Today there's talk of a new ethics reform package in Congress. Democrats want to make some changes so they'll look better than Republicans, but they argue about just how far to take it. Seems no one in Washington is very eager to empty the vast lake of money, influence and perks available to them. They want to put a little damper on the lobbies. That's like saying "Influence peddling is a big deal to us, but we want to make it less obvious for appearance sake."
Here's what I think must be included in an ethics reform bill.....
1. Outlaw the lobby. Period!
2. Mandatory term limits
3. No retirement package
4. Standard health care
5. Salary subject to activity. No vote, no check. 50% there, 1/2 check.
6. Liability for ALL criminal activity
7. Pay raises according to min wage and budget deficits.
8. Even, public funded campaigns.
THAT... would be a good start!
Then we can address the many other problems that comprise the sloth machine in our overblown bureaucracy.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Democrats Win The House And Senate
I can't wait until the change is in place with congress. The country will be safe again, the war will end, there will be a full pot on every table, fuel prices will drop, the economy will soar and the whole world will be a beautiful garden. Did you know that a democrat's feces doesn't stink? They all have honesty flowing in their veins. They think only of their neighbors and constituents. They all do an honest days work and they never, ever break the law.
There will be no use for lobbyists because Dems are immune to influence peddling. They refuse to pander to corporations. And they're all staunch environmentalists. The lives of fish and caribou will never again be tainted by the demon crude oil. There will be no unwanted or handicapped children. There will soon be a complete cure for every disease. Pedophelia and spouse abuse will be things of a forgotten past.
And there won't be any need to further reform Congress. Dems are self sufficient. They don't rely on perks, grand salaries, retirement packages or deluxe heath care. They limit their terms of office voluntarily, never vote for their own pay raises, and are totally, fiscally responsible.
Did I mention that a Democrat's crap doesn't stink?
There will be no use for lobbyists because Dems are immune to influence peddling. They refuse to pander to corporations. And they're all staunch environmentalists. The lives of fish and caribou will never again be tainted by the demon crude oil. There will be no unwanted or handicapped children. There will soon be a complete cure for every disease. Pedophelia and spouse abuse will be things of a forgotten past.
And there won't be any need to further reform Congress. Dems are self sufficient. They don't rely on perks, grand salaries, retirement packages or deluxe heath care. They limit their terms of office voluntarily, never vote for their own pay raises, and are totally, fiscally responsible.
Did I mention that a Democrat's crap doesn't stink?
Friday, October 13, 2006
My Christmas Wish
This was a letter to a best friend, a soldier serving in Baghdad...
I'm thinking tonight how grateful I am that you and so many others are willing to sacrifice so much. We're sitting home, fat, lazy, safe (or at least relatively safe in this neighborhood!), trying to get the spirit of Christmas in our hum drum little lives. We seem almost oblivious to the fact that you're over there, a million miles from home, family, loved ones, in the valiant struggle for freedom.
We think we have it rough here. Financial troubles, traffic jams, angry bosses, pesky neighbors, the occasional sound of a gunshot from somewhere else. You're seeing the other side of life first-hand. How different it would be here if it weren't for you who have either put your lives at risk or given them up entirely to ensure our safety. Someone asked, where are Bat Man, Superman and the other superheroes when we need them? Well, we don't need them when we have you! The men and women of the armed forces. You are the real heroes. We owe you a debt we could never repay. And the way we act sometimes, I hope we're worth it.
We whine and complain. We distort the truth to fit our political slant.We are quick to point a finger at others and slow to take responsibility, unless it makes us look good. We are a breeding ground for laws, lawsuits and lawbreaking. We remove God from our lives and then blame Him for our problems. We are a country of greedy, selfish, pompous asses. At first glance, it might seem better if God would just wipe the country clean and start over.
