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Look great on and off the bike with Bellwether's relaxed and casual Ultralight Baggy Shorts. They feature a durable, lightweight outer shell that's water and scuff resistant. Inside, the Tech-Mesh inner shorts feature a padded Quest chamois to make the Ultralight shorts a dream on both short and long rides. Plus, they boast dual-zippered hip pockets and the gusseted design eliminates seams from underneath the chamois, ensuring that you'll spin along in comfort.
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Assenmacher Bicycle Company - We are Along for the Ride


text: I was playing around with the ringtone settings and i just couldnt find the standard 'ring' (not that I want it). go and watch an iPhone commercial on youtube, and towards the end of the ad it ringed like a normal phone, and of course, it's not available in the iPhone. Apple's making fake ads hey? LOL just kidding.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hundreds of people gathered at a major Walmart distribution center Monday in Elwood, Illinois, to stand in solidarity with workers who have been on strike since mid-September in response to unsafe working conditions and unfair wages.
"No one should come to work and endure extreme temperatures, inhale dust and chemical residue, and lift thousands of boxes weighing up to 250 lbs with no support. Workers never know how long the work day will be—sometimes its two hours, sometimes its 16 hours. Injuries are common, as is discrimination against women and illegal retaliation against workers who speak up for better treatment," Warehouse Workers for Justice states on its official website.
The discrimination aspect of this list of grievances includes widespread sexual harassment and intimidation of female warehouse workers, an epidemic largely ignored by the establishment media, even among individuals, such as The New York Times's Nicholas Kristof, known for focusing on female worker equality and empowerment in other countries.
"When I worked at the Walmart warehouse in Elwood, I was sexually harassed on a regular basis…. I literally got locked inside a trailer because that's what the men thought I was there for…. I reported it to my supervisor, but he didn't do anything about it," said Ulyonda Dickerson, a worker at the Walmart warehouse in Elwood, in a report released by Warehouse Workers for Justice.
"I told the supervisors about it, but they definitely don't listen. One supervisor I had tried to tell said, 'I didn't see that.' Just because you didn't see it, doesn't mean it didn't happen," said Samantha Rodriguez, a former Elwood warehouse employee. "When I went to another supervisor about the harassment, he asked me out on a date. I said no, and eventually I got fired."
In response to Monday's peaceful protester, riot police from Will County and Elwood were unleashed on the crowd, and witnesses tweeted a series of disturbing photos, including officers in full riot regalia (face shields, clubs and body armor) and what appears to be a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) vehicle.
There was some confusion about the police's jurisdiction on Twitter with individuals speculating the officers were private police given their "paramilitary" appearance.


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Telecom Legislation
CASE STUDY: Telecom legislation, a "battle for the ages."
Utility deregulation was sold originally as a "once-and-done" deal. But for the telephone companies, the issue doesn't ever seem to go away entirely. Thus, Triad Strategies represented the state's largest telephone company for four years. Our work involved direct lobbying in Harrisburg and with our congressional delegation, along with media relations and grassroots outreach.
Triad had a role in shaping legislation that paved the way for the company's statewide rollout of its fiber optic or "fiber-to-the premises" service. In the closing days of a legislative session, the General Assembly capped two years of wrangling, negotiating, arm-twisting, cajoling and shouting by approving a sweeping telecom statute that can affect every consumer and business in the state. One legislative staffer described it as a "battle for the ages."
Triad's services included the care, feeding and encouragement of an independent advocacy organization, Consumers First!, and working with community leaders and local officials around the state to support overall project goals.
Triad's team played a pivotal role in delivering that bill for our client. We succeeded in changing the focus of the debate. Instead of arguing over technical details of telephony that only an engineer or forensic accountant could truly understand, we identified the unintended consequence of the opposition's preferred outcome. If the opponents of telephone competition were to succeed, the Commonwealth would need to establish a new state bureaucracy employing hundreds – all funded by more than a billion dollars in hidden consumer taxes over the ensuing decade.
By making the focus of the debate "no new bureaucracy/no new hidden taxes," our side was able to hold sway. It's an example of the Triad approach of identifying the true "high-ground" issues and taking control of the debate.
Our Team
Case Studies
- Biotech
- Boys and Girls Clubs of PA
- Capital Blue Cross
- Carpenter Technology
- Chester Upland School District
- Crane Safety Now
- Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council
- District Council 21 Painters & Allied Trades
- Dog Law
- Federal Courthouse in Harrisburg
- Film Tax Credit
- Glen-Gery Brick
- Growing Schools
- Harrisburg School District
- Highway Construction Industry
- Middletown Area School District
- Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
- Pennsylvanians for Affordable Nutrition
- Pocono Raceway
- Telecom Legislation
- Transportation Funding
- United Nations


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Menu for the "Financial Professionals" section.
Global site links:
We attract and retain talented financial professionals with compensation and benefit plans that are both competitive and current. In addition, our outstanding field recognition programs provide incentives and rewards that drive our field partners to greater levels of success.
Penn Mutual offers an attractive compensation arrangement.
We give our employees the flexibility to fully balance their work and home lives.
Full-time benefited agents are eligible for a competitive benefits package.
Penn Mutual recognizes the success of our leading producers is crucial to their future—and ours. Through both incentive conferences and special recognition programs, we educate, motivate and reward the best of the best, providing the personal care and attention our top producers deserve.
Penn Mutual also provides opportunities for professional development and training to help you achieve and exceed your goals...the goals you've determined are important for your success.


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I sometimes view life as a series of challenges and rewards, like if something really crap happens, you'll probably have something good happen soon after. In fact, I often think that the way in which you try and fix things in the bad times will probably turn into the good thing you were hoping for, so being positive and hardworking will usually get you out of a hole.
I quite like applying this challenge/reward scheme to the more mundane parts of my life too.
This last two weeks I've been heaving stuff out of my studio where I was doing picture framing. I was sharing with several other artists but could no longer afford to have the space, nor the time to do framing once term starts again. The weeks of packing, trips to the tip, taking things home and finding space in our spare room ended yesterday in the mammoth job of moving my cast iron mitre cutter. I don't quite know how, but I got it into my car single-handedly and it weighs about quarter of a ton! I can only think that it was like that story about the mother whose baby was stuck under the car and in a Hulk-like burst of adrenaline she managed to lift the car to release the babe. Something like that anyway...
But I digress, the bit that you're probably more interested in is that I promptly went to a few local charity shops to look for a little prize for all my hard work and came away with this beautiful Ercol chair! A mere £7 was paid and it is in mint condition. I love that I will always look at this chair and remember that my hard work got stuff done and sorted, and that I seem to be freakishly strong. Go me!


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Pump it up! Get ready for non-stop movement in the 4-5s class! In this gymnastics skill extravaganza, gymnasts will dive into tons of new gymnastics moves that will knock their socks off. Through the assistance of their coach, gymnasts will develop a solid foundation of skills that will challenge them at their appropriate level and prepare them for future classes.
Work on Skills like:
Price: Each class is $19
Billing Process: All classes will be billed on the first of the month. Participants will be charged for the number of classes that they have in that particular month.
All classes auto renew into the next month. If a participant needs to drop a class, they must write an email to email@example.com two weeks before the first of the month. There are no refunds after billing has been processed.
There are no contracts or annual fees.


text: Hey, so I really want to help my gf to promote her clothes shop. I already did SEO which drives some nice targeted audience but I am a LOST when it comes to facebook likes... So I figured that MAYBE it would be a good idea to: 1) create a clothes shop blog. 2) make a separate fb fan page (to not get the main one banned). 3) Buy some PPC/CPV ads about tempting new block entries like 'Rihannas new and shocking hair colour' 4) wait till the ads are approved. 5Quickly add an invisible 'like' script on the 'view the entry' now button in the blog. 6) Get thousands of likes...interact and promote the new fresh collection of clothes... Please comment on my strategy? Maybe this 'hidden like button' is already a dead way to go? Thanks.


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Afghanistan has been at war since the Russians invaded in 1979. As U.S. and NATO forces continue to withdraw and despite $800 billion in funding from U.S. Congress, the Afghan government struggles to maintain control of the country. Van Lohuizen documented Medecins Sans Frontieres' largest hospital in Helmand as the Taliban prepared to take the city. "I had to find not only the images but also the stories in a few square feet in the hospital grounds," he says. "I was dying to explore the situation around the city but that would have been suicidal. You take a risk by walking the streets."
Serving approximately one million people with 300 beds, the MSF Hospital in Helmand is the biggest hospital in southern Afghanistan and the only hospital in the province. Nearly 700 Afghan staff and 25 expats live and work in the hospital's units, from pediatrics to intensive care, orthopedics, burns, first aid and surgery. The hospital is free, for those lucky enough to get in. "Most of the countryside is under the control of the Taliban, so many patients who come from those areas are crossing front lines to reach the hospital," Lohuizen says. "You can only imagine how many people die or how many unborn babies don't make it—even doctors or nurses get killed or are kidnapped. So those who make it to the hospital are the people who make it."


