Dear Mr. President: WTF?

Dear President Obama,


It has occurred to me that I may have been a little ungrateful for all that you have done in the short time you've been in office. If your people have been monitoring me on some watch list, I may have given the impression that I think you're an asshat. OK, I actually said it several times...JUST KIDDING! I recently learned of your "Secret Kill List" and I know that I fit the home grown terrorist profile of Jack Napolitano; old, white, Christian, redneck. I'm not former military, but four out of five isn't bad. Anyway, I guess I haven't made that list, or I wouldn't be typing this brilliant piece of literature right now. So, just to clarify, I think you've done a lot of just wonderful things and, on behalf of myself and a few friends, I'd like to thank you. Where should I start?

• The Economy-Ok, so everything costs a lot more and all of us have a lot less money; let's look for the silver lining. My pantry and refrigerator needed a good cleaning and their both spotless and shiny now. Back when we had all that economic growth under Reagan, Clinton, and the Bush boys, they were all cluttered up with food and crap like that. Thanks A Lot!!!
• Personal Wealth-Even though it doesn't seem like it, my personal wealth has infinitely multiplied under your leadership. Before you took office, I was just a regular working stiff. But, thanks to you, and according to you; I'm either a millionaire or a billionaire. I'm not sure why in the hell my bank balance says $359.00, I guess all my money must be tied up in bonds or securities or something like that. Either way, like your buddy Warren Buffett, I feel like I'm not paying my fair share. Please raise my taxes; PLEEEEEEASE!!!
• George W. Bush-On behalf of myself and your predecessor, THANK YOU! No we really mean it, Thank You! As you like to mention very frequently, "W" kind of made a mess of things. His over the top deficit spending and manipulation of the currency left us with a real turd of an economy. But, then you came in, worked your magic, and turned it into "TURDZILLA". We owe you one!
• Jimmy Carter-In the same spirit as above, Ol' Jimmy is extremely grateful. After all, you and he are sort of kindred spirits; with you being the first African-American president, and he the first retarded one. Jimmy made Fidel Castro look like an economic genius and thought he had secured his place as the worst president in history; then you rode to the rescue. The state of Georgia is forever in your debt.
• Mitt Romney-Mitt is still trying to figure out what happened. He went from being a lifelong "DND" (Damn Near Democrat) to looking like the second coming of Ronald Freaking Reagan. Mitt had no idea he was a conservative until you got elected; he thought John McCain was a right wing extremist. That's why he still can't articulate the message that good, but he's learning. Mitt would also like to apologize for sending you that damn socialized health care thing.Iit worked out OK for him, but he didn't have to worry about the pesky ass constitution in Massachusetts. He's sorry that it's caused you so much grief. Also, thanks for writing an awesome campaign platform for him; he was really clueless, but you're providing an unending stream of talking points. Much Appreciated!
• My Personal Health-I guess I owe you my life! Who knew that a steady diet of Dr. Peppers and Twinkies was bad for your health? I don't know what we'd do without you and your wife looking out for us; I guess just get fat and die. But, in spite of your warnings, we're still having a tough time backing away from the buffet. Maybe you should consider dropping the hammer on us with some serious food regulations, or maybe just tax the crap out of our fat asses. Oh, you already thought of that? My bad. Please hurry before my butt gets too big to fit through the door. Thanks!
• Punishing the Rich-You know, I had been thinking that it would be great if someone could really stick it to the people that I work for, and by groceries and energy from. If someone would just break it off in their asses, I'm sure that could be nothing but beneficial to me. Yeah, take more money from my boss, there's gotta be a better chance of you giving me some than him giving me a raise, right? Tax the shit out of Exxon and Walmart! They'll never think of passing it on to us. Go Get "em Prez!

Well, gotta run now, it's 5:30 a.m. and I have to get down to the food bank. A fellow has to eat, and God knows the line is a lot longer down there than it was before you took office. Oh, sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned God in a letter to you. I take it back. Please don't put me on a new list! I'll continue this later, I still have tons of stuff to thank you for.


Best Regards,


Seymour Poverty

You're Not the Boss Of Me!

"This is a free country!" 

When I was a kid, that's what we told people who tried to boss us around. Well, I don't know what the kids say today, but that one sure as hell doesn't work. I guess it snuck up on us, like tequila shots, we didn't even see it coming. We just woke up, in a lot of pain, getting screwed by somebody that wasn't our date. I'm not sure when it dawned on me that so many people, were attempting to control so many aspects of my life; but it's pissing me off and I'm sensing that I'm not alone. An increasing number of people are getting fed up, but a lot of ignorant bastards are content to sit back and let it happen, especially when it's happening to someone else. Last week, we celebrated national "Eat Whatever You Want Day". WTF? How about we have national "Kiss My Fat White Ass Day" A few days ago, the genius that we sent to the White House "evolved" on the issue of gay marriage, and decided it was OK. Homosexuals and leftists responded by kneeling at his altar, as if he had just parted the Red Sea. Their response should have been "Screw you Barry, we don't need your approval." Regardless of how you feel about homosexuality or same sex marriage, why in the hell is anyone in America asking the government for permission to get married?

"Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed"

Does that statement ring a freaking bell for anyone? Here's the problem; far too many Americans love all that rhetoric about freedom and self government. They love to quote Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. Freedom is awesome!, unless we're talking about the freedom to do something that annoys or offends them. OK, let's forget gay marriage, we'll agree to disagree on that. Let's say, I buy a building and decide that I want to open a restaurant. I go down to city hall and pay all the bullshit licensing and permit fees ( basically, buy permission from the government) and I'm ready to open. Since I know that a large number of people in my area are smokers, I decide I'll allow smoking in my restaurant. I know this will, likely, drive away some non-smokers, but I think it's worth the risk. Oh, sorry! The conservative, Republican ruled government in my state has passed a law that makes it a crime to allow smoking, a legal activity, on my privately owned property. See, smoking is bad for your health and some say that just being in the same building with a smoker is equally harmful; though there is no proof of that. Anyway, I wasn't going to force my customers, at gun point, to smoke or force non-smokers to patronize my business. I was just going to allow people to smoke, if they wanted; because I thought it would be good for business. The thing is, a majority of the people in my state don't smoke and they think it's a disgusting habit; they don't like the smell. Therefore, they've decided that no one should smoke, anywhere, ever. It's democracy, majority rule! The problem is, 150 years ago, the majority of people in my state thought it was OK for white people to own black people. Oh Shit! Maybe we need some checks and balances on this majority rule thing. Here's something scary; you know what else a lot of people, seemingly, don't like? Fat people! Now this one really pisses me off. I think the smoking ban is wrong, but I don't smoke. I am, however, one big fat bastard. Oh, I'm not fat like; "bury me in a piano crate", or I'm a contestant on "The Biggest Loser", by the way, I think everyone that goes on that show is a gigantic loser, but I could lose a few pounds. This get's a little confusing for me, as it pertains to majority rule. According to the, so called, experts, about two thirds of Americans are some big fat turds. Well, tell me where I'm wrong, but, if the majority of us are fat; shouldn't we force the rest of you to load up on the Blue Bell and pack on the cellulite; instead of you forcing us to eat bean sprouts and go to boot camp? What am I missing here? Now, the favorite justification for telling us not to smoke, and not to be fat; is the burden to society that it puts on our heath care system. Well, if society had kept their grubby ass hands out our doctor's offices and heath insurance, it wouldn't be costing them shit! Speaking of health insurance; in an effort to solve the problem of rising costs and people being uninsured, the federal government passed a law that forces me to buy insurance for myself and my family, and also forces me to buy it for my neighbor, if he can't afford it. But, I can't buy just the coverage I need, the law also forces me to buy coverage for things like maternity and contraceptives; even though I endured invasive surgery, to a very sensitive area, to ensure that I wouldn't need those things. The kicker is; the law also forces me to provide that type of policy to my lazy ass neighbor and his family. There are a lot of things that the govt. forces us to do, but what about the stuff they won't let us do? Now, I understand why they won't let me kill my worthless neighbor, but some of this other stuff is just ludicrous. I can't drive my car unless I wear a seat belt, can't build a fence around my yard unless I buy permission, can't put an alarm in my home or business unless I buy permission, can't pay someone to install a ceiling fan unless they buy a license, can't ride a bike without a helmet, can't send a coke and candy bar to school with my kid as a snack, can't put leaves or grass clippings in the trash unless they're in expensive biodegradable bags, and, just this last week, can't have a swimming pool at my business unless I install expensive equipment to lift disabled people in and out of the water. That new law, by the way, isn't just for new pools. It applies to businesses with pools that have been in existence for decades. The cost can be paid by business owners, or divided up among the customers. Government really likes to be the boss of businesses! I work in construction safety, which provides me with the privilege of dealing with OSHA, which is Latin for; "The Safety NAZI's". Their mission is to prevent businesses from heartlessly murdering employees because, as everyone knows, the only way to make a profit is to kill the people that work for you. OSHA requires employers to provide their workers with training and equipment to protect them from the hazards of their job, which seems reasonable, but it doesn't end there. Providing these things isn't enough. The employer has to force the workers to use them, all the time. The govt. doesn't force the workers to use protective equipment, they force the employers, to force the workers. If OSHA finds an employee grinding metal, alone in a closet, with safety goggles lying on the floor next to him, there is no consequence for the worker, but the employer gets a big ass fine. Yeah, that seems fair. Why don't I just buckle him into a stroller and wheel him around with me like an infant, so I can be sure his ignorant ass doesn't do something stupid? But the workers don't get a free pass from government parenting. In my industry, craftsman make about $20 an hour, so, in a 40 hour week they make $800, before Uncle Sam's mafia (the I.R.S.) holds out their "protection" cut. The company I work for has a lot of work, so these employees can put in another 20 hours a week whenever they want. For you Obama supporters, that's another $400; a 50% increase in pay! But, the govt. won't let them. That's right it's against the law for them to work for less than $30 an hour, once they've worked 40; even if they really need the money. How about this? My 16 year old son has never done any type of work and has absolutely no job qualifications. But, the guy who runs the diner down the street wants to pay him $5 an hour to wash dishes and take out the trash; not bad for a kid who doesn't know anything. Sorry, can't do it, it's against the law for him to accept anything less than $7.25 an hour. Damn, I thought this was a free country, surely I can decide what wage I'm willing to work for. No, you can't, you're too damn stupid! What the hell do you think government is for, just to keep prostitutes employed? These Democrats have sure screwed things up right? Not exactly, Republicans are just as bad, maybe worse. Who outlawed the incandescent light bulb? George Bush and a Republican congress. Who gave us OSHA and the EPA? Richard Nixon. Who legalized warrant-less wire taps and the indefinite detention of US citizens, without bringing charges? Republicans! Private citizens, who support Republican candidates love to hammer Obama about the regulation he's imposed. But, it's Bush's fault that we have to buy $30 LED light bulbs. The left screamed about civil rights abuses when Bush passed "The Patriot Act". Obama re-authorized it and not one Democrat said shit; the only people that bitched were Ron and Rand Paul. It's like, when you were a kid, and it's kinda funny when some bullies give a nerd a wedgie and thump his ears. But then, the next week, when you're the one digging your drawers out of your ass, with your ears glowing like Rudolph's nose; then it's not so damn funny. 

