Merry Christmas!

Essie's going on Christmas break.  I'll be back January 1, 2014.  May God's richest blessings be yours as we celebrate the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem, and may the new year hold health, happiness, and prosperity for you and yours.



Guess she just always looks that way.

The photographer who took the embarrassing photos of our President yukking it up and doing selfies with the attractive blond Danish Prime Minister at a memorial service insists that Michelle was not upset. Does that mean she just naturally looks like a shrew?

We just want to be tolerated.

Remember the homosexual mantra from several years ago . . . "we just want to be tolerated"? As Barney Fife used to say of the speeders around Maberry . . . "You give them 40 they'll do 45; you give them 45, they'll do 50; you give them 50, they'll do 55. . ."

Barney had a valid point. Now, we must not only tolerate the queer U.S. citizens, but, according to Sam Fuller of Dallas, we have a mandate to "ensure the basic safety of gay Iranian refugees."

Homosexuality is against the law in Iran. Other governments are turning away the perverts who are trying to flee on the basis that those people could just hide their sexual orientation. I don't see a problem with that, since they are the ones who keep carping on what goes on in their bedrooms is their business. Keep it in the bedroom, and who's the wiser?

But Sam says we need to treat them the same way other victims of human rights abuses are treated. Seems to me the U.S. is treating them that way. Maybe Sam doesn't know about Pastor Abedini. Saeed Abedini is an American citizen. He was arrested in Iran in 2012, tortured, charged with being a Christian, and imprisoned. And what has our President done to free Mr. Abedini? Nada, zilch, nothing. Even when our Secretary of State lowered our standards to negotiate with Iran, neither Mr. Abedini's release nor the release of at least two other Americans being held by this terrorist Islamist state was brought up.

But I can guarantee you, if the plight of queer Iranians is brought to the attention of Obama, we'll start pressing for their rights. Heck, we might even bring one of them over here for a selfie op with Obama.

"Iranian gays facing a crisis." The Dallas Morning News; December 13, 2013; p. 24A.

UNFAIR!

Rene Cantrell thinks the homeless shelter that's been allowing her to stay without charging her a dime is unfair.

Rene says that last September, she found herself homeless. I can't imagine that. Does one just wake up one day to find that the house is gone? Is there no clue that that possibility looms? Rene may say she lost her job -- did she not have an emergency fund stashed back? Rene may say that a natural disaster took her home -- did she not have insurance? At any rate, Rene "found herself" homeless.

She went to a homeless shelter and was given a place to sleep. The second day she was homeless, she got a part-time job. Good for you, Rene! Now comes the complaint. She says that a couple of weeks ago, she came back to the shelter to find that it was full, and they did not have a bed for her. The rules are first come, first served except for those with full-time employment.

She says that every time she walks out the door, there is the possibility that she will lose her spot. She thinks the shelter should "understand" and break the rules for her. The flip side of that, Rene, is that if they break the rules for you, that means some other woman loses a place to sleep. How would you feel if you were next in line, and someone who didn't qualify for a bed under the house rules was given the last bed? I think Rene has the common affliction of today -- an entitlement attitude.

Rene says she is "so thoroughly disgusted." So am I, Rene.

By the way, I have no way of knowing if it's the same Rene Cantrell, but there are a couple of arrest records for someone by that name. Seems as if that Rene has sticky fingers. Wonder if that could have anything to do with a person finding herself homeless.

"Work or stand in line?" The Dallas Morning News; November 23, 2013; p. 26A.

How many times do they have to be reminded?

Robert O'Neill of Denison is one of those who equates discrimination against queers with discrimination against race or gender.

Once again, Robert, race and gender are not sins. Sexual perversion is. They are not the same.

"Inequality by any other name." The Dallas Morning News; November 24, 2013; p. 2P.

Why would we let groups like Urban League and ACORN run Obamacare?

Kathleen Sebelius admitted to Senator John Cornyn that it was possible for convicted felons to be navigators for Obamacare. It's almost a sure thing that will happen when they select the navigators from scandal-ridden organizations like the Urban League and ACORN.

I can't imagine that anyone was surprised when earlier this month a video of navigators urging clients to lie was released. The receptionist in the video tells the cigarette-smoking client, "You lie because your premiums will be higher. I always lie on mine." The Urban League of Greater Dallas explains it away -- the fraud "represented her personal opinion, not that of our organization." It wasn't an opinion! It was advice given by a representative of their organization.

In another video, the navigator trainees tell the client not to list his income from odd jobs. The client has not reported the income on his tax return, so he's cheating the rest of us on two fronts -- no taxes and getting subsidies to which he is not entitled.

The Urban League says it will investigate the "full context" of what occurred. I don't see how you could put this in any context that would make it legitimate.

Tim McKinney, chief executive of United Way of Tarrant County, said, "It's unfortunate that the video pointed out some ill actions by other navigators." I guess so -- nobody likes to get caught with their hands in the cookie jar! But those of us who view it from the side of footing the bills for these frauds find the video to be most useful in rooting out this corruption -- and that is most fortunate!

"'Navigators,' in video, urge applicant to lie." The Dallas Morning News; November 13, 2013; p. 3A.

Let the bank robbers stay!

We’ve been bombarded with stories about the poor illegal immigrant families who will be split up without immigration reform. We’ve been told that these people just want a shot at the American dream, that they are good for our economy, that they are hard workers, and that we’re heartless and insensitive if we expect them to follow the laws of our land.

I feel very safe in saying that you won’t see those fighting for immigration reform holding up (no pun intended) Luis de la Garza as an example, even though they’ve done so many times before. In fact, Luis, himself, has been on the frontlines demanding fairness for those who don’t play fair themselves. Unfortunately, we also caught Luis at the front of several bank teller lines making unauthorized withdrawals (armed robbery).

Luis is the infamous Mesh Mask Bandit, so-named because of the strange mask he wore. Luis is an immigrant rights activist, and he’s admitted to robbing 18 banks. Who knows how many others he’s knocked over.  Luis’s friends say he came here with nothing and made something of himself. “He seems to be a good businessman,” says Hector Flores. I guess most anybody can be successful if they can just run down to the bank and withdraw as much money as they want from other people’s accounts.

Public records on Luis tell a little different story about his success. He has had several federal tax liens and judgments against him. He pleaded guilty in 2005 to failing to file a corporate tax return. He was given probation on that conviction. In 2009, a $25,844 federal tax lien was filed against him. In 2007, a bank foreclosed on a house he owned. Then he lost his Farmers Branch home (valued at more than $331,400). Kind of makes you wonder what he did with all that money he stole.

“Mesh Mask Bandit enters guilty plea.” The Dallas Morning News; November 20, 2013; p. 1B.

Will you put me in your will?

I have a request for Glendy Martinez. I want her to put me in her will. I would like to have her gall.

