A Free Launch

Santorum Wins Three?

2012-02-08T23:25:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum has won three important victories. Yes, they are important to his candidacy, but they are more important to the conservative cause. I think it's a sign that the populace is finally voting its conscience, rather than resigning itself to an inevitable candidate.

I hope Santorum wins, and I believe that he can. But even if he doesn't win the nomination, he has indelibly written the conservative message on the rock of the GOP.

Bravo, Rick Santorum! It's a challenge, not a contest, and we're all the better for that.

Romney Schomney

2012-01-31T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like Romney wins Florida. Hopefully, it's not "game over," although I have to say, I prefer Romney over Gingrich. It's a matter of temperment. Plus, I think Romney will make a better decision when it comes to a running mate - which I think will be the deciding factor.

The best conservative candidate is Rick Santorum, but things are just not going his way. So, if I have to choose between Romney and Gingrich, I will go with Romney. That's just my take. If I thought the general election was going to be won by debates, I might go with Gingrich, but I don't think debates will even be a slight factor in the general election. It's going to be a showdown based on vision, based on whether we still view America as an "exceptional" nation or not. Romney does present America as an "exceptional" nation, and he does it elegantly.

So while my ideology still aligns with Rick Santorum, my practical vote would be for Romney, if he becomes the nominee. If Gingrich wins the nomination, I'd have to rethink everything.

Ben Breedlove and the Other Side

2012-01-24T20:23:00.000-05:00

I don't know the whole story on this video yet. This is part II - part I provides a little more background about Ben Breedlove and his health condition. What strikes me about this video is his description of the near-death experience. The light; the peace; the wanting to stay there. I had a similar experience, but I would describe it as an "awareness of being," rather than near-death, or cheating death.

He talks about his favorite rap artist, Kid Cudi, and a particular recording, "Mr. Rager" — weirdly enough, my maiden name is Rager, so I looked up the lyrics and the official video. I have to admit, it made no sense to me. It was very dark and depressing.

I couldn't make out from the "Mr. Rager" video whether they were pronouncing the name "Rager" with a soft "g" or a hard "G" - the proper pronunciation is with a hard "G." But who's to say what is "proper?"

The Wizard of Oz...A Different Take

2012-01-23T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a very different perspective on the story of the Wizard of Oz. Could it have been an allegory, commenting on the political and economic climate of the day? It's an interesting theory. Did you know that in the original story, Dorothy's shoes were made of silver - they were NOT ruby slippers!

Money and Politics in the Land of Oz - from The Independent Review, published by The Independent Institute.

Social Security - Where Did It Come From?

2012-01-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

Now, I've always been told that Social Security was intended to be a supplemental retirement plan. Just 5 years after it was implemented, it is clear that it was intended as a welfare trough.

http://www.newspaperarchive.com/SiteMap/FreePdfPreview.aspx?img=103256842THREE BILLION PAID IN BENEFITSWASHINGTON, Aug. 12. (£>)

The government's social securityprogram, five years old this week,has distributed $3,000,000,000 to thenation's aged and unemployed workers,and to widows, orphans and theblind.

In advance of its anniversaryWednesday, the social security boardsummarized its vast operations toshow that some 50,000,000 workershad been enrolled in the programsince President Roosevelt signed theact in 1935.

Dream Candidate

2012-01-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, here's what I want:

Someone with Rick Santorum's ethics, Ron Paul's fiscal policy, Newt Gingerich's political savvy, Mitt Romney's business acumen, Rick Perry's cowboy attitude, and Michele Bachmann's passion. Top it off with Herman Cain's 9-9-9 plan, and I'm in. To be fair, let's include Huntsman's daughters...hopefully, promoting Santorum.

What a horse race!

Sorry Romney, Santorum Officially Wins Iowa

2012-01-19T19:59:00.000-05:00

This was good news to me, but unfortunately the records from a number of precincts have been "lost." (?!) So, we'll never know who really won Iowa. Good reason, I think, for a national primary. I'm wondering what the advantage is to state primaries? As it stands, the decision of 3-4 relatively small states essentially makes the decision for the nation. For instance, 48 of the 50 states no longer have the option to choose Bachmann, Perry, or Huntsman. It doesn't make sense to me.

Sorry Romney, Santorum Officially Wins Iowa - Katie Pavlich

GBTV Premiere Night

2012-01-18T20:20:00.000-05:00

GBTV (Glenn Beck TV, an internet media network) is introducing some new shows tonight. The first two hours (5-7:00 pm eastern) comprised the usual Glenn Beck show — the focus on SOPA and PIPA was outstanding, although the explanations (and chalk-board illustrations) weren't as crystal-clear as others have been.

From 7-8:00 pm, a news show debuted from The Blaze. This show is hosted by Amy Holmes, who does the news updates on the regular 5:00 pm Glenn Beck show. She's really good! The first in-depth discussion about economics was a bit dry, but they did a piece on Che Guevara that was excellent.

At 8:00 pm, there will be a half-hour special, with Glenn highlighting some of the new shows, and features of the new GBTV headquarters in Dallas. This will be followed at 8:30 pm by the launch of a new reality show, "Independence, USA." The reality show is about a family in Pennsylvania that decides to learn how to live "off-the-grid." Should be interesting!

The evening will wrap up with a new edition of Brian Sack's comedy show, "B. S. of A." — always a hoot!

The new, young, talent on GBTV is impressive, the sets are great, and the production quality is top of the line. I highly recommend Roku, or another internet TV device, rather than watching these programs on your computer.

I do think GBTV is just a sample of what TV will be in the 21st Century.

Rick Santorum on our Founding Documents

2012-01-18T19:25:00.000-05:00

Rick Santorum provides an excellent summary of the connection between the Declaration of Independence, and the U. S. Constitution. In part, he says:

The Constitution is not the "why" of America; it's the "how" of America. It’s the operator's manual. It’s the rules we have to play by to ensure something. And what do we ensure? God-given rights.

Read the Full Statement...

Class and Classics

2012-01-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

She still changes the oil herself? And the spark plugs?? My hat is off!

What is truth?

2012-01-16T19:34:00.000-05:00

I had a conversation with a friend about the nature of truth. He suggested that an automobile crash provides the definition of truth. Someone who is standing on the southeast corner when the crash happens has a totally correct version of what happened. Someone who is standing on the northwest corner of the intersection also has a totally correct (although different) version of the event. So therefore, truth is relative.

I think this confuses two very distinct concepts. Truth is what actually happened, and there is only one truth. Perspective is the report of truth, from a particular vantage point. It's not the same as truth.

2012-01-15T14:25:00.001-05:00

So far, Moneyball is no Field of Dreams...

Taken A-Bach...

2012-01-15T12:45:00.001-05:00

Ron Paul: Here's the Deal

2012-01-14T11:53:00.000-05:00

Ron Paul's domestic and economic policies are appealing; his foreign policy, not so much. He takes a lot of heat in the media, but this article provides a fairly even perspective.

The True Believer

An "Airless" Tire?

2012-01-14T11:34:00.000-05:00

It's such a marvelous world! Imagine never again having to worry about being stranded with a flat tire. Granted, these tires are not pretty, but the concept makes sense. For our military, it could be life-saving.

Airless Tire Promises Grace Under Pressure For Soldiers

Amazon's Kindle Fire

2012-01-12T20:48:00.000-05:00

What sold me: I had been using my PalmPre phone to listen to the radio at work, since my office is positioned in such a way that reception with an ordinary radio is very poor. I didn't want to drain network resources from the company network by streaming through my computer, so I added the TuneIn app to my phone, and this worked great!

Dilemma: I wanted to cut expenses, get rid of the PalmPre, and go back to a home phone - in combination with my cable TV and internet access, it's a great deal. The Kindle Fire supports TuneIn...PLUS, it's an e-reader; So, I could have my radio, plus e-books, plus music. Well, it's a LOT more! There are apps for just about everything I do online. Even Ancestry.com for my genealogy habit! And I must say, there's something wicked about instant download...

One downside I have found is you can't delete apps that are pre-loaded (although I have read that der are vays...). Also, there is no camera, as there was in the PalmPre. I don't use the web browser much, since the 7-inch screen isn't all that convenient. You do need wi-fi to take advantage of the cloud storage, but for me that's not a problem, since I'm nearly always in wi-fi environments.

Summation: It's a great little device, and well worth the money.

Roku Internet Streaming Technology

2011-09-25T01:39:00.000-04:00

Originally submitted at Roku

The new HD, with built-in wireless, delivers top value in high-definition streaming.

Opens a Whole New World

By Kathy the Reluctant Tech Queen from Sarasota, FL on 9/24/2011

Pros: Excellent chat support, High quality picture, Built in Wi-Fi, Great value, Compact

Cons: Requires networking savvy, Need fast internet service

Best Uses: Living room, Customized Viewing, Secondary TV

Describe Yourself: News junkie, Customization Fan

I love building my own news/entertainment resource. I'm picky about the information I want to consume and Roku allows me to design my own network. The only negative is you really have to understand computer networking to get it set up correctly. It is not a typical plug-in, as claimed.

(legalese)

Constitution Day 2011

2011-09-17T14:56:00.000-04:00

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Read the full text...

Book Review: Chazown, by Craig Groeschel

2011-05-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

This book was a pleasure to read, although in many ways, it is typical of self-discovery/self-improvement books in general. The author’s engaging personality shines through some rather tired concepts. Namely, the Five Spokes: God/Spirituality, Personal Relationships, Finance, Health, and Work.

The most intriguing concept of the book is presented in the very first few pages of chapter one, titled (ironically), “Your Final Chapter.” The idea is that you should consider your life backwards - what would you like to see in your own obituary? Oddly enough, I did this very exercise 20-25 years ago, and it has haunted/guided me ever since.

The first half of the book is very conversational, offering a fresh interpretation of “vision,” from which the title, Chazown, is derived. The author is an excellent story teller, which is clearly the strength of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s perspective on the ways in which our core values, spiritual gifts, and past experiences intersect.

However, I was less impressed with the second half of the book, which addressed the Five Spokes. Perhaps a younger reader, hearing these pearls of wisdom for the first time, would be more motivated by this section than I was. The presentation was fine - well written, easy to understand, and solid. But, I found myself skimming these pages, thinking to myself, “Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

I would recommend this book for young adults, or for anyone who is still asking such questions as, “Who am I? Why am I here?” Older readers will enjoy the first half of the book, and most likely find that section gratifying, if not inspiring.

I appreciate WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for sending me a FREE copy of Chazown, by Craig Groeschel, in exchange for this review.

Order the book: Chazown, by Craig Groeschel

Civics 101 - Week 4

2011-04-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

This week, our session focused on the Planning Commission - these are the folks that make decisions about development in Sarasota County. The first half of the session consisted of presentations by agencies representing various elements involved with development: the comprehensive plan, zoning, re-zoning, permitting, inspections, code enforcement, etc.

The second half of the session was a mock Planning Commission meeting. The class was divided into 3 components: Commissioners, citizens opposed to a sample petition, and citizens supporting the sample petition (which was an actual case, decided in 2009).

It was a lot of fun to participate in this exercise - I was on the "opposed" team. Some of our team members brought props and signs to promote our "cause." The team in support of the sample petition made their case as well. Those willing to speak (most of the team members) signed request-to-speak cards, and took their turn at the podium.

The "Commissioners" debated the points we brought up (both sides), and discussed the issue at hand. Then they voted, and a decision was made.

I'm sure that actual Planning Commission meetings are not nearly as entertaining as ours was, but it was very informative to participate in this process. It was especially enlightening to read through the actual documentation of the case. I never realized the hoops that developers must jump through, in order to complete their projects. I also never realized how much influence citizens can have on local development - just by paying attention and participating in the process.

