Jack Ass Poop With Make-Up

"Just Say NO!"  Why do Republican leaders believe that their job is to take the crap proposed by the Democrats and just try to make it somewhat better?

Over the past few years we have watched from a distance as those that we have sent to Washington failed miserably to represent "we the people" on the Right.  With few exceptions, the RINOs were more concerned about their image portrayed by the media and what the talking-heads were saying about them, reaching across the aisle, not actually doing a filibuster but suggesting that they might, going-along to get-along, and basically caving in on most every turn.  Their spineless behavior during the Bush years was pathetic!  They failed to lead with any real vision.  The result was defeat in 2006 and 2008.

As they lost power in the Congress, their excuses for having no principles to stand upon, had to do with the minority of their numbers.  They complained that the best they could do was to try to add amendments to crap bills in an attempt to dress them up a little. 

How did we Republicans end up with such a bunch of moderate leaders who find no line in the sand worth drawing.  And you know what I mean by "moderate" - much of the time siding with or co-writing bills with the Left.  Why is it so hard for them to see what is so clear to us?  The Left uses and abuses them like a jerk does to a girl with no self-esteem.  Then they come crawling back more pathetic than when they were rejected, promising this time that they will try harder to get along.

Again, there are some exceptions and over the past 18 months, there has been some improvement in the area of unity among the stance taken, but we are still dealing with the same individuals in many districts who undercut us and would stab us in the back while soliciting donations. 

We do not want an amnesty bill that has been powdered around the edges with a few more hoops for illegals to jump through.

We do not want crap and trade that has been modified to not kick in a little later.

We do not want another stimulus bill that has the lipstick of some pork barrel for us back home.

We do not want big government running the private sector but with a few of the penalties removed.

We do not want higher taxes after a chin-lift where dividends were left alone. 

We have heard that "politics is compromise".  Well, politician, we are sick and tired of your compromise and we are sending you back home.  We want someone who will stand up and "just say NO!"  Not, no, unless you give me a sweet deal.  Not, no, unless you help me raise support, etc.  Just NO because they have principles and ethics that will not allow them to support such garbage no matter how it has been prettied-up. 

Folks, we are only a few weeks away from an opportunity to send some of these problem Republicans home and replace them with honest conservatives.  Make sure that in your district, victory is secured.

Liberals vs. Liberty

Freedom!  The word itself, can bring a tear to your eye and put a smile on your lips.  Our country has enjoyed a reputation of being "the land of the free".  Individuals from all around the world have sought ways to get to America.  Many have left all they had and even risked the loss of life in order to become a part of this great experiment.  I have never heard the phrase, "The Russian dream", or "The French dream", or "The Mexican dream".  But, most people know what you mean by "The American dream".

There has been something special about America and being an American.  Our country has never needed to entertain the possibility of fencing the border in order to keep us from escaping.  We have the opposite problem - maintaining a level of control over those attempting to enter our borders. 

The Declaration of Independence acknowledges that there is in the heart of man a desire to enjoy freedom.  But, as has been said, "Freedom is not free!"  Periodically, since the founding of our nation, Americans have found it necessary to fight for our freedom.  For some reason, there always seems to be someone who wants to rob us of our liberty.  The Declaration of Independence also reminds us that the life and liberty we enjoy are gifts from God.  So, if it is God who gives us liberty, who inspires those who try to take it away from us?

We, as a nation of free men, have been ready to defend our right to be free.  For the most part, the battles have been with foreign enemies.  Today, in America, we are faced with a new enemy, a domestic enemy - the Leftists who seek to transform the United States from the greatest nation on the Earth to a weak-kneed and spineless has-been. 

Within our own shores, we face a multitude of battles.  First and foremost is the spiritual battle.  If we as individuals expect God to render aid to the cause of liberty, we had better be in right relationship and fellowship with Him.  If we do not have God on our side, the other battles are already lost.  Second, we face a battle of ideology (a gathered set of ideas or doctrines).  Those on the Right have one body of thought and those on the Left have another.  They are constantly at odds with each other.  An example, the Right wants less government intrusion in their lives and the Left considers more government to be the solution to our problems.  This leads to the third battle - political.  It is the political power that controls the ideology expressed in how our government functions. 

There is a pathway to victory in these battles.  First, if we will humble ourselves, turn from our sin and seek God.  Pray that He will hear us and heal our land.  Second, as we enter the battle of ideas, we need to be educated and trained in the ability to made a reasonable argument that will help convince those with opposing ideas that our way is better.  Third, we must be doing whatever we can to gain political victory in November.  Find conservative and honest candidates and support them.  Then make sure that you vote.

Every generation must protect liberty. It is our turn to fight or it will be lost forever. 

Brush Fires of Spiritual Freedom

The Christian church in America, for too long, has been anemic. We have taken Sunday services and turned them into social gatherings where the congregation goes home no better informed than when they came. There is no message of urgency to walk close to God. Any mention of sin or disobedience, by a pastor, is weakly expressed and produces no shame or change. 

Church discipline is almost non-existent.  The pews are full of people living in open sin with no fear of confrontation from "spiritual" leaders.  The church members, to a great degree, are very uneducated in the things of the Bible.  Many do not even bring a Bible with them to church and even if they did, would not know where to find the references.

(Heb 5:11-14 KJV) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Where are the preachers who will proclaim the Word with convicting power?  Where are the Bible teachers who not only know the Word but are skilled in passing on that knowledge to the next generation?   How many "Christians" can adequately explain to a non-believer the message of the Bible and the plan of God? 

We attend churches where "milk" is preached and taught week after week.  It seems the sermons are geared to the weakest link, which always will prohibit the eating of "meat".  There needs to be a revamping of the mission of the church service.  Evangelism is for the Christians to do on a regular basis; on the street, in the homes, at the park, etc.  When the Sunday morning sermon is a message to the "lost", much of the time, the "found" sit there and starve. 

Jesus instructed Peter to "feed my sheep".  Let the preachers proclaim the message of Christ from the rooftops, from the sidewalks, even from the pulpit as a part of the message of offering meat for food; but let the pastors feed the sheep.  What is a pastor?  "Pastor" means shepherd, one who is responsible for the sheep under his care.  It is no wonder that anemia is the norm and "going to church" has become irrelevant.  Why would someone want to give up sleeping in and the early football game on Sunday morning, just so they can say that they attended a church service that was utterly boring?
It does not have to be that way!  Church services do not have to be something that we dread having to attend, but feel obligated to make a showing.  There are many regular people who are hungry for the pure meat of the Word.  Transform the gathering of Christians from a social, milkfest, to a training center for building up the Body of Christ to do the work of the ministry.
 
Is it any wonder that many preachers reach a phase of burnout?  No, they feel all the pressure and weight on their own shoulders and see limited growth in their congregations.  Why?  Because the people are not growing.  Why?  Because they are not being properly fed.
 
There is a hunger in Christianity for meat!  If you are a church leader and are not prepared to feed meat to your sheep, step aside until you are ready.  If you are still drinking milk, you have no business being in a position of leadership.  If you are ready, create the opportunities and give it all you have.  When word gets out that the pure Word is being taught, it will attract those who are hungry.  It is these who will grow and become the next tools of transformation.  If your messages offend no one, they are anemic and worthless.  An unrepentant sinner should take offense to the pure Word. 
 
Sure, there are those in the field who are doing all they can to feed the sheep.  There are congregations that are eating multiple times each week and are growing.  These exceptions are doing what they can to restore a vital sense of life to the Christian church in America. 
 
To those pastors and teachers - you are the voices of church leadership who should be determined to set the brush fires of spiritual freedom in the hearts of men. A few who will be bold, speak the truth without watering it down, demonstrate the unconditional love of God, reveal to the lost Jesus' extended hand of mercy; but, at the same time provide intensive teaching, which will help those who participate as learners, to grow into additional voices of truth.
 
Start the fire and let it spread!  This nation is in desperate need of a revival! 

RINO John is Back!

Rambo John (R.J.) McCain showed up in the Republican primary in Arizona.  He launched an attack against his conservative opponent, with both barrels, before J.D. ever announced he was even in the race.  Bart and Bret Maverick would have been proud, in fact they probably would have adopted R.J. into the family, officially. 

