a thought provoking piece by Pat Buchanan....of which I can't agree more.....
"Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America?
Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to. This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and demands heard. And among them are these:
First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.
Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.
Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the '60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream.
Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks -- with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas -- to advance black applicants over white applicants.Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over America have donated time and money to support soup kitchens, adult education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks.
We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude??Barack talks about new 'ladders of opportunity' for blacks.
Let him go to Altoona and Johnstown, and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for 'deserving' white kids? Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America? Is it really white America's fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?
Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?
As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?
Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?
We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena. And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.
Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago."
Saturday, May 24, 2008
the Muslin terrorist situation
I read an interesting entry in a blog by a former outstanding Boston talk show host, Moe Lauzier.
"A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. "Very few people were true Nazis," he said, "but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories."
We are told again and again by "experts" and "talking heads" that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the "silent majority," is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were "peace loving"?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, bJapanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late. "
Emanuel Tanay, M.D.Dr. Emanuel Tanay, MD Wayne State UniversityAnn Arbor, Michigan A clinical professor of psychiatry at the Medical School, Dr. Emanuel Tanay MD is a well-known forensic psychiatrist who has been an expert witness in many famous cases, such as the trials of Jack Ruby, Ted Bundy, Sam Sheppard, and Robert Garwood. He is licensed to practice in Ohio and Georgia, as well as Michigan. Dr. Tanay has served as an officer or committee member of many professional organizations, such as the Michigan Psychiatric Society, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and others. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and of the American Board of Forensic Psychiatry and a distinguished fellow of the APA and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFC).
A Holocaust survivor himself, he coauthored a book about the survivors of the Holocaust and was asked by the German government to consult on just compensation for the Holocaust survivors. Dr. Tanay has served on several journal editorial boards, authored many publications, and presented countless times on forensic medicine. His efforts have also produced many awards and commendations from groups such as the Michigan State Medical Society, APA, the Detroit Institute of Technology, and AAFC, among others.
"A man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. "Very few people were true Nazis," he said, "but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories."
We are told again and again by "experts" and "talking heads" that Islam is the religion of peace, and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the spectra of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the "silent majority," is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.
China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And, who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were "peace loving"?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence. Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, bJapanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts; the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late. "
Emanuel Tanay, M.D.Dr. Emanuel Tanay, MD Wayne State UniversityAnn Arbor, Michigan A clinical professor of psychiatry at the Medical School, Dr. Emanuel Tanay MD is a well-known forensic psychiatrist who has been an expert witness in many famous cases, such as the trials of Jack Ruby, Ted Bundy, Sam Sheppard, and Robert Garwood. He is licensed to practice in Ohio and Georgia, as well as Michigan. Dr. Tanay has served as an officer or committee member of many professional organizations, such as the Michigan Psychiatric Society, the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and others. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and of the American Board of Forensic Psychiatry and a distinguished fellow of the APA and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFC).
A Holocaust survivor himself, he coauthored a book about the survivors of the Holocaust and was asked by the German government to consult on just compensation for the Holocaust survivors. Dr. Tanay has served on several journal editorial boards, authored many publications, and presented countless times on forensic medicine. His efforts have also produced many awards and commendations from groups such as the Michigan State Medical Society, APA, the Detroit Institute of Technology, and AAFC, among others.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Kennedy dynasty comment....
Read an interesting comment in regard to my blog on the "Kennedy dynasty."
...A terrific talk radio topic: should a career politician's past sins be cleansed because of a cancer diagnosis? Kennedy killed a young woman with his car. Has that now been erased from history?Certainly, tactful boundaries ought to exist when it comes to discussion of a US Senator with cancer. Your comments?
...A terrific talk radio topic: should a career politician's past sins be cleansed because of a cancer diagnosis? Kennedy killed a young woman with his car. Has that now been erased from history?Certainly, tactful boundaries ought to exist when it comes to discussion of a US Senator with cancer. Your comments?
