Originally Posted 09/22/09                 

The Raptor continually receives site material from my conservative friend base and today's post is another one of those comical diatribe's which are quite popular...please note Raptor comments in the body of the text...

"DIVORCE AGREEMENT – By John J. Law – Law Student and Real American
  
American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course.

Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement: 

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement.  After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military....

You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).
 
The Raptor responds here...The Raptor absolutely considers these individuals to be awful and I never ever support or watch their stuff...in addition, The Raptor does not watch "The View" either.  The Raptor primarily watches CSI Miami and CSI New York both excellent dramas.  Also, The Raptor watches NCIS and Law and Order SVU

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks…We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood. 

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us.. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security. 
 

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values…You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N…but we will no longer be paying the bill. 

The Raptor responds here...those values that the conservative wing speaks of are the same values that spawned Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, and Jerry Falwell...not to mention all the Catholic Priest rapists who fondled their way to plum positions in the Diocese.  The Raptor doesn't need some cracker in a flashy suit  to tell me how to live my life...Judeo_Christian values...please!

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find. 
 

The Raptor responds here...those damn SUV really piss me off!  It always seems I am stuck at an intersection and can't see anything as a result - they are creating havoc on the roadways and their excessive gross vehicle weights are wearing out our infrastructure!

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

The Raptor responds here...this is wrong is so many ways - The United States is a nation and it's important to protect our citizens...that's why we have armies...it's about time to face the fact that health care is less of a luxury and more of a committment.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum By Ya or We Are the World. 

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.  

Would you agree to this?

P.S. Also, please take Ted Turner, Sean Penn, Martin Sheehan, Barbara Streisand, Tim Robbins, George Clooney, Susan Sarandon, & Jane Fonda with you.
 

The Raptor responds here...again...this group is a bunch of actors...but they are cool...The Raptor would much rather chat with Sean Penn or perhaps hang out with Susan Sarandon than some creep like Orin hatch or Mitt Romney!
 

P.S.S.  And we won't press 1 for English.”

Originally Posted 08/07/09                 

There are probably many who tune into this page who turn to The Raptor to learn all about current events.  At present the biggest stories on the national scene are: The Two Journalists Held Hostage In North Korea, The Health Care Issue, Confirmation of Supreme Court Candidate Sotomayor, Republican Elected Officials caught up in "relationships" with soul mates and President Obama's Birth Certificate.

I wish I had the time to sit back and come up with snappy dialog for these issues but I can safekly say that my many friends and acquintances have fed me fodder on these matters.

As an example - here is a quote by Dr. Adrian Rogers from 1931...this was sent to me by a learned individual who is doubtful that President Obama was the right man for the job...he voted for "old man" McCain....

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

OK - The Raptor is starting to feel the love here.  There is no doubt that the United States is in big trouble.  I am but a simple scribe so I do not possess a solution but I can go back to the previous administration where President Bush advocated large tax cuts and a reduction in services to the poor.  So how did that work out?

Here is another "story" from a strict conservative, white businessman who really despises all that is the "liberal" Democratic Party...

Dinner with Obama, a parable....

Once upon a time, I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President. I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics. There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration,
but I paid it no mind. I live in a free country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was earned honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room. We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china.  Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served, and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate, and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen.

"Sorry about that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass. Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away
and swallowed the wine in a single gulp.

"And his brother Eric is very thirsty," said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I will play along. I don't want to seem unkind.

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me. I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

"And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool.  Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken. I turned
back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout- that was my coat! But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled. Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table. I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home. Apparently, the
waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement, and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint. I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor. The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey
circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," He added, "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories. I'm firing you as head of your business.  I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind. There's a
whole bunch of Eric’s and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème brulee. He drained the last drops of his wine.  As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his  chair. He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss. I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle. Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, the President suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth,  chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said

When are you people gonna learn...the reason that we are getting deeper into it is as a direct result of the partisan, bitter awful Presidency of George W. Bush.  Great guy...right? So the nation is split roughly 50-50 with the haves and the have-nots.  The have-nots got their noses rubbed in it for 8 years and now it's the haves turn - If you could have come up with a capable candidate last year it might be a different story.

