Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Essie is going on Christmas vacation for a couple of weeks and will keep her opinions to herself during that time. But she'll be back January 1 ready for a healthy, happy, prosperous (and opinionated) 2011.

In the meantime, God's blessings on each of you for this Christmas season and may the new year bring you your heart's fondest desires.

How many chances?

Jose Ramos and Mark Soliz shot a delivery truck driver in Ft. Worth, critically wounding him. Then, they tried to rob a Lowe's employee at Lake Worth. They shot at him, too. They then went to Godley, Texas, where they robbed and killed a 61-year-old woman in her own kitchen. Jose Ramos has 18 previous charges and is wanted in Travis County for parole violation. Soliz has at least 12 previous charges. Veronica Garcia is disgusted. Ramos and Soliz shot up her house the week before they were arrested. "It's ridiculous," she said. "After 10 charges, you'd think they'd keep them locked up." Wonder how many other chances they'll get?


Billy Twayne Gibson is a registered sex offender. His criminal history includes aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault of a child, aggravated robbery, unlawful carrying of a weapon, and compelling prostitution by force or threat. He was deemed a sexually violent predator by the courts. For some unknown reason, our system of pardons and paroles let this man out of prison and put him in a halfway house. He cut off his tracking device and disappeared. The police considered him armed and dangerous. He was captured in Florida on September 3. How many more chances should he get?

Lonnie Franklin, Jr. is charged with 10 murders. He has been dubbed the Los Angeles "Grim Sleeper." Turns out he's been arrested at least 15 times in the last 40 years. I thought in California, it was supposed to be three strikes and you're out. He's been convicted of burglary, car theft, firearms possession, and assault. His probation officer urged he receive a maximum sentence, but the judge ignored the advice. At least one of his murder victims was killed right after Franklin was released early from jail because of overcrowding. How many more chances should he get?

Bobby Joe Stovall finally ran out of chances -- maybe. He was sentenced to life in prison for his 9th DWI conviction. But we all know that a life sentence means he'll probably be out by the time the ink is dry on the judge's signature. Stovall also has convictions for burglary, credit card abuse, possession of a controlled substance, theft, and making alcohol available to a minor.

A University Park man was caught recently videotaping a 9-year-old boy playing a saxophone. In 1980, he pleaded guilty to two child sex abuse cases. He was sentenced to seven years' probation in one and two years in prison in the other. He violated probation and was given a five-year prison sentence in 1983 over an assault on a 14-year-old boy who was attending a swim meet at SMU. In 2006, police filed a child sexual assault charge after they were contacted by a person who said the man had assaulted him 10 years earlier. That case resulted in a hung jury, because the victim was a high school student at the time, and some of the jurors were not sure how old he was when the assault occurred. He has no charges filed against him in the videotaping of the 9-year-old. According to police, that is not a crime. How many more chances should he get?

"Police identify men accused in crime spree." The Dallas Morning News; July 4, 2010; p. 9B.
"Murder suspect evaded notice." The Dallas Morning News; July , 2010; p. 10A.
"Man gets life sentence for 9th DWI conviction." The Dallas Morning News; August 12, 2010; p. 3A.
"Man with video has long record." The Dallas Morning News; December 3, 2010; p. 1B.

Let's get the terms right.

In a special session of the Senate December 4, Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill said that the Republicans were intent on giving billions of dollars to the rich. She was talking about their opposition to the Obama tax increases.

Let's get this straight, Claire. What the Republicans are intent on is letting those people keep the money they've earned. They don't intend to give them a single dime.

Similarly, there was a photo in the paper of a rally outside the offices of Senator Chuck Schumer. One uninformed class-envious nut held up a sign that said, "Our holiday wish: No millionaire bailout." OK, clueless, let's get this straight. We are not talking about bailing out millionaires. We are talking about resisting the urge to confiscate the money they've earned in order to give it to those who haven't earned it.

Now let's get one other thing straight -- we are not talking about tax cuts here. No one is going to pay less in taxes next year. We are talking about not increasing taxes. That's two different things. If you don't think it is, then you can let them not increase your taxes, and I'll take a tax cut. That should make us both happy.

"Broad tax cut deal is sought." The Dallas Morning News; December 3, 2010; p. 1A.

How's that Obamacare working for ya?

According to Merritt Hawkins, a health care research group, 16% of doctors in a national survey of 2,400 said they plan to go to a cash-only practice within the next three years. Yeah, I can see how health care is becoming more affordable under Obamacare.

"Blue Cross-Texas Health spat may raise patient costs." The Dallas Morning News; December 3, 2010; p. 1A.

Is Andrew for real?

Andrew Goldsmith wrote a letter to the editor. He invites us to "picture a school that is half-empty. . .a school district laying of employees . . .school districts that stop placing orders with vendors . . ." He says that's what will happen if we ship out all the illegals. "We can only hope that these hard-working, tax-paying immigrants don't take the rhetoric of fanatics seriously and leave the state. . ."

Well, Andrew, let's picture hospital emergency rooms that are not so crowded with Spanish speaking illegals that American citizens can't get the care they need. Let's picture Texas school districts saving the estimated at least $1 billion it takes to educate a bunch of illegal kids whose parents return nothing in taxes. Let's picture highways where drunk Mexicans aren't killing our citizens. Let's picture the jobs that will be open to citizens when there aren't illegals getting paid under the table. In case you weren't aware of it, Andrew, illegals pay no taxes, but they do draw benefits. They are a drain, not an asset.

"Picture the impact." The Dallas Morning News; November 26, 2010; p. 24A.

Dream Wedding and Children -- All on the Taxpayer's Dime

Rachelle Friedman was paralyzed from the chest down as the result of a prank shove into a swimming pool. She was engaged to be married the following month. She has my heartfelt sympathy -- I can't imagine how confined she must feel.

She is now on Medicaid. She says if she marries, she will lose the Medicaid benefits because their combined incomes will be too much, so she and her fiance are just living together. In other words, they are defrauding the taxpayers.

She says as soon as they figure out their insurance issues, they're going to have the dream wedding they had planned for last June -- while they are defrauding the taxpayers. She says they even plan to start a family -- while they are defrauding the taxpayers. I suspect the babies will be on Medicaid, too.

"Health insurance concerns postpone wedding." The Dallas Morning News; November 24, 2010; p. 11A.

Well, except for . . .

Obama's commission on the economy has come up with a plan.

Obama has repeatedly promised that no one making under $250,000 would see an increase in taxes . . . well, except for 15 cents a gallon on gasoline.

Obama has repeatedly promised that no one making under $250,000 would see an increase in taxes . . . well, except for eliminating the deduction for mortgage loan interest.

Obama has repeatedly promised that no one making under $250,000 would see an increase in taxes . . .well, except for taxing you on what your employer pays for your health insurance.

Obama has repeatedly promised that no one making under $250,000 would see an increase in taxes . . .well, except for those who make over $106,800 who will now have to pay social security tax on 90% of their income without realizing any additional retirement benefit.

Obama has repeatedly promised that no one making under $250,000 would see an increase in taxes . . . maybe he thinks we're all blind.

"All pay in plan to cut debt." The Dallas Morning News; December 2, 2010; p. 1A.

If you don't like that pesky truth, just change it!

Some of the scientists who studied the gulf oil spill are a tad put out with the White House. It seems Obama's folks didn't think the scientists' report reflected exactly what they wanted it to say, so they just edited it.

A report by the Interior Department's inspector general concluded that the White House edited a drilling safety report in a way that made it falsely appear that scientists and experts supported the administration's six-month ban on new deepwater drilling. Seven experts reviewed the reports, and all seven expressed concern about the change made by the White House, saying that it differed in important ways from the draft they had approved.

I'm just completely shocked! I would have never thought Barack Obama would do something dishonest to further his own agenda! I also believe that the moon is made of green cheese and piggies can fly.

"White House report upsets science advisers." The Dallas Morning News; Novemer 11, 2010; p. 5A.

Page 18 News

Buried way back on page 18 of the newspaper is a small item about Muslims burning ten homes belonging to Coptic Christians in Egypt because there was a rumor that one of the Christians had an affair with a Muslim girl.

Do you suppose that if the Christians had burned the homes of the Muslims, this would have rated several columns on the front page?

"Muslims burn homes of Christian Egyptians." The Dallas Morning News; November 17, 2010; p. 18A.

What were they thinking?

