As the Christmas season winds towards the holiday, we are busy beyond belief at the Postal Service. If the amount of parcels being sent to friends and family is any indication, the economy is doing well. The following is a special is a tongue in cheek release from the Postal Service:

USPS HIRES SPECIAL CONTRACTOR FOR DEC. 24. PR Newswire reports USPS has contracted for a special carrier to deliver packages on Dec. 24. “This special carrier has no particular knowledge of ZIP Codes, but has an uncanny ability to recognize chimneys and other features on the homes of worthy children he knows by first names,” said USPS Public Affairs and Communications V.P. Azeezaly Jaffer. “Historically, this is one of our heaviest package days of the year. We wouldn’t want to do it without the extra help from him.”

Azeezaly Jaffer is known for his responses to incorrect information, op-ed and news articles in the print and sometimes broadcast media. His informative responses can be found at "Setting the Record Straight" on the award winning USPS website.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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KESQ NewsChannel 3 Palm Springs, CA: Would-be bombers volunteer to attack Americans, Israelis: "200 young men and women gathered at a cemetery in Iran today to pledge their willingness to carry out suicide bombings against Americans and Israelis" The extended article in the Lexington Kentucky Herald-Leader, titled "A Calling To Kill," (available only by purchase) had a picture of a man "blessing" his daughter, covered in a burqa, as she made her vow of death.

As long as young adults and children are willing to lay down their lives, and their parents approve and enable them, civilized society will find it difficult if not impossible to eradicate terrorism.

Personal note: I've been out of commission, and will generally remain so, for a while. The Post Office goes crazy this time of the year, as you can well imagine. Seven day work weeks take their toll and leave little for these kind of endeavors. I hope to resume regular posts after the beginning of 2005.

School's Carol Rule for the Grinch?: "Last year, when students in the chorus sang Christmas songs at holiday concerts, a few people complained that lyrics about the baby Jesus or angels made non-Christians feel left out. So, the music director for the New Jersey district issued an edict that all songs representing any religion were to be avoided."

Principal Sorry for Reading 'Prayer' Poem: "Maryland public school students are free to thank anyone they want while learning about the 17th century celebration of Thanksgiving — as long as it's not God."

Students Free to Thank Anybody, Except God: "A high school principal apologized Monday for reading a poem called "The New School Prayer" over the school's intercom, which brought complaints from some parents who said it violated the principle of separation of church and state."

It seem every year now at Christmastime these stories begin to flood us. At this time of the year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, who came to live and die and be a substitute for man's deserved punishment, many wish to forget it is He whom we are celebrating

So what do all these stories have in common? They silence speech because it is Christian in nature. Were these stories about anyone of any other religious persuasion being restricted in expression that reflected their beliefs there would have been an outcry from the ACLU and other "separation of Church and State" groups complaining about restriction of free speech.

However, when an incident involves expression of a Christian nature, it's "forbidden" and should never see the light of day. It seems to me there is a real desire among the "elitist" to suppress Christianity, while letting other religious belief have free reign. Why is this? Is it perhaps because they sense there is truth and reality in Christianity and feel threatened by the Truth of the Son of God?

Perhaps they feel that if they suppress it, it won't be true and they will not find themselves accountable to the Jehovah God of the Bible. I'm afraid they will find that just as "sticking one's head in the sand doesn't stop the sandstorm," neither does ignoring God make His Truth go away.

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Rob Long on Churches and Hillary Clinton on National Review Online: "and of course, I always take time to worship God in as evangelical a way as is feasible, given time and location constraints. As you know, I consider myself an evangelical Christian, really a Christian conservative, if you want to know the truth," so said Hillary Clinton in a church interview.

If I didn't know better I might expect to see her sitting in the pew next to me next Sunday. Actually, I would hope to see her there and pray that she might find forgiveness and a real relationship with God. While, I can't sit in judgment of her spiritual life, her actions speak much louder than her words, and her actions have been decidedly contrary to the teachings of Christ. If she is a believer, she is one in much need of discipling.

I suspect that Hillary's words are not words of testimony of a life changed by the love of God, but declaration with one eye (maybe both) towards the 2008 presidential race. Having seen the impact of the Evangelical vote, though I think the impact was not nearly as strong as others may indicate, she is doing some early stumping.

Lessons from the liberal campaign play book, "be all things to all people."

Perhaps she should look instead to the conservative (aka George Bush) playbook, "be real and true to yourself."

But, were that the case I suspect she wouldn't find herself doing a church interview, much less in a church.

Heard a story today about Kerry supporters who are having trouble accepting his loss. Statements such as, "this is the end of America" or "America will never be the same" are their mantra of despair.

The Boca News reports this phenomena among shocked south Floridians is called “post-election selection trauma” or PEST and the American Health Foundation is capitalizing on it. The are setting us group therapy sessions to assist these people. An AHA psychotherapist said he thought it was temporary and would fade as they adjust to reality.

OK. I would have to question whether the people in question ever did have a grasp on reality. One thing for sure, these members of the senior set apparently bought into Kerry's scare ads. Maybe they should send him the bill for their sessions.

Better yet, maybe they should secure a good tort lawyer and go after the Kerry/Edwards campaign for pain and suffering compensation for all the fear they foisted on these unsuspecting folk.

All I can say is, don't worry folks, this election may be a bump in the road, but many scientists, theologists, and sociologists believe that the universe and society is on a steady course from order to chaos. A clear headed look around the world will confirm this theory through simple observation.

While the election of George Bush may temporarily slow this process, it won't stop it and sooner or later you will get someone with your belief system in the office of the President and the race to chaos will continue headlong. And you will find that, yes, America will not ever be the same, chaos results in destruction, that is what you are longing for.

We can only pray that we arrive at that point later than sooner.

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Our local Post Office just sent off packages to Iraq. The target unit was one manned by the son of a friend of another military mom at our office and the response was great, as you can see in the photo.

The time is getting short for sending these packages to have them arrive in time for the holidays, but you can still do it if you act quickly.

Not sure what to send? No problem, there's a website I just became aware of called "Any Soldier." Not only can you learn what kind of items to send, you can locate soldiers to send to. Be sure to check the important rules for sending and follow them.

If putting together your own package is not an option, you can have the good folks at "Treat Any Soldier" put it together for you and ship it too! They will even insert a personal note from you. How much easier can it get to do something special for a lonely soldier serving in a foreign country?

Care packages not your thing? We've compiled links to several great sites where you can donate airconditioners, heaters, unused accumulated frequent flyer miles, phone cards, or even show love and appreciation to a soldiers love ones left behind. It's all on "Supporting Our Troops".

Take time today to think about someone who is making sacrifices for you and your freedom. Support a soldier and/or his family for the holidays.

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Finally, Part 4 of this weeks after action on the November 2nd elections.

Healthcare, we have the greatest healthcare system in the world. The demands put on the providers, researchers and companies by the public for answers to the medical problems we have, to ensure longer life, has driven them to find many of those answers, but at a cost. Research is expensive, providing care is expensive...and litigation over unrealized expectations is expensive. We have hard choices to make. Government healthcare is not the solution, that only provides a false sense of security by transferring the payment system to a bureaucratic system and in the process increasing taxes exponentially. The solution is to be found at the core of what we expect from the providers, and are we willing to pay, no matter who the conduit of payment is? Healthcare at any price will produce one outcome for sure, very expensive healthcare.

International Relations, what is the place of the United States in the world? We have been given, with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the awesome responsibility of being the giant among nations. We must lead; we must take hard, careful positions in the world community. We must listen to that community, but we must not let them dictate our policy nor our response. We must temper our response with compassion and understanding, yet never fail to address wrong where it is found. Does that mean a military response? Not necessarily. We cannot, nor should we, always be the world’s policeman, nor should we ever be the wimp.

The Economy, government has a responsibility to stay out of the way of the economy, to allow businesses to do what they do best, while keeping a careful eye on those rare unscrupulous operators who would take advantage of the less informed. Intervention should be rare, not the normal, accepted course.

Jobs, the only jobs government, including Congress and the President, creates are government jobs. I.e. Jobs paid for by taxes taken from the taxpayers. Government must take its reigns off business and the economy and allow job growth in the areas where it does the most good for the country, in the private sector.

