http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/18/brothers-blow-up-house-lottery-kansas_n_2711020.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular
These guys had a really big and explosive rush. (Something light for a change.)-- Toney
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Russian meteor explosion outshone sun - Science
Russian meteor explosion outshone sun - Science
TONEY SAYS: Extraordinary event, and the asteroid passed us (darn it). The above link from NBC News has spectacular video, photos and story in text. And there are already conspiracy theories ......... Hmm. Who or what dunnit?
TONEY SAYS: Extraordinary event, and the asteroid passed us (darn it). The above link from NBC News has spectacular video, photos and story in text. And there are already conspiracy theories ......... Hmm. Who or what dunnit?
Friday, February 15, 2013
METEOR pieces fall in Russia, officials say - CBS News
Meteor pieces fall in Russia, officials say - CBS News
Note: Destruction, hundreds reported hurt. Is this part of the asteroid we have been reporting on www.toneyatkins.com/ ? -- Toney
Note: Destruction, hundreds reported hurt. Is this part of the asteroid we have been reporting on www.toneyatkins.com/ ? -- Toney
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
A NEW PERVERSION (by Toney Atkins)
|
FROM SOMEWHERE IN THE BRAIN OF TONEY ATKINS:
The following piece of "prose" was written and published on www.toneyatkins.com/ several years ago. Some people who, for some reason, remembered it but said they could not find it on the web site, asked for a repeat. For those readers, one of whom said it was one of her favorites (poor, deranged soul), I re-publish it here.
WARNING: RATED PG-13.
A NEW PERVERSION by Toney Atkins
A new perversion has suddenly entered my life as I
weave my way into my early 60s: I've lost interest in sex.
I tried one of those 36-hour male enhancement drugs. but ended up with nothing but a backache. I'm probably one of the few men in the world who will turn his eyes away from a steamy sex scene in a movie, much as most would close their eyes as a screaming victim is hacked to death by an ax murderer. It even embarrasses me to watch animals copulating on nature shows. I don't deny that age possibly has something to do with this, but this perversion seemed to hit me overnight not too long ago. It's not that I'm falling apart. Some have told me that I look "hot" and that I apprear to be a lot younger. Then I'm brought down to earth when the clerk at Kentucky Fried Chicken automatically gives me a senior discount without a second look. But the mirror still shows a certain distinction and not extinction. I woke this morning, so I'm still alive. The thrill is gone, but I don't miss it. If that's not perversion, what is? Although I rarely analyze it or dwell on what I once believed was one of the most important things in my life, it sometimes occurs to me that I indeed must be an oddball. I even went to an adult chat room on the Internet to see if stimulation lay in some unknown person who could live anywhere in the world. One of the room's inhabitants sent me an instant message, and the profile information displayed what had to be a human being with the most sexually attractive body in the world, if not the Universe. That unseen being that I believed to be a she saw me as being an object of perfection. However, my mental image of the writer was of a 500-pound creature whose major orgasms came from ingesting five Whoppers and four Slurpees at one sitting. My sexual stirrings remained dormant. My eyes still find pleasure in looking at a beautiful person, but I'm finding that many more people have a certain special outer and inner beauty if I look at them long enough, and that is wonderful. I believe in love, but where is the lust? Am I missing something? Am I any different than I was before, when I believed that proving sexual prowess was one of the most essential things in life? Is low-T devastating my future? Now I'm out of the closet with this perversion, I hope you don't think less of me. It's certainly not that you are not sexy. It's simply that I'd rather just love you, and it's sad if that's considered to be perverted in this day and age. |
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Saturday, February 09, 2013
SCARED POOPLESS (Toney Atkins)
UPDATE: THE DAY AFTER follows the original:
Hi friends and wonderful acquaintances,
I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying life.
Some of you have inquired about the results of the tests on my eyes, one of which recently went totally blind for a couple of days (and still isn't working too great at times). I truly appreciate your prayers and positive energy. It has helped.
The specialist managed to scare me poopless today. A bilateral cartoid ultrasound, performed utilizing 8.0 MHz transducer (bet you didn't know I could talk doctor, did you?), pne of the major results indicated Intimal hyperplasia, the thickening of the tunica intima of a blood vessel as a complication of a reconstruction procedure or endarterectomy. Intimal hyperplasia is the universal response of a vessel to injury and is an important reason of late bypass graft failure, particularly in vein and synthetic vascular grafts.
I must be honest. I stole wording for that paragraph from the doctor's report and Wikipedia, and it's Greek to me. My case has something to do with the flow of blood to (or from?) the brain. The way the doc described it, I gather that it means that I have a blockage somewhere which could result in a stroke. I nearly had one just listening to him, but I managed to keep my panic attack at bay. Introspectively and aside from the eyes, even now I have several symptoms of the aftermath of a stroke, but doctors don't seem to believe that's the case. I should stop watching "House" reruns. Hypochonriac that I tend to be, I sometimes feel I have the same symptoms as every patient in every episode. With the size of my belly, I have been accused of being pregnant, but so far, no baby, no National Enquirer, no millions of dollars, so my hypochondria does have lines it won't cross.