price of gasoline
We have all been hurting with the increasing price of gas. Some blame President Bush. (O.K. most do. Others blame Congress.) So, I decided to research this price gouging story Both sides of the political isle are to blame for this neglected issue, along with the oil barons. While the refining of oil has been improving, the number of refineries has been dropping. In 1982 there were 301 refineries producing 17.9 million barrels of oil per day. Today, 149 refineries are producing 17.4 million barrels of oil per day. The United States, alone, consumes 20.7 million barrels of oil per day. While refining capacity is not the only factor in the price of gas, there has not been a refinery built since 1976. Why? Building a refinery is very expensive. There are many environmental restrictions. Many don't want a refinery in their neighborhood. So where to build? The solution? It would take many years to build new refinery. One company, the Arizona Clean Fuels company has been trying to build one since 1998. Seven years later they obtained a permit. The plants location was changed twice because of environmental restrictions and land disputes. The refinery is projected to have a $3.7 billion total price tag. The EIA recorded per-barrel profits of $5.29 in 2006; at that rate, the 150,000-barrel-per-day refinery would need to operate for almost 13 years before its profits outweighed the cost of building it.In short, the reason for not adding more refineries is straightforward: It's hard, and it's expensive. The reason that we have so few in the first place is more complicated. In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a surplus of refining capacity. Then, over the course of two decades, half of the plants shut down. In 2001, Oregon senator Ron Wyden presented to Congress a report arguing that these closings were calculated choices intended to increase oil company profits. Fewer refineries means less product in circulation, which means a lower supply-to-demand ratio and more profit. Wyden's report cites internal memos from the oil industry implying that this reduction was a deliberate attempt to curtail profit losses. The economic pressures of oversupply could have led to plant closings even without a more calculated decision, of course. In 2005, the head of the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association testified at a House hearing that the rate of return on investment in refining averaged just five and a half percent from 1993 to 2003. So what is your solution?
Sources
Porter, Adam. "Global refinery shortage shifts power balance." BBC News. 2 Oct. 2005.Mouawad, Jad. "No New Refineries in 29 Years? There Might Well Be a Reason." The New York Times. 9 May 2005.Schoen, John W. "U.S. refiners stretch to meet demand." MSNBC. 22 Nov. 2004.Reynolds, Sarah. "East County oil refinery will move." Yuma Sun. 5 Feb. 2008.Associated Press. "Arizona refinery permit took seven years, Senate told." 14 Jul. 2006.Wyden, Ron. "The Oil Industry, Gas Supply and Refinery Capacity: More Than Meets the Eye." 14 Jun. 2001.109th United States Congress. "Petroleum Refineries: Will Record Profits Spur Investment in New Capacity?" House Subcommittee on Energy and Resources. 19 Oct. 2005.
Sources
Porter, Adam. "Global refinery shortage shifts power balance." BBC News. 2 Oct. 2005.Mouawad, Jad. "No New Refineries in 29 Years? There Might Well Be a Reason." The New York Times. 9 May 2005.Schoen, John W. "U.S. refiners stretch to meet demand." MSNBC. 22 Nov. 2004.Reynolds, Sarah. "East County oil refinery will move." Yuma Sun. 5 Feb. 2008.Associated Press. "Arizona refinery permit took seven years, Senate told." 14 Jul. 2006.Wyden, Ron. "The Oil Industry, Gas Supply and Refinery Capacity: More Than Meets the Eye." 14 Jun. 2001.109th United States Congress. "Petroleum Refineries: Will Record Profits Spur Investment in New Capacity?" House Subcommittee on Energy and Resources. 19 Oct. 2005.
the Kennedy "dynasty"
It is sad to read when anyone has a terminal illness. It was sad to hear of Senator Ted Kennedy's probable terminal illness. It is not sad to keep hearing all these wonder alcolades about Senator Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy "Dynasty." Let's recap. Let's start in 1969.
Meet Mary Jo Kopechne. July 20, 1969 as a 1967 Delmont 88 was being pulled from a channel (Poucha Pond) in Chappaquiddick. As young and beautiful Mary Jo Kopechne suffocated inside the Delmont 88... Ted swam to his own safety. Ted fled to his posh hotel room, then to sleep never bothering to call the local authorities. A science teacher and 15 year old boy fishing from the "Dike Bridge" found the car in the morning. He pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and received a suspended sentence of two months. How long do you think you or I would of served?
Now read about the "Ted Kennedy Fun Room."
In the Summer of 1989 Kennedy and fellow Senator Chris Dodd were having lunch at famous Washington D.C. restaurant La Brasserie. Kennedy requested the attendance of waitress Carla Gaviglio. According to the Washington Times "When she put in an appearance in their private retreat - 'The Teddy Kennedy Fun Room' - the Massachusetts senator picked her up and heaved her onto a table. The crystal candlesticks and champagne glasses shattered as he grabbed her again and flung her on top of Dodd. "Then Kennedy threw himself on top of the woman. The waitress implored Mr. Kennedy to 'Get off me!'
"Another waitress entered to find 'things all tipped over and Kennedy was on top, [the waitress] was in the middle and Dodd was on the bottom.' At that point the sandwich was disassembled."
