1 Day 'til Christmas

I've saved the best for last. If the good Lord is willing, tomorrow night I will be standing inside the Magic Kingdom in Orlando and watching this show with my wide eyed 5-year-old princesses. I have seen Cinderella's castle lit up before and watched the fireworks afterwards. It is an experience to take away the breath of a full grown adult. I simply can not wait to watch my girls faces as they soak it in for the first time. I wish all of my friends here a very Merry Christmas!!! I hope that this holiday brings an opportunity for you to watch and enjoy your family as well. People is people and everything else is just stuff. Be good to one another and hold tight the ones you love. And always remember the One who's birth has given us such a time and such an occasion as Christmas.

Simple and Beautiful

We were eating dinner at my sister's house on Sunday when something was brought to my attention by my brother-in-law. People have jumped on this news story and broadcast it across the world. Headlines from newspapers and on the internet proclaim things like "Bush Cowers at Shoe Attack" or "Iraqi Journalist Hurls Insult" or "Bush Too Quick." People on the left relish the idea of someone hurling their shoe at President Bush and are lightning quick to point out what a huge insult that is in the Iraqi culture. I've heard everyone putting their own little spin on it. Seven years ago you would never even have known this man's name. Seven years ago you would not have even wanted to be from this man's family or even village. Now try to really soak in the scene and appreciate it for what it is. Here's the simple and beautiful truth that this picture conveys:

A journalist, who was able to question the highest ELECTED officials in the land and in the world, hurled a shoe at the President of the United States while Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki was also standing there and DID NOT DIE.

4 Days 'til Christmas

Uncanny Likeness

I was over at Vinegar and Honey today and my friend Jan had this photo posted on her blog. I couldn't help but laugh out loud immediately when I saw it because it looked so familiar to me. I've seen this likeness before many times. This is what popped into me head:

Christmas Gifts and Kindness

I have a great job for which I am very grateful. Many are without jobs right now and many more will be without jobs in the months to come. I don't consider my job to be great because it will make me rich or powerful or respected. But these are not the things I strive for. I have a great job because I enjoy the work I do and enjoy the people that I work with. Many of my coworkers are also my friends. When Mama Frank was pregnant with our girls the people there threw me a baby shower and were very generous. It was the first and only baby shower that anyone could remember having there. One of my friends there has always enjoyed seeing my girls and has known them from birth. She has a special place in her heart for Jessica as they share the same name. Today she brought me a gift for the girls which she knitted herself. I am thankful for the kindness to myself and to my family. Hand made gifts are very special as time is a real commodity these days. Especially time coming from someone who works more than one job. The hats that she knitted are beautiful and my girls were overjoyed to receive them. They informed us that they wanted to wear them to bed tonight (a request which we gladly obliged). I hope that you are as fortunate with your job as I am although I know that many are not. My thoughts go out tonight to those who are out of work unexpectedly. My prayers are with you and your families.

7 Days 'til Christmas (Admit it! - These posts make you smile!)

9 Days 'til Christmas

Well, this is what was awaiting me at work today.



There are several ways to clean off 41 school busses. None of them are fast. None of them are fun. But this little toy here does come close:



Industrial backpack leaf blowers work wonders on snow if it's not too wet. By the way, it's only nine more days until hanging out with these guys is all I have to worry about. I'm really...........um...I mean.....my GIRLS are really looking forward to it. (yeah, that's the ticket)

And So Ends the Reign of King Carl

It was announced today that after spending the last twenty years running the Kansas City Chiefs into the ground our General Manager, Carl Peterson, is finally going to pack his bags and ruin somebody else's town. Good riddens to bad rubbish!!! I am hoping that he will take Herm Edwards with him and we could start fresh with our undoubtedly high draft picks we should receive next year.

10 Days 'til Christmas

This is where we are going to stay while we are at Walt Disney World. It is called the Pop Century Resort. There are different wings of the resort and each one of them pay tribute to a certain decade of the 1900's. It's the most cheesetastic place you can imagine and I can't wait to get there and drink it in. This video also features my girls favorite song. I play this song and they jump up and down and dance and sing like crazy. Not the typical choice for 5-year-olds but then again my girls are anything but typical. I'm a proud Papa you know!!!

Welcome to our home! We have finally got a chance to decorate for Christmas. Feel free to stop by and we'll share a cup of hot cocoa or a glass of egg nog. Maybe we could even sing a song or two and share a meal. Come one, come all.

12 Days 'til Christmas

Since we are down to twelve days I bring to you the Muppets and John Denver singing the "12 Days of Christmas."

