While I was volunteering at the Midwest Birding Symposium and learning from Jim McCormac about how a drop of water in Lake Superior makes it to the Atlantic Ocean, my husband was the assistant rector at a Cum Cristo (Cursillo) week-end. He's been on so many Cursillo, Cum Cristo, Renewal, and Emmaus Walk week-ends, I've lost count. Maybe I'm crazy but I think he usually says, "This one was the best." But he did tell me about one guy we've known about 35 years who used to be a member of our church. His wife died of cancer some years ago and he has remarried, and I think things are fine, although we were never close, so I really don't know.
Anyway, he was periodically stepping outside for a smoke. Before they all went home, my husband said to him, "You don't love your wife." Obviously shocked, the man asked what he meant. "If you loved your wife, you wouldn't want her to be left alone and grieving after you die of cancer. You've been through this--how can you want this for her?" Then he sympathized and told him about my dad--who quit smoking when he was 39 and said it was 20 years before he stopped wanting a cigarette (he lived to be 89). He says the guy said he'd think about it.
That's pretty bold for a guy as quiet as my husband, but then he told me he'd done that before, and the guy actually did quit cold turkey.
Cursillo isn't about saving anyone for Jesus, because usually they are already Christians; but it couldn't hurt to save a physical life too, and save a wife and children from grieving an early loss.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Reform won't work without support of the American people
When Rep. Patrick McHenry held his townhall meetings this year, almost 5,000 people attended compared to fewer than 300 last year.
“There was consensus on a few of the major issues.
This, not racism, Mr. Carter, is the cause of Obama's dropping poll numbers and the building distrust.
“There was consensus on a few of the major issues.
- The stimulus has been an expensive failure. It was a missed opportunity to create much-needed jobs.
- The bailouts were an enormous injustice to taxpayers by forcing them to reward the self-inflicted failures of Wall Street.
- If cap-and-trade passes the Senate, the middle class will pay a huge price in lost jobs and higher energy costs. . .
- By far, the hottest topic was health care.”
This, not racism, Mr. Carter, is the cause of Obama's dropping poll numbers and the building distrust.
Visiting the Lincoln Theater in Columbus
On September 10 we had the opportunity to tour the newly renovated and reopened (May 2009) Lincoln Theater on Long Street with the Conestoga group from the Ohio Historical Society. It is very impressive and the new jazz academy is really stunning with private studios, special classes with guest artists, and the high tech equipment. The ballroom is one of the prettiest I've seen and I'm sure will be a coveted site for wedding receptions and gala events. It is hoped that the Lincoln will help restore the economy of the once thriving African American cultural community on the east side.
This was the original entrance with the restored marque, but the new entrance/lobby/ticket area has been moved to a newly constructed addition because the lobby was too small. But behind the doors is a board room, and the renovated movie projector, pieces of which were found in the basement.
This plaque is in the new lobby.
The original decor was an Egyptian motif, and that has been beautifully recreated.
Two musicians performing across the street.
If you have time, pause to enjoy this video introduced by our mayor with a little history of the area and how the renovation came to be. It's about 9 minutes.
This was the original entrance with the restored marque, but the new entrance/lobby/ticket area has been moved to a newly constructed addition because the lobby was too small. But behind the doors is a board room, and the renovated movie projector, pieces of which were found in the basement.
This plaque is in the new lobby.
The original decor was an Egyptian motif, and that has been beautifully recreated.
Two musicians performing across the street.
If you have time, pause to enjoy this video introduced by our mayor with a little history of the area and how the renovation came to be. It's about 9 minutes.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Naming birds
When your wealth of bird knowledge is being able to tell a robin from a blue jay from a cardinal, there is lots to learn at a birding conference like the Midwest Birding Symposium held at Lakeside September 17-20. I'll begin with a snippet of trivia that I picked up by attending some of the programs when I wasn't volunteering (I was the early a.m. shift at the gate, and the dinner crew on Friday).
Scott Weidensaul gave a fascinating short history of birding on Friday night with wonderful photos. I never even saw him look at his notes and he must have included hundreds of details covering about that many years. One interesting thing he told us was that generally, birds that were named early in our country's history have common, descriptive names--red wing blackbirds, black throated blue warblers, barn swallow, etc. Ordinary people named them based on their observations. But as the population moved west and explorers and scientists named them, the birds began to get names of people--family, friends, mentors, and politicians.
Lucy was the name of John James Audubon's wife, but he never named a bird for her. However, Lucy's Warbler is named for Lucy Baird, who was herself named for Lucy Audubon. So, indirectly, Lucy Audubon got her bird.
I also learned that a "big sit" is when people gather in a particular spot and count species they see. This "big sit" at Lakeside I believe counted 27. Also, I'd assumed "shore birds" meant what we have in and around Ottawa County, birds that like the shore, but that's not what they are. Shore birds are sandpipers and plovers, but not gulls and ducks.
I really enjoyed the vendors' displays in South Auditorium and the Rhein Center and I got a lot of freebies. I had no idea that bird watching was so high tech. Nor did I know the Amish sold binoculars! Apparently birding is quite popular with the Amish. The prices were out of this world. Also at this event, people donated their old binoculars (I think there were hundreds) and then these are redistributed to birding groups in poor countries.
Oh yes, and because the Caspian Tern was our poster bird and the logo on our caps, I can now tell a tern from a gull. They are hard to miss up on Lake Erie--really big, with bright red bills that point downward and they float around and then dive bomb into the water and come up with a fish. They breed on 5 continents and in 70 countries, so they really span the globe.
Jane Alexander was one of the Saturday evening speakers, and I think she said there were 80-90 million birders in the U.S. but that seems a bit high--wouldn't that be almost a third of the population? However many, it's a lot--and as near as I could tell from the advertising, you could be attending a symposium, conference or festival every day, and still not see it all. There's even a guy in the Ohio Army National Guard who is helping Iraqis with their bird books and equipment.
The Symposium will be back at Lakeside in two years, so if you're a Lakesider, or enjoy that area, keep an eye open for this event. We had a great time.
Scott Weidensaul gave a fascinating short history of birding on Friday night with wonderful photos. I never even saw him look at his notes and he must have included hundreds of details covering about that many years. One interesting thing he told us was that generally, birds that were named early in our country's history have common, descriptive names--red wing blackbirds, black throated blue warblers, barn swallow, etc. Ordinary people named them based on their observations. But as the population moved west and explorers and scientists named them, the birds began to get names of people--family, friends, mentors, and politicians.
Lucy was the name of John James Audubon's wife, but he never named a bird for her. However, Lucy's Warbler is named for Lucy Baird, who was herself named for Lucy Audubon. So, indirectly, Lucy Audubon got her bird.I also learned that a "big sit" is when people gather in a particular spot and count species they see. This "big sit" at Lakeside I believe counted 27. Also, I'd assumed "shore birds" meant what we have in and around Ottawa County, birds that like the shore, but that's not what they are. Shore birds are sandpipers and plovers, but not gulls and ducks.
I really enjoyed the vendors' displays in South Auditorium and the Rhein Center and I got a lot of freebies. I had no idea that bird watching was so high tech. Nor did I know the Amish sold binoculars! Apparently birding is quite popular with the Amish. The prices were out of this world. Also at this event, people donated their old binoculars (I think there were hundreds) and then these are redistributed to birding groups in poor countries.
Oh yes, and because the Caspian Tern was our poster bird and the logo on our caps, I can now tell a tern from a gull. They are hard to miss up on Lake Erie--really big, with bright red bills that point downward and they float around and then dive bomb into the water and come up with a fish. They breed on 5 continents and in 70 countries, so they really span the globe.
Jane Alexander was one of the Saturday evening speakers, and I think she said there were 80-90 million birders in the U.S. but that seems a bit high--wouldn't that be almost a third of the population? However many, it's a lot--and as near as I could tell from the advertising, you could be attending a symposium, conference or festival every day, and still not see it all. There's even a guy in the Ohio Army National Guard who is helping Iraqis with their bird books and equipment.
The Symposium will be back at Lakeside in two years, so if you're a Lakesider, or enjoy that area, keep an eye open for this event. We had a great time.
The blitz
"Republicans maintained today that the president should reconsider his plans and start the health-care debate anew.
"Winning is stopping, starting again and getting it right,'' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnelll, (R-Ky.) said today on CNN.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele suggested that the president's round of network interviews today hadn't amounted to much.
"I thought the president said a lot without saying anything,'' Steele said on CBS' Face the Nation. "There was nothing that moved the needle on this debate... This is not very helpful to the president right now.... It may have been nice to do the interviews, but I don't think it advanced the debate on health care that much.''"
The Swamp
Can you believe he's still blaming other people for his failings, for his extremism, for his planned deficits, for his mismatched appointments, his creepy associations--and especially the news coverage which is almost 99% pro-Obama 24/7?
"Winning is stopping, starting again and getting it right,'' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnelll, (R-Ky.) said today on CNN.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele suggested that the president's round of network interviews today hadn't amounted to much.
"I thought the president said a lot without saying anything,'' Steele said on CBS' Face the Nation. "There was nothing that moved the needle on this debate... This is not very helpful to the president right now.... It may have been nice to do the interviews, but I don't think it advanced the debate on health care that much.''"
The Swamp
Can you believe he's still blaming other people for his failings, for his extremism, for his planned deficits, for his mismatched appointments, his creepy associations--and especially the news coverage which is almost 99% pro-Obama 24/7?
- "Unfortunately, we've got... a 24-hour news cycle where what gets you on the news is controversy,'' he told NBC's David Gregory. "What gets you on the news is the extreme statement. The easiest way to get 15 minutes on the news, or your 15 minutes of fame, is to be rude.''