Think about it...let the words roll of your tongue..."McCain"...or "Palin"...had the POW and The Cuda been elected instead of "the Man From Kenya", The  Raptor feels we would in just as much of a mess as we are now.

See you soon  

Originally Posted 07/02/09

The Raptor is here to report the four entertainment icons have passed on in the past week.  They include: Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon and Karl Malden.

This erstwhile group are four Raptor Favs.

It should be noted that The Raptor was probably the only adolescent male in the world who didn't have Farah's Hottie Poster in the bedroom.  I just checked the poster out on line though...quite a dish!  The Raptor remembers with fondness the introduction of Charlie's Angels to the scene back in about 1977.  The Raptor was at Penn State at the time and the assembled masses went nuts in the TV Lounge the night it came on. Awesome!...Lee Majors was a lucky man!

Michael Jackson had so much potential.  At the height of his creative period, he crafted the iconic tune, "We Are The World" with other popular music performers such as Quincy Jones, Lionel Ritchey and Stevie Wonder.  Paul McCartney may have also been involved as this project, know as "Live Aid" took center stage in the summer of 1985.  The Raptor remembers a little about Live Aid as it occurred due to a trip to Penn State to participate in a reunion weekend with my old friend Rob.  Rob came back to campus with his gal Margy.  I on the other hand escorted my friend Beth.  The weekend also coincided with the annual Summer Arts Festival.  It was during a refreshment break at the Lion's Den that we watched The Cars perform "You Might Think" at the Philadelphia Vets Stadium over the MTV Network.  That still gives me the shivers.

Jackson had crafted his popularity with artful stuff, like The Moonwalk, Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller.  All Raptor Favs.  But his for rays into pedophilia really gagged me.  I would prefer to remember Michael from his days as the lead singer for the J5.  Now that was entertainment..."Oh, Baby, give me one more chance!"

The Raptor was a big fan of Ed McMahon.  From his salad days as Johnnie Carson's sidekick (how about the sports cheer...hiiiiioooooh!) to his pitchman forays into stuff like the Reader's Digest Sweepstakes and AARP - Ed was the greatest.

Then there is venerable Karl Malden.  Malden was 97 years old when he passed.  He was well known as a film and TV actor.  One of Karl's best film roles was in "Patton". Malden played the bookish and stoic General Omar Bradley to foil the outrageous doings of General George S Patton, played to the T by George C. Scott.  The Raptor also used to tune into The Streets of San Francisco to watch Malden head up the crime division as Detective Mike Stone.  Malden had the biggest red nose in the world but he was a beloved figure.

All will be missed in some way, shape or form...God Speed.

Originally Posted 06/15/09

HELL EXPLAINED BY CHEMISTRY STUDENT                                      

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid term.                                          

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:                                      

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?                                                            

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.   

One student, however, wrote the following:                                 

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving.  

As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.  

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:        

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.                                                    

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.                          

So which is it?                                                          

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct......leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'                                                   

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Originally Posted 06/12/09

Wow!-  it's been a long while since this site has seen some new content and The Raptor is awfully sorry about that.  There were probably many of you who have stopped here daily and seen the same old stuff.  Motivation has been lacking and more often than not, good ideas surface but never reach a state of full analysis.

A perfect example is a circumstance a couple of weeks ago when the whole "tea party" thing was cultivated.  During the hubbub, a lot of pols and pundits exchange ideas on Senator Demint's volitile exchange with CNN's Rick Sanchez, which went something like this...

CNN's voluble Rick Sanchez had squared off against Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), on April 28th  -- with Sanchez querying the conservative DeMint on the GOP's apparent political shrinkage, as evidenced by the Arlen Specter switchover to the Democratic Party.

DeMint didn't like the question and Sanchez didn't think much of the answer.

SENATOR JIM DEMINT (R-SC): That's quite the opposite. We're seeing across the country right now that the biggest tent of all is the tent of freedom. And what we need to do as Republicans is convince Americans that freedom can work in all areas of their life for every American, whether it's education or health care, or creating jobs...

SANCHEZ: What, what the hell does that mean, freedom? The biggest tent is freedom? Freedom?! I mean you gotta do better than that.

