An American Front Porch

RSS Feed Homepage

Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

"Name Your Boy Sue"
2007-11-12 16:52:00
By Cameron ClarkWhy do people take Duane "Dog" Chapman seriously? Dog took a pretty hard swat with a big ole' rolled up newspaper as he lost his show on A&E after using some less than ideal language to describe his son's girlfriend, including multiple uses of racial slurs.Is it really hard to believe that the "saddle bag with eyes" uses that kind of language? Although Dog's road to hell seems to be paved with good intentions, it seems once again as if the media juggernaut "fears the reaper" when it comes to partnering up with a person who has proof of racist behavior out there against them.Are Dog's words acceptable? No. But neither is his wife's attire, and no one seemed to have a problem airing that.Truth be told, I am not a fan of "The Dog" or his show, but he seems to do Hawaii a good service taking drug dealers and other criminals off the streets. Giving the convicted felon the benefit of the doubt when it comes to matters of the heart is no problem by me. However, I f...

SEC Weekend Wrap Up
2007-11-11 16:41:00
I was pretty sure a weekend like this would happen at some point this season, but I was surprised at how poorly we fared yesterday in SEC play.Fulmer, Croom, and the Blackout in Athens made sure three of the brothers had bad football days on Saturday, and The Porch took a total beat down with the predictions. A 2-4 record was just abysmal for the weekend picking the winner (48-13 season) and 1-5 against the spread (15-15).A weekend like this is a good example to those potential gamblers out there who would have lost their shirt in a gambling weekend full of "locks." Let's see how it happened.-Bama out-rushed and out-passed Sly Croom's Bulldog's, but two HUGE turnovers were literally the difference in the ball game. J.P. Wilson's pick with 4 second left in the first half was the difference in a 12-3 half time lead for Bama and a 10-9 State advantage after the pass was returned 103 yards for a touchdown.Coach Saban's rebuilding exercise for next season will include NOT losing gam...
More About: Weekend , Wrap

Pat Robertson Speaketh...
2007-11-09 14:00:00
by Nathan McIntyreIf there is an Armageddon, I'm fully convinced it will be Pat Robe rtson 's fault.The utterly insane, Left-Behind thumping chimpanzee of the Christian coalition has once again given the nod to a presidential candidate in 2008. What person is worthy of Robertson's anointing? What champion of conservatism...what vox christos...what shining beacon for evangelical fundamentalism has Patty "f*** the Antichrist" Robertson comissioned to us from Sinai?Rudy Giuliani .Heh?Rudy freakin' Giuliani.Makes total sense. Choose as your man the most socialist, pro tax hike, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage wee-Publican the party has seen in decades. Would you like more applesauce, Mr. Robertson? Perhaps a sponge bath?"Pat Robertson, the Christian conservative broadcaster, once said permissiveness toward homosexuality and abortion led to God?s ?lifting his protection? to allow those attacks. But there they were Wednesday morning, Mr. Robertson endorsing Mr. Giuliani, the former mayor of...

Sitting in the Worry Rocking Chair...
2007-11-08 18:01:00
By Nikki McIntyreSometimes I'm plagued with worry. I can't seem to make it go away, but at least I admit I have a problem and isn't that one of the first steps? The hubby constantly reminds me that worry is like a rocking chair. You know, it's something to do but it doesn't take you anywhere.As a mother, my favorite worry subject of choice is my son. A big part of that is the remembrance of what he had to go through to get here. I guess that sentence should be "we," but I never thought of myself in danger. A mother's love can be a mother's blindness. (I had planned to blog about his birth on his birthday, but somehow it didn't happen. I plan on doing it next week when we celebrate 15 montheroos.) Then there was all the illness last winter.I wrote down in his baby book all of his doctor's visits and it seemed like we were there every few weeks. I would like to point out that each and everyone of those was necessary, I wasn't being freak-out momma. Bronchiolitis, RSV, viral ...
More About: Worry , Chair , Parenthood

