Posting About the Culture

I've long said that the culture is what drives the politics, not the reverse.  Unfortunately, I've acted as though the political part of life was the important part.

With that in mind, I've decided to focus on The Culture, and WHY it has to be resisted.  Naturally, much of my thinking will come out of my Catholic Heritage.

Like Nancy Pelosi and Joy Behar, I was raised Catholic.

That's where we differ.  I still attend church every Sunday, and am currently also spending one evening a week (and some spare time online) learning more about my faith.

Unlike many cultural Catholics, I don't ignore the "inconveniently illiberal" parts of the church.

To that purpose, I've been checking out some Catholic blogs that stand firmly on the side of The Church in the HHS fight.

Among them, Bad Catholic, who writes about specific ways that The Church stands up to the Standard American Culture.

Bad Catholic also writes about nudity - and how the Culture has made men (and women) ashamed of their bodies.  Which, BTW, the Catholic Church never was - did you think all those naked and near-naked statues and pictures in the churches just somehow escaped the attention of The Church?

Bad Catholic also takes on porn - and points to a modern man who rejected it.

He takes on popular thinking about abortion.

If you haven't read Bad Catholic in the past, start now.

Why Black Participation in Baseball is Falling

The central thesis of this is disheartening.

...baseball is a game taught by fathers, while basketball and football are more often taught by peers in pickup games.

Gerald Hall Jr., the director of a youth-baseball program in Washington, D.C., told Milloy: “If you did a survey, I believe you’d find that the one thing average and above-average players have in common is a father. Baseball is, at heart, a father-and-son sport. And if you’re a kid that has nobody to throw to, nobody to talk to, nobody to discipline you in the way that baseball demands, you’re not likely to play the game.

How unbearably sad.

Welfare Benefits for Illegal Aliens?

YES!

The federal government is ACTIVELY promoting applications from NON-citizens.  I couldn't believe that the American government could be so clueless, until I read this.

In one ad from the government, a Spanish-speaking alien is being pushed to apply for benefits, even though she tells them that she doesn't need them.

Imagine - someone who is self-sufficient is being discouraged from continuing to rely on themselves.

Not only that, but the EBT (the "bank card" that is now used for food stamp eligible purchases) is being promoted as reducing fraud, because - wait for it - the users can withdraw money from it in cash.

Get it?  They no longer have to sell the food stamps - which is illegal.  They can - legally - just ask for cash back at the register.  Which has the same effect - getting cash in their hands.  But, now that same action is LEGAL.

Confused?

So was I.

 

Up At Dawn on Thanksgiving

I'm the only one up right now, at my Cleveland house. The habit of getting up at dawn (reinforced this year by the need to rise at 4:30 am every workday) is long-standing.

I'm using this time to catch up on reading, thinking, and planning. It's work best suited to a silent house. Later in the day, every corner will be filled with people and talk.

I'm reading a post on National Review, about gratitude. Multiple people have contributed a few thoughts about thankfulness. It got me thinking about it, too.

I'm thankful that:

I'm employed - and, at a job that I LIKE. My working situations have not always been so congenial, so I'm doubly thankful that my work is such a pleasure these days.
My husband is employed - both at a part-time Christmas job, and, as of next Monday, at a teaching job. It's only for the rest of the year - it's a grant position. But, that gets him employed in the school system, and it will enable him to bid for other jobs later in the year.
All of my kids have a job.
No one is sick, except the daughter that just had surgery on her foot. And for her, she had insurance to cover the operation.
I had a nice visit with my sister yesterday.

All this is personal, as are my thanks. I'm crossing my fingers about my country, who is facing an uncertain future. At least, my country is not currently being attacked, like Israel. That country is both being physically attacked, and verbally attacked by a media indignant that Israel dares to defend itself.

We're Past Denial, and Anger, and Bargaining

Benghazi.

I'm still pushing awareness of the whole scandal. It's amazing, even with mention in a debate, some front-page stories, and peripheral intermingling in the Petraeus story, that so many people have no idea what the story was about.

It's time to get serious.

We need to pare down our agenda to the core issues, concerns, and base-building activities.

Dealing with Identifications issues - illegal aliens using other people's identity, voting fraud, privacy concerns balanced against need to verify identity.

