J's Cafe Nette

Archive for April, 2008

Stimulus Payment Schedule for Tax Returns Processed by April 15

Economic stimulus payments will be issued according to the last two-digits of the main filer’s Social Security number. For joint filers, the payments will go out based on the person listed first on the return. Payments will be made by either direct deposit or paper check, consistent with how people filed their 2007 tax return.

People who use direct deposit also will be among the first to receive the payments starting April 28. Direct deposits will be made daily and completed by the date listed below:
DIRECT DEPOSIT

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be transmitted no later than:
00 through 20 May 2
21 through 75 May 9
76 through 99 May 16

Paper checks will also go out based on Social Security number. For Social Security numbers ending in 00 through 09, the paper checks will be mailed starting May 9 and will continue through May 16. A similar process will be repeated in the following weeks.
PAPER CHECK

Last two SSN digits: Payments will be mailed no later than:
00 through 09 May 16
10 through 18 May 23

19 through 25
May 30
26 through 38 June 6
39 through 51 June 13
52 through 63 June 20
64 through 75 June 27
76 through 87 July 4
88 through 99 July 11

People who file a return after April 15 will receive their economic stimulus payment, but probably about two weeks later than the schedule shows. A return must be filed by October 15 in order to receive a stimulus payment this year. See the online calculator for an estimate of the amount you will receive.

A small percentage of tax returns will require additional time to process and to compute a stimulus payment amount. For these returns, stimulus payments may not be issued in accordance with the schedule above, even if the tax return was processed by April 15.

I also heard on the news today that the first quarter growth was. .6%. Pretty anemic, but it does not meet the definition of a recession, which is a drop for two consecutive quarters.

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Here’s an old video clip of Bob Hope, Dean Martin and old Lonesome George Goble bringing up the rear of a hilariously funny Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Listen and enjoy and notice not one dirty word was said.

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If wishes could make it so, then I would wish that President Bush had taken this tone and command in relation to the press throughout his two terms.

His remarks on the terrorists and terrorism lay out the best argument he has articulated in quite some time as to why we cannot abandon our fight in the War on Terrorism.

As an aside, some might call the behavior of this reporter tenacious, what’s needed to get the real story. I call it rude and obnoxious.

This man, no matter what your personal feelings is the President of the United States and when he says no, it should mean no. The lack of respect that some journalists show toward not only the man but the office itself is disturbing at the very least.

Video courtesy of Eyeblast

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Michael Yon appeared recently on Fox and Friends and in his usual style plays no politics with his assessment of the situation in Iraq or that of Afghanistan.

He has been my most trusted source for information primarily in Iraq for several years and will remain so when he soon returns to his embed position with the boots on the ground.

What would cause any parent to jeopardize the lives of their children?

Thankfully, someone intervened before it was to late for these helpless babies:

If this mother is ever to regain custody of these precious gifts, I would hope she receives some much needed therapy.

Here’s a bit of food for thought on this Tuesday.

An attorney who watched a police officer park illegally in front of a restaurant, then wait around while his meal was prepared, issued the officer a series of citizen-initiated violations.
Eric Bryant said he was sitting at the restaurant March 7 when Officer Chad Stensgaard parked his patrol car next to a no-parking sign and walked inside to wait for his food, the Portland Mercury reported Thursday.
Bryant told the weekly paper that when he asked Stensgaard about his car, the officer asked Bryant, “If someone broke into your house, would you rather have the police be able to park in front of your house or have to park three blocks away and walk there?
Bryant filed a complaint as a private citizen alleging several violations, including illegal parking and illegal operation of an emergency vehicle.
Stensgaard was issued a summons to appear in traffic court in May. The fines could total $540. . . .
Cathe Kent, a spokeswoman for the Portland Police Bureau, said Stensgaard would fight the complaint in court, “as he rightfully should.”

What’s your opinion? Do you believe the attorney was correct in his actions or does the police officer have a case?

I haven’t come to any conclusion as I am still attempting to understand the correlation between responding to a robbery and illegally parking a vehicle while waiting for your lunch.

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The Supreme Court today voted 6-3 to uphold the common sense practice of Voter ID in the state of Indiana:

The law “is amply justified by the valid interest in protecting ‘the integrity and reliability of the electoral process,’” Justice John Paul Stevens said in an opinion that was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Anthony Kennedy.

Now if only all other states would follow suit it might help restore real confidence in our electoral process.

HT: The Page

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While checking the news, trying to find something that isn’t political, I read more details of the 73 year old Austrian man who had locked his daughter up in a basement apartment and repeatedly raped her.

This happened over a period of 24 years, starting when she was just 18 years old. He had been molesting her since she was 11.

She had given birth to seven of his children, but one twin died and he disposed of it in the family furnace.

One child got sick and she was able to go to the hospital with her, and so her story got out and she got out of captivity.

The monster who is the father and grandfather to her children, and his wife took care of three of the children. Supposedly the wife knew nothing except her daughter had disappeared.

How her husband explained the appearance of children on their doorstep is beyond me.

That’s not the point though. The point is this is not the first case we have heard about coming from Austria, but I’m sure it’s happening all over the world, including our own country.

We have allowed God to be pushed out of our lives to the extent that something like this shocks us but then we hear of another case like it.

Europeans as a majority do not believe in a living God. In America we are hearing the same thing from people. We are abandoning God and we wonder why we are having the problems in the world we have.

If someone speaks up and says he or she is a practicing Christian that person is ridiculed as though he or she has been brainwashed, all the while being told to be “tolerant” of others’ beliefs.

