The GOM Files

Welcome To UPEK - Solutions - PC & Networking

2010-04-27T21:53:00.000-05:00

Welcome To UPEK - Solutions - PC & Networking

Remember this one?

2009-12-26T06:07:00.001-06:00

An Australian's View

2009-12-23T05:10:00.000-06:00

We The People

2009-12-20T22:11:00.001-06:00

Interrogation gone wrong

2009-12-20T07:00:00.001-06:00

Suggestion for Normalcy

2009-11-10T07:01:00.001-06:00

The following was in response to a post on a forum suggesting that terrorism against the US would stop if only the US would abandon Israel.

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I would suggest that we will be an enemy of Islam until we all accept Allah, regardless of what countries we support. The Islamic extremists only want to kill anyone not of their faith.

The nature of the universe is chaos. Chaos is only thwarted by intervention of mankind. The Islamists have promoted chaos for centuries. Remember the Turks slaughtering 1.5 million in the 14th ( I think) century. They have never been contributors to civilization, only takers. When is the last civil, scientific, medical, technological, or any other positive discovery you can recall coming from an Islamic nation?

Those that are guilty of being politically correct either have an agenda to allow Islamic takeover of the world or are in fear of Islamic reprisal. I am not.

I would think that we should TAKE one minute, twice a day while at work, school, wherever, and pray to our respective Judeo-Christian diety for the return of civilization to the world. We should all do this at the same time each day, together. While it's obvious our Congress won't listen to us, our President won't listen to us, our business leaders won't listen to us, there is One who will, and He is the One that can make a difference.

Just WHO is behind the What

2009-10-17T12:40:00.000-05:00

Just read an interesting treatise called, “The End of Money…”

In the article the author, Richard C. Cook, provides insight into a work by another author by the name of Thomas Greco. Mr. Cook and Mr. Greco decry the "global bankers" and refer to the 'Founding Fathers' and their "fight" against the International Bankers. They point to Ron Paul and his efforts to bring out the flaws in the current the monetary system and the evils of the Federal Reserve.

With these references and denunciations it seems that these men, the authors, hold beliefs similar to those of many of today's conservative Americans who are calling for monetary responsibility and fiscal restraint. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

My point here is not to review the article itself but to point out what each person should do when encountering anything or anyone who is advocating ANY position. One must check out the background or histories of the people or organizations who are making the statements. Within the article "The End of Money" there is some telltale wording and 'catch phrases' that should set off alarm bells in any informed reader. I will call these 'philosophical fingerprints' or PFs.

PFs can reinforce an espoused position or they can function as a 'discordant note' in the "symphony" of thought. Where PFs are at odds with what the reader believes the author is saying it should set off alarm bells and be the 'clarion call' to start digging into just 'who' it is behind the 'what'. I will not say what PFs I found. That I leave to you to discover on your own. Most will not take the time. But, failure to do so, places the reader at the mercy of those people who who belive' rightly or wrongly, that the average American will not do the 'homework' necessary to provide themselves the knowledge for clear and considered thinking on the issue at hand.

Only when you know the 'who' part of the equation can you really begin to understand 'what' that person is saying.

Enough is Enough!

2009-08-23T17:45:00.002-05:00

I received the following email regarding last week's visit to Montana by our President. Transparancy?

Why do we tolerate this?

Hello All,

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.

FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$

Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.

Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.
This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union ) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.

The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)

Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.

We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho . Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America , more like the USSR !! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC . Scary!!

Kathy
Bozeman , Montana

Obamacare to Obstruct Parental Rights?

2009-08-14T06:24:00.001-05:00

Dirty Secret No. 1 in Obamacare
Chuck Norris
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Health care reforms are turning into health care revolts. Americans are turning up the heat on congressmen in town hall meetings across the U.S.

While watching these political hot August nights, I decided to research the reasons so many are opposed to Obamacare to separate the facts from the fantasy. What I discovered is that there are indeed dirty little secrets buried deep within the 1,000-plus page health care bill.

Dirty secret No. 1 in Obamacare is about the government's coming into homes and usurping parental rights over child care and development.

It's outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading "home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children." The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills.

The bill says that the government agents, "well-trained and competent staff," would "provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices," and "skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development."

Are you kidding me?! With whose parental principles and values? Their own? Certain experts'? From what field and theory of childhood development? As if there are one-size-fits-all parenting techniques! Do we really believe they would contextualize and personalize every form of parenting in their education, or would they merely universally indoctrinate with their own?

Are we to assume the state's mediators would understand every parent's social or religious core values on parenting? Or would they teach some secular-progressive and religiously neutered version of parental values and wisdom? And if they were to consult and coach those who expect babies, would they ever decide circumstances to be not beneficial for the children and encourage abortions?

One government rebuttal is that this program would be "voluntary." Is that right? Does that imply that this agency would just sit back passively until some parent needing parenting skills said, "I don't think I'll call my parents, priest or friends or read a plethora of books, but I'll go down to the local government offices"? To the contrary, the bill points to specific targeted groups and problems, on Page 840: The state "shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families."

Are we further to conclude by those words that low-income families know less about parenting? Are middle- and upper-class parents really better parents? Less neglectful of their children? Less needful of parental help and training? Is this "prioritized" training not a biased, discriminatory and even prejudicial stereotype and generalization that has no place in federal government, law or practice?

Bottom line: Is all this what you want or expect in a universal health care bill being rushed through Congress? Do you want government agents coming into your home and telling you how to parent your children? When did government health care turn into government child care?

Government needs less of a role in running our children's lives and more of a role in supporting parents' decisions for their children. Children belong to their parents, not the government. And the parents ought to have the right -- and government support -- to parent them without the fed's mandates, education or intervention in our homes.

Kids are very important to my wife, Gena, and me. That's why we've spent the past 17 years developing our nonprofit KICKSTART program in public schools in Texas. It builds up their self-esteem and teaches them respect and discipline. Of course, whether or not they participate in the program is their and their parents' choice.

How contrary is Obamacare's home intrusion and indoctrination family services, in which state agents prioritize houses to enter and enforce their universal values and principles upon the hearts and minds of families across America?

Government's real motives and rationale are quite simple, though rarely, if ever, stated. If one wants to control the future ebbs and flows of a country, one must have command over future generations. That is done by seizing parental and educational power, legislating preferred educational methods and materials, and limiting private educational options. It is so simple that any socialist can understand it. As Josef Stalin once stated, "Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed."

Before so-called universal health care turns into universal hell care, write or call your representative today and protest his voting Obamacare into law. Remind him that what is needed in Washington is a truly bipartisan group that is allowed an ample amount of time to work on a compromise health care law that wouldn't raise taxes (for anyone), regulate personal medical choices, ration health care or restrict American citizens.

It's Time to Make a Difference!

2009-08-11T07:03:00.004-05:00

Never before has The GOM been involved in politics.

I am now supporting Sam Finley for Congress to represent the 12th District of Texas. The incumbent has been there too long and hasn't done the job. She is not responsive to her constituents, has not co-sponsored bills dealing with immigration, border security, state sovereignty, and the 2nd amendment. She voted for the first TARP bill and was not vocal enough in supporting the F-22 program. Her connection to the Trinity River Project is not beyond reproach. She will NOT commit on sensitive issues. We need someone who will.

Please join me in supporting Sam. All give some, some give all. We CAN make a difference!

Give Me Back My TV!

2009-07-07T15:33:00.003-05:00

How much longer will the airwaves be dominated by the death of a pedophile?

HE IS STILL DEAD, ISN'T HE?

I know he was at one time a talented musician, but PLEASE!

Great Song!

2009-07-05T12:53:00.003-05:00

Change!

2009-06-18T05:33:00.003-05:00

Our President promised us change if he were to be elected. Well, he has come through.

