Turning the US Over To the Control of the UN

It's long been the opinion of a large minority of Americans that the United Nations is an anti-American organization. Many actions of the UN in recent years proves this--they are very fond of disproportionately criticizing the US while simultaneously requiring the US to shoulder a huge degree of financial responsibility for its operation.

There's a deliberate effort to subjugate the US federal government to the UN, undoubtedly due to extreme envy of our wealth by governments of other nations. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that these governments wish to sap the economic strength of the US to place the US at (or below) a par with the socialist nations of Europe.

Toward this end, the traitorous B Hussein Obama has authored and submitted to the Senate a bill (SB 2433) which, besides committing a hefty chunk of our tax dollars to the world's most savage dictatorships, filtered though the thieving, grasping hands of the leaders of the UN, but it cancels debts of these so far unidentified dictatorships owed the World Bank--at US expense). Read the text of the bill here.

This, of course, means that it'll leave the dictators of these countries with money to purchase more arms and enlarge their armies to better repress their people and, perhaps, to help train and arm groups that would harm the US.

As noted by Alex Jones, of Infowars.com, the bill requires the President to sign on to the UN's Millennium Declaration, which, according to Cliff Kincaid of Accuracy in Media:

.....[A]after cutting through all of the honorable-sounding goals in the plan, the bottom line is that the legislation would mandate the 0.7 percent of the U.S. GNP as "official development assistance."

"In addition to seeking to eradicate poverty, that (U.N.) declaration commits nations to banning ’small arms and light weapons’ and ratifying a series of treaties, including the International Criminal Court Treaty, the Kyoto Protocol (global warming treaty), the Convention of Biological Diversity, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention of the Rights of the Child," he said.

The bill invests the power for enactment of its provisions in the President, which could be B Hussein Obama by the time the bill becomes law. Now, in my own head, this commitment sounds like handing over the sovereignty of each and every one of the United States to an anti-American organization. I have no doubt that is what the multicultural Senator Obama intends.

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill!

Ok, so I'm a hot rodder. I like old cars; I like fast cars. I'm also a fan of NHRA drag racing and, to a lesser extent, other kinds of auto racing.

Fast cars need a lot of gas. America has, contrary to what the algorians will have you believe, plenty of oil available within the areas US oil companies can search. More than we'll ever need--because we will, in spite of all the wheel spinning with stupid and costly stuff like highlt subsidized ethanol from corn and those idiotic, unsightly and expensive windmills we see here and there (but not in the Kennedys' back yard).

We've had a number of "oil crises" over the past thirty or so years, each one seemingly more serious than those previous. These past five or six years, we've been in a continual oil crisis, largely because of the disingenuously-named "War on Terror." And our own politicians' propensity toward following suicidal policies.

Leftist environmentalism, or algorianism, is deliberately designed to destroy capitalism and individual freedom--not to mention the free world's industrial and technological capabilities. Algorians don't actually care a whit about the environment except as it serves their agenda.

Ten years ago roughly, the question of drilling for the oil under the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) became a political football. It had been a question for a long while before, but oil from OPEC member nations became more problematical and a few sensible voices suggested that the federal government get out of the way of American petroleum production. Screams from the left were both shrill and without any rational arguments at all.

The arguments ranged from unprovable fears of destruction of animal habitat to the arguable notion that it would take ten years until any meaningful production would come from ANWR.

A very few brave advocates even suggested that exploring and drilling be authorized in offshore areas in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. They were again shouted down by emotion-laden voices that claimed unavoidable environmental damage. Baloney.

Planet Earth is self-cleaning. Whatever happened to the millions of gallons of oil spilled from the ships of the world's navies and merchant fleets destroyed during WWII? Microcritters ate it. Same with the oft whined about Exxon Valdez spill. One might be able to find traces of that oil today, but he'd have to search. A few years along, even that won't be possible.

Well, ten years have passed. Had we begun working the ANWR oil pools ten years ago, we'd be able to tell the Mideast countries to pump their oil where the sun don't shine. The crisis would be over for decades to come, giving entrepreneurs time to develop personal nuclear generators for the home, the factory and for personal aircars.

But that's not what the algorians want. They want to see us looking under rocks for bugs to eat. They want us killing each other for food.

And I would happily give up my hot rod for my own aircar, if there were no worries about tree huggers bringing back another Dark Age.

We've seen the enemy and he is Algore.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Ghoulish Algore Revels in Burma Destruction

It certainly was predictable. He's been telegraphing his intentions for some time--claiming that global warming will cause more and more hurricanes in the southern and eastern states. I can imagine that he was tearing his hair out, waiting for the high-body-count disasters that would help regenerate flagging interest in his nefarious agenda.

Finally, huzzah, a cyclone! Algore's jelly belly is just quivering with glee! Tens of thousands killed or missing. More to die from disease and unavailability of medical care over the upcoming weeks.

On the very day following the end of the storm, Algore finds a microphone and trumpets his "I told you so" as expected (and probably scheduled. As told in this story in the Business and Media Institute website, Algore leaprd to the NPR microphone to shout his mantra, "the cyclone is a consequence of global warming!" Truth be known, he has probably been sitting in front of that mike for weeks, waiting for something, anything, to happen that he could use.

Myanmar, traditionally known as Burma, having been renamed by an agency of one of its recent dictators-for-life is, and as a socialist republic will remain, a third world dictatorship, awash in squalor whenever it's not awash in flood waters. Philosopher Tibor Machan has recently written a short article on the reasons why, here.

Now, any event like that which happened in Burma is saddening beyond words, for the (mostly needless) loss of life. I say "mostly needless" because the socialist dictatorship in Burma has squelched technological advancement and left the country's millions vulnerable to the elements.

These are the kind of living conditions the algorians idealize for all the peoples of the world. This is the sort of world to which Algore's policies will ultimately lead us. Several algorians, past and present (most recently the evil and stupid Ted Turner), suggest that the ideal human population of planet Earth should be a few million naked savages, surviving as cannibals.

What more do you need?

Let them freeze to death in the dark.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Promotes Gang Violence With Big Payouts

Antonio Vinaigrette, el Alcalde del Pueblo de Los Angeles, is in the process of taking over all of the city's anti-gang programs. As an ex gangster himself, he obviously knows what he's doing. After all, he's also attempting to take over the entire city children's prison system. An obvious rationale? Put gangsters in front of the classes to teach children how to better conduct the War on Productivity in Los Angeles. Given his background and personal philosophy it, as Science Officer Spock used to say, is logical.

Meanwhile, these efforts are being carried out mostly by the City Council.

There is an expose on LA's local Fox News affiliate KTTV, of the effort of one City Councilwoman, Janice Hahn. Seems she's been paying gangsters big bucks to mitigate gang violence in the city. She's been getting gangsters who are arrested of violent crimes, released from incarceration so they can continue their work. See Chris Blatchford's expose video, as shown on KTTV, here, along with other related stories.

Apparently the money, fairly large sums. is given with no strings attached. One gangster is quoted as saying he didn't know what he was supposed to do, for the money. Another took his homies to the Raging Waters amusement park for the day.