Well, I am tolerant, but I hate to see them go to hell. I also know that all I can do is pray the Holy Spirit will convict their hearts of the sin we were all born with and they will confess Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Jesus told us He was the only way to God the Father. We can’t get to God or Heaven through good works, Buddha, Allah, Shintoism, Hinduism or any other faith that rejects Jesus as the crucified Messiah Who died in place of us. He died so we might live eternally with Him and the Father, which is what God planned all along.

Until and unless we acknowledge God and His Sovereignty we will continue to hear things as horrible as this and worse.

If just one person thinks about this and decides to dedicate his or her life to Jesus, it will be worth every minute spent on this blog by all the various people who make it run.

If you want to make a decision for Christ look on our sidebar and you will see a link to a site called Do You Know?

It will tell you how to be born again, and if you need more help please call a pastor and he will be glad to talk with you.

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Sorry , but I do not see the humor in this suggestion from former President Clinton:

Citing President Bush’s recent cameo appearance on NBC’s “Deal or No Deal,” former President Bill Clinton today suggested that his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, might want to appear on a network show, too, “like, I dunno, maybe ‘Wife Swap’ or something, you know, just to mix it up.”

Speaking to a crowd in Evansville, Ind., before the Indiana primary, Clinton said he saw the reaction President Bush got when his face popped up on the video screen on “Deal or No Deal,” and he thought his wife might generate a similarly positive reaction were she to switch places with Sen. Osama’s “very attractive” wife, Michelle, for a week.

“Come on now, who wouldn’t want to see that?” Clinton asked, presumably rhetorically. “Hillary and Barack havin’ to spend a week together as husband and wife while campaigning against each other? It’d be great! And me and Michelle having to spend a week together being campaign spouses, just sittin’ at home on the couch, all lonely, waiting for a phone call from the road most nights, then going on the trail, spending lots of nights stuck with nothing to do in nice hotel suites that have big Jacuzzi tubs and fully stocked mini bars? Oh, man, why didn’t I think of this before?!”

What an odd suggestion from a man who was disgraced while in office in part for his relationships with women other than his spouse. Further, is this behavior we should expect from one who once had the privilege of residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Some might say, lighten up, this is a joke. My answer to that would be look no further than Senator Clinton replying “no comment” when asked about these latest hair brained comments by her husband.

What anyone does in their private life is their business, but when your wife is running for President, I think you could show a bit more respect for her and the office she aspires to hold.

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President Bush’s final appearance at the White House Correspondents Dinner allows him to fulfill a personal ambition (mid-point of video):

What a great surprise for those in attendance. Well done Mr. President.

If you would like to view the first video of the Presidents remarks it is available here.

HT: Hot Air

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The NYT will not send a representative to the White House Correspondents Dinner this year.

Why is that important you ask? Well, if you are in the mood for a good laugh you will need to read no further than the reason stated for their absence.

“These events can create a false perception that reporters and their sources are pals, and that perception could cloud our credibility,” Spokeswoman Diane McNulty wrote. “It’s not worth it.”

Clouded credibility..maybe that should be their new motto. What a hoot.

HT: American Thinker

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While the video quality may be a bit rough, (no doubt due to age), the message from Bill Gaither to his grandson is pricless in this performance of “We’ll Be There.”

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~o)It was encouraging to read that Tony Snow was released today from the hospital after a brief stay:

Sacred Heart Medical Center spokeswoman Pat Servine said Snow was released Thursday morning but added that patient privacy rules prevented her from giving details about his illness. Earlier in the morning, a hospital spokesperson at Sacred Heart Medical Center said that Snow remained in satisfactory condition, confirming the same general diagnosis that a nursing supervisor gave for the 52-year-old on Wednesday.

Best wishes go out to a gentleman of a newsman.

~o)How much of your hard earned money goes to subsidize these “important” junkets by members of Congress?

The real world is so far from the grasp of these folks. It is obvious in watching these interviews that the taxpayer is the furthest thing from their thoughts.

~o)Justice Scalia being, well, Justice Scalia:

“I say nonsense,” Scalia responds to Stahl’s observation that people say the Supreme Court’s decision in Gore v. Bush was based on politics and not justice. “Get over it. It’s so old by now. The principal issue in the case, whether the scheme that the Florida Supreme Court had put together violated the federal Constitution, that wasn’t even close. The vote was seven to two,” he says, referring to the Supreme Court’s decision that the Supreme Court of Florida’s method for recounting ballots was unconstitutional.

Furthermore, says the outspoken conservative justice, it was Al Gore who ultimately put the issue into the courts. “It was Al Gore who made it a judicial question…. We didn’t go looking for trouble. It was he who said, ‘I want this to be decided by the courts,’” says Scalia. “What are we supposed to say — ‘Not important enough?’” he jokes.

~o)From the woman who wants us to believe she gained her “executive experience” while serving as co-president to Bill Clinton:

Oh, I get it. The Senator only knows all there is to know about foreign policy, health care and the economy..anything controversial, well I guess she was just out of town when those decisions were made.

~o)Parents, you may have children of school age who will soon be home for the summer. If you are looking for projects to help occupy time, Artists Helping Children has a site chock full of great ideas for all ages.

Make sure to scroll down through the entire page to see all art mediums offered. Good Stuff.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Rush Limbaugh has many listeners who apparently follow him like sheep. He tells them to register as Democrats for the primaries in their states and then re-register as Republicans later. The reason is his “Operation Chaos” in which he hopes to keep the Democratic nomination in disarray that it will go to the floor of the convention and be a big floor fight. This will, supposedly, dishearten the democrats and they will lose in November.

