It's About America's Bait Society Thing

Dear America,

local humor...

"Too many squirrels become a nuisance. 

They quickly grow dependent on handouts, 

lose their fear of humans 

and boldly approach them, 

their picnic areas and coolers 

looking for food."

thank you, San Diego Union-Tribune for that earth-shattering reality check.

ya think?

of course, when putting that same concept in the context of federal/state welfare programs, suddenly common sense gets overrun with political correctness run amok.

but must confess, after a drive thru the In N Out, in Carlsbad, many a time (best burgers on the planet, btw), feeding a squirrel a french fry, or two, just seems so natural...in the natural.  

but I digress, 

as we touched upon just yesterday, a growing of government dependency is just as much a problem of the government, itself, as it is for the needy recipients.  Our federal bureaucracy doesn't know how to ween itself off of an annual cost of living increase in every department...It doesn't recognize that once a dependency on government is fed even the tiniest morsel, for everything from bread and butter to medicine to cell phones to whatever, naturally, all God's creatures have been given a taste of the good life; an ease to the daily strife and grind of foraging for food -- that would otherwise be accomplished by means of our labors of love and hard work --  has suddenly come courtesy of the long arms and compassionate heart of a socially re-engineered government.  

Good will and free food for all.

Which quickly reminds me of this quote from George Saunders, courtesy of a side of a Chipotle Restaurant brown bag:  "Hope that, in future, all is well, everyone eats free, no one must work, all just sit around feeling love for one another."

pretty sure this won't be the last recycle of that little number, so my apologies if it's already getting a little stale.   oh well...

which in turn, begs another question, at what point will a dependency upon free food and various other things reach a satiated appetite?

it would seem the squirrels on the beach in Carlsbad have given us our answer.

The natural response in the natural is, naturally, never.  Matter of fact, it gets worse.  The little demons have been fed, indulged even, given the anecdote that cures every need and woe is me with a full serving of comfort and joy without lifting a finger.  A tasty, and possibly still warm, meal just lands in front of them like magic.    What's not to love?   More significant, who's leading privileged lives now?  

yes please.

there is a fascinating post at my favorite www address... The Patriot Post....from I think just yesterday.  Hold up.  Let me search that real quick to make it easier on you....teehee

do do do do, do do do, do, da do do, do do do

Oh, here it is.

key tidbits to chew on --

 "Racism didn’t make marriage unnecessary. 'Great Society' welfare did. In 2017, 77% of black children were born to mothers without a husband..."

"As Dr. Thomas Sowell, the economist and senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institute, has written for decades, 'A vastly expanded welfare state in the 1960s destroyed the black family, which had survived centuries of slavery and generations of racial oppression.' In his 2016 analysis, 'Favors’ to Blacks,' the black conservative wrote, 'In 1960, before this expansion of the welfare state, 22 percent of black children were raised with only one parent. By 1985, 67 percent of black children were raised with either one parent or no parent.' Again, it’s far higher today."

"Yes, racism contributed to the perverted role of government that ensnares individuals and destroys families with the lure of services that create a permanent underclass and generations of dependency. But it was Democrat racism like that of Lyndon B. Johnson, who said of his “Great Society” programs, 'I’ll have those n—ers voting Democratic for the next 200 years'. "

and concluding: 

"Until Americans restore the value of marriage and an intact family, don’t expect much progress on poverty, sexual abuse, 'gun violence' or a whole host of other societal ills — regardless of your race and gender."

Those numbers, above, reflecting the fallout following the natural progression and attraction to the welfare state are simply stunning.  Black families have totally flipped from a two-parent household, predominantly, to a one parent family addicted on government handouts in my lifetime.  How messed up on generational/parental role models can you be?  God love the courageous, conservative African-Americans, like  Dr. Thomas Sowell, to make the reality check so matter of fact.

Even our immigration system is laced with America's welfare state enticements; just more evidence of the bastardization of an entire culture; the organically grown corruption of America's foundation, once firmly rooted in a Declaration of INDEPENDENCE by our founding fathers, mocks everything this nation stands for, especially with regard to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.  America was never intended to be a nation based upon dependency, especially that of a reliance upon a government dole.   America, from her start, was built upon the ideas and true wealth centered upon self-reliance, virtuously beholden to good self-government.

Long ago, nobody barked at the requirement of any person, no matter country of origin, to have an American sponsor; it was expressly made clear,  once an immigrant stepped foot on American soil, an AMERICAN citizen had to demonstrably and financially take FULL responsibility for the immigrant's full assimilation --- to learn English, find employment, and act in ways respective of the rights and duties of becoming an American citizen in every way. Nothing was handed out to anyone courtesy of the American taxpayer.  Nothing.

A great society is not a bait society.  so there.

Ben Franklin, in Poor Richard's Almanac, gave us this morsel:  " Laziness travels so slowly that Poverty soon overtakes him."

What will happen if people suddenly stop feeding the squirrels? 
hmmmm
They will either re-learn their industrious, self-reliant nature -- or they will die.


And at the very end, Old Poor Richard says this:  "Let no pleasure tempt thee, no profit allure thee, no ambition corrupt thee, no example sway thee, no persuasion move thee, to do any thing which thou knowest to be evil; so shalt thou always live jollily; for good conscience is a continual Christmas.  Adieu."

The thing is, to live in good conscience, taking right action (be it in our industry, family, good government),  we naturally become better people...

and all in all, it becomes the proper way to raise a privileged nation.


Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Family Blending of Virtue and Happiness and Ben Thing

Dear America,

to the last quote from Poor Richard's Almanac...

"Let no pleasure tempt thee, 

no profit allure thee, 

no ambition corrupt thee, 

no example sway thee, 

no persuasion move thee, 

to do any thing 

which thou knowest 

to be evil; 

so shalt thou always live jollily; 

for a good conscience

 is a continual Christmas.  

Adieu."

oh Ben, you and I would have been so good together.

this may very well explain all the many ways our culture, in America, has grown into a serious decline; the less emphasis we place upon the things that truly matter, the more wayward our hearts and minds go.... So goes the battle between living in integrity and breeding corruption; the outcome, ultimately, harboring the power to extinguish every good thing.

fall of Rome anyone?

it just feels like we keep missing the point, no matter what matter seems to matter in the moment.

At first glance, someone who I consider a super smart girl, Condoleezza Rice, seemed to doing just that, when she made the comment --

“I think it is time to have a conversation about what the right to bear arms means in the modern world,” Rice told radio host Hugh Hewitt on Friday. “I don’t understand why civilians need to have access to military weapons. We wouldn’t say you can go out and buy a tank.”

yeah, just got stuck on the thought of having that conversation addressing whether or not the Second Amendment even has a right to exist in a "modern world."  That first blush was a sea of red.

