I'm Famous!!!

Well, not really, but I am on the latest promotional video for the Close Up Foundation. At about the 3:20 mark the first person they show after the words "Washington Insiders" is me!!! Watch it a little longer and one of the students introduce me and then they play a piece of my closing statement.

The Close Up debates are one of the best things I do in DC. Close Up brings in high school students from all around the country to experience DC as the video says. One of the nights they are there, they have a Domestic Issues debate. Close Up brings in a conservative and a liberal (I'm sure you can easily guess which one I am =). Then for an hour and a half, the students can ask any question they want on Domestic issues such as abortion, separation church/state, taxes, immigration, etc.

The students consistently rate the debate as one of the highlights of the week. I enjoy it b/c it gives me an hour and a half to bash liberals =) The debate usually goes from 8:30 to 10pm, but the students always stay an hour or two after for more one on one debates with the speakers. That is where it really gets fun. I do about 10-15 each Spring. I will definitely miss not being able to do any this year.

Adding a New Lefty to the Mix

As you might have noticed, we've had a new lefty visiting and commenting, Speechie. While she is obviously misguided, she gets props for only being 20 and having political opinions.

As someone once said, "If you are under 30 and aren't a liberal, you have no heart. If you are over 30 and aren't a conservative, you have no brain." So, Speechie has plenty time to learn the truth =)

So, I've added her blog to my lefty links. Everyone say hi and play nice.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

I love the hypocrisy of tree hugging Dems! They do a press conference about high gas prices, then they jump in their "gas guzzling" SUVs to drive ONE BLOCK to their offices. I also love that of all the vehicles listed in the article, the only senator to drive a hybrid is a Repub!

Shop Till You Drop!!!

Apparently the ILLEGAL immigrants and their enablers are planning a boycott on Monday, May 1 to show how "dependent" the economy is on ILLEGAL immigrants.

Well here is a better idea. Let's show them how great of a country it would be without ILLEGAL immigrants. Let's all shop till we drop on May 1. I'll make sure to do some online shopping to do my part =)

Putting the Gas "Crisis" in Perspective

"On the panic in the streets about $3.00 gasoline:

First of all, the Democrats wailing and whining about the high prices have forgotten they are supposed to be friends of the Greens. Higher gas prices. Less driving. Less driving. Less greenhouse gasses. Why isn't Nancy Pelosi cheering high gasoline prices?

When I was in Paris a few weeks ago, I noted gasoline was 2.55 Euros per Liter. Tell me if I did this right: There are 3.78 Liters per gallon. 2.55 Euros is $3.17. $3.17 x 3.78 = $11.98 per gallon.

I am in New York as I type this, so I went to a local grocery store and bought a bottle of water. 99 cents. 16.9 fluid ounces. For those who slept through this in third grade, there are 128 ounces to the gallon. 99 cents for 16.9 ounces = $7.50 per gallon. For water.

Get me Nancy Pelosi on the phone."

- Rich Galen, Mullings.com, 4/25/06

Hat Tip: Chuck Muth

Editor's Update:

Chatterbox and Nick both have great posts on the topic.

No Excuses!

I read Romans 1 last night and a few points hit me that I felt like sharing.

As a Christian, I often hear, "What about people who have never heard about God? How can they go to hell?" Well that question is answered in this chapter, vs 18-20:

18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

I completely agree with this statement. Anyone who can watch a sunset on the ocean, stand atop a mountain covered in snow, sit still in the middle of a forest, look at the complexity of a single cell, and so many other amazingly created things on earth and not believe there is a God who created it all has no excuse.

Once we know God this chapter goes on further to explain how we should act, vs 21 & 28:

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.

Here Paul lists three attitudes those who know God should have:

1. Glorify God
-God is definitely worthy to be glorified just for being who he is. How much more so when you consider His creations.

2. Give Thanks to God
-We should be thankful just for the very breath of life, but I know there are tons of more reasons I'm thankful every day. I know I need to do a better job of expressing my thanks.