He’s telling the people to vote for Hillary Clinton to keep her in the race. What is one man’s sick sense of humor is disgusting to others, but not to his sheep.

What if Hillary actually gets the nomination due to the games he and his followers are playing? Then what? Does he think she is easier to beat than Barack Obama? Do the democrats of this country not have the right to choose their candidate without the interference of republicans? Do the republicans of this country have the right to choose their candidate without the influence of the democrats?

The answer is a resounding YES! We should stay out of the other party’s playground and wait for the process to work itself out.

Sue posted about this the other day. She and I and probably you, are sick of this interminable campaign that is burned into our memories as one of the most miserable things we have had to experience in our lifetimes.

If you’re a Democrat in a state that hasn’t voted yet vote for the candidate you really believe in. If you’re a Republican in one of those states, STAY OUT OF IT!

If you think either of these candidates will be easy to beat, you’d better think again. And if you think putting Hillary on the ticket will improve Republican chances, I caution you to be careful what you wish for. She knows no bounds when it comes to elections. She will lie, embellish her resumé, and probably win the prize.

Let’s not help her. Let her get it on her own if she can.

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If you’re a regular on this site you will notice we have changed the look of our site again. We have three themes to use at any given time, but this theme is by far the one I like the most.

The gold and soft yellow show a happiness and optimistic outlook on life. It’s cozy and I hope you like it as much as Sue and I do.

Kim from Schratwieser Consulting, as usual, has designed this template.

I want to sing her praises as I can sometimes be a very demanding client, but she very calmly does the impossible every time.

If you ever want a site designed I highly recommend her for your site. You won’t be disappointed and she’s not as expensive as some of the larger design firms.

Enjoy this theme because I have a feeling it’s going to be up a long, long time. At least until she shows me something I like better.

Thanks, Kim. ><=d>

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If you are a Hillary Clinton supporter, then the news of a ten point win in the the Pennsylvania primary should be most welcome. As for the outcome, I do not think it was ever in question, it was just a matter of the margin.

This was the first primary in which I did not watch any of the cable or national news network coverage of the results, as our Flyers were embroiled in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Washington Capitals.

What a wonderful series this was. Not because the home team won in overtime last evening but because it was hard fought, scrappy hockey with much brilliant goal-tending thrown into the mix.

Back to the primary. I don’t really have much to say that has not already been said a million other places. How many ways can you say, Hillary survives to fight on? As I read through the coverage later in the evening, I found myself chuckling at this couple of paragraphs in an article whose author appears to want Mrs. Clinton to exit the race.

Before they devour themselves once more, perhaps the Democrats will take a cue from Dr. Seuss’s “Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!” (The writer once mischievously redid it for his friend Art Buchwald as “Richard M. Nixon Will You Please Go Now!”) They could sing:

“The time has come. The time has come. The time is now. Just go. … I don’t care how. You can go by foot. You can go by cow. Hillary R. Clinton, will you please go now! You can go on skates. You can go on skis. … You can go in an old blue shoe.

Just go, go, GO!”

I don’t believe Mrs. Clinton will “go, go GO” anywhere except all the way to the Democratic convention. Losing is simply not an option.

Oh well, now we will hear, read and focus on Indiana and North Carolina. Let me rephrase that. Others can turn their attention to those races. I have witnessed enough negativity in the past six weeks here in PA to last me a lifetime.

I will be focused on a Canadian city and a home team who has a chance to advance one step further towards that cherished cup.

If I’m going to have indigestion and feel my blood pressure rise, it might as well be over something I enjoy. At least I know this. Win or lose, I will see good sportsmanship and even in the face of disappointment, realistic thinking and praise for ones opponent.

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For those who might be interested in following the primary results from the state of Pennsylvania, they will be available here beginning at 8pm EST.

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Former Senator Santorum had my respect when he served in Washington and even after his defeat at the hands of Senator Casey, I tend to pay close attention when he speaks.

I did not always concur with Mr. Santorum but he was a strong supporter of President Bush and a reliable Republican vote on most major initiatives.

He has offered the following in defense of the candidacy of Senator McCain, relaying his thoughts as to why Conservatives should support his candidacy:

Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t shy away from offering my two-cents on the issues of the day, particularly in presidential races. And anyone who has heard me talk about the presidential race over the last few months knows that I’ve had, shall we say, some serious reservations about John McCain’s candidacy.
I’ve disagreed with him on immigration, global warming and federal protection of marriage. I’ve taken strong exception to his view that the federal government should fund embryonic stem-cell research. But disagreement on such issues is one of the reasons we have presidential primaries – so each party’s voters can sort out the issues and personalities and choose the candidate who best reflects their collective view. Republicans have done that. Now the question for conservatives is whether McCain fits the Reagan Axiom that someone you agree with on 80 percent of the issues is your friend, not your enemy.

Of all the issues confronting the United States today, none is more important than our nation’s security. Although these issues don’t dominate our news as they once did, we cannot forget that without a safe and secure country, all other issues don’t matter.

McCain is clearly the candidate with the capacity, judgment, experience and will to confront America’s enemies. He’s served our country honorably – heroically – in war. I served eight years with him on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and I can assure you he knows our military. Importantly, he also knows our enemies. He understands their capabilities and their aims. He will not sugarcoat the human or financial commitment and cost needed to defeat this enemy.

The most important social issue is life. Yes, I often wished McCain would have joined me on the Senate floor in debating Barbara Boxer on issues like the partial-birth-abortion ban. In the end, with the exception of embryonic stem-cell funding, he always voted for life and stood for the culture of life. In short, he’s been a reliable vote on life issues, which are critical to conservatives.

