Roebuck Rantings

My American Credentials

2010-07-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

My earliest ancestors on both sides of my family immigrated lawfully, legally into the American colonies. My 5th and 4th paternal great-grandfathers were patriot soldiers in the American Revolutionary War. Both of my great-great-grandfathers were Confederate soldiers in the War Between the States. My paternal grandfather was an Army infantryman in WWI. My father was a US Marine during WWII. My uncles wore various uniforms of the USA. My father-in-law and his ancestors also wore various uniforms of the USA and served in various conflicts all the way back to the Revolution. My nephew has served two terms in Iraq and is currently in Afghanistan. Though I have never served in the military, I tried to enter several times and was turned down due to medical disqualifications. I have voted in every election since I turned 18 and feel it my obligation, my duty, and my privilege to do so in honor of my ancestors and all like them who fought to insure that I could vote. These are my credentials as an American, a tax-paying citizen of the United States.

Thanks for the Insult

2010-07-12T04:25:00.001-07:00

Am I the only one who is bothered by email messages that I don't ask to receive which end by telling me to pass it on to someone else? Especially the ones that sound like chain mail saying that if I forward it wonderful things will happen, but if I don't, then watch out.

I think I am intelligent enough to know whether or not the unrequested email has any merit or is WORTH sending to someone else. I don't need the anonymous author telling me, even scolding me, about sending it to everyone else in my address book.

Usually, I simply delete all messages that tell me to send it on (or tell me to do anything else, as if I am not intelligent enough to figure out what to do without being told). Occasionally, though, I do decide to send a message to someone else. But the first thing I do is delete all the forwarded addresses. Then I delete the ending, which tells the recipient to forward it or something else. If the story or anecdote has merit, it will stand on its on and does not need any commentary by me or anyone else, much less a scolding about forwarding it. Now all this takes time, at least a few minutes. But, if the piece really has merit, and if I think enough of the recipients I intend to send it to, then surely a few minutes of time to "clean it up" are worth the bother.

So, if you have an urge to hit forward and send me something from your email in box, please first delete all the headers with dozens of email address that I don't want or need. And please correct all spelling and punctuation. And please deleted the ending that tells me what to do with the story. Then, if I think it has merit, I will thank you for it, and possibly send it to someone in my address book.

Miracle (and other overused words)

2010-04-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

I guess we all have pet peeves. One of mine is people overusing or misusing words. I think if I hear one more person on TV describe something as surreal, I'll gag. I doubt that any of them has ever looked up the word in the dictionary. Likewise with "hero" and "miracle." Don't get me wrong, I believe there are heroes, and I do believe in miracles. But I usually cringe when I hear such words used because they are used incorrectly. The sad thing is that we cheapen such terms by their overuse and misuse. Take for example the word "miracle." A true miracle is a supernatural phenomenon. That is, something that supersedes (I don't like the word violates) the laws of nature.

For example, the jet that "landed" in the Hudson River. The whole incident was dubbed by the news media as "The Miracle on the Hudson." I simply ask, "What law of nature was superseded?" When jet engines shut off, jet planes fall out of the sky. And that is exactly what this one did. Ah, but here is where we can correctly use the term "hero". The pilot used all his training and experience to do exactly what he was trained to do, glide that jet to a skidding landing. And he did so perfectly. Personally I believe God enabled him to do it. But still no laws of nature were superseded in the process. Had the plane kept flying without engines, then a true miracle would have occurred.

People--even Christian people--get angry with me for saying this. They think I'm robbing God of some glory by saying it was not a miracle. No, no. I give God all the glory. As I said, I believe it was God's good grace and providence that overshadowed Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, whether or not he acknowledges it (I haven't heard him say one way or the other, and that's not my point). All I'm saying is that no law of nature was superseded. These aircraft are made to float (if passengers don't panic and open doors, as was the case in this incident). So, even the fact that the plane didn't sink before every person was rescued is not a true miracle. But still an act of God's grace, none the less.

All I'm saying is that if we label things as miraculous when they are not, we cheapen the word and do God no favors. Finding my keys that I lost in the grass while mowing is not a miracle. It is an act of God's grace, perhaps in answer to my prayer, but no law of nature was overcome.