Bringing the Budget Monster into balance - SOME entitlements are going to have to pare down their cost. We need to cap some entitlement programs - after all, we aren't creating more disabilities, so the numbers of recipients shouldn't be increasing - but they ARE. This needs to stop. Same with many "poverty" programs. We need to base the maximum on what it actually takes to have a PARED-DOWN lifestyle - no internet, ONE phone per household, with limitations on monthly calls/data transfer, NO cable, NO luxuries. Even if the average lifestyle of citizens in the US increases, the amount given to recipients shouldn't change, UNLESS the cost of getting BASIC items changes.
This is not popular. It will have the usual suspects screaming that this approach is "hateful", "cruel", and, probably, "racist" (even though MOST recipients are white - amazing how nobody objects when THAT word is not capitalized).

Reforming education - getting the federal government OUT of the scene, uprooting those Leftists from schools, departments of ed, and ed schools. Tie grants, loans, and scholarships to taking majors that actually have a likelihood of making the graduate employable. NO grant money for elementary teachers who don't also take college-level math.

Base-building - we need to bring in younger people at the local level, into the leadership roles as they qualify for them, and start moving those who won't "bend" out of the hierarchy. No more ORCAs - build the robust apps, AND train those who will use them. But, nothing can replace the door-to-door networking. THAT'S where we need to focus.

Tech & Politics

It's the intersection of my two favorite things.

This article gets into the way tech was used by both Obama and Romney, and how it contributed to the outcome.

It should be read by ALL Conservatives.  We need to start building the infrastructure NOW.

How to Attract the Young to the Conservative Side

This young woman voices some legitimate concerns.

One thing that COULD be done is to get to the leading edge of marijuana legalization.

Understand, I don't like it.  I never used it.  I know those of my generation that were heavily involved generally made little of their lives, at least while it was a large part of those lives.

But, I do understand the attraction of the legalization movement.  With more states getting on board with it, it seems useless to continue with prohibition.

So, legalize, tax, and cross your fingers.

Maybe out best efforts ought to be spent on getting people to consume substances in moderation.  I don't hold out much hope for that, you understand.  In America, moderation is NOT the norm.

I imagine that my grandparents felt much like this in 1933, when Prohibition was due to end.  Resigned, but NOT liking it.

Where to Start Your Education

1)  You should bookmark Front Page Magazine.

The publisher, David Horowitz, is a former Leftist Radical, who knows - WELL - the players and tactics of the Left.  He argues forcefully for Conservative Values.

A nifty idea he had was to have a link to downloadable pamphlets, that you can use, both for self-education, and to subversively spread the growth of conservative principles. Or, you can order in bulk.

2)  Of course, the Gold Standard is National Review.

Originally founded by William Buckley, it has expanded beyond 1 man to be an entertaining, insightful newmagazine.  It has both online and print versions.  As soon as I get my finances in order, I plan to subscribe to the online edition.

3)  What is meant by "buying your vote"?  The Athenians tried that, many years ago.  See how it turned out for them.

4)  Right Wing News

The blog owner periodically runs lists of Conservatives Blogs.  Excellent way to find new content.  Generally good guy.

5)   Breitbart - although the owner is gone (early heart attack), his site continues.

6)  Real Clear Politics - provides links to BOTH Conservative and Liberal sites.

7)  Human Events - I hadn't been following this site, but it was recommended to me.

8)  The Heritage Foundation - I especially recommend their Issues & Research sections.

I'll add to this list as I am able.

Conservative Self-Education

I'm going to be hitting this topic more over the next few months. I agree with many commentators that Conservatives do a poor job of arguing their case.

With that in mind, I'm going to be posting some links to ways you can increase your knowledge of Conservative topics, including:

• The role of the Educational Establishment in promoting the Leftist Agenda


• What Conservatives believe


• Economics for Conservatives


• Politics from the Ground Up

Let me know if there are any topics you want to see.

Translate Button

For the benefit of any readers who are less-than comfortable with the English language, I've added a Translate Button at the top-right of every post.

No offense meant by this; I am Less-than-comfortable with Spanish, although I can usually make myself understood in an emergency.

Hope this is helpful.

Links for Hispanic-Friendly Resources are also available on the right sidebar.

