***** Our Current President Speaks Again and again, and again, and again.
*****Last night I listened to our current President as he dissembled, rambled, prevaricated, and labored to hide the fact that he was reading from the monitor embedded in the podium.
*****This morning I stumbled on this wonderful blog, The Modern Gal, who is a self professed grammar nerd. She found a diagram of an Obama sentence at The Grammar Vandal and passed it on.
The sentence: “My view is also that nobody’s above the law, and, if there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen, but that, generally speaking, I’m more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards.”
The diagram: It Finally Happened
*****My Google Reader is now over 1000. I have no idea of how far over 'cause they quit counting at 1000 and only add a plus sign. I wiped out about 100 items and I'm still at 1000+.
Oh my!
Meantime:
Congress launches battle on Obama budget
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats moved on Wednesday to slim down President Barack Obama's 2010 budget request amid bipartisan worries that his plan could make the U.S. deficit balloon with new federal spending. Gosh, ya think??read more
Pray for Our German Shepard He's standing between us and chaos!! May God bless him and keep him safe. 43 Percent of French Catholics Want Pope to "Step Down"
ROME, March 23, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A pair of polls released in France show that increasing numbers of French people want Pope Benedict to "step down." According to Catholic commentators, the polls come at a time of unprecedented hostility in the media to the Pope's reiteration of Catholic sexual morality. read more
Due to my little hand problem (quickly on the mend), I am a bit behind on work. I'll see you all later after I pack ebay items, go to the Post Office, FedEx, bank, hit the gym, and continue on with painting my bathroom.
We've already managed to pop into Costco, buy ammo at Black Sheep, and visit my doctor.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Good News, Bad News
*****The good news? I'm not past my "sell by" date. A tetanus shot, a shot of antibiotics plus a bottle of high test antibiotic pills will ensure that my hand will probably stay attached to my arm. (see previous post)
*****The bad news?? NO TYPING (except with one hand)!! I have to see him tomorrow morning to make certain an IV drip antibiotic is not needed.
Monday, March 23, 2009 Scandal at Notre Dame
The campaign to stop Obama speaking at Notre Dame commencement is gathering pace. Tonight over 45,000 people have signed the petition asking ND to disinvite this most pro- abortion President from speaking and receiving an honorary degree. read the rest at Father Dwight Longenecker's beautifully redesigned site and take a moment to sign the petition.
Trolls
*****Some trolls out there in cyber-space are just the argumentative type that like to get comboxes all stirred up. Annoying, but basically harmless.
*****Then we have the really, really sick type. The one who likes to say vicious and weird stuff for no reason whatsoever. I have been "blessed" with such a troll. I also know this troll visits many of my friends and says ugly things. This person would have to be considered an "equal opportunity" sicko.
*****He/she obviously can't find enough to do in New Jersey (what's the matter, sicko - psyche ward full?), and so he/she can use their time trying to post comments that will never see the light of day. I particularly like the way he/she thinks it's very clever to use someone else's legitimate name such as, Father Tim Finigan, Joe of St. Therese, and even Jesus or God.
The comments log in from Englewood, New Jersey (sometimes Paterson, NJ) and the ISP is 71.251.47.75.
For your further elucidation, here's some more info: pool-71-251-47-75.nwrknj.east.verizon.net
You see troll, you're not "invisible" on the net.
******Even though I rarely read such comments, and they are moderated right into the trash can, they still keep coming. So troll, next time you wish someone dead, or call them stupid, evil, or the myriad of other "cute" terms you use, you better think about your own mental health - which is precariously close to, if not already, certifiable.
Be Back Later
******Yesterday while I was holding my little office kitty Erica, I dropped her food bowl. The noise frightened her and she catapulted out of my grasp inflicting three fairly serious gouges in my hand.
******The scratches are not looking very pretty this morning, so I am headed to the doctor for a possible IV drip antibiotic.
******It's not Erica's fault.......really!
I'm sorry...
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Follow Up on Socialized Health Care
This fine article was just published on American Thinker. It gives further follow up to those that had questions or comments about my post on Natasha Richardson. Inequities in socialized health care... By Danny Huddleston March 23, 2009
*****The goal of socialized health care is not to provide exceptional health care to the few but to provide "cost-effective" health care to everyone. In theory this may be a worthy goal, but does it work in the real world?read more
Look Who Came for Dinner
*****The field across from our house is a favorite stopping off place for the Canadian Honkers, both in the spring and fall. Many times there are hundreds and hundreds out there at one time. Often when they take flight they will fly so low over our house you can hear the sound of their wings - a sound like no other.
