If all governments are “ordained of God” it makes no difference who wins the election next week; yea right

So why bother to vote next Tuesday? If every government and every leader in any governmental position is “ordained of God”, then the entire process of electing officials is a lesson in futility. If whoever gets elected by the people is automatically God’s will, then it appears to me that God simply rubber stamps His approval upon the choices of man. Is this how God “ordains” people?

We cannot say out of one side of our mouth that it is our patriotic duty to participate in the election process by voting, and then say out of the other side of our mouth that it really makes no difference because whoever gets elected is “ordained of God”. This is double talk and makes no sense.

If we are going to operate from the pretense that everything in life is predestined to happen, and thus what happens is simply going through the motions needed to make it happen; then why bother thinking, planning or even trying to change a thing? The fatalist finds no compelling reason for promoting anything that might result in altering the predestined course of history.

It is absolutely incredible how those whose agenda involves the “dumbing down” of America’s Christian community have manipulated the groups which put out newer versions of the Bible to communicate what they want put in people’s minds under the pretense of it being God’s Word. Please look at the following translation of Romans 13:1-7 from the popular “Living Bible” translation:

“Obey the government, for God is the one who put it there. All governments have been placed in power by God.

So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow.

For the authorities do not frighten people who are doing right, but they frighten those who do wrong. So do what they say, and you will get along well.

The authorities are set by God to help you. But if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. The authorities are established by God for that very purpose, to punish those who do wrong.

So you must obey the government for two reasons: to keep from being punished and to keep a clear conscience.

Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid so they can keep on doing the work God intended them to do.

Give to everyone what you owe them; Pay your taxes and import duties, and give respect and honor to all to whom it is due.”

The statement made in verse 1 by the newer translations that every government on earth is placed there by God cannot possibly be what Paul was intending when he wrote these words. The idea that “policemen” are automatically God’s ministers and must be obeyed is absurd. If indeed these verses really mean what the newer versions imply, then I fail to see why there should be any problem with the old Soviet Union and the current states of China, Cuba and many other openly socialistic countries.

If these versions are correct, then Karl Marx was a true modern day prophet who should be studied and his ideas promoted as gospel truth. If these versions are correct, then the greatest governments would be those who demand every penny made by its citizens and then doles out to each what it (the government) deems fair and appropriate. All individual freedoms should be suspended and the state should be looked upon as the Great Provider and its agents as the true ministers of God.

Those with eyes to see will clearly be able to see what is up here. These newer versions are conditioning people to accept the coming rule of the antichrist. By instructing believers to voluntarily relinquish their personal rights and freedoms to the state and looking at the state’s officials as God’s ministers instead of pastors, teachers, evangelists, prophets and apostles; the church will cease to function as anything other than a pulpit for the false prophet’s blasphemies.

Oh, I forgot, none of what is recorded in Revelation will ever happen because it is all symbolic and/or it already came to pass. That is right, the level of deception is almost complete. The systemization of error that renders believers as mindless robots blindly following the dictates of the state has reached its desired goal. If God’s people willingly lay down their minds, lives and money to ruthless and godless state authorities, who on earth will God have to stand for Him?

In Revelation 13 the mark of the beast is laid out. Although 90% of Christians mock this idea and refuse to believe such a thing will ever happen; God says in His Word it will. Those who willingly receive the mark of the beast will live to deeply regret it just as those who in ages gone by have allowed themselves to bow down before the idols government leaders insist be worshipped.

Those who profess that every government is ordained by God and every leader is God’s minister must give an account before God for advocating God’s people obey man vs. God. When men of this world, with no love for God dictate God’s people “bow or burn”; only a fool would say the proper spiritual response would be to bow because “God’s minister” said to. Something is horribly wrong when those who are supposed to be God’s ministers abrogate their authority and turn it over to the state under the mistaken notion the state represents the true minister of God.

The true story of how deep the love between a mother and child really is

When it became obvious Friday night that our little dog was not going to be around much longer, my wife suddenly let loose with 30 years of vent up emotions. Never in all the years I have known her have I heard her weep and wail as she did while holding little Peggy in her arms. All I could do was pray.

In her tears she alternately kept telling Peggy she was sorry for her pain and suffering and asking God why He did not heal her. She had prayed so very hard for so very long. I had no answers.

In between outbursts of tears and wailing, she kept asking God; “Why?” There were no answers. She reminded God of how Elijah healed the Shunamite woman’s child and how Jesus raised the centurion’s daughter from the dead. She was begging God one last time to heal her precious little Peggy whom she loved as much as any mother has ever loved her child.

All my wife ever wanted was to bear children. That was her one request in this life. Denied the chance due to medical problems, over time she transferred her need to nurture and give love to various dogs. None received more love and attention than Peggy. Nothing could rip the heart out of my beloved wife more than losing her “child”.

