How Much Do You Trust Your Government?

I think a valid question to ask is, “How much do you trust your government?” You could find a statistic to back up my curiosity. Who wants to hear that kind of depressing information as we enter the weekend; there are enough spooks and goblins to worry about on Halloween.

I noticed some interesting inquiries on Facebook during this past week. One asked about how we, as in We The People, can repair damage done to our country by elected leaders outside of the electoral process. That hit a nerve with me; what redress have We The People other than impeachment? Can we direct police officers to arrest and detain these thieves; for surely they are stealing away freedoms and liberties that were at one time considered sacred?

While going through various news articles I ran across Ron Paul’s: Let the Dollar Prove Itself . It didn’t take more than one page to explain the advantages of repairing the Fed; a welcome alternative to the nearly 2000 page travesty being pushed as Health Care Reform.

Go read the article and tell me a better way to solidify the Dollar; it can’t be done. So why isn’t this being done? That’s easy, our own government wishes to destroy anything of value, formerly known as personal property, in order to enslave its people. Have you not noticed this trend; or as in the movie, Forrest Gump, “Are you just plain stupid”, followed by, “Stupid is as stupid does”.

“All currencies are based on trust, trust that the issuing authority will not debase the currency. If it becomes known that the issuer of a particular currency is minting underweight coins, people will stop accepting that currency and that company will go out of business. If someone else attempts to counterfeit that currency and pass those coins, there are sufficient counterfeiting laws on the books to prosecute those counterfeiters.”

I ask again, how much do you trust your government? The time has come to “throw the bums out”! A little competition would perform the necessary repairs and the concept of private property would stop its skid toward oblivion.

John Adams believed: “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is no force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist.”

Thanks to the marvels of the internet I was able to locate the exact quote I was looking for within a matter of moments. A tip of the hat to Henry Lamb at World Net Daily for having used the same quote when he wrote about the Kelo issue.

I submit for your consideration that our government no longer sees private property as sacred; such a time has long since passed. Are we waiting for the Tooth Fairy to make things right?

Does it take a headline in the newspaper to alert us to the fact that our government officials see all money as theirs, temporarily letting us believe it’s ours until such time as they decide how to spend it? Not only do they tax us in order to confiscate what money we have; on top of that they intentionally destroy the value of that money by printing money to add to the supply. Is this conducive to establishing or maintaining trust?

Storms on the horizon warn of measures which must be taken, if not implemented, insure those not prepared of getting soaked. I don’t know about you; but isn’t it time to get in out of the rain?

Storm Warnings All Around

Sitting here with the World Series on; but every now and then the National Weather Service weather advisories flash across the bottom of the screen. The thunderstorm line is passing over our area and we have a tornado watch, severe thunderstorm watch, flash flood watch and damaging hail warning. I think that about covers it.

Graffiti is protected by the First Amendment

I find the many and varied interpretations of the First Amendment disturbing as our age of “freedom to do anything” we want lowers our social level further into the sewer.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

There you have it, “Everything you want to know about the right given to every individual regarding the human expression”. That’s the line Ed would have as Johnnie’s eyebrow raised and fell on the other camera, a wry smile creeping along the corner of his mouth, that juvenile delinquent attitude about to spring forth.

“Wrong, oh wilted cabbage leaf”, or some other such retort as would have been used on the old Johnnie Carson Show. I hope this isn’t too much of a distraction from where I want today’s thought process to go.

The rights which the constitution protects from our government don’t come from that government; they come from some other “natural” source, more specifically, rights come from God. It would be contradictory for God to bestow the right to express anything which runs contrary to that which he expects His children to do. The line of logic dictates that God never intended the right to free speech to include many of the modern day inclusions such as pornography or swearing.

So how did we sink so low as to include pornography or swearing in the general concept “freedom of speech”? I see a hand back there on the back row, or is that “Roe”? Sorry about that, I hadn’t intended to include the right to murder innocent babies, saving that for some other rant.

“Okay, you on the back row, what marvelous brain storming have you to share with the rest of the class regarding the all inclusive freedom of speech?” A mumbled expression evaporated prior to making it to the front. “Speak up, we can’t hear you.”

“Separation of church and state made it possible to exclude God from the discussion and so we can say anything we want now.” He may be onto something, without God given rights the interpretation of intent permits a never ending distortion of truth. “Give that boy an apple; just remember on the day you partake of it you shall surely die.”

Don’t you remember, the Supreme Court has ruled that pornography is covered under the first amendment , even when it involves children?

“The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday ( June 29, 2004) that a law meant to punish pornographers who peddle dirty pictures to Web-surfing kids is probably an unconstitutional muzzle on free speech.”

More recently, Larry David, writer and star of Curb Your Enthusiasm, recently filmed an episode which included urinating on a picture of Jesus Christ ; but it was all done for laughs, just another funny moment for everyone to slap a knee. Hey, it’s freedom of expression and covered by the 1st Amendment; why are you getting your panties in a bind?

President Obama signed the Hate Crimes bill yesterday. I’m sorry, actually he signed a defense funding bill critical to safe guarding America and the controversial Hate Crimes portion had to be included as part of a national security measure that couldn’t be voted down.

“Several religious groups have expressed concern that a hate crimes law could be used to criminalize conservative speech relating to subjects such as abortion or homosexuality. However, Holder has said that any federal hate-crimes law would be used only to prosecute violent acts based on bias, not to prosecute speech based on controversial racial or religious beliefs.”

I guess urinating on the image of Christ is safe because it falls under that area which won’t be prosecuted based on controversial racial or religious beliefs. If that’s so, then what was all the hoopla about finding the no good rascals who defaced Obama’s image, making him out to be the Joker ? Must be the glue they used to attach the posters to the mail boxes; yea, that had to be why everyone upset.

“Montgomery says he has already contacted the Postal Inspector to look into it. He said defacing a Post Office is a federal offense.”

That’s not defacing, it’s freedom of expression. Just covering some old rusted mail boxes; probably saved us the cost of painting them. Remember, The One can have his picture urinated on just for laughs and it isn’t supposed to be a crime.

