LDS Maps. A Great LDS Resource!

I have found a great resource for locating an LDS Chapel, meeting house, or general places of LDS worship. It is located at maps.lds.org.

All you have to do is click on "search".

Next, enter your address or any address where you may be visiting.

Once you enter all of the information you know, the website pulls up a map and a listing of the Wards and meeting times.

It is fantastic!

If you are need of this information as an investigator, on vacation, or new to an area, this is a great way to find your worship location!

Where is the economic transparency?

"'With arrears forecast to increase over 2009, it is essential that all lenders ensure that their arrears and repossession policies treat customers fairly.'

'Borrowers facing difficulty deserve to know that their lenders have the right measures in place to treat them fairly and try to help them keep their homes wherever this is an achievable outcome.'

"

These two statements were official and placed in the www.dailymail.co.uk

"Mortgage lenders were warned today to treat customers in arrears fairly or face action, as 45,000 people are expected to lose their homes by the end of the year."

Wouldn't it have been prudent that the mortgage companies, lenders, and all other organizations tied-up in this mess might have thought of treating each case as special (not, one-size-fits-all) before this melt-down? If that would have happened, much of the mess would have been avoided.

Do these companies really have to be told to "treat customers in arrears fairly"? I guess they are that stupid, since they are the ones that got us in this mess in the first place.

Isn't there some way that a compromise can be met? I mean, I am sure that there are those who are really having a tough time. There are consumers who have lost their jobs and have not been able to make ends meet. And then, there are those who bought the big house, the new cars, the new furniture, and spent double or even triple their income. And now they are going to ask for money or leniency.

And what about those of us who have been paying our mortgage? What about those of us who have not purchased new cars, new furniture, and are paying our bills on time? Should we just stop doing that so that we can get an equal hand-out?

Where is the motivation to succeed if you can just buy anything and have the government (or, in other words, the U.S. taxpayer) pay for it?

I believe that the general population would like to see the economy issues solved in a fair, motivational, growth-inspiring way. Wouldn't you like to see the details of rules they have created for the bailout so that you know where your money is going? Where is the U.S. economic transparency that needs to be in place for the use of our taxpayer dollars?

Andy Rooney. Real Opinion. Real Honest. Real World.

The following was forwarded to me in an email and I thought it was interesting enough to share. I have not validated the source.

"Andy Rooney said on '60 Minutes' a few weeks back:

I don't think being a minority makes you a victim of anything except numbers. The only things I can think of that are truly discriminatory are things like the United Negro College Fund, Jet Magazine, Black Entertainment Television, and Miss Black America. Try to have things like the United Caucasian College Fund, Cloud Magazine, White Entertainment Television, or Miss White America; and see what happens...Jesse Jackson will be knocking down your door.

Guns do not make you a killer. I think killing makes you a killer. You can kill someone with a baseball bat or a car, but no one is trying to ban you from driving to the ball game.

I believe they are called the Boy Scouts for a reason, which is why there are no girls allowed. Girls belong in the Girl Scouts! ARE YOU LISTENING, MARTHA BURKE ?

I think that if you feel homosexuality is wrong, it is not a phobia, it is an opinion.

I have the right 'NOT' to be tolerant of others because they are different, weird, or tick me off.

When 70% of the people who get arrested are black, in cities where 70% of the population is black, that is not racial profiling; it is the Law of Probability.

I believe that if you are selling me a milkshake, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper or a hotel room, you must do it in English! As a matter of fact, if you want to be an American citizen, you should have to speak English!

My father and grandfather didn't die in vain so you can leave the countries you were born in to come over and disrespect ours.

I think the police should have every right to shoot you if you threaten them after they tell you to stop. If you can't understand the word 'freeze' or 'stop' in English, see the above lines.

I don't think just because you were not born in this country, you are qualified for any special loan programs, government sponsored bank loans or tax breaks, etc., so you can open a hotel, coffee shop, trinket store, or any other business.

We did not go to the aid of certain foreign countries and risk our lives in wars to defend their freedoms, so that decades later they could come over here and tell us our constitution is a living document; and open to their interpretations.

I don't hate the rich; I don't pity the poor. I know pro wrestling is fake, but so are movies and television. That doesn't stop you from watching them.

I think Bill Gates has every right to keep every penny he made and continue to make more. If it ticks you off, go and invent the next operating system that's better, and put your name on the building.

It doesn't take a whole village to raise a child right, but it does take a parent to stand up to the kid and smack their little behinds when necessary, and say 'NO!'

I think tattoos and piercing are fine if you want them, but please don't pretend they are a political statement. And, please, stay home until that new lip ring heals. I don't want to look at your ugly infected mouth as you serve me French fries!

I am sick of 'Political Correctness.' I know a lot of black people, and not a single one of them was born in Africa; so how can they be 'African-Americans'? Besides,Africa is a continent. I don't go around saying I am a European-American because my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather was from Europe. I am proud to be from America and nowhere else."

Hillary. A Conversation.

Just remembering Hillary...



Remember that she believes, as Obama, that we should have a socialist-type government.

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.

It sounds as if Hillary Clinton may be the next Secretary of State for the United States of America. What is the Secretary of State?

"Secretaries of State of the United States
Congress created the position of Secretary of State on July 27, 1789, as the principle officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs (later renamed the Department of State). The secretary was to perform such duties as the president required, in accordance with the constitution relating to correspondence, commissions, or instructions to U.S. ministers or consuls abroad, and to conduct negotiations with foreign representatives. The secretary also served as principle adviser to the president in the determination and execution of U.S. foreign policy, and in recent decades has become responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and supervision of interdepartmental activities of the U.S. government overseas, except for certain military activities." -- Encarta.msn.com

Dr. Condoleezza Rice became the 66th Secretary of State on January 26, 2005. Her focus has been on democracy and diplomacy. "As she stated at her confirmation hearing,

"we must use American diplomacy to help create a balance of power in the world that favors freedom. And the time for diplomacy is now."

-- US Department of State

What will Hillary focus on? Her past may have something to do with what she does in this office. What is in her past, you say?

According to an unvarifiable source, Hillary's resume includes the following, as stated on Snopes

"- As First Lady, Hillary assumed authority over Health Care Reform, a process that cost the taxpayers over $13 million. She told both Bill Bradley and Patrick Moynihan, key votes needed to pass her legislation, that she would 'demonize' anyone who opposed it. But it was opposed...

- Hillary assumed authority over selecting a female Attorney General. Her first two recommendations, Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood, were forced to withdraw their names from consideration. She then chose Janet Reno. Janet Reno has since been described by Bill himself as 'my worst mistake'.

- Hillary recommended Lani Guanier for head of the Civil Rights Commission. When Guanier's radical views became known, her name had to be withdrawn.

- Hillary recommended her former law partners, Web Hubbell, Vince Foster, and William Kennedy for positions in the Justice Department, White House staff and the Treasury, respectively. Hubbell was later imprisoned, Foster committed suicide, and Kennedy was forced to resign.

- Hillary also recommended a close friend of the Clintons, Craig Livingstone, for the position of director of White House security. When Livingtone was investigated for the improper access of up to 900 FBI files of Clinton enemies ("Filegate") and the widespread use of drugs by White House staff, both Hillary and her husband denied knowing him. FBI agent Dennis Sculimbrene confirmed in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 1996, both the drug use and Hillary's involvement in hiring Livingstone. After that, the FBI closed its White House Liason Office, after serving seven presidents for thirty years.


