Bah Humbug to Political Correctness

It's that time of year again when liberals who worship at the altar of diversity and political correctness attack Christmas. They do it by convincing retailers to reject terms like "Merry Christmas," "Christmas trees," "Christmas shopping," "Christmas gifts," etc. Instead, everything should be generic, such as "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings." The reason for the season is to be avoided at all costs.

The latest example is at St. John's Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida. Instead of a "Christmas tree," they lit "The Great Tree." Funny, it's decorated like a Christmas tree, but evidently Druids manage this shopping mall owned by Simon Management Group.

Now, the St. John's Town Center is one of my favorite places to shop and dine. I was really looking forward to spending a day there in the next month now that I have my electric wheelchair. I was going to explore from one end to the other and end with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory.

However, I have a strict policy that my Christmas dollars do not go to malls and retailers where Christmas is not acknowledged or is disguised. Let them rely on non-Christians and pagans to move them into the black at the end of their financial year. So, instead of St. John's Town Center, I will go to the Jacksonville Landing where they still have a "Christmas" tree.

Here's the complaint I sent to Simon Property Group from their website's feedback form: http://www.simon.com/about_simon/contact_spg/default.aspx

St. Johns Town Center in Jacksonville, Florida has fallen victim to the silliness of political correctness. Instead of having a "Christmas" tree, someone decided to call it "The "Great Tree." I can only guess this person was afraid to offend believers of other religions by calling what is clearly a Christmas tree by its proper name.

However, as a Christian, I am offended when people refuse to acknowledge with its correct name the Christmas holiday I am celebrating and for which I am shopping for presents and decorations. I am not celebrating just any holiday or season. I am buying Christmas presents, I am putting up Christmas decorations, I am sending Christmas cards, etc.

This silliness and discrimination against Christians needs to stop. If you had a Hanukkah Menorah, would you call it "The Great Candle Display"? I doubt it.

I was looking forward to going out to St. Johns Town Center to do some Christmas shopping and enjoy dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in the next few weeks. However, I refuse to spend my Christmas shopping dollars at malls or stores that refuse to recognize the season for which I am shopping. I will go where I hear and see "Merry Christmas," not just the generic "Happy Holidays" and "Seasons Greetings." You can keep your "Great Tree." I plan to shop where they still have Christmas trees.

Another way to contact Simon Property Group, owner of St. John's Town Center, is:

Corporate Headquarters
Simon Property Group, Inc.
225 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204
(317) 636-1600

Are the Brownshirts on Order Yet?

Several years ago, I told an audience that I considered it child abuse to send children to our public schools. The reason was the humanistic, socialistic propaganda that has become endemic to the public school curriculum. I advised parents who kept their children in public schools to watch like hawks what was being taught in the classroom and the textbooks.

Then, I saw the You Tube clips of New Jersey school children singing the praises of Barack Hussein Obama. The B. Bernice Young School in Burlington Township is for grades K through 2. The video, which came to light in the media last week, dates back to February 2009, a few weeks after Obama's inauguration. It features a class of children in a Black History Month school assembly singing a song that virtually worships Obama. Here are the words:

Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said all should lend a hand to make the country strong again.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said we must be fair today, equal work means equal pay.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said take a stand, make sure everyone gets a chance.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama
He said red, yellow, black and white, all are equal in his sight.
Mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack Hussein Obama.
Yeah! Barack Hussein Obama.
...Hello, Mr. President, we honor you today
For all your great accomplishments, we all do say hooray.
Hooray, Mr. President, you are No. 1
The first black American to lead this nation.

Proof that Obama is being portrayed as though he was God is in the stanza: "He said red, yellow, black and white, all are equal in his sight." These words are taken from the hymn "Jesus Loves the Little Children." In addition, the children sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and included the refrain, "Hooray, Mr. President." (Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090926/ap_on_re_us/us_obama_school_song)
At the end of the video, it appeared as though the children raised their right arms in a stiff-armed salute. Although their hands were clinched, it was chillingly reminiscent of the "Heil, Hitler" salute of the Nazis.

Michelle Malkin said it best, "Out: readin', writin' and 'rithmetic. In: rappin', revolution and radicalism. Mmm, mmm, mmm." (Source: "The three R's in the age of Obama: Rappin', revolution and radicalism" http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=697234)
Has the White House ordered the brownshirts for our youth, yet?

Email Response to Senator Bill Nelson

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) sent an email entitled "Taking Action on Health Care Reform." Before his senate career, Nelson was Florida's Insurance Commissioner; he was fiercely protective of consumers. He brings a great deal of knowledge of the economic realities of and experience working with the insurance industry. He is a moderate Democrat for whom I have voted in the past. Nelson invited constituents to respond with their concerns regarding health care reform. Below is mine:

Dear Sen. Nelson:

Thank you for the email regarding your position on health care reform. I am happy you are on the Senate Finance Committee because I know you will bring your experience as Florida's Insurance Commissioner to this issue.

My biggest concerns are:

1. Adding enforcement procedures to bar illegal aliens from receiving benefits. Without those, the law forbidding it will be a toothless tiger.

2. Assuring that taxpayer funding of abortions will never be allowed under this legislation. Again, without explicit language regarding this, the legislation might be used to undermine or overturn current restrictions.

3. Reliance on Medicare "savings" to fund a large portion of insurance coverage for the uninsured. Even the CBO, along with many other health insurance experts, doubts there is enough "fraud and abuse" in Medicare to add up to the savings estimates. Even if all fraud and abuse in Medicare is eliminated, the reality is Medicare costs will escalate in the next decade. It is unrealistic to expect "cuts" in these expenditures at the same time enrollments will grow by 30% as more baby boomers become eligible. The result can only mean a reduction in benefits or rationing of care or long delays in services. All of these are unacceptable.

Thank you for your continued work on this issue. Please reach across the aisle and help our country solve the problems in our healthcare system without destroying it.