There are numerous other similar stories. One from a friend who had the "honor" of waiting on Ted's table.
Meet Pam Kelley. (top right photo) Pam Kelley’s family lived in Hyannisport near the Kennedys. Her older sister Kim was the longtime girlfriend of Bobby Kennedy, Jr., a heroin addict. She became David Kennedy’s girlfriend in the summer of 1973, and spent time with him in Colorado. The couple returned to Massachusetts, and decided to go over to Nantucket to meet Joe, then age 20. On Monday morning, before they were to catch the ferry, they decided to go for a final swim. Joe borrowed a jeep to go out to the jetty. This is Pam’s description of what happened next, from “The Kennedys: An American Drama,” by Peter Collier and David Horowitz: “We were all sort of standing up in the jeep. Joe was cutting through the woods, spinning the jeep in circles. We were yelling and laughing and acting crazy. There was a rest area on the other side of the highway and Joe started to cross over to it. He didn’t see this station wagon heading toward us until the last minute. Joe swerved and we hit a ditch with our tires on the right side, breaking the jeep’s axle and flipping us. We held on to the roll bar for a couple of flips and then had to let go. Me and David were right together… in the air. I remember tumbling and seeing David’s face. I hit the ground. When I tried to get up, nothing happened.”
She was paralyzed. She would never walk again. Joe Kennedy, too, paid a price for his Teddy-like driving. A judge who had been a Harvard classmate of his late uncle and namesake Joe Jr. suspended his driver’s license. When David was in the hospital recovering from his own fractured vertebrae, he was introduced to morphine. Soon he too was a junkie, like his older brother Bobby. In 1984, David would be dead of a drug overdose at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach. Joe Kennedy is now retired from politics, at least temporarily. Many years ago, on the beach at Hyannisport on the Fourth of July, he set one of his sons on fire with some illegal fireworks. No charges were filed. In 2005 Joe made headlines again:
She was paralyzed. She would never walk again. Joe Kennedy, too, paid a price for his Teddy-like driving. A judge who had been a Harvard classmate of his late uncle and namesake Joe Jr. suspended his driver’s license. When David was in the hospital recovering from his own fractured vertebrae, he was introduced to morphine. Soon he too was a junkie, like his older brother Bobby. In 1984, David would be dead of a drug overdose at the Brazilian Court in Palm Beach. Joe Kennedy is now retired from politics, at least temporarily. Many years ago, on the beach at Hyannisport on the Fourth of July, he set one of his sons on fire with some illegal fireworks. No charges were filed. In 2005 Joe made headlines again:
From The Boston Herald Aug 31, 2005
Paralyzed victim of Joe K crash: Skinflint won't helpBy Laurel J. Sweet and Maggie Mulvihill Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - Updated: 07:42 AM EST Joseph P. Kennedy II, who built upon his family fortune with a lucrative career of his own since leaving politics, allegedly told a Hyannis mother he left paralyzed for life in a car crash 32 years ago that he is ``broke'' and won't be her financial crutch any longer.
``I'm broke. I work for a non-profit. I'm not a bottomless pit,'' the chairman of Citizens Energy Corp. and former congressman allegedly told Pamela Burkley, whom he knew in their star-crossed youth on Cape Cod as Pam Kelley – his late brother David's girlfriend.
Kennedy denies through his lawyer that he made the remarks.
Though she acknowledges Kennedy, 52, has thrown some $50,000 her way over the years, Burkley, 50, told the Herald, ``I feel like he thinks I'm a piece of trash sitting in a wheelchair.''
The divorced mother of a 16-year-old girl said she earns $57,000 a year as executive director of the Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled and suffers from recurring bladder cancer. ``I'm realizing my body is starting to give out on me,'' she said.
``I just want to live my life and plant my plants, play with my dogs and watch my daughter grow up. As I age, I'm getting nervous and less independent. And I'm tired.''
Steve Kidder, a friend and attorney for Kennedy, said Burkley's portrayal of slain U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy's son as cold and uncaring is wrong.
``The quote that she is attributing to Joe simply did not happen,'' Kidder responded emphatically.
In a statement released to the Herald through Kidder, Kennedy said, ``I have a very strong sense of responsibility for Pam and her circumstances. I have helped Pam many, many times over the years, and Pam knows I will continue to do so in the future.''
Burkley netted $668,000 from an insurance policy on the Jeep Kennedy flipped Aug. 13, 1973, snapping her spine and injuring five other teens heading to a Nantucket swimming hole.
