TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM

TODAY:

TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE HIM OR HER!

 

THEY'LL FEEL GOOD, AND YOU WILL, TOO!

THIS ONE SIMPLE ACT COULD BRING A MIRACLE INTO YOUR LIFE!

Toney Atkins

www.toneyatkins.com/

NRA Cowards Go Into Hiding As Gun Control Support Surges | Common Dreams

NRA Cowards Go Into Hiding As Gun Control Support Surges | Common Dreams

Five Sensible Steps -- Think Progress

Five Sensible Steps: pA Sensible Path Forward on Gun Safety Last night, President Obama once again committed himself and the nation to meaningful action to reduce gun violence in our society: This is our first task — caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, [...]/p

VISION GONE IN RIGHT EYE: A ::PRAYER REQUEST

BY TONEY ATKINS

I expected the approach of my landmark 70th birthday would be somewhat depressing, but I wasn't anticipaing everything to start falling apart at the same time. I sometimes get the feeling that if they had given away free tickets on the Titantic for front row seats for a better vew of the glaciers, I would have won one.

I have until Jan. 2, 2013, to get back to my nearly 70-year-old, better than expected state of health.
For that to happen, I need your positive vibes and prayers.

When I went to the doctor last Monday to be checked for possible bronchitis and examination of my eyes, which friends had tol me to staying red all the time. He prescribed an antibiotic and a pill that was supposed to each my increasing cough. In fact, I felt terrible Wenesday, Thursday and Friday; the cough was awful and painful; I alternated between chills and fever; then the scariest thing happened.'

My right eye seemed to short circuit. I don't know if it was a minor stroke. All I know is, as I type this, it's taking much longer because I simply cannot see anything out of my right eye, and my left eye is not the best in the world.

I no longer have a car, and I don't know if it warrants a call to 9-1-1.

This is the worst case of flulike, bronchial like illness I've had in years and particularlythe vision thing. Some might say it would be no great loss, but it disturbs me that my writing career may be over; that I might not get to see two of my favorite neighbors' baby girl, due to be born in May.

I am grateful for all that the Lord has let me see and hear in my lifetime, and I hope your prayers and positive vibes will make it possible to see and hear even more.

REGARDING THIS ILLNESS: I took both the flu vaccine and the pneumonia show and still feel like crap a week after this first started. I URGE YOU TO GET A FLU SHOT AND EVEN A PNEUMONIA SHOT. If this illness was this bad after taking the injections, I can only imagine how horrible it could have been if I hadn't had the shots.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE HEALING OF MY EYE, AND I KNOW YOU WILL BE BLESSED.

Toney Atkins

MAYA DESCENDANTS CALM ABOUT DEC. 21 --AP

UH-MAY, Mexico (AP) — Amid a worldwide frenzy of advertisers and new-agers preparing for a Maya apocalypse, one group is approaching Dec. 21 with calm and equanimity — the people whose ancestors supposedly made the prediction in the first place.

Mexico's 800,000 Mayas are not the sinister, secretive, apocalypse-obsessed race they've been made out to be....

 

FULL AP STORY:  http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-15-Mexico-Mayan%20Calendar%202012/id-f97b0100b389406fbf55e8771153763b

Five Lies The Gun Lobby Tells You

Five Lies The Gun Lobby Tells You: pAmerica’s seems to be in for another debate over gun regulation after the slaughter at Sandy Hook Elementary School left 27 (mostly children) dead. So it’s worth reviewing five made against regulating gun ownership in the United States: MYTH #1: More guns don’t lead to more murders. A survey by researchers at the Harvard University [...]/p

WE NEED PEACE ON EARTH... Toney Atkins

Let there be LOVE and PEACE on earth, especially in the United States of America during these troubled days, and let such LOVE and PEACE begin with me, with the prayer that they will spread to others.

HAVE A BLESSED AND MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Peace, love, justice, happiness -- God bless the downhearted, the sick, the homeless, the needy, our veterans who may be hurting today == God bless us all!

Toney Atkins
www.toneyatkins.com/

Huckabee Says Connecticut School Massacre Occurred Because We ‘Removed God From Our Schools’

Huckabee Says Connecticut School Massacre Occurred Because We ‘Removed God From Our Schools’: pFormer Arkansas governor and GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee attributed today’s deadly massacre in an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut to the lack of God and religion in public schools. Addressing the tragedy on Fox News, Huckabee dismissed calls for stricter gun control and claimed that future violence can be prevented by solving matters of [...]/p

ThinkProgress ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MASSACRE AND GUN CONTROL ARGUMENTS

ThinkProgress

Elementary School Shooting In Connecticut

Elementary School Shooting In Connecticut: pScores of people — including children — were killed on Friday morning when at least one gunman opened fire in an Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT. Children were reportedly told to run out of the building with their eyes closed after the incident occurred Friday. Reports from the Hartford Courant suggest that the [...]/p

UPDATES ON THIS STORY CAN BE FOUND AT NEWS LINKS AT www.toneyatkins.com/ .

AARP slammed for not fighting Social Security cuts

AARP slammed for not fighting Social Security cuts

CHRISTMAS CHEER, REALLY LIT

http://www.flixxy.com/best-christmas-lights-display.htm#.UMeq0K4nj54.blogger

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BIG TIME! The above link should get you in the spirit of the holidays. All I know is, this guy's electric bill would probably pay my rent for two years. -- Toney Atkins

FISCAL CLIFF: NATION WILL BE JUDGED

http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/11/faith-and-the-fiscal-cliff-the-nation-will-be-judged/

Good report from MSNBC.

SANTA, BUDDY by Toney Atkins

For some reason, Christmas nostalgia has overwhelmed me this year as I approach the end of my seventh decade on this beautiful planet.

As a result, perhaps because of listening to one of my holiday music favorites, “Santa, Baby” by Eartha Kitt, and the male version, “Santa, Buddy,” I decided to write my own letter to the North Pole, not in song or poem, but simply in words:

Dear Santa, Buddy,

I don’t need all the things that the singers request. However, I would really enjoy getting a Roku streaming player, a used car that would get me from here to there and back again, an inexpensive recorder for recording interviews, and I really could use enough ch-ching to put me a few months ahead on rent, a few bills, food and other expenses. The latter would be much more appreciated than fruitcakes or cheeseballs, but that sounds rather tacky when I put it down in words.

Unfortunately, Santa, buddy, I don’t have a chimney or a tree, and there are deadbolt and chain locks on the door, so I don't know how you can get inside my humble abode. But, Santa, buddy, you're the man, and I would bet you can find a way.

Like many senior citizens and younger folks who live in my neighborhood, it’s hard to get by on Social Security payments, and I won’t receive my next one until the day after my landmark birthday. Because of somewhat complicated circumstances that I won’t bore you with, I depend on others for transportation to the grocery store, the pharmacy and the doctor’s office. I’m beginning to look like an old hippie, because I haven’t been to the barber since July.

Please don't misunderstand me. I don’t feel sorry for myself. I like my life despite the few inconveniences, and you should see some of the delicious recipes I’ve developed with Ramen noodles purchased with my allocated $16 in food stamps.

