The Constitution In Exile

An excerpt from the new book THE CONSTITUITION IN EXILE How the Federal Government Has Seized Power by Rewriting the Supreme Law of the Land by Andrew P. Napolitano Published by Nelson Current, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. and reprinted here with permission ISBN: 1595550305 List Price: $25.99 LFB Price Only $15.95 You Save 39%! The Constitution in Exile is the winner of the May 2006 Lysander Spooner Award for Advancing the Literature of Liberty. For more information about the Lysander Spooner Awards, CLICK HERE. To go to our full review, or to go to purchase the book, CLICK HERE. The excerpt, below, is the introduction to the book, The Constitution in Exile. Enjoy! _______________________________________________ THE CONSTITUITION IN EXILE How the Federal Government Has Seized Power by Rewriting the Supreme Law of the Land by Andrew P. Napolitano INTRODUCTION: ROOTS OF THE CURRENT DEBATE What Rosa Parks Knew That We Forget To understand the Constitution and where it came from, we must look at its counterpart, the Declaration of Independence, and we must understand the Natural Law that grounds both documents. Whether they realize it or not, most contemporary legal scholars and politicians in the Western world stand behind two competing theories about the origins of law and liberty: Natural Law and Positivism. The Natural Law school of thought argues that freedom comes by virtue of being created human, from our very nature, and holds that laws created by kings or legislatures are always secondary to the Natural Law. It is the royal flush against which any other law is merely a pair of deuces. This is not a new concept. The Greek writer Sophocles "recognizes the reality that human laws are subject to a higher law," according to my professor of constitutional law and jurisprudence at Notre Dame Law School, Charles E. Rice. Similarly, Aristotle observed that "one part of what is politically just is natural, and the other part is legal." Cicero described it as "the highest reason, implanted in Nature, which commands what ought to be done and forbids the opposite." Writes Cicero, "Right is based, not upon men's opinion [from popular legislatures], but upon Nature." In more recent times, Justice Clarence Thomas, writing about the "higher law political philosophy" of the Founding Fathers, stated, "Natural rights and higher law arguments are the best defense of liberty and of limited government. Moreover, without recourse to higher law, we abandon our best defense of judicial review-a judiciary active in defending the Constitution. Rather than being a justification for the worst type of judicial activism, higher law is [the] only alternative to the willfulness of both run-amok majorities [in Congress] and run-amok judges [in federal courts]."1 Natural Law theory teaches that the law extends from human nature, which is created by God. The Natural Law theory states that because all human beings desire freedom from artificial restraint and because all human beings yearn to be free, our freedoms must stem from our very humanity-and ultimately from the Creator of humanity. Perhaps no one can answer the question of "What is the Natural Law?" more clearly than Professor Rice: "Natural law will seem mysterious if we forget that everything has a law built into its nature.... If you eat a barbed-wired sandwich, it will not be good for you. If you want your body to function well, you ought not to treat it as if it were a trash compactor. Natural law is easy to understand when we are talking about physical nature. But it applies as well to the moral sphere." Think of your human experience as derived from God, as Rice has suggested, like a car that is derived from its manufacturer. God (or the Universal Spirit if you are not religious) is the manufacturer of your life. God created you and sent along a manual, much like the vehicle manufacturer includes in the glove compartment of your car (does anyone actually keep gloves in them?). The manufacturer wants you to drive your car successfully so that you and your friends will buy more cars, so it gives you tips on how to maintain the car and how to get out of trouble should it break down. Likewise, according to the Natural Law, God has equipped you with a manual-some say it is the Bible, others the Tanakh, others the Koran, others a rational mind. No matter what you believe, the Natural Law of the world can be seen running throughout any of the time-tested documents of Western Civilization. "It would be a strange motorist who would resent the existence of that manual and refuse to look at it," says Rice.2 Strange indeed when you think of the important, real-world implications and consequences of Natural Law. Take the case of Rosa Parks. Parks's famous refusal to give up her seat on a bus in 1955 in Alabama was a demonstration of "a proper reading of the Natural Law," according to Rice, because she refused to obey an unjust law. She played the royal flush and trumped the segregationists, who relied on the prejudiced opinion of popular majorities, not higher law. Said Martin Luther King Jr., "A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God.... An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas, 'unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.'" These concepts about law and liberty played an important role in the American experience from the very start. NATURAL RIGHTS The language of the Declaration of Independence refers specifically to God-given rights, those received by virtue of our humanity. The very first sentence claims a God-given right to be separate and equal beings-existing apart from a political power. The Declaration says that it is possible and even sometimes necessary-like Parks's refusal writ large-for "one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume... the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them...." God grants "certain unalienable rights." Government is supposed to secure them. If the text of the Declaration is not sufficient evidence of the role of Natural Law in the formation of our country as an independent state, Thomas Jefferson's studies and writings reveal a strong adherence to Natural Law principles. Jefferson was heavily influenced by the writings of John Locke and Thomas Paine. He borrowed considerably from the language and philosophies of both men in drafting the Declaration. For example, both Locke and Paine used the word "unalienable" to describe human rights. Locke, in his Second Treatise on Government, wrote, "Reason... teaches all Mankind... that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions." That immunity from harm includes harm caused by government-language and thoughts clearly echoed in the Declaration and its understanding of natural rights. In The Rights of Man, Paine wrote that these natural rights include "all the intellectual rights, or rights of the mind, and also all those rights of acting as an individual for his own comfort and happiness, which are not injurious to the natural rights of others." The government, Jefferson and Paine argued, is necessary to secure those rights in the civil context.3 Jefferson's own writings, prior to and after the Declaration, also display his belief in Natural Law. In a legal argument written in 1770, Jefferson wrote that "Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author of nature, because necessary for his own sustenance." Note that Jefferson chose to capitalize the A in Author-a reference to God that would have been crystal-clear to his contemporaries. Jefferson could be more explicit when he needed to be. "The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time," he declared in July 1774.4 It is clear from the text of the Declaration, and the influences and writings of its principal drafter, that Natural Law principles establish the rights referenced in the Declaration of Independence. And that is precisely how constitutional originalists such as Justice Clarence Thomas interpret it. The significance of the Declaration for constitutional scholars is that it is believed to contain the philosophical underpinnings of the Constitution. In other words, an understanding of Natural Law, its conferral of rights upon men and women, and the relationship between those rights and the role of government is fundamental to properly understand and interpret the Constitution. WHY SHOULD WE CARE? That freedom comes not from government, not from the consent of the governed, not from the community, but from God and is inherent to our humanity has profound effects on modern jurisprudence. It means that our basic freedoms-such as freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association, freedom to travel, and freedom from arbitrary restraints-cannot be taken away by the government unless we are convicted of violating Natural Law, and the government can only convict us if it follows what is called "procedural due process." Due process means that we know in advance of the violations of Natural Law that the government will prosecute, that we are fully notified by the government of the charges against us, that we have a fair trial with counsel before a truly neutral judge and jury, that we can confront and challenge the government's evidence against us, that we can summon persons and evidence on our own behalf, that the government must prove our misdeeds beyond a reasonable doubt, and that we have the right to appeal the outcome of that trial to another neutral judge. Under the Natural Law, the only way that any of our natural rights can be taken away is by conviction by a jury. Our rights cannot be legislated away, no matter how universally accepted the legislation, and they cannot be commanded away, no matter how beloved, benign, or correct the commander may be. Because free speech is a natural right and can only be taken away after due process, it cannot be taken away simply because a legislature says so. Thus, Natural Law protects minority rights from incursion by the majority. Neither Congress nor any state legislatures can declare that freedom of speech no longer exists, or take any words-which are only expressions of ideas-and make them illegal. Under Natural Law, if Congress made it unlawful to speak out against abortion, or if a state governor issued a decree that ordered Christians and Jews to cease worshiping, judges would surely invalidate those acts even if there were no First Amendment protecting freedom of speech and religion because the right to speak and worship as we wish comes from our humanity, not from the government or from the First Amendment. Because of that, judges can enforce those