But we are also a country of hard workers. Of people who dream, and sometimes fulfill those dreams. We were founded on principles of faith, and most still cling to those standards. We are a society of freedom. Free to speak our mind. Free to move about. Free to worship. Free to help our neighbor. Free to reach our highest potential or wallow in the lowest depths And we owe those freedoms,in large part, to you... in Baghdad, and around the world.
My Christmas wish for you is that God will reward you generously for your efforts. That He will keep you safe and bring you home soon.That your families will be provided for well in your absence. That loneliness will be replaced with comfort. That He will guide you in your activities. That you will continue to do your best and act honorably.That your work will help to bring peace to a troubled world and keep our nation free. And that we will be more deserving of your service and sacrifice.
Merry Christmas
(Written 12/25/03)
I'm thinking tonight how grateful I am that you and so many others are willing to sacrifice so much. We're sitting home, fat, lazy, safe (or at least relatively safe in this neighborhood!), trying to get the spirit of Christmas in our hum drum little lives. We seem almost oblivious to the fact that you're over there, a million miles from home, family, loved ones, in the valiant struggle for freedom.
We think we have it rough here. Financial troubles, traffic jams, angry bosses, pesky neighbors, the occasional sound of a gunshot from somewhere else. You're seeing the other side of life first-hand. How different it would be here if it weren't for you who have either put your lives at risk or given them up entirely to ensure our safety. Someone asked, where are Bat Man, Superman and the other superheroes when we need them? Well, we don't need them when we have you! The men and women of the armed forces. You are the real heroes. We owe you a debt we could never repay. And the way we act sometimes, I hope we're worth it.
We whine and complain. We distort the truth to fit our political slant.We are quick to point a finger at others and slow to take responsibility, unless it makes us look good. We are a breeding ground for laws, lawsuits and lawbreaking. We remove God from our lives and then blame Him for our problems. We are a country of greedy, selfish, pompous asses. At first glance, it might seem better if God would just wipe the country clean and start over.
But we are also a country of hard workers. Of people who dream, and sometimes fulfill those dreams. We were founded on principles of faith, and most still cling to those standards. We are a society of freedom. Free to speak our mind. Free to move about. Free to worship. Free to help our neighbor. Free to reach our highest potential or wallow in the lowest depths And we owe those freedoms,in large part, to you... in Baghdad, and around the world.
My Christmas wish for you is that God will reward you generously for your efforts. That He will keep you safe and bring you home soon.That your families will be provided for well in your absence. That loneliness will be replaced with comfort. That He will guide you in your activities. That you will continue to do your best and act honorably.That your work will help to bring peace to a troubled world and keep our nation free. And that we will be more deserving of your service and sacrifice.
Merry Christmas
(Written 12/25/03)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The Grace of the Amish
Please read the article by Bruce Kluger, entitled "A Glimpse of Grace."
"In the hours and days following last week's heartbreaking schoolhouse massacre of five Amish children in Nickel Mines, Pa., the story cut across the media landscape like a runaway brushfire.
Almost overnight, we learned the grotesque details of the vicious crime itself, heard the pitiful back story of its deranged perpetrator and were subjected to a flurry of the usual analyses — endless eddies of chatter that swirled about the tragedy without shame or abatement.
Rosie O'Donnell targeted the National Rifle Association in her blistering remarks about the killings; Hannity & Colmes used air time to bring on, then ridicule, a religious zealot who called the murders God's will; and columnists lumped the shocking slaughter into reports of other recent school shootings, as if to imply that this reprehensible act of madness was merely part of a bigger news story. A larger picture. A trend.
The Amish citizens of Nickel Mines were oblivious to it all, their religion having long ago instructed them to forgo TVs, radios and other devices of modern-day mass communication.
Instead, they quietly buried their little girls.
They collected money for the families of the deceased, including the horrified, grieving wife and children of the murderer. They also invited the family to the funerals.
“Grace,” my wife said softly when I told her about this astonishing gesture of humanity by the bereaved people of Nickel Mines. “Pure grace. Maybe we all have something to learn from the Amish.”
