I got 2 responses in the comments from Abraham and Wildflower. I love these 2 - we are probably as different as different can be but we agree that America is on the wrong course and its the Government's fault....Wildflower would probably throw in Large Corporations and I probably wouldnt disagree on some of her points....anywhooo - they made 2 comments that I want to address.
Abraham asked if I liked the Government taking monies from private citizens to give to private citizens to buy healthcare. When you state it like that - of course not.... I am tired of the Government taking and taking and either flushing the funds or giving them to corrupt individuals and organizations.
HOWEVER.....I believe that if you put the insurance industry back into private hands, many things will happen. First - people are enterprising and places will start to pop up where you could get yourself checked out dirt cheap. I dont doubt that Walmart would jump on this in their mega stores along with their cheap prescriptions. Cant you just see it being staffed by mostly PA's along with an overseeing MD/DO with just a flat fee of $15 to $20 and thats it. They will see you for all that common crap that clogs the system - it clogs doctors' offices - it clogs ERs.
I can take a butter knife and a flashlight and tell you whether or not one of my kids has strep throat. HOWEVER - I have to call and make an appointment, drive across town WHENEVER THEY CAN SEE ME, sit there while they try to work me in in order to get a prescription and then drive to a pharmacy and wait in order to finally get this sick kid home. How efficient is that? How much easier to have it all in 1 place close to where EVERYONE lives because you know those mega stores are within throwing distance of every single American.....
This type of situation will do several things - it brings down costs. It also makes it not necessary to have an all encompassing health insurance - but just a catastrophic plan. That also means that since I pay out of pocket - I negotiate - I shop around - I am catered to and not at the insurance companies' whim. It also puts more people able to afford reasonable care.
This type of situation will also unclog some of the Insurance Company hassle. Less policies, but more people actually are covered - love that paradox. More people being seen in appropriate places for the piddly stuff - ERs for emergencies and Insurance Companies lower the cost of Administration which brings down their costs and in a competitive climate, they will HAVE to bring down prices.
Something else I TOTALLY AGREE WITH ABRAHAM on is that there should be a standard form....it would make life easier and think about how many trees you would save - thats for you tree huggers ;)
Now - honestly, I dont like the giving the Government a dime - who does? But I mind it LESS when the person who gets the dime has to put in their dime too. It royally hacks me off when I give my dime and the person getting the dime doesnt even have to say "Thanks" much less contribute, work, go to school or even pee in a cup. With the above scenario, there would be less people that couldnt afford insurance and therefore those getting help would go down. Its a small consolation, but it makes me feel better.....
This kind of system could also be easier to divorce from business, which was another of Abraham's concerns. It is a misnomer that businesses just want to screw over their workers. Most of business in this Nation is small business. We are small business owners. There is nothing that gives us more pride than to have those that work for us happy. To know they like to come to work and are appreciative is a great feeling. It also keeps turn over low and that saves us money. To kick in a little is doable in most situations. Even in difficult times, most businesses do not like to hurt their employees. What they DO NOT LIKE is being threatened, hated because they make money or bent over like a Union wants to do.
So that leads me to Ms. Wildflower's comment. I dont know when profits became evil. Profit and Money are amoral. It can be used for good and it can be used for evil and just because someone has money doesnt make them one way or the other. An evil rich person would be an evil poor person. My husband works hard and I dont apologize for what he makes. Because someone has made a ton of money - it gives me the incentive, the opportunity, the proof that there is the possibility I could make it too. Wealth Envy is insidious - it quickly turns into someone thinking they are "owed" something which isnt the case.
If People really had choice in regards to their healthcare, the cost of it would necessarily go down due to competition and therefore you can assume (possibly) these "evil profits" will come down also....
However - I couldnt give a rat's behind about profits or what someone makes....why? Because there isnt a person on this planet that I want to tell ME how much I can make. Do you think the Government would do a good with that? People want to better themselves - at least most do....Most will work hard - take extra jobs - get creative and efficient with their work..... Some, when the opportunity isnt there - like in Medicaid and Medicare, they will cheat.... Take it personal - do you think you are worth what you make? What if someone decides you arent..... If that doesnt just smack of being unAmerican - antiFreedom and just plain WRONG, I dont know what does....
I will end with Abraham....Lincoln, that is ;)
“Let not him who is houseless pull down the house of another, but let him work diligently and build one for himself, thus by example assuring that his own shall be safe from violence when built.”
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
And then it all made sense....and I laughed....
I spent yesterday in that feeling of getting my ducks in order and the wave like feeling of annoyance at my "Representatives" in Washington. I say "wave" because it is not an ever oppressive feeling of "do something" and "upset" - but every now and then my mind goes back and with it those feelings....
I have come to believe that our President, BO, did not study our Constitution as the great document it is with reverence and awe at its making, but with a contempt and scorn. He studied it in order to dismantle, work around or ultimately abolish this great document.
His has used this knowledge to create Czars (which FDR did although they were called "Dictators" in the 1930's - how appropriate). He has used this information to consolidate power with the Executive Branch - moving the Census to the White House - Firing/Moving Inspector Generals - and dont even forget the old fashioned Chicago style politics of arm twisting and intimidation portrayed by Acorn and the Unions he loves so much....
He has taken liberties that are not given to the Executive Branch and we have watched in Horror. H.O.R.R.O.R. But those that should be watching in horror is the Congress. Little by little he is making them irrelevant and when they are, we will be in all practical purposes a Dictatorship. Our elections held with the same honesty and integrity as Iran's.
