Economic Woes: A Little Perspective

With everyone's concerns focused on the present economic situation, it is so easy to lose proper perspective. The MSM certainly don't help with their harping away at us on every news broadcast, as they have done since 9/11.

KARE 11 in Minneapolis offers a great interview with local senior citizens as they share their thoughts on today's situation. (Click on link for video.)

"Survivors of Great Depression Give Their Opinion
About Today's Economy"

Laughter comes easily when the residents of Parkshore Senior Campus in St. Louis Park get together; laughter that once saw them through a Great Depression.

"I remember meals when all we had was noodles," says 80-year-old Lee Vieburg. Mostly she remembers the moving, an unemployed father and a dozen different schools. "We moved every year. If we could get a dollar off on the rent it was worth moving for."

The seniors at Parkshore remember gardens grown for survival, not hobby, and feed sacks stitched into clothes.

"I was involved with a Boy Scout troop," recalls 97-year-old Ed Carlstrom, "and a lot of those kids' fathers lost their jobs and they were really in trouble."

87-year-old Bob Jorgenson remembers his lunch bags. "My mother would make a brown bag lunch for us when we went to school every day and we were expected to return that brown bag for the whole week. Brown bags cost money."

Like many children of the Depression Terry Bye, 85, says he "didn't realize what we were going through."

Bye rode out the dust bowl years on a farm in South Dakota and still recalls his mother's words at the kitchen table. "She'd say, 'well this is it, now you kids remember dad's the one that's bringing home some money, and he's got to eat first; he's working.'" Bye's voice cracks, "and I thought many times, I wonder, how many times my mother went without."

How interesting now that these survivors worry about us. "I just don't know how the generation now would be able to cope as well as we did," says Vieburg. "Young people today think that if they have to give up cable or the internet or something that life has ended."

Prompting nods of approval from the entire group, Ruth Halverson, 92, said, "We may have been poor in things, but we were rich in the things that really mattered: people. community. The values that we all have now were created then."

In hard times these seniors will tell you people need to look after each other. "We were always taking things out the door for Mrs. so and so next door," recalls 89-year-old Alice Jolink. "My father's famous words were 'well who get's the cake today.'"

Though they lived through a depression, not one among them remembers being depressed. Maybe because there always seemed to be someone else who had it worse. "Everyone in our neighborhood was going through the same thing," says 88-year-old Lee Alwin.

What these Twin Cities seniors confronted was worse than anything we've been handed to date, yet they survived it. Ask them and they'll tell you so will we.

"We are going to get through this because we're Americans," says Jolink. "We've been through it before and we're a wonderful people - we are. We're made up of many kinds of people who have ideas galore to benefit the rest of us and I hope that we can pull together on this like the President says and make America a great nation. I'm sure we will."

Check Your Child's Homework!

I'm enjoying my second snow day off from school! .... haaaaaaaaa! (Well, I didn't enjoy the shoveling so much, but luckily the snow is nice and powdery.) Anyway, I got this little ditty today and thought I would share. It fits perfectly with today's beautiful, sunny, snowy day. CUTE!!!!!

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR CHILD'S HOMEWORK!

Dear Mrs. Jones, I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in. Sincerely, Mrs. Smith

Obama The Super Hero

Jerry Craft has submitted this proposed comic book super hero...

Obama's First 100 Minutes

Pocket Obama: Temporarily Out of Stock

Whoooooaaaaah! Did you know you can buy a little blue book with some of Obama's words of wisdom? When I went to check it out on Amazon, I found that it is "temporarily out of stock." Are people actually stocking up on these?!?!

Here's Amazon's description:

This is the little blue book that has everyone twittering and blogging, essential reading as we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America. Printed in a size that easily fits into pocket or purse, the book is an anthology of quotations borrowed from Barack Obama's speeches and writings. POCKET OBAMA serves as a reminder of the amazing power of oratory and the remarkable ability of this man to move people with his words, a primer for readers who want to examine the substance of his thought and reflect on the next great chapter in the American story. His superb and captivating oratory has earned comparisons to John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, and this collection presents words that catapulted his remarkable rise to the American Presidency. Includes themes of democracy, politics, war, terrorism, race, community, jurisprudence, faith, personal responsibility, national identity, and above all, his hoped-for vision of a new America. Learn earnestly and diligently. It is an unofficial requirement for every citizen to own, to read, and to carry this book at all times.

Fer cryin' out loud! The guys hasn't even been in office but barely a week!

I am happy to report, however, that in reading the customer reviews of the books, 42 of the 61 gave it only 1 out of 5 stars, and only 15 out of 61 gave it 5 out of 5.

Some of the reader comments are also a bit encouraging:

• This is either a joke or the most disturbing thing I've ever seen. Can sane American's really have such worshipful adoration for any politician, especially to this level? Supporting a politician is one thing, but this is sick, sick, sick. Mao's Little Red Book, now Obama's Little Blue Book. This is actually beyond sick, its frightenly delusional. Who published this, Louis Farakhan?

• This can't be for real. Seriously people. Has to be a joke. Because if it's not, we are in deep s**t.

• "I bought this book and read some of it to my landlord. Guess what?! He said I didn't have to pay rent any more! And when I went to fill up my gas tank, the service attendant saw my book, winked, and said, "No charge!" At the DMV, standing behind 30+ others, I held up my pocket Obama and was immediately ushered to the front of the line!"

• "I carry a pocket New Testament in which I have replaced every instance of the word "Jesus" with the word "Obama." It took 400 hours of painstaking work with correction fluid, but it was worth it. I recently ripped out Revelations and replaced it with the pages of this sacred, special tome." Wow! At just $5.95, what a great investment! It's like an all-access pass and everything is free! Thanks, Mr. Obama! Ha, ha, ha!!!!!"

• "I am grateful to the History Company for producing this incredibly useful volume. Often, when evangelizing on behalf of the God-Man, I've been frustrated by a lack of on-hand holy materials. Now, when potential converts ask typical questions such as "what is Barack Obama's plan for my life?", I can now instantly produce the relevant speech or Today Show transcript. In "Pocket Obama" the wisdom of He Whose Face Shines Radiantly is arranged in a convenient alphabetical format, covering all aspects of the Leader's thought. No stone is left unturned as the Divine One condescends to answer our many questions, from the viability of national health insurance to his forgiveness of our sins. Neophytes and those new to Obama Worship would do well to consult this book. Recommended."

