Jaylar's Place

Taps

2010-02-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

We in the United States have all heard the haunting song, 'Taps.' It's the song that gives us the lump in our throats and usually tears in our eyes. But, do you know the words?

As far as we know and according to stories, Taps was sounded on a night in July 1862. Words were put with the music. The first were, "Go To Sleep, Go to Sleep." As the years went on many more versions were created. There are no official words to the music but here are some of the more popular verses:

Day is done, gone the sun,
From the hills, from the lake,
From the sky.
All is well, safely rest,
God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,
May the soldier or sailor,
God keep.
On the land or the deep,
Safe in sleep.

Love, good night, Must thou go,
When the day, And the night
Need thee so?
All is well. Speedeth all
To their rest.

Fades the light; And afar
Goeth day, And the stars
Shineth bright,
Fare thee well; Day has gone,
Night is on.

Thanks and praise, For our days,
'Neath the sun, Neath the stars,
'Neath the sky,
As we go, This we know,
God is nigh.

There are conflicting stories about the actual origins of the song, but everyone agrees the song is purely American and was written during the conflicts of the Civil War.

Let Me Google That for You

2010-02-11T13:13:00.000-08:00

This is nice little application that allows you to make a point without being rude. If you're getting tired of constant requests from friends, family, or associates for answers to questions that a quick Google search would provide, try Let Me Google That for You. Instead of searching then reformatting the information before passing it on, you now can send the search results in a clever way directly to the person requesting.

The way this works is simple. Just go to the Let Me Google That for You web page, type in your search term and click the button. A link will appear that you can copy and paste then send to your friend. When they click the on the link, they get a snarky little animation that displays how difficult it is to search Google and then redirects the user to the actual search results page that you found for them. The beauty of this is that the person can see exactly what term you used to retrieve the information for them.

You know the old expression...teach a man to fish...

New Search Engine with Privacy

2010-02-04T19:13:00.001-08:00

Fully focused on privacy since 2006, Startpage (known as Ixquick.com in Europe) is the only major search engine that does not retain your personal data.
Go to: www.startpage.com

Startpage’s privacy policy is widely considered the best in the industry:
- No recording of your IP address.
- No identifying cookies.
- No collecting of personal data.
- No sharing of personal data with third parties.
- Offering secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS/SSL)
- And a full proxy service to be launched next month.

Startpage's proxy service allows you to be invisible on the internet. However, pages are a bit slower to load since they go to the proxy server first. Unfortunately, the proxy service does not allow you bypass login pages. Darn.

11 o'clock Church Services

2010-02-03T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered why the traditional time for church services on Sundays is at 11 a.m.?

Well, it seems it originated with the Catholic reformationist Martin Luther, who created the Protestant revolt. Good ol' Martin was without a doubt a godly man but still only a man. A man with very real human traits. You see, one of Martin's favorite things to do at the end of the week was going to the local German beer gardens on Saturday nights and hoisting steins into the wee hours of the morning with seminary students while discussing and debating things of a Biblical nature. He didn't like getting up early the following morning for church services because he had been up most of the night. In fact, Martin suggested, and believed, that Sunday services should be on Sunday evenings, giving him time to sleep, write his sermon, and pull himself together. The congregation didn't like that idea and insisted that services be on Sunday mornings. Because the congregation was insistent that services had to be in the morning but to still allow himself as much time as possible to recover from the previous evening, he began holding services at the 11:00-12:00 time frame.

So, there you have it--the rest of the story. The 11-12 hour spread to other churches and became the traditional time that most churches still hold their primary Sunday services today.

Groom is Coming for the Bride Soon

2010-01-07T15:09:00.000-08:00

"And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man."
Genesis 2:21–22

When Adam was in a deep sleep, a bride came forth from his side. Down the tunnel of time, another bride would come forth from the side of another Adam, the last Adam, Jesus Christ. When a Roman soldier stuck a spear in His side and the birthing fluids of blood and water poured forth, a bride was born: the church—you and me.

Jon Courson

America Rising

2010-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

Flood Story from Around the World

2009-11-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

There is really interesting stuff here about the the ancient legends of the global flood and how language came about. First, there is some information regarding the creation of the earth. Just sit through it until you get to the flood and language part. The speaker here, Billy Crone, talks really fast so hang on to your seat....

Are These People Speaking English?

2009-11-03T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is a combination of 'say what' and 'guess what they are talking about' post. The subject is rather serious, and I don't make light of it. What tickled me was the way the reporter Dwayne Mcleod who wrote this article quoted people he interviewed. He held tight to the rule of accurate quoting. Read on to see if you can figure it out . . .

"Yu nuh si seh dem waa mash up di place an gi wi bad name, me haffi protect my yute dem from dem type a influence deh," one resident said while pointing out that they will not sit back and watch while their community falls into disrepute.

"Some yute deh bout di place whe wi hear seh gone di nex way. Wi neva actually ketch dem, but wi hear from good source who si dem out a road a par wid man weh known as 'fish'. Dem nuh nuff still eno, but dem affi lef to, wi nuh want none a dem in ya," another female resident added.

"Yu si dem bway deh weh a walk up an dung inna dem tight pants an ah bleach out dem face, a dem enuh, nuff a dem a f .... t an a talk bout dem a danca," he told THE STAR.

"... a nuh joke ting eno, one a dem cut out since week, him not even wait pon di last day, him jus cut, nobady not even kno weh him gone," THE STAR was told by a resident.

"Mi nuh know how dem come an a gwaan like seh dem tink a farin dem deh, dem tink seh dem can come inna gangsta town wid dem wrong up behaviour an nuttin nuh happen? Dem haffi leave, anyting a anyting," one obviously angry male said.

This is not a subject I normally seek out in the media, so it is odd that I found it in the first place.

All Saints Hallow Eve

2009-10-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Want to take a stab at what the below paragraph is talking about?

"People with poor self-images always want to inflate the power and evilness of their real or imagined opponents. After all, if there’s a Gigantic Global Satanic Conspiracy to defeat the Forces of Goodness, the people believing in it can think of themselves as “fighting on the side of the angels,” instead of as the pathetic, demon-obsessed, xenophobes that they really are."

The above paragraph was taken from a neopagan website arguing that that Christians are fear mongering regarding harmless Halloween celebrations. The first thing to note is the ad hominem attack on Christians. The second is the downplaying of the power of the evil of Satan and his minions. If I was Satan or one the other fallen angels, I would be thrilled with this sort of website, and those who are willing to celebrate demons, witches, and a culture of death. It does exactly what Satan wants--it dismisses Christians as pathetic, fear-filled nutjobs with low self-esteem who are afraid of those who are not just like them. BUNK. Christians are not afraid of new world order pagans. Rather, Christians abhor (for the neopagans, that means to loath or detest)their behavior and worshipping anything other than Almighty God, the Creator.

Satan and demons are very real as attested in Ephesians 6:12 which says:

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

One cannot believe in angels and not believe in demons who are fallen angels. Satan is a fallen angel. He will do whatever it takes, including using Halloween, as means to dissuade we humans away from accepting the salvation Jesus Christ paid for on the cross. Remember, Satan even tried to persuade Jesus into worshipping him in the desert. Do you really think he (or his followers) will not try to convince you into doing the same thing?

Time to Eat the Dog

2009-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Say what?!?

"New Zealand authors Robert and Brenda Vale's book, "Time to Eat the Dog: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living" is an exhaustive analysis of the environmental impact of common pets such as cats and dogs. The authors studied the carbon emissions created by pets, including the ingredients in their food and the land required to grow it. And the results don't bode well for Fido, who compares poorly to that SUV."

Really?

"Owning a dog really is quite an extravagance, mainly because of the carbon footprint of meat," Vale told New Scientist magazine. So what's the "eco-pawprint" of your pet?

German shepherds: 1.1 hectares, compared with 0.41ha for a large SUV

Cats: 0.15ha (slightly less than a Volkswagen Golf).

Hamsters: 0.014ha (two of them equate to a medium-sized plasma TV).

Goldfish: 0.00034ha (an eco-finprint equal to two cellphones).

For more information, read the full article on New Scientist."

So it's not just beef and dairy cattle causing the problems.... go figure!

90% of Wild Game Killed

2009-10-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

This freak hailstorm killed:
90% of pheasants
80% of hares
100s of deer
in Salzburg province, Austria. The hailstones were the size of tennis balls.

Revelation 16:21 tell us that 100 pound hailstones are going to rain down from heaven in the end days just before the second coming of Christ. I can't really imagine the damage that hailstones of that size can do if tennis ball-sized hail can cause the the devastation reported in Salzburg.

Science to "stop age clock at 50"

2009-10-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Woohoo....maybe...