- In order to open "slots" in the White House for her friends, the Thomasons (to whom millions of dollars in travel contracts could be awarded), Hillary had the entire staff of the White House Travel Office fired; they were reported to the FBI for 'gross mismanagement' and their reputations ruined. After a thirty-month investigation, only one, Billy Dale, was charged with a crime - mixing personal money with White House funds when he cashed checks. The jury acquitted him in less than two hours.

- Another of Hillary's assumed duties was directing the 'bimbo eruption sqad' and scandal defense:

- She urged her husband not to settle the Paula Jones lawsuit.

- She refused to release the Whitewater documents, which led to the appointment of Ken Starr as Special Prosecutor. After $80 million dollars of taxpayer money was spent, Starr's investigation led to Monica Lewinsky, which led to Bill lying about and later admitting his affairs.

- Then they had to settle with Paula Jones after all.

- And Bill lost his law license for lying to the grand jury.

- And Bill was impeached by the House.

- And Hillary almost got herself indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice (she avoided it mostly because she repeated, 'I do not recall,' 'I have no recollection,' and 'I don't know' 56 times under oath).

- Hillary wrote 'It Takes a Village', demonstrating her Socialist viewpoint.

- Hillary decided to seek election to the Senate in a state she had never lived in. Her husband pardoned FALN terrorists in order to get Latino support and the New Square Hassidim to get Jewish support. Hillary also had Bill pardon her brother's clients, for a small fee, to get financial support.

- Then Hillary left the White House, but later had to return $200,000 in White House furniture, china, and artwork she had stolen.

- In the campaign for the Senate, Hillary played the 'woman card' by portraying her opponent (Lazio) as a bully picking on her.

- Hillary's husband further protected her by asking the National Archives to withhold from the public until 2012 many records of their time in the White House, including much of Hillary's correspondence and her calendars. (There are ongoing lawsuits to force the release of those records.)

- As the junior Senator from New York, Hillary has passed no major legislation. She has deferred to the senior Senator (Schumer) to tend to the needs of New Yorkers, even on the hot issue of medical problems of workers involved in the cleanup of Ground Zero after 9/11.

- Hillary's one notable vote; supporting the plan to invade Iraq, she has since disavowed."

Here is another item to add to her resume.

The source for this is Democratic Underground

"Clinton aides had hand in Dubai deal

Clinton advisers' outside lobbying work for firm to take over defense plants accents their awkward position
BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau
September 14, 2006
WASHINGTON - In the spring, when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was denouncing the Dubai Ports World deal, a consulting firm run by her top advisers was quietly lobbying for a Dubai takeover of two U.S. defense plants, Newsday has learned.

The Glover Park Group, whose principals include Clinton insiders Howard Wolfson, Joe Lockhart and Gigi Georges, was paid about $100,000 to help the government-owned Dubai International Capital Corp. in its acquisition of the British engineering firm Doncasters Group Ltd.

...

Clinton and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who helped to sink the takeover of port operations by a Dubai company, supported the Doncasters acquisition, saying it didn't pose nearly as significant a security threat.

Glover Park's contract with Dubai was channeled through the Los Angeles law office of Raj Tanden, the brother of longtime Hillary Clinton policy adviser Neera Tanden, according to people familiar with the situation.

Raj Tanden, who represented the emirate's royal family in its 2005 acquisition of $1 billion in U.S. real estate holdings, declined to comment. His sister didn't return a message left at her office yesterday.

Neera Tanden served as a congressional liaison for Bill Clinton before moving on to become a key Hillary Clinton campaign aide and the senator's legislative director.

The Doncasters takeover was much less controversial than the ports deal, mainly because Dubai officials submitted to a full review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. The Bush administration infuriated Congress by forgoing a review for the ports takeover, provoking a powerful bipartisan backlash that doomed the deal.

Doncasters, which makes tank and aircraft turbines in its Connecticut and Georgia plants, was approved by the government foreign investment committee in May. Some critics, including Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), argued that Mideast officials shouldn't be allowed to control factories used by defense contractors. (DUH- YA THIN? – DWW)

Considering the firestorm that surrounded the Dubai Ports World proposal, it's surprising that the controversy-allergic Clinton team agreed to lobby for Dubai at all.

The contract was signed April 13, only a month after the ports deal went down in flames over concerns the emirate was a breeding ground for some of the Sept. 11 hijackers.

...

Who was involved

The Glover Park Group - known as the "White House in Exile" - was founded five years ago by a group of top advisers to Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, including former White House communications director Joe Lockhart and key Hillary Clinton advisers Gigi Georges and Howard Wolfson, who don't engage in lobbying but are apprised of the firm's lobbying efforts."

And what about the source of their money? Dick Morris.com states the following.

"...their income, apart from her Senate salary of $162,500, comes from Bill’s speeches (many to foreign audiences and corporations doing business with foreign countries), $3.3 million from InfoUSA (a company reportedly under investigation for providing lists of vulnerable elderly to criminal con artists), and a reported $10 million a year from a partnership with supermarket magnate Ron Burkle and the Emir of Dubai to manage the Sheikh’s investments.

...Hillary has refused to release her income tax returns and won’t indicate how much her husband gets from his partnership with the Emir of Dubai. On her disclosure form she only indicates, as required, that it comes to more than $1,000 a year.

...the Clintons’ wealth is of very recent origin and much of it may represent the fruits of influence seeking by wealthy foreigners like the Emir of Dubai."

Who knows if the past will continue into the future of the Clintons. However, if history is a lesson, they won't likely change their ways and things will continue as hazzardously as in past years.

Perhaps though, they have learned a lesson and turned over a new leaf. Perhaps, as stated in the Washington Post, "The former first lady could also enhance Obama's efforts to restore U.S. standing amongst allies worldwide."

Nancy Pelosi Can Save Us $5,760,000 Each Year!

Addressing an email that I was recently sent from a friend, which reads...

"And they want to talk about Sarah's dress. Republicans! Are you out there?

MADAME PELOSI

Madame Pelosi wasn't happy with the small private jet that comes with the
Speaker's job, no, Madame Pelosi was aggravated that this little jet had to
stop to refuel, so she ordered a Big Fat 200 seat jet that could get her
back to California without stopping!

Many, many legislators walked by and grinned with glee as Joe informed
everyone that's Nancy's Big Fat Jet costs us, the hard working American tax
payers, thousands of gallons of fuel every
week.

Since she only works 3 days a week, this gas
guzzling jet gets fueled and she flies home to California, cost to the
taxpayers of about $60,000, one way!

As Joe put it, 'Unfortunately we have to pay to bring her back on Monday
night.' Cost to us another $60,000.

Folks, that is $480,000 per month and that is an annual cost to the
taxpayers of $5,760,000. No wonder she complains about the cost of this
war, it might cramp her style and she is styling, on my back and yours.

I think of the military families in this country doing without and this
woman, who heads up the most do-nothing Congress in the history of this
country, keeps fueling that jet while doing nothing

Madame Pelosi wants you and I to conserve our carbon footprint. She wants
us to buy smaller cars and Obama wants us to get a bicycle pump and air up
our tires.

These people are nuts."

Well, it is true. She has been living a luxurious existence on our tax dollars.

