Today I received the above hit from a member of the Army. This soldier was checking out Friday's "The Meaning of Memorial Day" post. To his reader I have the following message; all of us here at the RWE household thank you for your service. We know that your sacrifices ensure our freedom, and we are eternally grateful.Monday, May 31, 2010
Government Visit
Today I received the above hit from a member of the Army. This soldier was checking out Friday's "The Meaning of Memorial Day" post. To his reader I have the following message; all of us here at the RWE household thank you for your service. We know that your sacrifices ensure our freedom, and we are eternally grateful.
Memorial Day
Happy Memorial Day to all. Again, as you go about your Memorial Day activities, spare a thought for those who gave everything for our freedom, and those who continue to do so at home and abroad.
P.S. There will be a slight change in the posting schedule this week. Since Tuesday will be the start of the work week for most of us, the Joke of the Week will move to Tuesday, Patriots and Heroes will move to Thursday and Global Warming Wednesday will remain the same.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Meaning of Memorial Day
With the start of another Memorial Day weekend, I want to remind everyone what this long weekend is really about. I probably should have written this post sooner, apparently some have already forgotten.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Plumbing Turns Political
Last night I was doing some DIY plumbing, apparently no one ever told my wife that when you water your plants in the sink, you should be careful about the loose potting soil going down the drain. With this project, and the aftermath, fresh in mind this morning, I came across this little beauty, and I just had to share. Have a Great Memorial Day weekend.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Memorial Day: The Chosen One Style (I Mean The Chosen One Has No Style)
Tip O' the Hat to Ray Schneider over at Political Brambles for this. I could not have said it better myself.
SEE HERE "... The truth is that no president has missed the Arlington ceremony on Memorial Day since 1992. ..." Obama is a relatively young president. He's never served in the military. In fact he's never really worked for a living in anything most of us would recognize as a real job. He has about the same sense of the military as Bill Clinton I'd expect. It's a symptom of the liberal leftist, collectivist mindset. They all view the military as sort of a lower form of life. So is it really any surprise? I don't think so, but coming from a military family virtually every member of which has served the country, it pisses me off! This guy leaves no opportunity to denigrate America, no rock unturned. No enemy is so wrong as not to be worth listening to and no friend so good as not to be criticized. In truth this president is a great disappointment. I didn't expect anything different since I thought he was an empty suit from the get go. Everything he has done since has pretty much confirmed it. This is just the latest travesty in a long list. November Is Coming!
SEE HERE "... The truth is that no president has missed the Arlington ceremony on Memorial Day since 1992. ..." Obama is a relatively young president. He's never served in the military. In fact he's never really worked for a living in anything most of us would recognize as a real job. He has about the same sense of the military as Bill Clinton I'd expect. It's a symptom of the liberal leftist, collectivist mindset. They all view the military as sort of a lower form of life. So is it really any surprise? I don't think so, but coming from a military family virtually every member of which has served the country, it pisses me off! This guy leaves no opportunity to denigrate America, no rock unturned. No enemy is so wrong as not to be worth listening to and no friend so good as not to be criticized. In truth this president is a great disappointment. I didn't expect anything different since I thought he was an empty suit from the get go. Everything he has done since has pretty much confirmed it. This is just the latest travesty in a long list. November Is Coming!Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Global Warming Wednesday
Last night I had an interesting conversation with several commenters on a libby blog I sometimes read. The thrust of the article was about the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but some of the denizens and I got into a discussion about the power crisis. The Chosen One is going on about alternative energy sources, specifically, you guessed it,wind and solar. "The president has long said renewable sources of energy, like wind and solar, will play a vital role in the nation's energy future. He is asking Congress for $9 billion in loan guarantees for renewable energy projects[.]" We discussed these topics to some degree but here is the gist of my argument.
Wind and solar do not pencil out, at least not without huge government subsidies. I know it will seem anathema to any and all conservatives for me to say this, but not all subsidies are a bad thing on their face. The problem with these technologies, and the attendant subsidies, is that without the government, or some other suitably rich entity, these technologies are not likely to be cost effective in my lifetime, if ever. Additionally, they are unlikely to solve our energy needs, ever. For starters the requirements of where you can put the blasted things is limited, and the complexes large and/or sprawling. Add that to the price gap to break even, and they are just not viable solutions. Geothermal and tidal power production are even more limited in suitable locations. On top of all of that, you cannot even spit without filling out, in triplicate, an environmental impact statement, and god forbid a few birds with lousy eyesight get hacked up in the blades. The Green Shirts would have you believe that this is worse than The Holocaust. To them I say, you are the ones that want non-polluting power, to get that, some birds are going to have to die, and some dirt roads are going to need to be built, you can not have it both ways, pick one, sit down, and shut up while the adults who are able to think rationally decide what to do.
So solar, wind, tidal and geothermal are out, at least for the time being. Nuclear power could solve most if not all of our power needs, but it too has issues of its own. The first issue with nuclear is the staggering PR problem. Most of the bad press for nuke plants is fear mongering on the part of the Green Shirts, and the Three Mile Island disaster. TMI happened over three decades ago, and since there has not been a nuclear accident, in the western world, since. To some that merely means that we are due, but in all of the history of American Nuclear power, we have TMI and the SL-1 accident in Idaho Falls, ID. Currently there are, or will be within ten years, roughly eighty-five American nuclear submarines of all classes, and thirteen aircraft carriers, each with a nuclear reactor, and some of the carriers have two, and thirty-three nuclear power plants, many with multiple reactors. If you throw in the addition test reactors and whatnot, you are looking at two hundred to two hundred and fifty reactors. There have been two accidents. Seems like a relatively safe technology to me, at least in that regard. The other big problem is what to do with the poisonous sludge left over from producing the power. That is easily solved, though slightly more expensive, to reprocess the goo back into nuclear fuel. This would reduce the amount of waste by around ninety percent for fuel rods, and sixty percent for other byproducts. Thanks to that idiot Ford, the even bigger idiot Carter, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, this is no longer viable.
