FromShe's a Breadwinner      The new breadwinner in the family...   An emergency room physician told me that a woman in her late 20's came to the ER today with her 8thpregnancy.     She told the first doctor she saw: "My Mama told me that I am the breadwinner for the family." He asked her to explain. She said that she can make babies, and babies get money from the State for the family. It goes like this:     The Grandma calls the Department of Child & Family Services, and states that the unemployed daughter is not capable of caring for all of her kids.     DCFS agrees, and tells her the children will need to go into foster care. The Grandma then volunteers to be the foster parent, and receives a check for $1500 per child each month in Illinois.     Total yearly income: $144,000 tax-free and nobody has to go to work!     In fact, they get more if there is no husband/father/man in the home!     Not to mention free healthcare (Medicaid), plus a monthly card entitling them to free groceries and a voucher for 250 free Obamaphone minutes each month. This does not include WIC and other welfare benefits...that they are "entitled" to.     Indeed, Grandma was correct that her fertile daughter is the "breadwinner" for the family. This is how the liberal politicians spend our tax dollars. When this generous program was invented in the '60s, the Great Society architects forgot to craft an end date... and now we are hopelessly overrun with people who vote only for those who will continue to keep them on the dole....     No wonder our country is broke!   Worse, the Muslims have been paying attention, and by mandating that each Muslim family have eleven children, they will soon replace the voting bloc above and can be running this country within 25 years. Read the above again, until it sinks in, and then ask yourself if your Children, Grandchildren, and Great Grandchildren will survive these severe changes to America!!!     Are You alarmed yet?  Is anybody listening?         Is this a GREATCOUNTRY or what...?   Don't forget to pay your taxes!     There are a lot of "breadwinners" depending on you!           ------------------------

The Quote of the Decade: “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, "the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” ~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006  

NATO's Ordinary Future By Robert D. Kaplan | May 9, 2012 Whatever one thought of the Libya intervention, the details make for a bad advertisement about NATO. As one U.S. Air Force planner told me, "It was like Snow White and the 27 dwarfs, all standing up to her knees" -- the United States being Snow White and the other NATO member states being the dwarfs. The statistics regarding just how much the United States had to go it alone in Libya -- pushed by the British and French -- despite the diplomatic fig leaf of "leading from behind," are devastating for the alliance. More than 80 percent of the gasoline used in the intervention came from the U.S. military. Almost all the individual operation orders had an American address. Of dozens of countries taking part, only eight air forces were allowed by their defense ministries to drop any bombs. Many flew sorties apparently only for the symbolism of it. While most airstrikes were carried out by non-U.S. aircraft, the United States ran the logistical end of the war. Read More » Comments? Send them to responses@stratfor.com

One of the best lines I've heard lately was from a retired shop foreman at the old Republic Steel plant in Cleveland Ohio ....when a young black kid was being laid off.   The black kid said to the shop foreman: "You're firing me because I'm black!” The foreman thought a moment and replied "No, we hired you because you were black."...   "We're firing you because you are useless!"   Sounds like a possible slogan for the 2012 election . . .        

WHY MICHELLE CAME HOME - Interesting! Sheppard Smith, Fox News. "If you check President Obama's last trip over-seas, his wife left just after their visit to France . She has yet to accompany him to any Arab country. Think about it. Why is Michelle returning to the states when 'official' trips to foreign countries generally include the First Lady." Here's one thought on the matter. While  renting videos I came across a video called "Obama". There were two men standing next to me and we talked about President Obama. These guys were Arabs, so I asked them why they thought Michelle Obama headed home following the President's recent visit to France instead of traveling on to Saudi Arabia and Turkey with her husband. They told me she could not go to Saudi Arabia , Turkey or Iraq . I said "Why not,(?) Laura Bush went to Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Dubai ." They said that Obama is a Muslim and therefore he is not allowed to bring his wife into countries that adhere to Sharia Law. Two points of interest here: 1) I thought it interesting that two American Arabs  believe that our President is a Muslim, who follows a strict Islamic creed. 2) They also said that's the reason he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. It was a signal to the Muslim world, acknowledging his religion. For further consideration, here is a response from Dr. Jim Murk, a Middle Eastern Scholar and expert on Islam. This is his explanation of what the Arab American's were saying. "An orthodox Muslim man would never take his wife on a politically oriented trip to any nation which practices Sharia law, particularly Saudi Arabia where the Wahhabi sect is dominant. This is true and it is why Obama left Michelle in Europe . She will stay home when he visits Arab countries. He knows Muslim protocol; this includes, bowing to the Saudi King. Obama is regarded as a Muslim in the Arab world, because he was born to a Muslim father; he acknowledged his Muslim faith with George Stephanopoulus. Note that he downplays his involvement with Christianity, by not publicly joining a Christian church in D.C. And occasionally attending the chapel for services at Camp David . He also played down the fact that America is a Christian country and said, unbelievably, that it was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, which is nonsense. He has publicly taken the side of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel and he ignored the National Day of Prayer, something no other President has ever done. He is bad news! He conceals his true faith to the detriment of the American people." --- Jim Murk, Doctor of Philosophy in Middle Eastern Culture & Religion. ACTIONS speak louder than words. Another interesting item regarding Sharia Law. Why has Barack Hussein Obama insisted that the U.S. Attorney General hold the trials of the 911 Muslim Terrorists in Civilian Courts as Common Criminals instead of as Terrorists who attacked the United States of America ? If the Muslim Terrorists are tried in Military Tribunals, convicted and sentenced to death, by LAW, Barack Hussein Obama, as President of the United States , would be required to sign their death warrants. He would not be required to sign the death warrants if they are sentenced to death by a Civilian Court . Recently, Muslim Jihadist, Army Major Hassan slaughtered non-Muslim, soldiers at Ft. Hood , Texas rather than go to Afghanistan and be a part of anything that could lead to the deaths of fellow Muslims. He stated that Muslims 'could not and should not kill fellow Muslims.' Is the motive for Barack Hussein Obama's insistence on civilian trials, to make sure he doesn't have to sign the death warrants for the Muslim Terrorists? Why would he, as President of the United States , not sign the death warrants for Muslim Terrorists who attacked the United States and murdered over 3,000 U. S. Citizens on 9/11? Could it be that he is FORBIDDEN by his RELIGION to authorize the execution of Muslims? Think about that! Open your eyes, ears and mind to who the President is, how he behaves and what he is doing! Actions speak louder than teleprompter-written words  

   ...............AIN'T SHE JUST GRAND???!!!..............(and I was upset with Lehman Bros!....WHAT A BRAZEN B_T_H!!!)  The  real reason that Queen Nancy is considering retiring, is that they took  her Jet away... The FACTS ARE  IN! As a result of a Judicial  Watch filing under the Freedom of  Information Act, the USAF  released documents detailing House Speaker Pelosi's use of United States Air Force aircraft between March 2009 and June 2010.  The data is published in the Judicial Watch Verdict  of  December 2010, Volume 16, Issue  12. Here are the main  highlights revealed by the USAF. Keep in mind that all the data below relate to United States Air Force aircraft  used by one  woman over a sixteen month  period. Over Several of these flights  included Ms Pelosi's guests such as grown children, grandchildren,  various in-laws, friends, and hangers-on. 95% of the trips were between the west coast and  Washington , DC or what we might call a commute between home and  the office. READ it and  WEEP!! Total  trips: 85 trips over a  68 week period or 1.25 average trips per week. Total  mileage: 206,264 miles or 2,427 average miles  per trip Total flying time: 428.6 hours or  an average of 5 hrs per trip Cost to the taxpayers:  $2,100,744.59 or $27,715.00 per trip or $1,285,162.00 per year Cost of in  flight food and alcohol: $101,429.14 or $1,193.00 per trip or $62,051.00 per year. On one junket to  Baghdad, according to the Air Force report,  she had the aircraft bar stocked with Johnny Walker Red  Scotch, Grey Goose Vodka, E&J Brandy, Bailey's Irish Creme, Maker's Mark Whiskey, Courvoisier  Cognac, Bacardi Rum, Jim Beam  Whiskey, Beefeater Gin, Dewars Scotch, Bombay  Sapphire Gin, Jack  Daniels Whiskey, Corona Beer and several varieties of wine.  This was obviously a very important  "gubment bidness"  trip. Evidence generally speaks  for itself, and in Ms. Pelosi's case it  speaks the language of  abuse and (evidently) a serious familial drinking  problem, for in a single year she and her spawn drank  an amount in excess of  the net income of the average  employed American! When she said, "... If the stimulus doesn't pass, five hundred million people might lose  their jobs...", I thought she was unintentionally revealing her  ignorance. I'm now more inclined to think she was  pickled. Even  though she can no longer abuse the USAF, she can either fly on  her broom or fly Southwest Airlines, where bags  fly  free. If you are an AMERICAN  citizen it is YOUR DUTY to PASS THIS ON!!

