Another NewsMax Email

In my email this morning, amid the startling email that 52% of Americans support an attack on Iran (with what troops, what money, and how when we're fighting wars in Afganistan and Iraq?), I find a headline:

Iran War Danger Creates Huge Investment Opportunities

Well, isn't that just peachy?  Let's start a war and watch the rich get richer.  The "breaking news" email from Newsmax.com goes on to say the following (and I quote):

Here is what I expect if the U.S. continues on the path to war with Iran:

• Oil will go over $100 a barrel in the next few months, and over $120 by this coming spring. Gasoline will go over $5 a gallon nationwide.
• Gold will be $840-$860 an ounce by spring. (It is currently at about $765.) Silver will be over $16 an ounce.
• The dollar will continue to plunge against strong foreign currencies, like the Australian and Canadian dollar. Besides rising commodity prices, a big reason for the continuing dollar plunge is continuing U.S. monetary inflation, which is the only realistic way the administration has to pay for ever-increasing war spending.
• Interest rates will increase substantially and loans will be harder to get.
• Recession in the U.S. by next summer is highly likely.
• If a shooting war actually breaks out with Iran, look for oil to quickly go over $150 a barrel ($8 gasoline), and gold over $1,000 an ounce.

Fortunately, there is some good news, for investors who are aware of these likely developments:

The good news is that "a falling dollar and sharply rising oil, foreign currency and gold prices, mean big profits for investors who put money in these sectors."

Well, bully for them.  Let's start a war with Iraq so that investors can make huge profits.  There's a reason to go to war.

We have real problems that need to be addressed in this country and on our own soil.  We have a huge National Debt we should be addressing.  And, this thought just occurred to me:  in an ownership society, how do we justify a huge National Debt?  Where's the ownership there?

Before we bomb Iran and commit our overworked troops to yet another war, let's stop and think about this.  We have to be prepared for the long haul and if Iraq has taught us anything, Americans are not truly ready for the long haul.  We want to get in, get the job done and get out.  We're not prepared to support our troops in remaining on foreign soil for this long.  We all ready haven't provided them with the tools they need to get the job done.  How can we possibly commit them to yet another war?

God Bless our troops, if we bomb Iraq, they're going to need all the help He can provide.

Gullible Wisconsin Government Employees

A co-worker of mine forwarded me an email about a Budweiser delivery man who pulled product off the shelves of a store owned by Arabs who were seen celebrating the attacks on 9/11.  She asked me to check the story out to find out if it was true or not.

So, I went to Break the Chain and checked it out.  The story is pure fiction -- that means not true for those who get fiction and non-fiction confused.  Click here to read the story.  Anyway, since I read the forwarded email, I noticed the email accounts of everyone who received it, as well as the person who forwarded it along.

What I found most disturbing was the fact that one of the people who forwarded the story -- which means he didn't check the facts of the story -- has a wisconsin.gov email address. 

Is this what we pay our government staff to do -- forward emails that are false and full of hate?  Maybe, I'm naive, but I would think that government employees would have enough sense to NOT forward an email that is intended to be serious without checking the facts. 

If I had received a joke or a prayer request from the same person, I wouldn't be upset.  I know everyone needs a good laugh or prayers everyday, but this one was just totally offensive.  Worse than that, he sent it to a ton of other government employees.  I wonder just how many decided to forward this on without any thought.

Just a small piece of advice:  Before you forward that email, make sure it's actually true.  Also, remember that someone you don't know, will end up on the chain and might blog about you.

(BTW, I have chosen NOT to put the employee's name and email address in this post, but next time, I might not be so nice.)

God Bless

 

Dani Marie: New Restaurant in Racine

Last night, Cheryl and I decided to treat ourselves and go out to eat. We decided to try the new restaurant, Dani Marie, that just opened on Washington Avenue -- next to Images. Well, it was wonderful. The food was awesome and you have to try their fresh baked bread and bread sticks. The restaurant has finally -- after numerous incarnations as Olivia's -- been redesigned giving it a nice atmosphere. There were a couple of hangups, like the background music kept playing the same song for a little while and they didn't have enough menus, but those are things I'm willing to overlook at a brand new restaurant. The service was good. The food is freshly made, so this is not a place to go if you're looking for a fast meal. This is the kind of place where you sit back, relax and enjoy a good meal.

Healthcare, kids and the Republicans

Yesterday, the Republicans said no to healthcare for needy children.  Today, I read the poll results that 8 out of 10 Americans support this program.

Now, you can't get 8 out of 10 Americans to agree on what to eat for dinner, when 8 out of 10 of us agree on a healthcare program for children, shouldn't Congress agree with us?

Let me make a comparison...

