gid

The Business of Being Born

I wish I could get every expecting couple to watch this movie. We have been completly douped by the medical establishment. For instance, did you know that the US has the second worst newborn death rate in modern world?

The United States has more neonatologists and neonatal intensive care beds per person than Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, but its newborn rate is higher than any of those countries via

hat-tip: Chair of Bowlies

Iko Iko

There is no way for me to end this series of posts without doing iko iko by Dr. John. This song is a favorite of mine.

Carnival Time

This is another that most have probably heard as well. Carnival Time by Al Johnson.

Mardi Gras Mambo

While I'm at it and all of these songs are coming back to me I should post this one as well. This one is the Mardi Gras Mambo. This is one that most have probably heard, but a few might not. Enjoy.

they all asked for you

This is a good one as well. It is by the Meters. I still can remember the first time I heard this song as a young boy. It is called "they all asked for you".
I guess it has been about 15 years since I last I have heard this song and while listening to it I was struck with a sense of sadness that I have yet to sing this song to my boys. I might just let them listen to this post when I get home. I might just need to buy the mp3. Enjoy.

don't mess with my toot toot

While involved in some semi random political conversation over email the last few days I was reminded of a few songs that I grew up with. I guess it never really dawned on me that most people outside the New Orleans area would have never heard these songs before. This song is called "don't mess with my toot toot".

This is not the version of the song I remember growing up with, but it is close enough.....

Six Against Six Million

We should be able to vote!

The Olympic Spirit

Official Beijing 08 Logo

You have to wonder what the Chinese were thinking when they created their official Beijing 08 logo. Given the recent events in Tibet I could not help but help try to raise awareness of what is going on. If you have not heard about what has been going on in Tibet then please take the time to get informed.

So why has the United States not withdraw from the Olympics? To answer that question all you have to do is follow the money. I won't get into that in this post, but I can say this. If the Olympic torch passes anywhere close to Chattanooga I am going to be there waving the sign below.

Olympics Firing Squad

I found the firing squad image here: Origninal
Also, check out this site. They have some other interesting Beijing 08 logos. http://www.beijinglogo.org/

Why do the delegate numbers keep going up?

Something is starting to smell fishy. On Monday the 17th the Chattanoogan reported that some 225 delegates were chosen to elect the Hamilton County Republican party candidate for sheriff.

source
Connie Weathers, party chairman, said as many as 400 people attended.

She said some 225 delegates were chosen and there were also alternates selected.

Mrs. Weathers said party officials will now certify those workers after checking to make sure they meet the criteria, including being voters in their precincts.

On March 24th the Chattanoogan reported that there are now 300 delegates.

source
Last week, the party elected over 300 delegates whose job will be to vote on Thursday night for the Republican nominee to run for sheriff. Delegates turned out in large numbers to hear from the candidates.

I heard today that we are now at the full 480 delegates for the sheriff's race. I did try to call the Hamilton County Republican party several times today to verify the numbers, but no one is picking up the phone. My only question is, if we picked 225 delegates on the 17th, then where did the extra 255 delegates come from?

Update:It looks like there is actually 426 delegates. That number does include alternates, which means for the 426 to be legit there would have had to been 200 alternates delegates elected on the 17th. I was there and I can tell you it is not likely.

hat-tip: Jeremiah M.

Congressman Wamp, Carpe Diem

Last Friday I sent in an opinion on the Chattanoogan.com. It was in response to an opinion piece submitted by Zach Wamp. His opinion piece was about energy policy, and I just could not help but respond. I think our congressman has the political backing to really get things done in Washington. I really love the quote that says, "What would you attempt to do today if you knew you could not fail." Well, this is what I said:

Congressman,

While I agree with you that we need broad energy policy changes we cannot pretend to be dealing with the ever increasing cost of energy if we don't talk about the value of the dollar. I am not accusing you of this, but the common political spin is to solely blame OPEC, refinery shortages, hurricanes, and consumption as the reason for increased energy cost.

As I read what commodity traders are saying I don't hear them giving the same excuses as most politicians do. Just this week oil hit prices never seen before, and the reasoning was, and I quote "Prices scaled historic heights on Monday as they were energized by the weak dollar."

I know you know this, but if we really want to deal with the cost of energy we have to get government spending under control. We cannot continue the deficit spending and expect OPEC countries to want to invest in the American dollar. As we continue to undermine the value of the dollar through our deficit spending we should come to expect $4 a gallon at the pump.