rights-regardless of the misguided will of Congress or a state governor. In this same way, Natural Law also prevents the majority from having its way all of the time. For example, voters cannot directly (through a referendum) or indirectly (through a legislature) take property that properly belongs to A and give that property to B. Why not? Because under Natural Law, that legislation would exceed the power of any government by violating the right of A to the use and enjoyment of his own property. Property owners have the right to use and enjoy what is theirs whether or not the positive (i.e., written down) law protects those rights or not. The Founders certainly saw things this way. Constitutional limits on government, as Alexander Hamilton once said, "serve to protect the security of Property... against the majority's will." Soon after the states ratified the Bill of Rights, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase wrote, "An act of the Legislature (for I cannot call it a law) contrary to the great first principles of the social compact, [i.e., the Natural Law] cannot be considered a rightful exercise of legislative authority...." Under Natural Law, legislatures have unwritten limitations imposed upon them, and those limitations prevent a legislature, no matter how one-sided the vote and no matter how popular the legislation, from enacting a law which interferes with a natural right. Congress could take a lesson from Rice's theory that "The Natural Law provides a guide through which we can safely and rightly choose to love God by acting in accord with our nature and by helping others to do the same. We can know the requirements of Natural Law through reason unaided by explicit revelation."5 Natural Law declares that when the people created state legislatures, and when the states created the Congress, they never gave these bodies the authority to interfere with natural rights. They did not do so because they could not do so. As we observed earlier, no one can take away another's natural rights except a jury, following due process. Natural Law also commands certain prohibitions. For example, since enslaving a person or taking an innocent life is always wrong, Natural Law commands that slavery and murder are unlawful, whether the legislature declares them so or not. Natural Law does, however, recognize that not all rights are natural, and some rights do come from the state. For example, the right to drive a motor vehicle on a government-owned roadway is a right that comes from the state; hence, the government can lawfully regulate it (e.g., by requiring a driver's license, limiting speed, etc.) and lawfully take it away (e.g., from habitual drunk drivers). THE NEGATIVE OF POSITIVE Positivist theory is more or less the opposite of Natural Law theory. Under Positivism, the law is whatever those in power say it is, whether that decision is democratic or dictatorial in nature. Positivism demands that all laws be written down, and requires that there are no theoretical or artificial restraints (such as Natural Law) on the ability of the government to enact whatever laws it wishes. No higher law exists; deuces beat a royal f lush if enough people in power say so. In this theory the majority always rules and always gets its way, since there are no minority rights to be protected-except whatever rights the majority might condescend to grant. To follow our earlier example, if, under a Positivist system, a state legislature or the Congress were to enact legislation prohibiting public criticism of abortion, or a state governor ordered Christians and Jews to cease worshiping, so long as the legislature was legally elected and it followed its own rules in enacting the legislation, and so long as the legislation proscribed criticism of abortion or authorized the governor's behavior, the prohibition on speech and the interference with the free exercise of religion would be the law of the land, and no court could interfere with it. In the Positivist scheme, rights come from government, and government can always repeal what it grants. Critics of Positivism have argued that it leads to the tyranny of the majority. These critics remind us that Hitler and the Nazis were popularly elected. Once in power, under a Positivist legal theory, they passed all sorts of horrific laws, all of which were "lawfully" enacted. The Nazis rejected Natural Law, which protects the minority, and we all know what happened to the minority in Hitler's Germany. In America, the Declaration of Independence is traditionally referred to as the sheet anchor of our liberties. It does not grant liberties; it publicly pronounces and secures them, just as an anchor secures a boat. Similarly, the Constitution of the United States also does not grant rights, but rather recognizes their existence, guarantees their exercise, and requires the government to protect them. Just look at the First Amendment to the Constitution: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...." This clearly reveals that the authors of the amendment-the Founders-recognized that freedom of religious worship and freedom of speech preexisted, and thus come from some source other than the Constitution. Properly understood then, the First Amendment is not a grant of rights to the people, but a restriction on government that prevents it from infringing on the rights the people already have. It also implies that not only may Congress not interfere with freedom of speech or the free exercise of religion, but Congress must prevent all who act in the name of the government from interfering with them as well. IN A LAND OF NO CONSTRAINTS Throughout this book I will be discussing rights and liberties. As I will use the terms, rights are specific freedoms specifically guaranteed by the Constitution, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to bear arms; liberties are more general freedoms, like the right to travel, the right to think whatever you please, and the right to be left alone, with which the government may not interfere without due process. As the reader can no doubt safely guess by now, I am a strong and fervent believer in Natural Law. The only valid laws are those grounded in a pursuit of goodness. Anything else-like taking property from A and giving it to B, like silencing an unpopular minority, like interfering with freedom of worship-is an unjust law and, theoretically, need not be obeyed, just like the law that told Rosa Parks to find her seat in the rear of the bus. No government may enact laws interfering with our natural freedoms, no matter how popular the enactment. The Positivist would say that since the majority in a free society gives freedom, the majority can take it away. Natural Law says only God gives freedom, and the government can only take it away as a punishment for violating Natural Law, and then only through due process. To a Positivist, the government's goal is to bring about the greatest benefit to the greatest number of people. Under Natural Law, the only legitimate goal of government is to secure liberty, which is the freedom to obey one's own free will and conscience, rather than the free wills or consciences of others, no matter whether those others are in the streets, in City Hall, in the state legislatures, on Capitol Hill, or in the White House. The problem today in America-the greatest and gravest threat to personal freedom in this country-is that the Positivists are carrying the day. Under their sway, the government violates the law while busily passing more legislation to abridge our liberties. The government recognizes no constraints on its power and enacts whatever laws it wishes. If we wish to survive the near future with our rights intact, we need to understand the size and scope of the threat. We must also understand its true identity: a government that claims it can give you rights can also take them away. Throughout the coming pages, we will explore the gravity and disaster inherent in that simple fact. First we'll look at the nature of the Constitution-what it says and what it means. Then, chapter by chapter, we'll explore how politicians and judges have slowly driven the Constitution and its restraints on the government into exile. Footnotes: 1 Charles Rice, "50 Questions on the Natural Law" (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1995), pp. 21-22, quoting Clarence Thomas, "The Higher Law Background of the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," 12 Harv. J.L. & Pub. Policy 63, 63-64 (1989). For those wishing to examine a solid, easy-to-read introduction to the natural law, Professor Rice has produced one here. This well-footnoted and highly regarded summary of the Natural Law will be valuable to beginners and those looking for a refresher course as well. Professor Rice's research into original sources is so extensive that even those well schooled in the Natural Law will find his footnotes and bibliography quite helpful. 2 Rice, "50 Questions on the Natural Law," pp. 27-28. 3 Thomas Paine's Rights of Man, http://www.ushistory.org/paine/rights/. A longer excerpt from this classic work reads, "Natural rights are those which appertain to man in right of his existence. Of this kind are all the intellectual rights, or rights of the mind, and also all those rights of acting as an individual for his own comfort and happiness, which are not injurious to the natural rights of others. Civil rights are those, which appertain to man in right of his being a member of society. Every civil right has for its foundation some natural right pre-existing in the individual, but to the enjoyment of which his individual power is not, in all cases, sufficiently competent." 4 Thomas Jefferson, "A Summary View of the Rights of British America," B.1.135. libertyonline.hypermall.com/Jefferson/Summaryview.html. Given these and other references to God in Jefferson's writings, it should be noted that his position on Natural Law was not a function of religion or religiosity, nor are these references clear endorsements of Christianity. While he acknowledged a Supreme Being eloquently and frequently, Jefferson did not seem to believe in the God of Christianity. Though he quoted Him often, he rejected the idea of Christ's divinity. 5 Rice, "50 Questions on the Natural Law," p. 28. _____________________________________________ To go to our full review, or to go to purchase the book, CLICK HERE. __________________________________________________ Reprinted with permission from the publisher of The Constitution in Exile by Andrew P. Napolitano, Nelson Current, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, © 2006. CLICK HERE TO GO NOW TO PURCHASE BOOK

