Monday, July 28, 2014
TED Tuesday
Started this last week. Didn't quite realize how daunting it is to pick one TED talk. Many are great...many are poignant...most are useful. So I'm in the random mode. Stumbled on this as I was looking for something short but powerful for my second post. Hope you like it. It certainly makes one think...
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Vegetables are an acquired taste!
I didn't like them until I got old enough to appreciate that they are good for you. That realization may have coincidentally come upon the occasion of my marriage. Hmmmmmm...
Monday, July 21, 2014
TED Tuesdays
I'm starting a new series that could be pretty interesting. If you've been reading you'll know that a while back I started "Wednesdays with Jimmy". It was a different Jimmy Buffett music video every week. Lots of fun. But alas, there's only so many videos of Jimmy's music. So it had to fade away.
This new series is pretty simple and will likely last a lot longer. If you haven't discovered TED talks, you're missing out. I won't explain too much but suffice to say that you should go to TED.com and surf around to listen to some of the talks that interest you. There is some great stuff!
So since there are some great videos of TED talks and since this is my blog I'm going to link to one every week. Don't know how long it'll last but since there are over 1000 TED talks, it might be on here for some time. View them or not...up to you. But I guarantee that there are some really interesting talks out there. And...you might just learn something.
This first one is, IMHO, really great. I've read some of this woman's books and I highly recommend them. This video was shown last Sunday in our church during an education forum. It aired to rave reviews. Hope you like it.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
And the Beat Goes On!
A friend sent this to me. I hadn't made the connection. Pretty incestuous. Interesting that this stuff never sees the light of day. Of course...it's probably just another part of the "vast right-wing conspiracy"!
You will love this: Do you Know this Guy?
He is Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky, born January 17, 1937.
Then you'll probably say, "Who is Ed Mezvinsky?"
Well, he is a former Democrat congressman who represented
Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House
of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977.
He sat on the House Judiciary Committee that decided
the fate of Richard Nixon.
He was outspoken saying that Nixon was a crook and a disgrace to
politics and the nation and should be impeached.
(Mezvinsky should have been convicted of being a hypocrite too)
He and the Clintons were friends and very politically intertwined for
many years.
Ed Mezvinsky had an affair with NBC News reporter Marjorie Sue
Margolies and later married her after his wife divorced him.
In 1993, Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, then a freshman Democrat in
Congress, cast the deciding vote that got President Bill Clinton's
controversial tax package through the House of Representatives.
In March 2001, Mezvinsky was indicted and later pleaded guilty
to 31 of 69 counts of bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud.
Ed Mezvinsky embezzled more than $10 million dollars from people
via both a Ponzi scheme and the notorious Nigerian e-mail scams.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 80 months in federal prison.
After serving less than five years in federal prison, he was released in
April 2008 and remains on federal probation.
To this day, he still owes $9.4 million in restitution to his victims.
About now you are saying, "So what!"
Well, this is Marc and Chelsea Mezvinsky.
That's right; Ed Mezvinsky is Chelsea Clinton's father-in law.
Now Marc and Chelsea are in their early thirties and purchased
a 10.5 million dollar NYC apartment (after being married in George Soros' mansion).
Has anyone heard mention of any of this in any of the media?
If this guy was Jenna or Barbara Bush's, or better yet, Sarah Palin's daughter's father-in- law, the news would be an everyday 24/7 headline and every detail
would be reported over and over, incessantly.
And yet liberals say there are NO double standards in political reporting.
And people are already talking about Hillary as our next President!
And then there is possibly Chelsea for president in our future!
The cycle never ends!
Lying and corruption seem to make Democrat candidates more popular.
You will love this: Do you Know this Guy?
He is Edward "Ed" Mezvinsky, born January 17, 1937.
Then you'll probably say, "Who is Ed Mezvinsky?"
Well, he is a former Democrat congressman who represented
Iowa's 1st congressional district in the United States House
of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977.
He sat on the House Judiciary Committee that decided
the fate of Richard Nixon.
He was outspoken saying that Nixon was a crook and a disgrace to
politics and the nation and should be impeached.
(Mezvinsky should have been convicted of being a hypocrite too)
He and the Clintons were friends and very politically intertwined for
many years.
Ed Mezvinsky had an affair with NBC News reporter Marjorie Sue
Margolies and later married her after his wife divorced him.
In 1993, Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, then a freshman Democrat in
Congress, cast the deciding vote that got President Bill Clinton's
controversial tax package through the House of Representatives.
