Sunday, July 29, 2012

RANDOM SHOTS - Hollywood Is Responsible For Aurora Movie Massacre, U.N. Arms Treaty Fails, Coffee Is A Wonder Drug, And Much More!


FIRST SHOT!

I Blame Hollywood For The Movie Massacre In Aurora Colorado - Let's Ban Extremely Violent Movies!

Enough is enough! Hollywood is out of control! Let's bring back the Hays Code!

Popularly known as the Hays Code because of Hollywood's chief censor of the time, William Hays, the Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry moral censorship guidelines that governed the production of most United States motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968.

It's time to reinstate the Motion Picture Production Code to curb copycat violence.

Why? Because their excuse for all of the blood and violence is realism, but Hollywood's idea of realism is not real. For them, realism is an America with a soaked in blood.

Hollywood seems to love carnage and destruction of human life. It's as if they seek to inspire it!

Hollywood's idea of realism is blood splattering and characters like the "Joker". Their idea of life is always "surreal" - and God, I hate the term "surreal"!

Surrealism is an event depicted to resemble a dream. Surrealism is defined as "a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art and literature that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind."

So have succeeded in their effort to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind?

Well, they have! They've helped release the creative potential of the unconscious mind of those bend on killing others!

And really, what I don't understand is why no one has called for a ban on these extremely violent movies. That's what should be banned in America - not guns, but the movies that inspire bloodshed.

Please understand where I'm coming from on this. Hollywood is over the top. They influence the public, like it or not. They can inspire greatness, and horrible acts from those wanting to copy what they see on screen.

No one ever walked into a movie theatre with the intent of killing as many people as possible before Hollywood put it in a film. Never in the history of the United States has that ever taken place - until Hollywood showed  it in a movie.

Has anything like the Aurora Colorado movie massacre ever happened before? Yes, but only on film! And yes, James Eagan Holmes took notes!

Like an instructional video, Hollywood gave a detailed depiction of how it could be done. And yes, James Eagan Holmes took notes!

Who thinks of killing like that? Who came up with the idea first? Well, fact is, it was not the killer who massacred all of those people in Aurora. Fact is, it was the demented mind of someone in Hollywood.

Someone in Hollywood came up with the idea first. Someone else in Hollywood thought it was a great idea. Someone else said let's film it. A bunch of people were involved in the creation of the demented idea. And yes, Hollywood liked it enough to but that kind of carnage in a movie.

Someone liked it so much that he wanted to do it himself. Yes, James Eagan Holmes took notes!

And honestly, I really believe that James Eagan Holmes would have never have thought of doing it in the exact way he did it - if Hollywood hadn't put the idea in his head and instructed him how to get it done.

And now, there's more proof that Hollywood is responsible for the mayhem and mass murder?

Believe it or not, there are people out there who want to compete with Holmes and show who really can be the most evil "Joker."  It's as if there is now a contest as to who can match the demented mind of "The Dark Knight" director Chris Nolan's evil "Joker" character? 

Proof?

Well, believe it or not, James Eagan Holmes has someone who likes what he did - and truly believes he can do it even better!

So much so that the "Copycat" is threatening his place of work in Washington, D.C.

Supposedly when "The Dark Knight" director Chris Nolan created Heath Ledger’s evil "Joker" character, he didn’t intent on inspiring deranged people to pick up weapons and imitate the behavior of a fictional mass-murdering clown.

Supposedly he didn't want the Aurora shooting to happen, yet that's what has happened. He may have started a trend for the insane. Follow Hollywood, and you too can be a maniac who wants to carry out horrible acts of violence.

Chris Nolan's demented idea of entertainment has given birth to James Eagan Holmes who shot up the theatre in Aurora, Colorado, and also now it appears that Nolan's "Joker" character has inspired more than we might know about.

James Eagan Holmes has competition for the title "Joker."  So yes, no matter how sick they are - more are out there.

“We believe a significant threat has been averted,” officials said in a press conference today about the search of Neil Edwin Prescott’s home - where police and ATF officers found numerous guns and ammunition.


Neil Edwin Prescott
 Police from several jurisdictions searched the home in Crofton, Maryland, Thursday night after alleged threats referencing the "Joker" were made earlier in the week.

Law enforcement sources told News4 that Prescott made more than one phone call Monday to a coworker, in which he made threats toward his employer - a subcontractor for Pitney Bowes - which was ready to fire him.

Prescott was upset about prospect of losing his job and he told his co-worker, "I’m gonna load my guns and blow everybody up," according to a search warrant.

Law enforcement sources told News4′s Pat Collins that Prescott made threats - saying something to the effect of - "You don’ t know who the real Joker is. I am the real Joker."

When Pitney Bowes heard this alleged threat, they called authorities.

Prescott's weapons
Even if Prescott had no intention of actually doing anything, his behavior and possessions indicated otherwise.

Early reports indicated that he had 13 guns registered in his name, a number which dwarfed by the actual, terrifying arsenal that police seized, which included over 20 weapons, as well as 40 steel boxes containing 8 different kinds of ammunition.

Prescott was also arrested while wearing a shirt that read, "Guns don’t kill people. I do."

Prescott has not been charged with anything, having not committed any crimes yet, but is being evaluated at a mental health facility in the Washington D.C. area.

I guess since there's no crime for being as dumb as a bag of poi, he'll probably go home and do something very stupid later. And yes, I can only pray that the jerkweed doesn't hurt any one!

I know Hollywood will never take responsibility for what it encourages. Bringing back government regulation into the film industry by bringing back the Motion Picture Production Code (Hayes Code) is a step in the right direction.

It we stop film makers from trying their best to out-do each other with more and more violence. It will stop the sick from thinking that what they see in a film is possible.

Why should Hollywood scream for more environmental and social government regulation, when they aren't regulated - but should be?

Besides, since most in Hollywood are liberal big government types, I'm sure they wouldn't mind being regulated by the government. After all, it's for the children!

SECOND SHOT!

Let's Celebrate - The United Nations Failed At Obtaining Global Gun-Control For Now!

The United Nations member states have failed to reach agreement on a new treaty to regulate the multi- Billion dollar global arms trade. They have failed in their effort to have a say over our right to arm ourselves.

Some diplomats and treaty supporters blamed the United States for triggering the unraveling of the month-long negotiating conference.

Wow, a whole month! They think that that is all it takes to disarm Americans. They are obviously delusional!

For those wanting to disarm Americans, hopes were high! They thought their dream agreement was in reach on a revised treaty text.

But the United States announced Friday morning that it needed more time to consider the proposed treaty - and Russia and China then also asked for more time.

Why the need for more time?  Well, a group of 51 United States Senators threatened to oppose the global treaty if it falls short in protecting our constitutional right to bear arms.

In a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Senators expressed serious concerns with the draft treaty that has circulated at the United Nations, saying that it signals an expansion of Gun-Control that would be unacceptable.

The United States Constitution's Second Amendment offers broad protection for weapons ownership by our citizens. And yes, we want to keep it that way.

As recently as 2008, the Supreme Court affirmed it when it struck down a ban on handguns in the District of Columbia, ruling that individuals have a constitutional right to keep guns for self-defense and other purposes.

The court also has ruled separately that treaty obligations may not infringe on individual constitutional protections and rights within U.S. borders. This goes back at least to a 1920 ruling that a migratory bird treaty with Canada, which prohibited the hunting or capturing of certain birds, was an unconstitutional interference with states' rights under the 10th Amendment.

Treaties are government-to-government agreements and usually do not subject citizens of one nation to laws of another or to those of an outside body. But try telling that to the all powerful United Nations who wants global control.

From pollution standards, to the fraud called Global Warming, the Gun-Control and the rise of Socialism, the United Nations agenda is clear. The U.N. sees itself above sovereign nations. The see themselves as a sort of one world governing body making policies, raising taxes, and controlling the world.

They want us to be citizens of the world, and not Americans. It's because of this that we must stand vigilant to guard our sovereignty as a nation independent from others.

THIRD SHOT!


Coffee the Wonder Drug: Multiple Studies Show it Fights Dementia, Diabetes, Cancer

A morning cup of coffee may boost more than just your energy level.

