Welcome to OZ by Dr. T

We are living in the land of OZ. President Obama is the wizard and the man behind the curtain is George Soros and his band of leftists who for decades have been working to restructure America into a “nanny state." All the platitudes and rhetoric about how we should be working for the common good is right out of the communist playbook. I’ve got a newsflash: socialism has failed everywhere it’s been tried. The beauty and uniqueness of our country is that the founders understood that real freedom lies in a person’s chance to choose his own destiny. Self sufficiency, self reliance, self-worth, these are the traits that bring about success in people. But the government aims to destroy these traits by dangling the carrot of entitlements. Lazy people will grab for the carrot and freely give up their liberty so that the government can “take care of them”; but understand that socialism promotes mediocrity and kills the spirit.

The President, through his flowery speeches, is attempting to guilt us into accepting socialism by telling us that we are not fulfilled unless we give to the greater good. I am not a cog in the wheel; I was not born to “serve the common good”. I was born to find my true purpose, to be all that I can be; to stumble and fall to be sure, but to lift myself up again and to make my own way. And along the way I freely contribute to my community through charities to which I personally subscribe. Capitalism and the free enterprise system have been the bedrocks of our nation’s prosperity. Industrialists and entrepreneurs have advanced us technologically beyond our wildest dreams. Now these very people are vilified as greedy and propped up for scorn in an attempt to ensnare the population. Our mortgage system and banking system are in disarray in part because of the meddling of the government. Now the government professes to correct them by taking them over. They also want to control other companies by assessing their “risk”. It’s a power grab and it has happened before. In the mid 1930s economic times were hard in Germany and when a smooth talking man full of promises of jobs and prosperity arrived on the scene, the folks were only too happy to follow him. Do you remember the rest of the story? I’m sure there will be those who will criticize me as a conspiracy theorist or loon...that’s fine, my skin is thick. My aim is to preserve the basic freedoms our nation was founded upon and to uphold the Constitution that guarantees them.

It's Only the Constitution by Dr. T

The Administration and the Congress got caught in a pack of lies over the AIG bonuses debacle. With most American taxpayers in an uproar (as they should be) our elected officials are scrambling to make amends. No matter that THEY are the culprits, as they designed the bailout bill which included a provision to allow the bonuses in the first place.

So..their remedy is to tax the recipients at 90% to recoup the money. While many people may have a knee jerk reaction and believe this to be a good idea,the fact is, it is not. This action is blatantly unconstitutional. What Congress is attempting to do is to retroactively install a tax on money previously received. And of course, as is this Congress's overreaching nature, they are attempting to extend this tax beyond AIG. While we have every right to be upset that folks who were irresponsible in their business decisions at AIG are getting huge bonuses for failure, we need to remember that these contracts were in place a long time ago and Tim (the tax cheat) Geithner was the architect of the AIG bailout. The time to eliminate bonus compensation was when he constructed the terms of the bailout. The fact is Geithner and Dodd knew the bonus provision was there, they simply didn't bank on the American people ever finding out. So in typical political fashion, rather than own up, they are shifting the blame to the AIG employees. Not only is this unconstitutional, but remember, if they can take money from these folks, they can take it from us. So don't cheer them...fear them.

In addition there is a more disturbing element to this bailout that has come to light. Did you know that our taxpayer dollars are being sent overseas to bailout foreign banks? Yes indeed, billions of the AIG bailout dollars are being spent on foreign banks. As more and more information trickles out about the tarp money and the stimulus package(that no one bothered to read), the more the American people will realize that they've been duped. The tea parties are forming and not a minute too soon.

No Pomp & Circumstance by Dr. T

President Obama vowed that he would bring the U.S. back into good standing with the world. Well, he certainly hasn't started on a good note. Our strongest ally is Great Britain and recently Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a visit to Washington. Alas there was no pomp and circumstance, no state dinner, just a photo op in the Oval Office. Could it be that Obama and his advisors are not up to speed on protocol? Or is it perhaps that they just don't give a darn? But the biggest "dis" was yet to come when as is tradition, gifts were exchanged.

Mr. Brown gave the President a first edition biography of Winston Churchill, written by Sir Martin Gilbert. The prime minister would have scored better had the tome been Karl Marx's "Communist Manifesto" or Saul Alinsky's "Rules for Radicals". You see, President Obama is no fan of Churchill. In fact, upon seeing a bust of Churchill in the Oval Office ( a gift to President Bush) he shamefully sent it back to the British Embassy! To add insult to injury, President Obama presented Mr. Brown with a stack of Hollywood DVDs which in all liklihood were not formatted to British DVD players. Oh, and the Prime Minister is nearly blind in one eye..so much for intense movie viewing. Rude and embarrassing behavior...clearly not the caliber that would return our "good standing" in the world.

