Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Profiles in Courage, Patriotism, and Sacrifice

by Janet Crain
Little did Colonel Patrick Ferguson know when he issued his famous broadside that he was writing his own death warrant and signaling the beginning of the end to Britain's rule over this country.

He did everything right, strictly by the book as he had learned in British officer's school. But at the end of the day he lay dead surrounded by most of his men. And all because he underestimated the furor of the Overmountain Men when they learned of his insults. History book version here: http://www.tngenweb.org/revwar/kingsmountain/ferguson.html And my ancestor, Martin Gambill, was largely responsible for getting the word out. And often when confronted by some unpleasant duty I think of him and how easy my way of life is compared to his of danger and sacrifice and I am both proud and ashamed. I hope this inspires others to do their duty, because America is once again under attack.



The Revolutionary War and Martin Gambill's Ride

Much is written on the internet about the ride of Martin Gambill prior to the Battle of King's Mountain, which was the true turning point of the Revolutionary War. We have all read Longfellow's poem about the midnight ride of Paul Revere, but few have read of a much longer ride, that of Martin Gambill. I felt that was somewhat unfair, so I decided to compose a poem about Martin Gambill's ride. First, to set the stage, let me explain a bit about the times. Militias existed in many areas. These Militias worked in concert with the Continental Forces commanded by General Washington and others. These forces were the "home guard" much like the National Guard of our times. According to what I have read, the British General Cornwallis had much of his army near present day Charlotte, NC. He wanted to move North to either flank, or come behind Washington's Continental Troops, who were not having much success battling Clinton's forces in New York. He was somewhat afraid of the mountain Militias who could be a real thorn in his side once he began his northward march. Cornwallis selected a Major Patrick Ferguson to neutralize this threat from the mountain Militias. The mountain Militia leaders were expecting Ferguson, and had devised an early warning system. Brush piles were made on key, higher mountain tops. If Ferguson was seen moving west, fires would be lit to warn of his advance. It just so happens that Colonel Shelby from Tennesse had called many of the militia leaders to a meeting at the home of Colonel John Sevier (later an organizer and governor of the state of Franklin in NE Tennesse) near present day Boone, NC. As the meeting was in progress, the leaders saw the signal fires lit on distant peaks. Ferguson had begun his march. Several of the Virginia leaders were not present. (Captain Enoch Osborn, and Colonel Campbell to name two) In a day with no phone or telegraph, and very poor roads, it was necessary for a rider to be dispatched to warn the Virginia Militia leaders. Martin Gambill volunteered for this duty. In 24 hours he rode over 100 miles of poor trails, crossed rivers and creeks, and lost at least 3 horses to exhaustion. He lost one horse as he crossed the New River where Captain Enoch Osborn was plowing a field. Captain Osborn sent the exhausted rider up to the house for breakfast, while he removed Martin's saddle and placed it on one of the plow horses. Martin continued up the New River to the Mouth of the Fox Creek, which he followed upstream, and through Comer's Gap eventually to the Holston River, and downstream to Colonel Campbell. Martin's remarkable ride enabled the Militias to meet in 7 days at Sycamore Shoals in Ashe County, NC. The mountain Militias went on to join Colonel Cleveland, and Major Winston near the present day town of Morganton, NC. From there they marched southward to meet Ferguson's army, which turned tail and headed back toward Charlotte, and the safety of Cornwallis' larger force. Ferguson decided to deploy his troops on King's Mountain, where he would have the advantage of defending the high-ground. In the battle, the mountain men were victorious, killing 500 or so of Feguson's troops in the first two hours of battle. This victory changed the plans of Cornwallis, and perhaps changed the course of history.

Read the Poem Here:

http://www.graysonosbornes.com/17.html


Martin Gambill, who married a Miss Nall, was one of the first settlers of the county on New River, in the eastern part. He was a true patriot in the days of the Revolution. Colonel Ben Cleveland sent a letter to him by a messenger to carry to Col. William Campbell. He went to Enoch Osborne, who lived on New River, near the mouth of Bridle Creek, Va., to borrow a horse. Esquire Enoch Osborne took the harness off of his horse, where he was plowing, and loaned to him to ride to Washington County, Va. Colonel Campbell, in compliance with the request, came with three hundred and fifty men and joined Cleveland, McDowell, Lenoir and others to meet Col. Ferguson the British commander of English and Tories.

Foot Prints on the Sands of Time: A History of Southwestern Virginia and Northwestern North Carolina Dr. A. B. Cox
Originally published by The Star Pub. Co. Print, Sparta, N.C. Aug. 1900.


Related:
http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/battles/bat_kmtn.asp

© Janet Crain

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Glad I'm Not From Minnesota

















Meet Senator Franken, a disgrace to this country!!!


Monday, June 29, 2009

There's a 4th of July Tax Protest Tea Party Near You!!!

Use the arrows to move around and click on a balloon near your location to get the exact address and details.

It's awesome!!!



View What’s Next? in a larger map


© Janet Crain

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Kicking Off a Glorious Fourth!!!!!






If tomorrow all the things were gone
I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again
with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars
to be living here today,
'Cause the flag still stands for freedom
and they can't take that away.

