Wed Mar 10, 2010
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TO MANY PEOPLE, CHRISTIANITY DOESN'T MAKE MUCH SENSE |
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Jews, Muslims, Unitarians, atheists, and agnostics are among a long list of people who find many Christian ideas incomprehensible. For example, from its early years Christianity has confessed that God exists in three persons—Father, Son, Holy Spirit—but is never-the-less one God. This belief, that Christians call “the Trinity,” is illogical and irrational, say the critics. Illogical, perhaps, but true, reply Christians.
St. Patrick supposedly tried to explain the Trinity by using a three-leaf shamrock—one leaf and yet three parts of that one leaf. An egg, made up of shell, white and yolk, has been offered as another visual illustration. Biblically, however, these object lessons don’t hold up. Christian creeds confess that each person is all of God, not just 33%. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one,” referring not just to being on the same page but being the same person.
Others have explained that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply three different ways ...more > |
WHERE WAS GOD WHEN. . . |
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The newspaper informed me that a child died senselessly in an auto accident, and my thoughts went back nearly 20 years—to 1991—when the child who died was my child. Coming back from a ski trip Jill drove head-on into a semi-trailer truck on a rural highway. The young man with her was badly bruised, but his life never was in danger. Jill was killed instantly.
The automatic reaction of loved ones is to question where God was. Why didn’t he intervene and stop the accident? Why did he allow something like this to happen? After all: “God is great; God is good; we thank him for our food;” and we expect him to intervene when bad things may happen to good people.
In the mess of emotion that engulfs one at such a time it’s unrealistic to expect us to think rationally, but the time needs to come when we do more logical thinking. For example, if God intervenes in situations like this he turns people into puppets, controlling what they do. We start to do something and God say...more > |
Agribusiness Profits, Mutant Germs, and Us |
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America is under assault. From coast to coast, we are being invaded by horrific, body-consuming mutants that are already destroying 65,000 American lives a year. As a Duke University scientist puts it, "This is a living, breathing problem. It's here. It has arrived."
These aren’t invaders from Mars, but from within our own countryside. Ironically, these are mutants of our own creation, leaving America face to face with a spreading plague of drug-resistant germs.
For decades, we have benefited enormously from the healing wonders of antibiotics. These drugs save millions of lives that would otherwise be lost to microbial infections. But more and more of the antibiotics in America's medical kit are proving to be ineffective against the plethora of germs that endanger us. Why? Too much of a good thing.
America has overdosed on antibiotics, using about 35 million pounds a year—so much that germs, which are savvy survivors, have rapidly been mutating to develop resistance to the dr...more > |
Dealing with the Deficit |
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The Obama administration did a brave thing, always a refreshing move for any administration. It issued a budget that had some resemblance to reality. That was the good news.
The bad news is that our reality is bleak. The government foresees budget deficits for the next few years. And for the next few years after that. And for decades without number after that.
The projected budget shortfall this year will peak at $1.6 trillion and “fall” next year to $1.3 trillion, or about 9 percent of our gross domestic product.
This, economists say, is sustainable on a short-term basis (we’ve endured deficits like that before, during times of war) but over the long term—absolutely not. You’d like to keep deficits at 3 percent.
According to Obama’s projections, the deficit will approach that percentage in the next 10 years but then, ominously, begin to rise again, threatening to usher in the Chinese Century.
Did I mention that this is an optimistic projection? It envisions a coo...more > |
Fighting Like Hell in Haiti |
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The pioneering labor organizer Mother Jones said, “Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
That pretty much sums up Haiti’s priorities today.
The nation called the “pearl of the Antilles,” back when it was the wealthiest Caribbean colony, has always known how to fight like hell. The African slaves, who were brought to Haiti to generate wealth for France, launched a rebellion in the 1790s that merged subterfuge on the plantations with guerrilla warfare. They won in 1804, thus creating the only successful slave revolution ever and the world’s first black republic.
Though liberated from France and from slavery, neither the transported Africans nor their descendants ever truly became free. Self-proclaimed emperors and presidents-for-life exploited the poor, benefiting themselves, large landowners, and businesses. State neglect of citizens’ needs, feudal agricultural practices, and violent security forces kept people trapped in vicious poverty with their ...more > |
A GOP Leader's Economic Plan |
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Those who say that Republican Congress critters are just a gaggle of naysaying boneheads with no economic plan of their own haven’t been listening to Rep. John Linder (R-GA).
This Georgia right-winger is irked that America's food-stamp program will grow to more than $60 billion this year. "This is craziness," Linder barked to a New York Times reporter. "We're at risk of creating an entire class, a subset of people, just comfortable getting by living off the government."
Comfortable? When was the last time this pampered lawmaker experienced the "comforts" of the food stamp life? Linder's been "living off the government" for 18 years, but at the high end—drawing $174,000 a year in pay, plus subsidized health care and a fat pension.
So what's his economic plan: "You improve the economy by lowering taxes," he explains. That's his whole plan.
Perhaps this multi-millionaire has forgotten that Washington tried that plan throughout the last decade—a decade in which there ...more > |
TED AND GAYLE HAGGARD'S COURAGEOUS JOURNEY |
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When I first learned of evangelical leader Ted Haggard’s fall from grace through homosexual promiscuity, my heart immediately went out to him and his family.
Change the names and reverse the genders and you’d be looking at a situation more resembling the one my husband and I endured quite a few years ago. He was the one whose shock at discovering my same-sex indiscretions nearly drove him to send me packing, separating me from him and our two small daughters. We were teaching Sunday School at the time — a marriage class, no less.
Marital infidelity is tragic and painful, no matter what its nature. A man understands that other men may be his competition. He doesn’t sit around contemplating the possibility of having to compete with other women for his wife’s affections. The very thought is emasculating to the core. It is no less tumultuous for a wife to discover her husband has found pleasure in the arms of other men. For reasons only God knows, that is far more common than t...more > |
Seeing China from the new World Trade Center |
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You can knock us Americans down, but you can't keep us down.
For example, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City were crashed to the ground on 9/11. But now, a new tower is rising from those very ashes—a soaring steel and glass monument to the American spirit, a powerful symbol of our national resilience.
Well—except for the glass. A company named Beijing Glass got the government contract to provide the window panes that'll cover the first 20 stories of the tower. Yes, the monument to our national spirit is being sheathed with made-in-China glass.
What? Can't American's make glass? Of course we can, but our biggest corporations, like Corning Incorporated and Guardian Industries, have been quietly and quickly moving their production and our jobs to China. In just the past nine years, 30 percent of these jobs have been lost. "Those who're looking through the rearview mirror waiting for the glass industry to come back," snorts the chairman of Guardian, "sh...more > |
Wall Street Gets it |
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I don’t know why people, even smart people, keep saying that bankers and the rest of the Wall Street crowd don’t get it.
Dana Milbank, writing in The Washington Post, said it just the other week after Lloyd Blankfein, the Goldman Sachs chairman, testified before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
It was a remarkably arrogant performance, even for a Wall Street prima donna. Blankfein’s firm, the very exemplar of the too-big-to-fail model, received a many-multi-billion dollar bailout from the federal government last year as the Obama administration struggled to save the economy from a 1929-style grave.
It was also given permission to make itself into a bank holding company, thus avoiding the fate of Lehman Brothers, a too-big-to-fail firm that failed.
Having passed through a financial Valley of Death with the aid of the federal government, you would think that Blankfein would be a little humble. Grateful even.
Nope.
He bragged, “we do a very, very good job...more > |
Bitter Chocolate |
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There are so many things to consider on Valentine’s Day: the reason you and your beloved were first attracted to each other, the amazing date you’ve planned, the perfect gift to express your affection. And, if you’re like most Americans, you’re thinking about buying chocolate. U.S. consumers purchase hundreds of millions of dollars of chocolate for their sweeties in the week leading up to February 14. With that in mind, here’s one more thing to consider:
Child slavery.
Yes, child slavery. It’s rampant in the cocoa industry.
Though the industry promised in 2001 to fix the problem, it hasn’t. Abusive child labor and slavery still makes your chocolate a bit bitter. A report funded by the State Department and others estimate that in West Africa, the source of 70 percent of the world’s cocoa, hundreds of thousands of children as young as five years old toil in the cocoa fields, with scores of them enduring the worst forms of child labor. These kids clear fields, spr...more > |
Selling a City's Soul, for Chicken Feed |
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Fire hydrants deserve more respect. These utilitarian and ubiquitous icons of America's urban landscape are rarely noticed by anyone but dogs—and they give hydrants no respect whatsoever. Worse, though, a brand-name corporation now intends to lift its leg on them!
KFC, the fast-food chicken chain, has already gotten permission from Indianapolis to whiz on its hydrants. As part of an advertising blitz, KFC has plastered the city's water taps with a smiling photo of corporate founder Colonel Sanders, along with a slogan promoting the chain's new "fiery" chicken wings.
Get it? "Fiery" and fire hydrant. It's symbolism, see? Advert-types are nothing if not clever.
Of course, KFC honchos insist that the company's graffiti isn’t an act of crass commercialism, but—get this—a philanthropic contribution to the community. They claim that they’re simply concerned about fire safety in the city during these days of budget stress, so they’ve magnanimously "contributed" some money to...more > |
Record Bank Profits and the American Dream Foreclosed |
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JP Morgan Chase launched the 2010 Wall Street Bonus Sweepstakes last month. The bank is still losing money on consumer services, but well-heeled investors and financial traders more than made up the difference. The bank announced $11.7 billion in profits and $26.9 billion in compensation, including bonuses that will run in the multimillions for top executives.
Then Goldman Sachs reported record profits of $13.4 billion. It’s set to dole out a staggering $16.2 billion in compensation and bonuses, which could provide an average of nearly $500,000 per employee. And Morgan Stanley, even having sustained a loss last year, has set aside $14.4 billion for compensation and bonuses.
Then there's Roberto Velasquez, a sobering reminder that the foreclosure crisis is still raging.
Velasquez, a general contractor, bought a single-family home in Dedham, Massachusetts six years ago and took out a mortgage that turned out to be a predatory time-bomb. After a few affordable years, his adjustabl...more > |
Next, We’ll Sell Senate Seats to Exxon Mobil and AT&T |
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In days of yore they called them the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death—the scourges of humankind.