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Genetically modified food
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Keywords: artificial, artwork, biochemistry, biotechnology, canning, concept, conceptual, engineered, engineering, factory, food, genetical manipulation, genetically modified food, genetics, glup, gm, green, gunk, illustration, line, machine, mass produced, modification, negative image, processed, processing, production, slime, tin, tins
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If you all want to save yourself the time waste, go into a McDonald's kitchen, cue up Skrillex playing the dubstep of hell, and grab a minimum wage employee to bang pots and pans together. Now shut your eyes and use your imagination to narrate each battleground. Congratulations. You've surpassed them. Faint praise indeed; however, as they are dumb as bricks. Their appearance looked like Abn's throw-up. They clog their Skype calls with incomprehensible, meaningless verbal flops. Clearly, they know as much about battleground strategy as they do fornicating with women.
Look, I am bitter. I hate being wronged. And yet, please don't misunderstand. This post is not merely to vent and name call the amateurish organizers. What transpired during the tournament was crass, despicable, and sums up everything toxic that the community has become.
Conflicted that I quit the tournament early, I looked to the audience as a reality check. I was reassured: "That texture healing rule has got to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard" (Novoz); "I'm sorry for what happened to you and your team today, despite our past, it was unfair, and I'm sorry I couldn't do more to make it fair (Magnusz, Tournament Referee); "They are dumb. Why not just ban grip knocks in the mid. How the fuck is that exploitation? Its designed that way"; (Athlete); "Like watching paint dry while getting caved in the face with a baseball bat" (Rawkus); "This must be the worst tournament I have ever experienced" (Rynd).
It's certainly the worst something.
Abn Ghosting Stream:
Abn watching their zero-delay live stream: http://i.imgur.com/kdjRi1B.jpg
Of "Texture Healing" and Bias: http://www.twitch.tv...ers/b/624983332
Responses to "texture healing": "That's our mistake" (Imbajohn); "That doesn't matter" (Nickolas); "We can do the same thing" (Zumoch); "You can still grip-knock there" (Datacus).
Corrupt Admin: "If you would have even lost that match, I would have replayed it. . . I wish you win against Bailamos, as personal, not judge . . . we will stall in your favor guys. Just don't tell Bailamos that we're stalling for you because he's gonna give a shit show" (Reinhart).
Last Version of Rule Book (they deleted theirs, of course): http://pastebin.com/Km88kFn3
Referee Interview: https://www.dropbox....oWRecording (10).mp4?dl=0
Tournament EU Admin: http://i.imgur.com/1yDkTyV.png
Edited by Bailamosx, 18 February 2015 - 04:25 AM.


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female gazing at: Gary Cooper
Because guys are hot in black-and-white, too. And if this is all fantasy, what difference does it make if they've long since departed this plane of existence?
In uniform!
I love how modern this image is. It looks like it could have been grabbed from last month's GQ:
I'm posting pictures like these every weekday, of a man who is attractive and desirable, because I like to look, dammit — and because the female gaze doesn't have to be such serious business.
(If you have a suggestion for someone we should female-gaze at, feel free to email me with a name or a link to a particular photo.)
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sábado, 12 de diciembre de 2009
VA: Troubles, Heartaches & Sadness - Hi Records' Deep Soul Sisters (1966-76)
Whenever the classic sound of Memphis is discussed, the holy trinity of Stax, Goldwax and Hi dominate the proceedings. Although the Hi label was a relative latecomer in the soul stakes, it soon equalled, and often surpassed its rivals in both commercial and artistics terms. The company's roster was home to an array of talent, some already established, others fresh-faced and ready to roll, from whose ranks this collection of distaff delights has been assembled. Janet & the Jays' Memphis residence was brief, but the group's legacy, which includes Don Bryant's 'Without a Reason' and 'Love What You're Doing to Me', stands proudly among the finest Hi product of all time. Ann Peebles made her R&B chart debut in 1969 with her very first single, the start of a decade of chartbusters and, finally, the breakthrough into the soul market that had since eluded Hi. Four of Peebles' classic cuts are featured here, including 'Give Me Some Credit', 'Troubles, Heartaches & Sadness' and 'Run Run Run'. Memphis' best secret, Toni Green, was the lead vocalist of Imported Moods, a harmony outfit whose 'What Have You Done to My Heart' was released on the label in 1970. Five years before ex-fashion model Veniece joined Hi, released two singles pdq and promptly disappeared from the recording scene for six years. She returned from that hiatus with the driving downhome saga 'Stepchild', prompting a trip to Europe supporting Wilson Pickett. A revival of Otis Clay's 'Trying to Live My Life Without You' in 1975 proved to be her farewell disc. Signed to Hi Records, Quiet Elegance were produced by Willie Mitchell and Dan Greer, who acting independently, whip up a batch of hot, tough Southern sounds as magnificent as their debut single, 'I'm Afraid of Losing You'. Blue-eyed soul trio Joint Venture worked for several years as in-house back-up singers for Al Green before releasing one of the greatest 45s to find on the label, 'What Have You Done to My Heart', in 1970. One of their members, Donna Rhodes, recorded solo 'Where's Your Love Been' three years later. Erma Coffee's 1973 Hi single coupled her version of 'Any Way the Wind Blows' and 'You Made Me What I Am', both included here. She later recorded as Irma Coffee for Tamtown. Chicagoan soul diva Jean Plum arrived at Hi Records in 1975, where she debuted with the remarkable "soft-deep" double-header 'Look at the Boy' and 'Back to You'. Talking to the British publication Blues & Soul the following year, the singer expressed her excitement at the completion of sessions for her first album. The inclusion of treasures like 'Loneliness' and her supremely soulful interpretations of Aretha Franklin's 'Today I Sing the Blues' would surely have ensured a top quality se but, sadly, the LP was never released. The 1976 single 'I Love Him' was Plum's only other release until her final platter two years later. Meanwhile Hi girl group Known Facts delivered their impressive two-sider 'He's Got It' and 'How Can I Believe You', in 1975; same year that the Duncan Sisters issued 'It's You That I Need', their only outing on Hi. The fact that Ann Peebles alone amongst this talented asemblage hit the big time, detracts not one jot from the greats sounds laid down by her equally deserving labelmates, whom posterity has, at last, granted a wider and more appreciative audience than they attracted back in the day. Partially Taken from the original liner notes.
Publicado por Noelia Almenara en 0:36
7 comentarios:
- Nosi dijo...
- 12 de diciembre de 2009, 0:38
- richsoul dijo...
Great job,it is always hard to find good stuff. Thank you for your work.
- 12 de diciembre de 2009, 7:31
- Rolf dijo...
Ongoing thanks, gracias, merci, danke, etc.
- 12 de diciembre de 2009, 14:04
- Andre dijo...
thanks alot for this beautiful record. i love anything Hi records puts out.
- 12 de diciembre de 2009, 20:20
- hooch dijo...
thanks a lot nosi - great comp!
- 13 de diciembre de 2009, 10:59
- Mike dijo...
Feliz Navidad Nosi! How about the Alice Clark LP? That ever cross your path? Many thanks......Mike in Florida
- 13 de diciembre de 2009, 16:44
- troods dijo...
Gracias amor!
- 17 de diciembre de 2009, 18:54
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Kilgore House to be sold
July 18, 2012
Filed under NEWS
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The University of Alabama's Kilgore House remains on the market after the University's failure to attract a buyer who is willing to purchase and relocate the house.
The Kilgore House is being sold and removed from campus to make way for a new Fresh Food Company dining facility to be built, Cathy Andreen, University spokeswoman, said.
The new dining facility will be built on 325 Hackberry Lane, but first, the Kilgore House must change ownership and location.
The house became open for public viewing on June 25 and went until the day of the bid opening, July 9. However, with no offers to purchase the house, the University has reissued the request for sealed bids.
Those who wish to view the house may do so from now until Friday, Aug. 10. Bidding will reopen Aug. 10, and the University will contact the bidder(s) with the highest bid within three business days and award the house to them.
Andreen said the buyer of the house would be required to move the house to a new location. The University will consider other options only if there are no bids to purchase the house.
Since 1986, the University's Alabama Heritage magazine has called the Kilgore House home, but tomorrow, all that changes as Alabama Heritage moves to a new location for the first time ever.
According to information found on UA's website, before the Kilgore House was the home of Alabama Heritage, it functioned as a home for Charles C. Kilgore and his family. The house was built in 1890 by the trustees of Bryce Hospital and was used as a residence for Kilgore, who served as assistant steward at the time, the site stated.
Donna Cox Baker, editor-in-chief of Alabama Heritage, said although she loves the house, she fully understands the need the University has for the land.
"I would have loved to keep the house and will feel sad the day the old girl rolls away, but I fully understand the critical need for this piece of property," Baker said. "Preservation always has to be balanced with pragmatism, and our trustees had to make a hard decision."
Alabama Heritage moves its final box out of the Kilgore House this week and relocates to another historic building in Northport.
The new Alabama Heritage headquarters will be located at a former honeymoon cottage on the Rice family plantation, which has been built onto many times, Baker said.
Meredith Purser, digital media editor at Alabama Heritage, said the magazine's move to a new location has been bittersweet for her.
"I'm sad to leave Kilgore, but I'm very excited about the University's commitment to keeping the magazine around and finding us a new location," Purser said. "The University has made this process easy and seamless for us."
The removal of the house by the new owner must be completed between the period of Dec. 17, 2012 and Jan. 4, 2013.
For more information regarding the sale of the Kilgore House, call the Property and Inventory Management Office at 205-348-7501.


