Joseph's Song Michael Card

I've never heard this before and thought it should be shared. Fr. Tim at Queen's sang it before Midnight Mass.

A LETTER FROM SANTA-

One of my kids has been the voice of Santa for many years after his major attempt at making sure he was believable by making tracks on the roof and leaving a bicycle for his 5 year old leaning against the chimney because "it wouldn't fit." The latest effort:

Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to the Peterson Family!

Cyber Santa is coming to you from Lola's computer. You don't know how much Santa appreciates the fact that you left the computer on for me to write you a little thank-you note. If all gift recipients were to do what the Peterson's have done, Santa wouldn't have to pay overtime to the reindeer. This evening's trip could be done in the traditional 8 hours rather than the 16 hours it has take for the last 2000 years.

Hey, that is no exaggeration,folks. You figure that old Santa can type 55 words a minute with no errors compared to the 17 words a minute that I use to dictate to Carla and then Edith has to edit, well shoot, that is 38 seconds saved per home times 2.7 billion homes and yes, race fans, Santa would be faster than Jimmy Johnson at Talladega. Who are Carla and Edith you ask? Well, they are both reassigned to the "Letter to Santa Reply Department" which will make them happy, both don't really like the high altitudes and never did get reindeer humor. Moving along on the improved efficiency Santa doesn't need Carla the Copy Queen and Edith the Editor to proof my work, which leaves room for two more elves in the sleigh which makes present sorting and delivery so much more efficient. I'm not sure how to market this for it to spread by next year.....Hmmmmmmmmm......

I have it!!! Lola, use your blog to spread the word. I know you weren't' a card carrying member of the TEA Party but could you be the lead marketer of the newly created JESUS Party? This is a neat way to spread the word that if people help Cyber Santa be more efficient by leaving their computer, I-phone or any suitable device turned on, it will save Santa time and make sure the North Pole Enterprises doesn't go bankrupt. Lola, use your Blog to start the message and just like any worthwhile grass roots movement it will grow and be a huge success. And just think--if you do this for Cyber Santa you will also be reminding the entire world of the reason for the season, JESUS, at the same time. Santa is smarter than you thought, eh?

More questions I see...Why is Santa calling it the JESUS Party? Good question, I got ahead of myself and didn't explain this very well, although as smart as the Peterson family is I thought you would have it figured out by now. Yes, Miss 97% Anna Kate....., don't you know? Mr. Stanford man, any guesses.....? Well, Cyber Santa needs to get to Indiana by 12:18 to keep on schedule so I'll just tell you.

J Just
E Enough
S "Syber"
U Usage
S Saves time

Not bad for a spur of the moment thing, eh?

Hey, before I go, it must be said, Thanks for the Georgia Peterson's to come north for Christmas, and Aunt Kath from the Carolina's for birthdays.

PS. Not to be a downer but I get so mad when Santa is taken for granted. Paula, didn't you read the fine print in the metal roof literature? Oh, stupid me, you are like your Dad, you don't read manuals...Anyway, all owners of metal roofs are supposed to contact Santa by December 23rd to alert Santa and his team of the new "slippery" roof surface. I now have two reindeer on the DL, one with a torn hoof and the other with a black and blue nose instead of a red one. As your brother so lovingly reminds us, "it is not always about you."

Well, Merry Christmas, and say a prayer for Santa and the quick recovery of his team.

PSS. The cookies were great as usual, don't be mad but I shared them with Bo.

There you have it--including a few inside the family references which brought huge laughs, but when Santa asks, we accommodate, right?

Trusting that your Christmas was blessed, Merry Christmas! (Now I'm going to start doing my Christmas cards which will carry the notice that my Christmas Season starts with Advent but doesn't end until Epiphany--just a bit of rationalization.)

A LETTER FROM SANTA-

Thoughts on Education

Disclaimer: Now that I'm officially in my 80s, I need to realize that I just don't see things the way the next generations do, but I'm honor bound to share a bit of general philosophy that I only hope does not get lost as time goes by.

Premise: I've been reading lately about the horrible placement on a global marking system the United States holds. And that Asian countries are far and above us in intelligence and performance.

Question: Just as we constantly debate the "nature vs nurture" question, are we sure that we want to emulate those who test better than our kids do? Has it occurred to our politicos who are up in arms about the results how any one group arrives at the final ranking? In other words, does it occur to them that many of the Asian countries are Communist? That the talented children are taken from their homes to lead lives without any outside activity other than learning facts, figures and perhaps, theories? (The parents of Asian kids who top the scales in the U.S. also put top priority on education.) The other option is to be put in those classes or left in their homes where they will lead lives of "service" to the elites?

Can the other side of the coin be found in taking the theories and bringing them into the market place as a product or a new way of looking at a problem where it is more important to solve the problem than to be rewarded for the intelligence used to arrive at the conclusion? At one point in time everything from automobiles to electronics were invented in the U.S. and the production (also methods adopted from those developed in the U.S.) was refined elsewhere.

Granted we didn't invent "everything" but you see what I mean.

Take it a step further. Would we give up the freedoms and opportunities we have for a rigid society where individual thought is stifled? Would you give up taking your children to the zoo, Disneyland, the park or just over to Grandma's house for the chance to send them to a boarding school where they always wear the same clothing, eat the same food, take the same classes, their futures are predetermined according to IQ tests, etc.?

Does anyone younger than I remember lying on new mown grass in the middle of summer looking at the skies at night for Northern lights and shooting stars and catching lightning bugs in jars or in the daytime recognizing patterns in the clouds of watching a storm move across the horizon? Would you deny your children that kind of opportunity?

I just can't help wondering if curiosity is one of the missing elements in the education of our kids.... I wonder if ideas aren't more important than memorization. I believe I have shared with you early on that other than "Everything I needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" to my high school debate squad and the Senior Govt/Econ teacher who taught that it wasn't "what you know, but knowing where to find it" is the key to education. And now you have the internet and computers! What largess!

And at this Christmas season it should go without saying that the freedom of religion sets us apart from many of the other parts of the world where it might be said that education is their religion. That topic could take up many more pages, but I leave it to you to determine its importance in your life.

That being said, this is the last week of Advent--the preparation for the commemoration of the birth which is the "reason for the season" and I wish you the most blessed of Christmases.

Important Video on Drunk Driving

I need to ask you to be patient and understand why I can't make this easy for you. I received a You Tube video which is the most powerful "scared straight" type I have ever seen. The thing is, it isn't just for drunk or drug impaired driving which is the obvious lesson to be learned; it demonstrates what any distraction can cause and how important it is to be alert and attentive and practice defensive driving techniques at all times.

The problem with just going the usual route of embedding a video in the blog is that it doesn't include the sound due to some copyright problem. The person who sent it to me used an address which I will attempt to duplicate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Z2mf8DtWWd8

If that doesn't automatically get that line under it so you can just click on it, I'm quite sure that if you type it into the address line it will go directly to the video. Time consuming but worth it. I can't imagine why they would try to keep people from seeing it else why did they put it up in the first place?

Why am I so adamant about this? Probably most of you are unaware that in 1988 one of my four sons was killed in a motorcycle accident. Fortunately there was no alcohol or drug involved, but it may have been had it been another time. I can guarantee you that it is every Mother's prayer that if anyone in her family is involved in an accident that her family member is not at fault causing an innocent person to be hurt or killed and that her own child or family member is not a victim of the same kind of behavior.

God bless....
.....and be vigilant-

There are Heroes and There are Heroes...

With the heroes who fought in WWII which, by the way, is being remembered on Tuesday the 7th of December, numbering in the thousands upon thousands, you'll forgive me if Charlie Rangel and his friends and a number of "admirers" who referred to his heroism as part of the reason why they will forgive him his crimes rings hollow in my ears.

The ordinary veteran of that war and others that have followed are the men and women who make up the backbone of this country and very, very few of them have committed any kind of crime at all let alone try to justify their actions by saying that their many heroic and good deeds makes up for their "mistakes." Of course, the worst part of the entire story lies in the fact there are so many people who accept and agree with that reasoning.

How our culture has changed. True humility would be to simply admit his wrongdoing, not defend himself.

It would seem to me that the unemployment question regarding how long to continue benefits might be partially solved if the amounts are reduced on a downward sliding scale. Example: the average amount is about $1000 per month. So how about reducing the amount by 5-10% per month so by the end of a year it would be only half or less so it would pay them to get at least a part time job and be working to be free of unemployment comp. Just thinking...

Not only should government employees take a 10% pay cut, but those employed in the last few months, should be either laid off or go part time or job sharing.

Subsidies for green energy both in transportation and utilities should be stopped. If the private sector cannot work profitably, too bad.

And last, did you know that Chrysler/Fiat are investing more than $1.3 billion American in a plant in Milan to build Jeeps, expecting that over half will be sold in North America. We're subsidizing a foreign car company, folks. How does that grab you?

The cold temps are early this year.
God bless......

GM Rubbing Salt in the Wound...

I know, you are tired of hearing me complain about GM, but they just can't quit. Did anyone else catch the new ad during the NFL games where there is lovely piano music in the background and beginning with a boxer being knocked to the canvas? The next scene featured a space vehicle starting to rise and then settling back down, followed by Popeye falling (or drowning.) Next we see Evil Knievel missing a stunt and a guy holding him, then a guy on his hands and knees in sepia colors (to make it look like an old classic) apparently being watched by a room full of dejected guys -Popeye still falling, and Harry Truman holding up a newspaper featuring the headline touting "Dewey beats Truman." (For you younger people, he didn't.)

