T'is the season for many people to start making those
annual New Year's resolutions. While we all are our own worst critic, isn't a
New Year's resolution merely an admission that one isn't perfect just the way
they are ? How and why did this tradition of promising to change one's personal
goals, lifestyle, or habits even come about ?
The ancient Babylonians made promises to their gods at the start of each
year that they would return borrowed objects and pay their debts. The Romans began each year by making promises to the god Janus,
for whom the month of January is named. In the Medieval era, the knights took the "peacock vow" at the end of the Christmas season each year
to re-affirm their commitment to chivalry. At watchnight services, many Christians prepare for the year ahead by praying and making
these resolutions.
There are other religious parallels to this tradition.
During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon
one's wrongdoings over the year and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may
act similarly during the Catholic fasting period of Lent,
though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of
responsibility, in fact the practice of New Year's resolutions partially came
from the Lenten sacrifices. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect
upon self-improvement annually.
But what is
the success rate of promises made in the heat of the moment and in the spirit
of the occasion ? A 2007 study by Richard Wisemen from
the University of Bristol
involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions
fail,despite
the fact that 52% of the study's participants were confident of success at the
beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being
set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying "lose weight"), while
women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from
their friends.[9]
Quoting Frank Ra (author of the new year's resolution
book "A course in happiness"):
"Resolutions are more sustainable when shared, both in terms of
with whom you share the benefits of your resolution, and with whom you share
the path of maintaining your resolution. Peer-support makes a difference in
success rate with new year's resolutions".
So with all this rich history and tradition behind you go
ahead tonight and make that New Year's resolution to drop a few pounds, quit
smoking, etc. but just remember that New Year's resolution is an admission you
aren't perfect just the way you are.....Happy New Years!
Astronomical
discoveries in 2012 have reshaped what we know about the universe and pushed
some instruments to the very limits of their observing power. Scientists
discovered a galaxy that harbors an enormous central black hole 17 billion times more massive than the
sun. Another research group spotted a scorching-hot rocky planet in the closest
star system to our own. Meanwhile, the records for most massive galaxy cluster
and most distant galaxy were shattered.
Here's a brief
rundown of some of the year's most extreme and exciting cosmic finds.
Most monstrous
black hole
Observers
probably don't want to get too close to NGC 1277 or its supermassive black hole, which takes up a
large portion of the galaxy itself. The central black hole is 17 billion times
more massive than the sun and makes up 14 percent of its host galaxy's mass,
compared to the usual 0.1 percent.
Researchers
were so flummoxed by the black hole's size that they took an extra year to
double-check their calculations before publishing their results.
In a surprise
discovery, astronomers found a planet that is about the same size as Earthin
the star system next door. The rocky planet was found in Alpha Centauri, a
three-star system just 4.3 light years from us.
Life is very
unlikely on this world. Its rocky surface may be molten, since the planet
orbits just 3.6 million miles (6 million kilometers) from its sun-like star.
(Earth, for comparison, circles 93 million miles, or 150 million km, from the
sun).
Alpha Centauri
Bb, as the planet is known, was discovered through tracking gravitational
wobbles around its planet star. The wobbles in this case are very subtle,
making the star move back and forth at no more than 1.1 mph (1.8 kph). The
research team stated it "pushed our technique to the limit," and some
astronomers are skeptical that the planet even exists.
And just this
month, a different research team detected five potential planets orbiting the
star Tau Ceti, which lies only 11.9 light-years from Earth. One of the newly
spotted candidate worlds may be capable of supporting life as we know it,
scientists say.
Smallest alien
worlds
Astronomers
using NASA's Kepler Space Telescope discovered three tiny planets 120 light-years
away from Earth. Circling the star KOI-961, the smallest of the three planets
is about the size of Mars, and all are smaller than Earth. Even the star itself
is tiny — just 70 percent larger than Jupiter.
"This is
the most compact system of planets," said John Johnson, of the California
Institute of Technology
in Pasadena. "It's like you have a shrink raygun and set it to seven times
smaller and zapped a planetary system."
