This venerable and much honored WW II vet is well known in Hawaii for his seventy-plus years of service to patriotic organizations and causes all over the country. A humble man without a political bone in his body, he has never spoken out before about a government official, until now. He dictated this letter to a friend, signed it and mailed it to the president.
Dear President Obama,
My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor , allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.
One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.
So here goes.
I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.
I can't figure out what country you are the president of.
You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
" We're no longer a Christian nation"
" America is arrogant" - (Your wife even
announced to the world," America is mean-
spirited. " Please tell her to try preaching
that nonsense to 23 generations of our
war dead buried all over the globe who
died for no other reason than to free a
whole lot of strangers from tyranny and
hopelessness.)
I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.
After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals."
Which ones did you mean? Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British? Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man, that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War? I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellas I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.
I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.
Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man.
Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue . You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.
And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts , who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.
One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.
You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.
You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now.
And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle...
Sincerely,
Harold B. Estes
Snopes confirms as true:
When a 95 year old hero of the "the Greatest Generation" stands up and speaks out like this, I think we owe it to him to send his words to as many Americans as we can. Please pass it on.
AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!
--
Windows Live Messenger makes it easier to stay in touch - learn how!
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Sunday, April 18, 2010
Obama angry at Georgia
TIFTON , GA.
Obama says he will be making no more public speeches in Georgia .... He claims every time he gets up on stage to make a speech, some South Georgia cotton farmer starts bidding on him.
Obama says he will be making no more public speeches in Georgia .... He claims every time he gets up on stage to make a speech, some South Georgia cotton farmer starts bidding on him.
THE BRIDGE
A man on his Harley was riding along a California beach when
suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, God
said, 'because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant
you one wish.' The biker pulled over and said, 'Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride
over anytime I want.' God replied, 'Your request is materialistic; think of the enormous
challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required reaching the
bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! I can do
it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things.
Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help
mankind.' The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, 'God, I
wish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how
she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment,
why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, why she
snaps and complains when I try to help, and how I can make a woman truly happy.
God replied: 'You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, God
said, 'because you have tried to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant
you one wish.' The biker pulled over and said, 'Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can ride
over anytime I want.' God replied, 'Your request is materialistic; think of the enormous
challenges for that kind of undertaking; the supports required reaching the
bottom of the Pacific and the concrete and steel it would take! I can do
it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things.
Take a little more time and think of something that could possibly help
mankind.' The biker thought about it for a long time. Finally, he said, 'God, I
wish that I, and all men, could understand women; I want to know how
she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment,
why she cries, what she means when she says nothing's wrong, why she
snaps and complains when I try to help, and how I can make a woman truly happy.
God replied: 'You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"
Very Interesting!
Why Leave Michelle at home?
Something to think about!!! Shep Smith, Fox News.
Leaving Michelle home!!!!! If you check Obama's last trip overseas, his wife left just after their visit to France as stated below. She has yet to accompany him to any Arab country. Think about it. The pieces of the puzzle just keep on coming together!
I was at Blockbusters renting videos, and as I was going along the wall, there was a video called "Obama". There were two ARAB men next to me. We talked about Obama. I asked them why they thought Michele Obama headed home following her visit in France instead of traveling on to Saudi Arabia and Turkey with her husband...
They told me she couldn't go to Saudi Arabia , Turkey or Iraq .
I said "Laura Bush went to Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Dubai ." They said that Obama is a Muslim and, by Muslim law, he would not be allowed to bring his wife into countries that accept Sharia Law.
I just thought it was interesting that two Arabs at Blockbusters accept the idea that we're being led by a Muslim who follows the Islamic creed.
They also said that's the reason he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia .. It was a signal to the Muslim world.
----When I received this it made sense to me, but there were also a couple blank spots.
Thus, I sent it to a friend, Dr. Jim Murk, who is a Middle Eastern Scholar and expert.
Here is his explanation that states a little clearer what the Arabs at Blockbuster were saying:
"An orthodox Muslim man would never take his wife on a politically oriented trip to any nation that practices shari'ah law, which includes Saudi Arabia . It is why Obama left Michelle in Europe , or at home, when he went to Arab countries. He knows Muslim protocol; this included his bowing to the Saudi king. Obama is regarded as a Muslim in these countries simply because he was born to a Muslim father.
Note that he has downplayed his Christianity--even spoke of his Muslim faith with George Stephanopoulus -- by not publicly joining a Christian church in D.C., but simply attending the chapel or services at Camp David .
He also played down the fact that the USA was a Christian country and said, unbelievably, that it was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, which is nonsense. He has also publicly taken the part of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel . Finally, he ignored the National Day of Prayer.
Something to think about!!! Shep Smith, Fox News.
