Soap Box Ravings

A Fifth Wheel Joins The Fleet, Let The Adventure Begin

2011-05-20T19:44:00.006-04:00

The Fleet in port. This by the way is my initial park job in my driveway. It is in straight but about 8 feet to the right of where I wanted to put it. This took about 1/2 hour and I was ragged so when I got it straight I quit.

The fifth wheel is a 2002 Titanium 28E33SB by Glendale. It measures, I think, 33 feet from bumper to pin. Then it goes on for awhile until you reach the nose.

It is an all weather unit built in Canada.

More pictures will follow but the last two days have been long and busy.

Rear picture window. I can't show the inside because the truck prevents me from opening the slide.

You can't really tell from the picture but the truck is wearing a new set of dancing shoes. Yesterday when we initially hooked up the fiver to the truck we found out the left inside tire would not hold air. So we unhooked and I spent half a day today at Tire Kingdom re-shoing the truck.

As the say, it looks bad. Tomorrow I will hook it up again and drag it around for awhile; perhaps I might even go over to an old Wal-Mart store and practice backing in to some parking spaces. I'm going to be running my own "flight school" for awhile before I actually go anywhere.

The number one task turned out to be new truck tires. The ones on the truck while only traveling about 19,000 miles were over 5 years old. The number two task will be to replace the trailer tires, they are 10 years old. Well inspecting them tonight, looking for the year date I found one has cracks in it, it may have been used with low or no air pressure. My "flight school" maybe on hold until the tires are replaced.

Questions Posed To His Fellow Americans By An Immigrant American From The Soviet Union

2011-01-03T16:35:00.004-05:00

Dear Americans, these are some questions I have collected in 16 years of living in your country. Please see if you can answer them for me:

•If all cultures are equal, why doesn’t UNESCO organize International Cannibalism Week festivals?

•Why do those demanding “equal pay for equal work” never protest against “equal pay for little or no work”?

•Why has no politician ever run on men’s issues or promised to improve the lives of males?

•If all beliefs are equally valid, how come my belief in the absurdity of this maxim gets rejected by its proponents?

•Ever noticed that for the past thirty years, we’ve been hearing we have less than ten years to save the planet?

•Once a politician labels the truth as hate speech, can anyone trust him to speak the truth afterward?

•If a politician gets elected by the poor on a promise to eliminate poverty, wouldn’t fulfilling his promise destroy his voting base? Wouldn’t he rather benefit from the growing numbers of poor people? Isn’t this an obvious conflict of interests?

•How did the “war on poverty” end? Has there been a peace treaty or a ceasefire? Who is the occupying force and who are the insurgents?

•Why weren’t there demonstrations with anti-feudal slogans under feudal rule? And under Stalin, no anti-communist demonstrations? And under Hitler, no anti-fascist demonstrations? In a free capitalist society, anti-capitalist demonstrations are commonplace. Is capitalism really the worst system?

•If capitalism makes some people rich without making others poor, who will benefit when capitalism is destroyed?

•If the poor in America have things that people in other countries can only dream about, why is there a movement to make America more like those other countries?

•Why, on the rare occasions when Obama’s actions benefit America, does his base get angry? And every time his actions are hurting this nation, his base is happy? Who exactly are these people?

•If cutting out the middleman lowers the price, why are we paying the government to stand between us and the markets?

•If racial profiling is an abomination, what do you make of the last presidential election?

•After Eric Holder called Americans a nation of cowards, what has he done personally to help the situation?

•If diversity training benefits everyone, why do those classes mostly consist of white heterosexual males?

•Why is a huge poisonous cloud over a volcano considered magnificent — but a smokestack over an American factory is ugly and harmful?

•How many Kyoto Protocols are rendered pointless by one medium-sized volcanic eruption?

•Why is burning gas in my car hurting the planet, but setting fire to housing developments in California is saving it?

•Why does Hollywood glamorize drug addicts, criminals, liberal Democrats, and mentally challenged people? What do they all have in common?

•How come Hollywood can always find a good side in thugs, but never in businesspeople? What was the last movie that pictured a self-reliant, industrious man as a role model?

•If it’s capitalist greed that forces Hollywood to exploit the lowest human instincts, why didn’t the same greed force Hollywood to exploit America’s patriotism and make war movies showing the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan as a force for good? Wouldn’t one such film bring more green cash than all the anti-American flops in the recent years? Where was Hollywood’s capitalist greed then?

•How come those calling Sarah Palin a “bimbo” often look like part of Paris Hilton’s entourage?

•If there are no absolutes and family is an antiquated tool of bourgeois oppression, why is having gay marriage an absolute must?

•Would you know from the media coverage that there are more sex offenders among public school teachers then among Catholic priests? How come the church gets the blame and the Department of Education doesn’t?

•Why is the media so outspoken about sex abusers being priests, but avoids calling them homosexual pedophiles? Who are they afraid to offend?

•Why do those who decry modern civilization never live far from shopping centers and why don’t they grind their coffee with a stone ax?

•If we are called a “consumer society” because we consume, why aren’t we also called an “excreter society” because we excrete? For that matter we also sleep, dream, talk, think, invent, play music, raise children, feel pain, get sick and die. Many of us work for a living. Why aren’t we called a “producer society” because we produce the things we consume? Who puts these labels on us and for what purpose?

•How come the unselfish Americans hate their country out of personal frustrations, while the selfish ones defend America with their lives?

•If describing terrorists as freedom fighters is justified by the journalistic principle of neutrality, what is the name of the principle that justifies describing U.S. troops as rapists and murderers?

•When the media portrays the killing of terrorists as “slaughter of civilians,” while slaughter of civilians is portrayed as “resistance to occupation,” is the media really being neutral? Whose side are they really on?

•If Hollywood types are so opposed to capitalism, why is there a warning against unauthorized distribution of their movies?

•Why is experimenting on animals cruel, but experimenting on human embryos compassionate?

•How come industrial logging is a crime against nature, but the destruction of forests by wildfires is a natural cycle of life?

•Why do those who object to tampering with the environment approve of tampering with the economy? Isn’t the economy also a fragile ecosystem where a sudden change can trigger a devastating chain reaction?

•Isn’t the latest economic crisis such a chain reaction?

•Aren’t most of today’s social ills the result of tampering with social ecosystems?

•Why is bioengineering bad, but social engineering good?

•If Al Gore is right and our consumption of the planet’s resources is a moral issue, doesn’t that make genocide an ethical solution? How about an artificial famine? What would Al Gore choose?

•If being a winner in nature’s struggle for survival is selfish, does being extinct make you an altruist?

•Since our planet’s resources are limited, wouldn’t the ultimate act of environmental activism be to stop eating and starve to death?

•How come those who hate humanity for its faults are called “humanists” but those who love humanity for its virtues are called “hate-mongers”?

•If economic ups and downs are natural cycles, why is the downturn always blamed on unbridled capitalism, but the upturn is the result of a wise leadership of a Democrat president?

•Why is there never a media story praising capitalism for the booming economy?

•Ever noticed that those who demand “power to the people” also believe that people can’t do anything right without government supervision?

•How exactly does dependency on the government increase “people power”?

•Why is there never a headline that says “Government program ends as its intended goal has been achieved”?

•How come so many anti-American radicals are wearing American brands, listen to American music, watch American movies, and play American video games on computers designed by American engineers?

•Why do advocates for higher taxes have accountants advising them how they can pay smaller taxes? Wouldn’t you expect them instead to seek advice on how to give away more of their income to the IRS? Or at least not to hire accountants at all?

•Can you name one person who paid the IRS more than he owed because he trusted the government to put his money to good use?

•Did it occur to any of the 9/11 Truthers that a government conspiracy to murder thousands of people would have also included a plan to rub out a few troublemakers?

•If U.S. oil companies own everyone in Washington, how come they allowed Congress to grill them for the alleged price gouging — and to broadcast it on C-Span?

•Why didn’t Congress also grill Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin, and a guy named Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Bin Abdulrahman Bin Faisal Bin Turki Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad al Saud?

•Why are windfall profits a problem when they enrich U.S. companies that pay billions in taxes — but when Hugo Chavez uses the same windfall profits to fund Marxist guerillas in Colombia, it’s not a big deal?

•If George W. Bush was an oil-thirsty dictator, why couldn’t he in eight years get permission from Congress to drill in ANWR? And why didn’t that failure in any way hurt his dictatorial reputation with the media?

•If it’s true that the media emphasized bad news and harassed President Bush only because they competed for ratings, what changed now? Aren’t they worried that today’s emphasis on good news from the White House will destroy their ratings and make journalism irrelevant?

•And finally, if all opinions are equal, how come a liberal who disagrees with a conservative is open-minded, but a conservative who disagrees with a liberal is a bigot?

I hope you will find my questions handy. Feel free to pass them around and propose some of your own in the comments below.

Oleg Atbashian, a writer and graphic artist from Ukraine, currently lives in New York. He is the creator of ThePeoplesCube.com, a satirical website where he writes under the name of Red Square. He is the author of recently published Shakedown Socialism.

Are Liberals Who Disagree With Obama Also Racist?

2010-12-08T20:36:00.003-05:00

Since 2008 when Barack Hussein Obama was selected by the Democrat Party to run for the White House many Conservatives have been labeled as racist for disagreeing with the candidate and later when disagreeing with President Obama. Now that Obama has "compromised" with the Republicans over taxes many Liberals are challenging him. Are they also racist or do different rules apply? Hmmmmmmmmm.

Obama Has Identified The Enemy In Washington, DC

2010-12-08T19:47:00.006-05:00

A quick review of definitions of "compromise" using various definitions on the Internet lead me to believe that a "compromise" is an agreement between two or more persons, who settle their differences, on such terms as they can agree upon.

Unless of course you are the Great Uniter, Barack Hussein Obama, President of the United States of America who refers to his Republican opponents as "hostage takers". To be called a Hostage Taker in this day and age is serious business and does not contribute in any way to a compromise.

The really sad part is the Democrats wasted almost two years of their political control of the House, Senate and Presidency by doing almost nothing. They have not passed a budget, nor have they solved any of the myriad of problems they were elected to do even though they controlled the House and Senate during this time.

They did pass a health care bill they can't pay for. Their good deeds led to a shellacking defeat on November 2010 yet they continue acting like they won the elections.

I want my Republican Representatives to remember when they take over the House in 2011 they were sent there to stop spending money and get control of the government. I would also like to remind those elected to the senate they were not sent there to support Obama's spending and increased government.

I can assure my representatives that the other side has no attention in working with them as indicated by Obama's description of them as "hostage takers" so they need to do their job in spite of Obama and make him veto everything they send him. Stand fast and keep plugging there will be another election in 2012, help will arrive.

Great Quote

2010-10-03T18:56:00.001-04:00

My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.
Indira Gandhi

First Amendment To The Constitution

2010-08-18T20:20:00.014-04:00

The First Amendment to the Constitution is written as:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Soap Box Ravings says the a key word in the First Amendment is "Congress."

The Muslim desire to build a memorial mosque to those who died at ground zero and those who would deter them has nothing to do with the First Amendment. The first Amendment applies to Congress.

In my opinion, the mosque will be a memorial to those 16 Muslims who attacked the United States on 9/11.

Soap Box Ravings would like to add that our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have been fired on from Mosques, many many times. Mosques are also known to stow arms and ammunition. Their Imams have been known to incite their "flock" to attack both believers (who either don't believe enough, or believe the wrong type of Islam) and infidels.

It takes very little imagination to foresee an Iranian supplied dirty bomb that would eliminate the financial areas of New York.

Of course all of the Democrats who did not want Dubai to run our ports because of the possibility of terrorists all support building a Muslim trophy mosque on ground zero.

I say ground zero because the landing gear of one of the aircraft used on 9/11 went through the Burlington Coat Factory building that will be removed to construct the mosque.

Soap Box Ravings looks forward to using all of his talents this November to shut out as many liberals as possible before they complete their destruction of this country.

Obama Supports Allowing Mosque Near Ground Zero

2010-08-13T21:38:00.003-04:00

Soap Box Ravings says with his usual grasp of the situation and his lack of concern for public opinion, to say nothing of the direct insult intended by the Muslims lobbying for this mosque, Obama said "As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country."

The full story can be found here: http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/obama-backs-building-mosque-near-ground-zero/19593493

Hundreds Of Millions More Dollars Down The Crapper

2010-08-13T18:41:00.004-04:00

Obama signs $600M border security bill into law

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out that on Friday the 13th our "Illustrious El Presidente" signed a $600 Million Dollar border security bill which will be a lot more expensive and a lot less effective than the Arizona Border Bill his Justice Department minions are fighting in federal court.

If all states passed and enforced laws regarding illegal immigrants and their employers the U. S. Treasury would have saved $600,000,000 dollars.

Obama's Real Reason For Suing The State Of Arizona

2010-07-18T19:00:00.005-04:00

Signs Of The Times

2010-07-17T22:04:00.002-04:00

Soap Box Ravings says there is no need for comment. These pictures speak for themselves.

Lest We Forget How They Really Think

2010-07-11T18:27:00.010-04:00

Soap Box Ravings says now that this General has been tasked with saving President Obama's ass, moveon.org has removed the above ad from their website. Like Muslims, many progressives will say or do one thing while believing and holding true to values that are not in tune with the deeds they may have been coerced into doing; such as hiring Bushes General to try and win Obama's war.

The real fun will come when General Petraeus runs into the President in conducting the war. Our present President seems to be very thin skinned and does not accept feedback that differs, it is the old fantasy/reality conflict we all run into during life.

Terminology, It's So Important

2010-07-08T20:21:00.001-04:00

New Public Health Medication

2010-07-08T20:16:00.005-04:00

Internet Fable, With Pictures, Illustrate Reality

2010-07-08T17:02:00.007-04:00

California:

The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

1. Governor starts to intervene, reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop; the coyote is only doing what is natural.

2. He calls animal control. Animal control captures coyote and spends $200 testing it for diseases and $500 upon relocating it.

3. He calls veterinarian. Vet collects dead dog and spends $200 testing it for diseases.

4. Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases from the coyote and on getting bite wound bandaged.

5. Running trail gets shut down for 6 months while wildlife services conduct a $100,000 survey to make sure the area is clear of dangerous animals.

6. Governor spends $500,000 of state funds implementing a "coyote awareness" program for residents of the area.

7. State legislature spends $2 million investigating how to better handle rabies and how to possibly eradicate the disease.

8. Governor's security agent is fired for not stopping the attack and for letting the Governor intervene. A cost of $75,000 to train new security agent.

9. PETA protests the coyote relocation and files suit against the state.

Arizona:

The Governor of Arizona is jogging with her dog along a nature trail. A Coyote jumps out and attacks dog.

1. Governor shoots coyote and keeps jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge.

2. Buzzards eat dead coyote.

And that's why California is broke.

If Soap Box Raving's knew the originator of this fable, he would be happy to extend recognition.

Again I Say You Have To Love The Press/Media For Their Reporting Fairness

2010-06-19T19:05:00.007-04:00

Critics Blast British Petroleum (BP) CEO for Attending Yacht Race as Oil Spews

Full story at: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/19/critics-blast-bp-ceo-for-attending-yacht-race-as-oil-spews/?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl1|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.politicsdaily.com%2F2010%2F06%2F19%2Fcritics-blast-bp-ceo-for-attending-yacht-race-as-oil-spews%2F

Here is the first paragraph to set the tone of the article: Critics slammed BP's embattled CEO Tony Hayward for leaving the United States to attend a yacht race while the company's ruptured oil rig continues to disgorge thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.

Stressed Out or Tone Deaf? Obama Chicago Vacation Raises Eyebrows

Full story at: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/05/27/stressed-tone-deaf-obama-chicago-vacation-raises-eyebrows/

Here is the first paragraph to set the tone of the article: Presidents are never really off the clock, even when they go on vacation. But President Obama's decision to skip the traditional Memorial Day ceremony in Arlington while on his second vacation since the BP oil spill began has some wondering what the schedule says about his priorities.

Soap Box Ravings points out that prior to Tony Hayward's vacation, he was relieved of his day-day control of BP Petroleum. It is interesting that Hayward is vilified by the press and media while Obama is excused by the same people.

Congressman Grabs Citizen Asking Him A Question And Demands Identification

2010-06-15T14:40:00.004-04:00

Congressman Ethridge physically grabs a man on the street by the arm who questioned him about his support of Obama's policies. Congressman Etheridge repeatedly demanded to know who he was talking to during this interaction. A few minutes later, after the man asked that Etheridge let go of his arm, Etheridge grabbed the man by the back of his neck and twisted him around so that Etheridge had one arm around his questioners shoulder.

I don't know about Washington, DC law, but in the State of Florida, Battery is basically defined as any unwelcome touch by another.

Soap Box Ravings is shocked that a Democrat Congressman would demand to know the name of his questioner when many of his Democrat peers including President Obama believe the Arizona Immigration Law in which an Arizona police officer will be allowed to ascertain the nationality of people they are dealing with.

Etheridge's behavior makes me believe you have to identify yourself to a Congressman before asking a question, but police officers in Arizona can not ask for your identity.

He Still Says He Is In Charge, What Is He Waiting For, The Spill Continues To Flow

2010-06-14T18:35:00.007-04:00

Soap Box Ravings asks, "How much oil has flowed into the gulf in the 56 days before The man in charge asked for assistance. Whatever delay time in help arrival that existed before the request for help still exists. In fact now it may be worse, because much of the help was in standby ready to come to help. By now much of it has more than likely stood down since they were initially turned down.

56 days into the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, Diane Sawyer announces the federal government is now actively seeking help from other nations.

Soap Box Ravings says we have learned that He will have His foot on the throat of British Petroleum (BP). He is going to ensure BP pays. He talks like a lawyer, but his inaction speaks volumes. I heard on the radio today that He compared 9/11 2001 with the Gulf Oil Spill as major disasters. The difference would be that in the days after 9/11, the sitting president exhibited leadership. Since we have a community organizer as President, He is trying to manage the glory with no idea how to solve the problem. Anyhow, that's a thought from the fleet.

I say to you, stand by for the cap and trade that will be forthcoming in His rush to make sure this disaster does not go to waste.

By the way, as I finish this post, the ABC Evening News announced that the oil sucked out of the ocean is being held in barges. This begs the questions, how many empty, non-leaking barges are available for oil storage and where will they park during this hurricane season? Even better, the tar balls being picked up off the beaches are going to landfills.

