J. D. Pendry

J. D. Pendry

I catch the 6 o’clock evening news when I can. However, I long ago gave up on the evening news with Brian or Katie or with whoever it might be on the major broadcast networks. Their too often condescending fashion of delivering news combined with the clear biases that only they appear unable to see got to be a bit much for me. I tune into the Fox News 6 o’clock report when I can. On Friday, I was particularly interested in what the program’s panel discussion might offer up on the selection of Governor Sarah Palin by Senator McCain as his Vice Presidential running mate. I was not surprised to hear Morton Kondracke express some contempt for the choice. He cited her lack of experience to assume the duties of the President as if he fully expected McCain to drop over dead on inauguration day. Why, he’s had two bouts of melanoma declared Mr. Kondracke. Morton is prone to say some dumb things, at least in my view, but following his comments about Governor Palin’s lack of experience he added to his nuttier than a squirrel turd opinion by saying that Senator Obama was more qualified to be President simply because he had been running for the job for the past 3 years. Morton actually had a pained expression on his face. Perhaps you need more fiber in the diet Morton. And just for the record, Obama is running against McCain or maybe it is Bush. I am not always sure, but he is not running against Palin.

Do you know what Morton’s problem is? Intentionally or not, John McCain just kicked down the door to the country club and invited in an ordinary outside and I mean way outside the beltway American. Morton may have to someday soon grit his teeth, furrow his brow in further consternation and admit that there is a blasted commoner in the White House, even if it is only as Vice President. Moose stew on the menu, my, my. Morton and the remainder of likeminded beltway bandits cannot fathom the concept that a former member of the serfdom could ascend to the ruling class. It is not a glass ceiling that needs broken, it is the country club strangle hold on our country that does.

I look back throughout my lifetime and the first President that I acknowledge is John Kennedy of the millionaire Kennedys. Fast forwarding from there, I reckon that I never felt a true connection with any of them. Most of them were wealthy, Ivy League educated and from families who made politics their family business - the American aristocratic class. This is what they do. Take care of the little people. Heaven forbid the little people should want to care for themselves. Morton speaks their language, lives by their rules and pays due homage to their perceived royalty. He does not know what to say to or about a person who speaks and lives in ordinary America. Morton, in case you may have forgotten, real America is that part of the country that exists outside the boundaries of the Capitol Beltway.

When I look at the Palin family, I see people who could just as easily live next door to me. I saw some pictures of her on a commercial fishing boat plucking salmon from the nets. I am wondering what the political women of the San Fran Nan class have to think about that. That’s cold, wet, hard work Nan. Your hands chap and crack and fish stink. I saw pictures of her shooting rifles at the range, a picture of her sitting on her sofa with a bear skin on it. She has five children, the oldest of which enlisted in the Army to serve his country the newest of which has Down’s syndrome. Her husband is an oil rig worker, a fisherman and a snow mobile racer. These are people who know what an honest day’s work provides and how much of their money is wasted by Morton’s more qualified friends.

I cannot speak for any American and would never pretend that I did. But here is what I can tell you. There may be someone in the White House soon who actually understands working class America from the perspective of one who has lived it more so than anyone else that I can recall, at least in modern history. Whenever the pundits, like our friend Morton, or his more qualified beltway politicians attack Sarah Palin, they are attacking me and you and the way of life most of us cherish. Sarah Palin is the American dream personified.

Senator McCain kicked open the door. Now, it is up to us voting class Americans to decide whether or not we have the courage to truly rock Morton’s world by rushing through that open door with Mrs. Sarah. Do we have the courage to start taking our country back?

Copyright © J. D. Pendry

J. D. Pendry

The Russians invaded the sovereign nation of Georgia, a free country with a democratically elected government. Where in the hell are Cindy Sheehan, Code Pink, Congress and 99 percent of Hollywood? Code Pink is probably still standing on the streets in front of Walter Reed Army Medical Center harassing wounded American Warriors and their families. The remainder is probably too busy admiring the great show put on by the communist Chinese.

The Russians only shot up a few journalists during Vlad’s great adventure. This female Georgian reporter, these Turkish reporters, and this Jewish one. This fine example of a professional military was also filmed robbing a bank and stealing United States military equipment from the port.

