Unnatural disaster

Total damage from Japanese earthquake and tsunami will cost more than $200 billion, making it the most expensive natural disaster in history.

That's also the roughly same size as Obama's deficit spending for just the first eight weeks of 2011.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Liberals 'get bloody' for Wisconsin, Part 12: 48 of 50 entries in St. Pats parade drop out after death threats

Fond du Lac Wisconsin's Saint Patrick' Day parade was slated to have 50 participants. It now only had two after death threats against Republicans forced local police to ask officials not to attend.

"Obviously people have a right to express their political views, we're just concerned for the safety of himself, participants and people that are there to enjoy the parade," Fond du Lac deputy polce chief Kevin Lemke tells WLUK Channel 11.

"It is meant to be a family affair, but this year will have a significant police presence," WLUK reports.

The virtual cancellation of a St. Patrick's Day parade comes just two days after school officials in Portage had to cancel a breakfast with officials after death threats and plans by liberal protesters to invade the school and crash the breakfast made them afraid for childrens' safety.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

March 11, 1836: Houston's letter to Fannin

To Col. Fannin, Commanding at Goliad: Sir:---On my arrival here this afternoon the following intelligence was received through a Mexican, supposed to be friendly, though his account has been contradicted in some parts by another, who arrived with him. It is therefore only given to you as a rumor though I fear a melancholy portion of it will be found true. Anselmo Borgara states that he left the Alamo on Sunday the 6th inst. and is six days from Arroche's ranch; that the Alamo was attacked on Sunday morning at the dawn of day, by about two thousand three hundred men, and carried a short time before sunrise by a loss of five hundred and twenty-one Mexicans killed and as many wounded. Col. Travis had only one hundred and fifty effective men, out of his entire force of one hundred and eighty-seven. After the fort was carried seven men surrendered, and called for Santa Anna, and for quarter. They were murdered by his order. Col. Bowie was sick in bed and was also murdered. The enemy expect a reinforcement of fifteen hundred men under Gen. Cordelle, and a reserve of fifteen hundred to follow them. He also informs us that Ugartechea had arrived with two millions of specie for the payment of the troops. The bodies of the Americans were burned after the massacre. Alternate layers of wood and bodies were laid together and set on fire. Lieut. Dickinson, who had a wife and child in the fort, after having fought with desperate courage tied his child to his back and leaped from the top of a two-story building. Both were killed by the fall. I have little doubt but that the Alamo has fallen whether the above particulars are all true may be questionable. You are therefore referred to the enclosed order.
P.S. In confirmation of the truth of the fall of the Alamo, I have ascertained that Col. Travis intended firing signal guns at three different periods each day until succor should arrive. No signal guns have been heard since Sunday, though a scouting party have just returned who approached within twelve miles of it, and remained there forty-eight hours.

Accompanying the above letter was the following order:

ARMY ORDER Headquarters, Gonzales, March 11, 1836 To Col. J. W. Fannin, Commanding at Goliad Sir: You will as soon as practicable on receipt of this order, fall back upon Guadalupe Victoria with your command and such artillery as can be brought with expedition. The remainder will be sunk in the river. You will take the necessary measures for the defense of Victoria, and forward one-third of your effective men to this point, and remain in command until further orders. Every facility is to be afforded to women and children who may be desirous of leaving that place. Previous to abandoning Goliad, you will take the necessary measures to blow up that fortress, and do so before leaving its vicinity. The immediated advance of the enemy may be constantly expected, as well as a rise of water. Prompt movements are therefore highly important. SAM HOUSTON Commander of the Army

Liberals 'get bloody' for Wisconsin, Part 11: Liberals threaten citizens signing recall petitions, threaten to attack restaurant

Citizens collecting petitions for the recall of a Democrat state senator got a firsthand taste of what rampaging liberal mobs mean when they scream, "This is what democracy looks like."

"Organizers say the rally was originally scheduled at Club 64 in Merrill, but they had to change locations after business owners say they received more than 50 phone calls threatening to destroy their business and cause physical harm if the rally took place," Merrill, Wisc.'s WAOW Channel 9 reports.

