Hard to believe that it’s been that long, and so much has changed.

I started out blogging on Blogspot just to put my family history in electronic form – that project is still in the works, as evidenced by the lack of progress behind the tab marked “The Wisconsin Cartters” at the top of this page.

Then I started a personal blog to take my rants off the family page. That led me to meet a wonderful bunch of people – most of them still hanging out on my blogroll, some of them having signed off, one or two having shed this mortal coil – but all of them worth reading and chatting with when I get the chance. Oh, sure – like any family, there are going to be instances where some members of my blog-family aren’t going to be getting along with other members, and that’s fine, we’re all human, and if we all got along all the time it would be downright boring.

I started out with two blogs, and ended up with this one when I merged them in April of 2008. Having my own domain and full control over the blog is a comfort to me, being the semi-control freak that I am, and I have to thank Texas Fred and Robert for their help with getting this site set up.

I don’t remember who the first batch of contacts I made was, perhaps the gang over at The Notebored, a writer’s workshop headed up by Dee and her wonderful circle of fellow writers. I tried my hand at some writing projects over there, but there was something – I don’t know, missing? – and I just never really fully clicked. They are very welcoming there on The Notebored, but I don’t think I was ready for primetime. I do know that once I ran into Gawfer I ran into the best bunch of people I could call friends and a great variety of “conservatives” – from absolute white hat to situational conservatives, you can find a bunch of them on the blogroll now. Like I said, we don’t all get along all of the time, but we always have a great conversation.

I found Bill Whittle, a former liberal who started reading and thinking for himself (proof, by the way, that it can happen) and then using his talents as a writer to put our thoughts to “paper” and let us all read it and realize that “Yes, by thunder, that is EXACTLY what I was trying to say!” I still read him, when he publishes in between his super-glam life on the west coast and the movie deals and the screenplays… In fact, one of my personal favorite entries for I’m Thinking of the “O” Word was inspired greatly by Bill’s writing; specifically, my entry titled The Sheep, The Sheepdogs, and the Wolves was written after I had read his entry titled Tribes. I think it’s still relevant.

My wife, whom I refer to as TMBWitW, gave birth to our child, MEG, on December 30, 2006. I ran a babypool of sorts, and Paul at prying1 came in second while Just John (who, at the time, was going by Gunny John) came the closest in guessing the day and time for the momentous occasion. MEG is growing and running around and keeping the dogs on their toes now – the cats are not sure what to make of this little rosy-cheeked beauty that wants to pet them all…

And then in January of 2007 I read this entry on Jenn’s blog, and it just didn’t sit right with me. I started my campaign. Without funding. Trying to get a groundswell of support and momentum for a run at the White House. Trying, and failing. My feelings haven’t changed, especially now that we are guaranteed a liberal in the Oval Office, and I am seeing more and more signs of a revolution brewing to take this country back into the conservative hands of We The People. I do, however, plan to take another run at it in 2012, when the people of this country should be good and fed up with the liberal actions of the president and want to get back to being a sovereign country with absolute borders and absolute laws.

Now I have a BlogTalkRadio show called, appropriately enough, The O Word. Be sure to tune in on Friday mornings at 0700 Mountain Standard Time.

One thing about having a blog, and meeting (on line, of course, except in rare instances where you actually get to meet the fine people you blog with in person) other blog-owners – you will never run out of people to meet, and people who you want to link to, and people who may want to link back to you. Of course, having all these links is one thing, but being able to keep the connection going is another. I don’t always get to read all my links every day, but I sure try to stop in at least once a week or so.

Most recently, I was asked to join the gang over at Reject the UN and help spread that word. I don’t know how often I will be able to contribute, but I will be doing what I can when I can.

One thing that hasn’t wavered since I’ve discovered it: Wear Red on Fridays. I’ve got some way cool shirts that help spread the word, and I know that when service members see my red shirt they know they are being supported, prayed for, worried about, and generally appreciated for what they are doing.

