Friday, January 2, 2015
RIP Donna Douglas: Check Out Elly May's Greatest Hits
Roundabout via WiscoDave
Donna Douglas, the actress most known for playing the giddy, goofy Elly May Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies," has died at age 81 according to several reports.
It cannot be overstated what a
phenomenon "The Beverly Hillbillies" was. Not only was the comedy the #1
series in America for its first two seasons, but the episode "The Giant
Jackrabbit" remains one of the single most watched half-hours in sitcom
history. Douglas was essential to the show's rollicking mix, and she
remained friends with "Hillbillies" star Buddy Ebsen until his death.
Let's take a look back at some of Douglas' finer contributions to popular culture.
More @ Yahoo
South Sinned Following Massachusetts Example
During the period in which the Constitution was adopted, “it was taken for granted that any State becoming dissatisfied might withdraw from the compact, for cause of which she was to be her own judge.” One of the loudest voices during ratification concerning the encroachment of the federal agent upon the authority of the States was Massachusetts.
Bernhard Thuersam, www.Circa1865.com
South Sinned Following Massachusetts Example
“I shall endeavor to entertain you for a brief space with the ideas and observations of occurrence as they appeared to a Southern man concerning the great civil war. It is proper that you should hear the inscription read upon the other side of the shield.
This generation is yet too near the great struggle to deal with it in true historic spirit. Yet it is well for you to remember that the South is quite as far removed from it as is the North; and the North has industriously undertaken from the beginning to write the history of that contest between the sections, to set forth its causes and to justify its results – and naturally in the interest of the victorious side.
It is both wise and considerate of you to let the losing side be heard in your midst. If you should refuse to do so it will nevertheless be heard in time, before that great bar, the public opinion of the world, whose jurisdiction you cannot avoid, and whose verdict you cannot unduly influence. Neither side acts wisely in attempting to forestall that verdict!
It is well to remember, too, that epithets and hard names, which assume the guilt that is to be proven, will not serve for arguments for [future historians] of the Republic, except for the purpose of warning them against the intemperate partiality of their authors. The modest action of the common law should be imitated in the treatment of historic questions, which considers every accused person as innocent until his guilt is proven. Murder is treated as simply homicide until there is proof that the killing was felonious.
In treating, for example, of all questions pertaining to the war, you assume the guilt of your adversaries at the outset. You speak of the secession movement as a rebellion , and you characterize all who participated in it as “rebels and traitors.” Your daily literature, as well as your daily conversation, teems with it. Your school histories and books of elementary instruction impress it in almost every page upon the young. Your laws, State and Federal, have enacted the terms. Yet every lawyer and intelligent citizen among you must be well aware that in a technical and legal sense there was no rebellion, and there were no rebels!
In attempting to withdraw herself from the Union of the States by repealing, on the 20th of May, 1861, the ordinance by the adoption of which she had entered the Union on the 21st of November 1789, against whom and what did North Carolina rebel?
To whom had she sworn allegiance? Certainly to nobody; to no government; to nothing but the constitution of the United States. Was she violating that oath when she thus withdrew?
When Virginia and New York reserved, upon their accession to the constitution, their right to withdraw from the same, and declared that the powers granted might be resumed whenever the same shall be perverted to “their injury or oppression,” did those States reserve the right to commit treason?
When Massachusetts openly threatened to separate from the union upon the admission of Louisiana as a State, was she conscious that she was threatening treason and rebellion? When her Legislature, in 1803, “resolved that the annexation of Louisiana to the Union transcends the constitutional power of the United States,” and that it “formed a new Confederacy to which the States united by the former compact are not bound to adhere,” was that not a declaration that secession was a constitutional remedy?
Again, the same principle was proclaimed by the authority of Massachusetts in the Hartford Convention, where it was declared “that when emergencies occur which are either beyond the reach of judicial tribunals or too pressing to admit of delay incident to their forms, States which have no common umpire must be their own judges and execute their own decisions.”
With such a record, to which might be added page after page of corroborating quotation from her statesmen and her archives, should not the ancient Commonwealth of Massachusetts be a little modest in denouncing as “traitors” those whose sin consisted in following her example?”
