Wednesday, January 24, 2007
You Just Have to Read This One!!
Senior Banking
>
> Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year
> old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it
> published in the New York Times. (I trust that they returned her $30
> penalty.)
>
> Dear Sir:
>
> I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I
> endeavored to pay my plumber last month.
>
> By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his
> presenting the check and the arrival in my account of my monthly
> pension funds needed to honor it.
>
> I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire
> pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only
> eight years.
>
> You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity,
> and also for debiting my account $30 by way of penalty for the
> inconvenience caused to your bank.
>
> My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has
> caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.
>
> I noticed that whereas I personally answer your telephone calls and
> letters, --- when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the
> impersonal, overcharging, pre-recorded, faceless entity which your
> bank has become.
>
> From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood
> person.
>
> My mortgage and loan repayments will therefore and hereafter no longer
> be automatic, but will arrive at your bank, by check, addressed
> personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you
> must nominate.
>
> Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other
> person to open such an envelope. Please find attached an Application
> Contact which I require your chosen employee to complete.
>
> I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in order that I know as much
> about him or her as your bank knows about me, there is no alternative.
>
> Please note that all copies of his or her medical history must be
> countersigned by a Notary Public, and the mandatory details of his/her
> financial situation (income, debts, assets and liabilities) must be
> accompanied by documented proof.
>
> In due course, at MY convenience, I will issue your employee with a
> PIN number which he/she must quote in dealings with me.
>
> I regret that it cannot be shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have
> modeled it on the number of button presses required of me to access my
> account balance on your phone bank service. As they say, imitation is
> the sincerest form of flattery.
>
> Let me level the playing field even further.
>
> When you call me, press buttons as follows:
> #1 To make an appointment to see me
> #2. To query a missing payment.
> #3. To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.
> #4. To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.
> #5. To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to
nature.
> #6. To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home #7.
> To leave a message on my computer, a password to access my computer is
required. Password will be communicated to you at a later date to that
> Authorized Contact mentioned earlier.
> #8. To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 7.
>
> #9. To make a general complaint or inquiry. The contact will then be
> put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.
> While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music
> will play for the duration of the call.
>
> Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an
> establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement with
> the phone company.
>
> May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous New Year?
>
> Your Humble Client
>
> (Remember: This was written by a 86 year old woman.)
Saturday, January 20, 2007
All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name
Text From:
THE HANDBOOK TO THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL
(St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1942)
1. All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
2. Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse's rod
And crown Him Lord of all.
3. Ye seed of Israel's chosen race,
Ye ransomed from the Fall,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace
And crown Him Lord of all.
4. Hail Him, ye heirs of David's line,
Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine,
And crown Him Lord of all.
5. Sinners, whose love can ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall,
Go, spread your trophies at His feet
And crown Him Lord of all.
6. Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball
To Him all majesty ascribe
And crown Him Lord of all.
7. Oh, that with yonder sacred throng
We at His feet may fall!
We'll join the everlasting song
And crown Him Lord of all.
____________________________________________________________
Notes:
Hymn #339 from _The Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal_
Text: Rev. 19:16
Author: Edward Perronet, 1779, ab., alt.
Composer: Oliver Holden, 1793
Tune: "Coronation"
Victory for Free Speech (for Now Anyway)!!!
This was reported in Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin for Friday, January 19th!!
Victory!
Evidently, neither party wanted to get blamed for derailing the lobbying
reform legislation in the Senate. Late yesterday evening an agreement was
reached after furious behind the scenes dealings that allowed the
legislation to move forward. Senators agreed to take up the line item veto
amendment offered by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) when the Senate begins debate
on the minimum wage bill next week.
Around 8:30 PM, the Senate voted 55-to-43 in favor of an amendment by
Senator Robert Bennett (R-UT) stripping the grassroots lobbying
restrictions out of the bill -- a victory for free speech. We may not win
every battle, my friends, but this episode demonstrates that it is still
possible, in spite of the new majority, for the grassroots to prevail when
we work together! I promise we will continue to defend our values here in
Washington!
Friday, January 19, 2007
A Precious Moment in Pro-Life History
This has been circulating for a couple of years (maybe three), but it is a great time to share as a witness to how life begins at conception. May more and more people wake up to the horrors of abortion and honor life as a true gift from God. And may we pray for all on the abortion side as well as for the women who are lied to about abortion and then have to deal with life-long issues of the abortion afterwards. We on the pro-life side need to approach each person on the other side with truth and grace in a gentle and loving way and not a militant way. When I see young girls or woman carrying their baby after getting pregnant out of wedlock, I thank God that at least they aren't aborting their babies.
