This article CAPTURES my feelings about the "climate" in this country today. I wish I had written it, I had the feelings and thoughts, he put it into words.
By Robert Weissberg
As the Obama administration enters its second year, I -- and undoubtedly millions of others -- have struggled to develop a shorthand term that captures our emotional unease. Defining this discomfort is tricky. I reject nearly the entire Obama agenda, but the term "being opposed" lacks an emotional punch. Nor do terms like "worried" or "anxious" apply. I was more worried about America's future during the Johnson or Carter years, so it's not that dictionary, either. Nor, for that matter, is this about backroom odious deal-making and pork, which are endemic in American politics.
After auditioning countless political terms, I finally realized that the Obama administration and its congressional collaborators almost resemble a foreign occupying force, a coterie of politically and culturally non-indigenous leaders whose rule contravenes local values rooted in our national tradition. It is as if the United States has been occupied by a foreign power, and this transcends policy objections. It is not about Obama's birthplace. It is not about race, either; millions of white Americans have had black mayors and black governors, and this unease about out-of-synch values never surfaced.
The term I settled on is "alien rule" -- based on outsider values, regardless of policy benefits -- that generates agitation. This is what bloody anti-colonial strife was all about. No doubt, millions of Indians and Africans probably grasped that expelling the British guaranteed economic ruin and even worse governance, but at least the mess would be their mess. Just travel to Afghanistan and witness American military commanders' efforts to enlist tribal elders with promises of roads, clean water, dental clinics, and all else that America can freely provide. Many of these elders probably privately prefer abject poverty to foreign occupation since it would be their poverty, run by their people, according to their sensibilities.
This disquiet was a slow realization. Awareness began with Obama's odd pre-presidency associations, decades of being oblivious to Rev. Wright's anti-American ranting, his enduring friendship with the terrorist guy-in-the-neighborhood Bill Ayers, and the Saul Alinsky-flavored anti-capitalist community activism. Further add a hazy personal background -- an Indonesian childhood, shifting official names, and a paperless-trail climb through elite educational institutions.
None of this disqualified Obama from the presidency; rather, this background just doesn't fit with the conventional political résumé. It is just the "outsider?" quality that alarms. For all the yammering about George W. Bush's privileged background, his made-in-the-USA persona was absolutely indisputable. John McCain might be embarrassed about his Naval Academy class rank and iffy combat performance, but there was never any doubt of his authenticity. Countless conservatives despised Bill Clinton, but nobody ever, ever doubted his good-old-boy American bonafides.
The suspicion that Obama is an outsider, a figure who really doesn't "get" America, grew clearer from his initial appointments. What "native" would appoint Kevin Jennings, a militant gay activist, to oversee school safety? Or permit a Marxist rabble-rouser to be a "green jobs czar"? How about an Attorney General who began by accusing Americans of cowardice when it comes to discussing race? And who can forget Obama's weird defense of his pal Louis Henry Gates from "racist" Cambridge, Massachusetts cops? If the American Revolution had never occurred and the Queen had appointed Obama Royal Governor (after his distinguished service in Kenya), a trusted locally attuned aide would have first whispered in his ear, "Mr. Governor General, here in America, we do not automatically assume that the police were at fault," and the day would have been saved.
And then there's the "we are sorry, we'll never be arrogant again" rhetoric seemingly designed for a future President of the World election campaign. What made Obama's Cairo utterances so distressing was how they grated on American cultural sensibilities. And he just doesn't notice, perhaps akin to never hearing Rev. Wright anti-American diatribes. An American president does not pander to third-world audiences by lying about the Muslim contribution to America. Imagine Ronald Reagan, or any past American president, trying to win friends by apologizing. This appeal contravenes our national character and far exceeds a momentary embarrassment about garbled syntax or poor delivery. Then there's Obama's bizarre, totally unnecessary deep bowing to foreign potentates. Americans look foreign leaders squarely in the eye and firmly shake hands; we don't bow.
But far worse is Obama's tone-deafness about American government. How can any ordinary American, even a traditional liberal, believe that jamming through unpopular, debt-expanding legislation that consumes one-sixth of our GDP, sometimes with sly side-payments and with a thin majority, will eventually be judged legitimate? This is third-world, maximum-leader-style politics. That the legislation was barely understood even by its defenders and vehemently championed by a representative of that typical American city, San Francisco, only exacerbates the strangeness. And now President Obama sides with illegal aliens over the State of Arizona, which seeks to enforce the federal immigration law to protect American citizens from marauding drug gangs and other miscreants streaming in across the Mexican border.
Reciprocal public disengagement from President Obama is strongly suggested by recent poll data on public trust in government. According to a recent Pew report, only 22% of those asked trust the government always or most of the time, among the lowest figures in half a century. And while pro-government support has been slipping for decades, the Obama presidency has sharply exacerbated this drop. To be sure, many factors (in particular the economic downturn) contribute to this decline, but remember that Obama was recently elected by an often wildly enthusiastic popular majority. The collapse of trust undoubtedly transcends policy quibbles or a sluggish economy -- it is far more consistent with a deeper alienation.
Perhaps the clearest evidence for this "foreigner in our midst" mentality is the name given our resistance -- tea parties, an image that instantly invokes the American struggle against George III, a clueless foreign ruler from central casting. This history-laden label was hardly predetermined, but it instantly stuck (as did the election of Sen. Scott Brown as "the shot heard around the world" and tea partiers dressing up in colonial-era costumes). Perhaps subconsciously, Obama does remind Americans of when the U.S. was really occupied by a foreign power. A Declaration of Independence passage may still resonate: "HE [George III] has erected a Multitude of new Offices [Czars], and sent hither Swarms of Officers [recently hired IRS agents] to harass our People, and eat out the Substance." What's next?
Robert Weissberg is Professor of Political Science-Emeritus, University of Illinois-Urbana.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Truth is the Truth ..... What is ....... IS!!!
I got this in an EMail, a good ready, and something all should read ..
Read all the way through this -- I almost deleted it!
NEVER EVER WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT THIS WOULD COME OUT OF ASPEN, CO.
Barack Obama has awakened a sleeping nation
Gary Hubbell -- Aspen Times Weekly
Barack Obama is the best thing that has happened to America in the last 100 years. Truly, he is the savior of America's future. He is the best thing ever.
Despite the fact that he has some of the lowest approval ratings among recent presidents, history will see Barack Obama as the source of America's resurrection. Barack Obama has plunged the country into levels of debt that we could not have previously imagined; his efforts to nationalize health care have been met with fierce resistance nationwide; TARP bailouts and stimulus spending have shown little positive effect on the national economy; unemployment is unacceptably high and looks to remain that way for most of a decade; legacy entitlement programs have ballooned to unsustainable levels, and there is a seething anger in the populace.
That's why Barack Obama is such a good thing for America.
Obama is the symbol of a creeping liberalism that has infected our society like a cancer for the last 100 years. Just as Hitler is the face of fascism, Obama will go down in history as the face of unchecked liberalism. The cancer metastasized to the point where it could no longer be ignored.
Average Americans who have quietly gone about their lives, earning a paycheck, contributing to their favorite charities, going to high school football games on Friday night, spending their weekends at the beach or on hunting trips they've gotten off the fence. They've woken up. There is a level of political activism in this country that we haven't seen since the American Revolution, and Barack Obama has been the catalyst that has sparked a restructuring of the American political and social consciousness.
Think of the crap we've slowly learned to tolerate over the past 50 years as liberalism sought to re-structure the America that was the symbol of freedom and liberty to all the people of the world. Immigration laws were ignored on the basis of compassion. Welfare policies encouraged irresponsibility, the fracturing of families, and a cycle of generations of dependency. Debt was regarded as a tonic to lubricate the economy. Our children left school having been taught that they are exceptional and special, while great numbers of them cannot perform basic functions of mathematics and literacy. Legislators decided that people could not be trusted to defend their own homes, and stripped citizens of their rights to own firearms. Productive members of society have been penalized with a heavy burden of taxes in order to support legions of do-nothings who loll around, reveling in their addictions, obesity, indolence, ignorance and тdisabilities.т Criminals have been arrested and re-arrested, coddled and set free to pillage the citizenry yet again. Lawyers routinely extort fortunes from doctors, contractors and business people with dubious torts.
We slowly learned to tolerate these outrages, shaking our heads in disbelief, and we went on with our lives.
But Barack Obama has ripped the lid off a seething cauldron of dissatisfaction and unrest.
In the time of Barack Obama, Black Panther members stand outside polling places in black commando uniforms, slapping truncheons into their palms. ACORN a taxpayer-supported organization тт is given a role in taking the census, even after its members were caught on tape offering advice to set up child prostitution rings. A former Communist is given a paid government position in the White House as an advisor to the president. Auto companies are taken over by the government, and the auto workers' union whose contracts are completely insupportable in any economiic sense is rewarded with a stake in the company. Government bailss out Wall Street investment bankers and insurance companies, who pay their executives outrageous bonuses as thanks for the public support. Terrorists are read their Miranda rights and given free lawyers. And, despite overwhelming public disapproval, Barack Obama has pushed forward with a health care plan that would re-structure one-sixth of the American economy.
I don't know about you, but the other day I was at the courthouse doing some business, and I stepped into the court clerk's office and changed my voter affiliation from "Independent" to "Republican". I am under no illusion that the Republican party is perfect, but at least they're starting to awaken to the fact that we cannot sustain massive levels of debt; we cannot afford to hand out billions of dollars in corporate subsidies; we have to somehow trim our massive entitlement programs; we can no longer be the world's policeman and dole out billions in aid to countries whose citizens seek to harm us.
Literally millions of Americans have had enough. They're organizing, they're studying the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, they're reading history and case law, they're showing up at rallies and meetings, and a slew of conservative candidates are throwing their hats into the ring. Is there a revolution brewing? Yes, in the sense that there is a keen awareness that our priorities and sensibilities must be radically re-structured. Will it be a violent revolution? No. It will be done through the interpretation of the original document that has guided us for 220 years the Constitution. Just as the pendulum swung to embrace political correctness and liberalism, there will be a backlash, a complete repudiation of a hundred years of nonsense. A hundred years from now, history will perceive the year 2010 as the time when America got back on the right track. And for that, we can thank Barack Hussein Obama.
Gary Hubbell is a hunter, rancher, and former hunting and fly-fishing guide. Gary works as a Colorado ranch real estate broker. He can be reached through his website, aspenranchrealestate.com.
THE ARTICLE CAN BE VERIFIED HERE AT THIS LINK.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100228/ASPENWEEKLY/100229854/aspentimes .com/article/20100228/ASPENWEEKLY/100229854/
Read all the way through this -- I almost deleted it!
NEVER EVER WOULD I HAVE THOUGHT THIS WOULD COME OUT OF ASPEN, CO.
Barack Obama has awakened a sleeping nation
Gary Hubbell -- Aspen Times Weekly
Barack Obama is the best thing that has happened to America in the last 100 years. Truly, he is the savior of America's future. He is the best thing ever.
Despite the fact that he has some of the lowest approval ratings among recent presidents, history will see Barack Obama as the source of America's resurrection. Barack Obama has plunged the country into levels of debt that we could not have previously imagined; his efforts to nationalize health care have been met with fierce resistance nationwide; TARP bailouts and stimulus spending have shown little positive effect on the national economy; unemployment is unacceptably high and looks to remain that way for most of a decade; legacy entitlement programs have ballooned to unsustainable levels, and there is a seething anger in the populace.
That's why Barack Obama is such a good thing for America.
