Have you seen the news today?

I feel so safe!

2012-02-17T01:00:00.000-08:00

Dallas County has a homeland security advisory comittee. It recommends improvements to the county's emergency management plan. Its members are appointed by the Commissioners Court. Commissioner John Wiley Price appointed Aaron McCarthy, aka Aaron Michaels to the committee.

I know there are some legitimate reasons for using an alias, but my antennae immediately go on the alert when I come across someone who feels it necessary to use more than one name. And my antennae really started twitching when I found out that Mr. McCarthy/Michaels is the founder of the New Black Panther Party, and in the 1990's he led the group in threatening and intimidating Dallas School Board members. He was arrested for disrupting a public meeting when he grabbed the microphone and declared he didn't mind dying "for the cause."

Now, don't you feel safer?

Thankfully, McCarthy's term expired at the end of January, and it looks as if, rather than re-appoint him, they're just going to disband the committee.

"Vote off on New Black Panther founder." The Dallas Morning News; January 24, 2012; p. 1B.

I'm surprised the suit was dismissed.

2012-02-16T03:13:00.000-08:00

Jesse Dimmick of Denver Colorado sued Jared and Lindsay Rowley for breach of contract. Jesse was a fugitive wanted for murder when he invaded their home and took the Rowleys as hostages at knifepoint. He fell asleep and the Rowleys escaped and contacted the police. Jesse claims he had a legally binding contract with them to not turn him in to the police.

Surprisingly in this age of idiocracy, the judge dismissed his silly suit. What I'd like to know is why the lawyer who represented him hasn't been disbarred.

"Judge tosses fugitive's suit against hostages." The Dallas Morning News; January 17, 2012; p. 6A.

Follow the logic.

2012-02-15T02:41:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you remember last year the immigrant (I don't remember what nationality he was -- somewhere from the Middle East), who shot and killed his estranged wife, his children, and some of his wife's family at Christmas. It is theorized that he was angry because his wife and daughter were becoming too westernized. One of the surviving relatives says that the U.S. should have tighter gun-control laws to prevent such tragedies.

So, this man who didn't mind breaking the law to commit mass murder, wouldn't have done it if it had been illegal for him to have the gun? Yeah, that makes sense -- "I planned to kill you. Unfortunately, it's illegal for me to have a gun, so I guess you get to live until I can decide whether to use a legal knife, or legal rat poison, or a legal rope and stick to use as a garrotte, or a legal match to set fire to you, or just run you down with my legal car. But I can't break the law by using an illegal gun."

"Brother recalls Christmas call." The Dallas Morning News; December 30, 2011; p. 1B.

Another test we no longer need.

2012-02-14T00:46:00.000-08:00

First it was mammograms and pap smears and then PSA tests. Now our government has decided that middle-aged women no longer need bone density scans. A spokesman for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the government panel that issues testing guidelines, says, " . . . there's no reason to expose yourself to any risks [radiation] if there's going to be no benefit."

I think I have it figured out now. Obamacare is not more affordable health care; it's more affordable no health care.

"Bone test guidelines revisited." The Dallas Morning News; January 19, 2012; p. 4A.

Well, isn't that nice?

2012-02-13T02:56:00.000-08:00

In speaking of the Obama Administration's order to stop deportations of illegals who they say pose no security risk, Corina Almeida, the chief counsel for ICE in Denver, said, "If the only thing they did is enter illegally . . . it makes prosecutors feel good when you know you can do something. . . They don't have to worry about someone knocking on their door."

Well, isn't that nice? Instead of enforcing the law as they swore to do when they took their jobs, their priority now is to make sure illegals don't have to worry about being deported. What a crazy world we live in!

Even illegals like Kesler Dufrene enjoy protection from deportation. By order of the Obama Administration, Kesler's deportation to Haiti was halted. His story is quite long, and I'm short on time, so I encourage you to check out the link I provided. Suffice it to say that Dufrene is not the only one in this case with blood on his hands.

"Pilot program halts 1,000 deportations." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2012; p. 8A.
by law could not detain Dufrene indefinitely after the Obama administration ordered a temporary halt of deportations to the island nation

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/22/v-fullstory/2602909/immigration-authorities-released.html#storylink=cpy

Hooray for Mayor Rawlings!

2012-02-12T02:36:00.000-08:00

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings did not give in to politically correct pressure during the U. S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C. Dozens of his fellow mayors signed a petition asking Congress to legalize gay marriage. Rawlings did not.

Rawlings didn't go so far as to say that he doesn't believe gay marriage is right, in fact, he's waffled since then on "protecting the rights of all citizens," but he is to be commended for refusing to affix his signature to such a ridiculous document. The newspaper says that Rawlings's stance has disappointed advocates for the gay and lesbian community. "It is his role," said Roger Poindexter of Lambda Legal. ". . . He's here to serve all the citizens of Dallas . . ." I can agree with the last portion of his statement, and that's exactly what Mayor Rawlings has done. It is in the best interest of all the citizens that we take the moral high ground and refuse to kowtow to political correctness by endorsing an abomination against God.

My prayer is that God will cleanse our land of homosexuality and raise up more men and women who have the fortitude to stand up for what's right no matter what it might cost them personally. Mayor Rawlings is a good start.

"Mayor won't sign pledge." The Dallas Morning News; January 20, 2012; p. 1B.

GET $49.99 WORTH OF MERCHANDISE FREE!

2012-02-11T01:59:00.000-08:00

You are now entitled to visit any merchant in the City of Dallas and walk out of his store with up to $49.99 in merchandise. Effective January 5, the Dallas police will no longer respond to shoplifting calls for shoplifters who take less than $50 in merchandise.

There are exceptions:

1) . . .if the suspected shoplifter has outstanding warrants -- I'm sure when the merchant asks, the shoplifter will answer that one truthfully.

2) . . . if the suspect cannot be identified -- I guess as long as he shows you his ID, he's free to go. Of course, some of these people who are pitching fits about showing ID at the ballot box will probably claim that's discriminatory -- that poor shoplifters can't afford a picture ID.

3) . . . if the retailer wants to file a criminal trespass notice -- does that mean the thief gets to keep what he shoplifted this time, but he just can't come back?

Methinks the whole world hath gone crazy!

"Shoplifting policy is changed." The Dallas Morning News; December 31, 2011; p. 1A.

It's not always wisdom that proceeds out of the mouths of babes.

2012-02-10T00:47:00.000-08:00

Mac McCann is a senior at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas. He is filled with wisdom . . . or so he thinks. He is anti-death penalty. Or he is until someone close to him is brutally murdered.

He says the death penalty just isn't logical. "When a child lies, do you lie to the child as punishment and hope it will deter others from lying?" No, you spank him to teach him that there is a consequence for lying. You don't necessarily intend to use him as a "teaching moment" for others. You are interested in the child who lied.

"When a child hits one of his/her peers, do you hit the child as punishment and hope it will deter others from hitting? I hope not," he opines. I agree with Mac here. You should never hit a child indiscriminately, but you should smack him on the rear when he misbehaves. God says if you don't apply the rod when it's needed, you don't really love your child -- "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes." Does Mac think he knows more than God does?

Mac says it's the same thing in Texas -- we kill those who kill others and hope it will deter others from killing. No, Mac, deterrence is just a side benefit. We lawfully execute those who kill because they deserve it. We lawfully execute those who kill so that they can't repeat their crimes. We lawfully execute those who kill, because we value life so highly that we, as a society, cannot allow those who don't value life to continue to take it.

Mac imparts this bit of wisdom to those of us far less enlightened than he: "No matter what the intentions behind the death penalty are, it clearly does not work." Sure it does, Mac. If you don't believe that, you show me an executed man who killed again.

"Death penalty doesn't work." The Dallas Morning News; January 16, 2012; p. 12A.

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Catholics Take a Stand

2012-02-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

Catholic Charities in Illinois is closing most of their affiliates. Is it because donations are down? No. Is it because they're involved in some sort of scandal? No. Is it because they don't provide a needed service? No.

It's because the State of Illinois has said they cannot refuse to allow same-sex couples to adopt or foster children. Rather than comply with a law in direct conflict with their religious beliefs, they have chosen to shut up shop.

"In the name of tolerance, we're not being tolerated," said Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki. Church critics say the Catholic Church doesn't have a constitutional right to a government contract. That's true, says Anthony R. Picarello, Jr., general counsel of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. However, he said, " . . .it does have a First Amendment right not to be excluded from a contract based on its religious beliefs."

Other denominations need to take a cue from the Catholics. Let's stand up for what's right!

"Catholics won't accept decree on gays." The Dallas Morning News; December 29, 2011; p. 5A.

Free or Not?

2012-02-08T01:47:00.000-08:00

Bill Dunphy is upset. He said that his insurance company told him his colonoscopy would be 100% covered. He had the procedure done.

He became very angry when he received an $1100 bill. He claims he was misled. I think he may be a few fries short of a Happy Meal, and he's having the wrong end tested. You see, the $1100 bill is for removing polyps they found in the course of the colonoscopy. Dunphy says it's bait and switch. I don't think so. In the first place, he probably signed a release that gave them permission to remove any polyps they found. In the second place, according to his theory, if I went for a mammogram that my insurance covers 100%, and they found a tumor, I could say, "I shouldn't have to pay to have that tumor removed or for radiation or chemotherapy or anything else related to that tumor, because my mammogram is covered. You're pulling the old bait and switch on me."

There is another alternative. They could have just left the polyps in there since the colonoscopy was free and then asked him, "Oh -- did you want us to take those out?"

"'Free' colonoscopy isn't always." The Dallas Morning News; December 29, 2011; p. 4A.

Did Daniel really care for this cat?

2012-02-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me know that I love animals -- particularly dogs and cats. But there comes a time when mercy for the suffering of the animal must be considered alongside human practicality. It's called common sense, and it's in increasingly short supply.

Daniel Dockery had a 9-month-old cat named Scruffy. Daniel is a "recovering" heroin addict. In December, Scruffy suffered a severe wound caused by a barbed wire fence -- it was deep and ran from her abdomen to her knee. Daniel took her to the Arizona Humane Society. The Society determined treatment would be $400, but Daniel didn't have $400. He asked them to take his mother's credit card over the phone, but they were not set up to do that. Then he asked them to wait while his mother wired him the money.

The Society told him if he would sign the cat over to them, they would treat the cat and put it in foster care. That would have been the logical thing to do since it's obvious that Dockery doesn't have the means to properly care for an animal. But Dockery refused. The end of the story for Scruffy is that she was euthanized.

Now all the animal rights people are blaming the Humane Society. The Humane Society is just that -- humane. They use their money to place animals that would otherwise be left to wander the streets and suffer. They use their money to treat animals who have no owner to provide the funds needed to treat them. If they had treated Scruffy for Daniel for free, they would be inundated with pet owners bringing in their animals for free treatment. Then the money they've collected for the strays and abandoned animals would be dried up, and they would be forced to euthanize many more adoptable pets.

If Daniel had any common sense or any compassion, he would have given Scruffy a chance. Instead, he selfishly clung to his "rights." I suspect that if we checked, all of us taxpayers are providing Daniel's food and shelter and medical care. I guess he thought he was entitled to free veterinary care as well.

"Euthanized cat sparks an outcry." The Dallas Morning News; December 29, 2011; p. 3A.

More Obamacare

2012-02-06T01:36:00.000-08:00

Did you know that starting in January of this year, the government charges a fee to your health insurance for research to find out which drugs, medical procedures, tests and treatments work best? Guess how your insurance plan pays for that fee? They increase your premium or reduce your benefit. And guess what else? The fee automatically increases with inflation, but I didn't see any provision for it being reduced if inflation decreases.

Not to mention that I don't want some bureaucrat deciding which drugs, medical procedures, tests and treatments work best for me. I prefer those decisions be made by my doctor and me.

So what does this boil down to? We are paying more for our insurance and being told what's good for us. Don't you just love Obamacare?

"New health plan fee to fund research gets mixed reaction." The Dallas Morning News; December 28, 2011; p. 6A.

Would you leave your children with a pedophile?

2012-02-05T02:44:00.000-08:00

Poor little Aliahna Lemmon, age 9, had an idiot for a mother -- and Aliahna paid for it. Tarah Souders, Aliahna's mother, entrusted Michael Plumadore with the care of Aliahna and her two younger sisters even though she knew he was a convicted sex offender. Michael bludgeoned Aliahna to death with a brick, then dismembered her and hid her head, hands and feet at her grandfather's trailer before dumping the rest of her body elsewhere.

Tarah Souders should, at the least, be charged as an accessory to murder. There is no excuse for what she did.

"Man accused of killing 9-year-old." The Dallas Morning News; December 28, 2011; p. 5A.

Which part do you disagree with?

