Going Rogue Cheap

This is the latest from Human Events, the conservative blog that just keeps on giving. You are asked to join and get Sarah’s new masterpiece at a discount. This is of course the only way this book makes it to the best seller list, through bulk sales to people who will give it away. But the come-on is priceless.

Dear Fellow Conservative:
One year ago, Alaska Governor and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin delivered a speech at the Republican National Convention that electrified the GOP’s conservative base.

But as the campaign unfolded, Palin became a lightning rod for criticism — much of it viciously directed not only at her, but at her family.

Democrats, forgetting feminism, mocked Palin as an empty-headed beauty queen and bad mother.

Excuse me! Forgetting feminism? No, remembering what it is that feminism actually stands for. See my post from last year.

Meanwhile, some GOP insiders leaked complaints to the press that Palin was harming the ticket by “going rogue” as an outspoken fiscal and social conservative.

And yet, Sarah decided to use that epithet as the title for her biography. Going rogue, what does that mean? A crazed elephant leaving the herd to rampage on its own? Rogue has many meanings. Some are spot on, at least from my perspective.
rogue n.
1. An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.
2. One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp.
3. A wandering beggar; a vagrant.
4. A vicious and solitary animal, especially an elephant that has separated itself from its herd.
5. An organism, especially a plant, that shows an undesirable variation from a standard.
adj.
1. Vicious and solitary. Used of an animal, especially an elephant.
2. Large, destructive, and anomalous or unpredictable: a rogue wave; a rogue tornado.
3. Operating outside normal or desirable controls: “How could a single rogue trader bring down an otherwise profitable and well-regarded institution?” (Saul Hansell).
v. rogued, rogu·ing, rogues
v.tr.
1. To defraud.
2. To remove (diseased or abnormal specimens) from a group of plants of the same variety.

The attacks didn’t end with the election — if anything, they got worse, as Palin’s enemies resorted to saying almost anything about her to end her political career.

So she quit because people were attacking her?

Now, in her eagerly anticipated memoir, Going Rogue, Sarah Palin tells her side of the story — about her life, her family, her principles, her career, her vice-presidential candidacy … and her possible political future.

Please, no. A political future? How? I won’t buy the book to find out either. I am just praying it ain’t so.

For a limited time, we are able to make Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue available to you for the incredibly low price of just $8.95, plus $5.95 shipping and handling.

Those bulk orders will put it on the best seller list no doubt.

We’ll ship your copy of Going Rogue as soon as it’s released by Mrs. Palin’s publisher on November 17.

Plus, you will get a FREE Bonus — 6 free issues of HUMAN EVENTS, the National Conservative Newsweekly, delivered right to your mailbox.

That’s right, there will be no charge for a six-issue trial subscription to HUMAN EVENTS when you order Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue at our special, heavily discounted price.

Why HUMAN EVENTS? Here’s what bestselling author (and HUMAN EVENTS legal correspondent) ANN COULTER has to say about it:

“HUMAN EVENTS is the publication I have called my editorial home for years. Not only do I write a weekly column for HUMAN EVENTS, I devour it from cover to cover.

“Why? Because it’s the one newspaper I can count on to bring me the absolute, unvarnished, hard-hitting truth. And so should you.”

If Ann Coulter says it, it must be true, right?

The voices in HUMAN EVENTS ring true — Pat Buchanan, Chuck Norris, Michael Reagan, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin, and more.

Mary Matalin says that “HUMAN EVENTS is a leading voice of the conservative movement — every conservative should read it.” And Oliver North states that “HUMAN EVENTS has been the flagship publication for the past 64 years.”

Ringing endorsements all. I know that if Chuck Norris and Ollie North are behind it, this must be like the Bible or something.

This is an offer without risk to you.

If you don’t count choking to death on your own vomit.

Just order Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue now — and get 6 free issues of HUMAN EVENTS.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Winter
Editor in Chief, HUMAN EVENTS

Guess what? I think I’ll pass.