Ta da! Popeye magically pulls out his can of spinach, kicking his way to the surface, the boxer on the canvas shakes it off and gets up and screen black with the words: We all fall down - followed by something about needing help to get up and finally, "Thank You from GM" (Big difference, except for Knievel, there was no evidence of anyone else getting any help.)

To begin with, Obama didn't give us any choice in the matter, they profess to have paid back every penny and their spokespersons last week again lied by saying that the preferred stock holders and bond holders have been made whole, and they are the beneficiaries of $45 gazillion in tax credits over the next 20 years. All in all it gives me real heartburn to know that they have fooled the American public once again. Oh, and I still get letters from them thanking me for my loyalty and don't I want to come in and check out the new models.

A couple of topics we may want to dig into a little more deeply:

1-A friend who is undergoing chemo and has been getting a $1000 shot on a monthly basis has been told, through (not by) her doctor that the FDA says she now needs two shots instead of one. No government control?

2-Since there is no excess Social Security in the pot for the government to take and replace with a worthless IOU, they are just not going to pay the interest due on all the so-called loans they have taken thus far.

3-Wouldn't it be really easy for there to be a box on the IRS form for those making over $250,000 to check if they are a business? Then the really rich could go on to pay more--just like Warren Buffet, Ted Turner, Bill Gates, etc. Just do it without forcing their guilty consciences on others.

4-Still need to address earmarks as stand alone items. What's so hard about that?

5-Russia has finally admitted to it being Stalin who was responsible for the 1940 massacre of 22,000 Poles in the Katyn Forest--not the Nazis as they have been saying all along. (Nazis have more than their share of that kind of behavior.)

One wonders if the Japanese will ever admit to their own people, let alone the rest of the world, that they attacked Pearl Harbor and other South Pacific outposts on Dec. 7, 1941. That's a date which is coming up next week lest we forget.

What with all of the problems abounding we still had much for which to be thankful last week and which we should praise God the rest of the days. God bless......

A Slight Change of Focus

Since the Jackson County Republicans have seen the need for new blood I have been relieved of my duties on the Executive Committee which opens up new opportunities including what I started talking about last week.

We will be starting a group comprised of folks who are intensely interested in the issues of the day. You know, the kind of thing that we only briefly address on a blog which by necessity cannot be long enough to cover any subject in its entirety.

If any of you readers out there are local and would like to participate, you are more than welcome. Perhaps the best way would be to post a comment and we can exchange contact information.

This will be a casual group--no dues, meeting when we decide to, choosing our topics as we go, but really researching and sharing information. Perhaps an occasional speaker may join us--we are fortunate to have some experts in various fields living around us. We may even evolve into being able to give our legislators information that would take pressure off their staffs. At the very least, we'll give it the old college try.

Other than the lame ducks which are actually pretty crippled as I see it and the flap over the new TSA methods of screening passengers which is again a reactive position rather than being proactive we've been treading water lately. The shakeups in the political parties are probably more exciting than politics at this point with challengers beginning to line up against Michael Steele.

Not that there aren't any other topics to talk about, it's just that it looks like we might have exciting times of learning and sharing ahead of us and I'm anxious to see how many folks agree.

So God bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We still have an overabundance of most everything in this fantastic place we call our homeland.

It's Just About Time......

Now that we're past the "same old, same old" and things are beginning to sift out, there are getting to be more topics than can be addressed once a week. Consider:

If Rolls Royce can fix those engines as fast as they indicate, doesn't it mean that they knew there was a problem and they've already been working on it and perhaps they should have grounded fleets earlier? Just thinking...

Obama's "Get Outta Dodge" trip was the most obvious, cowardly move ever, even for him.

When is this government going to get over the fact that subsidies have no place in a capitalistic society? If Tyson and others want to sell their chicken fat to extend bio diesel, let them, but don't ask us to pay to make it happen.

Does anyone know whether or not the bankruptcy laws in states such as Florida which protect a family homestead can also prevent foreclosure?

When visiting India, did it appear unseemly to anyone else that it was way too familiar a gesture to Obama to have his arm around the shoulders of Prime Minister Singh?

If the new Tea Party Congressmen start to trade off tax increases for cuts, we'll know it was all for naught. Let's remind all our newly elected representatives that what we're looking for is CUTS FIRST! Ad even if, by McConnell's definition earmarks are a minuscule part of the budget (my word, not his, but that's what he meant) it's the symbolism and honesty involved.

The next message: If it's important enough to be in a bill as an earmark, it should be important enough to STAND ALONE!

China is now making deals for coal with Australia. Their usage is skyrocketing and where does that leave us with our EPA trying to single-handeddly destroy businesses who need that kind of energy.

Speaking of energy, some time has elapsed since we visited the costs of solar and wind power and how much we spend in subsidies for those two. You just can't turn around without running into another way to spend our money or anything they can borrow.

One to two year old second hand cars cost more than new ones? Maybe it's because a whole bunch of "used" cars got smashed to smithereens during the Cash for Clunkers program. That's not the entire story, but it needs investigating.

Quotes heard during Obama's Asian trip:

"The Fed's mandate, my mandate, is to grow our economy. And that's not just good for the United States, that's good for the world as a whole." Obama

"The last time there was a competitive devaluation of currencies it ended up where it did, in the Second World War." Brazils President-elect, Dilma Rouseff

"It doesn't add up when the Americans accuse the Chinese of currency manipulation and then...artificially lower the value of the dollar." Wolfgang Schluble, German Finance Minister

Russia's president will insist "such actions (as pumping cash into the U.S. economy( are taken with preliminary consultations with other members of the G-20." Arkady Dvorkovich, Russian G-20 negotiator

"The U.S. decision does not recognize, as a country that issues one of the world's major reserve currencies, its obligation to stabilize capital markets." Zhu Guangyao, Chinese Vice Finance Minister.

And all the people said, "Amen" because they couldn't argue with any of them with the possible exception of our President.

I'm thinking my future includes beginning a monthly program with speakers and participation research which can then be shared with membership, legislators, the public and any other audiences we can serve. It's a big job which needs more than my personal input. I generally have a biased opinion. What do you think?

God bless.......

Of Course We are Grateful-

At 1:45 Wednesday morning I posted on Facebook something like: I have a Congressman! I have two Representatives from Jackson County as well as two Senators! I have a conservative Supreme Court! And of course we have good representation on the college boards...

However, when we all awoke from our euphoria we realized that the work is just beginning. So Praise God for what we have, but now we have to keep and build on it.

This will be difficult with a President who considers Republicans his enemies. And please don't consider this a mistake. I believe the real description is a Freudian Slip which means that what he really meant slipped out without his thinking. Can't help wondering why he is campaigning in India. No joke, doesn't it sound like he is running for something over there?

We also have to watch the Fed. What is Bernanke thinking? Printing more money so the value and interest rates go down? How low can they go? Pretty soon they may pay folks to borrow money. This is scary stuff and we need to remind people that this is counter productive.

However, the week ended on another bright note. My husband came home just glowing with the story of liberal University of Michigan's incredible win on the football field, but more so because of the patriotic flavor of the day at the Big House. Honor was given to veterans all through the afternoon, all branches of the military along with a flyover originating in Texas with pilots who were grads of U of M and patriotic music throughout. Again, who could ask for anything more?

God bless.......

Is he kidding? "A CREDIBLE TERRORIST THREAT?"

Call it what it was and is: A THWARTED TERRORIST ATTACK! Is the man nuts or is this one of Obama's many denials? He just doesn't get it. Or at least he pretends so he can go out flying around the country on Air Force I doing what he loves best: Campaigning. Undoubtedly on our nickel, right? What a guy...

The other bit of news or maybe it's not new to you and I've been asleep at the switch, they even have a name for those unemployed citizens who are nearing the end of their unemployment: 99ers because their 99 weeks are coming to an end in the near future.

The first million will be hitting the wall in December and another 3 to 4 million by the end of April.

What will that do to the economy unless the private sector can get some straight answers on tax structure and necessary changes in Obamacare?

Even if it seems like a lost cause, please call anyone you know and plead with them to vote Tuesday. Do you have relatives or friends or even business associates in Nevada, Washington or California? Call them, please.

I somehow ended up on a mailing list for the Democrat Senatorial Committee and you would not believe the pressure they are putting on the millions of people who get their emails. And every big name you can think of has been signing letters and asking for anything from $5 to $10 to $25 every time. Sometimes as many as 2-3 a day. They are really working to move their base and we need to keep up our pressure also. Personal contacts are the best. Emails, cards, letters and robo calls just don't get the job done.

And a few prayers asking for guidance for all of us to do the best for our country.

God bless.........

The Patriot Post

If you are not already a subscriber, I highly recommend The Patriot Post at www.patriotpost.us which always has interesting, informative and just plain common sense articles ranging from cartoons, to Founder's Quotes to inspire and commentary which will stand anyone in good stead. I must admit that I am not a follower of blogs like the Drudge report, Rush Limbaugh's thoughts and other extremely well known commentators. I fear that they are more interested in the numbers of readers and in some cases, their advertisers needs.