I am curious. Senator Dick Durbin, is this conduct reminiscent of the “Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime — Pol Pot or others — that had no concern for human beings?” Congressman Jack Murtha, is there anything here that angers you? Do you reckon “they killed innocent civilians in cold blood?” They certainly tried it appears. Senator John Kerry, it looks to me like Vlad Putin’s fine communist soldiers “randomly shot at civilians, [and] razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan….” What do you think? Do you reckon they are “terrorizing kids and children, you know, women?” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is this Putin’s war? Are you going to demand that “He has to answer for his war?” Declare that “He has dug a hole so deep he can’t even see the light on this?” Will you say, “It’s a tragedy? It’s a stark blunder?” Or are these displays of courage and characterizations that you reserve for America, American Soldiers, and your own President?

Presidential contender, Senator Barack Obama places the US invasion of Iraq on same level as the Russian invasion of Georgia. According to him, we needed to be a better example. In other words, it was America’s fault that Russia invaded Georgia. Why did he not say this about the Russians? “[They] ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged…”, which was his characterization of the Iraq war. I do not recall that Georgia was in violation of a cease fire agreement or in violation of more than a dozen of the United Nations’ feckless resolutions when the Russians invaded them. I also do not recall that the Georgian government was thwarting United Nations inspectors, operating rape and torture rooms, mass murdering their own citizens or paying money to the families of suicide bombers for killing Jews. I do not recall airliners, piloted by Islamic terrorists, crashing into the Kremlin and killing thousands of Russians- airliners piloted by killers that any sensible government similarly attacked would not stand by on the hope that Sadaam Hussein would not come to the aid of their terrorist colleagues.

The Senator would also like us to believe that Communist China has a vastly better infrastructure than does the United States. Do you recall in the lead up to the Olympics how the media was talking about China’s human rights violations, Tibet, Darfur, forced abortions for population control, and how the President should not attend? Then, right after they witnessed a few thousand commie-bots put on a show all we heard was just how grand and magnificent everything is in Communist China. In some minds, everything is a fantasy movie script. Unfortunately, the world is real. A dolled up Peking and a performing robot hoard is not, although it sold well to the world and obviously some influential Americans too.

The media has already trotted out Gorbachev to defend the Russians. Our liberals love him. They give him the credit for ending the cold war. I believe our liberals are partial to communists in general. Gorbachev, like Putin, hopes mother Russia will once again be a major power on this planet. With the wrong people in charge in Washington, they will achieve that goal. Political cranial rectal inversion syndrome could prove fatal.

Copyright © J D Pendry 2008 All Rights Reserved

J. D. Pendry

There is much that warrants discussion this week and too little space to work it all in. So, here is the hodgepodge that is on my mind to start the week.

I have sold more books than Nancy Pelosi has. No one ever mentioned my book on a national television or radio program. I believe there are a few hundred thousand of us in that club. Did you notice that since Ms. Pelosi became Speaker of the House we have not heard from Michael Jackson? I think we need the NSA to do a voice print analysis. Heh – Heh.

I finally watched some of the Olympic Games. I also caught Chris Collinsworth’s, former professional football player and now highly mobile sports announcer, interview of NBA player and current Olympian Kobe Bryant. Bryant had just proclaimed how proud he was to don the team USA uniform and represent his country in Olympic competition.

Collinsworth asked: Where does the patriotism come from inside of you? Historically, what is it?

Bryant: Well, you know it’s just our country, it’s… we believe is the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it’s just a sense of pride that you have; that you say “You know what? Our country is the best!”

Collinsworth: Is that a cool thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by.

Is being proud of and loving our country now a day gone by? Most people only need a sentence or two to let you know who they really are.

There is a report out there from the Center for Responsible Politics that tells us the troops are contributing more money to Obama’s campaign than they are to McCain’s. It was a very small sampling, as I understand it, and it only counted contributions of $200 or more. I do not know what their definition of “the troops” is. Having spent more than half my life actually among the troops there are things I know – some of them beyond any doubt. The “troops” do not have $200 laying around to contribute to anyone’s political campaign. The problem, however, is that Americans hear only the misleading headline.

Do you know what a silver medalist is? The first loser. I know I will get mail over that one, but hold your fire and let me explain. I do not want to belittle or lessen the achievement of anyone because a silver medal won in competition against who are supposedly the world’s best athletes is quite an accomplishment, but it is still second place. No one remembers second place. No one will remember the 8 Olympic swimmers who won silver medals behind Mr. Phelps

In the world of competing nations, runner-up is also not a good place. Czar Putin has shown his true colors and Europe is afraid to do anything about it just as they were afraid to vote Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. Iran will eventually set the Middle Eastern region ablaze and the Czar will be right there supporting them. The Islamic terrorists will not stop and the useful idiots like Hugo Chavez are plentiful. We have put ourselves in a precarious position with our own energy insecurity. When everything blows at once, probably while the Speaker is on tour (book tour, not as Michael), who will be there to finish us off? The Chinese? Runner up does not make the rules and does not write the history. We do not want this silver medal. Ask the Romans.

