IDLE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING!

IDLE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING! (Frazer Chronicles)

THE NEUTERED ONE, (Frazer Chronicles)

Just when you thought there weren't enough topics to talk about, up jumps good old Newt Gingrich. Never shy about his ambitions and the elusive White House, the "neutered one" is going to declare "officially" that he is "joining the fray" and will indeed be a candidate to be our next President. Oh joy, I can hardly wait for Wednesday when Gingrich makes his run official.

This guy has painted himself into a corner so many times, I'm beginning to believe that the old Bugs Bunny trick, where he paints himself  into the proverbial corner, and then escapes by painting a door on the wall and it  really does work.

Newt, the former U.S. House Speaker and the author of the "contract with America" has been humbled by the several dozen people who have urged him to run. Gingrich will appear on Fox news on Wednesday night "to talk about my run for president of the United States." Newt will also announce his candidacy on his Facebook  and Twitter social-network sites.

Gingrich has also visited several primary states over the past several months, so it's not a big surprise that he will officially seek the head chair in the oval office. With the "usual suspects" aligning themselves for the 2012 race, no clear cut front runner has emerged and we here at Chronicle headquarters must say that "having  Newt "Neutered" Gingrich on board can only make for a very interesting race.

Frankly the thought of Willard Mitt "Mr. Clean"  Romney running unopposed was giving me the willies. I really don't count Donald "don't touch my hair" Trump a realistic presidential candidate because he, will.....he's such a joke. I mean his reality show, his marriage record, his reality show, I ah, well, the guy is to much like me, and I know I can't be trusted.

All in all I think Gingrich joining the race can only add a bit of pzazz to the entire process of weeding out the best man for the countries most important office. I can only hope that Sarah Palin decided to make a late run, she is such a fox and really says some of the most quotable tid-bits.

TOP SHOP TO STOP, (Morning Sentinel)

As I have mentioned in  the past, "some issues are hard for me to report," and this is one of those issues. The Vassalboro, Maine's only topless business is going out of business once their stock of liquid refreshments are gone. Donald Crabtree opened his shop in 2009 so that his staff and customers could smile.

"I wanted to see people have fun, to smile" is the way Crabtree explains opening the small towns only topless  business in it's history. "I have fought the good fight for two years," I've been burned out, "a man was going with one of the workers, lite the original building on fire" I've been harassed by clergy, city officials and some of the public. "I'm done, I can't take it anymore," the 43 year old businessman declared.

The Reverend Steve Rogers of the Vassalboro Baptist Church said he is pleased to see the shop will close. Dan Feeney, Vassalboro code officer went last Thursday to inspect two signs that were bigger then was allowed under the adult-only business ordinance. One sign advertised a topless car wash, the other, boobies wanted. The signs were removed that evening.

The same Dan Feeney also told Crabtree that he was not allowed to hold a fund raiser, sell lobsters, "probably topless," or any other kinds of such events, he wasn't licensed. There has even been rumors of drug sales, use as well as, you guessed it, prostitution.

The several women that work the tables and the small but loyal customer base will all miss the little business, located on Route 3 on the edge of Vassalboro, which Crabtree figures might last into early June, until the coffee is gone. You see, Crabtree's business is named the "Grand View Topless Coffee Shop."  What is this world coming to.
 

TOP SUBJECTS OF THE WEEK

TOP SUBJECTS OF THE WEEK, (Frazer Chronicles)

A new segment offered by the growing staff of the Frazer Chronicles will begin with today's edition of the blog. It will highlight what we feel is the top news items over the past week. Unlike Saturday's Bits & Pieces, where a somewhat humorous attitude is taken with the delivery of the weeks news, Top Subjects of The Week will take an in-depth look at some of the issues that shape our global society. 

REACTION TO BIN LADEN KILLING BY FORMER BUSH ADMINISTRATION,

Condoleezza Rice, "I was surprised to learn where he was found," and wondered how Ben Laden went undetected in the tribal area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. "It's no secret that there have been sympathizers."

George W. Bush,  "Earlier this evening of May, 1, 2011, President Obama called to inform former President George W. Bush that American forces had killed Osama bin Laden.....I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence community who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message:No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."

Dick Cheney,  "The Obama administration clearly deserves credit for the success of the operation, I mean, it's not just one day you get up, bang, and you got Osama bin Laden. It's the kind of thing where an awful lot of people over a long period of time-thousands have worked this case and these issues and followed on the leads and captured bad guys and interrogated them and so forth.....it would be a big mistake for us now to assume , "that, that's taken care of, it's all over with. AL Qaeda is a big organization and there very active now in the Arabian Peninsula down in Yemen. There is every reason that there will be further attacks attempted against the United States."

Donald Rumsfeld, "Credit belongs to the courageous special operators who executed the mission. As American awoke to celebration this morning, these professionals went about their work, for they knew as well as any that the fight is not over. Recognition should also go to the intelligence professionals who have worked tirelessly over the past decade to collect information on al Qaeda. Initial reports indicated that intelligence efforts at Guantanamo Bay may have played an essential role in this success. All of this was made possible by the relentless, sustained pressure on al Qaeda that the Bush administration initiated after 9/11 and that the Obama administration has wisely chosen to continue."

Colin Powell, "I wish we could have gotten this guy September 12, the day after 9/11.....and I'm sure everybody was disappointed, but these things take time. It's not that simple to chase somebody around in that kind of terrain and find them with reliable information, but he was found. It took 10 years, but he was found and killed."

Michael Certoff, "I think that we are all impressed and gratified by the outstanding mission that was carried out successfully. I mean this was a great American victory and a great tribute not only to the work on the ground, but all those that supported and gathered intelligence over the years.....al Qaeda is very much active and alive.....we can't drop our guard, in fact we need to be careful in the short and medium  turn to look for some retaliation."