Many conservatives have given McCain poor marks for his involvement in the Gang of 14. I was in leadership pushing hard for a showdown with the Democrats on using the “Constitutional Option” to end their filibuster of judicial nominations. The Gang of 14 broke the impasse, and it probably was for the best. I was the one counting votes on that issue, and I was much less certain of success than others. In the end, the Gang deal resulted in numerous confirmations of qualified conservative jurists.

On judges, McCain has repeatedly made clear that he will, as his Web site states, “only nominate judges who understand that their role is to faithfully apply the law as written, not impose their opinions through judicial fiat.” Sounds good to me.

Yes, I disagreed with McCain’s opposition to President Bush’s tax cuts in 2001 and 2003. But I give him credit that he now thinks we must make those tax cuts permanent to boost our now-struggling economy.

And, yes, McCain has been a thorn in the side of many of us who supported important appropriations earmarks for our states. But he’s always objected with principled consistency.

This is but one example of McCain’s character – the kind of character I want in the person who answers 3 a.m. phone calls at the White House.

Whether you agree or disagree with the former Senator, the balance of the article makes further good points in regards to McCain’s candidacy. If you have a few moments, you might want to check it out.

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Let me first say that I am so delighted it is Primary Day here in Pennsylvania and by this evening the state will settle back in from 6 solid weeks of steady campaigning by the two democratic candidates.

Enough already with the robo calls, knocks on the door and pollsters phoning peddling their wares.

As I felt about Iowa and New Hampshire when they dominated the news cycle for an endless period of time, I now feel about my home state. Be gone..you will not be missed.

Now with that off my chest, the following are the fundraising totals for all three presidential candidates for the month of March.

The March reports marked the end of the first quarter of 2008 and illustrated how fundraising has spiked dramatically compared to the four quarters of 2007. Obama has raised $132 million so far this year, surpassing his total for all of 2007. Clinton raised $68.5 in the first quarter of this year; her average quarterly fundraising in 2007 was $27 million. McCain has raised $38 million this year, also exceeding his 2007 total.

Obama’s fundraising in March led all candidates, but was still lower than the mark he set in February, when he raised more than $55 million. The Illinois senator has raised $235 million in his campaign.

One month, that’s all. Wow. And this was not even a record setting month for other than Senator McCain. Pretty good take don’t you agree? Americans are a generous people as are the corporations and special interest groups who contribute to these campaigns. But I ask, is it necessary money?

What prompted this post was a trip to the local supermarket Sunday morning. Now I know it seems strange to equate campaign cash to a mundane task we all face, but please bear with me.

There have been many occasions when (especially in the grocery store) I have observed those who appear to be on a fixed income carefully choose their weekly food. When I say it is carefully chosen, it is not meant from the sense of how ripe a tomato might be but rather how much that tomato costs.

Being a careful shopper myself and one who strives to maintain a budget, I can understand that type of scrutiny. But, and there is a but (and a point here), when I see what I did on Sunday morning it sets me to wondering how we justify the monies laid out above for something as trivial as a catering platter to impress local officials or for that matter cash for these robo calls which do no more than disturb a household.

To the point now. An elderly gentleman was ahead of me at the deli counter and I heard him ask the clerk for his “regular order.” This consisted of six slices of their cheapest ham and four slices of whatever cheese was on sale. In his hand basket was a small loaf of bread, and quart of milk and a half dozen eggs.

This was a very pleasant man, one who reminded me of my paternal grandfather which is why I suppose I noticed his order in such detail.

Upon his departure, it was pointed out to me that he has frequented this particular store for years and his budget now only allows for a few items to be purchased weekly. The market has offered him assistance in various areas but his pride evidently will not allow him to accept.

I thought of food stamps but many equate that with welfare and will simply not apply. Some might say that is foolish but I do not know if given the same situation that I would avail myself of the program. I only knew that watching this polite, pleasant, proud man walk away with his meager basket left me rather depressed.

It wasn’t a feeling so much of despair for him, but as I thought of all the money which, in my opinion, has been frittered away on incidentals in the primaries of both parties it caused me to become more disillusioned with the political process in this country than I already am.

Why should one child go hungry or a single mom or dad struggle to feed and clothe their family? Why should those who help build this country through their hard, sometimes tedious work be forced to sustain themselves with so little?

Both parties talk a good game when it comes to poverty in this country. They promise free health care, increases in social security for those in their “golden years” and countless programs which will be supported by the government to sustain the health and welfare of those in need. Promise is the operative word in the preceding sentence.

We are known for our generosity abroad yet we forget those who are in dire need right here at home.

Sure, community groups, churches and charities can help and should. I am not an advocate for larger government programs which so often do not provide the assistance for which they are designed but many times line the pockets of those who are tasked to administer them.

So I ask this. If so many are willing to give so much just based on partisanship and political power, why then could they not give with the same zeal to those who would benefit the most from their gift?
Is there no way we could filter this money so unwisely spent on something which will be forgotten within hours of completion to those in need?

It wasn’t always like this. America has persevered in very hard times in the past but along the way somehow we have lost our way.

Now you must be wealthy to run for those offices which should have the interests of those like the man at the deli counter at heart.

The problem is, the majority of these folks have not graced a market or most other establishments “ordinary Americans” (credit to David) frequent other than on a quick campaign stop. They do not really have a notion of the struggle of every day life for so many in this country.