Smallest solar
system
KOI-500 has five planets so crowded together that their
gravity jostles each other profoundly during their orbits. Their
"years" are only 1, 3, 4.6, 7.1 and 9.5 days long. Furthermore, the
planets are tiny: just 1.3 to 2.6 times the size of Earth. All of this
action takes place in an area 150 times smaller than Earth's orbit, astronomers
said.
"At this
rate, you could easily pack in 10 more planets, and they would still all fit
comfortably inside the Earth's orbit," Darin Ragozzine, a planetary
scientist at the University of Florida at Gainesville, said in a statement.
Most distant
galaxy
Much like
the 100-meter dash world record, the record for farthest known galaxy often changes. The newest
potential record-holderis UDFj-39546284, which had taken shape when the
universe was only 380 million years old. Its extreme age was discovered in 2012
using new observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
The galaxy is
part of a group of seven that astronomers examined, forming perhaps the first
reliable observations of galaxies that formed 400 million and 600 million years
after the Big Bang created the universe 13.7 billion years ago. [Gallery: Spectacular Hubble Photos]
Oldest, most
distant supernovas
In 2012,
astronomers described what they think led to the oldest, most distant supernovas in the universe.
Scientists believe some of these "super-luminous" supernovas come
from massive stars — 100 to 250 times the mass of the sun — that explode and
blast their matter into space.
Astronomers
stated that inside these massive stars, gamma-ray light changes into electron
pairs as well as antimatter positrons. The gamma rays usually stop the star
from collapsing due to gravity, but the grip weakens as gamma rays convert to
matter. It is at this point that the star implodes, sparking the explosion.
Most massive
galaxy cluster
At 2,000 times
more massive than the Milky Way, a large cluster of galaxies some 7 billion
light-years away dwarfs just about any other collection of matter known.
Astronomers say the cluster — properly known as SPT-CLJ2344-4243and
dubbed the Phoenix cluster — appears to contain
thousands of galaxies of many different sizes.
Astronomers
first spotted the Phoenix cluster in 2010, but didn't realize its extent until
they did follow-up observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.
High-energy light pouring out of the cluster make it the most X-ray luminous
one ever found, at 35 percent brighter than the last record-holder found.
Biggest map of
the universe
Courtesy of a
mega map, astronomers are a step closer to understanding how the universe came
to be. The Sloan Digital Sky Survey III released a map that charts more than 1
million galaxies in a total volume of 70 billion cubic light-years.
The map could
help astronomers better understand the mysterious dark matter and dark energy
that appears to make up most of the universe, researchers said.
Deepest view of
the universe
The Hubble
Space Telescope is peering back further and further in time. The famous
orbiting observatory captured light that emanated 13.2 billion years ago, when
the universe was just 500 million years old or so.
Hubble's
picture, which is called the eXtreme Deep Field, shows galaxies and starlight
accumulated over 10 years in a small bit of sky; this is the best method we
have to see objects so far away. The photo is a successor to Hubble's
"Ultra Deep Field", which the telescope took in 2003 and 2004. [Video: Hubble's eXtreme Deep Field]
Most magnetic
star
There's a star
20,000 light-years from Earth with a real magnetic personality. NGC 1624-2,
which is about 35 times as massive as our sun, was spotted in the constellation
Perseus. With a magnetic field 20,000 times stronger than the sun's—
and 10 times more powerful than that of any known star — NGC 1624-2 drags a
blanket of trapped charged particles around it.
"Magnetic
fields of this strength are extremely rare; they are only known to exist in a
few other stars of much lower mass," study lead author Gregg Wade, an
astronomer at the Royal Military College of Canada, told SPACE.com in a
September interview. "To find such a strong field is very lucky."
X-ray blast in
the universe's youth
A jet of X-rays
emanating from quasar GB 1428 — a galaxy that has a huge black hole in its
center — was found about 12.4 billion light-years from Earth. The
radiation band is estimated at about twice the diameter of the Milky Way.
With the
previous record-holder at 12.2 billion light-years away, astronomers said they
are getting more information on how black holes behaved in the universe's early
days.
Biggest core
found in a ginormous galaxy
Lurking in a
galaxy about 10 times the width of the Milky Way lies a large, diverse galactic core that doesn't seem to
have a black hole associated with it.
