Beecher Island: Part One...

I know, let’s talk some more politics today. Ah, just kidding. Actually, I’ve got a really cool story to tell about a road-trip I took a while back.

I know, this is an old story and some of you have already read it. Hopefully, some of you out there haven’t seen it yet and find it interesting enough to follow along. Here’s the deal, I’ve always been interested in history, especially the mid-1800’s. It was a time of great change in our country. But it was also a time of incredible danger.

This is a story about a place in the far, north-eastern corner of Colorado called “Beecher Island,” and in order to do the story any kind of justice at all, I’m probably going to have to spread it out over the next three or four installments. Maybe five. Besides, I’m sure by now, some of you have grown tired of me going on and on about Obama and his liberal friends anyway. How about it, you ready to take a step back in time?

Beecher Island is the site of one of the fiercest battles between the Plains Indians and elements of the 7th Cavalry during the time America was expanding westward. And just for the record, I’m not telling this story to take sides between the whites and the Indians either. I’m just telling the story the way it happened. Nothing more. Nothing less.

It was the summer of 1868. General, Phillip Sheridan was becoming frustrated by his 7th Cavalry’s inability to stop the ongoing, brutal attacks against white settlers by the Indian tribes of the western plains. He decided the best way to combat this problem was to form smaller, well-equipped (I’ll get to the well-equipped part in another column) detachments of civilian volunteers to pursue and punish these tribes whenever and wherever they found them. He reasoned it would be easier for a smaller detachment on horses to move around than it would be for an entire Cavalry unit. In August of 1868, he appointed Lieutenant, George Forsyth to head up just such a detachment.

Lieutenant, Forsyth was stationed at Fort Hays at the time. He put the word out and before long he had signed up fifty-one men willing to join him in this fight. Many of the men who volunteered had been victims of earlier Indian attacks themselves. Some had lost loved one’s or good friends and were looking for revenge. In just a short time they were ready and headed west along the trade routes looking for signs of any marauding Indians they could find.

Forsyth and his men reached Fort Wallace late in the afternoon of September, 14th. The Governor of Colorado had sent word to the commander of the fort that there had been another brutal attack in eastern Colorado. Seventy-nine men, women, and children had been slaughtered over the course of the last few days and they were looking for any kind of help they could get.

The group of volunteers from Fort Hays were on their way early the next morning. It wasn’t long before Forsyth’s scouts picked up what seemed to be fresh tracks of a huge band of Indians. They followed the tracks late into the evening.

They got an early start the next morning, Sept.16th, and by that afternoon they had caught a glimpse or two of the Indians they had been pursuing. Because of the distance and the rugged landscape of the prairie, Forsyth and his men couldn’t tell exactly how many Indians they preparing up against. But he did know, he and his men were woefully outnumbered. He also knew the Indians were well aware of the fact they were being followed, so the element of surprise he had hoped for was gone.

He needed time to plan his next move. And he knew his men needed to rest, so he ordered them to make camp where they were. He gave them extra provisions that evening. He figured they were camped in a good spot. They were in a small valley just a few hundred yards north of the Republican River. There were hills to the north and south of their position. He posted extra men on top of these hills to guard against a surprise attack.

Under a bright, moon lit sky, that night, the men ate till they were full for a change. Afterwards, they broke up into small groups. Some of them talked nervously about the battle that was sure to come in the morning. Some of them used the time to clean their guns and check their ammunition supplies. Who knows, some of them probably even said a prayer or two.

Lieutenant, Forsyth and his second in command, Lieutenant, Frederick H. Beecher retreated to their tent to make their plans. And I’d be willing to bet that they too might have said a silent prayer themselves. For tomorrow they’d more than likely meet their destiny.

Just Getting Started...

"The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of "liberalism" they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will become a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." (Norman Thomas, former U.S. Socialist Presidential Candidate, 1948.)

Yeah, the American people, Massachusetts Tea-Baggers, if you will, have spoken loud and clear. And we're coming after the rest of you in November.

Got it? Good...

How Do You Like Us Now...

You said it didn’t matter in West Virginia. You said it wasn’t that big a deal in New Jersey. You wouldn’t listen during last summer’s town hall meetings. You said they were just a loud, insignificant, bunch of racist tea-baggers who nobody’s paying attention to anyway.

