Observation

Are you positive?

2011-11-28T21:35:00.003-05:00

It's common in today's age to hear of circumstances qualified as positive or negative. Didn't get that raise? That's a negative. Your political favorite is twelve points down in the polls? Another negative. Electric bill over $200 dollars? Probably a negative but if $37 less than a year ago then that's a positive. Prom was a disaster and the evidence is on youtube? Double negative. Bad karma. Yin and Yang are out of whack. Got through lunch without spilling ketchup on your shirt? That's a positive. Home equity exceeds mortgage balance? That's a positive.

Doing a search of "positive" and "negative" in the bible does not return any hits. But then again, the same can be said for searching the word "trinity." The Doctrine of the Trinity is clearly expressed in the Bible even though the particular term is not used outright. "Positive" and "negative" though might be argued to be interchangeable in the Bible with terms such as "good" or "blessed." That's fine. I would suggest though that incorporating these terms into one's oft-used vocabulary is likely counterproductive despite not being confusing.

In the humanistic culture that Americans find themselves in, using "positive" and/or "negative" to express one's outlook on anything has the tendency to encourage an analysis of circumstances in the context of one's personal and tiny universe. The examples at the beginning of this article are me-centric in nature, and not situations that cause one to look at the big picture--of God working out all things according to the counsel of His will. While there's nothing wrong with loving oneself, and indeed that is necessary, it's easy to spin off towards self-centeredness if there's an unhealthy preoccupation with self. Interpreting life through the positive and negative lens is much more likely to do that rather than to speak of sovereignty, providence, authority, omnipotence, omniscience, favor, covenant, divine and other like terms that more clearly define our existence.

Understandably, non-Christians will certainly interpret life's events as positive or negative because their nature dictates such. The Christian that uses those terms though can expect to foment confusion and error, and miss opportunities to declare God's workings in very subtle ways. The giants of the faith--Abraham, Job, David, Noah, Daniel, Joseph, Paul, Peter, Stephen and others, certainly experienced things that outsiders would deem "negative." In God's perfect ways though, their experiences have benefitted us today immeasurably. So was Moses being left for dead in the river "negative?" When David caught glimpse of Goliath did he mutter, "Whoops. He's huge. That's a negative?"Did Paul gain anything watching Stephen get pounded to death? Noah saved the animal kingdom while being a laughing stock to the world. Joseph was a family outcast yet rose to a prominent place in Pharaoh's inner circle and got many people through s famine. Things that seemed negative to them then were certainly mischaracterized once hindsight came into focus. Paul reminds those enduring trials that they are necessary to equip them to comfort others.

If the Great Depression looks like Happy Days in twenty years how will we rate the 2020s? If the Euro fails how will that be quantified? Things are what they are. God is sovereign. God is providential. We are his witnesses and under rowers. We are not the world's judge and we won't live to be 110 and dunk a basketball the day before we climb into our coffin with a milkshake in one hand and a tank of oxygen in the other. Life is messy. People have problems and inject their problems into our lives while we try to watch football with the iphone on mute. Circumstances that chaff us to no end encircle us with an appetite unappeased. Getting away from the prolific use of "positive" and "negative" might go a long way towards resolving lots of anxiety, agitation, angst, depression, malaise, foolishness and aberrant behaviors.

Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Let you words be few. God is good but God is not mocked. Walk circumspectly because the days are evil. Be kind, one to another.

Makena - Expensive and Probably Not Necessary

2011-04-07T19:30:00.004-04:00

The FDA has approved Makena (17-Hydroxyprogesterone) to prevent preterm labor. It's very expensive and most probably inferior to cheap natural progesterone itself in doing the same thing. Pregnant women crank out a ton of progesterone when pregnant so it stands to reason if progesterone levels were normalized that would be the most beneficial tweaking of that particular component in preventing premature birth. Blood levels and saliva levels of many hormones are available, unfortunately mainstream physicians don't check saliva levels and seldom check blood levels.

The last medicine that tweaked progesterone, medroxyprogesterone (Provera), had all sorts of nasty stuff started happening. In fact Provera carries a category X rating, meaning, bad things will happen to your baby if you take medroxyprogesterone when pregnant.

Women are likely best off supplementing with progesterone topical cream if boosting the levels is warranted. Reducing exposure to xenoestrogens (mimic estrogen) is also warranted. Xenoestrogens include paint, glue, nail polish, hair spray, plastics, sugar, etc. There are many others. Progesterone balances estrogen. Reducing exposure to xenoestrogens helps keep the body in balance.

Makena is first and foremost a cash cow. Don't expect head-to-head trials with progesterone-that would potentially be a cash cow killer.

Bill Clinton Makes a Pretty Good Move

2011-02-01T13:54:00.006-05:00

Former President Bill Clinton is now trumpeting the consumption of whole foods while obesity czar Michelle Obama sits idly by with a vastly inferior message. In this video President Clinton discusses his dietary changes of late with Wolf Blitzer, of CNN's Manipulation Room, which have resulted in weight loss and a visible improved appearance of the president. He has cut out most all meats, which has a downside, but his upside changes are excellent. President Clinton has two stents in his coronary arteries and clearly recognized the need to do more if he didn't want his heart condition to deteriorate further.

Vegans can expect a shortage in Coenzyme Q10, zinc and B12. While whey protein is good and may enhance immunity, a little meat is probably good. If it's from a grass-fed source there's a better balance of fat in the meat. Fish is probably good too although with farm-raised fish taking over the industry and mercury being a notorious contaminant who knows what benefit fish is providing nowadays.

Personally, my heart health advice is one of lots of whole foods as President Clinton suggests. Stick with the meat, chicken and fish in modest portions so you don't go to bed crying for having fond memories of such. Consider adding the following supplements in this order, costs permitting, and in the absence of personal physician objections and any contraindications or warnings-- Vitamin D3 (achieve a level of 50 ng/ml), Vitamin K2 (menaquinone), DHA/EPA (fish oil--molecularly distilled), Cataplex B, Cataplex G, a source of iodine/iodide (e.g. kelp powder, MinTran), Coenyme Q10 or preferably ubiquinol and coconut oil. Maintain a good vital capacity. Cheers.

For more detailed information on some of the above supplements click here.

Autism and MMR Vaccine Still Getting Press

2011-01-27T20:51:00.008-05:00

You don't have to know much science or be a Rhodes Scholar to realize the press is lying about the vaccine-autism connection. They mostly report there's no connection. British reporter Brian Deer recently ran an article that accused Dr. Andrew Wakefield of orchestrating an elaborate fraud in a 1998 study suggesting autism, gut disease and the MMR vaccine may be related. Here's one typical story one will find when using google news search.

Then the editor of NaturalNews.com runs a story laying out evidence that Wakefield's attack dog Brian Deer is the liar and the press swallows its collective tongue. Here's NaturalNews' Mike Adam's article here. Why run wild with one reporter's story and ignore the counter argument from the other reporter? Surely the vast majority of reporters didn't vet the source material but rather just ran with it.

Just this week a team of Wake Forest physicians revealed in their on-going study of 275 children with regressive autism and bowel disease that 70 of the 82 kids tested so far were positive for measles virus--of the vaccine strain--not the wild strain, in their respective guts. Read the team leader Dr. Stephen Walker's comments about the study here.

If all these writers would stop reporting Wakefield's study having "harmed children" and acknowledge his findings are being corroborated by other scientists then maybe parents could make a more informed decision about the MMR vaccine. Delay it? Single out the antigens? Skip it?

In fairness to these writers, many of them likely have guns to to their heads so the makers of vaccines will still spill advertisement dollars into their boss's pockets. It's difficult for some people to report the truth when it impacts their ability to accrue dinero.

Flu Vaccine Myths Ramping Up

2010-12-18T09:52:00.005-05:00

With winter approaching flu vaccine myths will be rampant in the media. Mary Shedden used two standard myths in her article today appearing in the 4You section of the Tampa Tribune today. She wrote, with respect to last year's flu season, "about 12,000 Americans died of complications related to the H1N1 flu strain;" The chief medical officer for England
wrote that 2/3 of H1N1-related deaths were in people with sever underlying disease or an incapacitating prior illness. That changes the picture quite a bit. An accurate statement would have been, "about 12,000 Americans died on the heels of being positively tested the H1N1 flu strain; The majority of them had significant concomitant or prior medical issues and it's uncertain what impact the H1N1 infection had in their deaths." This however would be boring reading and not very newsworthy.

Shedden also wrote, with respect to this year's seasonal vaccine, "... early reports show it's keeping flu outbreaks at bay." How does she know? Who knows how much inoculum is in any given geographical region for a given time period. In the people afflicted how much inoculum were they exposed to? What was the condition of the immune systems in the people with the flu? Did they have any other viruses on board? Were they eating a ton of simple carbs? What was their 25-Hydroxyvitamin D level? An accurate report would have read, "early reports show it [flu vaccine] has been received by x # of Americans and flu outbreaks have been light." A true report such as that though is both a chatty way of saying nothing and boring reading. Expect reports to ramp up soon, something along the lines of, "get vaccinated today--don't kill your neighbor's children by not getting vaccinated." Now that's a great story. Harry Potter stuff.

Perhaps Shedden had a gun to her head by her editors. I don't know. You can be certain there won't be any retraction though. Science is mostly a new art form, not science.

When is a Penny Not a Penny?

2010-12-04T07:49:00.003-05:00

From 1902 to 1958 the US penny contained 95% copper. Today a penny contains 2.5% copper. So the next time you go to the bank ask the teller to cash your check in wheat pennies. Unfortunately, paper currencies are headed for like vaporization. Or, one could make the case inflation has already bankrupted the US dollar. Local farming is headed for a boon in the next few years or decades.

Michelle Obama and bake sales

2010-12-04T07:38:00.004-05:00

It seems public school bake sales are in jeopardy because the federal government wants to keep children healthy. So while the government forces its schools to serve soy protein isolate, aspartame, sucralose, monosodium glutamate, pesticides, hormones and who knows what else, brownies may get banned.

Wikileaks and Lost Opportunity

2010-12-04T07:32:00.003-05:00

The federal government recently missed on a big opportunity with the escapades of the military little guy who was found to have downloaded world government secrets onto a CD labeled as Lady Gaga. Had he been discovered to have snuck it out in his underwear the government could have instituted mandatory enhanced pat downs and x-rays at all music stores... to keep us safe.

"It looks like an Eminem CD but it could be transcripts from the White House war room. Now drop your drawers."

"Here, in the mall?"

"Your pants are still on?"

"Sorry."

36,000 annual flu deaths?

2010-09-18T11:08:00.011-04:00

The annual, media-inspired drumbeat of impending thousands of flu deaths will soon be in full swing. The death figure formerly bandied about used to be 36,000 annually but the CDC is downplaying that now because too many people caught on to the figure being a marketing ploy and not based on truth. Per the National Vital Statistics Reports (from the CDC) annual flu deaths are much, much lower. This document is never mentioned because its contents undercut its marketing goals.

If you look at page 18 of this edition you'll note there were 457 deaths caused by the flu in 2007 and 849 deaths in 2006. Prior years reveal similar figures. The death rate from pneumonia is much, much higher with annual deaths in the 50,000 range.

You are more likely to die from being struck by lightning while cashing a lotto ticket than you are from dying from the flu. Most flu deaths occur in the very elderly. That fact drives the risk down for the majority of people. To die from just the flu is rare nowadays, including in the unvaccinated population.

The media will not issue a correction about over-reporting flu deaths for years on end because it would embarrass storied journalists, politicians and pharmaceutical reps that have preceded them. It's easier to maintain the manipulation and position oneself for professional advancement.

Swine Flu Pandemic Declared Over

2010-08-11T10:14:00.004-04:00

Head of the Who Margaret Chan (not Roger Daltrey) finally declared the swine flu pandemic over. About 18,500 people allegedly died from it and many of those were low in their Vitamin D level and had other concomitant medical ailments. So many Americans went unvaccinated it's reasonable to believe the vaccine had little benefit and billions of dollars were wasted because central planners have more guns than the little people do. So many people in ill health survived the "pandemic" one can conclude that if the vaccine spared it anyone it came at the cost of millions per case. And how many of those that died would not have died had they received the vaccine? Maybe a handful.