Raising the dead is a true miracle. So is walking on water, calming a violent storm with a spoken word, and multiplying a few small fish and biscuits to feed thousands. There are other examples in the Bible besides these (creation, incarnation, resurrection for example). I doubt that it will happen, but I sure hope that Christian people will not buy into the world's watered down, cheapened definition and use of the word miracle. Or the word hero.

My Good Deed

2010-04-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

I was leaving the hospital, crossing the street, when an elderly woman pulled her car into the cross walk very close to me and asked where she was to go for surgery. She said she was looking for the front entrance. Spartanburg Regional has over a half dozen "front" entrances. The light changed, traffic began moving, I'm in the middle of the street and have not a clue where to send this woman. So, I pointed to a nearby driveway to one of the "front" entrances. She pulled away and I continued on to my car. Then my dear mother came to mind. I thought, "Why didn't someone come with that woman?!" I got my car and went to where I had sent her. She was sitting there in her car. I asked if anyone had helped her and she said, "No." Then I saw a security guard. I asked her to come see if she could help the lady. She told her where she needed to be, and fortunately I knew the place. I told the woman to follow me and I would take her to that "front" entrance. When we arrived at that area, another security guard was waiting for us with a parking place close to the door. She took control of the situation so I drove on. I didn't get to speak with the woman again, but I felt sure she would be taken care of. I think my mother is smiling down at me. I would have wanted someone to do as much for her.

Lowest of the Low

2010-04-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

I have what some might consider a morbid hobby. I catalog old cemeteries, and locate graves by request. I am a member of FindAGrave.com. When someone requests a photo of a grave marker in a cemetery in my zip code, I get an email from FAG (I know, I don't like the acronym either). When I go to locate this grave, I often find damage by vandalism. I recently visited two vandalized cemeteries that particularly bothered me. One was in Cassville, Georgia (once the largest city between Nashville and Savannah, Cassville was the cultural center of North Georgia before the War Between the States. Read more here: http://www.notatlanta.org/cassville.html). The damage here was particularly heart breaking because of the unusually high number of Confederate soldiers buried here, including a general (for more look here: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mnwabcw/30.htm). The vandals cracked and broke in crypts. They turned over markers and large uprights. They marred, defaced, and defiled a sacred place. There must be an especially hot portion of hell for such wicked people.
The other vandalized cemetery I recently visited is Oakwood in Spartanburg, SC. This cemetery is majestic. There are huge monuments and family crypts and mausoleums. Obviously Spartanburg's elite and wealthy are buried here. But there is also a pauper's field, and even it was damaged. Again, the wicked pranksters upset and overturned huge obelisks and ornate stones, breaking many in the process. Besides the thousands of dollars it will take to cleanup and correct the damage, there is the theft of solitude and sanctuary, dignity and honor. Who would do such a vile thing? Animals do not behave this way. Only wicked, fallen, depraved, twisted, perverted, sinful human beings. I pray the guilty will confess their crime and seek forgiveness from God and the community, lest they die and enter eternity with this guilt upon them.
Here is one stanza from an old poem that expresses what I feel:
He sleeps ~ what need to question now
If he were wrong or right?
He knows, ere this, whose cause was just
In God the Father's sight.
He wields no warlike weapons now,
Returns no foeman's thrust ~
Who but a coward would revile
An honest soldier's dust?

O.P.T.

2010-04-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

We're all familiar with the acrostic OPM. It's what all the financial gurus tell us will make us rich: Other People's Money. Well, it hasn't worked for me. But what I want to address is OPT. I have over 27 years of experience in this matter. And quite frankly, I'm sick to death of it. We own property in Cherokee County, Georgia, which we visit about twice a year. While there one thing that I have done on every visit home since 1983 is take two huge plastic bags and pick up all the trash that people have thrown out on my property. Other People's Trash (OPT). Almost daily here in SC I pick up trash thrown out of passing cars onto the church property. Almost every Sunday morning I pick up beer cans or bottles. I don't know what goes through the minds of those who do this, whether is it ignorant thoughtlessness or maliciousness. After dinner last evening my wife and I went for a walk at a private garden that is open to the public. It is beautiful and lush, but kept up by volunteers. As we came to the center, there were four muddy napkins on the ground. It appeared that someone stepped off the path and got their shoes muddy. So they produced these four napkins and cleaned off their shoes, but just left the napkins there on the ground. Why? Do such people think the world is their trash can? In the 27 years we have owned the property in Georgia, I must have picked up a ton of beer and soda cans or bottles, along with fast food bags, Wal-Mart bags, household garbage, you name it. If I threw any of this in the yard of any one of those persons, they would probably want to fight me over it. I've never done anything to them, yet they not only feel free to trash my personal property, but all along the road above and below my property as well. When God created man (Adam) and placed him in the pristine garden (earth), He commanded him to keep the garden, not to trash it. Yet trash it is exactly what man has done. I just don't get it. Why can't people dispose of their trash properly? Did I mention dirty baby diapers dropped in parking lots? Or chewing gum spit all over public sidewalks? OPT, I hate it.