Although, being in total agreement with that tank tag line at the end, my growing frustration is the realization that we never seem to be brave enough to address the actual, real cause -- from the root of all evil, to the mental instability of individuals, to the full glory of gun violence in film and video games, to the mind-blowing amount of dysfunction in families and communities and government....

At this rate, folks, we might as well give every single one of us a pistol and see what happens.

The problem is NOT THE F*&*NG GUN!

[Just as it is not about the planes trains or automobiles, let alone the pressure cooker stolen from granny's kitchen, the chef's knife in the top left drawer, or the ten digits that can wrap around a throat and snuff a life faster than you can say boo...   AND moreover, NO ONE within the membership of the National Rifle Association has EVER committed such an horrific crime against humanity, as we witnessed in Parkland, Florida ...props to Rushie.]

Sustainable humans, anyone?  [indeed.  and given I did not get up and eat humble pie for breakfast, here's props to G and yesterday's blog]

This girl really likes the views from Steve Hilton, here.

EVERYTHING gets down to how we raise our children and grow healthy families; for only through proper guidance, meaningful emphasis upon education, unconditional love, quality and quantity of  time...all aiding and abiding in the process and civic duty of raising children of good character... this symbiotic structure and security, blending nature and nurture, beginning at birth, is paramount in the making of a healthy, mindful, conscientious, responsible, strong community and country; the micro becomes the macro and so on and so on.

Duly noted on this here blog umpteen times before, but whatever --  it does get down to this one thing -- family -- as the beginning and the end of all good things to come.

You know, "Virtue & Happiness are Mother & Daughter."
awwwww Ben, ya did it again... xoxoxo

amen. amen. amen.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's of Truth AND Consequences Thing

Dear America,

"Obey God

 and leave all

 the consequences 

to Him."

 

Charles F. Stanley 

Life Principle #2

can I get a witness...

given a lifetime of making moves -- wrong or right, up, down and sideways -- the voice inside my head is continually questioning my direction, my moments - if you will, from one to the next. 

And what I've come to believe, as I make my way improving upon my connection with Spirit, with God ----- the more I look to this Almighty and Everlasting Resource BEFORE making my move, the better it all seems to be for everyone...

Now, when this girl thinks of consequences, it's funny how my immediate imaginations run deep and downward -- as in, something negative; consequences can never be good...  

...envisioning things like ramifications, repercussions, the stuff resulting in the aftermath.

And yet, truly as I say to you, as I give all the glory to someone other than myself -- the fine Reverend Charles F. Stanley -- he knows a thing or two about that mysterious correlation and relationship between ourselves and this Big, Mighty Universe in which we live and the God who MADE it.  [how 'bout them consequences, eh?]

The more we obey -- honor -- that which aligns with all that is Good, all that is God, the better the consequences.  And don't hate, for that is just a fact.

On Wednesday, Nancy Pelosi did a terrible job angling to articulate this connection -- this soulful, righteous, self-less side of our Judeo-Christian roots --  when making her moves on the House floor (for something like eight hours...oy).  She was calling upon precepts of a certain faith, in the macro and in the general, in order to fight for legislation that ensures the safety and protections of non-Americans  (those who choose to break our law ...and consequently....become illegal immigrants, as opposed to going through the proper channels through legal immigration).

From PJMedia, here's a good quote of the day:

"The bishops go on to say, 'The church has recognized and proclaimed the need to welcome young people. Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me. And whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me. Mark 9:37.' That's so beautiful, because what they are saying is, when you reject these newcomers, you are rejecting those who sent them," the congresswoman said.

and not to be outdone, is when she retold the story of her grandson wishing he had brown eyes and brown skin, like his friend....Antonio...from Guatemala...good one.

[which is only reminding me of the time my mama recalled the story of yours truly, wishing to be black.  true story. I was three...]

It's fine, Nancy -- if you wish to basically force your own California constituents to deal with the ongoing onslaught of unintended consequences of open borders, sanctuary cities, and all the while ignoring the growing concerns of actual Americans -- the other people -- those getting trampled under the stampede of political correctness, the leftist agenda, all for the sake of building a political base of voters who continue to pave the way in the golden state with democratic idiots, I mean, leadership, like you, to stay in power, indefinitely. 

See also San Francisco's Mass Exodus report...surely, modern day prophesy meeting face to face with the reality world of unintended consequences.

On a whole 'nother tangent -- it is interesting that the former Speaker of the House is tying her own personal faith, Catholicism, with this agenda (illegal immigration) and not others... as in, not so with one of the biggies, like abortion.  See this post from Craig Bannister at CNS News.  So Nancy, why here, why now; why this and not that?

But more importantly, Pelosi must know in all her years following "The Word" (as she often calls it), that this very moment begs the occasion to call upon Ephesians 2:8-10 --

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift from God -- not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

So even there, God calls upon all of humanity to fall in line with the idea of doing the right thing, the right action, aka the "good works" because it is just the right thing to do!  People are not saved by the number of good works we do, "so that no one can boast" (...or profit from it, right?)   God only asks of us to be humble servants.  God just wants us to do the good, because that is what is truly good for all of us. 

We are not saved by our works, we are saved by our faith in God above all else, in good times and in bad, for better or worse, in the ups, downs and all the sideways we go living this life. 

....By following the rules, following the law, don't you see?  Nobody gets hurt. 

All of this works according to Nature's Law, natural law, as our very own founders designed.  Our founders aligned the nation from birth with something NOT of this world, but of a Higher Purpose under Heaven.  Seeking guidance from the Almighty, invoking the spirit of God while forming a more perfect Union, was made the cornerstone, framing the foundation, that led to the peace that passes all understanding in everything --  and it was INTENDED to be passed down from one generation to the next.  

Our form of government -- this REPUBLIC -- became not only the light of the world, modeling freedom and liberty and rights and duties for all the world to emulate, but the exception!  Up until 1787 -- with the birth of our Constitution --  no land, no country, no nation did what America did. (Hence, these consequences...everyone from around the world wanting to flock here, wishing to live here, no matter color or creed)

The founders recognized the consequences of a life honoring and obeying God, and Divine Providence took it from there.  

You are right, Nancy Pelosi -- peace and harmony naturally prevails when we do good things, when we love our neighbor as ourselves, when we honor our father and mother...whenever we strive to do the good works like the Good Book speaks of.

The illegal immigrant bears the same individual responsibility, to abide, as any other human being on earth; obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.  Pretty sure it will all work out for the better if this is done by each and every one of us, just sayin'. 

From one of my favorite books in the whole wide world, The 5000 Year Leap, in the olden days -- Benjamin Franklin spoke of the Five Fundamentals of ALL sound religion, and that this understanding should be taught, specifically to our children:

"Here is my creed:  I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe.  That he governs if by his providence.  That he ought to be worshipped.  That the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children.  That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this.  These I take to be fundamental points in all sound religion."