So the fear mongers will be back in the news in a couple of months extolling the wonders of H1N1 vaccine. Celebrities without a recent hit movie will be paid a few thousand bucks to be in H1N1 vaccine commercials.

Personally, I'll knock down a good probiotic and get my Vitamin D level to about 50 ng/ml.

Bringing Perspective to Oil Spills

2010-05-05T17:35:00.007-04:00

The BP oil spill southeast of Louisiana is reported to be spewing 210,000 gallons of oil a day into the Gulf of Mexico. Today some estimates state it could get to be 8X that rate. To bring perspective, let's consider the rate of 210,000 gallons a day.

At this rate it would take 51 days to equal the amount of oil spilled as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska. The oil spill from the Persian Gulf War ('90, '91) dumped 3,333 times as much oil into the earth's water supply as the Exxon Valdez did. So if this latest Gulf of Mexico spill lasts at the current rate for 470 years it will equal the Persian Gulf oil spill output in terms of amount of oil spilled.

There have been 25 oil spills on the earth since January 1, 2000 of over 100 tons of crude oil each, five of which resulted in tens of thousands of tons of spilled crude oil ( 1 ton of crude is equivalent 308 gallons). There were plenty more before that. One notable one was the Ixtoc oil spill in... the Gulf of Mexico. 450,000 or so tons of crude was dumped over about a 9 month period in '79-'80. Most people know of one major oil spill--Exxon Valdez-- because the media is good at marketing news with a wicked slant. This sells commercials and enables excellent luncheons.

One 2007 web site re: Persian Gulf states - "The natural environment of the Persian Gulf is very rich with good fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters..."

If you just consider surface area of the world's oceans, if the Persian Gulf oil spill were equally distributed it would have amounted to roughly 1 cup of oil per 6,750 sq ft. That doesn't count non-Ocean sources of water nor the depth of all bodies of water. The earth can handle and has handled enormous amounts of natural disasters.

This year's oil spill should not thwart America's efforts to get the oil near our coasts. If we don't the risk of spills will remain as the Chinese will go after it. The risk is a given, it might as well be ours.

Vitamin D Doesn't Help the Heart?

2010-03-09T10:55:00.004-05:00

This Reuter's report gives the impression Vitamin D supplementation doesn't help the heart. The guest comments make more sense then the experts. Who funded this study? Many people see their HDL go up when normalizing their Vitamin D level (25-Hydroxyvitamin D level, to 40-60 ng/ml)

Vitamin D and Stroke

2010-02-03T10:49:00.005-05:00

Vitamin D is getting a lot of good publicity over the last few years with its importance in managing heart disease, osteoporosis, insulin sensitivity, multiple sclerosis, and cancer prevention, to name a few. Another emerging benefit is in stroke prevention. Science Daily ran this article recently reporting on a study with outstanding results, showing patients with very low levels of Vitamin D were 78% more likely to have a stroke than those with normalized Vitamin D levels (i.e. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D).

The general consensus about Vitamin D is the observational and epidemiological studies are numerous and showing impressive results, however, the role of Vitamin D supplementation warrants well-developed, large, randomized, double-blind studies first, before cementing its place in western medicine. Don't hold your breath waiting for these studies as there's no financial rewards proving the need to normalize Vitamin D levels. Moreover, the statins would probably go the way of the dinosaur if pitted in a trial against Vitamin D. In fact, statins may be affording their slight benefit because thay activate Vitamin D receptors and in some studies involving atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor) Vitamin D levels go up in patients taking these statins. This latter finding is quite intriguing but that's another story for another day.

Andrew Wakefield Smearing is a Sport

2010-02-03T10:23:00.007-05:00

Pediatric gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield is like a stuffed play rat in the jaws of one's pet kitty. The New York Times' Gardiner Harris just wrote this article stating that The Lancet (medical journal) is retracting a study of Wakefield's on the association of the triple MMR vaccine and autism. The author tried to balance the story but two-stepped enough to cripple his own credibility. He writes of a "British Journalist" who alleged Wakefield failed to make full disclosures yet leaves the name of the journalist out. The journalist was clearly Brian Deer who appears to live to attack Dr. Wakefield in the British press. The author of the Times piece failed to mention the massive use of ghost writers in the land of medical journals leaving one to wonder why this particle study of Wakefield's was cherry-picked.

If the truth about autism is sought why is the "Danish article" that manipulates statistics to prove the lack of association between vaccines and autism not ever in media reports? Why are media reports on attack rates of pathogens in the vaccinated verses unvaccinated population left out of the press?

MMR vaccinations in Britain are down since Wakefield's article. One wonders how much money may be getting funneled into the pockets of those who run The Lancet, New York Times and Brian Deer's pockets?

Swine Flu, Where Art Thou?

2009-12-12T09:55:00.004-05:00

The CDC is reporting that the prevalence of swine flu infection started really falling off here in the states in October. As one will recall, the H1N1 vaccine was not readily available then so the fall off in swiney occurred apart from the vaccine. This attests to the drop off in the virulency of the virus itself, and to a much lesser degree, to whatever measures we've taken to protect ourselves either naturally or vaccinatingly.

It would be interesting for data to be collected/reported on the infection rate in the vaccinated versus unvaccinated population in November and the first two weeks of December so people could educate themselves before getting the vaccine in early 2010. This represents good science though so it's not likely to be a top story any time soon.

Vitamin A and D... Working Together

2009-12-12T09:35:00.006-05:00

Vitamins A and D tend to balance one another, much like progesterone and estrogen work together. There's an avalanche of good studies coming out about the benefits afforded by Vitamin D but not as much on Vitamin A. Too much Vitamin A can undermine the benefits of Vitamin D. Apart from any Vitamin A deficiencies or known need for extra Vitamin A, if you take a multivitamin look for one that contains no more than 1000 units of preformed Vitamin A. Any more of this vitamin might work against whatever Vitamin D you make (UVB ray exposure) or ingest (food and supplements). If your Vitamin A label incorporates beta carotene, a Vitamin A precursor, then you don't need to count that against the Vitamin A content as it's not a concern in larger doses.

Cod liver oil contains Vitamin A and D. Look for one with a low ratio of Vitamin A: Vitamin D. Carlson's brand has a good ratio. If your cod liver oil has a higher ratio of Vit A:D consider switching to Carlson's brand or over to regular fish oil (molecularly distilled) or Neptune Krill Oil (a superior Omega-3 fat).

Disclaimer: I do not have stock in Carlson's cod liver oil or its parent company. This information is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, manage or cure disease. Seek out a personal licensed physician to manage all health-related matters.

Transgender Saint

2009-12-12T09:16:00.003-05:00

The Tampa Tribune is in lock step with other media outlets in pandering to most all minority groups to increase its revenue. Today in the religious section they ran this story about a transgendered woman (former man), an "angel," who feeds the homeless in downtown Tampa. They threw in a few baseless quotes from her priest to help justify her decision to alter her appearance.

This piece is a classic example of justifying sin through good works, much like Tiger Woods' decision to engage in infidelity while concurrently running charitable works. God saved Zacchaeus through salvation in Jesus Christ (Luke 19), not because be gave half of his possessions to the poor, but because he repented of his sin and placed his faith in the person and atoning work of Jesus Christ.

While the homeless in Tampa and partakers of Tiger's benevolence benefit in the short-term, the long-term consequences of their "other decisions" may wreak more havoc, creating more problems than they solve.

Carbon Dioxide is Killing Us?

2009-12-12T09:06:00.003-05:00

0.038% of the earth's atmosphere is carbon dioxide (CO2). So if the carbon dioxide concentration has gone from 280 ppm to 380 ppm over the last 150 years that means the percent change (as in a percent of the earth's total atmospheric gas content) has been largely negligible.

The hysteria over the "rise in CO2" and it's implication in global warming is unproven. This is the same maipulative tactics used by drug companies when pushing cholesterol lowering statins. They most always cite relative risk statistics instead of absolute risk statistics. The latter are more relative to the statins and as one would suspect, they suggest maybe 1 out of 80 people will benefit from taking them. The other 79 people will take a statin for a lifetime and not achieve a benfit. This is a statistic worth warming up to.

Swine Flu Vaccine - For and Against Arguments

2009-10-09T21:44:00.002-04:00

Against: We once heard cigarettes were safe. We had to hunker down for the onslaught of Bird flu, SARS and the Swine Flu of 1976. Now it's Swine Flu (H1N1) of '09. The virus has shown itself to be mild compared to seasonal flu. It's ability to kill is weak. It's presence in summer and early fall is unusual which raises some concern. To date it hasn't mutated which means there's no expectation for it to become more lethal than it is at present.

There are tens of thousands of mothers claiming their children are "vaccine victims" in some way--autistic children, autoimmune diseases, juvenile-onset diabetics, pediatric cancers, asthma, leaky gut syndrome and more. The FDA doesn't believe them. Are they all liars? Is it a conspiracy? There's not nearly the outrage over the adverse effects of other classes of drugs used in the pediatric population--antibiotics, pain killers, bronchodilators, antihistamines, etc. What is it about vaccines? Adverse reactions with vaccines don't necessarily occur within a few days many contend. With the FDA not acknowledging alleged problems beyond that time window the vaccine makers are able to report its laundry list of adverse effects to the FDA and gain approval for their "safe" products.

The adjuvants. Adjuvants (e.g. MF59, ASO3, aluminum) are things that boost the immune response in the body enabling each dose of vaccine to contain a lesser quantity of killed virus. With H1N1 some makers of the vaccine are using adjuvants in their trials yet the CDC is reporting the vaccine to be supplied to the US will be adjuvant-free. Do we believe them? With such a strong association being reported between Gulf War Syndrome and adjuvant inclusion in the anthrax vaccine one would want to be sure any H1N1 was really adjuvant-free. Google squalene (an adjuvant) and vaccines and you'll find plenty of interesting material to read.

The natural immunity argument. When the swine flu death count (US) was at 36 it was noted about 2/3 of those deaths were in children with conditions that carried an inherent risk of low Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D has a powerful role in boosting natural immunity and it's likely more than half of Americans have suboptimal levels of this critical vitamin.

And now, as the defense prepares to present it's case, please note their argument will include the "virulent mutation argument." When that happens I refer you to this counter argument made by Vincent Racaniello. It's all speculative on their part. No further comments, your honor, and I use the term loosely.

For: Your honor I call to the stand, Johnny Q. Vaccine. If the wolf crying is over then this swine flu could become lethal if it mutates into a more formidable form. It's better to risk the alleged adverse effects and get vaccinated, especially when you realize the killer epidemic of 1918 took about a year before it slaughtered hundreds of thousands. The CDC is reporting the vaccines will be adjuvant-free so the risk is reduced considerably. You hear a lot about Guillain Barre (paralysis, death maybe) but the frequency is way too remote to warrant concern. Dr John Cannell, executive director of the Vitamin D Council, says he will maintain normalized Vitamin D blood levels, and get the Swine Flu vaccine to be extra safe. His research into the epidemic of 1918 makes him believe natural immunity may not be enough if this current H1N1 bug becomes lethal. Rather than summarize his lengthy opinion go to this link and read about it yourself. His insight into what happened back in 1918 is interesting and enlightening.

So there you have it--the prosecution and the defense. The court has heard all the arguments it wishes to entertain. The jury is in deliberation. The vaccines will be trickling in soon and the media will let you know it early and often.

Another Way to Protect Your Heart

2009-10-09T20:58:00.001-04:00

Omega 3 fats are increasing in popularity for a number of reasons. In terms of lowering risk for sudden cardiac death there's information available that reveals improving your blood ratio of Omega 3:Omega 6 fat is critical. Dr. William Davis, who writes for the "Heart Scan Blog" recently got tested hmself and has an interesting blog post about the "Omega-3 Index." So if you're interested in his belief that this index is more important than cholesterol levels take a peek at the October 8, 2009 post here.

D and fat

2009-10-05T21:42:00.001-04:00

You hear about the benefits of Vit D3 and quality fish oil (or cod liver oil). Apparently Vit D increases HDL, which is good. Fish oil lowers triglycerides which is good. If your Triglyceride/HDL ratio is <2 you have achieved the ideal ratio.

Swine Flu vaccine for the Pregnant?

