Taxes

It's still March and I just mailed my tax return! If I'm not mistaken, that might possibly be a personal record for me. It usually goes out April 15, unless we get an extra day because the 15th is a Sunday, then it ends up being the 16th. I don't know why I wait so long. It's not like I owe them more, I always get a rebate. I'm one of those guys that is willing to give Uncle an interest free loan in exchange for an automatic savings plan. At least this way I have money to pay that other dreaded tax, the state property tax. This year, I ventured way out in the "gray area" and I'll even have some left over after I pay that! YIPPEEE! I wonder if Iraqis pay an income tax? Maybe their oil covers it for them. Sure would be nice. Does America have anything we could sell to reduce our taxes? How about politicians and lawyers? We have more of them than we need.


We might just have a lot of oil we could sell. I don't know if the government makes much off it or not but this article, if it's not just a bunch of crap, might help. It sure would be nice to be able to tell the whole mideast and Venezuella where to stick their oil!
This "Bakken formation", if it really does have 200 billion barrels, makes it almost as big as Saudi Arabia!! Must be to good to be true. Won't the liberals have a field day with this!

Joe

UPDATE:

Here's another link to a more reputable source. Maybe this is the real thing!

Kill 2 birds with 1 stone

AFP: Meanwhile, the US military discovered a "huge cache" of Iranian-made rockets south of Baghdad near the town of Mahmudiyah, US commander Colonel Dominic Caraccilo told AFP

AP: BAGHDAD - Anti-American Shiite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers Saturday to defy government orders to surrender their weapons, as U.S. jets struck Shiite extremists near Basra to bolster a faltering Iraqi offensive against gunmen in the city.

Let's see, we found a bunch of Iranian rockets. What should we do with them? It costs us to blow them up. Al Sadr is thumbing his nose at Maliki---and us. What should we do with him? I have an idea. Why not give them to Al Sadr? Tip first! Yes, I think we should kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Blow up that dentally challenged piece of crap with his own rockets! Fill the warheads with pigs blood first.

Floating around in cyberspace

I found this little gem floating around in cyberspace a couple of years ago. I save some pretty weird stuff sometimes.

Joe Smith started the day early having set his alarm clock (MADE IN JAPAN)
for 6 a.m. While his coffeepot (MADE IN CHINA) was perking, he shaved with
his electric razor (MADE IN HONG KONG).

He put on a dress shirt (MADE IN SRI LANKA), designer jeans (MADE IN
SINGAPORE)
and tennis shoes (MADE IN KOREA).

After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (MADE IN INDIA)
he sat down with his calculator (MADE IN MEXICO)
to see how much he could spend today.

After setting his watch (MADE IN TAIWAN) to the radio
(MADE IN INDIA) he got in his car (MADE IN GERMANY)
and continued his search for a good paying AMERICAN JOB.

At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless
day, Joe decided to relax for a while. He put on his
sandals (MADE IN BRAZIL) poured himself a glass of wine
(MADE IN FRANCE) and turned on his TV (MADE IN INDONESIA),

and then wondered why he can't find a good paying job
in.....AMERICA.....

This really isn't exaggerated all that much. It's a sad state of affairs that will take a real concerted effort by ALL Americans to correct. The way things are going, we won't even have enough jobs left in the U.S. for our illegal alien workers. Hey! That's it! We don't have to fix that problem. Time will fix it for us! Maybe I should run for President!! Now, what to do about that Iraq situation.

Obama related to Pitt, Clinton to Jolie

How would you like to see this staring back at you as you try to enjoy your breakfast? Poor Angelina and Brad! Has the A.P. no shame?

BOSTON - This could make for one odd family reunion: Barack Obama is a distant cousin of actor Brad Pitt, and Hillary Rodham Clinton is related to Pitt's girlfriend, Angelina Jolie.

Researchers at the New England Historic Genealogical Society found some remarkable family connections for the three presidential candidates — Democratic rivals Obama and Clinton, and Republican John McCain.