2012-02-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

National Urban League president Marc Morial doesn't like what Rick Santorum had to say while he was on the campaign trail in Iowa. Santorum allegedly said, "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money." I say allegedly, because if you view one of the youtube slow-motion clips of it, it's quite possible he just got his tang tungled up (as one of my high school teachers was fond of saying). It's quite possible he started to say ". . . make lives better," then decided what he wanted to say was, " . . . make people's lives better." If he did say "black people," he pronounced it "blike people."

But let's give the reporters and Morial the benefit of the doubt and say that Santorum did, in fact, say "black people's live." What part of that offends Morial? The part about living off other people's money? Or the part about earning your own money? Or the implication that by percentage, more blacks than whites are on welfare? That's easily checked out -- blacks make up approximately 12.4% of the population, but draw better than 33% of the welfare benefits.

I guess Morial just doesn't like the ring of truth.

"Santorum comments on blacks criticized." The Dallas Morning News; January 4, 2012; p. 14A.

Constitutional Law or Sharia Law?

2012-02-03T01:37:00.000-08:00

A Denver Federal Appeals Court ruled that Muneer Awad has the right to sue to block an Oklahoma law that prohibits Islamic law from being considered in Oklahoma courts. Awad said, "This is an important reminder that the Constitution is the last line of defense against a rising tide of anti-Muslim bigotry . . ." I guess he means that same Constitution that he's trying to subjugate to his heretical religious law. . . the law that allows a father to kill his daughter if he feels she has dishonored the family or become too "westernized." If the Muslim can use Sharia law as a defense, then he can be exonerated for killing an infidel (that's you or me or any other Christian). He can be exonerated for beating his wife. He can be exonerated for any other of a number of things that are crimes in this country. What do you think would happen if a Christian judge used the Bible to excuse someone who beat a homosexual? He would be vilified and disbarred at the very least. And so also should those judges who sit on that Denver court.

"Oklahoma ban on Islamic law discriminates, court says." The Dallas Morning News; January 11, 2012; p. 7A.

Is she smart enough to be a SC Justice?

2012-02-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

In Supreme Court arguments over the issue of nudity and cursing on broadcast TV, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "One cannot tell what's indecent and what isn't." I suppose that could be true if one is mentally retarded or amoral. Wonder which one she is?

"Justices weigh TV standards." The Dallas Morning News; January 11, 2012; p. 5A.

Where are the editorials?

2012-02-01T02:41:00.000-08:00

The Dallas Morning News grows skinnier and skinnier. And all the while they're trying to convince the readers that this is all a new and exciting format with them in mind. Yeah, right.

Anyway, in a recent edition, they took two pages to tell us what's on the opinion page. They explained that it had a masthead, editorials, letters to the editor, featured columnists, a cartoon, and guest columnists. I guess they assume we're too ignorant to recognize those things when we see them. But the real irony of all this? They had none of those things in that edition, because they took up the entire editorial section to explain what goes on the page.

"Behind the opinions." The Dallas Morning News; January 3, 2012; p. 10A.

Are they smart enough to vote?

2012-01-31T02:16:00.000-08:00

Leonard Pitts says that state laws that require a photo ID to vote are all about race. Blacks "live in the margins." "You have no driver's license because you have nothing to drive." I don't know about that. It seems that even those who live in shacks with leaking roofs and tumbled down porches usually have an old Cadillac in the yard along with a satellite dish on the roof and a big screen TV in the parlor. Leonard says, "You have no passport because you've never been out of the country." There are lots of white people who've never been out of the country, either. According to Leonard, "You have no other photo ID because you have no bank account. You work and get paid under the table, a wad of cash sliding from hand to hand." So Leonard thinks people who cheat the IRS and Social Security should be allowed to vote?

But, for the sake of argument, let's agree with Leonard on all these issues. These people have no photo ID's. My contention is . . . black, white, red, or yellow . . . if they're too stupid to apply to the state government which will provide a photo ID at no cost, then they're too stupid to vote anyway.

"Of course voter IDs are about race." The Dallas Morning News; January 9, 2012; p. 11A.

Guard your children!

2012-01-30T01:30:00.000-08:00

An unnamed coalition of health and education groups recently released new education guidelines for public schools.

According to the guidelines, by the end of 2nd grade, students should use the correct names for the male and female body parts. I assume this entails showing them illustrations of said body parts. If I had a second grade child, I wouldn't want anyone besides me or Mr. Essie May teaching him or her about the parts of the opposite gender. I think that's just a wee bit early for someone besides family to be talking to them about such sensitive subjects.

By the end of second grade, these so-called experts say, students should "know that sexual orientation is the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different gender." Does that sound to you like they're trying to make homosexuality sound normal? It certainly does to me. We need to go back to the time when second graders had absolutely no concept of sex except for little boys thinking kissing girls is icky.

By the end of middle school, they should be able to "differentiate among gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation." I guess that means they should be able to pick out a homosexual or a transvestite in a crowd.

By the end of high school, students should be able to "evaluate the effectiveness of abstinence." Well, duh! It's 100% effective!

If you believe that these guidelines are a legitimate attempt to provide information and not an ideological brainwashing exercise, as someone I'm quite fond of likes to say, "I have a nice Italian fountain on the Plaza downtown that I'd like to sell you."

"Beyond the birds and the bees." The Dallas Morning News; January 10, 2012; p. 12A.

Interesting Point

2012-01-29T00:55:00.000-08:00

Greg Glennon of Garland raised a very interesting point about Obama's inconsistencies. Remember how he stood behind the unions in Wisconsin when the governor and legislature there cut benefits? Now what does he want to do? He's cutting the same benefits for the military. As Mr. Glennon says, "Put your life on the line, and the president reduces your benefits. Join a union, own a large bank or build a 'green' product, and taxpayer funds are readily available."

" . . .And don't expect outcry." The Dallas Morning News; January 10, 2012; p. 10A.

How's that Obamacare working for you?

2012-01-28T00:50:00.000-08:00

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, consumers nationwide are bearing more and more of the cost of health care, with millions losing their insurance and those still insured paying higher premiums and spending more out of pocket.

Thank goodness for Obamacare!

"Growth in medical spending slows as consumers pay more." The Dallas Morning News; January 10, 2012; p. 1A.

What does Richard Cordray mean to you?

2012-01-27T02:54:00.000-08:00

In another power grab, Obama appointed Richard Cordray as the director of his new consumer protection agency. The appointment was made while Congress was not in session (according to Obama), because Obama knew that approval of Congress for this man was not likely. The appointment was probably illegal, but that's an issue for another post.

So what does this mean to you? Under the guise of protecting the consumer, this agency will begin regulating mortgage servicers, student lenders and payday-loan companies. According to the newspaper, some areas of consumer finance will remain outside the bureau's reach, but the very next paragraph in the article belies that statement. ". . .the consumer protection bureau can supervise only non-bank companies it defines as 'larger participants' in their markets." Notice the italics. The bureau, itself, gets to decide who and what it will regulate. We are fast losing our freedoms in the name of "protecting the consumer." The consumer better learn to protect himself before it's too late!

"Appointment expands watchdog's oversight." The Dallas Morning News; January 5, 2012; p. 2A.

My Jakadrien Turner Theory

2012-01-26T02:25:00.000-08:00

Jakadrien Turner is the teenager who told ICE she was an illegal alien even though she was born and raised in the U.S. She was deported. Why would she tell them that?

Essie's theory: She had met some Columbian boy, either in person or over the internet, and she wanted a free trip to Columbia.

Remember, you heard it here first.

Sidenote: Jakadrien's friends need to make sure they stay in school. They all met her at the airport when she returned to the states. The newspaper photo shows one of them holding up a sign: "So glad your home."

"Deported girl back home with family and questions." The Dallas Morning News; January 7, 2012; p. 1A.

Crazy or Just a Publicity Hound?

2012-01-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

Bob Jag shot his wife in the face six times in 1988. He now resides in the Texas Department of Corrections. Bob has three step-daughters -- the children of the woman he killed. They now run a movie production outfit in California.

They recently came to Texas to "mediate" with Bob about the heinous crime he committed all those years ago. They wanted to do a documentary about the mediation process. Maybe I'm a little clueless, but just what is there to mediate with a man who murdered your mother? At any rate, the sisters say they have been "re-victimized" by the TDC because they will not allow them to film the mediation.

If their real motivation is some sort of reconciliation with this man, why is it so important to them to film it? In fact, I can see that filming it could inhibit the man to confess and beg their forgiveness. And if they're really talented film-makers, don't you think they could re-enact these scenes for their documentary? Other documentary makers do it all the time.

Kelley Whitis, one of the sisters, says that she went in without any expectations, and she's glad she did, because no apology from Bob was forthcoming. However, she said, she began to feel empathy for him. Really? A man who shot her mother six times? She said, "I saw a lonely and scared 12-year-old. I saw a little boy who had been lied to and manipulated by women . . . since he was a child. Because of this, he assumed all women would lie and cheat. He reached his wits end with my mother. Because she wanted to leave him, he decided no woman would ever leave him again." I don't know about you, but I think that either this woman is a publicity hound, or she's missing a whole bunch of her marbles!

"Sisters confront their mother's killer." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2012; p. 7A.

The Answer to the Question

2012-01-24T01:57:00.000-08:00

No one seems to know why Jaime Gonzalez, Jr. took a pellet gun that looked remarkably like a more lethal weapon to Cummings Middle School in Brownsville, Texas. But multiple witnesses agree on what he did once he got there. He assaulted one student by punching him in the nose and then stormed the halls with the weapon drawn.

The principal called 911. When the police arrived, they repeatedly instructed Jaime to put the gun down. He refused. The police did what they had to do -- they shot him.

Jaime's father says the only thing he has left to say is "Justice." When asked to explain, he said, "Justice means finding out why they shot him the way they did."

I can provide Mr. Gonzalez justice right here and now. They shot him, because they had no way of knowing if the weapon was real or not. They shot him, because he endangered their lives and the lives of the students and faculty at the school by refusing to put the weapon down. They shot him, because they had no idea what he intended to do next. It's as simple as that.

"A lesson from student's death." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2012; p. 3A.

Elvin may get his wish.

2012-01-23T01:20:00.000-08:00

Elvin Taylor of Waxahachie responded to an article about Medicare cuts in physician reimbursements. Elvin says he doesn't feel sorry for those doctors. I don't think Elvin gets it.

Elvin says that he's 80 years old, and he had trouble finding a doctor close to home when he moved last year. He says he finally found one 20 miles away. Guess what, Elvin? The problem is that fewer and fewer doctors are accepting Medicare patients because their costs are not being covered.

Elvin says the doctors won't refill his prescriptions unless he comes in for an office visit even though he's not sick. Guess what, Elvin? FDA regulations prohibit doctors from prescribing certain medications without seeing the patient. The doctor could lose his license to practice if he prescribes for you without seeing you. Guess what else, Elvin? If you're not sick, you don't need to be taking any medicine. Obviously something is wrong, or you wouldn't need the drugs.

Elvin complains that the doctors bill Medicare $150 for the office visit. Guess what, Elvin? Most doctors have high-tech equipment that helps them to diagnose your problem. That equipment isn't cheap. Most of them have receptionists who handle your calls for appointments. They must be paid. Most of them have clinics requiring electricity, running water, telephones, computer equipment. They have to pay for all that. Guess what, Elvin? Most of them have nurses on staff to help insure you receive optimal care. Those nurses didn't spend time in nursing school to volunteer their services -- they must be paid. Guess what, Elvin? The salaries of those nurses and receptionists aren't the only costs associated with employing them. The doctor has to pay social security and unemployment taxes not to mention any other benefits he might provide. Guess what, Elvin? That doctor spent approximately 12 years in school to take care of you, and it cost him a small fortune. He should be compensated for that.

Elvin says we should look at the homes they live in and the cars they drive and the property they own. Guess what, Elvin? I don't care whether he lives in a 15,000 square foot mansion or a 2-room apartment. I don't care whether he drives a Jaguar or pedals a bicycle to work. I only care about what kind of medical care he provides.

Elvin suggests those greedy doctors change professions to see what teaching in the public schools is like. Guess what, Elvin? You may get your wish as the effects of Obamacare and Medicare cuts drive more and more of them out of the profession. Then you'll be lucky to find a doctor within 200 miles of your house. I don't think you get it, Elvin.

"Doctors have it made." The Dallas Morning News; January 2, 2012; p. 8A.

Mama always said . . .

2012-01-22T01:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I read the letters to the editor in the newspaper, I can't help but think of Forrest Gump. "Mama always said, 'Stupid is as stupid does.'"

J. E. French of Dallas certainly reminded me of Forrest's mama's wisdom. J. E. says that we don't understand what a capitalist society is. He says we've been taught that socialism and communism are "bad, evil even."

But capitalism, J. E. says, really means getting the most we can for the least amount we have to pay (and I guess he thinks that's bad). He says that if you've ever felt you should be paid more, you're probably right. Because your mean old boss wants to keep all the wealth for himself. He says most of us deserve more money, and he'd like the wealth in this country to be spread around. He asks, "How do we start the process of Occupying Capitalism?"