See the article here.

The short of it is that UK scientists believe that one day soon they will be able to send us to the "body shop" (my term) for repairs that will enable us to live to 100 in good health. The bad thing is that the article quotes Professor Christina Doyle as saying that it will take 30-50 years to create the full technology.

Talk about getting my hopes up and deflating them....

A Keeper

2009-10-18T13:08:00.000-07:00

Their marriage was good, their dreams focused.
Their best friends lived barely a wave away.
I can see them now,
Dad in trousers, work shirt and a hat;
and Mom in a house dress;
lawn mower in one hand,
and dish-towel in the other.
It was the time for fixing things:
a curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door,
the clothesline, the hem in a dress.
Things we keep.

It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.
All that re-fixing, re-heating leftovers, renewing;
I wanted just once to be wasteful.
Waste meant affluence.
Throwing things away meant you
knew there'd always be more.
But when my mother died, and I was standing in that
clear morning light in the warmth of
the sun at the cemetery,
I was struck with the pain of learning that
sometimes there isn't any more.
Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away..
never to return.

So... While we have it, it's best we love it..
And care for it... And fix it when it's broken...
This is true:
For marriage...
And old cars...
And children with bad report cards.
Dogs and cats with bad hips...
And aging parents...
And grandparents.
We keep them because they are worth it,
because we are worth it.

Some things we keep,
like a best friend that moved away
or a classmate we grew up with.
There are just some things that make life important,
like people we know who are special...
And so, we keep them close!
Anonymous

Typhoons, Earthquakes, Oh My

2009-10-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

I find the US news sources as seriously derelict in reporting world events of substantial note.

Did anyone report that in the past 7 days there were 6 earthquakes registering 6.0 and above and that the Philippines were hit by 2 super typhoons (Parma and Melor) 8 days apart as well as one of the earthquakes measuring 6.6?

These two typhoons are still hovering in the South China Sea and have the potential, based on conditions, to build force and could create further havoc for Singapore, Tokyo, Taiwan, or other nearby areas. In fact typhoon Melor is sucking Parma back into the Philippines currently.

HillaryCare '98

2009-10-06T08:40:00.000-07:00

I was listening to an 1998 taping of something for another reason, but this tape happened to mention the reason our current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave up working on nationalized health care back in 1998 When she was the First Lady. It seems that she saw that Congress was not likely going to pass her health care reforms at the same time Yassar Arafat announced he would be establishing a Palestinian State with Jerusalem as it capital in the West Bank of Israel. Hillary gave up then shifted her focus to assist Arafat and the Palestinian Authority by acting as a point man behind the scenes using her access to both Congress and world leaders as provided by President Bill Clinton.

This information is fascinating in light of the current administration position Hillary now holds as Secretary of State. Is it possible that like most (not all) liberals that the Clintons are anti-Jewish? Just something to think about as we see how the entire world has now aligned itself against Israel as prophesied in the Bible when speaking of end-times events.

ADDITION:
In another tape I was listening to, the number 1 cause of infant death in 1989 was homicide. The immediate assumption is that it must be relating to abortion, but it was not. It was due to the killing of innocents because of the restrictions on children in China, the over-population and poverty in India, and drug-related deaths in the progressive, industrialized nations. If this information is correct, I hate to think what it may be 20 years later. How sad.

Man in a Hole

2009-09-25T20:46:00.000-07:00

I like YouTube videos. There are many talented people, and those who can produce these little vignettes have my admiration. One of these days maybe I'll learn how to put together my own video. Well, probably not but a fun thought.

This video has a definite, timely message.

Happy Rosh Hashana!

2009-09-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Jewish New Year

SHA-ALU SHALOM YIRUSHALAYIM
(Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem)

'SHA-ALU' means 'TO ASK'; that is, ask The Owner, Protector and Redeemer of the City of Jerusalem (God) that He would bring Shalom (Peace) to the Place and the People through the Prince of Peace (Jesus Christ).

What is the benefit to you or I if we pray for the peace of Jerusalem? In Psalms 122:6, God promises to prosper those who love Jerusalem. Therefore if you obey the LORD by praying for the peace of Jerusalem you actually are asking God to:

RESTORE - REDEEM - RETURN

Restore the Land of Israel, Redeem the Jewish people, and Return for His own through the Revelation of our Messiah, The LORD Jesus Christ.

The shofar is blown in celebration of Rosh Hashana. If you have never heard the blowing of the shofar just as it was in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, listen to this video:

To determine the exact time to blow the shofar, two people must be outside in the evening on both Friday and Saturday September 18 and 19. They must look west toward the sunset. When both can see the first sliver of the Moon on whichever day it happens, that is the moment the shofar is blown. The Torah says two witnesses need to see the first sliver of the moon and then it is confirmed to be the first of the month. This is why it is often said to be the day and hour no one knows.

Debt Road Trip

2009-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

If ya'll liked the debt clock, get a load of this little video. This puts the national debt into perspectives we all can understand.

Are we there yet?

Girl Scouts Prepare

2009-09-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration has teamed with the Girl Scout Council to create a new patch that you can read about here. In a nutshell, what the article says is that the US government "...wants to enlist its 3.4 million Girl Scouts in the effort to combat hurricanes, pandemics, terror attacks and other disasters. . . "This new preparedness patch will increase citizen preparedness and enhance our country's readiness for disasters," said DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano in a statement." . . . "As a former Girl Scout, I know the 'Be Prepared' motto well, and I look forward to working with the Girl Scouts to spread the preparedness....."

I hope that parents don't point to the lesbian Janet Napolitano as the type of person girls should aspire to any more than they should promote pole dancing. Beyond that though is the larger issue of the government enlisting the youth of American to "combat" natural and man-made disasters. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around; that is, that the grown-ups are supposed to protect the kids during disasters?

It's not the first time that the youth have been summoned to work for the government. According to Wikipedia, "During the [first world] war, radio transmitters were regulated, and Scouts were called to look for unauthorized units. Scouts were used as message runners, coast watchers, and were to be alert for men who had not reported for duty. Over $352 million of war bonds were sold by Scouts along with $101 million War Saving Stamps. They collected fruit pits to be processed into charcoal for gas masks and inventoried black walnut trees for use as propellers and gun stocks. The War Garden program was intended for Scouts to raise food at home, but was only moderately successful."

Jonathon Blair said it so well, "[The progressive (communist)President] Woodrow Wilson enlisted the Boy Scouts as informers, sentries, and fund raisers. He also had them involved in the process of making military supplies..."

So, now President Obama is going to use the Girl Scouts in the same way. Obama is making a point of engaging and enlisting the youth of this country into servitude to whom? Surely he isn't going to post Girl Scouts on the coastline to blow back hurricanes. Has it dawned on anyone that Obama is looking for the youth (15+ years) vote now for the next election in 3 years. According to my teenage grand-daughters, nearly all the high school kids in their schools are supporters of Obama now.

Were you paying attention at all when President Obama announced his speech to the kids? It initially included a call for the kids to pledge their allegiance to him. It also included classroom worksheets to guide the kids into making their pledge. Due to the outrage and outcry of parents around the country he had to change his message and materials.

Wake up America.

Show-Off

2009-09-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

This profound statement was uttered by former CIA terror expert Michael Scheuer in a Newmax interview here:

"My dad used to say, beware of men who like to show off in front of children. . ."

". . . And I think the president's discussion with schoolchildren [on Tuesday] is a good example of a man to beware of."

US Debt Clock

2009-09-10T20:36:00.000-07:00

I found this rather interesting. Check out the credit card debt clock--it's actually going down not up. Americans are paying off debt. Amazing. Click the link below to see all the current numbers.

U.S. National Debt Clock

Government Run Health Care

2009-09-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or does anyone else see the humor in this. . . The President said last night that his health care plan would be partially paid for by cutting $500 million in "waste and fraud" in the government run Medicare program.

Whoa there Mr. O. Health care reform aside, if you know that there is waste and fraud, why are you not fixing that problem separately? Why are you only willing to fix it if you get health care reform? Do you really expect us to believe that the government is going be able to run national health care better than they have run Medicare with all of its waste and fraud?

Earth Liberation Front??

2009-09-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/57260622.html

SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- A piece of heavy equipment was used to topple two towers for Everett radio station KRKO, and the national Earth Liberation Front says their members are responsible..."Due to the health and environmental risks associated with radio waves emitted from the towers, we applaud this act by the ELF," Jason Crawford, a spokesman for the North American ELF Press Office, said in a prepared statement...Since its formation in 1996, the ELF has become well-known for highly publicized destructive actions against corporate efforts that it views as harmful to the environment. ELF, by its own estimate, has inflicted some $150 million in damage...The ELF has claimed responsibility for several arsons in the region, including a fire that destroyed the Center for Urban Horticulture at the University of Washington in Seattle in 2001.