Tom Ridge, "The news that Osama bin Laden is no more demonstrates the resolve of the intelligence and military community and the American community writ large. We did not forget, nor will we ever. May this news give some measure of comfort to those we lost on 9/11 and those who have lost since that day, who fought so bravely to answer the brutality with justice. As we mark the victory we know that as one chapter closes, more chapters will be written. A flawed ideology did not die with one man. But just as surely as the fight will continue, so will our determination. We remain, just as we were 10 years ago, joined together and joined to the task."

The above responses have appeared in newspapers across the land, with little fanfare and now they appear here, in the Frazer Chronicles, in the "all the news that nobody else will print." "Why" you might ask would these quotes be listed in an obviously liberal blog, "I'm glad you asked that question," and I'm ready willing and thankfully able to answer that question.

They are the same people, who over the past 10 years have preached the same sermon to the same choir and I finally have a platform to rebuke the rhetoric in down to earth, simple terms that everybody can understand.

Because with the exception of Colin Powell, the message is basically the same as they have been saying for the past 10 years. the look for every opportunity to justify an unjustifiable position. Remembering that Bin Laden has been in the same place for the past six years, since 2006, Coni Rice was surprised that he was there, just like the rest of us. I thought he was dead, killed early in the Afghan war and I was wrong, but I didn't have the intelligence that Rice was privy to, yet she was "shocked."

Without exception, not former president Bush, Vice-President Cheney, Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of State Colin Powell, or former  Homeland  Security Directors, Michael Chertoff

To say that the work that was done "over the past 10 years" had anything to do with capturing, killing of the top terrorist in the world, is ridiculous, these people never quite, nor will they ever. Obama and his intelligence personnel mapped out the entire attack plan, the special forces that we employed to carry out the attack were suggested by President Obama's people, not Cheney's, or Rumsfeld's. Both Cheney and Rumsfeld can put that in their pipes and quite smoking whatever weed they are using to get high.

Poor old G.W. I realize that the May 1st. call interrupted your Sunday night T.V. line-up, your chips and soda. As the poor President had little to do with the war on terror,  he can be excused. For the rest, it's business as usual, even when poles show that Americans want our troops home and the bleeding from our national Treasury to stop. 

BITS&PIECES

BITS & PIECES, (Frazer Chronicles)

This past week, 5-1/5-7 has been quite a ride, highlighted by the death of Osama Bin Laden, called by different names, but none the less, the master-mind of the September 11, 2001 attack is no longer breathing air. Not worm food, rather fish food, or as the Muslim faith believes, in heaven with 25 virgins for his murderous activity against the infidels during the latter part of his life.

There was celebration in the streets, rejoicing in all political parties here in the United States and a growing debate as to the amount of credit that should be shared between the Obama administration and the former Bush white house.

There was an interview between Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC's "The Lasts Word" talk show and former Secretary of State director, Condoleezza Rice, a defamation suite field by a former Green Bay labor negotiator against Brown County Board chairman and the board attorney, news that some American companies are experiencing a hiring spree, how a UW-Oshkosh professor was admonished by the university for dubious  activity regarding a recall petition, how Wisconsin Governor Scott "Sleepy" Walker wanted to "put kids before adults."  In addition, some lively police logs will be examined in a sleepy southern Upper Peninsula city. Sadly Sarah Palin refused to open here big mouth, saying something like she could "See Pakistan  from her homes back window in Alaska. I hope your ready for the ride, cause here we go.

SHOOTING DEATH OF OSAMA BIN LADEN, 

(American Conservative, National Review,  The Weekly Standard, Boston Herald, Frazer Chronicles)

There is no doubt that Osama bin Laden needed to be brought to justice and his continued freedom did not help in the so called "war against terror." I for one thought that he had been killed years earlier and was surprised when he was found and killed Sunday, May 1st. in Pakistan. I do not think that the main objective should have been to shoot him in the head and then several hours later, bury his remains at sea, honoring some religious belief. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't he a war criminal, needing to be debriefed and then put on trial for his crimes against humanity. He would not have been a marter, wouldn't he have probably been convicted and punished appropriately, isn't that what were are supposed to be all about?

Some have called the jubilation "most justified", others simply call it "justice,"  while yet others call for praise for both President Obama and former President BUSH. I guess if you use that analogy, the Green Bay Packers success and world championship this past February could be traced back to former General Manager Ron Wolf.

Seems to me as if Obama said one of his goals was to bring Bin Laden to justice during the very early part of his presidency.  G.W. Bush wasn't to concerned about Bin Laden, and "didn't really care where he was."  Bush kind of gave up on trying to ferrite out the terrorist leader and bring him to justice.

Celebrating in the streets, proclaiming a euphoric sense of jubilation, slamming a few beers  and glad handing one another seems, to me,  not to be a proper attitude to portray to the rest of the world, no matter how bad the guy was, after all, he took a slug to the head, was unarmed and now can never reveal important information to the rest of the free world.

CONDI IS AT IT AGAIN, (Frazer Chronicles)

 There is absolutely no doubt that Ms. Condoleezza Rice is one of the most brilliant orators in the latter part of the twentieth century and the early part of the twenty first century. Her intellect might be unchallenged, her knowledge of the subject matters she debates is infinite, I know I wouldn't want to bet the milk money on any debate I might have with her, and hope to come out on the best side. She is one tough broad, is intimidating and  never, never loses sight of her train of thought.

Lawrence O'Donnell found this out the other night on his "Last Word" MSNBC liberal talk show. As the host, in a live conversation he found out exactly why Condi was one of the most tough neocons in President Bush's administration and why she became one of the top spokes-people for the administration with regards to the war in Iraq.

She smoothly controlled  the usual aggressive O'Donnell, and actually made him look rather foolish and uninformed on the topic of the war. She never once called him stupid, silly, or overbearing, she steered him, every time to a place of being uninformed, not having his facts straight and out of touch with the reality of the war on terror.

Actually poor ol Condi is the one that was out of touch and she has never had her facts straight, the war in Iraq was never about weapons of mass destruction, humanitarian rights, a democratic system of government, or any of the other spurious crap that the Bush administration slung around. There was a "spit balling" of nefarious information to see what would stick to the wall.

