Tim Russert

One of the most annoying things I can think of is the complete lack of objectivity and total devotion to liberalism displayed by the mainstream media today. As if on cue, you can count on softball questions being asked of liberals, and an inquisition of conservatives by pretty much every political pundit you can think of. The sole exception to this media "rule" was Tim Russert. If anyone ever came close to being a true "fair and balanced" interviewer, it was Tim.

As respectable as he was regarding ethics in media, I respected him for his devotion to fatherhood. His books and subsequent book tours gave me an inside look at a man who spoke of fatherhood as something to be admired. This is rare today.
As a father and a conservative, I am no stranger to how we are portrayed in movies and sitcoms. We are the out of touch simpletons who are totally clueless about what their naturally genius children are pulling on them. In commercials, we are the ones who would be lost if it were not for our brilliant wives stepping in before we make a bad decision. OK, that one might be accurate, but you get the point.

Russert was able to use his relationships with his father and son to remind people that fathers serve an important purpose in the shaping of our personalities. He spoke of the work and rewards of being a father. I have never heard anyone explain the complexities of fatherhood in such a realistic, accurate way. After listening to Russert talk about his life experiences and being a Dad, I realized that he was the one guy in the media who "gets it". He understood the distance and stoicism associated with many fathers. He understood the lack of ambiguity and "grey areas" that make up the mind-set of many fathers. He understood unspoken bonds between fathers and sons. He understood how sometimes the simplest little things can be life changing lessons for children passed on from their fathers.
Best of all, Russert was able to convey these concepts in a simple, concise way that just oozed with sincerity. Another rare thing these days.

Tim Russert was an all around good guy and he will be missed.

SUV'S; THE REAL ENDANGERED SPECIES

It was all fun and games when the left simply scorned those of us who drive SUV's and occasionally vandalized such vehicles. We all sat back and laughed as they tilted at their windmills and generally showed themselves to be the fools that they are. We assumed that the rest of the world saw them as illogical weirdos as well. We were wrong.
In reality, they were getting press, and gaining social acceptance. Still, we laughed. Why wouldn't we? After all, everyone knew why the SUV makes such a great vehicle...right? Apparently not.
So now that the left has successfully priced the cost of operating an SUV beyond the reach of most people today, I feel it is my duty to explain to the left exactly why many of us drive SUV's in the first place.
Contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with any sort of inferiority complex or image issues. It has everything to do with practicality. First, there is this thing called S-N-O-W. It's this white stuff that falls from the sky and makes the road slippery, and tends to pile up on the road in rural areas where plows don't get to right away. Despite the presence of snow, some of us still need to go to work, and get the kids to school, get the groceries, or even go to the doctor's office. You see, snow has it's own schedule.
Another factor in purchasing an SUV is towing capacity. Some people like to boat, or ride dirt bikes. Others like to ride jet skis, or race cars. Still others do landscaping, lawn maintenance or light excavation work to make ends meet. All of these activities require a vehicle that has enough power and stability to haul extra weight and still bring the family, friends or co-workers along for the ride.
Personally, for me the most important reason for owning an SUV is my family. I am one of those wackos who actually like their family. I also have a basic understanding of physics. You see, I have no way of knowing what type of crash my family may or may not ever be involved in. But I do know that I would like them to survive it.
Consider the following scenario: You are forced at gun point to be put into a vehicle that is in the path of an 80,000 pound big rig. You are told that this truck is going to ram you, and if you live, you will be given a million dollars. You are given the option of being put into a Prius or a Hummer. Which one do you pick?
Then there is the "real world" environmental reasons for owning an SUV. Which causes more environmental damage? The manufacturing and maintenance required in owning two vehicles to cover your many needs, or just one that can do everything that you might require.
Probably the most obvious reason for me to own an SUV is really pretty simple. I just want one. Isn't that enough? This is still America...isn't it?

HOPE AND CHANGE

Now that the Democrat primary has finally come to a close (maybe), I think it is safe to start taking a more critical look at the policies of the opposing party's candidate. This is no easy task due to Barrak Obama's lack of legislative track record and total lack of experience in any of the areas that a President needs to be familiar with. When asked about any given issue, Obama's favorite retort is to make some vague comment about hope and change. This too makes Obama's plans and policies even more of a mystery.
Admittedly, he actually has spoken about some of his views, but usually in a candid moment when he thought the public at-large was not going to hear it. This is usually then followed by some sort of explanation that makes even less sense than the original comment. And he actually does have somewhat of a legislative track record. That is, if you count his many "present" votes in the Senate. I've tried that whole "voting present" thing with my wife regarding decisions we've needed to make...it's not as well received as in the Democrat party.
Beyond the hypnotic, repetitive use of the words hope and change, it's pretty hard for the average "Joe" to tell you what Barrak Obama has in store for this nation. So taking those words at face value, let's see what Obama's campaign is all about.