Leaving Michelle home!!!!! If you check Obama's last trip overseas, his wife left just after their visit to France as stated below. She has yet to accompany him to any Arab country. Think about it. The pieces of the puzzle just keep on coming together!
I was at Blockbusters renting videos, and as I was going along the wall, there was a video called "Obama". There were two ARAB men next to me. We talked about Obama. I asked them why they thought Michele Obama headed home following her visit in France instead of traveling on to Saudi Arabia and Turkey with her husband...
They told me she couldn't go to Saudi Arabia , Turkey or Iraq .
I said "Laura Bush went to Saudi Arabia , Turkey and Dubai ." They said that Obama is a Muslim and, by Muslim law, he would not be allowed to bring his wife into countries that accept Sharia Law.
I just thought it was interesting that two Arabs at Blockbusters accept the idea that we're being led by a Muslim who follows the Islamic creed.
They also said that's the reason he bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia .. It was a signal to the Muslim world.
----When I received this it made sense to me, but there were also a couple blank spots.
Thus, I sent it to a friend, Dr. Jim Murk, who is a Middle Eastern Scholar and expert.
Here is his explanation that states a little clearer what the Arabs at Blockbuster were saying:
"An orthodox Muslim man would never take his wife on a politically oriented trip to any nation that practices shari'ah law, which includes Saudi Arabia . It is why Obama left Michelle in Europe , or at home, when he went to Arab countries. He knows Muslim protocol; this included his bowing to the Saudi king. Obama is regarded as a Muslim in these countries simply because he was born to a Muslim father.
Note that he has downplayed his Christianity--even spoke of his Muslim faith with George Stephanopoulus -- by not publicly joining a Christian church in D.C., but simply attending the chapel or services at Camp David .
He also played down the fact that the USA was a Christian country and said, unbelievably, that it was one of the largest Muslim nations in the world, which is nonsense. He has also publicly taken the part of the Palestinians in the conflict with Israel . Finally, he ignored the National Day of Prayer.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Herbicides Spraying
They are now spraying herbicides by way of a air boat in Lake Ashton. They are going up and down every stream spraying this crap. They said it will not harm you but they said the same thing about Agent Orange. This stuff is poison, if it kills the weed then what will it do for you and the fish. I did call the State Control Center for Herbicides and they put a stop to it. I also called "Do nothing" Joe Hunter and he said he will look into it. Doesn't he know some of us eat the fish. Now its back on the books and now they are using an Air boat spraying this crap all over the Lake. Joe Hunter is busy killing the alligators now he's killing the weeds and the sport of fishing. This guy has no respect for the residents of Lake Ashton. Call him at 324-5457 and tell him to stop this damn spraying.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Article Courtesy of The Tampa Tribune
By LAURA KINSLER
Published April 15, 2010
SAN ANTONIO - First they bid adieu to bankrupt developer TOUSA. Now homeowners at Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club can't get rid of the Falcones fast enough.
"I'll hold the door open while someone kicks them in the butt," homeowner Paul Frahm said Tuesday after a meeting hosted by Starwood Land Ventures representative David Ivin, aka "the new sheriff in town."
Starwood, a Bradenton-based investment company, bought TOUSA's Florida assets in February for $81 million. Less than two months later, officials announced they had reached a tentative purchase agreement with The Falcone Group and its lender for the community's golf courses and amenities.
The master homeowners association would pay $3.5 million to buy the amenities, which include the swimming pool, tennis courts and country club. The purchase price is virtually identical to a proposal residents made in 2009 that Falcone rejected.
But Ivin warned residents the agreement is tentative, and Falcone isn't going quietly. "There's not a lot of agreement between Falcone and Starwood except for the fact that we need to go our separate ways," he said.
Ivin said the master association would no longer continue to funnel 75 percent of its revenue to Falcone, who "doesn't believe he needs a contract or to show his financials."
Ivin warned that if The Falcone Group rejects the sale, it could lock residents out of the facility or sell it to another private operator.
If, however, the sale goes through, the HOA expects to cut fees almost immediately. That's because the association would operate the club as a not-for-profit business, eliminating the profit margins the Falcone brothers built into their budget. It also would be exempt from taxes, and the association would be able to borrow at a lower interest rate.
Association board members will have 45 days to inspect Falcone's books and financial records before voting to approve the purchase. Dozens of homeowners offered their expertise to help with the review.
Once the final analysis is presented, homeowners will have a chance to vote on whether to go through with the purchase. Chatter on the message boards has been mixed, but the response at two standing-room-only meetings was overwhelmingly positive.
"It sounds good, and I hope a lot of people go along with it," homeowner Bobbi Nichols said.
Izzy Forman, one of several homeowners who formed a company and sought to buy the amenities from Falcone, said he supports the Starwood plan wholeheartedly. "We're behind it 1,000 percent," he said.
