Thursday, July 31, 2014

So... Weddings...


See, folks! It's not ALL about politics!

(*GRIN*)

Anyway... let's all PRETEND that a real upcoming event is... er... simply fodder for a philosophical discussion...

(*SMILE*)

So... you married folks have gone through it. Heck... some of you married folks have experienced your kids' weddings... even your grandkids' weddings! Everyone knows what a pain in the ass - and what an emotional minefield - planning a wedding is.

I'm a wedding guy! I SHINE at weddings! Folks... let's be honest... I should be a professional wedding guest!

Other folks... the invitation arrives and all they can do is bitch and moan; they don't wanna go... it's time and money and inconvenience; they'd rather just send a "regrets" check; better yet... they'd rather not have been invited in the first place!

In any case, for the couple (and/or the parents) who plan the wedding...

(*SIGH*)

...they have to deal with a very special kind of emotional hell; it's called THE INVITATION LIST!

Is money no object? For some people that is indeed the case! For most of us, however, we start with a budget and then must work within that budget. For those of us with many friends, business associates, and of course HUGE Irish families.... that process can be especially harrowing. In a word.. it SUCKS!

So... let's say there's a certain someone getting married in just a few weeks... August 16, 2014 to be precise.

A budget was decided up. The guest limit - 200. In actuality, I do believe 216 men, women, and children were invited. 

Now you know how these things go, folks; expectations are that 20%... perhaps 25%... of the responses will be "no's." That said, you can't count on it. Airlines overbook. Hotels overbook. Weddings... not so much!

Who to invite? Obviously the most important people in the bride and groom's life get invited! Same with the best friends and key business associates of the parents of the bride and groom. From there... FAMILY! Lots and lots of family! Grandparents, great-uncles, great aunts, uncles, aunts, cousins...

COUSINS...

Now we're to the crux of the matter.

The young bride (let's call her "Kim") has zillions of cousins (counting down the generations) and quite frankly, she wouldn't know most of them if she were stuck in an elevator with them for an hour! (Nor would they know here.) Indeed, Kim's mom and dad (let's call them "Mary" and "Bill") are "the younger generation." (Mary comes from a HUGE family.) Once upon a time we were the "young adults" invited to the weddings of the children of uncles, aunts, and elder cousins whose children are roughly Kim's peers in age - spread across a fairly broad range, however.

Bottom line... dropping the comedy... Mary and I feel terrible that not everyone we would have liked to invite was invited. 

Conlan clan... Greg and Catherine's "kids"... APOLOGIES!

Kelly clan... offspring of Pat and Lila... Katherine and John... APOLOGIES!

The Philly crew... Peter's "kids".. APOLOGIES!

Other relatives who read this (and you know who you are)... APOLOGIES!

And now... before I close... let me once again - as I've done many times over the decades you've all known me - throw something out that only I would throw out:

It looks like we have around 150 confirmed guests coming. The room(s) holds 200. Is there anyone out there who would like to attend?

I KNOW... I KNOW... etiquette! This is not "proper etiquette!" But really... who the heck cares?

Two weeks notice? Am I kidding...?!?! Nope! 

Listen... relatives by marriage whom I rarely see but always enjoy your company when we're together... this is me being me. I felt guilty when the invitations went out without going to everyone I'd have invited in the first place if money were no object... (Hey! Just being honest! It WAS a money thing!)

We HAD to assume we'd get all "yes" replies even though we knew we wouldn't. Inviting everyone initially wasn't an option. But... now that we know we have a cushion... space for at least another 40 adults... why let "proper etiquette" stand in the way of what I consider to be "doing the right thing" - namely, throwing out the option of attending Kim's wedding if you can make it and want to.

Mary needs to give Anthony's the final count 10 days before the wedding - by August 6th that means. Anyone interested... contact us before then... the sooner the better actually!

(*GRIN*)

Those of you who think I'm nuts... well... you have a right to your opinion!

Those of you who think that at the very least I've come up with an interesting twist on modern American wedding etiquette... compliments, slaps on the back, and high fives are always welcome!


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Barker's Newsbites: Wednesday, July 30, 2014



Let's start today's postings with this front page newsbite (Hat Tip to Michelle Zornes) to go along with the newsbites you'll find in the comments section - as soon as I start putting them there!

*  *  *  *  *  *

Veterans affairs leaders in Congress have announced a compromise to help address the problems overwhelming the U.S. veterans healthcare system.

Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Jeff Miller announced a $17 billion deal that reconciles Senate and House bills passed in June. It provides healthcare to about nine million veterans.