R.J. never let up, it was full attack mode from day one.  A constant barrage of commercials and advertising.  He dug a hole six feet deep, getting all the dirt (real or perceived) that could be found to bury J.D.  He gambled with O.P.M. (other people's money) ($20+ million it is reported) on his ability to read the tells on the defensive face of his opponent.  It paid off.  J.D. did not appear to ever be able to get traction and quickly slipped into the hole.

The people in Arizona, wondered where R.J. came from.  Wasn't it just 24 months before when he was the guy claiming that Obama would be a fine president, if he were to win?  He (RINO John - r.J.) was the one who refused to have even a pansy level of attack mode in the most important race of his career.  He would not allow his campaign staff to make an issue of Obama's past, lack of experience, friends, citizenship, etc.  He was afraid of doing anything that might cause his friends in the media to call him a racist.

So, we have r.J. shooting blanks from a toy gun as he ran for president.  We find the same guy with a bazooka, after a foxhole conversion, now the ultimate conservative, attempting to out-Right J.D.  We watched him take J.D.'s stand on the border and try to make it his own.  Remember, "build the danged fence".  This he said with what appeared to be feigned emotion.  His inability to effectively run a major campaign is responsible for the U.S. having a socialist in the White House.

But, r.J. transformed into R.J. for the Senate republican primary.  He ended most every commercial with, "Character Matters!"  Yes, r.J., it does.  That is one of the reasons so many wanted you to find retirement.  Frankly, we do not want reruns of Maverick.

Now that he basically bought the primary, it is time to launch his R.J. attack dogs on the democrat opponent.  We are a few weeks past the primary and before the general and wondering where R.J. has gone.  He must have rode off into the sunset because there seems to be no evidence of a campaign underway.  I see no attack ads or commercials, we are not hearing him "approve of this message" - there are no messages out there! 

What appears to be happening is the resurgence of r.J.  No attacking the foe.  No digging the dirt.  No spending of millions.  No nothing.  The truth is coming back out of the shadow, there never was a R.J., that was just an illusion propped up the unspent contributions from the last campaign. 

IRS Section 501(c)(3) vs Freedom of Speech

"Tax-Exempt Organization" - Sounds pretty good and sort of makes you wish you were one, doesn't it?  You must ask, whenever the government (IRS) tells you that you can keep some dollars in your right pocket, what are they taking out of your left pocket? 

When was the last time you heard of a church that was not approved by the IRS as a 501(c)(3), tax-exempt organization?  It seems that it is almost automatic that a church is approved by the IRS for this status.  What is the benefit to churches to be classified as a 501(c)(3) organization?  Receiving this status allows individuals who contribute to the church to deduct their contributions as an itemized deduction on their income taxes.  If a church did not meet the requirements of a 501(c)(3) organization, those contributions could not be deducted for income tax purposes. 

Sounds like a win-win situation!  Not so fast, the IRS is not Santa Claus.  It does not give away revenue out of the kindness of its heart.  Be skeptical anytime the government appears to be giving you something for nothing.  We accepted money from Washington for our public schools - now the Department of Education dictates some curriculum and mandates local spending on liberal agenda items.  We accepted highway money from Washington - now we are threatened with the loss of these on-going funds if we do not tow the line in other areas.

Why does the government let us deduct contributions to churches?  What do they get out of it?  When a church is approved as a 501(c)(3) organization, they forfeit part of their freedom of speech rights.  That is the payoff to the government.  From that point on, that church cannot risk being fined and the loss of their tax-exempt status by speaking out on political matters or passing out material for or against any political campaign. 

The government has just silenced organized religion when it comes to the affairs of politicians.  Churches are afraid that the loss of their IRS status would mean the loss of contributions. 

But, aren't all churches required by the IRS to file for 501(c)(3) approval?  No, they are not, based on the IRS tax guide for "Churches and Religious Organizations".  Quoted from page 3, "Churches that meet the requirements of IRC section 501(c)(3) are automatically considered tax exempt and are not required to apply for and obtain recognition of tax-exempt status from the IRS."  It goes on to say, "Although there is no requirement to do so, many churches seek recognition of tax-exempt status from the IRS because such recognition assures church leaders, members, and contributors that the church is recognized as exempt and qualifies for related tax benefits."

So, what are the "requirements of IRC section 501(c)(3)"?  There are several, but two of importance in this discussion are summarized as follows:  first, "no substantial part of its activity may be attempting to influence legislation," and, "the organization may not intervene in political campaigns".  They explain that intervening includes speaking out for or against any candidate, raising funds for political activities, passing out literature for or against any candidate, etc.

It was not always the case that the government restricted political speech in churches.  In the early part of this country, preachers speaking about political issues were not uncommon.  Four of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were preachers.  Most of the Founding Fathers were religious. 

The IRS web site has a link to a document, "Election Year Issues".  Within this article is contained some background to IRS 501(c)(3).  Page 336, "Prior to 1954, there was no statutory provision absolutely prohibiting organizations described in the antecedents of IRC 501(c)(3) from engaging in political campaign activities."  The Revenue Act of 1934 had established the lobbying (legislation) restriction of 501(c)(3), but the campaign activity restriction was not included.  In the Revenue Act of 1954, Lyndon Johnson had successfully added an amendment restricting 501(c)(3) organizations from campaign activity. 

As I am not an attorney or an accountant, there are other issues relating to whether or not a church should or should not apply with the IRS for 501(c)(3) status (consult your professional for legal advise).  But, the government has been successful, by offering tax benefits to those who comply, in closing America's pulpits to political speech.  Soon after the Revenue Act of 1954, with the preachers effectively silenced, government became more bold in its attack on religion and America became more lax in its morality.  By the 1960's, we were dealing with the removal of prayer in schools and the "free love" movement.  We also began to see the dismantling of the typical family unit and the "women's lib" movement. 

How has the trade-off worked for better?  The churches may have more contributions from their members, but probably have less members due to the decline in morality and the lack of interest in organized religion. 

How were churches able to generate necessary funds prior to the IRS letting contributions be deductible?  That is easy, the members did not expect special tax benefits and gave out of love of the church or at least obedience to the Word.  If a church were to give up its 501(c)(3) status, gain back the free speech from the pulpit, but lose the tax benefits to the members; what would the members do?  Would they change churches or stop giving to their church?  I would hope not.  I believe that with the proper education the members would understand the importance of not having the preachers censored by the government and would appreciate the stand being taken by the church leaders.  God did not instruct us to give where we gained a financial benefit from the gift, He just told us to give.

Sometimes, the old-fashioned way of doing things was just better!

Domestic Enemies of the Constitution

Listed below are the various oaths that are administered to the people entering each specific position:

The oath of enlistment for the military:
"I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

The oath for commissi0ned officers in the military:
"I, _____ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God."

The oath taken by Congress and Senators:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

The oath for the President of the United States:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."


A common theme is contained in each oath, "defend the Constitution of the United States".  Whether it is an elected leader or a volunteer member of our military, they have each sworn to defend the Constitution.  With the exception of the oath for the President, they ALL have sworn that they will do what it takes to protect the Constitution "from ALL enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC."

This begs the question; where is the line, that once crossed, will transform a person from an ally to an enemy?  The Founding Fathers recognized that a citizen can become a domestic enemy of our country.  They even took it a step further, they understood the possibility of a political leader, a soldier, an officer in the military, or even the President could become an enemy of the Constitution.

Again, what defines a domestic enemy of the Constitution?  What would one have to do?  How far would one have to go in order for those in these sworn positions to invoke action to protect the Constitution?  What would that action look like?

To some degree, our country and our Constitution have been under assault, domestically, for decades.  It appears the progression of the attack has escalated over time to even include a total disregard of the law of the land.  We currently have elected officials who have taken the above oath and appear to have a disdain for the protections the Constitution provides to the people.  We have those in Congress who have stretched the meaning of certain phrases of the "living document" so that they no longer resemble the written word. 

Obama stated that the Constitution is a "document of negative liberties."  What perspective must you view the Constitution from, in order to have that opinion?  A majority of "we the people" would read the Bill of Rights, not as a list of negative liberties to each of us, but a list of stated restrictions upon the federal government.  The "Rights" enumerated do not restrict you and me, they limit what the politicians and bureaucrats do to or against us.  In order to view these as "negative liberties", you would have to be seeing them from the viewpoint of how they limit what you would want to do to the people.  To Obama, the Constitution is in his way.  If taken seriously, it would stand in his way from pushing his agenda.  Lucky for him, he does not care what it says.  It's full-steam ahead!