How stupid is this?

Pole Dancing Dolls

2009-09-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

These dolls were actually found on a store toy shelf. Is this really a good role model for our daughters? Good grief, can't we just let little girls be princesses, cowgirls, and nurses? Would the manufacturer allow his daughters to play with these?

Back to Lockerbie

2009-09-04T08:58:00.001-07:00

How is it that President Obama is "outraged" about Scotland caving to the demands of Great Britain (for an oil deal) and releasing the Libyan killer al-Megrahi so he can return home for humanitarian reasons--yet--the President sees nothing wrong with releasing prisoners of war detained at Gitmo?

Self-serving outrage and a double standard?

Facts are now coming to the surface that the Obama administration was informed of al-Megrahi release before it happened. What a farce.

TEOTWAWKI

2009-09-03T16:57:00.001-07:00

You'd have to be living a sheltered life if you weren't aware of the all the recent hype over the year 2012 and impeding doom predicted by pundits and new age soothsayers. The title word above (pronounced tea ought walkie) has been coined from that hype by using the acronym for "The End Of The World As We Know It." Really? The end of the world?

The Mayan calendar and the likes of Nostradamus don't predict 2012 as the end of the world. Yet, Hollywood films over the past 20 years or so sure have and numerous TV shows as well. All predicting disasters or an epic battle. Good vs evil, God vs Satan, nuclear war, natural disasters, asteroids, Planet X (the mysterious Nibiru), angels vs demons, vampires vs whatever vs witches, and gamma ray bursts from a star going super nova. Watch out Mad Max, here we come. Makes my head hurt.

What is the cause of all this hubbub?

It seems that there is no single human cause. Scientists have alarmed the public over potential, possible disasters emanating from outer space for a while now. The green movement has claimed that man will destroy his environment any day now. The Muslims are preparing for the return of the Mahdi who will usher in a new world where everyone will either become Muslim or die. Last October, the Jews reformed the sanhedrin, a court of 71 rabbis which had been dormant since ca 400 AD, just to deal with a new religious phenomenon--Noahides and other end time pressing issues i.e. the rebuilding of the temple.

Secular humanist sure seem to be busy. The thing is that they can only predict events, not the outcome or result. All of them seem to be pushing the belief that there is only one hope for mankind. They say that unless we all allow the United Nations to take control allowing the world's people to unite creating a one world government, there is NO hope.

Excuse me? I disagree. I have hope in something far greater than anything that feeble mankind can create. I have the Blessed Hope.

John Stossel on Health Care

2009-09-02T11:37:00.000-07:00

Health Care Advisor Blames Hippocratic Oath for Overuse of Medical Care

2009-09-01T17:49:00.000-07:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203706604574374463280098676.html
Obama's Health Rationer-in-Chief
Friday, August 28, 2009
By: BETSY MCCAUGHEY - online.wsj.com

White House health-care adviser Ezekiel Emanuel blames the Hippocratic Oath for the 'overuse' of medical care.

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, health adviser to President Barack Obama, is under scrutiny. As a bioethicist, he has written extensively about who should get medical care, who should decide, and whose life is worth saving. Dr. Emanuel is part of a school of thought that redefines a physician’s duty, insisting that it includes working for the greater good of society instead of focusing only on a patient’s needs. Many physicians find that view dangerous, and most Americans are likely to agree.

The health bills being pushed through Congress put important decisions in the hands of presidential appointees like Dr. Emanuel. They will decide what insurance plans cover, how much leeway your doctor will have, and what seniors get under Medicare. Dr. Emanuel, brother of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, has already been appointed to two key positions: health-policy adviser at the Office of Management and Budget and a member of the Federal Council on Comparative Effectiveness Research. He clearly will play a role guiding the White House's health initiative.

"Principles for Allocation of Scarce Medical Interventions" The Lancet, January 31, 2009

The Reaper Curve: Ezekiel Emanuel used the above chart in a Lancet article to illustrate the ages on which health spending should be focused.

Dr. Emanuel says that health reform will not be pain free, and that the usual recommendations for cutting medical spending (often urged by the president) are mere window dressing. As he wrote in the Feb. 27, 2008, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA): "Vague promises of savings from cutting waste, enhancing prevention and wellness, installing electronic medical records and improving quality of care are merely 'lipstick' cost control, more for show and public relations than for true change."

True reform, he argues, must include redefining doctors' ethical obligations. In the June 18, 2008, issue of JAMA, Dr. Emanuel blames the Hippocratic Oath for the "overuse" of medical care: "Medical school education and post graduate education emphasize thoroughness," he writes. "This culture is further reinforced by a unique understanding of professional obligations, specifically the Hippocratic Oath's admonition to 'use my power to help the sick to the best of my ability and judgment' as an imperative to do everything for the patient regardless of cost or effect on others."

In numerous writings, Dr. Emanuel chastises physicians for thinking only about their own patient's needs. He describes it as an intractable problem: "Patients were to receive whatever services they needed, regardless of its cost. Reasoning based on cost has been strenuously resisted; it violated the Hippocratic Oath, was associated with rationing, and derided as putting a price on life. . . . Indeed, many physicians were willing to lie to get patients what they needed from insurance companies that were trying to hold down costs." (JAMA, May 16, 2007).

Of course, patients hope their doctors will have that single-minded devotion. But Dr. Emanuel believes doctors should serve two masters, the patient and society, and that medical students should be trained "to provide socially sustainable, cost-effective care." One sign of progress he sees: "the progression in end-of-life care mentality from 'do everything' to more palliative care shows that change in physician norms and practices is possible." (JAMA, June 18, 2008).

"In the next decade every country will face very hard choices about how to allocate scarce medical resources. There is no consensus about what substantive principles should be used to establish priorities for allocations," he wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine, Sept. 19, 2002. Yet Dr. Emanuel writes at length about who should set the rules, who should get care, and who should be at the back of the line.

"You can't avoid these questions," Dr. Emanuel said in an Aug. 16 Washington Post interview. "We had a big controversy in the United States when there was a limited number of dialysis machines. In Seattle, they appointed what they called a 'God committee' to choose who should get it, and that committee was eventually abandoned. Society ended up paying the whole bill for dialysis instead of having people make those decisions."

Dr. Emanuel argues that to make such decisions, the focus cannot be only on the worth of the individual. He proposes adding the communitarian perspective to ensure that medical resources will be allocated in a way that keeps society going: "Substantively, it suggests services that promote the continuation of the polity—those that ensure healthy future generations, ensure development of practical reasoning skills, and ensure full and active participation by citizens in public deliberations—are to be socially guaranteed as basic. Covering services provided to individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens are not basic, and should not be guaranteed. An obvious example is not guaranteeing health services to patients with dementia." (Hastings Center Report, November-December, 1996)

In the Lancet, Jan. 31, 2009, Dr. Emanuel and co-authors presented a "complete lives system" for the allocation of very scarce resources, such as kidneys, vaccines, dialysis machines, intensive care beds, and others. "One maximizing strategy involves saving the most individual lives, and it has motivated policies on allocation of influenza vaccines and responses to bioterrorism. . . . Other things being equal, we should always save five lives rather than one.

"However, other things are rarely equal—whether to save one 20-year-old, who might live another 60 years, if saved, or three 70-year-olds, who could only live for another 10 years each—is unclear." In fact, Dr. Emanuel makes a clear choice: "When implemented, the complete lives system produces a priority curve on which individuals aged roughly 15 and 40 years get the most substantial chance, whereas the youngest and oldest people get changes that are attenuated (see Dr. Emanuel's chart nearby).

Dr. Emanuel concedes that his plan appears to discriminate against older people, but he explains: "Unlike allocation by sex or race, allocation by age is not invidious discrimination. . . . Treating 65 year olds differently because of stereotypes or falsehoods would be ageist; treating them differently because they have already had more life-years is not."

The youngest are also put at the back of the line: "Adolescents have received substantial education and parental care, investments that will be wasted without a complete life. Infants, by contrast, have not yet received these investments. . . . As the legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin argues, 'It is terrible when an infant dies, but worse, most people think, when a three-year-old dies and worse still when an adolescent does,' this argument is supported by empirical surveys." (thelancet.com, Jan. 31, 2009).

To reduce health-insurance costs, Dr. Emanuel argues that insurance companies should pay for new treatments only when the evidence demonstrates that the drug will work for most patients. He says the "major contributor" to rapid increases in health spending is "the constant introduction of new medical technologies, including new drugs, devices, and procedures. . . . With very few exceptions, both public and private insurers in the United States cover and pay for any beneficial new technology without considering its cost. . . ." He writes that one drug "used to treat metastatic colon cancer, extends medial survival for an additional two to five months, at a cost of approximately $50,000 for an average course of therapy." (JAMA, June 13, 2007).

