Merry Christmas to all !

I am making a conscious effort to wish everyone

a Merry Christmas this year ...

My way of saying that I am celebrating

The birth Of Jesus Christ.

Maybe I can help prevent one more

American tradition from being lost in the sea of

"Political Correctness".

 

My Love to you and your family

This Christmas Season.

~Connie Arthur~

KEN RISLEY - A Fresh Perspective

Good day, my dear friends~

     You know how excited you get when you find something that you want to share? A new place to eat, a revelation or secret. It slaps a grin on your face and you just can't wait to tell everyone about it because you know it's going to change their point of view or give them a good laugh, maybe help to cheer them up. I have that giddy pent up feeling in me today because of a snippet a good friend (thank you, Bill) posted on his facebook page, and I had to know more about the person who provided the perspective represented in that snippet.       

     I'm just discovering Ken Risley's blog, so I'll share with you the first thing about his perspective that caught my eye, and then you can click on the link for his blog and discover more for yourself, Enjoy!

The Day the Democrats Took Over

by Ken Risley on September 21, 2010 
Click here to link to his Blog

The day the Democrats took over control of Congress was not January 22nd 2009, but two years earlier on January 3rd 2007.  They took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the start of the 110th Congress. The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.  This is when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House (2nd in line for the Presidency), and Harry Reid became Majority Leader of the Senate.

For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is “Bush’s Fault”, think about this:

At the time (January 3rd, 2007):

The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77

The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%

The Unemployment rate was 4.6%

George Bush’s Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION!

Remember the day…

January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee.

The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?

BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!

Thank Congress for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6% Unemployment to this CRISIS by dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiasco’s!

(BTW: Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001, because it was financially risky for the U.S. economy, but no one was listening).

And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac?

OBAMA.

And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie???

OBAMA and the Democratic Congress.

So when someone tries to blame Bush…

REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007…. THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!” Bush may have been in the car, but the Democrats were in charge of the gas pedal and steering wheel – they were driving. Set the record straight on Bush!

So, as you listen to all the commercials and media from the Democrats who are now distancing themselves from their voting record and their party, remember how they didn’t listen to you when you said you didn’t want all the bailouts, you didn’t want the health care bill, you didn’t want cap and trade, you didn’t want them to continue spending money we don’t have.

I’m not forgetting who is truely to blame, and I’ll be voting accordingly!

I originally posted this in September 2010. I want to add this quick addition. I do not blame our current situation on the Democrats. Our current condition results from folks of both parties. To blame this on any one side is simply a uni-lateral view and results more from partisan thinking than honest observation. I believe that, at the core, there are no real complicated divisions of political view – right wing, left wing, democrat, liberal, conservative – you name it. Political philosophy divides, really, into two main camps – those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. And to control others, promises are made in exchange for control. Unfortunately in any society where money has become fiat in nature (elastic and expandable by political action and not by natural economics, then the promises can be funded with slight of hand. True economic principles continue to operate below the surface, but  it remains hidden in a sort of la-la land. Most of our politicians  have  used this infinite credit card to fund their own grabs for power. They have achieved it in this country as the population falls under greater and greater control. The economy has been aberrated beyond recognition – by the unfunded mandates of war, entitlement and of incalculable harm done when true economic value is ignored. And thus we are as we are. The manifestations are complex but the real root is rather simple. And few have had the guts to stand up to it – and as of this writing the national debt ceiling will be raised above 14 trillion. If you took a 60 mile by 60 mile square and divided it into little square inch boxes, it would take about 14 trillion of those boxes to fill the 60 mile square. Just imagine.

So I won’t change my post. The Bush wins, mentioned below, were smoke and mirrors. Neither the D’s or the R’s can be fully blamed. The blame falls on ALL of us. We who have allowed ourselves to become ignorant, to become infatuated with  media crap, who have accepted the handouts, who have voted in these jerks – and the jerks themselves.  

Ken Risley 31 July 2011

The day the Democrats took over control of Congress was not January 22nd 2009, but two years earlier on January 3rd 2007.  They took over the House of Representatives and the Senate, at the start of the 110th Congress. The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.  This is when Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House (2nd in line for the Presidency), and Harry Reid became Majority Leader of the Senate.

For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is “Bush’s Fault”, think about this:

At the time (January 3rd, 2007):

The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77

The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%

The Unemployment rate was 4.6%

George Bush’s Economic policies SET A RECORD of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION!