These folks are funny! I recommend checking out the other reader comments if you need a bit of a chuckle among all the Obama Worship that currently permeates our country .... nay, world!

Hey, didn't the Chinese all carry around those little red books of Mao's insights on Marxism-Leninism?

Just a tad spooky ...

Del Toro Can't Take The Heat: Finding It Hard To Defend Che?

I guess Benicio Del Toro's finding it increasingly difficult to withstand the "heat from the kitchen" with regards to Steven Soderbergh's movie "Che." Del Toro, who plays the leading role, recently walked out of an interview when the questioning turned to Che's image being a bit whitewashed in the portrayal. It seems Soderbergh and Del Toro ignored Che's murderous side.

Sonny Bunch of the Washington Times reports:

A controversial new biopic about Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara is awakening old passions and provoking vigorous defenses and denunciations of the iconic revolutionary and - in the case of an interview with The Washington Times - a dramatic walkout.

"I'm getting uncomfortable," Benicio del Toro said after fielding a question about his new movie's portrayal of the Bolivian and Cuban revolutions. "I'm done. I'm done, I hope you write whatever you want. I don't give a damn."

With that, the Oscar-winning actor walked away, abruptly terminating an interview conducted late last week to discuss director Steven Soderbergh's "Che."

Heated discussion has inevitably followed this almost 4 1/2-hour film's portrayal of the revered and reviled figure who sought to spread armed insurrection throughout Latin America and became a romanticized icon of rebellion in the process.

Yet its star seems ill at ease in the hot seat.

Hunched over a plate of guacamole in the backroom of gourmet Mexican restaurant Oyamel in the District, Mr. del Toro seemed excited to discuss the picture, which he co-produced with Mr. Soderbergh and Laura Bickford. Though the movie has received mixed critical reception, Mr. del Toro won top acting honors at Cannes this year. In his acceptance speech, he dedicated the award to Guevara.

The film was screened in Cuba, to much applause.

Having received accolades from the Cuban audience (a "captive audience?") and Granma (Cuba's MSM) should tell you something, guys!

The article continues with director Soderbergh's explanation of how he made the movie (emphasis added):

Mr. Soderbergh defended his film's perspective in an interview with The Washington Post at the Toronto International Film Festival.

"I've had people ask me: 'How can you make a movie about a murderer? A terrorist?'" he said. "What they don't understand is that I'm in support of everyone who appears on screen. I have to be. I take the position of everyone who's on screen. I'm not judging them one way or another."

At the same time, Mr. Soderbergh seems to harbor few illusions about just who Guevara was.

"I don't know that there's any place for a person like me in the society that he was trying to make," the director said. "I'm the poster child for a lot of the [stuff] that he was trying to eradicate."

So, why did Soderbergh sanitize Che's image so much?!? I don't get it ...

Actor Del Toro said they had to "omit a lot of stuff about his life, but we're not omitting the fact that he's for capital punishment, which is the essence of that." In offering a counterperspective, journalist Bunch provided insight from Armando Valladares, the Cuban dissident imprisoned by the revolutionary regime in 1960. Valladares, a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International and a board member of the Human Rights Foundation, penned "Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro's Gulag":

"Che Guevara executed dozens and dozens of people who never once stood trial and were never declared guilty," he said. "In his own words, he said the following: 'At the smallest of doubt we must execute.' And that's what he did at the Sierra Maestra and the prison of Las Cabanas."

The article ends with some sober and somber points that the author and contributors hope the public will not forget, or at least take the time to investigate for themselves (emphasis added):

Guevara was instrumental in the creation of Cuba's forced labor camps, which were used to imprison and extract work from those who had committed no crimes but were thought to be insufficiently revolutionary.

The policy of extrajudicial imprisonment that Guevara favored would later expand to include political activists of all stripes, musicians, artists, homosexuals and others deemed to be dangerous to the maintenance of the Stalinist regime.

Mr. del Toro grew agitated when these prisons were described as "concentration camps," a phrase that Mr. Valladares freely employs.

"I'm a survivor of those concentration camps. And I stand firm by my belief that they were concentration camps," he said. "The forced labor camps where I also worked, where dozens and dozens of political prisoners were murdered, where thousands were tortured, that's something that even the most ardent believers in Castro´s tyranny can't deny."

Critics of "Che" have suggested that the film whitewashes its protagonist's legacy and that it's impossible to understand the man by glorifying his more romantic aspects while ignoring his darker side.

"We can't cover it all," Mr. del Toro said. "You can make your own movie. You know? You can make your own movie. And let's see. Do the research."

Mr. Valladares is afraid that Mr. del Toro and Mr. Soderbergh's film will make people forget the reality that was Che Guevara's life.

"Benicio del Toro is just one of the many accomplices of the Cuban tyranny," he said. "All the murderers of people have had accomplices and people who made excuses for them. Stalin had them, Hitler had them, Pinochet had them, all the dictators have had apologists for them. Che Guevara and Fidel Castro also had them."

It seems Hollywood is full of such apologists ...

DTV Conversion Delayed: DAMMIT!!!!!!

UPDATE #2: DAMN! I heard today that Obama will be signing the bill to postpone the conversion. S&*#!!!!!

UPDATE: WHEW!!! The House of Representatives voted on Jan. 28th to NOT postpone the DTV conversion. YEAH!!! It's still slated for Feb. 17th. (Go here for more info.) Gee, I wonder if the MSM will characterize this as a "major defeat" for the Obama administration ... probably not. (See below for the background behind that snide comment.)

Aaaaaaargh!!!! I am so sick of hearing the reminders, warnings, and consumer tips on converting your TV over to digital before the big deadline of February 17th. Now, comes the horrible news that this torture must continue: Yesterday, the Senate voted unanimously to delay the switchover by another four months.

USAToday reported:

The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months to June 12 — setting the stage for Congress to pass the proposal as early as Tuesday.

Monday's Senate vote is a big victory for the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress, who have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the currently scheduled Feb. 17 changeover. [Is it just me, or does that "big victory for the Obama administration" sound goofy? Oh, I forgot -- we're still in the throes of Obamaforia.]

The Nielsen Co. estimates that more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals could see their TV sets go dark next month if the transition is not postponed.

