How Can The US Government Serve Our Children Dog Food Grade Beef?

Pink slime and other food fights
By Vera H-C Chan | Trending Now
As if dirty chicken coops, salmonella-tainted peanut butter and melamine in pet food weren't enough, along comes "pink slime."

LFTB ground beef

Pink slime—as some call it, but known in the meat industry as lean finely textured beef—isn't illegal or even new. What the ruckus about it reveals is the distrust consumers have about food safety, even as they become more educated. Disagreements over the degree of government intervention aside, more state and federal laws are coming into effect now to protect and improve our food supplies (among them the Food Safety Modernization Act and the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010).
The latest rounds in the food fights—in the beef industry and beyond—have revived arguments over disclosure, and the trade-off between food safety and the use of chemical additives in food production. And these days, the fights are getting more heated.
The Upton Sinclair effect. America has kept a keen eye on the meat industry ever since "The Jungle" was published in 1906. The muckraker-author set out to expose working-class immigrants' grinding poverty and upper class corruption. Instead, details about spoiled meat, unsanitary conditions and bodies falling into the lard machine grossed people out so much, the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act passed within a year.
More than 100 years later, people are still trying to figure out what's in meat, as well as in poultry, fruit, dairy and just about anything we put in our mouths. Works like "Fast-Food Nation," "My Year of Meats," "Food, Inc.," "Super-Size Me," "The Omnivore’s Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food" have focused on where food comes from, how we process and deliver, and the amounts we consume. Throw in high-profile recalls, small-farm focus, multinational globalization, rise of organics, locavore movement, obesity campaign and sugar toxicity: All this has given people much to chew on. Nearly three-quarters of consumers are more concerned about food safety than they were five years ago, according to a Deloitte 2011 Consumer Food and Product Insights Survey. This represents a jump of 8 percentage points since the same survey was conducted in 2011. (Oct 4. 2011, Sun-Sentinel)
More proof of culinary insecurity:
When it comes to food, consumers value safety and affordability above all else, but their confidence in food safety is slipping, according to a new survey by the industry-backed Center for Food Integrity.... Survey results showed a [7 percent] drop in agreement with the statement: "I have access to all of the information I want about where my food comes from, how it is produced and its safety." ... CFI said this drop shows the industry is "not connecting with consumers in a way that is meaningful to them." (Oct. 11, 2011, Food Safety News)
How a private email led to this latest food fight. Lean finely textured beef (LFTB) doesn't sound so bad, but a microbiologist's way with words—coupled with a celebrity chef's outrage—caused nationwide revulsion, hamburger chains to take out full-page ads disclaiming all slime-age, and meat-processing companies' bankruptcies and plant closures.
Microbiologist Gerald Zirnstein had intended his phrase in an email, "nasty pink slime," only for fellow scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A disgusted Zirnstein, who inspected Beef Products Inc. (BPI), had been upset that its trimmings had been approved for the consumer market.
The email was later released to the New York Times as part of a Freedom of Information request for a 2009 investigative article on food safety. The newspaper article mentioned the slime reference in passing. "Nobody did anything (about pink slime). USDA dropped the ball again. The meat industry soft sold it," said Zirnstein, who left USDA and took a job as an industry consultant but now is unemployed. The issue got renewed life when British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who advocates for American children to eat healthier food, devoted an episode of his television show to the topic in April last year. (March 26, Reuters)
His colleagues had their own nicknames:
We originally called it soylent pink," [retired microbiologist Carl] Custer told the Daily. "We looked at the product and we objected to it because it used connective tissues instead of muscle. It was simply not nutritionally equivalent [to ground beef]. My main objection was that it was not meat." ... Despite voicing his concerns to other officials at the food inspection service, however, the USDA ruled that Lean Beef Trimmings were safe. "The word in the office was that undersecretary [of agriculture] JoAnn Smith pushed it through, and that was that," Custer said. (March 5, the Daily)

Beef processing tour

The meat industry, for its part, has created a page explaining the practice, made possible decades ago thanks to a new technology. (A 2008 BPI webpage describes meat going through de-sinewing, centrifugal force, and a "PH enhancement process.") The fight got political: The Iowa governor decried the pink slime "smear campaign" and promised a Congressional investigation. "If they get by with this," he declared, "what food product is next?"
The beef with (lean finely textured) beef Companies have lined up to announce that they either never had carried or would stop carrying LFTB. (See chart below.) The USDA decreed that schools, the largest focus of chef Oliver's outrage captured in his now-canceled show "Food Revolution," could opt out of buying it for kids' lunches.
A former undersecretary of agriculture and industry consultant has defended the practice—and underscored the great divide between farm and table.
"If consumers and restaurants are up in arms about the use of ammonia and can potentially drive a company out of business by their actions, I can only wonder what they are going to do when they look at the other chemicals in use to try and protect us from foodborne illnesses, chemicals like liquid chlorine and lactic acid just to name a couple," said [Dr. Richard] Raymond. "There are just certain unpleasant realities of how meat is processed in this country. Those of us with farm backgrounds maybe can accept them a little more readily than someone who has led a life sheltered from these realities." (Jan. 6, Food Safety News)

