The Most Destructive Legislation In American History

Folks, if you haven't read the health care bill that the insane liberals are trying to shove down the throat of the American people, YOU MUST!! If you let this go without reading it and fighting against it with all your might, you are just as insane as they are.

This is the United States of America!! We were built on freedom, we fight for freedom, and we have died for freedom. Why are we sitting on our hands while freedom is taken away from us by a bunch of liberal lunatics in broad daylight???

Peter Fleckenstein is going through the health care bill, line-by-line. Because he is threatening this socialist liberal agenda, he is being attacked by the left. His personal information has been posted on the Internet but Fleckenstein has vowed to continue.

Read Fleckenstein's posts on the Health Care Monstrosity.

What Color Of Briefs Should I Wear Today?

Socialism is in full swing in America. We have started down a path that will lead to hard times and misery. Barack Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress are trying to gain control of things that should NEVER be in the hands of the government.

Obama and the Dems want to tell you...

1. What kind of house you can buy (proposed environmental regulations)
   
2. What kind of car you can drive (takeover of GM, forced production of hybrids)
   
3. What kind of food you can eat (become a vegan)
   
4. When you can go to the doctor (proposed nationalized health care)
   
5. Which doctor you can see (ditto)
   
6. What size your "carbon footprint" can be (cap and trade)
   
7. What you can say (Freedom of Choice Act)

Hey Obama! What color of briefs should I wear today?

I could list many more but you get the idea. More and more people are getting the idea every week. Obama's approval rating looks like it was tied to a rock and thrown in the ocean.

We need to make lots of noise to Congress and let them know we will not stand for this Socialist agenda. They need to know they are accountable to the people of the nation.

I'm Gonna Flat Out Say, No.

Do I believe that Barack Obama is misguided in his political beliefs? Yes. Do I think the legislation he is trying to pass will severely damage the country? Yes.

Do I think he's the Anti-Christ?

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllllllll No.

Somebody needs to go smack who ever made that movie.

"Reform" does not mean "Improvement"

I noticed in the daily "Pravda on the Cumberland," aka The Tennessean the recurring theme this week: Everyone wants healthcare reform! Today's pulp was about county commissioners wanting "reform," complete with a nice picture of Kathleen Sebelius on a giant screen TV talking to the huddled masses in convention here in Nashvegas. The commissioners are concerned about the rising costs of healthcare, particularly indigent and prisoner care. Fair enough...the bills being bantered about in Congress, all touting "reform," do nothing for these issues.

C'mon people, "REFORM" does not mean "IMPROVEMENT!" This is a case where words can literally kill. Congressional fear of voting against "REFORM!" could kill the finest health care system in the world. The system being proposed will kill senior citizens, or at least guaranty an earlier grave. Is this the "REFORM!" Americans want? Gallup reported last week that by 50% to 44% Americans DISapprove of the way Obama is handling health care. Only 23%, according to Rasmussen, believe costs will go down. The sentiment seems to be there to do something, but not what is proposed.

Here's a starting point: agree on what the proposed legislation should achieve, then apply that metric to whatever gets proposed. The Iowa Committee, a group formed by the non-partisan Concord Coalition has a good starting point. Here are their "principles:"

Principle #1: Fiscal sustainability: The Committee feels strongly that rapid health care cost growth makes our current health care system fiscally unsustainable. We cannot pretend that resources are unlimited or that sure and swift savings will come from investments in comparative effectiveness research, health care technology and prevention programs.

Principle #2: Innovation through Collaboration: The Committee feels strongly that the future of health care will require a new level of innovation that can be best achieved by high-levels of formal and informal collaborations among all health care stakeholders.

Principle #3: Primary Care Transformation: The Committee feels strongly that elevating the role and use of primary care—and the ability to more effectively coordinate with acute-care specialty services and long-term or community-based care—is essential for the transformation of our health care system.

Principle #4: Societal Commitment to Prevention and Wellness: The Committee feels strongly that prevention and wellness must be included in governmental and business policy reform and third-party coverage arrangements.

Principle #5: Engaged and Responsible Health Care Consumers: The Committee feels strongly that health reform initiatives should encourage and set expectations for a more active role for the health care consumer.

I would add a few other principles:

#6: If you are happy with your health care, you do not have to do anything.

#7: No one can force you to change doctors, plans etc.

#8: Health care plans should be portable and should allow for pre-existing conditions.

#9: As it relates to the REALLY uninsured, i.e. not the people who choose not to have health care insurance, the illegal aliens, the self insured, a low cost catastrophic health coverage plan should be the goal.

#10: Minimize the costs of Doctor's malpractice insurance through tort reform.

Consensus on a starting point could lead to genuine health care reform that solves legitimate issues like higher costs and tends to the needs of those that truly cannot help themselves. Noble aims for a noble society, NOT a Federal takeover of an enormous (and growing) part of our economy. The current legislation being proposed is designed to put politicians and their cronies in charge of an enormous piggy bank from which to reward those that tend to them. That is truly sick.

Rumble on!

