom it is meant to be.
Mitt Romney represents everything America can be, shoot even his religion is home grown and recognizes our founding documents in its tenets and is avid about its support of freedom for all. I don't want to hear about repudiated doctrine of the past, it has been excised. I disagree theologically with the LDS Church though I have a tremendous amount of respect for them and their work for Christ. Mitt did his time abroad as a missionary for Christ as his faith requires, more than a couple years worth. How many of his detractors on the right can claim that? I know our sheepdog has that is why his opinion is valued. Should we not accept converts to our cause that have a voice and presence as strong as that of Gov. Romney? Or do we just slap them with a rubber flip-flop and discard them? I think that is the wrong move.

More From Gathering of Eagles

A few more accounts from Eagles that were there for America:
Jack Langer has a great write up for Human Events as he followed the anarchist socialist group around for fun, this a hilarious write up of the day and a must read. The Right Angle also has a great link pool set up by Matt Nagle to visit with great video links shot by Michelle and others. I tell you what, I bet those hippy punks were just a little taken aback by grizzly bikers calling them out. That's why Jack's piece is so funny, you gotta read it. It warms a man's soul to see America's finest rise up to confront the socialists once again with overwhelming force. I will ride a Harley in the future, a set up touring model with the prerequisite flag pole mount. To ride a Harley is to feel America rumble in your gut, I know, I have felt it. Rolling Thunder, I love it!
Conservative grassfire, roots are to slow, put this together in a few weeks while Soros funded socialist groups had been working the nutroots for months for a big turnout. This is so cool, if all those veterans that motorhome around start to coordinate around major moonbat launch dates and set opposing rallies, the Harley folks are good at the organizing, its a party, show up with your family in historic cities and have a ball.
The protests here in NoCal, zero, a couple hundred in Sacramento, typical tweekers and dumb kids.The Bay area either bussed them all to DC or they where at Obama's rally in Oakland, 10,000 strong, twice the nut gathering in DC. Umm Hillary has a problem, and the conservatives have mountains of red meat, mashed potatoes and gravy to dig into. Let the feast begin!

Yeah, us conservatives are bickering over our nominee for POTUS and it may even mean more than one vote at the convention as the delegates line up and vote. We see that as a very healthy thing and debate within the party is rampant though one thing is sure, the winner will be supported 100% with some grumbling in the ranks. The grumbling is a good thing, it keeps our elected officials on their toes. I openly admit that the Barnyard is in the Mitt Romney camp, Lisa, my coblogger is in Boston and active in the Ma. GOP. Mitt has put together a stellar team of economic advisors, supply sider all, and extremely Reaganite, as Lisa showed me a couple years ago, Mitt is the man, more on that tomorrow.

A prissypants smear artist likes to blue pen my posts and correct my spelling and generally insult me at every chance and is the reason comment moderation is in place. I am not nor ever claimed to be a skilled typer, please forgive my spelling errors as I am sure I miss many, just like every major publication and blog in existance.
Perpetual Liar, PL, is banned in the Barnyard like it or not.

Weekend Roundup

All pictures are courtesy of Michelle and Hotair and another favorite GOP babe, Mary Katherine Ham has video of some of our finest and worst.

Well it appears the "Gathering of Eagles" outnumbered the moonbat socialists for peace by about three to one from what I have gathered from latest rally in DC. Michelle Malkin was there and has a great photo gallery and all the links. ( MM's photos here)This makes cold blood run warm with pride, "Rolling Thunder" as the Harley riders called their journey across America starting in Sacramento, dang to have been there with them. The lump in my throat has been large as I have searched the many links as they have shown the pure disgrace these moonbats are to America in so many ways as sycophant appeasers to our enemies. Good grief just look at the loony sponsors of the moonbats, Socialist Workers Movement, Che Guevera supporters, the Communist party, give me a break the next time I call a moonbat a socialist. A sea of American flags and real patriots met the Momma Moonbat Cindy Sheehan with the derision she well deserves from those best suited to deliver, our VFW and current troops and families. Ah, shoot, they are soldiers and can bullshit better than most, they know profane violence and profane language at a skill level a hippy could never understand. It also appears the moonbats slunk off with their tail between their legs to go drink some green beer on St. Patty's day where they would look less foolish while the VFW networked, found old friends and celebrated a much belated victory, over cold beer and long memories.
That Moving America Forward, and the multiple grassroots at their disposal finally outshowed George Soros and his socialist minions and his billions gives the Goat great hope for America.
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A side note on Che Guevera: a local store keep had some t-shirts for sale with Che's image. Sami is from India and was unfamiliar with Che's history so I told him of Che's connection to Castro and the communists in Russia, he took the shirts off his rack and not one has been seen since. Sam is a good man, a good storekeep, and a positive part of our community, immigrants like him we need. Sam is smart, his wife runs a business in India and he has one here. Me as a free market/trader, I love it, the free flow of currency is what is needed to alleviate poverty, not socialism.