Sorry for the rambling post folks, but every once in a while something happens in life which makes you recognize that priorities are turned up-side-down. Funny that it was a man at a deli counter who aroused those feelings in me. Problem is, the problem is not new. Poverty touches all age groups, all races and religions. Now (sigh) if there was just a solution.

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One of those awwww moments:

A Harford County family is celebrating an unusual multiple birth.

A 32-year-old mother from Belcamp gave birth to quadruplets — and three of the four boys are identical.

The boys were born 11 weeks premature in January at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Towson. The parents plan to introduce themselves and their boys at a news conference today.

There are fewer than 100 documented cases of “identical triplets plus one” in the United States, hospital officials said.

After viewing the following video I was convinced these precious children are very fortunate to have been born to parents who appear to have the love and patience it will certainly take to rear four little ones at once.

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Senator McCain may have an uphill climb no matter which candidate the Democrats eventually nominate, however, he might do well not to get personally involved in the process.

Jay Homnick at The American Spectator writes on this topic:

Speaking of sports, an odd-couple tag team has been pounding Barack Obama over the last two weeks, privately citing contradictory reasons for the onslaught. On one side we have Hillary Rodham Clinton hammering away at his putative elitism; she sugarcoats her poison pills by earnestly asserting to fellow Dems that she must save the party from the inevitable election loss that would ensue upon an Obama nomination. Her unlikely sidekick is John McCain, who tends to echo Hillary’s critique du jour. He in turn tells his colleagues that he expects that Mrs. Clinton would be an easier opponent to rout.

Me thinks this is a case of trying to do too much on the part of Senator McCain. It is generally good advice to politicians that they should not be diverted into trying to interfere with the other side in its candidate selection. More often than not, these attempts at mischief and manipulation come back to bite one in the end. Trying to divine the relative strengths of potential opponents is a mystical pursuit that not only undermines good faith, it often sabotages good works. This is a hiatus in the process where McCain can be totally positive while the Democrat contenders are forced to be mean; he should be building up his nice-guy cred now and let the other guys come off as hyenas.[Emphasis, mine]

Senator McCain has his own set of difficulties on which he should be focusing. First and foremost he must work to solidify a base which continues to teeter on the brink due just to his nomination. Many continue to look daily for reasons those in the GOP should reject their nominee and at times with good cause.

McCain may well be correct. Mrs. Clinton might be the easier opponent to defeat, after all, many Republicans will go to the polls not to vote for the Arizona Senator but against the one from New York,
which on its face is no consolation.

Then again that old cliche “be careful what you wish for” might just rear its ugly head.

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I was in the mood for something patriotic and not political.

The National Anthem was performed prior to a Superbowl by the combined Military Academy Choirs accompanied by the US Army Herald Trumpets.

I remember this performance as it was my home team participating in the game and thought it was worth sharing.

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Tuesday afternoon after our daughter picked up her children at our house and went home she called me to tell me she had a voice mail message from the superintendent of schools in our district.

Let me set the stage: We live in a bedroom community of one of the larger cities in North Carolina, even though we are across the state line in South Carolina.

The superintendent was calling all parents with children in the school district to tell them a fourth grade student had been caught with a loaded gun at his school, which is in one of the better sections of town. We have so many schools in the district that children are not bussed from one side of town to another, so this child came from a fairly well off family.

It didn’t appear the child was going to harm anyone intentionally with the gun, but to show it to some friends. Since the story would be on the news and the school wouldn’t be identified the superintendent wanted each parent to know which school was involved and to take that opportunity to talk to their children about reporting anyone to a teacher if they see a child with a gun or knife etc.

We’ve never had anything like this happen before in our town and it was a bit disconcerting, to say the least.

The child has been suspended from school, but the bigger problem is how did he or she get a loaded gun in the first place? What on earth possessed the adults in his or her home to keep a loaded gun around accessible to a fourth grader?

We have pistols and rifles in our house, but even I can’t tell you where they are. We have locks on all the firearms in the house. A few years ago my husband and I did quite a bit of target shooting at a shooting range and we also have live ammunition in our house.

The guns have a plastic-coated wire that goes into the chamber and then down through the handle of the pistol where it is then locked. The handle is the place where the bullet clip goes, so it is blocked as is the chamber for any bullet to be injected into it.

As I said, even I don’t know where we keep our pistols and my husband has his rifles hidden. But always they are unloaded while in the house and car. We unlock and load them at the shooting range.

With all the accidental and purposeful shootings going on in schools today it would seem reasonable to expect a parent or guardian to hide all weapons in the house and keep them unloaded and locked for the safety of anyone who doesn’t know how to handle a firearm.

People, if you have firearms of any type in your home, please get a lock for each of them. They don’t cost that much and can save the life of someone like your child.

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An abbreviated version..one story deserving of a read and one timeless piece of music by two giants in the recording industry.

~o)Tomorrow could not be soon enough to see every one of our troops return to American soil and removed from harms way. Nothing would make me happier than to not see another family grieve the loss of their loved one at the hands of a terrorist.

But, when the DOD presents a press release such as this, it only serves as a grim reminder why we must see not only the war in Iraq through to its conclusion but be willing to take on terrorist organizations wherever they exist:

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2008 – Use silenced guns to kill coalition forces at Iraqi security checkpoints, smuggle weapons in gradual shipments to reduce the risk of detection, and poison Iraq’s water supply with nitric acid to spread disease and death.

Such tactics were fleshed out in a terrorist letter intended for Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the foreign-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. But the document never reached Masri. Instead, coalition forces lifted it from the body of a terrorist they killed last month during an operation 30 miles northwest of Baghdad.