Chen Guangcheng Ignored by Hillary Clinton

Chen Guangcheng Ignored by Hillary Clinton. LIFE IS CHEAP, VOTE FOR OBAMA......NOT!!!

PUT ME IN CHARGE . . . Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job. Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal legations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, or smoke, then get a job. Put me in charge of government housing.  Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried.  If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place. In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job.  It may be cleaning the roadways  of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you.  We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good.." Before you write that I've violated some one's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary.  If you want our money, accept our rules.  Before you  say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider  that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing  absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem. If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices.  The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices. AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE!  Yes,  that is correct.  For you to vote would be a conflict of interest.  You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't welfare check.  If you want to vote, then get a job.

Gun Control and the 2012 Presidential Election - Godfather Politics

Gun Control and the 2012 Presidential Election - Godfather Politics

Micro Chip Implant...   Let's all pray we have enough ammo in our safes for  Islamic Terrorists to meet GOD, and their Virgins !!!!     Just call us 'The Implant Doctors'.   Microchip Implant Allows Islamic Terrorists to Speak to God. The implant is specifically designed to be injected in the forehead. When properly installed, it will allow the terrorist to speak to God. It comes in various sizes: Generally from .223 to .50 cal.

      Dhimmitude -- What does it mean? Obama used it in the health care bill. Now isn't this interesting? It is used in the health care law. Dhimmitude -- I had never heard the word until now.  Type it into Google and start reading.   Pretty interesting.  It's on page 107 of the healthcare bill.  I looked this up on Google and yep, it exists.  It is a REAL word. Dhimmitude is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations conquered through jihad. Specifically, it is the TAXING of non-Muslims in exchange for tolerating their presence AND as a coercive means of converting conquered remnants to Islam. ObamaCare allows the establishment of Dhimmitude and Sharia Muslim diktat in the United States. Muslims are specifically exempted from the government mandate to purchase insurance, and also from the penalty tax for being uninsured. Islam considers insurance to be "gambling", "risk-taking", and "usury" and is thus banned.   Muslims are specifically granted exemption based on this. How convenient!  So I, as a Christian, as well as all other non-Muslims, will have crippling IRS liens placed against all of my assets, including real estate, cattle, and even accounts receivables, and will face hard prison time because I refuse to buy insurance or pay the penalty tax.  Meanwhile, Louis Farrakhan and his followers, as an example, will have no such penalty and will have 100% of their health needs paid for by the de facto government insurance. Non-Muslims will be paying a tax to subsidize Muslims.  This is Dhimmitude. I recommend sending this on to your contacts. American citizens need to know about it --                                             WAKE UP AMERICA!!!                            IT'S GETTING LATER THAN YOU THINK!!!  

New Obama slogan has long ties to Marxism, socialism

New Obama slogan has long ties to Marxism, socialism. WHAT'S NEXT...OBAMA YOUTH CORPS???

THEY FINALLY PUBLISHED "MY" VERSIONS OF THE GREAT DOCTOR- SEUSS Dr. Seuss For Older Kids ~ Just in case you weren't feeling too old today......... The people who are starting college this fall were born in 1993. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. The CD was introduced two years before they were born. They have always had an answering machine. They have always had cable. Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show. Popcorn has always been microwaved.. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. They don't know who Mork was or where he was from. They never heard: 'Where's the Beef?', 'I'd walk a mile for a Camel ' or 'de plane Boss, de plane'. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers. They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter. Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list. Notice the larger type? That's for those of us who have trouble reading. P.S. Save the earth. It's the only planet with chocolate.  

read and heed              There are actually two messages here.  The first is very interesting, but the second is absolutely astounding - and explains a lot.               A recent "Investor's Business Daily" article provided very interesting statistics from a survey by the United Nations International Health Organization.               Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis:                U.S.                    65%                England              46%                Canada               42%                 Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months:                U.S.                     93%                England              15%                Canada               43%                 Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months:                U.S.                     90%                England              15%                Canada               43%                 Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month:                U.S.                     77%                England              40%                Canada               43%                 Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:                U.S.                     71                England             14                Canada              18                 Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health":                U.S.                    12%                England               2%                Canada               6%                 And now for the last statistic:                 National Health Insurance?                U.S.                     NO                England            YES                Canada             YES               Check this last set of statistics!!               The percentage of each past president's cabinet who had worked in the private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet. You know what the private business sector is a real-life business, not a government job.  Here are the percentages.                 T. Roosevelt.................... 38%               Taft.................................. 40%                Wilson ........................... 52%               Harding........................... 49%               Coolidge......................... 48%               Hoover............................ 42%               F. Roosevelt................... 50%               Truman........................... 50%               Eisenhower................ .... 57%               Kennedy......................... 30%               Johnson.......................... 47%               Nixon.............................. 53%               Ford................................ 42%               Carter............................. 32%               Reagan........................... 56%               GH Bush......................... 51%                Clinton .......................... 39%               GW Bush........................ 55%               Obama..................... 8%                 This helps to explain the incompetence of this administration: only 8% of them have ever worked in private business!               That's right!  Only eight percent---the least, by far, of the last 19 presidents!  And these people are trying to tell our big corporations how to run their business?               How can the president of a major nation and society, the one with the most successful economic system in world history, stand and talk about business when he's never worked for one?  Or about jobs when he has never really had one?  And when it's the same for 92% of his senior staff and closest advisers?  They've spent most of their time in academia, government and/or non-profit jobs or as "community organizers."  They should have been in an employment line.               Pass this on because we'll NEVER see these facts in the main stream media.

The Left’s expected, contemptible, and blatant hypocrisy over ALEC and stand-your-ground laws. Posted by Moe Lane (Diary) Wednesday, April 18th at 2:00PM EDT 6 Comments I’m not really all that into blogging about the Zimmerman/Martin shooting.  From what I can tell, what happened was that there was an confrontation that might have very well been avoidable; it ended with a genuinely tragic ending; and that there were actually pretty much no wider partisan implications at all, despite the attempts of the Online Left to fit a Latino Democrat onto the Procrustean bed of WASP Tea Partier.  All of which is contemptible of the Online Left, by the way.  Expected, but contemptible. Still, the news that the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has decided to stop working on criminal bill advocacy because of liberal push back on ALEC’s work on stand-your-ground laws is of interest.  Said laws, for those unaware of them, essentially confirm the right of a citizen to defend themselves if attacked; and (as Clayton Cramer and Glenn Reynolds note) such laws are very important from a feminist perspective.  Particularly when we’re talking about, say, battered women.  Amazing how quickly people on the Left stop caring about that sort of thing when it gets into the way of going after perceived Righty groups, right? Again: expected, and contemptible. READ MORE → Category: alec, colorofchange, common cause, Florida, jennifer granholm, Michigan, stand your ground