Weekend Rambler

And a green St.Patty's Day to Ya! Being of Scots-Irish blood, it tis a special day! Though not the Emerald Isle, certain times of the year this area has a fair resemblance, a lack of castles hurts.

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I forget where I saw it but some interesting news about the fave car of the greenerati, the Toyota Prious, etal, it has nickel-cadmium batteries that last about 100,000 miles if that before they are toast. Nickel and cadmium are metals that must be mined as ore and processed into these batteries consuming vast amounts of energy and sulphor into the air. These mines are often massive strip pits much more damaging to the enviroment than a couple oil derricks. These batteries are made at a plant in Canada known as the SuperStacks that is largely responsible for the acid rain that has damaged large swaths of the region. They are then shipped around the world a few times before making it to your local lot and to top it off they don't get any better milage than a clean diesel engine in the same size car, that could run on veggie oil as well as diesel fuel, last much longer and cost half as much for the consumer. Plus what about all those old batteries, hmm maybe foresight is what is idealistic dreamers lack the most of? Dang that old cost vs. price conundrum that always comes back to bite the moonbats on the rear.

Nothing can touch fossil fuels for there return on the dollar in the amount of energy produced, biofuels are a niche fool's pipe dream. We can never fight or stop global warming that is part of earth's natural cycle. It should be changed to "Fight Pollution", a much more honest and actionable slogan and the free market is taking care of it very nicely because there is a demand for energy efficient products, clean air and water. The last thing we need is more government interference in the market.

The biggest challenge is how to store electric energy efficiently for later return making solar power more cost efficient, again we are dealing with batteries of some sort. Untill the electrical storage problem is solved, solar power and electric vehicles are but dreams still. Then again my neighbor has a vehicle that can go most anywhere, though a little slow and is powered by nothing but grass, and emits compost and methane, his horse of course, if you want to be that green join the Amish or move to a third world country.

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I saw where the greenies are trying to stop us four-wheelers from using the myriad of old logging roads in the NFS and BLM lands in Ca., I guess they got tired of hiking for miles to enjoy tofu from a can and some nuts to see some jeepers grilling steaks and trout and having a good ole time. Funny part is we always carry out far more trash than we bring in because we can, and is a major part of what us four-wheelers do is to clean up the back country we have access to. Most good NFS and BLM back country camping spots are maintained by folks like us that don't want to lose access to our cherished spots. I know many hidden sites that have been used for perhaps centuries that are spotless perfect campsites and remain that way because of folks like us that will bend the back to remove the scar of one that came before us and leave it always cleaner than we found it. If we find a spot desecrated with litter it is cleaned before camp is set and the area thouroughly policed ASAP, few things get my goat more than this. We carry garbage bags on the daily activities whether, fishing, panning, climbing, trail riding or walking and all litter is collected and carried out. By the way we are all conservative republicans. We hunt and fish and enjoy the wonder of the beauty, and return for the game we take, we take the tourist's garbage out with us. My friends and I are all hardcore conservationists, taking care of God's greatest gift to us besides life, He expects it of us. None of us come close to buying into Al Gore's clap-trap though we vary on man's contribution, those that watch the news and those that research and read a bit.

Related articles:

American Thinker

Thomas Sowell

Marc Sheppard

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Ok, the left and the isolationists decry the loss of industrial jobs in the US, correct? They also want to put the most stringent costly regulations possible on those same industries under union control, correct? Is it any wonder those companies want nothing to do with the US?

Is There Anybody Out There?

Did you know you were invisible?

