This week, Rush Limbaugh visited Normandy, France and toured the scenes of D-Day, the allied invasion of Nazi-held France, 69 years ago today.
No matter how much time passes, that day in history will always be foremost in my mind, when I think of valor and courage and victory over evil. I hope to visit Normandy, and Omaha Beach, before I die. I would like to pay my respects to the American dead, thousands of whom are buried there under white marble crosses and green grass.
Rush describes his impressions and emotions of the visit here.
On the 40th anniversary of D-Day, President Ronald Reagan gave one of his most inspiring speeches at the scene, "The Boys of Pointe Du Hoc." Here it is.
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Bro and Stogie Jam Out to "Black Magic Woman" (Video)
Over the weekend I visited my older brother (Bro) in Fallon, Nevada. We jammed for two days straight! In a jam, you play many songs that you may not have played before. Bro and I haven't played music together for three and a half years, but had a great time and were pleased with the results.
Because it's a jam, the renditions will not be as polished like they would be if previously rehearsed. That adds a bit of fun to the efforts, because improvization is required. In the vid below, Bro is playing a black Fender Stratocaster guitar, but you can't see it behind his keyboard. Too bad, it's a beautiful guitar -- but you can certainly hear it well.
I am in the fedora playing my new Fender Jazz Bass. Bro does the singing. (I am not coordinated enough to play bass and sing at the same time.) Have a listen.
Here's the guitar Bro is playing:
Here's the guitar Bro is playing:
 |
| Black Fender Stratocaster |
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
The Incredible Denial of Apologists for Islam
As Islamic terrorism, murder and violence continues to accelerate across the globe, more and more of the naive among us apologize for -- that is, attempt to explain away -- Muslim violence. Some retired teacher wrote a guest piece in the Hollister newspaper last week, claiming to have "researched" Islam. His conclusions: Americans have nothing to fear from Islam or Muslims. Dhimmis were a protected class of people (actually, they are and were an expendable third-class, reviled caste, and dhimmitude a form of slavery). This retired teacher also claimed that the Koran was a beautiful book of verses similar to Psalms (obviously overlooking the 109 verses that call for murder and violence against non-believers). Women are not mistreated in Islam, and their absence in schools is more a factor of poverty than ideology. The writer's wishful thinking and self-delusion are striking.
There are, in fact, many Americans who no longer need to fear Islam. They are dead, killed by Muslims for religious reasons. Islam is a religion that practices a form of human sacrifice: if you aren't a Muslim, it is perfectly honorable, moral and pious to kill you.
The invaluable website "The Religion of Peace" has compiled a list of Americans killed and injured by Muslims in America. The list goes back to 1972 and extends through the Boston atrocity. The total number of Americans murdered by Muslims (in America) since 1972 is 3,085 and the number injured is 1,592. These figures include 911.
If we subtract the casualties of 911, there have been 109 Americans murdered by Muslims and 1,288 injured since 1972.
If we count only the casualties since 911 (2001 - 2013) there have been 64 killed and 228 injured.
So we have nothing to fear from Islam and Muslims? The percentage of the total population represented by the above figures is fairly low. However, those tallies only include successful Muslim murders. They do not include the many plots discovered and stopped, or those that failed. There were at least 29 failed and foiled Muslim plots to murder Americans since 911. They are listed here, but the list does not appear complete.
Update: Here's a film about Sharia, Islamic law that Muslims hope to substitute for the Constitution. Hat tip to "Sharia Unveiled."
There are, in fact, many Americans who no longer need to fear Islam. They are dead, killed by Muslims for religious reasons. Islam is a religion that practices a form of human sacrifice: if you aren't a Muslim, it is perfectly honorable, moral and pious to kill you.
The invaluable website "The Religion of Peace" has compiled a list of Americans killed and injured by Muslims in America. The list goes back to 1972 and extends through the Boston atrocity. The total number of Americans murdered by Muslims (in America) since 1972 is 3,085 and the number injured is 1,592. These figures include 911.
If we subtract the casualties of 911, there have been 109 Americans murdered by Muslims and 1,288 injured since 1972.
If we count only the casualties since 911 (2001 - 2013) there have been 64 killed and 228 injured.
So we have nothing to fear from Islam and Muslims? The percentage of the total population represented by the above figures is fairly low. However, those tallies only include successful Muslim murders. They do not include the many plots discovered and stopped, or those that failed. There were at least 29 failed and foiled Muslim plots to murder Americans since 911. They are listed here, but the list does not appear complete.