As most of you know, I have always looked for stories that will have an effect on the economy of our state and nation and above all, the ultimate effect on our own pocketbooks and bank accounts. The personal influence on the way we think and the way we act toward our friends and neighbors is not to be found on the web, but in what we are taught or glean from our studies on and attitude toward moral law, natural law and even eternal law. (This from a few weeks of attending a seminar fostering discussions on putting together our personal religious viewpoints plus the influences and benefits of living in a country where we have the freedom to do so.)

This was an opportunity to put a few things together at a critical point in history given that the election to be held next week will either confirm the loss of certain freedoms or open the door to the knowledge that we have time to save ourselves from further loss and reinstate previous and precious freedoms--both God given and those fostered from the beginnings of our Republic.

It is an absolute imperative that we use our rights as citizens and recognize that we need to put forth that little bit of extra effort in encouraging (in any way from push to shove) your friends, neighbors and relatives to vote. As one of the early church fathers put it, it is a moral obligation to exercise the rights of a good citizen ie., one who studies issues and candidates. Not only that, but that it is very "difficult to be a good Christian without being a good citizen." And all the people said "Amen."

God bless.......

Is Everything Redundant?

It just seems that everything political has been said before and not just once but many times over. It's just plain scary that pounding on the same misinformation is productive when mining for votes. At this point in time I only want it finished.

Maybe because I started this blog 2 years ago last August and wrote daily until our recent primary?

Some of the issues that have much to do with the global economy and the future of not only America, but other countries as well are still pertinent. Some recent headlines:

How to Reform Obamacare
Document Questions (re Foreclosures) Cloud Recovery
The U.S. Will Lose a China Trade War
Goodbye, Free Trade?
China Sharpens Its Steelmaking Game
Why Liberals Don't Get the Tea Party Movement
and my personal favorite--
Japan Scrambles for Rare Earth

The whole concept of rare earth minerals is fascinating and can make or break specific companies and even countries. We've discussed it before, and will do so again since we can't be sure if our readers are up to speed.

I am really looking forward to a weekly posting concerning issues rather than the personalities and politics of the elections. If you have suggestions for topics you'd like me to research, please feel free to comment.

In the meantime, it's time to swap out summer and winter clothes closets. And, if you're a little lazy like me, run those washable gloves and scarves through the laundry.

The colors are absolutely gorgeous!
God bless........

Mark Brewer Lies Again: manufactures "sleeping judge" photos of Justice ---COMMENTARY FOLLOWS

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! IT WORKED WITH CLIFF Taylor, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK THIS TIME.

It is way past time that we use the "L" word to describe liars. No more Mr. Nice Guy! Let's get this out wherever we can. Put it on your Facebook page or any other venue you have.

God bless the good guys and Bob Young is one of the best!

Commentary for this week:

I feel no need to go into detail about any of the following subjects or issues. Suffice to say that nothing has changed, at least not for the better, with any problems we have been agonizing over the last 21-22 months. Let's take a walk down memory land.

Remember Cash for Clunkers? And you older folks can hark back to Nixon's wage and price freeze. What was the net result? It delayed the actual problem which we were trying to avoid. Exactly the same thing is happening with the FORECLOSURE issue. By putting a moratorium on them, it will just be delaying the inevitable and if the Democrats are still in control, they will try another band aid approach and there will be no improvement in the economy or jobs market and all housing values will be down whether you have been in arrears or not.

Schauer is still lying, now even the strongest of supporting unions are asking for waivers from the health care bill, unemployment is stagnant at over 9% unless you live in one of the states such as Michigan where it is still above the average.

The Dems are still using Social Security as a wedge issue when in fact they are holding secret meetings with secret plans to increase the retirement age just wondering if it will be a Lame Duck issue. Of course Schauer still says it is perfectly healthy and nothing needs to be done.

Obama is still campaigning, guess I should say he has ratcheted up his campaigning, and is singling out Karl Rove and others as targets. Strange, isn't it? First he took on the entire state of Arizona and now he sits idly by while foreign countries do his dirty work for him. How proud he must be. So his anti America, anti business and apology tours continue unchecked while he blames the American public for their own unemployment saying we aren't smart enough to retrain for some types of jobs.

I'm going to say it out loud. I've whispered it to a few friends, but in my opinion I doubt that he has ever taken an economics course. Either he had a live stand in or a cardboard cutout going in his place. He just doesn't get it. He wouldn't know a Laffer curve from an S curve let alone a graph showing diminishing returns.

I heard a Democrat pundit opine that there should be at least one thing both parties should be able to agree on. Well, I have the answer: No More Earmarks! Now who do you think is the Party of No?

Today's beauty was a gift from God, hope you enjoyed it.
God bless......

Obama's Attempts at Mind Control or Control of Belief Systems--

A friend sent me a piece from the "New York Times" of September 28 which was a hodge podge of topics from the Supreme Court (both historically and current,) Justices, segueing to definitions of law and Obama's accidental but actually planned, since remarks had been published previously, which in some religious circumstances would be called sins of omission.

In particular we were given sufficient evidence to realize that he was intentionally omitting the Creator in the familiar "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed with certain inalienable rights: life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness." One of the incidents happened during in a speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on September 15.

We will probably never know what he is really up to, or maybe we will, it doesn't matter. There are as many opinions and theories as there are pundits plus a goodly number of ordinary but curious citizens as well. What was of more than passing interest, however, especially coming from the NY Times, was the following paragraph concerning George W:

After pointing out that Obama had omitted reference to the Creator it went on to say "George W. Bush, not usually credited by the media with high powers of mind, gave a truer version of the Founding principle when he famously observed that "we" did not give these rights to each other. If we gave these rights to each other--if we ourselves were the source of those rights or the authority that conferred--we could not as readily withdraw them. But those rights were thought to bring them from the very nature of human beings that no man was by nature the ruler of other men in the way that God was by nature the ruler of men, and then were by nature the rulers of horses and cows. These rights were taught them to spring from the 'laws of nature and of Nature's God.'"

Is he trying to confuse everyone? Or is he just trying to change the subject? Does it not seem that he is just trying to change the subject so folks forget about his religion and the accompanying theories on his birth. If he's a Muslim, why doesn't he just say so? I truly doubt that it would upset many people. The American citizen just doesn't like to be lied to. And look around--we're really pretty darn tolerant and forgiving.

But I do love the fact that even the NYT has eaten a little crow and admits that good old "W" is a pretty good thinker. Sure wish there were a few good men and women with some common sense in the White House and the rest of those buildings in D.C.

Caught Off the Record Friday evening and Breslin and Lyons acquitted themselves nicely, but the Democrat woman (think she's a McNamara) came off as a throwback to the good old tax and spend Democrat. Didn't catch the name of the Democrat fellow, but he was difficult to read. It seems he is digging as deeply as he can to find issues that may or may not be relevant, but he thinks it makes him look as though he knows all the intricacies of MSU. Don't forget to vote the entire ballot where the judges and education contests are.

Have a good week-
God bless.......

Does Anyone Remember What the Definition of "Is" is?

I just can't look at the former President without thinking of him concerned about the definition of "is" and the fact that he "did not have sex with that woman." I just can't imagine that anyone would ask that man to participate in a campaign when everyone knows full well that unless he is under oath (and even then one can't be sure) that he has a lot of trouble with telling the truth.

I don't know enough about subconscious thought or subliminal suggestions, but it would seem to me that any candidate would want someone of good character, integrity and at least a modicum of honor to speak for and ask for support. Hmmm, maybe it's because the choices for believable former and present Dem Presidents is so limited....

Read a short piece written by a surgeon who has been helping out in Haiti both immediately after and periodically since the earthquake. After such a horrendous experience and given that it's not the first time that island has suffered a disaster, I started wondering what it is about the human race that pushes us to keep "returning to the scene of the crime." I mean, rebuilding after a flood, or a forest fire or a hurricane or even a volcano.

Is it because we all deep down enjoy the excitement? Or might it be a simple trade off of risk vs the sheer beauty of a location and joy at being able to wake up every day looking at a picture post card scene? The next thought was wondering if that mindset is similar to the one which leads some folks to vote for a government which takes away freedoms in exchange for security? Does it seem that these two positions are so opposite as to be a comment on the gamut of emotions between risk and security? Those of us who consider ourselves somewhere in the middle look at the extremes and mutter, "Go figure."

It looks as though Obama is trying to convince people that his health care plan is a positive and one of the issues being talked about this week is the one allowing folks to keep their kids on their insurance plan until age 26. I called a couple of companies but of course they wouldn't commit to an actual number (I had seen $3000 as the average cost for such coverage) but it was frustrating for me when they said that of course this was not going to be free coverage, but couldn't explain why the insurance companies weren't clarifying the fact.

Have you heard anyone at all indicate that there will be a cost for this benefit? If you did, I'm sure it was in the small print or an afterthought. Just another example of a half truth. It seems pretty obvious that the public has already made up their minds and the polls are not changing. Too little, too late, Mr. President.
When Ms. Pelosi said we had to pass the bill to see what was in it, apparently she spoke the truth. All the warnings were accurate.

Had a request on how to make a comment. When this is posted, I will click on the pencil and at that point if memory serves, a screen will appear, you can choose any name you want, and follow the prompts. I'll give it a try. It's been a long time.

Sorry I'm a day late, have my husband in the cardiac unit at the local hospital. He rec'd 3 stents and I'm bringing him home tomorrow.
God bless.........