Back when the anti-gay amendment was being thrown around the Wisconsin Legistlature, I was told by my state senator (who was Cathy Stepp) that we should leave it to the voters.  It was up to us Wisconsinites on whether or not this should become a Wisconsin State Amendment.  It's all about the voters.

Well, the voters want this, so why isn't Congress -- and by Congress I mean the REPUBLICANS -- overriding Bush's veto?

I guess because they really don't care about what 8 out of 10 Americans care about.

God Bless

The House has failed to override President Bush's veto of a bill expanding a children's health insurance program.

And hope dies for 4 million needy children.

Way to go, Congress.

God Bless those children  Hopefully, He'll do a better job than we have.

Where have all the Conservatives gone?

When I was a kid, being a conservative -- and, by extension, a Republican -- meant that you supported lower taxes, more fiscal responsiblity, less government interference in business and less government interference in individual lives. What happened to that? Now, it seems as if the conservative party has become strong armed by the so-called right-wing Christians, who want all of us to be Christians, not be gay and don't care how much money the government spends -- as long as it is corporate welfare and not on social needs. How did this happen? I saw a news report where James Dobson -- the head of Focus on Family -- is going to have his group shop for a new Presidential candidate if the Republican party doesn't back the anti-gay amendment that his group thinks this country needs. Hasn't this mess gone too far?  When will we stop worrying about someone else getting something we don't think they should have?  And, when willl the conservatives and Republicans get back to their roots? I miss them. God Bless.

Don't believe Ann's Lies...

The truth about Ann Coulter is finally coming out. She hates Jews -- and anyone else who is not a Christian.

I heard her remark: "Jews are going to be perfected. " After a break and she was confronted, she changed her earlier remark to "I don't think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. "

Coulter is claiming that her statement was misquoted:

"Let's rewrite the NJDC statement to refer to what I actually said: 'How does someone who says it would be better if everyone were a Christian or practicing Jew continue to receive a megaphone and platform from the news networks? When will the media say 'enough is enough'? "

She didn't say that. I heard what she said with my own two ears. I was so stunned by it that I rewound it and played it again.

By the way, I am a Christian and I don't consider myself a perfected Jew.

God Bless us EVERYONE

Ellen and the Dog

I wasn't going to weigh in on this issue that Ellen is having because she gave her adopted dog to her hairdresser, because I understand both sides of the issue.  Ellen signed an agreement that she would notify the Mutts and Moms adoption group if she couldn't keep him.  I understand that agreement and I do agree with it.

What I don't agree with is the Mutts and Moms group deciding that the hairdressers home isn't fit for Iggy.  They have a rule that small dogs cannot be adopted into families that have children under 14.  While as a general rule that's a good idea for the protection of the dog, in this case, the children are 11 and 12 -- ages that know how to treat an animal.  The group should check out the situation in the home and then decide if Iggy can go back or not.  They shouldn't just say no without at least inspecting the home.

Further, I have an American Eskimo Dog -- he's considered small.  I, also, have two rambunctious two year old grandsons.  There's never been a problem between the three.  Have Danny and Alex been a little rough with Skywalker?  Sure, but Sky's the type of dog that takes it in stride.  The closest thing to an issue that we've had was the day Danny smacked Sky across the face and Sky reacted by knocking Danny to the floor and then walking away.  Danny learned not to hit Sky and Sky showed his amazing restraint by walking away from the situation.  I don't think Ellen's hairdresser would come close to having this kind of an issue with Iggy, since her girls are much older than 2.

Rather than have a broad rule banning kids under 14 from having small dogs, the group should weigh this on a case by case basis.

(BTW, in the case of Danny and Sky, the two are best of friends.  Danny grabs Sky by the tail and Sky leads him around the house in this follow the leader game the two of them enjoy.  Many kisses have been exhanged between the two.)

God Bless

Computer Update...

Well, Best Buy called yesterday with good news and bad news.  The good news is that my screen has been repaired, my laptop is fine and they cleaned out the fans -- all of which is covered under my warranty, which expires this month.  The bad news is that the blue screen of death which I received is NOT a hardware issue (if you had seen the error message, you would've thought it was a bad harddrive).  But, they can reinstall Windows for $129.00 or I can contact Gateway and purchase a restore CD and wait 6 to 8 weeks for it to get here.

I opted for the former and should have my laptop back on Saturday.  Why can I only keep a laptop running for 3 years?

Oh, well, a new laptop is not in the cards until next summer, so hopefully, this one will keep chugging along until then.

The good news for you, dear readers, is that I'll be able to update the site to look a little better AND I'll be able to write early morning posts!  Yea!

God Bless

Bad Link in Last Post...

Ah, computer problems -- gotta love them.

I discovered that the link is bad in the last post for St. Richard's Sweetest Day Pasta dinner.  Go to the Church's website and click on the Fund Raising link for more information.