Remember, J.E., you asked. Here's the answer to your question. Don't wait for your employer to spread the wealth -- you should start the ball rolling and set the example yourself. I'll just bet that there are employees at your company who make less than you do. Let's say you're making $12.50 an hour, but the guy who works in the department with you makes only $8.50 an hour. You go tell your boss that you want to give $2.00 an hour of your pay to the $8.50 guy. That way, you'll both be making $10.50, and you will feel really good about yourself for having spread your wealth and given nasty old capitalism a good swift kick in the rear.

In the same letters column, Peggy Simpkin of Dallas suggested that manufacturers and auto dealers be required to install ignition devices to test for intoxication on all vehicles. It's no different, she says, than requiring air bags and seatbelts. Yes, Peggy, it is different.

Air bags and seatbelts are basic safety devices. They have nothing to do with the ability of the driver. Mr. Essie May and I do not imbibe. Why should we have to pay several hundred dollars more for a vehicle and contend with the hassle of having to blow our unintoxicated breath into a machine before we can drive? I foresee malfunctioning machines that won't start the car even when the driver's had nothing to drink. I foresee so-called friends blowing into the machine for driver's who've had one too many. I foresee people making a little black market money by disconnecting the devices. You don't penalize the majority for the sins of a few. You enact strict laws and then enforce them. No deferred adjudication or expunged records -- when the law says you go to jail for good on the third offense, that's exactly what should happen. It's hard to drive drunk when you're in the gray bar hotel!

"Can we occupy capitalism?" The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2011; p. 12A.
"Deadly distracted driving." The Dallas Morning News; December 27, 2011; p. 12A.

Cathedral of Hope? Or Cathedral of Delusion?

2012-01-21T02:39:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it seem preposterous that a church could be founded on the basis of one's preferred sin? And then that the members could be so delusional as to believe that God is blessing them for it?

That seems to be the case with the Cathedral of Hope - a "church" founded for gays. During the Christmas season, they had a children's Christmas pageant there. Twenty years ago, when people were still spiritual enough to be somewhat ashamed of their sin, the church didn't have a children's ministry. It's a sign of our times that homosexual couples now have enough children to start one. It's the focus of that ministry that concerns me.

David White is the chairman of the church's board of directors and the "father" of 9-year-old twin boys. He said the children are taught "faith with a focus on total acceptance." Does that mean that he wants his sons to accept pedophiles, murderers, liars, thieves, and bigots? Can he show me a scriptural case for that? I don't think so. In fact, God says to "believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." And then He says, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves . . . Without natural affection, . . . lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Ask Ananias and Sapphira about the consequences of "playing" at being good Christians. God doesn't want us to play church. And if the church is founded on a lie -- that homosexuality is "normal" and "right" -- the members are delusional and that's exactly what they're doing.

"Kids give Cathedral of Hope wings." The Dallas Morning News; December 19, 2011; p. 1B.

The Big Drawback to Social Security

2012-01-20T00:34:00.000-08:00

I came across an interesting take on Social Security in a financial advice column. The question was whether or not expected Social Security benefits should be counted as an asset. The answer was that they should not.

Why? Because it's not your money. You are entitled only to a monthly stipend from it. If you've paid in $100,000 over the years to Social Security, and you die after having drawn out only $25,000, that's it. Your heirs (aside from a spouse) do not pass go and do not collect $200.

Mr. Essie May and I have a couple of other retirement provisions. Unlike social security, they are assets. Why? Because it is our money. If one or both of us should die before we have drawn out what we paid in, our heirs will get whatever remains.

And that is why Social Security needs to be phased out. The American people are being scammed out of their own money -- and being told it's for their own good.

"You can calculate Social Security's worth, but don't count it as asset." The Dallas Morning News; December 15, 2011; p. 1D.

Better Than First Bimbo

2012-01-19T00:27:00.000-08:00

George Palmer of Dallas makes fun of Newt Gingrich: "Have we ever had a third wife as first lady," he asks.

I know we've had some second wives as first ladies, but I wonder what designation we give the bimbos and the mistresses of Bill Clinton, JFK, and FDR? At least Newt has enough moral fiber to marry instead of corrupt and degrade young interns in government offices.

"A Gingrich first?" The Dallas Morning News; 12/15/2011; p. 16A.

And what has one to do with the other????

2012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Randy Lawhon of Forney says he noticed a "very revealing" juxtaposition of items in the newspaper. One was headlined: "Man arrested after shots are fired at White House." The other was headlined: "Portability of gun permits is backed."

He says this speaks volumes about the values of our society. I'm not sure I understand what he means. Does he think that the nutcase who fired the shots at the White House had a gun license? Or does he think that if a person is determined to shoot at the White House, he'll think, "Oops! Can't do that. I don't have a license"? Or does he think that if all states recognize the licenses of other states we'll suddenly have a spate of assassination attempts? If that's not what he means, just what does he mean?

"Gun culture on display." The Dallas Morning News; 11/20/2011; p. 2P.

In your opinion, how much are they worth?

2012-01-17T00:09:00.000-08:00

Aubra Thomas of Dallas says that "extreme income disparity is undesirable, dangerous and ultimately unsustainable." I don't think Aubra has the faintest idea what she's talking about.

I don't know what Aubra does for a living, but let's suppose she's spent eight years in college and another three to eight years in internship to become a doctor. And let's suppose that the janitor at the clinic she just opened dropped out of school in the 10th grade. Aubra's now bringing in somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 a year. In terms of hourly pay, let's say she works a 60 hour week. That means she's making roughly $96 an hour. She's paying the janitor $8.50 an hour. That's an extreme income disparity. But if she's in that position, do you think she thinks it's undesirable, dangerous and unsustainable? I kind of doubt it.

There is a solution for Aubra. If she's the doctor, she can raise the janitor to $52.25 an hour. Then there won't be any income disparity. There's also a solution if she's the janitor. She can get a grip on her envy and stop worrying about how much money other people make. Then she can get her rear in gear and do what it takes for her to get a better job.

"Income disparity matters." The Dallas Morning News; November 20, 2011; p. 3P.

Another Case for Strict Deportation of Illegals

2012-01-16T01:25:00.000-08:00

Santana Gaona was accused of rape. He was placed in Dallas County jail and red-flagged as an illegal immigrant. For some reason, the rape charge collapsed, but he was still here illegally. So one would assume, that since he was already in custody, he would be deported. Not so. Federal immigration officials say they can't reveal why they cancelled their detainer and allowed him to be released from jail.

Seven weeks later, he shot and killed Jesse Benavides at a family birthday party in Dallas. FBI Agent Danny Defenbaugh is bumfuzzled by the situation. "I wouldn't expect any law enforcement entity to let the guy run amok," he said, adding that it sounded "ugly." I expect there are quite a few people who share Defenbaugh's puzzlement.

"Freed illegal immigrant suspected of murder." The Dallas Morning News; 11/05/2011; p. 1A.

Another Installment of Why Johnny Can't Read

2012-01-15T01:27:00.000-08:00

At Lake Highlands Elementary School in Dallas, they evidently have brilliant students who learn their lessons so quickly, they have nothing constructive to do. So they've spent hours stacking cups in an attempt to break a world record. You read that right -- they are participating in the highly educational activity of placing plastic cups one atop the other.

And the school hypes this up like it's a source of pride. One student said, "Our school could be legendary." Kids practice at home. There are cups in all the classrooms and gym. The kids chant and cheer as the competition goes on. Gosh -- if only they could be so enthusiastic about reading.

"Kids join global bid to topple Guinness stacking record." The Dallas Morning News; November 18, 2011; p. 1B.

Why would one want unqualified judges?

2012-01-14T00:46:00.000-08:00

The American Bar Association has given the "unqualified" rating to a significant number of Obama's potential picks for federal judgeships. In fact, the number deemed not qualified under the Obama administration exceeds the number receiving a similar designation under eight years of George Bush or eight years of Bill Clinton. The rejection rate is more than 3 1/2 times higher than under those presidencies.

So why would a President consider such a high number of people who are unqualified? I can think of a few plausible reasons. 1) He's too ignorant to realize they are unqualified. 2) He's returning a favor. 3) He hopes to gain a favor. 4) They may know nothing about the law, but they agree with him politically. 6) They are personal friends. 5) Judgeships for sale.

Other than those, I can't think of anything. Can you?

"Report: 14 of Obama's potential judge picks rated unqualified." The Dallas Morning News; November 23, 2011; p. 6A.

DIY Immigration

2012-01-13T02:57:00.000-08:00

I've heard it all now. Federal authorities want to open an unmanned port of entry from Mexico as a "security upgrade." Only someone in the federal government could put such a spin on, "Let's let Mexicans freely come and go at Big Bend National Park without even a customs agent there to monitor the comings and goings."

Actually, it's going to be an honor system type thing. They'll have a kiosk there for Mexicans to scan their documents. The customs officer will be 100 miles away. It doesn't say what they plan to do about all the Mexicans who will just bypass the kiosk.

Customs and Border Protection spokesman William Brooks said, "I think it's actually going to end up making security better." According to the newspaper, this upgraded security will cost the taxpayer $2.3 million dollars. I'm no builder, but I think I could build them a kiosk for far less than that. The newspaper also says that this program has support from the "highest levels of government." Do you know what that tells me? It tells me this November, we need to change our "highest levels of government"! Vote Nobama!

"Nations may ease Big Bend crossings." The Dallas Morning News; December 12, 2011; p. 3A.

What's wrong with this picture?

2012-01-12T01:55:00.000-08:00

I always loved Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, but something is definitely wrong with this picture. Frankie and his wife, Randy, are in the midst of divorce proceedings. She's getting $30,000 a month from him in spousal support and royalties. She's also getting $810 a month in public assistance for taking care of her own children. And we wonder why this country is in the shape it's in!

http://www.tmz.com/2011/11/22/frankie-valli-jersey-boys-divorce/

How could she afford the computer and the phone?

2012-01-11T00:07:00.000-08:00

Rachelle Grimmer shot her two children and killed herself in a standoff at a welfare office in Laredo. The two children later died, too. The implications from the newspaper stories are that she was distraught because she had been denied food stamps.

Obviously, the woman had some mental problems. She had no job. The newspaper report says that she was nowhere near the Webb County per capita income of $13,600. Neighbors say she would walk down the highway after midnight to beg restaurants for the food they would throw away. The family bathed with a hose outside the small trailer they lived in -- a step up from the tent they had occupied previously. Yet she had a cell phone and probably a computer -- previous news reports detail the webpage she and her children set up, and the daughter posted on Facebook the day she was shot. How did they afford those things? And when child welfare investigated her in July 2010, she showed them money and food.

It appears Grimmer did little to help herself. The children did not go to school. When she applied for food stamps, she never submitted the proof of income the agency required. She reported that her child support was greater than her monthly expenses for rent and utilities. The agency had no choice but to turn her down. According to the children's paternal grandmother, their father had tried several times since his divorce to have the children removed from Grimmer's custody. Grimmer's friends say that's not true. At any rate, perhaps he didn't try hard enough.

"Friends saw family's desperation." The Dallas Morning News; 12/11/2011; p. 3A.

Goodbye, Miss Manners.

2012-01-10T01:26:00.000-08:00

I've always enjoyed reading Miss Manners, because I usually pick up all sorts of little points of etiquette I didn't know. But I guess I'll officially have to quit reading Ms. Martin's column. It has degenerated from an informative social guide to a politically correct farce.

The column that broke the proverbial camel's back dealt with the quandary of a betrothed couple's friend. She didn't know if it would be appropriate for her to provide bouquets for the couple's civil ceremony. Oh -- did I mention that the betrothed couple did not include a woman?

The friend's dilemma stems from the fact that she thinks "having men carry bouquets is tacky." But having two men flaunt their abominable relationship by making a mockery of marriage is not? The friend has swallowed that proverbial camel.

Miss Manners politely suggests that the friend provide boutonnieres for the happy couple because "gentlemen do not carry bouquets." I respectfully submit that Miss Manners misses the salient point that we're not dealing with "gentlemen" here. I also respectfully point out to Miss Manners that if both "gentlemen" wear boutonnieres, nobody will know which one is the bride.

"Economical ways to fete the grooms." The Dallas Morning News; December 9, 2011; p. 1E.

More on Personal Responsibility

2012-01-09T01:02:00.000-08:00

Colleen McCain Nelson seems to want to blame the City of Dallas for a lack of responsibility on the part of property owners. I wrote before the Christmas holidays about a pile of trash she felt the City should move when the people in the neighborhood appeared to be perfectly capable of moving it themselves.

