They Can’t, I Can

They Can’t, I Can

Kevin Bryant 

For 23 years, I loved wearing the uniforms of the Army & Navy. I was proud and honored to be able to help defend this country and the constitution. I had great respect for most of the men and women I served with and when one got a promotion, even if I didn’t, I was happy for them. Many deserved them.

 

I loved almost everything about the military. For the first 17 years, it was fun. It was challenging beyond what most can imagine, but I loved being there. The last 6 years…….. 

The last 6 years of my military service, which ended in 2005, was filled almost daily with me and every other person having to watch what we say, watch what we do. Speaking your mind was a very dangerous thing to do. Political correctness was running rampant through the ranks. Racial and gender divisions had taken the place of unit cohesion. In 2003, I finally had been filled with enough lies and deceit by my department ranking senior enlisted, I went off exposing everything he stated 6 months earlier and how every one of his statements turned out to be false. I even provided specific examples of each. The ONLY reason I didn’t get busted down a rank and lose half a month’s pay for two months was because I never once insulted him or showed direct disrespect to his rank. I did lose the 2 of the 3 leadership positions I held at the time, but at that point, receiving that downgrade was a blessing. It meant I didn’t have to play politics every minute of every day. The two that relieved me and took over those positions, 2 weeks later each was cursing me because of the pressure they now had to deal with daily.  

In the military, people look to those senior to them to provide leadership. They expect them to do their jobs and support those working under them so they can do their job. Today’s military has no leadership. From the Commander-in-Chief down to the full bird colonels and Navy Captains, there is no leadership. There is no more keeping your people first and watching out for them. I have great respect for the O-3’s to the 0-1’s and from E-6 all the way down to the E-1’s of every branch of service. 15% of all the military leadership problems start at the E-7 and O-4 ranks. At this point, it’s no longer doing your job and looking out for those below you as they do theirs. It’s “how can I use these guys and girls to get promoted” and “whose ass do I need to kiss and how best to kiss it so I get my promotion.” 

I wonder how many of you think all this started when Obama took office. I never served under Obama (Thank You God). When I entered the service, Ronald Reagan hadn’t even served out his first year of being President. When I entered the service, those in leadership positions used to black-ball those of equal rank who used their positions and their people for their own personal gain. When I left, those leaders that still believed in working with their people and looking out for them were black-balled and given low marks by their superiors. I got ragged on by my equals and immediate supervisors plenty of times because I would help dust or mop the deck or even take out the trash myself instead of ordering someone else who was already busy to go and do it.  

Leadership at the top ranks is even worse. We no longer have generals and admirals who know what so much as a spine is much less have one. The United States military is being led by nothing more than “yes men” puppets to the administration in office. The Sec of Defense is a joke. He’s for nothing but making the military into the showcase idea of what a utopian socialist society is supposed to look like in the eyes of far left liberals. When I entered the military, the strategy was to be able to win a major war in the pacific and one in the Atlantic. When I left, the strategy was to win one major war and fight another to a draw until we could shift forces to that region. Now, who knows what the real strategy is. I don’t believe there really is one. We are still currently the world’s predominate superpower, but barely. A good example, if we had to fight China in the pacific and lowly wimpy France in Europe and the Atlantic, WE WOULD LOSE. This administration has canned the careers of almost every major ranking officer with combat experience. We have cut the training of our military to less than one third of what it was just 15 years ago. America’s REAL combat readiness is less than 40%. Broken and missing equipment, untrained soldiers and sailors, aircraft & ships awaiting parts, this is the military that is supposed to protect us and defend liberty. I don’t blame the E-1 to the E-6 or the O-1 to the O-3. They do their jobs the best they can and it’s them that catch hell for the failures of those that are supposed to be leading them. Complete Top Down Failure. Why….. 

 Two reasons why our military today is in such bad shape there is no way, given a choice, would I ever give my personal recommendation to anyone to join the armed forces. #1 Political Correctness. The military has completely gone off the charts in implementing regulations that give special treatment to those who are not a Caucasian Christian Male. A Native American can legally smoke pot if observing a tribal ritual. A Muslim has to be allowed to pray to Mecca when not in a combat situation while wearing a form of Muslim headdress in uniform. A Christian is not even allowed to have a bible displayed in the open unless physically reading it. Chaplains can resist performing a same sex marriage but if they do refuse and they are white, their careers are over. If they are of ancestry other than white European, they are verbally reprimanded the first time. From the President down to the vice deputy assistant to the secretary of every branch of service, you have no respect and no support. From the Joint Chiefs down to the O-4’s and E-7’s, you are nothing more than scum, only there to serve and make them look good. 

#2 Reason I have zero faith in military leadership: Loss of All Freedoms & Liberties. When I first joined the military, so long as you were not on a military installation and not in uniform, you could say almost anything to the press or anyone so long as you were not directly commenting about the President or telling national secrets. Now you can’t even say “my shop supervisor is a jerk” anywhere in public or place outside your own home without some form of punishment looming and if your supervisor is anything other than a white male, God Help You because the wrath of Establishment Political Correctness is going to be unleashed upon you. You have no freedom of speech. You do not have the right to carry a weapon on a military installation. You do not have the right to have a firearm in your house if you live in military housing regardless if it is on or off base. These are just a few examples. Prisoners have more rights than soldiers and sailors and it only continues to get worse. 

Congressman Moran from Virginia complained about not being able to live decently on $174,000 dollars base pay before you add in all the benefits that come with the office, yet our government is content to paying a E-3 with 2 years of service less than minimum wage even though he/she puts in easily 60 hours a week EVERY week that person is on the job. 

When it comes to our service men and women, this President and his entire administration from VP down to the lowest ranking appointee and roughly 75% of our congress despise what you do and don’t give a damn about you. You are nothing but a social experiment in their eyes. You are nothing but military medical subjects in their eyes. You are basically low paid slaves to every officer who has scrambled eggs on their cover and nothing but another doormat to be stepped on by the E-7, E-8 or E-9 who is looking to go higher.  

