ConservaChick

Good riddance to bad trash. A snippet of a report from Fox News sums it up nicely: ... " 'Our respect for human rights requires us to execute him, and there will be no review or delay in carrying out the sentence,' al-Maliki's office quoted him as saying during a meeting with relatives before the hanging." ... Amen to that. Iraqis were mixed in their reactions to the death of Hussein. Even given the mixed reaction in Iraq, I would be willing to bet the people who survived his massacres were happy to see him hanged. American TV channels are probably still debating on whether to show the hanging, all this while they apparently never bothered to show the heinous crimes committed by the tyrant either. I think many of us right here in the States would have no problem with the death of this dictator being televised. Most of us are already burning up Google searching for a video of the hanging. It's not like we didn't know what he was; many of us are happy to ...

Reform is a scary word to some politicians and when you precede that scary word with either of two others -- tax or education -- it frightens the bejeezus out of every career politician! Career politicians are simply not known for their reform efforts. The status quo is working just fine for them so why rock the boat, right? Here's food for thought from none other than James Carville (shockingly enough): "Those who can't, meet. Those who can, do." A very appropriate statement as it paints a picture of the meetings and press releases of career politicians who want to appear to care about reform but do little more than meet about it. I truly believe it will take a non-career politician who can to shake up the status quo in this state and finally DO. With the primary race for Governor of Kentucky building steam in the coming new year, it seemed appropriate to ask about reform from the only non-career politician in the race. In search of answers, I talked again with Stan...

An interesting email hit my Inbox this morning from a fellow Conservative that really must be shared! Apparently, there has been some unrest among Democrats who read the Bluegrass Report blog that Nickolas owns and operates. Given, Nickolas's infamous proclivity for bashing fellow Dems on occasion, it wasn't too surprising to find him promoting the primary campaign of Kentucky State Treasurer, Jonathan Miller , by bashing Democrat Kentucky State Senator Daniel Mongiardo . Mongiardo is the running mate of Democrat Steve Beshear -- who was Lt. Governor under Martha Layne Collins years ago -- who is also seeking the Dem nomination in the primary election leading up to the race for Governor of Kentucky next year. (You may recall that Mongiardo was defeated by Republican Jim Bunning in the 2004 race for Kentucky's US Senate seat in 2004 after launching some pretty heinous attacks on Senator Bunning in 2004. Talk about a nasty campaign.) Many of Nickolas's fellow Democrats w...

...just wait for Pelosi's "lobbying reform!" This is bad news for the ability of citizens to pool their resources to make their voices heard throughout America and, more importantly, on the Hill. Should this "reform" become reality, we at the grassroots level will effectively have our little mouths duct-taped shut. From Mark Tapscott's article, " Pelosi preparing new shackles on free speech ," on Examiner.com : ... "The key provision of the 2006 bill was its redefinition of grassroots lobbying to include small citizens groups whose messages about Congress and public policy issues are directed toward the general public, according to attorneys for the Free Speech Coalition. All informational and educational materials produced by such groups would have to be registered and reported on a quarterly basis. Failure to report would result in severe civil penalties (likely followed soon by criminal penalties as well). In addition, the 2006 bill created...

My prayers and condolences go out to the Ford family tonight for the loss of a great man. He was kind, gentle, and steady when this country needed it most. He was a humble and likable man, picked by the fickle hand of political fate for the highest office in the land, unelected to both the Vice-Presidency and the Presidency. When I heard the news this morning that President Gerald R. Ford had passed away in the wee hours of this morning at age 93, it immediately crossed my mind that he had been one of the most respectable ex-presidents in modern American history. Yes, he was an adequate and calm presence in the White House, but the remarkable thing about President Ford was that he went quietly on with his life after office, never publicly offering unsolicited advice or "assistance" afterward. I only wish Jimmy Carter could have learned something from Gerald Ford in this respect. * sigh * You can read all about President Ford's legacy and his time in office on websites al...

I just saw this today and, even though it's late, I absolutely HAD to post this one. Enjoy an "Osama Christmas!"