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Global Warming
IN TORONTO ? After an incredibly warm autumn, we're now having record snowfalls in these parts. When I see snow, I put away all my worries about how plants will survive. After all, a good blanket of snow is the best mulch there is. Everything underneath is kept in a consistent state: no freeze/thaws to ravage the plants.
But what are all these confused weather patterns doing to our plants? I called Diana Beresford-Kroeger, a botanist who lives in Merrickville, just outside Ottawa. Last year's ice storm badly damaged all of her trees (one of her specialties), with the exception of a few native Carolinian species such as Catalpa speciosa and Liriodendron.
The full extent of the storm's damage won't be known for at least another 10 years, she says. Millions of hectares of trees were affected, and the canopy from Ottawa to Montreal was almost removed. This reduces the trees' ability to survive, and the forest has to start over again. The canopy's absence, in turn, affects global warming. Just as our toes are about to freeze, we don't want to hear about global warming. But, as gardeners, we must pay attention. These are the points that Ms. Beresford-Kroeger makes:
- With global warming, there is an increase in soil temperature that changes the delicate balance between bacteria and fungi. One overwhelming the other increases plant diseases of all kinds. This could extend to the presence of mites in birds' nests, for example. If mites proliferate with higher temperatures and humidity, the next generation's young birds may die. Birds and bugs (good and bad) emerge at the same time. We need those birds to pick off the pests.
- Swings from very cold to very warm weather mean an increase in fungal diseases such as downy mildew. Such swings increase the wasp and other insect populations such as sawflies and thrips that love heat. A rapid rise in temperature also can shatter bark in a straight line; more ice in the bark will create a long open wound.
- There is also an increase in sunburn across North America. It fries green-coloured soft plants such as tomatoes and petunias that have no waxy cuticles to protect them from the sun's rays. Those most affected are in the Solanum family. This includes potatoes and tomatoes; they are becoming more difficult to grow in southern regions because they get burnt up in summer. Plants such as petunias and calla lilies also are suffering, though most of the herbs aren't.
- Across North America, monocotyledons (grains, grasses and sedges) and some trees grown in the garden are being affected by increased ultraviolet A and B irradiation. When fertilization takes place, the pollen goes on the plant's female part, which is in a vulnerable position. The pollen tube is injured when it is exposed to ultraviolet light. Fertilization is affected and all seed production is lowered.
- Anyone who uses pesticides should be extremely careful. Increased heat, especially around houses, makes all pesticides more toxic to people. They are more volatile, and affect small children and animals more quickly. Signs announcing pesticide use should go up well in advance and stay in place for at least five days, especially in parks and public areas.
- The use of organic and inorganic fertilizers should be cut back as the heat goes up. The higher the temperature, the greater the stress for plants. This coming summer, which is expected to be hotter than usual, use at least 20 per cent less fertilizer; that includes organic gardeners who use only compost. Step up the amount of watering.
- Another indirect effect of global warming is the lack of ozone, leading to more ultraviolet A and B. That disables plants' immune systems so they can't fight off diseases. We see it in onions, carrots and potatoes. This is the first year that Phythoptera infestans (potato blight, of Irish famine fame) has raised its ugly head.
- Crazy weather patterns are leading to more and more lightning strikes, thus adding nitrogen to the air. This means the potential for germination increases with an increased nitrogen load in summer rains. And so we get more weeds.
- Last autumn, trees did not all go dormant. If you were to prune now, you'd see they are still bleeding. The abscission layers (or bud scars) are also bleeding, again affecting the trees' health.
- It's not all bad news. Many North American native species — native orchids, agrostemma, club mosses and ferns — are on the rise. There are more butterflies that thrive with the heat and drink the sap spilled from broken trees.