I did not watch the Saddleback interviews. I rarely watch those or debates for that matter. I find it more useful to read what the contenders had to say then make my own evaluation minus the media spin doctoring. Besides, if you needed that interview to help you decide, then you are way behind. You are not even contending for silver.

The interview did highlight something important. Christianity still counts in America. The politicians even believe it counts; otherwise, they would not have been within miles of a place where a Preacher could ask them direct questions.

In my view, some things are not compatible with Christianity no matter how you try to spin it. Pro-choice is the man given name that tries to make it palatable to kill defenseless human beings. Maybe someone with a much stronger Biblical and theological background than mine can tell me how abortion can be acceptable to one who professes Christianity, except possibly as result of a life threatening medical emergency of some sort.

Do you know about the Born Alive Infant Protection Act? Simply put, it means that if an infant is born alive during a late term abortion attempt, then there must be an attempt to protect the surviving infant – help it live. Senator Obama, who wants us to believe he is a strong Christian voted against this act when an Illinois State Senator. In plain speak, his vote against meant he believed an infant that was alive outside the womb following a failed abortion should be allowed to die. I do not know what is in anyone’s heart, but I cannot imagine why anyone would support such an atrocity.

I have already exceeded my self-imposed word limit and most internet readers were long gone before arriving at this point. The way for our country is clear to me. We must become independent of any foreign source of energy and there is simply no one best answer. We need it all. With the Czar, China and Iran all on the horizon, it is time to rebuild our military strength. We have to be ready for the possibility of a large force on force war – not quite Armageddon yet, but possibly the precursor. When the dust settles at the end of it and we are at the medal podium, I expect to hear them play the Star Spangled Banner.

No Mr. Collinsworth, “that you love your country and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue..” is not a day gone by.

Copyright © J. D. Pendry 2008 All Rights Reserved

J. D. Pendry

Have you ever been poor? I am asking that question relative to material wealth. I know poor in that sense. Growing up in the hills and hollows of Southern wild and wonderful West Virginia in the mid 50s to the mid 60s most people knew some degree of poor in that regard. Nowadays, that area is referred to as the Southern West Virginia Coal Fields and usually by West Virginia politicians and television talking heads who have never ventured outside of Morgantown, Charleston or Huntington. It is quite interesting to ponder. It is akin to the people who have never left the confines of Washington, DC, New York City, San Francisco or Chicago yet they feel the need to save the rest of us from ourselves. I have visited each of those great American cities, some by necessity for longer periods than I would have chosen to otherwise. It is not the rest of us that needs saving – at least not from ourselves.

Oddly enough, I never felt poor growing up in those hills. Maybe it is because no one ever told me that I was poor. I was not taught to think I was poor or to believe that anyone, especially some government or political entity, owed me anything. I was taught that it was I who determined where I would go in life and what I might achieve or not was up to me. If I wanted to spend my days sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and watching the sunset behind those green hills, it was a choice that I could make. It was not a choice that would put any folding money in my patched overalls pockets, but it was still my choice to make.

It is that independent and free spirit that built and sustains this blessed nation. It is a spirit that is inherently American. It is the spirit borne of the freedom to choose one’s path and the staunch opposition to anything or anyone that might stand in the way of that choice. That is why people, like my ancestors and probably yours, came here throughout our history and why they still want to come today. They want to choose their own way in a place that allows them that freedom. America is their last great hope for that.

Because of that spirit, we became a great nation. Free spirited men seeking wealth and better ways of doing most everything under the sun created wealth for untold millions of others. It goes against the basic grain of that spirit to then insist that we should take wealth from those who earned it and give it to those who chose to sit on the porch admiring the sunset. We have people who wish to lead our country and categorized under all sorts of political affiliations who promise to give us things if we will just vote for them. Free health care, free education, baby bonds… . Nothing is free, not even freedom itself. The government does not create any wealth or any jobs unless you can count politicians and bureaucrats – who are paid by you and me. The more of them we make, the more of our money and freedom they take.

