Hostages Released

The last two of three hikers kidnapped two years ago by the criminal government in Iran were evidently released today.  That's nice.  I guess someone paid the ransom of one million dollars. 

I heard that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in New York... I wish someone would kidnap him and plant his criminal ass in a jail cell... waste two years of his life...

I'd like that...

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Compton's Hardware

Last Thursday the light in my refrigerator went out... Looking for your food with a flashlight is no way to live.  Since I worked in Tipton today I decided to visit my favorite hardware store to replace the bulb.

Compton's Hardware is in an old brick building on the main drag, and when you walk inside, you walk into the past.  The rough wooden floors are ancient and the air smells like dust.  The shelves and walls are crowded... packed full of inventory, some of which I'm sure dates back to the 50's... maybe earlier. 

I walked up to the old guy behind the bench and handed him the burned out bulb.  I followed him as he shuffled a couple aisles over and he handed me the replacement.  $1.35

My plastic bucket split open earlier this summer, so I asked him if he had a bucket that would last me the rest of my life.  I followed him to a table where he handed me a metal bucket with a heavy steel handle.  $11.49

The bulb was $1.35 and the bucket was $11.49, so naturally my total bill was 12 dollars even.

Tipton sports a lone strip mall which features an ACE hardware store with bright lights and a clean linoleum floor.  The inventory is well organized and I'm sure the stock is rotated efficiently.  But there is no romance... No ambiance that transports you back in time.

If you ever find yourself in rural Tipton, Indiana... Do yourself a favor...

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Wth the Global Warming Hoax winding down, Evidently Al Gore has found another crisis to save us from.

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America's Poor

According to the Census Bureau 46 million Americans live at a level of poverty that allows them to be considered "poor" by the United States Government.  But being poor in America is a little bit different than being poor in third world countries. 

For example:
1)  Eighty percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

2)   Fully 92 percent of poor households have a microwave; two-thirds have at least one DVD player and 70 percent have a VCR.

3)  Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite television.

4)  Half have a personal computer; one in seven have two or more computers.

5)  More than half of poor families with children have a video game system such as Xbox or PlayStation.

6)   Just under half — 43 percent — have Internet access.

7)  A third have a widescreen plasma or LCD TV.

8)  One in every four has a digital video recorder such as TiVo.

9)  The average poor American has more living space than the average non-poor individual living in Sweden, France, Germany or the United Kingdom.

10)   Forty-two percent of all poor households own their home; on average, it’s a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.

11)  Nearly 75 percent have a car or truck; 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.

12)   Four out of five poor adults assert they were never hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.

I do not list this data to suggest there is no suffering in America.  There is drug use, child neglect, homelessness...

But I think of the movie Arthur and Grandma Bach telling her grandson, "You can't be poor, Arthur...  You don't know how!"  Well, obviously there are people in America who have figured it out.

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Best Rock Albums from My Youth

Before there were CD's... Before you could purchase individual tracks from the Internet... We bought records and played them on a record player.  It was a technology made for eventual failure because records eventually wore out... Although the technology was superior to the 8-track tape.

Many records had one or two terrific cuts, but were balanced with songs that were sub par... and this fact plays a tremendous role in my choices.  My "best" albums are good from beginning to end.  They do not include "best hits of" albums from a particular artist. 

I also consider innovation, fresh new sounds, and lyrics.

15.  The Doors  The Doors... In an amazing display of parental ignorance my mother, upon my request, gave me this album as a Christmas present when I was 14 years old... Light My Fire, Break On Through, Backdoor Man... A great trashy album.

14.  Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road...  This was a dynamo when I was in college.  This double album started with the instrumental Funeral for a Friend and never let up. 

13.  Carole King's Tapestry...  Who didn't own this album?   ...An incredible songwriter with a style that delivered.

12.  Neil Young's Harvest... Great album with Heart of Gold, A Man needs a Maid, The Needle and the Damage Done... Good from beginning to end.

11.  Steely Dan  Can't Buy a Thrill...  No filler... all good.

10.  Dan Fogelberg's Home Free... An incredibly fresh sound.  He followed with Souvenirs which was almost as good.

9.  Jackson Browne's Late for the Sky... This soulful, romantic poet's wordy offerings had incredible depth... The cool girls loved him.

8.  The Eagles' Hotel California... On the Border and their first, Eagles, had a charm all their own, but from beginning to end, Hotel California was their best.

7.  Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA... (OK, maybe a little past, or at least encroaching upon the edges of my youth...)  Maybe the best Rock and Roll album of all time, though his Born to Run album was maybe more artistic and innovative.

6.  The Beatles' Abbey Road... Epic, incredibly innovative... Maybe Let it Be came close, but Abbey Road was their best.

5.  Linda Ronstadt's  Simple Dreams... Referred to by many as "the best pipes in the business," this was Ronstadt's best... Every song was good.

4.  Pink Floyd  Dark Side of the Moon... This album stretched the boundaries of recorded sound, and the lyrics were amazing.

3.  Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water... This album had everything from Keep the Customer Satisfied with its amazing instrumental arrangement, to The Boxer which explored the dark side of humanity. 

2.  Joni Mitchell's Miles of Aisles... This is the best live album of all time.  Maybe it breaks my "best hits of" rule... But this poet with a voice like the wind produced something incredible.  If my "best hits of" rule was strictly enforced, I'd still place her here for Court and Spark.

1.  Billy Joel's Piano Man... Joel went commercial after his first effort, but I don't care.  This was a great album.  It had its hits, but every song was entertaining and fresh.

I think this is a good list, but the problem with lists is placement... I can't really say that Piano Man was greater than Tapestry... And I wonder who I have forgotten... 

I would love to hear about your favorite albums...

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You can't beat a girl that can sing and play an instrument at the same time.  I confess that I loved The Carpenters... Until I went to college and learned they were utterly uncool.

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Malott Eats Fish

OK... So I have been a big beef, pork, and chicken eater all my life... Which is probably why bachelors such as myself die young.  But I have recently developed a love affair with baked fish.  My girlfriend from college, who lives in Maryland not far from the Chesapeake Bay, who occasionally tosses an email my way... She told me about "Old Bay Seasoning" that the local crab shacks use.  She said it would be good on fish!  I found it at WalMart and have used it liberally on frozen Tilapia fillets that I bought at Sam's Club. 