A slew of new studies suggest coffee – once derided as a harmful stimulant – may improve your health by lowering the risk of diabetes, dementia, heart disease, and even some cancers.

Scientists aren’t sure exactly why coffee is protective. It contains healthful antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols including chlorogenic acids, which have been shown to prevent disease.

Coffee also contains minerals such as magnesium and chromium that help the body use insulin, which controls blood sugar.

Caffeine may be a factor, too, but many coffee studies have found decaf to be beneficial as well.

"The health benefits of coffee come from the antioxidants and polyphenols," noted Dr. Robert Newman, a certified nutritionist based on Long Island, N.Y.

Dozens of studies comparing the health of coffee drinkers and abstainers have found potential benefits of at least moderate consumption. More than half of American adults drink at least three cups of coffee a day on average, according to the National Coffee Association.

If you’re one of them, here’s what you need to know about the new findings that have researchers abuzz about coffee’s benefits.

Type 2 Diabetes

Harvard researchers found that coffee consumption is “associated with a substantially lower risk of Type 2 diabetes.”

Specifically, men and women who drank more than six cups daily were 35 percent less likely to have Type 2 diabetes than people who drank fewer than two cups daily.

Those who drank less – four to six cups – had a 28 percent lower risk than people who consumed fewer than two cups a day.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Doctors were once concerned about the cardiovascular effects of caffeine because it can raise a person’s heart rate and even cause palpitations.

But a study released in March 2010 by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research found coffee drinkers are actually less likely to be hospitalized for heart rhythm disturbances than non-drinkers.

A 2009 study of nurses enrolled in the long-running Nurses' Health Study found those who drank two to three cups of coffee a day had a 19 percent reduction in the risk of stroke.

Researchers from Harvard and the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid who conducted the study, published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, found greater consumption lowered the risk even further.

Cancer

In May of 2011, Harvard researchers released a study showing men who are heavy coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

As part of Harvard’s Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, scientists tracked 47,911 men and found those who consumed six or more cups a day were 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer over two decades than those who drank none.

Coffee drinkers were also 60 percent less likely to develop a lethal form of the disease. And even men who drank just one to three cups of coffee were nearly 30 percent less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer.

The study, published in the “Journal of the National Cancer Institute,” found it didn’t matter if the men drank regular or decaf.

In 2007, Italian researchers also reported coffee may lower the risk of developing liver cancer by as much 41 percent, based on a review of 10 major studies conducted in Europe and Japan.

Dementia and Alzheimer's

Studies of coffee drinkers in Europe have linked caffeine to a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

One 2009 study from Finland tracked 1,400 coffee drinkers for 20 years and found those who drank three to five cups of coffee daily in their 40s and 50s were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than nondrinkers or those consuming less. Several other smaller studies have reaching similar conclusions.

So please, have yourself a cup of coffee and feel good about what you're doing for yourself!

FOURTH SHOT!

Deep Sea Explorers Find Sunken World War II German U-Boat Off Massachusetts

BOSTON – Divers have discovered a World War II-era German submarine nearly 70 years after it sank under U.S. attack in deep waters off Nantucket.

The World War II German U-Boat (submarine) U-550 was found Monday by a seven-man group, some of whom have been searching for several years.

German submarine U-550 was a Type IXC/40 U-boat of the Kriegsmarine (the German Navy of Nazi Germany) built for service during World War II. She was launched on 12 May 1943 and commissioned on 28 July under the command of Kapitänleutnant (Captain Lieutenant, or Lieutenant Commander) Klaus Hänert.

After training with the 4th U-boat Flotilla, she was assigned to the 10th U-boat Flotilla on 1 February 1944 in Lorient in Nazi occupied France.

She sailed from Kiel on 6 February 1944, heading for the North Atlantic, via the gap between Iceland and the Faroe Islands and conducted weather reporting duties before sailing for Newfoundland and subsequently the northeast coast of the United States.

On 22 February, a Catalina flying boat of No. 162 Squadron RAF unsuccessfully attacked the Nazi U-boat south of Iceland. Though she wasn't sunk, two members of the U-boat's crew were killed.

On 16 April, south of Nantucket Island, she located convoy CU 21, bound for Great Britain from New York City.

The SS Pan-Pennsylvania, one of the largest tankers in the world, was unwisely straggling behind the convoy. U-550 torpedoed her.

The Pan-Pennsylvania quickly caught fire and began to sink. As the vessel settled, the submerged U-boat maneuvered underneath her hull in an effort to hide from the inevitable counterattack by the convoy's escorts.

Convoy CU-21 was escorted by Escort Division 22, consisting of Coast Guard-manned destroyer escorts reinforced by one Navy DE, the USS Gandy (DE-764), which took the place of the USS Leopold (DE-319), which had been lost in action the previous month.

The escort division's flagship, USS Joyce (DE-317) and the USS Peterson (DE-152) rescued the tanker's surviving crew, while the Joyce detected the U-boat on sonar as the Germans attempted to escape after hiding beneath the sinking tanker.

U-550's engineering officer later said, "We waited for your ship to leave. Soon we could hear nothing so we thought the escort vessels had gone. But, as soon as we started to move, bang!"

The USS Joyce delivered a depth-charge pattern that bracketed the submerged submarine. The depth charges were so well placed, a German reported, that one actually bounced off the U-boat's deck before it exploded.[4]

The attack severely damaged U-550 and forced her to the surface, where the German sailors manned and fired their deck guns. The USS Joyce, Peterson and Gandy returned fire. Gandy rammed U-550 abaft the conning tower and the Peterson dropped two depth charges which exploded near the U-boat's hull.

Realizing they were defeated, the U-boat's crew prepared scuttling charges and began abandoning their boat.

The USS Joyce rescued 13 of U-550's crew, one of whom later died from wounds received during the fire-fight. The remainder of the U-boatmen went down with their submarine.The  Joyce delivered the prisoners of war and the Pan Pennsylvania survivors to the authorities in Great Britain.

There is a grisly postscript to the sinking of U-550. According to the Eastern Sea Frontier's War Diary account of the sinking, some of the crew apparently survived the sinking and were trapped in a forward compartment. They tried to leave the U-boat as it lay on the ocean floor using their escape apparatus.

At 1515 hours, on 5 May 1944, the Coastal Picket Patrol CGR-3082 recovered a body from the sea at 39° 51′ NN. 71° 58′ W., about 93 miles (150 km) ESE of Ambrose.

The body was clothed in a German-type life jacket. From the markings on his clothing it was possible that the man's name was "Hube". A German escape lung was found near his body as well.

An autopsy performed on the body indicated that the individual died only five days before his remains were discovered – U-550 had been sunk on 16 April, the corpse was found 19 days later. The man was dead before the attack took place.

Two other bodies were subsequently found. The first, picked up by another picket boat, CGR-1989, at 1730 hours on 11 May, was fully clothed, had an escape lung and life jacket on. He was found in a rubber raft. Identification marks indicated the man was a German sailor named Wilhelm Flade, aged about 17. The body was transferred from CGR-1989 to CGR-1338 on the morning of 12 May 1944 and was brought to Tompkinsville on Staten Island.

On 16 May a third body was sighted and picked up by USS SC-630. It was stated that the uniform and insignia indicated the victim had been a German crewman, although he carried no identification; he had been in the water more than 18 days.

Further evidence is lacking to complete the apparent story of successful attempts made by certain men to escape from compartments in the vicinity of torpedo tubes or escape hatches. Curiously, the area was not entirely deserted by patrol vessels.

On the day following the torpedoing of the Pan Pennsylvania, a vessel was sent to the area to effect salvage operations or to sink the derelict tanker in order to remove such a menace to navigation. This merchant vessel spent some time in trying to sink with gunfire the still buoyant and burning hulk of the Pan Pennsylvania.

Questions were raised as to the possibility of some survivors having been able to reach the southern shore of Long Island, since the sub sank only 150 miles from Montauk Point - only 70 miles from Nantucket.

Although such considerations should not be dismissed, it is doubtful that men aboard the smallest type rubber rafts would be able to cover so great a distance without being detected before they reached shore.