I have to see my primary physician Monday, who will refer me to two more specialists. Getting old is indeed an adventure (and sometimes a bitch, so please continue to remember me in prayer or think something positive.
Obviously, the urgency isn't too great. I'm not in the hospital yet. The tests were conducted more than a month ago, I don't know if my condition is the same or worse. I'm sure the specialist, whom I trust, considered the evaluations that were done today. But that scares the poop out of me, too. It's good to know
Chalk this email up to another moaning and groaning rambling of a reluctantly aging old man who doesn't have the patience to deal with failing body parts. Feel free to get back at me any time by writing to me about any problem YOU might have. It helps to vent, even if only God knows the answers.
Love somebody today.
**********************************************
THE DAY AFTER:
I have always had the terrible habit of writing and publishing things before I have really thought them out, and they ultimately resulted in regret.
After sending the above email to friends and contacts, some who care and many who likely do not, I realized how selfish it sounds. I try not to be whiny, but sometimes I put personal thoughts into writing partly because there are few people that I can actually talk to in order to get fears, frustrations and, on the other hand, positive thoughts and energy out of my system.
The email likely came across as self-centered, and today it appears as such, even to me.
As a neighborhood man in his 30s pointed out today, I am fortunate. "You've lived a long life, and you should be proud and expect problems like this," he said.
Thinking back on my 50th year high school senior class reunion two years ago, I know that he is right. I am 70 years old, and I have outlived some of my classmates and friends who possibly suffered much more than I will ever suffer. I thank God that I am as healthy as I am, and I should thank Him every day for that. I wish those classmates and friends were alive today and that they could have enjoyed our reunion and the days, months and years afterward. I would like to think the rest of us lucky ones will be around to celebrate our 100th year of graduating into society and the real world, in which we would grow and age, mix successes with failures as we grew older.
I apologize for seemingly feeling sorry for myself, because I really don't. I will face this problem as I have done when the situations seemed dire in the past. There are many, many people who are in worse shape than I, but I guess I do selfishly enjoy life, whatever the pains, disappointments and frustrations. I hope to spend my golden years relishing the moments and days.
If I offended anyone by my blowing off steam, which would have been more appropriate, I suppose, in a personal journal, I am sorry. However, I do thank you for reading, listening, praying and caring.
******************************************************
LIFE GOES ON
A followup, this one on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013
Someday I'll look back on these posts and laugh -- or at least I hope I will.
A nervous visit to my primary doctor Tuesday was rather anticlimactic. His response provided no real solutions to the problem previously discussed and no sense of compassion or even concern could be noted.
He did not refer me to a specialist, as my eye surgeon had indicated probably should be necessary. Instead, my doctor said the tests indicated that the artery was "only" 50 percent blocked and "at this time" did not necessitate surgery. Instead, he suggested continuation of a blood thinner, which I have taken for a couple of years and what he said could keep the blockage from growing and therefore possibly preventing a stroke.
The blood flow to my brain, therefore, will continue to be disrupted. (That's my personal diagnosis based on his.) In other words, the eye problems and issues concerning memory and such will continue and be problems that I with which I will have to learn to contend.
I actually feel pretty good for my age, the above inconveniences not withstanding. If I die, I die. No need to worry about it. It's something we all do eventually, but it's nothing to dwell on. Life is depressing enough without worrying about the end and when it will come.
My late father's philosophy, as he aged, was that doctors in particular didn't care all that much about a person once he or she hits 70 or so. He believed physicians did what little they could to appease an elderly patient, preferring to deal with younger people who have more money than Social Security provides and than Medicare pays. The more attention I pay to the way doctors and others act toward senior citizens, the more I have to believe Dad might have been on to something, although when I was younger, I thought he was over-reacting.
Now that I know that only 50 percent of an artery or veins to my brain are blocked and that nothing apparently needs to be done to correct the situation, I'm going to try to forget it, be fearless and continue enjoying what has often seemed like a roller coaster, but what has been a pretty good life. I can guarantee you: I'm going to make it last as long as possible. There's a lot of living and loving left to do.
Hi friends and wonderful acquaintances,
I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying life.
Some of you have inquired about the results of the tests on my eyes, one of which recently went totally blind for a couple of days (and still isn't working too great at times). I truly appreciate your prayers and positive energy. It has helped.
The specialist managed to scare me poopless today. A bilateral cartoid ultrasound, performed utilizing 8.0 MHz transducer (bet you didn't know I could talk doctor, did you?), pne of the major results indicated Intimal hyperplasia, the thickening of the tunica intima of a blood vessel as a complication of a reconstruction procedure or endarterectomy. Intimal hyperplasia is the universal response of a vessel to injury and is an important reason of late bypass graft failure, particularly in vein and synthetic vascular grafts.
I must be honest. I stole wording for that paragraph from the doctor's report and Wikipedia, and it's Greek to me. My case has something to do with the flow of blood to (or from?) the brain. The way the doc described it, I gather that it means that I have a blockage somewhere which could result in a stroke. I nearly had one just listening to him, but I managed to keep my panic attack at bay. Introspectively and aside from the eyes, even now I have several symptoms of the aftermath of a stroke, but doctors don't seem to believe that's the case. I should stop watching "House" reruns. Hypochonriac that I tend to be, I sometimes feel I have the same symptoms as every patient in every episode. With the size of my belly, I have been accused of being pregnant, but so far, no baby, no National Enquirer, no millions of dollars, so my hypochondria does have lines it won't cross.