If the liberal Democrats can use the Constitution against the conservative Republicans, they will.  They will preach Rights with fervor.  But, if their desires run contrary to the document, it is easily ignored. 

With adversaries to the Constitution within the highest levels of our government, what are we to do?  What are the sworn defenders to do?  At what point is non-political action necessary?  If there was never intended to be action to defend the Constitution from those who are domestically attempting to destroy its power and authority, why would each oath require such? 

At the present time, with an election only days away, the action required is political.  Every measure must be taken to help elect protectors of the Constitution.  Conservative control of Congress is absolutely mandatory in order to begin to reverse the direction of the past two years.  Anything less than that will bring the nation to the point of having to answer the above questions.  God help us when the time comes to exercise those oaths. 

NEVER, EVER WILL WE FORGET!

9-11

Two numbers that had no specific meaning, together, on 9-10-2001.  Now, just about everyone in the world associates 9-11 with one of the most terrible events in history.

WE WILL NEVER FORGET!

GOD BLESS THOSE WHO GAVE IT THEIR ALL!

ARE CHRISTIANS LEAST RELIGIOUS?

Lately, we have been hearing questions about whether Barack Obama is a Christian or a Muslim, or none of the above. A recent poll conducted by Pew Research indicated that approximately one out of four adults in America believe he is a Muslim and one out of three believe he is Christian. The rest have no idea.

This has made me wonder why it is so difficult for average people to be able to discern the religion of the leader of their country. It appears to boil down to the actions or lack thereof where it relates to a specific religion being professed by our president.

What does Barack Obama say concerning his religion? He claims to be a Christian. Evidently, in the minds of 2/3 of Americans, that is not enough to convince them. Why aren’t we taking the man at his word? Even more so, why would so many believe him to be a Muslim when he claims that he is not? The answers lie in his actions. Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” We appear to be applying that truth to President Obama.

A majority of the public is not accepting the word of the president, but is watching his actions. His actions are telling them something different. Our experience has taught us that not everyone who claims to be something is what he claims. The actions of President Obama are leading more and more people to doubt his Christianity. He claims to have the “faith”; but, as we see, that will only take you so far:

(James 2:18-20 KJV) Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Why is it so difficult to determine if a person is a Christian, especially a protestant Christian?

The Catholics are fairly open about their religion. They attend mass, many have shrines set up in or at their homes, some carry beads, they openly make the gesture of the cross, etc.

The Jews observe their special holidays, they attend the synagogue, they obey the priest, they cover their heads in prayer, etc.

The Mormans are very faithful concerning church attendance and tithing. They go on two-year missions for the church. They hold special ceremonies and weddings in their temples and work hard at living a life that aligns with their religion.

The Muslims hold prayer time several times each day, bowing toward Mecca. They have a strict set of rules or laws that they live under. The men dominate the society and the women are very restricted in dress and public interaction.

It is not that hard to recognize many followers of any of these religions. So, what is it about Christianity that is different? As Christians, we do not typically have special garments that we wear, there are no hats required, we make no signs when we pray and do not bow to Jerusalem. We do have a couple holidays, but they are basically celebrated as Americans and seem to have lost much of the religious meaning.

Christians attend a variety of denominational churches and do not have one set of doctrines that all follow. There are disagreements among Christians as to many teachings in the Bible and the current application of those concepts.

This is additionally confused by many people calling themselves Christians and having no understanding of what it really means to be such. Some believe that they must be a Christian simply because they are an American or because they attend church, sometimes.

A true Christian is one who has been changed, by the Spirit of God, on the inside. It is not manifest in uniforms and other outward displays, but should be demonstrated by a changed life. One is not a Christian just because they claim to be or even because they state that they believe in Jesus. As shown in the above verses, even the devils believe.

As we encounter those who claim to be a Christian, we are not able to demand to see their “papers” to demonstrate membership. It is prudent to accept their words; but, at the same time watch their lives to see if the life of Christ is being lived out through their daily walk. A real Christian is a follower of Jesus the Christ. We cannot repeat a prayer, live like the devil, and then expect open arms at the gate to heaven.

It is not our responsibility or expectation to just accept that Barack Obama is a Christian when we have difficulty seeing Christian virtues and principles in his life. We are right in doubting and withholding conclusion until we see the works to support the words. It is up to him to live as a Christian in order to be pleasing to God and in order to have those who believe his statement of faith.

So, since it does appear to be more difficult to determine if another person is a real Christian, is it because Christians are less religious? No, I believe it is because Christians are less legalistic. We are defined, not by ceremony or attire or scheduled prayers. We are set apart by a difference in heart and a lifestyle that follows a belief in a risen Savior.

The Color of the Soul

"Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in His sight."  Most of us know the children's chorus, but doesn't God have favorites?  Wouldn't it just seem "normal" to prefer some above others?  "Normal," yes; Godly, no!  God is not "normal" as defined by man.  (Rom 11:33 KJV) "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" 

As mere mortals, we fall far below the standard set by God.  We see color and we play favorites.  As long as we walk this earth, in these bodies, that will not go away, completely.  There is an old saying, "Beauty is only skin deep."  Well, so is color only skin deep!


(Gal 3:28 KJV) "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."  Could I add to the list, rich nor poor, black nor white, young nor old...  In God's eyes, we do not fall into any categories other than believer and unbeliever.
 
What lies beneath our various skin tones?  Living within these aging bodies are our eternal souls.  The Bible teaches that man's soul needs to be saved.  So, what is the soul?  First of all, it does not have various colors.  Heaven will not be segregated and there will be no discrimination.  It is the soul that will be taken to heaven or damned to hell.  We - you and I, the people who dwell in bodies - are souls.  The individual soul will not be set apart based on race, nationality or gender.  We will have a heavenly society that is colorless as to the distinction between the inhabitants.
 
That is why, in the now-time, we should be seeing our fellow brothers and sisters by their soul color, not their skin color.  Our skin does not make us who we are.  Behind our skin, we are equal souls.  Judge the man by who he is, not what he looks like.  There is no one who can measure up to perfection, physically. 
 
No matter what I look like to you or you look like to me, neither one of us are seeing the real person.  So, it is pretty amazing how much we judge based on appearance.  "You" are not what you look like, "you" are what your soul is, and "you" will live forever apart from your now-time appearance.

Does Your Vote Count?

America was at the crossroads two years ago.  Americans voted Obama into office and gave the Democrats solid control of the House and Senate.  That election determined which road we would travel upon.  To my amazement and great disappointment, America chose socialism.  The Liberals took complete control of Washington and began to launch a massive agenda to enlarge government, secure power, destroy capitalism, take over industry, control healthcare, increase dependency, and basically cement our future to a foundation of socialism. 

Since the last general election, the balance in government has raced to the Left.  They have run amok!  As we have been reminded, "Elections have consequences!"  We have the government that we the people voted into office.  No, not all of us, but a majority did.  You can blame the outcome on a lot of things (the desire for the first black president, the uninformed believing the media attacks, etc.), but it all boils down to most of the voters marking the (D) selection.

The Right has to look back and take responsibility for being unable to secure a better outcome.  We were either ineffective at our argument or failed to install an urgency in the need to actually vote.  In the past 18 months, it appears that the elephant in the room has been awakened.  Americans are locked-in on the national situation to a greater degree than I can remember.  We are paying better attention and demanding more accountability from our elected leaders than before.  We do not like what they are doing!

Or, at least that is what I thought.  Are we being deceived by ourselves and our own energy?  Are we preaching to the choir, only?  Sure, we are excited and demanding a change back to the Right, but are "we" the same people who voted to the Right the last time and the time before?  Are we still ineffective at expanding our base with individuals who will actually care and vote?  Taking a citizen who voted (R) the last time and getting them excited to vote (R) this time is not a gain. 

We have to take the fight outside of the camp.  The argument has to be won with people who did not vote before or who voted (D).  We have to win the hearts and minds of the undecided and convince the Left-leaning to come back to the Right.  We also have to do much better, after we win the argument, of getting our new-found conservatives to actually vote.

