Prisoners of W...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rush Limbaugh Speaks At The Conservative Political Action Conference

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

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

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

A Thought On Taxes

Another One Bites It

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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