When citizens finally did meet to collect signatures for a lawful election, they were greeted by a mob of rampaging liberals.

"They circled around us, and they're bullying us. They have a loud horn and they're trying to intimidate people that would like to come and sign the petition," citizen Kim Simac told WAOW "I do think that this is an intimidation ploy."

Things got even more violent when one liberal grabbed the petitions, began writing profanity on them and ripped several up. Destroying election petitions is a crime.

Watch the video for yourself.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Liberals 'get bloody' for Wisconsin, Part 10: Death threats force school to cancel breakfast

Rampaging liberal thugs claim their threats and intimidation are on behalf of schools, but even schools -- and the children inside them -- aren't from the wave of liberal threats and violence.

"Organizers pulled the plug on a breakfast meeting this morning in Westfield between educators and state politicians because of recent death threats to legislators," the Portage (Wisc.) Daily Register reports.

The death threats cited included threats to kill the families of Republican legislators and plant bombs in locations they may visit. School officials were forced to cancel the breakfast after being informed liberal protesters planned on crashing the breakfast, and the school it was being held at.

"After hearing about the threats, Legislative Breakfast organizer Don Stevens, agency administrator for Cooperative Educational Service Agency 5, called off the monthly meeting to avoid placing children, or the legislators, at risk," the Register reported.

"The truth of the matter is you have to be living under a rock to not see the environment is escalated," Stevens tells the Register.

"We have good people in the state of Wisconsin. This is a great place to live - and this is not the way we act."

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Liberals 'get bloody' for Wisconsin, Part 9: Liberals storm Capitol, hope bomb, death threats will stop legal process

Senate lawmakers approved a pared-down budget repair bill Wednesday, setting up a Thursday Assembly vote and a rampage of screaming, rioting, attempts to storm and occupy the Capitol and even death threats liberals hope will stop the legal process.

Just days after one liberal threatened to blow up an airport that Gov. Scott Walker appeared at, WTMJ 620 posted this liberal e-mail to Republican Senators threatening to shoot, blow up and kill lawmakers and their children, just one of many death threats leveled at lawmakers who want to limit how government can organize against its own people:

Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your familes will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks. Please explain to them that this is because if we get rid of you and your families then it will save the rights of 300,000 people and also be able to close the deficit that you have created. I hope you have a good time in hell. Read below for more information on possible scenarios in which you will die.

WE want to make this perfectly clear. Because of your actions today and in the past couple of weeks I and the group of people that are working with me have decided that we've had enough. We feel that you and the people that support the dictator have to die. We have tried many other ways of dealing with your corruption but you have taken things too far and we will not stand for it any longer. So, this is how it's going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it's a matter of public records. We have all planned to assult you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn't leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you since you are so "high" on Koch and have decided that you are now going to single handedly make this a dictatorship instead of a demorcratic process. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent. This includes, your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won't tell you all of them because that's just no fun. Since we know that you are not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided to make it perfectly clear to you. If you and your goonies feel that it's necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families and themselves then We Will "get rid of" (in which I mean kill) you. Please understand that this does not include the heroic Rep. Senator that risked everything to go aganist what you and your goonies wanted him to do. We feel that it's worth our lives to do this, because we would be saving the lives of 300,000 people. Please make your peace with God as soon as possible and say goodbye to your loved ones we will not wait any longer. YOU WILL DIE!!!!

Adventures In LIberal Discourse: Democrats cheer as executive is burned alive, demand copycat attacks in US

There's are no fewer than five charming little threads over on Democrat Underground in which Democrats cheer a story about Indian factory workers dousing their boss in gasoline and burning him alive.

The same people who called for Sarah Palin to be arrested for inciting murder because she used the word "target" to describe where she spent money gleefully cheer the workers for burning another human being alive, and openly fantasize about bringing that level of mayhem, violence, murder and torture to the United States.