Unusually, I have no solution to offer. I despise pointing out issues without giving at least a hint of a way to solve it, but in this case it will take someone much smarter than me to solve the problem. What I do know is, the Luddite Paradise will not work, and the lefties do not understand, nor have the stomach for, the die off of millions (billions?) or humans. I also know that the "Green Energy Sources" will not fix the problem either. Some would say, why change anything? Petroleum is too useful a resource for us to be wasting it as a fuel, especially when we can not replace it once it is gone. Coal might work, but I do not know if "Clean Coal" is viable or a pipe-dream, but it will also not last forever. Resources are finite, even nuclear fuel, an argument for recycling the stuff, so we Must either find a new technology, or new stocks of resources. Can you say asteroid mining? This definitely feeds my belief that the future, and salvation, of mankind lies not just here on Earth, but in the stars. That however, is a post for another day.
Wind and solar do not pencil out, at least not without huge government subsidies. I know it will seem anathema to any and all conservatives for me to say this, but not all subsidies are a bad thing on their face. The problem with these technologies, and the attendant subsidies, is that without the government, or some other suitably rich entity, these technologies are not likely to be cost effective in my lifetime, if ever. Additionally, they are unlikely to solve our energy needs, ever. For starters the requirements of where you can put the blasted things is limited, and the complexes large and/or sprawling. Add that to the price gap to break even, and they are just not viable solutions. Geothermal and tidal power production are even more limited in suitable locations. On top of all of that, you cannot even spit without filling out, in triplicate, an environmental impact statement, and god forbid a few birds with lousy eyesight get hacked up in the blades. The Green Shirts would have you believe that this is worse than The Holocaust. To them I say, you are the ones that want non-polluting power, to get that, some birds are going to have to die, and some dirt roads are going to need to be built, you can not have it both ways, pick one, sit down, and shut up while the adults who are able to think rationally decide what to do.
So solar, wind, tidal and geothermal are out, at least for the time being. Nuclear power could solve most if not all of our power needs, but it too has issues of its own. The first issue with nuclear is the staggering PR problem. Most of the bad press for nuke plants is fear mongering on the part of the Green Shirts, and the Three Mile Island disaster. TMI happened over three decades ago, and since there has not been a nuclear accident, in the western world, since. To some that merely means that we are due, but in all of the history of American Nuclear power, we have TMI and the SL-1 accident in Idaho Falls, ID. Currently there are, or will be within ten years, roughly eighty-five American nuclear submarines of all classes, and thirteen aircraft carriers, each with a nuclear reactor, and some of the carriers have two, and thirty-three nuclear power plants, many with multiple reactors. If you throw in the addition test reactors and whatnot, you are looking at two hundred to two hundred and fifty reactors. There have been two accidents. Seems like a relatively safe technology to me, at least in that regard. The other big problem is what to do with the poisonous sludge left over from producing the power. That is easily solved, though slightly more expensive, to reprocess the goo back into nuclear fuel. This would reduce the amount of waste by around ninety percent for fuel rods, and sixty percent for other byproducts. Thanks to that idiot Ford, the even bigger idiot Carter, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, this is no longer viable.
Unusually, I have no solution to offer. I despise pointing out issues without giving at least a hint of a way to solve it, but in this case it will take someone much smarter than me to solve the problem. What I do know is, the Luddite Paradise will not work, and the lefties do not understand, nor have the stomach for, the die off of millions (billions?) or humans. I also know that the "Green Energy Sources" will not fix the problem either. Some would say, why change anything? Petroleum is too useful a resource for us to be wasting it as a fuel, especially when we can not replace it once it is gone. Coal might work, but I do not know if "Clean Coal" is viable or a pipe-dream, but it will also not last forever. Resources are finite, even nuclear fuel, an argument for recycling the stuff, so we Must either find a new technology, or new stocks of resources. Can you say asteroid mining? This definitely feeds my belief that the future, and salvation, of mankind lies not just here on Earth, but in the stars. That however, is a post for another day.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
American Patrot/Hero of the Week
Head east from Carthage on Mississippi 16 toward Philadelphia . After a few miles a sign says you're in Edinburg . It's a good thing the sign's there, because there's no other way to tell.
On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg -- probably didn't make much news back then.
Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war.
If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.
That probably didn't make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam , a Congressional Medal of Honor.
What did make news last week was a neighborhood association's quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.
He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.
"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference," Barfoot told The Associated Press. As well he should.
And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he's not real good at backing down.
This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy, With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers."
On June 15, 1919, Van T. Barfoot was born in Edinburg -- probably didn't make much news back then.
Twenty-five years later, on May 23, 1944, near Carano, Italy, Van T. Barfoot, who had enlisted in the Army in 1940, set out to flank German machine gun positions from which fire was coming down on his fellow soldiers. He advanced through a minefield, took out three enemy machine gun positions and returned with 17 prisoners of war.