Obama pushed for the postponement when the Commerce Department reported that it had hit its $1.34 billion funding limit on its converter box coupons. (The converters cost between $40 and $80, and the coupons offered consumers about $40 towards their purchase.) In 2005, Congress passed legislation requiring broadcasters to switch from analog to digital signals, thereby freeing up my wireless airwaves for commercial wireless services and emergency response networks.

The USAToday article continues:

Republicans in both the House and Senate have raised concerns that a delay would confuse consumers, burden wireless companies and public safety agencies waiting for the airwaves that will be vacated and create added costs for television stations that would have to continue broadcasting both analog and digital signals.

Paula Kerger, president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service, estimates that delaying the digital TV transition to June 12 would cost public broadcasters $22 million.

Gee, at least some legislators were thinking about the cost of the delay ... momentarily, anyway.

We are condemned to another four months of "if you can still see this broadcast ...", "... you have only four more months to make the conversion ..." Aaaaaaaaargh!!!!

Oh, and let's not forget the environmental impact this conversion has. Almost simultaneously, USAToday also reported on the EPA's and environmentalists' concerns about the impact this DTV switch will have on soil, water and air pollution.

Here is an excerpt from USAToday:

And later this year — either on Feb. 17 or on June 12 if Congress passes a delay — the USA will switch from analog to digital TV transmission. The number of unwanted TVs will go even higher as consumers upgrade to sets capable of receiving high-definition broadcasts.

Though a TV set is benign in the living room, it's not when it is broken up to reach the reusable materials inside. There's a lot of lead, a bit of barium, cadmium, chromium, traces of gold and even mercury in the lamps on some flat screens.

The best way to deal with them is not to throw them away at all but to keep using them, says John Cross of EPA's Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery. Buying a converter box or getting cable or satellite TV will keep a TV useful for years. But if TVs are discarded, the federal agency wants to make sure the materials in them are recycled.

The problem, according to a Government Accountability Office report last year, is that the EPA's "enforcement is lacking." That has left most of the regulatory work up to the states, only some of which license and audit recycling companies.

Funds for consumer coupons but not for enforcing safe recycling practices. Lovely.

Obama and The Cult of Personality

I guess I'm perhaps a bit behind, but lately I heard the term "cult of personality" used to describe Obama's baffling yet meteoric rise to the Presidency. This term has finally given me the words I need to comprehend and describe how this woefully underqualified and horribly inexperienced man got to the Oval Office.

Wikipedia defines "cult of personality" thusly:

A cult of personality or personality cult arises when a country's leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.

A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship, except that it is created specifically for political leaders. However, the term may be applied by analogy to refer to adulation of religious or non-political leaders.

...

Purpose

Generally, personality cults are most common in regimes with totalitarian systems of government, that seek to radically alter or transform society according to (supposedly) revolutionary new ideas. Often, a single leader becomes associated with this revolutionary transformation, and comes to be treated as a benevolent "guide" for the nation, without whom the transformation to a better future cannot occur. ...

I heard this term last night when I caught Sean Hannity's interview with journalist and bestselling author Bernard Goldberg as he promoted his new book: "A Slobbering Love Affair: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media." This looks like a book I need to run out and buy! (I've read his other bestseller "Bias", which I highly recommend!)

Here's an excerpt from his book's backcover:

"Never in my memory were so many journalists so intent on effecting change as they were during the campaign of 2008. Sure, mainstream journalists always root for the Democrat. But this time it was different. This time journalists were not satisfied merely being partisan witnesses to history. This time they wanted to be real players and help determine the outcome. This time they were on a mission, a noble, historic mission, as far as they were concerned. In fact, I could not remember a time when so many supposedly objective reporters had acted so blatantly as full-fledged advocates for one side--and without even a hint of embarrassment."

"...Make no mistake: this is not the same old liberal bias we have witnessed for years. In 2008, the mainstream media crossed a line. As a result, their credibility is in tatters. Hardly anyone trusts them anymore. This is not good for them, of course. But it may be even worse for us."

Goldberg's other bestsellers are:

• Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How The Media Distort The News

• Crazies To The Left of Me, Wimps To The Right

• 110 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37)

• Arrogance: Rescuing America From The Media Elite

I've read Bias and Crazies .... great reads. I'm looking forward to Slobbering Love Affair! I'm sure you'll soon see it appear in my list of "Recent Reads" in the side panel.

UPDATE: Cool! I just found the interview with Goldberg. Unfortunately, the embed codes didn't copy well (errors). So, here are the links:

Part One

Part Two

Fear-Mongerers Threaten Bird Flu

Here we go again ... another story with a big, ol' scary headline warning about Bird Flu in China. USAToday yesterday had the headline:

"China Reports Fifth Bird Flu Death This Year."

But, if you read to the third paragraph, you'll see: "The Health Ministry said after the earlier deaths this month that there is no evidence of a large-scale outbreak of bird flu. It said the illnesses were isolated, unrelated and did not show significant mutations of the H5N1 virus."

But, our culture loves gloom and doom: the "fear du jour", if you will. Let's see how this ramps up the next couple of days, because we need to add more to the public's already heavy burden of worries: economy, war, Obama possibly being The Devil, Pelosi possibly bringing down Western Civilization, etc. Let's toss BIRD FLU on the Poop Pile O' Life while we're at it, shall we?

But, what's the reality of it all? If you look at World Health Organization's statistics regarding avian flu, since 2003 to date there have still been "only" 403 confirmed cases of bird flu resulting in "only" 254 deaths ... world wide!

Let's compare Bird Flu to just "regular ol' influenza" here in the U.S. According to a story in the L.A. Times (Sept. 2008), some 5 to 20% of the population gets the flu, resulting in 20,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths. Bird flu? -- it hasn't even reached this continent. And, God forbid, if it did, I think the stats would pale in comparison to other strains of influenza. I wonder what the influenza stats are for China, with its far greater population than ours. (I tried googling for that, but all I could get were links to bird flu ... interesting. See? It's hard to get perspective on this stuff.)

So, when you read those headlines the next couple of days, just shake your head and turn the page. Keep warm, sleep and exercise, and stay away from those who have flu symptoms. (Now, I working in a virtual germ factory have to take evasive action on a daily basis.)