This story sullies a lot of famous names, living and dead. There are people rolling over in their graves. Just goes to show "you can't pick your relatives!" Want to know who else is related to who? Just click here.

Old Glory

WHEN are our representatives going to protect our flag, the symbal of freedom? I don't really care if it's accomplished by an amendment to the constitution, by legislative means, or by executing the liberal bastard judges that said it was ok to treat it like a rag. MILLIONS of true American heroes gave their all defending what that flag stands for! Another 10's of millions took up arms for the same reason. How dare the supreme court spit on their memories?! Over 2/3's of American citizens want it protected. What in H--- is congress waiting for?

How many of you think burning, spitting, pissing, trampling, or whatever else people do to desecrate our flag in any way can be considered speech?? I think speech is either verbal or written, and I WILL BET that is what our forefathers thought too! I'm going to cut this post short here because my language is about to get worse if I don't!

Please listen to Tim McGraw sing Already Home to put you in the right mood and then call or write your representatives.

Liberation of Karmah

KARMAH, IRAQ – Just beyond the outskirts of Fallujah lies the terror-wracked city of Karmah. While you may not have heard of this small city of 35,000 people, American soldiers and Marines who served in Anbar Province know it as a terrifying place of oppression, death, and destruction. “It was much worse than Fallujah” said more than a dozen Marines who were themselves based in Fallujah.

“Karmah was so important to the insurgency because we've got Baghdad right there,” Lieutenant Andrew Macak told me. “This is part of the periphery of Baghdad. At the same time, it is part of the periphery of Fallujah.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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On the same day just a few blocks away, local Iraqi leaders held a ceremony where they officially re-opened the market on the main street. Until very recently, almost every business in Karmah was closed. For years they had no security, no economy, and no city utilities. All now are recovering.

Every Iraqi leader in the city showed up, as did hundreds of civilians, Iraqi Police officers, and Iraqi Army soldiers. The Marines were there, too, providing security. Americans did not, however, have anything to do with organizing or sponsoring the event. “We’re just here in the background,” Captain Jones told me

I find more and more examples of good news lately. Hardly any of them come from the mainstream media. Please follow this link to a fantastic story from Michael Totten. If you're hoping for peace and an eventual withdrawal from Iraq, you will not be disappointed. This article is part 1 of "The liberation of Karmah." When you have enjoyed reading this, please spread the word.

So and so said.....

I'm getting tired of all of the statements in the media with the caveat "so and so said on condition of anomynity!" Here are just a few of the recent examples. The line with the number is the article headline and the burger dots are the examples.
----------------------------------------------------------------
1.McCain unexpectedly visits Baghdad ............

.a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release the information.
.officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
.police said on condition of anonymity for the same reason.

2.Cheney to push Mideast peace, Iraq ties...............

.a senior US official told reporters in a pre-trip briefing held on condition he not be named.
.a step the unnamed US official directly tied to efforts to contain regional powerhouse Iran.

3.Shiite clashes fray truce .................

.police said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

4.Militants target Green Zone in Baghdad............

.He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.
.The violence was reported by police officials who declined to be identified because they weren't supposed to release the information.

5.U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000.............

.learned last week from U.S. military officials familiar with the recommendations but not authorized to speak.
------------------------------------------------------------
I can understand when it might mean getting killed, a person would not want their name splashed all over the front page. The ones that bother me is when people who are supposed to keep quiet blab to the press. How do we know we can believe them. This is how our enemies get "their truth" out there. We have to learn to take this type of information "with a grain of salt."

Turkish, Iranian forces attack PKK bases in Iraq

Today's Zaman, a Turkish newspaper today had some very disturbing news. It's a short story with no accompanying picture, so I'll import the entire article.

Turkish and Iranian artillery shelled areas in northern Iraq used by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its Iranian offshoot, Iraqi Kurdish reports said yesterday.