In a December column, she's again implying that the City should "do something," despite her own acknowledgement that the City is doing all it legally can, and the neighbors themselves appear to be the major factor behind the eyesore. In this case, it's a burned out structure on Spring Avenue. The property was destroyed by arsonists nine months ago. The owner lives in Florida.

Code compliance officers have repeatedly hauled off debris and tacked up plywood, but the vandals repeatedly rip down the plywood. The City would love to bring in the bulldozers and raze the ruins, but it's had to wind its way through the laws protecting the property rights of the owners. The first lawsuit was filed in June, and a continuance was granted to the owners in August. In September, the owners agreed to clean the lot within 60 days. That didn't happen. The City filed a notice of noncompliance in November and put the property in the lineup to be razed.

The owners say they paid someone to clean the property and were not aware it had not been done. That's not a legitimate excuse. They should have checked to make sure it was done. Now, back to my contention that the neighbors, themselves, bear responsibility for this eyesore. When they bought the property, the owners contracted with a management company to maintain it and collect rents. But the management company eventually refused to collect the rents because the neighborhood was too dangerous. Then the arsonists hit -- and it's a safe bet they live somewhere near. And the plywood keeps disappearing. If I were a city official, I'd look around to see if the neighboring houses had up any new plywood. It seems to me that these are not the kind of neighbors who really care whether or not there's a burned out house next door.

But the bottom line is that the property owners are responsible. The City should fine them the maximum, because they've wasted countless hours and resources belonging to taxpaying citizens.

"Bring out the bulldozers to South Dallas eyesore." The Dallas Morning News; December 9, 2011; p. 27A.

Obamacare at Work for You!

2012-01-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

One of the provisions of Obamacare is that insurance companies must spend 80% of their premium revenue on medical care or refund the difference to consumers. Sounds logical and fair and good for the consumer, doesn't it?

But let's see what the fallout is. The Texas Department of Insurance contends that some companies will be driven out of the market by the new rule. And, in fact, in the last 18 months, four insurers filed formal plans to withdraw from Texas' individual market. One of those, National Health Insurance Company, covered 1,758 people last year. Those 1,758 people now face the daunting task of finding new insurance. At least 11 carriers have said they either will or might stop writing policies.

Another consequence is that the rule effectively prohibits the insurance company from building up reserves from a good year to cover a year that might have a higher number of claims than usual. In that case, guess what? Premiums will increase.

Obama wants you to believe that Obamacare is good for you -- "you're never going to go bankrupt because you get sick or somebody in your family gets sick."* But any way you slice it, it means higher premiums, fewer benefits, and a bureaucracy making your healthcare decisions. You may not go bankrupt, but you very well may die! Obama's spin reminds me of those old tobacco company ads. They show you the smiling, healthy, beautiful people smoking their products -- not the lung cancer patients who are so addicted that they're smoking cigarettes through their trachs.

"State plan slashes rebates." The Dallas Morning News; December 9, 2011; p. 1A.
*Obama quote: http://www.politico.com/playbook/

Does Hillary speak for you?

2012-01-07T02:33:00.000-08:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks for the nation at the U.N. Human Rights Council when she says, "Gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights." That's a stupid statement with no substance. It means nothing, but it sounds enlightened and benevolent. The emperor has no clothes.

"It should never be a crime to be gay," Clinton said. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination," God said. Which one speaks for you?

"Clinton: U.S. supports gay rights worldwide." The Dallas Morning News; December 7, 2011; p. 11A.

Matter of Interpretation

2012-01-06T02:23:00.000-08:00

The news reports that arrests of illegal immigrants along the U.S. border with Mexico are at the lowest level since the Nixon administration. This indicates, according to the newpaper, that fewer people are attempting to cross the border to live and/or work in the United States. Therefore, they say, the debate on illegal immigration will move from securing the border to handling the illegals who are already here.

I have a different interpretation of the data. Fewer arrests means border security has been weakened in recent years. It's not that fewer people are coming across the border; it's that more of them are coming across without being apprehended. The motive for this misinterpretation of the data is clarified in their conclusion -- let's just quit worrying about the border and come up with a way that those already here can stay.

That's kind of like the plumber who comes to your flooded kitchen to fix the hole in your waterline. His solution to your problem: let's just mop up all this water and not worry about that hole. Sounds pretty stupid when it's put like that, doesn't it?

"Border arrests at low point." The Dallas Morning News; December 7, 2011; p. 1A.

Cost isn't the only issue.

2012-01-05T01:17:00.000-08:00

Charles Mikkelsen of Dallas contends that universal single-payer health care would be cheaper, especially for businesses, and would cover everyone in the country. I doubt that's true. Somebody has to pay for health care -- the user, the business owner, or other taxpayers. Mikkelson contends that we should be like other countries, and if we don't agree with him, we are obstinate and shortsighted.

However, for the sake of argument, let's concede Mikkelson's original point that a single-payer system would be cheaper. The next question is whether or not we really want to be like other countries. Do we want to wait three years for a gall bladder operation? Do we want bureaucrats telling us which procedures we need and which we don't? Do we want politicians deciding who gets medicine when there's a shortage? Besides all that, it doesn't appear single-payer systems have done much for the economies in all those countries Mikkelson considers to be enlightened.

Perhaps Mr. Mikkelson needs to be reminded of the old saw "you get what you pay for."

"Single-payer would be cheaper." The Dallas Morning News; December 6, 2011; p. 14A.

Hoist on His Own Petard

2012-01-04T00:57:00.000-08:00

Let's just say that Christopher Scott Furber is not the brightest bulb in the box.

Christopher committed the perverted act of putting a hidden camera disguised as an air freshener inside a recreation center restroom in Plano. How do they know Christopher did it? His photograph is the first one the camera snapped.

"Arrest made in case of restroom camera." The Dallas Morning News; December 6, 2011; p. 2B.

From my WIST file . . .

2012-01-03T02:39:00.000-08:00

Some words of wisdom:

You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Harold Cooperman

Richardson, Texas

I am offended.

2012-01-02T02:05:00.000-08:00

You can call me a redneck, a bigot, a racist, un-pc, or whatever you want, but I am one of those people who believes mixed race marriages are asking for trouble. I find the recent trend in advertising to be especially offensive -- a kind of "in your face" pairing of black/white couples when there's really no need for it.

So -- Macy's, Lexus, Dentyne, K-Mart, Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese, and all the other companies trying to prove how tolerant you are, I am offended by your ads. But since I'm a conservative Christian, I doubt that bothers you.

What has happened to gratitude?

2012-01-01T02:51:00.000-08:00

Before the Thanksgiving turkey even had time to get cold, people began their surge to black Friday sales. Don't get me wrong, I love a good bargain as much as the next person, and I and my family had a great time shopping, selecting gifts, and opening presents. But can we not take even 24 hours to be thankful for what we have without obsessing over how much more we need to get?

People (idiots if you really want to be honest about it) camped out in front of stores for days before Thanksgiving. One woman talked about how they manned their tent in shifts so each of them could have a chance to go home for the Thanksgiving feast. Stores opened at ridiculous hours for fear the competition would get more sales than they did. Even at 4 in the morning, people jammed the doorways waiting to get in. People were pepper sprayed, trampled, and assaulted -- all for the chance to get 50% off. People mistakenly thought one store in California was opening at midnight. The store was actually scheduled to open at 4 a.m. When the unsuspecting employees who were stocking shelves failed to open the doors at midnight, the barbarians knocked them down and stormed into the closed story, neglecting to pay for the merchandise they helped themselves to. And all this under the guise of celebrating the birth of the Savior.

No, Thanksgiving and Christmas just don't seem to mean what they once did to the masses. The holidays seem to be much less about thanking God for His goodness and reflecting on His abundant blessings and much more about greedily beating the other guy to the big bargain -- legally or illegally. May God forgive us our selfishness and ingratitude, and may we all remember in 2012 that the important things in life are not things.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2011-11-26T14:36:00.000-08:00

I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours was. We enjoyed family and good food and a restful day. With Christmas coming, I'm sure you won't have any more time to read this blog than I will to write it, so I'm taking the few days left in November and the month of December to rest my typing fingers and reflect on what the season is all about.

May you all have a very merry Christmas, and may 2012 hold God's richest blessings for you and your family. And in the new year may God grant us Christian leadership who will guide our country back to a position of strength and honor.

And with that -- so long until January 2, 2012!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

May each of you have a blessed and bountiful Thanksgiving!

It's called personal responsibility.

2011-11-23T02:54:00.000-08:00

Colleen McCain Nelson is complaining about the lack of response from the City of Dallas on an illegal dumping site. She toured a South Dallas neighborhood with the mayor, and a bunch of trash he had earlier reported was still there. They stopped to talk to two of the neighborhood residents.

The two residents were men standing out in the driveway drinking beer. When Mayor Rawlins introduced himself, it became apparent that neither of them spoke English. Not to worry - Mayor Rawlins had a translator with him. "What's the best thing about your neighborhood," he asked. "There's nothing good here," was the reply.

The trash in question was pictured. It would easily have fit in one of the two pickups in the driveway in the photo. If there were trash dumped across from my house, and the city had not picked it up when I reported it, I'd try to contact the owner of the property. If that failed, I'd back my truck up there and haul it to the dump myself. Maybe if those two guys busy drinking beer had that attitude, there might be something good about their neighborhood. But that would require a little personal responsibility and pride in one's surroundings.

"On tour with mayor." The Dallas Morning News; November 18, 2011; p. 25A.

Thank goodness for Obamacare!

2011-11-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

Since Obamacare has passed, how many of you have noticed how affordable your healthcare is getting to be? Our premiums continue to rise and our benefits continue to decrease. We are now paying co-pays on drugs that previously were 100% covered.

According to the newspaper, we're not the only ones experiencing these benefits of Obamacare. A new study shows that co-payments for brand-name drugs will increase by 40% on average next year, and generic brands will average nearly 30% more.

Thank goodness for Obamacare!

"Co-pays climb for prescription drugs." The Dallas Morning News; November 17, 2011; p. 7A.

Granny should have had better sense.

2011-11-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

The media seems incensed that Dorli Rainey, age 84, was hit with pepper spray during an Occupy Seattle protest. But I think Granny should have had better sense.

Dorli was on a downtown bus when she heard the helicopters overhead guiding the police as they moved a bunch of protesters who were blocking the streets. She said she thought to herself, "Oh, boy, I'd better go show solidarity with New York." I think Dorli would have been better served if she'd shown solid reasoning instead of solidarity.

Mayor Mike McGinn says Rainey is a well-known local activist. Un-PC translation: We know this nut. Police said officers used pepper spray only against those who refused a lawful order to disperse. If Dorli wasn't willing to take the consequences of "solidarity," she should have stayed on the bus.

"Pepper spray victim becomes icon." The Dallas Morning News; November 17, 2011; p. 7A.

Huh?

2011-11-20T00:21:00.000-08:00

I thought newpaper publishers were supposed to be good communicators. If that's the case, publisher J. D. Davidson is certainly in the wrong profession. How's this for convoluted:

"When is the least anyone can do ever enough to save a child?"

This gobbledy-gook headlines Davidson's editorial about Joe Paterno. He says Paterno has a "gravely" voice. Does that mean he's a very serious guy, or does Davidson mean a "gravelly" voice?

When is the least any publisher can proofread ever enough to sound half-way intelligent?

"When is the least anyone can do ever enough to save a child?" The Paris News; November 13, 2011; p. 4A.

From each according to his means . . .

2011-11-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

I saw this scary quote in the newspaper last week: "It makes us wonder whether the extraordinary amount of resources we spend on retirees and their health care should be at least partially reallocated to those who are hurting worse than them." Harry Holzer, Labor economist at Georgetown University.

We better start reining in the socialist movement in America, and we need to start with the White House.

"Talking Points." The Dallas Morning News; November 13, 2011; p. 1P.

Did you hear about . . .?

2011-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

I wonder how many of you have heard about the hate crimes that occurred a week ago in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Midwood is inhabited primarily by Orthodox Jews. Last Friday night, vandals scrawled swastikas on park benches and torched cars by igniting gasoline soaked rags underneath them. State Assemblyman Dov Hikind said he had not seen such violence in 29 years of representing the area.

I found out about these crimes because I generally read the newspaper cover to cover every day. It was reported in a news brief column on page 7A two days after it happened. Now, I wonder how many of you would have heard about it had it occurred in a black or gay neighborhood? And I wonder if it would have been two days after it happened before it was briefly mentioned on page 7A. What do you think?

"Residents of Orthodox area protest vandalism." The Dallas Morning News; November 14, 2011; p. 7A.

John, Paul, George, or Ringo?

2011-11-17T01:28:00.000-08:00

Paris News classified ad in yesterday's paper:

"FOUND: 2 male sm. dogs, part Beatle in the Powderly area. Call 903-732-4292 lv.mes."