Congressmen, due to your constituent's faithful support you are in a very unique position to really tackle one of the biggest issues of our time. While our support for you is strong, and the weight of your constituents is propping you up, stand up and tackle this albatross around our necks. With our support and the seniority you now enjoy you can boldly lead us into the 21st century.

This is my challenge to you, stand up and propose a federal balanced budget amendment. There is no greater legacy you could leave then that of a balanced budget amendment. Without this amendment future Americans will scorn our names and we will be viewed with the utmost contempt by them. We cannot continue to enslave our children and grandchildren for generations to come.
Congressman, Carpe Diem.

Delegates meet tonight to hear sheriff candidates

Tonight the Republican sheriff candidates will be speaking to those of us who were elected as delegates last Monday evening. I look forward to hearing what they have to say. I have done a bit of research and as of now there are two candidates I am ruling out.

In researching one of the candidates I found that he had spent 3 years in Iraq training the new Iraqi police force. This candidate spoke on March 22nd 2007 at the local Rotary Club about his time in Iraq. I do realize that his views on us being in Iraq has very little to do with the local sheriff race, but the quote below came as quite a kick in the teeth.

Below is the exact quote I got from the speech he gave at the Rotary Club. This quote was given at the end of the speech during the question answer time. He was answering a question about the working relationship he had with the Iraqi people, and at the end of his answer began to tail off into another subject. At around the 30:30 mark this is what he said:

One of the things, I was speaking to a church group a couple of weeks ago and somebody said: "Oh I just think we need to get out of there." Let me tell you one thing. Every time the US goes in with its military in any kind of situation like this; missionaries flood in behind them into these countries and right now the mission outreach into Iraq is humongous

What? I really could spend way to much time unpacking all the implications of this kind of justification for us being there, but all I am going to say is this. When we invaded Iraq, which by the way was one of the few Arab countries where being a Christian was still legal, there were 1.2 million Christians living in Iraq. Today there are less than 600,000.

If you are one of the delegates and want to hear the candidates speak, then you need to be at Westview Elementary at 7:00 PM. Here is the address:
9629 East Brainerd Road
Chattanooga, TN 37421

22,000 Scientist Sign Petition Refuting Carbon Footprint Initiated Global Warming

Yes that is right, 22,000 Scientist have signed. Check out the graphs on this page.

We have more than 22,000 scientist signers of our global-warming petition who've looked at the issue and concluded essentially the opposite of these United Nations people. This says nothing about the science. Science does not depend on polling. Just because we have 22,000, and the UN may have 600, does not matter. The only thing our petition demonstrates is that there is no consensus among scientists in support of the UN claims.

Update: I should have added a bit more info when adding this post the first time. These 22,000 scientist are not saying that there is no global warming. What they are saying is that the earth has been warming for 400 years, which coincides with the end of the last mini ice age that hit Europe. The evidence looks pretty convincing that the warming we are experiencing now has to do with an increase in activity on the sun, and has nothing to do with our carbon footprint.

William Shatner does Rocketman interpertation

Come on! You can do better than that.

You would think if you had a good enough brain to make it through law school you could remember who you drove with for 6 hours.

General Sessions Court Judge Ron Durby said he made a recent trip to Tunica with former Sheriff Long. The judge said he cannot remember who else was in the car on the six-hour trip.

(via)

I guess you can say what you want when reelection is not until Aug. 2014.

my first response to a Chattanoogan.com opinion piece

To get the context please go here and read the original opinion by Bruce Caldwell. Below is my response, which can also be read here.

Bruce,

Reading your opinion brought to mind a great quote from George Washington's Farwell address. He said this: "If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way, which the constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for, though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed. The precedent must always greatly overbalance in permanent evil any partial or transient benefit, which the use can at any time yield."

Your argument, which is based on an emotional grab, is a waste of everyone's time. Emotions have nothing to do with enforcing the rule of law. I have read many of your opinions, and have yet to agree fully with any of them. I should have prefaced that last statement with the fact that I am a life-long Republican. You, sir, might call yourself a Republican, but are in fact a Federalist and a RINO (Republican In Name Only). Yes, I know these words are harsh, but the evidence supports them. As Republicans our tent cannot be so big that we stand for nothing because we stand for everything. Being a Republican is about small, fiscally conservative government. Government that is limited in power and government that first asks in every situation "What does the U.S. Constitution give me authority to do?"

Now you should be asking yourself with regard to this FISA bill: What does the U.S Constitution give us authority to do?

The U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment says: "and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

Bruce please tell us, what would the U.S. Constitution give you authority to do in regard to the FISA bill? I should add before you disregard any more of our founder's wisdom this quote: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."