Turkish artillery units shelled the Nihel and Rekan border area in addition to Spendar and Betkar in the Barwary Bala area, Pukmedia, a Web site affiliated with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) reported yesterday, citing a local source. The shelling continued until 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning and no casualties were reported, Pukmedia said.

Iran, which is fighting the PKK's Iranian wing, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), also shelled three border towns in northern Iraq where PJAK members are believed to be operating, an Iraqi Kurdish official said yesterday.

Here's the link in case you want to see for yourself. Just what we need, Iran sticking their nose into the mess!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! I plan to spend a good portion of the day stuffing my face with friends and family and hope you all get to do the same!

You Tube you have to see

There is some REALLY NICE stuff on You Tube. I'm posting a few that I just think everybody has to see. Have a tissue ready. Macho guys, that means you too.

1 Some gave all
2 God bless the USA
3 Messages from home
4 God bless the USA-2
5 Arms of the Angel
6 Where is the love
7 Some gave all-2
8 Arlington
9 Please remember me
10 Amazing grace
11 Already home
The last one won't bring tears, but it will make you laugh.
12 I could be wrong by Tim Wilson RATED R Lots of the F-word

There's plenty more where that came from. Just look to the right after you watch one and pick others from the "related videos" list. Some real beautiful stuff out there, that's for sure.

Dreams from my father

As much as I detest Barack Hussein Osama, I couldn't believe what I just found. I wish I could bring myself to buy that disgusting piece of literary trash, but I would not want to put any of my money in his pocket. Read the excerpts I have here and follow this link to the rest of the story!

Anyone questioning why Obama attended Wright’s church needs to read Obama’s 1995 book, Dreams from my Father. It is a sickeningly racist book “in his own words”. His deep hatred toward whites is discussed in every chapter, and sometimes on every page in every chapter!

Sadly his white grandparent’s that raised him, are the one’s he discriminates against the most–The first two chapters in this book are heartbreaking and show a very cruel, self-important, self-centered, Obama, takes great lengths to tear apart every shred of dignity and character of his grandparents, even belittling his grandfather’s service in the war under Patton by saying “he sloshed around the mud in France” but never saw TRUE COMBAT!!! (Page 15 DREAMS); Obama belittles his grandmother working in a bomber assembly line calling her “Rosie the Riveter” (Page 15 Dreams)–

He ridicules his grandparents for the “world they were raised in…”That was the world in which my grandparents had been raised, the dab-smack, landlocked center of the country, a place where decency & endurance & the pioneer spirit were joined at the hip with conformity and suspicion & the potential for unblinking cruelty” where white trash “farm boys” who got sewn into their woolen underwear at the beginning of winter and STANK LIKE PIGS as the months wore on.” Page 13 DREAMS.

He goes on to describe what his grandparents must have looked like when they met, his grandfather looked like a “wop” and grandmother he desribes as a “dyed blond, smart talking girl w/too much red lipstick, cigarette smoker, etc. (Page 15 DREAMS. His grandfather wanting to escape the “empty, dust-ridden plains, where big plans means a job as a bank manager & entertainment means ice cream soda…”. Obama describes his grandparents BY LOOKING AT A PHOTOGRAPH OF THEM ON A BOOKSHELF THAT SPOKE “ELOQUENTLY OF THEIR ROOTS” (Page 12 DREAMS) . “Theirs were the faces of American Gothic, the WASP bloodline’s poorer cousins”

