Thursday, June 27, 2013

Gettysburg in the east; Vicksburg in the west simultaneously

Remember the same time Lee was repulsed at Gettysburg, the Mississippi fortress at Vicksburg surrendered to General Grant.

Battle of Vicksburg  Resource links here for the serious student of the Civil War.
TravelBrains offers this.
The Battle of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was the culmination of a two year effort  by Union armies and navies to wrest control of the Mississippi River from Confederate forces.

Battle of Vicksburg photos 

Battlefield photos

USS Cairo; sunken and restored "Over the years the gunboat was soon forgotten and her watery grave was slowly covered by a shroud of silt and sand. Impacted in mud, Cairo became a time capsule in which her priceless artifacts were preserved. Her whereabouts became a matter of speculation as members of the crew had died and local residents were unsure of the location."

Cedar Grove Mansion Inn and Restaurant We stayed here a number of years ago and were surrounded by history. The original front door has a repaired hole where a cannon ball from a Union gunboat went through it. In the wall of the parlor a cannonball is still embedded after a century and a half. If you enjoy a bed and breakfast as well as history, this is one stop you should consider.  TD








                    Vicksburg animated map   Hard to open up for me.
"Watch our animated map of the Battle of Vicksburg, produced by Wide Awake Films in partnership with Friends of Vicksburg Battlefield. Learn more about this important Civil War campaign and battle, one sometimes called the turning point of the war."

One stop shopping

Hat tip to JP Curnutt, Oregon

Shame on Target and Wal Mart.

Paula Deen fans lash out against Wal-Mart

"Return all of their items and ask for refunds if they cant support Paula Deen!" read the first comment on Wal-Mart's Facebook page.
"I think it is absolutely terrible what you have done to Paula Deen," a commenter said on the Facebook page of Caesars Palace Casino.
"That chicken looks a little racist. Maybe it shouldn't be on that salad," wrote a commenter on a Food Network Facebook post about its Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe of the day.

If you care to register an opinion to these companies, here is a tip:

"Despite the outpouring of support for Deen, social media marketing consultants note that Facebook (FB) comments typically don't impact brands on their own. Negative reactions on Twitter, on the other hand, can actually do some serious damage."  Emphasis added.

How to join Twitter. In case you want to comment for or against Paula Deen among other things.


Paula Deen Fans Flock to Her Cruise to Show Support   "Where other Paula Deen sponsors are dropping like flies, a small travel agency in New Jersey that handles booking for the "Paula Deen Cruise" continues to stand by the embattled former Food Network personality amid popular demand."

Martha Stewart: 'I Feel Sorry For Paula Deen'  "Paula Deen might be in the midst of a professional spiral - following her admission of using the N-word in the past - but she does have the support of a fellow TV lifestyle personality, one who knows her fair share about public scrutiny."

Talk about demagoguery and distortion, see the cartoons

While Caesars, the Food Network and Smithfield Foods have dropped her, at least nine companies are voicing their support for Paula Deen.
"Deen's camp earlier Wednesday sent out two releases with letters of support from some nine different partners with whom Deen does business." They are:
  • Tasty Blends Foods of Frasiers Bottom, W.Va.
  • Landies Candies in Buffalo, N.Y
  • Springer Mountain Farms
  • Sandridge Food Co. in Medina, Ohio
  • 450ID, a graphic design company in Philadelphia
  • Harvest NA
  • IQ Craft
  • Epicurean Butter
  • Club Marketing Services
Meanwhile, the worst of the racists pay no price at all
 
 

The upside-down world of race relations in the era of liberalism

Via Weasel Zippers:
North Carolina Democrat Says County Should Not Hire White Men… Shocked When People Have A Problem With This…
"Normally racism against whites is completely ignored, this is the exception, not the rule.

"Via Charlotte Observer:"  Read the full article here. 

It’s Kim Ratliff, the board’s Democratic vice chairwoman, who told WBTV that she’d prefer commissioners not choose a “white male” to be the next county manager.
In the first story, aired Friday, Ratliff, who is black, said the county needs a manager who is “a nonwhite male who can have good working relations with all people.”

White House Touts US-Funded Voter ID Program In Kenya Despite Calling Voter ID Laws In America Discriminatory…     "One of the first items highlighted by the White House is a $53 million program in Kenya that helps young people ”obtain National identification cards, a prerequisite to voter registration.” "

Oregon: Ultra-Liberal Portland Drops $2.4 Million On “Cultural Sensitivity Training” For Teachers, Taught How It’s Racist To Offer Non-White Students Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwiches…

"Among other things, PEG teaches school personnel how even their seemingly innocent daily conversations actually foster racism. One example recently used involved a teacher referring to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

" “What about Somali or Hispanic students, who might not eat sandwiches?” asked Dr. Verenice Gutierrez, a principal in the Portland district and a big PEG booster."

Prosecution’s Star Witness Says Travyon Martin Calling Zimmerman A “Creepy-Ass Cracker” Not A “Racial Comment”…
“You don’t think calling someone a creepy-ass cracker is offensive?” West asked.
“No,” Jeantel replied.