Yesterday, Peggy hung on until my wife got home from work. She refused to give in to the impending death until her “mommy” could hold her one last time. In a moment of cruel irony, after getting home my wife had stepped out of the room for a few moments. While I was on the phone with the Vet asking what to do, Peggy ceased breathing.

For the next hour, my wife could not stop crying. She condemned herself for not being there at the moment of life’s passing. She ended up holding the lifeless dog on her lap for two hours. It took that long for the outpouring of emotion to finally subside and the reality of what happened to sink in.

Some might say, “why grieve so much for a dog”. Others might say, “It was only an animal”. All I can say is that Peggy was to us, and especially my wife, the closest thing to a child she will ever have in this life. Is it really necessary to allow our cold and reason oriented thinking to overrule the need to pour out a lifetime of emotion over the loss of a loved one? Can we not set aside our black/white attitudes and see that there are some who fall in the “gray area”?

When the time came, I gently told my wife she had to let go of the body on her lap. She knew and then proceeded to show the strength that I love so much in her. Knowing her time of grief had run its course, she helped me put Peggy in a bag to temporarily store in a freezer until I can get her to one of the few pet crematories around. From that point on, my wife refused to give in to the temptation to yield to emotions.

In times of extreme sorrow, it does no good to bottle up grief and pretend it is not there. There is no profit in stifling tears under the guise of being “macho”. When someone dies, that is when God’s mechanism for handling such times kicks in. That is when the tears are supposed to flow, and along with them the flood of emotions locked within.

I am deeply thankful for my wife’s ability to not only close the cover on the book when it was time, but to be willing to let all of her grief and love pour out for so long before then. She was willing to drain herself of her emotions and in so doing help God heal her broken heart. I am sure that in His due time, God will answer my wife’s pleas as to WHY He did not heal her little Peggy. I am sure that He had good reasons whether we can understand them or not.

Peggy gave her mommy ten years of unconditional love. She continued to be her “love dog” even when her body was being attacked by first skin issues and then the lethal renal failure. Through it all, Peggy seemed to know that her place in this life was to provide my wife with someone to act as a surrogate child and receive all the love and affection a mother can give her child.

Peggy was truly a special dog and will be missed greatly. Yet, she could suffer no more. Her little body had been eaten alive by the relentless advancement of end stage renal failure. She defied the odds and gave us a full month more than the vets said she had to give. Even as late as two days ago, she still was trying to give the only thing she was strong enough to show and that was a slight wag of her tail when my wife got home from work.

Until the very end, Peggy fought to stay with us. Not so much because she wanted us, but because she knew how much we loved her and how deep the sorrow would be with her passing. Thank you dear little one for giving us every last ounce of your love and devotion. Now, precious one, rest in peace and find comfort in the release from your suffering. Thank you for ten years of love and devotion.

The Donkey in the Closet; The “change” the liberal supermajority will bring

Across the United States, there is one word that has resonated this political season and continues to ring louder and louder the closer we get to November 4^th. That magical word which has whipped millions of Obama supporters into squealing teenagers at a Hannah Montana concert is the word “CHANGE”. Perhaps never before or ever again will one man succeed in persuading millions of previously rational adults into irrational children who refuse to consider the truth.

Americans have absolutely no idea what kind of “changes” are coming between January and May of 2009. The first 100 days of the Obama administration are guaranteed to produce more “changes” than any since 1933 or 1965. One thing is absolutely for sure, and that FDR’s “New Deal” and LBJ’s “Great Society” will both look like Ronald Reagan drafted them compared to BHO’s “New America”.

There is no one who doubts that once the votes are counted in two weeks, not only will Obama win in a landslide; he will have a supermajority to work with in Congress. Not only will there probably be a Democratic majority in the House not seen in 40 years; there will be a filibuster proof Democratic majority in the Senate. This one small detail will enable Obama to do what President Clinton could only dream of doing back in 1993.

Bill Clinton had a majority in both the House and Senate to work with when he took power. But, Bob Dole had 43 GOP Senators which allowed him to block numerous items from being steamrolled through Congress. The last time a President had a supermajority to work with along with a mandate obtained by a landslide victory was President Johnson in 1965.

Some good came out of the rush of programs instituted by LBJ, but the one which tainted his and America’s legacy the most was “WELFARE”. Building upon FDR’s New Deal principles still in place, Johnson sought to literally turn poor (read black) America into a welfare state. His policies did more to set back the causes promoted by Martin Luther King and others than any other. By promoting “learned helplessness” within the inner cities, he opened the door to race riots, welfare babies, the drug culture and gangs which run rampant in all of America’s cities.