3. Retain the Knowledge of God
-Retaining the knowledge of God, by spending time daily in His Word is vital for anyone who desires to follow God's will and become the person He intends us to be.

I'm looking forward to diving into chapter 2 tonight!

Coulter Alert! Liberals Beware!

Coulter has a great article on fuel prices and the real reason they are so high.

When I do the Close Up debates in DC, one of the lines I open with is, "You can easily tell the difference between a conservative and a liberal, the first thing liberals do when they gain control is try to raise taxes while conservatives cut them." Coulter's article proves this statement right once again.

Great Addition to the Team!!!

I'm so pumped with the President's latest appointment to his team, Tony Snow as the new press secretary! I almost considered moving back to the states just to see the press conferences...well not quite =)

Mud Sky

3:00 in the Afternoon

The sky yesterday was super freaky. I felt like I was in some nuclear holocaust horror flick and would soon be overrun by zombies or something...lol. This is what the sky looks like when it is filled with dust and about to rain. It literally looks like mud in the sky.

Weekend Getaway

In Line to Board the C-17

Sitting in the Jump Seats (no mom, they wouldn't let me really jump =)

Final Destination (can you tell which one is me?...hint...the only one not in camo)

Nancy and I flew to Kuwait last weekend to get a visa stamp. This will save us a day extra in Kuwait when we fly home for leave.

I will never complain again about having to show up 2 hours early in the states for a flight, b/c on Mil Air, your shortest wait time is at least 4-5 hours every time, most of this time outside in the heat with full battle rattle.

At the base in Kuwait, they have MickeyD's and on Friday nights they give free combos out and then show a movie "under the stars." MMMMMMMM...MickeyD fries!!!

It was a quick trip (25 hours total from leaving the office to returning the next day), but a very nice little change of pace.

Charlie Daniels ROCKS!!!

Classic Charlie Daniels' Stance While Fiddling

Charlie Daniels ROCKS!!! He is the epitome of what it means to support the troops. He was in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last week and he never stopped. He was constantly signing autographs and performing shows.

He also of course got in a few jabs on our wonderful "Unlce Ted Kennedy", the NYTimes and CNN. We had a great time at the show. It was definitely a great break from the normal routine here and the Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Marines ate it up.

Hopefully Just the Beginning

Over 1100 ILLEGAL immigrants as well as employers of them were arrested in a big sting operation. Hopefully this is just the beginning of many more to come and not just political posturing.

Internet Issues

Our internet has had major issues all week (my theory is the hail storm destroyed some equipment). So, sorry for the absence...have some posts coming soon on an AWESOME Charlie Daniels concert and my trip to Kuwait last weekend.

100 Degrees and Hail???

The weather here continues to amaze me.

We hit our first triple digit temps on Friday when we hit 100 degrees for the first time. As expected, due to it only being 18% humidity, it was not as "hot" as 100 would be in South Louisiana. Still not looking forward to 140s though.

Then today, we had another major rainstorm (once again it was very welcomed for cleaning the air, but the MUD is back again). It poured for a couple of hours and then it HAILED!!! Not small hail either, but golf ball size for several minutes. I just happened to be at the tent when it started and it sounded like little bombs hitting the roof. Me and "new guy" went look outside thinking, "No way it can be hailing" but sure enough it was.

Best Friend Joins Blog World

My best friend since 7th grade has joined the blog world, CoonassInvestmentGuy (for those not from cajun country, 'coonass' is slang for cajun. He is also a financial advisor, hence the 'investment guy'). While he technically isn't family, he may as well be, so that is why he is listed under family blogs.

He is definitely always full of opinions and never minds sharing them, so his site should be full of great insights into investing, politics and I'm sure sports being he is one of the best pure athletes I know.

Awesome Letter!!!

Below is an awesome "letter" to the President that nails the ILLEGAL immigration issue. Normally I'd only post the link and not the whole story, but didn't want to take any chances of the link being down. To me this letter is that vital to understanding the full extent of this issue.