Hide-and-Seek and Vandalism

2011-11-16T02:10:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's just me, but this whole story sounds fishy. Josiah Watts is 10 years old. He and a bunch of other kids were playing in the neighbor's yard when they broke two sprinkler heads and damaged several foundation shrubs.

The homeowner who suffered the losses says she had previously told one of the children it was OK to play in her yard, but when she came home that day, there were approximately 10 children in her yard who all scattered when they saw her coming. Josiah admits he was in the shrubbery where the damage occurred and says it was one of his friends who broke the sprinkler heads and threw them up on the roof of the house.

The homeowner called the police and said she wanted $1500 restitution. Josiah's parents refuse to pay, because they say Josiah is not responsible. They say Josiah has been traumatized by all this, that he's lost weight and can't sleep. They've spent $2500 in wages and legal fees trying to get out of paying the $1500 they owe this woman. If they're that worried about the effect on their son, why did they allow his name to be printed in the newspaper, and why didn't they just pay the $1500 and end the situation? Josiah is guilty, because even if Josiah didn't do the actual damage, he knows who did, and he evidently is not telling. It's the old guilt by association thing -- the guy who drives the getaway car is just as guilty of bank robbery as the guy who pointed the gun.

But Josiah's parents say there is an ulterior motive. They're a mixed race couple, and it's all because Josiah is half black. No, it's all because Josiah is a little vandal.

"Game of hide-and-seek turns into legal nightmare." The Dallas Morning News; November 11, 2011; p. 1B.

Little Miranda has a lot to learn.

2011-11-15T01:55:00.000-08:00

Miranda Gavitt is a Junior High School student. In the cause of discouraging bullying, she says that we need to pass laws to make repeating a rumor a crime. Let's give Miranda the benefit of the doubt and say that she's not yet studied the U.S. Constitution in school, so she doesn't know about the Bill of Rights that says the government can't tell us what we may and may not say.

Because of her age, I guess little Miranda doesn't yet know that life is not fair. We must develop thick skins to stand up to all the personal affronts we'll suffer through the years. Miranda says if we'd just pass the rumor law, we could put a stop to bullying. Despite Miranda's optimism, no law can stop one kid calling another names or otherwise making fun of him. If it were that simple, we wouldn't have murders, bank robberies, rapes, fraud, or any of the hundreds of other things that are against the law. I've never heard of any legislation that has successfully eliminated the evil it outlaws.

Just a word of advice, Miranda. You may want to outlaw someone else's right to call you names, but what about your right to say someone is a bully when you report him to the teacher? What if he doesn't consider himself a bully, and feels that you are bullying him by calling him that? Does that mean you are guilty of breaking the law you espouse? Be careful what you wish for.

". . .and a rumor crackdown." The Dallas Morning News; November 11, 2011; p. 18A.

More Gaps

2011-11-14T00:54:00.000-08:00

It seems the newspaper recently is really emphasizing all the "gaps" in income, wealth, etc. The articles usually leave out key ideas. For example, in examining the gap in wealth between older Americans and younger ones, they left out the major factor of a difference in mindset. Older Americans tend to be the ones who have worked hard, put off buying luxuries, bought houses they could afford, and planned for their retirement. Younger Americans tend to be "live in the moment" types -- I want that new car with all the bells and whistles, and I don't want to wait until I've saved up a sizable downpayment. A two-bedroom house in a modest neighborhood just isn't big enough. I want the four-bedroom one with the pool outside.

Now we have the maternity leave gap. Lower-educated mothers are nearly four times more likely than college graduates to be denied paid maternity benefits according to the Census Bureau. That's the widest gap over the past 50 years bemoans the Associated Press. Could that be because lower-educated mothers didn't sacrifice to do well in school and, therefore, can't get the kinds of good-paying jobs with benefits that those who stuck it out and graduated college can? Yet that factor is never discussed in this article.

"For working families where the norm now is for both mom and dad to work, not having some kind of paycheck coming in while they take time to take care of a child can be a real financial burden," says Lynda Laughlin, a family demographer at the Census Bureau. If it's that much of a burden, perhaps they should consider delaying having children.

"There's a longer-term trend of widening U.S. income inequality caused by slow wage growth at the middle- and lower-income levels. Women with higher birth rates in the U.S. are on average younger and less educated and typically Hispanic, and they are more likely to toil in lower-wage positions." To sum up, Kathleen Gerson, a professor of sociology at New York University, says, "The irony is that the people with the most children are now the least likely to have the supports they need." Could it be that low-income people aren't low-income because they don't have supports, but that they're low-income because they refuse to control their hormones and stop having children they can't afford?
Of course, all this is part of the liberal agenda to place more burdens upon businesses. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires businesses to allow unpaid time off for the births and care of children. I told Mr. Essie May when that passed that it was just step one. The next thing, I predicted, was that businesses would be forced to provide paid time off. Looks like Essie may have predicted correctly on that one.

"Access to maternity leave levels off." The Dallas Morning News; November 11, 2011; p. 7A.

How Unfair!

2011-11-13T00:41:00.000-08:00

We are just so unfair in this country! Maribel Arellano of Irving thinks we're so unfair that she's suing.

Maribel has been in this country illegally for 21 years. Authorities found out she was here when she was stopped for a traffic violation in 2008. Since she was not legal, I feel confident in saying she didn't have a drivers license, so she shouldn't have been driving, either. She is fighting her deportation order.

But what really has Maribel steamed is that she must wear an electronic monitoring device. She said she is humiliated by the device. I guess Maribel and I have different sets of values, but what I'd find humiliating is that I was caught living in a country where I had no business to be. She says wearing the monitor is cruel and unusual punishment. If that's the case, why doesn't she go back to Mexico where the government is known for its compassion and justice?

I don't understand why an illegal is given standing to sue our government anyway. That's absurd. If they don't like the way our government operates, we'll gladly show them the border. But here's the icing on this particular cake -- Maribel has borne seven children in the 21 years she's been here. The reporter doesn't say, but would you like to take bets on who pays to support those children? Now that, amigos, is what's unfair!

"Federal suit targets ankle monitors." The Dallas Morning News; November 10, 2011; p. 1B.

I was curious.

2011-11-12T01:47:00.000-08:00

One of the organizers of the Occupy Dallas protesters is Kooper Caraway. He was quoted as saying, "I would like an end to all U.S. foreign wars. I would like the immediate end of all deportations of people who come here to work. I would like an immediate end to privatized university systems and all public universities be nationalized so tuition would be free or taxpayer-funded."

Sounds like Kooper is a bit naive, but I was curious, so I decided to find out a little about him. He's 20 years old, and he ran for mayor of Mt. Pleasant this past year (He lost -- he garnered 17 votes to his opponent's almost 500). He claims to be a Libertarian, yet he wants to take away choice (no private universities) and he wants to turn our public universities over to federal control and take my money to pay someone else's tuition. That doesn't sound at all like Libertarian philosophy to me. I don't think Ron Paul would agree with him on those points, either.

Kooper wants to protect Mt. Pleasant residents from banks and big corporations. He doesn't say how he wants to do that, but it's plain that he thinks these poor ignorant hicks who live there aren't capable of conducting their own business affairs. I found a clip where Kooper was leading some sort of protest rally in Dallas. Kooper is not a black man, yet the inflections in his voice and his hand gestures made me think of the drug dealer in the 'hood. He mostly repeated himself over and over in the 2 minute video, railing against the "white-ist agenda." Again, these things don't sound very libertarian to me.

Another interesting thing I found -- or rather didn't find. I can't find a driver's license under the name of Kooper Caraway or Cooper Caraway. And despite him having been on the ballot in a Mt. Pleasant City election, I couldn't find a voter registration record for him. I wonder if Kooper Caraway is his real name, and if it is, why can't I find these documents? Wouldn't it be interesting if the news media did a little digging into Kooper's background?

At any rate, I'm pretty sure even Kooper doesn't know what he is -- a silly socialist who's not half as smart as he thinks.

"Talking Points." The Dallas Morning News; October 16, 2011; p. 1P.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxXqT8dnOsY

Guess What?

2011-11-11T00:17:00.000-08:00

Little Jasmen Gonzalez was abducted from her relatives' apartment in Carrollton and raped and murdered allegedly by Jose Sifuentes, her cousin by marriage. Guess what? Jose is in this country illegally. No word on how many of the other family members are also illegals. I guess it really doesn't matter -- ICE wouldn't deport them anyway.

"Friend of victim's family investigated." The Dallas Morning News; November 1, 2011; p. 1B.

Backward Philosophies

2011-11-10T00:09:00.000-08:00

It seems today as if most people have backward philosophies. I've posted before on the change in the sentencing laws for crack cocaine violations. Until recently, crack cocaine possession and/or distribution garnered the offender a more severe sentence than a similar violation with powder cocaine. So instead of increasing the sentences for powder cocaine, they decreased the sentences for crack.

As these new guidelines are implemented retroactively, thousands of drug offenders will be released before their sentences are served. Jim Wade, the federal public defender says, "We're trying to make sure you don't serve one more day than necessary." Society would be better off if his philosophy instead were, "We're trying to make sure you don't serve one day less than you deserve."

"Change in crack sentencing to free thousands." The Dallas Morning News; November 2, 2011; p. 6A.

Smart move, but for whom?

2011-11-09T02:57:00.000-08:00

Emily Worland is 24 years old. She is a graduate of SMU with degrees in economics and public policy. She is a high school teacher and is engaged to be married. She has decided that the smart thing for her to do is to move back in with her parents.

She says it sounds traumatic and depressing, but she loves it. I wonder if her parents feel the same? Perhaps they find it traumatic and depressing to have an adult child living with them. Maybe they were looking forward to being empty nesters.

Emily says she has nothing to be ashamed and embarrassed about. She says she just made the decision to save her money and not amass insane debt. Maybe her parents had made the decision to sock more retirement money away once their children were grown, but I guess Emily's plan to save her money threw a monkey wrench into Mom and Dad's retirement plans.

Emily says Dad makes her lunch every day, Mom folds her clothes and feeds her dog, and most of her bills are paid. Well duh! Who wouldn't want to live like that? Do you suppose Dad gets tired of getting up every morning to fix a lunch? Has Emily considered getting up and fixing breakfast for her dad? And do you suppose that if Mom wanted a dog to feed, she'd have gotten her own? Has Emily considered doing the laundry for her mom and dad? Do you suppose Mom and Dad enjoy paying the bills for a daughter they've already put through school? Has Emily thought about paying the utility bills for her parents? But Emily says more parents should embrace and welcome this lifestyle.

Her reasons include "increased productivity" -- she's able to save for a down payment on a house, so she and her fiance will begin married life with equity, not debt (couldn't we all if we had someone to mooch off of); "respect and friendship" -- she gets to know her parents, and they get to know her (if they didn't get to know each other in 18 years, I don't think they will now); "a sense of camaraderie" -- Emily's generation's sense of entitlement and tendency to live beyond their means is a product of leaving home too soon (If what Emily has isn't a sense of entitlement, I guess I just don't know the meaning of the term!).

So, Emily encourages her peers, be smart and go home! Being part of the generation Emily is taking advantage of, I encourage my peers to be smart, kick their spoiled little heinies out, and go take a cruise on their inheritance money.

"Smartest move: Go back home." The Dallas Morning News; October 15, 2011; p. 19A.

How do they know?

2011-11-08T02:17:00.000-08:00

The Creek Point Apartments in McKinney, a section 8 housing project, has a rule -- children under the age of 18 are not allowed outside without a parent. I'm sure that rule was not implemented on a whim. The complex management says the rule was implemented after problems with vandalism. The Apartment complex is now being sued because Robert and Zinia Guerrero were fined $50 when their son was spotted running around the complex without adult supervision.

Robert says, "I have no idea who was doing what, but what I can tell you is that my kids were not out there doing things they were not supposed to." How does he know if he wasn't with them? At any rate, his son was doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing -- the complex rules say he can't be out without supervision. If the taxpayers are subsidizing Robert's rent, then they have a right to set the ground rules. If Robert doesn't like the rules, he can pay his own rent and live just as he chooses.

"I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would have to hang out with a 13-year-old in a parking lot when I had other things to do," Robert says. Well, Robert, a 13-year-old has no business hanging out in a parking lot. If he doesn't have anything more constructive than that to do, you need to put him to work doing some chores. As my Grandma used to say, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop."

"Family challenges fine for unsupervised teen." The Dallas Morning News; October 19, 2011; p. 1B.

Available Jobs

2011-11-07T01:33:00.000-08:00

All you people who have been drawing welfare for years because, you claim, you can't find a job -- there are jobs available. Farmers in Alabama can't find people to harvest their crops since they got rid of the illegals.

Potato farmer Keith Smith said American workers show up late, work slower, and are ready to call it a day after lunch. He said many of them quit after a single day. Yes, the hours are long and the pay isn't high and the work is hard. But it's a job.