Welfare always sounds good to those too lazy to work. Socialism always sounds good to those at the bottom of the pecking order. Marxism always sounds good to those who do not want the responsibility of independence. Dumping the responsibility of food, housing and medical care upon the state always sounds good to those who will not take care of themselves but demand others meet their needs.

All the public works programs instituted by FDR did not pull the United States out of the depression it had settled into. It took World War II to finally stimulate the economy in such a way as to break the back of fourteen years of recession/depression. Those who today advocate public works projects, or worse yet, dumping more money directly into people’s pockets cannot possibly believe it will snap the economy out of its “funk” and lead to prosperity. Or do they?

The Liberal Elitists have flexed their collective muscles and have produced the perfect candidate to usher in their longstanding goal of a socialistic America. Under the guise of “change we can believe in”, Obama and his supermajority in Congress will in short order institute things which cannot be repealed even by a Republican majority in 2011. Just as most of what FDR and LBJ pushed through Congress stands even today, so what Obama and his merry band of Congress people will launch a socialistic program from which there will be no return.

All of us who write, speak or are on the radio better find other employment soon for among the very first things to be crammed through Congress or done via Executive Order will be a crippling Fairness Doctrine which will make posts such as this obsolete. Censorship of the press, nationalization of the money supply and consolidation of power are all out of the Fascist 101 handbook. What we have witnessed over the past two months is the silent revolution which has long been feared would take down this country. By next summer, this country will be turned into a socialistic and fascist state with no room to turn it around. Those who have sat back and done nothing to fight or resist the tide of “change” will have no one but themselves to blame when they see what happens.

The biggest danger in America in the coming two years is civil war. Don’t be surprised to see all weapons seized under the pretense of keeping this from happening. The biggest threat to a fascist Moslem government are the conservative Christians. Don’t be surprised to see IRS regulations passed which take away the sweet tax exempt status from churches and other groups, thus forcing them to shut down unless they tone down their message.

Huge hoaxes are getting ready to be pushed upon people such as global warming which will destroy numerous large companies as they struggle to buy carbon credits to stay in business. Even as the earth continues to cool, there will be the constant yelling about too many emissions and using too much water, electricity and air.

The USA will not be what it is today even one year from now. By two years from now it will be a whole new country with few individual rights and the government acting as the great provider to keep the country afloat financially, having full stomachs and battery cars. Meanwhile, those of us who lived during the present time will only speak of the “good old days” when we chose our Doctor, chose which car to drive, chose our broker and bank and attended the church of our choice. Long gone will be the days of 35% tax rates and numerous wealthy individuals. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

150 million for a political campaign and $1.50 for Ike/Gustov victims

How is it that Americans had 150 million dollars to contribute in September to the Obama campaign but had nothing but excuses when asked to donate to Hurricane Gustov and Ike victims? How is it that Americans claim they have no time or money to travel to Louisiana or Texas to help hurricane victims, but they willingly drive all over the country to attend rallies for both Obama and McCain?

How is it that to this date, neither Presidential candidate nor their running mates have ventured down to the areas devastated by Katrina, Rita, Gustov or Ike? How is it that even the latest attempt by Bill and George to solicit donations for the hurricane victims has been met with a resounding apathy?

Has America gone totally insane? Have the last elements of rational thinking been thrown out the window along with all the Stock Market gains of years gone by? Where has the will to help, serve and love those in distress gone? Has it really evaporated into vapor due to the financial meltdown?

Car sales are down and so are home sales in many parts of the country. Yet, people still find the money to buy 700 inch plasma televisions to watch football on. People still have the funds to drive 95 miles per hour to pay hundreds of dollars to sit in stadiums and arenas to watch athletes paid a king’s ransom play games. People still have the funds to flock to Las Vegas, Atlantic City and various riverboat casinos all over the country.

Funny, all the people crying about having no money have money to buy tons of lottery tickets twice each week. These same people who plead poverty to their church pastor when asked to give, think nothing of dropping hundreds of dollars on beer, whiskey, junk food and tobacco each week. People who would not give a dime to a starving person think nothing of spending enough for 10 meals on one night on the town.

Isn’t it interesting how the same people who show up at political rallies holding signs condemning the sitting President and his party are many of the same people who a short time ago were reaping the financial gains due in large part to the policies in place for years? Isn’t it interesting how people who claimed the most important issues to them in previous elections were abortion, individual rights and other conservative oriented matters suddenly could care less about them when they lose a few dollars in the Stock Market?

The hypocrisy of average Americans is astounding. They go to church on Sunday and feign to be good Christians and then the rest of week live like and associate with heathens. This is nothing new, but it is more pronounced now than ever.

When I saw the picture of Obama’s rally in St. Louis yesterday with 100,000 adoring fans coupled with the news that his campaign raised 150 million dollars in the month of September I felt physically ill. I know some of the people who attended that rally and have given truckloads of money to the Obama campaign. They USED to be people I could count on to help others in times of disaster. Now they claim they have no money and no time to volunteer.