Surprised? Don't be. These are the same people who routinely posted elaborate online fantasies of killing George W. Bush and post photographs of guillotines whenever Bush or business executives are mentioned in a news story. These are also the same people who cheered Markos Moulitsas when he heckled four American civilians who were burned alive in Fallujah, Iraq. You know, when they're not busy demanding Rush Limbaugh be imprisoned for "inciting violence."

I've said it before, I'll say it again. For many people liberalism, which preaches the individual can be sacrificed to the greater good of the tribe, is their religion of violence. Liberalism is their jihad. Violence, and even the murder of those with differing opinions, is a sacrament.

These threads are even more relevant in light of the violence in Wisconsin and across the country, in which liberals have punched young girls, threatened to rape reporters, savagely attacked elderly women and rioted in restaurants that served Republican customers.

The actual responses in which they openly call for other human beings to be burned alive, in Democrats' own words, are posted below. And these don't include the many, many responses that were so explicit and violent they had to be removed by moderators.

These posters are responding to a comment, that had to be deleted by moderators, cheering the workers for burning their boss alive:

plumbob (221 posts)
Actions have consequences. For too long, those in power have been allowed to use it for ill, to kill, maim and blight with no consequence, where a hungry shoplifter goes straight to jail.

tularetom (1000+ posts)
Thank you for having the courage to post what a lot of us were only thinking. Fear is the emotion these POS's use to control the rest of the population. They need a taste of fear themselves.

And here are responses to the story itself from Democrats openly cheering the thought of brutally torturing and murdering people.

TheKentuckian (1000+ posts)
Murder???? That's self defense, Jack. Aggressive self defense but self defense.

provis99 (1000+ posts)
It looks more like preemptive self defense to me. Kill him before he kills you and your family

B Calm (1000+ posts)
The rich bastards have been riding on the back of a tiger for 30 years and the tiger is getting very hungry! I see interesting days ahead in this country too!!

Occulus (1000+ posts)
I am a postal employee and these experiences resonate deeply with me

backscatter712 (1000+ posts)
Working people from India know how to express displeasure with greedy executives...

...Could be considered poetic justice....

...We're not allowed to set the Koch brothers on fire? Too bad... ahem... I mean ... we mustn't be uncivl...

Bigmack (1000+ posts)
If things get really bad, Americans could do that....... but it would be wrong.... (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

TheKentuckian (1000+ posts)
I'm all for whatever has the most impactive impression on these crooks. If they cannot learn without such vigorous examples then that is the way it must be.

averner (1000+ posts)
[Responding to a poster who suggested burning executives alive is wrong.] We disagree. I understand where you're coming from. And thank dog there are people like you, to keep people like me from doing this kind of thing.

Horse with no Name (1000+ posts)
Desperate people do desperate things. Taking away jobs, safety nets, etc is a direct assault on the survival of others. I would never advocate this type of violence...nor will I lose any sleep over it...

...I will sleep like a baby tonight...

...IF these robber barons are intent upon destroying the livelihoods (ergo lives) of people--then they might take some of their ill gotten gains and hire personal security.

Buddyblazon (1000+ posts)
I'm not justifying the actions of the attackers in this post...I do, however, want to point out your statement: "This executive was not physically assaulting someone." While this may be true, an executive, or higher up in a corporation or industry doesn't have to physically assault someone. Why? Because they know they can do much worse to a worker than assault them. And if a complaint is taken to the authorities...they will always say, "This executive was not physically assaulting you.".

Hannah Bell (1000+ posts)
no, they never do. but they kill people regardless, that's the thing [By making more money than them.] does the fact that their killing is indirect make it okay? they live long rather comfortable lives for the most part & are looked up to as "successful". but they are murderers nonetheless.

The Nexus (51 posts)
Look at it this way. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one. It maybe Star Trek, but it's something to think on.