Sorry about that.  I can post from work, but can't fix any bad posts!  Go figure!

God Bless

Blog Update...

In case you haven't noticed, I've been pretty quiet the last few days.  One of the reasons is that my home pc is down.  It's in the shop getting fixed.  (I seem to only be able to keep a laptop alive for three years.)  I should have it back some time next week. (I hope)

Another is that due to the laptop being down and being extremely busy at work, I haven't had any time to keep up with the news.  I've read some articles in US News and World Report, Newsweek and Vanity Fair, but I'll think of a blog post and lose it out of my mind by the time I am able to write it!

Sorry.

Although, I'd like to make mention of just a couple of things:

1. I really liked Princess Diana and mourned her death, like a lot of people.  However; can't we just let her rest in peace?  Does the new inquiry into her death have to be front page news?  Do I have to see the pictures of the car she was in?  I wonder just how this affects her sons, who were young boys when it happened and have to relive it now that they are grown men.
2. What's up with all this Britney coverage?  Aren't there more important things going on in the world?  Should she have her kids, should she not?  Frankly, I no longer care and I can't believe anyone else does either.
3. Angie and Brad -- can't these two be left in peace?  Did they break up?  Did they get back together?  Is Brad talking to Jennifer?  I DON'T CARE!  Why are they pictures staring out at me at every checkout?!?
4. How does a 20 year old in Wisconsin get to be a police officer?  I know Illinois has the age limit of 21, why doesn't Wisconsin?  And, why wouldn't a police officer have to go through a psychological exam?  Do we just give anyone a gun and a badge and say go to it?

That's all for now...

Wait, one last item...St. Richard's Catholic Church in Racine is holding a pasta dinner on Oct. 20th.  If you live in or near Racine, you should try to attend.  It'll be a nice evening.

God Bless

Republicans - Fair weather friends?

Senator Craig has decided to stay in office and serve out his term.  He pled guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct, so what's the big deal if he stays?

According to the Republicans, he's putting the Idaho Senator spot in a bad place ie, a place where it could be taken by a Democrat.

Really?

If the people from Idaho elected a Republican then, most likely, they'll elect a Republican again.  I don't foresee them changing their minds.  But, if the bigshots in the party don't stand behind Senator Craig, they might not see a Republican in that Senate seat.

Now, I'm not too keen on Senator Craig sticking around, but it is his choice, not mine.  But, while I understand on one level -- as I've written before -- as to why the Republicans won't Stand By Their Man, I think it's a pretty crappy idea.

Let Senator Craig do what he has to do.  A misdemeanor is no more serious than a speeding ticket for Pete's sake!  If this was a felony crime, then we should be calling for his ouster, but it's a misdemeanor!  Let him stay and stand up and say, "He's my friend and colleague and I support his decisions."

But, that'll never happen, Republicans aren't going to risk their own welfare to stand up for one of their own.

I'm sure the Democrats wouldn't do it either.  No one has any balls anymore, do they?

God Bless

Rush Insults Troops

I'm constantly reading stories about some liberal who is being called on the carpet for insulting our troops.  Yet, the biggest conservative in the country (Rush Limbaugh) can refer to our troops who do not support the War in Iraq as "phony soldiers" on September 26 and I don't see anything about on CNN.  (Admittedly, my pc at home is shot, so I might've missed something.)

We need to tell this blowhard to shut his non-serving, 4F mouth when it comes to the troops.

Everyday, our service men and women risk their lives so I can sit in my armchair and exercise my right to free speech.  They deserve our praise, support and our applause, not insults and scorn.

I'm a military brat and I take great pride in my retired Navy father (who fought in 'Nam) and my late, Army serving grandfather (who landed at Normandy).

I do believe in Rush having free speech, but sometimes free speech goes too far -- and just as you can't yell fire in a crowded movie theatre, you shouldn't be allowed to insult our troops.  The men and women who serve our country deserve our respect and should not be insulted because they exercise their right to free speech.

No matter which side of the issue you're on.

God Bless

 

Guess Bush doesn't really mean No Child Left Behind...

President Bush has vetoed a bipartisan bill that will allow another four million children to have health insurance.  It would be funded by a higher federal tax on cigarettes (which I think would kill it eventually, since smokers die at a high rate).  It would only cost -- if my math is correct -- $8750.00 per child, which is around the same cost as most insurance paid by employers.

Aren't our children worth $8750 a year?

Apparently, Bush doesn't think so.

Well, what can you expect a lot of low paying employers feel the same way.

God Bless

What's wrong with this picture?

Mr. Zielinkski used to run a junkyard on his property.  Then, Oak Creek became a city and refused to give him a business license -- even though he had run the salvage yard on the property years before Oak Creek was a city.  Then the city cleaned up the salvage yard essentially putting a small business man out of work.