2009-10-05T18:22:00.004-04:00

This is copied and pasted from Novartis' Swine Flu (H1N1) package insert (pre-release)--

"Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine have not been established in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children less than 4 years of age."

Which begs the question, how can the CDC recommend that pregnant women and children ages 6 months to age 4 be included in the target group of those prioritized to receive the vaccine in the face of this admission?

A Blast from the Past

2009-10-05T17:37:00.001-04:00

With access to hordes of "expert opinions" and a deep pocket, lets revist a quote by Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, made about 4 years ago--

When asked by Gwen Iffil, "Dr. Gerberding, how serious is the potential for an avian flu pandemic here in the US?" Dr. Gerberding's answer, "Most experts are saying that it's not really a question of if; it's a question of when. We're overdue for a pandemic and that's part of the reason why we're putting so much emphasis on preparedness. That and the situation that we see in Asia right now with this H5N1 strain which is very, very serious from our standpoint in public health."

We're still waiting for the avian flu to make its presence felt. If the "experts" were wrong then...

(As reported at Online NewsHour in October of 2005)

A Little Obama Chant

2009-09-29T13:42:00.003-04:00

One wonders if these children got together and did this (video here) on their own. Hhhhmmm?

Blaylock, MD on Swine Flu Vaccine

2009-09-20T16:51:00.003-04:00

The well-studied neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock is interviewed by Dr. Joseph Mercola and discusses Swine Flu vaccine, seasonal flu vaccine, neurological side effects of vaccination, vaccine contamination, adjuvants, vaccine-induced immune suppression, "bait and switch" vaccine testing, the SV40 contamination of the polio virus and subsequent pediatric cancers, conflict of interest issues, ALS and anthrax vaccine, mercury and more in this series of videos.

Health Care Speech?

2009-09-08T20:28:00.003-04:00

Ideally, the federal government's attempt to be both a legal overseer and a participant in the healthcare system would lead Americans to forget the "government option" argument and dismiss the intrusion altogether. Medicare is a prime example of how a product increases in price and decreases in accessibility when federal government ventures into arenas for which God never made provision. Medicare is to private insurance what spam is to grass-fed steak. Medicare is surviving because theft is what props it up. The fix for the elderly in the 60s is poised to rob the elderly in the early 21st century.

For a president to give a brief address to the nation on how a 1000+-page healthcare bill will benefit them is too far-fetched to be taken seriously. If the speech were 3 hours long it couldn't possibly clarify more than 20 or 30 pages of said bill. That leaves 970 pages of mystery.

Tomorrow's speech is about rallying support for a bill for which the White House has done little to draw attention to its details. It's a rah-rah session that will fail to address 99% of its details.

Tort reform, tax overhaul, and a return to a commitment to the Ten Commandments could do much to improve health care. Tomorrow's speech about a bill, and if its goals are one day achieved, promises further devaluation of the dollar and less access to healthcare professionals.

The President's Address - Advance Copy

2009-09-08T00:22:00.001-04:00

“Dear kids, Good morning. Thanks for allowing me to come into your classroom this morning. As president I’m continually challenged how I can do more to help you be the best students you can be. Rest assured I won’t rest until every child is assured a quality education. I want to encourage all of you to work hard while you’re in school. Do your homework. Listen to your parents as they love you. Be kind to your classmates and encourage them to work as hard as you. You may not grow up to be a president, but your education should equip you to be one should you have that chance.”

Sincerely, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Barack to Children, Barack to Children

2009-09-07T09:59:00.002-04:00

"Hey, teacher, leave those kids alone." - Pink Floyd

I suspect the percentage of kids ever influenced by a national-stage politician in a way to produce covenantal living and thinking is infinitesmally minute. Barack's political savvy is such that he will certainly give a boiler plate speech tailored to children so that any cookie baking homemaker would be proud to hear. Barack's political savvy is such that he knows classrooms are filled with overzealous Barackobites who will capitalize on the opportunity to campaign for him to the kiddies on the coattails of the speech, canceling the phonics lecture to make for the "civics lesson."

You're known by the company you keep. Barack's inner circle is filled with people of suspect character and it's reasonable to conclude many parents will balk at their children sitting through a custom fit stump speech when the child's teacher is one ardently beholden to Obamania.

More on Artificial Sweetners

2009-09-04T20:55:00.003-04:00

This article briefly describes how artificial sweetners may lead to weight gain by their action in the gut. This observationalist is a proud user of brown sugar, honey and butter.

Fish Oil thins

2009-09-02T19:37:00.003-04:00

This is an intersting story on the wonders of natural blood thinners. I tend to agree with it.

Cha Ching

2009-09-01T09:23:00.003-04:00

Floy Lilley states here that your share of public debt is $38,127. Clearly the U.S. dollar is prepping to go the way of monopoly money--used to take over Boardwalk, Park Place, Marvin Gardens, etc., then put back into a cardboard box and sold with the little metal yorkie and other tokens for 25 cents at a garage sale once the teen children run off to college to learn the ways of the Keynesians.

Massachusetts Madness

2009-08-31T17:58:00.003-04:00

The Massachusetts state senate has passed legislation that can mandate state residents get the H1N1 (Swine flu) vaccine and awaits action by the state house. A handful of state legislators may make the entire state populace wards of the state. Gotta love it. $1,ooo a day fines and/or imprisonment await those who assert their constitutional right and refuse said vaccine.

Maybe now is a good time to come down with an allergy to vaccine adjuvants.

California Prisoners Ready for the Streets

2009-08-31T10:03:00.008-04:00

It seems the California prison system has 70% more prisoners than it's designed to accommodate and the state may release 20-something thousand prisoners early. If California applied God's teachings in Exodus they would require the prisoners to become the property of whomever they defrauded in the first place. In this way they could make restitution for their crime. If the offended party felt insecure about such a responsibility they could sell off this property to a willing third party. This is not a call to restore antebellum slavery as that was a perversion of what is prescribed in Exodus 21.

The released prisoners risk being reimprisoned if they run afoul of the law again once released. If they were property of someone else they risk being beaten by rods if they choose to be slothful. Under this plan not only is restitution made (or partly made), the slave owners get the rewards of labor that heretofore the state had deprived them of; law-abiding Americans, especially Californians aren't subjected to an expected surge in crime; the tax burden drops, the incentive to commit crime from a lack of conseuences flips to a major disincentive, etc.

This position has largely been passed over by the modern day church. Arguments that the New Testament teachings abolished slavery have not been convincing. Arguments that involuntary servitude for the purposes of making restitution are more compelling. Having said this, apart from a widespread increase in Christian self-government, any nation that expects to see success in applying cherry-picked standards of the Bible is poised for disappointment and floundering. You have to start somewhere though, right?

Why KennedyCare Would Fail

2009-08-31T09:49:00.006-04:00

Man is sinful and as such apart from regeneration pursues death whether the intentions are noble or not. Even a life well-lived has a disastrous conclusion in eternity apart from salvation in Christ while alive.

American government is not devoted to Christ. If you factor in the fact it protects abortion, spends money it doesn't have, levies excessive taxes, winks at sexual sins it's easy to make a case its devotion is to self-interest. Medicare and Social Security attest that government-run healthcare and retirement savings run up debts that would bankrupt any similar private sector-run company.

If the Obama White House signs off on any forthcoming bill to subsidize any aspect of healthcare it will serve to hasten the demise of the republic primarily through the utter devaluation of the American dollar (or whatever fiat currency might replace it one day).

Americans could do a lot to shore up the existing system but unfortunately it has little faith in the loving God who demands living in a manner consistent with Biblical dictates.

Global Warming?

2009-08-25T21:51:00.001-04:00

A little something for Al Gore.

A Review of Food, Inc.

2009-08-22T08:57:00.004-04:00

Christians, conservatives, independents, moderates, libertarians and others are not likely to plunk down a few bucks to see the movie Food, Inc., dismissing it as a left-wing, Michael Moore-inspired, PETA-friendly propaganda piece. Having viewed this documentary the other night, to some extent those are valid arguments. However, there is enough compelling information and video in the flick to warrant viewing by a large swath of the inhabitants of our mother land.

The thrust of the important part of the film was the vast majority of the American supply of poultry, meat, corn and other seed products are funneled through a handful of large multinational corporate giants that mistreat the animals, the assembly line workers, and sell a product to your local grocery store that is “plagued” with problems from a health and safety standpoint. Of course, one can draw their own conclusions from what they see and hear in Food, Inc. but there’s little to suggest the interviews are coerced or the video photo shopped. As you might expect, George Bush is faulted for being too friendly with Monsanto, the King Kong of the genetically modified soybean industry, inclusively, but Bill Clinton is rightly faulted as well for the same coziness with said agritech giant. Obama’s name is never mentioned in the film, and it’s likely his election to the office of president occurred after the principal footage was in the can, so we’ll give the writers and producers a pass on excluding him. However, the agents of change—Obamabots—must admit Obama is definitely not using the bully pit to expose the abuses of an industry—da food—abuses abhorred by some of his most ardent, left-wing supporters. It’s doubtful any politician seek a national office will touch the food industry because they need the donations and votes tethered to it, and don’t want to see the same go to their opponent(s) if they stump for independent farmers.

Of special interest to right-leaning movie goers would be the film’s coverage of America’s departure from a grass-fed beef-consuming culture to one of antibiotic-pumped, pesticide-tainted, grain-fed meat culture. The same grain issues affect the poultry industry as well. The film makes a great case for how such a transition is likely linked to the sometimes fatal E. Coli 0157:H7 outbreaks that surface from time to time. There’s splendid coverage of all the food additives made from cheap, government-subsidized corn, especially high fructose corn syrup, and how these chemicals make it into the majority of our processed foods and school lunches. While Americans are quick to donate money to the American this and that societies to reduce heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other diseases, it’s notable that the food industry largely gets a pass, with much fewer dollars going to correct the problems in this industry that undoubtedly seeds many of the health problems we throw money at today. (The writers missed a splendid opportunity to indict the industry for distorting the disease-causing Omega 6:Omega 3 [“bad fat:good fat”] balance in the American food supply here, but you can’t have it all I suppose).

With the health care debate in full swing and the possible nationalization of America’s health care system looming, it’s illustrative to note how the growth of the food industry assembly line worker pool has exploded through the decades. And the final products have taken up greater residence in the diet of the poor families of America. If there were ever good intentions in the hearts of the movers and shakers at the top of the food industry pyramid and the government oversight entities (i.e. FDA, USDA, etc.) it most certainly has backfired. It’s inevitable such a consolidation of the health care industry will endure a similar fate. Whenever the federal government departs from enforcing contracts and instead simultaneously enters into and “polices” contracts the massive conflict of interest issues portend misery on multiple levels. Food, Inc. spends sufficient time documenting the mistreatment of the poor in the food industry, both in the supplier side and on the consumer side.

Documentaries bring back painful memories of watching educational videos in elementary school. Food, Inc. does a good job of making some good arguments in spite of its inability not to be almost completely left-wing-friendly. Do yourself a favor though and see Food, Inc. and weed out the propaganda from the rest of the meat of the film that is worth your consumption. You won’t experience any lulls for the duration of the film. If nothing else you’ll likely make wiser food choices in the future and might even plant a small garden one day. You might also come up with a reasonable theory for why our borders are so to cross.

Not Resting While Vacationing

2009-08-22T08:47:00.003-04:00

Barack Obama and family are beginning a 10-day vacation on a multi-acre estate. This is the man who said, "That's why when I'm President, I will put comprehensive immigration reform back on the nation's agenda during my first year in office, and I will not rest until it is passed once and for all." And, there's this nuisance of a quote, “As far as I’m concerned, we won’t have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs,” Obama said. “And I will not rest until every American who wants a job can find one.” And who also said, "I will not rest until the education system if fixed in this nation."

There's a whole lot of resting underway for someone who said repeatedly he wouldn't rest until... Now, vacations are good, even for a president. The rub is if he thought he would take a vacation why did he make those outlandish promises about not resting until they're satisfactorily met? And one wonders why he's so distrusted. Words matter.