The War on Terror and the war in Iraq, despite the claims of the left, these are intricately tied together. The terror imposed by Saddam on the Iraqi people is but a reflection of the terror the Islamic Fundamentalists wish to impose on all of us. Saddam's support of Palestinian terrorism through payments of, reportedly, $25,000 to the families of those who died committing terrorist acts against Israel served to fuel more terrorism in that nation. Saddam's off and on programs to either produce or accumulate the materials and equipment to produce terrorist weapons was a threat to the rest of the world and would have remained so with what we now know to be the assistance of the French, Germans and Russians. Terrorism is the scourge of our time and will remain so as long as those who wish to do us harm maintain that mindset. Their history, long as it is, tells us they will not change, they will not negotiate, they don't want our acquiescence, they wish our destruction.

So, are these neat little statements the answer, certainly not. From the outset I stated the answers are complex. However, these along with the values issues mentioned previously, from a conservative viewpoint, are the abiding principles that must guide the decisions our country makes. Certainly we must discuss these and other issues, but the discussion must center on the issues, these ideas if you will, not on personalities.

America is a country founded on the principle that all are created equal. That means we all have value, regardless of which corner of the political spectrum we arrive from. Therefore we must consider the common good for all citizens of this nation when political decisions are made. Does that mean all will agree? No, but it means that if we don't agree we send our elected leadership to find consensus. If they fail we come together at the polls, not the firing lines, to find a new direction.

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On this Veterans Day I wanted to break from the ongoing essay of the past few days and take time to honor our military veterans who have served, sacrificed and died that we can enjoy the freedoms we have here in the USA.

We are so blessed to be able to speak freely, to travel where we wish, to worship as we please and to pursue our dreams. This is possible because men and women have served in our military to preserve and protect those freedoms.

To those who have put on the uniform of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard, and all those now serving both regular, reserve and National Guard, thank you for your gift to me and the rest of America.

Without your service, it is possible even these words would not be possible.

May God bless you and your families, and may God bless America.

I received the lyrics to a song written by Jerry Calow, A Tribute to Veterans. The lyrics to the song have been posted on our website, please take time to read the words and if you appreciate their message, write Jerry and let him know.

Tomorrow, the final installment of this week’s ramblin’s on last week’s election and the reaction of the left.

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Part 3 of 4....thought I'd better break up this last piece.

Continuing the discussion of the reaction of the left to last week’s election. While values were cited in exit polls a being the most important issue, and this was extrapolated by the left to mean Evangelical Christians, whom the left thinks have no interests other than values, were the deciding factor in the election. However, values are only a part of the issues of interest to Christian and were not the only reason voters turned to the polls is record numbers.

The important point the left misses is that our values are what drive our viewpoint of all the issues. We see all the major concerns of our day in the light of the struggle of mankind, the importance of the individual, of a compassion that brings dignity to people and that the citizen, not the government, should be the final decision maker for those areas that impact him.

Among the issues of concern by conservatives, Christians, and yes, those Evangelicals, were security, taxes, Social Security, healthcare, government spending, international relations, the economy, jobs, the "War on Terror" and the war in Iraq. Christians are not a mono-focused group who view the world in light of a single issue. Rather, we view the world in light of the values we have learned from scripture and struggle to live in our own lives.

Are all these issues in neat little packages, easy to articulate, easy to discern, easy to fix? Certainly not. Most are very complex, requiring much thought and forethought, a careful plan, and tremendous insight. To answer the questions of policy facing our country one must look beyond the simple, easy and popular "fix" for the better, usually more complex, slower to implement but more permanent answers.

The left leans towards a quick "fix" to peoples problems. Throw money at it, give a welfare check, food stamps, farm subsidies, increase educational funding, more scholarships for higher education, make people feel better about not meeting expectation, or better yet, lower the standard. The left relies on appeasement and handouts; the right looks to empowering individuals to achieve their best.

Security, yes we must secure our nation from threats from with out and within. This is the primary function of our government as implemented by the constitution.

Taxes, we must simplify the tax system. It is designed to give politicians power over the people by giving tax breaks to those in favor, or increase taxes on others to curry favor. Taxes must be held to a minimum to allow the individual to choose those goods and services he will support. Not to have artificial supports put under businesses that otherwise would fail excepting government’s involvement. The former is capitalism, the latter is socialism. Our nation became great because of the principles of capitalism. The Soviet Union fell under the burden of socialism.

Social Security, the system has to be overhauled. We are on a collision course, acknowledged for decades, with a collapse of this boondoggle legacy of the Great Depression.

Final, for sure, tomorrow.

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Part 2 of what has now become 4

There are, believe it or not, those within the Republican Party who do not believe in God, nor have made Him Lord of their lives. There are those in the Republican Party who's moral character is questionable, whether by Christian or human standards. However, as of this time, the party as a whole exhibits a policy and platform that, while not perfect, is a much closer fit to the Christian worldview than that of the Democrat party.

What the Democrats fail to understand is that the values concern of Christians is not about saying the words, if that were the case Christians would have been pretty much on board with Bill Clinton. He was, and remains, good at talking the talk. What Christians look for is substance behind those words. Does the individual really live what he speaks? Knowing we are all struggling with our sin nature, we strive to bring our thoughts and desires in our own lives into conformity to that of Christ, and look for leaders who do the same. When we find them, they get our attention.

Is George W. Bush perfect? Hardly, none of us are. But Christians believe he is striving towards that perfection as he strives for a closer relationship with Christ. And we see that relationship in his worldview, in his policies, in his compassion. That is something the Democrats cannot duplicate because it comes from the heart, not from intellectual strategizing.

So, now that Conservatives, and Christians, have won a victory in this ongoing political struggle between left and right, where should we go? One thing is to not rest on our laurels. To not bask in the euphoria. The left has not conceded this struggle, they have lost a battle, they will not give up the war. They will come back with entreaty, with talk of compromise, with an olive branch to try and deceive the "heart and soul" of America back to their side. That cannot, nor should not happen unless there is a major shift of policy, agenda, platform and principle in both parties. I do not see that happening.

Remember, the "elitist intellectuals" of the left will never concede their claim to knowing what is best for the "Walmart crowd,” the "Southern rednecks," the "ignorant." I can see the probability that the left will begin a quiet response to this election that may well lead to a more cunning campaign to deceive conservatives and Christians alike. A campaign that could lead to marginalization, disenfranchisement and, in light of Scripture, the beginnings of a persecution of the church in America.

Does that sound defeatist? I hope not. While I do not look forward to that kind of treatment in this, or any nation, I cannot forget the prophetic warnings of scripture. The thought of such a response should not lead us to despair, but to prayer. We should see any struggle as an opportunity of draw closer to God, to solidify our relationship with Him.

Christians must remember is that this election, any election, is only of this world. No matter which way the political winds of the nation may blow, we must never stop praying for our nation, her leadership and those who would destroy her. The power of prayer will always win over the power of politics. While politics may change policy or temporal circumstances, prayer is an act that changes the hearts of men.


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I've been unable to do much in this space in the past week due to other concerns and honestly, exhaustion. I’m making up for my absence though, once I started writing I couldn’t stop so this will come in three parts. The final week before the election saw historic increases in the volume of political mail which gets pushed to the front of the delivery cycle because of the time value of it, and most importantly to the management structure, because should large amounts fail to get in the voter's hands prior to their going to the polls it could create a firestorm from those who failed to get the nod of the electorate.

But that season is over, at least for another 3 years when it begins again. However, I've noticed there is something else beginning in the rhetoric we're hearing from the left. In the hours immediately following the determination of the winner, the left, the intelligencia, the elitists, began an assault on the Christians, specifically the Evangelicals, of this country, "blaming" them on the re-election of George W. Bush. It seems the left views moral values, as cited by many as their most important issue, as being resident in only those right-wing radicals, the Christians.

We were demagogued in the media as the "Walmart" crowd (Sam would be proud), the ignorant, and the uninformed. Clearly there was among the pundits for the left the beginning of a movement to marginalize the Christian vote while attempting to de-legitimize the election of President Bush. Perhaps even, the beginnings of a behind the scenes attempt to disenfranchise the Christian vote in the next election.

What the left has failed to realize is that the morals issue is,
a) Not an issue limited to Christians
b) It is not the only issue important to conservatives, Christian or not.

This election was a call for the continuation of a strong American policy in our relationships with foreign nations, a call for decisive leadership, a call for leaders of strong character. The majority of the voters in this election voted in favor of leadership who place principle over polls, strength over appeasement. While we may not agree with all that President Bush has done in his first term, we believe he has done what he believes is right for the country and we admire his courage to stand resolute in the face of those who denigrate his character, rail against his policy and impugn his faith. Conservatives could not, nor would not imagine our country eviscerated by a policy of a "global test" trumping the good of the nation.