According to a resource at Mens News Daily.com,

"One would think he would have a field day with Ms. Pelosi’s request given the amenities offered on the Air Force C-32, a modified version of Boeing’s 757 commercial intercontinental aircraft, which boasts:

▪ Room for 45 passengers with business class accommodations

▪ A crew of 16

▪ A communications center

▪ A fully enclosed stateroom for the primary passenger

▪ A changing area

▪ A conference area

▪ An entertainment system

▪ And a divan that not only seats three but converts into a fold-out bed

This impressive aircraft – operated at an approximate cost of $22,000 an hour – is typically reserved for the First Lady, the Vice President and cabinet members and members of congress upon and subject to request. The Air Force has never made transportation of this caliber available to members of congress on a regular basis, Speaker of the House or not."

Are you kidding me? Isn't she working for us? It feels like we are working for her!

"Traditionally, members of congress have had to requisition the use of Air Force transportation through the Executive Branch. The allocation of a personal aircraft to the Speaker of the House only began after the terrorist attacks of September 11th and then it was only because the Speaker of the House was second in the line of succession to the presidency."

According to Outside The Beltway, this larger plane was requested because the one utilized by the previous Speaker wasn't large enough to fit all of her staff and supporters. Additionally, the same source states that the larger plane was requested so that Nancy Pelosi would not have to stop between Washington D.C. and California to refuel.

What an inconvenience. Not enough room to give the parties and luxury flights to friends, family, and others between D.C. and California? Not willing to stop to refuel on the way, even though everyone else has to do that? For some reason, I think that cutting costs in Washington would be easier than some may think. I see nearly $6 Million that can be reconsidered here.

Mormon Share.com. A Great Resource

I have come upon a great resource for LDS activities and talks.

This awesome place is called Mormon Share.Com

Here, you can "Download and Share LDS Clipart, LDS Activities, LDS Object Lessons, Primary Talks, and more".

It's awesome!

To use this great resource, there is no charge. Why? It's not funded by the LDS Church. It is actually funded by the proceeds from an online store called LDS Grand.Com.

What can you find here?

"Newest Shared LDS Clipart, Graphics, and Printables
2008 Sacrament Meeting Presentation - I am a Child of God Lee-Ann shared this document, saying: "I just found your website tonight and LOVE it. I have been looking at...

Primary Newsletter - July 2 Peggy has moved on to a new calling, but she shared her last newsletter. 8.5 x 11 inches, black and white....

Boyd K. Packer's Worthy Thoughts Video Follow the link below to download a video from LDS.org that can be used to teach the importance of Worthy...

Manual 3 Lesson 17 Lisa G. shared this document with beautiful images of the temple and a quote from Elray Christiansen.... " and more

"Newest Shared LDS Activity Ideas
Maricopa Cooks ( Use the name of your Ward or City where you live) Cooking can be fun,simple and...

christmas ...
Young women's Parable 10 virgins oil lamps To help the girls make sure they carry...
Teach YW pornography warning signs for dating To help protect young women from getting... " and more

There are many other items you can find for your personal and family use, and for use in your LDS calling(s).

I highly recommend using and sharing on this site!

The Amero and the North American Union

Looking further into the issue of the Amero and it's probable overtaking upon the inevidable North American Union, I have researched and found that claim to be false...sorry Hal Turner. Nice try.

According to Snopes, "Ameros are in fact private-issue fantasy pattern coins that will be struck as an annual series, and indeed is already offering them for sale. Neither the U.S. Mint nor the U.S. Treasury has had a hand in creating these "Ameros". These coins are merely collectibles offered to the buying public by a private company in the business of manufacturing such curiosities."

Additionally, according to Wikipedia,"The North American Currency Union is a theorized economic and monetary union of the three principal countries of North America, namely Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Implementation would probably involve the three countries giving up their current currency units (Canadian dollar, U.S. dollar, and Mexican pesos) and adopting a new one, created specifically for this purpose. The hypothetical currency for the union is most often referred to as the amero...Conspiracy theorists contend that the governments of the United States, Canada, and Mexico are already taking steps to implement such a currency, as part of a "North American Union (NAU)"..."

"No current members of any country's government have officially stated a desire to create such a body, nor introduce a common currency."

"The idea for a North American currency union was first proposed in 1999 by Canadian economist Herbert G. Grubel...Opposition to a North American currency union exists high up in the governments on both sides of the Canada–United States border. Herbert Grubel, the first proponent of the amero, admits that

American officials show no interest in the topic.

In August 2007, rumors and conspiracy theories began circulating across the Internet regarding alleged United States Treasury-issued "amero" coins.

The inspiration behind these rumors may have been the posting of images of medallions created by coin designer Daniel Carr. Carr...sells medals and tokens of his own design on his commercial website, "Designs Computed" (also known as "DC Coin"). Among his designs are a series of gold, silver and copper

fantasy issues

of "amero coins" ranging in denomination from one to one thousand. The coins have the legend "Union of North America" on the back with his company's logo, a stylized "DC", in small type. Concerning his "amero" designs, he mentions on his website:

“ My goal with these coins is not to endorse a Union of North America or a common "Amero" currency. I fully support the United States Constitution, and I would not welcome (in any form) a diminishment of its provisions. I expect that these coins will help make more people aware of the issue and the possible ramifications. I leave it up to others to decide if they are in favor of, or against a North American Union. And I encourage citizens to voice their approval or disapproval of government plans that impact them."

"Hal Turner released a video showing an apparent 20 Amero coin, with claims that shipments of the currency had been sent to China. Yet the coin in Hal Turner's video is identical to a medallion on Daniel Carr's "dc-coin" website, listed as "UNA 2007 20 Ameros, Copper, Satin Finish."

So, fear not. The Amero is not coming to town to take over our dollar.

The Amero and The North American Union. Real? Hoax?

Are the rumors about the Amero and the North American Union real or a hoax? You decide!



One World Government? Wouldn't the people have something to say about that? Oh, that's right, look at how they voted. And many who were interviewed who voted didn't know about any of the issues. They gathered their information from the mainstream media.



Martial Law. What is martial law?

"Martial law is sometimes imposed during wars or occupations in the absence of any other civil government. Examples of this form of military rule include Germany and Japan after World War II or the American South during the early stages of Reconstruction. In addition it is used by governments to enforce their rule, for example after a coup d'état (Thailand 2006), when threatened by popular protests (Tiananmen Square protests of 1989), or to crack down on the opposition (Poland 1981). Martial law can also be declared in cases of major natural disasters; however most countries use a different legal construct, such as a "state of emergency".

