Tag Archives: History

Words You Don’t Hear Anymore

Posted on 27/01/2012 | Leave a comment

post sent by Dan Morris

  1. Be sure to refill the ice trays, we’re going to have company. [I say this because my ice maker is always broken!]
  2. Watch for the postman, I want to get this letter to Willie in the mail today.
  3. Quit slamming the screen door when you go out!
  4. Be sure and pull the windows down when you leave, it looks like a shower is coming up. [I say this.]
  5. Don’t forget to wind the clock before you go to bed.
  6. Wash your feet before you go to bed, you’ve been playing outside all day barefooted.
  7. Why can’t you remember to roll up your britches legs? Getting them caught in the bicycle chain so many times is tearing them up.
  8. You have torn the knees out of that pair of pants so many times there is nothing left to put a patch on.
  9. Don’t you go outside with your school clothes on! [I say this since here in Louisiana schools they wear uniforms.]
  10. Go comb your hair, it looks like the rats have nested in it all night.
  11. Be sure and pour the cream off the top of the milk when you open the new bottle.
  12. Take that empty bottle to the store with you so you won’t have to pay a deposit on another one.
  13. Put a dish towel over the cake so the flies won’t get on it. [I put a dish towel over the cakes when they come out the oven because my mother always did that. LOL, now I know why she did it!]
  14. Quit jumping on the floor! I have a cake in the oven and you are going to make it fall if you don’t quit! [I sometimes say this.]
  15. Let me know when the Fuller Brush man comes by, I need to get a few things from him.
  16. You boys stay close by, the car may not start and I will need you to help push it off.  [LOL]
  17. There’s a dollar in my purse, get 5 gallons of gas when you go to town.[LOL]
  18. Open the back door and see if we can get a breeze through here, it is getting hot. [I say this when we have a hurricane and the lights go out for weeks.]
  19. You can walk to the store; it won’t hurt you to get some exercise. [I say this since we have 2 small little stores in walking distance.]
  20. Sit closer to the radio, don’t turn it up so loud.
  21. Don’t lose that button; I won’t be able to sew it back on.
  22. Wash under your neck before you come to the table, you have beads of dirt and sweat all under there. [I tell them just to go wash the dirt off if they come in dirty.]
  23. Get out from under the sewing machine; pumping it messes up the thread!
  24. Be sure and fill the lamps this morning so we don’t have to do that tonight in the dark. [I say this when we have a hurricane and the lights go out for weeks.]
  25. Here, take this old Sears and Roebuck catalog to the toilet with you when you go, we are almost out of paper out there. [LOL]
  26. Go out to the well and draw a bucket of water so I can wash dishes. [LOL] 
  27. Don’t turn the radio on now, I want the battery to be up when the Grand Ole Opry comes on.
  28. No! I don’t have 10 cents for you to go to the show. Do you think money grows on trees? [LOL]
  29. Eat those turnips, they’ll make you big and strong like your daddy. [My  mother use to say this! LOL]
  30. That dog is NOT coming in this house! I don’t care how cold it is out there, dogs don’t stay in the house. [No, a lot of people treat their dogs better than they treat their children these days or just as well as they treat their children.]
  31. Sit still! I’m trying to get your hair cut straight and you keep moving and it is all messed up.
  32. Hush your mouth! I don’t want to hear words like Dad Gummit! I’ll wash your mouth out with soap! [LOL]
  33. It is time for your system to be cleaned out. I am going to give you a dose of castor oil tonight. [Oh! memories of childhood.]
  34. Quit crossing your eyes! They will get stuck that way! [LOL]
  35. Soak your foot in this pan of kerosene so that bad cut won’t get infected.
  36. When you take your driving test, don’t forget to signal each turn. Left arm straight out the window for a left turn; left arm bent up at the elbow for a right turn; and straight down to the side of the door when you are going to stop. [LOL]
  37. It’s: Yes Ma’am! and No Ma’am! to me, young man, and don’t you forget it! [Here in Louisiana, schools are trying to bring this one back.]
  38. Hurry up and finish drying the dishes so we can go ketch sum lightnin bugs and pit ‘em in a jar.
  39. Y’all come back now, ya hear. [Down here, we still say this. Only it’s Y’all come back, now. or Don’t be strangers.]