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Staying non-partisan in a political world.
Last night, we received an interesting email from Bev Perlson, who heads the Band of Mothers group. She's got an awesome email list that is good for keeping up on what's going on around the country. What was so disturbing was the email listed someone we all know- LTC(r) Allen West, and how the VFW, of all people, THE VEE-EFF-FRICKING-W, was ENDORSING HIS OPPONENT. You read that right. His opponent? Democrat Ron Klein. WHO HAS NEVER SERVED IN UNIFORM. You read THAT right, too. People, I've been pissed before. Mad, even. Upset. But this? THIS is treasonous to me. For a 'so called' veterans organization to pick a NON-SERVING, NON-VETERAN over one of the MOST PROMISING veterans running in politics is heinous. Disturbing. And shows just how far off-track the VFW has become. As you may recall, when I returned from Iraq one of the first things I did was join VFW and Legion as 'life members'. Now, it seems, the time has come to rip, burn, and toss my Lifetime Membership for the VFW. I feel like they have completely left us at the station here.My occasional co-blogger and always good friend Jonn Lilyea at This Ain't Hell was equally perturbed to get the email from Ms. Perlson, and after noting some of the endorsements opined:
So I have to ask, as a life member of the VFW, who the Hell is running that place over there? I remember the VFW wasn't all that concerned about the Homeland Security estimate that veterans are a threat to our national security and now I see this. Me, personally, I wouldn't endorse Alcee Hastings, the impeached judge, for town drunk…so what the hell is the VFWPAC thinking?It's interesting the way things move through the internet. One day no one is discussing it, and the next EVERYBODY is talking about it. Almost every person who commented on those posts was mad, and those who called the VFW got an answering machine, which didn't make them all that much happier. Now, it is important to note that the VFW, and the VFW PAC are two entities. Here is how the VFW PAC is billed:
According to Federal Law [sic], the Veterans of Foreign Wars cannot legally endorse candidates. To overcome the legal challenges of influencing on Capitol Hill, the organization established a Political Action Committee— a separate, nonpartisan organization charged with the single task of working in Congress to support candidates who share our views about key veterans' military and defense issues. The VFW-PAC is established to promote and facilitate the accumulation and distribution of voluntary contributions from employees and members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its subordinate units, (Posts, Districts, County Councils, Departments, Ladies Auxiliary and Military Order of the Cooties) for the support of various candidates for election to federal office in the United States. The established endorsement criteria not withstanding, no Presidential candidate will be endorsed by the VFW-PAC Board of Directors. The VFW-PAC is dedicated to the support of candidates who have taken responsibile [sic] positions on issues involving national defense and legislation pertaining to our nation's veterans.Anyway, the endorsement kerfuffle got even more interesting later in the week, as first the Department of Florida, and then the National Headquarters of VFW, both issued statements largely antagonistic to the PAC. From the HQ alert:
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Oct. 8, 2010 - The national line officers of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) are at odds with the VFW Political Action Committee (PAC), calling the methodology process used by the PAC "seriously flawed at best this year and in immediate need of extensive review," in the wake of the recent congressional endorsements made by the committee. "Even though the law requires that VFW-PAC be a separate organization, the acronym 'VFW' is attached to the committee and the natural assumption is that the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is somehow making the endorsement decisions. Nothing could be further from the truth, but perception is reality," said National Commander Richard Eubank. "Obviously, an organization's political positions have to reflect the opinions of its members. But those opinions can't be perceived as 'off the wall,' and the methodology used this year to grade candidates obviously is skewed in favor of the incumbent. That isn't fair, and it actually subverts the democratic process." Because of the controversy surrounding the endorsements, VFW line officers have decided to bring the question of continued existence of the PAC to the floor during the 112th VFW national convention in August. (2011)Again, I am not bringing this up to bash the VFW. In fact, we work with them all the time on stuff, most recently when many of their brown-cappers appeared outside the Supreme Court building in support of Al Snyder in his case against Westboro. I used to be a member of VFW when I was in Virginia, and the vast majority of my friends are dual members. A rising tide lifts all boats, and something like this will (alas) probably lower them as well. Veterans' involvement and advocacy isn't generally a zero sum game: you can belong to many groups, as I do. The inherent problem here was obviously the PAC. I loathe PACs. I particularly hate them in the context of veterans' issues. It just brings confusion to a place where none need truly exist. Vets For Freedom endorses 10 candidates for Congress who support the War on Terrorism*, and Vote Vets endorses 10 who oppose. So, who supports troops more? Is it the former 10, or the latter 10? I have an answer to that, but that is because I am part of an informed electorate. My answer almost certainly differs from many others. My answer is an opinion, and yours should be as well, one made after looking at the totality of the positions of the candidates in your area. *(It should be noted that I was a VFF Founder, although I am no longer active, so caveat emptor.) And that is why scorecards also annoy the hell out of me. Last year IAVA did a scorecard, and I thought it was positively dreadful, just as I thought the VFF one was equally horrid. One vote IAVA had on their scorecard was on something that IAVA billed as "Funding Veterans' Health Care, 2008." It wasn't actually titled that, but nonetheless, the sole vote against that bill was Senator DeMint of South Carolina, and I have a close friend who works for that senator, so I asked him to look it up for me. Turns out his opposition wasn't to funding Veterans Health Care, but rather to a $4 Billion earmark in that bill that would create a park in Beverly Hills, as he made clear in his statement at the time:
This is an appalling earmark that takes $4 Billion dollars which should be used to care for the brave men and women who fought for our country and turns it over to build a park for Beverley Hills 90210. We should all be able to agree that a community with an average household income of $125,000 has a sufficient tax base to build a park and doesn't need a $4 Billion hand out from the federal government. The men and women who wore America's uniform need the money a lot more than the men and women who wear Prada. [Sen Demint's link on this is no longer active.]Anyway, I bring this all up because of various commenters who assert various things about The American Legion. Let me address each of those comments in turn: 1) "The American Legion does the same thing." This one lacks specificity to know exactly what is meant, but I know we don't do a scorecard. In fact, a resolution from this past National Convention calling for one failed to get the needed majority. It is simply too difficult to adequately score veterans votes. Where one Congressman might vote against the VA Appropriations Bill because it is too expensive, another might vote against it because it doesn't provide enough money. Do you score a "no" vote equally then? Is a member of Congress who disagrees on the funding because it is too much the same as one who disagree because it is not enough? While Congress does "Yea" and "Nay" votes, it's not always clear from either exactly why the person voted that way. 2) "The American Legion endorses candidates too." This is just untrue. We never have, and we never will, and the Constitution of the American Legion is pretty clear on this one:
ART II Section 2. The American Legion shall be absolutely nonpolitical and shall not be used for the dissemination of partisan principles nor for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking office or preferment.In addressing this post, I was forwarded the sage words of advice from our Past National Adjutant, Mr. Spanogle, who told my boss that he should look at the remarks of a man from Maine made during the early 1920's with regard to this issue. When Mr. Spanogle suggests something like that, it is generally worth your time, and so within minutes of arriving at work this morning I made the trek up to our library where our Librarian quickly located the colloquy in question. It actually is even more interesting that I had anticipated. I hope you will forgive me for this side trip from our major topic, but I found it interesting. Rather than disrupt the flow of this post and my enumerations of various Urban Legends with regards to politics and The American Legion, I am moving the historical underpinnings to the end. I encourage you to read it, as the comments there are just as apropos in 2010 as they were in 1920. 3) "Look at this picture; see, I told you they endorse people." This is a specific one that I am still looking into. We know it is Chesterfield Post 408 in Indiana, and I have an email into the Department Adjutant. So, why am I bringing it up? Because my email is at the top of this page, if you see something that you think violates what I am saying, by all means send it to me. If, as I suspect, these signs are both on private property, and the Legion has no control over the candidate's sign, I will tell you. If, on the other hand, this is on post property, and insinuates endorsement, I will make sure the National Judge Advocate is alerted; and I will bug him until I have an answer for you. If there is something that violates our Constitution and/or Bylaws, we will take steps to quickly correct it. You have my promise on that. 4) "The American Legion is too [right/left] wing. They even [supported/opposed] Obamacare." This one is shocking in its prevalence. I'm regularly accused of being either a full-blooded acolyte of the vast right-wing conspiracy, or a mouthpiece of the Obama Administration. And last week I got an email saying we were (at various times) either in favor or neutral on Obamacare, while another emailer lamented that we opposed Obamacare. Let me address each. The American Legion has around 2.5 million members. If you lined them up based on their political philosophies, it would run the gamut. I know Legionnaires who served in Republican gubernatorial administrations, some who served in Democratic ones, and some who served under Independents. In fact, I know one Legionnaire who served as a cabinet official under a Dem Governor, a GOP one, and a third-party governor. We just aren't that easy to pigeonhole. Do we support efforts to curb illegal immigration? Absolutely. Do we support legal immigration and volunteer on Naturalization classes? Again, absolutely. Then again, do we also support the largest existing government health-care provider in the VA? Again, absolutely. Now, the first is largely associated with a GOP goal, the second is largely non-partisan, and the third is associated with the Democrats. We are more like a smorgasbord than a Chinese lunch buffet. If you don't like one position or resolution we have, just move on to the next one. We have positions that run the gamut because they represent the views of a disperse membership. The only thing that all of our positions have in common is that they were deemed relevant and germane to the Organization, and were passed by our National Executive Committee or at the National Convention. As for Obamacare….I tried to explain it all in this post here, but let's give it one more shot. The American Legion neither opposed nor supported Obamacare, as I think the statement from National Commander Hill at the time reads if you look at it.
"I have been assured personally by the President, Secretary of Defense, VA Secretary, Speaker of the House, Majority Leaders, and numerous other Senators and Representatives – as has National Commander David Rehbein before me – that nothing in the national health care reform legislation will change current DoD and VA health care eligibility or practices," said The American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill concerning the outcome of the health care vote on Sunday. "As late as 9 pm last evening, I was on the telephone with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and we spoke candidly about The American Legion's concerns. Based on that conversation, the transcripts of hearings, assurances from the President and Secretary themselves, I am 100 percent confident that Congress will act responsibly as regards the nation's veterans and their families," Hill said. […] While the entire health care reform legislative package is extremely controversial and contentious, The American Legion has taken a position on one aspect only: maintaining the autonomy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense's health care delivery systems. "It is going to be a long, drawn out legislative process, but America's veterans can rest assured that their benefits will be protected. That I personally guarantee," said Hill.I actually went a little further in my two posts on the subject. In the first one I stated that:
TRICARE and NAF are not certain to be approved under the existing bill about to be signed. Now, why is this? They've been working on these bills for in excess of a year, and this is the first we are hearing of it? Well, no, actually, Representative Buyer has been talking about the effects for quite a while, but no one really listened. This is not really to praise Representative Buyer as much as it is to say that no one on the Hill seems to be listening to anyone. Think back on all the important bills that Congress has passed in its days. The Civil Rights Acts, Medicare creation, some of the New Deal Bills. How many of them had one party voting exclusively one way, and the other party splitting its vote and yet the party that voted together lost? I've never heard it. Not one Republican broke ranks on this bill, and some Dems, fearful of the vengeance of their constituents voted "No." What we have here is a failure to communicate.In the second I talked about some of the indirect effects that the Healthcare Bill would have:
Anyone who has ever viewed martial arts movies (even just Kung Fu Panda) or some sort of Science Fiction TV series knows that even small actions have ancillary effects on things you wouldn't imagine. In the former genre it's usually the butterfly principle where some solitary butterfly in search of nectar flaps his wings three times and 2 days later there is a tsunami in Portland, Oregon. In the latter genre it's usually the Grandfather Paradox, where you can't change the past because doing so alters everything after that, and thus you couldn't have gone back in time. Anyway, the point of both of these is that no solitary event occurs within a vacuum, and this is what accounts for the discrepancies in macro-economics. And so it is with the recent Health Care Reform law.People are going to see what they want to see I think. If they want to be mad at us, they will find some proof of us being too [right/left] wing: it is the nature of being an advocacy group. But, just having a position identifiable with a specific party doesn't make it partisan. We address the issues, not the people. So, there you have it. I know that people are going one of two ways about the VFW: either they are quitting in disgust, or they are urging folks to stay in and right the ship. I'm not here to say which you should do, that is up to each individual person. We've had folks drop their TAL membership on account of something I have said, and then it was based on a resolution passed at convention. I was pretty upset about it until my National Adjutant pretty much told me that when people complain like that, it's generally best to pay them no mind. I don't try to turn folks off on the Legion with the blog, I try to get them engaged. So, stay with the VFW and fix it, or "Turn on, tune in, drop out"; it is up to you. But, at one point the Legion fought this same fight, and as you will read below, even though outnumbered 33-3, those 3 changed the course of American Legion history. ______________________________________________________________________ The scene is the 1920 National Convention, discussing a resolution that would clarify Art II section 2 for the following purposes: Resolved, […] that the Legion is not prohibited by its Constitution and Charter from supporting and promoting those policies and principles within the purposes enumerated in the preamble to its National Constitution, as interpreted by acts of its National Conventions and rulings of its National Executive Committee; and be it further Resolved, that the Legion through its organization has the right under its Charter and Constitution to ascertain for the information of its members the attitude of candidates for public office towards such policies and principles. Now, this resolution before the debate was favored by 33, while opposition was limited to three votes. And, apparently, conventions were A HELL OF A LOT MORE FUN back then. Just read this discussion:
Mr. Chandler (Georgia): It was only a few weeks ago when the principles enunciated in the preamble were dragged into the mud and attacked by – I can't mention his name. We called upon you for an interpretation as to what we could do. He said, "I can call your organization a Republican organization; I can say that it is a sectarian organization; I can name it and call it anything any you are impotent to do anything about it." We submitted to you, Mr. Chairman a telegram setting forth the fact that this man was advocating un-American policies to the people of our State, that he had attacked – [Cries from the audience of "Name him!"] Mr. Chandler: [Name redacted by Mothax] is the man I speak of. We said he had attacked these principles; we asked if under this Constitution we could go before the people and oppose him. We didn't ask for the privilege of advocating either of his opponents; we desired merely to oppose him. He used this Section in our Constitution on the stump against us. He turned the people against us by his slanderous remarks. [Cries from the audience of "Why didn't you hang him?" followed by laughter and applause.] Mr. Chandler: We didn't hang him because in Georgia The American Legion stands for the enforcement of law and order. [Applause.]Anyway, so now you have a resolution with an initial 33-3 favorability, with a rather vehement and tenacious advocate asserting the need for the resolutions passage. Two men took to the floor in opposition, James L. Boyle (of my birth-state of Maine) and a Mr. Herbert (of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where I grew up.)