Same old Republicans.  Sanchez's reaction was similar to mine.  The Republican Party, teaming with aging, pasty, chubby, waspy, creepy, has beens, continues to beat their low tax war drum and they sound ridiculous.  "Big Tent Of Freedom" is all that's left for the GOP.  I could go on and on so I will...the next piece is a forward I received from another of my Republican Scared Cats who is concerned about the onset of Socialism - rear on...

Okay...The Raptor is back.  That is some compelling reading and it's certainly painting a dreary picture of the future.  It looks bleak and the current GOP strategists are preparing for an all out offensive in order to redirect the nation's agenda towards 1952.  Golly, wouldn't it be grand to return to a world where the nation was humming along in humungous Cadillac's built by the big three auto manufacturers.  A nation where the Negroes went to the back of the bus and a nation where it was acceptable to lynch the uppity ones?

Again and again, The Raptor reads about the exploits of Republican stalwarts such Sara Palin and Newt Gingrich.  How they are posturing to take back the Big House with their Big Tent of Freedom and make it white again.  So sad.  I could continue but I have to prepare for the upcoming visit of Past President, George W. Bush to Erie for next weeks Manufacturer's Dinner Party.  It should really make my day.

Originally Posted 04/23/09

The Raptor is listening to Hardball with Chris Matthews tonight and the debate is presently centering around the now infamous torture memos.  For those of you who haven't been following this nonsense it goes something like this.  

The Democratic President of the United States has decided to release some memos dealing with CIA procedures which were approved and encouraged by the previous Bush Administration.  The Bush White House referred to these procedures as "advanced interrogation techniques".  

The supporters of President Obama like to call these techniques torture.  Meanwhile, the supporters of the previous Administration are expressing outrage and accuse President Obama of hurting the credibility of the CIA and the United Site's national security.

Where does The Raptor come out on this issue?.  The Raptor thinks it's all a big lump of crap.  If the Conservative's want to argue that these techniques, which included a procedure called "waterboarding", prevented further terrorist attacks, I want to see the proof.

It's one thing to babble on about how an attack was thwarted but give us more detail.  That's all I ask.

On the local scene, the controversy of Police Officer James Cousins has gone worldwide.  It's a terrible thing.  But one aspect of the case that sticks out in The Raptor's mind is the individual who recorded Cousin's drunken outburst at that small town bar. His name is Jeremy Orr and was in town visiting with relatives when the incident took place.  Orr is from Australia and stated that "My motivation was 'this just isn't right, and something needs to be done about it,"' he said. "It didn't sit right with me."  He said he posted it on YouTube because he thought Cousins' behavior illustrated a concern he has long held about police.

As it stands, the whole world has come crashing down on the backs of Erie Mayor Joe Sinnot, Police Chief Steve Franklin and Internal Affairs investigator James DeDionisio.

All three individuals were culpable in the aftermath of this fiasco but Dedionisio's behavior stands out more than the others.  Once it was determined that Orr's brother could shed some light on the motivation of putting the video on YouTube, DeDionisio and Cousins visited him Tuesday at a construction site in Erie where he was working. He said DeDionisio told him the video could involve a federal wiretapping violation.  This in itself is somewhat questionable. As for Mayor Sinnot, he is lucky that he is running unopposed in the upcoming primary election.  This type of incident can ruin a political career in a heartbeat.

Originally Posted 04/11/09

The Raptor has been tracking another of those non-issue issues, which are beating this country apart.  What it is folks, is the recent decision by Notre Dame University to invite Barack Obama, to give the commencement address to its graduating senior class.

What an honor...right?...wrong...While the student body is looking forward to hearing what the President has to say, the faculty, alumni and the Catholic Community at large are up in arms.  As a matter of fact, the Diocese of Ft Wayne, Indiana has stated that their priests, bishops and associated flock will not be coming.

At issue here is the ultra polarizing matter of Abortion.  The Catholic Church has had as one of its prime directives the elimination of this medical procedure.  After all these years of Roe v Wade and Conservative Control of Federal Judges and the Supreme Court, President Obama has tossed up a Hail Mary in the form of relaxations on stem cell research and some funding for Abortions and this has the Catholics seething mad.

So the Notre Dame alumni have been moving about the country asking the standard rhetorical questions about Obama's motivations.  Many have even petitioned to have his invitation rescinded.

The Raptor thinks this is a silly development.  First, every one who has a pulse knows Abortion is not a good thing but unfortunately it is a procedure that occurs in this society for some unfortunate reasons.