The middle-class daughter of a builder and a real estate agent told a reporter at the time: ``There's no way I'd be able to spend that money if I lived to be 102.'' She decided not to sue.
But just eight years later, her trust fund was gone, invested in a house, medical expenses and land in Kezar Falls, Maine.
Kennedy was found guilty of driving to endanger and fined $100. A fawning judge told him, ``Use your illustrious name as an asset to do a lot of good.''
In the years since, Burkley struggled with depression, thoughts of suicide, and battled drugs and booze.
``Once I got sober,'' she said, ``I just flew. And I'm so proud of that and what I've done for myself, my community and my family. That's what I've spent the last 32 years doing and I don't see him owning any of this.''
Kennedy, meanwhile, has continued to live well.
Kennedy is the owner of nearly $2 million in real estate, including a rambling six-bedroom colonial in Brighton assessed this year by city officials at $741,600. In April 2003 he also took out a $1 million loan to purchase a 1,800-square-foot condo in an exclusive waterfront gated community in Key Largo, Fla., for which he and his wife, his former congressional aide Beth Kelly, paid $1.275 million, public records show
In addition, Kennedy owns two boats – a top-of-the-line, 35-foot fishing vessel he moors in Florida, and a 22-foot white sloop he keeps on Cape Cod, records show.
Entities related to his Citizens Energy Corp. paid him more than $400,000 in 2003, the last year for which records are available.
Paralyzed victim of Joe K crash: Skinflint won't helpBy Laurel J. Sweet and Maggie Mulvihill Wednesday, August 31, 2005 - Updated: 07:42 AM EST Joseph P. Kennedy II, who built upon his family fortune with a lucrative career of his own since leaving politics, allegedly told a Hyannis mother he left paralyzed for life in a car crash 32 years ago that he is ``broke'' and won't be her financial crutch any longer.
``I'm broke. I work for a non-profit. I'm not a bottomless pit,'' the chairman of Citizens Energy Corp. and former congressman allegedly told Pamela Burkley, whom he knew in their star-crossed youth on Cape Cod as Pam Kelley – his late brother David's girlfriend.
Kennedy denies through his lawyer that he made the remarks.
Though she acknowledges Kennedy, 52, has thrown some $50,000 her way over the years, Burkley, 50, told the Herald, ``I feel like he thinks I'm a piece of trash sitting in a wheelchair.''
The divorced mother of a 16-year-old girl said she earns $57,000 a year as executive director of the Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled and suffers from recurring bladder cancer. ``I'm realizing my body is starting to give out on me,'' she said.
``I just want to live my life and plant my plants, play with my dogs and watch my daughter grow up. As I age, I'm getting nervous and less independent. And I'm tired.''
Steve Kidder, a friend and attorney for Kennedy, said Burkley's portrayal of slain U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy's son as cold and uncaring is wrong.
``The quote that she is attributing to Joe simply did not happen,'' Kidder responded emphatically.
In a statement released to the Herald through Kidder, Kennedy said, ``I have a very strong sense of responsibility for Pam and her circumstances. I have helped Pam many, many times over the years, and Pam knows I will continue to do so in the future.''
Burkley netted $668,000 from an insurance policy on the Jeep Kennedy flipped Aug. 13, 1973, snapping her spine and injuring five other teens heading to a Nantucket swimming hole.
The middle-class daughter of a builder and a real estate agent told a reporter at the time: ``There's no way I'd be able to spend that money if I lived to be 102.'' She decided not to sue.
But just eight years later, her trust fund was gone, invested in a house, medical expenses and land in Kezar Falls, Maine.
Kennedy was found guilty of driving to endanger and fined $100. A fawning judge told him, ``Use your illustrious name as an asset to do a lot of good.''
In the years since, Burkley struggled with depression, thoughts of suicide, and battled drugs and booze.
``Once I got sober,'' she said, ``I just flew. And I'm so proud of that and what I've done for myself, my community and my family. That's what I've spent the last 32 years doing and I don't see him owning any of this.''
Kennedy, meanwhile, has continued to live well.
Kennedy is the owner of nearly $2 million in real estate, including a rambling six-bedroom colonial in Brighton assessed this year by city officials at $741,600. In April 2003 he also took out a $1 million loan to purchase a 1,800-square-foot condo in an exclusive waterfront gated community in Key Largo, Fla., for which he and his wife, his former congressional aide Beth Kelly, paid $1.275 million, public records show
In addition, Kennedy owns two boats – a top-of-the-line, 35-foot fishing vessel he moors in Florida, and a 22-foot white sloop he keeps on Cape Cod, records show.
