Condoleezza Rice speech at the 2012 Republican National Convention

Like many of us, I have heard my share of political speeches.

Some are yawners, some are the same old thing, after some - I have to admit that I wondered why did anyone bother making because they were just that bad.

While watching the 2012 Republican National Convention, I listened to the many speeches and took note to the fact that the speeches weren't that bad at all.

There were times when speeches stood out from the others, Republican Governor of New Mexico Sasana Martinez gave a wonderful speech.

But for me, I sat with riveted attention as former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke.

The following is a transcript of a speech that former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice gave at the Republican National Convention on Aug. 29, 2012:

"Thank you so much. Good evening.

Good evening, distinguished delegates. Good evening,

fellow Republicans. Good evening, my fellow Americans.

We gather here at a time of significance and challenge.

This young century has been a difficult one. I can remember as

if it were yesterday when my young assistants came into my

office at the White House to say that a plane had hit the World

Trade Center, and then, a second plane, and then a third plane,

the Pentagon. And later, we would learn that a plane had

crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, driven into the ground by

brave souls who died so that others might live.

From that day on -- from that day on, our sense of

vulnerability and our concepts of security were never the same

again.

Then, in 2008, the global financial and economic crisis

would stun us. And it still reverberates as we deal with

unemployment and economic uncertainty and bad policies that cast

a pall over an American economy and a recovery that is

desperately needed at home and abroad.

And we have seen -- we have seen that the desire for

liberty and freedom is, indeed, universal, as men and women in

the Middle East rise up to seize it. Yet, the promise of the

Arab spring is engulfed in uncertainty, internal strife, and

hostile neighbors our challenging the young, fragile democracy

of Iraq. Dictators in Iran and Syria butcher their people and

threat to regional security. Russia and China prevent a

response, and everyone asks, where does America stand?

Indeed -- indeed, that is the question of the hour. Where

does America stand? You see when the friends or foes alike

don't know the answer to that question, unambiguously and

clearly, the world is likely to be a more dangerous and chaotic

place.

Since world war ii, the United States has had an answer to

that question. We stand for free peoples and free markets. We

will defend and support them.

We will sustain a balance of power that favors freedom.

Now, to be sure, the burdens of leadership have been heavy.

I know, as you do, the sacrifice of Americans, especially the

sacrifice of many of our bravest in the ultimate sacrifice, but

our armed forces are the surest shield and foundation of

liberty, and we are so fortunate that we have men and women in

uniform who volunteer, they volunteer to defend us at the front

lines of freedom, and we owe them our eternal gratitude.

I know too it has not always been easy though it has been

rewarding to speak for those who otherwise do not have a voice.

The religious dissident in China, the democracy advocate in

Venezuela, the political prisoner in Iran.

It has been hard to muster the resources to support

fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most

desperate. The AIDS orphans in Uganda, the refugee fleeing

Zimbabwe, the young woman who has been trafficked into the sex

trade in Southeast Asia. It has been hard, yet this assistance

together with the compassionate work of private charities,

people of conscience and people of faith, has shown the soul of

our country. And I know too -- I know too there is a wariness.

I know that it feels as if we have carried these burdens long

enough. But we can only know that there is no choice, because

one of two things will happen if we don't lead. Either no one

will lead and there will be chaos, or someone will fill the

vacuum who does not share our values.

My fellow Americans, we do not have a choice. We cannot be

reluctant to lead and you cannot lead from behind.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan understand this reality. Our

well- being at home and our leadership abroad are inextricably

linked. They know what to do. They know that our friends and

allies must again be able to trust us. From Israel to Columbia,

from Poland to the Philippines, our allies and friends have to

know that we will be reliable and consistent and determined.

And our foes can have no reason to doubt our resolve because

peace really does come through strength.

Our military capability and our technological advantage

will be safe in Mitt Romney's hands. We must work for an open,

global economy, and pursue free and fair trade, to grow our

exports and our influence abroad. If you are worried about the

rise of China, just consider this -- the United States has

negotiated -- the United States has ratified only three trade

agreements in the last few years, and those were negotiated in

the Bush administration.

China has signed 15 free trade agreements and is in the

progress of negotiating as many as 18 more. Sadly, we are

abandoning the field of free and fair trade and it will come

back to haunt us.

We must not allow the chance to attain energy independence

to slip from our grasp. We are blessed with a gift of oil and

gas resources here in North America, and we must develop them.

We can develop them sensitively, we can develop them securing

our environment, but we must develop them.

And we have the ingenuity to develop alternatives sources

of energy. Most importantly, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will

rebuild the foundation of our strength, the American economy --

stimulating private sector growth and stimulating small business

entrepreneurship.

When the world looks at us today, they see an American

government that cannot live within its means. They see an

American government that continues to borrow money, that will

mortgage the future of generations to come. The world knows

that when a nation loses control of its finances, it eventually

loses control of its destiny.

That is not the America that has inspired people to

follow our lead.

After all, when the world looks to America, they look to us

because we are the most successful economic and political

experiment in human history. That is the true basis of American

exceptionalism. You see, the essence of America, what really

unites us, is not nationality or ethnicity or religion. It is

an idea. And what an idea it is. That you can come from humble

circumstances and you can do great things, that it does not

matter where you came from, it matters where you are going.

My fellow Americans, ours has never been a narrative of

grievance and entitlement. We have never believed that I am

doing poorly because you are doing well. We have never been

jealous of one another and never envious of each others'

successes.

No, no, ours has been a belief in opportunity. And it has

been a constant struggle, long and hard, up and down, to try to

extend the benefits of the American dream to all. But that

American ideal is indeed in danger today. There is no country,

no, not even a rising China that can do more harm to us than we

can do to ourselves if we do not do the hard work before us here

at home.

More than at any other time in history, greatness is built

on mobilizing human potential and ambition. We have always done

that better than any country in the world. People have come

here from all over because they have believed our creed of

opportunity and limitless horizons.

They have come here from the world's most impoverished

nations just to make a decent wage. And they have come here

from advanced societies as engineers and scientists that fuel

the knowledge-based revolution in the Silicon Valley of

California, in the Research Triangle of North Carolina, along

Route 128 in Massachusetts, in Austin, Texas, and across this

great land.

We must continue to welcome the world's most ambitious

people to be a part of us. In that way, we stay young and

optimistic and determined. We need immigration laws that

protect our borders, meet our economic needs, and yet show that

we are a compassionate nation of immigrants.

We have been successful too because Americans have known

that one's status of birth is not a permanent condition.

Americans have believed that you might not be able to control

your circumstances but you can control your response to your

circumstances.

And your greatest ally in controlling your response to your

circumstances has been a quality education. But today, today,

when I can look at your zip code and I can tell whether you're

going to get a good education, can I honestly say it does not

matter where you came from, it matters where you are going? The

crisis in K-12 education is a threat to the very fabric of who

we are.

My mom was a teacher. I respect the profession. We need

great teachers, not poor ones and not mediocre ones. We have to

have high standards for our kids, because self-esteem comes from

achievement, not from lax standards and false praise.

And we need to give parents greater choice, particularly,

particularly poor parents whose kids, very often minorities, are

trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil

rights issue of our day.

If we do anything less, we can damage generations to

joblessness and hopelessness and life on the government dole

(ph). If we do anything less, we will endanger our global

imperatives for competitiveness. And if we do anything less, we

will tear apart the fabric of who we are and cement the turn

toward entitlement and grievance.

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild us at home. And

they will help us lead abroad. They will provide an answer to

the question, ``where does America stand?'' The challenge is real

and the times are hard. But America has met and overcome hard

challenges before.

Whenever you find yourself a doubting us, just think about

all those times that America made impossible seemed inevitable

in retrospect. Our revolutionary founding act as the greatest

military power of the time, a civil war, brother against

brother, hundreds of thousands dead on both sides, but we

emerged a more perfect union. A second founding when inpatient

patriots were determined to overcome the birth defect of slavery

and the scourge of segregation.

A long struggle against communism with the soviets even --

the soviet union's collapse and in the aftermath of 9/11, the

willingness to take hard, hard decisions that toward us and

prevented the follow on attack that everybody thought

preordained.