The slain terrorist and author of the 11-page missive was Abu Safyan, from Diyala, Iraq, according to military officials who made available all but two pages deemed “not releasable” on the Multinational Force Iraq Web site.

Providing a glimpse into the proposed inner workings of al-Qaida in Iraq, the author discusses the need to split jihadists into three groups: snipers, assassination experts and martyrs. Each well-trained group should have an emir, or unit commander, at the lead. Through a series of coordinated surprise attacks, groups should work in unison to “bring down the city or the area,” he wrote.

In addition to outlining extremist combat methods, Safyan advocated waging economic and psychological warfare, and his roadmap for success hinged on “continuous conflict” between Iraq’s Shiite government, Sunni members of “Awakening Movements” and Kurdish nationalists.

The balance of the read is short and included in the press release is a chart showing Al-Qaeda leaders recently captured or killed by coalition forces.

So, the ultimate question looms. If we pull out tomorrow, or next week or a year from now with the job incomplete and leave Iraq in the hands of this faceless enemy, will we not be returning at a later date to begin again the same fight?

I wish we had the answer to that question, but I do hope that whichever Presidential candidate occupies the Oval Office come January 2009, they explore all avenues carefully and not make any rash decisions.

HT:Blackfive

~o)Louis Armstrong and Johnny Cash. Each in their own right a musical superstar. Together though, they are dynamite.

I hope you enjoy as they perform Blue Yodel No. 9.

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Thanks to Mrs. Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette for the link to this post from Eric at Zen Traveler.

We went to a ballet school in central Baghdad today and did a story on the school and its students.

The pictures at the above site are priceless. They serve to reaffirm what most of us already know. Children everywhere have the same aspirations and dreams. How priceless.

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When our daughter-in-law started to work at Baylor Hospital in the pathology lab, she met all three partners in the pathology group.

One of the doctors, Dr. Dickey, noticed her hair was thin and asked if she had thyroid problems. He immediately did a test on her thyroid and found it had to be removed due to cancer.

When the cancer kept coming back in different places, it was Dr. Dickey who diagnosed her as having Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. After some research it was decided a certain regimen of drugs would stop the lymphoma and put her into remission.

We told her we would pay for the drugs, but it was on a week-end, and by Monday Dr. Dickey had ordered the drugs and had it waiting in the lab refrigerator for her to take her treatments. He went with her on every treatment to see how she was doing as she had some very violent side-effects from the drugs.

I have always admired missionaries and Dr. Dickey and his wife, a pediatrician, took a trip twice a year to go to a third-world country in South America or Africa to treat the people in need of medical care.

When I gave my daughter-in-law the family recipe for the best fudge I have ever eaten she took some in to work and Dr. Dickey immediately asked her to make 100 batches for his upcoming missionary trip. He called it “bling-bling”.

Because they entertained a lot they had a kitchen with two of everything so caterers could prepare food for large numbers of people. He would have our daughter-in-law running an assembly line of fudge until she made 100 batches. She was on payroll while she did this.

She did this for a couple of years and had the batch ready last year when another partner in the practice had a sudden heart attack and needed and got a new heart.

Dr. Dickey wouldn’t leave his old friend’s side so his wife took the mission trip by herself that year. As soon as Dr. Ketcherson got well again Dr. Dickey had a stroke. He drove himself to the hospital and told them his diagnosis.

He recovered from his stroke and planned to retire this year. Our daughter-in-law never made a medical decision or career decision without consulting with Dr. Dickey and Dr. Ketcherson.

A couple of weeks ago Dr. Dickey was cutting some tree branches at his home when he went inside and told his wife he didn’t feel well. Being a doctor herself, she recognized the symptoms of another stroke and took him to the hospital. Prior to the second stroke there were signs that Dr. Dickey might be entering the first stages of Alzheimer’s Disease. A brilliant mind was being wasted.

Tuesday night I called our son to see how he and the family were since he has been battling a kidney infection. He didn’t talk long but he called me back about an hour later and told me that Dr. Dickey had died earlier that evening and our daughter-in-law had just received the call from the hospital about 15 minutes before I called.

I never met Dr. Dickey, but I loved him for what he did for our daughter-in-law and how he treated our grandchildren. He would let our granddaughter look into the opposite side of his microscope and tell her all about the cells she was seeing, as well as show her specimens that had to be checked after removal from people’s bodies. Our grandson has a weak stomach and only looked at slides.

The Dickeys never had children but told our son and daughter-in-law as long as their children went to Baylor they would never have to pay a penny for their education.

Tonight this marvelously kind saint has gone home to be with the Lord he so faithfully served. Yes, there will be a funeral and people will cry, but only his shell remains. His soul, the very thing that made him a wonderful man, left his body and never missed a beat as he left the door of earthly life and entered into eternal life.

I pray for Dr. Dickey’s wife, family and friends. The world has lost a good missionary who gave of himself and came back with diseases foreign to us in the United States. Yet he continued to do it year after year, twice a year.

I personally thank him for the love he showed to my family and I know they will all miss him dearly. But this is just a temporary separation. Everyone will be reunited in Heaven one day and I look forward to meeting this very unique and wonderful saint.

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After reading about Barack Obama’s speech to a group of fund-raisers in San Francisco, I wasn’t quite sure what to say about it, so I forwarded the information to one of the fairest men I know, David, who has been a commenter and, what’s more, a great friend to me for several years.

I asked for his thoughts and they follow: ~J~

As a American of African descent, I understand that Americans are bitter over lost jobs. I, too, am frustrated after a phone conversation with “Jason” in Bangladesh over a problem with my computer. “Jason”, incidentally, is normally courteous and helpful.