Lean finely textured beef frozen on a drum

What does ammonia hydroxide do? The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, which inspects meat, poultry and eggs, outlines approved chemical treatments, like the injection of ammonia hydroxide. That practice has been around for decades.
The product receives a puff of ammonia to eliminate bacteria safely and effectively.
When combined with moisture naturally in beef, ammonium hydroxide is formed, which is a naturally occurring compound found in many foods including baked goods, cheese, chocolate, and puddings, in our own bodies and the environment. It is used in the production of each of these foods as a processing aid and not an ingredient, so not "on the label" of those foods either. It is safe and has been approved by FDA since 1974 and specifically approved for its food safety benefits in beef processing since 2001. (BeefisBeef, a BPI blog)
Fatty trimmings, Reuters explains, "are more susceptible to contamination than other cuts of beef" and need the ammonia to kill pathogens like salmonella and E. coli. Bear in mind, the zapped trimmings (usually about 15 percent of the ground beef) doesn't make the overall beef safer. The chemical is accepted in many goods, "according to the General Standards for Food Additives set forth by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a group funded by the World Health Organization and the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organization."
Naming names in labels. Not everyone is so sanguine over a "puff." Some call for a ban, others just want disclosure. A Maine congresswoman proposed the Requiring Easy and Accurate Labeling of Beef Act (REAL Beef Act).
Just Label It is another movement demanding food transparency. A "record-breaking one-million public comments" signed a petition requiring genetically engineered food be labeled. The Center for Food Safety, which submitted the petition in March, noted that nearly 50 countries require labeling, and in the past year 36 bills "dealing with the labeling of genetically engineered foods have been introduced" in 19 states.
A partial list of outlets free of lean finely textured beef (aka pink slime) Chain restaurants:
Burger King A&P (never carried)
McDonald's CostCo (never carried)
Taco Bell H.E.B.
Wendy's (ran ads that said it never carried ammoniated beef)
Supermarkets:
Food Lion (Blooms, Harvey's, Reid's)
Kroger's
A&P
Costco
Gerrity's
Giant Eagle
Publix
Redner's Warehouse Market
Safeway (Genuardi's, Dominicks)
Sam's Club
Supervalu (Acme, Albertsons, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh,
Hornbacher's, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw's/Star Market,
Shop 'n Save, Shoppers Food & Pharmacy)
Walmart
Weis
Wegmans (will phase out)
Whole Foods
Search sampling: ground beef pink slime, jamie oliver pink slime, kroger pink slime, pink slime in hamburger, pink slime in beef, pink slime in school lunches, pink slime petition, rick perry pink slime, walmart pink slime, what is pink slime?, pink slime bankruptcy, does walmart use pink slime, is pink slime in ground turkey, usda pink slime, mcdonald's pink slime chicken, wendy's pink slime, wegmen's pink slime, does kroger use pink slime, pink slime photos, costco pink slime, does burger king use pink slime, HEB pink slime, BPI pink slime, Meijer pink slime, FDA pink slime
A "Pink Slime" Search Map, past 30 days

MTW-I am all for healthy diets, and the reduction of obesity in this Country. Why the School Systems are serving this garbage to American children is beyond me. It, however, pisses me off. Beaurocrats sitting back and acting as if they are food experts. It is baffling. Jamie Oliver did great things in Huntington, West Virginia, and in Los Angeles, with resistance. Yet he made a difference, because he did not give up. I hope his works continue. Thankyou Jamie, you are on my good person list.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

New York City Police Cannot Shoot-Unless It Is A Bystander

NYPD: Empire State victims hit by police gunfire
By TOM HAYS and VERENA DOBNIK | Associated Press

Associated Press/Mark Lennihan - Bystanders and a police officer stand on Fifth Avenue to view the scene after a multiple shooting outside the Empire State Building, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in New York. Suspect Jeffrey Johnson killed a former co-worker in cold blood and then himself was shot dead by police. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