Fair Warning America! 

Put on some ear muffs and get ready for a wedgie from hell! Everyone wants to be the boss of us!

Gay Marriage? Really? Who Cares?

Wow, this is earth shattering! The president has evolved on the issue of gay marriage and decided that it’s ok. Thank God! I had no idea how I was going to vote until his ground breaking announcement yesterday. Are you kidding me? In this economy, with all the threats to national security, with protesters rioting and attempting to blow up bridges, and with millions of people unable to find a job; why in the hell are we spending even 30 seconds worrying about gay marriage? Here’s the bottom line; the people who run our 2 major political parties think that all of us common folk are stupid and, frankly, they have a point. This is the top story on every news outlet in the country and people are choosing sides and lining up to defend their position; as if it made one damn bit of difference in any of our lives. It doesn’t! But, there is some common ground among all the differing viewpoints on this issue; the stupidity is distributed equally, regardless of ideology. Let’s start with the Republicans/Conservatives. Give it a rest! We get it, you think homosexuality is wrong, perverted, immoral, or maybe you just don’t like it. That’s ok, you’re entitled to your opinion, you don’t have to like it or accept it. But, like it or not, there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. If we passed a constitutional amendment, banning same sex marriage, it would have no effect on homosexuality. You can’t legislate it away, or pray it away, or intimidate it away, so stop wasting your time. A lot of conservatives will say; “I don’t care if people are gay, but we have to protect the sanctity of marriage.” First, the only marriage that I can protect, or have the ability to protect the sanctity of, is my own. Protecting the sanctity of my neighbor’s marriage is not my damn job, nor the governments. Second, what sanctity? We have TV shows in which men and women humiliate, prostitute, and degrade themselves in order to win a proposal. Should we ban “The Bachelor” in order to protect marriage? What about sham marriages of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Britney Spears, which end after a matter of days? And, it’s not just this new generation; Mickey Rooney and Liz Taylor married everyone on the planet except each other. We have websites that help connect people who want extramarital affairs. Tens of thousands of people are swingers, in open marriages. Are we going to just legislate all of that away? Conservatives need to learn the lesson that we’re always trying to teach liberals and progressives; government can’t create a perfect society by passing laws and regulations. Furthermore, they have no right or authority to try; even if they’re in the majority. Whose stupid idea was it that we ask government for permission to get married in the first place? Mitt Romney couldn’t wait to wait to tell the world that he’s still against same sex marriage, minutes after Obama’s announcement. Awesome Mitt, you’re a real conservative! But, what if there are a lot of gay voters, who are not communists, and were thinking there might be a better option than Obama? Why piss them off over something that will have absolutely no effect on most, if any, American lives? Now, gays, lesbians, blah, blah, blah…that big pile of initials you have to group yourselves by; you know it sounds pretty similar to Glenn Beck’s internet station (GBLTV?). Anyway, are you so shallow and insecure that Obama, switching positions as he’s falling in the polls, the day after a federal convict with a classic mullet got 40% of the vote in the West Virginia Democratic Primary, is really such a huge victory for you? This is like a nerd in high school who asks a cheerleader to the prom. Then, after she gives him a prompt “Hell No!”, he pulls a gun on her and asks her again. “Well, sure, I’d love to.” She’s not scared, she’s “evolving”. C’mon! I’m sure gays have their share of idiots; but all of you can’t be that stupid. He doesn’t give a shit whether you can get married and you know it! Personally, I think you’re getting the shaft, no pun intended; it’s no one's business who you marry. But, Obama can’t change it, and he won’t even try; you still have a long battle ahead on that. In the mean time, you might need jobs. Stop being lead around on a leash by the Democrats. I’m not going to bother with the liberal left’s side of this because all of your views and positions are ludicrous, and it’s a waste of time. America, we’re getting exactly the government we deserve, and that will continue as long as we’re focusing on stupid crap like this.

