5/02/2010

Thoughts On A Sunday

The farm where BeezleBub works opened its farm stand yesterday. Goodness knows it was perfect weather for it, with temps in the 80's and mostly sunny from mid-morning onwards.

BeezleBub put in a full week in at the farm this past week, it being school vacation week. He's already looking forward to the end of school and the start of summer, as are Deb and I.

**********

The Official Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Runabout is finally out from under the winter storage cover. The support frame is still up but will be dismantled some time during the week. Over the next two or three weeks the post-storage maintenance and clean up will be done and, assuming no setbacks, it will make its trip to the lake and its summer berth right around Memorial Day weekend.

It would have been nice if it had been ready to go this weekend, considering the great weather we've had the past three days. But there's no way we could have gotten it ready to go in such a short time.

Still it would have been nice.

**********

Bogie relates tales from her census training, listing some of the things the students in the class knew to be true...but weren't.

The most egregious? How about this:

Tea Partiers: They are likely to shoot any Census worker (or government employee for that matter) as to look at them. You will be lucky to leave with only a couple of scratches if you have to interview one of THOSE people. They will be hostile because they hate government and want to have anarchy.

No, this wasn't taught by the Census Bureau or any of it's Supervisors or Crew Leaders. This was common knowledge amongst the students. Out of 17 students, the only people that had a different opinion were myself and a farmer (as far as I could tell, I didn't really stick my neck out on this) Also, I couldn't tell about a couple of the college kids - but everyone older than 25 (besides myself and the farmer) were very addament (sic) that Tea Partiers were basically the lunatic fringe and dangerous.

Not surprising, somehow. But it's disappointing to see how many people out there have been thoroughly brainwashed and are now incapable of thinking for themselves.

**********

One more than one occasion recently, the Obama Administration's response to the oil rig disaster and the resulting oil leak may be seen as its version of Hurricane Katrina. In other words, the government response has been damn slow. That's surprising considering the administrations quick actions in other areas over the past 16-some months.

This administration has plans to use or already has used its power to muscle its way into the business of public and private institutions with impunity.

Now, when a serious accident happens, where the federal government has a responsibility to get involved, act quickly, mobilize its assets, and obtain the best, most comprehensive information it can possibly get, we are lead to believe that this particular administration is willing to take the word of British Petroleum with no follow-up procedures or tools to prove the veracity of this information?

Amazingly hypocritical when one considers just how hostile this administration has been in its demonization of "Big Oil."

It's one thing when they can posture and make moves to take over entire industries. It's another thing when the government actually has to perform and fails to do so.

**********

Senator Chris Dodd's (D-CT) financial reform bill is supposed to help protect taxpayers from future bank and insurance company bailouts, amongst other things. But as one looks at the details, it appears it rolls back a number of existing protections and gives a number of insurance companies a pass. Coincidentally, those insurance companies are headquartered in Dodd's home state.

**********

It isn't just American citizens who are fed up with illegal immigrants. So are legal immigrants.

(H/T Maggie's Farm)

**********

Oh, yeah, like this will play well in Peoria.

It appears Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has asked the World Court to overturn the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution.

What's next, the First Amendment?

Apparently Daley has forgotten he swore to protect and defend the Constitution when took the oath of office...unless the Chicago oath is a whole lot different from those in the rest of the nation. (That might explain a few things if true.)

Daley is learning the same lesson the folks in Washington, DC learned so long ago: An unarmed population insures a high violent crime and murder rate.

**********

Q&O asks “Why are Democrats so tone deaf?”

When it comes to what a great majority of Americans believe are important (jobs, the economy, the deficit), the Democrats choose to ignore those concerns and instead tackle issues that Americans see as secondary or tertiary issues (health care reform, financial reform, cap-and-trade).

With that kind of focus is it any wonder why it's possible Democrats could be tossed out of Congress in large numbers come November?

**********

Frank J. gives us some interesting facts gleaned from Fred Thompson's new book, Teaching The Pig To Dance.

FUN FACTS ABOUT YOUNG FRED THOMPSON

* Young Fred Thompson was always getting in trouble for sneaking up and tackling grizzly bears, and it got to the point that they could never maul anyone in peace.

* Young Fred Thompson’s elementary school science project nearly destroyed the sun.

* The first time Young Fred Thompson experienced taxes was when he was charged sales tax on a pack of gum, and he became so enraged that eventually the national guard had to be called in to stop him. The incident was what Rambo: First Blood was loosely based on.

As the saying goes, Read The Whole Thing.

**********

And that he news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where summer-like weather has returned, farm stands and ice cream joints have opened for the season, and where boats have been venturing out on to the lake.