I truly regret some of you [who] are [so ] young enough that you missed out on most of these great memories.

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Posted in Laugh, Laugh, Laugh

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Black Americans: Useful Idiots?

Posted on 07/12/2011 | Leave a comment

A Southern girl looking outside the box. That’s how I see myself. Part of what I see when it comes to this “race” issue is this: Back in the ’70′s (I was in middle school) we had riots in our schools because some idiot up north decided that there would be no more white and black schools; they’d be just one school. Why did we have the riots? Because we were black and white. We were different and we were thrown into situations that we didn’t know how to respond to on the immediate level that was expected of us. I keep a set of encyclopedias in my living room from Reed High School (the black high school when there were two high schools) to remind me, as well as my children, that we are indeed different (“blacks and whites” as the north portrays us) but we share a culture like none other in the world; and here when things are in an upheaval, I have their back just as much as they have mine.

Today, I see no such tensions as I experienced in middle school. It is easy for me to stand in line, be it waiting for a fast-food order or stamps at the post office, and strike up a conversation with whoever is before or behind me. Color is no preference but I do prefer the Cajun types.

I don’t see color as the government sees color, and I believe that the majority of the South feel the same. I hate when I have to fill out a form and they ask me if I’m white, black, Hispanic, etc. I have come to check off other because I’m neither of the above. I’m Cajun! I’m NOT Caucasian for damn sure. My family originated from France, Scotland and Germany (mostly France and Scotland). But I would never dare refer to myself as French-American. I’m a lot like Cain. I’m American. I would never refer to black Cajuns as African-Americans. NEVER! To me, that’s an insult on their Southern culture. We here in Southern Louisiana, born and raised through deep rooted generations, no matter if we worked on a plantation or in a grocery store, we are ALL Cajuns. Down here, our skin color has nothing to do with who we are.

What this video below teaches is the truth and the truth hurts. “Brainwashing” (Cain’s straight-up observation) is the most accurate. All those radical liberals who constantly use color to change laws, to add laws, to suppress truth’s voice…I don’t see them coming to the South. And for damn sure I don’t see the president campaigning here in the South. Why is that? Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Watch this video and tell me I’m wrong.

Democrats See Black Americans as Useful Idiots

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Posted in Southerners: Never Boring

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WikiLeaks Security Scandal

Posted on 23/12/2010 | Leave a comment

post by David A. Patten NewsMax

 

[Amazing! And when did these leaks begin? That's the question, isn't it?]

Besieged by a barrage of WikiLeaks revelations, the State Department on Tuesday shut down all access to its secret government documents for fear that they could be stolen and posted on the Internet. The move signaled increased concern over how a quarter-million sensitive diplomatic cables could be spirited away, apparently by a 22-year-old private first class who, according to the British Guardian newspaper, saved the data onto a Lady Gaga CD. Knowledgeable foreign-policy experts found the disclosures to be rather pedestrian. But the scope and breadth of the leaks, as well as the global diplomatic repercussions, sent the State Department reeling.

Spokesman P.J. Crowley said the decision to block access to documents will continue until a fix can be found for what he termed “weaknesses in the system that have become evident because of this leak.” The scope of the security lapse is in some ways unprecedented. The German Der Spiegel magazine wrote—“Never before in history has a superpower lost control of such vast amounts of such sensitive information—data that can help paint a picture of the foundation upon which U.S. foreign policy is built. Never before has the trust America’s partners have in the country been as badly shaken. Now, their own personal views and policy recommendations have been made public—as have America’s true views of them.”

The State Department’s action will cut off access to files classified as secret. Ordinarily, some 3 million federal employees have access to them. If other agencies follow suit, and the restrictions continue for an extended period, national security experts worry it could have profound implications in the war against terror. For the first time, the leak indicates that the post-9/11 dictum of widespread intelligence sharing may leave the United States correspondingly more vulnerable to espionage and breaches of security.

“The whole post-911 mantra was the need to share, the need to share, the need to share,” says Heritage Foundation foreign-policy expert James Carafano. “All that is going to be great, until some share gives up to an al-Qaida operative all the intel he got from DHS. This was going to happen eventually,” he tells Newsmax. “…The need to share is far more important than all the [intelligence] compromises.” Carafano and other experts tell Newsmax that the concerted effort to distribute intelligence broadly across a large number of security agencies—one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission—inevitably increases security risks.