If that wasn't enough for a day's work, he later took on and destroyed three German tanks sent to retake the machine gun positions.
That probably didn't make much news either, given the scope of the war, but it did earn Van T. Barfoot, who retired as a colonel after also serving in Korea and Vietnam , a Congressional Medal of Honor.
What did make news last week was a neighborhood association's quibble with how the 90-year-old veteran chose to fly the American flag outside his suburban Virginia home. Seems the rules said a flag could be flown on a house-mounted bracket, but, for decorum, items such as Barfoot's 21-foot flagpole were unsuitable.
He had been denied a permit for the pole, erected it anyway and was facing court action if he didn't take it down. Since the story made national TV, the neighborhood association has rethought its position and agreed to indulge this old hero who dwells among them.
"In the time I have left I plan to continue to fly the American flag without interference," Barfoot told The Associated Press. As well he should.
And if any of his neighbors still takes a notion to contest him, they might want to read his Medal of Honor citation. It indicates he's not real good at backing down.
This 1944 Medal of Honor citation, listed with the National Medal of Honor Society, is for Second Lieutenant Van T. Barfoot, 157th Infantry, 45th Infantry:
"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty on 23 May 1944, near Carano, Italy, With his platoon heavily engaged during an assault against forces well entrenched on commanding ground, 2d Lt. Barfoot moved off alone upon the enemy left flank. He crawled to the proximity of 1 machinegun nest and made a direct hit on it with a hand grenade, killing 2 and wounding 3 Germans. He continued along the German defense line to another machinegun emplacement, and with his tommygun killed 2 and captured 3 soldiers. Members of another enemy machinegun crew then abandoned their position and gave themselves up to Sgt. Barfoot. Leaving the prisoners for his support squad to pick up, he proceeded to mop up positions in the immediate area, capturing more prisoners and bringing his total count to 17. Later that day, after he had reorganized his men and consolidated the newly captured ground, the enemy launched a fierce armored counterattack directly at his platoon positions. Securing a bazooka, Sgt. Barfoot took up an exposed position directly in front of 3 advancing Mark VI tanks. From a distance of 75 yards his first shot destroyed the track of the leading tank, effectively disabling it, while the other 2 changed direction toward the flank. As the crew of the disabled tank dismounted, Sgt. Barfoot killed 3 of them with his tommygun. He continued onward into enemy terrain and destroyed a recently abandoned German fieldpiece with a demolition charge placed in the breech. While returning to his platoon position, Sgt. Barfoot, though greatly fatigued by his Herculean efforts, assisted 2 of his seriously wounded men 1,700 yards to a position of safety. Sgt. Barfoot's extraordinary heroism, demonstration of magnificent valor, and aggressive determination in the face of point blank fire are a perpetual inspiration to his fellow soldiers."
Monday, May 24, 2010
Progressives Are Getting Worried
By: Les Carpenter III
Rational Nation USA
This morning I was in the mood to check out the chatter over in progressive blog land. So, I dropped in at The Progressive. As suspected warnings are out not to underestimate the Tea Party movement or it's growing influence and successful candidates, including Rand Paul. For certain the progressive statist left is feeling threatened right now.
Their approach will be to use emotionalism and baseless claims in their attempt to discredit everything rational about the movement. Sometime in our history we either recognize that government has gotten too large, too intrusive, and too fiscally irresponsible and take steps to reign it in or we lose as a people. Just like Greece is losing now. The charade cannot continue.
In his May 20th short commentary Mathew Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine had the following to say:
After Paul’s victory, it’s more likely than ever that Sarah Palin will be the nominee in 2012. And then anything can happen. Including her winning the White House.
Especially after the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, which will let corporate America pour billions into the election.
Rand Paul foreshadowed one ad that these corporate dollars are likely to buy: an ad that claims Obama is betraying America. “We now have,” Paul said, “a President who apologizes for America’s greatness.
Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Mitt Romney, Liz Cheney, and Palin herself have uttered similar slurs against Obama.
This tag, more than health care, more than the deficit, may be what ultimately costs Obama.So don’t take comfort in the craziness of Rand Paul, or the zaniness of Sarah Palin. Watch out for them.
The progressive left is correct that the Liberty movement is gaining in strength. They are worried that it may overtake the freight train that is currently be guided and conducted by Obama, who is bent on dismantling as much of our national heritage as possible during his time at the helm.
The progressives are right, the movement is growing, what they fail to see is the reason the movement is growing. This good for Liberty, The Tea Party, and ultimately America.
Via: The Progressive
Joke of the Week
Tip O' the Hat to David C. for sending in this week's joke. If you laugh, you have him to blame.
Guy goes into a bar, there's a robot bartender.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini."
The robot brings back the best martini ever and says to the man,
"What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "168."
The robot then proceeds to talk about physics, space exploration
and medical technology.
The guy leaves, but he is curious. So he goes back into the bar.
The robot bartender says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini."
Again, the robot makes a great martini gives it to the man and
says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "100."
The robot then starts to talk about NASCAR, Budweiser and John Deere tractors.
The guy leaves, but finds it very interesting, so he thinks he
will try it one more time.
He goes back into the bar.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini," and the robot brings him another great martini.
The robot then says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "Uh, about 50."
The robot leans in real close and says, "So, are you people still
happy you voted for Obama?"
