The Book of Judith

Protestant Bibles don’t contain the book of Judith, although it was part of canon for the Eastern and Western Church until the Reformation.  It seems, though, St. Jerome had a bit of a struggle—I looked it up and he had to translate from the Chaldean texts to Latin.  (We saw his cell when we were in the Holy Land.)

There is a web site that focuses just on Biblical films, Bible Films Blog. It is amazing, or maybe not, how many films have been made about Judith.  The author, Matt Page (UK), is going to be writing about Judith the next week or so, and begins with a collation of all the films he could find, and the first 3 are silent films.

He lists 13 films about Judith—it has everything for today’s audience; religion, sex, violence, and politics.

A plan doomed to fail

No shock here. If the federal government passes enough mandates, and the states can't print money, soon there is no money for the poor.

"Obama administration officials said Friday that the state-based “high-risk pools” set up under the 2010 health-care law will be closed to new applicants as soon as Saturday and no later than March 2, depending on the state." reported in Washington Post today.

The plan is set up to fail--whether intentional or not. The wait to get in the high risk pool means the people are desperately sick by the time they get coverage, and very expensive to treat, thus depleting the money for those waiting. Bad, bad plan that only a massive bureaucracy could come up with.

And ultimately, it is the same plan for the rest of us.  Doctors are quitting rather than go along with the insane regulations—the documents to support this massive bill run to thousands of pages. 13,000 pages as of October 12 and 18 pages to define a full time employee.  There aren’t enough to meet the Obamacare guidelines and new doctors probably won’t materialize.  By the time we get to see a doctor, we’ll be too sick for effective treatment.

The government will add more snoops and IRS agents than doctors or nurses.

Food stamp king, jobs footman

Since January 2009, a net of 194,000 new jobs have been created. During that same time, 14.7 million have been added to the food stamp rolls.

Wrong on so many things, but especially this one

A holocaust for black America—40% of pregnancies of black women end in abortion. Democrats think it’s a plan to fight poverty.

Young Indiana athlete excels at life and sports

“The son of Marvin and Apryl Hoot, Nik is a well rounded athlete in spite of the fact that he is missing parts of both legs and doesn't have a fully developed set of fingers. He lives with these physical disabilities because his biological parents - an unknown couple from Russia - attempted to abort Nik. The abortion didn't take and in the fall of 1996 Nik was born - he was put up for adoption shortly thereafter.”

He’s had prosthetic legs since he was two years old and since then has been unstoppable.  His parents have adopted five other children with birth defects, who look up to him.

http://www.wane.com/dpp/sports/local_sports/wane-   woodburn-woodlans-warrior-nik-hoots-story-jwh

http://www.theabortionsurvivors.com/failed-abortions-get-informed/

Bad to the bone.

      

Noodling what you’re eating

A pending federal food-labeling rule that stems from Obamacare would overburden thousands of grocers and convenience store owners — to the tune of $1 billion in the first year alone. At first it was just for restaurants, but it has slopped over into the grocery industry for salad bars, food bars, soups and bakery items. Apparently there are people still who think death by chocolate is the equivalent in nutrition of a salad so they need big brother. All of us who shop at that store will pay.

http://facethepolitics.com/2013/02/supermarkets-angered-by-new-fda-obamacare-regulation/

Sequestration, or where are the cuts?

Most of our tax money (70%) goes for social programs, especially Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and Social Security.  Some conservatives don’t like Social Security and Medicare called an “entitlement,” but they truly are—we should be entitled to what we paid in with interest. (I’m not because I have a teacher’s pension and get nothing for what I paid in to SS in non-government jobs, nor a spousal benefit.)  And it isn't the fault of Obama, as some detractors claim (he's got more than enough problems without giving him that one.) That will only increase.

The defense budget is extremely small, although the sequestration was Obama's idea (now trying to blame GOP) and is a rather small amount, it will certainly hurt the thousands of civilian employees right now as other lower paid jobs become unavailable because of raising the minimum wage—which always hurts the economy. It's a wonderful 2-fer for the president to hurt the economy even more which seems to be his major desire as he flits from gay marriage to stomping out freedom of religion to passing out free contraceptives instead of freeing up businesses to create more wealth.