Remember, He is in charge, or so he says.

Remember, He Says The Government Is In Control. It Is, It Is, Really It Is.

2010-06-07T21:01:00.008-04:00

NASA photo, but the spill is larger today than it was yesterday

Spill Response Group Holland, story at:
http://home.kpn.nl/ascc0000/Members.html, or
http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch-oil-spill-response-team-standby-us-oil-disaster

U.S. not accepting foreign help on oil spill, story at:
http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/05/06/us_not_accepting_foreign_help_on_oil_spill

According to State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley "These offers include experts in various aspects of oil spill impacts, research and technical expertise, booms, chemical oil dispersants, oil pumps, skimmers, and wildlife treatment."

Democrats want to know, story at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=389&topic_id=8402501

This is a picture of a ship (either the VALDEZ STAR or the SHEARWATER) designed to remove oil from ocean waters. Most of the boats seen on the evening news are towing oil retention booms to contain the oil floating on the surface.

OIL SKIMMERS VALDEZ STAR AND SHEARWATER, story at:
http://tris.trb.org/view.aspx?id=439690

Soap Box Ravings says a real leader would have suspended federal EPA Regulations in order to capture as much oil as possible as early as possible. Now, over 40 days into the crisis oil has mixed with sea water, dispersants have been used to sink the oil (remove it from sight) and every passing day the continuing oil flow increases the magnitude of the disaster. And as I write this, I still do not think the oil skimmers have been called for. Why you ask? Because EPA Regulations say no amount of oil can be allowed from the skimming ship back into the water. So these ships, used all over the world are only 75-99% perfect. Ergo, all of the oil is left in the water instead of removing 75-99%.

One of the oil spill's immediate victims

Obama Says Bush Started It

2010-06-07T15:52:00.001-04:00

A Intelligent Voice In The Wilderness

2010-05-24T19:01:00.008-04:00

President Obama with his personally selected Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (No intelligent voices here)

The oil spill continues off the coast of Louisiana and British Petroleum (BP) with all of their oil well specific knowledge does not seem able to contain the spill or stop the leak.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano vowed today that the Coast Guard would take greater control of the response and ensure that "every federal resource that can be deployed is being deployed."

President Obama with his personally selected Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (No intelligent voices here)

Over the weekend, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar indicated the government might somehow replace BP as chief responder to the spill.

USCG Admiral Thad Allen (An intelligent voice in the wilderness)

The Coast Guard's Commandant today contradicted Salazar's statement, by saying there is no plan to remove BP. "To push BP out of the way would raise the question: Replace them with what?" Allen said.

Soap Box Ravings says here you have it laid out right in front of you. The Liberal response made by Secretaries Napolitano and Salazar is to "scream, shout and run about." They want to use more government to save the Gulf; to turn the full weight of the government loose (whatever that means).

Any fool can see that the US Navy and Coast Guard are not equipped to stop an oil leak 5,000+ feet under water. They have neither the equipment, knowledge or experience. The US Army, Air Force and Marine Corp also do not have any of the prerequisites.

Soap Box Ravings would think those in government at the Secretary level would understand these facts. Therefore, Soap Box Ravings believes these statements are made by these Secretaries to make the ignorant and uninformed believe the problem is being taken care of while the situation continues. Our present government is interested in blame, not necessarily problem resolution. As they say, never waste a good crisis.

Soap Box Ravings says Thank You to Admiral Allen for saying out loud the obvious. Your voice, which will probably be over run or ignored until he can be replaced by a proper fellow traveler is refreshing. This Retired Master Chief salutes you Admiral Allen for the way you are doing your job. Duty, Honor, Country; some folks out there still believe.

Hundreds Of Millions Spent With Minimal Results, Your Government At Work

2010-05-24T09:16:00.008-04:00

Getty Images

Headlines at: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/23/more-high-tech-setbacks-for-border-security/ reveal More High-Tech Setbacks for Border Security

Obama administration's recent surprise decision to suspend new work on a multibillion-dollar high-tech border control system -- the third attempted since 1997 -- raises further questions about the government's ability to do the job and secure our borders.

The upshot is, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to close the border to illegal aliens, drug traffickers, terrorist and smugglers of all types and we have very little to show for the money spent.

Soap Box Ravings proposes that the United States copy the applicable Laws of the Republic of Mexico. Should you try to enter Mexico as an illegal alien, a drug trafficker, terrorist or smuggler of any sort you will find yourself in a Mexican prison.

So it's simple folks, adapt Mexican law. The beauty is those crossing from Mexico already are aware of Mexican law so there would be no training involved.

Obama's Mexican Pal Calderon Calls For Reinstatement Of Failed US Gun Ban

2010-05-22T20:41:00.006-04:00

On Thursday, May 20, 2010, Felipe Calderon, the president of Mexico, where prohibitive gun laws prevent good people from having firearms for protection against criminals and governments of dubious legitimacy (historically the norm in Mexico), encouraged Congress to reinstate the federal "assault weapon" ban. With a warning seemingly designed to appeal to those who believe that speaking out against the Obama Administration's policies are one step short of sedition or worse, Calderon said, "[I]f you do not regulate the sale of these weapons in the right way, nothing guarantees that criminals here in the United States with access to the same power of weapons will not decide to challenge American authorities and civilians."

Calderon also misinformed Congress, claiming that violence in Mexico rose significantly after the U.S. ban expired in 2004. In fact, Mexico's murder rate has been stable since 2003 and remains well below rates recorded previously. However, he did not explain why violent crime has declined significantly in the U.S. since the ban expired, or how a ban on flash suppressors and bayonet mounts relates to drug thugs in Mexico or anywhere else.

Notwithstanding the Washington Post's judgment that Calderon "made a powerful case," we suspect his speech fell on mostly deaf ears in Congress and in Arizona, which he inappropriately criticized for having an illegal immigration enforcement law that is similar to Mexico's. But it had some effect, however. New York Democrat Rep. Carolyn McCarthy issued a statement incorrectly claiming that she has repeatedly introduced legislation to "reinstate" the ban. She has repeatedly introduced legislation, of course, but not to reinstate the ban. Rather, her bills have proposed to apply the "assault weapon" label to far more firearms than were covered by the expired ban, including the M1 Garand service rifle, the ubiquitous Ruger 10/22, and any semi-automatic shotgun or rifle a future attorney general might claim is not "sporting."

Copyright 2010, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action. This may be reproduced. It may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.
11250 Waples Mill Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 800-392-8683

Soap Box Ravings reminds readers that the military grade weapons (fully automatic) being used in Mexico by drug gangs are not normally available in this country. Many weapons used in Mexico came from the Mexican military after their owner was killed or they left the military to participate in the services of the drug lord involved.

Many other weapons have been purchased on the worldwide black market from illegal arms dealers who deal in military weapons.

United States Federal Firearms Regulations (in a nut shell):

It has been unlawful since 1934 (The National Firearms Act) for civilians to own machine guns without special permission from the U.S. Treasury Department. Machine guns are subject to a $200 tax every time their ownership changes from one federally registered owner to another, and each new weapon is subject to a manufacturing tax when it is made, and it must be registered with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) in its National Firearms Registry.

To become a registered owner, a complete FBI background investigation is conducted, checking for any criminal history or tendencies toward violence, and an application must be submitted to the BATF including two sets of fingerprints, a recent photo, a sworn affidavit that transfer of the NFA firearm is of "reasonable necessity," and that sale to and possession of the weapon by the applicant "would be consistent with public safety." The application form also requires the signature of a chief law enforcement officer with jurisdiction in the applicant's residence.

Since the Firearms Owners' Protection Act of May 19, 1986, ownership of newly manufactured machine guns has been prohibited to civilians. Machine guns which were manufactured prior to the Act's passage are regulated under the National Firearms Act, but those manufactured after the ban cannot ordinarily be sold to or owned by civilians.

(Sources: talk.politics.guns FAQ, part 2, "FAQ on National Firearms Act Weapons", and from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, National Firearms Act FAQ. See also, "The Firearms Owners' Protection Act: A Historical and Legal Perspective" [Hardy, 1986]) )

Twenty-five states have no further restrictions on civilian ownership of machine guns (some require registration with the state) than what is required by federal law. Other states have either placed further restrictions or outlawed operable machine guns to civilians entirely. For further details see NRA state firearm law summaries.

Based on the above information, Soap Box Ravings points out that machine guns (fully automatic weapons) can not change hands, be created or destroyed without the involvement of the federal government. If you own one, the federal government is watching it.

You would think that a politician trained as a constitutional lawyer would know all of this.

Calderon's Dissing Continues And The Democrats Applaud It

2010-05-20T18:07:00.007-04:00

UPI/Kevin Dietsch

In a speech to a joint session of Congress, Mexican President Calderon spoke against guns in the United States and also offered blistering comments about the Arizona immigration law. Calderon, who obviously has not read the Arizona Statues in question, repeated Obama's statements that the statutes use racial profiling as a basis for law enforcement.

Many Democrats present applauded Calderon's input.

Soap Box Ravings opinion is the dissing continues. President Obama, President Calderon and all of the applauding Democrats have shown their lack of respect for Congress and the United States of America.

Neither Obama or Calderon will admit that many of the weapons used by criminals in Mexico were either stolen Mexican military weapons or purchased on the black worldwide market. Many of those weapons are fully automatic weapons. I challenge anyone reading this to locate and purchase a fully automatic weapon in this country.

The weapons that many Mexicans do buy illegally in our country and take back to Mexico are common hunting rifles, revolvers and semiautomatic pistols they use for their own self defense.

It is illegal to purchase them and take them to Mexico, but the Mexican government does not allow their ordinary people to own weapons for self defense. However, again, they are not full automatic weapons.

Neither Obama and Calderon seem to have read, nor do they intend to read the Arizona Statute they are complaining about. They do not interested in allowing facts to get in the way of their personal political gain.

Another "Never Waste A Good Crisis"

2010-05-19T20:11:00.012-04:00

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (aka the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill or the Gulf of Mexico oil spill)is a massive, presently ongoing since April 20, 2010, oil spill stemming from a sea floor oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill started with an oil well blowout on April 20, 2010 which caused a catastrophic explosion on the Deepwater Horizon resulting in the loss of the offshore oil drilling platform about 40 miles South East of the Louisiana coast.

On May 3, 2010 President Obama cancelled the Interior Department’s 2010 Oil Industry Safety Awards luncheon at which British Petroleum was one of three finalists for a federal award program that would honoring offshore oil companies for “outstanding safety and pollution prevention.”

Soap Box Ravings would like to report that he heard his local radio station report at least four times yesterday (05-18-10) that federal inspectors had failed to do their jobs with regard to inspecting and regulating the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Then the very next sentence was that a senator wanted to increase the regulations applicable to deep water oil drilling rigs.

Soap Box Ravings wonders why if federal employees fail to enforce regulations on the books why more regulations should be written to ignore. It would seem that that Senator and his or her peers would be more effective on another project such as: securing our borders, reducing taxes, repealing Obama's cursed health plan or solving the Social Security/Medicare crisis about to overwhelm the country.

This Picture Says It All, Remember In November

2010-05-19T19:21:00.004-04:00

Soap Box Ravings asks if you know where to get this in a bumper sticker, please let me know.

Once Again Obama Disses His Country

2010-05-19T18:37:00.004-04:00

Today Mexican President Felipe Calderon called Arizona's law discriminatory and warned Mexico would reject any effort to "criminalize migration."

And today, President Barack Hussein Obama, as usual supported another country against his country by calling the Arizona law "a misdirected expression of frustration."

Soap Box Ravings says Arizona passed their law, a direct copy of federal law which the federal government refuses to comply with. Not only will the federal government not apply their own law, they provide no relief to the individual states overwhelmed with illegal immigrants.

President Calderon and his government encourage Mexican citizens to illegally migrate into the United States. Yet Americans who go to Mexico are required to follow the laws of Mexico.

Soap Box Ravings feels that it is totally disgusting that Barack Hussein Obama, President of the United States and a Harvard graduated lawyer, willfully misrepresents Arizona Statutes for his and his party's political gain.

The Emperor Has No Clothes

2010-05-11T17:26:00.006-04:00

The United States of America has just bailed out Greece and the European Union by the tune of a TRILLION Dollars. A Trillion (a cardinal number represented in the U.S. by 1 followed by 12 zeros) Dollars and it is an unsecured loan. Should Greece default, we don't even own the Parthenon.

And while we are making the loan to Greece, President Obama is leading our country down the same path that led Greece to bankruptcy.

Soap Box Ravings can not help but wonder how fast Greece and the rest of the European Union will rush to aid the "Great Satan" when we go bankrupt.

I sincerely hope my fellow concerned citizens notify the Emperor of his "No Clothes Status" in November.

I want the message to be loud and clear on all fronts; so it can not possibly be ignored.

Warning Shot Fired In Germany, Funny Our Government Ignores Warning Shots As Coming From Misfits Or Tea Partiers

2010-05-09T17:17:00.006-04:00

Chancellor Merkel's center-right alliance lost a key election in Germany's most populous state on Sunday, costing her majority in the upper house of parliament and curbing her government's power. It seems a lot of Germans do not want to bail out Greece from their financial difficulties.

Soap Box Ravings can't help see a connection here with President Obama's government in the United States. He spends his time on items in his agenda, but appears to be doing nothing for his fellow citizens. Twice he has verbally attacked police officers conduct in this country. He forced through a medica health plan that seems bound to bankrupt the country. However, when people complain he tries to pigeon hole them as malcontents. He has continually promised things which did not happen, some small and some very damaging.

Lets Remember in November.

Nothing Right Wing Or Tea Party About This

2010-05-09T15:32:00.007-04:00

We start with these segments:

If I had to guess twenty-five cents this would be exactly that, somebody who’s homegrown, maybe a mentally deranged person, or somebody with a political agenda, that doesn’t like the health care bill or something: New York City Mayor Bloomberg on CBS Evening News regarding the Times Square SUV Bomber, May 3, 2010.

Soap Box Ravings reminds you that as Mayor of New York City he should lead with facts, not speculation. Think about the magnitude of intelligence provided for his use.

Funny how the knee- jerk reaction of both the Obama administration and the main stream media, given the fact that a car bomb was set to detonate at the "crossroads of the world", Times Square, was that Islamic terrorism was not at work.Soap Box Ravings provides the above which is the opening line of a story that may be found here: http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-41853-Homeland-Security-Examiner~y2010m5d5-Times-Square-bombing-The-Tea-Party-movement-was-involved

Pakistani Taliban Directed Times Square Bomb Attempt, Officials Say

Obama administration officials Sunday said that the Pakistani Taliban, which had claimed credit for the failed attempt by Faisal Shahzad to set off a car bomb in New York's crowded Times Square on May 1, did in fact that mastermind the plot.Story at: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/05/09/pakistani-taliban-directed-times-square-bomb-attempt-officials/print/

Soap Box Ravings believes this may be the first Taliban directed attack in the United States since 09-11-01. But I guess the Taliban feel emboldened by our touchy feely President. I don't think (Do you miss him yet?) President Bush made the Taliban feel so warm and cozy.

Soap Box Ravings says if only Obama and his cronies would stand up for the people of Arizona and the rest of the country like they do for their Muslim friends.

Remember in November

Obama's Laser Focus

2010-05-04T18:46:00.003-04:00

Soap Box Ravings can't help but think President Obama's laser focus must be getting a little strained.

Employment, regardless of how it is trumpeted does not seem to be recovering. His behavior during the passing of the health care bill resembled a bull forcing its way through a china store however, his focus on employment during that year seemed to be nonexistent.

The latest "terrorist" made it onto an airplane after his name and passport were known before the plane was made to return to the gate.

The President insulted every law enforcement officer in the country with his remarks about an Arizona senior being hassled by law enforcement when going for ice cream. His remarks closely resembled his earlier comments concerning the officer who arrested Obama's professor friend.

The President and appropriate cabinet members response to the gulf oil spill was underwhelming to say the least. Although they did manage to cancel the government's award ceremony for British Petroleum for their marvelous safety record.

His interest in the Tennessee floods seems to be minimal.

With due respect, the President has said he is looking into all of these questions.

Soap Box Ravings believes people can recover from ignorance, stupidity not so much.

The Louder The Left Screams, The Farther Off Base They Are

2010-05-03T16:00:00.008-04:00

President Obama and DOJ to challenge Arizona, not support Arizona

Soap Box Ravings believes much of what the Left is screaming about Arizona's Immigration Law can be resolved by reading the law. So here it is, read it yourself and see if you can find the doom and gloom forecast by President Obama, who as the Chief Law Enforcement Officer of the United States fails to enforce US Laws already in place regardless of his sworn oath to uphold and support those laws.

Soap Box Ravings would also like to point out that demonstrations against Arizona and the Arizona immigration policies seem to have a different type of people demonstrating than those Tea Party folk. Who would have thunk it.

Arizona and Illegal Immigration

A posting of the Arizona SB 1070:

SB 1070 makes changes to laws relating to the enforcement on immigration laws, trespassing by illegal aliens, day laborers, harboring or transporting illegal aliens and employer sanctions.

Summary of the Proposed Strike–Everything Amendment to SB 1070

The proposed strike-everything amendment to SB 1070 makes changes to laws relating to the enforcement on immigration laws, failure to carry an alien registration document, day laborers, harboring or transporting illegal aliens and employer sanctions.

History

8 U.S.C. § 1373(c) requires Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to respond to inquiries by federal, state, or local government agencies seeking to verify or ascertain the citizenship or immigration status of any individual within the jurisdiction of the agency for any purpose authorized by law, by providing the requested verification or status information.

Laws 2007, Ch. 279 enacted the Legal Arizona Workers Act (Act). The Act: expands aggravated taking the identity of another person or entity to include the intent to obtain employment; prohibits an employer from intentionally employing an unauthorized alien or knowingly employing an unauthorized alien; requires the Attorney General (AG) or county attorney to investigate complaints and classifies filing a false and frivolous complaint as a class 3 misdemeanor; provides for license suspension for the first violation; requires license revocation on a second violation during a probationary period; and after December 31, 2007, requires every employer to utilize E-Verify to verify employment eligibility. Laws 2008, Chapter 152 further amended the Act.