There are many more that could have been added...for example...."when my kids reach college age, I want to pay less than citizens of Mexico who just happen to live in a different part of the country" and "if I have any kids while there, they will be full fledged Mexican citizens so it will be easier for me to become a citizen as well."

Hat tip: ConservativeCajun

MR. PRESIDENT, I'M HEADED TO MEXICO

David M. Bresnahan
April 1, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

Dear President Bush:

I'm about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I'm going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements. I know you can help with this.

I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I'm sure they handle those things the same way you do here.

So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I'm on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:

1. Free medical care for my entire family.

2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.

3. All government forms need to be printed in English.

4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.

5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.

6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.

7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.

8. I will need a local Mexican driver's license so I can get easy access to government services.

9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won't make any effort to learn local traffic laws.

10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.

11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.

12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don't enforce any labor laws or tax laws.

13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.

I know this is an easy request because you already do all these things for all the people who come to the U.S. from Mexico. I am sure that Pres. Fox won't mind returning the favor if you ask him nicely.

However, if he gives you any trouble, just invite him to go quail hunting with your V.P.

Thank you so much for your kind help.

Sincerely,

David M. Bresnahan

David M. Bresnahan has over 30 years of experience as an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, radio station owner, talk show host, and business owner. David has been a prominent writer for many Internet newspapers.

ILLEGAL Immigration Articles

Never Disappoints:

I knew Coulter's article this week would be about the ILLEGAL immigration protests and subsequent issues. As always, I was not disappointed. It is a must read!


What Else Did You Expect???:

According to this article, the flow of ILLEGAL immigration has already increased by at least 26% so far this year (that's just based on arrests).

The shelter's manager, Francisco Loureiro, said he has not seen such a rush of migrants since 1986, when the United States allowed 2.6 million illegal residents to get American citizenship.

This time, the draw is a bill before the U.S. Senate that could legalize some of the 11 million people now illegally in the United States while tightening border security. Migrants are hurrying to cross over in time to qualify for a possible guest-worker program - and before the journey becomes even harder.

Since the United States tightened security at the main crossing points in Texas and California in the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of migrants have turned to the hard-to-patrol, mesquite-covered Arizona desert, risking rape, robbery and murder at the hands of gangs and now facing armed U.S. civilian groups.

So...strengthening security DOES work??? No guest worker program should ever be considered until we FIRST get control of the borders!

GREAT VIDEO!!!

Hat tip to Chatterbox via Suzie for posting this great video, "In God We Trust."

I love seeing quotes from "secular" Jefferson and Franklin about God. The best book I've read so far on this topic is "Original Intent" by David Barton. Highly recommend it!!!

Love Hate Relationship

We definitely have a love/hate relationship here in Iraq with rain.

Love because the rain cleans the air of all the dust and sand. This means you can breathe easily and the air is nice and fresh.

Hate because after the rain, all the dust and sand from above becomes thick, sticky mud that clings to everything and is just down right nasty.

So, it is a catch 22. Breathe easily and walk through a swamp (not as fun as walking through LA swamps) or walk on dry land and breathe in lots and lots of dust and sand.

Just a little insight into life here in the desert.

Illegal Immigrant "Rights"?

"I can hear the arguments now. 'These people are just marching for their rights.' Rights? What rights? Tell me, please, just what rights these demonstrators are marching for today? The right to cross our borders illegally? The right to remain in this country illegally? The right to work here illegally? The right to stay here illegally? They have the right to none of these things, though you wouldn't know it from the chanting you'll hear today."

- Talk show host Neal Boortz

Will Al Gore Be Unemployed Again?

The last several years, Al Gore has become the poster boy for 'global warming.' Hope he has other options being his gig could be up soon as more and more truth like this comes out.

Battle Rattle Day

New Girl, Nancy & Kristy

The Army had an exercise (pretend we are under attack and go about securing the base) today, so if we left the palace during the exercise we had to wear our full gear which include flack vests and Kevlar helmets (they didn't want to take a pic with the helmet).