Last on my list would be, DNC Uses Flag Desecration Video to Raise Funds . Not making this up folks, this is what we’ve come to accept.

“The DNC is using the splattered Old Glory to pick up some change, asking for donations to air the winner of its contest. "[T]o put the winning ad on national television, we'll need folks to chip in and help cover the cost of getting the ad on the air," the DNC says on its my.BarackObama.com Web site, which hosts its Organizing for America campaign program.”

When hearing protests from non partisan segments of the community regarding the insensitive desecration of a national emblem:

“I don't really think it's an issue," said Leonard Jacobs, editor of the Clyde Fitch Report. "It's one of 20 videos, and graffiti is protected by the First Amendment. And it's certainly something that might hook up with the way people feel.”

There you have it, next it will be okay to drop your drawers on the public transit system and moon anyone you don’t like and they won’t be able to stop you. It’s no different than any of the other misapplications of the right to express yourself without concern for morality since morality is directly linked to religious belief.

How did we get to the point where we can justify or rationalize anything and everything as a God given right? The answer came from the back of the room earlier if you missed it.

Is Coral Springs Near Milton?

I read an article on the Foxnews website where two teen age brothers in Coral Springs, Florida, were fighting and one of them plunged a knife through the other’s chest killing him.

“Two teenage brothers were home alone in their suburban neighborhood when an argument over loud music spiraled out of control, police said, leaving one brother dead from a knife to the chest and the other accused of killing him.”

I remember driving across Florida with my folks to visit my grandparents. We stopped for breakfast in Milton at a small local café where the waitress chewed gum and smoked a cigarette while taking our order. When she brought our order and placed it on the table a fly buzzed past us. Quicker than you can say “Hick town waitress” she slapped it with a fly swatter, wiped away what was left with a table napkin and continued on as part of the entertainment.

We joked about the incident as we told the story to my grandfather, “Unc”; that’s a whole “nother” explanation I’ll have to throw in. When my maternal grandfather died, my grandmother re-married; I better back up some more or none of this will make sense.

Once upon a time, isn’t that the way children’s stories are supposed to start; well there were a brother and sister with the last name Fraser. My grandfather, William Fraser married my grandmother and his sister married Daniel Wadsworth. The brother and sister eventually died and a second union, one between the surviving spouses was held.

I’m one of the few kids who can say, with a straight face, that I attended my grandmother’s wedding. I wasn’t all that thrilled, come to think of it; the wedding took place the same day as Little League try outs. So the fellow we all called “Unc” was now married to my grandmother. I know, for a few moments you thought we were from the hills of W. Virginia; there I go again, insulting a whole state.

Anyway, getting back to the waitress swatting flies at the café in Milton, “Unc” grew up in the backwater towns of Florida. He laughed and threw in, “They’d kill you for a quarter in Milton”; guess we got off lucky.

I read the rest of the story and found where Coral Springs is just north of Miami; maybe these folks had relatives in Milton. Remember, “They’d kill you for a quarter in Milton.”

Now I remember, from my American History class; Florida was where they dumped the least desirable, the dregs of society; robbers, murderers, politicians and lawyers. And they thought I wasn’t paying attention…

Ronald Reagan Speaks from the Dust

I borrowed this after having found it posted at Rhymes With Right . Thanks and a tip of the hat to Greg for bringing history to light. Greg took the time to include a transcript of the speech, it is worth your time to digest it in its entirety.

Here’s just one little blurb that caught my attention, one of the many important issues brought out:

“Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, “We don’t know how lucky we are.” And the Cuban stopped and said, “How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.” And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.”

Do you have the courage to listen and then act on the valued information supplied in this 29 minute video? The scoundrels who are taking our nation to the edge of destruction would rather you didn’t.

Listen Up Folks!

My friend Stephen Macklin over at Hold the Mayo posted the video which strengthens the written words issued by Lord Monckton as pertain to the formation of a world government, a world order which would strip America of its sovereignty. I have little if any confidence in our Senate; should Obama attend the Copenhagen meetings on Climate Control and sign the treaty, I fear the left leaning majority just might buy into and ratify such a fiasco. You’ll find that video a little further down; please listen up folks, the enemy is at our gates.

I posted America’s Foundations in Danger or Under Attack last week, which had gone pretty much unnoticed, at least from the number of folks who stopped to leave a comment. Lord Monckton’s speech was linked there as well as other important points of interest.

I’d mentioned the possibility of hanky-panky in the gold supply, selling the same property to as many as ten individuals based on the principles of fractional reserve banking; hardly principled when you consider the opportunities for abuse. This morning while listening to the Glenn Beck radio program, something right wing brain dead zombie extremists do prior to threatening the foundations of government; I heard some frightening statistics.

A history lesson on inflation comparing the 70’s with today was given. I’m sure it will show up on his website; but until then here’s what I took away from my morning drive. Back in the 70’s when the economy was tanking the Fed injected a 13% increase to the money supply which eventually brought about 20% interest rates about 2 years later.

You might want to sit before proceeding; this year alone the Fed has increased the money supply by 120%, that’s a hundred and twenty percent more money than was available last year. If history and inflation hold true then we can expect a rather dark future ahead, say in the next year and a half to two years when the Fed tries to “justify”, hope that’s the correct terminology, justify the books.

Can you imagine what the value of the dollar will be two years from now? I can give you a hint simply by looking at the price of gold, a price which fluctuates nearly in direct correlation. Those folks who believe they are making money when the price of gold goes up fail to realize that the value of their dollar has already gone down, what it will purchase has gone down about the same amount; no gain or a break even proposition.

The Fed is destroying the value of our money while congress keeps telling us to spend more, that the supply is endless and we can fix the economy by increasing our debt. The world market will not tolerate such unbridled debt ceilings and some day, fairly soon, our “markers” will be up for collection. That day will be a sad reality to everyone who continues to believe that we can spend like drunken sailors without any consequences.

Now, enjoy the video…ignore the information and we all lose.

