Amazing Facts

Are you a persecuted Christian? Don't expect these pastors to speak up

2011-11-06T08:20:00.000-06:00

About half of all the pastors in America's churches today do not want to tell their congregations that there are forces in the world that persecute Christians for their beliefs, because it's a "downer," according to the results of a startling new poll.

MORE: http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=363681

Congressman: Science 'czar' giving China U.S. technology

2011-11-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

'Following law not voluntary for administration officials'

A congressman says he's alarmed that President Obama's science "czar," John Holdren, apparently has been collaborating with the Chinese even though Congress specifically prohibited that activity in a bill signed into law by his boss, Obama.

The accusations from U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf. R-Va., came this week in a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

READ ONLINE: http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=364197

Read more: Congressman: Science 'czar' giving China U.S. technology http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=364197#ixzz1cw3OwWa0

Re: The Left

2011-10-10T19:42:00.001-05:00

"I agree with the Obama administration's decision to kill the American-born al-Qaeda recruiter Anwar al-Awlaki. What I can't fathom is why the administration agrees with me. ... The Constitution empowers the president to put down insurrection, and what was Awlaki if not an insurrectionist?

... But here's where I am confused. According to Attorney General Eric Holder, the administration is committed to treating captured terrorists as criminals, entitled to all of the rights and privileges of a civilian criminal trial. It seems the Defense Department disagrees, given that some lesser-known prisoners are allegedly kept on ships -- call them floating Gitmos -- without trials. Meanwhile, President Obama keeps ordering that the more famous terrorists be killed on sight. That's fine with me. But as far as I can tell, he's never disagreed with Holder's view about the need for civilian trials for terrorists we don't kill, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. ... If captured alive, terrorists pose political problems for Obama. Where do we put them? How do we interrogate them? And, most pressingly, how do we try them? I don't think those are tough questions. But Obama does. So he prefers to kill these people outright, avoiding the questions altogether." --columnist Jonah Goldberg

Eric Holder's Department of Injustice

2011-10-10T19:31:00.008-05:00

"Somewhere, Scooter Libby must be scratching his head. He was indicted and convicted simply because his recall of when a meeting occurred differed from others.

He didn't lie about a gun-running operation that led to the deaths of two American agents and at least 200 Mexicans. But Attorney General Eric Holder did, according to memos obtained by CBS News and Fox News. They show Holder lied to Congress on May 2, 2011, when he was asked about when he knew about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Fast and Furious gun-running operation. He told House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa he was 'not sure of the exact date, but I probably learned about Fast and Furious over the last few weeks.' Holder learned of the operation as early as July 2010 in a memo from the director of the National Drug Intelligence Center informing him of an operation run by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force out of the Phoenix ATF office, under which 'straw purchasers are responsible for the purchase of 1,500 firearms that were then supplied to Mexican drug cartels.' ... Holder, quite simply, has lied to Congress, although the defense now being offered is he didn't understand Issa's question, doesn't read all the memos sent to him or was otherwise out of the loop. It is perhaps the first time incompetence has been offered as a defense to possible charges of criminality. ... As Issa told radio talk show host Laura Ingraham last month: 'We have a paper trail of so many people knowing that the only way the attorney general didn't know is he made sure he didn't want to know. ... But if you don't want to know something of this sort, then you shouldn't have the job he has.' We'd go a step further. Baseball star Roger Clemens was equally vehement when he told a House committee in 2008: 'Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH.' Clemens was indicted for lying to Congress. The same should go for Eric Holder."

Faith & Family

2011-10-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

"Why is it so hard to become a better person? I have -- unfortunately -- come up with 13 reasons. 1. Most people don't particularly want to be good. ... 2. Confusion exists about what goodness is. ... 3. Goodness is not about intentions. ... 4. We don't learn how to be good. ... 5. We think too highly of ourselves. ... 6. We think we will be taken advantage of. ... 7. There are few personal models. ... 8. We don't believe that there are rewards for being good. ... 9. We have to battle our nature. ... 10. 'I'm a victim.' ... 11. Few people were raised to be good people. ... 12. In our formative years, the least impressive are rewarded. ... 13. We have psychological blocks. ... The sad irony is that while goodness is the thing that everyone wants most from everyone else, few people want it most for themselves." --radio talk-show host Dennis Prager

Panicked ER Doctor Calls 911

2011-09-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

News in Brief

September 29, 2011
CHARLOTTE, NC—In the midst of performing an emergency appendectomy Thursday, panicked ER doctor Caleb Morrison dropped his surgical instruments mid-operation and dialed 911. "You've got to get over here! There's a guy lying on a table with a hole in his stomach," a frantic Morrison can be heard saying in a recording of the emergency phone call, shortly before giving his location as operating room 3 at St. Andrew's Hospital. "Please hurry! He's losing a lot of type O positive blood and his vital signs are increasingly unstable."

When the 911 operator's attempts to guide the doctor through the necessary triage procedures proved unsuccessful, the deceased patient was taken to the morgue, where the forensic pathologist on duty fainted at the sight of a dead body.

Mitt Romney and Gun Control

2011-09-29T16:00:00.001-05:00

In the recent Presidential debate, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann said America ’s voters did not need to “settle” for the moderate candidate. Amen to that.

And gun owners do NOT want candidates who talk out of both sides of their mouths.

As the Gun Owners of America’s Board of Directors looks at the Republican candidates running to unseat radical anti-gun President Obama, we see several who have strong pro-gun backgrounds. Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman all have solid pro-gun records and deserve a hard look from pro-gunners.

At least one frontrunner candidate stands in contrast with a decidedly mixed record on the gun issue. While Mitt Romney likes to “talk the pro-gun talk,” he has not always walked the walk.

“The Second Amendment protects the individual right of lawful citizens to keep and bear arms. I strongly support this essential freedom,” Romney assures gun owners these days.

But this is the same Mitt Romney who, as governor, promised not to do anything to “chip away” at Massachusetts ’ extremely restrictive gun laws.

“We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts ; I support them,” he said during a gubernatorial debate. “I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.”

Even worse, Romney signed a law to permanently ban many semi-automatic firearms. “These guns are not made for recreation or self-defense,” Romney said in 2004. “They are instruments of destruction with the sole purpose of hunting down and killing people.”

Romney also spoke in favor of the Brady law’s five day waiting period on handguns. The Boston Globe quotes Romney saying, “I don’t think (the waiting period) will have a massive effect on crime but I think it will have a positive effect.”

Mitt Romney doesn’t seem to understand the meaning of “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED.”

And that makes it all the more troubling that Romney refuses to answer GOA ’s simple candidate questionnaire. In our more than 36 years of experience, a candidate is usually hiding anti-gun views if he or she refuses to come clean in writing with specific commitments to the Second Amendment.

Today, Romney may be a favorite “Republican Establishment” candidate of the national press corps. But that is exactly what gun owners DON’T need in a new President. We need someone who will stand by true constitutional principles and protect the Second Amendment.

21-foot, 1-ton Crocodile Captured in Philippines

2011-09-10T20:55:00.001-05:00

MANILA, Philippines -- Villagers and veteran hunters have captured a one-ton saltwater crocodile which they plan to make the star of a planned ecotourism park in a southern Philippine town, an official said Monday.

Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde said dozens of villagers and experts ensnared the 21-foot male crocodile along a creek in Bunawan township in Agusan del Sur province after a three-week hunt. It could be one of the largest crocodiles to be captured alive in recent years, he said, quoting local crocodile experts.

Elorde said the crocodile killed a water buffalo in an attack witnessed by villagers last month and was also suspected of having attacked a fisherman who went missing in July.

He said he sought the help of experts at a crocodile farm in western Palawan province.

"We were nervous but it's our duty to deal with a threat to the villagers," Elorde told The Associated Press by telephone. "When I finally stood before it, I couldn't believe my eyes."

After initial sightings at a creek, the hunters set four traps, which the crocodile destroyed. They then used sturdier traps using steel cables, one of which finally caught the enormous reptile late Saturday, he said.

About 100 people had to pull the crocodile, which weighs about 2,370 pounds, from the creek to a clearing where a crane lifted it into a truck, he said.

The crocodile was placed in a fenced cage in an area where the town plans to build an ecotourism park for species found in a vast marshland in Agusan, an impoverished region about 515 miles southeast of Manila, Elorde said.

"It will be the biggest star of the park," Elorde said, adding that villagers were happy that they would be able to turn the dangerous crocodile "from a threat into an asset."

Despite the catch, villagers remain wary because several crocodiles still roam the outskirts of the farming town of about 37,000 people.

They have been told to avoid venturing into marshy areas alone at night, Elorde said.

Associated Press

Jimmy Hoffa is a corrupt SOB

2011-09-09T10:36:00.000-05:00

Living within your means is a key to economic success. Gaming the system through intimidation and threats is not.

There's lots of angst in the air after Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa called Tea Party people SOB's and urged voters to "take them out." Immediately, voter registration jumped among members of the Gambino family. Apparently, Mr. Hoffa is angry that some Americans want to put a lid on public sector pensions and perks which are bankrupting municipalities all over the country. Old Jimmy believes this is "taking the bread out of the mouths" of American workers.

For decades, union power has intimidated politicians in both parties. I mean, if you were running for office, would you want big union money flowing into your opponent's campaign? Would you want organized demonstrations at your rallies? How about work slowdowns, sudden mass worker illness, or anti-you phone campaigns? Unions have power and power rules.

Thus, many American unions have secured lucrative benefits for their members—benefits that have drained treasuries. The Post Office, for example, is on the verge of bankruptcy, not able to repay $5.5 billion in loans from the Treasury Department. The huge cost of postal retirement benefits is one of the main reasons an American institution may collapse.

All of this is not the fault of the workers. They did their jobs and are entitled to what was negotiated. But public money has run out, and going forward, big changes will have to be made if the American economy is to expand. Jimmy Hoffa can huff and puff all day long, but if he succeeds in blocking economic reform, he will indeed blow the entire house down.

The other fact that seems to elude the union leaders is that only about 12% of the work force are actually union members. That leaves a whole lot of people in the work force that are 'workers'. Unions don't have the market on working or workers. I would even say that as a group, tea party supporters are probably harder workers. (having been a card-carrying, dues paying member of the Teamsters, I can attest to it.)

SOURCE: http://www.billoreilly.com/newslettercolumn?pid=33744

Australia to ban BC and AD as reference point for dates in school history books

2011-09-07T20:14:00.000-05:00

Nativity: But the birth of Jesus will no longer be used as a reference point in Australian school history books.

Australia is to remove the birth of Jesus as a reference point for dates in school history books.

Under the new politically correct curriculum, the terms BC (Before Christ) and AD (Anno Domini) will be replaced with BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).

The Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, yesterday condemned the move as an ‘intellectually absurd attempt to write Christ out of human history’.

He described the phrase ‘common era’ as ‘meaningless’, and compared it to using ‘festive season’ instead of Christmas.

The changes, introduced by the government, were supposed to be pushed through next year, but have been delayed by the row.

The terms CE and BCE have been popularised in academic and scientific publications.

Although historical dates won’t change, with Christ’s birth remaining as the change point, the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority ruled that teachers will use the terms BCE (Before Common Era), which will replace BC, and CE (Common Era), which replaces AD, instead.

Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne, of Australia’s Liberal National Party, also criticised the government changes, which were supposed to be pushed through next year but have been delayed because of the row.

‘Australia is what it is today because of the foundations of our nation in the Judeo-Christian heritage that we inherited from Western civilization,’ he said.

‘Kowtowing to political correctness by the embarrassing removal of AD and BC in our national curriculum is of a piece with the fundamental flaw of trying to deny who we are as a people,’ he added.

The Common Era was originally introduced in the Sixth Century and appeared in English as early 1708.

Its use can traced back to the Latin term vulgaris aerae and the English Vulgar Era.

Use of the CE abbreviation was introduced by Jewish academics in the mid-19th century.

The terms CE and BCE became popular in academic and scientific publications in the late 20th century.

They were used by publishers to emphasise secularism or sensitivity to non-Christians, but both still use the Gregorian calendar and the year-numbering system revolving around BC and AD.

The Gregorian calendar – the most widely used in the world – is based on the traditionally reckoned year of the birth of Jesus, with AD counting the years afterwards and BC denoting the years before.