A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of a newborn;21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person." Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!
P.S. Don't tell me God isn't Aawesome!!!!!
There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the US paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it. The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.
During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr. Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.. The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of a newborn;21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life." Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person." Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful. Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on. The world needs to see this one!
P.S. Don't tell me God isn't Aawesome!!!!!
There are two ways to live your life.
One is as though nothing is a miracle.
The other is as though everything is a miracle.
Albert Einstein
Thursday, January 18, 2007
This Is GREAT!!!
My dear in-laws sent this via e-mail so I just had to post this about my good old hometown! My brother, living out that way, appreciated this as well!
From Denver
Up here, in the "Mile-HiCity", we just recovered from a Historic event---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with
ahistoric blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH
that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds
ofmotorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores
ofcommunities and cut power to 10's of thousands.
FYI:
George Bush did not come.
FEMA did nothing.
No one howled for the government.
No one blamed the government.
No one even uttered an expletive on TV.
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.
Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this
Category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
No one looted.
Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.
No Larry King, No Bill O'Reilly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No
Geraldo Rivera.
No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be
found.
Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed
cars.
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask
for a penny.
Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments
delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.
We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman
lanterns.
We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or
Die".
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us
out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades
votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
Even though a Category "5"blizzard of this scale has never fallen
thisearly, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of
about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems
evaporate."
It does seem that way, at least to me.
I hope this gets passed on.
Maybe SOME people (Like New Orleans and Wash. DC freeloaders) will
get the message.
The world does Not owe you a living. The Government and Tax $ are
not your insurance company.
From Denver
Up here, in the "Mile-HiCity", we just recovered from a Historic event---
may I even say a "Weather Event" of "Biblical Proportions" --- with
ahistoric blizzard of up to 44" inches of snow and winds to 90 MPH
that broke trees in half, knocked down utility poles, stranded hundreds
ofmotorists in lethal snow banks, closed ALL roads, isolated scores
ofcommunities and cut power to 10's of thousands.
FYI:
George Bush did not come.
FEMA did nothing.
No one howled for the government.
No one blamed the government.
No one even uttered an expletive on TV.
Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton did not visit.
Our Mayor did not blame Bush or anyone else.
Our Governor did not blame Bush or anyone else, either.
CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX or NBC did not visit - or report on this
Category 5 snowstorm. Nobody demanded $2,000 debit cards.
No one asked for a FEMA Trailer House.
No one looted.
Nobody - I mean Nobody demanded the government do something.
Nobody expected the government to do anything, either.
No Larry King, No Bill O'Reilly, No Oprah, No Chris Mathews and No
Geraldo Rivera.
No Shaun Penn, No Barbara Striesand, No Hollywood types to be
found.
Nope, we just melted the snow for water.
Sent out caravans of SUV's to pluck people out of snow engulfed
cars.
The truck drivers pulled people out of snow banks and didn't ask
for a penny.
Local restaurants made food and the police and fire departments
delivered it to the snowbound families.
Families took in the stranded people - total strangers.
We fired up wood stoves, broke out coal oil lanterns or Coleman
lanterns.
We put on extra layers of clothes because up here it is "Work or
Die".
We did not wait for some affirmative action government to get us
out of a mess created by being immobilized by a welfare program that trades
votes for 'sittin at home' checks.
Even though a Category "5"blizzard of this scale has never fallen
thisearly, we know it can happen and how to deal with it ourselves.
"In my many travels, I have noticed that once one gets north of
about 48 degrees North Latitude, 90% of the world's social problems
evaporate."
It does seem that way, at least to me.
I hope this gets passed on.
Maybe SOME people (Like New Orleans and Wash. DC freeloaders) will
get the message.
The world does Not owe you a living. The Government and Tax $ are
not your insurance company.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Follow Up from "Stop Bothering Me"
From Gary Bauer's End of the Day Bulletin, Thursday, January 11, 2007:
Keep It Up!
Yesterday, I reported that pro-family leaders are very concerned about a
dangerous provision buried in the Senate’s lobbying “reform” bill that
could silence the ability of grassroots organizations to keep people
informed about key issues in Congress.