If your community offers a course like Civics 101 in Sarasota, you should take advantage of it.

My Clean Water Initiative

2011-03-22T20:32:00.000-04:00

What if I told you that it would only take $10 to supply an individual in a poverty-stricken nation with TEN years of clean water? Could you spare $10? Could you spare $1.00 to provide one person with clean water for one year?

Consider it. Five dollars provides 5 people with clean water for one year.

Donate Today!

Boy, I'm Glad to be Old

2011-01-15T14:07:00.001-05:00

Here's an eye-opener. I did a search on Google Video for my hometown, Butler, Pennsylvania. I was expecting to find some nostalgic videos - street scenes, collages of old photos, some semblance of sentimentality.

Nope. I found a video of someone driving through Butler, bragging about his van being better than that van over there. I found another video, a "commentary" on living in Butler - some guy in Hawaii, encouraging kids to stay in school, so they can "get out of Butler." Then, a street interview with a foul-mouthed youth, complaining about Butler. Well, here's what I have to say about that.

What has happened to community pride? When did it become cool to bad-mouth the place where you were born and raised? When I was young, your "hometown" was a sacred place, it was revered and very much treasured. You spoke of your "hometown" as though it were Bethlehem. It seems those times are gone.

It's good to be old, and remember what it meant to have a "hometown." I feel sorry for the root-less youth of today, who have only the shallow seeds of blacktop. A society too ready to dig it up, drag it out, and throw it somewhere else. It's very current.

But what will become of history? How will future generations connect with the stream of life? It's a good thing, being old. At least here and now, it is still possible to be a part of the whole.

Tragedy in Arizona

2011-01-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

I've been watching the movie channel today. The commercial breaks are interesting. So far, the movie trailers have included handguns pointed at people 17 times. In some cases they are cops (the "good" guys), in other cases it's the "bad guys". Lots of explosions, bodies flying left and right. All for our exciting entertainment.

Then I turn on the news channel, and listen to updates on the tragedy in Arizona. Why-oh-why did this happen? Could it be because of the incendiary rhetoric on talk radio? We can fix this by outlawing such allegoric speech.

How did this madman get access to a gun and ammunition? We can fix this with stricter gun laws, and closer scrutiny of lawful gun owners. So far, I have heard no answers as to how the perpetrator obtained a gun - only rhetoric about how guns should be restricted.

How can we protect our public servants from threats such as this singular event? Let us not consider the vast majority of public events where no one is threatened. Let us instead focus on potential tragedies, and let us exalt public officials as superheroes; unprotected due to budget cuts.

Has anyone referred to the shooter as a "madman" or an evil villain? Of course not. No, he is a troubled high-school drop-out, who was rejected by the military, and thrown out of community college. The poor soul. Most of the pictures I have seen are of a curly-haired sophomore, possibly a trombone player. He just snapped, you know. After listening to talk radio, and patronizing a gun shop.

Perfectly legal violent video games had nothing to do with it. Perfectly legal blood-letting movies had nothing to do with it. This is, after all, art. Art is valuable, it is a form of expression, and must be protected.

Just don't say the word "cross-hairs" or "target" on AM radio. Don't say "take-em-out" unless you can make a Hollywood video about it. Unless it is Hollywood (or somewhere in New York theater), it is not art. In that case it must be stopped.

The sad societal standings? Art 1; Liberty 0.

Restaurant Review - The Breakfast House

2011-01-08T18:36:00.001-05:00

The Breakfast House, 1817 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota, FL.
What a fabulous place for brunch! The three of us sat on the cozy front porch for a few minutes, while they prepared our table. The atmosphere inside is very homey and colorful. All the tables are dressed with white tablecloths, topped with glass. Each table has 4 classic wooden chairs, painted in charming bright colors. I was fascinated with the salt and pepper shakers - each table had a unique set - at one table it was a bride and groom; at another, it was a pair of dogs; yet another looked like the Campbell's Soup kids; at our table, it was a comical set - a fishhead/fishtail.

The service was excellent! My friend Barb ordered tea, and they brought her a pot of hot water - then our server brought out a large wooden box, filled with various high-quality teas, so Barb could select what she wanted. Very classy!

The food was delicious, and prepared to perfection. I ordered a very simple breakfast: eggs over-easy, sausage, house potatoes (to die for!) and wheat toast. The eggs were perfect, the sausage was juicy, and the toast was just like my mom used to make - not too crisp, not soggy, and just the right amount of butter. The dishes my friends ordered looked equally delectable, and they both raved. Prices are more than reasonable, considering the excellent food and extraordinary service.

There is also an outdoor patio dining area in back, just as spiffy as the indoor dining room. I can't wait to enjoy that - next trip!

Electronic Cigarettes - Update

2011-01-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

Well, a few days later, I noticed a charge of $150 on my debit card for a monthly "subscription" of re-fills - apparently I had not read the fine print. After the novelty wore off, I decided it really was not at all like smoking a real cigarette. The device is annoyingly heavy, and the "vapor" that is supposed to simulate smoke, basically disappeared...even after re-charging the unit.

I decided to return the whole thing, and cancel my subscription. Quite an ordeal. First you have to apply for an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) number. Fine, I did that. Then you have to package everything up to send it back - including a copy of your original receipt, a copy of your RMA authorization notification, plus you pay the return shipping. Add to that the cost of the filter cartridge pack you opened to try the product ($18.95) and a $40 "re-stocking" fee, and you're out almost $70 for the privilege of not liking their product. Don't forget to mark the outside of the package with your RMA number. These people are in business for returns of their product.

What a scam. Don't fall for it.

A Christmas Carol

2010-12-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

Christmas movies are essentially part of the tradition today. One of the most famous classics is "A Christmas Carol," the story of Scrooge, and the 3 ghosts that visit him on Christmas Eve. The original story was written by Charles Dickens in 1843.

Today, by coincidence, I happened to watch two movie versions of this classic - relatively back-to-back. First I watched the 1938 version, with Reginald Owen. That's the movie I have seen every year since I was just a kid. It's a little bit scary, some of the images are startling (Marley shaking his chains, for instance.) But everyone speaks proper English, and the entire movie is totally wholesome and heartwarming.

Then I went to a family brunch and I was 100% distracted from the story of Scrooge for over 3 hours. The food was great, the atmosphere was full of laughter, loving, and giving. Not a Scrooge in sight!

Then, after I was home for a while - channel surfing, I stumbled upon the 1988 Bill Murray version of "Scrooged." Same basic story, but a totally different context. Some of the language would probably not have impressed Charles Dickens as "proper English." Some of the scenes were less than "wholesome." This version incorporated an annoying (in my view) surplus of slapstick violence, some token Hollywood-style "sexiness" (which added nothing to the story), and less than believable "ghosts." There was also quite a lot of manic screaming, but that's typical of Bill Murray.

In the end, the "Scrooge" character became just as endearing as the 1938 version of the movie. However, I find it interesting that "A Christmas Carol" in 1938 was the dramatization of a story of morality. The 1988 version, "Scrooged," was a comedy, with undertones of drama, that eventually redeemed the characters with a vague sense of morality. In movie-speak, that's what 50 years will do. In culture-speak, that's what 148 years will do.

I can't wait to see what they do to "A Christmas Carol" in 2018, or 2028. You can bet they will still be telling this story.

God bless us all, each and every one.

Electronic Cigarettes

2010-12-23T21:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I took the advertising bait and ordered an electronic smoking device. It arrived today. I have both positive and negative feedback on this experiment.

Let's start with the negatives, which begin with the instructions. I'm happy to report that the instructions were exclusively in English, which kept the shipping cost low. However, even the English instructions were quite vague. I ordered menthol, so the cartridges didn't look like the picture - they are green, instead of the typical brown with white speckles, like regular cigarette filters. Then the instructions say you need to charge the battery (the white part of a traditional cigarette), until the LED light turns green - trouble is, there are two LED lights - one stays red forever, the other eventually turns green. The first "filter" (high menthol) didn't really work at all, although the menthol scent was overpowering. And I want to know...whose idea was it for the "ash" end of the electronic cigarette to glow green, instead of red? The ash of a traditional cigarette burns red, or at least orange. I suspect Spock would say, "Illogical."

Now for the positive aspects. Once I got the thing charged, and assembled a "medium" strength cartridge, it's a very good smoking experience. A nice water vapor, that feels like a regular cigarette; the menthol flavor I'm used to. Plus, you don't have to light it. Just pick it up, and it's ready to go. No flame. No ash. No odor. Also, you don't waste half a cigarette by letting it sit in the ashtray. No chance of setting your house on fire.

If you only want 3 puffs, you take 3 puffs and you're done. You put it down, and it turns itself off. It doesn't "re-ignite" until you pick it up again and smoke.

I think this will be wonderful for smokers who smoke for the pleasure of smoking (the taste, the ritual, the nuance). It probably won't suffice for smokers who are addicted to tobacco, of which I think there are few (if any).

Electronic cigarettes are a bit noisier than regular cigarettes (you can hear the inhale process), and heavier than a tobacco cigarette wrapped in Bible paper. So it takes some getting used to. But so far, I'm giving "e-cigarettes" a thumbs up.

My Mad with Walt Disney

2010-12-11T16:31:00.001-05:00

I must apologize to Walt Disney. For many years, I carried a chip on my shoulder, based on the many fairy tales that Walt Disney made into movies. Cinderella, and the stupid glass slipper; Snow White, and the stupid 7 dwarfs; Peter Pan with that stupid Wendy, and the even stupider Tinkerbell; All those sappy stories, with their stupid happy endings.

Once I realized that my life was not going to turn out like a Disney movie, I decided to blame it all on old Walt. I adopted a very clever motto, quite rebellious, and so 1960's. My motto was, "Disney Lied." Nobody knew what I meant by that, even after I explained it, in painstaking detail. (Is there anyone more annoying than someone who bad-mouths Walt Disney?)

But now I see what Disney was all about. The stories he made into movies were not meant to be the fabric of life...they were frames, or more precisely, a lens (or prism) through which we should view life.

He showed us vibrant color (emotion), smooth motion (behavior), enhancing music (inspiration), and elegant transition (grace under pressure). The story was, more or less, beside the point.

So, I am finally at peace with Walt Disney. And I apologize for the stupid "Disney Lied" stuff.

Races to the Swift

2010-12-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

When I was about 13 years old, I participated in an underwater swimming contest. The idea was to start at one end of the pool, and swim underwater (holding your breath) as far as you could towards the other end of the pool. Whoever made it the farthest, without coming up for air, won the contest.

I remember swimming like the dickens, on and on and on. Bleary-eyed, I watched carefully, as my competitors popped to the surface. At about 3/4 the length of the pool, I saw no more competitors...what did that mean? Instead of continuing to swim as far as I could, I popped to the surface too, suspicious as to why I was the last one still in the race.

The outcome was, I had won the race...and a super-sized Hershey bar was the prize. Proud as I was (and thrilled with the chocolate bar), I was not entirely happy. I knew I could have probably reached the other end of the pool. But I quit - why did I stop? It wasn't because I knew I had won...I really didn't know that. I thought something was wrong because I was still swimming, and I was all alone.

I learned a great lesson in that race. I learned that competition is a critical element of achievement, but personal goals are essential to fulfillment. In that contest, I didn't have a personal goal, except to compete. Once the competition was gone, there was no purpose in the effort. No amount of chocolate could make up for that.

That contest taught me the true measure of achievement...it is not about just beating someone (or everyone) else, but fulfilling your own potential, despite your doubts and fears.

Not an easy task.

Saints and Heroes - A Veterans Day Tribute

2010-11-10T19:28:00.000-05:00

You didn't even know me then
for I was yet to be;
You were full of passion then,
in nineteen forty-three.