Update: Here's a film about Sharia, Islamic law that Muslims hope to substitute for the Constitution. Hat tip to "Sharia Unveiled."
Monday, May 27, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
My New Fender Jazz Bass!
 |
| My New Fender Jazz Bass |
I figured out how to get one and bought it yesterday. I also figured out better ways to record MP3 files, and here is an MP3 of me playing bass to "Cold Shot," a rock song by the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughn. Rockin' Mama Lorraine does a good job of imitating Vaughn's incredible guitar playing, and Ashley does a fine job of singing the tune. I play the bass and all I can say is that I didn't make many mistakes!
Here it is:
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The "Fourteen Attributes of Fascism": A Highly Self Serving Definition by a Liberal Writer
It's difficult to find an objective definition of fascism on the web. Most are self-serving, usually leftist screeds, designed to incorporate conservative or Republican attributes into the definition. For example, see this rather blatant example at this link. This website, and others, make use of a dubious list of 14 attributes of fascism.
Liberal websites rely on a fraudulent list of "fourteen attributes of fascism" that was written by a Democrat, one Laurence Britt, during the 2004 election cycle. It was never intended to be a scholarly analysis of fascism, but only a partisan political argument against the Bush Administration. (Read more about it here.) Nevertheless, this phony and biased "list" is widely disseminated even today by leftists and liberal writers and bloggers, as if it were real and accurate. They usually describe it this way:
2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc. [Waterboarding is allegedly torture, therefore Bush was a fascist because he used it on captured terrorists. The "long incarceration of prisoners" is probably a dig at Gitmo and its residents.]
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc. [So any concerns over an external threat like radical Islam or Communist aggression makes you a fascist. However, a "frenzy" over the non-existent threat of domestic, right-wing terrorists is okay, even supported by Big Sis of Homeland Security. How about the "unifying cause" of non-existent global warming and its pending destruction of the human race?]
4. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized. [That's why we fascist Republicans want a strong military instead of spending all that dough on transforming the ghettos into the City of Oz.]
5. Rampant sexism – The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution. [The last sentence describes key liberal agendas and makes the bias of the author transparently obvious. Quite a few of the Nazi regime were blatant homosexuals (see here). As for abortion, Although the Nazis banned abortion for Aryan women, they enthusiastically peddled and promoted abortion for non-Aryans. In fact, the Nazis mandated legalized abortion in several European countries where it had never been legal before (see here). It is utter nonsense to assert that if you oppose abortion, i.e. the extermination of the helpless unborn, you are a fascist.]
6. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. [Hmm, I agree with this one. It clearly describes the mainstream media and their slavish support of Democrats and Barack Obama. As for "censorship in wartime," FDR did plenty of that and I don't disagree with it.]
7. Obsession with National security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. [You mean like fear of the Tea Party? Fear of "racists" (see the Southern Poverty Law Center)? Fear of non-existent "right wing" domestic terrorists?]
8. Religion and Government are intertwined – Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions. [This is B.S., another obvious play to the liberal bias against religious conservatives. The French Jacobins, fascists in the true sense of the word, hated religion and executed priests. Hitler hated Christianity and Nazis were pagans, vegetarians and occultists. Benito Mussolini was an atheist.]
9. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. [This is almost accurate. In fascism, there is a strong partnership between the government and major corporations, but it is false to say the latter put the former into power. Labor Unions probably have more power to effect elections than corporations today. Government grants benefits and power to those corporations who support its goals, shields those corporations from competition or gives those corporations monopolies over various economic activity. In turn, the corporations require their employees to also support government goals, memes and beliefs. See the Wilson Administration, e.g. "We do our part."]
10. Labor Power is suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted. [Another self-serving but inaccurate definition. Hitler didn't banish labor unions, as the left has disingenuously asserted; he brought them into the Nazi movement by creating the German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF), which was comprised of two primary entities, the National Socialist Factory Organization and the National Socialist Trade and Industry Organization. Benito Mussolini, leader of fascist Italy, was a union activist who was expelled from Trentino province for his union activities.]
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked. [Brazen nonsense. Hitler originally aspired to be an artist, and the Nazis stole great art from the nations they conquered. They used artistic displays and statuary to glorify Aryan man. Mussolini celebrated and supported Italian artists. It would be more accurate to say that fascism loves art, especially art that justifies, glorifies and rationalizes its political goals. As for education, higher and otherwise, fascists supported education, particularly as a means of indoctrinating students in its goals and philosophy, much as is the case on leftist controlled campuses today.]