The term Anno Domini is Medieval Latin translated as ‘In the year of Our Lord.’

Pilgrim's Progress

2011-09-07T19:00:00.001-05:00

American Minute with Bill Federer

Imprisoned twelve years for preaching without a license from the King, he wrote Pilgrim's Progress, an allegory of a man named Christian fleeing the City of Destruction and directed by Evangelist to follow a narrow path to the City of Zion.

The friends and dangers he meets along the way inspired the modern story Wizard of Oz.

This classic was written by John Bunyan, who died AUGUST 31, 1688.

It was translated into over a hundred languages and found in nearly every colonial American home.

Ronald Reagan, greeting Australia's Prime Minister, June 30, 1981, said:

"Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, 'We are all travelers in what John Bunyan calls the wilderness of this world. And the best that we find in our travels is an honest friend-they keep us worthy of ourselves.'"

Franklin Roosevelt said January 19, 1936:

"When Theodore Roosevelt died, the Secretary of his class at Harvard, in sending classmates a notice of his passing, added this quotation from Pilgrim's Progress:

'My sword I give to him that shall succeed me in my pilgrimage, and my courage and skill to him that can get it. My marks and scars I carry with me, to be a witness for me that I have fought His battles who now will be my rewarder.'"

Daily Reading

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/readingplans/index.php/2011/08/31?plan=1&version=50

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with acknowledgement to http://www.americanminute.com/
P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Obama A 'Living and Breathing Nightmare'

2011-08-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

A news columnist is scorching Barack Obama as possibly the worst U.S. president in history, calling him "a living and breathing nightmare."

He writes, "The leader who promised us a bright future of peace and fraternity is leading the American empire and the rest of the world with it into a dark abyss."
MEDIA MATTERS
News column: Obama a 'living and breathing nightmare'
'Leading the American empire – and rest of the world with it – into a dark abyss'

An Israeli news columnist is scorching Barack Obama as possibly the worst U.S. president in history, calling him "a living and breathing nightmare."

President Obama campaigning for other Democrats in 2010

Yigal Walt of Ynetnews says Obama "is solidifying his status as the worst president in American history. The leader who promised us a bright future of peace and fraternity is leading the American empire – and the rest of the world with it – into a dark abyss."

"Ever since he settled into the Oval Office, Obama has been hopping from one disaster to the next, making every possible mistake, boosting enemies and disregarding allies while ruining everything he touches in the process," Walt writes.

"The Return of the Great Depression" warns everyone "it is not over. It has only begun" ...

He says Obama was silent when the masses hit Iran's street and threatened to topple the ayatollah's regime.

"Why should he support a struggle waged by freedom-hungry citizens against a radical Islamic dictatorship and chronic human rights violator? And so, a rare opportunity to change the face of a state that today constitutes the gravest threat to world and regional peace slipped away."

Read more: News column: Obama a 'living and breathing nightmare'
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=337173#ixzz1WI4HkGza

Fat Cat Congressmen

2011-08-24T10:38:00.000-05:00

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the bank accounts.

According to Roll Call’s annual survey of Member wealth, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) is now the richest Member of Congress, with a fortune worth at least $294 million, a vast increase over last year that was apparently the result of large transfers from his in-laws.

The Texas lawmaker topples Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) from the No. 1 position, who reported a minimum net worth of $193 million on his most recent financial disclosure report and is now the third richest Member of Congress.

McCaul also leapfrogged Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who remains the second richest Member of Congress, with a reported fortune of more than $220 million.

See the list of the 50 richest men in Congress.
http://www.rollcall.com/50richest/the-50-richest-members-of-congress-112th.html

Obama has another plan

2011-08-23T13:04:00.000-05:00

Government

"The president is planning to unveil his new jobs proposals -- in September. Why wait until after Labor Day? Wouldn't it be neat to think, as we approach Labor Day, that the administration had a forward-looking plan in place right now? I think the 25 million unemployed or underemployed Americans would be especially excited to hear of a plan before they have to shell out for the kids' new school shoes. One of the trial balloons currently being floated is that the president will announce a new Department of Jobs. This has got to be a joke. ... If the function of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce is to promote job creation and economic growth, it sure seems that -- how can I say this charitably? -- this distinguished public servant has been falling down on the job of late. Like the last two and a half years. If I were Mr. Obama's Commerce Secretary, I'd want to get out of town, and fast. In fact, that's exactly what Sec. Gary Locke did. Having done such yeoman's work in promoting job creation and economic growth here, Gary Locke was recently sworn in as our Ambassador to China. Now, there's a jobs plan! If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. ... Maybe he can persuade them to buy more American flounder. We have entirely too much American floundering here and on Martha's Vineyard." --columnist Ken Blackwell

"New Jersey is being invaded by Martians!" - H.G. Wells

2011-08-21T09:57:00.000-05:00

American Minute with Bill Federer

August 13

"New Jersey is being invaded by Martians!" was the script of a 1938 radio drama based on the novel War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, who died AUGUST 13, 1946.

H.G. Wells wrote the best sellers The Time Machine, The Invisible Man, and The First Men in the Moon, which inspired a boy named Robert Goddard to become the father of modern rocketry.

At the National Space Club, March 29, 1985, President Reagan stated:

"Personally, I like space. The higher you go, the smaller the Federal Government looks..."

Reagan continued:

"Dr. Goddard once wrote a letter to H.G. Wells...'There can be no thoughts of finishing, for aiming at the stars...is a problem to occupy generations...there is always the thrill of just beginning.'"

In his Outlines of History, (NY: MacMillian Co., 1920), H.G. Wells said of the U.S. Constitution:

"Its spirit is indubitably Christian."

In Outlines of History, (NY: MacMillian Co., 1920, Vol. 2, p. 13), H.G. Wells wrote:

"Because Mohammed too founded a great religion, there are those who write of this evidently lustful and rather shifty leader as though he were a man to put beside Jesus of Nazareth or Gautama or Mani. But it is surely manifest that he was a being of commoner clay; he was vain, egotistical, tyrannous, and a self-deceiver; and it would throw all our history out of proportion if, out of an insincere deference to the possible Moslem reader, we were to present him in any other light."

In The Secret Places of the Heart, 1922, H.G. Wells wrote:

"Sir Richmond and Miss Grammont went out into the moonlit gloaming...crossed the bridge...and followed the road beside the river towards the old Abbey Church, that Lantern of the West...

said Sir Richmond...'It's only through love that God can reach over from one human being to another. All real love is a divine thing."

Psalm 32:7

2011-08-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

Psalm 32:1-11

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

Thought for the Day: Our attention and concern can convey God's loving care to those near us.
Prayer: When we are especially vulnerable and defenseless, thank you, God, for covering us with your care and giving us new life. Help us remember to shield and warm others with your love. Amen.

Justice Department Investigating S&P Over Mortgage Securities

2011-08-18T01:07:00.001-05:00

See what happens when you pizz Obama off.....bet they will think twice before lowering America's credit rating in the future.

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 -- 9:59 PM EDT
-----

Justice Department Investigating S&P Over Mortgage Securities
The Department of Justice is investigating whether the nation’s largest credit ratings agency, Standard & Poor’s, improperly rated dozens of mortgage securities in the years leading up to the financial crisis, according to two people interviewed by the government and another briefed on such interviews.

The Justice Department has been asking about instances in which the agency’s analysts wanted to award lower ratings on mortgage bonds but may have been overruled by S.&P. executives, according to the people with knowledge of the interviews.
The investigation began before Standard & Poor’s cut the United States’ triple-A credit rating this month, but is likely to add fuel to the political firestorm that has surrounded that action.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/business/us-inquiry-said-to-focus-on-s-p-ratings.html?emc=na

Jesus, Mary and ... Josephine? It's lesbian Nativity at church

2011-08-11T19:53:00.000-05:00

The Bible's account of the night Jesus was born is noted for some well-known characters at the Bethlehem manger, including the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph and some shepherds following the instructions of an angel.
The famous wise men were not present, as they showed up later when Jesus was a young child in a house.

And as far as the New Testament indicates, there weren't any lesbians there either.

Now a Christian church in America's heartland is helping redefine the story, as its most-recent living Nativity scene in December featured two women instead of a man and a women starring as Joseph and Mary.

READ ONLINE
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=329429

US CENSUS

2011-08-11T19:48:00.002-05:00

CRAP! They sent my Census form back AGAIN! In response to the question: "Do you have any dependents ?" I replied - "12 million illegal immigrants, 3 million crack heads; 8.5 million unemployed people, 7 million in prisons; millions in every state collecting welfare and/or food stamps with no intentions of ever working, and 535 Useless people in the U.S. House and Senate." I guess this was NOT an acceptable answer.

Luke 10:36-37

2011-08-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today's Scripture

"Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" [The lawyer] said, "The one who showed him mercy." Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

This Is Not Leadership

2011-07-29T10:10:00.001-05:00

As the United States of America continues to drift, many Americans still seem perplexed that after two-and-a-half years, Barack Obama is a walking contradiction. He cannot seem to lead; he can only follow and dictate. He has no policies, only vague concepts and Marxist ideology. He starts wars and calls them something else. He simultaneously makes Congress responsible and yet irrelevant. He refuses to be held accountable for anything. It's all still Bush's fault, you know.

One of Obama’s last official acts as a United States Senator, before winning the 2008 presidential race, was to vote, along with his opponent, Sen. John McCain, for more than $700 billion in bailout money for the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), a slush fund for big banks and insurance companies.

He came into office dictating that Congress pass a bill authorizing another slush fund of nearly $900 billion. He called this one a “stimulus package.” He gave vague lip service to “shovel-ready jobs,” which he has since admitted were not as shovel-ready as he had led the American people to believe. But he really didn’t specify the items for which this massive pile of borrowed cash would be used. He simply demanded that Congress authorize it and have it ready for his signature as soon as possible after he took the oath of office. He used part of it to prop up two bankrupt car companies so they would not have to lay off union workers (the only workers he seems to care about). Much of it has gone to infuse faltering state governments with ready cash, which is to say that it went to save the jobs of public sector union members.

He shook down BP, demanding cash from the oil giant to create yet another slush fund as the price for the sin of polluting the Gulf of Mexico. Does anyone have any idea where that $20 billion went? Certainly not to the hard-hit businesses along the Gulf Coast who were supposed to get it.

He demanded a massive health care bureaucracy, but he provided no specifics at all as to what he wanted it to do, who he wanted it to cover or how he wanted to finance it. He left those decisions up to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and his other toadies in Congress. They created a bloated, unworkable monstrosity that now bears his name: Obamacare.

He and his party cannot pass a budget. He has spent more borrowed money than all of his predecessors combined, yet he is trying to convince the American people that he is a deficit cutter. Then he demands that the national debt ceiling be raised and warns of economic calamity if he doesn’t get his way. His actions are reminiscent of the story of the son who murders his parents and then throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan!

House Speaker John Boehner has said that dealing with this president is like negotiating with a bowl of Jell-O. That is because he has no intention of cutting spending. Barack Obama’s inclination is to raise taxes and spend more money, period. Ronald Reagan once compared the federal government to a newborn baby: an insatiable appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other. That, in a nutshell, is Barack Obama.

If this is leadership, we desperately need to redefine the term. Barack Obama is a dictator, not a leader. He demands. He demagogues. He sputters. He dictates. And then he follows those he has bullied. But then what did any of us expect from a community organizer who was still voting “present” in the state legislature just four short years before he was handed the most powerful position in the world?
---
Doug Patton describes himself as a recovering political speechwriter who agrees with himself much more often than not. Now working as a freelance writer, his weekly columns of sage political analysis are published the world over by legions of discerning bloggers, courageous webmasters and open-minded newspaper editors. Astute supporters and inane detractors alike are encouraged to e-mail him with their pithy comments at dougpatton@cox.net

Hope & Change

2011-07-29T10:06:00.002-05:00

Ephesians 1:7

2011-07-29T10:00:00.001-05:00

Today's Scripture
Romans 8:31

In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

Man Takes Viagra, Wears Sweatpants for TSA Pat Down

2011-07-23T10:27:00.000-05:00

"Sir, thank you for cooperating with TSA regulations, but this is the 6th time you've been through security. You really don't need to come back here anymore."

NASHVILLE INT’L AIRPORT — A Wyoming man walked through a TSA checkpoint with a raging erection on Tuesday, daring TSA officers and even fellow passengers to give him an invasive pat down.