I love that part when Ben says, "the most acceptable service we render to him is in doing good to his other children"...

This relationship he speaks of...this just makes my heart go pitter-patter.

This spirit of love and good will --  that which we potentially share with one another, all the other children, when aligned -- it just makes way for better consequences all the way around.  Indeed.

An except from the president's speech, just linked above:

 Our rights are not given to us by man; our rights come from our Creator.  (Applause.)  No matter what, no Earthly force can take those rights away.  (Applause.)  That is why the words “Praise be to God” are etched atop the Washington Monument, and those same words are etched into the hearts of our people. 

So today, we praise God for how truly blessed we are to be American.  (Applause.)  Across our land, we see the splendor of God’s creation.  Throughout our history, we see the story of God’s providence.  And in every city and town, we see the Lord’s grace all around us, through a million acts of kindness, courage and generosity.  We love God.

Results are the very things we put our mind to, the very things we imagine, bearing the likeness of the very things we think about all the live long day.  Self-fulfilling prophecy makes it so; while a close relationship with God makes manifest every good, every thing we truly need, every thing that life has to offer, as God works through each and every one of us if we so choose.

I believe, the illegal immigrant would find much better reception, here in America, by following the rules like any other person from around the globe who chooses to come to America through the front  door, and not over the wall.  Where is the honor in this?  

IF one is NOT One to follow the proper way, the order of things, and in turn breaks a law or two, or repeatedly, then there are consequences -- even if their arrival is purely by association, due to a loving  parent only wanting something better, something more, for their own children.  It is still behavior unbecoming of an immigrant, the prospective citizen.  To fight the system of law and order, the actual system you are choosing to live in accordingly, doesn't make any sense.  The question should always be, for one and for all, and echoing President John F. Kennedy -- what must I DO in order to honor this land, this nation -- regardless of origin.

Americans are dreamers, too.  Enough said.

Let us turn the phrase Truth OR Consequences into Truth AND Consequences; 

If we do the things that honor life itself, the things of God, the children of God, then all will work for the common good.  I believe, if we are diligent in the service to others, if we are conscious of every work we do, great or small, then the results will speak for themselves; the consequences will surely be amazing, and by the Grace of God, all life will live a life elevated.

Problem is -- in order to manifest this peace, this harmony -- all of us must find a way to obey and honor God entirely on our own; and given the God ordained order of things seen and unseen, the antics of free will of all the little children in a liberated world  makes this kind of utopia next to impossible. teehee...who says the Lord doesn't have a sense of humor?

have a nice day

Make it a Good Day, G

It's G is for Goodness Knows Thing

Dear America,

"The devil's most devilish when respectable." 

 Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

good one, huh

but more astonishing is where little old gthing came across this first...in the sidebar of my Bible, the Woman of Faith Study Bible, New International Version, published by Zondervan.  At the end of the Book of Hebrews, there it was, juxtaposed with one of the most beautiful epistles ever written, the "Concluding Exhortations" of Chapter 13...and all I could do was wonder, how in the world did that come about, right?  

Of course, the "conclusions" were simply good, sound advice, and if this girl may be so bold to summarize:  put your faith and trust in Christ, above all things, and peace will be with you always.

It also begins with one of my favorite verses..."Keep on loving each other as brothers.  Do not forget to entertain strangers for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it."  love it, love it, love it.

And yet, it goes on,  advising us to also "[O]bey your leaders and submit to their authority.  They keep watch over you as men who must give account,  Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you."

And suddenly, reminded of a section within The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates, presented by Ralph Ketcham....Benjamin Franklin was making his case against officers in government receiving any kind of salary, when he said this:

"Sir, there are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men.  These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money.  Separately each of these has great force in prompting men to action; but when united in view of the same object, they have in many minds the most violent effects.  Place before the eyes of men, a post of honour that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it...

And what kind are the men that will strive for this profitable pre-eminence, through all the bustle of the cabal, the heat of contention, the infinite mutual abuse of both parties, tearing to pieces the best of characters?  It will not be the wise and moderate; the lovers of peace and good order, the men of the fittest for the trust.  It will be the bold and the violent, the men of strong passions and indefatigable activity in their selfish pursuits,  These will thrust themselves into your Government and be your rulers-- And these too will be mistaken in the expected happiness of their situation:  For their vanquished competitors of the same spirit, and from the same motives will perpetually be endeavoring to distress their administration, thwart their measures, and render them odious to the people."

and he well continues, waging his argument upon this foundation, of the near incestuous relationship of the governing power and the governed, in a back and forth that will just take your breath away with every word.  Go read it for yourself.

But now here's the thing...(finally, right?  teehee  ...and no doubt someone will give me a big thump on the head for what I'm about to say, what    everrrr)

....where have all the gentlemen gone?

...Just    so     miss     the depth       of thought; the higher calling to serve this country; the level of civility and honor, even within a  ruckus forum of righteous and self-righteous debate between enlightened men, each hellbent to sway opinion, one way or another, while forming the very government we have so recklessly corrupted -- wrecked really --  over the years.  It's as if just acknowledging how far we have fallen doesn't do this occasion justice, it doesn't come close to realizing how much culture, itself, has changed, and how this relationship between the governing and the governed -- one that has been evolving with "modern brilliance" at breakneck speed -- mocks everything these fine gentlemen of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 did, with the dream of guaranteeing true freedom and liberty for all -- and under God -- in the making of this budding republic.

The devil is in the details, and sometimes appears awfully respectable...

The pure and the impure, of both heart and mind, share the same air and work and play among the governing and the governed, with such finesse -- boundaries are blurred easily and unceremoniously.  The sidebar, or sideshow, gets connected to the word, the true content, and suddenly, the two are so intertwined, the skill of deciphering the truths from untruths becomes a wee bit of a challenge, a force of nature unbecoming of a people of character.    And further, by our own humanity, our own perspective, our own natural inclination to be swayed by motive, politics, ambition or avarice, we allow ourselves to lose ourselves as a people of grace, good character, and profound faith -- the kind of faith that rises above the fray in peaceful allegiance to what is right and true, no matter what.

Fake news falls into the mix.

And seconded with this, another Ben Shapiro entry on the day....here's a good part: 

"3. If Lies In Politics Are Fine, Why Bother Having A Republic? The whole point of republican government is the notion that politicians are answerable to the people – and more importantly, that citizens are capable of holding politicians accountable, of judging right and wrong. If they aren’t – if it’s now morally justifiable to lie to the public in order to get the things you want – then why bother with the charade of republicanism? Why not just have a coup, install the person who will do the stuff you want, and govern that way?"

