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The Speech I’d Like To Hear

My Fellow Americans,

Over the past few weeks, a series of revelations about the attack in Benghazi, the conduct of the Internal Revenue Service over the past few years, and the tactics used by the Justice Department in an investigation have shaken the confidence of the American people in their government.  I must admit that I was as surprised by some of the allegations myself, and I am also shocked that I did not know about the IRS and Associated Press situations before everyone else did.  For that, I apologize to you, for my foremost duty is to be a good steward of the nation, and there is no excuse for knowing when my subordinates are violating the trust of the American people.

I have reached out to Senate Majority Leader Reid and Speaker of the House Boehner and requested that they convene bi-partisan joint committees to fully investigate and air out these issues.  There is no better disinfectant than sunlight, and I believe that when you all see your government openly discussing these scandals, you will regain your trust in us.  I am directing all members of the executive branch of government to cooperate fully with the Congress in this, and will not be invoking executive privilege.  Those who fail to cooperate with the investigations will be removed from their positions, and anyone who is found to have broken the law will be referred for prosecution with no hope of a pardon from me.

Ladies and gentlemen, as Harry Truman once said, the buck stops here.  I am the chief executive of the government, and while I give authority to the members of my cabinet and their agencies to run the government and enforce the laws, the responsibility for what they do with that authority rests with me.  I pledge to each and every one of you that I will redouble my efforts to be a deserving recipient of your trust, and have changed the ways that I oversee the various departments and agencies of the government.  In addition, I have made it clear to all of the cabinet secretaries that I expect to know about major issues as soon as they come to light, and that I will not hesitate to fire anyone who tries to keep such things from me, either by deception or omission.

__________________________

So that’s it.  If President Obama were to make that speech, preferably on national television, and follow through on what he promises, I’d give him a lot more credit than I ever have in the past.  If there is “no there, there”, then taking these steps would finally put out these fires.  If there is indeed something there, then it would get it out in the open so that we can deal with it and be done with it.

I must say, if he were to do this, he’d be the first chief executive in my lifetime to do so, Democrat or Republican, and they all have had something rotten that needed a little sunshine.

by daddybear71 on May 19, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Politics

Posted by daddybear71 on May 19, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/19/the-speech-id-like-to-hear/

Thoughts on the Day

  • The new raised beds for tomatoes and chilis are done.  
    • All they need now is dirt and plants, but that’s Irish Woman’s job.
  • Boo spent the afternoon collecting bugs, snails, and worms for his new biology collection.
    • He did, however, inform us that all of the ants he had collected in his little hand-held vacuum gun had escaped in his bedroom.
    • When he’s done playing with that thing, I’m going to steal it.  A coat of paint and removal of the clear plastic cone in the front will make it a pretty sweet ray-gun looking thing for other forms of entertainment.
  • Only I, while wearing frequently-reapplied sunblock and a hat, could get a sunburn on a cloudy day.
  • When your teenage daughter asks if what you’re having her do is “one of those character-building things”, then you know you’re doing it right.
    • Irish Woman and I had one of the most politically-incorrect conversations we’ve ever had while supervising Girlie Bear as she hauled gravel down to the garden area.
    • It was mostly quotes from Blazing Saddles and involved singing.
  • Girlie Bear went to a sleep-over this evening after working like a dog all day.
    • I have no expectation that she’ll be the first one to conk out, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
    • She wore one of her hippie skirts tonight, but topped it off with an NRA tee-shirt.  That’s daddies little fashion plate.
by daddybear71 on May 18, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Uncategorized

Posted by daddybear71 on May 18, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/18/thoughts-on-the-day-133/

Today’s Earworm

by daddybear71 on May 18, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Earworm

Posted by daddybear71 on May 18, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/18/todays-earworm-364/