If a Martian lands on American soil, is he then automatically American and entitled to all the rights and liberties enjoyed by legal Americans citizens? I know that's a ridiculous question but this issue of extending American civil liberties to non-Americans has just reached ridiculous levels. From NewsMax today, comes this gem (" ACLU Sues Texas Town for Not Renting to Illegals ") of real-life absurdity: "Two civil rights groups filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a suburb's new law that outlaws renting to illegal immigrants, alleging the ordinance violates federal law and forces landlords to act as immigration officers." ... And, note the names of these "civil rights" groups (emphasis mine): ... "The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund filed the suit on behalf of Farmers Branch residents and landlords." ... Do the names of these organizations not explicitly identify that their purpo...

Christmas is over and a new year looms. Normally, I look forward to each new year with an optimism borne of the belief that all Americans truly want what is best for our country and will strive for it against all odds; however, that natural optimism is already dwindling... With the shift in leadership coming with the 110th Congress, illegal immigration remains a problem and will very possibly be legislated unsatisfactorily for a lot of Americans. I had hoped the Republican leadership would do the right thing and push enforcement and reform, to put some teeth into solving the current problems we face. The fence seemed promising but now I'm hearing rumblings that that plan may bite the dust when Congress begins work next year. For anyone who doesn't understand the urgency of this problem -- illegal aliens pouring over our borders, disappearing into an underground economy, clogging our social systems and our jails -- the Federal Immigration Reform and Enforcement (FIRE) Coalition...

For everyone the world over, my best and warmest wishes to you for a wonderful Christmas! Whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan, Agnostic, Atheist, some other religion, or simply a spiritual human being, this is a wonderful time to reflect on the bounty of the year passed, to enjoy the cleansing inherent in the winter season, and to begin visualizing a beautiful year ahead and the promise it holds for us all. May we have peace on Earth one day soon so that we may be safely with our loved ones always. God bless and keep you all close -- especially our men and women in uniform and their families. Merry Christmas!

Wow! I received this via email and found it online as well. There is no "Snopes.com" entry for it so it isn't an email-circulated hoax (yet). It rings a tad of "conspiracy nut" but it also makes a tad bit of sense if it's true. So, while I can't vouch for the veracity of this information -- pardon the pun -- it is certainly food for thought. I am certainly in favor of immigration reform and enforcement so it caught my attention and I thought I'd share. The E Coli Outbreaks Are Not Random And ......... The Government Knows This In early spring of 2006 I found several postings on the net by illegal alien groups calling on all illegal alien food handlers/pickers/ and restaurant workers to give legal Americans food poisoning by using their own feces. The posts I found stated that all the illegals should give Americans "Montezuma's Revenge" which is what Mexicans call severe diarrhea. E Coli gives you severe diarrhea. I REPORTED THIS DIRECT...

If you are among those who fear possible surveillance allowed under The Patriot Act , then you need to be aware of a program that is even scarier! Jim Lynch of bRight & Early has the scoop . (Thanks, Jim!)

As he sat in the Nashville airport waiting for his flight home to Oregon for the holidays and I sat in my car waiting to join my parents for a celebration lunch, Stan Pulliam and I chatted by cell phone. Who is Stan Pulliam? He is the campaign manager for Billy Harper . As young as 13, Stan was reading about successful political campaigns during family vacations while the other kids where playing on the beach. I suppose he's been headed for a career in politics for quite some time. He says he enjoys getting to see a lot of this country and meet new people while doing what he loves. Native Oregonian and a solid Conservative, Stan is a political transplant to Kentucky. He's been here two weeks so far and seems to be enjoying it. I'm sure Stan is a lot of things to a lot of people but, at this point in time, he is a man to be reckoned with here in Kentucky. He will be a very important person to Kentuckians who want to see Republicans retain the governorship. It's my opinio...

If I weren't laughing right now, I'd be crying... Enjoy this little lesson in history . (Thanks for the heads-up on this one, Mark!)