13 Days 'til Christmas

14 Days 'til Christmas

Snow White was the first full length animated feature to be produced by Walt Disney, and the first American animated feature film in movie history. Walt Disney had to fight to get the film produced. Both his brother Roy Disney and his wife Lillian attempted to talk him out of it, and the Hollywood movie industry mockingly referred to the film as "Disney's Folly" while it was in production. He even had to mortgage his house to help finance the film's production, which eventually ran up a total cost of just over $1.5 million, a massive sum for a feature film in 1937. Disney's wife, Lillian, told him: "No one's ever gonna pay a dime to see a dwarf picture." Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered at the Carthay Circle Theater on December 21, 1937 to a wildly receptive audience, many of whom were the same naysayers who dubbed the film "Disney's Folly." The film received a standing ovation at its completion from a star-studded audience that included such celebrities as Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, Shirley Temple, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Judy Garland, Ginger Rogers, Jack Benny, Fred MacMurray, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Burns and Allen, Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle, John Barrymore, and Marlene Dietrich. Six days later, Walt Disney and his magical seven dwarfs appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The New York Times said "Thank you very much, Mr. Disney." RKO Radio Pictures put the film into general release on February 4, 1938, and it went on to become a major box-office success, making more money than any other motion picture in 1938. The film grossed $66,596,803 domestically when released, and has had a lifetime gross of $184,925,486. For a short time, Snow White was the highest-grossing film in American cinema history; it was ousted from that spot by Gone with the Wind in 1939. Adjusted for inflation, and incorporating subsequent releases, the film still registers one of the top ten American film moneymakers of all time.

15 Days 'til Christmas

THE DAPPER DANS ON MAIN STREET USA

A Red Letter Day

This is a red letter day in our family. Today Mama Frank will complete her Masters degree in education from Baker University. Not only will she be graduating but she will have a 4.0 GPA to boot. She has been working very hard on this degree and has done it all on top of being a full-time elementary music teacher and being the most wonderful mother to her children and wife to her husband. I honor her today and am exceedingly proud of her. She is the strongest of our family and we love her dearly. Congratulations Mama Frank!!!

16 Days 'til Christmas

Taiko drummers outside the Japan pavilion in Epcot

17 Days 'til Christmas

19 Days 'til Christmas!!!

There's only 19 days until Christmas and people are starting to get excited here at the Frank residence. Our excitement this year is a little different than most years. Yes we are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with our family. And yes we are keeping in mind the greatest gift ever given to us by our Creator. And yes we are enjoying seeing the Christmas lights all around us. And yes we are singing the Christmas carols that we love. But this year our excitement is also tied to my girl's first trip to Disney World. In 19 days we will board a plane early Christmas morning. When we get off that plane the Disney Magical Express will pick us up and take us to the Disney Pop Century resort which will be our home until after the New Year. To say that we are excited is really quite an understatement! To get us in the spirit here I have changed up my blog colors a bit and added a nice little snow shower as well. Hope y'all like it.

For My Friend Salubrina

In the spirit of retro-week here at Papa's I am including three things brought up by Salubrina at my friend Steph's place. Our childhoods must have been somewhat similar.

Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution

It seems that even European countries can easily recognize the disdain that the Democrats have for The Constitution and the legal acrobat tricks they pull to get around following the rules clearly written out to guide our legislators. Appointing Hillary to the Secretary of State position is clearly unconstitutional but that means very little to the leftards.

From a newspaper in the UK:

Hillary Clinton's appointment as US Secretary of State has been challenged as unconstitutional. In fact it conflicts with Article 1, Section 6 of the Constitution which states: "No Senator or Representative shall, during the time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil office under the authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time."

Hillary Clinton has been a Senator since 2001. In January of this year President Bush signed an executive order raising the salary of the Secretary of State by $4,700. That disqualifies her from taking office, according to the advocacy group Judicial Watch. But Democrat apologists insist there are ways to circumvent this disqualification. Congress could reduce the salary to its former level, as was done in 1974 to enable Senator William Saxbe to become attorney general and in 1993 to facilitate Senator Lloyd Bentsen becoming treasury secretary.

Those moves were unconstitutional, riposte the purists, carried out by Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, both notorious for constitutional improprieties. Using a Clinton precedent to validate a Clinton promotion does have a gamey odour to it. Opponents point out that, because of this clause, Ronald Reagan refrained from appointing Senator Orrin Hatch to the Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, Democrats are preparing measures to evade the clause. One notion proposed has been that it should be ignored since nobody has the standing to sue under its provisions to block Clinton's appointment. The same argument was advanced, during the recent election, when some of the common people impertinently asked to see Barack Obama's birth certificate, as proof of his right to stand for the presidency.

So, after the founding fathers burned so much midnight oil over that document, it turns out to be inaccessible, unenforceable and irrelevant. Proponents of a written constitution for Britain might take note of this situation.

Muppet Magic

I am dedicating this post here to my wonderful wife. She is a kid at heart even as I am. We grew up on opposite coasts of the USA but with many of the same tastes in humor and entertainment. We have always been very fond of the Muppets in general and The Muppet Show specifically. We've spent time recalling our favorite bits and pieces and trying to remember how each of them went. There is one bit though that she and her older brother saw that they talk of when they are together that I never did see. And try as I may I never could seem to find this episode anywhere as they could not remember the name of the guest star or in which season it was. All they described was that it had a guy doing a magic trick where he "shuffled" sausages. As children they laughed and laughed and laughed but neither of them ever did see that particular bit again. I was thinking of this story again today and decided to once again search for this episode. At long last I found it. Before you judge their humor remember that their only experience with this clip was as small children hyped up on too much candy and too little sleep. (Although, I'm not suffering from either of those things and am laughing like a child.) Believe me when I tell you that she is going to absolutely FREAK when she sees her childhood memory played out before her. Without further adieu I bring you the infamous "sausage" episode:

Schoolhouse Rock

Since we are on the theme of Schoolhouse Rock here this week I thought I would share with you the favorite one from my childhood.



