Hmmm maybe this is why I'm having problems with my back

Between the spinal fusion I've had, the herniated disc in my neck, and all the other bits of metal in my body, I was wondering why my back goes snap - crackle - pop and most movements.

Texting while driving, please watch this.

Mark

The 6th Gun

This is an awesome comic, you can get the first issue HERE for free.

Here is the order page for the other comics in the Series.

Check it out.

Welp, 43 years ago

I was born in St. Mary's hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. I am what and who I am today, because of my parents and family. I have always known that I was loved by my parents, no matter how stupid a thing I did. They always supported me even when they thought I was nuts because of some of the things I did. I owe them more than I could ever hope to repay.

My father passed away in February 2004, after a fall on some ice. His brain was badly damaged. And rather than letting him suffer, possibly as a person trapped inside his own head, my mother, brothers and I decided to let my father go. My mother and I were with him when he finally let go and left his mortal, fragile body behind. The brilliant mind that had once inhabited it was then free to join his mother and father in Our Lords Grace. I miss my father every day. His intelligence, his conversational skills, his unflagging love I know he had for me.

My mother still lives. She lives about 3 streets over from me. After my father died, I saw her trying to put together a life for herself without my dad. I know it was hard for her. And even with a few missteps here and there she has built a new life, and has found someone to share her life with again.

Her fiance isn't my father, but he is a good man. A man I know my father would approve of. He like my father has worked hard all of his life, and he treats my mother with the love and respect she deserves. I'm glad he is in her life, and I proud to know him as a friend.

On this, the start of the 44th year of my time on this great creation of our Lord's. I find myself glad with the way my life has gone, and sad at the heartbreak within it. But I wouldn't change it, because it is what has made me what I am today. A father of 7 kids who I love with all my heart even though there are time I want to strangle them. I wouldn't give them up for anything. Not even my own life. I just hope that my children know that I love them as much as I know that my mother and father have always loved me.

So now I start another year of my life. I am broken in a few places, but I will carry on as best I can. So my children will know that I love them, and I will always love them.

God Bless everyone in this creation that the Lord has provided for us. My his blessings be with you in your life and your family's lives always.

Mark

What is wrong with this picture?

Is President Obama even relevant any more?

With leaks about how Leon Pannetta, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates and Bill Dayley, did an end run around President Obama and the interference of his advisor Valerie Jarrett. To the flubbed time line of events. To the various gaffs over the protests in Egypt. To his actions and comments on the Libyan revolt. President Obama is so far out of the loop and realm of reality, it is no longer even funny. Alienating our allies, real and putative. And even his own supporters are more and more disappointed with him.

Is he relevant any more?

When his own cabinet, goes out of it's way to present him with a fait accompli in the assault to kill or capture Osama Bin Laden, something is seriously wrong with the picture. His own putative allies are marginalizing him, and going and doing their own things in such a way he cannot interfere with them. Does he even know what is supposedly being done at his direction? What about the layers over oversight that is supposed to keep things like that from happening? Well if the over-seers are the ones doing the deeds, there will be no oversight. That's right, the people Obama hired to help him run the country are doing everything they can to go around him. Shows you the kind of trust that's going on in the cabinet.

So President Obama has to take a good long hard look at what is going on around him, and decide a few things. Is he going to continue to be marginalized by the members of his cabinet by listening to bad advice from people who have an agenda which is their own? If not, he needs to decide how he is going to change the equation and take back control of his cabinet and this country.

Unfortunately, I don't see President Barrack H. Obama as having the guts to do what needs to be done. If he did his cabinet would never have had to resort to the means they did to take out Osama Bin Laden. They would have gone in his office, said, "We know where Bin Laden is" And he would have said, "Take him out, NOW." We now know that it did not happen that way, and it makes me very sad to think that soon this great country of ours is going to feel the effects of his lackluster performance of his duties.

Valerie Jarret - Traitor?

If this is true, then Valerie Jarret is more interested in being the power behind the throne, than in allowing the President to do his actual job. She needs to go, and possibly to be charged with Treason, for aiding and abetting terrorist actions through intentionally interfering or delaying matters of National Security. For every person who is killed by terrorists because of her interference, she should be charged as an Accessory and for Conspiracy . Our Government does not need an "Advisor" who thinks they know more than the elected official they are supposed to advise, and to constantly negate the authority of those who are entrusted with our Nation's security.

Either way, Ms. Jarret needs to go. That way she can no longer interfere with the running of this nation, and it's security.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

I feel relief that his spectre is no longer around as a boogie man, making our country's intelligence services jump at shadows trying to find the information on the next terror attack.

At the same time I feel dread at the possibility of renewed assaults on us and our allies in the fight against terrorism and extremism. I worry now about rushed attacks on our servicemen and women, in revenge for his death. A rushed attack is one we cannot prevent as we cannot determine patterns or develop intelligence about it. It is too sudden for that.

And yet even more so I find myself praying. Praying that maybe someone will look and see the ultimate futility in attacking innocents. The futility in terrorism for terror's sake.