Ms Hahn who, along with her father and brother have inhabited offices in City Hall for decades, gets very defensive when asked for specific answers about her programs. She cuts off interviews she deems hostile, much as does El Alcalde himself.

Arrogant as many of the Los Angeles City Council members are, they still have to stand for election every four years. Angry as LA residents are at the high local taxes and foolish spending, these parasites keep getting reelected.

One must suspect some Chicago-style hanky panky at the polls. And, of course, this is Hollywood, with all the celebrity-driven socialist propaganda being brought to bear at every election.

Like MS Hahn's insane notion that paying gangsters off will make them nice.

Meanwhile, the murder of someone (anyone) is the cost of initiation to many gangs and the murder of a member of another gang is even better. As might be suspected in a part of the country in which victims are disarmed by law, there are many murders in El Pueblo, of both the guilty and the innocent, and these murders apparently occur with the blessing of el alcalde and the rest of the City Council. Only occasionally are they prosecuted and they're almost never prosecuted severely.

A recently, one of Ms Hahn's paid gangsters was murdered by a member of a rival gang. She attended the funeral and hugged the deceased thug's mother. One must wonder if he was killed by a gangster with a gun purchased with Ms Hahn's money.

People should never be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

The Continuing Self Destruction of the Libertarian Party.....Continued

If I get all this correctly, it all started with a Resolution, one version of which can be found here, to be put to a vote during the National Convention, which calls on the federal government--the FBI, specifically--to ante up more resources for fighting child pornography--by spending less on adult victimless crimes. Sounds ok.....if you're stupid. While I might write out my reasons for saying so at some point, Reason Number One is: Never ask the federal government to increase spending on anything. They'll spend more money all right, and the result will be more child pornography.

The LP national office then sent out a press release, which can be found here. One candidate , Mary Ruwart, apparently expressed something negative about the wisdom of enjoining such a fringe issue (I think all rational individuals can agree to detest child pornography), and was called to task by Mark Schreiber, campaign manager for another candidate, Wayne Allyn Root, who apparently implied that Ms Ruwart was not opposed to child pornography. Writes Ms Ruwart:

Consequently, you can understand my shock when Mark Schreiber, "quoted" me as saying that "pedophilia is OK" in my book, Short Answers to the Tough Questions, this weekend at the Indiana LP Convention. Mr. Scribner is the campaign manager for LP presidential hopeful Wayne Allyn Root.

You can find her full comment here.

Now, you see why I continue to think the Libertarian Party is coming apart at the seams. LP has always held that its most important function is to try to educate the electorate that we'd all be better off with less government, not more; with more freedom and personal responsibility, not less. Running candidates is, rationally, more to allow the candidates to reach cameras and microphones that would otherwise be denied, to the purpose of letting the candidates make the case for smaller government to a larger audience than would otherwise be possible.

No rational person ever really thought that LP would elect a President. A few candidates for local offices have been elected, and that's great, but a President of the United States? C'mon!

All that aside, the detestable charge allegedly levelled by Mr Schreiber at Ms Ruwart, and his boss' failure to both apologize and sanction Schreiber, is just the kind of filthy politics we don't need in the LP. I guess my reaction will be to state that I will not vote for Mr Root, and that I will not return to the LP as long as either Mr Root or Mr Schreiber are involved.

I suggest that LP not nominate Mr Root for President, or for any other office.

There are liars, damned liars, and politicians.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

The Continuing Self-Destruction of the Libertarian Party

For starters, I'll have to admit to a degree of ignorance regarding the recent events within my party of choice for these past thirty-five years. Though I've almost always voted for LP candidates come election day, I haven't belonged, nor been particularly active in the Party since after Roger MacBride's candidacy in 1976. Neither did I have the time and money to go chasing around the country to attend meetings and conventions, nor did ol' career builder me have the inclination to do so.

Standing at a long arm's length from the Party for these past many years, I often read of such things as political infighting, rule breaking and financial abuses in the upper offices. There were a number of embarrassing fiascoes highlighted by the attempted Presidential candidacy of radio talker Howard Stern, and the virtual "food fight" that was that year's nomination convention.

I was always a fan of the "Pledge," the signing of which was a a requirement for many years. It's also been controversial for almost as many years. many so-called libertarians in the Party wanted to do away with the Pledge, to make the Party more inclusive.

It was a deal breaker for me. If a prospective member can't honestly take that Pledge, then he's no libertarian. Period. Having recently thought of recommitting myself to the Party, I've heard that they, in fact, have withdrawn the requirement to sign the Pledge. Until that decision is reconsidered, I won't be involving myself.

I will still, however, continue to vote for LP candidates I find significantly more palatable than those of the two branches of the Boot On Your Neck Party.

A recent event has come to my attention, though, which will require some study and thought. Seems one of the candidates for the nomination for President has allegedly made some snide distortions of a statement of another candidate, regarding child pornography. This, we cannot have.

Candidates vying for the right to run for any office under the label, "Libertarian Party" must argue their differences honestly and honorably. When I find whether or not this candidate has distorted the truth, I'll make it public in a subsequent post. Anyone who will stoop that low to secure the party's nomination belongs with the Democrats or Republicans, where that sort of thing is normal.

Politics, when there's money to be stolen, is the home of thieves.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Chicago! Not My Kind of Town!

First, so we aren't accused of calling the kettle black, I have to stipulate that the rules for keeping and bearing arms in El Pueblo de Los Angeles are not only stupid, but unConstitutional, too. In LA, one can own a gun, but he must go through a maze of federal, state, and local city laws regarding purchasing, owning, transporting, carrying and shooting a gun contain a labyrinth of potholes and mindless pitfalls, every one of which is designed to keep the victim, particularly the poor victim, disarmed.

If one has avoided legal entanglements and if one has been nice to his spouse/significant other throughout one's life, he can legally own a handgun in Los Angeles--but that's just the first major hurdle. The legal LA gun owner cannot carry a handgun either concealed or openly without a permit, and no permits are issued to "little people." None. Rosie O'Dozie can get permits for her bodyguards, but yours truly, who has over forty years of shooting experience and several handguns, none of which has ever killed or injured anyone while in my possession, can't. Even if I had police combat pistol training (which I'll get sooner instead of later--read: while I still can!), I couldn't get a permit.

The dopey gang children, who never have problem getting guns, have been killing each other for years, with the not-too-rare killing of an innocent, seem to be above the law.

But let's focus 'pon Chicago. The Windy City, like New York and communist China, don't allow its inhabitants to own guns at all. Well, if you're well enough connected, there can be exceptions, but the average working stiff remains an unarmed target on the shooting gallery that is Chicago. Seems the evil Mayor Daley wants to see that only the dopey gang children are armed.

Apparently, Chicago had a particularly violent week, the one just past. Check out the MyWay News story available on Drudge. In it, the criminally deluded mayor says:

A fired-up Daley blasted the gun industry and called on parents and adults to do their part by intervening to help troubled youth and by working to keep others on the right path.

"I don't want people to wait for Mayor Daley to call a meeting. I want you to call a meeting in your home with your children and loved ones. I want you to go next door and talk to those children next door. I want the parents of the block to say 'This block will be free of violence,'" he said.