Her Kid Nearly Died in Canada

2009-08-11T17:48:00.005-04:00

Anecdotal stories must always be treated for what they're worth--a single piece of evidence. Presidents like to single out a person at the yearly State of the Union address to gloat over when in reality the person is brought in as a pawn to promote an agenda. At town hall meetings politicians will cite Mr. or Mrs. so-and-so as an example of whatever for the same political reasons. I at least warn you to consider this anecdotal story about a Canadien woman jumping through hoops in Canada to get her deathly ill son seen by a physician before he spiraled down to casket fitting. Don't take this one example as the standard but remember it when a Canadien is paraded in front of American cameras to gush over how well the Canadien health care system treated them.

Hold Music. Not Hold the Music, but Hold Music

2009-08-10T18:32:00.003-04:00

Jeffrey Tucker wrote a brief piece on "hold music"--the music one hears when you place a call and get put on hold. I agree with many of his points. Coincidentally, last Friday night was one of the extraordinarily rare moments when I enjoyed the hold music and hung on for about ten minutes before a live person picked up. In my case, I was calling a physician to question a medication order in a hospital. The "hold music" was a composer's version of Fiddler on the Roof. Having seen the play, with Topol himelf playing the lead, just a few months ago I was familiar with the tunes. I heard about three consecutive numbers before the answering service person picked up and enjoyed every minute of the long wait. Had the hold music been typical I would have hung up after about 3 minutes and tried again later as the issue was not life-threatening. The patient benefited nonetheless as he received his medication at a more appropriate dose in a timelier fashion--thanks to the physician's office choice of hold music.

Should "Birthers" Be Shot On Sight?

2009-08-08T11:25:00.005-04:00

After reading the media reports about "Birthers" one gets the impression they should be open season for any true-blooded American with a pistol, rifle, assault rifle, bow and arrow or molotov cocktail. They have been labeled by some as nut cases, plain nuts, nuts, conspiracy freaks, racists, white supremacists, crazy and more. Birthers of course is the polarizing name ascribed to those who don't believe Barack Obama was born in Hawaii as he states and backed up with his "Certification of Live Birth" (COLB).

The Tampa Tribune ran a story today by stand-up comedian and occasional Huffington Post blogger (two facts they failed to mention) Tina Dupuy that is in the typical vein of most major media reports on the subject. She dutifully used the term "birthers," ridiculed them and failed to address some of the more cogent and reasonable arguments against the validity of Obama's COLB.

If you're interested in the topic a laundry list of the evidence the Birthers hope to see addressed in the media and elsewhere can be found here. Photoshop buffs and anyone interested in a private investigator career can have a field day with these allegations. (Note that the author of the report--Polarik--has come under assault to discredit him. It doesn't matter if the allegations against him ultimately are proven true, as the evidence stands or falls on its own merit. For example, if Charles Mason stated if you fold an unfolded sheet of paper once you have one fold, the fact his crdibility is questionable does not prove his statement false).

Health Care Forum in Tampa Got Ugly

2009-08-07T12:11:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor (Tampa, FL) held a town hall forum on health care in Ybor City. The event was rather boisterous as you can see here. One political blunder was to announce the meeting just 6 hours beforehand. That right there speaks of politics and not facilitation of productive dialogue. Per this article, ACORN and SEIU (union people) were let in an hour early to scarf up the majority of seats, limiting the voicing of the opinions of the opposition. Our local rag failed to mention the ACORN, SEIU thing.

Oldest Living Woman of the Modern Era

2009-08-06T21:08:00.002-04:00

Jeanne Louise Calment (Feb 21, 1875 - August 4, 1997) lived to be the oldest person ever once those Methuselah- and Noah-types settled down, back in the days of Genesis. If you disdain math, Calment died at the age of 121. She survived surgery (for a broken femur) just shy of her 115th birthday. She wasn't particular about taking care of herself but some of her habits were quite interesting. She was a huge fan of olive oil (an Omega-9 oil) and chocolate, claiming to eat up to 2lbs per week of the latter. She also liked port wine, garlic and fresh vegetables. She occasionally smoked cigarettes and had her last one at age 117. She had a host of hobbies instead of entering the workforce (her husband handled that) and even took up fencing at age 85. She stopped riding her bicycle at age 100.

Calment had some excellent habits and it's likely the cigarettes would have done her in earlier apart from the counteracting effects of her lifestyle and food choices, genetics and God's soverignty notwithstanding. I don't advocate cigarette smoking but it would be interesting to see studies comparing smokers with bad habits versus smokers with Calment-type habits. This is not likely to happen. (And if a single-party payor system becomes the rule of the day the odds plunge further from there).

Cash for Clunkers - An Anti-Poor People Policy

2009-08-04T18:11:00.003-04:00

Politicians are falling over themselves with glee over the roaring success of the cash for clunkers program. This program took a lot of cars out of the market that poor people might otherwise offered to buy. Their market has been pared down.

Big, obtrusive governments don't have a strong track record for upholding a sociopolitical climate that bodes well for the poor.

Single Payer; Single Player; Line up Single File

2009-08-03T18:01:00.002-04:00

This short video montage, mostly of Barack Obama, is credible evidence that his long-term vision is the elimination of all health care insurance programs except one--his. The video speaks for itself. His reversal on pork barrell spending is further evidence that President Obama is opposed to provate property rights as God ordained and has a view of government that is highly flawed.

Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals

2009-08-01T09:25:00.003-04:00

In his 1972 book (pictured at right) Saul Alinsky includes this quote just before the table of contents-- "Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom -- Lucifer." (bold-mine)

Saul Alinsky's rules for radicals are posted below. Alinsky was a writer and per wikipedia the founder of modern community organizing. One wonders what impact these ideas had on another ex-community organizer who sits in the oval office, and his Secretary of State. These tactics are easily detected in a multitude of arenas today, not just with community organizing. There's nothing new under the sun so Alinsky should not be given too much credit for coming up with these rules. His attribution to Lucifer in his book is illustrative for his concern being primarily with himself. Hopefully he repented before he passed on in 1972 (age 63). And now, his rules--

RULE 1: "Power is not only what you have, but what the enemy thinks you have." Power is derived from 2 main sources - money and people. "Have-Nots" must build power from flesh and blood. (These are two things of which there is a plentiful supply. Government and corporations always have a difficult time appealing to people, and usually do so almost exclusively with economic arguments.)

RULE 2: "Never go outside the expertise of your people." It results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to the backbone of anyone. (Organizations under attack wonder why radicals don't address the "real" issues. This is why. They avoid things with which they have no knowledge.)

RULE 3: "Whenever possible, go outside the expertise of the enemy." Look for ways to increase insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. (This happens all the time. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by seemingly irrelevant arguments that they are then forced to address.)

RULE 4: "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules." If the rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000 letters. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all of their own rules. (This is a serious rule. The besieged entity's very credibility and reputation is at stake, because if activists catch it lying or not living up to its commitments, they can continue to chip away at the damage.)

RULE 5: "Ridicule is man's most potent weapon." There is no defense. It's irrational. It's infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions. (Pretty crude, rude and mean, huh? They want to create anger and fear.)

RULE 6: "A good tactic is one your people enjoy." They'll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They're doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. (Radical activists, in this sense, are no different that any other human being. We all avoid "un-fun" activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.)

RULE 7: "A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag." Don't become old news. (Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.)

RULE 8: "Keep the pressure on. Never let up." Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new. (Attack, attack, attack from all sides, never giving the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.)

RULE 9: "The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself." Imagination and ego can dream up many more consequences than any activist. (Perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario, something that may be furthest from the activists' minds. The upshot is that the organization will expend enormous time and energy, creating in its own collective mind the direst of conclusions. The possibilities can easily poison the mind and result in demoralization.)

RULE 10: "If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive." Violence from the other side can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. (Unions used this tactic. Peaceful [albeit loud] demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management's wrath, often in the form of violence that eventually brought public sympathy to their side.)

RULE 11: "The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative." Never let the enemy score points because you're caught without a solution to the problem. (Old saw: If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table, to be given a forum to wield their power. So, they have to have a compromise solution.)

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

Cash for Clunkers

2009-08-01T09:13:00.004-04:00

The government's "cash for clunkers" program is reminiscent of the subprime mortgage disaster. Government meddling in private property matters induces behaviors that would otherwise not surface. With the "cash for clunkers" program the feds have created a mini-bubble in the auto industry much like they did by strong-arming lenders and tempting home buyers into new home contracts of which neither party would have normally engaged.

Never put a starving child in charge of handing out other people's fresh baked, double-chocolate chip cookies. He'll eat too many and likely only give them away to other kids who own Wii's, iphones, ipods and other toys that benefit the cookie manager's access to happy feelings.

The Disdain for Theocracy

2009-08-01T09:06:00.003-04:00

Theocracies are nearly universally maligned. One conjures up thoughts of a resurrected Ayatollah Khomeini and a world run from Tehran. A Christian theocracy (see: Testament, Old) can only afford multiplied benefits because God's law reflects God Himself. Any law system not theocratic in the Christian sense is man-centered and destined to serve as the foundation for bondage and decay. Just because Christians are mistake-prone doesn't justify the advocacy of man-centered legal systems.

Creation and Health Care

2009-07-24T21:12:00.003-04:00

Man is the only being outside of God Himself with a creative nature. Animals, plants and amoebas don't create but merely take in their surroundings. Whereas we were created in the Creator's image it's not surprising we create. Art, music, sculptures, stories, movies, clothing, dwellings, devices--we're dripping with a creative aspect to our lives. Because we create we resist, and rightfully so, those things that seek to block our creative efforts.

Creation is inextricably linked to our mandate to accumulate property for the purposes of building and expanding God's kingdom. This is not a mandate to hoard nor is it to suggest God's heavenly kingdom is secondary. For mankind to create it's very often necessary to grow capital (property) simultaneously to support and further his/her creative work.

With respect to healthcare, there's inevitable blowback built into this business model as those who's creative outlet is within that industry counter assaults on wealth creation with actions that result in what the recipients might find abrasive (e.g. long lines, rationing, escalating prices). An assault on personal property stifles one's ability to create. One cannot fulfill their calling with peace of mind to subdue the earth when others without sufficient knowlege or a vested interest in your success, inject themselves into your affairs against your will.

Healthcare is not a right but a blessing. The shortcomings in the system now are symptomatic of incremental and growing interference. To further the micromanagement as a supposed fix is incompatible with the creative nature of man, who was created to live in the light of His calling. When his ability to earn and save is undermined so is his ability to create. Man cannot serve God and mammon. Once a health care professional crosses over into holding onto a career because of the mammon it's expected God will reorient that person's thinking.

Job Applications

2009-07-24T20:46:00.002-04:00

Your average conscionable person truthfully lists his previous addresses when filling out paperwork associated with applications of various sorts. Several lawsuits have been brought against Barack Obama to produce the long form of his birth certificate proving he's a natural citizen (as opposed to say, oh, a Kenyan). With lawsuits and attorney fees involved in a matter that is potentially so easy to have dismissed, it's reasonable to conclude fire accompanies the smoke. Barack's entourage can squash these allegations by morning if he's really a native of the Aloha state.

Manipulation Care -- For Our Health

2009-07-23T09:02:00.002-04:00

Things not heard in the universal health care coverage "debate"--

The constitutionality or lack thereof.

How important it is to not focus on a handful of cherry-picked hardship cases and use that as proof this "reform" bill needs to be passed.

Reports on the medicines withheld from patients in the U.K. due to high cost.

Reports on hemodialysis patients in the U.K. being dialyzed twice a week instead of three times due to that third session not being in the budget.

The annual cost of Medicare fraud in $60 billion. How much more fraud would there be under the U.S. health care plan?

Medicare expenses are astronomical partly because the FED prints fiat money and manipulates interest rates and causes inflation and currency debasement in the process.

Emergeny room and hospital workers are required by law to treat habitual profane, abusive, threatening, manipulative drug seekers and other abusers of the system.

Human Behavior and Health Care

2009-07-18T08:52:00.004-04:00

Obamacare ostensibly is to provide increased access to physicians, hositals, clinics, services, etc. for more people so more Americans will feel better. Let's leave illegal aliens out of the equation for now. Austrian economist Peter Schiff's article aptly factors in the human element side of the equation that the media "experts" will not play up.

Compared to the track record of the US federal government, the theft of ponzi scheme artist Bernie Madoff is but a flea bite (no offense to fleas, who do comport themselves well in large numbers). If Obamacare gets enacted the hoped for result will escape the hopeful. Congresspeople themselves will still have rapid access to the best in the health business but you will compete with hundreds of millions to get a few moments with a health care team not of your choice.