* I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER $17 BILLION IS TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE. (AND FOLKS... I DOUBT ANY SENATOR OR CONGRESSMAN DOES EITHER.) AS FOR THE MEDIA... FOLKS... THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO CONTEXT HERE WHICH GIVES US A CLUE AS TO THE WORTHINESS OF THIS BILL.

The agency has been stung by revelations of falsified records and months-long waits for appointments.

* RIGHT. AND NOW THESE SAME PEOPLE ARE GETTING $17 BILLION.

A recent VA audit revealed more than 57,000 veterans had to wait three months or longer for initial healthcare appointments. An additional 64,000 veterans who requested appointments over the last 10 years never received them. At the same time, it has been revealed hospital employees falsified records to conceal the long wait times from administrators in Washington DC.

* FOLKS... SOMETHING TELLS ME THAT THROWING MORE MONEY OUT ISN'T GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS AT THE VA.

The agreement announced on Monday includes about $10 billion in "emergency spending" for veterans to obtain outside care if they cannot get prompt appointments with Veterans Affairs (VA) doctors, $5 billion to hire doctors, nurses and other medical staff, and $1.5 billion to set up 27 new VA clinics around the country.

* AGAIN... TOO MUCH... TOO LITTLE... WHO KNOWS...

(*SHRUG*)

Mr. Sanders, the Senate veterans committee chairman who is one of the most liberal members of the chamber, said the legislation "makes certain that we address the immediate crisis of veterans being forced on to long waiting lists" while strengthening the VA's ability to hire medical professionals and "permanently put an end to the long waiting lists."

* Er... FOLKS... BERNIE SANDERS ISN'T JUST "LIBERAL" - HE'S A SELF-DESCRIBED SOCIALIST. PUTTING THAT ASIDE, SANDERS HAS BEEN IN WASHINGTON SINCE 1991; HE'S ONE OF THE POLITICIANS WHO HAVE BEEN "OVERSEEING" THE VA ALL ALONG.

(*SIGH*)

The bill, which will need to be approved by both the House and Senate, would also grant the VA secretary authority to fire senior executives immediately.

* THAT'S GOOD!

Tom Tarantino, chief policy officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the agreement was several months too late. "It's about time they're doing their jobs," he said. "You don't get a medal for doing your job."

* APPARENTLY YOU DO! WELCOME TO WASHINGTON!

The deal was struck over the weekend after six weeks of talks. Among the compromises was a provision limiting outside care to veterans who had enrolled prior to 1 August.

* SO NOW WE HAVE TWO DISTINCT "CLASSES" OF VETERANS...???

Congressional budget analysts had suggested that without limits, tens of thousands of veterans who currently are not treated by the VA would likely seek care if they could see a private doctor, dramatically increasing costs.

* SO... THE "SOLUTION" IS TO PROVIDE DELIBERATELY DISPARATE CARE?

In another compromise, $5 billion of the $17 billion would be offset by other spending cuts within the VA.

* SO IT'S SMOKE AND MIRRORS... $12 BILLION... NOT $17 BILLION...

Veterans Affairs chief Eric Shinseki resigned in late May amid the scandal, after a damning internal VA investigation uncovered the "systemic" problems in delivering care to veterans across the country.

* GOOGLE "SHINSEKI." HE'S ONE OF THE DEMOCRATS' FAVORITE GENERALS. (AND NOT SURPRISINGLY... A TOTAL INCOMPETENT.)

Robert McDonald, former chief executive of consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble, is expected to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to succeed Mr. Shinseki this week.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

The Continuing Education of Sandy Smith



Who the hell is Sandy Smith...?

Why, geez... she's a hell of a gal... known her since elementary school... a good Facebook Friend of mine!

We're probably 80%-85% simpatico politically... but she's more of a traditional "Red Meat" conservative... Christian conservative... than I am.

Sandy is a Rick Santorum fan. I'm a Gingrich fan. (Though my perception is that Sandy has far fewer "problems" with and disagreements with Santorum than I do with Gingrich.)

Over the last couple weeks we've been knocking heads over Rick Perry and his supposed "tough" border stance.

I'm hoping this particular newsbite helps Sandy "get" what I've been trying (and failing so far) to explain to her about Perry and about why I feel the way I do about Perry.

(Again... PERCEPTION... my perception is that Sandy likes Perry because she "buys" his act; whatever the case, I'm hoping thisparticular newsbite helps convince Sandy that Perry isn't the man both she and I would LIKE him to be.)

*  *  *  *  *  *

Texas Gov. Rick Perry compares the role of National Guard troops at his state’s border to the deterring effect that cop cars stationed along neighborhood roads have on crime.