“I’m next,” Warren Kelvin, 34, screamed as he pushed to the front of the security line. According to TSA officials, Kelvin had ingested two Viagra and wore sweatpants without boxers for his Southwest flight from Nashville to Phoenix.

“I thought he was carrying a baton in his pants,” said Amanda Watershed, second shift supervisor of the A Terminal at Nashville International Airport. “Nope… That was his penis.”

Even though TSA officials allowed Kelvin to initially pass through security without the controversial pat down, the passenger on more than one occasion got back in line until he felt that he had been thoroughly inspected. Kelvin finally got the invasive pat down by 38-year-old officer Duncan Allbright after 80 minutes and four trips through security.

“Even after we let him pass through he kept walking out of the terminal and getting back in line,” said Watershed. “Finally, Duncan had to bite the bullet for everyone and do a thorough screening of him in a private [security] room.”

Allbright, a 14-year veteran of airport security, announced his retirement shortly after Kelvin boarded the plane. “I’m going home to take a shower and make love to my wife,” said Allbright as he got into his car. “This job isn’t for me. I’ve suddenly lost my passion for touching strangers.”

U.S Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano dismissed concerns that more TSA officers would quit or that more travelers would take similar measures to get their “jollies”. “I am hoping this is an isolated incident. If flights were a lot cheaper, I could see more people doing this,” said Napolitano, “but with the cost of airplane fuel rising, I don’t think $560 roundtrip is a bargain price to get fondled.”

Calls to TSA headquarters went unanswered, as everyone there is just exhausted.

By Garrett Baldwin

The January 2010 earthquake leveled nearly 100,000 buildings in Haiti.

2011-07-23T10:16:00.000-05:00

Seismic risk mitigation is the greatest urban policy challenge that the world confronts today. If you consider that too strong a claim, try to imagine another way in which bad urban policy could kill a million people in 30 seconds.

Yet the politics of earthquakes are rarely discussed, and when discussed, widely misunderstood. Take the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, which released 600 million times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. The ensuing partial meltdown of the Fukushima reactor prompted international hysteria about nuclear power, but few seemed to realize that a far deadlier threat had been averted. As seismologist Roger Bilham has aptly put it, houses in seismically active zones are the world’s unrecognized weapons of mass destruction—and Japan’s WMDs didn’t go off. Its buildings—at least those that weren’t swept away by the accompanying tsunami, a force of nature against which we are still largely helpless—remained standing, and the people inside survived.

That so few buildings collapsed in the earthquake was a human triumph of the first order. It showed that countries can make great progress in seismic risk mitigation; in the Kobe earthquake of 1995, 200,000 buildings collapsed. But cities around the world seem happy to ignore the earthquake threat—one that is only growing as the cities themselves get bigger and bigger.

In January 2010, an earthquake struck Haiti and destroyed nearly 100,000 buildings. Hospitals, schools, government buildings, jails, hotels, churches, whole neighborhoods—all crumbled, entombing everyone inside. After the quake, I received an e-mail from a scholar of international relations. “It’s odd that earthquakes tend to occur frequently in countries that can least afford them,” she wrote.

You could only write such a sentence if you had never given the matter much thought. It isn’t odd; in fact, it isn’t true. Mother Nature doesn’t have it in for the poor. Rather, earthquakes come to our attention only when they are disasters, and they are disasters only when they strike dense urban areas full of badly made buildings. Last year, there were a number of earthquakes larger than the one that leveled Port-au-Prince, but they didn’t make the news because they happened in the middle of nowhere. California’s Loma Prieta quake, the “World Series earthquake” of 1989, was as big as the one in Port-au-Prince. It killed so few people by comparison—only 63—because San Francisco’s buildings and infrastructure were well designed and strong.

In the wake of the Kobe quake, Japanese engineers took extensive measures to reinforce buildings and infrastructure. They installed rubber blocks under bridges. They spaced buildings farther apart to prevent domino-style tumbling. They introduced extra bracing, base isolation pads, hydraulic shock absorbers. A minute before the March earthquake, automatic seismic monitoring systems sent warnings to Japanese cell phones. Elevators glided obediently to the nearest floor and opened. Surgeries were halted. Videos from Tokyo show skyscrapers swaying gracefully, like cornstalks in the wind. Not one collapsed.

Like wise, the aftershock that struck Christchurch, New Zealand, this past February was deadly, but the astonishing part of that story isn’t that several of the city’s buildings collapsed; it’s that most of them did not. The peak ground acceleration—a measurement of how much the ground shakes—was immense, one of the highest ever recorded. Something like that would have flattened most cities. New Zealand’s strict and well-enforced building codes saved Christchurch from annihilation.

But many of the world’s biggest cities are built more like Port-au-Prince than like Christchurch, and many are at massive seismic risk. Eight of the world’s ten biggest cities are built on fault lines. There is a reason for this: people like to live near water and fertile ground. Over the millennia, seismic activity creates coasts, valleys that channel water, temperate microclimates. The human mind doesn’t work on geologic time, so people rarely ask themselves how exactly these attractions came into being.

The odds of more Haiti-scale destruction are growing by the day because the world is urbanizing. Two hundred years ago, Peking was the only city in the world with a population of a million people. Today, almost 500 cities are that big, and many are much bigger. That explains why the number of earthquake-caused deaths during the first decade of this century (471,015) was more than four times greater than the number during the previous decade, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. National Earthquake Information Center. If the fatality trend continues upward—and it will, because the urbanization trend is continuing upward, as is the trend of housing migrant populations in death traps—it won’t be long before we see a headline announcing 1 million dead in massive earthquake. Indeed, we’ll be lucky not to see it in our lifetimes.

China Agrees To Erase Portion Of U.S. Debt

2011-07-14T14:42:00.001-05:00

China Agrees To Erase Portion Of U.S. Debt If Americans Dress Up In Costumes And Perform Silly Dance For Them

BEIJING—In what it's describing as a magnanimous gesture toward an economy in decline, the Chinese government announced Monday it would forgive a portion of the staggering U.S. dept, if Americans agreed to dress up in costumes and perform silly dances for their amusement.

With his nation holding $1.16 trillion in federal bonds and the U.S. showing no signs of ending its dependence on foreign credit, President Hu Jintao told reporters that allowing Americans to ease their fiscal burden in proportion to the number and quality of colorful dance numbers they perform is a mutually beneficial arrangement for both countries. MORE

Hooray for the Casey Anthony Jurors

2011-07-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

Nancy Grace is livid. She had been shilling for months for a conviction of Casey Anthony for allegedly murdering her two-year-old daughter, Caylee, and now the jury has acquitted Anthony of murder charges. What's a gal like Nasty Nancy to do?

Perhaps the first thing that Nasty Nancy should do is to read the laws of this country, and learn the standards that supposedly exist for conviction. Even though Nasty Nancy's standards for conviction are simple – an accusation automatically means one is guilty – the legal standard actually is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."

(One must remember that Nasty Nancy during the Duke Lacrosse Case, in which she automatically declared the lacrosse players guilty of gang rape, actually tried to claim that the legal presumption of innocence was a creation of Hitler's Germany. I'm serious.)

During the trial of Casey Anthony, the prosecution managed to establish what people already knew:

The skeletal remains found were those of Caylee and there was duct tape sticking to her skull;
Casey lied to the police about a number of things;
Casey denied murdering her daughter;
Casey was not a person of the highest character.
Some of those things are damning indictments if a woman applies for the Mother of the Year Award or is trying to be a role model to young women. I would hope that none of my daughters turns out to be like Casey Anthony.

However, having a bad character does not mean one is a murderer. If that were so, then Washington, D.C., would be the murder capital of the world. (Come to think of it, not long ago, D.C. WAS the murder capital of the world, and it is true that bad character abounds in that city. Nonetheless, my original point stands.)

Seizing on the duct tape, prosecutors then claimed that Casey smothered her child with it in order to get rid of her so that she could be a Big Party Animal. The problem was that they had no idea if the child were smothered with duct tape or not, none. They were engaging in conjecture, and any jury that takes its job seriously is not going to convict on the basis of a pretty loose conjecture.

Now, had Casey's DNA been found on the duct tape, that might have demonstrated a connection to the prosecution's narrative, but, alas, they found nothing of the sort. What they had was a little girl's skeletal remains and a mother of less-than-savory character.

In the end, the jury did convict Casey Anthony of the obvious: she lied to the police. The crimes are misdemeanors, and the maximum she could get if the sentences for each of the four counts are run consecutively is four years, and she already has been jailed for three. Thus, whatever time she will spend in jail almost is over.

I predict that in the coming days, Nasty Nancy will be hounding the jurors and doing everything but demanding that lynch mobs burn down the jurors' houses. Certainly, the Usual Suspects in the media will denounce what they see as a wrongful acquittal.

Yet, what I see is a jury that did its job. Prosecutors demanded that jurors engage in speculation, and the jurors refused to do that, and I applaud them for their integrity. Maybe Casey Anthony did murder her daughter, but the prosecution never proved it, and jurors are supposed to acquit when that happens. And it happened.

July 7, 2011

Luke 15:11-32

2011-07-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

Enduring Love

Suggested Bible Reading

Then Jesus said, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."' So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe--the best one--and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

Where's The Evidence For Alien Visits To Earth?

2011-06-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

I Want To Believe, But.......

Prompted by the Mars "structure" YouTube video posted on The
Two-Way blog the other day, I couldn't resist bringing back a
classic, the alien autopsy video.

You will watch, no doubt with your mouth agape, the autopsy of
an alien corpse recovered from the remains of his (hers?)
spaceship, crashed (shot down?) in Roswell in 1947. You can read
a short story on the autopsy here.

The video portrays the exact reversal of what so many abductees
say happens to them: the surgical bed, the doctors performing
tests, the gruesome nature of the whole thing. (In fact, if you
are a sensitive viewer, be advised. It gets gross after about 3
minutes, or so.)

Too bad that Ray Santilli, the video producer responsible for
the footage, admitted that the video was a hoax. (Although he
did say some frames were original, you know, just to keep
believers believing...)

So, the question is: Why do millions of people believe in such
nonsense?

As fans of the X-Files know, it's summed up in the poster
hanging on FBI agent Fox Mulder's wall: "I want to believe."

If we were to use current technology to fly to Alpha Centauri
4.4 light years away, the closest star to the sun (Proxima
Centauri is a bit closer, but is a red-dwarf.), it would take
over 100,000 years to get there. The distances are astonishing
and wormholes, as far as we can tell, aren't opening up in space
just yet.

There are many arguments against alien visitation and I will
take this up again soon. But just for starters, apart from the
technological difficulties of interstellar travel (what do we
know, right? "They" could have found much faster ways to move
about), there is also a complete absence of convincing evidence.

Sorry, but the video was a hoax and there is no conspiracy of
scientists hiding the truth from an unsuspecting public. Who
more than a scientist - who has devoted his/her life to the
study of the universe and of life - would love to have
conclusive evidence of intelligent life elsewhere? That would be
truly amazing!

The fact is that no radio signals, no sample of alien
technology, no truly real sighting of a UFO that couldn't be
explained with far simpler arguments involving atmospheric
disturbances, weather balloons or just plain aircraft in funny
visibility conditions, have been registered.

Perhaps it's time we simply accepted the fact that even if we
are not alone in our galaxy or the universe (absence of evidence
is not evidence of absence, as Carl Sagan liked to remind us),
for all practical purposes our cosmic isolation amounts to us
being alone.

This doesn't make us less important, but, as I elaborate in my
book A Tear at the Edge of Creation, if we are rare, and so is
our planet, we should rise up and do all we can to preserve and
celebrate what we have. We should stop looking for advanced
alien creatures to save us from our mess (or to destroy us for
what we've got) and take care of our own legacy to the planet
and to the next generations.

Let's Dispense With the 'Hero' Nonsense

2011-06-18T07:54:00.000-05:00

Not only did Alameda firefighters and police stand around, watch and do nothing as a suicidal man, Raymond Zack, spent an hour in the San Francisco Bay, neck deep in water, they didn’t even go into the water to retrieve his lifeless body after he died. They left that work to a bystander. To make this incident even more infuriating, police and fire officials defended the inactions of their employees and blamed budget cuts and city policy for this inhumane behavior by those who often claim to be selfless protectors of the public.