In many countries martial law imposes particular rules, one of which is curfew. Often, under this system, the administration of justice is left to a military tribunal, called a court-martial. The suspension of the writ of habeas corpus is likely to occur. -- Wikipedia



"Transcript:-

Congress shall now vote for approval of HR 8791 Homeland Terrorism Preparedness bill, err, said bill requests emergency response funding up to and including, I'm sorry this section is CLASSIFIED er, dollars to prepare for national level terrorist attack and or attack from CLASSIFIED funding for first responding personnel and vehicles would be doubled if said attack leads to more than 80% of national population being affected by CLASSIFIED this funding shall commence in conjunction with the first attack on erm, CLASSIFIED or the first large scale outbreak of CLASSIFIED depending upon which comes first, civilian and military units shall be trained in containment and combat of CLASSIFIED including irradiated CLASSIFIED with possibility of CLASSIFIED airborne CLASSIFIED flesh-eating CLASSIFIED and/or all of the above in such event as CLASSIFIED viewing CLASSIFIED escape are released or otherwise become uncontrollable, Air Force units my also be directed to combat said CLASSIFIED due to their enormous size and other-worldly strengths, should event occur in urban areas, J****, thats CLASSIFIED far surpassing our darkest nightmares should casualties exceed CLASSIFIED body disposal actions shall be halted and associated resources shall be re-allocated to CLASSIFIED underground CLASSIFIED protected birthing centers er, new Bill of Rights shall be drafted and approved by CLASSIFIED, having now reviewed the bill I ask you to now please cast your votes."

Note: The interesting thing is that there is no Rep. John Haller. The current Rep. for Pennsylvania's 12th District is John Murtha, a Democrat.

U.S. Stores Closing. Economy Woes.

Watch those store money cards and gift cards.. and credit slips! Stores
that informed the Security Exchange of closing plans between October
2008 and January 2009. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.


Circuit City stores... most recent (? how many)

Ann Taylor- 117 stores nationwide are to be shuttered

Lane Bryant,, Fashion Bug ,and Catherine's to close 150 store nationwide

Eddie Bauer to close stores 27 stores and more after January

Cache will close all stores

Talbots closing down all stores

J. Jill closing all stores

GAP closing 85 stores

Footlocker closing 140 stores more to close after January

Wickes Furniture closing down

Levitz closing down remaining stores

Bombay closing remaining stores

Zales closing down 82 stores and 105 after January.

Whitehall closing all stores

Piercing Pagoda closing all stores

Disney closing 98 stores and will close more after January.

Home Depot closing 15 stores 1 in NJ (New Brunswick)

Macys to close 9 stores after January

Linens and Things closing all stores

Movie Galley Closing all stores

Pacific Sunware closing stores

Pep Boys Closing 33 stores

Sprint/ Nextel closing 133 stores

JC Penney closing a number of stores after January

Ethan Allen closing down 12 stores.

Wilson Leather closing down all stores

Sharper Image closing down all stores

K B Toys closing 356 stores

Loews to close down some stores

Dillard's to close some stores.

In other words, don't buy gift cards from these stores!!!

Note: This was forwarded to my email from a friend, so I cannot vouch that it is 100% accurate.

We The People...

The Constitution of the United States of America, 1787

"We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The Spirit of Liberty

"The spirit of liberty is the spirit which seeks to understand the minds of other men and women; the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interests alongside its own without bias." -- Learned Hand

Sabbath Day, November 16, 2008, Religion and Government Continued.

This is continued from last Sunday's post. This is inclusive of Doctrine & Covenants 134: 7-12.

"7. We believe that rulers, states, and governments have a right, and are bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they have a right in justice to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe them in their opinions, so long as a regard and reverence are shown to the laws and such religous opinions do not justify sedition nor conspiracy.

8. We believe that the commission of crime should be punished according to the nature of the offense; that murder, treason, robbery, theft, and the breach of the general peace in all respects, should be punished according to their criminality and their tendency to evil among men, by the laws of that government in which the offense is committed; and for the public peace and tranquility all men should step forward and use their ability in bringing offenders against good laws to punishment.

9. We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied.

10. We believe that all religious societies have a right o deal with their members for disorderly conduct, according to the rules and regulations of such societies; provided that such dealings be for fellowship and good standing; but we do not believe that any religious society has authority to try men on the right of property or life, to take from them this world's goods, or to put them in jeopardy of either life or limb, or to inflict any physical punishment upon them. They can only excommunicate them from their society, and withdraw from them their fellowship.

11. We believe that men should appeal to the civil law for redress of all wrongs and frievances, where personal abuse is inflicted or the right of property or character infringed, where such laws exist as will protect the same; but we believe that all men are justified in defending themselves, their friends, and property, and the government, from the unlawful assaults and encroachments of all persons in times of exigency, where immediate appeal cannot be made to the laws and relief afforded.

12. We believe it just to preach the gospel to the nations of the earth and warn the righteous to save themselves from the corruption of the world; but we do not believe it right ot interfere with bondservants, neither preach the gospel to, nor baptize them contrary to the will and wish of their masters, nor to meddle with or influence them in the leaset to cause them to be dissatisfied with their situations in this life, thereby jeopardizing the lives of men; such interference we believe to be unlawful and unjust, and dangerous to the peace of every government allowing human beings to be held in servitude."

“The Evolution of War – Do We Make It Up As We Go Along?”

“The Evolution of War – Do We Make It Up As We Go Along?”
by Natasha Call


Modern war encompasses numerous enemies in various locations. President George W. Bush said, “The best way to keep peace is to redefine war on our terms.” Traditional “Just War” criteria are (1) Just Cause, (2) Competent Authority, (3) Comparative Justice, (4) Right Intention, (5) Last Resort, (6) Probability of Success, and (7) Proportionality. Our current war on terror must entail a newly evolved series of criteria. Do “our terms” have current definitions, or do we make them up as we go along?

Defining the war, Donald Rumsfeld said, “… we’re looking at a sustained engagement that carries no deadlines. We have no fixed rules about how to deploy our troops” He also stated, “The uniforms of this conflict will be bankers’ pinstripes and programmers’ grunge just as assuredly as desert camouflage.” An unnamed Pentagon official stated that this is a “come as you are war” and that “We’re making it up as we go along.”

The “Weapons of Mass Destruction” program was the key reason for the U.S. to invade Iraq. When the WMD intelligence information was found false, the United States experienced pungent realization that accurate intelligence is an unquestionable asset in successful war strategy. Sun Tzu said, “Knowledge of the enemy’s dispositions can only be obtained from other men…Hence it is only the enlightened and wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army...Spies are the most important asset.”

U.S. national security institutions are still constructed to win the Cold War. The 9/11 Commission reveals, “Counterintelligence concerns are still real, even if the Soviet enemy has been replaced by other spies.” Therefore, the U.S. intelligence community must put greater emphasis on utilizing current resources and improving methods. “Americans should not settle for incremental ad hoc adjustments to a system designed generations ago for a world that no longer exists.”

Abraham Lincoln described the year of Gettysburg: “Thought is forced from old channels into confusion. Deception breeds and thrives. Confidence dies, and universal suspicion reigns. Each man feels an impulse to kill his neighbor, lest he be first killed by him… Murders…proceed under any cloak that will best cover for the occasion.” A respected United States needs to confidently explore an evolutionary path that does not direct them to mirror their enemy. “…a conquering nation is responsible for the chaos it has introduced into a conquered nation, and cannot leave when it suits the conqueror’s convenience.” cautions Gary Wills.

How do we measure success? Sun Tzu eloquently asserts, “Now, when your weapons are dulled, your ardor damped, your strength exhausted and your treasure spent, other chieftains will spring up to take advantage of your extremity. Then no man, however wise, will be able to avert the consequences that must ensue.” The rules of war need to be defined and changed to meet the needs of our modern global position, providing a proper legacy for future global generations.


“The Evolution of War – Do We Make It Up As We Go Along?” by Essay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at issuesoncall.blogspot.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://issuesoncall.blogspot.com.