We need to provide a way for those on welfare to take these jobs, and if they refuse to work, cut off their handouts. Getting illegals off our payrolls and getting lazy Americans off their heinies is the best way to cut government spending and boost our economy.

"Illegal-immigration law leaves farmers in lurch." The Dallas Morning News; October 21, 2011; p. 6A.

Poor Mason

2011-11-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

I saw one of the saddest things I've read in a long time in a recent editorial section of The Dallas Morning News.

Mason Crumpacker is a very cute 9-year-old girl. She was the subject of a Q&A feature. Mason had attended an atheist convention, and it was this that brought her to the attention of editorial writer Tod Robberson.

Mason has been brainwashed by her parents into believing she is a "free-thinker" when it is obvious she is anything but that. At the convention, she asked Christopher Hitchens for his recommendation on what books she should read. Hitchens is a champion of the New Atheism movement, and the author of a book entitled God is Not Great. Mason says he is a brilliant man, but when asked if there was anything he had said or written that she disagreed with, she said, "I haven't read Christopher Hitchens. I'm 9." How can little Mason think that Hitchens is a brilliant man if she doesn't even know what he has written? Mommy and Daddy told her what to think - that's how.

When asked why she went to the convention, little Mason didn't say, "Because Mommy and Daddy dragged me here." She said she wanted to "boost her intellectual curiosity." But, Mason, as you say, you're only 9. You should be concerned about friends and sleepovers and Barbies and bicycles and Harry Potter and Disney films when you're not in school or doing homework.

Mason says the Bible doesn't make sense -- what proof is there that Adam and Eve existed? I wonder if she, herself, has studied the Bible as much as she has Hitchens' works? Yet she does believe in evolution. She thinks it makes sense that a group of "microscopic cells [she doesn't say what proves where the microscopic cells came from], formatted into bigger cells, which created the first fish, who slowly evolved into lizards . . ." and so on. Oh yeah, Mason, I can see how that makes much more sense than that a Creator God made the cells and fish and lizards and all the other things on the earth. When Mason finished her rote lesson in evolution, she turned to her parents and asked how she did. It's quite obvious that Mason didn't develop this mindset by her own free-thinking.

Mason says that people are entitled to their own beliefs. She says she is a Pastafarian -- that she believes there is a flying spaghetti monster. I don't know if she was trying to be clever and cute or if that's something she really believes. Mason says that children can learn right from wrong without religion because they have their parents to guide them along the way. "And if their parents were raised right, they could have an open mind, have fun and be safe." But what if the parents weren't "raised right"? What if all the children have parents like Mason's? What if the parents are wrong about what's right?

My prayer is that Mason will evolve into a true free thinker and learn the truth that will make her free indeed.

"Posing the big questions." The Dallas Morning News; October 30, 2011; p. 5P.

Let's Fix It

2011-11-05T02:12:00.000-07:00

Lynn Wolfe of Plano says that the new voter ID laws are not designed to fix a problem. She says they're designed to fix elections. Hmmmm - maybe Lynn has forgotten that ACORN registered the entire Dallas Cowboys starting line-up to vote in Nevada. Maybe Lynn has forgotten that dead people registered to vote from beyond the grave in Chicago and other places. Or that in Philadelphia, at least 1,500 fraudulent registrations were filed. Or that some people who registered, strange as it seems, didn't spell their own names correctly.

And let's face it -- anyone who doesn't have some form of picture ID in today's society is a little suspicious anyway.

It seems to me that Lynn really doesn't mind fixed elections as long as it's the Democrats who have the fix in.

"Voter ID law's impact." The Dallas Morning News; October 31, 2011; p. 10A.

Astonishing Stupidity

2011-11-04T02:18:00.000-07:00

Tim Fisk of Richardson thinks the Republican candidates for the Presidential nomination are too harsh on illegal aliens. He wonders "when was the last time any of them exercised the bedrock American virtue of self-reliance and mowed their own lawns?"

I fail to see what one has to do with the other, but there is certainly nothing wrong with paying someone else to do one's chores as long as he's in this country legally. I wonder if Tim exercised the bedrock American virtue of self-reliance and built his own car? I wonder if Tim exercises the bedrock American virtue of self-reliance and repairs his own air conditioning? I wonder if Tim exercised the bedrock American virtue of self-reliance and built his own house brick by brick? I wonder if Tim exercises the bedrock virtue of self-reliance and cans the food he grows in his garden and butchers the cows and pigs and chickens he raises?

The only other response I can think of for Tim is "astonishing stupidity!"

"Any do-it-yourselfers?" The Dallas Morning News; October 23, 2011; p. 3P.

So Many Bible Scholars

2011-11-03T02:03:00.000-07:00

Sam Madden says that he doesn't see where "Jesus would have harsh words for a Mormon, Buddhist, Muslim, etc., as long as they were actually living their life by God's commandments."

My goodness, Sam, what Bible are you reading?

How about this: "Depart from me ye that work iniquity, for I never knew you"?

How about this: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves"?

How about this: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ"?

Or this: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction"?

How about this: "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved"?

How about this: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast"?

So, Sam, the upshot is that if a religion claims any way to heaven other than faith in Jesus Christ, it is a false religion, and it behooves us to call it what it is, just as Jesus and his apostles did.

"Jesus harsh on actions only." The Dallas Morning News; October 23, 2011; p. 2P.

Unclear on the Concept

2011-11-02T01:56:00.000-07:00

Obama has come up with another "more of the same" plan to help people who owe more on their homes than they're worth.

Economists say that some people could save perhaps as much as $3000 a year under the plan. But they're pessimistic about the plan working as a spur to the economy. They say that homeowners who are eligible and who choose to refinance through the government program could opt to sock away their savings or pay down debt rather than spend.

Imagine something so irresponsible as digging yourself out of debt rather than digging your hole deeper!

"Obama unveils refinance changes." The Dallas Morning News; October 25, 2011; p. 1A.

Unreasonable? I don't think so.

2011-11-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

Florida has a new law requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test before receiving benefits, but a federal judge has blocked it. She says it violates the Constitutional ban on unreasonable search and seizure. I don't think so.

If any suit needs to be filed here, it needs to be on behalf of the taxpayers who are having their wages unreasonably seized and given to others. Luis Lebron is the 35-year-old single father who filed the lawsuit. He should be grateful that the state is willing to consider giving an able-bodied adult man a handout. Instead, he ungratefully takes that "you owe it to me" attitude so prevalent today and refuses something as simple as giving a urine sample. Well, Luis, if you don't want to give the sample, that's your privilege, and it's the privilege of the taxpayers to refuse to support your lazy lifestyle.

Unfortunately, I foresee that Luis will win his case.

"Florida drug test rule for welfare blocked." The Dallas Morning News; October 25, 2011; p. 4A.

All Hail The Obamas!

2011-10-31T01:28:00.000-07:00

Cynthia Papa of Fredericksburg says she wants to "recognize and credit the president, Michelle Obama, and the entire Obama administration for bringing recognition to the obesity epidemic." I guess Cynthia was one of the few people on the planet who didn't know, until Michelle told her, that being overweight wasn't good for you.

Cynthia encourages us to "look around, people." She wants us to see all the changes for which the Obamas are responsible in the food industry:

Manufacturers are packaging in smaller portions now. Do you suppose that's a cost-cutting measure rather than a response to Michelle's edicts? Personally, I don't like paying for 1/2 gallon of ice cream but carrying home only 3 pints.
Fast-food restaurants have expanded healthier choices. Again, do you suppose that's because there's a market for "healthier" food? I do find it amusing when I see someone order a "healthy" salad then drench it with 1/2 cup of dressing.
The U.S. Government has re-established the food chart. In case you didn't know Cynthia, the food chart never went away. Michelle has just revamped it. It's still the same principle -- eat a variety of healthy foods including lots of whole grains, and limit sugars, starches, and fats. But since you didn't know obesity was not good for you until Michelle told you, I suppose you didn't know anything about nutrition, either.

Cynthia concludes that all this helps us live happier, healthier, more productive lives. Really, Cynthia, do you honestly think the guy who wants a bacon double cheeseburger will settle for a fruit plate of brown apple slices, sour grapes, and mushy bananas? Do you really think someone who's going to eat a pint of ice cream will limit himself just because the carton is smaller? Do you really think people are going to drag out the food chart before every meal? No, Cynthia, all this has done is cost us more money and fool gullible people like you into thinking skinny Michelle's Kool-Aid is a great drink.

Perhaps I'd credit the Obamas with a bit more sincerity on health issues if the President didn't have a cigarette habit. That's what we call "Gag at a gnat and swallow a Camel."

"Obamas lead on health issues." The Dallas Morning News; October 24, 2011; p. 10A.

Occupy Update

2011-10-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

One hundred and thirty Occupy Chicago protesters had to add to their name. They are now members of Occupy Chicago Jail after they refused to leave a city park when it closed.

Occupy Wall Street protesters in New York -- the ones protesting greed -- may have to change their name to Occupy Occupy Wall Street. It seems they don't want to share their food with the part of the 99% even lower on the social scale than themselves. They're perturbed that homeless people have been showing up to partake of their food.

“We need to limit the amount of food we’re putting out” to curb the influx of derelicts, said Rafael Moreno, a kitchen volunteer. So for three days, they'll serve nothing but brown rice instead of the usual organic chicken and vegetables, spaghetti bolognese, and roasted beet and sheep’s-milk-cheese salad. Now that really sounds like a menu for the downtrodden, doesn't it?

So, my conclusion is that these people want equity in the sense of increasing their own wealth by taking from those who have more, but not in the sense of sharing what they have with those less fortunate than they are. There's a word for that. It's called hypocrisy.

"Chicago protesters defy order to leave city park." The Dallas Morning News; October 24, 2011; p. 4A.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/zuccotti_hell_kitchen_i5biNyYYhpa8MSYIL9xSDL#ixzz1cChymrg7

When will they learn - you just can't help some people?

2011-10-29T01:34:00.000-07:00

Richard Antwine, 49 years old, committed suicide last November in Dallas. Reporter Kim Horner and the do-gooders of the city say this is evidence that we must do more to help the homeless. But let's look at Richard and the services he was offered.

The reporter admits that the taxpayers spend millions each year in sheltering, incarcerating and treating the mentally ill. Richard was a crack cocaine and alcohol abuser. Miss Horner excuses this as a "common way of trying to relieve the symptoms of depression." Hmmmm - could it be that she has the cause and effect backward?

Anyway, Richard was jailed in 2009 for missing a meeting with his parole officer -- his lawyer says it was because he was in Terrell State Hospital at the time. He was released after a month in jail. Antwine insisted he wanted to do the right things, but he violated parole again by giving a false address and using drugs, and he was jailed again in July 2009.

When he was released in April 2010, he was sent to a halfway house. He stayed out past curfew in July, violating the terms of his parole, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He disappeared from the halfway house after picking up his disability check. Yes, hardworking taxpayer, we bought drugs and alcohol for Richard while he was violating his parole.

The claim is that we failed this man, yet the mental health clinic that would serve his needs has no record of him seeking help. That's probably because the clinic was housed in the same building as his parole officer -- someone he surely did not want to run into.

It seems this man was offered everything he needed -- psychiatric help, a place to stay, money to live on. Neither you nor I nor the system failed this man. Some people just can't be helped.

"Shut out by the revolving door." The Dallas Morning News; November 23, 2010; p. 1A.

Will God remember?

2011-10-25T01:01:00.000-07:00

Frank Kameny died October 12. If you don't recognize his name, you are not alone. I didn't know who he was, either. His obituary says he was a gay rights pioneer. He's "famous" for being queer and getting fired from a government position because of it in 1957.

In an AP interview in 2009, Kameny said he wanted to be remembered most for coming up with the slogan "Gay is Good." I feel sure that, on October 12, 2011, God remembered.

"Gay-rights pioneer fought for, witnessed changes in society." The Dallas Morning News; October 13, 2011; p. 8B.

Look what I found on page 9.

2011-10-24T01:21:00.000-07:00

Buried way over on page 9 of the newspaper, I found this little tidbit. Steve Spinner is an Energy Department adviser and a former fundraiser for Obama. His wife's law firm represents Solyndra. In an email pushing for the Department to approve the loan for Solyndra, he says, "How hard is this? I have the Office of the Vice President and White House breathing down my neck on this. They are getting itchy to get involved."

Funny. Now they're getting itchy to get uninvolved.

Incidentally, if this were President George W. Bush and one of his fundraisers, do you think it would have been on page 9?

"Ex-Obama fundraiser urged loan." The Dallas Morning News; October 8, 2011; p. 9A.

Presbyterians pound another nail in our coffin.

2011-10-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

Presbyterians recently ordained their first openly gay minister, Scott Anderson. Anderson was a Presbyterian minister from 1983 to 1990 when he told his congregation about his sexual proclivity. He said a couple in the church learned he was gay and "tried to use that against him." Perhaps they weren't trying to do anything "against him." Perhaps they were just taking a moral stand.