As the visceral rage of the left gave way to political calculation, a softer, more "introspective" voice began to make itself heard. Kirsten Powers articulated this Sunday morning on Fox News' Fox and Friends. Discussing the election, Ms Powers said that Democrats did not get their message across to the voter. She said that Democrats do believe in God, they do think morals are important. I do not doubt there are Democrats who believe in God. Nor do I doubt there are Democrats who have made Him Lord of their lives. I don't doubt there are Democrats who are moral people. The question is not the beliefs of the individual; it is the beliefs, moral stand and policies of the party.

Part II tomorrow.

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In their speeches, Kerry's concession and President Bush's acceptance, they spoke of "finding common ground" now that the election is over. Many of the pundits and observers echoed the sentiment.

Then there was CA Representative and House Minority Leader Democrat Nancy Pelosi. In her comments she continued to dig at the Bush and Republican record listing her grievances. As for common ground, she stated flatly that they would stand their ground. In effect saying, "the only common ground is our ground," issuing a challenge.

The Democrat vice-presidential candidate in his remarks talked of continuing to "fight the battle" they began. Over and again he vowed that they would carry on their message of bridging the "two Americas."

Bush spoke of "one America, one Constitution, and one future that binds us." Vice-president Cheney spoke of "a tremendously uplifting experience."

There is an obvious difference in the former candidates view of America. Bush sees hope and a bright future. The Democrats see a dark and stormy future, one filled with fighting and anger.

My prayer is that the Bush vision prevails. My worry is that the Democrats will work feverishly to thwart Bush's acuity and expectancy.

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George Bush has won the election, and won resoundingly. With 51% of the popular vote and by a margin of 4 million votes, he has won decisively. The Democrats touted loudly Bill Clinton's wins in 1992 and 1996, however, he won those elections with a popular vote of 43% and 49.1% respectively. Certainly not resounding victories.

The question now is...will the Hollywood elite, George Soros, Michael Moore, et al, now listen to the name of their organization and...Move On. We'll have to wait and see if they're big enough to do so.

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I voted today for George W. Bush and America, have you?

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Still undecided, John Kerry has a position on every side of the debate. Check out this "commercial" (2MB MP3). Vote Bush!

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There are lots of letters and reports circulating the internet about President Bush's personality and compassion. Questions always arise, "is this real, or is it just someone's imagination?"

The following have been verified as true.

An Encounter with President George W. Bush at Church in Washington, DC

Bruce Vincent's Meeting with President Bush and Prayer for Vincent's Step- mother

President Bush Fulfilled a Promise to Jog with a Wounded Vet

Now ask yourself the question, "Who do I want representing me to the world?"

Do you want someone who is full of the bile that has been coming out of the Kerry/Edwards candidates and their wives? Or someone who is truly in touch with people and their personal needs, and is willing to give of himself to them?

Who would you want to be like in your relationships with others? Kerry? Or Bush?

Who would you trust to really want your best interests?

Vote Bush.

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Even man's best friend knows the right thing to do with the Kerry/Edwards rhetoric. Do you?

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We have 3 amendments on the Florida ballot Tuesday that need very close scrutiny.

On amendments 3, 7 and 8.

I am reluctant to amend the constitution with legislative issues. There are times when it is almost forced on us, but generally it is a bad idea. i.e. the "bullet train" (Amendment 1 in 2000) that forces billions in state funding regardless of resources, potentially reducing funding to discretionary but necessary state funding or 2002 Amendment 10 that established the "proper housing" of pregnant pigs. We are trying to repeal the ill begot "bullet train" amendment this year with a "Yes" vote on Amendment 6.

Amendment 3 will not limit access to litigation for those who feel they've been harmed a medical practitioner. It will limit the amount of compensation an attorney can take out of the jury award to 30% of the first $250,000 and 10% of the amount above that, plus expenses. This will in effect increase the amount the injured party can keep.

This is an issue that should have been addressed in the legislature but repeatedly has not. If the bonanza of medical litigation is not controlled in Florida, it will have the effect of increasing costs to the practitioner, costs that will be passed on to the patient.

The trial attorneys are against this because it will directly affect the amount they can demand from the litigant. In effect, it could reduce access, but only because the attorneys will think twice before taking an incident to trial if they are only, for instance, going to get $100,000 plus expenses instead of the currently more common $175,000 plus expenses in a case where the award is $500,000. They are going to make sure the case is strong to commit their time to instead of taking the "splatter against the wall and see what sticks" theory of litigation. Vote "Yes"

Amendments 7 and 8 were initiated and promoted by Florida trial lawyers who have raised almost $44 million to push this to ballot approval.

Amendment 7 "Patients Right to Know" concerns me because while the patient has a right to know, they need to have good, complete and full information. This amendment would seem to throw all information out there, without investigation or understanding of the circumstances, for the public, most of which are uninformed on medical issues and unable to seriously analyze the information. Face it, our education system fails to teach students how to critically analyze data, this results in poor decisions.

The reality is that there is much information available online about the Florida Department of Health web site. Information about practitioners is in a searchable database on the MQA Practitioner Profile page

The FMA asserts this amendment will put raw, un-investigated information before a public that often has little understanding of medical practice, who may very well react adversely to information that is incomplete and perhaps even wrong. It will, in their estimation, serve to limit if not eliminate the peer review process because practitioners will be reluctant to post information on incidents that will be available to the public before it is investigated.

In criminal justice the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty, this will have the affect of allowing an uninformed public to presume guilt without opportunity of investigation, defense or explanation.

The bottom line question is, "why do the trial lawyers want this?" It's my contention they see it as a way of increasing fear and distrust among the public towards medical practitioners, resulting in more business for them and increasing medical costs to the public. Vote "No"

Amendment 8, " Public Protection from Repeated Medical Malpractice," would portend to protect the public from physicians who repeatedly practice bad medicine. In practice, it puts in place a "very low bar" that will ensure that, regardless of the degree of the incident, whether is results in loss of life or a disagreement over treatment modalities, if the physician is charged with a 3rd incident of malpractice, he/she will be barred from practice in the state.

Sounds good? Certain specialties are very high risk, neuro-surgery, trauma and ob/gyns for instance. In all areas, but especially the high risk areas of medicine, doctors are going to be reluctant to set up practice in a state they are at extreme risk of losing their license for reasons that are at the very basis of their practice.

High-risk medicine means high exposure to this amendment, they will look more favorably to other states to practice medicine. Patients will lose as practitioners choose to go elsewhere, limiting doctor choice and resulting in increased costs for those who remain. Those costs will be passed on to the patient who's cost of medicine will escalate even more.

The Florida Board of Medicine Disciplinary board is ranked number 1 in the nation for the percentage of licensed physicians disciplined. We already have stringent review and discipline of physicians and this information is available to the public. So why do the lawyers want this?

Remember, John Edwards made his millions suing ob/gyns in North Carolina, there's lots of money to be made for the trial lawyers. Won't this limit their pool of doctors to litigate against as the bad ones leave?

This, in my estimation, is a reaction to Amendment 3. If lawyers’ income per incident is limited by law and made more reasonable by layman’s standards, they are going to want to create a loophole for recouping that perceived loss of income. This goes hand in hand with Amendment 7, which is designed to increase public distrust of and anger towards the medical profession, increasing the potential pool for trial lawyers to litigate.

The FMA asserts that doctors, to try and avoid the malpractice strikes and loss of license, will be even more accepting of legal settlements, avoiding court litigation and the potential of an adverse ruling. A settlement would not only protect the doctor's license to practice in the state by avoiding a malpractice conviction, it would make for quick litigation on the part of the trial lawyers who would begin churning out even more frivolous suits, knowing most will be settled instead of litigated.

Because of the increase in settlements, liability insurance costs will increase for medical practices, costs that will be passed on to and borne by the public. There will be little if any reduction in the numbers of "bad" physicians in the state, our Discipline Board currently takes care of that, the trial attorneys get access to quick, easy settlements with physicians who are more willing to do so and the public will pay the bill. The winners, the trial lawyers. Vote "No"

Summary:
If Amend 3 passes and 7 and 8 fail the public will win.

If Amend 3 passes and 7 and 8 passes, the trial lawyers will get a break-even and the public loses.

If Amend 3 fails and 7 and 8 passes, the trial lawyers will get a bonanza and the public will end up paying more and more for medicine while gaining nothing in the way of protections.