* EMPTY COP CARS. CARS THAT EVERYONE PASSING BY KNOWS ARE NOT GOING TO MOVE ONE INCH EVEN AS YOU BLOW BY ONE AT 110 MPH.

Perry, in an exclusive interview with The Daily Signal, said even though the 1,000 military troops he activated to help manage the border crisis in his state will not be authorized to make arrests...

* THEN WHAT'S THE POINT? (ANSWER: THERE IS NONE.) INDEED... IT'S WORSE THAN THAT! PERRY IS DOING THIS AS A CAMPAIGN STUNT. AND IT COSTS MONEY! AND IT TAKES TIME FROM GUARDSMEN WHO MIGHT RATHER BE SPENDING THAT TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, OR AT WORK MAKING A LIVING! BUT, HEY... "PERRY: HE SENT TROOPS TO THE BORDER" MAKES ONE HELL OF A BUMPER STICKER!

* WHAT A PHONY SCUMBAG...

* PERRY'S BULL$HITTING CONTINUED...

...the sheer presence of the military will deter illegal activity.

* HOW...??? (YOU'VE JUST ADVERTIZED TO THE WORLD THAT YOU'RE MISUSING YOUR STATE'S NATIONAL GUARD AS ELECTION PROPS!)

* FOLKS... AGAIN... THE EMPTY COP CAR ANALOGY...

“It’s a powerful reminder that what you are doing is a crime,” said Perry...

* AHH... A "REMINDER." (PERHAPS PERRY SHOULD ASSIGN NATIONAL GUARDSMEN TO GUARD TEXAS BANKS - WITH ORDERS NOT TO INTERVENE SHOULD A ROBBERY TAKE PLACE?!)

* FOLKS... IS ANYONE BUYING THIS A--HOLE'S BULL$HIT...?!?!

...who has been a critic of the White House’s response to the border crisis. “It’s just like a law enforcement effort in your neighborhood, where you see a parked patrol police car on the corner, and the bad guys see it and don’t commit a crime.”

* NO! NO YOU FRIGGIN' REDNECK IDIOT...!!! YOU'VE ALREADY ANNOUNCED THERE IS NO COP! (NO COP IN THE SENSE OF SOMEONE WHO IS GONNA PULL YOU OVER - LET ALONE ARREST YOU!)

* MY GOD... I'M LIVING IN THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE - LITERALLY...!!!

By announcing plans to deploy the National Guard to the border on his own rather than through the federal government, Perry has the power to order the troops to make arrests and apprehensions.

* AND IF HE DOES... THEN I'LL CHEER! BUT... BUT, BUT, BUT... HE HASN'T! HE'S ANNOUNCED - HIM... THE GOVERNOR... RICK PERRY - HE'S ANNOUNCED THAT HE'S ORDERED HIS NATIONAL GUARDSMEN NOT TO MAKE ARRESTS...!!!

But Perry, perhaps responding to critics who worry about the troops’ lack of training in immigration law, told The Daily Signal he has decided not to give arrest power to those deployed to Texas’ border with Mexico.

* SEE...!!!

“Their real job is not apprehension,” Perry said.

* SEE...!!!

“Border Patrol apprehends.”

* BUT THEY DON'T...!!! THAT'S THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM! THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE HAS AN OPEN BORDERS POLICY... AN ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL OPEN BORDERS POLICY... AND INSTEAD OF CHALLENGING IT YOU'RE MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT THAT IS NO DOUBT GOING TO BE REFERRED TO - AND USED - AS CAMPAIGN AMMO SHOULD YOU RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2016!

* AGAIN... FOLKS... IF THESE AREN'T THE ACTIONS OF A TOTAL SELF-SERVING FRAUD...

(*SHRUG*)

In 2006, President George W. Bush sent 6,000 troops to the four border states. Troops in that deployment did not have apprehension and arrest powers. They repaired and built fences and roads, and conducted surveillance, among other duties.

* AND BUSH WAS A FRIGGIN' DISASTER! BUSH WAS PRO-AMNESTY! BUSH DID VERY LITTLE TO SECURE THE BORDER... BUT AT LEAST HE HAD THE BRAINS TO ORDER "HIS" TROOPS TO MAKE THEMSELVES USEFUL!

* GEEZUS... I CAN'T FRIGGIN' BELIEVE WHAT I'M READING...

Troops were similarly limited when President Obama eventually extended that deployment while ordering a second wave of National Guard forces to Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico in 2010.

* YES! THAT'S THE PROBLEM!