They Want their Country Back

I was watching this really good but scary video about the 9/12 march in Washington and it hit me, what the people here were talking about. They want their country back. Don’t they realize that we have elections and that is when you get your country back? We all had the chance to vote. You lost. Get over it. Go out and find a candidate that you think can win and do what you want, but stop belly aching. Stop lying about things. Find out the truth for yourselves. Read some history. Do some research and that doesn’t mean turn on Glenn Beck.

This video nails so many points about the level of delusional thinking.

And who do you want your country back from? Who has taken it? The Democratic Party that won the elections? The government? Obama in particular? Where were you all the last 8 years? Were you happy with Bush inflating the deficit to historic highs with an unnecessary war and tax cuts for the wealthy?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

What in the hell is going on in this country when the people on the right feel free to show utter disrespect for the office of the President of the United States. First they say that the President should not be talking to the students of America without their parents permission.

Rep. Joe Wilson thinks he is in Parliament.

Since when did the President need permission to make a public address calling on children to work hard and be responsible? Then we have a congressman yelling “You lie!” at the President in the Senate chamber during a joint session of Congress. As much as I hated Bush, I would never have the gall to tell him when he could talk and to whom. Or to call him a liar as he is talking to the rest of Congress. (Sure, in my dreams, and I did yell from my couch, but in Congress? No, I would not.) It is not only disrespectful to him, but to the institution of the Congress. And what was he calling the President a liar for? For saying that the health care bill will not cover illegal aliens. Now, did this guy know for sure that the President wants to give health care free to illegals? No. Is it in a bill now written? No. Was it a knee jerk reaction to the hateful lies being thrown all over the place by people who actually know better? Probably.

 

Seems that the Right feels nothing holding them back from calling him a liar, as they in the same breath lie until they are blue in the face. Lying hypocrites! And they are legion. I get so angry. Here’s my enemies list. The Biggest Liars Club.

I wish there were laws about lying. Libel and slander do not apply here for some reason. I wish the President could sue the liars and make them come clean, that they are only saying what they are saying because they get money from insurance companies, or they just don’t want him to succeed for whatever political reason.

I listened to President Obama’s speech and to the Republican rebuttal. Seems to me they didn’t listen to him at all. They decided before he gave the speech which parts they would hear and which they would just ignore. No matter what he said they were going to cling to the lies. What is wrong with those people?

The Kennedy Funeral

I was just looking at the photos from Teddy Kennedy’s funeral and came across this. Sure, there are lots of political celebrities there, but Jack Nicholson? What is that about? Did he and Teddy have a relationship? Go out, have a few drinks, pick up chick together? Or was Jack in Boston and decided to just show up for the free publicity? Is he going to try and get Ted’s seat? There has to be more to this. Anyone know?

Ask a Kreep

The latest from the right wing is in a newsletter I get just to keep up with their insanity. Forewarned is forearmed, or so they say.

Found on a conservative blog called GOP Mom today

What would you think if an amendment to the U.S. Constitution was introduced by liberal Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, which repealed the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights — taking away our right to Free Speech?

What would you think if an amendment to the U.S. Constitution was introduced by liberal Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, which repealed the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights — taking away our right to Keep and Bear Arms? (A right that the U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld!)

“That could never happen,” you say. “No one would allow it!” Right? Well…

Did you know that there are TWO ways that our Constitution can be changed? And did you know that Pelosi, Reid and Barack Obama are using the less well-known way, without having to actually introduce amendments?

IT’S TRUE — and WE have to stop it NOW!

This is written to scare the money right out of those poor people too dumb to think for themselves. I am sure most of them miss the signature on this call to arms, one Mr. Gary Kreep, Executive Director Of the United States Justice Foundation. Really, Kreep.

According to Mr. Kreep, we liberals are trying to call for a Constitutional Convention where we will throw all that he and his conservative friends hold dear into the fire. We are out to destroy the country.

Say BYE-BYE to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech — Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity could be taken off the air.

Say BYE-BYE to the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms — a total gun ban could be the law of the land!

Say BYE-BYE to the Constitution’s requirement that to serve as President a man or a woman must be a “natural born citizen”!