This photo posted to an Instagram account belonging to a person identified as mr_mookie, an eyewitness at the scene, shows shooting victim Robert Asika being tended to by pedestrians outside the Empire State Building in New York, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, after a laid-off worker fatally shot an executive at his former company. The suspect was shot and killed by police. Asika, who was shot in the right arm, said he was "100 percent positive" that a police officer had shot him. He also said he saw the suspect fire his gun at the officers. (AP Photo/mr_mookie via Instagram)
NEW YORK (AP) — All nine people injured during a dramatic confrontation between police and a gunman outside the Empire State Building were wounded by gunfire from the two officers, police said Saturday, citing ballistics evidence.
The veteran patrolmen who opened fire on the suit-clad gunman, Jeffrey Johnson, had only an instant to react when he whirled around and pointed a .45-caliber pistol at them as they approached him from behind on a busy sidewalk.
Officer Craig Matthews shot seven times, and Officer Robert Sinishtaj fired nine times, police said. Neither had ever fired their weapons before on a patrol.
The volley of gunfire felled Johnson in just a few seconds and left nine other people bleeding on the sidewalk.
In the initial chaos Friday, it wasn't clear whether Johnson or the officers were responsible for the trail of the wounded, but based on ballistic and other evidence, "it appears that all nine of the victims were struck either by fragments or by bullets fired by police," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told reporters Saturday at a community event in Harlem.
Police officials have said the officers appeared to have no choice but to shoot Johnson, whose body had 10 bullet wounds in the chest, arms and legs.
The officers confronted Johnson as he walked, casually, down the street after gunning down a former co-worker on the sidewalk outside the office they once shared. The shooting happened at 9 a.m., as the neighborhood bustled with people arriving for work.
The gunman and his victim, Steve Ercolino, had a history of workplace squabbles before Johnson was laid off from their company, Hazan Import Corp., a year ago. At one point, the two men had grappled physically in an elevator.
John Koch, the property manager at the office building where the men worked, said security camera footage showed the two pushing and shoving. The tussle ended when Ercolino, a much larger man, pinned Johnson against the wall of the elevator by the throat, Koch said. Ercolino let him go after a few moments, and the two men went their separate ways.
"They didn't like each other," Koch said.
After shooting Ercolino, Johnson, an eccentric T-shirt designer and avid bird-watcher who wore a suit every day, even when photographing hawks in Central Park, walked away as if nothing had happened.
Alerted by a construction worker, officers Matthews and Sinishtaj gave chase as Johnson rounded a corner and walked along Fifth Avenue in front of the landmark skyscraper.
A security videotape from the scene shows several civilians — including three sitting on a bench only a few feet away — scattering as the officers opened fire.
Police have determined that three people were struck by whole bullets — two of which were removed from victims at the hospital — and the rest were grazed "by fragments of some sort," Kelly said.
Two women with leg wounds and a man with a wound to his buttocks required surgery and remained hospitalized Saturday. They were listed in stable condition.
Both Matthews, 39, and Sinishtaj, 40, joined the nation's largest police department 15 years ago.
Matthews had drawn attention this year by suing the New York Police Department, accusing his superiors of unfairly punishing him for not meeting arrest quotas. A judge threw out the complaint.
The union representing the two officers didn't immediately respond to a message left seeking comment.
The shooting didn't deter tourists from flocking to the Empire State Building as usual on Saturday.
Patricia Flynn, 57, a retired schoolteacher, visited the building's peak with her elderly mother, who once worked in the skyscraper as a secretary.
"But I didn't tell her what happened," said Flynn, adding that her mother was unaware of Friday's shooting. "And she really enjoyed the view."
A group of 31 tourists from France held a meeting Friday night at their nearby hotel to decide whether to cancel their planned Empire State Building visit.
"We were scared, and we thought it was a risk," said Catherine Krukar, 38, a teacher. But in the end, they went ahead with the visit, she said after descending from the observation tower,
"We know it can happen anywhere, and we wanted to see the Empire State Building," Krukar said. "It was beautiful!"
Contributing to this report from New York were David B. Caruso, Colleen Long and the AP News Research Center.
MTW-I am confused, as an avid shooter, and Marksman at the private gun range, of which I am a member. My range is next to a local Law Enforcement range. All that I ever hear from over there is automatic weapons fire. They practice marksmanship here just as poorly as the NYPD officers, who have shot more people than the man they were trying to apprehend. Do they not have to qualify with firearms to have a badge? As far as I am concerned, these are tremendous failures on the part of the NYPD, and Mr. Bloomberg, the genius, all knowing POS that runs the shithole called New York City. Good job, sir. The terrible shooting of your cops has made you look the fool you are. Now we need protection from the Police, as they are incapable of using one round to take down a perpetrator. And Obama and Hilary want to take our Second Amendment Rights away? Good luck, morons, after this debacle.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Replacement NFL Officials Suck

Replacement officials continue to make a mockery of the NFL
By Doug Farrar | Shutdown Corner

(AP)
"We expected going in, just like the players going through the pre-season, that every week they would get better. The first week, we had some rough spots and we got better from the first week to the second week and we expect to get better this week, too, and on and on. This is the third week and it seems to me they've had a pretty solid first half. Uneventful, that's exactly what you want. That's the improvement we expect ... these current officials are the ones out there and we'll work with them." -- NFL vice president of football operations Ray Anderson.
"These officials have been trained. We've been working with them. We think they'll do a very credible job." -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Gentlemen, there are some things you just can't spin.
And one of those things is the simple fact that the NFL's replacement officials are turning the nation's most popular and visible sport into a complete and utter joke.
Through the preseason, replacement refs, put in place due to a labor impasse between the league and the NFL Referees' Association, have bungled the simplest things -- clock management, where to spot the ball, and which signal corresponds with a penalty.
Official Craig Ochoa even had trouble remembering which city he was in when calling the game between the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 9.
After a few attendant goofs in Thursday night's games -- most notably in the Tennessee Titans-Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals-Green Bay Packers games -- the beer league refs were at it again. This time, they showed their inexperience with extremely embarrassing calls in two games. First, this knee-slapper in the game between the New York Giants and Chicago Bears:
As much as we can figure, Bears cornerback Charles Tillman ended the first quarter with a defensive pass interference penalty. NFL rules stipulate that a game or a half cannot end on a defensive penalty, unless the penalty is declined by the offense. The refs, led by referee David White, seemed to understand that much. What they failed to understand was that the first quarter is not tied to the same rules. And because they did not realize that, the Giants got an extra untimed play at the end of the first quarter. On a play that started at 0:00 of the first quarter according to the official gamebook, Eli Manning threw a nine-yard pass to Domenik Hixon.
"For the second time in this game, we've come to the end of the first quarter," announcer Greg Gumbel quipped.
Then, there was this beaut in the second quarter of the Vikings-Chargers game. With 12:27 left in the first half, Vikings running back Lex Hilliard lost control of the ball while still fully upright after a tackle by Chargers safety Eric Weddle.
Nonetheless, Wayne Elliot's crew called Hilliard down by contact, and Chargers head coach Norv Turner had to throw the challenge flag. After a very long time indeed, the officials saw fit to reverse their decision. We're waiting for the video on this one, so we'll go with the eyewitness account of Mark Craig of the Star-Tribune:
A disgusted [Chargers head coach Norv] Turner whipped his red challenge flag high into the air before the Vikings had a chance to snap the next play into action. The ruling was overturned, giving the Chargers the ball at the Vikings' 31-yard line. Seven plays later, they kicked a 34-yard field goal to take a 6-0 lead.
Vikings punter Chris Kluwe may have put it best on his Twitter account:
The NFL really needs to kiss and make up with the refs. These replacements are horrible. Frankly, it's kind of embarrassing. I'm sure they're trying hard, but they're just not good. So many blown calls tonight in both directions.
Speaking of ball control and blown calls, let's play a game of, "What Is an Interception, Anyway?"
Chargers defensive back DeAndre Presley would like to know. And we would like to know why it takes three flippin' years to make a correct decision on a call that is crushingly obvious.
Now, consider this -- even though Norv's challenges were both correct, he had just one remaining in the game, because he had expended those first two. If the NFL is going to continue on with officials at this level of incompetence, the least it could do is to give the coaches an automatic challenge on every single play.
The most the NFL could do would be to come to terms with the real officials, because this is going to get very ugly when the regular season starts and the games actually count.
MTW-I have seen every pre-season game that I could get any footage of. These referees are completely incompetent; yet one more way good old Roger Goodell is destroying the NFL on par with Obama destroying our Great Nation. Way to go, Rog. You sir, are a simply a greedy, power hungry moron. Maybe you belong in the Special Olympics with the president. I am watching the NFL Network RIGHT NOW. I have never seen such a cluster f@#$ of mistakes. Every single game. Way to go, Roger.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Former Navy Seal Present At bin-Laden Killing Book