Mark Lowenthal, the president of the Reston, Va.-based Intelligence & Security Academy, tells Newsmax that it is impossible to share information across silos without security issues. “The mantra here is share, share, share,” says the former assistant director of central intelligence for analysis and production. “We’ve gone from need to know, to need to share, to responsibility to providewhich is the current metric that was created by [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell, and not rolled back by either [Director of National Intelligence Dennis] Blair or [DNI James] Clapper. So if you want people to share and provide, then this all has to be available.”

While there are physical methods of preventing staff from bringing CDs or thumb drives to their workplace, Lowenthal says that enforcing those restrictions are onerous. “Clearly they’ve had a breakdown,” says Lowenthal. “Downloading 250,000 documents is no small issue. That’s a lot of downloading, and the fact that nobody caught him is a bit embarrassing.” But stopping leaks is difficult, when so many people have access to the information, he says. “If you want to roll it back to where we have strict compartmentalization, you can do that,” says Lowenthal. “Now we’re back in the situation where everyone is in these little silos, and nobody knows what everybody else is doing. This is the problem with the world we live in—those are your choices and they aren’t pretty.”

Lowenthal, like Carafano, would rather err on the side of stopping the next major terrorist attack. But Michael Scheuer, the former CIA veteran who headed the agency’s secret unit dedicated to tracking down Osama bin Laden, blames a pervasive culture in Washington where people at the very top of the government are allowed to leak with impunity. He cites the string of books by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, known for disclosing sensitive information provided by high-level officials.  “You know it would be something a lower-level official would get fired for, or reprimanded, or suspended,” he says. “And so we live in a culture at the moment that is very lawless in terms of national defense, at least as far as I’m concerned.”

But in the case of WikiLeaks, Scheuer slams the puppet administration for not cracking down on the illegal possession of stolen materials. “The puppet and the attorney general of the United States took no action to stop it, and it seems to me this is a clear chain of criminal activity that has very little to do with the First Amendment. It is trafficking in stolen property,” Scheuer says. “When the puppet weeps his crocodile tears about this is a bad thing happening, clearly he and his administration maybe didn’t want it to happen, but really had no objection to it happening.” If a thief gave diamonds or electronic equipment to another party that tried to then sell it, the Justice Department would file criminal charges without hesitation, Scheuer says.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has stated that the Justice Department and Pentagon are conducting “an active, criminal investigation” to determine if charges can be filed against Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who posted the documents. But Scheuer believes the administration has done little more than complain, in order to avoid run-ins with the ACLU and the mainstream media. “Clearly this administration in particular is in the pocket of the ACLU,” Scheuer tells Newsmax. “They have access to the White House, from what I’ve heard from different people, at all times. But generally speaking, I don’t think the Bush administration was much more eager to take on the media and First Amendment issues.” The worst impact from the WikiLeaks disclosures, he says, is that senior officials will no longer feel free to express their candid opinions. It will have a “chilling impact on diplomats in the field saying what they think,” Scheuer warns.

 

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Posted in Breaking the Rule of Law

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To Urge Voters

Posted on 01/11/2010 | Leave a comment

post by Dick Morris on superpacusa.com, 27 Oct 2010

We are approaching a defining moment in our nation’s history. The decisions made in the days ahead may determine whether our country triumphantly returns to greatness or staggers closer to collapse. Your help and your voice are needed to—

  • Reclaim, Rebuild, and Restore Our America!
  • Join Your Fellow Americans to Usher in a Brighter Future for Our Nation!

Dear Fellow American—Over the last couple of years, America has been bruised and battered. Our $13.5 trillion federal deficit has pushed our nation to the verge of bankruptcy. Obamacare has threatened our right to live a long and healthy life. And the end of the Bush tax cuts, combined with drastic federal and State tax hikes, have put your wealth and retirement savings at risk. The puppet’s liberal agenda and Big Government initiatives are directly attacking the freedom, safety, and prosperity of every American. But now is not the time to give up. Now is the time to stand up.

In these moments I’d like to remind you of the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan from his now famous 1980 Republican Convention acceptance speech—

  • “For those who have abandoned hope, we’ll restore hope and we’ll welcome them into a great national crusade to make America great again!”