Taverner (1000+ posts)
In some ways it is self defense Taking away one's livelihood in a place like India, where the result is something we in the US cannot even comprehend - is tantamount to a slow, painful death sentence

diane in sf (1000+ posts)
If burning up one executive saved a bunch of lives by causing a change in the upper classes approach to laying people off would that be justified? I personally would never want to kill anyone or witness someone being killed. But the top executives of health insurance companies are killing thousands of people every year by denying them health coverage to increase the bottom lines of the companies they work for. Is this right? I don't think it is any more moral than burning someone up.

Occulus (1000+ posts)
A brief reading of US labor history says this may well have been both justifiable and defensible. I don't know the specifics of their situation, but even the most cold and objective reading of US labor history will prove that sometimes violence is indeed an option.

GaYellowDawg (1000+ posts)
That kind of mob action isn't something I'd ever endorse, but I sure wouldn't mind some of that fear entering, say, the Koch brothers' minds.

bengalherder (115 posts)
There are certain local owners of toilet paper manufacturies [The Kochs] that- while I would not do it it nor advocate it- if they had a certain similar fate befall them, I'd not lose and ounce of sleep.

Bucky (1000+ posts)
...f[---]ing with people's livelihood should be a little dangerous.

We are going to lock this...Understanding that this is a valid news story, (there are threads about this already, it is the additional line "Wonder if this will give the leaders of multinational corps pause as they outsource our jobs?" that takes this into advocating violence.

HughBeaumont (1000+ posts)
Should we title this story . . .. . "Just Sayin."?

joeybee12 (1000+ posts)
E-mail tot he Koch Brothers with your note? nt

Raksha (1000+ posts)
I want our own American outsourcers to know this story....I want a few CEOs to know it's possible. They don't fear the people enough yet. I want them to realize there's a limit to what they can get away with.

Lastactiongyro (52 posts)
give it time. The Repukes have no clue what they are playing with.

BobbyBoring (481 posts)
Now we're talkin! Fear works both ways doesn't it?

AlabamaLibrul (1000+ posts)
Do. Not. F[---]. With. Us.

onethatcares (1000+ posts)
what the hell were they suppose to do? as weird as this tale is, I guffawed at it. The exec probably thought he had it made and those little people were just numbers in his mind.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=557798
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x557798
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=560594
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=557349
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=556274

March 5, 1836: Santa Anna's Orders

After finalizing plans with his generals for the attack on The Alamo, Mexican President and General Santa Anna issues the following written orders to his troops:

To the Generals, Chiefs of Sections and Commanding Officers:

The time has come to strike a decisive blow upon the enemy occupying the Fortress of the Alamo. Consequently, His Excellency, the General in Chief, has decided that tomorrow at 4 o'clock a.m., the columns of attack shall be stationed at musket-shot distance from the first entrenchments, ready for the charge, which shall commence, at a signal given with the bugle, from the Northern Battery.

The first column will be commanded by General Don Martín Perfecto de Cos, and, in his absence, by myself. The Permanent Battalion of Aldama (except the company of Grenadiers) and the three right center companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis, will comprise the first column.

The second column will be commanded by Colonel Don Francisco Duque, and, in his absence, by General Don Manuel Fernindez Castrillon; it will be composed of the Active Battalion (except the company of Grenadiers) and the three remaining center companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis.

The third column will be commanded by Colonel José María Romero and in his absence Mariano Salas; it will be Composed of the permanent Battalion of Matamoros and Jimenes. The fourth column will be commanded by Colonel Juan Morales, and in his absence, by Colonel José Minon; it will be composed of the light companies of the Battalions of Matamoros and Jimenes and of the Active Battalion of San Luis. His Excellency the General in Chief will, in due time designate the points of attack, and give his instructions to the Commanding Officers.

The reserve will be composed of the Battalion of Engineers and the five companies of Grenadiers of the Permanent Battalions of Matamoros, Jimenes and Allama, and the Active Battalions of Toluca and San Luis. The reserve will be commanded by the General in Chief in person, during the attack; but General Augustin Amat will assemble this party which will report to him, this evening at 5 o’clock, to be marched to the designated station.