Mr. Herbert: The American Legion owes immeasurably the success of its growth and the respect in which it is held by the people of the United States to the fact that it stands for policies not politics. (Applause) The people believe in and respect The American Legion because it lives up to its declaration of principles. We are told that the resolution is simply clarifying, that it is simply explanatory. I tell you, gentlemen, that in my belief, and in the belief of many in this Convention, that resolution is a tinkering resolution. It is only a shoepeg now possibly, but it will ultimately grow into a wedge that will split open this body in which the people of this country now believe.But it was the words of Mr. Boyle of Maine that truly would be the death knell of this resolution:
Speaking for the Department of Maine and making the motion that the minority report be accepted, I realize the vast confidence which the public has in us and the great respect in which we are held, but I say that we view with disapproval and we look with disfavor upon any resolution or any interpretation, as they may call it, which would attempt to throw the American Legion into the uncharted seas of political jingoism. [Applause] Our Constitution is brief so far. [Recitation of Art II, Section 2] Again, it says, each member shall perform his full duty as a citizen according to his own conscience and understanding. What more do we want? The whole gist of the resolution, the clarified resolution, as they call it, says the Legion through its organization has the right under its charter and constitution to ascertain for the information of its members the attitude of candidates for public political office toward such policies and principles. But, my comrades, who is the judge as to what our attitude is on some of these policies? Americanism, we say, a hundred per cent. Americanism, but from Maine to California, the Department officials will vary as to what their attitude is going to be on many questions, and that is going to be our situation. We have the confidence and the respect of the people of the United States. Our Constitution says that we are non-political. Go no further. I think that that is sufficient.In the end the resolution failed by a wide margin. One Department even changed it's vote…
Mr Lindsey: Mr. Chairman, I have just gotten the consent of the Texas Delegation to change its vote to "No." I desire to state to you gentlemen that your action meets the approval in principle of the vast majority of the Committee that brought in the report that you disapproved. It puts this Convention on record permanently, I think, as opposed to entering party politics. We don't care about the method that is pursued, just so it goes out throughout the world tonight that the American Legion is irrevocably opposed to entering party politics.And so it was that a few brave men set the path for The American Legion.
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MOTHAX (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 10:32pm
I'm absolutely befuddled by
I'm absolutely befuddled by your comment sir. Am I to understand that the Big Q, which we write at the office and try to come up with 4 compelling answers to, is somehow indicative of taking a partisan position? You are aware I assume that Senators Reid and McConnell both agreed with the position of The American Legion on that issue? You do know that 40 Senators signed on as Amici for the brief that they filed, right?
Perhaps you want to write the Big Q's? Please feel free to submit one to me, and I will run it by our Editor.
Carolyn Mahoney (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 12:32pm
Saw with interest a political
Saw with interest a political ad with Past National Commander Hill, shaking hands with Nancy Polosi, after her speech at the National Convention, it is coming across on the political ads for endorsement.
Sgt Shat (not verified)
October 18, 2010 - 3:02pm
First off, I would like to
First off, I would like to say that I am a fan of the BurnPit and Mothax in particluar, and I do agree with him on the subject of the original post. However, I would also like to say that I agree with Jack Cain on the Big Q questions and the voting options. Most if not all of the Big Q questions and options are heavily slanted. As I recently posted on one of the questions, if the AL ever intends to use the Big Q to ascertain the ture opinions of members, they will need to work on how those are written.
Jospeh Belfield (not verified)
November 8, 2010 - 6:37pm
I do have a question and
I do have a question and concern with the American Legion being non-political. I see it each and every year on the television, either by the Dem. or Rep. candidate of having American Legion members on stage or in the audience showing their support and endorsements for them as a candidate. Yes I realize we are not able to control the actions of all our Legion members all the time, yet we should strive to enforce the ideals that has kept the American Legion the great organization that it it has become. If these members wish to endorse a candidate they may do so of their own free will but please remove your Legion covers and do so as an individual and not as a representative of the American Legion.
Demophilius (not verified)
October 13, 2010 - 6:35pm
As far as I can see, the idea
As far as I can see, the idea that there's someone out there who's advocating for an ideal and not for a partisan party is quite refreshing.
The Legion promotes the fundamental ideal at the core of American government...go out there and participate.
Become educated about civics, and apply that knowledge and dedication to service to your country to the choices you make as an active citizen. The Legion promotes active citizenship, what could be better?
The scary thing is when you start telling people what to do and think with that active citizenship. Intelligent people can disagree about the proper solution to the nation's problems, but they shouldn't disagree about the foundation of that government, and that government is founded on a private citizen's right to make up their own mind about politics and voice it.
You CAN take an active stand when you're for the voice and neutral on the words spoken by the voice.
MOTHAX (not verified)
October 12, 2010 - 12:04pm
"While rampant jingoistic
"While rampant jingoistic politics would surely break the legion, for it to sit idly by whilst enemies of our way of life call white black in Washington is a betrayal of an oath I took which has no expiration date."
Be specific, what do you mean? What is there out there that is germane to us that we aren't weighing in on? I think you misinterpreted how we operate, we are VERY POLITICAL. What we are not is partisan. We weigh in on just about everything. We have lobbyists on the Hill every day. Don't you think that people should be smart enough to vote for who the best person is without prompting? If we (as a constitutional republic) are predicated on the voting by an informed electorate, shouldn't we just count on them to make the right decision?
Perhaps you can name for me a fight which is germane to veterans that we stayed out of. Look, the bridge to nowhere probably had veterans that might have driven over it, but that doesn't make it a veterans issue. War of Terror? We weighed in. VA Budget, we weighed in. Just tell me where you think we should be wading into a fight that we currently are not.
Falshrmjgr (not verified)
October 12, 2010 - 6:22pm
Maybe I danced around
Maybe I danced around something here, so let me say it straight: The American Legion should be about more than "Veteran's Issues." The Legion is a patriotic organization that should concern itself with what is good for America as a whole, not just some self-serving slice of it. We didn't serve our country to become a protected group (Minority, Female, oh yeah! Veterans)
We served our country because we love her and what she stands for. We served our country because we were willing to sacrifice ourselves to make her stronger. Not because we wanted to have some benefits, or access to the VA, or whatever the Veteran's cause of the week is.
We are men and women of noble patriotism, who cherish our freedoms and the Constitution that guarantees them. When I see the Constitution challenged over and over again by self serving politicians and unelected bureaucrats who are willing to shred her for their own agenda, I remember my oath. We all took it. So why should an organization that is made of entirely of those who have taken that oath shirk from taking a stand?
While we wore the uniform, our rights of free speech were somewhat curtailed. The military serves the nation in an nonpartisan fashion. It must in a free society. But afterward, why should we be content with a policy which has us gag ourselves?
Splitting hairs between endorsing candidates and endorsing policies is fine on paper, but in reality it is ludicrous. Candidate A is a jerk, went to Canada, and stood at SFP in 1969 spitting on troops coming home from Vietnam. But Candidate A supports increased VA funding because it supports his socialist agenda. Is that support for a Bill sufficient for the Legion to turn a blind eye to Candidate A's past???? Because we are about "issues" not candidates?
Seventh Son (not verified)
October 12, 2010 - 8:06pm
Conversations with those who
Conversations with those who follow politics and the progress or lack of progress in Washington identifies a common factor from whichever side of the aisle you talk to, the partisan atmosphere in DC contributes a great deal to the lack of anything happening in DC. Little problems that could be handled when they are little are pushed aside by partisan political considerations until they become big problems. Then the partisanship kicks in big-time and any solution is completely impossible.
I really have trouble understanding how The Legion becoming more partisan can help the partisan situation in the government. Don't make it personal by becoming partisan. I haven't seen that much advantage given to any organization that endorses candidates. They endorse people that they already have a strong mutual relationship with. So did the endorsement bring any extra advantage or did the endorsement just run the risk of being wrong and irritating the actual winner?
Way better to work with both sides, get as much our our program into their platform as possible and forget about being partisan and giving endorsements. Too much potential for bad things to happen in relation to the little good that comes of endorsements.
Roy (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 10:50am
To say the AL should not
To say the AL should not support issues and the politicans who foster them that affect active duty and veterans is sad. This organization is composed of leaders, a lot of whom are not afraid to stand up for what is right. Why are we being a bunch of PC fense sitters on serious issues. Set on a fence long enough and you'll get splinters in you butt.
Donald Ribelin (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 8:37pm
I cannot but concur with Mr.
I cannot but concur with Mr. Lyons. The party should not determine who we vote for. No! the principles and policies of the citizen running for office should. Yes it is very difficult to know what the truth is but, in my mind, seeking the truth is never a waste of time. We as citizens have a responsibility to vote and to vote intelligently. If the American Legion or any other organization can help us to be better aware of the candidate's qualifications, standards of conduct and political platform I applaud the effort. IMHO PAC's are not the way to go. When all else fails and you cannot reach a decision on whom to vote for: vote for the Veteran.
Jim Cerullo (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 11:53pm
West is nuts- the VFW is
West is nuts- the VFW is right in backing his opponent. Too many here have made it seem that someone who served is automatically the better candidate- I'm really sick of those "fans"- people with no brains.
Do you people know that West is black? Most righties are anti-Obama because he's half black- West is 100% black
and talks about solving issues with guns. You want a moron like that in office anywhere in this country? If you do you're not an american even if you served 50 years.
Jack Cain (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 10:18pm
I have seen too many things
I have seen too many things recently to think that the American Legion national leadership is non-partisan.
I'll bet that you started writing that scathing response in your head before you even really recognized what I just said. Go back and read it again. What exactly was it that tripped your trigger? For most of you, it is your assumption that I did one of two things. Either I meant to say that the American Legion Headquarters carries out partisan activities, or that I think that the national leadership, as individuals, should be non-partisan. If you go back and re-read my first sentence, you will realize that I said nothing untrue or that should be untrue.
We are in an age of the exponential decrease in the amount of content transferred per transference of information (OK - that means that we've moved from long speeches to short letters to email to tweets). The American public is no longer capable of gathering and comprehending the amount of information necessary to form a reasonable view of a candidate's true position on any topic. Therefore, people have the desire to get a scorecard from some organization to tell them how to vote.
MOTHAX said earlier, "If we (as a constitutional republic) are predicated on the voting by an informed electorate, shouldn't we just count on them to make the right decision?". He hit the nail on the head. That is the only way a constitutional republic can survive. For some reason (hmm...maybe because the big organizations don't want you to think for yourself) we are told that we are, and that we fought, for "Democracy" (Insert fanfare and ticker tape here). Wow - the right for every individual's voice to be counted. Sounds good, eh?
Now, let's go back to last week, where our National Headquarters Leadership (or was it an unelected person? Do you know? I'd bet you don't. I don't.) put a question in "The Big Q" that asked if First Amendment rights should be curtailed near military funerals. Now, you and I know that this question revolves around those folks who have a different concept of respect than most of us. I believe that 91% of people who responded said it was OK to deny a Constitutional right to individuals who did not believe the way they do. How many of the people who voted that way substituted "Westboro Church" into the question and answered accordingly? Did those 91% actually THINK about the ramifications of restricting the Constitutional rights of citizens of this country? Imply or assume as you may, the words of that question do not change meaning to a court judge. Next time, it will be YOUR voice that is silenced when the time comes to deny First Amendment rights to someone. Respect is different than public safety for those of you ready to use the "yell fire" argument.
With that recent example, do you really think that any group can define "what is right for this country" when the very people who fought for it think it's OK for the government to deny the rights in our Constitution? Do you want members of that 91% to interpret the complexity and breadth of a candidate's actual or potential actions for the range of issues they will be confronted with during their term in office?
I'm with MOTHAX. Think for yourself. Educate yourself. Vote for yourself. While you are at it, make sure that YOUR part of the American Legion, as a Post, District or Department, conducts official business in a non-partisan fashion.
Jack Cain
"Bucks, blisters or blood - every American should pay for the freedoms we enjoy"
Bill R. (not verified)
October 19, 2010 - 11:04pm
Sorry for spelling errors.
Sorry for spelling errors. It's hard to spell correctly when your blood is boiling.
David D. (not verified)
October 24, 2010 - 5:09am
I am a life member of
I am a life member of VFW.
During Pennsylvania congressman John Murtha's last campaign for office, the VFW(now I guess it most likely was their PAC) gave it's endorsment to his campaign. The official position of the VFW on our military operations in Iraq and Afghaniston which I agree with, and the position taken by Congressman Murtha were completely opposite. Upon learning of this, I notified the VFW that if they did not withdraw their endorsement of congressman Murtha's campaign, I in good conscience would no longer be able associaite/participate with the organization and it's activities. They didn't and I don't. Perhaps the VFW didn't have any direct influence on their own PAC. If so, they should have said so.
The point here is, in this case, VFW was completely ignoring their own position on policy by allowing their PAC to make the endorsement. Staying out of the race completely would have been the smarter course.
Hearing now about the VFW PAC's scorecard endorsements absolutely comes as no surprise to me. Somebody at VFW's national level needs to get a grip on this situation.
You have to stand for more than healthcare and disability checks if you expect to get significant support from our military veterans.
Living the Dream!
Falshrmjgr (not verified)
October 12, 2010 - 6:59pm
"I find it insulting that you
"I find it insulting that you think we are sitting the fights out when we lobby every single day to get veterans what they have earned. "
I think that is my point. I don't think that's enough, that's all. And I have no respect for neutrality. I just don't. Switzerland during WWII? Please.
We argue all day long about not "understanding" the Legion's position. But frankly I understand it. I just don't buy it. It is that same disconnect that leads to the kind of "no one is responsible" decision making that lead to the VFW's PAC endorsements. The American Legion, in my opinion does a much better job - The Legion fired back at Homeland security when they characterized Vets as a threat. But "better than the others" isn't really good enough.
Anyhow, look, I don't mean to be insulting, but rather to question if this non-partisanship is really relevant in the politics of the 21st Century. Our Nation's future is being decided not based upon issues, but on the demagoguery created on the TV news show circuit.
If newspapers can endorse candidates in their editorial pages, and not lose their credibility to report the news, I see no reason the Legion can't do the same. (Now they may have lost credibility for other reasons, but not for their editorial support).
Am I advocating the Legion to pick a dog in every fight? No. But I think there are times it should step forward and say, "This man here is a hero, and he should lead" or "This other man here is a goat, and you are a fool if you support him"
Anyhow, I'll stop gnawing on this bone.
W.R. Quinn (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 1:30am
I have received numerous
I have received numerous e-mails stating that VFW is endorsing Sen. Barbara Boxer from California---I hope these e-mails are incorrect.