We have been facing a succession of elections that have been growing in vital importance over the past few cycles.  November is the next in line.  The general election can make the difference in the permanent establishment of the U.S.S.A. or the reemergence of a strong U.S.A.  Losing in November could mean R.I.P. for the America we love.  How can I put this stronger?  Winning in November and taking control of the House and Senate by true conservatives is mandatory in order to put a stop to Obama.  We cannot deal with another two years of amok.

I believe this so strongly and recognize the importance of passing on to my kids and grandkids an America I would want.  I am constantly looking for another way to argue, in a convincing manner, the superiority of being conservative. 

Following the primary election in Arizona, a few days ago, I see a hole in our plan.  We are making the argument across the nation.  The voter registration numbers are showing loses to the (D) ranks and increases in the (I) and (R) ranks.  But, are our converts going to make a difference in November?  There is only one way that the answer will be "yes".  That outcome is dependent upon them voting.

We must have an outstanding turnout to the polls of those who are selecting the best conservative for the office.  I was shocked, this week, as I heard the turnout numbers for the AZ primary.  With all that is on the line and the considerable differences the outcome will hold, we had voter turnout of under 30%. 

Do they not get it?  No, they don't.  That is now our number one job for the next two months.  Make a compelling argument, win a convert, and get them to the polls.  We cannot be lax or take anything for granted.  Every vote is needed to win and every vote counts.

A Bridge to No One

One of the best properties to own is Park Place.  Most Americans know the significance of this property.  Now, we find a double meaning.  This is not a block on the Monopoly board, it is the proposed location for a mosque - New York City, USA.  The address, 51 Park Place.  This location is not two moves away from Boardwalk, but two short blocks from Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Center, twin towers.

9/11 - This day forever changed America.  We are no longer removed from the acts of war, we find ourselves to be vulnerable on our own soil.  A handful of radical Muslims, with jihad in their hearts, carried out a horrific attack on innocent civilians.

The old building at 51 Park Place is so close to Ground Zero that it sustained damage in the attack.  A part of one of the airliners fell onto this building. 

Nine years later, we are supposed to "get over it" and "move on".  I, for one, will never get over it and I do not want to.  I want those images as a reminder of the evil and danger that exists in the modern world.

The Muslim mosque, which has gained approval of the City of New York and the endorsement of Mayor Bloomburg, not to mention Obama, is to be intentionally located in close proximity to the site of the death of nearly 3,000 Americans.  How do I know this?  Three reasons:  there are other mosques within a few blocks of this site, there are other sites available not so close to the WTC site, and the planners have rejected the appeal to move away from Ground Zero.

The Cordoba House, which was to be the name of this mosque, is the result of efforts by Muslim Imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, the chairman of the Cordoba Inititive.  He is also the Imam of another mosque that is only 12 blocks from Ground Zero, already.  He has said that he wants this mosque to be a bridge between Muslims and Americans.  Oh, really! 

Let's dissect some of the issues, beginning with "Cordoba".  Cordoba, Spain is a city that was conquered by Muslims, from the Romans, in 711 AD.  As Muslims have done in various areas they have conquered, they built a mosque in Cordoba.  This became the capital of Islamic caliphate in the middle ages.  (Caliphate refers to the reign of a caliph, which is a title given to Islamic rulers that are believed to be the successors of Mohammad.)  In other words, Cordoba became the center for Islamic rule and a symbol of their superiority over the conquered territory and people.

There are those who believe that the Cordoba House is another mosque to be built on the site of conquest, as a sign of Muslim dominance.  From this mosque, the daily call to prayer will be heard at Ground Zero.  As opposition grew, he suggested changing the name (not the location) to "Park 51".  That sounds so much better!  It will make swallowing of the bitter pill so much easier.  It even sounds like a nice restaurant or club.  Will it change the teaching of the Quran?  Will it change how Muslims feel about us infidels?  I feel the bridge building, already!

Feisal Abdul Rauf (FAR) has made notable statements.  He said that Americans have more Muslim blood on their hands than al qaeda does.  Maybe the news sources I watch have censored the events, but I am unaware of any non-Muslim Americans flying jet liners into Arab buildings or committing suicide by blowing themselves up on Arab streets.  His web site has this heading, "Healing the Relationship between the Islamic World and the West".  That sounds like a very sensitive goal.  When it comes to putting sensitivity into practice, it seems to be missing from FAR.  Many pleaded, that if he was going to build another mosque in NY, just do it somewhere else.  FAR's sensitive response, "No".  But, they pointed out, this area is sacred ground and he must be aware that it was Muslims who caused this damage and these deaths.  FAR did not care about building a bridge based on sensitivity.

When you begin to search out FAR and the organizations he is involved with, or the leader of, you will find some great titles and descriptions.  They talk about bringing Muslims together with those in the West and of other faiths.  "(H)e directs projects that aim to heal conflict between Islamic and Western communities by...engaging Islamic legal scholars in addressing the implications of contemporary Islamic governance."  "(H)e founded the American Society for Muslim Advancement". 

As I did this research, there began to grow within me a tendency to doubt my doubts of this Imam.  But, about a half of a second later, I remembered how Islam teachings do not allow for a watering down of their religion.  He has no intention of compromise or meeting half-way.  He may be serious about "healing the conflict", but he plans on doing it with "Muslim Advancement".  He is just like many Republicans who claim to be reaching across the aisle and working together.  The compromise is all on the side of the maverick.  Islamic law - Shariah - is enforced in some parts of the world by executing people who break parts of the law.  Being an Imam, I have to hold onto my doubts that FAR is going to half-way convert to Judaism or Christianity. 

If FAR were honestly desiring to mend fences, I can think of a few things he could do before forcing a 13-story mosque onto this site.  It would be a good sign to yield to the objections and build it somewhere further away.  He could openly and clearly pronounce his utter disgust and contempt for any Muslim who participated in any part of the 9/11 attacks.  He could publicly stand against Muslims who murder in the name of Islam.  He could explain, from the Quran, where the radical element of Islam is dead wrong and condemn their practices.  He could show us, in the Quran, where they are supposed to love their neighbors and their enemies, instead of kill the infidels.

FAR could use the opportunity of the US taxpayer funded and State Department supported trip that he is currently on to the countries in the Middle East to denounce terrorism and anyone who supports it as a tool.  He could condemn Iran and Hamas for their actions against Israel and the Jews.  Is he doing any of those bridge building things?  No, he is traveling around, at our expense, raising money to build the Cordoba House as a monument towering over the hole in the ground at Ground Zero.

It is us that he expects to cross the bridge he is building.  In my opinion, this is just another bridge to nowhere and I hope to no one. 

Who is a Christian?

It has surprised me over the past months that the Left is attempting to convince Americans that BO is a Christian.  I thought the Left adored BO???  Why would they want us to believe he is a believer, when for decades, they have been ridiculing Christians and portraying them as a bunch of idiots.  They attack any form of Christian expression that they feel is too much in public view.  Now, all of a sudden, they want us to see BO as being a main-stream Christian - and they believe that it would be a good thing for us to accept that description of him. 

When did being a Christian become a popular position for the Left to support?

When BO claims to be a Christian, or when the Left try to convince us of such, what do they mean by "Christian"?  When someone argues that BO is not a Christian or at least doubts whether or not he is, what do they mean? 

The name "Christian" has become the term "christian".  It is similar to the terms "conservative" or "liberal".  They mean different things to different people.  Your background and beliefs affect your understanding of each of these terms.  Being a christian, to some, can mean no more than being an American, or being an occasional attender of church.  But, what does being a Christian, really mean?

BO may be a christian, but if he is a Christian, then I am very confused as to what Christianity really is about.

I am asking each one of you, to please log onto the blog and leave your comments in answer to this question.  What is a Christian?  Please do not hesitate or worry that someone might find fault with what you say, this is an important issue.  We need, very badly, to have a clear understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus the Christ. 

Asking the Questions the Left Won't Ask

As it appears that I have found myself to be a new-found subject to King Obama (KO), there are a few things I would like to know about him.  If I am relegated to serve him and his big government, it would be nice to better understand just who our king is and what he thinks.  Who knows, once we learned the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; we just might find that we like this guy.  But, once we have nothing but the truth, we might find out that we have been KO'd.

1.  If you are the "smartest President" we have ever had, would you show us your college records?

Not to blindly doubt your loyal admirers, but I would like some proof that you are on a level above the rest of us.