Charities, non-profits, churches and various service groups are hurting so badly at this time it is unbelievable. The American public has quit giving to causes which help people and are throwing their money in the toilet of American politics. These same people will soon be throwing their money into the rat hole of the IRS in higher taxes to pay for the United States Government to start doing everything the charities, non-profits, churches and various service groups USED TO DO.

My heart aches for I know the pain and suffering going on in America and I know how many thousands of suffering people are buying into the promise made by Obama that the government is going to meet all their needs and take care of them come January. As sheep to the slaughter, these people really do believe Uncle Sam is going to drive to their home and either give them a check for $100,000 or take them to some utopia where they will lounge around all day drinking margaritas and getting suntans. These same people rejoice when they hear that the evil rich white men and women will be taxed more and more to pay for their life of leisure. What a crock this all is.

This all reminds me of why young terrorists are willing to blow themselves up to kill a few innocent victims. They are promised virgins in heaven and eternal rewards for their sacrifice now. Hundreds of thousands of minorities, lower income and other social fringe groups have been fed a bill of goods by the Obama campaign that has led them to believe their “messiah” will somehow be able to turn their life around and at the same time punish those who made their life miserable with pain and suffering.

Politics aside; if the American way of helping the disadvantaged through volunteer charities falls apart and is replaced with numerous governmental programs, this country is doomed. The free will giving on the part of Americans to help their neighbor in need has made America strong for decades. I pray that somehow America does not forget this as it gets all caught up in Obamamania.

2008 Election mirrors 1932; Same result, Democratic Domination for generations

If there is still a United States of America as we know it in 2010, the Republicans claim there will be the biggest switching of power in the House and Senate ever recorded. As appealing as this sounds to those on the right, I seriously doubt such a thing will ever happen.

Once “Obama Nation” takes over in January, he and his friends will ram one socialistic measure after another through the Democratic Congress. In the first 100 days this country will turn into a country Sweden will be proud to call a partner. Shortly after that, the Russians and Chinese will be rejoicing with their new partners; the USSA.

Meanwhile new “fairness” rules will muzzle the right wing broadcasters and bloggers. Equal time will have to be provided for someone from the left to rebut the propaganda spewed forth from agenda driven maniacs like Limbaugh or Hannity. Even the right leaning preachers will be forced to tone down their message or risk losing their tax exempt status.

Since the media already belongs to the left, all that will be needed is to shut down the renegade Fox news channel and any voice of opposition will be neutralized. A few old time right wingers will make the rounds just for the sake of fairness, but the “real news” will delivered by dyed in the wool left wingers.

With the voice of the opposition stifled, I don’t know if the resistance movement will have a chance to organize. Anyone naïve enough to think the left will give up power without a fight doesn’t know who they are dealing with. Having fought very hard to regain power in 1992, the left thought they could change America the first 100 days of the Clinton administration. They were wrong because America was not in a bad enough recession to willingly throw away its freedom.

Due to the recession/depression currently afflicting the nation, there has surfaced the desire for “change” at any cost. This growing mood has not only moved Sen. Obama into a strong lead, but is opening the doors to massive changes come January (if not before). The current proposal being floated by Rep. Pelosi of yet another 300 dollar economic stimulus package is just the tip of the iceberg.

If enough programs and packages can be put in place soon enough, there will be ample need for taxes to be raised which is inevitable due to the massive amounts of spending being proposed and done. Higher taxes, more governmental programs and more people behooved to the government for their daily bread. Sounds like a recipe for long term left power just as was accomplished the last time the country went into a recession/depression.

Odds are that as much as the right wing says they will take back Congress in 2010, they may end up in such a minority they will never take it back. If the left can succeed in getting the overwhelming majority of Americans on the government dole, then they will have succeeded in assuring themselves a majority in Congress and the White House for generations to come.

Except for two terms of the “Republican” Eisenhower in the 1950’s, and “Ike” was no more a Republican than Hillary Clinton is; this country had a Democratic President and Congress from 1933 until Nixon in 1969. Even with the election of Nixon/Ford between 1969 and 1976, the Congress stayed Democratic through the Carter Administration. The House of Representatives has been in Democratic hands from 1933 until the present except for the years of 1995-2007.

The point is that the policies of the “New Deal” placed millions of Americans at the mercy of their government. The government fed them, gave them work and protected what assets they had left. As dutiful servants, the people in turn gave the government their votes to keep them in power. Could it be that the events that have taken place the past few months will yield the same end result? I would say they already have and will for the duration of the history of this Republic.

