Monday, August 31, 2009

A Bit of Ted Kennedy History... well hidden

Here's a Bit-O History you won't find reported by the MSM.

Teddy is buried in Arlington along with other national hero's. This story sends shivers down my spin...

Kennedy and the KGB - American Thinker


Shortly after the announcement of Ted Kennedy's death, I had already received several interview requests. I declined them, not wanting to be uncharitable to the man upon his death. Since then, I've seen the need to step up and provide some clarification.

The issue is a remarkable 1983 KGB document on Kennedy, which I published in my 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism (HarperCollins). The document is a May 14, 1983 memo from KGB head Victor Chebrikov to his boss, the odious Soviet General Secretary Yuri Andropov, designated with the highest classification. It concerns a confidential offer to the Soviet leadership by Senator Kennedy. The target: President Ronald Reagan. (A pdf file of the original Russian language document and an English translation is available here.)
MORE

Ted Kennedy - Reflection

The funeral for Ted Kennedy was perplexing to me. The sorrow of losing a prominent figure in politics, of a family leader as he was, well I understand that.

I found something odd about such an elaborate news coverage on the event though, from the motorcade departing Boston to the Arlington resting place.

You'd have thought it was a President being buried. The Catholic blessing, the Archbishop there presiding, ok I understand.

But in the back of my mind I kept thinking "made for TV".

I'm still reading articles on the absent voice of Benedict the XVI on the passing of Ted Kennedy. Most of it is negative, " Why hasn't Benedict responded? Where is the Vatican's voice in this matter"

What is it that they are expecting? What do they want Benedict to say?

Do they want a verbal from B16 that he lived a good life and will enter the gates of heaven.

That judgement will be made by God himself.

Before his death the news mentioned a personally written letter from Ted to the Pope and hand delivered by President Obama himself.

Supposedly it was a personal note, yet it was read at the funeral ceremony.

Why? I'm not claiming anything I just have the question why?

A personal note is just that, a personal note. A note you don't want just anyone to see.

Meanwhile, the efforts are underway to continue the legacy of Ted... I guess that means his support for abortion, stem cell research and gay marriage.

I think the press coverage of 'the end of Camelot' ...whatever that means' has said it all and them some.

Kennedy Catholicism

"I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness," Ted Kennedy wrote to Pope Benedict XVI, in a letter dramatically read by Theodore Cardinal McCarrick at the senator's burial, "and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings."
MORE

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Fidelity Fiduciary Bank - Old lesson on Today's Banks

As the song begins the banking system sound pretty good.. but as the last lines of the song outline, well it's the same mess we see in our banks of today.

Well, we voted this administration in and now it's time for that spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down...

KennedyCare - Told you it was coming

Ya know, it didn't take long for the Dem's to take advantage of a dead colleague.

Very tacky and I think it adds that politicizing of the life of a Senator with a lengthy career. It's not about honoring their colleague, it's about selling a health care bill that shouldn't be passed.

I don't care what you call it, what you name it, it's the same bill with all the same faults.

This move is as plain as the nose on your face.

Very Sad

'Win one for Teddy!" Say Dem's...

Democrats are hoping that the memory of Sen. Ted Kennedy will revive the Democratic Party's flagging push for health care reform.

"You've heard of 'win one for the Gipper'? There is going to be an atmosphere of 'win one for Teddy,'" Ralph G. Neas, the CEO of the liberal National Coalition on Health Care, told ABC News.
MORE

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Rename Health Care Bill for Kennedy

You know this kind of irks me.

Sen. Byrd backed by Pelosi have suggested to renaming the Health Care bill in whatever form it takes for Sen. Ted Kennedy.

Does this really mean they are trying to honor the man or is there some political playing going on here?

Excuse me for being cynical but I'm feeling the latter. Political playing.

Is it a play to twist the arms of the Blue-Dog Democrats into voting for a bill named after there fearless leader of Congress?

'If you're a real Dem you can't vote against a bill named after a member as prominent as Ted Kennedy!'

