A special friend and reader of this journal just celebrated her anniversary of her birth. Her friends and fellow co-workers, accompanied by her daughter, Linda joined in celebration at one of several of the delightful dining establishments available here at the Peninsula.
A very Happy Birthday wish to Sandy Greenwood!
Joan B., Illinois sent this bit of humor to lighten up your life …
If you're not familiar with the work of Steven Wright, he's the erudite scientist who once said: "I woke up one morning and all of my stuff had been stolen…and replaced by exact duplicates." His mind sees things differently than we do, to our amazement and amusement. Here are some of his gems:
Cinco de Mayo (May 5th) is Mexico’s celebration of independence from French rule – so it is no coincidence that they chose May 1st as their day of demonstrating to America that we would be nothing without cheap illegal labor. It’s an opportunity to show them different, in fact I am sure they will be surprised when out government; specifically the Executive Branch finally enforces laws and starts rounding them up for deportation and fining their employers to pay for the cost of such an operation.
Spc. Elisabeth Graham is a soldier at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and after long hours of practice and hard work she is now part of the 2006 U.S. Army Soldier Show, which will be on tour from May to November of 2006. While Spc. Graham may be just one of the talented troops in the show, she is special here at LPJ because she is my cousin’s daughter (that would be second cousin) originally from Columbia, South Carolina.
If you have the opportunity to visit US Army posts like Fort Belvoir, VA; Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Fort Monmouth, NJ; Fort Detrick, MD; Tobyhanna Army Depot, PA; Fort Leonard Wood, MO; Red River Army Depot, TX; Redstone Arsenal, AL; Fort Rucker, AL; Fort Stewart, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Lee, VA; Fort Gordon, GA; Hunter Army Airfield, GA; Fort Knox, KY; Louisville, KY; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort Polk, LA; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Sam Houston, TX; White Sands Missile Range, NM; Fort Bliss, TX, Fort Huachuca, AZ; Fort Irwin, CA; Fort Carson, CO; Fort Riley, KS; Fort Sill, OK; Fort Leavenworth, KS; Fort McCoy, WI; Fort Drum, NY; U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY; Fort Dix, NJ; Armed Forces Retirement Home, Washington, DC; Warner Theatre, Washington, DC; Fort Meade, MD; Fort Bragg, NC; Fort Monroe, VA; Fort Eustis, VA; and Fort Belvoir, VA – the admission is free. Read the rest of this entry »
I received both an alert from FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform) and a LPJ reader, Joan B., Illinois concerning an important opportunity for readers and their friends to participate in a boycott against meat packing companies that are not only breaking immigration laws but bold enough to be public about it…
Monday, May 1st there will be a protest by employees of Seaboard, Cargill, Hormel, and Tyson for amnesty. These meat packing companies are going along with their workers taking a day off in this effort. It is public display that our immigration laws mean nothing to them. It is a public display that is sponsored by individuals who are quoted in the following paragraphs. We should not reward law breakers – NO Amnesty! Meat-packing companies are closing plants (Seaboard and Tyson) to allow illegal immigrant workers a day off for this event. This means that they support illegal immigration and the amnesty of 12 million already here. Tyson has announced that at least 12 beef plants and 14 pork plants will be shutting down. Boycott them. Eat fish or other products that are not participants in this charade and show them that this is America, not Mexico and that Victor Davis Hanson was correct when he wrote the book Mexifornia.
Last week on a tape that was aired by the Arab news channel called Al-Jazeera, a voice that claims to be Osama bin Laden declared war on the world. He wants attack in India, Kashmir, East Timor, East Africa and Sudan, specifically against UN peacekeeping forces there. And the al-Qa’ida is not only killing anyone not Islamic, but fellow Muslims as well, Darfur being an example. Here is an excerpt from his taped instructions:
“I call on mujahedeen and their supporters, especially in Sudan and the Arab peninsula, to prepare for long war against the Crusader plunderers in Western Sudan. Our goal is not defending the Khartoum government, but to defend Islam, its land and its people.” [AP]
President Bush and some Republicans are singing the song of Democrats when it comes to finger-pointing the blame of high fuel costs on oil companies, as evidenced in his recent speech this week concerning energy costs.
Bush should know better coming from a family of oil business men. He did relay some good ideas, however:
(1) Cut the red tape that has prevented new refineries from being built and expanding old ones, the US has required this for the past 30 years.
(2) Oil companies, with the help of the government easing up mandates, should have fewer fuel mixtures, mostly an “uncoordinated and overly complex set of fuel rules.”