I had a wonderful Commanding Officer at my last command. I had the 3^rd worst Executive officer at my last command. I have worked for some great officers early on in my career and I have worked for complete arrogant idiots who couldn’t wipe their own butts if you gave them a manual with illustrated pictures.  

Those in uniform do not have the right to say anything remotely close to what I have because they have no freedom of speech. On THEIR BEHALF I have the freedom to write this and I did write it because ….. They Can’t, I Can.

Dear Patriots:

Dear Patriots:

William G Burmer

Crime and corruption appear to be a major part of being a politician at all levels of government as evidenced this past week with the arrest of California State Senator Leland Yee for conspiracy to deal firearms and wire fraud, with links to Chinese criminal organizations tied to Hong Kong.

Nevada State Senator Harry Reid was recently caught trying to blame his granddaughter for misappropriation of political funds used by him for gifts to his political supporters and donors from her jewelry store. You and I would be sent to prison, Harry seems to believe because he is a high ranking senator all he has to do is pay the money back.

Add to this list Nancy Pelosi her husband's land deals and their millions in real estate investments, some not disclosed for political gain, and the list goes on. Personally I covet all politicians who get a very cushy retirement benefit that sets them up for life with a minimum of four years "service" (work?) that the working Joe could only dream of having in 30 to 35 years, if they are lucky.

One has to be completely brain dead and naive to not believe that the American tax payer is being shafted big time. To not see that a political career that grosses millions of dollars is not somehow connected to some mafia ties, political interest groups, or foreign interest of some type. Personally it makes my skin crawl to believe such as this is going on in our republic, but it is.

If it were possible to investigate the persons representing us, we would most likely find corruption of every sort is taking place. With the kind of investigating going on the world press today, that will not happen. Not, until someone with the financial backing, integrity and back bone to find truth, comes out of the woodwork and is willing to reveal the who, where, what and why politicians are becoming rich. This, while the rest of us are robbed by the IRS and treated like we, the workers, are ungrateful cheaters, not willing to give our "fair share".

While there appears to be a revival of sorts going on in the Christian World, and Hollywood in particular, what is really needed is for the people to question their personal character, Integrity and grit to see what they can do to stem the tidal wave of corruption around them.

We need to be informed and as knowledgeable as possible. Individual integrity should never be replaced by, collectivism in all its forms, as a substitute, in a Free society. It is up to each individual to embrace Liberty and freedom over slavery. For me the choice is simple. I choose FREEDOM. Let us get rid of the political demons and elect representatives that revere our constitutional heritage and religious ideals. Perhaps in some way we can do what the press is unwilling to do for us. Clean up the dirt in DC.

Individual Shared Responsibility

Individual Shared Responsibility

Kevin Bryant 

The title of this is a little confusing isn’t it? It was confusing to me this morning when I started my car and the first words out of the radio speakers were “Individual Shared Responsibility”. My first though….. “What The *&^% Does That Mean”. Yes I am a Christian yet I am nowhere near saintly so your imagination on what *&^% stands for is very likely accurate. Later on in the program, I got the meaning of it.  

Go ahead, Google it. The first 5 items to pop up are all about Obamacare and meaning of Individual Shared Responsibility. Obamacare and the definition was the theme of that segment of the show. 

To put your minds at ease, I will tell you now this little posting of mine has little to do with Obamacare. Let’s break down the phase “Individual Shared Responsibility” a little shall we. “Individual” = One, “Shared” = A distributed or equitable portion and “Responsibility” = having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.  

By definition, you can have an individual responsibility, we all have them or you can be part of a shared responsibility. Everyone in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, team sports participant to band member all know well the meaning of shared responsibility. You can have an individual responsibility within a shared responsibility but only our idiotic government could come up with the term “Individual Shared Responsibility”. Could someone PLEASE send me a definition of where this term would make sense outside of ObummerCare? 

Obama talks a lot about “Shared Responsibility” and “Shared Sacrifice” but how often does he speak about individual responsibility and individual sacrifice? Shared sacrifice is a communist idea: Everything done for the collective good. America has always been a collection of individuals, but each different and that has always been what made America different. Little by little though, we are giving up our freedoms for the collective good. Remember the days when seat belts were not required? Remember the days when bike helmets were not required? Remember the days when you could ride in the back of a pickup?  

“Individual Shared Responsibility” is nothing more than a nice way to say “we are taking your freedoms for the collective good”. In reality when you think about it, who’s good are we surrendering things for? Not our own. Not our families? What are our responsibilities as Americans? Take care of ourselves, take care of our families. Educate and look out for the welfare our children. Pay a fair part of our wages to fund the government. Be a productive member of society. Educate ourselves with the individuals running for office so we can make intelligent choices when voting. Educate ourselves to the issues of government. Yes, these are our individual responsibilities but nothing on this list compares to our #1 responsibility when it concerns the government: To be forever vigilant of our government and enforce the idea that government works for us, we do not work for it. That doesn’t mean 51% of Americans work to provide for the majority of the 49% who get welfare from the government. 

What sacrifices are those on welfare who are able to work making? Why doesn’t the Obama administration call it what it really is, pay more taxes so we can buy more votes, take more vacations on the tax payers, pay back the cronies who bundled millions of dollars for his campaign. Mostly, so government can control more of our lives.  

The only sacrifices many Americans should be making are those that benefit us and our families only. Our military, firefighters, law enforcement and other public servants that put themselves in harm’s way for our protection, we owe more than just our gratitude for their sacrifices, but those that choose to not work because they think jobs are beneath them or we owe them something though they have yet to work a full day in their lives, those that choose to not be productive citizens and perform their individual duties and responsibilities as American citizens…… screw them. They chose their lives, let them live with the consequences.  

The Final Headline Is...

“The Final Headline Is…”
Ron Boat

It’s been said that you can tell a country by examining its prison population. Considering the fact that many of America’s criminals are still running loose and holding public office, I thought maybe I’d turn to the media and see what is being reported or promoted by the press in this country for either amusement or profit.

This writing will be short as I think the headlines themselves tell the story of the general mindset and moral and social direction of this country. Make your own decision.