Hillary Clinton is testing her potential campaign slogan at various stops and I must say, the quality of her team is impressive as is the slogan which I think she'll stay with.

"You are invisible" not only plays to middle America's fears about outsourcing, health care and immigration, it also is a veiled call to vote.

Love them or hate them, the Clintons are to be respected for their political talents and anyone who dismisses her is a fool. She remains the biggest threat to any GOP candidate.

Where's The Bling

We have a two party system that works most of the time for politics in America, much like marriage. A stormy and successful formula for success through the centuries, marriage welds the different into one. Oh am I going to catch heat for this but I will persist. The Democrat party is the Mommy party, wanting to heal all our ills with love, medicine, bandaids and free food, good but misguided and easily over run and corrupted by an over whelming emotional response to a problem. The Republican party being the Daddy party, strong on security, fiscally wise(most of the time), and get off your tail and do the chores, fix it don't whine about it attitude. The problem is being a Dad has been so degraded by femininists and their losers in the male community that the traditional patriarchal role of the father is being lost.
America is the child and we need healthy strong parents, our two political parties represent those parents and bickering over minor BS inorder to hurt the other hurts that marriage and thus the child that is America. These children are far from stupid though many are seriously misled, they know they are being hurt by failures of big government beaurocracy.
America needs solutions that only a healthy marriage can attain, literally and metaphorically, as the health and welfare as individuals and the greatest nation on earth depends on it. Yeah, I like what Newt Gingrich has to say alot and believe he should be the top policy guy if not the candidate for the GOP. I hold that Mitt Romney is the best guy to implement those policies.
Our political parties should act as husband and wife for the good of their children, America, not like fools fighting over fences and basic protection of those children. They seem to forget, unlike children, we choose them to be our parents and can change them by will if we choose. Me, I like strong parents that believe in their kids ability to succeed with minimal interference(politics folks) and gives them the tools needed to succeed.
We need real solutions not partisan retoric, check out American Solutions. I ain't in to talking about it for long though before action is needed.

Spring In The Barnyard

Ahh, the sound of lawnmowers, tillers, birds and frogs, I love it, a couple shots of the Goat's backyard modest as it is. The trees are peach, plum and orange with some grapes and ashes for background. It is mid-March and my garden is largely in with okra waiting on the heat of summer and potatoes going in next. I am blessed with a chorus of birds for a morning that welcome me to my daily chores.

There is much to be had in the great tomes of history, I also know for a fact there is much to be had in living the life of a simple hardworking man. I do not know arcane scholars from the past, I do know Thomas Paine, Alexander Hamilton, Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry and their love of liberty and what gifts it brings. I am a Constitutional Federalist and I do not deny it and will die to defend it just as I will die with the Lord as my saviour. The quotes featured and posted here are beliefs held strongly by the Barnyard, " Give me liberty or give me death" does not fall on deaf ears in the Barnyard.

More Northern Californian

Since most folks picture LA and San Francisco as California, perhaps these pictures will tell something different.
Just a few minutes outside Sacramento, yes, we like the "cow town" image to agree. Horse estates are popular.

Bits of history, the Bridgeport covered bridge.

more than a few acres to explore

(hey PL, so what)

Plums and the Sutter Buttes

The view west from the buttes, snow on the coast range and a lonely barn . We keep the loonbats on the other side of those mountains for the most part.

Some folks on the north side of the buttes have views from their fireplace that are almost sinfull in their beauty and vista.

American Solutions

Out of political fairness I will link my favorite Moonbat Wasp and his latest post and my comment is below.

Very impressive reading list, Professor, far and above what my long list is mostly history and the authors have long been forgotten. I have no doubt about your ability to enter MENSA, I passed in High School, so what, I'm smart, its how I apply that smart that is important, I do custom glasswork at a contract level and the amount of law and building code needed is staggering and to make it you gotta know it.
Being versed in theological philosophy hardly addresses what it takes to succeed from the bottom up, hard work and dedication and I would not be succeeding without my faith in the Lord and His plan for me.
"He helps those that help themselves", I have a fundamental difference with trying to merge socialism, and radical leftism with Christianity. That is why I left the Episcopalian fold and now just proclaim to be a Judeo-Christian American. Check out the Barnyard Bible study I make some comments on Genesis that you might find interesting. With my Anglican background, I do tend towards the Vatican an matters of faith though I disagree with their intermediary prayer, I pray to the Lord with the Spirit of Christ as my guide. Yes even us rednecks understand the Triune.
I believe in the sancity of the Bible and its historic pertinence though I am not a, to coin Andrew Sullivan, a "christianist". I love the sciences as a way to explore the wonder that He has given us not as a gospel unto their own. As a mountaineer, climber, geology is very important for the rock you are climbing on. For the amature naturalist, biology becomes a favorite side as all the various sciences find their explorers.
I'll betcha most believe in something greater than what is. You can be an interesting fella, I have trouble with the socialistic trends as they have been shown to fail at every level

