President Accepts the Nobel

Via the White House, an excerpt of the President's remarks as he accepts the Nobel peace prize:

. . . I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. (Laughter.) In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who've received this prize -- Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela -- my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women -- some known, some obscure to all but those they help -- to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of the military of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 42 other countries -- including Norway -- in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I'm responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill, and some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the costs of armed conflict -- filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

It is clear the President is humbled by this award, and acknowledges that he is not being recognized for what he has done, but for what he can do to promote peace and further strengthen the US of A's relationship with the World community. Much damage has been done, and this President is committed to fixing it.

Flash

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Winter Officially arrived at 7:03PM Last Evening

No, not because of the snow, that is when the last keg of the Season fried!

Yes, I was still pouring beer even in last night's cold. The Fridge tends to work as an insulator and assuming the lines don't freeze I am good to go until it gets sub 15 or so for a few days in a row.

This was another 11 month season as the first keg was tapped in Early February:

Friday, February 06, 2009
Spring Arrived . . .
. . . in the Midway at approximately 3:44 PM. I'll be in the garage the rest of the weekend if you need me.

Think about it, Spring is less then 60 days away *smile*

Flash

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Health Care Reform on Track

As the Senate works towards compromise with Blue Dogs, while keeping in mind the House reconciliation process, a bill that continues to improve is evolving acceptably:

"Senators are making great progress and we're pleased that they're working together to find common ground toward options that increase choice and competition," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Tuesday that the Democrats had reached a "broad agreement" on the public option portion of the bill, but at least one liberal senator who took part in the negotiations wasn't so sure.

"It goes without saying it's been kind of a long journey," Reid said. "Tonight we've overcome a real problem that we had. I think it's fair to say the debate at this stage has been portrayed as a very divisive one."

Without revealing any details, Reid said the negotiating senators had reached "a broad agreement" that "moves this bill way down the road."

Two Democratic sources said the deal includes a proposal to replace the public option by creating a not-for-profit private insurance option overseen by the federal Office of Personnel Management, much like the current health plan for federal workers, and another allowing people 55 or older to buy into Medicare coverage that currently is available to those 65 or older.

I have always hinted that the best 'competitive option should mirror, if not actually be, the same plan that Fed Employees participate in. This makes it rather difficult for opponents to cackle about it as then they would be questioning the current Federal Employee Benefit system.

Health Care lobbyist, industry insiders, and greedy politicians will have to take a back seat to common sense reform. This bill is shaping up to be more in line with what I had hoped, a competitive option but not necessarily a government run one, along with checks and balances necessary to ensure coverage for as many folks as possbile. It is our duty!

Flash

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Back Home again; AZ Edition

Things have been kind of slow here, for obvious reason. Unbeknownst to my readers, the lovely Mrs. Flash won us a trip to Arizona to see the Queenies play the defending NFC Champion Cardinals. What an amazing weekend it turned out to be!!. It began with a direct flight into PHX on Saturday afternoon, an open tab dinner from our sponsors at the Arrowhead Rock Bottom (Fillet Mignon, Mmmmmmmmm) followed by a good nights sleep at the Quality Inn and Suites at Talavi.

On Sunday we made the beautiful drive up to Sedona. Although I had been to Arizona once before, almost 20 years ago, I didn't have any real free time to tour and travel. We took advantage of that on Sunday. The short 90 minute commute gave us breath taking views of the desert. The Red Rock trails provided us with a bit of exercise as we traveled the Hollyowoodesque desert. Any moment I was waiting for some old Western vigilante to come jumping out behind a cactus *laughing*

Sunday evening was the big game. Parking was a breeze with free spots at the local high school and comp shuttle service the mile and change to the stadium. We took a moment to absorb the ambiance, especially when we got to the 'Great Lawn' where all the hopping tailgate parties were going on.

Surprisingly, the mix of fans was pretty even, but that didn't last long. As the Grand Pa Quarterback failed to find his groove, the typical fair weather Queenie fans slowly trickled out of the stadium. We stayed right till the 2 minute warning, before sneaking out the back door and down to the waiting shuttles. We wanted to attempt to beat traffic, and have a night cap at Rock, before venturing to the Hotel for our last night of respite.
Monday morning was greeted with rain. We were told it 'never' rains in Arizona, so it was no surprise that it would when we were there. Our early afternoon flight give us a chance to drive out to Mesa and visit my God Mother. She has been Wintering in AZ for over 40 years, so it was nice to finally make it to her place and spend a little time, even though it was so brief.