2.  In response to your claim that your election would stop the rising of the oceans and that you are the "one we have been waiting for", would you mind pointing out from the Holy Scripture where you were prophesied?

In answer, you cannot use the fact that the oceans are not rising as proof.  We both know that they were not doing that beforehand.

3.  Would you mind explaining your name?

In America, we have watched as numerous people who were not Muslims, changed to becoming Muslims.  When they did this, they changed their names to Muslim names; such as:  Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and Lou Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  But with you, you were born with a Muslim name (not your fault).  You later had the name of Barry Soetoro, but then again, changed your name back to the Muslim name, though you claimed to not be a Muslim.

4.  Just for the record, where in the world were you born?  Or, were you immaculately dropped on a beach in Hawaii?

Inquiring minds want to know!  I realize, that to you, this is a non-issue.  You have said that we should not be concerned, but there is this little matter, called the Constitution.  It has some pretty specific things to say about you being where you are.  Pretty please?

5.  Why does the Federal Election Commission not perform the most basic duty of government, concerning the presidential elections - that of verifying that the candidates actually meet the minimum qualifications laid out in the Constitution?

Sorry, I used the "C" word again.  I know how you hate hearing about that document of "negative rights".  (You have to admit, dear king, that you must of thought it pretty funny that someone could sidestep ever having to prove they are qualified to hold what is considered to be the most important office in the World.)

6.  Does Jim Wallis, your "spiritual advisor" ever really give you Spiritual advice?

It seems to me that Rev. Wallis is more concerned with socialism than with true Christianity.

7.  This begs the next question, would God consider Jeremiah Wright to be a true Christian?

It is very easy to tag ourselves with popular labels.  But, when we apply the name card to our chest, with "Christian" written on it, that means a lot of things to a lot of people.  The trouble is, with God, it has a very specific meaning that does not fit many of our definitions.  So, what do you think, with JW preaching racism and hate from the pulpit, do you believe God is cheering him on or considering a bolt of lightning?

8.  Related question, would the real KING consider you to be a true Christian?

You have claimed that JW led you to Jesus, but if JW did not know the way himself, how could he do that?  Also, you have since claimed that you did not hear what JW preached in 20 years of Sunday sermons, so how is it that JW led you to Jesus?  Was it by his example of humility, love and self-sacrifice?

9.  How are those sanctions against Iran working for you?

It appears to us know-nothings that this plan may be off track.

10.  And finally, has your handicap come down since becoming king?

If You Say It, They Will Believe

Prior entries have dealt with some outrageous claims made by "scientists".  We mortals, are just supposed to believe what they say without doing any thinking on our own.

Here is another example:  This story comes from AOL News.  It has the title:  "The Incredible Shrinking Moon". 

The author tells us that a recent scientific study revealed some faults in the surface of the moon.  We had not noticed these up until the recent study.  According to a geologist at the National Air and Space Museum, in Washington D.C., the faults were "caused by the internal cooling of the moon".

(My thought - how would we know the center of the moon is cooling?  Does that mean that it used to be warm on the moon, without the aid of the sun?)

"We know it's shrinking by looking at these landforms...that kind of look like stairsteps..."  "They are caused by thrust faults, which are generated when the lunar crust material is pushed together and pushed up, forming a cliff or scarp."  said the geologist, Thomas Watters. 

(My thought - if the crust of the moon is being "pushed up", how does that prove shrinkage?)

The AOL article goes on to tell us that this discovery was due to the camera used by NASA being able to have a resolution of .5-2.0 meters per pixel.

(The equates to each pixel covering a width of surface area approximately 20 inches to 6.5 feet.  Remember that one MP (megapixel) is equal to 1,000,000 pixels.  You probable have a digital camera that is rated anywhere from 3 to 12 MP resolution.  So, one pixel is very, very small.  When one pixel covers an area approximately three feet wide, we are not getting a tremendously sharp photo.)

(So, if these photos do show faults due to the surface being "pushed up", resulting in the moon shrinking, how much has it shrunk?  Do we need to worry?)

"Overall, it's only about 100 meters in the past billion years..."

(100 meters is approximately 328 feet.  If you divide that down to a time period that is a little easier to comprehend, rather than a 1,000,000,000 years, you will see the reason some are a little worried.  Based on his numbers, the moon has shrunk .00394" in the past 1,000 years.  That is 1.5 times the width of a human hair. 

In my book, that is not something that could be measured, especially from Earth or using a camera from space.  It boils down to the moon being stable in size due to lack of evidence to the contrary.)

Comment Moderation

Recently, I added a posting that said I was needing to change the process for adding comments.  I said that I had to set it up so all comments had to be approved prior to posting.  This was due to some spam comments with advertising being added to the blog.

Since the posting, Blogger has added a new feature to try to catch spam comments and not let them get posted without approval.  So, now the setting for this blog will allow immediate comments on articles up to seven days old.  Older posts will still wait for approval.  If you post and do not see it appear on a new article, Blogger may have set it aside as possible spam and I will see it and approve legitimate comments.

Thanks.

Closet Christian or Closet Muslim?

There has been a lot of speculation as to whether BO is a Muslim.  Recently, a poll of Americans indicated that approximately 1/4 believe he is Muslim, around 1/3 believe he is Christian and the rest have no idea.  (Let me state, in the beginning, that the opinion of others is not the deciding factor as to our religion, and thankfully so.)

The question lingers, what religion is our President?  True religion is not based on what we claim, but what we believe and how we live.  BO claims, at least most of the time, to be a Christian.  Over the past couple days, a video of BO doing an interview has been on TV.  The interview was with ABC and was in 9/2008, during the last campaign.  In answer to a question, BO states, "McCain has not made an issue of my Muslim faith."  The interviewer interrupts to correct BO, "Christian faith".  BO, then corrects himself and repeats, "Christian faith".  Yes, I imagine it could have just been a mistake; but, I cannot imagine that I would ever, under any circumstances, claim that my faith was Muslim. 

So, how does BO live - now and in the past?  He was born to a Muslim father.  Muslim law states that children of a Muslim father are Muslim.  He completed some of his early education in Indonesia (a Muslim nation) in a Muslim school.  As soon as he became President, his first interview was with Al Jazerra, a Muslim media outlet for the Middle East.  He was very quick to make a trip, as President, to the Middle East and gave a speech, aimed at Muslims, from Egypt.  In this speech, he apologized for America.  He bowed to an Arab king.

BO has been very vocal of his differences with Israel, rude to the Israeli Prime Minister, threatened to have Israeli jets shot down if Israel attempts to bomb Iran, ordered Israel to stop building homes in Jerusalem because it upset the terrorist neighbors.  He has taken millions of our tax dollars to pay for the resettlement of Arabs (possibly Hamas) from Gaza (and possibly moving them to the U.S.). 

After moving to Chicago, BO and pre-FLO (first-lady Obama) joined Jeremiah Wright's (JW) church.  Based on his own words, he was not a Christian prior to this.  BO has said that it was JW who introduced him to Jesus.  So, while attending this church, was true Christianity preached?  Who knows what the typical Sunday sermon was like, but some notable clips have gained widespread publication.  JW preached, at times, a hatred for America, a hatred for white Americans, black separatism, etc.  He blamed the USA for causing the events that led to the attacks on 9/11.  He cussed America and believed that God has damned this country for it's racism.  BO, pre-FLO and little Os attended this church for 20 years.  JW baptized the little Os and married the big Os (not necessarily in that order). 

During the campaign, BO said that he could no more renounce JW than he could America.  Soon after that, he renounced JW and claimed that he had not heard all those ugly things being spewn from the pulpit.  Of course, this was a political move, but also indicated his level of allegiance to America.  He demonstrated that his ties to close friends mean nothing if they come between him and his goals.  After all, it was pre-FLO (or MO) who told us that up until the campaign, she had never been proud of America.

While in the White House, how is he living?  BO's typical Sunday is too busy for attending any of the variety of churches in the D.C. area.  This is understandable, after all he is the leader of the free(?) world.  Do not let it be said that his religion ever kept him from his scheduled golf games on Sunday mornings. 

How about his word?  That is an easy one.  BO is a liar!  You cannot trust anything that comes out of his mouth.  To back up this claim, see earlier blogs (such as "Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire" parts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9...).

