AN OBAMA CAROL

Twas the night before the December federal holiday, and in every town,
All the children were crying, the North Pole had shut down.
Santa’s workshop was closed, the elves labored no more,
They refused a union card check, in violation of the new labor law.

The reindeer in their stables no longer were kept,
PETA released them into the wild, while poor St Nick slept.
Christmas trees had been outlawed, no Yule for the masses,
For cutting all those trees, raised greenhouse gasses.

Moms and Dads were confounded, no toys in the stores,
They were all stuck in Asia, far from our shores.
All drilling had been halted, fossil fuels no longer used,
Cargo ships were all empty, we weren’t amused.

And in the White House, a meeting was called,
All the President’s men (and women) et all.
The polls show the voters against us, the President decried,
So many things have gone wrong, and they know that I lied.

Now Geitner, now Reid, now Pelosi and Michelle!
On Gibbs, on Sebilius, on Holder and Rahm … why do you smell?
Mr President, I’ve been working so hard to keep you in power,
Spinning all your mistakes … leaves me no time for a shower.

It was quickly decided, there was no other way,
The President would have to save Christmas Day.
And like the Grinch, who started as a zero,
Obama must change from villain to hero.

To deliver his presents he needed a super fast sleigh,
So he called on NASA to figure out a way.
The last NASA scientist, said you’re asking too much,
You’ve gutted our budget, cutting our programs and such.

We’ve got a hybrid sled … but it is far from fast,
No jet fuel remains, just ethanol at last.
You can still talk to the people, you can still teach,
Why don’t you deliver your present in a speech?

Gibbs call a press conference, the President exclaimed,
I will save Christmas, and our power he proclaimed.
I’ve given many gifts to the people of this great land,
Now the best one is finally at hand.

I’ve given health-care, repealed don’t ask don’t tell,
Don’t forget cap and trade, or stimulus as well.
I’ve extended unemployment benefits to 3 years,
And borrowed trillions from China, despite all the fears.

Our society is too violent, as crime statistics can attest,
A solution is needed, and government knows best.
Firearms are dangerous, no longer needed today,
So as my Christmas gift, I’m taking your guns away.

Then into his hybrid sleigh he climbed with a chuckle,
It rose with a hum, and an occasional buckle.
And slowly away, into the night,
We seethed as once again, we lost a right.

Merry Christmas to all, And to all a good night.

Sphere: Related Content

Mexican Drone Crashes In El Paso

Tuesday night, El Paso experienced yet another illegal border crossing. This one was special. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into the backyard of an El Paso resident. The house was almost half a mile north of the border.

I’m amazed that I didn’t hear about this till this morning … seeing as I live here. By the time the information was released, the UAV had already been returned to Mexican authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) had not been allowed to examine it.

Now there can be several reasons why the UAV was on the wrong side of the border. A controller may have inadvertently flown over, the GPS system on the plane could have been malfunctioning, the UAV may have been damaged by cartel gunfire, or there may have been structural problems with the UAV.

The last 3 of these possibilities could have been answered by an NTSB examination of the UAV/wreckage. I thought that ANY crash on US soil must be investigated. I guess not.

There is another possibility … The Mexican military may have been conducting a recon mission for the cartels, to determine the best route to smuggle drugs. We have not been told if the drone was armed, though with a payload of only 3.3 pounds, it couldn’t have been too heavily armed. The office of our Congressman was not even notified of the incident till Thursday. I’m not a conspiracy theorist … but this all seems a little fishy.

Orbiter Mini UAV specifications:
Max Ceiling – 2000 feet
Max Speed - 70 knots
Max Altitude – 18000 feet
Max Payload – 3.3 pounds
Endurance - 3 to 4 hours

Sphere: Related Content

DREAM ACT ... OR NIGHTMARE?

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) has a very alluring sound to it ... and on the surface, sounds like a noble thing that the country should do. When supporters espouse the benefits of this bill ... I know I feel myself falling right into the mindset of allowing amnesty for these kids. In a nutshell, here is what they want you to believe this act will accomplish.

.

Imagine a young child, or even an infant ... crossing our border in the arms of their parents. This child grows up, attends and graduates high school, and then finds out that he is illegal when he attempts to apply for financial aid for college. The child considers him or herself an American, can't even speak his native tongue, doesn't even know anyone in his native country. Now, all of a sudden ... all his dreams are over. Is he supposed to turn himself in for deportation to a country he considers foreign? A country where he knows no one, or even the language? Are we supposed to punish him for the sins of his parents? Put yourself in this person's shoes ... is this in any way fair?

.

What this bill is supposed to do is give these kids a pathway to citizenship if several stipulations are followed.

1. The child must have been under 16 years of age when he came to this country.
2. The child must have been present in the United States for 5 years prior to the implementation of the Act.
3. The child must have graduated from high school or gotten a GED.
4. The child must be between the ages of 12 and 35 at the time of application.
5. The child must be of good moral character.