You did your best to downplay the tea-party rallies that began springing up all across the nation. When a million-plus converged in Washington, you said it was just a, Fox News generated fad. One that will soon pass.

Last night, The American people said in one, crystal-clear, united, voice. We’ve had enough.

We’ve had enough of the lies. We’ve had enough of the corruption, bribes, and special backroom deals that have become the norm for the, Obama administration. And we’ve had enough of your socialism. This is America. Not Europe.

So… How do you like us now?

How do you like the fact that those ignorant, tea-baggers have fired the first shot of the second American Revolution from the same place the first one started? Kind of fitting, if you ask me.

One last thought: I’ve listened to you guys say this for the last year and thought it was only fitting to include it in my own thoughts today.

We won. Get over it…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

The People's Seat...

“With all due respect, it’s not The Kennedy Seat. It’s the people’s Seat.” That response by, Scott Brown ranks right up there with the best of the best.

Yeah, that’s the guy I want. The guy who can shut down the debate simply by stating facts. And he did it all without hurling a single insult. What a concept.

They say if Brown can pull this election in Massachusetts, it’ll be one of the biggest political upsets of all time. Even Fox News acts surprised at the possibility. Why would that surprise anyone?

Here’s the deal and it’s really not all that complicated. You know those ignorant, tea-baggers. The one’s the left tried so hard to marginalize. Guess what. The tea-baggers aren‘t going anywhere and they’re just getting started. Let me explain who these tea-baggers really are.

We might be the guy who fixes your furnace or the cop down the street. We might have been your waitress during lunch today. Might have been the guy who cooked it too. We’re teachers, doctors, and lawyers. We’re truck drivers and airline pilots. Maybe we’re the guys who pick up your trash or the one who decides whether you get that loan or not. We’re politicians and preachers. Brick layers, and carpenters. We’re farmers and ranchers and oil-field workers too. We’re the people who actually do stuff instead of just reading about it.

We’re black and white, young and old. We’re moms and dads, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles. We’re Republican, Democrat, and Independents all rolled up into one. The one thing we all have in common is this. We’re the American people. And the American people don’t like being pushed around. We don’t take kindly to being threatened or called names by anybody.

We bought into the Hope and Change promises, Obama made. We trusted him, so we elected him. Now we regret it, and we’re here to do something about it.

What the lunatics underestimated was the fact that the American people kind of like that little thing called freedom. You see, we’re willing to fight for it. And it starts Tuesday, January 19, 2010 in the Democrat stronghold of Massachusetts.

But then again, I could be wrong. Talk to you guys later…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

Oh hi...

Last week, Pat Robertson, the holy rollin’ founder of The 700 Club, made a fool of himself few days ago by claiming Haitian leaders had made a deal with the Devil and as a result is now a cursed nation. And that was what brought the earthquake to their country.

Then just a day or so days later, ultra-liberal, America- hating, Hollywood actor, Danny Glover blamed the whole thing on global-warming. He told us that the earthquake was a result of the world not to reach an agreement in Copenhagen.

So, who’s the crazy one here? The right-wing extremist or the left-wing extremist?

Sorry, I got sidetracked. What I really wanted to talk about today was the special election taking place Tuesday in the liberal stronghold state of, Massachusetts.

Stop by tomorrow. I want to talk what this election means to the Democrats and all they hold dear.

We’ll probably start out by talking a little bit about those redneck, tea-baggers. You know the one’s. They’re the one’s the liberals have mocked and ridiculed. They’re the same one’s who are going to take this country back. And believe me when I say a, Scott Brown win Tuesday will be huge.

With all due respect. It’s not, The Kennedy Seat. It’s the People’s Seat. What a great line.

Freedom of Speech. Don’t take it for granted…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

I've Figured It Out...

First you hear them honking. They’re usually pretty far away and it’s hard to tell exactly which direction they’re coming in from. Then you spot the first of them and here they come.

We’ve all see those flocks of geese flying overhead. I love it when I get a chance to see multiple flocks at one time. It’s amazing that birds that large can be so graceful.

I understand about the V formation they always use. They rotate from front to back to front. The geese in the back can rest up by riding the air currents of their partners. Pretty cool.

But have you ever noticed that one side of their V formation is always longer than the other?

It’s not like I sit around worrying about it but I’ve always kind of wondered why, I guess. Anyway, I was on my way home from western Kansas yesterday when it hit me. Yep, I figured it out.