Glendy is in this country illegally. She doesn't care if she's a citizen or not -- she just wants to keep working and sending money back to Nicaragua without contributing a darn thing to this country. Glendy is 30 years old. She has one child who was born after she stole across the border. She left three others back in Nicaragua. She says, "It would be such a help if we could work in peace and go back sometimes to see our children."

And it would be a help to us if we could work without paying taxes to support illegals. Oscar Chacon of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, an organization that advocates for these law-breakers, says, "What they really care about is a solution that allows them to overcome their greatest vulnerabilities." I'm not sure what that means. I suppose if you applied it to, say, bank robbers, it would mean passing a law that the police cannot shoot at them as they are fleeing the bank with the loot. It would mean that they could not be arrested just because they were found with the marked money in the getaway car. It would mean "finders keepers" so they wouldn't have to give back the money they took. It would mean granting them amnesty so they could live to rob another day.

Yes, Glendy, I'd sure like to have your gall.

"Citizenship not ambition for all." The Dallas Morning News; November 21, 2013; p. 7A. 

How can you identify a real prophet?

On November 20, Sylvia Browne died at the age of 77. She had predicted to Larry King that she would die at the age of 88. Browne was a fairly well-known psychic. She said she discovered she had the gift for telling the future when she was three years old. She told the parents of Shawn Hornbeck in 2002 that he was dead. Shawn was found alive in 2006. She also told the mother of Amanda Berry in 2004 that she was dead. Amanda, of course, was rescued just this year from the sick pervert who had held her captive for a decade.

Browne explained away those goofs by saying that even the best psychics don't get it right every time. Oops! She goofed again:

"When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."

True prophets are right every time!

I daresay I could have made as many accurate "predictions" as she did -- all one has to do is use some common sense along with common experience and a little bit of knowledge of human nature. Watch a few episodes of "The Mentalist" and you'll see what I mean.

"Renowned psychic was hit, miss with predictions." The Dallas Morning News; November 22, 2013 ; p. 8B.

It's unfair!

Bobbie Bell is screaming, "Unfair!" She has been on Section 8 for more than twenty years. According to rules for Section 8, a drug offense by any occupant of the home is basis for revoking the voucher. And Bobbie's teenage grandson, K'Darion, got  caught with marijuana.

Bobbie says she has no other way of making a home for herself, because she is disabled. Perhaps K'Darion should have thought about that before he endangered his grandmother's security. Bobbie's beef should be with her grandson -- not with the agency that's following the rules.

Being the nosy person that I am, I did a little research. I found, not counting Bobbie, seven adults listed at her address. Age ranges for these adults go from 19 to 62, with the average age being 35. I wonder if there's some reason that between them, they can't make enough money to pay the rent.

I think I'll holler "unfair" right along with Bobbie. It's unfair that we're paying the rent for all these people when they can't even obey a simple rule like not buying/dealing drugs.

"Voucher pulled, she must move." The Dallas Morning News; November 22, 2013; p. 1B.

You have no credibility . . .period.

Raymond Russell of Sweeny says, "Eighty percent of the medically insured in the U.S. get their insurance through their employer or through government-run agencies such as Medicare, Medicaid or Veterans Administration. It is important to understand here that this 80 percent is not affected in any way by Obamacare, period."

If Raymond wants any credibility at all, he should have used different phrasing. I think Obama's, "If you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance, period" is still a little too fresh on our minds.

So let's just see how credible Raymond's statements are.

Employer provided plans: "In the years to come, some workers with employer-provided benefits will see their benefits scaled back because of an Obamacare tax. That portion of the law -- known as the 'Cadillac tax' -- isn't set to take effect until 2018, but it's already influencing the benefits packages that employers offer." Economists are also saying that when the employer mandate takes effect in 2015, we'll see cancellation notices going out from insurers to the employers just the same as we've seen for those who buy their own insurance.

Medicare: Under the ACA, higher-income Medicare beneficiaries pay more for prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D.  According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Obamacare will reduce Medicare reimbursements by $716 billion over 10 years. These cuts will hit Part A providers such as hospitals, nursing homes, skilled nursing facilities, and hospices, along with Medicare Advantage plans. The trustees predict that if Congress allows these cuts to go into effect, 15 percent of Medicare providers will go into the red by 2019, 25 percent by 2030, and 40 percent by 2050. Medicare “savings” are spent on other parts of Obamacare. Obamacare’s Medicare “savings” and increased Medicare payroll tax are often touted as increasing the solvency of the Part A trust fund, but that simply is not true. The money is counted as paying for new entitlement spending in Obamacare. This will absolutely impact seniors’ ability to access medical care.

Medicaid:  Expands Medicaid eligibility to even more deadbeats. Young adults with no handicaps and no children now qualify. They will get health care and pay nothing. Since they are paying nothing, the rest of us will be affected, because somebody has to pay for it.

 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57611192/how-obamacare-will-change-employer-provided-insurance/

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-insurance/articles/2013/08/19/will-obamacare-affect-medicare-myths-and-facts

http://blog.heritage.org/2013/06/03/morning-bell-obamacares-negative-impact-on-seniors/

He should be put in the stocks on the town square!

The Richardson ISD is falling all over itself issuing apologies for having Justin Lookadoo speak at the school. Parents are coming unglued, and students are in rebellion over this man who has tried to corrupt our children. Just to show you what a terrible, terrible influence this man is, I'm going to post some of his points and quotes. Then you can see for yourself how dangerous he is.

• Girls are nastier to each other than boys are.
• Being a man means protecting the weak -- and women.
• High school boys and girls should be wary of putting too much into a romance that is almost certain to dissolve.
• Boys and girls should be true to themselves and not compromise to keep a relationship.
• Men should be honest, chivalrous, wild and adventurous.
• Women should be feminine, mysterious and confident and let men lead.
• Girls are their own worst enemies -- "The reason it's so hard for you to succeed these days is not because of guys. You're doing it to yourselves."
• "Somewhere between the modern church and the feminist movement, guys turned into pansies. Stand up and be a man! Do something with your life!"

The concern of the kids who surrounded him after his speech? What about gay, lesbian or transgender kids? What about high school relationships that do work out?

Isaiah 5:20.

"Motivational . . . or maddening?" The Dallas Morning News; November 14, 2013; p. 1B.

Would you like pepper with that?

Josh Hyden tried to hold up the wrong ice cream vendor last summer. Hyden pulled a gun on the vendor and demanded all his money. The vendor pulled out his pepper spray and Josh got a face full. Josh was tracked to his nearby apartment where his wife said he had just come home and taken a shower. Sometimes, criminals are good for a big belly laugh!

"Police say ice cream man pepper-sprayed robber." The Dallas Morning News; August 16, 2013; p. 2B.

I guess that makes it OK.

