Don't like our laws - don't come here.

Linda Carty is on Texas' death row. She was convicted in 2002 of killing a young mother during a kidnapping in Harris County. She is a British citizen. The British human rights group Reprieve says she's been unfairly convicted.

How did Linda end up on death row? On May 16, 2001 Carty and three co-defendants invaded the home of a Joana Rodriguez. She and her three day old baby were kidnapped and two other victims were beaten, duct taped, and left in the residence. The mother was hog-tied with duct tape, a bag was taped over her head, and she was placed in the trunk of a car. She died from suffocation.

If Linda doesn't like our laws, perhaps she shouldn't have come here.

"Texas death row inmate makes appeal to Britons." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 4A.

Your Texas Tax Dollars at Work

I expect there will shortly be a lawsuit filed against the San Felipe Del Rio school district. They're tired of educating Mexican children. So they're watching the border at Del Rio/Ciudad Acuna and watching for schoolchildren entering the U.S. They saw more than 540 of them. The Superintendent says they'll educate those children, but the parents will have to pay for it. Good for him! May we get a few more with his courage!

Paris News funny for the day: In last Sunday's edition, there was a feature article about the Gambill Goose Refuge located at Lake Gibbons. The big headline reads, "Geese return to spruced up Lake Gambill Goose Refuge." I guess the proofreader just forgot to spruce that one up. One of the photos in the feature is captioned, "A Canada geese named Thomas is one of the more friendly . . . geese on the refuge." Is the plural of geese geeses? Krista Goerte, the reporter on this story, authored this sentence: "McGee said both him and his children love the place." Remember your basic grammar rules, Krista. When dealing with compounds, break them down and see if they sound right. In this case, "McGee said him loves the place." Me loves learning about geeses in The Paris News!

"Del Rio schools turn back Mexicans." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 3A.

Well, excuuuuuuuse me!

Steve Martin is one of my favorite comedians. Many years ago, one of his trademark phrases was a long, drawn out, "Well, excuuuuuuuuusssse me!"

As our country looked back on September 11, Muslims were not happy. Ibrahim Abdul Matin doesn't like it when " . . .it's too much of this drumbeating or warmongering, if the focus is on 'what they did to us.'" Well, excuuuuuuuusse me! But "what they did to us" was slaughter more than 3,000 innocent people and try to bring down our economy. Seems to me the warmongering didn't start with the U.S.

"For some Muslims, day brings tension." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 5A.

It's been tried before.

I have argued along with many economists and other conservatives that Obama is being disingenuous when he says that we will be able to keep our current insurance. That's because when the government enacts all its regulations, private insurers will go belly up. The other aspect of that is that when the government offers a cheaper alternative, many employers will drop their coverage.

As it turns out, experience proves that's exactly what happens. John Goodman is president of the National Center for Policy Analysis. He says the U.S. population lacking insurance has been around 15 percent over the past decade. Enrollment in Medicaid and various states' Children's Health Insurance Programs has grown, but has barely put a dent in the rate. "As we have expanded free, government-provided insurance in the public sector, the private sector has contracted because employers find that their employees would rather have wages if they can sign up for free coverage from the government. So the Medicaid program and the S-CHIP program are crowding out private insurance. We keep adding to the taxpayer burden, but we're not reducing the percent of the population that's uninsured." So much for "the government has a better way" and "universal coverage."

"Quarter of Texans uninsured." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 14A.

Are you a fool?

If you agree that Obama is out of control, that the government is spending way too much money, and that our taxes are too high, State Democratic Party chief Boyd Richie has a word for you -- fool.

Richie told the Democrats meeting in Austin that they needed to field some strong candidates so they would no longer have "these fools who call themselves teabaggers and birthers and others out there garnering the press. Instead we will have people saying, 'Our government does work for me.'" What was it that famous Democrat from 45 years ago said -- "Ask not what your country can do for you . . ."?

Paris News funny for the day: A picture of Robert Powers is captioned, "Robert Powers checks the fruit on the pair tree in his front yard." Looks like the newspaper could use a pear of proofreaders.

"Democratic chief calls Tea Partygoers 'fools.'" The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 3B.

Doesn't anybody know how to throw away the key?

We'd have a lot less crime in this country if we'd keep dangerous criminals where they should be -- behind bars. The latest atrocity is that Phillip Garrido was let loose. He's the perverted nutcase who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard 18 years ago and has kept her as a slave ever since.

