Let’s hope….
… and believe it will get better.
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Happy New Year!
31 Saturday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Bare Naked Islam blog bares all
31 Saturday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
1st Amendment, Bare Naked Islam, CAIR, censorship, Council on American Islamic Relations, dhimmitude, WordPress
Bare Naked Islam is back……sort of
“WordPress now saying that CAIR had nothing to do with their decision to take down my blog (despite CAIR bragging about it all over the internet). But they still want me off by Jan. 6th.”
The author of the controversial website Bare Naked Islam explains it all on The Andrea Shea King Show. Listen to our 30-minute interview about CAIR’s involvement in the censorship of her website.
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2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners
31 Saturday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Doug Ross at Director Blue proudly announces….
Fabulous! This is a “must-keep” go-to list for all who post, report, and are generally connected to the world in which we live. The gold standards by which we denizens of the blogosphere are inspired and seek to emulate.
Heartiest congratulations to the winners. Well deserved. And a magnum of champagne to Doug Ross for compiling the list. Pip pip and cheerio!
Presenting: the 2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Award Winners! #fab50
The moment you’ve been waiting for is here.
The votes are in. The anxious nominees’ fingernails have been chewed down to the quick. And at least one blogger just excused himself to go to the bathroom (number two, apparently).
So we’re more than pleased to announce the winners of the 2011 Fabulous 50 Blog Awards, the most prestigious new media awards in the conservative blogosphere. Or, at the very least, in the 993 area code.
These awards recognize a variety of blogs and websites operating in the conservative hemisphere of the Internet, all of which have worked tirelessly to protect America from Statism — some in very unique ways.
So, without further ado, may I have the envelopes, please?
Best News Portal:
Best Hybrid Portal:
Best Blog Portal:
Best Multimedia Pundit:
Best Group Blog:
Best Blogger in a Group Blog:
Best Op-Ed Blog:
Best Op-Ed Columnist:
Best News Blog:
Best Political Analysis Blog:
Best U.S. Econ Blog:
Best Global Econ Blog:
Best Talker’s Website:
The Mark Levin Show and Neal Boortz (tie)
Best Investigative Bloggers:
Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner (tie)
Best Political Group Blog:
Best Event Coverage:
Verum Serum, for its coverage of the “Occupy” movement
Best Economic Reporter:
Best Investigative Journalism:
Best Political Blogging:
Conservative Black Chick, Hispanic Conservative, Nice Deb, Pundit & Pundette, Sister Toldjah, Wintery Knight, Wolf Howling (tie)
Best Video Host:
Best News Outlet:
CNS News and Washington Examiner (tie)
Best White House Coverage:
Best First Lady Blog:
Michelle’s Mirror (MOTUS)
Best Blog-Ring:
The Watcher’s Council (All 2011 Council members are winners)
Best Latin American Coverage:
Best Law Blog:
Best Investigative Reporter in Legacy Media:
Sharyl Attkisson of CBS News for her reporting on Operation Fast & Furious
The David Brooks Award for Demi-Conservatism:
The David Frum Award for Faux Conservatism:
The Jennifer Rubin Award for Pseudo-Conservatism:
The Sweater-Full-of-Mischief Award for Humorous News Blogging:
The Daniel Irvin Rather Award for Media-Busting:
The Vince Vaughan Award for Pithy Commentary:
The Bob Saget Award for Best Videos:
The Stuxnet Award for Best Information Warfare Campaign:
The Bozell Award for Best Media Pundit:
The Daniel Simpson Day Award for Best Graphics:
The Salvador Dali Award for Most Creative Blogging:
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical and Sondrakistan (tie)
The Deb Morgan Award for Best Use of Cursewords:
The Ernie Pyle Award for Largest Brass Accoutrements:
The Yglesias Award for World’s Dumbest Blogger:
The Enron Award for Best Propagan-conomist:
The Kent Dorfman Award for Most Confused Blogger:
The Douglas C. Neidermeyer Award for Defending America Against Right-Wing Visigoths:
The Larry Kroger Award for Most Promising Newcomer:
TL In Exile and BS Footprint (tie)
Best Blogger Working in Legacy Media:
Post of the Year:
The Ronald Reagan Award for Best Anti-Communist Blogger:
The Moshe Dayan Award for Best Israel Blogger:
The Golda Meir Award for Best Anti-Jihad Blogger:
The Morrissey Award for Best Online Op-Ed Blogger:
Article of the Year:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Okay, I won. Where do I get my damn award badges?
A: Right here. If you have questions about installing your badge, ask ‘em in the comments.
Q: *Sob*. I didn’t win. Can I use one of the badges anyhow?
A: Yes, we’ve included handy LOSER badges for you.
Q: You suck — I didn’t win.
A: That’s not a question.
Q: Where are the previous Fabulous 50 Award Winners listed?
A: You can review The 2010 Fabulous 50 here and The 2009 Fabulous 50 here.
The Radio Patriot’s Top Ten Posts for 2011
30 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Top Ten MOST Read Radio Patriot Posts for 2011
Philly citizens should say ‘fauck you, ain’t payin’ no more taxes.’
30 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
chris brennan, city councilwoman, fellow council members, Marion B. Tasco, Philadelphia City Council, philadelphia daily news, public sector unions, retirement option plan, union pension
She gots her stash. You gots yours? This happenin’ in yor’ town too?
Just axin’…
Ignorant folk who are paying her salary should just sit down and STFU.
