Dennis Patrick
Thursday, June 24, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on June 24, 2010 at 07:14 am
Freedom from foreign oil has an intrinsic emotional appeal. Alternatively, there is something admirable about a skeptic who, with reasoned observations, challenges conventional wisdom and crowd mentality. As it was…...
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on June 16, 2010 at 10:09 am
The seen versus the unseen--. This is the essence of the sleight-of-hand game played by politicians and policy makers with constituents at all levels of government. That’s what TARP, the…...
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on June 9, 2010 at 08:29 am
England is officially a Christian nation. The Queen, as head of the Church of England, is sworn to uphold the laws of God and the true profession of the Gospel.…...
Friday, June 04, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on June 4, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Commentary on the passing scene holds a fascination for many. A slight change of pace from the usual fare, however, is warranted at times. Being a Johnny One Note can…...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on May 18, 2010 at 11:09 am
Whether history repeats itself may be debated. That history parallels itself is self-evident. Serious times are brewing. Times of grave economic tension foment unrest and America’s predicament today is certainly…...
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on April 28, 2010 at 11:20 am
A type of unintended consequence occurs when a law or regulation is established with the intent of promoting some good or positive result -- and then backfires. The unintended consequence…...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on April 15, 2010 at 08:02 am
Now that congress, including North Dakota’s congressional delegation, voted us into a catastrophic fiscal hole, everyone agrees reducing the national debt is a good thing. But wait! Didn’t Obama,…...
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on April 7, 2010 at 10:16 am
Effective April 1, 2010, a 21% fee cut in Medicare reimbursement to doctors went into effect. While senators and congressmen on Easter vacation fanned out across the country selling the…...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on March 31, 2010 at 09:00 am
Massive health care overhaul is a “done deal” despite its unpopularity. One group is particularly concerned about their future medical care and the impact of the health care overhaul bill.…...
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on March 23, 2010 at 11:20 am
Zero is a strange number. Zero can also be dangerous. On September 21, 1997, the USS Yorktown, a missile cruiser off the coast of Virginia, shut down unexpectedly. She went…...
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on March 9, 2010 at 10:07 am
The latest manifestation of vestigial conservatism comes in the form of the Tea Party movement. The noun “conservative” signifies guardian or defender, the essence of a conservator. Leaderless at the…...
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on March 3, 2010 at 07:00 am
The 2010 Winter Olympics are over and what a time it was. The pursuit for excellence goes on. No commentator can spin the reality of success. Competition is what it…...
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on February 23, 2010 at 01:32 pm
Picking the right word to explain manmade climate change is tough. Ruse. Charade. Fraud. Scary. Sham. Bogus. Deceit. Ploy. Trick. Phony. Belief that infinitesimally small man can change climate is…...
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on February 16, 2010 at 09:21 am
In the mid-1960s a psychiatrist named Dr. Eric Berne wrote a popular rendition of transactional analysis titled “Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships.” His special area of investigation…...
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on February 9, 2010 at 02:56 pm
So many -illions. Millions. Billions. Trillions. What’s next? Try quadrillion. That would be a “1” with 15 zeros behind it. Get used to it. It will soon be part of…...
Monday, February 01, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on February 1, 2010 at 12:47 pm
Sometime between Martin Luther King Day and Groundhog Day America is rescued from winter’s doldrums by the spectacle of the president’s State of the Union speech. This year’s presidential delivery…...
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on January 27, 2010 at 02:36 pm
As Christmas 2009 fades, the tangible “stuff” lingers on to join in other “things” as reminders of Christmases past. In particular one item given to me this year is a…...
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
By
Dennis Patrick
on January 6, 2010 at 01:23 pm
A new addition to our extended family arrived in early December and, consequently, added a new round of Christmas memories. Our son and his wife were blessed with a new…...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
By
Beacon Author
on December 30, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Focus hard enough and the assertion of government impropriety runs clear and deep. In P.J. O’Rourke’s book “A Parliament of Whores” he humorously lambastes government in general, and politicians in…...
Monday, December 14, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on December 14, 2009 at 12:19 pm
On December 1, 2009, President Obama delivered his Afghanistan surge speech at West Point. Four days later, on December 5, Adjunct Professor of International Affairs, General Barry R. McCaffrey (U.S.…...
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on December 8, 2009 at 11:46 am
Random bits and pieces from the passing scene make an eye-catching collage. Health care legislation in its various forms considered by the senate contains various provisions Senator Conrad vows not…...
Monday, November 30, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on November 30, 2009 at 03:52 pm
The credibility of manmade global warming, or anthropogenic global warming (AGW), hangs in the balance. Hoax. Scam. Fraud. Deception. Quackery. Call it what you will. Scandal envelops the global…...
Monday, November 23, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on November 23, 2009 at 01:00 pm
Hard times tend to drive people back to basics, to their roots, to something more meaningful than temporal prosperity. Our first president and members of congress shared such an attitude.…...
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on November 17, 2009 at 06:44 pm
I received my letter from Congressman Earl Pomeroy last week with a convoluted explanation justifying his vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act. In keeping with Speaker Nancy…...
Monday, November 09, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on November 9, 2009 at 01:04 pm
President Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 on October 28, 2009. The signing followed convoluted action by the congress. Funding all activities…...
Monday, November 02, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on November 2, 2009 at 01:00 pm
When enemy action kills our troops it is unfortunate. When political dalliance and indecisiveness kills our soldiers it is inexcusable bordering on criminal. Political decision making as the…...
Monday, October 26, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on October 26, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Language in general, and English in particular, is fascinating and engaging. Its construction, usage and evolution offer hours for investigation. So why truncate the language when it’s possible to express…...
Monday, October 19, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on October 19, 2009 at 11:03 am
With Islam so prevalent in today’s news, this topic warrants scrutiny. The fact is that the Muslim population worldwide is expanding and shifting. It is prudent to familiarize ourselves with…...
Monday, October 12, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on October 12, 2009 at 11:38 am
Popular conception holds that the Obama stimulus plan will work. This is the $789 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that will ultimately cost $3.27 trillion over ten years including…...
Monday, October 05, 2009
By
Dennis Patrick
on October 5, 2009 at 04:56 pm
Capturing oral history from military personnel before they pass on is a noble initiative for veterans’ organizations. Gallant efforts though these are, a complementary perspective would advance these histories by…...
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