The wreck of U-550 was discovered off the coast of Massachusetts on 23 July 2012, in waters about 70 miles south of Nantucket. A team of seven divers, lead by New Jersey attorney Joe Mazraani, located the wreck using sonar after a multi-year search. The team members were Joe Mazraani, Garry Kozak, Tom Packer, Steve Gatto, Eric Takakjian, Anthony Tedeschi and Brad Sheard.[7]

Mazraani said the next step is to contact any sailors or their families from the escort vessels, the tanker and the German U-boat to share the news and show the pictures. Another trip to the site is coming, he said, adding the investigation has just started.

It was the second trip in two years to the site by the team of divers, who were led by New Jersey lawyer Joe Mazraani. He said the group used sonar to locate the wreck in deep water about 70 miles south of Nantucket. The divers photographed the U-550, and Mazraani said a return trip is planned.

In April 1944, the U-550 torpedoed an Allied gasoline tanker, but was fatally damaged by depth charges from an escort vessel. Forty-four Germans were killed, and 25 aboard the tanker died.

There must be others, like me, who didn't know that German U-Boats were right of the East coast. It is incredible to think what else folks will find in the ocean. It's amazing what's down there.

On last thing about the U-550 attack on the SS Pan Pennsylvania, later a burial at sea was performed on the USS Joyce for deceased German submariner. And for someone else, a photo on the Coast Guard Website was provided by Captain Robert Wilcox, USCG (Ret.), the USS Joyce's commanding officer during her battle with the U-550.


Captain Wilcox wrote the following description on the back of the photo:

"Funeral services on board USS Joyce (DE-319) in North Atlantic Ocean, 18 April 1944, for ex-German Navy Machinist Wanz who died aboard Joyce from wounds received in fire fight between U-550 and USS Joyce, Gandy and Peterson on 16 April 1944.

An ex-German in our Navy died at the hands of a German U-boat, all while serving this country. Navy Machinist Wanz was should be remembered.


FIFTH SHOT!


Department of Defense Team of Engineers and Cameramen Had Bottoms Up View Of Nuclear Blast, Lives To Tell The Tale!


July 19, 1957: Five men (and a sixth operating a video camera) huddle at "ground zero," awaiting a nuclear bomb that was set off overhead to demonstrate how safe nuclear weapons are.

April 18, 2012: George Yoshitake, an 83-year-old former Department of Defense cameraman, and 88-year old Major Don Luttrell share a drink, 55 years after standing directly under an exploding nuclear bomb. (George Yoshitake)

George Yoshitake, Don Luttrell, and four other officers stood directly underneath an exploding nuclear warhead 55 years ago -- and lived to tell their tale.

The blast was just a test, a bit of Cold War marketing designed to make the concept of nuclear war less scary for the public, but the 2-kiloton atomic explosion set off over the Nevada nuclear test site (and over the heads of those six men) was very real.

But then again, nuclear testing was nothing new for Yoshitake in the early 1950s.

The former Department of Defense cameraman was responsible for filming nuclear tests for the military, and was therefore involved in several nuclear tests in Nevada and the Pacific -- always at a safe distance, anywhere from 5 to 20 miles from the blast.

On July 19, 1957, he was told to do something different and more dangerous than any of his other assignments.

“I had a call saying they needed me out for a special test,” the now 83-year old cameraman told Fox News.

“I found out when I got to Nevada that I was going to be standing at ground zero. It was going to explode 10,000 feet above me head!”

The government planned to detonate a nuclear weapon above a handful of men as a publicity stunt to prove that these weapons were safe if they were ever used for a counter attack against Russia.

"I had a baseball cap with me, and I said, I better wear that - just in case." - Department of Defense cameraman George Yoshitake

“The general public was afraid of nuclear weapons, with good reason,” 88-year old Major Don Luttrell, the only other member of the operation still alive, told FoxNews.com. “They were concerned about the danger of people on the ground if we fired nuclear weapons at enemy airplanes.”

Luttrell, who has a master's degree in nuclear engineering, believed that it was safe, so he and four Air Force colleagues volunteered for the demonstration.

“We stood at ground zero so they wouldn’t be afraid,” Luttrell said.

“I asked what kind of protective gear I was going to have, and they said ‘nothing,’” Yoshitake said laughing. “I had a baseball cap with me, and I said ‘I better wear that just in case.’” So with a baseball hat to protect him, Yoshitake joined Luttrell and the other volunteers in the middle of the Nevada desert

There they waited for what they called the “genie shot.”

“I never really gave it too much thought,” Yoshitake said when asked if he was fearful of the explosion. “When you’re young, you think you’re invincible and nothing is going to happen to you.”

Luttrell agreed. “I knew it would be all right. We all felt the same way.”

The five men huddled together on that clear July day looking up at the open Nevada sky, with Yoshitake filming as two F-89 Scorpion fighter jets fired an air rocket. “You could see the rocket streaking across the sky with a big white streak behind it,” Luttrell recalled. “The first thing you saw was a brilliant flash and then there was a wave of heat followed by the sonic boom which was quite loud.”

After the explosion and after all six survived, they celebrated.

“Everybody was running around and patting each other on the back. We lit cigars,” Luttrell said.

It had been 12 years since the United States dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, and even though Yoshitake is Japanese, he had no hard feelings about the bomb or the experiment he was a part of.

“I thought dropping the bomb was necessary for ending the war as soon as possible,” he noted. “It’s too bad it was the Japanese who had to suffer.” But in the explosion that occurred just 10,000 feet above his head, nobody suffered … at the time.

Today, 55 years later, the seemingly safe operation may have had some serious side effects: all six members of the group have had cancer, with four dying of it, according to Yoshitake and Luttrell.

“In those days, nobody thought there could be any fear of developing cancer from these nuclear tests,” said Yoshitake who survived stomach cancer. “But … there must be some direct correlation between these tests and cancer.” Yoshitake noted that many of his “camera friends” who filmed similar operations developed and died of cancer; most in their 40s and 50s.

“In hindsight … it appears that it was not safe,” colon-cancer survivor Lutrell said.

Luttrell explained that the men never discussed if they felt the cancer was related to "genie shot," but he's confident no one involved would have made a different decision.

“I feel quite sure they never had any regrets,” Luttrell said.

“To me, it’s quite amazing that all that took place and I was a part of history,” Yoshitake said. “I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.” Yoshitake commented that he probably wouldn’t do it again if asked.

Luttrell on the other hand feels differently. “If things were the same, yeah I’d do it again,” he said.

You have to love his attitude! They are just great Americans!


LAST SHOT!

This is great! Hope you enjoy this straight forward truth. This is a way that even kids can understand the difference.



Story by Tom Correa


Friday, July 27, 2012

Random Shots - Folks Following My Blog, Republican Rep Mike Kelly, USDA Meatless Bull, NYC's Mayor At It Again, Australian Married Couple At Olympics, and Much More!


FIRST SHOT!

Yes, I Like Folks Following My Blog

Dear Readers, I got the message. Yes, my e-mail isn't working and had to be taken off here until I figure out what's the problem.

To the folks who follow my blog by e-mail, I can't tell you how much it bugs me that its not working. I will try to have the e-mail option back up as soon as I can.

Some folks have written saying that I must not like people following us. To the contrary, I love the idea that there are folks out there who are actually following my blog.

Whether it's for the history or horse and livestock articles, my 9/11 articles, or maybe my Random Shots, it's great to know that I'm writing something that sparks your interest.

Since my little blog is now pulling in about 9 to 10 thousand visitors a month, I really would love to start selling advertising space in the future.

The reason is simple, the price of hay is going through the roof even during this time of year when prices should be low. Also, Vet bills are going up, and I'd still like to take in a few more rescue horses. My wife and I figure advertising would help us support the horses.

As far as the content of this blog? Well, in the future, I'm planning on writing more "real" history versus "reel" history. And yes, it does take a lot of reading and research to dig out the facts.

Hearing the same line of bull about something simply doesn't make it the truth.

For me, I find that the real facts of history are just as much - if not more - fascinating to hear or read about. Besides, there are some wonderful stories out there about people and events that we Americans have done. And yes, they need to be talked about.