Oil, baby, is what Iraq was all about, the control of oil, America's interests and the need for the United States to have a footprint in the middle east. The "bad boy of Baghdad" was just the simplest and easiest to, first defeat, militarily and then to hunt down and execute. Condoleezza Rice is still the best "mouth piece" that Dick Chaney and his buddies have.

DEFAMATION AND GUY ZIMA, (Green Bay Press Gazette)

Guy Zima is at it again, attacking other politicians or  high ranking officials, this time even if their retired. This time the wily political lighting rod has been named in a defamation suite  brought by a retired former labor negotiator, but the suit also names the Brown County board and board attorney, Fred Mohr.

The price tag, $250,000 in damages and $140,000 claimed is still owed the litigant from 2010 and services rendered. Donald  VanderKelen has brought the suite, showing once again that young people cannot Flem Flam older people in the work place. VanderKelen, who is 84, has been a labor negotiator for the county for more then 50 years.

The Frazer Chronicles has absolutely no doubt that Mr. Zima really holds the best interests for Brown County and Green Bay upper most in his mind. He, (Zima) has served many long years and although I personally do not agree with much of his rhetoric, he does get things done and is available to his constituents. We here at Chronicle headquarters wish the litigants luck.

AMERICAN COMPANIES HIRING REAL FAST, (Green Bay Press Gazette)

Good news again for those people looking for gainful employment in  Green Bay as well as in many areas around the country. In April more then 260,000 jobs were created, even the beleaguered construction industry. It is the third month in a row that at least 200,000 jobs were created.

To bad at this time of year, spring, new jobs spring up, "no pun intended" because of the coming summer months, traditionally the busiest time of the year. Even with the rosy report, the enthusiastic attitudes and the posturing by  economist and the administration, more then 13 million people remain unemployed.

The vast majority of unemployed throughout the Midwest are factory workers, who were used to making $20 to $30 an hour, plus benefits and those jobs are gone, possibly forever. Cited as adding to their workforce were retailers, factories, financial companies, education, health care and the construction industries.

Sadly the new jobs that are being created pay less then  half of what the former factory workers made, so the economic surge from these jobs won't be as robust as those jobs prior to 2007. There is a level of trust that will need to be regained by workers before they are willing to spend there new found wages.

Analysts and economists point to higher gas  prices and lower consumer spending as slowing the economic recovery, but predict that the economy, which has been expanding for almost two years, will grow ever faster for the rest of the year.

We here at Chronicle headquarters see things a bit differently, until home sales and the construction industry begins it's rebound, America's economy recovery will remain tenuous at best. Service and restaurant jobs do not make the kind of money that drives big item purchases.

DEMOCRATS GET HELP FROM UNLIKELY SOURCE, (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

When a criminal justice professor at UW-Oshkosh encouraged a class to sign a recall petition, recalling a Republican state senator, he crossed the line with his actions. Seems that the Titans school has a policy against just such action.

UW-Oshkosh in fact has a defined policy that addresses even discussing politics in the classroom and that the "prof" failed to abide by the prescribed guidelines. There also was concern that the professor's actions might have "tarnished" the university's reputation.

During classes in February, on two occasions, the Oshkosh teacher spent much of the class time discussing his view of Governor Scott "Sleepy" Walker who proposed collective bargaining changes, and "possibly" how the professor did not agree with the changes.

The professor, Steve Richards  sent emails apologizing for his actions, and promised to "never, ever do it again." We here at Chronicle headquarters can only say, "give the prof. one more chance," and make sure he didn't have his fingers crossed when he wrote the email.

KIDS BEFORE ADULTS, "HOW CAN THAT BE?" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

 

"I've read Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go" quite a bit over the past several weeks as I visit schools in Milwaukee, Green Bay and Stevens Point. Apparently Governor "Sleepy" Walker knows the value of grade school kids learning how to read. Now we have to worry whether he knows the value of having teachers in the classroom to teach these little ones.

Citing bureaucratic rules, shortfalls and the latest educational fads, improving accountability with regards to making expectations clearer and fairer, while continuing to raise the bar, rewarding teachers who have especially difficult assignments and not using one measure of success, the "Sleepy" one sees success by using multiple gauges as a better way to measure reading success.

Sounds to me as if I should go back to school and learn to read at whatever level I can attain, by using whatever the above means, "unless I'm reading it wrong." Whenever budgets need to be cut, and they do, the first place a politician goes is education. Up the class size, cut teaching positions and those very important teacher's aids positions.

There is one thing that I do agree with with regards to what "Sleepy" did say, "get the parents involved" with teaching their children how to read. My mother read to me a little, I never read to my kids, I left that to my wife, "the proof reader" and that was wrong.

Keep taking away from the kids and we will reap the benefits of young people not understanding what the hell is going on and they will not compete with the twenty first century world.

A GOOD WAY TO MAKE MONEY, (Iron Mountain Daily News)

Iron Mountain, Michigan and it's sister city, Kingsford has a combined population of around 13,000 people. A former iron mining town, Iron Mountain was once called the "paycheck capital" of Michigan. Those day's are sadly long gone and the economy has had to re-invent itself into a service orientated community, like many other cities throughout the nation.

But I think Iron Mountain has hit an a rather unique way to cut into the deficit that has dogged many smaller communities, they issue speeding citations at an increasing rate, and when you figure each ticket is worth a minimum of $80, well it doesn't take to long to create a nice little cash cow for at least part of the community.

On a typical night in April, the "speed cops" pulled over and issued  8 citations in less then 24 hours. A city celebration, a party, a parade, workers going home, or a holiday, wrong, a Thursday night. That's right, a simple Thursday night with nothing going on, except the ca-ching of city coffers being filled by excessive speed. As your editor & chief, I can only offer one piece of advice, ssslllooowww done.

