J's Cafe Nette

Just received a call from our daughter-in-law and the lump under her arm was biopsied today and found to be benign! Praise the Lord for His mercy and answering so many prayers.

The doctor is going to take some blood to determine if it is from the medication she takes to do the work of a thyroid since hers was removed due to cancer several years ago.

This is the best doctor’s report we have ever had on her for a lump. We’re so happy we’re almost dancing on the floors!

I personally want to thank everyone who prayed for her, as I am sure God heard the intercessory prayers from all of you and us. Thank you again. We serve a mighty God!

Let me preface this by saying I voted in the SC primary Saturday on a cold and miserable rainy day. I literally spent right up until late Friday night deciding the name of the person for whom I would vote. I still prayed about it while at the voting machine.

Now on with the post.

Having lived in SC since late 1976 (after Carter was elected) I have voted in every presidential primary in this state since 1980.

I spoke to a good friend Saturday night and he thinks we should just resign ourselves to the fact a certain candidate will win and not drag this on. I told him every state has the right to express their preferences in the primaries.

I then went off on why is it that Iowa and New Hampshire get to pick the next President of the United States? Neither state is a cross-section of our country and they all want to meet personally with each candidate. They ultimately cancel each other out and then it comes to South Carolina where we do have more diversity, but we shouldn’t be picking our next president either.

The Republican party should adopt a policy that every state would have a primary or caucus on the same day all across the country and the entire country would choose our nominee, who would hopefully go on to win the office. I actually think caucuses are obsolete and favor the person who can best afford to get people to the meeting places. Let it all be a secret ballot.

There should be restrictions on how much money each candidate can spend without the taxpayer having to foot the bill. At the end of the day, just as at the end of a national election day, we would all know who our nominee is, coalesce behind him or her and let the candidate prepare for the upcoming general election, again with money restrictions put into place without taxpayers footing the bill and both parties having to abide by that money limit with no super PACS. I can think of no good reason for a sitting president to have to raise and spend a billion dollars to get elected when he has no primary opposition. It also gives our candidates a chance to rest and prepare for the general election

If someone wants to donate a million dollars to a candidate that should be OK, but it would go in the total tally of how much each candidate can spend.

The way the system is set up now wears out our candidates, to say nothing of wearing out the voters. I cannot tell you how many phone calls we received from 7:00 AM Saturday morning until after we got home from voting, shortly after noon. They had even managed to leave two voice mail messages while we were gone, which were immediately deleted as soon as we heard the voice.

Having a national campaign also gives the states that vote after someone has garnered enough delegates to win, a chance to actually participate in the process and have it mean something.

And the population of a state would not dominate anything. Rhode Island or Delaware would be just as important as California and New York. It would be by popular vote and the winner in each state would take all the delegates of that state.

I’m so glad this primary is finished in our state and feel sympathy for those in Florida and other upcoming states.

Several years ago our daughter-in-law was diagnosed with thyroid cancer that kept going to other places after she had her thyroid removed. Ultimately she was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

After several operations and an experimental treatment that surrounded the non-Hodgkins lymphoma cells and smothered them, she was in remission. You have to wait for a period of time to be declared in remission.

Last week she was shaving under her arms and found a lump about the size of a pea. She thought it might be an ingrown hair. Today she shaved under her arms again and found that the pea-sized growth is now the size of a quarter.

She will see her endocrinologist on Tuesday as her oncologist’s waiting list is too long to have it checked and her family doctor wouldn’t do what the endocrinologist would do.

I expect she will be sent for surgery to have this removed, it will be biopsied and if found to be malignant treatment will be again given.

She has a 15 year old son and a 13 year old daughter, along with our son as her husband.

Non-Hodgkins lymphoma is actually a cancer of the body. It strikes anywhere in the body as it did when she had it before.

I personally ask all readers of this blog who pray to bombard heaven with requests that this will be benign. As soon as I know more I will let you know. I thank you in advance.

Right now I’m sitting in SC, five days away from the Republican primary, and I still am trying to decide between two candidates as to which one I think can beat Obama in November.

I announced once a candidate I planned to support, but I am not necessarily going to vote that way now.

To my writing partners I would ask that you not write blogs that praise one candidate or encourage anyone to consider anyone is the favorite so we might just as well vote for that candidate and anoint him our candidate this early in the process, either in a post or a comment.

In 2004 and 2008 I read blogs that constantly put down President Bush, complaining about his immigration policy and they almost won the election for John Kerry and did lose the election for McCain in the 2008 campaign.

I do not want to be one of those blogs.

While no one has the delegates to win the nomination, it will be the policy of this blog to not endorse any of the candidates currently running.

When we know with numbers who our nominee will be we will fully endorse that man and work as hard as we can to see that he wins. With the exception of Ron Paul. I will not endorse him because I feel he would put our country in great danger. Many will disagree with me about that statement and that is their right.

We will stick to positive things to say about our candidates until the nominee is decided, giving everyone a fair chance.

Whether the person I ultimately support in the polling booth wins or loses I will put the same energy into the eventual nominee if it is someone else as I would for the one I ultimately decide to support.