Entities related to his Citizens Energy Corp. paid him more than $400,000 in 2003, the last year for which records are available.
Meet Martha Moxley. Fifteen year old Martha Moxley's only mistake in life was being the neighbor of Michael Skakel, nephew of Robert F.Kennedy. Martha Moxley was beaten to death with a golf club by Michael Skakel. It took 27 years for "socialite" to be brought to justice.
Meet William "Kennedy" Smith. In 1991, Smith was tried and acquitted on a charge of rape. He was represented by prominent Miami-based criminal defense attorney Roy Black. The trial attracted extensive media coverage because of the prominence of the Kennedy family.
The incident began on the evening of March 30, 1991, when Smith, then 30 years old, was in a bar (named Au Bar) in Palm Beach, Florida in the company of his uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, and his cousin Patrick Kennedy. Smith met a 29-year-old woman, Patricia Bowman. Patrick became acquainted with Michelle Cassone, another young woman who was at the bar. The four of them then went to a nearby house owned by the Kennedy family. Smith and Bowman went for a walk along the beach. She alleged that Smith raped her; Smith testified that the sex was consensual. At a criminal trial later that year, Smith was acquitted of all charges against him. In 2004, a former employee of the Center for International Rehabilitation, Audra Soulias, alleged that Smith had sexually assaulted her in 1999, and brought a civil action against him. Smith denied her charges, calling them "outrageous" and saying that "family and personal history have made me unusually vulnerable to these kinds of charges" and resigned from the CIR. On January 5, 2005, the court dismissed Soulias's lawsuit.
In the same time period, it was reported that Laura Hamilton was paid a large sum of money by Smith in an out-of-court settlement. Laura Hamilton charged that Smith "often improperly touched her" and "gave unwanted massages." A draft complaint states, "Dr. Smith continued to rub Ms. Hamilton's belly, inched his hand below her waist, and stuck his tongue in her ear.
The incident began on the evening of March 30, 1991, when Smith, then 30 years old, was in a bar (named Au Bar) in Palm Beach, Florida in the company of his uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, and his cousin Patrick Kennedy. Smith met a 29-year-old woman, Patricia Bowman. Patrick became acquainted with Michelle Cassone, another young woman who was at the bar. The four of them then went to a nearby house owned by the Kennedy family. Smith and Bowman went for a walk along the beach. She alleged that Smith raped her; Smith testified that the sex was consensual. At a criminal trial later that year, Smith was acquitted of all charges against him. In 2004, a former employee of the Center for International Rehabilitation, Audra Soulias, alleged that Smith had sexually assaulted her in 1999, and brought a civil action against him. Smith denied her charges, calling them "outrageous" and saying that "family and personal history have made me unusually vulnerable to these kinds of charges" and resigned from the CIR. On January 5, 2005, the court dismissed Soulias's lawsuit.
In the same time period, it was reported that Laura Hamilton was paid a large sum of money by Smith in an out-of-court settlement. Laura Hamilton charged that Smith "often improperly touched her" and "gave unwanted massages." A draft complaint states, "Dr. Smith continued to rub Ms. Hamilton's belly, inched his hand below her waist, and stuck his tongue in her ear.
Meet Michael Kennedy. In 1997, the news broke that Michael Kennedy was having an affair with the family's former babysitter. Allegedly, the affair had begun three years before when the babysitter was a fourteen-year-old teenager, and Kennedy was placed under investigation for statutory rape. However, the babysitter did not cooperate with prosecutors. Shortly after the scandal began, Michael Kennedy and his wife separated. After the affair, Michael Kennedy checked himself into a rehab center for alcoholics. Michael Kennedy was the head of his brother Joseph's non-profit organization, Citizen's Energy Corporation. He also helped organize Edward M. Kennedy's re-election campaign against Mitt Romney in 1994. Michael Kennedy died at the end of 1997 in a skiing accident in Aspen, Colorado. He was skiing with several other members of the Kennedy family when he hit a tree while they were playing football on skis. Kennedy was not wearing a helmet or other safety equipment, and was reportedly filming the football game on a camcorder.
