veritable observations

What do i want to change about healthcare?

2009-08-31T19:05:00.003-05:00

What do I want to change about healthcare?

Surprisingly (perhaps) I have a pretty short answer for this one. Of all the possible complaints and difficulties any American might have concerning how he or she receives healthcare in this country, my biggest problem is the seemingly overwhelming assumption that the federal government should be the entity from whom a solution must come.

There seem to be about a thousand rumors circling as to what the new hypothethical healthcare bill may entail. There are some ideas I don't have a big problem with. There are other ideas I feel I would nearly give my life to protest. But with all of the prospective policies, I have one problem: that the federal government of the United States would institute them.

*****
The portion you have just read was the entirety of my submission for SixPerspectives this week.
Be sure to check out that blog for the other perspectives and join in the discussion.

Here, i will share more.

You can call me a lunatic if you like. I might call you one back. But to me, the prospect of socialized healthcare goes against everything that made this country great. The idea is supposedly to make this country a better place, but any system that forces me to abide by its notion of what is best for me, will if yielded to, imprison me in the name of my own freedom. And i will fight it, i will resist it, and i will beg almighty God in His mercy not to let it happen.

Socialized healthcare is the first notable step to the socialization of a nation. Don't give up your rights, people. Not the president, the congress, not your doctor or your minister, can tell you what's best for you. You have the right to make that decision on your own. You may consult whomever you choose, but the decision is yours. Our forefathers and God Himself gave us the right to make the wrong decision if we want to. And my healthcare is included. My healthcare, my body, my values, my faith, my decision. Period.

Viking Pools

2009-08-29T18:28:00.004-05:00

This is no expose or anything. I received this advertisement in the mail today from Viking Pools, whom i have no reason to suspect is anything but a completely upstanding corporation. Simply, the image on the cover made me laugh. A little misleading, perhaps?

Getting a pool from Viking Pools or anyone else probably won't make your back yard ever look exactly - or remotely in the same universe - like this cover. But nice imagery, Viking Pools. And good for a laugh.

SixPerspectives Topic: Do you give money to the homeless guy?

2009-08-24T11:39:00.006-05:00

Each week, SixPerspectives has a new topic for discussion, and i often have the pleasure and privilege of sharing my perspective for the weekly submission. I have a hard time keeping my opinion to the preferred 150 word limit, so i have decided to expound here. Please check out SixPerspectives and read the other 5 responses submitted on this topic.

Topic: Do you give money to the homeless guy?

Well, I guess I have to ask, “which homeless guy?”

I don't have an absolute answer to this one.

As a Christian, I have a barrage of scriptures and scriptural principles banging around in my head, ”. . . do unto others . . .,” “. . . be wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove . . .,” “. . . give to him to asks . . .,” “. . . be a good steward of the Lord's money . . .,” and so forth.

As a human being, I recognize that “the homeless guy” may or may not actually be homeless, may be about to spend my money on liquor or drugs, may be homeless by choice (those who choose to withdraw from society), or he may be someone just like me who had a bad run of luck and just doesn't know what to do but ask random strangers for money so he can eat.

But in that moment, that thirty-second window at the stop light, when I see said (possibly) homeless stranger at the corner hoping someone will drop him a five, I think the answer is “maybe.” It's really always a judgment call. And often it depends mostly on the off chance that I actually have some cash that can easily be handed out the window before the light turns green. And if he's selling something, not just begging for money, i'll gladly buy it if I can.

There is another variety of “homeless guy” who I would like to give money or food to but who will rarely accept it. This is the guy who most people have seen around town, walking here and there or riding a bike. Some of them have acquired an unofficial job taking out someone's trash or sweeping someone's floor and earning just enough to get them cigarettes and a combo meal every day or two. My husband and I will comment on them and give nick names to the ones who won't talk to us (just for our own personal reference). We'll notice when one of them acquires a bike and looks happy about his new, speedier method of transport. Sometimes they're slightly mentally disabled, functional but not comfortable with the “normal” way of things. I respect these guys, to be honest. I think they're exercising their right to live how they want.

Once I read a letter to the editor in a local newspaper, in which a woman was complaining about the population of homeless persons who had taken to camping in the unoccupied woods near the local library. She said that they should be “cleaned out of there” or something very similar indicating that they were dirtying up the place. This sentiment angered me. And I still don't understand it. I'm not afraid of homeless people any more than I am of the general population. And if they are not on private property and are not endangering anyone, I fail to see the problem. Homeless people are part of American society, like it or not. And a large percentage of them really have chosen to be homeless. For those who have chosen it and do not expect to be returned charity for laziness (not to imply that the homeless are necessarily lazy), I say let them be. I've certainly had my moments when the hermit life seemed very attractive. And feeling like being alone doesn't, in itself, make anyone dangerous.

Just one more thing. As to the guy who may be simply at the bottom end of a very bad run of circumstances, it has been my experience that he will eagerly make very good use of every drop of assistance you will give him. And when you see that the simplest act of compassion and decency has resulted in a man (or woman of course) who is back on his feet....well, if you gave to the drunk and the drug addict and the deceitful panhandler along the way....the people who made no profitable use of your outreach, it's o.k. The beauty of seeing a man, once humbled, now able to stand up on his own two feet and make a life for himself, is worth all of the seemingly wasted effort along the way. And it encourages me to once again to, ". . . give to him who asks . . ."

Environmental Differences

2009-07-14T21:57:00.004-05:00

I haven't written here in a while because i've been considering a ... change in tone and a possible blog remodel. I think i might steer away from politics a bit. But i received an email the other day, and i think i'll share this one with you. I've read about this email at snopes.com and truthorfiction.com, and by all appearances, this is the real deal. Check it out.

House #1
A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400 per month. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home.. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern "snow belt" area. It's in the South.

House #2
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground.

The water (usually 67 degrees F) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.

HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville , Tennessee ;
It is the abode of the "environmentalist" Al Gore.

HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas ;
It is the residence of ex President of the United States , George W. Bush.

Don't believe everything you read. Verify it.
This message has been verified by snopes.com and truthorfiction.com.

Rip-Offs for $167.90 and Counting...Let's follow up on Cathy Anselmo/Anderson and her very white and apparently pricey teeth.

2009-05-05T21:25:00.003-05:00

Several months ago, in the post Ridiculous Ads for $100 Please, i discussed the convenient location of Cathy Anselmo and her very bright teeth, along with Cara and her new wrinkle-free face......some of the entertaining ads that have been showing up on Facebook and other places online.

To my surprise, this post has since generated more response that probably anything else i've written (11 comments). And we've discovered that Cathy lives in Orlando, Syracuse, Kansas City, Gambrills Maryland.....let's just say she and Cara get around.

When i first wrote about Cathy and Cara, it was really just for my own entertainment. But now i am aware that Cara and Cathy are sucking in customers - customers who are going for a much longer ride than they anticipated.

Let me explain.

Ads like these are very attractive.

You look at Cathy's teeth, and you think, "well, maybe it's a cheesy ad, but maybe that stuff really works..."

And then you think, "what could it hurt? Maybe i'll be out a few dollars, and if it's no good, then i'll know."

So you go for it. You "pay only $5.95 S&H for your risk free trial," and you take a risk.

I have no idea whether Cathy's solution for whiter teeth really works, and honestly, at this point it doesn't matter. The scam is not the product. The scam is the charges.

As some of you have already discovered, the real price for Cathy's gleaming pearly whites is $167.90....or more. This is because "Cathy's teeth whitening success" requires 2 separate products. Both of these products have the same deal going: you pay shipping and handling, and we'll send you a month's supply. Sounds easy enough. But if you read the terms and conditions, you will learn the following.