Ex-Navy SEAL behind bin Laden book faces threats, investigation
By Andrea Shalal-Esa and Phil Stewart | Reuters

Member of team that killed Osama Bin Laden gives details on the mission.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The former U.S. Navy SEAL who authored a soon-to-be-published book about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden is now facing threats against his life in addition to possible criminal prosecution.
An official al Qaeda website on Friday posted a photograph and the name of the former Navy commando responsible for the book, calling him "the dog who murdered the martyr Sheikh Osama bin Laden."
The head of U.S. Special Operations Command told current and former troops that the military would take legal action against anyone found to have exposed sensitive information that could cause harm to fellow forces.
"We will pursue every option available to hold members accountable, including criminal prosecution where appropriate," Admiral Bill McRaven wrote in an open, unclassified letter emailed to the active-duty special operations community, and obtained by Reuters on Friday.
"As current or former members of our special operations community, authors have a moral obligation, and a legal duty, to submit their works for pre-publication security review," the admiral wrote.
Fox News made public on Thursday what it said was the real name of the former SEAL who, with a journalist co-author, wrote "No Easy Day," using the pseudonym Mark Owen. The book is due to be released next month on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.
By early on Friday, the man's name, photograph and age had been posted on the "the Al-Fidaa Islamic Network" online forum, one of two websites officially endorsed by al Qaeda, according to Evan Kohlmann, founder of the New York-based security firm Flashpoint Global Partners.
It was followed by comments that called for the man's death, including one response that said, "O' Allah, kill every one of them," and another that said, "O' Allah, make an example of him for the whole world and give him dark days ahead."
The Navy SEAL was also identified by other U.S. media. Reuters has confirmed his name but is not publishing it, given concerns about his safety.
U.S. military officials have said the former Navy SEAL could face investigation because he failed to clear the book with the Defense Department before publication, even if it does not disclose specific classified details.
'DISTINCT LINE'
McRaven's letter said books and films about special operations teams could be useful educational tools, and the military would work with potential authors, but current and former service members would be held accountable if they endangered the safety of U.S. forces.
He said there was "a distinct line between recounting a story for the purposes of education or entertainment and telling a story that exposes sensitive activities just to garner greater readership and personal profit."
Kohlmann said the former Navy SEAL could now be in physical danger from al Qaeda sympathizers seeking revenge for bin Laden's death, or hoping to gain prestige for themselves.
"They have a photo of the individual, they have his name, his age," Kohlmann said. "I wish that all this was bluster, but there are a lot of would-be jihadists out there, including some in North America. This is the ideal opportunity for those kind of people."
The book's publisher, Dutton, said the author was "one of the first men through the door on the third floor of the terrorist leader's hideout and was present at his death."
It is not known whether "No Easy Day" contains details of commando operations that the U.S. government considers secret, but U.S. government officials said the account had not been submitted for a required pre-publication review.
"Even if there is nothing classified disclosed, it should have been reviewed, and it was not," said one official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Wednesday, the publisher said the book had been vetted "for tactical, technical, and procedural information as well as information that could be considered classified by compilation" by a former "special operations attorney."
Jeffrey Carr, a cyber- security expert, said al Qaeda officials were adept at using the Internet for recruitment, training and other searches, and he fully expected them to target the former Navy SEAL now that his identity had been disclosed.
"He's going to become the poster child for recruitment and assassination," Carr said, noting that the case underscored the need for anyone in a high-risk profession to take great precautions with any information available on the Internet.
Carr said the man's relatives and former Navy SEAL colleagues could also be in danger if they could be traced through the Internet.
(Additional reporting by Jim Finkle and Mark Hosenball; Editing by Peter Cooney)
MTW-We all know that this president does not care if this Seal or any other is harmed. He has treated OUR Military very badly; he is also fluent in Arabic. Did he contact his al-Qaeda pals? This brave man wrote this book, so that the American People finally know what really happened. Obama gave us a barrage of lies, in a 2 hour show, which he was the star of. He acted as if he had personally dispatched bin-Laden himself he was so proud. I do not believe a word that comes from Obama’s mouth, and remember, if Jay Carney’s lips are moving, we are hearing Obama’s lies as well. The man can barely stand up there, and present himself as if he believes his own statements; he knows it is all 100% BULLSHIT! Go away Obama! NO MORE OF YOU OBAMA! Also, How dare you even mention the Special Olympics, and the fact you looked as if you should be in them while you played basketball, while on Letterman. Was the teleprompter not working, or are you just stupid without someone feeding you words? As a disabled American, I find the fact you made it to the White House the biggest joke in the history of Mankind.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