But then last night - I happened to be in the car carting the Girlie to one of her many public appearances when I was listening to someone on the radio. I have no idea who since that isnt my usual radio time, but he had a guest on and they were talking about what to do about the economy. The guest had some good points and it is stuff REAL PEOPLE have been saying for a while about letting the markets fix themselves and getting Government out of it and then he said a few other things. He said that the Government does not care if they fix the economy but that this is a power grab. They are in this for what it will bring Government. That they believe the Federal Government should be the end all, be all. He then said "Thou shall have no other gods before me. That is how the Government thinks - Nothing should be more important than the Government." And that is when I laughed.
It all made sense. That is the EXACT attitude the Government has..... That is why I laughed. As you know, I have been reading the minor Prophets and the one thing that is painfully clear - God will not be Mocked and He will not be #2. I laughed because with this 10 Commandments reference, I know that those in Washington will not stand - there is no way. I laughed because now I see their ruin. I see humiliation in their future. I see a walk out of bondage for us.
You see, this Government can try all they want to box us in - to use laws, a gun, taxes - to control this populace. Its worked for centuries in Europe. But this elitist Government has forgotten one thing. We are Americans. We dont get hemmed or boxed in. The teachers unions have tried in vain to get this NOT taught - but it seeps through - We are Americans. We are the Marlboro man - we are Lewis and Clark - We are the heros of World War 2 - We are Ford, Apple Pie, Baseball - We are Olympic Victors.
BO can try and box us in, but whenever pushed (and do not doubt we are being pushed, nay, squeezed) we will prevail. You can ask just about anyone on the street and they feel - they may not be able to articulate what is wrong with this country or what the BO Admin is doing, but they FEEL it.... What is going on is contrary to what America is - what people die for trying to get here.
But ultimately, BO's downfall will be for the same reason as Assyria....as Babylon....for any Country and King who believed there should be no other gods before him..... Because ultimately there will be no other gods before Him - HIM as in CAPITAL "H"..... The Big Guy..... That is why I laughed....
I have come to believe that our President, BO, did not study our Constitution as the great document it is with reverence and awe at its making, but with a contempt and scorn. He studied it in order to dismantle, work around or ultimately abolish this great document.
His has used this knowledge to create Czars (which FDR did although they were called "Dictators" in the 1930's - how appropriate). He has used this information to consolidate power with the Executive Branch - moving the Census to the White House - Firing/Moving Inspector Generals - and dont even forget the old fashioned Chicago style politics of arm twisting and intimidation portrayed by Acorn and the Unions he loves so much....
He has taken liberties that are not given to the Executive Branch and we have watched in Horror. H.O.R.R.O.R. But those that should be watching in horror is the Congress. Little by little he is making them irrelevant and when they are, we will be in all practical purposes a Dictatorship. Our elections held with the same honesty and integrity as Iran's.
But then last night - I happened to be in the car carting the Girlie to one of her many public appearances when I was listening to someone on the radio. I have no idea who since that isnt my usual radio time, but he had a guest on and they were talking about what to do about the economy. The guest had some good points and it is stuff REAL PEOPLE have been saying for a while about letting the markets fix themselves and getting Government out of it and then he said a few other things. He said that the Government does not care if they fix the economy but that this is a power grab. They are in this for what it will bring Government. That they believe the Federal Government should be the end all, be all. He then said "Thou shall have no other gods before me. That is how the Government thinks - Nothing should be more important than the Government." And that is when I laughed.
It all made sense. That is the EXACT attitude the Government has..... That is why I laughed. As you know, I have been reading the minor Prophets and the one thing that is painfully clear - God will not be Mocked and He will not be #2. I laughed because with this 10 Commandments reference, I know that those in Washington will not stand - there is no way. I laughed because now I see their ruin. I see humiliation in their future. I see a walk out of bondage for us.
You see, this Government can try all they want to box us in - to use laws, a gun, taxes - to control this populace. Its worked for centuries in Europe. But this elitist Government has forgotten one thing. We are Americans. We dont get hemmed or boxed in. The teachers unions have tried in vain to get this NOT taught - but it seeps through - We are Americans. We are the Marlboro man - we are Lewis and Clark - We are the heros of World War 2 - We are Ford, Apple Pie, Baseball - We are Olympic Victors.
BO can try and box us in, but whenever pushed (and do not doubt we are being pushed, nay, squeezed) we will prevail. You can ask just about anyone on the street and they feel - they may not be able to articulate what is wrong with this country or what the BO Admin is doing, but they FEEL it.... What is going on is contrary to what America is - what people die for trying to get here.
But ultimately, BO's downfall will be for the same reason as Assyria....as Babylon....for any Country and King who believed there should be no other gods before him..... Because ultimately there will be no other gods before Him - HIM as in CAPITAL "H"..... The Big Guy..... That is why I laughed....
Monday, July 27, 2009
Alas, Babylon
Knocked out this classic recently. If anything, summer is for reading fiction - mindless, pure enjoyment. Winter is for how-to and getting ready for projects in the Spring - but summer is for fun - FUN I TELL YOU.
It was a quick, easy read. I had an initial feeling that due to the fact that the book was written in 1959, it might be dated. But when nuclear war happens and life goes back to 1800's, it is pretty much timeless.
I loved the characters and I loved the story. But that is where my praise pretty much ends.
This is not a fiction book that spurs you to prepare. It does not teach you how to survive - how to manage - what to do.
There arent many of us who in an all out nuclear war would have an early warning from an insider or find ourselves in the perfect spot that meets all needs and so enables you to ride out the crisis in relative style.
Besides the enjoyment of the story, I did take away 1 thing and in a sense, its a big thing.... Find out where locally or as close as possible, the nearest SALT mine is located. Depending on how huge an interruption in trade, SALT is one of the things you cannot grow yourself and that you need or you will die. Make sure you have enough for your family and animals for more than just a year in your storage pantry.