Peter Schiff was one of the few economists who predicted the housing market meltdown back when "experts" were promoting home buying and a higher DOW. Youtube chronicles some of his appearances on various networks.

The Death of American Tennis?

2009-07-18T08:30:00.000-04:00

I've driven past at least 40 or 50 tennis courts at various resorts on Sanibel Island the past two days. I haven't seen one of them being used. The weather has been favorable too. With the progressive death of the housewife over the past 30 years or so the booming industry of summer camps has become an American staple. Tennis is too costly and too labor intensive for summer camps. If a camp had 8 courts and 50 kids how much tennis could one kid get in anyways? (The advent of the internet and video games certainly factor in here too).

If tennis was a rich man's sport in the past it's even more so now. The future Andy Roddicks will come out of professional and costly tennis factories not from the local neighborhood public courts.

Obamacare

2009-07-02T23:20:00.003-04:00

Your local ICU has four beds. In room #1 is Debbie, a kidney cancer patient with no insurance. While hopitalized for dialysis she came down with a nasty blood infection and is now struggling to live. She's being given a host of IV medications barely keeping her blood pressure above 50/32, and several IV antibiotics to kill off the bacteria that have overwhelmed her body.

Moving on to room #2 is Jack. Jack, 31, escaped from jail about a year ago and got back on the coke train. Last month he went nuts at a party and loaded himself up with heroin, cocaine, Jack Daniels, Xanax and Thorazine before stealing a SUV and driving it into a school bus at 105mph, killing seven six graders in the process. Jack suffered a collapse lung, a fractured pelvis, a ruptured spleen, a broken tibia and fibula in the left leg and a broken collar bone. He has no insurance and has been in room #2 for 18 days and counting. He can't go to a nursing home because he's on a ventilator and nobody has a vacancy for a patient on a ventilator. Prior to this admission he had 47 visits to the emergency room and was known by the staff "off the record" as a "drug seeker."

Room #3. Betty, 40, uninsured, has been HIV+ for 15 years having been deeply involved in IV drug abuse while a prostitute. She weighs 98 lbs and is 5'-8". She tested positive for tuberculosis on this most recent admission and has come down with a highly resistant case of pneumonia. Last week she suffered a small stroke and has a blood clot in her lung. Last night she had an anaphylactic reaction to a new antibiotic and had to be intubated and put on a ventilator. Her doctor has started her on total parenteral nutrition through a central IV catheter. Her three small children are in the care of the county. Her husband was murdered years ago in a gang-related incident.

Room #4 is vacant. Michelle Obama was shot at an appearance at a local mall. In the emergency room the doctors x-rayed her right shoulder and there's no evidence of a bullet or fragments. The P.A. gives her 12 stitches and admits her to ICU overnight for observation. Her blood pressure is 138/74. Her pulse is 82. Her temperature is normal as is her bloodwork.

30 minutes after Michelle Obama is admitted to room #4, Jack, 66, is brought to the emergency room by EMS. He's carried insurance his whole life and is self-employed. His two adult children own and operate successful small businesses. While at home Jack accidentally shoots himself cleaning his favorite hunting rifle. The bullet grazes his liver and collapses his left lung. The emergency room physician controls the bleeding, inserts a chest tube, stabilizes Jack and orders him to be transferred by EMS to a nearby hospital with available ICU beds. While in route the ambulance is hit by an 18-wheeler, killing Jack and both paramedics instantly.

Sen. Mark Sanford's Body

2009-07-02T22:45:00.003-04:00

What do adultery and abortion have in common? Among other things they're both acts that involve a body. When a woman has an abortion it's often under the guise of making a decision based on having a right to one's own body. Abortion advocates often get riled when others "tell" them what to do with their own body.

Sen. Mark Sanford admitted to an affair with a woman from Argentina. He made a decision about how to use his body when having this liason(s).

Let me pause for a moment to prevent hysteria. The point to be made is the right to one's own body is not truly about reserving the right to use one's own body as one sees fit, but to coin a mantra that is specifically reserved to justify, defend and promote the act of abortion. And now back to our regularly scheduled post.

When you google "+abortion +'right to your own body'" you get 3,270,000 hits. When you google "+adultery +'right to your own body'" you get ..... nine hits, as in one less than ten. Does it seem like there's a chance there's a lot of parroting going on here?

If the phrase "right to your own body" were about, well, the rights of a body, there would be equal application to the body and its involvement in the act of adultery. Where are the defenders of the rights of own's own body in the case of Sen. Sanford? How come when you google "+Sanford +'right to your own body'" you only get six hits, as in four less than ten?

Nobody care's about defending Sanford's use of his body because it does nothing to advance the cause of abortion. Sanford is all alone in his problem and he'll not waste efforts to garner the support of body use defenders for this reason. Sanford exercised his right to choose and now he's in big trouble on multiple fronts.

America: After the Empire

2009-07-02T16:52:00.003-04:00

That would be a good book title for a look back at the wackiness Americans endured as the American empire gave way to whatever comes next. With the Fourth of July upon us Americans will be out in large numbers ostensibly celebrating its freedom. Ironically Americans have been steadily giving up its freedoms in incremental fashion for decades. That's just one wacky thing.

Mandating employers post signs that read "Employees Must Wash Hands Before Returning to Work" is another. Initialing a chart that a bathroom has been cleaned makes the list. Of course there's giving newborns the Hepatitis B vaccine in case they grow up to be a needle-sharing, IV drug user or a prostitute. Centralized banking and the use of fiat money is another favorite. Busing childern light years from their home to go to school is a hoot. Genetically modifed food. Mercury as a preservative and cavity filler. Fluoride to prevent cavities while loading grocery stores with sugar-laced foods. Global warming. Global cooling. Airport screenings. Allowing 99ml of shampoo as a carry-on but not 101ml. Nonfermented soy as a healthy protein.

Let's stop now before somebody steals my idea.

Michael Jackson Dead at 50

2009-06-25T18:06:00.007-04:00

TMZ, FOX News and CNN are reporting Michael Jackson has died. TMZ beat the other two to the punch by about 15 minutes. The initial reports were of cardiac arrest.

I imagine when the paramedics got to his side, if he wasn't already dead, he was either in asystole ("flat lining"), pulseless ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation. The latter two problems respond best, if they respond at all, to defibrillation (which the paramedics could administer in Jackson's house). Defibrillation being when they shock you with the two paddles hooked up to the machine. If he was flat lining (asystole) then he was a candidate for epinephrine or vasopressin injection(s), and atropine, but not a candidate for defibrillation. It would be surprising if Jackson's EKG "rhythm" was something other than one of these aforementioned three. The first meaningful question for a reporter would be, "what was his initial rhythm on EKG?" With that little bit of information the medical experts can give a fairly decent scenario of what happened in Jackson's house, during the ambulance ride, and in the trauma room. If one of these three rhythms were indeed central to the story the possible causes are more varied and too numerous to make confident conjectures.

The influence of the MTV video "Beat It" was monumental on video and dance. Thriller built upon what Beat It started. Too bad the King of Pop popped, in numerous ways.

Oh yeah, Farrah died today too. Two showbiz icons in one day. A sad day.

Father's Day and the Multitude of Fathers

2009-06-20T20:11:00.005-04:00

With an 85-year-old father every holiday seems to take on more significance as time has a way of reminding us our lives are brief, even the long ones. Tonight was my night with Dad [and Mom :-)] at Carrabba's for a Father's Day celebration a day ahead of schedule.

With a 25-year-old daughter on one end, an 85-year-old on the other, and a heavenly Father besides, the father-dynamics are quite varied and interesting to ponder. One example is how well we remember our fathering yet how little we know in comparison of what the experience was like for our own father. My father is a good father. With me being 50 years old his tougher rearing days are well behind him. My 25-year-old can rate me on the net too, if she desires (I didn't get her until age 6 so I have a huge disclaimer in my hip pocket if necessary).

Then there's other sons and daughters with estranged fathers, deceased fathers, missing fathers, absent fathers, wayward fathers, embarrasses-me fathers, mean fathers, abusive fathers, unrepentant fathers, weak fathers, Alzheimer fathers... the list goes on. Of all these father types it's good to know that God the Father is loving, available and incapable of disappointing. And with the best of earthly fathers still slipping into unflattering categories from time to time it's good to know we can all access the perfect Father (on His terms of course).

Why Iranian Elections Go Haywire

2009-06-16T10:06:00.003-04:00

Dear Iranian Superviser of Elections,

Our records indicate your professional license is about to expire. Please contact our offices to register your continuing education credits and to renew your license for the upcoming decade.

Sincerely,

Election Supervisor
Operations Department
Chicago, IL

P.S. Please check here ___ if you would like to contribute $2 to ACORN.

CoQ-10 gets better

2009-06-16T09:57:00.003-04:00

Many people on statins (i.e. Zocor, Lipitor, Mevacor, Crestor, Pravachol, etc.) often suffer from muscle pain, and there's evidence the heart and brain suffer as well albeit more subtlely (unless it's Transient Global Amnesia that gets you). CoQ-10 supplementation helps alleviate the statin-induced muscle pain, probably because it helps boost ATP production in mitochondria.

A reduced form of CoQ-10 has become recently available and it's far superior to "regular" CoQ-10. If it says "ubiquinol" on the label that's the one you want. It is reported to achieve blood levels 8X higher than that achieved with garden variety CoQ-10. You'll likely only find it on-line or in a good health food store. If you're on CoQ-10 consider changing over to ubiquinol. And take it with a meal or with some sort of fat--might I suggest as a fat source coconut oil or a good Omega-3. The dose? Probably 50-100mg daily will work.

This post is for entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, manage or cure disease. Discuss all of your health concerns with a qualified physician.

Swine Flu Vaccine Coming!

2009-06-12T10:27:00.004-04:00

Mainstream media are reporting that a vaccine against swine flu (H1N1) should be ready for the fall vaccination season. As usual the vaccine will not have gone through trials because "there's no time to test it." That's true but it's also another point to consider when deciding whether or not the vaccine is worth the risk. The CDC will berate you if you refuse it because "you'll increase the danger to the sicker ones around you" if you play the "I'm in good health" card, and opt not to submit to vaccination.

Consider the numbers game. Every year the CDC reports 36,000 people will die from the flu. In reality the flu kills only a few hundred to a couple of thousand each year. Many more die from pneumonia or flu with pneumonia operating together. (CDC statistics available upon request).

To date, there have been 28,774 cases of swine flu reported worldwide with this latest outbreak. With a world population of 6,786,073,000 that means 0.00000042% of the world has contracted the swine flu. Stated differently, there's one reported case per 2,380,952 people. Swine flu death is just 0.8% of that! You're more likely to die from drinking water than you are from swine flu.

The CDC will likely spend millions of dollars promoting the swine flu vaccine. Is it worth the risk of suffering adverse effects from the excipients, the killed off viral products in the vaccine, or the unknowns per lack of testing, to roll up one's sleeve? Add to that the uncertainty of efficacy.
If the CDC, World Health Organization and the FDA were shut down tomorrow the world be a safer place by the day after tomorrow.

We Probably Need More Iodine

2009-06-12T09:26:00.005-04:00

Guy Abraham, MD and a couple other physicians started the Iodine Project in 1997, to test the hypothesis that Americans have a significant and widespread deficiency in body iodide and iodine stores, resulting in inferior health status. Donald Miller's article-- "Iodine for Health" --is a more readable summary on the benefits of iodine if Abraham's article is too techy, which it often is. The project findings thus far are pleasantly significant and numerous. If you have brain fog, heart arrhythmias, fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer, chronic fatigue, polycystic ovaries, menopausal symptoms, thyroid issues, skin issues, COPD, constipation, salivary gland stones, or perhaps some other ailment, iodide/iodine supplementation may be of help.

If you embark on boosting your iodine intake you'll undoubtedly be investigating on-line products such as Lugol's solution, SSKI (super saturated potassium iodide), kelp, Iodoral, Prolamine, and other iodine-containing supplements. If you are taking amiodarone you need physician-assistance as amiodarone is a drug loaded with iodine and problems can result if you take both supplementation and the drug concurrently. As Miller points out, iodine supplementation is recommended to be done concomitantly with magnesium, selenium and Omega-3 (DHA/EPA) fatty acids. A couple of Brazil nuts are chock full of selenium. Carlson's, Nordic and Life Extension make high quality omega-3 products (i.e. fish oil).