Islam is supposed to be a religion of peace. And yet it has become known as an instrument of terror and subjugation. What happened? When did Islam turn away from peace? From tolerance?

I fear Osama Bin Laden's death will be used by many of his followers and many who do not follow him as a means to perpetrate atrocities on others. And for those atrocities to be held up as "following the tenets of Islam"

Whose agenda does that follow?

Killing, maiming, raping and torturing someone because they do not share the same beliefs as yourself?

I'm sorry, I disagree with many people over many things. Religion included. But I would NEVER, EVER, EVER think of causing harm to someone over it. To do so, is selfish, unthinking and just plain RUDE behavior.

I happen to have several friends back up in Missouri who are Muslim. And when 9/11 happened they all like me were shocked and saddened by what happened. My friend Syd actually went to the FBI office in downtown St. Louis and asked them if he could help, or if they needed to speak with him as he had just the week before returned from Pakistan visiting his parents. I was at his job talking with him when 2 FBI agents asked to speak with him and showed him some photographs. He was always helpful to them. The only thing I recall him asking was if it wasn't an emergency, could they wait for his lunch break which was in 20 minutes.

Syd always told me that he wished he could join the Army or the FBI to catch the terrorists. His health precluded him joining the military, they don't allow people with heart problems in the service, but I do know he would go to the FBI office any time they called and asked him to.

Syd died last year. His heart finally gave out. It was a very large heart, both physically and spiritually. And because of him I know that not all Muslims are bad people.

Maa’ Assalama Sayeed Ali

I don't think the 1st amendment means what you think it means

Go HERE and see for yourself

Mark

Popgun hits one out of the park

about how Democrats are taking advantage of our legislative system to hold the system hostage.

Please go to Popguns blog and read it for yourself.

Mark

This infuriates me

When a severely wounded hero/soldier who got his wounds serving us, the Citizens of The U.S., is jeered at and insulted by know nothing liberal lazy college students who have no knowledge of what Honor or Sacrifice are.

Please go over to Sean's Blog and read it for yourself.

I am seriously beginning to think we need to re-institute the draft, for males and females and make them learn what it takes to become a soldier, and team member and a part of the larger U.S. Military family. If you are a service member or a former service member, you are FAMILY. And the U.S. Military always takes care of it's own. It's the idiot civilians in the Government who screw things up.

Mark

Global Warming and the recession

I remember seeing a program on PBS's Nova about the effect of aircraft contrails on the temperature after 9/11. If I am remembering correctly the temperature swing when there were no contrails was greater. The night time temperatures dropped lower faster, and the day time temperatures rose higher faster.

Here is the link to the PDF of the report: LINK

Extrapolating a little bit, mind you I am NOT a scientist or a meteorologist, it seems to me that it is only the increase of of contrails which are helping to maintain the earths temperature. Without the contrails and possibly other green house gasses we might actually be heading into another little ice age. The earth is large and it radiates a LOT of heat. The contrails and green house gasses which are supposed to be contributing to global warming might actually be helping earth to maintain the climate it currently has.

Think about this. If the global warming alarmists get their way and everyone is forced to use less CO2, and less air travel and everything else. We might actually push ourselves into another ice age. Another ice age means thousands if not millions of people will die. You can't grow food if their is no spring planting season. If you can no longer mine coal, how will you have the power to heat your home? If you can no longer drill for oil and natural gas, same thing...

With the Climategate leaks, can we take anything any person who cries out for man-caused climate change seriously?

Where are the real facts? What are the real dangers? With politicians pandering to special interest groups and organizations what is in store for our planet if we cannot get the truth?

The current recession has caused among many things a reduction in contrails from less flights, less CO2 from less cars being driven on the road as people cannot afford the gas, I know about that one as I'm one of the people who is driving less and less. Here in Southern Texas where I live, the last week has set record low temperatures several times. Last night the temperature got down to 29 degrees, the normal temperature is 42 degrees. Tonight the temperature is expected to get down to 23 degrees, the normal temperature is supposed to be 40 degree. I'm dreading what my electric bill will be. As I am on disability from my various surgeries, I am on a very limited budget. And according to the government, there is no inflation, so no cost of living adjustment. However food costs have gone up over 20%, gas for my vehicles is still inching higher and higher. It's over $3.00 a gallon in many places by me. Hmmmm, is there a correlation here?


You tell me..

Mark

Congenital Heart Defects

A friend of mines daughter suffer from a congenital heart defect. His wife got the Governor of South Dakota to declare February 7th-14th Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week. Another friend has started a Wordpress blog to try to get some more awareness out there. Please click on the below link and check it out. Comment and pass the link on to your friends.

www.sarahsbigjourney.wordpress.com

Mark

Accountability

What ever happened to accountability? Where you as an individual were held accountable for your own actions? These days if you step over the line and do something that is against the rules and laws of a decent society, you are not responsible. You had a bad childhood. The teachers at school didn’t understand you. Your parents stifled your creativity. The Doctor misdiagnosed you. The group of people you hung out with mislead you.