Religion is by no means an easy topic of conversation in this country — nor in the world. For many of us, it has lost its power to instantly transform or inspire. Indeed, this year alone, we've stood witness, repeatedly, to the dark and disjointed side of religion, and to its ugliest consequences.
We've seen mounting evidence that Islamic fundamentalists have no intention of retreating from their despicable interpretation of the Quran, bent as they are on deriving from its ancient verses little more than a global death warrant. We've watched in failed hope as peaceful Muslims around the globe largely stand mute in the face of this violence, their leaders unable or unwilling to coalesce into a single voice that might once and for all denounce the perversion of their faith by their misguided brothers.
Over the summer, Lebanese Shiites and Israeli Jews similarly turned a deaf ear to the sacred tracts of their holy books — parables about decency and forgiveness and love — as they went about the business of murdering one another over prisoner exchanges and border intrusions and tiny parcels of arid land.
Catholics worldwide listened in confusion as their new pope, Benedict XVI, reached back to the words of a 14th-century emperor to draw a heavy curtain between the righteousness of Christianity and the “evil and inhuman” teachings of the prophet Mohammed.
And here at home, that small but rabid band of evangelicals continued a single-minded crusade, flocking not to churches, but to talk shows and congressional offices and town meetings, in an unyielding effort to write its own brand of divisive scripture into our laws.
Where religion is concerned, we have reached a moment of critical mass in this nation — and the world — entering into a kind of apocalypse unimagined in the Bible. And our punishment is not the stuff of plagues and hellfire, issued by a wrathful and dissatisfied God. Instead, it is simply the souring of our inner spirit and the crushing loss of our soul. Our undoing is our own.
Meanwhile, the reclusive and serene citizens of Nickel Mines go about their business. They lay their beautiful children to rest, and silently pray for our redemption.
Grace."
This article was first published Oct. 9, 2006 in USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061009/opthree_09.art.htm
And then at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-kluger/grace-in-pennsylvania_b_31365.html
"In the hours and days following last week's heartbreaking schoolhouse massacre of five Amish children in Nickel Mines, Pa., the story cut across the media landscape like a runaway brushfire.
Almost overnight, we learned the grotesque details of the vicious crime itself, heard the pitiful back story of its deranged perpetrator and were subjected to a flurry of the usual analyses — endless eddies of chatter that swirled about the tragedy without shame or abatement.
Rosie O'Donnell targeted the National Rifle Association in her blistering remarks about the killings; Hannity & Colmes used air time to bring on, then ridicule, a religious zealot who called the murders God's will; and columnists lumped the shocking slaughter into reports of other recent school shootings, as if to imply that this reprehensible act of madness was merely part of a bigger news story. A larger picture. A trend.
The Amish citizens of Nickel Mines were oblivious to it all, their religion having long ago instructed them to forgo TVs, radios and other devices of modern-day mass communication.
Instead, they quietly buried their little girls.
They collected money for the families of the deceased, including the horrified, grieving wife and children of the murderer. They also invited the family to the funerals.
“Grace,” my wife said softly when I told her about this astonishing gesture of humanity by the bereaved people of Nickel Mines. “Pure grace. Maybe we all have something to learn from the Amish.”
Religion is by no means an easy topic of conversation in this country — nor in the world. For many of us, it has lost its power to instantly transform or inspire. Indeed, this year alone, we've stood witness, repeatedly, to the dark and disjointed side of religion, and to its ugliest consequences.
We've seen mounting evidence that Islamic fundamentalists have no intention of retreating from their despicable interpretation of the Quran, bent as they are on deriving from its ancient verses little more than a global death warrant. We've watched in failed hope as peaceful Muslims around the globe largely stand mute in the face of this violence, their leaders unable or unwilling to coalesce into a single voice that might once and for all denounce the perversion of their faith by their misguided brothers.