The Wall Street Journal Sizes Up Obama

Finally we hear from them.
They certainly tear most things up, what took them so long.
Please note - not 1 racist comment - Wall Street Journal Sizes up Obama
A "deadly" article regarding Obama,in the Wall Street Journal, which today is the most widely circulated newspaper in America.
Article from the Wall Street Journal - by Alan Caruba:
"I have this theory about Barack Obama. I think he's led a kind of make-believe life in which money was provided and doors were opened because at some point early on somebody or some group (George Soros anybody?) took a look at this tall, good looking, half-white, half-black, young man with an exotic African/Muslim name and concluded he could be guided toward a life in politics where his facile speaking skills could even put him in the White House.
In a very real way, he has been a young man in a very big hurry. Who else do you know has written two memoirs before the age of 45? "Dreams of My Father" was published in 1995 when he was only 34 years old. The "Audacity of Hope" followed in 2006. If, indeed, he did write them himself. There are some who think that his mentor and friend, Bill Ayers, a man who calls himself a "communist with a small 'c'" was the real author.
His political skills consisted of rarely voting on anything that might be deemed controversial. He went from a legislator in the Illinois legislature to the Senator from that state because he had the good fortune of having Mayor Daley's formidable political machine at his disposal.
He was in the U.S. Senate so briefly that his bid for the presidency was either an act of astonishing self-confidence or part of some greater game plan that had been determined before he first stepped foot in the Capital. How, many must wonder, was he selected to be a 2004 keynote speaker at the Democrat convention that nominated John Kerry when virtually no one had ever even heard of him before?
He outmaneuvered Hillary Clinton in primaries. He took Iowa by storm. A charming young man, an anomaly in the state with a very small black population, he oozed "cool" in a place where agriculture was the antithesis of cool. He dazzled the locals. And he had an army of volunteers drawn to a charisma that hid any real substance.
And then he had the great good fortune of having the Republicans select one of the most inept candidates for the presidency since Bob Dole. And then John McCain did something crazy. He picked Sarah Palin, an unknown female governor from the very distant state of Alaska. It was a ticket that was reminiscent of 1984's Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and they went down to defeat.
The mainstream political media fell in love with him. It was a schoolgirl crush with febrile commentators like Chris Mathews swooning then and now over the man. The venom directed against McCain and, in particular, Palin, was extraordinary.
Now, 3 full years into his presidency, all of those gilded years leading up to the White House have left him unprepared to be President. Left to his own instincts, he has a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It swiftly became a joke that he could not deliver even the briefest of statements without the ever-present Tele-Prompters.
Far worse, however, is his capacity to want to "wish away" some terrible realities, not the least of which is the Islamist intention to destroy America and enslave the West. Any student of history knows how swiftly Islam initially spread. It knocked on the doors of Europe, having gained a foothold in Spain.
The great crowds that greeted him at home or on his campaign "world tour" were no substitute for having even the slightest grasp of history and the reality of a world filled with really bad people with really bad intentions.
Oddly and perhaps even inevitably, his political experience, a cakewalk, has positioned him to destroy the Democrat Party's hold on power in Congress because in the end it was never about the Party. It was always about his communist ideology, learned at an early age from family, mentors, college professors, and extreme leftist friends and colleagues.
Obama is a man who could deliver a snap judgment about a Boston police officer who arrested an "obstreperous" Harvard professor-friend, but would warn Americans against "jumping to conclusions" about a mass murderer at Fort Hood who shouted "Allahu Akbar." The absurdity of that was lost on no one. He has since compounded this by calling the Christmas bomber "an isolated extremist" only to have to admit a day or two later that he was part of an al Qaeda plot.
He is a man who could strive to close down our detention facility at Guantanamo even though those released were known to have returned to the battlefield against America. He could even instruct his Attorney General to afford the perpetrator of 9/11 a civil trial when no one else would ever even consider such an obscenity. And he is a man who could wait three days before having anything to say about the perpetrator of yet another terrorist attack on Americans and then have to elaborate on his remarks the following day because his first statement was so lame.
The pattern repeats itself. He either blames any problem on the Bush administration or he naively seeks to wish away the truth.
Knock, knock. Anyone home? Anyone there? Barack Obama exists only as the sock puppet of his handlers, of the people who have maneuvered and manufactured this pathetic individual's life.
When anyone else would quickly and easily produce a birth certificate, this man spent over a million dollars to deny access to his. Most other documents, the paper trail we all leave in our wake, have been sequestered from review. He has lived a make-believe life whose true facts remain hidden.
We laugh at the ventriloquist's dummy, but what do you do when the dummy is President of the United States?
We the people are coming!
MTW-I think that someone has finally said it all. I could not have said it better. NO MORE OBAMA!!!!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy What will you do?