KBOB (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 1:21pm
The ability of The American
The ability of The American Legion be effective on Capitol Hill regarding issues of importance that run the gamut has been and will continue to be our mandate to work with any administration and both sides of the ailse to educate , inform and lobby on behalf of that issue. The Burn Pit thread is worth reading and the 1920 Convention debate serves as a primer for serving and preserving the Ideals for which this organization was founded. I dismiss calls for the Legion to endorse individual candidates as self-serving and antithesis to the vision of those who founded the organization following WWI. That vision was clear then and its clarity remains today.
The American Legion takes a stand on issues every day and shares our position. We exercise needed, meaningful, oversight on government agencies, agents and elected officials; said oversight is possible ONLY because of our history of non-partisanship.
Jack Cain (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 7:17pm
MOTHAX - Since you did not
Since you did not specify what "sir" you are replying to, and since I used a Big Q question for an example, I will assume that you are referring to me. If not, please correct my mistake.
Now that is over, I must say that your post is a brilliant example of the point of my message. My first request is that you go back and carefully read every word of what I wrote, slowly and carefully. My second paragraph speaks to the fact that Americans have lost the ability to READ and UNDERSTAND written words longer than a tweet.
In the mean time, I will address your questions. You won't be able to respond correctly if you did not go back and read what I wrote - not what you THINK I wrote.
Here is what I said: "Now, let's go back to last week, where our National Headquarters Leadership (or was it an unelected person? Do you know? I'd bet you don't. I don't.)". I say that I do not know who writes the Big Q and that I don't think most readers here do either. Exactly what faults do you perceive? Is there a tag on the Big Q that says who wrote it? Even if there was, would most of us readers know if that name was elected at a convention, is a staff position, an appointed position - whatever? I say no. Can you show me where I am wrong?
Here is what I said: "put a question in "The Big Q" that asked if First Amendment rights should be curtailed near military funerals." OK - what is wrong here? Can anyone deny that this question existed? Did I misrepresent what the question said? If so, correct me.
Here is what I said: "Now, you and I know that this question revolves around those folks who have a different concept of respect than most of us." Can you tell me that this question was not written to be timely regarding the Westboro Church issue before the Supreme Court? Can you dispute that the majority of readers here have a different concept of respect than the protesters at military funerals? If you can, please do!
Here is what I said: "I believe that 91% of people who responded said it was OK to deny a Constitutional right to individuals who did not believe the way they do." Here I stated my belief. Can you dispute what I believe? You can argue that my belief is right or wrong, but you cannot tell me what I believe. Past that, can you dispute the statement that I made? Was it 91% that voted that it was OK to curtail Constitutional rights near military funerals?
Here is what I said: "How many of the people who voted that way substituted "Westboro Church" into the question and answered accordingly?" I asked a question. Exactly what is wrong with asking a question? You are free to answer the question as you feel fit.
Here is what I said: "Did those 91% actually THINK about the ramifications of restricting the Constitutional rights of citizens of this country? Imply or assume as you may, the words of that question do not change meaning to a court judge. Next time, it will be YOUR voice that is silenced when the time comes to deny First Amendment rights to someone." I'll put this together because I think this is where you had the biggest problem. I do not care what legislative officials agreed with the question as worded. What I have clearly stated is that I believe that the readers of that question answered the CONCEPT, not the actual words of the question. In the spirit of full disclosure, I wrote earlier that I felt that the writer of that question needed to go back and get remedial Americanism training. I stand behind that statement, no matter who wrote it. There is NO circumstance where the Constitutional rights of a citizen of the United States should be hindered in any way by any branch of our government. That's why they are called RIGHTS. The ability to dissent is part of the core of our freedoms - the ones that we fought for! I don't agree with the Westboro Church actions. I think the methods of the Patriot Guard Riders are the proper way to deal with the issue. You can agree or disagree with me on that part.
This is what I said: "Imply or assume as you may, the words of that question do not change meaning to a court judge. Next time, it will be YOUR voice that is silenced when the time comes to deny First Amendment rights to someone." Tell me what is wrong with this statement. If that question, worded exactly as it was, came before a court and was implemented, it would steadily be used as a precedent for any recognized group to prevent the free speech of another group that disagreed with them. Courts don't assume - they use exactly what is written.
Finally, I will go back to the very first line that I wrote which was intended to show exactly what you provided - a perfectly fine sentence, saying something that is true and that SHOULD be true - that the American Legion Leadership is partisan. As individuals, they should be! Just because they are American Legion members, leaders, or anything else does not stop them from having individual opinions and the ability to vote accordingly. If you read my first paragraph, you will clearly see why I phrased the statement the way I did. Your response was exactly why I wrote it the way I did. You read into the question your concepts and beliefs instead of reading the actual words written.
There is NOTHING in my post that says anything that is false or untrue. I'll go further. It doesn't say anything that SHOULD be false or untrue. After carefully reading it again - slowly, making sure you understand exactly what is said, point out anything that is false. You can disagree with the opinions that I state, but you cannot dispute the facts.
Finally MOTHAX, you apparently missed the part where I agreed with you - I even quoted you as an example of the truth - we are a Constitutional Republic, not a Democracy - and I showed (and you proved) WHY we shouldn't be a Democracy. If you and others who seem to have replied to what I said can't even see that the entire post agrees with your point, then how can any person expect that any group will be able to produce a reliable scorecard that they should follow?
Jack Cain (not verified)
October 15, 2010 - 8:50pm
MOTHAX - I separated this
I separated this topic because it is completely off topic from what I actually wrote - and you challenged me to answer you.
YES, I disagree with the wording of the majority of the Big Q questions and the voting options provided. I am not alone in that feeling - it was only a few questions ago that someone else said the same thing.
YES, I feel that the wording of the questions and the responses provided show a partisan position beyond that of just supporting veteran's issues.
I STRONGLY feel that too many of the Big Q questions could be written by Henry Ford who said, "You can have it in any color as long as it is black".
It is my OPINION, which I have the right as an American Legion member to provide when you ask questions in a public forum.
Do I think that I could write better questions? It depends on what you think is "better". I do believe that I can word questions that will allow for a wider viewpoint to come through. I also believe that I could write questions that don't suggest that American Legion members want to disregard the Constitution of the United States, which we all swore to protect and defend. I don't remember any "un-swearing" ceremony when I got my Honorable Discharge.
Let's take today's question for example: "Will the federal court ruling on the unconstitutionality of DoD's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy put the issue to rest?"
Now what are the choices offered?
"No. The judge's ruling was premature and the Department of Justice will step in to give the Pentagon time to complete its study." "No. The ruling only assures that any investigations into discharges based on open homosexuality be suspended for the time being." "No. A termination of the existing policy leaves the whole issue up in the air until a new one is approved." "Yes. This policy is unconstitutional and always has been, so it's best to repeal it now and get it off the books."
How many "NO" options are there? How are the details of the options worded? How many "YES" options are there? How are the details of that single option worded?
Here is my OPINION. Of the three "NO" options only Option 2 even comes close to legality. Options 1 & 3 are certainly things that someone can believe, but they are not things that could actually affect the implementation of the judge's ruling. Because of this, those options dilute the opportunity for people to make choices that could actually become reality and cause change.
Here are details about the "NO" options.
#1 doesn't indicate how the DOJ could or would "step in". It gives an incorrect impression that the DOJ could just issue some statement and nullify the judge's ruling. A judge's ruling cannot be defined as "premature". Cases heard before a court take as long as they take. They aren't supposed to be concerned with implications outside of the facts of the case as presented to them. It opens the door for similar lawsuits - all of which would take time to process and (possibly) appeal. A "better" wording could be something like "No, the Department of Justice will ask a higher court to grant a stay to allow the Pentagon to finish its study." I could refine it even more if I took a little more time – maybe use "the Appeals Court of the 9th Circuit" but that adds a lot of words.
#2 would be great, but it adds "for the time being". Why would it be "for the time being"? A more specific question would once again give respondents a reply with legally possible answers. As it stands, #1 and #2 say the same thing in different ways. #1 "allows time" and #2 is "for the time being". #2 should be a "YES". How about "Yes, the ruling assures that any investigations into discharges based on open homosexuality be suspended and is a step towards full integration in our military". I will compare the "new" #2 with #4 later in this post.
#3 is true, but doesn't really say anything. It's like saying "water is wet". How about something totally new, like this? "No, the judge's ruling will result in heterosexual lawsuits based on privacy issues unique to military service". That is just an example - the point is not to give choices that are obvious and that if given multiple answers almost everyone would select in addition to one that makes more of a positional statement.
#4 finally allows someone to select something that supports the judge's ruling. It does it, however, in a way that makes the person seem to be an extremist. You include one option - it's unconstitutional - but then you add "and it always has been", making the person out to be someone who only has one view and has held it since 1994. How about a more moderate choice like "YES" We are a country of laws and the court has decided that DADT is unconstitutional" (and don't add "for now"!!).
I hope that you will read this and get some insight into why I feel that your questions are partisan. You make people choose between options that have too many emotionally charged words and intolerant or extreme views. Someone outside the AL could look at many of those questions and conclude that as members we are all extremists - like the 91% who said that a Constitutional Right should be denied near military funerals. That question could just as effectively been worded with "support legislative changes that would make it illegal to protest within X number of feet of a funeral or funeral procession". Supporting legislation that doesn't discriminate in favor of any group is much different than limiting constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Grumpy (not verified)
October 18, 2010 - 10:38pm
I read my own post, the
I read my own post, the second one down. I did *not* like what I, myself, wrote. My apologies to "The Burn Pit", the commenters and of course, to Mothax.
My belief, simply put, The Organization should stay neutral. The Members should vote what they believe is best. [End Statement]
Bill R. (not verified)
October 19, 2010 - 11:02pm
In reply to Jim Cerullo, you
In reply to Jim Cerullo, you are the one who's nuts. First, West is running for congress, not sheriff. He is not talking about solving problems with guns. He served with honor and distinction while in the service and his retirement proves he cared more about his men than himself. You say righties hate Obama because he's half black, you are just bringing up democRAT talking points that have no basis in reality. Peopke hat Obama because he is sustematically destroying this country. His race has nothing to do with our dislike of him. He is an empty suit who is in way over his head. Lastly, who gives a damn what color Mr. West is, he has shown the content of his character and I only wish I lived in his district so I could vote for him!
Falshrmjgr (not verified)
October 11, 2010 - 10:29pm
"All that is required for
"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
While rampant jingoistic politics would surely break the legion, for it to sit idly by whilst enemies of our way of life call white black in Washington is a betrayal of an oath I took which has no expiration date.
The world already has too many fence-sitters, and this constitutional prohibition against politics has emasculated the very people it represents. How ridiculous is it to have an organization of warriors who signed a blank check for a value up to and including their lives, sitting about wringing their hands like old maids? What more could the enemies of our Liberty ask than for the defenders of our Liberty to mute themselves?
Bah. The idea of a PAC for an organization for which it purportedly represents, whose sole purpose is to skirt the intent of a law through legal gymnastics is abhorent in any case.
The VFW should be ashamed of itself obviously for it's political strategy, and the Legion needs to rethink its self proclaimed 'neutrality.' I'm ashamed that anyone who thinks that staying out of a fight is a worthy goal. Might as well start calling ourselves the "Neville Chamberlain Society"
/Jaeger Out
Grumpy (not verified)
October 11, 2010 - 11:56pm
@Mothax, You have shown the
@Mothax, You have shown the courage to guard a misunderstood position. You are guarding a perceived vacuum. Many would say, "Stand for something!" The question arises, "Is this, in reality, best for The American Legion, its individual members and even yourself?" This is like arithmetic and math. Where are they alike and where are they different? When you stop and think about it, what are the goals? Arithmetic is focused on answers and math is focused on extended process. Both are an absolute necessity. If you give your members, either part, in reality, you're stealing from them. They need to know absolutely everything, all of the factors used in making the selections on Election Day. Don't forget, they must live with the consequences.
Falshrmjgr (not verified)
October 12, 2010 - 6:08pm
In my grandfather's day,
In my grandfather's day, saying you are political but not partisan may have made sense. Today however, all politics are partisan.
Do I think that people should be smart enough to vote for who the best person is without prompting? Not any more. If that were true we surely wouldn't need 24/7 political ads for candidate A or B. I think the Legion SHOULD be out there actively endorsing candidates.
By trying not to pick sides, the Legion (and the VFW) have allowed themselves in the past to used to give legitimacy to some fools who have been crooked, duplicitous, and downright nasty. I have seen first hand people I wouldn't spit on if they were on fire, wrapping themselves in the flag at various Legion events, talking about "Taking care of Veteran's" then they go back to Washington, spit on the military, and sound like Che Guevara. As long as these politicians are willing to parrot the Legion line for a few minutes, the Legion is more than willing to act like a Lady of Ill Repute and sell them 5 minutes of soapbox time. Then these same Clowns use the photo ops to sell their brand of snake oil, and give the appearance of Apple Pie and Baseball.
If the Legion were to REALLY take a stand, they would tell these clowns they are unwelcome. Period. End of discussion.
THAT is what the Legion fails to do. What it should do. It SHOULD judge a politicians soul and character, and either approve of them or find them lacking, based at a minimum upon their morality, patriotism, and commitment to the US Constitution. Just cherry picking issues as the price for tacit approval just encourages the same sort of buffoonery that we have come to expect in the District of Columbia.
Call a scumbag a scumbag and be done with it. Don't give em a pass because they found it expedient to vote for some convenient bills to prop up their credentials as moderates.
Calvin G. Lyons (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 7:46pm
I have always considered
I have always considered myself to be a Democrat, but I never have and never will vote for the party and not the candidate. I have voted for Republican Presidential condidates, Repbulican Congressional Candidates, and will vot for a Republican Governor this fall simply because I felt that they were the best candidate. I also would never vote for a candidate simply because he or she served in the military. All retired military can probably tick off several dozen of military we have served with or for who were simply put, bad leaders. One of my bosses in Vietnam was an alcoholic who should never have been there and certaily should hot have been in a leadership position. So, why bash the VFW even if their PAC does support a candidate who did not serve...since when is that a condition for serving our town, state or country in an elected position. Come off it, and let's act like Americans.
MOTHAX (not verified)
October 14, 2010 - 10:36pm
Also, you do acknowledge I
Also, you do acknowledge I assume that the Constitution and supreme court cases have recognized equal rights to freedom of religion, freedom of association, and the penumbra of privacy that is in the Constitution, right? Also presumably you agree that Common Law dating back to colonial days should be honored? Or, would you contend that libel and slander for instance are unconstitutional?