Over the summer, Lebanese Shiites and Israeli Jews similarly turned a deaf ear to the sacred tracts of their holy books — parables about decency and forgiveness and love — as they went about the business of murdering one another over prisoner exchanges and border intrusions and tiny parcels of arid land.
Catholics worldwide listened in confusion as their new pope, Benedict XVI, reached back to the words of a 14th-century emperor to draw a heavy curtain between the righteousness of Christianity and the “evil and inhuman” teachings of the prophet Mohammed.
And here at home, that small but rabid band of evangelicals continued a single-minded crusade, flocking not to churches, but to talk shows and congressional offices and town meetings, in an unyielding effort to write its own brand of divisive scripture into our laws.
Where religion is concerned, we have reached a moment of critical mass in this nation — and the world — entering into a kind of apocalypse unimagined in the Bible. And our punishment is not the stuff of plagues and hellfire, issued by a wrathful and dissatisfied God. Instead, it is simply the souring of our inner spirit and the crushing loss of our soul. Our undoing is our own.
Meanwhile, the reclusive and serene citizens of Nickel Mines go about their business. They lay their beautiful children to rest, and silently pray for our redemption.
Grace."
This article was first published Oct. 9, 2006 in USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061009/opthree_09.art.htm
And then at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-kluger/grace-in-pennsylvania_b_31365.html
Monday, August 07, 2006
Proving the Existence of God?
The following is a comment from Huffington Post. The discussion was about, among other things, the existence of God. Several skeptics were doing the usual needling. Then this appeared and seemed to cry out to be shared. Many thanks to the person who wrote it!
I do believe in God however, your statement that the "burden of proof" is on me for believing God exists is indeed your own "straw man" argument. I have no "burden" when it comes to what I choose to believe. I don't attempt to change people's belief system through circular arguments which can never be answered with certainty. For me the evidence of a caring "creator", or "life-force" or "God" is everywhere. For others, maybe they need more definitive "proof" in their own lives, maybe these are the people who can't see anything they can't put their hands on; who can't put their hands on what they can't see. For me, the Bible isn't representative of a Book which should be viewed as a "text book of literal history". It is filled with parables, stories of inspiration as well reflecting the societies and culture of the times. Whether people except it for the word of God or not is entirely up to them. I do believe it is the word of God, but......if you don't, so be it.
What gets me is these people who question if Jesus ever existed. All you need to do is look at the historical writings of the Roman Empire to find documentation of a person named "Jesus" being sentenced to death coinciding with the Biblical account. If the Bibles account is "make believe" so must be the account of the Roman Empire.
I forget who wrote the following little "story", prominent physicists whose name escapes me but, I have to agree with the sentiment.
"There was a time when I used to visit the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. I would spend hours fascinated by the carp, which lived in a very shallow pond just inches beneath the lily pads, just beneath my fingers, totally oblivious to the universe above them. I would ask myself a question only a human child could ask: What would it be like to be a carp?
What a strange world it would be! I imagined that the pond would be an entire universe, one that is two-dimensional in space. The carp would only be able to swim forwards and backwards, and left and right. I imagined that the concept of "up"--beyond the lily pads--would be totally alien to them. Any carp scientist daring to talk about a third dimension "above" the pond--would immediately be labeled a crank.
I wondered what would happen if I could reach down and grab a carp scientist and lift it up out of the "pond". I thought, what a wondrous story that scientist would tell the others! The carp would babble on about unbelievable new laws of physics: beings who could move without fins; beings who could breathe without gills; beings who could emit sounds without bubbles.
I then wondered: How would a carp scientist know about my existence? One day it rained, and I saw the rain drops forming gentle ripples on the surface of the pond. Then I understood.