This posted information is for entertainment purposes only. Consult a physician for personal matters as they relate to your health and well-being. This information is not intended to cure, diagnose or treat disease.

When Drummers Die at 32

2009-04-03T21:05:00.005-04:00

The Who's former drummer Keith Moon and Led Zeppelin's John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham died young. Moonie died in 1978 at the age of 32. Bonham died in 1980 at the age of 32. Both men had unique styles and had much more to potentially contribute. Unfortunately, with their early exit we can only wonder how they might have influenced future drummers.

Keith Moon got away with murder with his style and it's safe to say it was one-of-a-kind and not ever to be recycled. Bonham had a great sense of time and was more traditional yet never boring or really predictable. Bonham's influence would have surpassed Keith Moon's, but having said that, the Who was never the same without Keith, even when one of drumming's grand masters--Simon Phillips--toured with them.

The Death of the Bag Boy

2009-04-03T20:50:00.003-04:00

The real bag boy occupation "died" decades ago when the "no tipping allowed, carry-out-is-standard-service" policy swept the nation. The boomers, who buy lots of groceries and have money to tip, more often than not carry out their own groceries because of the "no tipping" rule. If you did tip you put the employee at risk and feel like a rule buster. So if you're carrying out your own groceries you're likely not to tip a bag boy for just bagging. The kicker in the old days was the invigorated youth busting his tail to load your car with paper sacks to get back and get to the next tipper. You can always question the bagger's motivation but while you're contemplating that your shopping trip concluded in the quickest time possible. Today's bag boy moves in slow motion compared to the baggers of the '70s. With the incentive outlawed they more often than not plod along at a pace only a socialist can appreciate. At least feelings aren't hurt by allowing some baggers to excel while others come to realize their niche lies elsewhere.

The next grocery store to post a "tipping is encouraged" sign will have new found leverage in the grocery industry.

One Million Dead Babies Later...

2009-03-23T12:21:00.005-04:00

A noteworthy development in the War on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the finding that the SIDS death rate decreases BY 72% when infants sleep in a room with a turned-on fan (not to be confused with a Britney Spears supporter). Allegedly the fan serves to reduce a baby's exposure to carbon dioxide by dispersing it with the generated moving air. Unfortunately for the SIDS cult, this latest information fits neatly with the politically incorrect explanation that babies can die when particular mattress and bedding chemicals convert to their gaseous state (gases which are potentially lethal) in the presence of fungus (babies occasionally get fungal infections, right?) and heat (babies occasionally spike temperatures, yes?). Multiple articles on this reasonable explanation are linked here. Of special interest is the fact the chances for dying of SIDS increases for a mother's second birth, even more for a mother's third child, and yet even greater for a mother's 4th child. This obliterates the "carbon dioxide" theory.

Well over 100,000 babies have slept on mattresses covered to protect them from noxious gas exposure without one reported SIDS death. If you follow just the advice of the SIDS cultists your babies are at much higher risk of exposure to these potentially lethal gases. Waiting for an official government entity-approved study to "validate" the theory is akin to a belief that the nationalization of banks is in your best interest.

(Disclaimer-- I have no vested intrest in any mattress cover company or any bedding company. I post these links as information sources only. I have no knowledge of the reputation ,with respect to the business end of things, of the companies selling mattress covers. If I needed one I would just buy it on-line and hoped it arrived in the mail-- smp).

Fighting Allergies

2009-03-12T19:05:00.001-04:00

One overlooked herb that has marvelous healing properties is wild oregano. If you have a runny nose, hay fever or stuffy sinuses this pollen season then Oregamax and Oreganol P73 essential oil may be worth a shot. Wild oregano has been used for all sorts of ailments and it's not an item that will rot in your pantry or medicine chest. It has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties without problems with resistance. It's not the same as the oregano in the local grocery store. That's another subspecies. If you don't have an aversion to laymans' information on the subject then The The Cure in the Cupboard by Dr. Cass Ingram would be a handy reference as it has exhaustive information on treating all sorts of ailments with wild oregano. Ingram addresses using wild oregano to treat colds, candidiasis, ear aches, psoriasis, cold sores, asthma, flu and much more. There's even a section on treating ebola virus. Hopefully you'll not contract that virus.

The first link in this post contains information regarding possible use in children and during pregnancy.

Of course, this post is for information purposes only. It is not intended to treat, cure, manage or diagnose disease. Consult your personal physician for any medical concern or condition.

Should Bernard Madoff be Stoned?

2009-03-12T17:28:00.000-04:00

The amount of venom being spewed forth at Bernard Madoff for ripping off billions from investors in his Ponzi scheme is voluminous. He certainly committed a horrific evil. It's interesting that media coverage documenting all the outrage at Madoff for running a Ponzi scheme suddenly disappears when Ponzi schemes known as the Social Security system and the Federal Reserve Board are addressed. It would be nice to have equal opportunity dogma applied to all schemes Ponzi, not just Madoff's.

Here We Go Again

2009-03-08T19:44:00.003-04:00

Staunch Austrian economist Thomas E. Woods, Jr. includes a chapter (#4) on economic boom-bust cycles pre- and post-Federal Reserve Board (1913) in his new book Meltdown. The common denominator to all these boom-bust episodes was inflationary spending and subsequent misallocation of resources due to government meddling in the free market.

The Panic of 1819 was the result of excessive issuance of paper money by the banks apart from it's corrolation with gold reserves. The Bust of 1830 was a result of artificial bank credit. The Panic of 1857? Again, credit expansion by the banks (i.e. flinging of paper money). The Panic of 1873 was precipitated by credit expansion, land grants and low interest loans. So there's four examples of pre-Federal Reserve Board (FRB) crises that fit the pattern desrcibed by the Austrian economists (dating back to Carl Menger's days in the mid-19th century. There actually was a central bank-like atmosphere though established in 1863-64 with the passing of the National Bank Acts.

The bust in 1920-21 is tied to the FRB inflating the money supply during and after World War I (1914-1918). The Great Depression (1929-early 40's) was preceded by a 55% increase in the money supply starting in July of '21 through July of '29 (which is about 1/5 of the increase President Obama has foisted on we alive and kicking Americans. Not 5X the increase, but 1/5, in just a handful of months. Yikes!)

Ultimately, Austrian economics will only take you so far as it is closely associated with libertarianism in general and makes no claim to belief in the importance of the Christian God's sovereign role in the affairs of men and nations. Having said that, they believe in savings and capital accumulation. That's good.

Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out to...

2009-03-08T14:10:00.003-04:00

We are a nation of sincere thinking and praying, or are we? For several years now we've heard the catch phrase "our thoughts and prayers go out to" ... whomever. While Christian prayers make it to God's throne room the thoughts of most people do little, if that, for the subject being thought about. You can think about some one but can't telepathically send those thoughts.

At some point the phrase "Our thoughts and prayers go out to" was born and now in the face of heartbreaking news many people are afraid of the public relations blowback if they don't utter it in certain forums. God warned against idle talk and it's prudent to understand what one is saying if they offer "thoughts and prayers." For the Christian is best to keep it to "our prayers go out to..." and then actually offer up the prayer(s) later. Or pray right then and forget the declaration to do so altogether.

As evidence the phrase is mostly lip service google "Our thoughts and prayers go out to" (with the quote marks). As of today you'll get 187,000 hits. Now reverse "thoughts" and "prayers" and google "Our prayers and thoughts go out to" (again, with the quote marks). This latter expression returns an astounding 989 hits. This wide disparity is, you know, indicative that this is, you know, for the vast majority of people a rote expression , you know, picked up by repetitive exposure, you know.

The Next Bubble

2009-03-06T22:01:00.007-05:00

The dot.com bubble burst, the housing bubble burst, so what's next? Assuming the economy recovers, all the money the fed is printing (see graph) and dumping into it will eventually lead to some nifty inflation. (Infaltion is truly money printing and distribution. The subsequent increase in prices and wages is the result of the inflation). The herd mentality that led to the previous bubbles will likely lead to yet another bubble, and bubbles do one thing after floating for a bit--pop--just like weasel.

The health care industry is one candidate for bubblization. It already has some characteristics of a bubble industry in that it gets a lot of easy third party money. When money is had easily there's a tendency on the part of workers to lose the competetive fire that typically drives entrepreneurs in their small business universe. As witnessed by high prices, health care industries understand they're propped up, unlike most small businesses which operate much like a high-wire act in comparison.

If Obama slaps the free market upside the head again, like Chris Brown did to Rihanna, and dumps billions or trillions of dollars into health care entities specifically it will certainly attract investors into ancillary businesses until the industry at-large shows too many signs of being completely socialized. Once that happens the bubble will burst. And if and when the health care bubble bursts that means its product becomes somewhat similar to today's banking institutions.

As kids we all loved the big bubbles. When one blew bubbles it wasn't long until he or she only tried to blow the huge ones. That's our nature. Bigger is better. And we all knew the big bubbles (3-12" in diameter) were short-lived and more precarious. Shorter-lived and less stable than the ones that were 1/2" in diameter. The feds' policy of fiat currency, interest rate manipulation and market tinkering is a veritable bubble bath.

Bubblery eventually gives way to slavery because its anti-private property rights to the core. It's a shame neither major political party nor the peasants with pitchforks have the willingness to challenge its politicans about the feds' very existence. Be wary the bubbles.

Redefining Unsafe

2009-03-06T21:52:00.005-05:00

The Cialis commercial for its product that treats E.D. (think Viagra) warns to not take nitrates (i.e. nitroglycerin, Imdur, Isordil, etc.) while on Cialis because it may cause an "unsafe drop in blood pressure." This is dangerously misleading as the Cialis/Viagra/Levitra/Revatio family of medicines can cause "refractory hypotension." "Refractory" meaning that even in the presence of intravenous medications to increase your blood pressure (e.g. dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine, vasopressin) your circulatory system may not be able to overcome the drug-drug interaction.

So if you ever go to an emergency room and are diagnosed with a myocardial infarction (i.e. heart attack), and you took a pill for E.D. within 24-48 hours, let your physican and nurses know so they don't hang a bottle of IV nitroglycerin.

This post is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Consult your personal physician for all health-related matters.

Peter Schiff Embarrasses the Keynesian Camp

2009-03-03T09:13:00.003-05:00

Peter Schiff (Euro Pacific Capital) leaned heavily on Austrian economic principles (see mises.org) in the face of much laughter and ridicule in '06 and '07 in his accurate prediction of the falling apart of the subprime market, the housing market, the stock market (especially financials) and a recession. This compelling video is a montage of clips from various financial shows in '06 and '07 where Peter is pitted against multiple economic "experts" such as Peter Laffer, Ben Stein and others, all who staked out the all-is-well-and-looking-better position. As we know Peter was spot on while the others were embarrassed to no end.

Austrian economic principles see the need for savings and capital accumulation, and smell problems when debt-based consumption rises secondary to inordinately low interest rates set by a central bank. Schiff didn't need fancy formulas to be right.

At Least He Meant Well

2009-03-02T09:10:00.004-05:00

This short youtube video will make you either laugh or cry depending on your disposition. The Vitamin D reference (i.e. sunlight) has some validity to it but the rest of it... Well...

Notice how Obama made these campaign promises with his straight teleprompter face. When the "era of hostile private property take over" is redefined as the "era of responsibility" one has to train themselves in understanding the new lexicon. What is "pork" to the new president? Did he change his mind about these things or does lying come that easy to him?

You're known by the company you keep. Obama's past associations were a clear indicator he would not be trustworthy. He is consistent about that. Many Americans wanted to latch on to hope however when it comes to redefining hope, like pork, ...yes he can. Yes he did. Yes he will.