Or if you're on the other side how about 'A vote against the HC bill is a vote against Camelot!'

It just smells funny..

Byrd: Rename health care bill for Kennedy

Ailing Senator Robert Byrd, one of only two to have served longer than Kennedy, suggests in an emotional statement renaming the pending health care legislation for the late Massachusetts Senator:

In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American.

Bob Novak - What was he really like?

Michelle Oddis's piece on Bob Novak, was genuine. Casting a subtle light on the office life of Bob Novak.

Thanks Michelle (Maxine).

I thought it might be interesting to share. I'd like to read his memoirs.

Maxine in Bob Novak's Office.

It was a windy day -- late fall of 2006 -- as I waked past the White House headed to the Kinkos/FedEx store on K Street, I was carrying the final galleys of Robert D. Novak’s memoirs to send them to the publisher. His story of 50 years of journalism -- all 940 pages -- was gripped tightly in my arms. As a 25 year old fresh out of college, it was surreal, much like most of my experiences working for the “Prince of Darkness.”
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Website of the Mid-Week: Pundit & Pundette


I thought I'd start something new on my blog.


I run across some websites of note that catch my interest in content and presentation. Since I'm starting this new WCC feature in the middle of the week I thought it apropos to name it as such.


So here is the first featured website of the 'Mid-Week'


News points of the day with a little nostalgia. A duo team reminiscent of the 40's movie 'His Girl Friday'. Great movie by the way.
Anyways, a good site to book mark. Pay them a visit and tell me what you think.
Stay tuned for a new site every Wednesday... Mid-Week
WCC +<><

Senator Kennedy


RIP Sen. Kennedy

Converting a Church into a place of Residence...


I don't know but there's something unsettling about this.
Actress Ronnie Claire Edwards, most know for her appearances on the TV show 'The Waltons' has found her dream home.

Where, in the Hollywood Hills?

No

Let's see, Hmmmm, in a Manhattan Skyline penthouse?

No.

I'm I close?

Not even close!

How about an old Catholic Church you might say?

Why yes, that be the place.

I don't know, looking at the pictures of the old church, now actress haven just makes me sad.

Here's the story.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Health Care 'Common Ground' - Archbishop Chaput "a lie"

Archbishop Cahrles Chaput tells it like it is. I love this guy. Not afraid to speak the truth.

"Common ground" is a phrase the President Obama and some of his supporters have been using to describe their efforts to work for health care reform. But Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver is taking them to task for abusing the Catholic concept, calling any labeling of the current reform proposals as common ground "a lie."
MORE

Here's his article: Denver Catholic Register - Common Good

"Hey, Who you gon'a Believe, Me or Your Own Eyes?"

This morning while driving into work, I listen to President Obama on the radio. He was listing his accomplishments in turning the economy around and gave an overall rosy picture of our credit markets.

'We are on the road to recovery' was the message of the day.

Let's celebrate! Wooo hooo!.

Boy for a minute there, I thought we were on the brink of economic collapse. From what I've seen the deficit is going through the roof.

We have a proposed health care bill that we don't know how we're going to pay for (actually we do. We're all going to pay for it we just don't' want to admit it and we are told everyone else is paying for it).

We're paying China Billion and Billions of interest payments PER WEEK!

But, now lets see. I'm guessing I should ignore all that and believe what the President is saying.

Pay no attention to the smoke in the room, there's no fire. Really?

I'm reminded of a scene in an 80's animation picture called An American Tale. It's about Fievel Mousekewitz immigrant family of mice coming to America to live the dream of living a life of freedom from the persecution of Cats.

"There are no Cats in America and the streets are lined with Cheese!" is the song they sing.

Only thing is when they arrive in America, they are targeted by a Cat (Warren T. Rat) disguised as a mouse. He tells them lies and tries to control them and decieve them, taking what little they have.

At one point in the movie, the gig is up. The fake 'cone' nose he uses to disguise himself to look like a mouse is removed from his face, exposing his true identity as a Cat to the astonishment of the crowd of mice at hand.