Before long we were sitting in our plane, taxiing on the run way towards O'Hare for our connect to home. While awaiting the connecting fight, the only delay of the weekend, was a grizzly looking guy and a distinctive dimple in the chin. Yes, non other then Jesse 'The Guv' Ventura. I resisted the temptation to approach him, but when stuck in the line to get to my seat, there he was in the front row on 1st Class. I took that moment for a little small talk, but nothing controversial.

So now we're home, like we never left. The kids are in one piece, Kurly boy is back to normal, and me on the way back to work. It all seems so surreal at this point, but memories, great ones, will linger for some time.

Flash

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Secret Weapon

See Cartoons by Cartoon by John Darkow - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

I'm gone till Tuesday, going to the football game Sunday night. Be well!

Flash

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Standing Together, Protecting Freedom!

There is a reason the President's poll numbers have been suffering. We have a reluctant Right that is hell bent on seeing this President fail, and a Left that thinks he isn't doing exactly what they expect. At least the Right supports their president once he is elected, the LEFT thinks he should be a marionette to their will. You can't govern in the minority, the Right knows that, the Left will never learn

The Left, in their desire to pick up their toys and go home, will probably lose the congress next year, and the presidency as soon as two years after that. The reason the Republicans can survive even the worst mistakes is they stick together, warts and all. The Left is too busy trying to find the perfect candidate. They just splinter themselves into selfish factions, and may find themselves with nothing in the end! Sometimes they need to take their lumps, knowing that the alternative is not acceptable. The Right is good at that, the Left, not so much

I'm referring to those and so many others turning their back on this President because he isn't doing exactly what they want him to do. It may cost them Congress next year, and very likely the Presidency. The approval ratings are plummeting because he won't waffle to their will.

The war in Afghanistan was never wrong, and although I believe that President Bush went into Iraq for the wrong reasons, it was still a fight that needed to be fought. We are safer for it.

Many more will die to preserve our freedoms and protect this country, I am humbled by their service. Turning tail at this point would turn our backs on the ~ 900 brave souls who have already made the ultimate sacrifice.

Specifically, this troop surge, with a redeployment taking place as soon as 11 months from now will have most all troops out by 2016. The President has no intentions of hanging out there forever, or risk turning the reigns over to some one who may.

Now is the time to support the military and stand behind this President. We have a job to do, and anything short of full and complete victory is simply not an option. I am comforted by the fact this President agrees with me

Flash

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A Defining Moment; excerpts

The President is making the tough choices and doing exactly what needs to be done to finish the job. I applaud his courage!

I'll have more later or in the AM

Flash

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 1, 2009

Excerpts of the President’s Address to the Nation

“The 30,000 additional troops that I am announcing tonight will deploy in the first part of 2010 – the fastest pace possible – so that they can target the insurgency and secure key population centers. They will increase our ability to train competent Afghan Security Forces, and to partner with them so that more Afghans can get into the fight. And they will help create the conditions for the United States to transfer responsibility to the Afghans.”

“Because this is an international effort, I have asked that our commitment be joined by contributions from our allies. Some have already provided additional troops, and we are confident that there will be further contributions in the days and weeks ahead. Our friends have fought and bled and died alongside us in Afghanistan. Now, we must come together to end this war successfully. For what’s at stake is not simply a test of NATO’s credibility – what’s at stake is the security of our Allies, and the common security of the world.”

“Taken together, these additional American and international troops will allow us to accelerate handing over responsibility to Afghan forces, and allow us to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July of 2011. Just as we have done in Iraq, we will execute this transition responsibly, taking into account conditions on the ground. We will continue to advise and assist Afghanistan’s Security Forces to ensure that they can succeed over the long haul. But it will be clear to the Afghan government – and, more importantly, to the Afghan people – that they will ultimately be responsible for their own country.”

