THE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL JEWISH CAUCUS

The big political news over the past few days is that Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter has switched Parties from Republican to Democrat. This gives the Democrats a 59 to 40 lead over the Republican. With the inevitable addition of Al Franken, aka Stuart Smalley from Minnesota, the Dems will have reached the magic number of 60. For the Democrats, that means immunity from the filibuster, a tactic used by the minority that's basically talking non-stop to obstruct a vote on any given issue. An interesting point of fact-one of the longest filibusters by a Senator is 14 hours held by Robert Byrd a Democrat from West Virginia. The issue that so inspired Senator Byrd? Stopping a vote on the Civil Rights Act.

But I digress.

For those of you that don't really follow the career of Arlen Specter, it must seem like the Dems have pulled off quite a coup, but in reality, Senator Specter was never a Republican to begin with. He's one of those politicians referred to as a RINO (Republican In Name Only). It's akin to a spy that has infiltrated the other side. The purpose of a RINO, or it's counterpart, the DINO, is to show up on partisan issues and act like the outraged member of the other party. For instance, when the Republicans are trying to stop legislation on Global Warming, the Dems trot out Senator Specter to act outraged at the behavior of his fellow Republicans. This allows Democrats to say things like, "The Republicans are so off-base on this issue even one of their own is against them." It works very well.

But 'Ol Arlen plays another role that isn't talked about in the Main Stream Media. Aaaand, since it's my self-appointed job to give all of you the inside ball on how the game is played, I'll pull the curtain back yet one more time.

Arlen Specter is a member of the Jewish Caucus. In fact, up until the other day he was the only Republican Jewish Caucus Member. You would think that the only Republican member of a political organization turning Democrat would be news in and of itself. I'll leave it to your fertile minds to figure out why it isn't being reported as such. I'll give you a clue though, how many behind-the-scene groups like drawing attention to themselves?

The Jewish Caucus is very unique in the House and Senate. It's unique because it is way over represented. While Jewish people make up only 2.2% of the U.S. population, they make up 14% of the Senate and 7.5% 0f the House. Compare that to The Hispanic Caucus which has 1 Senator (1%), Bob Menendez, a Cuban-American Democrat from New Jersey, and 19 House Representatives (4%) despite being the largest minority in the U.S. at about 14%. It's no wonder the Jewish Caucus likes to keep it quiet.

The Jewish Caucus is now 100% Democrat, and while it may confuse you as to why a very religious group (they are after all, a race that defines itself by their religion) would align themselves completely with the Dems. There is a very good reason.

Most base groups, like the Pro-Choice groups for instance, align themselves with the Democrats because they feel they are, for the most part, the only ones representing their group's views. But to believe that the Dems are the only Party to represent the Pro-Israeli view is quite a stretch. In fact, it's usually the Republicans that feed the Israeli war machine with their military subsidies. The Jewish Caucus operates as almost a third party. They can force Democrats like Barack Obama to bend to their will on issues pertaining to Israel by threatening their fragile majority. Refuse to cooperate and the 14 unified Senators might not back issues important to President Obama. Play the game and he's assured of their support. Remember 60 minus 14 doesn't leave the Dems with a majority at all.

The Jewish Caucus is a lesson in manipulation in politics. My point here is not to vilify the Jewish people. I am, in fact a supporter of the State of Israel and an advocate against anti-Semitism. However, the power of the Jewish Caucus is vastly under-reported. Perhaps there's even some lessons here for the other minority caucuses. For them, it might be worth considering whether they would be more powerful if they took the Jewish tact, and jumped sides themselves. H.C.

THE NEW MCCARTHYISM

As all of you know by now, I am a huge fan of the First Amendment to the Constitution-Freedom of Speech. I have the right to speak my mind and other people have the absolute right to disagree. I am not a fan of using "Hate Speech" laws or any other restrictions on the free flow of ideas. The only exception I will accept is direct threats toward an individual or group. The problem I have with the concept of "Hate Speech" is that it can be used to quiet anyone who disagrees with the status quo.Frankly, I feel that any disagreement I have with something one side feels would help their group could be considered "Hate Speech" by that group. That's unacceptable to me because it hinders free debate. If your on the side that's right, why fear debate? If I know I'm right, I feel I have an advantage and if I can't defend my beliefs, maybe I should change them. I would disagree with these restrictions if it were used by conservatives to stop atheists or evolutionists from having their point of view in my schools. And I am equally offended by the left's efforts to stop the creationists from having their view. I understand that science is science, but if it's taught as a philosophy or just as a theory, then I see no harm. The restriction of free debate is far more harmful than anything that someone I disagree with can say.

Unfortunately, in this country today, being un-politically correct can get you far more than a good debate. It can get you fired, it can get you denied your goals, and it can get you ostracized by people who think that tolerance is a word for how you should treat them.

