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.)

Obama powers to re-election despite weak economy

Obama powers to re-election despite weak economy

THANK YOU, MR. ROMNEY

I want to thank former Gov. Mitt Romney for one of the best and most congenial political concession speeches I have ever heard. In the wake of a harrowing 2012 election, I hope that we will join Mr. Romney's prayers and hopes for a better America. More than ever, we need to get behind President Obama and his vision to bring America back to its true glory. We need a bipartisan House and Senate, working together to help each and every citizen of our country to realize the promises of being a bright light, a shining example to the rest of the world. Citizenship is greater than politics. Citizenship offers truth and justice.
Here, I want to share Romney's words, delivered through his personal sadness and disappointment that any of us might feel at such a moment in the nation's history:

The following is the full text of Mitt Romney’s concession speech on Wednesday (Transcript courtesy of the Federal News Service and published in The New York Times).
MITT ROMNEY: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, my friends. Thank you so very much. Thank you. (Cheers, applause.) Thank you. Thank you.

I have just called President Obama to congratulate him on his victory. His supporters and his campaign also deserve congratulations. I wish all of them well, but particularly the president, the first lady and their daughters. (Applause.) This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation.

I want to thank Paul Ryan for all that he has done for our campaign -- (cheers, applause) -- and for our country. Besides my wife Ann, Paul is the best choice I’ve ever made. (Cheers, applause.) And I trust that his intellect and his hard work and his commitment to principle will continue to contribute to the good of our nation. (Cheers, applause.)

I also want to thank Ann, the love of my life. (Cheers, applause.) She would have been a wonderful first lady. (Cheers, applause.) She’s -- she has been that and more to me and to our family and to the many people that she has touched with her compassion and her care. I thank my sons for their tireless work on behalf of the campaign, and thank their wives and children -- (cheers, applause) -- for taking up their slack as their husbands and dads have spent so many weeks away from home. (Cheers, applause.)

I want to thank Matt Rhoades and the dedicated campaign team he led. (Cheers, applause.) They have made an extraordinary effort, not just for me but also for the country that we love. And to you here tonight and to the team across the country -- the volunteers, the fundraisers, the donors, the surrogates -- I don’t believe that there’s ever been an effort in our party that can compare with what you have done over these past years. Thank you so very much. (Cheers, applause.)

Thanks for all the hours of work, for the calls, for the speeches and appearances, for the resources and for the prayers. You gave deeply from yourselves and performed magnificently, and you inspired us and you humbled us. You’ve been the very best we could have imagined.

The nation, as you know, is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion. We look to our teachers and professors. We count on you not just to teach, but to inspire our children with a passion for learning and discovery.

We look to our pastors and priests and rabbis and counselors of all kinds to testify of the enduring principles upon which our society is built -- honesty, charity, integrity and family. We look to our parents, for in the final analysis, everything depends on the success of our homes. We look to job creators of all kinds. We’re counting on you to invest, to hire, to step forward. And we look to Democrats and Republicans in government at all levels to put the people before the politics.

I believe in America. I believe in the people of America. (Cheers, applause.)

And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to a new greatness.

Like so many of you, Paul and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign. (Cheers, applause.) I so wish -- I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction. But the nation chose another leader. And so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation.

Thank you, and God bless America. (Cheers, applause.) You guys are the best. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thanks, guys. (Cheers, applause.)

TONEY ATKINS: WHAT I THINK ABOUT THAT: BEYOND JUST SAYING 'THANKS' TO VETERANS

TONEY ATKINS: WHAT I THINK ABOUT THAT: BEYOND JUST SAYING 'THANKS' TO VETERANS

Re-posted.

THE SUPERSTORM: REPUBLICANS, CHRISTIANS, LIARS by TONEY ATKINS

By TONEY ATKINS
www.toneyatkins.com/

I am writing this one day before Election Day 2012, so no one can say I’m doing it as a matter of “sour grapes,” whoever may win the presidency after all votes are counted – if, indeed, all votes are counted. Consider this a preface to a more elaborative commentary to come that has been on my mind for months. This is only a rough draft, with editing to be done later.
**********

Quit blaming God, homosexuals, women who want control over the health of their own bodies, and the U.S. president, who happens to be black, for the natural disasters and other unpleasantness and tragedies that our country – and the rest of the world, for that matter – has endured over the past decade or so, prompting many to believe the end of the world is at hand. 

Perhaps we should blame that man or woman in the mirror. We have become a nation of liars and hypocrites. If God were indeed vengeful, He (or She) would have every right to cast every plague possible upon us.
 