Thoughts on the Day

  • It is a loving wife who makes the extra trip to the hardware store to exchange the electrical outlet her idiot husband mistakenly bought the night before.
  • The new outlet worked.  No more breakers tripping and I’m starting to make a dent in the mound of laundry.
  • First row of garden beds in the new set is done.  Now to fill behind them and build the second set.
    • Irish Woman is itching to get the garden in now that we’re not getting frost, so I better get it done.
    • She got the onions in tonight, and bought 9 cucumber plants which she plans to plant tomorrow.
      • Last year we had three and they were coming out of our ears.
      • I have no idea what she plans on doing with even more this year.
  • Boo is displaying a lot of innate family traits.
    • His teacher had to take him to the school kitchen and scrub his legs in a sink because he came in from recess four shades grayer than when he went out.
    • He asked me at the store today if he could have both a nerf shotgun and a super soaker because he, and I’m quoting here, “needs it to get Mommy”.
    • I’m not sure, but I think he was trying to belch the alphabet after dinner tonight.
  • When it starts raining hard enough to streak your eyeglasses, it’s time to quit building garden beds for the night.
  • My idea to purchase, refurbish, and live in an old ICBM silo as a retirement home has been officially rejected.
    • I never have any fun.
    • It would have made a great place to entertain.  Imagine the blogshoot potential.
  • Remember the rule about not trying to catch a loaded firearm?  A corollary of that is to not try to catch an uncapped bottle of soda.
    • The cause and effect nature of the results are quite similar, and made almost the same amount of mess for me to clean up.
  • I considered buying fishing line to get my pole set up, but decided against it when I had an honest moment with myself.
    • Who was I kidding?  When I take Boo fishing, my pole won’t even get wet.  Might as well just get his pole ready and go along for the fun.
  • Want to lose an hour of your life and a bit of your faith in humanity all at the same time?   Just read the blotter report for your city on the website of the local newspaper.
    • My inner-voice response to most items was “Really?   Are people that stupid?”.
by daddybear71 on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Thought for the day

Posted by daddybear71 on May 17, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/17/thoughts-on-the-day-132/

Book Review – The Last Pendragon

“The Last Pendragon“, by Holly Chism,  is a well-written take on Arthurian fiction.  It twists the ancient legend a few degrees, then lets it progress to the present day.

Plot synopsis:

The main character, Sara Hawke, goes to the mountains to spend some time grieving and getting her mind right when she happens upon a pack of werewolves having their time of the month.  The werewolves chase her for sport over the countryside, and just as she’s about to become Purina Lupine Chow, she is saved by a mysterious stranger who faces down the entire pack.  Sara wakes up to find she is being confined by her savior, but she also wakes up to what and who she really is, and adventure ensues.

This tale grabbed my attention in the first few paragraphs, and I read it in pretty much one gulp.  It’s available in both paperback and ebook, and is another example of a talented writer putting their work out themselves using Amazon and a small printing company.  Mrs. Chism’s writing is descriptive without being flowery, and she does an excellent job setting scenes and describing how the universe of her story is just a few degrees off of plumb with ours.  There are several scenes set in an antique bookstore that I can still imagine in my mind.

This book is appropriate for young adults though senior citizens.   The action is exciting without being graphic, and while the story includes a couple of scenes where the female lead character is in a bath or getting dressed, there is no excess description that would keep me from giving a copy of this book to Girlie Bear.  There is a romantic angle to the story, but this isn’t at all a bodice ripper.

Overall, I’d give the book a score of four out of five.  There are a couple of scenes that I wish the author had been able to expand upon, but they don’t detract too much from the story.  The ending definitely points toward additional books, and I can’t wait to read them.  If you’re looking for a good book to read in an afternoon relaxing in the summer sun, this one is a good candidate.

by daddybear71 on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in book, Review

Posted by daddybear71 on May 17, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/17/book-review-the-last-pendragon/

Thoughts for the Day

  • Is it a bad thing when part of the 220 volt electrical outlet to the dryer falls to the floor when I open it?
    • The breaker for the dryer keeps tripping about five minutes after we turn it on.
    • The part that fell out was half of one of the metal parts that comes in contact with the prongs from the dryer.  My guess is that it was in just enough contact to allow a connection, but would cause a short and trip the breaker once resistance heated it up a bit.
  • Why no, I didn’t take the old receptacle and its faceplate to the hardware store when I went to buy a replacement.  Why should I do that?
    • I’ll be going back tomorrow, with both the old receptacle and the ‘new’ one in order to buy the ‘correct’ one.
  • I actually have a spare receptacle around here somewhere.  Darned if I know where it is.
    • Hey, it’s only money and time.  It’s not like I don’t have an abundance of both.
  • The paperwork for sending Girlie Bear to JROTC summer camp is thicker than my first enlistment contract.
  • Irish Woman had the manners to not wait until I was done with the new garden beds to request a ‘small’ change to the design.
    • I only have to undo a couple of hours worth of work to accommodate it, instead of a couple of days worth.
    • She’s so considerate.
  • Got news today that one of the units training at Fort Knox had a fatality last night, along with several hurt.  If you’re of a mind, there is a family out there that could use your prayers.
by daddybear71 on May 16, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Thought for the day