Change We Can Believe In

Church of England Buys Into Environmental Alarmism

As Noel Sheppard of NewsBusters.org asks: "Did you need any more proof that climate alarmism is indeed an environmental religion?" He reports that The Church of England has given £150 million to Generation Investment Management, the green fund started by Nobel Prize winner Al Gore. Sad to see yet another member of The Church buying into The Goracle's politics ... er, religion. Yeah, religion! Not politics! (Yeah, sure!)

Religious Intelligence reported the following last month:

On Nov 18 the First Church Estates Commissioner, Andreas Whittam Smith reported that in late September the Commissioners had placed the funds with Gore’s boutique management firm which follows an “environmentally sustainable global equities mandate.” Funding for the investment came from “cash and Treasury bills”, he said, and not from the sale of UK equities as initially planned.

(I wonder how those T-bills are doing nowadays ...)

I have been frustrated with my own denomination (well, former, actually) -- the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It, too, has bought into Gore's fanatical religion, clearly crossing the line of Faith and Politics. In November 2007, the ELCA issued a social statement regarding the environment, buying into global alarmism and directing energy and monies to the hysteria (Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice). In fact, this social statement calls for churches to ask their candidates the following:

• Do you believe that global warming is happening? If your answer is yes, what do you believe is causing it?
  
• Scientists tell us that unless we curb global warming emissions, average U.S. temperatures could rise ten degrees by the end of the century. Would you support mandatory reductions in the emissions of carbon dioxide and other global warming gases?

Other questions ask candidates if they will support various measures to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

So, candidates must swear allegiance to Gorism in order to be seriously considered? (By "candidate", I'm assuming the ELCA means candidates for the ministry.) Sounds a bit "Sieg, heil!" to me.

I've found, too, on the ELCA's website a lot of resources regarding the issue of global warming, from education resources ("education?") and voters' guides. (Go here to see the ideological collection.)

I wonder how many other members of The Body of Christ (i.e. denominations) have bought into the hysteria, devoting a lot of time and members' money to this political venture.

Che On iTunes: Oh, The Irony!

Babalú Blog recently found that iTunes is offering an album with Che Guevara's image as its cover: "Somos Hip Hop Radio." Babalú's comment about the offering:

Che Tunes?

Can't I even download a little music from ITunes to my IPod without seeing this monster?

The irony of che's image being used to sell reggaetón and other music, especially music by black artists (he was so fond of blacks) he may not have approved of, is not lost on me. One song not listed here is him giving a speech, set to music. I feel inspired already. To do what, I am not sure.

One of Babalú's commenters pointed out the odd fact that there were no Cuban artists on the album. Wonder why ....

Obama Picks Socialist To Be Energy "Czar"

As if the Green movement hasn't become increasingly "red" over the years, Obama picks a Socialist to be the head of the Energy

Steven Milloy of JunkScience.com published on FoxNews last week the news that the MSM perhaps don't want publicized: he jokes that Browner is redder than Obama knows. Here's what he has reported about Browner's Socialist background (emphasis added):

Incoming White House energy-environment czar Carol Browner was recently discovered to be a commissioner in Socialist International. While that revelation has been ignored by the mainstream media and blithely dismissed by her supporters, you may soon be paying the cost of Browner’s political beliefs in your electricity bill.

Socialist International is precisely what it sounds like -- a decidedly anti-capitalistic political cause. Founded in 1951, its organizing document rails against capitalism, asserting that it “has been incapable of satisfying the elementary needs of the world’s population … unable to function without devastating crises and mass unemployment … produced social insecurity and glaring contrasts between rich and poor … [and] resorted to imperialist expansion and colonial exploitation.…” Socialist International also asserts, “In some countries, powerful capitalist groups helped the barbarism of the past to raise its head again in the form of Fascism and Nazism.” So Socialist International at least partly blames Adolph Hitler on capitalism.

According to its own principles, Socialist International favors the nationalization of industry, is skeptical of the benefits of economic growth and wants to establish a more “equitable international economic order.” In true Marxist form, it asserts that, “The concentration of economic power in few private hands must be replaced by a different order in which each person is entitled -- as citizen, consumer or wage-earner -- to influence the direction and distribution of production, the shaping of the means of production, and the conditions of working life.”

Milloy continues, reporting on Browner's passion for "decoupling" utilities:

What is utility decoupling? The profits of electric utility companies have traditionally depended on the amount of electricity sold; basically, the more power that is sold, the more profit that is earned. The productivity-profitability link is a logical and standard business principle that is easy to understand, easy to implement and that has worked for, well, millennia in myriad business ventures -- but no more for electric utilities, if Browner has her way.

Browner wants to sever, or decouple, a utility’s profits from the amount of electricity it sells. More electricity means more coal and natural gas burning, which, according to green dogma, means more greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. So Browner believes that less electricity production is, at least, a partial answer to climate change. But less electricity would mean less profitability for electric utilities, a powerful Washington lobby that Browner can ill afford to antagonize.

To date, the electric utility industry has aided and abetted the climate alarmist cause, if not by actually lobbying for global warming regulation, then at least by its willingness to entertain such regulation as public policy worthy of serious consideration. But since endangering utility profits would likely galvanize the industry once and for all against emissions regulation, the green dilemma boils down to figuring out a way to reduce electricity sales while guaranteeing utility profits. Enter decoupling.

It turns out Browner is yet another former Clintonite that Obama has picked: she headed the Environmental Protection Agency during the Clinton Administration. Michelle Malkin refreshes our memory of Browner: how she started out her service with destroying agency files against a federal judge's order to preserver all records. Here's Malkin's history review, detailing the ethics cloud that still hangs of Browner's EPA service (emphasis added):

On her last day in office, nearly eight years ago, Browner oversaw the destruction of agency computer files in brazen violation of a federal judge’s order requiring the agency to preserve its records. This from a public official who bragged about her tenure: “One of the things I’m the proudest of at EPA is the work we’ve done to expand the public’s right to know.”

Asked to explain her track-covering actions, the savvy career lawyer Browner played dumb. Figuratively batting her eyelashes, she claimed she had no clue about a court injunction signed by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth on the same day she commanded an underling to wipe her hard drives clean. Golly gee willikers, how could that have slipped by her?