It doesn’t matter what you have done; it is always someone else’s fault.

Erik and Lyle Menendez blamed their parents for their own heinous actions, murdering those parents out of greed and avarice.

Always someone is crying for apologia as a defense. The defendant was mistreated, he/she was an outsider, if only someone had treated him/her better, he/she wouldn’t have done this horrible thing he/she is accused of.

When I was a child, if I screwed up my only defense was, I screwed up. And then I had to take my punishment. And punishment could be anything from loss of privileges, up to a paddling. And yes when I was a kid I got my rear end warmed up many times. It wasn’t that my parents were being mean or capricious, they were trying to instill in me a value system where I accepted responsibility for my actions, and as a matter of course I also learned that certain actions are unacceptable in society.

Unacceptable actions:

Stealing

Lying

Cheating

Fighting without cause

Harming others

Disrespecting others

Breaking the law

Threatening others

Being discourteous or rude

Intentionally hurting animals, (Note this does not mean I cannot hunt, it means that I cannot go out of my way to torture or harm animals for personal amusement)

Using illegal drugs

These are just a few of things that I recognize as my part of the contract I have with society. Everyone should have these as their contract, however over the years; a malaise has taken hold of our society. And the apologists have moved in, and have been standing in the way of enforcement of the societal contract. You cannot punish or discipline your child as it may hurt their ego. You cannot hold a child back in school, as they need to stay with their peer group. You have to let the child test their boundaries without fear of reprisal for their actions. And yet when that child does push those boundaries, you are responsible for their actions. Not Them.

My mother and father always let me know when I screwed up. And when I did well also they let me know. And when I crossed the line they let me know and they made sure I would never do it again. Today, kids are constantly crossing the line, over and over again. Why? They have no fear of a punishment, or reprisal for their actions. The apologists stand in the way of parental authority and discipline.

The standards by which I was raised have been changed and in many cases abolished. So many people sit and watch the news and wonder how the things we see on the news can be happening.

A tragic shooting occurs. And rather than placing the blame where it truly belongs, on the person who did the shooting. The apologists blame others. They cast aspersions on someone else. In the case of Jared Loughner, the sword being cast is two-fold. To shift the responsibility for his actions off of him, and to smear certain people for political means.

The Pima County Sheriff, Clarence Dupnik, made a statement shortly after the shooting, blaming the “Rhetoric” for being the cause of the shooting.



Yet his own department had known that the shooter had made death threats to others before he went on his rampage. And since Jared Loughners mother worked for the county, they swept the threats under the rug. If they had responded properly, Jared Loughner would have undergone a psychiatric evaluation. The results of which could have prevented Loughner from purchasing the firearm he used, and it could have gotten him the help he desperately needed. But Apologia rears its head. And it is not the fault of Sheriff Dupnik that Jared shot 14 people and killed 6 of them. It is Sarah Palin’s fault, Glenn Beck’s fault, and Rush Limbaugh’s fault. It is the fault of everyone who is politically opposite of Sheriff Dupnik. He is not at fault for failing to follow the laws he has sworn to uphold. He is not at fault for cronyism to protect the reputation of a fellow county employee. So while Sheriff Dupnik and his fellow political cronies seek to use this tragedy for their own ends. Remember who is really at fault.


Jared Laughner.

Follow the link, read and watch your blood pressure

http://michellemalkin.com/2011/01/10/the-progressive-climate-of-hate-an-illustrated-primer-2000-2010/

With the shooting in Arizona

I have been hearing references to Sarah Palin, Vitriolic Political Discussion, Tea Party Activists, Right Wing Extremists and many other things. All of them to shift the blame from the individual who is actually 100% responsible for the action, to other persons or ideas for a political talking point. Also I am tired of hearing the shooter, who I refuse to name here, referred to as "The Suspected Shooter" There is no "Suspected" He was caught in the act, dozens of witnesses, there is no suspected about it. I honestly don't even see the need for anything more than a perfunctory trail, How do you plead? Innocent by reason of insanity? Good you will be held until you are sane and then you will be executed by hanging,. Plead Guilty? You have a choice, hanging or a firing squad, sentence to be carried out in 10 minutes, in public, broadcast nationwide. No appeals, no one filing motions on your behalf for clemency.

And for those talking heads, and political spin doctors looking for political leverage, shut up. I don't want to hear you. I don't care about what you think or have to say. Six people including a child are dead, you should be praying for the families of the dead and injured and nothing else should be coming out of your mouths.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v62fMkEVC6Y

Check this out a new version of Planet P's song "Why Me?"

The Embedding is disabled for it so you will have to click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svl1t4b1RD4

This is the original version. Embedding is also disabled on it.

But please check them out.

Mark

Recommended reading

Nip & Tuck

Illegal Immigration and Congress

This made me smile

http://www.viddler.com/explore/thechive/videos/191/115.688/

What happens when you give a baby a lemon for the first time. Click on the link to find out.

Mark