Provisions

Enforcement of Immigration Law

•Prohibits officials and agencies of this state or counties, municipalities and political subdivisions from restricting or limiting the enforcement of the federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.
•Requires officials and agencies to reasonably attempt to determine the immigration status of a person involved in a legitimate contact where reasonable suspicion exists regarding the immigration status of the person.
•Stipulates that if the person is arrested, the person’s immigration status must be determined before the person is released and must be verified with the federal government.
•Stipulates that a law enforcement official or agency cannot solely consider race, color or national origin when implementing these provisions, except as permitted by the U.S. or Arizona Constitution.
•Specifies that a person is presumed to be lawfully present if the person provides any of the following:

Ø A valid Arizona driver license.

Ø A valid Arizona nonoperating identification license.

Ø A tribal enrollment card or other form of tribal identification.

Ø A valid federal, state or local government issued identification.

•Requires that if a person is convicted of any state or local law, on discharge from imprisonment or any fine imposed, the person must be transferred to ICE or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
•Authorizes a law enforcement agency to securely transport an unlawfully present alien to a federal facility.
•Prohibits, except as provided in federal law, officials and agencies of counties, cities, towns or other political subdivisions from being prevented or restricted from sending, receiving or maintaining information relating to the immigration status, of any individual or exchanging that information with another governmental entity for the following official purposes:

Ø Determination of eligibility for any public benefit, service or license.

Ø Verification of any claim of legal domicile if legal domicile is required by law or judicial order.

Ø If the person is an alien, determination of the person’s compliance with federal registration laws.

Ø Pursuant to federal laws regarding communication between government agencies and federal immigration agencies.

•Allows a person to bring an action in superior court to challenge officials and agencies of the state, counties, cities, towns or other political subdivisions that adopt or implement a policy that limits or restricts the enforcement of federal immigration laws to less than the full extent permitted by federal law.
•Allows the court to order any of the following, if there is a judicial finding of a violation:

Ø That the person who brought the action recover court costs and attorney fees.

Ø That the entity pays a civil penalty of at least $1,000 and not to exceed $5,000 for each day that the policy has remained in effect after it has been found to be violating these provisions.

•States that the court will collect the penalty and transmit the collected monies to the Department of Public Safety for deposit in the Gang and Immigration Intelligence Team Enforcement Mission (GIITEM) Fund.
•Indemnifies officers against actions brought under these provisions, except if the officer has been adjudged to have acted in bad faith.
•Stipulates that these provisions are to be implemented consistent with federal immigration law protecting the civil right of all persons and respecting the privileges and immunities of US citizens.

Willful Failure to Complete or Carry an Alien Registration Document

•Specifies that in addition to any violation of federal law, a person is guilty of willful failure to complete or carry an alien registration document if the person is in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1304(e) or 1306(a).
•Stipulates that the final determination of immigration status must be made by either:

Ø A law enforcement officer who is authorized by the federal government to verify or ascertain an alien’s immigration status.

Ø ICE or CBP pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1373(c).

•Prevents a person convicted of the new offense from being eligible for suspension or commutation of sentence or release on any basis until the sentence is served.
•Requires the court to order the person to pay jail costs and an additional assessment of:

Ø At least $500 for a first offense.

Ø Twice the amount the person was ordered to pay for the first offense if this is the second or subsequent offense.

•States that the court will collect the assessments and transmit the collected monies to the Department of Public Safety for deposit in a special sub-account of the account established for GIITEM.
•Stipulates that monies in the sub-account are subject to legislative appropriation for distribution for gang and immigration enforcement and for county jail costs relating to illegal immigration.
•Makes a first offense a class 1 misdemeanor.
•Increases the penalty to a class 3 felony if the person commits the offense while in possession of:

Ø A dangerous drug (A.R.S. § 13-3401).

Ø Precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine (A.R.S. § 13-3404.01).

Ø A deadly weapon (A.R.S. § 13-3101).

Ø A dangerous instrument (A.R.S. § 13-105).

Ø Property used for committing an act of terrorism (A.R.S. § 13-2308.01).

•Makes violations a class 4 felony if either:

Ø It is a second or subsequent violation.

Ø Within 60 days, the person has been removed from the U.S. either under 8 U.S.C. § 1229a or 8 U.S.C. § 1229c.

Unlawfully Picking up Passengers for Work

•Specifies that it is a class 1 misdemeanor for an occupant of a motor vehicle that is stopped on a street, roadway, or highway to attempt to hire or hire and pick up passengers for work at a different location, if the motor vehicle blocks or impedes the normal movement of traffic.
•Specifies that it is a class 1 misdemeanor for a person to enter a motor vehicle that is stopped on a street, roadway or highway in order to be hired by an occupant of the motor vehicle and to be transported to work at a different location, if the motor vehicle blocks or impedes the normal movement of traffic.
•Specifies that it is a class 1 misdemeanor for a person who is unlawfully present who is an unauthorized alien to knowingly apply for work, solicit work in a public place or perform work as an employee or independent contractor.
•Defines solicit and unauthorized alien.

Unlawfully Transporting or Harboring Unlawful Aliens

•Stipulates that it is unlawful for a person to:

Ø Transport or move an alien in a means of transportation, or attempt to do so, if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the alien is here unlawfully.

Ø Conceal, harbor or shield an alien, or attempt to, if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the alien is here unlawfully.

Ø Encourage or induce an alien to come to this state if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that doing so would be a violation of law.

•Specifies that a means of transportation used in a violation of these provisions is subject to mandatory vehicle immobilization or impoundment.
•Provides the defense to prosecution if the person was providing or assisted in providing emergency, public safety or public health services otherwise available to the general public with regard to income.
•Stipulates that violators are guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor and subject to a fine of at least $1,000. However, a violation involving 10 or more illegal aliens is a class 6 felony and subject to a fine of at least $1,000 for each alien involved.
•Requires a peace officer to immobilize or impound a person’s vehicle if the officer determines either that:

Ø In furtherance of the illegal presence of an alien the person is transporting or moving, or attempting to do so in a vehicle if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the alien is here unlawfully.

Ø The person is concealing, harboring or shielding an alien in this state, or attempting to do so in a vehicle if the person knows or recklessly disregards the fact that the alien is here unlawfully.

Employer Sanctions

•Provides employers with the affirmative defense that they were entrapped, but they must admit the substantial elements of the violation.
•Stipulates that the employer has the burden of proof proving the following by clear and convincing evidence:

Ø The idea of committing the violation started with the officer or their agents.

Ø The officers or their agents urged and induced the employer to commit the violation.

Ø The employer was not predisposed to commit the violation before the law enforcement officer or agents urged and induced the employer to do so.

•Stipulates that an employer is not entrapped if the employer was predisposed to violate the law and law enforcement merely provided the employer with the opportunity. Additionally, it is not entrapment for law enforcement to use a ruse or to conceal their identity.
•Requires employers to keep a record of the employment verification from E-verify for the duration of an employee’s employment, or three years, whichever is longer.
Miscellaneous
•Authorizes peace officers to lawfully stop a person if they have reasonable suspicion to believe the person is in violation of a civil traffic offense and human smuggling laws.
•Authorizes a peace officer to arrest a person without a warrant if the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed any public offense that makes the person removable from the U.S.
•Establishes the GIITEM fund (fund) and directs monies collected from penalties resulting from policies limiting the enforcement of federal immigration law to the fund.
•Requires the Arizona Department of Public Safety to administer the fund, which is subject to legislative appropriation and is to be used for gang and immigration enforcement and for county jail reimbursement for costs relating to illegal immigration.
•Contains intent and severability clauses.
•Specifies that this act may be cited as the “Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act.”
•Makes technical and conforming changes.

Remember: If His Lips Are Moving, He Is Lying

2010-04-25T18:42:00.004-04:00

On AOL, Politics Daily, 04-25-2010 had an article titled "Obama Pays His First Visit to Billy Graham, Prays With Him"

While Soap Box Ravings can understand why Billy Graham would pray for President Barack Obama he needs to remember the one constant of President Obama would seem to be his inability to tell the truth. The law often refers to the reasonable person. President Obama does not ever seem to meet the reasonable person standard of truth required by the law.

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2010-04-05T19:31:00.004-04:00

A Billboard on I-75 near Lake City, TN

Soap Box Ravings feels this picture echoes his sentiments. However, he feels bad that he was not in it. Soap Box Ravings is looking forward to the next election in which he fully intends to send his fondest regards at the polls to those in Washington, DC.

Say It Ain't So; Please God, Say it Ain't So

2010-04-01T20:23:00.002-04:00

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D) recently worried that the island of Guam might be in danger of tipping over and capsizing. This according to a videotaped congressional hearing that is getting plenty of play online and over the airwaves.

Johnson's comments came during a House Armed Services Committee meeting as he questioned Adm. Robert Willard, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, about the impact of U.S. troops on the little island.

"My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize," Johnson said, straight-faced and seemingly serious.

You can see this for your self at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsFsn8ekyhw

As you can see by watching this Rep. Johnson appears as a "knowledgeable" speaker. Somewhat like the President off his teleprompter.

He however, did vote for Obama health care; I guess he could understand an incomplete and unpublished bill better than he could visualize an island.

Body English

2010-01-09T20:26:00.002-05:00

Soap Box Ravings has observed lots of "Body English". I observed a lot of learning points which were openly demonstrated by students and staff alike at the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI) when I was a facilitator there. DEOMI is the Defense Department's school on racial, sexual and religious bias and how to combat those biases.

An understanding of "Body English" was also useful in my 15 year career in law enforcement after retiring from the US Navy.

Soap Box Ravings can't help but wonder if an elitist such as President Obama knows or cares of the image he often presents.

Furthermore, anyone who has to report to a supervisor with that look on their face is going to be very careful about the information they share with that supervisor.

From The Writings Of Theodore Roosevelt

2010-01-09T13:20:00.007-05:00

"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."

We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile. We have room for but one language here and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a pollyglot [sic] boarding house; and we have room for but one, soul [sic] loyalty, and that loyalty is to the American people.

This Picture Says It All

2010-01-04T22:08:00.003-05:00

Pete Souza, The White House

Soap Box Ravings says: "I would double bitch slap one of my kids for that look".

Soap Box Ravings wonders exactly who the President is thinking about. He wonders if the look is for the Vice President or if the President is thinking of the ungrateful masses who speak with such disdain about his personal health care legacy.

Regardless, Soap Box Ravings while not an "expert" in body language thinks that look bodes ill for whomever Obama is thinking of.

Obama Speaks About An "Attempted" Attack

2010-01-01T20:08:00.010-05:00

Getty Image

On December 29, 2009,U.S. President Barack Obama spoke to the American people from Marine Corps Base Hawaii located at Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

In his opening statement Obama said, "Yesterday I updated the American people on the immediate steps we took, the increased screening and security of air travel, to keep our country safe in the wake of the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day."

Soap Box Ravings asks what does it take to make a terrorist attack? In this case, a Muslim on a US aircraft preparing to land initiated an explosive device and the President of the United States of America refers to the incident as an attempted attack instead of a failed attack.

If you point a gun, at a police officer be it real or a BB gun I can guarantee you it will be seen by that officer as an attack in progress.

Soap Box Ravings feels that regardless of the failures of our security system, which the Secretary of Homeland Security initially said worked perfectly, as long as the President and his peers see these incidents as just "attempts" the security system will never work.

Soap Box Ravings believes neither the President nor the Secretary of Homeland security appear to understand what they are up against; or perhaps they just don't care.

Finally, The Answer After Months Of Dithering

2009-12-03T10:07:00.014-05:00

Doug Mills/The New York Times

President Barack Obama's teleprompter provided him with the following speech at West Point, he read it fairly well:

Good evening. To the United States Corps of Cadets, to the men and women of our armed services, and to my fellow Americans: I want to speak to you tonight about our effort in Afghanistan - the nature of our commitment there, the scope of our interests, and the strategy that my Administration will pursue to bring this war to a successful conclusion. It is an honor for me to do so here - at West Point - where so many men and women have prepared to stand up for our security, and to represent what is finest about our country.

To address these issues, it is important to recall why America and our allies were compelled to fight a war in Afghanistan in the first place. We did not ask for this fight. On September 11, 2001, nineteen men hijacked four airplanes and used them to murder nearly 3,000 people. They struck at our military and economic nerve centers. They took the lives of innocent men, women, and children without regard to their faith or race or station. Were it not for the heroic actions of the passengers on board one of those flights, they could have also struck at one of the great symbols of our democracy in Washington, and killed many more.

As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda - a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam, one of the world's great religions, to justify the slaughter of innocents. Al Qaeda's base of operations was in Afghanistan, where they were harbored by the Taliban - a ruthless, repressive and radical movement that seized control of that country after it was ravaged by years of Soviet occupation and civil war, and after the attention of America and our friends had turned elsewhere.

Just days after 9/11, Congress authorized the use of force against al Qaeda and those who harbored them - an authorization that continues to this day. The vote in the Senate was 98 to 0. The vote in the House was 420 to 1. For the first time in its history, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked Article 5 - the commitment that says an attack on one member nation is an attack on all. And the United Nations Security Council endorsed the use of all necessary steps to respond to the 9/11 attacks. America, our allies and the world were acting as one to destroy al Qaeda's terrorist network, and to protect our common security.

Under the banner of this domestic unity and international legitimacy - and only after the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden - we sent our troops into Afghanistan. Within a matter of months, al Qaeda was scattered and many of its operatives were killed. The Taliban was driven from power and pushed back on its heels. A place that had known decades of fear now had reason to hope. At a conference convened by the UN, a provisional government was established under President Hamid Karzai. And an International Security Assistance Force was established to help bring a lasting peace to a war-torn country.

Then, in early 2003, the decision was made to wage a second war in Iraq. The wrenching debate over the Iraq War is well-known and need not be repeated here. It is enough to say that for the next six years, the Iraq War drew the dominant share of our troops, our resources, our diplomacy, and our national attention - and that the decision to go into Iraq caused substantial rifts between America and much of the world.

Today, after extraordinary costs, we are bringing the Iraq war to a responsible end. We will remove our combat brigades from Iraq by the end of next summer, and all of our troops by the end of 2011. That we are doing so is a testament to the character of our men and women in uniform. Thanks to their courage, grit and perseverance , we have given Iraqis a chance to shape their future, and we are successfully leaving Iraq to its people.

But while we have achieved hard-earned milestones in Iraq, the situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated. After escaping across the border into Pakistan in 2001 and 2002, al Qaeda's leadership established a safe-haven there. Although a legitimate government was elected by the Afghan people, it has been hampered by corruption, the drug trade, an under-developed economy, and insufficient Security Forces. Over the last several years, the Taliban has maintained common cause with al Qaeda, as they both seek an overthrow of the Afghan government. Gradually, the Taliban has begun to take control over swaths of Afghanistan, while engaging in increasingly brazen and devastating acts of terrorism against the Pakistani people.

Throughout this period, our troop levels in Afghanistan remained a fraction of what they were in Iraq. When I took office, we had just over 32,000 Americans serving in Afghanistan, compared to 160,000 in Iraq at the peak of the war. Commanders in Afghanistan repeatedly asked for support to deal with the reemergence of the Taliban, but these reinforcements did not arrive. That's why, shortly after taking office, I approved a long-standing request for more troops. After consultations with our allies, I then announced a strategy recognizing the fundamental connection between our war effort in Afghanistan, and the extremist safe-havens in Pakistan. I set a goal that was narrowly defined as disrupting, dismantling, and defeating al Qaeda and its extremist allies, and pledged to better coordinate our military and civilian effort.

Since then, we have made progress on some important objectives. High-ranking al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have been killed, and we have stepped up the pressure on al Qaeda world-wide. In Pakistan, that nation's Army has gone on its largest offensive in years. In Afghanistan, we and our allies prevented the Taliban from stopping a presidential election, and - although it was marred by fraud - that election produced a government that is consistent with Afghanistan's laws and Constitution.

Yet huge challenges remain. Afghanistan is not lost, but for several years it has moved backwards. There is no imminent threat of the government being overthrown, but the Taliban has gained momentum. Al Qaeda has not reemerged in Afghanistan in the same numbers as before 9/11, but they retain their safe-havens along the border. And our forces lack the full support they need to effectively train and partner with Afghan Security Forces and better secure the population. Our new Commander in Afghanistan - General McChrystal - has reported that the security situation is more serious than he anticipated. In short: the status quo is not sustainable.

As cadets, you volunteered for service during this time of danger. Some of you have fought in Afghanistan. Many will deploy there. As your Commander-in-Chief, I owe you a mission that is clearly defined, and worthy of your service. That is why, after the Afghan voting was completed, I insisted on a thorough review of our strategy. Let me be clear: there has never been an option before me that called for troop deployments before 2010, so there has been no delay or denial of resources necessary for the conduct of the war. Instead, the review has allowed me ask the hard questions, and to explore all of the different options along with my national security team, our military and civilian leadership in Afghanistan, and with our key partners. Given the stakes involved, I owed the American people - and our troops - no less.

This review is now complete. And as Commander-in-Chief, I have determined that it is in our vital national interest to send an additional 30,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan. After 18 months, our troops will begin to come home. These are the resources that we need to seize the initiative, while building the Afghan capacity that can allow for a responsible transition of our forces out of Afghanistan.

I do not make this decision lightly. I opposed the war in Iraq precisely because I believe that we must exercise restraint in the use of military force, and always consider the long-term consequences of our actions. We have been at war for eight years, at enormous cost in lives and resources. Years of debate over Iraq and terrorism have left our unity on national security issues in tatters, and created a highly polarized and partisan backdrop for this effort. And having just experienced the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, the American people are understandably focused on rebuilding our economy and putting people to work here at home.

Most of all, I know that this decision asks even more of you - a military that, along with your families, has already borne the heaviest of all burdens. As President, I have signed a letter of condolence to the family of each American who gives their life in these wars. I have read the letters from the parents and spouses of those who deployed. I have visited our courageous wounded warriors at Walter Reed. I have travelled to Dover to meet the flag-draped caskets of 18 Americans returning home to their final resting place. I see firsthand the terrible wages of war. If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan, I would gladly order every single one of our troops home tomorrow.

So no - I do not make this decision lightly. I make this decision because I am convinced that our security is at stake in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This is the epicenter of the violent extremism practiced by al Qaeda. It is from here that we were attacked on 9/11, and it is from here that new attacks are being plotted as I speak. This is no idle danger; no hypothetical threat. In the last few months alone, we have apprehended extremists within our borders who were sent here from the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan to commit new acts of terror. This danger will only grow if the region slides backwards, and al Qaeda can operate with impunity. We must keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and to do that, we must increase the stability and capacity of our partners in the region.