Loyalty cards--invasive and expensive
A friend and I had a "discussion" about loyalty cards today. Actually, it was pretty darn close to an argument. I don't use loyalty cards or coupons at the grocery store; I don't play games with my food. And that's what it is--a game to convince the consumer she's getting something for nothing, that retailers are just in business to please you and give their products away. Whether it's the wooden nickle, the green stamp, the sweepstakes game, the paper coupons in the size of a dollar, or the plastic loyalty card that looks like a credit card, the intent is to get you to buy. What I find so insidious about the loyalty card is not just that they can find out what you buy--they could do that without your personal information. It's that your personal information is sold, and that's more lucrative than knowing 1500 boxes of Betty Crocker 14 oz. mashed potato flakes sold on Nov. 20 in the Main St. store (except to Mrs. Bruce who bought 5 lbs of real potatoes for the same price) or 700 cans of Stokley's green beans without salt. Kroger is part owner of a data mining company. I don't even like it when the register at Meijer's (which doesn't use a loyalty card) spits out coupons for competing products based on what I just bought. I pass them to the person behind me. If you think you are being "rewarded" for loyalty or for purchsing brand x, you need to go back to home economics class or psych class and read up on behavior modification. All that nonsense about it being just like the personal service you used to get 40 years ago at the corner grocery is just that--nonsense. Loyalty plans are a huge industry with its own press releases, and that's most of the sources you'll find on the internet, or in newspapers, which are quite dependent on the advertising revenue from the stores using the loyalty plans. I am not in any way saying this is a bad business--but it is a business and their bottom line, not your feeling warm and fuzzy, is what matters.
Obviously, my friend who will travel around to various stores to take advantage of the coupons sent to her based her buying habits or specials and loss leaders, didn't see it my way. We just changed the subject. Here's a recent item from another blog.
Obviously, my friend who will travel around to various stores to take advantage of the coupons sent to her based her buying habits or specials and loss leaders, didn't see it my way. We just changed the subject. Here's a recent item from another blog.
- "Today’s loyalty card programs are not designed to reward the faithful — they are designed to help retailers gather incredible amounts of data about their customers. They use the data for supply chain management, for marketing and to figure out ways to change customer behavior. A loyalty card program is expensive to run. It requires a lot of storage for all that data and sophisticated data mining tools to pour through the raw data and turn it into useful information." IT Knowledge
Midwest Birding Symposium
What an eventful week-end. We left Thursday for Lakeside and returned on Sunday. We had a great time volunteering and were thrilled to attend some of the lectures by top birding experts. I know a whole lot more than I knew before, and will be blogging about it--after I catch up on groceries, sleep and unpacking.
As we were leaving the grounds this morning Mary said, "What's that?" And we said in unison, "A buzzard!" Now that was unexpected!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Valerie Jarrett, Obama's BFF
Both the left and right acknowledge her role. But this story lays it out and connects all the dots. She's affluent, well connected, far left and a slum lord. Her parents were friends with Bill Ayers' parents and her family tree is very--way out. Her mentor and buddy is Marilyn Katz, part of the 1968 SDS group and what they evolved to. No one gets to Obama without going through Valerie.
Don't miss Scott Baker and Liz Stephans interview with the author which will peel off the layers of Obama's tight circle of Communist friends, pampered radicals, racist and elistist advisers.
HT G & B
Don't miss Scott Baker and Liz Stephans interview with the author which will peel off the layers of Obama's tight circle of Communist friends, pampered radicals, racist and elistist advisers.
HT G & B
Performing a Mitzvah
There were some interesting letters to the WSJ in response to the opinion piece (Norman Podhoretz) on 9-11 which urged liberal Jews to "break free of the liberalism to which they have remained in thrall long past the point where it has served either their interests or their ideals." The writers responded about God's command for good works or mitzvah. Liberal Christians as well as Jews need to listen up here, because oddly enough, some Christians seem to think Jesus invented "good works" as the sum total of his ministry when in fact, nothing he said about how you treat your fellow man was new--he was reciting his religion--Judaism. As Podhoretz points out in his article
- "Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of "Jewish values." But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments.
Yet the Orthodox enclaves are the only Jewish neighborhoods where Republican candidates get any votes to speak of. Even more telling is that on every single cultural issue, the Orthodox oppose the politically correct liberal positions taken by most other American Jews precisely because these positions conflict with Jewish law. To cite just a few examples: Jewish law permits abortion only to protect the life of the mother; it forbids sex between men; and it prohibits suicide (except when the only alternatives are forced conversion or incest)."
- "One cannot perform a mitzvah by having the government take one person's property and give it to another."
"There is no argument in the Torah that requires all people to be materially equal."
"The Torah demands personal responsibility from all Jews at whatever station they hold in life."
"The highest form of charity is giving a person independence (work) so that he or she will not have to depend on charity."
"Over the past 150 years classical liberalism and free-market capitalism revolutionized economies and did more to improve the conditions of the poor than any other competing system."
"No where does the Bible instruct us to tax others and rely on government to feed the hungry and clothe the naked."
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Murray reports on 9/12, pt. 3
Observations on visiting Washington D.C.--trash and restrooms
1. The city of Washington provided very little aid to accommodate the marchers. For instance, there were no trash cans anywhere all the way up Pennsylvania Ave. I didn't see any until we got to the park area at the National Mall. In spite of this, it was reported that the Marchers, to their credit, left the city pretty much the way they found it. By comparison, at Obama's inauguration, the city was pretty well trashed. From what I could tell the only thing the city provided was police attention. Of course they could always explain it away with budget problems. LOL
2. There were no signs or indication of restrooms not even in the Metro terminals. Now I know that the sponsors of the March should have had a plan for this but still I would think the city has encountered this type of activity enough times to in being prepared. There were reports of 30 port-a-potties stationed at the National Mall area but I didn't see them. It's part of the reason this old man left when he did! If you ever take the Metro in Washington DC, prepare yourself as there are no restrooms at the terminals.
1. The city of Washington provided very little aid to accommodate the marchers. For instance, there were no trash cans anywhere all the way up Pennsylvania Ave. I didn't see any until we got to the park area at the National Mall. In spite of this, it was reported that the Marchers, to their credit, left the city pretty much the way they found it. By comparison, at Obama's inauguration, the city was pretty well trashed. From what I could tell the only thing the city provided was police attention. Of course they could always explain it away with budget problems. LOL
2. There were no signs or indication of restrooms not even in the Metro terminals. Now I know that the sponsors of the March should have had a plan for this but still I would think the city has encountered this type of activity enough times to in being prepared. There were reports of 30 port-a-potties stationed at the National Mall area but I didn't see them. It's part of the reason this old man left when he did! If you ever take the Metro in Washington DC, prepare yourself as there are no restrooms at the terminals.
Mary Travers dies
Two years ago I said I hoped the remark Mary Travers of Peter Paul and Mary had made about a Republican bone marrow donor was an urban legend. But according to the USAToday, it wasn't. Let's assume it was her disease speaking; or a very wry sense of humor intended to please her faithful fans.
My, hasn't it been a tough year for entertainers?
My, hasn't it been a tough year for entertainers?
Who's lying?
"Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) says there is evidence the government is not truthful about publicly funded healthcare for illegal immigrants.
Read the document
Since Joe Wilson's outburst, they've been scrambling to get this clarified and downplayed. I don't trust them. Hispanic groups of US citizens (and some not citizens) want them included. Let them create a foundation and provide aid.
Read the document
Since Joe Wilson's outburst, they've been scrambling to get this clarified and downplayed. I don't trust them. Hispanic groups of US citizens (and some not citizens) want them included. Let them create a foundation and provide aid.
Democrats don't want an apology. They want a side show
A message from Michael Steele:
"In another stunning example of hypocrisy, congressional Democrats wasted taxpayers' time and resources on a legislative measure to censure Congressman Joe Wilson so they don't have to talk about their exceedingly unpopular health care plan.
If we are going to march Members down to the well of the House to apologize, Joe Wilson is going to have to get in line behind Nancy Pelosi, who attacked the intelligence community who protects us, Charlie Rangel who cheated on his taxes, Jack Murtha - a walking scandal, and we all know how the Democratic leadership tried to protect convicted felon William Jefferson.
"In another stunning example of hypocrisy, congressional Democrats wasted taxpayers' time and resources on a legislative measure to censure Congressman Joe Wilson so they don't have to talk about their exceedingly unpopular health care plan.
If we are going to march Members down to the well of the House to apologize, Joe Wilson is going to have to get in line behind Nancy Pelosi, who attacked the intelligence community who protects us, Charlie Rangel who cheated on his taxes, Jack Murtha - a walking scandal, and we all know how the Democratic leadership tried to protect convicted felon William Jefferson.
- First, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) accuses the CIA of lying though an intelligence report indicates that she was briefed on the use of harsh interrogation tactics in 2002; contradicting her previous statements.
- Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) is under investigation for misusing rent controlled properties, avoiding taxes, and using U.S. government letterhead to raise money.
- Reps. John Murtha (D-PA) and Peter Visclosky (D-IN) have been linked to lobbying firm PMA, which has been raided twice by FBI agents.
- Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY) has refused to subpoena Countrywide Mortgage documents to investigate possible sweetheart loans; Towns received two loans from Countrywide.
- Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) forced aides to perform personal tasks against ethics rules and had them work on "several local and state campaigns including his wife's failed bid for a seat in the state senate."
- Heard any apologies from these people? Where are the outcries of the Democrat leadership?"
China in 1925
This summer at Lakeside I heard an excellent sports and religion lecture on the life of Eric Liddell (Chariots of Fire), who was born in China, educated in Scotland where he achieved Olympic fame, and who died in China in 1945 in a Japanese prison camp during WWII. This week I've been reading "Eric Liddell; something greater than gold" by Janet and Geoff Benge, part of a very well written series for middle school. I thought their brief summary of the China he returned to in 1925 was one of the better ones I've read. And since China now owns us (our debt) and their national memory may be better than ours, maybe we need a refresher.
- "Eric's father had written that there were basically three groups involved in the struggle. There were the local warlords, the Nationalists, or the Kuomintang, as they called themselves, and a new group, the Communists, who patterned themselves after the Bolsheviks, who had seized power in Russia and transformed that country into the Soviet Union. The Kuomintang was the largest and most powerful group and found most of its support in the cities. It was also recognized as the rightful government of China, though it by no means controlled the country. The Communists were a small but growing group, and most of their support came from the rural areas in the south of China.