Sincerely,
Susan M. Lamb

You Rock, Rep. Joe Wilson

Here's the text of an email I just sent to South Carolina's Representative Joe Wilson:

RE: HR 3200.
Dear Rep. Wilson,

Although I am not a constituent, I just want to let you know I support your efforts to get the truth told about the proposed health care reform legislation, especially H.R. 3200. I have read all of it.

The other night when President Obama proclaimed that illegal aliens would not get health care under it, I was shouting at the T.V., "That's a lie." Ditto when he said it wouldn't cover abortion, wouldn't result in benefit cuts in Medicare, and wouldn't increase the deficit.

You apologized to President Obama for shouting out, "You lie." It may have been rude, but you told the truth. Now, I am waiting for the President's apology for lying to you, your colleagues, and the American people.

Best wishes,
Susan M. Lamb

Let Your Children Listen to President Obama's School Speech

Parents, I encourage you to allow your children to hear President Barack Obama's speech to school students scheduled tomorrow, September 8, 2009. I just finished reading the text of his speech, which was released earlier today.

Now, anyone who reads this blog, knows I am no fan of Obama. I oppose his idealogy, his policies, and most of his associates with vigor.

However, there is nothing objectionable in this speech. In fact, it is a speech that every student needs to hear and take to heart. It instructs each student to take responsibility for his or her education and to overcome obstacles. Obama urges them to work hard for their sake and for the good of the country. He uses examples from his own life as well as other students.

Parents should keep a close eye on any follow-up homework assignments. The teacher's guide was revised that asked students to write the President on how they could help him achieve his goals. Instead, the assignment now focuses on how the students can achieve their goals.

Why Are Grandma & Grandpa So Riled?

Seniors across this nation are up in arms over the proposed cuts in Medicare of $50 billion in the healthcare bills before Congress. President Obama and the Democrats are pretending that these cuts will not result in healthcare rationing and accessibility problems. They claim the cuts will all be from cost-savings or the introduction of new efficiencies. They say there will be no change in the healthcare that grandma and grandpa receive. Seniors know better.

Grandma and grandpa have plenty of past experience with the outcomes of previous Medicare cuts. When Medicare reimbursements to doctors are cut, doctors drop out of Medicare. Many seniors have been forced to change doctors who accept Medicare assignment unless they could afford to pay the difference between what the doctor charges and Medicare pays for services. Premier healthcare providers such as Mayo Clinic become inaccessible to all but wealthy seniors because Mayo Clinic no longer accepts Medicare assignment. If grandma and grandpa live in rural areas, they have an especially difficult time finding healthcare, often having to travel long distances to find providers who accept Medicare assignment.

Let’s look at H.R. 3200, the most fully developed healthcare reform bill presented to the American people thus far. For grandma and grandpa, it is a disaster.

“In 2010, 40.2 million seniors 65 years and older will be eligible for Medicare. That number is projected to rise to 54.8 million in 2020 and 88.5 million in 2050, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.” (Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/06/end-life-counseling-intensifies-health-reform-debate/) Grandma and grandpa are smart enough to know that you cannot cut Medicare expenses by over ten percent at the same time you increase enrollees by thirty percent without drastic impacts on services.

To adequately provide for these new enrollees, you would have major cuts in services even if you had zero reductions in Medicare’s budget. That budget needs to grow in order to provide current benefits to both current and those additional enrollees. The Congressional Budget Office [CBO] warned that the proposed Independent Medicare Advisory Council [IMAC] “to rein in Medicare spending would do little to save the government money over the next 10 years.” The CBO estimated it might save $2 billion between 2010 and 2019, a pittance (less than 0.2%) of the $1 trillion plus cost if H.R. 3200 passes. Furthermore, CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf wrote, "In CBO's judgment, the probability is high that no savings would be realized." (Source: http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/cbo-medicare-council-would-have-little-savings-effect-2009-07-25.html)

During his presidential campaign in October 2008, Obama accused his rival, Senator John McCain, of supporting “drastic cuts” in Medicare. Obama said, “If you count on Medicare, it would mean fewer places to get care and less freedom to choose your own doctors. You’ll pay more for your drugs. You’ll receive fewer services. You’ll get lower quality care. I don’t think that’s right. In fact, it ain’t right.” (Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203517304574303014243807246.html)

What a difference a few months make! Obama and the Democrats have declared war on grandma and grandpa’s health plan. “The federal government is going to decrease Medicare payments to physicians 37% over the next nine years. In that same nine years the cost of treating patients is expected to rise 22%.”

We will need over 124,400 new doctors (a 23.6% increase) by 2025. In-patient hospital care is expected to increase by 36.6%. Currently, medical school enrollments are down, and more doctors are retiring or leaving the profession. The reasons include the high cost of medical education, the long hours, the paperwork required by insurance companies and Medicare, and the ever-present fear of lawsuits. As Dr. David Kahn, D.C., of Fernley Chiropractic wrote, “All this adds up to someone who [is] getting paid less for doing more work, with more obstacles in the way.” (Source: http://www.rgj.com/article/20090729/FERNLEY03/907290353/1306/fernley) Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS), in commenting on government-run health care, said, “It won't matter if 100 percent of Americans have health insurance if they don't have a doctor to see them when they are sick.” (Source: email newsletter from CMPI, July 27, 2009)

Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Florida) was bluntly honest when she said the House healthcare bill essentially tells senior citizens to "drop dead." "Despite their promise to care for our seniors, Democrats have decided that it's too expensive to care for my senior constituents… This bill would cut an additional $156 billion from the Medicare Advantage program in order to pay for the government expansion of healthcare for the young, the healthy, and the wealthy." (Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=616402)

Former Senator Tom Daschle, Obama’s first choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been called back to the White House to consult on how to get healthcare legislation through the House and Senate. Grandma and grandpa should be alarmed. Daschle wrote in his book, "... Health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them." (Source: http://whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_weeklyaddress_7-18-09_CK-0081.JPG)

The fact is old people need more healthcare than young people. Ninety percent of an individual’s healthcare costs will be incurred during the last ten percent of his or her life. That is reality. Unfortunately, too many in Obama’s administration, if not Obama himself, believe that seniors do not have the same Creator-given, inalienable rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as younger people. The signers of the Declaration of Independence did not discriminate against any age group when they wrote those words.