Aside from all the negative changes we are going through, there are a few positive ones as far as TheGOM is concerned. His constant shredding of the Constitution and stripping us of our rights has caused posssibly the most important change in this country since the passing of the Civil Rights Act. He has awakened the sleeping giant, the American people. The "Tea Parties" are continuing. Neighbors are getting together and starting to resist this eroding or our freedoms. There is a new wave of "community organizers" bringing people of like mind together. "WE THE PEOPLE" are beginning to wake up.

The news media has broken down. We no longer have fair and balanced coverage of the news. The networks and print have sold us out. They only report what is allowed by the administration. Any media not aligned with the administration is barred from coverage. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS is no more!

The new administation has also caused some personal changes for The GOM.

He has become politically active, joining a campaign to remove an incumbent member of the US House.

After a couple of near death experiences last year, The GOM has also become more active in his religion.

TheGOM is also learning a new language, out of a perceived need for self preservation. TheGOM is now also active in a local chapter of a group seeking to educate the nation to what is happening in OUR TIME, the death of a nation.

TheGOM has also been educating himself on international situations. The US has few allies. We don't need to anger them.

Now that TheGOM has his health back, he is thinking about getting a dog. Yes, TheGOM is getting back to a normal life. He now has family living in the same area code, friends that he would give his life for, and now a purpose in life. He will post more often, hopefully meaningful content, but probably just more ramblings of a grouchy old man. Stay tuned.

The Obama Card

2009-05-14T12:49:00.001-05:00

Does the law appy equally?

2009-04-17T10:33:00.002-05:00

Regarding the release of CIA memos:

The American Civil Liberties Union, which brought a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit that forced the release of the memos, called on the administration to name a special prosecutor to investigate torture under the administration of George W. Bush.

"We have to look back before we can move forward as a nation. When crimes have been committed, the American legal system demands accountability," said Anthony Romero, the ACLU's executive director.

"President Obama's assertion that there should not be prosecutions of government officials who may have committed crimes before a thorough investigation has been carried out is simply untenable," he said.

"Enforcing the nation's laws should not be a political decision," he added.

Amnesty International's executive director in the United States, Larry Cox, welcomed the release of the memos.

I would ask if what Romero said is true, why are there so many illegal aliens still in this country. Why are guns still in the hands of criminals? Why is the administration full of tax cheats? Why is the Constitution being trampled?

The answer is obvious. The government is out of control. They do not have a clue as to the wishes of their constituents. Both parties have betrayed "We the People".

The tax day protests SHOULD have sent them a wake up call, however the coverage by the main stream media did not accurately portray the reasons and convictions of the protesters. The White House even said that the President was "unaware" of the protests. If he was unaware, what the hell is he doing in office?

Your Money or Your Life?

2009-03-17T07:50:00.002-05:00

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM A MESSAGE BOARD AT "WE-SURROUND-THEM-IN-FORT-WORTH.COM". It is reprinted here with the author's consent.

_________________________________________________________________________________

I am not Jewish. I was raised in the Baptist Church until I reached the age of majority. At which time I chose my own religion. My mother was proud. Not because I chose hers, but because I chose at all.

The above is the segway into the story I posted below. Truth is truth no matter from whose mouth or religion it comes. I learned early that when you disregard others simply because of what color they are or what religion they practice you diminish yourself. Well, not so much diminish as limit yourself. As Americans we have always been proud of our freedom. I guess freedom can be equated with limits, don't you think? And limiting truth - or the hearing thereof - puts a person or a people in the position of ignorance. And encouraging ignorance is the milk and honey of the dictator.

I will finish this line of thinking after the inserted letter.

Your Money or Your Life
by Rabbi Daniel Lapin

In late 2007, eighty-three year-old Raymond Bunte confronted two young
thugs helping themselves to his neighbor, Dolores Hendershot's valuables,
out of her suburban San Antonio home. Clutching his shotgun, he blocked
their exit and ordered the men to lie down on the ground. They ignored the
old-timer and threatened him. He pulled the trigger. One criminal is dead;
the other is behind bars.

A few months earlier, just south of Little Rock, 93 year-old Willie Hill woke to find a hoodlum stuffing his pockets with Willie’s money, his pocket knife and his hearing aid. 24 year-old Douglas Williams was mighty surprised when Willie reached for his revolver and shot the home invader in the throat.

Finally, in May of that same year, sixty year-old Shirley Reed was about to
get into her car outside her apartment in Dallas. 19-year-old Charles
Poursoltani suddenly materialized beside her, pointed a gun at her and
demanded the keys to her car. Grandma Shirley declined to comply and
instead she wrenched the gun out of her assailant’s hand and shot him.
These true stories help us ask how the good Lord wants us to relate to our
possessions. Of course we are morally obliged to defend our lives, even
with deadly force, but how far should we go to defend our property?
Ancient Jewish wisdom probes the protection of possessions in this verse:
If the thief be discovered breaking in and he is struck and dies,
there is no blood guilt.
(Exodus 22:1)

Ancient Jewish wisdom explores the nuances of this verse over many pages, but one concept drawn from the verse is that you are not morally obliged to let someone escape with your property. You originally obtained your possessions honestly. It follows that you used up a certain number of your hours on this earth working to earn enough to pay for that car or that television. Now if the thief gets away with your property, you will have to repeat that working time to replace the stolen object. In other words, the thief has deprived you of something far more important than a car or a television. He has robbed you of time. Since time is the one irreplaceable commodity, he has committed a grievous crime—he has deprived you of some of the time you have left on God’s earth.

Here’s a question: what is the law if you murder someone so ill that he was guaranteed to die the next day? Can you defend yourself in court by claiming that since you only deprived this elderly man of one day of his life your crime was really insignificant? What if you shot dead, as he plummets past your window on the twentieth floor of the Empire State Building, a man who had committed suicide by jumping off the roof three seconds earlier? Though he was doomed to die seconds after you shot him, you still committed murder. In other words, stealing even a tiny bit of time from someone’s life is terribly serious. Someone who steals your possessions is also stealing time from your life.

I tell you this not to encourage you to shoot a burglar but because the Bible enhances our lives by helping adjust our attitudes until they are more congruent with God’s blueprint of reality. We see a similar message in the
following verses:

(Jacob) arose that night, took his two wives, his two handmaidens, and his
eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabok. He took them and crossed
them over the brook along with his possessions. And Jacob was left
alone and a man wrestled with him until sunrise.
(Genesis 32:23-25)

Ancient Jewish wisdom asks what was Jacob doing alone? The surprising
answer is that he was retrieving some small, inexpensive containers of oil.
These verses contain important lessons for us. If we recognize the true cost
of each object we purchase, we will be less likely to impulsively buy items
that will then sit unused or unappreciated. We are also morally obliged to
care for our possessions and avoid losing them because they took time
from our lives to acquire.

We should cherish our property. In so doing we can honor God’s great gift to us—the days and hours of our lives.

Published at YouNeedARabbi.Com

I was taught a lesson when I was 30. That lesson was this - for the great majority of working people our life and our money are inseparable and connected. Why? Because, as Rabbi Lipin pointed out regarding possessions, we spent life to acquire it. Money is simply a possession too. A piece of our existence that we can never ever get back. 'Life Force' if you will. Kinda changes the way you look at a dollar bill? It did me.

That brings me to the point. What do you want your life spent on. If the concept of life (irretrievable moments in time that you choose to expend and can never get back) does equate with this possession (money) then it follows that any person or government who takes this away without your consent is not depriving you of wealth - but of 'life force' itself. The days and hours (called work) that can never be replaced.

Many lives were expended to create the United States. Many fortunes (pieces of lives) have kept her alive and viable. When life is expended earning something then that something is precious, whether we realize it or not.

Religion aside, I had never thought of this concept until explained by Rabbi Lipin. I would have never considered such a sacred duty. Until now. No wonder charity has been so oft referred to as,"giving of oneself."