Look, People! We Are NOT Democrats!

We don't give up and whine that we'll run off to Canada!

We don't follow a defeat by giving up - we re-load (NOT a munitions reference - we're ARMING ourselves with the TRUTH!).

Remember those immortal words of the utterly confused and immoral Blutarsky!

 

Where Are Most of the Media?

Benghazi.

Missing.  They couldn't be bothered with the story before.

They are barely giving it any coverage.

There are just a FEW stories of the attack...

...AFTER the election, of course.

Only the few editorials that made it through focused on the atrocity before the election.

It's embarrassing to have SUCH a spineless media.  They roll over and beg for photo-ops, and to be able to lick the Obama administration's boots.

These are the same people that STILL lionize the Woodward/Bernstein team for their "courage" in bringing down Nixon.

Watergate may have been a scandal, but nobody died.

Unlike Benghazi.

Benghazi

Benghazi.

OK, the election's over. Now, let's get to the bottom of Benghazi.

We were told, the President is anxious to know what happened. Right after the election is over, we were told, he'll work non-stop to find out how that whole mess could have happened.
Well, I'm going to make it easier for him. I'm going to put the word "Benghazi" at the head of EVERY post, email. FB update, Tweet, etc. that I write.

EVERY ONE.

EVERY DAY.

Until the WHOLE truth comes out.

I urge you to do the same.

Education is the Key

And by education, I mean that Conservatives need to put on a whole-hearted effort to educate some essential groups (that will make it possible to win elections at SOME time in the future):

• Candidates - they need to learn media strategies, and face small groups of conservatives early on, answering questions about touchy topics.  Some of the group needs to play devil's advocate, asking questions from the standpoint of an outraged liberal - "Why do you want to put women back in chains?", "If a woman is raped, why should she have to suffer and give birth to her rapist's child?", and other such impassioned pleas.  They need to learn not to fall back on rhetoric, but to listen, empathize with  the questioner's pain, and to respond in ways that won't make cringe-worthy headlines.


• Current elected officials - they need to either get out of public office, or do it right.


• Those wanting to help others seek office (I'm thinking of the effectiveness of the "Clean Gene" McCarthy troops, who made cosmetic improvements, throttled down their screaming, and were able to meet the primary voters in non-threatening terms.


• Young people - they should be receptive to the idea that they will be toiling for the majority of their lives just to pay off the debt of previous generations.  We need to organize a concentrated effort to counteract the Leftist teaching that permeates schools today.

For all of the above, we need to find someone who will lay out the cash to help make this happen.

Election Day

Yesterday:

ONE (1) day until the election.  I can't WAIT! Nor can anyone else who I talk to.

 

I cautiously anticipate Romney will win.  At least, unless the Nefarious Forces of Vote-Stealing, Vote-Manufacturing, and Funky Voting Machine "Accidents" have their way.

 

It feels like the teachers' lounge has quieted down.  Few are all that involved; most have resigned themselves to acceptance of the outcome.  Unlike the last election, when threats to leave the country were everywhere, this time most seem to be acting like adults.

 

I sense that many are doubtful that their candidate (Obama) will make it.  They should be doubtful - if recent rally activity is any indication, Romney/Ryan will romp to the finish line.  The size of the Obama rallies has been pitiful - the media is reduced to reporting that 12,000 people stadiums are filled to 20,000 capacity.  Their bias is coming back to bite them in the hiney.

 

Like many people, I'm focused on what Romney, and I, can do over the next 4 years (maybe 8) to bring us back from the brink of disaster.  Maybe the Obamanuts aren't concerned about the size of the deficit, but I am.  I can't imagine leaving a debt that large for future generations to handle - it would likely mean a total collapse of the government, and with it, no more Medicaid, Social Security, Disability, Medicare, or any other social service.  I know too many of the Obama supporters think of the Romney supporters as "big meanies" for not blithely writing checks that our banks won't honor.  It's just that they haven't lived through double-digit inflation - I have.  It isn't pretty.

 

When the inflation erodes buying power, the poor and elderly on fixed incomes suffer the most.  Everyone goes into work, wanting - and truly needing - more money to cover basic bills.  But, the business won't have it.  Their paycheck buys less and less; sometimes, the only solution is to charge basic needs. But, the interest is so high, that they soon get into a situation where they are in an endless debt cycle.