* FOLKS... PERRY MAY NOT BE PRO-ILLEGAL IN THE LEFTIST OBAMA MODE... BUT HE'S CERTAINLY A TALKER, NOT A DOER, AND WORSE, A TALKER IN THE BUSH MODE - MISLEADING CONSERVATIVES. (HOW'D THAT WORK OUT FOR AMERICA UNDER BUSH?) (OR UNDER PAPPY BUSH WHILE WE'RE REVIEWING HISTORY...?!?!)

With troops’ responsibility likely to be limited again this time...

* WOW...

* ONCE AGAIN... THE LIMITS ARE IN PLACE! PERRY PUT THEM THERE! HE ORDERED HIS GUARD TO THE BORDER... AND THEN ORDERED THEM NOT TO STOP ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO TEXAS.

...Border Patrol agents who are responsible for apprehending and arresting illegal immigrant crossers argue that the National Guard will make little impact.

* AGAIN. THEY'RE A POLITICAL PROP PERRY PLANS TO USE FOR HIS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. THAT'S ALL.

* AS THEY SAY IN TEXAS, "ALL HAT - NO CATTLE."

Border Patrol union representatives told The Daily Signal last week they worry the troops will interfere with agents’ work.

* WHAT WORK...?!?! THE AGENTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO STAND DOWN! BY OBAMA! THAT LEAVES THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD NO ROOM TO "INTERFERE" UNLESS ALL OF A SUDDEN PERRY GROWS A PAIR, REVERSES HIS ORDERS, AND ORDERS HIS GUARD TO PROTECT THE TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS!

(*SPITTING ON THE GROUND*)

* BUT HE WON'T.

“They aren’t displacing Border Patrol,” Perry said. “It’ll be just like how we partner with law enforcement.

* "PARTNER...?" HOW...?!?! BY PUTTING AN EMPTY NATIONAL GUARD HUMMER NEXT TO AN EMPTY POLICE CRUISER...?

(*SNORT*)

* FOLKS... IF THIS WEREN'T SO DAMNED SICK... IT WOULD BE AMUSING.

They want to see the border secure, so they won’t resist the assistance. Just the presence and knowledge that they’re deployed will have a powerful message.”

* GOVERNOR. GOVERNOR PERRY. GOVERNOR IDIOT. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE BORDER PATROL OFFICERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE... LIKE TO DO... THEY'VE BEEN ORDERED TO STAND DOWN! THEY WORK FOR OBAMA! OBAMA HAS DECREED OPEN BORDERS! WE'RE WELCOMING THE ALIEN INVADERS AS "REFUGEES." WE'RE NOT ONLY SETTING UP HOUSING FOR THEM ON THE BORDER, BUT WE'RE TRANSPORTING MANY THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES... RELOCATING THEM... "DUMPING" THEM THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY!

* I AM SERIOUSLY WONDERING IF PERRY IS MENTALLY RETARDED...

* HOW LOW MUST ONE'S IQ BE FOR ONE TO COME UP WITH THESE STATEMENTS AND ACTUALLY WANT THEM AIRED PUBLICLY...?!?!

The troops that are due the border next month will actually work side by side with police officers of the Texas Department of Public Safety, not alongside Border Patrol.

* AND ARE POLICE OFFICERS OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY PREVENTING ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM INVADING TEXAS...? NO! NO THEY'RE NOT! (SO THIS PARTNERSHIP... THIS WORKING SIDE BY SIDE... WHAT'S THAT ACTUALLY ENTAIL...? DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH DONUTS..?)

* NO... SORRY... (*SIGH*)... I DON'T MEAN TO DEMEAN THE POOR COPS OR NATIONAL GUARDSMEN. BUT, GEEZ... WHO THE HELL IS PERRY ATTEMPTING TO CONVINCE THAT HE'S DOING SOMETHING POSITIVE? ALL PERRY IS DOING IS CREATING FUTURE CAMPAIGN SLOGANS AND ADS. FRANKLY... IT'S DISGUSTING.

The state officers are there as part of Operation Strong Safety, a Perry initiative approved last month that sent state troopers to the border to assist local law enforcement.

* IN... DOING... WHAT...?

* QUESTION: ARE THE GUARDSMEN EVEN ARMED...? LOCKED AND LOADED WITH REAL AMMO...??? MY BET IS "NO."

* FOLKS... I'M A NEW YORKER. I HAVE A BUDDY IN THE NYS GUARD. HE AND HIS ARMY MP UNIT WERE DEPLOYED TO NYC AFTER 9/11... NO AMMO. (*SMIRK*) FIERCE LOOKING "ASSAULT RIFLES." NO BULLETS.

Just like the National Guard, state and local law enforcement officers can only defer to the Border Patrol those they suspect have entered the country illegally.