I have to see my primary physician Monday, who will refer me to two more specialists. Getting old is indeed an adventure (and sometimes a bitch, so please continue to remember me in prayer or think something positive.
Obviously, the urgency isn't too great. I'm not in the hospital yet. The tests were conducted more than a month ago, I don't know if my condition is the same or worse. I'm sure the specialist, whom I trust, considered the evaluations that were done today. But that scares the poop out of me, too. It's good to know
Chalk this email up to another moaning and groaning rambling of a reluctantly aging old man who doesn't have the patience to deal with failing body parts. Feel free to get back at me any time by writing to me about any problem YOU might have. It helps to vent, even if only God knows the answers.
Love somebody today.
**********************************************
THE DAY AFTER:
I have always had the terrible habit of writing and publishing things before I have really thought them out, and they ultimately resulted in regret.
After sending the above email to friends and contacts, some who care and many who likely do not, I realized how selfish it sounds. I try not to be whiny, but sometimes I put personal thoughts into writing partly because there are few people that I can actually talk to in order to get fears, frustrations and, on the other hand, positive thoughts and energy out of my system.
The email likely came across as self-centered, and today it appears as such, even to me.
As a neighborhood man in his 30s pointed out today, I am fortunate. "You've lived a long life, and you should be proud and expect problems like this," he said.
Thinking back on my 50th year high school senior class reunion two years ago, I know that he is right. I am 70 years old, and I have outlived some of my classmates and friends who possibly suffered much more than I will ever suffer. I thank God that I am as healthy as I am, and I should thank Him every day for that. I wish those classmates and friends were alive today and that they could have enjoyed our reunion and the days, months and years afterward. I would like to think the rest of us lucky ones will be around to celebrate our 100th year of graduating into society and the real world, in which we would grow and age, mix successes with failures as we grew older.
I apologize for seemingly feeling sorry for myself, because I really don't. I will face this problem as I have done when the situations seemed dire in the past. There are many, many people who are in worse shape than I, but I guess I do selfishly enjoy life, whatever the pains, disappointments and frustrations. I hope to spend my golden years relishing the moments and days.
If I offended anyone by my blowing off steam, which would have been more appropriate, I suppose, in a personal journal, I am sorry. However, I do thank you for reading, listening, praying and caring.
******************************************************
LIFE GOES ON
A followup, this one on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013
Someday I'll look back on these posts and laugh -- or at least I hope I will.
A nervous visit to my primary doctor Tuesday was rather anticlimactic. His response provided no real solutions to the problem previously discussed and no sense of compassion or even concern could be noted.
He did not refer me to a specialist, as my eye surgeon had indicated probably should be necessary. Instead, my doctor said the tests indicated that the artery was "only" 50 percent blocked and "at this time" did not necessitate surgery. Instead, he suggested continuation of a blood thinner, which I have taken for a couple of years and what he said could keep the blockage from growing and therefore possibly preventing a stroke.
The blood flow to my brain, therefore, will continue to be disrupted. (That's my personal diagnosis based on his.) In other words, the eye problems and issues concerning memory and such will continue and be problems that I with which I will have to learn to contend.
I actually feel pretty good for my age, the above inconveniences not withstanding. If I die, I die. No need to worry about it. It's something we all do eventually, but it's nothing to dwell on. Life is depressing enough without worrying about the end and when it will come.
My late father's philosophy, as he aged, was that doctors in particular didn't care all that much about a person once he or she hits 70 or so. He believed physicians did what little they could to appease an elderly patient, preferring to deal with younger people who have more money than Social Security provides and than Medicare pays. The more attention I pay to the way doctors and others act toward senior citizens, the more I have to believe Dad might have been on to something, although when I was younger, I thought he was over-reacting.
Now that I know that only 50 percent of an artery or veins to my brain are blocked and that nothing apparently needs to be done to correct the situation, I'm going to try to forget it, be fearless and continue enjoying what has often seemed like a roller coaster, but what has been a pretty good life. I can guarantee you: I'm going to make it last as long as possible. There's a lot of living and loving left to do.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
The Ultimate Guide To The Gun Safety Debate
The Ultimate Guide To The Gun Safety Debate: pSince the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the debate over gun violence in the Untied States has begun in earnest. Some common talking points can and should be easily dismissed — the idea that regulating access to guns is always unconstitutional or makes tyranny more likely, to take two examples. But not every argument against expanded [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
BREAKING: Virginia Senate Committee Overwhelmingly Kills Electoral Vote Rigging Scheme
BREAKING: Virginia Senate Committee Overwhelmingly Kills Electoral Vote Rigging Scheme: pProgressVirginia reported Tuesday afternoon that the Virginia Senate’s Privileges and Elections Committee killed Sen. Charles “Bill” Carrico Sr.’s electoral college-rigging bill, despite an offer by Carrico to amend the bill to award electors in proportion to the state’s popular vote. The vote was 11-4 against the bill, although it will not be official until the [...]/p
Toney comments: Finally, GOP uses good sense in not depriving voters of their rights.
LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: Finally, GOP uses good sense in not depriving voters of their rights.
LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Top Conservative Publication: God Wants You To Have An Assault Rifle
Toney Atkins comments: Where in the Christian Bible does God and Jesus say that man should own a gun, much less an assault rifle? Yes, man has a right to self-defense, and the U.S. Constitution's second amendment gives the right to bear arms to do so. But assault weapons? Right-wing extremist survivalists who, for reasons unknown, fear the government and, in fact, seem to want a civil war within our country would likely want, and most likely already have, weapons designed for war. The average gun-owner may feel the need for a regular gun to defend himself or herself against such unpatriotic Americans who want to take back a country that never was.
Top Conservative Publication: God Wants You To Have An Assault Rifle: pLegislation aimed at reducing gun violence is “a limitation on a God-given right of man that has existed throughout the history of civil society,” according to an article published in the leading conservative opinion journal National Review. The author, David French, interprets the Christian Bible as granting everyone a right to self-defense. He suggests that [...]/p
THE ABOVE LINK IS TO AN INTRIGUING REPORT FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG.
Top Conservative Publication: God Wants You To Have An Assault Rifle: pLegislation aimed at reducing gun violence is “a limitation on a God-given right of man that has existed throughout the history of civil society,” according to an article published in the leading conservative opinion journal National Review. The author, David French, interprets the Christian Bible as granting everyone a right to self-defense. He suggests that [...]/p
THE ABOVE LINK IS TO AN INTRIGUING REPORT FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
VERY SPECIAL THANKS By Toney Atkins
Hello to all of my favorite people:
I don't send this correspondence with the intent of being maudlin or preachy in any way, but I feel very strongly about letting you know the way I feel.
Several of you sent messages of concern and encouragement after I wrote, asking for prayers and positive vibes about the terrifying eye problems that I have been suffering, especially since December. You don't know how much they were appreciated.
I believe in the power of faith, prayer and positive energy on behalf of one's self as well as from others who genuinely care. It is because of you that I humbly say thank you because I give you much of the credit.
While at times that faith is shaken with doubt, fear and frustration, I give the credit to God, as I know Him, and to you for the fact that my eyesight, especially in the eye of special concern, has gotten better and, in some respects, is close to being normal again, or as close to normal as would be expected with progressiving glaucoma in both eyes and a cataract on one. Maybe I'll have a few years of seeing left after all.
This improvement has come without medications or other treatments, so I have to believe that it came from my Higher Power and from friends and correspondents who I may have never met, as well as from those who I know and love from personal and working relationships, past and present.
After all this time, I still have heard nothing from my primary care doctor or the eye surgery specialist about the tests I had after completely losing sight in my right eye, the one on which I had corrective surgery a couple of years ago. I consider that to be positive news since my physicians apparently don't sense a need for urgency, and I suppose I'll finally learn the test results and what, if anything (other than new glasses) has to be done when I go to my appointment with the specialist next Thursday.
My sight is still blurry at times, but hopefully that will only require new eye drops and new glasses. The eye of major concern (the one that went totally blind for several days) has shown major improvement over the past week or so, and I still hope the doctor can give me an explanation as to what might have caused the temporary blindness.
So, I thank you again for your thoughts and prayers, which could have been the medicine I needed. I realize that some of you suffer your own health problems, and I pray that the positive energy you sent my way will return to you a hundred-fold, healing and making you healthy and free of anxiety that can come with such issues. Even if I should go blind tomorrow, I'm grateful for the sight at this moment that allows me to write this to you.
Have and keep the faith. It never ceases to amaze me what it can do.
Wishing you only the best in everything.
Sincerely,
Toney Atkins
************
SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE!
www.toneyatkins.com/![]()
I don't send this correspondence with the intent of being maudlin or preachy in any way, but I feel very strongly about letting you know the way I feel.
Several of you sent messages of concern and encouragement after I wrote, asking for prayers and positive vibes about the terrifying eye problems that I have been suffering, especially since December. You don't know how much they were appreciated.
I believe in the power of faith, prayer and positive energy on behalf of one's self as well as from others who genuinely care. It is because of you that I humbly say thank you because I give you much of the credit.
While at times that faith is shaken with doubt, fear and frustration, I give the credit to God, as I know Him, and to you for the fact that my eyesight, especially in the eye of special concern, has gotten better and, in some respects, is close to being normal again, or as close to normal as would be expected with progressiving glaucoma in both eyes and a cataract on one. Maybe I'll have a few years of seeing left after all.
This improvement has come without medications or other treatments, so I have to believe that it came from my Higher Power and from friends and correspondents who I may have never met, as well as from those who I know and love from personal and working relationships, past and present.
After all this time, I still have heard nothing from my primary care doctor or the eye surgery specialist about the tests I had after completely losing sight in my right eye, the one on which I had corrective surgery a couple of years ago. I consider that to be positive news since my physicians apparently don't sense a need for urgency, and I suppose I'll finally learn the test results and what, if anything (other than new glasses) has to be done when I go to my appointment with the specialist next Thursday.