Meet Patrick Kennedy. Patrick J. Kennedy became the youngest member of the Kennedy political family to hold elected office in 1988, when he won election to the Rhode Island State Assembly at age 21. On May 4, 2006, Kennedy crashed his 1997 Ford Mustang convertible into a barricade on Capitol Hill at 2:45AM. An official who was not on the scene said the congressman had appeared intoxicated when he crashed his car, but Kennedy claimed that he was merely disoriented from prescription medications Ambien and Phenergan.Anonymous sources are alleged to have seen Kennedy drinking at the nearby Hawk & Dove bar prior the accident. Kennedy also stated to officers that he was "late for a vote." However, the last vote of the night had occurred almost six hours earlier. The standard field sobriety test was not administered. Kennedy was driven home by an officer.
On May 5, 2006, Kennedy admitted he has an addiction to prescription medication and announced he would be re-admitting himself to a drug rehabilitation facility at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he has sought treatment for prior addictions. He has stated that he has no recollection of the car crash. On May 8, 2006, Kennedy got a show of support when he was endorsed by the Rhode Island Democratic Party.On June 5, 2006 Kennedy was released from drug rehab.
After being asked if he expected any special treatment from authorities, Kennedy expressed that he hoped they would treat him as if he "were an African-American in Anacostia".On June 13, 2006, Kennedy made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.He was sentenced to one year probation and a fine of $350. Two of the three charges (reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit) were dismissed. He was also ordered to attend a rehabilitation program that includes weekly urine tests, twice-weekly meetings with a probation officer, near-daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a weekly meeting of recovering addicts .
In an earlier incident, on April 15, 2006, Kennedy was driving a Ford Crown Victoria registered to the "Friends of Pat Kennedy Inc" on Turnpike Avenue in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. As Patrick attempted to turn left into the CVS parking lot, his vehicle was "broadsided" by a Nissan Maxima driven by off duty Coast Guard warrant officer Thomas Guthlein who was attempting to make a right turn into the same parking lot. Portsmouth Rhode Island police did not issue a citation to either driver. One woman who witnessed the accident has expressed her opinion that Kennedy was impaired. Guthlein is quoted in the New York Daily News as saying 'I never really got that close to him ... It was just a regular traffic accident'. Kennedy has acknowledged being treated for cocaine use during his teenage years and sought treatment for an OxyContin addiction in 2006.
In 2000, Kennedy was accused of pushing a security guard at LAX. City prosecutors ultimately decided not to bring criminal charges against him and he paid an undisclosed civil settlement to the alleged victim almost two years later.
In 2000, Atlantic Navigation Company of Mystic, CT, claimed that a boat they rented to Kennedy was found abandoned off Martha's Vineyard and required $28,000 to repair.
The same year, the Coast Guard was dispatched to Kennedy's yacht after he and his date *(former Channel 7 News anchor Caterina Bandini, became embroiled in an argument on his yacht off Martha's Vineyard.
In 2003, Kennedy drew fire from his critics when he said that "I have never worked a fucking day in my life."
In 2007, the Kennedy camp stated that they will retain $6,600 in donations from fugitive Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu. Kennedy is one of the few Democrats not to return or donate these contributions. This is a controversial action because of the allegation that Hsu has been using his personal funds to unfairly influence Washington.
On May 5, 2006, Kennedy admitted he has an addiction to prescription medication and announced he would be re-admitting himself to a drug rehabilitation facility at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where he has sought treatment for prior addictions. He has stated that he has no recollection of the car crash. On May 8, 2006, Kennedy got a show of support when he was endorsed by the Rhode Island Democratic Party.On June 5, 2006 Kennedy was released from drug rehab.
After being asked if he expected any special treatment from authorities, Kennedy expressed that he hoped they would treat him as if he "were an African-American in Anacostia".On June 13, 2006, Kennedy made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of prescription drugs.He was sentenced to one year probation and a fine of $350. Two of the three charges (reckless driving and failure to exhibit a driving permit) were dismissed. He was also ordered to attend a rehabilitation program that includes weekly urine tests, twice-weekly meetings with a probation officer, near-daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and a weekly meeting of recovering addicts .
In an earlier incident, on April 15, 2006, Kennedy was driving a Ford Crown Victoria registered to the "Friends of Pat Kennedy Inc" on Turnpike Avenue in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. As Patrick attempted to turn left into the CVS parking lot, his vehicle was "broadsided" by a Nissan Maxima driven by off duty Coast Guard warrant officer Thomas Guthlein who was attempting to make a right turn into the same parking lot. Portsmouth Rhode Island police did not issue a citation to either driver. One woman who witnessed the accident has expressed her opinion that Kennedy was impaired. Guthlein is quoted in the New York Daily News as saying 'I never really got that close to him ... It was just a regular traffic accident'. Kennedy has acknowledged being treated for cocaine use during his teenage years and sought treatment for an OxyContin addiction in 2006.