The carp could see rippling shadows on the surface of the pond. The third dimension would be invisible to them, but vibrations in the third dimensions would be clearly visible. These ripples might even be felt by the carp, who would invent a silly concept to describe this, called "force." They might even give these "forces" cute names, such as light and gravity. I would laugh at them, because, of course, I know there is no "force" at all, just the rippling of the water.
I'm here to say, you are the carp, swimming in your tiny pond, blissfully unaware of invisible, unseen universes hovering just above you. You'll spend your whole life in three spatial dimensions; confident that what you can see with your telescopes is all there is, ignorant of the vast possibilities. Although the higher dimensions are invisible, their "ripples" can clearly be seen and felt. You call these ripples gravity and light."
By: ThePacifier on August 07, 2006 at 11:11am
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/08/05/filmmaker-james-cameron-f_n_26613.html?p=7#comments
I do believe in God however, your statement that the "burden of proof" is on me for believing God exists is indeed your own "straw man" argument. I have no "burden" when it comes to what I choose to believe. I don't attempt to change people's belief system through circular arguments which can never be answered with certainty. For me the evidence of a caring "creator", or "life-force" or "God" is everywhere. For others, maybe they need more definitive "proof" in their own lives, maybe these are the people who can't see anything they can't put their hands on; who can't put their hands on what they can't see. For me, the Bible isn't representative of a Book which should be viewed as a "text book of literal history". It is filled with parables, stories of inspiration as well reflecting the societies and culture of the times. Whether people except it for the word of God or not is entirely up to them. I do believe it is the word of God, but......if you don't, so be it.
What gets me is these people who question if Jesus ever existed. All you need to do is look at the historical writings of the Roman Empire to find documentation of a person named "Jesus" being sentenced to death coinciding with the Biblical account. If the Bibles account is "make believe" so must be the account of the Roman Empire.
I forget who wrote the following little "story", prominent physicists whose name escapes me but, I have to agree with the sentiment.
"There was a time when I used to visit the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco. I would spend hours fascinated by the carp, which lived in a very shallow pond just inches beneath the lily pads, just beneath my fingers, totally oblivious to the universe above them. I would ask myself a question only a human child could ask: What would it be like to be a carp?
What a strange world it would be! I imagined that the pond would be an entire universe, one that is two-dimensional in space. The carp would only be able to swim forwards and backwards, and left and right. I imagined that the concept of "up"--beyond the lily pads--would be totally alien to them. Any carp scientist daring to talk about a third dimension "above" the pond--would immediately be labeled a crank.
I wondered what would happen if I could reach down and grab a carp scientist and lift it up out of the "pond". I thought, what a wondrous story that scientist would tell the others! The carp would babble on about unbelievable new laws of physics: beings who could move without fins; beings who could breathe without gills; beings who could emit sounds without bubbles.
I then wondered: How would a carp scientist know about my existence? One day it rained, and I saw the rain drops forming gentle ripples on the surface of the pond. Then I understood.
The carp could see rippling shadows on the surface of the pond. The third dimension would be invisible to them, but vibrations in the third dimensions would be clearly visible. These ripples might even be felt by the carp, who would invent a silly concept to describe this, called "force." They might even give these "forces" cute names, such as light and gravity. I would laugh at them, because, of course, I know there is no "force" at all, just the rippling of the water.
I'm here to say, you are the carp, swimming in your tiny pond, blissfully unaware of invisible, unseen universes hovering just above you. You'll spend your whole life in three spatial dimensions; confident that what you can see with your telescopes is all there is, ignorant of the vast possibilities. Although the higher dimensions are invisible, their "ripples" can clearly be seen and felt. You call these ripples gravity and light."
By: ThePacifier on August 07, 2006 at 11:11am
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/08/05/filmmaker-james-cameron-f_n_26613.html?p=7#comments
Thursday, July 20, 2006
A Liberal Agenda
People complain that "progressives" don't have a platform. Here's one list of beliefs ascribed to liberals. Interestingly, all but one of these are based, at least in part, on rational thought.