Bright Light

"Dear friends,

We have lost a bright light today.

I say goodbye to her in a thousand voices
from every particle of me, every atom of me
I sing her goodbye, I pray her goodbye.
I let her merge and blend in the depths of my soul forever
as part of me
as a part of everything
but a part of me.

Through my breath, my voice, with my life
I honor her courage and her heart
her enthusiasm, her candor, her trust.
I bow.

To all those that we have loved and lost
I say this prayer for all of us.

In the name of that love in which all things work and move,
~Diana Lang
THE WEATHER
©2006 by DIANA LANG

These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you feel so inspired, please feel free to pass them along, but do so without charge or alteration. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, please let me know.

Diana Lang
from the City of Angels
818/888-7319
www.DianaLang.com"

Technorati Tags: Love

Immigration "MAY DAY"

Millions of illegal aliens, primarily Mexican nationalists in the U.S., are protesting against immigration reform today. It is no coincidence that this "May Day" protest falls on the Communist Party's International Workers' Day.

The communist ANSWER coalition is the primary organizer of today's protest! --The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US)

Some info from The Los Angeles Times:

1. 40% of all workers in L.A. County (L.A. County has 10 million people) are working for cash and not paying taxes. This was because they are predominantly illegal immigrants, working without a green card.

2. 95% of warrants for murder in Los Angeles are for illegal aliens.

3. 75% of people on the most wanted list in Los Angeles are illegal aliens.

4. Over 2/3's of all births in Los Angeles County are to illegal alien Mexicans on Medi-Cal whose births were paid for by taxpayers.

5. Nearly 25% of all inmates in California detention centers are Mexican nationals here illegally.

6. Over 300,000 illegal aliens in Los Angeles County are living in garages.

7. The FBI reports half of all gang members in Los Angeles are most likely illegal aliens from south of the border.

8. Nearly 60% of all occupants of HUD properties are illegal.

9. 21 radio stations in L.A. are Spanish speaking.

10. In L.A.County 5.1 million people speak English. 3.9 million speak Spanish (10.2 million people in L.A.County).

(All 10 from the Los Angeles Times)

Less than 2% of illegal aliens are picking our crops but 29% are on welfare.

American philosopher Charlie Daniels says that it's "a huge public relations mistake ... when the fist thing you do when you set foot on American soil is illegal, it is flat-out wrong."

Free movies!

This is a cool new resource:


Public Domain Torrents
Classic movies and B-movies for free!