And on a personal note, a little girl grows up in Jim Crow

Birmingham. The segregated city of the south where her parents

cannot take her to a movie theater or to restaurants, but they

have convinced that even if she cannot have it hamburger at

Woolworths, she can be the president of the United States if she

wanted to be, and she becomes the secretary of state.

Yes, yes. Yes. Yes, America has a way of making the

impossible seemed inevitable in retrospect, but we know it was

never inevitable. It took leadership. And it took courage. And

it's a belief that our values. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have

the integrity and the experience and the vision to lead us.

They know who we are. They know who we want to be. They know

who we are in the world and what we offer.

That is why -- that is why this is a moment and an election

of consequence. Because it just has to be that the freest most

compassionate country on the face of the earth will continue to

be the most powerful and the beacon for prosperity and the party

across the world.

God bless you and God bless this extraordinary country,

this exceptional country: The United States of America."

Her speech was interrupted with applause after applause. Then at the end, there was a well deserved standing ovation for this most incredible woman.

Condoleezza Rice is an inspirational American.
She is an American political scientist and diplomat. She is a professor at Stanford University, and she is a Conservative and a Republican.


She received her education from the University of Denver (1981), University of Notre Dame (1975), University of Denver (1974), and Miles College.

She served as the National Security Advisor and then the 66th United States Secretary of State for President George W. Bush.

She is age 57, born on November 14, 1954, in Birmingham, Alabama. She is the daughter of a high-school guidance counsellor and later a college administrator (Reverend John Wesley Rice) and music teacher (Angelena Rice), a family that was a fixture of the rigidly segregated city's black middle class.

There can be no doubt that the mid-century Alabama of segregated water fountains, segregated restaurants and amusement parks, and of course segregated schools had an effect on the young black American girl surrounded by such injustice.

At the age of 9, a bomb exploded at a Baptist church a few miles from Westminster Presbyterian Church where her father was a minister. Four black girls were killed, one of them a kindergarten classmate of Rice.

Condoleezza Rice is an inspiration to all. She is proof, that against all odds, the American Dream is alive and well and obtainable.




  Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - More Media Double Standard, Paul Ryan Tags Obama, "2016" A Big Hit, Ron Paul, and More!

FIRST SHOT!

Ann Romney slammed for $990 Shirt, yet Michelle Obama is praised for her $6,800 jacket!

I missed this one, so it is a little backtracking. But yes, it has everything to do with the liberal media's double standard.

It was reported early this month that back in May, Ann Romney, wife of Mitt Romney, wore a $990 Reed Krakoff silk shirt for a media appearance.

Supposedly, the silk shirt set off a media firestorm with the Romneys widely accused of being "out of touch" with average Americans.

According to the article, one liberal news entity in particular was the Washington Post who wrote that the $990 blouse "will not help her husband change those perceptions, no matter how many Laundromat photo ops are on the campaign’s itinerary."

Wow, that paper sounds very sincere huh?

Well then fast forward to last Friday when First Lady Michelle Obama attended an Olympics reception for heads of state at Buckingham Palace. She wore a J. Mendel cap sleeve jacket from the 2013 Resort collection.

The price-tag? How about $6,800.00! No shit! That's a lot of money for a jacket in anyone's book!

But, guess what, did the same people at the Washington Post who said the Romneys were "out of touch" announce that Michelle Obama was "out of touch"? Hell no they didn't!

Instead, the Washington Post simply described the "intricacies" of the jacket and noted that Mrs. Obama has previously been criticized for "not dressing up enough for Queen Elizabeth II, so she stepped up her game."

No snide remarks, no outrage over the cost, no suggestion she was “out of touch."

This is the kind of bullshit that people are tired of. It has gotten old! Fair is fair, why not be a little fair with your mightier than thou attitude. Why just reserve any and all hatred for anyone who is a Republican or a Conservative while giving Democrats and Liberals a pass for this that and the other thing.

We know this goes on. Americans see this all the time. And yes, that is the reason for the loss in readership, and advertising dollars - no one likes to see favoritism.

Whether it's promoting a man over a woman even though she is more qualified, or asking a black man for his identification while letting another non-black go on his way "just because", no one likes double standards.

It reeks of a lack of maturity and intelligence. It isn't fair and it's getting old. It is also a shame that the weak kneed liberal establishment has to resort to it all the time no matter what the situation.

"Oiho" he said. "57 States" he said. But wait, did anyone in the liberal media take Obama to task for his lack of intelligence - if it were Dan Quayle they certainly would have.

"The media’s overabundant love affair with the Obamas has become increasingly blatant as this election draws nearer. Scrutinizing Mrs. Romney for a fashion choice that cost considerably less than that of the First Lady is yet another example of the media being purely sanctimonious," former political publicist Angie Meyer told Fox News.

"The media continues to relish their roles as liberal bullies, and have relentlessly bullied the Romneys from the beginning. It is pure hypocrisy at its finest.”

Glenn Selig of The Publicity Agency agreed.

"The media will not stay quiet on the issue because wealth remains a big issue with the Romneys. It is not his fault that he's wealthy, but the media is portraying it as a liability," Selig said.

Dan Gainor, VP of Business and Culture for Media Research Center in Washington DC, said it’s "just the latest example of a consistent media theme that somehow Romney is too wealthy and out of touch because he's a millionaire. Except of course that Obama is also a millionaire."

No matter if Barack Hussein Obama is also wealthy. No matter that Obama has not given haredly any of his millions to charity like the Romneys have, or whether or not the Romneys used their money to put other people to work. No, it just doesn't matter when you're steering the truth to your own advantage.

Some also highlighted the apparent hypocrisy on Twitter. “And you thought the Romneys were out of touch?” tweeted one, while another wondered who had to pay for the almost $7,000 dress, and another balked that the “jacket would put a lot of food on the table of one of the 25M unemployed people in USA.”

Mark Joseph, producer of “Wild Card: The Promise & Peril of Sarah Palin,” added that "Mrs. Romney's wardrobe expenses are certainly fair game, but so are Mrs. Obama's, and political reporters have got to do a better job of being even-handed."

Sure, but they won't!

And yes, I have a problem with people saying "political reporters have got to do a better job of being even-handed."

I ask, why do they have to when they really don't have to? What motivates them to do so? They have no honor, if they did than they wouldn't do what they do now.

The news business is unregulated, and subsequently like Hollywood can make the most violent movies ever seen and show exactly how to kill people in a theatre, the liberal news media can attack Republicans, Conservatives, and anyone else who they want to without a care in the world.

They do it because they can. They can because they are in the pockets of big money Democrats. And when they say that they will do a better job being even handed, it's all just more bullshit from people who attack others and lie for a living.

They don't care to change so they won't. They paint the world how they see it. It doesn't matter if they re-write history or spin around the facts, they do it because they can.

Joe Biden yelled out "put y'all back in chains!"

We all know what he meant. And yes, some in the liberal Media picked it up and ran with it saying factually incorrect statements such as he said it because "Republicans want to own slaves again!"

It doesn't matter if in fact Democrats owned slaved and the Republican Party was in fact formed to fight slavery. Or if, the Republicans have been a friend to minorities ever since. They want to empower all Americans. But, fact is, the media doesn't want to hear that. And it's certain, that that's not what they want you to hear

Facts don't serve their purpose to slander, demean, disgrace, and disparage Conservatives -  and it doesn't matter if the facts do because they will still use what they want and disregard the truth.

These days the liberal media has a mission. They are working on behalf of the Democrats busy creating class and gender warfare. They are too busy attacking with a venomous prejudice. Yes, I really believe the actions of the liberal media is based on a prejudice that runs deep.

Prejudice is defined as a preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience. To me, liberal media bias is a form of prejudice akin to bigotry and racism. And yes, they are practitioners.  

The double standard proves time and time again that Liberals hate Conservatives no different than how the Klan hates black Americans. They take every opportunity to attack, no solutions to our many problems, just more attacks.

Liberals see all Conservatives as the enemy just the same as all racist see others other them themselves as the enemy.

That's how I see the liberal media and their double standard.

SECOND SHOT!

Paul Ryan says Obama responsible for America's "debt, doubt, and decline!"

Making one last stop in his hometown before flying to Tampa for the official nomination to the Republican ticket, vice presidential pick Paul Ryan slammed the current White House for putting the nation down a road of "debt, doubt and decline."

