Prepared for an emergency?

Do you think you are prepared for an emergency? Probably depends what type of emergency it is before you could answer.

An unexpected car crash?
A natural disaster?
A family member falls suddenly ill or dies?
A stranger or animal is wounded severely right in front of you?
How about a large scale bombing in the city you live?
Do you have a weapon and could you use it to defend your family if necessary?
How about if an enemy detonates an EMP (electro magnetic pulse type of bomb) which would disable all electronics for your entire country?
What if your countries currency was declared worthless and you suddently had absolutely no money or investments whatsoever?

Disaster scenarios... do you ever think about them? Do you feel prepared for the worst case?

It can be freaky to think about these types of things. However, people should prepare themselves mentally, physically and financially for various emergencies. Life can and will spring them on you without warning. Be warned... bad things do happen.

I live on an island with 40 dormant volcanoes surrounding my immediate city. There are active volcanoes a few hours away... I'm thinking it might be a good idea to have a few emergency supplies on hand in case a big one hits. You know, some canned food & water for my family and animals maybe for about 2-3 months. A short wave radio would be good, too, especially if my area loses power. We have a small emergency kit at home to treat injuries. I'm thinking about it, but I haven't bought supplies yet... I'm not really prepared.

"The big one"... maybe you've lived through a "big" emergency. How did you deal with it?

I still remember how freaked out I, the city of Chicago, the entire U.S.A and in fact probably a good part of the westernized world was when 9/11/2001 happened.

That was a shocker.

I was watching live news with co-workers 1 block away from the Chicago Sears Tower when the 2nd tower was hit. We knew we were being attacked.

My immediate thought: I do not want to be 1 block away from a large sky scraper if airliners were targetting large cities. Time to go!

Chicago's train service rallied taking thousands of frantic commuters back home, away from the city center as Chicago closed down. Metra (train service) had an emergency plan. The city was orderly and quickly evacuated. Metra was prepared. They handled the thousands of people streaming into stations, dispatchers working their magjc to get trains running. Good plan, executed skillfully.

Do you think America, or any western country, would be prepared if an EMP hit? A nuclear bomb? If I was the unlucky recipient of a nuclear bomb, I think I'd want to leave the planet and not be there to dealing with a horrible, lingering fallout.

Do you think appeasing your enemy means they won't launch an attack on you?

A better example: Does a playground bully stop tormenting a weaker kid who;
a) tries to be nice to the bully
- or-
b) stands up for themselves?

Being nice to the bully doesn't work - ask any kid. This is a simplistic way to explain how BHO's policies of being nice to enemy dictators will not work. America needs to carry a big stick and not put the stick down to hug the bullies.

Would you give your freedoms away if your government promises you safety? Really?

What if it turns out, the government is the bully? What would you do then? That happened when Britain did not want to grant US colonies their freedom.

What would you do to protect your freedom? It is happening in Iran right now. The people are fighting for their freedom and dying for it.

A lot of smart people see the huge storm encroaching, creeping stealthily towards America... it is being orchestrated from within...

... hopefully Americans are prepared.

Sept 12, 2009 - on to Washington!

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

MOTHER OF ALL TEA PARTIES

http://www.teapartyexpress.org/

Teapartypatriots.org

www.oilforimmigration.org/facts/?p=2694

a thought from Pat Dollard's site...

NEVER underestimate ...

... the will of the American people

This resulted from a Mom in Alabama asking her high school son to help with a commercial for the Tea Party she was involved in organizing.

“I asked Justin if he could help me make a commercial for my group’s Tea Party. He sat down at the laptop for about an hour, and then brought this to me and asked, ‘is this okay, Mom?’

http://www.republicanwomenoftrussville.org/

NZ mourns her loss

NZ will miss you, Sophie...

A quick follow up to a post I did 14-July-09 complaining about a recent murder trial this winter in NZ. Clayton Weatherston was found guilty of stabbing Sophie Elliott to death.

His defense of provocation did not work. The newspapers finally put out some very nice articles about the loss of Sophie. Really, the whole country mourned the loss of this bright, young lady. She is graduating, post mortem and some of her papers are being published.