While professing Christians rush to their medicine cabinets to find some smelling salts amid the Hydrocordone, Xanax, Valium and Ambien bottles after reading that last paragraph, let me point to an intriguing few verses from the Holy Bible that could imply that God is concerned about our sins for much more than our views on abortion, gays and gay marriage:
 

1 Timothy 1:9-10

English Standard Version (ESV)
⁸ Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully,⁹ understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers,^[a] liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound^[b] doctrine …

Or another translation:

1 Timothy 1:8-10

Common English Bible (CEB)
⁸ Now we know that the Law is good if used appropriately. ⁹ We understand this: the Law isn’t established for a righteous person but for people who live without laws and without obeying any authority. They are the ungodly and the sinners. They are people who are not spiritual, and nothing is sacred to them. They kill their fathers and mothers, and murder others. ¹⁰ They are people who are sexually unfaithful, and people who have intercourse with the same sex. They are kidnappers,^[a] liars, individuals who give false testimonies in court, and those who do anything else that is opposed to sound teaching.

The Good News translation of verses in Romans 1 indeed refers to homosexuality, but seems to include other things as well:

²⁸ Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. ²⁹ They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip ³⁰ and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent,^[b] proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; ³¹ they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. ³² They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.

The particular commentary that I now write is not a defense or criticism of homosexuality. In fact, it has little or nothing to do with it. I use it as a starting point because so many Christian evangelistic ministers and pastors seem to emphasize it more often than any lying, jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, gossip, hate and other so-called “sins.”

 (And, by the way, I am a member of the Christian faith. I have sinned in many ways and fallen short of the glory of God. But I believe in Christ and in the principles He taught. I believe in His salvation if I truly repent and not repeat the sins of which I have committed.)

The point is: Look at the sins and vices that are equal to homosexuality in Bible teachings. I’ll wait while you study the above verses again.

The “Law” is good if used appropriately. If people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to “corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do,” the Good News translation says.

Note that both passages refer to lying, deceit, malice, gossip, speaking evil of one another, having no conscience, not keeping promises. The 32nd verse in Romans 1 says, “They know that God’s law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.”

Right-wing preachers will tell me this only refers to homosexuality, but other passages, including the Ten Commandments, found in the Old Testament, bears out that many of us, and I am including myself, could be found guilty if we were put on trial.

All sins are created equal.

Lying is high on the list of evils that meets God’s disapproval, according to what we’ve just read from the Bible. Especially since the year 1999, this nation has seen our political system go to hell with lies, white and very darkly black, deceit (essentially the same thing), hatefulness, speaking evil of one another (especially during the past four years), having no signs of conscience (the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and who cares?), and not keeping promises.

Even the most ignorant of people, and based on many conversations I’ve had, there are plenty of those, know that the major problem with President Obama has been that he is black.
 

 Oh, many will deny racism; others will proudly defend their position of blaming everything on “the nigger president.” I now live in the deep South, and that sentiment of far too many people is prevalent. They don’t want to believe facts; they had rather believe lies that are fed to them.

When someone has uttered a blatantly false statement about Obama, I usually ask where they got their information. It’s amazing how many of them try to avoid giving an answer to that question, even when it’s asked repeatedly. Most usually can’t or won’t tell me, and some simply say it’s just the way they think. They usually end up mad at me.

The Republicans vowed as soon as President Obama was elected that they would do everything in their power to make sure that his presidency failed, no matter what damage their ensuing resentments and failure over four years to do anything to benefit the country’s populace (including their constituents) would cause. They voted against measures that could have provided work for many, but said that they knew how to create jobs if they were in power.  

If they knew how to create jobs instead of shipping them overseas, why didn’t they do it? Where were these millionaires and billionaires who could have been building factories or creating new jobs for the ones that were lost?

Plain and simple, they were playing the deception game because they didn’t want anything to appear that a black president could accomplish anything. The Republicans, and shamefully, even some Democrats, lied and essentially slandered Obama, wasting their time, energy and resources for their own selfish purposes, not giving a damn about the public they were supposed to be representing and helping.

During his campaign this season, the Republican candidate for president was like a puppet on a merry-go-round horse that had been stuffed into a moving roller coaster car. No one could keep up with what he believed, what he actually planned to do to help the country – i.e., where on earth he was going and how he was going to handle the strings of the puppeteers who were pumping money into his campaign to get the black guy out of office. He wanted more money for the military, but rarely spoke about how he would help the heroic veterans of two wars and their families.

Republican leaders across the country tried to deny people, especially Democrats, black, Hispanic and even the poor white, the right to vote in a land that is supposed to be a democracy.