You heard the call of Uncle Sam,
and stood up to be counted;
Amid the righteous rally calls,
the hostile skies you mounted.

They told you war was hell to pay,
the cost was made well known;
But how were you to understand,
the cost would be your own?

My soul has eyes that see you there,
preparing for a jump;
Nimble fingers, breathless sighs,
collecting in a lump.

Freedom's sons approach the doorway,
the mother plane gives birth;
Scores of silken mushroom caps
descend in silent prayer to Earth.

Soon the heat of battle comes,
the smoke, the sweat, the tears;
With reckless rage you sally forth,
and swallow all your fears.

Heroes wisely hold their peace,
they have no tales to tell;
The shroud of silence, evermore
tolls a mournful weary bell.

Saints speak not of fear and pain,
they never count their tears;
The agony and grief remain,
buried deep beneath the years.

Your eyes betray a secret sadness,
so guarded, veiled and hid;
Of burdens you have never shared,
of sordid things you saw and did.

The price of peace was paid by you,
and your courageous brothers;
We owe a debt of gratitude.
to you and all the others.

I feel it now, I see it well,
as if you were my son;
It breaks my heart, it swells my breast
By such as you, the war was won!

Copyright © 1995 Kathy L. Casper. All rights reserved.
View the online version with historical/pictorial links.

I wrote this poem in the early 1980's as a Veteran's Day gift to my father, Raymond T. Rager, to honor his service in the U.S. Army, 11th Airborne Division, during World War II. Dad earned the Silver Star for heroic actions, which he would never discuss, as well as the Purple Heart. When he passed away in 1993, I revised the poem and dedicated it to the members of his VFW Post #249, in Butler, PA. My father was a lifelong member there, as was his older brother, Oliver C. Rager (USN), his brother-in-law, S. W. Griffin (USAC), and his son, R. Thomas Rager (USAC-Vietnam). Dad's younger brother, Robert C. Rager (USN) was killed in action in the South Pacific at the age of 19.

If You Don't Plan to Vote...

2010-11-01T18:46:00.001-04:00

I certainly understand that it seems futile. I certainly understand the concept of "Whatever will be, will be."

My own parents refrained from voting, since Dad was a Democrat, and Mom was a Republican. "Why should we bother?" Mom lamented. "Our votes would cancel each other out." I've pondered that comment for many decades.

In a very narrow sense, she was right. Her vote would counter my Dad's vote, and vice versa. But what about other couples where only one person voted? I have to wonder also, what voter out there does not have a counter-vote? Is it about winning, or is it about taking a stand?

I don't think my parents understood voting as a duty. They were part of the "Greatest Generation" and they made great sacrifices. They defended all aspects of freedom, but they saw voting as an optional privilege, not a committed duty.

That mindset has to change.

Referendum: Balancing the Federal Budget

2010-10-23T12:09:00.000-04:00

Official Title: A Nonbinding Referendum Calling for an Amendment to the United States Constitution

Content: In order to stop the uncontrolled growth of our national debt and prevent excessive borrowing by the Federal Government, which threatens our economy and national security, should the United States Constitution be amended to require a balanced federal budget without raising taxes?

Recommendation: Well, duhhh...! Of course. But what point is there in voting for or against a "nonbinding" referendum? I will vote yes, but it's very much a waste of ink. Reminds me of the fat-end/narrow-end egg argument in Gulliver's Travels.

Amendment 8 - Class Size

2010-10-23T11:49:00.000-04:00

Fist of all, I don't think this should be a Constitutional issue at all. Class size should be determined by local School Boards.

But since it is already in the Constitution, here is the current situation, and how they want to change it:

Pre-kindergarten through grade 3 - class size is now limited to 18 students per teacher. This amendment would increase class size to 21 students.

Grades 4-8, currently 22 students, would increase to 27.

Grades 9-12, currently 25 students, would increase to 30.

Actually, class size has never been proven to improve the quality of education. It's the teacher that makes the difference.

I will be voting FOR this amendment, not because I think it is a legitimate Constitutional issue, but because it will reduce costs. Here's what convinced me, believe it or not:

http://noon8fl.org/home/2010/10/amendment-8-about-money-not-helping-students/

Education vs. Wisdom

2010-10-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

I just watched an episode of Book TV, a presentation by Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time." His humanitarian work has focused on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said a number of things that bothered me. For instance, he refers to himself as the "scared beardless guy" in showing several photos that included himself and groups of local men. Scared? He didn't explain why he felt scared.

He talked about the dangers of over-population, especially in Pakistan. His solution is to educate the girls, since the birthrate for illiterate women is 8+ children, while the birthrate for educated women is only 2+ children. I have to wonder - is he building schools in Pakistan to reduce the birthrate? I'm not sure that's a mission of peace.

What does he mean by "education?" Apparently, learning to read and write is sufficient. He cited an example of a non-educated mother who brought meat from the market wrapped in a newspaper. She set aside the food and spread the newspaper out on the table, begging her daughter to come read the news to her. So hungry was she for knowledge.

Sadly, "education" has become a commodity - a skill set to be pursued, attained, accredited, and certified. In third world countries, education keeps the women occupied, so they don't have babies. Whose idea was that?

When did education become more valuable than wisdom? I don't know of any Proverbs (or proverbs, lowercase) that sing the praises of education. Yet, the plea to pursue wisdom represents an avalanche in every culture.

Perhaps the difference between "education" and "wisdom" can be stated as the difference between indoctrination and enlightened experience.

Early Voting? It's convenient, but...

2010-10-19T19:57:00.000-04:00

Apparently, early voting is very popular with voters in Florida. I agree that it is a great convenience, but I worry that it provides even more opportunity for fraud.

I also wonder about the effect early voting has on the elections. Are potential voters influenced by hearing that one party or the other is "turning out in droves?" Or that "turn-out is dismal?"

What about the traditions of "Election Day?" I still enjoy getting my little "I Voted" sticker, and I wear it proudly. But, it's not quite as dramatic two weeks before Election Day.

In Florida, early voting began yesterday, October 18 - two weeks before the official election day of November 2. What if next time the early voting window is 3 weeks, and then it morphs to 6 weeks? Won't that dilute the process? At what point will voting become meaningless?

Finally, I'm concerned that the Republican "powers-that-be" have decided not to spend any more money in Florida to support Marco Rubio (since his position is very strong, 2 weeks out). However, I'm seeing Charlie Crist ads still running, unchallenged. This just seems to be a dangerous strategy to me. Things could change on a dime. I hope the PTB are paying close attention.

Amendments 5 and 6

2010-10-15T15:13:00.001-04:00

These amendments are all about redistricting. Amendment 5 refers to state legislative redistricting, and the verbiage is so comforting.

Districts "may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party." On the other hand, districts must be "compact, as equal in population as feasible..." So, the idea is to create districts with an equal number of potential voters? But districts need to be contiguous, and may not impede racial or language barriers. So, if there is a street with 20 households...7 of which are black, 13 white; 5 households speak Spanish, 13 speak English, 1 speaks Polish, and 1 speaks Latin.

How would this neighborhood be "districted" in an equal fashion? Would the line dance from house to house, based on race and language?

Amendment six is phrased exactly the same way, but it applies to Congressional representation.

What is this doing in the Florida constitution? Please vote no.

The President's Message on Education

2010-10-10T13:07:00.000-04:00

"If we don't have homes to go to, what good is an education?"

I'm not sure why the quality of education is dependent upon the amount of money Government is willing to spend. I'm also not convinced that we should be measuring the worth of our young people by their test scores, as compared with the youth of other nations. To me, productivity and innovation should be the measure, not academic achievement.

Is it me, or is it okay for the President of ALL the people to complain about Republicans? Sounded like playground politics to me.

Amendment 4: Referendum Required on Comprehensive Plan Changes

2010-10-10T11:22:00.003-04:00

Here is the official summary:

"Establishes that before a local government may adopt a new comprehensive land use plan, or amend a comprehensive land use plan, the proposed plan or amendment shall be subject to vote of the electors of the local government by referendum, following preparation by the local planning agency, consideration by the governing body and notice."

In a nutshell, the debate here is whether we trust our elected officials to make good decisions or not. One side says the developers have too much power and our elected officials are weak and/or corrupt. Therefore, all decisions about growth and land use should be subject to a popular vote.

The other side says that requiring a vote on each and every change to the comprehensive plan will clog the process, and hinder economic growth in Florida.

If we elect people to office to make decisions on our behalf, and we don't believe they are capable of making good decisions, why don't we just vote them out of office and replace them with people we do trust?

Does it not defeat the purpose of representative government to second-guess our leaders at this level? During the fiscal year 2006-2007, local governments adopted 6,406 community and comprehensive amendments statewide. As a voter, are you prepared to spend your time educating yourself fully on this volume of issues...to the point where you are competent to make an informed decision?

How likely is it that voters will essentially ignore each referendum? Or vote randomly, just to complete the ballot? Surely, we are better served to pay closer attention to the officials we elect, rather than to micromanage their work.

More info...

Amendment 2: Homestead Ad Valorem Tax Credit for Deployed Military Personnel

2010-10-04T13:59:00.001-04:00

This one is tricky. Of course we want to reward our courageous military in every way we can. This amendment would provide an additional property tax exemption to military personal deployed overseas. It would only be a percentage, determined by the number of days they served overseas, divided by the number of days in the year...just so you don't think it's pandering. Sounds very apple pie, with a toothpick flag flying proudly in the breeze, doesn't it?

What about soldiers who don't own property?

I'm also not too sure why this needs to be part of the state constitution. It may look bad, but I'm going to deep-six this one.

More info...

Amendment 1: Repeal of Public Campaign Financing Requirement

2010-10-04T12:45:00.001-04:00

Here's the text from the ballot:

"Proposing the repeal of the provision in the state constitution that requires public financing of campaigns of candidates for elective statewide office who agree to campaign spending limits."

Did you know that the constitution REQUIRES public financing of political candidates, if they agree to spending limits? This started with legislation in 1987 and became part of the Florida constitution in 1998. Prior to 2005, a candidate could raise about $5 million, and still qualify for public funding. The limit is now over $24 million.

Is this a wise use of taxpayer money?

More info...

Amendments to the Florida Constitution

2010-10-04T12:27:00.001-04:00

The upcoming election in Florida will determine who represents us in the Senate, who will represent us in the House of Representatives; who will be governor, and many other important offices.

But there are also 8 proposed Constitutional amendments in play. Proposed Constitutional amendments aren't very sexy, and they don't get the attention they deserve. So, over the few weeks left before the election, I'm going to put some lipstick and powder on these ballot orphans. They're all dressed up in fancy legislative language...they should at least get a chance to dance.

The White Woman Speaks

2010-10-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

Okay, this voice is not a minority voice. Wait, I am a woman, so I am oppressed. Yay! I can speak. But, I'm a white woman, so I probably don't count. So before I sit down into obscurity, let me say my piece.

I'm mad about a lot of things, and I intend to be heard. God did not make multiple classes of people. He made us all exactly alike, equal in every way. Sort of like paper dolls, or cookie-cutter people. I celebrate my alikeness, and I know that is what God loves about me.

Wait, that's not right...God doesn't need to love me as an individual, that doesn't make sense. He's too big for that. (Are you convinced yet?)

Yes, I celebrate my alikeness with people who are different from me. I like peppermint, but that makes me different...so I deny that. I like cats...but most people like horses. So damn the cats.

I'm sorry. These speeches are making me crazy. Jobs, justice, whatever.

D.C. brings HIV testing to the crowd at the DMV

2010-10-02T13:32:00.001-04:00

Interesting. They will offer $15 to anyone willing to submit to an HIV test at the DMV in Washington DC.