I’ve concluded that either the media has become overly injudicious, is insentiently blind,  disinterestingly unaware or even criminally complicit in the destruction of the intelligence of the population. It’s hard to know as there are so many blatant disregards for truth and reason AND YET… in some cases they are reporting it as it appears to be – possible terrible occurrences.

As I looked through, I did not try to ferret out the worst or most absurd. I didn’t cherry pick but I just found them as they appeared on my screen through general news feeds over a course of a couple weeks. Again, make your own decision.

*Gov't Monitors in Newsrooms? FCC to Look Into Media Decision-Making
*Islam is Changing America and Not for the Better
*Common Core assignment: Remove two amendments
*Texas 6th graders assigned to design flag for new socialist nation
*Indicted: ten members of a Philadelphia ironworkers union for burning down a church employing non-union workers.
*Government Lays Groundwork To Confiscate Your 401k and IRA
*Fourth Georgia hospital closes due to Obamacare payment cuts
*Hospital kidnaps and tortures child in the name of "medicine"
*Yet Another Banker Commits Suicide. Graph Suggests We Are Headed Towards A Crash Like 1929
*American jihadis attacking homeland
*New terror compound found in heart of Texas
*IRS 'trusted partner' is Obamacare propaganda tool
*Local Police Training With Special Forces! Why?
*Obama Crackdown on Press Freedom Escalates
*Muslims attack Catholics leaving Church
*North Korea Shock: Newborn Infants Are Murdered While Mothers Forced to Watch
*Pregnant Gang-Rape Victim Charged with Adultery, faces stoning
*High School Textbook Rewrites Second Amendment–Literally
*Obama Crackdown on Press Freedom Escalates
*SEXING UP YOUR KIDS: Here’s What A School Has for Your 4th Grader
*Obama Wants to Waste a Billion on Climate Change
*Valerie Jarrett Says Americans ‘Hungry’ For Obama to Act Like an Imperial President
*80-year-old man fatally shot by police acting on bad tip of meth lab
*Child Gunned Down by Cop for Answering Door Holding Wii Controller
*WARNING: 386,000 Foreign Troops ALREADY on U.S. Soil – WHAT FOR?
*Top Admiral: Obama Conspired With America’s Enemies to Kidnap Chris Stevens
* “Fertility management” was the key to fighting global warming
*Communist Party USA backs Obama gun grab, calls Second Amendment obsolete
*Obama Appoints Hamas Adviser Robert Malley to Senior Director on National Security Council
*NIGERIA: Over 100 Fatalities in Weekend Killing Spree
*70 Protesters Killed, 500 Wounded in Kiev Clashes
*Democrat candidate for Congress calls for 'Barack Obama dynasty'
*University Removes God From Plaque Because It Might Offend People
*Why Police Lie Under Oath
*Report: Obamacare provision will allow 'forced' home inspections by gov't agents
*Water Fuel-Cell Inventor Murdered by Government
*President Obama’s Latest Excuse for Skipping a National Security Meeting on Russia - ‘March Madness’
*Illegal Aliens, Non-Citizens Caught Voting In Florida In Vast Numbers

 

One might conclude that the US and the world have all gone mad or… sensationalism is rampant and does in deed sell more ink. Hard to tell but I would like these headlines replaced by those of 40-50 years ago when our concerns were more with real Hollywood stars and movie hits, scientific and medical discoveries, trips to the moon, and more positive and socially redeeming subjects.

The world has certainly changed and the headlines with it. We find that murder has become not only acceptable but fashionable. Presidencies are not engaged in protecting and managing the country but controlling and manipulating the populous, seemingly for personal power and gain.

Everything in our lives has come under the headline of “racism,” “disadvantaged,” “passed over,” “ignored,” or “disregarded.” As a current example I went on the web and just found the first headline to pop up (3/18/14):

The face of courage: President Obama to award 24 Medals of Honor

“24 true tales of bravery and heroism that will be honored today when President Obama awards two dozen Medals of Honor to 24 Army veterans -- mostly Jewish, Hispanic or African-American -- who fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. The Tuesday ceremony follows a congressionally-mandated review to ensure that eligible recipients were not bypassed due to prejudice.”

Now, everyone who serves is a hero; however, were these patriots really passed over for their ethnic roots? Were these brave souls’ heroism inadvertently missed decades ago through clerical, reporting or other reasons that disallowed their recognition? Or is their contribution to our freedom being just now trotted out on display for the “equality” and “multiculturalism” banner of our current socialist organizer?

This program was started by congress around 2002 but I wonder if its timing has come to fruition to support sinking poll numbers, to further divide us, or truly recognize heros of our past. I just ask the question.

While I’d like to say that this headline:

“Actor Gary Sinise treats 50 wounded warriors to Disneyland”

is indicative of the overwhelming press that people are exposed to, it’s hidden on a page under the fold of text, covered up by the notices that “Larry Basich did what he was supposed to under ObamaCare but is now stuck with $407,000 in medical bills”, or “The Net Is Dead, as the US government to ceded its last bit of control over the Internet followed heavy pressure from foreign governments.”

Have we all gone nuts? Are we all living a bad nightmare as expressed by the words of the headlines or are we just being lied to, manipulated or coddled while Jay-Z and Beyonce’ continue their  trips to the bank with the money of kids looking for mental solace and all really is well with the universe? Move along people, there’s nothing to see here.

I guess I should be glad I found some consoling peace in less dangerous headlines of; “Scott Baio's comedy show cancelled,” or “Beastie Boys reach settlement with toy company” or even that “Mr. T to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame?”

In reality, the positive, successes of the past seem to be just that… in the past. What was the last medical breakthrough you heard of? What was the last real personal success story or “good news Joe” who raised $20 million for cancer? Oh, we’ll see the Jerry Lewis Telethon in another 6 months but shouldn’t we be living in a fun, positive and contributive world more than once a year?

Are we in fact reading the truth of how bad the world is and we should all find a hole with food and water supplies;  enough ammunition to protect our family till our own canned tuna runs out?

Absolute power may corrupt absolutely but I think that negative news affects us all negatively and we need a more positive direction, a more uplifting and forward growing nation with leaders that are here to lead and produce – not control, divide and be the down turned rheostat on our God given right to happiness.