Therapy

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and Point A Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with That.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "IN."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Sexual Favors."

7. Finish All Your Sentences With "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8. dontuseanypunctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Ask People What Sex They Are. Laugh Hysterically After They Answer.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, "Rock Hard."

17. When The Money Comes Out of The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

And The Final Way to Keep a Healthy Level of Insanity...

U.S. Border Patrol letter to Senator Frist

"This letter sent to Senator Frist from a retired border patrol agent. It has more common sense than all the bull being spewed from the Senate." --from the original sender of the information below.


Dear Senator Frist

There is a huge amount of propaganda and myths circulating about illegal aliens, particularly illegal Mexican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan and Honduran aliens.

1. Illegal aliens generally do NOT want U.S. citizenship.
Americans are very vain thinking that everybody in the world wants to be a U.S. citizen. Mexicans, and other nationalities want to remain citizens of their home countries while obtaining the benefits offered by the United States such as employment, medical care, in-state tuition, government subsidized housing and free education for their offspring. Their main attraction is employment and their loyalty usually remains at home. They want benefits earned and subsidized by middle class Americans. What illegal aliens want are benefits of American residence without paying the price.

2. There are no jobs that Americans won't do.
Illegal aliens are doing jobs that Americans can't take and still support their families. Illegal aliens take low wage jobs, live dozens in a single residence home, share expenses and send money to their home country. There are no jobs that Americans won't do for a decent wage.

3. Every person who illegally entered this nation left a home.
They are NOT homeless and they are NOT Americans. Some left jobs in their home countries. They come to send money to their real home as evidenced by the more than 20 billion dollars sent out of the country each year by illegal aliens. These illegal aliens knowingly and willfully entered this nation in violation of the law and therefore assumed the risk of detection and deportation. Those who brought their alien children assumed the responsibility and risk on behalf of their children.

4. Illegal aliens are NOT critical to the economy.
Illegal aliens constitute less than 5% of the workforce. However, they reduce wages and benefits for lawful U.S. residents.

5. This is NOT an immigrant nation.
There are 280 million native born Americans. While it is true that this nation was settled and founded by immigrants (legal immigrants), it is also true that there is not a nation on this planet that was not settled by immigrants at one time or another.

6. The United States is welcoming to legal immigrants.
Illegal aliens are not immigrants by definition. The U.S. accepts more lawful immigrants every year than the rest of the world combined.

7. There is no such thing as the "Hispanic vote".
Hispanics are white, brown, black and every shade in between. Hispanics are Republicans, Democrats, Anarchists, Communists, Marxists and Independents. The so-called "Hispanic vote" is a myth. Pandering to illegal aliens to get the Hispanic vote is a dead end.

8. Mexico is NOT a friend of the United States.
Since 1848 Mexicans have resented the United States. During World War I Mexico allowed German Spies to operate freely in Mexico to spy on the U.S. During World War II Mexico allowed the Axis powers to spy on the U.S. from Mexico. During the Cold War Mexico allowed spies hostile to the U.S. to operate freely. The attack on the Twin Towers in 2001 was cheered and applauded all across Mexico. Today Mexican school children are taught that the U.S. stole California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. If you don't believe it, check out some Mexican textbooks written for their school children.

9. Although some illegal aliens enter this country for a better life, there are 6 billion people on this planet. At least 1 billion of those live on less than one dollar a day. If wanting a better life is a valid excuse to break the law and sneak into America, then let's allow those one billion to come to America and we'll turn the USA into a Third World nation overnight. Besides, there are 280 million native born Americans who want a better life. I'll bet Bill Gates and Donald Trump want a better life. When will the USA lifeboat be full? Since when is wanting a better life a good reason to trash another nation?

10. There is a labor shortage in this country.
This is a lie. There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of American housewives, senior citizens, students, unemployed and underemployed who would gladly take jobs at a decent wage.

11. It is racist to want secure borders.
What is racist about wanting secure borders and a secure America? What is racist about not wanting people to sneak into America and steal benefits we have set aside for legal aliens, senior citizens, children and other legal residents? What is it about race that entitles people to violate our laws, steal identities, and take the American Dream without paying the price? For about four decades American politicians have refused to secure our borders and look after the welfare of middle class Americans. These politicians have been of both parties. A huge debt to American society has resulted. This debt will be satisfied and the interest will be high. There has already been riots in the streets by illegal aliens and their supporters. There will be more. You, as a politician, have a choice to offend the illegal aliens who have stolen into this country and demanded the rights afforded to U.S. citizens or to offend those of us who are stakeholders in this country. The interest will be steep either way. There will be civil unrest. There will be a reckoning. Do you have the courage to do what is right for America? Or, will you bow to the wants and needs of those who don't even have the right to remain here? There will be a reckoning. It will come in November of this year, again in 2008 and yet again in 2010. We will not allow America to be stolen by third world agitators and thieves.

David J. Stoddard
U.S. Border Patrol (RET)
Hereford, Arizona

History and Uses of Melaleuca Oil

Long before Captain Cook set foot on the shores of Australia, the native inhabitants used the therapeutic oil of the Melaleuca trees for a wide range of topical and oral applications. They crushed the leaves to use as rubbing mediums and mixed them with clay to form poultices and even bathed in the water that had collected under the trees. The first white settlers watched and learned how to use the leaves for their own healing applications. It was most unfortunate for people in the west that there was no documented evidence, and the use of Melaleuca oil was to remain confined to Australia, as a bush remedy, for the next 150 years.

In 1922, an Australian chemist, Arthur Penfold and his team, from the Sydney Museum of Technology and Applied Science, distilled the oil from the Melaleuca alternifolia and subsequently published a paper stating that it had wide-ranging antibacterial and antifungal activity. It was announced to the world that this was a new type of germicide, gentle to skin cells but harmful to the invading germs. The oil of the Melaleuca went from strength to strength; it was successfully used to treat all manner of infections and infestations. It was the treatment of choice; from cuts and wounds to head lice, ringworm, leg ulcers, infections, catarrh, thrush, tonsillitis, pyorrhoea and gingivitis. Professors, doctors, dentists and veterinary surgeons utilized its many properties for the health and welfare of their patients.