My sight is still blurry at times, but hopefully that will only require new eye drops and new glasses. The eye of major concern (the one that went totally blind for several days) has shown major improvement over the past week or so, and I still hope the doctor can give me an explanation as to what might have caused the temporary blindness.
So, I thank you again for your thoughts and prayers, which could have been the medicine I needed. I realize that some of you suffer your own health problems, and I pray that the positive energy you sent my way will return to you a hundred-fold, healing and making you healthy and free of anxiety that can come with such issues. Even if I should go blind tomorrow, I'm grateful for the sight at this moment that allows me to write this to you.
Have and keep the faith. It never ceases to amaze me what it can do.
Wishing you only the best in everything.
Sincerely,
Toney Atkins
************
SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE!
www.toneyatkins.com/
Republicans’ Effort To Rig Electoral College Gets National Backing
Toney comments: This is one more important reason that I have an extreme distrust and dislike of Republican politicians and their conservative believers who want to take away the U.S.'s rights in democracy and your vote in particular. From THINKPROGRESS.ORG:
Republicans’ Effort To Rig Electoral College Gets National Backing: pFormer Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R), who was the chief elections officer when the state experienced massive voting problems in 2004, is planning to lead a national effort to rig the electoral college in favor of the 2016 Republican presidential candidate. Republicans who hold power in states that have voted Democratic in the [...]/p
Please allow about a minute for the full blog to load. Thank you.
Republicans’ Effort To Rig Electoral College Gets National Backing: pFormer Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R), who was the chief elections officer when the state experienced massive voting problems in 2004, is planning to lead a national effort to rig the electoral college in favor of the 2016 Republican presidential candidate. Republicans who hold power in states that have voted Democratic in the [...]/p
Please allow about a minute for the full blog to load. Thank you.
How To Convince The NRA That Assault Weapons, Not The Media, Are Responsible For Gun Massacres
How To Convince The NRA That Assault Weapons, Not The Media, Are Responsible For Gun Massacres: pStephen King — best selling author of the very kind of violent books that gun advocates say contribute to gun violence — has penned Guns, a 25-page essay dismissing their criticism, while calling for universal background checks for gun purchases, and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. A self-described “blue-state American” who also [...]/p
Click on link for full story from THINKPROGRESS.ORG. NOTE: Please allow up to a minute for full blog to load. Thank you.
Click on link for full story from THINKPROGRESS.ORG. NOTE: Please allow up to a minute for full blog to load. Thank you.
GOP Florida House Speaker Blasts Plan To Rig Electoral College
GOP Florida House Speaker Blasts Plan To Rig Electoral College: pFlorida House Speaker Will Weatherford (R) poured cold water on a Republican plan to rig the Electoral College that is being considered in a number of states to all but ensure that the next president will be a Republican. A number of states that have voted consistently for Democrats at a national level but are [...]/p
THINKPROGRESS.ORG
THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Five Reasons Bobby Jindal Is Responsible For Transforming The GOP Into ‘The Stupid Party’
Five Reasons Bobby Jindal Is Responsible For Transforming The GOP Into ‘The Stupid Party’: pDays after Mitt Romney lost his bid for the presidency, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (R) kicked off a publicity campaign for his 2016 run, casting himself as a different kind of Republican. In a series of interviews, statements and op-eds, Jindal called for reform within the GOP, embracing a more moderate message that could appeal [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FLASHBACK: Republicans Opposed Electoral Vote Rigging In 2004, Calling It ‘A Really Stupid Idea’
FLASHBACK: Republicans Opposed Electoral Vote Rigging In 2004, Calling It ‘A Really Stupid Idea’: pNearly a decade before the GOP responded to President Obama’s re-election by proposing to rig the Electoral College in states like Pennsylvania and Virginia, Republicans vehemently opposed the plan and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting its implementation. In 2004, when Colorado was still a red state and then-President Bush was locked in a [...]/p
THINKPROGRESS.ORG ARTICLE
THINKPROGRESS.ORG ARTICLE
Top Republican Distances Himself From GOP’s Election-Rigging Plan
Top Republican Distances Himself From GOP’s Election-Rigging Plan: pFormer Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) distanced himself from his party’s effort to rig the election by appropriating electoral votes based on gerrymandered Congressional districts, telling MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell on Friday that he opposes the effort. Republican party leaders in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan have proposed legislation that would change how most electoral votes [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Friday, January 25, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Armed School Guard Leaves Gun In Student Bathroom
Armed School Guard Leaves Gun In Student Bathroom: pA gun was left in the bathroom of a Michigan public school by an armed guard paid to protect it, according to the school’s director. The Chatfield School, a charter school that teaches K-8 students, hired a retired police weapons instructor to provide armed protection after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary. The result wasn’t [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
How Republicans Plan To Rig The Next Presidential Election, In Six Pictures
How Republicans Plan To Rig The Next Presidential Election, In Six Pictures: pYesterday, Virginia Republicans took the first step to move a GOP plan to rig the Electoral College forward in that state. Similar plans are under consideration in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Republican election rigging plan targets blue states that President Obama won in 2008 and 2012, and changes the way they allocate electoral votes [...]/p
Above link to story everyone should read at THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I will be writing more later about gun-worshipping "Christian" Republican and even Democrat politicians who are not patriotic in their efforts to control the country and literally deprive U.S. citizens of their rights and liberties. Let's face it. All this would not be happening if President Obama was white. I cannot recall a time in my life when a political party such as the Republicans would go out of their way to fight every issue, good or questionable, for the country. That's happening now because racism is out of the closet and ultimately could result in the total destruction of the United States as we have known it.