NFL Recovery Plan Approved

2009-02-28T08:46:00.003-05:00

It’s surprising that NFL owners were throwing millions of dollars at free agents this past week when Barack Obama released a statement that his economic recovery plan has been approved by Congress to fix the NFL. As everyone knows the professional football industry is plagued with toxic assets—the Detroit Lions (0-16), St. Louis Rams (2-14) and Kansas City Chiefs (2-14). Millions of hard working, middle-class sports fans in these three cities are not able to find reasons to cheer, nor can their children cheer. The Congressional Budget Office has calculated that these 3 toxic franchises need an additional $100 million each to stimulate their upcoming draft, current rosters and free agent acquisitions. How will this be paid for? And how will this square with the promise to provide tax cuts to the 95% of hard working, middle-class players on the other 29 NFL teams? For that when turn to chapter 476 in the Obama NFL Recovery Plan, pg. 98,483. Section CMLVIII.

The nontoxic franchises will each contribute $50 million, with each franchise tapping their wealthiest players designated at http://www.whitehouse.gov/. The collected funds will be redistributed to the Lions, Rams and Chiefs with the $1 billion+ excess going to establish government services earmarked for managing the U.S. NFL Recovery Administration, creating 100,000 new jobs in the process.

Yes, ESPN analysts are calling this the nationalization of the NFL but as the noted Keynesian Ben Bernanke points out, “the federal government is not running the NFL but merely trying to unfreeze the credit markets that caused the toxicity in the poorer franchises, leading to the downturn in cheering in those cities.”

Others have voiced concern that the Seattle Seahawks (4-12), Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1), Cleveland Browns (4-12) and Oakland Raiders (5-11) may default on their victories in 2009 to become eligible themselves for bailout dollars in 2010. Remarked Congresswoman Pelosi, “that’s the typical rhetoric you hear every time we try to stuff Omnibus bills full of pork to get re-elected. Americans love pork from their representative and resent it in others. It’s hypocritical, sure, but Americans will still sit idly by while we take $17 million from Ben Roethlisberger next year and ship it to the Rams. We’ll do the same with $13 million worth of Larry Fitzgerald’s $17 million contract. Are you telling me Larry can’t feed his family on $1.25 million a year after taxes? Come on. In fact, I wish the 49ers hadn’t gone 7-9 last year so we could have redistributed Larry's contribution to the patriotic residents of 8th district of the great, formerly-not-broke state of California.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell just announced ticket prices will increase 175% for each NFL franchise next year but expects prices to stabilize after that for the following 20 to 30 years.

Montebello Prayer Cross

2009-02-27T09:29:00.003-05:00

A commercial being run by prayercross.com from Montebello Collections is offering their prayer cross for only two payments of $19.99. (The audio that you hear on TV is included in its website). It doesn't take too long to realize the retailer uses syrupy marketing and misrepresentation of Scripture to sell their crosses. The narrator speaks of the "magic of the prayer cross" and that it's a "one-of-a kind spiritual accessory." There's no mention of the Bible's position on magicians as noted in the book of Daniel. The Bible fails to comment on one-of-a-kind spiritual accessories. The narrator remarks that their cross is "sure to bring joy and comfort to all who wear it." So it's not God Who brings comfort but their prayer cross. Oh well, it least it has a "secret center stone." Maybe the Urim and Thummim are embedded there.

And yes, there's 30-day money back guarantee.

FDIC being Katrina'ed

2009-02-27T09:11:00.006-05:00

Apparently the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is being pummeled by waves of bank failures (story here ). The article states, "Depositors are not at risk because the fund is backed by the government." I would suggest depositors are at risk because according to Thomas E. Woods, Jr., author of Meltdown, the FDIC only has enough assets to meet 0.5% of its potential obligation(s). So, if the FDIC runs out of funds because of its inordinate guarantee either the national debt gets run up or some government entity flowing with green (oxymoron) gets siphoned to shore up the FDIC. In either case depositors are at risk. If nothing else the subsequent inflation from an FDIC "bailout" would lessen the purchasing power of depositors' existing dollars. I suspect the Washington Post injected the spin to stay in the good graces of the national leviathan.

Experience Hurts and Helps

2009-02-26T08:47:00.006-05:00

“The essence of Keynesianism is its complete failure to conceive the role that saving and capital accumulation play in the improvement of economic conditions.” (Planning for Freedom, 4th ed., p. 207. Italics in original.) -- Ludwig von Mises

With Obama and the Congress working the printing presses and pressing consumption the end result will be further erosion of our economy. Economies that thrive will have built up capital and accumulated savings. Capital and savings are the end result of God's blessings and people ordering their lives according to Scripture. Our current Adminstration is behaving like a 10th grader having maxed out his or her $100,000 limit (no offense to most 10th graders).

Everyone without their head buried in the sand knows somebody affected by the economic downturn. Those hurting have memories of happier times. In the broader picture and with the help of the perspective of history Americans have had it good for the most part compared to all those who have gone before. If all we had was running water, sewage plants, morphine and lidocaine we've bested our forerunners in creature comforts. We've had much more than that though for which we're all grateful.

So when the DOW breaks below 6000 in the coming months, remember February '09 was "the good 'ol days." And while Americans bemoan the government's failure to meet its needs they'll still rush to the polls and re-elect anyone willing to spend, spend til their daddy takes their t-bill away (no offense to the Beach Boys).

Sizing Up the Oscars

2009-02-25T21:42:00.002-05:00

Slumdog Millionaire was an entertaining movie and didn't disappoint as the Best Picture winner at the recent Oscars award extravaganza. A number of movies could have won which indicates there really wasn't a clear favorite this year. It was interesting that Sean Penn's movie Milk was a nominee for Best Picture. According to Box Office Mojo Milk is all wet. While Oscar voters vote with their pen (or maybe their mouse) viewers vote with federal reserve notes. Milk ranks in 1,854th place on the "All time domestic" gross revenue list with a domestic haul of $28m ($37m worldwide). As a point of reference The Dark Knight's domestic take is $533m. Iron Man comes in at $318m. Indiana Jones' 2008 flick about a skull has grossed $317m. Marley and Me made $141m for someone. Slumdog has made enough money ($175m) to pay for almost 0.5% of the U.S. Congress' next incumbent grab bag package ($410bn), although it remains to be seen if they donate to the cause.

Milk was clearly a propaganda piece that the Oscar voters shoved to the top level to feel good about themselves. When people live to make themselves feel good all sorts of craziness follows.

Hayek Invoked by Surprise

2009-02-25T20:58:00.004-05:00

Rush Limbaugh is a staunch Republican so it came as a shock when he invoked the name of the noted Austrian economist Friedrich August von Hayek (1889-1992) today on his radio show. Rush referenced Hayek's book The Road to Serfdom (1944) when saying Hayek suggested politicians don't like capitalism and the free market system because it implies less centralized control. And politicians like control. Republicans rarely if ever contend for the implementation of Austrian economic theory because, despite their "conservativism," can't seem to jettison existing bloated, central government programs once elected.

While Austrian economists don't acknowledge God's sovereignty in the area of finances and property they of anyone most closely (and "accidently") defend many Biblical principles related to economics. Austrians are anti-Federal Reserve Board, anti-fiat currency, pro-private property rights, pro-entrepreneurialism and understand man operates in a unique fashion and not in lock-step with man-made programs and federal directives. America's two major parties are rapidly arrogating massive property rights to themselves, rendering the little guy impotent and left to waddle down the road to serfdom. This is offensive to Austrians and should be offensive to Christians.

B Vitamins and Macular Degeneration

2009-02-24T19:51:00.003-05:00

Apparently B vitamins are good at fighting macular degeneration in women according to reports about a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. I haven't read the study but B vitamins are likely something most of us could as a supplement. Between a poor Western diet and overused, depleted soil it's likely our B vitamin intake isn't what it should be.

I take a number of supplements from a company called Standard Process and trust that they're top flight. Their products Cataplex B and Cataplex G compose their brand of vitamin B. Their products are made from raw, whole food sources and retain all the little things God put in there that processing often destroys.

We live at a time where studies aren't health-focused but profit-focused. As such the best studies don't get done. There's not much profit motive for researchers to test foods and supplements head-to-head against medications. The vitamin studies that are done generally don't publish the details about the vitamins they use but it's likely their synthetic and fractionated. So when researchers reports "disappointing results" the real story is there isn't a story.

Despite the advances in technology we end up operating like our great grandparents and making health choices based on insticnt and gut feeling because we must. (As a disclaimer I have no vested interest in Standard Process).

A Form for Your Pediatrician

2009-02-21T08:57:00.004-05:00

"The American people" are confronted with an onslaught of forms/releases/waivers at every turn. We're a form-happy society because most of us are lotto-minded and wish to preserve the right to soak the rich in court if we're ever "wronged/injured." Of course it's unlikely that windfall will ever come our way but we take great joy in watching other people secure million dollar judgments through the manipulation of jurors in courts of "law." (I speak in jest of course)

In that spirit, next time you take your little one in for a vaccination take your own form (print here) to your pediatrician. After they refuse to sign it ask yourself how his professors convinced him or her to believe the party line about the safety and efficacy of most vaccines.

The Man, The Wife, and the Incumbent

2009-02-21T08:12:00.000-05:00

Here's why the economy is in freefall. A man breaks into a bank vault at night only to find his wife, the bank's vice president, having an affair inside it with the incumbent U.S. senator up for re-election. They all walk away with an unspoken agreement not to mention what happened. The man only takes about $500,000, leaving millions behind. The couple breaks up but the man at least has his half-million. The wife goes to work the next week happy not to have been called into the bank president's office for a surprise meeting. The U.S. senator is happy neither Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Geraldo Rivera, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, TMZ and a host of others have not called for an interview about alleged inappropriate behavior with an unnamed married woman.

And that's why the economy is in the tank. The nature of sin is people overlook your sins if you in turn will overlook theirs. Money mishandling is inevitably a core sin.

Nevadans disdain pork barrell spending but send Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada) back to the senate because he can get projects like a rail system connecting Vegas with L.A. pushed through the legislative process. Floridians don't like pork barrell spending but love Gov. Charlie Crist because he'll accept stimulus pork from Barack O-thief-a. And so it goes.

Onslaught of Debt

2009-02-19T09:42:00.004-05:00

This website has some great graphs to reveal the depth of the debt problem. The good thing about corrupt governments running wild is eventually people figure out they've lost control and their massive tentacles atrophy and lose their grip. Spiritual freedom is a top priority but temporal freedom isn't such a bad deal either.

The Death of Breaking News

2009-02-13T10:22:00.010-05:00

Cable news is now a continuous stream of breaking news. A "breaking news" story has an indefinite shelf life now that only terminates upon the birth of the next breaking news story. Of the past few months the only legitimate breaking news story was Sully's adventure into the Hudson River at the helm of US Airways Flight 1594 with 155 prople on board, with all surviving. Even though Continental commuter Flight 3407 crashed into a house near Buffalo, NY and killed all 49 people aboard this story won't generate enough water cooler conversation--hence lacks qualification as breaking news. Plane crashes happen often enough now to no longer command people's rapt attention as they once did. The 1937 Hindenberg burn and crash killed roughly about the same number of people (35) that died on Flight 3407 yet it counted as breaking news as this bloated zeppelin was an aviation marvel in its time. Radio reporter Herbert Morrison gave a blow-by-blow account of the zepplelin's demise that serves as a priori evidence that the shock and widespread interest over its demise merited "breaking news" status. Compare Morrison's reaction to that of the calm demeanor of the cable talking heads who covered the Flight 3407 crash.

Breaking news used to be for events such as 9-11 (2001), the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), Matt Drudge's "exposure" of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal (1998), the ATF storming the Branch Davidian ranch (1993), John Hinckley, Jr. trying to assassinate Ronald Reagan (1981), the tsunami that pummeled Thailand and elsewhere (2004) or other like-events. Now it's for a car chase in LA, a ware house fire, Venzuelans voting to scrap term limits, an ice storm in Minnesota, etc., etc.

PEDs and Baseball

2009-02-12T23:07:00.005-05:00

Professional baseball won't ever cane or purge its athletes caught using performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) because these athletes account for too much revenue. As far as the baseball Hall of Fame goes, the Alex Rodriguezes of the world will forever get inducted without the stigma of asterisks being on their mugs' face plates. The free market will know more about where the asterisks in the Hall belong than they will about the contributions and skills of the great players inducted in decades past. Everyone worried about the cheaters and their PED advantage can take heart in the rock solid memories of the free market. They'll keep the playing field perpetually leveled. Roger Maris' family can relax.