They’re still around, but now they carry new names: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito, and Kennedy—the conservative majority of the U.S. (ha ha) Supreme Court. (I know, that makes five. There’s inflation everywhere.)
These gentlemen, all of whom solemnly swore that they would honor precedent in their judgments, kicked precedent into the ditch last month when they opened the floodgates for corporations seeking to bribe politicians.
The decision, Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, ended limits on the money corporations and unions can spend on influencing elections, thus writing a finish to the experiment in democracy we’ve been conducting for 220 years.
That the majority used the sword of the First Amendment—the constitutional amendment most cherished by liberals—to accomplish this maneuver merely adds a touch of dark humor t...more > |
Greed almost destroyed the world's economies |
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In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote, “Money answers everything.” Should this strike you as something of a surprise, keep in mind that the wise king, wealthy as he was, was a man well acquainted with human nature and all of its shortcomings. He knew the power of wealth to bless or to curse.
Several hundred years later the Apostle Paul, weighed in with his judgment, writing that it was the “love of money” that was “the root of all kinds of evil.”
As the world slowly claws its way back from the precipice of what almost became a second Great Depression, it behooves us to consider the role played by human nature and how it took us to the brink of world economic collapse.
Clearly, greed—“the love of money”—was the root cause. CNBC has a show premiering this month called “American Greed,” which documents the lengths people will go just to fill their pockets with it.
What happened in the autumn of 2008 was the confluence of many economic events but the ca...more > |
Robbing Grandma to reward wall street |
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When I grew up in Texas, the dance we all learned was the Texas two-step. But times have changed. The next big dance these days could be called the Social Security double shuffle. A good number of senators are waltzing to the music of the “let’s cut Social Security” crowd by trying to sell a solution to the deficit designed to hack apart the government-guaranteed retirement plan we’ve had since the 1930s.
Led by Budget Committee members Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), they’re pushing a bipartisan Commission for Responsible Fiscal Action to solve the country’s red-ink problem. Sounds pretty good on the surface. Who’s not for responsible fiscal action? Trouble is, this kind of commission subverts the democratic process. It uses a fast-track approach that forces Congress into an up-or-down vote on its recommendations. No debate, no amendments, no consulting with constituents.
Though such a commission is supposed to consider all options for cutting the deficit, ma...more > |
Afghanistan: This War Won't Work |
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The recent Taliban attacks on Kabul provide another wake-up call about why this war in Afghanistan simply isn’t going to work. It won’t bring security to Afghans. It won’t turn Afghanistan into a democracy. And it won’t make us safer.
In fact, the war killed more people in Afghanistan last year than the year before—40 percent more civilians, according to the United Nations. And the body count this year is already shaping up to be higher than last year. That goes for U.S. troops too.
And President Obama’s escalation, the 30,000 new troops he just announced he’s sending to Afghanistan? That’s not helping either. The Taliban have mostly stayed in the countryside, based in the small villages where almost 80 percent of Afghans live. But now, after Obama announced that the additional troops would be deployed in Afghanistan’s “population centers,” meaning the cities, guess where the Taliban headed for their most recent assault?
The same thing happens when U.S. troops ...more > |
Shouldn't 'local' businesses be local? |
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In Alice in Wonderland, Humpty Dumpty declares: "When I use a word, it means what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less."
Well, get ready to tumble down the semantic rabbit-hole again, for giant corporations are trying to co-opt the meaning of one of our important words: "local." It's important because small businesses across the country have created a very positive, grassroots economic movement, based on being local producers, providers, and marketers. Over 130 cities have "local business alliances," with 30,000 businesses enlisted.
The movement has been phenomenally popular with consumers who like the flavor and personality of local enterprises, and the fact that their consumer dollars stay in their community. So, now other businesses want in on the action—such outfits as Frito Lay, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, CVS, and Barnes & Noble.
These global brands are using TV ads and other promotions to hawk their mass-produced stuff as "local." The sprawling Barnes & Noble chain, for e...more > |
Haiti: Earthquakes and Neo-Colonialism |
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One can see,
At just a glance;
That Haiti never,
Had a chance.
Our hearts go out to the Haitians. Earthquakes and hurricanes. Disaster after disaster. There’s no letup. We’ll send cash, food, meds, trucks, pumps, clothes, shovels, tarps, bulldozers, cement, computers, docs, water, clergy, plumbing, prayers, and everything else we can think of.
But what we won’t send is freedom. Despite all the shocking shortages one can observe in the street, freedom remains the nation’s paramount deficiency, along with the near total absence of a middle class.
It’s a scandal. Unbeknownst to most Americans, the U.S., Canada, and France helped overthrow Haiti’s popular liberal president, Jean Bertrand Aristide, twice, in 1991 and 2004. Nor can you tell simply from the devastation in the street that these three countries, and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have forced tariffs down to nothing, sold off the phone system to the Vietnamese Army, and plan to privatiz...more > |
Is this Tiger an endangered species |
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I admit I am a "real" golfer. I subscribe to three different golf magazines, I watch golf on T.V. and in the off season I have my putter, and several wedges in my office to keep my "game" somewhat tuned for when the weather finally breaks in May. I admit too that I was a huge Tiger Woods fan. I heard about him when he was 15 and there was a buzz about him even then. The word was that he could be the next Jack Nicklaus. He did not disappoint--until recently.
Tiger was larger than life and as the most recognized athlete in the world, he was on course to become the first athlete to cross the billion dollar threshold in the next year or so. Now he's on the endangered species list.
As "the best" ever golfer in the world, his physique shows the level of discipline he possesses and his practice protocol is testimony to one bent on being the best ever. We came to expect the impossible on the course and more often than not, Tiger delivered. Even non-golfers tuned in to view the ma...more > |
Weathering the Recession through Community and Collaboration |
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More than 31 million Americans have been idled to some degree by this Grave Recession. That number is shockingly high. But when you're out of work, it's easy to feel alone. And it's easy to lose sight of the fact that millions of Americans share the strains of unemployment: the sleepless nights worrying about the bills, the dreary days surfing job listings and countless weekends shopping for cheap eats.
Realizing that you're not alone, though, is the first step in getting back to work. There is strength in numbers. And the more jobless Americans work together, the quicker they can end this devastating downturn.
This is the idea behind Ur Union of Unemployed, or UCubed. Spearheaded by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, this organization seeks to unify the unemployed in a unique and useful way.
UCubed connects the unemployed in a particular zip code into cubes of six people. Those cubes are then organized into neighborhoods of nine cubes, and then...more > |
Who wants to die for Karzai? |
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With some notable exceptions and a great deal of grumbling in its ranks, Congress seems to be going right along with Obama's Afghan plan. Such as it is.
Washington will add some 30,000 U.S. troops to the war, practically none of which will be loved ones of White House staffers, lawmakers, Pentagon officials, and the war contractors who are behind the push. This latest escalation means 100,000 of our troops will soon be on the line there, facing trauma, maiming, and death. America's money goes with them—the cost of maintaining each soldier in this faraway land is roughly a million dollars a year.
For what? We're told that the goal is to build up the Afghan army and central government of President Hamid Karzai so they can, someday, secure their own divided, war-torn country. Whether that's really in our national interest, much less worthy of the sacrifice of American blood and treasure, is doubtful. But one thing is not in doubt: Continuing to prop up Hamid Karzai is a disgrace.
...more > |
Our national pastime is too brutal |
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Football is our national pastime. It used to be baseball—no longer.
It's hard to believe but there was a time when there was hardly a town or village that didn't support some sort of baseball team, be it minor league, semi-professional or amateur. Baseball players were national heroes. The World Series was a big deal. For six months of the year the sport dominated the water-cooler-lunch-room chitchat.
No more. Now it's football, football, football. And it's not just six months a year, what with the draft and training camps and exhibition games it's more like eleven.
It's all poor baseball can do to seize the nation's attention for a couple of weeks when it plays its World Series and even then its hold is tenuous. (Quick, who was the losing team in the World Series this year? I thought so.)
Yes, football is king; of that there can be no doubt. There's only one more thing that needs to be said about it:
It's a truly awful game.
It's a brutal game played by bullies for the e...more > |
Health-Care Reform won't cure this sick system |
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Good riddance to 2009: the recession, the Wall Street bailouts, the main street misery, and most of all the so-called health-care “debate.” Now that the debacle is mostly over, for better or worse, we’d best turn our attention to the one factor driving up health-care costs in this country that hasn’t even been mentioned—the lack of paid sick leave.
While Congress was laboring to insure the insurance companies from loss of profits, almost 60,000 cases of swine flu were confirmed in the United States. The World Health Organization has declared the global situation a “public health emergency of international concern,” and says the epidemic is not over. Early on, the U.S. government increased distribution of antiviral drugs and ramped up production of the H1N1 vaccine, and the Centers for Disease Control recommended that sick people stay home from work or school to avoid infecting others.
Right.
Everyone, including members of Congress, probably would say that’s good a...more > |
Be a Trailblazer |
 By Annette Bridges
Are you ready to blaze a new road on your life journey?
I love the New Year! Each New Year feels like an opportunity for renewal, regeneration, restoration and renovation. And believe me, I always have plenty of resolutions to be implemented.
This year is no different! I have weight that I long to lose, career goals that I intend to pursue, relationships that I hope to improve, places I want to see, rooms in my house that I plan to reorganize and debts that simply must get paid off.
And since crossing one of those “age” hurdles in my life, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of doing and experiencing things I’ve never done before.
This makes me think of the introductory statement William Shatner used to make before each Star Trek episode. Remember it? He talked about exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life forms and new civilizations -- “to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
It’s words like “explore” and “new” that cap...more > |
My cat is no fat cat |
 It's a good thing my long-haired calico Hyacinth can't read the newspaper. Otherwise I'm sure she'd be deeply offended by all the recent headlines about "fat cats."
President Obama used the derogatory term in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes." "I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street," he said.
Granted, Hyacinth may be on the pudgy side, but she has little in common with greedy financial executives.
First of all, her pleasures are simple ones. Fresh water, regular meals, and a ball of string are all it takes to keep her purring.
Wall Street executives are the ultimate in high maintenance. Ever since the government put the most modest of restrictions on compensation at bailout firms, they have been in panic mode. Desperate to free themselves of these constraints and protect their nine-figure-paycheck lifestyles, they are rushing to return the bailout funds.