Even neighborhood skeptic Dominic Gualtieri said he believes Starwood officials are "sincere in the efforts." He and three other residents who sued the HOA over its dealings with Falcone agreed to drop the lawsuit.
Two things helped sway the decision. First, Ivin didn't fight the lawsuit. "We really kind of agreed with them," he said. "To us, the things they were asking for seemed reasonable."
Also, Ivin assured homeowners that if the HOA is able to complete the purchase of the amenities, Starwood would turn the association over to the residents.
By LAURA KINSLER
Published April 15, 2010
SAN ANTONIO - First they bid adieu to bankrupt developer TOUSA. Now homeowners at Tampa Bay Golf & Country Club can't get rid of the Falcones fast enough.
"I'll hold the door open while someone kicks them in the butt," homeowner Paul Frahm said Tuesday after a meeting hosted by Starwood Land Ventures representative David Ivin, aka "the new sheriff in town."
Starwood, a Bradenton-based investment company, bought TOUSA's Florida assets in February for $81 million. Less than two months later, officials announced they had reached a tentative purchase agreement with The Falcone Group and its lender for the community's golf courses and amenities.
The master homeowners association would pay $3.5 million to buy the amenities, which include the swimming pool, tennis courts and country club. The purchase price is virtually identical to a proposal residents made in 2009 that Falcone rejected.
But Ivin warned residents the agreement is tentative, and Falcone isn't going quietly. "There's not a lot of agreement between Falcone and Starwood except for the fact that we need to go our separate ways," he said.
Ivin said the master association would no longer continue to funnel 75 percent of its revenue to Falcone, who "doesn't believe he needs a contract or to show his financials."
Ivin warned that if The Falcone Group rejects the sale, it could lock residents out of the facility or sell it to another private operator.
If, however, the sale goes through, the HOA expects to cut fees almost immediately. That's because the association would operate the club as a not-for-profit business, eliminating the profit margins the Falcone brothers built into their budget. It also would be exempt from taxes, and the association would be able to borrow at a lower interest rate.
Association board members will have 45 days to inspect Falcone's books and financial records before voting to approve the purchase. Dozens of homeowners offered their expertise to help with the review.
Once the final analysis is presented, homeowners will have a chance to vote on whether to go through with the purchase. Chatter on the message boards has been mixed, but the response at two standing-room-only meetings was overwhelmingly positive.
"It sounds good, and I hope a lot of people go along with it," homeowner Bobbi Nichols said.
Izzy Forman, one of several homeowners who formed a company and sought to buy the amenities from Falcone, said he supports the Starwood plan wholeheartedly. "We're behind it 1,000 percent," he said.
Even neighborhood skeptic Dominic Gualtieri said he believes Starwood officials are "sincere in the efforts." He and three other residents who sued the HOA over its dealings with Falcone agreed to drop the lawsuit.
Two things helped sway the decision. First, Ivin didn't fight the lawsuit. "We really kind of agreed with them," he said. "To us, the things they were asking for seemed reasonable."
Also, Ivin assured homeowners that if the HOA is able to complete the purchase of the amenities, Starwood would turn the association over to the residents.
Trailer Park
Two good ol' boys in an Arkansas trailer park were sitting around talking one afternoon over a cold beer after getting off work at their local plant.
After a while the 1st guy says to the 2nd, "If'n I was to sneak over to your trailer Saturday & make love to your wife while you was off huntin' and she got pregnant and had a baby, would that make us kin?"
The 2nd guy crooked his head sideways for a minute, scratched his head, and squinted his eyes thinking real hard about the question.
Finally, he says, "Well, I don't know about kin, but it would make us even."
After a while the 1st guy says to the 2nd, "If'n I was to sneak over to your trailer Saturday & make love to your wife while you was off huntin' and she got pregnant and had a baby, would that make us kin?"
The 2nd guy crooked his head sideways for a minute, scratched his head, and squinted his eyes thinking real hard about the question.
Finally, he says, "Well, I don't know about kin, but it would make us even."
A Simple Solution
After being married for 44 years, I took a careful look at my wife one
day and said, 'Love, 44 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap
car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I
got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old girl.
Now I have a $1,000,000 home, a $70,000 car, nice big bed and plasma
screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 69-year-old woman. It seems to me
that you're not holding up your side of the bargain.'
My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot
25-year-old girl, and she would make sure that I would once again be
living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed
and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.
Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve a mid-life
crisis.
day and said, 'Love, 44 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap
car, slept on a sofa bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I
got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old girl.
Now I have a $1,000,000 home, a $70,000 car, nice big bed and plasma
screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 69-year-old woman. It seems to me
that you're not holding up your side of the bargain.'
My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find a hot
25-year-old girl, and she would make sure that I would once again be
living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed
and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.
