Many conservatives really wanted Sarah Palin to make a run for the GOP nomination, wanted her to challenge Obama in the general election, so when she decided not to run we were disappointed. She is an outsider who is willing to take on the establishment. As an outsider and as a person who we trusted enough to want her to run for the presidency shouldn't we trust her insight and the opinions she has of the various political candidates? Sarah Palin praised Rick Santorum on Hannity last night. I know that Rick is a long shot in the GOP field of candidates but he has never wavered in his beliefs and is a principled individual. I am not saying that he is the perfect candidate. No one is perfect. There is no perfect candidate but Rick is a guy who believes in liberty, freedom, American exceptionalism, the sanctity of life, morality, proper role of the tenth amendment, that there is no right to do wrong, and that family comes first. He has great knowledge in foreign policy and his economic plan which promotes manufacturing jobs, jobs for the middle class, would give our economy a huge boost. I just hope that you would give Rick Santorum a second look.
“If voters start shifting gears and deciding they want ideological consistency, then they’re going to start paying attention to say, Rick Santorum.”
Government Overreach in what is Becoming a Nanny State: State of Ohio Takes 200-Pound Child Away From Mother
From the Associated Press:
An Ohio third-grader who weighs more than 200 pounds has been taken from his family and placed into foster care after county social workers said his mother wasn't doing enough to control his weight.
The Plain Dealer reports (http://bit.ly/t68M7D ) that theCleveland 8-year-old is considered severely obese and at risk for such diseases as diabetes and hypertension.
The case is the first state officials can recall of a child being put in foster care strictly for a weight-related issue.
Lawyers for the mother say the county overreached when authorities took the boy last week. They say the medical problems he is at risk for do not yet pose an imminent danger.
A spokeswoman says the county removed the child because caseworkers saw his mother's inability to reduce his weight as medical neglect.
The mother was working with the State to reduce her child's weight. The foster family is having similar problems the mother was having, with others sneaking him food. But beyond all this how is being overweight considered neglect or medical neglect? Was "medical neglect" recently added so as to give the State another excuse reason to intervene where the State has no business doing so? And who decides what qualifies as "medical neglect"? Both the mother and her child obviously need some type of assistance and/or counseling but IMO taking away the child harms the child more than keeping the child with his mother. This is government interventionism run amok. We need to put the kabosh on the government overreaching into our private lives.
Eagle Freedom Links - Christmas Movies Edition: 11-29-11
Eagle Freedom Links
This week was a very interesting week. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope everyone else did too. There was some Black Friday mayhem across the country. The past few weeks I had started to feel better but that didn't last for long. Thankfully, my dizziness is down to a minimum. But sometimes it really hurts me to breathe along with some other abdominal pain which as increased at times. I know the Lord is watching out for me. Hopefully, when I have some procedures done on Dec. 7 the doctor will figure out what is going on. Oh, then, I had an Islamofascist nutjob who threatened to kill me since I support Pamela Geller. In some ironic twist of logic he claimed Pamela and I are hateful, bigots while he's not, even though he threatened me. These dhimmis and Islamofascists are certainly pieces of work. On the political front my top three choices from the candidates for President are: Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul.
*American Perspective* - Will Student debt cancel a generation of future home buyers?
_It Don't Make Sense_ - From the people who really know how to occupy
A Catholic View - Gingrich takes heat for immigration stance
A Conservative Teacher - Teaching and brain-dead liberal students
A Pissed Off Irishmen - Thomas Sowell on socialists and occupy wall street occupiers
A Western Heart - Should the rich be condemned?
Acts Of Apostasy - Welcome to my new home
Adrienne's Corner - Righteous rant on reality...
Always On Watch - The Worm Turns
American Power Blog - The Rolling Stones at 50
Amusing Bunni's Musings - Cats say thank you!
ARRA News Service - Potential surrender of American liberty in defense authorization bill...
Atlas Shrugs - Hamas-linked Cair's war on freedom of speech, demands FBI target anti-jihad blogs and commenters - WordPress caves, suspends BNI
Barking Spider - Islamofascism - Ignore it at your peril
Barracuda Brigade - Tatyana Limanova, Russian newsreader fired after Obama middle finger insult!!!