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A.

From the lakes of Minnesota
to the hills of Tennessee,
Across the plains of Texas
from sea to shining sea.
From Detroit down to Houston
and New York to L.A.,
There's pride in every American heart
and it's time we stand and say

I'm proud to be an American
where at least I know I'm free,
And I won't forget the men who died
who gave that right to me,
And I gladly stand up next to you
and defend her still today,
'Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A!




This blog is © Janet Crain

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Sotomayor Decision Reversed by SCOTUS

Justices Rule for White Firefighters in Bias Case

Published: June 29, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court ruled Monday that white firefighters in New Haven, Conn., were unfairly denied promotions because of their race, reversing a decision that high court nominee Sonia Sotomayor endorsed as an appeals court judge.

New Haven was wrong to scrap a promotion exam because no African-Americans and only two Hispanic firefighters were likely to be made lieutenants or captains based on the results, the court said Monday in a 5-4 decision. The city said that it had acted to avoid a lawsuit from minorities.

The ruling could alter employment practices nationwide and make it harder to prove discrimination when there is no evidence it was intentional.

"Fear of litigation alone cannot justify an employer's reliance on race to the detriment of individuals who passed the examinations and qualified for promotions," Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court. He was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/06/29/business/AP-US-SupremeCourt-Fire.html?_r=1&hp



© Janet Crain

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Pelosi-Wax Job Protests Near You

Hat Tip Michelle Malkin

In Chicago:

If you are anywhere near Chicago’s Federal Plaza this afternoon, where the Tax Day Tea Party took place, then be there at 1:00pm for a cap-and-trade protest. Federal Plaza is at 230 S. Dearborn.

In Orlando. And in Canton, Ohio.

In Upland, Calif.: noon at the corner of Foothill/Euclid.

In Atlanta via Barracuda Babes:

Saturday, June 27, 200912:00 noon
State Capitol

Bring signs in Opposition to Cap and Tax
Ideas include: Cap and Tax, Cap and Traitors, Cap and tr8tors, No Taxation without Reading the Bill, Tea Party Patriots Vote

If you are not in metro Atlanta, protest at the Federal Building in your county.

Arizona protest info at Arizona Tea Party.

More at Tea Party Patriots.

Don’t forget to let the GOP Cap-and-Tax 8 hear from you.

If anyone has the Houston location or any others, please post it here in comments.



© Janet Crain

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Friday, June 26, 2009

Congratulations, Dems /sarc

Congratulations to the House Democrats, and their eight Republican abettors, on the passage of the Waxman-Markey highway robery cap and trade tax climate change legislation.

Today's victors are to be congratulated for demonstrating that by using dilatory tactics, such as posting the "final" version of a 1,200 page bill the night before the vote, issuing a 300 page amendment to the 1,200 page bill after 3:00 a.m., and allowing only five hours of debate, it is possible to pass a cap and trade tax plan. A plan that presidential candidate Obama said will cause electricity rates to "necessarily skyrocket" and will bankrupt anyone who builds a coal-powered plant. And show that it is possible to pass such a plan with a whopping seven vote margin - 219-212, with less than 4% of the favorable votes coming from the loyal opposition and more than 20% of the negative votes coming from the majority party.





© Janet Crain

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Thursday, June 25, 2009

Texas Native Farrah Fawcett Dead at 62


I heard someone call Farrah a "California girl" and I knew I had to set the record straight. Long before she was a "California girl", Farrah was a Texas girl.


Updated: Thursday, 25 Jun 2009, 12:29 PM CDT
Published : Thursday, 25 Jun 2009, 11:50 AM CDT

LOS ANGELES - Farrah Fawcett, whose stunning looks and blinding smile made her a pop icon of the 1970s, has died. She was 62. The actress was a Texas native who went to high school in Corpus Christi.

Her spokesman, Paul Bloch, says Fawcett died Thursday morning in a Santa Monica hospital. Her 2 1/2-year battle with cancer was depicted in the TV documentary "Farrah's Story."

She burst on the scene in 1976 as one-third of the crime-fighting trio in TV's "Charlie's Angeles." A poster of her in a clingy swimsuit sold in the millions.

Cont.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/entertainment/celebrity_news/090625_fawcett_dies


© Janet Crain

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Appalachian Trail of Tears /sarc

This is very funny:

http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/06/red-state-update-hiking-appalachian.html

© Janet Crain

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Kerry's Lament......


















Chowing down on a size 12 foot is not very appetizing. Try a little Heintz catsup.



© Janet Crain

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A Little Lemonade Logic

OK, President Obama cannot understand why people fear that a government run insurance plan will run private plans out of business.

Has this community organizer ever ran a business? Has he ever had to meet payroll and comply with federal, state, county and city regulations, from which these entities exempt themselves? Hmmm... didn't think so.

Imagine two competing lemonade stands, one a privately funded business run by Susie and the other a government funded plan run by Bob.

Susie has to buy her lemons, sugar, cups and water from union suppliers. She also paid a hefty fee for a permit. She must charge enough to repay the loan she had to obtain at high interest to start this business. Any help she hires must be paid prevailing wages for her area. She must budget for advertising, rainy days, and a fluctuating lemon cost.