Kelsee Williams was 13 years old and in the eighth grade. She was killed in an automobile accident in October. The driver of the car was 16. There were other teenagers in the car, but no adults. Kelsee was "on a date."

What were her parents thinking???? Who lets a 13-year-old child go out with a bunch of teenagers? I just don't get it.

"Teen killed in SUV rollover." The Dallas Morning News; October 17, 2010; p. 1B.

And this is relevant how?

Andrew Vracin takes issue with Sarah Palin's recent speech in Dallas. She said, "Thank you, Dallas, for clinging to your God and your guns and your Constitution." He thinks that was incredibly insensitive since a U.S. President was assassinated in Dallas.

I guess I may be a little dense, but I can't see that our desire to honor God, protect our 2nd Amendment rights, and abide by the laws set forth in our country's Constitution have anything to do with a nutcase who murdered the President 47 years ago.

"Choose a different venue." The Dallas Morning News; November 13, 2010; p. 24A.

And Obama wants to run the whole shooting match!

Today, doctors will take a 23% reduction in Medicare reimbursements unless Congress does something. "Well, they're all rich enough anyway," the class envious person responds. But what does that mean to the Medicare patient? It means that doctors will refuse new Medicare patients which will result in a shortage of quality medical care. Medical groups estimate that as many as two-thirds of doctors will stop taking new Medicare patients affecting 46 million older and disabled patients.

The cost of not enacting the reduction will be about $1 billion per month. Looks like Medicare is an abysmal failure, and Obama wants us to let him run the whole shooting match!

"Doctors brace for possible Medicare pay cuts." The Dallas Morning News; November 13, 2010; p. 10A.

Another Obamacare Success Story ----- NOT.

Obama said this month that premiums in the government health plan for people with pre-existing conditions will be cut, and coverage will be upgraded. Why? Because people can't afford his "affordable" insurance.

The expectation was that 375,000 people would sign up for this coverage with premiums ranging from $400 to $600 per month. The total signed up so far? 8,000. So instead of taking in about $187 million a month, they're actually taking in about $4 million a month. Let's see -- in a year, that's about a $2 billion shortfall. And guess who's picking up the shortfall?

Looks like this part of Obamacare is going to work about as well as the rest of it.

"Some premiums to get cheaper." The Dallas Morning News; November 6, 2010; p. 5A.

Reward the guilty.

More than 1.2 million Texans who have refused to pay the surcharge on their fines for drunken driving and other violations are being rewarded for thumbing their noses at the law. They will be granted amnesty. Those who have been paying the surcharges, though, will be required to continue to pay them. What is wrong with this picture?

The side note to this? I wonder how many of those who are being granted amnesty are illegal.

"Extra traffic fines to change." The Dallas Morning News; November 6, 2010; p. 1A.

You heard it here first.

By an overwhelming number (70%), Oklahoma voters approved an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution which would ban judges from deferring to international or Sharia law in their decisions. This is a common sense thing -- we have our own set of laws.

However, Judge Vicki Miles-LaGrange has issued an injunction to prevent the state from certifying the vote. If we don't reign in judges like Ms. Miles-LaGrange, here's what will happen.

The first ruling is that judges MAY defer to Sharia law. Then it will slowly morph into judges MUST defer to Sharia law. We better open our eyes and be careful! If the liberals can't win at the ballot box, they'll win through court rulings and executive orders.

Another interesting point here - Ms. Miles-LaGrange was educated in Ghana, West Africa. If you don't know what religion that country is, look it up. Might explain her ruling.

"Oklahoma judge blocks amendment on Islamic law." The Dallas Morning News; November 9, 2010; p. 3A.

Go Texas! Go Texas!

Texas State Representative Debbie Riddle is ready! She's already filed a voter ID and anti-illegal immigration bills, one of which would allow the arrest of those here illegally under a new trespassing law. Students would have to show proof of citizenship. We'll still have to educate them because of federal rulings, but determining how many are illegal will help the state to calculate how much the taxpayers are spending on these scofflaws. Another of her bills will mandate that all documents printed at taxpayer expense be printed in English only.

Representative Jessica Farrar says the Republicans are "out of touch" by introducing such bills. She says "We need to recover our economy." Well, Rep. Farrar, are you so out of touch that you don't realize that the vast influx of illegals is one of the problems with our economy? Given the results of the recent election, I'd say Rep. Farrar is the one "out of touch."

"GOP flexes muscle in early bills." The Dallas Morning News; November 9, 2010; p. 2A.

How many more chances?

Moses Coppin was conviced in 2003 of indecency with a child and sexual assault of a child. In 2008, he had a felony weapons charge lodged against him. Last year, he was charged with felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

On October 29, he posed as a pest control worker and robbed a woman of several thousand dollars worth of jewelry. Police quickly apprehended him. His bail was set at $300,000. He quickly produced the $30,000 required to get out of jail -- $30,000 the police are pretty sure he got by selling the jewelry he stole.

So how many more chances should he get? By the way, when the newspaper tried to contact him for a comment, they couldn't find him. He has since been located and re-apprehended.

"Man out of jail, angering robbery victims, police." The Dallas Morning News; November 11, 2010; p. 11B.

No Turkey Day

Duncan Spinner of Dallas wants us all to have a vegan Thanksgiving. He says that the tradition of the President pardoning a turkey is not enough -- we should all do the same by having a "non-violent," turkeyless, no-animal product Thanksgiving.

He says this gesture would show compassion for the animals. His Thanksgiving dinner will include a tofu/wheatmeat "turkey," acorn squash with stuffing, and lentil croquettes. Yum! Isn't your mouth just watering?

As for me and my house, we are very thankful that God provided us turkeys to roast (Genesis 9:3), cranberries to make sauce from, yeast and flour for steamy melt-in-your mouth rolls, Campbell's soup for that good old green bean casserole, whipped cream and pecans for those delicious rich desserts, and a little more sense than old Duncan has.

Seriously, we are extremely grateful for all God's many blessings, and we pray you have a joyous and safe Thanksgiving with family and friends. Now excuse me while I go to the kitchen and inhale that beautiful roast turkey aroma.

"A vegan Thanksgiving." The Dallas Morning News; November 22, 2010; p. 12A.

Explain this one to me.

On October 28, Dallas Police Officer Nathaniel Draughon observed a pickup run two stop signs. He stopped the pickup. He asked the driver if there was anything illegal in the truck, and the driver, Bernard Burnley, said that he didn't know. The truck did not belong to him. The officer asked for permission to search the vehicle, and Burnley said OK.

At this time, Dallas City Council Member Carolyn Davis poked her nose in where it didn't belong. She says that Burnley did not run the stop signs, and she has photographs to prove it. Now, can someone explain to me how a still photograph can prove whether or not someone ran a stop sign?

Burnley now says he did not give the officer permission to search his vehicle. Davis said she knows he's telling the truth because she's known him for years. That being the case, I guess she also knows about his extensive criminal past.

And I wonder if Ms. Davis realized that she was attempting to bribe and/or intimidate an officer when she said, "For all the stuff that we do. Here we are working on your -- the pension and all that stuff -- for us to get treated -- for me to get treated like this . . ." I guess she feels the work she does on the council entitles her to thumb her nose at the law for both herself and her constituents.

"Traffic stop gets scrutiny." The Dallas Morning News; November 3, 2010; p. 1B.

No justice, no peas!

San Francisco has banned Happy Meals. Little kids can no longer get a toy with their chicken nuggets and fries. How un-American is that?

City Supervisor Eric Mar sponsored the bill which requires fruits and vegetables if a toy is included in the meal. "We're part of a movement that is moving forward an agenda of food justice." Food justice? Is he serious? I'm not sure what "food justice" is. Does it mean the ACLU will be filing suits against Baskin-Robbins demanding that the civil rights of broccoli and carrots be protected?

That this man even said such an incredibly stupid thing is scary. But what's even scarier is that the media evidently fell for it hook, line, and sinker. There is no common sense anymore!

"San Francisco officials outlaw Happy Meals." The Dallas Morning News; November 3, 2010; p. 6A.

Nanny Government, please take care of me.

Back in October, the Girl Scouts were in negotiation with the American company that makes all their uniforms. The Girl Scouts said they were looking at all their options, and that it was possible that they would not renew a contract with Jackie Evans Inc. Such a move would be devastating for the company as the Girl Scouts organization is its only customer.

So what was the reaction of Domenick Monaco, the son of the owner? He said his company was looking at ways to come up with a bid including "seeking grants or government help to keep prices competitive." Nanny Government, I can't do this by myself!