In March 2001, Mezvinsky was indicted and later pleaded guilty
to 31 of 69 counts of bank fraud, mail fraud, and wire fraud.
Ed Mezvinsky embezzled more than $10 million dollars from people
via both a Ponzi scheme and the notorious Nigerian e-mail scams.
He was found guilty and sentenced to 80 months in federal prison.
After serving less than five years in federal prison, he was released in
April 2008 and remains on federal probation.
To this day, he still owes $9.4 million in restitution to his victims.
About now you are saying, "So what!"
Well, this is Marc and Chelsea Mezvinsky.
That's right; Ed Mezvinsky is Chelsea Clinton's father-in law.
Now Marc and Chelsea are in their early thirties and purchased
a 10.5 million dollar NYC apartment (after being married in George Soros' mansion).
Has anyone heard mention of any of this in any of the media?
If this guy was Jenna or Barbara Bush's, or better yet, Sarah Palin's daughter's father-in- law, the news would be an everyday 24/7 headline and every detail
would be reported over and over, incessantly.
And yet liberals say there are NO double standards in political reporting.
And people are already talking about Hillary as our next President!
And then there is possibly Chelsea for president in our future!
The cycle never ends!
Lying and corruption seem to make Democrat candidates more popular.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Pride Weekend
So the Gay Pride (It might be more properly called LGBT Pride. I'm not sure) weekend comes to San Diego this weekend. This event has been going on for 40 years. That segment of the population has really evolved. In fact I don't know of any other social change that has occurred as rapidly as the support for gay issues in mainstream society. I've written about this a few times over the life of the Blog. You can read one of them here which fairly reflects my views. You will see all the politicians, all those who worship at the altar of political correctness, a fair number of weirdos, and lots of "normal" folks attending the parade and various events. Good for them.
But for me this is just another event to point out our differences. I'm sick of it. The government does it to us continually so why do we have to do it to ourselves. I can't stand and I really fear the "Balkanization" of America. We are all in this together. We are all Americans. So why do we need events like this to point out our differences. And what is this "pride" thing all about? I just don't get it. Shouldn't we all be proud of who we are? I don't know...maybe I'll never get it. Maybe this one has just passed me by. Don't know.
No Good Answers
What do good, compassionate, decent people do in the face of a humanitarian crises? That's the central question in the current immigration crises, isn't it? Throw in the fact that there are untold numbers of children involved and the feelings of the need to help, the need to care for them, the need to DO SOMETHING deepens. Americans are generally described as compassionate people. We want to help, to do something to make things better. Most Americans recognize that they've been extraordinarily lucky to be born here and reap the rewards and way of life all of us, even the most downtrodden. Everyone has a chance.
So what is the problem? Why is there pushback? Why aren't people opening their arms and embracing the opportunity to help thousands of children. The Bishop in my diocese, James Mathes, (yes, I'm Episcopalian. Probably not a big surprise.) wrote a commentary in the local fish wrap this weekend in which he implored people to do just that. You can read it here. It's a plea you would expect from an Episcopal Bishop. He implores the reader to open their hearts and minds to help the children. Not a bad message. In fact, a great message that should resonate with all of us.
For many more years than most of us can count we have ignored the problem of illegal immigration on our Southern border. And it's a massive problem. Some see easy answers. Just secure the border. Just deport the illegals back to where they came from. Just stop the influx! But there are no easy answers when people are living in desperate poverty and unspeakable violence. All they want is a chance. But that doesn't mean that we should not try to implement and enforce reasonable laws.
In recent years our government has had a despicable record when it comes to immigration policy. This isn't a Democrat or a Republican issue. They've all screwed it up. They either cowtow too much to the loudest voice in the political sphere or they ignore the problem.
Okay...you already know all that. But here's the unique problem now. This President is quite simply incompetent and not to be trusted. He pays lip service to the problem. And then does nothing. He asks for $3.7B (that's $3.7 BILLION) and doesn't even define very well what the money is going to solve. It's money that will maintain the status quo and feed the bureaucracy. He's not willing to roll up his sleeves, reach across the aisle, appoint a bipartisan group (if there is such a thing), reach out to Central American leadership, and get to solutions. And for me here's the worst thing. I have come to personally have such mistrust of him, that I really believe he is okay with the situation, and may have even orchestrated it. I think that for political purposes, he is just fine with letting the crises foment and then figuring out how to gain political capital from it. I hate, hate, hate that I think that about my President. But that's what I've come to. Sad.