You see, the bell hasn’t rung. A knockout punch was not delivered. We are the nation of Washington, Lincoln, and Reagan. We stand for freedom, prosperity, and independence. And it’s time we take America back.

With your help we can stand up with pride…dust ourselves off…and rebuild our nation into one that our Founding Fathers would be proud of. America is at a Historic Crossroads. The decisions made by not only you, but your friends, family, and neighbors on November 2 will determine the path of our nation and its future 10, 20—even 100 years from today. We cannot be silent. We cannot rest on our laurels. And we certainly cannot assume that we will reclaim our nation at the voting booths—without taking necessary measures to make it a reality.

The Democrats have been launching unprecedented smear attacks against Republican and Tea Party candidates. They are drumming up their base. And many races are becoming too close for inaction. This is why I have joined with other national leaders in supporting the Super PAC for America. This is a powerful and formidable grassroots organization that will unite the citizens of this great nation. The goal is simple—on November 2 we will stand up and change America’s path for the better. And powering this movement is a very ambitious goal. I am calling it Project 100.

Our plan is for the Republicans to win 100 seats in this year’s congressional elections. This is admittedly a bold goal. But with enough support very attainable. I have studied the numbers very carefully, and we believe this can be done. And when it happens a shockwave will resonate not only through Washington, but also around the world. Right now the Democrats control the House of Representatives by 39 votes. Republicans need to simply win 39 seats to gain control.

Now while the GOP gaining control of the House is positive change, it’s far from an overwhelming mandate. To fix America we need to win a very large majority to send a powerful message to the establishment. A message that will be impossible to ignore in the White House and on Capitol Hill. With Project 100 we will win with a very large majority.

[I pray that by winning the 39 seats, the impeachment process begins immediately!]

And the positive effects will be immediate—

  • With this mandate we can repeal Obamacare.
  • We can enact successful economic reform initiatives that will put our country back on a proper financial footing and deal with the staggering debt our nation faces.
  • We can fix the immigration epidemic and secure our borders.
  • We can enhance national security and win the war on terror.
  • We can restore family values.
  • We can demand our elected officials be held accountable for their actions…or inactions.

That’s why I am teaming up with the Super PAC for America’s Project 100. But we need your help to realize these goals. Here’s our strategy. As you know, there are 50 likely seats that Republicans will win this year. Right now, the national committees and other donors are contributing heavily to these 50 Republicans in key races across the country. These 50 races are, for the moment, the most likely winners. Super PAC for America’s approach will be even more aggressive. We are going to select the 50 races we believe are second-tier races. Ones that are not on the priority list for the national committees. Ones the Democrats thought were safe seats. With a relatively small amount of money spent by Super PAC for America in these districts we could win an additional 50 seats. And this will give Republicans 100 new seats for this Congress!

Imagine how Americans will vote in these additional 50 swing districts if we clearly spell out to them how Obamacare is going to reduce their Medicare benefits. Left in place, Obamacare will target seniors with massive cuts of over $500 billion in benefits. And the puppet will add 30 million new people to the national healthcare system. This will undoubtedly cause long waits and endanger access to doctors and hospitals.

As you know, private insurance rates are ballooning. Children and seniors are being dropped from their coverage despite what the puppet sold the public about the end of pre-existing conditions. And our brave men and women in the military have been left out in the cold for much of the benefit of this so-called reform. But besides excluding Americans, this controversial legislation is also not economically viable. The cost of federal outlays are set to skyrocket over a trillion dollars thanks to Obamacare.

But repealing Obamacare is just one issue that will be focused on to push Congress in the Republicans’ favor. How will independent voters in swing districts feel when it is clearly explained to them that the Bush tax cuts are expiring, and they are set to get hit with the largest tax hike in history? The puppet and Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to vote on the Bush tax cuts before they recessed. But there has been no vote because it’s been delayed until after the elections. Typical of them, they lied. This is because they are trying to avoid the public outcry of their true intentions until it’s too late for you to do anything about it. They hope Americans have short memories. That they will forget about the coming assault on their wealth.