Never mind that the top banks haven't found the resources to provide suffic...more > |
What if we were judged by our jails |
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Treating prisoners,
Like a curse;
One sure way,
To make them worse....more > |
Iran sanctions are counterproductive |
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In an effort to force Iran to give up its nuclear program, the House of Representatives recently approved legislation that would place sanctions on foreign companies providing that country with gasoline. If also passed into law by the Senate, these sanctions threaten to complicate diplomatic efforts by encouraging anti-American propaganda and undercutting the very people the United States wishes to support.
Unfortunately, the Iranian government isn’t that vulnerable to gasoline sanctions. Under President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran has both increased its refining capacity and enacted a more effective rationing program. These moves have significantly decreased its need to import petroleum products.
Instead, gasoline sanctions would inflict widespread economic hardship on the Iranian people, including those who took to the streets last year to protest what they said was Ahmadinejad’s rigged re-election. If our country forces regular Iranians to pay more for the gasoline they use ev...more > |
Mind reading technology threatens our liberties |
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Believe it or not, in a few years, someone else really might read your thoughts—with or without yo...more > |
Christmas and Easter cannot be separated |
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Following a parochial school Christmas program, one person complained about parts of the program. “Why did the pastor have to intersperse so much about Christ’s crucifixion in the story of Christmas?
I wondered about those comments later that day. Why would the Easter story disturb anyone, no matter when it is told? Actually, both stories are interchangeable as well as inseparable. Perhaps many people would just as soon leave Christ in the manger as a baby, rather than consider the fact that He went on to grow up and move toward His manifest destiny, ordained by God Himself.
As we go through the motions of the Christmas celebration, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that the story of a beautiful baby, who was foretold by prophets and announced by legions of angels who appeared in the skies, giving Him glory and honor. We could simply revel in this heart-warming story of two people, who could not find lodging or a place to birth their baby.
Some writers have even taken the...more > |
Christmas tree pagan? NO WAY! |
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A group recently launched an effort to end the use of Christmas trees, calling them a pagan expression. The spokesman stated that we are wasting millions of trees for the sake of pagan expression. Could this group have entirely missed the point of Christmas?
We don’t worship the Christmas tree, or believe it to be a symbol to be honored or revered. Rather, it is a traditional item used in the overall celebration of Christmas. The simple fact that an evergreen tree was once used in pagan ceremonies, or that non-Christians once placed lights in trees to honor their gods, does not mean that our seasonal use of the tree is pagan in origin.
Candles are traditionally used in Christian church worship. They were (and are) used in pagan worship. Does this mean candle-lit Christian worship services as pagan? It is a deceptive to imply that the use of an item or tradition that may have been used by pagans renders that use as pagan.
Actually, the approach of reducing Christianity to th...more > |
Holiday greetings reflect hope |
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The holidays are upon us. Our fast-moving society accelerates to a hectic pace as working Americans try to squeeze time and money into tight schedules and even tighter budgets. Divorced parents and second marriage partners make arrangements to share children or decide which child spends which holiday with which spouse.
Companies evaluate their situations to see if bonuses or gifts will be offered to employees. Children beg for attention and bombard mom or dad with long lists of presents they crave to possess. Nursing home patients wonder if their families will remember them.
People make plans and change them. Some people execute elaborate celebrations and invite friends and relatives to join them. Some simplify their holiday gatherings, preferring smaller groups and more intimate conversation. Still others get out of town, preferring to spend their time away from work in adventurous or relaxing places. And then there are those who must work on the holidays serving shoppers, tak...more > |
Tiger, Tiger, burning bright |
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(With apologies to William Blake)
Tiger, Tiger, burning bright,
Driving from your home that night
Was it fate or destiny
That made you crash your SUV?
Pain and fear took hold, no doubt.
You’ve worked so hard to shut folks out:
“We’ll be just fine; please go away!
I’ve nothing to declare today.”
Yet, soon a paramour appeared
Confessing much. The people leered.
Her pix and tales became the rage.
The tube and web consumed our gaze.
Mags and tabloids told us more:
Voice mail, text and babes galore.
It seems the family man has strayed
And needs a break to mend his ways.
Ah, well and good. May he succeed.
For which of us is without need
Of honest heart and room to heal
From our own flaws or misplaced zeal?
Wins on links and cash and fame
Are nice, but not what solves life’s game.
Spouse and kids and friends count, too,
As does the One, the poet knew.
This poet wrote to Tiger … and me:
“Did He who made the lamb make thee?”
The lamb’s creator him...more > |
The key to real prosperity |
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Rev. Frederick Eikerenkoetter recently passed away. He was better known to millions as Rev. Ike, ‘The Success and Prosperity Preacher’. For over forty years, Rev. Ike preached a theology of “Prosperity Now”.
Rev. Ike believed that God is waiting to enrich those who truly believe in Him, and who ask (or command) Him to give them their heart’s desire. No need to wait for the next life for prosperity and riches. Ike is quoted to have said, “Don't wait for your pie in the sky, by and by. Say, ’I want my pie right now – and I want it with ice cream on top!’"
There are many adherents to this philosophy. One person I know who believes this teaching wanted a new car, and said that she knew she would get one, because God had placed that desire on heart, and once He does that, He cannot refuse to fulfill that desire. Two years ago, and, still no new car.
Many believers of this notion point out that Scripture says that God wants us to have abundant life. Many go f...more > |
The New York Times is good for something |
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Why do I subscribe to, and consume daily, the New York Times? For lots and lots of reasons. Here’s one: reading the Times can be, on occasion, like peering through the bars of a high-class asylum. You see and hear things you wouldn’t otherwise. Relevance to Texas? Hold on, I’ll tell you. After a voter recount ousted this week the Nassau County executive (read: county judge), a Democrat, the Times lamented the voters’ premises. Sniff, sniff, Republicans “took the simplistic path to success, railing against taxes” that even a Times editorial conceded were “crushingly high.” The editorial then took a swipe at Chris Christie, Republican victor in last month’s New Jersey gubernatorial election, who “never explained how he plans to cut taxes at a time when New Jersey’s budget is battered by the recession.” Deduction (obvious variety, if you read the Times a lot): the Times likes taxes, or anyway the programs for which high taxes pay. Ditto many of the Times’ elite r...more > |
Spiritual lessons learned from gate crashers |
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The news media continues to find out more about the husband and wife who recently crashed the state dinner at the White House. We now know they are aspiring reality-TV stars, apparently trying to profit from a publicity stunt. No invitation can be found.
The couple, Michaele and Tareq Salahi, shook hands with the President and had photos taken with the Vice President and other government officials. An investigation is underway as to how they passed through Secret Service checkpoints. The ...more > |
Let's have a blue Christmas |
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Have you noticed how many radio stations are playing non-stop Christmas music? How many times a day do you hear "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas?" I love that song, but this season I'm thinking the more appropriate song would be "I'll Have a Blue Christmas Without You."
By now you've heard about the four cops in suburban Seattle who were gunned down by a ex-con while having coffee in a coffee shop before starting their shift. Although I live in Seattle, I was in Chicago about to step into the pulpit as a guest preacher at my daughter's church when my i-phone buzzed. It was a text message from CNN announcing the tragedy.
After flying home I heard a radio talkshow host reflecting on the horrific story and the indescribable sorrow the victims' families will face this Christmas season. During the course of his comments, he read an email from a local police dispatcher suggesting that we put a blue light in the front windows of our homes. It would be a practical way during the holidays ...more > |
What kind of legacy are we leaving future generations? |
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When news reports announced that President Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, it brought to mind the history of the Nobel Prizes awarded each year and the man for whom they are named.
One news article stated that the Nobel Peace Prize is decided by a committee selected by the Norwegian legislature. The committee includes current and former members of their parliament. The first U.S. President to receive the prize was Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 for helping negotiate peace between Japan and Russia.
The Nobel prizes are so named because a man wanted to make sure that he would be remembered for generations to come, but not for what he accomplished in this life. After his death, he wanted other people to receive recognition for what they had accomplished.
One morning in 1888, a Swedish chemist named Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, who amassed a fortune from the manufacture of weapons, awoke to read his obituary in the newspaper.
Alfred’s brother had died and a F...more > |
Airline Innovations |
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For those of you who, like me, travel a lot on airplanes, there’s good news: Airline executives have become much more innovative in the past year!
The bad news is that all of the innovation has been in dreaming up new fees to charge us customers.
After eliminating tens of thousands of helpful employees, shutting down hundreds of flights in order to jam travelers into less convenient schedules, dramatically increasing the percentage of flights that arrive late, and generally going out of their way to make flying as irritating as possible, the geniuses in charge of these corporations have noticed—to their utter amazement—that they've had a precipitous drop in customers.
Their response? Increase the irritations.
Irritant No. 1 is the imposition of an ever-growing list of fees. With less revenue from ticket sales, airlines are making up for the loss by socking us with billions of dollars in baggage fees, seat-reservation fees, rebooking fees, using-an-airport fees, and just-f...more > |
Cut military spending, fight unemployment |
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The U.S. government spent an estimated $624 billion on the military last year. This amounts to about $2,000 for every resident of our country. It’s also roughly equal to the combined military budgets for all of the rest of the world’s governments. And it’s about eight times U.S. federal spending on education.
It’s regularly claimed that the military budget is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy—that the Pentagon is both a major underwriter of important technical innovations as well as a source of millions of decent jobs. At one level, these claims have to be true. When the government spends in excess of $600 billion per year of taxpayers’ money on anything, it’s got to generate millions of jobs. Similarly, when the government spends a large share of that budget on maintaining and strengthening the most powerful military force in the history of the world, it cannot fail to encourage technical innovations that are somehow connected to the instruments of warfare.
Yet it’...more > |
Nonconformity: The key to holiday spirit |
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Many suffer holiday overload. Borrowing last year’s political cry, “We want change,” we can make the winding down of 2009 a time of reflection and expectation in our personal lives. After all, it is difficult to pray for world peace if we are at odds with ourselves.
Change requires being unafraid of nonconformity. In his 1961 United Nations’ address, President Kennedy said: “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” If the holidays box us in, the way out is to ask, “What do I want?” The answer changes as life goes along.
When we bog down in “doing,” we exclude the “being” our inner selves crave. The first reflection should be on outward things that can be modified, maybe not instantly but incrementally. When those are manageable, we renew the reason for the season.