Here’s to the fun and funny, hard hitting but encouraging Ronald Reagans of the world and others who seek truth and work toward a more positive, quality, valuable life for everyone.

And God bless Gary Sinise for the good works and all like him who make a difference.

America’s final headline has yet to be written and only time will tell us what it is…. and when it’s published. Time in here to get out your own pen, go out and make your own headline.

I continue to ponder the possibilities.

 

#garysinise   

My Past Fleet of Cars

      

 

 

 

 

Update: 2024, Never in my wildest imagination did I think this post would be read by so many people. Because of that I am now adding three vehicles I have added since. Finally I think my fleet has ended, never say never, but I hope you enjoy!

1986 Chevy C10

"Rescue Dog" Was another questionable purchase on Ebay. I had to make a 5 hour one way trip to rescue this truck in North Carolina. Everything he told me online was a lie and after returning home and 5 quarts of oil it sat in my driveway for 1 full year while I tried to calm my urge to burn it to the ground in my driveway! Finally I calmed down and embarked upon a project to turn this into a tow vehicle project. The bones were so so, it just needed some help. I replaced the tired 305 with a 350HO crate motor, had the 700R4 gone through. The interior needs upgrading but a complete front end rebuild and some new shoes and she doesn't look so bad. Today there is nothing left to tow and though she doesn't garner any awards, I still love going to show with her and just hanging with my friends.

1966 Chevy Nova Wagon

"Black Betty" One of my most regrettable purchases. Reported to be built by a reputable shop on Huntington Beach California shop it turned out to anything but true. The true story was it was bounced around to multiple shops of questionable reputation. It was visually appealing which is the reason I bought it, but once in my possession the truth started coming through.

The paint was amazing and straight as an arrow, the interior was obviously over the top, the drivetrain was non descript but that wasn't the intent to begin with. 327/ 700R4/9" Ford rear. She certainly collected lots of awards but continued to be a thorn in my side and was eventually sold after a few short years. She continues to collect awards today under the new owner. Sadly this was a money pit with no end because of the short comings of the builders.

1953 Chevy 3100 Pickup

"Farm Truck" This beautiful example is one that I purchased that was languishing on a used car lot in southern Texas. Originally built by a father and son team in Indiana I became the  latest "keeper" of register. Rescued from a field by these vehicle crafters the transformation was incredible. Powered by a ZZ-4 crate motor, 700R4 trans and 9" Ford rear with 3:25 gears this highway cruiser was a cross between show car and driver. Of course the vintage a/c system, air ride suspension, and luxurious hand crafted interior certainly didn't hurt. In 2017 Classic Trucks Magazine awarded it "Top 250" in the nation.

 

1963 Chevy II Gasser

"Casa de Nova” 1963 Nova Gasser with a Speedway drop axle front end, 327 engine, 350 turbo, 3:70 9” Ford Rear, Pro Comp Electronic Fuel Injection, Accel Gen 6 computer. Another Ebay purchase, this car was the least done of all my cars. When I got the Nova the body work and build was fresh but hardly period correct. I did the exterior in vinyl lettering, completely fabricated a red roll and pleat interior, installed a rollbar, stereo system, and finally removed the single 4BBL carb ad installed electronic fuel injection. Fun little car that ran on 87 octane!

 

 

 

 

 

1967 Chevy Suburban

“3 Doors Down” 1967 Chevy Suburban, Air Ride suspension, Vintage air, 500 watt Stereo, Train horns, tow package, wide whitewalls, 350 /220HP, 700r4 trans, 3:31 gears, vinyl woodgrain wrap. Originally purchased from Volo Auto Museum this truck was built in Florida and later sold to Volo for display. Chasing rust with an early (67-72) Suburban is a non stop job and this truck was no exception. Most of the body panels had been replaced before I bought it but it was about 6 yrs old when I purchased it, so the chase was on once again. I added the train horns and the vinyl woodgrain wrap. Very Impressive looking truck, especially when towing my gasser!

1967 Chevy Camaro

“Casper” 1967 Chevy Camaro pearl white with Ghost Flames, 350 aluminum heads, 350 turbo, 3:73 12 bolt rear, white/black hounds tooth interior, Coy’s 18” wheels. This car was purchased on Ebay and panel fitment was horrible when I received it. Unfortunately none of that was visible in the pictures when I bought it. After a full week end of panel adjustment and moving the front end sheetmetal back almost 2” the fitment had improved 100%. Drivetrain was strong in this car, and was rather quick. Impressive pearl white paint with ghost flames adorned the outside. Originally had the black Coy’s wheels but I painted them light gray.

1957 Ford Thunderbird

“Saltbird” 1957 Ford Thunderbird fiberglass reproduction over tube chassis 502/502 Chevy engine, 350 turbo, 9” Ford rear 3:70 gears, American Salt Flats wheels. I bought this car on Ebay one night after reading the impressive build sheet and consuming a bottle of wine. I was surprised to find out the next morning I was the new owner! The original owner spent over $70k on this car and bought it for pennies on the dollar. A fiberglass body was stretched 12” before being put over custom square tube lower chassis and a moly upper cage. Suspension was ladder bar A- arm front. The quality of the build was VERY nice, but it could be a HANDFUL to drive! One night had the car up to 160MPH with the existing drivetrain on REGULAR gasoline!

1971 AMC Gremlin

“Gizmo” 1971 AMC Gremlin 406, powerglide with transbrake, Dana 60 rear, heavy nitrous, Best ET 8.93@ 152 MPH. I bought “Gizzie” as a roller out of Ohio and put my original combination from my 1966 Nova. Unfortunately this car was the motor eater that got me out of drag racing, 3 engines in one year was a bit too much. So many times this car baited me back with another engine because of one impressive pass before eating yet another engine. Best ET with 406 was 8.93 with 60 ft of 1.23. Fun little car when it wasn’t eating engines!

