JWT's Journal

Is the Common Core Curriculum Dangerous?

Clio — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 22:42:10 +0000

Here we go again. Another improvement in the way we teach kids in order to get better results. Or is it more than that? As a former teacher and professor of American History and government, I can say that the latest push for The Common Core Curriculum is no surprise. In fact, it is a certain reality that we will make some kind of major modification to the entire approach to teaching every ten years. Of course, for those who hang around in teaching more than the average tenure of five years will notice that usually, they are trying something that we tried before (something that didn’t work before) only with a new name.

Is Obama Facing the “Second Term Curse”?

Clio — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:00:04 +0000

Last December, I wrote my annual predictions column in which I predicted that President Obama would be impeached for the crimes of Benghazi. It was a little surprising to see Benghazi sort of die out for a while, but now it is back with full force and attached with it are the scandals of the IRS targeting conservative groups, as well as the Justice Department acquiring wire taps and data grabs of email of the Associated Press and a Fox News reporter and demanding the revelation of some sources.

While all of this sounds like a most certain impeachment ahead for the President, nothing is certain in politics. Still, it is an interesting study on the, so called, “Second Term Curse.” Pundits have observed that most American presidents seem to almost always have troubles in their second term of office. Of course, the crisis factors for a second term president are not always so significant as to lead to impeachment. In most cases, it simply means a significantly decreased public opinion rating or difficulties accomplishing the items on their agendas. This so called ‘curse’ can take on many different characteristics.

Less Gas and More Corn Coming to Your Gas Station

Clio — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:00:22 +0000

The Renewable Fuel Standards set by the EPA, now require an additional 5% of alcohol added to our current gasoline. This would raise our fuel to 15% content of corn based alcohol. It is known as E15 as opposed to E85 which runs in Flex-Fuel cars produced in the last few years.

Our Government Persecutes Christians in the Military

Clio — Thu, 09 May 2013 20:46:03 +0000

In March of 1630, John Winthrop, Puritan leader and future Governor of Massachusetts Colony, before his departure, gave what is now one of the most famous sermons to ever be spoken. It was his famous City Upon a Hill sermon which has been quoted by numerous famous American leaders, including presidents of the United States. It is a declaration of who we have been and who we are now. Winthrop’s sermon provided Americans with a distinctive identity, as well as proclaimed our purpose and nature to the world. Winthrop’s words that so touched us for 300 to 400 years, were these:

Yes – Government is Controlling the Weather

Clio — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:00:07 +0000

I can say, without a doubt, that the government has worked on experiments to control the weather. The evidence for that goes back to the late 1970’s; long before the controversial and suspicious HARRP and the so-called chemtrail theories. It was in this period that I became a licensed Amateur “Ham” Radio operator. The hobby was new to me and I was anxious to learn all I could about the nuances of the Amateur Radio Service.

Violence in America

Clio — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 23:00:42 +0000

Deliberating the issue of excessive violence in America today in a short column such as this is no easy task. There is no time or space to even mention the most noteworthy incidents, but the bombings at the Boston Marathon give us sufficient cause to address the topic. Even the observations given here are far from comprehensive or complete, but it is important that we address these concerns nevertheless. Admittedly, due to lack of space, this column will not come close to presenting all of the relevant issues, but it is my goal to stimulate additional thinking by those who read the narrative.

North Korea: A Real Threat or a Joke?

Clio — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 23:00:04 +0000

As many of my readers know, I’ve given substantial attention to the potential threats of a nuclear North Korea and a nuclear Iran in my weekly columns. When Kim Jong-Un began to escalate his threats toward the United States in the past two weeks, I was appalled to see how dispassionate many people were. Some make jokes about Korea and post funny pictures of Kim Jon-Un on Facebook, but when I responded to these posts and said, yes, the jokes are funny, but the issue is very serious, I was confronted with genuine anger that I would say such a thing.

The most incredible statement, made by one of my antagonists, was in response to an Alaska resident who was concerned about the threat to his home state. The response was that even if they hit Alaska, they would be unlikely to hit anyone since so few people live there. Such an insensitive and nonsensical position is mind-boggling. Alaska’s population density aside, the wildlife and natural resources – here’s an example:

The Cyprus Banking and Financial Crisis

Clio — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 01:00:57 +0000

Banks closed as citizens rushed to withdraw their money. The government called for a Bank Holiday in which the banks closed and no one was able to withdraw their money. When the banks finally didreopen around the country, most of those who were finally able to acquire their money found that they received only about ten cents on the dollar.

As I see posts on Social Media and hear the news, it is obvious that those who are just becoming aware of the crisis in Cyprus do not recognize that the opening paragraph is not about Cyprus, but about the United States in the 1930’s. Yes, the last Great Depression was worldwide and the response of Franklin D. Roosevelt was to call for a bank holiday to stop the run on the banks. In that depression, banks failed all around the world and in this current depression, the same thing is going to happen. In fact, in some sense, it has already happened.

Happy 4th Birthday ~ The Bold Pursuit

Clio — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:59:08 +0000

I want to say Happy Birthday to The Bold Pursuit.

This has been a real mission for Clio, and I have certainly benefitted from her vision. When I was running for Congress, she read some of my articles from my own website. At that point, a surprisingly long relationship developed. She asked me to write a weekly article in The Bold Pursuit and endorsed me in my campaign.

As I have written my column, I have learned that there is a lot more to writing than just putting words and ideas on a page. Clio is inexhaustible in her efforts to fight for American Freedom and the Rights of the People. Many articles go through many edits and exchanges of information. The blog has to be maintained and published. Finding and encouraging writers and contributors is a big effort. Publicizing the Blog is an endless chore. In all of this, Clio has worked not tirelessly, but in spite of being exhausted at times. I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say we all owe a great deal of debt and gratitude to Clio for her efforts, encouragement and hard, hard work to bring The Bold Pursuit to the place of recognition that it now enjoys. Who says one person can’t make a difference? Thank you, Clio, and may The Bold Pursuit enjoy many more birthdays and much more success.

John Wayne Tucker

America’s Impotent Foreign Policy

Clio — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:00:31 +0000

With all the turmoil America faces with its domestic problems, it almost seems to follow that our foreignpolicy is also in desperate need of repair. Clearly, a world power such as the United States of America cannot afford to have a defunct foreign policy. The reality is that our foreign policy has been weak and declining for quite a while and this ‘state of affairs’ is about to get significantly worse.

Our recent history is filled with terrorist attacks on many American embassies and military sites, as well as military ships. Most of know (and ‘all’ should – the ‘low information voter’ cannot rely on propaganda or distractions from the Left as an alternative to studying and understanding our history) that the United States Embassy in Tehran, Iran was attacked in 1979 and embassy officials were held hostage for 444 days.

In 2000, the United States Military Ship, the USS Cole was attacked by terrorist group al-Qaeda, killing 17 sailors and injuring 39.

Most recently, September of 2012, our Embassy in Benghazi was attacked over a period of several hours, with the result that Ambassador Stevens and three other Americans (two of whom were former Navy SEALs) were killed while the Obama Administration apparently watched the entire fiery attack unfold via livestream video from a drone and did nothing – not even providing military help for which the embassy sent desperate pleas or the additional security that it had made multiple requests over a period of months before the attack.