Change!

Our President promised us change if he were to be elected. Well, he has come through.

Aside from all the negative changes we are going through, there are a few positive ones as far as TheGOM is concerned. His constant shredding of the Constitution and stripping us of our rights has caused posssibly the most important change in this country since the passing of the Civil Rights Act. He has awakened the sleeping giant, the American people. The "Tea Parties" are continuing. Neighbors are getting together and starting to resist this eroding or our freedoms. There is a new wave of "community organizers" bringing people of like mind together. "WE THE PEOPLE" are beginning to wake up.

The news media has broken down. We no longer have fair and balanced coverage of the news. The networks and print have sold us out. They only report what is allowed by the administration. Any media not aligned with the administration is barred from coverage. FREEDOM OF THE PRESS is no more!

The new administation has also caused some personal changes for The GOM.

He has become politically active, joining a campaign to remove an incumbent member of the US House.

After a couple of near death experiences last year, The GOM has also become more active in his religion.

TheGOM is also learning a new language, out of a perceived need for self preservation. TheGOM is now also active in a local chapter of a group seeking to educate the nation to what is happening in OUR TIME, the death of a nation.

TheGOM has also been educating himself on international situations. The US has few allies. We don't need to anger them.

Now that TheGOM has his health back, he is thinking about getting a dog. Yes, TheGOM is getting back to a normal life. He now has family living in the same area code, friends that he would give his life for, and now a purpose in life. He will post more often, hopefully meaningful content, but probably just more ramblings of a grouchy old man. Stay tuned.

The GOM is BACK!

It's been almost nine months since the last post. Sorry 'bout that, but I'll try to keep up a little better now.

I've had six surgeries since the last post and have spent a total of 3 months in the hospital, but I feel now that I can do justice to The GOM Files.

WHERE DO I START?

Our country is in real trouble. The economy is in shreds, Israel is pissed, Russia is pissed, North Korea is pissed, Iran will have nukes by the end of the year, violence on our Southern border is encroaching on our soil, and all the administration and congress can do is spend trillions on nonsensical projects and programs designed to "spread the wealth". Capitalism is being attacked and our "representation" in DC is just going with the flow. 

How much are we willing to take? 

What atrocity will Obama have to commit before we wake up? 

Will it be too late? 

I'm afraid it already is.

Just My $.02 on the Election

Obama is a brilliant orator. He is a master of the teleprompter. He is a gifted politician. He could be a great leader, BUT NOT HERE! He lacks experience and judgement. He has yet a lot of questions to be answered regarding who he really is. His wife is a liability. 

Clinton is a good politician. She is smart. She is a good leader. She is vicious. She cannot be trusted. Her husband is brilliant, but can not be counted on to always say the right thing. He is not trustworthy. 

McCain is a war hero. He is a good leader. His wife is an asset to him but not to the country.He could be a good President IF he were a bit more in touch with reality. He is old. 

SUMMARY: Our next President should not be any of the above. An ideal ticket would be T.Boone Pickens and either Ron Paul, John Edwards, or Mike Huckabee. Pickens is the only man who has come up with a viable energy plan. He should be drafted to run. Do the people run the country or are we just sheeple to our politicians?

Academy-GREAT Customer Service

I went to an Academy Sports store last Friday. While I usually am typically the GOM, I am also fair. When I arrived at the store I was leery of trying to walk all the way to the back, where I needed to go. I can only stand or walk for about 10 minutes without having to sit and rest.

Well, I walked to the back and found the clerk at the counter was helping another customer with another 3 customers waiting. I asked a passing store employee if there was a place I could sit for a bit. He directed me to the outdoor patio section, rather curtly. I went there and sat for a spell. I then went back to the counter and found the clerk was still helping the same customer. As I couldn't stand up any more I left the store.

When I got home I called Academy's corporate customer service. This was late Friday afternoon. I suggested they have scooters available for their disabled customers as so many other stores do. I can shop at the grocery stores, Lowes, Walmart, Bass Pro, and many other retailers. I really believe that as America's population ages and becomes less mobile there will be a time when all stores will have the scooters.

Much to my surprise, at 8:05 on Saturday morning my phone rang. It was the manager of the local store. He was very nice and offered me a gift card. He was in agreement and said they would try to get some scooters. I assured him my suggestion was meant only as a suggestion and not a complaint, as it was. He said that he understood that and he still wanted to send me the card for my inconvenience.

Needless to say, if I can, I will shop there again. I do hope they get the scooters.

This is an example of great response to customers needs. Academy responds to comments quicker than ANY company I have dealt with. KUDOS!

Shaking It All Out & 5 Questions for Obama

OK, the DNC has decided that one person equals one- half vote. They stand on "the rules". I don't have a problem with that as long as they are consistent, as long as they also enforce all rules (and therefore laws) equally. If any of this "rules committee" or anyone that agrees with them fails to support and enforce our immigration laws they will be branded a hypocrite and should be cast out of office. Watch out for this! They are all a bunch of pandering maggots!

Speaking of pandering, and on another note, Obama has now thrown his church under the bus.

A man of conviction would stand up for his religion and church even in face of it's leadership. He can say the leadership of the church is wrong, as he has done. This leads me to believe that he his not a man of conviction, that his Christian religion means little to him. 

SO I ASK HIM:

What religion was he before he became a Christian 20 years ago?

What mosque will he join now?

What did he do on his trips to Pakistan in 1981?

Did I see a poster of Louis Faraquan in an Obama campaign office?

Why won't he publicly answer specific questions about his positions on the 2nd Amendment?

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THE AMERICAN VOTERS?

News Editors: Are you guilty?

We might all send this to our local papers and TV stations, or at least get them to do a reality check.