A Powerful Statement

“ALL GAVE SOME & SOME GAVE ALL”
“IN GOD WE TRUST”
Actual ad in Florida
The attached is an ad that ran in a Sunday's paper:
The News Herald, Panama City, Florida.
It sums up a lot of local feelings re the current administration.

MTW-No need to say anything else.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

A Quote From Ben Stein

Paradoxical Quote of The Day From Ben Stein:
"Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen."
Now add this, "Many of those who refuse, or are unable to prove they are citizens will receive free insurance paid for by those who are forced to buy insurance because they are citizens."
MTW-The man is a genius, and this pretty much sums it up, rather succinctly.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Arizona Governor Refuses Obama's Immigrant Benefits

Arizona governor: no public benefits for young immigrants
By David Schwartz | Reuters

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer listens to a question from a media member about the Supreme Court's decision on SB1070 in Phoenix, Arizona, June 25, 2012. REUTERS/Darryl Webb
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Arizona Republican Governor Jan Brewer, in yet another clash with the White House, issued an order on Wednesday barring illegal immigrants who qualify for temporary legal status in the United States from receiving any state or local public benefits.
The action was a response to relaxed deportation rules issued by the Obama administration on Wednesday.
Brewer, whose state has been at the center of the country's immigration debate, issued an executive order denying state or local benefits to immigrants applying under the new federal immigration rules. The order would bar them from obtaining an Arizona driver's license or a state-issued identification card.
As many as 1.7 million people could qualify for the temporary federal program, which enables certain illegal immigrants to apply for work permits, Social Security cards and driver's licenses, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
Applying for "deferred action for child arrivals" permits will shield some young illegal immigrants from being ousted from the United States for at least two years. In Arizona, officials said an estimated 80,000 illegal immigrants were eligible to apply.
To qualify, recipients must have been younger than 16 years old upon arrival; currently not older than 30; have lived in the country since June 15, 2007; and have no felony convictions.
Thousands of eager, young undocumented students swamped immigration offices in states with large immigrant populations like California and Texas on Wednesday.
Brewer wrote in the order that the new program "does not confer upon them any lawful or authorized status and does not entitle them to any additional public benefits."
She said she was reaffirming the intent of current Arizona laws, and preventing "significant and lasting impacts on the Arizona budget, its health care system and additional public benefits that Arizona taxpayers fund."
Arizona passed a tough immigration crackdown in 2010 to try to drive illegal immigrants from the state. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld its most controversial provision requiring police to check the immigration status of people they stop if they suspect they are in the country illegally. The law has yet to be implemented.
Carlos Garcia, director of the grassroots community group Puente in Phoenix, called the governor's move on Wednesday a "mean-spirited attack" on a well-meaning program. "Brewer has once again put Arizona's name on the map as the epicenter of anti-immigrant racism and hate," Garcia said in a statement. "However, like we have continuously showed throughout her time as governor, the community will stand united against Brewer's latest assault."
(Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Stacey Joyce)
MTW-Good for you, Governor Brewer. Our President obviously cares nothing for actual Americans. It is up to the rest of us to get rid of that lying pos and his flunky Eric Holder. No More Obama!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Mike Monsoor Awarded Medal Of Honor- Posthumously

Mike Monsoor was awarded "The Congressional Medal Of Honor" last week, For giving his Life in Iraq, as he jumped on, and covered with his body, a live hand grenade, saving the lives of a large group of Navy Seals that was passing by.
During Mike Monsoor's funeral, at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, in San Diego, California.The six pallbearers removed the rosewood casket from the hearse, and lined up on each side of Mike Monsoor's casket, were his Family members, friends, Fellow Sailors, and well-wishers. The column of people continued from the hearse, all the way to the grave site.
What the group did not know at the time was, every Navy Seal (45 to be exact) That Mike Monsoor saved that day was scattered throughout the column. As the pallbearers carried the rosewood casket down the column of people to the graveside. The column would collapse, which formed a group of people that followed behind.
Every time the rosewood casket passed a Navy Seal, he would remove his gold Trident Pin from his uniform, and slap it down hard, causing the Gold Trident Pin To embed itself into the top of the wooden casket. Then the Navy Seal would step back from the column, and salute!
Now for those who do not know what a Trident Pin is, here is the definition:
After one completes the Basic Navy Seals Program, which lasts for three weeks, and is followed by Seal Qualification Training, which is 15 more weeks of training, necessary to continue improving Basic Skills and to learn New Tactics and Techniques required for an Assignment to a Navy Seal Platoon.
After successful completion, Trainees are given their Naval Enlisted Code, and are Awarded The Navy Seal Trident Pin.
With this Gold Pin they are now officially Navy Seals!
It was said that you could hear each of the 45 Slaps from across the cemetery!
By the time the rosewood casket reached the grave site, It looked as though it had a gold inlay from the 45 Trident Pins that lined the top.
This was a fitting end to an eternal sendoff for a Warrior Hero!
This should be Front-Page News!
Instead of the garbage we listen to and see every day.
Here's a good idea.
Since the Main Stream Media will not make this news, then we choose to make it news by telling others of it.
I Am Proud Of All The Branches Of Our Military.
The Navy Seals are usually not in the habit of identifying themselves.
That is the amount of respect being shown to Mike Monsoor.
May God Bless You, Mike.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Crossing Borders

LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
BUT, IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET
1 - A JOB,
2 - A DRIVERS LICENSE,
3 - SOCIAL SECURITY CARD,
4 - WELFARE,
5 - FOOD STAMPS,
6 - CREDIT CARDS,
7 - SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE,
8 - FREE EDUCATION,
9 - FREE HEALTH CARE,
10 - A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
11 - BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
12 - AND THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT WHILE YOU PUBLICLY TRASH OUR FLAG!
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP OF THE SITUATION - BEFORE WE VOTE IN NOVEMBER!
MTW-How very generous of our Government. We need to put a stop to this. No more Obama!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Why Michelle Obama Came Home

Sheppard Smith, Fox News.
"If you check President Obama's last trip over-seas, his wife left just after their visit to France. She has yet to accompany him to any Arab country. Think about it. Why is Michelle returning to the states when 'official' trips to foreign countries generally include the First Lady."
Here's one thought on the matter.
While in a Blockbuster renting videos I came across a video called "Obama". There were two men standing next to me and we talked about President Obama. These guys were Arabs, so I asked them why they thought Michelle Obama headed home following the President's recent visit to France instead of traveling on to Saudi Arabia and Turkey with her husband. They told me she could not go to Saudi Arabia, Turkey or Iraq.
I said "Why not? Laura Bush went to Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Dubai." They said that Obama is a Muslim and therefore he is not allowed to bring his wife into countries that adhere to Sharia Law.
Two points of interest here:
1) I thought it interesting that two American Arabs at Blockbuster believe that our President is a Muslim, who follows a strict Islamic creed.
2) They also said that's the reason he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. It was a signal to the Muslim world, acknowledging his religion.
For further consideration, here is a response from Dr. Jim Murk, a Middle Eastern Scholar and expert on Islam.
This is his explanation of what the Arab American's were saying.
"An orthodox Muslim man would never take his wife on a politically oriented trip to any nation which practices Sharia law, particularly Saudi Arabia where the Wahhabi sect is dominant. This is true and it is why Obama left Michelle in Europe . She will stay home when he visits Arab countries. He knows Muslim protocol; this includes, bowing to the Saudi King. Obama is regarded as a Muslim in the Arab world, because he was born to a Muslim father; he acknowledged his Muslim faith with George Stephanopoulus. Note that he downplays his involvement with Christianity (after touting it in the election campaign), by not publicly joining a Christian church in DC. And occasionally attending the chapel for services at Camp David.
He also played down the fact that America is a Christian country and said, unbelievably, that it was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, which is nonsense. He has publicly taken the side of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel and he ignored the National Day of Prayer, something no other President has ever done. He conceals his true faith to the detriment of the American people."
--- Jim Murk, Doctor of Philosophy in Middle Eastern Culture & Religion.
ACTIONS speak louder than words.
Another interesting item regarding Sharia Law. Why has Barack Hussein Obama insisted that the U.S. Attorney General hold the trials of the 911 Muslim Terrorists in Civilian Courts as Common Criminals instead of as Terrorists who attacked the United States of America ? If the Muslim Terrorists are tried in Military Tribunals, convicted and sentenced to death, by LAW, Barack Hussein Obama, as President of the United States, would be required to sign their death warrants. He would not be required to sign the death warrants if they are sentenced to death by a Civilian Court . Muslim Jihadist, Army Major Hassan slaughtered non-Muslim soldiers at Ft. Hood, Texas rather than go to Afghanistan and be a part of anything that could lead to the deaths of fellow Muslims.
He stated that Muslims 'could not and should not kill fellow Muslims.' Is the motive for Barack Hussein Obama's insistence on civilian trials, to make sure he doesn't have to sign the death warrants for the Muslim Terrorists? Why would he, as President of the United States , not sign the death warrants for Muslim Terrorists who attacked the United States and murdered over 3,000 U. S. Citizens on 9/11? Could it be that he is FORBIDDEN by his RELIGION to authorize the execution of Muslims?
Think about that! Open your eyes, ears and mind to who the President is, how he behaves and what he is doing!
Actions speak louder than teleprompter-written words.
MTW-Just the messenger passing it along. Beware of the Gathering Storm!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Beijing Then, 2008 Olympics, And Now

Then and Now: Beijing's 2008 Olympic venue
China spent billions on infrastructure for the Beijing Olympics and it is still putting some of it to good use, like using the $500 million "Bird's Nest" for big events. But other venues that contributed to more than $40 billion in Olympic spending in 2008 have been deserted or demolished. -- By Erick Galindo

THEN: Fireworks explode over the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during a rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Olympic Green in Beijing, July 16, 2008. (Photo by Jason Lee/Reuters)

NOW: Workers remove rubbish from the canal running past the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", which was the venue for the athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing March 23, 2012. The gigantic infrastructure built for the Beijing Olympics is now used for cultural and sports events. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

