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SITREP: Afghanistan – the Long Haul
One thing I can say about George W. Bush, rarely did he set blame on ongoing problems of the previous administration, although several times he could have honestly done so. He was too busy with matters at hand and in the final
The why don’t we just move on Clintonista crowd of yesterday whenever a valid point was brought up about something concerning Slick Willy; and now nothing concerning the constant referral to GW Bush by Barack Obama on how he did this and GW Bush did that whenever complaints about how the Obama and his administration (and associates in Congress) handle situations – often the same way they complained about when GW Bush was president.
Myth Blaster: Health Benefits of the Banana
The following information came from chain email sent in by HM, Illinois …
A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression “going bananas” is from the effects of bananas on the brain. … Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. …
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’ s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. …
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking and Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”
Myth Blaster Verdict:
TRUE – with minor exceptions (questionable) – mosquito bites and wart removal, the nutrional breakdown is as follows:
Myth Blaster: Free Cell Phones for Welfare Recipients
Obama Government Giveaway: Cell phones for welfare recipients?
Email sent by Joan Bartelson:
Trillion dollar+ budget deficits for the fiscal year 2009 and the money keep flowing! Must be ultra income redistribution! I couldn’t believe this, so I went to the web site and learned that about half of the states offer these Obama phones. I had a former employee call me earlier today inquiring about a job, and at the end of the conversation he gave me his phone number. I asked the former employee if this was a new cell phone number and he told me yes this was his “Obama phone.” I asked him what an “Obama phone” was and he went on to say that welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new phone and (2) approx 70 minutes of FREE minutes every month. I was a little skeptical so I Google’d it and low and behold he was telling the truth. TAX PAYER MONEY IS BEING REDISTRIBUTED TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS FOR FREE CELL PHONES. This program was started earlier this year. Enough is enough. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window. You can click on the link below to read more about the “Obama phone”…just have a barf bag ready.
IF YOU ARE NOT TICKED OFF YET, WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO MAKE YOU FURIOUS?
Myth Blaster Verdict:
TRUE. This chain email provided a link to back up the claim.
Light Side of Lighthouse: ‘One Cup of Tea – Priceless!’
One day my mother was out, and my Dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2-1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little Tea Set as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of ‘tea’, which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such ‘yummy tea’, my Mom came home.
My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of ‘tea’, because it was the ‘cutest thing’!
My Mom waited, and sure enough here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and Mom watched him drink it up.
Then she said, “Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?”
[Submitted by Joan Bartelson, original author unknown]
Myth Blaster: Senator Harry Reid Descendent of Horse Thief
The email concerning Senator Harry Reid’s presumed ancestor is circulating again …
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California , was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid’s great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor. The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:

Door County Time
After almost 12 years in Door County I have found things to move at a much slower pace, especially when you need stuff done.
Over a year ago I contacted a couple of companies to come out and do some needed plumbing work on our leaky outside facet. Well, needless to sa,y no one ever called me back, even to this day over a year later!
My husband was able to contact someone else – who happens to be a new neighbor up the road. The nice thing is they called me back the next day. I now have a new plumber that WILL return my calls.
I will NOT call the other companies that I did for my future needs even though one of them have been previously out at my house for other plumbing issues.
Door County is a tourist area and full time jobs are hard to come by. One would think if you got the chance for work you would take it by calling people back.
What’s with that?
Holiday Greeting Cards
For years the greeting card companies have made up holidays so you feel obligated to have to buy cards like on Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Grandparents Day, Bosses Day, Secretary Day, and Sweetest Day.
Well okay, then what about – aunts, sister, uncles and brothers?
Don’t they deserve a day?
What’s with that?