So back to what to do. First, attack the problem. Take care of the kids. But that means everyone pitches in. Not just the border states. Not just military bases. All 50 Governors should be required to take a portion of these folks. Second, change the law. Get that law that allows kids in free and clear changed. That can't stand. Good intentions gone awry. Send out the message that the open door is a myth. Third, secure the border. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But it can be done. All it takes is funding. The Customs Service, the Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard are all dramatically underfunded. In fact, if the average American realized what those agencies are asked to do (and routinely accomplish) with the funding that we the taxpayers give them, they would be shocked. So up the funding for those agencies dramatically. We might have to take away from some other place, but trust me, there is plenty of fat to trim. Fourth, get to a reasonable immigration policy. Simply put, I believe we have to get to a reasonable policy that allows for a path to citizenship. This needs to be bipartisan and can be done. But it will take leadership and trust. So I don't think Obama can have anything to do with it. Because he has neither.
So what is the problem? Why is there pushback? Why aren't people opening their arms and embracing the opportunity to help thousands of children. The Bishop in my diocese, James Mathes, (yes, I'm Episcopalian. Probably not a big surprise.) wrote a commentary in the local fish wrap this weekend in which he implored people to do just that. You can read it here. It's a plea you would expect from an Episcopal Bishop. He implores the reader to open their hearts and minds to help the children. Not a bad message. In fact, a great message that should resonate with all of us.
We are a nation of immigrants. Many faith traditions extol the virtues of compassion and hospitality. Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad were all aliens in strange lands. As a Christian leader, I am mindful of the Biblical exhortation to welcome the stranger. That message resonates deeply within the Christian tradition. To welcome the stranger is to welcome Christ himself.But he only gets it half right. He only tells a part of the story...the part he wants to tell. That's not unusual in an advocacy piece. But the other half of the story is that we're also a nation of laws.
Just last week, we celebrated the 234th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence with the immortal proclamation that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
This proclamation predates the notion of American citizenship. While we must be mindful of security, we also must not lose our great goodness, heart and national soul. As happens in so many troubled places on our planet, the vulnerable and endangered are at our border — our nation’s doorstep — pleading for help.
For many more years than most of us can count we have ignored the problem of illegal immigration on our Southern border. And it's a massive problem. Some see easy answers. Just secure the border. Just deport the illegals back to where they came from. Just stop the influx! But there are no easy answers when people are living in desperate poverty and unspeakable violence. All they want is a chance. But that doesn't mean that we should not try to implement and enforce reasonable laws.
In recent years our government has had a despicable record when it comes to immigration policy. This isn't a Democrat or a Republican issue. They've all screwed it up. They either cowtow too much to the loudest voice in the political sphere or they ignore the problem.
Okay...you already know all that. But here's the unique problem now. This President is quite simply incompetent and not to be trusted. He pays lip service to the problem. And then does nothing. He asks for $3.7B (that's $3.7 BILLION) and doesn't even define very well what the money is going to solve. It's money that will maintain the status quo and feed the bureaucracy. He's not willing to roll up his sleeves, reach across the aisle, appoint a bipartisan group (if there is such a thing), reach out to Central American leadership, and get to solutions. And for me here's the worst thing. I have come to personally have such mistrust of him, that I really believe he is okay with the situation, and may have even orchestrated it. I think that for political purposes, he is just fine with letting the crises foment and then figuring out how to gain political capital from it. I hate, hate, hate that I think that about my President. But that's what I've come to. Sad.
So back to what to do. First, attack the problem. Take care of the kids. But that means everyone pitches in. Not just the border states. Not just military bases. All 50 Governors should be required to take a portion of these folks. Second, change the law. Get that law that allows kids in free and clear changed. That can't stand. Good intentions gone awry. Send out the message that the open door is a myth. Third, secure the border. I know, I know. Easier said than done. But it can be done. All it takes is funding. The Customs Service, the Border Patrol, the US Coast Guard are all dramatically underfunded. In fact, if the average American realized what those agencies are asked to do (and routinely accomplish) with the funding that we the taxpayers give them, they would be shocked. So up the funding for those agencies dramatically. We might have to take away from some other place, but trust me, there is plenty of fat to trim. Fourth, get to a reasonable immigration policy. Simply put, I believe we have to get to a reasonable policy that allows for a path to citizenship. This needs to be bipartisan and can be done. But it will take leadership and trust. So I don't think Obama can have anything to do with it. Because he has neither.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Motivation Monday
A little late this week. On vacation. So I'll just leave a short, distinct, direct message!
Thursday, July 3, 2014
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