*** So I just reread my post before I publish and I want to make it totally clear - LOVED THIS BOOK, but it is not a "HOW TO" manual wrapped in fiction....
It was a quick, easy read. I had an initial feeling that due to the fact that the book was written in 1959, it might be dated. But when nuclear war happens and life goes back to 1800's, it is pretty much timeless.
I loved the characters and I loved the story. But that is where my praise pretty much ends.
This is not a fiction book that spurs you to prepare. It does not teach you how to survive - how to manage - what to do.
There arent many of us who in an all out nuclear war would have an early warning from an insider or find ourselves in the perfect spot that meets all needs and so enables you to ride out the crisis in relative style.
Besides the enjoyment of the story, I did take away 1 thing and in a sense, its a big thing.... Find out where locally or as close as possible, the nearest SALT mine is located. Depending on how huge an interruption in trade, SALT is one of the things you cannot grow yourself and that you need or you will die. Make sure you have enough for your family and animals for more than just a year in your storage pantry.
*** So I just reread my post before I publish and I want to make it totally clear - LOVED THIS BOOK, but it is not a "HOW TO" manual wrapped in fiction....
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Single payer system stinks or How I singlehandedly solved Universal Healthcare ;)
I am keeping the theme of stinking in the titles....
If you take out the people that could afford insurance and CHOOSE not to purchase and you take away illegal immigrants as well as those that are eligible for medicare/medicaid but have not signed up....you are left with between 8 and 12 million people who are classified as chronically uninsured, meaning that sometimes they have insurance and sometimes they dont....
You are telling me that spending TRILLIONS to insure those 12 million people is the way to go? Really? How about just buying them private insurance - it would be SOOO much cheaper!
But how about what Oklahoma does.... Oklahoma has a program where depending on your family's income, they subsidize private insurance. Its called Insure Oklahoma or OEPIC. And I dont mean that you need to have like 6 kids and make $25,000 a year or less.... It is designed for those that make too much for State or Federal programs, but dont really make enough to take on the entire burden themselves. Its for those that are squeezed in the middle - for a Single parent that make enough, but not that much.... Its made for the small business owner who is doing a good job, but needs just a bit to cover his or her family with medical coverage.
Here are a few little tidbits:
** If you are a family of 4 and you both work and make $50,000 or less, you can get the insurance...
** Say you are a single mom with 2 kids - If you make $40,000 or less you qualify....
** It has qualifiers for those that work for a company or those that are self-employed.
** If you are college student, you qualify....
Heres how it works - The state of Oklahoma will pick up 60% of your insurance premiums. The worker is expected to pay 15% and the business pays 25%. If you have a spouse, you pay 15% for them and the State pays 85% - the business pays nothing for a spouse.
Kids are counted in regards to family size, but are not eligible for the Insure Oklahoma program - they are covered under a program called Sooner Care.
Monthly premiums will not exceed 4% of monthly gross income.
$10 doctor co-pay
$5 pharmacy drugs
$30 emergency room visit (waived if admitted)
$50 copay for hospital stay
I think this is a good deal.
One of the reasons I love it so much is that it requires the person getting the insurance to put a little something in - they have some skin in the game. They will go see their doctor as opposed to go sit in the emergency room. They will pay attention to their health as it now affects their wallet.
When you hand people housing - food - medical care - it is an entitlement and it is eventually scorned. They feel they deserve it instead of being thankful for it.
But, ultimately, if you dont want coverage, you shouldnt have to get it. Of course, you will suffer the consequences of your actions, as it should be. You should not be penalized if you choose to pay your own way and you shouldnt get a free ride either.
My doctor should be allowed to take no insurance at all and be on a cash only system.
I dont have all the answers and I am sure there are people for whatever reason wouldnt make it on this plan either, but honestly - you arent going to catch every single person with one plan. And that is just fine -because despite what BO wants you to think, people in this country get the medical care they need. People NOT FROM THIS COUNTRY get the medical care that they need because when push comes to shove, we are Americans and we take the tired, the weak and the poor and we will fix them up, feed them, but we will also send their butts back home, sometimes on a private jet.....
This is Oklahoma's plan. It works here. It may not work elsewhere and thats just fine too....work your own state plan - but what we do not need is the Federal Government telling me in Oklahoma that I have to subsidize all the crap that they dictate in California or New York or Massachusetts. Let them work their own plan as we work ours.
In the same way the firearm legislation is a 10th Amendment issue, so is health care.
One final point....if you want to know where cheating, waste, fraud is greatest? Its in Medicare and Medicaid where the Government has taken away profit. There is no motivation to work harder, work smarter, take care of more people in order to increase your take home - there is only incentive to cheat and so many do. That doesnt mean that the private sector does things perfectly, but do you really want a single program that takes away a person's pursuit of happiness?
One last point - The Fed Gov touts tort reform as a major reason for a single payer system vs. private insurance. The major problem with rising insurance premiums is the doctors having to pay higher and higher malpractice insurance premiums. Capping jury amounts is not the answer because if someone really screws up, they should pay - but what would stop all the crap is just a simple system of loser pays. It would make the blood sucking ambulance chasers (different than an attorney) think twice before they sign up scumbags with soft tissue damage. It would make patients take a more active role in their care - which ya know, they should....this is your body and this doctor is working for you - make sure they do their job and do their job right.