According to testimony in a freedom of information lawsuit filed against EPA by the Landmark Legal Foundation, a Virginia-based conservative legal watchdog group, Browner commanded a computer technician on Jan. 19, 2001: “‘I would like my files deleted. I want you to delete my files.” Not coincidentally, the Landmark Legal Foundation had been pressing Browner to fully and publicly disclose the names of any special interest groups that may have influenced her wave of last-minute regulatory actions. Two days before she told her technician to purge all her records, EPA had gone to court to file a motion opposing the federal court injunction protecting those government documents.

Plausible deniability? Not bloody likely.

Incredibly, Browner asserted that there was no work-related material on her work computer. She explained she was merely cleaning the hard drive of computer games she had downloaded for her son, and that she wanted to expunge the hard drive as a “courtesy” to the incoming Bush administration. How thoughtful. Later, her agency admitted that three other top EPA officials had their computers erased despite the federal court order and ongoing FOIA case (the record is silent on whether Browner’s son was playing games on their desktops, too). A further belated admission revealed that the agency had failed to search Browner’s office for public documents as required by Landmark’s public disclosure lawsuit.

Not only were all the top officials’ hard drives cleared and reformatted, but e-mail backup tapes were erased and reused in violation of records preservation practices.

After a two-year legal battle, Judge Lamberth finally held the EPA in contempt of court for the systemic file destruction – actions Lambert lambasted as “contumacious conduct” (obstinate resistance to authority). As is typical in Washington, Browner weaseled out of any serious repercussions. Lamberth inexplicably decided that slapping the agency as a whole with contempt – rather than any individual – would deter future cover-ups.

A Socialist experienced in cover-ups and destruction of files ... sounds like an appointment President Obama needs to seriously reconsider. Hopefully, enough controversy about Browner will well up, causing her to withdraw a lá Caroline Kennedy.

GITMO: It Ain't So Easy

Many politicians and citizens in the country and around the world are waiting to see what President Obama decides to do with Guantanamo. I know for the last couple of years, my school's Amnesty International club, lead by one of my liberal colleagues, has been quite vocal in its opposition towards the detention and "torture" of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. But, there were times I wanted to ask my colleague what he and his apprentices proposed to do with the prisoners, especially in light of how many countries have refused to accept back their own nationals. (I'm sure no one in the group has ever really thought that deeply about the issue.)

Our lovely MSM, in its mad push to get Obama elected president, voiced their hopes in the closing of the detention center, but rarely brought up the difficult issue of what to do with the prisoners. Under Bush's watch, the MSM and others seemed to only harshly criticize Bush, bringing up mostly the "crimes" of not extending Constitutional rights to the prisoners, yet rarely addressing the problem of what to do with the prisoners once Gitmo were closed.

Now, the MSM seem to be siding with Poor Barack's agonizingly difficult decision. USAToday yesterday published an article that reported on some European nations not being too quick to take these prisoners. (Emphasis added.)

Europe Slow To Offer New Home
To Gitmo Inmates

DUBLIN (AP) — Across Europe, President Barack Obama's decision to shut the Guantanamo Bay prison has raised an awkward question: Which EU states that railed against the camp will offer new lives to released prisoners?

The U.S. Defense Department says about 50 of the 245 prisoners awaiting freedom cannot go home again on security or political grounds, raising the need to find an alternative place to send them. But European Union members long critical of Guantanamo shied away Friday from any firm commitments to help.

Ireland has joined Portugal, France, Germany and Switzerland in saying it probably would participate in an EU-organized plan that might take shape at a summit of foreign ministers Monday in Brussels.

But it already appears likely that Europe will leave some of Guantanamo's inmates in limbo behind a policy of: No terrorists please.

...

Diplomatic and security officials across Europe acknowledge that in the Obama era their nations risk exposure of double standards — complaining of American injustice, but presuming that ex-Guantanamo prisoners are too hot to handle themselves. Most nations in the 27-country bloc remain in the position of waiting for an EU request that they might prefer never comes.

Italy, whose conservative government long supported former President George W. Bush's "war on terror," is among those skeptical that Europe will easily embrace fugitives from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Afghanistan, Chad, China, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

"Here we have the first example of how this new Obama politics will demand more of Europe — not less — than Bush's so-called unilateralism," said Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who declined to add Italy to the list of willing destinations for ex-Guantanamo inmates. "America will probably ask some European countries to take in these people, who will no longer be at Guantanamo but won't be free to wander the streets of New York."

Switzerland, which has made positive public comments about an EU-wide initiative, now cautions that such a decision is really up to authorities within its individual cantons. And those local authorities are sounding cool on the idea.

Karin Keller-Suter, vice president of the Conference of Cantonal Justice and Police Directors, said its members "would expect a thorough security examination" before any ex-Guantanamo prisoners win admission to Switzerland.

In France, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner mirrored the Irish line that the EU must lead the way. He said France would cooperate in principle — but would adopt a "case by case" approach to sheltering ex-inmates.

A few European nations say, bluntly, that the United States created the Guantanamo problem itself and should bear the consequences on its own, too.

"I've spent most of my waking hours the last three years in this post cleaning up after the U.S.," said Swedish Migration Minister Tobias Billstrom, who argued that Sweden had already made a home for thousands of Iraqi refugees since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. "I think that the U.S. perhaps should start to do some cleaning on its own before asking for help from others."

Hmmmm ... looks like another case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't." Switzerland and Sweden in particular seem to come across as self-righteous hypocrits. It will, indeed, be interesting to see how this issue will play out.

Will Obama wind up having to allow the continuation of Gitmo as is, due to spineless countries that refuse to step up to the plate, or will he force the detainees on the countries, saying "you bitched about it -- now put up and shut up." It will also be interesting to see how the press and the Democrats side with or attack Obama ... or, just plain cover for him.

NTSB and FAA Now Know What Brought Down The Plane

"Investigators from the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration have finally determined what brought down a plane last Thursday into the Hudson River in New York City ..."


I got this today in an e-mail from my mom .... not politically correct at all (which is what this blog is about) .... but, funnier 'n hell!

Obamuphoria: Barack Takes Office

Even though I did not vote for Obama, feeling that he is way too unqualified and underqualified for the job, I will nevertheless pray for him. I will call him "my President" and not play the childish "he's not my President" game that so many Libs did about Bush. He is my President. He is our President.

Today is, indeed, a historic one. We cannot deny the monumental significance of this day -- the first non-White man to be elected to the world's toughest job. It is truly an event to be celebrated and feted with much joy and excitement. I pray that the floodgates of opportunity will swing wide and usher in a flood of everyone being seen as equal and having equal chances to be successful in this society.