THEN: Workers clean a pool of water outside the National Aquatics Centre, also known as the Water Cube, in Beijing on July 29, 2008. The product of design and engineering harmony, and a rising power's desire to announce itself to the world, the 'Water Cube' hosted the swimming, diving and synchronized swimming competitions during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. (Photo by Claro Cortes IV/Reuters)

NOW: A worker looks up at the honeycomb-shaped walls of the National Aquatics Center, also known as the "Water Cube", which was the venue for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games swimming and diving competitions in Beijing March 27, 2012. The structure is now used for large cultural sports and events. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

THEN: Japan players bow to fans after their bronze medal baseball game against the U.S. at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 23, 2008. The U.S. defeated Japan to take the bronze medal. (Photos by Issei Kato/Reuters)

NOW: A sign stands at a deserted field showing where the stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games baseball competition once stood in central Beijing March 30, 2012. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

NOW: A dog sits atop glass plates at a deserted field that was once part of the stadium where the 2008 Olympic Games baseball competition was held in central Beijing March 30, 2012. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

THEN: Chinese (R) and Hungarian teams compete during their men's kayak four K4 1000m heat of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park north of Beijing, August 18, 2008. (Photo by Darren Whiteside/Reuters)

NOW: The deserted and unmaintained former venue for the kayaking competition of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, can be seen onthe outskirts of Beijing March 27, 2012. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)

NOW: A security guard tries to find the puncture in the inner-tube of his bicycle tire by immersing it in the deserted and unmaintained former course for the kayaking competition of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, located on the outskirts of Beijing March 27, 2012. (Photo by David Gray/Reuters)
MTW-There were a total of 25 then and now photographs. I believe this is enough for you to get the point. Even the things which are made in China for China, it is all still a bunch of shit- or, a polished turd for the eyes of the World in ’08. F-China. Obama just gave them a 5 billion dollar I-635 highway contract- a Chinese Company- to build a Texas road, while we are in a financial and employment nightmare. I suppose Mr. Obama/Soetoro calls this “insourcing”. After these pictures, do we want China to half-ass their way through our infrastructure, when American Companies- who did not build their businesses- are in desperate need of just this kind of work? No More Obama!
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Watch Out For 809 Area Code Scam

NEW AREA CODE 809// WATCH OUT
OK, SNOPES SAYS OK AND AT&T SAYS SAME FOR THIS ONE WARNING
Costly NEW AREA CODE: READ AND PASS ALONG
809 Area Code
We actually received a call last week from the 809 area code.
The woman said 'Hey, this is Karen.
Sorry I missed you- get back to us quickly.
I have something important to tell you.
Then she repeated a phone number beginning with809.
We did not respond. Then this week, we received the following e-mail:
Do Not DIAL AREA CODE 809, 284, AND 876 from the U.S. or Canada.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY AT&T.
DON'T EVER DIAL AREA CODE 809.
This one is being distributed all over the US ... This is pretty scary, especially given the way they try to get you to call.
Be sure you read this and pass it on.
They get you to call by telling you that it is information about a family member who has been ill or to tell you someone has been arrested, died, or to let you know you have won a wonderful prize, etc..
In each case, you are told to call the 809 number right away.
Since there are so many new area codes these days, people unknowingly return these calls.
If you call from the U.S. or Canada, you will apparently be charged a minimum of $2425 per-minute.
And you'll also get a long recorded message. The point is, they will try to keep you on the phone as long as possible to increase the charges.
WHY IT WORKS:
The 809area code is located in the Dominican Republic.
The charges afterward can become a real nightmare.
That's because you did actually make the call.
If you complain, both your local phone company and your long distance carrier will not want to get involved and will most likely tell you that they are simply providing the billing for the foreign company.
You'll end up dealing with a foreign company that argues they have done nothing wrong. Please forward this entire message to your friends, family and colleagues to help them become aware of this scam.
AT&T VERIFIES IT'S TRUE : http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=6045
SNOPES VERIFIES IT'S TRUE: http://search.atomz.com/search/?sp-q=area+code+809&x=26&y=15&sp-a=00062d45-sp00000000&sp-advanced=1&sp-p=all&sp-w-control=1&sp-w=alike&sp-date-range=-1&sp-x=any&sp-c=100&sp-m=1&sp-s=0
MTW-As if we did not have enough to worry about with the economy here, now, others countries are putting the clamps to our wallets. Here I thought it was our belts that needed tightening- we are the us, and it apparently does not apply to the President himself with his frivolous spending. He must call this area code frequently.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy

Invitation Facebook Virus

VERY URGENT..PLEASE READ AND TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW -
PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS NOTICE TO YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CONTACTS!
In the coming days, you should be aware.....Do not open any message with an attachment called: Invitation FACEBOOK, regardless of who sent it. It is a virus that opens an Olympic Torch that burns the whole hard disc C of your computer.
This virus will be received from someone you had in your address book. That's why you should send this message to all your contacts. It is better to receive this email 25 times than to receive the virus and open it.
If you receive an email called: Invitation FACEBOOK, though sent by a friend, do not open it and delete it immediately. It is the worst virus announced by CNN.
A new virus has been discovered recently that has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. It is a Trojan Horse that asks you to install an adobe flash plug-in. Once you install it, it's all over. And there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information of their function is saved.
SNOPES SAYS THIS IS TRUE http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/facebook.asp>
MTW-Just passing it along. Be careful.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
Posted by Michael T. Wayne- A Little Crazy