Friday, June 15, 2012

The Irish Rovers - The Orange and the Green

This would have been great for St. Patrick's Day, but since the Irish Rovers are claimed by one commenter - "You yanks do know the Irish Rovers are Northern Irish Protestants right?" - to be Protestant, I guess any time is fine.

So what's the story behind the orange and the green?  And here:  And here.
[O]range Irish are mainly protestants who see themselves as british, they are descended from English and scottish planters who arrived in Ireland in the 17th century. The meaning behind orange is the orange order which celebrates the battle of the boyne in 1690 when king William of orange (protestant) defeated king James (catholic). Green Irish are mostly roman catholic and see themselves as Irish. They are descended from Irish natives who have always lived in Ireland. Green is the general colour of Ireland and this is why they are called the green Irish.
Hence the flag of Ireland:
Notice even in their flag, they have to keep the Orange and the green separated.

And, generally they hate each other to this day. We should be thankful that Americans from the North and the South did not carry this hatred from the Civil War into today or we'd be killing each other even now. It is good that this song can view the entire sorry situation with humor. ("Humour" in the UK.)  TD

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Brunswick, Maine in the Civil War (2014 Updates) (Sept 2014 Update added also)

Sept 2014 UPDATE:  History: Brunswick, Maine Civil War Round Table


Visit the Historic Home of Civil War Hero Joshua Chamberlain in Brunswick, Maine
"Lawrence Joshua ( I thought it was Joshua Lawrence .TD) Chamberlain was a quiet college professor when the Civil War began, but before it was over he became one of the Union's most celebrated officers - the hero of Little Round Top at Gettysburg and the man selected to accept Robert E. Lee's formal surrender at Appomattox."  More here at Gettysburg Daily

"After the war, Chamberlain returned to Brunswick, Maine and his teaching position at Bowdoin College. He was elected to four terms as Governor of the state of Maine and, later, became president of Bowdoin."

MAINE INFANTRY REGIMENTS in the Civil War.
Brunswick Trivia:  "Brunswick, Maine has the widest main street in Maine because Indians burned down the town and in order for that not to happen again they made the main street very wide so that the fire could not jump from building to building."  More here.

Harriet Beecher Stowe's book, Uncle Tom's Cabin was largely composed in Brunswick, ME.   "Stowe, a Connecticut-born teacher at the Hartford Female Academy and an active abolitionist, wrote the novel as a response to the 1850 passage of the second Fugitive Slave Act. Much of the book was composed in Brunswick, Maine, where her husband, Calvin Ellis Stowe, taught at his alma mater, Bowdoin College."....
"In recent years, the negative associations with Uncle Tom's Cabin have, to an extent, overshadowed the historical impact of the book as a "vital antislavery tool." "

I searched over three hours for a roster of troops from Brunswick who served in the Civil War. Perhaps the numerous links included in this post can lead those interested in this subject to research further. If you find something, please leave us a link in the comments section below


the post. TD

More sources here.


2014 UPDATES:  
Civil War general's Medal of Honor discovered inside book at church sale
Joshua Chamberlain's original Medal of Honor (Courtesy Pejepscot Historical Society)
 
The August 2014 issue of Civil War Times features on pages 28-29, this article: "Chamberlain's Beloved Brunswick".  This photo showing a Maltese cross representing the Army of the Potomac's V Corps that once decorated the chimney of the Chamberlain home is in this article.
 

Dramatic video: From Conception to Birth

"Dallas"; politically correct, but still a good story. So it is said


Say It Ain’t So, J.R.: New “Dallas” Reboot is Anti-Drilling, Anti-Fracking, Anti-Oil Propaganda   ..."But they got 80-year-old Hagman out of the crypt and pulled 60-year-old Duffy back to the Southfork ranch to help introduce a new, younger generation of anti-Big Oil, anti-drilling, environmentalist Ewings–all of whom look like girliemen compared to the cowboys of the ’80s series." 

JR a threat to the environment.  "The opening scenes tell the story—evil comes in torrents of black, as in oil gushing from the earth, a gush that soils the faces of the cheering drillers who brought it forth."


Revival of hit prime-time soap is vapid, unimaginative  "But in context with this year’s update, the show exists as a record of the progress, power, wealth and success that oil money has brought to the state of Texas."


Related: Actress Lucy Lawless boards ship to protest Arctic oil drilling
Matt Damon's 'The Promised Land' to be 'anti-fracking' movie
Alec Baldwin To Host Anti-fracking Screening Event

Our father who art in the White House

Legal Insurrection  "A number of readers have sent me links or images of a Father’s Day promotion Obama is running to scoop up e-mail addresses for fundraising.
Real Clear Politics:

"Reader John saw a simlar ad at The NY Times website, which links to this sign up page.  The page asks for your name, zip code and e-mail address in order to “sign” a Father’s Day card.  I’m not sure where that takes you, because I’m not giving them that information..."
"I think it’s time for a follow up to the The “best” “worst” Obama-adoring video Reader Poll, which excluded news videos.  
"So, give me your suggestions for the “best” “worst” Obama-adoring statement on television.  There must be a video link available." ....
One such mentioned in the comments at this post: NBC's Lee Cowan: Covering Barack Obama Makes My Knees Quake     

Read more here.