Letter to Florida Governor Rick Scott - Stand Your Ground Law Posted by Steve Wilson on April 28, 2012 at 7:29pm Send Message   View Blog The Trayvon Martin case has stirred up many emotions in Florida as well as all over the country.  Whether it is justified or not depends on what you wish to believe.  In addition, the case has called for the elimination of what is known as the "Stand Your Ground" law.  This law states in part:      Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if: (1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.   Basically, you are not obligated to attempt to run for your life if you are attacked.  You can, "stand your ground," and do what you need to defend yourself - with in reason, of course.   Many liberals in Florida are now screaming for this law to be taken off the books, claiming that had this law not existed, Martin would likely still be alive today.  As with everything, in the warped world created when seen through liberal eyes, they do not feel a law abiding person should have the legal right to defend themselves if they are attacked, believing (For reasons only a liberal could articulate) that making it against the law to defend yourself will somehow make the world safer for everyone.    Most of us understand how far from reality this is.  It is for this reason that I wrote to Florida Governor Rick Scott (Message follows), who recently established a task force to review the law.  The outcome has not been determined  My message to Governor Scott expressed my feelings on the law, not only as a citizen of Florida, but also as a police officer.    I encourage anyone who lives in Florida to contact the Governors office regarding this law as well.  In the midst of a terrible event, reason must prevail, not a knee jerk reaction to appease those who demand more control over the actions of law abiding citizens.   Dear Governor Scott:   I am emailing you to express my feelings regarding the "Stand Your Ground" law here in Florida.  I have had the opportunity to serve the residents of )Florida) for the past 15 years as a (Police Officer).  That said, I have personal and professional interest and experience with this law, as well as how things were prior to the law going into effect.  My hope in sending this email is to provide an honest, first-hand account of my experience with this law, which has obviously been brought to the forefront due to the Trayvon Martin incident.   Prior to the "Stand Your Ground" law going into effect, citizens were required to make every effort to retreat when attacked.  Basically, it was against the law to defend yourself, unless you could prove that you absolutely could not retreat.  As a police officer, I encountered many victims over the years that had been attacked, and tried to retreat as the attack continued.  In my career, I have seen victims killed, or with severe lacerations on the backs of their heads, backs, arms, etc., not to mention other injuries incurred while they were attempting to flee their attacker.  After the fact, many stated they did not fight back because they were afraid they would "Be arrested," if they fought back.   I once read an article written by LTC (Ret U.S. Army) Dave Grossman titled, “On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.”  In the article he talks about three types of people, those who are like sheep – kind, law abiding, productive members of society who would never hurt anyone.  Then there are the wolves, those who are predators, who hunt and attack those who they feel are weaker than they are.  Finally, the sheepdogs, who are those, such as law enforcement who stand guard over the sheep and fight the wolves to protect the flock.   There is much truth to the article when discussing the human mindset regarding violence and crime.  Many are incapable of “sticking up for themselves.”  They are sheep who need protection, and people like me will willingly stand in and do all we can to keep them safe.  Wolves in the wild rarely attack prey that is bigger or stronger than they are, unless they are in a pack.  Criminals are like wolves in the wild.  In most cases, they attack those they feel they can easily control, or easily beat.  Unless they are under the influence of mind altering agents (Illegal drugs or too much alcohol) or psychopaths/sociopaths, they go for those whom they perceive as the weakest.   Based on my own experience on the streets of Orlando, the “Stand Your Ground” law gives people the opportunity to stand up to the “Wolves” of our society.  As a police officer, I hate saying this, but the simple fact is that in most cases, law enforcement cannot protect, but arrives after the fact to piece together the evidence and events which took place to create a victim.  The reasons for this are many, from everything to the moral breakdown we are witnessing in society to a lack of law enforcement and little to no legal consequences for all but the most grievous offenders.  Plus, it goes without saying that criminals do not warn law enforcement of their plans.  IF we stop a crime in progress, it is almost always a case of just being in the right place at the right time.   What are people left with?  The truth is that the “Stand Your Ground” law allows more people to defend themselves.  It makes criminals think twice before attacking someone because they have to decide, “IF this guy stands up to me, can I handle him?”  That question alone prevents some criminals from commencing an attack.  I wish I had, over the years, kept track of all the times I had been told this by those I have arrested or spoken with, statements directly attributed to the “Stand Your Ground” law.   This law empowers people to do what law enforcement cannot do in most cases – protect themselves and fight for themselves.  If law enforcement officers are the sheepdogs for society, the “Stand Your Ground” law allows everyone who is capable to be a sheepdog for the individual or their families.  By eliminating this law, more in our society will become sheep, if for no other reason than they do not want to face the chance of being arrested for standing up for themselves if they are attacked.  How ironic that many law abiding citizens would allow themselves to be injured (in some cases killed) out of fear of being arrested and put through a criminal justice procedure that criminals have learned NOT to fear.   No, this law, like all others, is not perfect.  There will always be those cases which place it in a bad light.  But those cases, like Trayvon Martin’s, are far outnumbered by all the times this law has allowed good people to stand up for themselves and not allow themselves to be a victim.  Add to that all the times this law has made a criminal stop in his tracks and turn the other way because he does not want to take that chance with someone who can give them a run for their money – a statistic that can’t and never will be able to be accurately measured.   A final question; Had George Zimmerman not fought back and therefore been severely beaten, suffering life altering injuries or death, had he NOT stood his ground, would anyone care?  Would anyone be saying, “We need a law that allows people to fight back against those who would commit a crime of this nature?”  I think you know the answer to that.  Sadly, the proof is all those who never stood their ground and therefore died at the hands of merciless criminals before the “Stand Your Ground” law was enacted.   Please, Mr. Governor, do not let one incident, one media frenzy whipped up by so many who have no idea what the truth of that case really is, or just do not care what that truth is, take something away from the rest of us (themselves included), that gives each of us the right to be a sheepdog if the actions of others place us in that role.   In closing, I want to thank you for your time regarding this letter.  Thank you for doing all you have done for the State of Florida.  I know you have this state’s best, long term interests at heart.  God Bless you.

RED DAWN... Brought to US by Barry's Commie Administration

DOD Confirms Russian Airborne Assault Troops To Perform joint "Terror War Exercises" In Colorado, Next Month!    Front Porch Politics: Russian “Airborne Assault Forces” will be arriving in Colorado this May for joint terror-war exercises with U.S. soldiers, according to U.S. officials and Russian military personnel cited in media reports. The Kremlin’s Defense Ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense both said it would be the first time in history that American and Russian airborne special operations troops would be training together on U.S. soil. Analysts and commentators across the alternative media expressed alarm about the controversial announcement, likening it to a scene out of the movie Red Dawn or the predictions made by the late radio host Bill Cooper. It was not immediately clear exactly why the Obama administration decided to allow the scheme. “The Russian soldiers are here as invited guests of the U.S. government; this is part of a formal bilateral exchange program between the U.S. and Russia that seeks to develop transparency and promote defense reform,” Cmdr. Wendy L. Snyder, U.S. Defense Press Officer for policy, told The New American in an e-mail. “This is the first time that American and Russian special operations troops have participated in a bilateral exercise.”

Remove 2nd Amendment Rights!   Dems Crafting Bill to Use IRS Code to Remove 2nd Amendment Rights Written on April 27, 2012 by V2A, Filed under 2nd Amendment, Constitution, Government, Law With the help of Representatives like Barbara Boxer of California, a bill rapidly working through Capitol Hill (passed through the Senate and is currently up for review in the House) will give the IRS power to: -Accuse Americans of delinquency of tax payment without due process -Revoke their passports and travel rights -Place the accused in a centralize database -Authorize the removal of their right to own a firearm No formal charges are required. Simply the accusation from the IRS is sufficed to strip American citizens of their Constitutional rights. “There is no requirement that the tax payer be guilty of or even charged with tax evasion, fraud, or any criminal offense — only that the citizen is alleged to owe the IRS back taxes of $50,000 or more,”reports the Daily Economist.

THIS IS THE BEST EMAIL OF THE DAY!!!   As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.   The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car, and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet away.   I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too, and took a few steps towards him.   I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade. He then turned back to the old man. I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying:   'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.   I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief, and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine.   He then went to his wife and spoke with her; he appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough, and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight, and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a  problem.'   He smiled sheepishly, and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself, and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around, I saw a gas station up the road, and I told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went I inside. I saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them, and related the problem the old man had with his car. I offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.   The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine), I spoke with the old gentleman.   When I shook hands with  him earlier, he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'   He said that he served with the first Marine Division at Guadalcanal Pelieliu, and Okinawa.   He had hit three of the worst ones, and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me. I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.   He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it, and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all around again, and I said  my goodbye's to his wife.   I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station, I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me.   One of them pulled out a card from his pocket, looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.   For some reason I had gone about two blocks, when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time.  The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name was written:   'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.' I sat there motionless, looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage, and an honor to have been in his presence.   Remember, as we approach another Memorial Day,   OLD men like him gave you, and all of us,   FREEDOM   for America. Thanks to those who served and still serve, and to all of those who supported them, and who continue to support them.   America is   not   at war.   The U.S. Military is at war.   America is at the Mall.   If you don't stand behind our troops, PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them!   Remember, Freedom   isn't   Free. Thousands have paid the price, so that you can enjoy what you have today. LET'S DO THIS: JUST 19 WORDS: GOD OUR FATHER, WALK THROUGH MY HOUSE AND TAKE AWAY ALL MY WORRIES; AND PLEASE WATCH OVER AND HEAL MY FAMILY; AND PLEASE PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS, AND WATCH OVER OUR TROOPS, WHO ARE DEFENDING THOSE FREEDOMS. AMEN   This prayer is so powerful. Pass this prayer to 12 people, including me.  