In Universities across America, free speech is hindered by the very people who pretend to defend it. University Presidents have been fired for suggesting that maybe women just aren't attracted to the idea of being Engineers. Philosophy professors are fired for suggesting that there may be a God. Criminologists are fired for suggesting that crime statistics of a group may not only be due to prejudice. All this happens while others are supported while exercising their rights to bad-mouth the U.S. ritualistically or trashing religious people and their faith.

At this point in history, no cow is more sacred than Gay Rights.

The very mention of your disagreement with Gay Marriage in the public arena will bring you instant scorn. That in and of itself is not the problem-that is debate. However, it has now gotten to the point where it's advocates are going out of their way to punish anyone, any way possible for simply disagreeing. I myself have been banned (read blacklisted) from any political discussion groups on Myspace for stating my view on Gay Marriage respectfully.

The most recent example of this new form of McCarthyism has demonstrated itself in the Miss USA Pagent. Miss California, Carrie Prejean was asked by gossip blogger Perez Hilton about her stance on same-sex marriage.Ms. Prejean responded, and I quote,"I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised." Now, you have to admit, that's a respectful answer while still stating your position.

Immediately afterward, she was told that her statement cost her the crown.

Soon after that came the barrage of misinformation designed to vilify Ms. Prejean for exercising her right to disagree. "In Entertainment" stated that she said gay people, "should not be allowed to marry." This same statement was carried on MSN and a host of other left-leaning media outlets. Clearly, that's a misrepresentation of what she said.

Here's the main question folks. Do organizations have the right to deny you a job, to fire you from your job, or to stop you from winning a contest based solely on your opinion on a controversial issue? I understand that some positions are representative of that organization, but are we taking it too far when we demand that all our employees think like we do? I once heard radio talk show host Laura Schlessinger tell a Christian woman that it was O.K. to fire a employee because she didn't share her Christian values. Is that right? Can I ban single mothers from working for my business because I don't share their morality? The entire entertainment industry has now shown itself to be unified on "blacklisting" someone if they don't swear allegiance to the Gay Movement. No matter your stand on the issue, you have to admit, Joseph McCarthy would be so proud of their methods. H.C.

THE SCUM THAT SAVED THE EARTH

It grows in almost any stagnant water whether it's salt, fresh or brackish. It needs only carbon dioxide, sunlight and some kind of waste for it's diet of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. It can grow incredibly fast, reaching maturity in as little as 14 days. It can reach the size of a state. It's found everywhere and can grow anywhere. It just might be the answer to some of the biggest problems the human race faces. It could end Global Warming, turn CO2 into a cash crop, feed our livestock and consume our waste all while producing oxygen. It's potential is being studied by scientists funded by Bill Gates. It has among it's supporters the Silicon Valley billionaire Vinod Khosla, country singer Willie Nelson and the U.S. Department of Defense. "It" is algae.

Last year tests conducted at PetroSun Biofuels’ pilot algae farm in Opelika, Ala., showed oil production between 5,000 and 8,000 gallons per acre per year. It has already produced 4.4 million gallons of bio fuel. Sapphire Energy, a start up company from San Diego, California has an "open check" to do the research and development necessary to get algae fuel production on the map. Some of the money is coming courtesy of Microsoft founder Bill Gate' investment firm Cascade, but investors from all over are getting involved. Algae is the fuel of the future, all we have to do is make it large scale and profitable. In this piece I'll go over why I think algae is the ultimate solution and why we should all be pushing this alternative fuel to the front of the line.

*It's feasible*

The shear numbers involved in our fuel consumption are enough to eliminate most alternatives. The U.S. consumes over 18 million barrels of oil a day. That's 756 million gallons a day or 276 billion gallons a year. No small sum, to be sure. For ethanol from standard crops to be viable, it would take huge percentages of our farmland. As of now, ethanol, primarily from corn, is only 2% of our fuel use and consumes roughly 2% of our corn (U.S.), therefore it would take 100% of our presently available corn to reach our fuel needs. This would cause huge rises not only in our corn-related food prices, but also our meat prices since livestock is fed primarily corn.In exchange for these rises in food prices, corn produces about 423 gallons of ethanol per acre per year. Algae on the other hand is estimated to produce 5,000 to 50,000 gallons per acre, per year. That's 7 to 30 times greater than the next best crop, Chinese tallow (699 gallons). That's a far better use of our land.

*It's carbon negative*

What that means is; not only does algae not leave a carbon foot print, but it actually consumes so much CO2 that it leaves a negative footprint. Unlike some of the other bio masses, algae is squeezed, not cooked. That means it doesn't need other gases to heat it up like ethanol does.The best part about algae as a fuel is that most of the operations being formed pump CO2 through chambers to grow the algae more effectively. One example is the Vertigro system by Valcent Co. which uses vertical tubes. Since the Co2 is brought in, it makes things like carbon capture even more feasible. In fact, it could even solve one of the biggest problems with carbon capture, the cost. When captured, CO2 could be sold as a cash crop to Algae farms. Coal-burning energy plants may make a comeback.