Above link to story everyone should read at THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I will be writing more later about gun-worshipping "Christian" Republican and even Democrat politicians who are not patriotic in their efforts to control the country and literally deprive U.S. citizens of their rights and liberties. Let's face it. All this would not be happening if President Obama was white. I cannot recall a time in my life when a political party such as the Republicans would go out of their way to fight every issue, good or questionable, for the country. That's happening now because racism is out of the closet and ultimately could result in the total destruction of the United States as we have known it.
Wall Street Journal: Women Shouldn’t Be In Combat Because Men Poop
Wall Street Journal: Women Shouldn’t Be In Combat Because Men Poop: pAn opinion piece published in one of America’s most prestigious newspapers made a curious assertion this morning: women shouldn’t serve in combat because “social norms” would make it “humiliating” for men. After Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta’s surprise announcement on Wednesday that women would be free to serve in most or all combat roles by [...]/p
From THINKPROGRESS.ORG
From THINKPROGRESS.ORG
NRA: Obama Is Ruining Christmas By Tracking Stolen Guns
NRA: Obama Is Ruining Christmas By Tracking Stolen Guns: pOn Tuesday night, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre offered the organization’s response to President Obama’s inaugural address and the gun safety proposals he offered earlier this month. Speaking at the Weatherby Foundation International Hunting and Conservation Award dinner in Reno, Nevada, LaPierre claimed that President Obama seeks to place “every [...]/p
THE ABOVE LINK IS TO A REPORT FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I believe that current interpretaions of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution are often misleading about the amendment's intent, and I find it disturbing that more Americans seem to worship guns more than they worship God. Again I ask: Will there be guns in Heaven? I agree that sane people have the American Constitutional right to have a gun, particularly in this terrible day and age when citizens have to protect themselves, their families and their properties. Also, guns are fine for hunting. However, I cannot agree that military style weapons should be available to the general public, including hunters, who I doubt intend to shoot many, many birds, deer or other animals at one time. A postscript: Despite what his critics say, President Obama has never indicated that he would have the government take away the guns of law-abiding citizens. In fact, he practically ignored the issue of gun control until the wake of massacres at a movie theatre and a school in 2012.
THE ABOVE LINK IS TO A REPORT FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I believe that current interpretaions of the second amendment to the U.S. Constitution are often misleading about the amendment's intent, and I find it disturbing that more Americans seem to worship guns more than they worship God. Again I ask: Will there be guns in Heaven? I agree that sane people have the American Constitutional right to have a gun, particularly in this terrible day and age when citizens have to protect themselves, their families and their properties. Also, guns are fine for hunting. However, I cannot agree that military style weapons should be available to the general public, including hunters, who I doubt intend to shoot many, many birds, deer or other animals at one time. A postscript: Despite what his critics say, President Obama has never indicated that he would have the government take away the guns of law-abiding citizens. In fact, he practically ignored the issue of gun control until the wake of massacres at a movie theatre and a school in 2012.
House GOP To Supreme Court: Gay People Are Too Powerful To Get Equal Rights
House GOP To Supreme Court: Gay People Are Too Powerful To Get Equal Rights: pFor nearly two years, House Republicans paid conservative superlawyer Paul Clement $520 an hour to defend the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in federal court — and then sent the bill to the American taxpayer. In total Clement has now cost the American people up to $3 million for his efforts on behalf of this [...]/p
ABOVE LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: Republicans mislead us when they believe in the words of documents written by our founding fathers in establishing the United States of America. They seem to pooh-pooh the concept that "all men are created equal." (A progressive gay acquainance told me with a smile, "That's definitely not true.") But I digress, returning instead to the reality of what our forefathers said and to what many Americans give lip service but don't put into practice:
From Wikipedia: The opening of the United States Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows:
ABOVE LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: Republicans mislead us when they believe in the words of documents written by our founding fathers in establishing the United States of America. They seem to pooh-pooh the concept that "all men are created equal." (A progressive gay acquainance told me with a smile, "That's definitely not true.") But I digress, returning instead to the reality of what our forefathers said and to what many Americans give lip service but don't put into practice:
From Wikipedia: The opening of the United States Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, states as follows:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.
Clinton Scolds GOP Senator For Focusing On Whether Protest Sparked Benghazi Attack
Clinton Scolds GOP Senator For Focusing On Whether Protest Sparked Benghazi Attack: pSecretary of State Hillary Clinton shot back at a Republican senator during today’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Benghazi terror attacks, arguing that the Republicans’ focus on whether there was a protest against an anti-Muslim video at the time of the attack is irrelevant. Much of the politicization surrounding the Benghazi affair centered [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I love you, Secretary of State Clinton. You keep going, girl!