Bob on the hand has few of these concerns. He is fully funded by the richest source in the world. If they run out of money, they will borrow from China, raise taxes and/or print more. He doesn't have to worry about permits and regulations because he is exempt. His suppliers have all been threatened by the US Government largest consumer in the world to discount their supplies to him by a huge margin. If he needs help, he can just whistle. His backer has a surplus of people on the payroll who can be transferred over to his lemon stand to help out. Don't worry, they won't be missed.

After Bob's lemonade stand cuts prices and lures all of Susie's customers away by offering free ice and other inducements, Susie will fail. She will fold up her business and disappear.

Customers will soon be dismayed by the reduction in services at good ol' Bob's stand. And the cut back in hours he is open will inconvenience many. But soon it will get worse, Bob will disappear! His stand will be moved to a central location the better to serve a maximum of customers. And you will have to make appointments weeks, months, years in advance!

And for all this you'll find your cost rising and your benefits slipping away.

And Bob will have all your most private information. He'll tell you quit smoking and leave off extra pie and cut out Aunt Bessie's family dinners entirely. Then you may get another sip of lemonade someday. Good luck sucker. He's got you sucker!





Home » News » Politics

CNSNews.com
Obama Says It's 'Not Logical' to Fear Government-Run Health Care
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
By Fred Lucas, Staff Writer



White House (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama said it is “not logical” to think that a government-run health care program competing with private health insurers would eventually drive the private firms out of business.

The concern expressed by many Republicans and some private insurers has been one of the leading arguments against the president’s plan to establish a “public option” health care program.

At a White House press conference on Tuesday, Obama said: “Why would it drive private insurance out of business? If private insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care; if they tell us that they're offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can't run anything, suddenly is going to drive them out of business? That's not logical.”
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=49983


© Janet Crain

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Ethics complaint against Palin aide dismissed

Posted by Alaska_Politics

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

The state has dismissed an ethics complaint filed by Andree McLeod against Kris Perry, a close adviser to Gov. Sarah Palin and the director of the governor's Anchorage office.

McLeod charged that Perry did political work on the state's time. Her complaint focused on Perry's travels with the governor on the vice-presidential campaign trail and afterwards.

The complaint was dismissed by the attorney general's office. (McLeod said it went to the AG's office rather than the personnel board because it was a complaint against a state employee rather than the governor or lieutenant governor.)

The dismissal said there was no evidence "suggesting that Perry misused her state time in any substantial way or did not intend to benefit the public interest when accompanying the governor on her trips."

cont.

http://cl.exct.net/?ju=fe5a177770620d7d7610&ls=fdfb1673776d017f7c147475&m=fef911737c6706&l=fec6167371600378&s=fe29177077640c7e721c77&jb=ffcf14&t=


© Janet Crain

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Rasmussen says Obama approval plunging........

Polls: 'Strong Disapproval' of Obama Growing

Monday, June 22, 2009 1:00 PM

By: Jim Meyers Article Font Size

More Americans now "strongly disapprove" of Barack Obama's performance as president than "strongly approve," according to the most recent Rasmussen poll.

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Monday shows that 33 percent of respondents "strongly approve" of Obama's performance on the job so far, but 34 percent "strongly disapprove."

Overall, 45 percent of voters disapprove, while 54 percent say they at least somewhat approve.

Obama fares better in the latest Gallup poll, which found that 33 percent of respondents disapprove of his job performance and 58 percent approve. But 58 percent is a new low — since taking office in January, his approval rating has averaged 63 percent, according to Gallup.

Gallup speculates that several factors could be behind Obama's plunging ratings: the administration's deficit spending; public concerns about the cost of Obama's healthcare reform plan; and his cautious response to the election protests in Iran.

In the Rasmussen poll, the percentage of voters who blame George Bush for the country's economic ills is down eight points from a month ago, to 54 percent, while 39 percent say the country's economic problems are a result of Obama's policies. "A growing number say it's Obama's economy now," Rasmussen observed.

Other Rasmussen poll findings include:

Click here:


© Janet Crain

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Michelle Obama: Fashion Watch



On Monday night, First Lady Mrs. O received the Board of Directors' Special Tribute award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in New York. Mrs. O accepted her award via a pre-taped video speech:



http://mrs-o.org/


© Janet Crain

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Sunday, June 21, 2009

Health Care Hurdles Ahead

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Several senior Democratic advisers to the White House are urging President Obama to further step up his personal involvement in the health care debate, as administration allies privately warn the president's push for a major reform bill is hitting major roadblocks at a critical juncture on Capitol Hill.

President Obama says health care reform is one of his top priorities.

President Obama says health care reform is one of his top priorities.

One of the Democratic advisers told CNN there is fear within the party that the president's signature issue is "on the rocks" because of dramatically high cost estimates for separate bills being drafted by Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Massachusetts and Max Baucus, D-Montana.