Well, how do you suppose the folks on the block are going to be free of violence if they've been disarmed while the thugs are bristling with firearms? Perhaps they ought to call in Macaulay Culkin (as Kevin McCallister in the movie "Home Alone") as their home defense expert. Only thing--then, the ever pro-criminal Mayor Daley will undoubtedly declare the use of ordinary household items and toys illegal to use in defense of one's home and family.

Because it's legal in Chicago to vote multiple times and for illegal aliens, non-residents and the recently deceased to vote, the evil Mayor will stay in office as long as he wants, and will then pick his son as his successor, self defense promises to be illegal in Chicago for a long time to come.

I think I'd have liked Chicago better in the 1930's. They had the same gangs (perhaps a bit more civilized), but the average guy could legally defend himself.

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

What Will We Use For a Swastika Now That Swastikas Ain't Cool?

Swastikas are hated in the various United States, by most people. They won't play in the federal government as a symbol for our gestapo. It might cause a resistance to form. Americans would be very good at resistance if the heat in the proverbial pot were increased too quickly. The feds have been turning it up pretty quickly these past few years, and the portion of America that's not asleep with dreams of the security of a benevolent government, taking needed steps to protect us from an enemy that would destroy us all, are becoming increasingly aware that this is no longer the America of Thomas Paine, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, et al.

In a practice run at setting up checkpoints at all rail stations in the country, the feds have been helping finance the New York City police department's quasi military control of the city's subways. You know, the famous subways of many a stage play, movie and anecdote, in which one can get to within a few blocks of just about anywhere in the city worth going for a nickel. Of course it, like everything else, is no longer a nickel.

Police started, somewhat over a year ago, checking random grocery bags and book totes for what....? Oh, yes! It was for bombs. Everyone in city government and the media said it wasn't a violation of one's Fourth Amendment rights. If one wanted to avoid the search, he could walk from Fifth and Broadway to Jones Beach. Carrying one's MP3 player, Speedos, a sandwich and a thermonuclear device.

No big deal. If you take the subway, we'll just take a peek in your daypack and you're on your way.

Well, as government takes away your rights in big bites, and missions creep along the baseboards, it didn't stop there. Magee Hickey, a reporter for WCBSTV News in New York, reports here that NYPD officers, clad in full armor and carrying MP5 submachine guns and M4 carbines, and accompanied by drug--I mean bomb sniffing dogs are now manning (and dogging) the various subway stations in the city.

The story also states that similar squads of storm troops have been stationed around the Empire State building, Wall Street and other New York landmarks for years. What a joy! I wonder if they were stationed around the World Trade Center prior to Sept 11th.

All this money being spent, when all that'd be needed is an armed populace! Armed on their own nickel and unpaid, happy to just consider themselves capable of their own defense.

Welcome to the brave new world.

This is, of course, just a trial balloon, to see if the most compliant of all Americans, New Yorkers, will rebel. They won't. As long as the heat isn't turned up too fast.

NYPD, the organization whose members like to find a poor foreigner in a doorway, brace him (in plain clothes), and when he reaches for his wallet with his id, shoot him over 50 times (only hitting him 16 times. I wonder how many times they reloaded), is in charge of this fiasco. My guess is, it'll be a relatively short time until several subway riders will be killed after these Jack-booted thugs open up the MP5's at some drunk who runs when they brace him, and bullet ricochets fill the train station. They probably won't hit the drunk.

Why do you think these New York's finest are taking the precaution to wear armor?

I mentioned in a previous entry, there's little more the members of the Boot On Your Neck Party (both sects A and B), want than to control Americans' ability to travel at will. They'd put it in a request to Santa Claus every year, except that hizzonner Mr Claus can't go to New York any more without his bag being searched.

So, if the Neocons and the leftists (but, I repeat myself) get their way, and there are checkpoints every few blocks on every street, manned by armored thugs with submachine guns, what will be the symbol emblazoned 'pon their helmets and shoulders?

A cross within a crescent, maybe?

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Stunning Insult to WWII Vets

In one of its more amazing efforts to carry algorian water in the advancement of the global warming hoax, Time magazine has reached a new low in its disregard for American veterans. An article by Jeff Poor on the Business and Media Institute website shows the cover of the current issue of Time magazine, which parodies the raising of the flag over Mount Surabachi (in which about 7000 Allied troops were killed and over 20,000 wounded) following the fierce and costly Battle of Iwo Jima.

We can say what we want about the discourse or lack of it by the Roosevelt Administration, in the opening moments that lead to the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese Navy, but the US Marines, as well as all the other soldiers, sailors and fliers involved in the war in the Pacific acted with extreme competence and valor throughout.

Survivors of the battle, and of the war wherever they fought, justifiably feel very insulted. Those of us who are sons and daughters of the veterans, and who've heard all the stories first hand, are equally so.

Global warming is going to be on the list of the world's greatest hoaxes, in future history books, and the generation now known as the "Baby Boom" in the US are going to be known as gullible, as well as a generation of spoiled brats. Time magazine, already on a downward slide because of an outrageously flawed editorial point of view, is on its way to insolvency.

“I think since I’ve been back at the magazine, I have felt that one of the things that’s needed in journalism is that you have to have a point of view about things,” [Time managing editor Richard] Stengel said. “You can’t always just say ‘on the one hand, on the other’ and you decide. People trust us to make decisions. We’re experts in what we do. So I thought, you know what, if we really feel strongly about something let's just say so.”

Well, Mr Stengel, no one will criticize you for having a point of view, unless it's stupid to the point of insult.

I think many mistakes were made at the political level during the period, but for which our involvement might have been far different, but nothing can be said to lessen the valor of the troops, once mobilized. Time magazine's cover should be taken as an insult, not only by the survivors of WWII, but by all veterans. There is no excuse for trivializing the loss of a great part of a generation by trying to equate it with a hot summer.

Last summer wasn't even particularly hot.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Keeping the Kids In a Soundproof, Padded Cell

As I sit in my car at a red light, I often look at the car beside me. Most of the time, if it's a woman, she's on the phone.....but that's not my point right now. I want to focus 'pon the back seat, 'pon which there's often a padded, plastic contraption into which a poor young child is strapped in, more securely than a condemned murderer is strapped into the electric chair.

Sometimes, the poor child's end is fairly similar--burned to death cruelly strapped into a padded coffin which requires someone else to remove to safety.

Proponents of these plastic maidens cite stats that indicate that a child is much safer hog tied in the back seat in the event of a collision or a rollover. I imagine that that is probably true, as far as it goes. On the other hand, when mom and dad are in the front seat arguing, or simply chatting....or when the driver is talking on a phone or driving 85 mph while trying to unwrap a burrito, the youngster strapped into his little cocoon is no safer than were he sitting, untethered, on the hood of the car.

Today's crowded streets and freeways, swarming with cars driven by young men and women who have no notion of the connection between actions and consequences, old folks whose physical and mental abilities have begun to diminish, foreign-born folks who learned to drive (to the extent that they can) very recently, and middle-aged working folk less concerned with getting there than with what they'll do when they arrive. In this venue, driving is a full-time job, for those of us who want to avoid crumpled metal (crumpled plastic, if you drive a foreign-made car), requiring all of one's attention.