The Articles of the Confederation, Number VIII

"All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defence or general welfare, and allowed by the United States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury, which shall be supplied by the several states in proportion to the value of all land within each state, granted to or surveyed for any person, as such land and the buildings and improvements thereon shall be estimated, according to such mode as the United States, in Congress assembled, shall from time to time direct and appoint. The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legistatures of the several states within the time agreed upon by the United States, in Congress assembled." -- The Articles of Confederations, Article Number VII

Note: All spelling errors are those of the papers themselves - of the different types of spelling during that time (1777).

The Church of the Flying Spagetti Monster. A Joke? No, Really!

Have you ever heard of Pastafarianism? No? Okay, have you ever heard of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Think I'm joking? Think I might have made it up? The amazing thing is...NO!

"Discovery News reports the finding of a fossil formed around a many-armed creature. Dating shows that this creature was in the area hundreds of millions of years before dinosaurs existed.

The implications for Pastafarians are obvious: this is strong evidence that the FSM has been hanging around since time began, and created us all, including the dinosaurs. -- Official Site of The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster"

What started it all? A letter...

"Open Letter To Kansas School Board
I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. I think we can all agree that it is important for students to hear multiple viewpoints so they can choose for themselves the theory that makes the most sense to them. I am concerned, however, that students will only hear one theory of Intelligent Design.

Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. It was He who created all that we see and all that we feel. We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him.

It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories. In fact, I will go so far as to say, if you do not agree to do this, we will be forced to proceed with legal action. I’m sure you see where we are coming from. If the Intelligent Design theory is not based on faith, but instead another scientific theory, as is claimed, then you must also allow our theory to be taught, as it is also based on science, not on faith.

Some find that hard to believe, so it may be helpful to tell you a little more about our beliefs. We have evidence that a Flying Spaghetti Monster created the universe. None of us, of course, were around to see it, but we have written accounts of it. We have several lengthy volumes explaining all details of His power. Also, you may be surprised to hear that there are over 10 million of us, and growing. We tend to be very secretive, as many people claim our beliefs are not substantiated by observable evidence. What these people don’t understand is that He built the world to make us think the earth is older than it really is. For example, a scientist may perform a carbon-dating process on an artifact. He finds that approximately 75% of the Carbon-14 has decayed by electron emission to Nitrogen-14, and infers that this artifact is approximately 10,000 years old, as the half-life of Carbon-14 appears to be 5,730 years. But what our scientist does not realize is that every time he makes a measurement, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage. We have numerous texts that describe in detail how this can be possible and the reasons why He does this. He is of course invisible and can pass through normal matter with ease.

I’m sure you now realize how important it is that your students are taught this alternate theory. It is absolutely imperative that they realize that observable evidence is at the discretion of a Flying Spaghetti Monster. Furthermore, it is disrespectful to teach our beliefs without wearing His chosen outfit, which of course is full pirate regalia. I cannot stress the importance of this enough, and unfortunately cannot describe in detail why this must be done as I fear this letter is already becoming too long. The concise explanation is that He becomes angry if we don’t.

You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest...there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.

In conclusion, thank you for taking the time to hear our views and beliefs. I hope I was able to convey the importance of teaching this theory to your students. We will of course be able to train the teachers in this alternate theory. I am eagerly awaiting your response, and hope dearly that no legal action will need to be taken. I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence.

Sincerely Yours,

Bobby Henderson, concerned citizen."

Laughable, for sure! But wait, here is more intelligence to wrap your mind around.

Here is a video that tells the history of their beliefs.


Max Your Ping Prepare

So, if you are like me, you may have more curiosity about whether this is serious or just a joke. I checked out the tab that shows academic endorsements. They actually have some.

Here is a sample...
"“In discussing competing theories, if one is to present ID then it is only fair and logical to teach other theories with commensurate evidence. Based on Mr. Henderson’s letter, it is clear that the FSM theory has evidence comparable in weight to ID. As a scientist and professor, it is often difficult to present differing opinions in an unbiased way. However, it is important to the student to be exposed to these ideas to form their own opinions. This comes right out of the handbook of the ID purporters: present the different “theories” and let the listener decide. If those in favor of ID are so convinced, then they should not be concerned that the presentation of the FSM theory would serve to undermine the credibility of ID. “
– Elizabeth Garrett-Mayer, PhD"

Amazing, isn't it? I am not one to rip on another person's religious beliefs, I mean, after all, people rip on my religion all of the time. But, come on!

Here is another video that tells about how the church happened to be created.


YPHRP NC

Opening Statement

"Pastafarianism is a wholly remarkable religion; in fact, it's probably the most remarkable religion ever to come out of the small, and often disturbing, imaginations of the sentient beings on our fair planet.

Pastafarianism is not only a wholly remarkable set of beliefs, but it is also highly successful - more popular than Christianity, more crowd-pleasing than Hinduism, and producing far better merchandise than Scientology.

In many of the more edgy societies around the world, Pastafarianism is already regarded as the only religion worth going door to door for, despite it's sometimes lack of evidence, lack of moral standards, and lack of men...Two other key factors ...of this faith are:

One, it's supported by real people with real PhD's, and two, every Friday is considered a religious holiday.

Another...the one true deity, for it is a monotheistic belief system, is a Flying Spaghetti Monster."

The official site even has a gospel to sell you.

"Purchase the Gospel...
An elaborate spoof on Intelligent Design, The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is neither too elaborate nor too spoofy to succeed in nailing the fallacies of ID. It's even wackier than Jonathan Swift's suggestion that the Irish eat their children as a way to keep them from being a burden, and it may offend just as many people, but Henderson, described elsewhere as a 25-year-old "out-of-work physics major," puts satire to the same serious use that Swift did. Oh, yes, it is very funny. -- Scientific American."

All Men Created Equal.

The Declaration of Independence, 1776 --

"We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their CREATOR, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that Governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath shewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of our Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World."

Blessed Nation!

"My God! How little do my countrymen know what precious blessings they are in possession of, and which no other people on earth enjoy! -- Thomas Jefferson

Sabbath Day, November 9, 2008, Religion and Government.

Doctrine and Covenants, Section 134, describes the LDS view of government and its relationship with citizens and citizens relationship with government.

"1. We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

2. We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

3. We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.

4. We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

5. We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedation and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgements are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.

6. We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker."

The remaining verses (7-12) will be located in next Sunday's Sabbath post.

Thanks for visiting!

Line-item Veto. What is it? Where did it go?

Remember when President Bush spoke frequently regarding the line-item veto? What is a line-item veto? What became of the attempt to get that through Congress?

"In government, the line-item veto is the power of an executive to nullify or "cancel" specific provisions of a bill, usually budget appropriations, without vetoing the entire legislative package." -- Wikipedia

Did you know that power of the line-item veto has not actually been given to anyone except for a brief time with Reagan and then Clinton since the American Civil War in 1861. It was ruled unconstitutional in 1998. The line-item veto is a tool that is currently available for use by most U.S. governors.

"Ronald Reagan said to Congress in his 1986 State of the Union address, "Tonight I ask you to give me what forty-three governors have: Give me a line-item veto this year. Give me the authority to veto waste, and I'll take the responsibility, I'll make the cuts, I'll take the heat." Bill Clinton echoed the request in his State of the Union address in 1995." -- Wikipedia

Why has there not been an amendment to the constitution? Wouldn't the line-item veto be a prudent measure with the deficit that our country is currently producing? Wouldn't the line-item veto be a wise amendment to implement to get our country's economy back in balance?