At least we can dispense with all the hero nonsense from public safety "first responders" who use the hero card whenever they are negotiating for higher pay, better pensions and other bigger budget items. When it comes time to actually act like heroes, they often act like bureaucrats. Certainly, as a deadly fire in San Francisco Thursday that claimed the life of at least one firefighter shows, these jobs can be dangerous (although they don't come near the top of the most-dangerous-jobs list). But the Alameda tragedy is an increasingly common situation as officials put their own safety, comfort and bureaucratic priorities above everything else.

Per the MSNBC report: "Interim Alameda Fire Chief Mike D'Orazi said that due to 2009 budget cuts his crews did not have the training or cold-water gear to go into the water. ‘The incident yesterday was deeply regrettable,’ he said Tuesday. ‘But I can also see it from our firefighters' perspective. They’re standing there wanting to do something, but they are handcuffed by policy at that point.’"

For God’s sake, blaming budget cuts is reprehensible especially given the large chunk of local budgets that firefighting services consume. Simple decency required some effort – rather than standing around and gawking by these highly paid professionals – to save a troubled man. The bystander who fished out his body didn’t have cold-water gear (let alone a big pension from the fire department), but she jumped into the water any way and acted like an actual human being. The water was a bit chilly (54 degrees) but it's not Alaska.

The article quoted a local resident who made the sensible point: "This just strikes me as not just a problem with funding, but a problem with the culture of what's going on in our city, that no one would take the time and help this drowning man." And it’s a huge cultural problem within any firefighting department that would put budgetary complaints and red tape above doing their basic human mission of saving someone in harm’s way.

The Alameda police showed even deeper bureaucratic inhumanity. "Certainly this was tragic, but police officers are tasked with ensuring public safety, including the safety of personnel who are sent to try to resolve these kinds of situations," Alameda police Lt. Sean Lynch told the San Jose Mercury News. "He was engaged in a deliberate act of taking his own life. We did not know whether he was violent, whether drugs were involved. It's not a situation of a typical rescue."

This response is typical from police agencies. First they say that officer safety is their first priority. Then they blame the victim. Well, if you’re not going to do your job and endure even an iota of risk, then let’s stop playing up the risks to officers. And helping suicidal people and troubled people of all sort is part of the job of a police officer, one would think. No one, of course, will be held accountable for any of this, which is how it works in the public sector, and especially with public safety agencies.

The whole scene sounded like something from the Three Stooges, except with tragic results. According to the MSNBC report, "The Coast Guard was called to the scene, but the water was too shallow for its boat. A Coast Guard helicopter arrived more than an hour later because it had been on another call and had to refuel."

When asked if he would save a drowning child in such waters, Alameda Fire Chief Ricci Zombeck offered this bureaucratic and maddening answer to an ABC news reporter "Well, if I was off duty I would know what I would do, but I think you're asking me my on-duty response and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures because that's what's required by our department to do."

Obviously, then, we are safer without these departments. A heroic bystander might at least jump in the water and try to save your kid while the professional, well-paid, highly pensioned "hero" is forbidden by policy (and a bureaucratic attitude) to do so.

The firefighters, cops and Coast Guard, with all their personnel and top-of-the-line equipment, were incapable of even trying to save the life of a man who stood neck deep in water for an hour. Something definitely is wrong with this picture. It reminds me of another incident in Philadelphia I wrote about for LewRockwell.com a few years ago:

"In a videotaped ‘rescue’ along the Schuylkill River last May [police and firefighters] did nothing other than watch for a half-hour or so as a troubled man clung to the side of a bridge, then jumped off and drowned. … [T]hey were joking around as the tragic event transpired. It took a roller-blading passerby and another bystander to attempt a rescue. … And the officials wouldn’t touch [the dying man] or try to resuscitate him until the rubber gloves and other safety equipment was on the scene. They left the dirty work for the brave volunteers. This infuriating response didn’t merit a rebuke from the police commissioner, who actually praised the assembled cops for their efforts after a public outcry ensued."

Instead of getting punished, Alameda officials will get rewarded – with additional training dollars. But who really believes that even if that money had been available and the policy been different that these first responders would have done the right thing? The local resident was right. The problem is a deep cultural one, something I see to be endemic in the government agencies that always claim to protect and serve us.

Police and fire agencies are bureaucracies and, as such, they end up functioning in a similar manner to the Department of Motor Vehicles, the IRS and any other alphabet soup agency you can name. As writer Thomas Sowell put it, "You will never understand bureaucracies until you understand that for bureaucrats procedure is everything and outcomes are nothing."

And so normal people stand around wondering how we can end up with such a bad outcome – a needless death – while the bureaucracies, stuck as they are on procedure, tell us they acted appropriately.

It’s about time the public starts rethinking our public safety policy and starts wondering whether the creation of big costly bureaucracies, encumbered by ridiculous rules and designed mainly around the convenience and safety of those working in the agencies, is the best way to protect the public’s safety.

June 4, 2011
http://lewrockwell.com/greenhut/greenhut65.1.html

Steven Greenhut (send him mail) is editor-in-chief of CalWatchdog.com and a widely published opinion writer. He is the author of the book, Abuse of Power, and his latest, Plunder!.

Copyright © 2011 Steven Greenhut

Luke 10:38

2011-06-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

Suggested Bible Reading

Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."
-Luke 10:38-42

10 Reasons Obama Can't Feel Your Pain!

2011-06-11T18:21:00.001-05:00

Do we have a sociopath in the White House? A Sociopath is a person who lacks a sense of moral responsibility or social conscience. Obama doesn't want to help our country - he wants to harm it. Each and every one of his blundering policies is killing our country. Obama just doesn't GET IT!

Here are the 10 Reasons Obama Can't Feel Your Pain:

1.Single-handedly destroying the economy
2.Driving up gas prices to unthinkable numbers.
3.Forcing Americans to accept ObamaCare.
4.Advocating and pushing amnesty for illegals.
5.Engaging in back-door gun control measures.
6.Stuffing the courts with Liberal ideologue judges.
7.Massive failed stimulus packages.
8.Government takeover of private enterprise.
9.Punishing job creators.
10.Taking over the Internet.

While the rest of America struggles to get by, Obama is arrogantly and deliberately bringing our economy to its knees. The unemployment rate is at 8.7%. What does Obama do? He's working on a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR economic stimulus package for the Arab world. WHAT ABOUT US? How about fixing the economy in your own country! The amount of disregard Obama has for America grows larger every day.

Right now, Obama is raising a BILLION DOLLAR war chest to buy his re-election.

The Church of Muslim-Killing

2011-06-11T13:38:00.000-05:00

Fred Reed on smiting the in-fiddle. NB: strong language.

Cyberg, Tennessee – The Reverend McBilly Osfeiser strode to the rostrum of of the Full Bible Perfect Word Baptist Church, a frame building reeking of plainness and Protestantism. He was a tall man, with the sharp facial planes and hard visage of a desert patriarch about to kill something. The congregation shrank in their pews. He was a man who brooked no sin, and no sinners, whom he consigned to eternal damnation, and thought they were getting off light. He looked fiercely about, and spoke:

“Brethren, I come before you to preach the word of God, for these be evil times, and the children of Israel, and yea the parents and grandparents, even unto their heirs and assigns, are sore beset by the tribe of Mohammed, and Beelzebulb, and Luciferin and Luciferase. In the name of God we must gird our loins, whatever exactly gird means, and smite the followers of Allah, and suffer them not to live, neither child nor mother with child nor suckling babe. Their lands shall be accursed and nothing there shall prosper, neither tares nor the wild ass; thus saith the Lord God, the God of Israel , the god of love and mercy.

“Today we shall begin our sermon with the story of Samsung and Delilah, in the book of Hezechiah, chapter fourteen, verses nine through twenty-seven, in the reign of Herod Agrippa. In that time Israel was sore beset by the Malachites and the Catamites, even the Stalactites and Stalagmites, and the Assyrians of King Areopagitica with many chariots threatened the city of Solomon. But Samsung spent three days and three nights fasting and praying, and sacrificed a sheep, and it was good in the eyes of the Lord. In the morning he went forth and slew them all, cutting through them with sling and samothrace as one scything wheat until not a Stalagmite was left standing, saving the city.

“Today, brethren, we of Christ face the same test of our faith. In Afghanistan, as we speak, the Mohammedan Taliban build mighty forces which they will use to conquer all of Christendom and enslave us, having gotten here mysteriously.

“The powers of the darkness are many and patient, and the Mohammedan awaits to make our wives and daughters into harem slaves. It is well said that if we do not slew them there, or perhaps slay them, they will slew us here, or a slew of them will slay a slew of us there, maybe here, or they will...whatever. Remember the second book of Malthusians, when Chay-suss expelled the Gadarene Swine from the woman afflicted with leprosy, “Rebus sic stantibus,” he said. “Carthago delenda est,” which is the Latin for “Get the back whence thou camest, and thy towel.”

“I urge you, brethren, to support our Christian troops who with magnificent courage are killing the heathen with drones strikes from thousands of feet while sitting in Colorado. To those weak in faith, who say that we are killing innocent women and children, I say unto ye, women are the source of all Taliban and thus must be military targets. If we destroy arms factories, should we not destroy Taliban factories? As the mighty warrior Jay-suss would want, we will smite them, and leave them bleeding and dying, and wailing over their broken children, blinded and crushed and burned, that they might learn to walk in the ways of righteousness.

“And now, brethren, I want to introduce you to one of our own warriors for Christ, Willy Bill Bedford, who is just back from the heathen land of Afghanistan, and wounded – wounded, brethren! – smiting the in-fiddle for Jay-suss. Willy Bill, will you come up and testify?”

Willy Bill was a big, chunky kid with a sloping forehead you could have used to bank a turn in a motorcycle race, and about every other tooth was missing so he looked like a piano keyboard. His left arm was in a cast. “Willy Bill,” shouted Reverend Osfeiser, “Tell your brothers and sisters in Jay-suss how you been doing the Lord's work.”

Willy Bill seemed uncomfortable but he sort of scrunched up his courage and said, “Yeah, well. OK, Reverend. Well, we was out in Litani Province and there was twelve of us in a Humvee with 'bout a thousand rounds each of seven-six-two and a sack full of Bibles an'...”

The reverend roared, “And tell the brethren why you had Bibles, the inherent perfect word of God, with you!”

“Oh, yeah. We belong to Bible Spreaders, we try to bring Moslems to know Jesus, you know. BS is real important to us, so we always....”

“You hear that? Bringing souls to God!”

“Well, we came to Awali, that's this village, maybe three hundred sand-nig – Taliban and their kids, all dirty and livin' in mud huts because they don't love Jesus and the kids there beg for something to eat because they don't know that beggin' ain't right. Well, we told them to get away and smacked them around a little because they might be suicide bombers, you know, and you could just tell the grown-ups hated us for our religion and our freedoms and all, and then we heard a rifle go off. Well, they ain't supposed to have rifles. So the lieutenant called in a air strike and a couple of sixteens came in, and whoom, they just smacked the livin' dog-snot out of those fuckers and.....”

“Now, Willy Bill, don't be using language like that. Do you think Jay-suss talked that way? It's a sin.”

“I'm sorry, Reverend. I won't do it again. I don't want to commit no sin. Anyway, it was a good strike, killed almost everybody although a few was left screamin' and makin' a fuss and women was huggin' kids or what was left, I mean, how much sense does that make? I guess they learned their lesson. So we went through and left Bibles on top of some of the dead ones so whoever found them would come to Jesus and then I fell off the Humvee and broke my arm.”

At which the Reverend McBilly Osfeiser shouted, “Hosannah! Praise the Lord! While we have sat here, living a life of ease, Willy Bill, Cyburg's own Willy Bill, has smote the in-fiddles, and saved our precious daughters from being in harems, though perhaps not in back seats, and saved our holy Tennessee, where we are free and snakes have handles and the God of Wrath rules as he did with Noah in the Sinai!”

I need a drink.

June 7, 2011

Fred Reed is author of Nekkid in Austin: Drop Your Inner Child Down a Well and A Brass Pole in Bangkok: A Thing I Aspire to Be. His latest book is Curmudgeing Through Paradise: Reports from a Fractal Dung Beetle. Visit his blog.