OK, in the case of Outlaws and the Old West, there are many interesting stories about some real bad hombres. But then again, on the other hand, there are also wonderful stories about other men and women who have made this country great!

And yes, they built railroads, dams, towns, cities, foundries, breweries, you name it, all without the help of Obama or a government agency slowing them down.

I want to write more about horses, their care, feeding, common vet problems. I'd also like to put out more information about choosing a horse, as well as buying saddles, tack, and maybe even building shelters that won't break the bank.
And yes, I know that when it comes to Conservatism that I'm preaching to the choir. But honestly, I have a suspicion that the choir longs to hear a friendly like minded voice now and then.

So thanks for joining me here on the American Cowboy Chronicles, I can't tell how much I appreciate your stopping in an taking a look at what we have to offer.

SECOND SHOT!

Republicans Are Hard At Work For Us!

On here, I'm trying to give you the side of the news and current events that the Liberal Media won't. It is my firm belief that they media works hard to hide anything positive about Conservatives and Republicans.

Many good hard working Republican Representatives and Senators are busting their tail trying to defend us from the ills of government that has grown too large.

Our government was not designed to have "rulers". It was designed to give people the most freedom that they can possible have. Our founding fathers didn't like the very idea, never the less the application, of restrictions and hindrances - or worse tyranny.

I believe since Democrats were in power in Washington for over 40 years, they feel as though the are supposed to be in "power". They see their agenda derailed and practically scuttled. They see their vision of an all powerful government lording over the rest of us as possible, and now they are angry that we the people have said "No, no more. Enough is enough!"

But do you hear about Republicans fighting for you in Washington, not on the liberal news media you won't. Liberals have controlled the media, as well as America's colleges and universities for years.

America's colleges and universities today are worse than ever. They have becomeplaces where students attend for liberal indoctrination more than for academic study. I know this first hand, I've seen it for myself on a small scale at a Community College - even if it was 30 years ago.

After leaving the Marine Corps in the late 1970's, I returned to school to try to fix my having a poor education as a kid. I was told that I had to take certain subjects, Political Science being one mandatory subject. And for what reason, I still don't know.

My teacher was a Communist. He made no qualms about his political ideology. He hated America, and was very proud of the fact that he could influence kids straight out of High School.

We locked horns during almost every class. Then one day he told me that I wasn't allowed in class until I leave my American Flag outside the door. I said, fair enough - but he had to leave his Marxist Communist rhetoric outside the door as well.

He refused, and I told him to go to Hell!

Before I left that college, I brought him in front of the Dean. Once there, I asked him to explain why he worked so hard to indoctrinate the kids in his classes in the Leftist Ideology?

In those days, I was still a Marine Sergeant. I'd just left Instructor duty where I taught other Marines in the ways of Communism, and why they are such a threat to America.

I'd been overseas and seen Communist troops over-run Saigon. I saw the thousands fleeing for their lives. I knew his ideology, his love, better than he did.  And yes, because of what I witnessed for myself, I hate Communism!

The teacher's reply to my question was no different than other Communist who use our system against us, he simple said, "I do because I can!"

Liberal professors and journalist push their leftist agenda because they can. It's just that simple.

In Washington, we have Republicans working for us in so many way. They are pushing back the tide by fighting for job creation like the thousands of jobs that can be created almost immediately through the construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Republicans are safeguarding our Second Amendment Rights by taking on Democrats in Congress and the Obama administration who will use any tragedy to further their cause of banning guns.

Their whole concept of "don't let a tragedy go to waste" when it can be used to further their leftist agenda is one that should scare Americans plenty!

The liberal media's latest campaign is "Republicans Are The Problem!"

You bet they are! They are a huge problem for leftist ideologues who would push through any and all things left if the Republicans Congressmen and women, and yes Senators, weren't there to stop them.

The USDA wanted to restrict young people from working on farms, now they are actually asking their own employees not to eat meat. The EPA tried to put all sorts of impossible demands on Energy Companies. Whether it's goal or oil, the EPA is out to put people out of work and our country even further dependant on Foreign Oil.

In both of thes situations Republican pressure has either stopped or slowed the agenda of these two government agencies.

The Justice Department ran thousands of illegal guns to Mexican Drug Cartels, and the Democrats didn't care. Republicans want to know the truth.

But as they try to find out who is responsible for the senseless murder of one of our own Border Agents, and the killing of hundreds of Mexicans with those weapons, the liberal media sees the Republicans as the problem.

We should be happy we have such champions in this fight. Republicans are working to protect our freedoms and liberty! Yes, they are!

THIRD SHOT!

Republican Representative Mike Kelly says, "Take the heavy boot off the throat of American job creators!"

Here's another example of Republicans taking on an all too powerful federal government!

People give a lot of lip service to government over-regulation and its many unintended consequences in terms of vague generalities, but every once in a while someone steps forward and tells it like it is.

Republican Rep. Mike Kelly, from Pennsylvania, did just that on the floor of the House of Representatives!

He did so with passion and undeniable truth. All to the cheers of his fellow Republicans. If you don't think our Republican Congressman and women are working for us, check out this video - and be proud!




FOURTH SHOT!

First New York City Mayor Bloomberg Calls For A Nationwide Police Strike, Then He Backtracks On His Police Strike Comments

You ever notice how some people think they know it all! I don't know what makes them think they do. Maybe it position or money, but they are definitely out there.

Take New York City Mayor Bloomberg for example. While the Movie Massacre killer was still being booked, Bloomberg came out calling for more gun-Control legislation.

But no, the idiot wasn't done.

He actually, believe it or not, called for a general nationwide Police Officer strike! No kidding. Is he a fool or what!

Bloomberg, who immediately call for new legislation to restrict gun rights after Aurora Colorado movie massacre, said on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight” program on Monday that the Police nationwide should take a tougher stand and force the American people into passing legislation to renew a national ban on so-called “assault weapons.”

Bloomberg said, "I don’t understand why the police officers across this country don’t stand up collectively and say, ‘We’re gonna go on strike. We’re not going to protect you unless you, the public, through your legislature, do what’s required to keep us safe,'"

"After all, police officers want to go home to their families and we’re doing everything we can to make their jobs more difficult," Bloomberg said.

On Tuesday, however, Bloomberg found himself retreating from radical remarks – right to self-defense advocates note that gun control have not curbed violence.

A day after calling for police officers nationwide to go on "strike" to blackmail the American people to accept heavy gun control laws, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg backtracked somewhat, saying he didn’t mean it "literally."

"I don’t mean literally go on strike," he told reporters in NYC. "Keep in mind, it is police officers who run into danger when the rest of us run out. Police officers have families. They want to come home to their families safely."

He went on to say that he hoped police would help him in his campaign for more Gun-Control.

"I’m counting on them to help us lead the charge," he said.

Congress passed a ban on certain types of high-powered, semi-automatic rifles in 1994, but it came with a 10-year "sunset" clause, meaning lawmakers would have to renew it in 2004. They did not.

Bloomberg said Congress was being "hypocritical" for approving strict gun control measures for Washington, D.C., but not for the rest of the country.

He says this in spite of the fact that the strict gun control measures for Washington, D.C., and Chicago and New York City, have accomplished nothing except make their citizens easy targets.

Gun rights advocates have said gun bans and heavy restrictions, such as those in Chicago and New York City, have not curbed violence. They add that Americans, under the Second Amendment, have a right to own firearms for self-defense.

“Government should stop all this running from crime and tragedy by passing laws that demand or expect citizens to cower in the corner while their lives are threatened by people that have no conscious or concept of anything other than taking from others their property or their lives as a way of life,” writes Alan P. Halbert, with the Western Center for Journalism.

Here's what one well know criminal said:

"Gun control? It's the best thing you can do for crooks and gangsters. I want you to have nothing. If I'm a bad guy, I'm always gonna have a gun. Safety locks? You will pull the trigger with a lock on, and I'll pull the trigger. We'll see who wins."

That was said by Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, who was a Lieutenant and enforcer for mobster John Gotti.

For me, I'd consider his statement accurate information as to how criminal types look at Gun-Control.


FIFTH SHOT!

Republican Senator calls out the United States Department of Agriculture for their Newsletter Encouraging Employees Not To Eat Meat!