Mama Frank's favorite was "I'm Just a Bill."



What was your favorite?

Also, please visit my friends STEPH and CUBE who have picked up on this and shared part of their childhoods with us as well.

Advice to Obama

Here's a little history book reminder for the Democrats. Just so they don't forget the power or will of the people when we feel that we are being unfairly taxed and not represented by our government.

Come One, Come All

The table is set and the feast is prepared. Come one, come all and share our humble meal and warm blessings. You guys are the best crew that anyone could hope to be befriended by. I am thankful today for those whom I rub shoulders with in the blog world. This blog has been a wonderful outlet and I have met a rich tapestry of assorted misfits and vagabonds, ladies and lords, and everyone in between. You are all welcome at our campfire or feasting table any time you care to share a warm meal and a laugh or two. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

For All Those Still Confused About the Switch to Digital TV

First Things Times Two!

All parents of small children know that each and every day holds an infinite realm of possibilities. Today we have not one but two new firsts. Our daughter, Arianwyn, has her first loose tooth. She is thrilled! She says that she "always wanted to have the first loose tooth." She can't wait to see what the tooth fairy will bring her and wanted to know what Mama Frank and I got from the tooth fairy when we lost our first teeth. She's convinced that the apple she ate yesterday is the cause of it and she could not be any happier.

The second first was from our Jessica. Our girls go to the elementary school where Mama Frank teaches. After school they walk down to her classroom while she finishes up whatever from the day or prepares for the next day. One of the other teachers has his kids there as well and so our girls and his kids often play together after school in one of their rooms. Today while going from one room to the other suddenly the fire alarm began to sound. Mama Frank walked out into the hallway only to see Jessica standing in front of the freshly pulled fire alarm. Oh boy!!! I would say these things only happen to me but I know better than that. Mama Frank used the situation for a learning experience. She marched Jessica down to the Principal's office and had her apologize to the secretary (as the Principal was not there today.) She then marched her to each and every custodian and had her apologize to them as they were the ones running around to find out if the alarm was real.



What stories do you guys have of your children's "firsts"?

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

Just So Nobody Forgets

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

The Tytler Cycle

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

*From bondage to spiritual faith;

*From spiritual faith to great courage;

*From courage to liberty;

*From liberty to abundance;

*From abundance to complacency;

*From complacency to apathy;

*From apathy to dependence;

*From dependence back into bondage.

Any comments on the truth or validity of this cycle? If this is the truth of history and the future of our country then I for one will not fall into the cycle of dependency. And I will stand and fight against all odds before I allow myself and my family to come into bondage. If the cycle holds true I pray that it will be my daughters or their children who will then lead our country and its great people into "spiritual faith" once again.

The Hunt has Finally Come

Oh Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds

And whose breath gives life to everyone,

Hear me.

I come to you as one of your many children;

I am weak, I am small, I need your wisdom and your strength.

Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever

behold the red and purple sunsets.

Make my hands respect the things you have made,

and make my ears sharp so I may hear your voice.

Make me wise, so that I may understand what you

have taught my people and

The lessons you have hidden in each leaf

and each rock.

I ask for wisdom and strength,

Not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able

to fight my greatest enemy, myself.

Make me ever ready to come before you with

clean hands and a straight eye,

So as life fades away as a fading sunset,

My spirit may come to you without shame.

What's Black and White and Blue All Over?

Thanks Brooke

Your results:
You are Han Solo

Han Solo 74% Luke Skywalker 71% R2-D2 71% Chewbacca 70% Obi-Wan Kenobi 64% Lando Calrissian 63% Yoda 61% An Ewok 60% Princess Leia 57% Boba Fett 57%

Even though you've been described as reckless, selfish and cocky, you're the type of person others love to be around. People like you because you're a scoundrel.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)


Click here to take the Star Wars Personality Quiz

We're Gonna Need Some Help

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Racism vs. Intense Emotion

On this the first evening since the election I would like to share something that is conflicted within myself and touches me deeply. There is no doubt that we have just come through an historic and transformative election day. Only time will tell the full implications of the chain of events that are now set in motion in our country. They may turn out to be very great and they may turn out to be very grave. In fact, they may turn out to be both at once or some shade in between. The reasons that people made their choice for Barack Obama are certainly as varied as the shades of color in the fall landscape. One of the reasons was racism pure and simple. Racism is infinitely destructive and as ugly a monster as has ever reared its head in our country. Racism has never been a part of my character and when growing up as a child was the farthest thought from my mind. I never fathomed that someone would hate someone else because of the color of their skin or that someone would like someone else because of their skin color. Unfortunately, I grew older and came to know people that acted exactly in that way. I can not think of a more foolish reason to decide to look on someone with favor or with disdain. Many people voted for Obama for this very reason and this reason alone.

