Ogre's Politics & Views

September 02, 2005

Gas Prices and Economics

By now, even those who live under rocks are aware that gas prices have jumped massively. In North Carolina they jumped over 40 cents in less than 24 hours. The prices here are well over $3 now, and may reach $4 before the weekend is over. There are problems with supply and many gas stations are running out of fuel.

If you want to understand how economics work without just screaming that this is Bush's fault, or SUV-driver's fault, read this post by Perry Eidelbus. He does an excellent job explaining what's going on and how the prices fluctuate -- including pointing out that politicians CANNOT help lower the prices without destroying people or companies.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:03 AM | Comments (11) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Missing Blogger

Eric, of Eric Grumbles Before the Grave is looking for a blogger from LA:

One of the Life, Liberty, Property bloggers, Kevin of Louisiana Libertarian, is from New Orleans. He talks about Katrina in this entry, and mentions what part of the city he lives in. His last post was on Saturday, 8/27/05. None of us have heard from, either by email or post.

If anyone knows that status of Kevin, please let us know.

Posted by: Ogre at 09:34 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Sheehan's Agenda

Wait! Is it possible that Cindy Sheehan has an agenda? Is it possible that she's a total liar? No, that can't be, she's a media darling and a hero to the left and America-haters everywhere, she wouldn't lie, would she?

From her site (MeetwithCindy.org):

Our mission is to persuade President Bush to meet with Cindy Sheehan and answer her questions about why the war that took her son's life was started and why it is being continued.

Cindy's comments on August 30, 2005:
I am very, very, very grateful he did not meet with me

Anyone who actually believes this lying ass who absolutely despises America and everything about it is truly a fool. Hey Americans, here's a news flash: SHE HATES YOU.

I think someone should check to see if she could be diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder. Then again, why waste the time to bother?

Posted by: Ogre at 08:00 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Undocumented Workers

I just had an absolute epiphany. The left in this country have been trying for some time now to change the meanings of words. They have been making certain words incorrect and even illegal. One of those phrases is that we are now supposed to use "undocumented workers" in place of "illegal aliens."

Many people, including myself, have been fighting this redefinition of words. However, in this case, I am now incorrect. They are no longer illegal aliens, they really ARE undocumented workers.

How else do you explain 300,000 non-citizen, undocumented workers employed in North Carolina with exactly ZERO fines for employers who hire them?

Apparently the left is now correct on this word usage -- not because the word meanings have changed, but very clearly and obviously, it is no longer illegal for a non-citizen to enter America and work.

Sue Myrick, a representative in Congress, wants to raise the fine on employers from $250 to $10,000. Now Sue, you know I like you, but ZERO times $10,000 is the same as zero times $250. Our country has given up. We have absolutely no one in power that wants to fight immigration. We have no borders.

Undocumented worker is now a reality. There is no such thing as an illegal immigrant in the United States today.

(Hat tip to Pirate's Cove).

Posted by: Ogre at 06:30 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Final Donation Tally

Thank you all so much for giving yesterday.

Total at this blog, my good readers donated $1,080.00.
With my matching donation, that's $2,160.00 for Samaritan's Purse. It's not too late -- if you missed donating yesterday, you can go directly to their donation page and help out.

We didn't finish in the top 10 for donations from blogs yesterday, but 12th place isn't too bad. And overall, according to NZ Bear, over $221,723 was raised by BLOGS just yesterday! That is awesome. That is people responding to people. Who needs government money? Not us.

Posted by: Ogre at 05:29 AM | Comments (8) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

September 01, 2005

Have you Donated Yet?

Well, have you? I am taking up a collection today for Samaritan's Purse all day, and I'm not stopping until I'm done. Remember, I'll match any donation you make today, all day, through this blog.

Why haven't you donated? Currently this blog is FIFTH in the rankings for donations received today to help the hurricane victims. As of this writing, we're only $870 out of fourth place and only $985 out of third! Come on, help us out here, and help these people.

You say you have nothing to spare? If you have something, anything, you have more than most of the people in New Orleans and Mississippi. Many of them barely have their lives, some don't have that. Pretend you need money from an ATM and can't find your bank's ATM -- send me a $2 donation.

Pretend gas prices went up a lot more than you thought they would, but you still need gas -- send me $10. Pretend it's the birthday of a cousin that you forgot about, but you still need to get them a gift -- send a $20.