Watch Our for Late Season Tropical Development and Early Season Cold and Snow

It will be very interesting to see what does or does not develop in the Caribbean this week. There are numerous areas of disturbed weather which might affect the United States or could end up being much ado about nothing. All interests from Texas to Florida and from Florida to North Carolina must keep at least one eye squinting at the tropics.

The system off the east coast of northern Florida will produce high tides and potentially heavy rains as it drifts west. If it stays far enough south, it could emerge from the west coast of Florida in few days and once in the Gulf of Mexico could develop into some kind of a hybrid storm or even a tropical storm. Although no one is stating this possibility in any forecasts, there is the potential for a “Fay” type event in the exact same areas Fay attacked earlier in the summer.

The system south of Puerto Rico is currently labeled “invest” and certainly needs to be investigated. The models are all over the map and although the potential to curve northeast exists, there is greater probability the system will head toward Hispaniola and from there who knows where. The other current “invest” is not anything to be concerned about.

With two Mexican storms hitting along its west coast, coupled with the front making its way across the United States, there is always the potential for the tail end of these systems to stall in the Gulf and turn into a tropical system. The western Caribbean and western Gulf of Mexico must be watched this week for any development.

Boise, Idaho had its earliest recorded snow the other day. Does this mean anything? Probably not, but it is indicative of some very cold air in the area. Of greater interest is the abundant snow in Wyoming. Most of the state received a very heavy early season snow the past few days.

Most independent experts are calling for the high probability of a much colder and wetter early winter this year. This translates into the potential for November snows over much of the Midwest, Ohio valley and northeast. The wise traveler would at least take this into consideration when thinking of the very late Thanksgiving this year.

I live out west of St. Louis, Missouri and remember distinctly early November of 1991 when we had a high temperature of 21 degrees followed by 6 inches of snow. Both were records for so early in the year, but proof that even this far south, it is possible to see a very early winter. What is interesting to note is that winter ended up being very mild after the brutal early start.

The pattern this year favors more what we saw during the winters of 1989-90 and again in 2000-2001. December 1989 was one of the most brutal periods much of the country ever saw so early in the winter. I remember days where the HIGH temperature was -10 degrees in St. Louis. This had never happened and hasn’t happened since. January of 1990 was as mild as December was cold. February of 1990 was almost as brutally cold as December had been.

These “bookend” winters are some of the most extreme. Not only is there the swinging back and forth to deal with, there is the problems associated with bad weather in December and all the traveling and shopping that take place then. On the other side of the coin is the fun and games associated with a mild January. I recall vividly the Pope riding through St. Louis with everyone in short sleeved shirts as the temperature hit 70 in the middle of January 1999.

Regardless of how this winter plays out, there is bound to be hardship due to the economic situation. A bad November/December could be disastrous for many who are already strapped for money. I recall vividly the almost $500 natural gas bill we had after the wicked December cold in 1989. That was a lot of money to pay for gas back almost twenty years ago.

If people are faced with super high utility bills on top of everything else going on, this early winter could be the straw that breaks many homeowner’s backs. I pray that either the long range forecasts turn out to not be as harsh as possible or that something breaks in the financial realm to soften the blow of what could be a very difficult couple of months coming up.

The Change in Financial Attitude between the Great Depression and current Crisis

I wrote this in November of 2007 and feel it is still as pertinent today as then. I re-submit this as a reminder that what is currently happening economically is not new and the rumblings of the current disaster were heard a year ago.

I truly feel sorry for the majority of my fellow Americans. The unfortunate reality of what is transpiring, even as write this post, is either not seen or not believed by all but a few in this country. People don’t want to see, hear or talk about what is going on economically. They close their eyes to what they do not want to see, stop their ears from what they don’t want to hear and talk about trivial matters to avoid having to speak about reality. As many of you know who read these posts; I am no fan of entertainment for many reasons, not the least of which is that it is fantasy.

It is truly incredible how many people spend the majority of their lives living in a world that does not exist. Whether science fiction, romance novels, sports or computer role playing games; anyone who lives in these worlds is not living in the real world. It is perfectly fine for children to live in their “make believe” world, but it is NOT for adults. Real is real and make believe is imaginary. Never should the two be confused with each other.

I fear that what most people think is real is nothing but a mirage. We have all seen the puddles on the highway while driving, only to watch them disappear when we get near them. A mirage looks like the real thing. Many times a mirage is simply something a person WANTS to see and thus sees it. A man trudging through the desert wants to see an oasis. Lo and behold there one sits on the horizon. He musters all his strength to reach his promised land only he never gets there. He could keep walking forever and never find that oasis, for never really existed except in his eyes.

People who live chasing mirages never find them. They are as elusive as the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Haven’t we all, at some point in our lives, driven in search of that pot of gold? It is never there because it does not exist. Chasing fantasies has become the great American pastime. The indelible lines which should be separating reality from fantasy have been blurred to the point most people cannot seem to tell the difference.