The wispy core
of A2261-BCG, which is about 10,000 light-years across, puzzles astronomers
because supermassive black holes are expected to be at the heart of most
galaxies. Hubble Space Telescope observations suggest the core might have been
constructed when two galaxies merged.
We KNEW it was only a matter of time. A Connecticut lawyer Irving Pinsky, is requesting permission to sue the state over
the Sandy Hook school shooting, saying his 6-year-old client was left with
emotional and psychological trauma because authorities failed to make a safe
setting at the school. He is seeking $100 million in damages on behalf of his
client, a survivor of the shooting identified only as Jill Doe.
The girl was at the elementary school during the attack and heard
everything including gunfire, screaming and conversations over the intercom,
Pinsky wrote in his Thursday letter to the state claims commissioner
“As a consequence, the ... child has sustained emotional and
psychological trauma and injury, the nature and extent of which are yet to be
determined,”
Next thing you know he'll be making claims
like, "It's not about the money". After all the talk of healing the
community and searching for answers we now have to drag everyone into the court
room for this outrageous law suit. Wasn't it William Shakespeare that wrote,
"The
first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"
The Washington Times reported, the
incandescent light-bulb ban, which goes into effect in March, is another example
of excessive government oversight. The bulbs aren’t officially banned, just
artificially obsolete. As part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007, Congress
mandated that light bulbs have 25 percent greater efficiency, phased in
starting in 2012 and continuing until 2014. The law also includes a slew of
mandates on appliances and energy use in federal buildings. A 310-page masterpiece of
micromanagement, the law was promoted heavily by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
San Francisco Democrat, and signed by President George W. Bush.
The bill was driven by a consortium of manufacturers that stand to profit from
forcing people to buy more expensive bulbs and fixtures, plus the environmental
lobby, which likes to pretend government regulations can lower the planet’s
temperature. Part of the resistance to the CFL bulbs, most of which
are made in China, stems from the fact that they contain mercury. The Environmental
Protection Agency had to create a suggested regimen to deal with the
extreme hazard of broken fluorescents. The first step is to have people and
pets leave the room, which then must be aired out for five to 10 minutes by
opening a window or door to the outdoor environment. Next, any central-air
heating or air-conditioning system must be shut down. Homeowners then must
collect materials needed to clean up the broken bulb. EPA
warns, “Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all
other cleanup steps have been taken. Vacuuming could spread mercury-containing
powder or mercury vapor.” There’s much more, including recycling directions. A
shattered incandescent bulb, by contrast, can just be tossed in a garbage bin
without triggering an environmental calamity.
So here we
go say good bye to our old reliable, inexpensive, and safe incandescent light
bulbs. Saying good bye to one of the few American made products we had left and
once again making us dependent, to countries like China, for something as
simple as a light bulb. Of course it's not like our lawmakers in Washington
have any really pressing matters to attend to right? Just remember in the future practice yournew suggested regimen to
deal with the extreme hazard of broken fluorescents, boy howdy!
The NY Times reported In the days
after the Connecticut school killings, a
newspaper in nearby Westchester County, N.Y., decided to respond by publishing
the names and addresses of handgun permit holders in its readership area. The
newspaper, The Journal News, said that
informing people about legal weapons in their neighborhoods was a public
service.
Not everyone agrees.
The posting
of the information online over the weekend has touched off an outcry across
the country that has underscored the raw emotions surrounding the issue of
guns. The interactive map put together by The Journal News, compiled from publicly
available records, has already been shared tens of thousands of times on social
media.
“Now
everyone knows where the LEGAL GUNS are kept, a valuable piece of information
for criminals,” wrote a Facebook
user who gave his name as Mike Pandolfo. “Why don’t you do something
helpful, like trying to find out where the ILLEGAL GUNS are kept?”
I guess personally I look at it like this, "If I were a
criminal what houses would I target", I'm thinking they will be looking
for house NOT on that list! I'm not sure if most criminals are that smart but
I'm thinking the people that should be mad are the ones that just had posted
that they are now a target.
On Jan.3rd Biden is to report to President Obama with his
committees recommendations for gun control nationwide, about the same time Sen.