As these different factions fought for control in various regions, it was not uncommon for some villages to change hands between a warlord, the Communists, and the Nationalists five or six times a year. Each time an army passed through a village, the village's occupants had their homes robbed and their food supplies stolen. When an army marched through the countryside, it would steal crops from the field and trample those not ready to harvest so that the other groups couldn't get their hands on them. This in turn had led to famine.
Apart from the fighting itself, China's other enemy was foreign influence. The people of China had been humiliated by the British during the First Opium War of 1839-42. China had many goods that Great Britain wanted to trade for, but the Chinese wanted nothing except silver from the British in return. When the British tried to force opium on the Chinese instead of silver as payment for the goods they wanted, the emperor had refused. He ordered all opium destroyed. This in turn angered the British, who began a war with China. The British easily won, and China was forced to sign a treaty to end the war. Not only did the treaty allow the British to import opium into China, but it also opened up a number of coastal cities where foreigners could live and trade. The treaty left the Chinese people feeling weak, powerless, and very angry.
Once China had been weakened, its neighbor, Japan, saw a great opportunity to expand. In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95, China had lost control of Taiwan completely as well as most of its influence over the Korean Peninsula.
In 1914, three years after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty, WWI began in Europe. China eventually sided with the Allies (Great Britain, France and Russia) against Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In joining with the Allies, China had hoped to be taken seriously as a nation and gain some respect as a country when the war was over. However, things did not work out that way.
At the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended WWI, the Allies completely ignored China's demand that in return for fighting in the war, foreign powers should pull out of the country and leave China to govern herself.
The people of China were furious at this result. They felt they had been betrayed by the Allies. This in turn, led to even more bitterness towards foreigners than had existed before the war. To the Chinese, foreigners along with their ways of doing things were symbols of China's humiliation.
It was to this China that Eric Liddell, now 23, would be returning. . . "
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Kos Kids turning on Obama
Call in Jimmy Carter to wag his finger (index) at them! The far left wing of blogdom has turned on the President of the United States! Read their comments.
Entertainers behaving badly
Kanye West at the MTV VMA awards insulted and flustered teenager Taylor Swift who'd just received an award--stealing her moment of glory. How she kept her composure and went on to perform live, shows she has a lot more class and talent than he has. After she appeared on The View, he apologized.
"More winners were revealed at the September 13 ceremony of the 26th Annual MTV Video Music Awards. This time, P. Diddy went onto the stage, announcing who was lucky to receive Best Male Video.
T.I. got the honor, thanks to his "Live Your Live" music video which guest stars Rihanna. There was no acceptance speech because the rapper is currently serving a 366-day prison sentence for felony weapons charges." (Aceshowbiz)
Then P. Diddy (Sean Combs, also a fashion designer and occasional actor), expecting everyone, including the NYPD to know who he is, or care that he is very rich and famous, forgot about his former arrests.
All bets are off on who was the racist in these incidents. But Jimmy Carter will probably be called in to decide.
"More winners were revealed at the September 13 ceremony of the 26th Annual MTV Video Music Awards. This time, P. Diddy went onto the stage, announcing who was lucky to receive Best Male Video.
T.I. got the honor, thanks to his "Live Your Live" music video which guest stars Rihanna. There was no acceptance speech because the rapper is currently serving a 366-day prison sentence for felony weapons charges." (Aceshowbiz)
Then P. Diddy (Sean Combs, also a fashion designer and occasional actor), expecting everyone, including the NYPD to know who he is, or care that he is very rich and famous, forgot about his former arrests.
- "Hip Hop mogul Diddy managed to avoid arrest after facing off with New York's "Hip Hop Police" recently.
Though all the details aren't immediately available, in a recent video posted by TMZ.com, Diddy is seen going back and forth with an NYPD officer after being asked to move.
"Lower your fucking voice when you're talking to me, I'm a man just like you" Diddy quipped at the aggressive officer.
"I gotta get everyone outta here [...] I don't give a fuck who you are," the unidentified officer screams at the rapper.
"I don't give a fuck who you are either motherfucker!" Diddy quickly retorted as he walked away.
Things quickly escalated when Diddy turn around to face off with the officer. Luckily for the rapper, his entourage held him back." Defsounds
All bets are off on who was the racist in these incidents. But Jimmy Carter will probably be called in to decide.
Maytag apologies for my corroded dishwasher racks
"Dear Ms Bruce:
Thank you for visiting the Maytag web site. We appreciate hearing from you.
We understand that you are interested in replacing the dishwasher racks.
The part numbers for the dishwasher racks are upper (W10269678) retails for $100.49 and lower part number (W10280784) retails for $143.25.
You may order by contacting Consumer Sales at 1800 442 9991, M-F, 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST.
The warranty for the racks covered Dura Guard nylon racks and the racks for this unit are vinyl.
Thank you for allowing us to assist you today.
You are a valued Maytag customer and we apologize for any inconvenience this concern may have caused."
--------------------------
So 3 months past the "platinum warranty" that cost $89, which apparently covered a different rack and wouldn't have been covered anyway, and all I get is this apology for a product they've known for years was corroding. DO NOT BUY MAYTAG!
Thank you for visiting the Maytag web site. We appreciate hearing from you.
We understand that you are interested in replacing the dishwasher racks.
The part numbers for the dishwasher racks are upper (W10269678) retails for $100.49 and lower part number (W10280784) retails for $143.25.
You may order by contacting Consumer Sales at 1800 442 9991, M-F, 8:00AM to 8:00PM EST.
The warranty for the racks covered Dura Guard nylon racks and the racks for this unit are vinyl.
Thank you for allowing us to assist you today.
You are a valued Maytag customer and we apologize for any inconvenience this concern may have caused."
--------------------------
So 3 months past the "platinum warranty" that cost $89, which apparently covered a different rack and wouldn't have been covered anyway, and all I get is this apology for a product they've known for years was corroding. DO NOT BUY MAYTAG!
Believing Ben
Justin Fox writes: "Yesterday afternoon, TIME.com's business editor, John Curran, recommended that I take a look at Ben Bernanke's speech at the Brookings Institution. I glanced at the text, saw that it was an exact repeat of the speech he'd given at Jackson Hole in August, and thought, naaaaah. A couple hours later I read online that in the Q&A after the speech Bernanke had said the recession was "very likely" over. Which is what everybody and his brother—including, I thought, Bernanke—has been saying for weeks. No news there, either, I figured.
So I when I picked up my NYT this morning I was a little surprised to see Bernanke's words highlighted on the front page (although at least the actual story was relegated to the front of the business section). Then I'm walking Curious Capitalist Jr. to school and I see the FT at a newsstand. The lead story: "Recession likely over in US, says Bernanke." When I got to work I checked the WaPo and WSJ. Front page of the WaPo: "Recovery Underway, Bernanke Suggests." Top of the "What's News" box in the WSJ (with the actual story at the top of A2): "Bernanke: Recession 'Likely Over.'"
Why on earth would all these newspapers, struggling to survive in straitened times, devote valuable space and reporting time to this non-news? It certainly can't be because of Ben "the impact ... of the problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained" Bernanke's brilliant record as an economic forecaster. Bernanke's words also didn't mark any sort of major change in his outlook. If Peter Schiff announced that he thought happy days were here again, now that would be news. Bernanke's Fed, meanwhile, has been giving pretty clear signals over the past couple of months that it thinks the recession is ending but the recovery will be weak. Which is exactly what Bernanke said yesterday. So again, why all the coverage? I can think of three main reasons." See what they are at Curious Capitalist
So I when I picked up my NYT this morning I was a little surprised to see Bernanke's words highlighted on the front page (although at least the actual story was relegated to the front of the business section). Then I'm walking Curious Capitalist Jr. to school and I see the FT at a newsstand. The lead story: "Recession likely over in US, says Bernanke." When I got to work I checked the WaPo and WSJ. Front page of the WaPo: "Recovery Underway, Bernanke Suggests." Top of the "What's News" box in the WSJ (with the actual story at the top of A2): "Bernanke: Recession 'Likely Over.'"
Why on earth would all these newspapers, struggling to survive in straitened times, devote valuable space and reporting time to this non-news? It certainly can't be because of Ben "the impact ... of the problems in the subprime market seems likely to be contained" Bernanke's brilliant record as an economic forecaster. Bernanke's words also didn't mark any sort of major change in his outlook. If Peter Schiff announced that he thought happy days were here again, now that would be news. Bernanke's Fed, meanwhile, has been giving pretty clear signals over the past couple of months that it thinks the recession is ending but the recovery will be weak. Which is exactly what Bernanke said yesterday. So again, why all the coverage? I can think of three main reasons." See what they are at Curious Capitalist
Finally
He's a little slow when it's not his team, but better late than never. Seen at Catholic Exchange.
- "President Obama issued a brief statement Sunday calling the Friday murder of Michigan pro-life veteran Jim Pouillon “deplorable.”
“Whichever side of a public debate you’re on, violence is never the right answer,” the president added."
Web of deception and corruption--ACORN
Today's Morning Bell has an item on the ACORN web--noting 174 entities. Which is why I say to John Fund, these folks aren't going anywhere!Poverty pimps just make way too much money to give up because of a few video tapes!
Jimmy Carter, one of the most maligned Democrat Presidents of modern times, calls our alarm about Obama’s direction and plans for our country, outlined by Saul Alinsky, racism. Last I looked, Jimmy is a white man, and the right didn’t have anything good to say about him or his one term presidency or his follow-up apology tours, so it is possible Mr. President, to dislike a politician’s policies regardless of gender, skin color, ethnicity, religion or amount of botox.
And from Catholic Exchange last October:
- "Despite the swiftness with which the Senate acted, this is hardly the first time ACORN has been accused of illegality. Last fall when ACORN was investigated for vote fraud in a dozen states, the New York Times reported that an internal ACORN legal memo raised “questions about whether the web of relationships among its 174 affiliates may have led to violations of federal laws.”