Have you ever noticed that when a sin or failure is brought to someone's attention, he immediately comes back with, "Well you did such-and-such," or "that's better than so-and-so"? The implication is that if I sin, but you sinned, too, then my sin must be OK.

Joe Palmer has that blind spot. He says that "a man having consensual sex with another man is more 'morally straight' than a man raping a 12-year-old boy."

That's a bit like saying that burglarizing a bank in the dark of night is better than holding it up in broad daylight. Maybe so, but the bank is still being robbed, and the perpetrators are still thieves. The same is true of the sexual deviant -- one man raping a child does not suddenly make another man engaged in immorality into a paragon of virtue.

"Get sexual deviation straight." The Dallas Morning News; October 13, 2012; p. 20A.

I wouldn't go there, then.

The do-gooders are all upset about our poor Texas prison inmates. In the summertime, the felons don't have air conditioning. But the pigs they raise in the pig-farming program have six climate-controlled barns.

"TDCJ has literally made the decision that protecting its bacon is more important than protecting human lives," said Scott Medlock, an Austin civil rights attorney.

I disagree, Scott. Those inmates weren't picked up at random and dropped into that prison. They were sent there to "protect human lives" from their criminal activity. They deserve to be where they are. The pigs, on the other hand, haven't done anything wrong.

At least one-third of Texas prisoners have served previous sentences in the penal system. If the prison is all that bad, I think I'd do whatever was necessary to stay out and enjoy my a/c.

"Prisons cool swine while inmates swelter." The Dallas Morning News; August 18, 2013; p. 2A.

Get a Life, Sue!

Sue Lucas of Garland has suffered discrimination! And it's all the fault of the Republicans. Evidently, Sue doesn't read the newspapers very much. I had read several days before the November elections that the name on your photo ID had to match exactly the name on your voter registration. For example, a woman whose maiden name was used in place of her middle name would have to provide documentation that she was the person who was entitled to vote.

Sue didn't know this. So she showed up to vote with her drivers license which had her maiden name on it. Her middle name was on the voter registration. Sue was not turned away. She was allowed to vote on a provisional ballot which would be counted as soon as she provided the documentation required. But now she knows "the true pain of discrimination." Get a life, Sue! You suffered discrimination only if they let everybody else with non-matching names vote with no verification. And you presented not one shred of evidence that had occurred.

"Now I know what it's like." The Dallas Morning News; November 10, 2013; p. 3P.

It's all their fault.

Sometimes, you just have to wonder what planet people have been living on. I'm sure all of you remember the case of the girl in the closet. Little Lauren was about eight-years-old when she was found in her mother and step-father's home in Hutchins, Texas. The home was filthy, but even filthier was the small bedroom closet where Lauren spent her life. She was not allowed to eat, to come out and play with the other children, or even to come out to go to the bathroom.

Lauren's mother, Barbara Atkinson, had initially given Lauren up for adoption when she was born. The Kavanaugh's took the child as their own. But Barbara changed her mind, and some idiot judge gave the child back to Barbara despite evidence that she was abusive to the infant. And poor little Lauren spent the next six years in a literal hell.

We get that Barbara and her husband are less than human. What I don't get is Barbara's mother, Doris Calhoun. This woman is supposedly intelligent, but it's certainly not evident in what she says. You see, the whole reason that Barbara and her husband treated Lauren the way they did wasn't because they were sadistic and wicked. It was the Kavanaugh's fault. Yes, that's right -- the loving parents who did not even see Lauren from the time she was 20 months old until she was rescued at the age of eight. She says the Kavanaughs "broke the parent-child relationship, so it never was established strongly like it should have been. That's what happened between Lauren and Barbie."

If that woman really believes that, she's as dangerous as her evil daughter, and she needs to be locked up right beside her.

"Bundle of joy to burden of sorrow." The Dallas Morning News; October 21, 2013; p. 7A.

Green Hypocrites

Remember when everyone was touting ethanol, and the government mandated that refineries put more and more ethanol into their formulas? As it turns out, we find that government interference and ethanol aren't as green as they're cracked up to be. Yet the Obama administration won't back down in the face of scientific evidence.

What's wrong with government interference and ethanol? Well, for one thing, farmers started wiping out forested land and wetlands so they could grow corn to keep up with the rising demand and prices. In the process, they destroyed habitat and contaminated water supplies with fertilizers and pesticides. Obama -- the President who won't allow the Keystone pipeline -- presided over the conversion of over five million acres of conservation land. That's more than Yellowstone, the Everglades, and Yosemite combined. And the Gulf of Mexico dead zone (where marine life can't survive) has increased in size.

Many scientists and environmentalists now say that ethanol is bad environmental policy. "I'd have to think really hard to come up with a scenario where it's a net positive," said Silvia Secchi, a Southern Illinois University agriculture economist. However, Obama, the green hypocrite, continues to stand by the ethanol mandates.

"Golden corn not so green." The Dallas Morning News; November 12, 2013; p. 4A.

We need stricter fist control policies.

In New Braunfels last month, Logan Davidson was attacked by another student at his high school. The attacker hit Logan in the head with his fists, and Logan fell back against a wall and sustained fatal injuries.

Where are all the people demanding stricter fist control policies? Why wasn't this murder called "fist violence"? Where are all the hearings on restricting fists? Maybe the media is just derelict in not reporting on them, for, undoubtedly, they must be taking place.

"Motive sought in school assault death." The Dallas Morning News; November 16, 2013; p. 2a.

Choose your gender, folks!

Our world is stark-raving mad! The Harris County sheriff has adopted a new policy "designed to protect and guarantee equal treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inmates," allowing them to be jailed under whatever gender they say they identify with.

My question is this: what if a heterosexual male rapist claims to be transgender just so he can be housed in the female cell blocks? Where is the protection for those female inmates?

What's so unfair and unequal about classifying inmates on the basis of their genitalia? A man can say he's a woman or vice-versa all they want to, but it doesn't change what they are.

"Harris County adopts LGBT inmate policy." The Dallas Morning News; November 16, 2013; p. 2A.

Cornelia Pillard

Thank goodness the Republicans have been successful in blocking the nomination of Cornelia Pillard to the Washington D.C. Court of Appeals. Judge Pillard has problems interpreting the Constitution. One example of that is the case of Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church vs. EEOC.

The particulars of the case boil down to the church being able to hire and fire as it sees fit. The church runs a school. One of the school employees was fired. She sued. Judge Pillard said that the church's exercise of its religious freedom presented "a substantial threat to the American rule of law." Maybe Judge Pillard should go back and read that pesky First Amendment again.