Old Bay Seasoning is produced somewhere near Baltimore... Her old stomping grounds.

The Tilapia fillets come individually wrapped and I bake them at 350 for 30 minutes... Delish!

Today I bought a big bag of "Swai" fillets from Vietnam... only eleven bucks.  I had never eaten communist fish before, but tonight I tried them and they are almost as good as the Tilapia.  If my butt doesn't itch in the morning I figure they either have no parasites, or the baking process killed them.  I'll let you know.

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10 Years Later...

I was working in a hospital laboratory on September 11, 2001.  I had just been diagnosed with melanoma and was facing surgery in a few days... I had been told I had a 92% chance of still being alive in 8 years.  Up until that time I had been indestructible. 

I was processing blood samples in Chemistry when Annie told me what had happened in New York, and  I immediately followed her into the break-room where two other workers were huddled around the TV..  I remember the instant nausea.  I remember the inability to concentrate on my work.

Three young girls in their early twenties were working with us that day, and it amazed me how unaffected they appeared to be.  They went about their work and even laughed, I remember.

Heather, one of the three, came into the break-room to tell me something and glanced at the image on the TV screen.  I said, "You realize our world changed today?" 

 Last year I asked Heather if she remembered what I told her that morning.  Without hesitating she replied, "You said our world had changed."

I remember the moment when I felt better.  It was when I saw a picture of a young man standing on an overpass, waving a big American Flag at the cars passing below.  When asked later he said something like, "I felt I had to do something, and I didn't know what else to do." 

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Net Hymnal

The saddest disgrace in the modern American Church... well, besides all the rich, lukewarm, worldly believers taking up space... is the abandonment of the hymn.  Even small rural churches with mostly older populations have one or two frustrated performers up in front singing the modern stuff, oblivious to whether or not any one else is joining in.  They don't care... They have their microphone and the attention they crave.  The modern Christian music sounds more like the world's music... ... ...  What a treat for The Lord that we've found another way to be more like the world!

I hope that didn't sound harsh or unloving.

Anyway, I found a web site called Net Hymnal... And it electronically plays the hymn, lists the words, the composer's name, picture, and brief autobiography.  Love it!

So if you're tired of the pap every Sunday morning, go to Net Hymnal and remember the rich heritage that has inspired generations... Up until the modern church decided it knew better.

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Quote of the Day

“One reason I supported President Obama is because he said we must protect clean air, water and lands. But what good is it to say the right thing unless you act on it?” Redford writes. “Since early August, three administration decisions -- on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline and the ozone that causes smog -- have all favored dirty industry over public health and a clean environment. Like so many others, I'm beginning to wonder just where the man stands.”
--Robert Redford

Obviously there are those who are even more clueless than President Obama.

Liberal Hollywood Elites have theirs... They will never be poor or middle class... They will never struggle to find a job, sacrifice to pay college tuition, or pinch pennies to make their retirement savings stretch after inflation makes their money worth less.

They can afford to be carelessly and mercilessly idealistic.

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Bleh, bleh, bleh... (said with a heavy fake French accent)  For years we've heard talk about waste and abuse in government spending, but have you noticed that Washington never does anything about it?  Republicans do nothing.  Democrats want more.  The Tea Party is (was?) our last chance.

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Irene Saves Hundreds

The Telegraph lampoons the television and governmental coverage of Irene, calling it The Perfect Storm of Hype: 
The surf may have told a story but so too did the sight behind the reporter of people chatting and ambling along the sea front and just goofing around. There was a man in a t-shirt, a woman waving her arms and then walking backwards. Then someone on a bicycle glided past.

I realize there was flooding and property damage, and I'm still a little antsy having not heard from Grammy, but I do not believe that Irene lived up to her wall-to-wall coverage over the weekend.

In fact, my theory is this:  Irene saved lives. 

Think of how many people stayed home over the weekend and did not get killed on the highway.  The way Irene was hyped, I'm sure that every death that could possibly, in any way, be attributed to the storm was meticulously counted and placed in Irene's column.  But how many people didn't die by remaining safely at home with their rented DVD's and gratuitous groceries.

And what about all those people at home with no electricity?  What are they doing to amuse themselves?  How many unplanned pregnancies will be directly attributable to Irene?  Irene was most likely responsible for more new lives than lives taken.

So there you go!

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White Michael Vick

...to me, Vick seems to have a deeply African-American approach to the game. I'm not saying that a black QB who stands in the pocket ain't playing black. I'm saying Vick's style is so badass, so artistic, so fluid, so flamboyant, so relentless -- so representative of black athletic style -- that if there were a stat for swagger points, Vick would be the No. 1 quarterback in the league by far.

A decade after he became the first black QB to be drafted No. 1 overall, about one in five of the league's passers is African-American, compared with two-thirds of all players. But after his arrest for dogfighting, so many people asked: Would a white football player have gotten nearly two years in prison for what Vick did to dogs?

I don't know what it's like to be a black man.  I suspect it's like the proverbial monkey on your back... Always feeling as if you have to prove your character is above all the old stereotypes... laziness, dullness of wit... feeling as if you enter every arena of life painted with doubt and suspicion.

But articles, like this one in ESPN Magazine, that trumpet an unlevel playing field and that instill anger... and worse, discouragement...  They simply offer another excuse for failure and sub par behavior.

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Onions

It seems like every year the weather cooperates to produce a good crop in one or two areas of the garden.  This was the year for kale, corn, and onions.

These beauties are dried to perfection, and should last well into the spring.  They'll be used on sandwiches... pots of boiled arm roasts and pork roasts... scrambled eggs... vegetable soup and chili soup... and my hash brown casserole.

Click twice to enlarge... Because you know you want to.

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Romney vs Perry
For conservatives, the two front runners for the Republican nomination carry baggage from their days as governors.  As I've said before, you can't get elected governor of Massachusetts sounding like Lester Maddox... And you can't get elected in Texas with a hard line on illegal immigration.

I believe Romney has learned his lesson on health care... Romney-Care was a failure... His other problem is his religion, but I think a Mormon is preferable to Obama's religion... Which is the hate-filled rhetoric of Reverend Wright.  But then there is Romney's recent obsequence to the global warming idiots.... Very troubling.