*****In the eleven years we have lived here, they have never crossed the road until today. First they were out partaking of the water in the road and headed back out to the field. Just a few minutes ago we looked out and the four of them were strolling on our east lawn having a grand time.
A little winter damage...
*****I took these pictures a week ago before the last of the snow was gone. It actually looks worse now. You can see the problem posed by the mashed juniper ruining the symmetry of the area inside our curved driveway we call the "circle."Oh, the angst!!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Two Lessons to be Learned
Natasha Richardson and Socialized Medicine
*****When the news first broke of the accident that precipitated the death of Natasha Richardson, my first thought was, "Why are they driving her around bumpy roads when it is clear she needs a chunk taken out of her skull in order to relieve the pressure that will surely kill her if left untreated?"
*****My second thought was, "Ah oh, she's in Canada (Quebec to be exact), and that doesn't bode well for her receiving the treatment she needs." Not because Canadian doctors are less well trained than other doctors, or care less about their patients. No, it's because Canada has socialized medicine, the very thing our current President wants to cram down our throats, and it doesn't work.
*****The average Canadian pays more in taxes to provide "free" health care than any private insurer would charge for the same level of care, which under the best of circumstances is pretty poor. If a Canadian can afford to come to the states to have needed tests or treatment, they do so. If they can't afford that option, oh well.
*****Natasha Richardson died because there was no helicopter available to fly her to a hospital that could run the necessary tests and drill a hole in her skull. I think as reports continue to come out over the next few days, my thoughts will be confirmed. Natasha was beyond help by the time she entered the second hospital in Montreal. She was simply put on life support and flown back to the states so her family could make their last farewells.
*****Is there an option to socialized medicine? Yes. Will it work? Yes. Will we ever see it? No. We won't see it because over the last 40 or 50 years, the people of this country have been led down the path of socialization which breeds dependency. It started with Aid to Women with Dependent Children, a system designed to provide medical care for (in most cases) women with children born out of wedlock. That was the first time our government became responsible for essentially rewarding bad behavior in the guise of "protecting the children." Then came the idea that businesses should be responsible for providing health care for its employees.
*****Now we have gotten to the point where our citizens think it is their "right" to have health care and most importantly, that someone else should foot the bill. News flash for all of you. Health care is not a "right." Our Constitution includes no references whatsoever for the provision of health care.
*****When I was a young girl, families paid for what was called a "catastrophic health care" policy. It was designed to cover, well, a catastrophe. If you needed to see a doctor for that vexing hangnail you acquired working in your garden, you paid for an office call with your money. Well, guess what? You figured out very quickly that trimming the hangnail yourself might be a good idea.
*****Now we have emergency rooms used as primary care facilities in order to treat that nasty hang nail. I have spoken to people who one would regard as being in the upper ranges of intelligence, who will look you in the eye and say, "but it's free!" No, it's not "free". We are all paying with lower wages and higher costs for products. And as costs go up, taxes go up, innovation goes down, equipment becomes old and obsolete, doctors become scarcer, and people die from hang nails for lack of a helicopter.
*****Get employers out of the health care business, return to a simple system of catastrophic coverage easily paid for (with money left over), out of the higher salary you will earn because your employer is not burdened with the cost and administration of your health care.
Second and Most Important Lesson
*****Natasha Richardson traveled to Quebec for a relaxing and fun vacation with her husband and children. She did not for one second think (I'm guessing) that on that beautiful morning when she hit the slopes it would be her last morning on earth. God told us we would not know the time of His second coming. We are also, in most cases, not going to know when our last day will happen. We are to be watchful and prepared.
*****Are we to live in fear? No, our faith should fill us with hope and gratitude for the gifts we have been given through grace. But we should be watchful and always remember that the end of our earthly existence may come when we least expect it.
*****In his spiritual exercises, Ignatius outlined two ways of making a good choice. The fourth rule of the second way is:
******I should picture and reflect on myself standing in the presence of my Judge on the last day, and consider what election (choice) in the present matter I would then wish to have made. I will now choose that rule of life that I would then wish to have observed, that on the day of judgement I may be filled with happiness and joy. Tetlow, Spiritual Exercises, pp60-61
Socialized Medicine: The Canadian Experience by Pierre Lemieux read more
A Canadian Doctor Describes How Socialized Medicine Doesn't Work By DAVID GRATZER
I was once a believer in socialized medicine. As a Canadian, I had soaked up the belief that government-run health care was truly compassionate. What I knew about American health care was unappealing: high expenses and lots of uninsured people. read more
Friday, March 20, 2009
For Your Friday Laugh
Running Errands See You Later..........