“Consider this Exhibit 5,394 in the ongoing saga of public sector unions and their Democrat toadies sucking the life out of the private sector.” — Director Blue
This Philadelphia Councilwoman Will Collect A $478K Pension Friday And Go Straight Back To Work On Monday
On her Philadelphia City Council web page, the Honorable Marion B. Tasco is touted “as one of Philadelphia’s most influential, politically savvy, and pro-active public officials,” in the city and over the next few days Tasco could be proving that claim correct.
Catherine Lucy and Chris Brennan of the Philadelphia Daily News point out that on Friday, Tasco will retire from her sixth term as councilwoman, collect $478,057 and be sworn in on Monday to serve her seventh term.
Tasco, along with many of her fellow Council members, is enrolled in Philadelphia’s Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP).
Aaron Kase of Philadelphia Weekly writes that DROP allows city workers to collect salary and build up pension money during the last four years of their employment.
Though DROP was originally introduced as “revenue neutral” it actually costs taxpayers about $22 million a year.
While many of Tasco’s fellow council members dropped out of the re-election race after controversy broke out over their enrollment in DROP, Tasco stayed in the race and won.
Monday she will be elected as City Councilwoman for Philadelphia’s Ninth District.
The Daily News mentions another returning DROP member, Register of Wills, Ronald Donatucci, retired Dec. 23 will also return to office Monday after collecting $366,797.
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Prediction: Christie on Romney ticket
30 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Barack Obama, Chris Christie, GOP ticket, junkyard dog, milquetoast, Mitt Romney, real clear politics, vice presidential candidates
I said this last week. Chris Christie, the junkyard dog, will be teamed up with Gentleman Mitt Milquetoast as the perfect complement to the GOP ticket.
Again, mark my words.
Chris Christie is no longer the governor of New Jersey. He’s on the stump as assistant campaign manager -cum – veep candidate to Mitt Romney. When Iowa’s over, he’ll go back to his part time job in Trenton until needed again.
From Real Clear Politics:
“Let’s be real clear. Let’s be real clear. President Barack Obama came out to Iowa three years ago, and he talked to you about hope and change. Well, let me tell you, after three years of Obama, we are hopeless and changeless, and we need Mitt Romney to bring us back, to bring America back,” Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said in Iowa today at a Romney rally.
* At the end of the video, while Christie is introducing Romney, an “Occupy” protester starts to chant “You are the 1%” as she is escorted off the premises. The heckler also trips on what seems to be wiring for television networks.
The Rules of The Bazaar
30 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Anwar Sadat, Arabs, Egypt, endless patience, Israel, israeli governments, Jews, media monopoly, Moshe Sharon, negotiation tactics
From Dan Friedman
[It’s not that Jews lack for people who understand what’s happening to Israel. Some of the best and brightest have expounded upon it. But their voices are shunted aside and pushed to the margins by Israel’s leftist media monopoly in defense of their carefully protected “narrative.” The writer is Professor Emeritus of Islamic History at Hebrew University, and this was written – and unheeded - in 2008. df]
January 2008, NATIV Online
No Peace, No Peace Plans, No Price for Peace
(A Short Guide for Those Obsessed with Peace)
By Moshe Sharon
The Arabs have been practicing negotiation tactics for more than 2,000 years. They are the masters of words, and a mine of endless patience.
On December 25, 1977, at the very beginning of the negotiations between Israel and Egypt in Ismailia, I had the opportunity to have a short discussion with Muhammad Anwar Sadat the president of Egypt. “Tell your Prime Minister,” he said, “that this is a bazaar; the merchandize is expensive.” I told my Prime Minister but he failed to abide by the rules of the bazaar. The failure was not unique to him alone. It is the failure of all the Israeli governments and the media.
((( Shudder )))
29 Thursday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Barack Obama, conservative activism, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, republican nomination, Sarah Palin, viable mainstream, Zombie
Sarah?
By Zombie @ PJMedia
Barack Obama Will Still Be President on January 19, 2017
December 28, 2011 – 9:09 am – by Zombie
That is, unless we jettison this freak show of Republican so-called candidates.
Newt Gingrich? Newt Gingrich????? The guy peaked nearly 20 years ago. Compromised, corrupt, amoral. He has about as much chance of winning the general election as do Calvin Coolidge’s decomposing remains.
Ron F-ing PAUL?????????????? The most charitable thing I can say about him is: Joke candidate. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If he gets the Republican nomination, I would actually stay home on election day, as would most voters forced to choose between a communist and a madman.
Michele Bachmann’s vaccine conspiracies have doomed her as a viable mainstream nominee, unfortunately, even though she is the most likeable of all the candidates and I would have gladly voted for her, “crazy eyes” notwithstanding.
Rick Perry has already made far too many unforced errors, and his extreme social conservative activism has turned off many Constitutionally-minded voters like myself who worry that if he wins he’ll use his power not to shrink government but to meddle in Americans’ private lives. No thank you.
Herman Cain: Toast.
Rick Santorum: If we were all in hell, I’d put my money on the snowball.
Huntsman, Johnson and the rest: Who?
Which leaves us only with Mitt Romney. He’s the sole Republican in the current field who even has a ghost of a chance at beating Obama, but as many have noted, he’s an old-school-checked-pant-double-talking-insider-flip-flopping pseudo-Republican who looks, talks and acts like a phony. I’d still vote for him over Obama, but only out of desperation; I’d rather have a president with magic underwear than an emperor with no clothes. But the growing tide of anti-Mormon bigotry in this country means that I fear few would join me in this protest vote.