Of course, this burden is not ours alone to bear. This is not just America's war. Since 9/11, al Qaeda's safe-havens have been the source of attacks against London and Amman and Bali. The people and governments of both Afghanistan and Pakistan are endangered. And the stakes are even higher within a nuclear-armed Pakistan, because we know that al Qaeda and other extremists seek nuclear weapons, and we have every reason to believe that they would use them.

These facts compel us to act along with our friends and allies. Our overarching goal remains the same: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to prevent its capacity to threaten America and our allies in the future.

To meet that goal, we will pursue the following objectives within Afghanistan. We must deny al Qaeda a safe-haven. We must reverse the Taliban's momentum and deny it the ability to overthrow the government. And we must strengthen the capacity of Afghanistan's Security Forces and government, so that they can take lead responsibility for Afghanistan's future.

We will meet these objectives in three ways. First, we will pursue a military strategy that will break the Taliban's momentum and increase Afghanistan's capacity over the next 18 months.

The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 - the fastest pace possible - so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.

Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what's at stake is not simply a test of NATO's credibility - what's at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.

Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan's Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government - and, more importantly, to the Afghan people - that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.

Second, we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security.

This effort must be based on performance. The days of providing a blank check are over. President Karzai's inauguration speech sent the right message about moving in a new direction. And going forward, we will be clear about what we expect from those who receive our assistance. We will support Afghan Ministries, Governors, and local leaders that combat corruption and deliver for the people. We expect those who are ineffective or corrupt to be held accountable. And we will also focus our assistance in areas - such as agriculture - that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.

The people of Afghanistan have endured violence for decades. They have been confronted with occupation - by the Soviet Union, and then by foreign al Qaeda fighters who used Afghan land for their own purposes. So tonight, I want the Afghan people to understand - America seeks an end to this era of war and suffering. We have no interest in occupying your country. We will support efforts by the Afghan government to open the door to those Taliban who abandon violence and respect the human rights of their fellow citizens. And we will seek a partnership with Afghanistan grounded in mutual respect - to isolate those who destroy; to strengthen those who build; to hasten the day when our troops will leave; and to forge a lasting friendship in which America is your partner, and never your patron.

Third, we will act with the full recognition that our success in Afghanistan is inextricably linked to our partnership with Pakistan.

We are in Afghanistan to prevent a cancer from once again spreading through that country. But this same cancer has also taken root in the border region of Pakistan. That is why we need a strategy that works on both sides of the border.

In the past, there have been those in Pakistan who have argued that the struggle against extremism is not their fight, and that Pakistan is better off doing little or seeking accommodation with those who use violence. But in recent years, as innocents have been killed from Karachi to Islamabad, it has become clear that it is the Pakistani people who are the most endangered by extremism. Public opinion has turned. The Pakistani Army has waged an offensive in Swat and South Waziristan. And there is no doubt that the United States and Pakistan share a common enemy.

In the past, we too often defined our relationship with Pakistan narrowly. Those days are over. Moving forward, we are committed to a partnership with Pakistan that is built on a foundation of mutual interests, mutual respect, and mutual trust. We will strengthen Pakistan's capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear. America is also providing substantial resources to support Pakistan's democracy and development. We are the largest international supporter for those Pakistanis displaced by the fighting. And going forward, the Pakistani people must know: America will remain a strong supporter of Pakistan's security and prosperity long after the guns have fallen silent, so that the great potential of its people can be unleashed.

These are the three core elements of our strategy: a military effort to create the conditions for a transition; a civilian surge that reinforces positive action; and an effective partnership with Pakistan.

I recognize that there are a range of concerns about our approach. So let me briefly address a few of the prominent arguments that I have heard, and which I take very seriously.

First, there are those who suggest that Afghanistan is another Vietnam. They argue that it cannot be stabilized, and we are better off cutting our losses and rapidly withdrawing. Yet this argument depends upon a false reading of history. Unlike Vietnam, we are joined by a broad coalition of 43 nations that recognizes the legitimacy of our action. Unlike Vietnam, we are not facing a broad-based popular insurgency. And most importantly, unlike Vietnam, the American people were viciously attacked from Afghanistan, and remain a target for those same extremists who are plotting along its border. To abandon this area now - and to rely only on efforts against al Qaeda from a distance - would significantly hamper our ability to keep the pressure on al Qaeda, and create an unacceptable risk of additional attacks on our homeland and our allies.

Second, there are those who acknowledge that we cannot leave Afghanistan in its current state, but suggest that we go forward with the troops that we have. But this would simply maintain a status quo in which we muddle through, and permit a slow deterioration of conditions there. It would ultimately prove more costly and prolong our stay in Afghanistan, because we would never be able to generate the conditions needed to train Afghan Security Forces and give them the space to take over.

Finally, there are those who oppose identifying a timeframe for our transition to Afghan responsibility. Indeed, some call for a more dramatic and open-ended escalation of our war effort - one that would commit us to a nation building project of up to a decade. I reject this course because it sets goals that are beyond what we can achieve at a reasonable cost, and what we need to achieve to secure our interests. Furthermore, the absence of a timeframe for transition would deny us any sense of urgency in working with the Afghan government. It must be clear that Afghans will have to take responsibility for their security, and that America has no interest in fighting an endless war in Afghanistan.

As President, I refuse to set goals that go beyond our responsibility, our means, our or interests. And I must weigh all of the challenges that our nation faces. I do not have the luxury of committing to just one. Indeed, I am mindful of the words of President Eisenhower, who - in discussing our national security - said, "Each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs."

Over the past several years, we have lost that balance, and failed to appreciate the connection between our national security and our economy. In the wake of an economic crisis, too many of our friends and neighbors are out of work and struggle to pay the bills, and too many Americans are worried about the future facing our children. Meanwhile, competition within the global economy has grown more fierce. So we simply cannot afford to ignore the price of these wars.

All told, by the time I took office the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan approached a trillion dollars. Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly 30 billion dollars for the military this year, and I will work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit.

But as we end the war in Iraq and transition to Afghan responsibility, we must rebuild our strength here at home. Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our diplomacy. It taps the potential of our people, and allows investment in new industry. And it will allow us to compete in this century as successfully as we did in the last. That is why our troop commitment in Afghanistan cannot be open-ended - because the nation that I am most interested in building is our own.

Let me be clear: none of this will be easy. The struggle against violent extremism will not be finished quickly, and it extends well beyond Afghanistan and Pakistan. It will be an enduring test of our free society, and our leadership in the world. And unlike the great power conflicts and clear lines of division that defined the 20th century, our effort will involve disorderly regions and diffuse enemies.

So as a result, America will have to show our strength in the way that we end wars and prevent conflict. We will have to be nimble and precise in our use of military power. Where al Qaeda and its allies attempt to establish a foothold - whether in Somalia or Yemen or elsewhere - they must be confronted by growing pressure and strong partnerships.

And we cannot count on military might alone. We have to invest in our homeland security, because we cannot capture or kill every violent extremist abroad. We have to improve and better coordinate our intelligence, so that we stay one step ahead of shadowy networks.

We will have to take away the tools of mass destruction. That is why I have made it a central pillar of my foreign policy to secure loose nuclear materials from terrorists; to stop the spread of nuclear weapons; and to pursue the goal of a world without them. Because every nation must understand that true security will never come from an endless race for ever-more destructive weapons - true security will come for those who reject them.

We will have to use diplomacy, because no one nation can meet the challenges of an interconnected world acting alone. I have spent this year renewing our alliances and forging new partnerships. And we have forged a new beginning between America and the Muslim World - one that recognizes our mutual interest in breaking a cycle of conflict, and that promises a future in which those who kill innocents are isolated by those who stand up for peace and prosperity and human dignity.

Finally, we must draw on the strength of our values - for the challenges that we face may have changed, but the things that we believe in must not. That is why we must promote our values by living them at home - which is why I have prohibited torture and will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. And we must make it clear to every man, woman and child around the world who lives under the dark cloud of tyranny that America will speak out on behalf of their human rights, and tend to the light of freedom, and justice, and opportunity, and respect for the dignity of all peoples. That is who we are. That is the moral source of America's authority.

Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs. We have spilled American blood in many countries on multiple continents. We have spent our revenue to help others rebuild from rubble and develop their own economies. We have joined with others to develop an architecture of institutions - from the United Nations to NATO to the World Bank - that provide for the common security and prosperity of human beings.

We have not always been thanked for these efforts, and we have at times made mistakes. But more than any other nation, the United States of America has underwritten global security for over six decades - a time that, for all its problems, has seen walls come down, markets open, billions lifted from poverty, unparalleled scientific progress, and advancing frontiers of human liberty.

For unlike the great powers of old, we have not sought world domination. Our union was founded in resistance to oppression. We do not seek to occupy other nations. We will not claim another nation's resources or target other peoples because their faith or ethnicity is different from ours. What we have fought for - and what we continue to fight for - is a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples' children and grandchildren can live in freedom and access opportunity.

As a country, we are not as young - and perhaps not as innocent - as we were when Roosevelt was President. Yet we are still heirs to a noble struggle for freedom. Now we must summon all of our might and moral suasion to meet the challenges of a new age.

In the end, our security and leadership does not come solely from the strength of our arms. It derives from our people - from the workers and businesses who will rebuild our economy; from the entrepreneurs and researchers who will pioneer new industries; from the teachers that will educate our children, and the service of those who work in our communities at home; from the diplomats and Peace Corps volunteers who spread hope abroad; and from the men and women in uniform who are part of an unbroken line of sacrifice that has made government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality on this Earth.

This vast and diverse citizenry will not always agree on every issue - nor should we. But I also know that we, as a country, cannot sustain our leadership nor navigate the momentous challenges of our time if we allow ourselves to be split asunder by the same rancor and cynicism and partisanship that has in recent times poisoned our national discourse.

It is easy to forget that when this war began, we were united - bound together by the fresh memory of a horrific attack, and by the determination to defend our homeland and the values we hold dear. I refuse to accept the notion that we cannot summon that unity again. I believe with every fiber of my being that we - as Americans - can still come together behind a common purpose. For our values are not simply words written into parchment - they are a creed that calls us together, and that has carried us through the darkest of storms as one nation, one people.

America - we are passing through a time of great trial. And the message that we send in the midst of these storms must be clear: that our cause is just, our resolve unwavering. We will go forward with the confidence that right makes might, and with the commitment to forge an America that is safer, a world that is more secure, and a future that represents not the deepest of fears but the highest of hopes. Thank you, God Bless you, God Bless our troops, and may God Bless the United States of America.

In Soap Box Ravings considered opinion, Obama used the word I forty-four (44) times in his speech. I was beginning to wonder if he was going himself. But then I realized that since he never used the words victory or win; he was going to send the military.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that he has committed our military to fight and die for 18 months and a win is not important because he intends to begin pulling the troops out at the 18 month mark.

These are troops who may or may not be in Obama's political Afghan surge.

PS, Rule number 1 applies here so don't try to correct me.

(Review of Rule #1: A Chief Petty Officer is always right. In the event the Chief Petty Officer may appear to be wrong, Rule #2 Applies.

Review of Rule #2: Rule #1 Applies.

End of review.)

In the days following Obama's speech it was interesting to hear Rush Limbaugh compare Obama's West Point speech with a speech given in March 2009 (I think he said) that was almost identical. A speech in March would have been right after General McCrystal was hired, if the two speeches were almost identical WTF took him from 30 August until 1 December to decide what to do. It's not like he had another idea, he just restated his last idea but acts like it was new.

President Obama has now connected Afghanistan to his political future. Therefore, from 1 December 2009 until..., all further deaths in Afghanistan are directly related to Obama's political attempt for re-election. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind regarding his motivation.

Remember The 3:00 AM Phone Call

2009-11-29T12:03:00.007-05:00

Remember during the elections when the ads asked: "Who do you want to answer the 3:00 AM phone call?"

Well the 3:00 AM phone call has been made; except it took place during the day. On August 30, 2009 our Commander In Chief, President Barack Hussein Obama was asked by General McCrystal, the general of his choice in Afghanistan, for help.

Did Obama answer the call in seconds, minutes, hours, days or months? The answer is months plus. On Tuesday, Commander In Chief Obama will fly to West Point to provide his official answer to General McCrystal's request. That will be on December 01, 2009; 3 months and two days after the General's initial request for assistance.

Marines react to Obama, from infidelsarecool.com

According to various Internet writings, Obama will use the future officers as background while he announces a troop buildup followed by his plan for withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

In my opinion, the trip is also to provide Obama camera time in front of a captive audience of West Point Cadets who will be used to waste their time making Obama look good.

Remember any assistance provided McCrystal by Obama is now already burdened by a 3 month, 2 day lag time.

What Is It With Cell Phones?

2009-11-04T18:59:00.008-05:00

Today I woke up to a radio news story about three college students who drove into a farm pond while possibly star watching.

A few weeks ago, the news reported four people who were killed in an automobile when the mat under the driver's feet jammed the gas pedal.

Interestingly, in both incidents persons involved made phone calls asking for assistance.

Soap Box Ravings can not understand the mentality of making cell phone calls in either one of these incidents.

In the latest incident Soap Box Ravings says if water is flooding into the vehicle you are in, you need to exit that vehicle. As I write this later in the day, the evening news reports their vehicle was found upright in 10 feet of water with the doors shut and the windows up.

In the floor mat incident, while talking for help, the driver entered an intersection against a red light and the accident that followed killed all four occupants. It seems to Soap Box Ravings that turning off the ignition and standing on the brake until the vehicle stops would have been more appropriate than making a cell phone call.

Years ago, Soap Box Ravings had a runaway Vanagon when the cruise control cable got hung up on the engine block. Standing on the brake with an engine at full throttle slowed me down to a crawl but I could not stop the vehicle. Luckily, I had the green when I entered the intersection (4 lanes with median) and I then pulled into a business to shut off the vehicle.

Taking the Vanagon out of gear was not an option to me because I knew the engine would self-destruct and I could not afford the repairs.

People should also remember, when the ignition is turned off most vehicles lock the steering but if stopping is important, it may need to be done that way.

Well trained police officers often ask themselves, "If this happens, what do I do"? Then they run through the scenario presented and work on some acceptable solutions.

Those who read or hear of these unfortunate souls should ask themselves "What should I do." IMHO, unless you are in a safe position, the cell phone is most likely a waste of your time. Particularly since the person who answers a 911 phone normally can not ascertain your location. You have to be able to tell 911 where you are located.

General McChrystal Still Seeking Back-Up And Obama Parties On

2009-11-01T11:14:00.009-05:00

Today is November 1, 2009; General McChrystal, after 61 days of waiting, has no response from Barack Hussein Obama on the additional troops requested.

Obama has managed to get a lot of world face time in the last 61 days. Copenhagen and his Olympic Quest comes to mind. Just a few days ago, Obama and the press went to Edwards Air Force base to view 18 deceased troops as they arrived. Just an aside, but I don't believe George W. Bush used those visitations at Andrews Air Force base as a photo op.

And yesterday there was the White House Halloween Party. The President looks like a man with no worries or concerns.

Associated Press Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta

We hear a lot in the news about the health care crisis and the health plan the "majority" of the country does not want passed but very little headway has been made on General McChrystal's request for back-up in Afghanistan.

Listening to the news daily it is hard to determine if Obama has the guts or fortitude to continue "his war".

However, last week the US government assured Pakistan we were with them for the long haul. I bet they really believe that especially when Obama can't make up his mind to back-up his own general and the troops in Afghanistan.

This is now really starting to look like another Vietnam, with a Democrat President micromanaging the generals while The Taliban and Al Qaeda (General Giap and the Vietcong troops) understands if they keep up the pressure they can again beat the USA (the devil).

US Hostile Fatalities in Afghanistan by Year and Month

Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total

2009 12 15 11 3 9 20 39 47 33 48 0 0 237

So since the General asked the President , his Commander in Chief, for backup 81 American troops have been killed by hostile action. Basically 1/3 of the deaths for 2009 have occurred after General McChrystal's request for assistance.

The longer Obama dithers, the more encouraged the other side becomes (just like Vietnam) and more troops die. So far Obama's campaign plans regarding the war on terror either copy George W Bush or the are lacking in substance and determination.

Here is a good read titled "Is It Amateur Hour in the White House?:
http://www.newsweek.com/id/215991

This is the kind of article the media is supposed to publish, in print and over the airwaves. It is also the type article that upsets Obama because it holds his feet to the fire.

I Just Had To Post This

2009-10-11T16:39:00.012-04:00

On 30 August 2009 General Stanley A. McChrystal submitted his request for additional troops to Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates. COMISAF'S Initial Assessment can be found at: http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/Assessment_Redacted_092109.pdf?hpid=topnews

The General, who was specifically appointed by President Obama to manage the war in Afghanistan, has publicly emphasized the importance of protecting civilians over just engaging insurgents, restricting air strikes to reduce civilian casualties, and increasing the Afghan security forces as well as increasing their training. He also wants to unify the efforts of other allied forces operating in Afghanistan.

In an article titled: "McChrystal: More Forces or 'Mission Failure' Top U.S. Commander For Afghan War Calls Next 12 Months Decisive" written by Washington Post Staff Writer Bob Woodward, on September 21, 2009 the request became public knowledge.

See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/20/AR2009092002920_pf.html for the complete article.

Here is an interesting blog on Obama & McChrystal: http://neoavatara.com/blog/?p=8596

In Soap Box Ravings opinion, Obama, who spent three days trying to sell the Olympic Committee on Chicago as the city of choice did manage to give General McChrystal 25 minutes before Obama flew back to the USA.

That alone has to make you wonder, Obama spends 72 hours bringing money to Chicago and 25 minutes on discussing strategy related to reducing American troop fatalities in Afghanistan while furthering the stated aims of the United States.

As I write this, President Obama has yet to make a decision on General McChrystal's request for assistance.

American soldiers have died every day since this request was sent. Should Obama decide today to send the troops requested it will be weeks before they are in place. It has already been about six weeks since the request was generated and only God and Obama know if and when the request will be met.

The troops in the field need to be backed up, if not, then they should be pulled out. And down the road, another President, one with balls, will be forced into solving the problem this President refuses to do.

This is one of those 3:00 am phone calls and Obama is not doing well.