Goodness knows what is right from wrong.

As a people, as a culture always in flux -- the simple, biblical ideas separating right from wrong, devils from angels, the governing and the governed from the oppressor and the oppressed, is a mighty good fight to keep and to be in constant course correction...for our own good!

Stay alert, people; and stay true to the principles of keeping in good character with every step YOU take; and by all means, do not listen to everything you hear, or read, on the world wide web and everywhere, without a proper level of skepticism -- for Good and Evil exists, and lives, and plays, and has a field day half the time, among us.

Goodness knows we are only human, there is that.

And yet, we are all, and in all ways,  children of God; we can choose the path at every turn -- whether consciously, or  mindlessly and aimlessly; be mindful that every step we take is in the company of the Divine Providence that started it all. For you can be certain,  this nation makes its move in each new day, for better or worse, with or without you.

America has no choice but to take a hard look back, to completely review the course, in order to begin anew; and it begins with reading the works of those great minds who have come before us in the pure love of countrymen, if not, all of mankind.  The Bible would be all you ever really need...feel free to start with Hebrews, for the author (who is unknown) makes the timeless case that Christianity is all you need to know and love and keep in thy faith, in order to live fully and in peace, no matter the circumstances...and he was speaking to the Jews at the time!  

My daily devotional, Jesus Calling, is written as if Jesus is speaking; it's pretty outrageous how the author, Sarah Young, does it, too...what a talent.  Anyway, a couple days ago it went something like this:

"Let my Love enfold you...sit still in the Light of My Presence, and receive My Peace...Through this relationship, you are being transformed from the inside out.  As you keep your focus on Me, I form you into the one I desire you to be.  Your part is to yield to My creative work in you, neither resisting it nor trying to speed it up.  Enjoy the tempo of a God-breathed life by letting Me set the pace.  Hold My hand in childlike trust, and the way before you will open up step by step."

Indeed. 

But given today has been somewhat all about the gentlemen, entertaining thoughts of our muse in  gentleBens (both Franklin and Sbapiro), allow me to add just this:   the future of America rests upon the Mighty creative forces at work and play to make true gentlemen out of all of us --- and yes, this girl has no problem associating herself with such a provocative notion, for....

G  is for Gentlemen.  

G is for Girl.  

G is for Good.  

G is for God. 

G is for Goodness Knows... 

G is for Good, Godly, Self-Government, in the Grace and Peace that passes all understanding and then some, in Good measure, for Generations to come.  

That's just what its all about here at G Thing, every single day.... Good God look at me Go :)

Make it a Good Day, G

ps think it's been a great first week.  teehee for we the people

It's Two Birds Sitting on a Branch Thing

Dear America,

"I've learned so much from my mistakes, 

I think I'll make a few more."

Tee Shirt Guru strikes again

so this is kinda funny...

here's Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg, courtesy of a quote plucked from Los Angeles Times...

“We still go back to the basic problem: 11.3 million people,” said Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Congress has not appropriated the money to arrest and deport millions of otherwise law-abiding immigrants, she said, so it makes sense to allow some of them to work legally and raise families.

Which made me wonder....I wonder what planet little miss ruthie lives on these days -- how long as it been since this nation, and more expressly this Congress,  been concerned with living within it's means?  Considering the annual budget deficits in the trillions, and a National Debt at nearly 20 Trillion, and UNFUNDED LIABILITIES from Medicare...Social Security...etc. exceeding 100 TRILLION....what's with the concern of "appropriating the money" first?  The interest on the nation's debt alone should preempt any future appropriations of any kind!

And to the point of the case itself --  what's Congress got to do with it, right?  It's before the Supreme Court, for Pete's sake, simply because the Executive Branch -- President Barack Hussein Obama --  did the legislating all on his own, without Congress!

OH but Reagan did it...nana nana na na  -- OH REALLY?  read this little number.

What I really like about that link -- if you read it -- is the point that it didn't work the first time, or the second, and at this rate, third time's a charm has no legs to stand on either, no matter if those legs be considered juvenile or fully matured into adulthood...

 3) The Reagan-Bush examples are not positive ones. The 1986 amnesty did not work as promised. It was riddled with fraud. The enforcement provisions were ignored or circumvented. Illegal immigration actually increased in the years after the amnesty. The supposed "once and for all” solution almost immediately gave rise to an even larger version of the original problem.

The argument that “Reagan and Bush did it,” is essentially an argument that future generations should not learn from the errors of previous generations. With the advantage of experience, it is clear that their decisions did not produce the desired result, and actually greatly worsened the problem they sought to solve. Let’s not repeat their mistake.

And then there's this --
one of my favorite founders, Ben Franklin, gave us warning...

He recognized the "natural inclination in mankind to kingly government" --  for through a Ruler's Law,  the subjects may gain the illusion of security, as if the people are better protected under a certain centralized rule -- but at what cost?  And more important, where would it stop?  

If the king giveth, the king can taketh away,..

And given where America is at these days -- with about half of the population realistically considering a full-blown socialist or a bonafide lying elitist leftist to take the highest office of the land, oppressive rule seems to be coming back around again on broken wings and promises, usurping the Rule of Law and all.

Here's an illustration for you, as described in The 5000 Year Leap:

The Two Wings of the Eagle

The Founder's view of their new form of government can be further demonstrated by using the symbol of the eagle and referring to its two wings:  #1 The Problem Solving Wing  #2 The Conservation Wing.

Wing #1 of the eagle might be referred to as the problem-solving wing or the wing of compassion.  Those who function through this dimension of the system are sensitive to the unfulfilled needs of the people.  They dream of elaborate plans to solve these problems.

Wing #2 has the responsibility of conserving the nation's resources and the people's freedom.  Its function is to analyze the programs of wing#1 with two questions.  First, can we afford it?  Secondly, what will it do to the rights and individual freedom of the people?

Now, if both of these wings fulfill their assigned function, the American eagle will fly straighter and higher than any civilization in the history of the world.  But if either of these wings goes to sleep on the job, the American eagle will drift toward anarchy or tyranny.  For example, if wing #1 becomes infatuated with the idea of solving all the problems of the nation regardless of cost, and wing #2 fails to bring its power into play to sober the problem-solvers with a more realistic approach, the eagle will spin off toward the left, which is tyranny.  On the other hand, if wing #1 fails to see the problems which need solving and wing #2 becomes inflexible in its course of not solving problems simply to save money, or not disturb the status quo, the the machinery of government loses its credibility and the eagle drifts toward the right where the people decide to take matters into their own hands.  This can eventually disintegrate into anarchy.

What do you think?

Are we there yet?

Dare I suppose that we are swiftly approaching the outcome of this duel come November.