(3) Earnestly start moving ethanol that has been slowed down in production and use – it could help in reducing the cost of fuel.
(4) Two-thirds of US oil is imported – start drilling in Alaska beginning with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR); which would produce one million extra barrels per day once drilled and set up for transport to the overworked refineries.
John McCain is considered a “maverick” senator and is a former Vietnam veteran who was a prisoner of war for 5 years in North Vietnam. He also rides the fence in politics and tries to retain bipartisanship with issues such as smoking and campaign reform, too often falling into the hands of the likes of Senator Edward Kennedy.
Then there are the allegations and a look at his dark side:
To say that the conservatives and “middle-roaders” who voted for George W. Bush in 2000 and then 2004 are disappointed is an understatement – and it certainly isn’t because of the Left’s campaign against his handling of foreign affairs, specifically the reconstruction and security of Iraq. It is the way Bush handles domestic affairs and his nonsensical rhetoric in his State of the Union speech.
Compiled by Peyton Knight …
Global Warming: No true evidence that the Earth is getting warmer to an alarming degree. Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine with signatures of over 17,100 American scientists: “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate.” These scientists are physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists. Global warming does not affect the frequency and strength of hurricanes. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center: “Hurricanes, and especially major hurricanes, are cyclical. We’ll have decades of really active hurricanes, and then inactive periods, followed by active periods again.” Abiding by the Kyoto Protocol (a United Nations global warming treaty) would have devastating consequences for national economics.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is the fifth richest congressional member in Congress, and although she is a Democrat, she is not trusted by the Left because they claim she compromises with Republicans; yet her words are too often echoing the rhetoric of liberal-progressive ideology. She voted for the first tax cuts in 2001 and supported the war in Iraq, but as other Democrats claim she was misled. The Center for Public Integrity has “reported that Feinstein and her husband, Richard Blum, are making millions of dollars from Iraq (and Afghanistan) contracts through his company, Perini.”
Representative Charlie Norwood, R-GA, initiated a law that President Bush signed on February 8th that would require the 50 million recipients of Medicaid to produce birth certificates, passports, and/or other documents to prove they are U.S. citizens and anyone after June 30th, 2006 will need to show the same documents in order to request such aid. It is a new federal law that is designed to prevent illegal immigrants from living off the taxpayer funds. The requirement takes effect on July 1st and the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will save the federal government $220 million over five yeas and $735 million over 10 years. There are those in Congress who are doing their job. Thank you Mr. Norwood. Of course, some folks are complaining that “poor” citizens may not have proper documents and they will be hurt by this new law. Read the full story at The News Tribune.
Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel at Concerned Women of America presents three important questions concerning child pornography:
President Bush has proposed the American Competitiveness Initiative, 1 $5.9 billion program that is designed to “strengthen our nation’s inability to compete in the global economy.” The gist of the program is to include more money for federal research programs and new subsidies for mathematics and science teachers. Now, would someone in President Bush’s administration please tell me what this has to do with global competition? I do understand that our standards and quality of education in America need to be improved, but history shows us that the government seems to think that adding more money to a program in trouble is the solution to all problems. America spends more per pupil than almost any other nation, yet we are mediocre when it comes to the educational statistics. Educational choice is a form of competition and it is also a way to boost performance – the federal government needs to get out of it and keep education to be the state and local authorities to be the decision makers. The thing is – the money the government has isn’t THEIR money; and maybe that is the key problem in just about everything our government does.
Judy, Texas sent an email concerning a petition claiming that Madalayn Murray O’Hair, (who is dead) an atheist who was responsible for the 1962 Supreme Court case that removed prayer from public schools, has filed a petition with the FCC to outlaw religious broadcasting. While I was just about to do research to see if it was an Internet myth, she sent another email with the link that showed it, as well as other similar myths are just “Christian urban legends.” Visit Focus on the Family Magazine and see the rest of the story. One thing that can give you a clue on petitions - if it is not linked to a legitimate web site and just has a list of names on the email and states (i.e.) “the 2000th signer will send to (White House email).” Petitions must have a proper introduction and brief statement as to what the petition is all about and sent to congressional members. You may send a copy to the President, but it is Congress who creates and writes the laws.
Thanks, Judy in Texas.
Myth Buster: Tractor-trailer ads that look 3-dimensional have popped up around email and Joan B., Illinois sent me the pictures.