The Catholic Church Joins the War on Religion

The Texas Catholic Conference thinks the the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) has been discriminatory and unfair in it's treatment of Jewish and Muslim schools. The education director of the organization that governs Texas Catholic schools, Margaret McGettrick, told the Houston Chronicle that TAPPS' treatment of those groups was "unacceptable". McGettrick also threatened to pull her 43 schools out of TAPPS if they don't change their ways. So, as the Catholic Church has reminded us for the last 2,000 years, they hold the moral high ground for the entire planet. I'm not sure how much research Mother Teresa McGettrick has done regarding the recent incidences, that the left wing Houston Chronicle has decided are front page material; but I've done quite a bit. The story, as reported by esteemed journalist Angel Verdejo, who the Chronicle recently stole away from a local paper in Killeen, TX; describes how TAPPS attempted to deprive the Jewish players of Beren Academy of a chance to compete for the state basketball championship. TAPPS, evidently due to antisemitism, was unwilling to reschedule their final four tournament in Fort Worth, in order to work around the Jewish Sabbath. Faced with a lawsuit, a court order, and under pressure from the media and state senators Dan Patrick and Rodney Ellis, TAPPS gave in and rescheduled the tournament. A few days later, Verdejo, the future Chris Matthews, had another breaking story about how TAPPS had denied membership to the Muslim Iman Academy; again on the basis of religious discrimination. Mr Verdejo says in  his story that Beren was "initially forced to forfeit it's spot" in the playoffs. It's time to acquaint Mr. Verdejo with a couple of things that are apparently foreign to him; facts and a dictionary. At no time was Beren Academy "forced" to forfeit their playoff spot. They were never even asked by TAPPS, nor was it suggested, that they forfeit. Beren, initially, chose to forfeit because the game times conflicted with their religious faith; by the way, I think that type of conviction to one's faith is admirable. Beren, after qualifying for the championship tournament, made a request to TAPPS, that the game times be rescheduled. This request was subsequently denied. So, what's the big deal? Why was TAPPS so anxious to deny these high school boys a chance to compete for a championship? The following explanation is taken from a statement posted on the TAPPS website:  
"TAPPS is an association of private and/or parochial schools in the state of Texas.
Membership in the association is voluntary and schools desiring membership must make the first contact in order to apply.
When TAPPS was organized in the late 1970's, the member schools at that time all recognized Sunday as the day of worship. The By-Laws were written to state that “TAPPS would not schedule any competition or activities on Sunday”. At that time,
there were no member schools that observed their Sabbath on Saturday.
During the early days of TAPPS, state semi-finals and finals for team sports were scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays. Occasionally, due to the sites available, some games were also scheduled on Thursdays. Every effort was made to schedule finals
on Saturday, since many parents did not work on Saturday and could attend their children’s games.
The TAPPS Executive Board, which is the final authority of the association, continues to follow the Constitution and By-Laws.
The final stage of the application process for any prospective member school is for the head administrator and others of his choosing, to meet with the TAPPS Executive Board
to discuss the school’s application and commitment to the association.
The Robert M. Beren Academy, represented by the athletic director, met with the TAPPS Board on June 12, 2009 to discuss their membership. At that time, the Board pointed out that TAPPS schedules its team sports championship on Fridays and Saturdays,
which would conflict with Beren’s observation of their Sabbath. The Board pointed out that the posted schedule for the state tournament would be followed and no changes made,
unless weather related or similar conditions existed.
The Athletic Director stated that he understood and did not see that as a problem, since he just wanted their players to have an opportunity to play in a “district”.
Section 138.C.3.e, “At the time of district certification, the district president shall certify all schools that will participate in the playoffs. Upon qualifying for the playoffs, schools must notify the TAPPS office in writing if their team will not participate in all
playoff games in which they qualify as scheduled by TAPPS. If for any reason, the team cannot follow the schedule as provided by TAPPS the school shall remove itself from the playoffs
without penalty so that the next highest ranked team may represent the district in the playoffs”.
When Berens Academy qualified for the playoffs this year, they did not remove themselves from the playoffs, as described in Section 138.C.3.e, but instead played and won their bi-district, area and regional games. On Friday, February 24, 2012, the TAPPS office received an appeal from Beren Academy,
asking that some game times be changed at the State Basketball Tournament on Friday March 2, and Saturday March 3, 2012 in order for the school’s students, staff and fans to observe their
Sabbath. The appeal was forwarded to the TAPPS Executive Board for a decision. The appeal arrived at the TAPPS office at 3:13 pm on Friday February 24, and due to the timing, a majority of the Board responses were not received until Monday morning, February 27. The Board denied the appeal and the administration at Beren Academy was so informed by phone and email."