The Keystone Congress by Dr. T

The ineptitude and downright hucksterism of the Congress and this adminsitration is beyond all reason. The congress has been so incredibly reckless with our money that they make drunken sailors look like misers. On the heels of the biggest spending spree in our nation's history comes the news that 165 million dollars of the 150 billion given to AIG is going to bonuses. The American people are mighty angry and in response to the growing dissent Congress and the White House are feigning outrage. The problem is, they knew all the time that these bonuses would be forthcoming. Chris Dodd, the #1 recepient of AIG contibutions, claims he put an amendment in the stimulus bill that would eliminate bonuses but somehow the verbiage got changed, but no one seems to know by whom. The smartest man in the Treasury Department, Tim (I forgot to pay my taxes) Geithner, knew a full week ago that the bonuses would be paid but failed to alert the President or anyone else. But what the heck, it's not his money after all. Tonight New York Senator Chuck Schumer warned that if the execs at AIG didn't return the bonus money, he would tax all of it and get it back. They are running amok folks. And there is plenty more ineptitude to go around. Seems our new head of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, is bending so far over to political correctness that she may never walk upright again. She has erased the words enemy combatant and terrorist and replaced them with, are you ready...man made disasters. Former Vice President Dick Cheney has stated that our national security is in jeopardy. With someone as naive as Napolitano at the helm who could disagree?

This White House and Congress are in disarray. The American people have lost trillions of dollars in retirement funds, college funds and home equity. No one has their eye on the ball and our enemies are salivating.

The Real 75 Albums every guy should own...

Esquire magazine, that rag that every man should listen to to find out how to be a man (?), gave up their 75 essential albums for guys this week. Well, besides the fact that Esquire has not been relevant since say...'82, I thought I would come up with a real list of 75 albums that men should own, here is my first 25:

1) Pogues - Peace and Love - What can I say, Irish Punk at its finest. Shane Macgowan spurting out lyrics through gallons of gin has never been better than when he sings of a "Misty Morning Albert Bridge". And to all of you asking why this article is relevant just listen to "Young Ned of the Hill" and try not to get fired up.

2)Jane's Addiction - Jane's Addiction - Before Lollapalooza, before the reality shows, before RHCP, before they broke up, Perry gave us an album that soothed our angst. "1%", screams of non-conformity during an era where conformity wished it rivaled the 1950's. For a topper listen to Jane's version of the Stone's, "Sympathy for the Devil".

3) Roger Whittaker - The Very Best of Roger Whittaker - If you were thinking about it, whistling is cool. You wanna know why, listen to this album. The British crooner is at his best on "Durham Town" and "New World in the Morning". Trust me.

4) Teenage FanClub - Bandwagonesque - If any of you were wondering why Pop music is still, well, popular listen to its perfection on this album. "December" is a prime example.

5) Dave Matthew's Band - Under the Table and Dreaming - Heck, even my mom likes this album. In this writer's opinion it his finest work, even though it was his first album. For a great example listen to the sublime simplicity on, "Pay for What You Get".

6) Buddy Holly - Memorial Collection - Does anyone epitomize dying young more poeticly. Just listen to, "Well...alright", and tell me it would not stand the test of time.

7) David Allan Coe - The Mysterious Rhinestone Cowboy/Once Upon a Time - The long haired redneck is not well known enough. I still cannot understand why. This guy just sounds like a lawbreaking outlaw especially on, "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", and check out, "Would You Lay With Me", and tell me why he is not more reknowned.

8) Metallica - Ride the Lightning - Its too bad they were not popular until, "One" came on the scene, but for this writer's money their is no finer example of Metallica's power than on this 1984, 8 song bombastic album. If you need a tune to boost your workout try, "For Whom the Bell Tolls".

9) The Old 97's - Hit By a Train - All of alt-country's unsung heroes best songs on one album show why anyone should care that there is a genre called, "alt-country". For all of you suckers for songs about heartbreak check out, "Valentine", and for the Old 97's at their best take a listen to, "Timebomb".

10) U2 - The Unforgettable Fire - Approximately 30 years later and these guys are still out there touring, putting out albums of signifigance, preaching, etc. But through the years there is no better example of U2's simple artistry than on this album. Check out the bass line on the album's title track and their may be no finer song in honor of an American icon than, "MLK".

11) Various Artists - Soundtrack to "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" - How many albums can say they changed an industry and made people buy an album of songs from 60 years prior. T-Bone Burnett filled this contemporary classic album with songs that are timely in any time. A couple of its finest are , "Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "Didn't Leave Nobody But the Baby".

12) the Lemonheads - Come On Feel - A promising band from the late '80's showed what they could have been had it not been for Evan Dando's drug habits. "Into You Arms", is one of the finest Pop songs from the '80's or any time.

13) Replacements - Please to Meet Me - Do you want to know what 1980's suburbia sounded like take a listen to this masterpiece. Who would have guessed that music this good could come from Minneapolis. And for all those who think alcohol lessens the artistic compulsion checkout, "Red Red Wine", this song is no UB40 wannabe. And is there any better version of melancholy than "Skyway".