Both Hugh Hewitt and Bill Kristol [also see Letter to President Bush]have issued a warning for America concerning the announcement of the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Iranian scientists have successfully enriched uranium. They both have used the Rhineland historical analogy to emphasize the fact that America must prevent the emergence of a nuclear-armed Iran. Analogy of the era of the Nazi has been used many ways, too often as a political tool against President Bush and his foreign policies and national security programs; but this analogy is on target, but not because it is an analogy demonstrating the parallel with Hitler’s Nazi regime to Iran, but that the United States finds itself in the position France was during the Rhineland crisis that occurred nearly 70 years ago.
Today is Earth Day and the climate alarmists continue their doomsday rhetoric concerning global warming, despite the fact that the climate has warmed less than one half of one degree since 1940. You would think they would be concerned about safe drinking water. Activists have contributed to the heavy surge of fuel prices because they and members in Congress shot down the chance to use the oil in Alaska. Since the 1970s we have needed one more refinery to meet the demands of gasoline and diesel – but the eco-alarmists have shot it down time after time. And the Kyoto treaty? Many Kyoto signers have fossil fuel emissions up to 25% more than where they should be by 2010.
Would you believe that animal rights extremists are labeled by the FBI as the biggest domestic terrorism threat in America? But fear not, we can learn from our friends across the sea in the United Kingdom or what some call “Great Britain” or “England.”
There is a popular movement in the UK that is finally standing up to the threats and intimidation of the animal “liberation” movement and re-asserting the moral arguments for animal testing. Well, that serves in a battle of a particular part of animal rights extremists, anyway. It is a victory for science and public health.
In recent months retired generals have been asking for Donald Rumsfeld’s head, following the lead of the Left in “contemptuous words” against the Secretary of Defense. Is this a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Chapter XXIII and Article 118? If the officer, generals included, were active duty, then they could be charged. But now, as long as they do not reveal information that is still classified, they are free, as civilians, to speak their minds. You may think that the military is against the First Amendment, but this is how things must be in the military – it has to be in order to establish discipline, esprit de’ corps and so on. If the superior officer or appointed person is truly guilty of a breach in some code or law, then proper actions through military and civic judicial procedures must be enacted. In the case of the retired generals, this is not a violation of the UCMJ.
When I was serving as a career soldier in the US Army as a noncommissioned officer, I had one supervisor who was a Major who seemed to look for crisis and if he couldn’t find it, created it. Crisis comes without looking for it in all sizes and forms, and no matter what it applies to.
The media loves crisis and if they cannot find it – well, you know.
From global warming to the bird flu epidemic with the help of publicity seeking junk scientists to the government’s perceived obesity epidemic the networks, magazines and local news sources rush to print hysteria in an attempt to attract readers or viewers.
Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the Chicago Economic Club last week. According to Larry Kudlow: “But unfortunately for Mrs. Clinton, the eyelids grew heavy as she droned on and on. … Clinton acknowledged a growing economy, a stock market at historic highs, strong productivity and profits, and low unemployment, while on the other she called for big-government investment in infrastructure and heavy spending on health care and education.” Previously via mainstream media interviews, the senator had said that the nation was economically out-of-balance because of President Bush’s tax cuts. The economy is not out of balance, but in fact, has improved because of tax cuts. This, of course, is not including the present energy costs of gasoline and diesel which will eventually raise the cost of goods and services because of the high cost of transportation that presently is hitting close to $4 a gallon in Senator Clinton’s state; partly due to a high percentage of taxes on petroleum products.
The senator also said: “Tax cuts are not the cure-all for everything that ails the American economy.” And her solution was: we need the “right tax system and the right investment, including infrastructure … decisions and policies to set the stage for future prosperity.”
What Senator Clinton is saying is that she wants a government-directed economy, while the economicist scholars in America are saying the economy is and should be people directed. A look at previous economic performances under government-directed economy in France, Germany, and Japan shows that she is wrong. [See also: Random Thoughts]
I obtained the number of illegal immigrants from Mexico from the wired news (i.e., AP) and other sources that the amount of Mexicans in the US is 11.5 million (approximately), yet in wire-story news there now are more than 12 million.