This is mot a swipe at the President, it is just an observation of what is happening in our country since we put an inexperienced Socialist in the White House.

In an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Ryan teed up his speech at the Republican National Convention by stressing that the weather-delayed event will nevertheless provide a critical opportunity to draw a "contrast" with President Obama's policies.

"The contrast between the President Obama plan, which has put us (down the road of) debt, doubt and decline, versus Mitt Romney's vision and solutions for a better future, to get us back to prosperity, couldn't be clearer," Ryan said. "And what we want to do is highlight those contrasts."

As Republican officials announced that the abbreviated convention would be going forward as planned, after a one-day delay, Ryan said safety remains the priority and "we'll have to call ... how we see it."

He went on to defend his tax policies, preparing for what will likely be an onslaught of Democratic attacks when the rival party holds its convention next week.

Ryan rejected the conclusion of a Tax Policy Center study, which calculated that Mitt Romney's proposals to reform the tax code would require a tax hike on lower- and middle-income households. Obama has continually cited the study on the campaign trail.

"It's not an accurate study, it's actually not a study of the actual Romney plan," Ryan said. The Tax Policy Center stated in its analysis that they do not score Romney's plan "directly" since "certain components of his plan are not specified in sufficient detail."

"We want to get rid of the corporate welfare, the crony capitalism stuff in the tax code," Ryan said. "But we want Congress to participate in a transparent debate, in front of the public eye, so we can have a really good debate about how best to broaden the tax base and lower tax rates."

Ryan also made an appeal to supporters of Ron Paul, whom the vice presidential candidate called a "friend of mine."

"We see eye to eye on a lot of issues and believe in some ... limited government," Ryan told Fox News. "We believe in academic freedom. We believe in the founding principles. We believe that this is a watershed moment for America, whether or not we're going to reclaim the American idea or we're going to become, you know, a cradle-to-the-grave welfare state, which is where I think the president is taking us."

Ryan addressed the tension with Paul supporters after the Texas congressman held a counter-convention rally in Tampa Sunday attended by thousands. At the rally, Paul accused the GOP establishment of "failing" the country.

Ryan, though, noted that he and Paul have served together for years in the House and suggested he wasn't anticipating any problems.

"So I think, in the final analysis, Ron is clearly going to -- he and his supporters should be very comfortable with us," Ryan said. "At the end of the day, it's a choice between the president's failed leadership, the big government that he's offering, the borrowing that he's offering, the spending and the regulating that he's offering, which will give us a stagnant economy, a lost generation, not just a lost decade, and the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan plan of reclaiming our founding principles, getting back to economic freedom and liberty and reviving this economy."

Monday's hometown rally for Ryan was an emotional sendoff for the Janesville native, with 2,000 people gathering in his high school gym to celebrate the biggest political event the city has ever experienced.

"We're fifth-generation Janesville, Wisconsin, natives," a visibly moved Ryan said to the crowd, which featured the atmosphere of a pep rally profoundly colored by hometown pride. "And it's not a unique story. It's the American story. And the reason our family came here and the reason everybody else's family came here is because of what this country stands for. America's not just a piece of geography. It's an idea."

Baier asked Ryan to reflect on the time he almost quit Congress, quoting an interview he gave Stephen Hayes of the Weekly Standard in which he said: "After we got thumped by Pelosi in '06, I was just sitting in my tree stand right after that election thinking about, you know, Why am I in Congress? What am I doing? Is it really serving a purpose?"

"That tree stand is about six miles in that direction," Ryan responded. "I can get into my tree stand within about 20 minutes of leaving my house."

"I decided back then I'm going to do what I think is right, I'm going to move this debate, so we can get this country fixed, so we don't have the kind of European result that we're clearly heading toward," he continued. "And what I'm really pleased to see is that we're finally having that adult conversation we need to have in this country if we want to fix this country's problems and get us back to prosperity and get people back to work."

Ryan told Fox News he thinks about his father every day. He died when Ryan was only 16. 

"It was one of those moments in a life where you basically have to make a decision whether you sink or swim. You know, when something like that happens to you, it's a real punch in the stomach and you have to decide whether you're going to get yourself up, brush yourself off and dive into life. That's the decision I made when I was 16. And it's made me a stronger person as a result of it. And I'd like to think he'd be proud of not just what we're doing here, but of my entire family and -- and what we're doing."

Paul Ryan is just someone to be respected. Too bad, the Democrat political machine will try to destroy his life.

THIRD SHOT!

Actor R. Lee Ermey, Geico's Drill-Sergeant-Therapist, says He Was Fired From Commercial For Criticizing Obama

It was reported on Monday, August 27th, that "Full Metal Jacket” star and Geico's "Therapist Sarge" R. Lee Ermey said the insurance giant fired him from his commercial spot for speaking out against President Barack Obama, according to a report from TMZ.

Ermey played a former drill sergeant in the commercial, where he called a weeping man a “jackwagon” before throwing a box of tissues at the man in a hilarious and popular commercial for Geico.

But in 2010, Ermey slammed the president’s policies, saying his administration was attempting to “impose socialism” on the American people and, in the process, was “destroying the country,” TMZ reports.

Shortly afterward, he apologized for making the comments, but not before Geico decided to give him the boot. He told TMZ that he was fired over the incident, adding “if you’re conservative in this town, you better watch out.”

Ermey, a Marine Corps veteran, has also appeared in films like “Apocalypse Now,” “Mississippi Burning,” and “Leaving Las Vegas,” as well as voicing characters in the “Toy Story” films and “Family Guy.”

This story made me want to call and cancel my coverage from GIECO.

FOURTH SHOT!

Documentary Film "2016" - A Hit At The Box Office

One of the top 10 films at the weekend box office was a documentary that equates Barack Obama’s reelection with the death and dismemberment of the United States of America — “2016: Obama’s America” grossed about $6.5 million to land at No. 7, nearly $800,000 ahead of Meryl Streep’s latest, the pro-Obama film titled “Hope Springs.”

This was the second-lowest-grossing weekend of the year, but the film’s $9.3 million seven-week haul is still enough to make it the most successful conservative political documentary of all time, as defined and ranked by Box Office Mojo.

It’s also the sixth-highest-grossing all-around political documentary, ranking behind four Michael Moore films and “An Inconvenient Truth,” which starred Al Gore and glaciers.

"It’s like the sophomore on the varsity squad who comes out and plays better than the seniors but they still lose the game," says Keith Simanton, managing editor of IMDb. "It’s still impressive."

So, uh, where’d this movie come from?

How about from the mind of Dinesh D’Souza — president of King’s College in New York, former Reagan staffer, author of books and articles claiming that Obama espouses an anti-colonialist (America and Great Britain) worldview that endangers America.

It 25 donors, who kicked in a combined $2.5 million, to bankroll the project which was completed in June and premiered July 13 on one screen in Houston.

A month later it was playing in 10 theaters, then 61 the following week. It was on 169 screens the weekend of Aug. 17 to 19. On Friday it hit 1,091 and was the No. 4 film nationwide that day.

John Sullivan, D’Souza’s co-director, credits “a grass-roots campaign” for the film’s relative success. Local talk radio hosts were enlisted to cheerlead and shower their listeners with free tickets to encourage word-of-mouth marketing.

After Houston, where local radio personality Mike Berry gave away hundreds of tickets, “2016” opened in Nashville and Baton Rouge, then Denver, Phoenix, San Diego and Los Angeles. Now it’s playing at 10 D.C. area theaters. Ads have appeared on Fox News, MSNBC and the History channel.

In 87 minutes, using D’Souza’s texts as a foundation, "2016" declares that the absence of his father compelled Obama to push his way to the presidency. Which he was able to obtain largely because of his skin color.

Now Obama is waiting until his second term to implement stripping wealth from the upper classes, bankrupting the country so it can be remade into a socialist state, depleting America’s nuclear warheads and permitting a sort of "United States of Islam" to align between Morocco and Pakistan - with the mission of wiping out Israel.

"I’m conservative, but open-minded, and will want to watch it again,” says Frank, a federal employee who lives in the District and declined to give his last name.