I walk down the hill to the closest convenience store, but the worsening bad back, legs and feet sometimes make it difficult. My eyesight is getting blurrier and dimmer, and that causes frustration when I walk down that hill after dark and find myself off the pavement and in the grass, looking for the North Star to get my bearings.

But I really shouldn’t complain about anything, although my few friends would probably call 9-1-1 if I didn’t. They would fear that I was really sick.

All I have to do is look around me and I literally see neighbors, young and old, who are having to deal with greater hardships than I. Many have health problems, mental and physical. Several younger residents suffer PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome) from military tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a few others from the Vietnam era may be going through the same thing. Many of my younger neighbors are unemployed and depressed because they have to try to collect unemployment benefits and are sometimes seem to be somewhat self-loathing because they know they are not being productive and therefore unable to adequately provide for their families. Some simply have nowhere else to go. Santa, it would be fantastic if you could surprise all these folks, especially the children, with some canned goods and toys on Christmas Day. And maybe a job offer for the unemployed or under-employed adults in the house who really want one?

I’ve been a fairly good boy this year, Santa, buddy. No alcohol, no drug abuse, no sex, and I can’t remember the last time I kissed someone or that someone kissed me, even under the mistletoe. I’ve tried not to think naughty thoughts, but that's getting easier as memories fade with age. I haven’t stolen from anyone, and I don’t think I’ve been too judgmental, except toward Republicans and those who profess but don’t really practice Christianity. I’ve been grateful for neighbors who occasionally give me a good meal, a ride to wherever I need to go and who show genuine concern about my health and well-being. I hope that you, Santa, will be especially good to them.

Thanks for listening, Santa, buddy. Please overlook your naughty list and sprinkle your happiness-inducing magic mixed in with peace and love over every household.
Your friend,
Toney

***************************************************
Dear God,
Forgive me of my many sins and transgressions, although I guess that is redundant. I pray that I will be a better person, spreading love and peace, and that I’ll continue to fight hate, hypocrisy and bigotry and try to be a giver, not a taker.

Bless my friends, acquaintances, relatives, and even those who might want to do me harm with the surrounding of your mantle of protection and love. Keep them healthy and safe. Bless them with the spirit of love, peace and happiness.

I’d pray to win the lottery, but You have more important things to do in this screwed-up world of ours than to give me a handout of winning numbers in a dream or through a burning bush.

Even though I may have nearly nothing in the way of money or material things, put it in my heart to share what I do have with those who need it more than I. I know that through You, I will always have what I truly need. I pray that I will someday be able to give back even more to the people of the world than they have given me.

Dear God, I pray that your mantle of protection and love will be around this whole troubled world, giving everyone the miracle of peace on earth, just as I pray that your mantle of protection and love will be around me.

I ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

Amen.
***************************************************
And dear reader, no matter what your religion, or lack of same, or whatever your feelings about the holiday season may be, my wishes for you and yours are to have a ...

MERRY CHRISTMAS
and a
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

www.toneyatkins.com/

Pearl Harbor Attack 71 Years Ago (PHOTOS)

Pearl Harbor Attack 71 Years Ago (PHOTOS)

Fox News Op-Ed Says Women’s Nature Is To Be Dominated By Men

Fox News Op-Ed Says Women’s Nature Is To Be Dominated By Men: pFox News has published another sexist op-ed by Suzanne Venker, the author who became infamous for attacking a fictional “War on Men.” In the follow up piece, Venker argues that women are naturally men’s inferiors. The author believes the crudest of crude gender stereotypes are built into male and female brains, arguing that women “like [...]/p

Federal Government Will Expand Health Benefits For Veterans Suffering From Brain Injuries

Federal Government Will Expand Health Benefits For Veterans Suffering From Brain Injuries: pThe New York Times reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs today will propose new rules and regulations aimed at expanding health care benefits for current and former service members suffering from a traumatic brain injury. The new regulations will include certain forms of “Parkinsonism, unprovoked seizures, certain dementias, depression, and hormone deficiency diseases related [...]/p

TONEY ATKINS SAYS: It's about time!!!!!!!!!!!

For gay-marriage advocates, an ‘incredible day’ — MSNBC

For gay-marriage advocates, an ‘incredible day’ — MSNBC

Hardball: Supreme Court to take on same-sex marriage cases

Hardball: Supreme Court to take on same-sex marriage cases

THIS IS A VIDEO FROM MSNBC AS SEEN DEC. 7, 2012

Bill O’Reilly Blames Gays For The ‘War On Christmas’

Bill O’Reilly Blames Gays For The ‘War On Christmas’: pFox News really doesn’t seem to have anything better to do in December than continue to manufacture the silly “War on Christmas” and then take real umbrage to the fake campaign. Despite Jon Stewart’s epic dismantling earlier this week, Bill O’Reilly continues his reverse-crusade, and now he’s implicating women and LGBT people in the process. [...]/p

WILL THE WORLD END ON DEC. 21?

The Mayan Calendar implies that the world as we know it will come to an end on Dec. 21, 2012. If you are reading this on Dec. 22 or thereafter, congratulations! You survived!

I found a link to everything you need to know about the Mayan prediction, how to survive the apocalypse, etc.

Check out: http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/natural-disasters/2012-mayan-calendar.htm#mkcpgn=em2

Happy holidays!
Toney Atkins
www.toneyatkins.com/

Republicans Tout Bush Tax Cuts, But Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Support 400,000 Jobs

Republicans Tout Bush Tax Cuts, But Extending Unemployment Benefits Would Support 400,000 Jobs: pThe sticking point of the negotiations over the so-called “fiscal cliff” has been the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, which Republicans insist must be extended and President Obama and the Democrats insist must end. (Both sides agree on maintaining tax cuts for 98 percent of Americans.) Of course, the reason the fiscal cliff is [...]/p

WHY I WON'T VOTE REPUBLICAN: Defying Rick Scott, Florida Legislators Introduce Bill To Restore Early Voting Days

Defying Rick Scott, Florida Legislators Introduce Bill To Restore Early Voting Days: pLast year, the Republican-led Florida legislature slashed the state’s early voting period in half and cut out voting on the final Sunday before the election — a day when many African American churches turned out parishioners in high numbers. As a result, long lines were the norm for Floridians this year; some even had to [...]/p

Toney A writes: Limiting or putting obstacles in the way of voting in 2012 are a tip of the iceberg of the many reasons I will never vote for a Republican. How can Republicans consider themselves to be patriots of the United States when they attempt to obstruct the rights of all citizens, i.e., the right to vote? For the years that Obama has been president, the Republican lawmakers have done everything possible to prevent laws from passing that would benefit the disabled, all veterans, job-seekers who aren't expecting "gifts" from the government, the unemployed and who act in direct contradiction to the commandments in the Holy Bibles they raise. They lie to us; they hurt those who are already hurting. They snub the middle class and those who are poor. Republicans take advantage of the ignorance of people who get their misinformation from Fox News and know little-to-nothing about civics or economics, therefore being easily persuaded about falsehoods perpetuated about the nation's first black president and barely understanding the fear-mongering about deficits and, as one Southern neighbor calls it, the "physical clift" (fiscal cliff) that actually was created during a Republican administration. To all Republicans and those who allow them to pull the wool over their constituents' eyes, I say: "SHAME ON YOU!" If there is not a major attitude change, my votes will go elsewhere.