The Times reporter who wrote that story, Stephanie Strom wanted to pursue the story further, but she was discouraged by her superiors at the Times and gave up after blistering phone conversation with then-candidate Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Strom revealed in an email: “I’m calling a halt to my efforts. I just had two unpleasant calls with the Obama campaign, wherein the spokesman was screaming and yelling and cursing me, calling me a rightwing nut and a conspiracy theorist and everything else.” Explaining why she wanted to pursue the story further in another email Strom wrote:
"The real story to all this is how these myriad entities allow them to shuffle money around so much that no one really knows what’s getting spent on what — and for the charities like the housing orgs, that’s a problem. Charitable money cannot be spent on political activities. It’s a big no-no that can cost charitable organizations their exemptions."
Jimmy Carter, one of the most maligned Democrat Presidents of modern times, calls our alarm about Obama’s direction and plans for our country, outlined by Saul Alinsky, racism. Last I looked, Jimmy is a white man, and the right didn’t have anything good to say about him or his one term presidency or his follow-up apology tours, so it is possible Mr. President, to dislike a politician’s policies regardless of gender, skin color, ethnicity, religion or amount of botox.
And from Catholic Exchange last October:
- Obama trained ACORN activists. A 1995 Chicago Reader article on Obama stated “Obama continues his work largely through classes for future leaders identified by ACORN and the Centers for New Horizons.” Obama also ran Project Vote, known for widespread voter fraud, which Time magazine called “a non-partisan arm” of ACORN. In a speech to ACORN in 2007, cited by Newsmax, Obama gushed “I have been fighting alongside ACORN on issues you care about my entire career. Even before I was an elected official, when I ran Project Vote voter registration drive in Illinois. ACORN was smack dab in the middle of it and we appreciate your work.”
ACORN follows Saul Alinsky’s teachings to a tee. In Rules for Radicals (which was dedicated to Lucifer), Alinsky wrote “the morality of means depends on whether the means is being employed at a time of imminent defeat or imminent victory.” ACORN voter registration fraud is just shy of becoming epidemic. ACORN employees are facing investigation, indictment or prison time for voter fraud in at least a dozen states. During the Democrat primary, the Obama campaign paid Citizen Services Inc., a subsidiary of ACORN, more than $800,000.
Like Alinsky, who wrote “multiple issues mean constant action and life”, ACORN, through its “affiliates”, has its hands in numerous socialist projects in addition to voter fraud. ACORN Housing Corporation (AHC) was beyond knee-deep in the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac failures which have riveted our economy. Promoting an ACORN housing development in Texas on its website in 2006, ACORN boasted “in addition to providing access to AHP grants, ACORN’s lending partners provide low cost, easier to qualify for mortgage loans.”
- Alinsky's disciples -- including Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- have a warlike political style. They learned politics as war from the Master. Obama is so well-trained in Alinsky tactics that he used to teach workshops on it. That is why Obama can knowingly violate Federal law against usurping the presidential power to negotiate with Iraq before ever getting elected. Actual election to head of state by the voters means nothing, just as it means nothing to Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, who have negotiated with Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood in clear violation of law while serving in Congress.
Teaching hatred for the normal majority is the key to power for radicals. But Alinsky taught that you can't easily hate millions of people. To do that effectively you need a one-person scapegoat to focus all your hatred on. "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." That is the politics of personal destruction, and it doesn't matter if the target is black like Clarence Thomas, or a woman like Sarah Palin, or a severely wounded war veteran like John McCain."
Reducing health benefits
Avery Johnson reported today that "More companies are reducing health benefits or passing rising health care costs onto employees." (WSJ, 9-16-09, citing 2 surveys)
Isn't that a surprise? They knew they'd get either Hillarycare or Obamacare, they know they can't handle all the mandates, and the illegal, undocumented workers and their relatives, so they are passing along the costs.
How dumb are American employees? Don't they know how perks work? When I was employed at Ohio State, each year I received a benefits booklet. It showed two salary figures---what I was paid, and what it cost the university to employ me. The second figure was at least 25% higher than what I was paid--it added in the value of my vacation time, my sick leave, my health care, OSU's retirement contribution, plus all the other stuff I'd never use and didn't want--gymnasium use, tuition waivers, health care fairs, computer labs--so many I can't even remember them all. The advantage to "buying" your health care from your employer's plan is that it is one of those "tax loop holes" Obamacare will close in order to cover those 30 million. You'll probably soon be taxed for it off the top (because university employees had their own retirement system, we did pay into Medicare).
Isn't that a surprise? They knew they'd get either Hillarycare or Obamacare, they know they can't handle all the mandates, and the illegal, undocumented workers and their relatives, so they are passing along the costs.
How dumb are American employees? Don't they know how perks work? When I was employed at Ohio State, each year I received a benefits booklet. It showed two salary figures---what I was paid, and what it cost the university to employ me. The second figure was at least 25% higher than what I was paid--it added in the value of my vacation time, my sick leave, my health care, OSU's retirement contribution, plus all the other stuff I'd never use and didn't want--gymnasium use, tuition waivers, health care fairs, computer labs--so many I can't even remember them all. The advantage to "buying" your health care from your employer's plan is that it is one of those "tax loop holes" Obamacare will close in order to cover those 30 million. You'll probably soon be taxed for it off the top (because university employees had their own retirement system, we did pay into Medicare).
Corruption in the UN World Food Program
Now there's a shocker. UN contractors are corrupt--and in Somalia! Denise Brown, borrowing the Charlie Gibson line when she learned of the investigation, said she was unaware of the probe and is quite happy with the current system for tracking the food. Let's see, there are 3.5 million recipients, and the US alone donated $124 million in 2009 through USAID for food aid for Somalia. That doesn't even count what all the other European countries donating, who are investigating the corruption. I wonder how the farmers and small business people of Somalia compete against free food, or even corrupt food, distributed by family members of the most powerful business people, who are awarded the contracts?
I think I've received e-mail from some of those folks working for peace and stability in Somalia, if I'd just co-sign for $100,000 until they can get uncle the prince out of jail.
I think I've received e-mail from some of those folks working for peace and stability in Somalia, if I'd just co-sign for $100,000 until they can get uncle the prince out of jail.
Daring and Eloquent
That's what Georgie Anne Geyer called Obama's speech to Congress on a "crucial and complicated theme."
She's really angry with big insurance. I read through her article, and everything insurance, either private or government, is supposed to do, it has done for her. But she's still very, very angry. Her cancer sounded just awful, and one has to sympathize with her on that.
She battled cancer, but with her excellent insurance and terrific medical care and probably the latest in drugs and technology, she survived (this with lack of innovation and investment will all shrink under Obamacare). So what's she mad about? Her insurance was then cancelled. Legally. No tricks. She says they claimed she was an independent contractor and therefore not eligible for her employer's benefits. It's just like your car insurance if you haven't reported a DUI and later make a claim. I don't really know how they could do that unless she's filed that way with the IRS--but she doesn't go into much detail, and didn't deny it, just that she'd paid her premiums. A quick check with her syndicate's HR could settle that one. But they did pay for her cancer treatment. How many private contractors (free lance writers) should your syndicate have to pay for? Just you? What do the other writers do?
Have you checked with Timothy Geithner? He seemed baffled by the independent contractor rules too, and he's head of the IRS, formerly big poo-bah with the fed--maybe he could offer some sympathy.
Then she lauds Medicare and COBRA, both government plans, and AARP, a lobbyist for private insurance companies, which is apparently her supplemental coverage for what the government plans don't cover.
Well, lady, what do you think the rest of us old people are complaining about? The elders in the USA, many of whom aren't quite clear that Medicare IS socialized medicine, don't want to lose what they have, they like it. And you, by supporting Obama's "daring and eloquent speech" on a "complicated theme" (which seems to evolve each time he speaks on it) are trying to trash it.
She's really angry with big insurance. I read through her article, and everything insurance, either private or government, is supposed to do, it has done for her. But she's still very, very angry. Her cancer sounded just awful, and one has to sympathize with her on that.
She battled cancer, but with her excellent insurance and terrific medical care and probably the latest in drugs and technology, she survived (this with lack of innovation and investment will all shrink under Obamacare). So what's she mad about? Her insurance was then cancelled. Legally. No tricks. She says they claimed she was an independent contractor and therefore not eligible for her employer's benefits. It's just like your car insurance if you haven't reported a DUI and later make a claim. I don't really know how they could do that unless she's filed that way with the IRS--but she doesn't go into much detail, and didn't deny it, just that she'd paid her premiums. A quick check with her syndicate's HR could settle that one. But they did pay for her cancer treatment. How many private contractors (free lance writers) should your syndicate have to pay for? Just you? What do the other writers do?
Have you checked with Timothy Geithner? He seemed baffled by the independent contractor rules too, and he's head of the IRS, formerly big poo-bah with the fed--maybe he could offer some sympathy.
Then she lauds Medicare and COBRA, both government plans, and AARP, a lobbyist for private insurance companies, which is apparently her supplemental coverage for what the government plans don't cover.
Well, lady, what do you think the rest of us old people are complaining about? The elders in the USA, many of whom aren't quite clear that Medicare IS socialized medicine, don't want to lose what they have, they like it. And you, by supporting Obama's "daring and eloquent speech" on a "complicated theme" (which seems to evolve each time he speaks on it) are trying to trash it.
Let's eliminate the fraud and waste now
So writes Cameron Wiley, MD, in today's letters to the WSJ. If that's a problem in a government plan, why would making it bigger automatically eliminate the waste and fraud? Why didn't he start on that on Janaury 21 if he was in such a big rush to reduce costs, save lives, and make Americans healthier?
Because that isn't what this "reform" is all about. It's about power over an industry and control of our lives.
If it weren't, then he would have looked at the 30 million (noticed he reduced that from 47 million in his recent speeches, having apparently figured out the foreign element) and figured something out that didn't change it for the other 90%.