The Congressional Budget Office's estimate for the Kennedy bill -- that it will cost $1 trillion and yet leave millions of Americans without health insurance -- has given Republicans strong political ammunition to charge reform may be too expensive at a time of massive federal deficits.

"We're going to need the White House to step it up a little bit and get more engaged," said a second Democratic adviser, who acknowledged concerns that Republicans are gaining steam in the message battle. "We've got some time to sort this out, but decision time is just around the corner."

This second Democratic adviser said the CBO's $1.6 trillion estimate for the Baucus bill was particularly jarring to Democrats because it was "several hundred billion dollars more" than expected.

Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, announced this week he's pushing back the official unveiling of his legislation until after July 4 -- a delay that imperils White House hopes the Senate can finish work on the issue before leaving town for its August recess.

But senior White House officials contend that while there are legitimate concerns about the status of the legislation, the president is still confident the setbacks are a normal part of the legislative process and it will eventually get back on track.

"We're not hysterical," said one senior White House official. "We've seen this movie before: [the Congressional process] looks like a total mess, nothing is getting done, and then something happens."

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday that despite the partisan rancor, Obama believes Congress can work out its differences and deliver a bill in 2009.

"I don't think it's a surprise that this is going to take some time to do," he said. "It's an issue that we've been discussing for 40 years."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/19/health.care/index.html?eref=rss_politics



© Janet Crain

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Saturday, June 20, 2009

Health Plan Doomed?

Sen. Ted Kennedy, Barack Obama, Health Sec. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Max Baucus.
Obama's campaign for health care reform by this fall, once considered highly likely to succeed, suddenly appears in real jeopardy. Photo: AP photo composite by POLITICO

President Obama's campaign for health care reform by this fall, once considered highly likely to succeed, suddenly appears in real jeopardy.

Top White House advisers, especially chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, are still privately predicting massive changes to the health care system in 2009. But for the first time, Democrats on Capitol Hill and in the administration are expressing frank worries about stronger-than-expected opposition from moderate Democrats and worse-than-expected estimates for how much the plan could cost.

Business groups, which had embraced the idea of reform and have been meeting quietly with Democrats for months in an effort to shape the legislation, now talk of spending millions of dollars to oppose the latest proposals out of Capitol Hill. And Democrats themselves are not united, with leading party figures making contradictory declarations about how far they should go to overhaul the system when deficits are soaring and prospects for an economic recovery remain cloudy.

And top Democratic officials tell POLITICO they are increasingly pessimistic about getting any more Republican votes than they did on the stimulus package, with some aides referring to the idea of a bipartisan bill as "fool's gold" — an unattainable waste of time.


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23906.html#ixzz0IzNmFcBS&D


© Janet Crain

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Gay Marriage: Collateral Damage

I don't know how this turned out, but when this article went to press, the biological mother was in grave danger of losing custody of her child to her former gay lover. I think we will see more and more cases like this as it has been reported that in Sweden gay couples are 50% more likely to divorce.

Call me crazy, but the
dissolution rate of same sex marriages* is really the reason I object to same sex marriages. I really could care less what consenting adults do in PRIVATE. Please do keep it private.

And further, I feel that those wanting it so badly are just interested in the benefits such as health insurance, etc. JC



GAY MARRIAGE

Mrs. Kramer Vs. Mrs. Kramer

It's an old story—parents split and fight for custody. But when both are women, and one says she is no longer gay, it gets complicated.

custody battle lesbian couple daughter Jenkins Miller

Isabella prefers to skip rather than walk down the long halls of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va. With each springy step, the first grader's butterfly-print dress puffs full of air, giving her the appearance of weightlessness. She swings a bag of gummy bears in one hand, and in the other, a Sunday-school coloring sheet that reads "Obey God." One particularly high ballerina leap sends gummy bears skidding across the polished floor of the church and stops Isabella dead in her tracks. The dress deflates. Her mother Lisa Miller senses an imminent meltdown and starts counting down: "Five, four, three …" and by one, the little girl has all the candy in her hand again. "You beat the five-second rule," says Miller, "so it's still good." And with that, Isabella smiles, revealing a gap where two front baby teeth used to be, and stuffs the candy back in the bag. Skipping resumes.

Isabella hardly knows that she's at the center of a much bigger drama, a landmark custody battle between two women—both of whom she calls Mommy. Her parents are Miller, 40, who's fighting for exclusive, sole custody, and Janet Jenkins, 44, who's arguing for parental and visitation rights. Their case is the first to tackle the recognition of same-sex unions, marriage and the rights of homosexual parents across ideological, biological and state lines. And, uniquely, across religious lines once Miller became a devout Baptist, renounced her homosexuality and said she was determined to protect her daughter from a "lifestyle that's fundamentally wrong." Miller is Isabella's biological mom and lives with her daughter in Virginia, a state that does not recognize gay unions or marriage. Jenkins lives in Vermont, where she and Miller were happily—and legally—joined in a civil union eight years ago, and where the couple raised Isabella until they split when the child was just 17 months old. Since then, Miller has argued that her former partner—who has no blood tie to Isabella—also has no parental rights. "It would be like handing my child over to the milkman," she says. Jenkins disagrees. She says that as Miller's former legal partner who was at the IVF clinic when her daughter was conceived, and in the delivery room to catch her when she arrived, she should have visitation rights "like any other parent."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/172554

*A study called "Male and Female Homosexuality" by M. Saghir and E. Robins found the average live-in homosexual relationship (not the average of all homosexual relationships, just the ones that were live-in) was between 2-3 years.(Imagine how low the average would have been if the study counted ALL homosexual relationships)

A study called "Male Homosexuality" found that few male homosexual relationships last longer than two years, with many men reporting HUNDREDS of lifetime partners.