Two Skinny Lawyers .... Judging A Person Does Not Define Who They Are, It Defines Who You Are. TWO SKINNY LAWYERS For all of you who have made disparaging remarks about President Obama, please read the following... I'm sure most of us have read the so-called comparison of Lincoln and Kennedy, but did you ever consider the relationship between Obama and Lincoln? You might be surprised... Parallels of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Hussein Obama: 1. Lincoln placed his hand on the Bible for his inauguration. Obama used the same Bible. 2. Lincoln came from Illinois . Obama comes from  Illinois . 3. Lincoln served in the Illinois Legislature. Obama served in the Illinois Legislature. 4. Lincoln had very little experience before becoming President. Obama had very little experience before becoming President. 5. Lincoln rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration.  Obama rode the train from Philadelphia to Washington for his inauguration. 6. Lincoln was a skinny lawyer.  Obama is a skinny  lawyer. 7. Lincoln was a Republican.  Obama is a skinny lawyer. 8. Lincoln was in the United States military. Obama is a skinny lawyer. 9. Lincoln believed in everyone carrying their own weight.  Obama is a skinny lawyer. 10. Lincoln did not waste taxpayers' money on personal enjoyments.  Obama is a skinny   lawyer. 11. Lincoln was highly respected.  Obama is a skinny lawyer. 12. Lincoln was born in the United States .  Obama is a skinny lawyer. 13. Lincoln was honest, so honest he was called Honest Abe.  Obama is a skinny lawyer 14. Lincoln saved the United States .  Obama is a skinny lawyer .. Amazing, isn't it?  

The United States Has Plenty Of Oil: 10 Facts About America’s Energy Resources That Will Blow Your Mind Posted: 25 Apr 2012 03:22 PM PDT The United States is not running out of oil.  In fact, nobody on the entire globe has more energy resources than the United States does.  The truth is that we are absolutely swimming in oil and natural gas and we have so much coal that we have no idea what to do with it all.  At current consumption rates, America has enough energy resources to completely satisfy all of its needs well into the 22nd century.  If we would just access those resources, we would not have to import a single drop of foreign oil.  But most Americans don't realize that we have plenty of oil.  In fact, our education system has brainwashed most Americans into believing that our energy resources are rapidly being depleted and that we will soon enter a great energy crisis.  We are all constantly told that we must transition to "green energy" before it is too late.  But the reality is that America is an energy rich nation and new discoveries of oil and natural gas deposits are being made all the time.  Shouldn't someone tell the American people the truth about these things? Sadly, Barack Obama keeps running around the country declaring that there is no way that the United States can supply itself with enough oil.  During one speech a while back, Obama made the following statement.... "With only 2% of the world’s oil reserves, we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices" The funny thing is that what Obama said sounds very similar to something that Jimmy Carter said back in 1977.... "Unless profound changes are made to lower oil consumption, we now believe that early in the 1980s the world will be demanding more oil than it can produce". How did that prediction work out for Jimmy Carter? Not too well. The truth is that Obama is misleading the American people just like Jimmy Carter did.  A recent Investor's Business Daily article explained how Obama is twisting the truth.... But the figure Obama uses — proved oil reserves — vastly undercounts how much oil the U.S. actually contains. In fact, far from being oil-poor, the country is awash in vast quantities — enough to meet all the country’s oil needs for hundreds of years. At current consumption rates, the United States has enough oil to last into the 23rd century without ever importing a single drop of oil from another country. But only a very small fraction of the American people know this. So when are we going to start hearing the truth? The following are 10 facts about America's energy resources that will blow your mind.... #1 Back in 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey told the American people that the Bakken Shale formation in western North Dakota and eastern Montana only held 151 million barrels of oil.  Today, government officials are admitting that it holds 4.3 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and some analysts believe that the actual number could be closer to 20 billion barrels of oil. #2 It is estimated that there are up to 19 billion barrels of recoverable oil deposits in the tar sands of Utah. #3 It is estimated that there are at least 86 billion barrels of recoverable oil deposits in the Outer Continental Shelf. #4 It is believed that there are 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil deposits in the Green River formation in Wyoming. #5 Overall, the United States is sitting on approximately 1.442 trillion barrels of recoverable oil deposits. #6 According to the Institute of Energy Research, the United States has a 120 year supply of natural gas. #7 According to the Institute of Energy Research, the United States has a 200 year supply of oil. #8 According to the Institute of Energy Research, the United States has a 464 year supply of coal. #9 According to Pastor Lindsey Williams, absolutely gigantic oil fields have been discovered up in Alaska that the American public is not being told about. #10 Goldman Sachs is predicting that the United States will be the number one oil producing country in the world by the year 2017. But you never hear any of these statistics from Barack Obama, do you? And some of our oil fields that were thought to be "depleted" are actually filling back up with oil.  Many scientists are extremely puzzled by this.  The following quote is from a 1999 Wall Street Journal article.... Production at the oil field, deep in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana, was supposed to have declined years ago. And for a while, it behaved like any normal field: Following its 1973 discovery, Eugene Island 330's output peaked at about 15,000 barrels a day. By 1989, production had slowed to about 4,000 barrels a day. Then suddenly—some say almost inexplicably—Eugene Island's fortunes reversed. The field, operated by PennzEnergy Co., is now producing 13,000 barrels a day, and probable reserves have rocketed to more than 400 million barrels from 60 million. Stranger still, scientists studying the field say the crude coming out of the pipe is of a geological age quite different from the oil that gushed 10 years ago. The truth is that there is still much about the formation of oil that is a great mystery to our scientists.  For much more on this, you can listen to a recent interview with Dr. Jerome Corsi on Coast to Coast right here. Unfortunately, much of the information that you have read above is being repressed because it would be very damaging to the "green agenda" that the global elite are trying to impose on all of us. As I wrote about yesterday, a "green economy" is absolutely central to the "sustainable development" agenda that the United Nations is promoting. The elitists at the UN believe that carbon dioxide is evil and that it is going to cause catastrophic climate change. But the truth is that we have always had "climate change" and even if you eliminated all forms of human activity it would only reduce carbon dioxide levels on our planet by a marginal amount. And carbon dioxide is not a pollutant.  Every plant on earth uses carbon dioxide.  In the past, our planet actually had much higher levels of carbon dioxide.  When there are high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, plant life thrives and more food can be grown. So if you want the earth to be more "green", then you should actually want levels of carbon dioxide to be even higher. Unfortunately, this kind of logic evades the "true believers". Folks like Al Gore run around the planet declaring that global warming is going to bring an end to life as we know it if something is not done immediately. Well, you know what? The climate on earth is going to change and nothing can stop it.  It has always changed and it always will change. The primary cause of climate change is the gigantic ball of fire that our planet is revolving around.  You could fit 1.3 million earths inside the sun.  When there is a lot of solar activity the earth tends to get warmer, and when there is not a lot of solar activity the earth tends to get cooler. The sun has been behaving very strangely in recent years.  If this continues (or gets even worse) we are going to see some very bizarre weather patterns in the years ahead. And there is not a thing we can do about it other than pray. But Obama is going to continue to repress energy production in the United States and try to push us toward his vision of a "green society". Unfortunately, much of what he is trying to do is extremely damaging to our economy.  This was beautifully demonstrated in a recent YouTube video entitled "If I Wanted America To Fail".... So does this mean that alternative energy is bad? Of course not. At the same time that we work to exploit the vast deposits of oil, natural gas and coal under our feet, we should also seek to develop cutting edge alternative energy technologies. For example, most Americans have never even heard of thorium, but many scientists believe that it could provide nearly endless amounts of very safe, very cheap and very clean energy for future generations. America is not going to run out of energy.  America has more energy resources that anyone else in the world and our nation is also one of the leaders in developing cutting edge alternative energy technologies. This country has a lot of problems, but a lack of energy is not going to be one of them unless our politicians get in the way. So what do you think about all of this?  Please feel free to post a comment with your thoughts below.... THE AMERICAN DREAM

THE R..D..R's of US ECONOMY! RECESSION IS WHEN YOUR NEIGHBOR LOSSES HIS JOB, DEPRESSION IS WHEN YOU LOOSE YOUR JOB, RECOVERY IS WHEN, HARRY R., NANCY P., AND BARRACK HUSSAIN OBAMA LOOSE THEIR JOBS!