Unkept promises and lies. We’ve heard many of both over the past decade. Do super storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and such portend God’s ending the world as we know it? God would be justified in doing so. Many of us deserve it.

How many of us – and I am including myself, are guilty of the sins that, according to that chapter in Romans, “deserve death”? Forget the worn-out arguments about homosexuality and the abortions some poor women felt the need to have for whatever reason, especially rape or incest.  

Look at the real problems that preachers don’t preach about: How many lies have we told today? What have we said about our neighbors that reflects poorly on them, whether our statements based on gossip or our own maliciousness was true or not?  

How many promises have we made to others – and ourselves – that we have failed to keep, sometimes on purpose? Do we hate anyone who is different than us (and we’re all individually different in some way), or do we live and let live? Do we really prefer war  and enemity over peace and love? Do we judge others but don’t want to be judged ourselves?

Perhaps we could change a lot of things for the better if Christians would be more Christian and members of other faiths would practice the positive elements of their teachings instead of denying them and considering themselves to be justified.

I do not believe that the tragic Superstorm Sandy, other destructive hurricanes or any other natural disaster are God’s way of getting back at us for our “evil” human ways.

But on the other hand, it is something to think about. If we keep going on the same path we’ve been traveling, God only knows what kind of hellish darkness awaits us, and maybe He doesn't care any more.

 

SPECIAL PLEA FROM VETERANS FOR PEACE

To: Our friends in the Faith Community and elsewhere

From: Phil Restino, Chapter Co-Chair, Central Florida chapter of Veterans For Peace (VFP Chapter 136)

 

RE: URGENT HELP NEEDED WITH CONTACTING CHURCHES ASAP, ASKING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN NOVEMBER 11TH (ARMISTICE DAY) BELL-RINGING TO HONOR PEACE AND DENOUNCE WAR

 

 

Hello,

 

My name is Phil Restino and I am the coordinator for the Central Florida chapter of Veterans For Peace, which I helped create and organize back in 2005.  Sadly, over the years since then and due to burnout and a variety of other reasons, the membership of a few dozen veterans that we had in our chapter has over the last couple-few years dwindled down to basically a one-man operation (me) and a handful of chapter members who will come out to an event when they can ... and/or at least renew their national membership dues with Veterans For Peace so as to stay listed as a member of our chapter.  If you go to our chapter website at www.cflveteransforpeace.org you will see that we also need whatever help we might be able to get in updating our own chapter's website.

 

That said, I am seeking your help to promote the November 11th (Armistice Day) campaign initiated by the Twin Cities, MN chapter of Veterans For Peace to encourage churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and other houses of worship to participate in ringing of their respective church bells on November 11th (Armistice Day) to remember the original intent of the day so as to honor peace and denounce war.  I was able to get some of your email addresses through various links at the website for the Florida chapters of Pax Christi and am including you in our appeal for help in passing on our Media Alert dated October 15th (see below and attached) to whatever churches and other houses of worship that you can.

 

For more on the November 11th (Armistice Day) bell-ringing campaign, please go to the report on their website at http://www.vfpchapter27.org/bells.htm ... and to view a copy of the Mayor of Minneapolis, MN official proclamation regarding the ringing of church bells on November 11th (Armistice Day), go tohttp://www.vfpchapter27.org/PDF/proclamation.pdf.

 

On another note, we would appreciate it if you would also take a few minutes to mail out whatever information or brochures that you might have concerning your own respective organization to us at the following postal address:

 

Central Florida Veterans For Peace

P.O. Box 9012

Daytona Beach, FL  32120-9012

 

 

Thank you in advance for whatever help you might be able to offer in this effort.

 

God Bless,

 

Phil Restino

Chapter Co-Chair, VFP Chapter 136

Central Florida Veterans For Peace

ph/fax: (386) 788-2918

 

 

Please note that ...

 

 

Central Florida Veterans For Peace is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to (a) educating our fellows to the costs of war, (b) restraining our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations, (c) ending the arms race and reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons, (d) seeking justice for veterans and victims of war, and (e) working towards the abolishment of war as an instrument of national policy.  Our chapter covers from the Greater Orlando area, east to the Greater Melbourne area, and north to the Greater Jacksonville area.  We urge all people, veterans and non-veterans alike, who share our vision to join us.  Telephone us at (386) 788-2918, write to us, or visit our website at www.cflveteransforpeace.org to find out more about joining us and/or what you can do to help.

 

Contributions to Central Florida Veterans For Peace are tax deductible.