Framing the Dialogue

Archive for May, 2013

Five Million Steps

futbit one 2Sorry that I didn’t come up with a more catchy title, but like a 90 year old man sometimes they just don’t come. It seems like every time I reach one of these milestones the “looking back” includes some type of injury story. It is a “B” getting old, but at least I am not a 90 year old man.

Low Information News

So the Obama Administration has scores of scandals like;

  • Benghazi where they failed to secure our citizens, failed to try to help them when attacked on 9/11/12, and then lied and lied and lied about what happened until after the election, and now stonewall any investigation.
  • Fast and Furious where Obama purchased weapons in the United States and facilitated turning them over to Mexican criminals and estimates are that 300 people have been killed with the weapons including one American.
  • IRS Scandal where “enemies” of the Obama Administration mysteriously found themselves the target of IRS audits and lack of action on applications for “non profit” status.

Calico Joe

Calico JoeMy sister handed me a copy of Calico Joe while we were visiting our mother in a hospital/rehabilitation center.  I certainly knew the author’s name, John Grisham , and had read many of his novels over the years.  For me this was a departure from the type of book that I have read from him in the past.

The story centers around a real major league baseball phenomena named Joe Castle (AKA Calico Joe).  A real player who took the majors by storm when he was called up from the minor leagues.  This is a story about fame, family and tragedy and not just for baseball fans.  MLB is really just a setting for the story masterfully told by Grisham.  The novel is short but very well written.  It was a joy to read.

Tier One Wild

tier one wildKolt “Racer” Raynor is back in his Delta Force unit and hunting missing weapons from the overthrown Libyan government.  In Tier One Wild Former officials from that regime are suspected of selling them to unsavory characters.  At center stage are surface to air missiles that are a threat to commercial aircraft.  The opening segment is about as harrowing an event as you’ll read in many of these type novels.  Many in America feel somewhat safe as the weapons are on another continent, but sometimes bad things come home.

There Ought To Be A Law

gadsen flagI have finally seen the light of progressivism in action. I have unnecessarily avoided the simplicity of their arguments all of these years. The solution to our many problems is simple…outlaw it. You don’t like when mentally ill people kill with guns, simply outlaw guns. You don’t like evil bankers taking advantage of poor folks, pass a law. You want everyone to have “free” healthcare, pass a law. You want to reward illegal aliens (you know those poor folks who snuck into our country illegally) pass a law and they’ll stop coming. You want to stop folks from drinking large sodas, pass a law. In the words of Silas Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame, Hey! Hey I am on board.

Saving Money – Executive Style

obama ceoMuch is made in the media about exorbitant salaries of corporate CEOs. Even as a capitalist the compensation that some CEOs get seem way over the top, but that is between them and their stockholders. One thing about CEOs, however, is that they generally are responsible for what happens to their company in good times and in bad. The buck stops there.

Wisdom

One cannot both feast and become rich – Ashanti proverb

Before seeking revenge, dig two graves – Chinese proverb

Man must sit with mouth open for very long time before roast duck fly in – Chinese proverb

May you live in interesting times – Chinese proverb

May the worst day of your past be better than the best day of your future – Chinese curse

It is all very well in practice, but it will never work in theory – French proverb

Birds of prey do not sing – German proverb

Above all, LIBERTY – Greek proverb

Control

controlThis is a very good book by Glenn Beck that will be devoured by his fan base and heartily ignored by most everybody else as he exposes the truth about gun control.  In Control, Beck and his coauthors use the most common arguments of the gun control crowd and not only questions the “data” that they love to quote, but shows that their data is wrong.  He also uses many of their direct quotes as an introduction to the sections.  Glenn Beck’s purpose was to give us the ammunition (I couldn’t resist that one) to respond to the lies often used by the Michael Bloomberg’s of our world.

Undeniable Truths

rush limbaughIn honor of Rush Limbaugh’s birthday (I have no idea when it is, but needed a reason to print these) here is a list of his thirty five Undeniable Truths of Life.  According to Mr. Limbaugh number one is no more important than number 35 and are numbered simply for ease of reference.  Rush has a way of getting under the skin of progressives and though I am not surprised to hear folks disparage him, it is disappointing.