The topper to this story is the city is trying to get a court order to make Mr. Zielinski to pay for the cleanup effort.

Is this America or a dictatorship?  Where is this man suppose to get $156,000?

(Read the story in here.)

Now, the city -- if they get his land -- can have a pretty hefty payoff.  The 4.5 acres are surrounded by expensive subdivisions. 

Where's the grandfather clause?  And, why are they picking on a man who served in the Army and has a third grade education?

Judge David Hansher is now charged with the task of deciding if he should reopen the case.  I think he should.  The law should protect everyone equally and not put a man out of business and take his very last dime.

God Bless

I want my Constitutional Rights BACK -- Please

I don't know about you, but I want the Constitution restored -- completely.  I don't want illegal wiretaps, I don't want the government being able to listen in on my phone calls at their whim.  I want our fourth amendment rights put back in place.  That's why I'm just forwarding on this email I received from the ACLU.

If you're for the government wiretapping without a warrant, I want you to stop and think about this:

If you'll let Bush listen in, would you have wanted Clinton listening in as well?  If the answer is no, then you can't allow our Fourth Amendment rights to be taken away by this legislation.  Our government should always have to seek a warrant for searches and wiretaps period.

God Bless and, please, read on:

Dear Friend,

Fix it. Defend the Constitution! That's the message we have to send to Speaker Pelosi, Senator Reid and every member of Congress over the next 20 days.

By all indications, the House and Senate will cast critical votes within three weeks — deciding whether or not to make the vast new spying powers that they granted the Bush Administration in August permanent.

We can't let that happen. That's why we're starting the FISA Flood of 2007 with today's leadership switchboard shutdown. All our members of Congress but especially leadership — who control the agenda and whose actions impact us all — need to know just how many Americans demand they act to restore the Constitution.  Here's three things you can do, right now:

1. Call House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at (202) 225-4965.

2. Call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at (202) 224-3542.

3. Call your own representative. You can look up your representative's phone number here.

It's clear what freedom demands. And this is what we need every Member of Congress to hear:

• Congress should not act on FISA until the Bush administration hands over the documents about the NSA wiretapping program. 
   
• Any legislation to permanently amend FISA must restore judicial review and protect the privacy rights of innocent Americans.
   
• The government should receive only the information it is authorized to intercept by law, it should not be given direct and unfettered access to telecommunications infrastructure.
   
• And the legislation must not grant amnesty to telecom companies that broke the law by illegally releasing Americans' phone calls and records to the government.

Call right now as we launch the FISA Flood of 2007 — a monumental outpouring of grassroots energy. Demand that Congress stand strong by standing up for the Constitution, not caving in to the Bush Administration.

When Congress caved in to Bush fear-mongering by passing FISA legislation temporarily allowing the government to intercept the calls and emails of innocent Americans without a court order, there was a massive outcry from freedom-loving people across the country. Reeling from the backlash, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised to "fix" the legislation on their return this fall.

Now, as critical new votes approach, we've got to make it absolutely clear to Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and every member of Congress that fixing — not expanding — this ill-begotten law is exactly what we expect and demand.

Call right now: Join the the FISA Flood of 2007.

Earlier this week, the ACLU launched Don't Wait for '08 — a 100-day campaign urging Congress to act now to restore liberties lost during the relentless Bush assault on our civil liberties. Now, it seems apparent that the first 20 days of that campaign leading up to "make-or-break" FISA votes in mid-October could well be the most critical.

Given this Congress' track record, we can't leave anything to chance. In the days ahead, The FISA Flood of 2007 will unleash wave after wave of grassroots actions making it clear that we won't tolerate waffling, wavering or wimping out when our fundamental freedoms are on the line.

We've got to make ourselves heard. Let our members of Congress know: if they stand tall for freedom, we will stand with them through thick and thin. And make sure they understand that, if they sell out the Constitution, we will unleash a wave of public protests and outrage unlike anything they have ever seen.

Make three phone calls for the Constitution right now.

Next, record your participation in our FISA Flood of 2007 tally. And then, forward this message to as many people as possible.

The ACLU is reaching out not only to our 550,000 ACLU members, but to every online activist who cares about protecting our most cherished freedoms. We need you to act immediately.

Help launch the FISA Flood of 2007 right now. Be part of a dramatic and sustained outpouring of concern that won't yield until Congress has acted to protect the Constitution and reverse the civil liberties travesty that Congress perpetrated on the American people by granting President Bush vast new spying powers.

Thanks for standing with us.

Sincerely,

Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office

P.S.  Help build the first powerful wave of the FISA Flood of 2007. Make your three phone calls for the Constitution right now. Next, record your participation in our FISA Flood of 2007 tally. And then, forward this message to as many people as possible.

© ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004