"We're normalizing people's thoughts of testing," Wood said. "You can do organ donation at the DMV. You can do voter registration at the DMV. If people don't want to do it, we can at least talk to them."

They say 3% of the DC population is HIV positive. An "epidemic" is defined as 1% of the population. I guess it's a word game.

I renew my drivers license by U.S. mail. I wonder if they have found a way to offer mail order HIV screening?

In the best of all worlds, I could renew my subscription to the Readers Digest at the DMV. Maybe update my Facebook profile.

Hmm..."captive audience." Imagine how many souls we could bring to Jesus! Or at least we could talk to them.

D.C. brings HIV testing to the crowd at the DMV

New App Rewards Shoppers for Scanning Barcodes

2010-10-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

New App Rewards Shoppers for Scanning Barcodes:

The "focus is to use the scan to connect the consumer to the brand and reward the consumer for their behavior."

Just what I always wanted - shopper training. Eventually, I suppose I won't be able to buy a dessert item unless I have bought a counter-balancing amount of fruit, vegetables, and tofu. I won't be able to buy a bottle of wine if I have a DUI on record, and I won't be able to buy chocolates if I'm tagged as diabetic in the medical records database.

But, it will be fun in the meantime.

Imprimis

2010-04-13T18:55:00.000-04:00

Paul Ryan on health care:

Imprimis

A publication of Hillsdale College.

Visiting with my Grandma

2010-03-23T19:38:00.002-04:00

I had a dream the other night that my Grandma came to visit me. She passed away in 1984, so she's been gone a while. I had to bring her up to date on life in the 21st century.

We were sitting on the back porch (I call it a "patio"), and she got a notion to dispose of some trash...newspapers, magazines, old mail, scraps from a used sewing pattern. I had to stop her..."Oh no, Grandma! You can't start a fire, you can't burn that stuff. It needs to be recycled." I explained to her that it is all biodegradable and it needs to go in the blue bin. She argued with me that burning actually hastens the biodegrading process, but I assured her it was the law...no burning. I won, and she put it all in the blue bin.

Next, she wanted to go to the mall. (She just called it "shopping", which of course means the mall.) She has always liked to drive, and since this was a dream, I was happy to let her. But I was horrified when she totally ignored the seat belt. "Grandma! Your seat belt!" She looked at me like someone who had no respect for the art and magic of ironing. I explained to her that seat belts are the law. Besides, wrinkled clothes don't trump crumpled bodies. She promised to drive slow, and keep her eyes peeled for hurtling Humvees.

Then we got to the mall parking lot, and Grandma spied an empty space (actually 7 empty spaces) not 20 feet from the mall entrance. She was half-way parked when I shrieked, "Grandma! This is a handicapped space! You can't park here!" Like a child, she wanted to know why. So I explained about the vans for people who can only get around in this world with wheelchairs, and how we need to accommodate them. She asked me where these wheelchair-bound people were, right now...the seven of them. Once again, I explained that this was the law...if you're not handicapped, you can not park within 20 feet of the mall entrance.

I will not bore you with her thoughts on a 7% sales tax. (Especially since her single purchase was a fake tortoise-shell hair-clip that cost all of $1.98.) But I heard about it all the way home.

So we topped the day off with lemonade. Made with fake sugar. (Fake lemons too, for that matter.) She knew, I'm sure, but she didn't say anything. It was only a dream...you know?

Abortion in the Healthcare Bill

2010-03-21T10:52:00.003-04:00

I'm no expert, but I can read. My reference is a certified copy of the bill posted at:

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3962ih.txt.pdf

I'm looking at page 110, where there are two definitions - Abortions for which funding is prohibited (4A), and abortions for which funding is allowed (4B). Both definitions hinge on one phrase:

"...based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved."

So, both definitions are essentially non-definitive. What bothers me is the paragraph that precedes these definitions:

"The public health insurance option shall provide coverage for services described in paragraph (4)(B). Nothing in this Act shall be construed as preventing the public health insurance option from providing for or prohibiting coverage of services described in paragraph (4)(A)."

In other words, public funds may or may not be used to pay for abortion services, depending on how the wind blows - politically, legislatively, or otherwise.

Situational ethics bloom once again.

New Digs!

2010-03-17T20:51:00.002-04:00

Well, without getting into a lot of technical detail, it was necessary for me to move this blog to a new address: http://blog.freelaunch.com/

The process was quite an adventure! I changed the lay-out a little, and will probably tweak things a bit more from time to time.

But for now, it seems that everything is working as it should...and I can once again concentrate on posting random thoughts, opinions, and possibly some useful information!

Cinderella Rules

2010-02-17T21:04:00.004-05:00

First, the bad news: You are not Cinderella.

Further bad news: Neither am I.

The good news is that Cinderella lives in a perfect ever-after world, since the shoe did actually fit, and all that nonsense. This is the ever-after that no one included in the story. This is the ever-after that includes being totally qualified, but age-challenged. This is the ever-after that includes absolute political correctness, so that we're not "too old", we're just too darned focused on past experience.

Now, if we had documentation of that past experience, it might pull some weight with today's awesomely fair, iPhone-enabled, management generation. Our downfall is that we didn't document any of our experience with raw data. So now we have nothing but reputation, which counts for nothing in a world dominated by Excel spreadsheets. After all, reputation is now a matter of context.

Anyone can fake an Excel spreadsheet. Oh no...so documentation is also meaningless? Where do we go from there?

The Super Bowl

2010-02-07T18:39:00.006-05:00

First, a disclaimer: I know nothing about football, other than it involves someone's foot and a ball that is not shaped anything like a ball. It is a game played on a field (which isn't really a "field" at all, but part of a multi-acre tract of prime real estate, encompassing mostly on-ramps, off-ramps, parking, and other non-game related uses).

Football is entertainment, but boy they sure make it look like war. The "players" present themselves like mean, intimidating, "in-your-face", "take-no-prisoners", fighting machine, heroes. Chasing a ball, that is not shaped like a ball at all, on a field, which is not a field at all, on television. Grrr....(oooh!) Grrrr....

The players wear cute tight pants. We called them panty-girdles when I was in high school, but add a stripe down the side of the leg, and presto! Football pants. Topped with way big t-shirts stuffed with shoulder pads. (We wore our big brothers' shirts and stuffed our bras with kleenex...it's the same concept, just different body parts.)

Now for the helmets. It reminds me of us girls in the '60s when we curled our hair using jumbo rollers, and then covered the whole mess up with a brightly colored, glorified hair net. It was made of nylon, with elastic to hug your head. So the effect was this big bouffant headdress that made it look like nothing was going on inside your head. Very much like a football helmet.

Why do people love football? Just listen to the passion, the enthusiasm, the sheer joy of the attendees. You don't hear that kind of enthusiasm at church, even though eternity is at stake. You don't hear that kind of passion at a county commission meeting, even though personal freedom is at stake.

You do hear joy like that at rock concerts. You hear that enthusiasm at football games too. Hmmm...rock concerts, football games.

Just for fun, ask 10 people at random tomorrow...who played in the Super Bowl? Ask them who won? Ask them to describe the best play. I bet you will have a 20 minute conversation with each person.

Then ask that same person to name one of their Senators or Congressmen. Ask them to name the Governor of your state. Ask them to name one signer of the Declaration of Independence (other than John Hancock). Ask them to name the authors of the four Gospels.

Interesting, isn't it? That we have been programmed to pay attention to the Super Bowl. To memorize the stats, and glamorize the players. To look forward to the ads, to celebrate the competition...and hate the opposition. We are encouraged to worship one team or another, to idolize the players. Like the Greeks, idolizing their gods; or the Romans, idolizing their gladiators.

I wonder what it would have been like if the Greeks or the Romans would have had instant replay technology. Slow-motion HD instant replay might have changed history.

That Pesky Context Issue

2010-01-10T20:24:00.004-05:00

I read a blog post recently from someone who happened to catch a radio broadcast where Rush Limbaugh was comparing President Obama to Hitler. This radio broadcast was not the actual Rush Limbaugh show...it was a discussion on NPR, which included a report ABOUT the Rush Limbaugh program. The blogger who heard this went on to speculate that Rush Limbaugh could just as likely "flip-flop", ranting on behalf of Liberals, if the price were right.

Now, I happen to know this blogger to be an intellectually honest person, a real truth-seeker. That's why I am surprised that he would not have considered the context of the soundbites he may have heard. I am puzzled that he would not have questioned the possible agenda of NPR in broadcasting this discussion. Specifically, it concerns me that "context" has become so meaningless.

For instance, today's controversy about Harry Reid's comments prior to the presidential campaign. As I understand it, he referred to President Obama as "light-skinned", with "no Negro accent." I am not an Obama fan, much less a fan of Harry Reid. But, I don't think Reid's statements were racist. In context, he was defining his early support of Barack Obama as a candidate for President. We may not want to acknowledge it, but the fact that Barack Obama is African-American was a consideration. I don't get it...we were all proud of the fact that the U.S. finally elected an African-American President (therefore proving that we are NOT a racist nation), but on the other hand, we can't talk about it, because that would be racist.

What is the bottom line? Would we be really-really-non-racist if we elected a really black-looking black guy, with a really heavy street accent...so long as we didn't use the word "Negro"? This is insane! He's our President. I don't like his agenda, and I have a right to disagree with that.

I refuse to take Harry Reid's comments out of context, just to make him look like a racist. I would appreciate it if others would not take Rush Limbaugh's comments out of context, just to make him look like a Hitler fanatic.

Business and Spirituality

2009-12-28T19:31:00.005-05:00

"Business underlies everything in our national life, including our spiritual life. Witness the fact that in the Lord's Prayer, the first petition is for daily bread. No one can worship God or love his neighbor on an empty stomach." - Woodrow Wilson.

I think the first petition in the Lord's Prayer is "Give us this day...", which connotes a gratitude and desire for life, followed by a desire for daily sustenance. No one can worship God or love his neighbor without the gift of life. Considering the many famines mankind has suffered, and the time-honored tradition of fasting, I would venture to guess that it is quite possible to worship God and love one's neighbor on an empty stomach.

What an odd statement for Wilson to make. He skips right over "Give us this day" and pounces on "our daily bread."

Born in the 50's

2009-12-25T18:45:00.003-05:00

I had the distinct pleasure/curse of being among the first generation of human beings to experience Christmas enhanced by television. The pleasure part included the Andy Williams Christmas specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolf the Red-Nosed-Reindeer, hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Pope spreading Christmas joy in every language on earth. Other generations only heard about such things. They didn't have television.

The curse part was the increasing intrusion of product advertising. Until that time, there were baby dolls (not grown-up Barbies, with their own condos, sports cars, boyfriends, wardrobes, and careers); there were building blocks or lincoln logs to construct homes, not Legos to build super-structures and other-worldly mega-complexes.

We adopted a "Jetson" mentality, where only the new, the modern, the progressive, the anything-but-traditional, was worthy of admiration.

Is it any wonder that merchants are setting up Valentines Day displays on Christmas Eve? It's easy to blame the demise of our culture on greedy capitalists. The generation of the '50s unwittingly caved to the message that "new" is unquestionably better.

We're older now (some of us are ancient), and we realize that we were wrong. New is not automatically better (unless it's the Edison-type of new). We treasure the past we've been part of, and would like to pass the best of it on to fresher souls.

Thank God we have a vigorous new generation to carry the torch!

Tell It to the Wind

2009-12-04T19:36:00.000-05:00

TELL IT TO THE WIND

When clouds turn gray and blend to black,
don't make a noise, nor turn your back;
just breathe it to the wind.

When bread dries out, leaving brittle hard crust,
don't cry out, nor dare mistrust;
just scream it to the wind.