James Irvine Left Pit Bull To Babysit Infant Son, Deputies Say

James Irvine Left Pit Bull To Babysit Infant Son, Deputies Say

WHY AM I NOT AMAZED THAT THIS HAPPENED IN FLORIDA, MY FORMER "HOME STATE"? (Actually, I should not pick on Florida. We have our share of crazies in northwest Georgia, southeast Tennessee and Alabama, too. Have people forgotten how to live and act like human beings?) -- Toney

Men Are More Sensitive To Rape Jokes Than Women, Vanity Fair Poll Finds

Men Are More Sensitive To Rape Jokes Than Women, Vanity Fair Poll Finds: pThe late Christopher Hitchens’ article in Vanity Fair arguing that women aren’t funny has done a lot of harm over the years, lending pedigreed intellectual credence to an argument made by lots of incredibly dumb comedians and commentators everywhere. But one useful thing the response to the piece has accomplished is to push Vanity Fair [...]/p

Police Groups Vie For Mandatory Collection Of All Private Text Messages

Police Groups Vie For Mandatory Collection Of All Private Text Messages: pAs Congress mulls changes to an outdated law intended to protect electronic privacy, a group of law enforcement officers is lobbying for a provision that would erode privacy by requiring that text messages be saved and stored for at least two years. According to CNET, police and prosecutors’ groups say they have increasingly come to [...]/p

Toney says: The story at the above link is further evidence that Big Brother is, and has been, watching us. And we live in the "land of the free"? Not any longer.

U.S. Government: Apocalypse Not Destroying The World In 2012, So Stop Scaring The Kids

U.S. Government: Apocalypse Not Destroying The World In 2012, So Stop Scaring The Kids

... And we all know that if the U.S. government says it, it has to be true. Let us pray. -- Toney Atkins

Flu season could be a bad one, health officials say - Vitals

Flu season could be a bad one, health officials say - Vitals

Back to the Future

Back to the Future: p***Ed. Note: Thanks for staying tuned during our hiatus last month. We’re back and eager to cover all of the latest developments on the fiscal showdown and other important issues.*** The GOP’s Warmed Over Fiscal Plan Last week, the president put out his plan to avoid the fiscal cliff, including $1.6 TRILLION in new tax [...]/p

Young Americans Continue To Put Themselves At Risk For HIV Virus, CDC Warns | ThinkProgress

Young Americans Continue To Put Themselves At Risk For HIV Virus, CDC Warns | ThinkProgress

On World AIDS Day, Here Are Five Huge Advances We've Made To Combat The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | ThinkProgress

On World AIDS Day, Here Are Five Huge Advances We've Made To Combat The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic | ThinkProgress

History of HIV/AIDS Slideshow: A Pictorial Timeline of the AIDS Pandemic

DEC. 1 IS WORLD AIDS DAY. THE LINK BELOW IS "MUST VIEW" FOR EVERYONE WHO THINKS THEY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HIV/AIDS, BUT REALLY DON'T. HIV IS NOT, AND NEVER HAS BEEN, ONLY A "GAY DISEASE" OR "GAY CANCER." UNDERSTANDING THE FACTS IS ONE STEP FORWARD IN ELIMINATING THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS. == Toney Atkins

History of HIV/AIDS Slideshow: A Pictorial Timeline of the AIDS Pandemic

WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED (An Email from Linda)

Don't usually forward too many emails but this one spoke volumes to me. Hope you experience the same feelings.
Linda

Hope is the little voice you hear whisper "maybe" when
the whole world seems to be shouting "No".

> WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED

Would Love to See This Kind of Coverage in Our Newspapers and on Our TV News broadcasts
(For those who are unaware: At all military base theaters, the National Anthem is played before the movie begins.)
>
> This is written by a Chaplain in Iraq :
>
> I recently attended a showing of 'Superman 3' here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings. As is the custom at all military bases, we stood to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going well until three-quarters of the way through The National Anthem, the music stopped.
>
> Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments, and everyone would sit down and yell for the movie to begin. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place.
>
> Here in Iraq, 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again and the Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. But again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect 1000 Soldiers standing at attention to do?? Frankly, I expected some laughter, and everyone would eventually sit down and wait for the movie to start.
>
> But No!!... You could have heard a pin drop, while every Soldier continued to stand at attention.
>
> Suddenly, there was a lone voice from the front of the auditorium, then a dozen voices, and soon the room was filled with the voices of a thousand soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:
>
> "And the rockets' red glare,
> the bombs bursting in air,
> gave proof through the night
> that our flag was still there.
> Oh, say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave,
> o'er the land of the free,
> and the home of the brave."
>
> It was the most inspiring moment I have had in Iraq and I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you. Remember them as they fight for us!
>
> Pass this along as a reminder to others to be ever in prayer for all our soldiers serving us here at home and abroad. Many have already paid the ultimate price.
>
> Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins.
> LSA Anaconda is at the Ballad Airport in Iraq , north of Baghdad.
>
> Please share only if you are so inclined. God Bless America and all of our troops serving throughout the world.
>

Hangover Myths Slideshow: Hangover Cures, Herbal Remedies, Hair of the Dog, and More

Hangover Myths Slideshow: Hangover Cures, Herbal Remedies, Hair of the Dog, and More

U.S. lays out plan for achieving worldwide AIDS-free generation | Reuters

U.S. lays out plan for achieving worldwide AIDS-free generation | Reuters

Extending Unemployment Insurance Would Create 300,000 Jobs Next Year

Extending Unemployment Insurance Would Create 300,000 Jobs Next Year: pWhile Washington obsesses over the so-called “fiscal cliff” — the set of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to take place at the end of the year — America’s unemployed are facing a cliff of a different kind. In January, the expanded federal unemployment insurance program will expire, cutting off benefits for millions of Americans. [...]/p

Black Friday Gun Sales Hit Record High

Black Friday Gun Sales Hit Record High: pGun sales reached an all-time high on a record Black Friday shopping day, fresh off an election where conservatives claimed Obama harbors a secret plot to take away guns. Firearm dealers swamped the FBI with 155,000 required background checks on Friday, 20 percent more than last year. The reasons why, dealers say, include a growing number [...]/p

Norquist: Republicans Should Hold Federal Government Hostage Every Month

Norquist: Republicans Should Hold Federal Government Hostage Every Month: pAnti-tax activist Grover Norquist’s hold over Republicans has slipped in the past week, as several prominent GOP senators and one congressman have signaled willingness to break from Norquist’s strict pledge to never raise taxes. The debt ceiling fight in 2011 almost led to an unprecedented U.S. credit default because House Republicans refused to break from [...]/p

Infected and unaware: HIV hitting America's youth | Reuters

Infected and unaware: HIV hitting America's youth | Reuters

Christine Hayes: 5 Common Misconceptions About the Bible

Christine Hayes: 5 Common Misconceptions About the Bible

REVISED: WORDS, MUSIC FOR A HAPPY HOLIDAY

THIS POST REVISED AT 7:45 P.M. ON NOV. 27, 2012

BY TONEY ATKINS

I couldn't resist finding a holiday playlist on Slacker Radio. I don't really expect Santa to come in a boogie woogie choo-choo train and I refuse to have a blue Christmas.