Maybe PETA has truly infiltrated the ranks of our government? God knows they give enough money to liberals in office. Maybe Political Correctness is truly running nuts through out our government?

Either way, you have to wonder who was the idiot in the USDA who thought it a bright idea to tell it's employees not to eat meat? They should be fired! Maybe then they'll have a lot of time on their hands to work for the cause he or she seems to love - not eating meat!

On Wednesday, Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran called on Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to explain why the agency’s employee newsletter encouraged them to not eat meat and participate in the “Meatless Monday” initiative for the environment.

“One simple way to reduce your environmental impact while dining at our cafeterias is to participate in the ‘Meatless Monday’ initiative http://www.meatlessmonday.com/,” The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) July 23, 2012 “Greening Headquarters Update” read.

“This international effort, as the name implies, encourages people not to eat meat on Mondays. Meatless Monday is an initiative of The Monday Campaign Inc. in association with the John Hopkins School of Public Health.”

Pointing to the United Nations as their informational authority, the USDA’s newsletter said that going meatless is good for the environment because “animal agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gases and climate change. It also wastes resources.

It takes 7,000 kg of grain to make 1,000 kg of beef. In addition, beef production requires a lot of water, fertilizer, fossil fuels, and pesticides.” It further charged that heavy meat consumption has detrimental health effect.

Moran, who represents the third-largest beef-producing state in America, was shocked by the revelation.

“Never in my life would I have expected USDA to be opposed to farmers and ranchers,” Moran said in a statement. “American farmers and ranchers deserve a USDA that will pursue supportive policies rather than seek their further harm.”

“With extreme drought conditions plaguing much of the United States, the USDA should be more concerned about helping drought-stricken producers rather than demonizing an industry reeling from the lack of rain,” he added.

“I have requested that Secretary Vilsack let me know if it is now USDA’s official policy to discourage the consumption of American grown meat. It is my hope that the USDA has not abandoned farmers and ranchers in pursuit of policies best left to the Environmental Protection Agency.”

The “Greening Headquarters Update” has since been removed from USDA’s website.

According to the Wyandotte Daily News a USDA spokesman explained, “USDA does not endorse Meatless Monday. The statement found on the USDA website was posted without proper clearance and it has been removed.”

SIXTH SHOT!

ICE, Border Patrol Unions Claim Illegal Immigrants Exploiting Obama's "Dreamer" Policy

Labor Union heads representing thousands of America's immigration agents slammed the Obama administration Thursday over a policy they claim is forcing officials to ignore the law and allowing illegal immigrants to exploit the system.

In a startling allegation, the president of the union representing Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers claimed illegal immigrants are "taking advantage" of a new directive allowing some undocumented residents who came to the U.S. as children to stay in the country.

Union boss Chris Crane said the policy ends up allowing illegal immigrants to avoid detention without any proof - particularly so-called "dreamers," or those illegal immigrants who would benefit under the "DREAM Act" proposal, which Congress has not passed but the administration has partially implemented.

"Prosecutorial discretion for dreamers is solely based on the individual's claims. Our orders are if an alien says they went to high school, then let them go," he said at a press conference with GOP senators.

"Officers have been told that there is no burden for the alien to prove anything. At this point we don't even know why DHS has criteria at all, as there is no requirement or burden to prove anything on the part of the alien.

"We believe that significant numbers of people who are not dreamers are taking advantage of this practice to avoid arrest," he said.

Crane cited one case in which, he said, an immigrant facing criminal charges was let go under the policy. Further, he complained that officers are "under threat of losing their jobs" if they defy the policy.

ICE didn't respond to those allegations directly but said allegations of fraud and abuse will be investigated.

The press conference comes just days after the Federation for American Immigration Reform, an anti-illegal immigration group, released a report claiming the administration has worked for the past three-and-a-half years to undermine immigration enforcement.

ICE, though, defended its operations Thursday evening -- noting, as it often does, that the agency is only funded to remove roughly 400,000 people a year and has to prioritize.

The prioritization under this administration has been to fast-track for deportation those accused of serious criminal offenses and potentially give a reprieve to those who aren't.

"Because the agency encounters more removable aliens than it is able to process, the agency prioritizes its resources on aliens whose removal have the greatest impact on public safety and the integrity of the immigration system," spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said in a statement.

"ICE's efforts to target the agency's enforcement priorities are paying big dividends. For each of the past three fiscal years, ICE has removed more criminal aliens from the country than ever before and more than 90 percent of ICE's removals fell into one of the agency's enforcement priority categories."

She disputed the notion that the policy impacts public safety, but she said the agency meets regularly with union representatives "to discuss our goal of ensuring public safety by focusing on the removal of individuals who meet our enforcement priorities."

In light of the accusations Thursday, she added that "the agency will aggressively investigate allegations of fraud and abuse of the deferred action process."

The allegations from the union were expressed in unusually blunt terms Thursday.

George McCubbin, president of the National Border Patrol Council union, said the Department of Homeland Security has made it impossible for agents to do their jobs.

Crane said it's led to disorganization and "confusion" at ICE.

Republican lawmakers used the forum to continue their sustained campaign against the administration's immigration policy changes.

Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, said the latest directive is without legal basis and "condones breaking the law." And yes, that's what it sounds like to me.

LAST SHOT!

Australian Husband And Wife Can't Sleep In Same Bed At Olympics

I've known a few Australians in my time, and besides being some of the nicest people on the face of the earth - I can testify to the fact that they are extremely tough independent people.

They don't like being told what to do, especially when what they're being told doesn't make a bit of bloody sense.

During the London Olympics, married Australian shooter Russell Mark will have to sneak into the women's accommodation at night at the Olympics - just to be with his wife.

Why is he having to do this? Well, it's because Russell and wife Lauryn are going to have to go behind the backs of Aussie team officials to sleep in the same bed at the athletes' village.

They are both members of Australia's shooting team at the London Games but have been prevented from sharing a room.

Why? Who knows!

Teams are traditionally split into male and female rooms at the games. Russell and Lauryn opposed that and asked if they could room together - but they said no.

Russell, the Olympic champion in the double trap at the 1996 Atlanta Games, will instead share with male team mate Michael Diamond.

But he'll be sneaking out at night to see Lauryn, he said.

"Michael Diamond will be in the room sleeping with me," Mark said. "He's not as good looking as Lauryn, he's not as cuddly as Lauryn but he's my room mate. I don't have to agree, but that's the reality.

"I'll probably walk across the corridor into Lauryn's room some nights," he added, laughing, as he sat next to his wife at an Australian team briefing. "As far as I know that's not illegal, still. It's just I've got to get out of there before the sun gets up."

Australian team chef de mission Nick Green then cut in with: "We might move on," as Mark outlined his nocturnal plans for the games.

A veteran Olympian, Mark has a reputation for being outspoken, sometimes controversial and often in the news.

From my experience, being outspoken and independant goes with being Australian.

He recently criticized the Australian Olympic Committee's decision to ban its athletes from using strong sleeping pills.

Swimmer Grant Hackett said he became addicted to pills, leading the Aussie Olympic body to outlaw them, but Mark said it could cost the country medals at the London Games because some athletes benefited from using them.

Mark said he often used sleeping pills - although not the strong type - at the Olympics as he was such a "poor sleeper," and stopping athletes from using their preferred pills could mess with their routine.

As I said, Australians are extremely tough independent people. If something isn't right, they will let you know how they feel about it. And yes, God Bless them for being the way they are!

Story by Tom Correa

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

RANDOM SHOTS - Guns Sales Jump in Colorado, Keystone XL Pipeline, Hawaii Man Defends Self Against Raging Bull, and More!



FIRST SHOT!

Gun-Control Crazies Mobilize in Wake of Batman Movie Massacre

Right after the massacre in Aurora, I told my wife two things would take place: First, liberals will come out of the woodwork demanding stricter Gun-Control. And second, as a result of their call for more Gun-Control, gun sales across the nation will go up.

With the bodies of victims still in the theatre, New York City's Mayor Bloomberg immediately jumped at the chance to further his anti-gun agenda by coming out with statements regarding his perceived need for more Gun-Control.