Guy goes into a bar, there's a robot bartender.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini."
The robot brings back the best martini ever and says to the man,
"What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "168."
The robot then proceeds to talk about physics, space exploration
and medical technology.
The guy leaves, but he is curious. So he goes back into the bar.
The robot bartender says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini."
Again, the robot makes a great martini gives it to the man and
says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "100."
The robot then starts to talk about NASCAR, Budweiser and John Deere tractors.
The guy leaves, but finds it very interesting, so he thinks he
will try it one more time.
He goes back into the bar.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini," and the robot brings him another great martini.
The robot then says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "Uh, about 50."
The robot leans in real close and says, "So, are you people still
happy you voted for Obama?"
*****Update*****
Here is an alternate ending proposed by my wife:
He goes back into the bar.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini," and the robot brings him another great martini.
The robot then says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "Uh, about 50."
The robot leans in real close and says, "Would you like an onion in you martini Mr. President?"
He goes back into the bar.
The robot says, "What will you have?"
The guy says, "Martini," and the robot brings him another great martini.
The robot then says, "What's your IQ?"
The guy says, "Uh, about 50."
The robot leans in real close and says, "Would you like an onion in you martini Mr. President?"
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Global Warming Wednesday
Global Warming Kills Women, Causes STDs and Is Sexually Discriminatory says UN
Here are some of my favorite excerpts:
1. The negative fallout from climate change is having a devastatingly lopsided impact on women compared to men, from higher death rates during natural disasters to heavier household and care burdens.
In the 1991 cyclone disasters that killed 140,000 in Bangladesh, 90 percent of victims were reportedly women; in the 2004 Asian Tsunami, an estimated 70 to 80 percent of overall deaths were women.
And following the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States, African-American women, who were the poorest population in some of the affected States in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, faced the greatest obstacles to survival, according to the New York-based Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO).
The 2007 Human Development Report, issued by the U.N. Development Programme, points out that women are particularly affected by climate change because they are the largest percentage – accounting for about 70 percent – of the poor population.
2. As[]resources become scarcer in the face of increasingly erratic rainfall, they must spend more time looking for and collecting them, further reducing the time they have available to engaging in economic activities, or attending school, she said.
In the 1991 cyclone disasters that killed 140,000 in Bangladesh, 90 percent of victims were reportedly women; in the 2004 Asian Tsunami, an estimated 70 to 80 percent of overall deaths were women.
And following the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in the United States, African-American women, who were the poorest population in some of the affected States in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, faced the greatest obstacles to survival, according to the New York-based Women’s Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO).
The 2007 Human Development Report, issued by the U.N. Development Programme, points out that women are particularly affected by climate change because they are the largest percentage – accounting for about 70 percent – of the poor population.
2. As[]resources become scarcer in the face of increasingly erratic rainfall, they must spend more time looking for and collecting them, further reducing the time they have available to engaging in economic activities, or attending school, she said.
3. In[]Uganda, the food crises associated with climate change have been linked to higher rates of early marriage for girls, as they are exchanged for dowry or bride price.
These “famine marriages” – as they are called – not only lead to girls dropping out of school, but also make them vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections and related reproductive complications.
4. [Stefan Wallin, Finland’s minister of culture and sport,} said climate change does not affect women and men in the same way. “It has gender-differentiated impact,” he noted.
5. Moreover, serious attention must also be given to addressing the underlying gender inequalities that make women more vulnerable to the effects of climate change in the first place.
Warning, side effects of reading this blog can include: Nausea, vomiting, water weight-gain, lower back pain, receding hairline, eczema, seborrhea-psoriasis, itching, chafing, bloating, liver spots, blood clots, ringworm, excessive body odor, uneven tire wear, pyorrhea, gonorrhea, diarrhea, halitosis, scoliosis, loss of bladder control, hammertoe, the shanks, low sperm count, warped-floors, cluttered drawers, hunchback, heart attack, low resale value on your home, feline leukemia, athlete's foot, head-lice, clubfoot, M.S., M.D., V.D., fleas, anxiety, sleeplessness, drowsiness, poor gas mileage, tooth decay, split ends, parvo, warts, unibrow, lazy eye, fruit flies, chest pains, clogged drains, hemhorroids, dry heaving, and sexual dysfunction. (Side Effects courtesy of Jeff Foxworthy's Have Your Loved Ones Spayed or Neutered)
That warning made more sense than the article. Now a fictional pogrom is gender biased and spreading STDs? Brothers and sisters, remind me to not have unprotected sex with Global Warming, I might get the Bangkok Drippy Drippy from that skank.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
American Patrot/Hero of the Week
Tip O' the Hat to Fuzzy's Dad over at Musing of a Vast Right-Winger for this week's American Patriot/Hero.
This is from Manly Web.com.
Chesty Puller would not support this restraint fire medal.
Chesty won five Navy Crosses.
Don't forget that you're First Marines! Not all the Communists in hell can overrun you!" - Chesty Puller motivating his men at Chosin Reservoir
Dates Born June 26, 1898. West Point, Virginia.
Died October 11, 1971. Hampton, Virginia.
Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell 'Chesty' Puller is considered by many to be the greatest Marine ever. Lewis Puller served in Haiti, China, Nicaragua, Korea, and World War II. He is the only Marine to be awarded the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in combat. Puller served in the US Marine Corps for 37 years, and was at sea or overseas for 27 of those years.