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Cyber Monday Mania

I shop online a lot, my favorite stomping grounds being:

CNet Cheapskate
Dillyeo and
Froobi Deal of the Day

Of course, to keep the humidor full, Cigar International is my go to Smoke Shop (Free Shipping Link)

But with today being Cyber Monday, the day everyone returns to work and scowers the Net for post Black Friday deals, here are the must stop cyber sites:

The Original Cyber Monday
The Fat Wallet Forums

No referral kick backs for me, just some places I like to shop.

Flash

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Repeating History

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Turned to Blue, United States Air Force

Karma shmarma, I should have known there was nothing to worry about.

My #3 son, the senior in high school, has officially been sworn in as a member of the United States Air Force. He is in the Delayed Enlistment Program and will be heading off to basic training June 15th, just a few days after graduation. He is waisting no time.

I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of this young man. He has gone through much in his short life, and has persevered through it all. Oh, it wasn't easy! Just a year or so ago he was lucky to pass a class, but once the gears started churning, and he had his mind made up, he was committed to his future. Now that future entails 8 years in the Air Force, 4 active duty, 4 reserves.

Tuesday night was the ASVAB test (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) the first step in the MEP process. The score is based on percentile, 99 being the highest:

Air Force recruits must score at least 36 points the 99-point ASVAB (Note: The "Overall" ASVAB Score is known as the "AFQT Score," or "Armed Forces Qualification Test Score"). Exceptions are made, however, for a handful of high school graduates who can score as low as 31. In actuality, the vast majority (over 70 percent) of those accepted for an Air Force enlistment score 50 or above.

We were hoping for a phone call once he was done with the test, however, the call never came, and thus, parental anxiety set in. The future Airman hit a 70ish on the pretest, but when it came time for the real thing, he spanked an 85. His recruiter, now DEP Supervisor stated that was the highest score of any of his recruits to date.

Once the test was out of the way he was shuttled to a hotel with other recruits to get a good meal and a decent nights sleep. Wednesday was a battery of physical and psychological tests The trickery to disqualify follows, but the young man never blinked. Once 2:00 rolled around I couldn't wait and had to call the recruiter. He had just gotten the E-Mail "You got another one in!" Emotions over came me!

It is not easy raising children, and it gets even tougher once the hormones kick in. But now that 'Trainee' Schiebel has turned the corner, and made a commitment to protect the citizens of this country, he is well on his way to success in whatever he chooses to do.

I have much to be thankful for this holiday weekend, but it begins with the pride I have in my son who has made a very selfless decision.

Nicholas, I am proud of you young man, you can only make me prouder!

An Air Force and Marine Dad

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Preoccupied!

Been distracted this week with personal and political realities. I'll share once things fall into place, but karma has a way of getting the best of me so I have opted to remain hush hush. If all goes well, I'll tell you all about it, if not, I'll just mention in passing it didn't *grin*

Politically I am conflicted with the new Saint Paul Public School Superintendent decision. Oh, not with the pick itself, I think Ms Silva is a solid local home grown educator that this district has needed for quite sometime. I am just confused at another fiscal boondoggle, like the mandatory cultural proficiency training that the School Board seems to always find money for, while we are dealing with class sizes approaching 40.

Ms Silva's selection was a forgone conclusion the moment the prior Super even hinted at leaving. I struggle with the outside search firm, and some faux selection process when we pretty much knew all along who was going to get the nod.

I'll reserve comment on the 'cultural proficiency' mess. My attitude on that one could create more then just debate on this blog. I am hoping there will be a right time for that discussion, but now isn't it.

Now, back to being a concerned parent. Know that even worst case scenario isn't bad, but happy thoughts are appreciated.

Flash

UPDATE: Best case scenario panned out! I'll have a memorable Thanksgiving Day post tomorrow regarding the future of my Senior in High School! Details still trickling in.

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Mr. Nice Guy

NetrootsMN begins today, and I am on one of the panels:

Netiquette: From Polite to Pit Bull, Where Do You Cross the Line?

FRI, 11/20/2009 - 3:30PM, Phalen Room

We all have candidates we love and candidates we hate. Now it's time to have an open and frank discussion about how to help our favorites online. Does being polite get you ignored? Does being a pit bull make people hate the candidate as much as they hate you? When is it too much, and how to handle abusive commenters? And, as always, learn how what to deal with anonymous trolls on your sites.