Sue and Settle: How the EPA Removes Power from States and Hands It to Environmental Groups

FreedomWorks   "In a report released Tuesday, the American Legislative Exchange Coucil (ALEC) sounded the alarm on the unchecked power grab by the federal government via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the beginning of President Obama's first term in 2009.
"The report reviews the EPA’s unprecedented regulatory expansion that severely curtails state sovereignty by replacing input from the states with environmental groups. This transfer of power seems like something out of Atlas Shrugged, and is accomplished by a method known as Sue and Settle. The effect of Sue and Settle is to limit input from local elected officials and allow radical environmentalists to set policy at the expense of local residents, local budgets and local control."

Disruptive Crowd at Texas Senate Session Sets Terrible Precedent

Political Cartoons by Eric Allie
National Review Online   ...."One can only imagine the outrage if an unruly mob of pro-life activists — egged on by pro-life leaders — succeeded in blocking a pro-abortion bill by shouting down the legislature.
"Regardless of one’s views on abortion, last night’s actions set a terrible precedent. Allowing an unruly crowd to effectively block a vote on a piece of legislation will only serve to encourage disruptive activity in the future. That having been said, pro-lifers should not give up hope. There is speculation that Governor Perry might call another special session of the legislature to reconsider this piece of legislation."

 Reports of the death of SB5 were premature  Videos here.

Texas Filibuster Ignores Gosnell Lessons   "Maybe President Obama could tweet thanks to the folks who had to clean Gosnell's refrigerator. "
20 week old "fetus"
...."Amid the cheers Senator Davis is hearing today, there ought to be someone asking whether she or her highly-placed supporters really believe the American people think there is something extreme about opposing the abortion of a healthy baby that has been in the womb for 21 weeks or in demanding that those who perform such procedures be able—unlike Gosnell—to give assurances about the health of the mother."

Liberal State Bar Spends Three Years Going After Lawyer For Being Conservative Blogger

Intellectual Conservative  "The liberal Arizona State Bar has spent over three years going after the editor of this website, Rachel Alexander, over her conservative political blogging, attempting to suspend her license to practice law. At one point, they broadly demanded to know everything she had ever blogged over the past five years, an obvious fishing expedition. This should be chilling to every blogger out there."

If Paula Deen Is Out, Please Explain Maher and Sharpton

RealClearPolitics   "If celebrity cook Paula Deen is out because of her decades-old private use of the "n" word, what about its public AND private use by MSNBC's Al Sharpton? What about HBO host Bill Maher's use of the "c" word?"
....
"Sharpton, of course, rocketed to fame by falsely accusing two white men of raping and sodomizing black teenager Tawana Brawley. A New York grand jury investigation concluded that the whole case was fraudulent and that Brawley flat-out lied to avoid punishment for staying out too late. To this day, Sharpton refuses to apologize to former Assistant District Attorney Steven Pagones, one of the men Sharpton accused of rape, even after a jury found Sharpton liable for defamation."
 Much more on Sharpton here. You should really know what Democrats are like today and he is one example.  And remember Al Sharpton= MSNBC
....
"Maher, on more than one occasion, publicly called former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin the "c" word.
He has called her a "dumb tw-t" -- a derisive slang word for female genitalia. He has described her son Trig, who has Down syndrome, as "retarded."
 

Along with Snowden, how about Obama's publicizing of national security information? This administration should never have been given security clearances

Seal Team 6 and Special Ops Families File Suit Against Biden & Panetta for Releasing Classified Info
"This leak should be treated the same way the Snowden leak is treated, however it wont be because it was the Vice President and the Secretary of Defense did the leaking that outed Seal Team 6 as the heroes who killed Bin Laden putting a target on their backs resulting in the deaths of 24 American heroes.
"Four families of Navy SEAL Team 6 and special ops forces will be filing a  suit in Washington, D.C federal court today over the death of their sons, whose helicopter was shot down by the Taliban on August 6, 2011 in Afghanistan. Among those who died in the crash were 16 Navy SEALs and 8 special ops servicemen, including the sons of the plaintiffs Charles Strange, Doug and Shaune Hamburger, Sidh Douangdara, and Billy and Karen Vaughn." 
 
Hat tip to Jeffrey Dunetz at Conservative Bloggers on Facebook

The Good and Bad of Obama’s Counterterrorism Strategy

Chappatte cartoon 3-5-13
The Foreign Policy Initiative  "In late May, President Obama gave a high-profile speech to announce his new strategy for countering terrorist threats to the United States and its allies. While certain parts of Obama's new counterterrorism strategy represent a step forward, other aspects alarmingly suggest a step backwards to pre-9/11 thinking."
The Foreign Policy Initiative seeks to promote an active U.S. foreign policy committed to robust support for democratic allies, human rights, a strong American military equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century, and strengthening America’s global economic competitiveness. 

President Obama's Climate Change Plan, June 2013

Council on Foreign Relations  "President Obama spoke at Georgetown University, before the release of his Climate Change Plan, on June 25, 2013. The plan focuses on cutting carbon pollution, preparing for the impact of climate change, and leading international efforts to address global climate change."

Think NSA Spying Is Bad? Here Comes The ObamaCare Hub.

Investors.com  "The Health and Human Services Department earlier this year exposed just how vast the government's data collection efforts will be on millions of Americans as a result of ObamaCare.
.... the HHS said the ObamaCare data hub will "interact" with seven other federal agencies: Social Security Administration, the IRS, the Department of Homeland Security, the Veterans Administration, Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Defense and — believe it or not — the Peace Corps"....