I guess the Monacos haven't learned the old saw about not putting all ones eggs in one basket. Instead of seeking a government bailout, why didn't he say, "You know, there are lots of other places out there that need uniforms -- let's do some research and see if we can't replace this contract with another." Monaco says the end of the Girl Scout contract will mean the end of his business. If he has no more gumption or creativity than that, I wonder how he's stayed in business as long as he has.

I have since read that the Girl Scouts will be signing a new contract with the company. Guess the taxpayers won't have to bail this one out -- at least for another year or so.

"Possible loss of Girl Scouts' contract threatens factory." The Dallas Morning News; October 30, 2010; p. 6A.

ACORN's Sinister Works

Columnist Leonard Pitts makes fun of conservatives who see ACORN for what it is. He describes ACORN as "the financially troubled group whose sinister works included advocating for poor and middle-income people."

He left out some of the sinister works -- such as registering the entire Dallas Cowboys team to vote in Nevada and giving counsel to a pimp on how to describe his business to qualify for government subsidies.

There are none so blind as they who will not see. Or maybe they see, but pushing a liberal agenda is more important than being honest.

"A title they don't deserve." The Dallas Morning News; October 7, 2010; p. 19A.

You think there could be a reason?

Nearly two thirds of Latinos in the U.S. think they are being discriminated against, and most of them think the backlash over illegal immigration is the cause of the bias. More than half of them told reporters they feared being deported. You think there could be a reason for that fear -- like maybe they're illegal?

Eighty-six percent of respondents said that illegal immigrants should be placed on a path to citizenship once they pass background checks and pay a fine. Only 13 percent believe illegals should be deported. You think that could be the reason citizens don't like them?

The bottom line, however, is that illegals evidently aren't suffering enough bias. They're still here, aren't they?

"Poll: Latinos say bias is a big problem." The Dallas Morning News; October 29, 2010; p. 6A.

Showy & Contrived vs. Classy & Real

Remember Al and Tipper Gore's flashy, passionate kiss at the Democratic National Convention? Compare that to the photo of George and Laura Bush taken at the groundbreaking for the Bush library. The former President was reacting to a speech about his emotions and actions on 9/11. Note Mrs. Bush's gentle gesture -- just a little finger laid on his hand. Probably no one in the audience could even see it it was so subtle. But you know President Bush felt it. So whose marriage is still rock-solid, and whose marriage has fallen apart?

Rodney needs to buy a good Bible commentary.

Rodney W. Pirtle of Farmers Branch says the only criterion God gave us for "entering the kingdom" was the extent to which we served the poor and needy. Uhhhhhhh, Rodney, hellooooooo.

I don't know what version of the Bible you're reading, but you missed that verse that says, "He that believeth in Me is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." And you missed that one that says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." And you missed that one that says, "I am the way the truth and the life -- no man cometh unto the Father but by me." And you missed that one that says, "Ye must be born again."

Rodney contends that you won't hear the sheep and goats parable in Matthew 25 preached from many Christian pulpits. I don't know where he goes to church, but it's been preached enough in my church that I know a few things. For example, though we can certainly glean lessons from it, Matthew's message is not primarily to the modern day Christian -- it's to the Jews. And the sheep and the goats in the parable are not individuals -- they are nations. This judgment is to determine which nations accepted Jesus Christ and pledged their loyalty to Him and His people through the way they treated His messengers. It is not to determine an individual's salvation. Those nations who did not reject him will enter the millenial kingdom. Those who did reject Him, won't.

So Rodney, before you again expose your biblical ignorance to thousands of people, might I suggest that you invest in a good Bible commentary.

"Parable on judgment." The Dallas Morning News; October 10, 2010; p. 3P.

State if it's Texas -- Federal if it's Arizona

It seems our Department of Homeland Security Secretary can't make up her mind. We all know the federal government has filed a lawsuit against Arizona for their attempts to enforce immigration law. "It's the federal government's role, and the state is interfering," they said.

But it seems Janet Napolitano has changed her mind. When Governor Rick Perry asked for more troops to patrol the border, she said he could forget about it. "He is a governor. He always has the ability, in a way, to bring up National Guard, if he's willing to pay for them." She said the National Guard is not designed "to be a substitute for civilian law enforcement."

Does this mean they're dropping the ridiculous lawsuit against Arizona? You can't have it both ways, Madame Secretary!

"Napolitano steadfast against Perry's plea for more troops." The Dallas Morning News; September 18, 2010; p. 3A.

What a great place!

The Dallas Morning News is really scraping the bottom of the barrel for entertainment venues to review. Special Contributor Sarah Perry recently reviewed the Crazy Horse Saloon in Denton. Maybe I'm just an old stick-in-the-mud, but it sounds like the last place on earth I'd want to spend some leisure time.

"The bar is filled with smoke so thick, it clings to your clothes for days." Sounds like my kind of place!

". . .a silver-haired man sits alone sipping on a pitcher of cheap American beer." Sounds like my kind of place!

" . . .a man with a rebel flag bandanna stretched across his head flicks ashes onto the floor." Sounds like my kind of place!

"Every week, the regulars return to drink the same beer and hear the same man sing the same songs." Sounds like my kind of place!

"They aren't bothered by the two men holding hands or the two women two-stepping across the floor." Sounds like my kind of place!

Eddie, the owner, "wears dusty jeans and smudged tennis shoes . . .and he's missing a tooth or two." Sounds like my kind of place!

Richard, the entertainer, is gay. "He strutted across the stage and cooed Britney Spears tunes, sometimes stripping down to his skivvies." ("And if you could see the picture of this guy, you'd agree that's a pretty disgusting vision). Sounds like my kind of place!

Some of the regulars at the bar include "an Elvis impersonator, a straight couple and their son, a lesbian couple, a white woman and her biracial daughter, and a boisterous black woman with claws tattooed on her breast." Sounds like my kind of place!

"Richard steps to the stage. . .Eddie's drunk enough to sing with Richard." Sounds like my kind of place!

Eugenia Crawford, 28, swings across the dance floor with the woman she calls her friend, and her muscles ripple with every turn." Sounds like my kind of place!

So . . . if you like sitting around on barrel bottoms, the Crazy Horse sure sounds like your kind of place.

"Room for All." The Dallas Morning News; October 24, 2010; p. 1E.

We're in trouble, folks!

A recent article in the newspaper extolled the new technological "learning tool" being used in some of our universities. To be perfectly honest with you, I didn't read it. It was the inset accompanying the article that caught my attention.

It showed an example of a new high-tech gadget that allows a professor to project a multiple choice question onto a screen or wall. Each student has a clicker that gives him the ability to record his answer. A graph charting the responses is then projected.

Here's what I find astonishing. The example came from a recent class in Law and American Society at Temple University. The question and possible answers were:

What happened in 1215?
A) Last Eagles championship
B) The Spanish Armada
C) Temple University opened
D) Magna Carta

I can't believe that a college multiple choice question is not more challenging than that. You don't have to know at all what happened in 1215 to get the correct answer. You can pretty well eliminate choice A as we're not about to have Super Bowl DCCXCV. Since it's a class in Law and American Society, it's a good bet choice B is not correct. Unless you think Temple University predates European settlers in North America, choice C is out the window. That leaves the Magna Carta which anyone on a college track should have known without going through the process of elimination. Yet 18% of the students who responded to this question missed it. We're in trouble, folks! Maybe it's time we went back to that low-tech learning tool called reading a textbook.

"Learning tool clicks with college students." The Dallas Morning News; September 19, 2010; p. 6A.

It's gone beyond tolerance.

Gays are now determining church doctrine. While I don't agree with the Mormons, their "prophets" and elders should have as much freedom of speech and religion as anyone else. But now one of them is in trouble, because he's dared to call homosexuality what it is.

LDS leader Boyd K. Packer said that same sex relationships are unnatural and that gay sexual attraction can be overcome. The Human Rights Campaign has delivered a petition to the church calling for Packer to retract the statements. And it seems the church is caving in to the pressure. Spokesman Michael Otterson said in an official church statement that "belittling others for being different is wrong." Of course, we have to consider that this is the same church that sanctioned polygamy.

At any rate, Packer should have the right to voice his beliefs whether the gays like it or not. Be warned -- they may be coming after your pastor next.

"Mormon Church replies to petition." The Dallas Morning News; October 13, 2010; p. 7A.

Is it this way or that way?