Obama's Cross-Branding With Lincoln

2009-02-12T22:28:00.005-05:00

Barack Obama has gone to great lengths from the time of his campaign through today (Lincoln's birthday) and counting to closely associate himself with Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has a solid reputation in the minds of most Americans, notwithstanding political party affiliation, and Barack Obama is ostensibly tapping into Abe's popularity by cross-branding himself with him--a little early legacy work.

Thomas DiLorenzo stakes out the position in his books on Lincoln, that "Honest Abe's" agenda was one of protectionist tariffs, corporate welfare, central banking and to make an empire that would rival the British Empire. Barack is showing himself to be Lincoln-like as described by DiLorenzo and that is troubling. If Barack is attempting to capitalize on Lincoln's alleged affection and concern for 19th century African-Americans he would do well to read Lincoln's quotes in DiLorenzo's The Real Lincoln and rethink that strategy. In David Gordon's review of Lerone Bennett, Jr.'s book Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, Gordon records some of Lincoln's quotes that would paint him a racist by today's standards. It's truly fascinating that the mainstream media won't reinvestigate Lincoln based on DiLorenzo and Bennett's findings.

Created gods Pose Little Friction

2009-02-12T22:22:00.001-05:00

Much of the ski resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado has an affection for the mythical Norse god of snow Ullr. Apparently some Breckenridgians trust in Ullr for quality winters and rad ski conditions. The local ski resort conditions television channel might implore Ullr to bring snow if too many warm, sunny days afflict the area. Need a meal? Go to Ullr's Sports Grill.

Ullr is a figment of the imagination and as such poses no threat to his worshippers. This is the appeal of false gods--they don't require anything of you and can be made to cater to your every selfish whim.

Ironically, if snow skiiers and snowboarders were praying effectively for banner conditions it's God through Jesus Christ whom they should implore. The one true God that avails Himself to them is dismissed. People often choose suffering over salvation and blessing.

Cost of an Obama Job is...

2009-02-12T22:05:00.004-05:00

In his Special Order Speech today Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) noted that if Obama "created" four million jobs with a $800 bil "Stimulus Package" that would amount to an expense of $200,000 per job. Put another way, McClintock pointed out that the feds could give $100,000 checks to each of those four million people and reduce the cost of the stimulus package by half.

True, there's more to the stimulus package than just the welfare (pun intended) of Americans (or illegal aliens) who would get a job out of this, but to say this bill is anything less than one of our nation's greatest fiascos is an understatement. Never before has an "earmark-less" bill been stuffed with so much pork.

Appreciating Vitamin D

2009-02-11T14:04:00.005-05:00

It's likely 99% of the reading audience has ever had a 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (i.e. Vitamin D) blood level measurement. It's not included in a standard basic metabolic profile (BMP) nor as part of a complete metabolic profile (CMP). If a physician doesn't order it specifically labs don't test for it. If you're not seeing a nephrologist (kidney doctor) or endocrinolgist (diabetes specialist) you're not likely to ever have the test ordered. Recent research is showing the many health benefits and reduction in all-cause mortality in people with a normal Vitamin D level. Dr. Joseph Mercola lists the many benefits of a normal Vitamin D level here. A normal level, depending on the testing lab, is about 50-90 ng/ml (nanograms per milliliter).

Vitamin D is produced by the exposure of one's skin to the UVB rays of the sun. Thousands of units can be produced within a few minutes of midday sun exposure. Toxicity from overexposure won't happen as God has designed protection mechanisms. Factors affecting conversion of the body's precursors to Vitamin D include: time of season (winter is worse); latitude at which you live (the closer to the poles the worse); skin pigment (less Vit D production with darker pigments); age (less conversion as you age) and amount of clothing worn (the less exposure the less conversion). Living in Florida, Texas, California or Hawaii is not assurance against subtherapeutic levels. So many people work indoors now, wear suntan lotion due to inordinate melanoma fears, or wear lots of clothes that low Vitamin D levels are more prevalent than one would think.

The Cost of Money and Other Economic Perils

2009-02-11T10:43:00.004-05:00

I remember my father taking me to a bank in 1977 to obtain a loan to attend the University of Florida (presently owned by Tim Tebow). I remember scratching me head when the loan officer gushed over how cheap the money was that I was borrowing. (If I had to guess I would say the interest rate was 7%, but I could be wrong). At the time I believed a dollar was a dollar was a dollar. What did she mean by "cheap money." I didn't understand where she was coming from at the time--that she was mentally processing the amount of interest I would be responsible for over the life of the loan.

Thanks to the public school system being run by the feds high schoolers then (and probably now) can make it through the system with nary a teaching on compounded interest, simple interest, amortization schedules, central banking, fractional reserve banking, derivatives, Austrian economics, Keynesian economics, velocity of money, CPI, CPI-U, GDP, M1, M2, M3, hyperinflation, inflation, short selling, treasury bills, hedge funds, deficit spending, gold standard, fiat currency, and the list goes on. I suppose if 11th and 12th graders were brought up to speed on even half of these topics they would become both disallusioned and infuriated with their political "leaders." American monetary policy over the past 90 years has yielded a shrinking percentage of Americans accruing and maintaining private property. While plenty of Americans have amassed large sums of Federal Reserve Notes the purchasing power of such has fallen dramatically sense the establishment of the Federal Reserve Board in 1913. To see how the value of 2009 dollars have fallen check out this handy calculator.

The movers and shakers in the education business (see: Association, National Education) aren't stupid. Cursory lessons in economics will never be a part of junior high school or high school curriculum. That would leave too little time to cover more essential topics such as global warming and multiculturalism.

Stimulating Stimulus Packages

2009-02-11T00:07:00.005-05:00

Once the 787+bil "stimulus package" furthers the long-term weakening of the economy, the Obama Administration will deny any responsibility and probably propose more spending. Whether their grandiose plans are somewhat sincere yet based in error, or intentionally ruthless, the results are the same--further enslavement of Americans (and illegal aliens) to the nanny state. Gotta keep a close eye on that Second Amendment.

Debt Release -- Deuteronomy Style

2009-02-10T23:48:00.004-05:00

Deuteronomy 15:1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. 2 “This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’S remission has been proclaimed."

While biblical scholars differ on the precise application these verses had for Israelites living in those days, it is interesting to note the brilliance of this economic law. If a creditor had to forgive his debtors for a year every 7th year, or more likely premanently, how careful would they be in making loans to fellow countrymen? Efficiency would be at its zenith. And how much harder would the Israelites work to be "self-sufficient" knowing the loans tendered would only cover their basic needs--Deut 1:8 "... but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks." I doubt "whatever he lacks" would include much beyond, food, clothing and shelter. These periodic debt sabbaticals enabled longevity in financial markets, providing protection against runaway inflation and fiscal implosion. Contrast the protections against inefficiency in this model against that pitfalls aptly represented by the recent $78bil overpayment by the U.S. federal government for stocks and other assets of troubled financial institutions.

The political elite of America's welfare state has great hostility for God's wisdom in economic matters, inclusively, and as such promises great economic pain and suffering with each move it makes in providing for "our children's future."

Advice for Cell Phone Companies

2009-02-10T23:22:00.003-05:00

Imagine the public outrage there would be if everytime you turned on a television an automated voice said, "to change the channel of your television either directly punch the number on your remote control, or press the up and down arrow until you reach the desired channel." And that you couldn't change channels until the prompt finished. Such a prompt and delay would drive people nuts.

The cell phone automated voice prompts that explain the options available to the caller that hits an outgoing message need to be declared equally useless and a waste of time. In an era where less and less people are going over their monthly quota of minutes, it's time for the silly prompt to be taken out back and executed.

CEOs to enter the laundry business?

2009-02-10T22:33:00.004-05:00

Before commenting on Obama's recent decision to limit the pay of CEO's of nationalized banks to $500,000 per year, it's illustrative to note that other, like top dogs scrambled to hold on to their resources. Former Lehman Brothers CEO Richard S. Fuld, Jr., former Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O'Neal and Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli have all recently deeded homes to their wives to ostensibly protect their assets from creditors.

While the CEOs who'll hit this $500,000 ceiling may not deed their homes to their wives it will be interesting to see if any of them will eventually get caught laundering money to "obey" the $500,000 per year limit. If you hear about a housekeeper at a nationalized bank making $499,999 a year it may be worth watching to see where he or she keeps their savings, and where the withdrawals end up. This should prove amusing.

Why Did the Economy Tank?

2009-02-08T20:13:00.008-05:00

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex) told Mike Huckabee on his FOX News show tonight that the economy tanked because of the housing market and derivatives. This is like saying the apple led to the fall of man and not the sin of disobedience. No one disputes the impact loose credit and federal intrusion into lending requirements had on the economy but there needs to be deeper digging. If central banking, the use of fiat currency and fractional reserve banking persist unchallenged and unabated the inflationary boom-bust cycles will continue until the dollar is hyperinflated and rendered worthless. This axis of fiscal evil ultimately puts property rights squarely in the hands of political despots, and as such is a pro-slavery position. That's not a feel-good way to assess the American monetary system but it's accurate nonetheless.

Chris Wallace and Sen. Bill Nelson Playing the Game

2009-02-08T12:24:00.005-05:00

This morning FOX News' Chris Wallace asked Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) to address the allegations that the $800+bil spending bill contains dollars earmarked (pun intended) for social spending programs. Nelson answered by saying there's a lot of money in the bill to be used to stimulate the economy. He sidestepped the question and Wallace let him slide.

FOX News promotes itself as being the fair and balanced network and one that asks the tough questions that the Courics and Jennings of the world are unwilling to ask. FOX News is a cut above the mainstream press but it's still more of an enabler than it is an advocate when it comes to keeping politicians honest.

Obama

2009-01-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

I hope Barack Obama is the best president ever. I hope subsequent presidents all outperform their respective predecessors. It's safe to say that's not how history will play out though. Sticking with Barack for now...

I don't trust Barack. When he attends Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years and then bails out because of beliefs and actions he now deems unacceptable was he really that naive or just caught rolling with pseudo-Marxists? When he has a history of close associations and dealings with the likes of Bill Ayres, Tony Rezko, James Johnson, Franklin Raines and Valerie Jarrett there must be something unsavory about him.

Fox v. NFL

2008-09-14T19:34:00.003-04:00

The NFL has a contract with FOX to show their games on FOX's stations. When going to commercial breaks Fox's roboman is featured on screen performing various typical football player moves. This season's creation performs a series of moves that one might witness as part of a post-TD celebration. Ironically, this is the type of carrying on that draws penalty flags if done live on Sundays.

Fox created roboman to entertain and attract viewers. It's too bad the real football players can't whoop it up after touchdowns if their employer is the NFL.

Government Officials Condemn Price Gouging

2008-09-14T19:30:00.004-04:00

In the wake of Hurricane Ike government officials of various persuasion are condeming price gouging. Why? They hate competition. At this point I would list all the taxes the American people are subjected to but the internet isn't big enough to hold the data.

McCain and Country

2008-09-05T10:30:00.003-04:00

President McCain stated in his acceptance speech at the RNC last night, "I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else’s... I was never the same again. I wasn’t my own man anymore. I was my country’s.”

If McCain believes he exists primarily to serve His country then the expectation of his administration would be for you too to see yourself as "your country's." Firstly, this is an antibiblical position as the church is the salt and light of the earth, not a country, community or other like entity. Man was created to belong to God. God never decreed that man should desire to belong to a "greater body” of men (e.g. political elite), euphemistically referred to as "country." Secondly, such a perception is a threat to private property rights. When the feds dole out entitlements then by definition they must muster the means for sustaining the provisions, no matter how meager.

For a country to be good, stable and rooted its Christian faith needs to be strong and growing. America has been weakening for decades because of its ever-increasing devotion to syncretism. The plague even has impressive tentacles within the walls of the Christian church.

Is Obama the answer? PPhhhtthh.

Judgment Tattoo

2008-09-04T09:22:00.000-04:00

A well-dressed woman walked into Starbucks today. I noticed a tattoo on her lower right leg, the lateral aspect. It read in font size 32, black ink, "Don't Judge Me." The statement itself is judgmental, or at least preemptively judgmental. Judgement is inevitable, ncessary and good when executed properly. Hypocrisy is rampant.