Washington, DC - the Largest Example of Discrimination in the Whole Darn Country!

1-And much of it is self-imposed. For years and years and years Blacks in DC have had to suffer second rate schools for their children. They took part in lotteries and made applications for the few spots given as scholarships in the private schools in their city. They existed in a constant state of fear and hope for the futures of their children.

Then, when they elected themselves a mayor who championed the betterment of the public schools with test scores moving up and things in general were looking up, along came the election just a few short days ago. They turned out a mayor who was concerned for their children's education because he was too friendly to white people. Now they have a mayor who made some pretty tepid promises. Wonder how long it will take for him and the electorate to forget them.

2-Just one word to the Democrats like Mark Schauer who don't want to do anything about Social Security knowing full well that they won't have to take the heat when there will be absolutely nothing left for the next generation who will be paying through the nose for the baby boomers.

The very word PRIVATIZATION is what is driving the argument. We need to demand that both parties plus the CBO and OMB "run the numbers" and figure out exactly how much the twenty-somethings and the thirties and perhaps into the forties might be phased in and let them see where there is equilibrium to pay those who are already retired or close to it will be collecting what is due.

We need to start using terms like PERSONAL SAVINGS SECURITY or something akin to it to demonstrate that this is not the risky "toss it all into the stock market" that Schauer would have them believe. He is such a charlatan. Mortgaging our children and grandchildren's futures with borrowed money while at the same time being blind to the need to actually protect Social Security rather than let it go to the point where even the IOUs are worthless.

Allowing for a personal retirement account for the younger half of the workforce ranging from 15 to 30% of their FICA tax would mean that everyone would have money that actually belongs to the individual -- actually have it in their own name and be able to spend, save or will it. It's their money!

3-I must have missed the actual date that the Student Loan program turned into the "College Grant" program. A loan needs to be repaid. A grant is free money. Now tell me-if all loans will be forgiven after a period of years depending on whether or not the recipient works for the public or private sector-doesn't that make them grants? Just more socialism and he calls it "cradle to career." He is truly a master of deceit.

4-Speaking of government jobs, how about this? We know that wage and price controls don't work. But how about freezing public job hiring? How about a 5 year attrition program?

5-Deja vu? Where have we heard the buzz words before? The stimulus money (which he now calls something else) is being doled out and millions are being spent on 55 jobs here and 24 jobs there, etc., etc. They could make these people millionaires who could live off their investments and do it cheaper having money left over. They're not calling it "shovel ready" this time, it's repairing the infrastructure. And don't forget the $26 billion a few weeks ago that saved or created so many teachers' jobs. Top it off with the bundling of mortgage money again and selling it to Fannie and Freddie. Same old, same old. The recession will not be over until they get a handle on the housing market. Visualize this: I'm sitting here just moving my head back and forth, back and forth. I just don't get it. How can they think it will work this time when it didn't the last time.?

First day of Fall is Wednesday-
Beautiful time of the year-
God bless...........

Are You Stressed Out Yet?

I know it sounds conspiracy theorist, but it just seems to me that there are too many people or factions who are hell bent on putting as much pressure on the rest of the population that they will fall without a fight because we simply are using all our energy just to maintain equilibrium and get our jobs done. Say it isn't so!

How many hours have been wasted by how many people over the question of where or if to build a mosque when there already is one four blocks away? How many people have agonized over hearing an Imam who is on the U. S. payroll making a foreign tour as our representative who returns to U. S. soil to make the observation that the concept of hallowed ground at Ground Zero is disingenuous? This is freedom run amok. It would seem to me that if localities can make laws keeping one individual from building something that obstructs another's view, there should certainly be a way to stop this nonsense, but politics will prevail when liberals are involved.

We went through months and months of being told how much money we would save with Obama Care and now the Democrats are being told not to use that as an argument in favor of it. Pelosi said we had to pass the bill to see what was in it and here we are at the same old place with more people every day deciding it was the worst thing they could have imagined.

Rec'd a photo of the speakers on the speakers' platform at Ft. Hood during the flag ceremony with everyone but the President saluting. Obama's hands folded in front of him in what was termed "the Presidential Crotch Salute." It's enough to make us scream.

Adding insult to injury, the Democrats are lying about their votes during the past 20 months like Mark Schauer. The local newspaper quoted him in one of his ads and then went on to list the ways he was not telling the truth. He is taking advantage of senior citizens by lying about privatization and NAFTA. They just parrot what he has told them. Reminds me of when that "lady" told the same story to 5 different Democrat candidates who used it as though she lived in their districts when that was not the case, but the story was a lie to begin with.

Democrat politicians have a practiced leader in Mark Brewer whose playbook contains lies, lies and more lies. "Tell it often enough and they will believe it."

We are waiting to hear whether the Tea Party will win in Delaware where they have truly become a third party and have split the Republican vote. If the young lady wins, the race will go to the Democrats as happened in New York's 23rd. Of course, that candidate was no better than the Democrat, but at least would have voted for Republican leadership which is another chapter in political science.

And of course we now have the President in full campaign mode, campaigning now on the taxpayer's dollar. For a guy who pretends to be a unifier he bad mouths the very people he says he wants to work with. And just for the record, if he cons the Republicans into giving him something, we can be sure that he will not keep any word that he gives to work with them in a future area. Remember Reagan-he worked with a tax increase with the understanding that they would cut spending. Yeah. Right. In your dreams.

How hypocritical will it be if I say "have a good day" after all this?

So I'll just say-have as good a day as you can make it--love your kids.
God bless......

Home is not a House? or "He has the attention span of a gnat on crack"?

The gnat remark I just wanted to share. Read it in a book a few days ago and thought it descriptive of a whole lot of people as individuals or groups who say they are representative of vast numbers of citizens.

As for the "home is not a house" reference, as I was watching a TV show following a character walking into an apartment building through a narrow hallway lined with glazed brick, it brought me up short. In college days our apartment and the first job after graduation also, were the second story of private homes. I am not suggesting that one is better than the other, but the way folks have grown up and where they have lived will certainly give different ways of looking at life in general and in specific instances too numerous to list. Can there be any wonder that we have so many varied outlooks on political issues? Just saying...

Posting on a weekly basis certainly gives one a different perspective. For two years every day brought what might be called a "headline news" mentality where we felt outrage on a daily basis interspersed with a rare feeling of euphoria and many times, however near despair. How is it that the general public just won't accept the truth so often but just as often will repeat outright lies so easily?

I am so tired of Democrats slapping a "PRIVATIZATION" label on the Republican idea of giving young people up to a certain age the opportunity to INVEST a portion of their Social Security tax in stocks or bonds or other approved areas on a VOLUNTARY basis!! This would belong to the individual! Private property which they could leave to their families in case of a fatal accident. As it is now, you get a monthly check until you die and that's the end of the whole thing.

The entire so-called Trust Fund which the Democrats say will fund SS until 2037 is nothing but a bunch of IOUs in a file cabinet in Parkersburg. The government will have to be borrowing money from China and Japan to pay back the money they have stolen from the fund over the years. How stupid and gullible do they think we are?
One other comment on SS - by the President. In trying to balance the budget there will be nothing left off the table, including Social Security. Watch out!!

Just like Obama, Pelosi and their spokespersons keep saying that the stimulus money goes to the people which increases their wealth. Really? Since we don't have the money and need to borrow, again from foreign countries, any interest and repayments go to the foreign countries!! Undoubtedly there may be a small percentage of Americans who buy Treasury bonds, but that number is certainly dwindling and is minuscule in the big picture.

An interesting couple of numbers: American businesses on average through the years carry about a 7% cash to assets. It now stands at 11%. Wouldn't you think they could use some of that to hire workers? Democrats say it's because there is no market for their product. Businessmen say it is because they don't know what the future tax structure will look like and they have no clue what the health care plan will actually cost them. So who are you going to believe?

Ran across a photo of twisted steel which has been formed into a cross at the site of the BP Horizon explosion. I double dare the ACLU and the Atheists groups to suggest that it be taken down.

On the "withdrawal" of troops from Iraq. Overheard several Democrat apologists opine that Iraq is worse off than when we went over there since there were civilian casualties. Can't help wondering if they have forgotten about the 350,000 Iraqis found in mass graves. God bless our troops who have given hope to so many Iraqis.

It's at this point I'm tempted to go back to more frequent posts. I would like to tell you the entire story of how we, and the rest of the world, are getting glass from China, but it would go on too long. Suffice to say that Toledo, Ohio used to be called Glass City. My son swam on the Glass City Aquatic YMCA team for a number of years so it's close to my heart.

As it turns out the making of glass is hugely power intensive and to put it simply, from a satellite camera it is easy to see that where China has smokestacks generating power, the United States has the equivalent in stacks of pollution control equipment and restrictions prohibiting that generation. This is a much more detailed story, but you get the message.

The worst part of it is that it also connects with the other American companies in China who are not making the kind of profit they anticipated because China is starting to regulate foreign countries means of production and favor their own burgeoning companies. As you know,many of those companies' foreign profits have enabled them to stay in business here at home. It also has implications on the manipulation of the rare earth minerals we have discussed before.