Dandylions

2010-03-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Just who decided that dandylions are weeds? I've been down on my knees for three days digging these things out of my lawn before they bloom, and there are about a million left yet. If we just all decided that they are beautiful and very desirable, then we wouldn't have to waste all this time fighting them. Some folks go the poison route. That is more expensive and more harmful to the environment (but less harmful to the knees!). Some people eat the greens, I'm told. But I have neighborhood dogs who use my yard as their potty, so I think I'll pass on the salad, thank you. Now, where did I put that liniment?

Help, Help, I'm Speeding & Cannot Stop!

2010-03-16T13:45:00.000-07:00

Let's be totally honest here. I can understand an 80 yr old getting confused in a parking lot and jabbing the gas instead of the brake. But a 61 yr old on an interstate who can call 911 and when told to shift to neutral replies that he can't do that and hold the phone at the same time. Gimme a break. I'm 60+ also and have driven for a long time, including a number of vehicles. In fact, I own a Toyota (albeit not a Prius). The first and most important thing anyone learns when beginning to drive is how to stop. You hit the brake, right. And if the brakes don't work for some reason (and in the old days they often didn't), you slowly (or even quickly as the case may dictate) pull up or step on the "emergency" brake (now called the parking brake). If that doesn't work, and if you haven't done so already, switch off the engine. Now, that means your power equipment will fail. Your windows won't roll down, your GPS may go blank, and your steering may be hard as the dickens. But there will be no more power to the drive train. Period!

Now one lady testifying before congress said she did all that, but her Prius kept accelerating. In fact, this lady said she did something that I don't believe. She said she put the car into reverse and nothing happened. Again, I don't know about this Prius, but most cars with automatic transmissions will not go into reverse while going 60 or 70 or 110 or whatever she claimed she was doing. There is a lock out mechanism. And if she managed to somehow override that and jammed that thing into reverse, either it would have a secondary fail safe mechanism that would have the same effect as putting it into neutral (no power to the drive train), or . . . she would go hurling through the windshield at the same velocity as the vehicle as the drive shaft twisted like a pretzel reversing direction.

But back to the 61 year old California man who can't talk on the cell phone and put the gear into neutral at the same time. When I first heard that story, I said to my wife: "I do not believe that for one second." And now, a lot of other people don't either. Hey, Toyota may have a problem with electronic peddles, and I surely don't want any vehicle that doesn't have mechanical gas and brake peddles (whose insane idea was that?), but they don't need people "piling on" and kicking them while they are down. The 61 year old California man who couldn't stop his car says he isn't going to sue Toyota, but he had a lawyer with him on TV, and lawyers only get involved in things like this for one reason, and it isn't public relations.

If Toyota has a problem, then they ought to fix it. If people have been hurt or killed, then Toyota ought to pay, if at fault. But if people are lying and making false claims for whatever reason, then they ought to be exposed and punished also.

Culture of Death

2010-02-26T12:10:00.000-08:00

In last Sunday's Spartanburg Herald-Journal (Feb. 21, 2010) an Opinion Editorial by Susu Johnson called for SC state lawmakers to invest more state money for "family planning" because 75% of pregnancies are "unintended". Ms. Johnson says, "We support the S.C. Legislature's restoration of state funding for family planning services in FY 2011 because it is fiscally prudent and good for our state's economy to do so." Translation: "Let's kill more babies for the convenience of irresponsible and ignorant teens and adults."

If human beings want to behave like animals, then maybe we need to begin a state sponsored spaying and neutering program.

Determination

2010-01-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

This is a story I heard told many years ago about an incident that happened even more years ago. It was told by a man who says to this day that almost everything he knows about life he learned from his grandfather who raised him.