What amazes me about this is that I am on every liberal newsletter, email and regular mail list and I have yet to hear about this wonderful news. Getting Rush and Hannity off the air would definitely be worth trashing the Constitution, wouldn’t it? Can we make sure Ann Coulter and Bill O’Reilly are included, too? ‘

Do they really think that we want to take away freedom of speech? And the right to bear arms? Is absolute fear the only way they know how to deal with a President they don’t like? I guess it works for them most of the time. And when the people they are scaring send money, what do they spend it on? More fear mongering? Not one solution, not one new idea comes from these people. Only hate and fear.

Grandmas and Unborn Babies Face Extermination by Obama’s “Health” Care Plan
The bottom line? Your tax-dollars will pay for preferential hiring of homosexual hospital administrators, who distribute $50,000 grants to gender-confused activists for unneeded elective surgery to mutilate their own genitals, (and force Christian doctors to perform it.)

It would be funny if it weren’t so scary. These people are very angry and they have guns and are getting more crazy people to send them money. And no lie is beneath them.

Grasping at straws

This from the latest Human Events.

If ObamaCare passes, you can kiss your private health insurance goodbye… maybe your doctor, too… and you can certainly say adios to the best health care system the world has ever known.

What country are they living in?

The other day I asked my mother about what kind of health coverage she and dad had to cover us when we were children. Nothing. Nada. Four children. Dad had a steady job with the same company through my childhood (in the 60s) and the company didn’t cover anything, yet the out of pocket expenses of keeping a family of 6 healthy did not kill them. I had my adenoids out. Mom had 5 kids and stayed in the hospital more than a day, and there was no worry about where the money would come from or what would be covered. They paid for it out of my father the salesman’s salary. Plenty of dental, eye care, regular check ups, we had it all. There was never any question about whether we could afford medical care. One salary, no insurance. And I don’t think we were unusual.

Then it all changed. It was thanks to Nixon and the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973. To be fair, the left pushed for it because it seemed like a good idea to pool resources for good care. Unfortunately, it was another lesson in no regulation running amok. The insurance companies that were supposed to make care cheaper used their profits to invest in real estate in the 80s and then when the market tanked, they had to make up the difference, first by starting to deny care, then by raising rates. Then pharmaceutical companies, hospital corporations and medical device manufacturers got in line for the big profits. And so we are where we are now. With what the Republicans are saying is ” best health care system the world has ever known.”

And their solution is…? Still waiting.

Popular Delusions

“Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one!”

Many years ago I bought a book called Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. Written in 1841 by Charles Mackay, it examines times throughout history where large groups of people have been led to believe in falsehoods and what has been the fallout of those beliefs. I have thought of this book many times recently when reading about the financial follies of Wall Street and Madoff’s scheme. What caused so many smart people to “believe” that things were working just fine? From the book, it is clear that people are easily led to believe in schemes that promise them wealth even when on the face of it, it makes no sense.

In the 17th century, wealthy Europeans were throwing their fortunes into tulip bulbs only to lose bundles when the prices fell to rational levels! In the 18th century, the South Sea bubble was more like our current mess though. But at after it all fell apart, at least “the estates of the directors of the company were confiscated and used to relieve the suffering of the victims.” I am appalled that the CEOs, CFOs, and others who were at the helm when everything fell apart are still getting their huge salaries and even bemoaning the losses of their bonuses. Why can’t we take their estates and spread it around for the victims.

Sarah, you were so misunderstood

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Not a big Conan fan, but I love William Shatner. Who knew it was poetry? If only she’d had bongos.

Gone but not forgotten

Just in case I need a reminder of what was so frightening about this woman, I can always look at this. She officially stepped down as Governor of Alaska today and I hope she will just take her money for speaking engagements and keep away from me forever.

PAC money? I don’t see how it helps her to step down. Quitter? Stay visible on the rubber chicken tour of the USA? What can she do to look presidential? I hope he is right that she wants to be a TV star. Give her a show FOX so I never have to see her again. Please!!!

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Today was a unique experience to me, but one that could be played out all over this country. I knew my ancestors had slaves, but today I met my cousins, the descendants of those slaves at a reunion of the Carson family held at the Carson House in Marion, NC. Seems great-great-great-great grandpa had two full sets of children with two women, just across the creek from each other, each in their own house. The black slave woman with whom he had 12 children was named Kadella. She was considered a princess, perhaps the daughter of an African king and did no work except for making beautiful quilts and exquisite hand sewn clothing.