The Raptor can't believe that there are women out there who get pregnant on purpose so that they can have the fetus aborted.  Any sane individual realizes that the embryo is a collection of living cells.  So the Catholic belief is that Abortion is murder.  It's murder because 99% of Abortions are premeditated.

According to Catholics (and by extension, Christians), stem cell research is bad too.  It's bad because in the event that an embryo is discarded, it shouldn't be further engineered but should be flushed down the drain. Even it could some how help a living being...that wouldn't be God's will.

So it's come down to another Republican versus Democrat issue.  The Republican Party panders to the Christian Coalition and promotes heady themes like the family, the National Rifle Association, bans on stem cell research and the overturning of Roe versus Wade. Silly

The Democrats on the other hand pander to a woman's right to choose, gay marriage, stem cell research and bans on assault weapons.  Silly

OK…The Raptor has a few questions.  If you’re pro-life and believe Abortion is wrong then how do you justify Abortion in the instance of rape or incest?  In addition, do you also allow for Abortion if the life of the mother is threatened?  What does she have to do...say an extra Hail Mary after Confession?

If you are a Republican and you are pro-life, why do you advocate Capital Punishment?  On one hand you find it unacceptable to murder the unborn, but your all for murdering criminals who receive the death sentence…probably because they have murdered someone.  What if someone was convicted and had exhausted all appeals and was executed.  Then, after the execution, new evidence was found which exonerated him.  If you as a Christian advocated that now dead felons execution would you now be guilty of murder in the eyes of God? (Since he wasn’t guilty).

And how about the war thing…it seems that most Republicans are all for the war.  The people that are killed in that war…the technical position of the church could be that their not murdered since that were enemy combatants.  However, if this war turns out to be ethically and morally reprehensible in the eyes of history…does that mean your advocacy is murder? (For both the collaterally damaged civilians as well as the “terrorists”).

At the end of the day perhaps Notre Dame should have thought a little more clearly before the invitation was issued to President Obama to give the commencement address.  This boycott BS being talked about as well as the demonstrations will do more damage than allowing the President to give his address.  If the alumni are so passionate about this issue maybe they ought to just cancel to whole graduation.  The Raptor would like to note that I graduated from Penn State University on two occasions and I can’t remember who gave my commencement address in either instance.

Originally Posted 03/13/09

The Raptor is sending out a hearty hello to all of his Republican buddies tonight.  Your brand of conservatism as promoted by such learned individuals as George W. Bush (The Compassionate Conservative) and Mitt Romney (Hair Club For Men's Poster Boy) has taken a back seat to offensive liberalism as promoted by Barack Obama and his minions.  It's the end of the world...right?

Well...cheer up because before long, it will be "Morning in American" again!...In the meantime here is a program guide of your parties most trusted leaders.

First up on The Republican Party Hit Parade is Rush Limbaugh...Rush has been referred to as the defacto leader of the Republican Party by many pundits as well as pols...Limbaugh was recently caught addressing the annual CPAC and he received a tremendous amount of publicity over it.  The Raptor was impressed with Limbaugh's "look" as Rush came to the event dressed in black from head to toe.  He was hot! Submitted here for your consideration is a advertisement showing Rush behind bars with the caption..."If people are violating the law by doing drugs...they should be locked up"  - Keep in mind that Rush is addicted to OxyContin Pain Killers

Next batter up is Joe The Plumber.  Joe, who's name is Wurtzelburger, became famous during the Presidential election campaign as the guy who single-handedly uplifted ole' Man McCain's candidacy to mediocrity.  Up to that point McCain actually had a chance to win but once he brought Joe on board, his chances crashed like a Dash 8.  Joe has his own book and probably a website as well...Go check it out

If your a Republican, you probably are hoping that there are some elected officials who might...just maybe...offer some sort of hope in 2012.  Unfortunately the House and Senate leadership is lacking.  Consider Mitch McConnell, the Minority Leader of the Senate Republican's.  Mitch is so dour, it's hard to believe he can crack a smile.  Shown here with his wife, who is some hot stuff,  Mitch is in a grand mood  as he has just fondled her rear end!