Fifteen Second Rule

I came home from a late meeting at church where the president of our quorum explained how he'd challenged himself to find 15 seconds to read in the Book of Mormon each day. Think about it, you can have a program on the television, one which has captured your attention; then plan for an up coming commercial break where you run to the kitchen for snack or take a bathroom break if needed with time enough to spare to get back to your program.

Are you telling me you can’t find 15 seconds in each day where you can dedicate 15 seconds to read one line out of the Book of Mormon? He then reminded everyone how we’d been challenged to read a minimum of 20 minutes each day; but how so many excuses had been found for other interests. “Start with 15 seconds.”

In the 8th grade I wasn’t much of a student; all the same one of my English teachers read us a story about a young man our age who needed to go use the restroom during class. His teacher explained how it was time to discipline his needs and how class would only last 15 minutes longer and denied his request.

Many years later that young man was serving on the Indianapolis, the ship which delivered the atomic bomb which was dropped on Japan. The young man recounted how the ship was sunk by a torpedo and those who survived were left to float for days in the open ocean with little food or potable water.

Tempted with each passing hour to drink from the ocean, he remembered the words of his teacher, that he could discipline his needs with a little extra effort. The hours turned to days and many of his shipmates perished; all the while he remembered Mrs. Dove’s lesson that he could do anything he put his mind to.

I wish I could pass this along to my 8th grade English teacher; but I’ve long since forgotten her name. It would be nice to let her know her efforts to teach even a poor student like me were not wasted.

Would it be worth investing 15 seconds to unravel the mysteries of God? What about 20 minutes then, would that be worth learning what the Lord wants us to know; about the history of His children, the world and the ways of the great deceiver? There’s plenty of time to read the newspaper, catch up on email, Facebook and text a friend; could you find a few minutes each day to study the Book of Mormon?

The closing hymn for this evening’s meetings was one of my favorites, If you could hie to Kolob . I’ll include it as a music video and hope it stays active; not sure if the Mormon Tabernacle Choir likes folks posting their performances on blogs. The last time I posted High on a Mountain Top, the version performed at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the feed for the video was cancelled.

Oh Brother!

Hobo Kitties come and go as they please. In case you missed their original introduction; the Mama Kitty found an entrance to our garage and had two kittens in the dark confines. We call them all Hobo Kitties; Mama, who my oldest daughter thinks should go by Nefertiti, so elegant with long narrow legs as to bring Egyptian lineage to mind, stops by every now and then to check on Princess and Brother.

Then there are the two Cousins, born about two weeks later to a different Mama Kitty behind the garage or perhaps in the neighbor’s back yard; but most definitely of the same Tom since they look so similar to Princess. Three of them have come to accept the Giants (us) and no longer flee the moment we step out the backdoor; Princess, Brother and Cousin One. Cousin Two waits for us to go inside prior to showing herself from a hiding place among the philodendron roots next to the garage.

We’ve found they will let us make contact around feeding time, something which didn’t come naturally to them. Princess is the bold one, having almost no fear of Giants while the others wait in the garage or under the truck. They let us pet them now, almost demanding a scratching behind the ears or back of the head as they start to eat; but will not let us pick them up.

Yesterday Brother finished eating and walked over to the back door as if to say, “Hey, where’s my morning cuddle?” He stood there and let me take his picture; this snap shot was the only one where he stood still long enough, stopping from a circle dance of anticipated cuddles.

The next step will be to capture them, get them over to the Veterinarian for shots and more importantly, a “slice and dice” to limit the future Hobo Kitty population; that should be fun and expensive.

… And it won’t cost a penny more…

LL over at It Don’t Make Sense had a short piece, It’s about CREDIBILITY , worth taking a look at. I saw the political cartoon and immediately explained that I was going to steal it away.

“We have seen lie after lie (on video) where Barack Hussein Obama and his administration pander to the mob (whichever mob they happen to be speaking to) - but their agenda remains consistent. As MAINFO pointed out, the multi-trillion dollar public option for healthcare "miracled itself" back to life in the form of a new government owned and operated healthcare insurance company, which would compete with private enterprise and drive them out of business since they run on tax dollars and there seems to be no end to the money we can print.”

Anytime you hear someone try to argue for the Public Option, or any similar government run so called “competition” in the health insurance business; remember that tax dollars will be used to give government run option its edge, a never ending supply of your money being used to squeeze out any and all real competitors. If you really believe the government run Public Option will save money or be more efficient; well, all I can say, “I’ve got some ocean front property out in West Texas I’d be willing to sell.”

Relevant Only if Cows Could Vote

I always wanted to know how folks on the left felt about those who didn’t vote for Obama, now I know. According to some, the red areas are only relevant if cows could vote. Maybe that song the children were singing at grade school, the one that got so much attention had the chorus a bit off.

Barack Hussein Obama, Moo, Moo, Moo! We in the Blue are counting on you. Barack Hussein Obama, Moo, Moo, Moo! That magic supply of never ending money will always tide us through. Barack Hussein Obama, Moo, Moo, Moo! Tax the rich, they never earned it. Barack Hussein Obama, Moo, Moo, Moo. Hand it to us we don’t deserve it. Barack Hussein Obama, Moo, Moo, Moo!

I know, time for me to sit down and shut up, they won! All the same, I’ll keep on pointing out bits of data like this map “until the cows come home”.

Bee Stings

I was out visiting our Hobo Kitties a while ago when something blew into my hair. When I swept the unknown object out, believing it to be a leaf or some other wind blown object, it was then I felt a small prick on my finger and saw the bee fly off, having left his stinger implanted like a small thorn.

Lucy put some meat tenderizer on it to take away some of the sting; maybe it works or maybe it was simply my imagination. It no longer felt like I’d been shot with a nail gun, a little tender still; but manageable.

The last time I’d been stung was the day I bought my brand new Kawasaki KZ-400 motorcycle. I was on my way to work at the police department downtown, riding along T. C. Jester Boulevard when I felt it hit my ear inside the helmet. There was a flash of pain and my ear began to swell a bit.

Upon arrival I mentioned how I’d been stung by a bee and wanted to take the rest of the day off; but my good buddy mentioned how I really only wanted to go ride my new motorcycle; my request was denied. What are friends for if not to ruin a perfectly good chance to go buzzing around on a new motorcycle?