15) Sublime - 40 Oz. to Freedom - An ecclectic mix of reggae, rap, punk, and the kitchen sink is what drives this sing-a-long classic. This is a "feel good" album if there ever was one. And just shows how dissappointing drugs can be on our culture (R.IP. Brad). Two great covers, "We're Only Gonna Die", and "What's My Number", are done to perfection.

16) Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant - If you have never heard this almost 19 minute song-where have you been-which covered the entire first side of the vinyl album, you are in for a treat. A laughable and timely tale from Woody's son, is raucous and hysterical no matter its political bent.

17) Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World - Everyone has heard and seen "Wicked Game", but here's a question for ya', is the double negative at the end of the song implied? For another great song off this album try, "Blue Spanish Sky".

18) Sly and the Family Stone - Stand - Funk if you want funk can be found on this album from '69. Some of these songs are famous like, "Everyday People", but I dare you not to dig on, "I Want to Take You Higher".

19) Elliott Smith - Either / Or - Many of you have seen Good Will Hunting, well this guy did the music. It is melancholy and self-absorbed and magnificent. Like so many other singer songwriters, Elliott took his own life in 2003. But he did leave us with some great songs. Check out, "Angeles", and "Between the Bars".

20) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III - For all those that have always wondered, what's the big deal. Check out this quintessential album and my personal favorite Led Zep tune, "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp". And for a primal example of their music, "Immigrant Song", of course.

21) Blind Melon - Blind Melon - These guys from Louisiana supposedly only played live twice before they were signed to a major label deal, but their most well known song is probably the worst of this under appreciated album. "Change", and "I Wonder", show what this band could have been.

22) The Irish Tenors - Heritage - The "real" three have never sounded better than with the London Symphony Orchestra. Singing mostly classics like, "Whiskey in the Jar", the Irish Tenors truly were never more harmonious than when they sing, "God Bless America". And you thought Ronan Tynan was good by himself.

23) Iron Maiden - Piece of Mind - Most would scoff when they see the name of this band, but few would know that National Review once did an article about this band's catalogue. And fewer still would know that one of their classics off this album, "The Trooper", is actually about the infamous charge of the lighthorse at the Crimea.

24) Outkast - Speakerboxx/the Love Below - Rap? You say, well Andre 3000 was rumored to be at the 2004 RNC. And besides that, "Hey Ya!", and "The Way You Move", are just flat out great songs.

25) They Might Be Giants - Lincoln - These guys can now be heard doing extremely listenable and educational children's songs, but back in the late '80's they produced some fine Pop songs. "Ana Ng" and "Purple Toupee", are fine examples but who the heck knows what they are about.

The Bloom is off the Rose by Dr. T

I have said for months that we're in for a bumpy ride but I had no idea how bumpy. Each day the economic news grows more dire. I've said it before and I will continue to say it, the government is the biggest culprit in all of this. The downhill spiral in Wall Street was a direct result of bad loans made at the behest of Congress. Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac were the biggest offenders and Barney Frank knew it and looked the other way. Too much regulation, not enough regulation, de-regulation, it's all a smoke screen. To add insult to injury, the administration is actually taking advantage of the dire circumstances by trying to push through more out-of- control spending under the guise of so-called necessity. They are clearly "drunk with power" and must be stopped. As more and more people lose their jobs, their retirement savings and their health care, it plays into the hands of an administration that hopes to put all Americans on the dole. Once the citizens are made to rely on the government, the government takes complete control.

There maybe some light at the end of this very dark tunnel as people begin to figure out the scam that is being perpetrated upon them. The 410 billion dollar omnibus bill that has come on the heels of the 729 billion dollar stimulus (ahem) package is coming under scrutiny. Even some Democrats are distancing themselves from it; Evan Bayh, Russ Feingold and Claire McCaskill so far. Could it be that their constituents are burning up the phone lines in their respective offices? So, as people become more and more aware that their hard-earned money is being thrown at earmarks (8500) such as swine odor testing and another bridge to nowhere, the insiders have concocted a scheme to divert attention. Rahm Emanuel, the President's pit bull, and two old Clinton hacks, James Carville and Paul Begala have plotted to demonize Rush Limbaugh. I watched the speech Rush gave at CPAC and it spoke to the core of what Conservatives believe. When he talked about the President failing, he meant the President's policies...he hopes the policies of socialization fail. The three aforementioned schemers set about defaming Rush and pronouncing him the head of the Republican Party. This is an attempt to form a rift within the party. I believe they will out-smart themselves. This dog and pony show may entertain for a few days but before long people will become angry that time is being spent on the words of a radio host (albeit a huge one) while everyday the country falls deeper and deeper into economic chaos.

The President's poll numbers are declining...the bloom is off the rose.