Justice was served up and Clayton is off to jail awaiting his final sentencing. ...Alas, NZ does not have the death penalty though... too bad.

Brings back some memories of the trial and conviction years back of Jeffery Dahmer, a serial killer in Wisconsin, USA. He was found guilty of several grusome charges (murder, dismemberment and fun stuff like that) from what I remember. Authorities found human remains, body parts and skin at his home (eeew, gross...!). Apparently, he was trying out cannibalism for fun...jeez louise... ANYway, Wisconsin does not have the death penalty either.

Not too long into his incarceration, though, good ol' Jeffery was found dead inside the jail... Some unknown inmates took their own sort of justice out on Mr. D. (no loss in my book)....

Perhaps something nice like that will happen to Clayton while he's in jail...

jus' sayin'

One can hope, right?

Search for the truth

Last two months of June and July 09 have found the search for truth been picking up in velocity - especially on the POTUS eligibility front. CNN and MSNBC mouthpieces are starting to yell and scream "this is a non story" instead of actually investigating anything... they are towing the company line, are blind or deeply afraid. They might as well be saying "shut up! nothing to see here!"... and people do when other say that... they usually try harder to look ... right?! If it is a 'non-story', why are thousands and thousands talking about it?

So, I've mentioned this before... I've been reading about it for months now.

What if ... the person sitting in the American white house ... is truly not eligible for the position?

Really? ... completely boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Take a look at an interesting analysis I read today which demonstrates exactly how many valid questions still remain unanswered about eligibility.

Analysis title and link: Welcome to EligibilityQuestions.Com - A Website Focusing on Constitutional Eligibility Requirementsfor the Office of President of the United States It will be interesting if Google leaves this page up.

The truth will come out ... hopefully sooner rather than later.

Sheepdog?

Pix from a sheepdog trial in Australia 2008...

In my previous post today I called myself an "angry sheepdog" but forgot to include WHY I feel sheepdog-ish.

Reading some comments on American Thinker, there was a post which included a good article about people's behavior called:

"On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs" By Dave Grossman, Ph.D., LTC(ret)

Some excerpts: The sheep are "...most citizens who are kind, decent people; not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep. "

The wolf? Dangerous or evil men. From an old war veteran, "the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy. Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You had better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial..."

"after September 11, 2001 ... the wolf pounded hard on the door..."

And a (full spectrum) sheepdog "... lives to protect the flock and confront the wolf."

Click here for the complete article.

I find myself thinking about this when I try to chat to people about trouble the USA is in... I get a lot of 'deer in headlights' looks... and then I realize, I know a lot of sheep.

I see the wolves... they are here. Most of the USA federal government comes to mind.

Its 5 minutes to midnight.

Angry sheepdog plays video games

I was sooo angry on my way home just mulling over all the BHO crap going on in the USA. I was having a little tet a tet with one of my cousins Facebook friends about the health care aka socialized medicine fiasco. I made a comment "BHO is illegal and must go" and of course my 'opponent' called my comment outrageous and that I of course must be a wingnut.

This response was TYPICAL 'PROGRESSIVE' bull doody. I responded calmly my opinion is based on research, legal analysis of courts cases and I gave a link to Mario Apuzzo's case. There is a lot of information on Mario's site and his first trial date is to be in a few days on Aug 3, 2009. His case looks verrrry interesting, but I digress. After supplying this link, I further calmly suggested he take a look at the legalities of the constitution and the 'natural born citizen' requirement. The response, a couple hours later was "I'm not in the legal profession". So, in summary I think I won that point, don't you?

Since last Oct '08, I have avidly been reading EVERYthing I can, mostly online, about American politics and the huge MESS America is in right now. I avoid the mainstream media but have watched a few tidbits on Fox. In NZ we have Fox News and CNN so both sides covered supposedly. I don't rely on MSM any more at all and I feel more informed now than I ever have in my entire life.

All this knowledge, however, has led me to really feel angry mostly because I see a huge contingent of a**holes bent on destroying America, the land of the free, home of the brave and a country I loved while I lived there and STILL love!