In 1976, he kidnapped Katie Callaway Hall from a parking lot and raped her in a warehouse. She was rescued by a police officer who noticed her car and became suspicious. Garrido said that he did not think what he did was wrong. He was sentenced to 50 years. Someone can't count, because he was let out in 1988. By the way, he married while he was in prison. How stupid is that?

In April 1993, he was sent back to jail for a parole violation. That means he should have 39 years left on that 50 year sentence. However, he was out in four months. In 2001 and 2002, a neighbor called the sheriff's department concerned about the tents in his backyard. Despite the fact this man was a convicted rapist, I guess law enforcement thought the neighbor was the one who was nuts, because nothing was done.

If Garrido had been where he should have been, in prison until 2026, Jaycee Dugard would have been able to grow up with her family. How sad that we take the protection of our children so lightly.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5630203565731770554

The inmates are running the asylum!

Would you take your son or daughter to a psychiatrist who was a convicted child molester? If you made an appointment with Dr. William Olmsted, that's just what you'd be doing. He pled guilty to indecency with a child last January for molesting his neighbor's 10-year-old daughter who was visiting his own daughter. While watching a movie, Olmsted's daughter fell asleep. He then molested the visiting child, all the while asking her if "it felt good." The child finally was able to pull away and run toward home. He called after her to "keep it a secret."

On his conviction, he received deferred adjudication, meaning he will be able to have his record expunged if he's not caught again. I say not caught again instead of doesn't commit another offense, because the recidivism rate for child molesters is practically 100%. Now, to add insult to injury, he's been allowed to keep his medical license. Incidentally, another child has come forward with further allegations against Olmstead. The inmates are truly running the asylum!

"Abuser keeps medical license." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 1B.

It's a litte too late.

Amilcar Hill and Rahwa Ghirmatizion got married recently at their 7-year-old son's funeral. The child was killed in an automobile accident. The son had been begging his parents to get married. How sad that the child had more moral sense than the parents, and even sadder that it took his death before they honored his wishes.

"Couple gets married at 7-year-old son's funeral." The Paris News; September 8, 2009; p. 12.

Surprise! More fraud in government programs.

You know the government program that gives first time homebuyers an $8000 tax rebate? Guess what? A lot of people are getting the money fraudulently. The IRS currently has 24 criminal investigations into the program. At least some of those investigations involve tax preparers making multiple claims.

That's why we need to cut off the government spigot and quit redistributing wealth!

"IRS on lookout for fraud related to homebuyer credit." The Dallas Morning News; August 7, 2009; p. 21A.

You don't have enough sense to choose what to eat.

Another of our rights is being taken away. Imagine going into your favorite Mexican restaurant and being told that chips and salsa have been outlawed. That's what's about to happen in San Antonio if restaurant owners don't voluntarily toe the line. Mayor Julian Castro said he hasn't ruled out regulations in the future but wants to see "if the voluntary approach works first." "We see what's going on at the state and national level. We don't want to be mandated," said Restauteur Ruben Cortez about making menu changes. "We want to educate the community." I find that insulting. I don't need to be educated. When I go out to eat, I want what tastes good. That's why most people splurge a little and go out to dinner every so often -- they want to enjoy themselves, not worry about what's healthy.


The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will help "to analyze menus and develop more healthful recipes." Those involved say they're facing a tough fight changing the city's eating habits. Well, they should! Why is what I eat or what a restaurant owner wants on his menu anybody else's business? If what they come up with doesn't taste good, I'll just eat at home and fix it like I want it. So will hundreds of others. And the restaurants will lose business. Then we'll hear from Obama how George Bush left things in such a mess, the restaurants can't make it anymore.

And on additional note, when they can tell the restaurants what to put on their menus, it's only one step away from telling you what you can and cannot eat in your own home. We better wake and and smell the coffee -- before they outlaw caffeine.

"Health effort meets tortilla fats." The Dallas Morning News, September 8, 2009; p. 3A.

We shall see.

We shall see pretty quickly whether Sonia Sotomayor will stick to the constitution or institute her political ideologies. The first case she will look at involves campaign financing. At issue is a less than complimentary film made about Hillary Clinton. Citizens United made the film in 2007. A trial judge concluded it was fundamentally a campaign device, and that meant, under a 2002 campaign finance reform law, the donors who financed the movie had to be disclosed.