1971 Morris Minor

“Minor Problem” 1971 Morris Minor Pro Street 350 with Dart Pro 1 heads, 350 turbo, 9” Ford 3:70 gears. This car was purchased off Ebay and was located in England and had to be shipped into this country. It was “pro-streeted” in England with right hand drive. It had many “not so common” parts by American standards. Had a foreign car strut front end and four link rear, and had originally come with a poorly done interior, that had to be immediately changed. Impressive little car that handled well despite it’s 87” wheelbase. Performance was impressive due to low weight it got 25 MPG and would run 12.0’s all day long at the track! Unfortunately it was a NIGHTMARE to get through customs and I would never do that again!

1971 VW Karmann Ghia

“Sikpup” 1971 VW Karmann Ghia 350 SBC with 350 turbo and 8 ¾ Mopar Rear. This was my first real purchase of a Pro-Street Car and the mechanical build was far from being “safe”, the bodywork was not too bad but the underpinnings were questionable. Funny little car to drive, but anything over 60 MPH could get a little scary!

 

1965 Chevy El Camino

“Lettuce picker” 1965 Chevy El Camino 327 4 spd 3:73 10 bolt rear. Purchased from a guy who wanted a street/strip car. First I removed the 4:56 gear, then lowered the suspension and added alloy wheels and vintage air conditioning. I used the car as my primary show car for about 8 years, then it took a back burner because of it’s heavy fuel use and need for high octane fuel. The project is being rebuilt right now and will soon have a new name. “Ecomino” will now sport a full low drag 87 octane 350 engine with FAST fuel injection and a 5 speed TKO transmission with the aim of being an economic (25 MPG target) well handling up to date vehicle.

1966 Chevy Nova SS

“Plant hard” 1966 Nova SS 406, powerglide, 4:33 12 bolt rear. Sadly this car was nothing like the previous owner had represented it. The 2 bolt main 400 had a weak lower end, the cam was designed for a 327 and the Powerglide was weak. Barely able to run even a 10.90 on N2O, the combo had to be redone. A new 406 was built with upgraded internals and a proper cam was picked. Later an ATI powerglide transmission was built along with a proper convertor, and the combination had improved to 9.80’s. The rollcage had to be totally replaced to conform to NHRA tech specs. Later a 440 cu in motor was built to replace the 406, and ET’s dipped to 9.30’s @ 150 MPH.

Selective Forced Tolerance

Selective Forced Tolerance

Kevin Bryant

 

Should there be a law forcing a Muslim caterer to serve pork at a Christian wedding reception? Should there be a law forcing a black baker to make a cake with “White Supremacy” written on it for a KKK celebration? Should there be a law forcing Catholic nurses to “volunteer” 10 hours a week of their time to work in an abortion clinic? Should there be a law forcing a gay musician to play at a Westboro Baptist Church tent revival? Of course everyone reading this said “NO” to each of the 4 questions I posed to you. Our constitution gives us the freedom to object and reject these ridiculous demands. Or does it? 

Christian bakers have been forced “by law” to bake cakes for gay weddings. Christian photographers have been forced “by law” to take photos at gay weddings. In both cases the baker and the photographer was a small private business owner who believes on religious grounds that marriage is between a man and a woman.  

There are literally hundreds of bakers and photographers who believe that gay and lesbian couples have the right to marry, so why should the ones who don’t be forced to go against their beliefs and participate in something that many others will do? Truth is, they should not be forced and the first amendment to the constitution guarantees their rights to refuse.   

The left wants us to believe that anything and everything traditional Christians believe in is bigotry and racist. But in the left’s world, a Muslim cleric can reject performing a Jewish wedding and that is OK. What is it about our legal system that allows for selective targeting of Christians and Christian beliefs but upholds the beliefs of almost every other religious and atheist sector of America?  

Our courts today have made a mockery of the constitution. Our legislatures have been beating the constitution to death and the courts upheld many of their freedom robbing laws. Our city and state officials feast on our property taxes yet if they can get more tax revenue if there was a strip mall where your house is located, the courts have given them the right to take it over our objections.  

The states of Arizona and Kansas are currently under fire from every left leaning organization in America because they have proposed Freedom of Religion legislation that would block these absurdities that the courts are forcing on people to go against their religous beliefs. So what does the mainstream media do, they do not call them Freedom of Religion Acts. NO, they call them Anti-Gay legislation.  

Why does the left make everything “Anti”? Anti Gay, Anti-Black, Anti-Women, Anti-Tolerant, Anti-Gay, Anti-Everything if it is something that goes against the agenda of the left? How is it the left claims to be “all inclusive” if they discriminate against everything and everyone that disagrees with their agenda? Have you ever heard of the left complaining about the Black Panthers? Never, but you sure hear about them complaining about the KKK. What is the difference between the two except skin color? Ever hear about the left complaining that George Soros gives too much money to the Democratic Party? Nope, but you sure hear about the Koch brothers and all the money they donate to conservatives, and for the record it’s a lot less than what George Soros gives.  

My tolerance for the intolerant left is gone and I will be damned if some court is going to force me to tolerate the bigotry and racist beliefs and actions of the left.  

(Inspiration and opening questions for this blog was fashioned from listening to KCMO Morning Show Host w/host Greg Knapp)

OOPS

OOPS

Kevin Bryant 

OOPS moments: You know those times you stick your foot in your mouth by saying things that come out different that your intended comment. I have had many of them. OOPS moments can also be when you state something as fact only to find out later it isn’t. I’m guilty again of doing that. No matter that the OOPS moment is, I do go back and correct myself and acknowledge I said something that was incorrect. 

No one I personally know has ever purposely had an OOPS moment. So why is it that liberal commentators and liberal politicians purposely state things that are cruel, degrading and knowingly untrue about others that don’t see eye to eye with them politically? There is a long list of them, Keith Obermann, Melissa Perry-Harris, Chris Mathews, Ed Schultz, Anthony Weiner, Andrew Cuomo, Nancy Pelosi…… this list could go on for forever it seems. 

Do people like these know what they are saying… YES they do. They do it maliciously, they do it for ratings. They do it because the far left they represent want to hear this type of garbage they spit out. They do it because they know it’s going to be believed my many even though they are eventually forced to apologize and retract the statement.  

Even Tina Fey’s SNL portrayal of Sarah Palin and the comment “I can see Russia from my house” line, many on the left believe Sarah Palin actually said it. 