Talk to you guys later…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

Fair Trial

In your opinion, why shouldn't the man who killed, George Tiller, Scott Roeder be allowed to use the immenent threat defense?

Very Important, Not That Important, or Not Sure...

Yeah I know, Glenn Beck’s a liar, a cheat, a fraud, or whatever name you can think of to call him. And like always, his critics are so busy launching personal attacks they never really get around to the issues he brings up. It’s almost like there’s a pattern here. Weird.

Yesterday he brought up a recent survey that asked how important some of our basic rights were. There were three possible answers to choose from. Very Important, Not That Important, and Not Sure.

Very Important The Rest

The right to speak freely: 70% 30%
The right to assemble: 65% 35%
The right to worship or not to: 60% 40%
The right to privacy: 60% 40%
The right to bear arms: 45% 55%
The right to a fair trial: 70% 30%
Protection from unreasonable search and seizure: 60% 40%

How can any of these questions not be 100% Very Important? What’s happened to us?

And how in the world can anyone Not Be Sure? How can you not understand how important these rights are. These rights are the essence of what makes America, America. You know, the whole Land Of The Free thing.

And if you do understand what our rights are but for some reason, believe they’re Not That Important, well, you’re an idiot, and I don’t know how else to call it. Sorry.

Yeah, that Glenn Beck’s crazy alright…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

A Test From The Underground Bunker

Question: What’s a liberal hate more than Fox News?

Answer: Sarah Palin.


Question: What’s a liberal hate more than Sarah Palin teaming up with Fox News?


Answer: Nothing. Hehehe…

Bunker #2...

Testing, testing, one, two, three, testing. Is anybody out there? Testing.

Oh there you are. I was just doing a systems check. Today and probably from now on I’ll be reporting from my new, secret, underground bunker. And I owe it all to a guy who calls into Raubin and Megan’s On the Other Hand show. He calls in to give his reports from his own bunker. I can’t remember his name, and if anybody out there knows it, please let me know. I’d like to give him proper credit for showing me the way.

Anyway, this guy’s my inspiration. He’s made me realize, I’m not the only one. There are others. Other’s who believe as I do. Other’s who see as I see, and feel as I feel. Yeah, I stole that right out of the movie, “V For Vendetta” sue me.

Sorry, the place is a mess. I’m still working on it. We just finished with the blast-proof door and window yesterday. The ventilation and climate control systems are a go. Communication systems are all working properly and I’m well stocked with food. And I’ve carefully lined the walls, the floor, and ceiling with extra heavy duty tin foil, to. You can’t be too careful. The only project left, and I’ll need more tin foil to finish it. I still need a tin foil hat. Because, well, that’s what extremists do. LMAO.

So without further ado from bunker #2, let’s talk about what’s so bad about communism. I’ll go first.

Last week one of my new cj friend’s challenged me to explain what was so bad about communism. Wow, it astounds me to think it even has to be explained in the first place. But he did ask.

Let’s just touch the left’s all time favorite communist dictator, Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. Here’s a quote from the dictator himself.

“In out great motherland, a new era is emerging in which the workers, peasants, and soldiers are grasping Marxism-Leninism, Mao Tse-Tung’s thought. Once these thoughts are grasped by the masses, it becomes an inexhaustible source of strength and a spiritual atom bomb of infinite power. It is our hope that all comrades will learn earnestly and diligently, bring about a new nation-wide high tide in the creative study and application of Chairman Mao works and, under the great red banner of Mao Tse-Tung’s thought, strive to build our country into a great socialist state with modern agriculture, modern industry, modern science, and a modern national defense. Sounds like the perfect, Communist/Marxist/Socialist, utopia. He must have really cared.”

Results: 70 million Chinese men, women, and children brutally murdered or starved to death during his rein. And in a nutshell, my friends, that’s what’s so bad about Communism.

Hope all is well with you and yours and I’ll talk to you later…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

Dear Bobby...

Dang, Bobby. What’s you problem anyway, man? Why are you so full of rage? And what good do you think calling me a bunch of stupid names and making up wild, deranged stories is going to do you anyway?

First off, and yes, we’ve talked about it before. Listen up, I’m being serious. The whole calling me a “wing nut” thing. Sorry, man, that just doesn‘t bother. About the same as calling someone a bolt. It just doesn’t make sense. Again, I’m sorry, man, it just doesn’t offend me.