Virginia Is for Lovers*
2007-11-07 22:20:00
By Jeff ProctorYou can find this piece published as an op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch or at jeffproctor.com.One year ago, the citizens of Virginia passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. Opponents of the amendment rallied to keep the possibility of same-sex marriage on the table. Other critics argued that the restrictions went far beyond simply ensuring that gay couples would be barred from marriage rights. Despite these concerns, 57 percent of voters in the Nov. 7, 2006, election voted to pass the amendment. Virginia voters made a mistake in passing the marriage amendment, but not the mistake that many of the amendment's opponents warned them about. (Indeed, they may have made that mistake as well.) No, many Christians in Virginia made the mistake of believing that laws against same-sex marriages would, in any way, improve their standing with God. They na?vely thought they could bring glory to God by going to the polls. At the root of their mistake lies...
More About: Lovers

Porch Remodeling
2007-11-07 21:27:00
We're in the process of reorganizing the page, so expect some changes that may be sporadic for the next four or five days.Look for some new sections, old friends, and new contributors here soon.Thanks for stopping by!
More About: Remodeling , Deli

Wednesday Top 10
2007-11-07 20:39:00
By Cameron ClarkJohnny Cash has always been an intriguing figure to me. The film version of his life, Walk The Line, doesn't even come remotely close to capturing the aspect of this man with which I truly empathize, and that's his life-long feeling of being unforgivable.I'm not going to launch into A Cash Biography right here, but I hope to shed some light on what portions of his life, of which I am aware, that shine through in the songs that speak to me in a powerful way.These songs are my Top 10 Johnny Cash songs that will make the non-Cash fan into someone who can't stop listening to The Man in Black for his tunes, and for the man who sings them.10. Folsom Prison Blues- Johnny wrote this song in Hamburg, Germany while he was in the Air Force. After viewing a movie one Saturday night, which featured Folsom Prison, he wrote this song. The tempo is upbeat and fun, but the lyrics convey a powerful portion of his psyche.This was a free man empathizing with the imprisoned, the guil...
More About: Music , Wednesday

SEC Weekend Wrap Up
2007-11-05 20:13:00
This weekend was probably the most "normal" of all weekends in college football this season. The Bunkhouse did nicely picking the winner this weekend at 6-1 (46-9), but once again the odds makers would have earned their cash as I bat above .500 at only 4-3 (14-10) against the spread.Boston College was exposed, and the favored teams pretty much handled business. Let's see how the SEC contributed to the normalcy campaign in week 10.-I really thought Vanderbilt would give the Gators something on which to chew, but.....NOPE!The Gators dominated everything but time of possession in the 49-22 romp in The Swamp.Vandy still needs a win to get bowl bound, and the road isn't getting any easier.-Auburn pulled the offensive starters after getting up 21-3 in the early second quarter, and the Tiger back ups tacked on another 14 to end the game at 35-3. Nothing statistically impressive to talk about in this game, but the Plainsmen may have a new back up QB because of an impressive performance fr...
More About: Weekend , Wrap

...but I'm just a downer...
2007-11-03 22:55:00
Allow me to take a moment to note how right I was.Yup, 'Bama's just not good folks. Good coaching staff. Terrible team. When you play an elite squad like LSU the media hype washes away, as it should.It's gonna be something in the neighborhood of 45-17 LSU. Book it. This will be a much better game in 2-3 years.

Verification Needed:
2007-11-02 23:03:00
This has been traveling the email circuit, and I received it today. I'm all about free speech so the "what's wrong with it?'s" won't be necessary. I just wonder if anyone can confirm the authenticity and context behind this photo?Not a joke folks. Does anyone out there have some insight as to what's going on here?
More About: Verification

Assuming the Position:
2007-11-02 14:40:00
I know I'm practically begging half the world to come out and call me "homer", "moron", or "idiot" by posting this today. It's timely. Can't help that.I admit it. I like Nick Saban .The media has come out repeatedly and blasted Saban for lying to Miami about his departure. National talking heads all the way down to Nashville's own Franky Wycheck have droned on and on with an ironic righteous indignation (seriously...the media talking about honesty?) and I've just simply grown tired of it. I'm a Dolphins guy, and his departure was obviously a business move. Saban himself has admitted not handling it right. He admits he could have done better. Let's move on."I left college football and found out that where I went was a mistake for me," Saban said, getting a little louder. "And I learned about myself, aiight? ... I could've stayed there, and not enjoyed it, or gone back to what I really loved to do, which is being a college coach. So, that's what I did. And you know? I loved co...
More About: Alabama football , Position