Thursday, March 19, 2009
60 Days or 60 Years??
*****Why does it seem like our current President has been wreaking havoc on this nation for 60 years instead of 60 days?
*****In just this short amount of time he has unleashed an attack on the concept of life that is unprecedented. And he's paying for this with your tax dollars.
*****He has spent money in amounts the average person cannot even imagine. He has publicly attacked private citizens and now thinks we need to offer amnesty to millions upon millions of illegal aliens so they can join unions (and vote for him, perhaps?). His appointment of a known tax cheat to be Secretary of the Treasury is swept under the rug by the msm while his people start a mob reaction to AIG bonuses.
*****The outrages hit the news at a rate that no normal person can keep up with, which is part of the plan. Keep the citizens distracted and in chaos. Distract, deceive, and divide.
*****While we were distracted by the phoney AIG outrage, the Feds just yesterday decided to print close to 1.5 trillion in money to buy US Treasuries. Will it work?? I highly doubt it and the result will be inflation like non of us have ever experienced.
*****And what's our current President going to do in order to calm the angst of this nation? He's going to go on the Jay Leno program tonight. Now that's just where I want to see my President expounding on a financial "non-crisis". And let's not forget the millions of dollars that were spent on getting his entourage to California for his fiasco of a town hall meeting and a spot on a late night comedy show.
Comments
I have been lax at responding in a timely manner to the wonderful comments my faithful readers have been leaving here. Know that I read them all and in my little pea brain I'm responding - it just hasn't hit the keyboard yet.
The Cost Of Free Care By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
******Establishing universal government health care might cost as much as $1.5 trillion, according to one new estimate. And what'll we get? As usual, the sorry British system provides another glimpse. read more
Score One For The Pope by Andrew Klavan
*****I’m not a Catholic—and I’m pretty sure I’ll never become one—but I’ve read a fair amount of the writings of Pope Benedict XVI and it’s clear to me the man is a theological genius. I find it amazing that the Vatican could have followed a genuine hero like John Paul II with a mighty mind like Benedict’s. He is the Last European, the last man to truly understand the ideas that formed the foundation of Europe’s greatness. When he leaves, they may have to turn off the lights of the continent. read more
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
25 Seconds of Pure Hilarity
Reminds of my 17 years in Houston....
I'll be back later...
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
We Need a St. Patrick
*****Even though the legend of St. Patrick driving the snakes from Ireland is probably not true, being there were no snakes, the symbolism fits our present day situation. We are a country being overrun with snakes that must be driven from our shores.
*****We now have the equivalent of the "Irish snakes" in charge of running our country. Witness the latest "outrage" pouring out of Washington concerning the AIG bonuses. Once again our current President sows the seeds of discord and class envy. Rather than placing blame where it belongs, which in this case is the ineptness of this administration, he rallies the country to anger to the point of setting up a situation that may prove to actually be dangerous to the workers of AIG. The other scenario, one I am more prone to believe, is the possibility that this was a deliberate action, a way to distract and cause more chaos.
*****Is it working? You bet! Last night I monitored one of the discussion tables at RCIA, the subject being that of Christian morality. The ire heaped on the AIG company and the beneficiaries of the bonuses was breathtaking. I suggested perhaps the anger would be better directed to the administration handing over the money to begin with. The people in question were just receiving what had been promised to them, which was supported by airtight contracts drawn up nearly a year ago.
*****If AIG had been forced into bankruptcy protection before the money was handed over, the contracts would have been null and void. Either this administration is so completely inept as to not know this (not likely), or this was done for a more nefarious reason. The fact is AIG announced the bonus schedule many months ago. This was well known, so why the outrage now?
*****The Bloomberg polls show President Obamas's numbers slithering steadily toward sea level like so many little snakes. If you listen to the reports flowing from Washington, we were in "crisis mode" two weeks ago, and last week the economy was "actually doing quite well". Quite a turn around for one week. But not willing to let another "crisis go to waste" they must divert the attention of the public once again. This administration knew exactly what it was doing when it handed over more of your money to AIG.
*****Even the headlines on Yahoo news this morning reported a less than stellar performance from our current President who appeared to be having a hard time maintaining his "anger."