The saddest and cruelest part he leaves for his grandmother. In his speech tonight he says his grandmother once told him she was afraid of black men she passed on the street. In his book DREAMS, Page 88 he refers to this ONLY IT IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN HOW HE DESCRIBED TONIGHT IN HIS SPEECH! He overhears his grandparents and walks in and asks his grandmother what is wrong. She says “a man asked me for money yesterday. While I was waiting for the bus.” Obama says “that’s all”. She says “her lips pursed with irritation. He was very aggressive, Barry. Very Aggressive. I gave him a dollar and he kept asking. If the bus hadn’t come, I think he might have hit me over the head” Next Obama walks into the other room where Gramps is at & tells him “it’s probably a little scary for her, seeing some big man block her way….” Apparently Obama left out some of the conversation w/his grandmother because he did not mention his grandmother said the man was “big” or that he “blocked” her way!!! ONE THING IS VERY CLEAR IN OBAMA’S BOOK DREAMS—HIS GRANDMOTHER NEVER SAID THE MAN WAS BLACK OR THAT THIS WAS THE REASON SHE WAS AFRAID!!! Obama says on Page 88 he learned the harrasser was black from his Grandfather–NOT GRANDMOTHER!!!

Now in my opinion there is a big difference between Obama saying tonight his grandmother told him she was afraid of “BLACK MEN SHE PASSED ON THE STREET” and the incident of one black man who was big and BLOCKED HER WAY SO SHE COULD NOT “PASS”. Apparently Obama thinks Americans are so stupid they won’t read his book or notice the “details” are a little different. On Page 89 he says men who “might easily have been my brothers could inspire their (his grandparents) rawest fears. Again, Obama writes as if his supposition of what people feel is fact!

This picture is from Bob Englehart. I think it depicts Obama's other book much more accurately.

I hope that Obama wins the democratic nomination so the republicans can beat the disgusting shit out of him between then and November! Even a lot of the liberals will have a hard time accepting this. I bet his Grandma now wishes she or her daughter had had an abortion.

Elections coming!!

By ERICA GOODE and RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
Published: March 20, 2008

BAGHDAD — A member of Iraq’s Presidency Council, whose objections had blocked a law calling for provincial elections by October, withdrew his objections on Wednesday in a sudden turnaround that raised hopes for long-sought political progress.

The Presidency Council, in a statement, said the law would now go into effect.

The legislation, passed with great fanfare in early February, was rejected by the council on Feb. 27 and sent back to Parliament after Vice President Adel Abdul Mehdi said it was unconstitutional. President Jalal Talabani and Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi also sit on the three-member council.

Mr. Mehdi’s reversal came two days after he met with Vice President Dick Cheney, who was in Iraq. In the view of American officials, the law, which was intended in part to correct electoral distortions that had given Kurds and Shiites disproportionate power in some regions dominated by Sunni Arabs, could in theory help defuse the power of the Sunni insurgency. Local council members were chosen in elections largely boycotted by Sunni Arabs.

The rest of this story can be found right here.
It seems that Vice President Cheney might have used a little pressure, if so, IT'S ABOUT TIME!!

Hillary claims to be "transparent"

Somewhere on the boob tube today I heard Hillary Clinton bragging about "I just might be the most transparent politician out there." I should say that this is a paraphrase, not a quote, and I don't know which channel or show it was on. What I DO KNOW is that I 100% believe her!! I CAN SEE RIGHT THRU HER!!! Can you???

Bits and pieces

I think I'll just wander around a bit and toss a few things out there that probably have nothing to do with one another. Maybe you'll have a bit better idea of what makes this old geezer tick.

Just whose bright idea was it to make the federal income tax a negative number? Am I the only one who thinks the "earned income credit" belongs somewhere other than under the jurisdiction of the I.R.S.? Aren't they just about screwed up enough without the extra incentive? How about all the other new credits which make it possible and sometimes likely that people end up in negative tax territory? Maybe these "programs" are necessary and maybe even justified but--come on--they're welfare or social programs!! One thing they are NOT is a tax!! Call them what they are and get them OUT of the I.R.S.'s hands!! Don't those misfits have enough stuff to screw up already??

What's up with capital gains taxes? Why are they treated differently than other income? If Joe busts his ass all year and manages to make $50,000 digging a ditch and Bob sits home playing with the computer and makes $50,000 in capital gains, and Bill is retired but makes $50,000 in interest and pensions, didn't they all make $50,000 in "income"? If everything else is the same, why is their tax liability not also the same????