The first column will carry ten ladders, two crowbars and two axes; the second, ten ladders; the third, six ladders; and the fourth, two ladders. The men carrying the ladders will sling their guns on their shoulders, to be enabled to place the ladders wherever they may be required. The companies of Grenadiers will be supplied with six packages of cartridges to every man, and the center companies with two packages and two spare flints. The men will wear neither overcoats nor blankets nor anything that may impede the rapidity of their motions.

The Commanding Officers will see that the men have their chin straps of their caps down, and that they wear either shoes or sandals. The troops composing the columns of attack will turn in to sleep at dark; to be in readiness to move at 12 o'clock at light.

Recruits deficient in instruction will remain in their quarters. The arms, principally the bayonets, should be in perfect order. As soon as the moon rises, the center companies of the Active Battalion of San Luis will abandon the points they are now occupying on the line, in order to have time to prepare.

The cavalry, under Colonel Joaquín Ramirez y Sesma, will be stationed at the Alameda, saddling up at 3 o'clock a.m. It shall be its duty to scout the country, to prevent the possibility of an escape. The honor of the nation being interested in this engagement against the bold and lawless foreigners who are opposing us.

His Excellency expects that every man will do his duty, and exert himself to give a day of glory to the country, and of gratification to the Supreme Government, who will know how to reward the distinguished deeds of the brave soldiers of the Army of Operations.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Tonight's Awful Bedtime Movie: Attack Of The Eye Creatures (1965)



It's what it sounds like. Aliens made of eyeballs. And it's a 1965 remake from American International Pictures, of a 1962 AIP TV movie, so you know it's doubly low budget and sloppy.

Long story short. Eyeball-covered aliens invade backwoods town one night. The eyeball-covered aliens kill people. Teens uncover the evil goings-on. Fussy authority figures don't believe them, and blame them for the deaths. Teens save the town by turning their car headlights on the monsters, which causes them to explode.

I should say two long stories short. The military has been tracking the aliens and his on to everything. They surround the saucer, but in the end the teens stop the aliens. I have no idea why the entire military plot was even needed.

It's even dumber and more agonizing to watch than it sounds.

For one, if light causes the eyeball aliens to explode then the entire invasion will be wiped out in the morning. They'd be the first movie villains stopped by planetary rotation. And for a race of beings advanced enough to master intergalactic travel, why are they stupid enough to invade a planet they can only stay on for 10 hours?

There's more stinktitude.

The filmmakers didn't have the money to give every "alien" a full costume, so some of the eyeball-covered aliens have eyeball-covered bodies and others are just wearing black sweaters.

The movie takes place at night, but many of the scenes are shot in broad daylight with no effort to even pretend it's night.

Oh, and the movie was originally produced the title card read "The Eye Creatures." When B-movies are re-released, the title is often changed by adding, in this case "Attack Of." Unfortunately the editor had ADD because he pasted "Attack Of The" to the top of the title card.

Hence, we are informed we are watching "Attack Of The The Eye Creatures."

I hate you, movie.

Here's what I'm wondering.

Fun Facts:

The movie stinks, but it does have one star. Peter Graves has an uncredited role as the narrator in the opening scenes.

The film's budget was a whopping $16,000.

The film was directed by AIP mainstay Larry Buchanan as a color remake of an old black-and-white AIP film, intended for TV broadcast. According to Buchanan, AIP told him "We want cheap color pictures, we want half-assed names in them, we want them eighty minutes long and we want them now."

When Buchanan died in 2004, The New York Times eulogized him by writing, "One quality united Mr. Buchanan's diverse output: It was not so much that his films were bad; they were deeply, dazzlingly, unrepentantly bad. His work called to mind a famous line from H. L. Mencken, who, describing President Warren G. Harding's prose, said, 'It is so bad that a sort of grandeur creeps into it.'"

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Christie kneecaps online gaming bill

From The Wall Street Journal, Lisa Fleischer reports:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have made his state the first in the U.S. to re-introduce online gambling. But he also suggested the state Legislature could revive the effort by asking voters to approve the measure by referendum.