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An interesting article in the July 13th edition of Opinion Journal opines on the hypocrisy of the Kerry/Edwards tax rhetoric. While talking of increasing the tax burden on the "rich" while decreasing it on the "middle-class" they have practiced exploitation of tax "loopholes" to reduce their own tax liability.

While the actions they have taken are not illegal (some are questionable) they do show a sanctimonious pretense. I have always felt that if the left truly thought they, the rich (which includes many of those calling for higher taxes), should pay more, then why don't they?

We hear stories from time to time of individuals who wanted to do something extra or help pay down the national debt so they send a check for funds over and above the taxes they pay.

Funny thing is, you never here of a wealthy Democrat doing this. Seem while they are full of rhetoric, there is little, if any, substance or conviction behind it.

Of the top 50 wealthiest members of the House and Senate on the 1994 list, half are Democrats with 7 of the top 10. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a current online list except on Roll Call, but that requires an annual subscription of a lot more that I want to pay. There are lots of incidental references to local congressmen in local newspapers.

Of course number one, most likely now as well as in 1994, is John Kerry (current information).

So what's with these people, why do they insist on the hypocrisy? Are they ashamed of their wealth, but not so ashamed as to give it up, even a little bit?

Don't get me wrong; I applaud those who through hard work, intelligence and creativity are able to produce wealth. They are the men and women who provide jobs and drive our economy forward. I just don't understand the duplicitous rhetoric.

Maybe it's just that they don't really believe it. Maybe all their talk is just...politics. Hmmm. Ya think?

More reading on this:
the experiment
USA Today
The New Standard

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Rat learns to fly

Thomas DeMarse of the University of Florida has created a “brain” from 25,000 rat brain neurons, connected it via a grid and a desktop computer to an F-22 flight simulator. Using a $500,000 from the National Science Foundation, the “underlying goal is a more fundamental understanding of how neurons interact as a network.”

So far the “brain” has learned to control the pitch and yaw of the simulated craft in both good and adverse flying conditions.

Remember the rough landing of your last flight? Maybe there’s hope.

Arnold has gas, hydrogen that is

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger inspired GM to build a hydrogen powered Hummer. He’s using it to promote his plan to create a “hydrogen highway,” a network of hydrogen fuel stations across California as part of a plan to move towards alternative fuels.

No one’s saying how the fuel economy of the specially built vehicle compares to the standard Hummer. However, it has a range of only 50 miles. With only a dozen hydrogen fuel stations currently in the state, the “Hydro-Hummer” won’t be going far.

Doesn’t seem to be any word from the environmental front on this. Maybe they’re holding out for one driven by a rat brain. Couldn’t be any worse than the current California traffic situation.

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The Kerry ad you’ll never hear:

”I’m John Kerry and George Bush gave me a hangnail.”

“I’m John Kerry and anything George Bush can do I can do better.”

“I’m John Kerry and George Bush can’t do anything right, and I can’t do anything wrong.

"Don’t pay attention to a growing economy. Don’t consider the huge numbers of people returning to work now after losing their jobs when the tech bubble of the Clinton years burst. Don’t listen to the millions of Iraqis and Afghanis who are free from oppressive regimes.

Don’t think about the thousands of terrorists who are in prison or dead because of the Bush war on terror. Don’t even consider the Medicare prescription act that George Bush pushed through Congress to give relief to seniors.

The sensitive, caring leadership George Bush has demonstrated following the 9/11 attacks, don’t even think about it. Then there’s the beefing up of the intelligence community and the reformed communications and unified terrorist watch list George Bush has implemented, ignore it.

Reduced taxes, believe me, the increases in take home pay of the middle class saw in their paychecks was a mirage, they got nothing. The rich, since they already pay 58% of all income taxes and are merely the engines driving the American economy, why shouldn’t they pay more. Then there’s the poor, since they are part of the 40% of Americans who pay nothing, why shouldn’t they get a tax cut?”

Then there’s truthfulness with the American people, George Bush told you what he did based on the best information he had at the time, HE LIED WHEN HE DID THAT! Just like you did when you told your spouse that car was a great buy, before it turned into a lemon six months later.

But me, I came back from Vietnam and testified before Congress and the American people about atrocities committed by US soldiers there, stories I had made up and embellished to score points with my anti-war buddies, but that wasn’t lying, just good marketing.

Sure in 1971 I told Crosby Noyes on Meet The Press, “I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers…” But that’s ok, I still want to be the first admitted war criminal to serve as president of the United States. I want it, I deserve it, and if you vote for me, you’ll get what you ask for.

An expert at negative, whining, finger pointing, and accusing, that’s me. A veteran who made a name for himself by creating false accusations of honorable people, yep. A person who makes issues of people who I think should apologize for things I think are wrong, while not having the manhood to admit that my own mistakes have caused grievous harm to others, why break a perfect record?

Yep, I’m John Kerry and if you don’t have the desire or intelligence to check the Bush record yourself, trust me; I’ll be sure and tell you what I want you to hear. If you are willing to believe me instead of the objective record that refutes what I say, you're my kind of people. Believe me, if you vote for me I won’t apologize for anything, never have, and never will."

Be sure to visit Letters From Iraq

Iraqi intelligence documents seized by US forces and released by an administration bureaucrat serve to validity the Bush administration's claim of Saddam's involvement in terrorism.

This subject has been hotly debated over the course of the war and before, and the Kerry campaign has politicized the issue. Back on May 27, Opinion Journal.com posted an article about the diligent record keeping of the Saddam regime and predicting the wealth of strategic information to come out of them. Now, on October 4th the Cybercast News Service posted an article detailing the information in these documents.

Interestingly enough, this story was published the day before a CIA report flatly stated "there's no conclusive evidence that the regime harbored Osama bin Laden associate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi."

The released documents tie Ssaddam to both al-Zarqawi, notorious for the bombings and beheadings in Iraq, and Ayman al-Zawahiri who is alleged to have helped mastermind the 9/11/01 attacks in the US.

Additionally, the documents show a plan by Saddam to reconstruct his WMD program as soon as the UN sanctions were lifted. Evidence of purchases of Anthrax and Mustard Gas are also there.

With what is now becoming evident about the corrupt UN "oil for food" program, there should be little doubt that Saddam was a threat to the US and the world, if not immediately at the time of the invasion by the US, he would have been soon had not the US taken action.

Independent experts have translated the documents and analyzed them, all coming to the same conclusion as to their authenticity. This would appear to be the smoking gun the Bush administration needs to prove their case for the war in Iraq.

So why haven't the Bush administration and the rest of the media brought this information to the public's attention? According to the CNS source as quoted by World magazine's Mindy Belz, "the documents have not been made public because Bush administration officials have "thousands and thousands" of similar documents waiting to be translated and "it is unlikely they even know this exists."

As for the media, in their complicity with the Kerry campaign to undercut and demonize the Bush administration, these documents would crumble the foundation of their argument. John Kerry's words that "the president's "two main rationales, weapons of mass destruction and the al-Qaida/Sept. 11 connection, have been proved false" would itself be proven false.

So what's the big problem, all Kerry has to do is flip again...or this time is it flop?

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I had a conversation with someone today who gave me hope for the coming election. As of lately the polls show the race tightening and though I know this coming election is merely an aside to the greater plan on God's list, the human in me still is concerned.

The person I spoke with, who will remain nameless, is a union steward in another office and has always been very "union", outspoken and confided that she has always voted a straight Democrat ticket...until this year.

The things that have contributed to her splitting her vote this year boil down to:

1. She doesn't trust Kerry
2. She thinks he will submit US security to the world for approval
3. She feels that if both Kerry and Edwards are capable of the underhanded attack they made on the Cheneys, what won't they stop at? Do they have any scruples? She thinks not.

I’m anxious to discover how this all plays out as we go into the coming two weeks.

On a different tangent of the subject, this individual has heard that Bill Burris, president of the 360,000 member APWU was incensed to learn of Kerry’s lagging in the polls and is working on a plan to bolster support in the membership. Of course my question was, “I thought there was supposed to be a disconnect between unions and direct political involvement?”

Apparently there are loopholes they can exploit, specifically Labor Political Action Committees and the new 527’s. In addition, they are working to limit choice among workers buy hiding the fact that a worker can withhold compulsory union dues that are used for political purposes. When it comes to union leadership, choice is only good if it is their choice.