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Frequently asked questions
Topic: Mobile services, Booking and booking changes
Search form for frequently asked questions
What does the Eurowings Blind Booking price include?
The price shown applies per person per journey and includes all taxes and charges. Further costs are only incurred if you choose to rule out certain destinations or add other services.


text: Rob Gorman - Gorman is a founder of CRCL and served as its first Chair. He remains an active board member. He is a founder of the Tri-City Interfaith Stewardship Initiative, the past Chair of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference (LIC) Commission on the Stewardship of the Environment and the current Chair of the LIC Public Policy Task Force. He served on the National Advisory Committee for the United States Catholic Conference Environmental Justice Program and has worked since its formation with the National Religious Partnership for the Environment. He has been active in assisting communities in Grand Bois, Gibson and Morgan City in opposing toxic and hazardous waste operations. He is the founder of Bayou Interfaith Shared Community Organizing (BISCO), a congregation based community organization working on coastal issues, and a founder of TRAC, the longest continuously operating community-based disaster recovery non-profit in the United States. Gorman is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux (Louisiana) where he has worked since 1982.


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text: [Contents] [Index] About This Document >> Installing SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS >> Getting Started with SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS >> Configuring the Server >> Configuring the Client >> Authentication >> File Transfer Using SFTP >> Handling MVS Datasets and HFS File System Access>> Dataset and HFS File System Access Dataset Access Using DD Cards Accessing Generation Data Groups (GDG) Controlling File Transfer>> Staging Listing Datasets with SFTP Clients>> Secure File Transfer Examples Using the z/OS Client>> Secure File Transfer Examples Using Windows and Unix Clients>> File Transfer Using Transparent FTP Tunneling >> Tunneling on the Command Line >> Troubleshooting SSH Tectia Server for IBM z/OS >> Advanced Information >> Man Pages >> Log Messages >> Dataset Access Using DD Cards When running the client programs scp2 and sftp2 in JCL, the _BPX_SHAREAS environment variable must be set to NO. Local datasets can be allocated by using DD cards. For the DD cards to work, BPXBATSL must be used instead of BPXBATCH. BPXBATSL uses local spawn and forces scp2 and sftp2 to run in the original address space where the DD information is available. The following sftp2 commands cannot be used with DD names: rm (remove file) rename mkdir rmdir Empty datasets cannot be read when referred to by DD names. For correct syntax, see the SCP2PUT and SCP2GET2 examples in Section Unattended File Transfers. [Contents] [Index] [ Contact Information | Support | Feedback | SSH Home Page | SSH Products ] Copyright © 2007 SSH Communications Security Corp. This software is protected by international copyright laws. All rights reserved.Copyright Notice