Guess this is a good time to introduce Barbara, aka New Girl. She joined our team last week and brings us to 9 people total now. I guess it is also time to let go of my bitterness over the fact that my New Guy title has been taken by the new New Guy, Chris, who arrived a couple of weeks ago. Not sure yet if I'm ready to post his pic yet though...still some lingering bitterness I guess ;)

shhh...don't tell the liberal media

THE ECONOMY IS BOOMING!!!

Once again unemployment has dropped in March to 4.7% with 211,000 new jobs added. That is over two straight years of new jobs each month putting the total well over 2 million (didn't have time to find the exact numbers). This marks the lowest jobless rate in 4 1/2 years.

The media has begrudgingly reported on these facts over the months, but always couched it with, "but consumer confidence is not reflecting the news". Well, consumer confidence is rising, which by the way is always the last piece in the puzzle of a booming economy. Let's see how they try to paint their gloom and doom now.

Don't you love watching them squirm!

The time is overdue for Congress to make the tax cuts permanent to make sure we keep the economy going in the right direction. Yet, as always, Dems and RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) are blocking this from happening. Hopefully this election cycle will yield more true conservatives in Congress, so we can have a true conservative majority and finally be able to get real reform.


Editor's update: The over 2 million new jobs created sited earlier is for the last twelve months. Since Aug '03 over 5.1 million new jobs have been created.

Yeah, That Makes Sense...NOT!!!

Ok...let me see if I understand this correctly. If you have just recently broke our laws, you are punished, but if you have been breaking our laws for the last 5 YEARS or more you are kosher.

That is what some "Republican" lawmakers are proposing as a compromise to the immigration bill currently in the Senate.

Daily Bible - Chronological

The last couple of years I've been reading the "One Year Bible." As the name suggests, it takes you through the whole Bible in a year with daily readings that includes sections from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs each day.

Before I came to Iraq, I was given a new one. This one is called the "Daily Bible - chronological." It is the same concept in that you read the whole Bible in a year but it is written in the chronological order in which the events actually occurred.

I'm really enjoying it, especially right now. I'm currently reading about Saul's downfall and David's rise to the throne. The neat part is that it combines stuff from Samuel and Chronicles and Psalms all together. The Psalms parts are my favorite because you really get to hear David's heart in the middle of his trials.

It is a truly unique view of the history of the Bible and if you have never read the Bible chronologically, I'd highly recommend giving it a shot.

Who Needs MTV

Dan has been saying for awhile that he wanted to call MTV to come "Pimp Our Tent." Well, we finally decided to take matters into our own hands.

Well...being blogger is not cooperating at the moment to allow me to upload a pic, ya'll will just have to wait to see our new pimped out tent =)


Editor's update: I was finally able to post the pic. As you can see in the pic above, we now have a TV, XBox and fridge in our tent. Check out Jd's expression. That is a typical expression when you are playing Ed in football b/c he kicks all of our tails on a regular basis.

Till Next Year

LSU had a good run in the tournament, but unfortunately it came to a rather abrupt end against UCLA 59-45. Due to computer problems, I wasn't able to watch it even though I stayed up until 5am!!! I had to struggle by refreshing a scoreboard on Fox Sports every 15 seconds.

However, I'm already looking forward to next year. Of the main contributors, we are only losing one senior as 'Big Baby' and Thomas are only a sophomore and a freshman. The one thing Brady better focus on in recruiting and the off season though is outside shooting. Not having any sort of 3-point threat really hurt.

Truth on ILLEGAL Immigration

RightWingNews has a great post on ILLEGAL immigration that is a must read for all, especially due to the recent "protests."

Great Iraq Anniversay Article

Hat tip to Little Miss Chatterbox for pointing me to this article in the "In Defense of the War..." post and comments.

Is Someone Bitter?

Sounds to me like someone is bitter his team didn't make the Final Four! GEAUX TIGERS!!!