And that, to my (and everyone else’s) great chagrin, is it. The pitiable pantheon of declared Republican candidates ends there. I keep reaching around in the bottom of the bag, asking “Any more in there? That can’t be all of you.” But my hand comes back empty. And my heart sinks.
Unless something changes drastically, Obama will beat any of these people handily. Which means, as my title reminded everyone, that he’ll be president for the term between 2012 and 2016 — which actually lasts until January 20, 2017. Think about that: 2017. It’s still 2011, people, and if things keep going as they are, Obama will be in charge until 2017.
2017.
Motivated now?
A complaint yesterday from HotAir commenter “magicbeans” succinctly summarized the national mood:
“I hate this field. What we should have had was Christie, Palin, Ryan, Rubio, West and Jindal. That could have been amazing. Instead we got the second stringers….”
Oh, how true that is. Any one of those candidates would have a good chance at beating Obama, and would be guaranteed to stir up the excitement lacking from the current field.
But we have one big problem: All the exciting potential candidates have already declared that they’re not running. In yesterday’s essay which inspired the comment above, William Kristol subtly suggests, without naming names, that perhaps one or more non-candidates should change their minds and re-enter the race.
But the time for subtlety is over. Let me be blunt:
ALLEN WEST, SAVE US FROM THIS CLOWDER OF CLOWNS.
And Chris Christie, Sarah Palin, Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal, please join Allen’s posse.
I know what all six of you are thinking: “We publicly declared that we aren’t running. We can’t break our promise now!”
Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Politicians change their minds all the time. In fact, the act of repeatedly “breaking promises” is the very thing that distinguishes politicians from normal people. Sure, a few voters may hold it against you for a week or two, but once you electrify the country and surge into the lead, the grudge will subside. And sure, the Democrats will try to use this broken promise against you in the general campaign, but trust me, that’ll be the least of their attacks.
But if you want something more official, here is an Absolution Coupon especially for you six:
I might seem lighthearted about all this, but I am actually deadly serious. A lame-duck Obama will have four years of not worrying about re-election to complete his conscious destruction of American capitalism and constitutionalism. It’s too hideous to even contemplate. And, aside from a long-shot chance by the slightly-better-than-a-crash-test-dummy Romney, none of the current candidates has any chance whatsoever to defeat Obama.
I know the public is waiting for an end to the unfunny charade known as the 2012 Republican Party nomination, so the real battle — between, for example, West, Palin and Rubio — can begin.
Let’s make it happen. You and I. Stop sitting on our hands waiting for a miracle.
Choose your favorite(s) from the six (temporarily) non-candidates above, and join the popular uprising to get some or all of them to change their minds.
First step: Vote in this two-part poll, so we can get some hard percentages to use as bargaining chips:
ASK NOTE: These are the poll results as of 4:12 pm ET Thursday afternoon. The poll is still open — go vote. Also note this: According to the US Constitution, Article 2 Section 1 Clause 5, neither Marco Rubio nor Bobby Jindal qualify under the Natural Born Citizen requirement. A fact that too many “conservatives” who claim to adhere to the Constitution and expect their elected representatives to do as well, choose to ignore.
Should we stick with the current crop of Republican presidential candidates?
- No: I am sorely disappointed with the Republican field. New, fresh candidates would be welcome. (87%, 1,501 Votes)
- I’m too depressed to even vote in this poll, much less the real election. (7%, 116 Votes)
- Yes: I am completely satisfied with the existing field of declared Presidential candidates: They are the best and the brightest our country has to offer. (5%, 86 Votes)
- I want the Republicans to lose anyway, so yes, let’s stick with this crop of also-rans. (1%, 27 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,730
Which of the undeclared Republican presidential candidates are your favorites? (Choose up to three.)
- Sarah Palin (44%, 999 Votes)
- Paul Ryan (40%, 889 Votes)
- Allen West (38%, 856 Votes)
- Marco Rubio (35%, 788 Votes)
- Chris Christie (23%, 516 Votes)
- Bobby Jindal (21%, 478 Votes)
- Other (name your choice in the comments section below) (3%, 75 Votes)
- None; I prefer one of the existing Republican candidates (2%, 51 Votes)
- They’re all stinkers; I plan to vote for Obama (1%, 24 Votes)
Total Voters: 2,246
Next: On the next page are a few resources to get you involved in the various groundswell campaigns to draft potential nominees. Send emails to your preferred candidates containing the Absolution Coupon above (download the jpeg here) and a link to this post — contact info given on the next page:
Allen West
Allen West for President
Draft Allen West for POTUS in 2012 online petition
A Million Signatures for Allen West
Earlier poll: 89% of voters think West should run for President
Allen West’s Congressional email address and phone number
Sarah Palin
Conservatives4Palin
Organize4Palin blog
SarahPAC
Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan for President 2012 Facebook page
Write In Ryan
Paul Ryan’s Congressional email address and phone number
Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio for President 2012 Facebook page
Why Republicans should nominate Marco Rubio for president
Marco Rubio Senate contact and email form
Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal for President 2012? Could Happen If There Is a Brokered Convention!
Contact Bobby Jindal
Chris Christie
Chris Christie for President! Facebook page
Draft Chris Christie 2012
Contact page with email for Governor Chris Christie
First step: Vote in this two-part poll, so we can get some hard percentages to use as bargaining chips:
Glenn Beck’s Top Moment of the Year
29 Thursday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
What was my #1 Moment of the Year? hmmm… I can think of a few events in 2011 that would vie for #1. I’ll have to give it some thought and get back to you.
