Obama Cedes Portions Of Interstate 8 In Arizona To The Drug Cartels; It's A Local Issue...

Hmmm....nice little state you got here. It'd be a shame if it were to, say, get overrun with criminals and the like. Right, Gino? Right, Vito? A cryin' shame.

From today's Washington Times:

The federal government recently posted signs along Interstate 8 in the Vekol Valley warning travelers the area is unsafe because of drug and alien smugglers. The signs were posted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) along a 60-mile stretch of Interstate 8 between Casa Grande and Gila Bend, warning travelers they are entering an "active drug- and human-smuggling area" and may encounter "armed criminals and smuggling vehicles traveling at high rates of speed."

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, whose county includes the valley, told The Washington Times earlier this month that Mexican drug cartels have posted scouts on the high points around the valley to control movement in the area. He said they have radios, optics and "night-vision goggles as good as anything law enforcement has."

"This is going on here in Arizona … 30 miles from the fifth-largest city in the United States," he said.

The sheriff said he asked the Obama administration for 3,000 National Guard soldiers to patrol the border, but got 15 signs along Interstate 8 instead.

ObamaBob claims that everyone loves his boss, and that the election will hinge on 'local issues', not having to to with The Beloved Leader. OS suspects that folks in Arizona might consider having a squad of trained Mexican assassins at large just might meet the definition of a local issue.

Quote Of The Day, 18 October 2010

From Jesse, naturally. And OS sincerely hopes he's mistaken!

But it's certainly worth sharing, because Jesse can by-golly use the English langauge.


"The world will soon wake up to the reality that everyone is broke and can collect nothing from the bankrupt, who are owed unlimited amounts by the insolvent, who are attempting to make late payments on a bank holiday in the wrong country, with an unacceptable currency, against defaulted collateral, of which nobody is sure who holds title."

Katherine Birbalsingh Sent Packing

To quote that great Southern philosopher, Gomer Pyle: Well, surprahze, surprahze!!

Cranmer is on the warpath. His reader are drawing knives on one another.

It's the blogosphere, ya'll. Ever'body calm down a tech.

OldSouth admires Miss Birbalsingh no end. What a brave lady, to graduate Oxford, lovely and attractive, with the world at her feet, and to choose to teach kids in forgotten neighborhoods of the UK. She could have taken up a very comfortable post at a private boarding school anywhere in the Commonwealth--Bermuda's nice, British Columbia's lovely, or any number of comfortable spots in England. She made a brave decision, and stuck to it, for well over a decade!

She made another in choosing to speak to the Conservative Party Congress. OS is not surprised to find that this forced resignation transpired. People who tell the truth to people allergic to truth find themselves in the crosshairs of the allergic peoples' anger. Don't ask how OS knows this, just trust he does.

We haven't heard the last of her, and the real debate, on both sides of the pond, is just about to get underway.

The painful part for this lovely lady is to be wrenched involuntarily from children to whom she has inevitably become attached. It's one thing to leave at year's end, with a plan in place, and to be able to say 'goodbye and Godspeed'. This is something else entirely, and it can truly, truly hurt. OS hopes the parents get in touch, and slather some love on her in the next few days. That helps ease the sorrow.

That being said, time to go forward.

OS lives in a county where 50% of the ninth graders never make it to the graduation line at the end of the twelfth grade, and of those who do, only about 10% ever graduate from university with a bachelor's degree, and about 10% of them pursue grad school. The schools here, well, suck. But we're assured they are wonderful, because at least it's not Chicago, where over 200 school-aged kids were shot last year, according to a recent article in Time Magazine. OS is happy his kids have graduated, and are long gone from this place, much as he loves living here. He doesn't want to see his grandchildren attending these schools.

It's time to really, really have that public discussion about how badly we educate our children, and what must be done to set things right. The guv'mint, at all levels, is out of money, so the typical union rant of 'Send us enough money, you ingrates, and we'll do a better job' is no longer an option.

They've been in the business of doing less with more for years, ya'll. That approach has proven to be a failure.

We now have to decide how to do a credible job with less, much less, and do it all much more credibly. Korea, India and Singapore are about to eat our collective lunch.

Miss Birbalsingh, OS thanks you from the bottom of his grumpy heart. You have done the world a great service, and he predicts you have great days ahead of you. Someday, before too long, he'd like to fly you over to our part of the world and let you talk to us. He knows a few folks who might be very interested in listening.

If you read this, young lady, and would like to get in touch, Cranmer has my contact information.

God bless you, comfort you, and strengthen you as you undertake 'all such good works He has prepared for you to walk in.'

This ain't the end, young lady. It's jest the beginning!

As Gomer would exclaim: ShaZAYuhm!!!