Obama is the symbol of a creeping liberalism that has infected our society like a cancer for the last 100 years. Just as Hitler is the face of fascism, Obama will go down in history as the face of unchecked liberalism. The cancer metastasized to the point where it could no longer be ignored.
Average Americans who have quietly gone about their lives, earning a paycheck, contributing to their favorite charities, going to high school football games on Friday night, spending their weekends at the beach or on hunting trips they've gotten off the fence. They've woken up. There is a level of political activism in this country that we haven't seen since the American Revolution, and Barack Obama has been the catalyst that has sparked a restructuring of the American political and social consciousness.
Think of the crap we've slowly learned to tolerate over the past 50 years as liberalism sought to re-structure the America that was the symbol of freedom and liberty to all the people of the world. Immigration laws were ignored on the basis of compassion. Welfare policies encouraged irresponsibility, the fracturing of families, and a cycle of generations of dependency. Debt was regarded as a tonic to lubricate the economy. Our children left school having been taught that they are exceptional and special, while great numbers of them cannot perform basic functions of mathematics and literacy. Legislators decided that people could not be trusted to defend their own homes, and stripped citizens of their rights to own firearms. Productive members of society have been penalized with a heavy burden of taxes in order to support legions of do-nothings who loll around, reveling in their addictions, obesity, indolence, ignorance and тdisabilities.т Criminals have been arrested and re-arrested, coddled and set free to pillage the citizenry yet again. Lawyers routinely extort fortunes from doctors, contractors and business people with dubious torts.
We slowly learned to tolerate these outrages, shaking our heads in disbelief, and we went on with our lives.
But Barack Obama has ripped the lid off a seething cauldron of dissatisfaction and unrest.
In the time of Barack Obama, Black Panther members stand outside polling places in black commando uniforms, slapping truncheons into their palms. ACORN a taxpayer-supported organization тт is given a role in taking the census, even after its members were caught on tape offering advice to set up child prostitution rings. A former Communist is given a paid government position in the White House as an advisor to the president. Auto companies are taken over by the government, and the auto workers' union whose contracts are completely insupportable in any economiic sense is rewarded with a stake in the company. Government bailss out Wall Street investment bankers and insurance companies, who pay their executives outrageous bonuses as thanks for the public support. Terrorists are read their Miranda rights and given free lawyers. And, despite overwhelming public disapproval, Barack Obama has pushed forward with a health care plan that would re-structure one-sixth of the American economy.
I don't know about you, but the other day I was at the courthouse doing some business, and I stepped into the court clerk's office and changed my voter affiliation from "Independent" to "Republican". I am under no illusion that the Republican party is perfect, but at least they're starting to awaken to the fact that we cannot sustain massive levels of debt; we cannot afford to hand out billions of dollars in corporate subsidies; we have to somehow trim our massive entitlement programs; we can no longer be the world's policeman and dole out billions in aid to countries whose citizens seek to harm us.
Literally millions of Americans have had enough. They're organizing, they're studying the Constitution and the Federalist Papers, they're reading history and case law, they're showing up at rallies and meetings, and a slew of conservative candidates are throwing their hats into the ring. Is there a revolution brewing? Yes, in the sense that there is a keen awareness that our priorities and sensibilities must be radically re-structured. Will it be a violent revolution? No. It will be done through the interpretation of the original document that has guided us for 220 years the Constitution. Just as the pendulum swung to embrace political correctness and liberalism, there will be a backlash, a complete repudiation of a hundred years of nonsense. A hundred years from now, history will perceive the year 2010 as the time when America got back on the right track. And for that, we can thank Barack Hussein Obama.
Gary Hubbell is a hunter, rancher, and former hunting and fly-fishing guide. Gary works as a Colorado ranch real estate broker. He can be reached through his website, aspenranchrealestate.com.
THE ARTICLE CAN BE VERIFIED HERE AT THIS LINK.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20100228/ASPENWEEKLY/100229854/aspentimes .com/article/20100228/ASPENWEEKLY/100229854/
HERE WE GO...It's starting!
U.S. Reverses Stance on Treaty to Regulate Arms Trade
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto.
The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush's administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that national controls were better.
On Wednesday Obama Took the First Major Step in a Plan to Ban All Firearms in the United States . The Obama administration intends to force gun control and a complete ban on all weapons for US citizens through the signing of international treaties with foreign nations. By signing international treaties on gun control, the Obama administration can use the US State Department to bypass the normal legislative process in Congress. Once the US Government signs these international treaties, all US citizens will be subject to those gun laws created by foreign governments. These are laws that have been developed and promoted by organizations such as the United Nations and individuals such as George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. The laws are designed and intended to lead to the complete ban and confiscation of all firearms.
The Obama administration is attempting to use tactics and methods of gun control that will inflict major damage to our 2nd Amendment before US citizens even understand what has happened. Obama can appear before the public and tell them that he does not intend to pursue any legislation (in the United States) that will lead to new gun control laws, while cloaked in secrecy, his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is committing the US to international treaties and foreign gun control laws. Does that mean Obama is telling the truth? What it means is that there will be no publicized gun control debates in the media or votes in Congress. We will wake up one morning and find that the United States has signed a treaty that prohibits firearm and ammunition manufacturers from selling to the public. We will wake up another morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that prohibits any transfer of firearm ownership. And then, we will wake up yet another morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that requires US citizens to deliver any firearm they own to the local government collection and destruction center or face imprisonment.
This is not a joke nor a false warning. As sure as government health care will be forced on us by the Obama administration through whatever means necessary, so will gun control.
Please forward this message to others who may be concerned about the direction in which our country is headed.
We are being led like a lamb to the slaughter (Socialism/Dictatorship).
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto.
The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush's administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that national controls were better.
On Wednesday Obama Took the First Major Step in a Plan to Ban All Firearms in the United States . The Obama administration intends to force gun control and a complete ban on all weapons for US citizens through the signing of international treaties with foreign nations. By signing international treaties on gun control, the Obama administration can use the US State Department to bypass the normal legislative process in Congress. Once the US Government signs these international treaties, all US citizens will be subject to those gun laws created by foreign governments. These are laws that have been developed and promoted by organizations such as the United Nations and individuals such as George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. The laws are designed and intended to lead to the complete ban and confiscation of all firearms.
The Obama administration is attempting to use tactics and methods of gun control that will inflict major damage to our 2nd Amendment before US citizens even understand what has happened. Obama can appear before the public and tell them that he does not intend to pursue any legislation (in the United States) that will lead to new gun control laws, while cloaked in secrecy, his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is committing the US to international treaties and foreign gun control laws. Does that mean Obama is telling the truth? What it means is that there will be no publicized gun control debates in the media or votes in Congress. We will wake up one morning and find that the United States has signed a treaty that prohibits firearm and ammunition manufacturers from selling to the public. We will wake up another morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that prohibits any transfer of firearm ownership. And then, we will wake up yet another morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that requires US citizens to deliver any firearm they own to the local government collection and destruction center or face imprisonment.
This is not a joke nor a false warning. As sure as government health care will be forced on us by the Obama administration through whatever means necessary, so will gun control.
Please forward this message to others who may be concerned about the direction in which our country is headed.
We are being led like a lamb to the slaughter (Socialism/Dictatorship).
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
3 - The Fateful Moment
The Fateful Moment
In that fateful moment, Jessie looked up in to the eyes of Walt, and some spark in her was kindled, it was a feeling, an emotion that she had never experienced. She was left breathless, as if some unseen hand had brushed across her face, she blushed, she knew something was going to change in her life, and she was both full of wonder, and somewhat dazed.
Jessie was aglow with emotion. She believed she had at last found a path in her life that she had been searching for. She was happy with Jim, but, there was something lacking in their relationship.
"I must find an excuse to meet Walt again," she said to herself. She had met him on one other occasion, at the Arcade, Jim had hastily introduced them, but they barely looked at each other, it was a brief encounter. Without further argument with herself she turned back toward the feed store, deep in thoughts of how she could arrange her meeting with Walt. She felt a strange attraction to him, as if she had known him for a long time, he was so familiar to her.
Walt skillfully backed his loaded truck toward the rear coal chute at the Arcade, as Jim was giving him hand signals to insure correct alignment so that he did not hit the rubber bumpers too hard. Jim had placed them carefully at the rear of the building. Jim knew that Walt was some sort of a scoundrel, but never let on, and was always extremely cordial to Walt on his tri weekly deliveries. But Jim was always guarded with him, never too open.
"A little more Walt, easy, that's good .... Go ahead and drop the load, Jim instructed. As the huge truck stopped, Walt swung the door open, and with a trained flourish, swung back up on the rear of the truck, and with the motor running, reached for the transverse drive lever, that operated the stuffing box, that operated the "dump box," as Walt called it.
Walt slipped, ever so slightly, but enough for his hand to slip off the lever, and the momentum of his weight forced his right hand and arm in to the cam nut bolt adjuster, which was the essential moving part of the transverse drive. In an instant, it pulled his arm in up to his shoulder. Jim instinctively moved in to action, pulled the lever to its neutral position, and cautiously went to Walt's aid.
"Walt, its in all the way up your shoulder, can you feel anything?"
"Jim, I can't feel anything, but I think I am getting weak ... I'm losing a lot of blood, I don't think I am going to make it. Is there someone we can call to get me to the hospital, Walt inquired?"
Jim shouted to Harold, "Quick, get on the Power Plant Phone, and call the hospital, they have to get someone over here right away ... NO, I think I can drive this rig, come with me, and we will take him directly to the hospital, I think it will be quicker."
Jim had observed Walt before, and had seen how deftly he moved through the gear sequence, and was confident that he too could drive the big rig.
Jim was finally able to back the truck out, head up Church Street, and make his way over to Hudson to the City Hospital. He came to an abrupt halt in front of the entrance marked Emergency, and had Harold go inside to find some help.
Shortly, three white uniformed orderly's came rushing out and jumped up on the big rig. They hurried to Walt, asked a few knowledgeable questions, and slowly helped Walt extract what was left of his arm. Walt slumped to the cold steel deck of the rig, and his lifeless body fell in a heap. One of the white uniformed orderlies shook his head after checking for a pulse.
"Its too late, he has expired, I think from a tremendous blood loss," the white uniformed orderly stated.
Later on, Jim called the trucking company and informed them of their loss, and told them the location of the now idle big rig, and then, he and Harold started the sad walk back to the Arcade.
There was a slight chill in the air, the temperature was dropping rather fast, so Jim knew he had to get back to the Arcade basement, and increase the coal consumption of his precious auger driven unit, that in turn would produce more heat for his beloved Arcade.
As Jim headed down the stairs, he looked up and saw Jessie standing there .. "I heard there was an accident and that you took someone to the City Hospital. Who was it Jim, she asked?"
“It was Walt, the big rig truck driver, remember, I introduced you to him on one occasion here. I realize it was a brief introduction, but I think you might remember him."
Jessie turned pale and slumped to the floor in a feint.
"That's strange," Jim thought to himself, "it was such a brief introduction, Hmmmm."
In that fateful moment, Jessie looked up in to the eyes of Walt, and some spark in her was kindled, it was a feeling, an emotion that she had never experienced. She was left breathless, as if some unseen hand had brushed across her face, she blushed, she knew something was going to change in her life, and she was both full of wonder, and somewhat dazed.
Jessie was aglow with emotion. She believed she had at last found a path in her life that she had been searching for. She was happy with Jim, but, there was something lacking in their relationship.