In one of you last posts, you called me a pathetic, wing nut, then said I was the “ijit” (what exactly is an ijit) who insists on all babies being born only so I can raise them until they’re old enough to be lethally injected so I can write the companion piece about how much it costs to keep them in prison. Where in the world did you get all that? It sure wasn’t from anything I’ve ever written.

Bobby, you have no idea who I am. Other than what I’ve written, you know nothing about me. Yet you hate me. You seem to hate everyone who disagrees with you with a passion. How’s that work? Or is it that you’re trying to impress your buddies. Maybe you’re just trying to show everybody how tough you are. I know, you and your like minded buddies like to yuk it up any time you get the chance to gang up on somebody because they disagree with you.

Here’s the deal, Bobby. I know what you’re trying to do. It’s the same tactic you guys all use. You rant and rave, call us a bunch of stupid names. You’ll use any means you think is necessary, including lying and slandering to discredit anyone who disagrees with you. You yell and scream some of the most vile, disgusting things ever said. And somehow you believe if you keep it up long enough, we’ll shut up.

Sorry, man. But it’s not going to happen here. And I’m not just talking about this blog either. I’m talking about the sleeping giant (call us tea-baggers if you will) your side has awoken with all your crap. Maybe there was a time your tactics worked but, my friend, that ship has already sailed.

Yeah, call us tea-baggers. Call us hicks, rednecks, hillbillies, uneducated freaks, religious zealots, racists, flat-earthers, or deniers all you want. It just makes you look little and I won’t be dragged down to your level.

Other than that, have a good, man…

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

Bo

Please don’t be sad mommy, it’ll be okay. Whatever it is, we can get through it together. Hey, we’re going to see the doctor tomorrow. That‘s always fun. I love the sonograms because it shows us how big I’m getting. Last time we were there I heard the doctor say I was a perfectly formed little boy. He said I had all my fingers and toes. That’s good news, isn’t it? I heard him saying something about time was running out to decide though. I’ll bet he was talking about it being time to name me. You haven’t mentioned it so I’m thinking maybe you haven’t made up your mind yet. I’ve got a couple suggestions. How about John Wayne? That would be cool mommy. It would come in handy when you buy me my first pair of cowboy boots. Maybe Einstein. I might not be as smart as him but I bet I‘m pretty close mommy. Maybe Superman or Zoro, yeah, that‘d be cool. Hey, I know, how about naming me Bo. I like that name.

Mommy, I heard a man talking about this being a bad time. What did he mean, mommy? This is going to be a great time. You’ll see. I can hardly wait till you can hold me for the first time. And the first time our eyes meet is going to be something special, I promise. You’re going to love the way I run to you for comfort. There’s no safer place than in your mother’s arms. I’m going to need a lot of help learning to walk. They tell me it’s pretty hard. With your help, we‘ll figure it out, you’ll see.

It’s going to break my heart when I have to go to kindergarten. But that’s the only way I can learn to read. I can’t wait to read you a bedtime story for a change mommy. Will you teach me how to play baseball? I heard it was fun. Will we go to Gage Park? Teach me about the monkeys mommy. I think they’re funny. How about my first bike, will you help me learn how to ride it mommy? I think I’d like to play the guitar. Can you teach me how. I hope you name me Bo. I really think it’s a cool name. Mommy and Bo. We’ll make a great team, you’ll see.

Mommy, I heard that man talking about time being up. Didn’t you tell him we’d decided to name me Bo? Tell him mommy. I don’t like that man, mommy, he makes you cry. When I get big I‘ll never make you sad mommy, I promise. You’ll see.

Mommy, I heard you and that man talking about a new doctor. Is that why you’re sad? Are you afraid? Don’t be. We’ll get through this together. You’ll see. I promise to behave myself if that’s what you’re worried about. I want to make a good impression on our new doctor too. Mommy, I’m getting sleepy. Don’t worry, I won’t forget to say my prayers.

Now I lay me, down to sleep. I pray the Lord, my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. God bless Mommy and Bo. Wake me up when we get to the new doctor.

Mommy, that new doctor scares me. He’s not nice like our other one, he scares me mommy. Please, let’s go home. Mommy, he’s hurting me! Mommy, he’s pulling on my arm with something. Mommy, mommy, please help me! Mommy, he’s poking me in the head with something. Mommy I’m scared, please make him stop! Please make him stop, mo…

All Bo wanted was the right to live. What's so bad about that? Please choose life.