*****"In the middle of decrying the misdeeds of the financial firm AIG, President Obamacracked a joke."Excuse me,"he said Monday, after coughing into the microphone. "I am choked up with anger here." There were laughs all around the gilded East Room of the White House, because he didn't sound angry at all."
*****"The laughter, of course, did not fit the occasion, the latest in a seemingly endless stream of public events at which Washington's political leaders work themselves into high dudgeon over the sins of financial wizards who, we are told over and over again, have messed up the world for everyone else. But then, you can only act outraged about the same thing so many times before it all starts to sound stale. These spectacles, the public rhetorical floggings, have become teleplays, as predictable as a daytime soap opera, as comforting as a wet rock."source
*****Do not buy into more of this manufactured craziness. Know in your hearts that just as St. Patrick "drove the snakes from Ireland", we too can drive these vile and dangerous people from our shores. The destruction of the wealth of this country, the chaos, and the pursuit of the culture of death in just the first few months of this administration is something I have not witnessed in my lifetime.
*****We are a nation of laws and these people must be defeated legally. Inform yourselves and convey the information to anyone who will listen. It is not that long until the midterm elections and we must start there to reclaim this country.
*****I have more to say - much more, but in the interests of getting anything done today it will have to wait.
Now the big question is: My Lenten penance was to only post three times per week which has caused my thoughts and words to back up to the point of bursting the dam. My cheeks are actually getting puffy.
**** Last week I posted twice. Can the the extra post that was skipped last week be added to this week, bringing my posts up to four this week???? We may need a knowledgeable clergy type person to answer this.....(I'm kinda thinking it's playing games with God, but I'm hoping some priest will come along and say, "Yahoo, post away little lady!!")
New Blogger Friends
*****I received a nice email from Rick Scalise, the editor of Opposing Views. They now have a section devoted to Religion. I looked it over and was quite impressed. Stop over and take a look.
*****My friend Jennifer has taken up residence at Jennifer's Morning Buzz. I was blessed to have this lovely lady in one of my RCIA classes. I must have done ok 'cause she became a Catholic in spite of moi. She is now married to an exceptionally cute guy who also weathered the storm of my "teaching" and became a Catholic. Pop over and say hi and welcome her to the time-suck called blogging.
*****"My blogs are places to share my personal thoughts on the things I love and am most passionate about: anything about cooking, Italian cuisine, quilting, my Faith, life on a country acreage, and living a balanced, spiritual and healthy life (body-mind-soul)."
*****Bella also maintains Our Beautiful Catholic Faith. The most notable thing about Bella's blogs is the calming influence they have (which is something we can all use a bit of right now!)
And from Katie Alender (famous author) we have:
Bad Girls Don't Die...the secret revealed!
*****We’re down to a month and a few days before the release of BAD GIRLS DON’T DIE! In celebration of that, I invite you to meet Alexis, my little heroine… in her very own… BOOK TRAILER!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Overwhelmed With Too Much Information
*****Sometimes the amount of information flowing into a person's life becomes just too much to handle. Lent, with my three posts per week rule, has been the perfect penance. The first few weeks I was so nervous as to be rendered almost comatose. But guess what? God knows what we need and guides us in our decisions. Of course this means paying attention when He bangs you upside the head.
*****I've discovered as Lent has progressed toward Easter, that I have become calmer and more focused (except for snapping at hubby a moment ago), and I am certainly getting more work done. I have lost my desire to obsessively read every little nugget of information that hits the airwaves or the internet. I've discovered that I can read a select number of sources which leaves time for reflection. It has fostered a climate where I can sort out what I have learned, and make decisions based on reason rather than hysteria. It means I can act rather than react.
*****With that being said, I will try and not overwhelm you with too much information in today's post. Besides, I have work to do and the longer I sit here doing this, the less work I'm getting done.
Glenn Beck and his "project"...
*****I like Glenn Beck. Quite a few people are of the opinion that his rhetoric is a bit "over the top." And many Catholics are horrified that he is a Mormon who came from a somewhat Catholic background. No doubt I would be happy if he became a Catholic, but we accept truth where ever it is found, and Glenn does a good job of telling the truth. Not to mention that most Mormon families do a darn sight better job of raising their children than the average Catholic parents do (but that's another post.)
*****Yesterday he launched his new blog The 9 - 12 Project and the response was so overwhelming the servers were crashing.
Glenn's Mission Statement
This website is a place for you and other like-minded Americans looking for direction in taking back the control of our country. It is also a place to find information that will assist you in navigating the rough waters we face in the days, weeks and months ahead.