Meanwhile, Glenn Beck has announced his #1 Moment and it’s a doozy. In fact, were I Glenn, I too would have said that leaving Faucks “news” to start my own network tops my list.
December 29, 2011
Top Glenn Moments of 2011
Glenn Beck moves about a thousand miles an hour and sports an ‘idea per minute’ ratio that few could rival. By the time the end of the year rolls around it’s easy to lose track of all the ground that he covered during that year. We have been counting down the top Glenn moments of 2011 and have finally reached the top moment. It was another fantastic year filled with huge changes, successes, ideas, inspiration and more. Get the top 10 moments here: #10,#9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3 and #2.
#1 Leaving Fox to start GBTV
Forget about being the top Glenn story of 2011, Glenn Beck’s decision to leave Fox News was one of the biggest news stories in all of 2011. From the beginning Glenn Beck was not your typical cable news host – in fact, Glenn was not really a cable news host at all. Case in point – name the cable news host who would ever dare to devote hours to history professors who wrote Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism?? They don’t exist. Why? Because most cable news hosts are confined to talking about whatever the media elite establish as the ‘top news of the day’ which usually ends up being the same old crap we always get. Republicans yelling at Democrats…yadda yadda yadda. Glenn was constantly going against conventional cable news wisdom – and clearly (judging by the huge ratings) it’s what people wanted. But there was only so much Glenn could do on Fox to push the envelope. That’s part of what led to one of the biggest decisions Glenn has ever made: leaving Fox to start GBTV.
After Glenn’s last show on Fox News he immediately hosted a broadcast on GBTV to talk about his time at Fox and a little about the future. And that future is GBTV. You can check out the premiere broadcast, which hundreds of thousands tuned in to see. GBTV is the vehicle that will drive everything Glenn does with Mercury One and Mercury Radio Arts. GBTV is also what Glenn believes is the future of media. No one in Glenn’s position has ever tried anything like this before – this is truly a groundbreaking project. This is where media is heading – people want to watch the handful of shows they like without having to pay for 700 channels just for the ability to see those few shows WHEN they want to watch. GBTV is pioneering the path to give people that ability.
Under the leadership of experienced network TV executive Joel Cheatwood, GBTV has already launched or announced several exciting shows in addition to the daily Glenn Beck Program. Liberty Treehouse, The B.S. of A. with Brian Sack, Independence USA (premiering January 18th) and a future unnamed animated series to be developed by GBTV and Icebox, originally founded in 1999 by a group of primetime TV writers including Jon Collier (The Simpsons, King of the Hill) and Howard Gordon (24, Homeland) are just the first of many entertaining and informative shows to come.
Leaving Fox to start GBTV is bold, cutting edge, risky, unconventional, surprising, prescient all rolled into one and more. But then again – so is Glenn Beck. So why’d you expect anything different?
Buckle up — 2012 is around the corner and Glenn Beck is just getting warmed up!
Ben Nelson: “The Tea Party must be stopped”
28 Wednesday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
The Tea Party must be stopped.
Following up on the Nelson announcement, a few notes on all the clatter afterwards.
Lest anyone get weepy-eyed about Nelson’s bipartisanship and all that, note his comment to Politico after saying that he was quitting instead of facing the voters one last time:
“The Tea Party must be stopped.”
Yeah? Which Tea Party? DeMint’s Tea Party? The Tea Party Express? The people that go to the Tea Party events and defecate on police cars and spread vermin across public property? (Oh wait, we mixed up the TPers and the OWSers…)
So is Nelson against smaller government and stricter adherence to the Constitution? What is it exactly about the “Tea Party”? Because that is an interesting lashing out to his final media swarm of his career.
—See Politico for more from this fool.
Jamming him down our throats
28 Wednesday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Caucuses, Drudge Report, emerson college, iowa, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Roger Ailes, The Andrea Shea King Show
Iowa. Romney.
It’s already underway. The systematic destruction of the competition. Welcome to John McCain redux. Romney’s going to be the nominee, and you’d just better like it, bubba. The machine is in full play.
Will Iowa be the stopgap between the GOP establishment combine (including Karl Rove, Roger Ailes, K Street, et al) saving us from a Romney certainty?
The Drudge Report
Tonight — A look at Iowa with Emerson College cub reporters on the ground who will be calling in with their reports about Bachmann, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul, Perry, Romney. And the Occupiers.
Also… our Capitol Hill Insider Elizabeth Letchworth of GradeGov: POTUS is going to raise the debt limit again before Congress comes back in January.
TONIGHT at 9p ET — click the link:
The Road Show — On the Road to Honolulu
28 Wednesday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Iran, Joe Biden, John Bolton, Obama, persian gulf, president mohamed, Road Show movies, Strait of Hormuz, tehran iran
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s navy chief warned Wednesday that his country can easily close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the passageway through which a sixth of the world’s oil flows.
It was the second such warning in two days. On Tuesday, Vice President Mohamed Reza Rahimi threatened to close the strait, cutting off oil exports, if the West imposes sanctions on Iran’s oil shipments.
Report from the NoCal Kremlin. Correspondent: ThirdWaveDave.
“Crosby and Hope did seven Road Show movies between 1940 and 1962, in which they portrayed second-rate show business troupers. If they were alive today, this would be the next installment. And it would be on the cheap, because you don’t have to hire writers…. it writes itself. Just get the cameras rolling…
The ROAD SHOW — On the Road to Honolulu
SCENE ONE: Obama on the beach in Hawaii drinking Mai Tais.
Cutaway shot: Joe Biden inside locked car. Frantic. Searching for keys.