I love this site! There are no sacred cows there; all things political are equally jibbed and jabbed at with sharp comedic wit. And so it is with a look back at 2006! Nuckin' Futs! The JibJab Year in Review | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Too often, I read about what's happening in Israel and get the feeling that Israeli politicians are no different from ours here in the States. When they need to make bold moves, they back down from the heat and allow the status quo to stand... leaving a mess for the next generation. I fear that the failure of Israel to remain a strong and vital democracy in the Middle East will mean a failure for all of us in the years to come. They face trials daily that we have never known here at home. Strong leadership there will be meaningful to us all. With that in mind, I occasionally browse for websites and blogs that will provide insight into the mindset of people in the Middle East. I had yet to run across this particular blog so it was certainly interesting to find this note in my Inbox the other day: ... "I'd like to welcome you to look at Obadiah Shoher's blog. Obadiah - an anonymous Israeli politician - writes extremely controversial articles about Israel, the Middle East...

For those of you who may pay more attention to the mainstream media than to the online media, you may not be aware that Americans are doing more than intervening militarily to stop Islam-fascism. We are a charitable lot and nothing speaks more to that than our efforts to help the oppressed in other countries where Islam has taken a turn toward evil than the work of Spirit of America . The Spirit of America is doing great things for those people with money donated by people like you and me. Here's an update on efforts in Iraq's Al Anbar province: BILL ROGGIO EMBEDDED IN IRAQ - MSG FROM FALLUJAH Bill Roggio is a journalist embedded with the Marines in Al Anbar, Iraq. He's been meeting with some of the Marines Spirit of America has helped. Bill's blog is here . Following is a message from Bill after his meeting with Marines Major Britt Rosenberry: Since Fallujah was wrested from the control of al-Qaeda and the insurgency in November of 2004, the Coalition and Iraq governme...

During this holiday season, I find myself thinking very often of the years when I was a Navy wife and my husband was overseas during the Christmas/New Year holiday season or when I was a child and my Dad was away during family celebrations. It was rough each and every time. It was always somewhat less than happy back then. It is in that spirit that I write tonight. Remember them . While you celebrate your Christmas and New Year with friends and loved ones, remember those who serve and the families that will celebrate these holidays without their loved ones present. They serve so that you and I can celebrate the season in relative safety and freedom. Their families miss them as much as you or I miss loved ones who have passed away or those family members who live far away and cannot be home. Maybe even more so because military families in wartime never know for sure if they will see their loved one again. It's a tough life that servicemembers and their families live and few appreci...

I have worked on grassroots efforts in a number of local campaigns. I have never once seen a candidate take it upon him/herself to open the campaign office to help a charity. I know very little about Billy Harper so far except what I've seen in his campaign commercials. I will be talking with his campaign manager next week to learn more. You bet you'll be reading all about that conversation on ConservaChick. My opinion so far, based almost solely on this seemingly simple act described in the following press release, says a lot about Billy Harper's character. He certainly seems to be very community-minded. I like what I see so far! HARPER OPENS DOORS TO ASSIST LOCAL CHARITIES Harper for Governor campaign [link added] accepts canned good and monetary donations for area charities PADUCAH, KENTUCKY— Inspired by this morning’s Paducah Sun article by Leigh Landini Wright, Billy Harper, Kentucky businessman and gubernatorial candidate, eagerly opened his campaign for doors to acc...

Other than the clarity the FairTax plan shines on the manipulation of tax rates, I cannot think of any good reason that every American is not chomping at the bit to implement the FairTax. Some sources estimate that the FairTax would provide more federal tax revenue than our current income tax system. This higher tax revenue could be applied to getting the US out of debt, keeping Social Security afloat for eons, and helping the folks at poverty level build a better future for themselves and their families. Why would it generate higher tax revenues? Well, it's simple: EVERY American who buys new goods outside of their allotted "prebate" will be paying into federal coffers. This includes Americans who do business in the underground cash economy (currently not taxed because it's not reported). Additionally, foreign visitors to our country -- some of whom get a better exchange rate on their currency against the dollar -- will be paying that same tax when they purchase new ...