When evil wins the devil's hand,
don't wince or moan, nor take a stand;
just proclaim it to the wind.

When black is white, and lies are true,
do not despair; it's nothing new.
Just bare it to the wind.

The wind sweeps strong and clears the air;
When the wind is through, there is nothing there.
Just tell it to the wind.

What of Masculinism?

2009-11-09T12:56:00.003-05:00

This is an excerpt from the sidebar of an article in "The Lutheran", November 2009, an article titled "Stamped by Patriarchy," by Sonia C. Solomonson:

"Feminism [a definition]: A way of thinking, seeing the world and looking for answers to patriarchy and its effects. It encompasses a wide range of diversity but two shared ideas exist: Gender inequality is real - and that's a problem."

Uh-huh. Gender inequality is certainly real - men are generally taller, stronger, heavier, more prone to beards, and they often like to spit. As a woman, I am undeniably more equal than that. I am more petite in stature, less likely to shoulder a pallet, weigh less than a sack of potatoes, pluck chin-hairs defiantly, and spit only as part of dental hygiene. We are definitely not equal. I don't see the problem.

I define "feminism" as the militant, arms-folded-across-the-chest mindset that demands respect, for the sake of respect. Raquel Welch, standing firm in her bear-skin bikini, spitting defiantly in the eye of Jeremiah Johnson (who killed the bear of which her bikini is made). She demands respect.

Uh-huh. So where is the masculinism movement? You know, that vast groundswell of humanity that stands up to the injustice of men being prevented from having babies? All they need is a womb, for God's sake.

One of Those Things

2009-10-04T10:14:00.004-04:00

A couple of years ago, my friend Scotty and I were out for a drive, just riding around the countryside of west central Florida. We were talking about how much life had changed since our "growing-up" years - him in Florida, me in Pennsylvania.

I mentioned that one thing I missed was drive-in movies - what a hit they were in the 1950's and '60s. Double features, "Buck Night" (where a whole carload of people got in for one dollar), the concession stand, the playground in front of the big screen. We both sighed with nostalgia. (Although I suspect he was remembering hiding in trunks and other hijinks!). We agreed, it was too bad that drive-ins had gone the way of 8-track tapes, Maypo, and Brilcream.

Then, as we drove around a bend in the road, voila! There in plain sight was an actual drive-in movie theater! Abandoned, of course, but nonetheless there it was! We looked at each other and laughed for miles! Scotty said, "Well, it's just another 'one of those things' I guess."

"One of those things" was a special code between me and Scotty - coincidences; things you happen to mention or notice, and suddenly there's some kind of affirmation. You talk about some obscure event in history, and out of nowhere, you hear it mentioned on the news, including context you didn't know before. You think of an old friend, and they mysteriously show up the next day at a mall you are visiting in Omaha. You casually recall a phrase from an old song, and 10 minutes later the whole song plays on the radio.

Scotty's been gone for a while now, but these events still happen to me. This gets me to wondering if these affirmations are actually part of a divine conversation? I discovered it in my relationship with Scotty, and it was awesome to share that with him. But as this phenomenon continues, maybe I should be paying more attention to it. Maybe I should even be cultivating the conversation.

Shopping in Downtown Butler

2009-09-13T16:16:00.002-04:00

A recent conversation about Aland's Toy Store got me to thinking about life and shopping in Butler, PA circa 1968:

Murphy's: A five-and-ten, where you could buy nail polish remover, seamless stockings, shaving cream, sci-fi magazines, shoe-bows, pop-beads, Blue Waltz perfume, wrapping paper, paper dolls, and shoe polish.

Woolworths: Just like Murphy's, but with a lunch counter. You could buy a real ice cream soda, or if you had serious money, a hamburger and fries. They also had pantyhose, 45 rpm records, curtains, fabric, sewing patterns (downstairs), pinwheels, and celophane.

Troutman's: Very "New York-ish" mannequins, with arms but not hands. Scarves encased in glass. Boots on pedestals. Felt hats on head sculptures. Santa Claus in the window, actually bowing, bending, waving, and nodding.

Honses: The knock-you-over scent of eucalyptus everywhere, when you walked in the store. Monster furniture in every pattern of brocade ever conceived. Tall vases, shiny veneers. Sparkling tigers, taller than me.

Bill's Bargain Barn: If you had 50 cents, you could spend it there and fill a bag. Oh, I don't know...ribbon, strips of sticky stars, pick-up sticks, glue, toothpaste, felt remnants, bolts, shoestrings, cat toys, gold braid, buttons, Old Spice, umbrellas, neckties...

Jaffe's: I couldn't afford to even breathe the air in there. But it was fun to slink around in between the clothing racks. You had to get dressed up to shop there, and I did buy a christening dress there for my daughter. Grandest event of my life.

The Darling Shop: OMG...dresses, dresses, dresses! Sundresses, day dresses, dress-up dresses, evening dresses! Nothing was more girly than that.

Altmires: This was a sewing store...they had fabrics, floor-to-ceiling. Needles, cutting-boards, patterns, scissors that cut in zig-zags. They had bobbins, and sewing machine attachments that looked downright evil. They had artificial bodies that could be manipulated (contorted) to replicate the shape of any human being, living or dead.

King's Jewelers: Felt like a sanctuary, even if you were just picking up a fixed watch. You whispered in there, and you never looked up the stairs. In fact, you didn't look anywhere except straight ahead.

Kinney's Shoes: This was a fun store where they measured your feet with a slide rule. I could have had clown feet and still felt like a queen when that man measured my foot.

The one store I loved, that I can't remember the name of, is the stationery store. They had paper of all sorts, tablets, notepads, pens, cards, ink pads, stamps...I just can't remember the name. It was up by the Courthouse. Anyone remember?

On Musicals,,,

2009-09-05T23:07:00.002-04:00

My mother never liked musicals, and I could never figure out why. My mother was very practical in some ways, but mostly I remember her as being very creative...and not liking musicals doesn't fit with that profile. I think she had a mental block, which but for that mental block, she would have loved musicals.

Who does not adore life set to music? Dancing. Rhythm. Continuity. I have always thought that the only thing missing from ordinary life is a musical score. My life would have mostly piano music, since there is nothing musical that a piano can't express. What a powerful phrase that is..."nothing musical that a piano can't express."

I should learn to play the piano.

The Last Word on Cataract Surgery

2009-08-31T18:26:00.003-04:00

In Greek mythology, Argus Panoptes was "the all seeing." A man with many eyes. Early accounts say he had four eyes, later a hundred. Glad I'm not Panoptes.

Today they removed the cataract from my left eye. Apparently, it was a lot thicker than the one in the right eye. So it took a little longer and generated some swelling. But the results are every bit as miraculous! Not a lot of vision, but by far, much more light!

There will be a few weeks of eye exercises to retrain the muscles, and a lasik procedure in the right eye, but other than that, it's just drops, drops, drops! (My aim is getting better!)

Like I said, I'm glad to be human and only have to deal with this twice, unlike Argus Panoptes, who may have needed four procedures, or a hundred. :)

Cataract Surgery Update

2009-08-27T17:52:00.002-04:00

Pardon my spelling. It took me 5 tries to log on, and I can't read one word of what I am typing without a magnifying glass. So this will be a short report. Whoever said this surgery would be a piece of cake probably had two good eyes. I know I am impatient, but I expected magic. It doesn't work that way. My surgery was at 9 am...it is now almost 6 pm, and I am lucky not to be tripping over furniture. I am very afraid that I have made a huge mistake.

Up close, everything is a mottled blur. In the distance, everything is surrounded with dense fog.

The surgery was painless, as I was told it would be. Intense light throughout the procedure, and some pressure in the eye, but no pain. And it was quick, the procedure took less than 5 minutes. No blackout, and I didn't blink. (They fasten your eye open, so you can't blink.)

It's the aftermath I'm having trouble with. It's scary not being able to see what time it is on what I know is a perfectly good clock. Hopefully, I will see more clearly tomorrow. There are lots of good stories to tell about this day - being face to face with a seeing-eye dog, a guardian angel, the silence of the van...

Meanwhile, here's lookin' at you!

PS: Hats off to whoever invented the magnifying glass!

Cataract Surgery in the 21st Century

2009-08-24T19:24:00.003-04:00

I think this was supposed to be a whole lot more dramatic...cataract surgery, where they take the knife to your eyeballs. The doctor has a serious, mournful look on his face. A combination of sincere pity, and hand-rubbing excitement. Not so in the 21st century. These doctors look through you,analyzing measurements, surface curvatures, ratios, circumferences, throughput, and God knows what else. Probably muscle tension, mileage, and RBIs.

My question is, what will I see while I'm wide awake? That moment, after the incision is made, after the breakup and vacuuming of the "cloudy lens material" (which sounds so disgustingly "dirty-carpet"). I think I will be momentarily totally blind. No lens...? What can you see with no lens...?

So when they insert the magic artificial lens...all of a sudden I will see again? What if it's wrong? What if someone left it on the dash of their car for a couple of hours, baking in the sun? What if someone's ballpoint pen exploded and a tiny drop of ink splashed onto it? What if something went wrong in the lens-making process and they forgot to include blue (my favorite color)?

How do they know it will fit? Is everyone's eye the same size? What if it's too small, will there be a halo of black all around everything?

I'll give you the play-by-play. What I see (or don't see) during the procedure. Whether it hurts or not. How much of a nuisance the drops are (I think it's every two hours). Trust me, this an adventure of...well, blind faith.

One other thing...they say it only takes 5 minutes. But I've never gone five minutes without blinking. What if I blink?

The Wall

2009-08-22T11:39:00.002-04:00

In every life there is a crossroads where you realize that there are arguments bigger than you. These are not arguments that are necessarily right or true, they are just arguments you are not going to win, no matter how right or true your position is.

My first experience with this principle was with a Baptist minister. I was a Baptist by choice, fully convinced that I had made not just the right choice, but the only choice, given the facts as any 16-year-old would understand them. I fell in love with a Catholic, and by some miracle of consequence, at the ripe age of 17, I became pregnant.

I tried to explain to my Baptist minister that these things happen, that God had a plan for my life that quite possibly included the father of my child, in which case we should be married.

The pastor would have none of it. Something about unequal yoking, which conjured up visions of my being a cow, pairing myself off with some evil alien being. The pastor refused to perform a marriage ceremony. I had met "the wall".

I was quite indignant. So I became a Catholic - same redemption, different songs. Little did I know the hoops the Catholic Church had in store for me. Again I made not only the right choice, but the only choice, given the facts as a 23-year-old mother would understand them. I was so holy, attending daily mass. I confessed (internally) several times a day. I was pretty happy about it all.

Then my marriage got derailed. So I explained to my priest how these things happen, and God had a plan for my life, which included standing up for the truth. But the priest would not hear of it. Something about "til death do us part", no matter how degrading, humiliating, insulting, or barbaric. Again I met "the wall".

So now I am a Lutheran. I am now being asked to accept "unity", "diversity", and "inclusiveness."

At this stage of my life, I know walls. I have reconciled my thinking to realize that I am not going to change anything. I have realized that the wall is real, and the important part is to decide which side of the wall I will be on.

Front Porches and Facebook

2009-06-05T21:07:00.003-04:00

I've been reading a lot of cynical stuff lately about Facebook and other social media. The main thrust is that these virtual communities are exceedingly self-centered, promoting the concept that life is all about "me".

Well, yes, they are. But I don't think Facebook is in any way MORE narcissistic than the front-porch culture of yesteryear. Nobody has a front porch in the real world anymore, where you sit in the evening, chatting with neighbors about the trivial events of your day. Whining, carrying on, sharing jokes, arguing, embarrassing ourselves...we don't do that on the front porch anymore.