Zoom in – tight shot: Keys in pants pocket.
SCENE TWO: Wide shot of the rest of the world’s economy going down the toilet.
That’s what’s happening. Unless they’re not telling us something. If the storyline is correct, no president would be on vacation. Strait of Hormuz? Look up the history and see what happened the last time the region was threatened. Guarantee no one was on vacation.”
SCENE THREE: John Bolton in a Faucks News studio, giving Obama regime advice.
SCENE FOUR: Obama on beach. Lackey refiling his Mai Tai.
BREAK FOR COMMERCIAL – brought to you by Asswax.
(Note to director: wide shot.)
This would be a comedy… if it wasn’t so serious.
SCENE FIVE: Show calendar date January, 2013. Moving trucks arrive at White House.
Roll Credits.
Victoria Jackson: “Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated our highest government positions…”
28 Wednesday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
FBI, government positions, government representatives, Islamic infiltration, Muslim Brotherhood, Muslims, Obama, Victoria Jackson
This is NOT the first time we’ve heard this. I’ve posted about it several times and talked about it on my radio show — many times. From Steven Emerson to Frank Gaffney to Jayna Davis to Pamela Geller to Tom Trento to Robert Spencer and others, I’ve interviewed them about this very thing.
If you don’t think the enemy is among us, hiding in plain sight and formulating policies that constrict us with the intention of defeating us, you’ve NOT been paying attention.
Victoria Jackson recently attended a six hour briefing in Washington D.C. Thirty eight government representatives were invited. Fifteen showed up. Slides, photos, names, dates and documents were shown overhead proving that the Muslim Brotherhood, not only planned the “Arab Spring” and Libyan take over, but has infiltrated our highest government positions, schools, courts and military and is even making policy.
“…and they are in all of our highest positions, including the president. I said to this FBI guy, ‘do you think Obama’s a Muslim?’ And he goes, ‘well, the facts are all of his policies side with the Muslims and are against Israel. That’s just a fact.”
“Oh Little Clown of Bethlehem…”
27 Tuesday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Lugar is Tea Party targeted for retirement.
26 Monday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
We’ve got nine dead bodies and an Occupier crapping on a police car… but it’s the Tea Party’s fault, right Lugar?
So tell me… why wasn’t he challenged by the reporter or someone else brought on the set representing the tea party’s point of view?
It’s long past time for this member of the Ruling class to go. As the folks at Weasel Zippers wrote, “Lugar represents everything that is wrong with the Republican party.”
GOP senator says Tea Party challenges ‘killed off’ efforts at Republican majority
Sen. Dick Lugar (Ind.) facing a primary contest from the right in his reelection bid said past Tea Party-backed challenges had “killed off” Republican efforts to take the Senate in the past and could undermine a GOP majority again in 2012.
“A Republican majority in the Senate is very important, and Republicans who are running for reelection ought to be supported by people who want to see that majority,” Lugar said in an interview which aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union.
“I think the majority of Tea Party people understand that too,” he added.
More “workplace violence” from the religion of peace.
25 Sunday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
bomb explosion, Christmas, christmas mass, christmas services, Islamists, muslim north, national security adviser, nigerian authorities, Nigerian Catholics, Obama
When you’re an Islamist, life is cheap. Peace be upon them. But before we get to the news of the day on this Christmas Day, first a word from the “Christians” in the White House.
Nigerian Catholics Burned to Death in Their Cars After Christmas Mass
Posted by Jim Hoft on Sunday, December 25, 2011, 5:08 PM
A car burns at the scene of a bomb explosion at St. Theresa Catholic Church at Madalla, Suleja, just outside Nigeria’s capital Abuja, December 25, 2011. Five bombs exploded on Christmas Day at churches in Nigeria, one killing at least 27 people, raising fears that Islamist militant group Boko Haram – which claimed responsibility – is trying to ignite sectarian civil war. (REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde)
Nigerian Catholics were burned to death in their cars today as they were leaving Christmas mass. Boko Haram Islamists took credit for the Christmas Day attacks.
Bomb attacks on churches during Christmas services and a suicide blast in Nigeria killed at least 40 people amid spiralling violence claimed by Islamists.
A purported spokesman for Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a bombing of a church outside the capital Abuja and other violence which stoked fear and anger in Africa’s most populous nation.
Nigeria’s national security adviser blamed Boko Haram for the horrific attacks that saw worshippers killed as they were leaving church and burnt inside their cars.
Victims at the church outside the capital, where 35 were killed, ran toward a priest with dying pleas, including one man who was mortally wounded. The series of attacks drew condemnation from the Vatican, the White House and several western countries.
Nigerian authorities were unable to prevent the latest attacks despite military crackdowns and claims of arrests of Boko Haram members in the country, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and mostly Christian south.
Men look at the wreckage of a car following a bomb blast at St Theresa Catholic Church outside the Nigerian capital Abuja. The White House on Sunday condemned the deadly Christmas Day bombings in Nigeria as “senseless violence” as it offered condolences to the Nigerian people over attacks blamed on an Islamist sect. (AFP/Sunday Aghaeze)
“These are a few of my favorite things…”
25 Sunday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things
A History of White House Christmas Cards
24 Saturday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
Tags
christmas card greetings, Christmas Cards, christmas greeting cards, christmas tree lighting, president calvin coolidge, White House, white house christmas card
White House Christmas Cards
White House Christmas Card 2011
According to an article written in Presidential Memorabilia, there have been official greeting cards from the White House for more than half a century, going out to a select number of people for the holidays. I’ve reprinted the article and added illustrations so you can enjoy a Christmas season trip down America’s White House memory lane.