Then came the Second World War and, inevitably, Melaleuca oil was in such short supply that all the available stocks were used to help stop infections from the unavoidable war wounds, both in soldiers and munitions workers that were helping with the war effort. Soon it was deemed necessary that a cheaper, more readily available, alternative should be manufactured to help stop the spread of germs; and the once thriving industry went into a steep decline. For the next twenty years the oil was all but forgotten.

Fortunately, Melaleuca alternifolia oil has over 100 components working synergistically together, most of which could not even be identified back in the early years, so an exact nature-identical copy was impossible to synthesize from man-made chemicals. In the Sixties, the oil made a remarkable comeback, the first scientific evidence in decades confirmed that it had a favorable effect in the treatment of boils, gynecological infections and later for varied foot problems and nail bed infections. Now the once sidelined oil was gaining in popularity, and farms were being set up to harvest the oil on a commercial basis.

In the early 1990s, a scientific research team was formed, lead by Associate Professor Tom Riley at the University of Western Australia. They have produced many papers, reviews and letters, and still continue to promote the versatility and effectiveness of this ancient and valuable oil. Their work has underlined its healing potential in the fight against infectious illness and inflammatory conditions. When they started to look at the antimicrobial activity of the major components of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, it was they who first brought to our attention the remarkable susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also called the hospital superbug (MRSA). It was a staphylococcus strain of bacterium that had evolved to beat most of the synthesized antibacterial medicines (antibiotics) available from orthodox medicine. In the United States and European hospitals, MRSA grew from under 3% of infections in the 1980s to 40% in the late 1990s. This superbug attacks people who have skin lesions, especially from post-operative wounds and/or a depressed immune system. But because it can be transferred from patient to patient via hospital staff and on implements such as pens and stethoscopes (MRSA carriage) Melaleuca oil is invaluable as a topical disinfectant.

Riley and his team also found many other susceptibilities to the oil such as

-Propionibacterium acnes, which is the major antimicrobial cause of acne;

-Escherichia coli (E coli) and Staphylococcus aureus, which can cause food poisoning and infect wounds;

-Malassezia furfur, the fungal infection that causes seborrheic dermatitis to the sebum-rich areas of the scalp (dandruff), face and body;

-dermatophytes and other filamentous fungi, which cause topical infections;

-Lactobacilli and organisms associated with bacterial vaginosis;

-Candida species and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which can result in gynecological infections, digestive tract problems, also redness and itching to the skin;

-Staphylococci and Streptococci species of bacteria that causes impetigo, a raw, itchy superficial skin infection;

-and they also found a whole range of oral bacteria was susceptible: Actinomyces, Branhamella, Capnocytophaga, Clostridium, Eikenella, Fusobacterium, Haemophilus, Lactobacillus, Neisseria, Peptostreptococcus, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Stomatococcus, Streptococcus and Veillonella, which can cause halitosis (bad breath), dental plaque, dental cavities (rotting teeth), gingivitis (gum inflammation) and periodontitis, which can result in the loss of teeth and infection entering the jaw bone.

Conversely, when they studied the susceptibility of transient and commensal skin flora to the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, it was encouraging that in a low dilution, Melaleuca oil did not disrupt the essential balance of micro-flora on the skin. And, they also found that allergic contact dermatitis, following the use of a hand-wash containing Melaleuca oil, was not actually due to the Melaleuca oil. All this means that it is ideal to add to toiletries, because at a very low dilution it can help to inhibit pathogenic bacteria, which are naturally resident on the skin, while preserving the good bacteria that we need to keep our skin healthy.

Their antimicrobial studies on the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia have been confirmed by other researchers in clinical trials around the world. Riley and his team still have many varied trials and collaborations in the pipeline. They have even broadened their work to include viral infections and have published their findings on the efficacy of a Melaleuca alternifolia gel (6%) in the treatment of Herpes labialis, which can cause cold sores in susceptible people. Their work, both in the laboratory (in-vitro) and on people (in-vivo) in a hospital setting is continuing, with the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia as an alternative topical decolonization agent for infections such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

They have also started to look at Terpinen-4-ol, the main component of the oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, to suppress inflammatory mediator production by activated human monocytes. Inflammatory responses are responsible for the reddened and raised areas of tissue damage when we bruise, burn or cut ourselves and when we are bitten by insects or have an allergic reaction. On a broader scale an inflammatory response is also implicated in degenerative diseases such as heart disease and arthritis.

Furthermore, it is through the group’s work on skin sensitivity we know that a low percentage of the population may have a sensitivity issue with using the oil full-strength; it is good that Melaleuca oil is very effective in quite low dilutions, so the undiluted oil never has to come into contact with the skin. Even so, it is important to patch test the oil or product on a small area of skin, before it is used fully. It has also been noted by other researchers that Melaleuca oil can become oxidized if not stored correctly, or is past its sell-by-date. The oil should always be kept in a cool, dark environment and used within a set time. It is also vitally important that the oil comes from a trusted supplier, who knows how to handle it and store it in the right conditions until it is sold. A good supplier will also be able to supply information on their oil, and guarantee that it is pure and not adulterated with other, less healthy, ingredients.

Melaleuca alternifolia oil is not only sold as an aromatherapy oil, but also an ingredient of choice in the manufacture of many commercial products, where it can cut down the need for additional artificial chemicals, so is ideal as an additive in everyday items such as laundry products, household cleaners, polishes, soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, toiletries, skin creams, salves, ointments, toothpastes, mouth washes, deodorants, air fresheners, nail conditioners and insect repellents.

Along with all the scientific data that continues to grow, Melaleuca oil has been used for decades by ordinary people who find that it works for them, their family and their pets. Melaleuca oil is a good expectorant when inhaled and has a soothing effect on the throat; therefore, it can be used for throat and chest infections, and clearing up mucous. An inhalation can soothe coughing and stuffy noses, and using it at the start of an infection can help to inhibit the virus from spreading from person to person. A couple of drops in a glass of warm salty water can be used to combat mouth infections and on the skin to bathe cuts and scratches. It can be used in the bath, in shampoo to fight dandruff and head lice and in skin creams to alleviate skin conditions such as boils, pimples and acne.