Picture by Kirk Walters




Hey, maybe these "folks" aren't so different after all! They could be good buds under different circumstances----NOT!!

How many days in a year do our Senators and Congressmen actually work?? We do pay them fairly well don't we? During those days worked,how many hours are we talking? I wouldn't really care IF they managed to get things done, but they DON'T! They argue about EVERYTHING!! I don't remember the government being this polarized 30 years ago. What happened? I'll answer that question for you. The Democrats went extreme left and the Republicans went extreme right!! We now have the fringes of the population running/trying to run the country!! Moderate people (most of us) got squeezed out!! If I can only have 1 pet peeve in my life, THIS IS IT!! Read my first 2 posts and tell me--am I dreaming, or, is there a slim chance something can be done? I know there are MILLIONS of people that feel as I do. As much as I detest Screaming Howard Deman (Dean), he did show us the internet works. I think a grass roots political revolution is feasible.

Unbelievable-this Marine is almost my neighbor!

The rest of Tim McLaughlin's story really should be read, it's a great example of one of America's best. Here's a piece of it to peak your interest.

On April 9, my tank was the first to roll into Paradise Square in Baghdad. The world’s media were there, too, confined to the Ishtar and Palestine hotels, but I didn’t know that at the time. I was scanning for people who were trying to kill me. Turns out the bad guys were a few blocks to the northeast where my friend Chad’s platoon was. My American flag was placed on the statue of Saddam Hussein that day so I could take a picture of it. People watching on their televisions at home saw it too.
They liked it. Or didn’t. Or changed their minds later on. I told a reporter, “I know Iraq didn’t have anything to do with Sept. 11, but I think that given the opportunity, a person like Saddam Hussein would certainly be capable of trying to hit London or Paris or New York.”......................No one has to convince me that there is a difference between the way the world is and the way it should be. I’ll stand for the way the world should be every time. Peace. Human rights. Racial, sexual and religious equality. But when the noise, trouble and hard work get in the way, not everyone makes the same sacrifices. We won’t always get it right, and it’ll never be perfect, but I’m proud of the people I’ve stood with.

Hard to believe I live only an hour's drive from this guy. Guess I should get my butt down there and buy the guy a beer or three!!

New police training in Arab Jabour

If you dig deep enough you can find good news. This article tells of some "Sons of Iraq" getting a chance to enter the Iraqi Police. Its been one of the stumbling blocks for reconciliation for a long time now. Maybe there really is a glimmer of hope after all.

Soldiers and IPs worked together at each of the five stations, taking recruits through the application process.

The first station involved organizing paperwork and checking identification. Once applicants cleared station one they moved on to a quick background check where they were vetted through a database of known insurgents.

Applicants were then taken through a health screening process where combat medics of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-30th Inf. Regt., assisted Iraqi doctors with health screenings.

After completing their literacy test at station four, the candidates went on to the final phase of their screening process, a test of their physical abilities. Applicants labored through pull-ups, push-ups, a 200-meter sprint and finally, a sit-up event.

Once completing the five stations the men’s contact information was taken and they were told that notification of their ‘pass or fail’ would arrive in the coming weeks.

It's so refreshing to get good news every once in a while.

You have to see these

You have to check out the Obama cartoons here , especially numbers 1, 14, 18, and 25. I couldn't copy and paste them or I would have.

UPDATE 3/23 They are moving them around. The numbers above aren't the same pictures as they were, but all 30 are pretty funny.

The Thunder Rolls

"The Thunder Rolls and the lighting strikes and a love grows cold on a moonless night" and Iraq gets her railroad back! At least it's a start. The whole story can be found here. It's a military blog out of Camp Taji. This might not look or sound like a big deal---BUT IT IS!! It's been 5 years in the making. Why is it that we NEVER see the good news in the mainstream media??