Pajamas Media has posted a very interesting exclusive: " Iran Hunts U238 in Somalia " by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross. The post includes a link to the text of the UN report on Somalia pursuant to Security Council resolution 1676 (2006). An excerpt from this report makes it all too clear that our world is about to be in more serious danger thanks to Iran and yet another Islamo-fascist organization: "The uranium prospecting that Iranians are undertaking in Somalia creates problems for U.S. efforts to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. It would provide them with a virtually untraceable source of uranium ore that could be made into weapons. Al-Qaeda is also active in Somalia, the UN report confirms." Interesting timing for this news given some of the recommendations from the Iraq Study Group, eh? (Thanks for the heads-up, Daveed!)

Tired of the constant yammering about the Iraq Study Group? Yeah, me too. The report they produced was to be expected; however, the damage it has already done will be far-reaching. No one has a better perspective on this damage than Arab reformists. Thanks to the translation work of the Middle East Media Research Institute , we are privvy to what the study group recommendations actually mean to the movement for reform in the Middle East. Omar Salman who edits the Arabic reformist website " Aafaq " (Arabic for "horizon"), has written an editorial titled " The Poisonous Report " (the link is to MEMRI's translation). The title speaks for itself. [...] "What the authors of the report did not know, or may have neglected, is the fact that the moment they started talking about the U.S.'s need for Iranian assistance in containing the Iraqi situation, they in fact handcuffed the Bush administration, depriving it of any cards to pressure Iran, now and ...

On the 65th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor , it's important to take a step back and gain perspective on the lessons learned from that tragedy in American history. Better yet, evaluate whether America learned anything useful that was applied when we were again attacked on our own soil in 2001 . Why would I think there was a valuable perspective to be gained from the events of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 that apply to the events of 9/11/2001? There are some important commonalities: A war was raging while America chose to ignore it... until it cost us dearly in lives lost on our own soil. We avoided involvement in a war that raged all across Europe and threatened democracies and, later, completely ignored the declaration of war (fatwa) from bin Laden. America is never fully prepared for war. The disruption of peace is not necessarily something for which we can ever be adequately prepared. It comes suddenly while America is in the sleep of denial about the con...

The following article was written by another blogger who supports the FairTax plan for tax reform in this country. He paints a very appealing and accurate picture of what it will mean when "April 15th is just another day." Enjoy! What Would It Mean to Pass the FairTax Plan? by John DeJong of NotMeUSA.com How would you like to keep one hundred percent of everything you earn? That is one hundred percent of your paycheck, your savings interest, your inheritance, your winnings and any money given to you from a benefactor. How much would you like never to have to worry about tax laws, deadlines, audits, penalties and punishments? Imagine a world where April 15 is just another day of the year -- won't that be wonderful? It will soon come to pass. Some day in the not so distant future we will all benefit from the passage of the FairTax Plan ( HR 25 /S 25). Once this piece of legislation becomes law the United States will experience an economic escalation that is unprecedented in...

If your boss asked you to stuff envelopes, you'd likely ask, "Why?" or "How many?" Certainly, you'd want to know when you've met the goal of your task, wouldn't you? Chances are pretty good you'd then ask tactical questions in deciding how to fulfill your task: "Can I use a stuffing machine? Can I enlist the help of others?" Interestingly enough, the question of school desegregation is really not that far a stretch from this same scenario. If you were asked to racially mix the employees throughout multiple buildings on a company or college campus, you'd want to know the purpose of the task. Otherwise, how would you know when you've successfully accomplished it? Then the tactical questions would need to be asked: "How many of each race per building? Should it be a percentage of total or an absolute quantity?" We must know what we hope to accomplish and be able to measure progress, otherwise we continue to repeat the sam...