Most of my life, probably from my parents wisdom (?), it was "not nice" to debate or discuss religion and politics.

B**s&&T I say. To hell with political correctness!! From a Moonbattery op ed May-09:

Five Reasons Political Correctness Must Die
1) It's censorship
2) It's bigotry disguised as manners
3) It's an attempt at mind control
4) Evil
5) Why should we do what some faceless creeps tell us?

Click HERE to read full piece

I say RIGHT ON! When appropriate, I vow to speak up when I see injustices. Why tolerate idiocy? The biggest injustice on the planet right now is the faux POTUS of the USA.

Wake up, get informed, do your research and get back to me with what will YOU be doing to save America... I am speaking out about it as a start.

But today, for now, I'm cooling out by playing video games... soothes one angry sheepdog!

Why are rules important?

The basic answer for most people comes from early childhood: following rules keeps you safe or alive.

“Don’t run across the street, junior...” mother says and must be followed so baby won’t get hit by a car. Different cultures, of course, have various boundaries and rules for their children. Most responsible mothers, however, teach rules and enforce them as basic parenting. Logically, if children do not have any rules, they may get hurt or killed. Also, psychologically speaking, children usually don’t feel parents care about them if there aren’t any boundaries. Studies have shown kids can feel lost without rules. As anyone can observe; how do teenagers behave if they haven’t had to follow many rules and allowed to run amok? Usually their behaviour will land them in trouble as ‘wild’ or unruly behaviour is not tolerated, may hurt someone or is illegal. Think ‘Lord of the flies’ as a typical outcome for kids with no rules.

So, to assist children in successfully becoming adults by avoiding trouble, harm or death; basic rules are usually a good idea and should be followed.

Are societal laws important for adult citizens? Without going too much into the history of law: most civilized societies have various laws enacted or voted on by representatives or the people themselves. Whether minor or major, laws are enforced by various punishments such as fines or jail time. Most people of a civilized society accept and follow laws many of which are in place to keep citizens safe and alive. While some ‘minor’ laws get broken or get ignored, most ‘major’ laws are followed making a society run and intact.

Society doesn’t exist happily if everyone is killing everyone, right?

The United States of America was founded on the constitution as the law.

Is this document ‘major’ or ‘minor’? Are the principles important? Should all of it be followed or can we pick some bits not to follow? The creation and foundation of America as a country relies on the answer “yes”: the constitution is the law of the land, it is all ‘major’ and needs to be followed. Without it, America isn’t.

Article II of the constitutional outlines who is eligible to be POTUS (President of the United States):

“No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.”

Is this requirement an important law for America to follow? What did the founders mean by including this anyway?

An easy way to remember what the founders meant is “blood and mud”: a child born on U.S. soil to 2 American citizen parents. The ‘natural’ part means it just happens: this type of citizenship cannot be legislated, amended, changed or forced.

If you read about what was going on at the time the U.S.A. was being formed, this requirement was included to ensure the POTUS would have some type of loyalty to America and always have America’s best interests in mind. After all, a new country was being formed by breaking away from British rule. They were not going to call themselves British and were purposefully dissolving their loyalty to Britain. A war was fought and America won her independence.

I submit the current resident of the White House is illegal.

It is a fact that no one has actually seen the ‘long form birth certificate’. Not even the lady in charge in Hawaii. His own statements on his ‘fact checked’ web sites state he is a “native born” citizen with a father who was a British national. Native born is not natural born. These tricky statements intentionally fooled many Americans.

Since this law is not being followed, will America remain safe and alive?

I think she is not paying attention and is wandering into the street where a large bus named* __ is heading straight for her.

*Fill in the blank with your choice (progressivism, communism, socialism or other collective-ism)
Whatever you want to call it, it is not a republic of America any more if this basic law is not followed.

Click here for some legal definitions of US citizen types.