Free Government
2007-10-31 15:08:00
Check out my follow-up to the "how many people don't pay taxes" conversation we had a few months ago. Turns out, it is only getting worse.
More About: Government , Taxes , Free

A Real Sensitive, International Good Guy...
2007-10-30 17:18:00
G.I. Joe is there. Sort of.Perhaps many of you by now have heard the news out of Hollywood announcing the coming of the new G.I. Joe film. Apparently retro is the new soup de jour of Tinsletown, as Spiderman, and now the Transformers are all big hits blasting us back to our days of slap bracelets and jams.Old Joe ain't exactly gonna look the same though.Trade in the American Marine motif for a nice blue UN helmet and uniform and there ya go. Our real American hero is now a UN Peacekeeper. Globally Integrated Joint Operating Entity --G.I.J.O.E.In a follow-up to their confirmation that Stephen Sommers will direct G.I. Joe, Variety offers this new description of the team: "G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to X-Men and James Bond than a ...
More About: International , Real , Good , Sensitive

Your Two Cents - Halloween Edition
2007-10-28 17:32:00
Minority children less likely to trick-or-treat By ALAN FRAM, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of parents say their children will trick-or-treat this Halloween , but fewer minorities will let their kids go door to door, with some citing safety worries, a poll shows. The survey found that 73 percent of whites versus 56 percent of minorities said their children will trick-or-treat on Wednesday. That disparity in the survey is similar to the difference in how people view the safety of their neighborhoods, according to the poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. Lower-income people and minorities are more likely to worry that it might not be safe to send their children out on Halloween night. Thomas Link, 50, and his family are new to their trailer park in Palatka, Fla. He said he considers it unsafe because he does not know many neighbors, but had not decided whether to let his three young children trick-or-treat. "I'm very particular about who I let my kids ...
More About: Cents , Edition , Allo

Ban Fire Now!
2007-10-25 18:51:00
Fires in California continue to kill indiscriminately, contributing to local warming.Fire kills.Obviously, we must ban fire today...for the children.
More About: Fire

Why Firearms Bless America
2007-10-25 01:59:00
Krista Barmer is the wife of a friend of mine. Petit and classy, her bright red hear the only indicator of the fire she quietly keeps inside. She and her husband Jason were recently (with a little nudging from yours truly I might add), encouraged to take a handgun safety course and obtain concealed weapons permit.As you read her incredible summation of this newbie's experience, share my pleasure with the fact that two more honest, hardworking citizens are now less likely to be victims.All thanks to the Second Ammendment.Live Free Today. Enjoy.Bang, by Krista Barmer?Ma?am, I gotta tell ya, you?re the best shot I?ve seen in a long time.?I shook my head, setting down the emptied .357 revolver on the ledge in front of me, and stared at the target I?d annihilated over the past hour. The holes, grouped tightly in the center of the red bull?s eye on the paper waving several yards in front of me.In the lane next to me, Jason pulled the trigger of a $20,000 MP5 machine gun, the gun I had ju...
More About: America , Firearms

Liberty in Peril
2007-10-24 19:47:00
Tonight at 7 EDT on CNN Headline News, Glenn Beck will air "Liberty in Peril" highlighting a few of the many ways in which our Constitution is currently under fire. He will expose the people and organizations responsible for attacking the 2nd amendment, lapsing border security, the signing of unconstitutional treaties with other nations, etc.Hopefully, this one-hour show will jolt enough freedom-lovers into political action thus restoring and preserving our national sovereignty. You might want to pay special attention to which presidential candidates, if any, will be called out for his/her history on these issues.I encourage you to watch and take note as (speaking from someone who works in the news media) you won't hear these stories in any network news broadcast. I especially hope you tune in because I won't be able and I'll want to know what you thought of Glenn's efforts to alert We, the people to what is going on in our government [I am grammatically aware of We/Us usage, bu...