Christmas Card Greetings From The White House
By: Robert Reed
Sketch of 1860 White House featured on President Jimmy Carter greetings card.
It must be quite a thrill to actually receive a Christmas card from the President of the United States. For more than half a century there have been official greeting cards from the White House going out to a select number of people for the holidays.
The traditional practice has endured through bright days and dark days, through times of peace and times of conflict. Today the Christmas cards of presidents past are a significant area of holiday collectibles.
Historians do not fully agree on exactly when the custom began.
President Calvin Coolidge issued the first official Christmas message to the American people in the 1920s according to sources at the White House. Coolidge also participated in the first Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the White House.
In 1923 the first event was known as the Pageant of Peace. Some sources say Coolidge was actually sending out a few Christmas greeting cards from the White House by 1927.
White House officials and most historians agree that President Herbert Hoover clearly was sending out holiday greetings from the executive residence by the early 1930s. In 1931 the president and Mrs. Hoover reproduced favorite family photographs for family, friends, and staff. As an added touch Hoover personalized the holiday greetings photographs with hand-written messages in the margins.
Pres. Herbert Hoover, 1932 Christmas Card
Franklin Delano Roosevelt introduced more of a stylized Christmas card in 1937 which was provided by the distinguished Brewood Engravers. The single-sided FDR offering was a small, three by four inch lithograph of a snow-covered farm with two red barns and two green fir trees. The inscription said simply, “Christmas 1937.” Basically the Christmas cards remained unchanged for the next several years, except for updating the numbers of the year.
American Greetings produced greetings card with White House sketch of 1877 for one holiday season.
In 1942 the president and Mrs. Roosevelt departed from the basic Christmas card standard to return to the photograph style that Hoover had initiated. The Roosevelts appeared in a black and white image which depicted them sitting outside of the oval office at a drop-leaf table. The printed greeting on the card read:
“With Christmas Greetings and our Best Wishes for a Happier New Year.”
The following year as World War II raged on around the world, the Roosevelts selected a different photograph but the same type of greeting. In the 1943 version, the couple was seated outside at a cloth-covered table. The photograph was taken by Ralph Short of Poughkeepsie, New York.
When President Harry Truman occupied the White House in the latter 1940s and early 1950s there were two sizes of Christmas greetings distributed on behalf of the family. The larger cards were reportedly given out on a much more limited basis, although both would be consider by collectors to be quite scarce today. The Truman Presidential Christmas Card from 1950 (above) is one of the most scarce of the large Presidential Christmas Cards. Beautifully calligraphed on heavy stock, the signatures of the President and First Lady were printed.
“Since the Truman era,” notes one leading dealer of American political memorabilia, “both small and large cards have been given. The larger cards continue to be much rarer than the smaller cards.”
In 1951 the president and Mrs. Truman used a Christmas card with a photograph of Blair House to send their traditional greetings. The first couple lived there from November of 1948 until March of 1951 while the White House was under extensive renovation.
Truman White House Christmas Card, 1952
It is generally acknowledged that the first official White House Christmas greeting card came under the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Starting in 1953 “Ike” make the impressive Presidential Seal the dominant part of the White House card. The mailing list was expanded considerably to include members of the Cabinet, members of Congress, American ambassadors aboard, and foreign heads of state. That year 1,100 cards were dispatched. From that point on according to authorities in the nation’s capital, the official Presidential Holiday Greeting became the White House Christmas card.
President Eisenhower designated one of the nation’s leading greeting card makers, Hallmark, to produce the first official card in 1953. Since that time Hallmark has produced more than 35 different White House greetings cards.
Throughout the remainder of the Eisenhower years the Presidential Seal was the single stark feature on the front of the cards. In 1955, the card included a blue silk screen background and distribution increased to 1,300. The following year the Eisenhowers used a slightly more embossed seal but the basic format remained the same. Inside, the text read:
“The President and Mrs. Eisenhower extend their best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.”
1960 Eisenhower Christmas Card
In 1961 President John Kennedy also incorporated the dramatic Presidential Seal for the White House Christmas cards. The card used a smooth white stock with a bold green silk border, and used the words, “Season’s Greetings 1961,” on the front. Inside the card, the president and Mrs. Kennedy extended wishes for a “Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.”
Also in 1961, Mrs. Kennedy had the above card made. It is a large 1961 Christmas Card from the Kennedy’s first year in the White House. It features a photograph by White House photographer Cecil Stoughton of ducks in a pond. This photograph was a favorite of Jacqueline Kennedy, and she made the decision to feature it on the Christmas Card which measured approximately 14 X 17 inches. The inscription at the bottom of the card read, “With our appreciation and best wishes for a happy Christmas,” and carried the printed signatures of John Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy and the year 1961. The maker of the card is Hallmark.
The Kennedy 1962 Christmas Card depicted the Red Room of the White House. Inscribed “With our appreciation and best wishes for a happy Christmas 1962,” it bore the printed signatures of President Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.
Also in 1962, the White House Christmas Card/Photo courtesy of John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston, Massachusetts.
The 1963 JFK Christmas card depicted the Green Room at the White House and featured the sentiment, “With our appreciation and best wishes for a happy Christmas 1963″. This was the last of the Kennedy Christmas cards and was given by Jacqueline to VIPS and Senior White House Staff after the death of President Kennedy.