Because that isn't what this "reform" is all about. It's about power over an industry and control of our lives.
If it weren't, then he would have looked at the 30 million (noticed he reduced that from 47 million in his recent speeches, having apparently figured out the foreign element) and figured something out that didn't change it for the other 90%.
ACORN and the Seven Squirrelies
What a surprise. The two of the Seven (one independent, six Democrats) who voted to continue ACORN funding in the Senate are from Illinois--Burris and Durbin. Here's another gaggle of seven, from the DC Protest on the 12th: Shanky, Sleazy, Fishy, Queeny, Dopey, Cheaty, and Gaffy.
Photo by Murray
ACORN isn't going anywhere!
John Fund thinks ACORN may be finally running off the rails. That’s ridiculous.
ACORN is in violation of a number of laws, first and foremost, the tax laws for 501-charity and non-profits. They were a one candidate, one party front during the whole 2008 campaign and that's a violation of the tax laws. They registered illegals to vote, and bussed out of state voters here in Ohio. They took money from the Obama campaign to get out the vote. Barney Frank had them bussed to homes of CEOs after his mccarthysque hearings; Obamacare organizers had them bussed to the town hall meetings on health care to shout down concerned voters. I'd heard of ACORN voter intimidation and fraud investigations long before I'd ever heard of Barack Obama. But they certainly knew him!
ACORN appears under so many false and misleading patriotic scam names with beautiful, professional web sites--foreclosure workshops, tax preparers, poverty clinics, food distributors, after school care programs, etc.--it would take the combined forces of all the fresh faced wannabee journalists and unpaid interns at NYT, LATimes and WSJ to ferret them out.
With Holder as our AJ and Geithner head of IRS, there's no way they are going to spin off ACORN from Obama's close circle of advisors.
- “On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 83-7 to strip Acorn, the premier community organizing group on the left, of more than $1.6 million in federal housing money meant to assist low-income people obtain loans and prepare tax forms. This dramatic step followed last Friday's decision by the U.S. Census Bureau to sever its ties with the organization, one of several community groups it was partnering with to conduct the nation's head count.
Both of these actions came after secretly recorded videos involving employees in Acorn's Brooklyn, N.Y., Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Md. and San Bernardino, Calif. offices were televised on Fox News. The videos were recorded by two independent filmmakers who posed as a prostitute and a pimp and said they were planning to import underage women from El Salvador for the sex trade. They asked for and received advice on getting a housing loan and evading federal taxes.
In response, Acorn has so far fired four of the employees seen on the videos. But it claimed the videos were "doctored" and accused critics of a smear campaign and "racist coverage" of the incidents.
Such rhetoric in the past has deflected scrutiny of Acorn tactics, such as street demonstrations and boycotts against banks to force lower credit standards for home loans, which a congressional report found contributed to the subprime loan mess. But now Acorn may be finally running off the rails.”
ACORN is in violation of a number of laws, first and foremost, the tax laws for 501-charity and non-profits. They were a one candidate, one party front during the whole 2008 campaign and that's a violation of the tax laws. They registered illegals to vote, and bussed out of state voters here in Ohio. They took money from the Obama campaign to get out the vote. Barney Frank had them bussed to homes of CEOs after his mccarthysque hearings; Obamacare organizers had them bussed to the town hall meetings on health care to shout down concerned voters. I'd heard of ACORN voter intimidation and fraud investigations long before I'd ever heard of Barack Obama. But they certainly knew him!
ACORN appears under so many false and misleading patriotic scam names with beautiful, professional web sites--foreclosure workshops, tax preparers, poverty clinics, food distributors, after school care programs, etc.--it would take the combined forces of all the fresh faced wannabee journalists and unpaid interns at NYT, LATimes and WSJ to ferret them out.
With Holder as our AJ and Geithner head of IRS, there's no way they are going to spin off ACORN from Obama's close circle of advisors.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Will it be one more tax on marriage?
Obama wants to punish the most productive, the biggest contributors to the government in terms of taxes, even more. The top quintile. These are the ones whose wealth is transferred to the bottom fifth.
86% of the households in the top 5% are married couple families. Only 19% in the lowest 5th are married couple families. Also, the people in the top fifth have attained more education, with people holding professional degrees doing considerably better than PhDs. Is this "gap" so difficult to understand? Two people make more money than one. Check! One person working full time earns more than one person receiving transfer payments in the form of food stamps, subsidized housing and Medicaid. Check! What's so hard about that math?
Now, Obama is an educated man with a professional degree and he's married. He's made a ton of money writing about himself and being in government. Shouldn't he be able to figure out that he's killing the golden goose with his punitive tax plan? Since he doesn't mind telling people what to do, maybe he should just tell women to stay in school and get married before having a baby, instead of promising them that he'll take care of them as long as they're in the lowest quintile.
86% of the households in the top 5% are married couple families. Only 19% in the lowest 5th are married couple families. Also, the people in the top fifth have attained more education, with people holding professional degrees doing considerably better than PhDs. Is this "gap" so difficult to understand? Two people make more money than one. Check! One person working full time earns more than one person receiving transfer payments in the form of food stamps, subsidized housing and Medicaid. Check! What's so hard about that math?
Now, Obama is an educated man with a professional degree and he's married. He's made a ton of money writing about himself and being in government. Shouldn't he be able to figure out that he's killing the golden goose with his punitive tax plan? Since he doesn't mind telling people what to do, maybe he should just tell women to stay in school and get married before having a baby, instead of promising them that he'll take care of them as long as they're in the lowest quintile.
Murray reports on 9/12, pt. 2
The March began an hour early because the plaza could no longer contain the number of patriots as they just kept coming in with each Metro stop. So at 10:30 they began the March up Pennsylvania Ave. with a small but appropriate Revolutionary Band leading the way. It started smooth with the patriots positioned by state as best they could. I heard that every state was represented. As we marched the patriots would break into song and chant. The ones in the back would start a voice wave that was awesome. You could hear it coming from behind and reaching a crescendo as it got to us. We then joined in and you could hear it progress on up to the front. The singing and voice wave repeated as we progressed up Pennsylvania Ave. There were people on the sidelines cheering us on with personal cameras everywhere. There had to be a million pictures taken that day.
Capitalism was not dead as there were people selling flags, tee shirts, food and beverages. One old timer was pretty clever. He set up shop right in the middle of Pennsylvania Ave. selling bagels and bottled water. The patriots were young, old, people limping and in wheelchairs. It was a fantastic sight.
When we reached The National Mall it was an impressive sight. People as far as your eye could see. They were everywhere. The Fox news truck was there and as we paraded past their truck the people chanted we love Fox News. The CNN truck was there also. ABC, NBC, and CBS choose not to show up for this un-newsworthy event. We stood and listened to the various speakers for about an hour on the far side of the pond.
Unfortunately the sound system was inadequate and could not provide enough power to reach the thousands in attendance. We could only understand the speakers with the loudest voices. It was here that we started to hear from the crowd about how many people were in attendance. The numbers were from 10,000 to 2 million. It was next to impossible to be accurate because as we were walking back to the Metro around 2:00 p.m., people were still showing up and arriving. My best guess would be around 50,000 to 100,000. But to put this number into it's proper prospective, you must understand that not only were we on the far east coast but there were over 800 other "Tea Parties" going on in major cities all over the country.
So, what do we have here? We have one of the largest civil protest ever against our federal government in this country and the news media ignores it. ( Except Fox News) Our President leaves town to continue to campaign for HIS causes and our representatives cower where they can't be reached. Now, here we are at the very spot that thousands of citizens (many who are in this March) paid their respects to our new President at his inauguration and what does he do in return ? He and his cohorts turn their backs on the patriots of this country and refused to even acknowledge we exist. To me, this is like a declaration of war against their own countrymen! When you consider that our representatives, our President, the newspapers and the video news media all ignore the patriots of this country, there has to have been a carefully planned conspiracy that has been a long time in the making. There can be no other conclusion. They are muting the spirit of hope and change that is driving the patriots to rise up and be heard. How else can you explain that our President and the media are together to fight the spread and existence of the grass-roots movement if it isn't a conspiracy? Why, every major newspaper is involved.
All I can say is what I saw on 9/12 tells me that the patriots are prepared to fight for the preservation of our great country. They are definitely not going to sit idly by and watch the current administration destroy the greatest country in the world. Do you want to join this fight or watch this great country be destroyed? If you are interested in joining then you can do yourself a favor and watch Fox News as they are the only news service that I know of that keeps you up to date on what your government is doing to you while you are not looking. Someone said, "Do not pay attention to what Obama says, but what he does!" I wish I would have said that.
Murray reports on 9/12, pt. 1
I would have sent this sooner but you have to understand that you're dealing with a 71 year old that drove 950 miles, marched 3 miles, and then drove back 950 miles over 4 days. I was pooped. But it was worth every minute and I would do it again.
When we got to the Freedom Plaza at 9:30 a.m. on 9/12 and saw the thousands of patriot grass-root protesters already filling the square it was AWESOME! It was emotional, inspiring and encouraging. It was all of those things because it proved that the SPIRIT OF AMERICA was alive. The spirit that started this country of ours and built it to greatness.
I left Mt. Morris and picked up my son-in-law in Sidney, Ohio. We stayed at a motel in Rockville, Md. When we went for breakfast the next morning the motel breakfast area was packed with patriots from Michigan. The excitement had already started. These people came prepared to voice a message to our President and representatives. The message wasn't just about healthcare as some will lead you to believe, it was about that plus all the reckless spending that has taken place the last several months. These people weren't the dangerous, threatening, angry "mob" that the Democrats claim is behind the protest. They were simply frustrated grass-roots taxpayers who do not agree with the direction our government is taking us. They wanted someone to listen to the voices of the masses. So far they have been muted by the press, the video networks and their own representatives. The lens caps remain on the network's cameras.