I’m pleased to report that Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), one of the bill’s
co-sponsors, introduced an amendment last night to strip these provisions
and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is co-sponsoring the Bennett
amendment. I understand that Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), a co-sponsor of
the lobbying reform bill, has also objected to the provisions restricting
grassroots communications.
This is a good start, but it’s too early to declare victory. Stay tuned,
and please keep calling your senators at (202) 224-3121.
Keep It Up!
Yesterday, I reported that pro-family leaders are very concerned about a
dangerous provision buried in the Senate’s lobbying “reform” bill that
could silence the ability of grassroots organizations to keep people
informed about key issues in Congress.
I’m pleased to report that Sen. Robert Bennett (R-UT), one of the bill’s
co-sponsors, introduced an amendment last night to strip these provisions
and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is co-sponsoring the Bennett
amendment. I understand that Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), a co-sponsor of
the lobbying reform bill, has also objected to the provisions restricting
grassroots communications.
This is a good start, but it’s too early to declare victory. Stay tuned,
and please keep calling your senators at (202) 224-3121.
"Stop Bothering Me!"
To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007
“Stop Bothering Me!”
That’s the message members of Congress are sending to the American people
with a proposed lobbying reform bill under consideration right now. In a
symbolic gesture reacting to the Abramoff scandals, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid made the lobbying reform legislation the first bill on the
calendar. But S. 1 contains a provision that appears aimed directly at the
American people. Seeking to silence criticism, section 220 of S. 1
includes burdensome new reporting requirements for grassroots organizations
that attempt to inform the American people about the important issues under
debate in Congress. Any communication, such as this daily report, to more
than 500 people that seeks to stimulate grassroots lobbying, defined as
“the voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate
their own views on an issue to federal officials,” would have to be
reported to the government. Failure to do so could result in huge fines,
which could bankrupt many pro-family organizations.
While I’m not opposed to transparency in government, the reasoning behind
this provision is extremely obtuse. Members of Congress are simply sick
and tired of hearing from you, and they are hoping that groups like ours
will stop asking you to call and email if we are faced with endless
reporting requirements and draconian fines. So, even though Jack Abramoff
has gone to jail, some politicians in Congress are trying to use “lobbying
reform” as an excuse to silence the American people!
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2007
“Stop Bothering Me!”
That’s the message members of Congress are sending to the American people
with a proposed lobbying reform bill under consideration right now. In a
symbolic gesture reacting to the Abramoff scandals, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid made the lobbying reform legislation the first bill on the
calendar. But S. 1 contains a provision that appears aimed directly at the
American people. Seeking to silence criticism, section 220 of S. 1
includes burdensome new reporting requirements for grassroots organizations
that attempt to inform the American people about the important issues under
debate in Congress. Any communication, such as this daily report, to more
than 500 people that seeks to stimulate grassroots lobbying, defined as
“the voluntary efforts of members of the general public to communicate
their own views on an issue to federal officials,” would have to be
reported to the government. Failure to do so could result in huge fines,
which could bankrupt many pro-family organizations.
While I’m not opposed to transparency in government, the reasoning behind
this provision is extremely obtuse. Members of Congress are simply sick
and tired of hearing from you, and they are hoping that groups like ours
will stop asking you to call and email if we are faced with endless
reporting requirements and draconian fines. So, even though Jack Abramoff
has gone to jail, some politicians in Congress are trying to use “lobbying
reform” as an excuse to silence the American people!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
But This Is NOT Good News!
I realize that these protests are going on more and more in America, but it still irritates me to no end!! I am not against immigration, but I am against immigrants who think that they can dictate to us how we should conduct the laws, etc. in our county. This is the United States. If someone wants to live here then that person needs to adopt our form of law, learn our language, etc. Period!!! If that person doesn't like how we do things over here then they are more than welcome to go back to their country.
The Bad News: Islamists Marching In Minneapolis
When Ethiopian troops and their Somali allies marched into Mogadishu, many
residents there cheered. For months they had been living under Sharia law,
enforced in Islamic courts. The courts were brutal and their rulings were
enforced by jihadist thugs in each neighborhood. People were shot if they
were caught watching a soccer game on TV, for example, and beaten if they
failed to pray five times a day. There were public floggings and bans on
music and women swimming.
But there is evidence that some Somalis here in the United States support
the brutal Islamic courts. Last Saturday, 1,500 Somalis demonstrated in
Minneapolis in favor of a Sharia law regime in Somalia. They demanded that
the United States stop supporting Ethiopia. Hassan Mohamud, imam of St.