Kevin McGinty

www.rm235.blogspot.com

Let Me Introduce Myself...

I’d like to throw a great big, well deserved, “shout out” out there to Dennis Moore and Laura Kelly for being among the first Democratic losers in the 2010 Congressional races.

Yeah I know, that was a cheap shot, some might even call it unfair. But come on, you know as well as I do that they (and many, many, more Democrats) have seen the writing on the wall. It’s a lot easier to make up some noble excuse why they're not running than it would be to face the humiliating defeats they know are coming their way in just eleven short months. I’m just saying, that's all.

I’m getting ahead of myself here. I probably ought to spend this week introducing myself and talking about some of the things we‘ll be discussing in this space. Some of you might be familiar with my column, “Room 235." I spent the last three years writing for the Topeka Metro News. Denise Hall recently sold the paper and the new owners figured they could get along just fine without me and kicked me to the curb. Anyway, now you’re stuck with me.

As you’ve probably figured out by now, I’ll be writing from a right-wing (common sense) point of view. I’ll do my best to be respectful and to avoid the name calling that’s so common nowadays. Well, I might slip every once in a while and call someone a left-wing loon. What can I say?

I oppose Obama and all he stands for, which apparently makes me an unpatriotic, ignorant redneck. Oh yeah, and a racist to boot. I mean, what other reason could there possibly be for someone not wanting his Socialist, Marxist, Communist, (or whatever it is) agenda to succeed?

The people who’ve whole-heartedly bought into the whole global-warming hysteria crack me up. I know, some of you guys are too young to remember it, but a lot of the same scientists that are telling us we’re all doomed today because of global-warming are the same one’s who told us global-cooling was going to kill us all back in the 60’s and 70’s. It was nothing but a scam way back then and it’s nothing but a scam today.

Having said that, I believe we all need to do our part to take care of our planet. It’s just common sense, it’s the only one we have. If there ever comes a time when those windmills or solar panels can generate enough electricity to replace our current coal-fired power plants, go for it. But until then, I really like being able to turn the lights on and being warm when I get home at night. Yeah, go ahead and call me a flat earther, and a denier all you want. For the record, I’m not the one looking stupid here.

I’m solid in my pro-life beliefs and make no apologies to anyone for them. Spin it any way you want, but in my mind, an abortion is the killing of a defenseless little baby who should have had just as much right to live as any of us. At the same time, I believe there should be an exception for victims of rape, incest, or if carrying the baby to term would do actual, physical harm to the mother. I get that.

I hated George Tiller because of what he did for a living. That doesn’t mean I wanted him dead. And I believe the man who killed him, Dennis Roeder should be allowed to use whatever defense he wants in order to justify his actions, but at the end of the day, he committed premeditated, first degree murder, plain and simple. And if that means he faces the death penalty, so be it.

I also believe if Kathleen Sebelius and others hadn’t spent so much of their time protecting him, Tiller's business would have been shut down for breaking Kansas laws against late-term abortions. Yeah, he’d be out of business, but he’d still be alive.

I’m a huge Sarah Palin supporter. That doesn’t necessarily mean I’d want her to be my president though. I watch Fox News and listen to Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and Bill O’Reilly. But I’m not all that big on Shawn Hannity. In his mind, a Republican can do no wrong. Online, my favorite sources of information are the Drudge Report, Politico, The Hill, and The Weekly Standard. Yep, all right-wing sources and if that bothers you, well, that's your problem not mine.

And yes, I fully expect to be attacked by the liberals out there for stating my beliefs in this space. Because, well, that's what (this one's for you, Fred) those loving, tolerant, left-wing loons do best.

But here’s the deal, my beliefs put me in the same category as tens of millions other American’s on a daily basis and in my opinion, that’s pretty good company to be in. I’ll talk to you guys next week.

Kevin McGinty
www.rm235.blogspot.com
www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

New Blog Coming...

Just a quick update. I've agreed to start a blog on our local paper www.cjonline.com and will link it to this one as well.

And just so you all know, we'll probably be getting a little more traffic over the course of the next few days. Oh, and it probably won't all be good either. CJ has a lot of left-wing loons who love nothing more than to hurl personal attacks as a way of shutting someone up.