Of course, the Democrats are crying foul. They claim the Republicans have rejected her merely because she's a woman and they don't want women to succeed. Patrick Leahy, in his denunciation of Republicans, dares them to reveal their true motives: "Just say we don't want women on this court." Now, everyone knows that in this day and age, a politician is not going to reject a candidate merely because she's a woman. In fact, I'll just bet that Leahy didn't vote for Sarah Palin. So why doesn't he just say, "We don't want a woman to be Vice-President."
 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/11/crouse-and-diaz-a-radical-approach-to-remaking-the/#ixzz2kl6V2JAH

Nordstrom's has it right!

Statement from Nordstrom's Department Store:

"We won't be decking our halls until Friday, Nov. 29. Why? We just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time."

May you enjoy family, good friends, good food, and all God's blessings this Thanksgiving Day!

 

And don't forget to thank the cook!

 



It's all in what you buy.

People are all upset about the decrease in food stamps that took effect this month. Truth be told, it was a temporary increase in the first place -- instituted as part of the stimulus. Instead of being grateful for the extra money they've received from the stimulus, the entitled folks are upset and crying foul because they're not getting as much of our money as they want.

The difference is an average of $36 less a month. The newspaper opines that that translates to a gallon of milk, a half-gallon of orange juice, and a pound of bread a week. From what I've seen in the carts of those with the EBT cards, it more likely translates to a large bag of Doritos and a 12-pack of Cokes a week.

"Less food for America's poor." The Dallas Morning News; November 2, 2013; p. 4A.

Essie asks.

I recently posted an edition of "Ask Essie." Now it's time for "Essie Asks."

Janet Meyer of Far North Dallas tells a tale of how superior she is to us local Southerners. She says that in 1965, she invited a black co-worker to her home in Savannah, Georgia. The co-worker came to Janet's backdoor when she arrived for her visit saying that she did not want to cause problems in the neighborhood. Janet insisted she go around to the front door. After that, Janet says, she noticed that her neighbors never spoke to her or were friendly to her.

Here's Essie's question: Tell us, Janet, did your neighbors rebuff you or turn their heads when you spoke to them and attempted to be friendly? Or is it that you didn't speak to them or make any friendly overtures yourself?

Janet says she just doesn't fit in with local Southerners. Gosh, I wonder why.

"No nostalgia here." The Dallas Morning News; August 25, 2013; p. 3P.

Real Football Heroes

I hate it when sports figures are referred to as heroes. They may be dedicated, hard-working, and they may excel at what they do, but catching a touchdown pass or slam-dunking a basketball does not a hero make.

That being said, when it comes to taking a moral stand, here are some football heroes. The 1972 Miami Dolphins recently received an invitation to the White House because they are the last NFL team to go undefeated. But some of the guys on the team respectfully declined because they do not agree with Barack Obama and his policies.

"We've got some real moral compass issues in Washington. I don't want to be in a room with those people and pretend I'm having a good time," Jim Langer said.

Bob Kuechenberg agreed. "I just don't believe in this administration at all. So I don't belong."

"I'll just say my views are diametrically opposed to the President's," Manny Fernandez said.

If you want to see heroes, sometimes you have to look at what's going on off the field.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23236793/some-member-of-72-dolphins-refuse-white-house-invite

.  

Ask Essie.

It's time for another edition of "Ask Essie." Amy Williams of Richardson is a cheerleader for Obamacare. She asks, "What business would be against a program that would give 3 million women access to health care?"

As usual, Essie has the answer. The businesses that have to pay for it. More questions about Obamacare? Just ask Essie!

"Small businesses don't care?" The Dallas Morning News; August 24, 2013; p. 20a.

WARNING! Don't eat before you read this!

I generally read the newspaper while I’m eating my breakfast. I may have to stop doing that, because sometimes, I just about lose my Post Toasties. November 18 was such a day. I turned the page and there on page 9A was this full page ad:

Thank You!

Mr. President

For the Affordable Care Act –

“Affectionately known to me as Obamacare.”

Given the abysmal website, the millions of people who have lost their insurance, and the millions who are having to pay steeply increased premiums because of Obamacare, I’d like to know just what idiot views this travesty with affection to the point of paying for a full page ad in The Dallas Morning News. And if this idiot can afford a full page newspaper ad, does he really need Obamacare? Why would he view it so “affectionately”? Whoever he is, he wasn’t willing to put his name to it, signing it only  – “Fellow U.S. Citizen.” But before he signed it, he said to Obama, “For the effort you put forth each day to make the nation a better place – Thank You!”

In this political ad love-fest, Mr. Fellow U.S. Citizen bullet points how great Obamacare is:

·  Pre-existing conditions (Gone!) – [Not really, Mr. Citizen. It’s just that now, someone else is being forced to pay for your pre-existing condition. Try that one with your homeowner policy or your auto policy.]

·  Medicaid expanded – [Yes, Medicaid has so far signed up at least 450,000 extra people for us to pay for. The only problem is that the paying folks aren’t keeping pace with the non-paying folks.]

·  Students on parents plan to 26 years old – [Most states already had provisions for that].

·  Families secure without fear of medical bankruptcy – [I don’t know what he bases that on, because it’s just simply not true].

·   Help for small business to expand coverage to employees – [I don’t know what help he’s talking about here. All I’ve heard so far is that many small businesses are being forced to do away with insurance altogether, because it will be cheaper for them to pay the fines than to pay the horrendously high premiums they’ll be hit with.]

·  No lifetime caps on life saving treatment – [But there will be rationing as more and more doctors opt out of a system that doesn’t allow them to even recoup expenses. And when there’s rationing, some people aren't going to get life-saving treatment if they are deemed too old or their quality of life won't be up to Obamacare standards.]

·  Freedom to pursue dreams without fear of unaffordable medical coverage – [LOL!]

·  Insurance exchanges to give top rated insurance at a low cost to everyone – [First of all, they don’t give away insurance. Second, if the premium is low, that means you’ll probably be out of pocket a whole beaucoup of money in deductibles and co-pays].

·  And that is just a teaser of all the enhancements made to our health marketplace – [I suppose along the same lines of these teasers:  “If you like your insurance plan, you can keep your insurance plan. Period. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. Period.” “Signing up will be as easy as shopping on Amazon or Kayak.” It's a tease, all right!]

Now, back to the identity of Fellow U.S. Citizen. I’ve been calling him “he” but I strongly suspect it’s actually a she. And I further suspect her initials are “M.O." She's got to get this thing on track, because she expects to see her name on the Democratic primary ballots in 2016.

It's like this . . .

Robert Henderson of Dallas says that he's not quite sure how making health insurance available for people who can't get it or can't afford it is going to lead to the "demise of America, our economy and our health care system."

It's like this, Robert:

Somebody has to pay for it. If people who can't afford it are getting it, that means someone else is footing the bill.

If it's the employer footing the bill, he will either lay off employees, delay expansion, or shut up shop altogether, thrusting more and more people onto the welfare rolls.

If it's the taxpayer, he will have less money to spend in the marketplace which means that businesses will have less of a profit margin, and they will either lay off employees, delay expansion, or shut up shop altogether, thrusting more and more people onto the welfare rolls.

