"Plunk Your Magic Twanger Froggy"

Maybe some of you are old enough to remember the kids television program many years ago (1940s -1950s) that featured a feisty frog and this plucky saying. Fast forward to the present. Maybe we could apply this same saying to Congress and they would all just magically disappear. Now wouldn't that be nice. Hopefully, by November, many of us will have grown enough new brain matter that this situation will be taken care of by a stampede as we all head to the polls. I am almost embarrassed to watch the shenanigans going on with this bunch as they ramrod through "their" version of Health Care for America while sitting back and drawing their paychecks. It would be downright funny if it weren't so downright serious. The February Health Care Shammit was a waste of everybody's time. The Leaders of the Pack already had their minds made up and it was just another opportunity to grandiose and grandstand and rub the opposition's nose into the dirt. Who gave them the right to mess around with our health care anyway? I don't remember anyone callin me on the phone or showin up at my front door. And, its been workin well so far. Yes, we have problems but we can fix them, not sink the entire system. This isn't for the good of the country, or the poor, or anyone or anything else but just another all out frontal power grab and nothing more. It's damn the torpedos and full speed ahead, "we're coming to get you Margaret", no matter what. They're determined to sink the ship of state with all hands on board. I really have to wonder if these "public servants" have any problem looking their wives, their children, their grandchildren in the eye when they talk to them. Especially when we all know that they've sanctioned pieces of legislation they haven't even read, (it's too time consuming and they have staffers so figure that one out) talked endlessly about how good it is, how it will do this, how it won't do that, and then continue to lie to us when we ask pointed questions. This is an Orwellian Nightmare. How do these creeps sleep at night? And of course they will exempt themselves from the quagmire they are creating for the rest of us, the Doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, medical students, Medicare, Medicaid, young, the elderly, etc. And they know what they are doing they just the hell don't care. You Congressmen, and especially you Ms. Pelouzey, it sure must be nice to fly back and forth on People Air and hand us the bill. It sure must be nice to be able to afford a couple of nice homes in lieu of the fact that so many American families are losing theirs, and make what...$180K a year, with all the perks, and then add the piece de resistance, vote yourselves an annual automatic pay raise. But I do have one question.... with all the hoopla, fanfare and attention being given to National Health Care, who is minding this nation's National Security? Hmmmm

From Cave Man to Afghanistan

Have we finally come full circle...reaching the end of that long journey that we humans began thousands of years ago in the dark recesses of a cave? Could it be that we might just be witnessing that end being played out before our eyes as a rag-tag group of cave-dwellers ruthlessly assails an enemy, a well-equipped group of techo-soldiers? Who will win this war? Will it be the cave dwellers or the techo-soldiers? Instead of spears and fire these cave dwellers' weapons are now IEDs(Improvised Explosive Devices) and RPGs (Rocket-Propelled Grenades). As human beings, we started out on this journey not knowing anything other than we were here. And whether by accident or through the intervention of a higher power, we slowly ascended upward. We gained knowledge of how to survive in a harsh and uncompromising world. We learned how to make fire, roast meat and stay warm. We learned how to use the hides and leftovers from animals to clothe and shod us. Did we at first grieve for those we lost or was this a learned experience? We learned how to make bigger and better weapons. When did we learn to integrate with others or did some of us not learn at all? Did we kill another clan because we did not understand who or what they were, because we were afraid? Did the peoples of the earth evolve at different levels? It is plain to see that something happened. We know, according to the scientists, that before the Great Flood there were many more different peoples who inhabited this earth. What a pity we do not know who or what they were. Right now we have on earth a number of races, a myriad of people, a vast sea of colors, faces, beliefs, good, bad, indifferent. And, we are all still connected by one common bond...Hatred. Why is it that we still have certain groups of people who are hell bent on wiping out other groups of people? Is it some kind of genetic malevolent gene? Mankind has put together its hopes and dreams for a better world into an organization known as the UN, people search for answers to questions in their churches and synagogues as to why bad things happen, charities abound for disasters such as the earthquake that just devastated Haiti, governments continue to grapple with seemingly unsolvable problems and all the while we have those groups of men who, for one reason or other, known only to them, want to harm others. Whether the innocent get in their way makes no difference to them. So maybe the end is in sight? Maybe a miracle will happen and an end to all the bloodshed? Maybe a Just G-d will float down right in the middle of a fire fight and stand on the desert floor right in plain view of everyone. The gun fire will cease, jaws will drop, the smoke will clear, Muslims and Christians will fall to their knees, and everyone will drop their weapons, no more fighting...and G-d will speak, "See, so easy, even a Caveman can do it".