My Concerns For The Palestinian Children

2009-10-03T10:37:00.025-04:00

THE WORLD IS CONCERNED ABOUT PALESTINIAN KIDS... AS WELL WE SHOULD BE!

President Barack Obama has ordered 21 million dollars of emergency funds be used to bring Palestinian refugees to the United States . Officially President Obama says this is a concern for the children, But President Obama and Company are relocating the children's parents with them.

These are the pictures of Palestinian children shown to us by the media.

These are pictures of Palestinian children that the media do not show us.

Soap Box Ravings believes the Palestinian children pictured do sing songs in praise of their leaders. Maybe that is why some of our schools have started singing praise for Obama; to make these children feel more at home when they arrive at a school near you.

9-11-09

2009-09-11T09:18:00.009-04:00

Jessica Leeder of the Globe and Mail (Canada) wrote:

As the 11th hour strikes Friday morning, a hush will ripple across the United States to mark the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks – and the first with President Barack Obama at the helm.

Rather than join the throng of politicians attending the annual World Trade Center ceremony, Mr. Obama is slated to meet victims' families at a more intimate, lower-profile memorial at the Pentagon, a strategic move observers suggest is aimed at managing the tepid support for the war in Afghanistan.

The complete article is at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/obama-plans-low-key-911-anniversary/article1282996/

Soap Box Ravings finds it interesting that the President, who can showcase himself by flying to Colorado to sign a bill does not go to New York City for 9-11 Memorial Observances. Today is the eighth anniversary of the 9-11 terrorist attacks on this country, an attack that killed more Americans than the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Soap Box Ravings notes that this President, a President who bows to a Queen, Kisses a Sheik's ring and constantly apologizes for the existence of the United States of America has chosen to downplay the memorial services in regard to Islam's attack on the United States on 09-11-2001. For almost 68 years Pearl Harbor has been recognized as Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Yet after only eight years, the attacks on the United States which occurred at the World Trade center, the Pentagon and in the air near Shanksville, PA are now referred to as terrorist attacks, not attacks by Muslims or Islamic attacks.

While I realize that not every person of Islam was involved in the attack, neither was every Japanese person involved in the attack at Pearl Harbor. However, the fact remains that Islamic or Muslim war lords exist and they still wish to inflict much harm to the United States and it's citizens.

Shame on you Barack Hussein Obama for not participating in the New York City services. Shame on you Barack Hussein Obama if you used the families of those who died on 09-11-2001 to further support for your Afghan misadventures.

What Obama Says On Health Care

2009-08-29T20:22:00.013-04:00

WNCN Raleigh

Soap Box Ravings says there are a lot of people out there talking health care. Every one of them has an agenda. Each side puts out information that may be true or not.

As a retired police officer, Soap Box ravings understands that eye witnesses to an incident do not always witness every part of the incident in the same way, even when they really want to provide the correct information.

Then there are other citizens who may invent stories or just outright lie. Sometimes for personal gain and other times perhaps for their 15 minutes of fame.

With this in mind, I went to the factcheck.org website and looked at what the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is saying about "his" health care effort.

With the health care debate on Capitol Hill raging on, President Barack Obama held a prime-time news conference July 22, 2009 to make his pitch for a health care bill once again to the American public. Among his facts and figures, we found some false and questionable statements.

On Paying For Health Care

Among other things, the president promised that a health care overhaul “will be paid for.”

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a bipartisan group, said:

More access and broader coverage do not save money. However, greater coverage will increase health spending. Unless major changes are successfully implemented in health care delivery and payment systems, costs will continue to rise from a larger base at a rapid pace.

Moreover, potential savings are speculative, while costs are far more certain. That imbalance suggests that unless there is broad popular support for the measures that will be required to achieve savings, the nation’s health care bill could become that much more unaffordable.

On Near-Universal Coverage

The president also exaggerated the number of persons who would be covered by his health care plan.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that the bill working its way through the House would result in 97 percent of Americans (excluding illegal immigrants) having insurance by 2015. The figure would be only 94 percent of those in the U.S., if you count "illegals."

On Uncompensated Care

Obama said: in fact, there’s going to be a whole lot of savings that we obtain from that because, for example, the average American family is paying thousands of dollars in hidden costs in their insurance premiums to pay for what’s called uncompensated care – people who show up at the emergency room because they don’t have a primary care physician.

In June, 2009, factcheck.org previously pointed out that President Obama was wrong in this area.

On A $5 Trillion Whopper

The president claimed he has cut federal spending by more than $2 trillion.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) specifically estimated the "total effect on outlays" of Obama’s budget as an increase of $2.7 trillion compared with what’s called for in current law. So by CBO’s figuring, spending would go up $2.7 trillion, not down $2.2 trillion. That would make Obama’s claim a nearly $5 trillion whopper.

On the U.S. vs. The Rest of the World

Obama exaggerated the discrepancy between U.S. and foreign health care costs:

In fact, the U.S. spends nearly $7,000 per person total, or nearly $2,500 more than the next highest-spending country, according to the most recent completed data from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion the President of The United States needs to get his crap in one sock. Soap Box Ravings can not see why anyone would vote for a plan the man promoting it does not understand. Disregarding all of the talking heads, of either side, the presidents performance is to quote a term, "Piss Poor."

The full story may be found at:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/obamas-health-care-news-conference/

The Great Oz, Behind The Curtain

2009-08-27T09:29:00.005-04:00

Little Teddy Kennedy

The younger brother in a well to do family. Some of the Kennedy brothers were more heroic than others. However, in Soap Box Ravings opinion, Teddy was the most spoiled and the least heroic of the lot.

Teddy showed his mettle in the incident which killed Mary Jo Kopechne at the Chappaquiddick Bridge .

The media is doing their best to paint Senator Edward Kennedy as a super hero. In truth, he was the little brother trying to live up to the heroic achievements of his older brothers while trying to maintain his political position.

During his life, Edward Kennedy acted more like John Kerry than he did his older brothers. His brothers seemed to be more involved in doing what was "right" than in what was political although John and Bobby were political creatures.

Both Edward Kennedy and John Kerry seemed to operate more on looks than substance, generally a poor and embarrassing combination when viewed from a standpoint of honor, duty and country.

It would be a lot more appropriate if the media recognized him for the man he was instead of trying to make him a saint (lionize).

Musings On Health Care

2009-08-26T13:35:00.005-04:00

Senator Edward Kennedy

Soap Box Ravings notes that under the proposed health plans being bandied about in Washington, DC, Senator Kennedy would most likely have died much earlier. An ordinary citizen of his age would not have received the medical treatment made available to him under these proposed health plans.

Soap Box Ravings would also like to bring to your attention the efforts of two other lawmakers, first Senator Tom Coburn:

Senator Tom Coburn MD, Oklahoma Republican, believes Congress should weigh the dangers of a nationalized health system much more seriously than it has. He successfully pressed the Senate Health Committee to approve his idea of requiring Members of Congress themselves to enroll in whatever "public plan" is passed to compete with private insurance companies.

His idea wasn't exactly greeted warmly by all committee members. Senator Jeff Bingaman (a lawyer) New Mexico Democrat, said "I don't know why we should require ourselves to participate in a plan that no one else needs to participate in. This bill goes to great lengths to show that the choice is there for everybody."

However, Senator Coburn disagreed, he said that his reading of the 1,000-page health care bill convinced him that everyone would end up being forced into the public plan as private insurance carriers were squeezed out of the market by mandates and regulations. Senator Coburn feels if Congress decides a government-run health plan is good enough for the American people, Congress should be willing to put itself under its care umbrella.

By a 12 to 11 margin, the Senate Health Committee agreed. Every Republican save for New Hampshire's Judd Gregg voted in favor of the Coburn mandate. Every Democrat except Senator's Dodd, Kennedy and Mikulski were opposed.

It would appear, many members of Congress already used to a generous and flexible set of health benefits have no intention of backing Senator Coburn's mandate and allowing it to become law.

And second, Representative John Fleming:

Congressman John Fleming MD, Louisiana Republican, has proposed an amendment that would require congressmen and senators to take the same health care plan they force on us (under proposed legislation they are curiously exempt).

Congressman Fleming is encouraging people to go on his Website and sign his petition: I have done that at:

http://fleming.house.gov/index.html.

For Those Of My Friends Who Feel Their President Has Let Them Down For One Or More Reasons

2009-08-23T17:58:00.009-04:00

President Barack Obama, the sign says he is open for questions.

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out the following website for those Obama voters suffering a change of heart:

http://www.iamsorryivotedforobama.com/

The Stuff Of Legends

2009-08-22T16:37:00.007-04:00

Soap Box Ravings presents this as a legend. Legend is defined as a non historical or unverifiable story handed down by tradition from earlier times and popularly accepted as historical. Many folks accept this as a fact, however, I am not able to verify the story hence the legend moniker.

A Letter From Granpa

2009-08-07T17:38:00.005-04:00

No, I did not write this. It came to me from the Internet. If I knew who wrote it, I would be proud to give him or her full credit. I have found various renditions of this on the Internet but nothing giving the identity of the author.
Soap Box Ravings

John is 63 years old and owns his own business. He is a life-long Republican and sees his dream of retiring next year is now all but gone. With the stock market crashing and all the new taxes coming his way, John knows he will be working for many more years.

John has a Granddaughter, Ashley, a recent college graduate. Ashley drives a late model car, wears all the latest fashions, and also likes going out and
eating out a lot.

Ashley campaigned hard for Mr. Obama, and after he won the election she made sure
her Grandfather (and all other Republican family members) received more than an earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that Obama won
the election.

Ashley recently found herself short of cash and cannot pay her bills, again. As she has done many other times in the past, she e-mailed her Grandfather asking for
some financial help.

Here is his reply:

Sweetheart,

I am replying to your request for more money.

Ashley, you know I love you dearly and am sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your Grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own....the 'Ashley Economic Plan'.

Let me explain. Your grandmother and I are highly productive, wage-earning tax payers. We have lived a comfortable life and in return have forgone many things like fancy vacations, luxury cars, etc.

We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But our plan has changed. Your president is significantly raising our personal and business taxes. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people.

Do you know what this means, Ashley?

It means less income for us. Less income means we must cut back on many business and personal expenditures. Do you remember my Secretary, Mary? She always gave you candy when you visited my office. Did you know she worked for us for the past 18 years? I can't afford her anymore. That is a taste of the business side.

Some personal economic affects of Obama's new taxation policies include none other than you. You know very well that over the years we have given you cash, tuition assistance, food, housing, clothing, gifts, etc., etc.

By your vote, you have chosen another family over ours for help.

Judging from your Email requesting more money, I recommend you call 202-456-1111. That is the direct telephone number for the White House.

You, yourself, repeatedly told me I was foolish to vote Republican. You said Mr. Obama is going to be the people's president and is going to help every American live a better life. Based upon everything you have told me and things we heard from him as he campaigned, I am sure Mr. Obama will be happy to send you a check or transfer money into your checking account.

Have him call me for the transaction and account numbers, which by now I know by heart.

Perhaps you now can understand what I have been saying for all my life: those who vote for the president should consider what the impact of an election will be on the nation as a whole, and not just be concerned with what they can get for themselves (welfare, etc.).

What Obama voters don't seem to realize is all of the "government's" money that he he is “redistributing” to illegal aliens and non-taxpaying Americans (deemed "less fortunate") comes from tax money collected from income tax-paying families.

Remember how you told me, "Only the richest of the rich will be affected"? Well, guess what, honey? Because of our business, your Grandmother and I are now considered to be the richest of the rich.

On paper, it might look that way. But in the real world, we are far from it. But, as you said while campaigning for Mr. Obama, some people will have to carry more of the burden so all of America can prosper.

You understand what that means, right? It means that raising taxes on productive people results in them having less money. Less money for everything, including granddaughters!

Congratulations on your choice for "change". For future reference, I encourage you to attempt to add up the total value of the gifts and money you've received from us over the years, and compare it to what you expect to receive over the next four years from President Obama.

Remember, we love you dearly... but from now on you'll need to call The White House number 202-456-1111 when you need help..

Good luck, Sweetheart.

Love,

Grandpa

What Do You See In This Picture

2009-07-31T20:45:00.006-04:00

President Barack Obama, Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Sergeant James Crowley walk from the Oval Office to the Rose Garden of the White House, July 30, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Soap Box Ravings is amazed at this picture Of President Barack Obama and his personal friend Professor Henry Louise Gates of Harvard on their way to have a beer with accused racist Sergeant Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department.

As a retired airport police officer, Soap Box Ravings would guess that this is not the first person with a cane Sergeant Crowley has ever helped down a flight of stairs.

On the other hand, the President appears to have no concern for his own friend as he seems to be out in front with a somewhat detached air about him.

As I cop, I learned to watch people's body language for clues to what they may do or say; my safety depended on it sometimes. The body language in this offical government photo released by the White House says volumes.

It Is Better To Keep Your Mouth Shut And Look Stupid Than To Open Your Mouth And Demonstrate Your Stupidity

2009-07-25T17:27:00.029-04:00

Obama said that while “I don’t know all the facts” of the arrest or the role race played in it, the case highlighted “a long history in this country of African- Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately.” He also added: “That’s just a fact.”

ABC News

Soap Box Ravings invites you to look at the picture of the much abused Mr. Gates as he exits his house under arrest. I can see that his mouth is open, wide open. I doubt he is engaged in polite discourse. On the right is a police officer who looks exactly like someone trying to calm Mr. Gates down. On his left is an officer who is guiding Mr Gates by touch. Mr Gates is not subject to any type of hold causing him to comply. In short, a minimum amount of force is in use in this picture.In front of Mr. Gates is a police sergeant who looks like he is very tired of listening to Mr. Gates.

Now lets look at the facts:

A neighbor reports a possible burglary in progress on a house that has been previously burglarized.

A police sergeant comes to the house to ascertain if it is a burglary. At this point the officer probably does not know who owns the house, or who is allowed inside the house.

The police reports indicate that Mr. Gates goes hostile when questioned by the responding police sergeant, a white police officer..

The police sergeant, for the safety of Mr. Gates' and himself, is trying to determine if Mr. Gates is the homeowner and if so could there be unknown people in the house. I believe the reporting neighbor reported two black males breaking into the house. Also it is not unknown for a person present illegally to lie and claim to be the homeowner, such as a black man who could have stole Mr Gates' wallet. Plus there is also the question of where is the second man reported by the neighbor.

Mr Gates refused to talk about the situation politely but then it appears he tried to change a situation of his making, into a situation of racial harassment. Mr. Gates attempted to take control of the officer and his investigation. If the officer left without making positive identification and the officer had been fooled by a burglar, the real homeowner, Mr Gates would have really been incensed.

Lets look at some possible reasons for Mr Gates behavior:

He could be upset because the officer does not recognize him as an important person, or perhaps he is embarrassed because he had to break down his own door after not be able to open his door with the key and now a neighbor, the police radio and a white cop all know what he did.

Check here for some more thoughts on this issue:
http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/why_class_does_matter_in_the_gates_arrest_debate/

In Soap Box Ravings opinion, Mr gates is acting as an "elite or moneyed" person trying to place the situational blame elsewhere and in particular on someone, the officer, who Mr. Gates sees as less than his equal.

Obama also continued with "But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry."

Soap Box Ravings wonders why any homeowner would be pretty angry that a police officer showed up with regard to a "Burglary in Progress" call in the homeowners own residence that had suffered a previous burglary. He also wonders why a homeowner would claim harassment for being a Black man in America when the officer, who is there to specifically present to protect the homeowner.

In Soap Bax Ravings opinion, Obama acted like a black community organizer from Chicago, not the President of the United States. Soap Box Ravings feels that Obama acted in accordance with the teachings of Reverend Wright. The same Pastor he claimed never to have listened to for 20 years while he attended the Reverend Wright's church. Obama has certainly done his level best in this instance to set back police, community relationships in this country. But I guess this just adds to the growing chaos laid on this country by his administration. After all his administration said ‘no crisis should be allowed to go to waste’and I suppose that means even if he caused the crisis.

As a elitist, Obama finds it impossible to publicly apologize to the officers and department involved for his behavior, yet many continue to believe it is not all about him. Shame on him.

Obama also took another shot at police professionalism in his interview by reflecting that he'd hope the police were called if he were seen breaking into his own house. He then paused and said "I guess this is my house now," remarking of the White House. "Here I’d get shot."

In Soap Box Ravings opinion, the Secret Service which protects the President of the United States deals with erratic civilian behavior on a daily basis and as far as I know they shoot very, very, few of them. I think Obama has done a disservice to the organization sworn to protect him with his "open mouth , sink ships" comment.

Sunday, July 26, 2009 (Addition)
Gates Says Time to 'Move On' From Arrest
http://news.aol.com/article/henry-gates-says-move-on/579147

In this article from www.politicsdaily.com Gates promised to do all he could so others could learn from his arrest. "This could and should be a profound teaching moment in the history of race relations in America," Gates said. "I sincerely hope that the Cambridge police department will choose to work with me toward that goal."

Soap Box Ravings says that if you are present in your home after jimmying the door to gain access, commonly known as breaking and entering, and a police officer shows up responding to a "burglary in progress" call acting like an idiot may get you arrested regardless of your skin color or perceived social status.

Soap Box Ravings also says that since the elite Gates was involved, obviously it would have to be a "profound" teaching moment. Most likely, all of professor Gates teachings are "profound" since he is a Harvard professor (i.e., a person who professes to be an expert in some art or science).

In Soap Box Ravings' opinion, Gates agreed to have a beer with Obama and Crowley in order that he, Gates, and Obama can square that white boy away. It definitely would not be to resolve any perceived problem as neither Gates nor Obama have really expressed any remorse for their actions. In fact many think, Obama threw down his comments to distract and take the heat off of his health care plan.

Since 1991, Gates has been teaching African American studies at Harvard, where he serves as the director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. De Bois, an American civil rights activist, sociologist, historian and author, was an avowed communist and socialist sympathizer.

See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=105028 for more information regarding Mr Gates, his elitist beliefs and friends as well as his time at Harvard.

See: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=104935 for more information on Obama's Cambridge history and also comments by activist Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, founder of BOND Action, Inc. and entertainer Bill Cosby.

And Now It's The Social Security Administration Following The Lead Of Their Boss.

2009-07-15T12:50:00.011-04:00

May 31, 2009The President and spouse leave the "Marine One" Helicopter en route to their aircraft to fly to NY City for a date night.