*It produces bio feed*

By using certain edible varieties of algae for bio-fuel, an added bonus is produced. The remaining biomass left over from the process is an excellent food for livestock, thereby leaving more farmland for other crops.

*It can consume our waste*

One of the biggest problems mankind faces on a daily basis is what to do with all our waste. Algae provides a solution. Human and animal waste is, as everyone knows, an excellent fertilizer. By utilizing those wastes to provide Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for the algae farms, two birds are killed with one stone.

In short, I have never been as excited about any one thing as the future of algae as a bio-fuel. It produces no sulfur, emits very little carbon and consumes more than it will ever produce. It takes up very little land (relatively speaking) and can consume our wastes while producing oxygen and a livestock feed. Compare that with Petroleum, which is destroying our planet and causing our unnecessary involvement in War-ravaged regions. Even if you don't believe in Global Warming, you still have to admit that all this polluting can't be good for us. How long would you allow me to piss in your well? Until you taste it? Until you see it? We need to learn to live with the Earth and this is a great start. If we can get algae fuel to a comfortable $3 a gallon, we can fix a lot of the world's problems. Who knows, one day we may actually have to burn fossil fuels just to put some CO2 back in the atmosphere. H.C.

PIRATES -0 AMERICA-1

I'm sure by now all of you are as sick as I am of the day-in, day-out coverage of the failed cargo ship hijacking off the coast of Somalia. However, there are so many things that I have to say (in my own twisted-hippie way) about the events of the past few days. There is insight here into President Obama's character, our future foreign policy, as well as a few laughs. So, step inside my psychedelic mind and let's see what's been running around.

The events, just in case you've been living under a rock or are watching a 7-day Spongebob marathon, went down like this; The U.S. flagged cargo ship, Maersk Alabama, was hijacked a few hundred miles off the Horn of Africa. The ship was carrying emergency food relief to Mombasa, Kenya when it was seized by four men armed with AK-47's. Apparently, the crew of twenty men were not allowed to carry weapons for fear of mutiny. I guess hijackings were not among the fears that the owners had, despite a rash of hijackings in that area. In a quick twist of situations, the crew of the Maersk, despite being unarmed, managed to overtake one of the hijackers. The other three, sensing a turn of fate, fled with the Captain of the ship, Richard Phillips, as a hostage onto one of the Maersk's lifeboats.

Now here's where it gets funny.

Since the ship's crew were holding one of the pirates and the pirates were holding their Captain, a swap seemed to be in order. Oddly enough, the crew took the pirates at their word and released their man first. The pirates then, of course, refused to release the Captain. Fer Christ's sake, didn't a single person on that ship watch "Pirates of the Caribbean"??? They're pirates!

After realizing their incredibly stupid mistake, the crew, now backed up by the American Navy destroyer, the USS Bainbridge, and several other vessels, began negotiating for the Captain's release. You have to hand it to the U.S. Navy for over-kill, The Bainbridge is a guided-missile destroyer carrying Tomahawk cruise missiles, torpedoes and two MH-60 Knighthawk helicopters armed with Hellfire missiles. All that vs. four men with light weapons in a glorified row-boat. Despite all that show-of-force, the four men managed to hold the U.S. Navy at bay for several days.

Now, this is the part where I wish I was a fly-on-the-wall.

To negotiate with the U.S. Navy, one of the pirates came aboard the reclaimed Maersk. During the negotiations, per President Obama's orders, the officers in charge sensed things were going badly and O.K.'ed sharpshooters to take out the three remaining pirates in the lifeboat. Three shots from our nation's finest and three pirates lay dead. Now, this is the other part I find funny. When the remaining pirate was told of this change in his bargaining position, how did he react? Did he try to play it off? "O.K. then, here's my final offer. You let me go with the lifeboat and my dead friends and we'll call it even. Deal?" One thing's for sure, I'll bet his attitude changed very suddenly.

The fact that there's still pirates boarding ships in the 21st century is a strange test for our new President. But I have to say, I give him high marks for this one. As I've said before, I love a story where the bad guys get theirs in the end. I have been somewhat worried that Obama had bought into the Liberal idea that fighting back just creates more enemies. Sure, the pirates immediately spouted off that the U.S. would pay for it's refusal to submit. Trash always talks trash. But if I'm a pirate, or a terrorist, I have to be thinking to myself, "These damn Americans have a nasty habit of fighting back." And that's the America I love. Great job crew of the Alabama Mearsk, excellent work sharpshooters, and good call Mr. President. H.C.