In 2000, Kennedy was accused of pushing a security guard at LAX. City prosecutors ultimately decided not to bring criminal charges against him and he paid an undisclosed civil settlement to the alleged victim almost two years later.
In 2000, Atlantic Navigation Company of Mystic, CT, claimed that a boat they rented to Kennedy was found abandoned off Martha's Vineyard and required $28,000 to repair.
The same year, the Coast Guard was dispatched to Kennedy's yacht after he and his date *(former Channel 7 News anchor Caterina Bandini, became embroiled in an argument on his yacht off Martha's Vineyard.
In 2003, Kennedy drew fire from his critics when he said that "I have never worked a fucking day in my life."
In 2007, the Kennedy camp stated that they will retain $6,600 in donations from fugitive Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu. Kennedy is one of the few Democrats not to return or donate these contributions. This is a controversial action because of the allegation that Hsu has been using his personal funds to unfairly influence Washington.
With all the corruption and influence meddling, is this the wonderful great American family deserving of such praise? Many are penning columns admiring the Kennedy brothers and what they stood for. There is no question he is an insider. He has 46 years of experience and service. But at what price?
Monday, May 05, 2008
Marty B is back.....
Marty B is back......
The gloves are off........
but I prefer this wrestling match...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9ovpY_Xoqc
nice float....Obama taking a bite of white meat..aka Hilliary.....but he must worry about all the "trans" fats in her arse...
Happy 5th of May....the new pending Holiday in the U.S. of Mexico...
Meanwhile back on the campaign trail...
Chelsea packs 'em in....
So let me see if I got this straight.....Hilliary had travel gate, Vince Foster, a lying cheating husband, has always, up to the end of Bill's Presidency, lived in public housing (including the White House) until leaving the Presidency....then making millions off of speeches praising his infidelity......Obama has a pastor that is a racist......had a neighbor that was a terrorist...and has a wife that is recently proud to be an American....while both having silver spoons growing up deprived with Ivy League educations (a mind is a terrible thing to waste)......
McCain is a war hero, has a wife who has the largest Budweiser distributorship in the country, has a temper and made an appearance (along with the other two bozo's) on American Idol and the WWE Monday Night Raw show.....
Meanwhile Billy Carter....I mean Jimmy...(they all end in "y" and I get confused)
visits terrorists and encourages their forgiveness for mass murders....
ahhhhhhhh what a wonderful world!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
the Pope's visit
The Pope is the leader of one of the largest organized religions in the World. He is also in charge of one of the most corrupted organized religions of the World. Instead of being greeted as a King or God when he stepped on U.S. soil, he should of been immediately arrested on Federal obstruction of justice charges and of violating the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) statute. The Pope has instructed his subordinates to obstruct justice relating to the rape of children.
ABC News has a link to the worst Cardinals.
Various sources state that nineteen Bishops have been accused of sexually abusing children. None of these Bishops have lost their title or been publicly censored. It all starts at the very top.
A priest who abuses a child can be removed from priesthood but they don't remove Bishops or Cardinals (like Cardinal Law, responsible for the Boston Archdiocese priest sexual abuse cover-up. top left).
The hypocrisy continues despite all recent assurances that changes must be made.
Monday, April 07, 2008
she has a solution.....
With that interested fixed gaze, you can bet ole Hill's got things all in perspective. Perhaps not.
This past week another hearing brought oil company executives before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, chaired by Ed "allegedly from Massachusetts but seldom seen except when a TV camera is around" Markey.
Yes another hearing...after the gasoline market was investigated by the Federal Trade Commission, U.S. State Attorney's General, and others...coming to the conclusion each and every time...there is no price fixing. The market works. The complaint: profits for oil companies are too high. Actually, profits are 7.6% of sales, less than 9.6% margin achieved by non-automotive manufacturing. Oil is still the premier product of international trade. We import about 56 percent for our use. As the U.S. dollar goes down, the price goes up as producers want to keep their purchasing power even if demand dosen't increase. China has rattled the market with substantial demand. There is some good in these high prices. Oil company profits stimulate production and provide funds for huge investments that will be needed to provide future supplies. Not to worry though...ole Hill and/or Barack will have the government bail us all out with high test.
on a slow news day on a Friday afternoon.....
