Have a wonderful Sunday. In these difficult economic times...........

.....these words are comforting "Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear....Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?........But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6

(and I'd sure like your reactions to my piece below....seriously curious about what you think...thanks)

z

What happened in the Sixtie?

Remember Jefferson Airplane? (If you don't, don't tell me!)

I was listening to an interview with Gracie Slick and Paul Kantner and he said something that has me thinking. It's something I've thought of before and it crystalized what the Sixties and all they entailed, with the music, clothes, dropping acid and smoking pot, did to America.

Paul Kantner was speaking about when The Doors opened for the Airplane on tour. I'm paraphrasing here, but you'll get the idea:

"One summer we were playing in Kansas and the college kids came in prom clothes...dresses and neckties....the next summer we came and they were dropping acid, having sex in the seats and wearing tie dye."

What happened? I liked the Jefferson Airplane and The Doors as much as the next person.....But, did groups like them do THAT much damage? Was it the musician lifestyle of drugs and free sex preaching to teens or was the music reflecting the behavior of teens? If kids changed in a YEAR, HOW DID IT HAPPEN? And WHY?

How'd we go from:

I said Hello Mary Lou
Goodbye heart,
Sweet Mary Lou
I'm so in love with you.....
I knew Mary Lou
We'd never part....
So Hello Mary Lou
Goodbye heart.....

to:

One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small,
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all.
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall.
What do you think?

z

Longevity

The World's Oldest Person has died....at 115 years of age.

If you were to say the one thing you think helps us keep healthy enough to live a nice long life, what would it be?

z

And soon it's time for Christmas!

"The remnants of autumn fighting against the beginning of the season of light!" (In Dortmund, Germany)

Mr. Z found this picture and wrote the caption, which I thought was a really beautiful, poetic way of describing the end of Autum and the start of the Holiday Season..............Enjoy!

z

Thanksgiving Proclamation and a mention of Squanto, "sent of God"

At the Robert Todd Lincoln estate in Manchester,VT. Robert's father was Abraham Lincoln, who issued the following proclamation on October 3, 1863:

"The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union." Abraham Lincoln

ALSO: Please check out this link on Squanto and read through it....and tell your children. As I read through it, I was thinking 'Man, this Indian was sent by God...why else would an Indian the Pilgrims happened to have run into speak ENGLISH? Been to ENGLAND? Back then?' And, lo and behold, I ran across this "Squanto was sent to live with the English settlers. His guidance proved so indispensable to them that Plymouth Governor William Bradford was moved to declare him a "spetiall instrument sent of God for [their] good."

We owe a lot to Squanto. We owe everything to God.

With affection and wishes for a fantastic day to you all....... from Mr. and Mrs. Z
z

Ya, we've ALL seen this...I know...........

.....but, it still just KILLS me! I'm laughing even now that I'm typing this.....I liked to think I was a bit more sophisticated than THIS, you know!? LOL! (oh, well!)
z

Thanks and praise...

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100

Thanks giving.........

I hadn't planned on posting this Sowell piece on the ECONOMY, but it's too important not to.......

"Jolting" the EconomyThomas Sowell
Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Barack Obama says that we have to "jolt" the economy. That certainly makes sense, if you take the media's account of the economy seriously-- but should the media be taken seriously?
Amid all the political and media hysteria, national output has declined by less than one-half of one percent. In fact, it may not have declined even that much-- or at all-- when the statistics are revised later, as they very often are.

We are not talking about the Great Depression, when output dropped by one-third and unemployment soared to 25 percent.

What we are talking about is a golden political opportunity for politicians to use the current financial crisis to fundamentally change an economy that has been successful for more than two centuries, so that politicians can henceforth micro-manage all sorts of businesses and play Robin Hood, taking from those who are not likely to vote for them and transferring part of their earnings to those who will vote for them.

For that, the politicians need lots of hype, and that is being generously supplied by the media.
Whatever the merits of trying to shore up some financial institutions, in order to prevent a major disruption of the credit flows that keep the whole economy going, what has in fact been done has been to create a huge pot of money-- hundreds of billions of dollars-- that politicians can use to give out goodies hither and yon, to whomever they please for whatever reason they please.
No doubt we could all use a few billion dollars every now and then. But the question of who actually gets it will be strictly in the hands of Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It is one of the few parts of the legacy of the Bush administration that the Democrats are not likely to criticize.

Much as we may deplore partisanship in Washington, bipartisan disasters are often twice as bad as partisan disasters-- and this is a bipartisan disaster in the making.

Too many people who argue that there is a beneficial role for the government to play in the economy glide swiftly from that to the conclusion that the government will in fact confine itself to playing such a role.

In the light of history, this is a faith which passeth all understanding. Even in the case of the Great Depression of the 1930s, increasing numbers of economists and historians who have looked back at that era have concluded that, on net balance, government intervention prolonged the Great Depression.

Many of those who have, over the years, praised the fact that this was the first time that the federal government took responsibility for trying to get the country out of a depression do not ask what seems like the logical follow-up question: Did this depression therefore end faster than other depressions where the government stood by and did nothing?

The Great Depression of the 1930s was in fact the longest-lasting of all our depressions.
Government policy in the 1930s was another bipartisan disaster. Despite a myth that Herbert Hoover was a "do nothing" president, he was the first President of the United States to step in to try to put the economy back on track.

With the passing years, it has increasingly been recognized that what FDR did was largely a further extension of what Hoover had done. Where Hoover made things worse, FDR made them much worse.

Herbert Hoover did what Barack Obama is proposing to do. Hoover raised taxes on high-income people and put restrictions on international trade, in order to try to save American jobs. It didn't work then and it is not likely to work now.

Perhaps the most disastrous of all the counterproductive policies of the federal government was the National Industrial Recovery Act under FDR, which set out to do exactly what the politicians today want to do-- micro-manage businesses.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court declared that Act unconstitutional, sparing the country an even bigger disaster.

Today, it is unlikely that the courts will let anything as old-fashioned as the Constitution stand in the way of "change." In short, the economy today has some serious problems but things are not desperate, though they can be made desperate by politicians.

z GOD BLESS THOMAS SOWELL..........now, if only someone would LISTEN TO HIM.

Liberman to Obama.........perfect!!! Earth to Lieberman...we get that you're a Democrat again

Lieberman says Obama's cabinet picks so far are "Almost perfect". I wonder what position he'll be getting....anybody got a suggestion?