Copyright © 2011 Fred Reed

Seward's Folly

2011-06-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

American Minute with Bill Federer
May 16
Seward's Folly is what Alaska was called when it was first purchased from Russia, as it was thought to be of no value.
Only when it was discovered to be rich in natural resources was appreciation shown to Secretary of State William Seward, who was born MAY 16, 1801.
Serving under Abraham Lincoln, William Seward was wounded by an accomplice of John Wilkes Booth the same night Lincoln was shot. Seward stated:
"I do not believe human society...ever has attained, or ever can attain, a high state of intelligence, virtue, security, liberty, or happiness without the Holy Scriptures; even the whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever-growing influence of the Bible."
As the vice-president of the American Bible Society, 1836, William Seward stated:
"I know not how long a republican government can flourish among a great people who have not the Bible; the experiment has never been tried; but this I do know: that the existing government of this country never could have had existence but for the Bible."
Seward concluded:
"I...believe that if at every decade of years a copy of the Bible could be found in every family in the land its republican institutions would be perpetuated."

Remember

2011-06-05T08:49:00.000-05:00

Matthew 7:8

2011-06-05T08:44:00.000-05:00

In God's Hands
Suggested Bible Reading

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

"And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you--you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." -Matthew 6:25-34

Today's Scripture

Everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

He was the most recognized person in the world, leading 1 billion people

2011-05-18T22:35:00.002-05:00

American Minute with Bill Federer

May 18

On MAY 18, 1920, in a small town in Poland, Karol Wojtyla was born.

A chemical worker during World War II, he risked punishment by Communists for being ordained a priest.

In 1967, he became Archbishop of Krakow and, in 1978, he became Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope since 1522.

Leader of one billion Catholics, Pope John Paul spoke eight languages and traveled a million miles in 170 countries - more than any other pope.

In 1981, he survived an assassination attempt by a Muslim Turk, whom he forgave during a prison visit.

Regarding Islam, Pope John Paul wrote in Crossing the Threshold of Hope (1995):

"Islam is not a religion of redemption. There is no room for the Cross and the Resurrection...The tragedy of redemption is completely absent...

In Islam, all the richness of God's self-revelation, which constitutes the heritage of the Old and New Testaments, has definitely been set aside...

The god of the Koran is a god outside of the world, a god who is only Majesty, never Emmanuel, God-with-us...

Not only the theology, but also the anthropology of Islam is very distant from Christianity."

The most recognized person in the world, Pope John Paul II met with Presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush. He helped end communism in Europe.

Having the third longest papal term in history, he died April 2, 2005. President Bush ordered flags flown half staff.

In 1993, greeted by President Clinton in Denver, Pope John Paul said: "The inalienable dignity of every human being and the rights which flow from that dignity - in the first place the right to life and the defense of life - are at the heart of the church's message."

Pope John Paul ended: "In spite of divisions among Christians, 'all those justified by faith through baptism are incorporated into Christ...brothers and sisters in the Lord."

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

2011-05-18T22:30:00.001-05:00

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine..

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS.... and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!

John 11

2011-05-18T22:25:00.001-05:00

God Understands
Suggested Bible Reading

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

-John 11:17-44

Why Do Americans Still Dislike Atheists?

2011-05-08T10:35:00.000-05:00

Long after blacks and Jews have made great strides, and even as homosexuals gain respect, acceptance and new rights, there is still a group that lots of Americans just don’t like much: atheists. Those who don’t believe in God are widely considered to be immoral, wicked and angry… Read More

The COWBOY Solution to save Gasoline.

2011-05-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

OBAMA wants us to cut the amount of gasoline we use...
The best way to stop using so much gasoline is to deport 15 million illegal immigrants!

That would be 15 million less people using our gas.

The price of gas would come down...

Bring our troops home from Afghanistan to guard the borders...

When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the Border, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Afghanistan ......

Tell him if he wants to come to AMERICA , then he must serve a tour in OUR military...

Give him a soldier's pay while he's there, and tax him on it...

After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country...

He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal resident...

This option will probably deter illegal immigration, and provide a solution for the troops in Afghanistan , and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves...

If they refuse to serve, ship them to Afghanistan anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo.

Problem solved...

Matthew 18:20

2011-05-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

Today's Scripture

Jesus said, "Where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

Suggested Bible Reading

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

-Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Superman Renounces U.S. Citizenship in Latest Action Comic

2011-04-28T20:48:00.000-05:00

ALIPAC Note: America is being dismantled incrementally. Any and all symbols of national pride and esteem are being torn down. From NASA to movies, commercials, and comics, American heroes and symbols of national unity are being taken from us while large armies of illegal aliens that hate America and Americans are being imported.
---

April 28, 2011
The Blaze

He’s just so sick of being pigeon-holed as an instrument of U.S. policy. And “truth, justice, and the American way“ are ”not enough anymore.” That’s why Superman, in the latest Action Comic, has announced he is “renouncing” his U.S. citizenship.

Although he’s traditionally seen as an American hero (remember, though, he is an alien), Superman is fed up with being connected to the USA. According to the Comics Alliance blog (and reported by BoingBoing), in Action Comics #900 Superman tells the president‘s national security adviser that he’s had enough of the Red, White, and Blue:

Comics Alliance explains the context:

The key scene takes place in “The Incident,” a short story in Action Comics #900 written by David S. Goyer with art by Miguel Sepulveda. In it, Superman consults with the President’s national security advisor, who is incensed that Superman appeared in Tehran to non-violently support the protesters demonstrating against the Iranian regime, no doubt an analogue for the recent real-life protests in the Middle East. However, since Superman is viewed as an American icon in the DC Universe as well as our own, the Iranian government has construed his actions as the will of the American President, and indeed, an act of war.

Wired.com offers some more startling details about the non-violent protest that got Superman in trouble:

Goyer’s installment, with tense art from Miguel Sepulveda, steals the spotlight in Action Comics No. 900. When Superman drops in on an Iranian protest to stand with demonstrators in an act of nonviolent civil disobedience, the U.S. government takes him to task for acting as an instrument of national policy. Superman responds by renouncing his American citizenship and proclaiming himself a citizen of the universe.

SEE SOURCE LINKS AND DISCUSS THIS ARTICLE WITH OUR ALIPAC ACTIVISTS AT...
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-1218780.html#1218780

Now We Can Move On To Important Stuff

2011-04-28T20:38:00.000-05:00

John 13:1-17

2011-04-28T20:34:00.000-05:00

Suggested Bible Reading
Humility

Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."

After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord--and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

Breaking News

2011-04-24T08:18:00.000-05:00

To hot for mainstream media

THIS JUST IN:
Playboy reportedly offered Sarah Palin $4,000,000 to pose nude in an upcoming issue. Michelle Obama was offered $50 by National Geographic.

In other news... we all remember when KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) offered a "Hillary" meal, consisting of 2 small breasts and 2 large thighs. Now, KFC is offering the "Obama Cabinet Bucket." It consists of nothing but left wings and assholes.

The Meaning of Easter

2011-04-24T08:10:00.002-05:00

Three blondes died and are at the pearly gates of heaven. St. Peter tells them that they can enter the gates if they can answer one simple question.

St. Peter asks the first blonde, “What is Easter?”

The blonde replies, “Oh, that’s easy! It’s the holiday in November when everyone gets together, eats turkey, and are thankful…”

“Wrong!” replies St. Peter, and proceeds to ask the second blonde the same question, “What is Easter?”

The second blonde replies, “Easter is the holiday in December when we put up a nice tree, exchange presents, and celebrate the birth of Jesus.”

St. Peter looks at the second blonde, shakes his head in disgust, tells her she’s wrong, and then peers over his glasses at the third blonde and asks, “What is Easter?”

The third blonde smiles confidently and looks St. Peter in the eyes, “I know what Easter is.”
“Oh?” says St. Peter, incredulously.

“Easter is the Christian holiday that coincides with the Jewish celebration of Passover. Jesus and his disciples were eating at the last supper and Jesus was later deceived and turned over to the Romans by one of his disciples. The Romans took him to be crucified and he was stabbed in the side, made to wear a crown of thorns, and was hung on a cross with nails through his hands. He was buried in a nearby cave which was sealed off by a large boulder.”

St. Peter smiles broadly with delight.

The third blonde continues, “Every year the boulder is moved aside so that Jesus can come out and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.”

Happy Easter

Matthew 28:1-10, 16-29

2011-04-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

EASTER SUNDAY

Suggested Bible Reading

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

-Matthew 28:1-10, 16-29

Chicago School Bans Home Lunches

2011-04-18T00:05:00.002-05:00

The Chicago Tribune reports that a school in Chicago has banned students from bringing packed lunches from home – unless they have a medical excuse.

Principal Elsa Carmona said her goal is protect students from their own unhealthful food choices, stating:

“Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,” Carmona said. “It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”

It must be about nutrition, given how tasty and wholesome the school’s food looks.

A Little Village Academy student cringes at an enchilada dish served at his school. Many students throw away their entrees uneaten and say they would rather bring food from home. The school, though, does not allow students to bring in their own lunches, unless they have a medical condition or a food allergy. Picture and text © Chicago Tribune 2011

As students have raised concerns, so have parents:

some of the kids don’t like the food they give at our school for lunch or breakfast,” said Little Village parent Erica Martinez. “So it would be a good idea if they could bring their lunch so they could at least eat something.”

“(My grandson) is really picky about what he eats,” said Anna Torrez, who was picking up the boy from school. “I think they should be able to bring their lunch. Other schools let them. But at this school, they don’t.”

The school banning packed lunches from home is an infringement on parental responsibility. It boils down to whether the parents or the States have ownership of the child. It’s quite obvious the parents have responsibility and should decide what the kids eat. They are the ones that literally create the child and raise the kid(s). They have an intimate relationship and knows what’s best for them.

Government ignores the reality that humans by nature are independent, with a unqiue set of desires. Each kid differs in his taste, interest, abilities, intelligence, and chosen activities. The best kind of formal instruction would be suited to his own particular individuality. Curriculums in public schools don’t recognize this. Government planners approach school with a one size fits all approach, which is why they fail so horribly at educating our kids. Now they’re trying to carry this notion on to regulate what kids eat. Each kid is going to be unique in what he desires and his body needs. Some kids may prefer a chicken sandwich, vegetables, fruit, lunchables, etc. There’s an infinite variety of combinations, and no central planner can ever know the needs of every child. Only the parent can, and only the parent has the right to regulate what their kids eat.

There is hope, though, for the comrades of Little Village Academy. School officials have announced they’re ramping up his food quality, and next week is sloppy joes..........

As Air Traffic Controlers Nap.......

2011-04-18T00:03:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 3:6

2011-04-18T00:01:00.002-05:00

Todays Scripture

In all your ways acknowledge [the Lord], and he will make your paths straight.
-Proverbs 3:6

Suggested Bible Reading

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
-Proverbs 3:5-6

American Minute with Bill Federer

2011-04-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

April 15

On APRIL 15, 1865, President Lincoln died. He was shot the night before in Ford's Theater.

On APRIL 15, 1912, the Titanic sank. It struck an iceberg the night before.

In 1954, APRIL 15 became the deadline for filing Income tax returns.

Though the Constitution banned a Federal Income Tax (Art.1,Sec.9), Lincoln passed an emergency income tax to pay for the Civil War. It was repealed in 1873.

An income tax was attempted in 1894, but the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in Pollock v Farmers' Loan.

With World War I threatening, Woodrow Wilson thought ending tariff taxes on imports between countries would bring world peace, but tariffs were the Federal Government's main source of revenue.

Wilson promoted replacing tariff revenue with a Federal income tax.

In 1913, the 16th Amendment was passed. It was a one percent tax on the top one percent richest people, intended only to 'soak-the-rich' of the likes of the Rockefellers and the Carnegies, which they avoided by moving their money into tax-free foundations, ie. Rockefeller Foundation and Carnegie Foundation.

In 1942, with World War II, Franklin Roosevelt passed "the greatest tax bill in American history," which began the trend of companies outsourcing their manufacturing to other countries to avoid taxes in order to stay competitive globally.

John F. Kennedy stated April 20, 1961:
"In meeting the demands of war finance, the individual income tax moved from a selective tax imposed on the wealthy to the means by which the great majority of our citizens participate in paying."