Cross Posted at Red State Rumblings

Democrats - "Read Our Lips...ALL NEW TAXES"

First a tax on tobacco products, then a tax on Carbon Emissions, then a "You make too much" tax, and now this...

A 10% tax on Plastic Surgery.

Democrat Max Baucus called the ideas to help pay for the huge costs of ObamaCare, "interesting," "creative," and "kind of fun" ideas.

Interestingly, 86% of Plastic Surgery patients are women, and many of them are in households making under $100k, saving for years to have treatments done.

Included on the list of taxed surgeries, Liposuction, Lip enhancement, Nose jobs, Teeth Whitening, Botox, Hair implants, and I'm almost certain of the new big thing, Laser hair removal.

Is America Waking Up?

Ben Stein has an good piece about why Democrats are trying to recklessly shove ObamaCare through the House and the Senate, even though they are finding major resistance from their own party.

The Money You Could Be Saving...

I saw this over the weekend on Facebook and I had to share it with you. Very funny.

2007 Barrel 27 GRENACHE "Rock and a Hard Place" (Santa Barbara County, Cal.)

Very nearly outstanding. A very big, full flavored mouthful.

Nearly fully-saturated blood/ruby. Fragrant nose of dry raspberry syrup, yeasty notes, toasty baking spices, and dry stones. Concentrated, full-bodied, with focused flavors of port-like fruit (but dry) and tons of crushed stones. Excellent length. If these grapes had been harvested just a hair earlier, this wine would have been even better. I think the fruit would have veered away from its port-like quality more towards raspberry and it would have been even better with just a bit more acidity. What the heck do I know, though? I'm just a dang lawyer. I still liked it enough to give it a 90.

Was $24 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 Domaine Perraud ST. VÉRAN "Vieilles Vines" (White Burgundy, France)

I believe this is the best St. Véran I've ever had. St. Véran is one of the few villages in the Maconnais region in southern Burgundy whose wines are distinctive enough so that they can be called soley by the village itself without the prefix Macon-_____. (Pouilly-Fuissé and Viré-Clessé are two other examples). St. Vérans are usually good values in white burgundy; this was a great value.

Bright, vivid gold. Rich nose filled with yellow peach, pear, and loads of chalky, oceanic minerals. Soft, round, and ripe, with loads of ripe yellow fruit and intense stony flavors in the mouth. Excellent balancing acidity too. Not a subtle wine, but intense and vigorous. A big mouthful of pure, vibrant, unoaked Chardonnay. 90. Was $17 direct from North Berkeley Imports.

(Sorry, 2005 shown since I couldn't find an image of the 2007)

CNN Realizes "Hey, ObamaCare Isn't That Great"

Now here is an amazing realization. The opening portion for CNN Money's article about the 5 key freedoms you'll lose with ObamaCare (Emphasis mine);

A close reading of the two main bills, one backed by Democrats in the House and the other issued by Sen. Edward Kennedy's Health committee, contradict the President's assurances. To be sure, it isn't easy to comb through their 2,000 pages of tortured legal language. But page by page, the bills reveal a web of restrictions, fines, and mandates that would radically change your health-care coverage.

If you prize choosing your own cardiologist or urologist under your company's Preferred Provider Organization plan (PPO), if your employer rewards your non-smoking, healthy lifestyle with reduced premiums, if you love the bargain Health Savings Account (HSA) that insures you just for the essentials, or if you simply take comfort in the freedom to spend your own money for a policy that covers the newest drugs and diagnostic tests -- you may be shocked to learn that you could lose all of those good things under the rules proposed in the two bills that herald a health-care revolution.

In short, the Obama platform would mandate extremely full, expensive, and highly subsidized coverage -- including a lot of benefits people would never pay for with their own money -- but deliver it through a highly restrictive, HMO-style plan that will determine what care and tests you can and can't have. It's a revolution, all right, but in the wrong direction.

ObamaCare is the epitome of a government run program. Make everything as equal as possible in as many aspects as possible. Charge the same for everyone, use the same treatment for every case of Disease X, use the same physician for everyone, etc... And as they state it is a revolution in the wrong direction

On top of that, Obama and Democrats continue to make the claim that you'll be able to keep your private coverage for as long as you want. Currently there are some 160 Million Americans who currently get their insurance through the company they work for. Their employer (Unless self insured) get their insurance through a private insurance company. That private insurance company is in business to make a profit. There is a specific amount of money that the HAVE to charge in order to break even.

Insert "Public Plan" which will likely be subsidized by the government. This means that they can charge LESS than the break even point, by A LOT (25-40% lower), but because it is subsidized, what ever money it loses, gets made up through either higher taxes or more than likely the selling of U.S. Treasuries (Adding more to the national debt).

Even self insured companies are going to see that the people who work for them can pay less and get the same coverage with the Public Plan, and will stop insuring their employees, and switch them over to the Public Plan.

My question to Dems and Obama is, "How do you expect private companies to compete against a plan that is allowed to perform at a loss? Do you truly believe that the Public Plan will not eliminate Private Insurance without the same subsidies that the Public Plan is covered under, and will you not include those same subsidies to the Private Plans in order to level the playing field?"