We took the Metro down to the Freedom Plaza where the March was to begin. While I was waiting at one of the changeovers I had two young ladies eyeing my sign which read PUT "WE THE PEOPLE" BACK IN GOVERNMENT. One of them ask what it was all about. I ask them if they knew what was happening that day and they said no. They had not heard of The March on Washington. So I turned my sign over to the message on the other side which read WHERE IS? NBC, CBS, ABC and said this is the reason why. I told them this was going to be one of the largest civil protest ever and the media has not considered it newsworthy. They asked good questions and I provided answers. Healthcare care up and one lady said she didn't have health insurance. I told her that if Obamacare went through she would have no choice, she would have to buy health insurance. She didn't know what to say. When it was time to leave they shook my hand and thanked me for providing them with the information about what was happening that day in their city and to their country.
We boarded the Metro and the excitement was mounting as we made each stop along the way and more and more patriots boarded. By the time we reached Freedom Plaza the Metro was so jammed packed it was almost impossible for passengers to get on or off. Then it happened. We walked out to the plaza around 9:30 and there they were. Thousands of grass-roots patriots already assembled in the square for a March that wasn't to begin until 11:30. There they were both young and old from everywhere across the country. Signs and flags waving with singing and chanting U.S.A ! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! I was moved. I was overjoyed. I was proud. I was glad I was a part of this and wished every grass- root patriotic American could feel that moment of electricity and power that can be achieved peacefully. The crowd was in unison singing, "God Bless America" and The National Anthem. Their many sign messages were clear, precise and to the point. There where no disagreements or arguments taking place as to what direction the country should take. People were friendly but focused and determined to have their messages be heard and seen by their representatives.
Van Jones and Louis Caldera both hired by Podesta
Center for American Progress is a leftist think tank funded by George Soros and founded by the well-connected John Podesta, President Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, and President-elect Barack Obama’s chief of staff for the presidential transition. Located in Washington, D.C., the Center for American Progress, according to Wikipedia, has a campus outreach group, Campus Progress, and a sister advocacy organization, the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Citing the significant number of its staff and former staff that have been appointed to positions in the Obama Administration, Time magazine recently declared that there is "no group in Washington with more influence at this moment in history." (Here's what CAP thinks of conservatives--they poll their own readers.)
CAP is also a foster home for the under-the-bus Obama appointees. Louis Caldera, the head of the White House military office forced out over the controversial Air Force One photo-op over the Statue of Liberty, became a senior fellow at CAP in June. Then Podesta also took in Van Jones, the recently resigned-in-the-middle-of-the night green czar of Obama. Podesta had a weepy (or was it wee-wee'd--I can't locate it) letter published in the Wall Street Journal extolling Van Jones virtues.
Actually, Jones, a "truther," says he "chose to quit rather than cost Obama the political capital it would have taken to save his job, saying now was not the time for the President to turn his attention from his agenda." (NY Daily News) Is it right wing McCarthyism and smears?
CAP is also a foster home for the under-the-bus Obama appointees. Louis Caldera, the head of the White House military office forced out over the controversial Air Force One photo-op over the Statue of Liberty, became a senior fellow at CAP in June. Then Podesta also took in Van Jones, the recently resigned-in-the-middle-of-the night green czar of Obama. Podesta had a weepy (or was it wee-wee'd--I can't locate it) letter published in the Wall Street Journal extolling Van Jones virtues.
Actually, Jones, a "truther," says he "chose to quit rather than cost Obama the political capital it would have taken to save his job, saying now was not the time for the President to turn his attention from his agenda." (NY Daily News) Is it right wing McCarthyism and smears?
- All Jones did was adjust the focus of the same “career” he’d always had – that of radical left-wing activist – to focus on pushing the latest fashionable excuse for all the same policies the left always wants.
The “revolution” Jones seeks would re-order the entire economy to take state control of private wealth and redistribute it to the hapless proletariat. This is the same agenda the Democratic Party has embraced for more than a generation, offering whatever excuse might sell the idea. They’ve been trying to sell poverty and health care as excuses to do this since at least the 1960s. Even the anti-war movement is, at least in part, about wanting to re-allocate the Pentagon budget for social do-gooder programs administered by the agencies and nonprofits that employ so many of these people. Dan Calabrese
We're looking out for you (pimp and prostitute) says ACORN
The DC office of ACORN is a bit more sophisticated and savvy than the Baltimore office, but they are sure looking out for their clients, especially the cute guy who wants to become a politician. Need to hire any tax preparers? I hear they are looking for work.
Too much exposure?
Is this over exposure or just naked power?
Good news: Obama to appear on five separate chat shows Sunday morning to push ObamaCare
He won't appear on Fox or the Foodie nextwork. One commenter wrote: “Anapple Obama a day, keeps the doctor away.”
Good news: Obama to appear on five separate chat shows Sunday morning to push ObamaCare
He won't appear on Fox or the Foodie nextwork. One commenter wrote: “An
The Signage at the 9/12 Protest
From a friend of a friend of a friend--Paula's account of 9/12 in DC. And this is just a small part of it. But it will probably go viral, and you'll see it.
Signage was amazing. . .swastikas everywhere. . .well, not exactly. I saw one sign that had two swastikas on it but the message was "Never Again." I carried two signs: "Don't ruin the health-care that saved my life" with a pink breast cancer ribbon and "to PresBO: if you misrepresent, we will call you out." I guess the last one could be considered a threat, but wasn't considered that when the president said it. Hobie's signs were pretty extreme: "Stop the Spending" and "Cut the Bureaucracy." Most signs were home-made, as we can't afford those slick things used by the unions.
American ingenuity in slogans always amazes me. Some of my random favorites were:
Signage was amazing. . .swastikas everywhere. . .well, not exactly. I saw one sign that had two swastikas on it but the message was "Never Again." I carried two signs: "Don't ruin the health-care that saved my life" with a pink breast cancer ribbon and "to PresBO: if you misrepresent, we will call you out." I guess the last one could be considered a threat, but wasn't considered that when the president said it. Hobie's signs were pretty extreme: "Stop the Spending" and "Cut the Bureaucracy." Most signs were home-made, as we can't afford those slick things used by the unions.
American ingenuity in slogans always amazes me. Some of my random favorites were:
-- a very artistic skull and crossbones draped in black: "He lied, Grandma died"
-- picture of MLK: "he had a dream".....picture of BHO: "we got a nightmare"
-- "czar strangled banner" - a "flag" with pictures of the 30+ czars on the field of blue
-- "even my dog has a birth certificate"
-- "ACORN: because every pimp needs a federally funded home" (if you don't understand this one, you've not done your homework)
-- "Democrats have ACORN; Republicans need to grow some NUTS"
-- "bankrupting America - one unread bill at a time"
-- "tell the czar the peasants are pissed"
-- "28 years ago I fled communism and now it is catching up with me"
-- "Obamacare = Rationed Care," held by a well-costumed grim reaper
-- a picture of a backbone, and the words "Republicans need to grow one"
-- "national health care is like a hospital gown - you think you are covered but you are not" - you can imagine the visual that went with that.
-- "Congressional pink slips - coming soon"
-- "Stop bailing - you're drowning my kids"
-- "Truly toxic assets - U.S. Senate and House...stop whining and start resigning"
-- "seniors should not become shovel-ready projects"
-- "we are here to give corrupt public servants end-of-job counseling"
-- "get your hands off my private sector"
-- "what about transparency?"
-- "under Barack, America will go Ba-roke"
-- "I love my country but not this government'
-- "Bankrupt America?....yes we can"
-- "pucker up, Nancy...kiss my astroturf" (again, if you don't understand...homework time)
-- "Save the Constitution"
-- "Will the real Barack Obama please stand up?"
-- "stop, think, read, vote"
-- "Bush Republicans bankrupted America - Obama socialists are destroying what is left"
and my personal favorite,
-- "Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant." - James Madison
Governor Strickland's illegal immigrant problem
Henry Guzman, Ohio's Safety Director, resigned in August. About a year late. From AP:
Again, it looks like the Republicans and our ever vigilant "free press" were asleep at the switch. That automobile registration means they could register to vote--a fact I'm sure was not lost on ACORN. But not to worry. A runner could earn $8,000 a week getting license plates for illegals, and so it's sort of Guzman's stimulus plan.
- [His] Department of Public Safety delayed a proposed crackdown [on registrations and plates for illegals] for more than a year, a newspaper [Columbus Dispatch] reported Sunday.
Director Henry Guzman, whose last day is Friday, delayed the proposed crackdown after meeting with Latino business owners and those who profited by charging fees to falsify power-of-attorney forms to obtain registrations for illegal immigrants, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Guzman announced his resignation last Aug. 27 because of a feud with State Highway Patrol Superintendent Richard Collins, who also resigned.
Guzman did not know that so-called "runners" - Latinos with legal U.S. residency who collected fees of more than $100 each to get the registrations - were present at a July 31, 2008, meeting to discuss a crackdown on the policy scheduled to begin the next day, officials said. Car dealers, financing and insurance company officials were worried about their bottom lines and undocumented workers' ability to drive and support their families.
New restrictions didn't take effect until Aug. 24 of this year. The new policy requires a valid driver's license number or state ID number for the person receiving the registration when power-of-attorney forms are used. . .
Ohio House Minority Leader Bill Batchelder, a Medina Republican, said the new policy should have been in place to keep undocumented workers from getting registrations. Any problems could be worked out over time, he said.
"I'm absolutely baffled," Batchelder said. "They were intentionally permitting the law to be violated. It's unbelievable."
Records show that BMV investigators have considered Ohio to be a haven for the registration of vehicles by illegal immigrants - inside and outside the state - for at least four years.
Ohio only required a Social Security number for a person to register a vehicle on behalf of another with a power-of-attorney form. Federal law prohibited the state from checking the numbers to verify identities.
Again, it looks like the Republicans and our ever vigilant "free press" were asleep at the switch. That automobile registration means they could register to vote--a fact I'm sure was not lost on ACORN. But not to worry. A runner could earn $8,000 a week getting license plates for illegals, and so it's sort of Guzman's stimulus plan.