Paul’s Al Taqwa Mosque, praised the brutal courts for bringing so-called
“peace and security.” Some Germans once said the exact same thing about
Adolf Hitler.
That 1,500 Somalis in Minneapolis were willing to rally publicly for this
kind of oppression is deeply disturbing. I can’t help but notice that none
of the demonstrators have chosen to live in Somalia, but rather have come
here.
Illegal immigration is one problem, but how many people are we allowing
into the country LEGALLY who are bringing with them the murderous worldview
of the Islamic fascists? We will continue to work very hard to press both
the White House and Congress for immigration reform that places America’s
national security first.
TK, Did you hear about this matter in your local news?
The Bad News: Islamists Marching In Minneapolis
When Ethiopian troops and their Somali allies marched into Mogadishu, many
residents there cheered. For months they had been living under Sharia law,
enforced in Islamic courts. The courts were brutal and their rulings were
enforced by jihadist thugs in each neighborhood. People were shot if they
were caught watching a soccer game on TV, for example, and beaten if they
failed to pray five times a day. There were public floggings and bans on
music and women swimming.
But there is evidence that some Somalis here in the United States support
the brutal Islamic courts. Last Saturday, 1,500 Somalis demonstrated in
Minneapolis in favor of a Sharia law regime in Somalia. They demanded that
the United States stop supporting Ethiopia. Hassan Mohamud, imam of St.
Paul’s Al Taqwa Mosque, praised the brutal courts for bringing so-called
“peace and security.” Some Germans once said the exact same thing about
Adolf Hitler.
That 1,500 Somalis in Minneapolis were willing to rally publicly for this
kind of oppression is deeply disturbing. I can’t help but notice that none
of the demonstrators have chosen to live in Somalia, but rather have come
here.
Illegal immigration is one problem, but how many people are we allowing
into the country LEGALLY who are bringing with them the murderous worldview
of the Islamic fascists? We will continue to work very hard to press both
the White House and Congress for immigration reform that places America’s
national security first.
TK, Did you hear about this matter in your local news?
This Is Encouraging News!
To: Friends and Supporters
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
The Good News: Islamists Losing In Somalia
While we were celebrating Christmas, a war was raging halfway around the
world that has gone totally unnoticed by Big Media. The war-torn nation of
Somalia was once again on the verge of being overrun by radical Islamist
militias, infiltrated by Al Qaeda and supported by Islamic nations in the
Middle East. On Christmas Eve, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and took
up the fight against the Islamist militias alongside forces loyal to the
Somali government.
Within days, they had driven the jihadists out of Mogadishu – the very city
where U.S. forces were ambushed in 1993. (You may recall that this ambush
and America’s subsequent withdrawal led Osama bin Laden to conclude that
America was a “paper tiger” that “after a few blows ran in defeat.”) The
combined Ethiopian/Somali forces pressed their offensive and eventually
routed the Islamists out of their stronghold in Kismayo.
Interestingly, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing 57
Muslim countries, issued a statement in Saudi Arabia denouncing the
Ethiopian intervention, even though it has ended the fighting and brought
peace to the troubled nation.
From: Gary L. Bauer, Chairman
Campaign for Working Families
Date: Wednesday, January 3, 2007
The Good News: Islamists Losing In Somalia
While we were celebrating Christmas, a war was raging halfway around the
world that has gone totally unnoticed by Big Media. The war-torn nation of
Somalia was once again on the verge of being overrun by radical Islamist
militias, infiltrated by Al Qaeda and supported by Islamic nations in the
Middle East. On Christmas Eve, Ethiopian troops entered Somalia and took
up the fight against the Islamist militias alongside forces loyal to the
Somali government.
Within days, they had driven the jihadists out of Mogadishu – the very city
where U.S. forces were ambushed in 1993. (You may recall that this ambush
and America’s subsequent withdrawal led Osama bin Laden to conclude that
America was a “paper tiger” that “after a few blows ran in defeat.”) The
combined Ethiopian/Somali forces pressed their offensive and eventually
routed the Islamists out of their stronghold in Kismayo.
Interestingly, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, representing 57
Muslim countries, issued a statement in Saudi Arabia denouncing the
Ethiopian intervention, even though it has ended the fighting and brought
peace to the troubled nation.
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