The GOM is BACK!

2009-03-11T07:14:00.004-05:00

It's been almost nine months since the last post. Sorry 'bout that, but I'll try to keep up a little better now.

I've had six surgeries since the last post and have spent a total of 3 months in the hospital, but I feel now that I can do justice to The GOM Files.

WHERE DO I START?

Our country is in real trouble. The economy is in shreds, Israel is pissed, Russia is pissed, North Korea is pissed, Iran will have nukes by the end of the year, violence on our Southern border is encroaching on our soil, and all the administration and congress can do is spend trillions on nonsensical projects and programs designed to "spread the wealth". Capitalism is being attacked and our "representation" in DC is just going with the flow.

How much are we willing to take?

What atrocity will Obama have to commit before we wake up?

Will it be too late?

I'm afraid it already is.

Just My $.02 on the Election

2008-07-12T07:05:00.003-05:00

Obama is a brilliant orator. He is a master of the teleprompter. He is a gifted politician. He could be a great leader, BUT NOT HERE! He lacks experience and judgement. He has yet a lot of questions to be answered regarding who he really is. His wife is a liability.

Clinton is a good politician. She is smart. She is a good leader. She is vicious. She cannot be trusted. Her husband is brilliant, but can not be counted on to always say the right thing. He is not trustworthy.

McCain is a war hero. He is a good leader. His wife is an asset to him but not to the country.He could be a good President IF he were a bit more in touch with reality. He is old.

SUMMARY: Our next President should not be any of the above. An ideal ticket would be T.Boone Pickens and either Ron Paul, John Edwards, or Mike Huckabee. Pickens is the only man who has come up with a viable energy plan. He should be drafted to run. Do the people run the country or are we just sheeple to our politicians?

Just a thought...

2008-06-27T11:31:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd throw this out there:

What if Texas decided to close it's borders, all of them. Oil, cattle, farming, technology, Texas has it all. Ideally you would have to be a native Texas to live here, but that would be impractical so just close the borders now. Control exports of our products. What would we need to import? I can't think of anything. Hmmm..... of course we would make Crawford our token sanctuary city.

Is Cafferty a Racist?

2008-06-03T17:55:00.002-05:00

Is Jack Cafferty of CNN News a racist? On Tuesday's program he called Obama "Big Brown"in this race. I'm guessing he was referring to the horse that won the Derby and Preakness, but if Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly or Rush Limbaugh had said it the liberals would be all over them.

Race has no place in politics or the reporting of politics.

Academy-GREAT Customer Service

2008-06-01T07:26:00.002-05:00

I went to an Academy Sports store last Friday. While I usually am typically the GOM, I am also fair. When I arrived at the store I was leery of trying to walk all the way to the back, where I needed to go. I can only stand or walk for about 10 minutes without having to sit and rest.

Well, I walked to the back and found the clerk at the counter was helping another customer with another 3 customers waiting. I asked a passing store employee if there was a place I could sit for a bit. He directed me to the outdoor patio section, rather curtly. I went there and sat for a spell. I then went back to the counter and found the clerk was still helping the same customer. As I couldn't stand up any more I left the store.

When I got home I called Academy's corporate customer service. This was late Friday afternoon. I suggested they have scooters available for their disabled customers as so many other stores do. I can shop at the grocery stores, Lowes, Walmart, Bass Pro, and many other retailers. I really believe that as America's population ages and becomes less mobile there will be a time when all stores will have the scooters.

Much to my surprise, at 8:05 on Saturday morning my phone rang. It was the manager of the local store. He was very nice and offered me a gift card. He was in agreement and said they would try to get some scooters. I assured him my suggestion was meant only as a suggestion and not a complaint, as it was. He said that he understood that and he still wanted to send me the card for my inconvenience.

Needless to say, if I can, I will shop there again. I do hope they get the scooters.

This is an example of great response to customers needs. Academy responds to comments quicker than ANY company I have dealt with. KUDOS!

Shaking It All Out & 5 Questions for Obama

2008-06-01T06:36:00.005-05:00

OK, the DNC has decided that one person equals one- half vote. They stand on "the rules". I don't have a problem with that as long as they are consistent, as long as they also enforce all rules (and therefore laws) equally. If any of this "rules committee" or anyone that agrees with them fails to support and enforce our immigration laws they will be branded a hypocrite and should be cast out of office. Watch out for this! They are all a bunch of pandering maggots!

Speaking of pandering, and on another note, Obama has now thrown his church under the bus.

A man of conviction would stand up for his religion and church even in face of it's leadership. He can say the leadership of the church is wrong, as he has done. This leads me to believe that he his not a man of conviction, that his Christian religion means little to him.

SO I ASK HIM:

What religion was he before he became a Christian 20 years ago?

What mosque will he join now?

What did he do on his trips to Pakistan in 1981?

Did I see a poster of Louis Faraquan in an Obama campaign office?

Why won't he publicly answer specific questions about his positions on the 2nd Amendment?

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE AMERICAN VOTERS?

Anybody see a pattern here?

2008-05-29T22:50:00.003-05:00

First it was Rev. Wright. Then Ayers. Now is is another clergy that Obama is having to distance himself from. For a supposed "Christian" he is sure dodging the clergy. By association, Obama is a racist!

Maybe they know something we only suspect, that Obama is only a Christian when it is advantageous to him. What is he the rest of the time? What was he before the Rev. Wright brought him to Christianity 20 years ago? What is he now? Muslim maybe? WE DON'T KNOW!

This man is dangerous to the US. He has NO experience. If I were having surgery would I want a surgeon who is just out of med school or on who has had experience performing

the operation before? HOW ABOUT YOU?

TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!

Evil Political Dynasties and the Solution

2008-05-26T09:12:00.004-05:00

Are the Clintons trying to establish another dynasty? Bill is now trying to get Chelsea involved. Are they alone in this delusional endeavor? Are they evil?

No, they are not by themselves. The Clintons are joined by The Bush's and the Kennedy clan.

Iraq and Chappaquiddick come to mind.

An honest, straight thinking candidate cannot be elected because in order to garner the support of enough party leaders he would have to become one of them, thus abandoning his principles. The only way for us to get a decent President is by a revolution of the people. Our current government is corrupt beyond redemption. I may be too old to see this country become a great nation again, but, sadly, I'm not too old to see it crumble to a third world status before my eyes.

Until there is a strong third party in the US, we are doomed.

Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.

Jews and Obama

2008-05-23T06:40:00.003-05:00

Barack Huessein Obama has as much chance of some guy named Rabinowitz voting for him as that Rabinowitz guy has of getting an invitation to join the KKK.

There! It's out for all to see.

Why would ANY Jew vote for someone with all the unanswered questions about his past? There are two other presidential candidates that Jewish voters can have confidence in to protect the State of Israel.

How do I explain the younger set flocking to Obama?

Unfortunately, Jews in the US have raised their children to be open-minded to all ideas. This has led to the Jewish youth being followers not leaders. The "Pied Piper" has lured the Jewish youth to his way of thinking. They are as naive as he is.

WAKE UP AMERICA!

News Editors: Are you guilty?

2008-05-23T04:39:00.001-05:00

We might all send this to our local papers and TV stations, or at least get them to do a reality check.

For all news editors:

Making sense of spin in the news

by Dr. Michael Brown

Guns are a sad fact of life in American culture and are a major topic in

modern journalism. A good Journalist has a duty to get involved and make

a difference in this important societal debate. By following certain

guidelines, the concerned Journalist can be assured of having the

maximum impact on this shameful problem.

The first principle to remember is that subtle use of terminology can

covertly influence the reader. Adjectives should be chosen for maximum

anti-gun effect.

When describing a gun, attach terms like "automatic," "semi-automatic,"

"large caliber," "deadly," "high powered," or "powerful." Almost any gun

can be described by one or more of these terms. More than two guns

should be called an "arsenal."