Medians, of course, obscure the individual cases where the drug significantly extended or saved a life. Dr. Emanuel says the United States should erect a decision-making body similar to the United Kingdom's rationing body—the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)—to slow the adoption of new medications and set limits on how much will be paid to lengthen a life.

Dr. Emanuel's assessment of American medical care is summed up in a Nov. 23, 2008, Washington Post op-ed he co-authored: "The United States is No. 1 in only one sense: the amount we shell out for health care. We have the most expensive system in the world per capita, but we lag behind many developed nations on virtually every health statistic you can name."

This is untrue, though sadly it's parroted at town-hall meetings across the country. Moreover, it's an odd factual error coming from an oncologist. According to an August 2009 report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, patients diagnosed with cancer in the U.S. have a better chance of surviving the disease than anywhere else. The World Health Organization also rates the U.S. No. 1 out of 191 countries for responsiveness to the needs and choices of the individual patient. That attention to the individual is imperiled by Dr. Emanuel's views.

Dr. Emanuel has fought for a government takeover of health care for over a decade. In 1993, he urged that President Bill Clinton impose a wage and price freeze on health care to force parties to the table. "The desire to be rid of the freeze will do much to concentrate the mind," he wrote with another author in a Feb. 8, 1993, Washington Post op-ed. Now he recommends arm-twisting Chicago style. "Every favor to a constituency should be linked to support for the health-care reform agenda," he wrote last Nov. 16 in the Health Care Watch Blog. "If the automakers want a bailout, then they and their suppliers have to agree to support and lobby for the administration's health-reform effort."

If this isn't talking about rationing and "death panels" I don't know what it is talking about. This the kind of language that is being inserted into the health care bills.

Euthanizing Katrina Patients

2009-08-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

Employees and patients of Memorial Medical Center being evacuated two days after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.

From the New York Times as shown above came a story regarding the investigation into the euthanizing of patients in Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans during the hurricane Katrina disaster. Doctors have admitted to overdosing patients with morphine who had "do not resuscitate" orders or who were not expected to recover to free up resources and staff.

On the surface this seems unconscionable; however on the battlefield or during disasters, decisions have to be made that are not always pleasant. Doctors, responders, and medic must decide how to use resources wisely. Those of us who watched M.A.S.H. on tv got an peek at what goes on around the world on a daily basis. Although the show was comedy, it did have a serious side and basis in truth. When doctors and nurses triage patients during war, the same type of decisions are made. Limited resources have to be considered carefully, and those resources are going to be used on those who are younger or less severely injured or ill or with the greatest chance of making a full recovery.

One of the patients at Memorial Medical was a dying, unconsious 79-years-old with cancer in kidney failure with a DNR order. This patient wasn't expected to survive more than another day or two at best. Four nurses were required to care for this patient. The patient's estimated weight was 350 pounds due to fluid buildup. It was not possible to move the patient under the circumstances with no electricity to use elevators. I wouldn't want to be in the doctor's shoes, but I understand what he was faced with and why he chose to hasten death for this patient.

This story is talking about the same kind of "rationed care" that is being debated nationally. This is a classic example of what we may be facing if nationalized health care becomes a reality.

First Lady Avoids Travel to Muslim Countries

2009-08-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

I want to make it clear up front that I do not wish ill will upon President Obama even though I may write articles that are in opposition to his administration. I pray that he does what is best and right for this nation. That being said, I received an email this evening concerning the travel itineries of the President and in particular the First Lady.

The email was pointing out that Michelle Obama has never visited any Muslim country with the President who has been to numerous Islamic countries nor has she gone separately to one. Mrs. Obama peels off in a separate direction, usually to Europe, while the President visits in places like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, etc then they meet back up. The premise of this email is correct. The previous First Ladies have travelled extensively during their White House years and have gone to Muslim countries without hesitation. So, why hasn't Mrs. Obama? The answer is one that does not sit well with me.

I don't know if President Obama has any significant religious beliefs, Muslim or otherwise, or if he is just an opportunist, but the Muslim world believes him to be Muslim and that is what matters. For Michelle Obama to go into Muslim countries with them believing Mr. Obama is Muslim would require her to dress appropriately as other Muslim women do in whatever country she enters honoring their beliefs. She would have to declare herself Muslim and would be subject to Sharia law. If she didn't do so, it would indicate that Obama is either not Muslim himself or is married to an infidel. A Muslim cannot be married to an non-Muslim under Sharia law. Even Queen Noor (the former American Lisa Halaby) had to convert to Sunni Islam to marry the late King Hussein of Jordan, becoming his 4th wife.

This is the crux of the problem. Obama has backed himself into a corner over the religion issue. He makes vague claims to being both Christian and Muslim. One cannot be both. The two religions are at complete odds with each other. The people of the two faiths do not worship the same God even, though, many Americans believe this to be so. The Muslims do not make that mistake. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (our Judeo-Christian God) is a God of Love. It is not Allah, the god of war who appeared on the scene ca 600 AD. There were no muslims, Islam, or an Allah before then.

Point is that the email I received was correct which is really unusual with internet mail of this variety. The accuracy can be checked out in a just a few minutes by anyone who cares to take the time and comfirm it. But, it also distrubs me as this country is at war with extremist Muslims around the globe.

Weird Science--Clouds

2009-08-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Have you seen any of the photos of the recent weird cloud formations that are appearing around the world? The two below are just two of the newer ones. The first one is of aurora borealis-like clouds NOT near the Earths' poles but as seen in Omaha, Nebraska and Paris, France.

These strange tubular clouds can grow to 600 miles in length and move at speeds of 35 mph. These "roll clouds" are uncommon but are spotted in various places around the globe. They appear in the fall over Queensland, Australia. Scientists do not know what causes them.

Stiffling American Voices

2009-08-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

This past week something significant was revealed involving free speech in this country. Ever since Senator Obama took the Presidential oath, there has a spate of activity by his administration regarding the internet, free speech, and the Fairness Doctrine as applied to the main stream media.

Numerous liberal congressman have tried to get a vote on reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine to squelch free speech in spite of Obama's denials that he has no such goal. Judical Watch, the government corruption watchdog group, reported in May that they had documents indicating the opposite. As Obama administration come under greater and greater scrutiny, there is more interest and attempts to change the fabric of American free speech and the media's ability to report. Democratic attempts to pass legislation have not been successful thus far, but there are several bills pending currently.

Obama has filled his administration with 44 "appointed" czars bypassing appointment conformation hearings. These czars answer directly to the President. One of the appointees is an FCC diversity czar, Mark Lloyd. Mr. Lloyd is confirmed socialist who publicly supports the likes of Venezuela's Chavez and Cuba's Castro and who co-authored a 2007 report bemoaning the failure of liberal talk radio and the success of conservative talk radio, which discussed the ways to silence the success of conservative talk radio by instituting caps on ownership, stricter licensing, in essence what amounts to fines to help support public broadcasting.

If the American public wanted public broadcasting or liberal talk radio, they wouldn't be failures like Air America. The only way NPR and PBS stay on the air is with millions of taxpayer dollars going to them. NPR and PBS are supposed to be fair in all their broadcasting, offering no opinions in either direction. Supposedly if they do voice an opinion, they must voice the opposing opinion. These money-hogs cannot survive without federal funding because they do not have a large enough audience to bring in the donations they need. Therein lies the success of free enterprise on all levels. Nothing that is liberally based has ever been financially viable on its own in the history of this country. I am tired of seeing my tax dollars spent on sustaining failed programs and enterprises because of rampant graft and corruption. I have better things to do with my hard-earned money that supporting cronyism in the name of what's in the best interest of the public. It is not in my best interest at all, and I reject the implication that I don't know what is in my own good.

Now the internet is under attack by the Obama administration and his internet czar who are trying to get legislation giving Obama the legal right to control internet content at will supposedly under the guise of national security. The only security at question is Obama's re-election, and I suspect he will do anything to stiffle any voice in opposition to his programs or re-election by whatever means he can. The governing parties in Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and China control the internet in their respective countries. Seems to me we are getting more communist-like every day.

Vegan vs Omnivore

2009-08-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Someone recently asked me if I enjoyed eating shellfish. I told them no and explained that I don't typically eat "scavenger of the sea" as I like to refer to crusteceans and mollusks. The conversation ended up in discussion of biblical dietary law and how it applies, from Adam and Eve down through history to our current times.