Liberals are easy to figure out that way, no matter if its a catastrophe at sea such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico where a BP oil rig a huge industrial accident which resulted in an oil spill or in the case of the Movie massacre, it seems to me that they use any tragedy to push their political agenda.

In the case of the BP oil rig catastrophe, on 20 April 2010, high-pressure methane gas from the well expanded into the drilling riser and was released onto the drilling rig, where it ignited and exploded. Flames engulfed the drilling rig.

Most of the workers escaped the rig by lifeboat and were subsequently evacuated by boat or airlifted by helicopter for medical treatment. But sadly, eleven workers were never found despite a three-day Coast Guard search operation, and are believed to have died in the explosion.Efforts by multiple ships to douse the flames were unsuccessful. After burning for approximately 36 hours, the Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010.

The result was an environment disaster. One which fueled liberal environmentalist to call for an immediate halt to ALL drilling in the United States. And yes, their allies in the Obama White House were more than willing to assist in an effort to shut down oil production in the Gulf of Mexico.

On Friday, the Aurora Movie Massacre takes place. On Saturday, as soon as a friend saw me today, he said, "Well, it's started! The gun control nuts are using the movie theatre massacre to try to restrict sales of guns!"

And yes, he was right.  Within hours of a madman opening fire in a crowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, Gun-Control advocates began to use the theater shooting spree, which left 12 dead and 71 wounded, to push their agenda.

While bodies were still in the theatre, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ardent gun-control advocate, led the way by citing the massacre on a radio broadcast Friday morning. He seems to jump at the opportunity to push his personal ant-gun agenda.

And yes, he was all too eager to say that statements of sympathy and concern from President Barack Obama’s and Mitt Romney’s campaigns were not enough.

I find it interesting that New York City has tough gun laws, almost as strict as Chicago, yet the murder rate in New York City is climbing. Just like Chicago, extremely strict gun laws in New York City hasn't done anything to curtail the numbers of murders there.

Their laws are designed to disarm their residents and make them ripe targets.

For Bloomberg to come out with advice for the rest of the nation, I can't help but wonder who Bloomberg thinks he is?

Mayor Bloomberg should try tending to his own responsibilities before telling the country what to do. Maybe if he were a better Mayor, his city wouldn't be as screwed up as it is these days?

By Saturday much of the liberal media had weighed in with calls for more control.

In an editorial, The Washington Post wrote, "There is no rational basis for allowing ordinary Americans to purchase assault rifles. They’re not necessary for hunting, and they’re not needed for self-defense."

It added, "Yes, the Second Amendment protects a citizen’s right to own a gun, but it does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety. Yes, mass killings occur in societies with stronger gun laws, but not with such regularity — and not against the backdrop of daily gun violence, both criminal and accidental, that distinguishes the United States."

The Washington Post editorial misses the mark on some major points here. First, it describes Holmes as an "ordinary Americans" when he is definitely not an "ordinary Americans." Ordinary Americans don't go on killing sprees. 

Second, their editorial says, "the Second Amendment ... does not preclude reasonable regulation for public safety." Reasonable regulation for public safety is why we have gun laws, yet stricter gun laws like the ones in Aurora Colorado did not provide the public any safety from a person with the intent to commit mass murder.

And lastly, what is this "regularity" the Washington Post is talking about? The only "mass killings occur ... with such regularity" are the killings taking place in gang ridden cities like Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles where strict gun laws have been in place for years to no effect.

Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter who represents the Aurora area where the shooting occurred, said of Holmes: “I don’t know why he had such easy access to guns.”

Perlmutter said it was “premature” to consider political issues, however his Democratic colleague in the House, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York was not so bashful. “We as a nation should … not continue to ignore avenues to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future," said McCarthy, whose husband was shot to death on the Long Island Railroad in 1993.

Even while the bodies of the victims are still warm, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence posted a petition on its web site asking for signatures from those who felt the Aurora tragedy was a reason to help prod lawmakers towards more gun control legislation.

No one is surprised that liberal media figures joined in the call for more Gun-Control, CNN talk show host Piers Morgan tweeted extensively on the issue, saying, among other things, that “America has got to do something about its gun laws. Now is the time.”

On the other side!

On the other side of the Twitter debate, singer Chris Daughtry tweeted, "Stricter gun laws will not stop SICK people from getting access to guns...Laws & rules are not in the forefront of the mind of a criminal."

The NRA has more concern for the victim and their families. They are putting themselves above politics and the liberal calls for stricter Gun-Control.

NRA Spokesman Andrew Arulanandams told Newsmax: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ families and indeed the whole Aurora community. We will not make any further statements until all the facts are known.”

Support for gun control has fallen in recent years. Gallup says 78 percent wanted stricter gun laws in 1990, falling to 62 percent by 1995. By 2007 it was 51 percent and last year just 44 percent.

Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas said he could not understand why there was apparently no-one in the theater with a weapon who could take gunman James Holmes out before he could create more mayhem?

"It does make me wonder, with all those people in the theater, was there nobody that was carrying a gun that could have stopped this guy more quickly?" Gohmert asked.

That's a real good point!

And yes, tonight at the American Legion, we discussed that point - as well as the fact that that murderous bastard Holmes was wearing body armour.

Some said a man with a legally carried concealed weapon would not have stood a chance because Holmes was wearing body armour. I have know policeman who have taken a shot of two while wearing protective gear, and I can report that they did have to pick themselves off the ground because of the knock down power of some of those rounds.

But more than trying to kill the bad guy, shots in his direction may have distracted him long enough to make him think twice about his course of action. Besides, I really believe that any effort made to kill him before he could have killed others would have been worth the effort!

Then again, maybe that's why he picked Aurora? Maybe he knew how strict their gun laws are and that no one would be putting up a defense? Maybe he saw the citizens of Aurora as ripe targets simply because Aurora's own gun laws prevented citizens from carrying concealed weapons?

Fact is, Aurora, Colorado’s strict gun laws didn’t help anyone but the killer.

So the question becomes: How will stricter gun laws bring an end to criminals having guns - especially when the laws against murder have not been able to stop them from killing innocent people?


SECOND SHOT!

Guns Sales Jump In Colorado In Wake Of Movie Massacre

It is being reported today, July 24, 2012, that Colorado gun stores are seeing a huge jump in demand for firearms since last Friday's massacre at a midnight movie showing in Aurora.

Background checks for people wanting to buy guns in Colorado reportedly increased more than 41 percent after last week’s Aurora movie massacre.

The Denver Post reports that firearm instructors have also seen increased interest in training needed for a concealed-carry permit.

"It's been insane," Jake Meyers, an employee at Rocky Mountain Guns and Ammo in Parker told the newspaper Monday.

Between Friday and Sunday, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation approved background checks for 2,887 people who wanted to purchase a firearm — a 43 percent increase over the previous Friday through Sunday and a 39 percent jump over those same days on the first weekend of July.

The biggest spike was on Friday, when there were 1,216 checks, a 43 percent increase over the average number for the previous two Fridays.

On Friday morning, just hours after alleged 24-year-old gunman James Holmes killed 12 and injured 58 others at the Century Aurora theater, up to 20 people were already waiting outside the store when Meyers arrived, he said.

He said the day was “probably the busiest Monday all year” and said basic firearms classes that he and the store’s owner conduct are booked for the next three weeks — a first for this year, the newspaper reports.

"A lot of it is people saying, 'I didn't think I needed a gun, but now I do,' " he told the newspaper. "When it happens in your backyard, people start reassessing - 'Hey, I go to the movies.'"

I really believe that any effort made to kill those trying to kill you, before he can kill you or others is worth the effort! It is better to die defending yourself, than die crying wishing you had a way to combat the threat.

THIRD SHOT!

Oil Industry Boom Creates Huge Number Of Jobs In The "Economic Miracle" State of North Dakota

All of those going to Colleges and Universities these days who are graduating with degrees that they can't use, may want to consider taking some Vocational / Technical Skills courses instead.

Technical advances in energy exploration and production have made it possible to get much more oil out of the ground. And yes, that's especially true in North Dakota.

North Dakota has outrun Alaska and leaped into the number two spot for oil production. The results of increased oil production is that it's feeding all sorts of demand in the state. Subsequently, North Dakota has the lowest unemployment in the nation.