So, the administration of Beren Academy applied for membership to an organization that they knew scheduled some of it's playoff games on days that conflicted with their religious beliefs. They applied to an organization that was founded around and consisted of a vast majority of members of a different faith. Beren was well aware that the TAPPS constitution and bylaws had been in effect for over 30 years. TAPPS officials were well aware of the potential conflicts due to the differing beliefs and specifically addressed the issue with Beren's representatives. Yet, knowing of the potential future conflicts, TAPPS officials made the decision to grant Beren membership, and Beren agreed to comply with the long established procedures because, as their athletic director said, it would give his player "a chance to compete in a district". TAPPS was upfront about their beliefs and their practices; they honored their agreements with Beren and their other members, yet they've been portrayed in the media, and by members of the Catholic Church as noninclusive, intolerant, and bigoted. The administration of Beren Academy did NOT honor their words or agreements. When faced with the decision to violate their religious beliefs or forfeit their playoff spot, they took legal action to force TAPPS and it's other members to change their rules and schedules. They were complicit with the media in denouncing the organization that had accepted them, despite differing beliefs and potential scheduling conflicts. I've been to the TAPPS basketball championship 3 times, as my kids attend another member school. The semifinal games were held on Friday night, which allowed us to leave Houston about noon and arrive in Fort Worth by game time. You don't have a lot of time to make travel plans because you don't know you're in until the week before. The 3 championship games, that I attended were held around noon on Saturday. So, allowing for the post game ceremony, pictures, etc..., players and their families can leave to return home at around 2:00-3:00 in the afternoon. If you're going to Houston, that puts you home about 7:00 p.m. Saturday night. Moving the games to Friday afternoon and Saturday night "forces" faculties and families to leave either Thursday night or very early Friday, and return home either very late Saturday night or spend an extra night and return home on Sunday, which is of course the Christian and Catholic day of worship. TAPPS officials were "forced" on Monday to make a decision on whether or not to "force" the staff and families of 3 other schools to change, what were already last minute travel plans, on just 3 days notice. They made the decision in favor of the members that had honored their agreements and complied with TAPPS bylaws. Both my kids play sports and I love watching them compete. I hate the thought of players that have worked so hard, forfeiting their playoff spot. But, if I enroll my kids in a league that holds it's championship on Christmas Day or Easter Sunday, they won't be playing in those games, and I'm not going to sue to have the league reschedule. As for being noninclusive or intolerant, Margaret McGettrick and the Texas Catholic Conference have a lot of nerve. Can a Baptist, or Lutheran, or non-denominational Christan get married in a Catholic Church? No. What about someone that's been previously married and divorced? No. A same sex couple? Uh, No! Can women become priests or conduct mass? No. How about married men? No. Can a non-Catholic take communion in a Catholic Church? No. Do I have a problem with any of this? No, I don't; these are long held beliefs and their members are entitled to practice as the believe. Should I join a Catholic Church, then file a lawsuit demanding the right to have the priest marry my same sex partner and I? I would think not. The Catholic Church has been in the news lately because they are asking for an exemption from federal law that would require Catholic organizations to provide health insurance to their employees, that would pay for contraceptives and abortions. They believe they should be exempt from this law because providing this coverage would violate their religious beliefs; I agree. Who has taken their side in this battle? The ACLU? No. The Democrat Party? No. The Republican Party? No. The Jewish Anti-Defamation League? No. The allies of the Catholic Church, in the federal government's and the media's war on religion, are Protestant Christians and constitutional conservatives. The allies of the media's war on TAPPS are Beren Academy and the Catholic Church.