* AND THE BORDER PATROL HAS BEEN ORDERED TO WELCOME WHOLE CLASSES OF THESE PEOPLE! WELCOME! NOT TURN AWAY! NOT STOP AT THE BORDER!

* FOLKS... THIS IS INSANITY. PERRY IS FEEDING INTO IT, NOT RESISTING IT. WORDS... NOT ACTIONS. (OR IF YOU PREFER... COSTLY, IMPOTENT ACTIONS ONLY!)

Not including the deployment of the 1,000 troops, Perry said there are already 300 state and National Guard troops at the border for Operation Lone Star, an annual joint military and civil humanitarian medical mission. “For those who say, ‘This is very out of the ordinary,’ the National Guard being at the border is not an unusual situation,” Perry said. “There’s troops at the border every year and there’s troops there now.”

* WOW...! AND NOW HE'S EVEN BACKING AWAY FROM THE FALSE PICTURE HE WAS TRYING TO PAINT OF HIMSELF AS A GOVERNOR WHO WOULD TAKE ACTION IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULDN'T!

* PERRY IS A PIECE OF $HIT.

Perry hopes the new troops will send a message to drug cartels and other criminal groups that he says have exploited the latest border trend — the surge of Central American children coming across the Rio Grande Valley.

* I'M GLAD PERRY WASN'T PRESIDENT WHEN THE JAPANESE BOMBED PEARL HARBOR!

* WHAT IS PERRY - A FRUSTRATED MESSENGER...? PERHAPS HE'D BE A BETTER GOVERNOR'S AIDE THAN GOVERNOR?!

* FOLKS... YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD "SEND A MESSAGE?" ORDERING HIS NATIONAL GUARD AND OTHER STATE ARMED FORCES UNDER HIS CONTROL TO CLOSE THE TEXAS BORDER TO ILLEGAL ALIEN ENTRY!

* WHAT WOULD OBAMA DO? LAUNCH A DRONE STRIKE AGAINST AUSTIN? DECLARE PERRY AN ENEMY COMBATANT?

* SERIOUSLY... OBAMA WOULD NO DOUBT FIRST TRY TO FEDERALIZE THE TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD... TAKE IT AWAY FROM PERRY AND THE STATE OF TEXAS...

* FRANKLY... AN ACTUAL KNOCK-DOWN, DRAG-OUT  CONSTITUTIONAL FIGHT IS WHAT THIS NATION NEEDS! IF NOT NOW... WHEN? IF NOT IN DEFENSE OF THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION AND SEPARATION OF POWERS AGAINST A POWER-MAD PRESIDENT... THEN WHEN AND FOR WHAT?

* FOLKS... IF PERRY WOULD DO IT... PERHAPS OTHER BORDER GOVERNORS WOULD FOLLOW. PERHAPS CONGRESS WOULD FEEL COMPELLED TO DO THEIR JOB! HECK... PERHAPS THE COURTS WOULD EVEN STEP IN AND THEN AT LEAST WE'D HAVE A NATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THE CONSTITUTION STILL HAS ANY RELEVANCE TO AMERICA TODAY... WHETHER OR NOT AMERICA IS STILL A NATION UNDER THE RULE OF CONSTITUTIONAL LAW... STILL A REPUBLIC, WITH A PRESIDENT, NOT AN EMPEROR; FIFTY SOVEREIGN STATES IN A NATIONAL UNION, NOT SIMPLY FIFTY STARS ON A FLAG THAT REPRESENTS WASHINGTON D.C.

“There has not been as much focus on the drug smugglers and other criminals because of these children,” Perry said. “There’s been an effort by the cartels to distract Border Patrol into taking care of these kids.

* WASHINGTON - OBAMA'S EXECUTIVE BRANCH - HAS ORDERED THE BORDER PATROL TO "TAKE CARE OF THESE KIDS" EVEN IF IT MEANS LEAVING THE BORDER EVEN MORE INSECURE AND POROUS THAN EVER!

The danger that this situation presents for ordinary Texans and Americans has not been a focus of the mainstream media.”

No matter what Obama decides to do, Perry has said he intends to ask the federal government to pay for his deployment of 1,000 troops, estimated to cost $12 million a month.

* BIG DEAL. SO INSTEAD OF JUST THE CITIZENS OF TEXAS PAYING FOR PERRY'S UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PROPS, ALL OF US THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY GET TO KICK IN.

“This [the National Guard deployment] is important for the peace of Texas and the country,” Perry said. “I had to make a decision.”

* GEEZUS...

* AGAIN... WHAT A PIECE OF $HIT...