Now let me share a story with you about where I work. I am a School Bus mechanic by trade and work for a public school district at the Bus Barn. Because of the part-time nature of driving a school bus many bus drivers are retired from another profession and now drive for some extra cash or just for something to do. Many drivers or bus monitors are in their 50's and 60's. I have a good relationship with most drivers and many are good friends that I respect and enjoy their company and stories of the life they have lived. One of these people, (whom I will call Mildred for anonymity), grew up in Brooklyn and moved here to the Kansas City area as a young lady. She married a man who was in the service and stationed in the very town that I currently reside in. He fought for our country and was a man of great honor by all accounts I have heard. The time was the late 1960's. He and Mildred went to some sort of ball that the military was having. She was elegantly dressed and he was in his dress uniform. After the evening they left the ball to go home. After a wonderful evening they decided to stop for an ice cream cone. He pulled in the parking lot and walked into the hotel/restaurant to get his young bride an ice cream cone. He was promptly told that "his kind" was not welcome there and that he would not be sold an ice cream cone. Furthermore, he was to leave immediately. This was my very town a short 40 years ago. This man, a soldier in his dress uniform, was rejected and discarded from even purchasing an ice cream cone not because of his character or his actions but simply because of the color of his skin. Even as I now type the horror of those words cause tears to well up in my eyes. He has since passed away and only Mildred is left with us. The memory of this event etched - no, seared - into her mind. She is a kind person and a good person and does not hate those with the same color of skin as the man who rejected her young soldier husband. She would lend me help as freely as I would lend her help. Upon seeing a man with same color skin as hers, the same color skin her husband wore, win the election to become the next President of the United States of America she was flooded with intense emotion. It's an emotion that is beyond my experience on this earth. It is an emotion that I can not even pretend to know. She did not vote for Obama because of his skin color but it is his skin color that brings this intense emotion to the surface. And she was overjoyed to the point of tears last night upon seeing a man with similar skin color, HER skin color, be chosen by millions of Americans to what is arguably the most powerful office in the world. Her husband could not even purchase an ice cream cone for her out of his love for her because of his skin color and now someone with that same skin color will be our President. How could I, or anyone else, begrudge her joy over such an event even though it is based on nothing but pigment? I certainly profoundly disagree with the choice of Obama as President but in the same breath, and to a greater extent, I celebrate the joy and intense emotion of my friend. Politics is politics. People is people and that's important.

November 5th, 2008

November 4th, 2008

McCain/Palin '08

Please get out and vote for John McCain and Sarah Palin. They are the ones who have the ability to lead our country and to change how politics are played in Washington. They are the ones who believe in you and I and not in expanding the government to do for us. They are the ones who stand for freedom and liberty and American ingenuity. They are the ones who stand for lower taxes for you and I and for small business that employs many of us. Please give them your vote.

Honesty

I know this is almost 9 minutes long but PLEASE watch it!!!

Happy Fall Ya'll

Psalm 27:4
One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Nobama '08 - part V

Presidential Character

Some people argue that domestic issues are of far greater importance than any discussion of character. I could not disagree more. All elections are about character. If we cannot trust the honor, patriotism, and fidelity of our elected representatives, then the issues don’t matter because whatever a candidate of low character shall say about political issues cannot matter.

I believe we each must consider the character of the two men who want us to elect them as our next president. Some may argue “What more is there to know about either candidate?” after a campaign that has lasted far too long. Ordinarily, at this point in the campaign, I would say, “nothing more.” Except in this election, “We the People” have found the press (as guardians of American democracy) seriously deficient. Rather than remaining impartial, the media has fallen head-over-heels in love with one of the candidates; we must excuse them from the jury of the court of public opinion. This year, the American people have not witnessed a fair trial.

Samuel Adams once said, "The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men,” but this was long before the Obama Era. Political correctness and liberal bias have led us to outcries of racism for even asking questions not even remotely related to race.. The press castigated our friend “Joe the Plumber” for daring to ask about income redistribution. According to one radio report, the Secret Service visited a woman because she told an Obama Campaign worker that she would vote for Barack Obama, “over her dead body.” This kind of attention applied to citizens for merely expressing an opinion is patently un-American, but it is also reminiscent of the intimidation used to silence dissent in communist countries. Character matters all right, especially if suppression of the right of expression is what we can expect from an Obama presidency.

In order to assess the character of our presidential contenders, we must decide upon an appropriate exemplar. On the democratic side of the aisle, the obvious notables are Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. Jefferson may be too far back in time to serve as our role model. Roosevelt was a patent socialist. Truman left office as one of the most unpopular of all our presidents. Lyndon Johnson gave us too many scars. Mr. Carter was a buffoon and Bill Clinton . . . well, I wonder if we aren’t just a little too tired of hearing about him. Kennedy seems to qualify as the best Democratic Party exemplar, even if he was a womanizer; no one is perfect.

In the twentieth Century, notable Republican presidents have included Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. Of these, Roosevelt was impetuous, Eisenhower cautious, Nixon resigned in disgrace, and Reagan was the great communicator. I therefore propose Reagan as our Republican Party exemplar.