We suggest that you start in your own homes. Talk to your family about the Values and Principles. Discuss the importance of what the Founders designed for America.
Hold or attend a weekly meeting in your neighborhood or town. Communication with your neighbors is vital to the process of protecting our country. Gather in living rooms, coffee houses or restaurants. Share your thoughts and ideas.
Visit this website often. Make use of the resources that are linked here. Share the ideas and resources that have worked in your home or town.
This is a non-political movement. The 9-12 Project is designed to bring us all back to the place we were on September 12, 2001. The day after America was attacked we were not obsessed with Red States, Blue States or political parties. We were united as Americans, standing together to protect the greatest nation ever created.
That same feeling – that commitment to country is what we are hoping to foster with this idea. We want to get everyone thinking like it is September 12th, 2001 again.
Ask yourself these questions:
Do you watch the direction that America is being taken in and feel powerless to stop it?
Do you believe that your voice isn’t loud enough to be heard above the noise anymore?
Do you read the headlines everyday and feel an empty pit in your stomach…as if you’re completely alone?
If you’ve answered YES, then you’ve fallen for the Wizard of Oz lie. While the voices you hear in the distance may sound intimidating, as if they surround us from all sides—the reality is very different. Once you pull back the curtain, you realize that there are only a few people pressing the buttons, and their voices are weak. The truth is that they don’t surround us at all.
We surround them.
At the origin of America, our Founding Fathers built this country on 28 powerful principles. These principles were culled from all over the world and from centuries of great thinkers. We have distilled the original 28 down to the 9 basic principles.
So, how do we show America what’s really behind the curtain? Read thenine simple principles. If you believe in at least seven of them, then we have something in common.
...But a more important point is that Obama is ratcheting up his class warfare to levels that would make Marxists blush. This self-professed uniter is sowing distrust and divisiveness among Americans by demonizing groups of people and appealing to our baser instincts of envy and jealousy, in defiance of God's commandments against coveting.read more
And to go along with Mr. Orwell's fine article: The Myth of Relativism and the Cult of Tolerance by Larrey Anderson
It has been twenty years since the late Allan Bloom shook the intellectual elite in this country with the opening line of The Closing of the American Mind: “There is one thing a professor can be absolutely certain of: almost every student in America believes, or says he believes, that truth is relative.” read more
One of the best books written on the subject of relativism is by Francis Beckwith, a recent Catholic convert, who now blogs over at What's Wrong With the World, along with some other heavy hitters.
Our favorite Catholic Mom of Ten, Jackie, is back blogging at Catholic Mom of Ten Journey. Be sure and stop over and say "welcome back".
Tired of Winter
*****My closest blogger neighbor, thatsmarty pants lawyer feller in Spokane, went to North Carolina. He visited relatives, basked in the sun, ate great BBQ, did bunches of sight-seeing, and then he shopped. Did he return with a small gift for the blogger buddy who was left behind in the cold and the snow? Nooooooo........he didn't. Just sayin'!
Justice being served...
****I'm glad Howard Stern and the doctors who "cared" for Anna Nicole Smith have been arrested. Her death, just as the death of Marilyn Monroe, were very public displays of evil people using weaker individuals for their own gain. Both deaths saddened me greatly.
Use Those Toilet Paper Innards (admit it - you have a really funny picture in your mind when you read this heading!!)
*****It appears I'm the last person to find out about this clever use for your toilet paper rolls. Over at The Common Milkweed you'll find a fine set of photos showing you how to make little seed-starter pots using those innards that get pitched in the trash.
*****I'm used to keeping and using starter pots from the nurseries, but some plants don't transfer to the garden as well when their roots are disturbed. I'm way too cheap to buy biodegradable starter pots so these will be perfect. I've already made a bag full of these cute little toilet paper roll pots.
*****One caution: It is recommended that you just pop the whole pot in the ground which is fine, but I would suggest that the bottom be pulled opened before planting. I think the cardboard is too heavy to be quickly composted in the soil and may hamper the growth of the roots.
*****In the past I've made newspaper pots with a little Pot Maker thingy I received free with an online order years ago, and it worked really well. However, I've learned that almost any round item will work just as well and the Pot Maker is very expensive. Here's a great three minute videoshowing you how to make newspaper pots using a glass. Any round firm item could be used so you could have pots of different sizes.