My new long lost Carson cousins - Preston & Ken

That and having kids all the time. They say she never walked anywhere and was carried around by the other slaves on a palanquin. An interesting note to this story was that Master John Carson sent the children (update – make that just the boys) he had with Kadella to the north as soon as they turned 14 so they did not become slaves themselves, except for the last two who probably turned 14 after his death. (Another version of the story is they were sent away because of their “shameful likeness” to their father.) I could not find whether any of the people at the reunion were related to those children who went north. Lots of the history is a bit fuzzy for obvious reasons. Names came up again and again. My great great grandfather William Carson was the son of the original John Carson. There were several Will and William Carsons there. People came from NY, NJ and Texas. Many others from NC, Hickory, Statesville, Morganton, Marion, stayed close to home.

My family on Mom’s side is so small, it was fun to be among this large extended family. Sure, at best we are probably 6th or 7th cousins, but blood is blood.

Where it all began

There is a moment in history where we were joined. It is a strange history, a bitter one, and I was ambivalent about one of the other white relatives who gave a short talk and apologized to all the black Carsons. Should we be sorry that we are all here today together? That our common ancestor was the man he was? Isn’t it presumptuous to apologize for their own progenitor as if we as 21st century white people bear more responsibility for his actions than they do? We are all his descendants. I am sorry that it happened, but can only do what I can do in this life to see that the wrongs of society are address in the here and now.

One of the other black Carsons (could not find him after he talked to get his name) got up and led with the line,”Guess who’s coming to dinner” which got a great laugh and applause.
He went on to say, “This is where it started. Our Chicken George, our Kunta Kinte. We built this house. And today, nobody came in the back door.” Earlier when he was sitting beside me he mentioned the family resemblances and pointed to his little boy, “see that nose?” And sure enough, looking at my Mom, that was a Carson nose.


The black Carson relatives have been having reunions for years, but this is the first time they came to the Carson House where it began. And the first that the white side was invited, kind of. Mom saw something about it in the newspaper. It said all relatives were welcome. We were a tiny minority, but I am glad I went, though I would be interested to meet more relatives on any side. There are so many intertwined stories there. It would make a great book, or movie or miniseries. The sensibility now would be very different from the days of Roots when it would not have been p.c. to explore the depths of the love John Carson had for his slave wife and children. Or to talk about the intermarriages of his sons with the slave women as well as the indigenous Cherokee.


There was another quilter in the house, a woman named Fatima. Her story could be yet another thread in the saga. She claimed to be of noble blood and claimed to be able to read and write though her writing was illegible to anyone in the house, until a traveling preacher who had been in Africa as a missionary came through and recognized her writing as Arabic. It also explained that she had brothers named Mohammed and that she was a Muslim. She was also apparently very tough to deal with and was traded after being there for a short time. I would love to know her whole story.

The slave records had been transcribed for this event and there were lists with names and ages. It was interesting to see that there were a number of people 60 and older who were just listed as invalids, taken care of when they could no longer work. I wish there were time machines to go back and see how it really was. No doubt, it would sicken me a lot of the time, but I know it would be very different from our pictures of the life, since there are no real histories, only fragments of what the educated thought should be written – their version of the story, leaving out the majority of the people, slaves, women, the Cherokee.

At the Carson Plantation, during the Civil War, when the Yankees came through on Stoneman’s Raid, the slaves put mud on faces of the master’s children and hid them and their mother and fed them from their own meager stores of food. Many of the slaves stayed on with the family long after the war ended and they were freed. I think that these families in the isolation of the western mountains had become close. There are stories of slave-master children marrying into the families of the locals and in the end, the ancestry is so mixed as to be indistinguishable. When we arrived, one woman who spoke with me early on was a white woman whose great-great grandfather had a child with a slave woman who was her great grandmother. I would love to see a family tree and I am hoping that some of the people I talked with and traded email addresses with will be able to help with the other (until now unknown) side of the family. I hope this is just the beginning of a beautiful kinship.