Althouse:" How Obama lost me"

Ann Althouse  "It will be in the tradition of "How Kerry lost me" and "How McCain lost me." 
"But the first thing that springs to mind, that will definitely be on the long list of links to old posts of mine will be "Do you understand the massive destruction the government is paying for? The destruction of perfectly operable cars?" The video embedded at that link made a crushing impact on me."  (Below)

Romney’s Psych Out Ad

Alana Goodman  "Mitt Romney’s latest attack ad against President Obama (the first negative spot of the campaign, as Jim Geraghty points out) sends two messages. On the surface it’s a cut-and-dry ad criticizing Obama as out of touch on the economy, but there’s another message that seems aimed at psyching out the Obama campaign. See if you can catch it:"

"Look familiar? As the Huffington Post reports, Romney’s ad is a mirror image of one of Obama’s most effective attack ads against John McCain in 2008. Same music. Same format. Same kicker: “How can [he] expect to fix it…if he doesn’t understand what’s broken?” Take a look:"....

Nanny Bloomberg and his orcs never sleep

Political Cartoons by Henry Payne

Bloomberg: Big Gulp Sodas only the beginning  The fact that so many New Yorkers are willing to let Nanny Bloomberg run their lives brings to mind my favorite Sam Adams quote:
"If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen."
 New York Health panel talks about wider food ban  "At the meeting, some of the members of board said they should be considering other limits on high-calorie foods."  Ah, the addictiveness of power.
Bad timing, Burger King:
Political Cartoons by Steve Breen

http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/2012/06/13/100183

Another Obama economic proposal coming down the tracks.

Let's see now; what do I think Mr. Obama will propose today? I'd say since his goal is to get another four years in office, he will probably propose significant gifts and incentives to particular segments such as young people. Word is that there is less enthusiasm among young voters, so how about forgiveness for their college loans (at enormous cost)? They  will naturally be wisely opposed by Republicans, who will then be demagogued by Obama. The Obamamedia will ask Romney if he opposes these "gifts," and what can he say that they won't grill him unmercifully about?
I'd guess the things Obama may propose will all be enacted only if and when he is re-elected, giving voters a financial incentive to vote Democrat. 
Watch for the word, "inherited" in his speech which seems to be a good tactic.
Now let's see what wiser minds think about all this:
Neal Boortz: Obama speaks on economy today  "Whether you intend to vote for Obama or not, you know in your hearts and brains that this hack does not have a clue in hell how to oversee, let alone rescue, a private sector capitalist economy.  He will have no new ideas today.  It will be the same old ObamaCrap.  We need to hire more government (union) workers and make those evil rich bastards pay some income taxes. 
"But … don’t forget, this is a “framing speech.”  So here’s what Obama can be expected to do:"....

Michael Barone seems to think Obama's plans will be influenced by these people: Obama Listens to Rich Liberals, at His Peril  "He’s also had plenty of chances to absorb the advice of the kind of rich liberals who like to give money to Democratic presidents. And the evidence that he has taken some of that advice is his initiatives on three issues, each of which involves serious political risk."
Political Cartoons by Bob Gorrell
Washington Post: Obama needs to end his slide. Today's speech is important.  "I'm increasingly convinced Obama doesn't know what to say. He knows he is for tax increases, but his reasons seem punitive rather than economic. He is for firemen and police. But the suggestion that he is alone in that support, or that Romney or anyone else is against them, is arrogant to the point of being insulting. Insulting not to Romney, but to voters. He shouldn't stoop to hiding his failures behind pious pledges of support for firemen and law enforcement."

Dueling speeches, big day: Obama, Romney in Ohio  "Obama wants: a choice between his economic ideas and Romney's. As he has done before at pivotal moments in his presidency, Obama will use a big speech to try to reframe the debate."....
"Romney will talk about cutting regulation and spending, overhauling the tax system, doing away with Obama's health care overhaul and supporting a major oil pipeline known as Keystone XL." 

Hot Air Video: “Lost Focus”   "The RNC goes after Barack Obama ahead of his “reframing” speech in Ohio [today] by reminding people just how often Obama has had to “reframe” his approach to the economy.  In “Lost Focus,” the spot highlights just a few of the promises of “pivots” to jobs by the Obama administration:"
"Instead of coming up with new ideas — as Obama’s policies clearly aren’t working — Obama will propose that the failure of Obamanomics is still the fault of a man who hasn’t been President in almost four years.  Voters may still blame Bush for the economic collapse in 2008, but they’re not going to buy that the current economic malaise isn’t due to Obama’s policies, and they certainly aren’t going to vote to “stay the course” as we slip back closer to another recession."