Many in Obama’s inner circle believe it is moral to discriminate against seniors. They would deny seniors healthcare at the time they most need it. A prime example is Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, Obama’s special health policy advisor and brother to the President’s Chief of Staff. In the January 2009 issue of the medical journal The Lancet, he wrote that if healthcare has to be rationed, he prefers the "complete lives system," which "discriminates against older people." This system assumes that seniors can be denied health care in the later years because they have lived “complete” lives. Scarce resources should go to younger people who have not yet had the chance to live a “complete” life. Ten years earlier, in an article in the Hastings Center Report, Dr. Emanuel wrote health services should not be guaranteed to "individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens," giving as "an obvious example… patients with dementia." (Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=616402)

In case you think grandma and grandpa are being paranoid, just look at the newly released directives from the Center for Disease Control (CDC)regarding swine flu vaccinations. In the past, seniors have always been among the first to receive vaccines because the elderly are considered at great risk for complications from the flu. However, with the swine flu vaccine, seniors are not at the head of the list of recipients. They are not even on the list! Instead, children top the list, then healthcare workers and first responders, then young adults, the middle aged, and finally those 55-64. If you are 65 or older, the C.D.C. evidently does not consider you even worthy of consideration for protection from a potential swine flu pandemic.

Now, do you understand why grandma and grandpa are so upset? Why so many are showing up at Town Halls angry and vocal? Why many of them are resigning from the A.A.R.P.?

The words “ration” and “rationing” of healthcare do not appear anywhere in the 1,800+ pages of H.R. 3200. They don’t have to be spelled out explicitly. Seniors know the only possible outcome of the radical cuts proposed for Medicare can mean one thing and one thing only: rationing of care. And any politician who says otherwise is flat-out lying.

Latest Obama Jokes

Q: What do God and Obama have in common?
A: Neither has a birth certificate!

Q: What is different about God and Obama?
A: God knows He isn't Obama!

Seriously, if there is no problem with Obama's birth certificate, why has Obama refused to share the original certified copy, which remains under seal with his school records? He has never given his campaign or White House staff permission to release the certified copy. What they released was what Hawaii calls an "authentification." According to The Patriot Post and other media, "Even those not born in Hawaii can obtain a short-form document like the one Obama has posted online" (The Patriot Post, July 17, 2009). It does not show information regarding the birth hospital and attending physician as would the full, certified birth certificate.

Now, we have the case of U.S. Army Major Stefan Frederick Cook, who refused to be deployed to Afghanistan as ordered. According to his lawyer, Orly Taitz, he was afraid he could be prosecuted as a war criminal because he believes Obama is not consitutionally qualified to be President because he was not born a U.S. citizen. Taitz was preparing to fight this issue in court. Cook had previously applied to be a conscientious objector.

The Army's response was surprising. One would have expected that they would have pursued court martial proceeding against Cook for failure to obey a legitimate order. Instead, Cook was granted his conscientious objector status and his deployment order was rescinded.

Taitz's stated afterwards, "It means that the military has nothing to show for Obama. It means that the military has directly responded by saying Obama is illegitimate -- and they cannot fight it. Therefore, they are revoking the order." Does that make the good folks in the Department of Defense "nutballs," the term one radio talkshow host, Andy Johnson (www.radiofreejax.com or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DowntobusinessAndy/), suggested for anyone who doubts Obama's citizenship?

Obama could easily settle this issue once and for all by releasing the certified copy of his Hawaiian birth certificate. The fact that he will not perpetuates the rumors that he was not born in the United States and that he attended college here as a foreign student.

Duty to Die, Redux

Former Colorado Governor Richard Lamm declared in March 1984, "We've got a duty to die and get out of the way with all of our machines and artificial hearts and everything else like that and let the other society, our kids, build a reasonable life." (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1984/03/29/us/gov-lamm-asserts-elderly-if-very-ill-have-duty-to-die.html) He claimed he was not referring to the elderly only as having this “duty to die,” however his saying that this duty is necessary so “our kids” can “build a reasonable life” puts the lie to that disclaimer. Perhaps Lamm also had in mind younger disabled people in the group with this “duty to die.”

Fast forward twenty-five years to what the Democrats in Congress are proposing in today’s health care reform. H.R. 3200, The American Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, has over eighty sections altering or reducing Medicare provider reimbursements. Estimated reductions, if this legislation were passed, would be $361.9 billion (Source: http://blog.heritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/lewin-house-bill-heritage.pdf.This would represent a ten percent reduction over a ten-year period at the same time that Medicare enrollment is expected to increase by thirty percent as baby boomers become eligible.

Specifically, Medicare reimbursements would be reduced by 267.6% to hospitals, 10.8% to physicians, 11.2% to home health agencies, and 37.4% to skilled nursing facilities. Reductions for prescription drugs would equal 34.8% (Source: Congressional Budget Office, July 8, 2009, Preliminary Estimate of the Effects on Direct Spending and Revenues of Division B, Titles I-VII and Section 1872, of the House Tri-Committee Health Reform Discussion Draft. ).

The inevitable result will be reduced supply of Medicare providers at a time of rapidly escalating demand. H.R. 3200 demands seniors bear an inordinate burden to pay for health care for younger and working Americans. Under H.R. 3200, seniors on Medicare can expect longer waits for doctor appointments and procedures or outright denial of services.

President Obama recently echoed Gov. Lamm, telling the aged “to consider hospice care instead of treatment.” Tom Daschle, Obama’s first choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services and an advisor on health care reform, wrote, "... Health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them" (Source: whitehouse.gov/assets/hero/hero_weeklyaddress_7-18-09_CK-0081.JPG).


Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel is Obama’s special health policy advisor. He openly advocated healthcare rationing to the elderly in a January 2009 article in the medical journal The Lancet. In the Hastings Center Report, he wrote it would be appropriate to deny health care to "individuals who are irreversibly prevented from being or becoming participating citizens." He said an example would be “patients with dementia." Speaking of H.R. 3200, Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Florida) says "Despite their promise to care for our seniors, Democrats have decided that it's too expensive to care for my senior constituents and everyone else's constituents…in order to pay for the government expansion of healthcare for the young, the healthy, and the wealthy" (Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=616402).