I don't recall such an uproar when Michael Moore made his "documentaries." But then, they were aimed at conservatives and Republicans. The issue here is free speech -- which I'm sure Sonia would have upheld had this case been against Michael Moore. But it's not, and I'm sure she won't.

"Campaign case is justice's debut." The Dallas Morning News; September 8, 2009; p. 6A.

Here's the difference.

There is a family in Arkansas who is just as crazy as the Octonut -- maybe more so. Michelle Duggar is pregnant with her 19th child. Her youngest is 8 months old. Her oldest is 21, and he and his wife are expecting their first child about the same time as mom and dad are expecting theirs.

Why would any person want 19 children? There has to be something not quite right in their wiring. At least the Octonut has money as a motive.

But crazy as these people are, if they want 29 children, I don't care. What's different about them? They're not living off the taxpayers. The Octonut is.

"Better keep counting: No. 19 on the way." The Dallas Morning News; September 2, 2009; p. 2A

I want you to do the work, but I want the credit.

Racism, racism, racism! It seems that everytime something doesn't go just as a black person wants it to, it's all because of racism.

W. C. Martin pastors a church in Possum Trot, Texas. Ten years ago, he persuaded his congregation to adopt 72 abused and neglected kids. Right off the bat, I'd say that was biting off more than this small congregation could chew. Most of the 200 of them lived in poor conditions themselves. God told us to take care of orphans, but he didn't say we should be stupid about it.

Anyway those people are now struggling. Martin says he's frustrated by the lack of support from surrounding communities. "Do you think for one moment they recongnized us? Nothing, not even a thank-you letter. It's pitiful." If recognition and thank you's were the reason for this misguided gesture, then it was not for the right reason. Perhaps if Martin expected help from the surrounding communities, he should have floated his plan to them before he carried it out.

Martin says, "These parents are having a hard time with these kids. They come with some baggage that is unbelievable." Yes, abused and neglected kids do usually need some special parenting. Martin should have thought about that.

At a community ministers' meeting Martin got flustered over how churches were spending their resources. Well, that's not his business. The other churches, so far as I can find out, have not been telling him how to spend his church's money. How does he know they're not following the Lord's leadership? I have to say, with the way things have turned out for him, I have my doubts that God told him to adopt those 72 children. Then there's this rumor floating around -- these kids were adopted so the church could avail itself of the state assistance checks that come with them. They also had a gym and learning center built for them free of charge by a reality tv show. They can't use it now, though, because they can't afford the utility bills.

According to Martin, though, the problem is racism. The community has some good people, he says, but the racism is out on both sides. I think the problem is a man who wanted to make a name for himself, failed to plan, and is now bitter that not everyone hails him as a hero.

"Adoption effort struggling." The Dallas Morning News; February 14, 2009; p. 4A.

An act of racism

Why has no one stated the obvious in the Kanye West/Taylor Swift incident? In case you never see the news, the big story this week has been Kanye West stealing the microphone from Taylor Swift as she accepted an award for her music video. Kanye went into a rant about how Beyonce's video was the best. An obviously stunned Taylor Swift just stood staring at the jackass (officially so-called by the president of the United States).

Anyway, no one has commented on what a racist thing this was. He wasn't upset because Taylor Swift won and Beyonce didn't. He was upset because Taylor Swift was white and won, and Beyonce was black and didn't. If we're going to point out racism, let's be consistent about it.

Interesting Juxtaposition

I've noticed something since our Dallas Morning News subscription doubled last month. There are more and more ads and fewer and fewer news articles. And the "Corrections and Clarifications" column grows larger and larger. In a recent edition, the first section was 28 pages. Sixteen of those were full page ads.

Anyway, on one of the pages that had a bit of news on it, there was an article about how Obama's approval ratings are in nosedive mode. Just beneath that article was an ad -- it proclaimed, "Wake up and smell the coffee!" I love it!

"Little time to relax on Obama vacation." The Dallas Morning News; August 28, 2009; p. 8A.

You tell 'em, Barbara!

Luiz Vasquez recently appeared before the Garland City Council. He doesn't like their budget cut for supplemental pay for bilingual skills. He was upset that none of the council members is hispanic. Well, excuse me, but isn't this America?