Feinstein with be introduction new gun legislation that promises to be the most
restrictive in history. I'm thinking after Barry gets sworn in for his new term
that life is about to change for people seeking to legally own guns.
The winner of PowerLineblog.com’s coveted first annual Green Weenie of the Year Award goes to Prof. Richard Parncutt of the University of Graz, Austria, for his recent suggestion that climate skeptics deserve the death penalty. Parncutt, a professor of the psychology of music (really) thinks himself a green version of John Rawls apparently, and posted his extensive case for why the death penalty for climate skeptics would be fully just on his blog back in October. Now that the post actually got read, he’s taken it down, but not before several screens shots were made to preserve it for digital posterity. He actually thinks global warming “deniers” deserve more harsh treatment than Behring Brevik, the Norwegian mass murderer who killed 77 people in 2011 (in a country with tough gun control, incidentally)
"Americans sweltering in the recent record-breaking heatwave may not believe it - but it seems that our ancestors suffered through much hotter summers in times gone by, several of them within the last 2,000 years. A new study measuring temperatures over the past two millennia has concluded that in fact the temperatures seen in the last decade are far from being the hottest in history."
Here's a nice little graph to demonstrate what's really happened in the past 2,000 years:
This thoroughly debunks the claim that temperatures on the planet today are in any way historic or unprecedented.
The Register continued:
"In the IPCC view, the planet was cooler during Roman times and the medieval warm spell. Overall the temperature is headed up - perhaps wildly up, according to the famous/infamous "hockey stick" graph. The new study indicates that that's quite wrong, with the current warming less serious than the Romans and others since have seen - and the overall trend actually down by a noticeable 0.3°C per millennium, which the scientists believe is probably down to gradual long-term shifts in the position of the Sun and the Earth's path around it."
Just as many climate realists have been saying for years.
Bloomberg Businessweek reported, Barack Obama may consider introducing a tax on carbon emissions to help cut the U.S. budget deficit after winning a second term as president, according to HSBC Holdings Plc.
A tax starting at $20 a metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent and rising at about 6 percent a year could raise $154 billion by 2021, Nick Robins, an analyst at the bank in London, said today in an e-mailed research note, citing Congressional Research Service estimates. “Applied to the Congressional Budget Office’s 2012 baseline, this would halve the fiscal deficit by 2022,” Robins said.
Hurricane Sandy sparked discussion on climate protection in the election after presidential candidates focused on other debates, HSBC said. A continued Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives means Obama’s scope for action will be limited, Robins said. Cap-and-trade legislation stalled in the U.S. Senate after narrowly passing the house in 2009.
North American discharges fell 1.3 percent last year amid slowing economic growth. In China, the world’s biggest emitter, greenhouse gases from fuel use rose more than 9 percent in 2011, according to BP Plc (BP/) statistics published on June 13. The science backing the theory of man-made global warming is flawed at best and with incidents like "Climategate" where British scientist from the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit had been sharing emails discussing their flawed research. This small group of scientists have for years been more influential in driving the worldwide alarm over global warming than any others, not least through the role they play at the heart of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).Perhaps the most obvious, as lucidly put together by Willis Eschenbach (see McIntyre’s blog Climate Audit and Anthony Watt’s blog Watts Up With That), is the highly disturbing series of emails which show how Dr Jones and his colleagues have for years been discussing the devious tactics whereby they could avoid releasing their data to outsiders under freedom of information laws. As we enter into the next era of the ObamaNation let's hold this administrations feet to fire on the facts before accepting any kind of national Carbon Tax or Cap and Trade program as it will have little to do with saving the planet, as it will be sold to the public, and everything to do with wealth redistribution.
So Prof. Parncutt congratulations on being named "Green Weenie of the Year" for proclaiming that REAL scientist that use actual facts, outside of politics, deserve the death penalty. Once again we learn that those that can't do teach, and those that can simply do.
Deport British
Citizen Piers Morgan for Attacking 2nd Amendment
British
Citizen and CNN television host Piers Morgan is engaged in a hostile attack
against the U.S. Constitution by targeting the Second Amendment. We demand that
Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of
Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to
stage attacks against the rights of American citizens.