These workers of out-sourced jobs are allowed to choose an “American-sounding” name. I know because I asked one of these workers recently.

The problem with the remarks made by Senator Obama is not that they are elitist, but rather that they simply are without substance and make no sense.

Believe me, I would love to see America join the 21st century and elect a leader without regard to race or gender. I hope we are at that point as a nation and I believe we are—just not with these candidates.

The bitterness of Americans over out-sourcing of jobs is real. Where, however, is the failure? Is it not in our failure to prepare our own children for these jobs? Is it not in the parents who allow their children to acquire material possession instead of spiritual and moral values? It’s not in “small-town” America and it has no relationship to religion or gun control.

I am not a party-line Republican on several issues. I am not against all forms of gun control. I grew up on a farm and have shot guns all my life. The guns in my family had a purpose. They were to protect our livestock and our crops from four-legged predators. I do not own a handgun, but I own a .22 rifle. The likelihood that I will go hunting again is slim at this time, but if I do I will prepare and eat the game I kill. I will not own an assault rifle and see no need for most Americans to do so. However, I do not live in the inner city and my life is not in danger from gangs or criminals.

As an American of Irish,German,Native and African heritage, it is frustrating to generally see myself labeled African-American, so I do understand why frustration exists when an American of African heritage sees the African placed as the more important label placed on us by society. It is also within my realm of understanding why religion is seen as an element of racial misunderstanding. The slaves were promised a better life after death than they could ever expect during life. So, yes, the churches bare some responsibility for institutionalizing racism.

There should never have been a need for the American Baptist convention, or the African-Episcopal or African-Methodist churches, but they were formed to provide a welcoming atmosphere to those of us of African heritage. They saw a need and it was met.

This is a long discourse to introduce my thoughts on Obama’s remarks, but I believe some historical perspective is helpful to those who are not of African descent. Racism did not arise overnight and will not disappear with the act of electing a president of mixed race.

The problem, therefore in the remarks of Senator Obama, is simply that the remarks have no basis in fact. Those of us who cling to religion do so because of faith. It is because there exists in some of us a deep and abiding faith that the words of Christ are as relevant today as they were when segregation and racism were blatant and pervasive.

So why do some Americans cling to religion and guns? I have no doubt we do, but not because of bitterness. We cling to religion because we BELIEVE there is a power in this universe that is greater than ourselves and that power is God. I cling to God because he represents the truth of the present and the hope for the future. I do not cling to God out of frustration with my life in the world today or my hope to be rewarded after death. That just happens to be the “fringe benefit” for embracing the Truth that is the word of God brought to me by his Son.

Obama said, in part, “Our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there’s not evidence of that in their daily lives.”

Yes, we do need to give Americans hope. But hope is not the rejection of religion; it is the embracing of religion as the manner in which we can make our lives today better than our life was yesterday. Hope is the use of religious believes to govern our daily lives.
Hope is living our religion seven days a week. It is compassion, not charity. It is giving without expecting anything in return. In fact, the greatest gift we can give is that which we give anonymously.

It is not in following one denomination and rejecting the others. It is the sense of finding a home that is greater than our nuclear family. That home is a church. My church is not better than the church you may have chosen, but it is better than the rejection of all religion. Karl Marx said: “Religion is the opiate of the masses.” Yes, it can be used as such for those truly oppressed and it is used in that fashion in some nations today. It was certainly true for the serfs of Russia and it was true for the African slaves of America. The use of religion as a tool of oppression has been real and the hope of heaven for the hopeless is a powerful tool indeed.

The analogy to “clinging to guns” is absolutely an example of the words of a man who has no idea of what it is like to live in a rural culture. We do not “cling” to guns. Guns are simply part of the rural American heritage to those of us who grew up on ranches, farms or small towns. They are not symbolic of anything. They are part of our freedom and our culture.

Has the NRA become too immersed in the necessity of protecting all gun ownership? Of course they have. However, freedom is not taken from us in one massive act. It is eroded in small bits and pieces like the banks of a river in the springtime until suddenly it is is a chasm so wide that we dare not cross it. The culture of guns in America is not a problem in the small towns. That culture of guns are a problem for the inner cities of America and particularly for the gang culture that is pervasive there. One would think a Senator from Illinois or New York would recognize that guns are not a problem for “small-town America.” Guns are a problem for the urban areas of America where they have no purpose except for the taking of human life.

Is there an antipathy of white Americans to people who are “not like them?” Perhaps so, but where does that antipathy arise? It arises from lack of parental guidance and failure of education. It arises from lack of moral leadership of parents and teachers and politicians. It arises from parents who teach their children that cheating on taxes is acceptable. It arises from teachers who shade history into only the positive aspects and fail to teach us what we did to other cultures who came to our shores like the Irish and the Africans, and more importantly, what we did to the real Americans who were here when the Pilgrims arrived.

Do I believe that Senator Obama’s remarks show elitism and condescension as Senators McClain and Clinton have said? No, that would be easier to deal with than what it truly reflects. Ignorance of the people he wants to represent as president of a nation that is in grave peril from economic forces such as China and from societal forces such as the Islamic fundamentalists who are watching with glee as we out-source our money and our jobs, but not our democracy.

I end this with my thanks to J, who invited these remarks. Respectfully submitted by David–just an
American.

Thank you, David, for this beautiful and wise post. I, too, am “Just an American” ~J~

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Michael Yon has requested help getting the word out on his new book Moment Of Truth In Iraq.

