Friday, November 30, 2007

Back Issues, "Cutting-Edge Conservatism"

We take pride in this newsletter, and have a policy of devoting each issue to a specific theme. So far, we have not run out of subjects, and the fact that we publish on an irregular basis means that we do not have to fabricate anything on slow-news days.

2005
Vol. 1, No. 1 – “A Force in Search of a Voice” (introduction)
Vol. 1, No. 2 – Bush Derangement Syndrome
Vol. 1, No. 3 – A Message of Peace to Black America.
Vol. 1, No. 4 – Gun/People Control
Vol. 1, Nos. 5-6 – Illegal Immigration
Vol. 1, No. 7 – Guardians of Tradition, Heirs to the Future
Vol. 1, No. 8 – Christians Under Fire
Vol. 1, No. 9 – Shafted by the Media
Vol. 1, No. 10 – Rebuilding Iraq
Vol. 1, No. 11 – France in Flames
Vol. 1, No. 12 – A Quick Look at Afghanistan
Vol. 1, No. 13 – Property Rights
Vol. 1, No. 14 – Second-Guessing the President on Iraq
Vol. 1, No. 15 – When Did the Age of Reason End?
Vol. 1, No. 16 – Another View of Iraq
Vol. 1, No. 17 – Good News, for a Change
Vol. 1, No. 18 – Political Humor Issue

