Sir Winston Churchill

November 30th 1874 - January 24th, 1965
A Man to Remember

Reciepient of the 1953 Noble Prize in Literature
WHY?

"for his.... brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values"

Churchill on Socialism:

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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."

Churchill on... ahh, ummm (one of my favorites)

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“I may be drunk, Miss, but in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.”

Churchill - "Never give in..."

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“Never give in, never give in, never; never; never; never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense”

Christians in action: An object lesson "..... with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free".

Christians in action: An object lesson

Posted by sanityinjection on February 5, 2009

There is a significant segment of American society which views organized Christianity with fear, distrust, and downright hostility. Especially the variety that is commonly espoused in a conservative Southern state like Texas. To this segment of Americans, Christians are uptight, intolerant, and rigid people who want to take away the freedoms of others. While this view is admittedly not totally without foundation in the actions of some Christians today and in the past, it is largely inaccurate and unfair.

Of course, there are a lot of people who claim to be Christians but really don’t act like it, contributing to confusion. To help reduce that confusion, I offer the following highly unusual story of true Christians in action, which took place at a high school football game in Texas:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

I must admit, as a non-Christian myself, my first reaction was one of incredulity. Weren’t these folks taking it a bit far? After all, the “athletes” of Gainesville State were not merely underprivileged youths, but “kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery”. One Gainesville player named Gerald complains that people are frequently “lookin’ at us like we’re criminals.” It might not be a bad idea for someone to remind Gerald that he and his teammates *are* criminals. Minimizing one’s criminal past is not generally considered to be a productive step in rehabilitation.

That, however, is not the responsibility of the folks at Grapevine Faith. Rather, being a bunch of the aforementioned scurrilous Christians, they looked to their Bibles and saw that Jesus spent much of his time ministering to society’s outcasts, specifically including criminals. Their faith teaches that every human life has value, and at the behest of their football coach, decided to make a prominent demonstration of that belief.

The issue is not whether Grapevine’s actions will ultimately have any significant impact on the Gainesville kids’ lives. Rather, what’s important is what their behavior says about the Grapevine folks. They went way beyond any reasonable expectation of their normal duties as hosts, because they felt it was what their faith called upon them to do. At a time when many so-called Christians are accused of hypocrisy (and often with justification), these people proved themselves to be the opposite. Whether we believe, agree, or approve, or not, there is no question in my mind that the true spirit of Christianity flourished for one night in Texas in November of 2008.

So the next time you hear or read someone trashing Christianity and Christians, think about the Grapevine Faith folks and ask yourself if you would have done what they did.

Quote of the Week [actually, last week]

The Chinese view of President Barack Obama after his visit:

“[Former President George W. Bush] couldn’t speak with flowery language and even made grammatical mistakes but spoke as plainly as an American farmer. [ President Barack Obama speaks] “with sweet but empty words.”

- Chinese blogger Zhao “Hecaitou” Dezhu

“Learn English from Obama: Instead of saying ‘I want to eat,’ say ‘I am a big supporter of non-hunger.’”

– Chinese writer Wang Pei

Health Care Reform Cost Could Top $6 TRILLION

that's 6,000,000,000,000 +/- a few bucks
Once you weed-out all the smoke and mirrors and creative accounting - the real cost to you and I is outrageous. This is deception at its worst.

See Cato Institute Report Here

Senator Reid wants to talk about history

Senator Reid wants to talk about history

Happy Thanksgiving
PROCLAMATION. OCTOBER 6, 1796.

[Independent Chronicle, October 17, 1796.]

Published by Authority [Seal] Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

BY THE GOVERNOR.

A Proclamation For A Day Of Public Thanksgiving.

Whereas it has pleased God, the Father of all Mercies, to bestow upon us innumerable unmerited favours in the course of the year past;
it highly becomes us duly to recollect his goodness, and in a public and solemn manner to express the greatful feelings of our hearts :

I have therefore thought fit, with the advice and consent of the Council, to appoint Thursday the 15th day of December next, to be observed as a
Day of Public Thanksgiving and Praise to our Divine Benefactor throughout this Commonwealth—Calling upon the Ministers of the Gospel, with their respective Congregations, and the whole body of the People, religiously to observe the said Day by celebrating the Praises of that all-gracious Being, of whose Bounty we have experienced so large a share.