If CNN even begins to jump ship on this plan, there is definitely something wrong with it. Now if MSNBC comes out and states "This thing is garbage," then I think I'll have to start betting on the Snowball.

Obama Disapproval Rating Goes Up

Obama may still hold 49% of the country saying they at least somewhat approve, but of the 50% that disapprove, 4 out of every 5 of them strongly disapprove. Only 29% strongly approve of his performance, giving an Approval Index of -11% for the strong feeling, and a -1% overall.

So, it has reached the point where a huge majority of Americans either think "Well, he's not bad" or they think "This guy is horrible."

Just think about that for a minute. If 10% more people switch to the Strongly Disapprove side, then the majority of Americans will begin to have the same opinion of Obama as they did for Bush; "Anyone but this guy!" And in less than a year after taking office.

The Sneaky Pain of ObamaCare

Aside from "Just taking pain pills"there are hidden pains that you might want to buy a bottle of Aleve for if you are in these groups.

Young People
Small Business Owners
People with HSA's
People Enrolled in Medicare Advantage

The Young;

If the government mandates that everyone must have health insurance, healthy young people will have to buy policies that don’t reflect the low risk they have of getting sick. The House and Senate bills do let insurers set premiums based on age, but only up to a 2-to-1 ratio, versus a real-world ratio of 5 to 1. This means lower prices for older (and wealthier) folks, but high prices for the young. “They’ll have sticker shock,” says Rep. Paul Ryan, ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.

Small Businesses;

Employers who don’t provide coverage will have to pay a tax up to 8% of their payroll. Yet those who do provide coverage also have to pay the tax—if the law says their coverage is not “adequate.” Amazingly, even if a small business provides adequate insurance but its employees choose coverage in another plan offered through the government, the employer still must pay.

HSA Owners;

Eight million Americans, according to the Treasury Department, are covered by plans with low-cost premiums and high deductibles that are designed for large, unexpected medical costs. Money is also set aside in a savings account to cover the deductibles, and whatever isn’t spent in one year can build up tax-free. Nearly a third of new HSA users, according to Treasury figures, previously had no insurance or bought coverage on their own.

Medicare Advantage Participants;
To summarize, M.A. provides a higher standard of medical coverage than the standard Medicare, something that will vanish once the government decides which treatment option is best for each condition. The selection of prescription drugs will be reduced, and other things. Obama even described it as a prime example of where to cut costs in an interview with the Washington Post.

RCP Uses TennCare As A Model Of How Not To Run Health Care

I have referenced the massive beast that is TennCare on GOPAC before, and now my parent's Congressional Rep. Marsha Blackburn (who I endorsed as my pick for the first female President) has posted about the topic over at the very visible RealClearPolitcs.

Universal Health Care was tried in Tennessee, and it failed...Miserably.

Questions Americans Need To Ask Obama And Democrats

With a major Presidential Press Conference coming up, Keith Hennessey has compiled an excellent list of questions that need to be asked of Democrats and definitely of the President and his cabinet who can't decide whether the economy is doing well or doing bad.

A few Examples...
Economy;

"The U.S. economy has lost 2.64 million jobs since you took office. The
unemployment rate is 9.5% and rising. The good scenario is one in which the
unemployment rate begins to decline early next year. The Vice President said
your Administration misread the economy. You said you had incomplete information
when proposing the stimulus. Yet you have said you would not change anything
about the stimulus if you could. If the facts have changed, why doesn’t it make
sense to change your policy?"

"You proposed spending money from the TARP
to prevent foreclosures, help small businesses, and to buy toxic assets from
banks. In June CBO said they had found no evidence that any money has been spent
for any of these programs. How many foreclosures have been prevented, how many
small businesses have received loans from, and how many toxic assets have been
purchased?"

Health Care;

"You have insisted that health care reform “bend the cost curve down.” CBO
Director Elmendorf says the bills being debated would instead raise the health
care cost curve and would increase long-term budget deficits. Will you continue
to insist that health care reform not increase the deficit?"

"In a
February 2008 debate with then-Senator Clinton you opposed an individual mandate
to buy health insurance. In that debate you said, “In some cases, there are
people who are paying fines and still can’t afford it, so now they’re worse off
than they were. They don’t have health insurance and they’re paying a fine. In
order for you to force people to get health insurance, you’ve got to have a very
harsh penalty.” Now you are supporting a bill that would force people to buy
health insurance, and that CBO says would still result in eight million people
not having health insurance and paying higher taxes. How do you explain to those
eight million uninsured people why you now support the mandate and “very harsh
penalty” they would have to face, and which you opposed during the campaign?"

"Your party controls the White House, has a 38+ seat margin in the
House, and has the 60 Senate seats needed to overcome any filibuster. How can
Republicans be holding up health care reform?"

Energy and Climate Change;

"The Indian government told Secretary Clinton that India will not agree to limit
its carbon emissions. The Chinese have sent the same signal. Are you willing to
sign a new climate agreement that does not contain binding commitments by China
or India to reduce or slow the growth of their emissions?"