And no, it isn't surprising that unemployed residents of other states have been migrating into North Dakota in search of work.

"We're able to find workers which, otherwise, if we'd been on full employment, it would have been hard to get people to move to a rural area like this" says Tom Rolfstad, executive director of Williston Economic Development.

The work and business opportunities are wide-ranging and plentiful, but small towns are racing to keep up with demand for housing. For example, Williston put in 2,100 units last year and expects to add 3,500 next year.

The oil boom has turned into a jobs boom. And yes, that has made things a little crazy these days!

"For the most part, everybody's working. To a degree I could even say we have the working homeless, that we have so many workers and not enough housing, that that's our problem with homeless" says Rolfstad. The town has had to regulate where RVs are parked and crack down on sleeping in the parks.

It's not unheard of for people to live out of their cars. The Williston job services office actually has handout information on where to find showers.

While potential for high wages is a draw, Cindy Sanford, with Job Service North Dakota's office in Williston, says many employers are looking for skilled labor, applicants with actual experience and certifications.

Just because someone has a welding background does not mean he or she will qualify to weld on an oil company's pipe; the certifications can be very specific.

And it can be more than know-how. A job might require a high level of physical fitness because of the danger involved.

Just about all oil patch jobs require the minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Background checks, and yes, drug tests and clean driving records also figure big in one's prospects.

Job Service North Dakota has a guide, "North Dakota Oilfield Employment" which which contains drilling basics, occupations, how to apply for jobs and other tips.

The Job Service North Dakota team pointed out efforts are being made to help and recruit veterans.

There are waivers to allow those with a military driver's license to skip the road test for a Commercial Drivers License (CDL), therefore making it easier to land a trucking job. Some jobs involve working with explosives, which can be compatible with veterans backgrounds.

Maren Daley, executive director of Job Service North Dakota, says the state's economy is diversified. The oil boom has about one-third of the job openings in the state and it is "...acting sort of like the tip of a pyramid.

There's all of this oil activity and a lot of really good jobs closely tied to oil, but with that the influx of people to those oil areas, it has the impact of creating more jobs in other industries such as transportation, food service, hospitality."

Rolfstad echoes the fact there's a nationwide, even worldwide, ripple effect from the energy boom. "We drilled 2,100 wells last year ... and so we did 8,400 miles of pipe last year. Now if that didn't help Pittsburgh, I don't know what would."

He noted brand-new trucks are on the roads, power lines and construction mean more lumber has to be produced. The oil business means lots of tools on the job.

"I think what's good for us is good for the country and, uh, we have employees from all over. We have investors from all over the country, so we're part of the big symbiotic relationship across the country and we couldn't do it alone without the rest of our country working with us."

So, while all of this is going on in North Dakota, why is Obama so vehemently against the Keystone XL Pipeline which can create an estimated 100,000 new jobs for America?

It's because the Democrat political agenda is not in favor of drilling for oil here in the United States. I really believe Democrats would rather see you out of work, then to help the oil industry and make thousands of jobs!

FOURTH SHOT!

Proof That Jobs Equal More Tax Revenues!

North Dakota Oil Tax Revenue Breaks $100M Mark in March as Industry Booms

Quick, someone should notify Obama and the Democrats!

North Dakota's booming oil industry has yielded record tax revenue for the state, breaking the $100 million mark in March at a time when other states are struggling to stay afloat.

The state in just the last few years has become an oil-producing powerhouse and is looking to overtake California in total production.

Thanks to the activity, the North Dakota tax department reported that tax collections on oil production hit $101 Million in March, marking a 24% increase from the prior month.

And yes, it's a 66% tax increase from last summer.

Much of the recent increase is due to rising crude prices, which have shot up amid concerns over unrest in the Middle East. But North Dakota's oil production is also accelerating rapidly, and state officials expect the windfall to hold steady.

"We've seen a steady, steady month-by-month increase," said Deputy Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger.

The 350,000 barrels a day produced in March was actually about 2,000 barrels a day lower than in February.

But Rauschenberger attributed the dip to the weather, and said that even if crude prices return to prior levels the state expects to take in $2 billion in oil-related tax revenue over the next two years. If prices stay high, he said that haul could reach $2.4 billion -- money that goes into the schools, back to the counties and to other areas.

Amid a debate on Capitol Hill over whether the U.S. needs to do more to encourage domestic oil production, North Dakota is charging ahead with expansion. The state industry was helped in no small part by efforts over the past several years to tap into a massive oil field known as the Bakken Shale deposit, where virtually all future expansion is happening.

Production is expected to grow "substantially," said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.

With 5,300 wells across the state and thousands more expected to come online, Ness projected that the state could reach up to 700,000 barrels a day by 2015.

North Dakota is the fourth-largest oil producing state in the U.S. behind California, Alaska and Texas, and Ness said California is in their "target zone."

He noted that the revenue has made things easier for state budgeters.

According to the North Dakota tax office, the latest two-year budget included $1 Billion in savings, which is expected to go into trust funds in case of future shortfalls. Imagine that!

Savings are expected to go into trust funds in case of future shortfalls! What a concept!

Anyone out there think the federal government should do the same thing? They are too busy spending any reserves!

Rauschenberger acknowledged North Dakota has been "fortunate," considering the fact that many other states are dealing with sagging revenue and employment in the wake of the recession.

While the U.S. nationally is clocking in with a 9 percent unemployment rate, unemployment in North Dakota was 3.6 percent in March -- the lowest in the country.

The energy industry, along with the agriculture industry and other important North Dakota sectors, helps keep the jobless rate low, which in turn keeps people spending their incomes, which in turn feeds the state treasury along with taxes on oil production.

For calendar year 2010, more than 31% of North Dakota's state tax revenue came from oil taxes.

Imagine that!

FIFTH SHOT!

Republican Proposal Renews Hopes For Keystone XL Pipeline

It was reported yesterday, July 23rd, that a House of Representatives Republican introduced a bill Monday that would jump-start the Keystone XL Pipeline project if it were to be approved.

Yes, the move will likely renew the political debate. And yes, the liberals crazies in the environmentalist movement are already gearing up to kill the Keystone XL.

As I said before, I really believe Democrats would rather see you out of work - then to help the oil industry and make thousands of jobs for Americans!

The Keystone XL Pipeline proposal stands little chance of passing in the Democrat-controlled Senate and Obama is not likely to sign it before November elections. But, believe it or not, the Keystone XL Pipeline project has the backing of Unions. And yes. poll after poll shows overwhelming support Keystone XL Pipeline from Americans across the nation.

President Obama approved a southernmost U.S. leg of the project which leaves thousands of miles between it and the Canadian oil sources.

Obama's gesture was purely political, because it effectively halted progress on the proposed project.

Now Republican Rep. Lee Terry is seeking approval for permitting constructing for the Canada-to-Nebraska stretch, the section that remains under federal review. A review biased against the construction of the pipeline.

Because Obama has only approved the southern U.S. leg, Canada has hinted at finding new customers for their crude because the administration is blocking construction of the Nebraska leg.

The proposed pipeline project is roughly 2,000-miles-long and would create thousands upon thousands of U.S. jobs.

Crude oil from Canada and mineral-rich Western states would be pumped to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas when completed.

“All I am saying with my legislation is: Mr. President, please treat the northern portion of the pipeline in the same manner as you treated the southern portion,” said Representative Terry, (R-Neb.), on Capitol Hill. “You praised the construction for the southern route but keep changing the rules for the part that crosses the border."

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and other Republicans argue that building TransCanada Corporation’s pipeline would generate much-needed jobs, including thousands of union jobs, and help the country become less dependent on foreign oil.

It sounds like a win win win situation, but Obama and other Democrats are siding with environmental extremists by purposely delaying the project by asking for additional studies. Studies that Republicans say are already completed.

“The Keystone XL pipeline is an element of the picture that we're focused on to address our energy problems,” said Rep. Gregg Harper, (R-Miss.)

After Obama approved a section of pipeline at the southernmost end of the project, the company submitted another application to avoid Nebraska’s environmentally sensitive Sandhills region.