"IT IS TRULY HELL HERE"

"IT IS TRULY HELL HERE", (Russian Times)

The following are excerpts from letters and diaries of soldiers and officers, surrounded by an enemy in a city, in a theater of war. It is a graphic illustration of why war is to be avoided at all costs and highlights   the follies of the wars that man makes on other men. There is nothing romantic about war, nothing is ever solved by war and with few exceptions, nothing is ever gained by war.

By the time that these letters and diaries were found, a ring of enemy troops and heavy equipment were bombarding the hell out of the city. The force that surrounded the city was more then 330,000 strong and those trapped soldiers numbered less then 200,000. The eventual outcome was not in doubt, rather just a matter of time, the only question being, "how many would die" before the carnage would end.

Near the end of this campaign, the only way to deliver supplies to the encircled soldiers was through air drops, and most of those planes were shot down before they could make their parachute drops to the troops and the sorely needed supplies. The excerpts follow:

"This is an update on me, our situation is very grave. The enemy has surrounded us and we are being bombarded. On Saturday, we were attacked and many were killed and injured. There were rivers of blood. The retreat was terrible. Our commander has been severely injured, we now don't have a single officer. So far I have been lucky, but I don't care about anything"

"We are in a rather difficult position. The enemy, as it turns out, is also able to fight, this was proven by the great chess move, which he made in recent days, and did so not with the force of a regiment or division, but a much greater one."

"Every day we ask ourselves, where are our rescuers, when will the hour of deliverance come, when? Could we be destroyed by the enemy before that hour comes?"

"We are going through a serious crisis here, and it is unclear how it will end. the overall situation is so critical that, in my humble opinion, it resembles the events that were happening near the country's capital just a year ago, when we were triumphant."

"For how much longer will we continue this wretched existence and will it ever be better? We are constantly stalked by the enemy. One wishes death on the other. Because we lack ammunition and are surrounded, we are forced to sit still. There is no, and will be no, way out of the boiler."

"At exactly 6:00 the west is overcome by a terrible hurricane of fire. I have never before heard such a noise. A countless number of planes have been circling us all day, throwing bombs to the roaring sound of gunfire. Today I have a strange premonition, will we get out of here or not?"

"These letters lack the euphoria present at the start of the war, and there is the acknowledgement of our common soldiers and commanders as being more then worthy fighters who won the battle at the river."

"December 8th. food supplies continue to dwindle, single loaf of bread shared between seven people, now we'll have to move on to the horses. December 9th. all weakened horses are killed and eaten. December 10th. starving is damn hard. December 11th. no hope of improvement, now we have learned what the price of bread is. December 12th. found an old piece of mouldy bread, it was a true delight. We eat only once, when food is distributed, and then starve for 24 hours."

"Things are not great, there is very little food, a loaf of bread for three people for two days and very skimpy lunch. How eagerly would I eat today the mash which is fed to pigs back home. If we could at least once eat until we're full, we are all terribly outraged here.....we are, again getting many cold weather injuries."

"Today, it would have brought me the utmost  joy to get a piece of stale bread, but we don't even have that."

"Three enemies are making our lives extremely difficult, the enemy, hunger and cold. Enemy snipers are keeping us under constant threat."

"Yesterday we got some vodka. We were in the midst of slaughtering a dog and the vodka was timely. Hettie, I've already slaughtered a total of four dogs, but my comrades are still unable to eat until they're full. Once I shot a magpie and boiled it."

"Josef Gross had a dog, it's end has come, I'm not joking."

"26 December, today in the holiday spirit, we cooked a cat."

"Elsa, I don't want to cause you agony and won't write much, but I can tell you one thing, I will soon die of hunger."

Many soldiers of this epic battle, realizing the hopelessness of their situation, surrendered even before the commander made the decision. The battle, which lasted almost seven months took an average of 7,700 lives every day. The axis powers lost more then  850,000 soldiers, while Russia lost more then 450,000  men. The battle, the siege of Stalingrad, lasted from August 1942 until February 1943 and the above excerpts are from German soldiers.

There were 90,000 captured German soldiers, for them  the war was over, their battles would, however continue, as the will to survive would be tested on a daily basis. Of those 90,000 captured men, only 6000 survived and returned to their homeland and their loved ones.

The next person who tells you that they are proud to be involved with the glorious efforts in the middle eastern part of the world and are protecting the humanitarian rights of people and establishing a democratic form of government, have them read any history book that tells about the horrors of Stalingrad and then ask them how they feel about war, real war, where people get right up in your face and shoot at you, where blood, guts and brain are daily sights, where babies, mothers and old people die.

The glories of war.....my butt.

MY WIFE'S PAYCHECK TO BREAKING AND ENTERING

MY WIFE'S PAYCHECK TO BREAKING AND ENTERING, (Frazer Chronicles)

Okay I'll admit it, I do have a vested interest in governmental cuts, a very personal interest, part of my existence depends on the money that my wife makes at her job with the city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. I have been informed that now, her paycheck will be lighter by a sum of $105. At 26 payments, that's more then $2600 a year, ouch, that is going to leave a mark.

We are a nation on the move, of that there is no doubt, cutting operating budgets from the local, to the state, to federal, public employers are being called out to tighten their collective belts and take a hit, just like the rest of the country has, or so I read. Between union workers and the public sector, both are perceived to have had it their own way, and to a degree that is true, but $2600 a year is a pretty heavy hit.

The last 8 contracts that my wife has been under has averaged a 3% increase in wages, which does not even cover the cost of living increase. In addition, along with every contract raise, the cost of medical insurance responsibility, to be paid for by employees has risen about the same 3%. In other words, my wife hasn't even been getting a cost of living raise, "are you following where I'm going?"

There is a big misconception connected with public employees, what they get paid for the work that they preform. The very system under which these employees operate under is flawed, outdated procedures, inept supervisors and an atmosphere taken advantage of every day.

The system must be changed, but not all at once, shouldered by not only those lowly employees that make up the majority of the work force, but top officials too. Changes need to be made right from the top, down through to the bottom, "are you reading this "Shadow."