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I have also challenged him to join American Solutions, and engage the discussion as an adult not a mudslinger. America has serious problems and empty politcal retoric is not solutions and that is what we the people demand, from border control, to economic policy, to islamic radicals and their desire to kill or rule us.
Mitt Romney is the only man besides Newt Gingrich with this kind of vision, and leadership America desparately needs. Sen. Obama is a good and decent man and Hillary Clinton is, well, Hillary, a driven woman with alot of baggage and neither has what it takes to lead America forward much less Edward's Union nipple sucking. Folks we know what works and what does not, freedom works, slavery to the state through taxation to fuel socialism does not. We know that Ronald Reagan got it right and America has flourished since. Goat says down with government intervention, up with citizen innovation.

Mayan Priests Say They Will "Purify" Site After Bush Visit

And the insults continue.

GUATEMALA CITY -- Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate "bad spirits" after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.
"That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture," Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday."

What I find hysterical is this entire concept, if you can call it that, of "the persecution of their migrant brothers." Surely they jest. Or perhaps they are just clueless. No other country in the world is as friendly to illegal immigrants as America. We have sanctuary cities where it is against the law to ask someone's immigration status. We rarely prosecute when we do locate. For years "catch and release" was a policy. We give them access to various social programs. We provide healthcare. We give their children American citizenship. We have companies that are launching things like "Pesos for Pizza" where the peso would be accepted currency to appeal and appease. We have corporations offering credit cards witout social security numbers. We have lenders granting special mortgages to illegals. WHAT do they see as persecution? Most countries would lock you up or shoot you dead if you were found to be there illegally but the USA "persecutes?"

Squirrel Man Says Socialism is Heaven on Earth, Capitalism is Road to Hell

"Those who want to go directly to hell, they can follow capitalism," Mr Chavez said in the town of Trinidad in Bolivia. "

He also spent the weekend leading a crowd in cheering "Gringo Go Home" in regards to our President.

Very nice. He should teach a course in international diplomacy for liberals.

Why Giuliani is Not A Threat

I am mentally exhausted from hearing everyone speak of Giuliani! Giuliani! Giuliani!

These people are political novices on their best day.

If you put Giuliani directly into a general election, yes, he'd probably win. However, ours is a system whereby a primary process nominates a party candidate and the people who vote in primaries tend to be faithful supervoters who are exceptionally well versed in all candidates.

As such, there is no conceivable way Giuliani can garner the Republican nomination. He is on record as being pro-gun control. Pro-gay rights. Pro-choice, including partial birth abortion and now, if you click on the link, you will see video of him advocating public tax payer funding for abortion. I haven't even gotten to his multiple marriages and strained family relations.

Will he raise lots of money?

Sure.

Will he find forgiveness from the primary voters?

Nope.

Hillary Plays the JFK Card

What is this? Some race to be the new JFK? Hillary claims her gender makes her the new JFK. Others say Obama's so called charisma qualifies him to be "the new JFK."

It's irritating.

#1, These are false analogies. You can not compare gender to religion or personality to religion. To me, it is insulting.

#2, Have they not their own qualities to stand firmly upon? Walk your own path and stand on your own accomplishments.

#3, Don't these people know that it is widely accepted that a JFK in modern political times would be considered a moderate Republican?

RINOS. Enough Said

I was disheartened at best to hear of some MA so called Republicans plans to launch a web site that essentially is anti-Romney. I wrote to the Greater Boston Young Republicans and the MA GOP for clarification and comment. So far, nothing from the MA GOP--what a surprise. No wonder the state party is a joke. However, the GBYRs were very quick to respond. I got one from the secretary and then an email in response to this from the Chair who assured me they are crafting a response that is critical of the planned web site. This was one of my emails.