We need to help these people. Samaritan's Purse will help them with food and water so they can survive. That's all they ask. Can't you help?

Posted by: Ogre at 03:40 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Donations Collected

Update at 3:00PM EST:

Donated here so far: $1060.
Matching donations: $2120.
Total for Samaritan's Purse: $2120.

I'm working on getting double matching of donations at the moment. Total value of donations so far: at least $4,240!

Posted by: Ogre at 03:00 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Big Donation!

Wow, have we been blessed!

An anonymous donor just gave $1,000.00 to Samaritan's Purse through us! And, as promised, I'm going to match it!

Folks, don't be deterred by that one, come on and just send me $10 -- I'll match the $10, and I'm working to get that total of $20 matched and matched again. These people do not have food or water. We're not trying to rebuild a business here, we're trying to ensure people survive. They need help and they need YOUR help now. Please donate. It only takes a minute:

Posted by: Ogre at 02:59 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

More Donations Needed!

Have you donated some money today? There's fundraisers all over the place! Surely you can spare a dollar. How about $10? I know the price of gas is through the roof -- but you have a car to put gas in! There are tens of thousands of people who have nothing but the clothes on their back. Nothing -- not even food and water. These people need help.

CatHouse Chat has posted a recipe (Winter Squash Soup) for donations -- EACH COMMENT GETS $5 for the American Red Cross. Folks, this one doesn't cost you a dime -- just go comment and that's five more dollars for relief. Go comment.

Phin is still auctioning a blog design for hurricane relief. Go and bid on a custom design and your money goes to help starving people AND you get a new blog design at the same time.

I am still offering matching donations. I think your donation will get multiplied by four if you donate, since I will match your donation, and then I'll pile all our donations together and get them matched by my employer. Total collected so far is only $50 (donated -- with matching, that's $400!). And if you don't trust me for some reason, donate on Samaritan's Purse donation page and then let NZ Bear know -- he's tracking donations for today's blog-o-thon.

Michele is auctioning a number of items on her blog, including some technical books. Dang, I wish I had thought of that earlier.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:11 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Other donations

I am supporting and hoping to raise money for Samaritan's Purse. I am also matching any donations that any of you, my good readers, make today through my blog. There are many, many others participating as well.

Instapundit's still tracking people who are participating, and NZ Bear has a page just for keeping track, too. There's others that are attempting to raise funds as well:

Phin's Blog has an auction going on for a blog design.

Posted by: Ogre at 12:04 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Flood Aid Housing

There are all sorts of places you can read about today that are attempting to provide for the victims of . There are dozens of places to donate cash and blood. If you want to do more, you can.

Obi-Wan, of Forward Biased suggests a different way for more to help. If you have any extra rooms, or any extra space, there's millions of people who don't have a roof over their head. Bill Hennessy provides a database of people, trying to match up those who have homes with those who need a place to stay.

If that's too formal, there's a Yahoo Group setup with a database and a mailing list. If you've got extra space, you can host a displaced family.

If you can't, be sure to donate today. I'm matching any donation you make all day dollar for dollar to Samaritan's Purse.

Posted by: Ogre at 10:47 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Samaritan's Purse

My choice and suggestion for donations for today is Samaritan's Purse. If you'd like, you can donate to them directly, on-line. They suggest you contact your employer first, to see if they have a matching donation fund. If they do, Samaritan's Purse provides details on how to get your donation doubled. If your employer doesn't match contributions to help victims of , I will.

For over 35 years, Samaritan's Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ's command by going to the aid of the world's poor, sick, and suffering. We are an effective means of reaching hurting people in countries around the world with food, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. This, in turn, earns us a hearing for the Gospel, the Good News of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Our emergency relief programs provide desperately needed assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease, and famine. As we offer food, water, and temporary shelter, we meet critical needs and give people a chance to rebuild their lives.

Posted by: Ogre at 09:00 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Samaritan's Purse Donations

Now I don't know how much exposure this little blog will get, but I'm going to try and put my money where my mouth is. It's going to cost a ton of money to help out the millions who are currently stranded because of . They need food, water, shelter, and medical supplies. That's costs money.