But the Project 100 will not let the citizens of this great nation forget. I believe when independent voters hear the message we are going to send them, we are going to win 100 new Republican seats, giving Republicans a majority of over 60 votes in the new Congress! This will not only send a powerful message to the establishment in Washington, it will also create a powerful force for change and the restoration of the Reagan agenda in Washington—

  • Less Government, Less Taxes, and Strong National Security.

These are the ideals of the Tea Party movement as well as all Reagan conservatives like you and me. And they can become real. The more we spend on these safe Democratic seats the more we put these incumbents in danger. The Democrats will have to tie up incredible amounts of resources to defend these second-tier 50 seats that they once thought were safe. They will not be able to help other Democrats in trouble in the first 50 seats now at risk. In football we would call this strategy prevent offense.

The Super PAC for America is in a unique position. Because we are fighting for the issues and candidates who support the Founding Fathers’ view of America there is no limit to the amount you can donate. We are not driven by individual candidates, but a vision of how America should and can be. The America you believe in. The Super PAC for America is powered by average Americans who can only spare $5, $25, or $100, as well as those who can afford much more. As I said, there is no limit to how much you can donate. And you are legally allowed to donate as an individual or as a corporation.
  • Our Goal Is Very Simple.
  • In The Next Three Weeks We Are Seeking
  • To Raise $20 Million For Project 100.

If we divide $20 million over 50 districts it would be an expenditure of approximately $400,000 per district. But we believe many of these districts are in small media markets where that money can go very, very far. You can have a powerful impact in a short time. You can change the direction of our country by donating to us. A $400,000 donation from a donor will give us one more Republican in Congress. $100,000 will make a huge difference in our media efforts, even $50,000. Most Americans can’t afford such large donations. Even $1,000 or $500 will help. A donation of $250 can buy a TV ad in many districts reaching hundreds of thousands. Anything you can give will help. With your help we can act as the guardian angel for this second-tier of 50 congressional seats that are up for grabs. You can provide the much-needed support to these candidates by helping us flood the TV and radio airwaves.

Your donation can fortify our direct-mail and online efforts. And by lending your financial support we can set up phone banks across America. We can get the message out. Your message. We can reclaim the America we know and love. The one that has been taken from us by those who do not share our views.

  • President Reagan used to say at the end of his speeches— “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

I can’t add anything more to his statement. This was his call to arms. And today it’s mine to you as well. Now is the time for us to act.

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Posted in A Fight for Freedom

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Manure…An Interesting Fact

Posted on 19/10/2010 | Leave a comment

post sent by Dan Morris

In the 16th and 17th centuries, everything had to be transported by ship and it was also before the invention of commercial fertilizers, so large shipments of manure were quite common. It was shipped dry because in dry form it weighed a lot less than when wet, but once water (at sea) hit it, not only did it become heavier, but the process of fermentation began again, of which a by-product is methane gas of course. As the stuff was stored below decks in bundles you can see what could (and did) happen. Methane began to build up below decks and the first time someone came below at night with a lantern, BOOOOM!

Several ships were destroyed in this manner before it was determined just what was happening

After that, the bundles of manure were always stamped with the instruction Stow high in transit on them, which meant for the sailors to stow it high enough off the lower decks so that any water that came into the hold would not touch this volatile cargo and start the production of methane. Thus evolved the term S.H.I.T. (Stow High In Transit) which has come down through the centuries and is in use to this very day.

You probably did not know the true history of this word. Neither did I. I had always thought it was a golf term.

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Posted in Stories and Quotes To Brighten Your Day

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Boy, Yesterday Seems Like A Blink Away

Posted on 18/10/2010 | 2 Comments

post sent by Dan Morris

[How great is this? Take the quiz below, you'll be surprise. I remember 8 of them! We had the first microwave oven in our neighborhood. It was very big. We also had the first SUV in the neighbor. A very large blazer. We had only 9 channels. We had Hew-Haw, the Dukes of Hazard! We had no curfew after 10pm! We could get a bonafide driver's license at 15. There was gas stations with attendants who pumped your gas and washed your windshield without wanting a single dime! What happened to that America?]

Bring  back any memories?

Someone  asked me the other day, “What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?”
“We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,” I informed  him.
“All the food was slow.”
“C’mon, seriously. Where did you eat?”
“It was a place called home“, I explained.
“Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn’t like what  she put on my plate, I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.”