BO has claimed that he renounced his Muslim faith.  First of all, it is an admission that he began as a Muslim.  Second of all, I thought that a Muslim could not leave the faith without bringing upon himself a death penalty.  So, having admitted that he was Muslim, how is it that other Muslims appear to accept him and greet him warmly, after leaving their religion?  Do they know something we do not?

One thing we are left to assume, BO is a non-practicing religious follower.  We are still left with the question, is BO a closet Christian or a closet Muslim?  I am sure of this - BO is a tool of the one true God.  God is in control and He does place kings on their thrones.  Being a tool in the hands of God does not mean that BO is a Christian or even a leader for the good of our nation.  It just means that the will of God will be fulfilled. 

A final thought, there are no closet Christians!

No New Jobs!

The latest employment numbers coming out of Washington indicate a higher rate of unemployment.  Evidently, the census jobs must be winding down.  From March through May, BO claimed rising employment, but much of the changes were due to the multiple thousands the government hired to perform census duties.  In fact, some of these hirees were counted twice in order to boost the numbers.  They were hired early on in the process, let go due to not enough to do, and then hired back within a few days.  Now that they have gathered our personal information (which we are assured will only be used by individuals in various government agencies, as the administration sees fit), many of these are again joining the ranks of the unemployed.

The official unemployment rate of 9.6% only counts those collecting unemployment compensation.  The estimated true number of unemployed is around 15-18% of the available workforce.  Besides the census workers, much of the hiring done in the past six to nine months has also been government jobs.  The private sector is sitting on their hands, waiting to see what BO will do next and how it will negatively affect them and their business.  If business owners and managers had an optimistic outlook, they would be expanding and hiring.  With numbers going in the wrong direction, it is proof that the providers of the real jobs are bracing for harder storms ahead.

BO keeps bragging about how the stimulus is working.  He lays claim to hundreds of thousands of jobs "created or saved".  Of course, he is claiming, as a fact, a result that is impossible to measure.  This puts the skeptics in a position of only being able to doubt and rebuke the claim, but unable to prove, to a great degree, that it is totally bogus.  The criticism has a basis of unimproving unemployment numbers and the lack of hiring in the private sector.  What we seem to be missing is BO is not concerned about the private sector, he wants the public jobs numbers to increase.  This adds to the portion of the population that is dependant upon government - which typically votes to the Left.  After all, you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you.

Ann Coulter (one of my favorite ladies) was on the Hannity radio program today.  She said something that needs to be remembered, "A new government job is worse than no new jobs."  Think about it.  When we add no new jobs, we remain even without adding harm to the workforce.  But, when the government hires another person for a new job, BO claims it as a great achievement, but it is actually a negative.  Now, instead of the private workers remaining even, we now have one more non-productive worker to support with our taxes.

It has been a hot issue over the past couple weeks that the average government worker makes about 1.4 times what the average private worker makes.  Then you add the superior benefits the public employee receives and the result is that they have a gross package of almost double the average for the private sector worker.  When you have half of the population that do not pay income taxes, that leaves a heavy burden on the remainder - the "evil rich" and "fat cats". 

When you stop to think about it, the demonized wealthy are the ones paying the wages and benefits for those who want to tear them down.  It goes to prove that we are not dealing with the smartest bunch of people. 

I have not reminded you in awhile, but, remember:  They were at war with us but we were not at war with them.

Garbage Can - Part 714

Well, it may not be the 714th time for the "Garbage Can", but there have been several.  The "Garbage Can" is a summary of various items in the news.

1.  "Orphan" Pensions - Our dear Congress is considering a bill to deal with "orphan" pensions.  These are pension plans for employees where the company can no longer afford to fund or pay for the benefits in the plans.  They want to cover these "orphan" plans under the "Pension Guarantee" Fund, which is the use of taxpayer money to pay private individual's pensions.  This, we are already doing, but the new bill is to add the Teamsters Unions to coverage under the Fund.

This is another Obama bailout of political supporters.  Where, in the Constitution, does the Federal Government have the right to take your money and give it to someone else to pay their pension payments that were promised by a private company?

2.  Remember when BO met with Gov. Brewer of AZ?  He did not want to have to talk with her, but some athlete was unable to make it, so there was an opening that she forced her way into.  BO promised her that within 20 days, there would be members of his team in AZ to deliver his plan to solve the border issues.  About 30 days later, a few staff members showed up, met mostly with the Democrat running for governor (3 hours) and then went to see the real Governor - Brewer.  They gave her a power-point presentation for a half hour and were unable to answer any of her questions and offered no details of any plans.

The people were not fooled or satisfied, so BO promised to have troops on the border by August 1.  As of now, still no troops.  We are being told that some will be there in October (amazing that this is right before the election), but they still need more training.  These troops will have limited responsibilities.  They are to extra eyes for the Border Patrol.  They will have no authority to detain anyone. 

So, my question is, what kind of training do these troops need in order to watch for illegal aliens?  Why does this extensive training take months to complete?

3.  You may have noticed that Congress passed and BO signed another Border Protection Law.  This one promises to spend $600 million on protecting the southern border. 

This is another pre-election stunt by the Left.  This is all geared to make the gullible believe that the problem is being solved by our great leaders on the Left.  Do not bet on the money actually being spent for border security.  A good indication is that the new law does not take effect until next year, after the election.

4.  During the recent process in Congress to extend the unemployment benefits another six months (which by my calculations, would make it last almost 2.5 years), Queen Pelosi made the statement that extending unemployment creates jobs, it is one of the best programs to stimulate the economy.

Be proud, folks, she is one of the best and brightest bulbs on Capitol Hill.  (Remember when she said, with her cute little smile, that they need to pass Obamacare in order for us to find out what is in it.

5.  A Palestinian man was found guilty of "rape by deception" and sentenced to 18 months in prison.  It seems that in order for him to get close to a certain female, he (a Muslim) told her (a Jew) that he was a Jew.

6.  Sharia law update - Did you hear about the dad who was dishonored by his daughter and took her to the front doorstep, where he proceeded to cut her head off in front of the public.

Or the young Afghan couple who were stoned to death for adultery, last week?

7.  What a relief!  The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the pandemic of the swine flu is now over.  The millions of doses, unused, will be burnt.

8.  You heard that the U.S. State Department (that means you and I) is paying for the trip to send a Muslim cleric around to various Arab countries to raise funds for the mosque he wants built at Ground-Zero in NYC.  Don't worry, this is not just any Muslim.  He is a "distinguished Muslim" according to the State Department.

9.  And finally, we have the inside scoop from the White House:  "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy?"  BO, "Let me be very clear about that, ah ah, if the hole is plugged, then I ah ah plugged it and you can be very ah proud of me.  But, if it ah leaks again, then I will see whose a-- to ah kick, because someone ah ah is not doing his job."

Housing's Downward Spiral

I can only speak for what I have observed on the local market, but I do believe that what I have witnessed is representative of much of the rest of the state and country.  As a real estate appraiser, I had a front row seat for the bubble and burst in the real estate market. 

Locally, market values began to increase late in 2004, at a rate above typical market cycles.  During 2005, home prices in this part of Arizona increased approximately 50%.  Heading into 2006, there continued to be some price appreciation but during the year they leveled off.  The year 2007 began with fairly level prices but ended with the beginning of the burst already in the rearview mirror. 

Since 2007, we have continued to experience declining market values and have not yet found the bottom.  To date, it appears that the home and land prices in this area have not only lost the run-up in prices from 2004-2006, but are presently at levels of around 2000-2002, and still in a state of decline.  We continue to have an over-supply of listings in almost all categories (land:  vacant lots and acreage, homes:  from small beginner houses to the large custom homes).  Foreclosure activity is present at every level - price and size.  Basic economics dictate that as long as there is an over-supply of listings, there will continue to be downward pressure on prices.

Where and when will this slide hit bottom?  Under normal conditions, I believe that we already would have bottomed-out and would have begun a gradual recovery in the real estate market.  We do not have "normal conditions".

We have a government that is altering just about every aspect of the process.  They are offering tax credits, subsidized housing, refinance opportunities where homes are worth less than the loan balance, they are once again sponsoring loans with little to no down payment and accepting transactions where sellers pay the buyers' closing costs.  The stated intention is to spur the housing market.  The actual result has been a dismal failure.

