A friend sent me this socialism analogy today — Election Day 2010 — with the reminder that our test is today! Be sure to vote responsibly and for the good of our nation. Let us hand our children and grandchildren a free nation that obeys our Constitution and respects our individual liberties.

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had once failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A…”

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

This 2 minute 18 second video vividly highlights massive differences between the more limited government positions of President Reagan and those of the Democratic Party leadership in Washington today. Watch and see who is really for the people and who is fighting for special interests benefits under big government.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch California Democratic Congressman Pete Stark tell his constituents just how powerful the Federal Government has become in that “the Federal Government can do most anything.” It is very disturbing to see him trampling over the Constitution. This is an abuse of power and must be stopped or they will do “most anything” against our wishes as they have proven over and over!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Someone sent me this via email. I don’t know who to attribute it to but, as a Southerner, I thought it was funny and wanted to share. It’s entitled “Are You a Democrat, a Republican, or a Southerner?” Here is a humorous little test that will help you decide:

You’re walking down a deserted street with your wife and two small children. Suddenly, an Islamic terrorist with a huge knife comes around the corner, locks eyes with you, screams obscenities, praises Allah, raises the knife, and charges at you…

You are carrying a Kimber 1911 cal. 45 ACP, and you are an expert shot. You have mere seconds before he reaches you and your family. What do you do?

Democrat’s Answer:

* Well, that’s not enough information to answer the question!

* Does the man look poor or oppressed?

* Have I ever done anything to him that would inspire him to attack?

* Could we run away?

* What does my wife think?

* What about the kids?

* Could I possibly swing the gun like a club and knock the knife out of his hand?

* What does the law say about this situation?

* Does the pistol have appropriate safety built into it?

* Why am I carrying a loaded gun anyway, and what kind of message does this send to society and to my children?

* Is it possible he’d be happy with just killing me?

* Does he definitely want to kill me, or would he be content just to wound me?

* If I were to grab his knees and hold on, could my family get away while he was stabbing me?

* Should I call 9-1-1?

* Why is this street so deserted?

* We need to raise taxes, have paint & weed day.

* Can we make this a happier, healthier street that would discourage such behavior.

* I need to debate this with some friends for a few days and try to come to a consensus.

* This is all so confusing!

Republican’s Answer:

BANG!

Southerner’s Answer:

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG ! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Click….. (Sounds of reloading)

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! Click

Daughter: “Nice grouping, Daddy! Were those the Winchester Silver Tips or Hollow Points?!”

Son: “Can I shoot the next one?!”

Wife: “You ain’t taking that to the Taxidermist!”

Disclaimer: I know this “test” is stereotyped and not all will find it funny.  While I am not trying to offend anyone, I am likewise not willing to bow before the “politically correct police.”  I wish everyone would just lighten up a little and laugh about these things a bit.

Someone forwarded me an interesting “poem” that resembles a Dr. Seuss writing. If Dr. Seuss wrote about the nationalized health care legislation that was recently jammed through and shoved down our throats he might have said something like this:

I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.

I do not like these dirty crooks,
Or how they lie and cook the books.

I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.

I do not like this speaker, Nan,
I do not like this ‘YES WE CAN.’

I do not like this spending spree,
I’m smart, I know that nothing’s free.

I do not like your smug replies,
When I complain about your lies.

I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!

I don’t know whom to attribute this cleverness to but I think the author did an excellent job of expressing my sentiments with a dash of humor. Regarding those in Congress who voted for this unconstitutional bill, I think they should resign and leave us alone so others can undo their damage!

I’ve embedded a video for a very well done Israeli-made spoof remake of 1985 “We are the World” single that raised millions of dollars of aid for starving people in Ethiopia. This video spoof was produced by Hebrew-language media satire site Latma and presents the “Flotilla Choir” and their song “We Con the World.” It’s purpose is to address the biased world-coverage of recent events where Israeli soldiers (IDF) defended themselves after being attacked when they boarded a ship attempting to enforce the naval blockade of Gaza.

As of today this video has already been viewed more than 1.2 million times (learn more from report at Haaretz.com). I hope it’s viewed tens of millions of times more! (If you want to learn more about this incident and the biased international response then there’s a great op-ed piece by Charles Krauthammer entitled “Those Troublesome Jews” that I recommend reading.)