Anyway, Councilwoman Barbara Chick spoke up. She said, "If the Hispanic community want to have a say, they need to get involved." She later came up with a novel idea -- why doesn't everyone just learn English? She noted that the voter turnout in her district, which is heavily hispanic, was about half that of the other districts in Garland.

You tell 'em, Barbara!

Paris News funny for the day: Connie Beard mentions in one of her articles Lisa Dean of Idabelle, Okla. That's Idabel, Connie. Idabelle reminds me of Clarabelle. Or maybe it's just reading The Paris News that reminds me of clowns.

"Learn English, council member says." The Dallas Morning News; August 28, 2009; p. 7B.

The Rest of the Story

When Obama made his health care speech to Congress September 9, as an example of insurance company abuses of clients he cited a case in Texas where a woman with breast cancer had her insurance cancelled because she had failed to list a case of acne on her application. I thought at the time that that just didn't sound quite right to me. Well, as it turns out, Joe Wilson was right when he yelled out, "You lie!"

While the case of acne may have been used by the company, the more serious issue, and I'm sure the one that really got her policy cancelled, was that she failed to report she was on medication for a heart condition and incorrectly listed her weight. I understand forgetting about that pimple you had on your nose, but forgetting there's something wrong with your heart just doesn't fly. And that, my friends, is the rest of the story.

"Obama's reference amazes cancer patient." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2009; p. 3B.

Where's that toy?

I've talked about in a previous post how atheists consider themselves to be enlightened and consider Christians to be somewhere around chimpanzees on their mythical evolutionary scale. But I'm here to tell you, most of them are missing the toy in their happy meals.

The Dallas Morning News ran an article recently about Camp Quest, the atheist counterpart to church camp. "We tell him [her 5-year-old son] to ask lots of questions," says Amie Parsons. But then she says, "We're not real big into telling him what to think or what to believe." So what good does asking questions do if they don't give him any answers? I can see this: "Mommy, is that stove hot?" "Well, honey, let's see. Go over there and touch it. Does it burn? Well, then, we can conclude that it's hot." How enlightened. She says she was delighted with the question he asked at camp: "Mommy, if Jesus was a carpenter and was real, and God isn't real, does that mean Jesus built the schools and buildings?" Wow! I'd be so proud!

These are the people who find it impossible to believe that God created the world in six days. Yet they start off their camp by telling the children the Apache story of fire. Yeah, I can believe in talking foxes and coyotes so much easier than believing in a sovereign God. Another activity at the camp was staging their own UFO sightings.

If it weren't so sad, it would be really funny. Forrest Jules is 14. He says he doesn't believe in God. When he dies, he wants his body put in the ocean "so fish will turn my body into a reef -- so I can have a purpose." Can you imagine thinking your only purpose in life was to become fish food?

"Americans are more hostile toward atheists than they are towards Nazis," said Darren Sherkat, a sociologist at Southern Illinois University. I'd like to know his basis for that statement. How much research has he done? How many Americans did he interview? How did he measure their hostility? If he can't answer those questions, then perhaps he's not nearly as enlightened as he is prejudiced.

The article cites a 2003 survey by researchers at the University of Minnesota that found that atheists were less trusted than people in any other religious or racial minority in the country. Well, duh! God is the basis of our moral compass. If these people don't believe in God, they have no basis for being moral or trustworthy. It's every man for himself, because this is all there is until we serve our purpose by becoming ocean reefs.

These people can't even be honest with themselves. they said they wanted ther children to make their own decisions about what they believed or didn't believe, but Clancy Cummings then turned around and said he brought his daughter to the camp to "introduce her to his beliefs." By the way, his daughter's name is Endeavor. He may be missing the fries as well as the toy in his happy meal.

Most parents pray their children will grow up to be productive citizens -- they don't want them to turn out to be cheats, thieves, murderers, etc. Amie Parsons doesn't want her son to grow up to be the next Billy Graham. With the question he asked about Jesus building schools, I don't think she has any worries on that front.

Let's go back to Endeavor. Endeavor and her friend were talking at the camp, and the friend said she did not believe in God. She asked Endeavor whether or not she did. Endeavor said, "I don't know." Her father is thrilled with that answer. "That's as good an answer as I could ever ask for," he said. Just what every parent longs to hear from his child -- "I don't know." They are so enlightened!

Old News

I know this is old news now, but I have some observations on the observations on Obama's September 8 "look at me" session with the nation's school children.