Bill Maher's sexism and racism
He's good at finding subliminal racism in others, like an abbreviation for "negative," but stuck on stupid about sexual slavery and "don't teach them to read" advice from ACORN. Just google Bill Maher and ACORN. Oops. Nothing there. Oh, except to shoot the messenger.
- Glenn Beck’s army of zombie retirees are marching on Washington in protest of, well, everything. It’s the Million Moron March, although they won’t get a million of course, because many will be confused and drive to Washington state. But they will make news, because people who take to the streets always do. They’re at the town hall screaming at the congressmen, we’re on the couch screaming at the TV.
One year anniversary since Lehman and Ike
Yes, Hurricane Ike also hit Ohio with $553 million in losses, the second most expensive storm to ever hit. But unless you live here, you probably don't remember. The Lehman crisis you may recall--lots of news stories about it yesterday. WSJ (9-15) our nation's most liberal newspaper (can't find a thing to report about ACORN) had several related comments, op-eds and observations:
- Speeches were made which the authors (By John Cochrane and Luigi Zingales) paraphrase tongue in cheek: "The financial system is about to collapse. We can't tell you why. We need $700 billion. We can't tell you what we're going to do with it." from "Lehman and the financial crisis"
"One year, 2 CEO's and $82 billion since the government rescue of AIG, monsters are still rattling in the closet." Dennis K. Berman, "The Game."
"At the height of the [housing] boom, just 20% of Universal Lending [Denver] mortgages were backed by FHA, which guarantees loans to borrowers who can't afford big down payments. Today FHA accounts for more than 80% of his business," more government, more paper work, but more sales. It's no longer free enterprise for Peter Lansing. "Today I think of my self as a government contractor. . . Plan B is to sell pencils on the corner." John Helsinrath, "No easy exit." Gee, I hope all those doctors who think a public option is OK for health insurance are paying attention to Mr. Lansing's business.
- 1. Stocks are up nearly 50% since early March.
2. Housing markets are stabilizing.
3. So are auto markets. (Sorry Chrysler dealers and pension plans)
4. Consumer confidence was higher in mid-September than was originally forecast.
5. Labor markets, although grim, are stabilizing.
6. Global trade is rebounding.
7. Durable goods orders are climbing.
8. Core inflation rates are trending lower in many countries.
9. Inflation seems to be under control.
10.Risky bonds are climbing.
Monday, September 14, 2009
If you want to witness a real hate crime
Just go to Google and type in "Hate crimes against women." Personally, I don't think special laws are needed for specific groups--gays, blacks, the elderly, etc. Most black men are killed by other black men; most gays are killed by other gays; most elderly are not abused, but are injured from their own confusion and neglect. Hate crimes are just laws to trip up the white majority--they rarely apply to minorities. But if there were a need for a special kind of law to hang someone twice for the same crime, it should be those against women. We saw the President of the United States jump to the defense of Louis Gates, with no knowledge of the situation, a man who had been locked out of his house and the police called when it appeared to a neighbor that he was trying to break in. We saw him speak out on the death of Tiller an abortionist; and the death of a museum guard. All men. Meanwhile, all over the nation, women were being beat up, raped and murdered, and not a peep from Washington.
Shortly before we left northern Ohio to return home, the local Toledo stations were all reporting the death of a women tied up and weighted down with cement blocks and dropped in a marina. You probably didn't hear about it. I'd call that hate, wouldn't you? Last summer it was the pregnant white Akron mother killed by her black policeman boyfriend, and father of her toddler who witness his mother being shot. No one called that a hate crime. What about the young girl held prisoner in the back yard of her captor, raped and forced to bear his children? Sounds like hate, not lust. Only the bizarre story could bump Michael Jackson off the news for a few minutes. And remember the guy who shot up that exercise class? How many women did he kill? He didn't even know them. But they were women. Now they've found the body of Annie Le, the missing Yale student and bride to be, hidden in the basement of a medical building.
The despicable crimes against the women of Darfur at the UN refugee camp in Chad so far exceed anything that happened at Abu Graib or Gitmo, you can't even put them in the same category. But what gets the headlines? Whatever fits the liberal agenda, and feminism aside, which these days won't even speak out against Muslim oppression for fear of losing their position on the left, crimes against women really aren't important. . . because they are. . .after all. . . just women.
Shortly before we left northern Ohio to return home, the local Toledo stations were all reporting the death of a women tied up and weighted down with cement blocks and dropped in a marina. You probably didn't hear about it. I'd call that hate, wouldn't you? Last summer it was the pregnant white Akron mother killed by her black policeman boyfriend, and father of her toddler who witness his mother being shot. No one called that a hate crime. What about the young girl held prisoner in the back yard of her captor, raped and forced to bear his children? Sounds like hate, not lust. Only the bizarre story could bump Michael Jackson off the news for a few minutes. And remember the guy who shot up that exercise class? How many women did he kill? He didn't even know them. But they were women. Now they've found the body of Annie Le, the missing Yale student and bride to be, hidden in the basement of a medical building.
The despicable crimes against the women of Darfur at the UN refugee camp in Chad so far exceed anything that happened at Abu Graib or Gitmo, you can't even put them in the same category. But what gets the headlines? Whatever fits the liberal agenda, and feminism aside, which these days won't even speak out against Muslim oppression for fear of losing their position on the left, crimes against women really aren't important. . . because they are. . .after all. . . just women.
Fix Health Care Policy
Yes, let's. . . Fix Health Care Policy
The Problem. Obama wants to make all the decisions.
The Solution. Individuals and families make the decisions.
America's health care system is one-sixth of the entire economy -- larger than Britain's. Restructuring something that large and complex in one massive bill rammed through Congress is a fool's errand.
The Problem. Obama wants to make all the decisions.
The Solution. Individuals and families make the decisions.
America's health care system is one-sixth of the entire economy -- larger than Britain's. Restructuring something that large and complex in one massive bill rammed through Congress is a fool's errand.
Remembering how we got here
Was it just two years ago we woke up to the damage the sub-prime loans and putting people into mortgage products they couldn't possibly pay was going to do to all of us? Usually, I don't search out Wikipedia for answers, but this little paragraph really sums it up nicely. The numbers refer to its footnotes.
Interesting that I got to this article through another article on "Centrally Planned Economies" which used the CRA to show how it's done in America.
- The Community Reinvestment Act (or CRA, Pub.L. 95-128, title VIII, 91 Stat. 1147, 12 U.S.C. § 2901 et seq.) is a United States federal law designed to encourage commercial banks and savings associations to meet the needs of borrowers in all segments of their communities, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.[1][2][3]
Congress passed the Act in 1977 to reduce discriminatory credit practices against low-income neighborhoods, a practice known as redlining.[4][5] The Act requires the appropriate federal financial supervisory agencies to encourage regulated financial institutions to meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered, consistent with safe and sound operation. (See full text of Act and current regulations.[1] To enforce the statute, federal regulatory agencies examine banking institutions for CRA compliance, and take this information into consideration when approving applications for new bank branches or for mergers or acquisitions.[6]
- Community groups only slowly organized to take advantage of their right under the Act to complain about law enforcement of the regulations."
Interesting that I got to this article through another article on "Centrally Planned Economies" which used the CRA to show how it's done in America.
English Pronunciation
Last week I was at a local department store attempting to spread some money around to help the economy (I got a lovely one piece, full coverage swim suit for only $6 marked down from $40 and I don't even swim!) and I was behind a good old boy with tattooed arms neck to wrist who was attempting to be pleasant with the Pakistani check out clerk. I didn't understand a word he was saying; and I'm sure she didn't either. When it was my turn, I was tempted to mention it to her, but wasn't sure how much English she knew other than the basics--did you find what you need and sign here.
I noticed OSU has a class that even non-foreign students are allowed to take called
I noticed OSU has a class that even non-foreign students are allowed to take called
- Pronunciation
Understanding English Pronunciation
02 credit hours
"An overview of the English sound system, with emphasis on understanding meaningful distinctions in rhythm, stress, and reductions. In-class practice of listening and speaking skills."
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Rebuke your representative
if she tries to vote on a formal House rebuke of Joe Wilson. He has already apologized and the President accepted it. Harry Reid and John Murtha have never apologized to anyone for their outrageous speeches and acts, and they never will.
Donations pouring in for Wilson
Politico reports
Notice Politico's wording and scare quotes. (Liberal site which struggles with fairness) Why is a Drudge Report called high profile, but ALL the MSM supporting Obama isn't? And Reid's calling Bush a liar and loser many times wasn't sharpest terms, but Wilson's spontaneous outburst was?
- "A source on Rep. Joe Wilson's campaign says his fundraising has broken $1 million -- and surpassed that of his Democratic rival, Rob Miller -- since his outburst of "You lie!" during President Obama's address to Congress Wednesday.
The source said Wilson's current tally is $1,005,021 from 18,859 donations amid a high-profile campaign on the Drudge Report and elsewhere telling conservatives that Wilson is "under attack" for his willingness to take on Obama.
Wilson, who initially apologized for his words, is now riding a reaction that has surpassed the liberal backlash to his words: Miller has raised less than $900,000, according to the Democratic fundraising site ActBlue -- though still more than enough to envigorate his challenge. [this was updated later to a million for miller]
Still, Wilson's success -- despite having been criticized by Republican leaders -- represents the power of the conservative grassroots to reward politicians who confront the White House in the sharpest terms. Link.
Notice Politico's wording and scare quotes. (Liberal site which struggles with fairness) Why is a Drudge Report called high profile, but ALL the MSM supporting Obama isn't? And Reid's calling Bush a liar and loser many times wasn't sharpest terms, but Wilson's spontaneous outburst was?