Of course, the federal government will give that money to them. But I want to show the federal government that we don't need them for charity, that in fact we have individuals in this country who will provide charity and when it's needed. I want to get people to donate the money, voluntarily, rather than getting the government involved.

Let government help rebuild roads and infrastructure. Let them worry about safety and security. Let US, the people, donate and give the needed food and water that these people need.

The charity that I really like in such situations is Samaritan's Purse. I'll tell more about them later. However, I'm not just going to ask you to donate, I'm going to match donations, dollar for dollar, all day today. If you can donate even one dollar to help these people, and you do so here, I will match your dollar and send it on to Samaritan's Purse, where it will help people who need help the most.

Just donate through the link below, and I'll match the donations and tally the total throughout the day. Instapundit's tracking people who are participating, and NZ Bear has a page just for keeping track, too. If you donate somewhere else, or NOT through the link below, be sure to let TLLB know, as he's tracking all donations. Be sure to give me credit for encouraging your donation, if you do.

If, for some reason, you do not want to pay with Paypal, just drop a note in the comments and I can send you a postal mail address to which you can send checks, money orders, or even cash -- or you can just head directly to the Samaritan's Purse donation page and donate to them directly -- just let me and NZ Bear know you did so, please.

Note: The Paypal form will show the money going to Pumping Pixels. Yes, that IS me. (And for those technically-minded, yes I do have a maximum limit, but I'm not saying what it is.)

Linked to My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy open trackback.

Posted by: Ogre at 07:30 AM | Comments (10) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Blogs Across America

I had been planning announcements today about the new semi-monthly blog layout change. However, today is going to be a little different.

Today is a special day in the Blogosphere. I am joining with Hugh Hewitt and Evil Glennn to support an entire day of requesting donations and from YOU my good reader, to help victims of . NZ Bear at TLLB is tracking everyone that's participating.

Hugh has suggested specific churches and gives addresses for donations including a church that

has burned to the ground and rebuilt in 1854, been blown to the ground by a hurricane in 1915, and rebuilt, and has a broad mission in the city. They'll know what to do with checks marked "for the relief of the needy and rebuilding of the community."

Me, I'm suggesting Samaritan's Purse. Much more to come throughout the day today -- please do check back.

Posted by: Ogre at 04:08 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

August 31, 2005

Rebuild New Orleans?

I asked the question a few days ago, and now more people are weighing in. The question is, "Should we rebuild New Orleans?"

Left Brain Female says, " folks need to do some deep soul-searching to determine if rebuilding the dream is really worth the cost."

Below the Beltway says "Hell yeah." He also asks, "Where would the 4.5 million people who live there go? What about the businesses that are based there?"

Jack Chambless, Economics Professor of Valencia Community College says, "But the founding fathers never intended, Article One, section Eight of the Constitution, never intended to provide one dollar of taxpayer dollars to pay for any disaster or anything that we might call charity."

Update 8:05PM: Obi-Wan of Forward Biased is unsure at the moment:

4.5 million people, and their hometown may just have disappeared, and this isn't even considering the value of New Orleans as a historic and unique city.

More Updates, 10:00PM EST:
Mark says, "I don't know."

Jeff Jarvis thinks the city "may need to be reinvented."

The Fat Guy says, "I simply can’t imagine an America without New Orleans."

Confederate Yankee says, "Goodbye, Big Easy. It was fun while it lasted."

Martini Republic complains about asking the question, but doesn't give an answer.

Update 5:50AM (Thursday): Porkopolis weighs in with a resounding "no," and an analysis showing why not monetarily. There's also a long list of people and posts discussing alternatives to rebuilding.

Update: 2PM
Right Wing Nuthouse says, "See ya in the French Quarter at Mardi Gras in five years…" in giving his support for it's rebuild.

Captain Ed says:

How we take care of New Orleans will say something about our national character and whether it remains as tough and optimistic as our history, for all its flaws, amply demonstrates. Will we walk away from a tough fight? Will America shrug its shoulders and tell the city that we don't want to take on difficult tasks?
...
And so New Orleans must be rebuilt, in some manner, right where it is now.

I, however, don't see it as a "challenge" to "back down" from. I see it as simple economics. WHY? What will happen if we don't rebuild it? Will the hurricanes get mad as us and attack again? I don't think it's a matter of running from a tough fight -- it's just common sense to NOT want to build a city where there's water. Why not just expand Miami Beach 2 miles eastward? That makes about as much sense.