And it doesn’t stop there, not only can Melaleuca oil be used in first aid applications and toiletries, amazingly, it is a powerful solvent too (which is why it helps to clear trapped bacteria in boils), and can be utilized all around the home. So if you have any old Melaleuca oil in the cupboard it can be safely used for household cleaning applications. It is particularly good for getting the glue off plates, jars and bottles often left behind by price stickers and labels. It can be an effective cleaner, removing paint and pen marks easily from surfaces, when mixed with a small amount of ordinary household cleaner or laundry product and rubbed over the area. It is a good stain remover for clothes and everyday washable items. But it must not be used full-strength on plastics and cheaper man-made fabrics, because they can become damaged by the strong solvent action. It can clean silver. It helps to deodorize rooms and cupboards. Mixed with a few drops of a culinary oil it can be sprinkled onto a duster and used to polish wooden furniture, both inside the house and in the garden.

Today, thanks to its efficacy and broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties, the oil of the Melaleuca alternifolia has spread across the world and practically everyone has heard about it, if not using its remarkable healing powers. There surely has never been a more versatile and useful natural oil.

Researched and Written by Karen MacKenzie

HOW SAFE IS YOUR HOME?

Find cheap gas

For a map to cheap gas in your area Click Here

To see a map of gas prices in the USA at a glance Click Here

For an easy-to-read chart that will show you where our fuel comes from around the world Click Here

24 websites

www.fox.com/24/

www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show.cgi?show=73

www.tvgas.com/archives/24/

www.wayfaring.com/maps/show/4698

www.kiefersutherland24.net/

blogs.herald.com/davebarrys_blog/24/index.html

www.24addict.com/

www.24fans.com/

Please don't ask why there aren't 24 websites listed here :)

Husband's lament

While I was watching the NFL playoff games one weekend, my wife and I got into a conversation about life and death, and the need for living wills.

During the course of the conversation I told her that I never wanted to exist in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and taking fluids from a bottle.

She got up, unplugged the TV and threw out all my beer.

Sometimes it's tough being married to a smartass.

Life is backwards

Here's how it should be.

We should die first and come back to life. We wake up in a nursing home feeling better every day. We get kicked out for being too healthy & frisky. We go collect our pensions. We start work and get a gold watch and a party on our very first day. We work 40 years until we're young enough to enjoy our retirement. We enjoy college life and party, getting ready for high school. Then grade school. Then as a toddler we play and play and have no responsibilities. We become babies. We spend our last 9 months floating peacefully within all the comforts of the womb, then, we finish off as an orgasm.

Sound good?

Technorati Tags: Health

If you want first hand information

Michael Yon's own story is here, about how and why he is doing this now. If you are interested read "How This Project Is Funded."

What you'll get at his website is such great first-hand reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan, pictures, stories and news that you will not get anywhere else--that's the beauty of Michael Yon's reporting.

www.michaelyon-online.com

PS: If you know anyone who is currently serving, tell the about the new "Frontline Forum" which is a place for their stories good or bad.

A Democratic Senator Speaks Out

"We undermine the President's credibility at our nation's peril." —Democrat Sen. Joe Lieberman

Whose playing now?

Remember who was castigating President Bush for "playing on our fears?"

(Hint: last name rhymes with "bore")

Well, be sure to read L.A. Times op-ed (4/20/06) by Jonah Goldberg and you will come away shocked and surprised!

Just a heads up folks in case you didn't catch it.

Pulitzer Winner: Bill Clinton Decimated the CIA

NEWSMAX.COM - Upon taking power in 1993, [James] Risen reports, the Clinton administration "began slashing the intelligence budget in search of a peace dividend, and Bill Clinton showed almost no interest in intelligence matters."

Click Here to read more

Great tax talk for Tax Day

If you don't know about this stuff, you are letting the system "roll you!"

Why can't we fix the tax code? by Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D.

Behold the simple virtues of a fair national sales tax by Leo Linbeck

There's more, but this is all from the last few days...

Tax reform will inject this country with a huge wave of creative energy and release us all from the bondage of an unbelievably ridiculous burden.

I can hardly wait!

What the military REALLY thinks of Rumsfeld

There are approximately 870 active duty generals and admirals Click Here according to Hugh Hewitt, conservative radio talk show host, attorney, author, and blogger.

Aside from the half-dozen who spoke out against Rumsfeld the other day, please take a moment to hear from a combat arms officer who cared enough to tell us about the "tens of thousands of Officers, Commissioned/Warrant/Non-Commissioned, that would go to hell and back for this Secretary."Click Here

UPDATE (04/17/06): "...no one seems to have bothered to ask which, if any, of these generals had ever submitted his own resignation in protest against the conduct of the Iraq war, or the bumpy transition we are locked in now...their opinions would have carried far more weight if they had stated them at some personal cost to themselves while on active service by resigning in protest. That action might have also carried some evidence of the courage Americans expect of the highest ranking officers of its uniformed services." -- Thomas Lipscomb, senior fellow of the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future.

UPDATE (04/21/06): "Currently, there are about 4,700 living members of the retired General Officer corps, most of whom left active duty between Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Last week, .13 (that's point one three) percent (or 13 ten-thousandths) of them decided to help write the Democrats' '06 midterm-election playbook. Six retired officers (seven if we're to include former Demo presidential hopeful Wesley Clark) issued public indictments of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's (read: the Bush administration's) conduct of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

It is worth noting, because the Leftmedia hasn't, that the six complainants are all alumni of Clinton's Pentagon Cabal. Nor has the Leftmedia mentioned the support Secretary Rumsfeld has received from more consequential retired generals such as former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers or former OEF and OIF commander Tommy Franks." --The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US)

Can you help this soldier?

Hello everyone,

I am writing to share a significant and immediate need that one of our Doctors has shared with us here in Iraq. As you know the Terrorist Insurgents have been targeting innocent civilians and even today they struck a mosque that killed many people and wounded many more who were on the street. We are flying them here to Balad and treating them at our hospital and then sending them home. The problem that we have is that we don't have any clothes for them to wear home. As you know they are usually damaged or cut off of them when we treat them.