Conservative News...check it out

Check out Conservative News. He's got a very good piece on Conservatives there. Lots of us are having the same exact feelings (it's amazing how many are saying the same thing lately...kind of reassuring) but he's articulated them so well I thought I'd link to him.

Thanksgiving relatives?

Thanksgiving relatives....

anybody got a colorful one they'd like to share with us!?

(and we won't tell!)

Ramos and Compean still in jail? PARDON me?

No agenda in this Yahoo news article, huh? (read to the end, it's pretty amazing)

Bush is pardoning people........anybody think he'll pardon the two border patrol agents, Ramos and Compean? Yes, there were circumstances which were questionable and we should question what happened, but what a terrible message their incarceration has sent.....

Think he'll pardon them? Who wants to place a bet? It's Thanksgiving..we should give thanks to those guys, not keep them locked up.

z

HISTORY CHANNEL 10 PM TONIGHT...you won't want to miss it

THE HISTORY CHANNEL is airing a magnificent documentary about something Americans don't learn about: The German resistance to Hitler. It was much more than Claus von Stauffenberg, who most of us have heard of, but he was quite a leader and risk taker in the effort. MANY men put their lives on the line and lost their lives, too, in trying to stop Hitler and I think it's an important aspect of history we'd all be better off for knowing.

This documentary adds to the story and includes some video from the new film..... Valkyrie. A friend was the production coordinator for this documentary and brought it over for us to watch Friday night. We were very impressed and I highly recommend that you see it.

z

"Did that really happen?" the couple at the lower right hand corner asks. You bet. Can it happen again?

MAIL FOR MIKEY...Orson Bean's new book

Just one more plug for my friend Orson Bean's new book, MAIL FOR MIKEY.... It would be such a good Christmas gift. The Christianity focus is making it a problem for many book chains and they're not carrying it like they might. Imagine? They're not carrying a book by ORSON BEAN, one of THE best RACONTEURS and story tellers around (yes, I know you all know what a raconteur is but I had to look up the spelling so I figured I'd link while I was there, just in case!). You can get it through Amazon.com (linked above) (the book, not reconteurship, more's the pity!)

Orson was on Dennis Miller recently and Dennis wants him on as a monthly guest...the first guest he's done this with. Michael Medved also had him on the other day. Orson is a terrific guy and his book is PERFECT for those on the fence of faith...who think they're TOO HIP for belief! And it's a great confirmation for those of us already there...

Any of you have connections with Christian Radio Station/interviewers, etc.? I love Orson and his wife Alley Mills Bean (you recognize her in that picture if you ever watched THE WONDER YEARS, she was the MOM!), and more people should hear about this book! Let me know. Obviously, with a man with Orson's celebrity, it's not sales proceeds he's after, it's more desire to inspire people.... so I'd like to see him do more interviews.

I'm hoping you'll all get to hear Orson somewhere....... it's a good book, he's a great interview on any subject, and he's a man of real solid convictions in faith and politics. Just thought I'd remind you since I did post on this in October! Let me know if you know any radio station people. Thanks!

z

Some Sunday music.......kind of appropriate!

Enjoy the song.........In God we DO TRUST. Have a lovely Sunday......

Mr. and Mrs. Z

z

Almost time to give thanks....! And do you have any TIPS for Thanksgiving?

It's a good idea to start with a little humor, don't you think!?

Plus, DO YOU HAVE A STUFFING INGREDIENT OUT OF THE ORDINARY? WHAT MAKES YOUR STUFFING SPECIAL? I'd LOVE to know! Thanks!

z

Snow or Sand.......that is the question!

Sometimes I see a picture like this....early snow in Germany today.....

...and that makes me REAL glad I live in LA.............

But, then I see a picture like this, and I'm not so sure!.......Is that CUTE or WHAT?

z

ACT FOR AMERICA....We MUST

I couldn't let this article on ACT For America not be read by more people because of the importance of it so I posted it here from Frontpagemag.com. Please read it and think about how much we stand to lose if Americans don't start standing up to those who come to our country and start calling the shots. We have a culture and it's time our guests started accepting it. In the past, other cultures came here hungry to become Americans, to live by our laws, to adapt and engage in our culture. This created the great American success story. Are we watching the great American destruction story?

What's happened that turned this around? I really would like to know what you think. And I'd like to know if any of you knows the final resolution on the Tysons Foods situation. I'm not sure Brigitte Gabriel in this piece is correct...I know Labor Day got reinstated but I believe the muslim holiday was also added. She says it won't stand next year, do you know? I can't find anything updated on Google.

Aristotle said "Tolerance and apathy are the last virtues of a dying society"....I think that's appropriate in this case. Nobody here doesn't welcome others to practice their cultures in their homes and even in special events on the American scene, but I think it's not asking too much to put ours first, do you?

Have we become too tolerant and apathetic? How? When? And WHY?

Just a little addition I have been thinking about: The Somali pirate situation is an excellent metaphor for US and how we're handling Islamists. A HUGE OIL TANKER can't resist pesky tiny boats coming at them? The excuse the tanker people are using is "we can't tell if they're pirates or not so we can't shoot!" Really? What do they think these boats are doing, delivering pineapples from tanker to tanker? Right now, aren't we like those TANKERS with a crew of 400 who somehow can't figure out what's going ON? A crew which can't develop a way to ascertain what's what? Isn't that us now? "Gee, we don't dare to get tough, wire tap, use waterboards, because what if...?" But, WHAT IF THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS live because we took a chance and stood up for ourselves? What if we err on OUR SIDE starting today? Think things might change? you bet.

z (thanks to Pris for the link)

Joe the Plumber....But, all he did was......!!

Joe the Plumber's back in the news: GUESS WHAT! Those investigations have been deemed 'improper'. I hope they didn't pay much for that assessment. You and I could have done it for free. Here's a pertinent snippet from the linked article:

"All these searches were done in the midst of a national political campaign," the report said. "But we did not find any evidence that shows the data was accessed or information released in response to media requests in an effort to support any political activity or agenda.".......The report looked into 18 background checks into Samuel J. Wurzelbacher, a Toledo-area man known as Joe the Plumber. He became a household name in the final weeks of the presidential campaign after asking Obama about his tax plan at a campaign stop near Toledo.
Eight of the checks were done without any legitimate business purpose, the report said."