We used to, though. We used to engage in conversation. We used to get mad, we used to get emotional in conversation, to the point where some of us had to apologize. And then we started over. And all this happened on front porches.

How do we engage each other when there are no front porches? How do we do that, living in condos? How do we do that, living in mansions, with special entrances for service people?

What is the "front porch" in the 21st century? I think that is the role of social networking media like Facebook.

What I love is that geography is meaningless. I can be as close to my nephews/nieces in Colorado/Pennsylvania as I am to my children in Pennsylvania/Maryland...just as though we lived on the same street. They can visit my "front porch" through Facebook, and I love it. I treasure the updates, just as much as if I had heard about them "through the grapevine" on my front porch.

Tools like Facebook take a lot of grief, as though their only purpose is self-promotion. To me, Facebook provides me with a front porch where I can speak or hold my peace as I see fit. Just as it has always been on front porches since the beginning of time.

Tweenbots

2009-04-14T18:49:00.006-04:00

This is so uplifting! Restores my faith in humanity.

Tweenbots are human-dependent robots that navigate the city with the help of pedestrians they encounter. Rolling at a constant speed, in a straight line, Tweenbots have a destination displayed on a flag, and rely on people they meet to read this flag and to aim them in the right direction to reach their goal.
Read more about this project.

Roaches: The Unarmed Enemy

2009-04-04T18:10:00.002-04:00

What is it about huge dead roaches? I have one in my kitchen, which I plan to dispose of...just not quite yet. I've gone into the kitchen to inspect him periodically since 11:33 am this morning. That's when I blasted him over and over and over again with HOT-SHOT, which kills on contact (if you spray long enough).

Sheesh, I hope it wasn't a "her". Now, why do I care whether it was a "him" or a "her?" It was a ROACH!

If you would like to argue the point about why girls should not be soldiers, please come to my kitchen. I will show you my dead roach, and you can help me give him/her a proper burial.

Pegging, Unpegging, and Linguistic Magic

2009-04-04T17:21:00.003-04:00

We're "unpegging" from the Constitution. Economies are "unpegging" from the dollar. My Uncle Bill "un-Pegged" from my Aunt Margaret. What does it all mean?

Why can't they speak plain English? I think "un-pegging" is today's euphemism for "violating" or to be even more gutteristic, "raping."

When I hear that our system of government is "unpegging" from the Constitution, the picture I see in my mind is the rope that holds up my pajama bottoms, which is looped over the peg of my bedpost. It's a good thing for me to "un-peg". That sounds like freedom, liberty, independence.

In reality, "unpegging" from the Constitution means removing the foundation that my house (and therefore my bedroom, and even my bed) is built on.

But it still sounds cool and liberating, "unpegging".

Words mean something. Non-words, key-words, and buzz-words serve a purpose. Listen carefully, and peg the language that is used accordingly.

Tragedy in the Media

2009-04-04T15:27:00.002-04:00

I grew up in a community close to Pittsburgh. So today's events there have a somewhat more personal impact on me than similar events that have occurred in New York and North Carolina.

One thing all of these events have in common is media coverage. Vulturish, vampirish, media coverage. The media clamors to know and report (and gleefully photograph, if possible) every ugly detail of the alleged crime, the alleged perpetrator, the alleged victims, the alleged by-standers, and the cousins of the alleged by-standers. Live from the scene.

The inevitable press conferences could be scripted, with a parade of politicians expressing their grief and dismay; law enforcement officials thanking each other for such heroic response; the assurance that federal grief counselors are on the way; the grim agreement that this is indeed a sad day for [name of community].

Then the grilling begins. Who knew what, and when did they know it? How outraged should the community be? What hospital are the survivors in? What are the addresses of their family members? How would you describe society's failure in this awful tragedy? Is this trend of violence stoppable? How dead are the dead, and if they are not dead, how close to dead are they?

They have one video clip of SWAT team members rounding the corner of a building (I think it's a stock clip) which is played over and over throughout the report. Men in helmets, with wicked-looking weapons and chest-gear. It's a cloudy, dusty day - they don't film the SWAT team on sunny, balmy days. That's how I know its a stock clip.

The one question no one asks is, what is God's purpose in this? Why does God permit such carnage? How should we pray in this situation? No, God is excluded from the scene entirely. And then we wonder why these tragedies continue to happen.

Body armor, automatic weapons, motives, logistics, presidential response, counseling, communities joining together, despair, hate - all of these terms and concepts may be invoked. But don't mention God.

Peace to Pittsburgh.

Hanging in the Balance

2009-03-31T18:33:00.004-04:00

Lawfare and Obama's Transnationalist
By Frank Gaffney

What is wrong with this picture? We learned this weekend that a Spanish judge, Baltasar Garzon, is preparing to prosecute six Americans who worked as senior legal and policy advisors to President George W. Bush - including Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith. The alleged crime? The opinions they provided Mr. Bush supported the use of torture against enemy combatants.

Most Americans would find this assertion of what has come to be called "transnational law" to be troubling on several grounds. Its application is an affront to due process and the rule of law in this country. It would criminalize internal U.S. policy-making deliberations, with profound implications for U.S. sovereignty. If allowed to run its course, this prosecution would have a profoundly chilling effect on the willingness of subordinates to provide a president with advice, or perhaps even to serve in government.

One would hope that President Obama would recognize that this use of legal mechanisms as a form of warfare against the United States - increasingly known as "lawfare" - holds serious dangers not just for the country and those who ran it for the past eight years, but for his administration, as well. That would appear not to be the case, however, in light of his choice of Harold Koh to be the State Department's top lawyer.
Read More...

Source: Townhall.com

Note: Scarier still is the notion that our laws would no longer be made or interpreted in the context of our Constitution, but in the context of the world stage. Such a transition would also threaten our ability to enter (or not enter) into treaties, to wage war, etc., as a sovereign nation.

Fishy Politics in Alexandria

2009-03-28T10:46:00.005-04:00

To many in Old Town Alexandria, the sex shop that opened recently on King Street is nothing short of scandalous, a historical desecration just blocks from the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee.

But to Michael Zarlenga, it's justice.

Zarlenga spent $350,000 on plans to expand his hunting and fishing store, the Trophy Room. He worked with city officials for almost two years and thought he had their support -- until the architectural review board told him he couldn't alter the historic property.

Furious and out of money, Zarlenga rented the space to its newest occupant, Le Tache.
Read more...

Source: The Washington Post

Note: I'm all in favor of historic preservation. But life does go on...if it was okay for this "historic" building to house a hunting and fishing store in the first place, why not let its owner renovate and continue contributing to the 21st century economy? But nooooo....

I don't particularly like sex shops, but the irony here tickles me.

This Dishwashing Dilemma

2009-03-28T10:07:00.003-04:00

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — The quest for squeaky-clean dishes has turned some law-abiding people in Spokane into dishwater-detergent smugglers.

They are bringing Cascade or Electrasol in from out of state because the eco-friendly varieties required under Washington state law don't work as well.

Spokane County became the launch pad last July for the nation's strictest ban on dishwasher detergent made with phosphates, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. The ban will be expanded statewide in July 2010, the same time similar laws take effect in several other states. But it's not easy to get sparkling dishes when you go green.
Read more...

Source: Sierra Vista Herald

Note: I'm conflicted on this. On the one hand, I am outraged at the governmental intrusion. Do we really need legislation to control how we clean our dishes? On the other hand, what ever happened to plain old elbow-grease and a steel wool pad? Are we such a weak society that we can't even scrape dried spaghetti sauce off our plates anymore, without the help of a machine and chemicals? Maybe we deserve government intervention.

The Senior Perspective

2009-03-21T16:13:00.005-04:00

My grandmother is very comfortable with the new administration and the current state of affairs in the United States.

She is not concerned about the increasing national debt, or the recession, or the bailouts. She lived through the depression, the New Deal, and lost a son in World War II. So she's no stranger to sacrifice or hard work.

That is what is on the horizon for America today...sacrifice and hard work. I can't say I am impressed with our president being the "Salesman-in-Chief." I think what he is doing is stuffing two of every species of fruit and vegetable on God's green earth into the congressional blender - strawberries, onions, peaches, spinach, broccoli, apples, asparagus, onions, kiwi, oranges, potatoes, grapes, beets, apricots, cranberries, peas, beans, onions, and celery. This economic concoction is reputed to be just the tonic America needs. The cost of all these fruits and vegetables is very high, but one has to keep one's priorities straight.

Of course the tonic will taste bad, and it won't really look very appetizing. But it's the prescription, the medicine, we must take. And if you saw President Obama recently on the Tonight Show, you know that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. Our Salesman-in-Chief is an excellent entertainer. He's a hit at townhall meetings, cleverly populated with outspoken victims. Now that he's done Leno, can The View be far behind?

Well the "recovery cocktail" is oozing its way into every paycheck and wallet across America. But that doesn't bother my grandmother.

She passed away in 1983.

My grandchildren, on the other hand....

UPDATE: Embryonic Stem Cell Research

2009-03-15T10:39:00.003-04:00

Obama Signs Law Banning Federal Embryo Research

On Wednesday, only two days after he lifted President Bush’s executive order banning federal funding of stem cell research that requires the destruction of human embryos, President Barack Obama signed a law that explicilty bans federal funding of any "research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death."

The provision was buried in the 465-page omnibus appropriations bill that Obama signed Wednesday. Known as the Dickey-Wicker amendment, it has been included in the annual appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services every fiscal year since 1996.
Read More...

Source: CNSNews.com

Note: This is an interesting turn of events. Did President Obama actually read the bill? Did he know about the Dickey-Wicker amendment? If he did, then was all the fanfare surrounding the signing of his Executive Order just a ruse to placate the far left? Watch for news of legislative efforts to repeal the Dickey-Wicker amendment. In the meantime, however, cooler heads have prevailed.

Glenn Beck's 'We Surround Them' Party

2009-03-14T18:58:00.005-04:00

Sarasota Meet-Up

More than 70 people gathered last night at the Comfort Inn & Suites on Gantt Rd. to watch Glenn Beck's 5:00 pm daily television show on Fox Business network. It wasn't a rally, it was a 'viewing party'. Does that sound odd? More than 70 people gathering at a hotel, paying an entrance fee ($2.75 to cover the cost of the room), just to watch a TV show they could have watched at home for free?

It is odd, but it happened all over the country - in hotels, in bars, in homes - people of like values meeting up in grassroots support of their country. The gathering in Sarasota was amazing in its diversity and enthusiasm. All ages were represented, from the very young, to the very old; there were bikers and professionals; there were former and retired military; men and women; some well-off, some struggling financially; some outspoken (and well-spoken to boot!) - others more quiet, but listening attentively.

The television program was engaging. The theme of 'We Surround Them' is an initiative Glenn Beck created to showcase 9 principles and 12 values that comprise the fabric of our country's founding. It is important to remember that when it comes to government, elected officials, and politicians in general - we are not outnumbered. We surround them! The same is true across the broader society, where so often one individual feels smothered by the lack of integrity, the blurring of lines between right and wrong, and overall acceptance of moral relativity.

After the television broadcast, the discussion continued for another hour in the format of a town meeting. Topics included contacting legislators, the need to address local issues, local media response, in addition to national issues such as the fair tax.

The group will meet again soon, probably at the community center of a local fire station. The purpose of that meeting will be to set priorities and decide on an agenda of action items.

I've attended other "community action" events, but have never seen anything like this. Too soon, I believe voices like Glenn Beck's will be silenced. We have got to build the relationships within our own communities to learn and live the principles and values incorporated into our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. If this event had happened only in little Sarasota, it wouldn't be much to comment on. But the same event was happening simultaneously all over the country. That gives me hope for change I can believe in.