Now; Part 2 of the saga. In 2010 Iman Academy, a Muslim private school in Houston, applied for membership in TAPPS. As has been reported continually by Angel Verdejo, the Houston Chronicle, and the national media; Iman received a questionnaire from TAPPS, that contained questions about Islamic beliefs, their potential conflicts with Christian and Jewish beliefs, and Iman's reasons for wanting to join an organization with such differing beliefs. Iman principle Cindy Steffens told the Chronicle that the questionnaire contained " loaded and provocative" questions. Iman also has acknowledged that an accompanying letter from TAPPS stated that they were not that knowledgeable about Islam and could have some misconceptions.  Steffens said she had remained discreet about the incident until the media contacted her. I wonder why the media contacted her? TAPPS does not try to hide the fact that they are an organization of mostly Christian members; in fact, they're proud of it. Is it so outrageous that a private religious organization would ask pointed questions about religious beliefs, scripture, and doctrine; of an applicant of greatly differing faith? Couples that wish to be married in the Catholic Church must go through "marriage preparation" during which, many probing questions are asked, the couple are also required to disclose any previous marriages to the priest. I have no idea what the administration or the members of Iman Academy believe, with regard to Christians or non-Muslims. But, in light of numerous instances of conflict involving Muslims joining Christian or Catholic organizations, I certainly want some pointed questions asked before admitting them to TAPPS. If that makes me a bigot or an Islamaphobe, I'll just have to live with it. Last October, Catholic University in Washington D.C. was sued for violating the human rights of Muslim students, for failing to provide prayer rooms that did not have Catholic symbols such as crosses. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Justice sued a school district in Berkeley IL, after a Muslim teacher complained that the district had denied her a 3 week leave of absence to perform a religious pilgrimage. The district lost and was forced to find a substitute to cover her class, and pay her $75,000 in lost pay. In October last year, Ohio taxpayers were forced to pay for the installation of foot baths in the Muslim prayer rooms at the University of Toledo, after Muslims students filed a discrimination complaint. I could keep linking to news stories like this for a long time, but I think you get the point. Would Iman Academy seek these types of concessions and accommodations from other member schools that they visited for games and tournaments? I don't know, but it's interesting that the Houston chapter of the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR), has taken up their cause. CAIR's Ibrahim Hooper asked the Chronicle reporter "Is there no law from discriminating based on faith?" Uh, in faith based organizations, no, there is not; and there certainly isn't in Islamic ruled countries. In July 2009, a federal judge ruled that CAIR had known ties to the terrorist organization Hamas, the FBI has also declared CAIR to be a front group for Hamas. If Iman Academy wants to avoid scrutiny over acts by radical Islamic extremists, they should sever their ties with CAIR. A local website called Arab Voices, advertises upcoming events in the Houston Muslim community. Their calendar contained notices of the "Iman Academy Annual Fundraising Gala" on March 25, 2012, and "Israeli Apartheid Week" March 19-23 which invited guests to "Join us as we stand in solidarity with the Palestinians in their 64 year old struggle against Israel's U.S. backed imposition of apartheid and oppression". This is akin to a Christian or Jewish school advertising on the same page as Nazi's or the Ku Klux Klan. In light of the types of groups that Iman Academy has chosen to associate with, I'm not sure that TAPPS' investigation and questioning were thorough enough. The bottom line is this; parents, whose children are enrolled in TAPPS schools are paying for their children's education in addition to helping fund the public school system through our taxes. We're not asking for help or sympathy, we just want to be left alone. TAPPS has been more inclusive of differing faiths than most religious organizations. The public school system is one of the most religiously intolerant institutions on the planet. The news media is completely intolerant of Christian and Jewish faith. The Catholic Church is tolerant, when it suits them. Islam is totally intolerant of other faiths. This is a smear campaign by the media, the political left, and Muslim extremists. I don't know if Margaret McGettrick and the Catholic Church have been unwittingly co-opted, or if she believes the drivel she spewed to the left wing Houston Chronicle. Either way, they would be wise to open their eyes and remember which people have had their backs. As for anyone else reading this, who agrees in full or in part, remaining silent and allowing this to continue, will NOT make it go away. Those who disagree, keep it to yourself; I couldn't care less!