In previous articles/postings I had erroneously entered the amount of illegal immigrants as “1.5” when it actually is 11.5 million. I apologize for this overlooked error. [US Immigration Support]
Editor, Lighthouse Patriot Journal
Well, tax season is over with, accountants and tax preparers are on vacation after a grueling two or three months of wading through oppressive and complicated paperwork; you have filed your tax return and probably waiting for a tax refund, which in reality was your money in the first place – held throughout the year without interest paid to you. And some have written out checks mostly because the government didn’t take enough because you have found that it was a good year in which you made more, which put you into a higher tax bracket and thus owe the government. And now that it is over, you just want to forget about it until tax preparation season arrives once again and the deadline set for April 17th. That is what the government wants you to do. Reform? Repeal of the 16th Amendment? Some say it’s a “pipe dream” others say, “not in my lifetime” – and that is also what the politicians want you to think as they try to shove tax system reform into yet another committee not to resurface too soon. This is what happened to Rep. John Linder’s HR 25 - Fair Tax Act proposed legislation and request to rescind the income tax amendment that was submitted in the new Congress, January 2005. This is now the 109th Congress and President Bush has not paid no attention to it, and Congress has shelved it to languish (and hopefully pass into history), while the American people remain apathetic concerning the subject.
Dr. Williams is not only a columnist but a professor of eonomics, a learned and respected authority in the field. Here is a closing remark concerning congressional spending and taxation from his article:
“The average taxpayer, depending on the state in which he lives, works from Jan. 1 to May 3 to pay federal, state and local taxes. That means someone else decides how four months’ worth of the fruits of the average taxpayer’s labor will be spent. The taxpayer is forcibly used to serve the purposes of others — whether it’s farm or business handouts, food stamps or other government programs where the earnings of one American are taken and given to another.
This situation differs only in degree, but not in kind, from slavery. After all, a working description of slavery is the process where one person is forcibly used to serve the purposes of another. The difference is a slave has no rights to what he produces each year, instead of just four months.”
On April 6th, 2006, the US House International Relations Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation “held a hearing on the federal government’s ability to accurately and fairly adjudicate millions of applications if an amnesty were enacted. The US Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible for determining the immigration status of foreign nationals living or seeking to live in the United States. Unfortunately, gross mismanagement, fraud, and corruption within USCIS left the agency vulnerable to internal and external exploitation by terrorists and foreign intelligence agencies.” The agency is already backlogged for applications because of the process and expense of national security checks required since 2001. As the word has gotten out of a possible amnesty, more illegal immigrants are pouring over the borders, and so dissolve the mind set of those that believe that amnesty will help the economy or whatever they are babbling about. Of course, anyone against the amnesty is now labeled a “racist” – as revealed by the Left’s blogs and no-common-sense pundits.
Recently it has also been disclosed that the quantity of applications completed is a factor, so much so that district offices and service centers are doling out rewards for the fastest processing times with cash, movie tickets, and gift certificates. While it would be nice to get the process done in a reasonable amount of time and to help those who wish to apply for legal immigration to get their paperwork finished as soon as possible, isn’t the quality of the work more important to the national security than quantity?
Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) has begun to resume reform legislation as senators return from Easter/Passover recess. I will try to keep everyone informed as soon as the information is in and confirmed.
Another request from Myth Buster from Joan, Illinois, who asks “True or False”?
29 members of Congress have been accused of spousal abuse,
7 have been arrested for fraud,
19 have been accused of writing bad checks,
117 have bankrupted at least two businesses,
3 have been arrested for assault,
71 have credit reports so bad they can't qualify for a credit card,
14 have been arrested on drug-related charges,
8 have been arrested for shoplifting,
21 are current defendants in lawsuits,
And in 1998 alone, 84 were stopped for drunk driving, but released after they claimed Congressional immunity. (from Capitol Hill Blue)
And these are the People who make Laws that We MUST obey?
Your tax dollars at work!
Catching up on some email, I ran across JA. Marvan, Illinois who is performing here in Wisconsin – so for all of you who are in driving distance of the University of Wisconsin – here is the scoop:
Subject: Re: Bits & Pieces
Restoring the old… Before leaving Illinois, had occasion to sing (Barber shop style - 4 part) ended up after 2 years singing a lead part in competition and winning the district championship with 25 guys in the Elgin Men of Harmony…
After leaving and looking to keep my self busy with all this condo living, I called the Barbershop Harmony foundation located in nearby Kenosha… Found a group right next door in Racine…and WOW what a difference a few more interested guys can make… Now singing with them Dairy Statesmen…51 guys - with really balanced mix - past international runners-up (That's the globe man) and District and State Champs so many times over…SO HAPPY TO SAY - I know all the songs now… and here we go yet again - our show is May 13, at the University of Wisconsin – Park side….toll road exit "E" Kenosha and clearly marked (East)…When you chose to attend, you will be in for a ton of surprises –
For more info:
I will post J’s email if he decides to release it.
Keith Lehman
Kritter Girl
quillsnkiko
Witchy Woman
Quotes for Today