One day, near where he lived and farmed, Grandpa discovered the trunk of a fallen cypress tree in the backwaters of the Pearl River near Picayune, MS. Grandpa decided he wanted that cypress log. But it was mired securely in the muddy bottom of the swamp. He went to the barn to harness Rufus, his trusty mule. The grandson, a cousin and a friend saw Grandpa hitching up the mule and asked what he was going to do. Being a man of few words, but great determination, Grandpa said he was going to pull a cypress log out of the swamp. So, the boys went along to watch.

When they all arrived at the backwaters and the boys saw the size of the log and its location in the muck of the river bed, they began to laugh and tell grandpa he would never get that log out. Grandpa ignored them while he positioned the mule and cinched two logging chains around the fallen tree.

He checked his work, then the harness, then patted the mule, stepped to the side with the reins in hand and said, “Pull, Rufus.” The mule tensed and immediately obeyed his master’s voice. The chains snapped taunt as the animal stepped forward in the collar. But nothing happened. The boys on the bank began to laugh and slap their knees. Grandpa ignored them. He pulled back slightly on the reins and the mule took a step backward. Then Grandpa yelled, “PULL!, Rufus”

The mule instinctively knew by both his first effort and the sound of his master’s voice that more effort was required. He stepped forward and slammed against the collar with such force that the cinches and reins snapped like gun shots. He pulled against the dead weight of the water-soaked log stuck fast in the mud, the ground beneath his feet giving way to his own massive weight. But the log did not move. The boys on the bank howled and rolled on the ground.

Grandpa said, “Whoa, Rufus.” Then he backed the mule a step or two and again checked all his tack. He and the mule stood there a moment and then both took a deep breath. Grandpa snapped the reins and yelled, “PULL!, RUFUS, PULL!” The massive beast lunged against the collar, its legs bent against the incline of the river bank, its hooves dug in, its belly almost touching the ground, its neck arched, its eyes bulged, its nostrils flared and the boys would later swear that smoke came out of them. And then they heard it, that unmistakable sucking sound of something being freed from the mud. “Pull, Rufus, Pull,” Grandpa yelled as he snapped the reins, and the mule took a step forward. Then another. And inch by inch that massive waterlogged cypress trunk slid up onto the bank.

Rufus and Grandpa both won the life-long respect of those boys that day. I don’t know what Grandpa did with that cypress log, but the boys slapped ole Rufus and bragged on that mule to the day it died. Grandpa smiled. Obviously the grandson still remembers his grandfather long after he was gone, too. I think Grandpa still smiles.

Perhaps we could all learn something about determination and teamwork. Grandpa knew the ability of his mule and wasn’t about to harm that valuable animal. But he also knew that no mule is going to pull a log out of a swamp on its own accord without some direction and encouragement. The Lord is like that. He knows our abilities, and He will not cause us harm. But sometimes He hitches us to a job that needs doing that we would not have done on our own, and convinces us we can do it. It may mean scraping our knuckles and even dragging our belly on the ground. But when we succeed, we will have won the admiration of those around us and brought glory to our Father in heaven. So, when you think you've done your best, but it isn't quite enough to get the job done, listen carefully. You just might hear, "Pull, Rufus, pull!"

If it was the Rapture, we missed it!

2010-01-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, January 15, 2010, my wife and I went to bed about 10:20 P.M. We were both restless and I recall looking at the clock shortly after eleven before we fell asleep. But I was awakened sometime after midnight by the smell of smoke. My wife is in the habit of taking a heating pad to bed, and we had a humidifier running. So, I got up to check them to make sure they were not overheating. Then I opened the bedroom door and detected no smell of smoke in the rest of the house. By now my wife was up with a flashlight. We went to the front door and opened it slightly to sniff. That was it. The outside air was heavy with smoke, and I recalled earlier seeing our neighbor across the street burning leaves. We surmised the furnace was pulling in the smoky air from outside and went back to bed.

Before we could resume sleep, however, we suddenly became aware of a very bright light. I thought my wife had shined her flashlight at me for some reason, and I covered my eyes and said, “What’s that?!” She said she didn’t know. By the time I opened my eyes the light was gone. I jumped up and looked outside to see if a car had turned around next door, but there was no vehicle in sight and we hadn’t heard any vehicle sounds. I quickly went to each side of the house looking out of dark windows to see if I could seen anyone outside. There was no one.