Is There Really Any Objective Journalism?

I saw a story on the Fox News website yesterday about a recent study done on corruption in state governments. The study was done by "The Center for Public Integrity" and the results are reported to show a great deal of corruption and unethical behavior in all 50 states. Each state was graded, with no state receiving an A, and 8 states being given F's.  After seeing that all of the states with F's, were red states with Republican governors, I decided to take a closer look. The rest of the states were pretty evenly split between Republican and Democrat governors, with Chris Christie's New Jersey receiving the highest grade. So, other than the bottom 8 all being red, the study doesn't appear to be biased toward either party, but something still didn't seem right. The Center for Public Integrity claims to be "one of the oldest non-partisan, non-profit investigative news organizations in the country". Their website says they are funded by charitable foundations and individual donations, and that it "does not accept funding from labor unions or governments". However, after taking a look at the archived articles, they appear to be anything but non-partisan, unbiased, objective, or investigative. The vast majority of stories in the political section were anti-Republican, with a lot of focus on the potential GOP nominees. The major agenda issue for the organization is environmentalism/climate change and they are decidedly on the side of man caused climate change. They are also very supportive of government controlled health care with, again, no dissenting views. There are slight hints of anti-militarism, anti-business, and pro-globalization; they have a sister organization called "The Center for Global Integrity". While there is no campaigning or open endorsement of the Democratic party, the vast majority of content is decidedly liberal/progressive. In an article mocking Rick Santorum for calling global warming a hoax, which says it was written "By FactCheck.Org", the writer say "Santorum isn't the only skeptic, but skeptics are rare among scientists who actually study the climate." Yeah, not so much. It appears that facts can be rare among some organizations that have the words "Fact Check" in their name.While the authors brag about their data set of 1,372 climate researchers, they fail to mention the more than 31,000 scientists that have signed the petition denouncing the theory of man made global warming, at http://petitionproject.org/. Evidently, their investigative journalists failed to uncover that The Heartland Institute has held multiple international meetings for skeptics, that have been attended by over 1,000 climate scientists. This type of one sided editorializing is nothing new, but, it's increasingly becoming the only type of news we ever see; and far too many people just accept it as fact. As for the Center's claims of non-partisan funding, the list of supporting foundations are decisively progressive and share similar ideologies including environmental justice, social justice, global economic justice, and sustainability. The following are just a few examples:

• Adessium Foundation
• California Endowment
• The Ford Foundation
• The Joyce Foundation
• Oak Foundation
• Soros.org/Open Society Foundations

The Executive Director of The Center is Bill Buzenberg, former vice president of the left leaning National Public Radio (NPR). I have no problem with writers or pundits voicing their opinions, that's their job and we have our share on the right. The difference is; we know which side Rush Limbaugh or James Carville is on. When organizations that portray themselves as non-partisan watchdogs are secretly promoting an agenda it becomes dangerous. Theories are presented as fact, and accepted as such by much of the general public. The sad fact is, we can no longer trust anything we see, hear, or read in the news. We must take the time to investigate it ourselves. Fortunately, that's not hard to do. There is so little questioning of what's reported, that the authors of the lies don't even bother trying to cover their tracks. Our country and our freedoms are being taken, but not by force or coercion. We're surrendering them voluntarily because we're too lazy or ignorant to see the truth.