To take the foolishness a step farther, I've observed on many more occasions than I like, seeing parents removing the youngster from the car, if he's a baby or a toddler, in his little suicide seat into the store or restaurant, placed it the shopping cart or on the chair or seat as a unit, keeping him immobile and fully bound--often gagged with a mouth plug, through dinner, the shopping trip, or whatever. One has to wonder if, when they get home, they just throw the Kiddie Kocoon into the corner, toddler and all, until bedtime.

So maybe, just maybe, in a certain kind of automotive mishap, a child might survive that otherwise might be killed or seriously injured.

What about the kids whose parents don't do the stupid stuff that causes (or fails to avoid) collisions? Why should they have to suffer, bound and gagged in the rearmost sections of the vehicle, kept in stasis while surging through a scary world that he can't see from his confinement.
Not having young children any more, I can only wonder how they ever grow up sane from their sensory deprivation capsules in the back of their mother's unarmed Armada.

When I was growing up, there were four of us. One of us (my little brother) lay in Mom's lap in front. The other three of us sat in the back. If it was a long drive, usually we'd take turns lying up in the back package shelf, looking at the following cars or up at the stars and moon. Going somewhere in the car was fun, and something to which to look forward.

If it wasn't too cold, we'd open the windows and stick our heads out, like dogs, or shape our hands into lift surfaces out in the wind. We'd wave at the truck drivers and look for out-of-state plates.

We were never involved in a collision.

When my kids were little, it was the same, except we all had seat belts. The key, of course, was to not crash into things with your car. With a couple of minor (no injury) exceptions, I've always been very good at that. I keep my phone in my pocket, and rarely (almost never) answer it until I park the car. "Leave a message, I'll get back to you."

There is, no doubt, reams of evidence indicating that childhood obesity is exacerbated by long periods of enforced immobility in their isolation chambers in the back of the car.

Soon, someone will invent the Kid-ee-muffler to wrap around his face so we won't have to listen to him, either.

Just until we can ship him off to the children's prison.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Never "Press 1 for English"

Private firms can do whatever they want (within limits), and have only to answer to their customers and clients. Most customers choose a firm for products and services based 'pon the quality of those goods, juxtaposed against their cost. That's as it should be.

One of the most annoying trends of our time is the practice of placing a recorded greeting on the answering machine, followed by a request to "Dial 1 for English." I refuse to "Dial--or Press--1 for English."

English has been the semi-official language of all of the various United States for almost all of our history. I'll give exception to the Hispanics native to the Southwestern states, since their ancestors may have lived in those areas when the land was a part of Mexico--although they should, and almost all do speak, read and write English now.

English is the language of technology, of commerce, and of tourism in most of the civilized world, and will likely remain so, if we can stop GW Bush from doing a Jimma Carter on the US Dollar.

Most of the technological marvels we take for granted have been translated from English to other languages; eg automovil, aeroplano, telefono, aire condicionador, refrijerador (Spanish, because that happens to be a language with which I'm familiar). There are similar words for these things in many other languages. Why? Because they were invented, developed and/or most bought and used in English-speaking countries.

A non-English-speaking resident of the United States can almost always count on living a life doing menial work for low pay.

In recognition of these facts, this primitive, but unabashedly agenda-driven tune seems appropriate.

Buenas noches, y mucha buena suerte a todos!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

This Time, It's the Christians

Each year, at many of the government children's prisons, there are occasional special programs or times in which tradition is broken. Among them are Christmas programs, Easter egg hunts, Homecoming parades, the Prom and others.

Some are related to holidays and some mimic pagan seasonal rituals. Some are local in nature and some are related to sports and academic endeavors.

In my school, we had an annual operetta, conducted by the acting program and the school orchestra. We had Homecoming, related to the foopbaw team--we had a dance, a parade, and (of course) the foopbaw game. We had the Junior Prom. We had a Christmas program and the Senior Play. And, both the most bizarre and the most fun, we had the Sadie Hawkins Day Dance.

We all dressed as Li'l Abner characters in salute to, or parody of, Al Capp's comic strip that appeared daily in the Grand Forks Herald those many years ago. For you youngsters, Sadie Hawkins Day (according to Capp), was a day in which the women chased the men, and if a woman was able to catch one, he had to marry her. At GF Central, tradition was that the girls asked the boys to the dance, and everyone dressed in Capp's inimitable hillbilly style.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we got trouble. Right here in River City. Or, more accurately in this case, Reedsburg, Wisconsin. According to a story in MyWay:

Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in costume all last week as part of an annual school tradition called Wacky Week. On Friday, students were encouraged to dress either as senior citizens or as members of the opposite sex.

No doubt there's a little PC involved in these choices. Wacky Week usually has some kind of theme, according to the story, and is chosen by the students. It sounds like a good diversion from the normal humdrum of children's prison life.

But, Wait! Jim Schneider, program director for the funny-mentalist Voice of Christian Youth America cries foul! "We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," he says. "Our station is one that promotes traditional family values. It concerns us when a school district strikes at the heart and core of the Biblical values. To promote this to elementary-school students is a great error."

I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the error in having a bit of fun with age and gender. It doesn't sound as if anyone is trying to push other characteristics of age and gender 'pon these kids.

It's not the ACLU this time, nor is it the raging subhumans of fascist islam. It's funny-mentalist Christians!

I have no intention to paint Christians with a broad brush, but there are loons in every movement. It makes me wonder how many islamists are peaceful followers of the "religion of peace, and how many are bloodthirsty, crazed followers of a bloodthirsty child molester.

No idols.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Life In El Pueblo de Los Angeles

Today, I attempted to call the police. No emergency, but as a minor public safety person, I thought I should get this fellow some help before he got himself, or someone else, killed.

Seems this apparently drunken bum was prancing about (on foot) in the lanes of a very busy boulevard. He survived as long as he did mostly because afternoon traffic was beginning to get heavy and cars weren't going as fast as they otherwise would. There was a lot of horn honking and swerving.

He was carrying a cardboard sign 'pon which was written: "Please give me enough money to get enough whiskey to get so drunk I can't do this." I saw no one actually stop to give him anything.

Actually, I was too far away to see what the sign said, so the above is just a guess. Probably a pretty good guess.

I didn't have the phone number for the police, and I didn't think it was an emergency--enough to qualify as a 911 call. I dialed 411 (information) and got a robot. After following the instructions and asking for the Los Angeles police, the robot (tried to) connected me to a disconnected number.

I tried again.

This time I asked for the number, which I dialed myself.

This time, I was connected to another robot, identifying himself as Antonio Vinaigrette, el alcalde del Pueblo de Los Angeles. He thanked me for phoning the City of Los Angeles, and after a campaign ad for his reelection, then advised me that if this was a life-threatening emergency I should dial 911. Then, he repeated the entire message in Spanish! I should have been connected directly to a desk sergeant at a nearby substation but, alas, that would be too simple for this administration.

Just kidding about the campaign ad, but the fact that the voice of el alcalde answered the phone is actually kind of a campaign ad, isn't it?