A lot has changed in three years. I am so happy to have met all of you, and hope that you feel the same about me. We may not see eye to eye, but unless you break my commenting rules and totally disregard common courtesy, you will be welcome here. I know that there are a lot more people out there who deserve to be mentioned, and I will, on this Friday’s show. I’m sorry if I didn’t specifically mention you, but know that I think of each one of you often. Either to wonder what you are up to, or why you haven’t written anything lately, or to berate myself for not getting over to your site and leaving a comment. Tell you what – would you do me a favor, and just click on the “All Blogrolls Here” tab up there, and read through everyone who is making a difference in the blogosphere? Stop in and tell them I said hi, and I’ll be by later to chat.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Well, since it’s rare that I get to post on Wednesday, I’m going to take advantage of the access to the computer.

I wanted to let you know that I’ve made another excellent addition to my blogroll: EvolutionRight, written by SoCalOilMan. The funny thing is, he sounds like I do. He also like Bill Whittle over at Eject! Eject! Eject!, so he’s all right in my book. SoCalOilMan showed up over on Texas Fred’s in one of the comment forums.

I won’t be on the computer tomorrow, since TMBWitW will be working from home tomorrow instead of today.

Whoops – scratch that. TMBWitW just called with the news that due to the ineffective use of time demonstrated by the corporate auditors, she gets to stay in the office instead.

Looks like I may have the computer tomorrow after all …

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Remember a while back I introduced James Baxter to you?

This was the introduction, in the post titled In League With The Stones.

Anyway – James sends me the occasional piece of information, article, whatever, that he feels will brighten the day of his recipients. This one is a fine example. It was written by Ben Shapiro.

Why I’m Voting Democrat
Ben Shapiro
Wednesday, June 18, 2008

A new video on YouTube is taking the Internet by storm. Entitled “I’m Voting Republican,” the satirical clip depicts actors playing conservative Americans of all shapes and sizes explaining why they would vote for the GOP.

“Arnold Jones” says he’s voting Republican because “all other countries are inferior to us” — and his wife, “Trudy Jones,” adds, “and we should start as many wars as we need to keep it that way.” A soldier in Iraq states that he’s voting Republican “so I can stay in Iraq” — and a young boy, labeled “future draftee,” points a fake gun at the camera and smiles while saying “so I can go to Iran!”

A black couple says they’re voting Republican because they “like a conservative majority on the Supreme Court,” with the wife noting, “we really like knowing that even if we’re separate, we’ll still be called equal.”

This insulting nonsense is precisely what liberals think of conservatives: We’re all warmongers, racists, environmental rapists and secret emissaries of big corporations. We’re going to reinstitute the draft, start a war with Canada and then relocate African-Americans to Quebec.

This sort of tripe should be dismissed out of hand. In the spirit of evenhandedness and fair play, however, I feel it my duty to explain why I’m going to vote Democrat.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that the best strategy in war is defeat. It broadens the mind to learn Japanese, German and Arabic. Talk about multiculturalism!

I’m voting Democrat because I’m mad that George W. Bush hasn’t caught Bin Laden. That’s because Bin Laden is the only Islamic terrorist in the world.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that if I don’t have enough money, the solution is for the government to take more of my money. Who needs money when gas is $5 per gallon?

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that the ideal family is two homosexual bonobos, a goat and a parrot raising a human baby. Love and compassion is all it takes to make a successful family!

I’m voting Democrat because it’s my body, and if I want to kill my baby, I’ll do it, even if its head is in the birth canal. If I want to cut out my intestines and feed them to the crocodiles, I’ll do that too. That’s the freedom our forefathers enshrined in the Constitution.

I’m voting Democrat because our enemies on the battlefield deserve comfy hotel rooms, Pay-Per-View, prostitutes and all the benefits of American citizenship.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe we need other countries’ permission for me to turn down my thermostat.

I’m voting Democrat because I care about the real victims of crime — criminals.

I’m voting Democrat because the real cure for racism includes preferential policies based on race — particularly in presidential voting. If you believe that a black candidate ought to be qualified, as well as black, you’re worse than Bull Conner.

I’m voting Democrat because everyone deserves crappy healthcare. Sure, you’ll have to wait years for that life-saving cancer surgery. But it’s first come, first served at the cemetery!