Posted by daddybear71 on May 16, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/16/thoughts-for-the-day-9/

News Roundup

  • From the “Dickhead of the Week” Department – The mayor of Osaka, Japan, has made assertions that the Korean and Chinese women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese government were instead volunteers.  He also asserted that the use of women from conquered territories in brothels was a “necessary evil”, and advised the commander of US forces on Okinawa that the Marines there need to start visiting prostitutes to let off a little steam.  Apparently Psychosan feels it’s a good thing to rip the scab right off the festering wound of Asian history, but I’m sure he’s a good person at home.  You know, between ripping the wings off of hummingbirds and slapping puppies around, he’s probably a sweet guy with the kids.
  • From the “Balls versus Brains” Department – A teacher in Colorado is being hailed for picking up a suspicious bag and taking it outside of the school.  It was later found that the bag held a real pipe bomb, not a training aid left over when the local constabulary was playing reindeer games.  While I applaud this teacher’s bravery and dedication to safety, I don’t think I’d have done the same in their shoes.  It’s just too easy for something to be unstable to be safely moved or for the miscreant who put it there to have put an anti-tampering mechanism on it.  Better to just get the kiddies as far from it as possible as quickly as possible and let the men in armored suits and their pet robots investigate.
  • From the “And One for Your Mother” Department – When asked by the IRS to detail what they were studying at their book groups, a TEA Party group that was applying for non-taxable status replied with a copy of the Constitution.  Ladies and gentlemen of American Patriots Against Government Excess, I raise my glass at your mastery of the art of smartass.  Hopefully someone at the IRS took the time to actually read it before they threw it in the burn bag.
  • From the “Proving the Adage” Department – A woman in Florida got the surprise of her life when she looked down and realized that she was bleeding while she was having coffee with her friend.  Imagine her shock when she found out she’d been shot by the .25 pistol her friend was keeping in her purse.  Somewhere in heaven, Jeff Cooper is looking down and nodding his head in an “I told you so” kind of way.  This is yet another example of why when you buy a gun, you should also buy a holster.  It’s amazing what can get into a trigger guard.
  • From the “Who Watches The Watchers?” Department – One of the soldiers responsible for the Army’s sexual harassment and sexual assault prevention program at Fort Hood, Texas, has been arrested and charged with abusive sexual conduct, forcing a subordinate into prostitution, and sexual assault.  Remember how I called for public floggings for those who are found guilty of sexual misconduct in the military?  Well, I stand by that position.  If true, this means a senior NCO (You don’t get to that kind of position as a Specialist) was abusing his position to FORCE ANOTHER SOLDIER INTO PROSTITUTION.  Exactly how screwed is the vetting process for the program if you don’t catch a guy who’s going to pimp out his fellow soldiers during interviews and background checks?  Whoever is in charge of this needs to be sacked, along with a few layers of leadership who not only screwed up in the personnel selection process, but also let this continue.  I’m sorry, but you can’t say “I didn’t know my subordinate had a side job peddling flesh” unless you’re just not paying attention to what your troop is up to.  I know the sexual harassment pendulum can swing way too far the other way and people can get implicated in stuff they didn’t do if the climate gets too strict, but someone’s head needs to be put on a pike in front of III Corps headquarters, preferably in full view of every soldier on post.
by daddybear71 on May 16, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in news

Posted by daddybear71 on May 16, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/16/news-roundup-190/

Today’s Earworm

by daddybear71 on May 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Earworm

Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/15/todays-earworm-363/

Blogs Roundup

  • Blackfive points out that while position doesn’t always equal class, in some circumstances, it does.
  • BRM has released his first novel.  Go. Buy. Read.  There will be a review here once I’m done with the reviews I’ve already got in the works and I read it myself.
  • Auntie J demonstrates that, no matter what, the kids know who their mom and dad are.
  • Brigid had me at “tragic potato gun accident”.
by daddybear71 on May 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in blogs

Posted by daddybear71 on May 15, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/15/blogs-roundup-30/

Today’s Earworm

by daddybear71 on May 14, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Earworm

Posted by daddybear71 on May 14, 2013

https://daddybearsden.com/2013/05/14/todays-earworm-362/

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