Anyway, I plan to have it up and running by this weekend. This ought to be fun...

FROM ME AND MINE TO YOU AND YOURS

No Game This Sunday...

I'm getting off topic here. But I just found out that due to lack of ticket sales, the Chiefs have blacked out this Sunday's game against Cleveland.

I'm sure the Chiefs management or players don't give a shit one way or the other but in my house, Sunday's revolve around the Chiefs game. Win or lose, we've always been there. We all get together, cook up a ton of food. We laugh, cuss, and dicuss everything under the sun. As the game wears on, there are high-five's, and a lot of groans. I always hang out my huge Chiefs banner on the front of the house. Yeah, even when they lose, it's still a good time.

But now things have changed. They tell us that because not enough people are actually going to the game, my family and I can't even watch them on TV.

I'll tell you what, Chiefs. How about you kissing my ass. How about not sucking so bad for a change and maybe people will start going again.

We'll still get together and we'll still have a good time. But there'll be no banner hanging on the front of my house tomorrow. Probably not for the rest of the year either.

Better be careful, Chiefs. You might just run off the few fans you have left and I'm one of them.

Yeah, why don't you just kiss my ass. I can live without you. But how long can you survive without people like me...

A Letter To The Editor...

I read a letter to the editor in another paper the other day where the writer complained that the only purpose being served by the “Climategate” e-mails was to muddy the waters in the ongoing Global-Warming debate.

Wow, I thought the debate was over. I mean that’s what the believers and their idiot hero, Al Gore keep telling us.

Actually, because of these hacked e-mails, we’re finally having that debate whether the doom and gloom crowd like it or not. Funny how that works.

Speaking of all that, I’d like to give a quick, well deserved, “shout out” to Congressman Dennis Moore for being the first (of many) Democrat loser in the 2010 elections. You don’t suppose he’s seen the writing on the wall for his predictable, rubber stamp vote on the “Cap and Tax” Bill, Obama’s trying to shove down our throats, do you?

Oh yeah, one more thing. I really enjoy reading the stories and the comments on CJ Online, but some of you guys take yourselves way to serious. The other day during one of the usual insult, counter insult exchanges, one poster actually put another poster “on notice” for something they’d written. I’m not sure exactly what being “put on notice” was supposed to mean, but it was good for a laugh.

I’d suggest some of you need to step away from your keyboards for a while and enjoy life in the real world. Spend a little time with your family and friends, enjoy the holidays and quit being so jacked out of shape all the time. I’m just saying. Merry Christmas, all.

The Debate Is Over - We're All Screwed...

We might as well pack it in, boys and girls. Back on October, 19 Gordon Brown told the UN, there were only 50 days left to save the world from the ravages of global warming. If he’s right, we won’t even make it till Christmas and I doubt they'll be able to do much between now and then. So it looks to me, we're all screwed. Might as well live it up then.

You know, you global warming people might be taken more seriously if you didn't get so far out there. That and the fact that you’ve been wrong about every prediction you’ve ever made, starting way back in the 60’s with your global cooling hysteria. You said we’d all be dead by now. And the outrageous claims you made way back then were just as wrong as the one’s you’re making today.

I came across a list of a few of the things you claim global warming is responsible for and some of the one’s you claim are coming. Go grab something to drink, this might take a while.

They tell us we can say goodbye to French wines because the grapes will burn up on the vines. Thanks to killer beetles and global warming, we can say goodbye to baseball because of the ash trees, the one’s baseball bats are made of will all die off. Entire forests in British Columbia are dying, so looks like we can say goodbye to the Christmas Tree.

Evidently Rainbow Trout are all going to die, so we can forget about fly fishing too. How about those ski competitions we all like to watch. Well, they’ll be a thing of the past too once the snow stops falling in the mountains.

Maybe you’re into snorkeling. Forget it. Carbon dioxide is killing the oceans too. How about a nice tropical island vacation this year. Not going to happen, most of the islands we all know and love will be under water before we know it. Salmon and lobsters will die as will the sharks and whales, so you can forget about going out to Red Lobster to eat.

Maybe wildflowers are your thing. Better hurry up, according to your fellow crazies at least a fifth of all wildflower species will be wiped out and replaced by dominant grasses anytime now. Dandelions will take over our lawns, mosquitoes will thrive as will poison ivy along with a long list of noxious weeds.