Clearly, Obama and the Democrats pushing their draconian health care reform think grandma and grandpa should find a nice iceberg and passively float away. No wonder they are so fearful of global warming. They will need all the icebergs they can get for us baby boomers in the next ten years if H.R. 3200 passes.

Bon Voyage, Uncle Walt

Walter Cronkite always wanted to ride in space. He loved the space program, and my fondest memories of him was his reporting on it. He often talked of his desire to go into space. Unfortunately, by the time space tourism started, he was too old or not in the necessary physical shape.

Now that he has passed, "Uncle Walt," as many called him, has taken his "spacewalk." Undoubtedly, if far surpassed any ride N.A.S.A. could have given him.

Walter Cronkite was a true icon of the Twentieth Century. He shaped broadcast news. Like many Americans, I grew up watching CBS Evening News and still do. He was a good role model for me as a teenager. I used his example -- to get the story, get it right and tell it straight -- in the research I did for different classes. He will be missed.

Run, Sarah, Run

The 2012 presidential campaign began on Friday, July 3, 2009. Sarah Palin's resignation amazed and dismayed most in the media. Most were highly critical of her move, especially her timing.

They will not admit it, but they were irked because she made the announcement on the day before a holiday. Most of the regular anchors and pundits were off because the Fourth of July fell on a Saturday this year. The announcement was made around noon in Alaska, which made it late afternoon for the East Coast media. They had to scramble to find commentators and reporters to cover the story in time for the evening news. Most of the interviews were via telephone. The irritation of having their holiday interrupted was clearly audible in their voices.

This is why I love Sarah Palin. You go, girl. The media muses said her announcement was proof she does not know what she is doing politically. I disagree. She knew exactly how to needle her media opponents in this most subtle way. She also knew exactly how to please those of us who support her. The more the media rail against her, the more we love her. We get it; they do not. All I want to know is where do I sign up to work on her campaign?

Enough Already

Eight days ago, Michael Jackson died. Ever since, the news media has exploited his death ad nauseum. I have had it, and I know I am not the only one. To the media I want to say, "Enough already. Give it a rest." From now on, when coverage is given to Jackson, I am switching channels. If this weekend is anything like last weekend, I may be watching the Weather Channel.

Now, I will admit I have not been a Michael Jackson fan. His and the Jackson Five's music is okay, but I never wanted to buy one of his albums. The moonwalk is amusing to watch, but I would never have bought a concert ticket to see him.

To me, Jackson is just another case of an extraordinarily fortunate but narcissistic entertainer who ruined himself with drugs and self-indulgence. Reportedly, he died over $400 million in debt. Sackfuls of drugs were removed from his home by investigators, according to press reports.

Jackson's death is sad but not tragic. He made wrong choices, and he reaped what he sowed. Faced with life's pressures, he was a coward, as every addict is.

On the same day Jackson died, Farrah Fawcett died. Now, that was tragic. Farrah did not choose cancer. Yet, when faced with it, she responded with courage and bravery. She was a good example to people of all ages of how to deal with life's struggles.

Fawcett's death received about two hours of coverage before Jackson's death was announced. After that, she received hardly any mention. Now, I am not suggesting that her death should have received the amount of time spent on Jackson's by the media.

In a world rife with real crises and important issues, neither death deserved more than short reports for a couple of days. We have an economy in a death spiral with mounting unemployment and a collapsing dollar. The legitimacy of two governments, Iran and Honduras, are in question following a disputed election and a coup, respectively. While troops are withdrawing from Iraq, war efforts in Afghanistan are ramping up. Korea is threatening to launch long-range missiles at Hawaii. Korea and Iran are thumbing their noses at the world as they pursue development of nuclear weapons. Congress is debating health care reform and global warming measures. The list goes on and on. Yet, for the weekend after Jackson's death, a viewer was hard-pressed to find any coverage of any of these stories. No, it was Michael Jackson all the time. Even Fox News fell into this trap. As one commentator said, "We have become the United States of Entertainment."

The media's coverage is lazy journalism. It is much easier and cheaper to let one story consume all their time and resources. This cult of celebrity provides an escape from the tough issues for both reporters and viewers. What makes it dangerous is it gives cover for nefarious politicians. While our collective attention is diverted, what are foreign and domestic leaders doing? Are they working for or against us?

Finally, this worship of Jackson is particularly disgusting because of the allegations of child abuse. I cannot know if Jackson ever molested any children when they visited his Neverland home. A jury acquitted him when some charges were brought against him. On the other hand, he made multi-million dollar settlements with some of his accusers. The one thing I do know is that, if he did molest any children, he answered to God for it. If he faked out that jury with the help of his lawyers, he did not fake out God. If his victims did not get justice here on earth, they can know they have it now.

Jacksonville Waterspout, An Awesome Sight

Friday afternoon, June 26, 2009, had a little excitement here in Jackonville, Florida. A fully formed waterspout took a leisurely cruise up the St. Johns River from near the Buckman Bridge to San Marco. It was visible for over twenty minutes.

Around 5 p.m., a friend called me to tell me to look out my window because there was a tornado. I thought she was nuts. The sun was shining. I live on the third floor on the east side of a high rise apartment, and she is on the opposite side of the building on the 12th floor. I had my television on a local channel. There was a severe thunderstorm warning, there was no tornado watch or warning. I told her I would come right up. I wanted to reassure her.

My first clue that maybe something really was happening was when I got on the elevator. Another resident told me she was going to her apartment "to escape the tornado." However, this resident is mentally challenged so I was not convinced.

The second clue was the remarks of one of our security workers. She was rushing downstairs and said to me, "Be careful, there is bad weather nearby." That gave me pause. Maybe my friend was not being alarmist.