2006
Vol. 2, No. 1 – Patriots, Stop Taking It in the Chin!
Vol. 2, No. 2 – Illegal Immigration: Here We Go Again!
Vol. 2, No. 3 – Sad to Say, the War Isn’t Over Yet!
Vol. 2, No. 4 – Kuruption
Vol. 2, No. 5 – More Bush-Bashing
Vol. 2, No. 6 – Pulling Ourselves Out of the Rut
Vol. 2, No. 7 – Ejamakashun
Vol. 2, No. 8 – If You Are Out of Work and Hungry, Eat an Environmentalist
Vol. 2, No. 9 – General Disorder
Vol. 2, No. 10 – One Ticket Out of Our Current Dilemma
Vol. 2, No. 11 – Something Rotten in the State of Taxachusetts
Vol. 2, No. 12 – We Told You So [WMDs Confirmed in Iraq]
Vol. 2, No. 13 – Proud to Wrap Ourselves in the American Flag
Vol. 2, No. 14 – Jackpot Justice
Vol. 2, No. 15 – Democratic Party: Last Bastion of Racism
Vol. 2, No. 16 – Another War in the Middle East
Vol. 2, No. 17 – An Improbable Alliance
Vol. 2, No. 18 – Political Humor Issue, Part 2
Vol. 2, No. 19 – Led Through the Nose-Ring
Vol. 2, No. 20 – Potpourri for $100, Please
Vol. 2, No. 21 – More Good News from Iraq Suppressed by the Legacy Media
Vol. 2, No. 22 – September 11th – A Date We Will Never Forget!
Vol. 2, No. 23 – Hooah! The Military Mentality, Part 1
Vol. 2, No. 24 – Hooah! The Military Mentality, Part 2 (Weapons Systems)
Vol. 2, No. 25 – Is the Pope Catholic?
Vol. 2, No. 26 – Here Lie Predators!
Vol. 2, No. 27 - We’ll Hold Our Noses and Vote for You Now, but…
Vol. 2, No. 28 – Politics as Usual
Vol. 2, No. 29 – Political Humor Issue, Part 3
Vol. 2, No. 30 – Ramping Up to Another Midterm Election
Vol. 2, No. 31 – Kerry’s Freudian Slip
Vol. 2, No. 32 – Eating Crow, Drinking Bitter Water
Vol. 2, No. 33 – A Sharp Salute to Our Heroes
Vol. 2, No. 34 – The Forgotten America
Vol. 2, No. 35 – Don’t Just Stand There, Do Something!
Vol. 2, No. 36 – In Spite of Denials, the War Continues
Vol. 2, No. 37 – Defying the PC Police, We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2007
Vol. 3, No. 1 – Finally, Justice for Saddam Hussein (The Tyrant Who Tried to Set Himself Up as a God)!
Vol. 3, No. 2 – Don’t Write Off Conservatism Yet!
Vol. 3, No. 3 – The Most Hated Woman in America, Part 1
Vol. 3, No. 4 – Who Will Sell Our Country Down the River This Time?
Vol. 3, No. 5 – Obamarama
Vol. 3, No. 6 – The Most Hated Woman in America, Part 2
Vol. 3, No. 7 – Don’t Be Deceived by Appearances!
Vol. 3, No. 8 – Is America Ready for a Mormon President?
Vol. 3, No. 9 – Scared Silly
Vol. 3, No. 10 – A Whiff of Good News
Vol. 3, No. 11 – Liberating Our Nation's Capital from Gun Control
Vol. 3, No. 12 – Experts Deny Existence of April Fool's!!!
Vol. 3, No. 13 – Reason Takes a Vacation
Vol. 3, No. 14 – The Yellow Peril Revisited
Vol. 3, No. 15 – More Environmental News, and a Short History
Vol. 3, No. 16 – Frivolous Lawsuits Issue
Vol. 3, No. 17 – Culture Wars, the Prequel
Vol. 3, No. 18 – Inside My Head
Vol. 3, No. 18.5 – The Morphing of Rosie O’Donnell!
Vol. 3, No. 19 – News U Can Use, Part 1
Vol. 3, No. 20 – The White Knights
Vol. 3, No. 21 – News U Can Use, Part 2
Vol. 3, No. 22 – Buyer’s Remorse
Vol. 3, No. 22.5 – Is Fatherhood Under Attack? Is Your Manhood Being Questioned? Time to Unleash Chuck Norris!
Vol. 3, No. 22.6 – The Breck Girl Revisited
Vol. 3, No. 23 – The Best Campaign Bloomberg Can Buy
Vol. 3, No. 24 – Iraq, a Test of Perseverance
Vol. 3, No. 25 – I Am Not Ashamed of Being a Patriot
Vol. 3, No. 25.5 – The Breck Girl Revisited, Part Deux
Vol. 3, No. 26 – Did Anyone Forget We’re at War?
Vol. 3, No. 27 – News U Can Use, Part 3
Vol. 3, No. 27.5 – Death of a Cartoonist
Vol. 3, No. 28 – Where’s the Outrage?
Vol. 3, No. 29 – News U Can Use, Part 4
Vol. 3, No. 30 – Defying the Odds, They Keep on Fightin’
Vol. 3, No. 31 – The Manchurian Candidate
Vol. 3, No. 32 – On the Fringes [Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich]
Vol. 3, No. 32.5 – The Breck Girl Revisited, Part 3
Vol. 3, No. 33 – Too Many Politicians, Not Enough Leaders
Vol. 3, No. 34 – Political Humor Issue, Part 4
Vol. 3, No. 34.5 – Errors? In My Newspaper?????
Vol. 3, No. 35 – Virtual Jihad: Using American Technology Against Us
Vol. 3, No. 36 – Will the True Conservatives Please Stand Up?
Vol. 3, No. 37 – The Most Hated Woman in America, Part 3
Vol. 3, No. 38 – When in Doubt, Blame the Jews
Vol. 3, No. 38.5 – Ahoy! It’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day
Vol. 3, No. 38.6 – A Shocking Development!
Vol. 3, No. 39 – Political Humor Issue, Part 5
Vol. 3, No. 40 – Hiding Good News Now a Major Industry
Vol. 3, No. 41 – Rush to Dingy Harry: “We Win, You Lose”
Vol. 3, No. 42 – The Most Hated Woman in America, Part 4
Vol. 3, No. 43 – Another Tribute to the Warrior, from a Military-Friendly Newsletter
Vol. 3, No. 44 – Signs of the End Times
Vol. 3, No. 45 – The Most Hated Woman in America, Part 5
Vol. 3, No. 46 – All You Turkeys, Run and Hide! Thanksgiving’s Here!
Vol. 3, No. 47 – Getting into the Christmas Spirit

(In case you missed any of the earlier issues in the series, you can simply e-mail me, and I’ll send them to you.)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Sen. Kennedy Offered Millions for Memoirs


The Hachette Book Group USA has made a highly lucrative offer to Sen. Ted Kennedy for his memoirs, scheduled to be published in 2010. For more details, see the FOX News article at:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313007,00.html

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Pat Sajak on Celebrity Endorsements


Pat Sajak, host of the game show "Wheel of Fortune" writes on a subject he knows something about in Human Events, and puts it in perspective. Here's a paragraph that sums up his message:


"Putting those obvious benefits aside, the question remains: do these endorsements really translate into votes? Does anyone decide which candidate to choose based on the recommendation of a TV talk show host or a singer/actress? If any group of citizens is uniquely unqualified to tell someone else how to vote, it’s those of us who live in the sheltered, privileged arena of celebrityhood. It’s one thing to buy an ab machine because Chuck Norris recommends it (he’s in good shape, isn’t he?) or a grill because George Foreman’s name is on it (he’s a great guy, so it must be a great grill!), but the idea of choosing the Leader of the Free World based on the advice of someone who lives in the cloistered world of stardom seems a bit loony to me."
Something new I learned today: Pat Sajak has written a series of conservative articles on his Web site, under "Sajak Says..." at http://www.patsajak.com/news_archive.php?view=says

Terrorist Attack on Fort Huachuca, AZ Fails to Materialize!