Try to include the term "assault weapon" if at all possible. This can be

combined with any of the terms above for best results. Nobody actually

knows what an assault weapon is, so you cannot be criticized for this

usage. Your local anti-gun organization can provide you with a list of

the latest buzz words like "junk guns," "Saturday Night Specials," and

"the criminal's weapon of choice."

Don't worry about getting technical details right. Many a reporter has

accidentally written about 'semi-automatic revolvers' or committed other

minor errors. Since most people know little about guns, this is not a

problem. Only the gun nuts will complain and they don't count. The

emotional content of your article is much more important than the

factual details, since people are more easily influenced through their

emotions than through logic.

Broadcast Journalists should have a file tape showing a machine gun

firing on full automatic. Run this video while describing "automatic"

weapons used in a crime or confiscated by police. At the least, a large

graphic of a handgun should be displayed behind the on-air personality

when reading any crime story.

Do not waste words describing criminals who use guns to commit crimes.

Instead of calling them burglar, rapist, murderer, or repeat offender,

simply use the term "gunman." This helps the public associate all forms

of crime and violence with the possession of guns.

Whenever drug dealers are arrested, guns are usually confiscated by the

police. Mention the type and number of guns more prominently than the

type and quantity of drugs. Include the number of rounds of ammunition

seized, since the number will seem large to those who know little about

guns. Obviously, the drug dealers who had the guns should now be called

"gunmen."

Political discussions on gun control legislation usually involve pro-gun

organizations. Always refer to these organizations as "the gun lobby."

If space permits, mention how much money the gun lobby has spent to

influence political campaigns and describe their legislative lobbying

efforts as "arm twisting" or "threats."

Gun owners must never be seen in a positive light. Do not mention that

these misguided individuals may actually be well educated, or have

respectable jobs and healthy families. They should be called "gun nuts"

if possible or simply gun owners at best. Mention details about their

clothing, especially if they are wearing hunting clothes or hats.

Mention the simplistic slogans on their bumper stickers to show that

their intelligence level is low. Many gun owners drive pickup trucks,

hunt and live in rural areas. Use these details to help portray them as

ignorant rednecks. Don't use the word "hunt." Always say that they

"kill" animals.

Don't be afraid to interview these people, they are harmless even though

we don't portray them that way. Try to solicit comments that can be

taken out of context to show them in the worst possible light.

Never question the effectiveness of gun control laws or proposals. Guns

are evil and kill people. Removing guns from society can only be good.

Nobody really uses guns for legitimate self-defense, especially women or

children. Any stories about armed self-defense must be minimized or

suppressed.

Be careful about criticizing the police for responding slowly to 911

calls for help. It is best if the public feels like the police can be

relied upon to protect them at all times. If people are buying guns to

protect their families, you are not doing your job.

Emphasize stories where people kill family members and/or themselves

with guns. It is important to make the public feel like they could lose

control and start killing at any moment if they have a gun in the house.

Any story where a child misuses a gun is front page material.

View every shooting as an event to be exploited. Always include

emotional quotes from the victim's family if possible. If they are not

available, the perpetrator's family will do nicely. The quote must blame

the tragedy on the availability of guns. Photos or video of grieving

family members are worth a thousand facts.

Most people will accept the assertion that guns cause crime. It is much

easier than believing that some people deliberately choose to harm

others.

Your story should include terms like "tragic" or "preventable" and

mention the current toll of gun violence in your city or state. Good

reporters always know exactly how many gun deaths have occurred in their

area since the first of the year. List two or three previous incidents

of gun violence to give the impression of a continuing crime wave.

Little space should be devoted to shootings where criminals kill each

other. Although these deaths greatly inflate the annual gun violence

numbers, they distract from the basic mission of urging law abiding

citizens to give up their guns.

Do not dig too deeply into the reasons behind shootings. The fact that a

gun was involved is the major point, unless someone under 18 is

affected, in which case the child angle is now of equal importance.

Any article about gun violence should include quotes from anti-gun

organizations or politicians. One quote should say that we must do

something "for the children." Anti-gun spokespersons should be called

"activists" or "advocates."

If your employer wishes to appear unbiased, you can include one token

quote from a gun lobby group to show that you are being fair. The

anti-gun statements should be accepted as fact. The gun lobby statement

can be denigrated by including text like, "according to gun lobbyist

Jones."

Fortunately, statements from anti-gun organizations come in short sound

bites that are perfect for generating an emotional response in the

reader or viewer. Gun lobby statements usually contain boring facts that

are easy to ignore.

Feel secure in your advocacy journalism. The vast majority of your

fellow Journalists support your activism. The nation will be a better

place when only the police and military have guns. Remember that you are

doing it for the children so the end justifies the means.

Eventually, the government will have a monopoly on power. Don't worry

about the right to freedom of the press, just contact me then for more

helpful hints.

Professor Michael Brown, School of Journalism, Brady Chair, Vancouver

College of Liberal Arts

freely in its full and complete form.

Enough is Enough!

2008-05-22T06:28:00.003-05:00

OK, first it Was Rev. Wright eschewing his drivel about 911 being the fault of the US.

Then there was the blatant coddling of Obama by the media. This still continues.

Michelle Obama not being proud of the US until now.

Then the elitist remarks about clinging to guns and religion.

Now a member of the US House has said that the violence on our southern border is OUR fault! Keep in mind they are both Democrats and where they are from.

Quoting from an article by Penny Starr of CNS News:

(CNSNews.com) - Three Democratic lawmakers who spoke Wednesday about alleged anti-immigrant coverage by conservative media outlets were not aware of a recent State Department travel alert warning Americans about military-like "combat" along the southern U.S. border in Mexico, where Americans are being kidnapped and murdered.

Reps. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) both spoke toCybercast News Service after the briefing and said they had no knowledge of the travel alert but were aware of the volatility along the U.S. southern border.

"I've read different reports of the violence in Mexico, and I am a strong advocate for cracking down on the violence, and I'm very concerned about the murder of women," Solis said. "But I'm more concerned about people having their civil rights violated here."

"I haven't seen the travel alert, but I'm going to take a look at it," Gutierrez said. "But does it surprise me? It doesn't surprise me."

Gutierrez blamed drug use in the United States for some of the violence.

"We are the consumers," he said. "We are the cause."

Speakers at the briefing said that CNN and Fox News Channel should be held accountable for television personalities who have "played major roles in creating this anti-immigrant hysteria," specifically Lou Dobbs and Glenn Beck on CNN and Bill O'Reilly on Fox.

When will the voters in this country wake up and see the reality that is Obama?

HE IS NOT THE MAN HE SAYS HE IS!

THERE ARE TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS!

Ted Kennedy- I wish him well, but...

2008-05-21T08:17:00.003-05:00

No one should ever have as much tragedy in his life as Ted Kennedy.

By the same token, no one family should inflect so much tragedy on others.

Possibly his brain tumor is the reason he endorsed Obama.

Mary Jo Kopechne, 1969

Not much else to say, is there?

Black Hurricanes

2008-05-17T16:16:00.003-05:00

Sent to me today. I don't doubt it's validity. I'll bet the congresswoman is a Democrat.

Black hurricanes....

Well, it appears our African-American friends have found yet something else to be pissed about. A black congresswoman, from Florida , has complained that the names of hurricanes are all Caucasian sounding names.

She would prefer some names that reflect African-American culture such as Chamiqua, Tanisha, Woeisha, Shaqueal, and Jamal. I am NOT making this up!

She would also like the weather reports to be broadcast in Language that street people can understand because one of the problems that happened in New Orleans was, that black people couldn't understand the seriousness of the situation, due to the racially biased language of the weather report.

I can hear it now: A weatherman in Miami and Tampa says...