Romney on Keystone: ‘I will build that pipeline if I have to myself’ - The Hill's Video

Romney on Keystone: ‘I will build that pipeline if I have to myself’ - The Hill's Video

BUSH DID IT....Yah Sure!

This tells the true  story, why Bush is alleged to have been so "bad" at the end of his term....  Don’t just skim over this, read it slowly and let it sink in. If in doubt, check it out. The day the democrats took over was not January 22nd 2009, it was actually January 3rd 2007 -- the day the Democrats took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the very start of the 110th Congress. The Democrat Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995. For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is "Bush's Fault", think about this: January 3rd, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress. At the time: The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77 The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5% The Unemployment rate was 4.6% George Bush's Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB GROWTH Remember the day... January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy? BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES! Unemployment... To this CRISIS by (among MANY other things) dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac FIASCOES! Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie - starting in 2001 because it was financially risky for the US economy. And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? OBAMA and the Democrat Congress So when someone tries to blame Bush... REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007.... THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!" Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress and the party that controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democrat Party. Furthermore, the Democrats controlled the budget process for 2008 & 2009 as well as 2010 &2011. In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases. For 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Barack Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete 2009. If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets.   If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what Obama is saying is I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th.   There is no way this will be widely disclosed by the media, unless each of us sends it on!    

here is your “hope and change” video…………..????????????????     Thursday, February 9, 2012 Obama Puts Heat on Fox News to Prevent Hannity from Airing this ... Subj: FW: Obama Puts Heat on Fox News to Prevent Hannity from Airing this ...   Help to spread this video far and wide right away!!!   Obama Puts Heat on Fox News to Prevent Hannity from Airing this ... We've seen most of this presentation over the past few years. Interesting how it was put together!! How can anybody not understand this?? This is a video that Sean Hannity of FOX News has been trying to show that has consistently been blocked by the Obama Administration for several weeks. Watch it now before it gets pulled from the Internet! http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=tCAffMSWSzY#t=28      

HURT: Brutal week for Obama, the worst of his presidency - Washington Times

HURT: Brutal week for Obama, the worst of his presidency - Washington Times

Dems fume over Justice Scalia’s comments during healthcare case - The Hill's Healthwatch

Dems fume over Justice Scalia’s comments during healthcare case - The Hill's Healthwatch

Obama Sales Technique

You will enjoy this. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From:   The kids filed into class Monday morning. They were very excited. Their weekend assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on productive salesmanship.   Little Sally led off: "I sold girl scout cookies and I made $30" she said proudly, "My sales approach was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit and I credit that approach for my obvious success." "Very good" said the teacher. Little Jenny was next: "I sold magazines" she said, "I made $45 and I explained to everyone that magazines would keep them up on current events."  "Very good, Jenny" said the teacher.   Eventually, it was Little Johnny's turn. The teacher held her breath...Little Johnny walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$2,467" he said.   "$2,467!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were you selling?" Toothbrushes" said Little Johnny.   "Toothbrushes" echoed the teacher, "How could you possibly sell enough tooth brushes to make that much money?"   "I found the busiest corner in town" said Little Johnny, "I set up a Dip and Chip stand, I gave everybody who walked by a free sample." They all said the same thing, "Hey, this tastes like dog crap!" Then I would say, "It is dog crap.  Wanna buy a toothbrush?  I used the Obama method of giving you something shitty, dressing it up so it looks good, telling you it's free, and then making you pay to get the bad taste out of your mouth."   Little Johnny got five stars for his efforts, bless his heart

Do you have Guns in your house?  I have been asked "Do you keep guns in the house?" The nurse just kinda slipped it in along with all the other regular questions.  I told her I refused to answer because it was against the law to ask.   Everyone,whether you have guns or not, should give a neutral answer so they have no idea who does and who doesn't.        My doctor asked me if I had guns in my house and also if any were loaded.? I, of course, answered yes to both questions. Then he asked why I kept a loaded gun close to my bed.  I answered that my son, who is a certified gun instructor and also works for Homeland Security,  advised me that an unloaded, locked up gun is no protection against criminal attack. The Government now requires these questions be asked of people on Medicare, and probably everyone else.        Just passing this along for your information:   I had to visit a doctor other than my regular doctor when my doctor was on vacation.  One of the questions on the form I had to fill out was: Do you have any guns in your house? My answer was "None of your damn business!"   It is either an insurance issue or government intervention.  Either way, it is out there and the second the government gets into your medical records (As they want to do under Obamacare) it will become a major issue and will ultimately result in lock and load!!     Please pass this on to all the other retired guys and gun owners...Thanks        From a Vietnam Vet and retired Police Officer: I had a doctors appointment at the local VA clinic yesterday and found out something very interesting that I would like to pass along.   While going through triage before seeing the doctor, I was asked at the end of the exam, three questions:            1. Did I feel stressed?     2. Did I feel threatened?     3. Did I feel like doing harm to someone?   The nurse then informed me, that if I had answered yes to any of the questions, I would have lost my concealed carry permit as it  would have gone into my medical records and the VA would have reported it to Homeland Security.        Looks like they are going after the vets first. Other gun people like retired law enforcement will probably be next. Then when they go after the civilians, what argument will they have?        Be forewarned and be aware.  The Obama administration has gone on record as considering veterans and gun owners potential terrorists.  Whether you are a gun owner veteran or not, YOU"VE BEEN WARNED If you know veterans and gun owners, please pass this on to them. Be very cautious about what you say and to whom.        

Quit trashing President Obama's accomplishments        An impressive list of accomplishments: First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner. First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in. First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States First President to violate the War Powers Act. . First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. First President to defy a Federal Judge's court order to cease implementing the Health Care Reform Law. First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party. First President to spend a trillion dollars on 'shovel-ready' jobs when there was no such thing as 'shovel-ready' jobs. First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters. First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat. First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S., including those with criminal convictions. First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees. First President to terminate America's ability to put a man in space. First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present. First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it. First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke-out on the reasons for their rate increases. First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory. First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN). First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago. First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-Corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case. First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office. . First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 90 to date. First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records. First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it. First President to go on multiple global 'apology tours'. First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends paid for by the taxpayer. First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife. First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense. First President to repeat the Holy Quran tells us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth. First President to take a 17 day vacation. How is this hope and change working out for you? THERE'S AN ELECTION COMING UP... I HOPE YOU REMEMBER THIS LIST WHEN YOU VOTE!

THIS IDIOT WILL SELL US OUT!! President Obama Asks Medvedev for ‘Space’ on Missile Defense — ‘After My Election I Have More Flexibility’

Danish TV Host Mocks Obama for His Rhetoric

Danish TV Host Mocks Obama for His Rhetoric

Slaves of Allah Coming to Houston to “Educate” Non-Muslims on Sharia!

Slaves of Allah Coming to Houston to “Educate” Non-Muslims on Sharia!

Afghanistan and the Long War By George Friedman | March 20, 2012 The war in Afghanistan has been under way for more than 10 years. It has not been the only war fought during this time; for seven of those years another, larger war was waged in Iraq, and smaller conflicts were under way in a number of other countries as well. But the Afghanistan War is still the longest large-scale, multi-divisional war fought in American history. An American soldier's killing of 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, on March 11 represents only a moment in this long war, but it is an important moment. In the course of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, military strategists in the United States developed the concept of the long war. The theory was presented in many ways, but its core argument was this: The defeat of Taliban forces and the Iraqi resistance would take a long time, but success would not end the war because Islamist terrorism and its supporters would be a constantly shifting threat, both in the places and in the ways they would operate. Therefore, since it was essential to defeat terrorism, the United States was now engaging in a long war whose end was distant and course unknown. Read More » Comments? Send them to feedback@stratfor.com

Borderland Beat: UNhelpful: The UN report on forced disappearances...