When I walked into her apartment and looked out the west-facing window, my jaw dropped. Right in the middle of the window was this perfectly formed stovepipe tornado reaching from a wall-cloud to below the tree line. I was shocked. I had a hard time believing my eyes.

The sight was both frightening and beautiful. It was a rich blue, backlit by the sun. It was on the leading edge of a storm that trailed behind with menacing black clouds. I was mesmerized. The photo taken by a Florida Times-Union photographer from University Blvd. West is exactly what we saw. Go to: http://photos.jacksonville.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=24344779&event=785549&CategoryID=29031 to see it.

Together, my friend and I watched the tornado slowly move from south to north, which was a relief. It was not moving towards us. I said to my friend, "If it is on the ground, there is going to be major damage." However, as I watched it, I became hopeful that it was a waterspout on the river. The distance from us looked right, and the blue color told me it was not picking up debris.

As it moved further to the north, it gradually shrank in size and began to rope out, indicating that it was weakening. The TV stations began reporting on it, confirming that it was a waterspout.

My biggest concern was the bend in the river at downtown. Would it follow the river around that right angle bend or would it make landfall into downtown? What would happen if it crossed the Fuller Warren bridge which carries I-95 across the river on the south edge of downtown? It was the height of evening rush hour. There are some very dramatic shots looking south across the bridge at the approaching waterspout and the traffic on the bridge. Fortunately, it dissipated or lifted before reaching the bridge.

The storm that was trailing to the south of it hit our building full force, obscuring our view of the waterspout. The lightning was horrendous and very close, and the rain came down in wind-whipped sheets. There was a small amount of pea-size hail. I did back away from the windows, then.

The television stations showed several pictures of funnel clouds reforming and attempting to lower over downtown or Riverside, but none of them reached the ground. Just this morning on Channel 4, I saw a Riverside viewer's photo looking straight up into a funnel. It was close enough to the ground to see the debris (leaves, shingles, small branches) swirling in and around it. Fortunately, there was only minimal damage from the storm.

Having grown up in the Midwest, I went through many tornado drills. Afterwards, I realized I broke all the rules that had been drummed into me about what to do in a tornado. I went up, not down, in a highrise. I did not get away from the windows. I did not go into an interior room or stay out in the hall. Instead, I stood there and watched. I now have an inkling of what attracts storm-chasers to see tornados. It was an awesome sight.

N.I.M.B.Y.: Where to Put Gitmo Detainees?

Most Americans are emphatic when it comes to the Gitmo detainees and their proposed release: Not in My Backyard! President Obama is running into intense opposition to the idea of releasing any of the Guantanemo prisoners here in the United States. Congressmen and Senators have proposed legislation to bar their entrance into the country.

Obama does not seem to understand their concerns, so here is my proposal. Obama has a house in Chicago that he is not using, and it has an empty lot next to it, courtesy of his old pal Riszk. Why not let the Gitmo detainees camp out there? If Obama is so confident that moving them to the U.S. should not be cause for concern, then he should have no objection to making them his family's new neighbors.

Shed No Tears

Murder is wrong. The commandment "Thou shalt not kill" is correctly translated, "Thou shalt not commit murder." Therefore, the killer of Dr. George Tiller, the late-term abortion doctor gunned down Sunday, May 31st in Wichita, was in the wrong. He sinned.

However, I cannot shed any tears or feel any sadness whatsoever that Dr. Tiller is no longer amongst us. He was a murderer, too. In fact, he was a mass murderer. He killed the most innocent and vulnerable amongst us, the unborn. He has been an abortionist for 21 years. How many babies died at his hands in that time? Thousands upon thousands, undoubtedly. He may have been attending church at the time of his death, but he died an evil man unless he had a sudden unknown, last minute change of heart. He sinned.

My vision of what happens to unrepentant abortionists is that, as they approach the pearly gates, all their victims are there to greet them with the question, "You want in where?" Then, the devil taps them on the shoulder and says with a gleeful smile, "Come with me."

"Freedom Tower" Name Change Says It All

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the World Trade Center site, announced on Thursday, March 26, 2009, that the name "Freedom Tower" would be dropped for the skyscraper at the heart of the rebuilding of what was the World Trade Center (W.T.C.). Instead, the replacement building will be named "One World Trade Center." The name change says it all.

The building was intended as a symbol of rebirth and recovery from the September 11th attack that brought the World Trade Center Towers down. The original name of "Freedom Tower" was a message to past and future terrorists that the American people would not let hatred and evil defeat us.

Now, the Port Authority has changed horses and names. Instead of defiance in the face of evil, they are cowering. They have decided that the name "Freedom Tower" would make the building a target for future terrorist acts. It is laughable if they believe changing its name to One World Trade Center would shield it from attack or make the building more marketable to tenants. After all, that was the official name of the former North Tower that was destroyed by terrorists on September 11th. What company's employees would want to be reminded of the memories of that day every time they entered the building?

New York Governor George Pataki was offended by the name change. He protested:

"The Freedom Tower is not simply another piece of real estate and not just a name for marketing purposes," Pataki said.

"In design and name, it is symbolic of our commitment to rise above the attacks of Sept. 11. Where 1 and 2 World Trade Center once stood, there will be a memorial with two voids to honor the heroes we lost — and, in my view, those addresses should never be used again."

When I first heard this report, it made no sense at all. Then, I heard who the first major tenant is Vantone, a Chinese real estate conglomerate closely affiliated with the Chinese Communist government. The Port Authority board voted to change the building's name after signing a 21-year lease with Vantone. They deny the name change had anything to do with this particular tenant, but that is a questionable, if not just plain silly, denial.

In any event, if Communist Chinese front companies are the target market for this building, then calling it the "Freedom Tower" would be an oxymoron. "One World" trade, government, etc., would be a more accurate descriptive.

Sources: The Associated Press http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9XWcHZvMy8EVBpnerZveJg68ZZAD9776LQ00
MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29913195/

$30 Million to Save the Saltwater Marsh Mouse

Nancy Pelosi claims there are no earmarks in H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. But, there are plenty of pet projects, including one near and dear to her heart for years.