I was a tad offended at Gwyneth Paltrow's remarks about Americans until I remembered that, like other American anglophiles, she was probably suckered in by the accent. I have a few friends and colleagues who are originally from the UK. Look, even they find it hilarious that Americans are so quick to think they're civilized intellectuals just because of their accent. I remarked on this phenomenon to one of my English colleagues a few years ago. He laughed, nodded his head and said, "Yes, absolutely. We're sooo friggin' intelligent. Our football matches are sooo refined. Benny Hill was the king of the intellectuals. And, of course, we flaunt our intelligence with phrases like, 'shut yer fookin' cakehole, you!'!" To clear up the reasoning behind Her Highness, Gwyneth Paltrow's comments, the People's Cube has done an eye-opening interview . Enjoy! Oh and, by the way, Ms. Paltrow, if you think the British are more intelligent, you might learn a...

Economists are an odd bunch. I've worked with a few over the years and can vouch for that special brand of "oddness" among them. We often read differing views from economists on the hot sociopolitical economic issues of our day; however, a survey was conducted that finds agreement among them on a few issues. Surprise! For the protectionists among us, this is probably not good news : Ph.D. Members of the American Economic Association were surveyed; 90.1 percent disagree with the position that "the U.S. should restrict employers from outsourcing work to foreign countries." As a free-trade advocate, this leads me to ask: Isn't it time Americans start paying attention to the US job market so that we can re-train ourselves into fields that are in demand in our own country? Isn't it our responsibility to ensure we are employable? PS: I'd like to provide you with a link to the full survey but the AEA is a subscription-based site. Dang those secretive eco...

Forgive me for posting such a sugary-sweet bit of internet email that I cannot verify. This was just too precious to pass up. Even if these are not actual quotes, they certainly signify the wisdom that we are often shocked to hear out of the mouths of babes! A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." -- Rebecca, age 8 "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." -- Billy, age 4 "Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." -- Karl, age 5 "Love is when you go out to eat ...

Why does the Left in this country still believe that advocating racial preferences in the world of education and employment is not a form of bigotry that ought to be insulting to minorities? It has never made sense to me and apparently it makes no sense to Boston University's College Republicans either. It's nice to know that at least one group of college students has not let all that education go to waste. No matter how much Leftwing indoctrination these kids receive at college, they still seem to be able to recall the correct definition of bigot . Better yet, they've chosen to highlight the absurity of race-based admissions and scholarships with a very creative and humorous vehicle. The BU College Republicans are offering a $250 “ Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship ” to applicants who are at least 25% Caucasian. Why? Well, in their own words: We believe that racial preferences in all their forms are perhaps the worst form of bigotry confronting America tod...

From the Patriot Post Digest 06-48 : GOP members refuse to sign tax pledge Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform made it very simple: If you are an elected official and you say that you will not raise taxes, then sign a simple pledge saying so. We’d like to believe that every Republican would sign it, because one of the core beliefs of Republicanism is small government and low taxes. Yet there are 15 members of the GOP House and Senate caucuses who have yet to put their signatures on Norquist’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge . For those of you who see your representatives listed below, do demand that they sign the pledge. In the House: Christopher Shays (CT), Michael Castle (DE), Steve Buyer (IN), Harold Rogers (KY), Vernon Ehlers (MI), Ralph Regula (OH), Todd Russell Platts (PA), Frank Wolf (VA). In the Senate: Richard Lugar (IN), Charles Grassley (IA), Olympia Snowe (ME), Susan Collins (ME), Thad Cochran (MS), Pete Domenici (NM), George Voinovich (OH). Americans for ...

When all the flap over Rush Limbaugh's commentary on Michael J. Fox's political commercials broke over the airwaves, I found myself thinking a lot about an friend and colleague in California who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease eight years ago at the age of 39. It has been a while since I'd heard from him. In this wildly interconnected universe, I'm no longer surprised at the timing of things... I've heard from him recently and it's great news. Jamey is a graphic artist who does web-based animation and illustration work for a large company based in California. He has always enjoyed hobbies that require fine motor skills and concentration -- sports, video games, computers, drawing, stop-motion animation, etc. Heck, when we worked together we both spent tedious hours drawing schematics for technical publications. So, as you can imagine, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease certainly make his work and his hobbies very difficult; however, he persever...