Here's a gem from the link: "Republicans were furious that Wurzelbacher was targeted, saying that he was simply a private citizen who stood up and questioned the Democratic presidential candidate."

I'm eager to hear the Left justify this one, aren't you? Keith Olbermann on an American citizen being investigated for simply having given an opinion or asked a question of a presidential candidate? How about Tom Brokaw? How about Pelosi or Reid? You think any of them will dare speak out FOR JOE? Obama? Or are we destined to a media which allows this to happen...as long as it's THEIR guy who was questioned?

And, do you know there are still people who think Joe was put up to it by the Republicans? So reactive and so uninformed. This is Brown Shirt stuff, folks. We need to be real careful what we ask, what we say.... In AMERICA??? SINCE WHEN?

z

Wal-Mart....or Wal-Street?

HOW BIG IS WAL-MART? (Z: another one I wish I WROTE!)

1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.

2.This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!

3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th)than Target sells all year.

4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot +Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco +K-Mart combined.

5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million peopleand is the largest private employer.

6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.

7. Wal-Mart now sells more foodthan Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.

8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy(including Winn-Dixie).

9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.

10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.

11. This year, 7.2 billion differentpurchasing experiences will occurat a Wal-Mart store.(Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)

12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart

13. Let Wal Mart bail out Wall Street!

Z: Of course, Wal-Mart's non-union success MUST be stopped by the Left.....Can you believe this? No one is safe from those who can't take American success stories. "You're doing too well...you MUST be stopped!" When did this HAPPEN in America, folks!?

geeeeeeZ!
z

Zawahiri to Barack....a warning? a reminder?

You've all heard that Al Qaeda's Zawahiri is warning Obama about sending more troops to Afghanistan. He's also using some ridiculous line that I've heard and read that Europeans think has come from America recently, too...that we call Rice and other Black leaders "House Negroes," like Malcom X (who finally repudiated Islam...actually, I've had a begrudging admiration for him for years, don't sue me!) happened to have done at one point for Blacks who'd risen to power. Have you heard anyone use that lately? Who has?

Putting that aside, Zawahiri is getting a little racist and a little threatening...basically "Be nice to muslims, or..."

You think he realizes how weak Obama is, how much he needs to please? Do you think he's trying to appeal to Obama's muslim training in Jakarta? Is using racist tactics aimed at forcing Obama's hand to show he's NOT racist OR anti Islam?

Do you think Obama would allow this baiting to influence him? Here's a guy who (literally) gave the 'finger' to Hillary AND McCain (I can provide the videos, just ask, they're on YouTube) and got huge applause from the campaign crowds so we see it meant a lot to be 'cool' and 'liked'...enough to put class and decorum aside. This is worrisome in a president.... what do you think?

z

Rescue Plan. Got a comment or a caption?

Americans With No Abilities Act...New Legislation...I did NOT WRITE THIS, but wish I HAD!

Washington, DC - Congress is considering sweeping legislation that will provide new benefits for many Americans. The Americans With No Abilities Act (AWNAA) is being hailed as a major legislative goal by advocates of the millions of Americans who lack any real skills or ambition.

'Roughly 50 percent of Americans do not possess the competence and drive necessary to carve out a meaningful role for themselves in society,' said California Senator Barbara Boxer. 'We can no longer stand by and allow People of Inability to be ridiculed and passed over. With this legislation, employers will no longer be able to grant special favors to a small group of workers, simply because they have some idea of what they are doing.'

In a Capitol Hill press conference, House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pointed to the success of the *U.S. Postal Service, which has a long-standing policy of providing opportunity without regard to performance. Approximately 74 percent of postal employees lack any job skills, making this agency the single largest U.S. employer of Persons of Inability.

Private-sector industries with good records of non-discrimination against the Inept include *retail sales (72%), the *airline industry (68%), and *home improvement 'warehouse' stores (65%). At the state government level, the Department of Motor Vehicles also has an excellent record of hiring Persons of Inability (63%). Under the Americans With No Abilities Act, more than 25 million 'middle man' positions will be created, with important-sounding titles but little real responsibility, thus providing an illusory sense of purpose and performance. Mandatory non-performance-based raises and promotions will be given so as to guarantee upward mobility for even the most unremarkable employees.

The legislation provides substantial tax breaks to corporations that promote a significant number of Persons of Inability into middle-management positions, and gives a tax credit to small and medium-sized businesses that agree to hire one clueless worker for every two talented hires. Finally, the AWNAA contains tough new measures to make it more difficult to discriminate against the Non-abled, banning, for example, discriminatory interview questions such as, 'Do you have any skills or experience that relate to this job?'

'As a Non-abled person, I can't be expected to keep up with people who have something going for them,' said Mary Lou Gertz, who lost her position as a lug-nut twister at the GM plant in Flint, Michigan, due to her inability to remember rightey tightey, lefty loosey. 'This new law should be real good for people like me,' Gertz added. With the passage of this bill, Gertz and millions of other untalented citizens will finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Said Senator Dick Durban (D-IL): 'As a Senator with no abilities, I believe the same privileges that elected officials enjoy ought to be extended to every American with no abilities. It is our duty as lawmakers to provide each and every American citizen, regardless of his or her adequacy, with some sort of space to take up in this great nation and a good salary for doing so.'

(*Z means no offense to postal workers (one of my favorite people is one....actually 2 because my postman is a great guy), airline employees, retail sales people, or home improvement warehouses.....not so fast there with the DMV...they have FAR too 'excellent a record in hiring the inept'!! Just thought this was kind of fun and hope you enjoyed it, too!)

z

My Gay Cousin

You'd have liked him. He was at least twenty years older than I am, and really not a cousin, but in my family, when someone's family's been close to another family for years and years, they get 'family names'. We call the older ladies in those close families "Auntie", for example. You probably have that kind of thing in your family, too, right? Something we've lost in America these days is that kind of respect, but some of us remember, I'll bet. Funny....but I just remembered, his mother was one of those dear ladies we never did refer to as "Auntie"....she was always "Mrs. X...." because she was SO dignified, so sort of 'regal', as well as respected. But, she was every bit as close to me as those "Aunties". When she died, she left everything to her family members....and to me. 3 sterling silver bracelets for me...because I'd loved her and respected her enough to visit her in the old age home she'd been moved to in the last few months of her life. I never, ever wear those bracelets without thinking of MRS. X.