The building next door has security lights on three corners of the building, but the one closest to our bedroom window has not worked for a long time, and it still was not working when I looked outside. The next day I went next door to ask the people who work there if anyone had been there late the night before who possibly could have turned on that light momentarily. They said the light has no switch; it’s a dusk to dawn automatic light, but they had not repaired it when it quit working since they had two others and they knew it shined into our bedroom window. I thanked them for that thoughtfulness, but again wondered aloud where that bright light could have come from in the middle of the night. I’m sure those men laughed when I left. But it’s still a mystery.

All I can say is, if it was the Rapture, we missed it! But I know that wasn’t the case, because my wife is still here. I might miss it, but she surely will not. So, that’s not what it was. Any guesses?

A Few Reminders

2010-01-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

I offer a few suggestions I have learned over the years. No great wisdom here, just reminders to those who tend not think about these things until they are needed:
1) always have an alternative heat source for emergencies (kerosene, propane, vent free gas logs, etc.), a fireplace beats nothing, but not by much unless you have an insert;
2) always have at least a half tank of gas in vehicles (I lived through the so-called gas shortage in the 70s in Hawaii where there are NO refineries. Since then my gas tanks never, ever get below half-full), it's also very good to keep five to ten gallons of gasoline in proper storage cans, especially if you have a gas powered electric generator (and if you do, please know how to use it properly so you don't electrocute the power company guys working on the lines);
3) always have enough food & water on hand to feed your family at least a week (and don't cheat, but rotate it);
4) keep a flashlight by the bed of every member of the family & keep it fresh (tell the kids not to play with them; they are not toys);
5) at least once practice getting out of the house in case of fire, especially if you have young children; and remember smoke alarms are for adults, children sleep through them;
6) do not waste good money on fireworks; watch someone else's money burn. Instead use what you would have spent on fireworks to do the other items above.

Manhattan Declaration

2009-12-05T04:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may not be aware of the Manhattan Declaration I submit the following news item and the link to read the document itself. I am always leery of signing things which are signed by religious leaders I would not ordinarily align with (such as Pentecostals and Roman Catholics), but when you are in a foxhole with enemy bullets flying overhead, you don't ask questions that divide, you protect one another's survival. Obviously the drafters and signers of this document feel that Christianity in the United States is nearly, if not already, in the foxhole. I have said for quite some time that the erosion of national morals and ethics is troublesome and sad, but when the government begins to legalize and protect behaviors that God clearly condemns, and to punish those who oppose and resist such legalization, then the USA has invited divine judgment. Clearly we have a president and a congress and two political parties that have forsaken the time-honored foundation upon which this nation was formed, namely, basic biblical theism. Simply stated, as Paul wrote in Romans 3:18, "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

I urge you to make yourself aware of this document by reading the following article and clicking over to the Declaration itself to read it. This will take some time. I am not asking you to sign the document. That is something you will have to decide. I have not signed it . . . yet. But I may. I certainly agree with what it says. One can hold these truths without signing, but obviously the drafters and signers hope to impress the opposition with large numbers of signatures. That is yet to be seen. Ask yourself this question, "If I knew that signing this document would place me and my family in jeopardy of reprisal (official or otherwise), would I sign it?" Here's the article:

Religious Leaders: Civil Disobedience OK to Protect Faith

Saturday, November 21, 2009 2:52 PM

A formidable coalition of 150 Catholic, Orthodox, and evangelical leaders is calling on Christians in a new manifesto to reject secular authority — and even engage in civil disobedience — if laws force them to accept abortion, same-sex marriage, and other ideas that betray their religious beliefs.

On Friday, these leaders released a 4,700-word document, titled the "The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience," which calls on Christians to engage in civil disobedience to defend their doctrines.

Those signing the document ranged from evangelical leader Chuck Colson to two of the leading Catholic prelates in the United States, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, D.C., and Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York.

The document also blasts the Obama administration, saying that social ills have grown since the election of President Obama, an abortion rights advocate, along with an erosion of what it calls "marriage culture" with the rise of divorce, greater acceptance of infidelity, and the uncoupling of marriage from childbearing.

The project is aimed at instilling social conservative beliefs in a new generation of believers, Colson said.

"We argue that there is a hierarchy of issues," he told The New York Times. "A lot of younger evangelicals say they're all alike. We're hoping to educate them that these are the three most important issues" – abortion, marriage, and religious liberty.