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Listen to some of my work
Here you can listen to some samples of my work. Listen to your favorite genre and rock out.
Like what you hear? Check out my mixing services.
Jay Serrao Shmolts
Graham has turned from being an engineer who began mixing my online act Shmolts, to a close friend and now a mentor and teacher. I have been working with him for a year and I have reached a stage where I send him the stems and he knows what to do. And that's quite rare with engineers these days. You need people like Graham in your projects because you want your engineer to work 'with' you and not 'for' you. In Shmolts' case, it's even harder because it isn't really a band but a remote online collective. i.e. I write songs and I have it recorded at different places/ studio/ home-studios either locally or internationally. And you need a talented engineer like Graham to get the best out of what you've recorded.
Without him, I don't think I could do this. He is in-fact a part of Shmolts.
Thanks G. You are a legend.
Lee Tarrier Room 9
The best inspiration we could have ever ask for. His enthusiasm, skill, dedication, support and advice to make this record made this band feel 10 feet tall. He is our fifth member and we love him. Be down to see you soon brother!!!!
Paul Bower Venomous Outrage
We have worked with Graham before with our demo track which we thought was good quality, until we came back to him with our EP. He really pulled the cat out of the bag with this one, and really did the music the justice it deserved!! I will and have recommended Graham to many friends and fellow bands, and shall continue doing so! Top work dude!!
The Deets
We weren't sure what to expect when Graham contacted us for a remix, but we took a chance and were definitely not disappointed! He really took the blanket off our original demo and made it sound much fuller, and definitely worthy of using in our promotional material. Thanks Graham!
Ray Hughes Bury the Hatchet
Grahams recording have always been to a high standard, and that's one of the many reasons why I've gone back to him time and time again. He's always helped push me to be better at what I do on the recordings and won't settle for anything less than brilliant. He always makes sure everything is perfect before even recording. Would go back to him time and time again
Mat Jones Wonky Piano
Graham's work was astonishing – I sent him over the WAVs at about 11pm, and first thing the next morning, an entire mixed track arrived in my inbox. I've learnt a lot from some of the techniques he used, and based on that track alone, I'd be quite happy giving him an album's worth of stuff to do – which might well be what happens. His pricing model is excellent, and very affordable to anyone.
Pete Briley Tin Robot Records
Graham is a very talented and versatile producer. He gets the perfect balance between capturing a band's sound and suggesting improvements - always keeping the character of the act and making it sound great.
In Arcanium
I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Graham to anyone. He's a quality engineer, great producer and a wicked laugh. We'll definitely be coming back to him for our next project!
Ben The Reckoning
Graham responded to the challenge of 5 long haired blokes descending upon the studio to hammer out 8 songs in 3 days. He proved himself a true brother of steel. No clicks and no air conditioning. We couldn't have achieved this without the G Man himself... All Hail!
Kris from Touriste after recording the "What Are We" EP
We worked with Graham on the last couple days of recording our EP. He was really easy to get along with, which to me, is one of the most important aspects of an engineer's role. Graham came across as a reliable and loyal co-worker who I'd gladly work with again.
The Bresslaws
Graham engineered on our first ever recording. It was a demo of three tracks and we sent it to some record labels and we were signed by a small indie label and they released those demo recordings as the single.
The Singing Loins
A lovely fella. A versatile, talented and reliable musician who can more than hold his own among a group of beer swilling, fag smoking, ugly men.
Reduced to Ashes
You made a great job with the mastering on our EP. We really like it, nice and loud and can hear the bass and lot drums are AMAZING!
Graham did a really good job for the time he had my song and got know what direction it needed. He got it back to me in one hour if that and its sounds much brighter and more uplifting. It would be great to work on a whole new bunch of fresh songs with him; the result would be something else.


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For the third straight month, Pennsylvania collected less in taxes than it expected.
The state brought in $34.6 million less in February than it had projected , according to the Department of Revenue. To date, the state is $75.5 million below where it expected to be for the fiscal year, which began July 1.
Sales tax receipts have slumped in every month since November, having only exceeded the state's projections twice for the year. It's the same story with personal income tax.
Overall, collections are off 0.5 percent, said department spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell. She noted that the harsh winter could have impacted sales tax collection. The department is hopeful the state will make up the gap between projections and collections this spring.
Nationally, economists have speculated that shoppers and manufacturers will soon make up for most of the buying and building that winter storms delayed . That could lead to more money coming into the state's coffers.
But that's not certain to balance Pennsylvania's books.
The Independent Fiscal Office revised its revenue projections for the state revenue down more than $100 million in December. Some indicators suggest the state's economy might not be growing as fast as many had hoped .


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The Hague: PSV Eindhoven were the only team to maintain their perfect start of the Dutch Eredivisie football season by beating Vitesse 2-0.
Striker Luuk de Jong opened the scoring with his first goal of the season Sunday night, while Adam Maher sealed the victory in injury time, reports Xinhua.
Also Sunday reigning champions Ajax, who lost 1-3 to PSV last week, suffered their second consecutive defeat. FC Groningen won 2-0 through goals by Eric Botteghin and Michael de Leeuw.
FC Twente and Feyenoord drew 0-0 in Enschede, with Mitchell Vrede missing a penalty on behalf of the visitors. PEC Zwolle, who had won all three previous matches, suffered their first defeat, losing 1-3 at NAC Breda.
PSV now lead the standings with the maximum of twelve points, ahead of FC Groningen(9), PEC Zwolle(9), SC Cambuur(8), SC Heerenveen(7), Excelsior(7) and Ajax(6).


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"Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" gave us all something to be thankful for when the talk show host and guests Rashida Jones and Carrie Underwood replaced the lyrics from pop songs and turned them into instant Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas classics. Miley, Lorde, and Katy Perry never sounded so good!
When it comes to musical parodies, Fallon doesn't miss the mark too often. And while some of the lyrics here are good, cheesy fun, it really was nothing short of a brilliant idea to change Lorde's Royals into "Dreidels" and have Carrie Underwood recreate Miley Cyrus' ridiculous American Music Awards performance by sticking her in front of this cat screen. Wrecking Ball was altered so that the song became a tribute to butterball turkeys and the boyfriend who'd rather sit in front of a TV all day watching football. Oh, we can relate, Carrie.And then the talented trio borrowed Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines and replaced the lyrics with "I hate these long lines" to include a tribute to Black Friday shopping. And there was nothing left to say. I mean, isn't it about time America got its very own Black Friday anthem? That was the moment that this officially became a truly amazing holiday song parody.
Do you like Jimmy Fallon's holiday medley? Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments!
Lisa Fogarty originally posted this on The Stir.
Read More from The Stir:
- 5 Hilarious 'Hunger Games' Parodies (VIDEOS)
- 'It's a Wonderful Life' Sequel Is Going to Be Anything But Wonderful (PHOTOS)
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.