Rackspace IPO Almost Here

On August 4, Rackspace will go public.

I have mixed thoughts on this particular IPO for a variety of reasons. On the one hand, I like it because if there is a solid webhosting company that can go public and thrive, it’s Rackspace. On the other hand, what will answering to finicky demands of more shareholders and the markets do to a company whose model has been based around Fanatical Support ® in the long run?

I suppose any company reaches a point where it has to weigh decisions about whether or not a particular risk is worth the potential payoff. Hopefully, the company has a good plan in place to ensure that it has nowhere to go but up and on towards bigger and better things. Otherwise, stockholder driven corner-cutting is the thing most likely to destroy Fanatical Support ® when you get right down to it.

Do I like the idea of putting the very heart of one’s business model on the line for increased funding when that business is already making healthy profits and has no pressing need for the risk? Not particularly. I would consider improving hiring quality and better ideas and practices and strategic thinking avenues—and pursue them until there was absolutely no gain left to be had in those areas.

And maybe they have.

Of course, I have a lot of high hopes for them on this one. A friend of mine is a one of the guys who helped get the company up and running after he left the Army, and I would love to see the company he’s been part of for so long do even better. So, of course, I’m going to be wishing them all the luck in the world.

Not so sure about the auction for buying shares though…seems like that could hurt them more than help. We’ll see. Good luck, Rackspace!

Moments Ago

Looking out in the backyard, enjoying the sort of thing you miss out on when living in built-up urban areas…

Oklahoma’s Polluted Waters

It is sad to hear of this report, but sometimes the truth is unpleasant. It seems that Oklahoma’s waters (lakes, rivers, streams) are pretty much all polluted and don’t meet Federal standards, as reported by DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality). You can read the article at the Tulsa World website.

Take a look at this shameful report my fellow Oklahomans. Well past time to do something.

On another note…does Texas really want to be buying polluted water for its citizens to drink? Kind of makes you wonder. Actually they don’t, they want to tap into the aquifer underground and siphon off what is pretty much the only good water in Oklahoma.

Bias Against Southern History Still Remains Due To Ignorance

The bias of post-Civil War history against the former Confederate States of America continues as ever. People still find it hard to look at history objectively, especially their own.

One example is seen in the upcoming 200th birthday of two different American Presidents.

Lincoln on the one hand is getting lots of respect, never mind that he refused to recognize the right of others to be independent as the nation’s founders had. So he gets credited with saving the Union and bringing us to the wonderful point we are at today where our current President and political leaders are giving away our nation to unarmed invaders.

On the other hand, Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America, who fought for states rights—and especially for the right of secession—is seldom mentioned in history books. That is, of course, because because history is largely written by the victors and they rarely bother to write about their own shortcomings, nor are they likely to point out the accomplishments of the vanquished.

It is not surprising how many Americans believe the Civil War was nothing more than a war against slavery and that any emblem of the Confederacy is representative of racism. Ignorance has never been in short supply in America, that’s for sure.

As the article that inspired this post mentions, Davis was an unrepentant Confederate. But he also, in his own words, said the war wasn’t about slavery, but about the right of self-governance (the south was full of Scots-Irish/Ulster Scots after all, and politics are genetic) and a willingness to give everything up to have it…just as those fighting the Revolutionary War had:

“You may emancipate every Negro in the Confederacy, but we will be free. We will govern ourselves … if we have to see every Southern plantation sacked, and every Southern city in flames.”

— Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America

Most Northerners are probably just embarrassed that there was slavery in the North and that Northerners practiced it through the entire Civil War. But, they have done their best in the fine tradition of hypocrites to paint the Civil War as a war about slavery…just not their slavery.

I wonder, given that we have a government that is becoming increasingly invasive of privacy, chipping away at our liberties and personal freedoms, full of corrupt political leaders in bed with those nations that are a threat to us, and doing nothing to secure our borders…if Davis’ upcoming 200th celebration won’t have many Americans from the South looking back on their heritage and thinking it might be time to revisit the old dream of self-governance?

Honestly, how could it be any worse than the government we suffer today? And, since there’s no slavery, what argument would others use this time to suggest secessionist states were in the wrong? The US government just recognized Kosovo’s independence—and ironically, for the same reasons they denied independence to the states that made up the Confederacy…

Greed, resources, political gain and hypocrisy.

Lincoln himself said, after all, that if he could defeat the Confederacy without freeing the slaves he would pursue that route. As the war became desperate Lincoln discarded that option and reluctantly freed the slaves within the Confederacy by Presidential proclamation, hoping to sow discord in the South and create rebellion.

Most Americans like to forget that Lincoln only freed the slaves in the Confederacy during the war and that the North still practiced slavery through the entirety of the war, up until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed in 1865. Slavery existed and was practiced in all 13 of the original states, and throughout the North.

Many people who come from those states that formed the North or Union states believe a made-up revisionist history that says they never even owned slaves. Such self-delusion seems to reverberate in modern times with people similarly ignoring the damage illegal immigration is doing to our nation and decrying those states whose legislatures take action when the federal government has failed in its responsibilities.

Don’t take my word for it. Perhaps a northern historian might convince those who cling to the lie that the North had no slaves of the fallacy of their belief.

I Hope They Catch The Bastard: Muslim Honor Killing In Texas

Another Muslim honor killing, only this time in Texas.

Two teenage girls shot by their Muslim father for no good reason. This is a perfect example of why Islam sucks. This is a perfect example of why Europe is starting to see the beginnings of a movement that is the result of backlash against the growing Islamification of the continent, and seeing discussion on how to preserve European culture. The same concern is starting a conversation about the issue here in America.

Sharia law needs to stay where it is welcome—in the barbaric, backwards Middle Eastern places where they have no respect for life or the rights of others and believe in enslaving women.