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations. [The first sentence is accurate, the second is liberal propaganda. Under fascist regimes, the people do not have the option to "forego civil liberties" since they aren't given that as a choice.]
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders. [I know of no historical examples that would make cronyism a trait limited to fascists. It is true of any and all governments, including that of Barack Obama. As for massive governmental theft, I know of no better example than our system of taxation and "redistribution of wealth."]
14. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections. [This was probably a reference to Bush's alleged theft of the 2000 election, when the Supreme Court ruled against the Democratic Party of Florida. In actuality, the left now controls the mainstream media to an extreme degree, and Democrat judges often overturn the results of elections that they do not approve of -- like those outlawing Sharia law or prohibiting gay marriage.]
In a later post I will attempt to provide a more concise and accurate description of what fascism really was and is.
Liberal websites rely on a fraudulent list of "fourteen attributes of fascism" that was written by a Democrat, one Laurence Britt, during the 2004 election cycle. It was never intended to be a scholarly analysis of fascism, but only a partisan political argument against the Bush Administration. (Read more about it here.) Nevertheless, this phony and biased "list" is widely disseminated even today by leftists and liberal writers and bloggers, as if it were real and accurate. They usually describe it this way:
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, published research on fascism in which he examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each fascist State.
Note that Laurence Britt (note proper spelling) was neither a doctor nor a political scientist, and his list was not derived from any analysis of past fascistic regimes. Here are his 14 phony attributes (with my comments in red):
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays. [So if you are patriotic and fly the flag, you might be a fascist. According to this definition, the former Soviet Union, Red China and North Korea are fascists too.]2. Disdain for the recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarceration of prisoners, etc. [Waterboarding is allegedly torture, therefore Bush was a fascist because he used it on captured terrorists. The "long incarceration of prisoners" is probably a dig at Gitmo and its residents.]
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc. [So any concerns over an external threat like radical Islam or Communist aggression makes you a fascist. However, a "frenzy" over the non-existent threat of domestic, right-wing terrorists is okay, even supported by Big Sis of Homeland Security. How about the "unifying cause" of non-existent global warming and its pending destruction of the human race?]
4. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military are glamorized. [That's why we fascist Republicans want a strong military instead of spending all that dough on transforming the ghettos into the City of Oz.]
5. Rampant sexism – The government of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution. [The last sentence describes key liberal agendas and makes the bias of the author transparently obvious. Quite a few of the Nazi regime were blatant homosexuals (see here). As for abortion, Although the Nazis banned abortion for Aryan women, they enthusiastically peddled and promoted abortion for non-Aryans. In fact, the Nazis mandated legalized abortion in several European countries where it had never been legal before (see here). It is utter nonsense to assert that if you oppose abortion, i.e. the extermination of the helpless unborn, you are a fascist.]
6. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. [Hmm, I agree with this one. It clearly describes the mainstream media and their slavish support of Democrats and Barack Obama. As for "censorship in wartime," FDR did plenty of that and I don't disagree with it.]
7. Obsession with National security – Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. [You mean like fear of the Tea Party? Fear of "racists" (see the Southern Poverty Law Center)? Fear of non-existent "right wing" domestic terrorists?]
8. Religion and Government are intertwined – Government in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions. [This is B.S., another obvious play to the liberal bias against religious conservatives. The French Jacobins, fascists in the true sense of the word, hated religion and executed priests. Hitler hated Christianity and Nazis were pagans, vegetarians and occultists. Benito Mussolini was an atheist.]
9. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation are often the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. [This is almost accurate. In fascism, there is a strong partnership between the government and major corporations, but it is false to say the latter put the former into power. Labor Unions probably have more power to effect elections than corporations today. Government grants benefits and power to those corporations who support its goals, shields those corporations from competition or gives those corporations monopolies over various economic activity. In turn, the corporations require their employees to also support government goals, memes and beliefs. See the Wilson Administration, e.g. "We do our part."]
10. Labor Power is suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated, or are severely restricted. [Another self-serving but inaccurate definition. Hitler didn't banish labor unions, as the left has disingenuously asserted; he brought them into the Nazi movement by creating the German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF), which was comprised of two primary entities, the National Socialist Factory Organization and the National Socialist Trade and Industry Organization. Benito Mussolini, leader of fascist Italy, was a union activist who was expelled from Trentino province for his union activities.]