"Does it make
sense for the U.S. to impose higher energy costs on American workers and
manufacturers if the two largest developing economies are unwilling to slow
their emissions growth? Won’t that just disadvantage American workers with
little reduction in future global temperatures?"

"Do you support the
expansion of nuclear power in the U.S.? If so, what are you doing to encourage
it? And where are you going to store the nuclear waste, given the strong
opposition of Senate Majority Leader Reid to storing it in Nevada’s Yucca
Mountain?"

"The top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Finance
Committee have called for you to submit to Congress for their approval the
signed Free Trade Agreements with U.S. allies Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
Why have you not submitted them to Congress? When will you do so?"

In total there are 20 questions and they hit the nail right on the head.

My question would be this;
Who prepares your taxes, and why? If you're philosophy is that it is the duty of the wealthy to pay more in taxes, why would you not fill out the standard 1040EZ, and would you be willing to only take standard deductions while in a public office?

Will the White House Press Corps ask anything remotely this tough? Doubtful, but with the rose colored glasses beginning to come off, there could be some interesting ones.

H/T: Instapundit

ObamaCare: Health Rationing and You

Poignant video making the rounds, inspired by the Cabal of Obama, Reid and Pelosi's Soviet-style "health care reform" putsch.

No Buyers Remorse?

Rasmussen has a daily tracking of not only Obama's approval rating, but also tracks things like who they trust on certain issues.

Looking at the topics in terms of (%Trust in Dems - %Trust in GOP) with the rank in importance as their number
3) Health Care +4%
8) Education +3%

OK, so they have two. Let's dig deeper;
1) Economy -5%
2) Ethics/Corruption -1%
4) National Security -9%
5) Social Security -5%
6) Taxes -16%
7) Immigration -6%
9) Abortion -7%
10) War in Iraq -4%

Out of the top 10 issues for the country, America trusts the GOP more than Democrats on 8 of 10 issues.

Something else that should emphasize that the people elected politicians that don't give a rat's a$$ about them? These are in (Help - Hurt)%
Tax increases help or hurt economy? -31%
Tax cuts help or hurt economy? +31%
Increases in Gov't spending help or hurt economy? -23%
Decreases in Gov't spending help or hurt economy? +19%

So, America thinks that decreasing taxes and decreasing government spending are the best way to help the economy. Think about the results of these polls, and the plans of Democrats.

• Cap and Trade (Tax on Carbon emissions)
• Income Surtax
• Tobacco Tax Increase
• Eliminating Social Security Contribution limit (but keeping benefits same)
• Tax on Executive Bonuses
• Government run health care
• Government run banks/financial institutes
• Government run Auto Makers

The only thing I have to say is read the book Fleeced by Dick Morris. The book was published in June 2008 before the election, and the predictions are eerily similar.

To those who got caught up in the Hope n' Change bliss...Told you so.

The Boss Is Down!

Malkin's site and HotAir are both blank right now. No clue why.

And they're back up.

Today, 40 Years Ago

July 20, 1969

America was glued to their televisions and any news cast they could find as live streams of the Apollo 11 space craft touched down on the surface of the Moon.

On the 40th anniversary of that day, I take a moment to step back and pay tribute to a man who worked on the Mercury and Gemini Space Programs, and I believe worked for a time on the Apollo Program.

This man has been an influence on me my entire life, and those influences will continue to guide and inspire me for the rest of my life.

That man is my Grandfather, Harold Lankford.

Love you Granddad, and thank you to all the people who have contributed to the exploration of space.

"High Speed" My....

So, looking at my COMCAST statement, I am paying $46 per month for 12MB/sec (not to be confused with Mb/sec, which is Mega-bits per second and there are 8 bits in a Byte, so I should get 96 Mb/sec)

I just checked my speed using the handy-dandy Speak-Easy speed test. How did COMCAST perform?



Well, you decide. 77 KB/sec out of 12MB/sec....Is that good?

Reason Numero Uno why I am all for competing companies within a market-area. Currently, I am looking at switching to AT&T-U-verse.

Time For A Little Follow The Money

Drudge is reporting some very interesting expenditures on the "Stimulus bill that was never intended to stimulate the economy"

I think it's about time some one followed the money and figured out who is REALLY benefiting from this bill.

See what else you can find.

2006 Poderi Elia DOLCETTO D'ALBA (Piemonte, Italy)

Overextraction made this potentially excellent wine into a merely good one.

Black ruby color with some garnet. Piercing blackberry jam and mineral aromas are promising, but in the mouth the wine was overly tannic and astringent (particularly for a Dolcetto, which, at its best, is, to my mind, like the Italian sibling of a cru Beaujolais). Still, the wine had good depth and flavors, and was enjoyable. 82. Imported by Small Vineyards. Was $15 and change at Spec's on Smith.

(SORRY, I know the photo is of the Barbera, but it's very similar to the label for the Dolcetto, which I couldn't find).

2006 Domaine de la Chapelle des Bois FLEURIE (Beaujolais, France)

This wine was substantially better after three days under a vacuum wine plug, which indicates to me it would benefit from decanting several hours ahead of time (unusual, for a Beaujolais).