At the entrance of the aircraft carrying the President and his spouse to New York City is most likely a secret service agent. The majority of the agents accompanying the President will not fly on the Presidential aircraft. They and the required vehicles will be flown to New York by another aircraft. At least, they are not using the normal "Air Force One."

A copy of their itinerary. One also has to wonder what the expenses were for the City of New York who is required to backup all of the President's security.

The White House refused to say how much the trip cost taxpayers.

June 08, 2009Michelle One
When President Obama flew back to the United States on Air Force One after his Paris visit. His wife, two daughters and her mother did a bit of shopping in Paris before taking their own Boeing 757 (C-32) over to London to do some sight seeing. Do you know how big a Boeing 757 (C32) is?

The motorcade prepares to move Michelle Obama, her children and her mother through London. Do any of you wonder what this sightseeing trip cost the United States or The United Kingdom.

We all remember Obama's admonishment to corporate CEO's in February 2009:

"You can't get corporate jets, you can't go take a trip to Las Vegas or go down to the Super Bowl on the taxpayers dime."

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceoY1h5SYkQ)

Apparently that doesn't apply to either him or his wife.

AND NOW WE HAVE THIS FROM THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OF PRESIDENT BARACK H. OBAMA:

July 9, 2009

Social Security Admin trains hundreds at Arizona Biltmore

Kay B. Day

The U.S. Social Security Administration is dubbed one of the best agencies to work for, and judging by a training conference, I can see why. Fox News scooped the training conference held at the Arizona Biltmore, a facility claiming to be "known throughout the world as the 'Jewel of the Desert.'"Every room has a well-stocked mini-bar and for the weight conscious, a scale. The SSA, Fox said, flew 700 managers to the resort for a conference with skits, a dance troupe, Casino Night and door prizes.

If you're recalling President Barack Obama's fit about private companies doing the wine- and-dine in exotic locations after taking taxpayer bailout money, you're not alone. The federal government spends taxpayer money with no shame, no integrity and no accountability.

The Fox reporter asked a SSA spokesman, "With withering criticism over the misuse of taxpayer dollars, many people will look at this and go, 'Wait, same thing.'"

The spokesman replied, "There's a clear distinction between the two. They received specific bailout dollars. We didn't. We're not using any recovery money. There's no ARA money involved in this."

That sort of brain-dead reasoning prevails in Washington. Bureaucrats think if the bucks don't come from one pot, it's fine if they come from another. There's a complete lack of consciousness regarding safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

Every taxpayer in the nation should send the SSA a bill for any federal funds used on this excursion .

With billions of tax dollars wasted on overpayment's, the SSA should be sending employees to stay in a wilderness camp. The only reason they won't: those people wouldn't survive the challenge.

The entire department management should be fired, and so should the agency heads. Once again, the federal government proves its ineptitude as we, the taxpayer, face a government composed of looters.

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out that all the money the government spends comes from taxes on it's citizens. The only other way to get money is to print it willy-nilly and that will cause inflation. Wait, that's what we are doing now under the Messiah's Divine Guidance.

There are a lot of changes being made, none of which Soap Box Ravings sees as relating to increased honesty and integrity of government.

Soap Box Ravings wonders: Can you feel the change?

American Superhero Decides It Is Easier To Fight Corruption In Africa

2009-07-11T18:14:00.003-04:00

The Associated Press reported today: "Obama Tells Africa to End Corruption"

Full story at: http://news.aol.com/article/obamas-visit-ghana/565798

Soap Box Ravings interpretation of this would be that it is much easier to tell people you don't know to clean up their f&^%&^g sh*t than to tell your political associates, your financial backers and your supporters to clean up their f%*^%^g sh*t.

But the media shows him "looking good" as he strolls around with his jacket off waving to the crowd and I guess that's what really matters.

Are There Cracks In The Armor, Or Are The Weak Showing Signs Of Panic?

2009-07-04T20:59:00.008-04:00

May 2009, Warren Buffett warns "Inflation on the horizon"

July 2009, Colin Powell Warns Obama: “And We Can’t Pay for it All”

Soap Box Ravings says these are not the words of your average rabid talk show hosts. Conservative talk show hosts have been saying these things in one form or another since Obama set out to run for President. These are high ranking people who supported Obama and helped him reach the presidency.

Powell claims to be a Republican but his actions speak louder than his words and right now he seems to be excited because Obama is ordering up things he can't pay for. There may be a Conservative ideal in his head and I know he had many years of equal opportunity training while in the US Army, but he allowed color to rule.

As a retired navy E-9, I can't help but think some of my army peers failed Colin Powell as a junior officer during his formative years when he was supposed to learn army ethics and values.

Soap Box Ravings can't wait to see who is the next one to start muttering.

Attention Pennsylvania Hunters, Can you Identify This Photo

2009-07-04T19:52:00.007-04:00

The Pennsylvania State Police are interested in identifying the location of this Polaroid photo which is believed be related to the whereabouts of two children who went missing 30 years ago.

Karen and Michael Reinert vanished from Ardmore, Pennsylvania in June 1979. Their mother, Susan Reinert, was found murdered but police have never learned of their fate.

Trooper Brian Krause of the Pennsylvania State Police asks anyone who can identify the location of the mystery photo or anyone who may have information about what happened to Karen and Michael Reinert to call 717-671-7537.

Some Random Thoughts

2009-06-28T12:50:00.007-04:00

Taken from The American Rifleman July 2009 column " standing guard" by Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President National Rifle Association.

Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell

Quoted from Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell on the possession of a firearm on the side of good:

"It's nuts for ordinary citizens to go out and buy assault weapons. Assault weapons are difficult to operate, they jam easily. If you want a gun to protect your home, it's the last thing you should have... If you have an assault weapon to protect your house, you're crazy...they're not very effective."

In the hands of criminals, (those who do evil) Rendell said:

"Assault weapons have only one purpose...They fire at short range; they put out a ton of fire at one time; and they are very powerful...There is no purpose for these guns but to kill or maim."

As Soap Box Ravings understands Governor Rendells statements, assault weapons are not suitable for defense but they are suitable for offense.

According to the article, all of Rendell's double talk was said virtually in the same breath.

Soap Box ravings memory recalls the communist militaries and those they supported used the AK-47 assault weapon which Rendell says is difficult to operate. They used this weapon family because any peasant whether they be Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Nigerian, Iranian, Iraqi, Afghani, or whatever could be trained in their use. This weapon family functioned with very little factory maintenance in countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, North Korea, and anywhere else around the world while being used by these same peasants.

I doubt my military peers with an extensive small arms background would agree with the Governor of Pennsylvania's above statements regarding "assault" weapons.

Side Note: The term doublespeak was coined in the early 1950s. It is often incorrectly attributed to George Orwell and his 1949 dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. The term does not appear in that novel, although Orwell did coin newspeak, oldspeak, and doublethink, and his novel made fashionable composite nouns with speak as the second element, which were previously unknown in English. Doublespeak may be considered, in Orwell's lexicography, as the vocabulary of Newspeak, words "deliberately constructed for political purposes: words, that is to say, which not only had in every case a political implication, but were intended to impose a desirable mental attitude upon the person using them." The term double talk (with a similar meaning) dates back to at least 1936. [1]

Soap Box Ravings believes the Governor's lack of knowledge on his subject matter shines like a headlight in a dark tunnel.

Fully automatic assault weapons (those that put out a "ton" of fire) are regulated by the U.S. Government; their rate of fire is also affected by the size of the individual firearm's magazine. Semiautomatic firearms mislabeled as assault weapons fire one round with each squeeze of the trigger. Their rate of fire is also affected by the size of the magazine. There is essentially no difference in rate of fire among semiautomatic firearms whether they have been wrongly identified as "assault weapons" or are described as hunting rifles. Each semiautomatic rifle, pistol, or shotgun will essentially fire as fast as the trigger can be pulled regardless of caliber or gauge until the magazine is empty.

The labeling of firearms as "assault weapons" is basically to vilify the firearm so those who do not support Second Amendment Rights can restrict firearm use to whatever they think you should possess until you are left with very little or nothing as citizens now are in many other English speaking countries..

As you decide how you should defend your family, remember: The police are only minutes away. That of course disregards such things as: budget cuts, blue flu, vacation and training days, etc. Ask yourself how many people live in your area and how many officers work in your area? How many work all night long? How is it working for you at this point.

Planning for self preservation before an incident allows many people to survive the first incident. Failure to plan relies on luck alone.

The Teleprompter Speaks

2009-04-18T15:19:00.002-04:00

From http://2conservativewomen.blogspot.com/2009

"For too long we've seen taxes used as a wedge to scare people into supporting policies that actually increase the burden on working people instead of helping them live their dreams. That has to change, and that's the work that we've begun. We've passed tax cuts that will help our economy grow. We've made a clear promise that families that earn less than $250,000 a year will not see their taxes increase by a single dime. We're giving tax relief to the Americans who need it and the workers who have earned it. So, on this April 15th, we're reminded of the enormous responsibility that comes with handling people's tax dollars and we're renewing our commitment to a simpler tax code that rewards work and the pursuit of the American dream." --The ObamaPrompter via The Patriot Post, 17 April 2009

In the opinion of Soap Box Ravings this is about as close to truth as the promises made by all concerned last year when our governmental representatives, as well as those running for office, were running scared from the "drill here, drill now crowd." When I see this country building new oil refineries and opening up oil fields off our coasts for the drilling of oil, perhaps then I may believe when the teleprompter speaks. Until then, as I see it, what POTUS says and what he does are never the same. The recent tobacco taxes applied to smokers with an income below $250,000 annually and so will the increased costs of his Cap and Trade program. Remember, if the federal government took all the monies taxpayers made over over $250,000 annually they could not cover what is being spent.

Thoughts For RNC Chairman Michael Steele

2009-03-25T16:00:00.012-04:00

The other day, I got a survey from the Republican Party. While filling it out, I started to think about the paper I was holding in my hands. The Title was "2009 State of the Republican Party." The longer I held it, the more I thought about the survey.

In a previous life as a senior petty officer, I wrote, disseminated and tracked surveys for the Department of Defense Equal Opportunity Institute (DEOMI). I do not consider myself as an expert survey person but something about this "survey" was bugging me.

I have had previous surveys from the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the all seemed to be somewhat off for lack of a better term. But, after some thought I figured out what was bothering me. The "survey" is nothing but a vehicle to raise money for the RNC.

And in my opinion, this survey indicates a major problem with Republican Party leadership.

A few days ago I exchanged e-mails from a friend who was recently elected to Congress. He pointed out the problem he and other Republicans have in raising money while their Democrat opponents have plenty of money.

Thinking about this, after reading the survey, my conclusion is Democrats work to ensure their supporters want to donate their money. I think they do this by letting their supporters feel like they have inputs into the party. But once the supporters are on line (so to speak) they volunteer their money.

The Republican Party has sent me emails and letters that basically and consistently say that my money is urgently needed to save the world from whatever "demon" Democrat is running for office or some idea some Democrat in office has put forth.

At the same time, the Republicans seem to have abandoned what I consider are unchanging principles such as:

Family Values: Family values are important, but Republican family values now are basically regarding abortion. Abortion is a smokescreen and is basically legislation of moral values. If the Republicans actually worked on family values, abortions could be a very minor problem.

International Trade: Everything comes from Red China and they don't like us yet we do not share enough business with our South and Central American Allies. More money spent there would work to reduce our illegal border crossings.

Elimination of plans that do not work. During 45 years of military and law enforcement, I never used marijuana. However, the war on drugs costs billions and mexico is about to have anarchy. Legalizing marijuana means more money is available to use on useful projects.

The "War on Poverty" named that by President Johnson but which had it's roots under President F. D. Roosevelt has only produced a large class of people who are designated "poor" but drive nice cars and own plasma TVs. Many of them also look down on persons in their neighborhood who try to better themselves.

The Bill of Rights, government schools have so much crap they are responsible for they don't spend a lot of time teaching such important theories such as freedom and the bill of rights.

Breakfasts for underprivileged children probably spend more to ensure the wrong kid doesn't get a meal than if the school cafeterias provided a free breakfast to every child. The program basically provides lots of jobs to administrators..kind of like the Bureau of Indian affairs. I am sure it could be handled with a giant computer sending checks to the schools and eliminating all bureaucrats except for a finance officer and the computer operator

The survey got basically hit a few panic button and scare type questions designed to separate a little old lady or old man from some of their cash.

However, I say if the RNC really wants to restore the Party then I suggest they get some various groups together to identify some survey questions that will provide the ideas they can use to breath life into the Republican Party. Ideas that will get people excited enough to want to donate, not people that donate because they were scared.

These groups need to be made up of, but not limited to, such thinkers as: Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich, Neal Boortz, Walter Williams, Herman Cain, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Alan Keyes, and perhaps even Dick Morris. The purpose of the group is not to write the survey or the party platform, their purpose is to brainstorm ideas. You can use multiple groups since not all of those folks get along. Again the object, as much as possible, is to get ideas regarding real concerns that would cause Republicans to re-energize.

To do nothing means you will continue to send out scare type money requests posing as surveys and the party will go nowhere.

Ask The Experts..........

2009-03-22T18:18:00.009-04:00

Of the dictators shown above, only Qadaffi and Kim Jong-il still remain in power. But there have also been other recent dictators:

Such as Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli (July 15, 1926 - January 12, 2003) was an Argentine general and President of Argentina from 22 December 1981 to 18 June 1982, during the last military dictatorship. The death squad Intelligence Battalion 601 directly reported to him. He lost power soon after the British retook the Falklands Islands whose invasion by Argentine forces he had ordered.

Or, Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November 25, 1915 – December 10, 2006) was a Chilean army general and dictator. He was the Commander in Chief of the Chilean army from 1973 to 1998, President of the Government Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1974 and President of Chile from 1974 until the return of democratic rule in 1990. From the beginning, Pinochet's the military government implemented harsh measures against their political opponents, which included but was not limited to systematic suspensions of civil liberties and violations of human rights. The Rettig Report concluded that 2,279 persons who disappeared during the military government were killed for political reasons, and approximately 30,000 tortured according to the later Valech Report, while several thousand were exiled.

And lets not forget Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, April 28, 1937 – December 30, 2006, was the President of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. He was responsible for thousands of his countrymen being tortured or murdered by Iraqi security forces.

Soap Box Ravings believes that the Second Amendment of our country's Bill of Rights prevents this type of happening. The Second Amendment was purposely designed by our forefathers to ensure a abusive government could not remain in power such as happened earlier between the colonists and the King of England.

When the people turn themselves over to their government the government then owns them like slaves on a plantation. When the Massa wants to beat them, they are beaten. When the Massa wants to F#*k them they are screwed. And should the Massa decide they no longer have the right to live, then they will be put down by representatives of the government.

It's Milking Time Again

2009-03-22T18:16:00.002-04:00

What's To Understand About AIG Bonuses

2009-03-19T21:42:00.006-04:00

Soap Box Ravings just wants to understand what is happening here. When the initial TARP monies were distributed, there was media noise about bonuses being paid. Not a lot, but enough to alert everyone who is not a politician.

Then the Messiah took over the reins of government. The porculus bill was written behind closed doors by a Democrat controlled Congress. The Dodd Amendment was written by the Senator who put his name on the amendment. Then the messiah signed the porculus bill.

Suddenly on a Monday following dissemination of billions of dollars on the previous Friday the Messiah and crew find out that some number of millions went to pay bonuses to AIG personnel.

To make matters worse, the Messiah almost incites the public to riot over the bonuses.

But then it turns out the bonuses were allowed by the Dodd Amendment. Senator Dodd did not and then did write the amendment authorizing the bonuses.

Then lastly, the Messiah who claimed he was not responsible for the bonuses, even though the were legal IAW the porculus bill he signed as President, then claims to take responsibility by using a variation of Harry Truman's line, "The Buck Stops here".

Now in all of this furor over millions (about 135 million dollars) the Messiah has not discussed the billions (about 175+ Billion)funneled through AIG to banks in Europe and other places such as Goldman Sachs.

And to frost the cake, rumor has it that the Senate and the House of Representatives use AIG to handle their retirement accounts.

You just can't invent this shit!

Prisoners of W...

2009-03-18T16:11:00.012-04:00

January 22, 2009, President Obama signs order to close Guantanamo Bay prison facility

See the full story "Prisoners of W--" dated Wednesday, March 18, 2009 at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123734209584965205.html

Soap Box Ravings can't help but wonder what happened to all the drama regarding those innocent prisoners being held and tortured by President G.W. Bush in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba now that the Messiah is in charge.

As the article, "Prisoners of W--", states President Obama's lather-rinse-repeat approach to the legal war on terror is familiar: He lambastes his predecessor, then makes cosmetic changes that leave the substance of Bush policy intact.

Although, he did make one major change last week when he firmly and resolutely renounced the term "enemy combatant" although his the "new standard" for detaining terrorists is identical to the old one.

Canadian Officials Visit US Deserter

2009-03-17T17:05:00.007-04:00

Borys Wrzesnewskyj, MP

Canadian Officials Visit US Deserter, full story at:
http://www.military.com/news/article/March-2009/canadian-officials-visit-us-deserter.html?wh=news

Soap Box Ravings thinks it is interesting the a member of the Canadian Parliament, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, would say that Robin Long, a US Army deserter, "took a principled stand against the war in Iraq and he has borne severe consequences." Doesn't Borys understand their are always consequences to a "principled stand?" Or does Borys believe that if you make the effort to make the "principled stand" there should be no consequences.

Borys also stated that he he was troubled to learn from Long, who crossed an international border to avoid capture, was handed over in handcuffs and had to surrender his military documents to Canadian authorities.

Soap Box Ravings can only wonder about the thought processes of these members of the Canadian Parliament. As a retired law enforcement officer, Soap Box Ravings understands that handcuffs ensure the safety of the law enforcement officers involved and the prisoner. Even mild mannered nice guys have decided they did not want to comply with deadly results for someone involved.

Anyhow, Borys, Thanks for thinking of us. Perhaps some of our legislators will go North and check up on your jails to make themselves look good.

Another Evil Thought From President Obama

2009-03-17T16:38:00.009-04:00

From: my.barackobama.com, Doesn't he look like your friend?

From: my.barackobama.com

The Obama administration is considering making veterans use private insurance to pay for treatment of combat and service-related injuries.
http://www.military.com/news/article/vets-rap-wh-plan-on-paying-for-care.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Soap Box Ravings is reminded of a song sung by Connie Francis entitled, "Who's Sorry Now."