Perhaps House Minority Leader, John Boehner is your future champion.  He's obviously well groomed, he has a fabulous tan and comes from our sister state...Ohio.  Boehner has been a fierce critic of the Obama administration and to thell the truth, The Raptor much prefers his stern demenour over lightweights like Bobby Jindal.

Last but not least is Sara Palin.  Sara is HOT! HOT! HOT! And she isn't going away...So get ready to see more of her.  and don't be surprised if it turns out to be a tastefully done pictorial in Playboy

Originally Posted 03/10/09

If you were to scroll down and read the thread below, you would learn that folks have their grapes in a bunch over President Obama's disrespecting the Office of The President.  The Raptor thought the whole issue to be sour grapes and now there is some support from Michael Hall of Erie, who posted his thoughts in the Erie Times New Op-Ed Page.  Mr. Hall writes:

"Back in January 2001, a photograph of a new president, George W. Bush, showed him in the Oval Office at his desk without a suit coat.  I don't seem to recall anyone getting upset or accusing him of dishonoring the dignity of the office.

After a similar or a photo of President Barack Obama appeared, Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Reverend John Detisch (Erie Times News, Feb 12^th), accused him of dishonoring that office.

If you want to scold the President for not wearing a suit coat in the Oval Office, fine, just do it.  Please don't insult our intelligence by claiming that failing to wear a suit coat somehow disgraces the office.

By secretly recording conversations, engaging in romantic interludes and deciding to torture prisoners and eavesdrop on innocent American citizens, earlier Presidents have done much more damage to the honor and dignity of the office.

Further, please don't suggest that by wearing a suit coat, the President is helping to teach American man not only how to dress, but also how to behave respectfully.

Apparently, suit wearing the Presidents of the past have not had much effect on improving or sustaining such behavior."

The Raptor responds: excellent letter Michael!  It's not often that someone would agree with The Raptor.  I couldn't have said it any better myself and welcome to my world.

Originally Posted 02/24/09

There are two issues that have been on The Raptor’s mind lately. 

The first is the recent controversy regarding President Obama’s decision to have an action photograph taken of himself while working in the Oval Office sans his jacket.

This immediately drew the ire of former Bush Administration Chief Of Staff, Andy Card, registered disappointment that President Obama couldn’t work in his jacket and show some respect for the office.  Mr. Card was also deeply and profoundly saddened and depressed.  I am sure Mr. Card was convinced that this act of defiance was a conspiracy because Obama’s handlers wanted to portray The President as a “regular guy”.  Actually by not wearing the coat, President Obama eliminated the American Flag lapel pin from the camera shot.  This was considered by Card to be Un-American.

You see folks; the Bush Administration made it their business to restore honor and dignity to the Office of The President.  So in order to do so, President Bush's handlers went to the tried and true “Reagan Route”.  I other words, ‘if you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit’.

Suit coats…flag pins…and flags...lots of flags.  Anytime the President made an appearance his backdrop was a lot of American Flags.  Anything to distract from the job at hand.  This honor and dignity snow job worked its way into our local newspaper recently.  It was in our Erie Times news Op-Ed section the Reverend John Detisch opined a similar sentiment as Mr. Card.

Father Detisch, the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish is a true stand-up guy.  He is hard working and loyal.  He has been a community leader for many years and is in fact a huge booster of The Raptor’s alma mater, Cathedral Prep.  For many years Father Detisch spoke eloquently on local television and helped individuals who were “shut ins” pick up the Word of God. This doesn’t excuse his blind devotion to the antics of past presidents.  No wonder this country is in such a mess!

If the Bush Administration had paid less attention to theatrics and concentrated instead on actual leadership, perhaps things would be different now…but their not.  Who knows why Obama wasn’t wearing a suit coat…maybe it was hot in the room.  Maybe he dropped a dollop of guacamole on his coat at lunch and didn’t want to have a picture of it!

The bottom line here is that both Andy Card and Father Detisch are crazy.  It’s always something.  Obama doesn’t wear his suit, Tim Geithner is a lightweight, and tax cheats staff the Presidents cabinet...fill in from here Republicans.

Here is the content of Father Detisch’s letter to the editor, which was published on Thursday February 12^th, 2009: 

“Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush never went into the Oval Office without a coat and tie.  And they kept them on while they were in it. 

They did that in order to always give honor to the dignity to such a wondrous place, the center of the American presidency. 