A History Test:
2007-10-23 16:09:00
1) "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."A. Karl MarxB. Adolph HitlerC. Joseph StalinD. None of the above2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few...and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."A. LeninB. MussoliniC. Idi AminD. None of the Above3) "(We)...can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."A. Nikita KhrushevB. Jose f GoebbelsC. Boris YeltsinD. None of the above4) "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own...in order to create this common ground."A. Mao Tse DungB. Hugo ChavezC. Kim Jong IlD. None of the above5) "I certainly think the free-market has failed."A. Karl MarxB. LeninC. MolotovD. None of the above6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being w...
More About: History , Test

Porch Prognostications-- showdown week style
2007-10-20 15:44:00
What a great week of college football matchups! Here in God's conference there are some incredible games ready to go...here's how I see them.Auburn@LSU: Auburn is smoking, and it wouldn't surprise me if they pull one off. My head is telling me LSU 28-24, but don't be surprised if Auburn pulls this one off. Just a gut feeling.Florida@Kentucky: The Wildcats are on a roll, and after beating LSU anything is possible. Florida is a good team, but I'm going with the mojo. UK 31-30Tennessee@Alabama: As long as John Parker Wilson is the only QB 'Bama has, they will lose against better opposition. UT 31-20Enjoy your weekend!
More About: Style , Week , Gnostic

Trying to be consistent:
2007-10-17 19:20:00
I try diligently to hold to my philosophy of life, but if we've ever had a prime candidate for the fryer...I'm just glad God forgives, because I don't think I could.
More About: Consistent , Tent

Just sick and tired of it all....
2007-10-16 06:12:00
Will somebody please listen to this man? Watch all eight minutes...if it doesn't inspire you just a little then you don't have a heartbeat.
More About: Sick , Tired , Tire

Medellin: A Road Map to a U.N. Dictatorship
2007-10-11 21:14:00
The Medellin case has apparent implications for the office of the President, through his foreign policy discretion, to evade Congress to impose any ruling the world court might make.Justices Ginsberg, Kennedy, and Souter have already written both concurrent and dissenting opinions citing international law and the authority of the Hague in matters of national (not international) interests.Here's the road map to the end of democracy in America:The Bush position is that when the Senate has adopted a non-self-enforcing treaty, the treaty becomes self-enforcing if: "1. The World Court issues a ruling under the treaty in a case in which the United States accepts jurisdiction, and 2. The President then, exercising his foreign policy discretion, decides that the World Court order must be implemented."- Medellin v. Texas brief.The position of Medellin's lawyers is even broader, that a World Court ruling is sufficient in itself.If this were to become binding precedent by the Supreme Court, ...
More About: Dictatorship , Road , Dictator

Medellin Madness
2007-10-11 16:09:00
Why would President Bush suddenly want to enforce a ruling from the International Court of Justice involving Mexico? (If you don't know about the horrendous nature of this brutal case involving the rape and murder of two teenage girls by a Mexican national, go here to read more)I just finished reading the amicus brief for Medellin v. Texas, and I'm thoroughly disgusted. President Bush has intervened in this case citing obligations we have to the 1963 Vienna Convention, a treaty which the United States no longer recognizes as having authority over its autonomy since 2003 when President Bush withdrew the U.S. from it.Although some statutes are still in effect for another 6 years, why would President Bush now want to follow some ICJ ruling after ignoring the court's rulings hundreds of times himself? The answer is regrettably simple: He's got something cooking with Mexico. The question is, "what's cooking?"I've been trying to figure that out. President Bush needs to give Mexico...
More About: Madness

History in Shades of Blue and Bronze
2007-10-11 01:43:00
I come to you tonight writing from the helm of Stogie s in Cool Springs. I visited my wife's page this evening and thought I'd draw attention to her latest update. Go check it out.
More About: History , Blue , Bronze

Porch Prognostications...A little early
2007-10-10 23:43:00
In the wake of last week's comment-a-thon, here are my predictions for this weekend's games. Sorry about the absence. Long week. Long story.#22 Auburn at Arkansas-- not even close. Auburn's rolling now, and Arkansas will put up only a meager fight. Auburn 28-13#12 Mizzou at #6 OU- don't let the loss fool ya. The Sooners are good. OU 31-27#*%&$*& Alabama at #oyoyoyoyoy Ole Miss: I wish I could confidently say Bama will take this one. I've just got that Mississippi State circa 2006 feeling. Ole Miss wins at home because of absolutely no defense from a terribly thin 'Bama squad 31-21Here's to next year.
More About: Alabama football , Early , Litt , Earl , Gnostic