By this time, the lad was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn’t tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I’d figured his system could have handled  it—

  • Some parents NEVER owned their own house, or wore jeans, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit  card.
  • My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).
  • We didn’t have a television in our house until I was 10. It  was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at 10 pm, after playing the national anthem and epilogue; it came back on the air at about 6 a..m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local  people…
  • I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn’t know weren’t already using the line…
  • Pizzas were not delivered to our home… But milk was.
  • All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered  newspapers—My brother delivered a newspaper, seven days a week. He had to get up at 6AM every morning.
  • Film stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the films. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or almost anything offensive.

If  you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don’t blame me if they bust a gut  laughing.

Growing  up isn’t what it used to be, is it?

MEMORIES from a friend—My  Dad is cleaning out my grandmother’s house (she died in December) and he brought me an old Royal Crown Cola bottle. In the bottle top was a stopper with a bunch of holes in it…I knew immediately what it was, but my daughter had no idea. She thought they had tried to make it a salt shaker or something. I knew it as the bottle that sat on the end of the ironing board to sprinkle clothes with because we didn’t have steam irons. Man, I am  old.

How many do you remember?

  • Headlight dip-switches on the floor of the car.
  • Ignition switches on the dashboard.
  • Trouser leg clips for bicycles without chain guards.
  • Soldering irons you heated on a gas burner.
  • Using hand signals for cars without turn indicators.

Older Than Dirt Quiz—Count all the ones that you remember, not the ones you were told about. Ratings at the bottom.

  • Sweet cigarettes
  • Coffee shops with juke boxes
  • Home milk delivery in glass bottles
  • Party lines on the telephone
  • Newsreels before the movie
  • TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (There were only 2 channels [if you were fortunate])
  • Peashooters
  • 33 rpm records
  • 45 RPM records
  • Hi-fi’s
  • Metal ice trays with levers
  • Blue flashbulb
  • Cork popguns
  • Wash tub wringers
  • If  you remembered 0-3 = You are still young
  • If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
  • If you remembered 7-10 = Don’t tell your age
  • If you remembered 11-14 = You’re positively ancient!

I must be positively ancient but those memories are some of the best parts of my life.

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Posted in Stories and Quotes To Brighten Your Day

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The Constitution: “In the Year of Our Lord”

Posted on 26/06/2010 | Leave a comment

post by Gary DeMar on The Patriot Update: A Free Press for the Conservative Revolution , June 25, 2010

[Thanks Gary for your keen observation to history.]

School officials in Connecticut might want to take note of the fact that Constitution includes the phrase, Done…in the Year of our Lord†, a reference to Jesus Christ†. They might want to dismiss this historical fact by claiming that it was the documentary style of the day. How can this be if, as strict separationists claim, our fathers endeavored to retire the gods from politics? Did they forget to retire Jesus from the Constitution? This would have been a perfect time to retire any implication that God† and government intersected at any point. Our Lord† is a certain reference to the Lord Jesus Christ†. The use of in the Year of Our Lord† continued to be used, even through Jefferson’s administration.

In 1807, Jefferson signed a federal passport that allowed the ship Hershel to proceed on its journey to London that was dated September 24, 1807 in the year of our Lord Christ†. Notice the addition of Christ†. Jefferson could have crossed it out. He didn’t. All 50 State Constitutions make reference to God† in different ways—Almighty God† (the most frequent), Creator, Supreme Ruler of the Universe, Supreme Being, Sovereign Ruler of Nations, Legislator of the Universe, Creator and Preserver of the Universe in their preamble. Did all 50 States forget to retire God† from politics?

[The ship's name was actually Herschel.]

Then there are the official documents that called for national days of prayer. On March 16, 1776, by order of Congress a day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer where people of the nation were called on to acknowledge the over ruling providence of God† and bewail their manifold sins and transgressions, and, by a sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease his righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ†, obtain his pardon and forgiveness.

Congress set aside December 18, 1777 as a day of thanksgiving so the American people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor and on which they might join the penitent confession of their manifold sins…that it may please God†, through the merits of Jesus Christ†, mercifully to forgive and blot them out of remembrance. Congress also recommended that Americans petition God† “to prosper the means of religion for the promotion and enlargement of that kingdom which consists in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost†.”