The photo came from an old slide transferred to digital format without concern for close scrutiny, my apologies for the lack of quality.

The first time I ever got stung by a bee was when I was very young. I would capture these little creatures in my hand and put them to my ear to hear them buzzing. I had no idea of the panic caused by such imprisonment or that these wonderfully colored insects might take offense to such close quarters.

One day I must have accidentally smushed, is that not a proper word, the little guy and instantly found how painful a stinger to the palm of my hand felt. Growing up to the realities of life and the lessons it provides is one of the marvels of mortality. I still enjoy watching bees as they gather pollen, a non-threatening relationship to be appreciated; but I no longer wish to capture them or to have them that close to my ears.

I Hate to Say It; But…

“Senate Democrats used a must-pass military spending bill to push through a controversial measure Thursday extending hate-crime protection to gays .”

Does it strike anyone else as a bit queer that important legislation which couldn’t get passed any other way gets tacked on to other bills which seemingly “must” pass? Think about all the pork assembled and sold to the public as an “emergency” Stimulus Package that had to be passed if America was to survive the week.

“But Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said "nothing in this legislation diminishes an American's freedom of religion, freedom of speech or press or the freedom to assemble. Let me be clear. The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act targets acts, not speech.”’

The bill is aimed at prosecuting folks who go around bashing homosexuals, physically assaulting a segment of society who, supposedly, are not protected or protected sufficiently; did you get that, not protected sufficiently by existing laws.

I said it back when the same approach was taken on the original Hate Crimes legislation and I’ll say it again; creating a specific victims category based on race, creed, color or gender runs contrary to everything America stands for. There is a divisiveness built into such a thought process, one which presumes or asserts that the laws of the land written to protect all individuals are somehow exclusive to/of certain manufactured groups based on race, creed, color or gender preference.

There are state laws which cover assault, assault with a weapon, assault with serious injury, assault with intent to commit murder and murder. If a person commits an offence of any state law under one of the listed levels or incremental stages against another individual the courts are directed to treat each case based on the evidence.

We have gone to great lengths to provide equal protection under the law to all individuals within the structure of law, equality to individuals without regard for race, creed or color. Legislating or creating groups of specific individuals, supposedly neglected or abused in the overall process reduce our appreciation for the entire judicial process, presupposing bias and prejudice in the issuance or in the judicial process. Instead of buoying up or making “a more perfect union”, such legislation actually destroys equality in favor of derision, a mockery of liberty for all.

If John Q. Public murders Erastus R. Phobic, a black homosexual, a murder was committed, a well known state law. Most folks already know murder is one of those things we’re asked not to do and would expect consequences for violating this moral code. Making it a federal hate crime too, boy oh boy, now John Q. Public is really in trouble now. Not only are we going to find you guilty of murder and send you to prison for life; now we’re going to make you attend mandatory sensitivity training classes when you could have been watching Dancing with the Stars on the wide screen plasma screen with your fellow inmates in the recreation room; and you can forget having tax payer money for your Arian Nation tattoo additions.

The federal government is in violation of constitutional restraints when it presumes to impose federal regulation on top of existing state laws, supposedly to insure individual rights. Individuals who happen to be black or homosexual should not have special laws to distinguish them as a group when laws written to establish equality for all individuals are already in place. The same is true for other “group distinctive” processes which usurp the individual, as if one group deserves distinctive treatment by virtue of federal decree.

The great experiment which is America rests on the greatness of our people, their ability to govern themselves with as little government intervention as possible along with a certain amount of faith in the character, moral fiber and spirit held by our elected leaders. When we lose faith if our most basic elements, our congress, our laws, our society; it is then that the experiment in self government comes to an end.

I recall the undercurrent of fear which swept quietly in back rooms all over the country when John Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for president. “Oh, my gosh! What will happen if we elect a Catholic?” The same was heard during the last primary battles, “Oh my gosh! Mitt Romney’s a Mormon, what will happen to America if we elect a Mormon to the presidency?” As you can see, we are all much better off with Barry Hussein Obama in the oval office; how’s that hope and change working out for you?

One consideration which looms on such a dark horizon would be that such steps lead to other more invasive federal legislative measures or inclusion of intent. In the case of special hate crimes against homosexuals, the next level of intrusion would be to limit what may be written or said in the public domain when referring to folks whose gender affiliation might run contrary to another individual or group of individual’s liking.

We’ve already heard the use of statements by the recently elected, “Sit down and shut up!” How much harder is it to imagine a time when the ruling party also decides that contrary opinions are not only unwanted; but criminal as well? Right wing extremists, placing myself in the crosshairs of the liberal left, have a tendency to have strong religious beliefs which often are brought into the fray when discussing the direction our country should take regarding moral issues.

George Washington had plenty of great thoughts which he shared throughout the time of his service to America; but one in particular is often over looked because our society has lost its connectivity with the soil; too many of us don’t plant gardens in order to enjoy the fruits of our labors, opting instead to eat at McDonalds.

“Bad seed is a robbery of the worst kind: for your pocket-book not only suffers by it, but your preparations are lost and a season passes away unimproved.”

If you apply this thought to the adoption of bad legislation, the meaning becomes clear. We’ll spend lots of taxpayer money for something new to make sure of that which already has a mechanism in place and the result will not improve our society; if anything, it will rob us of that which we already have.

Classic Good vs Evil in 2009

Just wanted to jot down an observation as I start off what might be yet another very slow day as remnants of a Pacific hurricane which drifted across Mexico threaten rain for the next couple of days here in the Houston area. The “line in the sand” is ever present, the line where folks must side one way or the other on whether they are for or against; except some folks are always trying to blur the line.

I had a Sunday School teacher who had a line, “Last week’s lesson was on evil and we was against it”, except he put a hillbilly twang to “against it” contracting the words to “a-giun-it”. My apologies to Jed Clampit for abuse of a dialect unfamiliar to me. “This week’s lesson will be on Good and we’s for it.”

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a better understanding of that line in the sand? I left part of the following scripture reference on somebody’s comment section the other day; interesting how the topic has popped up all over the place.

“Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.

But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

Wherefore, take heed, my beloved brethren, that ye do not judge that which is evil to be of God, or that which is good and of God to be of the devil.” (Moroni 7:12-14)

Hope you paid attention to all that, particularly the warning not to confuse the source of either. I mention that as I relate a few of the items found recently.

Doug Mataconis over at Below the Beltway posted an article, Atheist Ads To Hit New York Subways . The brunt of the ads would have us believe “A million New Yorkers are good without God…Are You?”, as if good springs from some source other than God. Actually, if you read between the lines, the entire ad campaign is a direct assault on God; it might as well say, “We don’t need no stinkin’ God!”, a poorly done upgrade from an old Bogart movie.

Doug ended his article with a built in timer, waiting for the shoe to drop, “Expect the controversy to start in 3, 2, 1…………” Actually, that controversy started when Cain slew Able and has continued to this very day with ever increasing momentum.

One of the major stories in the Houston Chronicle today, “A welcome statistic: No Houston murders in 11 days”. When I clicked on the link it took me to the story, titled a bit differently, “This Crime Statistic is actually nice to hear” . Wow, a whole eleven days without a murder, maybe Houston will get an award, a gold star on our progress chart will make folks stand up and take notice; groan! “No Murder in Last 11 Days”, a sign posted in front of city hall similar to the safety boards posted outside of major industrial production facilities, “No job related injuries 245 days”; that should inspire folks to move here, yup, a real selling point.

MK at Down Under on the Right Side brushed against the topic, Western culture is Far Better than Islamic culture .

‘“Where Islam sets roots, freedom dies,” however that could just as easily be extended to include leftism as well. In fact both groups have a lot in common, a hatred of our obviously superior western culture, hatred of a real religion of peace, hatred of real free speech [evidenced below], hatred of real liberty, a fascination with tyranny and mass murderers, a care-free attitude to sex with small children, a common disconnect with reality and logic, a common tendency to blame anything and anyone else but themselves for the destruction caused by their respective morally bankrupt and disgusting ideologies.’

In case some of you missed the point, “the real religion of peace” is the one which has Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Son of God, Author of all that is good; just thought that needed to be brought into focus.

When some fool tries to sell you on a philosophy which varies from the most basic of truths, that good doesn’t come from God or any of the many rationalizations for failing to acknowledging God for every good thing, little red flags should go up in your mind. Our nation was founded on the principle that God is at the head of our government, an active participant to whom we acknowledge our freedoms and liberties.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Attempts to sidestep the Author of Liberty sets the stage for loss of individual liberties through the natural next step of assigning government as the author of rights. If it can ever be proposed and accepted that government is the source of individual rights it stands to reason that such rights are arbitrary and subject to forfeiture at the whims of those in power; entitlements rather than rights because under a government without God there are no God given rights.

I suppose I should thank Doug for reminding me, the classic struggle between Good and Evil is never ending and requires each individual to stand on one side of the line drawn in the sand.

Traffic Camera Fines ARE About Revenue!

I’ve written my opinion on the use of camera issued traffic tickets and how they are used to increase revenue as opposed to the claim that they’re true intention is to deter folks from running red lights. The banner on my blog explains how my op-ed piece on red light camera tickets got me into blogging.

In case you aren’t familiar with the issue, tickets issued by a traffic enforcement camera are handled as civil rather than criminal cases. Municipalities which employ such systems willingly admit that tickets issued by cameras could not stand up to the requirements of a criminal court; but such high standards don’t apply to civil matters, really? I’m no lawyer; all the same, when I hear lame excuses like that I make sure to wipe the brown residue from off my shoes.

This morning in the Houston Chronicle there’s even more reason to believe my original opinion is and always has been correct; traffic camera fines ARE about revenue and little else. This is a money making scam and has nothing to do with making the streets safer.

The City of Houston has attempted to block registration of vehicles until red light camera issued tickets have been paid; but has made not such move toward folks who neglect to pay traffic tickets issued by police officers.

“County Judge Ed Emmett questioned why the county was being asked to block registration only of those with unpaid red-light camera citations, and not those who failed to pay tickets issued by police.”

“George Hammerlein, director of inter-governmental affairs with the tax office, said the data from red-light cam_ era citations is easier to use than criminal court data, which can be difficult to determine whether a conviction is final.”

Oh, so that’s it; when a camera snaps your picture there is a presumption of guilt, just as if a trial had already taken place, a judgment of guilty rendered and a fine mandated. Now I get it; civil trials take place the moment your vehicle clears the intersection, somewhere in the mechanism of the camera. I always wanted to know the difference between civil and criminal courts; now I know.

The only witness needed in a civil trial is the camera; no need for a defendant to have the opportunity to cross examine a mechanical device, everyone knows cameras can’t be questioned on the witness stand? Yes, that was a question.

I recall a Star Trek episode, one of the older ones, where Captain Kirk’s judgment and career were on trial, on the line based on the Enterprise’s computer historical record, a record which showed he didn’t follow procedures and acted improperly. The purpose was to remind us of the fallibility of machines and the requirement to have human witness, witnesses who could be cross examined in order to permit the accused a fair hearing.

Running a red light is a serious traffic violation and deserves to be addressed; but addressed through the proper channels; with a police officer being the primary witness and, if possible, mechanical verification to back up the testimony of the police officer. It has been proposed that a police officer, by virtue of the fact that all images of a violation are reviewed by a certified law enforcement officer, that a police officer actually witnessed each and every violation; can you say, “BS”?

Turning red light violations into a revenue tool, a means to make up for budget short falls reduces the significance of the violation. “We gave part of the money to hospitals”, that makes it okay; can you say, “BS”?

Here’s an op-ed piece I submitted December 15, 2004; you can imagine my surprise that the Houston Chronicle didn’t print it.