According to Stop Political Abuse, unions constantly abuse the political system by illegally using dues, supply campaign literature to candidates, providing union-paid staff to campaign to conduct illegal campaign activities and more. They use this power to press their issues, both union oriented as well as social and political. And they are decidedly to the left of center. They have been described as indistinguishable in agenda and doctrine.

This all plays out in the negative for the membership. They are required to submit dues to a union in order to work, except in the few “Right to Work” states, to provide support to an organization that doesn’t necessarily represent them or their views. According to some studies, 40% of union membership will vote contrary to the wishes of union bosses in this election.

Perhaps some of these courageous souls will be able to make changes within their labor organization to provide the open government the left so loudly calls for elsewhere. After all, are not unions supposed to be representative of their members?

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Following up on Dean's eloquent comments yesterday, one question Christians need and should ask is, "where is their source?" It seems, at least by the sound of the worries and the debate, many are looking for government to meet their needs.

Seems to me that is contrary to scriptural teaching. Matt 6:25-33 tells us that we are to trust in Gods provision. That promise in vs. 33, "and all these things shall be added unto you." is prefaced by the command, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness."

Are we seeking provision from government because we refuse to seek after the righteousness of God? Or is it ignorance, or is it laziness?

It's easier to lay with your snout in the government trough than to run and pursue God. In the end what is the tradeoff. The minimal provision of a government yoke vs the abundance that comes with freedom in God?

Sadly, we Christians too often choose the former then blame God when it fails to meet the need and we find ourselves entrapped.

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Concerning my previous entry Saturday, October 8, my Canadian cousin, Dean, forwarded his comments on the issue discussed. I'm going to post them, unedited, for thoughtful consideration:

"I have no way of knowing if these facts about George Bush & his party are true. But I think that it would not surprise me if they are because the more conservative the party the less they are likely to feel that it is their responsibility to offer up certain “social programs”. This is because they are more likely to believe that it is healthier in the long term for people to do what they can for themselves (even those with “disabilities”) before expecting the government to “help”. It is important to note that the more liberal parties love to play on people’s fears of losing certain “benefits” or point to “perceived losses created by the past more conservative government” during an election if they vote for them (as our own Liberal party did very well in the last federal election—in reality all politicians whatever their political stripe do this to one degree or another). That to me is clearly seems to be what this letter from Senator Kennedy is attempting to do amongst the “disabled” community in the US.

What I do know is that traditionally most in the Deaf community in Canada (Christian or not) tend to vote Liberal/NDP (and perhaps Democrat in the US) because these parties are more likely to do more for them (i.e. social programs, handouts, etc).

I think that the real question here should not be ... “If these facts are true or not” ... but rather ... “Should the Deaf believe that these social programs or handouts are their inalienable right?” ... or ... “Should they consider their own responsibility to pay for some services instead of expecting the government to pay for everything?” (The ADA seems to have planted firmly the first belief in the minds of many Deaf in the US). We need to keep in mind that the more the government pays for the higher the taxes & the more socialist a country gets (Note: This is why Canada’s taxes are so much higher than in the US ... In Sweden the government pays for a whole lot more than even in Canada but their taxes average about 70% – I wonder would anyone in Canada/US really want this?). Traditionally the higher the tax load the more likely that it will lessen the business community’s (or wealthy people’s) desire/motivation to innovate, invest & produce more to create more jobs. Then we have another problem on our hands – higher unemployment rates amongst the Deaf (who are among the first to get “let go” in a difficult business environment). I’d be interested to know how the unemployment rates in the Deaf communities of Sweden—Canada—US compares with “how much each government does for the Deaf in their country”.

An even more important question that the Christian Deaf community especially must ask itself in an election is ... “Which party/candidate is most likely to uphold their moral values & lead the country in a way that is consistent with their beliefs & their country’s heritage” & weigh this information up against what they may or may not view as their “rights under the ADA”. It seems that too often people in general vote very “selfishly” thinking about what each candidate/party can do for them personally or their particular community rather than which candidate/party will do the most for “the greater good of the whole community/country”. This concept of “the greater good” seems to have been lost in our politics & in the courtrooms of North America.

If Christians (regardless if they are Deaf or hearing, disabled or not, white or black, etc) approach their elections this way then they are never “stuck” as your friend seems to think. Yes, it is sometimes a tough choice (i.e. sometimes it seems that we must choose the lesser of 2 or 3 ‘evils’ OR as one retired Canadian politician infamously said during our recent federal election ... “Choosing between the devil we know or the one we don’t know”). But the LORD can give HIS people the wisdom they need if they only ask HIM (James 1:5).

Ultimately, as the Scriptures say, “the king’s (we could legitimately insert president’s or prime minister’s) heart is in the hand of the LORD, HE directs it like a watercourse wherever HE pleases” (Proverbs 21:1). I believe that GOD put George W. Bush in power for these past 4 years to fulfill HIS purposes (whatever they may have been) & will place whoever HE thinks best suits HIS purposes for the next 4 years (as HE has already done here in Canada by placing Prime Minister Paul Martin & a “minority Liberal government” that many Christians here may or may not be happy with).

Last word ... It is kind of ironic but it was a well known, former Democratic president who said these famous words ... “You should not ask what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” I’m not sure if I’m remembering his words exactly but I think this is close ... Can you remember who said this?

I hope this creates a constructive thinking environment for you all,"

Dean Hardy

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My cousin Vance’s North Carolina National Guard unit, the 30/120th lost another soldier last week. SSgt. Michael Voss was killed by one of those insidious IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices).

The loss of even one soldier, one man, husband, father, son, brother, friend is one too many. There is now a grieving widow, Emily, and two grieving, perhaps bewildered, daughters ages 4 and 5.

I didn’t know Mike Voss, but that’s not important. What is important is that he gave his life serving his country and serving the people of Iraq. Voss had been a soldier since 1988 and served in Panama, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm before his recent deployment to Iraq.

By all accounts he loved his work serving his country and was a respected leader among his fellow soldiers. Our hearts go out to his family as our prayers surround them. SSgt. Michael Voss gave his life doing what he loved, serving a people he didn’t know, protecting them from an enemy he never saw.

Mike’s death is not in vain, Iraq is step by step, day by day, moving towards freedom from tyranny.

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I got one of those e-mails the other day, you know, those political diatribes so prevalent today that lambaste the presidential candidate not supported by the sender. This one was poking at Theresa Heinz Kerry and husband John for their alleged duplicity, holding interests in multi-national companies while attacking US based businesses sending jobs offshore.

The letter lists some 57 offshore factories owned by the Heinz Corp. and implies some conflict of interest for John Kerry in international relations because of that corporate ownership. The Heinz Corp. has posted a statement proclaiming Heinz Corp’s non-partisan status and flatly stating that neither the Heinz family, Heinz family trusts or John Kerry hold significant stock in the company.

From what I’ve been able to gather, Mrs. Heinz Kerry holds about 4% interest in the corporation, that’s a significant dollar amount (about $491.4M as of Friday’s close) and a large portion of her estimated net worth. The latest Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans reported her net worth to be at least $750M.

The L.A. Times estimates Mrs. Heinz Kerry’s fortune to be somewhere between $900M and $3.2B. Even at the high end of the estimate, the Heinz Corp. holdings represent 16% of her wealth. And John Kerry is a beneficiary of that wealth. No matter how he spins it, how he tries to distance himself, he benefits greatly from his wife’s wealth. No doubt that played a significant role in his decision to marry her in 1995.

So why all the brouhaha over the Heinz Kerry holdings? If John Kerry and his leftist-activist wife are truly concerned about jobs in America, what are they doing maintaining their investments in this multi-national corporation? Yes, I understand the importance of a business domiciling its factories of perishable goods close to their markets, but that’s not the issue.

The issue is, if John Kerry is interested in bringing jobs to Americans, they should be investing in businesses that invest in America, that produce and manufacture in America. To blast Bush over outsourcing jobs while deriving significant income from stock holdings in companies doing the same thing is hypocritical. Surprised? Not me, has Kerry ever been anything but?

I am not a Kerry supporter, and I think Mrs. Heinz Kerry would be the worst thing in a first lady, but while the assumptions made in the letter I got were off base somewhat. That doesn’t negate the underlying point. That, taken with her far, far left-wing anarchist views on business, international policy and environmentalism and her in-your-face attitude make her a poor choice to represent the US both at home and abroad.

The left likes to accuse President Bush (wrongly) of going it alone in the world, of unilaterally taking the US in directions with no regard for our allies. Seems they blatantly turn a blind eye to the kind of White House, the kind of policy this nation will project, with Theresa Heinz Kerry as First Lady.