You get a 14 or 15 day offer. Your trial begins the day you enter your credit card number to pay for the small shipping and handling charge. Presumably, if the mail and their shipping office works adequately, you receive your trial products in say, 7 days. Now you have 7 (or 8) days to try the product and call to cancel your free trial. Don't forget, these are calendar days, not business days. If you do not call and cancel, you may anticipate a credit card bill for a total of $167.90. This includes your shipping and handling charges and the actual cost of your first month's supply, which was your free trial. Now, if your credit card bills are timed just right, you might not realize that you've been charged this outrageous amount of money before the 30th day, when your next month is charged and shipped......another $167.90.

This leads me to a very important exhortation: READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. No matter what cool deal you've stumbled upon, READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Remember, these people really don't want you to READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. That's kind of like letting you in on the details of their devious plan to trick you out of your money. But they have to put it out there, and now matter how tiny the print is, you better read it before you hand over your beloved credit card number.

Let me say this. I dig free stuff. And i have read many many terms and conditions for free offers, free trial offers, etc. And this particular scam is VERY popular right now. So if you're traveling the free stuff internet roller coaster, please allow me to offer a few tips to try to protect yourself.

1. READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS. If they put you to sleep, read them out loud.

2. Consider using Visa or Mastercard gift cards instead of your credit or debit card. This helps in two ways; first, if the company won't take your registered gift card, it's because they want to make sure they can keep charging you; second, you limit your possible losses to the amount on the gift card, and they can't keep sucking the life out of your bank account or credit line.

3. Another part of these scams is that they often want your phone number, supposedly to "confirm your order." Don't fall for it. In my experience, they are using your phone number so they can have a phone sales guy call you and try to talk you into some additional perk that wasn't included in the original terms and conditions. They want more of your money, and they can get you to agree verbally, on a recording, before you really know what you're doing. You may, if they talk fast enough, actually think you're confirming what you already did. But you're not; you're agreeing to a whole new series of charges for something you may or may not want or need. I have seen opportunities, in the past, to create "disposable" internet phone numbers that you could create in order to get messages without giving away your private cell or home phone number. If you find one of those (that really is free), i would take advantage of it. Short of that, just don't fall for the follow up sales calls.

4. Also, check out this guy. It's an older post, so verify any information there, but this guy has some good tips and has acquired a lot of stuff for nothin'.

5. No matter what you see on the internet, please, even before you read the ad, scroll down to the bottom of the ad and click on the TERMS AND CONDITIONS. Don't even read the ad. The T&C say it all.

Industry Revitalization is Like Blood Sausage

2009-03-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

The point of a free market system is this: businesses that have customers will thrive because they produce products that other people are willing and able to pay for; businesses that don't have customers will fail because they produce products that other people are not willing or able to pay for.

O.k. o.k. that's the nutshell version, but the free market system works because of these reasons. And because the free market system works, the government does not need to get its micromanaging hands into it.

Please bear with me for a couple of paragraphs; i'm going to make an attempt at an illustration of this principle.

During the nineties, i had the pleasure and privilege of spending 3 summers in the nation of Germany as part of a missionary group from my college. We would travel from town to town visiting different churches as pre-arranged by our guide. In each town, the church would arrange for our lunches to be catered. In one of these towns, it just so happened that our lunches were catered by a local nursing home, who i'm sure offered a very competitive rate. On one of the nursing home days, while we were waiting to be served our lunch, i remember hearing the fateful German words, "schwein blutwurst," (schwein = swine or pig; blut = blood; wurst = sausage).

As part of our training for this "missionary journey," we had been instructed that we should always eat all that was set before us and never show if we didn't like something, in order to never be offensive to the people there. But on this particular day, the smell coming from the kitchen, even before we saw our food, was enough to send a few tender palettes running to the restroom. And of those who were left, the first bite or two of this delicacy finished off at least 50% of our team.

Much to our relief, our kind hosts in that particular city were young and understanding. And we actually learned that they were watching us to see how we would do with the blood sausage, almost as a prank. They told us later that this isn't really what they would ever normally eat, but it was a food eaten mostly by the older generation who probably learned to eat such things during bleaker economic times.

Now, imagine with me that the government of Germany noticed that some old established blood sausage factory in (let's just say) Berlin was in danger of going out of business because the growing younger generation was no longer buying or eating their product. Now let's say that the government decided to supplement the blood sausage factory's budget so that they could stay afloat and continue to produce the legendary and nostalgic blood sausage.

You would think that the German government was full of complete idiots! Wouldn't you!?

Well, now there is legislation being introduced to change the tax status of newspapers so that they could continue to operate even though people aren't buying their newspapers. Do you know why people aren't buying their newspapers? Because people got computers. Do you know why people don't buy blood sausage? Because everything else tastes better than blood sausage.

This is like that.

Two Things

2009-03-19T23:05:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, following a full day wherein President Obama made his picks for the Final Four and then visited some manufacturers of "greener" cars, the president made an appearance on The Tonight Show, with Jay Leno. President Obama didn't say anything particularly new or different, and he was actually quite funny a couple of times. Too bad he's the president and not a public entertainer.

Let me just say - this is the first thing - that public appearances are fine, and it's nice to let the nation see that you're a nice guy, but if you're the president of the United States of America, and your country is facing a potential depression, i would personally like to know that you are in meetings in deep dark corners of the white house at least 20 hours of the day, discussing and searching to find a real solution for the problems that have been caused BY THE GOVERNMENT.

That was the first thing.

The second thing is that i think that all the president's big public appearances today were all just a distraction. Because the day before yesterday, the decision was made that in order to help our financial situation, we will "buy" $1 Trillion in debt from our own treasury. If that sounds funny to you, it should. I'm no economist, but my understanding is that that means, we've decided to print an extra trillion dollars. We don't have the gold to back it. We're just going to print it. Someone said, "isn't that bad?" Yes, it is. Do you remember the verse in Revelation that mentions "a quart of wheat for a day's wages?" Well, i think that this is how you get there. Printing paper money without actual gold to back it makes the worth of the dollar in the world's economy much much cheaper. This is the tipping point.

That was the second thing.

To read more about this and to get a better layman's explanation, visit Glenn Beck's website here.

1 - 2 - 3 - Heads Up!

2009-03-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Not too many posts the last few days.

The reason is that sometimes i'm just overwhelmed with the grand number of things --happening, or being reported by the media, or being advertised on television -- that i should be objecting to. And when i get overwhelmed, as described, it is so much easier to bury my head in the sand. But then i have to remember that when good people bury their heads in the sand in order to comfort themselves, they tend to allow really horrific things to happen. For example, the holocaust, slavery, and the legalization of abortion and removal of prayer from American schools.

The "sand" can be many things. It can be intentional ignorance, "i don't watch the news; it's always bad news." The sand can be self-comforting platitudes to help us believe that "everything's going to be o.k." And in a country where we have faced so little true adversity, it's easy to believe that "what's happening over there doesn't affect me." People like me have to make a decision to get out of the sand and face adversity with hope and courage and action.

I am a hopeless optimist, meaning i seem to be able to find a good side in everything, and i immediately, upon hearing bad news, want to see the good side to everything. I do that because, well because it's my nature, but also because hopelessness is useless and destructive.

And so is intentional ignorance and careless complacency.

I always agree that in every situation Christians should trust God. And trusting God includes asking Him to lead us in how to be prepared for the difficult times that are coming. And if you are a Christian, it includes asking God to use you. It does not mean that if we trust God that all the bad circumstances are going to magically disappear, and we'll be back at the mall on Tuesday.