The church constitution did have a requirement that clergy live "in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness." But that old fuddy-duddy rule was eliminated last year because of the trend in society toward accepting same sex relationships. Maybe they should be less concerned about what society accepts and more concerned about what God accepts.

"Presbyterians to ordain their first openly gay minister." The Dallas Morning News; October 8, 2011; p. 6A.

Maybe she jumped.

2011-10-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

An Oklahoma woman has been sentenced to a total of 45 years in prison for murdering her baby. The 10-day-old child was found drowned in a washing machine. The mother pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and child neglect. She says she put the baby in the bassinet and has no idea how she got into the machine. Gosh, maybe she climbed out of the bassinet, toddled over to the machine, and jumped in.

"Woman sentenced in daughter's death." The Dallas Morning News; October 7, 2011; p. 3A.

The Liberal Spin

2011-10-21T03:46:00.000-07:00

The Democrats never cease to amuse me with their spin. Of course, they are in adamant opposition to the laws requiring voter ID. In Texas, they say, there are more than 600,000 voters who will be affected by this legislation, because they have no drivers license and no state ID card. Those people will be disenfranchised.

No, they won't. They can easily get a state issued ID card -- if they're legal, that is. And therein lies the rub. I'm thinking that a large proportion of that 600,000 should never have been enfranchised in the first place. And that's evidence that we desperately needed this legislation.

"600,000 voters may lack needed ID." The Dallas Morning News; October 7, 2011; p. 3A.

The Occupy Idiots

2011-10-20T03:17:00.000-07:00

By now, surely you've heard the reports of the idiots "occupying" Wall Street and Main Streets across the country. You've heard the stories of this genteel, intelligent crowd defecating on police cars, fornicating in public, running around with no clothes on, relieving themselves wherever they want, and piling up trash in public parks while they chant about corruption and inequality.

I have a few questions for the crowd. In one photo, a woman has her two school-age children at the protest with her on a Thursday afternoon. Why weren't those children in school? One of them holds a sign that says, "Big business is stealing my future." I don't think she has much of a future if her mother pulled her out of school for something this ridiculous. It's the mother who's stealing her future. The other child holds a sign that says, "How will I pay my debt?" I don't know -- go to school and learn, then get a job? You certainly won't pay it by standing around on a street corner holding stupid signs.

The newspaper reports that the top 1% "captured" more than half of all family income growth between 1993 and 2008. Even if that number is true, which I kind of doubt, who did they "capture" it from? Do you suppose it's money they earned by hard work, innovation, risk-taking, and wise investment? Surely that could have had nothing to do with it!

One protestor said her daughter "deserved as good an education as the wealthier communities." Why? My neighbor has nicer things than I do, and he can afford to send his kids to private school. Does that mean I deserve those things too?

One protestor had a large tattoo of Che Guevara on his chest. Che was the Argentianian Marxist who played a large role in the Cuban Revolution with Fidel Castro. He believed that economic inequalities were an intrinsic result of capitalism, and the only remedy was world revolution. Che was eventually executed when he tried to foment a revolution in Bolivia. Just the sort you want your children to look up to.

Some of the protestors are people complaining about having to repay student loans. I realize that it cost a huge amount of money to go to school now, but I have to wonder how many of these people made the best use of their time? Benjamin Vail is 29, and he graduated in 2008. That means he was 26 when he graduated. If it took him 8 years to graduate, that could be why he owes more than $60,000. Did he not realize when he took that money that he would be expected to repay it? At least his wife learned basic math in college. She said, "With my $40,000, we now have $100,000 in student debt." And she's surprised about that?

Martha O'Brien complains about CEO's making $15 million or $20 million a year. As long as the government isn't bailing out their companies, I don't care. It's no skin off my nose. Martha says they could be spending that money on keeping jobs in the U.S. They could, but it's their money. How would Martha like it if I told her how to spend her money?

Other protestors claim they want jobs. If that's the case, why are you here instead of out pounding the pavement? Yet I heard one man say he took time off to come for the protest and another say that he quit his job to come protest. Now that makes a lot of sense -- quit your job so you can go protest because there are no jobs.

And the biggest question of all is, do you really believe you're changing things by standing around out here griping because some people have more money than you do? If you really want to do something, go home and get a job. If you can't find a paying one, take a volunteer one until you can find something else. Many a volunteer job has turned into a paying one. But I forget, that would require that you take some personal responsibility, and you all seem to be out of that.

"Hundreds march in Occupy Dallas." The Dallas Morning News; October 7, 2011; p. 1A.

If you ignore it, it will go away.

2011-10-19T02:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago, a government panel told women they no longer need those pesky mammograms. Now that same panel is telling men they no longer need PSA tests. Of course, this is all a lead-up to when Obamacare has completely taken over the health care system. If they've already told us we don't need these lifesaving screenings, then they can logically say they're not going to pay for them.

The panel's conclusion is that, "Unfortunately, the evidence now shows that this test does not save men's lives." That is, of course, except for the ones who have early stage prostate cancer. "This test cannot tell the difference between cancers that will and will not affect a man during his natural lifetime." So, do you want to take a chance that yours is one that won't affect you? Or do you want to be treated and get rid of it?

The panel admits that there is little doubt that the test helps identify the presence of cancerous cells in the prostate. But, it says, a vast majority of men with such cells never suffer ill effects, and anyway, there is no proven benefit to earlier treatment of such an invasive disease. That sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. I wonder how many men on that panel get PSA testing? How many of those men do you think would say, if the test were positive, "I'm not worried. The vast majority of men don't have any ill effects, and there's no evidence that if I get treated it will help."

The panel threw out some statistics. From 1986 to 2005, a million men had surgery, radiation therapy, or both after high PSA. Five thousand of them died soon after the surgery. That amounts to about 1/2%. So 99.5% survived the surgery. That sounds like pretty good odds. Ten thousand to seventy thousand suffered "serious" complications such as blood in the semen, impotence, and/or incontinence. I question the large discrepancy in that number. They couldn't narrow it down any closer than 60,000? That sounds like sloppy work or incompetence or trying to make the evidence fit the theory. At any rate, let's give the panel the benefit of the doubt and say there were 70,000 with serious complications. That's 7.4% of the survivors. That means 92.6% of the survivors had no complications. If you take the whole pool you began with, 88% survived the treatment with no serious complications. That's still pretty good odds. I guess men think differently than women, but I'd rather be impotent and incontinent than dead.

So ladies and gentlemen, I don't care what the panel says -- go get your mammograms and PSA's!

"Avoid prostate cancer test, panel advises." The Dallas Morning News; October 7, 2011; p. 1A.

Will they not say you are mad?

2011-10-18T01:41:00.000-07:00

What would you think if you went to church, and there was a heavy metal band on the stage? The bass player has a blond mohawk. He bangs his head as he pounds his bass. Another band member "growls" into the microphone. That's church at St. John's United Methodist in Corpus Christi. The pastor and band say they started this service because they wanted a "church scene where everyone can feel welcome." I don't know about you, but I'd be extremely uncomfortable there. It puts me in mind of the Apostle Paul when he was admonishing the church about having a decent and orderly service. He said that if everyone did what they wanted, and "there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?"

The heavy metal band says people don't go to church because they are judged. Translation: I don't like for my sin to be pointed out. They say that's not what church is supposed to be. But if the church doesn't talk about sin, how will anyone realize he needs a Savior?

Taylor Anne Burnham said she enjoys the spiritual experience she gets from the service and the music. I question whether the experience is all that spiritual. "It's life-changing to be here," she said. Yeah, I've heard that before, too. I knew of a music minister in our town who went on several mission trips, claiming each was a "life-changing" experience. Mr. Essie May and I used to kind of snicker, saying that man had had more "changes" than a baby with diarrhea. Evidently, though, the changes weren't enough. He left town after having an extra-marital affair with a married member of the church. Now he's leading the music at another church. Maybe he can invite the headbangers to perform there.

"Let us bang our heads in prayer." The Dallas Morning News; October 9, 2011; p. 3A.

Is it discrimination, or is it that blacks happen to be committing the crimes?

2011-10-17T01:01:00.000-07:00

There was an interesting article in the newspaper recently about FBI Agent Don Sherman who is in charge of the John Wiley Price investigation. The headline insinuates that his investigations are based on race, yet the article seems to affirm the exact opposite. By all accounts from those who know him well, he is an extremely fair man.

Juanita Wallace of the NAACP doesn't see it that way. She says, "Their [the FBI] primary interest is diluting the political strength of certain people, specifically the blacks and minorities. Just because the FBI is going after you does not mean you're guilty." That's very interesting, Juanita, given that the FBI is an agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the head of the U.S. Department of Justice is Eric Holder. And the last time I looked, Eric Holder was black. Are you saying, Juanita, that Mr. Holder is a racist?

The author of the article states that "many are troubled that nearly all the elected municipal officials prosecuted for corruption have been black." Has it occurred to "many" that maybe the black ones are being prosecuted because they're the ones that are corrupt? It's not nice to prosecute innocent white people just because there's evidence that a bunch of black ones are committing crimes.

The attorney for John Wiley Price's executive assistant, Dapheny Fain, said, "He presumes criminal conduct and then goes about trying to find it." Perhaps there's a reason he presumes criminal conduct. If you see a group of county employees driving $75,000 cars and living high on the hog, and that same group of employees' names and the names of their relatives and friends keep popping up on the owner lists and boards of companies that are getting lucrative county contracts, I'd say there's probably something rotten in Dallas County. Don Sherman would be shirking his responsibility to the citizens of the United States if he turned his head the other way.

"Agent reviled and revered." The Dallas Morning News; October 9, 2011; p. 1A.

This is what a jobs bill should look like!

2011-10-16T00:24:00.000-07:00

Hooray for the Texas legislature and Governor Rick Perry. It will now be easier for bakers to get started in a business.

People who want to sell their pies, cakes, cookies, and other baked goods may now legally operate out of their home kitchens if they sell less than $50,000 annually. The only regulations they must abide by are that the food must be labelled with the name and address of the baker, and it must carry the warning that it has not been inspected.

Professional bakeries are crying foul. No regulation means possibly contaminated food, they say. But if the food is marked with the disclaimer that it has not been inspected, the customer knows that's a possibility. And as one home baker said, "A license doesn't make a clean kitchen. And the lack of license doesn't make a dirty kitchen." Besides, most of these bakers sell their wares by word of mouth. If a friend of mine says, "I know this lady who bakes delicious cakes for sale," I'll probably go buy one. But if the baker I've never met before comes up to me and tells me she sells cakes, I probably won't buy one.

Another complaint of the professionals is that the home bakers don't have to spend the money for professional equipment, and they, therefore, have an unfair advantage over them. But the home bakers can produce only so much -- hardly enough to put a professionally equipped bakery out of business.

If a home baker doesn't have seed money for all the bells and whistles that are required for a professional set-up, she can now bake from home and save the money she needs to expand. And when she does, she will employ other people. Are you listening, Obama? Because THAT'S a true jobs bill!

"Law is icing on cake for home bakers." The Dallas Morning News; October 10, 2011; p. 1A.

You must hire this person.

2011-10-15T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hidden in Obama's jobs bill is another job killer. This job killer would ban companies with 15 or more employees from refusing to consider or offer a job to someone who is unemployed. Doesn't matter if they're qualified for the job or not, if they're unemployed and you don't hire them, they can sue. So what will I, as a business owner do? To protect myself, I'll just not advertise any jobs or hire anybody else until that inane provision is dropped.

"Unemployed fighting job discrimination." The Dallas Morning News; October 10, 2011; p. 4D.

A Case for the Death Penalty

2011-10-14T01:56:00.000-07:00

Thomas Creighton Shrader was obsessed with his girlfriend. She broke up with him in 1974, but he refused to believe the relationship was over. In July 1975, he showed up at her mother's West Virginia house demanding that his ex-girlfriend get in his car. When she refused, he drove away, but returned with a high-powered rifle. He shot the lock off a door, entered the house and shot Howard William "Rusty" Adams Jr., a family friend visiting while on leave from the military. Prosecutors believe Shrader mistakenly thought Adams was the new boyfriend. Shrader then shot the mother as she and her daughter tried to flee. Both Adams and the mother died from their wounds.

Shrader pleaded guilty in January 1976 to both slayings and to unlawful wounding. He was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole. He escaped from prison less than 6 months later. The ex-girlfriend and her family were forced to flee as the lunatic eluded capture and stalked her. He was later captured and pleaded guilty to escape. His punishment? A big old year added to his life sentence.

Even in prison, he kept up his harassment of the ex-girlfriend, suing her for refusing to marry him. She and her husband finally left West Virginia to escape. He continued to write to her family members trying to find out where she was. After all this, the lunatics on the West Virginia parole board let him out in 1993.