As always and ESPECIALLY if Universal Health Care is passed - PRAY - PRAISE - PREPARE and today - PATIENT/PRESCRIPTION/PREMIUMS :)
If you take out the people that could afford insurance and CHOOSE not to purchase and you take away illegal immigrants as well as those that are eligible for medicare/medicaid but have not signed up....you are left with between 8 and 12 million people who are classified as chronically uninsured, meaning that sometimes they have insurance and sometimes they dont....
You are telling me that spending TRILLIONS to insure those 12 million people is the way to go? Really? How about just buying them private insurance - it would be SOOO much cheaper!
But how about what Oklahoma does.... Oklahoma has a program where depending on your family's income, they subsidize private insurance. Its called Insure Oklahoma or OEPIC. And I dont mean that you need to have like 6 kids and make $25,000 a year or less.... It is designed for those that make too much for State or Federal programs, but dont really make enough to take on the entire burden themselves. Its for those that are squeezed in the middle - for a Single parent that make enough, but not that much.... Its made for the small business owner who is doing a good job, but needs just a bit to cover his or her family with medical coverage.
Here are a few little tidbits:
** If you are a family of 4 and you both work and make $50,000 or less, you can get the insurance...
** Say you are a single mom with 2 kids - If you make $40,000 or less you qualify....
** It has qualifiers for those that work for a company or those that are self-employed.
** If you are college student, you qualify....
Heres how it works - The state of Oklahoma will pick up 60% of your insurance premiums. The worker is expected to pay 15% and the business pays 25%. If you have a spouse, you pay 15% for them and the State pays 85% - the business pays nothing for a spouse.
Kids are counted in regards to family size, but are not eligible for the Insure Oklahoma program - they are covered under a program called Sooner Care.
Monthly premiums will not exceed 4% of monthly gross income.
$10 doctor co-pay
$5 pharmacy drugs
$30 emergency room visit (waived if admitted)
$50 copay for hospital stay
I think this is a good deal.
One of the reasons I love it so much is that it requires the person getting the insurance to put a little something in - they have some skin in the game. They will go see their doctor as opposed to go sit in the emergency room. They will pay attention to their health as it now affects their wallet.
When you hand people housing - food - medical care - it is an entitlement and it is eventually scorned. They feel they deserve it instead of being thankful for it.
But, ultimately, if you dont want coverage, you shouldnt have to get it. Of course, you will suffer the consequences of your actions, as it should be. You should not be penalized if you choose to pay your own way and you shouldnt get a free ride either.
My doctor should be allowed to take no insurance at all and be on a cash only system.
I dont have all the answers and I am sure there are people for whatever reason wouldnt make it on this plan either, but honestly - you arent going to catch every single person with one plan. And that is just fine -because despite what BO wants you to think, people in this country get the medical care they need. People NOT FROM THIS COUNTRY get the medical care that they need because when push comes to shove, we are Americans and we take the tired, the weak and the poor and we will fix them up, feed them, but we will also send their butts back home, sometimes on a private jet.....
This is Oklahoma's plan. It works here. It may not work elsewhere and thats just fine too....work your own state plan - but what we do not need is the Federal Government telling me in Oklahoma that I have to subsidize all the crap that they dictate in California or New York or Massachusetts. Let them work their own plan as we work ours.
In the same way the firearm legislation is a 10th Amendment issue, so is health care.
One final point....if you want to know where cheating, waste, fraud is greatest? Its in Medicare and Medicaid where the Government has taken away profit. There is no motivation to work harder, work smarter, take care of more people in order to increase your take home - there is only incentive to cheat and so many do. That doesnt mean that the private sector does things perfectly, but do you really want a single program that takes away a person's pursuit of happiness?
One last point - The Fed Gov touts tort reform as a major reason for a single payer system vs. private insurance. The major problem with rising insurance premiums is the doctors having to pay higher and higher malpractice insurance premiums. Capping jury amounts is not the answer because if someone really screws up, they should pay - but what would stop all the crap is just a simple system of loser pays. It would make the blood sucking ambulance chasers (different than an attorney) think twice before they sign up scumbags with soft tissue damage. It would make patients take a more active role in their care - which ya know, they should....this is your body and this doctor is working for you - make sure they do their job and do their job right.
As always and ESPECIALLY if Universal Health Care is passed - PRAY - PRAISE - PREPARE and today - PATIENT/PRESCRIPTION/PREMIUMS :)
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Why it would STINK to be married to Obama....
So - I am sure you have heard about the Harvard professor mistakenly thought to be breaking into his own home but was arrested by the white police officer for being a jerk.
I am also sure you have heard the remarks by BO and the blowback that I am sure he never expected....
Have you heard BO's after remarks? How his choice of words was unfortunate? How he walked all around an apology or even saying he was wrong?
It would stink to be married to this man. A man who certainly does not ever feel he is wrong and if you do, well, it is unfortunate that you choose to view it that way....
It is unfortunate that this man has never learned the redemptive quality of being sorry - of asking for forgiveness from someone. It is unfortunate that this man has never learned from a mistake and taken a different direction.
Mr. BO - you want a teachable moment from all this? How about these things:
1 - Say your sorry when you are - It is good for you and good for the one you hurt.
2 - That goes for Mr. Harvard and Mr. Police - Say your sorry even if you really didnt do anything - shake and go on. We make our kids do it - someone should reteach this to adults.
3 - News Media - I am seeing a ton how Mr. Police could have done things different, but what about Mr. Harvard? How about both sides of the black and white issue? - In regards to race relations, black IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT and white IS NOT ALWAYS WRONG.
This whole situation could have gone differently with a Black man laughing this off by telling the white officer that he cant get into his home and to look at his drivers' license. With a white officer telling him that he can get someone out here to help him out and to have a nice evening.