I’m voting Democrat because I believe in minority rights (except in Muslim countries), free speech (with regard to pornography but not conservative talk radio), environmentalism (unless we’re talking about Al Gore’s house) and diplomacy (but never backed by the threat of military force).

I’m voting Democrat because I like the words “hope” and “change.” Also “kazoo.” That’s a funny word.

I’m voting Democrat because I believe that America’s founders were rich, white, greedy xenophobes, and that America’s founding principles are hogwash requiring periodic editing from an unelected group of liberal judges.

Most of all, I’m voting Democrat because I like the ideas they have over in France, but I don’t feel like moving there. I’ll threaten to move, but I really won’t. After all, I have a good job, healthcare, lower taxes, free speech and a social framework that promotes family structure. And all of it is defended by the most effective fighting force on the planet.
If only the institution of far-left values resulted in a great country. Oh, well. That won’t stop me from voting Democrat, though. After all, I’m voting Democrat because thought isn’t one of my strong suits.

Well, that about says it. Especially that last line. Those who are blindly following the Democrat Party are not thinking. Heck, even those who are blindly following ANY party are not thinking.

Sure could use a true conservative candidate now, instead of being forced to choose between two liberals.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Wearing my Lightning Sharp polo today – being all casual and what not.

You would have known this if you had listened to the show this morning – oh, wait, that’s right. I had connectivity issues and couldn’t host the show, so it was pretty much a bust.

Next time.

One of the things I was going to touch on on the show was the Supreme’s ruling that people don’t have to be citizens in order to be protected by this country’s constitution.

Great. Now all the illegals can claim rights under the constitution, since the Gitmo detainees have managed to weasel their way under it’s umbrella.

President Bush, it’s time to grow a pair – what, are you afraid your popularity rating will nosedive? You aren’t headed for another term in the White House, so what’s the harm? Cowboy up, Mr. President, and tell the Supremes they are WRONG to grant rights to non-citizens.

So, if you are a terrorist, fighting US soldiers, and are captured in the process of fighting US soldiers, and you are not wearing a uniform – it’s OK! Before, if the US had abided by the Geneva Convention, the detainee would have been executed in the field. Since that is distasteful to the liberals, the US afforded them protections under the Geneva Convention, by instead imprisoning them and granting them legal representation. Apparently that isn’t enough for the Justices Who Would Be Kings, and now these non-citizens, held for participating in non-uniformed acts of aggression on uniformed members of a recognized, standing army, have all the same rights and privileges as any citizen of the United States under the constitution.

Fantastic. Annie, get your gun.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I have been thinking on this subject for a while; I had been noting the changes here in Arizona as the sanctions law went into effect and wondered if the rest of the nation was taking note.

One of the biggest obstacles to ridding the country of illegals, or so the left would tell you, (and, by extension, the best reason for granting amnesty to these lawbreakers) is that we can’t deport them all. Well, actually, we don’t have to. If the nation were to take on the task of actively deporting the illegals, it would cost hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars – money that could be much better used elsewhere.

My buddy Gawfer pointed me to this article on The Loft. In particular:

That’s right…. by simply enforcing immigration laws and penalizing employers for hiring illegal aliens, the numbers of illegal aliens went DOWN. Does this mean they all left the country and returned home? No, of course not. Some probably did, while others went to another area of America where laws are not respected or enforced.

I’ll tell you this, from first-hand observation: the traffic levels are lowering. There are fewer Mexican plates on vehicles on the street. There aren’t the crowds outside the home improvement warehouses that there once were, although there are still the hangers-on. And, stats do show that there are fewer car-jackings and ID-jackings going on.

And, while the majority of these invaders may have gone back to Mexico, a good number of them, still trying to force their way into the American Cream, have gone to other states where the sanction laws have been either not put in place yet, or, if they have, activist judges are trying to knock them down. Arizona’s laws are facing the Supremes soon, followed closely by other states (Oklahoma, for one) and the Arizona ruling is expected to set a precedent.

Now, if only the Career Politicians would get a clue, and realize that We the People want secure borders and enforced laws…

I know, but I can dream, can’t I?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!