No trash day
Over at The Lonely conservative there is an interesting photo essay about the lack of trash left by the tea party folks. She has photos of the Obama inauguration compared to the 9/12 tea party. Maybe it's people who walk the talk, (the green-goes have bad manners but talk a good line), or maybe these protesters just bent over during the walk and looked for a trash receptacle. Being primarily conservatives, they've probably figured out tax dollars have to clean up trash. The photos of the trash left after the Obama event were the worst I've ever seen and apparently there wasn't a very timely pick up afterwards. Sort of a foretaste of what would happen to the economy. But just as the media has underestimated the number who attended, they'll probably over estimate the trash problem it created.
We'll try to get a first hand report from Murray when he returns.
Hispanic Pastors respond to ELCA Sexuality statement
"We have received with profound sadness the ELCA Churchwide Assembly decision of passing a Social Statement on Human Sexuality which significantly changes the historical teaching and practice of the Church on Sexuality. We have also read with great disappointment and grave concern the changing of our ministry standards, allowing non-celibate homosexual pastors, associates in ministry, diaconal ministers, and deaconesses to serve as rostered leaders in the ELCA.
We, Hispanic ELCA rostered leaders of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, REPUDIATE these new policies, declaring them to be incompatible with Christian teaching, the tradition of the Christian Church, and our consciences. As Martin Luther did in his own day, we reject the idea that ANY human being, prelate, council, or Assembly, can rightfully vote to invalidate the teachings of Holy Scripture.
It is clear to us that the ELCA has decided to stop recognizing the Authority of the Bible, presenting a different and diluted Gospel not in accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures (Galatians 1:6-10). Therefore, we RENOUNCE the decision of the Churchwide Assembly and will continue to uphold the clear Biblical standards for marriage, family, and sexuality."
From the CORE website
If you haven't been following this painful, long drawn out battle, read "How the ELCA Left the Great Tradition for Liberal Protestantism" at Christianity Today.
We, Hispanic ELCA rostered leaders of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, REPUDIATE these new policies, declaring them to be incompatible with Christian teaching, the tradition of the Christian Church, and our consciences. As Martin Luther did in his own day, we reject the idea that ANY human being, prelate, council, or Assembly, can rightfully vote to invalidate the teachings of Holy Scripture.
It is clear to us that the ELCA has decided to stop recognizing the Authority of the Bible, presenting a different and diluted Gospel not in accordance with the teaching of the Scriptures (Galatians 1:6-10). Therefore, we RENOUNCE the decision of the Churchwide Assembly and will continue to uphold the clear Biblical standards for marriage, family, and sexuality."
From the CORE website
If you haven't been following this painful, long drawn out battle, read "How the ELCA Left the Great Tradition for Liberal Protestantism" at Christianity Today.
- Right before the vote on the Social Statement a totally unexpected tornado hit the Minneapolis Conference Center where we were meeting as well as the huge Central Lutheran Church next door, knocking the cross off one of its towers. Orthodox voting members saw the work of God in the tornado's cross-toppling effects and in the vote that passed with a .666 majority. Revisionists noted that the sun came out after the vote. In response the orthodox quipped that the sun comes out almost every day, but rogue tornados are pretty rare!
H1N1 Flu
I've been looking over the suggestions at the Ohio State health site (even has a blog) and the CDC 2009 H1N1 Flu site, and it looks to me that one of the best things you can do is get the regular flu shot, because I don't really see much difference in the list of symptoms. In fact, I see no difference.
Also, I don't think this will help the economy much with people missing work at the first sign of a sniffle and staying home from cultural and sporting events, which in turn hurts restaurants.
I just hate, hate, hate even catching a cold, which for me usually lasts 6 weeks. So I'll really be awful if I get the flu.
And while researching this I came across the sites that think this is a conspiracy between the government and big pharma and I think the WHO (UN) is in that mix someplace. Yawn. Have you noticed evil and sin can never happen or evolve. There always has to be a committee planning it?
- •fever greater than 100 degrees
•cough
•sore throat
•body aches
•headache
•chills and fatigue
•respiratory congestion
Also, I don't think this will help the economy much with people missing work at the first sign of a sniffle and staying home from cultural and sporting events, which in turn hurts restaurants.
I just hate, hate, hate even catching a cold, which for me usually lasts 6 weeks. So I'll really be awful if I get the flu.
And while researching this I came across the sites that think this is a conspiracy between the government and big pharma and I think the WHO (UN) is in that mix someplace. Yawn. Have you noticed evil and sin can never happen or evolve. There always has to be a committee planning it?
History repeats itself
A cartoon from the 1930s (I haven't vetted it, so if it's as phony as an ACORN registration gig, it's still true) seen at The Lonely Conserative The artist in the foreground writes "Spend spend spend, under the guise of recovery. Blame the capitalists." Stalin lurks in the background. There's even some pinkos from Harvard and Columbia enjoying the ride. Yes, change a few names and it is deja vu all over again. FDR managed to extend the Depression about a decade after Hoover's failed policies.
ACORN loses Census account
"ACORN Housing Corporation received $1.6 million to provide housing services to low-income communities in this fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, according to USASpending.gov, a federal government Web site for tracking government grants.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants has given $8.2 million to ACORN in the years between 2003 and 2006, as well as $1.6million to ACORN affiliates.
HUD could not be reached for comment.
The hidden-camera videos, released this week, showed workers in two separate ACORN housing offices apparently helping a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute evade the IRS and apply for an illegal housing loan for a brothel. A 25-year-old independent filmmaker, James O'Keefe, posed as the pimp in the undercover expose, which was conceived by a friend, 20-year-old Hannah Giles, who posed as a prostitute.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the offices shown in the videos had received any of ACORN's federal grant money for housing services.
The Census Bureau notified ACORN on Friday in a letter that it is severing all ties with the group for all work having to do with the 2010 census.
"Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN's affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010 Census efforts," read a letter from Census Director Robert M. Groves to the president of ACORN.
"Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed through your many local offices. For the reasons stated, we therefore have decided to terminate the partnership," the letter said." (FoxNews.com)
ACORN, not surprisingly, is going to retaliate big time against Fox. After all, exposing the schemes that some very rich white guys think up to fool and scam minorities can get you in a peck o' trouble. When can the rest of us expect the NYT, LATimes, CNN, NBC, etc. to start doing a little homework on the side? Their main job seems to be as campaign hustlers for Obama. Still, it shows a certain shallowness when a saucy story with a pimp, prostitute and underage sex slaves gets Americans more worked up than obvious voter fraud in 2008 which helped elect the president and the corresponding crimes in 2006 and 2007 of luring bad credit risks into homes with sub-prime loans and grabbing big fees.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development Grants has given $8.2 million to ACORN in the years between 2003 and 2006, as well as $1.6million to ACORN affiliates.
HUD could not be reached for comment.
The hidden-camera videos, released this week, showed workers in two separate ACORN housing offices apparently helping a couple posing as a pimp and prostitute evade the IRS and apply for an illegal housing loan for a brothel. A 25-year-old independent filmmaker, James O'Keefe, posed as the pimp in the undercover expose, which was conceived by a friend, 20-year-old Hannah Giles, who posed as a prostitute.
It wasn't immediately clear whether the offices shown in the videos had received any of ACORN's federal grant money for housing services.
The Census Bureau notified ACORN on Friday in a letter that it is severing all ties with the group for all work having to do with the 2010 census.
"Over the last several months, through ongoing communication with our regional offices, it is clear that ACORN's affiliation with the 2010 Census promotion has caused sufficient concern in the general public, has indeed become a distraction from our mission, and may even become a discouragement to public cooperation, negatively impacting 2010 Census efforts," read a letter from Census Director Robert M. Groves to the president of ACORN.
"Unfortunately, we no longer have confidence that our national partnership agreement is being effectively managed through your many local offices. For the reasons stated, we therefore have decided to terminate the partnership," the letter said." (FoxNews.com)
ACORN, not surprisingly, is going to retaliate big time against Fox. After all, exposing the schemes that some very rich white guys think up to fool and scam minorities can get you in a peck o' trouble. When can the rest of us expect the NYT, LATimes, CNN, NBC, etc. to start doing a little homework on the side? Their main job seems to be as campaign hustlers for Obama. Still, it shows a certain shallowness when a saucy story with a pimp, prostitute and underage sex slaves gets Americans more worked up than obvious voter fraud in 2008 which helped elect the president and the corresponding crimes in 2006 and 2007 of luring bad credit risks into homes with sub-prime loans and grabbing big fees.
Geithner's on top of this tax cheat scheme
Sept. 8, 2009 "WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced that the United States and Monaco have signed an agreement to allow for the exchange of information on tax matters between the two countries. The agreement was signed by Deputy Secretary Neal Wolin and Minister Franck Biancheri in Washington.
"This Administration is wholeheartedly committed to combating offshore tax evasion," said Deputy Secretary Wolin. "We are working with countries like Monaco to ensure that the IRS has access to the information that it needs to enforce U.S. tax law. Today's agreement serves as an example for other financial centers around the world and reflects our continued efforts to end the use of offshore accounts as a tool for tax evasion." (Weekly Digest e-mail from U.S. Department of the Treasury) "
What I wrote about Timothy Geithner on January 15
Is there a double standard based on race? Van Jones has to go because he's a loud mouth paranoid bigot, but the white guy crook with good manners gets to be a member of the inner circle?
"This Administration is wholeheartedly committed to combating offshore tax evasion," said Deputy Secretary Wolin. "We are working with countries like Monaco to ensure that the IRS has access to the information that it needs to enforce U.S. tax law. Today's agreement serves as an example for other financial centers around the world and reflects our continued efforts to end the use of offshore accounts as a tool for tax evasion." (Weekly Digest e-mail from U.S. Department of the Treasury) "
What I wrote about Timothy Geithner on January 15
- Someone at IRS gave Geithner a pass Go, do not go to jail card, because he was too big to fail. It was the Obama team vetting him that found the error. The IRS let him off the hook. Another too big, too brilliant to fail, Washington insider. When will we learn? We are about to have a tax crook as head of Treasury!
Is there a double standard based on race? Van Jones has to go because he's a loud mouth paranoid bigot, but the white guy crook with good manners gets to be a member of the inner circle?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
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