Oh the error of our ways is going to the extremes.  Just where oh where is our balance -- our compassion and our conservation meeting somewhere in the middle?

The thing is -  never mind the central government,  this seemingly rather unnatural law of finding such balance may very well start with us, as individuals.  And yet, look at us, look at our children, look at our colleges, look at our millennials...look at our congress, look at our courts -- instead of instilling this kind of reserve and respect for that which is found in the good company of coming to the middle -- a balance of wings so to speak -- by all evidence, be it by our lack of civility or the total absence of critical thinking in areas of life and liberty, finding such middle-ground of the common man has nearly all but  self-destructed.

Let's hope the highest court of the land is at a tie when this lawlessness of amnesty through executive order is once again decided, third time around.  Let's only hope.

Let's slow our roll from here on out and settle things down, for once and for all -- or at least for the next four to eight years, shall we?

You know, when this girl was just a kid, my dream was to grow up pretty much so that I could eat Ding Dongs whenever I wanted; I couldn't wait to get older just to have that kind of power.  tee hee

As If that kind of power comes without any responsibility; as if that kind of perk comes without any second thoughts, missteps, trial and error, or without just cause for taking a pause from time to time...

moderation in the form of two birds always seem to show up just in the nick of time....

they come swooping in from out of nowhere.... taking their proper place upon my shoulders...one to the left and one to the right...and begin pecking at me.  [It's rather hard to ignore.] And sure enough, no matter the argument presented to the psyche, deep down, the answer reveals itself with the responsibility to heed or not to heed to do the right thing.

So once upon a time, there were two birds sitting on a branch....

What does the Law say?  

How about we --- and when I say We, I mean, the Supreme We -- start there.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Wings All Aflutter Thing

Dear America,

Virtue and Happiness are

 Mother and Daughter

Poor Richard's Almanack

by Ben

so... recently purchased a birthday card for somebody very, very special to me and chose a beauty, made by PAPYRUS -- the company logo floats a little hummingbird off the upper right hand corner.

It comes complete with a gold seal, and offers a sweet sentiment inside, and even includes an insert to carefully cover the front of the card while in transit from the giver to the receiver.  It's like they think of everything, you know.  And not only do they think of everything, but think of things outside the realm of expectations, in an over and above the industry standards kind of way.

Upon this simple cardstock insert -- the one that is to guard the card with its life until final destination -- comes an instant pick me up for life itself, and reads:

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.  The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."

indeed.

and then again, sometimes it just sucks.

oh yes,

but laughter is "life's sweetest creation," isn't it.  Isn't it?

Perhaps today, it's the residual laughter I hear in the back of my mind from a conversation just a few days ago with my mama that is propelling my thoughts on the day... 

It was a riot, really; for the first time in a long time, I heard my mama laugh like a little school girl.  And the funniest thing was, given the circumstances, given the strife with things going a wee bit cuckoo in her everyday life -- she should have been loosing it, as in kicking and screaming and crying in every way.

But she laughed.

and she laughed...

and she laughed...

She brought us both to delirious, can't catch my breath, tears through life's sweetest creation, allowing our spirits to soar above the thing that carried the power to break us in two.

"Life IS rich, beauty IS everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and [that] laughter IS life's sweetest creation."  But when it's not, an exorcism by giggles works wonders.

Which brings me to the unfortunate reality that we clearly have enough going on in America these days to send us all over an edge,  and landing smack dab into the funny farm with no foreseeable way out.  Oh to be a hummingbird right now -- to be able to "float free of time" over and above the mire, to flit and flutter in total freedom without a care in the world, bouncing from one of life's sweet nectars to another.

What are we to do with the likes of Eric Holder -- to say such a thing as this?

"Creating a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in this country is essential. The way we treat our friends and neighbors who are undocumented – by creating a mechanism for them to earn citizenship and move out of the shadows – transcends the issue of immigration status. This is a matter of civil and human rights. It is about who we are as a nation. And it goes to the core of our treasured American principle of equal opportunity."

A matter of civil rights?

Illegal aliens enter our country ILLEGALLY, usurping the leverage and lawfulness of immigrants coming to America LEGALLY, and after decades of being incapable of securing the border, growing the "unauthorized immigrants" to 11 million (if that is even true -- who really knows by now, right) -- our Attorney General believes this waywardness falls under some kind of civil right now? 

Civil rights are for citizens only.

Does this blanketed amnesty program cover student visas from Yemen, Chechnya, and Egypt too?  Does this mean American taxpayers will supplement struggling immigrants to "fit in" and pursue happiness, providing full access to a boatload of entitlement programs, as well?   Do these freshly plucked citizens get social security starting at the age of 65, no questions asked?   Are we investigating any other civil travesty in the form of providing a Jihad Allowance,  as we piece together the lifestyles of the suddenly nouveau-riche and radical? 

We shouldn't even be talking about amnesty, illegal aliens, and extremist allowances; the only thing we should be talking about is closing up the shutters and locking the doors until such time we have a handle on all things known and unknown.   Not even so much as a hummingbird should be allowed until the exploitation of resources, civility, and Constitution are corrected.

It's like that policy when up at 35,000 feet -- you know the one; when the cabin pressure drops, we are told to put our own mask on first, then the children...

America can't even afford to pay attention these days and we have Holder, and Obama, and the entire Left (alongside some surprising talking heads of the right), thinking its a bright idea to just make it so, adding eleven million people to the welfare rolls, food stamps, and universal healthcare and audaciously granting an open invitation to allow other family members still to come?  Much like the protective placard sent with every PAPYRUS note, are you not, as the Attorney General, Mr. Holder, responsible for guarding America with your life?

I can't breathe.

All of a sudden it's now a civil right -- tethering all Americans to yet another long term, financial commitment, and thereby, making any kind of future solvency and economic freedom totally unattainable. It's a trajectory that ultimately hits a wall, a ceiling, with wings spinning aimlessly into chaos.

Fundamental transformation by virtue of the delicate grace of radicals -- whether in office, or not.

I can't breathe.

I read on www.astrology.com, courtesy of Yahoo!, something just the other day that rings somehow connected to all of this.  It went something like this:

'Culture clashes don't have to be negative experiences.  Sometimes, when you come face to face with a different tradition or custom, it makes you re-evaluate your own lifestyle in a much more conscientious way.'

Indeed.

Did you know that because of the amount of lift generated in flight, it's possible for the wings of a hummingbird to go motionless even in mid-air; it's also the only bird that can fly backwards, upside down, in circles, if it wants, splendidly "free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration."