The programs that get inserted into important bills that cause them to be vetoed ("Pork"), that tend to be placed in those bills because of lobbyists, would not get through with a line-item veto constitutional amendment. Therefore, my guess is that it won't get passed, even though it is an important amendment to get our country back on its feet.

"The President was briefly granted this power by the Line Item Veto Act of 1996, passed by Congress in order to control "pork barrel spending" that favors a particular region rather than the nation as a whole. The line-item veto was used 11 times to strike 82 items from the federal budget by President Bill Clinton." -- Wikipedia

Click here to see a history of line-item vetos.

In 1996, President Bush discussed the option of the line-item veto.

"...I'm proud to be here with John McCain ... we agree... that this country needs to have a line-item veto...

...The cornerstone of our policy has been to keep taxes low...the more money a person has in their pocket, the more likely it is this economy is going to grow. We trust people to make the right decisions on how to spend, save, and invest...

...You'll hear people say, let's balance the budget by raising taxes....They'll raise your taxes and figure out new ways to spend your money...

...A line-item veto would be a vital tool that a President could use to target spending that lawmakers tack on to the large spending bills. That's called earmarking...a lot of times, the earmark doesn't fit into the priorities that have been sent through the budgetary process. A lot of times earmarks are inserted into bills at the last minute, which leaves no time, or little time, for debate....Earmark sponsors are often not required to provide their colleagues with a reasoned justification for proposed spending...

...the number of earmarks has increased from about 3,000 to 13,000 over the last decade...I'm proposing a way to help deal with this problem. And that way is to pass a line-item veto...

...the Supreme Court struck it down because they concluded that it unconstitutionally permitted the President to unilaterally change a law passed by the Congress...And so we proposed the following type of legislation: When the President sees an earmark or spending provision that is wasteful or unnecessary, he can send it back to the Congress. And Congress is then required to hold a prompt up or down vote on whether to retain the targeted spending. In other words, the Congress is still in the process...

...I think it makes sense, no matter who the President may be. I think it makes sense for a Republican President to have a line-item veto, and I think it makes sense for a Democrat President to have a line-item veto." -- White House

The line-item veto only made it through the House. It was halted at the Senate by Senator Harry Reid and other Democratic Senators.

"Democrats have lost their enthusiasm for a modest line-item veto. "Make no mistake, this line-item veto authority would grant tremendous -- and dangerous -- new power to the president," said Sen. Robert Byrd, who supported a similar measure 12 years ago." -- The Drudge Report

"Some Members claim the item veto is a power grab by the executive branch. But it’s more accurate to say that it would restore some of the Presidential power that Congress stole in the 1970s. The budget act of 1974, passed over a weakened President Nixon, stripped the executive of the power to impound funds—that is, to refuse to spend. Presidents going back to the republic’s early days had used such authority." -- The American Conservative Union

The line-item veto was rewritten and sent through as the "Second Look at Wasteful Spending" amendment to make it more constitutionally sound and spread out the "power" so that the U.S. Congress would be deeply involved in the process, so the President wouldn't have all of the power to completely veto the earmarks, as they would get re-submitted to Congress.

"What this Second Look at Waste amendment does is allow the President on four different occasions to send back to the Congress a group of what would be earmarks in most instances for the Congress to vote on again. And essentially say to the Congress, those items which were buried in this great big bill, those specific little items, they should be reviewed, and Congress should have to vote them up or down. Congress then, by a majority vote, must vote on whether or not it approves those specific spending items. And that’s called enhanced rescission. It is not a line-item veto. A line-item veto is where the President can go in and line-item out a specific item and then send it back to the Congress, and the Congress by a two-thirds vote must vote to override the President’s proposal to eliminate the spending. In this instance, the Congress retains the right to spend this money if a majority of the Congress decides to spend the money in either House.

So as a practical matter, it’s a much, much weaker, dramatically weaker proposal than what is known as the line-item veto, which passed here in the early 1990’s and was ruled unconstitutional. It has been drafted in a way so it has been tracked very closely the language by Senator Byrd back in 1995 and was then called enhanced rescission. " -- The Hill Blog

The person who is responsible for the amendment is Senator Judd Gregg. The amendment would be made to The Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act of 2007.

Senate Republicans describe the measure as, “The holy grail for porkbusters."

Read on…

Sen. Gregg’s office put out the following information about the amendment.

"A Second Look at Wasteful Spending would help to restore fiscal discipline that the Majority Leader seeks, by giving the President the opportunity to force Congress to take a second look at wasteful spending - including both discretionary spending and new mandatory spending – as well as targeted tax cuts. Under the amendment:

• The President can send up to 4 rescission packages per year.

• Congress would be required to fast track the President’s recommendation within 8 days.

• Unlike the previous 1996 line-item veto proposal, A Second Look at Wasteful Spending requires Congressional affirmation of the President’s rescission package.

• Savings from rescissions passed by Congress must be used for deficit reduction.

• The authority sunsets after 4 years – giving Congress the ability to evaluate merits of rescission authority after President Bush and his successor have had the opportunity to use.

The amendment has nearly 30 Senate co-sponsors and is supported by the White House and a large number of business and fiscal watchdog organizations. (emphasis in original)

A senate source e-mailed to inform that negotiations were then ongoing between the Democratic leadership and Senators McConnell (R-KY) and Gregg over the amendment. Apparently the negotiations were not fruitful for the Democrats as Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) appeared on the floor to announce that there would not be a vote on the Gregg Amendment. Sen. McConnell responded by making it clear that the objection to the vote came from the Democrat caucus. Sen. McConnell also noted that the Democrats similarly objected to provisions in last year’s ethics package, ultimately killing the overall measure by voting against cloture. Sen. Reid’s devastating riposte was to explain that the disagreement was not about the substance of the amendment, you see, but was over the time allotted for debate. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) chimed in by complaining that last year’s cloture vote on the ethics bill was taken after only one amendment and the Democrats have allowed consideration of 12 amendments to the current bill.

Earlier in the week, Republicans threw the Senate into chaos when they defeated a motion to table Sen. Jim DeMint’s (R-SC) amendment to S. 1. The DeMint amendment simply inserted the same rules on earmark disclosure into the Senate bill that had been approved by the Democratic House. When a vote on the amendment was finally held, it passed 98-0.

The fact is that Democrats object to the Gregg amendment and the DeMint amendment because they aren’t really against earmarks. They only wanted to campaign on the issue, not actually do anything substantive about it. Now that they are in the majority, they want all the perks of office; and that includes easier access to taxpayer dollars for their constituencies and their re-election chances. But feisty Senate Republicans are not letting them have their pork and eat it too. So, Sen. Reid, Sen. Durbin and the rest of the Senate Democrats are obstructing their own bill and explaining. And, as we know in politics, when you're explaining, you're losing." -- Red State

The amendment was blocked by the Senate Democrats.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell issued the following statement on Wednesday after the Senate Democrats blocked U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg’s A Second Look at Wasteful Spending amendment from coming to a vote:

“I’m disappointed that our Democratic colleagues promised a new way of working together, yet blocked a commonsense fiscal measure designed to do just that. Twenty Democrats currently in the Senate supported a similar measure when it was proposed in 1995, yet today they refused to allow even a simple yes-or-no vote.