You say, “But we are electing a President, not a First Lady. It’s the President, not the First Lady who set’s policy.” Yes, officially. Yet no one will dispute the influence the First Lady has on her President. The left and the media (one in the same?) liked to jump on Nancy Reagan while she was First Lady for her strong influence on President Reagan.

Then there’s the concerns of an apparent attempt to hide some of Mrs. Heinz Kerry’s “philanthropic foundations.” Of the three foundations controlled by Mrs. Heinz Kerry, the Teresa and H. John Heinz III Foundation and the H. John Heinz III Foundation do not show up on any public record. That is worrysome.

I’m not suggesting she supports terrorism or anything like that, but why does she maintain these shell foundations? That is dealt with in some detail by Ron Arnold in Human Events while questions surrounding Mrs. Heinz Kerry’s income tax reporting is documented by Donald Luskin at National Review Online.

It would seem that those on the left who are concerned about corrupt wealth need look no further than their candidate’s wife. So, a vote for Kerry is a vote for the corrupt mega-wealthy?

In the final debate Kerry, when asked about his wife, recalled a tale of a deathbed conversation with his mother. A mother knows her son, and John Kerry’s mother really did know him when she tried one last time to push John Kerry to “integrity, integrity, integrity.” Hmmm.

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Sunday morning Dr. Georgia Witkin was on Fox and Friends Weekend talking about voter issues. She listed them as reported by a recent study as:

1) Personal money issues
2) Security
3) National reputation

Am I surprised, no. As stated yesterday, most people vote pocketbook over principle. Hopefully when it comes to the voting booth personal greed and immediate, temporal issues of money will be overshadowed by the greater issue of securtiy. After all, you can have all the money in the world but if you are scared to go out, dreadfully injured or dead it won't do you a lick of good.

The security of our nation, the security of our personal freedoms should come before all else. The Declaration of Independence asserted our right to persue happiness, interpreted in our materialistic world to be access to all of one's financial dreams and desires. That is the right of persuit, not the right to have.

However, that same Declaration maintains an individual's unalienable right to Life and Liberty. These are not something to persue through personal motivation, but to be enjoyed as a product of life itself. Thus a product of national and personal security. That same security for which the current war on terror is being fought.

Is the financial issue important, certainly. But more important is the security of our nation. With out that we will have no financial security.

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My aunt forwarded this to me and asked that I try and research it:

Excerpts from Senator Ted Kennedy's letter to Americans with disabilities and their families:

Dear Friends,
I am writing to you to ask your support for my friend and colleague, Senator John Kerry, in his campaign to become the next President of the United States.

For nearly 20 years John and I have fought side-by side in congress to:
--Enact the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
--Pass the Ticket to Work and the Family Opportunity Act so that people with disabilities could live the American Dream__Resist President Bush's plans plans to privatize and dismantle Medicare and Medicaid
--Hold the Administration and Congress accountable for abandoning their promise to fully fund IDEA so that every disabled child has an equal opportunity to succeed

We know millions of Americans with Disabilities and their families are hardest hit by this administration's misplaced priorities. They are being denied the education, employment, and health care they need.

With your help, John Kerry will defeat George W. Bush and put our country back on the path to peace, prosperity, progress and justice for all John Kerry has my unwavering support and that's why I hope he can count on your vote as well. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Edward M. Kennedy

President Bush is no friend of us deaf folks.

The following is my response:

I ran a search and found the following links,
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1081169/posts
http://www.issues2000.org/Governor/Tom_Vilsack_Education.htm

The first link especially seems to discredit the information you were given. Though I sympathize with the concerns of some special interest groups, I see Sen. Kennedy and anyone else who would try to swing this election on these kind of issues as having a very narrow focus and attempting to use the uglyness of class warfare for political gain. Of course Sen. Kennedy has a "narrow focus" on a wide variety of issues that he distorts to scare voters. His only focus is to defeat Bush using any and every means possible.

The real issue in this election is the security of our nation and who is better equipped to do it. The left has and will continue to use deception and scare tactics to try and woo the undecided vote and sway those who have a real interest in special areas.

I personally have a problem with any funding that goes outside the constitutional mandates. Of course liberal courts have used their authority to expand those mandates to the glee of a political class (both sides of the aisle) who exploits the treasury to motivate voters complicity in maintaining their power. Ultimately what this does is move the constitutional power of our government away from the people (who vote pocketbook over principle) to a central governing authority (actually more the Congress than the Presidency) who vote power over principle. Of course that's a broad statement and there are exceptions, but in today's society and political environment it's the rule.

If we demanded less special funding from government, taxes would go down and more would be available for private funding of these needs. All of those at the trough resist this because federal (public) funding is easier to get than private funding. All you have to do for federal funding is show you are part of the class covered, in private funding you have to show a need.

So, at the risk of angering some of my family, I come down on the side of, if the Bush administration is cutting spending that's a reason to vote for him. I'd like to see much more in the way of cuts. If anything I've been distressed at the seemingly out of control spending the past few years. What concerns me more, outside the security issues, is that were Kerry to win the election, spending would skyrocket and with it taxes. This while 40% of Americans currently pay no income taxes and as of 2001 statistics the top 5% of income earners paid 53.3% of the taxes. For 2003 the top 5% of income earners estimated percentage of the total income taxes increased to 58.8%, in spite of the Bush tax cuts. Kerry says the wealthy are not paying enough. How does that work?

So what about funding for the deaf? Apparently the numbers sited by the NDA and Kennedy are spun to suit their special interests and political position. Why? For no other reason than they want to defeat Bush, maintain and grow their power and care little about the greater issues of our country. Are the concerns cited important if true, certainly. Are they reasons to vote for Kerry, absolutely not.

Hopefully enough voters will use what little integrity they have left and vote on principle and the greater good for America rather than what they hope to get from a candidate who's whole political career since 1971 has been an exercise in deception and duplicity.

PS: A vote for Kerry is a vote for homosexual marriage, for increased abortion, for the abyss of government healthcare, for higher taxes, for restrictions on the freedoms of people of principle (as in religious speech regarding moral issues similar to what you are facing in Canada),for increasing the size and power of government, for diminishing the US relative to the 3rd world nations making up the UN (Kerry's "Global test"), for weakening our military and intelligence capabilities (Kerry has never supported either of those except when campaigning), and for negotiating with terrorists, (Kerry has made statements that we should reason with them).

If this supposed reduction in funding for deaf issues is more important than the above to someone...well.

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I recently took a trip to Potomac, MD, outside Washington, D.C., for training with the Postal Service. It had been many years since I had been to Washington and as I flew into Ronald Reagan National Airport I felt a lump in my throat as I look across the Potomac River and saw the Capitol dome, the Washington Monuments oblisk and the top of the Lincoln Memorial.

Those of us who love our country and have a sense of the history of it find these architechitural homages to the great men and the seat of our government inspiring and comforting. They provide a sense of continuity that is often missing in todays world of video games, faster internet and loosening moral standards. By many standards our country is still young at 230 years old, but by the standard of free democracies, we are the elder statesman.

Before the US came into being the standard was monarchy and feudal states. Those far sighted men of the original colonies wanted more for themselves and their children. And more they got. While the United States is not a pure democracy, that is by design. The founding fathers did not want the tyranny of democracy to overtake their fledgling nation.

Pure democracy has been described as akin to chaos. If you truly consider the basis of democracy, you have to agree. A nation ruled by a mob majority would have never approved the Civil Rights Act, nor would it have elected John Kennedy, a Catholic, president. Of course, at least up to 10 years ago, it would not have voted to allow abortion while at the same time would have opened the treasury of the government to the people and bankrupted her long before any of the above had chance to come about.

The genius of this Republic is that while the voter population gets to elect those who represent them, it is the elected who, hopefully, after serious study and debate, decide not in a moment of emotion but on fact and forward thinking what is best for the nation and her people. Well, that's what's supposed to happen.

Sadly, as we have moved further away from our founding roots, those elected have become more self-centered and aggrandizing, choosing to often political expedience over the needs of the nation and the moral condition of her people. Politicians have crafted an entitlement system unimagined by the founders. A system that encourages dependence on government and penalizes self-reliance.

That flies in the face of those early pioneers who coveted limited government and strong individuals who sought and forged their way through life's struggles, and were the better for it. As individuals became stronger, so became our nation. Her strength is not in the government but in her people. The same people who learn and improve themselves, who work and succede, who struggle and overcome, who's diversity is their strength.

