DOUBLE NEGATIVES

Don't forget to click the header.

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Here's an odd start:

A linguistics professor was lecturing to his class one day.

"In English," he said, "a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, though, such as Russian, a double negative is still a negative. However, there is no language where in a double positive can form a negative."

A voice from the back of the room said, "Yeah, right."

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Believe it or not, that one got me thinking. Not about our weird English. Nope. Got me thinking about the double negatives involved in our country's strange political arenas. Sometimes I wonder about whether I've lost my mind or am about to lose it. (I heard that, Buck.)

Ahem. We have elected (for good or evil, take your choice) a man who claims to want change. So he is going to take the troops out of Iran. And put them in Afghanistan.

And he wants all Americans to get $800 to help bail out American companies by going on a buying spree. Well, maybe $300 each. Perhaps $250 would be better. But billions to companies like Fannie Mae, AIG, etc., etc., so they can give their employees multi million dollar bonuses. Well, okay, I guess. (I must have missed that curve. But I have some knowledge about when I'm being screwed. Honest.)

He wants to fight a border war with Mexican thugs, but he also wants to take our guns away so we can't defend ourselves against their savagery. That would be a change.

The One says is visiting many places in the world (where he can bow his head in obeisance). That's very definitely change.

Now, here's a possible change that may occur to the One:

"ABC News says Americans spend $300 billion every year on games of chance, and that doesn't even include weddings and elections." For all I know, he may be rubbing his hands together, remembering that Indian tribes did not give him a really warm welcome. So is it possible he will nationalize all casinos in the U.S? That would be a change.

************************************************************************************ Here's some change from New Mexico: Prisoners riot over sausage "Prisoners rioted at a jail in New Mexico after being told they would be allowed only one sausage each at dinner. Inmates of the Lee County Prison started fires, broke toilets and smashed windows, reports the Hobbs News Sun. Officials said the prisoners began yelling and banging on their doors in what they described as a "temper tantrum." Officers from the Lea County Sheriff's and Hobbs Police departments were called in to restore control, and the jail was locked down after the incident. Warden Jann Gartman said 33 prisoners were involved in the disturbance. The remaining 300-plus prisoners at the jail accepted the meal without incident, authorities said."

I include this because we seem to want to take better care of our law breakers than our seniors and children. Perhaps that should change?

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Again, considering change, has the One forgotten this? Have you and I?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/us/politics/20obama.html?_r=2&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1212602960-c4VrdxH/5+jdvRipWn97Jw

How about the change in the One's taxes?

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/04/16/the-obamas-tax-return-a-glimpse-into-the-presidents-financial/?icid=mainhtmlws-maindl8link5http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F04%2F16%2Fthe-obamas-tax-return-a-glimpse-into-the-presidents-financial%2F

And here's a change: Obama has resurrected the Dead. The Grateful Dead, that is. Well, all except Jerry Garcia.

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Yeah, right....

1773 - 2009 Same Party, Same Result?

The header is ready this time (I hope). We could use a few thousand women like her. A Tea Party is about to be held. But not just in Boston. Apparently, all over the U.S. (Canadians are welcome to join in) and possessions. ************************************************************************************ Here's a link to a page (or two): http://newamericanteaparty.com/. We can't remind King George now, but there is an elitist who should react. I'm mailing my tea bag. Guess I'm a trouble maker. But Americans need to be frightened about the roads we seem to be embarking upon. More to come.

MY ANSWER TO PIRATES

Click the header.

So, it seems that an American ship's captain, Richard Phillips has offered himself as hostage to some slime bag pirates who were holding some of his crew men. Here's one report:

NAIROBI, Kenya (April 10) - The American captain held hostage by four Somali pirates made a desperate escape attempt Friday but was recaptured, and officials said other pirates sought to reinforce their colleagues by sailing hijacked ships with other captives aboard to the scene of the standoff. The U.S. also was bolstering its force by dispatching other warships to the site off the Horn of Africa, where a U.S. destroyer shadowed the drifting lifeboat carrying the hostage, Captain Richard Phillips.

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I don't know if the destroyer shown here is the one actually on the scene. But I do know what my reaction would be. Wonder if The One has the guts?

The pirates would be informed that their only hope of not dying is to release the captain immediately. No negotiating to be entered into until this happens. Should the pirates refuse this offer, Navy seals would be dispatched to the long boat. At night. The captain would be released by them and taken to the destroyer's safety. The destroyer would sail off perhaps half a mile and sink the long boat with one shot in the morning. If there were any survivors the American naval ships in the area would encircle them, warning any other boats not to approach. The American ships would circle any survivors watching while the slime drowned.

Then it would be the other pirates turn for the same punishment. Mercy might be shown in a military court trial, but whatever the decision, they would suffer the fate of attacking marauders.

These pirates have declared war against the U.S. and that should be the worst mistake they can ever make.

A MAN MAY SMILE AND SMILE...