In 1961, John Kennedy issued this mandate to the American people: “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” John Kennedy became the darling of the American people; many around the world shared this view. We called his presidency Camelot. He was young, relatively inexperienced, but he excited the people about America’s future. He believed in the rights of man, a strong national defense, and the protection of liberty throughout the world. He believed that nuclear deterrence was insufficient to maintain peaceful coexistence. He believed the United States should be a beacon of hope, and he argued for increased world trade. He sought to achieve working partnerships with other world leaders to achieve dignity, justice, and liberty for all the people of the world. He sought to attain solidarity among the western (Atlantic) nations; he refuted communism as doomed to failure. He set forth an economic policy of unshackled enterprise, industrial leadership, and vibrant capitalism. He sought to lower interest rates in order to increase the flow of money, reduced government spending, and lower taxes. He also vowed to help small businesses through government loans and fair trade policy. Mr. Kennedy was a fiscal conservative.

Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat. He said, “I didn’t leave my party; my party left me.” We assume he spoke about the party of John Kennedy, a platform designed to inspire the American people to greatness. This was also the platform of Ronald Reagan. He repudiated the policy of Jimmy Carter; looking forward, he said, “Democratic politicians are without programs or ideas to reverse economic decline and despair. They are divided, leaderless, unseeing, uncomprehending, they plod on with listless offerings of pale imitations of the same policies they have pursued so long, knowing full well their futility.”

Reagan brought the American people a new pride in their country and themselves, their achievements and future possibilities. He wanted the American people to have liberty and freedom of choice, low taxes as a catalyst for economic growth. He repudiated the so-called Great Society because it created low human productivity. He fought for an expansion of private property ownership, committed himself to improved economic opportunities for black Americans, rights and equality for every minority, and equal opportunities for women. He was committed to the rights of unborn children.


Modern Democrats have turned Kennedy’s ideal upside down; now the cry is “Ask what your country can do for you.” Today’s Democrat pursues the politics of dependency, the essential breaking point between civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesse Jackson. King wanted black Americans to realize the reality of equality, while Jackson’s policies pursue racism, separatism, and demands for greater gifts from the government. King wanted black Americans judged according to their character; Jackson views character as secondary concern because the means justifies the end. King fought for unity, Jackson has dedicated his entire life to reverse-segregation.

Modern Republicans have broken faith with the American people. They broke their Contract with America. Much of what has happened since mid-2005 is the result of this failure. As a Republican, I bemoan a Democratically controlled Congress, but I realize that men such as Duke Cunningham brought it to fruition. But, before anyone starts gloating, we should note that the United States Congress today has achieved the low point of popular opinion; it cannot possibly get worse. Or, can it?

It is time to ask ourselves where Barack Obama and John McCain stand with regard to our exemplars of presidential character. We should assume that “Country First” is a sentiment that every patriotic American deeply subscribes; that all of us want to see positive changes for the future. That said, let us dispense with bumper-sticker ideology, and investigate the actual character of each candidate. Let us consider the deeds of these men rather than their words.

Before announcing his candidacy for the highest office, Barack Obama associated himself with socialist organizations, a peculiar philosophy that supports state or collective ownership of all property and the means of production. Since we achieve personal and national wealth through property and the means of production, Mr. Obama apparently believes than an egalitarian society is only possible when the state controls property and wealth. By extension, the State will distribute wealth according to its own priorities, and the State will achieve this through any number of programs, including taxation. Socialist programs relieve individuals of responsibility, for themselves, and for their families. We see this clearly in Mr. Obama’s platform;

Economic Policy

• An immediate energy rebate to American families

• An expenditure of $50 billion to jumpstart the economy

• Federal assistance to states and localities in education, health care, and infrastructure

• Implement the Congressional housing bill through state and local spending

• Federal investment in infrastructure to replenish highways and bridges

• Expenditures in education to replace and repair schools

• Immediate steps to stem the loss of manufacturing jobs.

• Increase employment and implementing shared prosperity.

• National health care initiatives

We should perhaps note at this point that governments do not create wealth, people do. Governments may facilitate productivity through sound economic policy, but they cannot interfere in a market economy without significant disruption to capitalist investment and diminishing personal and corporate income and profits. Barack Obama’s socialist platform is anathema to Kennedy’s economic philosophy, and may be unparalleled since the days of Franklin Roosevelt. Simply stated, responsible government cannot spend more than anticipated revenues, and it is contrary to American values to redistribute income in a free-market environment.

John McCain is a moderate conservative approximating John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. He believes that the Constitution of the United States limits the role of the federal government, and he strives to work with the Congress within a constitutional framework to improve government efficiency and reduce waste. Like Kennedy and Reagan, McCain believes that lower taxes improve productivity, and that reduced spending is fiscally responsible and economically necessary. While there are some things the federal government must do, other projects constitutionally fall within the purview of the 50 states. National defense and homeland security is something the federal government must do, but the central government must form partnerships with the states on other important human-services programs. Reflected in Mr. McCain’s platform:

Economic Policy

• Implement immediate transparency to the budgeting process

• Evaluate and reduce spending on wasteful and inefficient programs

• Empower states to improve public services

• Implement meaningful (and trustworthy) oversight of government programs

• Make government more efficient and responsive to citizen’s needs

• Prioritize spending to improve and safeguard America’s infrastructure

• Modernize Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid Programs

• Restore Social Security to a sound financial basis

• Expand opportunities to promote personal and industrial prosperity

Of these two men, which has the greatest character? Which of these candidates maintains faith with our founding principles of Constitutional Federalism, a steady hand on the tiller of state, while allowing individuals to choose for themselves their best course? John McCain is not a perfect man, nor is he without justifiable criticism of his previous positions; but John McCain is an open book. His service to his country and his associations has been honorable, and trustworthy.