Griper

This picture is just to get your attention. I lifted it off of "Gripers" blog. If you want some really profound wisdom, go check out Griper and his Grandpa as they have deep conversations about war and morality, the constitution, University of Life, and many other topics. His blog is superbly written and well worth the cyber trip to visit him.

Herd Mentality

I cannot for the life of me figure out what Americans see in Obama. Are they really that duped by his constant use of the c-word? Can't they see that the "change" he would bring would be for the worst? Do people really think that being a little kid in Indonesia constitutes foreign policy experience? Or that judgement is an acceptable replacement for experience? Do people think that the hundreds of billions of dollars he's promised in new give-a-way programs will fall from the sky?

Do people really think that Obama sat for 20 years listening to that idiot minister Wright without picking up ANY ideas from him? Is it a good enough excuse to stay in that radical church just because he will be retiring soon? Is that minister Wright the reason Michelle Obama is wacked in some of the things she has said lately? Are we really 100% sure Obama is not muslim? His father was a muslim. The muslims believe that religion follows the father, and that once a muslim, always a muslim, punishable by death if you convert. Even if Obama considers himself a Christian, many Muslims consider him one of them. That makes him a target!!

When will the press finally start to grill Obama like they do every other politician that comes down the pike? Why has he had such a free ride for so long? Is it because he's black and they don't dare make waves? Poor John Edwards. Between the black man and the white woman, he didn't stand a chance!! Come to think of it, poor progressive democrats! What a choice they have. Be politically correct and vote for an African American or be politically correct and vote for a woman. I guess I'll stay unpolitically correct, or is it politically uncorrect, and vote for the white guy, John McCain!

NO HERD MENTALITY FOR ME!!

Fast Forward to the Winter of 2017

I was wandering around the blogoshpere and stumbled upon this great little gem I just couldn't resist borrowing.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Fast Forward to the Winter of 2017

President John McCain, after having served two terms is about to give his farewell address. The eighty year old President wakes up on this January morning and wants to forget all that comes with being President, he wants to forget the daily breakfast meetings with the CIA director, he forgets all the phone calls he had to make to world leaders on a daily basis, he forgets about the hundreds of hours he spent on board Air Force One and remembers with a smile a comment he made at a town hall meeting in Derry, New Hampshire some nine years ago.

The comment in question has to do with US involvement in Iraq for "100 years..."

The past eight years were certainly more about global terrorism than they were about abortion, school vouchers, Mexican immigration or conservative judges. Iraq has been a powerful partner in battling this global threat. In the past eight years, the US has found in Iraq an ally that is more useful than Israel, more resourceful than Turkey, far more democratic than the now-fragile Arab dictatorships.

The war is far from over, much of the Muslim world is in a clash between fundamentalism and democracy, but one thing is certain, America's partnership with Iraq will outlive all those who mocked the then Senator from Arizona and now outgoing US President John McCain.

On another note, Google has just bought the New York Times to, well destroy it, claiming that paper (especially useless NYTimes editorials) are now obsolete.

Posted by Vahal Abdulrahman

Vahal, an American Iraqi, is new to blogging, as am I. His few posts intrigue me. Check him out for yourself!

Upcoming rebate checks

Well, it seems like there will definitely be some rebate checks coming to millions of Americans eventually. As an economic stimulus, much depends on how people use this money. I know that many people will be obligated to use it to pay down debt. That will probably have a small positive impact on the economy. I'm sure there are some fortunate Americans who don't really need anything and will just plunk the money into savings or investment, again possibly a small positive impact gained. The major impact of this money will come from spending it. The politicians are hoping that most of us will do just that. What they, so far, have forgotten to tell us, is that WHAT we spend it ON makes a big difference! I read today that the IRS is going to spend $42 million to send out a letter telling us we are getting these checks. I would rather they send a letter telling us TO PLEASE USE THE MONEY TO BUY AMERICAN!!!!! That is how OUR economy would benefit. There are still a lot of ways to spend money HERE. Take the family out to eat a few times or go on a weekend get-a-way. Buy a dog or a new kitchen table. Paint the house or reshingle the roof. Donate the money to the local food pantry; they'll know how to spend it! Just, PLEASE, don't spend it at Walmart! It's supposed to help OUR economy, NOT China's!!