“The City of Houston could take the idea of Camera Issued Red Light Tickets into the main stream of business by installing pop up tire shredding devices; triggered when the light turns red. Vehicles entering the intersection on a red light would not only get a ticket in the mail they would also have to replace all four tires immediately. There would be a flurry of new tire sales. There would be increased damage to vehicles that drove on four flat tires. The wrecker business would triple along with the car repair business. Jobs would be created for the unemployed and the economy would jump forward. There would of course be those who could not afford to repair their vehicles or pay for the new set of tires. As we have been reminded, “Driving is not a Right, it’s a Privilege.” Those vehicles would be confiscated to pay for traffic fines and services rendered; then donated to Big Brother or some other charitable organization to help those less fortunate. The Mayor and City Council have their hearts and minds working for all the people all the time.”

Think of the construction at red light intersections now using cameras to enforce violations; installation of shredding devices alone would employ hundreds of out of work contractors and laborers. All those illegal aliens living in our sanctuary city wouldn’t have to stand around waiting for a job while urinating on the back wall of the local convenience store if they could do those jobs nobody wants to do, tearing up concrete, laying re-bar and mucking around in rubber boots.

Then the need for new wreckers to haul off damaged vehicles would mean applications for wrecker licenses and all the associated fees; my goodness, what a windfall that would be. The weekly auctioning off of damaged vehicles by those unable to pay fines or repair damaged vehicles would bring in huge amounts of money, enough to fund mass transit for those now walking.

Are we having fun yet? Come on, get with the spirit of the program; saving lives and property by enforcing red light violations. And don’t forget, the hospitals get a percentage of the profit, my aren’t we a city on a hill to behold…

I can’t recall where I “borrowed” the picture of the red light; gosh and oh by golly, I hope nobody comes after me for that. I suppose I should get out my camera and take my own picture, one that would look just the same except it would have come from my own work.

America’s Foundations in Danger or Under Attack

There are some interesting items worthy of a second look or listen as I sit back this evening, counting my blessings after having enjoyed a great Sunday. Rather than write my opinions, here are some teaser “lifts” along with links to read the whole articles.

First, from my friend Nickie Goomba, Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty, Claims British Lord .

“If credible, the concern Monckton speaks to may well prove the single most important issue facing the American nation, bigger than health care, bigger than cap and trade, and worth every citizen’s focused attention.

Here were Monckton’s closing remarks…”

“At [the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in] Copenhagen, this December, weeks away, a treaty will be signed. Your president will sign it. Most of the third world countries will sign it, because they think they’re going to get money out of it. Most of the left-wing regime from the European Union will rubber stamp it. Virtually nobody won’t sign it.

I read that treaty. And what it says is this, that a world government is going to be created. The word “government” actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity. The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to third world countries, in satisfication of what is called, coyly, “climate debt” – because we’ve been burning CO2 and they haven’t. We’ve been screwing up the climate and they haven’t. And the third purpose of this new entity, this government, is enforcement.

How many of you think that the word “election” or “democracy” or “vote” or “ballot” occurs anywhere in the 200 pages of that treaty? Quite right, it doesn’t appear once. So, at last, the communists who piled out of the Berlin Wall and into the environmental movement, who took over Greenpeace so that my friends who funded it left within a year, because [the communists] captured it – Now the apotheosis as at hand. They are about to impose a communist world government on the world. You have a president who has very strong sympathies with that point of view. He’s going to sign it. He’ll sign anything. He’s a Nobel Peace Prize [winner]; of course he’ll sign it.”

Did you catch that; our president is about to sign a treaty which will give away 200 plus years of hard fought for sovereignty to a world government order, something which should not surprise anyone paying attention to the communist leaning sphere of influential advisers Obama has surrounded himself with. How’s that Hope and Change thing working for you?

Second on my list of articles which should curl your hair would be the aspect of selling gold that doesn't exist by implementation of the principles of fractional reserve banking. Thanks and a tip of the hat to Mike Landfair, a retired stock broker friend for posting this on his blog under the title, How Much Imaginary Gold Has Been Sold? It should be noted that this article was originally written by Adrian Douglas under this same title.

“The unique characteristic of gold is that about 50 percent (80,000 tonnes) of the above-ground stocks are held as a store of wealth (investment). The other 50 percent exists as jewelry. When gold is bought as a store of wealth it can perform that function for you wherever it is in the world. Given this unique characteristic many large investors in bullion prefer to leave their gold with the bullion dealer from whom they bought it so that it can be stored in their vault and easily resold. This is identical to the situation with stocks, where most stock certificates are held by brokerage houses, not by individuals.
That people are buying and selling gold without ever taking delivery means that there is the opportunity for bullion houses to sell gold that doesn't exist.

Now the bullion houses probably don't view this as illegal or dishonest because they will operate a fractional reserve type of system, just as the banks do with fiat currency, and will make sure they have enough gold on hand for what would be the maximum estimated volume of gold that could be called for delivery. After all, trading is done with unallocated gold, so how much more unallocated can it get if it doesn't exist at all?”

{…}

“If the OTC was selling only gold that the participants own, there could never be a lack of liquidity. The panic that occurred at the end of September confirms that there is a chronic lack of liquidity. This necessarily implies that there is multiple ownership of the same ounce of gold and it is, therefore, fraudulent. Leasing of gold from central banks provides only temporary liquidity, because the central banks want their gold returned at some later date, and it looks as if the bullion bankers may have dipped into that well one too many times already.

The gold market is in a precarious position. Just as in the days of the gold standard it requires only one customer not having his deposit returned to bring down the bank, because a domino effect results in all depositors asking for their deposits to be returned. If my estimates are correct, that somewhere between 64,000 and 150,000 tonnes of gold have been sold against a reserve of only 15,000 tonnes.”

This looks like a Ponzi scheme to me, selling a product which you never had with the hope that the owner never demands delivery; a scary scenario when you think about how much is at stake.

Then there is the continued effort to silence the freedom of expression guaranteed under the 1st Amendment to folks who express a religious opinion in the political arena. I specifically am referring to those who claim that Mormons, and other Christians violated the rights of homosexuals seeking equal “rights” to marriage, altering the definition of marriage in order to accommodate such. Dalin H. Oaks addressed a group of students at BYU-Idaho on October 13, 2009, on the subject of Religious Freedom; a transcript is linked from the Church Newsroom site, or if you prefer, an audio transcript is also linked.