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano (who essentially told Governor Rick Perry to take care of his own borders and advocates the federal lawsuit against Arizona enforcing immigration laws) is bragging about a 17% drop in Border Patrol arrests this year. She says it shows that heightened enforcement is slowing illegal immigration. But couldn't it be that the Border Patrol isn't making as many arrests because their hands are tied? Could it be that there is a corresponding 17% increase in the number of illegals successfully making it across the border without being arrested?

In fact, later in her statements, Napolitano kind of contradicts herself. She says that more drugs, weapons, and illicit cash than ever before are being seized. Well, if fewer illegals are coming here, where are all those drugs, weapons, and illicit cash coming from?

She says the decrease in arrests is due to enforcement under Barack Obama. I'm sure she got that part right!

"Napolitano touts 17 percent fall in Border Patrol arrests." The Dallas Morning News; October 19, 2010; p. 3A.

Garage sales are dangerous if you have to pay a fee.

The City of Dallas is considering enacting an ordinance that would charge residents a fee if they wish to have a garage sale. I don't have a lot of thought one way or the other on the issue, but Julia Dodson of Dallas does. And if the argument she's come up with is the best she can do, then I'd say the fee will be implemented.

Here's her argument: Charging residents a fee will make garage sales dangerous. You see, instead of paying the fee, residents will move their sales to dark backyards and back alleys where they can't be seen. Women will be mugged as they paw through the old Mr. Coffee machines, worn blue jeans, toasters, paperbacks, and cracked pottery.

I think Julia's cheese has slid right off her cracker. But then again, maybe what she's saying is an indictment of the way people think today. Instead of saying, "Oh darn! I now have to pay $15 to the city to have a garage sale," people immediately start planning how to break the law without getting caught. It seems moral standards are in extremely short supply these days.

"Garage sale safety at stake." The Dallas Morning News; October 15, 2010; p. 26A.

Did you know God was at least as smart as I am?

Bill Cox of Sanger has a screw loose somewhere. He says that, as human beings, we came up with many different ways to get from point A to point B -- we can go by bus, train, automobile, plane -- we can take any number of different highway routes.

That being the case, he jumps to the ridiculous conclusion that since God is at least as smart as we are, then he must have created a whole bunch of different ways to get to heaven. He says those of us who believe Jesus when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me," and "Ye must be born again," must think God is less clever than we are. "To think that he only created one way to get to know him is like saying driving a car on a specific route is the only way to get to New York City. . . he's at least as smart -- and creative -- as we are."

Uh, Bill, it's not the same thing at all. When I die, I don't plan on going to New York City. There may be many roads to New York, but there's only one to heaven -- read your Bible before you make a fool of yourself again. And let me know which scriptures say God created "many paths for that diversity to know him."

"At least as smart as we are." The Dallas Morning News; October 12, 2010; p. 14A.

Queen Andy Moreno

Andy Moreno is a senior student at North Dallas High School. He dresses and acts like a girl. He wanted to run for homecoming queer -- I mean queen.

Thank goodness for a principal with some principles! Principal Dinnah Escanilla does not abide such foolish grandstanding. If Andy wants to run for homecoming king, that's fine, but boys do not run for homecoming queen.

Moreno was not among the three nominees selected for homecoming queen. "I'm really mad about it. I know it's not because I didn't have enough votes," he said. And now Queer Liberation is threatening a lawsuit. It irks me that the taxpayers of DISD will have to foot the bill to defend against this stupidity.

Another thing that irks me is The Dallas Morning News and political correctness run amok. Despite knowing that Andy is a boy, it persists in referring to him as "she" and "her." It claims its policy is to refer to people in the gender they prefer. Which brings up an interesting question: if Andy develops a medical problem with his private parts, does the doctor refer to HER testicles in his reports?

"Student fails in homecoming queen bid." The Dallas Morning News; October 12, 2010; p. 3B.

You owe me!

Obama's illegal Aunt Zeituni Onyango said recently in an interview that she did nothing wrong by living here illegally. "If I come as an immigrant, you have the obligation to make me a citizen." WOW!

I thought it was interesting that the headline to this little item called her an immigrant. She is NOT a legitimate immigrant. She is an illegal alien. The media's insistence on referring to illegals as immigrants is insulting to those who have followed the rules and are legitimate residents of this country. An illegal is NOT an immigrant. He is an outlaw. And that includes Auntie Zeituni. Furthermore, may I ask, why is she still here?

"President's immigrant aunt obligated to use better sense." The Dallas Morning News; September 25, 2010; p. 20A.

Beggars can't be . . .

HUD recently began a pilot project that will allow Section 8 recipients to receive even larger subsidies on their rents. The change will allow some of these recipients to move into apartments that rent for more than $1300 a month.

The goal of this project is to allow these people to move out of blighted areas. But I again put forth the contention that these people aren't held back because they live in blighted areas -- the areas are blighted because they live there. Most of them are lazy and won't so much as pick up a beer can out of the front yard. For some reason, they can't seem to keep from breaking window screens and breaking doors off hinges. When they eat, the dirty dishes pile up in the sink sending grease and food scraps down the drain and drawing insects and rodents; then they blame the landlord when the plumbing stops up and the rats take over. They never clean spills from the carpet, then complain about how the landlord won't replace the filthy mess. Won't it be interesting to see one of those pricey apartments after some of these people have lived in them for six or eight weeks?

According to Mike Daniel, an attorney for this project, "It means that they'll have a lot more choices. It will bring a lot more units within the reach of Section 8 families."
Well, Mike, why must they have choices? My mama always said, "Beggars can't be choosers." Looks like now, not only can they be choosers, but they can choose the best -- all at the expense of the hardworking taxpayer.

"Aid to go for higher rents." The Dallas Morning News; September 25, 2010; p. 1A

Rephrasing the Problem

I contend that we don't have an unemployment problem in this country nearly as much as we have a don't want to work problem.

There has been much publicity recently about illegal farm workers and the fact that Americans won't do those jobs. The UFW launched a "Take Our Jobs Campaign," inviting peple to go online and apply. About 8,600 people filled out an application form, but only seven actually took the jobs. And I'm sure the other 8,593 took their little printout down to the welfare office to show they were really, really, really, looking for work. From January to June, California farmers posted ads for 1,160 farmworker positions, but only 233 people applied. Only 36 ended up in one of the jobs. A spokesman for a plant nursery said, ". . .when domestic workers were referred here, we saw absentee problems, and we had people asking for time off after they had just started. Some were actually planting the plants upside down."

My suggestion is that the welfare office have a list of those jobs. As soon as somebody comes in to apply for food stamps, they send them to work. If they don't want to work, no food stamps. We could solve both the illegal worker problem and the out of control welfare problem with just that one action.

"Farm jobs go unharvested by citizens." The Dallas Morning News; September 28, 2010; p. 8A.

How's that Obamacare workin' out for ya?

According to Hewitt Associates, a human resources company in Lincolnshire, Illinois, Dallas will experience its highest health care cost increase in more than nine years this next year. What would we have done without Obama's "affordable" health care?

"Firms' health care costs to climb 9%." The Dallas Morning News; September 28, 2010; p. 1D.

It's his money!

I am certainly no fan of professional sports -- especially football. I think people are just way over the top about a game. But I disagree with The Dallas Morning News. They're all bent out of shape because Dallas Cowboys rookie Dez Bryant spent $54,896 for dinner for a bunch of his teammates.

They cite people who are laid off from work, people who are facing bankruptcy, people who are putting their kids through college. I don't know what they expect -- do they think that if Bryant hadn't spent that money, that those people would have somehow had all their problems solved? Look, they said, we're used to athletes making millions, but they don't need to rub their fans' noses in it. Wonder if they thought about the fact that the fans wouldn't even have known about it if the media hadn't reported it?

And, pardon me, but that money belonged to Dez Bryant to do with as he pleased. If he chose to put it in a wad and call out the media and throw it down the sewer, it's nobody else's business. I can't figure out why this is any different than a professional athlete driving a flashy car or living in a 20,000 square foot home and wearing expensive designer clothes and lots of bling. Look at it this way -- some lucky waiter probably received at least an $8500 tip off that meal. Dez Bryant was doing his part to stimulate the economy, and it didn't cost the taxpayers a cent.

"Excess doesn't seem so funny to fans." The Dallas Morning News; October 2, 2010; p. 22A.

The rich don't hire people.