My Christmas tree metamorphosis, a downsizing that took years, illustrates my point. With our young children, we trekked to the Florida sand scrub for a Cha...more > |
Fear and Worry: Two wasted emotions |
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The late Paul Harvey, would often lead in to the latest doomsday scenario by saying, "Just in case you’ve run out of things to be frightened about…, listen to this”. Fear is sometimes used as a tool to control others and force them to surrender to the will of the powerful, and we are continually provided new reasons to fret over.
We are constantly bombarded with doomsday reports of cataclysmic disaster just over the horizon, keeping many of us in a constant state of panic and fear. The current block-buster movie, “2012” presents the latest reason for us to live in fear-the end of the world! According to some ‘scholars’, the now-extinct Mayan civilization left a calendar which, among other predictions, said the world will end violently in the year 2012.
Apparently, we should spend the next three years or so shaking in our collective boots, since there is no way to escape this latest impending doom. I suppose I should spend my ’last days’ worrying. Instead, I sp...more > |
Don't let the Grinch steal Thanksgiving |
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In Whoville the Grinch was quite greedy and mean.
The envy within him caused him to turn green.
Ungrateful and jealous, this monster-like grouch
spent Thanksgiving morning curled up on the couch.
No holiday baking. No holiday fun.
The number of chairs at his table was one.
It seemed that his appetite wasn’t for food.
He always was stuck in the stuff-buying mood.
“Why cook up a turkey?” He said to himself.
“I’d rather add stuff to what’s stuffed on my shelf.”
The stores were all closed for the Great Day of Thanks.
But that was no problem. The green prince of pranks
could shop by computer to his heart’s content.
And clicking his mouse, the Grinch spent and he spent.
The Great Day of Thanking went by really quick
and by spending and buying the Grinch got real sick.
But nobody knew it. And nobody cared.
For Grinches are selfish and Grinches don’t share.
And if you are wondering the point of this rhyme,
then keep reading on past the en...more > |
Television ruins today's kids |
 The war in Afghanistan isn’t going well. The economic recovery isn’t producing many new jobs. The banks that pushed the nation to the brink of a 1930s-style Depression with their reckless ways—having sucked up billions of taxpayer dollars in rescue money—are resuming those reckless ways. There isn’t enough swine flu vaccine to go around.
And now for some bad news:
Nielsen, the company that clocks television viewing in this country, has found that children between the ages of two and five are watching an average of 25 hours of television each week.
That’s three-and-a-half hours a day, Sundays included.
If you don’t find that disturbing, please go back to your Twittering Facebook or whatever it is that you use to keep track of the latest Hollywood marital crisis. Sorry to have bothered you.
From its very inception—and I was there, so I know—television has been hailed as a great educational medium, an unparalleled teacher. And so it is.
It teaches you to watc...more > |
Military strategy alone won't do it. |
 For the past two months, President Barack Obama has been weighing Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s request to send an additional 40,000 troops to Afghanistan to “disrupt, dismantle and defeat” al-Qaeda. That same effort, according to Obama, entails ensuring that the Taliban can’t regain control of the country. But a military strategy alone won’t beat al-Qaeda or the Taliban. Achieving lasting stability in Afghanistan will require national political reconciliation, the establishment of a functioning, accountable political system, and a credible government. In this respect, the outcome of Afghanistan’s presidential election, marred by cheating, was a step in the wrong direction.
Afghanistan’s election concluded with the not-so-independent Independent Election Commission announcing a victory for the incumbent, Hamid Karzai, while the main opposition candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, complained of widespread fraud. Even the international community was implicated, having reportedly wit...more > |
Core values are the key to a satisfying life |
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During a public forum on ethics and morality, one panelist stated that he believed that morality is something that is defined by each individual, based upon their frame of reference. He opined that one person’s moral view may differ from that of another.
His question was, how do you know whose view of morality is correct? Another believed that, in this age of moral relativity, truth is subjective and changeable and each person gets to define his or her own version of truth.
I stated that the best way to avoid such confusion about truth and morality is to first find and embrace indisputable truth and a moral code of values. Then all of one’s opinions and positions on issues will be viewed within the framework of that known truth and conviction. Finally, determine not to compromise in those areas.
I was asked how to find “truth” and “core values.” Core values are the basis for making life decisions and are established in conviction and integrity. Core values are inte...more > |
Three steps to save Wall Street |
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For the first time in decades, Washington is daring to tackle financial reform. It took the collapse of the whole sector and the resulting public outrage to get them started, and it will take pressure to keep them going. It’s not certain that Congress and the Obama administration will have the courage to prioritize the long-term health of our economy and the legitimate interests of the public over the self-serving demands of their friends on Wall Street.
Three steps are essential: regulating executive compensation, separating financial “casino” activities from regular banking, and creating a consumer financial protection agency.
First, CEO pay has been out of control for decades. The average CEO of a large company now makes 319 times what his average worker earns, up from a 42-to-1 ratio in 1980. Compensation at this level—especially guaranteed compensation—blinds leaders to the downside risks of their actions. Rewards based on short-term results lead to short-term thinki...more > |
Clearing the air on credit scoring |
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In recent weeks, The Dallas Morning News, in both news reports and editorials, has inveighed against property and casualty insurers for employing a premium rate setting technique called “credit scoring.”
Readers, including those both familiar and unfamiliar with the phrase, are left with the unmistakable impression that credit scoring unfairly raises premium rates for certain insurance consumers and at the same time implies that insurers might be involved in some unscrupulous insurance practice for personal gain.
Other Texas newspapers, including The Austin American-Statesman, satisfied with the potential shock value of such information, reprinted the credit scoring editorial for their own readers.
Seemingly unconcerned about factchecking, and anticipating that a patient and tolerant insurance industry would not register opposition, the Statesman’s reprint enhanced the impact of the editorial by increasing circulation of the report.
Credit scoring is the phrase applied to a n...more > |
Jerusalem and its delicate balancing act |
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JERUSALEM – It’s easy to see why this city is the focus of so much world attention.
As my traveling companions – fellow journalists – and I meandered through Old Jerusalem, a group of Asian pilgrims snaked down the crowded Via Dolorosa carrying a cross. Hasidic Jews in traditional black suits and hats scurried by on foot or bicycle. Muslim calls to prayer reverberated.
Our Israeli guide joked that on some special holidays, he’s surprised that World War III hasn’t broken out on the Via Dolorosa (“Way of Suffering”). Hordes of Christian pilgrims, Jews preparing for the Sabbath, and Muslims traveling for Friday prayers all converge on the narrow streets.
Things felt peaceful this day. Busloads of tourists scoured religious landmarks – which are legion – and enjoyed food from street vendors and bistros. Smells of pastries, fish, veggies, and other roasted delights wafted through the air.
Shops hawked crosses and menorahs, antiquities, guidebooks in English, Sp...more > |
VETARANS’ LEGACIES DON’T END WITH BATTLEFIELD |
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There’s a common saying among military historians like myself which goes something like “amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.”
Simply put, armies that get there fastest with the most usually win.
Supply lines have been every military’s Achilles Heel, from Roman times through today’s conflicts.
Most of the stories one hears on Veterans Day revolve around those who were responsible for the front-line fighting on the ground, in the air and on the sea.
They deserve all the thanks we can give them.
Left out of the history books is that for every one frontline soldier, airman and sailor in the U.S. military from WWII to the present day, there are an average of seven support and logistics troops tasked with keeping them supplied.
The Romans’ roads were designed to allow for quick and efficient movement of its military across its vast empire Our Interstate system we enjoy and take for granted was born of a similar need.
The story goes that before Ike Eisen...more > |
Public Enemy No. 1: The Taxpayer |
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The Texas Association of Counties (TAC) has identified Public Enemy No. 1 — the taxpayer. At its recent annual conference, TAC included in the program a presentation entitled, “You aren’t paranoid, they ARE after you.” Not all the focus was on taxpayers at this annual conference. Customer relations on the phone, “Mapping the road to retirement,” as well as “Are we having fun yet?,” and “Ready, aim, retire” were all topics of discussion. It appears many county association members are eager to prepare for retirement. But between their hiring and retiring, they are conspiring against taxpayers.
The presentation “You aren’t paranoid, they ARE after you” was given by Kay Coles, a consultant who touts a 30-year career in journalism, politics, and lobbying, as well as her work on ballot initiatives. In her presentation to the county officials, available on the TAC Web site, she outlined the sins taxpayers have committed by wanting to:
Ban taxpayer-funded lobby...more > |
God never promised life would be fair |
 Tim was a warrior. He joined the Marines about four years ago and was excited about serving his country. Why the Marines? Because he wanted to be where the action was; he wanted to make a difference; he wanted to count.
Tim finished training and shipped off to Iraq. He wasn’t sitting in an office somewhere filing papers; he was in the hotbed of conflict in Baghdad and its environs. Raised in a family of ten siblings and grounded on the precepts of the Bible, Tim was strong, confident and fearless.
His family took good advantage of our community churches’ “prayer chains” and together we lifted him up week after week, praying for his safety; praying for a safe return.
Tim served three tours of duty in Iraq and returned home this past August—unscratched—from this tumultuous part of the world. We all breathed a sigh of relief that one more of our warriors was home, safe and sound.
Without hardly skipping a beat, Tim enrolled at a local university and was prepa...more > |
Saudi Arabia wants subsidy for lost oil sales |
 When you think “chutzpah,” rarely is Saudi Arabia the first association that comes to mind. Chutzpah is a Yiddish word for the quality embodied by the fellow who kills his parents, then asks for mercy because he’s an orphan. Saudis tend to be Muslims. Their affection for things Yiddish is virtually undetectable.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a hand-tooled, gold-leafed example of outrageous chutzpah, Saudi Arabia is the place to go.
The Saudis, it has been reported, think that nations fighting global warming by reducing their use of oil should pay Saudi Arabia a fee to make up for their loss of business. Let me repeat that: They think that we should pay them something extra for using less oil.
Sort of makes your eyes cross, doesn’t it?
“Assisting us as oil-exporting countries in achieving economic diversification is very crucial for us through foreign investments, technology transfer, insurance and funding,” a Saudi official told The New York Times. Well wh...more > |
Standing principle is good principle for success |
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When I was a child, my parents, and my friends’ parents went to great lengths to assure that they had more influence upon my life choices than anyone or anything else. Not so today. Nowadays, if a parent posed the age old question, “If all of your friends jumped over a cliff, would you do the same?” to their children, they might be surprised to hear the answer: “Yes!”