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Toney comments: I love you, Secretary of State Clinton. You keep going, girl!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Why Obama’s Second Inaugural Was Not A ‘Far Left’ Speech, In One Graphic
Why Obama’s Second Inaugural Was Not A ‘Far Left’ Speech, In One Graphic: pAfter President Obama finished his second inaugural speech, Republicans jumped to claim that it was a “full-throated defense of government activism,” and that “he seeks to move the country even further left.” Overall, the conservatives concluded, the speech was partisan. The only problem? It wasn’t. On every major issue addressed during the inaugural on Monday, [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Jennifer Granholm Destroys Santorum’s Opposition To Gun Safety: ‘Why Do You Need An Armor Piercing Bullet?’
Jennifer Granholm Destroys Santorum’s Opposition To Gun Safety: ‘Why Do You Need An Armor Piercing Bullet?’: pFormer Republican presidential candidate and likely 2016 contender Rick Santorum dismissed the need for gun safety regulations during an appearance on ABC’s This Week Sunday, arguing that Americans should have access to military-style weapons and magazines, including the armor piercing bullets used by criminals to kill cops. During a heated exchange with former Michigan Gov. [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG.
Toney comments: Will there be military style weapons and magazines, or even guns, in Heaven? Did Jesus carry a gun? How did He feel about violence? Check out the red quotes in the first four books of the New Testament.
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG.
Toney comments: Will there be military style weapons and magazines, or even guns, in Heaven? Did Jesus carry a gun? How did He feel about violence? Check out the red quotes in the first four books of the New Testament.
Martin Luther King’s Progressive Legacy
Martin Luther King’s Progressive Legacy: pToday is the official ceremony for President Obama’s second inauguration and the national celebration of Martin Luther King Day. The holiday, which was not officially observed in all 50 states until 2000, honors the civil rights leader and nonviolent activist who led the struggle for African American equality, and against militarism, materialism, and poverty. And [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Obama Pushes Back On ‘The 47 Percent’: Entitlements ‘Do Not Make Us A Nation Of Takers’
Obama Pushes Back On ‘The 47 Percent’: Entitlements ‘Do Not Make Us A Nation Of Takers’: pIn the months of campaigning that unfolded after Mitt Romney was skewered for saying that “47 percent” of the country “believe that they are victims… believe the government has a responsibility to care for them,” President Obama was relatively silent about the remarks. But today, during his second inaugural speech, Obama got the last word [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
How Obama Made His Second Inaugural Address A Landmark Moment For LGBT Equality
How Obama Made His Second Inaugural Address A Landmark Moment For LGBT Equality: pPresident Obama just concluded what was arguably the most inclusive inaugural address ever delivered by any president. Of particular note was his inclusion of a direct call for marriage equality for gays and lesbians, reflecting the milestone from last May when he became the first president of the United States to ever make such an [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Monday, January 21, 2013
Limbaugh Tarnishes Civil Rights Movement To Advance Pro-Gun Agenda
Limbaugh Tarnishes Civil Rights Movement To Advance Pro-Gun Agenda: pConservative radio host Rush Limbaugh sought to equate the fight for African American civil rights with opposition to gun safety on Friday, suggesting that the movement could have better protected itself from segregationists had it been armed. Limbaugh specifically signaled out Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), a nonviolent civil rights activist who was beaten during the [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Jennifer Granholm Destroys Santorum’s Opposition To Gun Safety: ‘Why Do You Need An Armor Piercing Bullet?’
Jennifer Granholm Destroys Santorum’s Opposition To Gun Safety: ‘Why Do You Need An Armor Piercing Bullet?’: pFormer Republican presidential candidate and likely 2016 contender Rick Santorum dismissed the need for gun safety regulations during an appearance on ABC’s This Week Sunday, arguing that Americans should have access to military-style weapons and magazines, including the armor piercing bullets used by criminals to kill cops. During a heated exchange with former Michigan Gov. [...]/p
GOOD QUESTION. FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
GOOD QUESTION. FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
UPDATED: 5 People Shot At 3 Different Gun Shows On Gun Appreciation Day
UPDATED: 5 People Shot At 3 Different Gun Shows On Gun Appreciation Day: pIf the gun advocates behind this year’s inaugural Gun Appreciation Day had hoped to use the day’s festivities to build support for their anti-regulation platform, they are going to have to wait another year. Emergency personnel had to be called to the scene of the Dixie Gun and Knife Show in Raleigh, North Carolina after [...]/p
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Everything You Need To Know About Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Proposals
Everything You Need To Know About Obama’s Gun Violence Prevention Proposals: pIn a press conference on Wednesday, President Obama outlined a sweeping effort to prevent gun violence in the United States. Surrounded by children who had written him letters voicing their desire to see gun laws passed, Obama announced that he will sign 23 executive orders and bring a set of proposals to Congress. The President [...]/p
THIS IS A LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG TO ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HISTORIC NEWS IMPACTING OUR NATION TODAY.
THIS IS A LINK FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG TO ENHANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HISTORIC NEWS IMPACTING OUR NATION TODAY.