4 - Finally, in just about EVERY interaction, you can guide how things go by your tone and your words - angry and entitled? Ask the Harvard professor how that works.....
Finally, I fear for our country when a man is never wrong and wont admit it when its obvious is our President during perilous times....
I am also sure you have heard the remarks by BO and the blowback that I am sure he never expected....
Have you heard BO's after remarks? How his choice of words was unfortunate? How he walked all around an apology or even saying he was wrong?
It would stink to be married to this man. A man who certainly does not ever feel he is wrong and if you do, well, it is unfortunate that you choose to view it that way....
It is unfortunate that this man has never learned the redemptive quality of being sorry - of asking for forgiveness from someone. It is unfortunate that this man has never learned from a mistake and taken a different direction.
Mr. BO - you want a teachable moment from all this? How about these things:
1 - Say your sorry when you are - It is good for you and good for the one you hurt.
2 - That goes for Mr. Harvard and Mr. Police - Say your sorry even if you really didnt do anything - shake and go on. We make our kids do it - someone should reteach this to adults.
3 - News Media - I am seeing a ton how Mr. Police could have done things different, but what about Mr. Harvard? How about both sides of the black and white issue? - In regards to race relations, black IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT and white IS NOT ALWAYS WRONG.
This whole situation could have gone differently with a Black man laughing this off by telling the white officer that he cant get into his home and to look at his drivers' license. With a white officer telling him that he can get someone out here to help him out and to have a nice evening.
4 - Finally, in just about EVERY interaction, you can guide how things go by your tone and your words - angry and entitled? Ask the Harvard professor how that works.....
Finally, I fear for our country when a man is never wrong and wont admit it when its obvious is our President during perilous times....
Thursday, July 16, 2009
My Favorite book and the little books I have been into lately....
When I graduated high school, my family attended this little church in a rural community. The elders of the church, all 4 of them, gave me a Bible that they had all signed. 2 of the signers are now gone and still when I look at their handwriting, my heart hurts. This book went with me to college, pages turning at the edges from so many years of use. I have had to have it recovered after its original hardback started to crack and fall apart. I picked a great RED LEATHER, just FYI.
I dont talk a lot about Faith on this site. I have previously said that I will leave the link between being prepared and Faith to the Mormons. There have been a few posts, but mostly they are summed up in THIS ONE....
All this to say - I have been in The Word lately - more than "normal" and I am not reading my fave passages.... I find myself reading the last 3 chapters of Job where God gets His turn to have His say and may I humbly say, He ROCKS. The way He turns a phrase is nothing short of amazing, but what would you expect from the Inventor of words?
I also have been reading those tiny books in the Old Testament written by those minor prophets. And bless their hearts - I cant think of nothing I would enjoy LESS than going to God's people and telling them they are going to burn, be carried off into captivity and that they are going to be destroyed. There really is no way to soften that message to His people. You can imagine these prophets were not the most popular....
But what I have been amazed at is the feeling that all these 1000's of years, His Word still speaks to today. YES TODAY. The great I AM's promise of destruction for disobedience, for evil behavior, is relevant today, to our Government, to our Country as it was originally being delivered to Israel.
Why would I think that These United States would be safe when God did not even preserve His People, the Jews, from destruction - how vain am I?
The current circumstances of our Country - the precarious position we currently occupy on the edge of the cliff - is enough to make anyone fear....we may all fear something different. We fear the Government - We fear for our families - We fear the unknown. But even reading the warnings of destruction, there is always the Comfort. The Ultimate Comforter tells His prophets and His people that safety is found in Him. He holds you - He will continue to hold you - Your future is secure.
In these times that we have never before seen - hold to the confidence that is available only through Him.
This isnt my usual post, but when something crosses my heart this way, I am compelled to share....
Pray - Praise the Creator for His blessings - Prepare
I dont talk a lot about Faith on this site. I have previously said that I will leave the link between being prepared and Faith to the Mormons. There have been a few posts, but mostly they are summed up in THIS ONE....
All this to say - I have been in The Word lately - more than "normal" and I am not reading my fave passages.... I find myself reading the last 3 chapters of Job where God gets His turn to have His say and may I humbly say, He ROCKS. The way He turns a phrase is nothing short of amazing, but what would you expect from the Inventor of words?
I also have been reading those tiny books in the Old Testament written by those minor prophets. And bless their hearts - I cant think of nothing I would enjoy LESS than going to God's people and telling them they are going to burn, be carried off into captivity and that they are going to be destroyed. There really is no way to soften that message to His people. You can imagine these prophets were not the most popular....
But what I have been amazed at is the feeling that all these 1000's of years, His Word still speaks to today. YES TODAY. The great I AM's promise of destruction for disobedience, for evil behavior, is relevant today, to our Government, to our Country as it was originally being delivered to Israel.
Why would I think that These United States would be safe when God did not even preserve His People, the Jews, from destruction - how vain am I?
The current circumstances of our Country - the precarious position we currently occupy on the edge of the cliff - is enough to make anyone fear....we may all fear something different. We fear the Government - We fear for our families - We fear the unknown. But even reading the warnings of destruction, there is always the Comfort. The Ultimate Comforter tells His prophets and His people that safety is found in Him. He holds you - He will continue to hold you - Your future is secure.
In these times that we have never before seen - hold to the confidence that is available only through Him.
This isnt my usual post, but when something crosses my heart this way, I am compelled to share....
Pray - Praise the Creator for His blessings - Prepare
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
How much farther could we have been...
With the Supreme Court nominee hearings underway and Sotomayer's comment about how much better she is than a white guy (I am paraphrasing, of course) has gotten me thinking.