University of Chicago sociologist Edward Laumann said in "The Sexual Organization of the City" that metropolitan homosexuals typically move through relationships of less than 6 months.

A study of homosexual men in the Netherlands (a very liberal and accepting country where homosexual "marriage" has been legalized) published in the journal "AIDS" found the average length of relationship was 1.5 years.

"Homosexual Marriage: A Social Science View" found a dissolution rate among homosexuals in Sweden (a very liberal and accepting country where homosexual "marriage" has been legalized) 50% higher than for heterosexuals. The lesbian rate of dissolution was double that of male homosexuals.

According to "The Gay Report," 38% said the longest relationship (monogamy was not specified either way) they had ever had did not last longer than a year. The study found the average relationship length for lesbians was 38 months. "Homosexual Marriage: A Social Science View" found similar results.

"The Male Couple" cites a study of 156 homosexual males in relationships lasting 1-37 years. Only 4% had totally exclusive sexual relationships...and all of these had been together less than 5 years

The same study as one cited above giving homosexual dissolution rates (Homosexual Marriage: A Social Science View) reported the average length of heterosexual marriages in the United states as 25 years.

Those are just a few statistics. There are plenty more out there for the inquiring mind to find


© Janet Crain

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Wednesday, June 17, 2009

UPDATE: Calling Racism Racism


UPDATE: Here is why I so strongly rejected the
$1.2 million study of Alaskan Natives Genetic predisposition to a so called Depession Gene:


Quote from :
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/science/17depress.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

[[[ One of the most celebrated findings in modern psychiatry that a single
gene helps determine ones risk of depression in response to a divorce, a
lost job or another serious reversal ? has not held up to scientific
scrutiny, researchers reported Tuesday.]]]

The only result would be throwing away a lot of money better used elsewhere and branding a people with a false handicap which would impair their getting good jobs.

by Janet Crain
I am really upset by Senator Lisa Murkowski's letter sent to Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking for money to "study" an Alaskan Native
problem's perceived genetic cause. This is playing right into Obama and Sebelius's hand. Brand these people forever as having FLAWED genes and being unable to help themselves. Make them more dependent on the government. Their world was destroyed by civilization. That would depress anybody. They were doing just fine before. Now they can't hunt seals or fully participate in their heritage.* So they turn to drugs and alcohol and suicide. Is this the answer to culture genocide? To declare an entire people as genetically predisposed to fail? So Big Brother government can come in and take over their lives? This is Saul Alinskyism at its best. He would be proud.

Throwing more money at the problem won't help. Infanticizing the population won't help.


"The study was proposed by the U.S. Arctic Research Commission and, according to Murkowski, would “seek to determine the specific genes that contribute to major depressive disorders and alcohol abuse leading to targeted treatment options for Alaska Natives.”


What's your opinion?


Murkowski calls for $1.2 million suicide study

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is calling on Secretary of Health & Human Services to fund a $1.2 million study aimed at reduce the towering suicide rate among Alaska Natives.

Click here to read the letter Murkowski sent today to Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. (And click here for our recent story on northwest Alaska suicide.)

The study was proposed by the U.S. Arctic Research Commission and, according to Murkowski, would “seek to determine the specific genes that contribute to major depressive disorders and alcohol abuse leading to targeted treatment options for Alaska Natives.”

Commission Chairman Mead Treadwell pushed for the study at an Indian Affairs Committee meeting in February:

The mental health problem cries out for research. Over the past two decades, the Indian Health Service and Alaska government have tried a variety of clinical and social work methods to improve Alaska Native mental health. They simply are not working.

Alaska Native mental health problems remain far more severe than the general population, and Natives in the Arctic experience a startling higher incidence, not only of suicide, but also of depression, alcoholism and mental illness.

Suicide is only the tip of the iceberg.