I have been rather silent about this day, choosing not to blog about it, instead taking and digesting all the commentary -- supportive and critical -- all the while taking in international events. I have had a lot of different thoughts, ideas, opinions, and concerns floating around in my head.

Some miscellaneous musings about this day and this new President of ours ...

• Albeit he is unqualified for the call, Obama is undeniably brilliant. I pray that he will be a quick study and strong of spirit for the job ahead of him.

• I wonder if Obama will have a cartoon spoofing him, running weekly on Comedy Central. I also wonder if there will be a scathing movie, based somewhat on reality but mostly filled with fictional recreations of his life, come into movie theaters while he is still in office.

• I wonder how long the "honeymoon" will last between Obama and his adoring Press and the public. How quickly will they turn on the man the moment he missteps, let alone make and defend a decision that goes against the Far Left's core "values."

• Will Obama's cabinet be as diverse as W's? Many have forgotten that W's cabinet was the most diverse in history.

• As the MSM, politicians, and the public reflect back on Bush (naturally after the afterglow of Obama wears off), will they give him any credit? Will they be grateful for keeping us safe since 9/11? What about the 50+ million in the Middle East who are now free from tyranny? Will they, instead, forever use W as their whipping boy, blaming him for anything. (How quickly they forgot Clinton's and Carter's horrible mistakes with regards to the Middle East. They never wanted to consider that those two presidents' poor decisions are what brought about the mess W had to deal with in the Middle East.) I'm not holding my breath ...

• The Obama daughters are adorable! I pray the press will leave them alone!

• I wonder if Michelle will find a way to get paid for her duties as First Lady? There was that discussion a few weeks ago [go here].

• Over the holidays, the virtual Love Fest the MSM had with Obama while he and his family vacationed in Hawaii was ... oh, my gosh! I truly keep thinking about how much the MSM's influence played into getting Obama elected. It's a little freaky when you think about it -- the press putting someone into office. Reminds me of the days of Pravda and the USSR.

• I keep imagining Obama as he sits in all those briefings, bringing him up to speed on everything that is going on everywhere in the world. I imagine his eyes getting huge and a "Oh, sh@#!!" escaping his lips. This is when every President starts to realize that a lot of his campaign promises will not come to fruition ... reality dictates. I think the first promise he will have to renege on is Guantanamo. I wonder how that will go over with the Far Left.

• During the time between the election and his taking office, I certainly must give Obama credit for working as hard as he did on setting up his cabinet. He must have learned from Clinton's bad mistake of waiting too long to get busy, only to then be confronted with his nominees not being able to pass muster with Congress. One cannot say that Obama simply sat on his laurels and rested.

• I just saw a clip of Obama's 2004 DNC speech ... the guys has already aged a bit.

• Have you, too, noticed that Michelle's public image seems to be improving? I guess Obama's team knew they had to do something about that. I do like one of her pet projects: veterans' affairs and military families (go here). Here's also an article about the "momification" of Michelle.

• I'm glad that Rev. Rick Warren was still allowed to give the invocation at the inauguration. I'm also glad that Obama "defiantly" said "so help me God" at the end of his oath. He almost seemed to have said it with a "There! I said it! Take that, you intolerant whiners out there!" I'm impressed that, in this case, Obama did not cave to public opinion. (Oh, wait -- that would be a very tiny, minority opinion.)

• I wonder how long it will take for Blogger's spellcheck to finally recognize "Obama" as an OK word.

• I am saddened by my Christian friends who occasionally send me racist jokes about Obama. How ugly. Even a good friend who is an Obama fan and a Liberal just sent me one the other day. I refuse to send those on. I wonder if there's a way I could gently tell them to stop sending me such trash. Maybe I should just say nothing ... but, how can a person who professes to be a Christian be racist?

• Interesting how FoxNews (Shepherd Smith) showed the stock market's reaction to the Inauguration Day. Stocks fell some 4. something %, compared to Johnson's 2. something % (the day Kennedy was assassinated) and Reagan's 2.something %.

• Ah, and let's not forget the world's reaction to Obama. He's made it cool again to be American again, remember? Associated Press writer Gregory Katz, writing from London, today assured us that "Worldwide hope soars for Obama inauguration." He writes: "The arrival of a new American president triggered joy and jubilation Tuesday in a world made weary by warfare, recession and fear. Bulls and goats were slaughtered for feasts in Kenya, toasts were offered at black-tie balls in Europe and shamans in Latin America chanted Barack Obama's name with reverence." Gaaaaaaaaaaag!

• I am moved when I see elderly Black people in the crowd, wondering what must be going through their minds. I bet if I could feel their emotions, they would knock me down with a powerful wave of anguish and pride.

• I wonder if any conservative Hollywood folks have threatened to leave the USA since Obama has come to office. I don't seem to recall such whininess from them like from the Far Left Loonies of LaLaLand when Bush took office. (Hey, they never did leave this country, did they? I guess life wasn't too bad here afterall.)

• I wish the public would lay off of Michelle Obama and her wardrobe style. Gag! Then again, they will probably get vicious about her looks and clothing ... no, wait. That was Palin they mauled. Hmmmm ... Michelle better watch her back. Sexism is still alive and well. (See "First Lady Got Back" by Erin Aubry Kaplan, a Black female journalist's appraisal and praise of Michelle's backside.)

So many thoughts .... so many musings .... so little time .... so little coherency!

Ben & Jerry's Goes Bananas Over Obama

It looks like another company has added Obama to its marketing scheme. After posting earlier about the Pepsi dynasty with all its subsidiaries being in the tank with Obama, now Ben & Jerry's falls in line. The ice cream producer has renamed its butter pecan ice cream "Yes, Pecan!", an obvious take-off of Obama's slogan of "Yes, we can!" The flavor is described as being an "inspirational blend of amber waves of buttery ice cream with roasted non-partican pecans."

In its usual philanthropic vein, proceeds from January sales will be donated to Common Cause, a nonpartisan, nonprofit political advocacy group.

I wonder what Obama thinks of all the marketing that is going on with his name and image. First, there were the commemorative coins being sold the very day after his election. Katherine Tandler of KansasCity.com wrote about Obama being a hot ticket and sales of his memorabilia are setting records.