Snippets: Facebook Scam Alert, Government Watch, Fate of the F22 Raptor, Wisconsin Taxes Increase
√ Don Farr sent me a link to ZD Net that warns Facebook folks of an email scam …
On the heels of one fake Facebook e-mail scam, a researcher warned on Wednesday of another such campaign in which users of the popular social network are being tricked into revealing their passwords and downloading a Trojan that steals financial data. n the latest scam being blasted to e-mail in-boxes, a legitimate-looking Facebook notice asks people to provide information to help the social network update its log-in system, said Fred Touchette, a senior security analyst at AppRiver. When the user clicks the “update” button in the e-mail, they are directed to a fake Facebook log-in screen where their user name is filled in and they are prompted to provide their password. Here is a screen shot of the message in the body of the fake Facebook e-mail. (Credit: AppRiver).
For more, read “Bank Trojan botnet targets Facebook users” from CNET News.
Fright Night – Hallows Eve – Halloween
Hallows Eve, known today as Halloween will be upon us soon, traditionally celebrated/acknowledged on the night of October 31st, where children (of all ages) dress in costumes and attend Halloween parties, while the younger ones go door-to-door collecting, hopefully, treats and not tricks. I call it “Fright Night” – which happens to be the name of a film.
Halloween as a celebration of some sort can be found in parts of the Western world and places like the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and recently a boon in popularity in Australia and New Zealand.
Halloween, or Hallows Eve as it was originally called, originated among the Celtic tribes of Ireland, Britain and France as part of a Pagan Celtic harvest festival. Samhain (not the band of the same name), Irish, Scots, the Calan Gaeaf in Wales and other immigrants brought versions of the traditions to North America in the 19th century. Most other Western countries consider Halloween as part of the American pop culture in the late 20th century.
Myth Blaster: Legislators Play Solitaire at House of Reps Session
There’s an email going around that shows a photo of politician/legislative members playing solitaire on laptops during a session. There are a couple of versions – here is one of them:
THEY CAN’T READ THE BILLS THEY VOTE ON BUT THEY CAN PLAY SOLITAIRE AND CHECK BASEBALL BALL SCORES…!
Nothing else need to be said. This is one of their THREE DAY WORK WEEKS that we all pay for. I am ready to start from the beginning by voting out all elected officials and not letting any of them stay in office for more than two terms. No more lifelong healthcare, retirement, voting in their own pay raises, taking perks on our taxes, etc.
House Minority Leader Lawrence F. Cafero Jr., R-Norwalk, pictured standing, far right, speaks while colleagues Rep. Barbara Lambert, D-Milford and Rep. Jack F. Hennessy, D-Bridgeport, play solitaire Monday night as the House convened to vote on a new budget. (AP) The guy sitting in the row in front of these two… he’s on Facebook, and the guy behind Hennessy is checking out the baseball scores.
Myth Blaster Verdict:
Photo image is real (AP photographer Jessica Hill) Varied Response, according to email version. First, some email alludes or states that this photo was taken at the US Congress. Wrong. They are Connecticut state legislators in the Connecticut House of Representatives. …
No Matter What the Name – It is Still Big Government – from Illegal Alien to Health Care Issues
The Democrats are scrambling to tweak and change paragraphs by adding amendments to a health care bill that should have been buried in the deepest hole to be found and redrafted addressing the real issues of health care, its cost and its problems. In the final analysis, the Democrats and abiding RINOs of the GOP are bound and determined to pass it no matter what, The Foundry at the Heritage Foundation says No Matter What You Call It, It’s Still Just Government-Run Health Care (you know like the immigration reform legislation isn’t amnesty) …
Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that the health care legislation he is drafting will include a government-run health insurance plan, or as many on the left like to call it “the public option.” The new wrinkle that Reid has thrown into the proposal is an “opt out” clause which would require states to pass legislation by 2014 rejecting participation in the federal government run plan. None of the committees in the House or Senate ever even voted on this new opt out scheme. But that does not really matter. Whether it is first implemented through a co-op, or a trigger, or an opt out, the end goal is the same: government-run health care for all Americans….