If you have read me for any amount of time, you would know that I love Booker T.Washington. His advice / philosophy transcends black - white - purple.
So....how much farther would this Country be without quotas? Honestly. It would have been rough there in the beginning - having to prove you (not "you" but "you" - you know what I mean) are "just as good" by being twice as good, but after 40 years, I think we would be a little farther down the line than we are now. Could it be that we would be color-blind now?
I want a big guy carrying me out of burning building and not a chick who happened to do good on the written part of the test and passed the watered down physical part to get her job....
I also wonder how it is for non-white, non-male med students and ultimately, doctors. Do people question their competence? Do people wonder if they got their jobs because they were the best or because they met some arbitrary quota for color?
Would Non-White doctors be sought after today as being the TOPS in their field BECAUSE of the hurdles they had jumped through.... Would it mean that the position a person holds would get the respect it deserves?
I question whether Ms. Sotomayor is really as smart as the other white guys on the court....And I hate that I do.....
But of course, that would not keep those in power, in power - if you had to earn votes by the content of your character and not by the color of your skin....well, lets just say that Chicago politics would never be the same.
Its not a politically correct topic - but as my momma said as I was growing up..."Im not out to win a popularity contest with you...." I am also totally relying on the good will of my readers that wont skew what I write and give me the benefit of the doubt if something strikes you as wonky. (I love that word "wonky" - It rivals "hinky" which I also love.)
Keep it up - Pray - Praise - Prepare
If you have read me for any amount of time, you would know that I love Booker T.Washington. His advice / philosophy transcends black - white - purple.
So....how much farther would this Country be without quotas? Honestly. It would have been rough there in the beginning - having to prove you (not "you" but "you" - you know what I mean) are "just as good" by being twice as good, but after 40 years, I think we would be a little farther down the line than we are now. Could it be that we would be color-blind now?
I want a big guy carrying me out of burning building and not a chick who happened to do good on the written part of the test and passed the watered down physical part to get her job....
I also wonder how it is for non-white, non-male med students and ultimately, doctors. Do people question their competence? Do people wonder if they got their jobs because they were the best or because they met some arbitrary quota for color?
Would Non-White doctors be sought after today as being the TOPS in their field BECAUSE of the hurdles they had jumped through.... Would it mean that the position a person holds would get the respect it deserves?
I question whether Ms. Sotomayor is really as smart as the other white guys on the court....And I hate that I do.....
But of course, that would not keep those in power, in power - if you had to earn votes by the content of your character and not by the color of your skin....well, lets just say that Chicago politics would never be the same.
Its not a politically correct topic - but as my momma said as I was growing up..."Im not out to win a popularity contest with you...." I am also totally relying on the good will of my readers that wont skew what I write and give me the benefit of the doubt if something strikes you as wonky. (I love that word "wonky" - It rivals "hinky" which I also love.)
Keep it up - Pray - Praise - Prepare
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Angry little white woman....Naw....not me :)
Wow - I sound cranky in my posts and after my longest break between posts, you might think I am just another angry blogger....
But thats not the case - I am actually fully engrossed with playing with kids and enjoying the summer. And also packing up this house (sigh....) Do not take any lapses in posting as apathy. Fully engaged over here - prepping, reading, and preaching to the unchurched (so to speak - those that need to get themselves squared away....)
There will be more to come SOON - just get the RSS feeds and you will get my witty banter when its posted ;)
Happy Summer guys - and as ALWAYS - Pray, Praise and Prepare and POST soon :)
But thats not the case - I am actually fully engrossed with playing with kids and enjoying the summer. And also packing up this house (sigh....) Do not take any lapses in posting as apathy. Fully engaged over here - prepping, reading, and preaching to the unchurched (so to speak - those that need to get themselves squared away....)
There will be more to come SOON - just get the RSS feeds and you will get my witty banter when its posted ;)
Happy Summer guys - and as ALWAYS - Pray, Praise and Prepare and POST soon :)
Right CLICK / Copy at its finest....
I get the Glenn Beck daily email....yeah, yeah....I like him....he makes me laugh about certain things when the alternative is to scream or panic. Also, how can you NOT LIKE a Rodeo Clown - anyway - Today's email was a letter written by Ron Paul. I hate the Fed - in fact, I hate that I even capitalize the "f" in Fed....
* I bolded as I saw fit - my blog, my bold :)
Heres to Mr. Paul:
July 9, 2009
The Fed Must Be Stopped
Written by: Ron Paul
Our country currently finds itself in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s and, as during all economic crises, people search for the answer as to why this has happened. Not only have large financial firms been affected, but also mainstays of American industry such as GM and Chrysler, all the way down to the Mom & Pop stores on Main Street. The easy way out is to blame the traditional scapegoats: foreign governments, fraudulent businessmen, and greedy speculators. But the real villain is far more sinister; the organization entrusted with maintaining a stable dollar and touted as the guarantor of economic stability – the Federal Reserve.
In the United States, monetary policy has been the domain of the Federal Reserve since its inception in 1913. Since that time we have had a number of cyclical recessions, each one following a boom caused by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. The problem with the Federal Reserve is that it interferes with market pricing functions. Interest rates are a price just like any other and arise because of the fact that people prefer to consume in the present rather than in the future. The extent to which people defer present consumption is reflected in interest rates, which in a free market are determined by the spontaneous interactions and decisions of millions of people.
Fed intervention to set prices throws markets and interest rates out of equilibrium. When the Federal Reserve pushes interest rates below what the market rate would be, everyone wants to borrow money for long-term projects. Shortages of loanable funds would occur, except that the Federal Reserve has the ability to create bank balances out of thin air. The Fed can create a bank ledger on paper, or on a computer, establish a balance of millions or billions of dollars, and then spend these dollars out into the economy.