Children today are constantly bombarded with negative, and often deadly, role models. In order to be accepted, they often will abandon whatever moral compass their parents may have tried to instill in them. How can we expect our kids to grow up to be honorable, upstanding citizens when everything they are taught seems to be 180 degrees out of phase?
Television shows often depict parents as buffoons and idiots. Prison was always something to avoid at all costs, first by avoiding activity that could land one there. Today, many Black teens have been quoted as saying that prison is a rite of passage....more > |
Don’t leave tax breaks on the table |
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In the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle, try to carve out a few moments for some year-end financial housekeeping. You may be able to save enough money using tax breaks to pay for your holiday needs. Here are a few suggestions:
Boost 401(k) savings. You can contribute up to $16,500 to your 401(k) plan in 2009, plus an additional $5,500 if you’re over age 50. Making pretax contributions reduces your taxable income, which in turn lowers your taxes – not to mention the boost employer-matching contributions, when offered, can give to your account balance.
Online calculators (like the one at
www.kiplinger.com/tools/401kadd.html) can help you estimate the impact additional contributions will have on your taxes. If you’re not already maxing out, ask your benefits department if you can make additional contributions before December 31.
Use up flexible spending account (FSA) balances. If you participate in employer-sponsored health care or dependent care FSAs, which let y...more > |
State standards low |
 A few years ago, a Texas public school student could pass standardized tests in math and science while getting less than half the answers right. Similarly, schools could be rated acceptable even though less than 60 percent of students passed state exams.
The U.S. Department of Education may have just provided more ammunition to critics of the state’s education system who argue that passing the state’s standardized test doesn’t mean anything and that standards need to go up. The education department’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a study Oct. 29 of state passing standards showing Texas’s standards do not match up with national expectations in reading. The study could touch off another debate over education standards, with conservatives on the State Board of Education and the business community calling for higher standards, and school district officials calling for lower ones.
NCES did a national correlation between the cutoff scores on the state...more > |
Dont gut the medical board |
 In 2003, the Medical Profession made a promise to Texans: if Texas voters would pass a constitutional amendment limiting non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits, the state would do a better job policing the medical profession, suspending or revoking the licenses of doctors who mistreat patients. During that session and every session thereafter, various and sundry special interest groups have engaged in an organized — but so far largely unsuccessful — effort to slash this board’s powers over physicians.
In all fairness, the deal I described above was, in large part, forced on the Medical community by the Legislature. Oh, the medical groups are all for limitations on damages in lawsuits against doctors. But that second part — a pro-active medical board — is something that the medical community has never completely accepted.
In 2002, The Dallas Morning News ran a startling series of articles detailing stories of doctors who abused patients (in some cases sexua...more > |
Time to snitch on a dangerous concept |
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Almost daily, alarming new social trends pop up. Sadly, the most destructive of these seem to quickly find acceptance within the Black community. Worst yet, many of these self-defeating behaviors and fads originate within the prison and hip-hop cultures, which are the wrong places to seek role models.
Some trends, like young men wearing their pants without a belt, well below their waist, with the crotch hanging below their knees, have roots in the prison system. Apparently, many prisoners wear their pants very low to make it difficult for guards to effectively search for contraband.
Wearing head bands and head scarves also sprung from the prison/gangster culture, often to identify gang affiliation. Even small kids flash ‘gang hand signals‘, and fantasize about being a member of The Crips’ or the ‘Bloods’, violent street gangs made famous by Black exploitation movies and hip-hop music.
The latest mantra drilled into young minds in the Black community, concerns ‘snitchin...more > |
Food aid can be hard to access for many in need |
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The need for food assistance has grown dramatically across the nation with this recession. Food stamp recipients now total more than 31.8 million, a record. As caseloads increase, caseworkers become overburdened with processing applications and helping those in need.
This forces people to seek alternative forms of aid in the meantime, by searching for food pantries or other types of assistance in their local area. While these services can tide some people over until they receive government aid, this isn’t always the case.
To add to these problems, another major issue burdens the nation and it is largely overlooked when it comes to food assistance: transportation.
There are currently no government-run programs that deliver meals to low-income individuals or provide free/reduced-priced transportation as an alternative.
In recognition of this problem, Meals on Wheels, a national nonprofit, has delivered hot meals to individual homes for over 50 years. However, recipient...more > |
Investing time in nursing home residents pays dividends |
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I visit nursing homes on a weekly basis to pick up patients and take them to the dental office where I work as an assistant. I go to one woman’s room and see a bulletin board filled with family pictures punctuated with red and white Valentine hearts.
She wears hunter green pants and a matching vest; her gray hair is pulled back in a neat braid. Her daughter Sharon helped pick out her clothes, dressed her and waited to accompany her to the dentist. She dotingly slides on her mother’s coat and ties her scarf and makes sure her paperwork is in order before we leave.
I compliment Sharon on her attentiveness and kindness toward her mother and she says that it was the least she could do. Her mom was a wonderful, caring mother so she wants to be there for her in her time of need.
In contrast, other residents aren’t even aware they have a dental appointment until the last minute. Some are roused out of bed by overworked aides, quickly dressed and leave for their appointments w...more > |
Is Glenn Beck the future of television? |
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Welcome to the “fear chamber” or “doom room,” home to Fox News Channel’s political commentator and television news host, Glenn Beck.
Beck has become a media phenomenon. The radio DJ-turned-television host has attracted a remarkable following, resulting in a popular radio show, three New York Times best-selling books and a television program that has made him the object of scorn and praise alike.
No scripts or teleprompters seem to be necessary in the “doom room.” Beck’s off-the-cuff, extemporaneous and emotive style have rocketed his 5 pm, EST, television news show on the Fox News Channel to the third-most-watched cable news show running over all.
If the medium of television has the unique ability to capture viewers’ attention, then for better or worse, Glenn Beck has mastered the medium. And as the ratings make clear, audiences find his show to be compelling, entertaining and engaging.
What exactly makes Glenn Beck’s show so appealing to his fans?
Like Larr...more > |
War on crime focuses on the wrong weapon |
 The United States Constitution gives meaning and substance to our republic and our rights.
The Second Amendment states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” A pretty straight-forward statement on the right to bear arms, isn’t it? Depends on one’s perspective, apparently.
Some people opine that the intent of this amendment allows only militias, such as the National Guard, to keep and bear arms. My reading is the amendment clearly states that ‘the people’, meaning, ‘the citizenry’ have the right to bear arms.
Whenever a high profile or mass shooting occurs, the primary focus is often on the weapon used in commission of the crime. Many cities have a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to gun possession, rendering the possession of a gun by any private citizen illegal. New York Giants football star, Plaxico Burress was recently sentenced to two years in jail a...more > |
The answer to ‘Banks gave $64 million to whom?’ |
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Banks gave $64 million to whom? You’ll find the answer to this and other puzzling social and political issues in the new book, Censored 2010, researched this year by faculty and students at nine colleges and universities. The work includes the annual selection of the 25 most important news stories not covered by the U.S. corporate media. Here are the top 5.
1. Congress Sells Out to Wall Street —Federal lawmakers responsible for overseeing the economy and approving more than $700 billion in bailout funds have received millions of dollars from Wall Street firms. Since 2001, eight of the most troubled firms have donated $64.2 million to congressional and presidential candidates. The donors include investment banks Bear Stearns, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, insurer American International Group, and mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
2. U.S. Schools More Segregated Today than in 1950s —Millions of non-white students are locked into “drop...more > |
The NFL knows the political score |
 The San Diego Chargers are hardly professional football’s most prolific team, having advanced to just one Super Bowl (XXIX, where they lost to San Francisco) in 43 years.
When playing politics, however, the Chargers are untouchable: Team owners, officials and players have combined to contribute more than $2.4 million to political candidates and committees since the 1990 election cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of federal campaign finance data indicates. That’s nearly four times as much as the runner-up Houston Texans, whose associates have contributed more than $623,000 to federal candidates and committees during the past two decades.
As the 32-team National Football League begins its 2009 season, the Chargers and Texans stand among 20 clubs to donate more than $100,000 to federal political interests during that time, according to the Center’s analysis. Executives and employees of the league itself also teamed together to contribute more than $322,000. Ce...more > |
What’s eating the Republican Party in Texas? |
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Those of us who remember the Twist and the Cuban missile crisis (which weren’t directly related to each other, I believe) recall equally well when the Republican Party of Texas was the merest fledgling, chirping on the live oak bough, dreaming of great things to come. That they came at last, in keeping with the predictions of such as the late great John Goodwin Tower, put the State in a new and relatively unfamiliar state – that of connection to a national party with a like purpose. The national party was generally if not universally conservative, the state party highly conservative. These variations notwithstanding, the two parties worked cheerfully in sync for the greater good, a substantial part of which they accomplished during the Reagan years of blessed memory.
What a party, our state Republican party, contributing to national and regional discourse the likes not only of Tower but also of Dick Armey, Phil Gramm, Bill Archer, the Bushes, John Cornyn, Bill Clements, Kay Bail...more > |
Confidence in organized religion continues to decline |
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According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans’ confidence in organized religion and other institutions is down. Only 46 percent said they have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in church or organized religion. That’s just a single point away from being the lowest in Gallup’s history since 1973.
I don’t know about you but this neither alarms nor offends me. Frankly I am surprised that confidence in organized religion is as high as it is. Understand that we are talking about confidence in the “Church” (not God) which includes the good (churches which actually believe the Bible) the bad (churches which pay lip service to the Bible) and the ugly (churches where the Bible is seldom used).
When you consider certain denominations, like American Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, American Baptists and United Churches of Christ, have been in decades long battles within their own ranks vying for some semblance of fidelity to the ...more > |
THE GRAVE DOESN’T WRITE THE FINAL CHAPTER |
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I recently lost a good friend and neighbor, Dan Goff from colon cancer. Dan was a man of great integrity with a strong set of values. He loved people unconditionally, and spent his life uplifting and encouraging others; always willing to volunteer his time and talents.
Dan was a talented musician and music teacher. He delighted residents of local nursing homes and his Kiwanis club members with his ukulele or banjo. He and his wife, Iris played in the local concert band for many years. On the evening before his passing, the concert band gathered on Dan’s front lawn to perform a mini-concert in Dan’s honor, to the great delight of Dan and his neighbors.