He learned about the movie Sunday on Facebook and attended the 12:50 p.m. showing Monday at Regal Gallery Place. "I never thought about the colonial background. It’s interesting that they’ve thought about what could happen" if Obama is reelected.

A ballooning debt is one of the most nefarious elements at play in this mix, says “2016” producer Gerald R. Molen, who won an Oscar for “Schindler’s List” and is making his first foray into documentaries.

“I’m in my 70s. I have grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and want them to have the same opportunities I’ve had in this country,” Molen says. “I haven’t been in one screening yet where there hasn’t been applause at the end, and that’s kind of gratifying. People come out and say, ‘I learned a lot.’ Some have said, ‘It frightened me.’ ”

Sullivan hopes to expand the film to 1,500 theaters this weekend.

FIFTH SHOT!

Ron Paul says "Put me down as undecided."

Friends, this is not a big surprise.

He left the Republican Party in Ronald Reagan's last year in office in 1988. He made sure everyone knew how he felt about Ronald Reagan before leaving.

He said, "I want to totally disassociate myself from the policies that have given us unprecedented deficits, massive monetary inflation, indiscriminate military spending, an irrational and unconstitutional foreign policy, zooming foreign aid, the exaltation of international banking, and the attack on our personal liberties and privacy."

Angry with the Republicans, Ron Paul ran for President on the Libertarian ticket in 1988 - but only pulled .47% of the vote.

Don't let this information, or what he has said in the past surprise you. Paul has made a lot of comments that would scare the living hell out of most Americans.

In case you missed it, he thinks we're at fault for the 9/11 terrorist attack.

That's right, he is known for saying, "They (Al-Qaeda) attack us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for 10 years."

As to whether or not the Taliban, who is allied with Al-Qaeda on the 9/11 attack, was not a threat to us. He said, "Taliban doesn't mean they want to come here and kill us. The Taliban means they want to kill us over there because all they want to do is get people who occupy their country out of their country just like we would if anybody tried to Occupy us."

Yes, according to Ron Paul 9/11 was our fault - and yes, the Taliban is the victim.

Like I said, don't be too surprised at what Ron Paul comes up with. On the whole Michael Moore 9/11 conspiracy idea, Ron Paul sided with Michael Moore.

When asked if a complete, impartial, and totally independent investigation of the events of September 11, 2001 should take place, Ron Paul shockingly answered:

"Well, that would be nice to have. Unfortunately, we don’t have that in place. It will be a little bit better now with the Democrats now in charge of oversight. But you know, for top level policy there’s not a whole lot of difference between the two policies so a real investigation isn’t going to happen. But I think we have to keep pushing for it. And like you and others, we see the investigations that have been done so far as more or less cover-up and no real explanation of what went on."

Imagine that. It sounds as though he really believes it was someone other than the Muslim Terrorists.

But that shouldn't shock anyone, after all he has made all sorts of strange out of this world - actually pretty stupid comments.

When he was asked about Black Americans, believe it or not, he said, "If you have ever been robbed by a black teen-aged male, you know how unbelievably fleet-footed they can be....Given the inefficiencies of what D.C. laughingly calls the `criminal justice system,' I think we can safely assume that 95 percent of the black males in that city are semi-criminal or entirely criminal."

Wow, he thinks 95% of the black males in Washington D.C. are criminals in one way or another. Now there a concept that feeds right into the whole bullshit notion that Republicans are racists.

As for one of the greatest presidents in the history of our nation, Abraham Lincoln? Well, Ron Paul has very little respect for Abe Lincoln. And also, check his crazy take on history or what was going on at the time.

His quote, "I don’t think he was one of our greatest presidents. I mean, he was determined to fight a bloody civil war, which many have argued could have been avoided. For 1/100 the cost of the war, plus 600 thousand lives, enough money would have been available to buy up all the slaves and free them. So, I don’t see that is a good part of our history. Besides, the Civil War was to prove that we had a very, very strong centralized federal government and that’s what it did. It rejected the notion that states were a sovereign nation."

OK, so he really thinks that the Federal Government could have bought up all the slaves and set them free? Of course he doesn't address the fact that that would not have solved the slave trade into the Southern States controlled by Democrats - and that it would not have ultimately stopped slavery in the South.

But again, this is not surprising, Ron Paul is known to think more like a Democrat than a Republican when it comes to Black Americans.

Just take a look at what he said about the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which was filibustered by Democrats in Congress - and in fact passed as a result of Republican votes.

Ron Paul said, get ready for this, "The Civil Rights Act of 1964 not only violated the Constitution and reduced individual liberty; it also failed to achieve its stated goals of promoting racial harmony and a color-blind society."

Imagine that for a minute, and tell me if you don't think that that sounds like a 1960s Democrat.

These are all way over the top, but they're no even close to what he thinks about Social Security and Medicare.

When interviewed by Fox News Chris Wallace, Ron Paul came up with some really interesting insight in the way he thinks. Especially about Social Security and Medicare.

Chris Wallace asked, "You talk a lot about the Constitution. You say Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid are all unconstitutional."

Ron Paul answered, "Technically, they are. … There’s no authority [in the Constitution]. Article I, Section 8 doesn’t say I can set up an insurance program for people. What part of the Constitution are you getting it from? The liberals are the ones who use this General Welfare Clause. … That is such an extreme liberal viewpoint that has been mistaught in our schools for so long and that’s what we have to reverse—that very notion that you’re presenting."

Chris Wallace seemed a little taken back, but then asked, "Congressman, it’s not just a liberal view. It was the decision of the Supreme Court in 1937 when they said that Social Security was constitutional under Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution."

Ron Paul answered, "And the Constitution and the courts said slavery was legal too, and we had to reverse that."

As for legalizing Heroin and Cocaine? Yes, he really did say he was in favor of it.

When asked, "You say that the federal government should stay out of people's personal habits, including marijuana, cocaine, even heroin."

Ron Paul answered, "It's an issue of protecting liberty across the board. If you have the inconsistency, then you're really not defending liberty. We want freedom [including] when it comes to our personal habits."

When pushed, "Are you suggesting that heroin and prostitution are an exercise of liberty?"

Paul's answer probably surprised everyone watching when he said, "Yes, in essence, if we leave it to the states. For over 100 years, they were legal."

It seems that Ron Paul doesn't understand how things like drugs become illegal for the good of America. Legalizing drugs like heroine and cocaine is insane.

I can't help but wonder, since he says its OK just because it was OK once upon a time - then what does he think of legalizing slavery or legalizing white only bathrooms again. Both were also legal once upon a time, and both became illegal for the good of America. 

Yes, that's Ron Paul. And yes, he has a following.

Why the following? Well, the reason is that he says some things that actually make sense. But friends, that doesn't surprise me either - my grandpa used to say that a broken clock is still right twice a day. So him being right on a few things doesn't surprise me.

Because of his history and comments, yes I can actually see him sitting out the election and not voting for Republican Mitt Romney. Of course, by him doing so, he gives a vote to Obama.

Why? Well  it's because it means that his vote will not offset a vote for Obama by a loyal Obama supporter. If that happens, in the end Obama will win.

It is what happened four years ago. People couldn't find it in themselves to hold their nose and vote for John McCain because he was perceived as being weak and ineffective and a liberal Republican - a RINO (Republican In Name Only).

Because of that, it was reported that 26% of Conservatives didn't even show up to vote in 2008. And friends, that's how Obama became president.

Because we didn't get out the vote to vote against him and offset the votes for Obama, he became president. We really can't afford to make that mistake again.

That's just how I see it!

THE LAST SHOT!

A Note From The American Cowboy Chronicles: Our Blog Now Has Advertising!


Yes, my wife and I made the decision to try to use our website to bring in needed funds to support our horses. With feed, care, fuel, and veterinarian visits all getting more expensive, we decided to use our site to now carry advertisments.

I've looked around and found some great sites with great deals, nice discounts, made in the USA products, many with free shipping, and all a good fit for what you might be looking for.

Our list of advertisers are:

Target Stores,

Discount Tire Company,

4Wheel Drive Hardware,

Auto Parts Warehouse,

The Sportsman's Guide

Bargain Outfitters,

Wayfair Home Improvement

Glasses USA,

National Pens,

Discount School Supplies,

ADW American Diabetes Wholesale,

1-800-DENTIST,

U.S. Medical Supplies,

Rhapsody Music,

TCM Movies,

And for my friends in the UK and Ireland, we now carry deals at NETFLIX

You will find them all on our homepage. Just a click, and you will be taken there.