Wazzup, mutha-fukkas! Hehr-i-cane Chamiqua be

headin' fo' yo ass like Leroy on a crotch rocket!

Bitch be a category fo'! So grab yo' chirren, yo'

Ho, be leavin yo crib, and head fo' da nearest

guv'ment off ice fo yo FREE shit!

Chickens coming home to roost?

2008-05-17T12:21:00.005-05:00

I realize this post may not be in the best taste. If it offends anyone, I'm truly sorry, but the media is really biased. This is the rest of the story. Tell it like it is...

Today, Ted Kennedy suffered what is first described as stroke-like symptoms, later diagnosed as seizures. I truly wish him well, as I would anyone with a similar condition, although my political views are quite different.

The reason for this post is that all the news coverage is expounding on his virtues and those of his family. They are a family of elitists, believing the law does not apply to them. A bit of a reality check is in order:

http://tinyurl.com/4yec27

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Massachusetts), drove a car off a bridge on Massachusetts' Chappaquiddick Island in 1969 after a party. The accident killed aide Mary Jo Kopechne, and controversy over the incident effectively ended the Massachusetts senator's presidential aspirations.

His son Edward Jr. had his right leg amputated in 1973 because of cancer; his son Patrick, now a congressman, sought treatment for cocaine addiction as a teen-ager in 1986.

His nephew, William Kennedy Smith, was accused of rape in 1991 at the family estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He was acquitted.

Bush encourages increase in illegal immigration!

2008-05-12T10:05:00.004-05:00

The President has basically given the go-ahead for illegals to storm the border in 3 weeks. Drugs smuggling will also increase. That is the date he is pulling out the National Guard troops. They were supposed to be there until the Border Patrol had grown to 18,000. The Border Patrol is not there yet but Bush is pulling the Guard troops out anyway.

If I were someone smuggling illegals or drugs I would be overjoyed! "Hey guys, let's just wait until they leave the Border Patrol to handle it shorthanded."

This administration and the Presidential candidates have done NOTHING to secure our borders. Our justice department has prosecuted Border Patrol agents for doing their job and NOTHING has been done! We have a National Guard, but as I see it there is a question as to what nation they are guarding, Iraq, Mexico, or the US.

There was a segment on "60 Minutes" (you know, the extremely non-biased investigative voice of the far left) regarding the level of medical care afforded to illegals while being held in detention while waiting for deportation.

We, the taxpayer are paying for this medical care and also the high costs of confinement for these illegals. One suggestion is to deport them as they are arrested instead of sending them to a detention center. We could also speed up the deportation process.

Some of these illegals are even FILING LAWSUITS (with Obama a shoo-in the ACLU has to have something to do) for poor medical treatment. I assure you, the treatment they are getting is far superior to the treatment they could get in their own country. If they don't thinks so then they should just GO HOME!

Once again, I have nothing but respect for LEGAL IMMIGRANTS to our country. They are and have been contributing to the greatness of our nation.

If someone comes here illegally, flaunting our laws, what kind of citizen could they be? They would not feel they have to wait in lines at restaurants, doctors offices or gas stations. They do KILL to get what they want and in front of others. Yeah, we really want those people here.

I would like someone to declare Crawford, TX a sanctuary city.

What Lies Underneath?

2008-05-05T07:24:00.002-05:00

It's the VICE-PRESIDENTS that will make the difference in this election.

If McCain is elected, he has a good chance of not living through his term of office. After all, he IS 71.

The same might be true for Obama.

It's surprising Hillary has lived this long.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

That being said, Barack has an awful lot of explaining to do. Hillary is an open book albeit a horror story. McCain is a hero, but a little senile.

What would happen if McCain should suffer a heart attack before the election.

I would like to see the only people's candidate surface as the conventions approach.

Thank Heaven Ron Paul is still on the ballot!

Obama Supresses Freedon of Speech!

2008-04-28T15:01:00.002-05:00

The following is a direct cut and paste from Obama's website. Make up your own mind about this guy.

CAN I TALK TO THE PRESS?

We ask that you under no circumstances talk to press before or during your time in North Carolina.
We also ask that you do not blog about your experience.
Unfortunately, if you do talk to the press you may be asked to halt volunteer activities with the campaign.

Thank You

Thank you for being a part of the North Carolina campaign! If you haven't received information about where you will be going in North Carolina within 48 hours of your sign-up, please follow-up with us at ncgotv@barackobama.com.

2nd Amendment: Right or Privilege

2008-04-19T14:41:00.003-05:00

The following is a quote from Senator Obama's website:

PROTECTING GUN RIGHTS

Respect the Second Amendment: Millions of hunters own and use guns each year. Millions more participate

in a variety of shooting sports such as sporting clays, skeet, target and trap shooting that may not necessarily

involve hunting. As a former constitutional law professor, Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment

creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He will

protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the

purposes of hunting and target shooting. He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and

commonsense regulation.

Why does he want to eliminate concealed carry permits for law abiding, background checked citizens?

If Obama thinks the 2nd Amendment is subject to regulation how does he feel about the rest of the Bill of Rights. How does he feel about civil rights? Is "all men are created equal" subject to commonsense regulation?

Scary stuff, folks!

Elitest? I think not!

2008-04-14T17:04:00.003-05:00

Folks, I'm a poker player and as such call a spade a spade.

The opponents of Obama are calling him an "eletist". A long time ago the work would have been "uppity". His remarks about the people of Pennsylvania being "bitter" just let us know that his true colors are showing. He is against the 2nd Amendment even more than Clinton. Why does he want an unarmed citizenry?

He said the people are clinging to their religion. What's wrong with that? Does he think that they are infidels? C'mon Barack Heussein Obama, let it all out!

John McCain was not my first choice for President, but now he is the ONLY choice. I will support him.

I've always been told that where there is smoke, there is fire. All this "smoky" information about Obama being a Muslim may have merit. It is reported as a young man he also traveled to Pakistan. What did he do there? Did he also go to Jerusalem on that trip? This guy just scares the hell out of me.

360 Degrees

2008-04-04T13:54:00.002-05:00

Well folks, they have finally done it. We have now completed the circle back to segregation. Is Obama proud of himself for stirring up this shit?

I heard today the "black" national anthem. I guess this means "The Star Spangled Banner" is the "white" national anthem. The Rev. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have finally done it. I guess we should go back to "black" and "white" restrooms and water fountains. Is this what Obama is all about?

Now, before you get your panties in a wad, I assure you I respect MLK and all he did for civil rights. All men ARE created equal. All men DO have equal rights.
But for the blacks to have their own national anthem is demostrative of how they are thinking. They want their own, separate country.

I guess the trend is for every ethnic group to want their own America. This is not what our forefathers envisioned, but it's what we have. Open the gates and let everyone in, just be sure you know how to feed and house them.

I'm glad I'm so old. I would not want to live in the USA in 20 years the way things are going. We will have a black army, a mexican-american army and a white army. The Southwest will be all Hispanic, the Northeast will be all black, and there will be a few white folks spread out throughout the Midwest and Southeast. The Northwest will be the new center of the whites. The white capitol will be Spokane or Seattle, the black capitol will be Washington, DC, the Hispanic capitol will be Los Angeles and Texas will still have Austin.

black national anthem... horseshit!

Hillary Steps In It!

2008-03-25T17:07:00.002-05:00

Why did she do it?
Why did she lie about Bosnia?

John McCain really DID dodge sniper fire!

Just another example of character and lack of the same.

Obama and his religious leader are still in the news.

There is no end of material for a post, but it's almost overwhelming.

The DHS says it wants to eliminate the lucrative jobs in this country so illegals will stay home. I think our free trade policies have done that for them.

So much material, so little time.

Obama- American?

2008-02-26T06:44:00.002-06:00

The GOM is voting for Hillary in the Texas primary! I'll vote differently in November of course, but Obama must be stopped.