Somehow, he found his ex-girlfriend in 2008 and resumed the letter writing and phone calls. The ex-girlfriend's husband believes there were multiple attempts to find them beforehand -- for example, someone had tried to get his military records, and someone had called making inquiries about their children.The recurrent theme in the 2008 and 2009 letters was that everything that had happened was her fault, and if she came back to him, he'd forgive her and everything would be OK. He knew her children's names, and he told her in one letter, "In the name of Jesus I claim you and your soul in future lives.You have been running from me since July 1975. By that I mean running away from seeing me and being with me to actually confront your real and true feelings for me . . .Running won't do you any good this time. It's time to face the piper." Shrader's attorney claims the letter may be "distasteful," but it's not threatening. Really? From a man who's already killed your mother and friend and stalked you for more than 30 years?

Not to worry, West Virginia will revoke his parole and he'll have to serve out that life sentence. Not quite. He's been sentenced to 19 years in the federal penitentiary for interstate stalking. No mention of what West Virginia intends to do on the old murder convictions. Would you feel safe if you were the ex-girlfriend, her husband, or her children? If you answered that question honestly, then you have to be in favor of the death penalty. Nothing short of that will insure that family's security.

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1221460679/Family-seeks-peace-after-killer-stalker-sentenced

We just want tolerance.

2011-10-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

Remember when the gays said all they wanted was tolerance? They're pretty much "tolerated" in this country, and now they want us to "recognize and honor" them. According to Nathaniel Batchelder of Oklahoma City, his niece is "happily mothering her newborn baby with her married (female) partner in London." I don't know whether the partner is married to his niece or to somebody else. He says they're not challenged by "anti-gay hysteria," and that America is slowly growing up to recognize and honor gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people. Which brings up a question: when is this country going to fall to its knees and repent of its anti-morality hysteria?

"A kiss is just a kiss." The Dallas Morning News; October 6, 2011; p. 12A.

What fools these mortals be!

2011-10-12T00:57:00.000-07:00

Jabraylon Bables had a short and troubled life and endured a death that is heartbreaking to contemplate. Jabraylon was 16 months old when his mother's boyfriend, convicted felon Carlnelus Delaney Simmons, dropped him into a pot of boiling water. Jabraylon's father, Byron Bables, is also a convicted felon.

This was not Carlnelus's first murder. He killed a man in 1994 during a fight outside a South Dallas bar. He was sentenced to 15 years, and was released in 2007. In 2009, he was charged with dealing PCP from his apartment. Jabraylon's mother (and I use the term loosely) knew Simmons was a convicted murderer and a drug dealer, but she left her sons with him anyway. "That was way before he knew me," she says. "He treated Jabraylon like he was his," she claims. If that's how he treats his own children, I do hope their mother has better sense than Jabraylon's does!

Jabraylon's mother makes the case for forced sterilization. Even when confronted with the evidence and with her critically injured child, Jabraylon's mother said Simmons was a "good person." Lord, what fools these mortals be!

"Toddler dies 5 weeks after being scalded." The Dallas Morning News; December 14, 2010; p. 1B.

Why You Don't Have a Job?

2011-10-11T01:43:00.000-07:00

The nutcases protesting on Wall Street have no clue what they're protesting. A reporter the other day asked one young man, "What are you doing here?" He adamantly replied, "We're here to see capitalism replaced by a more just and equitable economic system!" "What would you replace capitalism with?" asked the reporter. The response was a total deer in the headlights look. The young man glanced to his right and his left for an answer from his fellow seekers of economic justice. They were all looking to someone else for the answer, too.

A laid-off truck driver from Kansas City, Steven Harris, was camped out by the Federal Reserve Building there. When asked why he was there, he said, "I've felt this way for a long time. I've really just kind of been waiting for a movement to come along that I thought would last and have some resonation (sic) within the community." He's just "been waiting" for a movement? He's unemployed, presumably with plenty of time on his hands -- if he felt that strongly, why didn't he start one? Maybe we've hit on why he doesn't have a job -- he's just "been waiting."

"Wall Street protests spread." The Dallas Morning News; October 4, 2011; p. 7A.

The Wrong Solution

2011-10-10T01:28:00.000-07:00

Diane Harper says after many years of uncertainty, she now opposes the death penalty on economic grounds. The example she provides is Randy Steven Kraft.

Kraft was apprehended in California in 1983 with a dead Marine in his car and a coded list that indicated he had killed at least 66 other men. Remains of many of those have been found. He was convicted in at least some of those murders and sentenced to death.

He still sits on death row, appealing his convictions. Harper says it cost the taxpayers over $2 million for his original trial. All his appeals over the years have compounded that amount. Her solution is to abolish the death penalty and sentence him to life without the possibility of parole, thereby saving the taxpayer the money expended on appeals. According to her theory, then, we should never have tried him in the first place, because it cost too much.

I have a better solution. There is no doubt the man is guilty -- rarely is the murderer caught with the body in his car and with a document listing his other victims. Let's limit appeals to evidence which logically contradicts the verdict. Get rid of all the nit-picking technicality appeals. Carry through the execution swiftly. Dead men cost the taxpayers nothing.

"Crime cases persuaded me." The Dallas Morning News; December 15, 2010; p. 20A.

Ethical?

2011-10-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

Would you sell one of your children, knowing that you would probably never see him or know what happened to him or know anything about the family he lives with? How about three or four of your children? How about a dozen? How about 150?

That's the ethical question of the day. As children of sperm donors try to find out about their pasts, they are discovering they have dozens of half brothers and sisters. Those who conceive by anonymous donors have only a father's code number to give to their children . Many of these children have reached adulthood and have a natural curiosity about where they came from. In their searches, they are encountering many other people with the same code numbers. In one case, 150 children have this family connection. There may be many others -- when a woman has conceived through donor sperm, she doesn't have to report it. In fact, it's estimated that only 20% to 40% volunteer the information.

Which raises all sorts of other questions. What if two of these children, not realizing they are brother and sister, meet and fall in love? It's not beyond the realm of possibility -- many children of the same donor live in the same general area. What if the sperm donor has some sort of quirky or defective gene that has been passed along to all these children? Will we see strange epidemics begin to crop up?

One donor says that it is "unfair and reprehensible" that labs are allowed to use sperm from a single donor so freely. I don't know that I find it any more reprehensible than selling one's potential children to the lab in the first place.

"From one sperm donor, 150 children." The Dallas Morning News; October 2, 2011; p. 7A.

Is there a link?

2011-10-08T00:38:00.000-07:00

"Don't ask, don't tell" is history, and gays can serve openly in the military. We've trained all the military personnel to be sensitive. And now the Defense Department has issued a new rule: military chaplains are "allowed" to officiate same-sex marriages. I don't expect it to be long before that ruling is changed to military chaplains "must" officiate same-sex marriages. Remember -- all they want is tolerance.

Interestingly, the page opposite the one carrying this article had the headline: "Americans' income dips for first time since '09." Coincidence? I think not. I don't understand why our officials are so blind that they don't see that our country started its downhill slide when we started catering to perversion.

"Same-sex weddings approved." The Dallas Morning News; October 1, 2011; p. 8A.

I don't fear being deported.

2011-10-07T01:33:00.000-07:00

A group of Dallas ISD parents are upset and complaining. The charge is that their children are being mistreated at Ebby Halliday Elementary School, a predominately hispanic school. Whether or not their allegations have any merit, I don't know. But one thing did catch my eye.

Debbie Martinez is a parent and the spokeswoman for the group. She says that many of the parents have not spoken out before because they fear deportation. Hmmm -- if you're in this country legally, why would you fear deportation? If you're in this country illegally, and you don't like the education your children are receiving for free, then why don't you go back to where you came from?

"Parents at elementary allege kids mistreated." The Dallas Morning News; September 30, 2011; p. 1B.

An absurd tradition bites the dust.

2011-10-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Death row inmates are probably not real happy with Lawrence Brewer. Lawrence is the heartless, demented, idiot who dragged a man to death in Jasper, Texas. For the last meal before his execution, Lawrence ordered:

2 chicken fried steaks with gravy and onions
a triple meat bacon cheeseburger with sides
a cheese omelet
a large bowl of fried okra with ketchup
a pound of barbecue with a half a loaf of bread
3 fajitas with fixings
a meat lovers pizza
3 root beers
a pint of vanilla ice cream
peanut butter fudge with crushed peanuts

That's enough to feed a dozen or more people. But the last meal request is a tradition, so even though he couldn't possibly have eaten even half that stuff, the taxpayers bought it for him.

For once, I agree with a Democrat. When Senator John Whitmire found out about the menu, he said, "Enough is enough. . . I have always questioned why you would take the worst criminal we have and cater to him or her. Brewer commits the most heinous crime you can imagine, and you let him choose not one, but multiple things. It's just nuts." He informed the TDCJ in no uncertain terms that they could voluntarily end the practice, or he would see that legislation was passed to do so.

So when Lawrence Brewer deservedly bit the dust, so did this ridiculous tradition.

"Murder's over-the-top order ends tradition of last meal." The Dallas Morning News; September 23, 2011; p. 1A.

WIST

2011-10-05T00:47:00.000-07:00

I'm joining the texting language bandwagon. I'm adding to LOL, and ROFL, BTW, CU LTR, and all the others. My contribution is WIST -- wish I'd said that.

WIST: "As a conservative, I would gladly be more compassionate in giving to others if they used my tax dollars as a safety net rather than a hammock." -- Allen Barseth, Plano TX

IWY -- I'm with ya, Allen!

Paris News funny for the day: In a photo caption, Driekavious Furtch "kicks away while repelling down a climbing wall." I don't know about you, but I am repelled by proofreaders who don't know the difference in "repelling" and "rappelling."

The Streets of San Francisco

2011-10-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Did you know that it is legal to wander around the streets of San Francisco in your birthday suit? They had a naked rally there last month. A few dozen men walked around the neighborhood with no clothes. Some of them held signs that read, "Get your hate off my body." How stupid can one be? Had I been there, I'd have held up my own sign: "When you get your ugly body out of my sight." The rally was the lead-in event to the annual Folsom Street Fair, the world's largest leather and fetish event -- a really fun place to take the family!

A City Supervisor has proposed legislation that would require clothing in restaurants. It would also require those who choose to wear no clothes to carry a towel to place between their bare bottoms and any public seats. I kid you not, the Supervisor's name is Scott Wiener.

Heather Flynn was heading to a nearby theater to see The Little Mermaid when she stumbled upon all the naked men. She was accompanied by her 7-year-old daughter.

This is a good example of what happens when you let gays control things. And they call Las Vegas Sin City!

"Nudists take their cause to the streets." The Dallas Morning News; September 25, 2011; p. 2A.

We haven't worked in 2 years -- let's have a baby!

2011-10-03T01:14:00.000-07:00

I wrote a few days ago about being "poor" in America. Here's a "poor" family -- and until they smarten up, I see little chance that their financial situation will improve.

Kris and Jim Fallon live in Palatine, Illinois. Neither has had a job in over two years. They've lost their house and their car. Kris cries and says, "It's like there is no way out." Oh -- did I mention they have a 4-month old baby? As long as they keep making stupid decisions like that, she's right -- there is no way out!

Incidentally, the article doesn't say, but who do you suppose paid for birthing that baby?

"Faces of poverty." The Dallas Morning News; September 19, 2011; p. 15A.

If you get a dinner invitation from Anastacia . . . BEWARE!

2011-10-02T00:19:00.000-07:00

Anastacia Marx de Salcedo is a food writer. When I read this essay, I couldn't believe my eyes! I question what makes this woman think she can intelligently write about food.

Anastacia says she was making a large pot of shrimp gumbo to serve for a friend's going-away party. After she added 5 pounds of kielbasa to her 10 quarts of bubbling chicken stock, she noticed a "gray, bubbly and slightly fetid" layer of scum. But she was busy, so she just kept on about her chores. When she was ready to add the shrimp, she says she did "what any desperate hostess would do under the circumstances." She ladled off the stinky scum, added the shrimp, and served the toxic mess to her guests while she, herself, did not partake of the "completely putrid" concoction. She's just lucky none of those guests ended up going away permanently!

She says she noticed that most of the guests left their gumbo half-eaten or untouched. Gosh! I wonder why!

I guess I've just never been that desperate, and I certainly hope none of my friends have been. I'd have run down to the deli and had them put me together a sandwich tray and a fruit and veggie tray, bought a cake at the bakery, and apologized to my guests that my planned meal had gone awry. I would think this story was completely made up, but I know someone who was invited to a friend's house for supper one day. As the hostess served them the roast, they noticed she wasn't having any. When they asked her why she wasn't eating, she said something to the effect that, "Oh, I think that meat is spoiled."

The moral of this story: If the hostess isn't eating it, I'm not, either!

"I served putrid gumbo, and no one got sick." The Dallas Morning News; August 21, 2011; p. 4P.