Many of these civilians were flown here and are far from their home and their families are unable to get here to provide for them. I'm asking all of you to contact your friends and go through your closets and pick out clothes that you no longer wear. We need clothing for kids especially sandals and pants and shirts for men. Women are harder to provide for since they wear the black dresses that cover them from head to toe but anything like that would help. If you could get some of these things together and send them here it would be a tremendous blessing to the people we are treating. Some of the Iraqi people we are treating are still trying to figure us out and asking why we are helping them and this small gesture will make an enourmous statement about the generosity that each of you posses.

Please send them to Major Patrick Howard, Balad Hospital LSAA, APO AE 09391. or to me at the 40th CSG, LSAA, APO AE 09391

I know that it's time for Spring Cleaning and this request may help prod you to go through your closets. Anything will do.Thanks for your help and for your prayers!

Your friend,

CPT Tim Escobar
US Army, AV
Balad, Iraq

The Huge Ball and Chain

"Americans will work for 116 days this year--almost 1/3 of the entire year--just to earn enough money to pay their tax bill to the IRS.

To put that into perspective, Americans currently spend four months out of the year working at our jobs before we get out from underneath the government's tax stranglehold. So, socking away your dollars for your kid's college education, saving up for retirement or a new home, putting away your hard-earned money for a vacation, a new car or rainy day -- well that can all wait. Like it or not, Uncle Sam's got you by the neck for four months-what you choose to do with the other eight is up to you.

To compound matters even more, Tax Freedom Day - the day when your money finally goes into your bank account rather than the outstretched hands of politicians - comes three days later than last year and ten days later than 2004. And Democrats want to raise our taxes even higher.

Unbelievable...

This pillage and plundering of American wallets becomes an even tougher pill to swallow when we witness the extraordinary waste of our hard-earned money towards earmarked pork like the infamous $223 million Alaskan "bridge to nowhere."

The natives are growing restless. As The New York Sun points out today ("Real Bracket Creep") Americans are fed up with the current system and politicians better start paying attention. Citing the latest non-partisan Tax Foundation report that revealed an astonishing 80 percent of U.S. adults believe the current federal income tax is somewhat or very complex, the paper points out the following examples of voter disgust:

· Almost 60% said they thought the amount of federal income taxes they personally pay was too high.

· 40% of Americans said the federal tax system "needs major changes," while another 40% said it "should be completely overhauled."

· Just 2% described the federal tax system as "fine the way it is" and only 1% of those polled said the current federal income tax is "not complex at all," (Who are these people?)

· When asked to choose between a flat-rate income tax with no deductions, a national sales tax, or the current graduated income tax with deductions, 33% chose a flat tax, 20% favored a national sales tax, and 21% preferred the status quo.

Let's be clear here: The tax system is a huge ball & chain tied to the feet of hardworking American entrepreneurs and ordinary workers and savers. They can barely get to work or invest because of this enormous weight. But if you remove this ball & chain, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will witness another growth explosion--one that could raise our potential to grow by 5 percent a year and would generate tax revenue at a lower flat tax rate of around 20%.

Enough already."

Posted by Lawrence Kudlow at 02:02 PM on the RCP (Real Clear Politics) Blog

Technorati Tags: Politics, Taxes

From an African-American economist of renown

""People who urge us to rely on the United Nations, instead of acting 'unilaterally,' or who urge us to follow other countries in creating a government-run medical care system, often show not the slightest interest in getting facts about the actual track record of either the UN or government-run medical systems. Those who believe in affirmative action likewise usually see no reason to find out what actually happens under such policies, as distinguished from what they wish, hope, or imagine happens. They crusade for 'a living wage' that will enable a worker to support a family proceeds without the slightest interest in finding out whether most people who are making low wages actually have any family to support—much less seeking out the facts about what actually happens after the government sets wages. People who have made up their minds and don't want to be confused by the facts are a danger to the whole society. Since the votes of such people count just as much as the votes of people who know what they are talking about, politicians have every incentive to pass laws and create policies that pander to ignorant notions, if those notions are widespread." —Thomas Sowell"

Oil Change Instructions

Oil Change instructions for Women:

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the last oil change.

2) Drink a cup of coffee.

3) 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Money spent:
Oil Change $20.00
Coffee $1.00
Total $21.00

==========================================================

Oil Change instructions for Men:

1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a check for $50.00.

2) Stop by 7 - 11 and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20, drive home.

3) Open a beer and drink it.

4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.

5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.

6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.

7) Place drain pan under engine.

8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.

9) Give up and use crescent wrench.

10) Unscrew drain plug.

11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in process. Cuss.

12) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.

13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.

14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.

15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off.

16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.

17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Decide to finish oil change tomorrow so you can go see his new garage door opener.

18) Sunday: Skip church because "I gotta finish the oil change." Drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car. Cleverly dump oil in hole in back yard instead of taking it back to Kragen to recycle.

19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.

20) Beer? No, drank it all yesterday.

21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.

22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.

23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.

24) Remember drain plug from step 11.

25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.

26) Remember that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard, along with drain plug.

27) Drink beer.

28) Shovel out hole and sift oily mud for drain plug. Re-shovel oily dirt into hole. Steal sand from kids sandbox to cleverly cover oily patch of ground and avoid environmental penalties. Wash drain plug in lawnmower gas.

29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.

30) Drink beer.

31) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.

32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.

33) Begin cussing fit.

34) Throw stupid crescent wrench.

35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit bowling trophy.

36) Beer.

37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood flow.

38) Beer.

39) Beer.

40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.

41) Beer.

42) Lower car from jack stands.

43) Accidentally crush remaining case of new motor oil.

44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during steps 23-43.

45) Beer.

46) Test drive car.

47) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.

48) Car gets impounded.

49) Call loving wife, make bail.

50) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.

Money spent:
Parts $50.00
DUI $2500.00
Impound fee $75.00
Bail $1500.00
Beer $40.00

Total - - $4,165.00

Wash Post: Nothing Wrong with Bush 'Leak'

NEWSMAX.COM - "The Washington Post has broken ranks with the rest of the press over the media fiction that President Bush's recently revealed decision to authorize Lewis "Scooter" Libby to leak prewar Iraq intelligence somehow constitutes a new scandal.