(Life of Zebulon B. Vance, Clement Dowd, Observer Publishing, 1897, pp. 431-433)
1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback 428 SCJ, 4-Speed
Shelby fans, take note: This 1969 Shelby GT500 Fastback has it all, including the hottest feature available in 1969, the Drag Pack option package that includes the 428 Super Cobra Jet engine with remote engine oil cooler, heavy-duty close ratio 4-speed and rare W-code 4.30:1 Traction-Lok rear end with N-case nodular iron differential housing. The only GT500 with its specific combination of features and one of just seven Fastbacks produced with a 4-speed and 4.30:1 gears, it also incorporates Competition Suspension with staggered rear shocks.
More @ MECUM
Guns confiscated after Navy veteran and retired police officer sought Insomnia Treatment
In the old Soviet and East German police states of the Cold War, police kept secret files on scores of common people. Information was fed to the police by thousands of clandestine sources – and a seemingly banal or routine interaction with nearly anyone could lead to a surprise “knock on the door” by authorities. During the late Soviet era, communist leadership moved away from the executions and purges of the Stalin years and began to increasingly rely upon medical professionals to diagnose “enemies of the state” as insane – thus, a routine trip to your doctor could lead to a visit from police.
Although the Cold War ended over two decades ago, a lawsuit filed December 17 in U.S. District Court in Rochester, NY alleges that such heavy-handed police-state tactics are presently being employed in Andrew Cuomo’s New York. The suit, filed by attorney Paloma Capanna on behalf of plaintiff Donald Montgomery, alleges that the New York State Police ordered the permanent confiscation of Mr. Montgomery’s registered handguns after he sought treatment for insomnia. The confiscation was ordered under Cuomo’s “SAFE Act” gun-control law.
More @ American Thinker
CONFEDERATE MONUMENT FINDS ITS WAY TO COURTHOUSE GROUNDS AFTER WAITING 103 YEARS
Via Billy
(MACON – Jan 2, 2015)
It was 1911 when a monument was to be placed in Twiggs County; a place of prominence had been decided upon – the grounds of the County Court House. As the story goes, there was a disagreement about placing it on the courthouse grounds.
When the monument arrived by rail, in Jeffersonville, according to some of the local residents it did not belong on the grounds of the courthouse. After much refusal to place it there, it was eventually unloaded and sat at the Depot for some time before being placed “in a field” across the railroad tracks. The local newspaper printed, on at least two occasions, that there would be a “Dedication of the Confederate Monument,” but it was never formally dedicated. Many efforts over the years have been tried. In 2003 a group of SCV the members, lead by Russ Huffman and Tommy Fountain, sought to petition the Twiggs County Commissioners at their regular meeting of Tuesday, August 5, 2003. The Commission never took action on the request.
The monument remained in the same location for one hundred and three years. Initially, there were no businesses encroaching on the site, but over time, the monument was vandalized, the rifle was broken and weeds grew in the cracks between the stones.
Forward to March, 2014. The 4th Brigade Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Kim Beck, voiced his concern about the monument being so very close to Highway 80. In April, plans were put in motion to apply for funds for the moving of the monument to be paid by the Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans’ Tag Fund with the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Sidney Lanier Chapter finding the remaining ten percent required.
The UDC considered the monument to be “an orphan monument” since there isn’t an UDC chapter or SCV camp in Jeffersonville. The Sidney Lanier Chapter UDC agreed to being “the leaders” of the project with the assistance from two local SCV camps – the Tracy Camp #18 and the Camp of the Unknown Soldier.
Mr. Beck presented the request for Tag Funds on behalf of all the interested parties and at the 2014 Georgia Division SCV Reunion it was approved and funded.
Jeff Ellis of Clark Memorial was contacted and told that funding had been approved. However, getting permission to move the monument was not an easy task. Judy Wall Smith accepted the job of speaking to local officials regarding moving the monument. Several local residents offered parcels of their land to place it, but the locations were not prominently located. Each time, supporters just knew we had THE PLACE. But it could not be that simple.
Beginning in August, Mrs. Smith began calling land owners and asking about a prominent place for relocation – everyone who was contacted had the same answer, “It needs to be on the Court House grounds”. Easily said, but not easily accomplished, until someone stepped forward to help could get the proposal on the Agenda of the County Commissioners meetings.
Mr. William “Bill” Hamrick arranged to have his name and that of Mrs. Smith placed on the agenda of the November 4th 2014 Commission meeting at the Court House at 4pm. After sitting through the usual items of business, Mr. Hamrick got up and addressed the Commissioners and introduced Judy Smith. Mrs. Smith explained to the commissioners that the UDC and the SCV had the money to move and restore the monument, and that both groups, along with much of the local population wanted it to be placed on the 1911 intended spot, the Court House grounds. There were five commissioners. After the initial vote, it was 3 to 2 to allow the move to the Court House grounds – then the discussion, back and forth – why it should and should not be on public property. But the final vote was passed by a 3 to 2 vote in favor.