Final comment: Start correcting people who call Rick Snyder a moderate. The Democrats slapped that label on him shortly after his name recognition started picking up. I have to hand it to them. It's always a good idea if you can define your opponent, but we really need to fight back on this. I do believe Rick is going to clarify his position on abortion. He really hasn't made a definitive statement. But no matter what his position might be, he can't begin to look as liberal as Virg Bernero who is a flaming pro abortion candidate, make no mistake. That is the only issue about which one might use the term moderate, making it truly a moot point.

He's a great candidate and Brian Calley's background is only a super plus. So let's get rid of the moderate label. Next week I want to talk about Con Con.

Have a good Labor Day--
God bless...........

Deficits, Debts and Unfunded Liabilities: The Consequences of Excessive ...

I found this video while researching material for the trifold which I hope to have ready shortly. It will not only be available online, but can be printed out for folks to share with those who are either not adept at working the internet or on principle don't use it. I think you will find it worth your while.



You've probably already heard and read about the Republican State Convention yesterday. Yes, it was a long day but the undercurrent of excitement kept one from being bored or impatient (unless you were held up in the registration fiasco) and between talking to old friends, sharing stories and experiences it was time well spent.

One piece of good news this week. The UAW has demonstrated common sense in that they worked with Navistar Casting in Indianapolis which was scheduled to close before the end of August will be back in production by summer's end. Chalk one up for the good guys.

The bad news on the union (Teamster's) front was that as a result of not allowing Mexican trucks into the United States even though they have passed muster on the safety front, has resulted in tariffs being put on more American goods--so the unions have benefited again while other farmers and production folks suffer.

So figure. Have a good week.
God bless.........

I Want Your Money Trailer (2010) HD

I just put this on to see if I could do it.

Where to Start? Mosques? Tea Party? State Convention? Pundits?

CALL it chutzpah - there's no other appropriate label for Tea Party people who think that because they are getting a lot of press and no one can get elected without them, they think the world is their oyster. And in some ways it is. We've always said we are really glad to see so many people interested in the world of politics. Better late than never, but those who think they can come off the street and run for Secretary of State or Attorney General must have stars in their eyes and need to come back down to earth.

Up until now they have been content to probably vote, sort of know what is going on in Lansing and DC and complain quite a bit. Then the 2008 election was the straw that broke the camel's back and they are out in force. They are ready to throw out the baby with the bath water and are looking to replace all the volunteers in several counties. The elections for Republican Executive Committees is in November with elections of officers in December or January. At that point, excuse the expression, all hell may break loose.

Not that anyone is indispensable, it just doesn't seem that it would be a productive exercise to toss out several hundred years of experience and service to the political/governmental structures which, whether they like it or not, are necessary to keep certain services running efficiently. I guess it could be likened to term limits on steroids when everyone has to leave at the same time. Let's wait and see.

Not much to say about mosques that hasn't been said already, but to actually have a piece of an airplane land on the roof of that building and the possibility that some body parts may also have landed there and decomposed before being found makes any arguments about proximity moot. On top of that, they didn't even talk about a Cultural Center until there were some voiced objections. The holier than thou elites are having their opportunity to feel superior as always.

AS FOR the "Is the President a Christian?" question, may I point out that we do allow courts to convict criminals on circumstantial evidence. How does this grab you? His pastor of 18 years made a habit of damning America; He cancelled the National Day of Prayer; followed by his participation in Muslim ceremonies; he announced to the world that the United States was no longer a Christian nation; so what are we to think? Doesn't the Bible have references to "go out to all the world and spread the good news?" I'd say he appears to be doing the opposite. But that's just what we can see. We can't see into his heart, and he has made it difficult for us to believe the White House press release. Actions speak louder than words according to my mom.

One more thing: his book (or prop) carried when leaving the golf course one day was "Age of Unthinkable" with pundits noting that a companion volume was "Survivor's Club." What the heck?

THOSE same pundits are about as insulated as the politicians they seem to think they know all about how they think. My opinion: they all have one thing in common: they don't have a clue what middle America and the anyone west of Washington may think about any issue. Some day they ought to let some of us draw straws to appear on those talking head shows and I'll bet they'd come closer to the truth. They keep putting words in our mouths that are incredible. Whatever happened to their memories of growing up? Please don't tell me they all came from New York, New England, Chicago and California......

Republican State convention coming up Saturday. I have no clue how that will go. Don't even want to predict except for one thing. There will be many, many sore backs from sitting in bleachers all day long. Whose idea was that? We'll talk next week.

God bless.........

UAW Planning to Double Their Membership?

According to a recent article in WARD'S Auto World that is just exactly what they have in mind and the game plan has to do with the foreign car makers in the U.S. who are not as yet unionized, but the workers have now reached an average age of 43 which gives the UAW the idea that they can be tempted to unionize given the bait of pension and retirement benefits.

For the last 25 years this has been an impenetrable goal because the Japanese have worked very hard to make the benefits available to employees without going through a strike process. However, with the Obama administration having made the National Labor Relations Board much more friendly to the unions, one never knows what avenues they will travel to make inroads.

Bob King, the new president of the UAW "has Toyota in his cross hairs." Since that company has had more than their share of bad press along with recalls he apparently figures they are in a weakened position and it may be time to "strike" while the iron is hot. Rumor has it that the UAW is organizing protests at the dealerships which are targeted toward putting pressure to the point of driving away business.

The writer, John McElroy, is guessing at a 50-50 chance of success. I'm thinking on a personal level as we have discussed before that those of us who were stung by GM and/or Chrysler via the payback to unions by the Obama administration, that it is time to change the effort just a little.

My first impulse was to either buy Ford or any foreign car that is actually Made in America. At the first sign of a demonstration by the UAW at a Toyota or other foreign car maker, I will probably have to take Ford off the top of my list. If the minority which is composed of auto workers thinks they can change the face of the automotive business I am wary that this would be one more example of the minority winning out over the majority. We have watched this happen in so many different venues of late that I can only pray that folks who have watched their own freedoms being lost will rise up and fight back against this kind of thuggery.

Michigan cannot afford to lose any contests for the good will of potential customers of their product at this point. If they are depending on unemployed auto workers to do the protesting I would hope they see the futility of such a move and we could all benefit from some common sense. If they "rent mobs" on the other hand, we probably don't stand a chance. It's a sorry state of affairs when the rank and file faithfully pay their dues so their leadership can not only take home six figure salaries but can put the remainder of their jobs in jeopardy.

Next, I'd like to put out the word on Ann Rice, an author who has had great success in the past, but obviously she needed a new way to pad her bank account. Maybe her latest vampire books (I started to read one once, but my 50 page rule--if it doesn't grab my attention in 50 pages I don't spend any more time on it--) weren't selling as well as earlier stories, but she has spent about 7-8 years recently saying she had gone back to her roots in the Catholic church, wrote a few books, had reviewers, clergy, and the public eating it up. She milked that market and just a short time ago she dumped her Christianity, turned back to atheism and made the announcement on Facebook. How shallow can you get?

Can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-s-y and g-r-e-e-d? Can you see any logic or anything other than grasping at straws for reasons in the following rant? "In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refer to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."

For anyone with a triple digit IQ there is no credibility in the above cry baby effort. She makes assumptions that can only be called diametrically opposed to each other and her final conclusion. How in the world can she equate saying "in the name of Christ" I am no longer Christian. Go figure.

And finally, maybe we should call this the "Quote of the Week" we tell the story of Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) who proposed that borrowers be required to make a minimum 5% down payment in order to qualify for Fannie or Freddy loans. The proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) put it, "passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to only those who can afford it." And we still haven't had an investigation into Fanny and Freddy and their effect on the country's meltdown. And we sent these people to Washington.

Have a good week-looks like it will be cooling off a bit-
God bless...........

Weekly Wrap-up

Second thought time: Sunday evening is the better time for gathering information rather than Saturday.

First priority: I would like to make a suggestion that we all touch base with friends, family and the candidates strongly suggesting that unless they make a pledge NOT to pass detrimental lame duck legislation they will not get our vote. Not sure how much good it might do, but like chicken soup, probably wouldn't hurt.

Second priority: Now that we have nominated the gubernatorial candidates, we know their differences. For instance, for the pro life people, even though it is my understanding that Rick Snyder's position is weakened by support for embryonic stem cell research. The first thing we do is pray that we can change his mind on this, but bottom line, that is far superior to Virg Bernaro's extreme pro abortion position.

Next, if you read this early enough, there is a rally sponsored by the Americans for Prosperity meeting at the tanning salon just north of the CVS pharmacy across the street from Schauer's office at West and Ganson. There will be a counter demonstration so it would be helpful if you could join the crowd.

One of my resources just returned from a few days vacation in Europe with his son who is stationed in Germany. He reported that probably because of the large Muslim influx they found Al Jezeera television with English subtitles in all the hotels. The most interesting show he ran across was a critique of Al Gore which was anything but flattering. Interesting, right?

Have a good week--
God bless.........

Notice of Change of Frequency of Posting

It seems as though there is so much repetition and campaigning ad nauseum and such lack of credibility that the news of the day any more is trying to put a different slant on the same old, same old. It is b-o-r-i-n-g!

When I had a website from 1998-2004 it was posted on a weekly basis and the hits were generally in the 2500 per month range. At that time the reports were so detailed that you could tell where they were coming from, how long it took them to read the material (or at least how long they stayed at the site) and individual email addresses. It was easy to print out and compare information which helped in formulating what kind of information was accessed and what was largely ignored. This is no longer the case unless you want to pay for it--pretty much everything has a commercial value on it now.