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ve included the full text for this song below (sung to the tune of “We are the World”:

There comes a time
When we need to make a show
For the world, the Web and CNN
There’s no people dying,
so the best that we can do
Is create the greatest bluff of all

We must go on pretending day by day
That in Gaza, there’s crisis, hunger and plague
Coz the billion bucks in aid won’t buy their basic needs
Like some cheese and missiles for the kids

We’ll make the world
Abandon reason
We’ll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travelers
With guns and our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV

Ooooh, we’ll stab them at heart
They are soldiers, no one cares
We are small, and we took some pictures with doves
As Allah showed us, for facts there’s no demand
So we will always gain the upper hand

We’ll make the world
Abandon reason
We’ll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travelers
we’re waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV

If Islam and terror brighten up your mood
But you worry that it may not look so good
Well well well well don’t you realize
You just gotta call yourself
An activist for peace and human aid

We’ll make the world
Abandon reason
We’ll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travelers
We’re waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV

We con the world
We con the people
We’ll make them all believe the IDF is Jack the Ripper
We are peaceful travelers
We’re waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV
We con the world (Bruce: we con the world…)
We con the people (Bruce: we con the people…)
We’ll make them all believe the IDF is Jack the Ripper
We are peaceful travelers
We’re waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way to your TV
The truth will never find its way to your TV

This article is a reprint of one of mine from March 20, 2009 that I wrote for the original PonderPost blog. It is reprinted here due to the remake of PonderPost.

Everybody makes mistakes. As in life, in politics there is no exception to this axiom. However, while it is understandable that a new administration will make a few extra mistakes, some of the recent ones by Obama and Biden are being noted around the world. For example, British Telegraph.co.uk editor Toby Harnden’s “Top 10 Gaffes by Barack Obama and Joe Biden” post found its way at the top of the Drudge Report today. That means it’s being read worldwide.

In looking Harnden’s list over, most are rather serious gaffes (other than Obama mistaking a White House window for a door). Many are poor attempts at humor such as Obama’s suggestion that Nancy Reagan had seances in the White House and his Special Olympics bowling joke on the Jay Leno show last night. Perhaps it was that statement that prompted this list.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think one of the most serious gaffes, though, occurred over the gift exchange between British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and President Obama. Gordon Brown presented Obama with a pen holder carved from wood taken from the HMS Gannett which was an anti-slavery vessel (wood from which her sister ship [HMS Resolute] was taken to make the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office). Brown’s gift also included the commissioning certificate of HMS Resolute and a first edition copy of the seven-volume biography of the great English leader Winston Churchill. Sadly, Obama’s gift in return was a 25 DVD set of classic American films.  Ironically, this set, which is readily available over the counter, was not in the correct DVD format for UK audiences. (US and UK formats for DVDs are different and many players cannot play both formats.)

Here’s one take on this serious gifting oversight:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Imagine if President George W. Bush had made this mistake. Would we have ever heard the end of the outrage for tarnishing our image abroad? So, my question now is what will Obama and Biden do next to embarrass this country?

The following guest post was originally published on March 24, 2009 for PonderPost. It was written by Tim Jones and is republished here with his permission to preserve it while PonderPost is renovated.

* * * * *

The University of Notre Dame has invited President Obama to give the commencement speech at the spring graduation ceremony.  Additionally, the university will bestow an honorary doctor of laws degree upon the President.

This has the Catholic community in quite a stir, as parishioners from both sides of the discussion weigh in.  On one side, many are happy to have the President speak, including a growing Facebook group called, “We Will Be Honored to Have President Obama at Notre Dame.” On the other, you have ardent, pro-life groups that wholeheartedly oppose the President speaking at the premier Catholic university in the country.

While I try to see both sides of the coin, I believe Notre Dame has made an egregious error by inviting President Obama to give the commencement address at, if not the premier Catholic university in the US, the most well-known Catholic university.

The Catholic Church represents one of the most fervent supporters of the pro-life movement, while President Obama represents one of the most pro-abortion politicians, ever.  President Obama has gone so far as to repeatedly vote for so-called pro-choice legislation that really amounts to infanticide, in the case of refusing medical care to live babies born after botched abortions.  His current administration threatens to, at the very least, lessen the ability for Catholic hospitals to operate with the elimination of healthcare conscience rule and to increase abortions by 125,000 per year with his Freedom of Choice Act.