"I must find an excuse to meet Walt again," she said to herself. She had met him on one other occasion, at the Arcade, Jim had hastily introduced them, but they barely looked at each other, it was a brief encounter. Without further argument with herself she turned back toward the feed store, deep in thoughts of how she could arrange her meeting with Walt. She felt a strange attraction to him, as if she had known him for a long time, he was so familiar to her.
Walt skillfully backed his loaded truck toward the rear coal chute at the Arcade, as Jim was giving him hand signals to insure correct alignment so that he did not hit the rubber bumpers too hard. Jim had placed them carefully at the rear of the building. Jim knew that Walt was some sort of a scoundrel, but never let on, and was always extremely cordial to Walt on his tri weekly deliveries. But Jim was always guarded with him, never too open.
"A little more Walt, easy, that's good .... Go ahead and drop the load, Jim instructed. As the huge truck stopped, Walt swung the door open, and with a trained flourish, swung back up on the rear of the truck, and with the motor running, reached for the transverse drive lever, that operated the stuffing box, that operated the "dump box," as Walt called it.
Walt slipped, ever so slightly, but enough for his hand to slip off the lever, and the momentum of his weight forced his right hand and arm in to the cam nut bolt adjuster, which was the essential moving part of the transverse drive. In an instant, it pulled his arm in up to his shoulder. Jim instinctively moved in to action, pulled the lever to its neutral position, and cautiously went to Walt's aid.
"Walt, its in all the way up your shoulder, can you feel anything?"
"Jim, I can't feel anything, but I think I am getting weak ... I'm losing a lot of blood, I don't think I am going to make it. Is there someone we can call to get me to the hospital, Walt inquired?"
Jim shouted to Harold, "Quick, get on the Power Plant Phone, and call the hospital, they have to get someone over here right away ... NO, I think I can drive this rig, come with me, and we will take him directly to the hospital, I think it will be quicker."
Jim had observed Walt before, and had seen how deftly he moved through the gear sequence, and was confident that he too could drive the big rig.
Jim was finally able to back the truck out, head up Church Street, and make his way over to Hudson to the City Hospital. He came to an abrupt halt in front of the entrance marked Emergency, and had Harold go inside to find some help.
Shortly, three white uniformed orderly's came rushing out and jumped up on the big rig. They hurried to Walt, asked a few knowledgeable questions, and slowly helped Walt extract what was left of his arm. Walt slumped to the cold steel deck of the rig, and his lifeless body fell in a heap. One of the white uniformed orderlies shook his head after checking for a pulse.
"Its too late, he has expired, I think from a tremendous blood loss," the white uniformed orderly stated.
Later on, Jim called the trucking company and informed them of their loss, and told them the location of the now idle big rig, and then, he and Harold started the sad walk back to the Arcade.
There was a slight chill in the air, the temperature was dropping rather fast, so Jim knew he had to get back to the Arcade basement, and increase the coal consumption of his precious auger driven unit, that in turn would produce more heat for his beloved Arcade.
As Jim headed down the stairs, he looked up and saw Jessie standing there .. "I heard there was an accident and that you took someone to the City Hospital. Who was it Jim, she asked?"
“It was Walt, the big rig truck driver, remember, I introduced you to him on one occasion here. I realize it was a brief introduction, but I think you might remember him."
"That's strange," Jim thought to himself, "it was such a brief introduction, Hmmmm."
Monday, April 26, 2010
2 - Walt Mandrin
Walt Mandrin
The coal was delivered in an old hard wheel truck, owned by the Fox Coal Company located on Poplar Avenue. It was a chain driven four cylinder McCauley, which in those days was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio, and was very difficult to drive.
The mechanism that operated the dump truck got its power from the transverse drive in the transmission, and then to a stuffing box located just behind the operators door. In order to dump the coal, the motor had to be running, and the driver would have to get out of the truck, and manually move the shift lever on the stuffing box. This then would engage the truck transmission, and lower or raise the dump truck bed on the truck. More than one operator lost a limb or a finger while trying to engage the transverse drive.
Jim was always fascinated by the truck, and even more, the proper placement of the truck to ensure that the coal would go down the long chute properly.
Walt Mandrin usually drove the truck, and after many years, had the procedure down pretty well. Walt was a large man, stood around 6 foot 4 inches, and weighed well over 280, His size made it easier for Walt to operate the dump truck and all of the other mechanism needed to dump the coal loads. However, his size rendered him less agile than most.
Jessie had gone to work at the old Colville Feed Store on 4th Street, and its close proximity to the Arcade made it possible for them to get together for lunch, and to see each other during the day.
One fateful November day, there was a bite in the air, and an early November frost had set the tone for the day. A gray cloud-bank, and been coming up from the South, and the very day itself foretold the coming of Winter, gray and foreboding.
Inside the Arcade, in the basement, Jim and Harold Smith, another member of the furnace "team," had opened the large doors on the coal storage room, in anticipation of Walt and his load of "black heat," as the crew referred to it, dropping off his tri-weekly load.
Jessie had taken a break at the feed store, and was making her way across 4th Street, to the Arcade Entrance, just as Walt was making his right turn from Main Street, on to 4th, on his way to the Church Street Entrance. In a split second, Jessie looked up at the truck cab, and recognized Walt, and in an attempt to avoid what could be a serious situation, attempted to quickly move away from the truck. But, it was too late.
The coal was delivered in an old hard wheel truck, owned by the Fox Coal Company located on Poplar Avenue. It was a chain driven four cylinder McCauley, which in those days was manufactured in Dayton, Ohio, and was very difficult to drive.
The mechanism that operated the dump truck got its power from the transverse drive in the transmission, and then to a stuffing box located just behind the operators door. In order to dump the coal, the motor had to be running, and the driver would have to get out of the truck, and manually move the shift lever on the stuffing box. This then would engage the truck transmission, and lower or raise the dump truck bed on the truck. More than one operator lost a limb or a finger while trying to engage the transverse drive.
Jim was always fascinated by the truck, and even more, the proper placement of the truck to ensure that the coal would go down the long chute properly.
Walt Mandrin usually drove the truck, and after many years, had the procedure down pretty well. Walt was a large man, stood around 6 foot 4 inches, and weighed well over 280, His size made it easier for Walt to operate the dump truck and all of the other mechanism needed to dump the coal loads. However, his size rendered him less agile than most.
Jessie had gone to work at the old Colville Feed Store on 4th Street, and its close proximity to the Arcade made it possible for them to get together for lunch, and to see each other during the day.
One fateful November day, there was a bite in the air, and an early November frost had set the tone for the day. A gray cloud-bank, and been coming up from the South, and the very day itself foretold the coming of Winter, gray and foreboding.
Inside the Arcade, in the basement, Jim and Harold Smith, another member of the furnace "team," had opened the large doors on the coal storage room, in anticipation of Walt and his load of "black heat," as the crew referred to it, dropping off his tri-weekly load.
Jessie had taken a break at the feed store, and was making her way across 4th Street, to the Arcade Entrance, just as Walt was making his right turn from Main Street, on to 4th, on his way to the Church Street Entrance. In a split second, Jessie looked up at the truck cab, and recognized Walt, and in an attempt to avoid what could be a serious situation, attempted to quickly move away from the truck. But, it was too late.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Jim and Jessie
Some history on this story. A few years ago we had a restaurant located in the Arcade in downtown Newark, Ohio. We heard stories of ghosts, I think I saw one, I think I was brushed by one on a stairway, thus, this story. It was very popular. I put it out in serial form in a daily FAX we sent out. Some offices would copy it and send it to different departments each time it came out. I purposely missed one issue, and had 90 some calls inquiring. I just found one that I had printed up, I thought it was lost forever, since I made it up as I went, printed it, and the computer I had it on, crashed. I will periodically print another chapter as I get it typed ................... Jim and Jessie
1 - The Beginning
Jim Harmon worked in the furnace room in the basement of the Arcade. He was a hard working, God fearing man, who attended church regularly at the United Brethren Church on East Main Street. He lived on Hudson Avenue, and walked the few blocks to work each day. Many days, his wife Jessie would walk with him to work, and she would walk him to the Homestyle Diner on 4th Street, and they would part on that corner ... he would head on to the Arcade, and Jessie would return home. She would always turn and see him enter the 4th Street Entrance. Jim would enter the Arcade, and go down in to the basement where the huge power plant and furnace were located. He kept every piece of machinery and equipment in "his" "engine room" as he called it, cleaned and polished. He worked and fussed over all of the equipment, the stokers, the coal bins, the burners, the diffusers, as if they were his own.
Jim had grown up around Mary Ann Furnace, and had attended a small one room school house on Montgomery Road. His family later moved to Brownsville, and he attended and graduated from school there. Shortly after graduation his father was offered a job at the Weyant Greenhouse, "out East" as it was referred to in those days, to work in the Power Plant there. They moved out on East Main, and his father would take the inter-urban each day to Marne.
Jim spent many of his younger years in the Power Plant, and learned much about the workings of steam, generators and power plants. On his 21st birthday, he was offered a position to be a Stokers Apprentice in the Arcade, and he jumped at the chance.
Eight years later, he met Jessie, at the old Mayfair theatre in the Arcade, and they fell in love, and got married a year later.
Jessie and Jim were very much in love, and were together as much as possible. His job in the Arcade took up much of his time. The large power plant in the basement heated a square block area and more, much of which were all the stores in the Arcade, and the whole apartment complex on the corner of 4th and Church.
They also generated a great deal of electricity for the internal lighting of the unique Arcade.
At this time, there were 2 theatres, 3 restaurants, many offices and retail stores. The Arcade was "the place to be" in Newark, especially on those busy Saturday nights, when milling around the square was the highlight of the week for many. After a stroll around the Courthouse, they would head for the Arcade, the hub of nightlife in Newark.
When Jim started, there were 45 office/store complexes many of which were 2 story. Most of the shops in the Main part of the Arcade had a basement room, which they used for storage or repair work. The Arcade was one of the first of its kind in the country, and has been visited by Kings and Queens, Presidents and other notables. As one President said, "This is a city unto itself."
Jim was proud of his part in the running of the Arcade, he learned the boilers and their operation, adjusting the auger fed stoker, maintaining the proper steam level, and became very proficient in maintaining the proper pressure in the "cooker" as it was called. This was a critical function of the whole process, and soon Jim was the expert on the subject. They called him in day or night when a problem arose with the cooker process. Of course, he was always there early in the morning, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as those were the days the coal truck pulled up and unloaded the coal. Jim was always neat, and insisted that his coal be unloaded in the proper manner.
1 - The Beginning
Jim Harmon worked in the furnace room in the basement of the Arcade. He was a hard working, God fearing man, who attended church regularly at the United Brethren Church on East Main Street. He lived on Hudson Avenue, and walked the few blocks to work each day. Many days, his wife Jessie would walk with him to work, and she would walk him to the Homestyle Diner on 4th Street, and they would part on that corner ... he would head on to the Arcade, and Jessie would return home. She would always turn and see him enter the 4th Street Entrance. Jim would enter the Arcade, and go down in to the basement where the huge power plant and furnace were located. He kept every piece of machinery and equipment in "his" "engine room" as he called it, cleaned and polished. He worked and fussed over all of the equipment, the stokers, the coal bins, the burners, the diffusers, as if they were his own.
Jim had grown up around Mary Ann Furnace, and had attended a small one room school house on Montgomery Road. His family later moved to Brownsville, and he attended and graduated from school there. Shortly after graduation his father was offered a job at the Weyant Greenhouse, "out East" as it was referred to in those days, to work in the Power Plant there. They moved out on East Main, and his father would take the inter-urban each day to Marne.