“Americans demanded reform and we owe it to them. If we are going to continue to pass real reforms, must put politics aside and get to work.” -- Senator Mitch McConnell

As for the future of a line-item veto-type measure, including amendments, there is no future at this time.

As for the vote of President-Elect Barack Obama, his vote was "Nay".

"On the Cloture Motion S.Amdt. 101 to S.Amdt. 100 to H.R. 2 - To provide Congress a second look at wasteful spending by establishing enhance rescission authority under fast-track procedures."

"Cloture Motion Rejected (49-48, 3/5 majority required)"

Nay -- Obama's Voting Record

Are We Blindly Becoming a Marxist Nation? Think Outside of the Box.

This information is from the Gateway Pundit



"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," he said Wednesday. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."

Unfortunately for America, Barack Obama's security plan is already practiced.
Not in America but in Marxist regimes. Gusano at Babalu grew up with a civilian national security force... in Cuba:

Basically, what Obama is talking about is creating a Committee for the Defense of Liberal Ideology and Political correctness funded by a half trillion taxpayer dollars. National Security for this crowd is not about stopping terrorists from killing our children. National Security means to teach our children to understand the terrorists and their motivations so that our children can learn how to live their lives submissively so as not to offend the sensitivities of the very sensitive America haters.

Their version of National Security is to force you to act for the common good of society and not in your own best interest. Since this goes against human nature, the half trillion dollar “Civilian National Security Force” will have to force Americans to change their nature and create a new citizen that is self sacrificing and collective in nature-an ant-like new man, like Che's and Fidel's new man.

This concept is eerily similar to the Castroite CDR block snitch network that I grew up with only better funded and more ideologically pure.
*********
Unfortunately, this was not the only time that the now President-Elect discussed this security force plan.

The following is from American Thinker.com


Barack Obama's recent words to promote his image as Community Organizer in Chief were not about forming a paramilitary force of volunteer brown shirts. They were about turning America into one, giant, community organizer's sandbox at enormous cost to taxpayers.

Senator Obama was nearly 17 minutes into his July 2 speech ... in Colorado Springs, Colorado when he deviated from his pre-released script and performed without the teleprompter net saying,

"We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

The immediate context for that amazing statement was a preview of parts of his plan to vastly expand community service opportunities for Americans of nearly all ages. He said,

"People of all ages, stations, and skills will be asked to serve."

... In his campaign document entitled "The Blueprint for Change: Barack Obama's Plan For America," Obama's "Service" section runs a close second to "Education" in complexity. But, with his Colorado Springs' statement, it grabbed first place in its projected costs to taxpayers. Obama did the cost projection himself.

He plans to double the Peace Corps' budget by 2011, and expand AmeriCorps, USA Freedom Corps, VISTA, YouthBuild Program, and the Senior Corps. Plus, he proposes to form a Classroom Corps, Health Corps, Clean Energy Corps, Veterans Corps, Homeland Security Corps, Global Energy Corps, and a Green Jobs Corps. ...

So it made sense in Colorado Springs when he said his call to community service "will be a central cause of my presidency." He couldn't be clearer in signaling his intentions, including a Social Investment Fund Network to link local non-profits with the federal government.

The entire plan is breathtaking in its scope. ...

Senator Obama aims to tap into the already active volunteerism of millions of Americans and recruit them to become cogs in a gigantic government machine grinding out his social re-engineering agenda. I...In his speech he said,

"Now I know what the cynics will say. I've heard from them all my life."

...he means to marshal volunteers for social service and economic equality while saving the environment.

"Because the future of our nation depends on the soldier at Fort Carson, but is also depends on the teacher in East LA, the nurse in Appalachia, the after-school worker in New Orleans..."

...But ultimate national security requires someone to carry, and, if necessary, discharge a deadly weapon with intent to kill. ...

Voters haven't paid much attention to his "Service" plan because the old news media has ignored it. ...When Obama said that the "civilian national security force" would be just as "well-funded" as the Armed Forces, he stepped squarely into the giant sandbox and played with the big numbers. As the late Carl Sagan said, "billions and billions" of dollars.

... Senator Obama has never managed an organization larger than a Senate staff, or that of a law school publication. And, he's never operated a for-profit business or been responsible for any profit center within one. So, while words matter to Senator Obama, it's not clear if math means anything to him at all.
*****
Still more about this interesting, yet disturbing idea from CNS News

...Just five days later, the July 7 issue of Defense News published an interview in which Obama elaborated on his goals.

“I believe we can reconfigure our civilian national-security force. We still have a national security apparatus on the civilian side, in the way the State Department is structured and USAID, that hearkens back to the Cold War,” Obama said.

“We need to be able to deploy teams that combine agricultural specialists and engineers and linguists and cultural specialists who are prepared to go into some of the most dangerous areas alongside our military,” he said.

Such proposals sound either like the creation of new programs or the expansion of existing ones, said Brian Darling, director of Senate Relations for the conservative Heritage Foundation.




“He clearly leans toward the diplomacy side in world affairs,” Darling told CNSNews.com. “Foreign aid, agriculture aid, using federal tax dollars to buy a country’s affections is one element of diplomacy. But I hope he realizes that having a strong military is another form of diplomacy.”

A similar theme was repeated when Obama gave a speech entitled “A World that Stands as One” in front of 200,000 Germans in Berlin.

Obama called himself a “citizen of the world,” and said,

“The burdens of global citizenship continue to bind us together. A change of leadership in Washington will not lift this burden.

“In this new century, Americans and Europeans alike will be required to do more – not less. Partnership and cooperation among nations is not a choice; it is the one way, the only way, to protect our common security and advance our common humanity,”

he added.
*****
While I agree that more citizens of this nation need to involve themselves in the happenings of daily life and volunteer for service instead of lazying in front of the TV, becoming a Marxist nation is not part of the American dream.

Do we blindly follow our United States President? Or do we become involved in solutions to the problems infecting our great nation?

Do we submit ourselves to whatever the government attempts to submit us to? Or do we think of opportunities to create better options?

Yes, we live according to the laws of this great land. However, in order to help our country become what it once was, or even better, we need to be actively involved in solutions, instead of lazily expecting hand-outs, instead of passively going through a funnel vision of a routine throughout our daily lives.

Get involved! Volunteer in your community! Think of ideas that can become solutions for more people than just yourselves! Think outside of the little box you call your home! Become a positive partner in the Universal Energy that is becoming more and more negative! Make a difference!

What is Executive Privilege?

"In the United States government, executive privilege is the power (reserve power) claimed by the President of the United States and other members of the executive branch to resist certain search warrants and other interventions by the legislative and judicial branches of government. The concept of executive privilege is not mentioned explicitly in the United States Constitution, but the Supreme Court of the United States ruled it to be an element of the separation of powers doctrine, and/or derived from the supremacy of executive branch in its own area of Constitutional activity." -- Wikipedia

The Supreme Court confirmed that there is a qualified privilege. "Once invoked, a presumption of privilege is established, requiring the Prosecutor to make a "sufficient showing" that the "Presidential material" is "'essential to the justice of the case.'"(418 U.S. at 713-14)...executive privilege would most effectively apply when the oversight of the executive would impair that branch's national security concerns."