The Co-op Co-opt: Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) have both pushed slightly different plans they both call co-ops. However, they both share the same fundamental flaws: advantageous federal funding and regulation designed to tilt the playing field in their direction. Heritage fellows Edmund Haislmaier, Dennis Smith, and Nina Owcharenko have explained why this model is guaranteed to fail: “Simply calling some form of a government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) a “cooperative,” for instance, would be only another type of public plan in disguise. … One need look no further than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to see how GSEs can distort the market and leave taxpayers with huge liabilities. Decades of market distortions generated by their implicit government backing, compounded by the effects of repeated political meddling by Congress, put those GSEs at the very epicenter of the mortgage market collapse that triggered the current financial crisis and recession.” …
SITREP America – American Citizenship Requires Personal Responsibility and Sense of Duty
Tiffany, a new commentator at LP Journal wrote:
I am a transplant American from a socialist country to becoming an American citizen. While I do not always agree with governmental policies that are mustered up by the corrupted politicians, I can certainly testify that most Americans I have befriended with are hard-working folks with simple and compassionate values to help and assist. You can probably find these types of people anywhere in the world, but I can tell you that while growing up in a country people are more afraid of what government will do to them if they speak up, I love and respect the freedom in the U.S.
This blog did not zero in the “non-American” qualifications but the ones qualify for being an American – it’s mutually exclusive – when compassion for charity will not equate to destruction of millions of lives. One must understand that one’s values are measured by one’s culture, upbringing, and his/her respect of others on the equal ground. This is how I will respond to those who live in this great country yet full of hatred toward its people and what its founding fathers stood for, “LEAVE”!!
Congressman John Fleming: Congress Should be Required to Have the ObamaCare Program Like Everyone Else
Received an email from Joan Bartelson with the following:
… the Senate health committee voted 12-11 in favor of a two-page amendment courtesy of Republican Tom Coburn that would require all Members and their staffs to enroll in any new government-run health plan. It took me less than a minute to sign up to require our congressmen and senators to drink at the same trough! Three cheers for Congressman John Fleming of Louisiana!
Congressman John Fleming (Louisiana physician) has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same healthcare plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt). Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition (very simple – just first, last and email). I have immediately done just that at http://fleming.house.gov/index.html . Please urge as many people as you can to do the same! If Congress forces this on the American people, the Congressmen should have to accept the same level of health care for themselves and their families.
I clicked on “Yes” and provided my personal information, which Mr. Fleming will present to fellow congressional members. Go to the site and check it out.
You might want to call or write to your congressional member and ask why they don’t have the same health care coverage the American people are supposed to accept. And, at the same time, ask why they provide themselves with a retirement program from an elected office in lieu of the same Social Security system the American public is expected to live on. In fact, make a list and ask them several questions I am sure that you can make up on your own. While you are at it – ask why there are over $1 billion of earmarks (pork bills) in this year’s budget. Ask why Congress approved money for a museum and other earmarks in the defense budget while the military is awaiting to be resupplied. Oh, I could go on forever, but you got the idea.
Remember the answers you get next election.
America’s Future isn’t a Game, Mr. Dionne
Sometimes I wonder what planet E.J. Dionne is from …
He writes in an article dated October 19th and entitled: Time to Reawaken Young Voters …
Will the young and hopeful abandon the political playing field to older voters who are angry? That is the quiet crisis confronting President Obama and the Democrats. Left unattended, it could become a formidable obstacle for them in next year’s midterm elections. The sour mood that has gripped the nation’s politics may only further turn off the young.
“The sour mood” is caused from the once silent majority who has had it with the political game, as Mr. Dionne puts it. They are also tired of the Constitution being trampled on, promises of unity (by the Sociocrats) and a limited government (by the GOP) – and truth is America is not some game to be played, for if we lose we cannot try again like in a board game. The middle class are tire of footing the bill for the tax hikes that Congress imposes and meanwhile spending like drunken sailors.