Hope. Hope is a word. It may even be considered an idea. But is it a plan? Well, that probably depends on who you are and what you're "hoping" for. Hitler "hoped" that he could rid the world of Jews. Jeffry Dahmer "hoped" that he could find another young man to torture kill and eat before he got caught. Bin Laden "hopes" he can kill more infidels. On the other hand, there are many of us that "hope" the government will stop trying to pull every last penny out of our pockets to spend on scams like man-made global warming.
Is hope a verb? I guess technically, but if you try to "hope" your spare tire onto the hub when you have a flat, you're not going to get very far. Have you every tried to "hope" the grass to get cut, or a bill to get paid? Can you send the electric company an envelope full of "hope"? How far will your car go with a tank full of "hope"? Are we going to "hope" the terrorists will have a change of heart before or after the next attack? Hope is one of those things that people do when the have completely run out of ideas.

Change. Change is a word too. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a mysterious word unless you identify what you're changing from, and most importantly, what you're changing to. If you jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, you have made a "change". If you go from being able to afford gasoline, to needing to ride a bicycle ten miles in the snow just to get to work, then you also have made a "change". If you go from being a sovereign nation, to just another part of a giant global bureaucracy lead by dictators and tyrants, haven't you made another "change"?

In a world where catch-words are all we need to be inspired, here are some of mine:

drill
refine
pump
independence
sovereignty
victory
security
rule of law
the constitution
conservatism
deportation
assimilation
liberty
freedom

SO-LONG TOOTS

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be rooting for Hillary Clinton to win...well, anything, I would have assumed you had escaped from some "facility". But here we are a year later and that's exactly what happened. Don't get me wrong, Hillary would make an awful president and a general election victory for her would probably drive me to a "facility". That being said, what was done to her in the Dem primary was nothing short of "dirty pool".
Normally, I would be rejoicing in her treatment as being a case of "what goes around comes around". But not unlike "Jules" in Pulp Fiction, I find myself in a "transitional period" lately.
I have known for sometime how low the liberal establishment will go to protect their power, but it is a rare thing to actually witness them eat their own. And when it happens, it's really not as satisfying as you might think. It's kinda' like watching an animal eat it's young. You know it's what they do naturally, but that doesn't make it entertaining.

Thanks to the Clinton campaign, much has been said about sexism over the past few months. So I would like to clairify my position on the topic. First, it is not Hillary's "plumbing" that would make her a bad president. It is her policies. I could care less what gender my president is, as long as they have conservative ideals. Hillary is a liberal. Her policies are a virtual carbon copy of Obamma's, and I think he will be an equally awfull president, despite posessing a penis.
Will Hillary quit? Maybe, maybe not. Personally, I would like to see her stick it out to the bitter end. I would even support her in an effort to take it to the Supreme Court.

In a perfect world, Hillary will learn a valuable lesson after experiencing the media's biased wrath for a few months, but I doubt that will happen. At least we now know that the old attage is true; there is no honor among theives...or Democrats.

GEAR-HEAD ZEN

Sometimes I find that my inspiration for the things I write come from very unlikely sources. One example of this is a 1972 Chevy Pick-up that I purchased in hopes of fixing up and making a profit. I used to do this quite often when I was younger, as I had more free time then. Now that I am married with child (and one on the way), I feel added pressure to finish this project ASAP. Yesterday, I was tearing the front end of this truck apart when my mind started to wander a bit. I was thinking back to all of the vehicles I had rebuilt for profit in my younger years when it dawned on me. I was a conservative much earlier in life than I realized.
You see, even though I had many liberal leanings at one point in my life, my actions were decidedly "right wing". I was not content to sit and complain about not having extra spending cash. I did something about it. I don't recall wasting valuable oxygen blaming others for my lot in life, I made attempts to remedy my situation. I didn't come running to the government for hand-outs. I made do with what I had.
As I layed waste to rusty fenders and rotted wiring harnesses, I realized that teenagers today would rarely be caught dead with a wrench in their hand. Much less out of a desire to put some extra change in their pockets. Rather, many would just as soon demand a few bucks from Ma and Pa. Consequently, this lack of ambition also prevents a lot of kids from having any technical ability, leaving them at the mercy of technicians and repairmen, while costing them more money as well. Not to mention being unable to play the hero when a young lady's car won't start.
Rugged individualism, work ethic, and independence were more than just rare words not too long ago. I refer to that period as "the good ol' days". So as I torque the bolts and set the timing, I am also trying to set an example for my daughter and teenage nephews. I hope to pass on lessons I learned along time ago, before I even knew they were lessons.
Lessons like: If you can't find a job, make your own. If you want something, work for it, earn it. Have something to show for your work that will exist after you're gone. Let your work be your legacy. Let your work be your portfolio. Let your work be your example. But most of all, work hard, save your money and take satisfaction in having earned it yourself.