The Cat's only comment is "Hey, who you gon'a believe? Me or your own Eyes?"

Let's open our eyes people. We can't go on ignoring what right in front of us.

After I heard the President's talk this morning it was immediately followed by Breaking News that the White House budget office forsees a cumulative $9 trillion deficit from 2010-2019.

That's 9 trillion on top of the already, what 10-11 trillion we are over spending now!

Who are you going to believe?

Your own eyes or what they tell you to believe?

White House projects bigger deficits, bigger debt

The federal government faces exploding deficits and mounting debt over the next decade, White House officials predicted Tuesday in a fiscal assessment far bleaker than what the Obama administration had estimated just a few months ago.

Figures released by the White House budget office foresee a cumulative $9 trillion deficit from 2010-2019, $2 trillion more than the administration estimated in May. Moreover, the figures show the public debt doubling by 2019 and reaching three-quarters the size of the entire national economy.

Obama economic adviser Christina Romer predicted unemployment could reach 10 percent this year and begin a slow decline next year. Still, she said, the average unemployment will be 9.3 in 2009 and 9.8 percent in 2010.

"This recession was simply worse than the information that we and other forecasters had back in last fall and early this winter," Romer said.

The grim administration projections came on a day of competing economic news. The Congressional Budget Office, which has predicted less economic growth than the White House in the past, was also scheduled to announce revised budget projections on Tuesday.

Obama himself may have drowned out the rising deficit news with the announcement Tuesday that he intends to nominate Ben Bernanke to a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The Bernanke news could neutralize any disturbance in the financial markets caused by the high deficit projections.
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Saturday, August 15, 2009

New, Old Web Site: Sing'n In the Reign

One of my favorite websites is Sing'n in the Reign, the home of Michael Barber and Brant Pitre.

Well, it has a new face lift..sort of and a new contributor to the blog, John Bergsma. All three are highly qualified professors of the faith.

Old blog: Singing In The Reign (formerly: www.signinginthereign.blogspot.com)
New & Improved Blog: The Sacred Page

They have some good stuff, a bit deeper material than yours truly. But I'll be pointing to this site from time to time.

Pay them a visit...oh and bookmark them.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Abp. Dolan - Difficulties of the Church Today


Archbishop Timothy Dolan outlines the challenges the church is faced with today.
They are 4 fold in his assessment:
1) the vocation to marriage
2) the state of Catholic parishes and schools
3) the great number of lapsed Catholics
4) the difficulties in a culture desperate to keep the Church and morals out of the public square

...
“Oh, there’s tons of challenges, my Lord, there’s never any dearth of challenges,” the archbishop began, explaining that the basic challenge for all Catholics is the same one that Jesus gave on Pentecost Sunday: “Go out to the world and preach the Gospel.”

White House's Robert Gibbs - The Man with NO Answers

You've got to see/hear this exchange between Fox News Major Garrett and Robert Gibbs concerning emails from David Axelrod to unknowing recipients.

Mr. Gibbs has no answer... only side stepping.

These kind of "side-stepping" exchanges his happening more and more. At townhall meetings especially. The Hard questions never get answered.

And these questions are NEVER asked by the MSM.

Here's the Video of the exchange

Here's the followup Video

Etiquiette Czar?

I guess there's a wrong way and, well I guess a wrong way to voice your opposition to anything proposed by the present W.H. administration.

Especially at townhalls.


The Etiquiette Czar's Rules for Patriotic Protest
...
What constitutes "spirited"? How do they define "vigorous"? When does forceful dissent become intolerable disruption? Herewith, the Obama Etiquette Czar's Official Rules for Patriotic Protest. Keep this guide with you at all times to avoid being flagged by the Democratic politeness monitors.
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Kennedy's of Old vs. Kennedy's of New

As you probably have already heard, Eunice Kennedy Shriver recently pasted away, God Bless her soul.

She was part of the Kennedy's of Old, namely economically liberal and culturally conservative as described in this article at the NCReg.