Columnist James Ragland says that opposition to Obama's speech was tantamount to spitting on the flag. Give me a break! The man is antithetical to everything that flag stands for! Ragland says all those who thought it was a bad idea owe Obama an apology. I'll think about it after he apologizes for leading our country to the brink of destruction.

High School student Macey Loureiro said, "I learned a lot about him struggling through his early years." I thought Obama said this speech wasn't about him. Macey went on to say, "We were like, this could be great for kids across the nation to have a president talking to them." Like, wow, like, I wonder if he talked about, like, being you know, like, articulate?

Meg Hilbert of Dallas compared it to George W. Bush reading to a kindergarten class when we were attacked 9/11. It's not the same at all. He was reading a book to one class of students. Obama was trying to infiltrate every classroom in America with his message.

Carol Shaw of Garland says the only way democracy can work is if people put their partisanship aside once elections are over and work together. Perhaps she needs to tell that to Obama. He seems to be the one ignoring Republicans and the vast majority of Americans these days.

David Evans of Plano says, "Give the guy a chance. After all, it's for the children." No, it's not. It's for Obama. Does anyone honestly think he gives a rat's behind about those kids beyond maybe influencing how their parents will vote in the next election?

Joe Madden of Dallas suggests we print up bumper stickers that say "Republicans Against Education." He's been taking twist the situation lessons from Obama. No Republican is against education. I know a bunch of them against indoctrination.

Tom Desmond of Plano says conservatives are objecting "based on your fantasies." No, Mr. Desmond. Conservatives are objecting based on their experience. Obama is a shrewd politician who fantasizes that he is the messiah.

Tank Carson of Dallas says Obama is our president, duly elected by a majority of Americans. That's not true. There are approximately 207,000,000 registered voters in the U.S. Obama received about 69,500,000 votes. That means he was elected by 33 1/2% of Americans. Given his record so far, I bet those almost 77 million who didn't vote will be at the polls in 2012! Then there is ACORN. We all know what a corrupt organization that is, so I have a feeling that a significant number of Obama's 69.5 million votes were fraudulent.

And finally, Stanley Nelson of Dallas says, "Apparently, little or nothing matters to the hard-core Republicans than sacrificing even our nation's fundamental values in their drive to undo the 2008 election." First, Stanley could use a little education himself. He doen't write very well. Second, it's precisely because Republicans hold our nation's fundamental values dear that we don't want Obama's socialist agenda pushed on our kids. Third, how does keeping your kid from hearing a 15 minute paid political announcement undo the 2008 election? If only it were that easy!

Paris News funny for the day: Krista Goerte reported on the recent square and round dance convention held at Love Civic Center in Paris. Essie May knows virtually nothing about square dancing, but even she picked up on this one. Krista repeatedly talks about the "quer," a round dance caller. When I saw that, I thought to myself it was probably "cuer," as in cuing the dancers as to what to do next. So I went to a square dance terminology website, and sure enough, old Essie was right again. Someone needs to cue Krista in.

"Obama's Speech to Students." The Dallas Morning News; September 7, 2009; p. 16A.
"Apologies due for ado over Obama talk." The Dallas Morning News; September 9, 2009; p. 1B.

But will they read the label?

We laugh at the warning labels on some products. I knew someone who once received a gift of some little apple shaped candles in a small replica of a washtub. The warning was something like: "Do not bob for apples while candles are lit." We are prone to think that the person who put that label on there was an idiot. But most likely, the idiot was the one who had bought the product and actually tried to bob for those lit candles, forcing the company to put that inane label on the carton.

Stephen Yearout of Garland is pushing for legislation to require warning labels on venetian blinds. His little boy entangled himself in a blind cord last year, and it's all the blind company's fault because they didn't have a warning on the blinds. Maybe I'm a little smarter than the average bear, but I thought it was pretty common knowledge that any kind of a string or cord could pose a choking danger for a small child. And if a parent isn't smart enough to know that, is he the kind of a parent who will read a warning label? I kind of doubt it. Yearout says, "Home Depot and Lowe's and all places that sell blinds need to be responsible for putting up some sort of signage." Maybe Yearout needs to be responsible for watching his small children a little more closely.