"In 1796, President George Washington refused to comply with a request by the House of Representatives for documents which were relating to the negotiation of the then-recently adopted Jay Treaty with Great Britain. The Senate alone plays a role in the ratification of treaties, Washington reasoned, and therefore the House had no legitimate claim to the material. Therefore, Washington provided the documents to the Senate but not the House."

"President Thomas Jefferson continued the precedent for this in the trial of Aaron Burr for treason in 1807...

During the period of 1947-49, several major security cases became known to Congress. There followed a series of investigations, culminating in the famous Hiss-Chambers case of 1948. At that point, the Truman Administration issued a sweeping secrecy order blocking congressional efforts from FBI and other executive data on security problems...

During the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954, Eisenhower used the claim of executive privilege to forbid the "provision of any data about internal conversations, meetings, or written communication among staffers, with no exception to topics or people." ... In the end, Eisenhower would invoke the claim 44 times between 1955 and 1960.

The Supreme Court addressed 'executive privilege' in United States v. Nixon, the 1974 case involving the demand by Watergate special prosecutor Leon Jaworski that President Richard Nixon produce the audiotapes of conversations he and his colleagues had in the Oval Office of the White House in connection with criminal charges being brought against members of the Nixon Administration. Nixon invoked the privilege and refused to produce any records....the Supreme Court rejected the notion that the President has an "absolute privilege." The Supreme Court stated: "To read the Article II powers of the President as providing an absolute privilege as against a subpoena essential to enforcement of criminal statutes on no more than a generalized claim of the public interest in confidentiality of nonmilitary and nondiplomatic discussions would upset the constitutional balance of 'a workable government' and gravely impair the role of the courts under Article III."

In 1998, President Bill Clinton became the first President since Nixon to assert executive privilege and lose in court, when a Federal judge ruled that Clinton aides could be called to testify in the Lewinsky scandal...

Later, Clinton exercised a form of negotiated executive privilege when he agreed to testify before the grand jury called by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr only after negotiating the terms under which he would appear. Declaring that "absolutely no one is above the law", Starr said such a privilege "must give way" and evidence "must be turned over" to prosecutors if it is relevant to an investigation...

President George W. Bush first asserted executive privilege to deny disclosure of sought details regarding former Attorney General Janet Reno, the scandal involving Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) misuse of organized-crime informants James J. Bulger and Stephen Flemmi in Boston, and Justice Department deliberations about President Bill Clinton's fundraising tactics, in December 2001...

Bush invoked executive privilege "in substance" in refusing to disclose the details of Vice President Dick Cheney's meetings with energy executives, which was not appealed by the GAO. ...

"The history of liberty is the history of resistance...a history of the limitation of governmental power."--Woodrow Wilson

"Once executive privilege is asserted, coequal branches of the Government are set on a collision course. The Judiciary is forced into the difficult task of balancing the need for information in a judicial proceeding and the Executive’s Article II prerogatives. This inquiry places courts in the awkward position of evaluating the Executive’s claims of confidentiality and autonomy, and pushes to the fore difficult questions of separation of powers and checks and balances. These 'occasion[s] for constitutional confrontation between the two branches' are likely to be avoided whenever possible. ...

...on June 28, 2007, Bush invoked executive privilege in response to congressional subpoenas requesting documents from former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor...

...On July 9, 2007, Bush again invoked executive privilege to block a congressional subpoena requiring the testimonies of Taylor and Miers...

"The land of the free, and the home of the brave." -- Francis Scott Key

On July 13, less than a week after claiming executive privilege for Miers...claimed the privilege once again, this time in relation to documents related to the 2004 death of Army Ranger Pat Tillman. In a letter to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Fielding claimed certain papers relating to discussion of the friendly-fire shooting “implicate Executive Branch confidentiality interests” and would therefore not be turned over to the committee...

On August 1, 2007, Bush invoked the privilege for the fourth time in little over a month, this time rejecting a subpoena for Karl Rove.

As of July 17, 2008, Rove is still claiming executive privilege to avoid a congressional subpoena. Rove's lawyer writes that his client is "constitutionally immune from compelled congressional testimony."



Source:
Wikipedia.org

May God Bless America

By now, the whole world knows that Obama is the next President of the United States of American.

Now that the country has made her decision, we must all come together with respect for the person who has won the election. There may be differences of opinion regarding programs and regarding character, but there is one uniting outcome. That uniting outcome is that we will all be governed by the same president. Another uniting outcome is that we must all live by the law of the land.

May Barack Obama create unity, prosperity, and not poverty. Pray that the newly elected officials will make decisions that are best for our country and remember the United States Constitution in the process, that we may not lose what our Founding Fathers worked so hard to create, that we may continue to enjoy the freedoms that many take for granted, that we may all be privy to the idea of the American Dream.

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government." -- Thomas Jefferson

To McCain and Palin, let's give our best wishes and general sympathetic condolences for a campaign that was strong and fought hard. They did an amazing job and are both amazing people. May them and their families enjoy some time off and may the universe grant them influence where they can be most useful from this time forth.

"America was established not to create wealth but to realize a vision, to realize an ideal--to discover and maintain liberty among men." -- Woodrow Wilson

May God bless America.

Did you know?

Question: What is America 's first line of missile
interceptor defense that protects the entire United States ?

Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard.


Question: What is the ONLY National Guard unit on
permanent active duty?

Answer: 49th Missile Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard


Question: Who is the Commander in Chief of the 49th Missile
Defense Battalion of Alaska National Guard?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska


Question: What U.S. governor is routinely briefed on
highly classified military issues, homeland security, and
counter terrorism?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska


Question: What U.S. governor has a higher classified
security rating than either candidate of the Democrat Party?

Answer: Governor Sarah Palin, Alaska


According to the Washington Post, she first met with McCain
in February, but nobody ever found out. This is a woman used
to keeping secrets. She can be entrusted with our national
security, because she already is.

Ignorance and Freedom.

"If you expect people to be ignorant and free, you expect what never was and never will be."
--Thomas Jefferson

Great Election Bumper Sticker!

With only one day left before we know who will be the new U.S. President, this is just an awesome bumper sticker...



"I'll keep my God, my freedom, my guns, and my money. You can keep THE CHANGE".
******************************Vote for McCain/Palin***********************************

Sabbath Day, November 2, 2008, Bibilcal Humor

IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIBLICAL HUMOR

ONCE IN A WHILE....

Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth?
A. Ruthless.

Q. What do they call pastors in Germany ?
A. German Shepherds.

Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible?
A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation.

Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?
A. Pharaoh's daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible?
A. Jehovah drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden in a Fury. David's Triumph was heard throughout the land. Also, probably a Honda, because the apostles were all in one Accord.

Q.. Who was the greatest comedian in the Bible?
A. Samson. He brought the house down.

Q. What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden ?
A. Your mother ate us out of house and home.

Q. Which servant of God was the most flagrant lawbreaker in the Bible?
A. Moses. He broke all 10 commandments at once.

Q. Which area of Palestine was especially wealthy?
A. The area around Jordan The banks were always overflowing.

Q. Who is the greatest babysitter mentioned in the Bible?
A. David. He rocked Goliath to a very deep sleep.

Q. Which Bible character had no parents?
A. Joshua, son of Nun.

Q. Why didn't they play cards on the Ark ?
A. Because Noah was standing on the deck. ( Groan...)