Why I'm Dropping Google

By Kirk McElhearn, Macworld.com
For a company whose unofficial slogan is "Don't Be Evil," Google has been ignoring its so-called core value with alarming frequency as of late. And because of that, I decided to delete my Gmail account, along with all other Google services that I am able to do without. I have also deleted as much personal information as possible from my Google profile. I still need to use some Google services--I have clients who share a couple of documents via Google Docs, I need to access one private blog on Blogger, and I will continue to use Google search (though I plan on exploring alternatives, such as Bing and Yahoo). But for the most part, I'm dropping Google wherever I can. It was a combination of recent incidents that drove me to this point. One was the introduction of Google Buzz, which, in some cases, disclosed contact information that users thought was private. When Google launched Buzz, its "social networking tool," the company didn't let users opt into the program, but automatically applied it to all of the millions of users of the company's free Gmail. Google quickly backtracked, but it is not clear whether the "turn off Buzz" link at the bottom of Gmail pages truly purges the links that Google created.
The second incident was the recent deletion of a number of music blogs from Google's Blogger and Blogspot platforms without even notifying the owners of the blogs or attempting to determine whether the shutdowns were valid. This is not the first time that Google has pulled the plug on music blogs because of DMCA complaints, but some bloggers claim that their blogs were perfectly legal), because they had permission for every track they posted. While MP3 and music blogs are a popular way of distributing copyrighted content without the owners' permission, not every such blog is violating the law. A similar shutdown of blogs last year lead to Google's developing new guidelines, but this current incident shows that someone at Google didn't read the new rules. Google's actions in these incidents were certainly not accidental, and they are part of a growing trend. Whether it be Google's censorship of search results for Chinese users--the company helped build the Great Firewall of China before it was against it--or Google CEO Eric Schmidt's flip comment regarding privacy ("If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."), Google has become a corporation that has strayed from its initial values. By choosing an opt-out model for Buzz that basically forced all Gmail users to become a part of this service, Google simply hoped that everyone would ignore this lack of choice and accept it tacitly, so the next time it wanted to impose new features, people would consider it normal. That choice failed, fortunately. Google has become so monolithic that it has reached the point of a near-monopoly in certain areas. To be fair, no other search engine comes close to Google in quality, and, while the company should be lauded for that, it's the way Google uses that search engine, and related services, that makes it the Standard Oil of the 21st century. (I won't discuss the potential issues involving Google Books; or how the company is milking news organizations via Google News; or the many other issues that one could raise about the company.)
But not only does Google dominate the search (and, hence, advertising) market, it also knows a lot about you. By adding more and more "free" services--free in exchange for the annoyance of ads, and for users' giving up their privacy--Google accumulates a wealth of information about your interests, your browsing habits, your contacts, the blogs you visit (using your Google profile), pictures of your home, and much more. (Do you know how much information Google has connected to your Gmail address? Check here: You may be surprised.) Not only does Google have this information on its servers, but if anyone were to be able to hack into your Google account, they'd have a wealth of information about you too (and your business, if you use Google Docs for business documents). (Note that, for those who use Firefox, there's an add-on, Google Sharing, that lets you use most Google tools without sharing any private data.) And all that information, and all those "free" services, are amassed and provided for one simple goal: to follow your every movement on the Internet and show you ads related to your searches, e-mails and documents. Many people accept the "free" services in spite of those ads, which, when you look closely, often depend on the content of your personal e-mails. Is the Trojan horse of free e-mail, YouTube videos, and online word processing documents worth giving up one's privacy, all so a company can make billions from ads? (Your personal information and search habits earned Google more than $6 billion in profits last year.) For me, it's not. Google knows more about you than the NSA, and has recently shown that it doesn't give a hoot about your privacy. The company has gotten too big, and has turned into just another corporation trying to maximize its assets--and those assets are you. Who's to say Google won't progressively loosen its privacy controls and monetize more and more personal information? I'm ditching Google as much as I can, and when a competitor develops a search engine as good as Google, I'll stop searching with Google, too. The trend that Google has been following has been looking darker and darker as the company nibbles away at the limits of privacy. This is no longer a company I trust.
[Senior contributor Kirk McElhearn writes about more than just Macs on his blog Kirkville.]