This was a long time coming, and I'm really grateful to friends who gave me ideas of which ads to carry on here. As you can see, there is a little bit for all sorts of needs.

I'm thinking about setting up a sort of marketplace where like minded folks can get some easy to find great deals. That may happen in the future at the bottom of our homepage. Until then, I've used most of these advertisers and can tell you that they are all great folks to deal with.

So please click on an advertiser to let them know that it really is a good idea to advertise with my wife and I here at The American Cowboy Chronicles.

In advance, I can't thank you enough for all your support.

Tom

The American Cowboy (1886)

Article by Joseph Nimmo Jr.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine 
November 1886

During the last fifteen years the American cowboy has occupied a place sufficiently important to entitle him to a considerable share of public attention. His occupation is unique.

In the exercise of his function he is always a man on horseback. His duty as a worker in the cattle business is at times to ride over the range in order to see that straying cattle do not rove too far from the assigned limits of time herd of which lie has charge; at times to drive the herd from one locality to another; and at times to round up the dispersed cattle, by which is meant to collect them together for the purpose of branding calves, or of selecting beef cattle, which latter are driven to railroad stations for shipment to market.

The chief qualifications of efficiency in this calling are courage, physical alertness, ability to endure exposure and fatigue, horsemanship, and skill in the use of the lariat.

The original cowboy of this country was essentially a creature of circumstance, and mainly a product of western and southwestern Texas. Armed to the teeth, booted and spurred, long-haired, and covered with the broad brimmed sombrero the distinctive badge of his calling, his personal appearance proclaimed the sort of man lie was.

The Texas cowboys were frontiersmen, accustomed from their earliest childhood to the alarms and the struggles incident to forays of Indians of the most ferocious and warlike nature.

The section of the State in which they lived was also for many years exposed to incursions of bandits from Mexico, who came with predatory intent upon the herds and the homes of the people of Texas.

The carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons was consequently a prevalent custom among them. And being scattered over vast areas, and beyond the efficient protection and restraints of civil law, they of necessity became a law unto themselves.

It is not a strange thing that such an occupation and such environment should have developed a class of men whom persons accustomed to the usages of cultivated society would characterize as ruffians of the most pronounced type.

But among the better disposed of the Texas cowboys, who constitute, it is believed, much more than a majority of them, there were true and trusty men, in whom the dangers and fortunes of their lives developed generous and heroic traits of character.

The same experiences, however, led the viciously inclined to give free vent to the worst passions. Upon slight provocation they would shoot down a fellow man with almost as little compunction as they fired upon the wild beasts.

But the peculiar characteristics of the Texas cowboys qualified them for an important public service.

By virtue of their courage and recklessness of danger, their excellent horsemanship, and skill in the use of firearms, and by virtue also of the influence which they have exerted upon their gentler brethren of the northern ranges, they have been an efficient instrumentality in preventing Indian outbreaks, and in protecting the frontier settlements of the entire range and ranch cattle area against predatory incursions and massacres by Indians.

This has been a natural result of the fact that the cowboys constitute throughout that region a corps of mounted scouts, armed and equipped, twenty thousand strong.

They traverse vast ranges, ford rivers, and search for cattle amid mountain fastnesses and in lurking-places of the river bottoms.

It is only twenty years since the discovery was made that between the line of settlement in Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas at the east, and the Sierra Nevada and Coast ranges at the west, there was an area as large as the portion of the United States which is situated east of the Mississippi River, throughout which cattle could be raised and fattened on the open range, seeking their own food, water, and shelter without any aid from man, from the time they were dropped until they were in condition to be driven to a railroad station for shipment to market.

This discovery, greater in its importance than the discovery of gold in California, or silver in Nevada, or petroleum in Pennsylvania, happened, according to the most reliable accounts, in this wise.

It was once commonly thought that the prairie range lands were useless to the white settlers and suitable only as a hunting-ground for savage tribes.

Early in December, 1864, a government trader, with a wagon train of supplies drawn by oxen, was on his way west to Camp Douglas, in the Territory of Utah , but being overtaken on the Laramie Plains by an unusually severe snowstorm, lie was compelled at once to go into winter-quarters.

He turned his cattle adrift, expecting, as a matter of course, they would soon perish from exposure and starvation, but they remained about the camp, and as the snow was blown off the highlands the dried grass afforded them an abundance of forage.

When the spring opened they were found to be in even better condition than when turned out to die four mouths previously. This at once led to the experiment of herding cattle on the northern ranges. But it was for years a slow and hazardous business.

At that time it was the custom to allow the Indians upon the reservations to wander off during the summer months throughout the present range and ranch cattle area, in order that they might hunt buffalos and other large game, and then sustain themselves in their accustomed way until the approach of winter, when they returned to their reservations to be again provided for by the government.

Permission to depart on these expeditions was always given upon the promise made to the military and civil officers of the United States that while absent they would be good Indians. But as cattle were more easily caught than buffalos, they found it greatly to their advantage to swoop down upon the herds, stampede them, and slaughter at their leisure as many as their needs required.

Often times, by way of amusement, they lifted the scalp of a stray cowboy. In many instances they massacred whole camps of settlers, whose chief occupation was cattle herding. Occasionally these wards of the nation so far forgot themselves as to put on war-paint and set the United States at defiance.

The massacre of General Custer and his detachment on the 25th of June, 1876, at Little Bighorn, Dakota, near the present location of Fort Custer, led, however, to the adoption of a more stringent policy on the part of the United States government with respect to requiring the Indians to remain upon their reservations.

During the five years following that tragic event our valiant little army, widely scattered over a vast area, had many bloody encounters with the savages.

At last the spirit of resistance was broken, and Montana, Idaho, and Dakota became comparatively safe for the introduction of the range cattle business, which had already become known in Colorado and Wyoming as a highly attractive enterprise and a speedy avenue to wealth.

As the work of the army drew nigh to completion the cowboy galloped in, and became the mounted policeman of a vast area, always on patrol. But even after the red man had retired to his reservation the lot of the cattlemen were not entirely serene.

From time immemorial the horse thief and the cattle thief seem to have been a sort of parasitic growth upon frontier life, apparently begotten of its conditions.

So it was on the range. For several years the entire region from Kansas and Colorado at the south to Montana and Dakota at the north was infested by cattle thieves. The country afforded apparently illimitable scope for this nefarious traffic. It seemed at one time somewhat a matter of doubt as to which should prosper most, the herdsmen or the cattle thieves.

As the cattle of many proprietors intermingled freely on vast ranges, it was comparatively easy and safe for a few marauders to pounce down upon detached groups of cattle here and there separated from the main body of the herds, and drive them off over some mountain range to a distant valley or range where grazing was abundant, and there brand the calves with a chosen hieroglyphic representative of a separate ownership, and change the marks of cattle already branded, by one or more dashes with a red hot iron.

It was clearly seen that in order to stamp out this new and threatening evil recourse must be had to a drastic remedy.

Accordingly the various cattle associations organized a detective service, composed mainly of brave and trusty cowboys, who were charged with the duty of reconnoitering the whole country in order to discover the miscreants in their lairs, also to watch for altered and surreptitious brands at the railroad shipping stations.

In this way a large number of stolen cattle was recovered, and many cattle thieves were apprehended. When the latter were arrested within the limits of the efficient administration of the law, they were handed over to the civil authorities. But when caught beyond the limits of organized counties, administrative justice was extemporized.

The cattlemen and the cowboys themselves supplied judges, jurymen, witnesses, attorneys, constables, and executioners. Sometimes a level-headed cowboy was placed upon the judicial bench. The cattlemen assert that the extreme and only penalty was never inflicted except upon the clearest evidence of guilt.

When the verdict of guilty was pronounced, a short shrift, and a stout rope, and a grave without a coffin or a winding sheet, ended the proceedings.

But a great change has taken place. On the northern ranges cattle stealing has become almost entirely a thing of the past.

States and territories have enacted laws requiring that all cattle shall be branded, and that the brands shall be recorded in the office of the clerk of the county in which the owner of each herd resides. The brands are also published.