He hath prevented Epidemical Diseases from spreading, and afforded us a general state of Health. He hath regarded our Pastures and Fields with an Eye of the most indulgent Parent, and rewarded the Industry of our Husbandmen with a plentiful Harvest.

Notwithstanding the unreasonable obstructions to our trade on the seas, it has generally been prosperous and our fisheries successful.

Our civil Constitutions of Government, formed by ourselves, and administered by Men of our own free Election, are by His Grace continued to us. And we still enjoy” the inestimable Blessings of the Gospel and right of worshipping God according to His own Institutions and the honest dictates of our Consciences.

And, together with our thanksgiving, earnest Supplication to God is hereby recommended for the forgiveness of our Sins which have rendered us unworthy of the least of his Mercies ; and that by the sanctifying influence of his Spirit, our hearts and manners may be corrected, and we become a reformed and happy People—That he would direct and prosper the Administration of the Government of the United States, and of this and the other States in the Union. That he would still afford his Blessings on our Trade, Agriculture, Fisheries and all the labours of our hands. That he would smile upon our University, and all Seminaries of Learning—That Tyranny and Usurpation may everywhere come to an end—That the Nations who are contending for true liberty may still be succeeded by his Almighty aid—That every Nation and Society of Men may be inspired with the knowledge and feeling of their natural and just rights, and enabled to form such systems of Civil Government as shall be fully adopted to promote and establish their Social Security and Happiness—And, finally, that in the course of God’s Holy Providence, the great Family of Mankind may bow to the sceptre of the Prince of Peace so that mutual Friendship and Harmony may universally prevail.

And I do recommend to the People of this Commonwealth to abstain from all such Labours and Recreations as may not be consistent with the Solemnity of the said Day.

Given at the Council Chamber in Boston, this sixth day of October, in the year of our Lord, one Thousand seven Hundred and Ninety-six, and in the twenty-first Year of the Independence of the United States of America.

Samuel Adams.

Attest: John Avery, Secry

God save the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

TO THE LEGISLATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS. NOVEMBER 17,1796.

Global Warming - Truth Comes Out

[see global warming posts below]

[see global warming posts below]

Democrats push $150B stock tax on Wall Street - TheHill.com

"Half of the $150 billion in tax revenue would go toward reducing the deficit, while the other half would be deposited in a “Job Creation Reserve” to support new jobs."

Mr. Obama, Ms. Pelosi, et. al.:
How's the job creation going under your stimulus plan using American's money? American businessmen have proven to he wildly successful in creating jobs on their own whereas our government has been a abject failure (currently and historically). If you think you are punishing every American investor for the fall of Wall Street and our Government failure to restrain itself, you will be doomed to repeat history.

Call your Congressmen TODAY and tell them NO to the Wall Street Tax.

In Afghanistan, a drive to lure Taliban with jobs, security -- LA Times.com

In Afghanistan, a drive to lure Taliban with jobs, security -- latimes.com

Whispers of Surrender in Afghanistan?

This just in: Obama on Afghanistan strategy: 'It is my intention to finish the job' - The Hill

“I think once the American people hear a clear rationale for what we're doing there and how we intend to achieve our goals, they will be supportive,” Obama said.

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Now Read This
Jane Fonda: Obama Funder Jodie Evans Met With Taliban; Code Pink Gives Terrorists Direct Line to Obama

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And This - and connect the dots.....

Note: As of yet here is no confirmation of this supposed quid pro quo with the Taliban and the Obama administration in Afghanistan. If true, the dangers are frightening.

From the Center for Threat Awareness - Think Tank 2.0
It comes to our attention that the MEMRI Blog highlights an article from the Saudi al-Watan in Arabic that - according to an Afghan source - the United States is talking to the Taliban seeking to trade control of 5 provinces in exchange for the cessation of attacks on US bases. MEMRI summarizes:

An Afghan source in Kabul reports that U.S. Ambassador in Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry is holding secret talks with Taliban elements headed by the movement's foreign minister, Ahmad Mutawakil, at a secret location in Kabul. According to the source, the U.S. has offered the Taliban control of the Kandahar, Helmand, Oruzgan, Kunar and Nuristan provinces in return for a halt to the Taliban missile attacks on U.S. bases.

Kunar province borders the Khyber Pass region where the majority of US and NATO supplies pass enroute from Pakistan. And the remaining four provinces constitute fully the southern 25% of Afghanistan's territory.

This, if true, is a disturbing development.