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked. [Brazen nonsense. Hitler originally aspired to be an artist, and the Nazis stole great art from the nations they conquered. They used artistic displays and statuary to glorify Aryan man. Mussolini celebrated and supported Italian artists. It would be more accurate to say that fascism loves art, especially art that justifies, glorifies and rationalizes its political goals. As for education, higher and otherwise, fascists supported education, particularly as a means of indoctrinating students in its goals and philosophy, much as is the case on leftist controlled campuses today.]
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations. [The first sentence is accurate, the second is liberal propaganda. Under fascist regimes, the people do not have the option to "forego civil liberties" since they aren't given that as a choice.]
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders. [I know of no historical examples that would make cronyism a trait limited to fascists. It is true of any and all governments, including that of Barack Obama. As for massive governmental theft, I know of no better example than our system of taxation and "redistribution of wealth."]
14. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassinations of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections. [This was probably a reference to Bush's alleged theft of the 2000 election, when the Supreme Court ruled against the Democratic Party of Florida. In actuality, the left now controls the mainstream media to an extreme degree, and Democrat judges often overturn the results of elections that they do not approve of -- like those outlawing Sharia law or prohibiting gay marriage.]
In a later post I will attempt to provide a more concise and accurate description of what fascism really was and is.
Has Fascism Come to America? Part One: Benghazi
Suddenly an American embassy in Libya comes under Islamic attack two months before a presidential election. Does the President worry about the safety of embassy personnel? Does he dispatch the military to disperse the radicals and save the embassy staff? But wait...if he does that, won't his Middle East Peace In Our Time meme be disproved? Might it hurt his chances of re-election? Hell, embassy staff are expendable. He orders the military to "stand down" and not fire on the radicals.
Once the embassy has been burned to the ground and the American bodies collected for burial, there is the problem of spinning it all to the American people. Let's see...that's it! Recast this latest terrorist attack as a demonstration that just got out of hand. It wasn't a planned attack...Middle East Peace In Our Time is still a viable meme for the election....now we just need something or someone to blame for the "demonstration." Ah ha! Here's an unknown video on YouTube about the actual history of Mohammed -- let's blame it on that film and its filmmaker! There won't be a problem with the press...they'll play along like they always do.
So as dirt is shoveled in the faces of four dead Americans, the Prez and his Secretary of State go on Arab television to apologize to the terrorists for having had to murder them in the first place.
Monday, May 13, 2013
"That Thing You Do" -- a Rock Band Movie by Tom Hanks: 1960's Authentic or Merely Cheesy?
If you like the history of rock music and Tom Hanks films, you may want to read this post at my other blog, "Playing Bass." It's about Tom Hanks's film "That Thing You Do," a story of a rock band in 1964 that achieves sudden fame with a "one-hit wonder." I found some aspects of the film authentic to the time period but there were some glitches. For example:
Other blacks included a female singing group reminiscent of the Supremes, highly coiffed, dressed in pastel colors and looking pretty, but singing tunes even too cheesy for the early 1960's. In one scene they are singing "When you're holding my hand, you're holding my heart," followed by hand claps. I had a brief mental image of a doctor holding a beating heart during surgery as I suppressed a brief wave of nausea. C'mon! The Sixties were never that awful.Read the whole thing here.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Whales Sighted Up Close and Personal: Moss Landing, CA May 12, 2013
I took the Mrs. Chomper to Phil's Fish Market restaurant, in Moss Landing, California, for Mother's Day. Moss Landing is near Monterey, California; there's a beach behind Phil's, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While waiting to dine, we took a walk down to the beach and heard someone say "There's a whale over there." A couple of folks began walking quickly in the direction of the alleged whale, so we decided to follow.
There was a whale all right. One whale was frolicking about ten yards off the beach, occasionally raising a barnacle-encrusted flipper, exposing its back, spraying water from its spout. It was the first time I had seen a whale. I was surprised that a whale could come so close to the beach; it was probably of a smaller species, possible a humpback.
Fortunately, I had brought my digital camera and captured some stills and video of the whales. I posted a couple of stills above and will upload the video footage to YouTube later.
UPDATE: Videos of my whale watching experience can be seen here and here.
 |
| Whale's Flipper Protruding |
There was a whale all right. One whale was frolicking about ten yards off the beach, occasionally raising a barnacle-encrusted flipper, exposing its back, spraying water from its spout. It was the first time I had seen a whale. I was surprised that a whale could come so close to the beach; it was probably of a smaller species, possible a humpback.
 |
| Whale's Dorsal Fin (Looks Shark-Like But It's a Whale) |
UPDATE: Videos of my whale watching experience can be seen here and here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