What was great about America

I just finished reading a great post on America's Right by Jeff Schreiber. He is going on a family trip for 3 weeks and his article today is called "I miss America already". A good read leaving me a bit teary mid way through. I agree with a lot of what Jeff misses already. Here are a few tidbits:

"I miss the America I saw as autumn turned to winter in 2001" ... "I miss an America that stood defiant against those who wished us harm" and "This afternoon, I leave behind a nation run by elected officials who hold the prospect of power in perpetuity in higher esteem than prosperity, growth, security and freedom. It's a nation I no longer recognize, and every single day she seems to be the apple falling further and further away from the Tree of Liberty. We've departed radically from the ideas and ideals of our founders, and we've done so in a relatively short period of time."

(click here to read the full article)



My wonderful husband has said I've changed a bit since Obummer got elected. I'm not as much fun, more upset than usual and a tad boring.

He's right.

My new favorite hobby is scouring the net hoping for any good news on the growing list of elibility lawsuits, updates on stopping the steam rolling socialist policy indocrinations (hello, bills passed without being read or debated?!) ... or looking for information I can post on Facebook hoping to influence liberal or apathetic friends and family who are mostly deer in headlights.

Sorry, don't mean to offend any of my USA peeps, but ignoring the march to socialism won't make it go away... Don't agree its 'bad' or even 'socialism'? OK, call it marxism, statism, communism -> these are all the same ideas where government rules absolutely and the polar opposite of freedom and individual exceptionalism. Stop - drinking - the - koolaid - already.

Sometimes I even hope the admittedly biased American media will quit towing the company paid line and do their job to investigate BHO's sordid and hidden background. Oh wait, they are being paid to promote the agenda. I forgot, silly me.

Hope?

Change?

I, for one, have a LOT of hope things will change for the better. It will only happen if the people of America really wake up.

• Get or stay involved
• Go to T.E.A. parties
• Educating others
• Join local conservative groups
• Run for local office

Don't just sit back and assume elected officials will do what they are supposed to do - most elected officials only care one thing: staying elected officials.

I know I can't do much from over here in NZ. I would get heavily involved if we ever move back to the USA. I'm still a proud USA natural born citizen. "We the people" need to take back America to the great Republic she is supposed to be.

Leadership like Sarah Palin will help. The more the left tries to destroy her, the more power and support she will gain. She, unlike Bambi, has been thoroughly and completely vetted.

America needs her leadership and those like her if America is to survive.

Otherwise, like Jeff S., I, along with many others, will always miss the America which once was.

A tourist destination

My niece's beau asked me this week if I still consider myself a tourist in NZ. Hmm... tough one. We've seen quite a bit of the north island, but there is a lot more we haven't seen.

This past March my friend of 20 years from the USA came to visit and we drove all over Auckland showing her around. We had so much fun and had her almost convinced (no pressure) to move here some day.

She was up for it.

Little bit of stuff we did:

• Site seeing volanic areas and old bath house museum in Rotorua
• Strolling the black sand and surf at Piha Beach
• Watching horse races at Karekare Beach
• Gannet colony view at Muriwai Beach
• Ferry ride and fishing on Auckland harbor
• Under water world at Kelly Tarlton's

Her description to friends back in Chicago: "... sort of like Hawaii on steroids".

I like it.

I suppose until I do a fair bit more site seeing, I'm definitely not "a local". I can understand most of the accent and phrases and I can tell you so far, it is great fun living in a tourist destination.

We have a guest room. Any takers...? ;)

Good on ya mate

No dill pickles

I am kinda bummed because I can't find any store in Auckland which sells chilled, crispy dill pickles like the 'Clausen' brand Chicago stores have. I will keep searching. I am jonesin' for some crispy Clausen dills. Other Chicago foods I miss:

• Oberweiss ice cream
• Potato soup from Houlihan's
• IHOP biscuits and gravy

OK, yes, I know - these are sooo bad for me and best left in Chicago.

Alas, food in NZ well, in fact.... it is all pretty darn good actually. I have had some delicious fresh seafood, yummy and satisfying indian cuisine and addictive chinese take out (called "take away" here). About an hour away an American and his kiwi wife run a great little authentic Mexican place (Ole!). I also confess we found a Denny's when we really need the 'ol American comfort food.