I have tried to come up with scenarios of why someone would lie about it in a leak. What would be to gain? Who would gain, and what would they gain? Without sleeping on it, the options for such appear narrow at best.

What does seem logical is that an Afghan privy to the negotiations could have become (rightly) spooked that they might just pull it off, and leaked word in hopes that it might so anger American public opinion that the entire endeavor might be scrapped. That's the most logical explanation for motivation I see at the moment.

It would also fit in consistently with Ambassador Eikenberry's leaked cables recently railing against a 'surge' in forces in Afghanistan. He wouldn't voice such without thinking he has his hands on something else. Could this be it? The surrender of 25% of Afghan territory in exchange for some form of ceasefire?

One would hope not. But if so, this demonstrated type of 'effort' in Afghanistan would prove to be the strongest indication that it may be time to advocate the full pullout of American forces from Afghanistan.

If this is true, then not one more drop of American blood for a path that resembles Pakistan's path. You recall Pakistan's series of surrenders touted as agreements, right?

InBrief 2006: Pakistan Cedes North Waziristan to Taliban

RapidRecon 2008: Farewell Optimism: Miranshah II = Miranshah I in North Waziristan

Yeah. How's that working out for Pakistan these days? And we want some of that? Do we?

NOTES:
Chapomatic gives a quick independent translation of the Arabic al-Watan article.

Meet the Taliban leader we're dealing with, via the UK's Telegraph, Via the CS Monitor, unhelpful advice: Pakistan to US: Don't surge in Afghanistan, talk to Taliban

By Steve Schippert on November 23, 2009 at 1:35 AM | Permalink

Obama's due process doctrine - Washington Times

Judge Roy Bean
Obama's due process doctrine - Washington Times

Obama, Holder & the NYC KSM Trial

Should Spiritual Healing [Prayer] Be Covered Under Health Reform?

The realities of government funded and government directed health care.
I kid you not!

Cato@Liberty: Should Government Pay for Christian Science?
Washington Post: Christian Scientists seek reimbursement for prayers
L.A. Times: Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments

US Treasury Bills Yield 0% as Equities Make New Highs

Bloomberg - a 1938 Moment??

GLOBAL WARMING

Fraud Exposed



Warmist conspiracy exposed? | Herald Sun Andrew Bolt Blog

The Evidence of Climate Fraud

GLOBAL WARMING - The Truth is in the SCIENCE

See video below from Minnesota Free Market Institute
14-Oct-09 w/Lord Christopher Monckton

Harry Reid - YOU LIE!

Senate health care bill increases taxes, spending, and deficits | e21 - An initiative for 21st Century Economic Policies

PC

Manipulating Climate Change: Warming to RICO?

Manipulating Climate Change: Warming to RICO?

Senate Cloture Vote on Health Care Set for Sat., Nov 21 @ 8PM

Health Care In Senate On Saturday - Call Your Senators TODAY and Tell Them To Vote No on Cloture which will require that they debate the bill. PLEASE CALL TODAY! A VOTE FOR CLOTURE IS A VOTE TO PASS HEALTHCATE. CALL TODAY.

To get the contact information for your Senators click here to go to Open Congress, put in your zip code, and you will get their telephone numbers. PLEASE CALL TODAY. The vote is tomorrow, Saturday, November 21st. It is intentional that the vote is on a day their offices are closed.

Read this Report on Cloture... 

CRS Report Shows Most Bills Subject to Cloture Pass

Nov. 19, 2009, 10:25 p.m. 
By John Stanton
Roll Call Staff

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A new study of Senate voting patterns shows the chamber has approved more than 97 percent of all bills subject to a cloture motion to begin debate — a finding that could undercut Democratic efforts to paint a key health care vote on Saturday as procedural.

According to a new Congressional Research Service report, since 1999 the Senate has approved 97.6 percent of all bills when lawmakers first voted to begin debate.

Under Senate rules, debate on a bill cannot begin unless there is a motion to do so. Unless all 100 Members agree to begin debate, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) must first file for cloture on the motion to move to the bill — a vote that requires at least 60 votes.

According to CRS, between 1999 and 2008 there were 41 times when lawmakers first voted for a cloture motion to begin debate, and the Senate ultimately passed the bill on 40 occasions. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), one of the lead opponents of the Democratic-led health care reform effort, requested the report.