If fewer people are working, that means fewer people are footing the bill. There will come a time when the people who are footing the bills can't keep up with the ones who are getting the "available" and "affordable" health insurance.

When the government decides that doctors don't need $2,000 to perform a particular operation and they reimburse them only $1,000 when the doctor's cost is $1,500, the doctor will lay off employees or shut up shop altogether thrusting more and more people onto the welfare rolls. All the "available" and "affordable" health insurance in the world is of no use when you have no doctors -- or it takes you three years to get a gall bladder operation.

Capisce now, Robert?

"Doomsday take on ACA." The Dallas Morning News; October 10, 2013; p. 14A.

Ummm - maybe they don't really want marriage equality.

Homosexuals might want to rethink this marriage equality thing. When the marriages aren't what they expect, some very real legal issues pop up. For example, they've found out they can't get a divorce in Texas, because we in Texas don't let queers marry each other. If they want a divorce, they'll just have to go back to the state that "married" them and establish residency there.

Now they've found out that if they want to play house, the Florida courts are going to take them at their word. A couple of lesbians decided they wanted a baby. Naturally, being in an unnatural relationship precluded nature from providing them with a child. So they took matters into their own hands. One of them had her egg extracted, fertilized by an unknown sperm, and planted into her partner (the medical "professional" who assisted in this farce should have his license yanked). At any rate, love didn't reign supreme for long, and the women who loved each other unto death decided death was too far away. So the mama who carried the baby (hereinafter referred to as "the womb") absconded with the child. The mama who gave the egg (hereinafter referred to as "the hen") wants the baby (now a young child) back.

The womb says that under Florida law, a person who donates an egg or sperm renounces all parental rights. The hen says that the child is biologically hers and that the womb has no biological rights to the child. The Florida Supreme Court says the cited law doesn't apply, because this couple clearly presented themselves to the world as a family. The hen considered the womb a mama until they decided to split. The court noted the couple's "use of funds from their joint bank account, their statements to the reproductive doctor . . . the counseling . . . for parenthood, the use of a hyphenated name for the child, and the joint birth announcement."

So the womb doesn't get the child, and the hen doesn't get the child. They must assume joint custody. How sad that in all that, what was best for the child was never mentioned.

"Lesbian custody battle settled." The Dallas Morning News; November 8, 2013; p. 6a.

When will Congress do something about the Idiotic Revenue Service?

Would you like to know why you pay so much in taxes? It's so we can send refunds to non-existent people in Lithuania and Bulgaria.

The IRS issued $4 billion in fraudulent tax refunds last year, much of it going to foreign addresses. J. Russell George, the Treasury's inspector general for tax administration, says they're stepping up action, but "thieves are getting more aggressive."

How hard is it for the computer to figure out that 655 tax refunds went to the same address in Lithuania? Just how smart was the thief who pulled that off? I don't think it takes an aggressive or even a smart thief when the people doling out our money are idiots.

"IRS sent 655 bogus refunds to Lithuania." The Dallas Morning News; November 8, 2013; p. 6A.

Just ask Essie.

Gary Stewart of Dallas doesn't like our voter ID law. He thinks it's redundant. "What exactly is the purpose of voter registration," he asks.

Essie will be glad to clear that up for you, Gary. It's very simple. Voter registration is to assure that a person meets all the requirements for voting in the district where he or she resides -- for example, a citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of the district. The voter ID is to assure that the person showing up to vote is the person on the voter registration roll.

Let me break it down very simply for Gary. Suppose John Brown is registered to vote. Jimmy Jones somehow gets possession of John Brown's voter registration card. Jimmy goes to the poll on election day and shows John Brown's card. The election judge checks the voter registration card against the roll, and it checks out. So the judge lets Jimmy Jones vote. John Brown has just been disenfranchised, for when he shows up to vote, the election judge's record will show that he has already voted. Now, if Jimmy Jones had shown up with John Brown's voter registration card, and the judge asked to see a photo ID along with it, he could probably tell pretty quickly that Jimmy Jones was not John Brown, and John Brown's right to vote would have been protected.

Gary also thinks that voter fraud is non-existent. Guess he's never heard of ACORN.

"Fixing a nonproblem." The Dallas Morning News; August 26, 2013; p. 12A.

It's so easy!

Remember when Obama said signing up for Obamacare would be as easy as booking a hotel room? There was a photo in the newspaper of Makala Washington trying to enroll. She had three "navigators" helping her. Gosh! The last time I booked a hotel room, I didn't need any help at all, and I did it in about three minutes.

At any rate, I found the photo quite funny. All four people are clustered around a laptop. One of the navigators is clapping her hands and looking as if she's just opened up the best Christmas present ever. The other looks as if she's saying, "Oh look! I'm pleased but surprised the website actually came up!" The caption didn't say whether or not Makala and the three Obamacare specialists were eventually successful in getting her signed up.

"Jenkins leads the charge." The Dallas Morning News; November 6, 2013; p. 1B.

I ask for justice for Lynne Stewart, too.

Lynne Stewart is the lawyer who represented the notorious Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman -- the Blind Sheik. He was convicted of conspiring to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993. Six people were killed in that attempted act of mass destruction. He also had plans to blow up the U.N. and several NYC bridges and tunnels.

One of the restrictions of his life sentence is that he can have no communication with outsiders. Lynne Stewart violated that restriction -- she took Rahman's notes urging violence to his militant followers in Egypt. She is now serving her own prison sentence for conspiracy. She is unrepentant, calling herself a political prisoner. She says she was only doing what a lawyer does.

She is now seeking compassionate release because she has cancer. She says, "I do know that I do not want to die here in prison -- a strange and loveless place." Maybe she should have thought of that before she tried to help a terrorist orchestrate his mayhem from prison. She says she wants to be home. I'll just bet that the family members of the Sheik's victims would like for their loved ones to be home, too.

Stewart's website is called "Justice for Lynne Stewart." On that, Lynne, we can agree. You are receiving your justice right where you are.

"Compassionate release tangled." The Dallas Morning News; September 24, 2013; p. 1A.

The Entitlement Mentality

I'm reading a book by Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson is retired now, but he is a gifted neurosurgeon who has done lots of pro bono work. Dr. Carson says that more doctors would do this type of work if it weren't for the attitudes of many of their charity patients. He says that many, not all, of the patients who aren't spending a dime for their care are much more demanding, unreasonable, and apt to file lawsuits than those who are paying themselves or relying on insurance for which they, themselves, pay the premiums.

Dave Ramsey echoes that sentiment. Someone wrote to him asking if he thought investing in rental properties with the aim of participating in the Section 8 program was a good idea. Ramsey discouraged it. His own personal experience, he said, was that "some Section 8 folks have a real entitlement mentality and can be unreasonable to deal with." It's also hard to get them out of the property once they've taken up residence. He said he got tired of the Section 8 thing pretty quickly and wouldn't go back to it.