Loans become cheap, and the result of these lower interest rates is an economic boom which eventually manifests itself as a bubble. Beginning in 2001, the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to as low as one percent, which after adjusting for inflation meant that the real interest rate was negative, so businesses were actually making money by taking out loans. This was the fuel for the housing bubble and the reason there are 19 million empty houses today.
Because of this awesome power to create money out of thin air, the Fed has jumped in to stabilize ailing financial firms by pledging over $7 trillion through various guarantee programs and credit facilities. This is equivalent to over half of the entire nation's GDP. Over $1 trillion of this is already in play, propping up banks and other institutions that should be allowed to fail. All of this has taken place with no oversight by Congress. The Fed was created by Congress, and it is unconscionable that we have allowed it to act in such a way without our oversight. Currently the Federal Reserve's credit facilities, open market operations, and agreements with foreign governments and central banks are all exempt from any sort of audit or oversight. Earlier this year I introduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, HR 1207, that would remove all restrictions on Federal Reserve audits and call for a f ull audit of the Federal Reserve System to be completed by the end of 2010. At this writing, 245 of my fellow Congressmen have cosponsored this bill and we hope to have hearings in the near future. In the Senate, Republicans Jim DeMint, Mike Crapo and David Vitter have cosponsored S. 604, companion legislation introduced by Bernie Sanders. I am very encouraged by the tremendous growing momentum on Capitol Hill.
Our Founding Fathers never intended for a single entity such as the Federal Reserve to have this much power. In fact, there is no authority in the Constitution for the federal government to create a central bank, to enact legal tender laws, or to print paper money. The Tenth Amendment is quite clear that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The states themselves are prohibited from emitting bills of credit, i.e. paper money, arising from the Founders' negative experiences with paper money during the Revolutionary War. Cheap, un-backed, easily counterfeited paper money nearly lost the Revolution, until the government returned to minting gold and silver coins. Unfortunately, like too many other lessons learned by the Founders, the painful experiences of paper money have been forgotten by those living in the pres ent. We even ignore the experiences of Germans in the 1920s, Argentines in the 1980s, and Zimbabweans over the past decade. The Fed doubled the monetary base last fall in a matter of months, and God help us if any of this high-powered money begins to make its way through the economy.
An audit of the Fed is only the first step towards returning to where our Founders intended this country to be. The Founders knew that paper money could ruin a country, and drafted the Constitution in such a way that they thought would ensure sound, commodity-backed currency. Unfortunately, the Constitution was dispensed with long ago, and we find ourselves now suffering under an unconstitutional regime of un-backed paper money. Until we abolish the Federal Reserve and return to a stable currency that is not able to be manipulated to create boom and bust cycles, we will continue down the path of economic ruin.
Congress Ron Paul serves the fourteenth district of Texas and is honorary chairman of Campaign for Liberty. His new book, End the Fed (Grand Central Publishing) will release on September 16th and is available for pre-order on Amazon.
Just FYI - Al Gore's oldest daughter married the grandson of the largest share holder in a member bank of the Fed in 1997.... Thats right - not only is Al Gore a carbon credit whore, he is a pimp too.... AND the Fed which controls the United States economy has share holders....just consider your tax-paying self a serf to the powerful landowner, the Fed.... The United States has ceased to be Sovereign, but is wholly owned by a secretive group of men.....
* I bolded as I saw fit - my blog, my bold :)
Heres to Mr. Paul:
July 9, 2009
The Fed Must Be Stopped
Written by: Ron Paul
Our country currently finds itself in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s and, as during all economic crises, people search for the answer as to why this has happened. Not only have large financial firms been affected, but also mainstays of American industry such as GM and Chrysler, all the way down to the Mom & Pop stores on Main Street. The easy way out is to blame the traditional scapegoats: foreign governments, fraudulent businessmen, and greedy speculators. But the real villain is far more sinister; the organization entrusted with maintaining a stable dollar and touted as the guarantor of economic stability – the Federal Reserve.
In the United States, monetary policy has been the domain of the Federal Reserve since its inception in 1913. Since that time we have had a number of cyclical recessions, each one following a boom caused by the Federal Reserve's loose monetary policy. The problem with the Federal Reserve is that it interferes with market pricing functions. Interest rates are a price just like any other and arise because of the fact that people prefer to consume in the present rather than in the future. The extent to which people defer present consumption is reflected in interest rates, which in a free market are determined by the spontaneous interactions and decisions of millions of people.
Fed intervention to set prices throws markets and interest rates out of equilibrium. When the Federal Reserve pushes interest rates below what the market rate would be, everyone wants to borrow money for long-term projects. Shortages of loanable funds would occur, except that the Federal Reserve has the ability to create bank balances out of thin air. The Fed can create a bank ledger on paper, or on a computer, establish a balance of millions or billions of dollars, and then spend these dollars out into the economy.
Loans become cheap, and the result of these lower interest rates is an economic boom which eventually manifests itself as a bubble. Beginning in 2001, the Federal Reserve pushed interest rates to as low as one percent, which after adjusting for inflation meant that the real interest rate was negative, so businesses were actually making money by taking out loans. This was the fuel for the housing bubble and the reason there are 19 million empty houses today.