On March 7, David Wilkerson, a widely respected Christian minister, shared with the readers of his blog, what he called an URGENT MESSAGE from God, warning Christians that hard times are coming and giving some instruction on how to prepare for them. This message spread pretty quickly. In fact, i actually heard a little bit about it on Glenn Beck's t.v. program, which really surprised me. But for many Christians, it incited panic.

David Wilkerson's blog posts following the Urgent Message clearly demonstrated that the message was about getting THROUGH tough times, and not a message to say, "here's how it's all going to go down, and there's nothing you can do about it." It was a message of warning but also of comfort and peace.

What i'm trying to say is, first, realize that our willful ignorance and platitudes have allowed the moral decline of our nation and our government. And second, please take action. I don't mean you need to incite a riot against evil politicians. I mean, sit up, take a look around, and realize that you can influence people. Give people hope. If you are a Christian, pray and ask God to show you where you can be useful to change the world you live in for the better; look around and see that there are opportunities all around you. And if you are not a Christian, well, reconsider.

"All that is necessary for the furtherance of evil is that good men do nothing."
-- Edmund Burke, an 18th Century statesman

Super Human Fish Cow Potatoes

2009-03-16T23:34:00.003-05:00

I would like to share with you an article written by a friend of mine, concerning genetically modified organisms and crops. I have heard very little on this subject but found it very interesting. I would love to hear your thoughts and if you have other resources on this subject. If i had heard of some of this stuff, i would've thought it was a joke.

Say No To GMOs!!!
by Laura Hoyt

Monday, November 10, 2008

Playing God with the Environment

Christians must realize that protecting the environment from genetically modified crops or GMOs is essential for today and future generations. First, genetically modified crops increase genetic pollution. Next, it is unknown how GMO crops will affect our health and our environment. Last, whoever is in control of the food will control the world. Christians must take a stand against this evil tactic.

Many Christians are unaware of genetically modified organisms. "A genetically modified organism is a plant, animal or microorganism whose genetic code has been altered (What is a GMO?)." This allows plants and animals that can not mate the ability to transfer genes (What is a GMO?). Scientists are making changes to God's creation by mixing and matching genes. The Center of Food Safety states, "…biotechnologist have engineered novel creations, such as potatoes with bacteria genes, "super" pigs with human growth genes, fish with cattle growth genes, and tomatoes with flounders genes…"

Genetically modified crops cause genetic pollution. More GM crops are being produced that are able to resist viruses and insects. They are also more tolerant to herbicides (Economist 63). This may sound wonderful but there are two problems. When plants with herbicide resistant traits from the engineered crops transfer these traits to other related plants it can cause super weeds (Shiva72). The article "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Not Be Produced" states, "Superweeds could lead to "bio-invasions," displacing local diversity and taking over the entire ecosystems (Shiva73)." The second problem is that farmers will have to use more chemicals to kill these weeds. Hightower offers this fact, "More than 100 pesticides are now in the ground water in 40 different states… (Taylor)."

There is no certainty how GM crops will effect our health or the environment. Farmers are growing these crops all across America and we do not know the affects on humans or the environment. In the article "Genetically Engineered Food" it says that up to 45 percent of U.S. corn and 85 percent of soybeans are genetically modified. It says that around 70 percent of processed foods at the grocery stores have genetically modified ingredients (The Center for Food Safety). It is not even known if there will be risk in eating these foods. The Center for Food Safety states, "…the use of genetic engineering in agriculture could lead to uncontrolled biological pollution, threatening numerous microbial, plant and animal species with extinction…" This is very dangerous because it could damage many cycles. In the article "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Not Be Produced" Shiva explains that Superpests are another problem with GM foods. She tells how Monsanto and other corporations are inserting a toxic Bt bacteria gene in plants (Shiva74). Shiva states, "This particular Bt gene produces a toxin that disables insects, and the genetically engineered Bt plants are thus able to produce their own pesticide (74)." This has been going on since 1996 (Shiva 74). Monsanto has made many believe that farmers will not have to use as much pesticides because of this Bt; however, the truth is they will need to continue using non-Bt cotton and pesticide sprays on these resistant plants. This just increases the use of chemicals. This will cause further extinction of many valuable insects used for pollination. Eight species of insects now have a resistance to Bt toxins (Shiva 75). Oleary states, "Playing God with creation of food may have dangerous ramifications for the environment." The Center for Food Safety says that congress has not passed any law to manage GMOs.

Many Christians do not even know about genetically modified crops. I was also, unaware of it until my baby began breaking out with sever eczema and constipation. The doctors claimed it was from detergents and soaps, but I discovered this was not the problem. His problem continued on for a year. Soon I started looking into my child's nutrition because of a Christian health speaker named Doug Kaufman at www.knowthecause.com . We began to eliminate all the foods and add them back one at a time. Our discovery was amazing. We found out that our child breaks out anytime he eats a product with soy or peanuts. Almost all processed foods and even baby formula contain soy. This puzzled me, so I started to research about soy. That is when I found out that all soy is genetically modified. I learned that sometimes people are not allergic to soy but it may be the other genes that scientist are injecting them with. When scientist put genes into different species it can cause health risk (Economist 63). The Economist even goes as far as saying that soybeans that have been given brazil nut genes my produce an allergic reaction. Soybeans are in thousands of food products and if it is not spotted can cause life threatening situations (Economist 63). This is possibly why my son is unable to eat soy without an allergic reaction. This is dangerous because people who are allergic to certain foods will not know if there food has been altered are not. Imagine not knowing if an apple is really an apple or an apple with shrimp genes.

Lastly, whoever controls the crops will control the world. Seeds have already been patented and modified in America. In the article "Monsanto's Harvest of Fear" it explains how farmers have saved seeds for thousands of years. The United States Patent and Trademark Office would not patent seeds for many years because they considered them life forms. That all has changed since the 1980s. Monsanto has become the world leader in genetically modified seeds and has over 674 biotechnology patents (Bartlett and Steele). Unfortunately it does not stop there. Monsanto is still trying to access more patents and take more control. The article "Monsanto's Harvest of Fear" shows how powerful this company really is. Farmers who by the patented seeds from Monsanto are required to sign an agreement that they will not save the seed produced after the harvest. They are not allowed to replant or sell the seed to other farmers. This means that farmers must now buy seeds every year. Monsanto has produced modified seeds for soybeans, corn, canola, and cotton. They are working on sugar beets and alfalfa (Bartlett and Steele). Bartlett and Steele state, "This company is also seeking to extend its reach into milk production by marketing an artificial growth hormone that increases their output, and it is taking aggressive steps to put those who don't want to use growth hormone at a commercial disadvantage." This is very scary. The article also states that the company, Monsanto is buying up seed companies. They have paid big money for these large seed companies. As of today, Monsanto is the largest seed company in the world (Bartlett and Steele). Bartlett and Steele state, "Whoever provides the world's seeds controls the world's food supply."

In conclusion, it is clear that there is a need to protect the environment from GMO crops. Christians should not sweep this under the rug any more. In Genesis 1:28 God said, "…Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth…(New American Standard Bible)." God has given us the authority to subdue and dominate his creation. We have the responsibility as overseers of God's creation to protect it. We must speak out and let others know about the secrets that are hidden in our food here in America. It is also important to write representatives about GMO issues. We must be aware of future modifications that will continue to go through congress on a daily basis. We also need to pray for our representatives to make wise choices. We may not be able to go back to the way things once were but each family can start taking action in their own homes. Start growing gardens with non-GM seeds, and learn how to save the seeds to pass down to future generations.
***************************************************************************

Works Cited

Bartlett, Donald L. and James B. Steele. "Monsanto's Harvest of Fear." Vanity Fair

May 2008.