Borderland Beat: UNhelpful: The UN report on forced disappearances...: By Chris Covert Rantburg.com A post at the AnimalPolitico.com blog by Catalina Perez Correa last week detailed the circumstances by which 44...

Subject: California Is Obama's Dream           Roger Hedgecock is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. RADIO STATION 600 AM, SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA IS OBAMA’S DREAM Written by Roger Hedgecock, former Mayor of San Diego http://api.ning.com/files/nResYytUsItZ4ibWlesfpQCr0LX9E2MNVgXsiipY6B7wql5r4GWUW-BsbD2yhsWQQYuzMznh62f6wm-ijK0o9bjoq2mMGo/Hedgecock.jpg  I live in California . If you were wondering what living in Obama's second term would be like, wonder no longer. We in California are living there now. California is a one-party state dominated by a virulent Democrat Left enabled by a complicit media where every agency of local, county, and state government is run by and for the public employee unions. The unemployment rate is 12%. California has more folks on food stamps than any other state, has added so many benefits and higher rates to Medicaid that we call it "Medi-Cal." Our K-12 schools have more administrators than teachers, with smaller classes but lower test scores and higher dropout rates with twice the per-student budget of 15 years ago. Good job, Brownie. This week, the once and current Gov. Jerry "Moon-beam" Brown had to confess that the "balanced" state budget adopted five months ago was billions in the red because actual tax revenues were billions lower than the airy-fairy revenue estimates on which the balance was predicated. After trimming legislators' perks and reducing the number of cell phones provided to state civil servants, the governor intoned that drastic budget reductions had already hollowed out state programs for the needy, law enforcement and our schoolchildren. California government needed more money. Echoing the Occupy movement, the governor proclaimed the rich must pay their fair share. Fair share? The top 1% of California income earners currently pays 50% of the state's income tax. California has seven income tax brackets. The top income tax rate is 9.3%, which is slapped on the greedy rich earning at least $47,056 a year. Income of more than $1 million pays the "millionaires' and billionaires'" surcharge tax rate of 10.3%. Brown's proposal would add 2% for income over $250,000. A million-dollar income would then be taxed at 12.3%. And that's just for the state. Brown also proposed a one-half-cent sales tax increase, which would bring sales taxes (which vary by county) up to 7.75% to as much as 10%. Both tax increases would be on the ballot in 2012. The sales tax increase proposal immediately brought howls of protest from the Left (of Brown!). Charlie Eaton, a sociology grad student at UC Berkeley and leader of the UC Student-Workers Union, said, "We've paid enough. It's time for millionaires to pay." At least five other ballot measures to raise taxes are circulating for signatures to get on the 2012 ballot in California . The governor's proposals are the most conservative. The Obama way doesn't end with taxes. The governor and the state legislature continue to applaud the efforts of the California High Speed Rail Authority to build a train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco . Even though the budget is three times the voter-approved amount, and the first segment will only connect two small towns in the agricultural Central Valley . But hey, if we build it, they will ride. And we don't want to turn down the Obama bullet-train bucks Florida and other states rejected because the operating costs would bankrupt them. Can't happen here because we're already insolvent. If we get into real trouble with the train, we'll just bring in the Chinese. It worked with the Bay Bridge reconstruction. After the 1989 earthquake, the bridge connecting Oakland and San Francisco was rebuilt with steel made in China . Workers from China too. Paid for with money borrowed from China . Makes perfect sense. In California , we hate the evil, greedy rich (except the rich in Hollywood, in sports, and in drug dealing). But we love people who have broken into California to eat the bounty created by the productive rich. Illegals get benefits from various generous welfare programs, free medical care, free schools for their kids, including meals, and of course, instate tuition rates and scholarships too. Nothing's too good for our guests. To erase even a hint of criticism of illegal immigration, the California Legislature is considering a unilateral state amnesty. Democrat State Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes has proposed an initiative that would bar deportation of illegals from California . Interesting dilemma for Obama there. If immigration is exclusively a federal matter, and Obama has sued four states for trying to enforce federal immigration laws he won't enforce, what will the President do to a California law that exempts California from federal immigration law? California is also near fulfilling the environmentalist dream of deindustrialization. After driving out the old industrial base (auto and airplane assembly, for example), air and water regulators and tax policies are now driving out the high-tech, biotech and even Internet-based companies that were supposed to be California's future. The California cap-and-trade tax on business in the name of reducing CO2 makes our state the leader in wacky environmentalism and guarantees a further job exodus from the state. Even green energy companies can't do business in California . Solyndra went under, taking its taxpayer loan guarantee with it. No job is too small to escape the regulators. The state has even banned weekend amateur gold miners from the historic gold mining streams in the Sierra Nevada Mountains . In fact, more and more of California's public land is off-limits to recreation by the people who paid for that land. Unless you're illegal. Then you can clear the land, set up marijuana plantations at will, bring in fertilizers that legal farmers can no longer use, exploit illegal farm workers who live in hovels with no running water or sanitation, and protect your investment with armed illegals carrying guns no California citizen is allowed to own. The rest of us only found out about these plantations when the workers' open campfire started one of those devastating fires that have killed hundreds of people and burned out thousands of homes in California over the last decade. It's often said that whatever happens in California will soon happen in your state. You'd better hope that's wrong. Roger Hedgecock is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. RADIO STATION 600 AM, SAN DIEGO

Analysis of Obama Reelection Campaign: "A tale told by an IDIOT, Full on sound and fury.....SIGNIFYING NOTHING!

PRESIDENCY SOME WILL APPRECIATE THIS AND SOME WILL NOT. HOWEVER,   ALL OF IT IS TRUE. After 29 months of Obama .... Here's your change!   January 2009 TODAY % chg Source Avg.. Retail price/gallon gas in U.S. $1.83 $3.44 84% 1 Crude oil, European Brent (barrel) $43..48 $99..02 127.7% 2 Crude oil, West TX Inter. (barrel) $38..74 $91..38 135.9% 2 Gold: London (per troy oz.) $853.25 $1,369.50 60.5% 2 Corn, No.2 yellow, Central IL $3.56 $6.33 78.1% 2 Soybeans, No. 1 yellow, IL $9.66 $13..75 42.3% 2 Sugar, cane, raw, world, lb.Fob $13..37 $35..39 164.7% 2 Unemployment rate, non-farm, overall 7.6% 9.4% 23.7% 3 Unemployment rate, blacks 12.6% 15.8% 25.4% 3 Number of unemployed 11,616,000 14,485,000 24.7% 3 Number of fed. Employees 2,779,000 2,840,000 2.2% 3 Real median household income $50,112 $49,777 -0.7% 4 Number of food stamp recipients 31,983,716 43,200,878 35.1% 5 Number of unemployment benefit recipients 7,526,598 9,193,838 22.2% 6 Number of long-term unemployed 2,600,000 6,400,000 146.2% 3 Poverty rate, individuals 13.2% 14.3% 8.3% 4 People in poverty in U.S. 39,800,000 43,600,000 9.5% 4 U.S.. Rank in Economic Freedom World Rankings 5 9 n/a 10 Present Situation Index 29.9 23.5 -21.4% 11 Failed banks 140 164 17.1% 12 U.S.. Dollar versus Japanese yen exchange rate 89.76 82.03 -8.6% 2 U.S.. Money supply, M1, in billions 1,575.1 1,865.7 18.4% 13 U.S.. Money supply, M2, in billions 8,310.9 8,852.3 6.5% 13 National debt, in trillions $10..627 $14..052 32.2% 14           Just take this last item: In the last two years we have accumulated national debt at a ratemore than 27 times as fast as during the rest of our entire nation's history. Over 27 times as fast. Metaphorically speaking, if you are driving in the right lane doing 65 MPH and a car rockets past you in the left lane.  27 times faster, it would be doing 1,755 MPH! Sources: (1) U.S. Energy Information Administration; (2) Wall Street Journal; (3) Bureau of Labor Statistics; (4) Census Bureau; (5) USDA; (6) U.S. Dept. Of Labor;  (7) FHFA; (8) Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller; (9) RealtyTrac; (10) Heritage Foundation and WSJ; (11) The Conference Board; (12) FDIC;  (13) Federal Reserve; (14) U.S. Treasury So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive?  Can't think of anything?  Don't worry.  He's done all this in 29 months -- so you'll have one year to come up with an answer.  Every statement in this email is factual and directly attributable to Barrack Hussein Obama.  Every bumble is a matter of record and completely verifiable.   "You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out."  