If you read Genesis, you realize that Adam and Eve were vegan as were all their descendents up until the flood. After the flood when God opened the ark to let Noah's family and the animals off, God told Noah that from that day forward they were allowed to eat both that which grew and also every moving thing would be food (Gen 9). That scripture has never changed my mind about eating shellfish or birds of prey though.

I've had a few conversations over the years with both vegans and vegetarians. It usually started with a v/v expounding of the virtues of their lifestyle choice and how healthy tofu is while encouraging me to join their ranks. I would try to be respectful of their choices, but oft times when rebuffed v/v would come unhinged, personally attack me, and become comtemptous.

What I came to understand was that there were a couple reasons for this. First, nearly everyone of these people were "new agers" or involved in other various forms of eastern mysticism. They absolutely were not basing their choices on anything biblical related, including their attitudes. Most viewed anything biblical in pure disdain. Second, most of them were actively involved in the green movement and animal rights (not to be confused with animal welfare). I came to see a pattern that went beyond just food issues. Food seemed to be only a symptom of something larger.

I don't really care what others eat, meat or not, and I wish others didn't care what I ate. It is a God given choice either way. In Romans 14:2-4, the apostle Paul admonishes the Romans, "One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him." If it is good enough for God, it is more than good enough for me.

Change I Definitely See

2009-08-28T13:57:00.001-07:00

Seen on US Hwy 15-501 at Lamm’s Grove intersection.
(near Durham , NC )

OK, Department of Justice, and Me

2009-08-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

Hmmm. I wonder why the US Department of Justice visited this blog this morning to check out my article on the Oklahoma sovereignty issue.

Fascinating since I'm just 'nother nutjob nobody. Apparently, Attorney General Holder and his staff are scanning the internet looking for more "misinformation" and opposition.

Old feelings resurfaced momentarily when I discovered this. Many, many years ago, I got a knock on the door in the late evening hours. Feeling safe since my military police husband was home, I answered the door. There were two menacing-looking men-in-black flashing badges, who identified themselves as OSI (Air Force Office of Special Investigation), standing on the porch. All they said to me was, "Get out of the house, now!" I began to object. They repeated the demand more forcefully the second time. Being young and frightened, I moved as quickly as I could past them to get out even though I really didn't understand who they were or what they wanted.

About 10 minutes later, they came out with my husband--one of them on each side of him holding his arms, but he wasn't handcuffed. I could tell my young husband was frightened yet somehow defiant. I asked the men who brushed past me what was going on. They didn't answer. They put my husband in the back of an unmarked car and drove off into the night with no explanation.

Two days later, my husband suddenly reappeared coming through the front door of our home. I pleaded with him to tell me what was going on, questioning if he was in some sort of trouble. He didn't tell me much except to say that he had reported a drug ring on the military base as part of his job as a military policeman and "people" wanted to talk to him about it. Through all the years of our marriage, he refused to tell any more than that.

I felt the same gut-twisting twinge and my heart beating just a bit faster this morning. I hope this wasn't a preview of things to come in the future--another knock on the door some evening.

Cash for Appliances

2009-08-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

About 18 months ago, I cashed in on this program. I received a flyer in my power bill with information about disposing of old working freezers and refrigerators. I had 2 freezers that both worked very well. One was a 40-year-old upright, the other was a 20-year-old chest freezer. I really hated to see them go to recycling since they both worked so very well, but due to their age, I couldn't have sold them for much more than the $50 rebate on each (yes, I did try). So, I took the money since I didn't want to keep the freezers.

Thinking back about it now, I didn't realize that it was beginning of bail-outs and give-aways that were to come from the federal government. I don't remember exactly who picked up the freezers or whose company name was on the check other than it was based in California. I didn't live in California and thought it was odd that my local power supplier was promoting this program through this company. I actually did wonder and figured out that the money was coming from the federal government. No company out of the goodness of its heart is going to perform this service without an incentive. I suspect that the companies who are involved in the program are receiving federal funds that contribute to their profit margin.

This wasn't just a give-away to people like me but also to certain "green" companies who were being supported by the federal government through federal taxpayer dollars. Now, there is talk of expanding the program to all non-Energy Star compliant appliances and air conditioners. I cannot even imagine how many of these appliances are still in use across the country. The rebate cost would be staggering. This all has to do with the Smart Grid program that is being shoved down our throats by the liberal Congress. Smart Grid sounds like a good idea on the surface until you realize that the federal government can at will turn off power to just your house if you don't comply to its demands using this system. You use a kilowatt too much on a hot day, they can shut you down your power whether you have the ability to pay for that kilowatt or not.

There are 2 separate issues at play here: Big government wants to control every aspect of your life--cradle to grave. Apparently, you are too stupid to attend to your own affairs without their guidance. And, this just reeks of a bail-out for General Electric who likely would benefit the most from the program. GE is deep in the pocket.

Update: Clunkers

2009-08-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

Consumers who bought new cars with the Cash for Clunkers program that I wrote about here have come to a nasty realization when they went to register their new cars. They owe both state and federal taxes on the money. Some consumers also got a matching rebate from the car manufacturer, which means they increased their income by anywhere from $3500 to $9000. Keloland Television's Shawn Neisteadt broke the bads news yesterday.

According to The Market-Ticker today,

"When you buy a new car you pay tax on the difference between the new car's purchase price and the trade-in you present to the dealer. This is an intentional distortion in the law that is intended to favor dealers over private-party used car sales; if you sell your used car privately the new buyer pays sales tax but you do not get the offset on the purchase of your replacement vehicle - the only way to get that is to trade the car.

Dealers use this, of course, in negotiations, effectively pocketing the sales tax - and why not? It's a real difference to you!

But the "cash for clunkers" is not a trade-in. That's a $4,500 check from the government, basically". . . "dealers had customers so giddy over the "free cash" that they were selling cars at full sticker price besides - effectively, in many cases, turning the entire "cash for clunkers" money into pure dealership profit and managing to charge you tax (twice) on it as well."

It seems the average American hardly stands a chance of ever really getting ahead. But, I guess it goes to show everything comes at a price.

Oklahoma Sovereignty, Why It Matters

2009-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, the United States of America has never passed a constitutional amendment declaring an official language.

The State of Oklahoma made headlines recently re-asserting that they were taking legal action to maintain state sovereignty as defined in the 10th Amendment of the US Constitution. The state is trying to pass a resolution that will reinstate and reaffirm the powers of the state. By doing this, it is serving notice to the federal government that it has acted beyond its authority, and in such cases, these federal acts not be the law of the land in Oklahoma.

This action gives Oklahoma protection FROM the oppressive misuse of power by the federal government. The resolution says that the federal government has a limited purpose to which it is bound by the Constitution and does not have the right to march in and take over administration of the state's interest, such as forcing the state to become part of the North American Union or by forcing the citizens of the state into a national identification plan. This action does not mean that Oklahoma is succeeding from the United States. If all states did this, the federal government would still be there, but its authority would be limited as was intended by the founding fathers.

Unfortunately, what we have in America today is an administration that no longer believes in the "Living Constitution" or the principles on which this nation was built. In fact, the US Attorney General Eric Holder has written a letter to Oklahoma in which he asserts Oklahoma is in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and is using it as justification to violate Oklahoma’s sovereignty.

What is it that the State of Oklahoma is doing that has riled Attorney General Holder? Oklahoma has proposed an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution, which by the way requires voter approval, that would make English the official language of the state. AG Holder has threatened in his letter the possibility that the federal government will withhold federal funding if the resolution passes. He is clearly blackmailing the state. The citizens of Oklahoma have paid taxes to the federal government and are entitled to distribution of those tax dollars back to the state. You can read the letter yourself.

For what purpose do AG Holder and the Obama administration want the State of Oklahoma to drop this resolution? What do they fear with English being declared the official language of Oklahoma? To take it step further, why has every attempt to declare English as the official language of this country failed?

Looming American Disaster

2009-08-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Although I cannot now find the article, I recently read that the total wealth of all the countries on Earth today is approximately $60 trillion. I believe this might be the figure the World Bank works off of (if you don't know what the World Bank or Central Bank(s) do, you owe yourself to find out). Based on the world's population, if you split this wealth up equally giving each man, woman, and child alive today a share, each person would get about $9500. That doesn't seem like a very large amount to me, especially since the US debt, as declared by the Obama administration, is $9 trillion. If these amounts are correct, however, America and the rest of the world's countries are under serious threat of financial collapse.

This is an extremely serious situation, not just for America but for the entire world. If the financial system collapses, life as we know it is over. This is why I suggested in this post that readers sell off valuables while there is still a market for goods and metals, then stock the kitchen pantry. It is always a wise thing to keep a back-up supply of essentials on hand for lean times and disasters.