Back to my cousin. He was probably gay. We think. He never talked about it, he never complained about it, he was just a wonderful man, period. He loved the arts, supported young musicians, and sang quite well, too. He was very involved with his church and very much loved by all he knew there. He had a friend whose name I'll also leave out for privacy sake. He was dignified, kind and fun. My cousin brought him to various concerts and banquets, and we all liked them both, though we didn't see the friend too often...he knew when to bring him and when it might not be the best idea. And I'm sure my cousin didn't mind.

This wonderful cousin had a large and loving family and was very good to them in every way....he also cared very much for his friends. He owned an 'ethnic' delicacy/food store, having inherited it from Mr and Mrs X, and worked there all his life, hiring Mexicans once other family members had retired and he was in full charge. When he died very unexpectedly, the Mexicans who worked there adored him so much for his kindness and thoughtfulness to him all those years that they were offered the purchase of the place and they did buy it. I don't know the business details, but that's what I do know. They also supplied the funeral dinner and a recent memorial dinner, on the anniversary of his passing. They supplied it. On them. They loved him that much. They are thriving in this business now. An 'ethnic' specialty store owned by an American-born fellow now owned and run by Mexicans, quite beautifully. The wave of the future? I don't know. But, if it is, I'd say this is a positive wave. A nicer, more productive, family-oriented bunch you couldn't find. And oh, do they appreciate the opportunity their ex-boss and America offered them!

My cousin never marched in a gay parade, he never wore effeminate clothing, he never held his friend's hand in public. As far as I know, he never held his hand in private...how do I KNOW? But, the talk, kind and adoring in spite of the subject, was that he and his friend were 'close'.

With my cousin, it was his spirit, his kindness, and his caring, which will remain in our hearts. I was reminded of him yesterday, when my mother said "You know, I missed getting X's call today......it reminded me of how much I miss him and how good a man he was........with these fires, he'd have called and asked if I was safe. He always called me if there was the slightest thought that something might be amiss with me or my neighborhood..."

That was my cousin. I think he probably took more pleasure in giving me the 3 silver bracelets from his mother than he did being left her estate. He'd been touched that I'd gone to visit her, but really, that was for ME. I loved her and took a lot of pleasure in seeing how much she appreciated my visits.

He lived his life as the man he was, never wearing his preference on his sleeve, always there for us, always respectable, always his very dignified and happy self. Another thing that reminded me of him today is this article at my buddy Clark's blog. It's a piece by another very dignified American, a gay cop commenting on the terrible way other gays are reacting since Prop 8 passed in California. I recommend you read it.

Let's remember that not all gays are unfulfilled, in-your-face, mean, angry or violent...or anti Christianity. For my cousin's sake. Thanks.

z

They don't make immigrants like THIS anymore...or DO they?

An Armistice Day Story... a little late, but who cares? You won't, after reading this!

In 1918, during World War I, Israel Baline, a Jewish immigrant from
Russia served in the US Army stationed at Camp Upton near Yaphank on
New York's Long Island. Baline, a songwriter, staged a musical revue,
Yip, Yip, Yaphank which was billed as a military mess cooked up by
the boys of Camp Upton. He cut one of the songs he had written for
the show because he did not think that it was appropriate for the
scene in which it was to be sung. The sheet music lay neglected in his songwriter's trunk for twenty years.

In 1938, almost a year before Hitler's troops invaded Poland
precipitating World War II, Baline was asked to write a new patriotic
song for an Armistice Day radio broadcast. He tried but was unhappy
with all his efforts. Then he remembered the song he had written in
1918. It was sung on the November 10, 1938 broadcast and became an
immediate hit. The following year, all of the royalties were assigned
to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Those organizations
continue to receive these proceeds. He gave up the royalties because
he did not want to capitalize on this expression of gratitude that he,
as an immigrant, felt for the United States.

The songwriter: Irving Berlin
The singer: Kate Smith
The song: God Bless America

z

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone......and remember....

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

Welcome to Life with the Clintons...must be quite a cozy place!

Can you picture what the Clinton breakfast table conversation sounded like this morning when they opened their copies of the New York Times? That breakfast room is awfully close to the knife drawer, don't you think!? Here's a snippet from the linked article:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton's globe-trotting business deals and fundraising for his foundation sometimes put his activities abroad at odds with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and could cause complications if President-elect Barack Obama picks her to be secretary of state.

Yes, fellow bloggers, sometimes there IS divine justice. You think SHE was madder or HE was madder? Or, does it REALLY 'madder'?!

z

California fires....please offer a prayer

Mr and Mrs Z are fine where we live but there are plenty of people who are losing their homes in this weekend's fires. Extreme heat, winds and low humidity are making it difficult to fight the fires, too. Please pray for the people losing their homes, for their calm and the kind of peace "which transcends all understanding" because I imagine that losing one's home is quite the tough ordeal, to say the least. Pray also for the heroic fire fighters who do such amazing jobs in such terrible hot, dirty, dangerous conditions, too.

There was a fellow whose name I'll use here because it was on our local channel: Steve Sprenger. I use his name because he and his wife and children deserve your particular prayers, too. He called into the channel and said he was very sure his house was gone, but he'd sent his wife and their kids in their cars to safety and stayed behind to do some watering of his backyard which he almost said had helped save ten homes (i'm thinking there had been an ember fire he'd put out just in time in his yard but not in time for his own house)....I say "almost said" because he swallowed his words when he realized it sounded like he was calling himself heroic but it was clear what he'd almost said. And it was seemed clear from the little he said that it was heroic.) What a man. The newscasters gave him their condolences and he said "I've lived here for 45 years and there have been many fires we've escaped but I've been lucky and now, I guess, it's my turn. Please, my family will be just fine, I ask that you and your listeners pray for all the other families losing everything they have today. They're the ones who really need it." He was so amazing I had to share that with you.

Pray for the Sprenger family and all those who are losing their homes, please. It's like chicken soup (even you atheist palshere), it can't "hoit!" Thanks so much.

UPDATE: I'm now hearing our electricity may need rolling black outs throughout LA due to the fire......I get nuts just having no computer for a while...sure puts into perspective losing one's home. Please pray for this situation, too.

z

You've got the afternoon to yourself........