UPDATE: We are relieved to report that the story about terrorists plotting an attack on Fort Huachuca (wa-choo'-ka) is incorrect. Here's a follow-up report at:
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/213456.php

The first report, which I posted this morning, read as follows:

The following Washington Times article revealed what we know about a conspiracy to attack the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and School at Ft. Huachuca, in the southeast corner of Arizona, adjacent to Sierra Vista. This resonates with me personally, as I received intelligence training there during my Army years.

"Fort Huachuca, the nation's largest intelligence-training center, changed security measures in May after being warned that Islamist terrorists, with the aid of Mexican drug cartels, were planning an attack on the facility.

"Fort officials changed security measures after sources warned that possibly 60 Afghan and Iraqi terrorists were to be smuggled into the U.S. through underground tunnels with high-powered weapons to attack the Arizona Army base, according to multiple confidential law enforcement documents obtained by The Washington Times."

The article went on to say "A number of the Afghans and Iraqis are already in a safe house in Texas, the FBI advisory said."

NOTE: The FBI and DEA cited, but did not name, their sources for this information, which has not been corroborated. "It doesn't mean that there isn't truth to some of what this source delivered to U.S. agents," said one law-enforcement intelligence agent, on the condition of anonymity. "The cartels have no loyalty to any nation or person. It isn't surprising that for the right price they would assist terrorists, knowingly or unknowingly."

For the full story, read http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/NATION/111260034/1001

Monday, November 26, 2007

Prickly City Cartoon


Although we pay our writers the same as Huffington Post's literary slave, at least our working conditions are more humane.

What if Peace Broke Out in Iraq - and CNN Ignored It!

Personally, I am cautiously optimistic about developments in Iraq, but am displeased by the fact that the Old Media are going out of their way to suppress any good news. For information about the progress our forces are making, we have to rely on the alternative media. I have believed for some time that the Iraqis have to work out their own solution, rather than try to meet arbitrary benchmarks set by Congress, which has done a miserable job meeting its own benchmarks.

Victor Davis Hanson, a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution, has written a number of outstanding commentaries on domestic politics and international issues. Check out his “When Good News Is No News” at http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/11/when_good_news_is_no_news.html

Defenselink and DefendAmerica are prime sources for first-hand information about military activities in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, and one wishes that the commercial news media had a cooperative rather than adversarial relationship with it. http://www.defenselink.mil/ and http://www.defendamerica.mil/iraq.html

Rush Limbaugh had a few choice words to say on his show today at:
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_112607/content/01125106.guest.html.guest.html
Michael Yon is another credible source from the front lines. He is not beholden to the Big Media, and relies on reader contributions to continue sending out reports. His Web site: http://michaelyon-online.com/

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Pride Piece: DBSA Press Release


The DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) is a nationwide nonprofit organization with chapters in all 50 states. I was flattered that someone from the headquarters in Chicago approached me with the offer of an interview, which led to the following press release to newer chapters in the Rocky Mountain region:


## FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ##

SUPPORT GROUPS HELP PEOPLE WITH MOOD DISORDERs CONNECT, AID IN RECOVERY
DBSA support groups can be the key to recovery from depression and bipolar disorder

(CHICAGO- November 25, 2007) – More than 20 million people in the United States live with depression or bipolar disorder. And if you asked them, they would probably say that, at some point, they have felt like no one understands what they are going through. The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) offers peer support groups nationwide to help those living with a mood disorder connect with others who share these diagnoses.

“I think the reason I was depressed for so long was that I felt excluded from everything,” explains Charles Sakai, group facilitator for DBSA Colorado Springs, who has lived with depression his whole life. “Finding people who accept you for who you are – I can’t put a price tag on that.”

In fact, it has been shown that peer support, in combination with the right treatment, can make recovery from a mood disorder possible. DBSA peer-run support groups offer those with depression and bipolar disorder, along with their family and friends, a place to share experiences, discuss wellness strategies and offer hope.

“It builds me up to see others in the group rally around someone in distress,” Sakai continues. Even with nearly 1,000 peer-led support groups nationwide, there are still areas across the country in need of peer support, including .

The DBSA grassroots network would like to help you start a DBSA group in your community. Get started today by requesting a FREE DBSA start-up guide and find out how you can improve the lives of people living with mood disorders. No special training is necessary! Requests can be directed to Elizabeth Siegel at (800) 826-3632, ext. 154, or at startup@DBSAlliance.org.