American taxpayers are about to spend $30 million for habitat protection for the endangered Saltwater Marsh Mouse, a native of Pelosi’s San Francisco district. Yes, America, you are about to spend $30 million to save vermin or rodents. Aren’t you proud? What a country!

Now most normal people want to avoid or destroy mice, rats, and other disease-bearing rodents, especially when located near or in major metropolitan areas. Humans have learned over the eons that vermin and people should not mix. Of course, here we are dealing with a far left liberal from California so normalcy is out of the question.

So, what will the advantages of this federal largesse to Pelosi’s pet mouse be? Well, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a long list of all the wonderful diseases that rodents like Nancy’s Saltwater Marsh Mouse may offer us in return for our tax dollars:

“Worldwide, rats and mice spread over 35 diseases. Rodent-borne diseases are spread directly to humans through bite wounds, consuming food or water that is contaminated with rodent feces, coming in contact with surface water contaminated with rodent urine, or through breathing in germs that may be present in rodent urine or droppings that have been stirred into the air (a process known as ‘aerosolization’). Diseases from rodents are also spread indirectly to humans by way of ticks, mites, and fleas that transmit the infection to humans after feeding on infected rodents. In some cases, the rodents are the reservoirs (carriers) of the diseases, while in other cases the ticks, mites, or fleas act as the disease reservoirs."

Diseases directly transmitted by rodents, including mice and rats, are plague, salmonellosis, various hemorrhagic fevers, tularemia, lymphocytic choriomenigitis, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Diseases indirectly transmitted include babesiosis, various tick fevers, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, cutaneous leuhmaniasis, various typhuses, various encephalitises, and rickettsialpox. (Source: http://www.cdc.gov/rodents/diseases/index.htm)

Evidently, Nancy wants to keep San Francisco hospitals full. Don’t they have enough AIDS patients already? Some of these diseases, especially plague and tularemia, are biological agents the Department of Homeland Security is trying to keep terrorists from bringing to us. Nancy again proves Pogo’s truth: “We’ve met the enemy and they are us.”

What Would I Buy for $13?

Mike Huckabee asked on his FoxNews television show last weekend what viewers would buy for the additional $13 workers will receive in their paychecks under the recently passed stimulus plan. That is the amount employees will receive weekly in 2009 due to reductions in the payroll taxes. Next year, the amount is reduced to $7.75 per week.

Now, even though I am disabled and unable to work, I decided to answer the question. I googled "buy" and "$13." I received 3.6 million hits! I found several favorites, but one was absolutely perfect.

For $12.95, I would buy "Money to Burn Fire Starters." These are wax rolls of fake $100 bills. The description reads: "Impress friends and family with your phony wealth by starting a fire with these benjamins coated in slow-burning wax so they stay lit until the firewood catches. You can also light your fine hand-rolled Cuban cigar! Because money is nothing to a high roller like you, right?"

What would be more appropriate considering that Congress is burning through our money like there is no tomorrow with this stimulus package?

Goodbye, America

America, as we know it, ended late Friday night, February 13, 2009. When the Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, it plunged the knife up to the hilt into the heart of American capitalism. For all intents and purposes, our financial system and economy have been nationalized.

When President Barack Obama signs this so-called stimulus package into law on Tuesday in Denver, America will become officially a socialist or, more accurately, a fascist nation. Even if businesses remain in private ownership, the federal government will control their operations. In many cases, the government itself will take over majority ownership.

Of course, it is no surprise. Socialists and communists have mentored Obama since his teens. Nor can he bear total blame for this end of American capitalism and financial freedom. We have been on this road for a long time, since President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty and President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. Republicans, too, share blame. Never in my wildest dreams [or nightmares] would I have believed that a Republican President, George W. Bush, would nationalize the banks like he did by signing the first “stimulus” package that was rushed through Congress last Fall.

All sides acknowledge, now, that package did not work. Did Congress learn from that hasty mistake? Obviously, it did not. Most Democrats and a few Republicans stubbornly believe, despite all historical evidence to the contrary, that it is possible to spend our way out of recession. They often cite the example of FDR’s New Deal, forgetting that World War II, not the New Deal, lifted this country out of the Great Depression.

Analysis of this legislation has just begun. The Act, which spends $787 billion, is 1,071 pages long. Legislators had only fifteen hours to digest it before the vote. It is safe to say not one single Congressman or Senator read this bill before voting on it. They would have to have read 71 pages per hour or just over one page per minute, without any breaks during those fifteen hours. Previously, Speaker Nancy Pelosi had promised they would have at least 48 hours between release of the bill’s text and the vote being taken. And, it was only released in printed form. Normally, bills are published digitally, which allows Congressional staffers to do computer keyword searches to evaluate the worthiness of any piece of legislation.

The devil will be in the details. Supporters claim this act will create 3.5 million new jobs. Most economists put the number lower, at 2.5 million. But, let’s give the Democrats the benefit of the doubt and go with the 3.5 million number. That means it will cost $224,857 in government spending for each one of those jobs. Let me say that again so its truth can sink in: every single new job created by this stimulus act will cost taxpayers $224,857!

The press, both left and right, is finding all kinds of funky features buried in this bill. Some are silly, like the millions to save some endangered mouse in Speaker Pelosi’s district. Although maddening, voters should not let themselves be diverted by these trifles. This bill is too dangerous at the macro-level for us to be consumed by such micro-details.

The most alarming fact about this stimulus act is how much it raises the statutory limit on the national debt. It allows the national debt to increase from its current limit of $789 billion to $12.1 trillion. Think about it. We have never had a national debt over $1 trillion, yet the Democrats and three “Republicrats”voted for our nation’s credit line to go to a mind-boggling $12.1 trillion.

So far, the media has barely noticed this all-important detail. Yet, it is perhaps the most dangerous provision. What does it mean to allow such an increase in our national debt limit? It tells us just how much spending the Democrats are planning to do. This $787 billion must be just a down payment.