Jim spent many of his younger years in the Power Plant, and learned much about the workings of steam, generators and power plants. On his 21st birthday, he was offered a position to be a Stokers Apprentice in the Arcade, and he jumped at the chance.
Eight years later, he met Jessie, at the old Mayfair theatre in the Arcade, and they fell in love, and got married a year later.
Jessie and Jim were very much in love, and were together as much as possible. His job in the Arcade took up much of his time. The large power plant in the basement heated a square block area and more, much of which were all the stores in the Arcade, and the whole apartment complex on the corner of 4th and Church.
They also generated a great deal of electricity for the internal lighting of the unique Arcade.
At this time, there were 2 theatres, 3 restaurants, many offices and retail stores. The Arcade was "the place to be" in Newark, especially on those busy Saturday nights, when milling around the square was the highlight of the week for many. After a stroll around the Courthouse, they would head for the Arcade, the hub of nightlife in Newark.
When Jim started, there were 45 office/store complexes many of which were 2 story. Most of the shops in the Main part of the Arcade had a basement room, which they used for storage or repair work. The Arcade was one of the first of its kind in the country, and has been visited by Kings and Queens, Presidents and other notables. As one President said, "This is a city unto itself."
Jim was proud of his part in the running of the Arcade, he learned the boilers and their operation, adjusting the auger fed stoker, maintaining the proper steam level, and became very proficient in maintaining the proper pressure in the "cooker" as it was called. This was a critical function of the whole process, and soon Jim was the expert on the subject. They called him in day or night when a problem arose with the cooker process. Of course, he was always there early in the morning, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as those were the days the coal truck pulled up and unloaded the coal. Jim was always neat, and insisted that his coal be unloaded in the proper manner.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saturday Morning ..........
I like sports, not all, but most, but WHY? does anyone think it is interesting or entertaining to watch a group of 20 year olds, who can play football, become millionaires. I wonder how much was spent in marketing and advertising, to make the public, THINK that it is interesting. Probably the same folks who decided that people should watch poker.
My guess is that the largest industry in this country, is the one that is geared to entertain the population. We only need four industries to keep us going.
Auto makers, food industry, entertainment and clothing.
Ford and Walmart take care of two of them. Entertainment includes: TV, sports, music, everything to occupy our idle time. Walmart does clothing so maybe that is all we need.
Just think, they have made the Super Bowl so large that some have suggested it should be a holiday. Now maybe in a few years, made the NFL Draft a holiday. Watching poker is still boring. The best job in the casino is the guy who signals the sleeping crowd when it is time to applaud.
A question? Why do handicapped parking people have such nice cars, and why are so many of them so much more capable of walking into the store than I am? I was in my car waiting for my wife who was getting a prescription filled at Walmart, and was in a good spot to watch quite a few "Handiccaped" parking spots. Cadillac's, Lincolns, two new trucks that were beautifull, a few nice new foreign cars that I could not identify, but all nice. And, none of the passengers in any of the vehicles needed any assistance of any kind getting into the store. One new Cadillac pulled right into the first handicapped space, looked like Mom and Dad, in their 40's was my guess, two young children, took the short walk from their car to the store. I looked, hanging on their mirror, a handicapped hanger.
My guess is that the largest industry in this country, is the one that is geared to entertain the population. We only need four industries to keep us going.
Auto makers, food industry, entertainment and clothing.
Ford and Walmart take care of two of them. Entertainment includes: TV, sports, music, everything to occupy our idle time. Walmart does clothing so maybe that is all we need.
Just think, they have made the Super Bowl so large that some have suggested it should be a holiday. Now maybe in a few years, made the NFL Draft a holiday. Watching poker is still boring. The best job in the casino is the guy who signals the sleeping crowd when it is time to applaud.
A question? Why do handicapped parking people have such nice cars, and why are so many of them so much more capable of walking into the store than I am? I was in my car waiting for my wife who was getting a prescription filled at Walmart, and was in a good spot to watch quite a few "Handiccaped" parking spots. Cadillac's, Lincolns, two new trucks that were beautifull, a few nice new foreign cars that I could not identify, but all nice. And, none of the passengers in any of the vehicles needed any assistance of any kind getting into the store. One new Cadillac pulled right into the first handicapped space, looked like Mom and Dad, in their 40's was my guess, two young children, took the short walk from their car to the store. I looked, hanging on their mirror, a handicapped hanger.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Stop Volcanic Activity Now
"These volcanic eruptions have got to stop," was the basis of a memo that recently came out of the Oval Office. It was a source of bewilderment to the Office Secretarial Pool, who had no idea which way to direct the Presidential Memo.
One commented, "Let's send it to Nancy (Pelosi), she seems to know everything."
"I know," came a voice from the rear of the room, "Al Gore, he is really in to the Global Warming and such, he should know what to do."
A good point was made, though. Where, indeed, should a Memo of this magnitude be directed.
In a lighter vein, a blonde secretary spoke up and said, "Send it to Bill Clinton, he knows about eruptions in the Oval office." That brought a series of laughs from some, and embarrassed knowing glances from others.
One commented, "Let's send it to Nancy (Pelosi), she seems to know everything."
"I know," came a voice from the rear of the room, "Al Gore, he is really in to the Global Warming and such, he should know what to do."
A good point was made, though. Where, indeed, should a Memo of this magnitude be directed.
In a lighter vein, a blonde secretary spoke up and said, "Send it to Bill Clinton, he knows about eruptions in the Oval office." That brought a series of laughs from some, and embarrassed knowing glances from others.
Our Government in Action ..................
I am making absolutely no claim as to the authenticity of this piece, but I am forwarding it only as the example of the idiots running this country.
For those of you who have never traveled to the West or Southwest, cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings, in dug-out places in the roads adjacent to highways (sometimes across highways), to prevent cattle from crossing over that area. For some reason the cattle will not step on the "guards," probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails.
A few months ago, President Obama received a report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado . Because Colorado ranchers had protested his proposed changes in grazing policies, he ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the cattle guards immediately.
Before the Interior Secretary could respond and presumably straighten him out, Vice-President Joe Biden intervened with a request that before any guards were fired, they be given six months of retraining.
No Comment ....
For those of you who have never traveled to the West or Southwest, cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings, in dug-out places in the roads adjacent to highways (sometimes across highways), to prevent cattle from crossing over that area. For some reason the cattle will not step on the "guards," probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails.
A few months ago, President Obama received a report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado . Because Colorado ranchers had protested his proposed changes in grazing policies, he ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the cattle guards immediately.
Before the Interior Secretary could respond and presumably straighten him out, Vice-President Joe Biden intervened with a request that before any guards were fired, they be given six months of retraining.
No Comment ....
Monday, April 19, 2010
PROTECT YOUR CAR FROM THIEVES
VIN NUMBER - WARNING
Here is INFO worth the price of your car....
WHAT WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT?
The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #.
I didn't believe this e-mail, so I called Chrysler-Dodge and pretended I had lost my keys. They told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted.
The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your car.
He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your car, insert the key and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle.
You don't believe it? It IS that EASY.
To avoid this from happening to you,simply put some dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Number Metal Label located on the dashboard.
By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield by a car thief.
Tell your friends about this BLOG before some car thief steals another car or truck.
I slipped a 3x5 card over my VIN NUMBER.
Here is INFO worth the price of your car....
WHAT WILL the car thieves THINK OF NEXT?
The car thieves peer through the windshield of your car or vehicle, write down the VIN # from the label on the dash, go to the local car dealership and request a duplicate key based on the VIN #.
I didn't believe this e-mail, so I called Chrysler-Dodge and pretended I had lost my keys. They told me to just bring in the VIN #, and they would cut me one on the spot, and I could order the keyless device if I wanted.
The Car Dealer's Parts Department will make a duplicate key from the VIN #, and collect payment from the thief who will return to your car.
He doesn't have to break in, do any damage to the vehicle, or draw attention to himself. All he has to do is walk up to your car, insert the key and off he goes to a local chop shop with your vehicle.
You don't believe it? It IS that EASY.
To avoid this from happening to you,simply put some dark tape (electrical tape, duct tape or medical tape) across the VIN Number Metal Label located on the dashboard.
By law, you cannot remove the VIN, but you CAN cover it so it can't be viewed through the windshield by a car thief.
Tell your friends about this BLOG before some car thief steals another car or truck.
I slipped a 3x5 card over my VIN NUMBER.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
What is happening to this world?
What is happening to this world?
People dying all over the world, earthquakes, floods, snow and the top headlines are about Ben, did he or did he not rape that girl, and Tiger, well he paid for all of his. He got upset on the golf course. My Dad, the Doctor, his last golf game threw a whole set in a lake, one club at a time, and then went home.
When and where did the tattoo craze start? And I suppose, why? You almost have to go down to high school basketball to see un-tatted arms, and I have seen a few there. I can just hear some sweet little grandchild some day saying, "Show me your tats, grandma."
One tat artist here in town went from an old Chevy to a new Caddy. Business is good. But I still wonder, why?
You used to see tats in bowling alleys and pool halls, and a few old seamen. You almost looked down your nose at someone with a tat, only second class citizens had tats. And in those days, where to get one done (the old Seven Seas in San Diego) if you wanted. Now you can go to the mall or your neighborhood tattoo artist.
I think the first tat I ever saw a tattoo was on old Nils Olsen, a Swede, nicest guy on earth, dated my aunt in Indiana. He was a master carpenter with the Baldwin Company, piano makers. He was in Dayton on a visit and we went to our rec room, oddly enough, to shoot a game of pool. Heated game, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, and lo and behold, a tattoo on his right arm. I was embarassed to look. He had been in the Navy in Sweden and got one then, I later found out. Nothing was ever said about Nils's tat. In those days, tats and sex were not discussed.
Why do people think they are flattering? I saw a lady in Meijers today, legs and arms covered with tats. She was not a thing of beauty anyway, in my book, and the tats did nothing to enhance her. Don't know what the tats cost, but she paid for her groceries with food stamps.
When did shaved heads start? Everywhere you look, shaved heads. What is with that? Are they going bald so they just shave it all off? The human head, shaven, is not a thing of beauty. Do they have to shave them every day, maybe it was Gillettes idea. If they shave their face and head, it must take a while. And at the cost of the new 4-blades, that vibrate, lot of money.
(Don't tell anyone, I store my razor in Olive Oil when I am done, a little talc in the Olive Oil, let it vibrate a little, been using the same blade since early last December). I shave slow, works great, four months going on five, not bad.
Like the rest of the world, just waiting for the next disaster, or like the Republicans, "Wait till November."
People dying all over the world, earthquakes, floods, snow and the top headlines are about Ben, did he or did he not rape that girl, and Tiger, well he paid for all of his. He got upset on the golf course. My Dad, the Doctor, his last golf game threw a whole set in a lake, one club at a time, and then went home.
When and where did the tattoo craze start? And I suppose, why? You almost have to go down to high school basketball to see un-tatted arms, and I have seen a few there. I can just hear some sweet little grandchild some day saying, "Show me your tats, grandma."
One tat artist here in town went from an old Chevy to a new Caddy. Business is good. But I still wonder, why?
You used to see tats in bowling alleys and pool halls, and a few old seamen. You almost looked down your nose at someone with a tat, only second class citizens had tats. And in those days, where to get one done (the old Seven Seas in San Diego) if you wanted. Now you can go to the mall or your neighborhood tattoo artist.