I am thankful for the times I was able to chat with Dan as he fought this hideous disease. I was amazed at his attitude during those trying times. He would spend time encouraging others, instead of pitying himself. He worried more about his beloved wife, Iris and daughter, Lisa than his own suffering and pain.
I remi...more > |
Abortion restoration ministry available |
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Are you one of the 50 million women that have been affected by abortion? While you might feel alone in your shame and guilt, you are not! Find the path to healing through honest, interactive Bible study; meaningful group experiences; unique journaling exercises; and a confidential caring community.
Did you know that 43% of women have experienced an abortion? Others have encouraged someone to get an abortion, and now regret that action. These are your sisters, mothers, wives and friends. They carry an incredible burden while wearing a smile on their face. Many struggle for years with repressed memories, guilt, shame and depression. Most women feel they are not allowed to talk about their abortion experience because it was their “choice.”
The fact is many women who have had an abortion also experience symptoms of post-abortion trauma. They may not realize that these symptoms are directly related to their past abortion. Often the medical community overlooks abortion as a ri...more > |
Texas Tomorrow fund fix needed |
 The Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan is in crisis. Rapidly increasing college tuition rates have led to the funds’ insolvency. Never was it anticipated that Texans’ tax dollars would be required to cover skyrocketing tuition increases, let alone cover an investment reaping astronomical returns. It doesn’t seem ethical.
In a few cases, this is what the old Texas Tomorrow Fund boils down to. The Texas Tomorrow Fund, a constitutionally backed fund, was created in 1995 to provide a mechanism for parents to save for their children’s education by setting up a prepaid account to lock in current tuition rates.
Parents had 10 years after a child’s high school graduation date to use the fund. However, the deregulation of tuition in 2003 — setting no upper limits on what a university could charge — has allowed tuition rates to skyrocket by 89 percent, a rate no investment vehicle should be guaranteed to cover. With nothing on the horizon providing more certainty in tuition rates,...more > |
In Life, As in Football, the most important quarter is the last one |
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The game of my life is in the last quarter.
I don’t know when that quarter began. I got up to get a snack from the refrigerator and when I returned it had already started. Occasionally life offers an overtime period as a short extension, but when you’re 75 years old you’re definitely in the last quarter of life.
That’s okay. I don’t usually watch sports until the last quarter anyway. The real drama, the last minute heroics, the game-winning plays are in that final quarter. To me, the earlier part of the game is just set-up.
This last quarter is when life becomes real. I can look back and better evaluate what was important and what wasn’t in the first three periods. And with the clock inexorably ticking down, each play takes on added importance.
Some people panic. They can’t handle last quarter pressure, the awareness that time is running out and that if there is something you need to do you need to do it now.
For me it focuses the mind. I have a...more > |
A paid up eternal life insurance policy |
 Legendary sports announcer Ernie Harwell recently announced that he has been diagnosed with incurable bile duct cancer, but has decided against surgery or other medical treatment. He is ‘looking forward to this next adventure’.
Harwell stated that, because he trusts in Jesus Christ, he has no doubt that he is going to Heaven when dies. A friend mentioned that Harwell must be delusional, because no one can know for certain that they will get to Heaven. It’s all in God’s hands.
I explained to my friend that, like Harwell, I, too, hold a paid-up ’eternal life insurance policy’. This opened up a lively debate. My friend stated that, because of our sin, we deserve to go to Hell, so we must do all the good we can in order to balance the scale. Then, when we stand before God, He will weigh the evidence of sin against the good life we have lived, and then decide whether we go to Heaven or Hell. No one can know for sure until that day.
My friend is a Christian. He b...more > |
Do not sit back and ignore this preventable illness |
 While Washington jostles over proposed government health care legislation, simple truths are being ignored and overlooked. A great deal of the money spent on health care today is avoidable. A Comptroller’s report estimates Texas businesses alone are spending $1.3 billion in health care costs linked to obesity.
The truth is this: Taxpayers are picking up the tab for poor eating choices. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 72 million adults in our nation are overweight or obese. In Texas, 28 percent of adults and 32 percent of students fall into the overweight/obese category.
Why should we debate adding more debt to our debt-ridden nation or dismantling our private health care system when real savings can be found and resources freed up by individuals taking a little responsibility for their own actions?
That is why I introduced the 3E’s of Healthy Living – Education, Exercise and Eating Right - patterned after the 3 R’s that focused my generation and the o...more > |
Hearing Christ’s Song |
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I have always loved to sing. My father has a wonderful voice. I can remember children turning around to watch him in church when he would sing. I, however, did not inherit that gift from my father. I love to sing with my whole heart and soul as long as there is no one around to hear how off pitch I am. There was one time, while driving home; I was listening to a song that really filled my heart with the spirit. I so wanted my song of worship to sound as heavenly as those coming from the CD; I began to weep. I knew I could not fully express the feelings in my heart through song and I desperately wanted to.
As I entered the house my husband, who also sings well, asked me what was wrong. Renewing my sobs, I exclaimed, “I can’t sing!” Confused he responded, “I know!?” His wisdom then took over as he chose to simply comfort me as I cried out my frustration.
Our offering to God is so lacking. It does not matter if it is a song of worship, an act of service, or a pers...more > |
When Ted Kennedy Met Jerry Falwell |
 Senator Edward Kennedy’s death generated cascading tributes to his personal warmth, love of family, compassion, and bridge-building skills. Kennedy often found common cause with his political and philosophical adversaries.
The lion of liberalism’s meeting with religious right champion Reverend Jerry Falwell provided a choice example of the irony and humor such encounters could bring. Conservative commentator Cal Thomas served as vice president of Falwell’s “Moral Majority.” Thomas relates this entertaining story about Kennedy and Falwell:
The Moral Majority often mentioned Senator Kennedy in its fund appeals; the senator and his liberal friends often mentioned Falwell in their own letters. Each side alerted their constituents to reasons for concern about the other.
Once, by mistake, Falwell’s group sent Kennedy a “Moral Majority membership card.” When the Washington Post asked Thomas if his organization would request the card back, Thomas replied, “No, we...more > |
Satisfying our longing to simplify life |
 We long to simplify life, yet it seems impossible. Just as we fine-tune our personal paperwork and obligations, not to mention handle jobs and families, something changes or the unexpected comes along. Our well-worn armor threatens to crack. Edward M. Hallowell, author of “Crazy-Busy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About To Snap!” says: “We need to re-create boundaries.” But, how?
Psychologists, neuroscientists, and others now warn that multitasking enhances stress and makes us less efficient. The large prefrontal cortex of the human brain enables us to perform several routine tasks simultaneously, but if more cognitive processes are needed, like an overloaded printer, we can jam. In fact, Hallowell, a psychiatrist, believes multitasking is an illusion and actually wastes time as we shift focus back and forth. Behind the longing to simplify is a search for life’s meaning. In the 1991 comedy “City Slickers,” the city boys want more than adventure; they hunger for va...more > |
Count on the EPA to regulate Texas’ prosperity |
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Gov. Rick Perry could say – and probablywill – that he nailed it.In his State of the State speech to the Legislature last winter, Perry fingered the federal Environmental Protection Agency as a potential cause of grief to the state. “Unfortunately,” he said, “our strength in petrochemical production and refining makes us a big target on the radar of an increasingly activist [read: newly controlled-by-Democrats] EPA, whose one-size-fits-all approaches could severely harm our energy sector; an agency whose potential to harm our state with punitive actions will only increase in the months and years to come.”
And sure enough…
Here’s the Associated Press on Sept. 8: “The air-pollution permitting process in the nation’s largest greenhouse-gas producing state does not adhere to the Clean Air Act and portions of it should be thrown out, federal regulators said Tuesday in an announcement applauded by Texas environmentalists.”
It’s a complicated story, as are m...more > |
Can we have a little more humility these days, please? |
 “Is it all about me…or is it just me?” An alarming trend today seems to capture the young in a sea of selfishness, arrogance and vanity. a This little catch phrase demonstrates the mindset of many of today’s young adults in the ’’Me’ Generation”. The younger set has already earned the title, “The Me-Too generation”.
Many of today’s young people have flights of fancy over themselves, and go to lengths to draw attention, good or bad, to themselves. Such vanity seems to be an accepted part of society today. Everything from fashion to make up screams “Look at me!” Clothing often is designed to draw maximum attention to the wearer.
‘American Idol’ and many other TV shows draw less attention to a contestant’s talent than to just how bold, flashy and creative the contestant acts.
Humility is not something the judges seek in a contestant. In fact, humility is something to be scorned and ridiculed. Back-to-school clothing includes sewn-in fak...more > |
CAUTION NEEDED: When posting personal information online |
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I have friends who swear by online social and professional networks like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. Where else can you reconnect with long-lost former classmates, post vacation photos for friends around the world, share your resume with potential employers and perhaps even find love – all, without leaving your couch?
Although the Internet has made reaching out easier than ever, whenever you share personal information, a few cautions are in order. With your kids preparing for a new school year, this might be a good time to have a quick Privacy 101 discussion. And, since people over 30 are the fastest-growing social networking demographic, parents might benefit as well.
Keep in mind:
Email is forever. Deleting an email from your computer doesn’t mean it no longer exists. Chances are your email provider – or employer, if sent from work – will retain a record for years to come. Plus, recipients won’t necessarily delete the email and may in fact forward it to others. ...more > |
Life and death and child health care reform |
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As a child, Devante Johnson’s future seemed to be full of promise. He made excellent grades in school and helped around the house. His mother, Tamika Scott, worked hard, managing to raise three boys while pursuing a career, buying a house and completing a college degree. Mrs. Scott had a 401(k) retirement fund and private health insurance and was confident she was prepared for unforeseen emergencies. At 29, she took comfort in the belief that her family was secure.
But as reported two years ago, her family’s middle-class security crumbled when her doctors told her she had multiple sclerosis and urged her to leave her job because the stress of work would worsen her condition. With the dramatic loss of income and insurance, everything she was building began to slip away as she cashed in stocks and her retirement fund to pay bills.