If the Democrats under Obama pass the kind of spending a $12.1 trillion national debt limit allows, it means hyperinflation. Even the U.S. with its sterling international credit rating cannot borrow that kind of money. There simply is not that much investment money in the entire world to support that kind of spending. And, some international bankers are expected to lower our nation’s bond ratings. That means higher interest rates on what we are able to borrow. If we cannot borrow the money to support our spending at reasonable rates, the government has one other option and that is to print money. It monetarizes the debt, lowering the value of the dollar so that high value dollars borrowed are repaid with lower value dollars.

This is what President Carter did in the early eighties when we had the worst recession since the Great Depression. We had double-digit inflation in a stagnant economy. If we come even close to a $12.1 trillion debt, we will have triple-digit inflation. We will be like the Germans during the Weimar Republic before Hitler. Then, it took a wheelbarrow of cash to buy a loaf of bread. That is what Americans will soon face unless the Democrats are held in check, and I am not at all optimistic that we can or will do that.

President James Madison warned, "If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within." The Socialists have taken possession of the land. Goodbye, America.

President Barack Obama Spams

On Monday, February 2, 2009 10:33 AM, I received spam from President Barack Obama. It took awhile for me to figure out how he obtained my email address. I have never emailed or registered with either the Obama campaign or the Democratic National Committee. Then, I remembered that I had sent an email message to Hillary Clinton after the last presidential primary, encouraging her to take her fight to the Democratic Convention in Denver. My best guess is that she sold or gave my address to them without my permission.

In any event, it was a shock to see email from the President in my inbox. I was incensed that he had the gall to send unsolicited email to me. Then, when I opened it, I became amused.

The silly man sent a lifelong Republican an invitation to host an “Economic Recovery House Meeting” the weekend of February 7th-8th. Its purpose would be to drum up support for the economic stimulus package. Hosts were suppose to show a video with Governor Tim Kaine “outlining the recovery plan and answering questions about what it means for your community.” I could even submit my questions regarding the plan online prior to the meeting.

Oh, I was so tempted to volunteer to host a meeting. This Republican would have had one heck of a good time explaining and reviewing this so-called stimulus package. I thoroughly reviewed the information on the host guides. They gave the suggested agenda and timeframes as well as action plans before, during, and after the meeting. I chuckled my way through the “talking points” for the economic stimulus plan.

However, I resisted the temptation to host one of these meetings. After all, volunteering would only encourage future email from Obama and the Democrats. I get enough spam, thank you, even with a spam filter.

Instead, I am filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This piece of email violates existing anti-spam legislation in two ways. First, it was sent without invitation to someone who has no existing business relationship with the President or the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Secondly, it did not correctly identify the physical address of the sender as required. Finally, the purpose of the email was not clearly defined in the subject line.

The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act), which became effective January 1, 2004, “bans false or misleading header information. Your email's 'From,' 'To,' and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person who initiated the email.” This email’s header showed:
From: "President Barack Obama"

However, at the bottom of the email was this information:
“Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.org.
This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
Democratic National Committee, 430 S. Capitol St. SE, Washington, DC 20003”

The FTC clearly instructs that the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 requires that every commercial email “also must include your valid physical postal address.” Now, everyone knows the President’s actual physical address is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., not 430 S. Capitol St. SE, which is where the DNC has its headquarters. Clearly this violates the F.T.C. rules.

Another proviso of the Act “prohibits deceptive subject lines. The subject line cannot mislead the recipient about the contents or subject matter of the message.” The SUBJECT LINE of this email was: “What recovery means for you.” One can legitimately debate if this was deceptive. However, the email did little to answer the question posed in the header’s subject. Instead, it primarily focused on this meeting and organizing support for passage of the stimulus package.

Each violation of these FTC rules “is subject to fines of up to $11,000.” Stay-tuned for the outcome of my complaint. If successful, it will be far more beneficial for my personal economic stimulus than anything in the President’s plan.

Southerners Snubbed?

The Associated Press reported on December 20, 2008, "The South may have inched toward Democrats in November, but that progress isn't showing in President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet selections. Obama hasn't nominated a single Southerner among his 15 Cabinet secretaries."

A very few with Southern roots have made it onto Obama's appointment list. Former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk has been tapped for U.S. trade representative, a relatively obscure post. Lisa Jackson, Obama's choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, grew up in New Orleans. However, she has lived and worked in the Northeast for most of her life. Obama's press secretary, Robert Gibbs, is from Alabama and has worked for several Southern representatives on Capitol Hill.

Nonetheless, this is the first administration since President Dwight Eisenhower without a Southerner in a cabinet post. Southerners need not apply," said disgruntled Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. "It's hard to believe that there wasn't anybody qualified for something from the South." It was a region Democrats held without dispute before the Reagan revolution, and they hope to return to their majority status in the South. Does snubbing Southerners make sense, then?

“Do As I Say, Not As I Do”: Business as Usual in Washington

Word is that President Barack Hussein Obama does not like to be cold, so he has ordered the White House thermostats turned up. Senior advisor, David Axelrod reminds us, “He’s from Hawaii, Okay? He likes it warm.” Axelrod went on to say that it was hot enough in the Oval Office to grow orchids. (Source: The Patriot Post, 1/30/09)

Now, this would be fine except that President Obama is one of those who hyperventilate about global warming. Environmentalists have lectured us that we should all turn our thermostats down to 68º in the winter to save the planet.

Does the President want to destroy spaceship earth? Or, is this just another example of liberal double standards? You and I should sit in our chilly rooms, wearing heavy sweaters, while the liberal elite enjoy warm and cozy rooms in their shirt sleeves.

This is not the only example of double standards in the first two weeks of this new administration. Our new Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner fails to pay income taxes on time and still gets confirmed by the Senate. Now, Senator Tom Daschle is reported to have tax-paying troubles, too.

Surely everybody knows tax laws that require paying the full amount of taxes owed on time are only for us “little people,” don’t they? Surely, the liberal elites themselves should not be held to the same standards. After all, if they were, it might inhibit the speed at which they increase taxes and spend revenues.