This year, I plan to focus on the wonderful Christmases past and to create a merry Christmas for myself (even though I won't have any money to buy gifts for anyone, including myself, after the usual monthly expenses; sorry about that).

All I have to do is remember that there are too many people in the world who have nothing. They don't have a roof over their heads; they can't afford a holiday meal; their health may not be good; they may have suffered emotional losses; they may be alone and lonely; they are most likely worse off than I.

I pray that someone will make those folks' Christmas at least a little bit merry and special.

Life itself is a gift. Sharing its positive aspects can make things better for the giver as well as the recipient. Perhaps we can let the spirit of Thanksgiving spread all the way into the new year.

Happy holidays, everybody, and check out a station of some of my favorite holiday music on Slacker Radio:

http://slacker.com/r/2yHLv

(REVISION ON NOV. 24, 2012==I changed to this station after discovering that music based on my personal Christmas playlist at the previously posted link featured too many non-holiday songs. The only way to share playlists in their originally created form seems to be by sending them to people who have a paid subscription to Slacker, which I love, but I promised free. This is a fine, free Slacker station. Enjoy!)

IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FREE VERSION OF MY ORIGINALLY POSTED PLAYLIST, WHICH CONTAINS SOME CHRISTMAS SONGS FROM THE LIST, PLUS NON-HOLIDAY SONGS BASED ON THE ARTISTS I SELECTED, YOU CAN GET THE VARIETY SLACKER STATION, ESSENTIALLY PROGRAMMED BY ME, AT:

http://slacker.com/r/jj5qv

STAY SAFE AND STAY HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND PLEASE SPREAD SOME PEACE, LOVE AND JOY! www.toneyatkins.com/

CEOs Looking To ‘Fix The Debt’ By Cutting Social Security Sit On Huge Retirement Accounts

CEOs Looking To ‘Fix The Debt’ By Cutting Social Security Sit On Huge Retirement Accounts: pSeveral CEOs — under the guise of a campaign known as “Fix the Debt” — have recently called for cuts to Social Security and other entitlements. Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, for instance, said that “there will be things that, you know, the retirement age has to be changed, maybe some of the benefits have [...]/p

WHAT IF YOU WIN THE POWERBALL JACKPOT?

By Toney Atkins:

What would you do if you won the nearly half billion dollar Powerball jackpot this Wednesday or any big amount in another lottery game?
Share your potential winning hopes and dreams at http://www.toneyatkins.com/id42.html . Your responses will help me to write a story or commentary == or the site may just have pages featuring no comment from me but only the comments you write. 

If you have any lucky numbers to share, feel free to do so.
Thank you for your consideration, and I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

That link again is:
http://www.toneyatkins.com/id42.html

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Lottery Drawing On Wednesday Causes Millions To Chase Record $425 Million Powerball Jackpot

Lottery Drawing On Wednesday Causes Millions To Chase Record $425 Million Powerball Jackpot

Does God Exist? Ricky Gervais Takes Your Questions - Speakeasy - WSJ

Does God Exist? Ricky Gervais Takes Your Questions - Speakeasy - WSJ

This link is related to a previous post. The really good stuff is near the end. Toney

‘Happy atheist’ Ricky Gervais rewrites Pat Robertson — MSNBC

‘Happy atheist’ Ricky Gervais rewrites Pat Robertson — MSNBC

MUST-READ LINK ABOVE, ALTHOUGH EARLY POST LEFT OUT SOME OF THE MOST MOVING PARTS. HOPEFULLY, THERE WILL BE A LINK TO THE FULL COMMENTARY BY LAWRENCE O'DONNELL. -- TONEY ATKINS.

All kinds of news and commentary can be found at my nonprofit site, www.toneyatkins.com/ . Hope you will check it out. SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE!

‘Happy atheist’ Ricky Gervais rewrites Pat Robertson — MSNBC

‘Happy atheist’ Ricky Gervais rewrites Pat Robertson — MSNBC

The above link is GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not an atheist, but I wish I had the talent to put into words what Gervais wrote. -- Toney Atkins, www.toneyatkins.com/ .

Filibuster fight may threaten accord on avoiding fiscal cliff - NBC Politics

Filibuster fight may threaten accord on avoiding fiscal cliff - NBC Politics

HERE WE GO AGAIN! -- Toney Atkins (www.toneyatkins.com/ )

Afghanistan War: U.S. Troop Presence After 2014 May Total 10,000

Afghanistan War: U.S. Troop Presence After 2014 May Total 10,000

P.S. YOU CAN FOLLOW WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS AT www.toneyatkins.com/ , my nonprofit web site. -- Toney Atkins.

Institutional reforms could ’shut down the Senate’

Institutional reforms could ’shut down the Senate’

FROM THE MADDOW SHOW BLOG: THE FILIBUSTER ISSUE

Toney's opinion: Vote out all Republicans who filibuster bills that potentially could benefit most if not all Americans. We need to pay attention to bills that are filibustered and ask: WHY?

1.3 Million Women Received Unnecessary And Invasive Cancer Treatment, Study Finds

1.3 Million Women Received Unnecessary And Invasive Cancer Treatment, Study Finds: pRoutine mammograms have caused more than a million U.S. women to receive “unnecessary and invasive cancer treatments over the last 30 years,” a new study finds, detecting tumors that are harmless. The results come after the government’s Preventive Task Force issued recommendations in 2009 advising primary care physicians against recommending mammograms to women under 40 [...]/p

McCain: Republicans Should Stop Talking About Abortion

McCain: Republicans Should Stop Talking About Abortion: pFormer GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) admitted that “the demographics are not on our side” in the aftermath of President Obama’s re-election and implored the GOP to pursue a “positive agenda” that includes “immigration reform.” He added, during an appearance on Fox News Sunday, that Republicans should stop pursuing the issue of abortion [...]/p

POWERBALL HITS RECORD HIGH...Associated Press

Associated Press

POWERBALL PRIZE GOES TO RECORD HIGH. CLICK THE LINK ABOVE.

TONEY'S CHRISTMAS JOLLIES

THIS POST REVISED AT 5:07 P.M. ON NOV. 24, 2012

I couldn't resist finding a holiday playlist on Slacker Radio. I don't really expect Santa to come in a boogie woogie choo-choo train and I refuse to have a blue Christmas.

This year, I plan to focus on the wonderful Christmases past and to create a merry Christmas for myself (even though I won't have any money to buy gifts for anyone, including myself,  after the usual monthly expenses; sorry about that).

All I have to do is remember that there are too many people in the world who have nothing. They don't have a roof over their heads; they can't afford a holiday meal; their health may not be good; they may have suffered emotional losses; they may be alone and lonely; they are most likely worse off than I.

I pray that someone will make those folks' Christmas at least a little bit merry and special.

Life itself is a gift. Sharing its positive aspects can make things better for the giver as well as the recipient. Perhaps we can let the spirit of Thanksgiving spread all the way into the new year.

Happy holidays, everybody, and check out a station of some of my favorite holiday music on Slacker Radio:

http://slacker.com/r/2yHLv

(REVISION ON NOV. 24, 2012==I changed to this station after discovering that music based on my personal Christmas playlist at the previously posted link featured too many non-holiday songs. The only way to share playlists in their originally created form seems to be by sending them to people who have a paid subscription to Slacker, which I love, but I promised free. This is a fine, free Slacker station. Enjoy!)

IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FREE VERSION OF MY ORIGINALLY POSTED PLAYLIST, WHICH CONTAINS SOME CHRISTMAS SONGS  FROM THE LIST, PLUS NON-HOLIDAY SONGS BASED ON THE ARTISTS I SELECTED, YOU CAN GET IT AT:

http://slacker.com/r/jj5qv

STAY SAFE AND STAY HEALTHY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND PLEASE SPREAD SOME PEACE, LOVE AND JOY! www.toneyatkins.com/

Do you hear what I hear? Your brain on Christmas music - The Body Odd

Do you hear what I hear? Your brain on Christmas music - The Body Odd

TONEY ATKINS HAS PROGRAMMED SOME OF HIS FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MUSIC ON SLACKER RADIO AT http://slacker.com/r/jj5qv

BLACK FRIDAY BULLETIN--FUPPED NEWS (MY ALTERNATIVE FOR FOX NEWS)

Is it true that many extreme right-wing Republicans are so upset about the election that they refuse to do any shopping on Black Friday? -- Toney Atkins

 

OBAMA WINS RE-ELECTION;

HUG A REPUBLICAN!

Spread LOVE, PEACE and HAPPINESS this holiday season!
www.toneyatkins.com/

My Way News - Americans to mark holiday with family, festivities

My Way News - Americans to mark holiday with family, festivities

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING AND HOLIDAY SEASON! REMEMBER THE SONG, "GOD IS GREAT, BEER IS GOOD, AND PEOPLE ARE CRAZY." Many folks tend to go nuts this time of the year, especially when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive into heavy traffic to go Christmas shopping, vying for spots on the highway with school buses, people going to work or holiday events, to the movies or to bars and restaurants. Leave your life's frustrations at home and try not to take your problems out on fellow drivers. Patience on the highway can make for more peace on highways and even good will toward men -- and avoid wrecks or other accidents and encounters with the many, many law enforement officers who will be on the highways and byways during the holidays. They'll be watching for drunk and buzzed driving, drivers whose attentions are diverted by cell phones or other electronics, and definitely looking out to be sure you are wearing a safety belt. Being very simplistic, we can all have a happier holiday season by being more courteous and friendly wherever we are, and if we behave in a manner that we know would make Jesus' heart smile real hard.

Zing! MSNBC’s top 10 comebacks to use against the family conservative — MSNBC

Zing! MSNBC’s top 10 comebacks to use against the family conservative — MSNBC

DANCING TURKEY SHOWS YOU HOW TO GET 'ER DONE

HAVING A TOUGH TIME REMEMBERING HOW TO COOK THAT TURKEY? THIS DANCING TURKEY VIDEO SHOULD HELP.
http://laughingsquid.com/a-musical-video-recipe-that-features-a-raw-dancing-turkey/

Happy 

Thanksgiving!

Toney Atkins

************

SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE!
www.toneyatkins.com/

The Naughty List of Holiday Foods Slideshow

The Naughty List of Holiday Foods Slideshow

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Did Not Impact Armed Services Retention

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Did Not Impact Armed Services Retention: pThe repeal of Don’t ask, Don’t Tell took effect September 20, 2011, and according to the Defense Department’s retention report for fiscal year 2012 (October 1, 2011 – September 30, 2012), the repeal had no negative impact on retention goals. Over that year, all four branches of the armed services met or exceeded their retention [...]/p

My Way News - New push for most in US to get at least 1 HIV test

My Way News - New push for most in US to get at least 1 HIV test

Denny’s Franchise Owner Scolded By Company CEO For Anti-Obamacare Comments

Denny’s Franchise Owner Scolded By Company CEO For Anti-Obamacare Comments: pAn owner of 40 Denny’s restaurants declared last week that he planned to add a five percent “Obamacare surcharge” to customers’ bills, earning him a rebuke from the chain’s CEO. John Miller, who runs the Denny’s corporation, rushed to clean up the mess left by franchisee John Metz, whose comments on Fox News Thursday set [...]/p

Top Three Things You Need To Know About The New Obamacare Rules

Top Three Things You Need To Know About The New Obamacare Rules: pThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a slew of important new Obamacare rules and regulations today, continuing a widely expected post-election effort to successfully implement President Obama’s landmark health care reform law by 2014. In a call with reporters, CMS and HHS outlined [...]/p

Members of Congress Implore Feds To Back Down On Marijuana Prosecution | ThinkProgress

Members of Congress Implore Feds To Back Down On Marijuana Prosecution | ThinkProgress

NYC To Demolish Hundreds of Homes-- New York Times

Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Saturday, November 17, 2012 -- 5:07 PM EST
-----

New York City Will Demolish Hundreds of Storm-Hit Homes

About 200 homes in the neighborhoods hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy will be
razed after a grim assessment of the storm-ravaged coast revealed that many
structures were so damaged they pose a danger,  the reporter William K. Rashbaum
writes in Sunday’s New York Times.

The homes will be bulldozed in the coming days, city officials said,  almost all
of them one- and two-family houses on Staten Island, in Queens and in Brooklyn.
That is in addition to 200 houses that are already partially or completely
burned down, washed away or otherwise damaged; those sites will also be cleared.

In addition, the Buildings Department is still inspecting nearly 500 other
damaged structures, some of which could also be demolished, according to the
commissioner, Robert L. LiMandri.

Read More:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/18/nyregion/in-new-york-hundreds-of-storm-battered-homes-face-the-bulldozer.html?emc=na

DING,DONG,ARE TWINKIES DEAD? Selling For $200,000 Amid Twinkie-pocalypse Fears

Twinkies eBay: Hostess Treats On Sale For $200,000 Amid Twinkie-pocalypse Fears#.UKdRnkGfFss.blogger#.UKdRnkGfFss.blogger

Hostess Blames Union For Bankruptcy After Tripling CEO’s Pay

Hostess Blames Union For Bankruptcy After Tripling CEO’s Pay: pToday, Hostess Brands inc. — the company famed for its sickly sweet desert snacks like Twinkies and Sno Balls — announced they’d be shuttering after more than eighty years of production. But while headlines have been quick to blame unions for the downfall of the company there’s actually more to the story: While the company [...]/p

Ken Burns And Dayton Duncan On ‘The Dust Bowl,’ Making Documentaries, And The Role Of Government

Ken Burns And Dayton Duncan On ‘The Dust Bowl,’ Making Documentaries, And The Role Of Government: pOn November 18 and 19 at 8 PM, PBS will be airing the next documentary from Ken Burns, The Dust Bowl. The two-part series is shattering account of the real estate boom and beliefs about climate change that lead homesteaders to destroy Midwestern sod, and the drought that turned that soil into dust storms resulting [...]/p

Arizona Gun Store Refuses To Sell Guns To Anyone Who Voted For Obama

Arizona Gun Store Refuses To Sell Guns To Anyone Who Voted For Obama: pThe owner of the Southwest Shooting Authority in Pinetop, Arizona is testing out a new business strategy: banning anyone who voted for President Obama from the store. Owner Cope Reynolds took out an ad in the local newspaper announcing his new policy, writing “If you voted for Barack Obama, your business is not welcome at [...]/p