While technically a procedural vote, the minority party has used the 60-vote threshold over the years as a way to block legislation they dislike. More significantly, these sorts of votes have figured heavily in election fights, most famously when Republicans accused Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) of flip flopping during his 2004 presidential campaign after he tried to explain how through a procedural motion he had voted for a supplemental appropriations bill before he voted against it.

In the health care reform debate, with Reid struggling to find 60 votes in support of the actual bill, he has sought to assure his Members that the vote is simply a procedural vote that will simply allow them to begin the debate — and that it will not lock them into a final yes vote on the underlying legislation.

But Republicans have repeatedly argued that Saturday’s vote to begin debate is tantamount to voting for the bill. GOP operatives have vowed that if wavering moderate Democrats Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.), Mary Landrieu (La.) and Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) vote for the cloture motion Saturday, they will use the vote against them. Lincoln is particularly vulnerable because she is up for re-election in 2010 and is being targeted by Republicans. All three Senators have been reluctant to say whether they are willing to vote for the cloture motion, although Democratic aides Thursday were cautiously optimistic that they would be able to muster the 60 votes needed.

Democrats dismissed the report, saying that while the approval rate may appear high, Republicans have repeatedly used procedural motions and other tactics to stymie debate of legislation.

“If a vote for the motion to proceed should be considered a vote for the underlying bill, why are they making us jump through these unnecessary hoops of holding them?” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said Wednesday. “If it’s all the same to them, let’s just go straight to an up-or-down vote on the bill itself. Anything else is a waste of time.”

Obama Prayers: An Open Letter To President Obama

Bribes & H.R. 3962 - Dems' slick fix: $210 billion of fiscal restraint | Washington Examiner

Dems' slick fix: $210 billion of fiscal restraint | Washington Examiner

Signs of Corruption & Bribes In H.R. 3962

Breitbart.tv » Did the Democrats Hide a $283 Million Dollar Bribe in the Health Care Bill?

Oasis of Thought - Your First Amendment Rights

Cas Sunstein (Obama’s Regulation czar)  and Mr. Obama intend to fully regulate the internet and police content via the FCC’s Internet Policy Statement. They also plan to do away with net neutrality meaning quality of service (or possible lack of quality of service) is the same for all of us. This means that, even if we are willing to pay for high-speed access, we will all get what the government prescribes a adequate for us “people”.

This is important for several reasons:

1. The internet has filled in where major media has failed in providing balanced, factual news. This does not mean that all internet news is “truth” or accurate. It does mean that we, the people, are able to get information and judge for ourselves on its “truth and accuracy”.

2. If, through regulation of the internet, the government over-sees all private networks, they then have access to our private communications, thoughts and ideas at every router point located in the US.

3. If the government over-sees private networks (similar to the way they over-see the auto and financial, including insurance, i.e. AIG, industries now) then they will over-see internet transport providers as well as local ISPs.

4. Cas Sunstein and Mr. Obama’s cabinet and advisors feel that the internet is running rampant and is chaotic – and therefore need organization (regulation).

5. We are an intelligent, educated, truthful people. We can decide for ourselves what is a truth and what is a lie. We do not need our thoughts, ideas or news filtered.

The internet grew from ARPANET which was primarily a government funded research tool. The intent was to connect diverse networks to share ideas and communications. It went from there to private access and the ubiquitous service we all rely on called “the internet”.

The concept of sharing networks is as old as civilization. It has been the basis for commerce, communications, family and economic growth. The internet is an “oasis” of thoughts and ideas. Our modern internet (networks) are used precisely for the same reasons that desert nomads used oasis’. They were way-points for trade, food, story-telling, .thought and sharing of the arts and literature. Regulation of our networks will ultimately lead to regulation of these basic human needs.

Also, regulation invariably means taxation. You may not realize it, but you are already taxed on internet access via heavy regulation of telcos – the largest owners of the fiber and copper lines to your homes and businesses. However, the “big” tax Washington is interested in is sales tax for online purchases at sites like eBay – itself a very successful oasis. Face Book, Myspace and the others like them are also incredible oasis’ of family and thought.

Sorry for running on with this. The internet has been a big part of my life since the early 80’s and I have helped build and watched it grow into the incredible tool it is today.

What to do:

1. Be aware and watch what they are doing –

2. Email write or fax your senators and representatives (both parties) letting them know that this is not acceptable and that you will be voting in 2010 (go to OPENCONGRESS.ORG for senator & representative contact information)

3. Let your friends and family know what is being planned for the internet.



.... more to come on this over the next few days and months.