The bill would have allowed New Jersey residents to place bets through websites run by casino companies in Atlantic City, the only place gambling is allowed in New Jersey under the state constitution. State legislatures across the country have started work on similar bills in a bid to generate revenue.

Bad move, Governor. Government should prohibit free people from doing what they please with their own earnings. Between this and supporting Michelle Obama's federal food police he's beginning to show a nanny-state streak.

Liberals 'get bloody' for Wisconsin, Part 8: Union thugs riot in Ohio restaurant, attack staff

Union thugs find out seven Republican senators, including President Tom Niehaus were eating in a Columbus cafe. Led by an official of the SEIU (whose members were arrested in a savage assault on a black Republican in St. Louis in 2009) they stormed the restaurant, bellowed "something nasty" and began screaming like mental patients.

One union thug vandalized the restaurant's windows while others physically assaulted restaurant staff.

The frightened restaurant owner called 911. Several police officers and a police helicopter, which is typically the response to a riot, had to be called in response to the liberal violence.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Media bias gone Mad(ison)

Stu Rothenberg asks the thought-provoking question, how sycophantic and fawning would the media be if it were Republicans hurling hate speech at the governor or fleeing the state to prevent Democrats from voting on a bill?

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Cuccinelli, Allen & Ferguson on "The Score" with Scott Lee

Be sure to tune in to "The Score" radio program with Scott Lee this weekend.

Scott's guests are Ken Cuccinelli, George Allen and Donny Ferguson

You can hear "The Score on the air across Virginia or online nationwide at:

WMBG 740 AM in Williamsburg from 7-8 AM Saturday
WLEE AM 990 in Richmond, from 8-9 AM Saturday
WLNI 105.9 FM in Lynchburg from 7-8 AM Sunday

I'll be discussing states voting to nullify the Endangered Species Act and the small steps liberals are taking in their drive to put government in control of everything and crush individualism by outlawing incandescent light bulbs and mandating low-flow toilets.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Do as I say, not as I draw

Liberal political cartoon on NPR website shows Republicans preparing to chop the heads off children. The comments sections asks you to "Please keep your community civil."

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

March 4, 1836: Sowers' letter from Goliad

Captain John Sowers Brooks, defending Fort Defiance in Goliad under the command of Colonel Fannin, writes the following letter to his sister which reads in part:

"...My profession, perhaps for life, be it short or long, will be that of arms. It is the only pursuit in which I could feel a throb of interest; and the cause in which I now exercise it, renders it still dearer, and more ennobling to me. It is the course of Liberty, of the oppressed against the Tyrant, of the free man against the bigoted slave, and, what recommends it more strongly to me, of the weak against the strong. If I fall, let me fall---It is one of the chances of the game I play-a casualty to which every soldier is liable. My prayer has been, since my earliest recollection, to die on the field of battle, with the shout of victory in my ears; and, if it is the will of high Heaven, that that fate should meet me now, I will not murmur and you should not...

"...Santa Ana's army is now in motion, and our almost unprotected frontier, is the destined goal of its operations. One of his divisions has already attacked Bexar, the town which was surrendered to the Americans, ou the 18th Dec. 1835, by the Mexican General, Cos, which garrison consisted of only 156 Volunteers, who retreated to the Alamo, a strong fortress in the suburbs, and still held out, at our last intelligence. 'Davy Crockett' is with them. The Mexicans amounted to 2000. We started with 300 men to their relief, but found it impossible to proceed, from the want of horses or oxen, to transport our baggage and artillery...