HOW TO AVOID A PARKING TICKET, (Sign-On, San Diego)

By far the best place to get a parking ticket anywhere in the United States probably is San Diego, California. The city issues, on average more then 420,000 citations a year. Tickets range in price from as low as $20, an expired meter, to $440 for illegally parking in a handicap-only zone.

It's not that the city offers discounts for these infractions, rather some 34,000 tickets over the past four years go unpaid because of a snafu in the cities computer system and the number of departments that can levy these kinds of citations. There are 7 different departments with the authority to issue tickets which includes lifeguards at the cities many beaches.

Compatibility is the culprit, as the different departments systems won't work with one another, is that a joke or what. The city, upon realizing that it was losing close to a million dollars a year, which could help to get the city out of a $57 million dollar financial hole that they are currently in, is working with their vendor to correct this problem. We here at Chronicle headquarters can only say, "good luck."

FURLOUGHS/LAYOFFS, BITE ME, (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

I watch Law and Order several times a week and I marvel at how their writers meld the police efforts into a jurisprudence last half hour of the show. I know that the head Prosecutor, the District Attorney, is more a coordinator or manager and his prosecutors try the cases, it has to be true, it's on T.V.

Anyways, here in Wisconsin, newly elected Governor, Scott "Sleepy" Walker is slashing everything that still has a breath in it in his attempt to balance the budget, the Frazer family is living proof of that effort. But now, according to Wisconsin's prosecutors, "Sleepy" has went to far. He wants them to take furlough days, (unpaid furlough days to boot), funny, I always thought a furlough was like a day or so off with pay, proves how much I know sometimes.

Of course these people are attorneys, have a formal education and worse, are legalizes and worser, know a bit about the law. The governor mandated a total of 6 furlough days by July 2 of this year, or face layoffs and those remaining would be put on part-time status. Part time would result in all sorts of ramifications with regards to retirement, medical insurance and vacation days. 

An Association of State Prosecutors vote was taken, which, according to it's President, "was not particularly close," favoring rejection of the mandate, "Sleepy" doesn't suggest, he orders, not always the best way to deal with an employee.

To make matters worse, there bosses, the state's elected district attorneys, seem to think that the state has no right to order such furlough days, or lay-offs or reduction in status of employment. If the grievances are upheld and there are no days off, no lay-offs, or reduction in worker status, Wisconsin could be on the hook for more then $11 million dollars in back-pay to those other state employees who have taken 16 unpaid furlough days off.

Seems as if, in the collective bargaining units of other state unions, which had agreed to the furloughs, if one union decided against the move, none would be required to take unpaid days off and two fiscal years of furlough days would need to be paid back. Now if you count those 16 days up, that's 3 working weeks plus a day of unpaid time off, quite a tidy figure.

Exactly where does the "Sleepy" man think he is taking Wisconsin anyways, obviously somebody need to check some of the facts before wholesale mandates are issued. I guess, like the man said, "be careful who you piss off, you might get pissed on." We here at Chronicle headquarters will be keeping an eye on this developing story, anyways those of us not on furlough.   

OBAMA IS NO A CHIMP, (Los Angeles Wave)

The other day I received an email from one of my sisters, I will not divulge her name, "the orphaned one" and I thought little of it. I did kind of shake my head, considered the source and went ahead with my business. After all, Bush took it on the chin for more then 7 years, however I felt that he deserved each and every shot, but it comes with the territory, public figure and all.

But when a Republican Orange County Central Committee member sent an email of a picture of a Poppa, Mama and a baby chimpanzee in a family pose and the baby looked like President Obama, apparently some thought that she had went to far. The kicker here is the fact that Ms. Davenport "her real name" received a censure for her action, by her own political party.

That's right, Orange County Chairman republican Scott Baugh felt that Marilyn, "her real name" had went to far, and  hit her with an ethics violation censure. The premise of the action was because she knew that the email was controversial before she sent it, yet she sent it anyways.

Ms. Davenport was not available for a comment, but some thought they heard her call Baugh a "nut job" and that he should go suck on a banana. It seems to me that the venerable Santa Ana beachcomber was just trying to have fun, you know, like the song. Needless to say, Ms. Davenport will now be considered for the key-note speech  at the GOP national convention next year.

THIEVES PUT THE BREAKS ON ATLANTA COPS, (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Well it finally happened, Atlanta's criminal element has finally had enough of the pesky Atlanta P.D. saw their opportunity and took advantage. Wednesday morning, between 1:13 and 5:30 A.M. a crew of thieves scaled a 12 foot fence, complete with barbed wire on top and smashed the back windows out of 36 police cars, popped the trunks and took laptop computers, radios, police jackets, some GPS and cameras.

Also once the perpetrators made off with their ill gotten booty, some members of the crew stayed behind and smashed several more of the squad car windows, making sure that the cars would not be used during the day's Atlanta fleet of cars on the streets.

A supervisor arrived to find the mess and had to call the cops for assistance. "If people want to get in, there's really nothing that can be done," he was heard to remark.The fence didn't work, security was lax and here we are with this mess.

This B and E will cost thousands of dollars, put a slight crimp in police presence and has made a conversation piece for locals with regards to police protection. The police department plans to file a claim with the security company's insurance. We here at Chronicle headquarters can only say, "keep your powder dry boys."

SPOOKS AND THE INDUSTRIAL MILTAIRY COMPLEX

SPOOKS AND THE INDUSTRIAL MILITARY COMPLEX, (Frazer Chronicles)

A shot to the head after about a 15 or 20 minute search of the Osama bin Laden million dollar compound by  Navy Seals and the war on terror will never be the same. The well placed gunshot that made a canoe out of part of the head of the mastermind of the 911 attack, dropped  the evil tyrant, dead in a pool of his own blood. I will shed no tears over his demise, but as I have said in an earlier blog, "questions remain unanswered."