Barack Obama has not been honest and forthright with the American people. He has hidden his past associations or played them down. He has defamed religious teaching through adherence to black separatist theology and racism, consorted with known terrorists, and enjoys the backing of organizations harmful to the interests and the people of the United States. As an advocate of socialist/Marxist ideology, Barack Obama is frankly, in our judgment, un-American. He falls far short of exemplars such as John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.

Character matters because our nation is facing crises on several critical fronts. If we intend to resolve these problems, we must have the steady hand of true statesmanship. We must have in our president wisdom, experience, honesty, fidelity, and valor. Our president must be a man whose character is consistent with our Nation’s legacy of liberty and equality.

Every presidential election brings forth professional pundits who tell us that this election is the most important of our entire lifetime. This time, they could be right. Our selection of the right man will assure our children, and theirs, of a nation dedicated to individual liberty, prosperity, and the pursuit of happiness. If we choose the wrong man, we may very well witness an end to the United States as created by our forefathers. We are living in perilous times — there is no room for error in our selection of the 44th President of the United States.

On Election Day, one of these candidates will receive a majority of popular votes. In December, the Electoral College will validate the popular vote and confirm the identity of our next president. But this election is more than a referendum on the ability of the American voter to discern between two well-educated men. This election is rather a test of America’s ability to distinguish and reward personal character and to recognize integrity and statesmanship between one man who possesses these qualities and the other who does not.

We urge Americans to vote for John McCain. There simply is no other choice that is good for the American people, or our great country.

How do you tell a Communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin" — Ronald Reagan

Participants: Always on Watch; And Rightly So; Big Girl Pants; Cheese In My Shoe; Chuck Thinks Right; Confessions of a Closet Republican; Defending Crusader; Farmer’s Letters; Fore Left; GeeeeeZ; Has Everyone Gone Nuts?; Learn Something Today; Long Range; Palace for a Princess; Papa Frank; Mind of a Misfit; Paleocon Command Center; Political Yin and Yang; Pondering Penguin; Praesidium Respublicae; Right Truth; Social Sense; The Amboy Times; The Bitten Word; The Crank Files; The Jungle Hut; The Logic Lifeline; The Merry Widow; TSOFAH

A Real and Scary Possibility of Democrats Controlling Washington

Article II of the Constitution gives the President power to nominate justices, who are then appointed "by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate." As a general rule, Presidents nominate individuals who broadly share their ideological views. Because the Constitution does not set forth any qualifications for service as a Justice, the President may nominate anyone to serve. However, that person must receive the confirmation of the Senate, meaning that a majority of that body must find that person to be a suitable candidate for a lifetime appointment on the nation's highest court.



Could this be the deal that Barack made with Hillary in order to get her and Bill to fall into rank and begin supporting not only him but vigorously campaigning for a Democrat majority in the House and Senate? Hill and Bill have been pimping themselves to the Obama thugocracy in a big way the last couple of weeks although we are well aware of the mutual disdain and resentment they have for Barack. Imagine Hillary being a SCOTUS for the rest of her natural life!!! Get out and fight people. Don't only fight against Obama but fight every single Democrat in your state and do not let them get a veto-proof advantage.

Prayer for Madelyn Dunham

I would like to take a moment and pause the political banter here at my blog to urge people to pray for Barack Obama's grandmother Madelyn Dunham. My prayers are with her to be raised to health and strength. I also pray for safety for Barack as he travels to Hawaii to be with her. Family is so very important and that is a sentiment that does not belong to politics or political parties but rather belongs to all humanity.

Florida -- It's Democracy Stupid

More than 30,000 Florida felons who should not be allowed to vote remain registered to cast ballots in the upcoming presidential election, an investigation has found. Of the felons who registered with a party, Democrats outnumber Republicans more than 2-to-1 in the key swing state, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, which conducted the investigation. Since there was less than 600 votes separating the winner and loser quite recently in Florida you would think 30,000 (the majority of which are democrats which goes without saying since they're felons) felons that should not have the right to vote in Florida would be a big issue. And since the early voting has already begun many of this 30,000 have already voted.



Can we say.....

Nobama '08 - part IV

An Enigma Named Barack
by L. A. Sunset

We The People, in order to preserve a more balanced reality, are committed to learning the truth and uncovering the obscurity of a presidential candidate; a man long cloaked in a mysterious veil, and one that we presume hides the truth and distorts the true man who is Barack Obama.

Our opposition to Mr. Obama is not a factor of race, ethnic identity, nor even his place of domicile (i.e., Chicago); it is rather about his past associations, his character, his judgment, and his vision for the future of the United States of America. We believe that these are valid questions and concerns, that the American press has failed to address them in an honest and forthright manner, and that the American people have the right to know the answers to several questions.