I hate to admit it, but Bill was right. This guy is a joke. His rhetorical skills on on par with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, his cohorts in this master plan, but his substance and character are certainly suspect. When he is giving a speech the words just flow. When he must think about what he is saying, however, he stops and stutters so much one wonders if he is even literate.

How can ANY American not be aware they are passing Dealey Plaza?

In an article in the New York Times:
“Right around the corner is the John Kennedy Memorial; everyone all around me was talking about it,” said Imogene Covin, a Democratic activist from Dallas. “In the back of my mind, it’s a possibility that something might happen because he’s something to gawk at right now. But you know why I think he will be safe? He has a broad range of people behind him.”
That afternoon, Mr. Obama’s motorcade passed Dealey Plaza and the Texas Book Depository building, where the fatal shot was fired at President Kennedy in 1963. Several campaign aides looked out their windows, silently absorbing the scene.
Not so for Mr. Obama, who later said he had not realized he was passing the site. And no one in his car pointed it out.
“I’ve got to admit, that’s not what I was thinking about,” he said. “I was thinking about how I was starting to get a head cold and needed to make sure that I cleared up my nose before I got to the arena.”
Copyright © 2008 The New York Times

2008-02-15T11:35:00.002-06:00

I got an email today that is one of the funniest I have ever received. I decided to share it here on the GOM Files.

Friends:I bought a new Ford F-350 crew cab and returned to the dealer the next day because I couldn't get the radio to work. The salesman explained that the radio was voice activated. 'Nelson,' the salesman said to the radio. The radio replied, 'Ricky or Willie?' 'Willie!' he continued and 'On The Road Again' came from the speakers. Then he said, 'Ray Charles!' and in an instant, 'Georgia On My Mind' replaced Willie Nelson. I drove away happy, and for the next few days, every time I'd say, 'Beethoven,' I'd get beautiful classical music, and if I said, 'Beatles, I'd get one of their awesome songs. Yesterday, a couple ran a red light and nearly creamed my new truck, but I swerved in time to avoid them. I yelled, 'Idiots!' Immediately the French National Anthem began to play, sung by Jane Fonda and Barbara Streisand, backed up by Michael Moore and The Dixie Chicks, with John Kerry on guitar, Al Gore on drums, Dan Rather on harmonica, Nancy Pelosi on tambourine, Harry Reid on spoons, Bill Clinton on sax and Ted Kennedy on Scotch. I love this truck.

2008-02-10T12:51:00.000-06:00

A lady wrote the best letter in the editorials In ages!!! It explains things better than allThe baloney you hear on TV.

Her point:

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration.Certain people are angry that the US might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and, once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house.

Let's say that when you discover me in your house, you insist that I leave.But I say, 'No! I like it here.

It's better than my house. I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors. I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest (except for when I broke into your house).

According to the protesters:

You are Required to let me stay in your house
You are Required to feed me
You are Required to add me to your family's insurance plan
You are Required to Educate my kids
You are Required to Provide other benefits to me & to my family (my husband will do all of your yard work because he is also hard-working and honest, except for that breaking in part).

If you try to call the police or force me out, I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my RIGHT to be there.
It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm a hard-working and honest, person, except for well,you know, I did break into your house and what a deal it is for me!!! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, andthere is nothing you can do about it without being accused of cold, uncaring, selfish, prejudiced, and bigoted behavior. Oh yeah, I DEMAND that you learn MY LANGUAGE!!! So you can communicate with me.

Why can't people see how ridiculous this is? Only in America .

GOD BLESS AMERICA, for we need all the help we can get when we have politicians who are too stupid or crooked to do anything about an ILLEGAL immigration problem that seems too big for their small minds to solve.

-- "That whenever any From of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.".

Follow-up on Charter

2008-01-25T09:42:00.001-06:00

As promised, here is the follow-up.

I received an email and 2 phone calls from Charter. All were apologetic, but none gave any hope of retrieving the lost emails. Account is working properly now, but I'm glad I'm not still a road warrior depending on a webmail account for my job performance.

I guess Charter is no worse that any other company in today's world. None have what I consider customer service.

Charter Strikes Again!

2008-01-23T05:35:00.001-06:00

Things have been going pretty well with Charter Communications, until this morning.

The link below will explain the beginnings of the ordeal but when I called the number listed I got a recording that it was not available from my area. When I tried the "live chat" it too, was unavailable at this time. Is Charter going out of business?

An email was sent to the VP of Support. I'll let you know the results in a future post.

Stay tuned

http://tinyurl.com/248jnr

What's Happening

2008-01-22T15:21:00.001-06:00

Because we don't enforce our borders

This is happening now. The eagle is crying.

Voter Fraud? Of Course Not!

2008-01-19T14:17:00.000-06:00

While watching the Democratic caucus in Nevada today, the thought came to mind that it looked like the election of a third world country. What has this nation come to? Where is the dignity of a Reagan, a Kennedy, an Eisenhower, a Carter?

They needed interpreters to understand what was going on! Does that give you a clue as to what is coming in our election? To become a citizen one must learn English! This election will be nothing but a sham paid for by the taxpayers of the USA for the benefit of the government of Mexico.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

I thought at one time that I would always live in the greatest nation on earth. If the people in this country don't take hold of this country and these politicians I will still be alive to see the fall of the USA. That is a sad thought. Even sadder is the thought that what we knew as the USA will not be here for our children.

Pet Peeve

2008-01-11T11:24:00.000-06:00

The GOM has re-entered the world of commerce. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to order your sheet of stickers to place on the windshield of any cars you see illegally parked in handicapped spaces. The GOM will not rant on these idiots today, he might explode.

Coffee and Retirement

2008-01-08T07:22:00.000-06:00

How did we get here? I've seen and somewhat understand the rise of Starbuck's. The Boomers had to have a place to get their upgraded coffee to which they feel entitled. Now I see McDonald's is jumping in to the specialty coffee business.

Will any of the people that have, or will have paid upwards of $50 per gallon for their coffee over the period of their lives ever regret it?

Let's see how many senior citizens living on Social Security in the coming years will be ordering thier egg mcmuffin with a double latte mocha caramel frappachino with double whipped cream. Will Mickey D still offer the simple "senior coffee"?

I can't wait to see the circus at my local McDonald's, the one mentioned in a previous post. Maybe they can understand "Starbuck's speak" better than they do English.

What's Really Important

2008-01-07T08:26:00.000-06:00

Sorry it's been a while since the last post. I've just been too upset by the latest news. Since Thursday the GOM has been riveted to the TV following the terrible tragedy that has befallen one of America's greatest icons, Brittany Spears.

COME ON PEOPLE! How can this Brittany crap have such a hold on the American people? And more significant, how can it dominate the media? There have almost been more stories about her than the slanted stories we are getting about the primaries.

All the candidates should be heard! ALL! The exclusion of one of the viable Republican candidates from a debate is nothing less that censorship. Ask yourself, Why does the media and RNC want to silence Ron Paul?

I don't necessarily support him, but he has the right to be heard. Our elections are controlled in this country by the media. They determine what candidates are seen and heard. They run polls with questions designed to enhance their candidate's position.

We have become a nation of sheep in this country. We are being led by the media which is owned by the extremely wealthy 1% of this country, not the masses. Only a few media people get it right, a very few.

The GOM doesn't care who you vote for, as long as you vote with an informed opinion. If you vote, know who and what you are voting for. Take part in this wonderful privilege we have in this country, at least for now.

First Game of 2008!

2008-01-03T09:22:00.000-06:00

The GOM at work.

A nice pot.

First game of the New Year! I wish I didn't look so dead. Note to self: get some sun.

McDonald's and the Illegal Immigration Crisis

2008-01-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

The standard disclaimer applies to this post. Please understand the difference between immigrants and ILLEGAL ALIENS.