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Posted in Words to Live By

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February 2008

Posted on 24/06/2010 | Leave a comment

8th

Endorses Socialist Candidate Scandal
by Peter Andrew of ConservativeAmerican.org

News Alert —Vermont self-described Socialist Congressman Bernie Sanders ran for Senate and the puppet endorsed him. The puppet passed on the  slated Democrat and chose Socialist Sanders. The puppet says he’s an outstanding candidate and only a handful of wrongheaded people don’t like him.

20th

Plagiarism Scandal
by Jonathan Bailey of Plagiarism Today

Typically, I am loathe to enter the world of plagiarism scandals as they are usually off-topic for this site and generally do no good to its readers. However, over the past few days, the puppet plagiarism controversy has dominated my RSS reader with bloggers on both sides using it to attack and defend both candidates in the race. So, rather than let the opportunity slide by, I thought it would be wise to take a look at the scandal, put it in some perspective and see what lessons bloggers and webmasters could learn from it. After all, even though we are not writing campaign speeches, we are putting our words in the most public forum in the world, the web, and many of the same lessons apply.

What Happened—On February 16, the puppet gave a speech in Wisconsin where he answered allegations from his main political rival, Hillary Clinton, that all he had to offer was just words. To answer the charge, he quoted a series of well-known speeches and documents from U.S. history, including those by Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy as well as the Declaration of Independence and asked if they were Just Words. Within hours, a clip emerged on YouTube that compared the puppet’s speech to a 2006 speech by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. In Patrick’s speech, he used many of the same quotes as well as very similar phrasing. In all, the two clips are remarkably similar.

The Clinton campaign seized on this and accused the puppet of plagiarism. The puppet responded, saying that Patrick and himself are good friends and share ideas regularly. Even Patrick himself, the plagiarized party, has taken to national TV to defend the puppet. However, the puppet has acknowledged that he should have given Patrick credit when speaking, saying, “He (Patrick) had suggested we use these lines. I thought they were good lines. I’m sure I should have. Didn’t this time.” The story has grown to incredible proportions. Google News is reporting over 900 news references for the puppet Plagiarism,  including over 150 unique stories. Perhaps unfortunate for the campaign, the story is not going away and the puppet’s campaign has fired back, accusing Clinton of plagiarizing the puppet’s speeches and catch-phrases. It seems that the back and forth is poised to continue for some time to come.

A Flawed Argumen—Back in 2006, I wrote briefly about plagiarism accusations filed against Martin Luther King, Jr. The conclusion I came to then was that, while the accusations were disconcerting, they were not a reason to abandon his legacy. But it seems that, whenever there is a plagiarism accusation against a public figure, there is a tendency to take things to the extreme. Either the allegations don’t matter at all or they are completely discrediting to everything they have done. The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. The accusation against the puppet is that he, with permission from the original author, took ideas from a speech and presented them as his own. Much of the material involved was quoted from previous speeches that are already well-known.

Should the puppet have given credit to his friend? Yes. Does it reflect on his moral character that he didn’t? It is hard to say. It is easy when giving a speech to omit sections. The question is whether it was an honest mistake or an attempt to present the words as something they weren’t. Given that the puppet, by all accounts, had permission to use the verbiage before going up, the evidence leans to the ‘honest mistake’ side. However, only the puppet knows the complete truth. What is clear, however, is that this issue is a distraction. Both sides are hurling plagiarism accusations while not talking about the critical issues of the day. They are smearing one another vigorously over stolen words while ignoring other, more important matters.

Part of the problem is that politicians, for better or worse, are not generally held to the same standard as authors, researchers and artists. Most people realize that the words from a politician are not wholly their own. They have speechwriters, image consultants and others working behind the scenes to help them craft the right message. Does this excuse plagiarism? Not in the least. But it does show that plagiarism accusations in politics are, generally, purely political attacks, especially when they are as questionably grounded as this one. I feel that this not only belittles the issues that are being ignored, but also plagiarism itself. After all, how can lay people take plagiarism seriously when politicians use it as little more than a means to attack each other’s reputation? Sadly, both camps are guilty of that at this point. While I would want to know if a candidate were guilty of widespread and deliberate plagiarism, making a large deal out of permitted plagiarism of a few sentences, especially when the lack of attribution could have been accidental, does no one any good.