Battle Beads Blog - How do you spell *M-A-R-T-I-A-L *** L-A-W* ????
BBCW - The history of Romneycare (Obamacare) Mitt Romney doesn't want you to know
Beer, Bicycles and the VRWC - More class warfare
Big Blue Wave - Quebec to ban prayer in home-based daycares
Black Or White Is A Choice - Better days are coming!!!
Blog de King Shamus - Herman Cain, David Axelrod, and the Chicago Way
Blowing San #1 - Why yes, I do have one
Bluegrass Pundit - Video: Linus' Thanksgiving prayer
Bunkerville - Obama won't "redistribute" to his brother George
Catholic Once Again - Book Sale: young adult fantasy
Common Cents - 2nd Scott Walker Ad; "I'm not big on recalls"
Conservative Girl With A Voice - Putting the swagger back into the step of American politics: my choice for 2012
Conservative Hideout - Occupy Berkeley: " if they wanted to clear the path, they would have to go through us..."
DeanO - Jetsons, meet the Jetsons
Don't Tread On Us - In search of cheap amusement: listening to Air America
Eye Of Polyphemus - Anya Monzikova
Faith Of The Fathers - From the Vatican website
Fuzzy Logic - Dude "predatory black sexuality." Seriously?
Generational Dysfunction - An impossible question to answer....
Give Me Liberty - Colin Powell blames media and tea party for divisive tone in Washington
Greg Mankiw's Blog - What Milton Friedman might say to the Occupy Movement
HolyCoast.com - Newt wins New Hampshire union leader endorsement
I Know The Words I Need To Say ... - Some Thoughts...
Innominatus - Screwt Newt
Just A Conservative Girl - Quote of the day - Matthew Staver Edition
Left Coast Rebel - Martin Luther King Jr. On Communism
Let The Truth Be Known - Breaking news headlines Nov. 19, 2011
Legal Insurrection - So do I
Libertarian Republican - Austrian Freedom Party poised for big win!
Lone Star Parson - Black Friday
Lonely Is The Nights - Baptized Yet?
Maggie's Notebook - ESPN Bernie Fine: ESPN hides Bobby Davis sex abuse audio for 9 years
Milton Wolf - Judge Napolitano: what if?
Mind Numbed Robot - #OccupyWallStreet thugs encouraging violence - audio compilations via Glenn Beck
Motivation Truth - Summoning Palin's endorsement
My Daily Trek - Panetta to Israel: don't touch Iran
Nikon Sniper - Sunset at the Oak
Nonsensible Shoes - Insolvent nations should leave EU?
NoOneOfAnyImport - We are here from the Federal Government
Obama Cartoons - Keystone Pipeline, shove that plug somewhere else Barack
Patriot's Corner - Persecution Update November 27
Pedaling Fast - Gratitude
Political Realities - The principles of Ron Paul
Proof Positive - #Occupy L.A. about to become an endangered feces
QUICKWIT - Talking about turkey!
Randy's Roundtable - More bad news for global warming fanatics
Rational Nation USA - Facts about Romneycare
Reaganite Republican - Obama/Cameron/Sarko's 'New Libya' descending into violent, medieval chaos
Right Klik - Worst recovery since the Depression, $1T down the drain
Robbing America - The mother of all conservative endorsements: Sarah Palin's
Saberpoint - The real meaning of Thanksgiving: the triumph of capitalism over communism
Sancte Pater - Robert Downey Jr. asks Hollywood to forgive Mel Gibson
Sentry Journal - Friday Ramblings: Should we be trading our principles for electability?
STOP MARXISM - God Bless The United States Military
The Audacity Of Logic - Barney Frank quits!
The Blog - Tuna takers
The Camp Of The Saints - The spot-on quote of the day...