Puller attended Virginia Military Institute until dropping out to join the Marines in August of 1918, hoping to see service in World War I. Appointed a second lieutenant in the reserves, he was discharged due to force cutbacks after the war. Puller then re-enter the Marines as an enlisted man to serve with a military force in Haiti.
Puller saw frequent action during his five years in Haiti against the Caco rebels. Returning to the US in 1924, Puller was commissioned a second lieutenant. Puller served in Nicaragua from 1928 to 1933 where he earned two Navy Crosses. After leaving Nicaragua, Puller went to China and commanded the famed "Horse Marines."
Puller commanded the 7th Regiment of the 1st Marine Division during action on Gualalcanal in World War II. Puller earned his third Navy Cross on 24-25 October 1942 while his battalion defended Henderson Field against seasoned Japanese troops. Puller's men sustained less than 70 casualties while killing over 1400 Japanese and protecting the airfield.
Puller won his fourth Navy Cross in February 1944 while executive officer of 7th Marines at Cape Gloucester, moving through machine gun and mortar fire to take command of two battalions whose commanders had been killed.
Puller landed with the 1st Marines at Inchon, Korea, in September of 1950. Puller continued to serve in Korea until May of 1951. LtGen Puller retired in 1955 after serving 37 years and earning five Navy Crosses, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit with "V", the Bronze Star, the Bronze Star with "V", the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. In 1966, at the age of 68, Puller requested to return to active duty for service in Vietnam, but was turned down due to his age.
Quotes "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."
"We're surrounded... that simplifies our problem."
"Son, if they give you any shit, level the place." Orders to a company commander.
Lewis "Chesty" Puller
This is from Manly Web.com.Chesty Puller would not support this restraint fire medal.
Chesty won five Navy Crosses.
Don't forget that you're First Marines! Not all the Communists in hell can overrun you!" - Chesty Puller motivating his men at Chosin Reservoir
Dates Born June 26, 1898. West Point, Virginia.
Died October 11, 1971. Hampton, Virginia.
Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell 'Chesty' Puller is considered by many to be the greatest Marine ever. Lewis Puller served in Haiti, China, Nicaragua, Korea, and World War II. He is the only Marine to be awarded the Navy Cross five times for heroism and gallantry in combat. Puller served in the US Marine Corps for 37 years, and was at sea or overseas for 27 of those years.
Puller attended Virginia Military Institute until dropping out to join the Marines in August of 1918, hoping to see service in World War I. Appointed a second lieutenant in the reserves, he was discharged due to force cutbacks after the war. Puller then re-enter the Marines as an enlisted man to serve with a military force in Haiti.
Puller saw frequent action during his five years in Haiti against the Caco rebels. Returning to the US in 1924, Puller was commissioned a second lieutenant. Puller served in Nicaragua from 1928 to 1933 where he earned two Navy Crosses. After leaving Nicaragua, Puller went to China and commanded the famed "Horse Marines."
Puller commanded the 7th Regiment of the 1st Marine Division during action on Gualalcanal in World War II. Puller earned his third Navy Cross on 24-25 October 1942 while his battalion defended Henderson Field against seasoned Japanese troops. Puller's men sustained less than 70 casualties while killing over 1400 Japanese and protecting the airfield.
Puller won his fourth Navy Cross in February 1944 while executive officer of 7th Marines at Cape Gloucester, moving through machine gun and mortar fire to take command of two battalions whose commanders had been killed.
Puller landed with the 1st Marines at Inchon, Korea, in September of 1950. Puller continued to serve in Korea until May of 1951. LtGen Puller retired in 1955 after serving 37 years and earning five Navy Crosses, the Silver Star, two Legions of Merit with "V", the Bronze Star, the Bronze Star with "V", the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart. In 1966, at the age of 68, Puller requested to return to active duty for service in Vietnam, but was turned down due to his age.
Quotes "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us... they can't get away this time."
"We're surrounded... that simplifies our problem."
"Son, if they give you any shit, level the place." Orders to a company commander.
Some Say She is a Lesbian, I Say...........
Tell me she does not look like Jon Lovitz. If this is not him after a Takemydickfromme operation, then it looks like his love child with Janet Reno.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Joke of the Week
LITTLE GIRL ON A PLANE
A Congressman was seated next to a little girl on the airplane when he turned to her and said, "Let's talk. I've heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."
The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the total stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the congressman. "How about global warming or universal health care", and he smiles smugly.
"OK", she said. "Those could be interesting topics. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"
The legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."
To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming or universal health care when you don't know crap?"
The little girl, who had just opened her book, closed it slowly and said to the total stranger, "What would you like to talk about?"
"Oh, I don't know," said the congressman. "How about global warming or universal health care", and he smiles smugly.
"OK", she said. "Those could be interesting topics. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"
The legislator, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence, thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."
To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming or universal health care when you don't know crap?"
Friday, May 14, 2010
R.I.P. Norman
Today I had to put to sleep my dear friend, and pet, Norman. What we thought was just a persistent infection, was in fact feline fibrosarcoma. That is a fancy word for a really aggressive form of kitty cancer, sometimes caused by the vaccinations we use to keep them healthy. If they are caught when they are small, there is a 50-50 chance that they can be successfully removed surgically. The doc gave us some options, such as amputation or radiation, but all were likely to only prolong his suffering with little to no chance of saving his life. I made the only choice that I could, in good conscience, make. I told the doc to end his suffering. The worst part was trying to explain to my nine year-old daughter why daddy had the kitty killed. I HATE cancer. This is the second pet I have lost to one form or another of cancer. The insidious part is, that it presents as a small, hard nodule without any outward symptoms. By the time you can see the problem, it is already likely to be to late. I love my pets. I think of, and treat them, as my furry simpleton children, so his loss is pretty devastating to me. I urge all my cat loving readers to every month or two, examine your cats for nodules. If one cat can be spared Norman's fate, then he will not have passed in vain.