On November 18th at 7:30 pm during the commissioners meeting, the area next to “the longest serving Sheriff in Georgia or the Nation” Mr. Earl Hamrick’s monument was proposed as the final location for the monument. Again the vote was 3 in favor and 2 no votes. But it passed; and on Monday, November 24th, a start date was decided upon. On December 8th, the foundation was dug and the coping from the monument was removed and placed at the new site. Due to the cooler weather, it took a few more days for the concrete to cure before the monument could be moved.
Finally, on Thursday, November 18th, the Twiggs County Confederate Monument was moved to the grounds of the County Court House after waiting since 1911. The Macon Telegraph, PBS, and others were present. Photos were taken by the Telegraph supporters each time a section of the monument was moved, placed on the truck, and taken to the area to be placed. It took seven hours from dismantling to relocation on the ground where it was intended.
After 103 years, the Twiggs County Confederate Monument now sits on the Courthouse grounds where it was intended originally. The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans recognizes the mutual efforts of the Georgia United Daughters of the Confederacy and Mrs. Judy Smith in helping to complete this long overdue project to honour the brave Confederate veterans from Twiggs County. Many thanks, too, to Mrs. Smith for her authoring most of the account recorded in this release.
A GEORGIA SVC PRESS RELEASE
(MACON – Jan 2, 2015)
It was 1911 when a monument was to be placed in Twiggs County; a place of prominence had been decided upon – the grounds of the County Court House. As the story goes, there was a disagreement about placing it on the courthouse grounds.
When the monument arrived by rail, in Jeffersonville, according to some of the local residents it did not belong on the grounds of the courthouse. After much refusal to place it there, it was eventually unloaded and sat at the Depot for some time before being placed “in a field” across the railroad tracks. The local newspaper printed, on at least two occasions, that there would be a “Dedication of the Confederate Monument,” but it was never formally dedicated. Many efforts over the years have been tried. In 2003 a group of SCV the members, lead by Russ Huffman and Tommy Fountain, sought to petition the Twiggs County Commissioners at their regular meeting of Tuesday, August 5, 2003. The Commission never took action on the request.
The monument remained in the same location for one hundred and three years. Initially, there were no businesses encroaching on the site, but over time, the monument was vandalized, the rifle was broken and weeds grew in the cracks between the stones.
Forward to March, 2014. The 4th Brigade Commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Kim Beck, voiced his concern about the monument being so very close to Highway 80. In April, plans were put in motion to apply for funds for the moving of the monument to be paid by the Georgia Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans’ Tag Fund with the United Daughters of the Confederacy’s Sidney Lanier Chapter finding the remaining ten percent required.
The UDC considered the monument to be “an orphan monument” since there isn’t an UDC chapter or SCV camp in Jeffersonville. The Sidney Lanier Chapter UDC agreed to being “the leaders” of the project with the assistance from two local SCV camps – the Tracy Camp #18 and the Camp of the Unknown Soldier.
Mr. Beck presented the request for Tag Funds on behalf of all the interested parties and at the 2014 Georgia Division SCV Reunion it was approved and funded.
Jeff Ellis of Clark Memorial was contacted and told that funding had been approved. However, getting permission to move the monument was not an easy task. Judy Wall Smith accepted the job of speaking to local officials regarding moving the monument. Several local residents offered parcels of their land to place it, but the locations were not prominently located. Each time, supporters just knew we had THE PLACE. But it could not be that simple.
Beginning in August, Mrs. Smith began calling land owners and asking about a prominent place for relocation – everyone who was contacted had the same answer, “It needs to be on the Court House grounds”. Easily said, but not easily accomplished, until someone stepped forward to help could get the proposal on the Agenda of the County Commissioners meetings.
Mr. William “Bill” Hamrick arranged to have his name and that of Mrs. Smith placed on the agenda of the November 4th 2014 Commission meeting at the Court House at 4pm. After sitting through the usual items of business, Mr. Hamrick got up and addressed the Commissioners and introduced Judy Smith. Mrs. Smith explained to the commissioners that the UDC and the SCV had the money to move and restore the monument, and that both groups, along with much of the local population wanted it to be placed on the 1911 intended spot, the Court House grounds. There were five commissioners. After the initial vote, it was 3 to 2 to allow the move to the Court House grounds – then the discussion, back and forth – why it should and should not be on public property. But the final vote was passed by a 3 to 2 vote in favor.