To add insult to insanity, the next robot voice asked me to Dial One For English.

Well, mes enfants, I NEVER DIAL ONE FOR ENGLISH. Never.

There is no one I want to talk to badly enough to have to ask to speak the language of commerce, the language of technology, the language of America.

Those who don't speak English can dial one. Or uno. Or Ein. Or whatever. I'll dial one if I find myself needing assistance in Mexico--except, in Mexico, they don't ask you to dial one for English. In Mexico, if you don't speak Spanish, good luck. If the phones work.

What do you dial if you're an arab terrorist?

Only in Los Angeles.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Addendum:

I looked in the phone book to find the real phone number for the police, and learned that there isn't one(!). The only non-emergency way to get to the police department is to dial 311, which is a sort of Los Angeles information number.

There's no other way than going through that awful Antonio Vinaigrette sequence, then get asked to DIAL ONE FOR ENGLISH. Looks like the police have found a good way to eat their donuts uninterrupted.

I guess I'll follow the Duke's advice and just fire three shots into the air.

US Army Adopting Methodology of Islam

According to an AFP story on Google News, soldiers who do not toe the funny-mentalist line are being singled out for butt-chewings and other punishments. Jeremy Hall, a 23-year-old US army specialist, was ordered to sit somewhere else in the mess hall if he didn't want to pray.

Later, the story continues, Hall was confronted by a major for holding an authorized meeting of "atheists and freethinkers" on his base. The officer threatened to discipline him and block his re-enlistment.

"He said: 'You guys are being a problem and problems can be removed,'" Hall said. "He was yelling at us and stuff and at the very end he says, 'I really love you guys, I want you to see the light.'"

Former Air Force lawyer Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, is suing the major and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates for having breached Hall's Constitutional rights.

I was in the Navy back in the early 1960's. I clearly recall that, according to military law, one's religious beliefs, if any, were his own business and each soldier and sailor is free to conduct his spiritual affairs according to his own conscience. Or not.

It's the American way.

The irrational zealousness of the sergeant and the major in the story shows an almost islamic desire to force a particular brand of funny-mentalist doctrine 'pon all hands, under pain of separation from the unit, and punishment for those who don't comply.

Contrary to common thought, there are atheists in foxholes, and they make the best fighting men if they understand and agree with that for which they battle. For these sicko funny-mentalists to punish them for their divergent beliefs, or lack of belief, will damage the fighting unit far more than will leaving each soldier to live with his own thoughts.

Tip of the battered gray fedora to Diana Hseih.

Each individual lives his own life.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

....And Another One Bites the Dust....

It just hit the news yesterday that Aloha Airlines is going out of business--at least as far as its passenger operations are concerned. Aloha's announcement can be read here. Aloha blames unfair competition for its distress, according to the press release, but what is the real reason?

During the current President's Administration we've seen a very radical turn toward fascism on the part of the federal government in incompetently mistaken reaction to the attack which destroyed New York's World Trade Center. Rather than follow the evidence and track down the leaders of the group that masterminded this act, and other acts previous, the Administration has decided, after launching a multi-billion dollar war against the wrong country, to crack down on American Freedom by, among other things, creating vast new bureaucracies to snoop on, keep track of, control the travel of, and monitor the communication of American citizens.

All of this is absolutely unConstitutional, a fact missed by both leftist and conservative politicians and pundits throughout the US and the world. Obviously, they haven't read the document lately (if ever).

What has this to do with Aloha Airlines? Just this: Many freedom-loving individuals are seeing the hideous gauntlet through which one has to run to board a passenger plane, and rejecting it. For most, it's a minor inconvenience that is accepted because there is no choice if one has to fly. For some, like the young lady who was required to remove her body jewelery with pliers recently, and for many others who are similarly abused, it can become a nightmare.

For some, it even means prison, if they dare protest too much--that is, if they attempt to defend themselves against the minimum wage thugs that man the checkpoints at the airports.

Little wonder that many of us, for whom flying is an elective rather than a requirement, choose the private automobile.

My theory is, and there's no way to prove it precisely, that many individuals are eschewing trips to places to Hawaii and other faraway places for locations to which one might drive. My last several vacations have been to Nevada, Arizona and right here in the Stalag--areas rich with scenic and pleasant places to which to get away for a few days.

I do not wish to be subjected to gestapo-like treatment by TSA's thugs at the airport. No, I don't have nipple rings, nor any other attached jewelery, but I do have a very legal folding pocket knife I'm fond of feeling nestled in my hip pocket.

Perhaps the number of mainlanders that similarly decided to drive to the Grand Canyon or to Las Vegas rather than be treated like Jews at certain German rail heads, is large enough to cause a small ripple in the economy of the smaller airlines, the brunt of which fell first on the back of Aloha Airlines. Too bad. Accounts are that Aloha was a well-liked carrier by its regular users.

The decline and fall of the American Experiment is matched by the rise of the Fourth Reich.

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

What Happened to California?

I don't know if I can describe the wonder of Southern California to a fairly well traveled 21-year-old 'pon his arrival, in a new Chevy pickup, into which were packed my pregnant wife, my mother and everything we thought worth bringing along from the old home town. We left the snow shovels behind.

Palm trees. Eight-lane freeways--smooth white highways on which one never needed to stop or worry about oncoming or cross traffic, or bumps! Stop laughing! It was 1965.

Gas was 24 cents a gallon. Cigarettes were about a quarter a pack. Our first apartment was $75 a month. It took me less than a week to find a job, then six months to find a really good job in construction (which was what I wanted).

After a few years here, I made the decision that I'd be living and working here for the rest of my life. I maintained that opinion through two years in the San Fernando Valley, three in Orange County and fifteen years in San Diego.

There was a point, and I think it was during the time Jerry Brown was Guber, when things started going bad in California, although it might've been earlier. When Ronald Reagan was Guber, he enacted for the first time, withholding of state income tax money. This opened the door to draconian tax increases, coming very often.

Heavy tax increases and wasteful spending have been the rule in California rather than the exception. It's been happening under both Democrat and Republican administrations, without mercy or appeal. If the state income tax doesn't increase, then the sales tax does. California's tax tab is exceeded by only three or four states, and more increases can be expected.

What do we get for these increases? Roads, streets and highways are in far worse shape than they were in 1965. The state's children's prisons are turning out gangsters and illiterates, and even the better ones turn out graduates who can score well on tests, but have little reasoning ability or critical skills.

Public safety services (police, fire, etc) are underfunded for ridiculous arts projects that not only disfigure the city aesthetically, but make poor excuses for artists wealthy. Police are ordered not to inquire as to the citizenship of arrested individuals who when released, often commit more crimes. Government continues to turn a blind eye to the notion of individual self defense.

Gangs roam the streets, attacking and murdering people (often children) of other ethnic and racial groups, and our moronic Chief of Police has the nerve to try and convince the public that there's no racial component in it. Professional agitators attack police during an otherwise peaceful protest, and police physically attack the peaceful protesters with tear gas and truncheons while the agitators look on with smiles on their faces.

I can only assume, from statewide news reports and word of mouth, that it's as bad or even worse in Frisco and its surrounding suburbs.