To secede or not to secede?
2007-10-03 18:43:00
From the Associated Press as found at Yahoo.comCHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - In an unlikely marriage of desire to secede from the United States, two advocacy groups from opposite political traditions ? New England and the South ? are sitting down to talk. Tired of foreign wars and what they consider right-wing courts, the Middlebury Institute wants liberal states like Vermont to be able to secede peacefully.That sounds just fine to the League of the South, a conservative group that refuses to give up on Southern independence."We believe that an independent South, or Hawaii, Alaska, or Vermont would be better able to serve the interest of everybody, regardless of race or ethnicity," said Michael Hill of Killen, Ala., president of the League of the South.Separated by hundreds of miles and divergent political philosophies, the Middlebury Institute and the League of the South are hosting a two-day Secession ist Convention starting Wednesday in Chattanooga.They expect to attract supporters from Ca...
More About: North

I'm Paying For It...
2007-10-02 18:17:00
As I looked at my paystub this morning, I realized that from January to March of this year I have been a full-time government employee.That's right, so far over 25% of my entire year has funded this government.Sucks. No better word for it....and to think they want more?

Hillary: A $5000 Chicken in Every Pot --
2007-10-01 19:47:00
As if the 2008 Presidential race couldn't get any more absurd, here comes Comrade Clinton to the rescue...I have a personal problem with people who will not work. Note that I didn't say "can't work." I mean "won't work." As in "I'm going to make a whole lot of excuses as to why I'm not a productive member of society, rather than get off my butt and do something about it." What's even worse? When that class thinks they are entitled to a level of existence meant for the productive, working class.Entitlement mindset has taken over American thinking, and instead of working hard to fix the problem to see that America is the best because we all strive to reap the benefits of our toil Hillary has another idea.Just take from those who do have a job to equally divide wealth among the lazy, or those who have not earned it.Awesome. That's sure to drive the spirit of the American worker.She's sunk to a new low folks. Hillary on Friday, in front of the Congressional Black Caucus propose...
More About: Chicken

Shakeup Saturday
2007-09-30 05:34:00
In the wake of 11 top 25 teams going down today I was thinking...LSU should be, but will not be the top team in the country tomorrow (assuming USC wins). It's a shame, but the Golden Prophylactics will once again top the standingsfor just being pretty.Auburn showed its true colors tonight. They're a good football team, and deserved the win over Florida.Alabama has absolutely no talent. That big whooshing noise coming out of your TV was the air in 'Bama's season, going right out the window. 6-6 will be a blessing.Polls mean nothing. Why in God's name can't we wait to release any until October 1st? Doesn't it make sense to wait until we know who is good? But what do I know.Here's my SEC rankings, top to bottom as I see it here before the beginning of October. The rankings are based on how I see things ending in December.1.LSU- Unbelievably good. Should play for the title as the favorite assuming no letdowns.2. Florida- still a great team3. South Carolina- Steve Spurrier is sim...
More About: Saturday

Porch Prognostications...
2007-09-28 15:23:00
This week there are some decent matchups on the gridiron. Why not throw up some more sacrificial lamb picks?Auburn at Florida: I still don't believe Auburn is as bad as they have looked. Florida however, is loaded. Period. Florida wins closer than you think. 38-31Alabama vs. Florida State at Jacksonville: Bama's D is average, so is their offense. FSU is missing key players on the D-Line. I've got to do something to hold to my 7-5 prediction. Bama's getting better, but it is indeed going to be a process. FSU 24-20WVU at USF: Incredible offense vs. a staunch D? There's no way to really know but I give ties to the defense. USF wins 24-21Other parting thoughts...On ESPN.com yesterday Gene Wojciechowski writes regarding the Mike Gundy press conference temper fit. He explains why the media for the most part is coming down on the Coach while the overwhelming majority of fans and readers are siding with Gundy."The real work is to fix what's broken. There is a growing disconnect betwee...
More About: Gnostic