Why can’t the left just tell the truth? Why do they have to attack everyone who disagrees with them? Why do they fall back on personal attacks when those conservatives they are speaking with start talking factual? Why do they constantly play the race card & the gender card? Are these people so narcissistic they actually can’t admit when they are wrong? We have all come to know that our President is a narcissist and will never back down and the left will never say he is wrong about anything. 

Americans are tired of the juvenile mentality of the left. MSNBC’s rating are so low they would not even be on the air if it weren’t  for Comcast absorbing the cost overruns as did the previous owner General Electric. The left needs a media voice and NBC / Comcast is more than willing to give it to them at any cost. NBC used to stand for National Broadcast Company, now it stands for Nothing But Communist. Comcast makes it money from capitalism yet promotes tighter government regulations on every other media outlet to make them more like NBC.  

Americans, above all else want the truth. We want the truth from our government because Americans know they are not getting it. I have more fingers and toes attached to my person than congress has politicians who speak the truth. It used to be if a politician got so much as a DUI they were voted out of office because they did not hold up to their oath to the America people and represent us with honor. Now we have politicians who lie to, cheat and steal from the very people who put them in office and what do they do, they make laws regulating and restraining the people while exempting themselves from the very laws forced upon. AND WE KEEP ELECTING THESE PEOPLE.  

The VERY LAST person I want representing me in congress is a liberal lawyer. Give me a farmer, a small business owner, a rancher, a doctor. Give me people who are educated not in the law but in the people and what is needed for those like them to make it in life. Give me someone who believes laws should be no longer than 2 pages long and written in plain English, not lawyer jibberish. Give me someone who believes people come before the government, not slaves to the government. And above all, give me one that is not afraid to speak the truth. If a politician won’t tell you the truth, he or she knows they are lying and screwing the very people who they were elected to represent and when they lie and screw the people, the people need to screw them by voting them OUT of office.      

Dear Patriots:

Dear Patriots:

William Burmer

We live in a peculiar time in history. My wife and I were discussing this subject when we turned to the Bible for some clarification. Found in Isaiah 5:20 our time was prophesied where some would "call evil good, and good evil." Listening to President Obama and his followers brings this prophesy fulfilled in truth and reality.

For the modern Liberal who shuns scripture and God, good and evil are considered value judgments, defined by the individual, in a place where there is no recognized moral standard to judge its' value. This might be a Modern sign of progress, replacing God Laws with moral relativism, over moral self discipline, but fully embraced will eventually leave a person unable to recognize real evil.

While this philosophy in modern society might elevate a person's rights, it avoids any discussion with regards to personal responsibility, or for that of others with whom he or she may have contact. It is a selfish philosophy, destructive not only to the individual so engaged but, most especially the family who is forced to live with it in the home.

Truth is not relative, never has been, never will be, It stands alone and is unchanging, it is the way things really are. Obtaining such knowledge of this definition requires humility, pondering, seeking answers beyond ones' self. Thus the individual soul becomes elevated and accumulates a potential to grow in greater knowledge and understanding.

In contrast personalities such as President Barak H. Obama, who are narcissist, selfish, and egotistical, become lost souls, unwilling to listen, to reason and genuinely react with others, to change or be changed. Their words may be flattering to others, even embraced with enthusiasm by many, however being void of real principle, honesty, lacking integrity, charity, or virtue. In the end their work, and words remain hollow, lacking any lasting intrinsic value they remain a destructive force only.

If we as a society are to avoid the traps of living for the moment, believing a lie, without regards to the future, we must not allow ourselves to be so deceived, but must be willing to, without regards to our circumstances, lay everything we have on the alter to follow true principles, let your conscience be your guide, be willing to choose the right when it is before you regardless of those who point a mocking finger.

Set a standard you are willing to follow and guide you in every aspect of your life, your home, profession, and community. Never make exceptions to these standards, be loyal to your family and loved ones and above all, to your God.

Live so you can feel the Spirit of Christ in your life, serve others, share your knowledge and smile at your mistakes, have a good sense of humor and above all don't complain, It is a fact that life is not fair but a fair amount of enthusiasm can bring about unexpected opportunities for real growth and achievement.

Truth, Good, Evil, these are realities in life of which we must learn to understand, deal with, and live with, not be overwhelmed by. As a Child of God, which you are, He knows you have potentials for goodness, even greatness. These potentials perhaps yet to be discovered are needed more than ever, you can make a difference with Gods' help. America needs Men and Women with Integrity, and faith. Our challenge is to be that person. May God bless you to this end.

Modern Day Slavery

Modern Day Slavery

Kevin Bryant 

Choose a door or window in your home or office and look out. Do you see any people? Do you see any houses? Do you see any businesses? Every person you see, every person that is in the houses you see and the businesses you see are modern day slaves.  

According to the Collins dictionary, slavery is defined as: The state or condition of being a slave; a civil relationship whereby one person has absolute power over another and controls his life, liberty, and fortune. 

 

What person or entity believes he or they have total control and absolute power over our lives, our liberties and our property? I know, it was an easy question and you are right. The President, the Government at all levels, our police forces and even our unions. They all believe they are the ones in charge and we must trudge along behind them and bow to their every wish, command and whimper.  

The current President and many of his predecessors during our lifetime have written laws and single handedly changed laws with a stroke of a pen. Our senators and representatives constantly pass laws without thought of what the average American thinks. Our local governments, like our federal government spend money hand over fist on themselves and then wonder why they are broke and the people are outraged because city services are reduced, repairs to infrastructure is slow at best and far behind what is needed to be done and yet, just like the federal government, the only answer they have is more taxes and higher fees. Our police force is not off the hook here. How many times is a person charged with obstruction of justice just by recording the police while standing in their own yard? Isn’t that private property? They don’t care. How many times have you heard of police searching a house, finding nothing and when they leave, the house is a mess and $1000’s in damages have occurred? The victim sues, but rarely do they win their case and receive compensation for the damage. Do they have the right to infringe on our liberties? They believe they do because they believe they have the authority granted to them simply by the badge they wear. Then we have the unions. Union leaders make nice salaries. We pay for their houses, their kid’s education, and those nice vehicles they drive. What do we get in return? Usually it amounts to nothing more than a couple of more days off than the non union counterparts. Anyone that believes a union worker makes more than a non union counterpart is fooling themselves. As union salaries go up, union dues go up. Then of course the union takes your money, your property that you worked for, and spends it on politicians, lavish events, retreats that are no more than lavish vacations and anything else they desire. Yet you still have to cough up the dough because they own you. 