It's up to you to build support
for petitions you care about and gather more signatures. A petition must get
150 signatures in order to be publicly searchable on WhiteHouse.gov.Over time, we may need to
adjust the petition signature thresholds, but we'll always let you know what
the thresholds are
Signatures needed by January 20, 2013 to reach goal of
25,000
0
Total signatures on this petition
79,691
- It’s one thing for an American citizen to ideologically assault and trash the Constitution, although odious such activity would be protected under the First Amendment, but Piers Morgan is a foreigner in a position of influence on prime time television. He is a foreign agent using his power to lobby for the constitutional rights of American citizens to be overturned.
- In response to Morgan’s claim about the First Amendment, James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal pointed to a transcript of Kleindienst v. Mandel, a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. It validated an effort by then attorney general Richard Kleindienst to refuse Marxist Belgian journalist Ernest Mandel entry into the country. The Court ruled that denying Mandel entry did not violate the First Amendment.
It
is the most beautiful time of the year once again. Pray, sing and make merry,
Christmas is finally here. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Have a
prosperous New Year.
Twas the night before liberal Christmas, and in the White House
President Obama was gloating about which liberties to douse;
Fifty-four trees decked with all due colors and pomp,
While Americans suffer, the Obama’s do romp;
The White House is festive,
peddling sin and in vice,
Everyone’s drunk on their power, yes, even the mice.
They dance and they dine, with important people and such,
While the rest of us suffer through an economy that sucks.
The Obamaphone Lady, nestled all snug in her bed,
Dreams of more handouts that will pay for her bread,
And Hillary in her ‘kerchief, is happy you see,
She won’t have to answer question about Benghazi –
Out on my lawn, I heard such a
clatter,
I sprang out of bed, to behold what’s the matter.
A gang of Obama voters where stealing my car,
Because to them I am rich, and they’re more worthy by far.
So I ran to my cabinet, and grabbed
my Mossberg,
I filled it with rounds, and fired, and heard;
Complaints and screams the hoodlums did shout,
Wondering why I was racist – of that they had no doubt.
Up in Michigan, the unions are
floored,
Thinking Obama’s new term meant they would get more.
But when confronted with the now enshrined right to work,
They rioted and broke things, generally acting like jerks.
“Socialism forever! Now give us our
stuff!
“How dare you defy us! How dare you rebuff!”
They attacked those who opposed them, the press got it too,
How dare they document the chaotic liberal zoo!
Meanwhile Michelle is decked in the
fanciest of clothes,
She walks around proud, to the sky points her nose;
Eat veggies she orders with a maniacal grin,
To not do so? It is such a sin.
Once more a slaughter in “gun free”
school zone,
The lessons of liberal failure always hit home;
As parents mourn, their dead daughters and sons,
Obama screams gleefully, about taking our guns!
Secretly he’s happy, oh he most
certainly is,
Don’t let him fool you, he doesn’t grieve for those kids;
They were just more worries, a drain on the State,
Sucking dry the coffers at some future date.
In January looms the so-called
cliff that is fiscal, Liberals defy reality, their protests oh so
primal.
“Give us more taxes!” That is always their plan,
They want their free lunch, and down the road kick the can.
Harry and Nancy and Obama do bitch,
Holding America hostage, because they hate the “rich”.
But what can be done? They’ve shut all the doors.
Our leaders are nothing but pompous asses and whores.
Yes whores! You heard me! Was I not
plain?
They’ve sold themselves for fortune, for power, and fame!
They don’t care about you! They don’t care about me!
“To Hell with you all!” That’s their slogan, you see?
Our children’s money Obama wants to
spend and not save,
Worst of all? John Boehner seems willing to cave.
So the President proclaims, as he drifts off to sleep,
“Merry Liberal Christmas to all! Now Get ready to leap!”
The verses of the
holiday classic “The 12 Days of Christmas” add up to 364 gifts, and if your
true love bought them all, they would cost $107,300, a 6.1 percent increase
compared with last year’s total. The cost of the 12 days of cumulative gifts is
calculated annually by PNC Wealth Management, part of the PNC Financial
Services Group, to come up with an amusing and easily understandable
explanation of how the country’s economy is faring.