"Ashley,

Thank you for your prompt response.

Not supporting one Republican over another is one thing and of course I understand that. But the Herald article is headlined with this: "Mitt under attack by own party: Mass. GOP aims to sink prez bid"

Approving of such a strategy or remaining silent against such a planned attack would be deplorable.

The Republican Party in our state is on life support and I don't know how helpful it would be for any Republican in MA, let alone a Republican group, to pro-actively attack Governor Romney in a visible coordinated manner. While I understand the GBYRs are not necessarily involved, we are involved as a result of the umbrella of the MASS GOP and more importantly, by perception, which is everything in this field. I hope the YRs are not going to indirectly endorse Robichaud's plan via silence on the sidelines and ultimately provide more ammunition to the anti-Romney camps.

Indeed, people are clearly free to support whomever they believe in. But to "attack" a candidate, and one from our own state at that, is unproductive at best and starts the fracture line that always weakens the party as a whole. Public infighting is really for the Dems.

If our group does not believe in attacking a national candidate from our own state, our press or communications person should issue some kind of statement. Properly worded, it could be effective while not irritating those Republicans who are going to launch this web site against Mr Romney.

Lisa

Sunday Gold

A buddy and I in search of gold explored a portion of the Yuba south fork today and with gold increasing in value. Thars gold in these hills still, lots of it, as injuries have limited climbing its something to do when the trout aren't biting.
All thats left of an old panner's cabin, the fireplace, circa 1850's.

Lots of poppies and color on the trail

We rock scrambled upstream a few miles

Cool feeder rill waterfall

Tough portage but great kayaking

Took the trail back down.

There is still plenty of gold to be found by the energetic and smart in gold country. Grass Valley and Nevada City are not far upstream, home of some of the most successfull mines during the boom and run off is natural hydrailic mining, a fun hobby while exploring beautiful country if nothing else. This is in a State Park and they allow pans and hands, and we know many other just as lucrative spots after all this is gold country.

Weekend Rambler

I just have to mention more about the bio-fuel pipe dream since the mere thought of converting food to fuel to replace oil is just as absurd as it sounds. Before "black gold" was discovered we were denuding the planet for firewood and whales were being hunted into extinction for oil to run the lamps of the rich. This is a must read piece on the topic by Mac Johnson . More here

Together with coal, oil opened up an unimaginable quantity of energy that came from outside the contemporary natural productivity of the Earth. For the first time, societies could grow far beyond the biological energy limits of their landmass. Wealth skyrocketed. Food supplies were no longer diverted to energy needs. Populations blossomed, and yet man’s energy-motivated environmental depredations fell significantly.

Fossil fuels have provided freedom from the constraints of biology and agriculture to such an extent that most of us have forgotten exactly how energy-poor a world powered by biofuels can be. Consider that the United States consumes nearly 4.39x1016 BTUs of crude oil per year. In absolute energy value, the entire corn crop in the U.S. could provide just 10 percent of that, and the entire world’s corn crop, only 23 percent.

So what are we going to eat greenie loonbat vegetarians if corn, rice, potatoes, sugarcane and grains are taken for fuel production? I thought the left was all for feeding the poor, there seems to be a serious disconnect here. There are already riots in Mexico over the price of corn tortillss, shoot it evens takes away Tony the Tiger's energy source, corn, food is people fuel not motor fuel. Oil is one of the Lord's gifts to us and we should be good stewards of that gift not rob the poor of the staple foods that make ethanol, us rednecks know it as pure grain or moonshine. We drink it not use it to fuel the tractor, plus nothing beats a fresh roasted ear of sweetcorn off the grill.
I thought the left cared about the environment, they must envision cornfields as far as the eye can see as every bit of arable land is converted to the purpose of producing the fuel we need. The Amazon is being cut down at an alarming rate to produce a few years of sugar cane for fuel before the ground gives out. Look at the advances in clean technology using carbon fuels. Lets think this through a bit before we buy the hype and do something incredibly stupid.
Oil has allowed man to prosper and grow, I don't like the picture without it at all and if you seriously think about it, it is quite a horrific story. That is what the elite left thinks would be paradise, they forget where the wealth came from, "Black Gold"
Lets be clean, lets be green, and above all lets be smart. Bio-fuel is a pipe dream enjoyed by elites unconcerned with nothing but the returns in their commodity portfolios. They would rather see millions starve as their food is outpriced for fuel usage than displace a few mosquitos and caribou to drill in ANWR, while letting Cuba drill off Florida coast's, and at the same time fighting to keep us from doing it. Hey we will need the global warming to open up the tundra for farming to fuel their pipe dream. I'll take wise stewardship over loonbat fantasies anyday.
The goat uses synthetic oil and has for decades in all vehicles mainly because it is better for the engine thus less emmissions.
Be Green, Be Clean, Be Smart.