Open letter to Americans

The following open letter is from an anomynous women in Iraq to any American who will listen. I realize that not all Iraqis feel this way, but from all I read and see, this does appear to be the majority feeling. This is the overriding issue for me and it is why I support John McCain for President.

.......I am an Iraqi who lived all her life in Iraq. During Saddam's Time we were more than hopeless. we were counting days in a life that became a curse. Saddam who were appearing more than 5 times a day with his pictures in each an every corner of Iraq. My cousin was one of Saddam's regimes victims. My cousin was executed for no reason other than one of the secret police wrote a false report against him. his family stayed waiting for 6 months having no clue where their son might be till the secret police bring his corpse. To be honest I was dying to see the end of Saddam not because I want to revenge my cousin death but because that monster did the most horrible crimes against the Iraqi people. I would say that the Iraqis would appreciate what the US did if it kept its promises of free democratic country. however the U.S. did not come with clear and well arranged plan. To be fair the Arab and neighboring countries did all their best to destroy Iraq and to halt this new era in Iraq. Leaving Iraq now as Democrats trying to do will be the most stupid idea. the want to fix the situation with worse mistakes without any care for the iraqis'. I also want to clarify that the other U.S. presidents were not angels nor Bush was the worse as it had been stated by Hilary Clinton whose her husband left Iraqis dying under the sanctions. All the previous American presidents were responsible of what is happening in Iraq either by helping Saddam or by turning a blind eye to his crimes if not supporting him. Iraqis were abandoned by the U.S. administration in 1991 so do not abandon us for the second if not the third time. I wish that U.S. completes with good intent what Bush publicly said of free democratic Iraq

Regards.......

I cut and pasted this letter exactly as I found it. I wish I could link to it, but I can't now find where I got it, another blog somewhere perhaps.

Sheriff Joe

I received this in my email yesterday and thought I'd just have to pass it along in case anyone missed it. Sorry, author is anomynous


SHERIFF JOE IS AT IT AGAIN!

Maricopa County was spending approx. $18 million dollars a year on stray animals, like cats and dogs. Sheriff Joe offered to take the department over , and the County Supervisors said okay

The animal shelters are now all staffed and operated by prisoners. They feed and care for the strays. Every animal in his care is taken out and walked twice daily. He now has prisoners who are experts in animal nutrition and behavior. They give great classes for anyone who'd like to adopt an animal. He has literally taken stray dogs off the street, given them to the care of prisoners, and had them place in dog shows.


The best part? His budget for the entire department is now under $3 million. Teresa and I adopted a Weimaraner from a Maricopa County shelter two years ago. He was neutered, and current on all shots, in great health, and even had a microchip inserted the day we got him. Cost us $78.
The prisoners get the benefit of about $0.28 an hour for working, but most would work for free, just to be out of their cells for the day. Most of his budget is for utilities, building maintenance, etc. He pays the prisoners out of the fees collected for adopted animals.



I have long wondered when the rest of the country would take a look at the way he runs the jail system, and copy some of his ideas. He has a huge farm, donated to the county years ago, where inmates can work, and they grow most of their own fresh vegetables and food, doing all the work and harvesting by hand. He has a pretty good sized hog farm, which provides meat, and fertilizer. It fertilizes the Christmas tree nursery, where prisoners work, and you can buy a living Christmas tree for $6 - $8 for the Holidays, and plant it later We have six trees in our yard from the Prison.