This year, the
prices of the six geese, seven swans and other fowl rose because the country’s
drought drove up the price of bird feed. The five golden rings named in the
song’s verses also cost significantly more than a year ago. Higher demand for
gold stems from an improving economy, said James P. Dunigan, PNC Wealth
Management’s managing executive of investments, who oversees compilation of the
index.
The six-figure
outlay to accumulate all the gifts is unlikely to faze those with deep pockets,
but there is still room for a holiday bargain with the milking maids, ladies
dancing and leaping lords as well as with the calling birds, turtle doves and
partridge. The eight maids, who are considered unskilled labor, cost $58, still
a deal because the minimum wage remained at $7.25 an hour.
Musicians like the
11 pipers and the 12 drummers were a bit more expensive, at $2,562 and $2,775.
Each group received a 5.5 percent raise over last year, based on information
from music groups and unions. The nine ladies dancing received no raise,
remaining at $6,294.
Pushing up the
final bill, however, were the geese, which soared by 29.6 percent, to $210
each, up from $162, as corn and other bird feed costs jumped. The seven
trumpeter swans could be found for $7,000, up 11.1 percent.
Also up 11.8
percent was the cost of a pear tree, which rose $20, to $189.99, an increase
that Mr. Dunigan said reflected a better housing market. In the song, the pear
tree is a perch for the partridge, but in contemporary life, it is a tree often
used in residential landscaping.
The gold rings
this year rose by 16.3 percent, to $750 from $645 last year. The three French
hens totaled $165, an increase of 10 percent from last year’s $150. The
partridge is the cheapest item, at $15, and the swans, at $1,000 each, are the
most expensive.
With the cash
outlay of six digits to properly celebrate the twelve days of Christmas I think
I'll just rely on the love of family and friends for my Christmas cheer and
pass on the twelve inflated days of Christmas.
Forget
the fiscal cliff and the automatic budget cuts. Come Jan. 1, there is a threat
that milk prices could rise to $6 to $8 a gallon if Congress does not pass a new farm bill that amends farm policy
dating back to the Truman presidency. Because of the apparent lack of any
cooperation between either house of congress on ANY issue we are in danger of
going into 2013 without an updated farm bill. Without an updated farm bill the
government has to follow a 1949 farm law that would force
Washington to buy milk at wildly inflated prices, creating higher prices in the
dairy case. Milk now costs an average of $3.65 a gallon
Because
of adjustments for inflation, and other data, the government will be forced to buy milk at about twice its
current market price to help stabilize the milk market. If 1949 rules go into
effect, the government would be required to buy dairy products at around $40
per hundredweight, or about roughly twice the current market price, to drive up
the price of milk to cover dairy producers’ cost. Of course this will drive the
price up for all products that use milk, like cheese and butter, and force some
producers to buy milk overseas. Consumer can also expect the cost of their milk
in the stores to raise dramatically from the lost in available milk supply.
Vincent Smith, a professor
of agriculture at Montana State University in Bozeman. “This is a totally
antiquated law that has nothing to do with farming conditions today,” Professor
Smith said. “It was put as a poison pill to get Congress to pass a farm bill by
scaring lawmakers with the prospect of higher support prices for milk and other
agriculture products. Letting it go into effect for even a few months would be
particularly disastrous for consumers and food processors. “
So with everything else going on in the world we may soon be
asking ourselves why we can't afford milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream,
and multiple other food items that require milk as an ingredient. So please Congress
just one more thing...FARM BILL NOW!
Chick-Fill-A caught national attention earlier this year for
its CEO coming out against gay marriage. Even though its multiple restaurants throughout
America had strict policies against discrimination and a great track record for
enforcing that policy. News outlets and protest against the chain where wide
spread, and even a few misguided politicians joined in on the witch hunt.
Fast forward to recent events and the shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary. Once again news outlets and protest are raging against 2nd
amendment rights to own guns and throughout out the nation misguided anger was
directed toward the shooters gun and not so much at the shooter, once again
misguided politicians are joining in on the hate fest. In response to this event the sporting goods
chain ,Dick's sporting goods, is discontinuing the sale of several
semi-automatic guns and all guns in the town near SandyHook.