While I am sure that none of you care, it will be cathartic to remember his life. The wife and I rescued Norman from a Human Society shelter in May of 2004. He was a two month old fluff ball that when I first held him, rolled over in my arms and started batting at my hand. I could not resist, how could anyone when a little kitten looks up at you with those big eyes that say, "Take me home and fight with me Daddy." Which is just what we did, much to my room-mates' consternation. Russ, my old room-mate, is a closet cat lover with pretensions of hating any and all things feline. When we brought him home, he started to explore his new home. He sniffed my room-mate's shoes, a bio-hazard if there ever was one, puffed up with all the furry of a baby cat, and growled, hissed and other unsavory behaviors. I went to pick him up to comfort him, and the little bastard went right for my eyes. All I can remember seeing is ginormous kitty paws with claws prepared for battle. Being substantially bigger, I quickly over powered him, but since that moment he was never quite right in the head. My wife and I swear that the devil previously contained in those Converse took him over, and made him into a psychopath. Remembering one of my favorite movies, we quickly named him Norman after Alfred Hitchcock's terrifying serial killer.
Norman never gave up his psychotic tendencies. He would go from calmy purring while you pet him, to requiring a prybar to remove his fangs and claws, which he had just sunk into any tender parts of your hand or arm that met his fancy. Norman had a special place in his heart for my wife shely, unfortunately for her it was locked in his flesh tearing embrace. He had regal disdane for my oldest daughter, but was protective of my youngest. He would lay in her crib, I cannot say that did not make me nervous given his homicidal tendencies, and purr to her until she fell asleep. Later he would lay or walk with her as she crawled around, and growl at the other cats to stay away from her. The only time he swiped at her was when she tried to tear a patch of his fur out, but it was obviously without malice as his claws were velveted, and the strike had no real power behind it.
Norman loved to play with my other cats, and adored my sausage kitty Oliver. They were always wrestling or grooming each other, to the point that we called them our little homo kitties, always out of ear shot of he oldest who was likely to earn a trip to the principles office for repeating something as politically incorrect as "homo." In the last year and a half or so, Norman decided that he would graciously share the head of my half of the bed with me, and many was the night that we would fall asleep with his head resting on my hand, just waiting for me to move ever so slightly, so that he would have the chance to lightly reprimand me with a serious laceration requiring somewhere in the neighborhood of a million stitches.
When I was laid up with MRSA, he was the only company I had while everyone else was at work or school. I am very fortunate that my wife broke down when she went to pack him into the carrier to go to the vet or I would not have been there to make the tough choice, or for his last moments. He passed with his head cupped in my hand, purring. I will miss him terribly.
Almighty God,
I was fortunate to receive the gift of Norman from You
Now that he has left this life,
please help me cope with my loss with strength and courage.
I know that my beloved companion no longer suffers,
and will live on in many fond memories.
May they be treated with the care and respect
As he has enriched my life,
I pray that I may enrich the lives of others.
Amen.
God rest you Norman. Sleep in the arms of angels
I was fortunate to receive the gift of Norman from You
Now that he has left this life,
please help me cope with my loss with strength and courage.
I know that my beloved companion no longer suffers,
and will live on in many fond memories.
May they be treated with the care and respect
As he has enriched my life,
I pray that I may enrich the lives of others.
Amen.
God rest you Norman. Sleep in the arms of angels
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Guess Who Came to Dinner
This has happened here once before, and possibly twice. Here is just a small sampling of some of my recent V.I.P. visitors. I hope they found the contents interesting and enlightening. My question is, are these the government checking up on a voice of dissent, or some of that waste, fraud and abuse I hear so much about? In other words, legitimate, albeit misguided, checks on the opposition, or government workers wasting more of our money surfing the net on government time and equipment? Either way it is good to see our borrowed dollars at work.
These next two are my favorites. They are both from USCENTCOM. I am always proud to host our boys and girls in uniform. I sincerely hope that my humble writings help stave off some of that "hurry up and wait" boredom, and that my support and camaraderie buoy you help. You all have my respect, support and prayers. Stay safe and give 'em hell.
American Patrot/Hero of the Week
This story is brought to you via The Jawa Report.
Request: An American Soldier, PFC Andrew Richard Small
Not knowing this soldier I felt you could put into words better than I, you knew him personally.
He notes:
He was a good friend of my son, and one of the reasons my son chose to enlist, to help finish Andrew's work.Tell your son, thank you for his service. God Bless Him and keep him safe.
Private First Class Andrew R. Small, B co, 1/32 Infantry, 10th Mountain Division.Indeed, God Bless them all, they are my heroes.Andrew was a friend of my son, and lived up the road in Wiscasset, Maine. He was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006, and his death was mourned through the area. Almost every store, business, church, school, had a message on their fronts, and hundreds lined the streets to view his funeral procession. His was a life of laughter, mischief, and love, not only with his family, but with his friends. They have started a memorial page on FaceBook, which you can see here.