You have nothing to do.

(absolutely nothing)

Sooooo...what DO you do?

z

Barbara Walters has a new special tonight...

Barbara Walters was on one of the morning shows today talking about her latest special:

WHAT IS A MAN? WHAT IS A WOMAN?

Yes, that's the title. This is because she's featuring the PREGNANT MAN, who, it appears, is pregnant again. (a Walters scoop, isn't that marvelous for Barbara!?)

Barbara mentions that we'll see the happy couple at home and "we'll talk about how they make love.." and, of course, "....we didn't do this to be sensational......."

We understand. And, don't worry, Barbara, maybe you'll have done enough in this regard, airing this type of 'unsensational' show, that it truly won't be 'sensational' in five years. THEN what will you feature? (That she can keep a straight face through her words has always been an amusement to me...she's quite the show woman, isn't she?$$$)

By the way, the pregnant father was born a woman, kept the parts necessary for child rearing, and is now referrred to these people as a MAN because he sports a mustache, has shortish hair, and has no breasts? really? Oh, and as Barbara points out "he also had emotional counseling..." so NOW he's a man. Ah hah.

With stories like MEN having BABIES, and GAYS MARRYING....some people think society will be strengthened. What do you think this does to society, and when it's in full gear (and it will be), are we better off for it? Are our children healthier? Are all those things which contributed to societal 'balance' all these 2000 years really so unnecessary?

I'm fascinated by this. OH, after I saw Barbara on TV, I switched to The Today Show and Tyra Banks was discussing how terrible it is that so many teenaged girls are having sex and the diseases they're getting "because they don't have protected sex!" Here's a woman who's had whole shows on sexy lingerie, how best to please a man (hint; it's not 'through his stomach' like we were taught!), etc.etc.......and her reason for children having sex is THE PARENTS! Rachael Ray's show, months ago, had a woman from the audience who'd been recently divorced and has a teen aged daughter, posing in very sexy lingerie on the stage to show that she can still be attractive to men "this will help her feel confident, and you never KNOW when you'll meet someone, got to have sexy underwear on!"

How can we blame our kids? What now? Oh, something new I just heard: Seattle's parks are refusing to ban public nudity. Ya, barbecue with your kids, go for a swim, just know strangers will be naked around you.......just like puppies, aren't they? Puppies aren't particularly sacred, either.

z

DEFEATING THE TOTALITARIAN LIE...a book worth checking into?

I know this is highly controversial. That's good.

Please read the linked article...it's not long and Grassroots.com has something you'll want to click on, too.

Read it, digest it, and let's please think about it. Here's a bit from the linked article:

Washington– Because it has abandoned moral absolutes and its historic Christian faith, the U.S. is moving closer to a Nazi-style totalitarianism, warns a former German member of the Hitler Youth in a new book.
"Every day brings this nation closer to a Nazi-style totalitarian abyss," writes Hilmar von Campe, now a U.S. citizen, and author of "Defeating the Totalitarian Lie: A Former Hitler Youth Warns America."

Here's what bugs me; We can't even DISCUSS this without the Left screaming "CHRISTIAN FAITH? We shouldn't mention that in America!" or "NAZIs....everything you Rightwing nuts don't like, you call NAZI" (funny, but so does Dick Durbin, right?...or should I say 'left?'!)

We don't need to go to the extreme of the threat of NAZIsm in America to discuss that we're in real scary, almost unrecognizable territory right now, do we? No. But, can we ignore that there are signs which tell us we'd better be careful? Will we let the Left bully the Right by calling us names and saying how "extreme" we are because we're trying to make sure nothing remotely like NAZIsm happens here? Is it really going too far to think something pretty awful could happen here in this country we all love so much?

z (thanks, Pris)

Black listed for not supporting Gay Marriage?

"We wake up one morning and we have rights, we wake up another morning and we have NONE." (NONE?)

What do you think of this situation? Is it not a constitutional right to voice an opinion and financially support it without getting black listed or otherwise publicly insulted?

Mormons are being hit the hardest because they financially supported California's Proposition 8 which says marriage should stay between a man and a woman. The irony is that the gay groups are talking about boycotting anything Mormon, including Utah, including the Sundance Film Festival! (Robert Redford will LOVE this!) Black churches, which also very heavily supported Prop 8, are not being targeted. I guess it's not cool to attack Black churches, but Mormons are fair game?

Some gays are questioning these tactics, but it's obvious many are for it. For these groups on the video and others, it's "Ya, we KNOW we had an election and the people have spoken, but the people are WRONG and WE will show you and YOU will suffer!" what? Wait, are gays OUTING people now? We're going from Gay BASHING (nice that we've moved on from that) to Gay BASHERS? wow.

So, where do we Americans go when we see liberal groups going to these extremes against the majority who voted because they don't like what the majority decided? What can be done? Do these people see NO irony in that THEY're supposed to be the BIG PROGRESSIVES? Don't progressives understand the constitution?

z

Church Bulletin Out Takes.......enjoy!

Church Bulletins: Thank God for church ladies with typewriters -- misspellings, bad sentence construction or choice of words all make for fun reading. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services:

The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.

The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.' The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'

Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. Bring your husbands! It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house.

The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been cancelled due to a conflict.

Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.

Miss Charlene Mason sang 'I Will Not Pass This Way Again,' giving obvious pleasure to the congregation.

For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

The Rector will preach his farewell message after which the choir will sing: 'Break Forth Into Joy.'

Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.

At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.

Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered

Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.

The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.

This evening at 7 PM there will be hymn-singing in the park across from the Church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin!

Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B. S. is done.

The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him their electric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday

Low Self-Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door

Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use large double door at the side entrance

Z: Things like these really do get typed...We had a typo in our church bulletin about 4 weeks ago I honestly can't publish here it was SO raunchy!

z

Why believe in GOD? Be good for GOODNESS' sake!!

From the AP: WASHINGTON, D.C. — You better watch out. There is a new combatant in the Christmas wars.

Ads proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday....... .....Last month, the British Humanist Association caused a ruckus announcing a similar campaign on London buses with the message: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

Z: Funny, the day I'D be really worried is the very day I was thoroughly convinced "there's probably no God." There's healthy doubt, of course........but imagine living without the promise, the solace, the strength? What are your thoughts on this?

