Romney Campaign Staged Donations At Storm Relief Event

Romney Campaign Staged Donations At Storm Relief Event: pAs the East Coast and parts of Ohio struggled to regroup in the devastating wake of “Superstorm” Sandy, the Romney campaign hastily transformed a scheduled victory rally in Dayton, Ohio into a non-political “storm relief event” on Tuesday. According to BuzzFeed, the campaign encouraged supporters to bring hurricane relief supplies and “deliver the bags of [...]/p

Anti-Gay Preacher Blames Hurricane Sandy On Homosexuality And Marriage Equality

Anti-Gay Preacher Blames Hurricane Sandy On Homosexuality And Marriage Equality: pA Christian religious leader has already claimed that Hurricane Sandy is further proof that “God is systematically destroying America” as political judgment for the “homosexual agenda.” John McTernan previously made similar allusions about Hurricanes Katrina (2005) and Isaac (2012), which he reiterated in his urgent call to prayer posted Sunday evening (via Gay Star News): Just [...]/p

EXCLUSIVE: Romney Campaign Training Poll Watchers To Mislead Voters In Wisconsin

EXCLUSIVE: Romney Campaign Training Poll Watchers To Mislead Voters In Wisconsin: pMitt Romney’s campaign has been training poll watchers in Wisconsin with highly misleading — and sometimes downright false — information about voters’ rights. Documents from a recent Romney poll watcher training obtained by ThinkProgress contain several misleading or untrue claims about the rights of Wisconsin voters. A source passed along the following packet of documents, [...]/p

HOW TO HELP VICTIMS OF SUPERSTORM SANDY

BY TONEY ATKINS

As we watched the live television coverage of the terrifying and historic Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy on Oct. 29-30, and particularly observing the horrifying pictures of the aftermath in the Northeast and even into the South, with unseasonable snow and winds there, it was hard to imagine what it must have been like to go through the destructive event.

While living in Florida in the early-and-mid-2000s, I experienced several hurricanes during one season, each with its own frightening and devastating character, but none with the utter power of Superstorm Sandy, which has impacted more than a third of the eastern United States. We're still getting some out the outermost winds of the storm in northwest Georgia as I write this on the evening of Oct. 30.

There were power outages, flooded areas, damaged homes and businesses and even injuries and deaths in the storms I went through. There were the inconveniences of gas stations without electricity to pump fuel into cars; inoperable ATMs, again because of power outages, closed restaurants because foods lost refrigeration, downed trees across power lines, streets and even into homes and onto vehicles. Water in some areas was polluted undrinkable; cell phone service was sporadic. I could go on and on.

Those of us who are not there can only guess how the victims of Superstorm Sandy are feeling, what they have lost and what kind of stress they are enduring because they feel helpless, not knowing what the future holds.

Power companies from around the nation are en route to the scenes of destruction. Others are heading the same direction to help with reconstruction, medical needs and aiding the newly homeless or displaced fellow Americans.

Everyone can help in the recovery effort by making donations to the American Red Cross, the only charity my late father, World War II veteran Charlie J. Atkins, supported because of his experience with the organization during the war.

Anyone wanting to help can go to the web site, http://www.redcross.org/support/donating-fundraising/donations for information and even to make donations without leaving home.

None of us know when our lives will be impacted by Mother Nature's often unpredictable tragedies and when we might help, so it pays to pay it forward. Those who need us now will be grateful.

First Thoughts: Government's high-wire act - First Read

First Thoughts: Government's high-wire act - First Read

MSNBC's "First Thoughts" about political situation in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Click link above. -- Toney Atkins

Q&A: Riding Out the Storm Safely

Q&A: Riding Out the Storm Safely


CLICK LINK ABOVE FOR NEWS TO USE FROM WEBMD THAT CAN BE VERY HELPFUL IN THE AFTERMATH OF SANDY OR OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS. -- TONEY ATKINS

Bush’s FEMA Director During Katrina Criticizes Obama For Responding To Sandy Too Quickly

Bush’s FEMA Director During Katrina Criticizes Obama For Responding To Sandy Too Quickly: pFormer FEMA Director Michael Brown offered criticism of President Obama’s early responses to Hurricane Sandy yesterday, including a dig at the administration’s response to last month’s attack in Libya. Yesterday, ahead of the storm’s pummeling of the eastern seaboard, Brown gave an interview to the local alternative paper, the Denver Westword, on how he believed [...]/p

How Romney And Ryan Would Severely Impair Disaster Relief Efforts

How Romney And Ryan Would Severely Impair Disaster Relief Efforts: pThe federal government’s ability to respond to natural disasters, like Hurricane Sandy currently bearing down on the East Coast, would be significantly hindered under a Romney-Ryan administration. At least three times, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have publicly demanded that the federal government only disburse disaster relief funding if Congress agreed to offsetting budget cuts [...]/p

Gingrich Defends Mourdock’s Rape Comments, Advising Women To ‘Get Over It’

Gingrich Defends Mourdock’s Rape Comments, Advising Women To ‘Get Over It’: pJust days after several key Republicans sought to distance themselves from Indiana senate candidate Richard Mourdock in the wake of his misogynistic comments on rape, top-level Romney surrogate and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich tried a different approach, taking the time to defend Mourdock’s comment that a forced pregnancy resulting from a rape [...]/p

Condi Rice Pours Cold Water On ‘Benghazi-Gate’

Condi Rice Pours Cold Water On ‘Benghazi-Gate’: pFormer Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice broke with the majority of her party last night on Fox News, as she tried to hit the brakes on the right wing’s politicization of the recent attack in Libya. Host Greta Van Susteren asked Rice directly and repeatedly about a set of emails uncovered by Reuters. In what [...]/p

Did Climate Change Help Create ‘Frankenstorm’?