San Diego's city government has been flirting with bankruptcy for some time, because of fiscal irresponsibility in its politicians.

I can only hope that the smaller cities near the farm and ranch lands of California are populated with individuals with better sense.

Productive individuals have been leaving the state for years, having gotten a bellyful of what I like to call California's war on productivity. The state's population continues to increase, though, primarily because of the influx of foreigners. These foreigners mean well, and are looking to make a better life means of the more favorable opportunities here, but their skills are limited.

Tax revenues are decreasing as spending is increasing. Tax rates will increase and productive individuals will continue to look for greener pastures. Frivolous spending will assure that Public safety will continue to be given the short shrift.

One wonders how long one should remain here.

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Is The Constitution Worth the Paper 'Pon Which It's Printed?

Any observer, even the most casual, must come to the conclusion that Congress, the President the courts are playing fast and loose with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In fact, it can be easily concluded that, in the past twenty-five years or so (longer, depending how one studies it), the federal government has explicitly worked at purposefully demolishing the Bill of Rights.

Whether this deliberate destruction of the Great Experiment can be reversed is open to question, since the vast majority of Americans seem more interested in how much money they can wrest, through government force, from their neighbors than in preserving the freedom that allowed the productive to create such wealth. Being honestly productive seems important to fewer and fewer Americans than does ripping off those who are. One can easily project, either by means of reason of by one's powers of observation, where the continuation of that trend will lead us.

I'd like to recommend that any and all of you who prefer that government observe the letter and spirit of America's Founding Documents read the petition at this link. If you agree with it, and are so inclined, sign.

Thanks and a tip of the old gray fedora to Cindy Mulvey and The Libertarian Enterprise.

Somehow, the Washington parasites have to realize that their job's not being properly done and they're now on notice. It'd be nice if a bunch of them were rejected at the polls this fall, as well. In that spirit.....

REMEMBER! VOTE FOR NO INCUMBENT!

Warm Regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Hey, Kids! What Time Is It?


When the red phone rings at three in the morning (3AM in the morning, IYAAVOGS) , who would you like to know was going to answer it?

Someone who'll hold it in the right direction, one would hope.

Tip of the battered gray fedora to my Brother, the Texan.

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!


Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

In Defense of a Dirty Lab

Friday, as a part of my job description, I was sent to a class on CPR. It was fine, I've been through the class before, and it's good to know. The class included the Heimlich Maneuver and the use of the Automated External Defibrillator. Since many of us work in areas of contaminated water and other liquids, we also had a discussion of ways to keep oneself from absorbing contaminants--followed by a solicitation for hazmat training.

Well, it's all information that I might find useful in my line of work--just last year, we were digging an access pit and dug into an area that had been saturated with petroleum at some time in the past. The soil from the entire area had to be separated, tested, placed into containers and shipped to a facility to be "cleaned." It ended up being over 500 tons of soil.

But, I digress.

As bull sessions do, this one wandered into the area of the cleanliness or filthiness of the objects and people with whom we come into contact. There were the usual anecdotes about filthy restaurants and people who don't wash their hands after using the facilities. It even got down to keeping one's paper towel in his hand for use in opening the bathroom door.

Ever the contrarian, I reminded everyone that in the not so distant past, individuals routinely shared drinking cups (the common metal cup kept near the hand pump), passed coke bottles from one friend to another (no backwash, please!), used porta-potties with no washing facilities in the area (not to mention outdoor toilets built over holes in the ground), helped bleeding accident victims without latex gloves--I even remember when dentists and doctors didn't wear latex gloves and protective glasses when working on people they didn't even know(!).

Somehow we survived.

Now, obviously surgeons have to use extreme measures for cleanliness in the operating theater, to avoid causing infections in the patient, but now they do it to protect themselves, as well. And obviously, I don't want to see medical people contracting illnesses--they should use whatever technology is available to them both for themselves and for their patients--but twentieth and nineteenth century doctors survived by means of good hygiene and whatever other things they did to avoid contamination.

The point is not to disparage current hygiene methods, but to remember that one does occasionally have to (shudder) touch people and things with one's bare skin. We shake hands. We use public drinking fountains. We open doors and press buttons in elevators. We kiss aunts 'pon the cheek and even (ugh!) on the lips. We kiss our dates, our girl/boy friends and our husbands/wives.

Points were made that we don't really know how clean was the restaurant in which we just dined. Were the dishes really washed and sanitized? Were the chefs and other food handlers healthy and washed? Was the food as high in quality as we'd expect? Was that "A" placard in the window earned, or was it bought?

Our immune systems are wonderful, and indispensable. It's strengthened by exposure to minor amounts of toxins and pathogens. Whenever we get sick, our bodies fight the illness. After we get well, our blood has antibodies against that disease, and we don't get it again.

My argument went this way: If one were capable of living a sanitary life, he might be able to avoid diseases for however long he might live. What kind of life would it be? One couldn't handle, touch or be near any object that hadn't previously been sanitized. One could only breathe scrubbed air. One couldn't touch, be near or breathe air exhaled by another individual.

I find it far more desirable to be among people--filthy beasts as they might be--by shaking hands, chatting face to face, riding in planes, trains and automobiles, sharing elevators and occasionally even using public drinking fountains, swimming pools and bathrooms. It's the stuff of which a great life is made.

I'll have to trust that my immune system will handle it.

Every year I get a head cold and every five years or so I get a flu. Those nasty bastards I call friends and acquaintances must have really taxed my immune system!

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

A Possible Future History--and How to Avoid It!

I wasn't aware of Dan Simmons, but I am now. This short story of his is definitely worth a read. It ought to be required reading in every home. Islam is the religion of peace, but the word "peace" in islam means "submission."

Tip of the battered gray fedora: Stephen Browne at Rants and Raves.

Peace comes through philosophical conviction.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

A Cure For the Woes of the California Children's Prison System

Thanks to Rob at Wild Blue Yonder, we find this gem to aid the reconstruction of the utterly failing California Children's Prison system.

In a stunning development, it was announced today that Professor Dolores Jane Umbridge has been appointed Headmaster of the California Public Schools. Professor Umbridge has pledged to stamp out all forms of homeschooling and to bring California's troubled schools up to nineteenth century standards of discipline and performance.

"There will be no more nonsense", Umbridge has decreed.

As is well known throughout the civilized world, Prof Umbridge is a character from one of the Harry Potter books.

The decision follows a criminally incompetent decision by the bought-and-paid-for California state court of appeals that will allow the state's schoolteachers to remain as incompetent as they are with little chance for most families to escape the conversion of all children into welfare state worshiping marching morons. Expect an exodus.

Tip of the old gray fedora to Wild Blue Yonder, Rational Jenn and the Philosophical Detective.

Buying stock in the moving business.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

America's Hundred Years War

Days after islamic savages destroyed the World Trade Center, and damaged the Pentagon, President GW Bush announced his "War on Terror." The proclamation immediately set off warning bells in my mind. Who can point at someone or something and say "that's terror."? I said little.

Someone conducted the attack, and since the perpetrators were dead, who ordered it, planned it, supported it financially? It certainly wasn't "Terror." The answer to these question seems to have been a very radical islamic fundamentalist organization called al queda, under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, a spoiled brat son of a very wealthy arab.