It would seem that Notre Dame would prefer a commencement speech given by someone that more closely represents the Church’s positions, not just with regard to abortion, but across the board.  Doesn’t the Church have enough difficulty promoting it’s staunchly pro-life position without endorsing the exact opposite activity with President Obama as the commencement speaker?

As a Catholic and pro-life advocate, I’m disappointed with the University of Notre Dame’s decision to invite President Obama to speak at commencement.  I believe President Obama fails to represent even the most minute areas of the Church’s fundamental beliefs and tenets.  Additionally, Notre Dame violates the U.S. bishops mandate of 2004 that forbids honoring (such as with an honorary degree) any person that “acts in defiance of the Church’s fundamental moral principles.”

While I have little hope that the University administration will rescind the invitation and they’ve indicated as much, a site has already sprung up with a petition to sign online.  I signed, more as a statement of my position than a true hope of changing the University’s decision.

The Notre Dame Scandal page with the petition does an excellent job of summing up my opinion of the whole situation,

Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. Whatever may be President Obama’s admirable qualities, this honor comes on the heels of some of the most anti-life actions of any American president, including expanding federal funding for abortions and inviting taxpayer-funded research on stem cells from human embryos.

I do hope, in spite of my pessimism about rescinding the invitation, that this opens the door to a wider discussion about Obama’s anti-life and anti-marriage policies and legislation.  Additionally, I would hope that other Catholic universities across the country use this as an opportunity to re-examine their position with regard to their own mission juxtaposed with the figures they ask to visit and speak at the universities.

This guest post was originally published on PonderPost on March 29, 2009 by Tim Jones. It is reprinted here with permission due to the changing mission of PonderPost.com.

I was born and grew up in the Red River valley (that’s Red River of the north) in Breckenridge and Moorhead, Minnesota. As happens every year, the Red River is flooding this valley, as the spring thaw occurs. This year, however, the river is projected to rise higher than ever recorded  (although, recent reports show it will not be as high as projected) – already above the previous record set in 1997.

I still have many friends in this area, although all of my family has since moved out of the region (one due to the fact that she lost her home in the 2006 flood). These floods can be as damaging as a hurricane is to those of us along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, only these floods occur in freezing cold weather. Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers, as they fight to save their homes and families.

I do wonder, however, why you don’t hear any reports of WHY the river is cresting so high.

You see, in order to crest at record levels, the snowfall for the previous winter, as well as the depth of the freeze must also have been at record levels to produce so much water as the snow and ice melt.  This in the time of critical “man-made” global warming?  Something doesn’t seem right, here.

Maybe Al Gore has a good explanation for it.  Then again, I doubt it.

This article of mine was originally published on PonderPost on April 18, 2009. With the coming relaunch of PonderPost, this post is being republished here so you can see if anything has changed for the better in the past year. I suggest if anything we are much worse off.

During the Presidential campaign season we heard lots of talk about change. Barack Obama told us he would deliver change and, as President, that is exactly what he is doing. Few would doubt that he’s keeping that promise.

In no particular order, let’s look at some of the changes we’ve seen so far in these first 100 days.

• Ordered the closure of Gitmo within one year (learn more).
• Allowed travel and financial transactions to communist Cuba (learn more).
• Ended harsh interrogation methods for terrorist detainees (learn more).
• Releases secret Bush Administration documents about methods for handling terrorist prisoners (learn more).
• Called for nuclear disarmament and an end to nuclear testing (learn more).
• No longer calls the war against radical Islamic terrorists a “war on terror” (learn more).
• Allows federal tax dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research (learn more).
• Reverses the Mexico City policy and lifts the ban on federal funding of foreign abortions (learn more).
• Speaks at the Catholic Georgetown University but asks them to cover up their Christian symbols (learn more).
• Declares that the United states is not a Christian nation (learn more).
• Massively increases spending and doubles the national debt (learn more).
• Bows to the King of Saudi Arabia (learn more – includes photo & video) but not the Queen of England. [As President, he should not bow to any leader.]
• Fires the CEO of a private corporation — GM (learn more).
• Maintains control over banks by refusing the repayment of TARP money (learn more).
• Buddies up to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez (learn more – see photos below).

I could go on and on with changes we have experienced in the past 3 months. Is this “change we can believe in”? Do you like any of these changes? I wonder if we can survive the other changes Obama has planned for us?