INJURED MARINE SEMPER FI FUND.... Our guys are so worth it

I've been hearing a lot about the INJURED MARINE SEMPER FI FUND today on Hugh Hewitt. All afternoon, he's had injured marines telling how MUCH this organization has done for them and their families. They pay for hotel rooms for families to be near their injured soldier, they equip homes with handicapped equipment for wheelchairs, etc., they stay with the Marines through surgeries, offering moral and financial support. Everyone interviewed couldn't say enough about this wonderful PRIVATE (i.e. not governmental) organization.

Whenever you read this, whether it's still Veteran's Day or the day after, please consider sending a little money to this unbelievably important, efficient, and generous charity.

Our soldiers deserve it. Thanks. Z

VETERANS DAY

A Soldier's Prayer
By Jesse J. Sparks

It's time to sleep
I've been relieved

My rifle at my side
My knife in it's sheath

Lord let me live another day
As I put myself in harms way

I made my choice, I took the oath
I stand for freedom, but I don't boast

My God, my country, my family
The things I hold so dear

With these all on my side
There's nothing for me to fear

But if I should fall before my next relief
I will stand before you Lord with honor and dignity

So, while I'm here please make me strong
To fight the battles and right what's wrong

God Bless America

Z: And God Bless all our soldiers, those who lost their lives, those who we honor for having served, and all their soldier families. How can we ever forget them all?

Lindsay Lohan and Swinging Couples.... GOOD for America?

I'm wondering what you think....Here's a bit from the article I linked below. Lindsay Lohan is admitting she's, well...not a lesbian, exactly...but just 'blessed' to feel comfortable with her bartender girlfriend.

"While Samantha is the first woman Lindsay has admitted to dating publicly, when asked if she had previously "been with a girl" by Harper's, the actress replied, "I don't know, maybe."
Lindsay said she does not consider herself a lesbian, but as for whether she thinks of herself as bisexual, she told the magazine, "maybe."
"I don't want to classify myself," she continued. "First of all, you never know what's going to happen -- tomorrow, in a month, a year from now, five years from now. I appreciate people, and it doesn't matter who they are, and I feel blessed to be able to feel comfortable enough with myself that I can say that."
The star of the upcoming film "Labor Pains" also said she plans to get married some day, though she doesn't know whether it would be to a man or a woman."

And then there is the TV Show SWINGTOWN. In the interests of complete disclosure, I don't even know what station it's on, never watched it, but I'm hearing things about it. Here's something I pulled from Google:

"I think even though this show is a little out there, thats what makes it so great. So many shows on right now are all the same. This is a great show and it needs to stay on so there is a little variety on tv.

A rumor of cancellation prompts these comments on a TV Show blog:

"This show is AMAZING and original. The show is unlike many others out today. The storyline is very unique and it is something for people who are outside of the mainstream and are tired of the same old shows/concepts."

"We record and watch on Tuesdays (nothing else is on). I love the 70’s feel and freedom of the show…just what we need today."

Here is a 'recap' of the show and its merits:

"Want to keep your marriage intact? Sleep Around Take It to the Limit - Everyone takes it to the limit one last time -- and only one couple ends the season (and, let's face it, the series) firmly intact. That it's Tom and Trina who manage to hang together says something about the merits of promiscuity."

Z: You know, it just feels like beauty's leaving us....privacy, the sanctity of marriage, decency......it seems to me that societies due better observing some kind of decorum. Someone who thinks I'm worrying too much will predictably suggest that NOT honoring Lindsay Lohan's being featured on the YAHOO Homepage this afternoon is unkind and homophobic. I don't think I'm either. I think it's just sad that we've come to where this is so 'normal', so accepted. She can do anything she wants in private...who cares? I'm wondering if peoples' sex lives aren't always better left in private? Does it REALLY warrant YAHOO HEADLINES?

As for the SWINGTIME TV show, as with DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES (another show I have to admit I have not watched, except for the ad for it which showed a woman having sex with some guy on her dining table), is swapping mates for sex really something we want to champion in America? Again, is it maybe better left in private if one's just got to do it? How many marriages has it HURT?

It's a TONE I'm talking about here.....not really the actions. Everyone knows all of this has been going on since the dawn of man. Is it better OUT THERE? Or is it really pretty destructive in the long run, sort of Roman Empire Fall fodder?

just wondered what you think...Am I getting old, or does this all just sound so cheap?

z

Obama HOLIDAY?

Planning under way for Obama holiday

The Capital-Journal Published Sunday, November 09, 2008

Plans are being made to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama, who will become the nation's 44th president when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20.

"Yes We Can" planning rallies will be at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the downtown McDonald's restaurant, 1100 Kansas Ave., until Jan. 13. The goals are to secure a national holiday in Obama's honor, to organize celebrations around his inauguration and to celebrate the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12 1809.

At 7:30 a.m. on Inauguration Day, Obama Cake will be served at the downtown McDonald's, and a celebration is scheduled for 8 p.m. to midnight Jan. 20 at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 S.E. 6th.

For more information, contact Sonny Scroggins, (785) 232-3761, 845-6148

Z: You might want to give ol' Sonny a call!

Steven Den Beste says it The Best(e)

Election view by Steven Den Beste - November 4, 2008

Not the end of the world (Z's comments, too...)

It's easy to let yourself go in despair and start thinking things like "We are well-and-truly xxxx'd" or "This is the worst of all possible outcomes". But it isn't true. (yes, it is; considering the other outcome would have been Obama losing, this IS the worst of all possible outcomes.)

I think this election is going to be a "coming of age" moment for a lot of people. They say, "Be careful what you wish for" and a lot of people got their wish yesterday. And now they're bound to be disappointed. Not even Jesus could satisfy all the expectations of Obama's most vocal supporters, or fulfill all the promises Obama has made. (I'm very sure Jesus could, but that's beside the point. The rest is absolutely true....how many times did we try to tell Americans "be careful what you wish for?)

I think Obama is going to turn out to be the worst president since Carter, and for the same reason: good intentions do not guarantee good results. Idealists often stub their toes on the wayward rocks of reality, and fall on their faces. And the world doesn't respond to benign behavior benignly.