Maybe that is what is part of the problem is that the whole political-government thing is viewed too much of a game – and the winner is Big Government, limited or no rights and liberties and the loser is the American people, well, those that care about such things.
And as far as the youth of America – they better wake up to reality. These political players are gambling their future away. Social Security should have had the option of privatization and choice – the result is that the youth probably won’t see any return for the premiums they paid for SSI. Now doesn’t that sound like an insurance company scam? The rate this government is going, it won’t be just the youth that suffers.
It’s a deadly game being played, Mr. Dionne, and you certainly aren’t a player with all the cards on the table or with a full deck.
As an added interest, check out Leonard Downie and Michael Schudson at Washington Post to read about a new model for news reporting.
LP Journal’s “Fright Night”
to experience



Today you can visit your department store, most likely Wal-Mart and see how commercial this holiday has become, but at the same time technology has afforded those who have safe and non-evil fun on this day that still, for some, is surrounded by superstitious traditions and mythological tales. There are Halloween props that surpass all that I have seen in previous years, maybe next year the economy will allow us to be creative (more creative) and make it a family creation night. Maybe I missed my calling – I could have been a horror makeup expert, a horror film director/producer. Along with the props there are Halloween lights, like traditional Christmas light tradition and tailored for Fright Night.
Casualties of the Islamic Fascist War – A War Denied To Exist By Too Many
In the global war against Islamic Fascism, a war that the US government does not recognize as an official war – ignored by many even after the horrors of attack on US soil on September 11th 2001, has casualties of people of several cultures and living in many nations. Rhetoric in the news mentions Americans are getting war weary, and those voices are not just liberals. Sociocrats, anti-war Moonbats or Progressives – some complaints are coming from the conservative circles (Curt at Pheisty Blog) – who seem to have forgotten the ruthless and treacherous tactics of the enemy. The enemy is not true Moslems, as one can see from this story of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, but those that follow blindly religious leaders whose hearts are as cold as the body of Neda.
Neda Agha-Soltan was a 26-year-old woman whose future looked bright as a tour guide affording her the opportunity to travel and meet people, and now her adventures in life are ended as of June 24th, 2009, killed by a bullet and her lifeless body now rests in a cemetery in Iran. A bystander uses his camera phone that provides the video [CNN] [i] of her last moments as she lay dying and later becomes a symbol of the movement against the tyrannical government headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The protest concerned the reelection of President Ahmadinejad – an election that was deemed rigged, for the people tired of his tyranny and preaching of hate and destruction by the people of Iran who want freedom and peace. Neda went to the square in Tehran to join in peaceful protest, as the CNN reporter in the video stated: …came to the square thinking she’s one voice among thousands, turned into the voice of the entire opposition movement …
The Wacky World of Glenn Beck – Patriot or Class Clown? Or Both?
I first heard Glenn Beck on the radio while living in Georgia and began to listen to him along with Neal Boortz, and Rush Limbaugh. When I was driving over-the-road across America’s highways I also listened to Art Bell (Coast-to-Coast Radio). He was something different in terms of conservative radio (Neal Boortz is a Libertarian) with a different approach to topics.He is the enemy of liberals, Sociocrats and Progressives and even disliked by some conservatives – the controversial Glenn Beck …
Racism is Racism – Whatever Side of the Fence You Sit
Mark Alexander (Patriot Post) in his essay Media Blackout wrote:
…it is evident to every astute social scientist (and most anyone with common sense) that among definable American subcultures the capacity for distinguishing between right and wrong is severely diminished. The origin of these deteriorating standards for justice and virtue is rooted in the dissolution of the family, and the failure of our places of worship and our schools to instill those values necessary for self-government – self government being the foundation of family-government and that being the foundation of social responsibility. …the MSM [i] perpetuates a virtual blackout of news regarding sociopaths, while trumpeting allegations and speculations of others. This results in distorted popular understanding of the extent of the social degradation around us.