The White House released its first picture of President Iraq Obama at work in the Oval Office.  There he was in his shirtsleeves. 

Please, Mr. President, don’t give in to so many other American men who are constantly lowering their standards.  Lead us by example. 

Teach the men in our country to take their ball caps off in restaurants shave before they go to work and open the door for their wives and girlfriends.  Teach young men to pull their pants up, wear a belt and wear pants that fit.  And have some respect for themselves and the other people around them.  Teach our young people to stop wearing gym shorts and T-shirts in churches and formal gatherings. 

Please, Mr. President, lead us by example.  Teach us to raise our personal standards.  Please keep your suit coat on and the Oval Office.”

The Raptor responds:  Father Detisch, what are you kidding me here.  You have really sold yourself short on this issue.  Consider the statement   “Teach the men in our country to take their ball caps off in restaurants”.   The Raptor eats out all the time and I rarely see men wearing ball caps while they eat.  Of course I generally eat in fine dining establishments like the Oakwood and TGI Fridays.  However, I can attest that recently while eating at the Buffalo Wild Wings, during a Pittsburgh Steelers football game…there were people wearing ball caps that had Steelers logos on them!  Father Detisch…I was shocked and extremely offended.  In addition, I was saddened...deeply saddened.  What is this world coming to?

Here is another observation Father Detisch.  Your letter to the editor states that the three Presidents, Reagan, Bush and Bush  “never went into the Oval Office without a coat and tie.  And they kept them on while they were in it.”  The Raptor would like to know how you know that?  We’re talking 20 years of Presidential use here.  So can you in good faith make that statement or are you using creditable sources such as: Gordon Liddy, Oliver North, Michael Deaver, Karl Rove and Andy Card?  Do you think there was ever a time when one of the Presidents had forgotten his phone or something?  Maybe he had already went to the Lincoln Bedroom for some sugar and decided to hike back to the Oval Office///perhaps sporting wood!

One final observation…The President can’t “Teach young men to pull their pants up, wear a belt and wear pants that fit.”  Father Detisch…that what parents are for.

Issue number two is more recent and revolves around The Raptor’s old friend Grandpa John McCain.  Yesterday, while President Obama was chatting with members of Congress, McCain made a stink about the bundle of taxpayer dollars being spent on a replacement helicopter to take The President and his entourage on short journeys.  I am guessing here but I figure that would be to the airport or perhaps over to Camp David.  Needless to say, those machines don’t last forever so maybe for safety purposes, it was decided to build a newer, more secure machine.

So what does Ole Man McCain do? “Gee whiz President Obama, do you think it’s right to spend taxpayer dollars on a new helicopter when our nations economy is so weak”.  This is the same gomer who said the economy was fundamentally sound…remember that?  This is typical McCain double speak.  If that was the best that he’s got…it’s a good thing the voters dispensed him.

The Raptor doesn’t know a single thing about Presidential Planes, Helicopters or Sport Utility Vehicles.  However, The Raptor will gladly pay some taxes to help fund essential modes of transportation to keep The President, his cabinet, his family and the assorted other sycophants who must travel with him safe.

John McCain is an OFF.  If you can’t figured out what that means then get with the program

There is one thing that is certain here.  With Republican governors such as Jindal, Pawlenty, Barbour and Sanford already out on the campaign trail this next election, which in effect has already started should be a real barnburner.  Consider this gem.  Bobby Jindal, governor of Louisiana, stated that his state could not accept the $3.8 billion dollars in stimulus money recently offered to his state, due to the strings attached.  When pressed further, he then stated he could take some of the stimulus money.  Maybe $3.7 billion...that was the portion with now strings...What a tool!

Originally Posted 02/03/09

The Raptor was intrigued by a letter to the editor by Roger Fenton of Erie.  Mr. Fenton is a supporter of former President, George W. Bush and he writes...

"In response to your editorial “How will we accept Obama's challenge?” (Erie Times-News, January 21):

You ask us to make changes and to answer a call to “escape from the nasty political environment that has strangled attempts to work together.”  In this vein, it is time for you, the Erie Times-News, to do a little soul searching.

How long have you been featuring the nasty political cartoons against George W. Bush?  It's been a steady barrage of disgusting satire and commentary.  It can be likened to a never-ending plague or scourge. 