A Practical Guide to Situational Awareness

This is FREE intelligence for distribution. Forward this to your colleagues. A Practical Guide to Situational Awareness By Scott Stewart | March 15, 2012 For the past three weeks we have been running a series in the Security Weekly that focuses on some of the fundamentals of terrorism. First, we noted that terrorism is a tactic not exclusive to any one group and that the tactic would not end even if the jihadist threat were to disappear. We then discussed how actors planning terrorist attacks have to follow a planning process and noted that there are times during that process when such plots are vulnerable to detection. Last week we discussed how one of the most important vulnerabilities during the terrorism planning process is surveillance, and we outlined what bad surveillance looks like and described some basic tools to help identify those conducting it. At the end of last week's Security Weekly we also discussed how living in a state of paranoia and looking for a terrorist behind every bush not only is dangerous to one's physical and mental health but also results in poor security. This brings us to this week, where we want to discuss the fundamentals of situational awareness and explain how people can practice the technique in a relaxed and sustainable way. Read More »

Vets angry over American flag featuring Obama

Vets angry over American flag featuring Obama. THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE ARROGANCE AND -/:()?'jbffmki=€%<}~]\_ OF THE LIBTARDIAN SOCIALIST OBAMA REGIME! #TAKEBACKUSA1122012!

Impeach Obama Bill Introduced

#TAKEBACKUSA1122012!

Romney beats Obama by 5 pts! Daily Presidential Tracking Poll - Rasmussen Reportsâ„¢

Daily Presidential Tracking Poll - Rasmussen Reportsâ„¢

Romney beats Obama by 5 pts!

Black  and White (Under age 40? You won't understand.) You  could hardly see for all the snow, Spread the rabbit ears as  far as they go. Pull a chair up to the TV set, 'Good Night, David.  Good Night, Chet.'  My Mom used to cut chicken, chop eggs and spread Mayo on the same cutting board with the same knife and no bleach, but we didn't seem to get food poisoning. My Mom used to defrost hamburger on  the counter and I used to eat it raw sometimes, too. Our school sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper in a brown paper bag, not in ice pack coolers, but I can't remember getting e.coli.  Almost all of us would have rather gone swimming in the lake instead of a pristine pool (talk about boring), no beach closures then.  The term cell phone would have conjured up a phone in a jail  cell, and a pager was the school PA system. We all took gym, not PE ... And risked permanent injury with a pair of high top Ked's (only worn in gym) instead of having cross-training athletic shoes with air cushion soles and built in light reflectors.  I can't recall any injuries but they must have happened because they tell us how much safer we are now. Flunking gym was not an option... Even for stupid kids! I guess PE must be much harder than gym. Speaking of school, we all said prayers and sang the national anthem, and staying in detention after school caught all sorts of negative attention. We  must have had horribly damaged psyches. What an archaic health system we had then. Remember school nurses? Ours wore a hat and everything. I thought that I was supposed to accomplish something before I was allowed to be proud of myself. I just can't recall how bored we were without computers, Play Station, Nintendo, X-box or 270 digital TV cable stations.  Oh yeah ... And where was the Benadryl and sterilization kit when I got that bee sting? I could have been killed! We played 'king of  the hill' on piles of gravel left on vacant construction sites, and when we got hurt, Mom pulled out the 48-cent bottle of mercurochrome (kids liked it better because it didn't sting like  iodine did) and then we got our butt spanked.  Now it's a trip to the emergency room, followed by a 10-day dose of a $49 bottle of antibiotics, and then Mom calls the attorney to sue the contractor for leaving a horribly vicious pile of gravel where it was such a threat.  I recall Donny Reynolds from next door coming over and doing his tricks on the front stoop, just before he fell off. Little did his Mom know that she could have owned our house.   Instead, she picked him up and swatted him for being such a goof. It was a neighborhood run amuck.  To top it off, not a single person I knew had ever been told that they were from a dysfunctional family. How could we possibly have known that?  We needed to get into group therapy and anger management classes. We were obviously so duped by so many societal ills, that we didn't even notice that the entire country wasn't taking Prozac! How did we ever survive? LOVE TO ALL OF US WHO SHARED THIS ERA; AND TO  ALL WHO DIDN'T, SORRY FOR WHAT YOU MISSED. I WOULDN'T TRADE IT FOR  ANYTHING! Pass this to someone and remember that life's most simple pleasures are very often the best.  

I like this idea … lawmakers should not be above the laws and policies they create!   Subject: 28th amendment   No one has been able to explain to me why young men and women serve in the U.S. Military for 20 years, risking their lives protecting freedom, and only get 50% of their pay. While Politicians hold their political positions in the safe confines of the capital, protected by these same men and women, and receive full pay retirement after serving one term. It just does not make any sense. Monday on Fox news they learned that the staffers of Congress family members are exempt from having to pay back student loans. This will get national attention if other news networks will broadcast it. When you add this to the below, just where will all of it stop?  35 States file lawsuit against the Federal Government  Governors of 35 states have filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.  This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on.  This is an idea that we should address.  For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress.  Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform... in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever.. The self-serving must stop.  If each person that receives this will forward it on to 20 people, in three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message.. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.  Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution: "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ." You are one of my 20+ "If you choose not to decide ~ you still have made a choice 