Granted BOTH of these businesses have every right to express
their opinions and do business as they see fit. The Difference is Chick-fill-A
did not let its personal beliefs stand in the way doing business and giving its
customers what they want. Dick's whoever has let this stand between them and
the very type of customers it depended on in the first place. It isn't a
stretch to believe that the very folks buying guns from them are supporters of
2nd amendment gun rights.
Dick's certainly has a right to do business as they please,
we as consumers have every right to do business with who we choose as well. As we
spend our Christmas and holiday money this season nothing speaks louder than
your checkbook and letting Dick's know that joining the ranks of those that
would limit our legal right to bear arms
just might have a cost.
Via InstaPundit, we
learn that for the first time, the United States does not rank as one of the
world’s ten most prosperous nations, as rated by London’s Legatum Institute. The authors of the
report found that the U.S.’s slippage is being driven by “a decline in the
number of US citizens who believe that hard work will get them ahead.”
During the
past presidential electionObama could
not give money away fast enough to his various special interest groups classic
example is the "Obama Phones".The majority of his polices rewards those that take from society and
punishes those that create jobs and grow the economy.The Urban Institute-Brookings Tax Policy Center estimates that 46 percent
of households will owe no federal income tax for 2011 and the 10% of
households with the highest incomes pay more than half of all federal taxes.
They pay more than 70% of federal income taxes, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
As the percentage of people continues to rise that
receive government handouts the percentage of those willing to vote against any
candidate willing to slow them down will drop. This is exactly what has
happened to many socialist countries in Europe, they have borrowed so much to
keep the hand outs going that they have finally ran out of credit to borrow any
more. As the authors of the London report noted, "a decline in the number of US citizens who beleive that hard work will
get them ahead" unless policies change we too will run out of credit and
then I wonder where we'll be on the list of "Most Prosperous Nations"?
Across the country this week we keep hearing a common
question being asked, "Why do we need assault rifles"? Unfortunately the events of the past week
have given fuel the fire this is being perpetuated by the liberal media and fanned
by the liberal White house. Because the shooter used an assault type rifle in
the Sandy Hook shootings the anger and frustration is being directed toward his
tool of choice, the assault type rifle. Let's examine just why cooler heads need to
prevail in the rush to ban them.
Every since 911 there has been a steady "carving
away" of our constitutional rights guaranteed to us as our birth right as American
citizens, sadly all in the name of safety. The 2nd amendment of the Constitution
guarantees us the right to ...
"A well regulated
Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the
people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"
It CLEARLY states, "SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED". Not limited to, or in case of, in the event
of, only if, or any other lame liberal situation
that they can use as a way of limiting legal
gun ownership.
A common theme we hear from liberal gun haters is, "The
Founding Fathers had no experience with assault type of guns and would not have
meant to allow them as being protected", they miss the very reason they
included the 2nd amendment in the Constitution to begin with! They believed...
"the people have a right to
bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state; and as standing armies
in the time of peace are dangerous to liberty, they ought not to be kept up;
And that the military should be kept under strict subordination to, and governed
by, the civil power."
We ARE
as a people to be as well armed as our government to protect us from our own
government in the event they decide they are in charge and seek to subordinate
us by force. When we seek to assist foreign rebels to over throw unpopular governments,
which we have no right to do, the first thing we do is to arm the rebels with
ASSAULT RIFLES. A commontheme throughout
history by foreign dictators is to first disarm the people, classic examples are
Nazi Germany, Stalin, Mussolini, and Mao Tze Tung. Countries more recently like
the UK, Australia, Europe, and China have already enacted strict gun laws and confiscations
and ironically they have found that none of the criminals turned in their guns!
If we
allow our government to begin the process of disarming us every time there is an
emotional event where will it all end? When there are no assault type rifles
out there and next shooting happens with a hand gun, there goes the hand guns,
then shot guns, then BB guns, then knives, then baseball bats, etc... when will
the American public wake up and say, "We have a RIGHT to defend ourselves" ?