Thus the light of publicity is thrown upon the whole range cattle business, and at the same time it has acquired all those securities which characterize organized and well ordered commercial enterprises.

At first the raising of cattle on the northern ranges was confined mainly to settlers possessed of small means.

But soon men of enterprise and capital saw that the placing of great herds on the ranges of the north, as had been done for years in Texas and in Mexico, would, under adequate protection, be attended with great profit, for already railroads traversing or extending out into the territories afforded the facilities for transporting cattle to the three great primary cattle markets of the United States, viz., Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City -- Chicago being by far the largest and thence to the markets of the world.

It was an enterprise which required both capital and courage. The State of Texas had for years been a prolific breeding ground for cattle. At that time cattle were worth on the ranges of that State but little more than their hides and tallow. Two-year-old steers could be purchased in almost unlimited numbers for from $3 50 to $4 50 a head.

Besides, Texas had an army of cowboys, who were acquainted with the Indian in all his ways, and who rather courted than refused a passage at arms with the savage. Here were therefore three material elements of success in a great undertaking -- capital, cattle, and cowboys. Intelligent enterprise came in and formed the combination, and not long afterward it became a matter of personal interest with the Indian to remain on his reservation all the year round.

Speedily the Texas steer superseded the buffalo, and the cowboy became the dominant power throughout New Mexico, Colorado ,Wyoming, Montana, and the western portions of Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. Within the brief period of fifteen years the cordon of cattle interests was drawn so close around the Indian reservations that the monarch of the plains became ye gentle savage.

As a general rule the ranch cattle business has, under good management, been wonderfully successful. Hundreds of men who a few years ago went into the business with exceedingly limited means have become cattle kings, and now count their assets by hundreds of thousands and even by millions. In certain instances also women have embarked in the enterprise, and among the number are those who now rejoice in the sobriquet of cattle queens.

The market value of the surplus product of the entire range and ranch cattle area during the year 1884 was about $40,000,000, aside from the consumption within that area. Besides, the increased value of herds during the year is estimated at quite as much more.

Throughout that area the cattle business is the chief commercial enterprise; but as trade makes trade, it has been instrumental in creating important collateral and related trade interests. One of the most important results of this has been that the several transcontinental rail roads have built up a large and profitable local traffic.

The original conception of transcontinental traffic was that it would be confined almost entirely to through business, but the local tonnage of the Northern Pacific Railroad during the year 1884 constituted ninety- five per cent. of its total tonnage, and the local tonnage of the Union Pacific Railroad constituted forty-three per cent of its total tonnage.

The cowboy of today, especially on the northern ranges, is of entirely different type from the original cowboy of Texas . New conditions have produced the change. The range cattle business of Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming , Montana, and Dakota is, as already stated a new business.

Those engaged in it as proprietors are chiefly from the States situated east of the Missouri River and north of the Indian Territory.

Among them are also many Englishmen, Scotchmen, Frenchmen, and Germans of large means, embracing titled men who have embarked in the business quite extensively. Many of these came to America originally as tourists or for the purpose of hunting buffaloes, but the attractiveness of the cattle business arrested them, and they have become virtually, if not through the act of naturalization, American herdsmen.

Some of this class have, from the force of romantic temperament and the exhilaration of range life; themselves participated actively in the duties of the cowboy.

Organization, discipline, and order characterize the new undertakings on the northern ranges. In a word, the cattle business of that section is now and has from the beginning been carried on upon strictly business principles.

Under such proprietorships, and guided by such methods, a new class of cowboys has been introduced and developed.

Some have come from Texas, and have brought with them knowledge of the arts of their calling, but the number from the other States and the Territories constitutes a large majority of the whole. Some are graduates of American colleges, and others of collegiate institutions in Europe.

Many have resorted to the occupation of cowboy temporarily and for the purpose of learning the range cattle business, with the view of eventually engaging in it on their own account, or in the interest of friends desirous of investing money in the enterprise.

The life of the cowboy is always one of excitement and of romantic interest. His waking hours when riding on trail are spent in the saddle, and at night he makes his bed upon the lap of mother earth.

The great herds which are yearly driven out of Texas to the northern ranges usually embrace from 2500 to 4000 young cattle each, and the movement has since its beginning, about eighteen years ago, amounted to about 4,000,000 head, worth nearly $50,000,000.

Each herd is placed in charge of a boss, with from eight to ten cowboys, a provision wagon, and a cook. Four horses are supplied to each cowboy, for the duty is an arduous one. The range cattle when away from their accustomed haunts are suspicious and excitable, and need to be managed with the greatest care to keep them from stampeding.

When on trail they are close herded at nightfall, and all lie down within a space of about two acres. The cowboys then by watches ride around them all night long. The sensible presence of man appears to give the animals a feeling of security.

The journey from southern Texas to Montana requires from four to six months. Herds are also driven from Oregon and Washington Territory to Wyoming and eastern Montana.

It is impossible for one who has not had actual experience in riding on trail to imagine the difficulties involved in driving a large herd of wild cattle over mountain ranges, across desert lands where in some cases food and water are not found for many miles, and where streams must be crossed which are liable to dangerous freshets.

A large part of the northern ranges is embraced in the area which Silas Bent, an accomplished meteorologist, terms the birthplace of the tornado. Thunder and lightning are here frequent, and they are especially terrifying to range cattle.

The most thrilling incident in the life of the cowboy occurs on the occasion of a thunder storm at night. Such an occurrence is thus described from personal observation by Mr. William A. Bailhie Grohman, an English writer:

On the approach of one of these violent outbursts the whole force is ordered on duty; the spare horses of which each man has always three, and often as many as eight or ten are carefully fed and tethered, and the herd is rounded up, that is, collected into as small a space as possible, while the men continue to ride around the densely massed herd.

Like horses, cattle derive courage from the close proximity of man. The thunder peals, and the vivid lightning flashes with amazing brilliancy, as with lowered heads the herd eagerly watch the slow, steady pace of the cow-ponies, and no doubt derive from it a comforting sense of protection.

Sometimes, however, a wild steer will be unable to control his terror, and will make a dash through a convenient opening. The crisis is at hand, for the example will surely be followed, and in two minutes the whole herd of 4000 head will have broken through the line of horsemen and be away, one surging, bellowing mass of terrified beasts.

Fancy a pitch-dark night, a pouring torrent of rain, the ground not only entirely strange to the men, but very broken, and full of dangerously steep watercourses and hollows, and you will have a picture of cowboy duty on such a night. They must head off the leaders.

Once fairly off, they will stampede twenty, thirty, and even forty miles at a stretch, and many branches will stray from the main herd.

Not alone the reckless rider, rushing headlong at breakneck pace over dangerous ground in dense darkness, but also the horses, small, insignificant beasts, but matchless for hardy endurance and willingness, are perfectly aware how much depends upon their speed that night, if it kills them.

Unused till the last moment remains the heavy cowhide quirt, or whip, and the powerful spurs with rowels the size of five shilling pieces.

Urged on by a shout, the horses speed alongside the terrified steers until they manage to reach the leaders, when, swinging round, and fearless of horns, they press back the bellowing brutes till they turn them.

All the men pursuing this maneuver, the headlong rush is at last checked, and the leaders, panting and lashing their sides with their tails, are brought to a stand, and the whole herd is again rounded up.

Throughout time northern ranges sobriety, self-restraint, decent behavior, and faithfulness to duty are enjoined upon the cowboys. A great improvement is also observable in the cowboys of Texas.

Deeds of violence among them are now few. The morale of the entire range and ranch cattle business of the United States now compares favorably with that of other large enterprises.

--end of article.

The article above was written by Joseph Nimmo Jr. for Harper's New Monthly Magazine in November of 1886. Some have confused this article from Harper's New Monthly Magazine 73 (No.438 November, 1886):880, as being from Harper's Bazaar.

Harper's Magazine, not to be confused with Harper's Weekly or Harper's Bazaar, was launched as Harper's New Monthly Magazine in June 1850 by the New York City publisher Harper & Brothers. Harper & Brothers also founded Harper's Weekly and Harper's Bazaar magazines which later grew to become HarperCollins Publishing.

There are reasons that the American Cowboy is the iconic figure that he is. Reading the article above, we can see that even back then the American Cowboy became a legend in his own time. All for good reason.