TED KENNEDY

As a conservative, I have no problem saying that I pretty much despise everything that Ted Kennedy has done since the day he entered politics. But, as a human being, I must say that even this anti-American political enemy is not deserving of something as horrible as brain cancer. When I first heard that he had blacked-out, I must admit that I was hoping he had contracted something just serious enough to force him into retirement, but not seriously enough to effect his daily life. Unfortunately, fate has dealt him a grim set of cards.
I sincerely hope that he will make a speedy recovery, but I suspect that this is not going to happen due to the seriousness of that type of cancer. He is in my prayers.

Kennedy's situation is not without political irony. For years, the Left has been pushing for socialised health care and commonly cites countries like Cuba, Canada, and England as models for such a system. They also like to tell us how awful America's current health care system is. The words "crises" or "failing" are usually used to describe it. So this begs a few questions.
Why was Kennedy taken to an American hospital in Massachusetts after his seizure? Why has he still not been flown to Cuba where he can access the world's most advanced medical treatment? Surely a multi-millionaire such as Ted Kennedy could afford a ticket to Cuba? I know the leadership of Cuba would welcome him with open arms, if for no other reason than to make points with the media.
I just don't understand why the Kennedy family would settle for third-rate American medical care for the patriarch of their family. Love him or hate him, he is a living legend and deserves more than the primitive, abysmal care he would receive in the United States. I think that Micheal Moore and Nancy Pelosi should use the power of the bully pulpit to demand he be air-lifted to Cuba immediately for treatment.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EXPLAINED

Recently, a struggling radio station in our area made the wise decision to change formats from the same box of records that everyone else plays, to "all talk". This was a smart decision considering that there was poor reception for AM in our area, and no talk radio at all on FM. Better yet was their choice of weekly programming. Glenn Beck is followed by Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Micheal Savage and John Gibson. To throw the lefties a bone, they end with Allan Combs. Needless to say, when I accidentally came across this station, I was in "high cotton". That is, until I tuned in on the weekend.
Sunday afternoon I got into my truck anxiously waiting to hear what Sunday's programming would include, when I was suddenly transported to land far away. Yep, they were broadcasting an all Spanish radio program. Later that day, I read the local paper where they had written an article about this new show.
Being a believer in the second amendment, I wrote into the on-line response message board to voice my opinion. As expected, my comments sparked a debate.
My point was that programming in Spanish (or any other language) is a fast-track to segregation and separatism. I explained that when you do this, you are giving new immigrants (legal or otherwise) one more reason to not assimilate to America. I also asserted that the executives at this new station were selling-out America with their choice of Sunday programming.
This then lead to a discussion about ILLEGAL immigration. I was surprised as to how many people there are who just don't get the concept. So for those reading this blog who might fit this category of people...I'll explain.

The difference between legal and ILLEGAL immigration is akin to the difference between buying a car and stealing one. The first clue is that an ILLEGAL immigrant has broken the law. To understand why that's a big deal, you need to understand why we have immigration laws in the first place.
Think of America as your house. I would be willing to bet that you have a door on your house. That door probably has a lock. I would also assume that you have some method of seeing who might be knocking at your door. Maybe a peep-hole, security camera or simply an adjacent window. That's because you want to see who might be requesting access to your family's home. Do you know them? Are they on the "Wanted" poster at your post office? Do they have a weapon? Do they look ill?
Rightly, you would probably ask them through the door who they are and what are their intentions. You do this for the same reasons. Does their story add up? Do they mention a common acquaintance? Do they offer a way to check their story? If not, you have the opportunity to deny them access to your family. Not out of hate or bigotry, but simple logic and security.

Most likely, you have not taken the door off the hinges and allowed anyone in the area to access your fridgerator, and medicine cabinet. That's because you would be a fool to do so. These are the same principals that apply to our immigration policy.
You see, when you come here ILLEGALLY you are not screened for communicable diseases. You are not checked for a criminal record. You take no oath of loyalty to our nation. You are not part of any program designed to help you assimilate to American culture and customs. You have no sponsor willing to vouch for you. You are not being motivated to learn our laws or system of government. But worst of all, you have jumped the line in front of thousands who take the time and have enough respect for their new home to follow the proper procedure for immigrating to this country. You are no better than anyone who would jump the rail at Six Flags and cut in front of those waiting to ride the coaster.

It's ironic that some of the same people who would be offended if someone cut in line ahead of them, see no problem with ILLEGAL immigration. It's also ironic that a radio station that spends all week explaining the folly of ILLEGAL immigration and non-assimilation would take time on the weekend to promote those very things.