The Conservative Lady - So easy, a game show host can do it
The Conservative Pup - Socialism is for the people, not the socialists
The Country Thinker - Letter from Ron Paul
The Daley Gator - New Jersey nurses charge religious discrimination over hospital abortion policy
The Libertarian Patriot - "Jumpers and Dumpers" gaming Romneycare in Massachusetts
The Malcontent - Is Occupy Wall Street - just like the Tea Party? I don't think so!
The Observatorium - Newt hearts amnesty
The Other McCain - Exploring 'explaining postmodernism' by Stephen Hicks 2: Counter-Enlightenment
The Right Guy - Not on Fox or GBTV
The Scottcarp Dream - Obama demoralizes our military
The Wyblog - All your children are belong to the nanny state
They Say/We Say - As the debates continue, the questions are more direct. Here is the video of the debate....
TOTUS: Conservative Commentary - Two Obama voters
Virtual Mirage - The sin of ingratitude
Warning Signs - The threat of a global financial collapse
We The People... - Gun news
Western Hero - Are Teachers overpaid?
What Does The Prayer Really Say? - SERIOUS Occupy Wall Street Commentary. No, Really
Woman Honor Thyself - Black Friday!
Woodsterman - Did you plant any willy peppers?
Zilla Of The Resistance - "We no longer have creeping sharia; it's a damn stampede"
Monday Fun: Kittens, Mario Kart, and Rudolph
During my teenage and young adult years I used to babysit quite a bit and many of the children played video games. Whenever I babysat I attempted to play Mario. It was fun. Here is a racing real life Mario which I think looks pretty cool.
Mario Kart (Rémi Gaillard) by nqtv
Here are 10 facts about those adorable bunch of felines.
Kittens - 10 Facts About Me by GeoBeats
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer continues to be one of my favorite songs since I was a child.
Mario Kart (Rémi Gaillard) by nqtv
Here are 10 facts about those adorable bunch of felines.
Kittens - 10 Facts About Me by GeoBeats
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer continues to be one of my favorite songs since I was a child.
The Most Secret Islands Of The World
The Most Secret Islands Of The World
Looking for the perfect place to get away from it all? We searched the world and turned up 10 dreamy islands unknown to the average U.S. traveler. These little patches of unspoiled paradise, from the Great Lakes to the South China Sea, are relatively affordable and easy to get to. And the idea of getting stranded on any one of them would be, well, absolutely OK with us.
Madeline Island
Size: 14 miles long by three miles wide Population: 300 year-round; 2,500 in summer
Midwesterners need not go far for a secluded island paradise. Part of Wisconsin's Apostle Islands archipelago, Madeline has many trappings of a tropical oasis—sandy beaches, sailing charters, sea caves, cliff-jumping, and even stand-up paddleboarding. No wonder the population swells in summer. Visit in winter and you can make first tracks on a dogsled or see ice caves.
Island time: Kayak to sea caves, historical lighthouses, and a century-old shipwreck with Adventure Vacations or Living Adventure. Raise a glass to live music at the quirky Tom's Burned Down Cafe. Don't miss locally caught trout on The Pub Restaurant & Wine Bar's beachfront patio.
Getting here:Board the Madeline Island Car Ferry (25 minutes) at Bayfield. You can also walk onto the ferry and rent a bike or moped from the island's Motion to Go. In winter (mid-January through February), arrive by air-propelled wind sled or drive the ice road.
Tangier Island
Size: Three miles long by one mile wide Population: 727
This little island 12 miles off of northern Virginia is one of the last isolated fishing villages left on the Chesapeake Bay. Out here it's a completely different world. Locals speak in a thick accent that sounds like a cross between Elizabethan English and the Old South. They drive golf carts on the virtually carless island. And the salty Tangier watermen still carry on the centuries-old tradition of harvesting crabs in the bay.
Island time: During a waterman tour, a Tangier captain teaches you how to pull crab pots. Try the incredible crab bisque and crab cakes made by wives of watermen at Fisherman's Corner Restaurant. Rent a free kayak at the Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center and follow the island's water trails.
Getting here: Three seasonal ferries (one to one-and-a-half hours) and two year-round ferries (45 minutes) link the island with mainland Virginia and Maryland. There's also a small Tangier Island Airport.