Economist. "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Be Produced." 2001.Cothran 63.

Cothran, Helen, ed. Global Resources: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003.

New American Standard Bible, La Habra: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.

Oleary, Denyse. "Genetically Engineered Foods – Unholy Harvest?" all-creatures.org.

3 Nov. 2008. .

Shiva,Vandan. "Genetically Engineered Foods Should Not Be Produced." 2000.

Cothran 72-75.

Taylor, Monette. "Jim Hightower Attacks 'Monasanto's Intimidation' of Farmers

and Their Crops." Say No to GMOs. 18 Oct. 2001. 3 Nov. 2008 .

The Center for Food Safety. "Genetically Engineered Food." 3 Nov. 2008 .

What is a GMO? 6 Nov. 2008 .

Freecycle(TM) Funnies

2009-03-15T19:13:00.006-05:00

In today's economy, more and more Americans are or should be turning to organization such as Freecycle(TM) or Craigslist to find free or cheap used items from others in their communities. I've been a member of Freecycle(TM) for about a year now. I've acquired perfectly good used appliances, kitchen items, and a very unusual cat, who i have come to love dearly - all for free. I've also gotten to give away gardening items, siding, scrap appliances, and household items to very grateful receivers.

The point of Freecycle(TM), in particular, is to keep usable items out of the landfill by giving them to others who might benefit from them. Sometimes when the person offering is describing the item being offered, the advertisement is kind of funny, and it's a good thing they're not asking money for this stuff.

I've collected a few funny or entertaining ads that i've read, for your entertainment.

Here's a fun one: the free haircut

Im a licenced cosmetologist working for (named company) and looking for ppl interested in getting a free haircut Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10am-1pm ONLY. I would be cutting your hair shoulder length adding some layers. Serious inquiries only.

I love it! I'll give you a free haircut, and here's the style you're getting.
***

This person should get into marketing.

From Dillards and very old. This was my sister's and it is in bad shape. She had dogs, it is dirty, and it has some worn areas and a few tears. A super cleaning and some sewing, it will be a nice sectional for someone having nothing otherwise.

I repeat. This sectional is not in good shape at all. But free is free.

Must pick up tonight. No smoking, if that matters.

I love brutal honesty!
***

This guy, as they say, could sell a freezer to an eskimo.

Free hot tub shell only, no pumps,heaters,etc. It is approximately 11 ft. x 7 ft. Has some scratches and needs cleaning. Refurbish it, use it for a koi fish pond? The possibilities are endless.
The fact is that you NEED it.

I was just thinking that this morning: i really do NEED a dirty, scratched up piece of a hot tub to landscape my yard!
***

This one's unusual...

Mecca brand reversible coat, one side camo and the other black. Medium size. Would like for it to go to a cute hip-hop guy who can pull off the intended look.

That's a lot of pressure. Can you imagine having to audition for a free coat?
"Sorry, sir, you're not cute enough. Next!"
***

Here's an enticing offer:

Please read the whole thing... First needs to be picked up between 6-
6:30 today. you do not have to take all. these are bags of girl
clothes from newborn and up to bigger size no i do not know did not
look. also bags of stuffed animals and toys. okay now the catch these
were in a container that has take in water no not all got wet but most
did. you are welcome to what you want the rest will go to the burn
pile. the wet clothes just need to be wash with bleach to get the
smell out. toys also bleached from dirt.

Ew.
***

And now, the pièce de ré·sis·tance of funny free ads.

FREE: horrible, uncomfortable twin mattress
Yes, that's right, I am giving away the worst mattress known to man for the unbeatable price of FREE. "This sounds like a horrible offer," you say. Au contraire, sir. Allow me to explain:

Do you have relatives coming to visit soon? Do you hate these relatives? Perhaps your mother-in-law is on her way in to town or your sister who tried to steal your boyfriend back in high school is coming. What better way to passive-aggressively torture these unwanted guests than to outfit the guest bed with a sheet of granite cleverly disguised as a mattress? They will never want to visit you again after spending a weekend in your torture chamber of a guest room.

Perhaps you like a firm sleeping surface, but are frowned upon for sleeping on the floor. Think you can't find anything harder than hardwood? Try this mattress! Don't waste your money on a "sleep number bed" with the firmness turned all the way up. In time, the air in the mattress will start to leak and the mattress will go soft. This mattress will NEVER go soft!

This is a very high quality mattress. It was purchased at Gallery Furniture, so you know you're getting something good. There are no stains on it ..., but if you want me to make up a really gross backstory for the mattress to make you feel even more evil for taking it, I can do that. I have a very good imagination and will go all out.

All you have to do to acquire this mattress is drive out here and get it. I understand there is probably a very high demand for a mattress of this quality, so please be patient if I do not reply right away. Please include a story of why you need a horrible mattress if you like. We can share our sadness together.

Pick up only. I think this mattress would melt my car with all the evil it contains if I were to try to deliver it to you anyways.

*****

As to the evil mattress, i wrote and asked the writer of that ad if she had gotten any interest. She told me that the woman most likely to get the mattress at the time was someone who had a good story about her "dirtbag, deadbeat, brother-inlaw." Yikes!

The 912 Project

2009-03-14T17:46:00.005-05:00

Yesterday was the We Surround Them event i told you about.

I watched it, and i was pleased with how it turned out.

The pictures that were sent in to the show were thousands. They didn't say how many came in. What they did say is that onslaught of pictures being submitted shut down the FoxNews server FIVE TIMES and that the mosaic you can see here is made up of about ONE TENTH of the pictures that came in.

The show was simple, not dramatic. But it was touching and impactful to me. First, i have great respect Glenn Beck. It seems to me that it takes great courage to be someone who works for a news network (Fox or not) to stand up on national television and do something honest and forthwright and transparent. To say, "i love this country, and i fear for it," and to make the appeal to the nation to pull together and talk about what's happening and what can be done.

Basically, that's what he did. He said that when it comes down to it, faith in God is the most important thing to survival, and that family is next, and that those of us who think alike are bigger than those who don't, and we need to stand up and be heard.

Glenn also announced the opening of a new website, www.the912project.com. The numbers 912 refer to the day after 9-11, the day when Americans said they would never forget. The website is meant to be an online community where you can connect with conservative Americans and where you can be educated about the day's events.

I hope you'll check it out and find a venue to speak truth.

Comic Relief

2009-03-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

If only, to have been in the room when some very ~~out of his/her mind~~ courageous advertising person said to a very well-paid business executive, "let's get a llama!"

What?!

Ways to Get Involved

2009-03-10T22:37:00.006-05:00

One of the reasons i started publishing this blog is that it has become obvious to me that people like me, Christians, conservatives, people who value virtue and a free society, really need to start doing something besides grumbling about how our government is run. I am convinced, and no i can't back this up with any data, that if all American citizens got involved in standing up for what they really believe, people like me are in the majority.

Therefore, true to my realization and determination to act on my values, i would like to present to you several tools, actions that you can be involved in, to help make your voice and the collective voice of people who believe the way you do - heard.

I know that many of you have received forwarded emails on several of these things, but sometimes emails are circulated without the background information, so they seem like some dreamy scheme that someone concocted late at night and wrote an email about. So i've done a little bit of research for you to take a look at. There's no point in complaining if we refuse to do something, right?