Hat Tip to Hollywood - Our Founding Feathers

2009-03-09T19:44:00.002-04:00

Obama Gives Brown a Set of DVDs

As he headed back home from Washington, Gordon Brown must have rummaged through his party bag with disappointment.

Because all he got was a set of DVDs. Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country, gave the Prime Minister a box set of 25 classic American films - a gift about as exciting as a pair of socks.

Mr Brown is not thought to be a film buff, and his reaction to the box set is unknown. But it didn't really compare to the thoughtful presents he had brought along with him.

The Prime Minister gave Mr Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet.
Read More...

Source: Daily Mail (UK)

Note: How embarrassing. A basket of DVDs, a symbol of American fiction, fantasy, and fame. At least President Obama had the good taste not to make the presentation at the entrance of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

Destroying Human Life - for the Good of Mankind

2009-03-09T18:29:00.005-04:00

Why Embryonic Stem Cells Are Obsolete
March 04, 2009 11:52 AM ET
By Bernadine Healy, M.D.

Scientists may be growing impatient, but President Obama has been rightly taking his time in addressing a campaign promise to lift the ban on federal funding for research using new lines of stem cells to be taken from human embryos. Even for strong backers of embryonic stem cell research, the decision is no longer as self-evident as it was, because there is markedly diminished need for expanding these cell lines for either patient therapy or basic research. In fact, during the first six weeks of Obama's term, several events reinforced the notion that embryonic stem cells, once thought to hold the cure for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes, are obsolete. The most sobering: a report from Israel published in PLoS Medicine in late February that shows embryonic stem cells injected into patients can cause disabling if not deadly tumors.

The report describes a young boy with a fatal neuromuscular disease called ataxia telangiectasia, who was treated with embryonic stem cells. Within four years, he developed headaches and was found to have multiple tumors in his brain and spinal cord that genetically matched the female embryos used in his therapy.

His experience is neither an anomaly nor a surprise, but one feared by many scientists.
Read More...

Source: US News and World Report

Note: I suspect that if you asked 5 of your self-described "well-informed" friends what George Bush's stand was on embryonic stem cell research, I would venture to guess that 4 of them would say that President Bush banned the research. The truth is, he did not ban the research. He did not even ban the government research. He only banned further federal funding to continue creating/destroying human embryos in pursuit of the research.

The media is hailing President Obama for lifting the "ban" on embryonic stem cell research. Who benefits from the lifting of the ban on FEDERAL FUNDING to create and destroy human embryos? Planned Parenthood? Pharmaceutical companies? Research universities?

Not that I'm "following the money"...but I smell a rat in the laboratory.

If I Tap Your Back, Will You Tap Mine?

2009-03-03T21:31:00.005-05:00

Obama to Tap Tech Advisor as FCC Chief

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Barack Obama intends to nominate his technology adviser, Julius Genachowski, to head the Federal Communications Commission, a Democratic source close to the Obama transition team said.

Mr. Genachowski, 46 years old, is a former Harvard Law School classmate of Mr. Obama. He previously worked at the FCC during the Clinton administration. More recently, he co-founded LaunchBox Digital, a Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm. He worked at Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive Corp. in various executive positions for eight years after leaving the FCC.
Read more...

Source: Wall Street Journal

Note: Surprise! Another Clinton staffer. Change we can believe in. Of course, he couldn't be reached for comment, and Obama's spokeswoman declined to comment. They're way too busy with things more important than communication. However, Genachowski did raise more than $500,000 for the Obama campaign...which is totally, thoroughly, irrelevant to this appointment. As is his revered Obama-classmate status. This man is just the man we need to head up the FCC. He's entitled to the post, even if he did study law, rather than communications or technology.

IOUSA

2009-03-02T20:21:00.001-05:00

The Taxman Cometh

2009-03-02T20:08:00.003-05:00

Early tax filers scramble for refunds; most will pay down debt

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Cynthia Jeanguenat, a professional tax preparer in Virginia Beach, Va., said she was inundated with clients' tax forms in the second week of February. What jumped out, however, was the large number of the usual clients who had filed earlier than in years past.

"People are creatures of habit and tend to come in at the same time every year," said Jeanguenat, who is an enrolled agent at Horizons Unlimited. "But some of the folks who already are in I don't normally see until the middle or third week of March."
Read More...

Source: MarketWatch

Note: I don't know about you, but I don't want to risk getting an IOU from the government, any more than the next guy. In fact, I don't even want a check...I want it direct-deposited, right into my account.

On the other hand, if they can "direct-deposit", what's to stop them from "direct-withdrawal"?

Dateline: Oz in the 21st Century

2009-03-02T19:16:00.005-05:00

Obama releases secret Bush anti-terror memos

WASHINGTON – The Obama administration threw open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets Monday, revealing anti-terror memos that claimed exceptional search-and-seizure powers and divulging that the CIA destroyed nearly 100 videotapes of interrogations and other treatment of terror suspects.

The Justice Department released nine legal opinions showing that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Bush administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight. Within two weeks, government lawyers were already discussing ways to wiretap U.S. conversations without warrants.

The Bush administration eventually abandoned many of the legal conclusions, but the documents themselves had been closely held. By releasing them, President Barack Obama continued a house-cleaning of the previous administration's most contentious policies.
Read more...

Source: Associated Press

Note: Maybe it's me, but the headline implies that Bush wrote some nefarious memos. If you read beyond the headline, you see that what were released were legal opinions, which (reading further) Bush abandoned. The story then moves on to the Nixonesque destruction of video tapes documenting interrogation proceedings...admitting that "It is not clear what exactly was on the recordings."

Hmmmm, I wonder when the AP started hiring out-of-work soap opera writers, handing them "I'm a Reporter" badges...

Term Limits for Supreme Court Justices?

2009-02-23T18:58:00.003-05:00

Legal Experts Propose Limiting Justices' Powers, Terms

If we had it to do all over again, would we appoint Supreme Court justices for life? Allow the chief justice to keep the job forever? Let the court have the final word on which cases it hears and those it declines?

A group of prominent law professors and jurists thinks not, and the group says in a letter to congressional leaders that there is no reason Congress should consider the operation of the high court sacrosanct.

For starters, the group proposes a form of term limits, moving justices to senior status after 18 years on the court. The proposal says that justices now linger so long that it diminishes the likelihood that the court's decisions "will reflect the moral and political values of the contemporary citizens they govern."

To get around the Constitution's prescription that justices serve for life, the group would let justices stay on the court in a senior role -- filling in on a case, perhaps, or dispatched to lower courts -- or lure them into retirement with promises of hefty bonuses.

It would set up a regular rotation on the court by providing for the nomination of a new justice by the president with each new two-year term of Congress. If that results in more than the current nine justices, only the nine most junior would hear cases.
Read more...

Source: Washington Post

Note: When so-called "Legal Experts" start questioning whether Judiciary practices should be held sancrosanct, and they openly ponder ways to "get around" the Constitution, I have to wonder how we are measuring legal expertise these days?

Putting our most experienced justices "out-to-pasture" after 18 years, just for the sake of maintaining cultural relativism, is lunacy. Limiting the Chief Justice to a 7 year term would be tragic.

Anyone who doubts that our Constitution is in grave danger right now had better sit up an take notice. Wake up, America!

Removing Presidential Term Limits

2009-02-21T22:11:00.002-05:00

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. J. RES. 5

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to repeal the twenty-second article of amendment, thereby removing the limitation on the number of terms an individual may serve as President.
Read more...

Source: Thomas Library of Congress

Note: Introduced by Congressman José Serrano (D-NY) on January 6, 2009. This was attempted back in 2005 during the second term of George W. Bush, but at that time it would not have gone into effect until after the Bush presidency. Similar bills have been introduced many times over the years. Still, it's one to keep an eye on.

Urban Renewal

2009-02-20T22:14:00.008-05:00

Guardsmen to Conduct Urban Training at Arcadia in April

The Carroll National Guard unit will train on urban military operations by holding a four-day exercise at Arcadia.

The purpose of the April 2-5 drill will be to gather intelligence, then search for and apprehend a suspected weapons dealer, according to Sgt. Mike Kots, readiness NCO for Alpha Company.

Citizens, law enforcement, media and other supporters will participate.

Troops will spend Thursday, April 2, staging at a forward operations base at Carroll. The next day company leaders will conduct reconnaissance and begin patrolling the streets of Arcadia to identify possible locations of the weapons dealer.
Read more...

Source: Daily Times Herald, Carroll, Iowa

Note: Carroll, Iowa - this defines "Urban America"? What sort of training is going on in your community? Wake up, America.

At Last! Urbanites Have Hope!

2009-02-20T20:28:00.006-05:00

Executive Order: Establishment of the White House Office of Urban Affairs

Section 1. Policy. About 80 percent of Americans live in urban areas, and the economic health and social vitality of our urban communities are critically important to the prosperity and quality of life for Americans. Vibrant cities spawn innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the businesses, universities, and civic, cultural, religious, and nonprofit institutions they attract. Forward-looking policies that encourage wise investment and development in our urban areas will create employment and housing opportunities and make our country more competitive, prosperous, and strong. In the past, insufficient attention has been paid to the problems faced by urban areas and to coordinating the many Federal programs that affect our cities. A more comprehensive approach is needed, both to develop an effective strategy for urban America and to coordinate the actions of the many executive departments and agencies whose actions impact urban life.
Read more...

Source: The White House web site

Note: That's odd. I thought innovation, economic growth, and cultural enrichment spawned vibrant cities...not the other way around. So, we haven't paid "sufficient attention" to the needs and wants of cities...we've ignored 80% of the American population? Strange, we've heard no outcry on this, no 60 Minutes specials on the un-met needs of urban America, particularly the urbanites of Manhatten, Beverly Hills, and the condo rows of Miami Beach.

Perhaps these are not the urbanites that the Office of Urban Affairs will concern itself with. I suspect this new office should be re-named the Office of Inner-City Slum Affairs. But of course, "urban" has such a more classy ring to it.

Keeping an Eye on Recovery

2009-02-17T19:28:00.003-05:00

There is a new web site available for us to monitor the economic recovery. Here is the link to the main page:

http://www.recovery.gov/

At this point in time, there is a bar graph, showing where our money is going. Please note the asterisks preceding "Tax Relief" and "State and Local Fiscal Relief", which are annotated with the link labeled "Learn More". If you click on that link and scroll down to the small print, you will see:

"* Tax Relief - includes $15 B for Infrastructure and Science, $61 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $25 B for Education and Training and $22 B for Energy, so total funds are $126 B for Infrastructure and Science, $142 B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $78 B for Education and Training, and $65 B for Energy.

State and Local Fiscal Relief - Prevents state and local cuts to health and education programs and state and local tax increases."

If you subtract the $15B for Infrastructure and Science, the $61B for Protecting the Vulnerable, $25B for Education and Training, and $22B for Energy, we are left with $165B in Tax Relief, am I right?

So why did they include these amounts under "Tax Relief", other than to make the illustration look like tax relief is the lion's share of the stimulus plan?

Actually, by this illustration, tax relief is only 37% of the plan, while spending is 43% of the plan, if you add up all the other categories. Yet the bar graph makes it look like tax relief is by far the greatest benefit. If you consider the items in the footnote, then tax relief is only 21% of the stimulus plan.

The pretty bubble break-down...with footnotes.

Money as Debt

2009-02-17T18:03:00.006-05:00

This is an eye-opener. It's 47 minutes long, but WELL worth it, if you'd like to better understand where money comes from, and how our economy works. It's animated, with clear narration, and impressive graphics. Enjoy, and please comment.
More information...