For that reason since the fields of candidates has been winnowed down for the general and within a couple of weeks the State Conventions in Michigan will take care of a few more races, it seems we just won't need to try to find different ways of saying much the same thing any more.

Therefore, I plan to post on a weekly rather than daily basis--we're close to 700 postings and frankly, that's enough.

If I find a subject such as windpower or rare minerals or some of the other topics we have covered before they were "common knowledge" or if there is new info about things we have already discussed, that is what you will find plus anything I think that you may not have already read about in a dozen other places.

I just don't want to waste your time, or mine, any more. I'm thinking I will probably post on Saturdays but that is not cast in stone. I hope and pray that you will have a pleasant last of summer and fall and that we all benefit from the mid term elections.

God bless.......

ps-the big difference as I see it between websites of the early days and today's blogs are the ability to comment. I have looked at others and some folks write paragraph after paragraph which I doubt anyone reads in its entirety, but every once in awhile you find a nugget of wisdom that no one else has thought about yet. I hope we find a few on this blog. Please feel free--

Counterfeit Government?

Watched an informational story today which was a warning against identity theft of children too young to buy anything on credit thereby having a clean credit record. The Social Security numbers are stolen and given to adults with poor credit and merged with theirs to make a positive uptick. And they called them counterfeit cards.

Then the little ones turn 18 and they find they have a lousy credit history and consequently have trouble developing a decent credit rating. These things really do present a problem which takes long delays and time spent unproductively for everyone concerned.

Then on the evening news there was a story about counterfeit goods such as handbags, accessories and anything that can be sold from a kiosk or more easily than anything needing a fitting room. Plus the fact that ICE (immigration and customs people) were spending lots of time tracking them down in high end marketing cities. I realize this is theft similar to a copyright or patent, but they haven't gotten that far yet and I'm thinking if you see a vendor selling Gucci bags you know they are a knock off and if you have no problem using an inferior product at a lesser price, why should it warrant the time of ICE officers when people in border communities have to deal with assaults, home invasions, etc. where, if I were President, would set my priorities.

It occurs to me that we have several counterfeit individuals working in our government presently. Napolitano declares the borders are safer than ever. Just tell that to the survivors of a murder, or the guy in the hospital after being beaten by a member of a drug cartel. Sec'y Sebelius who is to protect the health of our country's individuals, staunchly supports abortion. Where's the protection? Geithner is supposed to make laws and recommendations concerning monetary matters but cheats on his taxes. How does that figure?

We could go on with the Rangels, the Waters, any of the others who support any and every way to shortcut the system by being just a teeny tiny bit unethical. Not hurting anybody?

What a mess!

God bless...........

Same Old, Same Old

On the news front we had more stories about ethics infractions, their effect on elections, the Prez trying to make veterans think he really cares about them with promises and more promises, and the ads and robo calls continue ad nauseum.

Sorta reminds me of the old days when coaching summer time swim teams. The practice time, watching strokes and timing comparisons--you know the serious work. Finally you put the team together with each kid slotted where he or she can do their best so you kick back, relax and watch it happen. Oh, yeah, you cheer them on, but coaches are not allowed to get close enough to interfere with lane judges, timers, etc. so it's time to relax.

At that point in time you pray for perfect strokes, turns, touches and knowledge of the rules about being overly exuberant after the final relay and hope it's your turn to get tossed into the pool--that's like the football coach getting doused in Gatorade.

The primary is like an Invitational, but it's only mid season. The big one, the State or even National Championships are still to come in November, but there is much to be learned tomorrow.

Don't forget to vote and if you live in Summit Twp, a vote for Public Safety would be appreciated-
God bless..............

CBS Sunday Morning Show Disappoints Big Time!

Usually there are some pretty good pieces on the show--it's one that you can read the Sunday paper and watch at the same time and lose little content from either, but today it was horrendous.

Item: They did a lengthy promo about not using air conditioning in order to make kids sweat and lose weight along with a/c units sending heat into the streets making it hotter outdoors with snide remarks done in baby talk on other points. I paid particular attention so I could see what organization took responsibility and guess what- there was none. It was strictly a part of the program and their efforts at controlling general behavior.

Item: The interview with Obama was nothing more than an infomercial putting him in the best possible light with much misleading information and conclusions with the obvious intent to make folks feel good about him leading up to the primaries. In fact, the second part will be aired on the CBS Morning Show. Does the Prez ever owe them!

Item: The featured story was about Hugh Hefner who took credit for helping influence Roe v. Wade, women's liberation and many other topics. He was so proud of his achievements and all I could think was that he should also be credited with a good share of broken homes, divorces and millions of children growing up without the loving guidance of two parents in one home. And since he brought it up, I have no qualms for giving him the credit for millions of abortions including the fact that nearly 70% of the abortions are performed on African American women who are less than 15% of the population. Now tell me, shouldn't he be given credit for genocide as well?

Item: Commentary about the possibility that with the war going badly Obama may get competition from his left in the next election. Observation that they don't want to install a Jeffersonian Democracy in Afghanistan, they just want to stop the war. You and I both know that there would be a slaughter that would make Vietnam look like kid's play if we pull out before the civilians can defend themselves from the Taliban. We have spoken before about plowing up those poppy fields and starting other businesses before we can conscientiously walk away.

Last thought: And this is not CBS' fault, it just happened to be in their time frame: Like Mother, like Son. A political ad for Kwame's mom featured lots of people thanking her for her service and ended with her thanking them for their support. But guess what was missing? The disclaimer at the end which has the candidate saying "This is _____ and I approve this message." It's the law, Mrs. Kilpatrick, but then you and Kwame think you are above it, right?

What a way to start a week.
We need God's blessings........

Straws that Break Backs or

Sometimes it's the little things that drive you nuts!!

Don't they say that the American Presidency is the most powerful and important job in the world? Then will someone tell me why everyone is hung up on how to stop the guy that is endangering lives of our servicemen and women and civilians in Pakistan by putting out lists of people helping our military on Wikileaks?

If the Chinese can tie up the internet in China to the point where major companies were stymied in doing business over there, why can't our president get with the powers that be and do the same thing? Does he have a clue why his numbers are so low? He uses Executive Orders for anything he fancies; why not in this instance?

It should be a given that Fox News is the channel du jour in this household, no surprise there. But there is a problem with that. Geraldo Rivera. I can never hear his voice without thinking of the time he was broadcasting from a "military post" in Iraq and was ducking and dodging each time you could hear gunfire. He lost all credibility when they forgot to turn off the camera at the end of the shot and pulled away showing that he was on a very high and far away bluff at the time and certainly in no danger.

Now there's another one. A girl named Judy Miller who is described as a Pulitzer author. One of the first things I heard her say on an early show was to ridicule the American public for putting "more stock in the weather reporting of local reporters" than meteorologists. Well, duh- where does she think those charts and reports come from? Right straight from that kind of source and wherever we have lived through the years, most of the people she calls reporters really are graduate meteorologists as well. No credibility there either.

And last but not least, the White House paraded 3 unemployed folks who need further benefits this past week, one of whom couldn't work because she was in jail for a year and they didn't know she still carries the felon label.

Have as good a weekend as possible--
God bless........

Cynicism or Acceptance--

With the advent of Charlie Rangel's improprieties coming to the forefront, the reaction of pundits, his contemporaries - Congressmen and women, plus the general public it really is a bit of a surprise that no one appears to be in the mood to bring a cheat to justice.

It also brought thoughts of other public figures who have been found out to be, shall we say, less than honest? Guys in high places such as Geithner who also cheated on his taxes, but it made no difference to anyone and he is named Secretary of the Treasury. I'm not going to start making a list, but you all know you could add at least one and there would be few duplications.

So the question is: Is dishonesty and cheating, primarily among political leaders, so prevalent that it is just accepted practice now? Or has the general public really become so cynical that the "everybody does it" syndrome pervades every aspect of our lives? We won't go into the cases of the clergy either tom-catting around or having extra marital affairs, but mention it just to demonstrate there are no barriers or exceptions from one profession to another. Maybe a lot of divorce has made it more acceptable.....

I really have no judgments to make nor do I have an answer for the root cause of bad behavior, just that it is a very sad and disappointing circumstance.

Maybe we had one little hint. Back when President Clinton committed perjury and caused many of his staff people to spend thousands and thousands of dollars for legal assistance when called before a grand jury at that time and absolutely nothing happened to him for setting a truly bad example for everyone, from children to adults, we may have seen the handwriting on the wall.

Have we ever witnessed anyone express true sorrow for their actions? Or have we seen the repeated "I'm sorry if I offended anyone" with the unspoken but obvious thought that they were mostly sorry that they were caught. Go figure.

Have a good weekend--
God bless.........

Californians Boycotting Arizona?

Do you suppose they packed their lunch and carried their bedrolls with them? All those protesters from the left coat who came to protest had to eat and sleep somewhere and I'm sure they didn't want to spend any money in that despicable state.

That total jerk, head of ICE Morton and an accomplice, Mr. Bersin of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, attempted to pull the wool over the eyes of the WSJ readers today.