Thanks for my friend Shawn Rogers for posting this link on his Facebook site and Meridian Magazine for posting the original article. Here’s a taste of what was offered…

“…Unpopular minority religions are especially dependent upon a constitutional guarantee of free exercise of religion. We are fortunate to have such a guarantee in the United States, but many nations do not. The importance of that guarantee in the United States should make us ever diligent to defend it. And it is in need of being defended. During my lifetime I have seen a significant deterioration in the respect accorded to religion in our public life, and I believe that the vitality of religious freedom is in danger of being weakened accordingly.

Religious belief is obviously protected against government action. The practice of that belief must have some limits, as I suggested earlier. But unless the guarantee of free exercise of religion gives a religious actor greater protection against government prohibitions than are already guaranteed to all actors by other provisions of the constitution (like freedom of speech), what is the special value of religious freedom? Surely the First Amendment guarantee of free exercise of religion was intended to grant more freedom to religious action than to other kinds of action. Treating actions based on religious belief the same as actions based on other systems of belief should not be enough to satisfy the special place of religion in the United States Constitution.”

The material is worthy of any college of law as it clearly defines the difference between rights as covered under our Constitution and “extensions of thought” which many would have us believe are equally covered and yet fall short of God given rights.

Last on my list of valued articles worth sharing came from a blog I visit from time to time, Say Uncle; an article he called, Opening Shots in the Culture War . This is a wake up call to anyone who considers the 2nd Amendment issue a done deal; after all, the Supreme Court made a fairly straight forward decision in District of Columbia vs Heller, didn’t it? The original article linked to one written by Michael Kirkland which gets into the nuts and bolts of why this issue is on “Gun Control on Culture War’s Front Burner” .

“…the right to bear arms was not initially established in the Second Amendment, Scalia wrote. The amendment "codified a pre-existing right" dating back to the days when the Catholic English King James II tried to keep Protestants from obtaining weapons. Later, William and Mary guaranteed Protestants the right to bear arms in the Declaration of Rights, which became the English Bill of Rights.

But government is not powerless when it comes to regulating arms, the court majority said in the opinion's syllabus:

"Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the amendment or state analogs. The court's opinion should not be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms."
As sweeping as the opinion in Heller is, advocates of gun rights and gun control are waiting for the other shoe to drop this term.”

I remember reading the difference between a conservative and a liberal, at least as pertain to guns. “If a conservative doesn’t like guns he doesn’t own one whereas if a liberal doesn’t like guns he goes about making sure nobody else can have one.” The battle for freedom and liberty is never over.

Thanks to those who contributed their efforts and bringing these topics to our attention. While we may not agree on how these important items are finalized, the fact that we are able to discuss them without fear of imprisonment speaks volumes about the freedoms we are fighting for here in America.

I took the liberty of scanning one of the many historical "look alike" documents from a book Lucy gave me several years back, The Declaration of Independence – A Museum in a Book. This particular document was Richard Henry Lee’s Resolution for Independence.

Was the Goomba Correct?

I worked on the books for my business most of the day, entering last month’s numbers into the computer in preparation for the 3rd Quarter Sales Tax report due next week. Part of the day was spent updating statements and then faxing them to the various payables departments so we stay on top of our receivables; being in business is more than cutting keys, getting paid is important too.

I did have a chance to catch up on some blog reading when the rains hit and pretty much washed away the rest of the afternoon; rescheduled a couple of wholesale locksmith jobs until tomorrow. There were a slew of articles making fun of the Nobel Prize winning mockery; a line from the movie, Being There, comes to mind; requiring a minor adjustment to the original wording, “All you has to be is a Liberal, Yes Sir, all you has to be is a Liberal.”

Anyway, one of my regular reads is Nickie Goomba and his friends, DC and Rhod at It Don’t Make Sense. The title of DC’s piece, was We’ve Killed All the Prophets . I left my comment, a reminder that we do in fact have a living Prophet on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson.

This past week’s Sunday School lesson tied directly in with the thought, “We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet”.

I should put a plug in for our Gospel Doctrine instructor, Terrell Hunt for presenting the lesson in such a way as to inspire extended thought throughout the days and weeks following each lesson, Thank You. Use the link provided to read the information; but here is a taste of what was offered in a story told by President Hugh B. Brown of the First Presidency at the beginning of WWII:

“…President Brown was called as a General Authority, he spent some time in England working as a barrister, or attorney. He befriended a prominent Englishman who was a member of the House of Commons and a former justice of the supreme court of Britain. The two men often discussed various subjects, including religion.

In 1939, when it appeared that World War II would soon break out, the English gentleman called Brother Brown into his office. He asked Brother Brown to defend his religious beliefs in the same way he would discuss a legal problem. In a general conference address, President Brown recalled part of their conversation:

“I began by asking, ‘May I proceed, sir, on the assumption that you are a Christian?’

“ ‘I am.’

“ ‘I assume that you believe in the Bible—the Old and New Testaments?’

“ ‘I do!’ ”

The English gentleman said that he believed the biblical accounts of the Lord speaking to prophets. However, he maintained that such communication had stopped soon after the Resurrection of Christ. The conversation continued with another question from Brother Brown:

“Why do you think it stopped?”

“ ‘I can’t say.’

“ ‘You think that God hasn’t spoken since then?’
“ ‘Not to my knowledge.’

“ ‘May I suggest some possible reasons why he has not spoken. Perhaps it is because he cannot. He has lost the power.’

“He said, ‘Of course that would be blasphemous.’

“ ‘Well, then, if you don’t accept that, perhaps he doesn’t speak to men because he doesn’t love us anymore. He is no longer interested in the affairs of men.’

“ ‘No,’ he said, ‘God loves all men, and he is no respecter of persons.’
“ ‘Well, then, … the only other possible answer as I see it is that we don’t need him. We have made such rapid strides in education and science that we don’t need God any more.’

“And then he said, and his voice trembled as he thought of impending war, ‘Mr. Brown, there never was a time in the history of the world when the voice of God was needed as it is needed now. Perhaps you can tell me why he doesn’t speak.’