The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) is the nation’s leading patient-directed organization focusing on depression and bipolar disorder. The organization, which has more than 1,000 support groups nationwide, fosters an understanding about the impact and management of these life-threatening illnesses by providing up-to-date, scientifically based tools and information. Assisted by a 65-member scientific advisory board comprised of the leading researchers and clinicians in the field of mood disorders, DBSA supports research to promote more timely diagnosis, develop more effective and tolerable treatments and discover a cure. Nearly 5 million people receive information and assistance each year. For more information, please visit www.DBSAlliance.org or call (800) 826-3632.


Contact: Elizabeth Siegel
(312) 988-1154
(312) 642-7243 fax

esiegel@DBSAlliance.org

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Sears Supports Our Troops!

Subject: Sears - Christmas shopping has already started

I know I needed this reminder since Sears isn't always my first choice. Amazing when you think of how long the war has lasted and they haven't withdrawn from their commitment. Could we each buy at least one thing at Sears this year?

How does Sears treat its employees who are called up for military duty? By law, they are required to hold their jobs open and available, but nothing more. Usually, people take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a result of being called up.

Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all called up reservist employees for up to two years.

I submit that Sears is an exemplary corporate citizen and should be recognized for its contribution. I suggest we all shop at Sears, and be sure to find a manager to tell them why we are there so the company gets the positive reinforcement it well deserves.

Decided to check this before I sent it forward. So I sent the following e-mail to the Sears Customer Service Department:

I received this e-mail and I would like to know if it is true. If it is, the Internet may have just become one very good source of advertisement for your company. I know I would go out of my way to buy products from Sears instead of another store for a like item, even if it's cheaper at that store.

This is their answer to my e-mail:

Dear Customer:
Thank you for contacting Sears.The information is factual. We appreciate your positive feedback.
Sears regards service to our country as one of greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear at this time.
Bill Thorn
Sears Customer Care
webcenter@sears.com
1-800-349-4358

Sears needs to be recognized for this outstanding contribution and we need to show them as Americans, we do appreciate what they are doing for our military!!! [I left out all references to "pass this to all your friends," since I believe it's up to the individual to make that decision.]

It's Verified ! By Snopes.com at: http://www.snopes.com/politics/military/sears.asp (shows the entire article)

UPDATE: And that's not all! Look at all the different ways Sears puts its money where its mouth is at:
http://www.searsholdings.com/communityrelations/hero/military.htm

The Next 497th RTG Reunion Picnic

We are pleased to announce that the Colorado detachment of the 497th RTG Alumni is committed to holding the second reunion picnic on the Saturday before the 4th of July, 2008! Air Force veterans of other recce tech units around the world and Army, Navy, and Marine Corps PI's who were assigned at one time or another to associated units are also welcome. To make certain that this event will not slip from our consciousness, I have placed a link to Mike Weatherford's "Old Patriot's Pen" blog on the sidebar, and there you can learn all the juicy details as they unfold. Other people living in areas with a concentration of 497th alumni are free to organize reunions of their own. Our own experience has taught us that this is a viable concept for anyone willing to make it happen. The photo you see is the covered pavilion we reserved at the U.S. Air Force Academy last June.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Thanksgiving Sermon

Another Thanksgiving has arrived, and once again it is the conservative media – talk radio, blogs, and Web sites, that are cornering the market when it comes to expressing gratitude to Almighty God for preserving the world’s oldest constitutional republic and sparing us for another year from the atrocities of September 11th.

Whenever the liberal media attempt to talk us into another recession, or stir up discontent over things as they are, you can bet your next paycheck that they have an agenda to push. Not content with taking over both houses of Congress, they want to follow up this brilliant achievement by installing a Democrat in the White House.


Blogroll Me!

So the point Rush is making on his popular radio show, and which other conservatives have reinforced in their own way, is that perhaps we can promote public happiness by setting aside politics for one day out of 365 to thank the Lord for His generosity. In case you don’t have any reasons of your own, here’s a couple of things we can be grateful for:

· We are still the land of opportunity that millions of people around the world would like to emigrate to. Even our bitterest home-grown critics are not standing in line to move to North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, or Somalia.
· Despite the paranoid ravings from the left, we still have freedom of speech. You don’t hear about right-wing death squads squelching dissent, but the greatest threat to our First Amendment rights comes from the left. In the latest burst of P.C. idiocy, schools in the Socialist Republic of Washington have condemned Thanksgiving as a celebration of betrayal of Native Americans!

This is excerpted from, and advertises, an e-newsletter called "Cutting-Edge Conservatism." If you wish to be added to our mailing list, please write to the Editor at hammerz at hotmail-dot-com.