ObamaBob Spins For Meet The Press: It's Local Issues, And It's The Chamber Of Commerce and Karl Rove's Fault

Really, that's what he said.

It's not about The Beloved Leader at all. Folks just love him and MainSqueeeeezeMichelle. They're gonna vote Democrat in droves.

It's hard to make this sort of stuff up.

But,  OS did predict last week that this would begin, so his readers were informed before the onslaught of half-truth was launched.

So, let's go with ObamaBob's premise: It's just 'local issues'.

OS drives by the forcibly closed and abandoned Chrysler dealership here in his little town. That's a local issue. The business was forced into oblivion by the Obama White House, who turned the bankruptcy code upside down in order to reward the UAW.

OS passes resumes of friends on to those who might provide employment, in this 'recovery' with its real unemployment rate of near 18%. The One promised us if he were allowed to spend $800 billion that unemployment would drop. That's a local issue.

OS has calculated that his bank savings account actually costs him money, because the .25% interest rate paid does not recoup the annual maintenance fees for the account. That's a local issue. Obama backed the nomination of Bernanke to head the Fed for another term earlier this year.

Thirty-five years after the establishment of the Department of Education, and untold billions poured down that rabbit hole, the graduation rate in this county is 50%. The teacher's union is sitting fat and happy, though. That's a local issue, 'cuz those employers in need of employees find it tough to find qualified people who will show up to work and not screw things up.

Houses aren't selling, 'cuz the market is now so distorted by Fannie/Freddie/Treasury and the general fraud in the mortgage industry that property can't be valued, and it's not certain title can clear in many instances. That's on Obama's watch. That's a local issue! In spades!

Undoubtedly, folks in all parts of the country can add their own items to the list of 'local issues'--like all those shallow-water oil-rig workers Obama threw out of work last summer. The Chinese can drill, the Cubans can drill, the Brazilians can drill. Texas and Louisiana are simply out of luck. The Beloved Leader has spoken. Let them eat cake.

Need we continue?

Keep grinnin' thar', ObamaBob! Keep ranting about Karl Rove and the Chamber of Commerce! That'll turn the tide, Bubbah! Folks ever'where just love your boss, and all those folks are gonna git in that votin' booth and show their appreciation for him on November 2. It'll be a regular ol' love feast.

Cuz' it'll be about local issues...

A Glorious Day In Middle Tennessee: 16 October 2010

Meaning to be more attentive to his duties, OS nonetheless, at Mrs. OS's urging, took the day off.

It was a glorious day, with the height of the mid-October colors almost upon us, clear blue skies, temps in the mid-70's.

We took the MuttDawg to our country vet for treatment of a skin allergy, and to purchase the breathtakingly expensive but effective flea treatments for the entire pack which are a necessity in our pest-ridden part of the country. CountryVet was delightful as always, cheerful, dry sense of humor, has forgotten more than most of his colleagues will ever learn, with his practice that treats everything from horses to pet waterfowl.

A trip to the Mennonite bakery followed. It's miles from anywhere, located in heart-breakingly beautiful rolling hill country. A group from that particular branch of Christianity moved into the area a few years ago, bought farms, set up shop, and have thrived. They've helped the area around them thrive as well. Nice folks, who dress quasi-Amish simply, but use electricity, farm equipment, etc. The bakery dining area doubles as the church meeting room on Sundays, all are welcome. The kitchen and sales area are pristine, eat-off-the-floor clean, stocking incredible baked goods, meats, cheeses, and supplies for 'scratch' cooks. The place is prospering, with its customers driving in from miles around.

The Mennonite nursery was nearby, and we hemmed MuttDawg in with huge mums and asters, and plant stands bought at a local junk shop. She looked at dubiously, settled in and continued her nap. From there, we headed to vote early at the election commission, on the courthouse square of the tiny county seat. A steady stream of voters, a cheerful atmosphere.

OS walked the back nine at the local club, and we joined friends who fixed dinner to celebrate a birthday, and the fact that both the hosts had just weathered terrible medical crises which would have killed lesser souls. Lots of laughter, and a few tears of joy shed as well.

It was a wonderful day.

OS shares this with you, especially overseas readers, not to gloat or bore, but to attempt to explain this part of the world to you, and hopefully offer an insight into what may appear bewildering from a distance.

All of this is what is known as Americana. The rolling hills are home to farms, mostly small, with a few grander homesteads, a couple of villages; and quirky, independent-minded souls, all manner of them, from demure Mennonites to outlandish Pentecostals, twelve kinds of Baptists, and some who mainly just ignore the question. Many are self-employed, 'hip-pocket' entrepreneurs, or work a 'day job' and supplement with a family business. It is a quiet, modest prosperity. No flash cars, more pickup trucks than cars driven anyway. The occasional overdone house, but mainly brick ranch homes with trimmed yards, hardwood trees, roses, sometimes fruit trees, and a dog or two.