The Kennedy's by contrast have taken a different road, economically liberal and culturally libertine.

TwoVery Different Kennedy's

The Shrivers were devout Catholics who lived their faith with integrity privately before bringing its implications to the public square. Before Alzheimer’s took its toll on Sargent, he was a daily communicant, attending Mass either in Maryland or in Hyannis, Mass., a well-worn rosary often in hand. He shared his Marian devotion with his wife; in a statement upon Eunice’s death, her family noted that “she was forever devoted to the Blessed Mother. May she be welcomed now by Mary to the joy and love of life everlasting, in the certain truth that her love and spirit will live forever.”

Such lines will not be written of Ted Kennedy who, as one of America’s most prominent Catholics, blazed the trail of making religious belief an entirely private matter. His debauchery was the opposite of the Shrivers’ piety. Having broken up his own family, he degenerated into a dissoluteness that reached its nadir on Good Friday, 1991, when instead of doing the Stations of the Cross at the local parish, he took his son and nephew out for a night of bar-hopping and skirt-chasing. The details of Ted’s behaviour that night were embarrassingly sordid. It gave rise to the joke that Senator Kennedy’s religion was so private he refused to impose it on himself.
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Abp. Chaput - Natonalized Health Care


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Where are all the Catholics in the U.S.?


AmP points to an article at The Boston Globe web site, which sports a map of the States the and their population by religion.
Interesting...
...


The geographic concentration of Mormons in and around Utah reflects the cross-country migration of that group in the mid-1800s from Illinois and other Eastern states to their new home. The fact that certain states like Oregon and Vermont consist disproportionately of residents with no religious identity is more difficult to explain, with hypotheses focusing on the particular and idiosyncratic cultures of those states and/or the migration of certain types of Americans to those states over the decades."



I find it interesting that the most Catholic populus states like New York, Mass. have a high Obama support group, so does California for that matter.


One would think abortion would be a factor in these States and indeed it is. Just not in the direction one would expect from a large Catholic concentration.

Enemy List - Reality Check Website

Megan Kelly exposes the true intent about collecting of 'fishy health care emails' by the Obama White House.

Bill Burton does the back flips in his attempt to avoid answering Megan's question about "deleting email addresses of individuals with desenting views on the health care bill scam.

It's so obvious...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Bless me Father for I have....listened to Rush Today

Okay, I've sinned today by listening and partially agreeing with (...is that a venial sin?) with Rush Limbaugh.

He had a great review of an analysis done by a Professor at Duke, John David Lewis on the Health Care Bill.

I would bore you with my thoughts. They are quite evident in my other posts, but I do recommend you reading this analysis paper by John.

He has actually read the bill as opposed to our representative in Congress who admittedly have not.

Health Care Bill HR 3200, "what does it really say?" - part 1

Health Care Bill - Part 2

Listening to Rush Is A Sin?




This is rather a humorous post.

This one is based on a self-proclaimed catholic blogger from the Washington Post.

First he lays his credentials out, you know, went to Catholic schools, children attend Catholic Colleges....
... then he lays into his analysis of sinful listening to Rush Limbaugh. And it may even be a real sin if one agrees with him.
The first question I asked myself was "why Rush? why not some other radio host who may have a more sinful agenda other than talk about the issue of politics or current events?
...Mmmm, why not someone like, oh let's say just to throw a name out, like Howard Stern.
Now I never listen to Howard Stern or anyone of that radio genre, but again I ask out loud, why Rush Limbaugh.
Could I smell an intent to 'demonize' someone you disagree with politically?
After all if you don't agree with him just turn the radio dial. I mean I choose not to listen to Howard. I just don't tune in.
What I find offensive with the article on the Washington Post is that he use's the Catholic faith to try and appeal to weak Catholics to avoid listening to opposing political views.
I do listen to Rush occasionally. I don't agree with everything he says and yes I agree with some of his political view.
Is that a sin?
According to the catholic blogger at the Washington Post it is.
I can thinks of more important vises to avoid... like maybe the 9th Commandment: bearing false witness against thy neighbor.