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/141407


Many decisions to permit "updates" of methods appear to recognize that a strictly enforced time dimension for tradition may place unrealistic expectations on those engaging in otherwise traditional activities. For example, some age-old practices are now prohibited by law. Both state and federal courts have determined that individuals should not be penalized for employing "modern" methods where some aspect of their otherwise traditional activity is now prohibited. A case examining the Alaska Native handicraft exemption to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Didrickson v. United States Department of the Interior,76 is the clearest illustration of this principle. The record in the case demonstrated that Alaska Natives had made many uses of sea otters before the occupation of the area by Russians in the late 1700s.77 After the United States purchased Alaska following more than a century of intensive hunting of sea otters, the Fur Seal Treaty of 1910 prohibited all hunting of the animals.78 The MMPA, passed in 1972, continued protections for the sea otter but included an Alaska Native exemption, which allowed takings of the animals by any local Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo to create authentic native articles "in the exercise of traditional native handicrafts."79 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("FWS") subsequently issued regulations defining authentic native articles as those "commonly produced on or before December 21, 1972,"80 the date the MMPA took effect, and providing that items created from sea otter pelts did not meet the exemption because "Alaskan natives have apparently not commonly sold handicrafts or clothing from sea otters within living memory."81 [*pg 182] When FWS agents seized articles of clothing made from sea otter pelts from Marina Katelnikoff, an Aleut,82 she sued, but the district court upheld the regulation.83 After this decision, FWS agents seized a parka and hat from Boyd Didrickson, a Tlingit, claiming that these items were not traditional because they included metal snaps and zippers.84 In a suit brought by Didrickson and joined by Katelnikoff, the district court reconsidered what constituted a traditional item under the statute.85 The court held that a finding that sea otter products were not traditional native handicrafts

is based upon a strained interpretation of the word "traditional" . . . . [T]he Government's position is that . . . "traditional" native handicrafts are only those items commonly produced for commercial sale within "living memory" before 1972. Hence the regulation creates an artificial time period from roughly 1900 through 1972 within which the search for traditional Alaskan native articles is limited. This rationale turns on its head any ordinary conception of the word "traditional."8

http://www.law.duke.edu/shell/cite.pl?19+Alaska+L.+Rev.+167



© Janet Crain

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MTV: 16 and pregnant, time to celebrate!!!!



16 and Pregnant? No Big Deal
MTV's new documentary normalizes teenage pregnancy.

By Sarah Knoploh
Culture & Media Institute
June 15, 2009

Some statistics: According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 86 percent of mothers who give birth out-of-wedlock are teenagers. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, only 40 percent of teenage mothers ever graduate high school; two-thirds of families begun by an unmarried teen mother are poor; and “Virtually all of the increase in child poverty between 1980 and 1996 was related to the increase in nonmarital childbearing.” So what does MTV do? It shows how cool teen pregnancy is with a new reality series called “16 and Pregnant.”

Airing this summer, the show normalizes teenage pregnancy, following pregnant sixteen year old girls throughout their pregnancies and after they give birth.

The first episode, which aired June 11, followed the life of Maci and her baby’s father, Ryan. Maci introduced herself by stating, “I’m a total overachiever. I get good grades, I play softball, and I’m even on the cheerleading squad.” The second episode, which will air June 18, focuses on Farrah, a sixteen-year-old described by MTV as “a popular cheerleader.” The show should have been named “Pretty, Popular and Pregnant.”

Getting pregnant has it perks for Maci. She and Ryan moved in together. Maci described how, “My high school friends still live at home with their parents so they think it’s really cool I have my own place,” Maci said. She also related how Ryan “even put a ring on my finger.”

To MTV’s credit, it didn’t turn the camera away when things became less “cool” and the couple struggled after Bentley was born. At one point Ryan even stated, “If we didn’t have a kid we wouldn’t be together.” That statement must be magic to the ears of some teenage girls, who believe pregnancy is a way to cement the affections of their boyfriends.

Maci and Ryan considered splitting up, but were still together at the end of the episode, with Maci speculating about a beach wedding the following summer.

http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2009/20090615142518.aspx

© Janet Crain

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Who Knew the Obama era would bring back the 50's.............the 1850's that is.

by Janet Crain

Those good ol' days of frat boy misogyny which followed the well heeled dogs scions of yesteryear throughout their privileged
pampered lives are alive and well in some quarters.

It was a time when any woman who worked for a living was fair game for their lust. Maids, waitresses, nurses, nannies, flight attendants, secretaries and store clerks were imagined to be "slutty". Just longing to jump in the sack with them. How these men must miss those days. Some like David Letterman are still stuck in the 50's.

Actually the term "slut" first meant kitchen slut, a lowly poorly paid kitchen worker in Merry Old England. It's obvious society associated poorly paid working women with promiscuity then as some do now.

Send CBS a message to dump him and his phony insincere apologies.

http://www.cbs.com

Did David Letterman get a free pass?

If there was any question that a stubborn strain of old-school sexism persists in Obama's America, one has only to look at certain leaders of what the right wing loves to call the "liberal media" but which is sounding and acting, recently, more like the frat-house media. There, like a virus hiding in the body before, perhaps, staging a comeback, misogyny has found a place to lurk almost undetected, at least by the usually sharp eyes of progressive feminists.

"Slutty flight attendant" is not just a sexual put-down; it's a socioeconomic one.