We have reported unemployment around 9.5%, which represents only those filing unemployment claims, and real unemployment around 16%.  We have consumer confidence at a very low level with a high degree of uncertainty as to the future economic outlook.  We have national leaders intent on socializing various aspects of our economy and specific industries.  The last two years of bailouts and stimulus plans, which have not worked, have the public in a state of confusion to some degree. 

This negative atmosphere has dominated much of the housing market.  Where there are buyers, they are expecting and receiving bargain prices.  With the drastic reductions in home values, many homeowners find themselves upside-down (their home is worth less than the balance of their mortgage).  Some are staying and hoping for better times ahead.  Others are losing their homes.  Some who are experiencing foreclosure have no options due to job loss, etc.  Others have given up on a quick turnaround in values and have accepted, that financially, it does not make sense to keep making payments on a bad investment.  They choose to walk-away and let the lender have the home back, even though they could continue to make the payments (this is referred to as a "strategic default"). 

The lenders and investors are encountering staggering losses.  Many, if not almost all, properties that they take over in the foreclosure process, are being ultimately sold at a loss to the lender.  It is not unusual for a REO property (real estate owned - foreclosure) to be sold by the lender for less than half of the mortgage balance. 

That is the current picture of the housing crisis.  This is my assessment of the situation. 

In my opinion, the downward spiral in prices is self-perpetuating.  Actions being taken are having the net effect of causing more actions to be taken.  The banks (this will be an all-inclusive term to cover all lenders, investors and the secondary mortgage market - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, plus FHA and the VA) appear to be adopting a mindset of, "just deal with the loss and move the inventory".  There is some pressure on the banks to sell the REO properties in their inventory in a short period of time.  Holding these assets costs additional money each month.  They do not see any advantage in being patient in finding a buyer as the value will be lower three months from now.

Additionally, there are numerous foreclosures needing to be moved by various banks.  There are a limited number of buyers, even with historically low interest rates and bargain prices.  The banks end up competing with each other for the next buyer to come along.  As one bank lowers the asking price on an REO (and this is done on a routine basis - every few weeks), the other banks feel pressure to then lower their REO prices in order to compete.  This creates a spiral that has resulted in prices for some properties that are lower than they have ever been in certain developments.

Investors have learned to be patient, the price will be lower, later.  Banks have learned to be impatient and many are accepting very low offers.  In many portions of the market, which have been heavily affected by foreclosures, lender activity is dominating the market and continues to re-establish new lows for market values.  REO sales control the market in some price ranges.  If a homeowner needs to sell their home, they are forced to compete with lender-owned properties.  This results in non-REO homes being sold in the same price ranges as the REO homes. 

Locally, the lowest priced homes appear to have decent activity.  Homes that were $350,000 at the beginning of 2006, can be purchased under $200,000.  Higher priced homes are rarely selling as there are a very limited number of potential buyers.  As there is considerable REO activity in the higher price ranges, these REO listings are basically establishing the market.  As the banks continue to drop their asking prices, the market collapses and everyone loses.  Currently, there are luxury homes for sale as REO listings with asking prices less than one third of the last sale price for the home.  Some vacant lots are less than one fourth of the last sale price.  Still, very few takers. 

The policy of a continual lowering of asking prices by the banks not only causes their losses to be larger, but also forces the taxpayers to absorb more of the losses as we continue to bail out the various players in the loan process.  The competition and pressure among the banks to move inventory has established the unending, downward spiral in prices.  The much lower market values, as a result of the REO activity, in turn, causes more people to be upside-down and to end up in foreclosure.  The additional REO on the inventory adds more pressure to get it sold, even at more price reductions.

Currently, some of the major players in keeping the market from finding the bottom and leveling off, are the banks - some of the ones who have the most to lose.  Until they decide that the prices are already too low and agree to hold steady, we will not see stability.  They have the ability to help themselves and the rest of us at the same time.  Will they learn patience?  It truly is a virtue long forgotten in this market.

Fed to Purchase National Debt

Some are saying that the step announced this week by the FED (Federal Reserve Board) is a measure of desperation.  They believe that for the FED to announce that they will begin buying US securities and/or bonds (basically an IOU from the US Government), that it is a last-ditch effort to try to stimulate the US economy.

That may sound like a good plan to you.  At this point, you may want anyone to do anything to get things going again.  Let the FED buy the debt, after all, it will be bought by someone, it might as well be the Fed.

When a central bank (the FED in the US), which controls the money supply for a nation, buys the debt of the nation, it is called "monetizing the debt" (we will call it MTD).  It is correct, that when the US issues IOUs, someone buys that debt in exchange for the stated interest rate they will earn during the term until the debt is paid in full.  As the national debt has skyrocketed over the past two years to over $13.3 trillion (which equals over $40,000 for every man, woman and child in our country), the typical buyers of the debt are getting nervous about their investments. 

Due to the out-of-control spending in Washington, along with the earmarks, bailouts, and stimulus plans; BO continues to need more cash to fund his agenda.  That results in the government issuing more IOUs and needing someone to buy them.  In other words, the government prints an IOU on a piece of paper and sells it for however large of a number they chose to write on the bond.  The buyer pulls cash out of the money supply and uses it to purchase the IOU.

When the FED told us they would begin buying US debt (MTD), that was an admission that the previous buyers of our debt did not want to buy any more.  In the current situation, in order for the US to have additional cash to continue to fund all the social programs, etc., the FED has found it necessary to MTD.  This is bad news.  To MTD is different than when someone else buys the debt.  Others use existing cash to buy the IOUs.  The FED prints additional cash to use to MTD.  The result is the US prints the IOU on a piece of paper and trades it for a pile of case that the FED just printed on paper.  The FED creates new cash.  The US takes this cash (laughing about how easy it was to get a pile of money) and throws it into the US economy.  This results in more cash in the money supply.

A cause of inflation is the over supply of cash in the money supply.  As more cash is added to the supply, the result is that things of value (a home, a car, food, gas, etc.) end up costing more dollars = inflation.  A larger supply of cash makes each dollar have less value.  This, then, takes more of the dollars to buy the same thing. 

As inflation takes root in our economic system, portions of the economy suffer.  The more IOUs sold to the FED, the higher the money supply becomes.  The FED just announced that they will buy the US debt.  As this new policy takes effect, we will begin to see inflation.  As inflation becomes more of an issue, the FED will adopt a policy to try to prevent hyper-inflation.  Hyper-inflation is the situation where the prices are increasing at an alarming rate and the value of a dollar is dropping as you drive to the store.  The FED policy will be that they must pull extra cash out of the money supply to try to lower the rate of inflation.

How will the FED decrease the money supply?  They will sell to the public the IOUs they have been holding.  With the economy in distress and the US government on the verge of bankruptcy, the FED will have to offer the IOUs at a much higher interest rate than they were getting from the US.  When the interest rate gets high enough to attract buyers, it affects the other interest rates in the economy.  The FED move will result in higher interest rates that directly affect you and I.  The cash paid to buy the IOUs from the FED will be taken from the money supply. 

MTD by the FED will lead to inflation and higher interest rates.  Both of these will be hard on an already struggling economy. 

Since the direction we are headed will lead to further economic crisis, what should we be doing, instead?  The answer is, short-term pain will lead to long-term gain.  We need the US Government to drastically reduce spending, cancel many social programs, stop pork-barrel projects, reduce the size of the government payroll, reduce burdensome regulations, stop raising taxes, adjust the pay and benefit packages of government employees to no higher than the private sector, stop redistributing the wealth, etc.  These steps may cause some temporary pain as the public adjusts to less government benefits and more personal responsibility, but the long term benefits will be a more stable economy and healthy nation. 

On Your Dime

There are several issues in the news that affect your wallet.

1.  First Lady Obama (FLO) just took one of her daughters and some close friends to Spain for a private vacation and some "mother-daughter time".  Once the story began to gain scrutiny, the story changed to one of FLO needing to keep a promise with a close friend.  It seems that FLO has a friend who recently lost a loved-one.  FLO had promised her that they would get together for some personal-relationship time, since FLO was not able to attend the funeral.  This trip was just the fulfillment of that promise to spend a little time together.  (I don't guess she is aware of the corner coffee shop or even that the US has motels that need a little financial boost.)