As an aside, there are a number of theories that place the blame for the incident squarely 'pon the shoulders of the Bush administration in various ways and for various reasons. I don't ascribe to any of them, not because I don't think the administration is morally incapable of such, but because I haven't the time, and don't plan to make the time to study them. Life's too short, and if the Executive Branch has sunk to these depths, we're already in a dictatorship. That would change the scenario severely.

Back to the spoiled arab brat. After three months of screwing around getting a force together to attack al queda, during which time bin Laden and his gang of thugs perfected hiding places, greased palms of some willing Afghan warlords and rearmed, the Commander-in-Chief was finally able to send the Marines over to Afghanistan. After these months of assembling a force and getting it into the area, and during which time the President actually did speak some sense (though he still hadn't come up with a better name for the enemy than "terrorists," a more nebulous term for an enemy has yet to be invented), and I expected an early roundup of the remaining islamic savages and an investigation that would reveal their financial backers, and suitable punishments to be handed out to all. Silly me!

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, our military muffed the capture of bin Laden and let him escape into Pakistan. Some evidence suggests that the loss of bin Laden was caused by orders from Washington that failed to supply reinforcements when needed.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, bin Laden slipped off the edge of the radar and Saddam Hussein became the enemy. Keep in mind that, up to this moment, the administration has never actually named the enemy. No declaration of war has been made by Congress.

So Osama bin Laden has escaped into the mountains of Pakistan (or, perhaps newly shaved, is cavorting 'pon the beaches of Cannes and Monte Carlo) and our troops are relegated to chasing Afghan mullahs around the local badlands and the major strength of our troops are busy directing traffic in a lawless Iraq.

All this reminds me of GW Bush's early statement that we'll be involved in the "war on terror" for the long haul and John McCain's more recent statement that the war could last a hundred years.

I have to wonder if that wasn't the plan from the start.

As an ex-Navy sailor who has a nephew involved in this action, I have to protest the misuse of our fine military, and the apparent willful disregard for our Constitution and our laws. I'm calling 'pon Congress to put an end to this waste and destruction and return to government according to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Meanwhile, the administration seems to be using every excuse to narrow down and eliminate every one of the rights affirmed by America's Founders and enumerated in the Bill of Rights, in the name of fighting this "war on terror" and the even more wrongly-inspired "war on drugs."

Ladies and gentlemen, the "terrorists" have won.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Geraldine Ferraro's Blunder

Here we have the heretofore unreported real reason why Ms Ferraro was dismissed from Mrs Clinton's Presidential campaign:

"Former Congresswoman and Walter Mondale's choice for his Vice Presidential running mate in 1984, Geraldine Ferraro, pointed out in a speech that Barack Obama is Black saying: 'If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position.' (She) was forced to step down from the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign for those remarks, a decision which I wholeheartedly endorse. What she should have said was: 'If Obama WERE a white man.' It is that kind of grammatical error up with which I will not put."

- Rich Galen of Mullings.com

We ought not place functional illiterates into positions of authority within our government. This may be the first thing Mrs Clinton has done right since becoming a public figure, and I hope it's the beginning of a trend.

Tip of the battered gray fedora to Chuck Muth.

Another failure of the government children's prisons.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

If This Is Progressive....

I get more than annoyed whenever I hear some hack socialist refer to himself, or the so-called socialist movement, as "progressive." We all know that socialist stuff regularly becomes pejorative, because individuals with more sense start calling it what it is. At one time, for example, socialists were called "socialists," and it was a completely acceptable term. Wiser heads began analyzing what socialists really were, and more and more individuals saw socialists as straw-brains, disconnected from reality and living in a worlds in which they were "kings," perhaps "philosopher kings," wisely taking care of the needs and wants of the unthinking masses.


As level-headed individuals saw the reality of this silliness, "socialist" became a synonym for "airhead," or the like term of the day.


Because, at the time, the word "liberal" was a term that meant political progress toward more individual freedom (Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson and many like-minded intellectuals were called "liberals"), the socialists of the day, over time, began to co-opt the word "liberal" as the preferred term to use in reference to themselves. Socialists thought it would make their plans for slow enslavement of unsuspecting individuals more socially palatable. Eventually, it caught on, and for a time, socialists falsely basked in the good will that really belonged to those who favor individual freedom.


Again, in more recent times, the term "liberal" has become pejorative. 'Tis a rare socialist who, while running for elective office or otherwise trying to curry popular favor, who will call himself a "liberal" today.


Hence, the current attempts to destroy the meaning of the word "progressive." Progressive, to most of us, means moving from a worse condition to a better one. From poverty to solvency. from sickness to health. Thus, socialists, no longer wishing to be called "liberals," are beginning to co-opt the term "progressive," as their reference to themselves.


Now, one might ask, can a philosophical system that reveres serfdom as an ideal--the notion of an elite group of overseers watching over the enslaved masses, deciding what are their needs, taking care of those needs in a bureaucratically blundering way, including shortages, rationing, soviet-style mis allocations (parkas to Miami, raincoats to Phoenix, snow shovels to Los Angeles, etc--really be called progressive?

Was the USSR ever progressive?

I have a better name for socialists, if they are that ashamed of what they are: thuggee. If they don't adopt this name or something similar, they're not only socialists, but liars.

Calling a spade a digging tool.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag Calif.

"....No Interracial Strife in Los Angeles" -Police Chief William Bratton



And, I'm sure there was never any interracial strife in New York City or Boston while he was police commissioner in those cities, either....NYC is the city in which police needed over 50 shots to hit an unarmed man 16 times and Boston was the city from whose airport the planes that flew into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. I don't think Bratton was police commissioner at either of those towns at the fateful moment, but his simple-minded policies certainly live on, even to this day.

Chief William Bratton, as is true with most fascist police officials, doesn't think individuals should be allowed to defend themselves. He doesn't think individuals should be able to carry guns, knives, or even clubbing type weapons. He stands in opposition to the natural right of every individual as is affirmed by the Bill of Rights--thus is not qualified to hold the office of Chief of Police, or even carry a badge as a traffic officer.

Sorry chief, when I'm out for a walk, I carry a walking stick of which Robin Hood would be envious, a passable knife and a tube of pepper spray. At times, I even carry a sidearm--tucked away somewhere handy.

In the past week, subhuman gang thugs have murdered two young men in Los Angeles. One was a 19-year-old who had been a foopbaw player at his children's prison, and was working as a security guard while going to a tech school. He was simply waiting for a bus. The other was 13-years of age and was found mortally wounded in the driveway in front of his home.

There was a huge press conference attended by el alcalde, MEChA member Antonio Vinaigrette, Chief Bratton and several other City Council members--those who were able to elbow, kick, punch and straightarm their way to the dais to get their mugs on camera. The gist of the blatherings offered to the press were that El Pueblo de Los Angeles is getting tough on gangs and that these crimes will not be tolerated.