I do not doubt that the person shot by the U.S. soldier was in fact Bin Laden, I have no doubt that only his family was in the complex, plus the few guards present to "protect" their leader. I am in wonder and awe as to the skill, stealth and precise insertion of the strike accomplished by U.S. fighting personnel. Like the man said, "if all the good guys go home at the end of the day, alive, it's been  a good day."

Do I think that terrorism waged throughout the world will be ended by this one man's death, of course not. The wars that have been waged on many fronts over the past 10 years will continue, more lives will be lost and more human carnage will be inflicted on innocence.

Sadly way to much money can be made from waging war around the world, it's the way history has been, the way people are and the way much of the world's attitude is. You pee on my front porch, you SOB and I'll crap on yours. Now I ask you, which mess is harder to clean up?

Terrorism has been going on for years around the world, but what now passes for terror used to be called "conflicts, scrimmages or unrest." To simply catalog any kind of aggressive act by one name is convenient for those who write history and for those that profiteer from the ensuing activity. You didn't really think that those guys walking around in those snappy uniforms with all the medals on their chests and the brads on their shoulders were going to a costume party did you.

The guy who shot Bin Laden is a hero of the highest element and although I don't think his identity should be revealed, "I wouldn't want my name revealed," I do think that he should never work, pay taxes, or have another worry in his life. A parade, a national day in his anonymous honor, schools named anonymous to honor his deed and a $20 bill with a blacked out area to commemorate his military service.

The trial for the ages should have been held at ground zero, with the hundreds of surviving family members and friends serving as judge and jury. Testimony taken from those survivors from Afghanistan and Iraq and the war widows and their children. Justice would have been swift, jailed for the rest of his natural life in a special one room cell at ground zero, so that nobody would every forget what America actually stands for.

Sadly none of that will happen, nor would it ever have happened.  Questions would have been asked of Bin Laden and answers would have been required and possibly some of those answers would have been embarrassing to some former and current public, private and military personnel. All wrapped up in a body bag and thrown overboard from a military ship into the sea, no answers to any questions.

There is talk of DNA evidence, photographic proof and eye witness testimony that is undisputed proof of Bin Laden's death.  There are times when, during the course of my research and conclusions that I reach, give me pause and at times are actually repugnant to me and this happens to be one of those times. That said, I however am just a simple reporter of what I perceive to be fact, based on the information at hand. When it smells like crap, it usually is crap.

There is no way that a team of military "type" individuals entered Pakistan with the goal of killing Bin Laden, he was, at least "perceived" to be an important source of intelligence at the most and at the least, a symbol of Islamic terrorism and in either case would have been a most important tool. Do I hear somebody saying "Lee Harvey?"

I quick refresher might be needed for my loyal readers with regards to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Trade Towers, the Pentagon and the creator in the fields of Pennsylvania. There were warnings, documented warnings from good quality intelligence teams from around the world and right here in the United States. For ever warning that I have read, there are at least as many out there that nobody but high ranking officials knew about. Some actually call the warnings tiring, causing a fatigue from the warnings and part of the reasons they weren't addressed.

In late 2000, British investigators teamed up with their counterparts in the Cayman Islands, began a yearlong probe of illegal Afghans who had entered the island, were apprehended when they were overheard discussing hijacking attacks in New York City and the information was forwarded to U.S. authorities. Shortly before the attacks, an anonymous letter to a Cayman radio station alleged these same men were al-
Qaeda, were organizing a major terrorist act against the U.S. via an  airline. This information to, was forwarded to American officials.

Afghanistan Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil learned of an impending "huge attack" orchestrated by Bin Laden, with targets in the U.S. Muttawakil passed the information through an emissary to the U.S. Consul General and another U.S. official, but were"warning fatigued out," and didn't pass the info on.

Egypt officials, Jordan, German and even Russian President Vladimir Putin know of impending trouble from Bin Laden and his legions. A priest was told by a Muslim at an Italian wedding of a plot to attack the U.S. and Britain, using hijacked airplanes as weapons. The information was passed on but never used.

France, Morocco also weighed in with warnings before the attacks, yet neither Saudi Arabia or Pakistan apparently knew nothing and if they did, they didn't give any warning at all. Maybe they were relying on intelligence supplied from the United States, or.........! There were numerous ties between wealthy Saudi officials and  al-Qaeda and there is a shady recorded conversation from an American operative that could implicate advanced knowledge that Pakistan intelligence knew of the attack.

Probably the first and last best chance to take Bin Laden alive, and possibly avert untold deaths and the violence that ensued by 10 years of war, was apparently the chance for the Bush administration to prosecute the chief terrorist in an October 10th. 2001 deal that was offered. However the conditions connected with the "offered deal" were unacceptable and were rejected.

Now we seem to have come full circle, the effort, money and the untold deaths connected with the war on terror could possibly been avoided and even after we have killed the top our number one enemy, warfare continues, seemly unabated. I wonder if my grand kids will be fighting the same silly war?

UP, UP AND AWAY

UP, UP AND AWAY, (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Conservative Examiner)

Did you ever wonder how the hard cold steel of a gas nozzle going up your butt feels.....neither did I. But that's exactly what happened to me yesterday afternoon when I pulled up to my usual gas station to fill my gasoline can with regular gas. Thankfully the can was half full, wait, lets see, "is that half full, or half empty" I can never remember which is the correct way to look at that, oh well, I digress.

Whether half full or half empty, it doesn't matter, what does is what the price was at, $4.09.9 a gallon. What the hell is going on, just Sunday, one day earlier the price was $3.99.9, how could the price go up by a dime in a bit more then 24 hours. Could the summer mix be almost a month early, could the Alaskan pipe-line have sprung a leak, could another war have broken out in the Middle-East, or....could a combination have, of any of the problems, driven the price of a gallon up, or could it have been the old excuse, "cats and dogs living together," "I don't know."