So there you have it from the frontlines.

How PC of Them!

If I hadn't read this in a reputable newspaper, I'd swear it was a satire from The Onion or some other silly publication. But here it is:

Hallmark issued a Keepsake Ornament for 2013 in the shape of a tacky Christmas sweater. It said (and I kid you not), "Don we now our fun apparel." They didn't want to offend the homosexuals they're so fond of defending and pandering to.

But after an uproar, the gay apparel is back with this explanation, "We've been surprised at the wide range of reactions expressed about the change of lyrics on this ornament, and we're sorry to have caused so much concern."

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2013/10/no-gay-apparel-hallmarks-ugly-sweater-ornament-stirs-controversy-when-company-replaces-word.html

Obama's "If It Feels Good, Do It" Message

Have you seen this Obamacare ad?

 

In case you can't read the caption, it says

 

 

Let's Get Physical

OMG, he's hot!

Let's hope he's as easy to get as this

birth control. My health insurance

covers the pill, which means all I have

to worry about is getting him between

the covers. I got insurance,

now you can, too.

Thanks, Obamacare!

 

And just to be sure we understand what's going on here, the little sub-caption identifies "Susie and Nate - hot to trot."

 

For once in her life, Essie is speechless.

 

Well, actually she's not -- when I copied the photo of this ad, I couldn't help but notice what it's been titled: "slutty-1_s800x800". I kid you not.

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/nov/12/obamacare-ads-target-young-women-birth-control-pil/

 

 



What's wrong with this picture?

Remember last summer when the fast food workers went on strike to demand $15 an hour? I just came across some of the news clippings from then, and I couldn't help but wonder about some of these people.

Darletha Jones has worked at Wendy's since 1998 and makes minimum wage. Really? That's 15 years! Has she not been able to find other employment or join the manager trainee program? Has she not even been promoted to shift manager? Has she not proved herself enough to have had any sort of raise in all that time?

Jerome Brumfield works at KFC. He said, "We all want families that can afford to live a good life, but we can't do it with low wages. We're the ones who are putting the ketchup and mustard on those burgers." Bingo! Jerome. Just how much do you think putting ketchup and mustard on a burger is worth? If you want more than low wages for your family, educate yourself, work hard, and seek employment that requires more than knowing how to squeeze a condiment bottle.

Is this a bad thing?

Mark Spencer of Mesquite finds fault with Jeb Hensarling's efforts to privatize home mortgages. He quotes John Taylor of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition who said scrapping the government guarantee and increasing down payment requirements would make it more difficult for low-income people to get a mortgage. Uhhhhh - isn't the government guarantee and people who couldn't afford the mortgages the reason we found ourselves in a big old mess?? Isn't that the reason we all ended up paying for the woman who took out a $400,000 mortgage on her salary as a toll-taker on the turnpike?

Mr. Taylor says that Mr. Hensarling is "basically advocating for homeownership for the rich only." No, he's not. He's advocating for people to make good, common sense purchases. Mr. Essie May and I were by no means rich when we took out our first mortgage (in fact, we were downright poor!), but we saved a down payment, bought a small older house we could afford, and did it without any help from the government. We're still not rich, but we've managed to trade up on our equity through the years, and we now own our home free and clear.  

People don't need the government to buy their houses for them, Mr. Taylor. They need a sense of independence and responsibility. And you don't have to be rich to have that.

"Homes for the rich only." The Dallas Morning News; August 30, 2013; p. 18A.

Some Interesting Observations

The average black person is a Democrat. He reveres the Democratic party as the one that will enact policies beneficial to him as a black person -- as the party that will take care of him. But here are a couple of astute observations from a black man, Dr. Thomas Sowell, who sees beyond the party line:

"A higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats voted in Congress for both the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965."

"A larger proportion of blacks rose out of poverty in the 20 years before 1960 than in the 20 years afterward [after LBJ's war on poverty policies were enacted]."

"Blaming all gaps on racism misses point." The Dallas Morning News; August 29, 2013; p. 17A.

Have you heard anything lately?

Have you heard anything lately about James Edwards, Chancey Luna, and Michael Jones? Do you recognize those names? How about Trayvon Martin? Do you recognize that name?

Edwards, Luna, and Jones are the monsters who were bored and decided to kill somebody. They chose and shot down Chris Lane, a college student they didn't even know, in Duncan, Oklahoma.

Authorities say they don't have anything that would tie the killing to race despite these quotes:

"90 percent of white ppl are nasty. #HATETHEM." ~ James Edwards.

"I can't go to your church anymore because my god is black." ~ James Edwards

I haven't seen a thing in the paper about this case since August, but I guess it's just not nearly as clear-cut a case of racism as the Trayvon Martin case was. Trayvon Martin was wearing a hoodie and walking late at night in the rain through an apartment complex while Chris Lane was jogging down a public street in his girlfriend's neighborhood at midday. The three who killed Chris were bored and looking for someone to shoot while George Zimmerman had called police about Trayvon as part of his neighborhood watch duties. The three who killed Chris drove by in a vehicle, shot, and then fled, while George Zimmerman claims he was attacked by Trayvon and stayed to give a statement to the police. There hasn't been any evidence brought forth that indicates George Zimmerman is a racist. 

Yes, I can certainly see why the mainstream media would be so upset over Trayvon but not Chris.

After a fairly exhaustive internet search, I did find a news article from November 7 about charges against Jones being upgraded to first-degree murder. It seems authorities have discovered that he was involved in two other shooting just prior to Chris's murder. And from which media outlet did I glean this information? Well, it certainly wasn't a U.S. one -- it came from the Sydney [Australia] Morning Herald.

"Changes, racist views seen in youngest teen suspect." The Dallas Morning News; August 23, 2013; p. 10A.

http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-teen-in-christopher-lane-shooting-case-has-charges-upgraded-20131107-2x2c1.html

Please let my daddy go back to work.

Nina Robledo is in the fourth grade. She wrote a letter to the editor during the government shutdown. Nina's father works for the EPA. Nina pleaded in her letter, "Can you please stop this debate so EPA workers can protect the environment and everybody can take care of their families?"

In the first place, Nina's father got what amounts to a paid vacation -- all the furloughed workers get back pay. In the second place, perhaps Nina might put herself in the place of children whose fathers and mothers work in industries affected by her father.

• EPA regulations enacted during the current administration threaten more than 32 coal-fired power plants with closure.
• According to the American Petroleum Institute, "Upcoming EPA regulations of ozone could shut down business expansion and new jobs where 97 percent of Americans live, without providing any significant environmental benefit."
• The EPA just shut down the last lead smelting plant in the US. They raised the EPA regulations by 10 fold and it would have cost the plant $100 million to comply. The political by-product that threatens our constitutional rights -- what do you think ammunition is made of?