Bonnie and Clyde Clinton released all their promised tax returns. Not bad for a post disgraced White House run.....
cigar-gate, Whitewater-gate, travel-gate,
and now speech-gate....making them the 14,500 richest families (dysfunctional and all) in the good ole U.S. of A.$$
The Barack Hussein Obama campaign had been after the Big C to release these numbers for quite some time now. Now the fun begins....
where the donations came for Wild Bill's Presidential library...$165 Million...and who them donors is...
the real deal......
We found a teleprompter note for Barack Hussein Obama to use on his next television appearance.
the antidote to 'regular' TV
While reading a local editorial rag I came across an interesting "Letter to the Editor." Liberal Herb states that since the Heritage Foundation recently stated that is was time for PBS to "leave home" comes the baggage associated with such less government regulation.....uninspected meat, contaminated vegetables, safety standards in pharmaceuticals and an economy in recession (allegedly). The complaint: that the lastest brainstorm is to pull the plug on PBS and NPR. I see no need to "pull the plug". I do see the need for them to be on their own and run as a non-profit business without any government dollars. Ratings for many NPR stations are quite high. They could easily earn enough dollars in commercial dollars to keep the venture profitable. If not, then the government should also contribute to Fox News and the Drudge Report. Just my two cents....
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
All quiet on the political front.....(so far)
All's quiet on the political front (so far) so the "Big O" goes bowling and "The Big C" does her best Gipper impersonation......
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Obama and the Governor
Meet Deval Patrick (on the left) Governor of Massachusetts. (aka Liberal Land, Kennedy Country, etc.)
To his right, Mr. Obama. (Barack Hussein)
Seems last month Mr. O "borrowed" lots of Mr. P's former campaign speeches.
Mr. P has become a dismal failure after promising "change" in Massachusetts. Sound familiar? Seems Mr. P did not do his homework in dealing with old school Massachusetts politics. Remember this was the home of former House Speaker Tip O'Neil. The New York Times (aka liberal rag and sister of the Boston Globe-Democrat, borrowing a line from Michael Graham, Boston talk show host) has a wonderful piece in today's edition. Is this, perhaps, what the future would/could be for a President O?
Read on and you decide
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
just plain ole "white" grandparents
So let me see if I get this straight...The Gov of NY resigns over hiring a hooker. The Lt.Gov takes his place and admits to drug use and infidelity (and no not the stereo kind) and the Big O claims Grandma is just another white lady.....
Boy we sure don't live in a Dick Van Dyke world...what would Laura Petrie do?
what a week....
What a week. First we read the ole Hill was shot at. Then we find out she was human and forgot. Now we find out that good ole Juan McCain covered Hill in row 23 of her plane while being shot at, allegedly. When asked for a comment....McCain posed for this pic...
The fur was and is still flying between the two Dems.....
Ahhhhh the good ole days...when peace and love conceived Chelsea....
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Anti Obama Pastor Manning....
Introducing the anti-Obama Pastor Manning......says he was "born trash"..." a long legged freak"....is an "emissary of the devil"... click the YouTube link to hear the entire 9 minute 51 second sermon....
http://youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU
Obama time............
I have been asking and finally found his resume.
After the big speech yesterday, I was waiting for the convicted felon Reverand Sharpton to make his appearance.
Or use this new image to reach out.....
Or this one.......
While there are many issues in this campaign, this image still says alot, regardless of the circumstances of which the picture was taken....
Where was Oprah? Isn't she from Chi-town too?
Thought she'd at least come out and offer some support.
Perhaps this will be his new schtick, ala Borat. 
Or use this new image to reach out.....
Or this one.......
While there are many issues in this campaign, this image still says alot, regardless of the circumstances of which the picture was taken....
Thoughts and comments about the "big speech"....(and quoting from some columinsts)
orally seductive, disingenuous, condescending, full of hot air...
Obama may of explained why we should understand Pastor Wright, but he did not explain why he tolerated the hate, ignorance and bigotry for 20 years. I was waiting for his explanation of why he could tolerate such Pastor Wright sayings, such as "the U.S. of KKK", "God Damn America" and how Jews set the stage for 9/11.
Let's face it. Pastor Wright spewed hatred. The Obama candidate who was to transcend race has become the candidate about race. And he was still listening to the preachings for 20 years.
What about Obama's daughters? What impressions are they learning from such vile?
And now the Hilliary argument about how much do we really know about this man comes to the surface again. Go figure.
Today is Hilliary's day.....
After B. Hussein Obama had his moment of glory yesterday, today we introduce you to Hill's new campaign promo....(courtesy of TMZ)
"Dancing to the Primary....."
"Dancing to the Primary....."
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