We will play candidate videos as long as they are not attacking a fellow Republican. We will continue to show the DNC ads such as seen in this post so we can see what we are up against and not for the purpose of criticizing the candidate featured in the ad. I believe that was the intent when Sue posted that DNC ad.

I think our position is now clear as glass and I thank you for respecting it.

Pretty darn amazing!

The softness of touch and steadiness of both hands and body must be a gift. I cannot imagine I would not send these glasses crashing to the floor at any given moment!

More at the link above.

I came across this survey study in the newspaper tonight. First, let me preface to say that I live on Staten Island – been living here for over twenty years – and that Staten Island is not actually a city but a borough of New York City. We are the smallest borough and definitely less famous than say the boroughs of Manhattan or Brooklyn or even the Bronx. Still at a population of over 450,000 Staten Island is roughly the spread of a medium size city.

From today’s New York Post.

Hey, ladies, the perfect mate may be just a short orange ferry ride away!

Against all odds, Staten Island has been ranked the 10th-most sensitive city in the United States in a new survey — which apparently missed the fact that the borough is not actually a city unto itself.

For those that might not know, the ferry ride that’s being referred is the Staten Island ferry, which crosses the harbor from Staten Island to Manhattan. It’s relatively well known. As you can see, the author of the article is somewhat shocked (“against all odds” – I tell you, we get no respect) as are the men around here.

As with most of these “studies,” there’s a lot of psychobabble that gets thrown around.

The survey author, Chemistry.com’s “chief scientific adviser,” Dr. Helen Fisher claimed each of the winning cities features a specific type of man she calls “builders.”
“They are men who express a constellation of personality traits linked with the serotonin system in the brain,” she said.

I wonder what Dr. Helen Fisher got her degree in, astrology? Anyway, what exactly does this mean? “Builder”? What exactly is a sensitive man, I wondered?

“Sensitive men are traditional,” Fisher said. “They deeply value loyalty, duty, respectability and proper moral conduct.
These mushy men want to do the “right’ thing,” Fisher said. “It’s these chivalrous qualities that make a sensitive man.”

Now here I was expecting a sort of metrosexual type, one that pampers his hair or shaves his underarms (or elsewhere) or tweezes his eyebrows. Never did I expect they would be referring to a traditional male. Hey that is me! Loyal, certainly; sense of duty, obviously; respectful, most of the time; proper moral conduct – I would say so. Hmm.

That article wasn’t very long, so I searched around to see if any other media covered it, and our local news website had it, but without much more information. However they did ask some locals what they thought.

“I think Staten Island men are sensitive because our mothers raised us right,” said Dennis Carregal, 23, New Dorp. “We were brought up to be respectful, even if sometimes we come off as if we are rough around the edges.”

Hmm, good point. We have mothers that weren’t shy about smacking us across the face.

“I have male customers come in daily wanting to discuss their relationship issues, or how they should go about getting a mate,” said William Reischour, 28, co-owner of Next Level Barber Shop, Grant City. ” I tell them go with what they know and to be themselves, regardless of how sensitive they might be perceived.”

Hmm, I’ve had the same barber for thirty-something years, a conservative, old Italian who thinks the minimum jail time should be 20 years – and that’s for jay walking! – and I would never, ever, EVER talk to him about relationships. Talking to your barber about getting a mate? Oh, I would be so embarrassed. You don’t talk to your barber about sh*t like that. It’s gotta be politics or football or crime.

Here’s the top ten list if you’re interested:
1. Pompano Beach, Fla.
2. Roanoke, Va.
3. West Hollywood, Calif.
4. Nashville, Tenn.
5. Buffalo, N.Y.
6. Sarasota, Fla.
7. Greenville, S.C.
8. Wilmington, N.C.
9. Indianapolis, Ind.
10. Staten Island, N.Y.

Oh well, truth be told, I may have lived on Staten Island for twenty years, but I grew up and lived in Brooklyn for over twenty-five, and those are the formative years. Brooklyn would never make a sensitive guy list. No f’n way.

*This video is not being offered to take a swipe at Mitt Romney, rather to show how those who do not support his candidacy are now and will continue to paint him with the same brush which tarred John Kerry in his unsuccessful presidential bid. While I believe the comparisons of the two men stop at this similarity, the damage created by being painted as a flip flopper can be a great detriment to a candidate with undecided and even party voters.*

Information such as that contained in the above video is only a small part of what the electorate will be inundated with in the upcoming presidential election. No matter ones choice in the republican primary, or who in the end secures the nomination (Romney currently has 22 of 1144 electoral votes required), it will not be a piece of cake to unseat an incumbent president.

This is why it is so important to allow the nomination process to play out as designed and not deem one person a winner based on a few primaries. The more of the electorate who feels they have had a say in the eventual result, the better the chance they will also support the winner. If people feel as though a candidate has been selected rather than elected, they just might rebel in their own individual way, whether it be to forward negative information on the candidate to sources who will be licking their chops to receive such, or worse yet may wash their hands of a candidate and not vote.