But there's another reason why: Obama has been hiding his light under a basket. A lot of people bought a pig in a poke today, and now they're going to find out what they bought. Obama isn't what most of them think he is. The intoxication of the cult will wear off, leaving a monumental hangover. (And this pig never DID have lipstick on)

And four years from now they'll be older and much wiser.

A lot of bad things are going to happen during this term. But I don't think that this is an irreversible catastrophe for the union. I've lived long enough to absorb this basic truth: the US is too large and too strong to destroy in just 4 years. Or even in 8. We survived 6 years of Nixon. We survived 4 years of Carter. We even survived 8 years of Clinton, God alone knows how.(Well, terrorism and Iran's nukes could give us a run as far as surviving 4 years, but I'm hoping this guy's optimism is right)

The President of the United States is the most powerful political figure in the world, but as national executives go his powers are actually quite restricted. Obama will become President, but he won't be dictator or king, let alone deity. He still has to work with the House and the Senate, and he still has to live within Constitutional restrictions, and with a judiciary that he mostly didn't appoint. (He didn't get that senate majority but he's already planning to overturn Bush's stands on stem cell and gobal warming and he can slide those right by.....facts aren't important to these people; WE know embryonic cells haven't worked as other stem cells have but this is about abortion, isn't it, not stem cells, "got to kill those babes".......he also belongs to the group of nonthinkers who don't find it odd that NO invitations to the big Bali Warming convention went to those who do NOT feel this latest warming is mostly caused by humans! THAT's open minded, right? AGENDA, this is all agenda..not thoughtful decisions based on ALL the information..that's scary)

The main reason this will be a "coming of age" moment is that now Obama and the Democrats have to put up or shut up. Obama got elected by making himself a blank slate, with vapid promises about "hope" and "change" -- but now he actually has to do something. Now he has to reveal his true agenda. And with the Democrats also having a majority in both chambers of Congress, now the Democrats really have to lead. And they're not going to do a very good job of it. It's going to be amusing to watch. ("amusing" isn't the word I'd use, but it'll be interesting, that's for sure!)

And the people who fell for the demagoguery will learn an invaluable lesson. (they deserve it)
Oh, the Democrats try to blame failure on Republican filibusters, of which there will be many. But that's always been a factor in our system, and many people believe it's an important check on government excess. The tradition in the Senate is that it is supposed to be a buffer against transient political fads, and the filibuster is a major part of that. (this is why I begged obama voters to please consider voting for the Republican senator or congressman...when did Americans stop believing in checks and balances?)

If the Democrats go all in, and change the filibuster rule, then they'll have truly seized the nettle with both hands and won't have any excuses any longer. That's why they won't do it. It's their last fig-leaf. But even with the filibuster rule in place, they'll be stuck trying to deliver now on all the promises implied, or inferred, during this election. The Republicans can only filibuster on bills the Democrats have already proposed.

And it ain't possible for the Democrats to deliver what's been promised. Gonna be a hell of a lot of disillusioned lefties out there. A lot of people who felt they were deceived. A lot of people who will eventually realize that the Obama campaign was something of a cult. Disillusionment will turn to a feeling of betrayal. And that will, in turn, convert to anger. (What a mix; heartbroken conservatives and disillusioned lefties..)

In the mean time, Obama and Congressional Democrats will do things that cause harm, but very little of it will be irreversible.

I would have enjoyed watching lefty heads explode if McCain had won. But we're going to see lefty heads exploding anyway; it's just going to take longer.

In the mean time, those of us who didn't want Obama to be president have to accept that he is. And let's not give in to the kind of paranoid fever dreams that have consumed the left for the last 8 years. Let us collectively take a vow tonight: no "Obama derangement syndrome". Obama is a politician. He isn't the devil incarnate. (Ya, I know..."don't say it, Z!") So what are the good sides of what just happened?

1. It is no longer possible for anyone to deny that the MSM is heavily biased. The MSM have been biased for decades but managed an illusion of fairness. That is no longer possible; the MSM have squandered their credibility during this campaign. They'll never get that credibility back again. (Even the Washington Post admitted it today!)

2. Since the Democrats got nearly everything they hoped for in this campaign, they'll have no excuses and will have to produce. They'll have to reveal their true agenda -- or else make clear that they don't really have any beyond gaining power. (Their true agenda is to make America mediocre, "America doesn't deserve to be the world power..")

3. Every few decades the American people have to be reminded that peace only comes with strength. The next four years will be this generation's lesson. (So, WE know we have no strength left when obama's in power....how long will it take for Iran to find out? Oh, that's right, they already wrote congratulating obama on their luck...I mean HIS luck, sorry.)

Now, a few predictions for the next four years:

1. Obama's "hold out your hand to everyone" foreign policy is going to be a catastrophe. They'll love it in Europe. They're probably laughing their heads off about it in the middle east already.

2. The US hasn't suffered a terrorist attack by al Qaeda since 9/11, but we'll get at least one during Obama's term.

3. We're going to lose in Afghanistan.4. Iran will get nuclear weapons. There will be nuclear war between Iran and Israel. (This is the only irreversibly terrible thing I see upcoming, and it's very bad indeed.)

5. There will eventually be a press backlash against Obama which will make their treatment of Bush look mild. Partly that's going to be because Obama is going to disappoint them just as much as all his other supporters. Partly it will be the MSM desperately trying to regain its own credibility, by trying to show that they're not in his tank any longer. And because of that they are eventually going to do the reporting they should have done during this campaign, about Obama's less-than-savory friends, and about voter fraud, and about illegal fund-raising, and about a lot of other things.and

6. Obama will not be re-elected in 2012. He may even end up doing an LBJ and not even running again. (Z predicts he will be impeached in ...3 years..Yup, I do. There is NO WAY he can survive while not living up to ALL the HOPE AND CHANGE he promised...he'll have angry people to face who'll make Bush haters look like Bush lovers)

One last thing: I'm not saying I'm happy with this outcome. I would much rather have had McCain win. But this is not the end of the world, or the end of this nation. We've survived much worse.And now we need to show the lefties how to lose. Our mission for the next four years is to be in opposition without becoming deranged. (This will be difficult!! no..downright impossible)

UPDATE: One other good thing: no one will be spinning grand conspiracy theories about this administration's Vice President being an evil, conniving genius who is the true power behind the throne. (I'll take 'evil and conniving' as long as 'genius' is part of it....with biden, we only have the 2 two....oh, and DUMB) and I still think his first paragraph was right...we really ARE "well and truly XXX'd"z

z

Is Mr. Bush REALLY giving early clearance to Obama team people? Please let me know...