Denny’s Franchise CEO Threatens To Cut Employees Back To Part-Time Over Obamacare

Denny’s Franchise CEO Threatens To Cut Employees Back To Part-Time Over Obamacare: pEmployees at the 40 Denny’s restaurants and five Hurricane Grill and Wings owned by John Metz now have fair warning: their hours are getting cut back in January of 2014. To avoid having to provide health care for his employees, Metz — who owns restaurants in Florida, Virginia and Georgia — told Fox News today [...]/p

McCain Skipped A Briefing On Benghazi To Hold A Press Conference

McCain Skipped A Briefing On Benghazi To Hold A Press Conference: pSen. John McCain (R-AZ) is demanding a special select committee to investigate the events leading up to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya and has held around-the-clock television appearances pressing for a complete review of the incident. But all of the senator’s media interviews and press availabilities may be interfering with his ability [...]/p

The Ultimate Guide To McCain’s Smear Campaign Against Susan Rice

The Ultimate Guide To McCain’s Smear Campaign Against Susan Rice: pSen. John McCain (R-AZ) launched an all-out assault on the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice yesterday in an attempt to block her from becoming the next Secretary of State. McCain claims that Rice’s role in disseminating information about the attacks on U.S. assets in Benghazi, Libya in September means she’s “not qualified” [...]/p

Obama Sandy Recovery: President Travels To New York To View Storm-Ravaged Areas

Obama Sandy Recovery: President Travels To New York To View Storm-Ravaged Areas

Superstorm Sandy's aftermath is an ongoing tragedy which will not end soon. Please continue to keep the victims in your thoughts and prayers. -- Toney Atkins

Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat - WebMD Slideshow

Dangerous Foods That Dogs Should Never Eat - WebMD Slideshow

Romney Blames Loss on Obama's 'Gifts' to Minorities and Young Voters - NYTimes.com

Romney Blames Loss on Obama's 'Gifts' to Minorities and Young Voters - NYTimes.com

Five Common Sense Election Reforms That Should Be Implemented Before The 2016 Election | ThinkProgress

Five Common Sense Election Reforms That Should Be Implemented Before The 2016 Election | ThinkProgress

Obama Rejects Boehner’s Fake Tax Compromise

Obama Rejects Boehner’s Fake Tax Compromise: pDuring his first press conference since he was re-elected, President Obama today criticized the tax approach that Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and many other Congressional Republicans have proposed. Boehner and the rest of the GOP have recently suggested cutting tax rates, but raising more federal revenue via a combination of closing loopholes [...]/p

Romney Says Obama Only Won Because He Gave ‘Big Gifts’ To Blacks And Latinos

Romney Says Obama Only Won Because He Gave ‘Big Gifts’ To Blacks And Latinos: pMitt Romney is attributing his loss in the 2012 election to the “gifts” President Obama gave to minority voters, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. Speaking to donors on Wednesday, the former Massachusetts governor praised his own campaign, but speculated that Obama won because he was “very generous” to his base: Mitt Romney told his [...]/p

Trojan Vibrator Giveaway In D.C. Distributes 3,000 Free Sex Toys (PHOTOS)

Trojan Vibrator Giveaway In D.C. Distributes 3,000 Free Sex Toys (PHOTOS)

Five Ways The Religious Right Imploded In 2012

Five Ways The Religious Right Imploded In 2012: pOur guest blogger is Jack Jenkins, a Writer and Researcher with the Faith and Progressive Policy Initiative. When election returns began pouring in on Tuesday, progressives were quick to declare the election a resounding victory for President Obama, Democratic candidates, and progressive ideals such as marriage equality and the DREAM Act. A deeper look at [...]/p

Support For Repealing Obamacare Plunges To An All-Time Low

Support For Repealing Obamacare Plunges To An All-Time Low: pNow that President Obama has been elected to a second term, political opponents of his landmark health care reform law are beginning to concede that Obamacare is here to stay. And the general public agrees. As a new Kaiser Family Foundation poll reports, the majority of Americans don’t support repealing Obamacare. In fact, after the [...]/p

Two Million Americans Could Lose Unemployment Insurance In December If Congress Fails To Extend Program

Two Million Americans Could Lose Unemployment Insurance In December If Congress Fails To Extend Program: pThe expanded federal unemployment insurance program that provides benefits to millions of long-term unemployed Americans is set to expire at the end of December. If Congress fails to extend it, roughly two million Americans could lose their monthly unemployment checks. States provide unemployment insurance for the first 27 weeks after a worker loses his or [...]/p

Rick Perry Takes Stand On Texas Secession Issue

Rick Perry Takes Stand On Texas Secession Issue

Meet The Republican Governors Who Still Won’t Implement Obamacare

Meet The Republican Governors Who Still Won’t Implement Obamacare: pPresident Obama’s re-election confirms his landmark health care reform isn’t going anywhere, but Republican lawmakers will likely continue their attempts to undermine Obamacare even if they no longer push for an full repeal of the law. In fact, uncompromising Republican governors will likely keep preventing Obamacare from taking effect in their states by standing firm [...]/p

Grover Norquist: Obama Won By Calling Romney ‘A Poopy Head’

Grover Norquist: Obama Won By Calling Romney ‘A Poopy Head’: pAppearing this morning on CBS, anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist said Obama won reelection because he called Romney “a poopy head.” Watch: Setting aside alleged scatological name-calling, the election was an overwhelming rejection of the the political philosophy advocated by Norquist and his allies. 24 Republican Senate incumbents and candidates signed Norquist’s anti-tax pledge and lost. [...]/p

Texas Megachurch Pastor: Obama’s Re-election Will Lead To ‘Reign Of The Antichrist’

Texas Megachurch Pastor: Obama’s Re-election Will Lead To ‘Reign Of The Antichrist’: pTexas Megachurch pastor and former Rick Perry supporter Robert Jeffress predicted on the Sunday before Election Day that President Obama’s re-election “would lead to the reign of the Antichrist” in the United States: “I want you to hear me tonight, I am not saying that President Obama is the Antichrist, I am not saying that [...]/p

IGNORANCE ISN'T BLISS: Residents Want To Secede From United States

Residents In More Than A Dozen States Petition White House To Secede From United States

Toney's comment about above link: I am proud to be a  Southerner ... except when ignorant folks who are still fighting the Civil War make such unpatriotic, ridiculous threats. C'mon, fellow Southerners. Grow up and be the Christians that many of you pretend to be! The South will never "rise again" with such attitudes.

FREE MEALS, DEALS FOR VETERANS

TONEY ATKINS: WHAT I THINK ABOUT THAT: FREE MEALS, DEALS FOR VETERANS

Eric Shinseki, VA Chief, Charts Solid Gains For Veterans

Eric Shinseki, VA Chief, Charts Solid Gains For Veterans

Memorial Day and Veteran's Day and The Boys

Memorial Day and Veteran's Day and The Boys

Insight: After Sandy, Big Oil's pumps fail motorists | Reuters

Insight: After Sandy, Big Oil's pumps fail motorists | Reuters

Citing Affair, Petraeus Resigns as C.I.A. Director - NYTimes.com

Citing Affair, Petraeus Resigns as C.I.A. Director - NYTimes.com

CIA Director General Petraeus Resigns | Common Dreams

CIA Director General Petraeus Resigns | Common Dreams

Yes, Companies Are Harvesting and Selling Your Facebook Profile | Common Dreams

Yes, Companies Are Harvesting and Selling Your Facebook Profile | Common Dreams

HUG A REPUBLICAN!