From what I've read about Perry, he has much to answer for his stand on illegal immigration.  He is definitely a Christian, but so was George Bush, who really didn't represent conservatives on immigration.

There is no perfect candidate...  Just give me the one who can win.

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When Modems Die

My ability to enjoy the Internet at home is currently made impossible due to the death of my DSL modem which crashed late last week.  The good people at AT&T are sending a new one for free... which is supposedly faster... And they are giving me a discount  in monthly fees for my trouble...But they are wasting no money shipping it to me.

Thank goodness for the kindness of strangers who offer free WiFi.

I'll be back.

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Malott Spends Money

I recently gave (unloaded) my futon to my lovely niece and found myself without a couch in my Family (hah!) Room.

This is me and my lovely niece.

Anyway, I bought a sofa and a couple end-tables, (or is it in-tables?) choosing micro-fiber over leather because I am basically cheap at heart... And it looks like this:

Now I want to jerk up the carpeting, exposing the hardwood floor underneath, buy a thousand dollar rug, purchase the matching love seat, a flat screen TV with HD, two recliners, seating for seven or eight, though I have never entertained in the nine years I have lived here...

I figure I can do it for 5K... which I have... And since bachelors die young... It kind of makes sense...

Click on pictures to enlarge... because I  know you want to...

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Party Albums

Back in the early 60's when I was in grade school, the culture was gentler and more innocent.  There were two kinds of party albums in our home:  Bill Cosby, and The Smothers Brothers.   I had every word on the albums memorized because I listened to them over and over again on my sister's mono-speakered record player.  (This was before stereo)   I would mouth the words and pretend people thought I was funny.

I still pretend people think I am funny.

This is a classic early Smothers Brothers bit.  It's still funny.



And here is Jack Paar introducing a very young black comedian.




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Old Dan Tucker

When I was little, my grandmother, Thelma McRoberts, would rock me and sing this song with a heavy backwoods Kentucky accent...

Old Dan Tucker was a fine old man
He washed his face in the frying pan
He combed his hair with a wagon wheel
And died of the toothache in his heel

Get out the way for old Dan Tucker
He's too late to git his supper
Supper's over and dishes washed
Nothing left but a piece of squash

I would give 500 dollars to have a recording of that. 

Sitting next to her during the song service at church was priceless.

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When You Water Stuff

Since I moved into my house 9 years ago, my Black-Eyed Susans have been going downhill... The leaves never looked healthy and the flowers became fewer and less attractive.

But this year they took off early in the spring and grew like crazy!  This was also one of the rainiest springs that I can remember.

So, never the fool, I put two and two together.  Rain... Plants...  Water... Plant growth...

At the end of June, when the rain stopped coming, I started pouring a full watering can on my Susans and other flowers, and I can't (duh) believe the difference.  (Click on picture twice)

Next year:  Miracle Grow Fertilizer!

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I Need This Truck Accessory

A Man with Onions

...and a baseball.

Got many the size of softballs this year.  They are Burpee's version of Texas Granos, and they are very sweet.

I also have corn that is tasseling...

I hope you all are impressed!

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Gov. Perry's Invitation to The Response from The Response USA on Vimeo.

Not sure I want him to be president, but this is refreshing.

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Legalism and License

Just finished listening to a sermon by Chuck Swindoll from his 4th of July service.  His subject was freedom in Christ, and he used the circumcision issue in the early Church to suggest that we don't need to let legalists tell us how to live our lives... That there is nothing we need to do to compliment the free gift of salvation... Not baptism, not nothin'... except possibly attending Church... and maybe financially supporting radio ministries.  (Ok, he didn't say that)

So we believe and are saved, and that's that.  What a legalist Paul was to suggest that we should work out our salvation with fear and trembling!  Legalist!   Jerk!  Why fear?  Why tremble?  Don't need to!  We're saved by grace! 

If the Apostle Paul went to Sodom and Gomorrah his message would not be about grace.  He would tell them to believe on Christ, come out, and be separate... Which is the same message he would have for the Church in the United States.  Paul would not be shocked by our culture.  He would be shocked by the extent to which believers embrace it... And willingly pollute themselves with it.

There are too many believers that call themselves the Bride of Christ, that have never actually made the commitment.  They date Jesus on Sundays, but crawl into the world's bed the rest of the week.

Swindoll would be calling me a legalist about now.
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The Obama Administration and Vanilla Prayers

The Houston National Cemetery, which, at 419 acres, is the second-largest cemetery administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, exceeded in size only by Arlington.  Recently, however, (Arleen) Ocasio, the cemetery’s Obama-appointed director, has been credibly accused of engaging in a pattern of censorship directed against private religious expression.

In May, with the approach of Memorial Day, Ocasio required that the ministers who planned to speak at the cemetery submit their proposed prayers to her in advance. Pastor Scott Rainey of Living Word Church did so, and was told to revise his prayers to be more “inclusive” — by excluding specific reference to his own religion.

Rainey took his case to federal district court in Houston, where Judge Lynn Hughes sharply rebuked the VA and Ocasio, issuing a restraining order against them on May 26. As Hughes said in his opinion, “the government cannot gag citizens” in the name of “some bureaucrat’s notion of cultural homogeneity.”

Scott Rainey prayed on Memorial Day as he had originally proposed, including the Lord’s Prayer and this closing: “While respecting people of every faith today, it is in the name of Jesus Christ, the risen Lord, that I pray. Amen.”

I'm glad Mr Rainey happened to get the right judge, but since Memorial Day, Obama's prayer monitor is at it again:

 The chapel has allegedly been closed, its cross and Bible removed, and it is now said to be used as a “meeting space” when it is unlocked at all. The carillon in the 75-foot bell tower no longer tolls on a regular basis. And members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the National Memorial Ladies, attending upon the bereaved families and friends at veterans’ funerals, say they have been required to have their prayers pre-approved by Ocasio’s office, and have been told that the words “God” and “Jesus” are not to be used by them if they wish to continue their volunteer service at the cemetery.

I think we need some peaceful civil resistance aimed directly at our over-reaching federal government.

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The Fox is on the Town-o, Town-o, Town-o!

I have no rabbits wreaking havoc upon my garden this year.  I suspect this is because I have a wabbit-killing-buddy living under my neighbor's shed.