Fifteen months later, her problems worsened. Her 10-year-old son, Devante, was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer. Because of the family’s reduc...more > |
The daily war on kids rages on |
 Education is under siege,” states Dr. Henry Giroux, author of Stealing Innocence: Corporate Culture’s War on Children. “It’s under siege by the marketers. It’s under siege by the corporations.” Most of all, says Giroux, public education is under siege in the sense that it is no longer seen as fundamental to a democracy. Ironically, America’s public schools were once considered the hope of freedom and democracy, the place where young people were to be instructed in the principles of freedom so that they could someday effectively participate in the democratic process.
Sadly, that is no longer the case.
Instead, for the more than 49 million students who are attending elementary and secondary public schools this fall, their time in school will be marked by overreaching zero tolerance policies, heightened security and surveillance and a greater emphasis on conformity and behavior-controlling drugs--all either aimed at or resulting in the destruction of privacy and freedom...more > |
Electricity slips beneath the radar |
 Flip the switch,
Electrons flow;
With heavy costs,
That you don’t know.
Electricity used to be simpler. Your power company would spend 10 years wheedling, cajoling, and bribing local citizens and politicians for the right to build a smelly plant along the river or down by the bay. In the end it got permission and soon trains or barges of coal and oil started showing up in the night. It was all very straightforward.
But soon enough, in crowded cities, that wasn’t enough. Nuclear plants solved things for a while, but Americans rightly grew scared of them. Then high voltage lines started shipping juice long distances from big plants in remote areas to little customers in central areas. Now our sources of power have become so convoluted that we no longer have a clue where it’s coming from. Nor is anyone likely to tell us.
What we do know is that from now on many of us users want it to come from renewable sources. Wind and sun sound pretty good. No more tribute to oi...more > |
Stop carrying guns to town hall meetings |
 With each passing moment, the nation grows more polarized as Washington’s partisan bickering becomes ever more combative. Nowhere is this more evident than with the health care debate. It has become a touchstone for discontent over the Obama administration’s aggressive attempts to push through health care reform, the government’s out-of-control spending, the loss of civil liberties and the fact that government leaders are not listening.
Understandably, many Americans are very frustrated.
This frustration has spawned lively--and often angry--protests at town hall meetings across the country, marked by Americans wielding protest signs and demanding to be heard. According to the Associated Press, “Many of those raising their voices and fists at the [health care] town halls have never been politically active.”
Although this is a healthy sign of democracy in action, critics have denounced the protesters for their disruptive behavior and likened them to angry mobs. Howeve...more > |
Core values are the keys to a satisfying life |
 During a public forum on ethics and morality, one panelist stated that he believed that morality is something that is defined by each individual, based upon their frame of reference. He opined that one person’s moral view may differ from that of another.
His question was, how do you know whose view of morality is correct? Another believed that, in this age of moral relativity, truth is subjective and changeable and each person gets to define his or her own version of truth.
I stated that the best way to avoid such confusion about truth and morality is to first find and embrace indisputable truth and a moral code of values. Then all of one’s opinions and positions on issues will be viewed within the framework of that known truth and conviction. Finally, determine not to compromise in those areas.
I was asked how to find “truth” and “core values.” Core values are the basis for making life decisions and are established in conviction and integrity. Core values are inte...more > |
House Resolution 3200 Government Shackle |
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Dear Editor,
Health care reform is a must; we need it. But the proposed cure in House Resolution 3200 is worse than the disease. It will not bring meaningful change because it does not address the fundamental problem – the cost of health care. Health insurance companies have been vilified by Speaker Pelosi and President Obama as the culprit in this crisis. Health insurance is expensive because health care is expensive.
Insurance is only a funding mechanism for the cost of health care. Until those costs are dealt with, no meaningful change will happen.
The rhetoric of this debate has focused on the “evil” insurance companies who make a profit from funding our health care. I don’t know of any business that works on the concept of not making a profit.
Otherwise, the company fails. And then what happens to the people those companies insure? Heaven forbid that the company funding my care remains solvent!
Insurance companies are in the business of managing risk; ...more > |
Parents sometimes you have to say no |
 A few months ago, during morning rush hour, two local high school kids peeled out of their high school parking lot, and, seconds later, turned onto one of the busiest arteries in the area. In a flash they were racing through heavy traffic at horrific speeds. Dodging and weaving, they miraculously covered four miles before the inevitable crash.
The leading car plowed into a pickup truck turning left into a shopping center, instantly killing a male passenger in the pickup. The seventeen year-old drag racer’s car flipped three or four times and burst into flames. He spent the next six months in the hospital burn unit and is now awaiting trial for vehicular homicide.
The other kid, also seventeen, fled the scene, but later decided to come forward. People at the high school could easily identify both drivers.
Police compiled a chilling array of facts and evidence. Tests indicated that the first car was traveling 94 miles per hour when it hit the pickup.
Witnesses along the ...more > |
We are dancing with the czars |
 As President Barack Obama seeks closer ties with Moscow, we are noticing vestiges of the old Russian monarchy popping up throughout our government.
Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary of Interior David Hayes became the latest example when he was named the California water czar. He joined dozens of others in what has become a veritable czar bazaar.
The rationale for creating “czar” positions is that such individuals can rise above the usual D.C. turf wars, knock heads together, and make disparate bureaucracies achieve ambitious, overarching goals. Done well, this can demonstrate an administration’s higher level of interest and dedication to an issue.
But this ceases to be true when these exalted positions become so commonplace that it’s hard to see where ordinary bureaucracy ends and the extraordinary begins.
By our count there are at least 31 active czars, giving the current administration more czars than Imperial Russia had in its history. We have a Mideast pea...more > |
Beware of China buying U.S. assets |
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As the president and founder of an international financial consulting company that works closely with Chinese companies seeking to go public on U.S. stock market exchanges, I see the enormity of China’s global financial influence and power on a daily basis. American assets are at such low historical values, they are prime targets for China. China’s international reserves are over $2 trillion and the potential of what China can buy in the United States is colossal. I fear it may be too late for America, but I strongly believe as a nation that we should be significantly more concerned and proactive about protecting our assets.
I’m a proud American businessman and father committed to ensuring a bright future for my children. I grew up hearing and believing that America is the richest and most entrepreneurial country in the world.
Today, as I travel to China regularly and see the entrepreneurial zeal and energy of the Chinese, I no longer believe that America is the gold...more > |
What is in a name when it comes to banking? |
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One of the lessons the recession has yielded is that community banks and credit unions take vastly different approaches to banking than multi-regional financial institutions. Perhaps nowhere is the distinction between multi-regionals and community banks more pronounced than in the manner in which overdraft programs are administered.
A divisive topic within the industry and among regulators, multi-regionals have made a conscious decision to base their overdraft programs on complex algorithms, automatic enrollment and opaque practices designed for maximum fee generation.
With these “non-disclosed” programs:
Customers are unaware of when an overdraft will be considered for payment or return;
Bank employees are unable to explain to customers the decision-making process, which diminishes customer confidence and satisfaction with the service;
Customers are surprised when debit card or ATM usage results in an overdraft;
Overdraft charges are generally the highest in ...more > |
The great American bank heist |
 Our world has turned topsy-turvy. Instead of people robbing banks, banks are robbing people.
Even more bizarre is the fact that the favorite target of banker thieves is their own customer base. Most of the robberies - which add up to tens of billions of dollars a year that bankers snatch from us - are pulled off with concealed weapons that have hair triggers and fire multiple rounds. The weapons are called “fees.”
Thanks to a quick-draw maneuver that most big banks have recently adopted, they are now coming at us with new fees that are attached to our debit cards.
Because of today’s bad economy, consumers have rapidly been shifting from credit cards to debit cards as a way to control their spending. After all, the prime virtue of debit transactions is that the charges are pulled right out of your bank account, and if your account doesn’t have enough money to pay for a charge, the bank’s computers instantly reject the debit transaction. Ever so quietly, though, tho...more > |
Real Answer: the key to real prosperity |
 Rev. Ike believed that God is waiting to enrich those who truly believe in Him, and who ask (or command) Him to give them their heart’s desire. No need to wait for the next life for prosperity and riches. Ike is quoted to have said, “Don’t wait for your pie in the sky, by and by. Say, ’I want my pie right now – and I want it with ice cream on top!’”
There are many adherents to this philosophy. One person I know who believes this teaching wanted a new car, and said that she knew she would get one, because God had placed that desire on heart, and once He does that, He cannot refuse to fulfill that desire. Two years ago, and, still no new car.
Many believers of this notion point out that Scripture says that God wants us to have abundant life. Many go further believe that they only have to ‘claim’ riches, fame, fortune, etc., and it will be given to them. They point to other passages, many that are clearly taken out of context to give credence, to their claim...more > |
"Life Without Limbs" Inspires |
 Discouraged about your finances, employment, business, or rocky relationships? Meet a guy who will inspire you to face your challenges and dream big.
When you’ve got no arms and no legs, life could seem futile. Nick Vujicic was born that way, yet he’s overcome tremendous obstacles to develop a positive mindset that’s contagious. Maybe you’ve seen him on television or the web. He spoke in our town recently. This twenty-something Aussie travels the globe with his upbeat message of finding hope amid despair, coping with rejection, and maximizing your potential. His body is mostly torso, just one small foot on his left hip. Yet, he swims, surfs and plays golf. Attitude works wonders for this corporate and school motivational speaker.
It’s not been easy. At his birth, his dad left the hospital room in shock to vomit. After four months his mother finally felt she could hold him. His parents determined to help him succeed. His father started teaching him to swim at ...more > |
A time for starting over has arrived |
 The summer of 1969 was a memorable one for us as a nation. In addition to the incredible achievement of landing a man on the moon, that was the summer that hundreds of thousands of rock and roll fans camped out on a farm in upstate New York for what was called “Woodstock.” It was also the summer that Senator Ted Kennedy was implicated in a tragic car accident near Chappaquiddick, MA.
But the summer of ’69 was a memorable one for me personally too. On August 13th my identity changed forever. That was the day Edwin and Star Smith of Wenatchee, Washington stood with their two sons (Greg and Marc) before a Chelan County judge. As the sound of a gavel reverberated in the empty courtroom, the Smiths heard him declare that from that day forward they would be known as the Asimakoupoulos family.