Despite rhetoric designed to mislead and misinform the American voter, such as that Barack Obama is a political centrist; that he sincerely wants to change politics inside the beltway; and/or there is hope for a new day under an Obama administration, the issue of his past associations, statements, and activities demand greater scrutiny. We have learned that Mr. Obama’s associations have deep roots within the modern socialist movement, black separatist theology, known ties to anti-Jewish/Pro-Muslim persons, and Chicago-styled machine-politics. We believe that when combined these radical elements present a clear and present danger to American social tradition and every citizen’s quest for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The “A” list of Mr. Obama’s associates includes (but is not limited to):

William Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist, who by his own admission assures us that he did not participate in enough acts of terror to advance his cause properly, has achieve national attention.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose vile condemnations of “white America” entertained Mr. Obama for twenty years.

Rev. Louis Farrakhan (born: Louis Eugene Walcott) who, as the leader of the Nation of Islam is a racist, a black separatist, a homophobe, and an anti-Semite.

Barack Obama joined with Louis Farrakhan and Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi supporting Raila Odinga in his bid to become president of Kenya. Odinga’s political defeat resulted in Muslim violence, burning churches, murdering 1,000 anti-Odinga voters, and renewed demands for the imposition of Shari’ah Law.

Abongo (Roy) Obama, the brother of Barack, is a former Christian now radical Muslim convert, supporter of Cousin Raila Odinga. Roy Obama wants to institute Shari’ah law, wants Barack Obama to convert back to Islam and, as an American president, adopt anti-Israeli policies.

Moussa Marzook is a member of Hamas and author of the Hamas Manifesto, first published in the Los Angeles Times and later reprinted and sold by Jeremiah Wright from the vestibule of Trinity United Church of Christ. Mr. Marzook was indicted by the United States government on issues relating to foreign terrorist activities inside the United States of America. Hamas endorsed Barack Obama for the American presidency in April 2008.

Tony Rezko gave financial backing to Barack Obama early in his to-date short-lived political career. Even though Mr. Obama plays down the association with Mr. Rezko, it is difficult to ignore that the facts prove differently. (See also: Allison Davis, below)

Nadhmi Auchi is linked to Barack Obama through Tony Rezko. He is an Iraqi born billionaire who the U. S. government claims operated as a bagman for Saddam Hussein. He is a London-based financier, one of the world’s richest men. In 2003, he was convicted of fraud involving the “Elf Affair,” Europe’s largest scandal since the end of World War II.

Allison Davis, former employer of Barack Obama, who later closed his law firm and became a partner of Tony Rezko. Davis assigned Mr. Obama to legal work on behalf of Mr. Rezko.

Rev. James T. Meeks, whom Barack Obama regularly sought for counseling, who served as an Obama delegate at the Democratic Convention and is a long-time political ally, who aided Obama as an influential black supporter, received funding from Tony Rezko. Meeks is known for anti-Jewish and homophobic rhetoric.

Rashid Khalidi, along with William Ayers and Barack Obama, is a former professor at Chicago University. He directs the Palestine Press Agency in Beirut, is an agent of the Arab American Action Network, and according to a top official of former-President George H. W. Bush and a former CIA intelligence officer, former Weather Underground
leader William Ayers funneled money to Khalidi, who maintains ties with the Palestine Liberation Organization. Khalidi also received $70,000 from the Woods Fund, and held fund-raising events in his home on behalf of Barack Obama.

Barack Obama is a former director of The Woods Fund, a non-profit organization that, in addition to its interests in “giving a voice to less advantaged people,” helped funnel money to Rashid Khalidi for the Arab American Action Network, which presumably includes Palestinian interests within the United States. The Woods Fund also helps to finance “community organizing, and public policy.”

Created in 1995 to help raise funds to reform Chicago public schools, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge involved William Ayers as a leading founder, who in turn appointed Barack Obama to its board of directors. Mr. Obama served on the board for
six years. According to investigative journalist Stanley Kurtz, writing for the Wall Street Journal, reforming Chicago public schools is a bid misleading: it was a program designed to radicalize students more than it was to educate them. According to Ayers, “Teachers should be community organizers, dedicated to provoking resistance to American racism and oppression.”

Astute Bloggers has illustrated additional past associations; it is a well-researched expose providing a clear view of what lays just beneath the surface of Obama’s deception. We understand why Mr. Obama would want to play down these associations; we do not understand why the American news media would assist him in doing so. Nevertheless, Astute Bloggers lifts the veil on two well-known groups: The New Party, and the Chicago Democrat Socialists of America. Let's take a closer look.

The New Party is an obscure, lesser-known political group. It practices a political strategy called electoral fusion, which entails placing a political candidate on several lines of the same ballot. An example of how electoral fusion works is located at this page; look for the lead “Vote your values,” two-thirds of the way down on the right-hand side of the page. Once a candidate receives the support of Democratic kingmakers, and if the New Party feels the candidate will serve their socialist cause, they will add the candidate's name more than once in order to gain votes that are more popular. From the above link:

The New Party is an umbrella organization for grassroots political groups working to break the stranglehold that corporate money and corporate media have over our political process.