Anthony Stevens-Arroyo-- who for obscure reasons is employed by the Washington Post as a regular Catholic contributor to an "On Faith" blog-- asks the question:

He concludes, generously, that it is not necessarily sinful to listen to Limbaugh; it's only sinful to agree with him. Along the way, Stevens-Arroyo says that Rush Limbaugh is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, and a liar. (In passing he also refers to former Vice President Cheney is "torturer-in-chief" and to opponents of Obamacare as "right-wing nuts.") The trouble with Rush Limbaugh, this intrepid blogger tells us, is that he "engages in ridicule of persons and principles he dislikes and in exaggeration of what he likes." Oh, and you don't, Anthony

Obama on Elderly Care - Too Old or ill for Care

Mr. Obama is completely honest in his assessment of elderly care for those who are terminally ill and those that may be deemed too close to their end of life.

He uses his grandmother as an example. Madelyn Dunham had a hip replacement procedure despite her an earlier diagnoses of cancer.

He said he would pay out of pocket himself for the surgery ( which most of us couldn't do even if we wanted to) anyway.

But he points out the cost of that surgery as needless and vows to change the health care once in office.

Now there are a few things that can be said about this. It is true that the cost for this procedure is expensive. That decision to have the procedure or not should be between yourself, family and your doctor.

What Mr. Obama eludes to is that his vision of the New proposed Health Care bill would allow the government (should the public option be used) to be a part of that decision making process. I say that it could even out weigh everyone else's decision on the matter altogether.

I could see the argument that his kind of outcome would not take place right away. But I have no doubt that it would progress to a point where later, should the new health care bill be passed, one would see a progression of intrusion in their health care decisions.

We already see it in Medicare. You have to ask permission to do almost everything. And should you need a special device, be it a wheel chair, or an expensive medication, or medical procedure, that final decision from who knows who makes at the Medicare office, may take an extended amount of time and could very well be a big fat NO!

Look we definitely need some sort of health care reform. But I believe the deception in this process is mind numbing.

I say my answer to this bill is a be fat NO!

Obama Says Grandmother's Hip Replacement Raises Cost Questions

April 29 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack Obama said his grandmother’s hip-replacement surgery during the final weeks of her life made him wonder whether expensive procedures for the terminally ill reflect a “sustainable model” for health care.

The president’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, had a hip replaced after she was diagnosed with cancer, Obama said in an interview with the New York Times magazine that was published today. Dunham, who lived in Honolulu, died at the age of 86 on Nov. 2, 2008, two days before her grandson’s election victory.

“I don’t know how much that hip replacement cost,” Obama said in the interview. “I would have paid out of pocket for that hip replacement just because she’s my grandmother.”
Obama said “you just get into some very difficult moral issues” when considering whether “to give my grandmother, or everybody else’s aging grandparents or parents, a hip replacement when they’re terminally ill.


“That’s where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues,” he said in the April 14 interview. “The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health- care bill out here.”
MORE

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

AARP - I smell a rat!

AARP use to be synonymous with elderly care, an organization that was looking after the older majority with there discount cards and other services. I'm approaching that age and I'm starting to get those AARP emails in my inbox.

To tell you the truth, I'm kind of looking forward to taking advantage of those 'early bird' 5:00pm dinner specials at the local eatery.

AARP card please.

But, an ugly truth is starting to emerge about the organization. Maybe there not as nice as they appear to be. There support of the health care bill is touted by Obama in his speeches.

And I'm beginning to smell a RAT!

AARP Vice-President Denies Problems With Members

I Love History!

One of my prime passions is reading history. As my kids were growing through their school years they would cringe at dear old Dad reading their school history books.

Now a days I peruse the local Barns and Noble (Borders too) for the latest non-fiction, history books on my weekends off.

I usually read a few chapters trying to find out what leanings the historian or writer (I say this because my journalist are now entering the historian genre and are not historians per se). I often note the writers name and do a google search to find out their backgrounds. I like to know where they're coming from before I purchase their books.