Wealthy CEOs Want To Force Americans To Retire Later
Wealthy CEOs Want To Force Americans To Retire Later: pThe Business Roundtable, a group representing the CEOs of the largest corporations in the nation — including the biggest banks, retailers, and insurance companies — is calling to raise the retirement age to 70. The group argues that Social Security is no longer affordable and plans to lobby Congressional lawmakers and the administration for its [...]/p
THIS LINK AND MANY OTHER NEWS LINKS IN THIS BLOG ARE FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG TO KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT NEWS FOX AND RIGHT-WING SOURCES WILL EITHER NOT REPORT OR WILL DISTORT.
THIS LINK AND MANY OTHER NEWS LINKS IN THIS BLOG ARE FROM THINKPROGRESS.ORG TO KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT NEWS FOX AND RIGHT-WING SOURCES WILL EITHER NOT REPORT OR WILL DISTORT.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
What Everyone Should Know About New York’s New Gun Law
What Everyone Should Know About New York’s New Gun Law: pThe New York State legislature has passed a piece of gun legislation called the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act, or NYSAFE. The comprehensive measure makes sweeping changes to how the state approaches firearms and mental health. Here’s everything you need to know about the measure: 1. New York is the first state [...]/p
Common Sense
Common Sense: pWhat We Can Do to Help Prevent Gun Violence It’s been a month and a day since the tragic gun massacre in Newtown. What has been less remarked upon is the slow-motion tragedy that unfolds on the streets of America each and every day. On average, 33 people are murdered with guns every day. In [...]/p
DEFINITELY GOOD INFO FROM THINK PROGRESS.
DEFINITELY GOOD INFO FROM THINK PROGRESS.
10 States Take Action To Prevent Gun Violence
10 States Take Action To Prevent Gun Violence: pOne month after Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre prompted a national debate about preventing gun violence, state lawmakers have indicated they will push gun violence prevention measures, such as universal background checks, limiting high-capacity ammunition, and banning assault weapons. Right now, the vast majority of states have no laws on many of these issues. While [...]/p
RNC Chair: Rig The Next Presidential Election For Republicans
RNC Chair: Rig The Next Presidential Election For Republicans: pA little over a year ago, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett (R) proposed rigging the presidential election for Mitt Romney by allocating electoral votes based upon which candidate carried each individual congressional district, rather than upon who wins the state as a whole. Thanks in large part to Republican gerrymandering, if Corbett’s election-rigging plan had been [...]/p
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
GQ And Beyoncé Knowles’—Quite Literal—Control Over Her Own Image
GQ And Beyoncé Knowles’—Quite Literal—Control Over Her Own Image: pGQ has named Beyoncé Knowles the sexiest woman of the millenium, an assessment with which I have no quibble. But what’s most interesting about the resulting profile of her, written by Amy Wallace, and the interview for which took place on the condition that Wallace consent that it be recorded by Knowles in an inversion [...]/p
Pro-Gun Advocate: Arming Black People Would Have Prevented Slavery
Pro-Gun Advocate: Arming Black People Would Have Prevented Slavery: pThe pro-gun lobby has kicked into overdrive to stifle anti-gun violence efforts in the wake of the Newtown school massacre. Gun advocates are cooking up a national Gun Appreciation Day for the weekend of President Obama’s second inauguration. Larry Ward, chairman of Gun Appreciation Day, appeared on CNN on Friday to defend his event. When [...]/p
Three Things The NRA Wants You To Believe About Biden’s Gun Safety Task Force That Aren’t True
Three Things The NRA Wants You To Believe About Biden’s Gun Safety Task Force That Aren’t True: pOn Thursday, the National Rifle Association (NRA) blasted the Obama administration for undermining Americans’ Second Amendment rights just moments after its representatives met with Vice President Joe Biden and the White House task force to reduce gun violence. Two years ago, the NRA wouldn’t even meet with President Obama and the group’s CEO and executive [...]/p
Wednesday, January 02, 2013
By The Numbers...Fiscal Cliff Avoided
By The Numbers: pWhat’s in the Tax Deal After weeks of tense negotiations and drama (a detailed blow-by-blow can be found here), Congress finally managed to solve at least part of its latest manufactured crisis. After the country had technically already gone over the so-called “fiscal cliff,” the Senate overwhelmingly passed a compromise tax plan early Tuesday morning [...]/p
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM
TODAY:
Toney Atkins
www.toneyatkins.com/
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/
Monday, December 17, 2012
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
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
Sunday, December 16, 2012
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....
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
Saturday, December 15, 2012
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.
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/
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
Friday, December 14, 2012
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/ .
UPDATES ON THIS STORY CAN BE FOUND AT NEWS LINKS AT www.toneyatkins.com/ .
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
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
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
Saturday, December 08, 2012
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/
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/
Friday, December 07, 2012
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!!!!!!!!!!!
TONEY ATKINS SAYS: It's about time!!!!!!!!!!!
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
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/
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
Thursday, December 06, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
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
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
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
... And we all know that if the U.S. government says it, it has to be true. Let us pray. -- Toney Atkins
Monday, December 03, 2012
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
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Saturday, December 01, 2012
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
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.
>
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
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
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
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
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
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/
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.
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
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)
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
This link is related to a previous post. The really good stuff is near the end. Toney
Monday, November 26, 2012
‘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!
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/ .
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/ .
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.
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?
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
Sunday, November 25, 2012
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