To get the message out, please help me get Moment of Truth in Iraq stocked in bookstores, and especially in free libraries and military exchanges.

Here’s how: Please click on “Handout for Bookstores and Libraries” below. This will open a printable one-page handout that can be given to any local bookstore manager, librarian, or military exchange. (Or all three if you can.)

The handout will tell bookstores and libraries everything they need to order Moment of Truth in Iraq. But what will really motivate retailers and librarians is you, the reader, a member of their community, requesting the book.

Having completed my read of Michael’s book I can only say that those who desire a true account of many aspects of the Iraq war might want to do the same.

As of yesterday, Moment Of Truth In Iraq was ranked #1 at Amazon in the military category. Not bad for a book which has not yet been shipped other than advance, signed copies.

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Aspiring to be President of the United States is X.

X has accepted no funds either from special interest groups, major corporations or lobbyists. He/She sells their character and ideas to the public, they do not purchase the office.

X is a man/woman who has lived a simple, honest, “regular” life. Perhaps he/she has worked the land for a living, or one who began at the bottom rung of their respective profession only to make considerable gains due to hard work and loyalty.

X has faced true adversity in their lives at some point which provides a better understanding of those they wish to represent.

X understands that government will never and cannot be all things to all people. He/she encourages community participation in the betterment of its citizens.

The Constitution is paramount to this individual. All freedoms guaranteed by this sacred document are kept at arms length both when campaigning and once elected.

His/her campaign will be restricted to only issues of importance to the electorate. No attacks on the opponent of X will be levied.

A platform which includes all perspective programs and policies (foreign and domestic) will be presented at the time of nomination with the understanding that it may be adapted to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

X knows that Americans will be holding him/her fully accountable for that which is promised. He/she understands that Congress holds the hammer on most programs/policies hence is cautious when making said vows.

X understands the Presidency is not a birthright nor an entitlement but an office to be obtained through humility, dignity and decency.

Given most presidents “learn the ropes” once occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, X understands the importance of surrounding themselves with competent, honest advisers.

X grasps the enormity of being Commander in Chief. He/she has a profound respect of those under his/her command. The military will never be used as a political pawn by X.

X would be a person which any citizen would love to invite into their home for an evening of conversation.

At our inception there were men who attained many of the qualities above. Those on the ballot today may possess a few. Unfortunately, money and power began to corrupt the office and the departure of “down home” qualities once looked upon as favorable by voters are becoming a thing of the past.

Finger pointing, prejudices, false promises, boatloads of money and soundbites have become the flavor of campaigns.

Telling a little white lie is acceptable to some as long as a candidate admits they misspoke.

I don’t know what direction the country will decide to take in November. Come January 2009 we will have elected a United States Senator with ties to major corporations, lobbyists, special interests and little (in my opinion) understanding of many they wish to lead.

One thing is for certain. Among our choices this November there is no Mr./Mrs. X.

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When I was a girl I didn’t have an allowance. If I wanted to go to the movies or get a cold drink I’d have to ask for the money. Since I hated asking for money I very seldom did it.

When I was working I can remember being shy about picking up my paycheck because I felt it was something given to me even though I had earned it.

When I went on business trips for the company or the union it was with an expense account. The company was much more generous than the union. I guess the union had to keep their funds for political purposes. I joke there.

I never took advantage of the expense accounts and looked for places, even in Manhattan, where I could get a decent meal and not pay a fortune for it.

After all, it wasn’t my money to spend recklessly.

Now I read about former President Clinton taking advantage of every possible benefit available to him and I think he’s nothing but someone who never had anything and is now going to get every single thing he can get for free.

Yes, real estate in Manhattan is expensive, but I remember the big fuss over how much he was spending for office space when he first left office. There were other places just as nice with less expense associated with it.

If he is spending more than all the other former presidents combined (including Reagan and Ford while they were alive) for office space, telephone calls and staff the question comes to mind “why?”

This man and his wife are worth over $100 million on their own.

I almost flipped when I read before that his house payment is being made by us. Here’s how he does it: His house payment is a certain amount of money each month and he has to have secret service protection as a former president. He has rented space to the secret service on his protection detail that is equal to the amount of his house payment, so it appears that apart from eating, everything else this man gets is from using the system to get it.

Somehow I just feel he should be a little more fair to the American taxpayer since he says he shouldn’t be getting all these tax breaks for himself, and stop receiving the maximum of what the law says he can get.

Just because you can get it doesn’t mean you need it.

This unjustified lifestyle is enjoyed by the man whose flunkies never failed to call someone trailer trash. I have found that when you point a finger at someone you have three pointing back at you.

Here is a man who never had anything as a child or as an adult until he became president and now thinks he’ll just reach into the nation’s cookie jar and take all he can take, and he does it with no shame.

Those are the Clintons for you. No class and it shows.

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The usual Friday-Fly By will be pre-empted this week by a reading of Michael Yon’s, “Moment of Truth in Iraq.”

Due to the generosity of a very dear friend, I received my autographed copy yesterday afternoon. It was a long wait until free time late last evening allowed me to begin what I knew would be a compelling, factual account of events in Iraq.

At this moment, I have completed the first half of the publication and as expected, Michael continues with a writing style which transports you into the center of action. There are moments as with his dispatches, where the readers senses are in tune with those who are tirelessly fighting for not only our security but the freedom of the Iraqi people.

Thanks you dear friend for this gift and thank you Michael Yon for your honesty, candor and most of all your personal sacrifice so we may have a clearer picture of the horrors and successes of this war.

Now, back to reading.

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