The federal government should have stayed out of education--it wastes a lot of that money, and that responsibility was left to the states. Head Start, one of the biggest federal wastes with a 40 year history of failure, will probably get money better spent on bridges and roads, that he never gets around to that despite his promises. http://blog.heritage.org/2012/09/23/chart-of-the-week-70-of-spending-goes-to-dependence-programs/

Time to clean the House. . . and the Senate

If they can’t stand up to the executive branch then how can they be the representative branch? They are supposed to be representing US, as in We the People.  Obamacare didn’t get one Republican vote; 83% of Americans disagreed with the concept; it is so complex and unwieldy that it will take years to figure it out with law suits, lawyers, and new cottage industries. Obamacare is even more unpopular now than when it was passed, but the Democrats have the gall to lie and claim it is an achievement.

A viral joke—'Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers' program, or L.A.R.K.

at least I hope it isn’t real, but it is suitable for my Democrat readers who think Republicans unfairly blocked the Gitmo transfers to Illinois or the NYC trial.

Adopt a Terrorist  (HT Murray)

A Canadian female libertarian wrote a lot of letters to the Canadian government, complaining about the treatment of captive insurgents (terrorists) being held in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities. She demanded a response to her letter.

Shortly, she received back the following reply:

From: National Defense Headquarters
M Gen George R. Pearkes Bldg., 15 NT
101 Colonel By Drive
Ottawa , ON K1A 0K2
Canada

Dear Concerned Citizen,
Thank you for your recent letter expressing your profound concern of treatment of the Taliban and Al Qaeda terrorists captured by Canadian Forces, who were subsequently transferred to the Afghanistan Government and are currently being held by Afghan officials in Afghanistan National Correctional System facilities.

Our administration takes these matters seriously and your opinions were heard loud and clear here in Ottawa . You will be pleased to learn, thanks to the concerns of citizens like yourself, we are creating a new department here at the Department of National Defense, to be called 'Liberals Accept Responsibility for Killers' program, or L.A.R.K. for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, we have decided, on a trial basis, to divert several terrorists and place them in homes of concerned citizens such as yourself, around the country, under those citizens personal care. Your personal detainee has been selected and is scheduled for transportation under heavily armed guard to your residence in Toronto next Monday.

Ali Mohammed Ahmed bin Mahmud is your detainee, and is to be cared for pursuant to the standards you personally demanded in your letter of complaint. You will be pleased to know that we will conduct weekly inspections to ensure that your standards of care for Ahmed are commensurate with your recommendations.
Although Ahmed is a sociopath and extremely violent, we hope that your sensitivity to what you described as his 'attitudinal problem' will help him overcome those character flaws. Perhaps you are correct in describing these problems as mere cultural differences. We understand that you plan to offer counselling and home schooling, however, we strongly recommend that
you hire some assistant caretakers.

Please advise any Jewish friends, neighbors or relatives about your house guest, as he might get agitated or even violent, but we are sure you can reason with him. He is also expert at making a wide variety of explosive devices from common household products, so you may wish to keep those items locked up, unless in your opinion, this might offend him. Your adopted terrorist is extremely proficient in hand-to-hand combat and can extinguish human life with such simple items as a pencil or nail clippers. We advise that you do not ask him to demonstrate these skills either in your home or wherever you choose to take him while helping him adjust to life in our country. Ahmed will not wish to interact with you or your daughters except sexually, since he views females as a form of property, thereby having no rights, including refusal of his sexual demands. This is a particularly sensitive subject for him.

You also should know that he has shown violent tendencies around women who fail to comply with the dress code that he will recommend as more appropriate attire. I'm sure you will come to enjoy the anonymity offered by the burka over time. Just remember that it is all part of 'respecting his culture and religious beliefs' as described in your letter.

You take good care of Ahmed and remember that we will try to have a counsellor available to help you over any difficulties you encounter while Ahmed is adjusting to Canadian culture.
Thanks again for your concern. We truly appreciate it when folks like you keep us informed of the proper way to do our job and care for our fellow man. Good luck and God bless you.

Cordially,
Gordon O'Connor
Minister of National Defense

Remember the 2013 SOTU

Remember the President said that if Congress didn’t act on his ideas, he would do it without them?  The Congress was designed by the Founders to be the strongest of the three branches of government because it is elected by all the people. (President has electoral college, Supremes are appointed).  Originally, it was the House, then the Constitution was changed from the states sending the Senators to DC to the people electing them. (Thus, now the 50 states have no representation, probably not a good idea.)  Obama hasn’t usurped this “king” or “dictator” role all by himself—it’s been growing gradually by all administrations, especially FDR set things on a roll.  But he is the most blatant.  The first person pronouns in the speeches are just overwhelmingly annoying. The Constitution has been changed nearly 30 times, and it is outlined in the Constitution how to do this.  Obama does not respect the Constitution. He is a statist.  Big Government.  Big, and growing bigger.