Did Climate Change Help Create ‘Frankenstorm’?: pAs the East Coast braces for a possible direct hit from Hurricane Sandy, meteorologists are closely watching the storm’s “freak” formation. They’re calling it “unprecedented and bizarre,” a “perfect storm,” and a “frankenstorm” that could cause historic storm surges, last for multiple days, and cause over a billion dollars in damage. After hitting Jamaica and [...]/p

COMING SOON: DOOMSDAY???

     Dec. 21, 2012, in reasonable theory, should be a date that we are still recovering from a definitely harrowing and historic election and preparing for a merry Christmas and a happier new year.
     However, the ancient Mayans had different visions of how we might be observing the holiday season: Doomsday or, as some believe, a day of massive spiritual awakening and renewal.
     A major problem for many people will what kind of party to plan for which scenario on the night before. (If the Republicans win the election, a prediction of apocalypse seems more favorable, with special effects courtesy of God.)
     In any event, NBCNews.com has a nonpartisan story about the prediction of earthly catastrophe at the following link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49494036/ns/technology_and_science-science/#__utma=14933801.1384125391.1350886070.1350886070.1350886070.1&__utmb=14933801.4.10.1350886070&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1350886070.1.1.utmcsr=msnbc.msn.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/id/3032128/ns/weather&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned By=msnbc|=1^12=Landing Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit Type to Content=Internal to Mixed=1&__utmk=112949252&__utma=14933801.1384125391.1350886070.1350886070.1350886070.1&__utmb=14933801.4.10.1350886070&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1350886070.1.1.utmcsr=msnbc.msn.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/id/3032128/ns/weather&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7C=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Internal%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=112949252

Pray for more love and peace, now and post-Dec. 21. -- Toney Atkins

Rubio Develops ‘Romnesia’ While Trying To Explain Romney’s Position On Contraception

Rubio Develops ‘Romnesia’ While Trying To Explain Romney’s Position On Contraception: pLast week, President Obama joked that some Romney surrogates are suffering from “Romnesia” — an ability to forget the candidate’s old positions on major campaign issues, in favor of his new positions. On Sunday, during an appearance on Meet The Press, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) was presenting severe symptoms of that condition, spending a good [...]/p

Ohio Secretary of State Says Restoring Early Voting Is ‘Un-American’

Ohio Secretary of State Says Restoring Early Voting Is ‘Un-American’: pDuring his keynote speech at an election law symposium at University of Toledo on Friday, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted (R) claimed two recent court decisions restoring early voting on the last three days before the election was “un-American.” Husted has sought to restrict early voting, even openly defying a court order to lift [...]/p

At Last Night’s Debate: Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes

At Last Night’s Debate: Romney Told 31 Myths In 41 Minutes: pDuring the first presidential debate in Denver, Colorado Romney managed to tell 27 myths in his 38 minutes of speaking time. But at his second encounter with Obama in New York, the GOP presidential candidate — who has run a post-truth campaign from day one — outdid himself and crammed 31 myths in 41 minutes: [...]/p

How The Model Tax Plan Romney Cited Could Raise One Middle-Class Woman’s Taxes By $6,000

How The Model Tax Plan Romney Cited Could Raise One Middle-Class Woman’s Taxes By $6,000: pOur guest blogger is Seth Hanlon, Director of Fiscal Reform at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Throughout the campaign, Mitt Romney has refused to give details when asked how he plans to pay for his nearly $4.8 trillion in tax cuts. In Tuesday night’s debate, audience member Mary Follano asked Romney how his [...]/p

Obama Diagnoses Romney: He’s Suffering From ‘Romnesia’

Obama Diagnoses Romney: He’s Suffering From ‘Romnesia’: pPresident Obama unveiled a new line of attack against Mitt Romney during a campaign stop at George Mason University Friday, arguing that the GOP presidential candidate — who has changed his views on key policy issues — suffers from Romnesia, a condition that causes one to forget their past statements and beliefs. “[H]e’s changing up [...]/p

Number Of Gun Dealers Increased By 3000 Under Obama

Number Of Gun Dealers Increased By 3000 Under Obama: pThe moment President Obama took office, the NRA’s primary product became paranoid theories about how Obama plans to seize gun owners’ guns. Even after Obama served as president for nearly three full years without signing a single new gun regulation — his primary contribution to gun law is a minor bill allowing gun owners to [...]/p

WAITING FOR ARMAGEDDON: TONEY’s JOURNAL, Oct. 16, 2012

By TONEY ATKINS --- www.toneyatkins.com/

The world seems to be falling apart around us. Everyone seems to be pointing fingers of blame at everyone else for the natural chaos that has grown in intensity in weather tragedies (tornadoes, floods, drought) in our own country, along with what seems to be a hike in earthquakes, volcanic activity, tsunamis and  other unexpected phenomena since just before the dawn of the 21st century. Much of this has come about in just the past few years.