SAVE THE: Environment. Humans rape, plunder and pollute the earth with little thought for the future.
SAVE THE: Ozone layer. Our chemicals and emissions damage this protective layer of our atmosphere.
SAVE THE: Caribou and Alaskan wilderness from destruction by the oil industry. (Why is it so easy to complain about dependence on foreign oil, but we refuse to allow an increase in local oil and nuclear energy, and just can't get any other energy sources going either? Just asking!)
SAVE THE: Wetlands. Not only habitat for water foul and other wildlife, but protection for our cities. ( The drowning of New Orleans was the fault of big oil and the government)
SAVE THE: Parks. We have millions and millions of protected square miles within our borders. Mountains, deserts, forests, prairies, the works. We need more! And they must be protected from the use of humans at all costs.
SAVE THE: Americans from corrupt oil companies, big businesses, gun lobbies, religion and the crooked government.
SAVE THE: Whales from the whaling industry and injury from sonar equipment.
SAVE THE: Fish from pollution from industries and oil tankers.
SAVE THE: Animals from laboratory testing of any kind, from abuse and from the fur makers.
SAVE THE: Poor and elderly. Our system made them and holds them in their situation. We must provide for them.
SAVE THE: Criminals. Again, we created them. It's not their fault. There should be no death penalty. It's immoral to kill someone for any reason. Their rights and comfort must be protected way beyond those of their victims.
SAVE THE: Enemies. Terrorists only react to our crimes. The world leaders who slaughter their own are of no consequence to us. Their threats against us are meaningless. When we go to war, it's our fault. Innocent civilians are only killed by us. Insurgents are our friends. All death and destruction from war is the fault of our president and that makes him a murderer. Excuse all members of congress who approved war, but have since come to their senses and speak out against it.
SAVE THE: Government. All branches of government are infested with criminals. But the only ones who's offenses matter are the ones who's political philosophy is right of center. They must be vilified at every opportunity, while we protect the reputation of our "own."
BUT DON'T SAVE THE: Embryo and fetus. They are just worthless tissue. They can be destroyed for any reason with no thought of responsibility. They can be cut up and experimented on, ripped to shreds with instruments, burned with solutions and have their brains sucked out. It doesn't matter because we have decreed that there is no life there. We ignore the beating heart, the working circulatory and nervous systems, the response to light, touch and other stimuli, the complete genetic profile, the promise of life and the future of our species.
For all the talk about saving everything and making sure every living thing has rights and protection, thinking of the future for our children and their children's children, we have decided that the only thing in this world that has no rights and is entirely expendable is the unborn child. The very seed of our existence, joy of our lives and hope for our future is a "lifeless glob of cells."
So much for the liberal agenda!
SAVE THE: Environment. Humans rape, plunder and pollute the earth with little thought for the future.
SAVE THE: Ozone layer. Our chemicals and emissions damage this protective layer of our atmosphere.
SAVE THE: Caribou and Alaskan wilderness from destruction by the oil industry. (Why is it so easy to complain about dependence on foreign oil, but we refuse to allow an increase in local oil and nuclear energy, and just can't get any other energy sources going either? Just asking!)
SAVE THE: Wetlands. Not only habitat for water foul and other wildlife, but protection for our cities. ( The drowning of New Orleans was the fault of big oil and the government)
SAVE THE: Parks. We have millions and millions of protected square miles within our borders. Mountains, deserts, forests, prairies, the works. We need more! And they must be protected from the use of humans at all costs.
SAVE THE: Americans from corrupt oil companies, big businesses, gun lobbies, religion and the crooked government.
SAVE THE: Whales from the whaling industry and injury from sonar equipment.
SAVE THE: Fish from pollution from industries and oil tankers.
SAVE THE: Animals from laboratory testing of any kind, from abuse and from the fur makers.
SAVE THE: Poor and elderly. Our system made them and holds them in their situation. We must provide for them.