PRESIDENT OBAMA RE-ELECTED!
HUG A REPUBLICAN!

My headline says it all for this post. -- Toney Atkins

Hostage Situation | ThinkProgress

Hostage Situation | ThinkProgress

FREE MEALS, DEALS FOR VETERANS

FREE DEALS AND MEALS FOR VETERANS THIS VETERANS DAY WEEKEND! CHECK IT OUT:


http://militarybenefits.info/veterans-day-discounts-sales-deals-free-meals/


THANK
YOU,
VETERANS!
YOU ARE
THE
GREATEST!

Country Music Stoops To A New Low - And Response (3) - 11/08/2012 - Chattanoogan.com

Country Music Stoops To A New Low - And Response (3) - 11/08/2012 - Chattanoogan.com

Postscript from Toney: I would LOVE to have a beer with Jesus! This song ("Beer with Jesus") is NOT a new low for country music. It offers some serious food (drink?) for thought. What would He and I talk about? What questions would I remember to ask, and would I listen instead of monopolizing the conversation? I'd rather have a beer with Jesus than anyone I know.

Don't Christians have a sense of humor or rational minds any more? God, please help us!

The "responses" or "comments" in the above link from the Chattanoogan are interesting.

Church at Kaweah Spreads Hateful, Militant Christian Views | Southern Poverty Law Center

Church at Kaweah Spreads Hateful, Militant Christian Views | Southern Poverty Law Center

For the Radical Right, Obama Victory Brings Fury and Fear | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center

For the Radical Right, Obama Victory Brings Fury and Fear | Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center

A Mandate | ThinkProgress

A Mandate | ThinkProgress

Rack ‘Em Up

Rack ‘Em Up: pProgressive Victories from Coast to Coast While re-electing President Obama is obviously very good news for progressives, so much more happened to bring progressive change to communities across America. These victories are further evidence of an emerging progressive majority in this country that will help take us forward as we all fight for change in [...]/p

*******************

NOTE FROM BLOGGER TONEY ATKINS: The above article link is from http://thinkprogress.org/ , a site that I believe to be one of the most honest investigative sources on the World Wide Web.

SOME PEOPLE WHO VISIT MY WEB SITE (www.toneyatkins.com/ ) AND THIS BLOG HAVE SUGGESTED THAT I AM TOO "DEMOCRAT" AND THEREFORE AM UNFAIR TO HATEFUL AND OBSTRUCTIVE CONSERVATIVES WHO ARE LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN MINDS, BUT USUALLY DO NOT HAVE AS THEIR MOTIVES THE BETTERMENT OF EVERY PERSON IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A DEMOCRAT, ALTHOUGH I AGREE WITH MANY OF THAT PARTY'S PRINCIPLES AND AM HAPPY THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS RE-ELECTED.

I OBVIOUSLY AM NOT A REPUBLICAN, A CHOICE BASED LARGELY ON MY DISAPPROVAL OF LYING, HATEFUL REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES AND OFFICE HOLDERS AND THE DAMAGE THEY HAVE WROUGHT SINCE THE YEAR 1999. MY SENTIMENTS ARE ALSO BASED ON A SCARY IGNORANCE SWEEPING THE LAND, ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH, i.e., SEVEN, MAYBE EIGHT, OF 10 REPUBLICAN-THINKING ACQUAINTANCES OF MINE -- THOSE WHO DON'T REALLY KEEP UP WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN GOVERMENT AND CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND SPREAD FALSE HEARSAY THAT BENEFITS NO ONE. HATE SPREADS WHEN YOU BELIEVE AND REPEAT LIES.

I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE A LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE INDEPENDENT, BUT WITH SOME SUPPORT OF SOME POSITIVE CONSERVATIVE IDEALS.

IN OTHER WORDS, POLITICALLY THINKING, I MIGHT BE CONSIDERED TO BE A MESS, BUT I LOVE IT, BECAUSE IT KEEPS MY AGING BRAIN WORKING, SEPARATING TRUTH FROM FALSEHOODS, STILL SEARCHING FOR THE BEST IN EVERYONE AND TRYING NOT TO BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN I DON'T FIND IT.

Chris Matthews Addresses Controversial Hurricane Sandy Comments: 'I Wasn't Talking About The Horror Of The Storm'

Chris Matthews Addresses Controversial Hurricane Sandy Comments: 'I Wasn't Talking About The Horror Of The Storm'

Rush Limbaugh On Obama's Win: 'I Went To Bed Last Night Thinking We'd Lost The Country' (AUDIO)

Rush Limbaugh On Obama's Win: 'I Went To Bed Last Night Thinking We'd Lost The Country' (AUDIO)

In Historic Move, States Legalize Marijuana. Now What? | ThinkProgress

In Historic Move, States Legalize Marijuana. Now What? | ThinkProgress

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S VICTORY SPEECH

President Obama's Victory Speech, Nov. 7, 2012 -- Transcript from the Federal News Service with video from The New York Times:

00:00 Elected Because of 'You'

00:28

Tonight, more than 200 years after a former colony won the right to determine its own destiny, the task of perfecting our union moves forward. (Cheers, applause.)

00:50

It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression, the spirit that has lifted this country from the depths of despair to the great heights of hope, the belief that while each of us will pursue our own individual dreams, we are an American family, and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people. (Cheers, applause.)

01:32

Tonight, in this election, you, the American people, reminded us that while our road has been hard, while our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back, and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come.

02:07

(Cheers, applause.) I want to thank every American who participated in this election. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you voted for the very first time -- (cheers) -- or waited in line for a very long time -- (cheers) -- by the way, we have to fix that. (Cheers, applause.) Whether you pounded the pavement or picked up the phone -- (cheers, applause) -- whether you held an Obama sign or a Romney sign, you made your voice heard and you made a difference. (Cheers, applause.)

02:58 On Speaking With Romney

02:58

I just spoke with Governor Romney and I congratulated him and Paul Ryan on a hard-fought campaign. (Cheers, applause.) We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply and we care so strongly about its future. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service. And that is a legacy that we honor and applaud tonight. (Cheers, applause.) In the weeks ahead, I also look forward to sitting down with Governor Romney to talk about where we can work together to move this country forward. (Cheers, applause.)

03:55

I want to thank my friend and partner of the last four years, America’s happy warrior, the best vice president anybody could ever hope for, Joe Biden. (Cheers, applause.)

04:21 The First Family

04:21

And I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the woman who agreed to marry me 20 years ago. (Cheers, applause.) Let me say this publicly. Michelle, I have never loved you more. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been prouder to watch the rest of America fall in love with you too as our nation’s first lady. (Cheers, applause.)

04:58

Sasha and Malia -- (cheers, applause) -- before our very eyes, you’re growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. (Cheers, applause.) And I am so proud of you guys. But I will say that for now, one dog’s probably enough. (Laughter.)