The Perceptions Game in Israel, Iran and the U.S. | STRATFOR

The Perceptions Game in Israel, Iran and the U.S. | STRATFOR

With Elections Over, Putin Focuses on Perceptions | STRATFOR

With Elections Over, Putin Focuses on Perceptions | STRATFOR

Hamas Rules Out Fighting for Iran | STRATFOR

Hamas Rules Out Fighting for Iran | STRATFOR

The FUTURE According to Obama and Politicians

Why David Stockman isn't buying it Email this Story Mar 2, 2:29 PM (ET) By BERNARD CONDON   (AP) In this Feb. 23, 2012 photo, David Stockman, wunderkind of the Reagan administration and a key... Full Image NEW YORK (AP) - He was an architect of one of the biggest tax cuts in U.S. history. He spent much of his career after politics using borrowed money to take over companies. He targeted the riskiest ones that most investors shunned - car-parts makers, textile mills. That is one image of David Stockman, the former White House budget director who, after resigning in protest over deficit spending, made a fortune in corporate buyouts. But spend time with him and you discover this former wunderkind of the Reagan revolution is many other things now - an advocate for higher taxes, a critic of the work that made him rich and a scared investor who doesn't own a single stock for fear of another financial crisis. Stockman suggests you'd be a fool to hold anything but cash now, and maybe a few bars of gold. He thinks the Federal Reserve's efforts to ease the pain from the collapse of our "national leveraged buyout" - his term for decades of reckless, debt-fueled spending by government, families and companies - is pumping stock and bond markets to dangerous heights. Known for his grasp of budgetary minutiae, first as a Michigan congressman and then as Reagan's budget director, Stockman still dazzles with his command of numbers. Ask him about jobs, and he'll spit out government estimates for non-farm payrolls down to the tenth of a decimal point. Prod him again and, as from a grim pinata, more figures spill out: personal consumption expenditures, credit market debt and the clunky sounding but all-important non-residential fixed investment. Stockman may seem as exciting as an insurance actuary, but he knows how to tell a good story. And the punch line to this one is gripping. He says the numbers for the U.S. don't add up to anything but a painful, slow-growing future. Now 65 and gray, but still wearing his trademark owlish glasses, Stockman took time from writing his book about the financial collapse, "The Triumph of Crony Capitalism," to talk to The Associated Press at his book-lined home in Greenwich, Conn. Within reach was Dickens'"Hard Times" - two copies. Below are excerpts, edited for clarity. --- Q: Why are you so down on the U.S. economy? A: It's become super-saturated with debt. Typically the private and public sectors would borrow $1.50 or $1.60 each year for every $1 of GDP growth. That was the golden constant. It had been at that ratio for 100 years save for some minor squiggles during the bottom of the Depression. By the time we got to the mid-'90s, we were borrowing $3 for every $1 of GDP growth. And by the time we got to the peak in 2006 or 2007, we were actually taking on $6 of new debt to grind out $1 of new GDP. People were taking $25,000, $50,000 out of their home for the fourth refinancing. That's what was keeping the economy going, creating jobs in restaurants, creating jobs in retail, creating jobs as gardeners, creating jobs as Pilates instructors that were not supportable with organic earnings and income. It wasn't sustainable. It wasn't real consumption or real income. It was bubble economics. So even the 1.6 percent (annual GDP growth in the past decade) is overstating what's really going on in our economy. Q: How fast can the U.S. economy grow? A: People would say the standard is 3, 3.5 percent. I don't even know if we could grow at 1 or 2 percent. When you have to stop borrowing at these tremendous rates, the rate of GDP expansion stops as well. Q: But the unemployment rate is falling and companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 are making more money than ever. A: That's very short-term. Look at the data that really counts. The 131.7 million (jobs in November) was first achieved in February 2000. That number has gone nowhere for 12 years. Another measure is the rate of investment in new plant and equipment. There is no sustained net investment in our economy. The rate of growth since 2000 (in what the Commerce Department calls non-residential fixed investment) has been 0.8 percent - hardly measurable. (Non-residential fixed investment is the money put into office buildings, factories, software and other equipment.) We're stalled, stuck. Q: What will 10-year Treasurys yield in a year or five years? A: I have no guess, but I do know where it is now (a yield of about 2 percent) is totally artificial. It's the result of massive purchases by not only the Fed but all of the other central banks of the world. Q: What's wrong with that? A: It doesn't come out of savings. It's made up money. It's printing press money. When the Fed buys $5 billion worth of bonds this morning, which it's doing periodically, it simply deposits $5 billion in the bank accounts of the eight dealers they buy the bonds from. Q: And what are the consequences of that? A: The consequences are horrendous. If you could make the world rich by having all the central banks print unlimited money, then we have been making a mistake for the last several thousand years of human history. Q: How does it end? A: At some point confidence is lost, and people don't want to own the (Treasury) paper. I mean why in the world, when the inflation rate has been 2.5 percent for the last 15 years, would you want to own a five-year note today at 80 basis points (0.8 percent)? If the central banks ever stop buying, or actually begin to reduce their totally bloated, abnormal, freakishly large balance sheets, all of these speculators are going to sell their bonds in a heartbeat. That's what happened in Greece. Here's the heart of the matter. The Fed is a patsy. It is a pathetic dependent of the big Wall Street banks, traders and hedge funds. Everything (it does) is designed to keep this rickety structure from unwinding. If you had a (former Fed Chairman) Paul Volcker running the Fed today - utterly fearless and independent and willing to scare the hell out of the market any day of the week - you wouldn't have half, you wouldn't have 95 percent, of the speculative positions today. Q: You sound as if we're facing a financial crisis like the one that followed the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. A: Oh, far worse than Lehman. When the real margin call in the great beyond arrives, the carnage will be unimaginable. Q: How do investors protect themselves? What about the stock market? A: I wouldn't touch the stock market with a 100-foot pole. It's a dangerous place. It's not safe for men, women or children. Q: Do you own any shares? A: No. Q: But the stock market is trading cheap by some measures. It's valued at 12.5 times expected earnings this year. The typical multiple is 15 times. A: The typical multiple is based on a historic period when the economy could grow at a standard rate. The idea that you can capitalize this market at a rate that was safe to capitalize it in 1990 or 1970 or 1955 is a large mistake. It's a Wall Street sales pitch. Q: Are you in short-term Treasurys? A: I'm just in short-term, yeah. Call it cash. I have some gold. I'm not going to take any risk. Q: Municipal bonds? A: No. Q: No munis, no stocks. Wow. You're not making any money. A: Capital preservation is what your first, second and third priority ought to be in a system that is so jerry-built, so fragile, so exposed to major breakdown that it's not worth what you think you might be able to earn over six months or two years or three years if they can keep the bailing wire and bubble gum holding the system together, OK? It's not worth it. Q: Give me your prescription to fix the economy. A: We have to eat our broccoli for a good period of time. And that means our taxes are going to go up on everybody, not just the rich. It means that we have to stop subsidizing debt by getting a sane set of people back in charge of the Fed, getting interest rates back to some kind of level that reflects the risk of holding debt over time. I think the federal funds rate ought to be 3 percent or 4 percent. (It is zero to 0.25 percent.) I mean, that's normal in an economy with inflation at 2 percent or 3 percent. Q: Social Security? A: It has to be means-tested. And Medicare needs to be means-tested. If you're a more affluent retiree, you should have your benefits cut back, pay a higher premium for Medicare. Q: Taxes? A: Let the Bush tax cuts expire. Let the capital gains go back to the same rate as ordinary income. (Capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, while ordinary income is taxed at marginal rates up to 35 percent.) Q: Why? A: Why not? I mean, is return on capital any more virtuous than some guy who's driving a bus all day and working hard and trying to support his family? You know, with capital gains, they give you this mythology. You're going to encourage a bunch of more jobs to appear. No, most of capital gains goes to speculators in real estate and other assets who basically lever up companies, lever up buildings, use the current income to pay the interest and after a holding period then sell the residual, the equity, and get it taxed at 15 percent. What's so brilliant about that? Q: You worked for Blackstone, a financial services firm that focuses on leveraged buyouts and whose gains are taxed at 15 percent, then started your own buyout fund. Now you're saying there's too much debt. You were part of that debt explosion, weren't you? A: Well, yeah, and maybe you can learn something from what happens over time. I was against the debt explosion in the Reagan era. I tried to fight the deficit, but I couldn't. When I was in the private sector, I was in the leveraged buyout business. I finally learned a heck of a lot about the dangers of debt. I'm a libertarian. If someone wants to do leveraged buyouts, more power to them. If they want to have a brothel, let them run a brothel. But it doesn't mean that public policy ought to be biased dramatically to encourage one kind of business arrangement over another. And right now public policy and taxes and free money from the Fed are encouraging way too much debt, way too much speculation and not enough productive real investment and growth. Q: Why are you writing a book? A: I got so outraged by the bailouts of Wall Street in September 2008. I believed that Bush and (former Treasury Secretary Hank) Paulson were totally trashing the Reagan legacy, whatever was left, which did at least begin to resuscitate the idea of free markets and a free economy. And these characters came in and panicked and basically gave capitalism a smelly name and they made it impossible to have fiscal discipline going forward. If you're going to bail out Wall Street, what aren't you going to bail out? So that started my re-engagement, let's say, in the policy debate. Q: Are you hopeful? A: No.

    For all my sports- minded friends - - - - read carefully please A football question: Last year after the Packers/ Bills game, Buffalo released quarterback Trent Edwards. During the Packers / Eagles game, the Packers injured Philadelphia quarterback Kevin Kolb. Philadelphia then had to play backup quarterback Michael Vick. During a playoff game against the Eagles, the Packers injured Michael Vick and another backup was needed. After the Packers / Cowboys game, Dallas fired Wade Phillips and most of his staff. After the Packers/ Vikings game, Minnesota fired Brad Childress and most of his staff. Four weeks after losing to the Packers, the 49er's coach Mike Singletary and most of his staff were fired and replaced. During the Bears playoff game, the Packers injured Jay Cutler and backup Todd Collins forcing the Bears to go with 3rd string quarterbackCaleb Hanie. Question: Is it just me, or did the Packers create more jobs than Obama last year?

Last week's Security Weekly discussed the fact that terrorism is a tactic used by many different classes of actors and that, while the perpetrators and tactics of terrorism may change in response to shifts in larger geopolitical cycles, these changes will never result in the end of terrorism. Since that analysis was written, there have been jihadist-related attacks in Afghanistan, Nigeria, Yemen and Pakistan, an assassination attempt against the president of Abkhazia, and a failed timed-incendiary attack against the Athens subway. (The latter incident, which militant anarchists claimed, reinforces that jihadists are not the only ones who practice terrorism.) But while terrorism is a continuing concern, it can be understood, and measures can be taken to thwart terrorist plots and mitigate the effects of attacks. Perhaps the most important and fundamental point to understand about terrorism is that attacks do not appear out of nowhere. Individuals planning a terrorist attack follow a discernable cycle -- and that cycle and the behaviors associated with it can be observed if they are being looked for. We refer to these points where terrorism-related behavior can be most readily observed as vulnerabilities in the terrorist attack cycle. Read More » Comments? Send them to responses@stratfor.com