Among food products alone, there are hot sauce, energy drinks, wine, mini chocolate Obama heads and inaugural blends of tea and coffee. There's even Obama's face grilled onto a piece of toast, a reference to the famous grilled cheese sandwich bearing a Virgin Mary image that sold on eBay for $28,000 in 2004.

For the table, there are glow-in-the-dark Obama wine-stoppers. For Republicans and die-hard Clintonians: pinatas shaped like Obama's head.

Plush dolls, paper dolls and nesting dolls abound. There's Obama on a pseudo-Greek coin. Even Obama on a cologne bottle.

...

The current level of political commerce in all things Obama is unprecedented Bird said, and while that may be good for vendors, it could be bad news for collectors.

"If there's a lot of it, the rarity value will work against you in the marketplace of the future," Bird said.

Susan Kolodziejczyk, a shopper at Political Americana, wasn't buying it.

"These aren't gifts; they're memories," she said. "A piece of history."

"They're memories." Gag. I bet she's got a ton of Precious Moments memorabilia throughout her house.

The Obamas' New Dog: Media

The People's Cube is offering a great story book tale of Obama's choice in the family dog: "The Adventures of Media - Lapdog for Obama." Check it out. It will make you chuckle.

Gun Sales Surge As Obama Takes Office

Retailers of firearms are experiencing a sharp increase in sales as Obama prepares to take office. Many believe that buyers fear Obama might institute stricter gun control laws.

From FoxNews today (emphasis added):

Obama Driving Surge In Gun Sales, Firearms Group Says

By Judson Berger
FoxNews.com
Friday, January 16, 2009

President-elect Barack Obama's election has spurred a surge in gun sales, firearms retailers and enthusiasts say, as gun owners brace for what they believe will be a new era of gun control in Washington.

An electronic news service that covers outdoor news has even named Obama its "Gun Salesman of the Year."

Firearms associations began to suspect that political considerations were driving gun sales late last year as the number of background checks increased. But end-of-year figures showed a big spike in background checks for the last three months of 2008, and in November, the month Obama was elected, the number of background checks was 42 percent greater than in November 2007.

"It's not a hard tea leaf to read," said Jim Shepherd, publisher of the news service Outdoor Wire, which claims Obama's election has "frightened consumers into action."

Obama has repeatedly stated that he supports Second Amendment rights and will not crack down on gun owners, and in June he said he agreed with the Supreme Court when it overturned the District of Columbia handgun ban.

But gun groups are not convinced. They say Obama's legislative record in support of gun control, and his offhand remark during the primaries that small-town Americans are "bitter" and "cling to their guns," foretell a strict approach to firearms regulation during his presidency.

A December poll from Southwick Associates found that 80 percent of hunters and shooters expect the new administration and a Democratic Congress will make purchasing firearms more difficult.

"It's clear that gun owners and prospective gun owners are concerned about the incoming Obama administration and Congress," said Ted Novin, spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

According to FBI statistics, there were 12.7 million background checks on prospective gun buyers last year, compared with 11.2 million the year before. While checks typically increase toward the end of the year, they spiked sharply at the end of 2008. The figures show a 27 percent increase in the last three months of 2008 over 2007.

"We always anticipate a spike .... This year compared to previous years, the last two months there was a significant increase," said FBI spokesman Paul Bresson.

He said it's "possible" that fears about the economy and the incoming administration played a role, though he said the FBI cannot track the actual reason behind the background checks. Also, background checks are not a direct reflection of gun sales -- but since statistics on national gun sales are not kept the background checks are typically used as an indicator.

"Speculation and conclusions that economic uncertainty or a certain political leadership spurs an increase in firearm sales is anecdotal," said one source at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

But the ATF posted a notice recently saying it was running low on the self-disclosure forms needed when firearms purchases are made, "as a result of an unprecedented increase in demand" for the forms.

Firearms associations appear to be stoking the purchasing frenzy.

The National Rifle Association's Web site recently featured a column titled, "Ready to Defend Our Rights: Are gun owners going to be a high priority target for the Obama administration?"

The Web page linked to another site devoted to Obama's gun control positions. "Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history," the site says.

Obama stated during the final leg of the campaign that he believes in the Second Amendment, and "I will not take your shotgun away. I will not take your rifle away. I won't take your handgun away."

But gun rights advocates say one of their principal concerns is that the new administration and Congress will eventually reinstate an assault-weapons ban. Vice president-elect Joe Biden, as a senator, was a strong supporter of the assault-weapons ban, which was signed into law by President Clinton in 1994.

Under the ban, which expired four years ago, domestic gun manufacturers were required to stop making semi-automatic assault weapons and ammunition clips holding more than 10 rounds, except for military or police use.

While in the Illinois legislature, Obama backed a ban on semiautomatic weapons.

Andrew Arulanandam, public affairs director at the NRA, said gun organizations are not urging members to stock up while they still can.

"I think people are doing this on their own accord," he said.

"We hope that the president keeps his campaign promises. Nothing would make us happier," he said. "But we think he is going to have a tough time keeping those promises."

.... and we all know Obama is going to have a hard time keeping a lot of other promises, too. That's just par for the course for election campaigns, ain't it folks?

Pepsi: In Bed With Obama?

It annoys me ... and has been annoying ... that not only have the MSM been bombarding us with their Obama propaganda, but also now a big food company: Pepsi. The soda company has a website, refresheverything.com, that invites the public to upload videos for President Elect Obama in which they express their hopes for the future: Dear Mr. President.

Here's the blurb from their website:

Help Us Refresh America

What's your message to our new President? Show the world by uploading your own video. All videos should be gin with the words "Dear Mr. President" and end with your first name and where you are from.

What you put in between in [sic] up to you. You can sing, dance, tell a joke -- whatever reflects your hope and optimism for the future. Have fun with it. When your video is ready, upload it to our YouTube channel. The best and most popular videos will be featured on this site.

The site has another page: "Happy 2009" -- with the 0's being the Pepsi logo ... or is that the Obama logo? Hmmmmm ... Just a coincidence?

Every generation refreshes the world with their ideas, talents and the knowledge that they can do anything they set their minds to. This is where that spirit comes to life. A place to refresh our culture and our country.

Check back soon for new opportunities to change our world into a fresher, funnier, much better place.

"Fresher, funnier, much better?" I wonder if they did this back when Bush came into office. Hmmmm ... something tells me no.