I'm voraciously reading Church History at present. One book author I'm looking into is Tom Holland. His new book 'The Forge of Christendom' looks very interesting.

If anyone out there knows anything about Mr. Holland's background, please let me know where I can find any information, bio's ect... on him.

Here's a blog that was mentioned on the Catholic American web site. McNamara's Blog musings of a church historian from Queens, New York.

Check it out...

It's Just a Little White (house) Lie, That's All

The White House has now entered the 'partisan propaganda' advertisement of their Health Care plan.

It's called 'Reality Check' and touts that this is the place to go for the FACTS of the proposed Health Care plan.

The FACT is there's a lot of FACTS missing. Like the plans support of 'Stealth' tax paid abortions, 'Family Agents visiting your home', and Elderly 'end-of-life' counseling.

Obama "Reality Check" Web Site Doesn't Dispute Abortion in Health Care Plan
(thanks AmP for pointing this article out)

Monday, August 10, 2009

The Great Barrier Reef 'Junket'

Let's see, I canceled my vacation for this year...expense savings mind you.

But what do our legislators seem to be doing now-a-days?

And they do it on company time....at our expense

Congressmen Took Exotic 'Climate Change' Junket

Diving and snorkeling at Australia's Great Barrier Reef, watching New Year's fireworks in New Zealand, and sleeping in a luxury Hawaiian hotel is the vacation of a lifetime — unless you're a member of Congress. Then it's a fact-finding mission to study climate change.

Ten lawmakers — six Democrats and four Republicans — spent 11 days on an international junket in some of the most breathtaking spots on Earth. Then they stuck taxpayers with the $500,000-plus bill.
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Lifes Ups and Downs...

Most of us are in the middle of some sort of crisis. It could be job related, health, relationships, emotional, a number of reasons.

It's easy to slip into that state of frustration that can lead us to a very dark place.

That advise to "keep your chin up!" or "look on the bright side" just what's to make one cringe.

I find that sometimes a need a little time out. Time to step back and take a macro look at things rather than a micro look at things. To see things in the big picture. It's at those times I have a sense of how blessed I really have it. That things are not a bad as they could be.

And one thing I do notice is that God always gives me just enough to get through the rough spots of my life. Things may not always turn out with my plans or my schedule in place, but God always see's me through.

My faith in God is everything...

I read this next article and it kind of made me see things a little clearer.

I hope it serves you well.

The Better Portion In A Confused Life

Life is a funny thing, always pitching things at you, and with lots of curves. Few of us get to predict in any detail how our lives will unfold, though anyone reading this has the opportunity to determine what his life’s ultimate end will be. After all, in the final analysis it is our union with Christ that matters. But I’ll still say it again: Life is a funny thing.
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Obama Health Care & Catholic Organizations

This was an alarming reality check for me.

As a Catholic I am constantly dismayed at the number of fellow Catholics supporting the presently proposed Health Care bill along with it's abortion protection clauses and elderly care "end-of-life" counseling mandates. Their thoughts are "if it's FREE, it's for me!"

Now I'm even more dismayed to find out that leading Catholic organizations like Catholic Charities USA, and The Society of St. Vincent de Paul & Catholic Health Association are whole heartily supporting this legislation.

AmP does a fine job of educating me on this latter point...

Read it and weep.

Why are Catholic organizations supporting Obamacare? Follow the money.

Last week I was scratching my head trying to figure out the reasons why Catholic organizations (such as Catholic Charities USA, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Catholic Health Association) are "rushing anti-life health care reform".

One of the reasons I'd like to be able to rule out very quickly is that they are doing so out of self-interest, because they have significant financial stakes in this debate.

It becomes hard to rule this possibility out when I find out that Catholic Charities just received $100,000,000 in government money on July 20th - it's first federal contract ever:

Catholic Charities USA has received a five-year, 100 million dollar federal contract to aid in disaster relief throughout the United States. The contract is the charity’s first ever federal contract.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Administration for Children and Families (ACF) section awarded the contract to Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), a 100-year-old service organization.