It may not seem relevant to some today, but in 2004 when a few prominent web sites with fairly large readership turned on George Bush prior to the general election, it made his re-election more difficult. These are considered even today to be on the conservative side as blogs go, and while it may not be them, let’s for a moment suppose any large on line daily right leaning publication does the same in this cycle due to a feeling of being pressured to accept a candidate at an early date of whom they are not in favor?

The men now in the race for the republican nomination are intelligent enough to know when it is time to drop out and release their delegates to vote for the eventual nominee or the person of their choice. Until that time, we should allow our citizens to continue to exercise their right to vote for their choice and only then will we be in a better position to unite and fight back against videos like the one posted above.

Video HT:Ace Of Spades HQ

I’m writing this after midnight Monday night.

I can report that Dixville Notch, NH, gave 1 vote to Newt Gingrich, 1 vote to Ron Paul, 2 votes to Jon Huntsman and 2 votes to Mitt Romney.

Now that I’ve taken that suspense from you I thought I’d tell you about three phone calls I got Monday night.

As you know, I live in South Carolina, and we have our primary vote a week from Saturday, January 21, 2012. (That’s only the second time I’ve used the new year in print or writing; the first being yesterday at the new Sunday School class I joined.)

Someone in Washington DC has been very eager to speak to one of us as they have been calling at various times of the day. But when I see Washington DC on my caller ID I let the phone ring and it can go to voice mail or they can just hang up.

I wasn’t so lucky Monday night. I received a recorded poll call from a company I cannot remember. I was asked if I planned to vote in the upcoming primary vote, press 1 for yes and press 2 for no. Then I was asked to push the number of the candidate I planned to vote for as they listed candidates, including Bachmann, alphabetically.

I have said I plan to vote for Gingrich, but right now I am truly torn between him and Santorum, so I think I punched up Santorum.

Right after that I got a call from an area code I don’t recognize, but because so many have changed I took it since it wasn’t a toll free number or unknown name and a very wonderful man and great friend of mine (we were unofficially dating in our teens) passed away Sunday afternoon and I thought it might be his wife or one of his children calling to give me the arrangements.

This was a call from a Gingrich worker who happened to be calling me from Las Vegas. Ahh, I love that city. Not for the gambling but for the beautiful view of the mountains from the hotel rooms which are located right above the casinos. Yes, I played a little blackjack and ended up with the same amount I had gone with, $300.

This gentleman wanted to speak to my husband so I asked if I could tell him who was calling. He told me his name and said he was calling on behalf of Newt Gingrich. I told him I was the political one in our house and he would probably rather talk to me. And talk he did. He must have thought I was a youngster because he gave me a history lesson on Newt’s time in the House, the Contract With America, his speaker-ship etc, etc. And he wouldn’t take a breath long enough for me to speak and tell him I knew all of that already.

Then he told me in Sunday’s or Saturday’s debate the old Newt came out. I told him to pass the message to Newt to watch what he says and how he says it when the old Newt comes out because it’s hurting him.

I told him that I was planning to vote for Gingrich but now I’m torn between Gingrich and Santorum. I want someone I think can win and will do a great job as president. I told him I am praying about how I should vote and might not know until I step up to the machine to cast my ballot.

I’ve always complained about people who are this close to an election and they haven’t yet made up their minds, and now I am one of them and I will never complain about them again.

While he was talking my ear off I received another call, but couldn’t get him to be quiet long enough to hear me say I had another call.

After we hung up I listened to the voice mail I had received during the call. It was Newt Gingrich on an automated call, giving quite a message! So the Gingrich campaign contacted me twice at the same time.

The recording says he is holding telephonic town hall meetings and we can check his site to see when and call 1-855-Ask-Newt (1-855-275-6398). There is a call scheduled for Tuesday, January 10 from 3:15 to 4:00 PM. Maybe it works from all area codes if you are interested in at least listening.

I think having the opportunity to speak to the candidates and maybe offer some friendly advice or ask him to clarify his positions is a great idea.

The one good thing going for us is that we live within 10 miles of the North Carolina state line and are therefore in the North Carolina television market. We probably will not see the 30 minute ad they are talking about putting up in SC by a PAC.

Watch out, Georgia and Florida or whoever comes right after us. I know Florida is an early state but I’m not sure of Georgia.

Somehow I feel “special”.

I’m going to tell you a story I read tonight, but I have promised the person who gave it to me that I will not publish the letter.

The story begins with a young woman who was a drug abuser and overdosed. She realized she would probably die and prayed to God that if He brought her through that episode she would devote her life to Him.

She lived and she changed.

On Christmas Eve she gave birth to a stillborn girl, who had been moving the day before.

Instead of blaming God she wrote and delivered a eulogy that is so full of faith in God that I feel so ashamed.

Instead of blaming God for taking her child, she praises God that that little girl never experienced sin, suffering or sorrow.

She said she and her husband had given this child to God when they found out a new life was in her womb. They offered her back after holding her and imprinting her face in their minds.

She asked what better gift she could give the Father than an innocent child, much the same as He gave us His Son.

She ended by saying three times, “Blessed be the Name of the Lord!”