SAVE THE: Criminals. Again, we created them. It's not their fault. There should be no death penalty. It's immoral to kill someone for any reason. Their rights and comfort must be protected way beyond those of their victims.
SAVE THE: Enemies. Terrorists only react to our crimes. The world leaders who slaughter their own are of no consequence to us. Their threats against us are meaningless. When we go to war, it's our fault. Innocent civilians are only killed by us. Insurgents are our friends. All death and destruction from war is the fault of our president and that makes him a murderer. Excuse all members of congress who approved war, but have since come to their senses and speak out against it.
SAVE THE: Government. All branches of government are infested with criminals. But the only ones who's offenses matter are the ones who's political philosophy is right of center. They must be vilified at every opportunity, while we protect the reputation of our "own."
BUT DON'T SAVE THE: Embryo and fetus. They are just worthless tissue. They can be destroyed for any reason with no thought of responsibility. They can be cut up and experimented on, ripped to shreds with instruments, burned with solutions and have their brains sucked out. It doesn't matter because we have decreed that there is no life there. We ignore the beating heart, the working circulatory and nervous systems, the response to light, touch and other stimuli, the complete genetic profile, the promise of life and the future of our species.
For all the talk about saving everything and making sure every living thing has rights and protection, thinking of the future for our children and their children's children, we have decided that the only thing in this world that has no rights and is entirely expendable is the unborn child. The very seed of our existence, joy of our lives and hope for our future is a "lifeless glob of cells."
So much for the liberal agenda!
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Graffiti "artists" vs New York City
I just read about the lawsuit against New York by some "artists" who claim that anti-graffiti laws infringe their right to free speech.
This is not an issue about freedom of speech. That's just a tool to give them some validity. If you tell Americans their rights are in jeopardy, they'll jump all over themselves to defend anything, from tagging buildings to writing messages in yellow snow. Call this what really it is... vandalism. Defacement of private and public property. It's destructive and costs us money. If they have a need to express themselves, there are plenty of legal ways to do it.
Huffington Post
Yahoo News
This is not an issue about freedom of speech. That's just a tool to give them some validity. If you tell Americans their rights are in jeopardy, they'll jump all over themselves to defend anything, from tagging buildings to writing messages in yellow snow. Call this what really it is... vandalism. Defacement of private and public property. It's destructive and costs us money. If they have a need to express themselves, there are plenty of legal ways to do it.
Huffington Post
Yahoo News
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Eliminate the Lobby
In light of the recent lobbying scandals, I posted the following comments on Huffington Post. It's a response to Ms. Huffingtons article on lobbyists who have family ties to politicians.
Don't start with just family ties. Lobbying should be outlawed, period! Congress isn't there to serve special interest. They're supposed to serve the people. Their capacity to do that is destroyed by the constant "wine and dine, scratch each other's back" mentality in Washington.
Gone are the old days when representatives met at great personal sacrifice, in a locked room with no ventilation, and drafted the Constitution. Where are the men and women of honor who devoted their lives to making this country a better place? Instead we have prople who make a career of wallowing in perks, padding each other's wallets, feeding their bloated egos and acting irresponsibly without consequence.
Start with eliminating the lobby. Then move on to term limits and all the other reforms we need on the hill.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/lobbying-reform-lets-cu_b_17990.html
Don't start with just family ties. Lobbying should be outlawed, period! Congress isn't there to serve special interest. They're supposed to serve the people. Their capacity to do that is destroyed by the constant "wine and dine, scratch each other's back" mentality in Washington.
Gone are the old days when representatives met at great personal sacrifice, in a locked room with no ventilation, and drafted the Constitution. Where are the men and women of honor who devoted their lives to making this country a better place? Instead we have prople who make a career of wallowing in perks, padding each other's wallets, feeding their bloated egos and acting irresponsibly without consequence.