This country has been blessed with REAL times of prosperity. This country has also been saddled with REAL recessions and depressions. Unfortunately, those people who lived through THE depression are becoming more and more extinct. Anyone old enough to really remember the suffering that took place in the 1930’s is 80 years old or more. Anyone who was an adult during the Great Depression has to be over 90 years old. Only someone pushing 100 would have clear memories of the Stock Market crash of 1929.

The Baby Boomers parents all grew up during some part of the Great Depression. Whether they were directly impacted by the events that took place in the 1930’s or not, they all heard stories and knew people whose lives were destroyed by some aspect of the Depression era. This is why Baby Boomer’s parents all seemed to preach the same gospel of thrift, stewardship and borderline frugality. Lessons learned through enduring difficult times tend to stick with you.

Following World War II, the United States enjoyed a remarkable stretch of prosperity. This stretch of time roughly parallels the stretch of time our parents lived during the Great Depression. Thus, whereas those growing up in the depression era learned to live on less, endure hardships, take care of each other and be thankful for whatever they had; those growing up in the Baby Boom generation learned to live on credit, complain about everything, think only of themselves and feel like they never have enough.

Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s bears no resemblance to growing up in the 1930’s and 40’s. In fact, they pretty much represent both sides of the coin. Although most Baby Boomers didn’t grow up in great affluence, most did not grow up in abject poverty either. In fact, the later in the Baby Boom generation one goes, the more prosperity people enjoyed from birth. Someone born in 1945 certainly didn’t have all the conveniences a person born in 1963 could enjoy. Although both are considered Baby Boomers, the older ones still had to endure some hardships compared to the younger ones.

I have a sister born in 1940. She is a true hybrid when it comes to economic thought and habit. She remembers vividly the tough times after the big war and the good times that began to unfold by the mid 1950’s. I have a brother born in 1945. He is a charter member of the first Baby Boom class. His memories start at the same time the better times started. He was too young to remember the hard times, but can vividly recall the transition from having little to having enough.

I was born in 1953. By the time I have any memories, the good times were in full swing. I was able to enjoy items that only the privileged were able to afford when either my sister or brother were growing up. I was able to grow up in a “normal” home in a fairly large city with nice schools. My sister grew up being shuttled from one state to another due to the war and its aftermath. My sister never did get to live in the dream house my parents finally purchased in 1958, she went away to college.

My brother barely lived in the home before getting married and finding his own place. I got to spend 13 years in one room in one house. Most people today would consider that torture. I look back and consider it stability and security. By the time I moved away in 1971 and left my parents an empty house, but to them a very comfortable, yet humble abode. They were able to enjoy the fruits of their labors and live in that home for another 28 years.

Instead of learning from our parents, the Baby Boom generation has for the most part decided to discard all their advice and “go for it all” while they can. The generation that grew up in the 1970’s and 1980’s knows nothing of the hardships their grandparents went through for their parents made sure they would never have to endure such things. They begged, borrowed and many times stole to get the very best for their children. There was no way their children would have to live in the “poverty” they lived through. This “spoiled” generation knows only prosperity and hasn’t a clue what it means to have to do without.

Now we have the current generation growing up in the roaring 90’s crazy 00’s. This generation is now so far removed from their ancient ancestors who endured the Great Depression; they know absolutely nothing about it, World War II, or even Viet Nam. All the current generation knows about the 70’s is it had cool music and weird television shows. They were born in the decade of non-stop prosperity and their parents have vowed to make sure they have all the things they were deprived of in their “Spartan” growing up years.

Because no one cares about what happened 80 years ago, history is bound to repeat itself. The similarities between this country in the late 1920’s and the present are eerily similar. In 1928, President Hoover said; “We in America are nearer to the final triumph over poverty than ever before in the history of any land. The poorhouse is vanishing from among us.” A little more than a year after he said this, the United States Stock Market crashed and a worldwide depression lingered for almost 15 years.

During the Great Depression some industries made a profit. If Americans couldn’t work, they could at least go for a drive, have a cigarette or watch a movie. Sales of oil, gas, cigarettes and movie tickets all skyrocketed during the depression. People were looking for an escape. Sounds pretty similar to what goes on today if you ask me.

I pity the fool who wastes his life chasing fantasies. I pray for the fool who ignorantly goes his merry way oblivious to the doom awaiting him. I abhor the fool who though arrogance and pride, refuses to acknowledge the obvious and stubbornly continues on the path that leads only to oblivion.

Millions Suffer while Smiley celebrates and “the Boss” serenades Obama’s Nation

Finally, after a wait which seemed to take forever, the Associated Press released a couple of articles this weekend dealing with the missing people from Hurricane Ike and the environmental damage caused by hurricane damaged oil platforms, pipelines and storage tanks. What has been the response? Well, if silence speaks volumes, then we have our answer.