Examine the symptoms of this infection, beginning with David Letterman's comments (widely noted but insufficiently analyzed) about Sarah Palin "buying makeup at Bloomingdale's to update her slutty flight attendant look," as well as his joke about Palin's teenage daughter: "Sarah Palin went to a Yankees Game yesterday … during the seventh inning stretch, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez." (Letterman insists he was talking about her 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who actually had been, well, knocked up, not her 14-year-old, Willow, the daughter who attended the game.) A week before these remarks aired, there was an uglier outbreak of the contagion in the pages of Playboy -- never a bastion of egalitarian forward thinking, but still -- where writer Guy Cimbalo published a list of 10 conservative women he'd like to "hate f**k," a term that various observers interpreted as rough sex, sex tinged by rage, or rape. (Gabe Winant wrote for Broadsheet about the "Hate F**k" story, which has since been yanked by Playboy.) Worse than the violence of the general sentiment was the graphic specificity of the "Hate F**k Rating" appended to each woman -- a list that included Michelle Malkin, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Dana Perino and Laura Ingraham. On Hasslebeck: "You'd be better served sucking off Regis Philbin." On Malkin: "Worse than f**king Eva Braun."

Both cases were met with a tepid response from the left. Though Letterman apologized on Wednesday’s show (see video below), his tone was mock-serious, and his audience chuckled along.

Imagine if, say, Michelle Obama, or Rachel Maddow, or Nancy Pelosi became the target of similar invective. The outcry from the left would be deafening. Shouldn’t liberals exhibit the same sort of decorous treatment we demand for ourselves? Sexist comments like Letterman’s and Cimbalo’s also evoke a troublingly insular, clubhouse atmosphere in lieu of an inclusive political party. What's more, the gender-based stereotypes they conjure are as stale and ignorant as any voiced by the old Neanderthal right: Pretty women are de facto stupid, sexually promiscuous and low-class. Indeed, it's the latter slight that has been least remarked upon and is, perhaps, the most disturbing. “Slutty flight attendant” is not just a sexual put-down; it's a socioeconomic one. Likewise, when Cimbalo says, of right-wing blogger Pamela Geller, "Even a Silkwood shower won't get rid of the stench of Fascist divorcee and Elizabeth Arden's Red Door," the classist sentiment is unmistakable. It's a combination of gutter misogyny and snobbery, a return to a 1950s kind of insult. This is like saying a woman has a "reputation," that she's "that kind of girl," one from "the wrong side of the tracks." Cimbalo seems to be holding his nose not at the smell of some supposedly déclassé perfume but at the stench of working for a living, of being middle-class or having middle-class taste.

Cont. here:

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/feature/2009/06/12/letterman_palin/index.html?source=newsletter

Related:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090612/D98P6KCO0.html

© Janet Crain

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Bermudians Protesting Premier Ewart Brown's Actions

"The leadership of this country seems to be on a course heading toward dictatorship that the majority of Bermudians are no longer willing to tolerate," Battersbee said.

"This latest action is the final straw. We are fed up, disgusted, disrespected and angry."


HAMILTON (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters called for Bermudian Premier Ewart Brown to step down on Tuesday and accused him of acting like a dictator in allowing four Guantanamo prisoners from China to settle on the mid-Atlantic island.

Some 600 people gathered outside Parliament in the island's capital Hamilton, waving banners and chanting "Brown must go" as they marched to the Cabinet office.

Brown emerged from the building and shouted to the booing crowd: "As some of you might know, I grew up in the protest era. This is nothing new to me. I have seen them larger and longer," he said.

Under an agreement with Brown, the United States last week sent to the British territory four members of China's Muslim Uighur minority who had been held at the Guantanamo prison camp long after the U.S. military and courts determined they posed no threat.

The United States said it could not send them to China because they faced persecution there, but U.S. politicians blocked efforts to release them in the United States.

The British government complained that it had not been consulted about the deal and questioned whether Brown had authority to admit the Uighurs.

In Bermuda, opponents who had earlier accused Brown of autocracy also condemned him for acting unilaterally.

Tuesday's protest was aimed not so much at the Uighurs as at Brown for his failure to consult the island's people or governor and his perceived snub of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, whom the governor represents.

Bermuda, a banking center and tourist destination, is Britain's oldest colony and one of the world's wealthiest places.

Janice Battersbee, who described herself as a lifelong supporter of Brown's Progressive Labour Party, stepped up to the microphone when Brown invited the protesters to send a representative to speak.

"The leadership of this country seems to be on a course heading toward dictatorship that the majority of Bermudians are no longer willing to tolerate," Battersbee said.

"This latest action is the final straw. We are fed up, disgusted, disrespected and angry."

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE55F6YJ20090616

© Janet Crain

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Mainstream Media: Obama Leaves 'em Dangling......














© Janet Crain

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Monday, June 15, 2009

What's Wrong with Letterman's apology?

by Janet Crain

Well for starters, if he was going to say something so provocative about Sarah Palin's daughter(s), he might have found out which one was with her. He says he didn't know any were with her. Come on......everybody knows Sarah Palin takes her kids with her. Unlike others who have let nannies raise their kids.

And four years difference in age do not make it OK to say rude, crude remarks about the 18 year old daughter. Is Bristol our Hester Prynne? Is she branded for life with a Scarlet Letter and compelled to suffer the scorn and abuse of a "sinless" community forever as women were 350 years ago? Does he wear buckles on his hat and shoes?

And it is not OK for a local clown comedian to make ridiculously crude jokes about a sitting governor visiting New York and attending a ballgame. Should she be called a SLUT or that she looks or dresses like a SLUT? Would he have said this about a Democratic governor?