It is far from a perfect place. But it is truly wonderful, especially on a day like we spent yesterday.

It's made possible by some things ThePeopleInCharge of the big institutions in Washington, New York, and London just don't seem to understand.

Political freedom without intimidation.

A rule of law that allows the owners of the small farms to convey clear title of their houses and lands--that seems now to have been undermined. Can't buy or sell if the paper trail has vanished into thin air, can we?

A tax system that is easy to comply with, and doesn't punish success or the building or conveyance of wealth within the family.

Religious freedom.

Local control of local issues, and most issues are local, beginning with the school system.

A financial system based upon sound accounting.

A health care system that allows the sick to be cared for, and the healers to do their jobs, without bankrupting anyone in the process.

Otherwise, these folks simply wish to be left alone, to live their lives, their families, their businesses, and their churches. No utopian schemes, no great crusades. And, it's much the same in the city neighborhoods around the country as well.

This Americana way of life is threatened by ThePeopleInCharge, who either see those people in the hills as ignorant church-going rubes, or as a source of tax money to spend on utopian schemes, or as a source of wealth to be expropriated via manipulation.

The funny-looking people in the tri-corner hats and hand-lettered signs, who have been called 'AstroTurf', and referred to as practicioners of aberrant sexual behaviors are drawn from this way of life. The last thing they want to be doing with their time is attending Tea Party rallies, but they feel they must, to give their kids, and their grandchildren, a chance to have the kind of day Mr. and Mrs. OldSouth spent yesterday.

They sense, rightly, that there are people at the helm of the major institutions of government, the academy, the press, entertainment, finance and industry who would not lose a moment's sleep if this way of life vanished into thin air, so long as their power and their wealth remained untouched by the event.

The people who live in Americana are very angry about it all. They will be marching, donating in $25 and $50 increments, and voting. Here's hoping they shift the ground out from under the feet of those who disdain them so deeply.

Never Mind!: Geert Wilders' Prosecutors Request All Charges Be Dropped

After well over a year of demonization, prosecution, being banned from entering the UK, the litany stretches on--Wilders' prosecutors ended up arguing for his acquittal.

This story did not receive much attention in the US, but it should. It was an attempt by a government to use the criminal justice system to silence a political opponent.

Thankfully, it failed. But who knows what it cost Mr. wilders, financially, physically, and emotionally? Where does he go to recover at least the money expended on what the prosecution admits was an unjustified case?

Shouldn't a few resignations, or at least apologies, be in order, by someone, somewhere?


Anyone?


Does OldSouth once again hear the sound of crickets chirping?

The First Lady And The Chicago Polling Place: The Law Is For All You LITTLE People

Disappointing, but completely unsurprising.

Every state in the union has a law against anyone attempting to campaign or influence voters inside the polling place. It's off limits, a place where the voter and his/her conscience enter unmolested. It's quiet, orderly, calm. In Tennessee, signs forbidding campaigning are posted 100 feet from the poll entrance.

Like, it doesn't take a law degree from Harvard to read and understand this stuff, ya'll.

Unless you're The One's Main Squeeeeezzze, Mizz Michelle. Wait a minute, she has a Harvard law degree, right?

But that's OK. She's one of the Big People. Those signs are for the Little People.

Like you.

First lady Michelle Obama appears to have violated Illinois law -- when she engaged in political discussion at a polling place!

The drama began after Mrs. Obama stopped off at the Martin Luther King Center on the south side of Chicago to cast an early vote.

After finishing at the machine, Obama went back to the desk and handed in her voting key.

She let voters including electrician Dennis Campbell, 56, take some photos.

"She was telling me how important it was to vote to keep her husband's agenda going," Campbell said.

According to a pool reporter from the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES at the scene, the conversation took place INSIDE the voting center, not far from the booths.

Illinois state law -- Sec. 17-29 (a) -- states: "No judge of election, pollwatcher, or other person shall, at any primary or election, do any electioneering or soliciting of votes or engage in any political discussion within any polling place [or] within 100 feet of any polling place."

A top Ilinois State Board of Elections official tells the DRUDGE REPORT that Mrs. Obama -- a Harvard-educated lawyer -- may have simply been ignorant of the law and thus violated it unintentionally.

"You kind of have to drop the standard for the first lady, right?" the official explained late Thursday. "I mean, she's pretty well liked and probably doesn't know what she's doing."

WHITE HOUSE DEFENDS ELECTIONEERING

When questioned about the brazen nature of Mrs. Obama's campaigning, press secretary Robert Gibbs defended the action.