Bright dark ruby. Initially rustic smelling, it offered a tight nose of dry cherry extract, intense, sharp-edged stonyness, and some blueberry notes. Tight and earthy in the mouth, with intensely concentrated dry earthiness and lean cherry fruit. Slightly tannic finish. Days later, the lean-ness and angularity was gone, and the cherryish fruit had grown and smoothed out the rough edges. Perplexing. 84 on first opening, 87 three days later. Neal Rosenthal Vineyard Selections, importer. $22 at Spec's on Smith.

2007 August Kesseler SPATBURGUNDER (Pinot Noir rosé QBA) (Rheingau, Germany)

A very unusual, but very good, rosé.

Extremely light copper color (almost like a white wine color, but tinged with copper instead of gold). Spritely nose of ripe grapes, apple, and a hint of strawberry, along with creamed minerals. Bright, medium full bodied flavors, with a slight sweetness (Halbtrocken in style, I'd say). Zesty fruit with a very elegant, very minerally finish. 87. Was about $17 at Spec's on Smith. Imported by Vineyard Brands.

Oh My GOSH!!! SWINE FLU PANDEMIC!!!!!

You'll see me here not caring. There's an article I saw the other day that said that in the United States alone, 36,000 to 40,000 people die EVERY YEAR from the seasonal flu.

Number of U.S. citizens that have died from H1N1 so far in the US...263. Total cases 40,617. So in 1 year H1N1 will kill MAYBE 1/40th the people of the regular flu.

Ok, the virus has spread world-wide, but it doesn't do anything. In my opinion, why bother? I think the media hyped the virus up so much that they can't just say "Never mind." I say the WHO is right to stop counting the number of cases, just not for the same reasons they are.

Let the virus take it's course, run through and people build an immunity to it, at which point the population gains an immunity to it and it just begins to go away.

A Moment For Walter Cronkite

One of the most iconic men in all of the news world passed away today at the age of 92.

I take a long moment of silence to remember Walter.













".....And that's the way it is," Friday, July 17th 2009.

A sausage-making party at Angy & Susan's in West Hartford

We had a family Italian sausage making party at Angy & Susan's house in West Hartford toward the end of my stay, and what a feast it was. And, of course, Angy brought up some really good wines from his cellar.

2006 Donna Ginevra VERDICCHIO DI CASTELLI DI JESI (Marche, Italy) -- A big, fat, bruiser of a Verdicchio. Lots of minerals and pear skins on the nose. Broad, fat, low-acid flavors fill the mouth. Weighty and minerally.

2007 Costalgo ROSSO VERONESE (Veneto, Italy) -- This was a very drinkable "international style" red from the area near where Valpolicella, Bardolino, and Soave are grown. Medium deep colored, with magenta highlights, this wine sported aromas and flavors of cigar box, ashes, and sweet, spiced cherries. Soft and round, with a sweet earthiness in the finish.

2007 DASCHE "L'Enfant Terrible" (McFadden Farms, Potter Valley ZINFANDEL) -- this organically grown and naturally made wine tasted -- to me at least -- like a dead ringer for an Australian Grenache. Without the label, I would never have picked it out as a Zinfandel. That said, it was very nice. Light ruby color, with a ripe, fruit salad (yes, fruit salad) nose. Lots of ripe, pure-tasting fruit in a medium-full bodied package.

2005 Tenuta San Leone Montesalionze BARDOLINO SUPERIORE (Veneto, Italy) -- Every time I'm at Angy and Susan's house, I ask them to bring up a bottle of this from the cellar (they had purchased a case). It remains the best Bardolino, by far, I've ever had. I reviewed this twice before, so I won't bore you with another recapitulation.

2006 Mazzocco "Kenneth Carl" Reserve Dry Creek Valley ZINFANDEL -- the culmination of the wines was this monster Zin, which they bought directly from the winery. Dense, powerful, and almost portlike in its richness. Would shine best with rich cheese at the end of a meal. A week after the meal, I can still taste it!

A second dinner in Massachusetts

I must be getting old. I can't remember the food we had with the following wines at another family dinner. Good thing I took notes on the wines.

2004 Piantate Lunghe ROSSO CONERO (Marche, Italy) -- this wine was primarily (or maybe all) derived from the dark-colored Montepulciano grape. Saturated color. Deep-toned nose of earthy, winey blackberries. Lots of soft tannins and good balance.

2004 Mas de Boislauzon CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE (Rhone Vally, France) -- Textbook Chateauneuf du Pape aromas of garrigue, stones, and spicy raspberries. Great length and balance. Could benefit from another 1-2 years of cellaring.

2004 Don Ramon CAMPO DE BORJA (75% Garnacha, 25% Tempranillo) (Spain) -- loads of sweet, ripe raspberry fruit. Not great complexity but very nice.

America Loses A WWII Hero

Tom Hanks took a hint after the success of Saving Private Ryan, producing an absolutely AMAZING mini-series, Band of Brothers, about the valor of the men in the 101st Airborne from the night time drop before D-Day, through the end of the war in Berlin. Some of the more familiar characters such as Captain Lipton, Lt. (Later Major)Winters, Wild Bill Guarnere, and one other, Staff Sgt. Darrell "Shifty" Powers.