I tried to thank him this afternoon, but alas, he is shy... Too humble to accept thanks for his good deeds, and he took off into the soybean field behind my house.

I wonder if he has babies living under the shed with him... And I wonder if when a couple of the rabbits greased his chin... I wonder if the little ones chewed on the bones-o, bones-o, bones-o...

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Hiker Killed

A husband and wife's backcountry hike along a popular trail turned tragic when they stumbled upon a grizzly bear and her cubs and the 57-year-old man was mauled to death, Yellowstone National Park officials said.  The initial indication was that the sow grizzly was protecting her cubs.

Officials explained that the bear would not be destroyed for displaying more maternal instinct than Casey Anthony, who was recently found not guilty in the death of her cub.

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Not Guilty

Casey Anthony was found not guilty of killing her baby 24 months too late.  It's an important lesson for all American women to learn... That while babies' lives are cheap in this country, if you put off your abortion into the toddler years, you may run the risk of spending the balance of your life in prison.

Then again... maybe not.

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Who Is This?

Is it...  It looks like her... She seems to get used a lot in Indiana Wesleyan ads.

 I'd give worlds to know.
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Thanks Grammy

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How to Beat Obama




You forget about what color Obama is, you take off the politically correct gloves, and you pulverise him with his record.

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The Difference Between Men and Women

Difference #1:  Women hope to change their husbands.  Men hope their wives will not change.

Working in a hospital, I've worked with women all my life... And I have heard a thousand complaints about what husbands do and what they don't do.  The wives get ticked off... Feel powerless... They cry... They moan...

Men don't do that.  Men rarely complain to other people about their wives.  If their wife can't cook, they eat out or learn to cook themselves.   If their wives are lazy and keep a messy house, the husbands help  clean, clean it themselves, or get used to the mess.

"Why can't a woman be more like a man?"
--Professor Higgins

Of course this is a generalization, but I believe wives have a harder time accepting their mate as he is than do husbands.

I love women... always have... They are so much more sensitive, intricate, and interesting than men.   But I often want to tell them to accept the bum as he is, take the responsibility upon themselves to make the best of their lives... as best that they can...  And shut up.

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Religious Bigots and Hypocrites

PRINCETON, NJ -- Though the vast majority of Americans say they would vote for their party's nominee for president in 2012 if that person happens to be a Mormon, 22% say they would not, a figure largely unchanged since 1967.

The question is mainly relevant to the Republican and independent vote in 2012, given that the current Republican front-runner, Mitt Romney, is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, and that another Mormon, former Utah Gov. and former Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, may enter the race for the GOP nomination as early as next week.

I remember the 2008 Republican nomination process when the former Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee attacked Romney and had nothing but praise for RINO John McCain... I wondered then if Huckabee's attacks were based upon the belief that the Mormon religion was a cult.

Well now let's be honest.  The Catholic Church is a cult that glorifies Mary as divine... Protestant churches, including my own Church of Christ is a cult of rich, lukewarm believers that date Jesus on Sundays and sleep in the world's bed the rest of the week... So picking on another cult seems a little hypocritical.

Orrin Hatch, Mormon Senator from Utah has been a friend of Republican conservatives for many years and doesn't seem to scare the faithful.  I guess I just don't understand the reason for the data... unless it's just a kind of religious bigotry.

But if a Mormon can't win... Fine.  Nominate someone else.  But I have to say that the rich, lukewarm believers of the Catholic and Protestant Churches, and their rich, lukewarm believers with a Bible college degree... Their hypocrisy makes me want to spit-up on my shoes.

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Gore Applauds Romney's Stand on Global Warming

"Good for Mitt Romney — though we've long passed the point where weak lip-service is enough on the Climate Crisis ... While other Republicans are running from the truth, he is sticking to his guns in the face of the anti-science wing of the Republican Party."
--Al Gore

If that isn't the kiss of death, I don't know what is. 

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Crying Tornado!

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- In the wake of the April 27 tornadoes, veteran television meteorologist James Spann is questioning whether too frequent tornado warnings are causing people to ignore them.

Doppler Radar is an amazing thing.  It has the ability to pick up rotation in storm clouds that might lead to the formation of one of Mother Nature's most deadly phenomena, the tornado.

Currently when Doppler senses rotation, a tornado warning is issued for the counties in the storm's path, and tornado sirens warn the public. This spring we've heard the sirens several times, but no tornadoes have touched down in our county.  The problem is this: our warning system cries wolf again and again, and human nature is such that we become complacent... We hear the siren, we play the odds, we turn over in bed, and place our pillow over our ears.

I suggest this:
1)  When a warning is issued, the sirens blare for two minutes, non-stop...  Then they blare for 15 seconds every 10 minutes until the danger is past.
2) If an actual tornado is spotted, the sirens blare non-stop.

I know... It's not a perfect plan.  But it might be more effective than what we have now.

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A Pretty Grill is Like a Melody

I have found love.  Her name is Weber, and she is my grillfriend. 

She is a pretty grill, a quiet grill, and she cooks my meals and never complains.  She is not perfect... She always has gas... But when I touch her nobs, it lights a fire in her...

I've never been one to be grill-crazy,  but Weber and I have so much in common.  We like the same literature, and I often read to her in moments of quiet repose.

Please don't judge us.  For aren't we all just flesh, and blood, and steel, and igniter switches... Looking for warmth in a cold world?

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O'Reilly Trashes Cain

Last night I watched Bill O'Reilly interview Herman Cain... O'Reilly treated him as if he was the "Boy" sitting in the back of the bus.  Bill was condescending and verbally combative.

Cain is a very successful African American who has accomplished more and overcome more in his life than the arrogant FOX entertainer / school teacher could ever dream of... This interview exposed the fact that Bill is a Country Club Republican who is embarrassed by men like Cain.  I believe O'Reilly attempted in this interview to douse the growing enthusiasm of conservative Republicans for this relatively unknown candidate.

Rush Limbaugh calls O'Reilly the "Ted Baxter" of network news programming.

Today I agree.

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Quote of the Day

"If you voted for Obama in 2008 to prove you weren’t a racist, you’d better vote for someone else in 2012 to prove you’re not an idiot."
--unknown

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Why My Life is Better Than Yours

Reason #9

Every day, people I barely know stop me on the street and ask me... They say, "Malott, your life is obviously better than mine. Can you tell me why?" Usually I just push them out of my way, especially if they're old, female, and feeble.