(Note: The above card is the rarest and most tragic of the presidential cards because it was not sent out after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas that Nov. 22. Only 30 of them were signed by the President and Mrs. Kennedy before they left for Dallas. In 1998 the holiday card, depicting an image of angels hovering over a creche in the East Room of the White House, sold at auction for $11,000.)
Coming at a tragic time in the nation’s history the White House Christmas card in December 1963 was starkly white except for a thin red border at the bottom. Although the card was embossed by the Presidential Seal, the card contained no additional color and no holiday symbol. Two variations of two-word messages were used inside. One said “Blessed Christmas” while others read “Season’s Greetings.” Newly sworn-in president Lyndon Johnson and Mrs. Johnson actually sent the cards during the official mourning period following the November 22 assassination of President John Kennedy. (Seen above, a similar version was sent out in 2009).
According to Mary Evans Seeley, author of “Season’s Greetings From the White House,” a memo from the United States Department’s chief of protocol just five days after JFK’s death prompted the Johnsons to continue the tradition despite the circumstances. In any event, the list that holiday season was significantly limited and included a relatively few governmental leaders in the United States and abroad.
This is a beautiful card displaying trees, landscape, two girls representing the Johnson daughters, two dogs representing the Johnson pets, and a view of the White House. The card was frequently referred to as The Willow Watercolor. Robert H. Laessig painted the card and American Greetings made and supplied the cards to the White House without charge.
By 1967 the Johnsons had returned to more festive White House greeting cards. That year the cards included a reproduction of an interior painting of a Christmas tree in the Blue Room by artist Robert Laessig. The holiday cards were sent to 2,600 people.
President Richard Nixon and Mrs. Nixon found the idea of reproducing a vintage painting on White House cards appealing as well. In 1971 their selection was the reproduction of a 1930 painting by N.C. Wyeth. Originally the Wyeth work had been used as a patriotic poster commissioned by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The painting itself depicted President George Washington and architect James Hoban as they inspected the uncompleted White House in 1798.
A few years later in 1975, President Gerald Ford and Mrs. Ford selected a 1858 painting by George H. Durrie for the official White House greetings card. The painting, called Farmyard in Winter, was framed in red foil and represented what many considered to be an old-fashioned Christmas scene.
Some striking historical scenes were revised for the White House cards during the latter 1970s by President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Carter. In 1978 they selected an 1877 hand-colored wood engraving of the White House to highlight the cards. Instead of Hallmark, the Carters selected American Greetings for the production of the greetings. No year appeared on the inside, just the message, “With best wishes from our family for a happy holiday season.”
The Carters decided on a unique 1860 sketch of the historic White House for the 1979 greeting cards. That particular year they were also produced by American Greetings.
1984 White House Christmas Card
In 1981 President Ronald Reagan and Mrs. Reagan chose a painting by artist Jamie Wyeth as focus of the annual cards. Appropriately, the title of the original painting was Christmas Eve at the White House. The Hallmark-made card that year was issued in two sizes with the larger 11.5 by 12 inch version being sent to a much more limited and selective list.
1985 Reagan Christmas Card
By 1986 the Reagans had begun the use of the first of a series of paintings by Thomas William Jones for their official Christmas cards. Mrs. Reagan showcased rooms not previously featured on White House cards including:
the East Room in 1986
the State Dining Room in 1987, and the North Entry Hall in 1988.
The first of the President George H.W. Bush’s official greetings cards in 1989 featured a painting by William Gemmell. The title of the painting, Celebrating Christmas at the President’s House, was included on the card’s image. The White House cards that year were also issued in two sizes with the larger 12 by 16 inch version being the most restricted in number.
1990 GHW Bush White House Christmas Card - The Oval Office
The official White House Christmas Card for 1992 from the President and Mrs. Bush was produced for the White House by Hallmark Cards. The design on the cover was the national tree and the White House by Kamil Kubik.
Official White House Christmas Card from 1998. From Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. The White House – The State Dining Room. Watercolor by Ray Ellis.
1994 Clinton Christmas Card
President William Clinton and Mrs. Clinton returned to the interior of the White House for their 1995 White House greetings cards. The White House Blue Room was rendered by artist Thomas McKnight who also provided the artwork for the cards the previous year and the year afterwards.
In 1995 the following message appeared just above the facsimile signatures of Bill and Hillary Clinton:
“Our family wishes you and yours a beautiful holiday season filled with the warmth of friends and loved ones, and with the promise of a happy new year.”
White House Nocturne, South Lawn, 1997, Clinton White House
The Clintons welcomed “…joy and peace in new millennium” with their 1999 White House greeting card. The card depicted a snow covered North Portico of the White House based on a watercolor by Ray Ellis. The cards were mailed to an estimated 400,000 people.
2000 Clinton Christmas Card - The Yellow Oval Room, First Family Residence
President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush picked a “cozy corner” for their 2001 official first family Christmas card. It featured attractively wrapped packages inside the second floor corridor of the White House. Hanging on the wall in the back of the image was a section of the painting Young Woman and Two Children by Mary Cassatt. The Bush holiday greetings card had a mailing of 875,000.
In 2002 the president and Mrs. Bush selected an oil painting of a 1938 Steinway grand piano in the Grand Foyer of the White House to ‘decorate’ their official card. This time the mailing reached an all-time presidential record of one million Christmas cards. And ironically the inscriptions on the cards had long since ceased the use of the word Christmas.
President Bush’s 2003 card featured an original work by artist Barbara Ernst Prey of Long Island, N.Y. The painting depicts the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House. The message inside the card reads: “‘You have granted me life and loving kindness; and your care has preserved my spirit.’ Job 10:12 May you celebrate the joys of faith, family and friendship this holiday season and always. 2003.”