Update: Where will the water to grow all this ethanol come from?

Pardon me as I go on my porch and listen to the frogs while enjoying a cigar and a cold beer.

California Springtime

May the Lord continue to Bless us

Rocks? we are beauty

Waiting in the Sierra

Plums being born

California poppies emerge from the bones of yesterday

Hey Social Conservatives

I encourage you to take a hard look at Mitt Romney, married to his teen sweetheart, a full brood of kids, a successfull business man and Governor. He is very strong on security and a fiscal genius that knows really big numbers and likes to exercise the veto pen.
Hey, I like Rudy alot as well, a New York tough guy leader, but his credentials as a conservative come no where near Mitt's. OK, new scenario, Mitt/Rudy, Newt replacing Karl Rove, the good Congressmen go back to the fight, McCain continues to drift into away to retirement, and Mike Huckabee save his money drop out and run for the senate against the Dem seat in Arkansas. I know, wishfull thinking, though one thing is evident from CPAC, we are determined and invigorated for the fight as the Pelosicrats and Hollywood provide us the ammunition for free.
Mitt is the one being attacked by the MSM the most because he is the best and most qualified and we know whose pocket they rest in.

What's Up In Iraq And The GWOT?

As always I highly recommend Bill Roggio's Fourth Rail for the most comprehensive news database and analysis on the Global War that I have found. Mike Yon has a new dispatch up after a thousand mile Iraq roundtrip and flight to Germany and back with Gen. Petreaus' CSM. Mike has been writing from the frontlines for most of the war from its most dangerous fronts, as a former Spec. Ops guy, weapons and ordinance expert he knows how to stay alive and he tells it like he sees it. Their rss feeds are on the sidebar along with CentCom's
Both guys report that as the Iraq Security Forces,ISF, grow in size and competence more and more of the people are coming out of hiding and helping get rid of the widely hated killers of al qaida and associated criminal gangs. The people want the killing of innocents to stop, they want to live normal lives and provide for their families. They are a fierce, proud people that had their pride handed to them by thugs like Saddam for so long that they learned to protect themselves with private militias. Now that the ISF has been able to take an evergrowing role in its own capacity is having a positive impact.
This is part of what I think was the only real mistakes the administration made. The first being grossly underestimating how far the society and infrastructure had decayed and second the size and evil ferocity of the latent insurgency. A hundred thousand fanatic thugs, Saddam emptied his prisons, can reak alot of havoc but the only way they can hurt us is the random IED. They are being taken out by the hundreds in Iraq and thousands in the Afgani theater. Task Force 145 and other hunter killer teams pinpoint 'em and call in the Warthogs or a drone with Hellfire in the bombay. The difference is the top guys are in Iraq, the drones are in Afganistan while their leaders hide in probable comfort.
We have heard nothing from the media hog binladen for so long now I am inclined to believe that he is dead and TF145 is getting closer and closer to Dr. Zawahiri. Yeah, fanatics are going to blow themselves up in crowded markets for their cowardly leaders untill freedom and the rule of just law slowly takes hold. Afganistan is alot like our Old West with modern weapons and its neighbor Pakistan has nukes and is caving to the taliban.
Something we need to remember when we here claims of civilian deaths is that these groups are civilian and not associated with any formal military so of course they can then make the claim. We don't miss and they love to fake it for propoganda purposes, what is sad is our MSM jumps on the lies like vultures on roadkill while the truth and life escapes them.

A Loss of Liberty?