Journey of the Begonia's
*****When Ifirst reported on my begonias, they were blooming happily in my back window. A few days ago I started taking my first cuttings. The first picture below shows them with the lower leaves trimmed off and left laying about for about an hour to let the ends heal over.
*****Next they are stuffed in a jar of water. In just a few days little roots will emerge. Any rational person would dip them in a bit of rooting hormone powder and stick them in some soil, but I'm not anywhere near rational. I like to watch the little roots pop out, and since it is cheap entertainment, I indulge myself.
*****I've started with 15 cuttings and the original plants still look like they haven't even been touched. Tomorrow I'll probably start another 30 or 40. I plan to start over 100 plants this year. I've made my first huge mistake by mixing up the variegated strain with the solid dark pink and will be more careful when I do tomorrow's cuttings, keeping them separate (but equal), with window blind markers in the jars.
First cuttings taking a rest
Close up after the tips healed over
In their water waiting for roots
The variegated begonia
The solid dark pink variety
Monday, March 9, 2009
Cloward-Piven Strategy Strategy for forcing political change through orchestrated crisis
*****In order to gain a better understanding of what is going in the world, much of my time is devoted to study. All of us should be brushing up on our history, economics 101, and most importantly, on our Catholic faith. Our world must be viewed through the illuminating light of our faith, and it is this faith that will sustain us.
*****There is no doubt in my mind that the Church is entering a period of persecution. It is being directed by the people in power who are being driven by a much more malevolent force. Sometimes it is easy to laugh off the social gaffs of our current President and his administration. But do not think they are not calculated and planned. To underestimate your enemy can be a fatal mistake. Our enemy is much larger and more powerful than any mere man who sits in the Oval Office.
*****The Cloward-Piven Strategy has been brought up many times by many different people, people I consider way smarter than yours truly. Perhaps that is why it sort of slipped under my radar. But not anymore.
This is one of the best articles I could find on the subject. Take some time to read this and when you are finished, it would be good to re-read and do further research. I know I will. Barack Obama and the Strategy of Manufactured Crisis
Keeping to my Lenten schedule of only posting three times per week (it's been hard!!), I will not be posting tomorrow.
God bless you all.
And Mighty Mom? I promise when I do post to try and keep the chunks of information a bit smaller.....
And from my own state of Idaho... Duty to Die in Idaho! Legislature Close to Passing Futile Care Bill
The legislative process has become so overwhelming, that unless one hires a professional lobbying group to keep track, laws can pass quietly without any public attention at all.
That seems to be the case in Idaho, where the Senate has passed a Texas-style futile care bill. The bill is so bad, it permits doctors who want to refuse wanted treatment to violate a patient's written advance directive. From the bill, S. 1114, section 394504A (4): read more
And even more...
Idaho Futile Care Bill: Doctors Can Unilaterally Decide to Push People into the Grave
What is that? Of course, the Administration didn't have the candor or courage to publicize this part of his nasty work, but the now dead order explicitly required funding for "alternative methods," such as the new IPSCs, which offer so much promise without the ethical contentiousness. For more on that late executive order, see SHS, "Bush to Fund Stem Cell 'Alternatives' Research.) Alternative methods are one of the few areas in which we can all row in the same direction, which I thought this president wanted to do.
I can think of only two reasons for this action, for which I saw no advocacy either in the election or during the first weeks of the Administration: First, vindictiveness against all things "Bush" or policies considered by the Left to be "pro life;" and second, a desire to get the public to see unborn human life as a mere corn crop ripe for the harvest.
So much for taking the politics out of science!
Ban on Stem Cell Research???
*****Do not believe the main stream media's hyped up stories of our current President ending a ban on stem cell research.
There was never a ban on stem cell research!
*****All he did was make it possible for your money (in a bad economy, I might add), to be used to further his agenda. Period!
*****A wise person once told me to always "follow the money." Stock in the companies doing stem cell research just bounced up by as much as 61%. Want to take any bets on who bought stock in these companies last week? No, I didn't think so.....
*****"Today's news that President Obama will open the door to direct taxpayer funds for embryonic stem cell research that encourages the destruction of human embryos is a slap in the face to Americans who believe in the dignity of all human life," said Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council. "It is unethical to use human life, even young embryonic life, to advance science.
*****"We should be increasing funding for adult stem cell treatments, which have been used to treat patients for over 70 diseases and conditions, and we should fund the historic achievements in reprogramming ordinary skin cells into embryonic-like stem cells without compromising ethics by destroying life."