1. RED ENVELOPE DAY
I think everyone i know has received this email, but it wasn't until i did a little simple research that i discovered the originating story. And now, if i can get my hands on a red envelope, i think i will participate. Participants in this project are instructed to buy a red envelope and mail it, sealed and empty, to the whitehouse with the message printed on the back of the envelope, on March 31, 2009. Here's a link to the blog of a fellow named Christ Otto, who is one of the promoters of this project. His name, by the way, is not meant to be pronounced like our Lord. It rhymes with "mist," and it's German. And here's the link to a specific FAQ about the Red Envelope Project. According to this blog and several other sites, this was started by Christians who felt directed by God to do this. They have convinced me that this is not some kind of politic stunt or in any way a money-raising opportunity as i had suspected. Therefore, i have peace to endorse this project, provided those who send envelopes follow the action with prayer for God to turn the heart of our president toward Him and to save our nation.

2. The New American Tea Party or the Great American Tea Party is the name being given to a host of different gatherings and projects in protest of government spending, the stimulus bill, and of course, higher taxes. Sadly, the information on this movement is pretty disorganized and difficult to track down. Most of the information i have found is organization for different protest stations around the country to meet on Tax Day, April 15. To learn about a location near you, click here. Other Tea Party information can be found at the following sites: http://www.pjtv.com/, http://www.tcotreport.com/,http://www.reteaparty.com/, and michellemalkin.com.

The email i received about this particular movement was encouraging participants to mail an envelope with a single tea bag in it to the whitehouse, on April 1. I have been unable to find any information on the websites about this particular movement, so i'm unconvinced about its possible impact. If i could find some level of organization on the tea-bag-in-the-envelope bit, i would possibly endorse it on conditions. I would not endorse it in lieu of taxes or with an included i.o.u. for taxes, which has been a suggestion made by some.

I am not against the "Tea Party," but i do advise that if you want to be involved, proceed with caution and prayer. Many people are very angry, with reason, and i do have some concern that these protests may result in a type of rebellion that my readers would not necessarily want to be part of.

3. In an effort to honor the president, i want to be very careful how i portrait this opportunity, but i still want to let you in on it. This past week, the nation of Great Britain, who has been this country's very strong ally, took great insult at the actions of our president and his staff. I hesitate to speak to the president's intentions, so i will not. This article sums up the biggest part of the situation quite well. It also gives you, an American citizen, the opportunity to send an apology to the British Embassy, in Washington DC, by mail or by Facebook. (Who knew an embassy would have a Facebook page?!) I for one, intend to send an apology to the British Embassy, but i'm going to make sure to prepare my heart and hold it before God before i do it.

4. This is the last one, and i've already told you about it. It's the WE SURROUND THEM movement. This one is really just a tool to help ourselves to be aware that we are not the minority, and we are not alone, no matter how strongly the liberal media tries to make us feel like we're the lonely weirdo's of the country if we believe in God and a free society and a free economy. The "reveal" is scheduled for this Friday. The only thing to do right now, if you want to be involved, is to send your digital picture to Glenn Beck, with the understanding that it may be "revealed" on national television as part of Friday's special show on the Fox News channel. If you want, you can also host or participate in an area viewing party.

You Might Be A Redneck...or something better

2009-03-09T22:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday afternoon, i was multi-tasking with Glenn Beck on the t.v. while i was cleaning the kitchen. And i had just kind of stopped paying attention when Glenn said his next guest was Jeff Foxworthy. No offense to Jeff Foxworthy, but i didn't think he would have anything beneficial to say about politics; i figured he was there for comic relief.

Anyway, the room got quiet at one point, and i heard a few words in Jeff Foxworthy's voice that made me think i had fallen into the twilight zone. The show went off just then, or something else required my attention, so i went online later to see if i could find out what he said.

Here are some snippets from Jeff Foxworthy in a radio interview with Glenn Beck:

Well, and we weren't intended to live that way. You know, I say to people, you know, if you look at a microwave oven, well, somebody created that, and when they created it and planned it and designed it, they had a purpose in mind for it. And the same thing with a coffee mug. Somebody created it and planned it and designed it. Well, we're infinitely more complex than that and so it just seems foolish to me to think that we are just happenstance, you know, and so if we were created, then somebody created us with a purpose and a design in mind, and I think we've so gotten away from what that purpose is.

I don't believe in denominations because the word denominate means to divide. And again I don't think that's what we were created for, you know. I think we were -- we're not supposed to be divided. And, you know, and if you believe in God and you believe he's infinitely created, then we don't all have to look and act and sound the same.

Anyway, the interview is pretty long. You can read a transcript of the whole interview here. I was pleasantly surprised to be witnessing two big names discussing their faith in God, the same God i serve, in a positive light. They discussed the importance of family and how Jeff Foxworthy has become the most prosperous man in comedy, even though he has turned down movies and other offers if they interfered with the time he wanted to be spending with his children. They also discussed ... well they said things in a way that portrays them as believing that God speaks to us now. And i agree.

And i think i'll think of Jeff Foxworthy differently the next time i see him also.

sadness and interesting hair products

2009-03-05T15:55:00.004-06:00

Today is Monday. President Obama signed a document lifting limits on embryonic stem-cell research. That's pretty big in the news. So today's sort of a sad day for those of us who believe that those frozen embryos contain living beings.

There isn't much more for me to say about that, so i'm hoping to brighten your day with a little favorite advertisement i've run across lately.

To learn about the newest crazy in ladies' hairstyles, click here. Be sure to watch the video on the left hand side of the screen, and let me know what you think.

We Surround Them

2009-03-05T13:13:00.007-06:00

Usually a couple of times a week, i tune into a guy named Glenn Beck. I'm becoming a fan of Glenn because he wants people to use their voices to stand together for the principles they/we stand for.

Glenn started a campaign a little while back, which i didn't really understand at first. It's called "We Surround Them." He finally explained it this way. He says there are probably only about 30% of the people in the United States who are die-hard, Republican or Democrat without regard for values and conscience. That leaves the 70% of us who believe in values more than political party. So we need to realize that there are more of us than there are of them. Them being the people who will willingly drive our nation into the ground for the sake of greed or pride or political standing.

Glenn outlined 9 principles. He says that if you believe in 7 of the 9, that you are among the "we" that surrounds the "them."

The Nine Principles

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.

4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

A week from today, at 5 pm, thousands of people are gathering at different places all over the country for a viewing of - well i don't really know what exactly. But the point is in demonstrating that those of us who believe in the America that seems to be slipping through our fingers - that we're not alone.

Please check it out. I think this concept is really important.

We Surround Them

I heard someone say that it's hard to get regular level-headed Americans together to shout at the top of their lungs, "Be Reasonable!" I think it's really important that we start uniting, or we will be guilty of standing by and doing nothing. Maybe just voting and having an opinion is not enough. Maybe we need to get together and stand united and shout at the top of our lungs, "Be Reasonable!"

Conspiracy Relief

2009-03-05T11:58:00.005-06:00

In today's world, many people are starting to get a feeling of impending doom. Have you noticed that? I have noticed that you can talk to nominal Christians, diehard Christians, non-Christians, and even Muslims, and you will discover that a large percentage of people are getting the feeling that "something" is about to happen.

This can be seen in Hollywood, where movies are made every few years that experiment with the idea of how the world may finally come to its final violent end. This can be seen in the popularity of books that claim to have figured out when "it's all going to end," quoting Nostradamus, and noting the Mayan calendar. This can also be seen in the popularity of web-sites giving tips and advice for long-term survival without electricity or running water or accessibility of grocery stores or money, in order to get food.