Kennedy suggested, January 17, 1963:
"Lower rates of taxation will stimulate economic activity and so raise the levels of personal and corporate income as to yield within a few years an increased – not a reduced – flow of revenues to the federal government."

In 1988, President Reagan said:
"I believe God did give mankind unlimited gifts to invent, produce and create. And for that reason it would be wrong for governments to devise a tax structure that suppresses those gifts."

Qaddafi Asks Closest Advisers If They Think He's A Bad Person

2011-04-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

TRIPOLI—In the midst of widespread unrest, Libyan president Muammar Qaddafi convened his closest advisers Tuesday and asked them to be totally honest about whether they thought his brutal crackdown against his own people made him a bad person. "When he closed the door, he said that if ordering air strikes against fellow Libyans, allowing the repeated sexual assault of female prisoners, and conducting public executions against political dissenters made him sort of an awful human being, then we should just tell him," adviser Atia Mahmoud said. "We all assured him that he wasn't a complete monster and that he was doing the right thing. I mean, we were all pretty worried we'd be shot in front of our families if we said otherwise." Satisfied by the response, Qaddafi ordered bulldozers to flatten every building in the rebel-held city of Benghazi, as well as any inhabitants that got in the way

1 Corinthians 12:46

2011-04-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

Today's Scripture

There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone.

Suggested Bible Reading

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.
-1 Corinthians 12:12-27 (NRSV)

"Houston, we've had a problem"

2011-04-11T10:22:00.001-05:00

April 11: "Houston, we've had a problem" were the words sent from Apollo 13, which was launched for the moon APRIL 11, 1970. Mission control identified that an oxygen tank had exploded, irreparably damaging the craft.

Special prayer services were held at the Chicago Board of Trade, at St. Peter's Basilica by the Pope, at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and reported in The New York Times.

Even the U.S. Senate adopted a resolution urging prayer.

In sub-zero temperature, the crew pieced together an oxygen filter, jump-charged the command module batteries, and manually steered the ship to land in the ocean near a raging hurricane.

On April 19, 1970, President Nixon spoke at Kawaiahao Church, the oldest Christian Church in Hawaii:
"When we learned of the safe return of our astronauts, I asked that the Nation observe a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving today...This event reminded us that in these days of growing materialism, deep down there is still a great religious faith in this Nation."

Nixon concluded: "I think more people prayed last week than perhaps have prayed in many years in this country...We pray for the assistance of God when...faced with...great potential tragedy."

American Minute with Bill Federer

STFU Mr President !

2011-04-11T10:03:00.002-05:00

John 3:1

2011-04-11T10:01:00.000-05:00

See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

-1 John 3:1-5 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!-1 John 3:1

Sir Isaac Newton

2011-04-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

Sir Isaac Newton died MARCH 20, 1727.

With his mother widowed twice, he had been raised by his grandmother before being sent off to grammar school and later Cambridge.

Newton discovered calculus, the laws of gravity and built the first reflecting telescope.

Using a prism, Newton demonstrated that a beam of light contained all the colors of the rainbow.

President of the Royal Society from 1703 till his death, Sir Isaac Newton wrote in Principia, 1687:

"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent Being...

All variety of created objects which represent order and life in the universe could happen only by the willful reasoning of its original Creator, whom I call the Lord God."

In Optics, 1704, Newton wrote:

"God in the beginning formed matter."

Captivated by Bible Prophecy, Sir Isaac Newton wrote, Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse of St. John, (published in 1733).

Regarding the Bible, Newton wrote:

"The system of revealed truth which this Book contains is like that of the universe, concealed from common observation yet the labors of the centuries have established its Divine origin."

In A Short Scheme of the True Religion, Sir Isaac Newton wrote:

"Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors."

Nothing Much Has Changed

2011-04-08T09:23:00.000-05:00

I stopped by the Chevrolet Dealership yesterday, for a look at the new Silverado 1500 pickup. Just for fun, I took it out for a test drive. I wanted to sense that new "feel" before they become extinct.

The salesman (a black man wearing an Obama "change" lapel pin) sat in the passenger seat describing the truck and all its "wonderful" options. The seats were of particular interest. He explained that the seats directed warm air to your butt in the winter and directed cool air to your butt in the summer heat.

Feeling like messing with him, I mentioned that this must be a Republican truck.

Looking a bit angry, he asked why I thought it was a Republican truck. I explained that if it were an Obama truck, the seats would blow smoke up your ass year-round.
I had to walk back to the dealership...damn guy had no sense of humor.

John 20:21

2011-04-08T09:18:00.000-05:00

Suggested Bible Reading

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

John 20:19-23

Today's Scripture

Jesus said to [his disciples] again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

John 20:21

Golf Balls Made from Lobster Shells? Only in Maine

2011-04-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

Researchers at the University of Maine have engineered golf balls that look and feel pretty much like, well, golf balls, except that these ones are made of lobster shells.

The biodegradable balls are intended for use on cruise ships, where hobby golfers whack hundreds of thousands of golf balls out to sea each year. Golf ball littering is a big problem on land, too: In the United States alone, an estimated 300 million balls are lost or discarded annually. Traditional golf balls take up to a millennium to decompose.

Biodegradable golf balls already exist, but the Mainers' version is the first to attack an additional problem by helping eliminate lobster waste.

"The University of Maine is a land grant institution, so we consider it our mission to serve the people and industries of the state," Neivandt told Life's Little Mysteries, a sister site to LiveScience. "Anything we can do to aid the lobster industry in particular is something the university considers an important part of its function, so we're trying to turn something from the industry's waste stream into a value added product."

The raw material needed to mold a single ball costs only 19 cents, "so we'd project it would come in at well under a dollar per ball, and be cost competitive with other biodegradable balls on the market," Neivandt said. He and UMaine administrators are currently investigating the best route to commercialization.

The lobster balls work fine, too. "The flight properties are amazing," undergraduate research assistant and amateur golfer Alex Caddell said in a press release. "It doesn't fly quite as far as a regular golf ball, but we're actually getting a similar distance to other biodegradable golf balls." On a cruise ship, Neivandt explained, it doesn't matter how far golf balls go anyway: "The primary reason people do it is to practice their swing. I don't think a small decrease of distance off a driver is important in that location."

UMaine has filed a provisional patent for the lobster shell and biodegradable polymer mixture used to make the balls. The material might also be utilized for products such as plant pots that decompose in the ground and surveying stakes, the researchers said.

Nothing Much Has Changed

2011-04-03T09:30:00.001-05:00

Daniel 6:10

2011-04-03T09:25:00.002-05:00

In Times of Need
Suggested Bible Reading

Soon Daniel distinguished himself above all the other presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him, and the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom. So the presidents and the satraps tried to find grounds for complaint against Daniel in connection with the kingdom. But they could find no grounds for complaint or any corruption, because he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption could be found in him. The men said, "We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God."

So the presidents and satraps conspired and came to the king and said to him, "O King Darius, live forever! All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an interdict, that whoever prays to anyone, divine or human, for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions. Now, O king, establish the interdict and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked." Therefore King Darius signed the document and interdict.

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously. -Daniel 6:3-10

Today's Scripture

Three times a day [Daniel] got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.--- Daniel 6:10

American Minute

2011-03-31T00:05:00.001-06:00

President John Adams' son, John Quincy Adams, was U.S. Minister to Russia.

In September 1811, John Quincy Adams wrote from St. Petersburg to one of his sons:

"My dear Son...You mentioned that you read to your aunt a chapter in the Bible...every evening.

This information gave me real pleasure..."

John Quincy Adams continued: "So great is my veneration for the Bible, and so strong my belief, that when duly read and meditated on, it is of all books in the world, that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy-that the earlier my children begin to read it...the more lively and confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens of their country."

This correspondence was published after his death as Letters of John Quincy Adams to his son, on the Bible and its Teachings.

President John Quincy Adams' grandson was Henry Adams, an American historian.

From his unique perspective of being related to some of America's founders, Henry Adams, who died MARCH 27, 1918, wrote in his 9-volume work, History of the United States:

"The Pilgrims of Plymouth, the Puritans of Boston, the Quakers of Pennsylvania, all avowed a moral purpose, and began by making institutions that consciously reflected a moral idea."

American Minute with Bill Federer

American Minute is a registered trademark. Permission granted to reproduce with acknowledgement to http://www.americanminute.com/,
P.O. Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123, 314-487-4395, wjfederer@gmail.com

Jesus Supprises "700 Club" With Walk On Apperance

2011-03-31T00:03:00.001-06:00

My Secret Garden

2011-03-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

When I'm feeling blue and can no longer go on,

I step outside my door to a very beautiful place.

I enter my peaceful secret garden in awe,

And begin to experience God's loving grace.

The fragrant flowers tell me that I am loved,

And the graceful trees seem to embrace me.

My soul is so at peace as I sit very quietly,

And listen for His voice, wherever it may be.

It could be in a rosebud, or in a sleek blade of grass.

It could be in the gentle breeze, or in the clouds above.

I look around at all of God's majestic creations,

And receive an inner calm as I feel His sweet love.

With His abiding spirit, I realize that I can handle

All the stressful events of life, each and every day.

And as I ponder all His beauty that surrounds me,

My burdens, cares and worries seem to slip away.

Look at the mother bird feeding her hungry chicks.

Can you hear it? It's such a lovely song she sings.

Look at the caterpillar who's shedding his old clothes.

Can you see it? The butterfly spreads his fragile wings.

The creatures are doing what comes natural to them.

I sit and wonder why humans find that so hard to do.

Then I look upward and ask... "God, are you there?"

He softly whispers... "No, Child, I am there with you."

Is The World Really Running Out Of Food, Water And Oil?

2011-03-26T12:11:00.000-06:00

The mainstream news is talking about shortages. Authorities around the globe proclaim the world is rapidly running out of food, water and oil. So are these doomsayers right? Well, it must be noted that some of the most famous "prophets of doom" of the past several decades have seen their predictions fail spectacularly…
READ MORE ONLINE

A Simple Personality Test

2011-03-26T11:59:00.000-06:00

The Banana Test

There is a very, very tall coconut tree and there are 4 animals,

A Lion , A Chimp , A Giraffe ,
......AND...

A Squirrel

They decide to compete to see who is the fastest to get a banana off the tree.

Who do you guess will win?

Your answer will reflect your personality.

So think carefully . .
Try and answer within 30 seconds. Got your answer?

Now scroll down to see the analysis.

:
:
:
:
:
:
:
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:

If your answer is:

Lion = you're dull.
Chimpanzee = you're dense.
Giraffe = you're a complete moron.
Squirrel = you're hopeless.

A COCONUT TREE DOESN'T HAVE BANANAS.

Obviously you're stressed and overworked.
You should take some time off and relax

now hurry up and forward it to someone....

John 14:18

2011-03-26T11:49:00.000-06:00

God Never Leaves Our Side

Suggested Bible Reading

-John 14:15-26 (NRSV)

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?" Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

"I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.

Today's Scripture
Jesus said, "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you."
-John 14:18

Elizabeth Taylor, Lifelong Star, Dies at 79

2011-03-23T09:15:00.002-06:00

The actress Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday in Los Angeles at
age 79, the Associated Press reported. Ms. Taylor started in
movies at age 9, and it was a quick leap from "National
Velvet" to "A Place in the Sun" and from there to "Cleopatra"
as she transformed into a film queen. In a career of more
than 70 years and more than 50 films, she won two Academy
Awards as best actress.

Read More:
http://www.nytimes.com/?emc=na

WTF is it?

2011-03-23T09:08:00.001-06:00

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

2011-03-23T09:05:00.002-06:00

The Extra Mile
Suggested Bible Reading

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,"He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

BIG Meltdowns Imperiling the U.S.

2011-03-18T00:05:00.001-06:00

Though the estimated 10,000 dead in Japan pales in comparison to the more than 200,000 dead in the Haitian earthquake of January 2010, the implications of the unfolding crisis, and its consequences for the 1.5 million Japanese men, women and children now homeless is staggering. Complicating matters is that, as of this writing, almost one-third of Japan's energy production capability is disabled, which is to say that providing basic resources and services for all of Japan is increasingly difficult.

Additionally, the crisis has significant implications for critical U.S. national security objectives and operations in the region, including containment of North Korea and counterbalance to the rapidly growing Chinese deepwater naval threat.