Herman Morris of Ft. Worth thinks the rich deserve to have their taxes raised. He says that the argument that the rich are the ones doing the hiring just doesn't wash -- he knows at least 100 rich people, and none of them hires anyone except maybe a maid or a gardener or a stockbroker. I guess Mr. Morris thinks being a maid or a gardener or a stockbroker is not "real" employment.

But, I guess I have to agree with Mr. Morris. The Walton family doesn't hire people. Bill Gates doesn't hire people. Warren Buffet doesn't employ anybody. Donald Trump sure doesn't hire people -- all he does is say, "You're fired." Steve Jobs and Michael Dell don't hire people. My neighborhood convenience store doesn't hire people. The place where I bought my new flooring doesn't hire people. The contractor who put down my new flooring doesn't hire people. The local furniture store where I bought my new credenza doesn't hire people.

And anyway, even if they did hire people, they don't spend any of their money so that it could provide jobs for even more people. They never buy groceries or new furniture or new cars or take vacations -- they just stick that money in the mattress where they let it mold.

I'm really curious about what Mr. Morris does for a living. Wonder who hired him? Guess it was the homeless guy sleeping on the park bench since we all know rich people don't hire people.

I hope you see by now, Mr. Morris, how absurd your argument is. Anyway the problem is not that the rich are taxed too little -- it's that the politicians spend too much.

"Rich aren't usually hiring." The Dallas Morning News; September 23, 2010; p. 16A.

A Bible scholar, he ain't!

I don't know what Thom Hunter of Dallas is, but a Bible scholar, he ain't! He says Muslims are not bound for hell -- "they are regenerated children of God as surely as the most devout Christian who ever lived."

Guess he missed it when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me." And when He said, "He that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." That means that a Muslim, who rejects the deity of Jesus, is not going to Heaven.

Thom says, "The love of God is manifest in all his children." While I can agree to a degree with that statement, I can't agree with it in the way Thom means it. He thinks all of us are God's children, and that's not true. Many people are "of your father the Devil." Those "regenerated" Muslims who flew those planes into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center come immediately to mind. Lots of love there, wasn't there?

Then Thom gives us this rambling bit of theology: "The love of justice, truth, mercy and one's fellow creatures is evidence of the vital inner life of God that is present and working in all his children, regardless of what they say they believe or even if they don't believe anything at all." Does he means that atheists are going to heaven whether they like it or not? I just really don't have a clue what he means.

And there's another thing I really don't have a clue about -- just why did the newspaper choose to print this silly drivel?

"No sin in loving God." The Dallas Morning News; September 21, 2010; p. 16A.

Obama is wrong again.

At a much ballyhooed town hall meeting in September, Obama pushed letting the Bush tax cuts for "the wealthy" expire. He said, "On average, millionaires would get a check of $100,000."

That's not true. That $100,00 he's talking about doesn't belong to the government and never has. It belongs to the people who earned it. They'll still be doing the check-writing to the government -- not the other way around. What is really happening is a huge tax increase. On an adjusted gross income of $250,000, a person now pays the government $87,500. If the Bush tax cuts expire, they'll pay $99,000. That's not counting the increase in the capital gains tax they'll also have to contend with.

But remember, this will affect those who make far less than that. Small businesses will have to pick up those extra taxes, too, and that means a rise in unemployment and consumer prices. If you think having to pay the government $87,500 is giving the "rich" a big break, I'd say you have a big ol' case of class envy.

Vote Republican!

"Questions show economic angst." The Dallas Morning News; September 21, 2010; p. 1A.

Where did he get it?

James Willie Jones of Lake Mary, Florida, had enough. His 13-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy was bullied on the school bus by a bunch of little heathens. They smacked her on the back of the head, twisted her ear, called her names, and hit her with an open condom.

James Willie was arrested for disorderly conduct when he got on the bus and told the little heathens in no uncertain terms that his daughter better not be assaulted again. What he did may not have been politically correct, but he's not a small man, and I'll just bet those little heathens would rather walk across hot coals than bother that little girl again. Despite what all the do-gooders say, sometimes the only way to handle a bully is to show him there's a bigger bully than he is in the crowd (there's a foreign policy lesson in there, too, but that's for another post).

Anyway, my question in this whole thing is, did the bully get that condom from the school nurse?

"'I was a bully . . . and I apologize.'" The Dallas Morning News; September 22, 2010; p. 10A.

Give me a break!

Ariana Iacono has a nose ring. The school she attends forbids nose rings in its dress code. Ariana refuses to remove the ring, and she has been suspended. So she's contacted the ACLU. She's just exercising her religious freedom, they say. You see, she's a member of the Church of Body Modification.

I can pretty well predict how this will turn out. She'll be allowed to go to school with the nose ring so she can practice her religion. But the little boy in Plano still won't be allowed to practice his religion by handing out candy canes at Christmas. I just wonder what they'll do when they get a student who's a member of the Church of the Birthday Suit.

"Student with nose ring believes suspension violates religious freedom." The Dallas Morning News; September 17, 2010; p. 8A.

How did he get in there?

Last month, yet another child, left unattended in a day care van, died in the Texas heat. The child was not discovered until the van was taken to pick up children at school in the afternoon, and a 3-year-old discovered his body.

According to the newspaper, when the van returned to the day care center from its morning rounds, the driver and the monitor "failed to see the boy in the back of the van."

Well, excuse me, but I want to know why they had to "see" him. I am assuming the two-year-old didn't come catch the bus by himself and strap himself into his safety seat. They had to know he was there. What happened to counting noses? "Let's see, I picked up 14 children, and 13 got off the van. I'm missing one." What about during the day at the center? Did no one say, "Wonder where Little Johnny is today"?

It is inexcusable that this child died. If you're being paid to take care of children, that's what you should be doing. I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if driver or monitor or both weren't texting or involved in a phone conversation when they left that poor child to die in an oven.

"Boy left hours in van dies." The Dallas Morning News; September 17, 2010; p. 1A.

Again I say -- HYPOCRITES!

Obama picked a new czar that he knows he couldn't get through a confirmation process, so he's calling her an interim and appointed her while Congress was not in session. Elizabeth Warren will oversee the new Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

According to Jim Kahnhenn of the Associated Press, Obama "praised her highly." "Never again will folks be confused or misled by pages of barely understandable fine print that you find in agreements for credit cards or mortgages or student loans," Obama said.

Gosh, wonder why he didn't include Obamacare and the federal tax code in that list?

HYPOCRITES!

"Advocate to shape new agency." The Dallas Morning News; September 18, 2010; p. 6A.

Arrrrrrgh!

Here's one that will singe your backside. Illegal immigrants are going door-to-door in Seattle and other Washington cities to encourage legal immigrants to vote. They say their campaign is about "empowering immigrants who may not feel as if they can contribute to a campaign because they can't vote."

Maria Gianna is one of the illegals knocking on doors. She said, "In order for there to be a change to our broken immigration system, I believe one has to fight." "Our" broken system? Nothing in this country is hers! However, her illegal presence here and bold declaration of her status shows that our system is, indeed, broken. I hope she knocks on my door. I'll serve her some nachos and guacamole while she waits for the immigration authorities I've just called.

"Illegal immigrants join voter push." The Dallas Morning News; October 23, 2010; p. 5A.

Obama's Racism

What if a Republican had said, "We don't mind Obama coming along, but he has to sit in the back"? Do you think all the talking heads on MSNBC, ABC, NBC, and CBS would be screaming racism? Do you think it would show up on the front page of the newspapers?

Well, day before yesterday, Obama said, ". . .We don’t mind the Republicans joining us. They can come for the ride, but they gotta sit in back.” Yet it's not on the front pages, and no one is calling for his resignation or impeachment. Oh, but I forgot -- only whites can be racist.

http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2010/10/26/obama-republicans-sit-in-the-back/

Where is the reverence for Cowboy Stadium?

John Sewell of Ft. Worth is upset with country singer Tim McGraw. Since his letter to the editor was short, I'll just print the whole thing here:

"Tim McGraw is a popular entertainer, but he shows up at the finest stadium in America and shares the stage with the most elegant piano champion in the world . . .and he wears his yard work rags? Disgraceful. Somebody get him a decent manager."

I couldn't help but think of the people in our church who wear flip-flops, ripped jeans, shorts, and skimpy tops that look much more appropriate for the beach. Yet no one seems to think that's irreverent in a house of God. But show up on the sacred ground of the football stadium dressed inappropriately, and you'll certainly get a dressing down!

"Concert casual at the stadium." The Dallas Morning News; September 16, 2010; p. 12a.

Who is really the bully?