Birds will die. Once the polar bears run out of food, they’ll resort to cannibalism. We’ll experience a huge increase of brown bear attacks on people because the bears will have to travel farther and farther to find new food sources. Emperor penguins and frogs will be gone. But then so will the Artic fox and the walrus. There’ll be no more Koala bears either. Jelly fish will move closer to shore and start attacking more people than ever before. Now we even have to worrying about giant squid attacking us.

There’ll be no more sheep, goats, deer, rabbits, or lizards. But because global warming will extend the cat-breeding season, there’ll be more stray cats to contend with. But we can say goodbye to the beloved snail.

All the glaciers will be gone and the coveted Northwest Passage will become a reality. The oceans will turn to acid. The great barrier reef will be a thing of the past and some of the world’s largest rivers will dry up. If you’ve never had the chance to see the Mississippi river, you’d better get going soon. Lakes are drying up as we speak. We’ll see a huge surge in volcanic activity. There’ll more and bigger hurricanes. We’ll have more wildfires and floods. New York City will be under 20 feet of water and we’ll return to the dust bowl days of the 20’s.

Global warming will kill millions of us. Malaria, cholera, small pox, and lyme disease will be out of control. And if the diseases don’t get us, war will. Countries will start attacking each other over the few resources left in the world. Mass starvation and famine will become the new normal in the world.

They tell us mankind's very existence is at stake. I'd say our wallets and more importantly our way of life is at stake here. They were wrong forty years ago and they're wrong today.

Goodbye Mearl

Damn, it’s good to be home. Let’s see, in the last month I’ve worked in Ogallala and Superior, Nebraska. Spent two days in Torrington, Wyoming. From there they sent me to Hays, Salina, three days in Beloit, and I just finished up a week in Concordia. And actually, I was scheduled to be in Great Bend this week, but things change.

I got home Saturday night, my wife and I went out to eat and headed to the casino. We walked into the Sac N Fox with a hundred dollars apiece and ready to kick some serious casino ass. Well, that plan didn’t work out. We walked out a couple of hours later, and the only thing left in our pockets was a little bit of lint. Oh well, we still had a lot of fun and got to spend time together.

Sunday was a wonderful day. The kids and grand kids all came over to watch the Chiefs beat the hell out of Oakland. We ate, talked, gossiped, played some mean games of ping-pong, and just generally enjoyed being together. Yeah, it was a good day.

Earlier tonight, I was able to go to my niece’s fifth grade, music program. I just love those things. I really enjoy watching the kids singing their little hearts out.

Yeah, it’s good to be home. So good in fact, that every once in a while, even if it’s only for a few minutes, I’ve been able to forget why I was able to get my schedule changed in the first place. You see, a good friend of mine died the other day and tomorrow, well, they’re going to bury him.

Mearl was a good guy. To a lot of people he was probably just another old guy. But to those of us who worked with him and got to know him, he’ll always be well thought of and will always be remembered. Mearl had been fighting pancreatic cancer for the last year or so. He was slowly losing the battle but in the end that’s not what killed him. He had a heart attack last Thursday night. It was a bad one. One that he’d never recover from.

I hadn’t talked to him for a while. I knew his cancer was terminal. But it had been in remission and he’d been feeling better the last couple of months. Like always, I put off calling him. I was either too busy, or just figured I’d call him later. Well ,later came and went. Now it’s too late, he’s gone and I regret not making that phone call.

I’m not telling you this story to bum you out. I guess I’m telling it so that maybe you don’t make the same mistake. If you have someone you care about, maybe it’s a your mom or dad, could be your brother or sister, maybe it’s just a good old friend who’s not feeling well. Call them. Tomorrow just might be too late…

THANK YOU VETERANS...

As you go about doing what it is that you do today, stop and at least give a thought to why you're even able to do it in the first place.

It's because of the sacrifices people have made before a lot of us were even born. In every instance (bar none) when our liberty and freedom has been threatened we've turned to the military to bail us out.

Regardless of the situation, regardless of the personal sacrifices it required, regardless of where or when, regardless of the conditions they were asked to fight is, the American Veteran has never let us down.

I have plenty to say about the killing spree at Fort Hood the other day, but I'll just hold my tongue till tomorrow.

Today, it's about thanking all Veterans for the sacrifices they've made in the past and the one's they continue making to this day. We owe them a debt we can never properly re-pay.