"We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them," says the declaration, which was drafted by Colson, an evangelical, and Princeton University professor Robert P. George, a Roman Catholic.

The declaration lists the "fundamental truths" as the "sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty."

"Throughout the centuries, Christianity has taught that civil disobedience is not only permitted, but sometimes required," says the document, which cited civil rights icon Martin Luther King and his willingness to go to jail for his beliefs.

"Because we honor justice and the common good," it states, "we will not comply with any edict that purports to compel our institutions to participate in abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide or euthanasia or any other anti-life act; nor will we bend to any rule purporting to force us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality and immorality and marriage and the family."

George and other signers backed off from specifically defining what civil disobedience may entail. Wuerl's office played down the civil disobedience wording, saying he wasn't urging Catholics to "do anything specific," his spokeswoman, Susan Gibbs, told The Washington Post. "That wasn't something we had talked about."

"We certainly hope it doesn't come to that," said George, who told The Washington Times that he has represented a West Virginia resident who has refused to pay a portion of her state income tax that funds abortions. "However, we see case after case of challenges to religious liberty," such as compelling pharmacists to carry abortifacient drugs or healthcare workers to assist in abortions, he said.

"When the limits of conscience are reached and you cannot comply, it's better to suffer a wrong than to do it," he said.

Unveiling the declaration Friday, Wuerl appeared at a news conference in the District of Columbia even as the church was considering a city-proposed compromise on its same-sex marriage measure.

He and other church officials say the bill would require faith-based groups like Catholic Charities to extend benefits to married same-sex partners, thus forcing Christians to abandon their religious liberty. On Friday, Catholic Charities of Boston halted adoption services rather than comply with state law and allow children to be adopted by homosexual couples.

Other signatories to the document include Cardinal Justin Rigali, outgoing chairman of the U.S. Catholic bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities; Pentecostal leader Harry Jackson, pastor of a Beltsville church; evangelical activist Tony Perkins; and National Association of Evangelicals President Leith Anderson.

Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, told Newsweek the point of the Declaration is really to avoid mistakes of the past, such as when religious leaders did not stand up early enough against no-fault divorce, which he says led directly to the breakup of families and high divorce rates.

“I’m a former police officer, and I have hard time with civil disobedience, but if it comes to the point where our religious liberty is at risk, I’d not only participate but would encourage people to resist.”

The leaders are urging the public to sign the online document. [End of article]

Now, if you aren't tired of reading or bored with all this, here is the link to the document itself: (you may have to copy & paste to your browser)

http://demossnews.com/manhattandeclaration/press_kit/manhattan_declaration_signers

Wasted War Efforts

2009-11-06T04:52:00.000-08:00

America (more particularly certain American presidents in hopes of leaving some lasting legacy for history) has declared war on drugs, poverty, illiteracy, AIDS, sickness and terrorism, to name a few. How are these wars going? Well, they are long-lasting and very expensive, but so far we are losing on every front. And I predict the war against global warming is a lost cause before it even gets out of the box. But, like the other social wars before it, the bottom line is the bottom line. Too many already rich and powerful people stand to gain even more riches and power through these ill-fated war efforts.

Recently I walked the halls of a local elementary school. The walls are covered with essays, drawings, poems, photo projects about global warming. This is thoroughgoing brain washing. Teachers are telling these little kids that they are helping the planet survive by drawing their little pictures. Wouldn't you draw some stick figures if you believed it would help save the planet? "Well, teacher said . . . ." And teacher doesn't lie . . . does she? Well, it's not a lie if you believe it. And they obviously do believe it, though I can't fathom why educated people are falling for this. But I can't believe they embrace evolution either. But again, you don't get government grants to teach creation. Indeed, you can't get a job in higher education unless you embrace the official state religion, which also now includes the doctrine of global warming.

Take the former Vice President, Al Gore. He didn't do too well as a politician, but he has seen the light. He put his political life in a lock box and became an evangelist of the state religion with a specialty in planetary prophecy: "Doom lies ahead unless you repent of your sinful carbon-producing ways!" Well, he won a million bucks from the egg heads that give away Pulitzers. And now we are told that he has invested heavily (with federal grant money, by the way) in "green" industries (probably because he knows this stuff will be forced upon us) and stands to become a billionaire [see: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/6491195/Al-Gore-could-become-worlds-first-carbon-billionaire.html]

The war on sickness (AKA Health Care Reform) is no different. This national health care thing just may be the proverbial straw that breaks the back of the American camel. In the meantime, however, lots of people stand to become very rich and powerful. I'm just not sure what they plan to do with their riches and power when America grinds to a halt, or worse finally falls into the hands of Islamofacists.