The German media has reported that President Bush, in an effort to be kind and accomodating, has given full White House security clearance to approximately 100 obama workers. This is a first. Apparently, this never happens until the official Inauguration Day and so I wondered if anybody else had heard about that and what your thoughts are on this. Mine are not printable.

President Bush also has said that he wants to help obama 'hit the ground running' because his will be a 'wartime presidency'.. "Wartime presidency? Obama's?" Does Mr. Bush know how obama feels about the war? I found this from his recent speech about the election results: "We've provided intelligence briefings to the President-Elect, and the Department of Justice has approved security clearances for members of his transition staff. In the coming weeks, we will ask administration officials to brief the Obama team on ongoing policy issues, ranging from the financial markets to the war in Iraq. I look forward to discussing those issues with the President-Elect early next week. "

Does nobody vet anybody anymore? I guess if we can have an unvetted president, we can have unvetted staff members, huh? But, at a time when terrorism is lurking? We have a president-elect who couldn't pass security clearance, we have a staff being rushed in by the justice department, and we have this next president who's promised ACORN they would all be invited to the White House before his inauguration to "help me shape the agenda." It seems to me that Mr. Bush has just made it that much easier. ... I'm not against Bush, I just question this move; tell me I'm wrong.

(you all notice how giddy Mrs. Bush looks these days? I so can't blame her!)

UPDATE: This is the kind of people we're dealing with as far as 'diversity' that obama's supposedly hoping to implement: "Podesta also said Obama is working to build a diverse Cabinet. That includes reaching out to Republicans and independents — part of the broad coalition that supported Obama during the race against Republican John McCain. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been mentioned as a possible holdover.
"He's not even a Republican," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said. "Why wouldn't we want to keep him? He's never been a registered Republican."

That's showing a real will to reach across the aisle, isn't it!? Man, that Reid is REALLY quite a guy, huh?

z

Cartoons sometimes say it better!

Want to get MUGGED? Here's a piece from Mug Center,...

We'll start with glib, bordering on corny: The candidate I voted for didn't win the election, but I know God can use the results to make this a better, holier country. I know the current president-elect scares the devil out of me.

Sticking with glib: McCain made a very magnanimous concession speech Tuesday night. Would that he made it six months ago. Let's hope that next time the Republicans don't nominate the candidate the New York Times tells them is "electable".

If I can wax serious, I'd like to turn to 1954 and the landmark Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education. In this case the Court ruled that the racial segregation of schools is unconstitutional. As Thomas Sowell, black man and preeminent economist-philosopher-scholar-political commentator, described the scene, people all around him were celebrating uproariously, while his reaction was much more reserved. If I may try to characterize his opinion, he lamented the fact that so many around him thought that educational and economic improvement for blacks could be brought about by a legal decision. He knew that true improvement for blacks had more to do with attitudes of personal responsibility.

I found it curious that Sowell had such a tepid reaction to this landmark decision, but on this election night, I felt like I had a better idea of what he was saying. I spent that night in Manhattan close to Times Square. The reaction there was almost a unanimous celebration. There was honking and screaming in the streets past 1 AM. Are people celebrating because they expect an Obama presidency to facilitate some improvement in their lives, or was getting Obama elected the end goal? During Obama's victory speech, he told supporters that they have brought about change to Washington. Chants of "Yes we did" went up. Obama has yet to take office so it's not even sensible to expect him to have brought about change. While viewing the election results, an Obama supporter told me that Obama had a clear mandate. "Mandate to do what?" I asked. That was not so clear.

As repulsive as it is to our senses as it is that a vote would be contingent on the candidate's race, I think there are positive consequences of having elected a black president. I think the claims that America is a racist country ring a bit more hallow. As Deroy Murdock (a black columnist) has pointed out, Obama has shown the black community that they can succeed if they are educated, speak good English, and are clean. (I don't think Murdock used the word "clean". I think I got that from Joe Biden.) Perhaps the Obama economic plan will have to worry about creating two more jobs than it had originally intended: one for Jesse Jackson, one for Al Sharpton.

Regarding the Palin pick, I think McCain is indebted to her for giving him a fighting chance. Is she the most qualified person to lead the conservative movement? I doubt it. Unfortunately, the system requires a certain rock-star persona to appeal to the uninformed voters who are encouraged so strongly to make their uninformed voices heard. Laffer curves and talk about judicial restraint are boring. Playing saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show really shows your qualifications.

I'm finding myself more attracted to the commentators who criticize the obsession with the undecided voters. As a rule, these are not people you want deciding the next leader of the free world. One blogger mentioned someone who claimed to be a pro-life, single-issue voter but was still undecided. A post-debate forum of undecided voters included one who criticized candidates for not giving enough information, yet the voter didn't know the names of the vice-presidential candidates. I don't think he was doing a whole lot to seek what information was available to him. Anyone else in favor of "Get the vote out--of the election process" campaign to end ignorant sufferage?

Looking for a silver lining in this election? California voted to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, overturning the best efforts of an activist state court.

Shall we end on a sinister note? Obama will become the fifth POTUS of the last seven to be left-handed. (From Ford to W, only Carter and W were right-handers.) McCain, by the way, is also a southpaw, as was Ross Perot. The only other lefty presidents were Garfield, Hoover, and Truman. The disproportionate number of lefties in the last 35 years as compared to first 190 is probably the result of the earlier insistence on forcing everyone to be right-handed. Why have there been so many lefties of late? A clandestine lefty lobby controlling us patriotic right-handers? Is there a connection with right-brained (left-handed) people being more inclined toward politics? I don't know, but I hear Mike Huckabee read a Reader's Digest article on left-brain/right-brain.

Obama will probably join Carter and Clinton in a rather special club. As Ann Coulter said--did you hear she has a book coming out at the end of the year?--it's been as if Carter and Clinton are in a competition to see who can be the worst ex-president.

Today's word's were the (definite article), worst (superlative form of bad) and ex-president (former president).

You've just been mugged.

(This was written by a friend and I'm hoping he'll be getting us more pieces like this at geeeeeZ! thanks, M!)

z