I live in Texas, and it might be noted that the popularity of conspiracy theories in the Lone Star State seems to be more prevalent than in other states. If you've ever seen the animated sitcom, "King of the Hill," i'll tell you that the character of Dale Gribble is not really that far off from more than a handful of people i have met or even have known on a long term basis. But i digress.

The steam engine is becoming more popular (believe it or not), and some people, specifically out in the woods, are raising animals such as goats and chickens, not because that's what they've always done, but because they feel that "something" is going to happen, and they are going to have to fend for themselves, and they want to be prepared.

That's what i want to talk about: being prepared. Yes, i agree that having a back-up plan is important. I, personally, have plans for a garden, and yes, a steam engine. But when it comes right down to reality. As the time of the end approaches, there is only one sure way to be prepared. You must prepare your soul. I believe in the Bible, and i am a Christian, and i believe that Jesus Christ will soon come back to planet Earth; and i have a feeling that things might get really rough before that happens. And i might grow a garden and dig a shelter and can a year's worth of food and have all my preparations in order, but if a nuclear bomb takes out Coldspring Texas, all of those preparations will have been for nothing.

But if a nuclear bomb hits Coldspring Texas, and my earthly life is over, i personally will have nothing to worry about, because i have prepared my soul. I have surrendered my life and my soul to Jesus Christ, and i will have gained an early entrance into eternity.

But if you have prepared ten years or twenty years worth of preparations, and you dig your shelter extra deep, and you make sure your steam engine is running, and something happens, and you die anyway, and you did not prepare your soul, then what was it worth? It was worth nothing. You also, will have gained an early entrance into eternity, but i wouldn't call it a gain. Your soul will be lost.

If, on the third hand, you have prepared your soul, and you have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you have or have not prepared with food and energy and water, and the troubles come, you will be able to lean on the Word of God, which says that

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday...
... "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him...
With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation. - Psalm 91

Please, be prepared.

Speaking Into the Future From the Past

2009-03-04T13:46:00.003-06:00

In the spirit of the notes i posted earlier today, i would like to add a link to a post that i couldn't figure out how to equal on my own, but i really want you to read it.

It's almost like Former President Ronald Reagan already knew about today and about President Barack Obama.

Please click here to read a fellow blogger's explanation of the dangers of what is happening in our country today.

Taming the Wild Pigs

2009-03-04T11:55:00.005-06:00

If you watch the news at all, you probably are aware that several big spending bills and the president's budget proposal are in congress right now, and they have the potential to spend trillions (with a "t") of money that doesn't actually exist, on a lot of projects that are designed to "help" the economy and to improve the lives of Americans.

At first glance, it might seem like all these things are good things. Old bridges should to be rebuilt, poor people should be able to go to the doctor when they're sick, and children who live in the country would be better off if they had the same high speed internet access as children who live in the city. What's wrong with that?

I have been searching my mind to think of a simple and succinct way to explain the danger of having the federal government pay for conveniences that have previously been the responsibility of the individual or the state, when i received an excellent email forward from my parents. Please read.

Catching Wild Pigs

A chemistry professor at a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back and stretching as if his back hurt.

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government.

In the midst of his story he looked at the professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?'

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd.

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity.

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America .

And now, a word from the forefathers:

"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms [of government] those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."

-Thomas Jefferson

"A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have."

-Gerald Ford

"Repeal that [welfare] law, and you will soon see a change in
their manners. ... Six days shalt thou labor, though one of
the old commandments long treated as out of date, will again be
looked upon as a respectable precept; industry will increase,
and with it plenty among the lower people; their circumstances
will mend, and more will be done for their happiness by inuring
them to provide for themselves, than could be done by dividing
all your estates among them."

-Benjamin Franklin

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when men were free."

-Ronald Reagan

Coffee Please, and Keep it Coming. I'm On A Health Kick.

2009-03-02T22:30:00.007-06:00

Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, on Sunday's Fox News reported new studies that coffee, if you drink a solid 3, 4, or 5 cups a day, may prevent a bunch of problems, including stroke, heart attack, gall bladder disease, oral and esophageal cancer, and a bunch of other stuff.

Dr. Rosenfeld says, "If you like coffee, drink it." He also said, for those of you caffeine haters, that coffee seems to have the same benefits if you drink the decaffeinated version as well. He didn't state his source, but he seems to feel confident that except in the case of a few unusual circumstances, coffee is good for almost everyone.

Well, truth be told, you can find a study to support just about anything you want to say about coffee. On a quick search on Fox News, i found headlines suggesting that coffee can also shrink women's breasts, cause hallucinations, and kill cancer cells, so who knows? I usually take coffee reports "with a grain of salt," as they say.

But for my part, i'm going to go with Dr. Rosenfeld. I enjoy coffee, and it makes me feel pretty good. So i'm just going to assume he's got this one right.

Of course, if the researchers had included the sugar and corn-based creamer that usually is included in my coffee, they might have come to different results...

Ridiculous Ads for $100 Please

2009-03-02T20:55:00.006-06:00

If you use Facebook, you may have noticed a vertical row of advertisements on the right hand column of your profile page that can be very entertaining. If you're not a Facebook user, please keep reading, i'll fill you in.

Here's one of those ads: The heading reads "Women Born in 70s Look 25". First of all, i take issue with that particular phenomenon being very miraculous, but let me know how this works for you. When i click on this link i learn about a middle-aged woman named Cara, who used to have wrinkles. Cara was 43 years old (NOT born in the 70s) when she stumbled upon a miracle cure for aging and wrinkles, blah, blah, blah. The most interesting thing about Cara is that she just happens to live in Coldspring, Texas. Can you believe it? I live in Coldspring, Texas!

I have to admit that if i lived in say, Houston, or Spring, or The Woodlands, i would probably not have thought much about some random woman who discovered the fountain of youth coincidentally living in the same city as me; and had i been born in the 50s instead of the 70s, and i didn't have my mother's wonderful young-looking genes, i might've bought into Cara's miracle cure.

Oh but there's one other thing. It turns out that Cathy Anselmo lives in Coldspring too, and Cathy has discovered teeth whitening success. My goodness, Coldspring is just brimming with up and coming beauty experts! Maybe i should look up Cathy and Cara and get their advice. Maybe i'll become an expert too.

One problem though, i remember reading about Cathy once before, only she lived in Livingston then. Because of something having to do with my phone company, i know that my isp sometimes reflects that i live in other small towns nearby. One of those is Livingston. I wonder where Cathy will live tomorrow?

So i hope you'll click on my links and tell me if Cathy and Cara also live in your neck of the woods. I have a hunch that there are a lot of Cathy's and Caras to go around.

And one more thing, i wonder why the advertisers think that i'll believe the rest of their ad when they tell a bold-faced and completely unnecessary lie in the first few lines. What do you think?

EDITED 5/5/2009 TO ADD: For further information about similar scams, see new post.

The Truth About Polar Bears

2009-02-25T22:03:00.000-06:00

An advertisement has appeared on television lately, for an organization called WWF. WWF stands for World Wildlife Fund. In the commercial i speak of, actor Noah Wyle, very dramatically informs the viewer that polar bears are starving and dying off so quickly, because of "climate change," that "if we don't act now, most will die in our children's lifetime." If you haven't seen it, you can view a very similar video here.

I'm just as big a fan of the beautiful and magnificent polar bear as the next guy, but the information in this commercial didn't quite jive with my knowledge of climate change. And i've never even been to any part of the world that might ever have any knowledge of the existence of polar bears were it not for television, national geographic, and the zoo. So i started doing some research. And i would like to pass my research on to you.