05:26

To the best campaign team and volunteers in the history of politics -- (cheers, applause) -- the best -- the best ever -- (cheers, applause) -- some of you were new this time around, and some of you have been at my side since the very beginning. (Cheers, applause.)

06:04

But all of you are family. No matter what you do or where you go from here, you will carry the memory of the history we made together. (Cheers, applause.) And you will have the lifelong appreciation of a grateful president. Thank you for believing all the way -- (cheers, applause) -- to every hill, to every valley. (Cheers, applause.) You lifted me up the whole day, and I will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work that you’ve put in. (Cheers, applause.)

06:49 On Campaigns and Staff

06:49

I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even silly. And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us that politics is nothing more than a contest of egos or the domain of special interests. But if you ever get the chance to talk to folks who turned out at our rallies and crowded along a rope line in a high school gym or -- or saw folks working late at a campaign office in some tiny county far away from home, you’ll discover something else.

07:31

You’ll hear the determination in the voice of a young field organizer who’s working his way through college and wants to make sure every child has that same opportunity. (Cheers, applause.) You’ll hear the pride in the voice of a volunteer who’s going door to door because her brother was finally hired when the local auto plant added another shift. (Cheers, applause.)

08:00

You’ll hear the deep patriotism in the voice of a military spouse who’s working the phones late at night to make sure that no one who fights for this country ever has to fight for a job or a roof over their head when they come home. (Cheers, applause.)

08:24

That’s why we do this. That’s what politics can be. That’s why elections matter. It’s not small, it’s big. It’s important. Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. We have our own opinions. Each of us has deeply held beliefs. And when we go through tough times, when we make big decisions as a country, it necessarily stirs passions, stirs up controversy. That won’t change after tonight. And it shouldn’t. These arguments we have are a mark of our liberty, and we can never forget that as we speak, people in distant nations are risking their lives right now just for a chance to argue about the issues that matter -- (cheers, applause) -- the chance to cast their ballots like we did today.

09:42 Hope for the Future

09:42

But despite all our differences, most of us share certain hopes for America’s future.

09:53

We want our kids to grow up in a country where they have access to the best schools and the best teachers -- (cheers, applause) -- a country that lives up to its legacy as the global leader in technology and discovery and innovation -- (scattered cheers, applause) -- with all of the good jobs and new businesses that follow.

10:12

We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened up by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet. (Cheers, applause.)

10:31

We want to pass on a country that’s safe and respected and admired around the world, a nation that is defended by the strongest military on earth and the best troops this -- this world has ever known -- (cheers, applause) -- but also a country that moves with confidence beyond this time of war to shape a peace that is built on the promise of freedom and dignity for every human being.

11:05

We believe in a generous America, in a compassionate America, in a tolerant America open to the dreams of an immigrant’s daughter who studies in our schools and pledges to our flag -- (cheers, applause) -- to the young boy on the south side of Chicago who sees a life beyond the nearest street corner -- (cheers, applause) -- to the furniture worker’s child in North Carolina who wants to become a doctor or a scientist, an engineer or an entrepreneur, a diplomat or even a president.

11:48

That’s the -- (cheers, applause) -- that’s the future we hope for.

11:52

(Cheers, applause.) That’s the vision we share. That’s where we need to go -- forward. (Cheers, applause.) That’s where we need to go. (Cheers, applause.)

12:06 Finding Common Ground

12:06

Now, we will disagree, sometimes fiercely, about how to get there. As it has for more than two centuries, progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a straight line. It’s not always a smooth path. By itself, the recognition that we have common hopes and dreams won’t end all the gridlock, resolve all our problems or substitute for the painstaking work of building consensus and making the difficult compromises needed to move this country forward.

12:42

But that common bond is where we must begin. Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. (Cheers, applause.) A long campaign is now over. (Cheers, applause.) And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you. I have learned from you. And you’ve made me a better president. And with your stories and your struggles, I return to the White House more determined and more inspired than ever about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead. (Cheers, applause.)

13:37

Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. (Cheers, applause.) You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours.

13:50

And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the challenges we can only solve together -- reducing our deficit, reforming out tax code, fixing our immigration system, freeing ourselves from foreign oil. We’ve got more work to do. (Cheers, applause.)

14:18

But that doesn’t mean your work is done. The role of citizens in our democracy does not end with your vote. America’s never been about what can be done for us; it’s about what can be done by us together, through the hard and frustrating but necessary work of self- government. (Cheers, applause.) That’s the principle we were founded on.

14:50 What Sets America Apart

14:50

This country has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military in history, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our university, our culture are all the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores. What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth, the belief that our destiny is shared -- (cheers, applause) -- that this country only works when we accept certain obligations to one another and to future generations, so that the freedom which so many Americans have fought for and died for come with responsibilities as well as rights, and among those are love and charity and duty and patriotism. That’s what makes America great. (Cheers, applause.)

15:58

I am hopeful tonight because I have seen this spirit at work in America. I’ve seen it in the family business whose owners would rather cut their own pay than lay off their neighbors and in the workers who would rather cut back their hours than see a friend lose a job. I’ve seen it in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb and in those SEALs who charged up the stairs into darkness and danger because they knew there was a buddy behind them watching their back. (Cheers, applause.) I’ve seen it on the shores of New Jersey and New York, where leaders from every party and level of government have swept aside their differences to help a community rebuild from the wreckage of a terrible storm. (Cheers, applause.)

16:59

And I saw it just the other day in Mentor, Ohio, where a father told the story of his 8-year-old daughter whose long battle with leukemia nearly cost their family everything had it not been for health care reform passing just a few months before the insurance company was about to stop paying for her care. (Cheers, applause.) I had an opportunity to not just talk to the father but meet this incredible daughter of his. And when he spoke to the crowd, listening to that father’s story, every parent in that room had tears in their eyes because we knew that little girl could be our own.

17:55 Optimism

17:55

And I know that every American wants her future to be just as bright. That’s who we are. That’s the country I’m so proud to lead as your president. (Cheers, applause.)

18:17

And tonight, despite all the hardship we’ve been through, despite all the frustrations of Washington, I’ve never been more hopeful about our future. (Cheers, applause.) I have never been more hopeful about America. And I ask you to sustain that hope.

18:40

President Obama

I’m not talking about blind optimism, the kind of hope that just ignores the enormity of the tasks ahead or the road blocks that stand in our path. I’m not talking about the wishful idealism that allows us to just sit on the sidelines or shirk from a fight. I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting. (Cheers, applause.)

19:19 Progress

19:19

America, I believe we can build on the progress we’ve made and continue to fight for new jobs and new opportunities and new security for the middle class. I believe we can keep the promise of our founding, the idea that if you’re willing to work hard, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from or what you look like or where you love (ph). It doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white or Hispanic or Asian or Native American or young or old or rich or poor, abled, disabled, gay or straight. (Cheers, applause.) You can make it here in America if you’re willing to try. (Cheers, applause.)

19:19

President Obama

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. (Sustained cheers, applause.)

20:05

I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are, and forever will be, the United States of America. (Cheers, applause.)

20:30

And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you, America. (Cheers, applause.) God bless you. God bless these United States. (Cheers, applause.)