 

For all news editors:

Making sense of spin in the news

by Dr. Michael Brown

copyright 1999

 

Guns are a sad fact of life in American culture and are a major topic in

modern journalism. A good Journalist has a duty to get involved and make

a difference in this important societal debate. By following certain

guidelines, the concerned Journalist can be assured of having the

maximum impact on this shameful problem.

 

The first principle to remember is that subtle use of terminology can

covertly influence the reader. Adjectives should be chosen for maximum

anti-gun effect.

 

When describing a gun, attach terms like "automatic," "semi-automatic,"

"large caliber," "deadly," "high powered," or "powerful." Almost any gun

can be described by one or more of these terms. More than two guns

should be called an "arsenal."

 

Try to include the term "assault weapon" if at all possible. This can be

combined with any of the terms above for best results. Nobody actually

knows what an assault weapon is, so you cannot be criticized for this

usage. Your local anti-gun organization can provide you with a list of

the latest buzz words like "junk guns," "Saturday Night Specials," and

"the criminal's weapon of choice."

 

Don't worry about getting technical details right. Many a reporter has

accidentally written about 'semi-automatic revolvers' or committed other

minor errors. Since most people know little about guns, this is not a

problem. Only the gun nuts will complain and they don't count. The

emotional content of your article is much more important than the

factual details, since people are more easily influenced through their

emotions than through logic.

 

Broadcast Journalists should have a file tape showing a machine gun

firing on full automatic. Run this video while describing "automatic"

weapons used in a crime or confiscated by police. At the least, a large

graphic of a handgun should be displayed behind the on-air personality

when reading any crime story.

 

Do not waste words describing criminals who use guns to commit crimes.

Instead of calling them burglar, rapist, murderer, or repeat offender,

simply use the term "gunman." This helps the public associate all forms

of crime and violence with the possession of guns.

 

Whenever drug dealers are arrested, guns are usually confiscated by the

police. Mention the type and number of guns more prominently than the

type and quantity of drugs. Include the number of rounds of ammunition

seized, since the number will seem large to those who know little about

guns. Obviously, the drug dealers who had the guns should now be called

"gunmen."

 

Political discussions on gun control legislation usually involve pro-gun

organizations. Always refer to these organizations as "the gun lobby."

If space permits, mention how much money the gun lobby has spent to

influence political campaigns and describe their legislative lobbying

efforts as "arm twisting" or "threats."

 

Gun owners must never be seen in a positive light. Do not mention that

these misguided individuals may actually be well educated, or have

respectable jobs and healthy families. They should be called "gun nuts"

if possible or simply gun owners at best. Mention details about their

clothing, especially if they are wearing hunting clothes or hats.

Mention the simplistic slogans on their bumper stickers to show that

their intelligence level is low. Many gun owners drive pickup trucks,

hunt and live in rural areas. Use these details to help portray them as

ignorant rednecks. Don't use the word "hunt." Always say that they

"kill" animals.

 

Don't be afraid to interview these people, they are harmless even though

we don't portray them that way. Try to solicit comments that can be

taken out of context to show them in the worst possible light.

 

Never question the effectiveness of gun control laws or proposals. Guns

are evil and kill people. Removing guns from society can only be good.

Nobody really uses guns for legitimate self-defense, especially women or

children. Any stories about armed self-defense must be minimized or

suppressed.

 

Be careful about criticizing the police for responding slowly to 911

calls for help. It is best if the public feels like the police can be

relied upon to protect them at all times. If people are buying guns to

protect their families, you are not doing your job.

 

Emphasize stories where people kill family members and/or themselves

with guns. It is important to make the public feel like they could lose

control and start killing at any moment if they have a gun in the house.

Any story where a child misuses a gun is front page material.

 

View every shooting as an event to be exploited. Always include

emotional quotes from the victim's family if possible. If they are not

available, the perpetrator's family will do nicely. The quote must blame

the tragedy on the availability of guns. Photos or video of grieving

family members are worth a thousand facts.

 

Most people will accept the assertion that guns cause crime. It is much

easier than believing that some people deliberately choose to harm

others.

 

Your story should include terms like "tragic" or "preventable" and

mention the current toll of gun violence in your city or state. Good

reporters always know exactly how many gun deaths have occurred in their

area since the first of the year. List two or three previous incidents

of gun violence to give the impression of a continuing crime wave.

 

Little space should be devoted to shootings where criminals kill each

other. Although these deaths greatly inflate the annual gun violence

numbers, they distract from the basic mission of urging law abiding

citizens to give up their guns.

 

Do not dig too deeply into the reasons behind shootings. The fact that a

gun was involved is the major point, unless someone under 18 is

affected, in which case the child angle is now of equal importance.

 

Any article about gun violence should include quotes from anti-gun

organizations or politicians. One quote should say that we must do

something "for the children." Anti-gun spokespersons should be called

"activists" or "advocates."

If your employer wishes to appear unbiased, you can include one token

quote from a gun lobby group to show that you are being fair. The

anti-gun statements should be accepted as fact. The gun lobby statement

can be denigrated by including text like, "according to gun lobbyist

Jones."

 

Fortunately, statements from anti-gun organizations come in short sound

bites that are perfect for generating an emotional response in the

reader or viewer. Gun lobby statements usually contain boring facts that

are easy to ignore.

 

Feel secure in your advocacy journalism. The vast majority of your

fellow Journalists support your activism. The nation will be a better

place when only the police and military have guns. Remember that you are

doing it for the children so the end justifies the means.

 

Eventually, the government will have a monopoly on power. Don't worry

about the right to freedom of the press, just contact me then for more

helpful hints.

 

Professor Michael Brown, School of Journalism, Brady Chair, Vancouver

College of Liberal Arts

 

Political Satire, copyright 1999, Michael Brown. May be reproduced

freely in its full and complete form.