Even among those who believe in global warming, the U.S. Senate of all people, cites numerous credentialed scientists who say the claims that the polar bears are in danger of extinction are full of bear dung. In fact many scientists are reporting rapid growth of polar bear populations, as reported by newsbusters.

Newsminer.com reported the appalled responses of Alaskan governor, representative, and senators at the news that the polar bears were being listed as endangers. Senator Don Young called it an "assault on sound science."

Senator Ted Stevens was quoted saying,

“I am disappointed and disturbed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to weaken the Endangered Species Act by listing the polar bear as threatened despite the steady increase in the species’ population. Scientists have observed that there are now three times as many polar bears in the Arctic than there were in the 1970s.

“Never before has a species been listed as endangered or threatened while occupying its entire geographic range.

“This decision was made without any research demonstrating dangerously low population levels in polar bears, but rather on speculation regarding how ice levels will affect Arctic wildlife. Worse yet, today’s decision cannot and will not do anything to reverse sea ice decline.

And now, in case you are among the many who believe that the claims of global warming are true, i will not pretend to be a scientist. I will simply refer you to the 600 - something and growing number of international scientists whose studies debunk almost everything you've heard in commercials and on the news. This report, most shockingly, is published by, of all people, The U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Click here to read the very long article and have access to the reports and the incredible number of links to reports and studies that turn all the "news" upside down.

And now for my personal commentary.

I don't know know what makes anyone, especially the media, believe that it is o.k., acceptable, excusable, or much less, honorable, to tout blatant bold-faced, unresearched lies to the American public. I don't know why it's so easy for Americans, myself included, to fall for it when they do. But i'm tired. I'm tired of listening to lies and saying nothing. I'm tired of closing my mouth and being polite when absolute nonsense is spoken to my face.

I don't believe that it's necessary to be rude. But i believe that it is necessary to have an opinion and a point-of-view. And i believe that it is entirely vital that those who know the truth speak up about it, somehow.

Please don't buy the hype. Research the hype, but don't buy it. Know the truth.

Sneaky Cookie

2009-02-18T22:11:00.000-06:00

Have you seen the commercials for the Smart Cookie? It's a weight loss aid advertised on television. According to the commercial, it's a little like SlimFast, but with a twist; you get to eat a cookie instead of drinking a shake. Also, the commercial says that you could save $1200 a year in groceries by eating the Smart Cookie instead. Wow!

I am of the portly variety, and i want a cookie, so i pulled up the website to see if the hoopla was something i would like to get involved in.

So here's my expose:

First of all, a four week supply of Smart Cookies is $279.00. Right now, you get a fifth week free. You judge for yourself, but i don't eat $279.00 in groceries for breakfast and lunch each month. But o.k. people have different budgets...what else? Well, here's the plan: You eat 6 cookies throughout the day. This is to help you develop the good habit of eating multiple small meals through the day instead of binging, etc. And then for the evening meal, you eat (are you ready?) a portion of lean chicken or fish and (are you sure you're ready?) 5 cups of vegetables. Yes, that's right. I said 5 cups.

Am i telling the truth? Here's the quote:

Within 1 hour of waking up, eat your first Smart Cookie along with a glass of water. Then every 2-3 hours, when you feel hungry, eat another Smart Cookie. You should eat 6 Smart Cookies throughout the day and then a healthy, low fat dinner of chicken or fish with 5 cups of vegetables as outlined in your Program Guide included in your order. This will retrain you to eat small, multiple meals throughout the day.

You can read it too. Just go to http://www.smart4life.com/SMFLLifeStyleProgram.aspx.

I don't know about you, but i can't eat 5 cups of vegetables in one sitting, no matter how hungry i am when i start out. I think that if i really tried, and i wasn't eating the Smart Cookies (or anything else at all), i could possibly eat 5 cups of vegetables throughout the course of the day. That might save me some grocery money.

Sneaky Cookie.

Why This is Bad

2009-02-12T23:14:00.000-06:00

I haven't written in this blog for a while...because i sometimes find it difficult to reflect upon the politics of the day without getting a little too riled up. So i have avoided speaking, except to my husband and the t.v., of course, about political concerns and responses to the news of the day.

Today, i would like to explain why i believe that what the federal government is involved in is wrong. I have heard or read support for various objectionable federal actions explained by saying that "we shouldn't let people just suffer," or "it's the Christian thing to do." I agree with both statements. Americans, people, Christians, should not sit by and allow the suffering of their neighbors and countrymen if it is within their power to prevent it.

That said, the forefathers of our American heritage were very wise men. The more i learn and read, the more i am impressed with the amazing wisdom and foresight of the passionate men who founded the United States of America. These men were educated and experienced. They were educated on the history of the civilizations of the world, and they were experienced in the effects of an overly powerful government on the citizens of a nation.

In their wisdom, and i believe prayerful forethought, these men composed a document known as the Constitution of the United States. I am ashamed to say that until recently i had never read the constitution all the way through. In fact, i hadn't even considered its actual content for about the last 20 years. I remember having to memorize the preamble as a school assignment in the 8th grade (1988 or 1989). Since then, not a thought of concern. Last 4th of July, someone gave my husband and me a copy of the constitution, along with some other important historical American writings. It was upon reading and considering these writings that a few things became very clear, very simple, not complicated at all.

Today, i will talk about the 10th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This isn't the one you hear about. Most people quote the the right to free speech or the right to bear arms or they "plead the fifth," referring to one small phrase in the 5th amendment which ensures a citizen protection from testifying against their own guilt. The 10th amendment gets much too little attention. I'll quote it for you:

Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Like it or not, the founders of this nation believed that federal government should have as little involvement in the running of the country as possible. Because of that belief, they set down exactly what the federal government of this country should be allowed to do, and then, as if to say, "we really mean it," clarified: everything else is the responsibility of the state government or the people themselves, period.

And this is why all of the reportedly noble actions that the president and congress are pursuing right now - are wrong. They may or may not be wrong morally. I'll let you evaluate the merits of passing on a couple trillion dollars in debt to our descendants. But before getting to any of the moral ramifications, our constitution does not allow the president, nor any branch of the federal government, the authority to give federal tax dollars to private businesses. I'm sure some of you disagree. See, there is this unfortunate statement in Article I, Section 8, which states as follows:

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

I fear that the intent of our forefathers was not fully expressed here, and our contemporaries who wish to carry federal government further than they should, must interpret this sentence with a great deal of liberality. However, i scoff at the notion that our federal government could possibly, at this point in time, produce any "regular statement and account of the receipts and expenditures of all public money" to anyone's satisfaction.

The point is this. The writers of our constitution put limits on federal government in order that federal government would be limited. This is because unlimited federal government yields.....well it yields the opposite of what they were trying to create.

I hope, in future to posts, to share some inspirational writings of those who planned out the hopeful success of the United States. They are eye-opening. I haven't read nearly as much as i should have, as an American Citizen. But as i read, i'll share.

In conclusion (i know, you should never actually use that phrase), the reason that it's not o.k. for the federal government to show charity to my fellow man, is that it's my responsibility to show charity to my fellow man. And if any government should ever get involved, it should be my state government, after an election on whether to do so. Forced charity by tax dollars is not charity at all. It is, instead, socialism in action.

I'll end with a great quote:

"Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil . . . Wherefore, security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows, that whatever form therof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others." Thomas Paine, 1776, from his publication, "Common Sense"

Auto Bailout - a regular american logical viewpoint

2008-12-11T01:59:00.000-06:00

There's something very suspicious about all this car company bailout business that's going on right now.