On January 18, the paper gave excellent examples of my thesis.  How nice was Cam Carlow’s cartoon?  How edifying was Rick Horowitz's commentary?  He is still crying over the 2000 election.

You might reply that these do not reflect this newspaper's view, but this is the atmosphere that has been perpetuated by the news media for several years.  You are the source of the nasty political environment.

Why would Bush's popularity wane?  Because the people were constantly reminded by the media what they wanted them to believe, and it wasn't pleasant.

Why was Bush booed and heckled at Barack Obama's inauguration?  Because of the nasty political environment that has been ingrained in them and the media. 

If changes need to be made, let the guilty parties, the venomous lecturers of hate, repent of their ways.  I believe that most Erieites would agree with that.  It was not the decent, honest, peace-loving people who put this country in such a dire condition."

The Raptor responds: When the election of the President occurred in 2000, the outcome was a tossup in a number of ways.  After a difficult campaign, the winner, George W. Bush, was awarded the office by The Supreme Court.  The first issue that dogged the now President Bush was the nagging question of whether Bush had actually won.

Democratic Candidate Albert Gore, had conceded the election.  It has been thought by The Raptor that Gore did this in a totally altruistic gesture to insure that The United States would maintain a level of world credibility. 

So what did Bush and his Administration do? For starters, they assumed a stunning position of aloofness towards the Democrats and the County in general.  They stated that the were going to bring honor and dignity back to the White House..  Rather than adopt a humble approach, President Bush came into office with his guns blazin’. 

The Administration took shape with some old Washington hands including: Richard Cheney as Vice-President and Donald Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense.  Colin Powell, the most respected black man in America, became The Secretary of State and John Ashcroft assumed the top spot at The Justice Department as Attorney General.

It is widely known that Cheney and Rumsfeld, who had worked in the Administration of Gerald Ford, were joined at the hip and vowed to “get it right” this time.

The Bush Administration continually lied to the American people from the moment that the President walked into the Oval Office.  By the time the President was in office for a little over six months, the attacks of September 11^th occurred.

Who could forget the aftermath?  For The Raptor it was the over matched Powell being trotted into the United Nations to sell that august body on a need to attack Iraq of all places.  Weapons of Mass Destruction?…a slam dunk.

Then how about Vice President Cheney and Secretary Rice uttering the classic “smoking gun/mushroom cloud” metaphor.

Then there was the Terry Schiavo fiasco.  And right smack dab in the middle of that clunker was The President! How could he be so dumb? He looked like a fool.

Then The President egged on by Vice President Cheney ousted Colin Powell in favor of lap dog, Condi Rice.

Then, when Ashcroft took ill, President Bush brought in noted dim wit (certified 20 watt bulb) Alberto Gonzolez to become Attorney General.  Who can forget Gonzolez sitting in front of Congress and stating over and over “I can’t recall” with that tortured look on his face.

Then President Bush attempted to nominate lightweight Harriet Meyers to The Supreme Court.

Mixed in to this charade was the Iraq war, which is awful to the highest degree.  Toss in the Hurricane Katrina event and the rising cost of gasoline.  All the while, stooges like Karl Rove controlled the agenda. It should be noted that at the end of President Bush’s Administration, his only remaining Cabinet were Cheney and Rice, all the others were gone with the wind.

How about when The President called conservative radio and talk show personalities like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to the White House to encourage them to promote his agenda on their shows?

It was easy to hammer the President…the environment was target rich.  It is individuals like Fenton who maintain that President Bush will receive his just dessert in the annals of history and be deemed a “great President:  That is highly unlikely. 

Originally Posted 01/13/09

“I Knew It…I Knew It…I Knew It”

The Raptor’s daughter is an extremely smart kid.  She is in fact so smart she knew exactly what to gift The Raptor for Christmas..it was the 30 year anniversary DVD of “Animal House”.  This flick is perhaps at the top of a long list of Raptor Favs.  It was a hit with the college crowd when it came out in the late 70’s and its characters were legendary.

Pinto, Flounder, Otter, Boon and Bluto were the principals while D-Day, Stork and Hoover played smaller but integral parts. 

Many of the skits within the movie are memorable but one of The Raptor’s Favs was that point in the movie where the Delta Boys have returned from the road trip and the Dean, Vernon Wormer, has summoned the members of Delta in order to inform them that they have been expelled.