I spent countless hours taking FEMA courses and many years working toward disaster preparedness for a non-profit organization. I learned early on to use discernment regarding impending disasters--to gather facts and to look for tangible signs. While I no longer directly work in that arena, I did come away with valuable lessons that can be applied toward other aspects of life such as this issue. The signs regarding the health of this nation are visible and tangible for anyone who takes the time to look. Forget the health care reformation, focus needs to be on financial reformation, but not the kind that is being dished out in Washington DC today that is intent on redefining every aspect of our lives.

Dirty Harry's Troubles

2009-08-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Oh please let it be true . . . Dirty Harry Reid is losing favorability amongst Nevadans. Dirty Harry has been a career politician since his first swearing-in ceremony after the 1966 elections. Per the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

"It’s the highest stakes ever for a Nevada election, and former boxer Sen. Harry Reid is on the ropes early. Either Republican Danny Tarkanian or Sue Lowden would knock out Reid in a general election, according to a recent poll of Nevada voters.

The results suggest the Democratic Senate majority leader will have to punch hard and often in order to retain his position as the most accomplished politician in state history, in terms of job status.

Nevadans favored Tarkanian over Reid 49 percent to 38 percent and Lowden over Reid 45percent to 40 percent, according to the poll.

Reid’s status makes him an icon of the Democratic Party and ties him to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and President Barack Obama, both of whom are losing ground among centrist and right-leaning voters in the country."

Nevadans who support him do so primarily because of the fight over the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site issue. Harry has been instrumental in blocking the feds from shipping the waste to Yucca Mountain. The federal government spent about $7 billion of our tax money developing the Yucca Repository. It might as well be used for what was intended. Spent nuclear fuel has to be stored somewhere until better solutions can be developed. Nevada might as well get the federal dollars that come with the waste. Most of Harry's supporters have turned a blind eye to his dirty land deals and pork-barrelling in Washington DC, perferring to focus only on his Yucca blocking efforts. I think Dirty Harry's mind can be changed with enough palm grease though.

As a side note, the only 2008 presidential canidate to vote against Yucca was Dennis Kucinich. Obama not only voted in favor of it, he took campaign contributions from those who want it in Nevada including General Electric.

The taxpayer liability is that the government has contracts with the utilities to dispose of their waste starting in 1998 and has been found to be in breach of contract, making the government liable for as much as $7 billion when the repository begins to accept waste. The delay has consequences. The "smart grid" just might make it mandatory for Nevada to accept the waste whether Harry and his supporters like it or not.

About 20 years ago, I received information "on the sly" that left me seriously questioning whether nuclear waste isn't already being temporarily stored in Nevada--in the north, not the south. Conspiracy theory? Maybe.

Artificial Life in 4 Months

2009-08-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

The biologist Dr. Craig Venter has announced that he expects his experiments to create artificial life to be successful in about 4 months. The first thing he had to do was create a synthetic genome. A synthetic genome cannot survive on its own and needs a host cell. The good doctor has been using human cells but so far that doesn't seem to work. Artificial life isn't really artificial if it requires host cells from another species. It's just genetic modification.

Two questions come mind right off the bat. First, why would he want to create a new life form when there are 1,589,361 separate species on the Earth? Second, what's the objective?

I don't have an answer for the first question except to say that human DNA has been under attack since biblical times (that's for another day and post). As for the second question, the answer leaves me scratching my head and saying, "What the heck!" Apparently, the objective is "to create bacteria that transform coal into cleaner natural gas." That ain't so bad, I guess. But, the other part is to create "algae that soak up carbon dioxide and turn it into hydrocarbon fuels." Huh? Let me see if I have this right . . . He wants to create new algae that we can feed carbon dioxide to that will make benzene and methane that's going to create more carbon dioxide when it's burned? But haven't the greenies been telling us that methane and carbon dioxide is destroying the ozone and creating a ginormous carbon footprint that will end up killing us all when the sun goes super nova? Good ol' Dr. Moreau (remember that creepy old movie?) is creating a new life form that will make something that has been the scourge of the Earth according to Al Gore. Maybe this all a front for Gore to work out plans to sell us more carbon credits to cover the new carbon dioxide that will be created by the new bacteria if Dr. Venter's laboratory can get it the recipe right. I wouldn't bet on that happening though.

You can read the article here if you're in the mood.

Inequality

2009-08-20T23:07:00.000-07:00

In this world, in this life, there are many unjust situations. How is that Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi, the Libyan who brought down the Pan Am plane in Lockerbie, Scotland served 8 years for killing 270 innocent humans from 21 separate countries, and Michael Vick, the NFL player, served 2 years for dogfighting then cruelly killing the losing dogs? Oddly, both men are being hailed as some kind of hero. Vick by the Humane Society of the United States for agreeing to speak out against dogfighting. Megrahi by the population of his home country, Libya, for killing infidels in the name of the Islamic god, Allah. So glad that Megrahi could be rushed back to Libya in time to celebrate the Muslim holy days of Ramadan. What a shame all those who lost their lives that day will never be able to celebrate anything ever again.

Greenpeace Admits Lying

2009-08-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Today in Breitbart's I discovered an article about the outgoing leader of Greenpeace, Gerd Leipold, written by Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney. This short article includes a Youtube video that can be seen here. Pick it up at about the 3 minute mark. The gist of this hubbub is that Gerd Leipold admits that Greenpeace's press releases that the Artic ice cap is going to melt by 2030 are misleading. Leipold admits that he does not believe it to be true and that Greenpeace "may have been mistaken." The interviewer in the video clip is the BBC reporter Stephen Sackur on the program "Hardtalk" who presses Leipold further into admitting that Greenpeace has been "emotionalizing issues." What is truly interesting to me is that Leipold in a later interview states that there is "an urgent need for the suppression of economic growth in the United States and around the world..." Of course what you must know about good ol' Gerd is that he is German, wealthy, and lives in Amsterdam. He seems to have the typical green movement elitist attitude of save the world for the few true intellectuals, artists, and the animals. The rest of us must be used for Soylent Green for population stabilization.

Now if Gerd Leipold were not bad enough for you, there is another in the group of retired leaders--Patrick Moore, Paul Watson, and David McTaggert--one who admitted on American TV years ago that Greenpeace funded much of their operation by drug smuggling from South American aboard Greenpeace's boats. I saw this interview myself at the time it played and couldn't believe that someone would actually admit what Greenpeace was doing.

When you seriously look into the Greenpeace leadership, you find all sorts of unsavory characters including those accused of murder. They have close ties to the Animal Liberation Front and Fund for Animals. Paul Watson created the Sea Shepard Conservation Society that has been embroiled in legal issues for years. Patrick Moore dumped on Greenpeace when he left and began working for the forestry industry and promoting nuclear power. Paul Watson, who has some serious issues of his own, states that Greenpeace has a history of illegal activities that have never been uncovered by the media.

Although I spent 17 years immersed in the animal protection business, I never bought into the lies of PeTA, Greenpeace, Sea Shepard, the Animal Liberation Front, et al; although it is certainly easy for many others. These organizations thrive on the unsophisticated, uninitiated, and unwary. They specifically target teenagers, college students, and single women. This is the same game plan used over and over by fringe elements to create movements within a society whether local or worldwide. Fear-mongering goes on day in and day out throughout the world--mostly by political or green activist elements. Why people still fall for this kind of rubbish is beyond me. It must be true that a sucker is born every minute.

Regarding the accompanying photo--The future of the planet is in God's hands, not man's. What arrogance we humans have to even think we can fix the woes of this planet. Man is born into corruption and by himself creates nothing but more corruption.

Medications--keep or toss?

2009-08-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

Approximately a year ago, I had the distinct displeasure of being responsible for the disposal of a large amount of prescription medications that had been prescribed to a family member during her war on cancer. I didn't have a clue about how to dispose of medications since you can no longer flush them, and some of the drugs were not in a flushable form anyway. Probably, drugs can be taken to a hazardous waste disposal company, but that would have meant paying for the service. I wanted to keep expenses at zero and continued to look for a suitable solution. I finally found a locally owned pharmacy that would take the unused drugs. I asked what would likely happen to them and was told they would be either sent back to the manufacturers or sent to one of the medical charities that help the poor in 3rd World countries. That worked.

At the same time I was researching what to do, I was made aware of a study done by the Food and Drug Administration for the military that appeared on the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. You can read the article here. The FDA concluded that most drugs were "perfectly good to use even 15 years after the expiration date."

With high drug costs and people losing their jobs and health insurance, this is rather important information to know. Honestly I've always kept leftover drugs, especially antibiotics and pain relievers, for that very reason.