“My answer was, ‘He does speak, he has spoken; but men need faith to hear him’ ”

( I tried installing a different font to set this apart; but it messed up the whole article; oh well)

The response showed how good Christian folks yearn to have first hand instruction from the Lord; but know not where to find it. If you think about it, such a heart felt desire is not much different than the search for truth in any endeavor. The Prophet of the Lord doesn’t have to be super human; in fact, it helps knowing he’s a man with frailties, our seeing him as an imperfect man likely enables our desire to be more like Christ and binds it with someone real rather than a pipe dream.

In this age of miracles, finding a video of a Prophet of the Lord speaking isn’t all that hard; deciding which clips to share, now that might be more difficult. The first one might be my favorite, not because President Monson explains one of the secrets of the universe; but it shows the depth of his humanity.



This next segment is a little more sobering as we are reminded of the dangerous path toward self destruction America has taken and continues to take. You might have heard these warnings before; think now, was the information valuable?



Lastly is my invitation to Come and Listen to a Prophet’s Voice, a link to the talks given in General Conference . No, they haven’t killed all the Prophets.

Make Mine Freedom (1948)

I pulled this video off of Lucy’s Facebook page. I’d seen it before and yet the simple message must have been missed by a good many folks or we wouldn’t need to be watching it again. Have you got 9 minutes and 27 seconds to evaluate something many of us have known for years?

Cartoon From Scotland

I got this in my email; thanks and a tip of the hat to my friend Richard.

Time to get back to doing my end of quarter book work so I can pay my taxes on time.

AL Game 163 WOW!

The tie breaker game between the Tigers and Twins was the best game I’ve seen in years as far as excitement. The Twins will be headed to Yankee Stadium for game one of the playoffs tomorrow; but there’s no way it could be any better than what just went down, WOW!

There were bone head plays made followed by pure perfection on both sides. 54,000 fans stood on their feet for the last several innings with no chance to relax, feel confident or give up hope; a pure emotional roller coaster ride through both line ups. If you missed this one there’s no way looking at the box score will make up for what went on.

WOW and double WOW!

Geslison Family Folk Music

I caught a folk music presentation, already in progress, by the Geslison family on the BYU channel. They played a tune called, David’s Dig, a modern Scottish violin piece written by a fellow living in Nova Scotia, played by their 14 year old daughter. I enjoyed the music so much I continued to listen to the rest of the program.

I never was a big fan of square dancing; however, the music which accompanies it goes straight to my soul. This might explain why Wal-Mart appeals to me more than Neiman Marcus; the simple melodies speak to that part of me which longs for a Country Road , like the one in the John Denver tune.

One of the nice things about living in our technological day, I was able to find the next scheduled re-play of Geslison Family Folk Music program and set my DVR to record it at 1:00am Wednesday; that’s a hint for anyone who might want to take a chance.

You Just Sorta Wasted My Precious Time

A woman called early this morning, got me out of bed as I ran for the ringing phone, asking to have a key made to her 1992 Nissan Pathfinder. I quoted a price and she then asked if it would cost less if she brought the vehicle to me; tough to do without a key. She then clarified her request, saying she only needed a door key.

We agreed on a price and I asked where she was coming from and found she was fairly close. I gave her directions to my house, “Give me a few minutes to put on some cloths. There’s a law about doing locksmith work naked”, I threw in checking her humor level. Fifteen minutes would give me a chance to brush my teeth and get my eyes focused. I even had enough time to get the trash gathered and out to the street for the early Monday pick up.

She arrived and parked in the driveway where I had a chance to size up her vehicle. The passenger side didn’t have a working door handle and the driver side vertical locking knob had been taped to keep it from accidentally locking. I fetched a key blank from the rack, put a knife edge to it and started to impression the driver side lock figuring it was the only one worth messing with.

A few minutes later I had the combination and the lock turned. I polished the cuts so it turned smoothly only to notice the lock wasn’t hooked up to the linkage; probably old Slim Jim type damage from someone fishing around and unhooking the back of the lock.

I could have taken the door panel off and reattached the linkage. It’s not like it would have been that big a deal; except this woman had an attitude issue which came across real quick. “I ain’t payin’ for no key that don’t make the door open!” I should have reckoned on Monday morning starting out on a sour note as the light rain fell.

I asked if she knew anyone in the body shop business who might assist her in taking off the door panel; all I got back was a look like it was my fault her door was busted on the inside. “I ain’t payin’ for no key that don’t make the door open!”

I smiled quietly wondering how to let her understand that she might have had things go her way had she only been a little less “common”; I believe that covers the thought. If she’d held her tongue for maybe two or three moments I’d have offered to take the door panel off and fixed it as part of being friendly; but no, this woman hadn’t learned that lesson yet.

“Let’s just call this a practice session and call it even”. She backed onto the street once she realized I wasn’t going to fix her broken door for free. I walked up the driveway to my work truck and tossed the impression key in the tool box; figure she might call back later after she gets a little sense, this way I’ve already done the work.

“You just sorta’ wasted my precious time; but don’t think twice, it’s alright” The words of the old song made the loss of a single key blank tolerable; hardly worth getting angry over, “…but don’t think twice, it’s alright.”

I spent almost an hour listening to various versions of the song as I tried to pick the one that would best fit my memories. The Bob Dylan version had a little too much edge to it; Johnny Cash was harsh as well. There were a couple of Peter Paul & Mary recordings that almost hit the nail on the head; but I ended up with a group from Tokyo doing their stage imitation of Peter Paul & Mary, here’s Heart Stream.

General Conference Reminder

There are only two more sessions remaining of the October General Conference. You can watch it either on the BYU Channel on your computer or via the official Church website . If you have cable or Direct TV, some areas have the BYU Channel, check your local listings. After taking in the talks, The Really Cheap Watch Contest is open to anyone wishing to enter.

This evening when I got home from the Priesthood Session I was able to catch the BYU Channel’s presentation of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, a repeat from several years ago. They did one of my favorites, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, along with many others as a history of this famous choir was narrated.

I then went to Youtube and found this awe inspiring version of High On a Mountain Top which was performed at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.