Our government spies on us. Our government tells us what and how much we owe it. Our government tells us what we can do and when we can do it. Our government takes our property if we refuse to pay taxes. They tax us if we do not have health insurance. For the first time in history, we Americans are taxed for something we do not have.  

Systematically, Americans have elected those that crave power and yielded their rights and freedoms to the elected. If the liberties lost over the course of the last 50, 100 or so years had hit all of us suddenly, there would be another civil war in the U.S. but no, it has all been gradual. A little freedom here, a little there, and all in the name of security and charity. All we have secured for ourselves is more chains of bondage thrown upon us by our own government in the form of laws, regulations, taxes and fees. 

We have all but completely lost our country, our freedom and our way of life and there is no better example of this than in our religious beliefs. In many places it’s now ILLEGAL to pray in public. It’s ILLEGAL to pray in school. It’s ILLEGAL to display any religious symbol or belief on most “public” property. Public property, now there is a joke. The ACLU has successfully removed Christianity from almost every sector of our lives and confined it to our home and our churches. Of course that is ONLY if you are a Christian. Muslims have free range to do as they please.  

Go back to the top and read the definition of slavery again. Then look in the mirror and ask yourself; Am I A Modern Day Slave? I did and I answered YES.

Obama's War on the Elderly

Obama's War on the Elderly
Al Ritter

We are beginning to see what happens when President Obama removes $700 Billion from the Medicare Budget as shown in the NBC investigative video How a hospital "codes" you will depend on how or even if Medicare pays your hospital stay.

The recent defunding of $700 billion dollars destined to be used for Medicare but moved to the implimentation of Obamacare is definately having an disturbing effect on seniors. The worst part in all this is that these seniors actually believe they have insurance but once coded as "just for observation" and they are classified as "outpatients," their benefits are drastically reduced.

This seems to me to be a case of fraud, plain and simple! We are now seeing the results of this President's "fix" for medical care. Is this Affordable?.........NO!....is this care?...NO!....is this nothing more than control over our healthcare, and our lives!

The Democrats constantly talk about the Republican's "War on Women"......and yet they deflect the real war here....their "War on the Elderly!"

An Open Letter to Karl Rove:

An Open Letter to Karl Rove:
Mr. Rove,

I write this with mixed emotion. Why is that you ask, it’s because I like what you do for the GOP in many aspects. The GOP needs strong voices like yours who know the insides of politics and aren’t afraid to speak their mind or the truth. The good you do for republican causes is not measurable but what you do to hurt conservative causes is just as great. Believe it or not, you, Mr. Karl Rove, can make more difference in the outcome of the 2014 & 2016 elections than the RNC Chair and Committee combined.  

No offense to you Sir, I do respect you, but this letter is to let you know that you really are further out of touch with mainstream conservatives than you realize. Senators Cornyn, McConnell, McCain, Portman, Graham, Flake, Collins, Alexander, Murkowski, Blunt, Hatch, as well as more than 100 Representatives who act and vote just like them, you would rather see them continue their blundering service in congress rather than have them in a primary runoff by someone conservatives and veterans trust to have their backs and their best intentions at heart. It kind of hurts to have Portman and Flake on this list because I used to really respect them but lately, they have spent too much time making nicey nice with the RINO establishment for me and millions like me to not really care to see them in office any longer than their current terms allow.  

The next two primary election cycles for the GOP are going to big government money verses small government enthusiasm. The general elections will take care of themselves as far as voter turnout goes. The problem with the GOP is they believe is they, like you, that incumbents should NOT have a primary challenge. This belief could not be further from the truth for most conservatives. Washington & government thinking will never change unless the people making the decisions are replaced. If voters turn out to throw out an incumbent, you can bet they will show up to vote the replacement in. At this point and not before, your PAC or any GOP type PAC need not get involved. 

America is on the wrong path. There are too many polls supporting this to have a very strong argument against it. Make your points during the general election to support the GOP’s candidate, not before. Save your PAC’s money and use it when and where it would do the most good. If a candidate has baggage, it will be brought out in the primaries. If that baggage needs to be defended, the defense will be public knowledge before the general election mode really matters. The only thing the democrat opponent will get from it is a talking point and by that time, it’s old news to everyone who would vote for the GOP candidate anyway. 

The problem with the establishment GOP and no offense, your problem as well, is the desire to keep the status quo within the party. The old saying, “The Status Quo Has Got To Go”, actually does need to apply to the GOP. They need to rid themselves of the stigma that the party is nothing more than a bunch of old rich white guys. The GOP establishment doesn’t have a backbone. The GOP establishment is afraid to speak the truth. The GOP establishment is weak at heart and the public knows it. The GOP has lost the ability to be on the offensive. Anyone who has served in the military or even knows football knows you don’t win when you aren’t able to mount an effective offense. All the GOP knows to do is play defense and they stink at it. 

Shake up the status quo, welcome the attacks and counter effectively and efficiently and for goodness sake, stop being afraid to hurt someone’s feelings if what you have to say is the truth.

 

Respectfully,

Kevin Bryant

When The 8th Amendment Should Not Apply

When The 8^th Amendment Should Not Apply

Kevin Bryant 

Dennis McGuire raped and stabbed a 7 month pregnant woman to death in 1989. Due to the limited availability of drugs for lethal injection, the state of Ohio used a new “cocktail” to put this slime ball to death. Now the family is claiming outrage and suing because it took (depending on what source you read) 26 minutes for this sorry excuse for a human being to die. According to McGuire’s children, the state of Ohio violated this man’s 8^th amendment rights. This pile of human excrement spent 24 YEARS on death row. During that time he costs the tax payers an insane amount of money keeping him alive, feeding him, tending to his healthcare, paying for all his appeals and on and on.  