"...We suppose their force [DF notes: marching to Goliad] to be from 1500 to 3000 men. We have but 500-all Volunteers. But we are resolved to die, to a man, under the walls we have thrown up, rather than surrender to a horde of merciless savages, who have declared their determination to adhere to none of the rules of civilized war fare; but to murder all Americans, indiscriminately. Capt. Pearson and several others were shot down, after they had surrendered at San Patricio. This on the part of the enemy, is to be a war of extermination, not directed solely against the armed soldiers in the field, but against the peaceful citizen, the helpless female, and the defenceless infant. They show no quarter; we do not require it; and, indeed, both parties seem to have tacitly contracted, that it shall neither be asked nor given. Let them pursue their course of ruthless cruelty; they will encounter spirits as stern as their own; they will find, if retaliation requires it, that we can be as deaf to the calls of mercy as they can be. If victory favors us, ample shall be their retribution, for the murdered volunteers at San Patricio...

"... The advance of the enemy is within 25 miles of us. If we are defeated, it will be after a hard fight..."

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

March 4, 1836: Sam Houston named commander of Texas forces

The Convention of 1836, meeting at Washington-On-The-Brazos to declare Texian independence from Mexico and lay the foundation for the Republic of Texas, names former Tennessee Governor Sam Houston commander-in-chief of the Texian Army.

James Collinsworth offers the following resolution, which after two amendments reads:

Whereas we are now in a state of Revolution, and threatened by a large invading army, from the central government of Mexico; and whereas our present situation, and the emergency of the present crisis, renders it indispensably necessary that we should have an army in the field; and, whereas, it is also necessary that there should be one Supreme head or Commander in Chief, and due degrees of subordination defined, established and strictly observed,

Therefore, be it Resolved, that General Samuel Houston be appointed major general to be Commander in Chief of all the land forces of the Texian Army, both regulars, volunteers and militia, while in actual service, and endowed with all the rights, privileges and powers due to a Commander in Chief in the United States of America, and that he forthwith proceed to take command, establish headquarters and organize the army accordingly and that Samuel Houston retain such command until the election of a chief magistrate of this government, and to continue in such office unless, superseded by order of the government, subject, however, to the general orders of the government de facto, until the general organization agreeable to the constitution, and always amenable to the laws and civil authorities of the country.

Collinsworth, Thomas Gazely and David Thomas speak in favor of naming Houston commander. Former North Carolina Congressman Robert Potter speaks against it. The Convention approves the resolution and Houston takes command of the Texian Army.

(Thomas would be named the Republic of Texas' ad interim Attorney General and acting Secretary of War. He would later be killed, accidentally shot as he and others fled Mexican troops in the Runaway Scrape.)

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

Wisconsin's plush government retirement funds

Koch Industries has replaced Karl Rove as the reflexive boogeyman at the center of whatever looney conspiracy theory liberals are muttering about at any given moment.

But as Wisconsin's government union bosses go to even greater lengths to slander the Kochs in their fight to preserve government's ability to organize against its citizens, who exactly pocketing big Koch money? Republican Governor Scott Walker, or the government unions?

Surprise! It's the government unions engaging in vulgar, racist and increasingly violent demonstrations.

$5.5 million of the state's government employee retirement funds are invested in the stock of just one Koch company, Georgia Pacific.

The $5.5 million they currently stand to pocket from the Kochs beats out the $43,000 Walker's campaign got from them by a 128-to-1 margin.

Yes, the same government employees who are going all tin-foil hat over the Kochs apparently think highly enough of them to sink have a huge chunk of their plush retirement funds invested in Koch stock.

If were the Kochs I'd grant the government unions' wishes to get Koch money out of the state by blocking payments into their retirement funds.

What do most polls mean? Nothing.

I love the media reaction to polls of "adults" as though they mean something. First, at least 30 percent aren't even registered to vote. Of those that are, half don't even bother voting. Even fewer in most mid-terms.

So right off the bat in a poll of adults 65 percent of the sample aren't going to show up on Election Day, so they can't even do anything about their opinion.

But 35 percent of your sample vote. That means something, right?

Wrong.

Of that 35 percent, about a third are going to automatically inclined vote for you because of party label and a third will automatically inclined to vote against you for the same reason.

So in reality, when the media poll "adults" only about 12 percent of them actually affect an election.

That's why, whenever possible, I cite the portion of the poll measuring the opinions of unaffiliated likely voters. THAT'S where the meat is.