Sarah Scott of Richardson laments that Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, has become such a bully. She's upset over his assertion that Islam is a violent, dangerous religion. No one has yet proven anything he's said to be wrong, but he has been branded a liar, a hate-monger, and now a bully for his stand for the truth.

Sarah says Dr. Jeffress made "threatening statements based on emotion that incite fear and hate." No, Sarah, his statements were based on historical fact.

"How did this man become a bully?" she opines. Well, Sarah, I haven't seen Robert Jeffress so much as threaten violence, much less actually perpetrate it. That doesn't sound like a bully to me. I do know of some bullies, though. Several of them hijacked four airliners and killed 3000 people. One shot dozens of people at Ft. Hood. One tried to blow up a plane with explosives hidden in his underwear. One tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square. One tried to blow up a car at Fountain Place in Dallas. You might be interested to know that they were all muslims.

Thank God for Robert Jeffress!

". . . or are leaders bullies?" The Dallas Morning News; September 15, 2010; p. 16A.

But how does he feel now?

When the tornado hit Dallas a few weeks ago month, Carlos Mata was just arriving at work at Mockingbird Adult Video. Mata said, "The tornado was coming at us. I thought it was going to entomb us it was so strong. I thought of God. I was in such a hurry, though, but I started to pray."

Wonder if Carlos still works at the adult video store? Kind of reminds me of the old movie with Steve Martin. I can't remember all the details, but I think he had decided to commit suicide and had swum out into the ocean. Once out in the deep, he changed his mind. As he started swimming back, he made God all sorts of promises if He would just help him get back to shore. As he got closer and closer to land, however, those promises began to lose their fervor, and he began to back off them. By the time he waded up to the beach, they were all forgotten.

I'll just bet if you wander into that store, you'll find Carlos there.

"Video store worker: It 'was coming at us.'" The Dallas Morning News; September 9, 2010; p. 15A.

It's not spending!

I resent the way Democrats look at tax cuts. They call it "spending." It's NOT spending when you allow a citizen to keep his own money.

Obama wants to let the Bush tax cuts for those making over $200,000 expire. He says we "can't afford to spend $700 billion to keep lower tax rates in place for the nation's highest earners."

That's like me telling Mr. Essie May that I'm going to start taking $300 a month out of his paycheck for my mad money instead of the $150 he's been giving me because I just can't afford to keep spending that extra $150 a month on him. Now doesn't that sound ridiculous? But that's exactly what Obama is saying.

Basic accounting, Barack -- revenue is money you take in; expense is money you spend! They're on different sides of the books! And if you'll stop spending money like it's going out of style, you won't have to worry about the revenue side.

And a side note here: That tax cut for the "wealthy" he keeps talking about also affects small businesses. And when their taxes take that major jump, it will be reflected in what you pay for their goods and services and in an even bigger rise in unemployment. Don't be caught up in Obama's class warfare rhetoric. As I've said before, I never once was offered a job by a poor man.

"Obama: U.S. can't afford tax cut for wealthy." The Dallas Morning News; September 9, 2010; p. 1A.

I told you so.

It seems as if everyday we're hearing more stories of people who are already being affected by Obamacare. I've not heard one good story yet.

Take for example Al Alcantara. Al is 63 years old and has type II diabetes. He had a medical policy with National Health Insurance Company that covered his diabetic supplies. He recently received a letter informing him that his policy would not be renewed as the company could no longer offer individual accident and health insurance because of its inability to meet Obamacare regulations.

So now Al has to get into the state insurance pool for some of those "affordable" health care premiums Obama promised -- premiums that are much higher than they had with the policy that Obama assured them they would be able to keep. Those premiums now will cost him $1025 a month for a $2500 deductible or $662 a month for a $7000 deductible. How many retirees do you know who can "afford" that?

Call your senators and congressmen -- REPEAL!

"Feeling the squeeze of the health care law." The Dallas Morning News; September 8, 2010; p. 1D.

That Pesky 1st Amendment!

The Obama administration would be doing fine if they could just get rid of that pesky 1st Amendment. Not that they're not trying. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent a letter to an association of insurers which said that the administration would not stand idly by as insurers blamed their premium hikes on Obamacare.

So when the clients say, "Why did my premiums go up so drastically," the insurance company doesn't have that 1st Amendment protection when it tells the truth. We are surely living in a dictatorship!

Funny from a local church newsletter: The church will have a special speaker this Sunday to teach them about "muslimism." I think he has his work cut out for him!

"Insurers criticized for tactics." The Dallas Morning News; September 11, 2010; p. 1D.

What kind of idiot is this?

James Barber of Dallas says that even though we disagree with radical Jihadism, and they are our enemies on the battlefield, we should not hate and despise them. Rather we should love and forgive them. Then he tries to draw a completely oranges and apples comparison to the Good Samaritan. Uh, James -- the Good Samaritan helped the Jew. Don't think that quite describes Osama Bin Laden. Quite the contrary, they're still trying to blow all us infidels to kingdom come along with the 3000 they killed on September 11. You go ahead and love them. I'll keep recognizing them for the sworn enemies to America they are.

Paris News funny for the day from the "Lost and Found" ads: "Found in southeast Paris, Irish Settler. Call 903-785-1521." Wonder if he came from Dublin?

"Remember the Good Samaritan." The Dallas Morning News; September 13, 2010; p. 3P.

How desperate are they?

The Dallas Morning News recently did another one of its sob stories on the homeless. It was about Nick Griffith and his wife, Lacy Lennon, and their two children. They recently took what little money they had and bought bus tickets from Florida to Rhode Island because they thought there would be more social services there. Those shelters in Florida had separate facilities for men and women. How dare they ask a charity family to sleep in separate quarters?

Nick lost his job last January. The couple had some savings, but they "squandered it figuring he would quickly find another job." Well, duh! If you're out of work, the first thing you want to do is go blow all your savings! Then they bummed off his mother for a couple of months until she said, "Enough." If your own mother throws you out, I have to assume it's because you're not trying very hard.

Anyway, upon arriving in Rhode Island, they decided to get away from the homeless shelter for awhile, so they got their state-issued welfare debit card and took the bus to the mall. There, they ate lunch at the food court and browsed for clothes and just strolled. Gosh, wonder if Nick or Lacy applied for jobs at any of those places they ate at and browsed in? No mention that they did.

There is one question that was never answered in the article, and it's probably because they didn't want to. One of the reasons the family went to Rhode Island was because an Applebee's there had promised Nick a job. But there is no indication that he ever went to work there. Instead, he spends his days browsing the mall on the taxpayer's dime.

"Homeless family makes long trek to find aid." The Dallas Morning News; September 12, 2010; p. 5A.

Eddie Bernice. Liar? Stupid? Both?

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson says she did not ". . .have an ethical alarm go off," when she awarded $31,000 in scholarships to her grandsons, great-nephews, children of her chief aide, and the daughter of a man who oversees contracts for her DFW Airport businesses. Now tell me, don't you think anybody with half an ounce of sense would think to himself, "Hmm . . . this might not be quite kosher," if he had control of charitable funds and was directing them to his grandchildren and business associates?

So is Eddie Bernice really that stupid? Or is she lying? Or does she think we're that stupid?

And here's the convenient thing -- Eddie Bernice says her grandchildren didn't sign the affidavits attesting they were not related to anyone on the Foundation Board and they met residency requirements. Well, if they did, they are mysteriously missing from her office. So if the forms can't be found, guess that means they can't be prosecuted for perjury.

"Johnson: 'I never heard the rules' on scholarships." The Dallas Morning News; September 3, 2010; p. 1A.

Obama's New Rug

Did you hear about Obama's new rug for the oval office? There's no telling what we paid for the thing. Its border is highlighted by quotes from famous men. But they goofed on the quote attributed to Martin Luther King, Jr. It's actually a quote from Theodore Parker. It's one of those quotes with lots of lofty sounding words but no real substance -- "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

Guess it really doesn't matter -- MLK probably used it in one of his plagiarized theses or dissertations. I'm just wondering how much it will cost us to fix it. Of course, Obama doesn't mind living a lie, so maybe that's an expense we taxpayers won't have to bear.

"There's a problem underfoot." The Dallas Morning News; September 5, 2010; p. 6A.

Essie's Heroes

Dr. Robert Jeffress, Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, is one of my heroes. He has the courage of his convictions. He's recently taken a lot of heat for calling Islam what it is -- an evil religion. Steve Blow of The Dallas Morning News doesn't like that. He says Dr. Jeffress has gone too far -- that he is uninformed, un-Christian, and un-American.