The GOM visited a local McDonald's over the holidays. As I waited in the line, there was only one ahead of me, four different customers approached the counter with complaints about their orders. There were 5 or 6 people behind the counter screaming at each other in a language I didn't understand. It used to be that McDonald's used a lot of young people and even retirees to staff their stores. Not any more! The use the cheapest labor they can get. McDonald's employees used to try to get the orders right. Now they either don't care or can't tell the difference, or both.

The person ahead of me was served and then the register attendant joined the others in the screaming match. I was approached by a 70-75 year old lady who very nicely asked me why there was no one in the restaurant that spoke good English. I told her that I was not the person to answer that. She then stated that they should all move back to Mexico. I laughed and asked in a loud voice if there was anyone who could take my order. One of them broke away from the jibber jabber and took the order.

If ICE were to conduct raids on all the McDonald's I don't think there would be enough employees left to lock up the doors. There was not ONE Caucasian in this restaurant, which was in an upscale area of town, not in the barrio.

When will the population WAKE UP? These ILLEGAL ALIENS are going to find a way to VOTE! We need to have representation in DC that will stand up to the corporate lobbyists. Our politicians are SELLING our country.

2008 Is Here

2007-12-30T11:31:00.000-06:00

The holidays are behind us. Whew, glad that's over with. The holidays are kinda tough on the GOM. I'm very grateful for the friends and family I have.

New Year's resolutions aren't any different this year, except to play more LDP. Chasing is foolish but sometimes common sense just forsakes me.

I'm also going to improve my skills at different games. Pot limit Omaha might even be one of them although I doubt it.

A trip to LA or OK is in the works for February.

Our local poker group has been renamed to the Fort Worth Poker Network. A new website is in the works. I know the Energizer Bunny will do a great job building the site. We are trying to expand our knowledge of this great game.
There are several quite talented players in the group and I know I can learn from them.

I'd like to see less emphasis on NLHE and more on some of the other games. Since table selection is such an important part of success, the "right" table may not be NLHE.

More later, and Happy New Year to all!

The Holidays

2007-12-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

Well Folks, the holidays are here! Some of us have been waiting all year for this week of family gatherings, endless football, and gorging ourselves on holiday treats.

The GOM, however, only sees it as another week. Yes, I'll watch a lot of football, and I actually like fruitcake. This is the time of year when I really miss family. The one family member I was really close to succumbed to illness this past year. He is really missed. My daughter is with her mother in Florida. I'll get to talk to her on the phone but I'm still here by myself. Oh well, it's not the first time and it won't be the last, I'm sure.

There will be some good poker this week though. I used to love this week when I lived in Las Vegas. The tourists came and just loved to pass out the money. The holiday weekends were always profitable. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, made no difference, they were there and so was profit at the tables.

I wish each of you everything you wish for yourself, health, happiness and prosperity.

See you all next year!

Topsy Turvey!

2007-12-17T16:41:00.000-06:00

Well Folks, this week is SNAFU.

To start with, the GOM Files was temporarily blocked cause some robot thought it might be a spam site! Can you imagine the GOM as a spammer? Well, maybe spam & eggs, but that's only when in dire straits. I didn't know robots COULD think.

I'm moving on Thursday to a smaller apartment, but this one has a walk-in shower and is more accessible. The GOM can't get around like he used to. It also has tile floors in the area where I'm putting the computer and the kitchen. I can just roll to the coffee pot in my office chair. WHEEE!

Charter Communicaations will have to move the cable and internet service. THAT scares me. (read 1st post)

With all that's going on in the Presidential race, we all have to be careful not to get covered up with total BS. Democrats endorsing Republicans? Hang on!

More later, as I try to sort this all out.

It All Begins at Home

2007-12-13T17:15:00.000-06:00

The following is an email I received from a teacher in response to my entry on the educational crisis. I feel her ideas deserve a post of their own. This is from a lady that has been teaching for 30 years. Maybe we ALL should have been listening to her for the past 30 years!

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"You left out the most important reason. PARENTS! They have brought their children up with no moral compass. Even students who say they are regular church goers haven't learned how to put the "do unto others" thing into practice. They are always on the lookout for some slight, however. We do the best with what they give us which, as each year goes by, is worse and worse. It is standard at parent teacher conferences for parents to say, "my child never lies," or "my child would never do that." Their children have trained them well.

Parents want their children to outdo the neighbors' children and have put the emphasis on grades and not learning. What did you learn today has been replaced with what grade did you get. They will get the grade by any means possible, but they won't learn a damned thing. Other parents don't care about their children - particularly parents of low performing students like I am stuck with all day. I won't even mention the rudeness and insults we have to put up with. Nostradamus and the Incas predicted the end of the earth would come in 2012. Maybe it's just as well."

*********************************************************************

The GOM's Thoughts:

Yes, it starts with the parents, but let's not fall in to the trap of blaming misconduct and making wrong decisions solely on a kid's home environment. The parents can guide, try to instill the right values, punish, praise, and pray, but if their kid succumbs to peer pressure, the parents can almost give up. I say almost because one never wants to give up on their kids.

Our Education Crisis

2007-12-13T09:26:00.000-06:00

The politicians are saying we have an education crisis in the US. They are right.
Our kids are not testing as well as kids from other countries. This is not acceptable if we want to continue to be the leader of the free world.
The problem, however, is NOT with our teachers, our education system, or the curriculum.
It's with what they have to work with, the STUDENTS.

The problem as I see it is twofold:

First, the overcrowding:

Our classrooms are overfilled with illegal aliens that don't speak English. If they can't speak the language, how can they learn? Yes, these children deserve an education. Put them in special schools funded by confiscated drug money, with teachers that are illegal aliens themselves. Or, let them all go to the many wonderful church sponsored schools. The churches feel that these people should be here, let the churches support them. The nuns could put the fear of God into some of them.

Second, the mindset of students:

There is a high percentage of kids in our schools whose role models are professional athletes, making millions without an education. They think " if I can bounce a ball or catch a pass I don't need anything else." The examples set by a lot of today's pro athletes are pathetic.

There are also the kids that think all they need to do to make millions is be a drug dealer. After all, these guys have the Hummers, lots of cash, bling, etc. What a role model.

Then there are the kids that think all they need to do is be able to talk a bunch of gibberish to a beat and they will become the next big rapper. Good luck on that one.

If a kid wants to belong to a group, he/she joins a gang and roams the streets just taking what they want. Tougher law enforcement and parental control is the solution here.

THE SOLUTION IS NOT WITH THE GOVERNMENT, IT'S WITH THE PEOPLE!

Don't Tear Off That Mattress Tag- You Could Be Next

2007-12-11T22:38:00.000-06:00

The following article appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Naturally the police would go after poker players, as they have already taken care of the rest of the crime. The federal government is also involved with shutting down internet gambling, especially now that our borders are secure and all the graft in government has been eliminated.

Police go after poker games in which house takes cut

By ANNA M. TINSLEY
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Dec 10, 2007

Dan Michalski likes nothing more than to sit at a table and play Texas hold 'em.

But it's been harder for the North Texas man to find a good game lately, because Dallas police keep raiding everything from VFW halls to underground poker games, ticketing players, arresting operators and confiscating everything from the chips to the tables.

Players fear that the crackdown on poker won't stop at city borders, but spread throughout the state as long as Texas outlaws the games where the house gets a percentage of the pot.

"It's a shame," said Michalski, a poker blogger, player and editor of pokerati.com. "It's not like the people running these rooms are getting rich. A lot of people in good rooms are just trying to provide a service. What's wrong with them being able to pay the rent, buy food, with the money?

"This is frustrating, to say the least," he said. "These laws themselves are questionable."

Police say they are following the law, which says poker games in which the house gets a percentage of the pot, a rake, are illegal.

And police say they're going to track them down and bust them.