LIVING A BETTER LIFE

It has occurred to me lately that a lot of people out in the real world have been living a life filled with chaos and unhappiness. Financial problems, marital problems, kid problems, you name it and I've heard people complain about it. Now, I've never claimed to be a relationship guru or a financial whizkid of any kind. My thing is politics and that's usually where I like to keep my focus. However, quite often, I have people asking me for advice, (which they seldom seem to take, for reasons I'm unsure of.) Perhaps it's because I tend to not sugar-coat things or that I simply tell them things that they don't want to hear. Like, that it may be their own fault.

Despite coming from a very bad start in life (poor, broken family, abusive father, early drug abuse, etc.), I have managed to have a great life and I swear to you, if I died this very minute, I would have no regrets. I have been married now for 30 years this August (to my one and only love). I own two houses and I am financially secure despite the fact that neither me nor my wife make much money. I have three children and six grandchildren who I love very much, and who I know love me. I feel I am reasonably happy nearly all the time. All of this didn't come about by some amazing stroke of luck. No matter what your fatalist friends may tell you, happiness is not an accident. So, in order to hopefully help all of you to have a better and more fulfilling life, I have arranged a few of my favorite little "words to live by." Follow them and I will promise, your life will be better in the long run.

1) "You are the most important person you'll ever sleep with." If your not happy with who you are, you can never be truly happy. Don't depend on your inner happiness coming from some boyfriend or girlfriend, from drugs or alcohol, or from fame or success. Be a good person within yourself. I know it sounds overly simple, but knowing your an honest, good person makes it easier to take the criticism that will always come, and easier to take the falls knowing you did your best with the best of intent. No matter how it turns out. Being a good person attracts other good people and that by itself will make your life better.

2) "Live within your means." Man, a lot of you need to know this one. Shiny cars don't make you a better person, neither do fancy clothes or a big house or a new cell phone. Those things are great for showing off, but they only attract other superficial people. The grief that comes with wondering how you'll pay your bills will only make you more miserable in the end. That hole in your heart can never be filled with things.

3) "Friends are the gift you give yourself." You wouldn't give yourself a crappy gift, why surround yourself with crappy friends? A good friend cares about you and you about them. People who are fun to be around are great, but fun times end, and I would much rather have a friend that will stick around when things go bad. Things to look for in a real friend are honesty and loyalty. Real friends don't hit on your girlfriend or boyfriend the minute you leave the room. They want to see you happy.

4) "Find another good person to share your life with." A lot of people make their life miserable because they tried to make a life with someone that they thought they loved, but they really only lusted after. Looks don't last. Great sex doesn't either. It really hard to have a good life when you jumble it all up with ex-wives, ex-husbands, step kids, child support and all the things that come with one bad decision. Take your time, watch for red flags. Before you even think about having children with someone, ask yourself, "Is this someone I would want for a parent?" No one thing has made a bigger impact on my life than choosing my wife as my soul mate.

5) "Care about other people." Your not likely to hold onto that great wife or great best friend if your a selfish bastard. Other people have needs and feelings too. Try to be sensitive to their needs. A really great relationship of any sort is a give and take. Two takers can not be together very long. One giver and one taker will eventually leave one feeling very used.

6) "Always have a plan B." No matter how well you plan your life, some things will go wrong. Prepare for it. Always think ahead. I've often thought that chess is a great learning tool for life. Those that plan three moves ahead are seldom completely surprised. Keep money in the bank "just in case", never tap out all your credit, buy insurance if you have things to lose. Know what you will do if plan A fails.

7) "Practice discipline." For some strange reason, discipline has been devalued by our culture and we are all less for it. Many cultures even have rites of discipline where people learn to stand on painful pits of fire or lie on beds of nails. All that you gain in life can leave in one moment of weakness. Ask any one of a number of politicians. Find a way to practice disciplining yourself by denying yourself something you want. Use your discipline to save money or to eat good foods instead of bad. Self discipline will help you resist temptation of all sorts. Those that bend to every temptation are guaranteed a life of chaos.

8) "Learn to love." This is a lesson that will take your whole life. Learn to love the beauty of a day. Learn to love the people around you. Learn to love the innocence of children. Learn to love the earth and all the wonderful things she has to teach you. Of all the things that God has given us, none is greater than love. Only when you learn to love yourself, only when you learn to love others, and only when you learn to love life, can you truly be happy.

One of my all time favorite quote comes from Albert Einstein, "You can choose to live in a negative universe or a positive universe, but the choice is yours." Mr. Einstein hit that one right on the head. I hope that all of you will take these words to heart and try, starting today, to live in a positive universe. Several decades ago, a miserable, drug addicted, lost soul decided he would change his life by adopting a few rules to be a better person. I have never been sorry. H.C.