Americans cannot be bothered right now about mundane and trivial things such as hurricane Ike related issues. Not with the Stock Market poised to drop by a million this morning. After being mesmerized by many days of drama in Washington over the Bailout Bill, everyone thought all would be well after the House voted Friday afternoon to approve the measure. Immediately after the vote, the Stock Market plunged.

This is what it is coming down to in America. Far more people are concerned about Cubs and Brewers got knocked out of baseball playoffs than the fate of hundreds (if not thousands) of missing fellow Americans in Texas and Louisiana. While millions upon millions of fanatic football fans were glued to their television sets Saturday and Sunday, thousands of people waited for someone to help them figure out where to start in the recovery process. While just about everyone was burning up the phone lines complaining to someone about the financial mess, hardly anyone even remembers there were back to back hurricanes less than a month ago.

No one knows what this month holds, but being an election year, there is a 100% certainty of some “October surprise”. Even now, the campaign has turned negative with the inevitable name calling and dredging up dirt on each other. Like a long running soap opera, millions of people stay glued to their news outlet waiting for the next installment of “As the Campaign Turns”. This would be humorous except for all the horrible things going on in the REAL WORLD.

So what if “Hannah Montana” turned 16 this weekend. So what if “Brittney” is going back to her old ways. So what if Bruce can play his guitar and through his influence persuade thousands of people to vote for Obama. So what if Saturday Night Live does a good parody on the VP debates. None of these things are news. All these stories do is feed the monster of the fantasy world most people live in.

Americans better wake up and realize what is happening right under their noses. The government, which is set to grow far bigger than anyone ever imagined, is taking control over things that not even the most brazen conspiracy theory backer thought possible this quickly. Once Sen. Obama is elected (and that is foregone conclusion), the nationalization of health care, insurance, education and welfare will soon follow. Anyone caught badmouthing minorities, gays and lesbians, Muslims or the government will pay dearly for their folly.

The Bible speaks in 2 Timothy 3 that the last days will be “perilous”. If the current days do not meet that criteria I don’t know what would. In the following verses in 2 Timothy 3, specific things are stated which define “perilous”. The first thing mentioned is that people will be lovers of themselves more than lovers of God. Our selfish, “me” driven mentality has produced the crisis in the financial sector as well as housing, employment and even disaster recovery.

Until and unless Americans yank their collective heads out of the dark place and rise up and do two things, the circumstances we are surrounded by will only get worse. The two things we all must strive to do are:

1. Let our voice (vote) be heard. Do not sit back and allow the vocal minority to say they reflect the views of the silent majority. Speak up, stand up and let your opinion be known.

2. Exercise the old axiom of when the pressure is on—GIVE. If Americans continue to shut down their spending it causes businesses to fail. When Americans shut down their charitable giving, lives will be lost and undo suffering will abound.

We must not allow the current economic situation to persuade us that we cannot afford to speak up or give. To the contrary, we must use the current situation as a springboard to bolder speech and more audacious giving. While the world says “you cannot afford to give”; God says “try and out give ME”. Please, on behalf of millions of suffering people, I beg of you to find new and innovative ways to give of your time, resources and means. Thank You.

No Media Coverage, Very Little Outside Help, FEMA to the Rescue=a bigger disaster-socialism

While all attention is diverted towards debates by candidates and in the Senate and House of Representatives, there is a tragedy of untold proportions brewing in areas devastated by the September hurricanes. There have been NO stories in either the written or broadcast media for many days concerning anything related to Hurricane Ike or Gustov. The unprecedented media blackout together with the mysterious lack of any prominent politicians showing up to supposedly promise aid if elected makes one wonder just what the agenda in this whole mess really is.

Never before has there been a disaster of the proportion of Gustov/Ike hit the United States and there NOT be relentless media coverage for weeks afterward. The media never covered Gustov and hightailed it out of Texas as soon as it was obvious there were not going to be 100,000 dead people and/or 50 billion dollars of damage.

Media coverage alerts Americans to areas of concern, interest and need. Without media coverage ignorance prevails and gives cause to apathy. The response from America as a whole to the September hurricanes has been anemic and has dried up along with the money in this country. As the entire financial aspect of this country constricts, so does the ability of relief and charity groups to do their jobs.

From one end of this country to another, charities are screaming for resources to keep doing what they are here for. From the greatest to the least, groups of all sizes are quickly running out of supplies and money to keep helping others. Of course this is due to deteriorating situation economically, but we cannot allow this to continue. If the safety net vanishes of private charities, then that only leaves the government programs such as FEMA to handle every aspect of disaster relief and recovery.