After my paternal grandfather immigrated from Greece and be became a naturalized citizen, he changed his name from Haralambos Asimakoupoulos to Harry Smith. Proud of his new country, my Papo...more > |
Cash for Clunkers highlights funding needs |
 Regardless of how you personally feel about the federal government’s “Cash For Clunkers” program, the program’s premise brings to light the necessity for a change in the way highway departments across the nation are funded.
The premise behind the program is to get “clunkers,” or older vehicles off the road and replaced with newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles in an effort to reduce our long-term dependence on foreign oil and reduce tailpipe emissions.
However, it’s that same fuel efficiency that’s one of the biggest reasons both the current federal and state motor fuels taxes are struggling to keep up with demands.
Putting more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road means fewer gallons of fuel purchased per mile those vehicles travel. Purchasing fewer gallons means the tax revenues generated naturally go down, leaving departments of transportation less money to build and maintain their systems, even as demand for those systems is increasing with the population.
...more > |
All parties must pay to play the health care game |
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How Congress aims to reform America’s health care system can be literally a matter of life and death. For some industries, it could mean the difference between weathering the economic storm or shuttering their businesses. Nobody knows yet what the shape or scope of the final bill will be. It may not even make it to President Obama’s desk.
But one thing is certain: The American health care system is set to get a lobotomy and diverse special interests are spending big bucks to make sure they’re in the surgery room when it happens.
“Whenever the government delves into some part of the private sector, by necessity it triggers the interest of any private entity involved in that area,” said Michael Franc, vice president of government relations at the Heritage Foundation. “When the government has the authority to determine prices for any kind of service or the terms and conditions under which people receive health care, all the different provider groups will have to get ...more > |
Texas enacts pro-vet legislation |
 Governor Rick Perry recently signed into law Senate Bills (SB) 297 and 93. This legislation will make it easier for the state’s military veterans to obtain a quality education following their discharge from the service.
“Military service places unique demands on the men and women in uniform, and [on] their families, and as home to the second most active military duties families in the nation, Texas owes it to them to support their families and welcome them honorably when they return,” Perry said. “Last year I called on the legislature to extend in-state tuition rates to eligible veterans, and Senate Bill 297 not only grants that request, but also extends that benefit to the spouses and children of our eligible veterans, and waives tuition completely for the children of Texas residents who have been deployed.”
SB 297 will pay tuition at Texas colleges and universities for veterans, their spouses and children who are eligible for federal education benefits. The new law...more > |
We won’t have Sarah to kick around |
 Mother of Mercy, can this be the end of Sarah? Will we not have Ms. Palin to kick around anymore? Who can tell? That’s the thing about our Sarah; she’s full of surprises.
But none bigger than the one she delivered the other day when she called a press conference and told Alaskans, in effect, “I’m outta here. Adios, chumps.” Or perhaps: “Stop me before I run again.”
It is a mystery. Her explanation didn’t help much. Apparently, having decided not to run for re-election, she thinks it would be unfair to continue in the office she was elected to less than three years ago. She said: “I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks, travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade….I’m not putting Alaska through that.…That’s not how I’m wired.”
It didn’t make much sense but that’s why we love her, isn’t it? “My Little Margie” with a chainsaw. Commentators have settled on three possible reasons for ...more > |
Orphans we can ignore; Corvettes we can’t |
 Three hours at the largest Corvette show in the nation can teach a person some valuable lessons. For three days aficionados of the legendary luxury sports car took over a large resort and convention center in a western suburb of Chicago. Tens of thousands of people in shorts or jeans and t-shirts wandered several miles of displays and sales booths, gawking, lusting and sometimes buying pricey accessories.
But not just accessories. Cars themselves were auctioned off the first two days. An estimated 500 Corvettes brought in millions of dollars, with bids for many of the vintage cars going for well over $100,000.
I was there working the Batavia, Illinois, Rotary Club booth, where people bought $100 tickets on the raffle of a brand new 2010 convertible. At first I wondered who in their right mind would spend $100 on a raffle ticket. I don’t know about the “right mind” part, but we sold a lot of tickets.
One man bought two tickets from me. When I asked if he was paying by cr...more > |
You Dont Say |
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If you’re like me, you could use a good chuckle right now. After all, times are messy. The economy’s tanked, your 401(k) might be a 101(k), jobs are vanishing, Iran’s “democracy” rules, North Korea’s launching missiles, and Mark Sanford thinks he found his soul mate … or not.
To top it off, tragically, Ed McMahon, Farrah and Jacko all died within days of each other. Maybe this real-life humor will help cheer you up.
With unemployment at a 26-year high, people need jobs. Perhaps you need one. There are good things to say in your job interview, and then there are statements like these, collected by CareerBuilder.com from hiring managers who heard them from jobseekers:
• “If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?”
• “When you do background checks on candidates, do things like public drunkenness arrests come up?”
• “I’m not wanted in this state.”
• “I’ve never heard such a stupid question.”
• “Ca...more > |
AARP finks out on healthcare |
 The Senate Committee has approved its version of a health care bill, largely tracking the House version requiring Americans to get health insurance, with some subsidies to the poor to help them afford coverage.
The Finance Committee, where the going is likely to get a lot rougher, has yet to act. It has to figure out how to pay the tab and still garner at least a couple of Republican votes.
The health committee bill would establish a number of stringent federal health insurance rules to replace the hodge podge of state regulations. Insurers couldn’t deny coverage to people because of their claims experience or gender. Coverage couldn’t be denied because of pre existing conditions either.
And what about age? Here comes the rub – there’s something called “age rating” that has sparked all out warfare between groups that advocate for older Americans. We’re not talking about those old enough for Medicare – they’re likely to remain largely untouched by whatever is ap...more > |
Should “charity hospitals” actually be charitable? |
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As Lily Tomlin says, “No matter how cynical you get, it’s almost impossible to keep up.”
The truth of Tomlin’s observation struck me when I read that lobbyists for America’s charity hospitals are campaigning to kill reform legislation that would require charity-care hospitals to provide - get this - charity care. I sat there blinking for a while, thinking: You mean they don’t?
As it turns out, no. Although they’re called “charity hospitals,” and although they are tax-exempt and they get some $6 billon a year worth of special tax breaks on the grounds that they provide free health care for low-income folks - they either don’t, or provide very little. In fact, it’s hard today to tell the difference between these non-profits entities and your run-of-the-mill for-profit hospital chains. The charitable outfits often turn away the poor from the hospital doors, and when they do provide treatment, they’re likely to use nasty, bullying tactics to try to collect mone...more > |
Real Answer: True Forgiveness is Costly |
 Suburban Chicago pastor Brian Coffey vividly remembers participating in a sixth-grade school yard kickball game....more > |
Changing the man in the mirror |
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“I’m starting with the man in the mirror,
I’m asking him to change his ways,
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change…
You gotta get it right, while ...more > |
Burr Oak reflects the American psyche |
 In one of the more bizarre crimes of this or any other year over 300 graves in suburban Chicago’s Burr Oak cemetery have been desecrated by cemetery employees, who emptied the plots and resold them to new customers, pocketing the money....more > |
And you thought teen pregnancy was under control |
 After falling for many years, the teen pregnancy rate is again on the rise. According to a report released in March by the National Center for Health Statistics, the teen birth rate increased 5 percent between 2005 and 2007....more > |
Jon and Kate, please wait |
 When she came home from college for the summer, my daughter wanted me to watch the reality show she and her roommates had enjoyed, Jon and Kate Plus Eight, featuring a family with twins and sextuplets.
As summer began, Jon and Kate’s marriage fell apart. The tabloids ate it up; news shows speculated on who was at fault; paparazzi drooled. A recent episode highlighted their breakup, interviewing each of them separately. The children were excited about playhouses being built in the back yard, while inside the home their family was dissolving.
Very sad but resigned to the fact of their broken marriage, their web page says, “Our goal is to do the very best for our children.” Unwilling to point a finger of blame at either of them—because I won’t read the gossipy tabloids—I still got frustrated at them both. Their fondest desire is to give their children a happy life. However, they miss a vital concept: the best thing they can do for their children is to heal their marriage.
...more > |
Real Answer: Michael Jacksons death reminds us of our mortal dilemma |
 As with so many people around the world, I felt the loss of Michael Jackson deeply. For many years my family and I have enjoyed his music and his videos. His was beloved by many, and he helped many people. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records and the most charitable entertainer in history. Michael’s untimely death raised the question on the Internet and other media as to whether he was a Christian.
This gifted entertainer achieved more worldly success than most of us could even imagine, but he spent much of his time and resources changing himself, physically, emotionally, and in nearly every way possible. His miserable and unfulfilled life certainly illustrates the fact that money cannot buy happiness.
This sad plight befalls many successful celebrities who seem to ‘have it made it’, but continue to chase true happiness and satisfaction that cannot be gained from fame and fortune. It seems that their money becomes a demon that steals happiness and imprisons them in t...more > |
Stoke up the furor for executive pay |
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Last February, amid public anger over millions of dollars in bonuses at bailed-out insurance giant AIG, our top national political leaders rushed to express their outrage - and even took some steps to place a lid on over-the-top executive pay.
That lid has now come off.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, with his just-released rules and proposals on executive pay, has essentially turned the specific executive pay limits that President Barack Obama announced and Congress legislated this past winter into mushy prescriptions that pose no real threat to the windfalls to which CEOs have become so thoroughly accustomed.
Remember that $500,000 “cap” on executive compensation that the White House announced back in February? That maximum has now become a minimum. Under the new Treasury rules, a federal pay czar will “automatically approve” any paycheck from a troubled enterprise like AIG that doesn’t top half a million - and even will allow with that paycheck “additional compen...more > |
How fast is America losing it’s faith? |
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The Internet is a lot like the dreaded kudzu vine. Once introduced into a venue it doesn’t merely grow, it explodes. It goes anywhere it wants, does anything it wants and generally takes over.
There are some bad things about this---it eats up newspapers like rabbits eat up vegetable gardens, for example---but there are good things too.
For one, it has made the police state, that staple of twentieth century governance, obsolescent. Not obsolete, mind you---there are still a lot of them around---but their job is much harder now and, in the long run, impossible.
We see it working its magic in Iran right now. Ten years ago the government would have stolen the election and immediately put a lockdown on information coming out of country. Some people would have protested and gotten beaten up, hardly anyone would have noticed and the world would have yawned. A three-day story, tops.
Instead we now have great numbers of people spilling into the streets to protest the fraudulent elec...more > |
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