"Illegal crossings were down 23% last year, to a fraction of their all-time high." Really? Gee, 7/8 is a fraction, right? Who cares what it as actually? There are undoubtedly many reasons why crossings are down, such as: poor job market here; fear of the gang wars in border areas; the fact that Americans have been advised NOT to visit at least 3 Mexican cities--it just isn't safe in those border areas; others of which we're unaware.

"Today, the Border Patrol is better staffed........nearly doubling its personnel since 2004..." Hmmmm-any chance that a good share of the increased numbers were noted from 2004-2009? Do they really think folks don't absorb what they read any better than that? Those were Bush years! Obama's 1200 which have been identified as mostly desk jobs just doesn't cut it.

The Sheriff in the county next to Tucson reported today that the statistics for that area were 200,000 crossings along that county line for 2,000 per mile. Would you be boasting of that kind of record? Didn't think so.

This is just scandalous!
God bless.....

ps-I reported a couple of days ago that the NRA was afraid Schumer would be the next Senate majority leader. Today I found a piece that indicated Dick Durbin and Chuckie are fighting it out.

Y'all Come On In Now, Y'hear? The Borders are Officially Open!!

Are we all living lives of quiet desperation yet? I think we have met the enemy and he is definitely not us, he is an Unimpeachable President. I say that knowing it will never happen, but can't help thinking that one of the duties he voiced when he took the oath of office was to (and I can't quote it exactly) defend our country and one would assume that means having secure borders, would it not?

If we ever needed a demonstration of how important it is to have the power to name the judges who, when they are Democrats, are likely to change the law rather than enforce it. So just wait until Kagan teams up with Sotomayer and Ginsberg.

Back to the Arizona decision or at least what is purported to be a decision. It is, rather, sort of a pick and choose sort of game.

Grasping at straws is also a game of sorts. First thought: When the first assault occurs, and we can guarantee there will be some blood shed by Arizonans or others, or God forbid someone is murdered and his/her survivors are the ones to attempt to get some justice, how will it be manifested? Is there a snowball's chance that any one could sue Judge Bolton or our Attorney General for conspiracy, aiding or abetting or even giving aid or comfort to criminals? I'm sure someone with a lot more experience could come up with something to grab some attention. Of course the buck should stop with the President, but he has too many protectors.

Second thought: Since the Feds are not enforcing the law, would it be a possibility that some really gutsy guy or guys could make a citizen's arrest? They would probably try to call it vigilantism, but it seems to me to be worth a try.

It is just so distressing to see those who are supposed to be protecting the public not only shirk their duties but actively prohibit individuals from self defensive actions. Sorta reminds one of those two border patrol guys who were tried in court after they enforced a U.S. law.

There's just gotta be a way around an administration that cares little about its responsibilities and even less about the safety of the citizens. So sad--
God bless.........

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR--

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY--

It used to be that if you didn't want anything attributed to you it was important that you didn't "put it in writing." It still is, of course, but add to that the fact that videos complete with sound can be taped at the drop of a hat by anyone who happens to be within spitting distance.

Read a report the other day about how the media reports certain incidents either by putting some front and center and others are just ignored. Of course it is nearly totally dependent on who uttered the words. There were several examples set forth, but the ones that stuck out front and center for me were those by Michelle Obama.

Apparently there was an agreement, spoken or just "understood among friends" that she would get a pass on her opinion that until her husband was nominated for the Presidency she had never been proud of America. The second was that this country is "mean spirited."

Now that it looks like she is working so hard to get all the kids to slim down that she will go to any lengths to get that job done. The rumors are flying as to whether or not some schools will levy fines on kids who are overweight. Also that some schools are finding ways to put the information on report cards thereby making it a part of a formal record. (Up until now most younger kids didn't have to worry about the "permanent record" that follows them to college or beyond, but now who knows?)

The elites of this country are so focused on the redesign of our country that I can't see where the control will stop. Set your thermostat at___, get up at ___am, go to bed at ____pm, have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time every day, go to the bank, the dry cleaners, the grocery store, car wash on _____day, check your internet using only 18 minutes per day or some such. Go to this doctor, this dentist, this movie, this school or college or this apprenticeship and buy this brand. There will be no end to this.

Scarier and scarier--
God bless..........

NRA - Friend or Foe?

Found out something we didn't know about the NRA the other evening. Perhaps it is general knowledge, but I either didn't hear it properly or just didn't want to accept it. So I spoke to a long time member Thursday evening and asked how they rationalize endorsing Harry Reid when his opponent appears to be much more conservative than he.

The answer was that Harry Reid has been a staunch supporter of the NRA and if he were to be defeated the next majority leader would probably be Charles Schumer or someone equally as liberal. I just had not anticipated finding out that their single issue trumped having any position on any other issue no matter what.

So there you have it. They are complete takers and expect anyone else to give to them with no thought or hint of any reciprocal action. That is one of the problems in this country -- that there are too many people who can and will sit on their duffs and expect others to supply them with the wherewithal to supply them with what they consider the necessities of life. As far as the NRA is concerned, that is all that matters to them--that they can own guns.

Well, folks, I happen to think that there is a lot more to life than owning a gun even though I have stood up for the NRA on many occasions. That will never happen again. When they ask me for anything, the answer will be a resounding "NO!"

I always used to say that I didn't want a gun in my house but wanted my neighbor to be armed. No longer. Guess I should stock up on pepper spray and wasp and hornet spray for defensive purposes.

Sleep well--
God bless........

Bouchard in Town

This just in: Joe Arpaio, toughest Sheriff in Arizona and many agree in the entire country, has just endorsed Mike Bouchard!

Please don't forget to drop by the King Center between 5 and 6 or Spring Arbor McDonald's between 6:30 and 7:30 this evening.

And don't forget that there is still ample opportunity to file an intent to run for precinct delegate as a write in preferably by next Friday but it can be done on the day of the election at the polling place. Just know that the latest filings will slow down the process for everyone.

And don't forget what his financial advisors have been saying about keeping taxes low and diminishing pending. They realize the importance of the process. You wouldn't know it, however, with the President in campaign mode and criticizing John Boehner for saying exactly the same thing. He is still pointing fingers at Bush and completely forgetting that he has added 1.3 trillion to the national debt in his short time of 1.5 years.

Lastly, don't forget to encourage your friends to vote on August 3rd.

God bless.........

TownHall.com

None of us has the time to read everything we would like if you have any kind of life away from the computer. The only one I check on a daily basis is Town Hall. If you are not a regular reader of Town Hall, I recommend you access it today to read the complete article by Floyd and Mary Beth Brown.

Here is a paragraph from today's piece on the Obama Commission for tax hikes aka the Fiscal Commission. Can't help but be just a little disappointed in Sen. Judd Gregg. I've always looked on him as being a conservative stalwart. This is a quote not only from the piece, but it quotes Gregg:

"Everything has to be on the table - there's no question about that. Erskine Bowles, one of the co-chairmen of the commission, has suggested a 75-25 split - 75percent of the savings being in spending, and 25 percent in revenues. I think it's likely that there will have to be a revenue component, but it should be significantly, dramatically - and a 3-1 ratio is pretty dramatic - dramatically less than the initiatives in the spending side of the ledger."

It goes on to say that they can only be talking about cutting $3 in promised Social Security and Medicare benefits in exchange for $1 in tax increases....To close this gap with one-quarter tax hikes is, therefore, to raise taxes by $26.7 Trillion.

It goes on and on and on to the point where you almost can't believe it and want to throw up your hands. One more thing--don't forget that Erskine Bowles has always been a Clinton person and with the scuttlebutt floating around about Hillary's potential run in 2012, there may be more than taxes involved here--it could be cover for Mrs. Clinton's run. My opinion, not theirs.

God bless......

End of the Week Observations

Charlie Crist of Florida should return all contributions made to him by Republicans during the past 18 months.

There's one thing I admire about diplomats because I'm absolutely sure that being polite to people who have insulted you and your country would be beyond me. Case in point: Mr. Cameron from the UK after the rude brush off they received the last time they were here and the examples of the Obama administration from Day 1. Remember the first gift the Prez game the Queen? An IPod with Obama speeches on it? And one of the first official acts of the President was the return of the Churchill bust?

The press conference after their visit was a sham. Mr. Cameron made a series of remarks and instead of just politely agreeing with him, the Prsident proceeded to make a speech of his own trying to make it look like he sort of agreed but wanted to show that he was smarter than his guest. Good grief!

And last, this business of the racist remarks of Shirley Sherrod being taken out of context. This was a total faux pas by the White House and Mr. Vilsack, her boss at the Ag Dept. I'm sure you know the story. Apparently this is kicking off a silly season on how the President will handle the topic of racism that he will now not be able to avoid because the press is going to make a big deal of it. Especially since he has had to personally apologize to her--somewhat similarly to the Beer Conference on the White House grounds after the fiasco when he called a Connecticut cop stupid.

My prediction: that anything he does or doesn't do, says or doesn't say will not be his fault. He is surrounded by all of his Marxist Socialist advisors whose opinions are at least 180 degrees from either whites or blacks in this country. He has a Cabinet full of Yes men and women who are knee jerk liberals and think we're all racists plus all the Czars, again whose opinions don't make a darn bit of difference to you or me or anyone else in the country. So President Obama cannot be faulted for anything given that he will be taking advice from "all of the above." And we certainly won't be able to tell if he has a personal opinion at all. Bottom line, he will get a pass. No harm, no foul. No responsibility taken, always the buck passer.