And now we have the Window Covering Safety Council to "educate consumers about window cord safety." What's to educate? If you put it around your neck and pull, you'll choke! Next thing you know, we'll have the "Rear Wiping Safety Council." They'll put warning labels on toilet paper -- "Warning: harmful if swallowed." "Warning: fire hazard if lit with a match." "Warning: harmful if stuffed up the nose or other body orifices." "Warning: may cause flooding if stuffed in large quantities down the toilet."

It all goes back to that prevalent attitude in society today -- somebody needs to take care of me. I fear for our future.

"Shedding light on safety." The Dallas Morning News; August 30, 2009; p. 1B.

Gosh, you sure is smart!

Atheists pride themselves on being enlightened and intelligent, and they look down on those of us who acknowledge our Creator as benighted, backwards, gullible, and generally stupid. There was an article in the newspaper recently about Zachary Moore, director of the North Texas Church of Freethought -- Free thought is their self-aggrandizing way of saying unbeliever.

Anyway, for such a self-proclaimed intellectual, he made an incredibly stupid statement: "I sometimes like to imagine that a god exists who will only reward those who are skeptical enough to not believe in it." Gosh - ain't he smart?

"A church for skeptics." The Dallas Morning News; August 30, 2009; p. 5P.

Who allowed these people to have children?

I would be hesitant to let my 13-year-old go to the local Wal-Mart by herself. Not so for Laura Dekker's parents. Young Laura wants to sail around the world by herself, and Mom and Dad are all for it. Thankfully, the Dutch government has put at least a temporary stop to this insanity.

Laura wants to be the youngest to make the two-year solo trip. When she approached her parents about it, they asked if she was sure, then said, "Good, we'll help you." I don't think Laura's the one who needs the help!

Paris News funnies for the day: Mary Madewell wrote an article about Bill Loranger who manages the city's parks. She tells about his "acclamation to the climate change," misusing the word twice in the article. Then, Krista Goerte wrote an inane column about how our society is like baseball. She summed it up, "Most call it a game, but we have modeled the sport after the very way we live our lives, hence the title, 'America's past time.'" If Mary and Krista want to become acclimated to acclamation for their journalistic skills, it's past time they made a little dictionary study their pass time.

"Officials uneasy about teen sailor's solo trip." The Dallas Morning News; August 26, 2009; p. 6A.

Somebody has to take care of me!

The Democrats have conditioned society to think that government has to take care of them. Governor Perry is being criticized by Texans Care for Children. "Children are disproportionately harmed during economic downturns like the one we're experiencing now," said the group's executive director, Eileen Garcia-Matthews. She doesn't elaborate on that, but I don't see a basis for it. They say Governor Perry, in using his veto on some expensive programs, doesn't care about the poor.

One of the things this group advocates is extending the re-application process for medicaid to one year instead of every six months. Personally, I think it should be every quarter. Those of us who have morals and work are paying for the children of those who are promiscuous and lazy. They have nothing else to do -- maybe if they're in the welfare office filling out papers they won't be making more babies.

"Advocacy group for poor children slams recent Perry vetoes." The Dallas Morning News; August 26, 2009; p. 3A.

Arrogant?

The devil is perpetuating a lie. Lately, I have had some theological discussions with people who say we are all God's children, that Jesus was tolerant of all, and that there are several roads to heaven. That sounds good, but it's just not true. How do I know? The Bible directly refutes all those viewpoints.

Jesus Himself called the Pharisees "children of the devil." We are all God's creation, but only those who have accepted Christ's sacrifice are God's children. Jesus was not very tolerant -- look up what He did to the moneychangers in the temple. Look at what He called those trying to trip Him up -- whited sepulchres full of dead men's bones. That doesn't sound very tolerant to me. He was not tolerant of sin. That's why we need His forgiveness. That's why He told the woman taken in adultery to "sin no more." And finally, the easiest to refute is the many roads to heaven one -- Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." Again, He said, "He that believeth in me is not condemned, but He that believeth not is condemned already."

Then, I get the accusation that I am arrogant. I beg to differ. I didn't write the Bible -- God did, but I base everything I believe on what He said. The truly arrogant are those who think their way is better than God's way. They have believed the devil's lie, and that is very sad.

Put up or shut up.

In response to the Republican's "Health Care Bill of Rights for Seniors," Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois said the Republican Party has to take responsibility for their lies and hypocrisy. The Health Care Bill of Rights attempts to preserve the rights of senior citizens to access health care like everyone else does -- it specifically says that it will "prohibit efforts to ration health care based on age."