A lot of meals in NZ can be called "Tea".

• Breakfast - "brekkie"
• 10:30am coffee break - "morning tea" (a popular time for little work party breaks)
• Lunch - is called "lunch" here
• 3:00pm coffee break - "afternoon tea"
• Dinner - "tea"

"Are you coming for tea"? is usually asking if one is coming over for dinner.

Sometimes we even drink tea, too.

Typical "on the go" breakfast in Chicago or NY might be coffee and a bagel. On a morning NZ drive to work, you might stop at a petrol station but there are no donuts or bagels. Instead, you can have a hot meat pie (like a small American pot pie but usually no veggies just meat).

Also, this is very important: be specific if you want any form of cooked potato in NZ.

• Hot french fries are "chips"
• Potato chips are "crisps"

Hopefully I can find a dill pickle brand here, but I'm pretty sure I won't starve.

Image courtesy of Kraft

It is all her fault

What happened to accountability for one's own actions?

Today I just wanted to rant about a still unresolved, current murder trial and the newspaper coverage.

This case has been going on here in NZ the last couple weeks. An evil guy stabbed his ‘girlfriend’ 216 times. He was interrupted by her mother opening the door to her room while it was happening. He closed and then locked the door. Police were called and arrested him at the scene.
Here is the infuriating part: he has pled not guilty to murder and has blamed the victim for her death.

The first article which got my goat was from July 8th and included details:

”Weatherston, 33, has admitted stabbing or cutting his ex girlfriend and student Sophie Elliott 216 times on January 9 last year. However, the former Otago University economics lecture denies murder, arguing he lost control after being provoked by Miss Elliott, 22, with whom he had had a tumultuous relationship.”

What?

Is it just me or does anyone else have a problem with this bizarre defense? She “provoked him” into killing her? So he’s not to blame at all, it is all her fault. Excuse me? No matter what she may have said to anger this guy, if he so was upset, why not just walk away, leave and never speak to her again?

And now, from today’s paper July 14th:

“The former Otago University economics lecturer told a High Court jury in Christchurch he remembered Sophie Elliott coming at him with the scissors, losing his glasses and falling over her, and then standing or kneeling over her with the scissors in his possession.”

Funny thing is about this though... from what I have read, and can confirm in current trial photos of him, he did not have any injuries when arrested.

The paper has run several stories from the killer’s perspective the last few days.

Who speaks for the girl who was murdered?

I find this whole case absurd. The mother witnessed the guy, who had exhibited past strange behaviours, in the process of stabbing her daughter. The man had no injuries. Umm, why isn’t this “case closed”?

I find the sensationalism a tad outrageous by the newspaper. They seem to be gleefully promoting this killer’s unbelievably goofy defense strategy. If I was her family and friends, I would really be upset.

On the other hand ... maybe he is really is the true victim ...even though he is fine, walking around... and sustained no serious injuries.

After 216 stabs... she is dead.

Yep, all her fault...

Tuis in the morning

I am usually up at 5:30am every week day. Throwing on clothes, as our dog also rises from underneath the covers of our bed, she and I go for a quick morning constitutional down our street. Where we live in Auckland, most mornings are very quiet, tranquil and beautiful and majority of trees are green all year long.

I hear Tuis almost every morning. Their loud, distinctive song is bit like a forlorn but sweet morning church bell. Sometimes I can spot one, usually alone, singing away in a tree or swooping to a better vantage point in another tree. Is he singing to me or just warning the neighbourhood a predator approaches? I have decided these morning calls are probably territorial as the lone Tui sings “...hey, this is my zone, and all of you better remember that...”.

So now I feel I must apologize to the Robins, Cardinals, Blue Jays and other Northern Illinois birds. Tuis and their unique New Zealand sound is my new favourite. I still miss the abundance of Illinois wild life, birds and animals but it is really great fun learning about native birds, wildlife, flora and fauna in the new place I call home. NZ really feels like home to me now; not sure I’d want to live anywhere else.

Click here to listen to a Tui or other NZ birds.