I'll put aside, for the moment, whether i think that the government should ever have their hand in corporate business to begin with. Does it make sense to anyone out there that car businesses are going under? Do you have a lot of friends who have decided to stop buying cars? Is anyone turning, for environmental reasons, back to the horse and buggy method? No, of course they're not.

Here's my concern. Ford, GM, and Chrysler are not going out of business because they can't sell cars. Ford, GM, and Chrysler are going out of business because the unions are out of control. I understand that the labor unions were very important in the early 1900s. At first, unions represented the common blue collar worker's right to earn a living and to be paid his worth. I commend the American spirit that birthed that movement, and I'm proud of it. But now the labor unions, specifically those associated with the auto industry are doing just the opposite.

The problem with the auto makers is not that they can't figure out how to continue their business in modern times. It isn't that they don't know how to make adjustments in order to survive the current economy. The auto makers would know just what to do if they didn't have to battle it out with the union leaders every time they wanted to try to survive. Entire auto plants in Michigan have been completely shut down simply because the union leaders refused to agree to any compromise solution the corporations suggested in order to keep the plant open and the employees working. I have a feeling that sensible workers, eager to support their families, would have accepted some compromises if it meant that they could continue to work for a living. The problem, it seems to me, must be that the union leaders are getting a take. And they don't like the take they'd get if the auto makers made some sensible decisions in order to get through the current turbulent times. And they don't have to worry about the every day, in your face, consequences that the average Joe has to worry about.

Here's what I say: don't bail out the auto makers. Just limit the power of the unions. Let the workers make their own decisions for a change, and see if the auto makers can do what business people do and come to a solution that actually works without taking our tax money and putting it into a private corporation.

I don't want my fellow-Americans in Michigan to suffer any more than anyone else, but I'm pretty sure that the solution here will not be found in billions of tax dollars loaned to the auto makers unless we first muzzle the union leaders.

I Have a New Joke

2008-12-06T22:57:00.000-06:00

I love the development of sense of humor in children. When they're really little, any unusual noise is funny. When they get a little older, anything that sounds like someone might've passed gas is hilarious! At some point in early grade school, they start telling jokes that go something like,

Hey, why did the chicken cross the road? Because it had dirt on it! Hahahahahahahaha!

to which you have to laugh just because they're so tickled about nothing. As time goes on, they're jokes get a little funnier, and knock knock jokes get ever more popular. But i just love watching the progression of their understanding of what is funny.

In my recent opportunity to babysit my neighbor's three year old twins, i have developed a new joke in regard to childrens' humor development. Up until now, i haven't been able to share it with anyone. I am going to share it with you so that you can think it's funny too.

While babysitting, i watched a LOT of children's movies, and took note of how the parts the children think are funny are not the same parts that i think are funny. The people who write those cartoons are geniuses in that they can make the same material equally funny to adults and small children - but in completely different ways.

The funny part begins when you, as the adult amongst small children, allow yourself to laugh out loud at the parts that are funny to you but not to them. After all, it's probably helpful for them to start learning what actually is funny, right?Inevitably, the small, ever-learning mind of the 3-year old will turn and ask, "what happened?" Then you answer them. Then you get to laugh again, but this time more quietly so they don't get a complex.

I was able to practice my new joke most successfully the other day when i watched Monsters, Inc. with my young friends. If you haven't seen it, Monsters, Inc. is a Pixar animation from 2001. The story is about an imaginary city where many sorts of monsters live. The main characters work for a company whose job is to send monsters through human childrens' closet doors in order to produce screams. These screams produce energy on which the monsters' city runs. Accidentally one of the monsters accidentally brings a child (who thinks he's just a giant kitty) back with him. Thus the plot of the story progresses. I won't spoil it for you.

At the end of the movie, however, after all the credits, at the very end, in small print that i'm sure the producers thought no one would read, are the words, "No monsters were harmed in the making of the motion picture."

Well, that made me laugh, and i laughed out loud.

Of course, Jack, a curious 3-year old boy, turned to me and said, "what was it?" He wanted to know what made me laugh.

So i said, "it said, 'no monsters were harmed in the making of this motion picture.'"

Since he was a little too far away, Jack wasn't sure he heard me right, and he came closer and said, "what?"

Again, i said, "it said, 'no monsters were harmed in the making of this motion picture.'"

To which Jack stared at me blankly, smiled really really big like he got it, and laughed.

Then i got the best laugh of all. But i had to do it silently.

That still makes me laugh right now.

I Look Like Oprah Winfrey

2008-11-16T23:31:00.000-06:00

This evening, i ~~spent~~ used up some time following some online ads that promised to tell me which celebrities were my look-a-like. Sounds entertaining, right?

Well, some of the pictures i uploaded wouldn't work. Others produced very unexpected results. Have you ever looked at me and thought, "she reminds me of someone?" Well, if it has been bothering you, maybe it's Annette Bening.

One of the hints on one of the web sites suggested using different photos to see if the same person comes up several times. This could confirm your results. I did this quite a few times. My data from these experiments on two different programs confirms that i look just like Oprah Winfrey, Annette Bening, and ..oh yes, Winston Churchill. Who knew?

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Global Warming - Ha!

2008-11-12T02:05:00.000-06:00

when i hear the media, etc., talk about the dangers of global warming, the very first thing that comes to mind is a time when i was probably around ten. and some publication (or maybe it was our text book) we were reading in school alerted our young minds to the "fact" that our planet was headed for another ice age, worse than the first.

a couple of months ago, my husband and i purchased a copy of the 2009 Old Farmer's Almanac, and inside i found an article that helped put all of these fears of climate change into perspective. did you know, for instance, that way back in the 1930's, "scientists," were concerned about global warming, while in 1923 the media was warning readers of the coming ice age? the concern about global warming and the melting glaciers continued through to the end of the 50's, but suddenly in 1960 the earth was cooling again. then in 1970, the media once again warned of the coming ice age. the people were so convinced, in fact, that the citizens of a small town in Vermont were actually studying the possibility of a city-size dome to protect them from the cold as late at 1979. Then, you guessed it, in 1980, we started warming up again.

it's easy to get caught up in the hype if we forget to look at a bigger picture. it seems to me, in my own observations, that maybe the earth works in cycles - like pretty much everything else in nature.

but truly the very saddest thing to me is that here at the end of the year 2008, when one of the top 5 biggest buzz words is "global warming," we're actually in a cooling trend. you probably didn't hear that on the news. when countries around the world report very unusually cold weather, colder than it has been in 30, 40, or 50 years, we're still warning everyone about global warming.

did you know it snowed in Baghdad this year? first time in 100 years. someone needs to explain to me how these reports indicate a warming trend.

please understand, i believe in taking care of the environment. i think we should respect our forests. i think we should protect our waters from contamination. i think that smog is bad, and i don't want to breathe it any more than you do.

i also believe that many of those who claim to be environmentalists are in the pocket of somebody because they don't make any sense. if deer are not hunted, they will die of starvation. if oil is not drilled by us in our waters, it will be drilled for by other countries who will not care as much about safety/environmental concerns, and those people will then use our oil to control us.

i'll tell you something i do to help my environment. i burn my trash. that's right. i live in a rural area with a big yard, and i designated a place where i burn my trash. according to the clean air council's statistics, my husband and i may save 100 tons of trash from settling in our local landfill because we choose to burn it instead. and as far as my "carbon footprint," whatever that means, the research i read says the earth is in a cooling trend, and i'm doing my part to prevent the next ice age.