Update Saturday:
Jeff Fisher says,

New Orleans will be rebuilt. The only question is, "Where?"

I'm sure it will be rebuilt. I'm just saying that it's not a good idea to use MY money (taxpayer money) to do it. Let people build whatever they want, wherever they want -- just don't force me to pay for it.

Where are the people to go? Anywhere else. The businesses? The same -- why not start again somewhere else? In TWO months, if the bowl is drained, what are you going to find there? Do you really want to? It would certainly be cheaper to start over somewhere else than to first remove all the debris and THEN start over.

I know we won't, but I think we should just let it be. The billions of dollars spent could be better spent elsewhere -- and of course, the vast majority of those billions will be taxpayer money from my pockets.

If you were given a choice between building a business where you had to clear out flood destruction and ANYWHERE else, which would you choose? I think it's time to move on.

What say you?

Posted by: Ogre at 06:49 PM | Comments (23) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

ACLU Complains about FBI Doing their job

I know that tomorrow, Thursday, is the normal day for the Stop the ACLU blogburst. However, tomorrow is a special day in the land of the internet, so I'm posting my blogburst against the ACLU today.

The ACLU recently released a document that shows that the FBI is actually watching groups that have known or suspected ties to terror -- and the ACLU is outraged.

Now this isn't the FBI using secret wiretaps, hiding in dumpsters, searching through personal or computer records -- this is the FBI DARING to actually show up at publicly announced event that were specifically open to the public, just to see what was going on at them.

You see, the FBI went to various events held by groups that include people who perhaps have goals that are illegal. The FBI only did what any other citizen of this country could do. They did not harass ANYONE at the event. They did not even announce that they were from the FBI. They took no action, arrested no one, and did nothing other than look to see if anyone was doing anything wrong.

And the ACLU cannot stand it.

The FBI attended meetings of the Michigan Militia, Aryan Nation, a "5%" group (radical splinter muslim group), various ELF-associated animal liberation radical front groups, and, the one the ACLU is going bananas over, a "peace" group called "By Any Means."

Apparently, according to the ACLU, it is OK to watch those wackos in the Michigan Militia -- who have not committed any crime -- but it is NOT OK to watch a group of people who specifically, in the NAME of their group, suggest they will kill and destroy as many people as they can to reach their goal.

So, if you support the ACLU, you support groups that will kill you and anyone else who gets in their way of supporting "peace," but you do not support groups that want to defend their own land in an orderly, legal manner.

This IS the ACLU today.

Posted by: Ogre at 04:05 PM | Comments (12) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Carnival of Liberty

This week's Carnival of Liberty is up at Resistance is futile. Go read it, this is a really good carnival that has posts about freedom.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:33 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Human Zoo Exhibit

I had previously mentioned the morons in London who have created a zoo exhibit including people, instead of animals. This isn't the first time, and I bet it won't be the last, because so many people are plain idiots.

This week, the Christian Views Symposium (found over at Cross Blogging) asks some questions about that "exhibit."

Feel free to join in and provide your own answers to the questions over at the original post, or make your own post and link back to the original. You don't have to be a Christian to play (and answer), anyone can join in! The questions this week:

Is man a plague species?
Is man just another primate?
Is man superior to other animals?
What do you believe mans’ relationship to animals is or should be?

Posted by: Ogre at 01:01 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

Pirate Boots

Yar. If'n ye be needin' some inspiration and preparation for Talk Like a Pirate Day (Yar - It be on Day of the Moon (Monday) on the 19th of the 9th month this year); head on over here fer some real pirate boots.

Yar. They be costin' quite a bit 'o gold, but I'm thinking I might be needin' some.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:30 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

The Left Supports What?

If you watch and listen to leftists in this country, the continue to claim that they support the troops, but not the war. National Review shows us how much they support the troops. Comments directed towards actual military heroes:

You’re a disgusting human being, and I hope you rot in hell!

If you think the war is okay, then why don’t you go and serve!

Head over and read the whole article (it's short) to see how much the left really supports our troops. In case you don't get it (or don't want to read it), I'll help you out: They don't.

(Hat tip to Social Sense).

Posted by: Ogre at 09:04 AM | Comments (7) | Add Comment | Trackbacks (Suck)

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