Japan is a vital national security ally in Asia and host to several major U.S. military staging and support bases. Under the post-WWII Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, the U.S. is committed to providing Japan with maritime and ballistic missile defense and disaster response capabilities. In return, the U.S. maintains a major military presence for deployment in the region, including the Seventh Fleet based in Yokosuka, Air Force fighter squadrons at Misawa and Kadena and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force at Okinawa. More than 35,000 uniformed military personnel and another 5,000 DoD employees compose U.S. forces in Japan.

All that notwithstanding, on the day of the disaster in Japan, Barack Hussein Obama responded with a golf outing (his 61st as president) followed by an evening hobnobbing with major donors and his media sycophants at the annual Gridiron Dinner. While horrifying images of the quake and tsunami were seen around the world, Obama kept to his schedule, unwilling to interrupt it long enough to support Japanese leadership via the basic gesture of a reassuring interview with its national news service, NHK. He did find time, however, to record a presidential address on "Women's History Month."

To be fair, Obama issued a brief statement through the White House communications office: "Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the people of Japan... The friendship and alliance between our two nations is unshakeable..."

"UNSHAKEABLE"? Perhaps he meant to say, "The friendship and alliance between our two nations will never melt down..." Who could make this stuff up?

By contrast, recall, if you will, 8 January, the day Arizona Democrat Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was among those shot by a sociopath, who killed six others. As that event unfolded Obama's PR team released real-time photos of their boss looking very "presidential" in the White House Situation Room, the intelligence management center run by the National Security Council staff.

Apparently, the crisis in Japan offered no immediate opportunity to convert tragedy into political triumph as did the attack in Tucson, so his tee time took precedence.

In the days since the Tohoku Earthquake, Obama has agreed to several televised interviews, all with domestic TV stations in 2012 election battleground states. Oh, and he took time to fill out his March Madness brackets and share his NCAA tournament picks with an ESPN reporter and camera crew before he and the First Family are head off to sunny Rio de Janeiro for the weekend. (Sometimes it is hard to distinguish Obama's lifestyle from that of a lucky lotto winner, except that the lotto winner is spending his winnings, not taxpayer earnings.)
On the other hand, the Leftmedia is using the "nuclear meltdown" at the Fukushima No. 1 and No. 2 plants as political fodder derail efforts to jumpstart the U.S. nuclear power industry.

However, the greatest nuclear threat to the continental United States is not a power plant meltdown, but the detonation of a fissile nuclear device in a U.S. urban center by jihadi terrorists. Given the meltdown in the Middle East; power struggles in Egypt and Libya; growing unrest in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Algeria, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen; and an emboldened enemy in Iran, the probability for a nuclear attack against the U.S. or against one of our key Western allies has increased significantly.

A quick reality check reveals a direct correlation between dramatically increased instability in the Middle East and Barack Obama's AWOL response to crises in the region. His weakness and timidity and the consequential perception of diminished American influence in the region and around the world are an enormous threat to U.S. national security. (As you may recall, we're also trying to manage a warfront in Afghanistan and ensure stability in Iraq.)

Closer to home, there's a war on our southern border, and it's out of control. For the record, there were more civilians murdered by warring drug factions in one Mexican border town, Ciudad Juarez, adjoining El Paso, Texas, in 2010, than were murdered by Taliban and jihadi forces in all of Afghanistan last year.

Obama is AWOL in that crisis, too, except for a few calls for additional gun control measures on this side of the border -- as if that were going to end violence in Mexico.

Despite all this, the most serious threat to U.S. national security is the meltdown of the U.S. economy orchestrated by Obama and his Democratic Socialists. Obama's radical mentors and benefactors must be proud!

In the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra, "This is like déjà vu all over again." Barack Obama's "leadership" is a redux of Jimmy Carter's ineptitude, but the consequences in terms of international threats, critical energy issues and an imploding domestic economy are far more perilous this time around.

Obama's domestic and international debacles leave one nostalgic for a real president, one with a clear vision for restoring America to her greatness, a national leader in the mold of Ronald Reagan. Fortunately, there are some contenders on the horizon, and there is still time to raise one up.

The next president must possess the leadership attributes that Obama sorely lacks. In the words of Samuel Adams, he must be a man "of wisdom and knowledge, of moderation and temperance, of patience, fortitude and perseverance, of sobriety and true republican simplicity of manners, of zeal for the honour of the Supreme Being and the welfare of the commonwealth," in order that "our affairs will rest on a solid and permanent foundation."

Semper Vigilo, Fortis, Paratus et Fidelis!
Mark Alexander
Publisher, The Patriot Post

Reality-check/

Hebrews 1:3

2011-03-18T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today's Scripture

The Son is the radiance of God's glory
and the exact representation of his being.

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

2011-03-17T09:00:00.003-06:00

I don't know what you guys are paying for gasoline.... but here in California we are paying up to $3.75 to $4.10 per gallon. My line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money's worth for every gallon:

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period thru the pipeline.. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening....your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you're filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. You should be pumping on low mode, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you're getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work,

Every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up; most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

So This Is The Deli Llama

2011-03-17T08:56:00.000-06:00

Mark 4:35-41

2011-03-17T08:53:00.000-06:00

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

WTC Attack September 11, 2001 from New York Police Helicopter

2011-03-08T22:46:00.000-06:00

Mon Mar 7, 2:18 pm ET
NYPD Helicopter video of 9/11 attack surfaces

A newly released video shows the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attack from the vantage point of a NYPD helicopter.

According to Gawker, the National Institute of Standards and Technology requested the 17-minute video through the Freedom of Information Act, and the video was sent anonymously to the secret-sharing website Cryptome, which posted it. The Institute investigated the 9/11 attacks.

A warning to readers: The video, posted below, is difficult to watch--and voices on the soundtrack can be heard cursing as the horrific attack unfolds.

Trooper Humor

2011-03-08T22:44:00.002-06:00

Comments made by state troopers taken from dashcam videos:

1. "You know, stop lights don't come any redder than the one you just went through."

2. "Relax, the handcuffs are tight because they're new. They'll stretch after you wear them a while."

3. "If you take your hands off the car, I'll make your birth certificate a worthless document."

4. "If you run, you'll only go to jail tired."

5. "Can you run faster than 1,200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you."

6. "You don't know how fast you were going? I guess that means I can write anything I want to on the ticket, huh?"

7. "Yes, sir, you can talk to the shift supervisor, but I don't think it will help. Oh, did I mention that I'm the shift supervisor?"

8. "Warning! You want a warning? Okay, I'm warning you not to do that again or I'll give you another ticket."

9. "The answer to this last question will determine whether you are drunk or not: Was Mickey Mouse a cat or a dog?"

10. "Fair? You want me to be fair? Listen, fair is a place where you go on rides and eat cotton candy and corn dogs."

11. "Yeah, we have a quota. Two more tickets and my wife gets a toaster oven."

12. "In God we trust; all others we run through NCIC." (National Crime Information Center)

13. "Just how big were those 'two beers' you say you had?"

14. "No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."

15. "I'm glad to hear that the Chief [of Police] is a personal friend of yours. So you know someone who can post your bail."

16. "You thought we don't give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."

Hebrews 11:1-16

2011-03-08T22:43:00.001-06:00

Suggested Bible Reading

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain's. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and "he was not found, because God had taken him." For it was attested before he was taken away that "he had pleased God." And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old--and Sarah herself was barren--because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."

All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.

The Most Dangerous Everyday Pill?

2011-02-28T16:02:00.001-06:00

It leads to 56,000 ER visits and 458 deaths each year, and it’s probably in your medicine cabinet

Nearly every household medicine cabinet contains a bottle of Tylenol or another acetaminophen-based painkiller, and if yours does you probably think of it as a pretty mild, safe cure for headaches or other routine pain. I know that I've always thought of acetaminophen as somehow safer than ibuprofen (the generic name for Advil and Motrin) since too much ibuprofen can lead to stomach bleeding.

But your stand-by acetaminophen can have some serious health consequences if you take too much of it or combine it with alcohol, because it's toxic to the liver in high doses. People ODing on acetaminophen account for 56,000 emergency department visits, 1600 cases of acute liver failure and 458 deaths each year in the US.

One of the main reasons people OD on acetaminophen is that they don't realize how many drugs, both OTC and prescription, contain it. So a person might simultaneously be taking a prescription painkiller and an over-the-counter cold remedy not realizing that both pack a powerful dose of acetaminophen, and overdo it as a result.

By: Celeste Perron

NASA Issues 2012 Warning and Possible End of The World

2011-02-28T15:58:00.000-06:00

MORE EVIDENCE OF PHOTON BELT: Astrophysicist Alexia Demetria says our solar system is entering an interstellar energy cloud
In light of recent news, the following information is paramount. On July 14, 2010 we learned that our sun is passing through an interstellar energy cloud which excites/energizes the sun. NASA, along with The National Academy of Science and other world renowned scientist are so concerned about this up and coming solar maximum in late 2012, that way back in March 10, 2006 NASA issued a solar storm warning (in writing) for 2012. What NASA omitted in their 2006 solar storm warning is what prompted NASA in the first place to issue a 2012 solar storm warning four years in advance? Then in 2010, NASA again warns the general population of a pending solar storm, telling the population to get ready for a once in a lifetime solar storm. Despite that news agencies and websites like this one are beginning to cover this developing story, no high government official has yet to stick his or her neck out to make an official announcement about the catastrophic implications as to allow the global population to begin preparing. Don't Let Google and the NSA Spy on You! Use Gibiru Search Proxy. Click Here

NASA_Issues_2012_Warning_and_Possible_End_of_The_World.html

Russian Leader Confirms To Pope New Planet Arrival In 2012

2011-02-21T00:03:00.003-06:00

A secret document prepared for Prime Minister Putin by Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is claiming that President Medvedev confirmed in his extended meeting with Pope Benedict XVI [photo left] yesterday that the new planet named Tyche (pronounced ty-kee) by NASA [NASA rendering 2nd photo right] will be appearing in the Earth’s night sky by 2012.
Though the existence of this planet had long been known to the ancients, it has only been in the past year that Western scientists have begun informing their citizens about this unprecedented event soon to occur, but who are, also, still failing to tell how catastrophic its appearance will be.

Tyche was the name coined for this ancient celestial body by the two astrophysicists proposing it for “planet” status, Daniel Whitmire and John Matese from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

From the United States Time Magazine article about this new planet we can further read:
“Tyche is suspected to be four times the mass of Jupiter with an orbit around 15,000 times further from the Sun than Earth’s, and 375 times further than Pluto’s. It will probably be composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, with an atmosphere just like Jupiter’s. Professor Whitmire added that the planet-in-waiting will have its own moons, like other outer planets, and its surface will be covered in colorful spots, bands and clouds.”

Investors Needed

2011-02-21T00:02:00.004-06:00

Have I got a deal for you. For the last 2 years I have been developing an alternative fuel source to replace petroleum base fuel. I am on the verge of a break thorough.

I wonder if you are interesting in making a small investment of oh say a few hundred bucks to get in on this ground floor opportunity of a lifetime. I'm sure the rewards with be worth $Billions. I know fuel made from lil'puppies will help reduce the threat of Global Warming.

1 Timothy 6:6-12

2011-02-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

Suggested Bible Reading

Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.

But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Today's Scripture

Better a little with the fear of the Lord than great wealth with turmoil.

-Proverbs 15:16 (NIV)

Florida Pelican Ends Up At Canadian Strip Club

2011-02-12T00:03:00.001-06:00

JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- Ralph The Pelican is going to have some major explaining to do when he gets back to his wife at the nest.

It's how he ended up with his name: Flying 1400 miles from Florida to a Canadian adult entertainment club called "Ralph's."

"We got a very unusual phone call from them saying they have a pelican on the roof," said Hope Swiminar, spokesperson for the rescue group that saved him.

But Ralph may have a pretty decent excuse for mama bird. He was found in September, right around the time Hurricane Earl was churning off the coast of Florida.

The most likely scenario is that Ralph got caught up in Earl when it was closest to Florida, about 410 miles away.

The storm most likely carried him the 1400 mile trip to Seaport, Nova Scotia.

The trick now is getting him home.

"We're running against brick walls and we've made dozens of calls trying to get help," Swiminar said.