But there are times when I take a moment and try to pass on a tiny bit of perfection to those less worthy.

This is one of those times.

Reason #9:  I have a clothesline. 

When I was growing up clotheslines were found everywhere in the neighborhood, and on summer afternoons they were regularly populated with sheets, pillow slips, and the familiar clothing my friends wore.   Some had fancy clothespin bags, while some mothers just made-do by stuffing their apron pockets full of clothespins.

I have two kinds of clothespins.

I'm sure there was a clothespin manufacturer in America when I was a boy.  But now they would be made in China.  And they would be plastic.

Last Monday mine was probably the only property in town that had bedsheets on the line, billowing in the warm breeze.  And when I went to bed that night, I'm pretty sure I was lying between the best smelling sheets in town.

But I guess people like you will just have to suffer with Downy, Snuggle, and other pathetic substitutes for excellence.

I hope this little peek into... what it's like to be me... brought a moment of sunlight to your dark little world. I hope it added a scintilla of joy to your meager and pointless life.


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Quote for the Day

"To convert one sinner from his way is an event of greater importance than the deliverance of sub-Saharan Africa from the problem of Aids."
--Allistair Begg... A variation on George Smeaton's, "To convert one sinner from his way is an event of greater importance than the deliverance of an entire kingdom from temporal evil."

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Peter Heck Puts Abortion Deaths in Perspective

Do NOT Miss This




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RINO Huntsman Speaks



This is the RINO that the Left is trying to foist upon the Republican Primary voters... Like they backed loser RINO John McCain.  The Left knows if this guy gets the nomination, conservatives and Tea Partiers will stay home in droves... Allowing another four years of Obama.

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Quote for the Day

"Those who are kind to the cruel will be cruel to the kind."
--Dennis Prager quoting the Talmud, contrasting the Left's treatment of radical Islam and its treatment of the Tea Party Movement.

Bonus Prager Quote:
"The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen."

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Quote of the Day

"Have you noticed how arrogant Satan is becoming these days?  If you haven't, you're asleep.  Sin that used to slink down back alleys now struts down Main Street."
--Adrian Rogers

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Blogging Up is Hard To Do

A friend of mine recently told me that Facebook has destroyed the blogosphere... That a short paragraph, a picture posted, a little thumb pointed up... It's all that most people feel the need to express, and it satisfies their need to reach beyond their living room.

I hate Facebook.  People want to be my Facebook friend and I don't even know them.  I never turn down "friend" requests - that would be unforgivably rude - but I almost never go to the site. 

But I digress.

I have noticed a decrease in general traffic in the blogging world along with a decrease in blogging among my blogger friends.  This change was concurrent with my own loss of interest in Malott's Blog. 

I now look upon a body of work that stretches back to 2005, some of which I'm very proud of.  But when I read what I used to post compared to what I write now... I sometimes feel that I shot my wad a long time ago.  And, with a shrinking audience, the desire to express my thoughts has waned.

But for now, I'll keep posting from time to time...

Blogging sometimes provides a relief denied even to prayer.
(Apologies to Mark Twain...)

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Republicans are Anti-Woman

In an emotional assault on the Republicans, new Democratic Party Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz today called the GOP agenda "anti-women" and "a war on women" that will backfire on Republicans in the 2012 election and provide a cushion for President Obama's re-election bid.

The entire staff at Malott's Blog is prepared to accept that statement as fact... We just want to add that Democrats are anti-Christian, anti-Economy, anti-Baby, anti-Big Business, anti-Small Business, anti-Military, anti-Black Family, anti-Gun, anti-Federalism, anti-Free Enterprise, anti-Traditional Marriage, anti-Parental Rights, anti-Free Speech, anti-Personal Responsibility, anti-Fair Election, anti-Personal Property Rights, anti-Crime Victim, anti-Self Governance, anti-Border Security, anti-Freedom, and generally opposed to anything else that once made this country the best place in the world to live.

It's good when we can all agree.

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I'm sorry....

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Quote of the Week

"It's true that ObamaCare is a blatant Big-Government Power-Grab.  But our freedom... Certainly our freedom to govern ourselves, is threatened much more by faceless men in black judicial robes who edit The Constitution, inserting their personal preferences and their little notions of justice."
--Malott

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Huckabee Opts Out

Mike Huckabee said Saturday there would be no sequel to his surprisingly strong 2008 White House bid, in which he won the Iowa Republican caucus and finished second in the primaries to Sen. John McCain.

Donald Trump said, "Mike, your ratings are high, you're making a lot of money, you're building a new home in Florida... Sit back and enjoy the show."

Mike said he sought the Lord's guidance in this matter, but I think Trump enlightened us concerning a couple other considerations.

It's hard not to like Mike Huckabee.  But he made it a little easier when he failed to challenge RINO John McCain's record in the last presidential primary.  The former Baptist preacher certainly attacked Mormon Mitt Romney... But not RINO McCain.

Mike Huckabee was the hands-down choice of several people that I respect very, very much.  So I'll just leave it at that.

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The Religion Of Peace Porn

The discovery of pornography taken during raids on Islamic militants is not uncommon, officials told Reuters.

Ah the sanctimonious and devout Muslim.  Of course Moody Church says polls among Christian believers expose an ever growing problem with pornography among church-goers... Both men and women.

But honestly... Any Believer in this country with a TV has a problem with pornography... porn with clothes on... porn in a bikini... porn between consenting adults... porn talk... porn situations. 

For most Believers in this country, porn is anything sexually disgusting.  And what isn't porn?... It's whatever you've grown used to.   Lacerations to your Holiness eventually scar-over and callous.

But I digress...

I have read that  Mullahs Make Lousy Scoutmasters, but evidently in the male-dominating Muslim world, porn is rampant.  You could knock me over with a feather.

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Stay Home Mitch

Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, said recently that Republicans needed to relax on the social issues... Which is RINO for abortion.

From Real Clear Politics:

Daniels accepted an invitation from those 55 students to meet at a spacious bar several blocks away after the event; he sipped Woodford Reserve bourbon as he asked them about their own lives and families. In return, they asked him who he might like to tap as his vice presidential nominee if he runs.