Click the header, please. The header is part of a rather well known quote from Will Shakespeare. (I can call him Will. It's how I knew him when we were buddies.) I am worrying nowadays. Not about myself. Not about my life. Not about my cats. Not about my gas mileage. Nope. I'm worrying about my Country. And your freedom. And mine. And all of ours. The "great experiment" is in danger from within. The enemy is, indeed, us. . I came across a quote, the other day, from the Desert Anachist, Edward Abbey: "A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government." Stopped me in my tracks. Times change, people change, technology changes. Many things change. Others things do not change without dire consequences and I recognize that,for some reason (perhaps to control the population better?), the government has decided that patriotism is no longer of importance, should not be taught to the youth. To an old geezer like me, it is lamentable to hear the young speak with no idea of who had a hand in creating this country, what they wanted to create and how many people gave their lives and fortunes to bring the United States into being. I, for one, want to hear the voice of civics classes taught again. I want to know that a teacher of English as a second language knows how to address a letter to a Senator, Congressman and the President and not use the phrase "To whom it may concern" as an address. (Yes, it happened less than a month ago.) I want to hear that the Holocaust is being shown to our kids in all its horror. I want to hear that basic math skills are being taught to all the children. I want to hear that they all know how to speak, read and write English. I want to hear they all must pass driver's education classes in order to get a driver's licence. I want to hear that they know the feeling of patriotism when they see our flag. I want to hear that they know what responsibility is and how to show it. I want to hear that they have learned respect for their classmates and their elders. There are many other "want tos" but these are for starters. . But now I want to hear that ole Smiley in the pic is going to be honest with us. I don't need to see him on the television visiting talk jocks, game shows nor editorial reporters. I don't need to see him cozying up to the unthinking public (remember, half of them are below average intelligence) and they are easy marks. I don't want him to try and take my guns. (I do want him to get rid of that clown of an AG. That choice was a bad, bad mistake, Mr. President.) I don't need to see him trying to force an unbelievable debt on us. I want to see him reintroduce the import duties on goods from other countries. I want to see "American Made" back as a standard for the rest of the world to emulate. I want to hear the President crawl for his remark about the Special Olympics. (I'm sure that if Leno had made a remark about the racial structure of most basketball teams, he would crawl.) I don't want the names of various things the US is doing changed. If we're having a War on Terrorism, then have it. I want the President to recognize that half the voters are supposed to be able to think for themselves. He can't get away with blowing smoke up everyone's nostrils. I don't want announcements from the man that we're going to withdraw troops from Iraq. And then announce that we're going to increase troops to Afghanistan. (That's almost like taking troops out of Virginia and moving troops to New York.) I don't want to hear about sending arms and money to Mexico. How about sending three four divisions down there? I want the lies, evasions and double talk stopped Mr. President. It is going to be time for real Americans to step forward and help the President return the good of America and stamp out the evil that has crept into our way of life. Please don't make all our fallen dead objects of derision, Mr. President.

STIMULUS? OR STIMULANT FOR IGNORING US?

Please click the header for another adventure. (BTW, I solved it.)

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I wonder about the Stimulus bill. It seemed too easy (to me) to get it passed and into action. I think I may be a worrywart. On the other hand, any time Congress passes some new legislation I worry. Because I know that those men and women who are voting on the new law very likely haven't read it. And I realize it is going to affect millions of Americans, who will wind up befuddled and ask "when did this happen?"

The IRS is famous (infamous?) for getting this kind of thing done. You know, the read about the "new laws" in this year's tax forms.

And if you think you're having a run of bad luck, remember: It's bad luck to be superstitious.

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And after both Chief Justice John Roberts and President Barack Obama couldn't quote the Constitution correctly, the thought occurred to me that we might not have seen the last of President Bush.

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But we're not alone in poor schooling of our youth. Here's something from Merry Olde England:

LONDON - A third of elementary school students confused Sir Winston Churchill with moon-walking astronaut Neil Armstrong, a British survey found.

The survey, commissioned by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and the Royal Astronomical Society, found that a third of children ages 4 to 10 mixed up the British leader with the first man to set foot on the moon, London's Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.

"It's a bit of a worry to find that children don't know who the first man on the moon is, let alone that they don't know who led the country to victory in the Second World War," said Gavin Quirk, a Disney brand manager.

A similar survey of British teens in February reportedly showed that 25 percent believe Churchill was a fictional character.

A SOLUTION TO STIMULUS APPROPRIATIONS

I hope this works (first attempt at cinema). If not , I'll stick it under the header. Which BTW, don't forget to click now. Or soon.

March days:

• March 14 is National Potato Chip Day
• March 15 is Buzzard's Day and Everything You Think Is Wrong Day
• March 16 is Everything You Do Is Right Day
• March 17 is Submarine Day
• March 18 is Supreme Sacrifice Day
• March 19 is Poultry Day
• March 20 is Proposal Day and Festival Of Extraterrestrial Abductions Day

I kind of like the 16th. But I wonder if those two things belong together on the 20th?

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FORT BENNING, Ga. - A North Carolina mom who reported for active duty in the Army with her two young children in tow was told Monday she will be discharged, a TV station reported. Lisa Pagan had been ordered to report to Fort Benning, Ga., four years after being released from active duty.

The stay-at-home mom contends she has no one to care for her children, ages 3 and 4, because her husband is on the road frequently in his job -- and says several appeals she filed over a period of months fell on deaf Army ears before Monday, WWAY-TV in Wilmington, N.C., reported.

It was not yet clear whether Pagan, who had been honorably discharged after serving seven years in the Army, would receive an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions, the TV station said.

"They're probably not going to be happy I brought them (her children)," Pagan told WBTV-TV in Charlotte, N.C., prior to leaving for Fort Benning.

"I asked them (the Army) do you really expect him to lose his job and nobody would give me an answer," she said. "Hopefully they'll discharge me for parenthood when I get there. I don't know how they're going to react, they may tell me to just go home."

That's Pagan, NOT Palin.

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I sometimes find cartoons I'm allowed to reprint by just showing the cartoonists name: Here's one I liked 'cause it shows where some of our stimulus billions are going: http://drybonesblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/money-for-gaza.html

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And an adage:

"When the ax entered the forest, the trees said,'The handle is one of us!'"-- Turkish proverb

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In honor of the mother of the octuplet's, Denny's is offering a new breakfast meal called the Suleman:

You get fourteen eggs, no sausage, and the guy next to you has to pay the bill.

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And finally a quote from a very wise man:

“You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation… You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931-2005