First of all, I daresay that Dr. Jeffress, given his background, knows far more about Islam than Steve Blow does. Second, since when is it un-Christian to speak the truth? John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle, and even Jesus, offended quite a few people in their day, but it was because they spoke the plain unvarnished truth. And third, isn't Steve Blow skating on thin First Amendment ice when he questions Dr. Jeffress's right to speak his beliefs? Freedom of speech and religion are the very foundations of what it means to be American.

Blow couldn't refute what Dr. Jeffress said. He made a big deal of Jeffress saying that when Christians committed atrocities in the Crusades, it was contrary to the New Testament, but when muslims commit atrocities, it's in accordance with the teachings of the koran. That's quite true -- the koran says that the infidel is to be destroyed.

Then he also takes Dr. Jeffress to task for saying that Islam oppresses women and is a violent religion. I suppose Blow hasn't seen all those women running around in burqas, hasn't heard about how they stone adulteresses (but rarely adulterers as they don't consider that men commit that sin), and has forgotten about the 3000 people killed on 9/11.

Blow brought in an SMU professor of theology who said that Jeffress lied about Mohammed condoning pedophilia. But he couldn't deny that he married a nine-year-old girl. Doesn't sound to me like Jeffress lied. The professor says that Jeffress lied about everything. There's some lying going on, but it's not Robert Jeffress who's doing it.

"Dallas pastor's words on Islam go much too far." The Dallas Morning News; September 5, 2010; p. 1B.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

There are about 145,000 U.S. service personnel who are due back pay because they were required to extend their service after 9/11. Last October, Congress approved "stop-loss" pay for them in the amount of $500 for each month of involuntary service.

Those personnel are required to submit an application to receive the money, but only about a third of those eligible have done so. So the government is sending letters and mounting a publicity campaign to the remaining two-thirds.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but if the government knows where they are (and it's a good bet it does), and the government has all the military records so it knows how much it owes to each person, why doesn't it just send the check? Why send out letters and ask them to send in for an application? Oh -- I know -- I bet it's part of that government paperwork reduction act!

"Troops leaving back pay on the table." The Dallas Morning News; September 7, 2010; p. 4A.

Liberal Hypocrites

You know how liberals like to portray conservatives -- rich, greedy, hardhearted, snobby, uncaring about the poor?

Well, the liberals are a tad upset in Arizona. It seems there are several homeless people on the state-wide ballot for November. The liberals don't think they have a right to be there. You see, a Republican recruited them. They claim he did so just to split the Democratic vote. While their allegations may be true, maybe they're not. At least one of the candidates says he's quite serious.

The Democratic Party has filed a complaint to have these people removed from the ballot. Are they saying that these people are unworthy just because they are poor? Are they saying they are better than the homeless just because they have a house to live in? What happened to the old, "They're just like you and me," mantra?

Looks to me like those rich, greedy, hardhearted, snobby, uncaring Democrats just want to keep all the power for themselves. HYPOCRITES!

"Candidate who?" The Dallas Morning News; September 7, 2010; p. 2A.

How did they get away with this?

Did you hear about the Nettleton, Mississippi, School District? The District has had a policy for 30 years regarding student elections.

Only white kids may run for some class offices one year, and only black kids may run the next. What brought the policy to an end was when a biracial student was told she could not run for class president because it was the year for a black student. The policy excluded biracial and hispanic students, because a student had to be either black or white to run.

Isn't it ironic that what was pc 30 years ago is racist today?

"School eliminates race policy in student elections." The Dallas Morning News; August 28, 2010; p. 6A.

Don't drink water, you don't play.

There was a recent article in the newspaper about Muslims who play high school football. Everyone knows how dangerous the August workouts are in Texas -- especially so this year if you remember what August was like with its weeks of 100+ temperatures.

Muslim players who fast for Ramadan are allowed to work out in these conditions without taking their water breaks. They say they suffer burning rib cages, light-headedness, and labored breathing. And the coaches admit that their performances are affected. Coach Brian Basil of Irving MacArthur High School says he makes sure the trainers keep close watch. Yeah -- they'll be right there when those boys go into cardiac arrest. How stupid can someone be?

If I were the coach, I'd say, "It's like this, boys. I respect your devotion to your religion and if you want to quit hydrating, that's fine by me. But you won't be playing football while you do."

Here's one that takes the cake -- the Ramadan fast lasts from sunrise to sunset, so one high school in Michigan has practice at 11 p.m. during the fast. All the Christian and Jewish boys have to stay up all hours just to accommodate the Muslims.

Speaking of not drinking water during workouts, one of the boys said, "It's something you can be proud of what you did." I don't know why Muslims fast, but in Christianity, the purpose of fasting is NOT to make one proud of oneself. It's to contemplate one's unworthiness before God and to draw closer to Him in prayer. Sounds like these guys are missing the boat entirely.

"The Fast and the Faithful." The Dallas Morning News; August 27, 2010; p. 1A.

"You can keep your current coverage," Obama said.

Remember when Obama was pushing Obamacare, and he said that the opposition was putting lies out there. "You won't have to switch your coverage," he said. "If you're happy with what you have, you can keep it."

From the August 26, 2010, issue of The Dallas Morning News: "More than 3 million seniors may have to switch their Medicare prescription plans next year, even if they're perfectly happy with them, because of an attempt by the government to simplify their lives. . .While seniors would not lose Medicare coverage, they could see changes in their premiums and co-payments."

Do you think those "changes" they "could see" will be decreases? If you do, you're probably one of the poor fools who bought into Obamacare in the first place.

Of course, then we have McDonald's and teachers unions who simply can't afford to abide by the rules of Obamacare. McDonald's offers mini-med plans to its employees, but Obamacare outlaws those plans. So they've asked for waivers. And they've been given them. But what about the companies that don't get waivers? And we were told the government wouldn't be deciding who got care and who didn't!

"Drug plans to decrease." The Dallas Morning News; August 26, 2010; p. 2D.

Sell the laptop!

Mauri Long has a complaint. The Texas welfare office isn't answering her calls fast enough. She says she's desperate for food stamps and cash assistance for her three children.

I might have felt sorry for her if it hadn't been for the photo included with the full page spread about the antiquated phone system at the welfare office. Long's sitting at her kitchen table in front of a very expensive looking laptop -- big wide screen and large integrated keyboard. She has her cellphone in her hand. Her daughter evidently has a broken arm -- her cast is signed by "Dad."

Now, if Mauri can afford that big laptop and internet service, if Mauri can afford cellphones and cellphone service, and if her kids have a dad who should be supporting them, why does she need assistance? Sell the laptop, drop the cellphone, and get the deadbeat dad to pay! It's not the taxpayer's responsibility to give you food stamps and cash assistance!

"Phone troubles hang up welfare requests." The Dallas Morning News; August 31, 2010; p. 1A.

Multiple personality disorder?

From The Paris News classified ad section of August 25, 2010:

"I, Ronald Culpepper & Ella Culpepper will not be responsible for any debt other than our own as of 6/1/10."

Think we should introduce him to Eve White and Sybil?

Whatever happened to "It's the right thing to do"?

I recently read an article that left me quite depressed. It was about people who have taken out large home equity loans for vacations and other non-essentials. Now that real estate prices have fallen, they find themselves owing more than the house is worth. Rather than saying, "This bank lent me $200,000, and I must pay it back," they are looking at the banks as the villains who expect them to pay $200,000 for a home worth $130,000.

What's really sad is that there are so many of these bad loans out there that most of the banks will make no attempt to get their money back, thus the taxpayers are essentially bailing out people who now own boats, new cars, jewelry and other luxury items. Lenders wrote off as uncollectible $11.1 billion in these home equity loans in 2009. When the banks do settle, it's most likely for ten cents on the dollar. Christopher Combs is a real estate lawyer in Phoenix. He said, "People got 90 cents for free. It rewards immorality, to some extent." The only thing I disagree with Christopher on is the "to some extent" part. It rewards immorality. Period.

So what do the low-life cheats who are reaping these rewards have to say? Shawn Schlegel is in default on a $94,873 loan. He said, "I am not going to be a slave to the bank." But, Shawn, you signed the mortgage! You told the bank you would pay the money! Others said that the banks were indiscriminate in making loans. But the banks didn't force them to take out loans. I have never yet been into my bank when they stuck a gun into my ribs and said, "You must sign this loan and be our slave."