Staniel Cay
Location: Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas Out Islands
Size: Less than two square miles Population: 80A tiny link in the chain of Exuma Cays, this gem lies 250 miles off the coast of Florida in the Bahamas' famously clear turquoise waters. Many of the Exhumas are private (Johnny Depp owns one) or ultraexclusive, but Staniel Cay is an exception. Here, you can stay in a cottage on stilts over the ocean for only $165 per night. Everything but the price seems top-shelf.
Island time: Go for the all-inclusive package ($176 per person per night) at Staniel Cay Yacht Club—the island's only lodging—and get a waterfront cottage, all meals, and your own 13-foot Boston Whaler during your stay. Cruise to a deserted beach or see the swimming pigs at Major Cay. Snorkel at Thunderball Grotto, a hollowed-out island and the filming location for James Bond's Thunderball.
Getting here: The yacht club arranges shared charter flights (two-and-a-half hours) from Ft. Lauderdale on Watermakers Air starting at $200 per person one-way.
Fernando De Noronha
Location: Western Atlantic, 220 miles off Brazil's coast
Size: Seven square miles Population: 3,012Peaks of a submerged mountain range rise up out of the sea to form this beautiful Brazilian 21-island archipelago. The largest island is the only one populated, but throngs of vacationers never clog its perfect coves of white-sand beaches. The government restricts tourism to 420 visitors at a time. Yes, this is the kind of place you want to (and can) be left to your own devices with a little motorbike: There's just one traffic light.
Island time: Two major ocean currents meet here, making it one of the world's best places to see a diverse range of marine life while snorkeling or scuba diving. All visitors stay in small pousadas whose owners take a personal interest in guests—a bit like having your own valet.
Getting here: Fly from Natal (70 minutes) or Recife (100 minutes), two Brazilian cities accessed by direct flights from major U.S. airports. Save with a Brazil air pass.
Isle Of Mull
Location: Eastern Atlantic, off Scotland's west coast
Size: 338 square miles Population: 2,667Mighty seaside cliffs. Rugged mountain ridges. Moorland peninsulas. It's a picture-perfect Scottish scene in the Inner Hebrides islands. Filled with abundant wildlife and dramatic scenery, Mull is one of Scotland's best places for seeing whales (April through September) and for spotting the white-tailed eagle, the U.K.'s largest bird of prey. Hike the coastal and glen trails or the more challenging peaks with views of neighboring islands Iona and Staffa.
Island time: Wilderness Scotland has hike-and-stay packages with the Tiroran House Hotel that include breakfast and dinner for less than $200 per person per night. In the colorful port of Tobermory, dig into fish-and-chips or the fresh scallops (a Prince Charles favorite) at the Fisherman's Pier Fish & Chip Van. Wash it down with a visit to Tobermory's malt whisky distillery.
Getting here: On the mainland, take a CalMac car ferry from Oban to Craignure (40 minutes), from Kilchoan to Tobermory (35 minutes), or from Lochaline to Fishnish (15 minutes).
Pulau Ubin
Size: Four square miles Population: 100
One of the last rural holdouts in Singapore, Pulau Ubin ("Granite Island") near Changi Point is a freeze-frame of Malay kampong village life in the 1960s. Thatched-roof homes sit among forested rolling hills and abandoned granite quarries. Fishermen live on kelongs, old wooden fishing houses built on stilts over the water. It's a soul-soothing escape from the highly urbanized buzz on the nearby mainland.
Island time: Experience village life, thick forests, and the occasional monkey or wild pig from the seat of a rented bicycle or on a walking tour. The island is known for its great seafood restaurants, and the steamed crab is divine. See interesting low-tide marine life at Chek Jawa or hit the sandy beach at East Coast Park. For a kampong-style stay, ride to Celestial Resort. Rooms start at less than $100 per night.
Getting here: At the Changi Point Ferry Terminal near Changi Village, take the 10-minute bumboat ride that departs once there are 12 passengers.