Start with eliminating the lobby. Then move on to term limits and all the other reforms we need on the hill.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/lobbying-reform-lets-cu_b_17990.html
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Another Weather Disaster
This text is from a county emergency manager out in the western part of North Dakota after the recent snow storm. I wish I could meet him and shake his hand.
WEATHER BULLETIN
Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from an Historic event ---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.
FYI:
* George Bush did not come....
* FEMA did nothing....
* No one howled for the government...
* No one blamed the government
* No one even uttered an expletive on TV...
* Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit
* Our Mayor's did not blame Bush or anyone else
* Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either
* CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm
* Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.....
* No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House....
* No one looted....
* Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something
* Nobody expected the government to do anything either
* No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera
* No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found
And
* Nope, we just melted the snow for water
* Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars
* The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny
* Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow bound families
* Families took in the stranded people - total strangers
* We Fired up wood stoves
* Broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns
* We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die"
* We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program th at trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
* Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early...we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
resourcefully!!!!!!!!!
WEATHER BULLETIN
Up here in the Northern Plains we just recovered from an Historic event ---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with a historic blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds of motorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores of communities and cut power to 10's of thousands.
FYI:
* George Bush did not come....
* FEMA did nothing....
* No one howled for the government...
* No one blamed the government
* No one even uttered an expletive on TV...
* Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit
* Our Mayor's did not blame Bush or anyone else
* Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else either
* CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX, or NBC did not visit - or report on this category 5 snow storm
* Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.....
* No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House....
* No one looted....
* Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something
* Nobody expected the government to do anything either
* No Larry King, No Bill O'Rielly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No Geraldo Rivera
* No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be found
And
* Nope, we just melted the snow for water
* Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed cars
* The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask for a penny
* Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments delivered it to the snow bound families
* Families took in the stranded people - total strangers
* We Fired up wood stoves
* Broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman lanterns
* We put on an extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or Die"
* We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program th at trades votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
* Even though a Category "5" blizzard of this scale has never fallen this early...we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
resourcefully!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Original Sin?
We are judged on our own actions, not for those of others. A just God wouldn't condemn me for something you did.
When Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were innocent. They didn't know right from wrong, obeyed everything God said and would have remained that way. If they had, we would never have been born.
They needed to learn free agency, and God wanted them to make the choices that would allow us to be. To do that, he gave them two conflicting commandments. Don't eat the fruit of knowledge, and multiply and replenish the earth. They chose the greater of the two. For breaking the first, they were kicked out of the garden and would eventually die. But for obeying the second, they learned, grew, had a family. They understood joy because they felt sorrow. Knew pleasure and pain. Developed faith because they were no longer in God's presence. And they made it possible for all of us to be born.
That's the original sin. Their choice. And that's the way it actually impacts us. No one is born with Adam's sin on their heads. We're not cursed because of him. Baptism need not be done to babies who are perfect. It should be done when you're old enough to be accountable on your own.
God is a loving father. We still need redemption through Jesus for our sins. And that is another gift of love.
Filed under: [Religion]
When Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were innocent. They didn't know right from wrong, obeyed everything God said and would have remained that way. If they had, we would never have been born.
They needed to learn free agency, and God wanted them to make the choices that would allow us to be. To do that, he gave them two conflicting commandments. Don't eat the fruit of knowledge, and multiply and replenish the earth. They chose the greater of the two. For breaking the first, they were kicked out of the garden and would eventually die. But for obeying the second, they learned, grew, had a family. They understood joy because they felt sorrow. Knew pleasure and pain. Developed faith because they were no longer in God's presence. And they made it possible for all of us to be born.
That's the original sin. Their choice. And that's the way it actually impacts us. No one is born with Adam's sin on their heads. We're not cursed because of him. Baptism need not be done to babies who are perfect. It should be done when you're old enough to be accountable on your own.
God is a loving father. We still need redemption through Jesus for our sins. And that is another gift of love.
Filed under: [Religion]
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