From Shifty's page on Normandy1944.com;

D-Day, Normandy, France
The jump on D-Day in Normandy was all "Screwed up!" Bill Keen, SGT. Taylor, and I were the last 3 men on the stick on our plane. I could hear bullets "pinging" through the plane as I jumped. Also, as I went out the door, the left motor was hit by antiaircraft. I do not know if the plane made it back to England. On the ground, Taylor and I got together in the shadows of a hedgerow. We were trying to decide the best way to find the other E-Company soldiers. While talking, we saw a soldier walking across the field. (The night was fairly light since there was a full moon.) I pointed my rifle at him and waited. Taylor clicked his "cricket clicker." (We issued the clickers to use as a recognition signal.) When the moon heard the click, he dropped to the ground. This move made us think he was a German. I started to shoot, but then decided to ask the oral password. Fortunately, he gave the correct response. As it turned out, it was our buddy, Bill Keen. He had lost his cricket and I almost shot him. This was the first incident in which I almost shot Keen.

Holland
The second incident occurred in Holland. The LT. Platoon called me into the Command Post. He told me there was a twelve-man German combat patrol in the area. My orders were take men and find the Germans. It was a dark night. (I mean really dark!). I knew I would not be able to see my rifle sights, so I took 2 pistols instead. We were moving down a road, stopping often to listen. I was leading the group mainly because of my keen sense of hearing. I stopped the column because, I could hear someone coming toward us. The Lieutenant had told me there would be no GPs out there, only the German Patrol. He advised us to shoot anyone we saw. I could tell this was just "one man", not twelve Germans. Instead of shooting, I asked him the password (which he knew). It was Bill Keen. He had been in the hospital and was returning to our platoon. We continued our search until almost daybreak, but never did encounter the Germans.

Note: (Bill Keen was later killed by artillery fire in Hagenau.)

Bastogne, Belgium
Another incident I will mention occurred in Bastogne. Easy Company was pulled off the line and put in reserve for a short rest. There was about 10-12 inches of snow on the ground. We were bivouacked in an area of Pine trees. We placed pine branches over our foxholes to keep out some of the snow. I climbed out of my foxhole at daybreak. I was standing among the trees all by myself. As I looked at the mounds in the snow, I thought how it looked just like a graveyard. Then the guys would pop up out these mounds. This was such a weird sight! It looked as if they were climbing out of their graves. One soldier asked me who was doing the shooting during the night. I told him that I had not heard any shooting.

Then I remembered the dream I had that night: I had dreamed that I was shooting at one of our own. I don't know why. When I remembered my dream, I thought, "Man, I better check this out!" I eased my pistol out and sure enough I had fired it twice during the night. Then I started watching the guys climbing out of their foxholes. I breathed a sigh of relief when saw they were all allright. I was glad that I hadn't shot anyone while sleepwalking during that snowy night in Bastogne. These are just a few memories of my experiences during World War.

Shifty passed away on June 17th.

H/T: Wyatt

Wines from a steak dinner in Massachusetts

I recently returned from a trip back to New England to visit family and friends. The first night there, we had a steak cook-out and some excellent (and one very old) wines.

2005 Rijckaert POUILLY-FUISSE (White Burgundy, France) -- a fragrant, lively, chalky/minerally Chardonnay with peach pit fruit. Very nice balance and great length.

2007 Terra Vignata VERDICCHIO DI MATELICA (Marche, Italy) -- inexpensive, yet one of the best Verdicchios I ever had: crisp, zesty, with very persistent and focused minerally, lemon-lime flavors. Very refreshing!

1978 Chateau de Beaucastel CHATEAUNEUF DU PAPE (Rhone Valley, France) -- Yes, that's right, 1978. My brother Angy and I bought this for my Dad for Christmas (in 1981?). I remember we shelled out $12.99 for it, which I thought was expensive at the time. It has held up remarkably well (my Dad has a very cool wine cellar). Intensely earthy but still with a core of vinous fruit. Not as mouthfilling as many young Beaucastels I've had, but holding its own. Like an old professor emeritus who still knows his sh*t even if the tweed jacket is frayed.

2000 Domain Tempier BANDOL "Cuvee Speciale La Migoua" (Provence, France) -- Still youthful, this wine was lean but concentrated, with typically Bandol-ish tree barky earthiness and a core of deep-toned berry fruit underneath. Classic Mourvedre with great length.

A Conversation With My Mom

I was talking to my mom on the phone and the topic came up of all the industries that Democrats in have started positioning to take over. First there was the banks, then came the Auto Industry, and now there's the Health Care industry.

After a minute, she mentioned how even though Democrats "Think the Public Plan" is so great...they can still keep their private health insurance penalty free.

Under the current draft of the Democrat healthcare legislation, members of Congress are curiously exempt from the government-run health insurance option, keeping their existing health plans and services on Capitol Hill. If Members of Congress believe so strongly that government-run health care is the best solution for hard working American families, I think it only fitting that Americans see them lead the way. Public servants should always be accountable and responsible for what they are advocating, and I challenge the American people to demand this from their representatives.