RC Freestyle--This is Fantastic

2009-08-14T12:16:00.000-07:00

Whether you are "in to" remote control toys or not, you really need to watch how this kid can maneuver his remote controlled plane. The plane seems to "hang" in the air and fly backwards.

Pretty good, huh?

Credit Card Safety--Good Idea!

2009-08-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

A good idea came in that I want to share with readers that will reduce the chance of credit card fraud/identity theft on the internet. Maybe others already know and use the method, but this author never thought about it. The big secret is to use a prepaid, rechargable MasterCard or Visa with a small amount of money on it or only enough to cover what you are purchasing. This way you won't have to use your ATM card or regular credit card and chance a compromise.

The other thing that was pointed out was that the same rechargable cards are cheaper to buy even with the fee than using a regular credit card with interest charges if you carry a balance. Of course, you do have to have the money to charge the card to begin with. The problem for many people is that once they pay off their credit cards they don't want to use them again, which really isn't convenient. Buying rechargable cards gives you the luxury of credit card use without actually being beholden to the credit card companies.

Credit Reporting

2009-08-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

When the FreeCreditReport.com advertisements first came over the airwaves, they were kind of cute, and we looked forward to the next installment. Seems the western world likes serials of any sort, doesn't it? More recently though, these ads have started to become annoying, primarily because they are shown so relentlessly. Please, please, please, stop it before we hunt down that frickin' little French-Canadian singer Eric Violette, who does the commericals, and choke him. The damn commercials aren't even filmed in the US.

On the surface, services like Free Credit Report.com and the credit reporting bureaus seem useful and harmless. Some folks even believe they are some sort of branch of government or a requirement thereof. Au contraire, mon cheri! First, credit reporting bureaus (CRB) are private businesses working for your creditors, NOT you. Oh, they'll be more than happy to protect their paying clients' interests by changing your contact information so your creditors can track you more easily, but just try to get erroneous information changed, and you'll find it difficult to nearly impossible. Ever wonder why you get all those credit card offers? The CRBs also provides your information to them or just about any other company that is willing to buy it.

The reason advertisements for credit checks and scores are so prolific is simply that your creditors want to make sure they have up-to-date information on you in the event you default on a loan or credit card. Defaults are at an all-time high due to the sinking economy, so the CRBs and services like FreeCreditReport are using the stolen identity scare tactic to get you to check your information and provide them with any changes. Unless you have a solid reason to suspect that something is wrong with your credit report, there is no reason to contact the CRBs. They and the services make money by holding your credit rating hostage unless you pay to get it. That is really what most people want to know and they are making a killing off selling it to you while providing updated info to your creditors or anyone who would like it. You can get a free report, but you can't get a free score. This is where they make their money.

Don't believe the hype that you absolutely must check your credit report annually. It is a scam being perpetrated on the unwary. Whoever you are trying to get credit with will check and if there is a problem, they will let you know. Then, you can get all your credit reports and scores free and address any issues found. Don't provide the blood suckers any information until you have to.

Selling Scrap Gold

2009-08-13T09:37:00.000-07:00

The "buy gold now" advertisements have finally sent me over the edge. They're almost as bad as those "Free Credit Report" ads. Wherever I turn these ads pop up in both the MSM and electronic sources. Now, any well-informed person should recognize that the reason these companies want you to buy gold NOW is because gold prices are currently very high. You buy their high-priced gold, they make a high-priced profit because they bought theirs when it was half the current price. Remember the golden rule of investment: Buy low, sell high.

Sell your gold, silver, and scrap now to get the best return. You may never have another opportunity at these prices. But remember, you will not be selling it for the actual gold prices listed on the stock exchange, which as I write this is about $945 per troy ounce for 24 carat gold. In fact when selling gold, the price is determined by the gold content of the item as shown in this list:
Carat value vs % of gold
10 carat = 41.67%
12 carat = 50%
18 carat = 75%
22 carat = 91.67%
24 carat = 100%
But, the gold buying companies are not going to give you the $945 stock exchange paper price for 1 oz of 24 carat gold. The formula for figuring out what you can make on the lower grades of gold is not impossible but takes several steps to convert using a calculator and a scale to weigh the pieces. Before anyone goes to sell any precious metals, they need to take the time to figure out what it is worth so they aren't taken by unscrupulous dealers. Also be aware that some pieces of jewelry may be worth more if sold intact with the stones, and in some cases, the gold or silver may be mixed with other metals, like platinum and rhodium, that are far more valuable than the gold or silver. Be especially aware of so called "white gold." Make sure you know what it is. If you don't know, have the piece tested if it is large. Smaller pieces probably aren't worth the cost of testing.

These companies that are buying and selling still have to make a profit to stay viable in the marketplace, so expect to be paid at best one-third of the current gold price when you sell. You would be far better off visiting the local pawn shop. Some day, you might not be able to sell or buy gold so you might as well sell it now while prices are high and pay off some bills or stock the pantry.

PS: Cash4Gold.com has PAID OUT $100 million in fees buying scrap gold from folks like you and me. Well actually not me since I have not sold any but how much do you think they have made after refining and reselling? Probably at least 4 times what they bought it for. That is an astounding amount of money, nearly a half billion. Somebody's raking it in.

Congress, Health Care, Piggies

2009-08-10T18:00:00.001-07:00

How is any American supposed to determine what the actual health care plan is when Congress has 5 potential plans in the works totalling over 1,000 pages. Is it any wonder that there is so much confusion. Individual Congressmen are not even disseminating the same information at their Town Hall meetings. Apparently, each of them has a favorite that they are talking about which have different ways of handling the various parts of our known health care now. Right now, it isn't looking too good when 1) Congress is confused about the points of their own bills and 2) is refusing to sign on the same plan they are trying to push onto us. Yep, they don't want it and will not have to sign on to it and neither will most federal employees nor will members of any union.

It has become apparent that the socialistic spread-the-wealth segment of our society needs to be voted out of office and replaced with reasonable persons not interesting in sucking off the general population like hungry little piglets for the rest of their lives. I find the smugness and hautiness of the likes of Harry Reid, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Barney Frank, Charley Rangel, et al disgusting beyond belief. Why in the name of all that is good and true have these same people been allowed to become career politicians is beyond reason. Come on, folks, get off your butts, get involved, and vote these boorish dullards out of office before they sell America to some 3rd world country for a new Rolex.

School Lunches

2009-08-06T15:18:00.000-07:00

Maybe I missed the point of the article I read; however, it was voicing the complaints of the parents of children enrolled in Washington DC public schools. Apparently, those with the the complaints were questioning why President Obama's daughters get "healthy" food choices like vegetarian and vegan options while the public schools don't offer the same.

The answer seems self-evident. Sasha and Malia attend the PRIVATE school Sidwell Friends, which is Quaker owned. The school charges about $30,000 per student per term. In addition, they get educational dollars. It is very likely the school can afford to cater to the whims of the upper eschaleon of Washington DC.

I can understand that the parents of public school children may want those options as well, but if they don't like the "free" food provided by the school, they have the option of brown-bagging their kids with food they find acceptable. I suspect the objectors are parents of children receiving free or reduced lunches. While there's nothing wrong with families receiving that aid, it is an indicator of families are also receiving ADC and food stamps. Often times the eating habits of these children are poor, and they wouldn't necessarily eat healthier foods if offered. Fresh fruits and vegetables are expensive and if he children never learn to eat them at home, they aren't going to eat them at school.

I agree all children in public school should have the same food options as the children in any other public school. This doesn't mean however that public school children should have the same options as the children whose parents pay, above and beyond taxes, for them to attend private schools. This is part of the added expense of sending a child to private school.

I've seen first hand the amount of fruits and vegetables thrown out by the children and the school cooks because the children wouldn't eat them. Public schools will never provide more vegetarian-type options until it is shown that the children will eat them. The schools can't waste that money when they are legally obligated pay to the wages of the teachers, pay for their heathcare, and retirement.

This problem can't be fixed unless the entire public school system is re-worked. There's a thought!

Indian Call Center

2009-08-03T08:46:00.001-07:00

Not too long ago, I had to deal with an offshore outsourced customer service agent. It was a real nightmare. The customer service representative couldn't understand what I was trying to tell him. Eventually, the agent got so upset with me that he told me he would have his supervisor call me right back. Two days later I got a message to call. By then, I had already figured out how to fix the problem . . . get rid of the piece of crap and buy a new one made by a different manufacturer.

If the US government was friendlier (by lowering taxes) to companies that create jobs, jobs wouldn't be offshored to foreign countries in the first place.

Cash for Clunkers

2009-08-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows about the "gummint" program, right? They have $1 billion in the program currently, and like all federal programs, it's turning into a nightmare. Mounds of paperwork, dealers aren't clear when the funds will be dispersed--you know the usual insane Beltway bailout crapola.