Click here for more information on Tuis.

Image courtesy of http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/

Losing a clear sense of direction

I admit it, is has taken me about 2 years to regain a sense of direction living in Auckland. If you look at a map of it (go ahead and google it!), you can see there are several inlets, bays and beaches and Auckland curves up and down, back and forth around all over the place.

I drive northeast from home to work, but there isn't much of a direct route. I have to cross a bridge or two and it is a very scenic and a nice drive if you can avoid the morons who like to cut me off. My morning thought bubble: "HEY... I'm driving here you idiot! If you're going to pull in front of me, speed up already... s&&t" ... ok, lets turn the radio up and sing along to avoid road raging! (... that's better)

Chicago is a very directional city. If you know where lake Michigan is, you can easily figure out which way you are going E, W, N or South. Since we lived north of the city, driving north usually meant going home. Since Wisconsin is north of us, driving further north meant a fun destination - camping or some other country outing in WI or visiting friends, relatives.

Something happened though - however, after 2 years I finally can pretty much tell which direction I am driving now! Something just clicked. We've taken a few day trips out of Auckland, driven around the city a lot with my GPS telling me where to go and now... I have a sense of direction again.

Will America regain her sense of direction?

From what I've been reading and researching online, I think many conservatives in America have been probably feeling a bit lost lately, too, especially after the last American election.

The march-to-dictatorship-policies (in my own opinion as an observer in the S. Pacific) are coming at people so fast and furious now... people feel lost.

The current administration purposefully keeps one crisis after another coming at the people: they want you to be fearful and feel lost - so when all of their horrible policies are implemented and the depression and recession tanks into oblivion, people will feel so despondant, they may then lose their will to fight and say "OK, I'll work and give everything to the government (high taxes, forced volunteerism etc etc) ... as long as you protect me from the next CRISIS... I can't take any more of THAT!"

So what is the new "American manifesto"? Good commentary here: where Levant opines near the end about people accepting the destruction of America and American values:

"Welcome to your cool natural utopia. Sorry to say it wasn't the invention of Mother Earth's butterflies and fairies, but rather think tanks, politicians, international elites and royalty, central bankers, and the world's richest industrialists and CEOs."

I used to feel I knew which direction America was headed but I don't any more. Hopefully leaders like Sarah Palin (and others) can rise up and show Americans a better course. Otherwise, the sense of direction may be permanently lost and the republic along with it.

... but maybe, after some time, people will start to feel like they know which way to go finally.... just maybe.

Taxed Enough Already peeps party on

Michelle Malkin's site reports Grass-roots activists are mobilizing on both the local and national levels to lobby for fiscal responsibility from both parties.

The T.E.A. parties are growing. See previous post -> the Atlas Vlog, Pamela G. recommends S. Palin takes a leadership role. That would be cool.

Party on peeps, party on!

More at American Thinker on the tea party movement flexing its muscle.

Atlas vlogs Sarah Palin oorah

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has put up a Vlog supporting Sarah Palin - oorah indeed!

Click here to go watch it.

Winter in July?

My first blog! Yep, thought I'd start one so I can vent here instead of harrassing (teasing? bothering?) my friends and family on Facebook daily with the latest political, news, links, comments and radical-right-wing thoughts... so I will now blog away here. Whether I ever get readers is another story, but at least I can vent - yep, healthy to whinge a bit, eh?

====

Winter in July is still a very odd concept to me after living in NZ for 2 years. I grew up in Chicago with all 4 distinct seasons, but in the northern hemisphere, July is middle of summer...

4th of July = parades, short and t-shirts, going to the beach or park with lots of bug spray and waiting until 9pm... dark enough... for fireworks

Today is the 11th - cool and rainy = which is Auckland for all of July... I do miss Chicago summers just a bit

Nice thing about our yard is green - every day - all year long ... so can't whinge too much about it I guess!

Today's summary:

• first blog entry


• winter in July


• & to "whinge" is a British term they use a lot here in NZ which means: "To complain or protest, especially in an annoying or persistent manner."


• Just throwing in some NZ lingo - try to keep up OK?