Back before smoking bans reigned supreme… Baker’s Square Restaurants were the “Mecca” for the non-smoking crowd. I remember this vividly because whenever I was involved in a large crowd determining where to have dinner, we often voted off Baker’s Square because they didn’t cater to my type of people.
Nevertheless, they had great pie (and you could always call in an order for one) and they experienced a unique popularity from the non-smoker types, but now, after all these years, my quitting smoking back in 2003 (and still not patronizing the store), Baker’s Square announced they’re filing for Chapter 11Bankruptcy:
The parent company of Bakers Square filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday, resulting in the closure of 56 restaurants nationwide. The company said the rising cost of food and the economic downturn have hurt its business.
It seems highly ironic that after Minnesota went smoke free in all bars, public places, and restaurants, that this “Mecca” would suffer, and become yet another victim to this depressionrecessioneconomic downturn bump on the financial road of life.
The St. Cloud Times was quick to report that here in our fair city, we won’t see the absence of this establishment, but I have to cry a bit because this vacant shop would bring in something better. Perhaps Sonic would see fit to coming up to our neck of the woods!
Fitna is a film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament. The movie offers his views on Islam and the Qur’an. The film’s title comes from the Arabic word fitna which is used to describe “disagreement and division among people”, or a “test of faith in times of trial”. The movie was released to the Internet on 27 March 2008.
I will warn you that there is some graphic material included in this film, but you must see it for yourself.
What a powerful piece, and one I think every freedom loving citizen needs to put in the back of their minds.
In a letter of support to Geert Wilders (filmmaker for Fitna) I wrote:
Dear Mr. Wilders,
I just completed watching your film Fitna over the internet and I am writing to you with my review.
I live in the state of Minnesota here in the United States and was very powerfully moved by your film. I can’t fathom any idea of what your people are having to live through during the islamisation of the Netherlands but I know, and can understand what radical islamism has done to my country.
I sincerely pray for you and your countrymen and women, in hopes that freedom from zealous and oppresive regimes like islamofascism will be conquered.
Please do not be discouraged by what the vocal minority says about your film. Your message is being heard loud and clear over here in the United States.
Good Luck, God Bless!
David Nick
Minnesota, United States.
Yes, I think it’s that important.
(Update 11:15pm) As a commenter suggested, the link I offered up was censored and I hope that this YouTube version (in 2 parts) will stay up. It’s doubtful but I will search for others if it is.
You know, I haven’t written much since last month. Partly that is due to my schedule as a student, dad, volunteer, and son. I have my time spread out in so many different directions that I really haven’t focused on writing. (Not that my readership is up LOL)
I have two things on the political front that I wanted to discuss, a couple of things on the personal front. So, if you are looking for a long read this is your blog! If not, don’t click on the “more” link and go play on MySpace or something.
…that technically, if you are Pro-Israel as a state, that your stance should also be “pro” on illegal immigration?
I’ve been doing a lot of reading about the Arab-Israel conflict especially in my World History class at college when this “truth” dawned on me.
You see, after the persecution of the Jews during WWII from Nazi Germany, the Brits, along with the United States took sympathy on them (as any human being should), and helped them to decide on the best course of action for their people. Well, the Jews decided that the best course of action for them would be to go back to the lands of the Ancestors and claim their Zionist heritage. Where was that land? Of course, it was already in the occupied/controlled territory of Palestine.
The Palestinians had sovereignty over that land for a long enough time but with the help of our two countries and France, we encouraged the Jewish people to create a Jewish state which was later called Israel.
So, you’re asking how does this fit in with illegal immigration?
The Jewish people immigrated into Palestine and took over by force the territories of the Golan Heights, Gaza, the West Bank, and a few other places to claim as its own sovereign Jewish state to be recognized with all diplomatic rights.
Here in the United States, our government is essentially advocating for the rights of the illegal immigrant and there is no extremist faction to revolt and go to war against these illegal immigrants (not that there should be, nor that I am advocating a bloody revolt). If it was alright for our governments to interfere with the sovereignty of Palestine in order to essentially give diplomatic rights to the Jewish people, then everyone who supports that movement should be behind illegal immigration amnesty.
We are basically saying to ourselves that the plight of refugees to their homeland trumps all other rights, laws, and sovereignties and that essentially means that since the Mexican natives were here first, they trump our rights, laws, and sovereignties.
And if you don’t see it that way, you are calling yourself a hypocrite! So eat your crow.
“The agriculture and construction and hospitality industries in Florida would collapse without undocumented immigrants,” said Rep. David Rivera, a Republican from Miami and a close friend of Rubio. “The prospects for success for these types of proposals are dim.”
With elected officials like these who needs enemies?
Why have a border, laws, economies, labor unions, hell, why do we even bother to have private ownership of the means of production when we have politicians who can decide at whim what laws to enforceobeyimplement errr ignore?
Some leading Republicans see a harsh stance on immigration as a losing position for the GOP, which has slipped in approval among the nation’s fastest-growing voting bloc: Latinos, which now represent 11 percent of registered voters.
“Politicians that use this as a wedge issue, it’s a loser,” former Gov. Jeb Bush said of immigration in an October interview with The Hoover Institution, a Stanford University think tank.
“To totally disarm a group that is the only group that is growing in our country…we do it at our peril. It’s wrong and it’s stupid,” Bush said.
Gosh, can we just start celebrating the downfall of the Bush dynasty? I mean seriously, and Rush was touting in his show today, support for Hillary! LOL I don’t want a Clinton, McCain, or any other lifer in office any more.
