End of Summer 2010

I have to continue a personal tradition that I just realized I started two years ago with the first post on this blog.

Even though it is still not feeling like it outside; the tradition that I have come to adopt is to recognize the last day of Summer 2010 with a drink and remember all the great things that happened.  Even though it was a couple weeks ago; I'm going to once again have a Dark 'n Stormy to toast the Summer that was and look forward to more great travels near and far in the upcoming seasons.

Thanks for reading.


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A Republic, If You Can Keep It

Benjamin Franklin spoke the above words when asked what kind of government they had created for America.  Truer words have not been spoken.  We are still fighting to keep our constitutional republic today, and I am sure it will be a fight that is never ending.

Constitution Day, September 17th, 2010

South Front Antiques - Memphis, TN

For many of us its pretty hard to get away and do any traveling even if just around your own city.  But it is good to at least get out of your normal home-to-work routine and check out something new, even if it is in your own city. 

I got a chance to visit some of our local spots one Saturday morning this spring and finally was able to get the pictures up.

It is one of the places I've been wanting to check out in Memphis since hearing about it in a newspaper article last year.  South Front Antiques in Downtown Memphis, on Front Street conveniently, became the main goal on this day.

What book to read next?

I'm trying to decide which book to get to read next.

I just finished Pursuit of Honor(Mitch Rapp, No. 10) by Vince Flynn, which I really enjoyed.  Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, and Andrew Klavan are prolific authors who are writing modern, relevant and very engrossing spy and political thrillers that are far beyond anything in the Bourne series and it amazes me that none of them are movies yet.

The Border: A Dirty War (Part 1)

As is my current personal policy toward Aruba, I will not be spending any of my hard-earned tourism dollars in Mexico until they at least start to act like they care what is coming across our border.

Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling wrote a very strong and stirring poem that is the basis of a new book The Overton Window. 

Southern Legends

Found great article in Garden&Gun about a Legendary Southern Shotgun with roots in Memphis.

It is called The Legend of Bo Whoop.

"More than sixty years ago, the South's most famous shotgun went missing. Here's the story of how it was found"

Little Known American History Should Be More Emphasized in Memphis

Very interesting History lesson.  Apparently he does a show on Founding Fathers every Friday.
It seems that some facts about American History and Black History in America as related to our founding have been erased, or at least marginalized, over time.   If children knew there were more figures involved in the Founding of America that they might be able to identify with; maybe they would be more inclined to learn about it....

The Lost City of Havana, Cuba

"Elections?  Why do we need an election?  The people have already chosen."
                                                                          --Fidel Castro



I just saw a very powerful movie last night that I would strongly recommend  you add to your queue if you have Netflix or look for it on DVD.  It is worth buying, Im going to get a copy of it.

Military Field Jackets

Just saw The Proposal (Single Disc Widescreen) its ok to laugh, I did too, but it turned out to be a pretty funny movie.  Thats not the point.  The point is that Ryan Reynold's character wore a military style jacket when the movie scenes move to Alaska and it looked like something I would wear. 

Ayn Rand and other Notes and Quotes

“The flood of misinformation, misrepresentation, distortion, and outright falsehood about capitalism is such that the young people of today have no idea (and virtually no way of discovering any idea) of its actual nature.” 

                              --Ayn Rand

Micheal Ramirez' "Bullet Points" of health care

The Pacific --- Epic!

Not only the history of it but them cinematography of the Pacific makes me want to check off a Life List Destination.

Happy Birthday George Washington

First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen  ---  Heritage Foundation

"We hold these truths to be self-evident:"

LIBERTY

EQUALITY

NATURAL RIGHTS

CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

PRIVATE PROPERTY

THE RULE OF LAW

CONSTITUTIONALISM

SELF-GOVERNMENT

INDEPENDENCE

 

 

 

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How Castro gets his famous supporters to say he is great and not a murderer.

Very enlightening article on a defector form Cuba who worked in their intelligence service bugging famous people's hotel rooms and survailing them 24 hours a day.

Castro gets them to say nice things about his murderous regime through blackmail.

Castro’s top intelligence people would gather for the screenings of these tapes almost like Hollywood types for an upcoming movie, reports Fernandez.  “Hummmm, these scenes are more scandalous than anything in any of her movies!” Fernandez recalls a top intelligence officer chortling while watching the nighttime cavortings of a famous Spanish actress. “Now, it really seems to me, compañeros,” the Castro intimate snickered as he looked around the room, “that this señorita should be making more respectful comments about our regime, right?”

I recommend reading the entire article here:
Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » Castro Catches Useful Idiot Celebs on Candid Camera




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Iran Revolution's End Will Be Heard Around World - WSJ.com

Something to keep an eye on. According to the article:

The Iranian revolution in 1979 was the biggest event of the last generation in
the Middle East, spawning wars and radicalization that have reshaped the region
and, to some extent, the world. If we're now watching the slow unwinding
of that revolution, the consequesnces will be equally momentous.

Iran Revolution's End Will Be Heard Around World - WSJ.com




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Black History Month Should Be About Black History

American Thinker

Black History Month Should Be About Black History and the greatness of America, not about the so-called evils of white America.

This article is written by a self described (black) "unhyphenated American" who sees that it is the greatness of America that allows us to overcome these evils in our history and celebrate the actions of black Americans and not push the race based parts of out history.

Lloyd Marcus has some very thought inducing articles and you can see the rest of his writings here.

British Reporting More Objective American News?

Why do we have to go to Britian to see this reported?  It seems like if we had an actual media and not an arm of a political party then we might hear about this over here.

Democratic Anger Goes Public In Prime Time

Are we that stupid as a country as to not ask about this? 

You won't see this in an American newspaper, why not?:

"     "It just stinks to the high heaven what happened here," Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., railed earlier in    the day at Obama's treasury secretary, Timothy Geithner.

He was talking about the bailout, but the statement could well describe the Democrats' attitude about Obama's performance and the toll it's taken on their political standing. And Wednesday night, they were expected to put on a smile and applaud a president and an agenda many have questioned. "

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Hugo Chavez; Mildly Insane

If this guy wasn't serious he could be a writer for a television comedy series, unfortunalty, he is all too serious and has signed an agreement of mutual defense with Iran. 

His newest delusion is that we, America, attacked Haiti with our 'earthquake weapon'!  I think he is reading too many comic books! 

see the article here.


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To Help Haiti, End Foreign Aid

Since this is my area of study, this is especially interesting to me.


After immediate need for first aid and basic stabilization, I agree that continuing the huge ‘relief’ effort of the past will further undermine the country.


"For Haitians, just about every conceivable aid scheme beyond immediate humanitarian relief will lead to more poverty, more corruption and less institutional capacity."  -WSJ

See entire article here, it is worth a read.