A recent visitor to the Barnyard brought the typical inane argument that the Bush adminisistration is trampling our rights and the Democrats adhere to the Constitution more closely. As a side note they claim to love democracy and lament for the Dems to be more socialist in their agenda as if they are not already. My rights as a law abiding citizen have not been violated, and those that scream about censorship are not in jail, Noam Chomskey, Michael Moore Al Franken are free as anyone to speak as anyone. The fact that very few choose to listen to them is their problem not mine. Their answer force people to listen to them through the "Fairness" doctrine.

The MSM is going in the hole as the new media of talk radio and the internet take off and their backers on the left are crying foul because they are losing audience and money. Could it be the lack quality reporting, the obvious unadmitted bias or the fascination with the promiscuous trash dredged from the gutters of Hollywood? Despite the Lefts best efforts at indoctrination America still seems to be sailing true.

There was a record turnout at the CPAC with lots of energetic young folks in attendance and from all the pictures and feedback I have gathered from Blogger Row, the conservative movement is not only as bright as ever but growing. Yeah, there was some fun team on team heckling in our good sporting tradition, though there was a clear consensus among the gathered to stick to issues and great enthusiasm for those that came forth with strong solution based ideas, thus Newt Gingrich's and Mitt Romney's strong showing and rousing approval.

The main complaint about Mitt was his drift to the right and was it genuine, I believe it is as his deep Christian faith would require. Shouldn't we welcome converts not call them flip-floppers? My own positions have moved to the right as I have become better educated in the facts and not the retoric. The other perceived proplem is the Mormon issue, a sad, sick litmus test. Mormons are a serious part of American history and played a huge role as pioneers after all their Creed recognizes our two most important documents, The Declaration of Independance and The Constitution and they are the only mainstream American sect of Christianity, all the other sects came from Europe.
It seems the only ones talking about it is the MSM and the lefties since Mitt has picked up support around the Christian sphere of influence. We all love the LDS commercials and their Christian outreach programs, one of the strongest missionary programs for Christ.
Mitt Romney is the man to lead America into a new century as one of the very few that sees the opportunity and promise before us and can maximize that for all of us.

By the way, this is the guy we need to move America forward, Mitt has his eye to the future and can detail a path on how to get there, no other candidate can do that but Newt and Newt, he is that big cat lurking in the shadows of the bright lights, public but not running...?

I like Rudy Giulliani alot and think he would be a solid POTUS, he may have a bit to much baggage as his own family is weighing negative and that will hurt among the conservative base. Mitt Romney has all the conservative bona fides in spades plus a few and is a great role model, plus the hair, can't forget that...

Weekend Roundup

While GOP candidates polished up their base at the Conservative Political Action Conference with Mitt Romney, Rudy and Newt all doing very well and on message, Mitt won the overall straw poll afterwards, Oh Yeah, Roll Mitt Roll from a Crimson Tider! Lots of coverage at Townhallblog, NRO's The Corner and AmSpecblog with lots of fun links and pictures. John McCain well, he was busy acting the fool for David Letterman. Mitt made up much lost ground with his aplomb and deep knowledge of the issues and like Newt with lots of good solution based ideas. I would love to see Mitt, Rudy and Newt sit down in front of a fire and discuss issues, with You Tube the format is now inexpensive beyond belief and with the blog links could easily reach far more people than a one time live event. Newt advanced the format idea and it sounds great to me
Meanwhile Barack Obama and Hillary took to the podiums of famous churches in Selma, Alabama to commemorate Black Sunday and a dark bloody stain on ths nations history. I watched both speeches and it is no wonder Sen. Obama is overtaking shrill Hillary so quickly his oratory was smooth well delivered and had a compelling central theme that fit well in a church of that fame. He related the plight of blacks to that of Moses and the flight from Egypt, Dr. King and others being the Moses generation and how Moses saw the Promised Land but would never get there and how building Israel was left to Joshua's generation, our generation. I had not seen Barack speak since the DNC convention and he was good then and has gotten very, very good since, an excellent speech echoing many of the points Bill Cosby and other conservative black leaders have made for so long on education and actually getting one to a very rousing reception. Hillary was well, shrill wooden and very fake. I actually enjoyed Sen. Obama's speech though I would disagree with much if not all of his policy positions, it was thematic backed in Scripture and very uplifting and positive in message. Hillary talked about voting conspiracies and tied the struggle of women to that of blacks and her privileged Wellsleyian self that has lived in taxpayer funded convoys and State Houses most of her adult life. She is in serious trouble in her bid for the Whitehouse just looking at the vast difference in style, he is all style and she completely lacks it, slick well tailored suit vs, the ubiquitous pantsuit. How she goes after him will be interesting and we all know she will.