I hope you enjoyed reading how it really was.

Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - Toby Keith's Great Bar & Grill, The National Hotel, Democrats Behaving Badly, Payoffs, and More!

FIRST SHOT!

Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill"

Last Thursday, my wife and I took my mom to the doctor's for a follow up appointment after  she had an asthma attack on Wednesday that landed her in the emergency room at Kaiser in Sacramento.

After her appointment at the Kaiser facility in Folsom, we decided to check out the new Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill" that just opened a few months ago.

Folsom, California, is an old cowboy town that has a great deal of history attached to the 1849 California Gold Rush. And of course, to Johnny Cash singing about the time he spent in Folsom Prison.

I'd say Folsom is most commonly known for its famous Folsom Prison, but there is a lot more to the city. With a city of over 72,000 residents, Folsom is building up, modernizing, and yet at the same time holding on to its historical roots.

It's "downtown" hasn't really changed in over a hundred years, its parks celebrate its building of a power plant to bring needed services to folks, and each year it puts on a pretty darn good professional rodeo.

The Folsom Pro Rodeo starts out days before the actual rodeo with an annual Folsom Pro Rodeo Cattle Drive right there in downtown on historic Sutter Street of Old Town Folsom. 

It is always wonderful to see the expressions on the faces of the people there as the cattle are moved through town. Mostly their faces show a combination of wonder and curiosity - but enjoyment for certain.

The city of Folsom is turning into a hub of sorts for folks up around here in my area who want a little more than what our biggest town of Jackson can offer. Jackson has a population of about 4,600 residents, so that's our big town for us.

Jackson is a great town, but Folsom just has more to offer in the way of more stores and restaurants and such - much much more.

And yes, that includes the new Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill." 

When we walked in, immediately, you can't help but notice how nice it is. On the walls, there are pictures and Toby memorabilia.

Among the pictures were one's of him with our troops overseas.

Now I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything that Toby Keith has done for our troops overseas.

By him going over there and entertaining them when possible, he has given them something from home that they will never forget.

Being in the military once upon a time, I can tell you that that is a big deal to them. So to me, Toby is as good as they come for doing such a thing.

As for the gals serving us, well they were right there to help and very friendly. Our server was a real nice gal named Kendall - and was very nice to talk with. Polite, friendly, personable, goes a long way with me when I go out to a restaurant. She was all of that.

I told my wife and mom that they could have an adult beverage if they wanted since I'm the designated driver. They laughed and ordered Cokes, I had ice tea.

After she brought our drinks, I found out that Kendall was born and raised in Folsom. She is a Cowgirl!

She has had a horse all her life, and in fact she has a 16 year old gelding named Cody that she first got when she was 10 years old. She confessed to enjoying her job and loving her work there at Toby Keith's.

It was good to see, there is nothing worse than going somewhere and being waited on by someone who doesn't like their job or being their. Kendall is a nice gal with a great attitude.

Kendall, like all the gals, was dressed in denim shorts, tank tops, rhinestone belts, and cowboy boots. She said during Football Season they'll probably wear NFL Jerseys and during the Winter months wear flannel shirts. Either way, the gals are all country and easy on the eyes to say the least.

As for the food, well my wife, my mom and I all ate well. The portions were big and the food was excellent.

We were there during the day, and it is a comfortable place. It has TVs everywhere you look. Country music being played, but certainly not too loud where we couldn't talk among ourselves and not hear each other.

And that's saying a lot, after years of target shooting my hearing is pretty shot - pardon the pun - so being somewhere where the music is too loud drives me nuts.

Now on the other hand, concerts should be loud if old hard of hearing guys like me want to hear the words. And yes, if you've been following my blog very long - then you know that I think Country Music is going down hill because bands drown out the vocals.

Toby Keith has a great voice and it's always a pleasure to listen to his music because I can hear the words to his songs. I wish I could say that about others in Country Music these days because good voices are becoming harder and harder to find.

After we were told they have concerts there, and line dancing. My wife immediately checked out their dance floor. I'm willing to bet that we'll probably make a run out there at least once a month for her to line dance if she likes it.

The Line Dancing is on Wednesday Nights and from what we were told the place gets pretty crowded. We were also told that the same can be said for their concert nights.

Phil Vassar was there last Friday night, and in October they will have Joe Nichols there in Folsom. My wife and I really like the place and will probably try to see the Joe Nichols concert on Wednesday October 24th.

Now, I'm really not one for Bars. My days of going to some place to drink and raise hell are pretty much gone, but that doesn't mean I'm dead. We both like Country Music, and my wife likes dancing. And yes, I admit that I do too on occasion.

So yes, we'll probably drive out to Folsom and see how things go.

Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar & Grill" is a nice place with friendly folks, we'll check out how it is at night when it comes alive with a concert and get back to you. Until then, I recommend that you find out if there is one of the 11 locations near you - and check it out. http://countrybarfolsom.com/locations

Besides the good food and nice atmosphere, Toby Keith supports our troops by going the extra mile, I take great pleasure in supporting a man like him.

SECOND SHOT!

The National Hotel, Jackson, California

At the heart of the California gold country was the National Hotel.

The original building was constructed in 1849 at the joining of two streams that were supposedly sacred to local Indians. Most used the spot to water cattle.

Around 1849, three men, Ellis Evans, D. C. White and Armstrong Askey felt that the growing town of "Botileas", which was named for the great number of whiskey bottles found around the springs, needed a hotel. They built a two-story frame building and named it "The Louisiana House".

The town was renamed "Jackson" after Col. Jackson. Then in 1862, what was known as the "great fire" destroyed most of Jackson along with the hotel. Resolved to have it there, after the "great fire," the same three men rebuilt the hotel.

The National Hotel has seen the heyday of the California Gold Rush when gold was discovered and floods of people from all over the world came to the California Gold Country.

My grandpa once described historic buildings like "The National" as a beautiful woman that just needed some help. Over the 150 years, she has been through a lot. Now though, she has been refurbished and modernized and improved.

Yes, the National Hotel is again open for visitors to come and stay. 

It is said that every California governor has been in the hotel, along with a number of Presidents and movie stars such as John Ford and John Wayne.  When you walk through the doors you feel you have stepped back into California history.

Like most who live in the area, I watched the work go on. And like most, I can testify to the fact that the National Hotel is more beautiful than ever. The workmanship, the detail, the time spent to get things right were all worth while.

The National Hotel's website says, "Come to savor the sumptuousness of our wines, our Wild West history, the treasure of our rivers for rafting or fishing or to simply recharge your spirit in the sanctuary of the hotel with your family, or for a romantic weekend- all your expectations will be exceeded. You will find it all at….The National.

At The National, we will provide the indulgence all discriminating land barons and rich scalawags came to expect; sumptuous meals prepared by our executive chef, dream your dreams in the cocoon of exquisite beds and luxuriate in the opulence of the entire property.

Stroll through our lobby, listen to the baby grand and be spoiled by our staff, dressed in period costume. Our wine cellar offers Bacchus’ best from our extensive wine cellar or linger over your favorite cocktail at our fully restored original bar."

The National Hotel in Jackson is a piece of history that is now a modern beautiful getaway for the person who wants to come to the Gold Country and enjoy life. 

I love that fact that someone took the time to invest their money in a great old historic building like The National Hotel. Especially, when they do it with the desire to see the hotel regain her glory.

There were a lot of men and women who worked very hard to make The National into the beauty that she is. 

I agree with their website when they say, "As we re-open this grand structure, our guests will find it’s been transformed to its former glory; honoring its past while embracing all the modern luxuries.

The gold today comes from the vineyards, the jaw dropping beauty of the landscape and the richness of the history of the true old west."

And yes, The National Hotel is the Old West! 

THIRD SHOT!

University of Virginia declines Obama request to speak on campus

August 25, 2012

The University of Virginia declined President Obama’s request to speak on campus next week, citing security costs and the disruption of classes.

University officials said the Obama campaign wanted to use one of two outdoor venues – the school’s Amphitheater or the Harrison-Small Library plaza – when the president visits Charlottesville on Wednesday, according to NBC affiliate WVIR-TV.

School officials said more than 186 classes would have to be cancelled, in the first week of the fall semester.