Now, for reality: LAPD has been instructed, both by el alcalde and the City Council, to fight the gangs without actually hurting anyone of the minority class. Since most members of LA gangs are minorities--blacks or hispanics--it means that gangs will pretty much be left alone unless actually caught in the act. Then, of course, the police must treat them nicely according to the left's best politically correct rules. They will receive minimal punishments and then receive early releases to make room for nonviolent dope smokers.

Chief Bratton broke up the crowd by trying to stress that there is no racial tension in El Pueblo de Los Angeles. After the guffaws died down, one reporter pressed the Chief about racial tensions. Bratton pulled out his figurative truncheon and figuratively clubbed the hapless reporter to submission. Much as did his officers (for real) during mayday at MacArthur Park.

Only in LA.

Hispanic gangsters hate black gangsters with passion. They shoot each other whenever they see a chance. The hatred transfers as both fear and hatred in the poorer ethnic communities. Residents want the police to stop the violence, but they don't want anyone hurt.

The thing that must be done is to let the residents defend themselves. Just knowing that any man or woman on the street might be armed will severely diminish the violence with no further action. Prosecution must be stiff, just and equal for rich and poor; and among the races. Punishment should be geared toward restitution for the victims. Every criminal released from prison should be viscerally aware he's just had his ass figuratively kicked, and should never want to go through that again.

Chief William Bratton is not among those who wants to see that happen, nor will our hero be Antonio Vinaigrette.

Pictured: LA's most destructive gang.

Slouching toward lawlessness.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

The War on Irrational Fear

I think I once wrote a column on my ideas for combating the world's savages, one that doesn't involve Bush/McCain's Hundred Year War, or anything of the sort.

The United States is a nation of property (or was, if you want to get technical). In a quasi socialist manner of speaking, many of us own property: our homes, our businesses, some own lands and buildings of various kinds and for sundry reasons. Also, many of us own guns and various other kinds of weaponry for self defense, hunting, camping and other uses.

No foreign government has attacked any of the United States in recent decades, however several individuals have, in the name of some religious outlaw gang or another. Al queda is the alleged name the federal government likes to accuse most, but I don't by any means think they're the only one.

Al queda is, as near as I can tell, the brainchild of the spoiled brat kid of a rich Arab. He spouts islam as if it had something to do with the destructive ideas in his poisoned mind. Something of a similar nature is the genesis of groups like ham-ass and the various other hate-filled savage groups from that part of the world.

All that is only slightly relevant. It doesn't matter why these savages attack US properties and individuals, or who they are. I don't care. Just as I don't care why that poor college girl was murdered the other day. I care that some subhuman murdered a young woman, and her killer needs to be caught and punished. A better solution: the girl might have been armed, and able to successfully defend herself. But sadly, and stupidly, the prevailing airhead politicians have decided they'd rather see an innocent young women dead than to see her with a gun in her purse (or in her hand).

My solution to the Arabic savagery is the same as my solution to our local gang thuggery: if they trespass 'pon your property, arrest the bastards and prosecute them for trespass and for whatever else harmful they do, and if they won't be arrested, they can be planted.

Every individual should arm himself, learn to operate his weapons safely and effectively, and should learn how to conduct a citizen's arrest for those who'd rather face prosecution than die. Those who own property should be prepared to defend it from any of these suicidal/homicidal thugs. Those who can afford it might opt to hire security people, but in the end, every individual is responsible for his own life.

The many layers of government own much of the property within the borders of the various United States. They shouldn't, but they do. Fact of life, until we can change it. There is also a lot of corporate-owned property. This property should be (and is) the responsibility of its owners, and those they employ.

Park rangers must be responsible for the parks in which they work. They must be trained in firearms use and arrest technique and must be taught to protect the park and its visitors on pain of losing their jobs. Same goes for airline workers and those in airports, factories and stores. Heads should have rolled at the Boston airport and among the airline workers and government drones responsible for not arming the flight crews of the airliners involved in that disaster.

I like to use Disneyland as an example, because nobody gets away with much in that park--though it'd be better if visitors were able to carry weapons of self defense in the park. Park Security can't be everywhere, and it's only a matter of time until some deranged psychotic manages to sneak a gun into the park.

In short, it's been proven many times that areas in which individuals carry weapons are far more crime-free than are the so-called "gun free zones." Schools and malls are favorite places for psychotics to go to kill a few innocent people, and in a world in which government action rewards irrationality and punishes productivity, one has to be very carefully creative just to stay whole.

They've killed Freedom! Those bastards!

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California

Got Pennies?

On one hand, it was a prank. Students in Readington Middle Children's Prison were upset over the shortness of their lunch period. To give voice to their plight, several students thought of a very clever way to dramatize the problem. They paid for their lunch with pennies. According to EdgefieldDaily.com:

"Got pennies!" It's plastered on their shirts and these eighth graders wear it proudly because on Thursday they pulled a prank at the Readington Middle School, paying for their lunches entirely in pennies. "At first it started out as a joke, then everyone else started saying we're protesting against like how short our lunch is," student Alyssa Concannon said. In fact, the penny prank has earned 29 students two days of detention. "There was no rule in the rulebook about it," student Sarah Henschel said. "It was just unfair. It's U.S. currency."

The New York City news station WCBS-TV expounds a bit more about the sordid tale here.

I've always been a supporter of peaceful student protest, and am very impressed by the inherent cleverness of this one. Were I the principal of the school, I'd have to find a way to reward the young minds behind this stunt. "50 points for Griffindor!"

The event that seems to have caused the punishments was basically the laziness and lack of wit in the persons of the cafeteria workers. The complaint was that the counting of the pennies caused some students to miss lunch, because of the slowness of the lunch line--the lunch counter workers had to count the pennies(!).

The lowly penny has indeed been getting a bad rap in recent years. The US mint even devalued the penny by starting to make them from copper-washed zinc instead of a real copper alloy, back in 1980. How many of us actually pay for our cash purchases to the penny, these days? Every day we empty our trouser pockets to find between ten and thirty pennies along with the other change. What to do with them? Put 'em in a jar.

Eventually, the jar gets full. Then what? The bank doesn't want them. Laziness seems to hit bank tellers, as well. I used to actually roll up my accumulated change and take it to the bank periodically. They no longer accept it, or will charge a 7 or 8 percent fee to accept it. More often, bank tellers direct you to a change machine, into which you can dump your coins and get a cash voucher, minus a 7 to 8 percent fee, which can then be deposited (after waiting in the interminable bank line yet again).

In my youth, a penny would buy a piece of Bazooka, or a bit of sugary liquid in a wax "Coke" bottle. Today, people simply throw them away. A handful of pennies won't buy anything. One has to wonder why they're still made.

Back to the point. Pennies are still around and theoretically still have value. They're still legal tender. Since the New Jersey children's prison accepts cash to pay for lunch at the cafeteria, one has to wonder on what grounds the staff imposed punishment for the use of pennies. No one disputes the students' assertion that there are no rules prohibiting pennies. If not, then what?

It's a fine method the New Jersey Children's Prison system has for teaching youngsters: making up the rules as they go along. Very typical of the same kind of idiots that impose "zero tolerance" programs to prohibit things that prison staffs find might cause them to actually have to (shudder) think!

Returning to all fours.

Warm regards,

Col. Hogan
Stalag California