The simple matter is that as soon as we make ourselves dependent on someone or some entity to meet our personal needs, we sacrifice our freedom. We give it up. The shot heard around the world just became a fizzle. Do you want someone deciding which doctor you can see? What health plan you must have? What you can eat for heaven sakes? It is those seemingly little things provided in small increments that go unnoticed in a society that feels more and more that it is owed something, that will eventually make us totally dependent on government. When that happens, we will have sacrificed the very principles of individual freedom; the God given freedom to choose our own paths that is the cornerstone of this nation.

When that day comes, and many seem to be cheering for it, the United States of America will no longer be that special place to where people hope to escape from failed societies. That is the day when I will retreat to my roots.

Montani semper liberi - Mountaineers are always free.

Copyright © J D Pendry 2008 All Rights Reserved

J. D. Pendry

“I have always loved longitude. “I love latitude; it’s in the stars. But longitude, it’s about time. … Time and clocks and all the rest of that have always been a fascination for me.”

“I’m trying to save the planet; I’m trying to save the planet.” – Speaker of the People’s House, Nancy Pelosi

When the Speaker speaks, lights out is one descriptive thought that comes to mind. I also see hair filled with daisies and butterflies and chirping birds merrily circling her botoxed head. Occasionally a sharp tongue zots out and an unsuspecting and cheerfully circling blue dog bird is returned to the flock, wings bobbed and featherless. The hapless butterflies continue to flutter by focusing on matters critically important to the people of the serfdom like legalizing pot. Such is life in the enchanted kingdom where the problems are always caused by others, but never solved by anyone.

Out in the serfdom, visions of striding over rainbows have been replaced by the less lofty vision of mere survival. The serfs work hard to meet their tax obligations to the kingdom, the agents of the Imperial Revenue Service ensuring that every copper penny owed is collected. The serfs spend their spare time scouring the imperial woods for twigs to heat their homes as winter approaches. Mansions in the enchanted kingdom, where all is well, are warm and comfy. Children in the serfdom fall asleep at night with visions of life in Castle Algore. The cost of fuel is of no consequence to royalty. They cannot focus on such frivolous matters. What is important is that the knaves must be saved from themselves. They must be told what to eat, what mode of transport to use and how many twigs they may put into their fireplaces. The speaker of the enchanted kingdom reminds us, it’s in the stars. I’m trying to save the planet.

“I respect the office that I hold. And when you win the election, you win the majority, and what is the power of the speaker? To set the agenda, the power of recognition, and I am not giving the gavel away to anyone.” – Speaker of the People’s House, Nancy Pelosi

Have you ever been called a fascist? I have just for disagreeing with the people who defame American Service men and women by calling them Nazis and cold-blooded murderers. Also, for disagreeing with so-called news organizations who think it is okay to publish national security secrets. I am told that I must be against freedom of speech, when actually I was using mine to disagree not suppress.

Fascism is any movement, ideology, or attitude that favors dictatorial government, centralized control of private enterprise, and repression of all opposition.

The majority of Americans want our country to go get the oil resources that are available to us and to do it now. Representing Americans are men and women elected and sent to the House of Representatives to stand for the will of the people. That is how our form of government, a representative republic, works – or is supposed to work. So, what do you call it when one person who represents one United States Congressional District is able to decide that the will of the people must be subservient to her ideology? This is the person who hopes to suppress opposing points of view with the Fairness Doctrine.

Do we want a country that resembles California’s 8th Congressional District, the culture of San Francisco? I expect if we were to look for an enchanted kingdom model, one akin to Sodom and Gomorrah, that one would certainly work. Filled with sanctuary cities where an illegal immigrant can murder an entire family following prior arrests where his illegal status was not reported? A place that bans the military from its schools, where the marriage of Adam to Steve is blessed and glorified and legalization of prostitution is not too distant.

Pork barrel Republicans are as responsible for this mess as much as is anyone. I don’t care what political affiliation the Speaker is, but when the Speaker can block the will of the people then we no longer have a representative republic.

But wait! There is hope on the horizon to solve our national energy crisis. Traveling the serfdom in shining armor aboard his noble steed and meeting with adoring crowds he proclaimed:

“We could save all the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could save just as much.”

Hail Barack!

Geeze oh Pete! While you are putting the pressure gage on your tires and ignoring the idiot light on the dashboard that tells you when one of them is low, I’ll be in the back yard working on the bunker and digging it faster and deeper.

Copyright © J D Pendry 2008 All Rights Reserved