Marc McCain is a Phoenix lawyer who has been retained by 300 new clients in the past year. Fewer than 5 percent of them said they would continue paying their home equity loans no matter what. Darin Bolton defaulted on loans in Chicago because "we felt we were just tossing our money into a hole." No, Darin, it wasn't your money. It was the bank's money.

McCain said, "It's come to the point where morality is no longer an issue." What a sad, sad commentary!

"Home equity loans go unpaid." The Dallas Morning News; August 25, 2010; p. 17A.

Did you know?

Mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas heads up a back to school fair every year for underprivileged children. The fair provides them with backpacks and school supplies. I, myself, have more than once contributed to a "pack the backpack" charity to help provide school supplies for poor children. But no more!

Did you know that the State of Texas provides a $30 back to school stipend for each child in a family receiving welfare? I realize that with today's prices and extravagant school supply lists, that most likely covers only about half their supplies, but shouldn't the parents of these children be expected to kick in something, too? These people are cleaning up -- I've seen them make the rounds of King's Daughters, Salvation Army, and other charities, but I didn't know they were getting an extra check from the state as well. And I know some teachers spend their own money to keep extra supplies in their classrooms. Then there was the elementary class where the children were told to bring two boxes of Kleenex. When the mother who told me about this sent just one box, the teacher said something. The mother said, "When little Judy runs out, I'll send another box." The teacher then explained that the second box was for children who didn't bring their own. I very much admired this mother for standing her ground and refusing to send another box.

The bottom line is this -- just how much of that $30 in state money per child do you think actually gets spent for the benefit of the child?

"Proposed cuts tough on the poor." The Dallas Morning News; August 25, 2010; p. 4A.

Now do you get it, Gloria?

Gloria Arellano left her 2-year-old son in the car on a 110 degree day while she took care of some business. Fortunately, a security guard saw the child and got him out of the car before he suffered permanent injury or death. He and his siblings are now under CPS protection with an unnamed family.

Gloria says she doesn't see what the big deal is. "I left a window cracked and food in there." I suggest that for Gloria's enlightenment, we put her in a car, crack a window, and let her sit locked in it on a 110 degree day. Bet she'll think it's a big deal then.

Honestly, some people are just too stupid to exist!

"Police: Mom who left tot didn't get 'big deal.'" The Dallas Morning News; August 25, 2010; p. 1B.

Sure, you can have your job back!

You have to wonder sometimes what people do with the brains God gave them. If it weren't such a tragedy (nine people were killed) the thought processes of this man would make for great comedy.

Rolando Mendoza was fired from the Manila police force in 2008. He wanted his job back. "I know," he thought. "I'll hijack a bus full of tourists and hold them hostage until they let me be a policeman again." I guess we'll never know why he thought that would work, because he was one of the ones who ended up dead. Unfortunately, he took a bunch of innocent people with him.

That's some pretty expensive swimming!

Remember when Essie posted about the protest at Dallas City Hall concerning closing some of the municipal swimming pools (August 25, 2010 -- "Did they take the day off?")?

Well, here's an update for you. The city released some statistics regarding the expense to run those pools. Over the last three summers, each visit to Exline pool in South Dallas cost the taxpayers $136. Each visit to Glandale pool in East Oak Cliff cost the taxpayers $80. The overall average cost for the city's 21 pools was $31.

That's some pretty expensive swimming, and I don't know anyone with half a brain who would advocate continuing to pour money into those holes.

"Pools cost taxpayers up to $136 per visitor." The Dallas Morning News; August 22, 2010; p. 1B.

We don't care if an enemy combatant is in the White House.

LaJuan Marke of Palestine, Texas, says that when most Americans don't care what religion a president or a building is, he will know his country "has grown up."

Really, LaJuan? You don't care if your President is a radical Jihadist? You don't care if a Wiccan temple goes up next door to your house? Gosh, I don't believe you really live in Palestine. I think you're a resident of lalaland.

"When we will have come of age." The Dallas Morning News; August 23, 2010; p. 12A.

So how much money is too much?

Morris D. Fried of Richardson says that the only way to prevent mothers from killing their children is to provide a strong safety net. He says that might even mean a "restriction on the freedom of a very few to accumulate personal wealth a thousandfold beyond any conceivable human need."

First, Mr. Fried, mothers killing their children has nothing to do with how much money they're getting from the paychecks of others. It has to do with irresponsible behaviour and a lack of natural affection (as predicted by the Biblical end-time prophesies). Second, just who is going to determine who makes too much money? If you make more than I do, I say you make too much, so let the taxing begin over there on Northview Drive in Richardson.

"Our duty to the community." The Dallas Morning News; August 23, 2010; p. 12A.

Essie picks some nits.

I guess I'm nitpicking here, but I saw this in the newspaper the other day and the contradiction really struck me.

The Reverend Ritch Johnson preaches at a cowboy church. He invites everyone to come. He says, "It's led by the purpose of a nonjudgmental gospel . . ." Then he says in his next sentence, "But with that tactic, we're seeing a lot of lives changed."

Why would you want to change someone's life if you don't see anything wrong with the way they're living now? The gospel I grew up with, the one in the Bible, has "repentance" as one of the main tenets. How can you be non-judgmental about repentance? If I tell you I see nothing wrong with your life because I'm not going to judge, how can I then tell you that God said you need to repent? Haven't I judged if I do so?

And that's what's wrong with the world now -- we have to be "tolerant" and "non-judgmental" when God said, "All have sinned." We have to say, "You're fine just like you are," when God said, "Except ye repent, ye shall all perish." We have to say, "One religion is as good as another as long as you're sincere," when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me."

And that's the Rev. Essie's sermon for today.

"Heavenly home on the range?" The Dallas Morning News; August 21, 2010; p. 7B.

If we can't explain ourselves, of course it's racism!

The City of Plano has dumped $450,000 in city dollars to a group planning an African American Museum there. Six years into the project, there is still no museum, and the group is asking for $245,000 more.

When the City of Plano started asking questions, the museum's chairwoman, T. J. Johnson, said her group was being unfairly singled out and harassed -- she says the city has put few nonprofit groups through the same scrutiny, the implication being that they were singled out because of race. But could it be because most other non-profit groups have visible evidence of what they've done with their money?

Here are a few of the city's unfair complaints:

1) The museum's five-person board has missed financial reporting deadlines. A large portion of the money allotted to the project for the past fiscal year was spent in the last week of the year. That raises some red flags.
2) The board has failed to hire an executive director as agreed.
3) The city has asked the board to return $36,000 that was spent in violation of the group's grant.
4) The group has not cooperated with auditors.
5) The front steps to the house they are restoring do not meet Plano building codes.
6) The restored house is supposed to be open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. four days a week. It is not.

Ms. Johnson says the city's scrutiny is "overbearing." She's upset because they came out and measured the diameters of some trees they had planted. I suspect the reason for that was that they paid for crepe myrtles with a 3" diameter, but the planted trees were 1.5" in diameter. Did the nursery overcharge, or did that extra money go somewhere else? Either way, I say it's a valid concern. So does Plano Mayor Phil Dyer who said, ". . .there is a certain burden that comes with receiving city money. If you don't have the ability to meet the requirements of the grant, then you shouldn't be applying for it."

"City faults museum's progress." The Dallas Morning News; August 21, 2010; p. 1B.

Love, Love, Love

Petra Weides comments on the murder-suicide of Corinne and Jayne Peters. Jayne was the mayor of Coppell who killed her daughter and then took her own life.

Petra seems to think society is to blame for a woman who was clearly in deep financial difficulties and obviously very emotionally troubled. Petra says, "Let's commit to expressing unconditional love and profound acceptance for everyone, and offer safe places where people can share and heal their pain."

What a bunch of claptrap! As far as I've read, the Peters were very much accepted and loved. As far as "expressing unconditional love," I'm not sure what Petra means by that. The community wasn't even aware Ms. Peters had problems except for maybe the City Manager who was questioning her city credit card purchases. Does she think he should have just let all those unauthorized charges slide in the name of unconditional love? "Profound acceptance for everyone"? Does that include child molesters, ax murderers, bank robbers, carjackers? "Safe places where people can share and heal their pain"? You mean like group therapy? There are lots of places that offer that, but Jayne Peters was not willing to talk about her problems. Some people don't want to air their dirty laundry in public.

Another case of it sounds good, but what in the heck does it mean!

"Remember who you are . . ." The Dallas Morning News; July 20, 2010; p. 12A.