On November 18th at 7:30 pm during the commissioners meeting, the area next to “the longest serving Sheriff in Georgia or the Nation” Mr. Earl Hamrick’s monument was proposed as the final location for the monument. Again the vote was 3 in favor and 2 no votes. But it passed; and on Monday, November 24th, a start date was decided upon. On December 8th, the foundation was dug and the coping from the monument was removed and placed at the new site. Due to the cooler weather, it took a few more days for the concrete to cure before the monument could be moved.
Finally, on Thursday, November 18th, the Twiggs County Confederate Monument was moved to the grounds of the County Court House after waiting since 1911. The Macon Telegraph, PBS, and others were present. Photos were taken by the Telegraph supporters each time a section of the monument was moved, placed on the truck, and taken to the area to be placed. It took seven hours from dismantling to relocation on the ground where it was intended.
After 103 years, the Twiggs County Confederate Monument now sits on the Courthouse grounds where it was intended originally. The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans recognizes the mutual efforts of the Georgia United Daughters of the Confederacy and Mrs. Judy Smith in helping to complete this long overdue project to honour the brave Confederate veterans from Twiggs County. Many thanks, too, to Mrs. Smith for her authoring most of the account recorded in this release.
A GEORGIA SVC PRESS RELEASE
Scam: Obama’s Latest Welfare Queens—the Castro Brothers
Via Joe
Most of you quickly figured out how Obama’s new amnesty plan creates more Democratic voters.
Did you know his new Cuba policy does too? To wit:
First off, Obama did not “lift the Cuba embargo.” Instead he further loop holed it with executive orders, a process that started when he first took office. The Helms-Burton Act of 1996, you see, codified some of the vital economic sanctions against Cuba into U.S. law so a full and genuine “lifting of the embargo” requires a Congressional vote.
But the required votes to lift them are not there. Every year for the past 20 or so the Castro lobby takes a Congressional head count for a lifting, finds it short, and starts lobbying for executive action. With Obama in office the Castro lobby has met with the most success.
Most of you quickly figured out how Obama’s new amnesty plan creates more Democratic voters.
Did you know his new Cuba policy does too? To wit:
First off, Obama did not “lift the Cuba embargo.” Instead he further loop holed it with executive orders, a process that started when he first took office. The Helms-Burton Act of 1996, you see, codified some of the vital economic sanctions against Cuba into U.S. law so a full and genuine “lifting of the embargo” requires a Congressional vote.
But the required votes to lift them are not there. Every year for the past 20 or so the Castro lobby takes a Congressional head count for a lifting, finds it short, and starts lobbying for executive action. With Obama in office the Castro lobby has met with the most success.
More @ Townhall
Obamacare Extortion
So far, my personal experience with the Affordable Care Act brings one word consistently to mind:
Extortion. So when politicians and beltway operatives say things like “Obamacare is the law and people need to accept that,” I’m bitterly disappointed. I’m angry and I know that the person uttering those words has probably never written a personal check for his or her health insurance premiums.
As someone who does pay for her own premiums, I like to think we can do better than suffer the type of extortion that I am experiencing as a self-employed American.
In 2015, my husband and I (both of us are self-employed) will pay $733 each month for our “Bronze” level health insurance plan. Yes, Bronze is the lowest (and the cheapest) of three levels of Affordable-Care-Act-qualified plans.
Our family deductible is $11,000. That’s very high. Here’s a reminder of what a deductible is, courtesy of healthcare.gov:
More @ U.S. News & World Report
Iraqi and Kurdish Media Reports: ISIS Fighters Have Contracted Ebola
Multiple Iraqi and Kurdish media sources have claimed that some Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Mosul, Iraq, have contracted the deadly Ebola virus, Mashable reports.
The Iraqi outlets reportedly claimed that Ebola had started to spread in a Mosul hospital. The city, known as ISIS’s most important strategic stronghold in Iraq, has been under the control of the Islamic State since June.Christy Feig, the World Health Organization (WHO) director of communications, told Mashable, “We have no official notification from the Iraqi government that it is Ebola.” She said that WHO had reached out to authorities and asked if they needed help investigating the matter.
More @ Breitbart
Viral Video of Homeless Man Using $100 to Feed Other Homeless a Fake
Via Sioux