How interesting.

That got me not only thinking about Health Care, but also all the other crap that Democrats say YOU should do...but conveniently exempt themselves. I found 3 major ones. Health Care, Going Green, and Taxes.

I just mentioned the Health Care issue, and it seems like they also get a sudden case of the NIMBY's when an Eco-Friendly project comes near their property, but also when it comes to Environmental Responsibility.

Most people have heard about the outrageous electric bill that Al Gore racked up in a house that he doesn't even live in, and that he claimed that he offset the energy usage with carbon credits. But what was not reported was the fact that he is the CHAIRMAN of the company that he bought the credits from! Effectively, Al was able to have his cake with high energy usage while still claiming being green with Carbon Credits, and was able to eat it too by paying himself for the carbon credits.

As for taxes, you have to be pretty ignorant to think that those in congress simply fill out the standard 1040 EZ form. Of course not! They pay accountants THOUSANDS to do their taxes, and save them as much as possible from the heavy hand of Uncle Sam. And yet, those senators who, through appearances, books, etc. making MILLIONS per year, demand that those making over $250,000 have a DUTY to pay more to the government. Do you really think that a senator or congressman/woman would vote for a tax increase if they actually would have to pay more in taxes?

I closed the conversation with this one liner;
"Soon we'll be cashing our checks at Uncle Sam Bank, visiting the Social Doctor at St. Sam's Hospital, driving the latest model of the "Uncle Sam." A car whose hood ornament is pointing at you, and not using their index finger."

Back. With A Vengeance

Some of you may have noticed my absence from the blogosphere the past few weeks. I won't go into all of the reasons but suffice it to say it is a very busy time of the year. Even in this Obameconony.

What's today's big news? Sotomayor and Obama's health care fiasco. Sotomayor is in. Write it down. Take it to the bank. The Republicans talk tough but will vote for her in the end. All out of fear of opposing a Hispanic, regardless of her anti-Constitutional beliefs.

Health care? That won't be so easy. There are a few Democrats on Capitol Hill who have some brains. $1.x trillion dollars - paid for by the people who create jobs in this country. This is where I would normally ask how stupid can someone be - but I'm getting tired of asking that question.

Cardinals Don Child Molester 'Staches?

Following superstition started by Rick Ankiel's slump-busting chevron style stache, The Cardinal's have bonded further as a team by all growing lip-fuzzies.

None is more goofy looking than poor Skip Schumacher's. The baby faced 29 year old has a mustache that reminds me of Goose from Top Gun.

Either way, I don't care. The Cardinals are on top of the NL Central by 2 games and with a score of 4-2 going into the top of the 9th, appear that they will split the 4 game series with the Cubbies this weekend. That will put them 8-5 against the Cubs, and one game away from taking them for the season.

GO REDBIRDS!


Bonus Material - Most EPIC "CUBS SUCK" Message EVER!!!!!!!!!

Fine Job Matt Drudge, Fine Job!

The Headline for Drudge right now is this;

MR. PRESIDENT!

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Obama becomes victim of the infamous Artist named..."Camera Angle"



From the looks of it I have to admit Obama looks to be an innocent victim of circumstances. The woman appears to have already passed him and he looks to be looking past her...but it still makes for an awesome headliner!

The Reverse Reagan

That is what columnist Fred Hiatt is saying about "The One."

Since the Reagan era, some conservatives have hoped to shrink government by "starving the beast." Refuse to raise taxes, they figured, and eventually spending would have to fall.

It's beginning to look as though the new team may have a similar strategy, in reverse: Increase spending, and eventually taxes will have to be raised.

...The bottom line is this: You cannot run a progressive government of the kind Obama favors by collecting only 18 percent of the gross domestic product in taxes, which has been the norm over the past 40 years. Nor can you increase the tax take to 24.5 percent of GDP -- which is what Obama proposes to be spending in 2019 -- simply by making the rich pay more.

But rather than level with the American people about this, or lay out a plan to raise the needed taxes, the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress are putting the spending pieces of progressive government in place and apparently counting on the tax piece to fall into place later.

Hot Air has more.

2007 Rancho Zabaco Dry Creek Valley Reserve ZINFANDEL (Cal.)

Here's a really fine Zin that should be relatively easy to find because of the wide distribution of Rancho Zabaco wines. On the 4th of July, what better wine to drink than the uniquely American Zinfandel. (Yeah, yeah, I know there's a theory that it's related to the Croatian Plavic Mali (sp.?), but nowhere else on earth does this grape taste as great as from California.)

Almost fully saturated luminescent violet ruby. Richly fragrant nose of ripe, sweet spiced blackberries and sweet stony minerals. Mouth-filling, ripe, and full, with concentrated fruit and very good balance for such a ripe wine. very long, spicy, richly-fruited finish, with a bit of gravel making itself known at the end. Has a fair amount of soft tannin to add a bit of structure. 90. Got this for $16 and change at Spec's on Smith, making it an excellent buy.