.

If the child qualifies, they will be given "conditional" permanent residency, and if they complete either 2 years of military service or 2 years of college ... then they can become permanent residents, and eventually, if they wish ... citizens.

.

Here are my problems with the bill.

.

I've spoken to Border Patrol Agents, and children under 16 often cross illegally ... without their parents. Children in other parts of the world tend to grow up a little quicker than they do here in the USA. Here in the USA, we like to give our kids a childhood, in other countries parents don't have that luxury, and the kids take on responsibilities for helping out the family ... like getting a job, that some of our kids (unfortunately) don't do till they are 30. Recently a 14 year old was arrested in Mexico for being a cartel hit-man.

.

The good moral character stipulation has been interpreted to mean that the child has not been convicted of a felony. What that tells me is that he can be convicted of things like assault, manslaughter and domestic violence. This is not the child that I was led to believe would be helped by this Act. I can see overlooking something like a juvenile shop-lifting conviction or possesion of a joint ... but this is way to broad.

.

I'm fine with giving illegals who complete 2-yrs of military service a pathway to citizenship ... but attending college??? Serving in the military is just that ... service to our country. Attending college is a privelege ... a privelege that many CITIZENS would love to have. I realize that not every one of these applicants are capable of military service, but there has to be some kind of SERVICE that these kids have to do to qualify. In Germany, as a requirement to KEEP your citizenship, at the age of 18 you must do 6 months of military service. If you are a conscientious objector (or are physically or mentally unable to serve) you can do Zilidienst (civilian service). This Zilidienst is paid community service, usually in hospitals, senior centers ... etc. For Germany this is the price of just keeping your citizenship ... and we want to just give away our citizenship for going to college?

.

As a supporter of doing something for these kids (the ones that truly deserve it), this Act would have to be fixed before I could support it.

Sphere: Related Content

Lame Duck Session

Welcome to the "Lame Duck" session of congress ... Version 111.0.

.

Every couple of years we have one of these lame duck sessions. This is where those members of Congress can get back at Americans for kicking them out of office. This year is even more special. Since the Democrats will be losing control of the House of Representatives, this may be their last chance to advance their liberal agenda (hopefully for a long, long time).

.

So ... let's see what they have been up to this week:

.

First, huge kudos for Congress for passing the CALM act that regulates TV commercials. If you are constantly grabbing for the remote every time a commercial comes on that is soooo much LOUDER than the show you were watching ... this act is for you. Commercials can no longer be any louder than the show you were watching.

.

Congress also approved the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. We all want healthy hunger-free kids don't we? But, isn't 4.5 billion dollars a little steep? And don't these kids already get food stamps? I don't know about you, but I get kind of pissed when I'm doing my grocery shopping. I go every 2 weeks and for example, at the meat aisle ... I'll get a roast, a couple of t-bones, a couple of sirloins, a package of franks ... and the rest ... hamburger meat. I then go to the check-out counter and the person in front of me is unloading mega-steaks, lobster, shrimp, crab legs ... and paying with ... you guessed it ... food stamps. I scrimp on my shopping ... buying store brands, clipping coupons and shopping sales ... just so that I can subsidize the "poor people" so that they can eat better than me. Now, I'm not saying all people on food stamps take advantage of it ... but a significant number do. Congress should be cutting these food programs ... not pouring billions of more dollars into them.

.

Congress has voted to censure Charlie Rangel D-NY. Poor Charlie ... an 80 year old man how has to stand in front of his peers and be told by them that what he did was wrong. Of course the fact is that if any of us "average folks" had done what he did ... we would be going to jail.

.

The House has voted to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class and the Senate has called a special Saturday session to vote on them. The bill will not pass the Senate. I wonder how much money is wasted by opening up the Senate on a Saturday ... overtime for the employees, electricity ... etc. At least I don't think they have to pay anything for heating ... not with all the hot-air being emitted by our Senators. The bill will not pass because it increases taxes on the "rich". I don't know about you, but I work for a rich guy. I don't want his taxes raised ... or anything else that might hurt his bottom line. His good fortunes allow me to raise my family ... I don't begrudge his wealth. I think that might be one of the main failings of the left.

.

I noticed one thing about this week ... Nothing was done that will help the country as far as our problems with unemployment, the national debt, our security ... or anything. I guess that is what is meant by a "lame-duck session".

.

By the way, doesn't it seem curious that after having rejected a trade-pact with us, South Korea is now willing to sign one? All it took was a couple of hundred shells from the North. Bravo Mr President, I believe you used your Chicago politics to strong-arm South Korea. You see, if you use them in diplomacy ... you help the country. Just stop using them on US industries.

Sphere: Related Content