19 years old. A small town kid. Many in this nation wonder where we are headed, and despair of our future when they read of the problems facing our youth. If Andrew was any sort of representation of America’s youth, then I’d say the nation will be in good hands. My son joined the Army in part as a tribute to his friend, to help finish the work that Andrew was a part of. I think that that is as good a reason as any for serving. It shows the respect others had for this young man.
In support of that assertion, I post below the Presidential Citation which accompanied Andrew’s Silver Star. Read it through, and then visit his FaceBook memorial and look at the pictures. God Bless them all.[ Read it all]
RIP PFC Andrew R. Small.
If you so choose, please join this Facebook group to honor this young man who gave his all:
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Global Warming Wednesday
Why Global Warming Is Bunk
Prof Bob Carter, a geologist doing paleoclimate research at James Cook University, Queensland, Australia, sums up climate change:
In fact, the global temperature trend was erratic in the 20th century. The Earth's temperature rose from 1918 to 1940, then inexplicably fell from 1940 to 1965, kicking off the global cooling scare at the same time humans were doing all that industrialization the current crop of loonies claim heat the planet. The Earth's temperature heated back up from 1970 to 1998, which led the global cooling fruitcases to do an about face and claim global warming was now the threat. Now the temperature is plateaued, perhaps signalling another cooling spell.
If the production of greenhouse gases by humans drove the temperature of the planet, you would expect the temperature to track with increasing industrialization, but it doesn't. What does drive the Earth's temperature is the Sun and its cycles, particulary it's eleven year solar flare cycles. In fact, the Earth's temperature tracks the Sun cycles very closely, as scientists studying the Earth's temperature have found:
Professor Carter points out the embarassing fact for the global warming alarmist cult that the Earth stopped warming in 1998, contrary to their famous hockey-stick prediction that a global heat wave would melt the ice caps and wash us all away. The temperature graph has gone flat for the last eight years, contrary to the Chicken Little predictions of doom foisted on a gullible public by the liberal media."The essence of the issue is this. Climate changes naturally all the time, partly in predictable cycles, and partly in unpredictable shorter rhythms and rapid episodic shifts, some of the causes of which remain unknown. We are fortunate that our modern societies have developed during the last 10,000 years of benignly warm, interglacial climate. But for more than 90 per cent of the last two million years, the climate has been colder, and generally much colder, than today. The reality of the climate record is that a sudden natural cooling is far more to be feared, and will do infinitely more social and economic damage, than the late 20th century phase of gentle warming."
In fact, the global temperature trend was erratic in the 20th century. The Earth's temperature rose from 1918 to 1940, then inexplicably fell from 1940 to 1965, kicking off the global cooling scare at the same time humans were doing all that industrialization the current crop of loonies claim heat the planet. The Earth's temperature heated back up from 1970 to 1998, which led the global cooling fruitcases to do an about face and claim global warming was now the threat. Now the temperature is plateaued, perhaps signalling another cooling spell.
If the production of greenhouse gases by humans drove the temperature of the planet, you would expect the temperature to track with increasing industrialization, but it doesn't. What does drive the Earth's temperature is the Sun and its cycles, particulary it's eleven year solar flare cycles. In fact, the Earth's temperature tracks the Sun cycles very closely, as scientists studying the Earth's temperature have found:
"Using ancient tree rings, they show that 17 out of 19 warm spells in the last 10,000 years coincided with peaks in solar activity."However, it's doubtful that the global warmists will let science get in the way of their political program. After all, global warming is not about the facts, it's about promoting socialism by other means.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Joke of the Week 2.0
This is a story about a couple who had been happily married for years.
The only friction in their marriage was the husband's habit of farting loudly every morning when he awoke. The noise would wake his wife, and the smell would make her eyes water and gasp for air.
Every morning she would plead with him to stop ripping them off because it was making her sick. He told her that he couldn't stop and besides it was perfectly natural. She told him to see a doctor, she was concerned that one day he would blow his guts out.
The years went by and he continued to rip them out. Then one Thanksgiving morning as the wife was preparing the turkey for dinner, he was upstairs, sound asleep. She looked at the innards; neck, gizzard, liver and all the other spare parts when a malicious thought came to her.
She took the bowl and went upstairs where her husband was sound asleep. Gently pulling the covers back, she pulled back the elastic waistband of his underpants and emptied the bowl of turkey guts into his shorts.
Some time later she heard her husband waken with his usual trumpeting which was followed by a blood curdling scream and the sound of frantic footsteps as he ran to into the bathroom. The wife could hardly control herself as she rolled on the floor laughing, tears in her eyes. After years of torture she reckoned she had got him back pretty good.
About twenty minutes later, her husband came downstairs in his bloodstained underpants with a look of horror on his face. She bit her lip as she asked him what was the matter.
He said, "Honey, you were right. All these years you have warned me and I didn't listen to you. "
"What do you mean?" asked his wife.
The husband relied, "Well you always told me that one day I would end up farting my guts out, and today it finally happened. But by the grace of god, some Vaseline and two fingers, I think I got most of them back in."
The only friction in their marriage was the husband's habit of farting loudly every morning when he awoke. The noise would wake his wife, and the smell would make her eyes water and gasp for air.
Every morning she would plead with him to stop ripping them off because it was making her sick. He told her that he couldn't stop and besides it was perfectly natural. She told him to see a doctor, she was concerned that one day he would blow his guts out.