The president is scheduled next week to visit three battleground states with a focus on wooing college voters, as the Republican Party holds its national convention in Tampa, Fla.

On Tuesday, Obama is scheduled to hold a rally at Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, then one at Colorado State University, in Fort Collins, Colo.

Virginia's top Democrat is playing down the snub. Virginia Democratic Party Chairman Brian Moran told the station, "We're proud that he's coming. We're very excited that he's coming to Charlottesville, regardless of where in Charlottesville."

University spokesperson Carol Wood confirmed to the TV station that President Obama will not be speaking at the university.

And the university’s communications office said Friday, school officials offered John Paul Jones Arena, but were told it "was not academic enough" by the Obama for America campaign.

To me, if it's all about location than it seems that backdrop and stage design are more important to the Obama campaign that the actual message itself.

But that's nothing new!

FOURTH SHOT! 

News Media Doesn't Report Democrats In Trouble With The Law

I know folks are hearing a lot about a Republican who said something he wishes he hadn't, but you probably hadn't heard about a few Democrats in trouble.

The House officially reprimanded California Democrat Laura Richardson for conduct violations this month.

The House has officially reprimanded California Democrat Laura Richardson for forcing her congressional staff to do campaign work and for violating codes of conduct for government service.

The official reprimand comes with a $10,000 fine. It's another blow to the three-term lawmaker's uphill re-election race against fellow Democratic Rep. Janice Hahn.

Richardson has admitted to all seven counts levied against her and agreed to accept the reprimand.

The Ethics Committee report said Richardson forced employees in her Long Beach office to do campaign work after their workday had ended - and then sought to tamper with and influence the testimony of staff members by suggesting they tell the committee their campaign work had been "voluntary."

Imagine that!

Here's another story that has been overlooked in the News:

Illinois State House expelled Democrat Rep. Derrick Smith over bribery charges.

On August 17th, it was barely reported anywhere that Illinois State lawmakers kicked out a West Side Democrat accused of taking a $7,000 bribe, marking the first expulsion from the Illinois House since 1905.

Rep. Derrick Smith failed to show up to defend himself or hear his fellow House lawmakers condemn his alleged actions before the 100-6 vote was taken. Three lawmakers voted present - the same way that Obama used to vote present on matters that he didn't want to commit to when he was in the Illinois State House.

Here's another one:

Minnesota Democrat lawmaker urged to step aside after rest-stop liaison with 17-year-old boy

A Minnesota state lawmaker, a democrat, who authorities say admitted having a liaison with a 17-year-old boy at a rest stop faced calls from party leaders to give up his re-election bid.

Democrat Rep. Kerry Gauthier, 56, hasn't been charged in the July incident, and authorities said he wouldn't be because the boy was older than 16, the legal age of consent, and no money was exchanged.

Police say the teenager responded to the lawmaker's Craigslist ad for "no strings attached" sex.

Gauthier admitted to the liaison, according to police reports made public late last week. The teen told police the two had oral sex, according to the reports.

Gauthier hasn't commented to reporters on the incident. A call to his cellphone rolled to voicemail on Monday. Thissen's statement said he expects Gauthier to "address these issues publicly and soon."

Gauthier was elected in 2010 with 73 percent of the vote. He is not married.

I can't help but wonder how many more Democrats are doing things either improper or illegal that the liberal News Media isn't reporting or burying? I'm willing to bet there are others!


FIFTH SHOT!

Texas judge warns of "civil unrest," UN troop presence if Obama re-elected

It was reported on August 23, 2012, that a local Texas judge says his county should beef up security in preparation for "civil unrest" if President Obama is re-elected.

He is worried Obama may try to "hand over sovereignty" to the United Nations.

Lubbock County Judge Tom Head told MyFoxLubbock.com that he wants his county to be prepared, which is why he's backing a new tax hike to pay for extra deputies and attorneys.

"(Obama is) going to try to hand over the sovereignty of the United States to the U.N., and what is going to happen when that happens?" Head asked, according to MyFoxLubbock.com. "I'm thinking the worst. Civil unrest, civil disobedience, civil war maybe. And we're not just talking a few riots here and demonstrations, we're talking Lexington, Concord, take up arms and get rid of the guy."

Head went on to predict that if that happens, Obama will "send in U.N. troops."

"I don't want 'em in Lubbock County. OK. So I'm going to stand in front of their armored personnel carrier and say 'you're not coming in here,'" he said, adding he wants "trained, equipped, seasoned veteran officers to back me."

Head clarified Wednesday that the remarks referred to a "worst-case scenario" that "probably" won't happen.

County Commissioner Gilbert Flores scolded Head for the comments, reportedly saying he was "ashamed" at what he said.

Head reportedly made the remarks Monday before an interview with the Fox affiliate in Lubbock, Texas.

MyFoxLubbock.com says the mics picked up the remarks and the judge gave the channel permission to use them, though he reportedly has said they're out of context.

I don't even know what to say to that other than that I don't think Obama is that stupid to try something like that. It would lead to chaos.

SIXTH SHOT!

Labor Department spent $500G in Stimulus Funds on green-job ad blitz on Olbermann, Maddow at MSNBC

August 22, 2012

Stimulus cash spent to air green jobs ads on MSNBC

Labor Dept. Uses Stimulus Spending to Promote...

The Obama administration paid a PR firm nearly $500,000 in stimulus funds to run a barrage of ads on White House-friendly cable programs promoting its green job training program.

According to government records, the Labor Department paid the money in late 2009 to a company that negotiated a media buy on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" and "The Rachel Maddow Show." The ad was set to run more than 100 times -- 14 times a week for two months.

It's unclear how many people might have gotten involved in the green job training program because of the ads. But in terms of direct economic impact, the official online entry on the contract listed zero jobs created as a result of the payment.

"On the surface, this doesn't pass the basic sniff test," Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, who sits on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, told Fox News.

Chaffetz, who said he's writing a letter to the Labor Department seeking more information about the contract, complained that the federal government already spends "way too much" on advertising as it is.

He said the targeting of these ads also raises questions about "political motivations."

The $495,000 contract was awarded to McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations.

Two department spokesmen also told The Washington Times that Larry King's former CNN show was considered for carrying the ad but was dropped because MSNBC was thought to be able to reach more viewers.

But Rick Manning, a spokesman with Americans for Limited Government who used to be chief of staff in the Labor Department's public affairs office in the George W. Bush administration, took issue with the department's explanation of the purchase.

"The fact that they claim that they delegated this spending authority to a consultant without oversight is outrageous," he said.

The Maddow and Olbermann shows - the latter of which is no longer on MSNBC - have been two of the friendliest programs toward the Obama administration on cable TV.

Maddow herself cut an MSNBC ad last year touting government investment in infrastructure - an Obama priority.

The official "award summary" on the Labor Department contract explained that the ads were meant for "raising awareness among employers and influencers" about the green job training program and to move a "target audience" to contact the Job Corps Call Center to ask about enrolling.

The summary cited "existing and new training initiatives in high-growth and environmentally friendly career areas."

According to the Labor Department, the Job Corps committed more than $9 million in stimulus funds toward growing its training program and brought in more than 60,000 students to participate in the process.

The department reported that it was adding training programs "for an emerging green economy" - by developing concentrations for such careers as weatherization technician, smart meter technician and other fields.

This was really hard to believe at first, then it made more sense. It must be nice to get repaid for supporting Obama. No wonder the News Media is in his pocket.

For a long time, I've questioned the motives of the liberal media. For a long time, I've wondered if their support of liberal ideals could really be based on some altruistic notion passed along by some Communist professor in college.

I wondered because I know that altruism and Communist do not go hand in hand, they are in fact opposites. Altruism is the opposite of selfishness. It is selflessness. Communism is selfishness because it is about gaining control and power over others.

Altruism is the concern for the welfare of others. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures. It is the core of various religions. As a boy, I learned that the concern for the welfare of others is at the heart of being a Catholic. It is about what motivates us to help others without wanting anything in return for ourself.

The liberal media has tried to pass themselves off as this all caring entity when in reality it is just pretentious bullshit.

This report is just more proof that the liberal media is like a hooker. More and more people are seeing what it is, the only thing left is negotiating price.

Story by Tom Correa