My question in this moment -- as I hover in time and space and circumstance --  how much IS conscientious for the typical immigrant coming to America today?  Before they come -- I wonder just how much time is spent contemplating how best to assimilate into the American culture and traditions, the culture and traditions that have proven to make America pretty wonderful -- creating a life that is rich, where beauty can be found everywhere, where every personal connection has meaning, and where the pursuit of happiness is an opportunity, not a guarantee, fully recognizing it's something truly earned, Mr. Holder, in every sense of the imagination and understanding?   Do you have America's best interests at heart?

Just as Mexico -- and every other country in the world -- upholds it's traditions, it's culture, it's laws, it's principles and values for enriching and uplifting and conscientiously reinforcing the lives of it's people -- so does America.  We have that, too.   How immigrants can come here and not expect us to be America, on behalf of all Americans, is mind boggling.  How immigrants can come here and expect us to disrespect our own laws, is simply astounding. 

And does this personal sense of entitlement, now automatically attached to every single American civil right -- endorsed emphatically, although reprehensibly, by our very own Attorney General and many others -- give rise to a cultural divide a mountain high and a valley long?

Oh to be a hummingbird, how I could just fly, fly away.

Though good news may be on the horizon, for the president has recently admitted that he's not the "strapping young Muslim Socialist" he used to be...touché, mr. president...And just today, he said, 'maybe I should just pack up and go home.'   Such a kidder.

Must remember the laughter -- life's sweetest creation -- the thing that carries the power and grace to save us from the day to day.

Make it a Good Day, G
 

It's a 'Tongue double, brings Trouble' Thing

Dear America,

"The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. Let’s agree, right here, right now, to keep the people’s government open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another."  Obama, State of the Union 2013

A couple days ago -- Peter Foster, U.S. Editor writing for the Daily Telegraph, brought a teeny tiny detail to the head of a pin.  Recounting a declaration of our own President Obama only months ago in his State of the Union address, Foster fosters an open wound, saying:

"In his State of the Union address to the American people earlier this year, Barack Obama declared that he was 'confident' of achieving 'our objective of defeating the core of al-Qaeda'.

Although he acknowledged the need to pursue the 'remnants' of the terrorist group and its affiliates, the overall message was clear – al-Qaeda was badly degraded, the tides of war were receding and the US was winning this fight that was no longer even officially a war.

The Boston bombings would appear to present a fundamental challenge to that assessment and once again bring the nagging uncertainty of terrorism back on to the American main street"

 

Indeed.

The president was pretty clear:

"Today, the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self. Different al Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged – from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving.. Instead, we will need to help countries like Yemen, Libya, and Somalia provide for their own security, and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. And, where necessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans."

Today feels more like our government is a shadow of its former self; is this some kind of perverted twist of diplomatic fate, surely brought on by global warming, shape-shifting a cold war for the new age, allowing our very own intelligence agencies turn us into mush?


Foster brings in a perspective from Aaron Zelin, "a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has written extensively about the decentralisation of al-Qaeda" for an added bonus.  And quoting Foster, quoting Zelin, characterizing the organic, homegrown element of terrorism as simply this:

"It's a hybrid thing, that's the problem...It's a unique threat, there's nothing like it and that's why people have a hard time grasping what it is."

Because whether it two brothers, a cell of twelve working in and around a neighborhood of Boston, or full-blown war in another part of the world --  it all acts with the same will, and that is to kill the infidels with whatever means possible, large or small.  It's called a caliphate.  Look it up.

Bit let's get back to more from the president, pulled from the rubble of his State of the Union address:

"As we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. That is why my Administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism operations. Throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts. I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we’re doing things the right way. So, in the months ahead, I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world"

Um hold up.

What about Abdul....?  Go to the source at The Blaze.

and go here to Alex Jones' take on board Infowars.


Um and what about the possibility of the boys working as double agents?    Go here, takes you to a place called DEBKAfile.



 So what are we to do with all this?  Who are we to believe? 


And now fully disturbed with the president's very own context when he said,  "I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we’re doing things the right way."

Just why would he plant that seed

in the back of our minds?

Nonetheless, does this look like.....  

"I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world."

Here's a mad, mad world update:   this is a freaking mess.  The more information we get, the creepier our government -- acting by virtue of a shadow government -- appears.

"Tongue double, brings Trouble."

courtesy of Ben Franklin

Make it a Good Day, G





 

It's a God Save the Bean Counters Thing

Dear America,

 the thing is -- if you are one of the lucky ones who has a job, you are being paid under the parameters of this year's budget.

The Sequester shaves off future funds -- over a decade -- cutting into the future increases built into the budget, based upon the current trajectory of revenue and expenditures.   And as we have discussed ad infinitum, it's not much at that.  It's like cutting one penny from every dollar.

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, government is still set to expand, not contract; government is still set to grow our debt by trillions of dollars over the next ten years even with the implementation of this sequester.

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, government is still ignoring the unfunded liabilities totaling over 80 trillion dollars. 

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, the brand new health care entitlement program -- generally referred to as Obamacare -- is set to not only turn our stellar health care system on it's ear, it will out-maneuver and bankrupt an entire industry...health insurance (and anything remotely related to it)...and one day in the not too distant future, it will be recognized as the straw that broke the camel's back [and that would be America's].

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, the government should cut spending, indeed, and reverting back to the last budget before the stimulus took into effect.  And to do that we would have to go back like, what, four years  or something?   The stimulus funds -- intended for a one-time expenditure -- were counted in and never taken out of the baseline budgets.  

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, the government grows every department anywhere from 3 to 10 percent each and every year!    Does your family spending increase every year like that, even without an increase in revenue?  And how long could you really keep that up (presumably, on credit) if you did?

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, remember where some of those stimulus funds went to?  Let me remind you -- to crazy stupid grants and studies and crapshoot business propositions...by the billions.

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, we are growing -- exponentially -- in dependency upon government; for this is the end result this government wants to create.   Self-reliance is dwindling, exponentially; the fundamentals of independence, free enterprise, duty, responsibility, accountability, hard work, virtue, morality, self-discipline, self-control, checks and balances is evolving into a twisted foreign policy, of sorts.

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

Based upon what we know now, we are growing victims, instead of stalwart citizens.

From Benjamin Franklin, plucked from the pages of The 5000 Year Leap:

"There is scarce a king in a hundred who would not, if he could, follow the example of Pharaoh -- get first all the people's money, then all their lands, and then make them and their children servants forever.  It will be said that we do not propose to establish kings.  I know it.  But there is a natural inclination in mankind to kingly government.   It sometimes relieves them from aristocratic domination.  They had rather have one tyrant than 500.  It gives more of the appearance of equality among citizens; and that they like.  I am apprehensive, therefore -- perhaps too apprehensive -- that the government of these states may in future times end in a monarchy.  But this catastrophe, I think, may be long delayed, if in our proposed system we do not sow the seeds of contention, faction, and tumult, by making our posts of honor places of profit.  If we do, I fear that, though we employ at first a number and not a single person, the number will in time be set aside; it will only nourish the fetus of a king (as the honorable gentleman from Virginia very aptly expressed it), and a king will the sooner be set over us."