 

Soon, everyone is screaming at business (who is also suffering from the same problem - their money buys less each week).  Everyone is looking at someone to make it all better.

 

But, no such person exists.

 

The real answer is to cut back on government spending, and stop borrowing money to run the government.

 

It's not a popular solution.

 

But, it's the only solution that works.

 

And, worse, it takes time to work.  During that time, every critic in the country is screaming for results, YESTERDAY!

November 6, 201

I voted this morning.  My husband was further back in the line, as he slept in a little later.  We kissed good-bye, and cheerfully went about our business - me to work, him to return to home for possible assignment to a day job.

 

I have time today to follow along with election results - it's a Professional Day, which means a slow-paced video conference, followed by group work.  With luck, I'll be able to finish my week's lessons (they're sort of done, but need more detail and I need to pull the resources together, including copying papers).

 

I just read on American Thinker (http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/11/geeks_guide_to_election_night.html), that the "toss-up states" those states that could go either way - will close early.  They are:

 

- FL

 

- VA

 

- OH

 

- NH

 

- CO

 

- IA

 

- WI

 

- NV

 

So, watch those states.  They're the ones that will determine the outcome of the election.  With luck, the outcomes will be obvious early on, and we can all go to bed early.

Some Stories Just Take Hold of You

Like Benghazi - initially, just another outrage in a Muslim country.  Aggravated by the fact that it caused the death of 4 people - 1 ambassador (who was the chucklehead that thought it was a good idea to post a known homosexual - however competent - in a country that HATES gays, and will cheerfully execute them?  They might as well have painted a target on his forehead), and 3 other men, who gave their lives to keep him safe.

The men certainly went above and beyond what they had to do, and fully deserve medals for their efforts.

Instead, their families got this gross question from VP Joe Biden:

 Woods said Biden came over to his family and asked in a “loud and boisterous” voice, “Did your son always have balls the size of cue balls?”

Nice way to talk to a grieving family.

/sarc

But, that wasn't the worst part for the family.

The grieving father also described his brief encounter with President Obama during the ceremony for the Libya victims.

“When he finally came over to where we were, I could tell that he was rather conflicted, a person who was not at peace with himself,” Woods said. “Shaking hands with him, quite frankly, was like shaking hands with a dead fish. His face was pointed towards me but he would not look me in the eye, his eyes were over my shoulder.”

“I could tell that he was not sorry,” he added. “He had no remorse.”

Hillary Clinton was apparently still officially clinging to the since-discredited explanation for the attack.

After apologizing for his loss, Woods said Clinton told him that the U.S. would “make sure that the person who made that film is arrested and prosecuted.”

The  full interview, including video, is here.

Let me see - does this fully sum up what is known now?

• The film was NOT the reason for the attack.  It was a deliberate, coordinated act of war (attack on an embassy is an attack on that country - the embassy is considered that country's sovereign territory), with the assistance of Libyan "protectors".


• The film may have been deliberately designed to cause problems in the Mideast, and provide an excuse for releasing The Blind Sheik


• The film may have originated as a covert operation in OUR country, by OUR own Obama administration.


• Obama IS responsible for failing to protect the embassy.Released cables are backing that assertion up.  Obama might have known that, IF he had done his job, and attended the security briefings.  Even if he knew, would he have cared?  Doubtful.

Lest we forget:

Christopher Stevens



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sean Smith



He was a State Dept. employee, computer geek, an avid gamer, and just in the wrong place at the right time.

Glen Doherty



Tyrone Woods

Glen Doherty and Woods, the two former Navy SEALS who were among the four Americans inevitably murdered, allegedly disobeyed orders from superiors to “stand down” in the wake of the attack. Despite being told by higher-ups not to respond, they purportedly decided to go to the main consulate building to help U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and others who were under siege.

While it was previously known that these men arrived on the scene to provide assistance, the alleged “stand down” orders and the repeatedly-denied requests for military assistance are new developments to a story that seems to be continuously unraveling.

Sorry, Obamanuts, that's NOT what SEALS do.  They do NOT abandon Americans to their deaths.

 

It FINALLY Starts to Make Sense

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