I think the first tat I ever saw a tattoo was on old Nils Olsen, a Swede, nicest guy on earth, dated my aunt in Indiana. He was a master carpenter with the Baldwin Company, piano makers. He was in Dayton on a visit and we went to our rec room, oddly enough, to shoot a game of pool. Heated game, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, and lo and behold, a tattoo on his right arm. I was embarassed to look. He had been in the Navy in Sweden and got one then, I later found out. Nothing was ever said about Nils's tat. In those days, tats and sex were not discussed.
Why do people think they are flattering? I saw a lady in Meijers today, legs and arms covered with tats. She was not a thing of beauty anyway, in my book, and the tats did nothing to enhance her. Don't know what the tats cost, but she paid for her groceries with food stamps.
When did shaved heads start? Everywhere you look, shaved heads. What is with that? Are they going bald so they just shave it all off? The human head, shaven, is not a thing of beauty. Do they have to shave them every day, maybe it was Gillettes idea. If they shave their face and head, it must take a while. And at the cost of the new 4-blades, that vibrate, lot of money.
(Don't tell anyone, I store my razor in Olive Oil when I am done, a little talc in the Olive Oil, let it vibrate a little, been using the same blade since early last December). I shave slow, works great, four months going on five, not bad.
Like the rest of the world, just waiting for the next disaster, or like the Republicans, "Wait till November."
Everyone Should SEE THIS - The RUBBER ROOM in NYC
Deal Reached to Eliminate Rubber Rooms by Fall
A deal has been reached to eliminate rubber rooms before the fall school semester begins, a source familiar with the negotiations tells NBC New York.
The source said the deal is expected to be outlined at an announcement this morning.
The longtime practice, which essentially pays teachers accused of misconduct to do nothing and costs taxpayers $30 million annual, has been under scrutiny for years. Some critics think the concept is absurd, but a new documentary, "The Rubber Room," from filmmakers Justin Cegnar and Jeremy Garrett, is stone-cold serious about the subject.
"To me the thing that's most shocking," says Cegnar, "is how long people can spend there. You can spend five years or ten years-- a decade in the rubber room at full salary."
The rooms are officially known as reassignment centers. And New York City's Department of Education has said there's a reasonable explanation. If a teacher is accused of yelling at a student, or throwing a chair, or incompetence, he or she is innocent until proven guilty. But in the meantime, parents wouldn't exactly want those instructors to continue supervising their kids. So, while the investigation takes place...teachers are assigned to the rubber rooms.
"We need to balance our obligation to safeguard children with our legal obligation for fairness to teachers," a Department of Ed spokeswoman told nbcnewyork.com.
But the bigger problem is many teachers don't know why they're sitting in the rubber rooms, co-producer Garrett said.
"Some teachers have been there for three years without having been given a reason for knowing why they're there."
Garrett acknowledges he was a substitute teacher in the Bronx until he snuck a camera into one of the rubber rooms. He was arrested for trespassing and fired. He's hoping his new job-- as a moviemaker-- makes more people aware of the rubber rooms.
The movie has upcoming screenings at NYU and Harvard. In the meantime, the Department of Education and United Federation of
Teachers are blaming each other for the controversial centers. The city says the union has refused to cooperate with certain cases, bogging down the system. The union counters the Department of Ed has refused to hire more investigators, which would speed up the process.
I don't think that it is mentioned that the teacher draws full pay and benefits while sitting there, pension plan and everything. Is that a great plan, or what? I don't want to think why they call it a "rubber room."
A deal has been reached to eliminate rubber rooms before the fall school semester begins, a source familiar with the negotiations tells NBC New York.
The source said the deal is expected to be outlined at an announcement this morning.
The longtime practice, which essentially pays teachers accused of misconduct to do nothing and costs taxpayers $30 million annual, has been under scrutiny for years. Some critics think the concept is absurd, but a new documentary, "The Rubber Room," from filmmakers Justin Cegnar and Jeremy Garrett, is stone-cold serious about the subject.
"To me the thing that's most shocking," says Cegnar, "is how long people can spend there. You can spend five years or ten years-- a decade in the rubber room at full salary."
The rooms are officially known as reassignment centers. And New York City's Department of Education has said there's a reasonable explanation. If a teacher is accused of yelling at a student, or throwing a chair, or incompetence, he or she is innocent until proven guilty. But in the meantime, parents wouldn't exactly want those instructors to continue supervising their kids. So, while the investigation takes place...teachers are assigned to the rubber rooms.
"We need to balance our obligation to safeguard children with our legal obligation for fairness to teachers," a Department of Ed spokeswoman told nbcnewyork.com.
But the bigger problem is many teachers don't know why they're sitting in the rubber rooms, co-producer Garrett said.
"Some teachers have been there for three years without having been given a reason for knowing why they're there."
Garrett acknowledges he was a substitute teacher in the Bronx until he snuck a camera into one of the rubber rooms. He was arrested for trespassing and fired. He's hoping his new job-- as a moviemaker-- makes more people aware of the rubber rooms.
The movie has upcoming screenings at NYU and Harvard. In the meantime, the Department of Education and United Federation of
Teachers are blaming each other for the controversial centers. The city says the union has refused to cooperate with certain cases, bogging down the system. The union counters the Department of Ed has refused to hire more investigators, which would speed up the process.
I don't think that it is mentioned that the teacher draws full pay and benefits while sitting there, pension plan and everything. Is that a great plan, or what? I don't want to think why they call it a "rubber room."
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Wait till November ..... more
I thought of an incident that happened many years ago, that I think relates to the Republican Party of today and their "wait till November" attitude. I personally don't see that they are doing anything that will in any way affect or alter any of the outcomes in November.
I worked in an employment office in the mid 60's.
One morning a young couple entered the office. He filled out an application, and when he completed it, our receptionist brought him back to my office (cubicle).
Our policy was to go over the application during the interview, keep the applicant from talking, and pick out "sizzle" and mark it in red. The sizzle was perhaps something that the applicant had done, out of the ordinary, that perhaps others in his same situation had not done. Object, to make him more appealing when trying to "sell" him to a prospective employer, to get an interview.
All during the interview the applicant wants to talk, to tell me how great he is, and sell himself, to me. But our training is geared to keeping the applicant quiet, till the interview is over ..... and then ..... I lean back in my chair, perhaps light a cigaarette, and say to him, "Now, what do you REALLY want to do?"
Finally, their opportunity to talk.
"I want to apply for that Draftsman job you had in the Advocate last night."
"Are you a Draftsman?"
"No."
"Have you ever worked as a Draftsman, taken any schooling on drafting, Drafting in high school, anything?"
"No, my wife thought it would be a good job for me."
He neglected to lay the foundation and be prepared for his future, and his wife failed to recognize that. He probably told himself, "Wait till I am a Draftsman," or, as the Republicans or Conservatives say, "Wait till November."
The loss in Florida yesterday, "Oh that was a predominately Democratic area."
Then why did he run, and moreover, why did he think he could win, who told him he could? I am sure they asked for support money to insure his victory.
The only positive I know, wait till November, we will celebrate Thanksgiving.
I worked in an employment office in the mid 60's.
One morning a young couple entered the office. He filled out an application, and when he completed it, our receptionist brought him back to my office (cubicle).
Our policy was to go over the application during the interview, keep the applicant from talking, and pick out "sizzle" and mark it in red. The sizzle was perhaps something that the applicant had done, out of the ordinary, that perhaps others in his same situation had not done. Object, to make him more appealing when trying to "sell" him to a prospective employer, to get an interview.
All during the interview the applicant wants to talk, to tell me how great he is, and sell himself, to me. But our training is geared to keeping the applicant quiet, till the interview is over ..... and then ..... I lean back in my chair, perhaps light a cigaarette, and say to him, "Now, what do you REALLY want to do?"
Finally, their opportunity to talk.
"I want to apply for that Draftsman job you had in the Advocate last night."
"Are you a Draftsman?"
"No."
"Have you ever worked as a Draftsman, taken any schooling on drafting, Drafting in high school, anything?"
"No, my wife thought it would be a good job for me."
He neglected to lay the foundation and be prepared for his future, and his wife failed to recognize that. He probably told himself, "Wait till I am a Draftsman," or, as the Republicans or Conservatives say, "Wait till November."
The loss in Florida yesterday, "Oh that was a predominately Democratic area."
Then why did he run, and moreover, why did he think he could win, who told him he could? I am sure they asked for support money to insure his victory.
The only positive I know, wait till November, we will celebrate Thanksgiving.
Conservative - Liberal - Independent
I received another EMail today......from ............... them.......
P.S. Joe, send your Taxpayers' Audit to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid today. It's time to put them on notice - we've had enough of their greed and abuse. Then help provide the resources our conservative Republican candidates need to defeat the Obama Democrats in November and end their leftist rule by making a secure online contribution of $10, $25, $50, $100 or more to the RNC today. Thank you.
MONEY is the Republican secret for success in November and 2012.
I personally would rather invest in something "I can see." I don't see ANY progress being made by the Conservatives, or Republicans, or whatever they are called.
I use my old TRIANGLE ... the top 1/3, their minds are made up. The bottom 1/3, probably won't vote, they don't know what a Conservative or a Liberal is ..... "Ah, does that meen hesa Democrat or a Publican?"
I think a political campaign is like a symphony, and led by a conductor. Each little note has its purpose, and each note, played at the rght time, in the right key, makes beautiful music. And it is all orchestrated by the conductor. If done right, it is a thing of beauty.
Today, we have a symphony being played in Washington. The odd part, we have no idea who wrote it, who the musicians are and who the conductor is. We just see a "guest appearance" by Obama on occasions. He is playing his part well.
That is why "I Personally Think," that when November rolls around, nothing will happen, and in 2012, status quo. The orchestra is still playing, the conductor is conducting, and Obama makes his appearances, as does Pelosi and "what's his name from Nevada." OH, yea, Reid. I wonder which casino "owns" him. I lived there, I know a little about Nevada politics, each casino "owns" a politician, either national or statewide. I doubt that has changed. I occasionally had breakfast with "our" Congressman at the Primm in Reno, many years ago.
In December, the battle cry will be, "OK, but wait till 2012." Always a snappy comeback.
P.S. Joe, send your Taxpayers' Audit to Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid today. It's time to put them on notice - we've had enough of their greed and abuse. Then help provide the resources our conservative Republican candidates need to defeat the Obama Democrats in November and end their leftist rule by making a secure online contribution of $10, $25, $50, $100 or more to the RNC today. Thank you.
MONEY is the Republican secret for success in November and 2012.
I personally would rather invest in something "I can see." I don't see ANY progress being made by the Conservatives, or Republicans, or whatever they are called.
I use my old TRIANGLE ... the top 1/3, their minds are made up. The bottom 1/3, probably won't vote, they don't know what a Conservative or a Liberal is ..... "Ah, does that meen hesa Democrat or a Publican?"
So, we concentrate on the middle 1/3, which is the educated voting public, and that center part of the old triangle is the BIGGEST PART. Is that where the money is going, to educate them. I have to admit, I don't see the money going anywhere. Well, Rush does buy expensive cigars, and lets the smoke roll out of his Conservative mouth ... is that called "blowing smoke.?" If you think just the politicians have made money, look what Rush has done with it, a radio DJ, Talk Show Radio Host, spokesperson for the Conservative Party.