Friday Frolic

A brief jaunt through today's news, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney made quite a showing at the CPAC and apparently, while a favorite of the Barnyard, Ann Coulter jumped into the pig sty and muddied herself really well and lost major points here. Cracking bar jokes at serious events especially conservative ones anxious to get their brand back is totally off color. While I would not call John Edwards a faggot simply because he is not one, I would call him a two-faced liberal though . Come on, someone that lives in a 24,000 square foot mansion preaching about two America's wants to tell me how to live in my 950 square foot house surrounded by vegetable gardens and fruit trees. Fake is fake but does not a faggot make. What was that about carbon footprint again?
More CPAC coverage here.

Don't fall off your horse Barnyard denizens Goat will add a Lefty to the Barnyard blogroll, he has been active and decent in the comment section so why not. Goat will dub him in the Barnyard tradition of critter names, The Moonbat WASP, intelligent, and luney from a Christian Left perspective, he hates the media as much as we do from the opposite angle, LOL. We enjoy a running discussion and hope to expand the conversation.

Ahh, Springtime

My fruit trees are fully in bloom and the birds are soloing their mating calls, a joyeous time to be out doing yardwork. I have had several new visitors to the Barnyard this winter including a black-capped night heron that loves my olive trees for a daytime roost. The Goat has been an avid bird watcher and habitat provider his entire life, good habitat means ample good game for hunting as well. The Barnyard is pushing fifty identified bird visitors of different species and the list grows as the very hard to identify tiny bushtits, gnat catchers and warblers are slowly identified. What is good habitat, a feeding and watering station, ample scratching grounds, under and over brush, trees and shrubs. I wonder how a loft dweller in San Fran or New York is providing a clean living environment for our feathered friends while trying to tell me how to live out here in the country? Maybe I should just move to a city and feed rock dove (pidgeons) instead, naaaaa.
Some further background on Mr Gore and his lunatic ravings courtesy of James Taranto at the OPJ:

The Color of Money
Tennessee blogger Bill Hobbs picks up the story of Al Gore's voracious household energy use, which we noted Tuesday:

The Tennessean reported that Gore buys "carbon offsets" to compensate for his home's use of energy from carbon-based fuels. As Wikipedia explains, a carbon offset "is a service that tries to reduce the net carbon emissions of individuals or organizations indirectly, through proxies who reduce their emissions and/or increase their absorption of greenhouse gases." . . .

But how Gore buys his "carbon offsets," as revealed by The Tennessean raises serious questions. According to the newspaper's report, Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management:

Gore helped found Generation Investment Management, through which he and others pay for offsets. The firm invests the money in solar, wind and other projects that reduce energy consumption around the globe . . .

Gore is chairman of the firm and, presumably, draws an income or will make money as its investments prosper. In other words, he "buys" his "carbon offsets" from himself, through a transaction designed to boost his own investments and return a profit to himself. To be blunt, Gore doesn't buy "carbon offsets" through Generation Investment Management--he buys stocks. . . .

Meanwhile, Gore runs around the country and the world trumpeting "climate crisis" and blaming man's use of carbon-based energy--burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel as he goes. His efforts have served to put climate change at the top of the national and even global agenda, driving up the value of the stocks and companies viewed as "green" or environmentally friendly. Companies like those his investment management firm invest his own and other peoples' [sic] money in. (You can see a list of Generation Investment Management's holdings here, courtesy of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission.)

(hattip:Best of the Web)

Not only has his hypocrisy been exposed but also his blatant 'do as I say not as I do 'socialism of the elite. Maybe he should follow former California Governor Jerry Brown and get a small apartment and sleep on a mattress on the floor to gain some credibility on the street. Somehow , I bet Tipper would leave if he did, after all being a glam celebrity is the end all be all of American life to the moonbats.