Who's sorry now, who's sorry now
Whose heart is achin' for breakin' each vow
Who's sad and blue, who's cryin' too
Just like I cried over you

Right to the end just like a friend
I tried to warn you somehow
You had your way, now you must pay
I'm glad that you're sorry now

Right to the end just like a friend
I tried to warn you somehow
You had your way, now you must pay
I'm glad that you're sorry now

Soap Box Ravings expects this to soon be followed by Obama's request to tax employee medical benefits for those who are employed and have medical benefits. It is all part of the process of stripping what the haves have so they will be more like the have-nots. Obama is not interested in helping the have-nots move up the ladder of success. He wants to destroy the successful.

Some Scary Thinking Brought To You By Congress, And President Barack Obama

2009-03-17T15:33:00.008-04:00

Chip Somodevilla / Getty

Congress May Tax AIG Bonuses see: http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/congress-may-tax-aig-bonuses/384322

Soap Box Ravings wonders how Congress can write a retroactive tax to get bonuses that the government knew were contracted before they gave billions of dollars to AIG. Yet, Congress, the government and by definition, President Barack Obama failed to make that a criteria of the loan.

Soap Box Ravings also feels the AIG bonuses are a government smokescreen to keep peoples attention focused away from questions that should be asked, such as "Why was over one-half of the 179 Billion dollars given to AIG forwarded to Goldman Sachs (who refused bailout money) and to various European banks.

It is a bad thing when our federal government writes rules to "punish" ordinary people who follow the rules. Rules, written by Congress telling investment banks how to lend their money and offering up punishment to those investment banks that don't follow the rules.

But relax you who read this, today it is them; but tomorrow it may be you.

As a retired US Navy sailor and a Florida law enforcement officer, I can assure you that when you try to write rules to cover every detail, something detail is always missed. For example, by definition TSA prohibited items are the only things turned back. Terrorists and people that operate against terrorists know there are many dangerous items allowed on aircraft because they are not on the prohibited list. Many items not dangerous such as Disney flintlock toy souvenir pistols are prohibited because they look like a gun.

No need, not to worry, check out the story below:
Obama's AIG Outrage: All Talk, No Action
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1885668,00.html

Soap Box Ravings says it's Obama's and the Democrat party's thoughts that count. Obama and his peers may not be able to stop the bonuses from being paid, I don't think they care at this moment. However, They have talked now about a new "punishment" tax. And Obama has again distracted many people from asking questions like: "What role did Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and the Democrat Party have to do with how we got here?" And also: "Why is AIG giving US Dollars to foreign banks to shore them up?"

Diver Kills Aggressive Tiger Shark

2009-03-17T15:09:00.008-04:00

Photograph by D.J. Struntz

Along with an article titled "Shark Video Triggers Some Backlash"
at: http://news.aol.com/article/shark-video-triggers-some-backlash/381492
the attached AOL survey asks "Do you think the killing of the shark was justified?"

According to the responses when I responded, the responses were: Probably 49%, Probably not 42%, and Not sure 9%.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion those who responded "probably not" and "not sure" would be most likely to raise chimpanzees in their homes.

Aggressive animals, whether on land, in the air or the ocean only respond to a force large enough to deter them as many people continue to find much to their surprise and sometimes detriment, every year.

When you are confronted by an aggressive animal if you are not prepared, you are almost instantly out of options.

A couple of years ago while on an Alaskan cruise, we went on a Alaskan Brown Bear sightseeing trip. There were roughly 30, mostly older people, walking through the forest with three native Inuit guides. The last man of which carried a Ruger .338 Winchester Magnum rifle. Since he was a retired Marine and I am retired Navy we chatted. The excursion was to see one or more Alaskan Brown Bears. The rifle was in case we did see one or more Alaskan Brown Bears.

I truly believed our Inuit guide when he said it would bother him to shoot a bear, but I also knew he would kill the bear should the bear endanger a member of the excursion we were on.

Many People Think The Halocaust Was Fiction

2009-03-13T15:32:00.007-04:00

This picture from http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/001385.html shows a method of torture often used by Saddam Hussein or his people.

A museum is being constructed in Iraq to show the people of Iraq and the world the abuses of Saddam Hussein and his cronies.

A video of the museum is available at the following website:
http://shock.military.com/Shock/videos.do?displayContent=184587&ESRC=navy-a.nl

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out that displays, no matter how artfully presented nor documented can ensure people believe the atrocities so documented. For example, many people, including Arabs, do not believe or better yet choose to not believe the Holocaust existed.

Soap Box Ravings also points out that the torture used by Saddam Hussein meets any known definition of torture unlike our definition which includes loud music and sleep deprivation. Saddam and his minions caused permanent bodily harm and death, often very slowly.

At Least One Promise Unkept

2009-03-11T18:39:00.008-04:00

During the first presidential debate on Sept. 26, 2008, in a response to John McCain regarding earmarks, Barack Obama stated "... when I'm president, I will go line by line to make sure that we are not spending money unwisely."

March, 11 2009, out of public view today, Obama signed a $410 billion spending bill that includes billions for items known as earmarks, the targeted spending that lawmakers direct to projects in their districts.

Obama, accused of hypocrisy by Republicans for embracing billions of dollars of earmarks in the legislation, said earmarks can be useful and noted that he has promised to curb, not eliminate them.

On another potentially controversial matter, the president also issued a "signing statement" with the bill, saying several of its provisions raised constitutional concerns and would be taken merely as suggestions. President Obama only two days ago criticized President George W. Bush for often using such statements to claim the right to ignore portions of new laws, and on Monday he said his administration wouldn't follow those issued by Bush unless authorized by the new attorney general.

Soap Box Ravings believes Obama remains consistent in his record of saying what he thinks his minions want to hear while doing something entirely different. Although, he is cute, black and has a great smile as he leads the fall of the stock market and our way of life.

A Man Of Need In Search Of Destiny

2009-03-10T18:51:00.005-04:00

Rush Limbaugh Speaks At The Conservative Political Action Conference

2009-03-02T15:47:00.005-05:00

Picture from http://aishamusic.wordpress.com/category/rush-limbaugh/

On February 28, 2009 Rush Limbaugh addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Rush spoke from his heart, not from a prepared speech laid out in front of him on a teleprompter.

The news media seems more interested in a misquote Rush made than in the body of his speech. When a liberal socialist misspeaks, they are forgiven; when a conservative misspeaks, they are made out to be ignorant oafs. But that is old news and a fact we live with.

You can find a complete transcript of Rush's speech at the following address:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_030209/content/01125106.guest.html

Why I Carry A Gun

2009-02-19T18:30:00.008-05:00

Soap Box Ravings says, "Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you".

I was told by an old friend there comes a time in every man's life when he stops bustin' knuckles and starts bustin' caps and usually it's when he becomes too old to take an ass whoopin'."

I don't carry a gun to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don't carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don't carry a gun because I'm paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I'm evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don't carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don't carry a gun because I'm angry. I carry a gun so that I don't have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don't carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere, someday.

I don't carry a gun because I'm a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to Heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don't carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don't carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don't carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

"Police Protection" is an oxymoron, I believe free citizens must protect themselves.

Police do not protect you from crime; they usually just investigate the crime after it happens and then call someone in to clean up the mess.

And lastly, I carry a gun because I'm to young to die and to old to take another ass whoopin'.

US Military Equipment For Sale In Pakistani Open Air Markets

2009-02-14T16:06:00.004-05:00

Humvees in care of contractors who were supposed to transport them to US troops in Afghanistan.

There is an interesting article on Military.com "US Gear Ending up in Pakistan Markets". You can find the entire article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/us-gear-ending-up-in-pakistan-markets.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Soap Box Ravings feels there are many ways US military equipment can get into the black markets of Afghanistan and Pakistan. In some cases it is sold by US troops for either drugs and/or money. The military makes every effort to combat this type of behavior but it seems to have continued on through the ages.

Another way equipment comes up missing is when troops are overrun or killed, their equipment is often removed by their attackers.

But Soap Box Ravings believes the most equipment disappears when contract personnel are used in place of US military personnel to transport and maintain control of US military equipment. One example would be the large number of vehicles destroyed in Pakistan recently while under the control of Pakistani watchman with no training and essentially no way to summon assistance when attacked. Now we were told those vehicles were destroyed, but what was removed from them prior to their destruction?

Over the years, government bean counters have placed contract workers throughout the entire military system, in all types of areas. They are not military people, they do not have the same background checks but they often have more access to vital equipment than the troops do.

Soap Box Ravings believes if we keep our equipment under US military control, less of it will be used against us.

Ponder This

2009-02-11T14:59:00.001-05:00

A Thought On Taxes

2009-02-10T14:42:00.001-05:00

Another One Bites It

2009-02-05T19:27:00.003-05:00

Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D, CA)

It was reported today that Sam Sayyad, the husband of Congresswoman Solis, President Obama's choice to head the Labor Department, paid about $6,400 Wednesday to settle tax liens that had been outstanding for as long as 16 years.

President Obama's spokesman Robert Gibbs said he thought Solis' husband, Sam Sayyad, paid the liens because he owed the taxes, not because of White House pressure.
Los Angeles County records showed 15 outstanding state and county tax liens against Sayyad and his auto repair business, totaling $7,630. Two other liens worth $981 were released in 1999 after Sayyad repaid the taxes owed, according to county records.

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said that Solis and Sayyad were unaware of the liens until USA TODAY asked about them Tuesday.

Previously, it is known that personal tax problems tripped up three of President Obama's nominees. On Tuesday Tom Daschle, Obama's choice head the Health and Human Services Department, and Nancy Killefer, nominated for chief performance officer withdrew their names because of their tax problems.

As Soap Box Ravings understands tax liens, which are a legal claim filed by the government against the property of a person or business to collect unpaid taxes or fees, they are not placed against a business or person in secret. Therefore, Soap Box Ravings does not accept the I did not know of these tax liens for up to 16 years.

Yes, change can be a good thing. The question is, When is it going to start?

Lost But Honest Souls Or Scum Sucking Dogs Who Fail To Pay Their Taxes

2009-02-03T18:43:00.012-05:00

Timothy Geithner

Nancy Killefer

Tom Daschle

Soap Box Ravings is not making a call on the motivation of these folks with tax problems. Each of these people were hand selected by President Obama to serve on his team

Are they guilty as charged by the media, or just plan folks who failed to understand the US Tax Code? I really hold no proof either way.

It is interesting that two of them submitted a request to withdraw their nominations. While the other, who has been identified by some in the media as being briefed on his tax requirements by those paying him, went on to take the position offered him.

Soap Box Ravings would like to offer these folks as "Poster Children" for the need to simplify our present tax laws since they are totally out of control. If you ask three people a tax question, you get three different answers in many cases. The IRS employees do not all understand the rules and regulations they are empowered to enforce.

Geithner, Killefer, and Daschle positively exhibit the need for the "Fair Tax." If they can't figure their taxes given their professional work history, how can an ordinary person be expected to.

They alternative is that these folks actually thought they could spend their money better than the government could spend their money. Hell, we all know that; but if an ordinary person tries to do that the consequences are fairly severe.

If we can't change the tax system, then I recommend we have some escape blocks on the income tax forms which if checked means, If this form is wrong, I take the Geithner, Killefer, or Daschle defense and I should not be penalized by the IRS, even if I am wrong.

Dulles International Closes A Runway To Handle Private Jets Arriving For Obama's Coronation

2009-01-20T16:48:00.008-05:00

Dulles International Airport has closed one runway to enable them to park up to 600 private jets expected to arrive as reported in Bloomberg for today's coronation of Barack Hussein Obama.

An Airports Authority spokesman is quoted in the article as saying,“That would set a record, topping the 300 the airport accommodated for President George W. Bush’s 2004 inaugural."

Soap Box Ravings is having a hard time believing those aircraft only flew in conservatives who wanted to congratulate Barack Hussein Obama. It will be interesting to see how much press this fact gets.

Some Thoughts Regarding Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger's Water Landing

2009-01-18T11:36:00.010-05:00

US Airways Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III

US Airways Flight 1549

Soap Box Ravings has heard many people calling various talk shows who have a tendency to disregard the pilot's actions in landing his aircraft on the Hudson River. Their reasoning is since pilots "train" for emergencies; this wet landing is not such a big deal.

I can only assume these are the same kind of people who assume their personal protection is in the hands of the local on-duty police officer.

That pilot may have read a lot of aircraft technical manuals, he may have flown a lot of hours in a Link, or similar trainer, but to the best of my knowledge, no pilot lands "wheels up" in water with an actual aircraft regardless of the amount of training they are subject to.

That was most assuredly his first wet landing in a wheels up airliner full of passengers.

In Soap Box Ravings' opinion, the only people that have have landed their aircraft wheels up in the water and lived to talk about are referred to as survivors.

For those who think trained people standby for their protection think about this, both business and government have a tendency to reduce personnel training when money is tight such as it is now.

In addition to reduced or eliminated training, remember every training class has some people who are less skilled than others. In other words, an anchor man or woman. The word training can mean at lot less than you may think. Some organizations feel that providing a technical manual is training.

Also, let us not forget that trained skills are perishable; they need to be continually used or they are lost.

Insidious Global Warming, Coming To An Area Of Your Concern

2009-01-12T11:23:00.009-05:00

Computer Keyboard

The TimesOnLine, Sunday reported the environmental impact of Google searches. The full story is available at: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5489134.ece

Basically, Physicist Alex Wissner-Gross says research indicates two Google searches uses up as much energy as boiling the kettle for a cup of tea. The article estimates about 200m global Internet searches daily.

In their response, Google claims it is in the forefront of green computing.

Googles response to the article may be found at:
http://timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2009/01/googles-respons.html

Soap Box Ravings would like to point out everything has an impact on global warming. However, not everything spews black clouds into the air. Humans have to decide what is important to them, and not all humans will agree.

Perhaps in the future, government will decide everything we are allowed to possess and the type and the size of the family allowed to possess the allowed items.

Cars, TVs, computers, cattle, pets, size of residence, the list goes on of items that effect global warming. Just remember, when they get to your area of concern it may be to late to object. After all, everyone else has already given up their items of concern before you.

600 Year Old Brewery To Be Shutdown

2009-01-10T18:26:00.004-05:00

Stag Brewery, London, UK

It's reported that Anheuser-Busch InBev, will be shutting down the historic 600-year-old Stag Brewery in London, UK. The reason, a weak economy and increased beer taxes.

Soap Box Ravings says this historic brewery is being closed by Anheuser-Busch InBev, a recent combination of the European company InBev and the US company Anheuser-Busch which merged in 2008 to become the world's largest beer brewer.

Anheuser-Busch owned the Stag Brewery and to save money, they will close down the 600 years of tradition it this brewery represents.

Restructuring operations is a companies response to low profit and high taxes, a response that those running our government may want to consider.

The reason the Stag Brewery will be shut down is of little comfort to those who have made their careers brewing beer there.

It should also sadly be noted that the Sea World and Busch Gardens parks, owned by Anheuser-Busch, will also discontinue their free beer tasting areas.

When Will We Know We Have Been Raped

2009-01-07T21:25:00.002-05:00

Judge to prostitute, 'So when did you realize you were raped?'

Prostitute, wiping away tears: 'When the check bounced.'

Did You Ever Expect Anything Else?

2009-01-07T18:24:00.011-05:00

Democrats Closer to Embracing Burris

The complete fairy tale as reported on AOL may be found at: http://news.aol.com/article/democrats-closer-to-embracing-burris/294426

Conservative Rush Limbaugh's comments may be found at: http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/limbaugh_reid_maddox/2009/01/06/168454.html?s=sp&promo_code=7721-1

The basic AOL story is that Roland Burris will soon be sitting in the Senate as the junior Senator representing Illinois. In the above picture, Democratic Senators Harry Reid and Dick Durbin are all smiles as they refuse to allow Roland Burris in the Senate after he was selected by Illinois Governor Blagojevich to fill the term vacated by President-elect Barack Hussein Obama.

Illinois Governor Blagojevich has been charged by the federal government with trying to sell Senator Obama's vacated, and barely used, Senate seat. Following which, the Democrats had loudly trumpeted that anyone appointed by Governor Blagojevich would not be seated in the Democrat controlled Senate.

Soap Box Ravings notes again that a Democrat and his or her principles are easily separated. You really have to wonder just what it takes to embarrass a politician, regardless of their party.

Guns

2008-12-30T09:11:00.002-05:00

Guns have only two enemies, rust and politicians.

Bailed Out Banks Execs Get 1.6 Billion And Keep Their Corporate Jets

2008-12-21T19:56:00.009-05:00

Bailed out bank execs get bonuses at:
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/bbdp/bailed-out-banks-execs-got-16-billion/283923

Bank execs keep corporate jets at:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081221/ap_on_bi_ge/meltdown_corporate_jets

Soap Box Ravings sees two major points that relate to these stories. The first point would be, were did the three major automakers go wrong since they seem to be straddled with all kinds of restrictions tied to any money they expect to receive and secondly the professional jealousy of the Washington politician as the bankers either hoard or use for executive bonuses the money they received for bailout.

Either way, the American taxpayer finds themselves firmly in the BOHICA position.

While Soap Box Ravings feels the bailouts were improper and will cause many more problems over a longer time, he also feels similar rules should have been applied to banks as were applied to the three major auto makers.

The bailout to me is the same as life support for a brain dead individual. It only holds off the funeral. And while that may be good to allow relatives to gather and to prepare for any possible transplant of organs, Soap Box Ravings does not believe there will be any preparation for the future by our politicians when the patient finally expires. The agony will have just lasted for a longer length of time and the financial costs will be much much greater.

By The Time He Signed It, I Bet He Meant It

2008-12-18T09:56:00.006-05:00

Iraqi TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi

Iraqi PM's office says shoe-thrower apologizes

Story at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081218/ts_nm/us_iraq_bush_shoes
Th on-line article say that TV reporter Muntazer al-Zaidi who became famous for throwing his shoes at President George W. Bush apologized to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki for embarrassing him before the watching world. The apology was in a written letter of contrition.

Zaidi's family said he suffered injuries in the take-down after throwing his shoes at President Bush. His whereabouts were not known for four days and he is believed to be held in the Green Zone in Baghdad.

Soap Box Ravings would like to see pictures of Zaidi, before the incident, immediately after the incident and after signing the letter of contrition.