I hope they catch this bastard and do him the honor of killing him.

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UPDATE: Laura Ingle has updates on the story as they break. Read the latest…

Bloomberg For President? How About Bloomberg And Ron Paul?

David Boren, former Oklahoma Senator and OU President, had a get-together to discuss the notion of getting the bickering Democrats and Republican candidates on-track and concerned with American interests, rather than specific party interests. He invited New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg—who might be considering a run for the White House.

Or at least that is the general idea.

The threat is not subtle and it is aimed at both Democrats and Republicans: shape up and focus on what’s best for all Americans, or face the risk of a campaign by independent candidate, Michael Bloomberg. He’s mayor of New York City, a billionaire, and has credentials and a reputation for success. A serious threat indeed…

Why The Iowa Caucuses Do Not Matter To Southerners

It’s that time again (already?). Iowa caucuses are happening tonight and all the pundits are riveted. I suppose if you are a northerner, they matter.

For us southerners, they don’t really mean much.

Why The Caucuses Don’t Matter Down South

The issues. Plain and simple.

What matters to those up north aren’t exactly the same issues that matter in the south to the same degree. Sure, we all care about the economy, insurance, wages, war, and the price of oil.

However, it is how those things impact and relate to different regions that I’m talking about here…

Sooners, It Is Time To Let Bob Stoops Go

As a die-hard OU fan, it was no surprise to me that they lost to West Virginia in the Fiesta bowl last night. Losing bowl games is now an official OU tradition.

It used to be winning the Big VIII/XII championship and competing for the national title, but these days, we’re lucky to be winning conference championships. We can thank Bob Stoops. As a fan, I’m getting tired of rooting for a team whose coach doesn’t want to win.

It seemed OU was returning to its glory days for a while. Stoops even won a national championship. But do we really want a coach who screws his own team over repeatedly to be at the helm of the Sooners? Not really.

It’s time to let Bob Stoops go…

HB 1804: The Bane Of Illegals In Oklahoma

It is now a felony in Oklahoma to provide shelter, transportation or employment to illegal immigrants. Police now will be able to check the immigration status of anyone arrested, and it will be harder for illegal aliens to obtain any form of public assistance.

Cheap labor barons and illegal aliens have been served notice: you are not welcome in Oklahoma.

HB 1804 took effect November 1st, making Oklahoma the state in the Union taking the toughest stance on illegal immigration. The state legislature, fed up with the US federal government, took matters into their own hands and decided to do what President Bush and Congress refuse to do out of cowardice and because of pandering to special interests: protect our nation…

Fidel Castro Likes Clinton-Obama Ticket

The best reason yet to demonstrate why Americans do not want either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama to win the Presidency: it is what our nearest enemy, a communist country wants.

Fidel Castro likes the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket and says it would be “unbeatable” in the upcoming elections…

Racist Illegal Aliens And Their Planned Conquest Of America

There are a lot of apologists out there rooting for illegal immigration to continue. They don’t want anything done about the problem of illegal immigration into the United States of America. Who these apologists are ranges from radical liberals to journalists to cheap labor barons. What they want is the same: a free pass for illegal aliens.

Rueben Navarrette Jr., a nationally syndicated journalist, recently wrote that illegal immigration is our own fault. I can only assume he means we, the legal citizens of America, when he says “our” in reference to his attempt to paint illegal immigration as something we should not attempt to fix.

You see, he’s Hispanic—which is why he appears to take exception to and point out with some weak form of pseudo-disgust “what one commentator ominously labeled “socio-ethnic centric groups” such as the National Council of La Raza.” (Source: CNN.com)

La Raza is a racist organization just like the Black Panthers, KKK and other such groups. One of their stated goals is the reconquest of America…which is funny, since they never had it to begin with. La Raza and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (Chicano Student Movement of Aztlan) seem to think America belongs to them—as if they built it, as if they have defended it.

Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan is about as racist an organization as you can find. Here’s what they believe:

“For The Race everything. Outside The Race, nothing.”

There’s more…

Border Patrol To Bring Peace And Pinatas To Iraq?

The latest example of stupidity on the part of our government? Sending Border Patrol agents to Iraq to train Iraqis on how to secure their borders.

No, I’m serious. This is happening. Check out the video.

If all goes well, Mexicans will soon be crowding the streets of every Iraqi town and insurgents will all be too busy bitching and moaning about loud tejano music played at 3am and the loss of jobs that Iraqis will not want to bother fighting with coalition forces. Soon, there will be peace and pinatas for all in Iraq…

American Citizenship On Sale, Really Cheap!

In a move that can only be described as bi-partisan treason, a group of lawmakers have agreed to sell American citizenship to illegal aliens.

This proposed amnesty plan for illegal aliens is the worst insult to veterans in the history of our nation. Where generations of veterans have paid for freedom and purchased citizenship for all Americans with blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice, this group of lawmakers now want to make it the law of the land that it can be purchased for a paltry $5000.

Have you ever looked at the definition of treason? Do you wonder where our nation is headed? You are not alone…

Texas Greed For Oklahoma Water

I used to like the state of Texas, having lived in both northeast Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. But lately, Texas has really pissed me off. I am, after all, a native born Oklahoman. In any case, Texas has been largely responsible for contributing to the illegal immigration into the US by its failure to clamp down on its borders.

That would be reason enough to be upset with Texas—helping contribute to the weakening of our national sovereignty and economy, but there’s another good reason to dislike Texas.

Don’t mess with Texas? How about don’t mess with Oklahoma? We don’t want your greed and your problems screwing up our state as well.

Texas has long been after Oklahoma water. Now, Texas lawyers are trying under the guise of a Federal lawsuit to claim a right to southeast and southern Oklahoma’s 5 aquifers…