Politico: Boehner gives 'pre-buttal' to Obama speech "In the video, Boehner is shown with copies of several of the 30-plus House-passed bills – a line that has been a rallying mantra for congressional Republicans this year. In tandem, Boehner’s office released a blog post that lays out a sharper attack on Obama and what they view as a “pivot to nothing” amid an economy still suffering a jobless rate above 8 percent."

NRO: Dismantling the Case Obama Will Take Today   "President Obama will use a speech in Ohio today effectively to hit a reset button on his re-election campaign, following a stretch of bad economic news and messaging missteps that have shaken Democrats’ confidence and caused some allies to sound the alarm."....
"Translation: Trash the opposition, promise the world to your base, and hope to win a low-turnout election."
Political Cartoons by Nate Beeler

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Young Jamie Lee Curtis doing a bit part on Colombo

Columbo with Jamie Lee Curtis (1977)

You can't bring that donut in here!

Ann Coulter: Obama's Public Sector Full Employment Plan

Ann Coulter  "Obama's monumentally idiotic statement has led his media defenders to recycle Mitt Romney's alleged "gaffe" from several months ago, when he said: "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me."
...."Far from a gaffe, Romney's actual sentence is the key to understanding the nation's health care crisis -- which happens to be exactly what he was talking about."
Political Cartoons by Eric Allie

...."Only with the government do we continuously get worse service for a higher price.
"Take away the ability to fire people, and you have airport security, public schools, Veterans Administration hospitals, the Postal Service, General Motors and Pinch Sulzberger, New York Times family scion.
"Health insurers may technically be private companies, but they are required by law to cover a slew of services, making them an extension of monopolistic government. (Similarly, the old AT&T was a "private" company, but in reality it was just a government-run monopolistic phone company providing no choice, poor service, little innovation and obscenely high prices.)

Political Cartoons by Glenn Foden
...."Insurance companies need only concern themselves with satisfying government regulators and corporate purchasers. Meanwhile, doctors have to please only the insurance companies, which don't particularly care how patients are treated, as long as it's cheap."
Political Cartoons by Henry Payne
...."Once we were allowed to purchase health insurance across states lines -- prohibited by law today -- everyone would be buying insurance from companies based in states such as Utah, which have the fewest mandates about what health insurers must cover.
"Insurance companies would be responsive to us, the people buying their services, and not the government or corporations."
Political Cartoons by Nate Beeler
Townhall cartoons
...."For better service right now, for example, the American people need to fire Barack Obama and hire Mitt Romney."

They told me if I voted for McCain that America would be torn apart with racial divisions. So it is.

Neal Boortz: That's Raaacist  "For the record, let’s take a look at our “That’s Raaaacist” list that we’ve been compiling over the last few months.  This is an evolving list of all the examples where libs and proggies try to claim that some reference to Obama is racist."
"Now it’s already time to add another."...


Obama Ad Targets Blacks: "Show The President We Have His Back"   (Audio)
" “Four years ago we made history,” a male announcer says. “Now it’s time to move forward and finish what we started together. We have to show the President we have his back.” The spot is inter-cut with audio from President Obama’s speeches, touching on familiar political and campaign themes."

J. Christian Adams: Meet the Radical DOJ Lawyer Suing Florida to Keep Foreigners on Voter Rolls  "Let’s meet Jenigh Garrett, the radical DOJ Voting Section lawyer who filed the lawsuit today to stop Florida from removing non-citizens from the voter rolls.  She is a long-time opponent of state election integrity laws, as are so many of the recent hires exposed by the PJ Media Every Single One series."


CBC staff: Opposition to Obama is racist  "Angela Rye, Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus, argued that President Obama has struggled during his first term due to racially-motivated opposition from conservatives who dislike having a black president."

Here it comes. The economy isn't Obama's fault; racial division in this country is not Obama's fault and if he loses this next election it will not be because he is inept, immature, a demagogue and associated with radicals, it will be due to his being black.
If Obama is voted out of office, be prepared to have our country branded as racist by African-Americans, celebrities, college professors and every liberal in the country with a need to "make a difference". Be prepared to see Obama present at every racial protest along with Sharpton, Jackson, Van Jones and every other leftist with a racial axe to grind.


Thomas Sowell: Holder's Chutzpah (Reprise)  "But the actor had made his point. When a white man with no identification can go to a voting site, impersonate a black man who lives in that district, and get his ballot offered to him, then it is far too easy to commit voter fraud."