Because of this awesome power to create money out of thin air, the Fed has jumped in to stabilize ailing financial firms by pledging over $7 trillion through various guarantee programs and credit facilities. This is equivalent to over half of the entire nation's GDP. Over $1 trillion of this is already in play, propping up banks and other institutions that should be allowed to fail. All of this has taken place with no oversight by Congress. The Fed was created by Congress, and it is unconscionable that we have allowed it to act in such a way without our oversight. Currently the Federal Reserve's credit facilities, open market operations, and agreements with foreign governments and central banks are all exempt from any sort of audit or oversight. Earlier this year I introduced the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, HR 1207, that would remove all restrictions on Federal Reserve audits and call for a f ull audit of the Federal Reserve System to be completed by the end of 2010. At this writing, 245 of my fellow Congressmen have cosponsored this bill and we hope to have hearings in the near future. In the Senate, Republicans Jim DeMint, Mike Crapo and David Vitter have cosponsored S. 604, companion legislation introduced by Bernie Sanders. I am very encouraged by the tremendous growing momentum on Capitol Hill.
Our Founding Fathers never intended for a single entity such as the Federal Reserve to have this much power. In fact, there is no authority in the Constitution for the federal government to create a central bank, to enact legal tender laws, or to print paper money. The Tenth Amendment is quite clear that “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” The states themselves are prohibited from emitting bills of credit, i.e. paper money, arising from the Founders' negative experiences with paper money during the Revolutionary War. Cheap, un-backed, easily counterfeited paper money nearly lost the Revolution, until the government returned to minting gold and silver coins. Unfortunately, like too many other lessons learned by the Founders, the painful experiences of paper money have been forgotten by those living in the pres ent. We even ignore the experiences of Germans in the 1920s, Argentines in the 1980s, and Zimbabweans over the past decade. The Fed doubled the monetary base last fall in a matter of months, and God help us if any of this high-powered money begins to make its way through the economy.
An audit of the Fed is only the first step towards returning to where our Founders intended this country to be. The Founders knew that paper money could ruin a country, and drafted the Constitution in such a way that they thought would ensure sound, commodity-backed currency. Unfortunately, the Constitution was dispensed with long ago, and we find ourselves now suffering under an unconstitutional regime of un-backed paper money. Until we abolish the Federal Reserve and return to a stable currency that is not able to be manipulated to create boom and bust cycles, we will continue down the path of economic ruin.
Congress Ron Paul serves the fourteenth district of Texas and is honorary chairman of Campaign for Liberty. His new book, End the Fed (Grand Central Publishing) will release on September 16th and is available for pre-order on Amazon.
Just FYI - Al Gore's oldest daughter married the grandson of the largest share holder in a member bank of the Fed in 1997.... Thats right - not only is Al Gore a carbon credit whore, he is a pimp too.... AND the Fed which controls the United States economy has share holders....just consider your tax-paying self a serf to the powerful landowner, the Fed.... The United States has ceased to be Sovereign, but is wholly owned by a secretive group of men.....
Mr. Buffett - Put your money where your mouth is or....
SHUT UP....
So, Mr. Buffett thinks there needs to be another stimulus. With what, Mr. Buffett? In case you havent been paying attention - we are broke - WE as in These United States....
We are printing money like we are the banker in Monopoly and California is pretending they are borrowing money from their little sister by handing out IOU's.
We dont need more Stimulus - what we need is for the Government to get out the markets - companies need to fail or succeed on their own merit, not on who pays the lobbyist the most money and can buy Congressmen - YES, BUY CONGRESSMEN, thats what a lobbyist does....
But if you feel we need another stimulus package, by all means, Mr. Buffett, feel free to fork one over, but under no circumstance, is a BILLIONAIRE going to ask ME for a handout - WHATEV!!
So, Mr. Buffett thinks there needs to be another stimulus. With what, Mr. Buffett? In case you havent been paying attention - we are broke - WE as in These United States....
We are printing money like we are the banker in Monopoly and California is pretending they are borrowing money from their little sister by handing out IOU's.
We dont need more Stimulus - what we need is for the Government to get out the markets - companies need to fail or succeed on their own merit, not on who pays the lobbyist the most money and can buy Congressmen - YES, BUY CONGRESSMEN, thats what a lobbyist does....
But if you feel we need another stimulus package, by all means, Mr. Buffett, feel free to fork one over, but under no circumstance, is a BILLIONAIRE going to ask ME for a handout - WHATEV!!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
House stuff....
Again, back dating some pics....
Before the drama, there was some painting and some trim work (the basement work had to be redone) but those are the pics that I have. Some of the work will need to be redone as the bad apple was trying to cover his tracks by bringing in more money and was shorting employees and even had the guys not scrape our loft before they painted. Needless to say, upstairs is a mess that we will redo ourselves.
There arent that many - mostly because there has been some drama over the summer. The company we hired had a rotten apple - not the entire company - but one that was more than just a worker. Seems he went through $27,000 of the company's money in 2 months and is currently being sought for embezzlement. It wasnt our money - but it brought things to a stand-still for a bit and therefore there is a bit of wasted time - actually, a LOT of wasted time.
Before the drama, there was some painting and some trim work (the basement work had to be redone) but those are the pics that I have. Some of the work will need to be redone as the bad apple was trying to cover his tracks by bringing in more money and was shorting employees and even had the guys not scrape our loft before they painted. Needless to say, upstairs is a mess that we will redo ourselves.
We have a new company and we are extremely pleased. They fixed the crap in the basement - finished out the doors down there and painted. They start tile this week as well as our HVAC get finished.
My Hubs also put in the holding tank for the well - plumbed it with 2 faucets - installed all the electrical and stuff involved in that and built the house that goes over it. Color me absolutely impressed! He has yet to find something that he cannot do! The well house is in the same shape as our real house and he used left over rafters, t1-11 and metal. He loves his window which is really cute :) Will snap some more pics of the "finished" well house next time I am out there as well as pics of the basement.
Here are the pics:
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