WE ARE STILL GROWING GOVERNMENT.

We may not have a "king" exactly; what we have is a political power, the power elite -- and this power encompasses the political persuasions and ideologies of both sides of the aisle, seemingly transferable as if through osmosis, or something; overnight, opinions and platforms change, flip, turned totally upside down, opposites somehow attract, as parties meld into one, e pluribus Unum. Hence, the massive government we have today.   It's so big that we, the people, have no idea what's in it (sound familiar?).   It's all part of the control of the people, the money, the property, the pursuit of happiness from one generation to the next.

Oh Benny -- this future unimaginable -- the contention, these factions, tumult, turning our "posts of honor" into "places of profit" -- is here.

God save the bean counters.

Make it a Good Day, G

speaking of the lucky ones with jobs...here's a good story.  This is how America works in real life.  It's about having less reliance on government, and more reliance on ourselves and the kindness of strangers...until they're our boss.  Read all about it here.  Simply beautiful...happy Tuesday.

It's Because We Love in America Thing

Dear America,

so anywho...my last entry was a bit squirrelly.  I'll admit it.  Straight up.

Propping up America's traditions, including Marriage between a man and a woman, is where I stand all the way around.   It is an issue that, realistically, you simply can't have both ways.

Nature made -- God made -- men to thrive as men and women to revel as women, and by love, come together as one to make a family and grow the next generation.

It's the way it's always been done (since the beginning of man) (all the way back to cavemen) (back to the days of Moses)  (affirmed in the Roman Empire) (past the Middle Ages) (beyond the discovery of the New World) (surviving the American Revolution, and then blowin' on past the Industrial revolution) (even outliving Woodstock).

The entire world supports the family dynamic beginning with a Man and a Woman...because there is a purpose under heaven.

To try and say that men and women are somehow interchangeable in this area, diminishes the very qualities that shape our persona, our roles, our culture --  from the individual family unit, to the rippling of the extended familial community; of course, knowing full well that, collectively, we are affirming a strong, unified, virtuous, society that continues to honor tradition, Natural Law, along with the importance, vitality, and great responsibility of family itself.

Men, the hunter/gatherer; women, the nurturer/caretaker; and the family grew. and so on and so on.

When the president was asked a pointed question on The View this morning -- being pushed into responding to the inquiry of basically, what's next....ya gonna repeal the Defense of Marriage Act?

we got stammering.  uh uh well..."Congress is clearly on notice that I think it's a bad idea."

Ex Squeeze me....can't have it both ways, Mr. President.

Perhaps it was the immediate and critical feedback he received from a group of confidants -- a collection of BLACK pastors only, by the way -- that has made him wish he hadn't flipped so fast after Biden's "gaffe" (not that I believe it was, a gaffe -- the cynical side of G says it was all a set up for the flip, but we digress..).

According to a quote from Reverend Joel C. Hunter, "I would have tried to talk him out of it."  (for more, go here).

[For me, I'm still stuck on the fact that Obama was only interested in touching base with just the black ones.]

whatever...moving on.org...

What it confirms then -- is the political maneuvering of such a stunt.  Coming out to support gay marriage was a conscious decision, as an affront and in direct conflict to his black community, risking that the outreach to the gay community would reap the greater reward.  He weighed the pros and cons and then picked one, politically taking a side.

until uh uh well "Congress is clearly on notice that I think it's a bad idea."

Oh my goodness.  Oh my goodness.

Show some us some hunter/gatherer strength, will ya?  [fyi, I wanted to go crude there...but I didn't..cuz I'm choosing to be a little lady today]

But Mr. President, how come you just didn't say, Damn right I'm gonna repeal it!  and then pull a Michael Jackson on the ladies of The View?

seriously?  you are gonna try stuttering and sputting this away -- passing the buck to the do-nothing Congress -- the same do-nothing congress that can't even pass a budget in over three years, the same do-nothing congress who sits tight on party, partisanship, politics, with, generally speaking, wanton pandering and pandemonium?

Stand your ground, sir; go all in, for pete's sake.  If you are gonna "flip" (if we agree to call it that, that is) -- why the hell would you not take it all the way?  With all due respect, just where is the power in being half-assed about this?

But don't get me wrong; it's not like I want you to (go all in).

No sir ree.  I want you to keep on doing what you are doing.

This political web you weave is getting all tied up into knots.

Ya see, you aren't just "married" to your loyal followers -- you are conjoined with the entire nation by virtue of your position (in other words, the mate comes with the entire family...including the rich uncle, the gun toting grandma, the born-again cousin, the stay@home mother/sister-in-law, and so on and so on...); you are not tied to simply "the gay vote" the "black vote" the "feminist vote" the "union vote" -- your incumbency hangs on the all American vote which so happens to come in a wide variety of tones and highlights, but who pretty much agree to honor traditional marriage.

[not because we hate, but because we LOVE what traditional marriage makes good]

[and not because gays do not deserve the same benefits -- because they do; just call it something else -- because IT IS something else].

Your audience with The View girls is an anomaly of the whole...kind of like gay marriage.

But go ahead and settle in -- get comfy on the couch -- relax -- flash that gorgeous smile of yours and think that you can walk the thin line, the tight rope in between the two widely different worlds of career and family, and do so with flying colors.

In America, and in the world over, over thousands of years -- one has to be more important than the other -- and guess which one it should be?

Sadly, so many men (and these days, even women) fall into making this mistake.

Eventually, something has to give; eventually, mediocrity of the most important things diminishes the integrity of everything. Eventually, we will all fall down.

"It is the man and woman united 

that make the complete human being.  

Separate, she wants his force of body 

and strength of reason; 

he, her softness, sensibility, and acute discernment.  

Together 

they are more likely 

to succeed in the world."  

Benjamin Franklin 

[history has been unkind 

and untruthful 

with regards to his so-called philandering.  

The real Ben, 

the real man, emphasized 

the importance of real marriage]

It's because we love marriage, family, and what it stands for (feel free to throw in the fruit cake and the Jello-mold, too).  That's all folks.

Make it a Good Day, G

Dear America,

My guess is, he never thought it would come to this; he imagined the whole thing going down a wee bit different; he jumped in front of a moving freight train, and thought his cape and crest would save him.

Not so much.

Here we are, a week into the melodrama on Capital Hill, and the political landscape continues to weave and turn.

What a gamble -- I mean compromise; doesn't he know how impossible it is to reap any kind of favorable reward via manipulation, arm twisting, letting the finger do the walkin,' the mouth do the talkin', giving free reign to his rootin' tootin' ego in leading the way?  He thought it was in the bag, so much so, he leaped when he should have taken a step back.  He zigged, when his party zagged. And by the end of the week, he was in such a pickle, he had to call for reinforcements.