Lessons Gleaned—So, what can Webmasters and bloggers learn from this scandal? Well, many of the lessons will be familiar to anyone who reads this site, but they are worth repeating.

Attribute Obsessively—It is not enough to merely attribute up to current standards, one has to go above and beyond. Not only does it make such scandals much less likely, but it provides proof of good faith when and if an omission does happen. Though not everyone’s words are under the same scrutiny as the puppet, pretend that they are.

Get Permission—Though the puppet appears to have had permission to use the words he did and it didn’t avert the scandal, imagine how much different it would be if Patrick hadn’t spoken up and said that the puppet had clearance to use the words. It was a wise move by the puppet.

Incidental Plagiarism Still Counts—The plagiarized portion was only a few sentences, but either the memory of someone on the Web or advanced search tools were able to detect the plagiarism. The fact that it is only a few sentences or not a direct quote doesn’t mean much. The plagiarism can be found so long as it is recognizable. Take nothing for granted.

In the end, it comes down to the same tried and true system of always attributing any content that you use, no matter how small, and always showing respect for the words of others, even if you have permission to use them. Though this is much easier to do in print than in a speech. It is even more important as the words we write are more easily searched and parsed than the words we say.

Conclusions—Having seen so much plagiarism over the past six years of my life, the puppet scandal certainly seems to be on the more minor end of the spectrum. Especially when compared to the Joseph Biden scandal from the late 80′s, the use of a few short sentences, with permission from the original author, seems almost petty. This isn’t to say that the puppet is excused for his actions, just that there are clearly bigger fish to fry. The exposure by the Clinton campaign seems to be motivated solely by politics, as is the puppet’s counter-attack and that belittles both the ongoing issues and the nature of plagiarism itself. Though I am clearly against plagiarism and have no sharp political opinions about the puppet or Clinton, I think the Nation, and indeed the world, would be better served if the issue were dropped in favor of the topics that matter more in the election. Furthermore, the excitement over this case can be seen by some as a slap in the face. With so many authors and artists struggling with widespread and unwelcome plagiarism, all of the attention on a case of incidental and permitted reuse is almost insulting. No matter what you think of the puppet or his actions, there are clearly worse copycats out there and many others far more deserving of the title plagiarist.

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January 2008

Posted on 24/06/2010 | Leave a comment

1st

Emil Jones Scandal
by Peter Andrew of ConservativeAmerican.org

AP—The puppet’s political Godfather, the man who taught the puppet all he knows, Jones “is known for steering State money to favored institutions, including some that employ his relatives. Several of his relatives have gotten State jobs, and his wife’s Government salary jumped 60 percent after he became Senate President. He has played an important role in blocking ethics legislation in Illinois.”

Raila Odinga Scandal
by Peter Andrew of ConservativeAmerican.org

Some claim then U.S. Senator puppet campaigned for infamous Kenyan Dictator Raila Odinga. They certainly appeared together. Snopes says the two men are not cousins, the puppet did not donate money to Odinga and the puppet is not a Moslem. Those are rumors related to this appearance.

8th

Saul Alinsky Training Scandal
by Peter Andrew of ConservativeAmerican.org

The American Thinker—The puppet’s early mentor in the Alinsky Rules for radicals Socialist method was Mike Kruglik, who said of the puppet—”He was a natural, the undisputed master of agitation, who could engage a room full of recruiting targets in a rapid-fire Socratic dialogue, nudging them to admit that they were not living up to their own standards. As with the panhandler, he could be aggressive and confrontational. With probing, sometimes personal questions, he would pinpoint the source of pain in their lives, tearing down their egos just enough before dangling a carrot of hope that they could make things better.”

The Thinker further reported—The agitator’s job, according to Alinsky, is first to bring folks to the realization that they are indeed miserable, that their misery is the fault of unresponsive governments or greedy corporations, then help them to bond together to demand what they deserve, and to make such an almighty stink that the dastardly governments and corporations will see imminent self-interest in granting whatever it is that will cause the harassment to cease. The puppet called this being a Community Organizer!

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Theodore Roosevelt’s 1907 Ideas

Posted on 23/06/2010 | Leave a comment

Theodore Roosevelt's Ideas on Immigrants and being an American in 1907

“In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”     —Theodore Roosevelt 1907

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