The Beginning of the End

2009-09-24T14:53:00.000-07:00

Whenever the United States has an enemy without--someone out there or over there who poses a threat to our security and future existence--we are willing to fight for our survival. But what I fear in the current political climate is the enemy within. Even with all the protests at the grass roots, we as a nation seem willing to simply forget the past, happily dismiss all that our predecessors fought and died for, and embrace a pragmatic philosophy that promises to give all of us everything we will ever need. It's a lie, a pipe dream, a mirage. I fear the USA is on a downhill slide toward socialism and the generation under 40 is glad to have it.

Card Games Reprieve

2009-09-16T04:35:00.000-07:00

In fairness to Ingles Supermarkets, I must report that persistence has paid off. Why should that surprise me? Christ said, "Ask and it shall be given unto you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." Okay, so I sought for the lost card and could not find it. I knocked at (emailed) Ingles and asked them to please check the card to see if it had been used and if not, simply cancel it. First, I didn't think they would do that; and second, I figured that surely after the passing of this much time the card was zeroed out. But today I received an email from Ingles saying the card had NOT been used, and it has now been canceled and they are sending me a new replacement card with the correct balance on it.

I have to tell you that I was floored. I honestly didn't think this would happen, but it did. So, kudos to Ingles and especially the woman who went to bat for me, whose name I will protect here but you can bet I'm writing to Ingles corporate office to commend her.

Morale: Good things still do happen (often after bad things). So, pray, seek, knock, ask, then look for the silver lining. Granted, it doesn't always turn out like this, but when it does, enjoy it . . . and share it (which I have).

Card Games

2009-09-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

I think I've had it with all the grocery store cards. I have all these things dangling from my key chain so that I can get the best price at the grocery store. Hey, we all know what this is really for, they are keeping track of everything I buy and every nickle I spend. They know when I shop, how often I shop, where I shop and how I pay. For years my wife and I have bought our gas at Ingles Super Markets because (you guessed it), if you buy another card (in this case a prepaid gift card), you get a reduced price.

The gift card industry has netted millions for those who sell them. This is cash in the bank for them whether the cards ever get used or not. And that's the whole idea. I can't tell you how many restaurant gift cards I have in a drawer with too little left on them to buy anything, but the seller gets the left over funds. Indeed, they already have it. Did you ever wonder how many of these things get lost or stolen each year? Oh I know, they tell you treat them like cash, but can you really treat them like cash? I can't fold them neatly into my wallet, and I hardly have room for them in the card slots because they're full of the store cards and other credit cards.

Recently, I purchased an Ingles gift card for gas purchases. It was actually my wife's card and I was renewing it, as we have done for years. But somehow, between the cash register and the car, I lost that card. I panicked. I searched myself, all around me, and in the car. I retraced my steps to the register and asked if, indeed, I was given the card. They took my receipts and looked at the security camera video and saw the cashier hand me the card and I put it into my pocket. Fine, so how about canceling the purchase? I mean, here I stand without the card. Here are the sales slips and charge receipts with all the ID numbers on them, and the transaction is only minutes old, so cancel it before someone tries to use that card. No deal. They're not responsible.

Look, I believe in personal responsibility. I know that if I lose my wallet, it's my own fault. And technically, if I lose a credit card that, too, is my own fault. BUT, the credit card company WILL cancel that card and not hold me responsible for any charges made on it after I lose it. That's part of the beauty and safety of credit cards (unlike debit cards, which unfortunately work like gift cards--like cash). And that's my whole beef with this prepaid gift card business. I think I have decided after this incident that I am through with the card games. Good old cash works just fine. And if some store wants to charge me a few cents extra for paying cash, I guess that's the price I pay for not shuffling all these ridiculous cards anymore. I'm tired of jumping through their hoops, yet when I make a mistake, they just stand there and look at me, offering no help or even any sympathy. Like the government, they say they are doing this to help me, to give me a break. Right. Look, I carry your store card anyway, and I buy the gift/gas card with a credit card, so if you REALLY want to help ME and do ME a favor, then let me simply scan my store card at the pump and pay with my credit card and bypass the whole buying another card business? We all know why.