People seem to be more on edge about everything, especially here in the United States. Hate, frustration and mistrust have multiplied in what seems to be an increasingly frightening world. We take advantage of, use and abuse, our friends, acquaintances, our neighbors and, even worse, our families. The whole nation needs to swallow a Xanax or some other kind of chill pill before we continue this embarkation to hurt, destroy or kill our fellow human beings.

Maybe folks should start listening to God instead of simply professing to know Him.

I will return to those thoughts in more detail as I proceed with what is the first page of a journal that I have decided to keep for the future to reflect back on the past and compare it to the then-present, especially considering the ominous predictions for a potentially devastating end-of-the-world future scenario.  This thought hinges particularly if he prophecy should come true than some kind of Armageddon or the earth-changing event arrives on Dec. 21, 2012, as the ancient Mayans believed when they created a calendar which strangely ends on that date, with an emphasis that leads many to believe that something very dramatic and potentially unpleasant may occur, even though there are no clues to the times or the places.

All one has to do is watch how people have changed since 1999 yielded to the year 2000. Yes, there was even a bizarre atmosphere surrounding the earth as partygoers danced to Prince’s “party like it’s 1999 blasted from stereo speakers in nightclubs either before or after the new year came in. There had been fears that a strange Y2K computer bug would be unleashed as each time zone reached the midnight hour that New Year’s Eve – fears that everything controlled by computers would shut down, leaving us virtually powerless in a world in which more and more of our lives were becoming dictated by the Internet and all of the things that were in some way connected to and dependent on the Internet.

Nothing dramatic happened. The world continued to turn on January 1, 2000. We still had electricity; we could get our money from ATM machines and pump gasoline into our cars. We could watch New Year’s festivities on TV, cook refrigerated foods on our stoves. We could spend hours on our computers, powered by cable TV companies or even new Wi-Fi operations. We could dance the night away, not concerned about whether all of our luxuries and creations would be there tomorrow.

Life and its trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows and its parties went on. All was relatively good in the world as 2000 rolled in. We thought.

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

I have personal news to report on this Oct. 16, twelve years later. A small growth on my head had increased from the size of a small mole earlier in the past year to a larger, irritating and sometimes painful “something” that seemed to be burrowing into my head, with a couple of scaly mini-towers forming on top.

It became a matter of concern, especially when nurse practitioners assured that it “looked like a mole.” I was afraid to mess with it because warfarin, a blood thinner, had been prescribed after I took a tumble onto a gravel sidewalk when my vision failed to convey to my brain that there was an extra step on the doorsteps and I crashed to the ground. A week later, I was in the emergency room, where doctors determined that I had at least one blood clot and that I would need the medication to thin my blood and fight clots for an unspecified length of time. I was told that I should be careful in shaving and in using cutting instruments, because even a small cut could cause me to bleed out. Therefore, I refrained from trying to scratch or pull of the offending thing growing on my head.

I finally got a doctor to look at the protrusion, and he immediately did a biopsy.The parts he cut out disturbed him, and he sent the piece to a lab somewhere to be analyzed. A week or so later, I was called and told to see a surgical specialist. The caller would only tell me that cancerous cells had shown up in the biopsy.

Needless to say, a certain amount of stress kicked in, although I never let fear take control. How could a small knot, that was starting to break off in small pieces but never coming loose be potentially dangerous? The “c” word had me a little bit worried, but I rested my hope in that it might be benign, that it could be removed and that it hopefully would not spread.

Being without transportation, I made arrangements with some fine neighbors who went with me to consult with the specialist. As I had anticipated, he said surgery was necessary to cut a larger area than he first thought. He said any treatment necessary in the aftermath would have to be determined after the operation, which he considered to be too serious to conduct in his office.

I was put to sleep with the same kind of anesthesia that allegedly killed singer Michael Jackson because of his abuse of it, the surgery was conducted efficiently by a fine doctor and his staff, I returned to the land of the wide awake and was taken home by my caring neighbors to heal, with stitches protruding from the new spot on my already balding head.

I finally had the stitches removed this past week. The surgeon was friendly, courteous and everything that a doctor should be when he honestly revealed to me that the surgery was essentially unnecessary. While the initial biopsy had revealed some cancer cells, he said, no cancer cells, benign or otherwise, were found in testing of the larger area of scalp that he had cut into.

A couple of months of concern and some anxiety, even a bit of pain at the spot – any worry was for naught, but I didn’t know that until a good doctor removed the intruder and deemed it to be harmless. You could have fooled me. I was delighted, thanked God, felt and still feel very blessed.

The only words that disturbed me were “unnecessary surgery.” I don’t regret it. So far, I haven’t felt any unusual impacts. Hallelujah! It’s one less major thing to worry about.