As you probably know, whenever BO or FLO go somewhere, it is never a small thing.  FLO, daughter and friends made the trip on Air Force Two, the Air Force version of a Boeing 757.  You are probably, also aware that where either of them go, there is a small army of Secret Service agents that tag along.  In this case, it is reported that 70 agents also made the trip to Spain (each of them get a nice per diem when they travel).  FLO and the agents do not take tazis or the bus.  That means that other planes also made the trip to take vehicles for the motorcade, the communication equipment for the agents, the weapons they would need for protection of FLO, etc.

You may have heard that FLO and party stayed at the "Casa 6" motel.  Not so, they reserved 60, yes 60 rooms at a five-star resort, where each room can cost from $600 to $6,000 per night.  Yes, they stayed several nights.  Just my speculation, but I would imagine that FLO insisted on the cheap rooms and cold cuts and cereal for meals. 

We have not been told how many friends went along.  We have not been told what this trip cost.  We have been assured that FLO would reimburse the government for the cost of two (her and her daughter's) airline tickets, since this was for pleasure and not official business.  Whew!  That's better, for a minute there, I thought this was probably going to be expensive on the taxpayers back home.

Don't worry about BO and the other daughter not being able to make that trip.  As soon as FLO gets back, the whole family will then go on a family vacation.

2.  Have you heard about the Imam from New York?  This is the same Muslim cleric who has been pressing for building a mosque at "ground zero".  Now that the 13-story mosque has gained official approval from New York City, there appears to just be two small issues to work out.  The first appears to be that part of the property needed, they do not own.  The second would be finding the $100,000,000 for the construction costs. 

Since the BO administration (BOA) is pro-Muslim, they felt is was part their responsibility to help this poor man find the money.  So, this week, the State Department revealed that the US (this means you and I) will be funding a multi-nation trip for this Imam to travel around the Middle East raising funds to build a mosque as a symbol of triumph over the USA on 9-11.  The trip should be successful since this guy has experience raising funds for Hamas.

You ask, why do I say that BO is pro-Muslim?  I would instruct you to go back and see who got the first interview with the new President.  Whose side has he taken between Israel and Hamas?  Who did he apologize to in his speech from Egypt?  Where did he get his elementary education?  What religion was his father? 

Did you know that BO has instructed the head of NASA to make his number one priority the building-up of the Muslim people's self-image in the Middle East?  NASA's most important mission is to make Arabs feel good about themselves.  What happened to space flight?  Oh, most of that has been canceled by the BOA.

3.  On a related topic, it has also been revealed that the US (us) is also funding the construction of mosques in various Arab countries in other parts of the world.  Isn't it amazing that the wall between church and state is very clear when it pertains to Christianity, but not so much so for Islam?  We actually have our government paying to build places of worship for a religion.  Not only that, but it is a religion that believes that all of us infidels should either convert to Islam or be killed.

4.  The national debt is approximately $13.3 trillion.  That equates to +-$40,000 per man, woman and child in the USA.

5.  This week, Congress passed and BO signed another stimulus bill.  This one "only" costs $26.1 billion.  Much of the money will be used to bail out unions for teacher pensions in various states.  This slush fund, with your money, is being used to buy votes for Democrats. 

It sort of makes you wonder something.  Why did they need another stimulus bill for this purpose?  We have been told, repeatedly, over the past couple years, that if they do not pass various stimulus and bail-out bills that teachers will suffer.  It's really just for the children!  It is the children, single women, minorities and gays that get hit the hardest when they do not pass one of these.  Also, why did they need another bail-out bill when there is still over $300 billion unspent from the first stimulus bill.  Makes you wonder what they are saving that pot of cash for and which voter block will be rewarded next time?


Rest easy, Big Brother is in charge!

Comment Moderation

Recently, this blog has been visited by some new readers.  I appreciate that they have taken the time to read and comment.  But, along with the sincere interest comes those who abuse the opportunity to post comments.  Some have posted advertising and use the comment section to post links to their own web sites that have nothing to do with the subject.  So, I have deleted their comments and changed the settings so that all new comments are viewed prior to showing up on the blog.  I hope you understand and I apologize for the inconvenience of your comments showing up later, rather than immediately.  Also, to the new readers, welcome, and I appreciate hearing from you as you feel led.

Live THAT Way!

How now should I live?

To break that question down, further:

1. How? How are you living? Does your lifestyle demonstrate what is truly important to you? Would others understand what motivates you based on what they see in your life?

2. Now? Is there a priority for your life that you feel you will get around to, at some time in the future? Are your so-called priorities worth your time, now? Are they important enough to live for, now?

3. Should? Is there something you know you should do, or something you should change in what you are currently doing? What should you be doing now, that you are not?

4. I? Now it is hitting close to home and getting personal. It is not about what others should do and how and when they should do it. It is about you and me. Salvation is personal. Your walk with God and in this world is unique. "No one else can walk it for you, You have to walk it by yourself." from "The Reverend Mister Black".

5. Live? It is not enough to teach or tell others what is important to you. You have to live it! Your life demonstrates what is really important to you. As has been said, "Your life is an open book." Whether or not you realize it, others are reading your pages. What message is being transmitted?

Let me ask the question another way. Is there something or someone you would die for? Not hypothetically, literally! Is there anything that is so important to you that you would be willing to lay down your life in support of or in defense of? If not, I would have to ask, what is the meaning of your life? How have you found yourself in a position where there is nothing and no one worth your life? How has your life become so important and valuable that it should not and cannot be sacrificed for any cause or person? Or, maybe, you feel that it is your life that others should be willing to die for.

Our lives are but a vapor soon to be forgotten. We, physically, will return to where we came; ashes to ashes, dust to dust. In Gen. 18:27, Abraham acknowledges that he is but ashes and dust. If it were true of him, it is true of you and me. What will you do with your life that will survive your death? What difference will your having been here make to the future or to others?

Each day we gather a little closer to eternity. Some day, we will reach that destination. At that point, in the absence of time, how will your time spent on Earth measure up? Did you matter to anyone other than at the time you were here? Did you make a difference in the life of someone? What did you demonstrate, by your life, that will be an example for others to follow?

Will you die with regrets over those things you should have done, but did not? We have but one period of time in which to live to make a difference. That is right now! Tomorrow is not promised to you. The legacy you leave may be determined today.

Mankind has a history full of examples worthy of following. There are countless ones who gave up their lives for a cause or for the sake of others. This is not to say that your goal is to go out and die for something and hope someone notices how noble you were. Sometimes, when someone gives up their lives, death is not involved. They give up their life in order to serve others. Their sacrifice is a living sacrifice. (Rom 12:1 KJV) "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

"Reasonable service"? Giving up my life as a sacrifice to God is a "reasonable" service? If that is reasonable, what would be unreasonable? Not doing that would be unreasonable.

If you do not already know what those things are that you would die for, examine your life and your priorities. If you do have an idea as to what is that important to you, make sure that they are of such that will have a lasting effect. When you are through with that self-examination, take a look at your present life. Are you living in such a way as your life-priorities are evident and effectual?

In other words, figure out what message you want others to read from your life and then live in such a manner that they cannot misconstrue that message. Find it and then live that way!

Have you asked, "What does it mean to follow Jesus?" The answer is one step beyond what is described above. Following Jesus is to make the self-examination to see if your life is reflecting God's priorities, not your own. This is where having a lasting effect makes a difference. Seek the Lord to know Him. Find Him and follow. Live THAT way!

Embryonic Stem Cell Research - New Link

There is a breaking news story out of Australia. Scientists have been working on a DNA project for the past five years. They were able to extract a "really pure DNA" from embryonic stem cells. Their research is showing a direct link to the typical American Demo-cRat voters.

At first, it would appear that the link between the cRats and the stem cells is a stretch, but further analysis shows multi-connections between the two.

The typical cRat voter is sponging off of others in our country. It seems that a majority of cRats fall into one of the following categories: they are collecting welfare that is paid by taxpayers, they belong to a union that is being "bailed out" by taxpayers, they are in the country illegally and are receiving free healthcare and education which are being paid for by the taxpayers, etc. As a family unit becomes dependent upon government to meet their needs, they produce additional generations of sponges. The cRat sponges appear to be reproducing generations of bottom dwellers.

The embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, were extracted from sea sponges. (Yes, it appears that even sponges have embryos.) The scientists have found that the seaSponges share 70% of genes common to seaRats.

This study helps to also explain why so many seaRats seem to have retained too much water on the brain.