Hypothetically, he told them, he'd like to pick Condoleezza Rice.

Rice is pro-choice... Sounds like a losing team to me.

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Quote for the Day

People get so used to the dark that they think it is growing brighter.  We are the salt of the earth, mind you, not the sugar. Our ministry is to truly cleanse and not just to change the taste.
--Vance Havner

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Did They Really Kill Him?

Are we to believe that the American Government passed up on a wealth of intelligence information?   Think how much Bin Laden knew!

We may see pictures.  But I will still wonder.

If I was president, Bin Laden would be in a safe house in Afghanistan... And the sodium pentathol would already be in an IV drip.

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Intelligence and Politics Forces President Obama's Hand?

Evidently the intelligence that led to Usama Bin Laden's death on Sunday originated in August of 2010.  That's nine months ago... nine months of gestation... nine months that a murderer avoided justice.

I'm glad this piece of the puzzle has been placed.  Bin Laden has long been the poster boy for the millions and millions of murderous-Muslim-monsters scattered around the world.   But I won't be rallying around our President and praising his actions... Not just yet.

We will be learning more about the timeline of what we knew and when we knew it, but based upon President Obama's actions and sympathies in the past, I wonder if this president acted only when he had no other choice... When not acting threatened him politically.  We will see.

But today it is proper to celebrate a justice long overdue.

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Showing Skin in Church

Evidently last night was Prom Night because this morning all the young girls wore their Prom Dresses to Church... And every girl I saw was baring more than I wanted to see... The low cut... The bare back... The bare shoulders.

Now I would have been shocked, but I have never been one to confuse The Church with organized religion.  But it's like this... If a worldly little girl from a worldly little home wants to go to a dance and draw lustful attention to her body by uncovering vast tracts of her skin... She has that right.  (Why should she have fewer rights than prostitutes and cheerleaders?)

But when it's time for Church she should cover up.  After all, scattered here-and-there among all those rich, lukewarm believers is the Bride of Christ... and dressing immodestly distresses them and distracts them from their worship. 

Don't get me wrong... I like rich, lukewarm believers... They have chosen a reasonably moral lifestyle and they make great neighbors.  And they need to have a place to go on Sunday morning where they can hear a sermon offered by a rich, lukewarm believer with a Bible College degree... and they can love God, before going back to loving the world after the benediction.

But deep in the bowels of organized religion there are a few odd souls who have come out from the world to be separate... Who tithe and give generously because they don't covet the things of the world... Who have stopped watching the world's televised trash... Who dress to cover, not to attract... Who struggle to lead Holy lives... And who seek to honor God by excising  piece-by-piece  this prurient, polluted world from their lives.

The world should hate us for our Holiness and be covetous of our love.  But I digress.

In short... I think, after the Prom, before Church, the little tramps should put their clothes back on.

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Suicide Note for April

"So tired of buttoning and unbuttoning."
--Anonymous Elderly Person

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Quote for the Day

The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked for he knows their day is coming.
--King David... Psalm 37: 12,13

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The Coal Powered Car

This car runs on electricity.  Most electricity is produced by coal.  President Obama wants to reduce coal production in the United States.  President Obama wants us to buy electric cars.

If everyone gets a Coal Car, I figure my light bill will suddenly require that I get an extra job... or two.

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World's Largest Oil Producers

And their % share of world production...

15.  Norway... 2.45 %

14.  Algeria... 2.47 %

13.  Venezuela... 2.80 %

12.  Iraq... 2.81 %

11.  Kuwait... 2.93 %

10.  Nigeria... 2.95 %

9.  Brazil... 3.20 %

8.  United Arab Emirates... 3.30 %

7.  Mexico... 3.39 %

6.  Canada... 4.30 %

5.  Iran... 4.9 %

4.  China... 5.0 %

3.  United States... 10.4 %

2.  Russia... 11.6 %

1.  Saudi Arabia... 12.1 %

It is estimated that the United States uses 25 % of the world's oil production, 60-70 % imported.  The United States and Canada use oil more for transportation than for heat and power, but the opposite is true for most of the rest of the world.

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Let the Polling Begin

Obama enjoys just a single-point advantage over Romney in the Marist poll. In the hypothetical matchup, 46 percent of registered voters said they would reelect Obama, while 45 percent would elect Romney. Nine percent were undecided.

Forty-four percent of registered voters in the poll said they would definitely vote against Obama in 2012, compared to 37 percent who definitely intend to vote for Obama's reelection. That margin widens with independents, 47 percent of whom said they would definitely vote against Obama, and 32 percent of whom favor his reelection effort.

Obama would best Palin 56-34 percent and beat Trump 54-38 percent.

I look at these polls and my mouth involuntarily drops open.  Who are these registered voters?  Who are these people who want to re-elect this man... A man who in the minds of many, has eclipsed Jimmy Carter as the worst president in modern history?  I mean, I know there are Leftists and party loyalists... but 46%?  That number surprises me.

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Quote of the Week

“What we need is for you to stand up, GOP, and fight.  Maybe I should ask some of the Badger Women's Hockey Team, those champions, maybe I should ask them if we should be suggesting to Gop leaders that they need to learn how to fight like a girl!"
--Sarah Palin,  Tea Party Tax Day rally in Madison, Wisconsin 2011

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My Problems with The Donald

If there is an ego in North America that rivals Donald Trump's... I would have to be shown.  Trump has always displayed an undue appetite for fame and celebrity and the latest venue for his hunger is presidential politics.

In the past this penchant has displayed itself in less respectable, and some would say embarrassing ways... Like when he flew on a private jet with Michael Jackson to visit teenage Aids patient Ryan White.

Trump talks a good game when he discusses the economy, but I have never heard him expound on The Constitution and the importance of nominating strict constructionist judges who would interpret the constitution rather than legislate from the bench... And so many of our basic freedoms are contingent upon our next president embracing that basic concept.  The Donald says he can work with Democrats... Where have we heard that before?

Our nominee in 2012 must have full Tea Party support in order to beat an incumbent, and I believe that for the majority of Tea Party participants, social issues and Constitutional adherence are as important as he economy.

The Donald could win the nomination.  I don't believe he could win in November.

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Suffering Stupid People

As you know, I have never been one to be critical. It's just not in my nature.