Whatever happened to being a Republican or a Democrat. I think what happened, the INDEPENDENTS became toooooo powerful, so by using Conservative and Liberal the Independent can cross over and not be considered a member of either party. So, now we have Conservative Independent's and Liberal Independent's. I saw one candidate use the term Fiscally Conservative Independent. Does the average voter have any idea what that means? I don't think so.
Today, we have a symphony being played in Washington. The odd part, we have no idea who wrote it, who the musicians are and who the conductor is. We just see a "guest appearance" by Obama on occasions. He is playing his part well.
That is why "I Personally Think," that when November rolls around, nothing will happen, and in 2012, status quo. The orchestra is still playing, the conductor is conducting, and Obama makes his appearances, as does Pelosi and "what's his name from Nevada." OH, yea, Reid. I wonder which casino "owns" him. I lived there, I know a little about Nevada politics, each casino "owns" a politician, either national or statewide. I doubt that has changed. I occasionally had breakfast with "our" Congressman at the Primm in Reno, many years ago.
In December, the battle cry will be, "OK, but wait till 2012." Always a snappy comeback.
When Nothing Goes Right
Kinda cute, had to share this one ...................
A little guy was sitting at the bar staring at his drink when a large, threateningly leering biker steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig.
"Well, watcha' gonna do about it?" he says menacingly, as the little guy bursts into tears.
"Come on, man," the biker says, " I didn't think you'd CRY. I can`t stand to see a man crying."
"This is the worst day of my life," says the little guy.
"I`m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting, and my Boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car stolen and I don't have any insurance, I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener and then my dog bit me, so I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all."
"I bought a drink, I drop a capsule in, and sit here watching the poison dissolve. Then a wise-guy like you shows up and drinks the whole thing!"
A little guy was sitting at the bar staring at his drink when a large, threateningly leering biker steps up next to him, grabs his drink and gulps it down in one swig.
"Well, watcha' gonna do about it?" he says menacingly, as the little guy bursts into tears.
"Come on, man," the biker says, " I didn't think you'd CRY. I can`t stand to see a man crying."
"This is the worst day of my life," says the little guy.
"I`m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting, and my Boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car stolen and I don't have any insurance, I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife in bed with the gardener and then my dog bit me, so I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all."
"I bought a drink, I drop a capsule in, and sit here watching the poison dissolve. Then a wise-guy like you shows up and drinks the whole thing!"
Wait till November............................
I am really fed up with ALL the Conservatives and their "Wait Till November" attitude. Look what just happened in Florida. WHY will things be different anywhere else, at any other time.
We really don't know what or where the OBAMA Machine is doing or located. They did something right in Florida. Where was the Tea Party? Apparently drinking tea and patting each other on the back, in some nice affluent tea room, and telling each other how great they were. They are like a lawn mower without a blade, they get a lot done, but nothing changes.
"Oh, we're gonna do it in November." I know Thanksgiving happens in November.
Does anyone honestly think that the Obama machine is sitting around doing nothing. Look at the actual presidential election results ............... THEY did what they had to do in the right places, TO GET THE JOB DONE. Do we honestly think that whoever orchestrated that election symphony, is doing nothing. My guess is they were playing a tune in Florida. The Republicans were watching baseball while the Democrats were doing, what had to be done, to win the election today, AND THEY DID IT.
A LOT OF TALK, NOT MUCH ACTION .... I think the Conservatives are in trouble, and they don't even know it, they just optimistically say, "Wait till November."
We really don't know what or where the OBAMA Machine is doing or located. They did something right in Florida. Where was the Tea Party? Apparently drinking tea and patting each other on the back, in some nice affluent tea room, and telling each other how great they were. They are like a lawn mower without a blade, they get a lot done, but nothing changes.
"Oh, we're gonna do it in November." I know Thanksgiving happens in November.
Does anyone honestly think that the Obama machine is sitting around doing nothing. Look at the actual presidential election results ............... THEY did what they had to do in the right places, TO GET THE JOB DONE. Do we honestly think that whoever orchestrated that election symphony, is doing nothing. My guess is they were playing a tune in Florida. The Republicans were watching baseball while the Democrats were doing, what had to be done, to win the election today, AND THEY DID IT.
A LOT OF TALK, NOT MUCH ACTION .... I think the Conservatives are in trouble, and they don't even know it, they just optimistically say, "Wait till November."
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
On the Road to Good Health - Worth Watching and Evaluating
Check this out and evaluate for yourself, it is certainly worth looking into.
This is the Video the Pharmaceutical Industry Doesn't Want You to Watch"
Watch this life-changing video now.
After you watch this 5-minute video - get the FULL STORY.
► Discover the remarkable, scientifically proven natural therapy that creates an environment within the body where cancer and other diseases cannot thrive -- and enables the body to cure itself of disease;
► Learn why this healing method -- called "the world's greatest healing miracle of all time" by health practitioners -- may render all cancer drugs, chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments obsolete;
► Find out how this safe, inexpensive and powerful healing method has been administered by an estimated 15,000 European doctors, naturopaths and homeopaths to more than 10 million patients in the past 70 years to successfully treat cancer and many other diseases -- and how you can use it, too.
MORE INFORMATION
This is the Video the Pharmaceutical Industry Doesn't Want You to Watch"
Watch this life-changing video now.
After you watch this 5-minute video - get the FULL STORY.
► Discover the remarkable, scientifically proven natural therapy that creates an environment within the body where cancer and other diseases cannot thrive -- and enables the body to cure itself of disease;
► Learn why this healing method -- called "the world's greatest healing miracle of all time" by health practitioners -- may render all cancer drugs, chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments obsolete;
► Find out how this safe, inexpensive and powerful healing method has been administered by an estimated 15,000 European doctors, naturopaths and homeopaths to more than 10 million patients in the past 70 years to successfully treat cancer and many other diseases -- and how you can use it, too.
MORE INFORMATION
Is Your House Ready For Summer? Here'S A First Aid Kit For Spring Fixes
Content Provided By Gorilla Glue Email Print Gorilla Glue (ARA) - Are you ready to host all of those summer barbecues and graduation parties that are just around the corner? And the bigger question - is your house ready? Spring ushers in a slew of home repairs that are needed to get ready for summer activities. Whether it's a broken bird bath, a loose stone on a walkway, or a broken patio chair, there are some things you need to take care of before the warm weather arrives.
The best way to prepare for these upcoming household fixes is to assemble a first-aid kit for your house. Keeping some quick repair tools together makes you that much more efficient. Below is a list of items that are invaluable for household repairs:
1. Gorilla Glue - This product is 100 percent waterproof and perfect for fixing anything from a broken chair leg to a broken flower pot. You could even use a strong glue like this to fix a loose stone on a walkway. If you've never used a polyurethane glue before, be careful, because they expand as they cure - you will only need a very small amount for an indestructible bond. Visit www.gorillatough.com for more information.
2. Gorilla Tape - Made by the same company that makes Gorilla Glue, Gorilla Tape is the toughest duct tape that you will ever meet. It has a strong fabric backing and three times the adhesive of other duct tapes and will even stick to impossible surfaces like brick and stucco. Visit www.gorillatough.com for more information.
3. Simple tools - Why is it that you can never find a hammer, screwdriver, utility knife, tape measure and pencil when you need one? Keep duplicates of these tools in your first-aid kit, and you won't have to run around your house or shop looking for them.
4. Sandpaper and a two-part, epoxy-based wood filler - For outdoor wood repair needs, this is really the way to go. All exterior door and window trim work should be checked every spring because gaps and cracks not only reduce your home's efficiency, but can also provide an entry location for unwanted insects and rodents. Most of these repairs can easily be taken care of this time of year before the summer rains damage the integrity of the wood.
5. Cordless drill and variety of high quality screws - With the diverse weather changes in the winter, screws will loosen over the winter. Tighten up exposed screws on things like your deck, wood railings, etc. before they become a safety hazard.
6. Touch-up paint and foam applicators - Avoid having to search the garage for a can of paint by putting a small amount of paint in a disposable airtight container and add it to your kit. As you make your outdoor repairs, you will have the paint on hand for a quick fix. Foam applicators, which you can get very inexpensively from any craft and hobby store, are great for quick touch-ups, and are easy and disposable.
With your first-aid kit assembled, you are ready to tackle all of your outdoor spring fixes.
The best way to prepare for these upcoming household fixes is to assemble a first-aid kit for your house. Keeping some quick repair tools together makes you that much more efficient. Below is a list of items that are invaluable for household repairs:
1. Gorilla Glue - This product is 100 percent waterproof and perfect for fixing anything from a broken chair leg to a broken flower pot. You could even use a strong glue like this to fix a loose stone on a walkway. If you've never used a polyurethane glue before, be careful, because they expand as they cure - you will only need a very small amount for an indestructible bond. Visit www.gorillatough.com for more information.
2. Gorilla Tape - Made by the same company that makes Gorilla Glue, Gorilla Tape is the toughest duct tape that you will ever meet. It has a strong fabric backing and three times the adhesive of other duct tapes and will even stick to impossible surfaces like brick and stucco. Visit www.gorillatough.com for more information.
3. Simple tools - Why is it that you can never find a hammer, screwdriver, utility knife, tape measure and pencil when you need one? Keep duplicates of these tools in your first-aid kit, and you won't have to run around your house or shop looking for them.
4. Sandpaper and a two-part, epoxy-based wood filler - For outdoor wood repair needs, this is really the way to go. All exterior door and window trim work should be checked every spring because gaps and cracks not only reduce your home's efficiency, but can also provide an entry location for unwanted insects and rodents. Most of these repairs can easily be taken care of this time of year before the summer rains damage the integrity of the wood.
5. Cordless drill and variety of high quality screws - With the diverse weather changes in the winter, screws will loosen over the winter. Tighten up exposed screws on things like your deck, wood railings, etc. before they become a safety hazard.
6. Touch-up paint and foam applicators - Avoid having to search the garage for a can of paint by putting a small amount of paint in a disposable airtight container and add it to your kit. As you make your outdoor repairs, you will have the paint on hand for a quick fix. Foam applicators, which you can get very inexpensively from any craft and hobby store, are great for quick touch-ups, and are easy and disposable.
With your first-aid kit assembled, you are ready to tackle all of your outdoor spring fixes.
New Blog
A number of people have suggested I do a blog devoted to programs I have tried and/or recommend, so I recently posted The Click Works.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Masters
If you missed the end of the Masters you missed a real tear jerking moment. Phil won, embraced his wife Amy, after all they have gone through, a great moment. Brought a lot of tears to my eyes .....
Here's an interesting read: and some important and verifiable information
About 6 months ago, the writer was watching a news program on oil and one of the Forbes brothers was the guest. The host said to Forbes, "I am going to ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. have in the ground?" Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, "More than all the Middle East put together."
Please read below:
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big! It was a revised report (which had not been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and extreme eastern Montana .....
Check THIS out:
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable. At $107 a barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion.
"When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea." says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature's financial analyst.
"This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years," reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It's a formation known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the 'Bakken.' It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and into Canada. For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead end. Even the 'Big Oil' companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken's massive reserves. We now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!
That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years straight. And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one should - because the information is from 2006!
U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World
Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006
Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this 'mother lode' of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?
They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:
- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
- 18-times as much oil as Iraq
- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait
- 22-times as much oil as Iran
- 500-times as much oil as Yemen
- and it's all right here in the Western United States .
HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy.
WHY?
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.
Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price - even with this find? Think again! It's all about the competitive marketplace, - it has to.
Do ya' think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?