Assembled before the Dean were D-Day, Pinto, Hoover, Flounder and Bluto.  The Dean asked as to the whereabouts of the other two..Stratton and Shoenstein, to which Hoover replies “we looked everywhere, but couldn’t find them”.  The dean waves off Hoover’s response and pulls out his file on the Delta’s and reads off the grades from the mid term.  Pinto is at the top of the top of the Delta Pledge Class, while Bluto’s grade point average is “zero point zero”  That is priceless dialog.

After the Delta’s were dismissed from The Dean’s office, they gathered back at the frat house where Bluto uttered his classic “seven years of college…down the drain” and Hoover, looking utterly defeated while staring at the floor said over and over…“I Knew It”.

And that’s exactly how The Raptor feels about real world issues, especially the stock market.  Each passing day seems to bring out another round of “I Knew Its”.  First it was the rising cost of gas.  Then it was the failure of Washington Mutual, Then the failure of Merrill Lynch, then Goldman Sachs, then AIG Insurance.  Then it was the parochial way that politicians like Sara Palin rolled Freddie and Fannie off their tongues like they actually knew what they were talking about. 

Then the world found out that America’s Auto manufacturers were verging on bankruptcy, which prompted stooges like President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Senator John McCain to look the American people in the eye and state that the economy was “fundamentally sound”.  Again..are you kidding me?

Now we have the stock broker community giving out sage advice on planning for the long haul and to avoid panic.  These are the same brokers who cooked their analytical possesses  this past spring and summer which created artificially high price targets which skyrocketed the price of crude oil which hit Americans right in the wallet.  It’s not like I can go to my broker and take my money back.  What the hell am I going to do with it?  That money was supposed to double every seven years to the point that I would have hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement.  Basically, if that were to happen now, by the time I turn 65, I will have about $100,000.00.  That will last me about 3 years.

Now Americans are learning that the $700,000,000,000.00 bailout (see…it looks more compelling that 700 Billion) is another sham.  Apparently, the banks who received the funds will not reveal what was done with the money and now that’s gone.  So Congress is being pressured to release the remaining funds and what will happen to those funds?

Originally Posted 01/12/09

So Long Mr. President...

President George W. Bush conducted a press conference today and to The Raptor’s amazement, every word that came out of his mouth was of a predictable nature..  The capstone of the President’s legacy was his post 9/11 go get em’ attitude against Al-Qaeda.  His resolve on this front has given The President some sort of platform from which he can leave his office with the somewhat dubious claim that his actions have protected our “homeland” from a terrorist attack.

Here is where The Raptor stands on this issue.  Let’s use a hunting analogy here.  If the hunter has found his mark with one muzzle in his double barrel shotgun, it is in his best interest to save the other shell for another target.  Al-Qaeda nailed it on 9/11.  The planning for the attacks may have begun on the vapors of the first attack on the World Trade Center, which occurred in 1993.  That was eight years previous to 9/11.  The reason Al-Qaeda hasn’t returned to our “homeland” is because they are still in the planning stages. 

It’s not like the sleeper cells presently lurking in the shadows of our cities need to act quickly…after all President Bush’s flimsy mandate, which was passed to him by the Supreme Court in the aftermath of the 2000 Election was crushed in a couple of hours.  As a result, the USA is in a swan dive on a number of fronts.  Whether it be the economy or our crumbling infrastructure or even the collapse of our auto industry, even if he will not admit it, the nation is in turmoil and President Bush and his Republican Party are responsible for it.

Now The President has the gall and the temerity to go in front of the Nation and state that he is “disappointed” that there were no weapon’s of mass destruction found in Iraq or that it wasn’t a good idea to put a “Mission Accomplished” banner up on an aircraft carrier that the President used like a movie prop in order to promote his agenda.  In addition, he thinks that elitists and “opiners” may not agree with him and this doesn’t necessarily mean that the USA’s luster is tarnished around the world…what are you kidding me Mr. President?

The Raptor could go on for hours on this matter, but in closing let me note that author Ron Suskind stated on Hardball today that while The President is attempting to embellish his place in history, he is in fact in a “State of Denial”…apparently Mr. Suskind must have read Bob Woodward’s book.