But my job, for the most part, is operating a stat lab for an emergency room, and with winter pretty much played out, the work load should be getting lighter. However, halfway through April the colds, pneumonias, fevers, sore throats, aches and pains of the general population are keeping me worn out and on my feet through my entire shift.

And I know why.

Go out onto the street, go into the malls and restaurants, and you see bare feet in sandals, girls and boys in shorts, and adults with nothing on their heads. It's wet, windy, and the temperature is in the fifties... And people are dressed as if it is a warm sunny day in July.

I would never be critical, unsympathetic, or judgemental... but these people are idiots and richly deserve the virulent fruits of their stupidity.

But who really suffers? I suffer. I suffer stupid people.

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The Kennedys

I've been watching the latest Kennedy Family Worshipfest on the Reelz Channel, and it's turned out to be a mixed bag of undue adulation and a smattering of truth telling.

JFK's adulterous affairs were portrayed as just something sophisticated people do, but at least they were acknowledged. Poor Jack, he just can't hep' it. A glimpse of Father Joe Kennedy's antisemitism made it in, along with his miscalculations over America's entering into WWII.

Bobby Kennedy was generally portrayed as a rash cabinet member, and also as a moral saint... Pretty to think he was a saint. J. Edgar Hoover was portrayed as a self-serving vindictive creep, but at least the writers didn't toy with his masculinity.

President Kennedy's back trouble was well documented - and his drug use, from Demerol to amphetamines... the amphetamines administered by a shady non-government physician. Oh! And Jackie received the same uppers from the same doctor.

JFK was of course the Berlin Wall President, it's construction beginning in 1961, but Kennedy's feckless response was portrayed as wise and the lesser of two evils. However, the Bay of Pigs fiasco was -almost- fairly treated as a miscue of Kennedy's administration.

But then, the treatment of the Cuban Missile Crisis miscasts JFK as the hero. I have always argued that if Kennedy had acted strongly in Berlin and at the Bay of Pigs, the Soviets would not have perceived him as weak, and the missile crisis, which nearly started WWIII, would never have occurred. And the worst part of the production for me was when Jackie says to Caroline, "Your Daddy just saved the world." That's a nice thing to tell your daughter, but it was Daddy's indecision and weakness that caused the crisis.

The Kennedys started strong, but like most mini-series, it sort of fell apart at the end as the writers attempted to tie together loose ends. I do recommend it solely because of the one character that steals the show... The father... Joseph P Kennedy. In fact, the mini-series would have been better if they had simply told his life story and used his family as a backdrop.

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Great Architecture for April

Each month the entire staff at Malott's Blog chooses an architectural structure that demonstrates tasteful sophistication and aesthetic beauty. The votes are in for April, and we have chosen Longaberger's Basket Building in Newark, Ohio.

We strongly feel that this structure rivals even the Pfizer Penile Implant Obelisk in Tailhook, Pennsylvania for form and function.

David Longaberer, the visionary responsible for the structure, wanted his employees to feel as if they were ants headed toward a picnic.

Dave... Malott's Blog salutes you.

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Kentucky... Done

Last night Kentucky was beaten by UConn, which means it's time for the 5-Star Freshmen on the Kentucky squad to move on to the NBA... One and done. Oh sure, it will probably mean a cut in pay, but they'll do fine.

And what's to become of the Kentucky Basketball Program? Never fear... There are 5 more 5-Star Freshman coming in next year to take their place... Before leaving the following year for the NBA.

Ah... The student athlete!

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When Reasonable People Express Themselves

KABUL, Afghanistan – Anger over the burning of the Muslim holy book erupted into deadly violence for the second straight day Saturday in Afghanistan, with demonstrators setting cars and shops ablaze in a riot that left at least five civilians dead, officials said.

The desecration of the Koran at a small Florida church has outraged millions of Muslims and others worldwide, fueling anti-American sentiment that only further strains ties between the Afghan government and the West.

These fun guys in Afghanistan have won the distinction of being the biggest jerks in the world... But I figure the people in the Florida Church placed.

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The Former Big Ten

Last fall we heard about how powerful the Big Ten Basketball Programs were... How they were going to be a dominating force nationally. But as of last night the Big Ten seems much less the Elite Conference because none of the teams qualified for the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

I remember the perennially great Indiana University Program and that more recently powerful program at Michigan State... But like its football programs, Big Ten Basketball has fallen into mediocrity... And it makes me sad.

There will still be hype... And I suppose that is a money thing... A financial consideration... But collegiate sports greatness seems to have moved on to other conferences... The truly powerful SEC in football, and the ubiquitous talent among schools of all sizes in college basketball.

So today I'll pull for Butler - less than 5,000 students - that has no business being there except for the character of its coach and athletes. Tomorrow I'll root against the shameful Kentucky Program with its one-and-done non-student-athlete NBA players.

And I'll hope that the process is cyclical... That the discipline of a Bob Knight, and the coaching of a Jud Heathcoate will return to the The Big Ten, and transform it into something the midwest can once again be proud of.

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Quote of the Week

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."
--attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Admiral Hyman Rickover (that's Hyman with an "a")

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I told you so... I wrote this post back in October of 2009... Now this wonderfully entertaining novel is a major motion picture. Should you read the book before you see the movie? Oh yes... Yes you should.

Malott's Better-than-Oprah's Book Club

October's Selection

The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly (paperback? But of course!)

I'm not a black woman and a heretic, but I do know good fiction when I read it. This New York Times #1 Bestseller is about a defense lawyer who rides around L.A. in a Lincoln. The most satisfying parts are the way he tricks and manipulates everyone from the prosecutors to his client. Very entertaining. One hundred pages in.... I couldn't put it down. I got three hours of sleep last night because I couldn't put it down. My butt is dragging today because I couldn't put it down.

On the Malott Reader-Meter it comes in at a solid 8.

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Stressing the Teat

Government payouts (handouts, as we say in Greentown)—including Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance—make up more than a third of total wages and salaries of the U.S. population, a record figure that will only increase if action isn’t taken before the majority of Baby Boomers enter retirement.

One third?

This isn't sustainable. The previous generation that retired at 65 have received ridiculously high returns on their social security taxes. Good for them. But it's a different world now.