The contract allows HHS to issue task orders to the agency for aid in connection with a specific disaster. The agreement became effective on July 20, a Monday CCUSA press release says. (CNA)
MORE

Thursday, August 06, 2009

Clunker Trade-in: Bugatti!





Clunker's for dollars... it's the latest craze.


Well, here's one car you CAN'T trade-in your clunker for


Here is something interesting though.
4 of the top 5 bought cars for clunker trad-in's are foreign...








The Pill: Anti-Depressants

This is depressing... 27 million (10% of Americans) are taking anti-depressant medication!

No doubt some individuals really need this kind of medication, however 10% of the American population that seems a bit much.

As Catholics we are often reminded to 'carry our crosses' with hope in Our Lord. To trust in his providence and guiding hand.

Now it appears there's a tiny pill for that. Or at least that's how it's being sold.

"One pill will take all our anxieties away".

Not good....

Good ol' fashion prayer and the reliance on the Lords graces does it for me.

American's Depressing Reality

A new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry reports that the number of Americans taking antidepressant drugs doubled between 1996 and 2005.
According to the study, a startling “10% of Americans — or 27 million people — were taking antidepressants in 2005, the last year for which data were available at the time the study was written,” USA Today
reported on Monday.
And most of those taking the mood-altering drugs weren’t even being treated for depression; half of those on the drugs “used them for back pain, nerve pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties or other problems, the study says,” USA Today reported.

MORE

Thou Shall - "Flag" Your Neighbor

Looks like a new set of commandments or at least an adjustment to the ones set in stone is taking shape in of all places, the White House.

And the commandment was proclaimed by White House Director (there are so many of them - directors that is) of new media, Macon Phillips on his blog, urging readers to flag questionable claims about health care proposals.

In other words, if you disagree with the proposed health care bill don't protest too loud, you could be reported by someone around you.

And I can see this actually happening.

In my work environment, one has to be exceptionally careful how one voices an opinion. Especially an opinion about President Obama. It's OK if you're bashing the previous administration all day long, however venture into criticism of the present administration and be prepared to offend someone.

Now it seems like it's being encouraged to report such offensiveness.

Wow....

Our freedom of speech, I guess is only for a select few, 50 % by resent polls. So depending on what side of the 50% you fall on you could find yourself being "flagged". ... if it's about health care. Or who knows what else they want to use this W.H. program for?

We use to pride ourselves about our ability to protest, voice opinions and indeed this ability was touted by both those the liberal and conservative all in the name of being free Americans.

Now, we are called upon to "tell" on each other, told by the White House no less.

If this isn't Un-American, I don't know what is.

Sad day..

White House Encroaching on First Amendment

...

Yesterday, White House director of new media Macon Phillips wrote a blog posting urging readers to flag questionable claims about health care proposals.

“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”

Cornyn specifically asks whether those who quote the president’s past statements -- such as his 2003 statement that he was a “proponent” of single-payer care -- qualifies as “disinformation.” He also asks what actions the White House would take.
MORE

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Save the Planet - 'Don't have Kids'

Well, some scientist have reached the tipping point of planet vs. people. In their eyes the planet is more important than Human Beings.

Totally against what scriptures teach us in Genesis. I guess God was wrong when he saw all the trees, plants, and creatures and thought there was still something missing.

And he created Man and Woman.

Now certain scientist are saying we need less men and women, their carbon foot print is too much for the survival of the planet. The old theme of 'population growth' is back. Even among some of my friends this is the problem, too many people in the world. Their numbers are to blamed for the eroding environment as well as the starving masses. And hey, with fewer people we would need so many jobs or even health coverage.

Well, the article doesn't address the health care issue but the mind set is there...

Here's the article:

SAVE THE PLANET: HAVE FEWER KIDS
For people who are looking for ways to reduce their "carbon footprint," here's one radical idea that could have a big long-term impact, some scientists say: Have fewer kids.
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