When you see a news article bleating you can't do the right thing because a poll of "adults" or even "registered voters" disagrees, toss it in the trash.

http://DonnyFerguson.blogspot.com

General Houston's March 2, 1836 broadside

"War is raging on the frontiers. Bejar is besieged by two thousand of the enemy, under the command of general Siezma. Reinforcements are on their march, to unite with the besieging army. By the last report, our force in Bejar was only one hundred and fifty men strong. The citizens of Texas must rally to the aid of our army, or it will perish. Let the citizens of the East march to the combat. The enemy must be driven from our soil, or desolution will accompany their march upon us. Independence is declared, it must be maintained. Immediate action, united with valor, alone can achieve the great work. The services of all are forthwith required in the field.
SAM HOUSTON,
Commander-in-Chief of the Army.
P.S. It is rumored that the enemy are on their march to Gonzales, and that they have entered the colonies. The fate of Bejar is unknown. The country must and shall be defended. The patriots of Texas are appealed to, in behalf of their bleeding country.
S.H.

Texas' deep Scottish roots


From the Texas Scottish Heritage Society:

Over 40% of the original "300" Steven F. Austin colonists were of Scottish ancestry.

There were 30 Scots among those who fought in the Battle of the Alamo. Piper John MacGregor stood on the adobe walls in the midst of the battle to pipe the men on in true Scottish tradition.

Aberdeen Angus cattle were first exported from Scotland into Texas in 1883.

Our ranching term "spread" comes from Gaelic "spreid" which is a flock of sheep and "spredith" which means cattle or livestock of any kind.

The Texas town of Ingram was named after the original Texas bragger. He wrote home to Scotland telling outrageous stories extolling Texas.

Ten men from Scotland financed the building of the state capitol in Austin. In exchange, the state government gave them 150,000 acres which became the famous XIT Ranch. The XIT stands for "Ten in Texas".

Most of the leaders who battled for Texas’ independence were of Scottish ancestry, i.e., Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, James Bowie, David Crockett, Peter J. Bailey, Henry P. Brewster, J.A. Brooks, David Burnet, Mathew Caldwell, Capt. Ewen Cameron, S.P. Carson, Robert Cochran.

Over half of the counties of Texas are named for persons of Scottish ancestry.

The colloquialism "y’all" evolved from the Gaelic construction "sibh vile" (se’ vall) or you all. In Scotland the phraseology "are you all going?" or "are we all invited?" is used as opposed to the English form of "all of us" or "all of you."

The oldest signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence was Collin McKinney, of Scottish descent. Both the county of Collin and the town of McKinney are named after him.

Famous early Texas names of Scottish origin: Bigfoot Wallace, John B. Denton, Cecil Lyon, Burke Burnett, John Simpson Chisum (Chisholm), Albert S. Johnston, Stephen Crosby, Capt. R.A. Gillespie, Anthony Lucas, William C. Crane.

Adventures In Liberal Discourse: Union official calls for violent socialist overthrow of U.S.

What kind of people are occupying the Wisconsin state capitol in hopes of preserving government's ability to organize against its own citizens?

Here's an example.

In a videotaped speech, union rep and avowed Marxist Sharon Black challenges unions to engage in socialist revolution by forcibly occupying "the factories" (Funny how their rhetoric never got out of the 19th century.)

"I join the call for abolishing capitalism and reviving the struggle for world socialism," Black rambles. "Only Marxism can afford us."

Black specifically calls on government employees to take the offensive and use force to engage in near-literal class warfare.

"Our ultimate goal is worldwide socialist revolution...WILL YOU JOIN THIS FIGHT?! Long live revolutionary socialism! Victory to the workers!...OPEN THE CAMPAIGN TO ABOLISH CAPITALISM AND REVIVE THE STRUGGLE FOR WORLDWIDE SOCIALISM!!!!!!," the union official screeches as she ends her tirade.

Black is a union official, shop steward for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local #27 in Baltimore, Maryland.