Sadly, our government is filled with men and women who while giving verbal homage to those concepts, legislate to the contrary. Certainly there are some who still believe in their core those principles, but they are increasing becoming harder to find and even now, with Republicans in a slight majority, conservatism is loosing ground in the halls of Congress. And "We the People..." are the worse for it.

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I finally saw the video of last Friday's presidential debates. Was I surprised? (I've tried to distance myself from the commentaries.) No.

Bush is open, honest, what you see is what you get. His strength is in his leadership, organizational skills, honesty and integrity. He knows what is right to keep America strong and will unswervingly move towards it.

Kerry has made a career of putting on a mask, of being duplicitous, of changing with the wind.

Is Kerry a better debater? Certainly. Is Bush a better leader? Of course.

Who do you want for the leader of the greatest nation in the free world? A debater or a leader?

I choose leadership.

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OK, I can't let the day go by without mentioning it. I received this from a friend at work and it made interesting reading. Especially in light of the scrutiny over President Bush's service record...again.

Seems like the media and the left have a hard time understanding the facts, so, like Michael Moore, they create their own.

According to Byron York of The Hill Bush served, served long, and served well...according to the facts.

Check the article for yourself.

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My aunt sent this to me and it pretty much says it all for us Floridians. We are weary of this hurricane season.

Even so, the goodness of humanity still manages to shine through. Today I spoke with Frank, he's the carrier at work who lost their home to a falling tree during Jeanne.

With their home condemned and unable to legally enter it, even to retrieve belongings, they had no where to go and little to take with them. Needing lodging and realizing that some unscrupulous individuals could gouge them for rent they frantically began looking for a place to stay.

Then the neighbor across the street came over and offered them his home. I mean offered it for them to stay as long as they needed. He is works for an airline and is gone much of the time. He is preparing to leave on a month long cruise and when he returns he will be moving in with a friend for an indefinite length of time.

So he said, "Frank, you and your family can stay for as long as you need and, oh, by the way, don't worry about rent." Now is that straight from the cup of human kindness, or what?

With people like that around, we cannot help but survive, overcome and prosper through the difficult times!

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Tonight President Bush and John Kerry square off, should be interesting. According to Democrat Vice-Presidential candidate John Edwards it's "a test for whether this president is finally going to come clean and be straight with people."

Seems to me that the one who need to "be straight" is John Kerry. He's the one who's flip flopped around the issues. He's the one who's record is one of lying, be it Vietnam, his medals, his positions. Kerry has shown himself to take any position, to say anything, if he thinks it is politically expedient.

Bush on the other hand knows who he is, what he believes and where he wants to go. Whether or not you agree with him, you know where he stands. With Kerry you have to constantly guess on his stand de jour.

If you happened to see the Bush interview with Bill O'Reilly you couldn't help but see his resolute determination, his command of the issues.

Bush's sometimes weak command of the English language has led the left to characterize him as an intellectual light weight. That's because the elitist liberals are superficial in nature and put more weight on style than substance.

I believe he proved them wrong. No one, I mean NO ONE, reaches the level of business and political success Bush has unless they know the arena.

Then there's this business of the "Monday morning quaterbacking" the Kerry team has been doing regarding Iraq. Any one, even myself, can make a decision on what to do when looking back with historical perspective.

Those questions, "would you have done it knowing what you now know?" are unworthy of serious debate. No one can make a decision on what they will know in the future. Decisions are made on the best available information at the time. To wait and see what the outcome will be before making a decision is to relegate oneself to doing nothing.

To criticize on the basis of "what we now know" is cheap. Leadership must make the best decision before knowing how it will all play out, then stand regardless the consequences. Kerry doesn't know how to be decisive and fearless in leadership.

His history is one of running from the battle, whether political or otherwise, and sticking a wet finger in the air to "decide" his course. While that may work in politics or a popularity contest, it doesn't make for a good leader.

We don't need him trying to assume that position for our nation. Strong leadership will only be a mask for John Kerry to rip off when the going gets tough and strong, swift judgment must be used. He will end up quivering in the corner, or worse, selling out the American people to the UN and our enemies.

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Today we're learning more about the damage Jeanne caused locally. I know of two individuals at work who had a tree come through their roof. For one of them their home was declared a total loss.

It is a split-level and a huge, magnificent oak in their back yard fell through the rear corner bedroom of the house and came to rest on the second level floor joists. The damage extended through to the front of the home, it's as if a huge knife was thrust through the house.

Fortunately, no one was in that room at the time and all escaped with no injuries. For more about the after effects of Jeanne, check out the story in the local paper, the Ocala Star Banner. Fox News has a great photo essay documenting the extent of the damage. Compared to other areas, Marion County came out ok, of course that depends on who you are. Those who suffered damage as noted above may think otherwise.

The skys are bright and sunny now and amazingly the power seems to be coming back on a bit quicker this time. Some folks said the power companies are getting to the homes that were last on the list with Frances, working back to those who were restored first previously. Seems only fair.

Things are still somewhat out of wack at the PO. Some of the transportation is uncertain so the mail is coming in out of schedule. I'm sure in the next few days all will return to regular schedule, but for the time it creates some difficulties getting the carriers on the street at a decent time.

Jeanne is not finished with her waltz through the US. Where my folks are in Greenville, SC she dumped 10.5 inches of rain, up the road in Asheville, NC she left behind over 13 inches. In those mountainous areas that can reek havoc with flooding.

On other topics, I'm waiting to see the first of the Presidential debates later this week. Though I know what I want to see, these things can be so uncertain, especially if the moderator allows his own bias to affect the procedures.

Bush seems to come across very well when not in a scripted setting while Kerry's legendary stiffness may well be offset by his "attack mode" in this setting. I'm sure the constestants are preparing themselves and the American public waits to see how "their" candidate acquits himself.

Hopefully Dan Rather has, through his blatant mis-handling of the forged documents, relegated the Bush Reserve flap to the scrap pile. This while the burner is turning up on Kerry over his continued flip-flopping and history of lying, going back to Vietnam.

Now of all people Dick Morris, who ran Bill Clinton's successful 1996 presidential campaign, has produced and is releasing a DVD called Fahrenhype 9/11 debunking Michael Moore's diatribe. Sadly, the theatre's are unwilling to show it, so it will be available only through stores, both brick and mortar and online.

One of Morris' goals is to get a copy in the hands of every US soldier in Iraq so they can see the facts that flatten the lies and leftist propaganda Moore put out.

I would suggest getting a copy, or two, and let your liberal friends borrow them. Maybe it will open their eyes as the light of the truth burns away the cobwebs in darkness of their minds.

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It remained breezy today as we started getting out after yesterday's blow. There's a lot of trees down, power is out for 100,000 in Marion County, the flooding is more wide spread as the saturated ground refuses to accept more.

Many of the folks without power are repeats from Frances. Including my in-laws who all are without power. People are getting weary of this while they've come to realize the restoration of power may not come as "quickly" as before.

Resources are stretched with the demands of repairs needed by the damage from 4 hurricanes in 6 weeks. Still, we are resilient and will manage to tough this out.

We have been blessed to have sustained no damage or outages, so our home becomes a refuge for others.

The stress and heat from no electricity or air conditioning is especially tough on the elderly. An 88 year old friend and former neighbor is in the hospital, admitted Sunday night after her power went off increasing the stress on her body already fighting pneumonia.

She is only one of many for whom no electricity is not just an inconvenience, but a life threatening struggle. Keep them in your prayers as you also remember to give thanks for the many things we all take for granted every day. Water, refrigeration, air conditioning, hot showers, cool nights.

Many of the homes here are all electric so folks cannot cook unless they have a grill. Refrigeration is impossible so daily trips to the grocery, smaller quantities, no leftovers increase the expense of providing food.

I've no doubt that as stress levels increase, tolerance levels will decrease and there will be more strife between people. Again, keep them in your prayers. Not everyone's personality is suited to this struggle. Many are coping on the outside while crying out on the inside.

We will make it through this...year. It's only 64 days to the end of hurricane season!

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An addendum. I just received a call from my manager about work for tomorrow. It seems Pat Salmon & Sons, a contract over-the-road mail transporter, is refusing to operate their trucks tomorrow morning.

In defense of them, I can see their position. "Tomorrow" begins tonight for the Postal Service and the trucks must be on the road now and all night to meet transportation schedules. That means most of them running out of Jacksonville will still be seeing winds from Jeanne as they operate.