I was curious about the number of people who could benefit from this program, so I did the math. The number of deals at the $4500 (the maximum amount) allowance would mean that nationwide only 222,222 individuals would be signing on the dotted line. That breaks down to only 4,444 deals per state. If you live in a heavily populated state the chances are not very good for benefiting from this program unless you were one of the first ones at your local dealership in the first day or two. But don't despair, word is that there will be a $2 billion infusion into the program so more of your tax dollars can go to help your neighbors buy new $45,000 cars, which they probably can't afford or they wouldn't have been driving around in a clunker. Might be a good time to go into the repo business.

Just let me have my $1 million (mention below) and I promise to going shopping in a big way and spread the wealth.
UPDATE
Earlier today, Congress approved the additional $2 billion. Fire up yer hoop-dee or the garbage-can green grocery getter and run on down to get in line.

White House Beer Summit

2009-07-31T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to get into the racial aspect other than to say I don't think there was any racial profiling. What I'm more interestied in pointing out is that all the talking heads on TV and the print media are giving kudos to Barack Obama for at least drinking the American beer, Bud Light, at the meeting with the cop and the professor.

Oooops. Anheuser Busch brewing was bought in July 2008 by the Belgium brewer, InBev. Apparently, his staff didn't vet his choice beforehand. Too bad.

Too Late Now But . . .

2009-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

The population of the United States is estimated at 307 million.
The number of legal US citizens over the age of 18 is estimated at 228 million.

The federal government is spending TRILLIONS of dollars "fixing" the economy while folks are losing their jobs, their homes, their retirement funds, and their healthcare.

Giving each of the above-noted 228 million citizens back just $1 million of their tax dollars would have done more to fix the economy than all the trillions spent so far. It wouldn't have mattered where or how the money got spent. You wouldn't have needed to bail-out Detroit, Wall Street, Fannie or Freddie, or needed universal healthcare.

Such a simple plan. I'm surprised someone didn't think about it sooner. Maybe, just maybe, this whole economy-fixing business isn't so much about fixing the economy as it is about fixing the mistakes of cronies, malfeasance, lining the pockets of lobbyists, and taking us down the road to a socialistic utopia.

California Water Issue Rant

2009-07-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm a visitor in a foreign land--California--but being from a high, cold desert state in the West nothing ticks me off more than seeing 1000s of gallons of water being wasted. I've been watching water running in the gutters into the storm drains for a year. Even though the winters here are cool and rainy, the people in the area continue to water their lawns no matter what, even during heavy rain storms. They never stop.

Depending on where you live, you may not see the issue with this. I can assure you that you there is a huge issue here. Fact is that California is a major food producing state. It provides fruits, vegetables, nuts, stock feed, etc. The environmentalists in the state and in Washington DC have successfully turned most of the water off to the farmers. They have effectively shut the irrigation canals down. Fruit trees, fields, and vines are drying up. We won't have any food to eat, but our lawns will be green. Yahoo!

I lived in Washington State for many years. The mere suggestion of exportation of their water to the dry states could invoke a fight. And for good cause. If you've seen the expanses of lawn in California, you have to question why California always needs more water. The farmers are begging for water for their fields, but it seems things like frogs in San Francisco and the useless and over-populated Sacramento River delta smelt have a stronger lobby than the farmers. BTW, these little fishes are traditionally used as bait.

This is a prime example of what happens when bleeding-heart liberal nutjobs like the Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Animal Defense Fund, et al can do to affect our way of life. Ask the US Forest Service and residents around Lake Tahoe about all the good the Sierra Club has done as they watched their homes go up in smoke. Greenpeace is a radical group that interfers with legal fishing operations and as a side business allegedly imports marijuana from South America.

There are mountains of information on the green movement and how they affect US food production. All one has to do is go the internet or a public library. Don't take my word for it, go check it out for yourself. I dare you.

Mexican S'mores on the Grill

2009-07-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

This recipe is a twist on the traditional s'mores and is great for camping or backyard grilling with kids. You can change it up with peanut butter in place of the marshmallow creme. You can cook in the oven or in a lightly greased skillet. Let your imagination run wild.

* Spread 1/2 of an 8 inch tortilla with marshmallow creme

* Sprinkle chocolate chips over the marshmallow creme

* Crush graham crackers in hand and sprinkle over the the chocolate chips

* Fold the other side over the filling and wrap in aluminum foil

* There is no specific cooking time as it depends on the amount of heat and cooking method. Just wing it.

* Tortilla should be slightly crisp when ready.

Bon appetite!

Factoid : Global Warming

2009-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

In order, the biggest contributors to global warming are:

1) Oceans

2) Dying vegetation

3) Animals

4) Volcanos

Per the National Center for Policy Analysis, 95% of all CO2 is produced by nature, NOT man. I don't know what you were taught in biology class, but I learned that plants use CO2 and produce oxygen for us to breath. Surprise! CO2 is plant food, not a pollutant. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are currently at the lowest levels ever found in history as discovered by ice core and soil core samples.

This ain't rocket science, kids. It is basic biology and geology however. Environmentalists use climate data spanning the last few hundreds years. Geologists use data spanning thousands of years. The data speaks for itself.

Who is trying to deceive us and for what reason?

Freakin' Out

2009-07-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Why, oh why did I look up? There it was with its slightly smaller friend just waiting to drop. I had the Battle Royale last evening with these monsters. I was armed with Windex (couldn't find any bug spray) to poison them and the pooper scooper pan to whack 'em plus a golf putter for good measure, and it still took me nearly an hour to kill them. I couldn't remember seeing spiders like these before, so I got on the web (haha) and looked them up. OMG! Who the hell knew that there were Brown Widow Spiders? The female was huge--bigger than any Black Widow I'd ever seen. Her body was the size of a medium green grape plus the legs. These creatures are the same color as the stucco on the house. I hope there are no others. Somebody needs to call the bug man.

Spider Update

Bug Man cometh. He must have been feeling my anguish because I didn't call him. He confirmed my spiders are Brown Widow. He even showed me one hanging on the coach light. He says they are not poisonous. Hmm . . . word on the Web (pun intended) is that they are poisonous but not aggressive like their cousins the Black Widow. He said the locals call them Sun Spiders because they don't hide like the Black Widows.

Doin' the Icky-Spider Dance again.

These Cats Got It Goin' On. Where have you heard this music?

2009-07-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

GM aka Government Motors

2009-07-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hey! Look at the new GM family of cars coming to a dealership near you. These are just working models and not yet on the production line. Please note the built-in teleprompters on the blue model. Isn't it amazing what wonders will be coming out Detroit now with the government running General Motors!

True story . . . on my 6th Christmas, my parents gave my brothers and I these cool toy cars. An Isetta (the red & white one above) and a car similar to a 1925 Chevrolet Grand Touring Car convertible. I was given the Isetta and begged to trade for the Touring car which my brother got. I cried, "But, I don't want that funny-looking little car." Odd how old impressions stick with you through your entire life. I still don't want a funny-looking car.

I've learned to be a little more gracious toward the gifts I've been given since then.

Zula

2009-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a great photo? It speaks to a different time and place. Note the bobbed hair and "spit curl" peeking out from under the sombero, the moccasins, and what must be red lipstick. I've imagined the tie around her neck as dark blue or black and the sash at her waist as multi-colored or varigated. I hope it was bright colors. This photo was taken on a ranch in Texas circa 1920. The young woman is my great-aunt. Out of the 1000s of photographs I have, this is one of my top 10 favorites.

Don't Stone the Messenger

2009-07-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've always had a lot to say. Some folks would suggest I have too much to say and wish I'd keep my thoughts to myself. Those are the ones who disagree with me. Others have encouraged me to speak out more often. To tell the story. To give my thoughts and opinions.

The fact is that most of what I've really wanted to say I did keep to myself. You know, it's that "no confessions, no admissions, no photographs" thing. I've never kept a diary or journal primarily for the same reason. I didn't express myself because I didn't want something I said to later come back to haunt me. In some cases, I didn't want to hurt someone's feelings.

Did you know that some companies are now demanding, as condition of hiring, that the potential employee provide their URLs and passwords to their social networking sites? What! It isn't enough that they do criminal and financial background checks? I'd call this an invasion of privacy or at the minimum voyuerism.

I can't and won't say that some of what I have to say won't be offensive for a variety of reasons, but it is not my intention particularly to do so or to be shocking. I'll publish here whatever I deem fit whether it is related to current affairs, religion, family, social issues, or politics. I currently have no specific issue to address by creating this blog. For this reason, this could become an interesting experiment, so hang on and enjoy the ride. . .