Boy, this was an expensive lesson to learn. And to whoever found my lost gift/gas card, I hope you really needed it. You could have turned it in, since I believe it was lost inside the store. But that is really asking a lot these days. Sad.

Medicaid Blues

2009-09-04T02:16:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a friend with Parkinson's Disease who recently had to move into a nursing home and who is now faced with unbelievable financial stress, I wrote the following lyrics for a "County Song". I do not read or write music, although I have a tune in my head, I have no way of indicating to the reader how that sounds. So, if you can, imagine your own tune as you read the following. But my prayer is that you never have to face what this song describes.

Medicaid Blues
Sittin' here in the nursin' home, wonderin' what to do;
Mama's gotta give the house away, 'cause she don't have a clue;
The government says, "We'll pay the bill, but here's what you must do:
"You gotta give it all away."
"You gotta give it all away: your house, your coat, your car---
"All you worked for all your life, and the change in the old fruit jar.
"You can't keep anything for yourself, you won't need it anyway,
"'Cause the government's gonna care for you 'til you just fade away.

I wonder how long a man can last when hope and pride are gone?
Never thought I'd be sittin' here, singin' this poor man's song,
But life can take some crazy turns, and the next turn may be you.
The government says they'll pay the bill, but here's what you must do:
You gotta give it all away: your house, your coat, your car---
All you worked for all your life, and the change in the old fruit jar.
Can't keep anything for yourself, you won't need it anyway,
'Cause the government's gonna care for you 'til you just fade away.

Never had a thing I didn't earn earn, I never took one red cent;
Always had enough to feed the kids, and enough to pay the rent.
Now times are hard and cash is scarce and I'm a little short, it's true,
But the government says they'll pay the bill, here's all I have to do:
I gotta give it all away: my house, my coat, my car;
All I've worked for all my life and the change in the old fruit jar.
Can't keep anything for myself, I won't need it, so they say,
'Cause the government's gonna care for me 'til I just fade away.
Yes, the government's gonna care for me 'til I just fade away.

(c)2009 J Ray Bobo

Obama Sensitivity & Media Bias

2009-08-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

I can't help but wonder what the liberal media would be saying if it was George W. Bush taking his daughters all over the place having the time of their lives at tax payer expense while the rest of the nation is suffering the worst unemployment rate since the great depression. I can't blame Barry for wanting to show his girls a good time (all three of them) while he has the chance, but I just can't believe the hypocrisy of the press who look on approvingly and uuu and ahh about how sweet it all is. We all know exactly what they would be doing if it were 43: going for the juggler with eyes flashing and fangs dripping. Makes me sick.

Speaking of sick. I think we the people ought to terminate the benefit program for our employees, namely, all current and former members of congress and senators. These folks ask for money to get elected, then get to keep what left in their campaign fund when they retire at full pay for life with 100% medical insurance at tax payers expense. Does that make you feel like it does me? It would be one thing if these folks did something really heroic and earned such benefits, but in truth all they did was get elected and voted themselves these benefits. And they have the audacity to rail at the Wall Street tycoons, auto execs and oil company chiefs. Sick!

Cable TV is a BIG Ripoff

2009-08-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

An elderly woman I know (and I'm not spring chicken!) asked me to help her with her TV. It seems that she had cable and they told her she needed to get a new digital TV. So, she went out and got one (not cheap). Then they told her she needed a set-top box (a fancy converter so they can charge more). They came out and installed this without asking them to; said they "had" to. Then it began showing up on her monthly statement. I disconnected that thing and rescanned her set and she gets all the stations she wants; picture is good, sound is good, she just can't buy X-rated movies (poor thing, how will she ever survive?). Boy, what would we do without our government? I mean they sell off the VHS bands without asking us, the people, who supposedly "own" the air above our nation, then they force us to buy converter boxes or new TVs so we can watch the new UHS signals. They tells that if you are already getting cable, then you don't need to do anything; the signal you will receive will already be converted and your TV will work. But, the cable companies figure out how to scramble things anyway and tell this lady she needs a new digital TV, and then she needs a new set-top box (high-tech unscrambler) to use that new TV. Lies! All lies. I unhooked that box and put the cable connection directly into her TV and she gets all the stations she wants.