I would be tempted to boycott Pepsi and all its products, but if you check out Wikipedia, it's almost kind of scary how many products it has its fingers in.

PepsiCo brands

PepsiCo owns five different billion-dollar brands. These are Pepsi, Tropicana, Frito-Lay, Quaker, and Gatorade. The company owns many other brands as well.

• Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi, Diet Pepsi/Pepsi Light, Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi, Caffeine-Free Pepsi Light, Wild Cherry Pepsi, Pepsi Lime, Pepsi Max, Pepsi Twist and Pepsi ONE.
• Other U.S. carbonated soft drinks, including Mountain Dew, Mug Root Beer, Sierra Mist, Tropicana Twister Soda and Frawg,
• 7 Up (Globally, outside the USA)
• Other U.S. beverages, including Aquafina (Flavor Splash, Alive, and Twist/Burst), Tava, Dole, Gatorade, Izze, Mountain Dew AMP, Propel Fitness Water, SoBe, Quaker Milk Chillers, Ben & Jerry's MilkShakes, and Tropicana
• Beverages marketed outside the U.S.: Alvalle, Concordia, Copella, Evervess, Fiesta, Frui'Vita, Fruko, Junkanoo, Kas, Loóza, Manzana Corona, Manzanita Sol, Mirinda, Paso de los Toros, Radical Fruit, San Carlos, Schwip Schwap, Shani, Teem, Triple Kola, and Yedigun
• Frito-Lay brands: Baken-ets, Barcel, Bocabits, Cheese Tris, Cheetos, Chester's, Chizitos, Churrumais, Cracker Jack, Crujitos, Doritos, Fandangos, Fritos, Funyuns, Gamesa, Go Snacks, James' Grandma's Cookies, Hamka's, Lay's, Miss Vickie's, Munchies, Munchos, Nik Naks, Ollie's Meat Snacks, Quavers, Rold Gold, Ruffles, Rustler's Meat Sticks, Sabritas, Sabritones, Sandora, Santitas, Smartfood, The Smith's Snackfood Company, Sonric's, Stacy's Pita Chips, Sun Chips, Tor-tees, Kurkure, Tostitos, Walkers, and Wotsits
• Quaker Oats brands: Aunt Jemima, Cap'n Crunch, Coqueiro, Crisp'ums, Cruesli, FrescAvena, King Vitaman, Life, Oatso Simple,Quake, Quisp, Rice-A-Roni, and Spudz

In 2007, Nooyi spent $1.3 billion on healthier-alternative brands like Naked Juice, a California maker of soy drinks and organic juice.

Pepsico has also recently acquired a 50% stake in Sabra Salads ^[2]

Partnerships

PepsiCo also has formed partnerships with several brands it does not own, in order to distribute these or market them with its own brands.

• Elma Chips, leader of the Brazilian chip's market
• Frappuccino
• Starbucks DoubleShot
• Starbucks Iced Coffee
• Mandarin (license)
• D&G (license)
• Lipton Brisk
• Lipton Original Iced Tea
• Lipton Iced Tea
• Ben & Jerry's Milkshakes
• Dole juices & juice drinks (license)
• Sunny Delight (produced by PepsiCo for Procter & Gamble)

YIKES! As if we don't get enough crappola from Hollywood, now we have a major food company joining in? Pepsi is practically everywhere -- now, even in my head leading me to sing The Obamessiah's praises! Sheeeesh!

Hitler Is My Name: UPDATE!!!!

UPDATE: Last month I blogged about a poor boy whose idiot parents named him Adolf Hitler Campbell. The family made the news last month when their local ShopRite store refused to decorate the boy's birthday cake with the name. At the time, I noted that it was odd how, not only the boy's name, the couple had named his two sisters "JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell" and "Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell." "Aryan Nation", I wondered at the time, "a white supremacist connection?"

Well, today there seems to be an update to the story. The state of New Jersey has stepped in and removed all 3 children from the home. Here's the story from FoxNews:

Young "Adolf Hitler" and Two Sisters Removed From Home

A 3-year-old boy named Adolf Hitler and his two Nazi-named younger sisters were removed from their New Jersey home last week and placed in state custody, police said.

Adolf Hitler Campbell and his sisters, JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell, were taken from their Holland Township, N.J., home on Friday by the state's Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS), Sgt. John Harris of the Holland Township Police Department told FOXNews.com.

Their father, Heath Campbell, is expected in court Thursday in Flemington, N.J., in connection with the case.

Kate Bernyk, a spokeswoman for the DYFS, said confidentiality laws barred her from commenting on the case or even confirming that the Campbell children were involved.

"DYFS has their reasons and they normally don’t release any information, so we kind of have to go on faith with them," Harris said. Police were not told what the agency was investigating.

"I’ve dealt with the family for years and as far as the children are concerned, I have never had any reports of any abuse with the children," Harris said. "As far as I know, he’s always been very good with the children."

Speaking generally, Bernyk said the state's "decision to remove a child is based on the safety and well being of the child and the risk to that child, and that decision is made in conjunction with the courts and the county family court judge."

The Campbells made national news last month when a ShopRite supermarket refused to sell them a birthday cake with Adolf Hitler's name on it. The story generated a slew of angry Internet chatter.

Forensic psychologist N.G. Berrill said naming a boy Hitler could be considered child abuse.

"Part of it is the infantile nature of the parents’ behavior," Berrill said. "You can name your dog something weird, but they think they’re making some kind of bold statement with the children, not appreciating that the children will have separate lives and will be looked at in a negative light until they’re able to change their name. It is abuse."

Last year, a New Zealand court removed a 9-year-old girl from her parents in order to change her birth name: Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii. In that country, officials do not deem a name abusive unless it causes serious bullying.

Heath Campbell told the Easton-Express Times last year that he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked it and "no one else in the world would have that name."

A paper to be published in March in Social Sciences Journal by economists David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Lee of Shippensburg University found that unpopular first names, when mixed with factors like a disadvantaged home life, can increase the tendency toward juvenile delinquency.

Lee told FOXNews.com that Adolf and Hitler were not names they looked at for the study.

"Hitler most likely would be an unpopular name in the sense that not many people name their children with a name [like Hitler], but we didn’t particularly look at particularly bad names like that," he said.

"Hitler most likely would be an unpopular name?" No sh#*, Sherlock!