Yup, he was reelected last year with 83% of the vote.
Now he's in trouble with the ACLU again. He painted all his buses and vehicles with a mural, that has a special hotline phone number painted on it, where you can call and report suspected illegal aliens. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement wasn't doing enough in his eyes, so he had 40 deputies trained specifically for enforcing immigration laws, started up his hotline, and bought 4 new buses just for hauling folks back to the border. He's kind of a 'Git-R Dun' kind of Sheriff.

TO THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH JOE ARPAIO
HE IS THE MARICOPA ARIZONA COUNTY SHERIFF

AND HE KEEPS GETTING ELECTED OVER AND OVER
THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY:

Sheriff Joe Arpaio (In Arizona) who created the 'Tent City Jail':
He has jail meals down to 40 cents a serving and charges the inmates for them.

He stopped smoking and porno magazines in the jails. Took away their weights Cut off al l but 'G' movies.

He started chain gangs so the inmates could do free work on county and city projects.

Then He Started Chain Gangs For Women So He Wouldn't Get
Sued For Discrimination.

He took away cable TV Until he found out there was A Federal Court Order that Required Cable TV For Jails So He Hooked Up The Cable TV AgainOnly Let In The Disney Channel And The Weather Channel.

When asked why the weather channel He Replied, So They Will Know How Hot It's Gonna Be While They Are Working
ON My Chain Gangs.

He Cut Off Coffee Since It Has Zero Nutritional Value.

When the inmates complained, he told them, 'This Isn't The Ritz/Carlton.....If You Don't Like It, Don't Come Back.'

He bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on videotape that he pipes into the jails.

When asked by a reporter if he had any lecture series by a Democrat, he replied that a democratic lecture series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jails in the first place.

More On The Arizona Sheriff:

With Temperatures Being Even Hotter Than Usual In Phoenix (116 Degrees Just Set A New Record), the Associated Press Reports:
About 2,000 Inmates Living In A Barbed-Wire-Surrounded Tent Encampment At The M aricopa County Jail Have Been Given Permission To Strip Down To Their Government-Issued
Pink Boxer Shorts.

On Wednesday, hundreds of men wearing boxers were either curled up on their bunk beds or chatted in the tents, which reached 138 Degrees inside the week before.

Many were also swathed in wet, pink towels as sweat collected on their chests and dripped

down to their PINK SOCKS.

'It Feels Like We Are In A Furnace,' Said James Zanzot, An Inmate Who Has Lived In The TENTS for 1 year. 'It's Inhumane.'

Joe Arpaio, the tough-guy sheriff who created the tent city and long ago started making his prisoners wear pink, and eat bologna sandwiches, is not one bit sympathetic. He said Wednesday that he told all of the inmates: 'It's 120 Degrees In Iraq And Our Soldiers Are Living In Tents Too, And They Have To Wear Full Battle Gear,
But They Didn't Commit Any Crimes,So Shut Your Damned Mouths!'

Way To Go, Sheriff!



Maybe if all prisons were like this one there would be a lot less crime and/or repeat offenders. Criminals should be punished for their crimes - not live in luxury until it's time for their parole, only to go out and commit another crime so they can get back in to live on taxpayers money and enjoy things taxpayers can't afford to have for themselves.

Who are "Average Americans"?

Probably the best way to define what I mean by "Average Americans" is to say "if you get up every day and go to work so you can feed, clothe, and shelter yourself and your family, if you have one, then you qualify."

If you are 3rd generation welfare and have no inclination to change, you will not want to be part of The Average American Party. If you expect the government to take care of your every need without any effort on your part--ditto. If you are an illegal alien who wants the U.S. to pay for your kids health care and send them to college free--scram!!

If you are the CEO of a huge company that sends our best paying jobs to other countries, you will not like my plans for you---don't join. If you are ridiculously rich and yet pay next to nothing in taxes---KEEP OUT!!

If you don't fit into the above listed categories (last 2 paragraphs), please read my other posts, especially the introduction, and see if maybe some of my ideas actually make sense.