PANELISTS: Minnesota Observer, blogger; Mark Giselson, Kurt Schiebel, blogs as Flash

I'm leaving for Iowa shortly afterwords, so I will miss the rest of the conference. But if you haven't signed up yet, you need to do so. Tonight's Democratic Gubernatorial forum will be a must see event.

Gubernatorial Candidate Forum
FRI, 11/20/2009 - 6:00PM, Town Square Ballroom

DFL candidates for governor will join us at Netroots Minnesota to take questions directly from you. The candidates will be asked questions solicited online via Twitter, Facebook, and email, and in person, during a discussion moderated by Star Tribune writer Lori Sturdevant.

It's shaping up to be one of the most engaging forums for the candidates to date -- make sure you get a front-row seat at this must-see-for-yourself political event.

Note: This panel is sponsored by Alliance for a Better Minnesota Action Fund.

Flash

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Happy 7th Blogiversary To Me

I would be remiss in pointing out that 7 years ago today was the first Centrisity post.

Much has changed since then.

Flash

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Unnecessary Distraction

We are giving them what they want!

I do not believe it is necessary, or even prudent, to take war criminals and try them in civilian courts. These savages do not deserve the publicity or the recognition of their existent. They should be tried in tribunals with military justice.

Their acts were an attack on this country, an act of war. To give credence or credibility to their actions by allowing them an opportunity to declare, on a public stage, their allegiance to their extremist factions is dangerous and reckless.

This is a mistake, one that I hope will not cost us in the end.

But maybe that's just me!

Flash

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Pressured

With the Health Care debate moving into the more moderate Senate, the common sense Democrats are feeling pinched:

None of those Democrats is feeling the heat as intensely as Sen. Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), who has become emblematic of the improbable distance that health-care reform has traveled, and how far it still must go before becoming law.

Her vote and that of two other Democrats expressing serious reservations about the legislation -- Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Mary Landrieu (La.) -- will determine whether it will garner the 60 needed to break an all-but-certain Republican filibuster.

A vote to end debate should not be of concern, it is the final vote that matters. There is no reason these folks can't support caucus procedures and then be allowed to vote their conscience or constituency on the final ballot.

As for Lieberman:

one, independent Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), has threatened to join a GOP filibuster if the final bill contains a government insurance plan, or "public option."

. . . he should simply should be given an ultimatum. His 60th vote is key, and as a former member of the Democratic Party he has been allowed to retain his chairmanship and the perks that go with it. If it turns out his vote means nothing, then there is no longer any reason to allow him to keep his seniority. It may have been different when it meant the choice between majority and minority status, but if we can't count on him for key procedural votes, there is no reason to consider him a member of the caucus.

But, Sen Lincoln is a different animal, as she is the one whose electoral future is on the line. However, large numbers of her constituency needs this bill:

Hundreds of thousands of Lincoln's constituents are low-income and lack insurance, the very kind of voters expected to benefit under the Senate bill. Lincoln, a second-term senator, helped write some of the legislation's key provisions as a member of the Finance Committee, and her sometimes uncomfortable role near the center of the debate could cost her in culturally conservative Arkansas. Despite the potential benefits for many in her state, polls show her support weakening, and constituents are expressing doubts about the proposed overhaul.

The low-profile centrist is being pressed by both sides. Democratic activists are incensed that she has turned against the public option, an idea she once supported. Republicans are casting her cautious approach to the health-care debate in starkly political terms, saying that she is unwilling to put local interests above those of a president who lost the state by a resounding 20 percentage points.

Sen. Pryor of Arkansas sums it up nicely:

"In some ways, there's not a good vote on this," said Sen. Mark Pryor (D), Arkansas's junior senator, who coasted to reelection last year. "You're going to have detractors on either side, no matter what you do. So I think in the end you have to what you think is right. And I think that's what we're all going to have to do."

It is unfortunate that politics has to play such a major role in peoples' lives, and I mean there physical mortality, not just their everyday lives. There is much to be concerns about in the bill, but there is a vast majority of items that are desperately needed.

I wish the obstructionist opposition would negotiate in good faith so we could find common ground and get this deal done. But there are too many who are only concerned about self interest, and not the interests of the American people. That is a sad commentary on where our political system is at.

Flash

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Etiquette

See Cartoons by Cartoon by Pat Bagley - Courtesy of Politicalcartoons.com - Email this Cartoon

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