So, Nina, can your father please stop this regulation so that mothers and fathers can go back to work providing fuel and electricity and other goods we need and everybody can take care of their families?

"Let my daddy work." The Dallas Morning News; October 10, 2013; p. 14A.

http://beforeitsnews.com/events/2013/10/alert-back-door-gun-control-moves-forward-obama-and-the-epa-just-shut-down-the-last-lead-smelting-plant-in-the-us-they-raised-the-epa-regulations-by-10-fold-and-it-would-have-cost-the-plant-100-2432118.html

http://www.api.org/news-and-media/infographics/new-epa-ozone-regulations-could-mean-america-is-closed-for-businesshttp://www.governing.com/news/local/AP-EPA-Rules-Force-Shut-Down-of-32-Coal-Fire-Plants.html

You've been pregnant how many times???

Joan Bruhn of Little Elm doesn't like it that Mark Davis thinks abortion should be restricted. She says he has no right to comment on abortion at all since he's never been pregnant.

Well, if that's the criteria, Joan is most qualified to comment. She's been pregnant ten times -- six live births, three abortions, and a miscarriage. May I give you a little advice here, Joan? There is a little pill you can take every day -- it's called a birth control pill. I won't get real specific here, but ask somebody else about how an aspirin can also prevent pregnancies.

"Davis has never been pregnant." The Dallas Morning News; November 1, 2013; p. 18A.

Look at the context.

The liberals are making a big deal out of nothing. Senator Ted Cruz's dad said, "We need to send Barack Obama back to Chicago. I'd like to send him back to Kenya, back to Indonesia." Todd J. Gillman conveniently leaves out two-thirds of the quote when he writes about it: "Last week, video surfaced of Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz . . . telling Texas voters that he'd like to send the Hawaii-born president 'back to Kenya.'"

So the liberals are coming unglued saying that Cruz is a birther -- that he thinks Obama was born in Kenya. If he really meant that, why bring up Chicago or Indonesia? The mention of Kenya is sandwiched in between the two. The liberals aren't saying, "He thinks Obama was born in Indonesia." Or "He thinks Obama was born in Chicago." Yet they are mentioned in the same context as Kenya. It cannot be denied that Obama has a Chicago background, that he has an Indonesian background, and that he has a Kenyan background.

Anyway, I agree with Mr. Cruz, Sr. We do need to send Barack back to wherever he came from.

Mr. Cruz is taking flack for having called Obama a Marxist. That's nothing less than the truth -- "From each according to his means, to each according to his need." Who can deny that that is Obama's philosophy? Tax "the rich" -- give handouts to "the poor." Mr. Cruz is also under fire because he extolls the virtues of making the U.S. a Christian nation. Again, I must agree with him. As for the liberals -- I guess the truth hurts. And I suspect they're just a little bit worried about a Ted Cruz presidential bid -- otherwise, why would they care what his daddy has to say?

"Cruz in damage control over dad." The Dallas Morning News; November 1, 2013; p. 2A. 
"Obama may offer Cruz quips in Dallas." The Dallas Morning News; November 3, 2013; p. 8A.

Find me a quote.

Zach Wahls has two moms. (Actually, he doesn't -- he has a mother and a father just like everybody else does. It just happens that he has a mother in an immoral, illicit, deviant relationship). He's an Eagle Scout who founded Scouts for Equality to fight the Boy Scout ban on gays.

Zach says the assumption that straight people are better than gay people is incorrect. I have news for Zach. He is incorrect when he assumes that there is such an assumption. I challenge him to find me a quote from anyone that says that straight people are better than gays.

Are straight people more moral than gays? Regarding that particular sin they are. Is an honest gay more moral than a straight thief? Regarding thievery he is -- regarding homosexuality, he is not.

Now I have one for you, Zach. The assumption that people are bigots if they take seriously God's condemnation of homosexual behavior is incorrect. 

"Fallout spreads for Scouts." The Dallas Morning News; September 30, 2012; p. 1A.

EXTRA! ESSIE ALERT!

You might want to think twice about setting up an account on the Obamacare website (even if you could get that far).

Tom Dougall is a South Carolina attorney. When the website first went into action, Tom wanted to shop around, so he set up an account. He found the "affordable" health care a little too pricey, so he didn't sign up for a plan and thought no more about it . . .

. . .until in the last few days when he was contacted by Justin from North Carolina. Justin put in his own user ID and password and got Tom's information. He sent Tom the pdf file he pulled up using his own access codes, and sure enough, it is the personal account for Tom and his wife. Tom has tried unsuccessfully to report this breach to the Obamacare people. Luckily for him (so far), his information was accessed by an honest person. What if it's not the next time?

If I were you, I wouldn't touch that website with a 10-foot pole!

John Wiley Junior in the making?

I guess David Williams thinks he's a little John Wiley Price. He routinely shows up at Dallas City Council meetings to address them on topics such as school safety, bullying and domestic violence. David is 12 years old.

In the first place, the City Council is there to set city policy -- not to make sure men don't hit their wives and kids don't unmercifully tease each other at school. If there is a city policy that allows these things to happen, then certainly the council should change the policy. But domestic violence is already against the law, and parents and the school system should handle safety and bullying issues for their own kids.

David is learning the lesson that liberals want all people to learn -- you need the government to solve all your problems. So the media is heaping praise upon him as if he were some sort of prodigy. Fortunately, we still have a lot of people in this country who aren't mastering that lesson too well, and we can only hope that they pass down their values to their children.

"A mighty agenda." The Dallas Morning News; October 8, 2013; p. 1A.

I'm so dizzy! My head is spinning!

Remember the old 60's Tommy Roe song "I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning"? I couldn't help but think of it when I saw the Obama spin on the Obamacare website fiasco -- "This is a good problem to have. The system has just been overwhelmed by the numbers of people who want Obamacare."

And just how many people really do want Obamacare? Obama's Administration has refused to release those numbers; however, an internal memo from HHS has finally seen the light of day. On the first day of enrollment, six people signed up. That's right -- six. By the beginning of the third day, we had a grand total of 248.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/11/01/the-truth-comes-out-obamacares-website-enrolled-a-grand-total-of-six-people-on-oct-1/

They're GR-R-REAT!

Michelle Obama is ecstatic! Sesame Street denizens Elmo and Rosita will soon be appearing in your grocery store produce department! Stickers and cardboard cutouts will bear their likenesses, and this, Michelle says, will encourage kids to eat their fruits and veggies. She's so excited about this "unprecedented step" (I guess she doesn't know that in the 1950's, Kukla, Fran, and Ollie advertised ice cream and the Mickey Mouse Club endorsed Mars candy bars and Little Orphan Annie had her likeness on Kraft caramel advertising and Vince Lombardi appeared on Nestle Quik boxes and Huckleberry Hound and Snagglepuss graced boxes of Kellogg's cereals), that as she made the announcement, she pumped her fists in the air.