The best part, was when he turned to Mr. Bill and said, "I gotta go to a party [as the Mrs. has already been kept waiting for a half hour]..." 

How strange was that -- the president leaving a past-president to clean up the mess he made, to smooth over the rough edges on the track, and to finally make way for the meeting of the minds in Congress to just do it already.

Really?  You called in Mr. 'I did not have sexual relations with that women' Clinton, recalling his fist with thumb protruding from the top, waving at us, as if that would be enough to stop a presidential size train wreck in our midst?  As we all know, it just got worse from there...

...ah yes, but in the liberal mind's eye, he is masterful and wonderful and perfect just the way he is.

I just love, how sometimes, just a girl can get it right; remember back a couple days, when I was wondering why things can't be settled on a handshake, with one thing at a time, only an up or down vote, keeping on the straight and narrow to legislate upon the issue at hand while comforting the community at large with simply a display of one's integrity, political convictions, and personal character? 

I found a little help articulating just that in this morning's "Morning Bell" from The Heritage Foundation...Liberals Leave the Reservation... What does it cry out for, pray tell?  Just a simple vote -- on the bare bones initiative to save the current tax rates for all -- while, if we must, they say, we can do the same in a simple yea or nay for the Unemployment Benefits Extension -- and then call it a day.  That's it. Done.  Then the little engine that could -- I think I can, I think I can -- could probably get over the hump, while more important, keeping the integrity of the engine still very much intact.

Getting back to our Compromiser-In-Chief, he blew it, from day one (that being about a week ago); he came out with both barrels blazing, backing his own party into a corner, and thinking they would just bend rounding the unexpected bend at locomotive speed, naturally and effortlessly, to his new found party line; not so much and not in the least bit.

But there he was, leaving it in the hands of an experienced engineer who has been there before, crafting perhaps his very own saving grace right out of thin air.  Will it be enough? The first round of votes begins about three o'clock, eastern time -- high noon, of course, out here in the wild, wild west.

The thing is, real altruism -- much like a ghost town spiriting a congress long past -- seems only to be found in the annals of history;  as the tumbleweeds come rolling in with the dust up, legislation of the 21st century seems only to come with a pearl of great price; that real price having nearly nothing to do with real money anymore. (ah who are we kidding, real money has a lot to do with it too...)

But these are the people we have elected into office, entrusted to be the caretakers of the public good -- when in fact, few are worth a lick of salt between them.

Somewhere along the line, the attributes we used to elevate in the process of progressing as a society -- our natural ability to persevere, our pioneering spirit to overcome diversity in order to take care of one's own, supporting the generations of both the young and the old in community with one another beginning with our own family -- are elements we no longer value; personally and collectively, society has turned our self-reliance into a thing of the past.

What used to be embedded into our DNA -- endowed by our Creator and reinforced by America's very own heritage over two hundred years -- has grown into waves of entitlement programs, one after the other, bequeathing to the public good a mountain of insurmountable deficits, creating a legacy of debt we can no longer afford, let alone have enough spare change to tinker with these unscrupulous details hidden in the fine print of any new legislation to come our way anymore.

Sure we can move mountains, we can survive the prairie, we can outlive blizzards, droughts, and hurricanes, some of us have been known to even leap tall buildings in a single bound -- but when we do, we expect to keep the money we make (just go with it...).  That's just the way we are made.  In no particular order, the DuPont's, the Vanderbuilt's, the Carnegie's, the Rockefeller's, the Ford's, the Kennedy's, the Gate's, the Buffett's, the Winfrey's, the Johnson & Johnson's, the P Diddy's, the Zuckerberg's... even in make believe, like the 'moving on up' Jefferson's -- this country used to value and applaud and congratulate success; we built this nation wanting the next generation to have more, be more, make more, than the generation who came before.(FYI, just notice when most of the big money's been made...with 375,000 millionaires, some billionaires, America is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing)

Which is all the more poignant when we realize our self-reliant foundation -- the one we take for granted in this age of having everything and nothing simultaneously -- came from a body of men who never once said what's in it for me.

Achieving great personal wealth was not the goal, as building the framework of the best and the brightest natural laws known to man became paramount; laying the track and extending the tools for the public good, so that the public good as a whole -- individually and collectively -- could expand and prosper under free market principles, so that the people could better equip themselves for success, and in the end, provide for themselves; the key, of course, is found in the freedom in-between the small, limited government with limited power ...and the unlimited power unleashed in those who find ways to capitalize on their own skills, talents, education, hard work, tireless efforts, to the best of their ability, to create wealth.

The problem is not in the creation of wealth, but the overzealous control of it, along with the natural growing inclination to grow the government, to take from the rich to give to the poor, like robber barons on a speeding train over the proverbial cliff... a story line played over and over again since the beginning of time.

The good news, and in the spirit of yesteryear, we shall overcome one way or another.  We always have and we always will.

Make it a Good Day --
and you shall be rewarded for it, G

A box of Cracker Jacks gave me a pleasant surprise over the weekend; my prize was a booklet, inside we had to guess who the cryptic illustration was only by the following description:

"I was born in Boston, the youngest son of my father's 17 children.  As a candlemaker, my father earned enough money to send me to school until I was ten.  Despite my limited education, I loved to read and write.  At 12, I became an apprentice to my brother, James, who was a printer.  After several disagreements with James, I ran away to Philadelphia where I would eventually open my own print shop, publish a newspaper, and become involved in politics, foreign affairs, and science...who am I?"


On the back page, Cracker Jacks adds: 

"Described as the most multi-talented figure in American history, Benjamin Franklin's contributions to American society are as numerous as they are important.  The most famous American of his time, Franklin was also an inventor, (bifocals, swimfins are among his many inventions) a philosopher, politician, firefighter, soldier, cartoonist, ambassador and more.  The common thread among all of his endeavors, however, is his dedication to public service and the betterment of society."

then in bold letters, it reminds us: "FRANKLIN CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE $100 BILL."

A common thread today, is that our kids seem to be cheated out of a good education -- we aren't doing enough, they say; the argument seems to be we aren't throwing enough money at it, as we enter an age where we just aren't seeing the results we had hoped.  Maybe, we should just stop teaching kids at the age of ten, require them to use their own initiative to read and write on their own, and let them fall where they may fall -- with any luck, they could be the next Ben.

Now, I am being facetious, but think about it.  A limited early education somehow made many a great men...the Franklin's, the Lincoln's, the Carnegie's... hold up, I just might start sounding like a broken record. 

Last word, even a Harvard Education gives us no guarantees.