Koh Yao Yai
Location: Andaman Sea's Phang-Nga Bay, off western Thailand
Size: Approximately 38 square miles Population: Approximately 8,000 (estimates vary)One of 44 islands between Phuket and Krabi, Koh Yao Yai ("Big Long Island") is the largest but not the most developed. Here, where mass tourism hasn't taken hold, locals earn a modest living by fishing, rice farming, and working the rubber plantation. You can stretch out on footprint-free sand and really feel like you're staking out an undiscovered place. Since your dollar goes further in Thailand than most destinations, the island is quite affordable.
Island time: See local life on a bike ride. Or rent a long-tail boat and go island-hopping to Khai Nok and Khai Nai for great snorkeling. Elixir Resort and Koh Yao Yai Village run various types of tours and have private thatched-roof bungalows furnished in old Thai style.
Getting here: Fly into Phuket International Airport. Nearby ferries (60 minutes) and public speedboats (30 minutes) operate from piers in Phuket. Multiday Journeys Within tours start in Phuket, stopping in Koh Yao Yai and Krabi.
Kosrae
Location: South Pacific in Micronesia
Size: 42 square miles Population: 6,616With waters tinted the purest shades of blue and mountains covered in every hue of green, Kosrae is a speck in the vast sea between Hawaii and Guam. This lush spot just north of the equator enchants with cloud forests, mangroves, waterfalls, and soft, sandy beaches. On Kosrae locals still follow traditions of carving and canoe-building. Look out to sea and you'll likely find fishermen and women working from a canoe or locals practicing for annual canoe races.
Island time: Dive or snorkel among some of the world's last remaining pristine fringe reefs, a sunken pirate ship, a wooden whaler, and planes from WWII. Explore haunting 13th-century ruins, or paddle an outrigger canoe through mangroves. At Kosrae Village eco-lodge and dive resort, you can sleep in a private cottage on a sandy beach for $119 to $169 per night.
Getting here: Continental (which is merging with United) flies to Kosrae. The airline is part of the Star Alliance, which sells a Micronesia Airpass with great savings if you want to visit multiple islands
Ile de Re
Size: 33 square miles Population: 20,000 year-round; 130,000 in summer
Off France's west coast, this charming vacation haven is connected to La Rochelle by a two-mile bridge. You'd think a place this accessible to Europe's population would be jammed with commercialism. Instead, the majority of Île de Ré is protected. Vineyards, forests, dunes, and salt marshes, where fleur de sel is still gathered using traditional methods, are all part of nature reserves. Although the population spikes in summer, there's still a quiet simplicity soaked up in the understated style you'd expect from the French on holiday.Island time: Absolutely flat terrain and more than 60 miles of well-used bike paths have prevented an automobile invasion on this popular island. Rent a bicycle and cruise to natural, unannounced beaches and across pungent salt marshes. Stop and buy a basket of oysters from an oyster farmer, or explore one of 10 villages.
Getting there: Catch a TGV high-speed train from Paris (three hours) to La Rochelle and connect with a bus or taxi to the island.
Salt Spring Island
Size: 70.5 square miles Population: 10,500
This easygoing island, tucked between the B.C. mainland and Vancouver Island, is the quintessential snapshot of West Coast life. Its residents—free-spirited artists and musicians, retired millionaires, and organic farmers—have abandoned the fast track to build lives rich in community and natural beauty. Get a glimpse on an artisan studio tour, which takes you to a lavender farm, a cheese shop, a jewelry maker, and more.
Island time: Wander down to the Ganges dock for fresh crab ($10). Explore coastal tidepools at Ruckle Park or swim at Vesuvius Beach. Pick up local produce at the Saturday Market and take it to Salt Spring Vineyards for a picnic with your wine tasting. Splurge on a stay at the Hastings House or find excellent value at Salt Spring Inn (less than $100 per night), which overlooks the main village and harbor.
Getting here: Harbour Air and Salt Spring Air seaplanes fly to the island (30 minutes) from downtown Vancouver. Salt Spring Air also flies from Vancouver International Airport. B.C. Ferries connects from the Vancouver area (one-and-a-half to three hours).