Three years ago (March 2006), the Leftmedia spent a year relentlessly convicting in the court of public opinion three white Duke University lacrosse players for a “hate crime” — the alleged gang rape of a black woman named Crystal Gail Mangum. Millions of dollars in defense-lawyer fees later, it turns out that there was no evidence and that Mangum was a liar. The real victims were, in fact, the accused men: David Evans, Reade Seligmann and Colin Finnerty. (All charges were dropped, but there has been no apology yet from 88 Duke professors who jumped on the bandwagon, condemning Evans, Seligmann and Finnerty in an open letter before the first day of their trial.)
Read more »
A Praise and Annnouncement for Patriot Post – Fellow Patriot Mark Alexander and Staff
Mark Alexander sent out an announcement that I would like to pass on here [October 8th 2009 …
Fellow Patriots, we made some significant changes this week at The Patriot Post. When I launched The Patriot as The Federalist back in August of ‘96, I did so with the mission of advocating for individual liberty, restoring constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and promoting free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. … My objective was to provide grassroots conservatives across the nation with a brief, informative and entertaining analysis of relevant news and policy matters from reputable research, advocacy and media organizations. … Obviously, if we were to have any success with our mission and objectives, we would need an outstanding group of Patriots to manage every aspect of the organization. In addition, we would need an abundance of sound advice.





Trillion dollar+ budget deficits for the fiscal year 2009 and the money keep flowing! Must be ultra income redistribution! I couldn’t believe this, so I went to the web site and learned that about half of the states offer these Obama phones. I had a former employee call me earlier today inquiring about a job, and at the end of the conversation he gave me his phone number. I asked the former employee if this was a new cell phone number and he told me yes this was his “Obama phone.” I asked him what an “Obama phone” was and he went on to say that welfare recipients are now eligible to receive (1) a FREE new phone and (2) approx 70 minutes of FREE minutes every month. I was a little skeptical so I Google’d it and low and behold he was telling the truth. TAX PAYER MONEY IS BEING REDISTRIBUTED TO WELFARE RECIPIENTS FOR FREE CELL PHONES. This program was started earlier this year. Enough is enough. The very foundations that this country was built on are being shaken. The age old concepts of God, family, and hard work have flown out the window. You can click on the link below to read more about the “Obama phone”…just have a barf bag ready.
One day my mother was out, and my Dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2-1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little Tea Set as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of ‘tea’, which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such ‘yummy tea’, my Mom came home.
On the heels of one fake Facebook e-mail scam, a researcher warned on Wednesday of another such campaign in which users of the popular social network are being tricked into revealing their passwords and downloading a Trojan that steals financial data. 
…Yesterday the United States Department of the Treasury Special Master of Compensation Kenneth Feinberg
A new survey by Zogby International finds that people in Mexico think that granting legal status to illegal immigrants would encourage more illegal immigration to the United States. As the top immigrant-sending country for both legal and illegal immigrants, views on immigration in Mexico can provide insight into the likely impact of an amnesty, as well as other questions related to immigration. The results are on the Center for Immigration Studies’ website:

Well, I am sure you have heard by now – President Obama was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. I would have written something about this event, but between the shock (and wondering if this was a job for Myth Blaster), trouble with the server and researching diligently for a solid reason why such a prestigious award, well once prestigious, was awarded to a man who hadn’t been in office long enough to perform in any manner acceptable for the criteria of winning such a prize.
…it is evident to every astute social scientist (and most anyone with common sense) that among definable American subcultures the capacity for distinguishing between right and wrong is severely diminished. The origin of these deteriorating standards for justice and virtue is rooted in the dissolution of the family, and the failure of our places of worship and our schools to instill those values necessary for self-government – self government being the foundation of family-government and that being the foundation of social responsibility. …the MSM
Fellow Patriots, we made some significant changes this week at
Harvard professor, 