How about this... When I retire I'll let the federal government keep half, maybe even two thirds of my social security payout, if they will let me work and make as much as I want and pay no income taxes on income less than $100k. Without taxes, two days of work will provide the income of three day's work.

See, I'd work a couple days per week, part time, and stay in touch with my friends... (probably healthier than sitting in my La-Z-Boy watching TV). Through my employer I'd have insurance to supplement medicare... I'd be making and spending money supporting our economy... I could even continue to save and invest. It's a win-win. With my lifestyle I would do great! I'd take that option and be happy.

The Federal government needs to come up with options and alternatives to social security and medicare. It's not greedy to expect a return on the Social Security promise, but Social Security became welfare a long time ago, and not every retiree needs welfare.

Let the uber-wealthy retire and be happy with the millions they've saved and invested... I'll be happy with my thousands if Uncle Sam will just work with me.

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What it Means to Be Chosen

From 1901 to 2007 a total of 777 Nobel Prizes were awarded to individuals for their contributions to mankind. Of that total, 176 were awarded to Jews. Less than 1/4 of 1% of the entire world's inhabitants are Jewish, and yet this Chosen People had won almost 23% of the Nobel Prizes.

That's what it means to be the chosen of God.

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Bi-Cultural America

You've probably seen the PBS-Ron Schiller-Sting video that was filmed by James O'Keefe of ACORN-Sting fame.

It is striking to witness how east coast elites talk about middle-America conservatives, their values, and the Tea Party movement. I believe this attitude permeates Washington D.C. in both Parties and, of course, the media.

Their belief-system and culture... their "altered state," is foreign to all things traditionally American. These Left-Wing Elitists wield such power, and yet every poll indicates that they are in the minority. They are empowered by their unchallenged influence upon the ignorant, the lazy, and the gullible... And they are relentless in their efforts to undermine traditional and Christian values.

Schiller is suddenly no longer with Public Broadcasting... PBS executives approve of his beliefs, but not his indiscretion.

Goverment Spending

The Federal Budget Deficit for fiscal year 2007: 161 billion dollars

The Federal Budget Deficit for the month of February 2011: 223 billion dollars

Malott's Advice: Spend your dollars while they're still worth something.

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I've Had Enough Bush

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So a couple days ago Obama goes to Florida... Basically a 2012 campaign stop... And there to embrace him and give him credibility with independents... Good old Jeb Bush.

Obviously, like his brother George, Jeb has the political instincts of a marshmallow.

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When Jeb Bush embraced Obama... He embraced the vulgar political machine that trashes his brother to this day... He embraced the administration that laundered billions of stimulus tax dollars into the hands of unions which will invest those dollars in Democrat Campaign Coffers... He embraced the selfish, immoral political tactics that undercut our soldiers in Iraq and cost countless American lives... I could go on.

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The context of the appearance was education, and "Obama Education" means the ultra-liberal National Education Association, which is in the process of turning our feckless public schools into the indoctrination centers that our universities have become.

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The Deal: Obama took the stage and praised Jeb for his work improving Florida schools, work that Florida Democrats fought tooth and nail to discredit and undermine.

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So, for a pat on the back, Florida RINO Jeb Bush, sells out and props up an incompetent socialist president and his Party of reprobates.

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I hope the GOP has seen its last Bush.

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Good Muslim Bitches

An ABC pilot called “Good Christian Bitches” has religious and women’s groups up in arms over what they describe as an extremely offensive and distasteful show title.

The plot centers on the life of reformed “mean girl” Amanda, played by “Talladega Nights” actress Leslie Bibb, who returns to her hometown of Dallas to find herself fodder for malicious gossip from the women in the Christian community.


Oh... I guess ABC was concerned that "Muslim Bitches" might be offensive. Maybe the Burqas weren't sexy enough... or at all.

Has anyone noticed that it's open season on Christianity? I don't think we are becoming the European Jews of the mid-twentieth century... Not yet. But it is definitely politically correct to trash us.

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Reagan Not Popular with Krauts

A poll for the German news magazine Focus found last month that a majority of Germans -- 52 percent -- would oppose a Reagan street in Berlin while 42 percent would support it.

Normally this would tick me off. After all, Reagan more than anyone else was instrumental in the demise of communism, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and the reuniting of East and West Germany.

But think about it... If the people who came up with the idea of Auschwitz and Treblinka... And enthusiastically supported the rise of a paranoid sadist named Adolf... If this pathetic spawn of Nazis wanted to name a street after me... I'd really have to stop and examine my life.

So I'm really not ticked off about it.

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The 30 Day Challenge

Nancy Leigh DeMoss is one of my favorite podcasts. She is like your favorite Sunday School Teacher, and though the program is supposedly for women only, she has many male listeners.

Her 30 day challenge is designed for women who have problem marriages or those whose marriage has lost its luster.

Here are the rules...

1) For 30 days not a single negative word leaves your lips concerning your husband. You say nothing negative about your husband to your friends, your family... or to your husband.

2) Every day, for thirty days, you think of something positive or something you admire about your husband... And you tell a friend or family member... And you tell your husband.

That's pretty much it. I've really enjoyed listening to the women's comments, the most common of which is that they didn't realize how negative and un-encouraging they'd been until they took the Challenge. Their husbands reactions were varied, but all positive.

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The Weekly Chan

Bauer Still in Hiding

Indiana Democratic House Minority Leader and owner of the worst hairpiece known to man, Patrick Bauer, is still hiding in an undisclosed Illinois town (Urbana).

If you have seen this man, and can stop laughing, please call the Indiana State House and report your location (in Urbana).

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Why Collective Barganing Doesn't Work for Government Employees

On Fox News today I heard an excellent reason why state and federal employees shouldn't be represented by unions. I wish I could credit the guy by name, but I didn't catch it.

He said that government employees have a monopoly on services... That if Chrysler had a strike, he could purchase a car from Toyota... But if government employees strike, there is nowhere else to go for services.

When teachers unionize... Or air-traffic controllers... Or city workers that remove snow from the streets... The threat of a strike takes on a dimension that is not seen in the world of competition. Unionized employees in the private sector are limited by supply and demand, prices, and competition. But government workers have no competition... The public that hires them is basically at the mercy of the unions.

If you choose to work for the government, whether it's the military, or teaching, or the county road crew, you should give up the right to collectively bargain... Or look elsewhere for work.

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