Today's storms were different in that it was just as hot after as before and there were at least two of them--
God bless...........

Released Today by WSJ--"Oldest kid" resource sent it a few days ago--

CONTAINMENT SYSTEM TO IMPROVE CAPABILITIES IN EVENT OF FUTURE BLOWOUT IN GULF--
A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN CHEVRON, CONOCO PHILLIPS, EXXON MOBIL AND SHELL

Complete with diagrams showing the Capture Vessel, with Off Loading Line connected to the Shuttle Tanker. Connections to underwaterequipment/machineryconsisting basically of Umbilical cord from Capture vessel to Riser which is connected to a Manifold and to Subsea Containment Assembly including Dispersant System and Accumulator Unit. You engineering types probably understand this kind of system without a diagram. The rest of us can visualize equipment connected with tubes leading from one unit to another and with the following explanation can get an idea of how this will work.

"The system offers key advantages to the current response equipment in that it will be pre-engineered, constructed, tested and ready for rapid deployment in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico. Its primary objective is to fully contain the oil with no flow to the sea....It will be responsive to a wide range of potential scenarios, depths up to 10,000 feet, weather and flow rates exceeding the size and scope of the current spill....." In case of another incident this can be launched within days and fully operational within weeks.

SUBSEA COMPONENTS consist of: containment assembly creating a permanent connection and seal to prevent oil from escaping into water; interface points include wellhead, blowout preventer stack, lower marine riser package and casing strings with interchangeable equipment; prevention of hydrate formation and blockage; capture of caisson assemblies if required to enclose connector or leak outside well casings with watertight seals; capture and move flow through flexible pipe to riser assemblies made of seabed foundation, vertical pipe, buoyancy tanks and flexible connectors; systems supplied with hydraulizc/electric controls and chemical injection; riser assemblies and cords designed for quick disconnect from capture vessels so all subsea equipment stays in place in case of hurricane.

SURFACE COMPONENTS include the surface vessels, construction of modular process equipment to assist in connecting the riser assembly, separate oil from gas, flare the gas and safely store and offload oil to shuttle tankers which will be U.S. flagged and Jones Act compliant.

THE COMMITMENT from the sponsor companies is to immediately start the design, procurement and construction of equipment for this system. Initial investment is expected to be approximately $1 billion.ExxonMobil is to lead the engineering, procurement and construction. Existing equipment will be secured within six months and the new system target completion date is 18 months. The project is to form a new non-profit organization, the Marine Well Containment Company (MWC) to operate and maintain the system. Other Gulf of Mexico operators are encouraged to participate in this new organization.

Hope this is not "too much information" and at the same time I hope there is enough to get a fix on the project and know that even though we don't like our gas prices to go up, we need our gas and oil products and it's good to know that these companies are working together not only for their benefit, but the general public as well. We sure don't want to go through this kind of disaster again.

Hope you escaped the turbulent weather this evening--
God bless........

Bouchard to Visit Jackson - two venues

Mike Bouchard will be in Jackson on Monday the 26th. He will stop first at the King Center on Adrian Street (a block west of Airline Drive just go South from Morrell until you see it--about 3 blocks.) He will be there from 5:00 until 6:00 pm. The second event will be at the McDonald's in Spring Arbor from 6:30 until 7:30. Everyone is welcome.

Just a couple of headline type comments which you will be able to google easily.

That visit to Kalamazoo by the President was shameful. The figures I see flung around indicate that between the Feds and the State gift packages the KOREAN company, not American company, will get over $250 million to build a plant that is projected to cost about $244 million. Give me a break.

The breakdown on the supposedly 400 jobs comes out to over $500,000 per job. Our kids and grandkids will be paying for this for the rest of their lives and one wonders if they will be able to afford a college education or to save for retirement or any of the things that we have come to believe is a part of the American dream.

For the first time I accessed Dick Morris' website because he worked in the Clinton White House at the same time as our next Supreme Court Justice, Ms. Kagan. It appears that she is a staunch supporter of Sharia law. Dear Lord, deliver us. We need to make sure that Obama doesn't have another crack at appointing a Supreme Court Judge.

Don't forget to take time to meet Mike Bouchard and tell your friends--
God bless........

NAACP and Union Similarities

Just can't help comparing those two.

The structure in both cases is members on the lower levels who work their buns off and send in their dues which are used by the men and women in the upper echelons who make six figure salaries ostensibly to "represent" the membership when in fact there is apparently no "grass roots" and the agenda is set from the top down.

In the NAACP's case the locals plan, work and generate funds through projects and then they get to go to State meetings and in some cases National meetings to be told how to publicize the organization's good works. The leadership lives it up in style.

The unions take as much as they want out of the dues to pay themselves the big bucks, grease the palms of political movements and generally enjoy their exalted positions.

But let's talk about the dirty little secret: the local membership are our neighbors and friends who have the same goals and ideals that are common to all of us and have no resemblance to those nuts who think they have to make headlines. All they do is give the organization a bad name and the local membership is not just a little embarrassed by the whole thing.

I got through to a call in show the other day whose host declared that the NAACP is irrelevant and told him if you only look at the leadership it would be easy to come to that conclusion. But if you look around you there is evidence that there is still illegal discrimination in the workplace and other areas that need to be rectified. You don't hear about it but very quietly the problem is decreasing and it's due to just plain every day folks doing their jobs and interacting the way God planned it all.

Let's keep up the fight-
God bless.........

Tax Credits vs Tax Credits

Just want to point out a couple of basic thoughts about helping business with tax breaks and other kinds of subsidies and assistance.

We have such a good example in a recent Cit Pat piece describing a company who received credits/assistance and purchased the most modern equipment available to set up shop as Boar's Head. An established company, Koegel Meats, is in the same business and has been contributing to Michigan's and Flint's economy for a good number of years. Naturally the President of that company is a little miffed that his taxes are going to help his competition who has been helped by his government to have more efficient means of production than he.

Shouldn't we all consider that most, if not many, of the so-called jobs provided cost huge amounts of public funds are exorbitantly priced? It is truly difficult to find any kind of cost benefit study that will tell us whether or not these packages really are a benefit to all taxpayers.

The parallel that comes to mind is that after WWII through the Marshall Plan and other assistance we helped Japan and Germany get back on their feet--huge amounts of dollars shipped overseas to help the vanquished. Guess what happened? Just like the Boar's Head, they used the funding to build new plant facilities with much more modern tooling plus more efficient air and water pollution equipment.

And then, if you're old enough or grew up in a manufacturing family, you may remember that there was a vicious recession in the 80s due to the fact that our manufacturing facilities were forced to spend huge amounts of money to meet the EPA and OSHA requirements thereby rerouting Research and Development dollars and, as they say, the rest is history. Remember the foreign car influx? It wasn't much longer before the automobile companies gave up the right to manage to the unions. Downhill ever since.

Let's pray for wisdom from both voters and legislators-
God bless..........

Barak on Campaign Trail - Unemployment Comp

The Republicans need to quickly come up with a way to pay for another 6 months of comp for the unemployed or we'll hear "mean spirited" all over the place.

I just can't see how difficult it would be to put out a universal cut on all departments with acronyms for just long enough to pay for it, whether it be 1, 2 or 5% for that same 6 months. EPA, OSHA, DOEnergy, Education and all the rest. I can't imagine you'd even have to dock their pay, just quit the mailings, postpone the hearings, you name it, it costs money. Everything they do in DC costs money.

And by the way, let's not let them get away with making anyone who wants to pay bills as they occur be categorized as selfish. The ones who are really selfish are those who want to just push the hard times onto their children and grandchildren (or some one else's kids if they are childless.)

It's just about time the Prez stops politicizing every little thing. AS we've said before, he just has no respect for the intelligence of the American public. The evidence in his past votes and positions on issues which are available all over the place certainly points to a quick change of mind if it's expedient.

One more thing: I have little sympathy for BP, but there appears to be an issue coming up where the folks who depend on the oil industry for their livelihoods will expect to have BP pay for all their future lost earnings. Well, the one BP shouldn't have to pick up is whatever results from Salazar and Obama's moratorium on drilling which will send the rigs to other locations resulting in the permanent job loss in the Gulf.

Let's hope for a little cooler week ahead-
God bless.......

ps-If you want to know who Rick Reed is, click on the July 9th post. He left a comment with contact information and a few other bits.

What is the Definition of "Unemployed?"

Why do I ask?

There was an article in today's paper reporting on the quarterly political contributions to the 7th district candidates for Congress. The amounts were about what you would expect but the examples of categories, though limited, certainly piqued my interest.

Why or how would you explain the fact that 25 people who were listed as "unemployed" managed to contribute $14,225? That is an average of $569 each. Those of us who are retired do not list our occupations as unemployed, but "retired."

I guess I can see that there might be a couple of independently wealthy people who really didn't want to divulge their personal income information, but I can't quite figure out the rest of them who would be expected to be drawing unemployment compensation either being able to afford to make a sizeable contribution or who would be living off their savings and unemployment and make a decision to give away that kind of cash.

There's one other scenario I can think of. That would be that money changed hands from a wealthy source, PAC or business ending up in the hands of someone who is unemployed signing the check. Just saying, it's a possibility.

Am I missing something obvious? If so, I apologize and stand corrected, but I just can't help wondering...

Again, try to stay cool and maybe think of elderly neighbors without a/c-
God bless.......