Dem Strategist Blasts Obama's Obeisance to Unions; Students Back Superintendent Firing All Teachers

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/

Choices - They Have Repercussions

Choices, they can either make or break us. Governments are no different. The choices big governments make have a much greater impact because they affect entire nations of people. Interesting to watch the ebb and flow of a country as it transits through its ups and downs, its peaks and valleys, as it valiantly rises to one occasion or maybe crashes and burns in a fiery crescendo as it heads toward its final descent. The little guy is at their mercy. What is so hopeful about this country is that every two years the people have a say in electing a new bunch to run things if they think the old bunch has not lived up to their expectations. What is truly sad is the olive branch of hope that the last administration extended to an eager nation and the "about face" that it took after only one year. There is not one administration that is going to please all the people all the time for that is just plain foolishness. But can't one of them get one thing right at least once? And the out and out deception and lying....I know, they all do it but, please, I am truly nauseated and disgusted by this one. If there ever were a Grand Prize for Lying they would have already won it. And the other administrations, they are a very close second. On another subject, I cannot figure out this President nor this Congress. We are in a recession, right? At least that's what they are telling us. So, if we are in a recession and we have a jobless rate of over 9% doesn't it make sense to create jobs to get the economy rolling again? Because a recession means that the people aren't spending because there are no jobs. And yet we are now hearing about another Stimulus package and the President just created some sort of Stimulus/Debt/Deficit Panel to study the debt problem. Isn't it clear that we do not need any more panels or commissions or studies to study what we already know how to fix? MR. PRESIDENT THE PROBLEM IS YOUR ADMINISTRATION IS NOT CREATING ANY JOBS. YOU NEED TO SET ASIDE "STIMULUS" MONEY FOR JOB CREATION. YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS STARTUPS, ENTREPRENEURS. ALOT OF INNER CITY YOUTHS ARE LOOKING FOR JOBS, PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS, BIG CITIES, ETC. FOR GOODNESS SAKE, THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. Why is it that you and your administration can't get what the rest of us can? When will you get it? Do you even intend to get it? And if not, why not? Don't you think these questions needed answers long ago by a President who promised so much to so many? Does Mr. Obama even care about the millions of Americans who have lost jobs, homes, livelihoods? Whose families have been turned upside down by his feckless decisions? I honestly don't think Mr. Obama gives one hoot. I believe Mr. Obama, just likes to hear himself speak. I believe that Mr. Obama is livin the life in the White House, at the expense of the American taxpayer. Just partyin, bowlin, sittin back in that easy chair, watchin that big screen T.V. Enjoying Beluga Caviar, Champagne (who's payin for that by the way...the White House or the American taxpayer?) I am sorry but Mr. Obama kinda reminds me of Hugo Chavez, without the parrot of course, although you never know. He might decide to try one. But then again it could be a little distracting when you're trying to use that teleprompter, hmmmm....
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Soule, Afterthought....
I really don't like the way I am feeling right now. Is it because of the fellow who flew his small plane into a building in Austin, Texas because of a personal problem/vendetta? Or is it because the Fed just raised the interest rate a quarter percent and in so doing a major news media organization just proclaimed that "it's too little too late?" This organization went on to offer advice, suggestions, as to how to protect your financial assets in this new period of financial crisis that is coming. And hasn't Japan just overtaken China as our major debt holder? The worldwide web, isn't it great? You get the bad news right along with the good, with one keystroke. What is that nagging feeling that keeps dogging me? I know what it is...with all the reckless spending that has been going on, ad nausoblivion, just when is some one or some thing going to pull the rug right out from under us? Tomorrow, next week, next year? And the answer is...we just don't know. But hasn't the government put us on very slippery footing? What happens when one of us drains our own bank accounts of money? We pay a price in the form of expensive overdraft charges and trying to find a way to replenish our account via a loan or waiting for our next pay check. Not so with the government. Our government is not telling us the truth of our economic situation but I'm beginning to connect the dots and I do not like the shameful pattern that is slowly taking shape, its tentacled cloth slowly emerging from the spinner's wheel.