Got your attention yet? Now, while you're thinking about it, do this:
Please read below:
The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man was it big! It was a revised report (which had not been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and extreme eastern Montana .....
Check THIS out:
The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska's Prudhoe Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign oil. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable. At $107 a barrel, we're looking at a resource base worth more than $5.3 trillion.
"When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea." says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature's financial analyst.
"This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years," reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It's a formation known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the 'Bakken.' It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and into Canada. For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead end. Even the 'Big Oil' companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken's massive reserves. We now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!
That's enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years straight. And if THAT didn't throw you on the floor, then this next one should - because the information is from 2006!
U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World
Stansberry Report Online - 4/20/2006
Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this 'mother lode' of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?
They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:
- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia
- 18-times as much oil as Iraq
- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait
- 22-times as much oil as Iran
- 500-times as much oil as Yemen
- and it's all right here in the Western United States .
HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy.
WHY?
James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we've got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped. That's more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.
Don't think 'OPEC' will drop its price - even with this find? Think again! It's all about the competitive marketplace, - it has to.
Do ya' think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?
Got your attention yet? Now, while you're thinking about it, do this:
Thursday, April 8, 2010
...... and you ain't Abe Lincoln
For those who study history --- you recall that despite Obama's continuous attempts to quote Lincoln as a Democrat................President Lincoln was a Republican President!
SO WHY DOESN'T OBAMA USE THIS FAMOUS LINCOLN QUOTE
You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.
...... Abraham Lincoln
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Yes, there are some out there walking around and breathing ....
LOUISIANA: A man walked into a Circle-K, put a $20 bill on the counter and asked for change. When the clerk opened the cash drawer, the man pulled a gun and asked for all the cash in the register, which the clerk
promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer? Fifteen dollars. If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, was a crime committed?
KANSAS: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided thathe'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. Seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on
videotape.
NEW YORK: As a female shopper exited a convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, thepoli ce had apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied "Yes Officer..that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."
SEATTLE: When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motorhome parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motorhome near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motorhome's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.
ANN ARBOR: The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 8:50am, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. So the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.
KENTUCKY: Two men tried to pull the front off a cash machine by running a chain from the machine to the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead ofpulling the front panel off the machine,though, they pulled the bumper off their truck. Scared, they left the scene and drove home. With the chain still attached to the machine. With their bumper still attached to the chain. With their vehicle's license plate still attached to the
bumper.
NEWARK: A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone, and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the
newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested.
promptly provided. The man took the cash from the clerk and fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter. The total amount of cash he got from the drawer? Fifteen dollars. If someone points a gun at you and gives you money, was a crime committed?
KANSAS: Seems this guy wanted some beer pretty badly. He decided thathe'd just throw a cinder block through a liquor store window, grab some booze, and run. So he lifted the cinder block and heaved it over his head at the window. The cinder block bounced back and hit the would-be thief on the head, knocking him unconscious. Seems the liquor store window was made of Plexi-Glass. The whole event was caught on
videotape.
NEW YORK: As a female shopper exited a convenience store, a man grabbed her purse and ran. The clerk called 911 immediately and the woman was able to give them a detailed description of the snatcher. Within minutes, thepoli ce had apprehended the snatcher. They put him in the car and drove back to the store. The thief was then taken out of the car and told to stand there for a positive ID. To which he replied "Yes Officer..that's her. That's the lady I stole the purse from."
SEATTLE: When a man attempted to siphon gasoline from a motorhome parked on a Seattle street, he got much more than he bargained for. Police arrived at the scene to find an ill man curled up next to a motorhome near spilled sewage. A police spokesman said that the man admitted to trying to steal gasoline and plugged his hose into the motorhome's sewage tank by mistake. The owner of the vehicle declined to press charges, saying that it was the best laugh he'd ever had.
ANN ARBOR: The Ann Arbor News crime column reported that a man walked into a Burger King in Ypsilanti, Michigan at 8:50am, flashed a gun and demanded cash. The clerk turned him down because he said he couldn't open the cash register without a food order. So the man ordered onion rings, the clerk said they weren't available for breakfast. The man, frustrated, walked away.
KENTUCKY: Two men tried to pull the front off a cash machine by running a chain from the machine to the bumper of their pickup truck. Instead ofpulling the front panel off the machine,though, they pulled the bumper off their truck. Scared, they left the scene and drove home. With the chain still attached to the machine. With their bumper still attached to the chain. With their vehicle's license plate still attached to the
bumper.
NEWARK: A woman was reporting her car as stolen, and mentioned that there was a car phone in it. The policeman taking the report called the phone, and told the guy that answered that he had read the ad in the
newspaper and wanted to buy the car. They arranged to meet, and the thief was arrested.
NEW TRAFFIC LAW - 2010
New Law: If a patrol car is pulled over to the side of the road, you have to change to the next lane (away from the stopped vehicle) or slow down to at least 20 mph under the posted speed limit. Every state except Hawaii and Maryland and the D.C. has this law.
In California , the Move-over law became operative on January 1, 2010.
A friend's son got a ticket for this recently. A police car (turned out it was two police cars) was on the side of the road giving a ticket to someone else. He slowed down to pass but did not move into the other lane. The second police car immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket. He had never heard of the law. It is a fairly new law that states if any emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, if you are able, you are to move into the far lane.
The cost of the ticket was $754, with three points on your license and a mandatory court appearance. Please let everyone you know that drives about this new law.
In California , the Move-over law became operative on January 1, 2010.
A friend's son got a ticket for this recently. A police car (turned out it was two police cars) was on the side of the road giving a ticket to someone else. He slowed down to pass but did not move into the other lane. The second police car immediately pulled him over and gave him a ticket. He had never heard of the law. It is a fairly new law that states if any emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, if you are able, you are to move into the far lane.
The cost of the ticket was $754, with three points on your license and a mandatory court appearance. Please let everyone you know that drives about this new law.
Change FONTS, save BUCKS!
This is good information for all. I learned it many years ago being in the printing business. I heard an estimate some time ago, ink cartridge ink, the way it is used, runs about $5000 per gallon.
Here's a legal way to print money: change the font
By DINESH RAMDE, Associated Press Writer Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press Writer – Tue Apr 6, 4:17 pm ET
MILWAUKEE – Here's a way you might save $20 this year: Change the font in the documents you print.
Because different fonts require different amounts of ink to print, you could be buying new printer cartridges less often if you wrote in, say, Century Gothic rather than Arial. Schools and businesses could save thousands of dollars with font changes.
Data on the subject from Printer.com, a Dutch company that evaluates printer attributes, persuaded the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to make a switch. Diane Blohowiak, coordinator of information-technology user support, has asked faculty and staff to use Century Gothic for all printed documents. The school also plans to change its e-mail system so it uses Century Gothic.
"The feedback we've gotten so far has been positive," she said. "Century Gothic is very readable."
The school of 6,500 students spends about $100,000 per year on ink and toner cartridges. Although students and staff can change the default font to something more ink-intensive, Blohowiak said the university expects to save $5,000 to $10,000 per year with the font switch.
When Printer.com tested popular fonts for their ink-friendly ways, Century Gothic and Times New Roman topped the list. Calibri, Verdana, Arial and Sans Serif were next, followed by Trebuchet, Tahoma and Franklin Gothic Medium. Century Gothic uses about 30 percent less ink than Arial.
The amount of ink a font drains is mainly driven by the thickness of its lines. A font with "narrow" or "light" in its name is usually better than its "bold" or "black" counterpart, said Thom Brown, an ink researcher at Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's top maker of printers.
Also, serif fonts — those with short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of characters — tend to use thinner lines and thus less ink than a "sans serif" counterpart.
But while using less ink at home can help you buy roughly one fewer printer cartridge each year, it's not necessarily better for the environment.
That's because some fonts that use less ink, including Century Gothic, are also wider. A document that's one page in Arial could extend to a second page if printed in Century Gothic. Blohowiak said her research suggests that ink comprises the main cost of a printout, but the environmental costs of paper are probably higher.
"Maybe the individual characters use less ink, but if you're using more paper, that's not so green, is it?" said Allan Haley, director of "words and letters" at Monotype Imaging Inc. in Woburn, Mass., which developed Century Gothic.
Also, Century Gothic was designed for limited blocks of text such as titles and headlines, not for full documents, said Haley, who describes fonts as his "children." Despite Printer.com's research and UW-Green Bay's experience, Haley said he still recommends Times New Roman or Arial for their readability.
The standard advice for trimming printing expenses still applies: Print in "draft mode," if you can. Use both sides of a page and do a print preview to make sure you're not printing pages with useless text such as a copyright line. Using an ink-saving font is just one more technique to consider.
And the greenest way to save on ink is not to print at all.
That's the philosophy Microsoft Corp. said it uses in deciding which fonts to include in its Outlook and Word applications. The more pleasing a font looks on the screen, the less tempted someone will be to print, said Simon Daniels, a program manager for Microsoft's typography group.
That's why the company changed its defaults in Office 2007 from Arial and Times New Roman to Calibri and Cambria, he said.
"We're trying to move the threshold of when people hit the print button," he said.
Here's a legal way to print money: change the font
By DINESH RAMDE, Associated Press Writer Dinesh Ramde, Associated Press Writer – Tue Apr 6, 4:17 pm ET
MILWAUKEE – Here's a way you might save $20 this year: Change the font in the documents you print.
Because different fonts require different amounts of ink to print, you could be buying new printer cartridges less often if you wrote in, say, Century Gothic rather than Arial. Schools and businesses could save thousands of dollars with font changes.
Data on the subject from Printer.com, a Dutch company that evaluates printer attributes, persuaded the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay to make a switch. Diane Blohowiak, coordinator of information-technology user support, has asked faculty and staff to use Century Gothic for all printed documents. The school also plans to change its e-mail system so it uses Century Gothic.
"The feedback we've gotten so far has been positive," she said. "Century Gothic is very readable."
The school of 6,500 students spends about $100,000 per year on ink and toner cartridges. Although students and staff can change the default font to something more ink-intensive, Blohowiak said the university expects to save $5,000 to $10,000 per year with the font switch.
When Printer.com tested popular fonts for their ink-friendly ways, Century Gothic and Times New Roman topped the list. Calibri, Verdana, Arial and Sans Serif were next, followed by Trebuchet, Tahoma and Franklin Gothic Medium. Century Gothic uses about 30 percent less ink than Arial.
The amount of ink a font drains is mainly driven by the thickness of its lines. A font with "narrow" or "light" in its name is usually better than its "bold" or "black" counterpart, said Thom Brown, an ink researcher at Hewlett-Packard Co., the world's top maker of printers.
Also, serif fonts — those with short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of characters — tend to use thinner lines and thus less ink than a "sans serif" counterpart.
But while using less ink at home can help you buy roughly one fewer printer cartridge each year, it's not necessarily better for the environment.
That's because some fonts that use less ink, including Century Gothic, are also wider. A document that's one page in Arial could extend to a second page if printed in Century Gothic. Blohowiak said her research suggests that ink comprises the main cost of a printout, but the environmental costs of paper are probably higher.
"Maybe the individual characters use less ink, but if you're using more paper, that's not so green, is it?" said Allan Haley, director of "words and letters" at Monotype Imaging Inc. in Woburn, Mass., which developed Century Gothic.
Also, Century Gothic was designed for limited blocks of text such as titles and headlines, not for full documents, said Haley, who describes fonts as his "children." Despite Printer.com's research and UW-Green Bay's experience, Haley said he still recommends Times New Roman or Arial for their readability.