It seems shipping a pelican back to the U.S. is causing a paperwork nightmare for the Canadian rescue group. Simply carrying him on an airplane isn't going to work.

"Somebody suggested that I take him in the seat beside me," she said, "But I don't think the passengers would like that, he's really strong smelling."

So for now Ralph will remain a reverse snowbird, and if nests have couches that's probably where he'll be sleeping when he gets home.

Lil'Red Firewagon

2011-02-12T00:02:00.001-06:00

A firefighter was working on the engine outside the Station, when he noticed

a little girl nearby in a little red wagon with little ladders hung off the sides and
a garden hose tightly coiled in the middle.

The girl was wearing a firefighter’s helmet.

The wagon was being pulled by her dog and her cat.

The firefighter walked over to take a closer look.

'That sure is a nice fire truck,' the firefighter said with admiration.

'Thanks,' the girl replied. The firefighter looked a little closer. The girl had
tied the wagon to her dog's collar and to the cat's testicles.

'Little partner,' the firefighter said, 'I don't want to tell you how to run your rig,
but if you were to tie that rope around the cat's collar, I think you could go faster.'

The little girl replied thoughtfully, 'You're probably right, but
then I wouldn't have a siren.'

2 Corinthians 12:9

2011-02-12T00:01:00.001-06:00

Suggested Bible Reading

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.

-Isaiah 43:1-3 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture

The Lord told Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
-2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Heading For Earth On 02/11/2011

2011-02-04T00:05:00.002-06:00

WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda, all 242 House Republicans voted Wednesday to repeal the Asteroid Destruction and American Preservation Act, which was signed into law last year to destroy the immense asteroid currently hurtling toward Earth.

The $440 billion legislation, which would send a dozen high-thrust plasma impactor probes to shatter the massive asteroid before it strikes the planet, would affect more than 300 million Americans and is strongly opposed by the GOP.

"The voters sent us to Washington to stand up for individual liberty, not big government," Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said at a press conference. "Obama's plan would take away citizens' fundamental freedoms, forcing each of us into hastily built concrete bunkers and empowering the federal government to ration our access to food, water, and potassium iodide tablets while underground."

"We believe that the decisions of how to deal with the massive asteroid are best left to the individual," King added.

Repealing the act, which opponents have branded 'Obamastroid,' has been the cornerstone of the GOP agenda since the law's passage last August. Throughout the 2010 elections, Republican candidates claimed that the Democrats' plan to smash the space rock and shield citizens from its fragments was "a classic example of the federal government needlessly interfering in the lives of everyday Americans."

"This law is a job killer," said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who argued the tax increases required to save the human species from annihilation would impose unbearably high costs on businesses. "If we sit back and do nothing, Obamastroid will result in hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, which we simply can't afford in this economy."

"And consider how much money this program will add to our already bloated deficit," Foxx continued. "Is this the legacy we want to leave our children?"

Many GOP members have also criticized the legislation for what they consider pork-barrel spending, claiming the act includes billions in "giveaways" to NASA, nonperishable food manufacturers, and pharmaceutical companies contracted to produce mass volumes of vitamin D supplements in the likely event that dust from the asteroid's impact blots out the sun for a decade.

In an effort to counter Republicans' claims, Democrats have asserted that the long-term benefits of preventing the United States from being incinerated by an explosion several billion times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb would far outweigh the initial monetary outlay.

In support of their position, Democrats have pointed to estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that show repealing the law could result in a loss of up to $14 trillion in the nation's GDP.

"I will be the first to admit this is not a perfect bill, by any means," said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who has argued that the measure does not go far enough in deflecting the ensuing debris that will rain down on Earth once the asteroid has been destroyed. "But it is absolutely a bill that each and every American needs now if we want to move forward as a country."

According to political pundits, the showdown over whether to let the asteroid blast a 150-mile-wide, 20-mile-deep crater in the Earth's crust represents a potential turning point for the nation, and could completely reshape the American political landscape for many centuries to come.

"If efforts to destroy the asteroid are successfully overturned, then there will be major ramifications for both Obama and his Republican opposition, as well as the American populace at large," political scientist Alan Abramowitz said on Face The Nation Sunday. "This could have a huge impact come 2012."

With repeal rhetoric reaching a crescendo, the president used his weekly radio address Saturday to state his case for destroying the one-trillion-ton asteroid before it barrels into Earth at 60,000 miles per hour.

"I am more than willing to work with my Republican colleagues to improve the Asteroid Destruction Act," Obama said. "But let me be clear: Repeal is not an option."

"While I recognize that intelligent minds may disagree on this issue, I believe we have an obligation to prevent our citizens from having their flesh seared off in a global firestorm that transforms our planet into a broiling molten wasteland," Obama added. "I think Americans deserve better."

DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB

2011-02-04T00:03:00.001-06:00

As Obama forces homosexuality on the military,
America's warriors fight back.

Medal of Honor winners, heroic POWs, generals and admirals say it will destroy the U.S. military. Veterans say they're disgusted and fear for the nation's future. And demoralized active-duty soldiers are threatening not to re-enlist, or to retire early.

As February's Whistleblower magazine dramatically documents, the men and women of America's armed forces claim the U.S. Senate, despite being utterly repudiated by voters, dropped a bomb on them during the waning, pre-Christmas days of the lame-duck congressional session.

"DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB" is about what will happen once open homosexuality – officially prohibited in the U.S. military continuously since George Washington's time – is permitted throughout the armed forces as soon as the Senate's repeal of the Clinton-era "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is implemented in the coming weeks and months.

Critics say the policy reversal, rammed through Congress to satisfy a 2008 pre-election promise Barack Obama made to his LGBT constituency, recklessly dismantles the time-tested rules, culture and discipline that have guided America's military since the nation's founding.

However, says Whistleblower Editor David Kupelian, it's not too late. "We've released this Whistleblower issue right now precisely because the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal can still be reversed. Before open homosexuals can be invited into the armed forces, the law says top military leaders have to certify that the new policy won't affect troop readiness, cohesion or military recruitment and retention. Because of that provision, the new GOP-led House could – if it really wanted to – stop implementation in its tracks."

As Whistleblower points out, Rep. Buck McKeon, R.-Calif., the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, has opposed repeal and told reporters he wanted to hold hearings that would include rank-and-file service members along with military leaders. "I would really like to hear from battlefield commanders," McKeon said. "I would like to hear from battalion commanders, I would like to hear from company commanders on the front lines in Afghanistan and Iraq to see what their feelings are."

Case in point: Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos – in public testimony the Senate completely ignored – stated unequivocally that repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would cost lives and disrupt the Corps from carrying out its current missions.

There are several ways Congress could stop the controversial repeal's implementation. The question is: Does the new Republican majority in the House have the will?

Highlights of "DROPPING THE 'H'-BOMB"

Hebrews 12:1

2011-02-04T00:01:00.001-06:00

Borrowed Equipment
Suggested Bible Reading

David said to Saul, "Let no one's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep sheep for his father; and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God." David said, "The LORD, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine." So Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you!"

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul's sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them." So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

. . . So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David's hand.

-1 Samuel 17:32-40, 50 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture

Let us throw off everything that hinders . . . and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

-Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Senator McCaskill wants to stop automatic pay raises

2011-01-27T00:05:00.002-06:00

Oh this is good, our leaders could have received a pay raise in 2009 and 2010 to keep up with inflation but choose not to except it. Strange that Social Security claims the reason those of us on Social Security did not receive a cost of living adjustment to out monthly check was because there was no inflation during 2009 and 2010, excuse me but I've watched as the cost of food and other goods and services continue to climb upward, slowly I admit but when your on a fixed income you watch carefully, heck even my HUD subsidized rent has increased $11.00 a month this year.

Guess our elected leaders can afford to act like they feel our pain, but then I receive a little over $11,000 a year compair that to their $174,000 annul salary, I do not believe them.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Senator McCaskill wants to stop automatic pay raises
The Associated Press The Joplin Globe
Wed Jan 26, 2011, 03:29 PM CST

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill is sponsoring legislation that would stop federal lawmakers from receiving automatic pay raises to keep pace with inflation.

McCaskill, a Democrat, introduced the legislation Wednesday along with Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona and nine other senators.

Under federal law, members of the U.S. House and Senate receive an automatic cost-of-living raise unless they vote to reject it. McCaskill wants to repeal that provision, meaning Congress members would have to vote for a pay raise to get one.

Senators and representatives are paid $174,000 a year. Their last pay increase occurred at the beginning of 2009. They rejected their scheduled pay raises for 2010 and 2011.

Andy Capp Will Never Learn

2011-01-27T00:03:00.001-06:00

Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Deuteronomy 11:7

2011-01-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

Suggested Bible Reading

You shall love the LORD your God, therefore, and keep his charge, his decrees, his ordinances, and his commandments always. Remember today that it was not your children (who have not known or seen the discipline of the LORD your God), but it is you who must acknowledge his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and to all his land; what he did to the Egyptian army, to their horses and chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued you, so that the LORD has destroyed them to this day; what he did to you in the wilderness, until you came to this place; and what he did to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab son of Reuben, how in the midst of all Israel the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, along with their households, their tents, and every living being in their company; for it is your own eyes that have seen every great deed that the LORD did.

You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth. Deuteronomy 11:1-7, 18-21 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture

It was your own eyes that saw all these great things the Lord has done.

Deuteronomy 11:7 (NIV)

Unreported: Obama Supporters On Killing Spree

2011-01-26T00:05:00.000-06:00

IN THE CROSSHAIRS
Mike Piccione, Editor

Hey Gunners,

Prince George's County in Maryland borders Washington, DC. Democrats dominate the county and 88.87% of the residents voted for Obama. What you did not hear in the news was that there were 13 shootings in the first 13 days of this year in PG County. Why not? While the press is eager to paint Jared Loughner, the Arizona gunman, as the face of conservative talk radio and associate him to Republicans they completely ignored the murder spree in an area dominated by Democrats. Why isn't the press painting the picture of this overwhelmingly Democratic county as the face of today's Democrat - violent and out of control? Can we assume that if 90% of the people vote Democrat that there is the highest probability that those responsible for this killing spree are Obama supporters? What would the mainstream media say if this occurred in a county that was overwhelmingly Republican? They would say it was fueled by Republican hate. I guess the murder mess in a Democratic stronghold that borders our Nation's Capital needs to be ignored.

New hope for hepatitis C, an often hidden disease -

2011-01-26T00:02:00.004-06:00

WASHINGTON — There's new hope for an overlooked epidemic: Two powerful drugs are nearing the market that promise to help cure many more people of liver-attacking hepatitis C - even though most who have the simmering infection don't know it yet.

Surprisingly, two-thirds of hepatitis C sufferers are thought to be baby boomers who've harbored since their younger, perhaps wilder, years a virus that can take two or three decades to do its damage.

What could be a treatment revolution is spurring the government to consider if it's time to start screening aging baby boomers for hepatitis C, just like they get various cancer checks.

"We're entering a whole new era of therapy," says Dr. John Ward, hepatitis chief at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We really want to begin that clarion call for action for this population who's at risk."

Today's two-drug treatment for hepatitis C cures only about 40 percent of people with the most common variety of the virus, and causes some grueling side effects. Now major studies show that adding a new drug -either Vertex Pharmaceuticals' telaprevir or Merck & Co.'s boceprevir - can boost those cure rates as high as 75 percent. And they allow some people to cut treatment time in half, to six months, thus lessening how long they must deal with those side effects.

If the Food and Drug Administration approves the drugs - a decision widely expected this summer - they would be the first that work by directly targeting the hepatitis C virus. Specialists draw comparisons to the early 1990s when potent combination therapies emerged to treat AIDS. Many recently diagnosed patients are postponing therapy to await these new drug cocktails in hopes of a better chance at a faster cure, says Dr. Paul Pockros, hepatology chief at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., who helped test telaprevir.

However, the bigger impact could come if more people get tested for hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus. It's often stigmatized as a risk only to people who inject illegal drugs. But the virus could have begun festering from a blood transfusion before 1992, when testing of the blood supply began.

Lapses in infection control in health facilities still occasionally expose people today. So could even a one-time experiment with drugs way back in college, something doctors are reluctant to ask a now middle-aged, button-downed patient to reveal, says Ward.

Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun
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