Cool Facts About Israel

http://www.onejerusalem.org

Life...A "Tour of Duty"

There are lights that burn brightly in the darkness, lights that burn bright in the hearts of men. But there are circumstances that would snuff those lights out. It would be so easy if we all could just simply embrace an "All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Governing" Force that patiently and consistently oversees all earthly matters. But many of us cannot. Many of us tend to take our destinies into our own hands. WE can handle anything. WE can do it all. WE have all the answers, until something WE can't handle befalls us and we spiral out of control. So how does one go on after a traumatic life-changing event? How does one begin all over again after we find ourselves, a fragile egg, dropped out of our warm and cozy little egg carton onto a cold tiled floor, and now we're lying there, cracked into a million pieces? And more importantly...why? I didn't ask for this. Why did this happen to Me? At least in the military, when they sign on that dotted line, they have some idea what to expect. But, still, when they go to war, are wounded, or watch their buddies being killed, right in front of them, it is still going to cause long-term trauma. But you, you didn't sign on any dotted line...or did you? Did you have a quiet, heart-to-heart chat with G-d before you were born as to what you would agree to experience or not experience while you were here? Or did G-d just pass out a homework assignment to each one of you to complete where you either pass/fail? If you get a Pass you go on but boy oh boy if you get an F, it's back for another term. I don't believe any one prepares us for this Tour of Duty called "Life." And definitely none of us get through unscathed. The question is, how do we prepare for it, this journey? Should schools teach a course in it starting with Kindergarten? Should we bring this to the attention of our Priests, Ministers, Rabbis so that every Sabbath and Sunday they start to help us prepare? It seems as if we're all thrown down here in a giant blender. We're all mixed up. No one to lead and we're all going off in different directions. Everybody has questions, no one has answers. We're all on our own. Like an octopus on steroids, we're all flailing around. But I personally believe that there is a supernatural Force that is watching over everything and everyone. No matter what race, no matter what our circumstance. For me it is very simple to say as I have experienced this Force on many different levels and on many different occasions. For others who have not, it will be difficult to accept. How do I know this? Well, from a very early age I was very interested in spiritual matters and had and continue to have some very interesting experiences. Some would call them paranormal. Some have been of a very dark nature which have left a lasting impression and which I do not care to experience again. But I have no say in this matter. Others of a wonderful enlightening nature which I embrace with my whole being. Being an Empath is both a curse and a Blessing. I also have a repoire with animals that is truly wonderful. After many years and quite a bit of stumbling around and quite a few heated and angry conversations with G-d, I guess He got a bit tired of hearing from me and finally decided to reveal to me my true nature...why I was put here on this earth. I'm glad He did as it put alot of nagging questions to rest. But I went through an awful lot of pain, turmoil and unpleasant experiences before I reached a point where I believe that G-d felt I had finally arrived at (His) point in time. I finally had agreed to work according to His terms, not mine. I finally had grown up, after going through some very painful experiences, even though I didn't know why I was going through them at the time. This was all so that I could reach a point (G-d's point) to where I was ready for Him to receive me at His level so that I could actually be prepared enough to go to work for Him. Do you understand? This was all preparation planning. I had to earn my degree, so to speak. After looking back on all of this it is clear now that it wasn't "time" for me to come to realize who or what I was. I was just a bumbling, stumbling idiot. So here's a clear case of someone going through pain, not knowing why, searching for answers, and not finding them but not giving up. Continuing to have a dialogue with G-d, and continuing to search for answers. Even though I didn't hear from G-d going through all this, and not hearing any answers as to why, I don't feel that He "abandoned" me. It just wasn't time for me to know what He wanted me to know. So the morale of this is....G-d Never Fails, Don't Give Up, Even When You Don't Hear the Answers to Your Questions (They Will Come) And Most Importantly...Prayer, The Most Powerful Force in the World. Try It. It's Free. How Many Things Are Free That Actually Work???? Can't Get A Better Guarantee Than That. Believe Me, I Know.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - seizing dreams and homes

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/19578