Saturday, November 30, 2013

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.

Friday, November 29, 2013

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

Thursday, November 28, 2013

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!
 


Wednesday, November 27, 2013

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.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

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.

Monday, November 25, 2013

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

 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

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.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

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.

Friday, November 22, 2013

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.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

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.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

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.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

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.

Monday, November 18, 2013

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.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

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.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

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.

Friday, November 15, 2013

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

Thursday, November 14, 2013

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.
 
 
 





Wednesday, November 13, 2013

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.



Tuesday, November 12, 2013

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.

Monday, November 11, 2013

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.


Sunday, November 10, 2013

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

Saturday, November 9, 2013

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-business
http://www.governing.com/news/local/AP-EPA-Rules-Force-Shut-Down-of-32-Coal-Fire-Plants.html

Friday, November 8, 2013

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.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

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.


Wednesday, November 6, 2013

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.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

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.

Monday, November 4, 2013

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/

Sunday, November 3, 2013

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.


Saturday, November 2, 2013

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.

Friday, November 1, 2013

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.