But we need to return to the scene of the initial crime, my rape. There was no kiss, no hug and sadly no Vaseline. I was left prostrate, my pants around my ankles, sobbing uncontrollably, with a strange pain that I had never felt before, coursing through my body. The worst part of the whole experience was the fact that the gasoline wasn't even for me, it was for my daughter, who had foolishly ran out of gas. The price for a gallon and a half of gas, $6.09, my cost probably $3 because my pig truck doesn't get any kind of gas mileage.

I decided then and there to wage war on the petroleum company and the not so gentle rape at the gas pumps. For me, this was to be a do or die confrontation, no prisoners taken and no holds barred war, I was ready.I would need the inter-net and my compute, so you can imagine my surprise, when I discovered that to sit down  was a painful and delicate proposal for me. None the less, I am sitting here, writing this blog, a testament to the pain I will endure in search of information.

Experts say the price of a gallon of gas will continue to raise for at least the next month or so, reasons cited, the weak dollar and it's value against other currencies such as the euro and the pound. The severe weather in Texas and Alabama and the seasonally adjusted gas tax, work to raise the price as well as the un-rest in the Middle East.

Historically gasoline prices have risen because of situations in the Middle East, the OPEC oil embargo in the 1970's, the Iraq-Iran war in the early 1980's and the Iraq invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990's. Of course since 2001, to a degree oil prices of been adjusted by our own war making policies throughout the the oil bearing regions of the east.

To many of us, the word OPEC is a dirty word, evoking all sorts racial connotations like towel heads, sand rats or ants, turban toppers, or petroleum jockeys,  which are offensive and unnecessary. The United States has similar organizations that set the pricing structures from fruit to vegetables to the price of iron ores.

The original members of OPEC, which incidentally stands for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, were the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Venezuela. Over time OPEC grew to include Qatar, Indonesia, Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Nigeria, Ecuador, Gabon and Angola. With the reduction of Gabon and Indonesia, current membership totals 12 countries.

OPEC ministers expressed concerns over high oil prices in world oil markets, but claimed that there is no shortage of crude supplies. The market is overbalanced remarked Ali I. Al-Naimi, Saudi Arabia's petroleum minister, citing production figures of around 9 million barrels per day. 9 million barrels of anything a day is a hell-of-alot of liquid, black or clear.

Do you really want to get down and dirty, literally, with crude oil I mean, well hold on to your pantie-hose, or Jockey underwear. The total daily output of OPEC members in March was a staggering 29.17 million barrels of oil a day. This figure represents a plunge by more then 930,000 barrels per day of Libyan crude because of the political strife in that country. 

So now you  why some of the problem that is causing oil prices to go by the up is because of the unrest in Libya. That however does not explain away the horrific raise of gasoline prices from the March 1st. 2011 price just over $3.50 a gallon. A year ago the average price for a gallon of regular gas was hovering around the $2.90 mark, so when prices go up by almost a $1.25, it seems the logical thing to do, is to ask questions, unless your telling me you like the bending over and the gas nozzle deal.

As a nation, we are connected at the hip with crude oil products to get around during our daily activity. Sure we can cut back, we can conserve, we can share ride and all of the other crap government and active groups tell us to do and I don't have an argument with any of that, conserving can become a lifestyle that we can all embrace here in America. I do however have a problem with the suggestions that come from government when they turn around and spend billions to drive around in their limos and the fuel and gas that they use to make war all over the place. The tree-huggers and advocates for clean air, while they have valid points, have silly and unachievable solutions, they need to either get a life, or a real job.

The real problem is simple, easy to understand and could be easily solved, we just need leaders with real intestinal fortitude, or a set of really big kahunas. I can remember a time when $5 could put gas in the car, take a girl to a dance, the A&W and then-----, well, you fill in the blanks. Now I remember when I was doing those kinds of things, I was making a $1.25 an hour, but my wages gradually went up and gas remained about the same and everybody seemed happy.

Now we have graphs, charts and all sorts of figures, over-sea's gasoline prices  are brought into the equation, I guess so that we can feel a little better, you know, like Croatia, $7.08 a gallon, or Eritrea, $8.06, or Finland, $8.71, or Italy, $8.29. I don't care, it's not my fault, or my problem, hell I never even heard of Eritrea, sounds like some sort of dysentery you get from eating to much Mexican food.

Thank God I retired, now I can sit in front of my computer, here at Chronicle headquarters.....and think. What I think, (sometimes) is right on, and interesting. A big solution to gasoline consumption here in the United States would be to reduce the number of really colossal vehicles that we drive around. I drive a pick-up truck, but I only drive about 6 thousand miles a year, that gets me off the hook, "remember this is my solution."

I know there is a safety factor connected with those big SUV's, but hey, sacrifices are necessary to solve the problem of consumption. Get over equating man size, or boob size to the vehicle that you drive around, nobodies impressed. Let's all get into a gasoline saving sized car to ride around in.

Next we need to impress on those governing bodies that we do not need really colossal vehicles to be produced here in the United States and in fact will phase their production out in five years, and within seven years they won't be allowed on U.S. roads, except during old car shows.

If the truth be known, here in America we are paying more for a gallon of gas then anybody else. If you add in the cost of all the foreign aid that we hand out to crude oil producing countries and the wars that we wage to protect "our interests," well hell, were probably paying $12 to $15 a gallon, you never thought about that , did you? That's exactly why I'm your editor & chief.

Did you ever wonder why are elected officials look more like are friendly clergy do during Sunday worship, well I can tell you, there selling something and they want our money.  Politicians and our taxation systems depend on taxes and a goodly portion of the price of a gallon of gas, 12-15% goes to state(s) spending of different types.

One analysis looks at how the price of a gallon of gas can be looked at to further spread an appreciation of what a gallon of gas actually can do for a driver and also ease the pain at the pumps. Say you take the family to the pizza shop for a little Italian pie, there's the wife and Johnny and Jimmy and you look at yourself only as the driver. The trip is 10 miles round trip and you charge your wife and your two kids .25 cents each, that amounts to $7.50 and it takes you a half gallon of gas for the trip. You actually turned a profit of around $3.25 if gas is sold for $4 a gallon.