Soap Box Ravings can't help but feel the penalties for embarrassing the Iraqi President exceed those of embarrassing the President of the United States. In fact, he doubts there is a crime of "Embarrassing the President" in our country. If there was, many politicians and movie stars would be sitting in a stockade somewhere.

Soap Box Ravings feels that President Bush should meet with Zaidi and issue him a pardon and perhaps bring Zaidi into the fold, so to speak. If nothing else, it might demonstrate beating prisoners for "Embarrassing the President" is not accepted.

Our Friends Pitch In To Cover Their Own Asses

2008-12-17T13:33:00.008-05:00

Typical Off Shore Oil Rig

Headline: OPEC Cuts Production 4% to Prop Up Prices
Full story at: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/20/business/worldbusiness/20opec.html

Headline: OPEC cuts record 2.2. million barrels a day
Full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_bi_ge/af_opec_meeting/print

Soap Box Ravings says stand by. The politicians who voted to increase drilling off shore now that they have cemented their position wish to relook at drilling off-shore.

As you can see by the two bylines above, the Saudis and other oil producing countries are being affected by the economy. Since they are not selling as much oil they need to reduce production to keep their profit margins up after. They have a standard of living to maintain.

We are not buying as much oil because our economy is bad. As the prices stay high, we will be able to buy less fuel for our vehicles or to heat our homes.

This is why we need to be drilling for our own oil, so we do not have to remain under the thumb of those we now purchase our energy from.

At the same time we need to identify other useful and cheap means of generating the power we need to run our economy. We need to build nuclear reactors, some clean coal burning plants, drill for our own oil and build new oil refineries. We do not need corn derived alcohol nor do we need miles and miles of windmills.

Soap Box Ravings believes there are intelligent ways to increase our energy without destroying our lifestyle.

If I Only Had Better People Working For Me

2008-12-17T10:50:00.007-05:00

SEC Chairman Christopher Cox

SEC Chairman Christopher Cox says SEC failed to probe Madoff
Full story at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_bi_ge/madoff_scandal/print

Soap Box Ravings wonders if the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) is capable of examining themselves. While Chairman Cox was not in charge of the SEC ten years ago many other present agency members have been in it's employ during this entire period.

Soap Box Ravings notes that while many think Chairman Cox is an honorable man, he may be in the same position as a naval commanding officer who unknowingly takes over a naval ship with a misguided and motley crew. Three years later when the ship hits a reef while under the skippers command, his career is finished. After three years at the helm, Chairman Cox should have had a better handle on his command.

Soap Box Ravings believes that Chairman Cox should resign so that a new chairman can be appointed to clean out the SEC in a proper fashion. Criminal proceedings may be required regarding those who were derelict in their duties.

The SEC should not be in charge of their own housecleaning.

A Scary Story, The Red State Army

2008-12-16T12:56:00.004-05:00

Danielle Allen, holds two doctorates -- one in government and political theory from Harvard University and the other in classics from King's College, University of Cambridge. She is the UPS Foundation Professor of social science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J.

In her article titled Red-State Army? printed in the Washington Post on Monday, December 15, 2008 Dr. Allen identifies some interesting happenings with our military such as, Why do red states have much higher military membership rates than blue states?

While the population of the United States has grown by about 50 percent since 1970, the number of active-duty armed forces has fallen approximately 50 percent. Now, a smaller percentage of citizens now serve in the military. In 1969 13 percent of Americans were veterans, in 2007 only 8 percent of Americans are.

More importantly, when the draft was in effect military service was distributed pretty evenly across regions. Today, that is no longer true. Residential patterns for current veterans and the patterns of state-level contributions of new recruits to the all-volunteer military have a distinct geographic tilt. And the map of those in military service since 1973 aligns closely with electoral maps distinguishing red from blue states.

Dr. Allen wonders about the effects to our society if the members of our military only come from certain states, red, and not others, blue, over time.

The full story can be found at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/14/AR2008121401815.html

Soap Box Ravings says when the draft was in effect, everyone had a chance to serve, like it or not; good or bad. The problem with an all volunteer military is eventually you end up with a warrior class and move away from the citizen soldier.

We have politicians, like John Kerry, who believe only the uneducated go into the military. He is wrong. With the equipment in use today you have to be fairly well educated as well as motivated to exist in today's military.

As it gets harder to exist it seems many more people are waiting for the government to take care of them. The politicians seem to want more and more people relying on the government. At the same time the politicians expect those who do not rely on the government to pay a greater share to support those on the dole.

Eventually, Soap Box Ravings says the warrior class will have enough and they will no longer obey the politicians. The country may end up divided as in a civil war or the military may overthrow the government and run the country themselves.

The advantage of the draft is it brings citizens into the military who at first glance may have never joined. But citizens moving through the military at all levels keeps the military from becoming a warrior class, it helps them remain as just warriors.

Soap Box Ravings feels we should have major concerns if our military is not drawn proportionally across our entire country.

It Is Coming Down To The Wire On This Part Of The Problem

2008-12-11T13:17:00.005-05:00

Murky future for auto rescue amid GOP opposition

The full story is available at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/congress_autos/print

Soap Box Ravings notes that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has come out against the bailout. Republicans are directly challenging their President. The Republicans say support should have specific concessions and they oppose the tougher environmental rules added by the House.

Democrats do not want specifics such as worker pay cuts which would anger the unions who support them in elections.

Soap Box Ravings feels that if the Republicans in office for the last eight years had acted as Republicans the Democrats would not have gained control of the Congress in 2006 and the President-elect today would not be a liberal Democrat.

But since that is the case, Soap Box Ravings feels there will be no compromise on the Democrats part. Soap Box Ravings feels Democrats would rather play politics and have the auto companies and unions fail than compromise. Democrats want what they want and do not compromise and knowing eventually the Republicans will cave in as they historically do. Particularly since the one-sided media will ensure the Republicans are blamed for any failure to pass the bailout bill no matter how poorly or inadequately it is written.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion, these companies along with many other companies need to be in the bankruptcy courts where the courts have and use power to get results that the politicians do not have the balls to go after.. The sooner these companies declare bankruptcy the sooner they get in line to get actually resolve their problems.

Obama Gets 'H' For Hypocrisy

2008-12-08T18:30:00.004-05:00

The future Obama family has chosen to send their daughters to an exclusive private school, even though he officially opposes private schools because they do not work.

Should the Obamas be the only family living in public housing who gets to send their kids to private schools?

Clint Bolick's full commentary may be found at: http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/30/education-obama-vouchers-oped-cx_cb_1201bolick_print.html

Soap Box Ravings believes that while the Obamas may have good reasons why their children need a private school. Soap Box Ravings concerns are that Obama does not see that others also may have good reasons why their children should go to a private school.

Soap Box Ravings believes we will see at lot more hypocrisy from the Obamas as time passes.

Oklahoma Trooper Honored

2008-12-08T17:22:00.005-05:00

Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Sheldon Robinson

On his day off, Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Sheldon Robinson dropped his wife and two children off at Burger King while he went across the street for an oil change for his vehicle. As he pulled into the service area his wife notified him of a man with a gun in Burger King who was threatening to kill everybody.

As Trooper Robinson turned around he saw people including his family running out of the store and taking cover. Upon arrival he noticed a man inside dressed in black armed with a handgun.

Trooper Robinson managed to come up behind the man, who was praying to Allah for help in carrying out his mission. Robinson grabbed the armed man and managed to place him under arrest.

Full story at: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20081205_16_A1_OKLAHO761585

Soap Box Ravings adds his personal commendation to Trooper Robinson for disregarding his personal safety while meeting his duty. Not everyone hears the call of danger and responds towards it. In fact in our society people have been known to not even make the effort to call for assistance by telephone, since they did not want to get involved.

Kudos For Governor Palin

2008-12-07T20:47:00.008-05:00

Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin

Governor Palin Lauds Firearm Decision
by U.S. Secretary of Interior

December 5, 2008, Anchorage, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin today lauded the decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior that will allow an individual to carry a concealed weapon in national parks and wildlife refuges. The new rule only applies if the individual is authorized to carry a concealed weapon under state law in the state in which the national park or refuge is located.

“The possession and use of firearms is especially critical to Alaskans,” Governor Palin said. “We will continue to protect gun rights. The ability to carry a firearm can define a life or death situation, especially for protection against surprise encounters with wildlife, mainly bears. I appreciate the Interior Department recognizing this is a step in the right direction.”

Within Alaska, most of the national parks and refuge areas are open to various forms of hunting, so possession and use of firearms is already widely allowed under both state and federal law. Currently, firearms are prohibited in Denali National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, Katmai National Park, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park and Sitka National Historical Park. The new rule will take effect in January.

Soap Box Ravings says be alert for any other Governor from any state that goes on record saying this is a good decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Soap Box Ravings predicts the list will be very, very short.

A Great F@#$%^& Idea From Senator Dodd

2008-12-07T18:53:00.013-05:00

For those who vote but don't have a clue, Senator Dodd is the white haired man on the right.

Senator Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., the Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee has called for the head of General Motors to step down. Senator Dodd says GM should consider new leadership.

The complete article may be found at: http://news.aol.com/article/senator-calls-for-new-car-company-execs/270469

Soap Box Ravings really likes this new concept put forth by Senator Dodd. I have to tell you Soap Box ravings really, really, really loves this new concept of Senator Dodds. basically it is, If you had a leadership position during the downfall, you should resign from your position before any assistance is offered.

Soap Box Ravings can only ask, "Does this also apply to the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Congress after all runs the country. The President can only agree and sign bills presented or he/she may veto the bills presented. If the President vetoes a bill Congress can either override the veto or live with it and move on.

So the Question is, Should Senator Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and his associates both in the senate and in the House resign their exalted positions for their participation in the economic debacle our country finds itself in?

If auto executives are to be held responsible for playing by the rules dealt them by our Government, the United Auto Workers Union, the banking industry, etc. why do we not hold Senators and Representatives accountable for results that happened on their watch; especially when they wrote many of the rules everyone else had to play by.

For an added attraction, try this: Google Senator Dodd and Countrywide Bank

He Just Doesn't Get It

2008-12-04T15:18:00.005-05:00

Typical Airport Checkpoint X-Ray Unit

Georgia Felon sentenced for 'Forgetting' Stolen Handgun In Carry-On Luggage

Full story at: http://pittsburgh.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/2008/pt111408b.htm

Joseph J. Bobbitt, Jr.has been sentenced 36 months' imprisonment, followed by three years supervised release for violating federal firearms laws.

Here is a short list of some of his offenses:
1. possession of stolen property
2. convicted felon in possession of a firearm
3. possession of firearm in an airport restricted area
4. and not stated but chances are good he was in possession of ammunition in a airport restricted area.

Soap Box Ravings says here is another example of the failure of laws to keep people in line.

While sometimes people forget they are carrying, it would be much harder to do if you have been previously convicted in court of a felony. Particularly when you have been pointedly instructed in the meaning of your conviction by the court and again by correctional officials.

As an retired airport police officer I really have to wonder how anyone in this country could not know about airport security.

Soap Box ravings feels that this person got off relatively light based on the federal charges against him. The good point of the story is the federal prison system does not give away as much time for good behavior as some of the states do.

Go Get'm Gun Mom

2008-12-04T14:02:00.004-05:00

Permitted Open Carry Gun Mom

Pistol-packing Pennsylvania Soccer Mom Sues Lebanon County Sheriff

Full story available at: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=157&sid=4352239

A Pennsylvania woman sued Lebanon County Sheriff Michael DeLeo for violating her Second Amendment rights. The sheriff had revoked her concealed-weapons permit, without a hearing, after parents complained of her wearing her holstered pistol to her 5-year-old daughter's soccer game.

In Pennsylvania, persons 18 years of age and older whom are not prohibited by law from owning firearms may openly carry a handgun in plain sight with no license except in vehicles*, cities of the first class** (Philadelphia) and where prohibited specifically by statute. Ref.: Title 18, ch.61, Subchapter A. Uniform Firearms Act & Commonwealth v. Ortiz

As a retired law enforcement officer, Soap Box Ravings does not like to see law enforcement capriciously enforcing the law.

Soap Box Ravings believes if laws are on the books, they need to be enforced. If management (e.g. Governors, Mayors, Sheriffs or Chiefs of Police) feel laws should not be enforced then they should go on record as trying to rescind the laws in question.

Soap Box Ravings also does not believe that enforcers of the law should bend laws to resolve problems some members of the public may see. It would appear in this case, that since Pennsylvania allows open carry, with some restrictions, that this soccer mom broke no laws. When somewhat suffers consequences of the law and the law does not exist it would seem to be to be very similar to false arrest.

Another problem for law enforcement is that many Departments do not formally update their officers on the changes in law that occur every year. By the time the available handbooks are on the market, and they are not cheap, it can be half a year after the law took affect. Soap Box Ravings feels that police administrators are responsible to make sure their deputies and officers know the laws in effect.

Go get'm gun Mom!!!!

Marine Designated Marksman

2008-12-03T11:56:00.004-05:00

A USMC Designated Marksman with Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) more formally United States Rifle, 7.62 mm, M14, a semi-automatic, gas-operated rifle chambered in 7.62 NATO. A modified and accurized version of the M14 rifle built for and used solely by the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

The storyline says: "Marines Prevailed in a Day of Battle" and the full article can be found at: http://www.military.com/news/article/marines-prevailed-in-a-day-of-battle.html?ESRC=eb.nl

It started out just like any other Afghan patrol. Thirty or so combat experienced Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment pass through the village of Shewan, in Afghanistan's Farah province where they unknowingly ran into an ambush, insurgents team about 250, Marine team 30 or so.

The Marines leader said that he was prepared for contact but wasn't expecting any at that point. Eight hours after the ambush started it ended with 50 dead insurgents and one injured Marine.

Soap Box Ravings says it was the Marines training and team work applied aggressively to the enemy which saved the day. Initially the Marines concentrated on holding off the assault while they rescued one marine trapped in a vehicle. Then they pulled back, reorganized and aggressively took the fight to the enemy who were surprised the Marines returned to the fight.

Soap Box Ravings points out one major force multiplier for the Marines was their Designated Marksman who coolly shot insurgent after insurgent all while exposed to and under heavy enemy fire. This Designated Marksman killed 20 insurgents with 20 rounds.

Soap Box Ravings feels that the Marines developed the Designated Marksman because they understand help is minutes away and often times they can not afford to wait. As you think about this, remember the Marines have always maintained every Marine is a rifleman. However they also understand there are some Marines are better rifleman than others and to arm them with more accurate equipment is a good thing.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion, Army rifle training does not equal Marine rifle training. My son-in-law, a former Marine who is now an Army Apache pilot had a conversation on the Army rifle range regarding the M-16 rifle's ability to hit man-sized targets outside 300 yards. The Army rifle instructors were not trained to engage outside of 300 yards.

More News Regarding Oceania Nautica's Pirate Adventure

2008-12-03T09:42:00.006-05:00

Oceania Nautica in Port Sultan Qaboos, Sultanate of Oman

Ship Passengers Recount Pirate Attack

The entire story is available at:
http://news.aol.com/article/ship-passengers-recount-pirate-attack/253628

Soap Box Ravings notes in this article passengers described hearing "the Pop! Pop! Pop! of the pirate's rifles firing at the ship." My experiences at sea and as a firearms instructor tell me the only way the passengers could have heard the rifles firing would be for them to be watching from the weather decks of the Nautica from the same side as the shooters.

If they were watching from the weather decks, the crew was not doing their job protecting the passengers. Since the pirates are known to have rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) as well as rifles, all unnecessary personnel including the crew should have been moved to the inside passageways. This would place cabins between the incoming rounds and those onboard the ship.

In Soap Box Ravings opinion the fun is over when the person next to you takes a round between the eyes.

Soap Box Ravings as has been said is a proponent of individual rights. But with those rights comes individual responsibility. The most important criteria of self protection is your ability to think and plan ahead. Wendy Armitage, Wellington, New Zealand said "We didn't think they would be cheeky enough to attack a cruise ship." And in Soap Box Ravings' opinion that was here first error in judgement. Let's ask the question, Sailing a ship full of "money" through an area of known pirate activity could cause what?"

Soap Box Ravings is sure that Oceania Cruises who operates the ship assured all of the passengers prior to leaving port. The cruise ships I have been on like to assign passengers to certain areas when the passengers are required to wait. However, most of these areas have large windows. Therefore the dining areas, bars, swimming deck and most other areas are not safe when receiving incoming fire.

Soap Box Ravings says the article points out International warships have created and patrol a security corridor through the area. As has been pointed out by myself and others regardless of where you are, "The police are only minutes away."

Let us remember that this ship has upward of 1000 people on board counting passengers and crew. It needs to be operated to make money but I question if it needs to be operated without the ability to protect itself in a known pirate operating area. This time it outrun the pirates but I have ridden many a ship with a main engine out of commission during transit. The loss of a main propulsion plant always reduces your speed.

Thank God, No More Fearmongering

2008-12-02T14:38:00.004-05:00

Panel Finds WMD Attack Likely by 2013. The entire AP story is available at: http://www.military.com/news/article/panel-finds-wmd-attack-likely-by-2013.html?ESRC=eb.nl

Possible anthrax bio terrorism attack in Washington, DC. This has already happened in Washington, DC and Ft Lauderdale, FL for real plus multiple scares in other locations.

Dirty bombs come in all sizes. They can use small amounts of radioactive material which can be easily carried into choke points and detonated in cities, tunnels, airports, etc. In this picture smoke from the fire could be spreading radioactivity plus what the blast spread. First responders throughout this country are normally not equipped to identify dirty bombs.

Dirty bombs can also be larger and use greater amounts of explosives contaminated with larger amounts of radioactive materials. The only real difference is they need a somewhat larger delivery system. Perhaps a truck or a bus. The above photo is the Federal building in Oklahoma City destroyed by homegrown terrorist Timothy McVeigh. It was not a dirty bomb, but it could easily have been one. Besides the actual difference in destruction which is visible, the radioactive dust cloud would also be much larger contaminating many more people and a greater area.

Soap Box Ravings notes that the Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism says the United States can expect a terrorist attack using nuclear or more likely biological weapons before 2013.

Up to now, this countries liberals have called statements regarding possible terrorist attacks as "George Bush fearmongering." Thank God we will have no more fearmongering; perhaps we will develop a new term for use with the new government which is starting to resemble the government they mean to replace.