Then, we have the new ethical standards regarding lobbyists and their relationships to the White House that Obama ordered on his first day in office. The goal is to keep the two at arms’ length by barring lobbyists from working in the administration for two years. While campaigning, Obama promised lobbyists “won’t find a job in my White House.” Yet, both Geithner and Daschle have been Washington lobbyists.

Geithner named Mark Patterson, a former Goldman Sachs lobbyist, as his chief of staff. Obama has appointed William Lynn, who lobbied on behalf of defense contractor Raytheon, as deputy defense secretary. Both of these appointments are clear violations of Obama’s self-imposed new ethics.

Ah, but the new rules allow exceptions. Poor Robert Gibbs, the new White House Press Secretary, had the unenviable task of justifying these two appointments. He tried Wednesday to convince us that granting these exceptions does not conflict with “the strongest ethics and transparency policy...seen in the history of our country.”

Can you imagine what the press would be saying if former President George W. Bush had pulled this stunt? He would have been strung up as the most craven hypocrite. But, because this is the press’s darling, a fellow “progressive” President, Obama gets a pass. Ethics rules are for others, not him. Hmm, sounds like Washington business as usual.

"We've Only Just Begun" to Deal with Scandals

The Obama transition team has been hit by a number of scandals in its two-month existence. For the most part, they have fumbled on the ball. Given Obama's Chicago and Illinois political roots, scandals will become presidential business-as-usual for the next four years.

The post-election scandals began with the shocking-to-all-who-do-not-live-in-Illinois behavior of Governor Rod Blagojevich. His attempt to essentially sell Obama's senate seat is classic Illinois politics. Blagojevich, most likely, sincerely believes he did nothing wrong. He seems confused that people in other parts of the country are outraged at his alleged actions. After all, in Illinois, you cannot become a dog catcher or trash collector without paybacks of some kind.

Because so many of Obama's most trusted advisors on his transition team come from the Illinois and Chicago political swamps, it is not surprising that they have run into problems with some of their appointments. They simply do not understand the ethical standards that most Americans expect of their politicians.

Thus, they allowed Obama to appoint New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as Commerce Secretary despite an alleged pay-to-play scandal with state contracts. Timothy Geithner has been nominated as Treasury Secretary. Geithner failed to pay self-employment taxes from 2001-2004. The Obama team is trying to pass this off as a "mistake." However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)audited him for 2003-2004. Geithner paid $16,732 in taxes and penalties, as a result. However, he failed to amend his 2001-2002 tax returns and pay the $25,970 owed until he was nominated. Given the earlier audit, it is hard to understand how this was not a deliberate omission, not a mistake.

While the team quickly accepted the withdrawal of Richardson's nomination, they are defending Geithner. They do not seem to understand that Americans are not happy to see a Treasury Secretary who will be responsible for the IRS not paying his taxes in a timely fashion.

The problem with Illinois and Chicago politics is there is a double standard. Politicians and citizens have two different, often diametrically opposite, standards of behavior. Politicians there routinely enjoy special privileges not granted to ordinary citizens. Politicians there are given a pass and often do not have to abide by the laws other citizens must.

During the campaign, I tried to warn that it would not be good to have the Chicago machine, financed by the Mafia, running the country. Unfortunately, the American people did not listen to those of us who cautioned them. So, for the next four years, get use to scandal after scandal. For these Illini who are about to enter the White House, it will be business-as-usual.

Take the Martin Luther King Quiz

Take the Martin Luther King quiz at http://yankeereb.blogspot.com/search/label/%22Martin%20Luther%20King%20Day%22 in this webblog. The original posting was on January 14, 2007. You will be surprised at the answers, originally posted on January 15, 2007, which can be found at .http://yankeereb.blogspot.com/search/label/%22Martin%20Luther%20King%20Jr.%22.

2009 Fearless Forecasts

Another year, another set of fearless forecasts designed to prove psychics are no more reliable predictors of the future than anybody else. Here are my 2009 predictions. Please join in the fun and make your own. If you are having a New Year’s Eve party, get your guests involved. Write all their forecasts down and save the list to reveal the results at next year’s party.

· The economic downturn will be much worse by year-end. Some economists will say we are in a depression as predicted by the Elliott Wave Theory.
· Deflation will be a problem. Housing prices, in particular, will be in free fall again or still.
· The Dow will drop to 5,500 or lower, then rebound to around 8,000. Gold will go to above 1,000.
· Unemployment will be 9.9% or higher by year-end.
· The bailouts of the financial system will not work, and large banks, brokerage firms, etc. will fail because the Federal Reserve Bank cannot lend at less than 0% interest.
· Thousands of retail stores and restaurants, including national chains, will be forced into bankruptcy or will close to stop losses.
· Shortly after Barack Obama’s inauguration, he and/or his staff will be implicated in Chicago or Illinois political corruption. By year’s end, the media will have turned on Obama with vicious attacks.
· The Midwest will have flooding problems again this year due to higher than normal snowfall.
· A Montana earthquake will surprise people. It will cause little damage and no loss of life.
· We will be mired in an Afghan war where we will be unsure who our enemies and friends are. It will be compared to what the Russians experienced or Vietnam.
· Suicide bombers will come to North America, either in Canada or the U.S. If here, they will target Las Vegas.
· Jacksonville will continue to dodge hurricanes despite a very active hurricane season.
· Israel will attack Iran if we do not, and this will cause an explosive counter-reaction among Arabs. Russia, not the U.S., will intervene. Most of Europe, especially Germany, will side with Russia against Israel.
· Despite saber rattling, Pakistan and India will not go to war.
· U.S. troops will make repeated incursions into Pakistan’s northern areas to flush out Al-Qaeda.
· Mexican drug lord terrorists will continue cross-border intrusions into the U.S. The tragic death of an innocent child will galvanize public opinion and force a reluctant administration to crack down and counter-attack.

Here’s one much longer-term prediction: If Obama fulfills his campaign promise to raise taxes on the wealthy, it will guarantee a depression, and he will become the 21st century’s Herbert Hoover. It will also assure the return of Republican control of the House in 2010 and his defeat in 2012.