NOTE: Rancho Zabaco makes several different grades of Zin, so be careful to look for the Dry Creek Valley appellation if you're looking for this one.

(Sorry, can't find a photo of the label, but it's all black and more elegant looking than Rancho Zabaco's usual labels).

Oh Freedom

Happy Independence Day! Happy 233rd birthday for our Republic. I was thinking about that wonderful negro spiritual this morning that gives this piece it's title:

Oh Freedom! Oh freedom! Oh freedom over me

And before I ‘ll be a slave I’ll be buried in my grave

And go home to my Lord and be free.

Will this be our last "Independence Day?" With all the legislation being written in Congress and the quiet acquiescence of the American people we may have to change the name of our national holiday to "Dependence Day." But now, a prayer.

On this Independence Day, I pray the spirit that made America what she is today. This is a spirit embodied in the very document that we celebrate today; a document, which is arguably the most inspirational piece of parchment in the world - the statement of natural, God-endowed law: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." In the same sentence, self-evident truths and our endowment by a Creator are acknowledged. This is a humility that is sadly missing today - it acknowledges our debt to a superior being and it plainly sets out the belief that there are things which are indisputable, not subject to the whims of interpretation or cultural nuance. We focus on the "men are created equal" part, but ignore the brackets put around that equality. The authors of the Declaration and the men who signed it were putting down a marker for the world - a statement of justice and equality heretofore dispensed by Kings and Emporors but now to be guarded by our fellow, equal man. With this comes the responsibility of guardianship that has been passed down to us.

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," are also well known pieces of this noble document. But later in the same paragraph come these words - the words that gave the document it's name:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

On this July 4th, we have to ask ourselves very carefully whether the present-day government, "instituted among men," has become destructive of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." In the Executive Branch, we have a chief executive who has surrounded himself with 18 (Eighteen!!) "Czars," responsible for everything from energy to drugs. These "czars" are completely unaccountable. There is no method of Congressional approval (remember "checks and balances?"), no oversite...bupkus. Yet, these "czars" have enormous authority through Presidential decree to tell us everything from our credit card interest rate to what kind of light bulbs we should use. Where is the American spirit of independence that bridles at such excesses and autocracy? "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" do not stem from teleprompted orations such that we are entitled to them at the approval of the White House - they come from the "Creator." We can therefore argue that this government HAS become "destructive of these ends," and needs to be changed. Read the list of grievances that our Founding Fathers laid out in the Declaration against King George III and with a little change of syntax and slight adjustment of verbage - a hell of a lot of them apply to this King, err, President:

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

Well, he hasn't tried to dissolve state houses yet, but see how Rick Wagoner got treated at General Motors and you might get a hint of how he will deal with California.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

This is going the other way, but immigration "reform," is on his To Do List with the aim of naturalizing hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens and creating a Democrat voter bloc for the next 15 years.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

Take a look at how Eric Holder handled the Black Panther voter abuse case in Philadelphia or how they want to unload Gitmo terrorists into our legal system and you get the flavor of a modern "Assent to Laws."

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

Do you spell the word "Czar" or "Tsar?"

The list could go on, but it would take up too many gigabytes. What's sad is the lack of total outrage. There is some...to be sure, we see it at the "Tea Parties" which are growing in number and in attendance. But blatant usurpation of power and a total flaunting of the Constitution should get our revolutionary spirit really riled up!

And now, with looming "cap and trade" taxation increases and socialized medicine, we stand on the threshold of losing free choice in total surrender to a care-taker state that manages our lives from cradle to grave. Come revolutionary spirit, come - awaken the masses of patriots who are simply too busy to pay attention.

We are in the eye of the storm folks, but it is never too late to let freedom ring!

Rumble on!

2007 "Petit Caprice" Vin de Pays de Vaucluse (75% Grenache, 25% Syrah) (Rhone Valley, France)

What a great buy! Apparently made by a "sustainable agriculture" co-op, this is a really good wine to buy in bulk for summer parties or cook-outs.

Dark crystal ruby. Beautifully forthright and fruity nose: ripe blackberries and plum juice, with sweet cream and caramel notes. Round, ripe, and soft, this wine has got lots of up-front berry fruit, medium-full body, and a clean, balanced finish. Got this at Whole Foods on Bellaire for (I think) around $8. Whatever it was, it was definitely under 10 bucks. Imported by Fruit Of The Vine, NYC, NY. 88.

2006 Fattoria di Vetrice CHIANTI RUFINA (Tuscany, Italy)

This wine, which is the basic, entry-level non-Riserva from this winery, is usually a good buy. The 2006 is good, but a bit earthier than usual.

Very dark blackish ruby. Very earthy but identifiably "Chianti" nose of spicy, gravelly earth, sour dried cherries, and cedar. Lean but flavorful, with lots of earthy, dark cherry fruit up front, but quickly leading to a drying, fairly rustic finish. Gutsy and a bit rough around the edges, but not bad. 85. Was $14 and change from Spec's on Smith. Imported by Ideal Wines and Spirits.

(Sorry, 2002 vintage shown)