Remember the day…

January 3rd, 2007 was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dod took over the Senate Banking Committee.

The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?

BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES!

Thank Congress for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6% Unemployment to this CRISIS by dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiasco’s!

(BTW: Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001, because it was financially risky for the U.S. economy, but no one was listening).

And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac?
OBAMA.

And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie???
OBAMA and the Democratic Congress.

So when someone tries to blame Bush…

REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007…. THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!” Bush may have been in the car, but the Democrats were in charge of the gas pedal and steering wheel – they were driving. Set the record straight on Bush!

So, as you listen to all the commercials and media from the Democrats who are now distancing themselves from their voting record and their party, remember how they didn’t listen to you when you said you didn’t want all the bailouts, you didn’t want the health care bill, you didn’t want cap and trade, you didn’t want them to continue spending money we don’t have.

I’m not forgetting who is truely to blame, and I’ll be voting accordingly!

(You may got to this page and make comments by clicking here.)

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA . Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper.  The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title 'C'ntarea Americii, meaning ('Ode To  America ') in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei '  The Daily Event' or 'News of the Day'.

~An Ode to  America ~
 

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color!  They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs.

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about. Instead the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing.  On every occasion, they started singing: 'God Bless America !'

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.  What on earth unites the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles.

---Cornel Nistorescu

from the email bag~

Kelly and his boy, Punky

MY COMFORT FRIEND

        Last night I went into my Closet of Influences and I found a comfortable old sweater I though I had lost. He's a gorgeous green cardigan with big onyx inlay buttons and two generous pockets, where I used to hide my insecurities and a hanky for any stray tears. His comfort streams from the depth of his laughter and the low measured telling of special confidences and revelations about the turn of events since we last shared a hug and the warmth of our union.

        It was a joy to hear Kelly's voice again, it hadn't changed. Well maybe it was a bit more measured, reflecting the consideration of intent, as we shared stories of what has become of us since we last saw each other in Arvada, so many years ago. I'm thrilled to have rediscovered my dear friend, now we have a chance to grow old together and enjoy the warmth and comfort of a grand friendship.

Communion on the Moon: 
July 20, 1969
 

by Eric Metaxas

Forty years ago two human beings changed history by walking on  the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it. "I'm talking about the fact that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface of the moon. Some months after his return, he wrote about it in Guideposts magazine.

And a few years ago I had the privilege of meeting him myself. I asked him about it and he confirmed the story to me, and I wrote about it in my book "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God" (But Were Afraid to Ask). 

The background to the story is that Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian Church in Texas during this period in his life, and knowing that he would soon be doing something unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion somehow, and he asked his minister to help him. And so the minister consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine. And Buzz Aldrin took them with him out of the Earth's orbit and on to the surface of the moon. 

He and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Aldrin made the following public statement: 

"This is the LM pilot. I'd like to take this opportunity to ask every person listening in, whoever and wherever they may be, to pause for a moment and contemplate the events of the past few hours and to give thanks in his or her own way." He then ended radio communication and there, on the silent surface of the moon, 250,000 miles from home, he read a verse from the Gospel of John, and he took communion. Here is his own account of what happened: 

"In the radio blackout, I opened the little plastic packages which contained the bread and the wine. I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon, the wine slowly  curled and gracefully came up the side of the cup.

Then I read the Scripture, 'I am the vine, you are the branches. Whosoever abides in me will bring forth much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing." I had intended to read my communion passage back to earth, but at the last minute [they] had requested that I not do this.  NASA was already embroiled in a legal battle with Madelyn Murray O'Hare, the celebrated opponent of religion, over the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis while orbiting the moon at Christmas. I agreed reluctantly. I ate the tiny Host and swallowed the wine. I gave thanks for the intelligence and spirit that had brought two young pilots to the Sea of Tranquility. It was interesting for me to think: the very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the communion elements. 

And of course, it's interesting to think that some of the first words spoken on the moon were the words of Jesus Christ, who made the Earth and the moon - and Who, in the immortal words of Dante, is Himself the "Love that moves the Sun and other stars."

~From the email bag

BOTH POLITICIANS AND DIAPERS NEED TO BE 
CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON!

    One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

    Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community Service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen Donuts waiting for him at his door.