Then, last month, Mr. Obama’s State Department called for a supplemental study, which likely means a decision will not be reached before the November elections.

This all stinks of liberal politics while Americans are out of work.

SIXTH SHOT!

Hawaii Man Defends Himself Against Raging Bull

In Waimanalo, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii, a local man was forced to defend himself against a raging bull.

On July 17th, a man was injured in Waimanalo after a bull came running through his yard. The bull was being chased by pig-hunting dogs. It was a situation that could have been avoided if the dogs hadn't trespassed.

John Rodrigues was in the house when all of a sudden, "I seen the bull coming and I thought holy crap. It came hopping over through here and came running straight through here, hopped over the bench, smashed it all up and went to the other side smashed all the plants up."

Then the bull ran around the house to where John's uncle Robert was.

"I yelled 'Rob watch out for the bull' and he ran but then he tripped and fell," said Manny Fernandez, victim's neighbor.

"He tried chasing the bull out, the bull charged him and whacked him. His head is gashed really bad," said John Rodrigues, victim's nephew.

Officials say 52 year old Robert Rodrigues was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

"I'm thankful he's still alive," said John Rodrigues.

The dogs were returned to the hunter, but I think the hunter should be in jail!

"Those of you who are pig-hunters, you just need to be aware of your dogs. We all work together, they need to be aware of where their dogs are at and not be around livestock," said Bud Gibson.

The Hawaiian Humane Society is investigating the case.

Meanwhile the owner of a pack of hunting dogs that witnesses say drove the bull into a frenzy is under investigation.

The victim says he's lucky to be alive, though a valuable and never before violent bull had to be put down.

Bulls from the town and country stables have gone wandering out of pasture before, even down to Rob Rodrigues's house down the way.

"The fence will break, they come down here, they come down, I see them coming down I close the gate, keep them off the highway. They come over here, drink water, and then after that you scare 'em one time they take off just like rhinos they go back up the street," he added. "They aren't out to harm nobody."

But Tuesday was a different story as a nearly one ton bull was chased off pasture and into Rodrigues's yard by a pack of hunting dogs that were tearing at its body.

"His legs was all bleeding, his testicles was bleeding, his ‘okole part was bleeding, his nose was all chomped up. He was in pain and he was in fear,” he said.

And soon that fear escalated into a frenzy.

"I yelled and the dogs stopped and just so happened I was in the line of fire,” he said.

The line of fire of a raging bull.

"I fell right here and he started scraping me all over, that's all his horn marks, and he had me down over here and slammed me against that, that's the first one. And after that I tried to get up and I couldn't get up and I seen that opening so I tried to crawl in there and that's where he finished me off right there,” said Rodrigues.

The bull ended up in a back corner of the yard.

"He went in there like he was going to leave, but he turned around and it was like he was going to defend himself right there,” he said.

The bull, a 3 year old weighing 1750 pounds, had a horrible fate.

Besides being attacked by dogs, cut and bloody, the bull had to be put down.

"Unfortunately we had to put the bull down to make sure nothing else happened," said Bud Gibson, the owner of Town and Country Ranch - the owner of the bull.

"Because of the nature of the bulls that we raise, they're bucking bulls and even though we handle 'em and they're gentle and they come around when we call 'em, this bull got separated because there was a pig-hunter in our pasture. And the dogs got in our pasture which they shouldn't have been and got on this bull," said Bud Gibson, the bull's owner.

"The guy was illegal hunting. The bull had marks all bitten around him, ear all messed up. It was pretty bad," said John Rodrigues.

"That's all the bull's blood. The bull's and on the wall from the dogs on him. And he came from behind. You can see all the ti leaves all bus up back there, where the dogs were chasing 'em."

The bull's owner made a tough call and one shot put the bull down.

"My biggest concern is for Robbie, and of course we lost a good bull,” said Bud Gibson of Town & Country Stables.

"Those bulls average around $20,000 a piece, and the good ones can bring up to 40-50,000. That bull had his future ahead of him and so there's no telling what he could have been worth,” said Gibson.

As for Rodrigues he's left with 16 staples to the back of his head, 6 to the front, 4 in his mouth, a separated bone in his shoulder and a hip and back stomped into agony but he says he bears no grudges.

"I have no bad vibes against nobody, the hunter has a reason, the bull had a reason,” said Rodrigues. "All the hunters should have control of their dogs, call them off or whatever.”

"This area in the back is conservation, those dogs shouldn't have been back there, he shouldn't have been back there hunting,” said Gibson. "Most of the time the dogs don't have the problem, you've got the human problem."

The Hawaiian Humane Society says it's investigating possible violations of the dangerous dog law. The Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) is investigating a possible illegal hunting violation.

The DLNR says the nearest area authorized for public hunting if licensed would be on the other side of the Koolau Range in the Kuliouou Forest Reserve. 

To me, at the minimum, that hunter should be made to have to pay for that bull!

For the video on this, Loose Bull Killed After Injuring Waimanalo Man

LAST SHOT!

Biological Dad Has No Heart!

This is one of those stories you read and wish you had a lot of money to make a child's dream come true - and dish a nice big helping of crow to her father!

Because of the rules, Make–A-Wish let's a part-time dad block his daughter from having her dream vacation.

This was published July 19th, so yes this is real recent.

Whitney Hughs has been collecting money so her daughter McKenna May could possibly one day - visit Disney World.

May's been denied her Make-a-Wish trip because her biological father doesn't believe the organization's money should be wasted on what he calls "cured kids". That's according to the Sentinel-Tribune. 

Make-A-Wish rules require that two parents sign off on a sponsored trip. Because of that rule, it is possible for an Ohio father to block his 4-year-old daughter from taking a "wished" Disney World vacation.

"What she's been through sucks," William May, the father of cancer-survivor McKenna May, told Fox News. "But I think any money that the organization hands out to children, should go to dying kids. Not cured ones."

The Sentinel-Tribune in Bowling Green reports that McKenna May was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010 and endured 15 spinal taps, skin burns, multiple chemotherapy treatments, and steroid injections. In reality, she will not be ruled "cancer free" until five years after her last treatment.

Susan McConnell, the CEO of Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana told The Sentinel-Tribune that the young girl was determined by doctors to be qualified for the trip.

"She's been through a lot," McConnell told the paper. "What I really feel bad about is she is stuck in the middle."

Make-A-Wish, which grants a new “wish” every 38 minutes, has the two-parent signature rule in place to make sure it doesn’t get involved in any kind of custody battle or family issue - that's according to Mark Hiegel who is the national communications director for the organization.

"We leave the medical evaluations to the doctors and legal issues with the courts," he said, noting that he never heard of a case where permission was denied by a parent because a child was too healthy. "Families have so many different structures; we need to have enforceable guidelines."

Heagel said, in certain instances, Make-A-Wish allows a judge to intervene and force a parent's signature.

A judge reportedly told the girl’s mom that he would consider an order for the parental signature, but the mom pulled her request for the trip due to fears the order wouldn’t be effective, The Sentinel-Tribune reported.

"That's regrettable," Hiegel said. "I bet she would have got that approved."

The girl's father said he had a brief relationship with her mother. Now married to another woman, he said her mom was going to use the trip, in part, to go house-hunting in Florida to make his bi-weekly visitations more difficult.

Her dad, however, said doctors gave the girl a 99 percent chance of survival and she’s "got tons of time" to go to Disney World.

"I'm not saying she hasn't been through a lot," he said. "But maybe she should get a swing set or something."

Whitney Hughs, the girl’s mother, said the girl's father is being spiteful because he didn’t like the arraignment for the trip. And she said he was barely there when his daughter was undergoing treatment.

"It's just really tough that she has to be put through all this," Hughs told Fox News. "I remember her telling me how she can’t wait to see Mickey Mouse and Cinderella while she had needles in her chest. She even packed her small suitcase."

McKenna's mother and grandmother say they're collecting donations at local businesses in hopes of getting her to Disney World on their own.

"I just told her we were still going to Disney," Hughs said. "Someday."

This is one of those times when I wish I had a lot of money, because if I did - I'd send the little girl and her mom to Disney World in spite of what dear old dad has to say! The jerk!

Story by Tom Correa