Not a bad deal, providing your wife will allow it and your kids have the money, if not.....well your back to square one. Another possibility would be to offer your work-mates a ride to work and home and charge them a fee of, oh say, $10 each a week. You'd be surprised at how many people you can squeeze into one of those little economy cars, the trunk, rear luggage area and even the bumpers.

Sadly  until we eliminate greed and the pursuit of the almighty dollar, or whatever form of cash a country uses, highs and lows will continue to dog the petroleum consuming countries around the world. As long as a few oil producing countries can dictate what prices are going to be to the rest of the world, we are going to have trouble. Evidence is in the way a barrel of crude oil can fluctuate from as low as $30 a barrel one month, to as much as $60 the next. It doesn't cost anymore to get the oil out of the ground, but the profit just went up.

Remember, when you stop at your friendly neighborhood gas station and you figure your going to pay the same for gas as you did just the other day, be prepared, the attack of the price raise monster may be ready to strike. Oh by the way, as I painfully learned, do not, and I repeat, never turn your back to the gas pump, because the next sensation you might be feeling is your pants dropping to the ground.

BIN LADIN DEAD?

BIN LADIN DEAD? (Hoffington Post, Marquette Mining Journal, Dearborn  Press Guide)

So it finally happened, the world rid itself of one more evil, black-hearted terrorists, responsible for thousands of deaths during the September 11th. 2001 airplane attacks, reportedly shot in the head and later buried at sea. According to military officials, Ben Ladin's remains would have been difficult for the United States to pass off to any country in the free world and in accordance with Islamic practices and tradition that the body be buried within 24 hours be honored.

The world's most wanted war criminal finally came to his demise in an operations that was initiated on April 29th. on direct orders from President Barack Obama. Success was achieved through military and C.I.A. officials  tracking couriers to and from Bin  Ladin's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The neighborhood was a relatively affluent one,  with retired military occupying other homes around the roughly 8 times the size of any of the other homes in the neighborhood.

Thus ends one of the world's longest man-hunts for a war criminal in the entire history of the globe. The news was met with celebration throughout much of the world and accomplished one of President Obama's predictions when he took office in January of 2008. Obama said that he would "get" Bin Ladin and apparently he accomplished one of the things he set out to do at the beginning of his presidency.

"Justice has been done," according to the President, marking the end of the manhunt for the most visible terrorist symbol involving the September 11th. 2001 attack. The shot in the head suffered by the slender 6'4"  leader, and a  founding member of al-Qaeda and subsequent burial at sea ends a violent chapter in world  history. 

President Obama addressed the American people Sunday night, issuing a statement that said that "tonight I can report to the American people and the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden."

"Justice has been done," the President said, in comments that marked a formal end of the manhunt for the most visible and emotionally charged symbol of the terrorist attacks of September 11th. 2001. The operation to target Bin Laden begin Friday, April 28th. and by about 9:00 P.M. EST. Bin Laden lay dead in a pool of his own blood.

As word spread across the United States, celebration broke out at first in small pockets, but by the time that the President was done addressing America, reaction begin to swell as more and more people became aware of the 911 architect's death.

While the news of the world's top terrorists death became evident, as the President's comments seemed to ratify what had taken over every channel on regular television by America's news agencies I had to admit that my opinion about Bin Laden and when he was killed must be wrong. You see, I thought that Bin Laden had died at the battle of Tora Bora in December 2001. The air strikes during the period were devastating and, after that battle Bin Laden seemed to disappear. So I guess I was wrong, or obviously I was wrong, according to the President's revelations last night.

I guess I take issue with several points that have been said about Bin Laden and his involvement with the September attacks back in 2001, but I can let them go, after all we're approaching 11 years after the attack. However the one bone of contention that I have is how could it be possible for any official connected with the United States Government not bring the body of Bin Laden back to the United States for identification, how could that be possible.

Bin Laden has been the shadow figure throughout the Afghanistan  war, the guy that gets away, ghost defying logic, dodging the most technical  military force in the history of the world, how can that be. And to cap it off, once they guy is surrounded, he's not captured, he's shot in the head, and several hours later he's buried at sea, because it's Islamic ritual (law), who the hell are you guys trying to kid. A great big "way to go" from Chronicle headquarters, Bin Laden has just been put into the same category as J.F.K. assignation, or who really shot President Lincoln, or did "W" have something to do with 911. What a crock of crap.

Osama bin Laden was born  in 1957, a member of the wealthy Saudi bin Laden family, actually the billionaire Bin Laden family, but was ostracized by his native Saudi country as well as his family because of his radical advocacy and use of violent extremist jihad. In fact Bin Laden was the founder of the activist jihadist organization al-Qaeda.

After the 1998 bombing of the U.S, embassy, Bin Laden reached the F.B.I.'s top ten most wanted fugitives and the most wanted terrorist in the world. For a person that has attained this much notoriety by U.S. officials as well as officials from around the world, "Don't you wonder why his body would be dropped into the sea?"

Reaction to the news was swift and predictable in places were Islamic peoples live throughout the United States. In Dearborn, Michigan, where there is a considerable population of Islamic citizens, celebrations lasted into the early morning hours before the folks went home for a few hours of sleep. reaction In Marquette, Michigan, one of the few educational spots in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, reaction was a bit more subdued and measured in reaction.

One observer said "it would take time" for him to "wrap his head around Bin Laden's death."  Another reaction was one of relief and a boost to the nation. "A big moral booster." is how another put his feelings. Pride in military, "they aced it, they pasted the test big time."

In Lyon, France, Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble extended congratulations to the U.S. and it's counterparts worldwide for the gathering and sharing of  intelligence that permitted the United States to locate Bin Laden in Pakistan, to launch a targeted operation to bring him to justice, an operation that resulted in his killing by U.S. Special Forces.

All in all, most of the free world celebrated in the death of probably the top terrorist today. But how much should the free world celebrate a death.....of anybody? I want to see the body.