*****Once again, our current President tells his adoring public just exactly who is and what he intends to do. He promised to "change the face of America" and he is doing a great job.
*****And still the adorers sit in blissful ignorance, getting all excited about his choice of dog, and wondering how to get Michelle's sculpted arms.
Congressman Labels Obama "Abortion President" Ahead of Stem Cell Reversal Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., accused Obama of launching two attacks on pro-life measures. read more Deception at Core of Obama Plans ByCharles Krauthammer
WASHINGTON -- Forget the pork. Forget the waste. Forget the 8,570 earmarks in a bill supported by a president who poses as the scourge of earmarks. Forget the "$2 trillion dollars in savings" that "we have already identified," $1.6 trillion of which President Obama's budget director later admits is the "savings" of not continuing the surge in Iraq until 2019 -- 11 years after George Bush ended it, and eight years after even Bush would have had us out of Iraq completely. read more
Incompetence, malevolence, or both? or Why Obama’s policies are pink, not green... *****I was having lunch yesterday with a prominent critic of the Spender in Chief, and he raised a possibility that many of us have entertained over the past several weeks: that Obama is simply out of his depth: that he hasn’t a clue about what makes the economy tick and his talk about the “profit-to-earnings ratio” was not a slip of the tongue but a worrisome confirmation of the suspicion that he is an empty suit floundering around in the dark. read more Obama touts recovery amid grim economic news By John Whitesides
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama tried to highlight some good news and tout his economic plan on Friday, but the grim reality of plunging employment and faltering stock markets once again stepped on his message. read more
Warning: Bracket Creep Ahead *****With a guarantee that only those making more than $250,000 a year will see a tax increase it is probably a good time to talk about something that has not been a problem for decades: Bracket Creep read more
Why do I keep hearing the song "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"??
The sad state of Catholic liturgy and music....
*****We attend a Saturday evening Mass at one of the three churches in our cluster which is blessed by not having a choir. The parishioners manage quite nicely to sing the Our Father and the responsorial without even the help of a barroom piano banging away in the background. Father leads the opening hymn and the recessional hymn.
*****We are afforded the luxury of times of silence for prayer and reflection. The children are quiet because there is not the constant noise and motion that rattles their little cages. No one has to tell the people they are in church and need to be quiet.
*****It is time for the bishops and priests to start offering the Mass as called for by the Second Vatican Council and stop with the innovation and whimsy. It is distorting theology, and it is driving people out of the Church. Stop communion in the hand, "altar girls", and rock and roll Masses. Give us the music that is called for by the official documents and let us smell the incense again.
When are we going to start teaching the faith to our children?
*****Having been involved in youth ministry for many years, I was always astounded at the complete lack on knowledge I witnessed in these young people after their first seven or so years of "religious education." I first got my hands on them when they were in 7th grade and not one of them was ever able to tell me the simplest fact about the Catholic faith.
*****Their education had consisted of learning moronic "singey songs", drawing pictures, and the teacher's favorite maxim - "Jesus loves you." The Ten Commandments, precepts of the church, or even the definition of a sacrament? Nope, nope, and nope (which rhymes with dope).
*****This sort of travesty has been going on in the church for forty years. Is it any wonder that Catholics raised in this atmosphere of contempt for the authentic teachings of the Church voted for a person like Obama? Catholic Mom Climbing the Pillars puts a point on it in High Profile "Catholics" Need to Study
Radical Pro-Abortion FOCA Bill Coming Soon, Pro-Life Advocates Must Prepare
The pro-aborts like to pretend that FOCA is not being proposed, or that it won’t be as radical as believed. Both lies. It IS coming, and it WILL remove any and all abortion restrictions. There will be NO parental consent required. Your 16 year old daughter, who can’t get a tattoo without your permission, can now get an abortion without your knowledge or consent. Obama has promised to sign it.read more
*****I just mailed hundreds of post cards to Washington, filled out and signed by the parishioners of the church I attend. When the priests of our diocese met just a few weeks ago for a retreat of sorts, the post card campaign was brought up.
*****Our bishop, Michael Driscoll, assured the assembled priests that it wasn't an issue since the bill would never even make it to the President's desk. I'm quite certain he was more concerned with the Idaho Catholic Appeal than with doing anything about the sorry moral state of this country.
“I weep for the liberty of my country when I see at this early day of its “successful experiment” that corruption has been imputed to many members of the House of Representatives, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office.” Andrew Jackson
Friday, March 6, 2009
This is NOT a post....