Many of the routes in our area originate in Jacksonville with some of them going into Georgia and they would be heading into areas where the storm is tracking. So I can't say I blame them to awful much.

Since the mail cannot get to the Gainesville plant from Jacksonville they will be shutting down this evening until 7am tomorrow. At that time a more localized contractor, Phoenix Transport, will bring what is available to us arriving at 8:30 am. That's 5 hours later than usual for our first incoming dispatch.

So I get to "sleep in" tomorrow, getting up at 6am instead of my usual 2am. Of course all this means the next several days will be hectic as the plants and local offices struggle to catch up.

Tomorrow's deliveries will consist of only the "essential" mail and most of the carriers will be preparing to leave on their routes almost before we get the mail off the trucks. We will work the rest of the week on getting what the public calls "junk" mail out of the office. We prefer to call it "bread and butter."

The bottom line for tonight is, I get to be one of the "big kids" and stay up late. Woweee!

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It’s 6:30 pm and with evening approaching Jeanne is leaving us with only diminishing winds in her trail. We've seen about 6 inches of rain in the past 24 hours and plenty of short, intermittent power "blips," but that appears to be the extent of things for us personally.

In the area I'm sure there are many without power, one of the major suppliers, Florida Power, is reporting at mid-afternoon about 600,000, 18,000 in our county alone, without electricity. If Frances was any indication, my guess is there are about 30,000 in Marion County without power.

The winds are diminishing in strength but remain gusty. Currently they measure in the 15-21 mph range. Out on the coast at Cedar Key they remain strong in the range of 30+ mph as Jeanne heads north towards Valdosta, GA where winds area already blowing at 26 mph.

I'm glad this "event" is essentially over and our community has come out of it relatively unscathed. Sadly, other areas of the states cannot make that claim.

My brother-in-law, Tom, and his wife Janna, in Lakeland have reported a large oak in their front yard is split with one part leaning toward the street, the other towards their home. They need wisdom in dealing with this and protection from the potential damage should it fall their way.

The rest of the family, while collecting loose shingles and debris, is doing fine and all have power as of the last time we checked.

Thanks for visiting, Jeanne. Please don't send any more friends our way.

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At 2:30 pm we are in the midst of some pretty heavy rain. As what remains of Frances continues to the northwest, the remnants of the eye wall are now rotating through our area and with it water and wind.

With steady winds of 25 mph and recorded gusts up to 47 mph, it's a bit breezy. The forecasters tell us to expect up to 2 inches of rain per hour over the next few hours. That on top of just over 4 inches received since last night.

The wind drives the rains from the NE and it lashes at the windows of our den as I read and watch the coverage on the tube. The cat is huddled up and taking cover while we ride this one out.

Reports are that over 1.5 million are without power, it appears that once again we are among the fortunate, so far at least. While Floridians are starting to assess the damage in the areas Jeanne has abandoned as she moves through, those in her path have plenty to look forward to.

My sis and parents in North and South Carolina are in the projected track, as they have been for many of the remnants of our Florida hurricanes. While they don't get much of the winds, the have been pummeled by the rains.

The difference being that the soil of their area is not well suited to these storms. The sandy Florida soil percolates the water well and though we may see some standing water, it doesn't last long and quickly drains into the aquifer.

In the Carolinas it's a different story. Their ground is made up of heavy clay and the water runs off the hilly terrain, building to flash floods quickly. Indeed my folks experienced that recently when rains flooded the stream in front of their home and it became a raging river surging out of it's banks a good 15 or more feet and under their raised manufactured home.

They should get prepared for this one as it heads their way. Again, the winds and rain are moving through as I write and are expected to continue for several hours to come. More later.

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At 10:15am we continue to see intermittent rain and winds here. Currently winds are at 21 mph from the NE with gusts up to 38 and we've received over one and a half inches of rain.

The concern now is NEXRAD radar (current image) is showing a feeder band heading towards us with significant heavy weather. This band contains a lot of wind and rain and could cause trouble here soon.

We stood in the screen room overlooking the back yard and watched the trees swaying just 10-15 feet from the house and had to wonder what could happen. At least with the winds from the NE if a tree did go down it would most likely fall away from us.

Some comfort, but not much. With all the rain in recent weeks, and weakened from Frances' wind, it wouldn't take as much to cause problems.

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It's another weekend in Florida, so it must be time for another hurricane. This morning as Jeanne crosses south-central Florida near Lakeland, we are seeing heavy rains from feeder bands here in north-central Florida.

The winds and rains vary as the bands pass through with current winds at 16 mph and just over an inch of rain accumulation. If the forecast track holds true and the storm crosses north of Tampa, this is most likely all we will see.

There are some models that have Jeanne taking an early turn to the north and passing just to the west of Gainesville, and us. If that occurs we will see a lot more weather.

Most everyone here is hunkered down, watching the Weather Channel and local coverage. We're also keeping one eye outside as this weather can become very localized. Tornados are possibility.

Among the other tools I use, Weather Bug has become a good source of real time information. I'll switch it back an forth between our local stats and those of areas closer to the center of the storm to get a better idea and what's going on.

My stepson, Jonathan, called yesterday and was conflicted how to respond to this current threat. In the past they have gone to his in-laws home, but after the Frances came through and they lost their power for several days, and the potential that some of the very large trees surrounding the home could come crashing down, he thought it may be better to stay put.

The problem is they live in a mobile home, the most vulnerable structures around. There were other complications, but he was considering going to a shelter if things got really rough, otherwise, tough it out. We offered our home as shelter and told him to keep in touch.

Since we haven’t heard from him, I'm assuming they are still in their home. That's probably ok if Jeanne follows the official track. If she makes an early turn, staying in a mobile could be problematic.

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Jeanne is on her way and looks like we're directly in her path. Things here are getting breezy, people are getting edgy. Streets are busy as folks evacuate from the coastal areas and locals make final preparations.

There are no generators to be had, currently there's stock on the store shelves but gas stations are beginning to run out. I had to drive a bit to locate a supply this afternoon.

I wouldn't be surprised if we lost power this time, and those who do will have to wait longer to have it restored.

The heavy winds are expected to hit tomorrow morning and the center to pass through about 2pm. One thing Frances showed us is that the foliage in this area is not well suited for tropical storm force winds. Hurricane winds will do enormous damage. I don't look forward to it.

One of our friends is bugging out to Birmingham with his wife and baby. We will stay here and watch. Most likely, one way or another I'll have things to do Monday. Until then all we can do is hang on and pray.

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I learned today from an internal employee newsletter that Jack Hensley, who was beheaded by Islamic terrorists in Iraq this week, had, until February of this year, been an employee of the Austell, GA post office. He had resigned from his job as a rural carrier associate (a substitute carrier) after working there intermittently since 1997. As I thought about that I thought of the many RCA’s in our office and how it could have been any one of them. And I grieved for Jack and his family.

But before learning that, I was horrified as I watched the video of his beheading. I had debated whether or not I would watch it and in the end decided I needed to be reminded again the horrific atrocity inflicted on these victims under the guise of the Muslim religion. This is available on the internet and I would warn any one who might think they wish to see it to steel themselves for the horror.

Yes, I know. These are radical extremist committing these acts of terror, but there is apparent complicity in the Muslim community both abroad and here in the States. While Parvez Ahmed, a board member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, writes about the condemnation of the Muslims for those committing these acts, they must be doing so in silence.

We do not hear of their horror and condemnation of these acts, while news conferences are held to protest the denial of entry to Yusuf Islam, alias Cat Stevens, aka Stephen Demetre Georgiou. Of course there were no concerns expressed regarding Mr. Georgiou’s alleged connections to radical Islam.

In Mr. Ahmed’s article I found it interesting that he says condemnation of these acts by Muslims is preceded by “bone-chilling hate mail.” My question is, “why wait for the ‘hate mail’ to spew forth before issuing your condemnation?” Perhaps Americans would be more sympathetic to your cause, not to mention your religion, were it not necessary to force a response from you.

And it’s not just the killing of Americans that bothers me. These terrorists, in the name of Allah, are killing nationals from many counties. There have been 140 foreigners kidnapped to date in Iraq. Of that 26 have been murdered. In addition to that hundreds of Iraqi citizens have been kidnapped or killed by terrorist bombings. While it seems the Muslim Council of Great Britian is coming out to call for the release of Kenneth Bigley who was kidnapped along with Jack Hensley and Jack Armstrong.

So what’s wrong with Muslims in America? Are they afraid of taking a stand against terrorism? Or do they agree with them?

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