"I don't think it would be much to imagine, the First Lady might support her husband's agenda," Gibbs smiled.

That's OK, ObamaBob. Keep smiling. No worries. Nobody's gonna notice, or conclude that your bosses despise both the law and the citizenry.

No worries, ya'll.

A Grin After The Chilean Rescue From Homer Hickam

 
If ya'll aren't familiar with Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys, which became the movie October Sky, OS invites you to enjoy a wonderful treat.

He is amongst the best of the very best to emerge from the South (this best of places) in the past hundred years.


A wry story from his hometown paper in Hunstville, Alabama.

It appears his dad, a mine foreman back in his childhood home in West Virginia, had experimented with a rescue device similar (much cruder, but effective) than the fabulous piece of engineering that helped rescued Los Treinta y Tres yesterday.


Great ideas are immortal. Let's all hug an engineer today, ya'll.

Firm But Fair: Georgia Board Of Regents Sets A New Policy On Illegal Alien Students

 
As in: No, you can't enter our universities.

A final report presented today to the Board of Regents finds that only 501 undocumented students – all paying out-of-state tuition – are among the 310,000 students enrolled in University System of Georgia (USG) institutions this fall. While the numbers are small, beginning in fall 2011, all applicants will undergo new steps designed to strengthen the ability of USG institutions to properly classify students for tuition purposes.

These steps are outlined in four recommendations by the Residency Verification Committee approved today by the Board of Regents. They will go into effect for the fall 2011 semester. These include:

*The addition of language on all applications that outlines the legal penalties for “false swearing,” or knowingly providing incorrect information on the forms. USG officials indicate this will better educate individuals about the process of applying to college.
*The addition of language on all applications that, for the first time, will require applicants to state whether they are seeking in-state tuition. This will help institutions in making a decision on whether or not additional residency verification is necessary.
*A policy requirement that USG institutions verify the lawful presence in the United States of any applicant that is admitted. Students who note they are seeking in-state tuition will, if not applying for federal financial aid (which has its own stringent verification processes), be subject to additional verification by the institution.
*A policy that any person not lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible for admission to any USG institution which, for the two most recent academic years, did not admit all academically qualified applicants.

“We are an educational agency in the business of preparing individuals for careers requiring knowledge and skills; we are not in the immigration business, nor are we equipped to serve as the immigration authorities,” said Regent James Jolly, who chaired the Residency Verification Committee. “However, these new policies do strengthen our ability to ensure proper tuition classification for all students – a process and a commitment the System has undertaken and met since being formed in 1931.”

No, 501 students out of 10K is not many, but one is too many. Even for a student paying the full load of fees, a state university education is heavily subsidized by the taxpayer. The taxpayers and voters make that decision--you know, citizens of the state.

The screams from the left have already begun, (see the comments at this article), and the lawsuits will fly, and the charges of racism will fill the air.

Here's hoping the Regents stand tall, have a good legal staff, and refuse to back down. It's time to finally begin to address the illegal immigration issue, one institution at a time, one state at a time, one county and township at a time. The Federal Government(under the administration of both parties) has abdicated its duty, while demanding control of the question. They can't have it both ways. Normal people like us have to live here with the consequences of their venality. Time to push back.

Lissen'-up, ya'll: Obama and His Home-boy Eric Holder, and their homeboys in all those 'public-interest-groups' can't sue everyone, everywhere, 24/7/365. Hell, let 'em try! Members of Congress who are pissed off about litigation against OldStateU back home (or whose constituents let them know how pissed off they are), won't be co-operatin' with no new 'Obama 2.0' proposals. OldStateU loyalists, and the citizen parents of citizen children who want to attend OldStateU won't be casting that vote for nobody even remotely associated with Himself and His Home-boy if they sue the board of  OldStateU, or the vo-tech in the next county.

And, likely, HisEminence and Home-boy won't be around to see the litigation through past January 2013, anyway. They be toast, all crispy and stuff...

Go git'em, ya'll! Go Dawgs!

Number 33 Emerges: The End Of The Rescue

They're singing, cheering, applauding, and waiting for the final miner.

What a moment. The foreman was the last man to leave, and was greeted as a hero, complete with a speech from a beaming President, followed by the singing of the Chilean national anthem, in one of the most heartfelt monotone renditions heard in history.

Let's do keep a good thought for these gents and their families. Nothing is ever the same for anyone who goes through a major life event. Ask your friends who are cancer survivors, or widows of those who didn't survive, or soldiers who make it back after hellish experiences. Everyone will have some adjustments to make.

We have a lot to learn from them, when they choose to tell their stories.

In the meantime, they and their families deserve their privacy and dignity.

God bless them all, and their rescuers from around the world.