Our current work and long-term strategy is to change states' election rules to allow fusion voting - a method of voting that allows minor parties to have their own ballot line with which they can either endorse their own candidates or endorse the candidates of other parties. Through fusion, minor parties don't have to always compete in the winner-take-all two party system and can avoid "spoiling" - throwing an election to the most conservative candidate by splitting the votes that might go to two more progressive candidates (ours and another party's).

Not surprisingly, “community organizing” is the bedrock of The New Party; socialist progressivism is their ideology. The Chicago chapter maintains a close relationship to the Associations of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). According to this 1996 publication, Barack Obama is clearly affiliated with The New Party

Illinois: Three NP-members won Democratic primaries last spring and face off against Republican opponents on Election Day: Danny Davis (U.S. House), Barack Obama (State Senate), and Patricia Martin (Cook County Judiciary).

Note: Readers familiar with Chicago politics will recognize the names of former Chicago mayor Danny Davis on that list also.

From this evidence, we begin to understand the role electoral fusion played in Mr. Obama’s rapid rise to political power.

Chicago Democrat Socialists of America pursues socio-political programs implied by the title of their organization, but even this organization is more than meets the eye. Cornel West, while serving as an Honorary Chair to Chicago DSA penned a remarkably revealing essay entitled Toward a Socialist Theory of Racism. Chicago DSA and Dr. West were particularly interested in Barack Obama because of his New Party affiliation, his success in running for State senator, and the strategies he employed, to wit: “Barack Obama, victor in the 13th State Senate District, encouraged NPers to join in his task forces on Voter Education and Voter Registration.”

Well, so what if Barack Obama peaks the interest of the Chicago DSA? It is important because no one backs a dark-horse candidate unless there is a chance he will win, and/or there is a reasonable expectation for a return of political capital. In an article entitled, The End of Liberalism socialist author Daniel Cantor wrote, “A massive Times-Mirror poll registered 53% of the public in favor of a ‘major third party,’ so there's no doubt that the soil is fertile. Among the hopeful contenders is the ‘New Party,’ one of a handful of newly forming independent, progressive parties in the country. New Party chapters have backed 93 candidates in nine states over the last eighteen months and won 62 elections.” An index of New Party political propaganda is available, here.

Daniel Cantor, of course, is the executive director of New York’s Working Families Party, another socialist group with chapters in Connecticut and Oregon. He urges socialists, “Vote Your Values.” This would appear to be good advice for everyone with values.

John Nichols writes for The Nation, a politically progressive publication. Nichols is a well-established writer, perhaps best known for ad nausium demands for the impeachment of George W. Bush for war crimes and other frivolous reasons; so much for his credibility.

Taken by themselves, none of these concerns will alter the course of human history. After all, as Americans, we encourage political and social discourse; we value the right of everyone to express an opinion, no matter how insane that opinion may be, and all of us have the right to associate with anyone we choose. Yet it is instructive to note that socialist radicals have completely infiltrated the Democratic Party, and we need no further proof than the inane rhetoric emanating from every Democrat in the House and Senate. The concern expressed in this essay is not that other ideas are unworthy of debate; it is rather that Barack Obama freely decided to associate with dangerously radical and disreputable influences and he now seeks to hide those associations.

Why would he do that? Barack Obama wants to become our next president; he knows that most Americans repudiate Marxist/socialist ideology; he is aware that if most voters begin to see the real Barack Obama, John McCain will win the election. But we believe that Barack Obama has been dishonest with American voters who are capable of thinking. We believe he has taken advantage of Americans voters who are incapable of thinking. We believe that if Mr. Obama stepped up to a microphone and told us what he really believes, he would be lucky to win the post of an Animal Control Specialist.

Honesty, truthfulness, clarity, judgment, motivation, patriotism, and common sense are all important attributes for the office of the President of the United States. We do not believe that Barack Obama has any of these qualities. And, if Mr. Barack Obama has been less than truthful about his associations, what makes anyone think we can trust his campaign promises, his vision for America? The fact is that every man is free to associate with whomever he pleases; but this does not protect any man from judgments about those associations. We believe that the sheer weight of Mr. Obama’s involvement with questionable individuals and organizations will lead a reasonable person to query both his judgment and motivation for nefarious associations.

We the People of the United States, who are also a loose confederation of bloggers, categorically reject Barack Obama for president. He is a radical socialist, he is a black separatist, a racist, he harbors pro-Muslim/Anti-Jewish sentiments and associates, he identifies with homophobes, convicted swindlers, known terrorists, creative financiers, and he has already signaled his willingness to sacrifice National Security for a dialogue with Muslim fanatics.

We cannot vote for this man. We urge you to join us in defeating Barack Obama. So say us one, so say us all.

Participants: Always on Watch; And Rightly So; Big Girl Pants; Cheese In My Shoe; Chuck Thinks Right; Confessions of a Closet Republican; Defending Crusader; Farmer’s Letters; Fore Left; GeeeeeZ; Has Everyone Gone Nuts?; Learn Something Today; Long Range; Palace for a Princess; Papa Frank; Mind of a Misfit; Paleocon Command Center; Political Yin and Yang; Pondering Penguin; Right Truth; Social Sense; The Amboy Times; The Bitten Word; The Crank Files; The Jungle Hut; The Logic Lifeline; The Merry Widow; TSOFAH;