Aren't older women great? They really know how to solve a mid-life
crisis.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Developers Embrace New 'Flip Tax'
Article Courtesy of The Housing Watch
By Charles FeldmanPublished April 14, 2010
Apparently, developers feel they haven't been getting theirs. With new home development stalling, developers seem to think that the only way they can increase profitability is to build it into their work. Behold then, the latest financial scheme from the housing industry: a flip tax that gets paid to the developer every time the home gets sold.
Not surprisingly, developers are embracing the private transfer fee -- a sort of lien attached to a newly built house (or land), reports the Washington Post. Every time that house is sold over a 99 year period (thank God we're not talking about 100 years!!), 1 percent of the price gets kicked back to the original developer and, in some cases, is shared with their investor partners. When you figure that the average homebuyer these days keeps a house for about 6 years, that's one hell of a revenue stream for developers and their investors!
Reportedly, a New York company, Freehold Capital Partners, is signing up developers for this fee scheme left and right, though it refused to tell the WashPo just how many clients it now has. It's Web site, however, claims the owners of $300 billion in real estate projects have now gone into business with it.
And as if we haven't learned a lesson about slice-and-dice packaging of mortgages, Freehold Capital apparently wants to "securitize" pools of transfer fees that can then be spun off and sold to investors.
Now this is, as you might imagine, controversial. So much so, some states have apparently either limited or banned these "private transfer fees." OK, I should have known you'd want to know which ones: Kansas, Oregon, Florida and Missouri, just plain ban the practice, according to the paper, while Texas and California have some restrictions on it.
But most states do not address the issue of these fees at all, so it is something you the potential home buyer should look for before signing a contract for a new home. That's vital because the fees (which are paid by the seller) are not subject to negotiation. If you end up selling a house one day that has one of these private transfer fee deals attached to it, you either pay a trustee at closing or, sorry, no sale!
Developers think this is a swell concept because they can, over years, get back some of the initial upfront costs of the project without having to have the first buyer of the property cough up the entire amount. However, others argue that, in the long run, homes with transfer fees attached will actually become more difficult to sell, which, if you happen to be the current homeowner, is not such a good thing!
If you think you may be able to fight this in court someday, think again. Not so easy, apparently.
On the PR Newswire this past weekend, one expert on private transfer fees delivered a commentary of sorts. Says attorney RJon Robins, a member of the Florida Bar's Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, "...absent a specific statutory prohibition, a well-crafted private transfer fee covenant will likely be enforceable, particularly when undertaken in connection with a real estate development project."
By Charles FeldmanPublished April 14, 2010
Apparently, developers feel they haven't been getting theirs. With new home development stalling, developers seem to think that the only way they can increase profitability is to build it into their work. Behold then, the latest financial scheme from the housing industry: a flip tax that gets paid to the developer every time the home gets sold.
Not surprisingly, developers are embracing the private transfer fee -- a sort of lien attached to a newly built house (or land), reports the Washington Post. Every time that house is sold over a 99 year period (thank God we're not talking about 100 years!!), 1 percent of the price gets kicked back to the original developer and, in some cases, is shared with their investor partners. When you figure that the average homebuyer these days keeps a house for about 6 years, that's one hell of a revenue stream for developers and their investors!
Reportedly, a New York company, Freehold Capital Partners, is signing up developers for this fee scheme left and right, though it refused to tell the WashPo just how many clients it now has. It's Web site, however, claims the owners of $300 billion in real estate projects have now gone into business with it.
And as if we haven't learned a lesson about slice-and-dice packaging of mortgages, Freehold Capital apparently wants to "securitize" pools of transfer fees that can then be spun off and sold to investors.
Now this is, as you might imagine, controversial. So much so, some states have apparently either limited or banned these "private transfer fees." OK, I should have known you'd want to know which ones: Kansas, Oregon, Florida and Missouri, just plain ban the practice, according to the paper, while Texas and California have some restrictions on it.
But most states do not address the issue of these fees at all, so it is something you the potential home buyer should look for before signing a contract for a new home. That's vital because the fees (which are paid by the seller) are not subject to negotiation. If you end up selling a house one day that has one of these private transfer fee deals attached to it, you either pay a trustee at closing or, sorry, no sale!
Developers think this is a swell concept because they can, over years, get back some of the initial upfront costs of the project without having to have the first buyer of the property cough up the entire amount. However, others argue that, in the long run, homes with transfer fees attached will actually become more difficult to sell, which, if you happen to be the current homeowner, is not such a good thing!
If you think you may be able to fight this in court someday, think again. Not so easy, apparently.
On the PR Newswire this past weekend, one expert on private transfer fees delivered a commentary of sorts. Says attorney RJon Robins, a member of the Florida Bar's Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, "...absent a specific statutory prohibition, a well-crafted private transfer fee covenant will likely be enforceable, particularly when undertaken in connection with a real estate development project."
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