Pres. GW Bush 2005 Christmas Card
The 2007 card a watercolor snow scene created by artist David Drummond with the statue “Gardner” by Sylvia Shaw Judson overlooking the pond in the Jackie Kennedy Garden near the East Wing colonnade. Inside is a religious quotation from Nehemiah 9:16 and the printed signatures of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.
2008 GW Bush Presidential Christmas Card
That year — 2007 — the New York Times estimated that the postage alone, a 37-cent American flag stamp on each, would reach $370,000. However in recent decades, the enormous expense and effort of such mailings has been borne by the political party of the person who was in office at the time.
Back in 1982 the legendary Hallmark company donated its extraordinary Presidential Christmas Card collection to the National Museum of American History, a part of the Smithsonian Institution.
However, many truly authentic White House greetings card remain.
Reprinted from “The Antique Shoppe” Florida’s Antiques and Collectibles Newspaper
Gold Star Mom Debbie Lee on Fox News Saturday at 12:25 pm ET. Tune in!
23 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
DEBBIE LEE ON FOX NEWS SATURDAY AT 12:25 PM ET–TUNE IN!!!
(hat tip Thirdwavedave)
Pictured above: Debbie Lee with her son Marc Alan Lee, the first Navy Seal to be killed in Iraq.
Debbie will be on FoxNews’ America’s News Headquarters Saturday 12-24-11 at 12:25 PM ET. If it’s possible, please tune in and ask others to do so as well. Debbie’s a patriot through and through and we should support her whenever possible.
Read all about Debbie Lee and her son Marc Alan Lee at America’s Mighty Warriors. And consider making a generous contribution. Thanks.
The Christmas Ship
23 Friday Dec 2011
Posted in American Spirit
I wrote this post last year. I thought I’d share it with you again this year. Sort of a tradition. After all, isn’t that part of what Christmas is about? Traditions?
Art by Dean Morrissey, from The Christmas Ship
Years ago when I hosted my show at a Melbourne, FL radio station, I interviewed dozens of best selling authors who were coming through to do book signings further south at the Vero Beach Book Center. As a result, I have bookshelves lined with autographed hardcovers by James Patterson, Les Standiford, Mary Higgins Clark, Stuart Woods, Burt Boyar, Brad Meltzer, Stephen Cannell, and so many others that the shelves groan with the weight of them.
One in particular stands out this time of the year. It’s “The Christmas Ship”, written and illustrated by Dean Morrissey. Dean came into my studio Nov. 7, 2000 and joined me for an interview I’ll never forget.
Dean is an artist, and the images he paints are magical. Considered fine art, the prints are available in limited editions.
The story of “The Christmas Ship” is sweet, but what made it come alive for me are the images on each page, evoking the nostalgia and wonder of childhood Christmases.
As I said, I have interviewed dozens of authors. But there was something special about this one. And I think what made it so memorable was something this talented artist shared with me during a commercial break. Though it came about casually, within moments I had a lump in my throat.
Dean had mentioned that he had two children. As I paged through the slim volume, I noted that the book was dedicated For Shan and Ian.
“Your children?” I asked.
He replied that Shan was his wife and Ian his son. Puzzled, I asked why he didn’t include the second child.
The next few moments were quiet. His face grew pained, his eyes saddened as he softly answered my question. While working on the book, they lost their second child.
That precious child lives on as Joey, the little boy who experiences the adventure of Christmas on the book’s pages.
Ten years later, I recently came across this sweet little book, stored in a box under a bed along with dozens of other childrens’ books long since put away.
I’ll give those books to my grandchildren for them to keep or dispose of. But “The Christmas Ship” will remain with me for a little while longer. I want to again marvel at the story and its images.
Dean autographed the copy to my two firstborn granddaughters, then four and five years of age, now in their teens. I’ll preserve this special treasure for the day when they can read it to children of their own.
A search on the internet for information about Dean Morrissey brought me to several sites. One of them gives this description of Dean and his work:
“Dean Morrissey has been drawing and creating characters since his childhood in Boston. Inspired by Disney matte paintings and comic book heroes early on, he grew to appreciate the works of the masters, such as Rembrandt, Vermeer, Pyle and N.C. Wyeth. Morrissey worked a variety of job until deciding to paint full time in the late 1970’s. He worked as a freelance book cover illustrator for over 15 different publishers in New York and won numerous awards.
Morrissey is self taught, and considers the demands of cover illustration to have been his “art school”. In 1991, Morrissey began to paint some images from a story that he was creating. His books include Ship of Dreams Harry N Abrams (1994), The Great Kettles: A Tale of Time Harry N Abrams (1997), The Song of Celestine Little, Brown and Co. (1998), The Christmas Ship HarperCollins (2000), A Christmas Carol Greenwich Workshop Press (2000), The Moon Robber HarperCollins (2001), The Winter King HarperCollins (2002), and The Monster Trap HarperCollins (2004).
His awards include The Society of Illustrators Gold Medal for The Great Kettles, The Chesley Award for The Light Ship (2002), and he is a current nominee for this year’s Chesley Award for Anna of the Celts (2003). Morrissey lives with his wife Shan and his son on the South Shore of Massachusetts.”
Please enjoy the images I’ve included here. Merry Christmas to all and especially to Dean Morrissey, who has shared his vision of the magic of Christmas past and yet to come. A wonderful gift for young and old alike.
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Dean Morrissey - "Preparing the Journey"