Is this what we really want in this country? Do we really want everything to turn into socialism? Do we really want the government to handle everything from banking to health care to retirement to disaster relief to providing for the disadvantaged? In our greed and selfishness along with our fear, do we really want to turn over to the government of the new USSA (United Socialistic States of America) the responsibility for everything the private sector used to provide?

By nature of the media neglecting to cover stories such as Gustov and the gasoline shortage in Atlanta together with its sudden departure from Galveston it has thrown the country into the dark regarding what is needed and where it is needed most. We need the media to get off its two track agenda and start doing its job. There is far more going on in this country than just the Presidential campaign and the bailout package in Washington.

Please keep the victims of the Gustov and Ike in your prayers and if there is any way to help them, please be aware the need is great. Please pray that within this great land, there remains a remnant of good hearted people who only want to reach out and help their neighbor in need. Please pray that somehow the word can reach out as to who needs what the most.

The United States has no idea there are still hundreds, if not thousands of missing people after Ike. The United States has no idea there are thousands of people living in temporary housing or evacuation centers out of money and with no home left to go back to. The United States has no idea of the scope and level of destruction and havoc the double barreled hurricane hits of September caused. Why? Because the media was gone with the wind and never looked back.

Everyone knows Texas is a Republican state so why should the liberal media bother to give it any press? Everyone knows that it would not benefit either McCain or Obama to visit the hurricane stricken areas for they are going Republican whether a candidate shows up or not. The selfish and self-serving ways of politics have trumped the critical needs in the areas devastated and thrown the burden of recovery squarely on the shoulders of FEMA. Have we not learned anything since Katrina?

McCain and Obama both vote FOR Big Money Interests, now we know for sure who OWNS them both

So, here we are, many days after the initial bombshells were dropped warning us of impending doom if the “bailout” package were not passed. In those many days, we have seen the Stock Market go down, then go up, then go down and then go up and then hold steady. What we have not seen is the “end of the world” as we know it.

The United States Senate’s sanctimonious action in passing the insane excuse for an “economic recovery” package proves once and for all that the interests of most elected officials is only in getting re-elected and not in either serving their people or standing upon the Constitution. I applaud the one fourth of voting Senators who had the “guts” to stand their ground and vote their conscience instead of as one of our illustrious Senators from Missouri said; “hold my nose and vote yea”.

If I could sell my house and pack everything up and move, there is no doubt I would head to Alabama, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi or Wyoming. Why on earth would anyone want to move to one of these states? These are the only five states where BOTH Senators voted against the Senate Bailout bill.

It is interesting to note that of the 25 Senators who voted “No”; 15 were Republicans, 9 were Democrats and 1 was an Independent. Also interesting is to see the regional breakdown. The only Senator from the Northeast part of the country to vote “No” was the Independent from Vermont. Surprisingly, there were 7 Senators from the western states who voted “No”. To be expected, there were 8 from Midwestern states and 9 from southern states who voted “No”.

Just as in the House vote on Monday, the legislators who oppose the idea of a massive Federal bailout of the banking industry cross party lines and run the full spectrum from the far left to the far right politically. What is very interesting to note is that unlike in the House, where every representative is up for re-election in a month, two thirds of the Senators are not up re-election this cycle.

There is little argument that vast majority of citizens in the United States do not want this bill passed in any way, shape or form. The House members got this message loud and clear from their constituents and that is why the measure failed. All House members must now go through a second round of soul searching to see if they will vote for the approved Senate measure. It will be interesting to see how many of them have the “guts” to stick to their ideals and how many will cave in to the pressure put on them by the President and party leaders in the House.

What choice do we really have in the Presidential election next month? Both Senator’s McCain and Obama along with Sen. Biden all voted “YES” to the bailout bill. Gov. Palin has voiced strong support for the measure. So, when it comes to listening to “We the People” or to their Illuminati or Bilderberg Group bosses—both candidates made it perfectly clear they are controlled by the same powerful money people the current President is sold out to.

Those naïve enough to think either McCain or Obama are anything other than the latest puppets and “yes men” chosen and ordained by those who really run this country and world are sadly mistaken. It makes absolutely NO DIFFERENCE who wins the election next month. Whether McCain or Obama, both will continue to sell this country down the river to the interests of those sitting in high places who are only interested in unbridled power and stealing every dollar left in the pockets of the American public.

The agenda of those who really run things is perfectly clear and it does not include anything that will benefit YOU or ME in the long run. Ultimately this country will fall and become nothing but a seething melting pot of angry and beaten down people who stumble around wondering where all their wealth and resources went. Ultimately, once the government takes over all the banking industry and owns the mortgages to all the real estate and has loans extended to every major corporation; then, at last, the silly silent majority of people in this country who sat back and allowed their elected officials to destroy their financial future will awaken. Unfortunately, by then it will be too late.