Holding to my three posts per week during Lent schedule (torture), I only dropped in to tell you we'll meet again tomorrow.
To keep you amused while I'm away, drop over and read ............
It had me rolling on the floor with tears leaking happily from my big brown eyes
I'd wish you Happy First Friday but that might make it seem like a post (which it most assuredly is not), so I won't.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
What monstrous absurdities and paradoxes have resisted whole batteries of serious arguments, and then crumbled swiftly into dust before the ringing death-knell of a laugh! ~Agnes Repplier
Another great post from my friend Mark in Spokane: The way forward for conservatives
*****What path should conservatives take forward? Well, this week on the internet has largely been taken up with the controversy over Rush Limbaugh's comments at CPAC regarding his hope that Obama will fail to remake the American economic and political system. Limbaugh's comments, and the reaction to them among pundits of the left and right, aren't really something I'm interested in talking about. But the whole dust up does raise the broader question about what path conservatives should take moving forward.read the rest
Important Alert Concerning the Conscience Clause and What We Need to Do.....
Pro-Choice by Father Dwight Longenecker *****"I'm a pro-choice Catholic. That is to say, I'm in favor of doctors and nurses having the choice of whether they'll participate in abortions or not." read the rest and find out what you need to do to help
Time to Panic?
My Google Reader is at 745. ** Will it hit 1000 by nightfall?***Hmmmm, maybe it's time to cut back. **Just sayn'....
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Lent, the Sorrowful Mother, and Lent Presented by Sister Mary Eucharista
Last night I attended a wonderful presentation by Sister Mary Eucharista of the new order of the Sisters of Mary, Mother of God.
These are the brave ladies that left their questionable order to form this new order under the Diocese of Spokane. I'll let them tell their own story but we are blessed to have them back as full members of the Church. Who We Are
*****While these lovely ladies were still at "The Mount", they shopped at the Costco on the north side of Spokane where I worked. They were delightful and I used to wish they were part of the Church. Through the dedicated prayers of the Sisters of the Mission of Charity, my wish came true. Notice the blue band on their veil? When they designed the new habits for their order the blue band was included to honor the Sisters of the Mission of Charity. *****Sister Marie Francine was a particular favorite and she and I exchanged short letters over the years. When the sisters first left their old convent to start their new order, I searched and searched to see if Sr. Marie Francine was among the group. She was - praise God!
On the 27th - 29th of this month they are having a retreat at theImmaculate Heart Retreat Center in Spokane that I plan to attend.
Death With Dignity??? *****Today the act allowing people to kill themselves with the help of their doctor takes affect in Washington, my close neighboring state. I am pleased to see how many hospitals have "opted out" of this heinous practice. How long will that last under our current President?
International Task Force.org Addressing Euthanasia, Assisted Suicide, Advanced Directives, Disability rights, pain control, and more
Stealth Care by Investor's Business Daily Spending: The stimulus provides for the creation of a federal health care bureaucracy not unlike Hillarycare. Decisions that should be made by doctors and patients will belong to bureaucrats deciding cost-effectiveness. read more
Did You Get a Raise this Year? Congress Did!
*****Congress gave themselves a raise last month. That extra $4700.00 will sure help with their mortgage payments.They now make $174,000 a year for usually only working 3 days per week.
Get Ready to Buy Everyone's Home Improvements
*****People opposed to the mortgage bailout have erupted in anger over the thought of having to subsidize their neighbors’ house payments when they’ve responsibly managed their own housing decisions. Diana Olick tells her CNBC readers and viewers that that’s not all we’ll subsidize. Thanks to a little-remarked portion of the bill, we’ll pay for their home-equity seconds as well. read more
*****Every good magician can alter one's perception of reality by use of deception. In context of a magic show, trickery is a good thing; when it comes to a political show, it's not so good. President Obama has come to be known as one of the most eloquent politicians in American history. But it was not eloquence alone that got him into the White House; it was eloquence coupled with pretense. And with those twin characteristics Obama is almost effortlessly imposing his extreme-left agenda on the country. read more
Daily Meditation:
Help us to be eager in doing your will. In today's lesson we learn more about prayer. We are touched by the bold, full-hearted prayer of Esther. We hear with a freshness how sincerely Jesus invites us to: ask and receive seek and find knock and find the door opened.
Dependence is not a virtue we ordinarily admire. Today we grow in our sense that we need God's grace very much - even to know what is right - but certainly to fan our desires into a flame.
Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me. Psalm 138