In recent years, raids of organized poker games where the house gets a rake have picked up in Dallas, and now Tarrant County law enforcement is pledging to shut down illegal gambling.

"If we find it and it's in our jurisdiction, then we're going to work it," said Mike Johnston, executive chief deputy of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department. "We haven't run across an ongoing poker situation where the house gets a cut.

"But with all the World Series of Poker on TV, it's naive to say it's not going on," he said. "If we find it, we'll get warrants and shut them down."

This in a state where former gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman once joked, "We invented Texas hold 'em here, [but] we can't even play it."

A friendly game?

Friendly poker games, where players collect the full amount of the pot, are not illegal.

It's when the house gets a percentage -- whether for food, utilities or anything else -- that it becomes illegal.

State lawmakers have unsuccessfully proposed bills to expand gambling: measures ranging from allowing Texas hold 'em at licensed bars and restaurants with the state getting a cut to letting voters decide whether the state should allow full casinos.

Those legislative efforts will likely continue, as the state looks for new revenue and realizes how many Texans gamble in neighboring states.

But until the law changes, Texas law enforcement officials say they're going to do their best to shut down illegal poker games.

In Dallas this year, there have been at least six busts of illegal poker games, with police issuing Class A misdemeanor tickets for running or promoting gambling and Class C misdemeanor tickets for gambling.

"We don't go out looking for these types of operations," said Dallas Deputy Police Chief Julian Bernal, commander of vice and narcotics. "The community is calling us repeatedly with these locations. When we get the citizen complaints, we're going to respond."

Bernal said that during the busts, police confiscate anything poker related: from the tables and chairs to the chips and money.

Tarrant County deputies haven't gotten many tips on illegal poker games and haven't come across many during their quest to shut down the eight-liner video game industry.

"It hasn't been an issue," Johnston said. "But the sheriff has been very proactive in taking a pretty hard stance on something that violates the gaming statute."

Recent raids

Several Dallas poker rooms were closed this year after police raided Veterans of Foreign Wars halls and confiscated poker paraphernalia.

Many Class C misdemeanor charges from a raid on a VFW post in Dallas were dismissed, but prosecutors are moving ahead with charges against the operators.

Dallas lawyer Bob Hinton represents one person charged with operating the April game, Brenda Wigington, and was in court recently on her behalf.

He filed a motion to suppress the evidence, which is expected to be heard in February, because, he said, he believes that the affidavit for a search warrant won't stand up in court.

But Hinton said he doesn't understand why some of the poker games are being targeted.

"All of these lodges -- VFW, Elks, whatever -- they all do this: play poker," he said. "It's just good, clean fun.

"They say since the house was taking a small percentage to pay the light bill, then that's illegal. From a practical standpoint, this is how they were able to raise money for charitable things. This wasn't something about profit."

Nationwide attention

News of the Dallas busts quickly traveled through newspapers and on the Internet.

Recently, even comedian Drew Carey became interested, filming a segment about the story for Reason.tv, a Web site home to a collection of libertarian videos.

"Poker is about as American as baseball and apple pie," Carey said on the broadcast. "It was born here in America. Mark Twain loved it. He's a great American.

"Until recently, Supreme Court justices had a monthly game. They're great Americans," Carey said. "You'd think playing poker in a VFW hall would be about as American as anything you could do."

Michalski says he's moving to Las Vegas after Christmas.

"It's frustrating to saw the least," said Michalski, 35. "These laws in Texas are outdated. ... It's not what it used to be."

ANNA M. TINSLEY, 817-390-7610
atinsley@star-telegram.com

ICE-Where are they when you need them?

2007-12-11T09:20:00.000-06:00

Please understand that the following post is in reference to ILLEGAL aliens, what we used to call "wetbacks". I have the utmost respect for legal immigrants to this country. I respect the Mexican people. There was a time in my life I thought about moving to Mexico. I still would if not for the drug cartels and gangs. The Mexican culture and way of life is enviable. They know how to live and enjoy life.

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I'm sitting at my window looking out at a dreary day. The complex where I live is doing some major renovations and there are workers outside everywhere. I would really like to see what would happen if a Border Patrol or ICE van drove by real slow. None of these workers speak English. If I thought ICE would do anything I'd call them.

It would be different if these people worked like wetbacks used to. Now they take their time and stand around a lot. Seems like it takes five of them to do what one would in the past I remember.

Wetbacks of old also were glad to be here. They appreciated what they got and either sent any extra money back to their families or saved it. They live quietly and were eager to work. They were respectful of laws, not wanting to attract attention to themselves.

The wetbacks today feel entitled to all the rights of citizens. They spend their money on drugs, beer, loud music, cars that bounce, pants that don't fit and hats that they wear backwards. They breed like rabbits so their offspring will be born here and some sympathetic liberals will not want to separate families.

Have you ever heard a quiet wetback? Why do they have to be so loud with their jibberish?

The reason they all come to work in one van is because only one can read the street signs.

Yes, they do hard manual labor. They are covering a block wall with stone in front of my apartment. It does look better. The problem is that I know two stonemasons that are out of work and bid on this job. They are local US citizens. Wonder why they didn't get the job?

Oops!

2007-12-09T07:57:00.000-06:00

Seems as though the previous post about the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe was debunked. Sorry for that, but I got it from what I thought was a reliable source.

I do admit errors when they occur.

It's still a good recipe though!

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

A Little Info

2007-12-07T16:17:00.000-06:00

Hi Folks,

I am the GOM (grouchy old man). I live alone in Texas with my scrawny old cat named Chips.

I have become grouchier as I have gotten older. The world is not as it was in my youth. It is worse. I have become more aware of this since I have become disabled. It has become my mission to change what I can, but NOT accept what I cannot. I have little to do but sit at the computer and right wrongs.

Some of my causes involve the total lack of "customer service" in this country, the fact that our elected officials are selling our chance at prosperity to benefit their own, and the increased eroding of our constitutional rights.

I'll update this blog as I can.

For those of you of like mind, welcome aboard!

For those of you that don't know what is happening, avail yourselves of the evening news, CNN, this or many other blogs.

For those that don't care, stay out of my way.

More later, there's a poker game starting.

RIP, Chip Reese

2007-12-07T15:46:00.000-06:00

A sad day, what a gentleman!

http://tinyurl.com/ysus4q

Charter Customer "Support"

2007-12-07T15:33:00.000-06:00

OK folks, this is the first blog entry of the GOM. Frustration forced me to do this.

John Higgins is the VP of Customer Support at Charter Communications.

Mr. Higgins,

I sent the following to your customer service dept. Once again it took 15 minutes to get to someone who handled "ICOM" accounts. When I did get someone, I couldn't hear them well. I asked them to move their mike closer to their mouth. Their accent was not understandable. Since my internet issue was handled to my satisfaction on Nov 16th, I have had to have my DVR box replaced.....twice. I was attempting to log in to my account to check my statement today and ran in to some problems. Yes, I am an senior citizen, and my memory is not so good sometimes, but I can usually remember my login info. I don't expect you to do anything about this, just try to get your people trained a little better, make it a little easier to log on to your website, and improve your internal phone system. I would rather go to the dentist than call Charter.

Sincerely,

The following sent through Charter Customer Support System on 12-7-2007 about 11:30 AM

"I cannot log in to my account. I spent 15 minutes on the phone jumping through hoops and gave up. I cannot remember my user name. I do not know the randomly assigned security code or how to get it. I do know my account number. Your website sends me through loops. I will not use the website any longer. I will now pay my bills through regular mail. You try to make simple things complicated. I just wanted to log in to my account. Charter is without a doubt the most frustrating company I have ever dealt with in my 63 years, and that includes Social Security and the US government. If you need evidence of the reason for my frustration just look at my account activity. Three service calls to get internet, I'm on my third DVR box, and I have only had the service 6 weeks. I'm sending a copy of this to John Higgins at your corporate office for his information."