I liked Tony the Tiger when I was a kid, so I asked for Frosted Flakes. I also developed cravings for different cereals that had  prizes in the boxes. It turned out that I liked Tony much better than the cereal he promoted, and I suddenly lost the cravings for the prize cereals we bought as soon as I opened the box, got the toy, and had the first bowl. We ended up with uneaten cereal on the shelves, and as a financially struggling family, we couldn't afford that. I suspect it will be much the same for the families of the little tykes who like Elmo much better than they like carrots and spinach.

"Forget the cookies." The Dallas Morning News; October 31, 2013; p. 4A.

Is your friend part of the problem, Sue?

I couldn't help but laugh when I read a letter to the editor from Sue Owens of Dallas. Sue is upset about the haze over Dallas and wants stricter emissions controls.

She recently had a friend visit her, and she said that as her friend's plane was landing at DFW Airport, there was so much haze she didn't know if she was seeing Dallas or Ft. Worth out of the airplane window.

Knock-knock-knock, Sue!! How much of that haze do you think might be due to planes landing at DFW?

"Obscured by haze." The Dallas Morning News; October 28, 2013; p. 12A.

Show me the scripture.

Jim Barber of Dallas lambastes Rick Perry for his refusal to take federal Medicaid money with strings attached. Jim wants to know where the adherence to Christian principles is. Now, I suspect that Jim would be the first to yell "Separation of church and state" were that convenient to his argument. However, let's talk about the Christian principle he thinks we have abandoned.

He says that on the issue of whether or not to help the poor, the Republicans have the attitude of, "I have mine. You're on your own." This is patently false. Studies repeatedly show that Republicans in Congress are far more generous in their charitable giving than are the Democrats in Congress. Al Gore has faded into the sunset, but in 1997, he gave a whopping $335 to charity out of his adjusted gross income of more than $197,000. Joe Biden and his wife took 10 years to donate less than $4,000. WOOHOO!

The problem with Jim is that he thinks Jesus told the government to take care of the poor. He didn't. He told Christians -- and by extension the church -- to take care of the poor. I challenge Jim to show me one scripture where Jesus said, "And the government shall feed the poor." In fact, the government has usurped the responsibility of the church to feed the poor and thereby is depriving the church of an avenue of witness to the unsaved. So if Jim really wants to live by Christian principles, he'll change his philosophy of who has the responsibility to feed and clothe the poor and the sick.

I'm really curious about something else. I wonder what percentage of Jim's money goes to charitable causes. It's easy for Jim to want to give away other people's money, but how does he feel about giving away his own? I also did a little internet public record snooping and looked up where he lives. His house is on the tax roll for more than $587,000. Since he's so interested in what Jesus has to say, wonder how he's applying this quote from the Savior: "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

"Texas' refusal not Christian." The Dallas Morning News; September 7, 2013; p. 16A.

Where are the demonstrations?

Have I missed them? All the white folks demonstrating?

October 14, Cardan Spencer, a black policeman, shot Bobby Gerald Bennett, a white man. Bennett's mother had called for help in getting the mentally ill man under control.

Do you think we would be seeing some demonstrations had the races been reversed?

"Officer fired in man's shooting." The Dallas Morning News; October 25, 2013; p. 1A.

Shouldn't we tell them what causes babies?

During the recent government shutdown, people on WIC were worried they'd be cut off from their freebies.

Patricia Jones of Newark, NJ, was pictured with the children she feeds through WIC. There were three children in the photo, the oldest one obviously with some sort of disability. The youngest one appeared to be about 2 years old. She has two other children who weren't in the photo.  Cierra Schoeneberger, an unemployed mother of three laments that it costs her $40 a week for formula. Without her WIC voucher, "Am I going to have to feed him regular milk, or am I going to have to scrounge up the little bit of change I do have for formula or even baby food?"

Maybe we should use some of that WIC money to tell Patricia and Cierra where those babies are coming from. If you're a single mother with a disabled child you can't afford to feed, why on earth would you have four more? If all you have is change, why would you have a another baby. Where are the fathers of these children? Can't they "scrounge up some change"? Patricia said of the shutdown, "You're affecting families that haven't done anything to you." I beg to differ -- you're taking my money, Patricia, to support your profligate lifestyle.

The article accompanying the photo detailed other problems caused by the shutdown. A Wisconsin farmer who couldn't cash a check for a cow he sold, Indians who aren't getting their nutrition programs and financial assistance, and other sob stories. If people's lives were really that disrupted because of a couple of weeks of government shutdown, then perhaps the lesson we should be learning here is that government has its fingers in too many pies, and we have become a nation of dependents. It's time to man up and restrict government to its constitutional mandates!

"Effects hitting home." The Dallas Morning News; October 4, 2013; p. 9A.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/shutdown-jeopardizes-nutrition-program-poor

Why didn't she decline the nomination?

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, who attended Harvard University and served as law dean there, says that the Supreme Court is too heavily dominated by lawyers from elite law schools. If she really believes that, I wonder why she didn't turn down her nomination and ask that a graduate of Liberty University Law School be nominated instead.

She decries the lack of diversity on the court which includes a black man and three women, one of whom is Hispanic. If she really believes that, I wonder why she didn't turn down her nomination and ask that a half-black half-Hispanic transsexual be nominated instead.

Words mean things, Justice Kagan. But actions speak louder.

"Kagan says confirmation system is 'sort of broken.'" The Dallas Morning News; October 5, 2013; p. 10A.

Obama: "You can keep your doctor!"

Remember when Obama said the Republicans were just trying to scare you about Obamacare . . . that you could absolutely keep your doctor?

We now find that many insurers are "significantly limiting" your choice of doctors and hospitals. Insurers say they are forced into holding down costs, and the only way they can do that is to create smaller networks of doctors and hospitals who will accept less than others. Adam Linker, a health policy analyst at the North Carolina Justice Center, said consumers should be prepared for "much tighter, narrower networks" of doctors and hospitals.

Insurers say that having an insurance card does not guarantee access to specialists or other providers. The Health Research Institute of PricewaterhouseCoopers said that "insurers passed over major medical centers" when selecting providers in some states. In New Hampshire, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the only provider in New Hampshire offering plans on the Obamacare exchange, excludes 10 of the state's 26 hospitals.

But you can absolutely keep your doctor!

"Insurers starting to limit choice." The Dallas Morning News; September 23, 2013; p. 1A.

You're Fired!

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said at one of those efficient Obamacare call centers that she doesn't work for us. “The majority of people calling for me to resign, I would say, are people I don’t work for . . ."

Hmmmm - if she doesn't work for us, perhaps WE should stop paying HER salary.