Schakowsky said the Bill of Rights is "simply riddled with lies," yet she didn't point out a single one. Put up or shut up, Jan.

"GOP message targets seniors." The Dallas Morning News; August 25, 2009; p. 5A.

People will do anything for a buck!

I have bemoaned the entitlement attitude prevalent in today's society - "I deserve what everybody else has, even if I can't afford it." But this takes it to new heights.

Scammers are making lots of money on houses they do not own. It's been made possible by the high number of recent foreclosures. Here's how it works. The scammer finds foreclosed houses, changes the door locks, and finds people to move in. He collects rent just like he owned the place until the owner of the house or a real estate agency finds him out. Many times, the renters know what's going on, but they're living in a high dollar house for a cut rate rent, so they don't complain. When they get kicked out, they just find another foreclosed property to move into.

One of the biggest scammers involved in these schemes is Jackie Lewis. Guess what? He's Pastor Jackie Lewis. A mutual friend, knowing she needed a house, put Gloria Harrison in touch with Lewis. He showed her a 2,880 square foot property in Cedar Hill, and she agreed to pay him $1,600 a month for two years. She'd only lived there 12 days when Yolanda Wilson dropped by. Oops! She's the daughter of the actual owner. She said when she saw people living in her father's house, she wondered if he had set up a mistress there.

Lewis says it was all a misunderstanding. He uses his real estate ventures as a ministry. "God had shown me a way at the most opportune time in America to save their houses," he said. I don't buy it. Neither did the jury that convicted him.

"Scammers finding open door at foreclosed homes." The Dallas Morning News; February 14, 2009; p. 17A.

I Pledge -- to speak out against this indoctrination!

As you've probably heard, Obama is making a speech to all public school children on September 8. If I had school age children, they would not be attending school that day. The whole thing is rife with indoctrination. The lesson after the speech focuses not on education, the purported purpose of this escapade, but on Obama. Questions like, "How can I help the president," and "Why is it important for me to listen to what the president says," accompany excerpts from all his other speeches.

The link below is the video that will be shown before his speech. It's more than four minutes long, but I urge you to watch the whole thing, especially the last minute. It's called "I pledge." They're pledging allegiance to Obama and his liberal agenda, but not to our country!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqcPA1ysSbw

The Mind of a Child

Back when Obama was first inaugurated, the National Education Association sponsored a project called "Dear Mr. President." They had children write letters to the President telling him what they expected of him.

One said, "I hope that we will have no war ever again." Another said, "I would appreciate it if you would try to make this a greener planet." "Dear Mr. Obama, Please make it rain candy," wrote another."

These were written by children ages 5-12, so the naivete is understandable. If you look closely, you'll also detect indoctrination in those letters. What's not so understandable is what an adult segment of the country is telling Obama. "Mr. Obama, give me health care." "Mr. Obama, give me my food." "Mr. Obama, stop global warming." "Mr. Obama, help me buy a new car." "Mr. Obama, don't let them take my house away even though I've not made a payment in 9 months." Their requests are every bit as ridiculous as those of the ignorant chldren who participated in the "Dear Mr. President" project, but they're adults. They're supposed to know better.

"Dear Mr. President: Help!" The Dallas Morning News; February 16, 2009; p. 6A.

Al Gore's Big Lie

Guess what? Official government measurements show that the world's temperature has cooled since reaching its most recent peak in 1998. Wonder what Al Gore has to say about that? Maybe he'll say it's proof his carbon credits are working. And if you believe him, I have a relative who has a nice fountain in downtown Paris she'll sell you real cheap.

"Earth slightly cooler; scientists' views at odds." The Dallas Morning News; August 23, 2009; p. 7A.

Obama's Big Lie

"No one making under $250,000 will see a tax increase." -- Barack Obama.

Now we find out that they are considering a Value Added Tax. That's essentially a national sales tax. Does that mean every time you make a purchase, they'll ask to see your tax return, and if you made less than $250,000 you won't have to pay the VAT? I kind of doubt it, just like I kind of doubt most things Barack Obama says.

Paris News funny for the day: In a Lifestyles magazine article about Mindy Moree, she is quoted, "If not for my kids, I shutter to think where and what I would be." Wonder if she has shudders on her windows?

"Value-added tax on Washington's rader." The Dallas Morning News; August 21, 2009; p. 25A.