    Then a Congressman came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The Congressman was very happy and left the shop. The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen Congressmen lined up waiting for a free haircut.

    And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it. Remember, it's almost time to take out the 'trash'. Register to vote and educate yourself about the representatives you choose to represent you and your community in our nation's capitol!

~ from the email bag

G+ NOTHING TO DO WITH GOOGLE

Where people, ideas and new opportunities meet | GPlus.com

Look at anyone who has gone from bouncing checks and dodging debt collectors to a level of personal finance that includes a credit rating over 700, a savings account and retirement fund, you'll see that it can't happen overnight and requires dedication and sacrifice. Not a quick fix!

The cost of living just went up as the nation's credit rating went down, costing us more to live with higher interest rates, That means we’ll be paying more for everything we consume. Only a concentrated effort to use our buying power, not only for the best prices, but the best value in the form of what we support with that power.

Politicians, making promises our budget can't keep, need to learn to run on a reality ticket and stop acting like spoiled children that affect the greater multitude of the nation. Every eligible citizen of the United States of America needs to take their responsibility seriously in carefully scrutinizing and choosing our representatives that will put our economic security first and be willing to work in a cooperative effort to solve our financial problems. Lobbyists and special interest groups have to fall by the wayside. Legislation has to make it to the vote without added pork and remain focused through the entire process of both houses.

It's time to find satisfaction in having what we NEED, and curb the desire to have all we WANT. We already have it all and in the process found that we couldn't afford it. It's time for us to evolve into a mature and responsible nation that is looking forward to a financially stable future. We’ve a short time frame to accomplish this goal that’ll require us to make hard choices and eliminate extras. The USA has always been many things to many people and nations, ready with money and our resources. Now it's time to draw into ourselves and strengthen our nation and resources with the dedication and resolve that it will take to make the necessary sacrifices to come out of this secure in our financial future.

Get involved, come up with some answers. Don't be afraid to say what is on your mind- the time to speak up is now!

LA MAMI'

She's been gone from this earthly plane two years and nine months, tomorrow; Mother's Day. She left this world on infinity day 08/08/2008

     She was so beautiful and full of grace. Holy Mary, mother of Connie, pray for this sinner! Maria de Jesus, my grandmother named her; Mary of Jesus, too bad she let herself be just a 'Susie'. Very few women on the mater side of our family liked their 'real' names; Susie, Connie, Bobbie, Anna, Lettie. A waste of baptisms, and confirmations. Luckily most of us never had the nerve to tatoo ourselves, (that I know of) so maybe - just maybe, the Lord will still recognize us at the gate. Those of us who get the pass. She deserved to be more confident; she deserved to live without her fear of stepping out of her imagined boundaries!

     The beauty of her high cheek bones, a gentle widows peak, and fine porcelain skin; as well as her sexy and finely proportioned figure was only enhanced by Susie's dark flashing eyes. Eyes that could inspire men to become something other than just men. My father became her tormentor and possessor. Treating her like a queen when apart and battering her like a slave when they were together, and finally leaving us for his 'prized son' by his adulteress carhop, when I was five. He didn't so much as love her as he wanted a son.

     Other men claimed they wanted to take her away and show her the world. One wanted to give her the finest things in life, and tried desperately, but his jealousy ate away at him and eventually goaded him to kill himself.

     The last one used her and let her use him, in fierce co-dependence. Maybe that's why he died one day short of exactly one year after she died. She took his purpose with her.

     There are no sweet flowery memories or regrets here. She would never allow them. She disdained professed love and would only be satisfied with pounds of flesh, blood, sweat and tears. Neither of us would have ever won awards or accolades for our mothering skills as far apart in opposition as our skills were. I offer prayer for her soul, it's the least I can do without letting her think I am insincere.                                

If, in fact, you have been watching this space, I hope you remembered to blink! Its been about 4 months since I promised more content and I certainly have been rewarded with numerous experiences that I should like to share. Now, I beg a bit more time so that I can come here, guilt free- knowing that I don't have other chores screaming to be done. My target date is, of course, the first of the year.

ttfn~

GETTING MY ASH OUT OF THE ASHES . . .

This is the Phoenix Post for my good old Blog. I've been absent for almost 3 years. It seems that time escapes me more and more quickly as the years roll by. I'm preparing to resume regular posting and look forward to spouting off, so WATCH THIS SPACE!