The years went by and he continued to rip them out. Then one Thanksgiving morning as the wife was preparing the turkey for dinner, he was upstairs, sound asleep. She looked at the innards; neck, gizzard, liver and all the other spare parts when a malicious thought came to her.
She took the bowl and went upstairs where her husband was sound asleep. Gently pulling the covers back, she pulled back the elastic waistband of his underpants and emptied the bowl of turkey guts into his shorts.
Some time later she heard her husband waken with his usual trumpeting which was followed by a blood curdling scream and the sound of frantic footsteps as he ran to into the bathroom. The wife could hardly control herself as she rolled on the floor laughing, tears in her eyes. After years of torture she reckoned she had got him back pretty good.
About twenty minutes later, her husband came downstairs in his bloodstained underpants with a look of horror on his face. She bit her lip as she asked him what was the matter.
He said, "Honey, you were right. All these years you have warned me and I didn't listen to you. "
"What do you mean?" asked his wife.
The husband relied, "Well you always told me that one day I would end up farting my guts out, and today it finally happened. But by the grace of god, some Vaseline and two fingers, I think I got most of them back in."
Joke of the Week
Home Depot Sex Scam
Please publish this letter as a public service. It is about a new scam that is coming down at Home Depot. I understand that this happens at Lowe's, too, so don't desert Home Depot just yet. A 'heads up' for those men who may be regular Home Depot customers. This one caught me by surprise.
Over the last month I became a victim of a clever scam while out shopping. Simply going out to get supplies has turned out to be quite traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it couldn't happen to you or your friends.
Here's how the scam works: Two seriously good-looking 20-21 year-old girls come over to your car as you are packing your shopping into the trunk. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. It is impossible not to look.
When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' and instead ask you for a ride to McDonald's. You agree and they get into the back seat. On the way, they start undressing. Then one of them climbs over into the front seat and starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals your wallet.
I had my wallet stolen March 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, 20th,24th & 29th. Also April 1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, 3rd, 26th & 30th, three times last Saturday and very likely again this upcoming weekend.
Note: I saw a Target newspaper ad, and they have inexpensive men’s wallets for $2.99.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Global Warming Wednesday
Now that I am back from filling Uncle Sugar's Honey Pot, I formally declare Wednesdays to be Global Warming Wednesday here at RWE. So with that in mind, and at the risk of angering Al Gore so much that his goons take me out, I found this awesome parody song. Both of these videos are brought to us courtesy of Minnesotans for Global Warming. The first video singles out Michael Mann of hockey fame, opps, I meant hockey stick fame. Who knew he could sing as well.
Hide the Decline I
Personally I rather liked that video, but apparently Professor Mann was not as amused as I. After crying like a little girl with a skinned knee and threats of law suites, M4GW decided to make another video poking fun a climate scientists in general, and changed the lyrics just a bit. I hope you enjoy this one as well. YouTube keeps pulling the video instead of giving little Mikey a hanky to dry his tears, so I will attempt to repost it as they force it down.
Hide the Decline II
I hope you all enjoyed these very funny videos. They certainly help to illustrate the insanity in both a fun and entertaining way.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Joke of the Week 2.0
Tip O' the Hat to Doug H. for helping to clear up any and all confusion about this term.
Globalization
Finally, a definition of globalization that I can understand and to which I now can relate:
Question:
What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer:
Princess Diana's death.
Question:
How come?
Answer :
An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was drunk on Scottish whisky, (check the bottle before you change the spelling). Followed closely by Italian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles. She was treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by an Canadian, using an American's (Bill Gates) technology, and you're probably reading this on your computer that uses Taiwanese chips and a Korean monitor, assembled by Bangladeshi workers in a Singapore plant, transported by Indian truck drivers, hijacked by Indonesians, unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen, and trucked to you by Mexican illegal's....
That, my friends, is Globalization
Question:
What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer:
Princess Diana's death.
Question:
How come?
Answer :
An English princess with an Egyptian boyfriend crashes in a French tunnel, driving a German car with a Dutch engine, driven by a Belgian who was drunk on Scottish whisky, (check the bottle before you change the spelling). Followed closely by Italian Paparazzi, on Japanese motorcycles. She was treated by an American doctor, using Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by an Canadian, using an American's (Bill Gates) technology, and you're probably reading this on your computer that uses Taiwanese chips and a Korean monitor, assembled by Bangladeshi workers in a Singapore plant, transported by Indian truck drivers, hijacked by Indonesians, unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen, and trucked to you by Mexican illegal's....
That, my friends, is Globalization
Awwwwwww, to soon?
Joke of the Week
Tip o' the Hat to Cory E. for this week's joke.
The Tax System - Explained With Beer
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
* The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
* The fifth would pay $1.
* The sixth would pay $3.
* The seventh would pay $7.
* The eighth would pay $12.
* The ninth would pay $18.
* The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." "Drinks for the ten now cost just $80." The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
* The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
* The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
* The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
* The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
* The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
* The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!" "Yeah, that’s right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!" "That’s true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
The Tax System - Explained With Beer
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
* The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
* The fifth would pay $1.
* The sixth would pay $3.
* The seventh would pay $7.
* The eighth would pay $12.
* The ninth would pay $18.
* The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." "Drinks for the ten now cost just $80." The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?"
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
* The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
* The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
* The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
* The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
* The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
* The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!" "Yeah, that’s right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!" "That’s true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
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