The standard advice for trimming printing expenses still applies: Print in "draft mode," if you can. Use both sides of a page and do a print preview to make sure you're not printing pages with useless text such as a copyright line. Using an ink-saving font is just one more technique to consider.
And the greenest way to save on ink is not to print at all.
That's the philosophy Microsoft Corp. said it uses in deciding which fonts to include in its Outlook and Word applications. The more pleasing a font looks on the screen, the less tempted someone will be to print, said Simon Daniels, a program manager for Microsoft's typography group.
That's why the company changed its defaults in Office 2007 from Arial and Times New Roman to Calibri and Cambria, he said.
"We're trying to move the threshold of when people hit the print button," he said.
Food for Thought
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
"Nothing, I just helped him cry"
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Good Advice - HOTEL KEY CARDS
Always take a small magnet on your holiday, they come in handy at the end of it.
Thought you all needed to know this.
This is pretty good info. Never even thought about key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room!
Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?
Answer:
a. Customer's name
B. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner.. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically 'overwritten' on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!
If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times.. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.
Thought you all needed to know this.
This is pretty good info. Never even thought about key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room!
Ever wonder what is on your magnetic key card?
Answer:
a. Customer's name
B. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!
When you turn them in to the front desk your personal information is there for any employee to access by simply scanning the card in the hotel scanner.. An employee can take a hand full of cards home and using a scanning device, access the information onto a laptop computer and go shopping at your expense.
Simply put, hotels do not erase the information on these cards until an employee reissues the card to the next hotel guest. At that time, the new guest's information is electronically 'overwritten' on the card and the previous guest's information is erased in the overwriting process.
But until the card is rewritten for the next guest, it usually is kept in a drawer at the front desk with YOUR INFORMATION ON IT!
The bottom line is: Keep the cards, take them home with you, or destroy them. NEVER leave them behind in the room or room wastebasket, and NEVER turn them into the front desk when you check out of a room. They will not charge you for the card (it's illegal) and you'll be sure you are not leaving a lot of valuable personal information on it that could be easily lifted off with any simple scanning device card reader.
For the same reason, if you arrive at the airport and discover you still have the card key in your pocket, do not toss it in an airport trash basket. Take it home and destroy it by cutting it up, especially through the electronic information strip!
If you have a small magnet, pass it across the magnetic strip several times.. Then try it in the door, it will not work. It erases everything on the card.
Recap of 2009 - The Change
This is a reprint of an EMail I received .... something to think about.
1. The American people inaugurate a half-Arab president with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state (and city) in America whose governors have been ousted from office.
The President's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists civil rights are not violated. (An honest mistake?)
2. The U.S. Congress rushed to confirm Obama's buddy Eric Holder as Attorney General, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists. (An honest mistake?!)
3. The CIA Boss appointee, Leon Panetta, had absolutely no experience, has a daughter Linda, we find out, who is a true radical anti-American activist and a supporter of all the Anti-American regimes in the western hemisphere. (There were socioeconomic factors involved!)
4. We got the second most corrupt American woman (Pelosi is #1) as Secretary of State; bought and paid for. (But who's counting??)
5. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who did not properly file his own taxes for 12 years. (He misspoke!)
6. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges. (Another honest mistake???)
7. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges. (Hmmm... another screw-up?)
8. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct. (Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid.)
9. A Secretary HHS nominee (Daschle) who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes. (I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)
10. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed. (I am getting a headache!)
All this occurred just during the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?
America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges- Barry, Nancy and Harry- and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending!!!"
The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork-loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars back ($13 per week), making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated], that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV and go
home and watch Telemundo!
Here's the good news though - Obama took Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel, for 24 JOBS FOR ONE YEAR.
Don't you just love hypocrites?
Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to lobby them to choose Chicago for a host city. He failed.
Obama went to Copenhagen to lecture them on global warming. He failed.
Obama went to new Jersey to promote the Democratic candidate for Governor. He failed.
Obama went to Virginia to promote the Democratic candidate for Governor. He failed.
Obama went to Massachusetts to promote the Democratic candidate for Senator. He failed.
Speaking of praying, Obama has now been president for a full year and yet he& wife (first lady) Michelle,the Christian family they claim to be, have not attended church since the inauguration.
Obama is the 1st president in history who did not attend any Christmas religious observance.
He must've missed Reverend Wright!
He was the first president to miss the Army & Navy Football game.
And finally, he is the 1st president to remain on vacation after a terrorist attack.
1. The American people inaugurate a half-Arab president with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state (and city) in America whose governors have been ousted from office.
The President's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists civil rights are not violated. (An honest mistake?)
2. The U.S. Congress rushed to confirm Obama's buddy Eric Holder as Attorney General, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists. (An honest mistake?!)
3. The CIA Boss appointee, Leon Panetta, had absolutely no experience, has a daughter Linda, we find out, who is a true radical anti-American activist and a supporter of all the Anti-American regimes in the western hemisphere. (There were socioeconomic factors involved!)
4. We got the second most corrupt American woman (Pelosi is #1) as Secretary of State; bought and paid for. (But who's counting??)
5. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who did not properly file his own taxes for 12 years. (He misspoke!)
6. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges. (Another honest mistake???)
7. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges. (Hmmm... another screw-up?)
8. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct. (Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid.)
9. A Secretary HHS nominee (Daschle) who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes. (I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)
10. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed. (I am getting a headache!)
All this occurred just during the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?
America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges- Barry, Nancy and Harry- and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending!!!"
The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork-loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars back ($13 per week), making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated], that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV and go
home and watch Telemundo!
Here's the good news though - Obama took Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel, for 24 JOBS FOR ONE YEAR.
Don't you just love hypocrites?
Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to lobby them to choose Chicago for a host city. He failed.
Obama went to Copenhagen to lecture them on global warming. He failed.
Obama went to new Jersey to promote the Democratic candidate for Governor. He failed.
Obama went to Virginia to promote the Democratic candidate for Governor. He failed.
Obama went to Massachusetts to promote the Democratic candidate for Senator. He failed.
Speaking of praying, Obama has now been president for a full year and yet he& wife (first lady) Michelle,the Christian family they claim to be, have not attended church since the inauguration.
Obama is the 1st president in history who did not attend any Christmas religious observance.
He must've missed Reverend Wright!
He was the first president to miss the Army & Navy Football game.
And finally, he is the 1st president to remain on vacation after a terrorist attack.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Wonder who is running the show?
Whoever is behind Obama is truely smart. It almost has to be a group, I don't think that one person is that educated, it is a "think tank" group. He has been so well orchestrated since he started running for President, THEY are so smart.
Just think, he could not beat Hillary. His healthcare was doomed and now he is going after the voices of the Republican Party, which unfortunately are radio talk-show hosts. They won't stand a chance. Rush will soon be eating at the White House. Then they will work on Newt and Sarah and they will "have their way" with this country.
Democrats won't be voted out next election, they will see to that. I am of the opinion that they can do as they wish. THEY are composing a "political symphony" that is so soft, that we are falling to sleep while it is playing. No tymphony drums, just soft violins, and we will all, soon, be humming their tune.
Is it too late, you betcha, the music is playing in the background and we are all listening to the soft melodious tunes, and humming along with them. Someday we will all be saying, what happened? How did this happen? Where did we go wrong? We have to bow in what direction? How many times a day?
Just think, he could not beat Hillary. His healthcare was doomed and now he is going after the voices of the Republican Party, which unfortunately are radio talk-show hosts. They won't stand a chance. Rush will soon be eating at the White House. Then they will work on Newt and Sarah and they will "have their way" with this country.
Democrats won't be voted out next election, they will see to that. I am of the opinion that they can do as they wish. THEY are composing a "political symphony" that is so soft, that we are falling to sleep while it is playing. No tymphony drums, just soft violins, and we will all, soon, be humming their tune.
Is it too late, you betcha, the music is playing in the background and we are all listening to the soft melodious tunes, and humming along with them. Someday we will all be saying, what happened? How did this happen? Where did we go wrong? We have to bow in what direction? How many times a day?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
A History Lesson
A great History lesson for ALL of US, please read on. If you have children at home going to school please let them read this & see the monument. This came to me in an email, I was not awaare of it, it is worth reading, and SHARING.
One detail that is never mentioned is that in Washington , D.C.. There can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument . With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc., this is worth a moment or two of your time. I was not aware of this amazing historical information.
On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. , are displayed two words: Laus Deo.
No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and for that matter, probably couldn't care less.
Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the United States of America.
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, unnoticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world. So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply,
They say " Praise be to God!"
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States , it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty-five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo. "Praise be to God!"
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant...a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west.
A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross; separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution. So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.
Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones share a message.
On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore;
On the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians;
On the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6 Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy "One Nation, Under God."
I am awed by Washington 's prayer for America. Have you ever read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity, so read on!
"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
Laus Deo!
When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo ", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain.. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127: 1)
It is hoped you will send this blog link to every child you know; to every sister, brother, father, mother or friend. They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they probably never learned in school. With that, be not ashamed, or afraid, but have pity on those who will never see this because someone failed to send it on.
This Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away
A real eye opener. Please read.........
The author of this article lives in South Dakota and appears to be very active in attempting to maintain our freedom. I encourage everybody to read this article and pass it along. I see so many parallels in this country–are we going to sit by and watch it happen? Spread the word; also contact your congressional reps; vote them out if they don't do what they should. If you don't want to be bothered, then you're part of the problem! Google Kitty Werthmann and you will see articles and videos.
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote.. I've never read that in any American publications.
Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.
In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed.. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.
Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.
The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna , Linz , and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.
We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany , where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria .. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.
We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.
After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.
Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school... The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.
Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.
Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.
Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children.. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.
Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business.. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.
We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.
"Mercy Killing" Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.
As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration.. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.
No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism.
Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.
After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account.
"It's true..those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in theWorld. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away,
"After America , There is No Place to Go"
PLEASE, read this toroughly, study it, and then EMail this BLOG to all you know. It is imperative that this message spreads. Think about the USA today, what is happening, and then draw your own conclusions.
BUT PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORDS IN THIS BLOG TO ALL YOU KNOW
http://dooleyobserved.blogspot.com/
The author of this article lives in South Dakota and appears to be very active in attempting to maintain our freedom. I encourage everybody to read this article and pass it along. I see so many parallels in this country–are we going to sit by and watch it happen? Spread the word; also contact your congressional reps; vote them out if they don't do what they should. If you don't want to be bothered, then you're part of the problem! Google Kitty Werthmann and you will see articles and videos.
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.
I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote.. I've never read that in any American publications.
Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.
In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed.. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.
Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.
The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna , Linz , and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.
We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany , where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria .. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.
We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.
After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.
Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.
Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:
Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school... The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.
Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.
My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.
Equal Rights Hits Home:
In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.
Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat.
Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.
Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:
When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children.. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.
Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:
Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.
As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.
We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business.. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.
We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.
"Mercy Killing" Redefined:
In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.
As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.
The Final Steps - Gun Laws:
Next came gun registration.. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.
No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.
Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism.
Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.
After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account.
"It's true..those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.
America Truly is the Greatest Country in theWorld. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away,
"After America , There is No Place to Go"
PLEASE, read this toroughly, study it, and then EMail this BLOG to all you know. It is imperative that this message spreads. Think about the USA today, what is happening, and then draw your own conclusions.
BUT PLEASE, SPREAD THE WORDS IN THIS BLOG TO ALL YOU KNOW
http://dooleyobserved.blogspot.com/
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