Why do 99.9% of all executed criminals get to die practically pain free? We have the 2nd amendment which gives us all the right to own firearms yet we have removed that right from those with felony convictions. So, it would not actually like we would be setting precedence if we remove the 8^th amendment rights of those sentenced to death.  

I have all the sympathy in the world for the family of the victims of crimes, and especially those that lose a loved one in a violent manner. I personally have no problem if every convicted murderer were to die in the same manner as their victim. In this particular case, this man should be violently sexually assaulted, stabbed and kept alive as long as his victim was so he could go to hell feeling what his victim felt as life slipped away. Am I wrong? 

I am sick and tired of our society giving constitutional rights to those who cross our borders illegally, those who try to kill our military or commit or attempt to commit acts of terror. I am especially sick and tired of a society that allows convicted felons more rights than they do the military that protects those same idiots who take away their rights while demanding rights for criminals.  

Ronald Reagan believed in peace through strength. Having a well armed and well trained military is one hell of a deterrent for those wishing to do America harm. Having strong and just laws for the family of the victims of crimes that warrant the death penalty would seem to me to be a great deterrent for those wanting to commit acts of violence. I’m not advocating harming the criminal while he is in custody, only during the carrying out of his/her death sentence. Why do we treat those who savagely kill another human being with kid gloves? 

It’s my opinion that only the family of the victim should have the right to spare these lowest of humans the pain and suffering these killers have caused upon their victims. Justice? In my opinion….this would be justice.  

My Thoughts on the Washington Examiner’s 2016 GOP Hopefuls

My Thoughts on the Washington Examiner’s 2016 GOP Hopefuls  

Kevin Bryant

 

I read the Washington Examiner’s list of 32 possible GOP presidential candidates. It made me think about do I really want this person being the 45th President of the United States. I thought about each person on the list as I read their names. So, here are my thoughts..... what are yours?

Let me start by thinning this list down just a wee bit. These are the people that if I were elected president I would not want them anywhere near my administration and I darn sure do not want them in occupying the White House. Let me start with those who like to cozy up with the congressional RINO faction while playing both sides: Senators Rob Portman (OH) & Kelly Ayotte (NH). Add to that Reps Paul Ryan (WI) & Peter King (NY). Then we have those that just bring too much baggage with them: Former Governors Haley Barbour (MS) and Jeb Bush (FL). Walla..... 32 down to 26.

 

Next we have a list of those who would better serve this nation in Congress than ever being part of any administration: Governors John Kasich (OH), Brian Sandoval (NV), Chris Christie (NJ), Rick Perry (TX) and Senators Marco Rubio (FL), Tim Scott (SC) and John Thune (SD). Not Rubio or Christie?????? No way. Rubio is right where he needs to be because should the GOP recapture the seate in 2014 or 2016, he would be a good choice to replace RINO Mitch McConnell. And as for Chris Christie...... way too much of a wild card for me to ever want as a Commander-in-Chief. South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley........ I would have her listed below as a choice for a cabinet position but she has too bright of a political future remaining ahead of her to be wasted in a cabinet position. Her drive and desire would set examples for others in the senate to follow. Now I am down to 18.

 

Next we have those possible candidates that would best serve as part of an administration in some cabinet position. Let me start with Former Rep. Allen West (FL). He would make an awesome Sec of Defense and would be my only choice for that position. For Sec of Interior hands down is former Governor Sarah Palin (AK). Who would make a better Sec of Treasury than Former Rep. Ron Paul (TX)? I can think of no one I would want more as Sec of Homeland Security than Condoleezza Rice (Former Sec of State). For Sec of Education none other than former Senator Rick Santorum (PA) and for Health and Human Services Sec none other than the one and only Dr. Ben Carson.

 

Other cabinet position nominees include: Governors Scott Walker (WI), Mike Pence (IN), Susana Martinez (NM) & Bobby Jindal (LA). Throw in John Bolton returning as UN Ambassador, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as chief political advisor and former Speaker of the House and Georgia Rep. Newt Gingrich as White House Chief of Staff, we are now down to only 4 people remain from the examiner’s list of 32.

 

We have Business Owner and now Talk Radio Host Herman Cain, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. Herman Cain would be my second choice as Treasury Secretary should Ron Paul not want the job or even better, put him in charge of the IRS. Either way, I do not believe Herman Cain would be a great choice for President. We are now down now to only three left.

 

Mitch Daniels, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. Out of those remaining three, only Mitch Daniels would be a great choice as either President or Vice-President.

 

So, my final choice here for the GOP nomination for President is Mitch Daniels. Leave Rand Paul and Ted Cruz in the senate. It’s better to have them working together than opposing one another in any form and choose a VP candidate from one of those listed as a cabinet choice or Mike Huckabee as VP.        

Has the NSA Exceeded Its Authority?

Has the NSA Exceeded Its Authority?

Al Ritter 

As reported today in a new article by The Guardian from another reported violation by Edward Snowden the NSA whistleblower, some 200 million SMS text messages are being kept in their entirety. Lawmakers have been warily eyeing “metadata” mining for some time as a procedure this is ripe for abuse. Now abuse seems to be relevant to be used in the conversation. 

Operation “Dishfire” actually spells out the ENTIRE message, user, and location is recorded into this data logging system. Also stored from these text conversations is financial info and passwords. The possibility for massive abuse is now a reality! 

No arguments can now be used claiming that the legality exists but abuse never has. For too long we have traded security for liberty and freedom, and now we see that at 11AM this morning President Obama will be trying to rationalize their behavior and convince that this isn’t the normal operation of the NSA. 

The Patriot Act was a bad stop gap method to start these major data collection systems. President actually had an expiration date for the Patriot Act, but President Obama has used that Act to place blame on Bush. Obama could have and should have closed down the Patriot Act but has chosen to abuse this to serve his own purposes. 

The Supreme Court doesn’t seem to want to shut this collection down either, but rather to be complicit in the invasion of privacy of our citizens and citizens world-wide. What group in their right minds would give such an authority of trust?