More gun violence in gun controlled Chicago

Why did Catholics support Obama?

Fifty seven percent of practicing Catholics (attend mass at least once a week) voted for Romney.  Forty three percent who call themselves Catholic but rarely attend services, voted for Obama, the pro-abortion president. Every U.S. Bishop opposed the HHS mandate,  and it clearly looked like Obama stabbed them in the back after they’d supported him on immigration, taxes, etc.  But they just couldn't fight the fact that Catholics have been primarily Democrats for way too long.  I can’t imagine that they couldn’t see this coming when they supported a pro-abortion candidate in 2008.  So that also means that 43% of practicing Catholics think it is OK for Catholic charities and schools and hospitals to go under because of Obama's mandates.

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/02/15/why-did-so-many-faithful-catholics-vote-for-obama-again/

CNN—the lack of curiosity and journalism will destroy them

CNN Wonders: "Why are Republicans so fixated on Benghazi?" Doh! You mean like where was the President?  Why was there no protection?  Where are the arms that were being shipped to Syria? Gosh, fellas and gals.  There could be some Pulitzer Prize material there if you weren’t lackeys.

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/matt-hadro/2013/02/15/cnn-incredulous-over-gop-fixation-benghazi-opposition-hagel

What happens when a city loses power—the Carnival Cruise Ship

Let me tell you why this happened on the Carnival Triumph: The cruise ship lost electricity, commented Rush Limbaugh.” If you want to see entire cities experience what happened on that cruise ship, then you stand by idly and let the environmentalist wackos have their way and encroach very gradually on your freedom to use electricity that you pay for.”

The CDC doesn’t mention the bacteria in reusable bags

CDC is investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella infections linked to chicken.

CDC’s food safety steps recommend which of the following to prevent foodborne illness from raw poultry? Find the answer here! http://go.usa.gov/4MQA:
A) Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling raw poultry.
B) Cook raw poultry to 165°F using a food thermometer.
C) Refrigerate food promptly.
D) Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other food in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.

But they don’t mention the importance of washing the reusable bags—they are loaded with bacteria.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/rosenwald-md/post/your-reusable-shopping-bags-are-full-of-bacteria/2011/12/06/gIQA32nYZO_blog.html

Tutoring program only for children of color

What a dumb thing for a principal to do--he's just told minority children that they are the only kids in the school with academic problems, and the white kids can get a pass! It may not have been his intention to either discriminate against white children with learning problems or black kids with low self-esteem, but I believe he succeeded.  His excuse after the complaints rolled in?

“This is Andre Pearson [voicemail to upset white parent]. It’s focused for and designed for children of color, but certainly, if we have space for other kids who have needs, we can definitely meet those needs,”

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/02/13/parents-complain-about-school-ad-for-colored-only-tutoring-program/

So why would a tutoring program only be designed for children of color in the first place?  Could it be that they’ve been subjected to lower/different expectations all along?

President Who?

I'd love to say, "President Walker," or "President Jindal," or "President Rubio," but it will probably be someone not on the radar yet. Let's not chase special interest groups like the Democrats, where blacks vote 90% for a guy because of his skin color and still get stuck with the highest unemployment rate, and liberals get an attack of belated white guilt; let's go after ideas that help the whole country.

Water didn’t hurt Ted Kennedy’s career

Fussy about my orange juice

We drink a lot of orange juice, my husband more than I.  And over the years I’ve learned to avoid certain off brands (cartons designed to look like name brands) because they are either tasteless or bitter.  In the Alchemist Newsletter today I read about a disease that may cause that.

Oranges that are not "in the pink" can be detected using NMR spectroscopy, according to work by scientists at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) based in Fort Pierce, Florida. The researchers have used the amino acid composition of juice from oranges to identify those grown on trees infected with HLB, Huanglongbing, a pathogen that causes citrus greening disease. The study should allow fruit growers and processors to identify problem batches before products based on the citrus fruit, such as fruit juices, are manufactured. Additionally, work that leads to a better understanding of how the pathogen affects the amino acid profile of the fruit might lead to agrochemicals to inhibit infection in the first place.