Democrats Desperate and Horny

With over 10% unemployment, gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, American soldiers being murdered in Afghanistan, and a possible war with Iran looming; Democrats have searched their souls and chosen the issue that they hope will decide this year's elections and the future of America: "rubbers". Well, to be fair, it's not just rubbers, but all forms of birth control. Over the last couple of weeks the Democratic Party, or as I like to think of them,"the left ass cheek of America", has become completely unhinged over a ridiculous issue that doesn't even exist. This entire charade was launched by the DNC public relations department; also known as the main stream media. A couple of months ago, George Stephanopoulos, former right hand man to Bill Clinton, pulled a question on birth control out of his ass and posed it to Mitt Romney during a debate. Until that point, contraception hadn't been an issue in American politics for about 50 years. Since that point, Democrats in congress, Democrat activist groups, and the Democrat media have worked relentlessly, fabricating their latest hysteria crisis. This effort may be the most desperate of all Democrat scare campaigns. The premise? "Republicans want to ban birth control." What is the basis of this assertion? What evidence have they presented to support it? Well, ...nothing: no previous statements by Republicans, no recently uncovered videos, no proposed legislation; not one damn thing. So, let's cut the crap. No Republican running for office, currently holding office, or that's held office in recent memory has suggested ANYTHING regarding banning, limiting, or restricting contraceptives. Neither the Catholic Church, the Mormon Church, or any other significant religious organization has lobbied for legislation that would ban or limit access to contraceptives. These are the facts and the Democrats haven't gotten the wrong impression or misunderstood the Republican's position on this; they're just lying because that's what they do. All of the things that were key issues in the 2008 elections, such as economic growth, unemployment, the national debt, govt. spending, and the wars in the Middle East; have gotten worse...much worse! Even with the overwhelming number of idiots that make up the Democrat voting base, you can't go to war with that record. At this point, a lot of people who voted for Obama last time aren't satisfied with blaming it all on Bush; they need a new reason to support Democrats. The left saw this coming and reached for their favorite tactic" Making up shit to scare people". The problem with that is; you have to keep coming up with new catastrophes. Global warming was a great scam in it's day, but it's worn out it's welcome. When you spend 40 years warning people that the earth is melting, eventually, they expect to see some evidence of it. The Obamas have done their best to convince us that we're too fat to survive as a nation; even going so far as to suggest that obesity is a threat to national security. A couple of problems with that though: one, we keep living longer and healthier lives and, two, we don't give a damn what your bogus stats say; don't tell us what to eat! At least the melting planet and the fat ass scares were well planned, with manufactured studies and statistics to back them up. As for "The Great Condom Crisis of 2012", they've got nothing. The strategy is; tell the people Republicans want to take away your rubbers and keep women at home, in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant; then hope there are enough of them stupid enough to believe it. It's comical! Democrats in congress and the media were in a psychotic rage yesterday over the fact that Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke, a slut. Well, she told Congress and the nation that her and her friends couldn't afford enough contraception to cover all the sex they were having, and damn it, the rest of us should pay for it. She said they need about $1,000 a year. I'm sorry, but hookers don't spend that much on contraception. A lot of Americans, including me, were thinking , "Damn, what a slut." Rush was just one of the few that had enough balls to say it. If you don't want people talking about your sex life, don't broadcast it. I can't believe that this is the issue Democrats want to ride with, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Progressives: 100 Years of Saving the Poor...From Prosperity

FDR, LBJ, Barack Obama; The New Deal, The Great Society, Hope and Change. For most of the past hundred years, Progressives have been the self appointed saviors of the poor, the forgotten man, the working class...the 99%. Labor laws are, perhaps, their proudest achievement. In their minds, they've assured all Americans "fair" working wages and conditions. All they ask in return, is loyalty at the voting booth and the surrender of some liberties. For truly poor people, the only property they truly own, and the only wealth they possess are in the form of their labor. These people's only means of survival is to sell their labor. Prior to progressive wage controls, they were free to sell it to the highest bidder or to sell it at a lower price in order to sell more of it or to acquire other assets, such as education and experience. Groups that had a harder time finding work, such as minorities, women, and the very young, had the option of selling their labor at a lower price in order to find work. People in low paying jobs had the option of working more hours to earn extra money. Mandatory forty hour work weeks and overtime wage laws took that option away. I work in construction, where we employ 300-400 craftsmen and laborers, depending on our workload. Most times, our employees could have the option of working twenty to thirty additional hours weekly, but the price we're being paid for the work doesn't support overtime wages. These workers are denied the option of increasing their income by as much as 25-60% and they have no input in the decision. To progressives, this is called "looking out for the poor". The lowest income earners live check to check, scraping by just to survive. They make choices between buying food, paying the rent, or buying their kids a new pair of shoes. But working the weekend to pick up an extra $200 is off the table. When I was younger, a lot of construction workers were classified as independent contractors, and not subject employee labor laws. I took every opportunity I was offered to work more hours at my normal rate of pay because I always needed the money. Some of that still goes on, but the government has cracked down on employers to protect employees...from having a chance to earn more money. To those who haven't been there, I'm not sure you can grasp what an extra $100 or $200 means to someone whose regular pay is $400. It can mean the difference between living in an apartment and a house, or having 3 or 4 bedrooms instead of 1 or 2. It can allow a mom more time with the kids by working less or not at all. It can be the difference between your kids wearing new clothes as opposed to second hand. Government does NOT have the right, or the constitutional authority, to deny working people that choice! Last summer, 48.8% of Americans 16-24 years old were employed. That's the lowest percentage since the Department of Labor started keeping track of it in 1948. Young people don't have any skills or experience. They used to have the chance to gain those things by agreeing to sell their labor at lower prices. Minimum wage laws made that illegal. There have been similar effects on some minorities. It must be nice to be a progressive and pat yourself on the back for playing God with people's lives, while never having to worry about suffering the consequences.