Letterman re-addresses Palin: 'I had no idea [Willow] was there'

88267-Palin_Letterman_341x182 David Letterman re-addressed the controversy surrounding his jokes about Sarah Palin's family during the taping of CBS' "Late Show" on Monday.

Letterman said he had no idea Palin was at the game with her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, and apologized to the governor.

"I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor, and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani," Letterman said. "It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. ... So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke."

The comedian's jokes about Palin's family last week caused an uproar. One CBS advertiser has reportedly pulled its ads in response to the subsequent protests, which have demanded CBS fire Letterman.




© Janet Crain

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Sesame Street President



Time Touts America’s Muppet-in-Chief

“It’s not just his age and mastery of the alphabet that make Obama the first Sesame Street President. The Obama presidency is a wholly American fusion of optimism, enterprise and earnestness — rather like the far-fetched proposal of 40 years ago to create a TV show that would prove that educational television need not be an oxymoron....Sesame Street’s genius lies in finding gentle ways to talk about hard things — death, divorce, danger — in terms that children understand and accept. The polls can tell a President what the American people want to hear, but after so many years of sandbox politics and childish games, there comes a time to grow up....Professor Obama has at least talked to us like we’re adults.”
— Time’s Nancy Gibbs writing in the magazine’s June 15 edition.

© Janet Crain

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Monday Quote

CNN political analyst David Gergen: “Anderson, there was no way he could quite reach the summit with this speech. He couldn’t please everyone....But, overall, it was the most powerful and the most persuasive speech any American President has ever made to the Muslim populations around the world....”

Well,duh, it could also have been the lousiest. Since it was the only one any American president has ever made to "Muslims around the World". All other American presidents have realized this is not what the American people elect presidents for.



© Janet Crain

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Join Facebook Group Protesting David Letterman

In a ratings war he was losing last week, David Letterman made some remarks in appallingly bad taste. They were not funny and I don't know what he hoped to gain by insulting women everywhere.

But if you would like to join a Facebook event that will be protesting tomorrow, go here:

http://www.facebook.com/srch.php?s=0&sid=a2f24a4d92720ec27b53f36dda6ca1c0#/event.php?eid=110587311092&ref=mf


Remember Imus was fired by CBS for an off the cuff remark. Letterman's remarks were scripted and he had plenty of time to consider his so called "jokes". Jokes directed toward teen aged girls, pedophilia, rape, and working women of the World.

I really believe if David Letterman is fired or forced to apologize publicly, women everywhere will earn a measure of respect.

Who knows maybe television could become enjoyable once again.


Television is very educational.Every time someone turns one on I go in another room and read a book.

Groucho Marx




© Janet Crain

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Friday, June 12, 2009

NOW Adds Letterman to It's Hall of Shame

by Janet Crain

Just for the record I was horrified and appalled by the Chelsea jokes. She was a child at the time. I have repeatedly said I condemn such remarks and would never make a joke about the Obama girls.


Hang down your head, David Letterman,

Hang down your head and cry,

Make a joke about my daughter,

Poor boy, you're going to die!


Offender: David Letterman on "Late Show with David Letterman"

Media Outlet: CBS, aired 6/8/09

The Offense: Late night TV host David Letterman "joked" that during their recent trip to New York, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter "was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez" during a Yankees baseball game. The next night Letterman said that the hardest part of Palin's trip was "keeping Eliot Spitzer away from her daughter."

NOW Analysis: After two nights of "jokes" at the expense of Palin and her family, Letterman tried to explain himself and offer something of an apology. On his June 10 show, Letterman said he was referring to Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol -- not the 14-year-old daughter who actually accompanied Palin on her New York trip. Letterman said "I recognize that these are ugly" jokes. NOW agrees. Comedians in search of a laugh should really know better than to snicker about men having sex with teenage girls (or young women) less than half their age.


http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/

Related:
http://youhavetobethistalltogoonthisride.blogspot.com/2009/06/hey-dave-was-she-asking-for-it.html


© Janet Crain

Click here to view all recent Sarah Palin in 2012 posts

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Inform CBS that Letterman Has Stepped Over the Line......


By now I'm sure everyone has heard about David Letterman's incredibly stupid remarks.

Please go here to express your views to CBS regarding this serious matter.

http://www.cbs.com/info/user_services/fb_global_form.php,

You may contact CBS at (212)-975-4321, send a message via the online feedback form:

or mail your feedback to:

CBS Television Network

51 West 52nd Street

New York, NY 10019

I intend to do all three.


I think comedians and others think it is OK to make fun of the obese, the elderly, Appalachian Rednecks and Sarah Palin and her family.

She seems to be in a special category. Maybe they think she can't hear them way up in Alaska.

They're pretty dumb, so they may not realize Alaska gets TV, Internet and newspapers.

And what about the way Letterman insulted all the flight attendants? In a 1950's "Coffee, tea or me?" mindset which illustrates what he is thinking about when he flies. I sincerely hope a flight attendant manages to accidentally spill a cup of very hot coffee on his crotch.



© Janet Crain

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