1,071 Pages...less than 48 hours

2009-02-15T21:32:00.007-05:00

"It will be of little avail to the people that the laws are made by men of their own choice if the laws are so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is today, can guess what it will be tomorrow. Law is defined to be a rule of action, but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed?"
James Madison, 4th President of the United States (1751-1836)

Source: Federalist Papers, No. 62, Page 381

Note: The Founding Fathers did not regard "the people" as a mass of brain-dead, American-Idol worshippers. They respected "the people", and sought to protect the rights and power of "the people." We should live up to the respect they had for us, and the duty they entrusted to us.

Bon Voyage, Madam Speaker!

2009-02-14T19:24:00.004-05:00

US House Speaker Pelosi to Rome

(ANSA) - Rome, February 12 - The speaker of the United
States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, will be in
Rome next week for talks with top Italian officials focusing
in the global economic crisis and other leading issues.

The first woman to hold the third-highest position in
the American government, Pelosi has played a key role in
pushing through the economic policies drawn up by the
administration of President Barack Obama to combat the global
recession.
Read more...

Source: LifeInItaly.com

Note: So now President Obama is addressing the "global" recession, not just the financial woes of Henrietta Hughes in Ft. Myers , Florida. My, my. I wonder if Henrietta is now singing, "He's got the whole world - in his hands; the whole wor-r-r-rld, in his hands."

I'm also impressed with Speaker Pelosi's incredible luck in the timing of the vote of the stimulus bill. How very fortunate that there was no delay in the vote, which might have interfered with her travel plans. Thank goodness no one insisted on actually reading all 1,071 pages of the bill before voting on it.

Lobbyists? What Lobbyists...?

2009-02-12T21:00:00.004-05:00

Lobbyists Pull All-Nighters
By Jim Snyder

For lobbyists, the cost of a $789 billion economic recovery package can be measured in sore thumbs, lack of sleep and delayed vacations.

Rarely, if ever, has a bill consumed the influence industry as much as the stimulus package, the largest government intervention in the market since the New Deal.

Automakers, arts advocates, coal companies, film producers, drug makers, construction workers, college presidents, airlines, oil refiners and even duck hunters are tracking the bill. What’s duck hunting have to do with a bad economy? Nothing, really. But Ducks Unlimited urged its membership to call Senate and House offices to support the bill for its money to pay for wetland restoration.

After a tough 2008 in which revenues at top firms fell, the stimulus package has been a boon to K Street’s economy. Hundreds of firms, companies and trade groups registered to lobby on the recovery package this January, usually a sleepy month in Washington.
Read more...

Source: The Hill

Note: I'm just curious...of course, we're being told that there are NO (ahem) earmarks in the stimulus bill. Well, maybe a few, but not many. Not enough to shake a stick at. Yet, the lobbyists are congregating at the boon docks in Washington. Next thing you know, we'll be seeing fleas congregating where there is no dog.

Undercover at Wal-Mart

2009-02-11T20:59:00.003-05:00

Fly on the Wall - Undercover at Wal-Mart
By Charles Platt

Some people, usually community activists, loath Wal-Mart. Others, like the family of four struggling to make ends meet, are in love with the chain. I, meanwhile, am in awe of it.

With more than 7,000 facilities worldwide, coordinating more than 2 million employees in its fanatical mission to maintain an inventory from more than 60,000 American suppliers, it has become a system containing more components than the Space Shuttle - yet it runs as reliably as a Timex watch.
Read more...

Source: New York Post

Note: It's interesting to see the entrails of Wal-Mart. The devotion to customer service is so diabolical. The empowerment of employees is so non-unionizing. Of course, we have to keep in mind that a former senior writer for Wired magazine may have some degree of bias.

CSPAN Rep Paul Kanjorski Reviews the Bailout Situation

2009-02-10T19:57:00.001-05:00

Economists Agree - NOT!

2009-02-10T19:40:00.003-05:00

With All Due Respect, Mr. President

Notwithstanding reports that all economists are now Keynesians and that we all support a big increase in the burden of government, we do not believe that more government spending is a way to improve economic performance. More government spending by Hoover and Roosevelt did not pull the United States economy out of the Great Depression in the 1930s. More government spending did not solve Japan's "lost decade" in the 1990s. As such, it is a triumph of hope over experience to believe that more government spending will help the U.S. today. To improve the economy, policy makers should focus on reforms that remove impediments to work, saving, investment and production. Lower tax rates and a reduction in the burden of government are the best ways of using fiscal policy to boost growth.
View the list of economists who signed this message...

Source: CATO Institute

Note: Why... WHY?... are we being spoon-fed propaganda; why are we being mislead? We (the people) should have access to all sides of this issue. Investigate the sources of information you receive, listen to all sides. Look both ways before crossing the street.

Travel Rationing - Could It Happen Here?

2009-02-10T18:45:00.002-05:00

UK environment czar looking at limiting holiday trips to save CO2

The UK's so-called "environment czar" last week raised the possibility of rationing air travel, limiting UK citizens to just a few vacation trips abroad by air per year in order to reduce the impact of carbon dioxide emissions.

Adair Turner, chairman of the independent Committee on Climate Change that advises UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, made the proposal before Parliament's Environmental Audit Select Committee on Feb. 5. In remarks widely reported by UK media, Turner said, "We will have to constrain demand in an absolute sense with people not allowed to make as many journeys as they could in an unconstrained manner."
Read more...

Source: ATW (Air Transport World)

Note: I don't know what effect such restrictions would have on business travel, maybe it wouldn't apply at all. The scary thing is living in a world where the government can tell you if, when, and where you may travel.

Stimulus Projects By State

2009-02-09T20:10:00.004-05:00

This is embarrassing, at least for the state of Florida. Take a look at the various projects, from state to state, that are anticipating hand-outs from the stimulus plan:

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state

Simulus Plan Bars Funds to Schools Hosting Faith Forums

2009-02-09T19:51:00.012-05:00

Republican Senator Proposes Amendment to Overturn Ban on Cash for Schools Hosting Faith Forums

Republican Sen. Jim DeMint proposed an amendment Thursday to overturn a provision in the stimulus bill that prohibits renovation funding for schools that allow religious worship in their facilities.

DeMint and others who object to the provision say Democrats in Congress have declared war against prayer in the stimulus bill, which currently prohibits funds from being used for the "modernization, renovation, or repair" of facilities that allow "sectarian instruction, religious worship or a school or department of divinity."
Read more...

Source: Senator Jim DeMint's (R-SC) Blog

Note: Did you know this was part of the Stimulus Plan? Where do the "jobs" get created here? Some young bureaucrat hired to patrol campuses, making sure there's no praying going on?

Heath Care Issues in the Stimulus Plan

2009-02-09T19:35:00.002-05:00

The bill’s health rules will affect “every individual in the United States” ([pages] 445, 454, 479). Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system. Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.

But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions (442, 446). These provisions in the stimulus bill are virtually identical to what Daschle prescribed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” According to Daschle, doctors have to give up autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners.”

Daschle says health-care reform “will not be pain free.” Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them. That means the elderly will bear the brunt.
Read more...

Source: Bloomberg

Note: Did you know such things have been included in the "emergency" stimulus package? All we hear about is "jobs, jobs, jobs". What jobs are created by this section? A job for a young bureaucrat to write letters to senior citizens, telling them to "grin and bear it"?

Legislative Challenge

2009-02-07T16:47:00.005-05:00

Here's a challenge for you. From the brief descriptions of newly introduced bills (since February 1, 2009) provided below, try to determine the party affiliation of the legislator introducing the bill:

1. S. 392: A bill to protect consumers, and especially young consumers, from skyrocketing credit card debt, unfair credit card practices, and deceptive credit offers.

2. S. 385: A bill to reaffirm and clarify the authority of the Comptroller General to audit and evaluate the programs, activities, and financial transactions of the intelligence community, and for other purposes.

3. S. 386: A bill to improve enforcement of mortgage fraud, securities fraud, financial institution fraud, and other frauds related to federal assistance and relief programs, for the recovery of funds lost to these frauds, and for other purposes.

4. S. 384: A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to provide assistance to foreign countries to promote food security, to stimulate rural economies, and to improve emergency response to food crises, to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and for other purposes.

5. S. 391: A bill to provide affordable, guaranteed private health coverage that will make Americans healthier and can never be taken away.

6. H.Res. 116: Expressing support for the designation of February 8, 2010, as "Boy Scouts of America Day", in celebration of the Nation's largest youth scouting organization's 100th anniversary.

7. H.R. 849: To require the Secretary of Labor to issue interim and final occupational safety and health standards regarding worker exposure to combustible dust, and for other purposes.

8. H.R. 853: To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the use of interstate commerce for suicide promotion.

9. H.R. 866: To provide an exception to certain mandatory minimum sentence requirements for a law enforcement officer who uses, carries, or possesses a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence committed while pursuing or apprehending a suspect.

10. H.R. 892: To deny certain Federal funds to any institution of higher education that admits as students aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States.

Answer key: http://www.govtrack.us/users/events.xpd?monitors=misc:introducedbills

H.R. 645 National Emergency Centers Establishment Act

2009-01-31T21:04:00.003-05:00

This Act may be cited as the `National Emergency Centers Establishment Act'.

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.

(a) In General- In accordance with the requirements of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military installations.

(b) Purpose of National Emergency Centers- The purpose of a national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure--

emergency or major disaster;

(2) to provide centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the coordination of Federal, State, and local first responders;

(3) to provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations; and

other appropriate needs,

Read More...

Source: Library of Congress (THOMAS)

Note: These "emergency centers" are required to be located in specified FEMA regions, and the preference is to establish them in CLOSED military installations. Each center will consist of two "state-of-the-art" command and control centers - one in "full ready mode", the other to be used for daily training.

"Emergency" and "major disaster" are defined according to Section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122), which states:

(1) Emergency.— “Emergency” means any occasion or instance for which, in the determination of the President, Federal assistance is needed to supplement State and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States.

(2) Major disaster.— “Major disaster” means any natural catastrophe (including any hurricane, tornado, storm, high water, winddriven water, tidal wave, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, mudslide, snowstorm, or drought), or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under this chapter to supplement the efforts and available resources of States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby.

The timetable for completion of this project is one year. Wake up, America.

Reaching Out, a Presidential Priority

2009-01-30T21:29:00.006-05:00

Fighting For And Freeing Muslims Is Nothing To Be Apologizing For
By Charles Krauthammer

Every new president flatters himself that he, kinder and gentler, is beginning the world anew. Yet, when Barack Obama in his inaugural address reached out to Muslims with "to the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect," his formulation was needlessly defensive and apologetic.

Is it "new" to acknowledge Muslim interests and show respect to the Muslim world? Obama doesn't just think so, he said so again to millions in his al-Arabiya interview, insisting on the need to "restore" the "same respect and partnership that America had with the Muslim world as recently as 20 or 30 years ago."
Read More...

Source: Investors Business Daily (IBD Editorials)

Note: Since when do we have a problem with the "Muslim world?" I thought the word "Muslim" was stricken from all terrorist discussions. Our problem is with "Militant Extremists." But maybe President Obama wasn't referring to the tensions caused by terrorism, or the war on terror, or unrest in the Middle East. Maybe he was reaching out for the sake of reaching out, which is always a good thing for a new president to do. I wonder when he will reach out to conservative capitalists who believe in limited government?

Inconvenient Debt

2009-01-30T21:05:00.003-05:00

The amount of U.S. dollars in circulation is skyrocketing. What does it mean to you? Glenn Beck explains...

To Honor the Superbowl

2009-01-30T20:32:00.003-05:00

This is the most creative use of Twinkies I have ever seen! HolyTaco's Ultimate Superbowl Snack Stadium:

http://www.holytaco.com/ultimate-super-bowl-snack-stadium

GO STEELERS!