In a stunning editorial headlined "The Good Leak," the Post said Sunday...

For the rest of the article CLICK HERE

Technorati Tags: News

Have we gone mad?

""Observing the pro-immigration demonstrations in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Atlanta and elsewhere in recent days, I wondered: whose country is this? Why are many illegal aliens who broke our laws to get here and who continue to break our laws to stay here demanding that the United States not only allow them to remain, but support them with the taxes of law-abiding citizens? Have we gone mad?" —Cal Thomas"

The Patriot Post (PatriotPost.US) explains the historical basis for our current debate on immigration issues:

E pluribus unum?

"[T]he policy or advantage of [immigration] taking place in a body may be much questioned; for, by so doing, they retain the Language, habits and principles which they bring with them. Whereas by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures and laws: in a word, soon become one people." --George Washington

Out of many, one.

That was the national motto proposed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Both simple and elegant, it embodied the notion that all who had come to America's shores, and all who would come, must be united -- must all form one front -- in defense of freedom and liberty. For 200 years, we were, largely, one people united behind constitutional republicanism. But soon after the social turbulence of the '60s and the economic woes of the '70s, that unity began to crumble. This was the era in which multiculturalism emerged -- the era in which ethnocentricity became chic.

Arthur Schlesinger, a former Harvard professor and senior advisor to JFK, published a retrospective on this era in 1991 called "The Disuniting of America." Schlesinger wrote primarily about the orthodoxy of self-interested hyphenated-American citizen groups -- who, rather than unifying to become one, were diversifying to become many. He warned that the cult of ethnicity would result in "the fragmentation and tribalization of America," the natural consequence being that these special-interest groups would be co-opted by the political parties.

"Instead of a transformative nation with an identity all its own," Schlesinger wrote, "America increasingly sees itself in this new light as preservative of diverse alien identities -- groups ineradicable in their ethnic character." He asserts, by way of inquiry, "Will the melting pot give way to the Tower of Babel?"

The disuniting of America is a foundational concern underlying much of the current security, economic and social debate (both rational and irrational) about immigration. This is the concern that a nation, which is already ethnically fragmented internally, risks complete disunity of its national integrity in the absence of borders."

For the rest of this article, please Click Here and go to the "Current Edition" or "Patriot Archive."

Technorati Tags: Taxes

The Secret

Someone sent this to me in an email...boy, I really want to see this!!!

"If you are still reading and have the time, I want to
let you know about a movie that I saw.  It was very powerful
to me and I even ordered the DVD.  You can rent it online
for about $5 via paypal. 

The movie is called "The Secret". You can get it streaming online
(even with dial up) at http://whatisthesecret.tv

Make sure you watch the trailers first!  Enjoy!"

This trailer is a humdinger--even by Hollywood's standards.

Dogs & People

"Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very much attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.

We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him.

What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply, Speak kindly.""

Technorati Tags: Love

Migrants Taking U.S. Jobs?

"http://www.sbsun.com/ci_3629987

It's a widespread belief, one reinforced by public officials, including President Bush: "Illegal immigrants do the jobs Americans won't do.'' But it's being challenged in a five-year study that concludes millions of undereducated Americans are without work in a labor market oversaturated by illegal immigrants. Steven Camarota, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that favors reduced immigration, released the findings Wednesday [03/22/2006] in Washington."

Timely News from Harold Greene

"On Wednesday ( the 5th of April )

at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00 in the morning

the time and date will be

01:02:03 04/05/06

 

This will never happen again!

 

You may now return to your (normal ?) life."

Bush dealing with Carter's mistakes

I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh, but the "Insider Report" from NewsMax summarized his very astute observations:

"Rush makes these points:

• There would be no flap over domestic wiretapping if Carter hadn't signed the "patently unconstitutional" 1978 law requiring the president to get a warrant to conduct surveillance within the U.S.

"According to the Constitution, the president is commander-in-chief; no sitting president has the authority to surrender those powers," Limbaugh stated. "But Jimmy Carter did."

• Until the Carter administration, the CIA had been paying off the mullahs in Iran who opposed the shah, an American ally. Carter ordered these payments stopped.

"You remember the rest: The storming of the embassy, the botched rescue attempt, and murder on a scale that made the shah look like Mr. Rogers," Rush reports.

Limbaugh quotes Charles Scott, an Army attaché at the American embassy in Iran, who said: "Iran walked away with no cost in blood or treasure. It was a green light to terrorists worldwide - a sign that the U.S. will let you off scot-free. That's the reason for the birth of organizations like al-Qaida."

• Carter's perceived weakness emboldened the Soviet Union to invade Afghanistan - "the end result of which was the Taliban," Rush noted.

"Another consequence of the shah's fall was the Iran-Iraq war. Thanks to that, Saddam invaded Kuwait. Which brought us Desert Storm, which was a catalyst for Osama bin Laden."

What's more, Iran - "now being led by one of the thugs who held our people hostage - is about to go nuclear.""

There is also the following very important information to consider:
Censure Carter Video

Technorati Tags: News

Goodbye Lyn

"Freedom is America's most important product."
—Lyn Nofziger (1924–2006)

"I am a Republican because I believe that freedom is more important than government-provided security. Sometimes I wish I were a Democrat because Democrats seem to have more fun. At other times I wish I were a Libertarian because Republicans are too much like Democrats. What I actually am is a right-wing independent who is registered Republican because there isn't any place else to go."

New Cycle

"Dear friends,

Today is the beginning of a new cycle, a kind of new year, with this first new moon in Aries.  It is a time of new beginnings and igniting energies that will begin to unfold now as the year moves forward.  Some will explode into form like they've been waiting for a hundred years; others will develop more slowly, in perfect timing, as the year progresses.

Think of this time of year like a fresh start.  It is an opportunity to begin again.  If today is the beginning of a new cycle, what will you make?  What emerging ideas will spark into creation? 

Use your meditation in these next few days to plant a seed or many.  See yourself as a cosmic gardener, weeding your garden of the clutter of the past and making room for the new growth that is coming.  Clean out your closet mentally and quite literally.  Let everything superfluous go.  Let go of old hurts, let go of old things, just let go.

In your meditation see yourself standing on top of a high mountain looking outward, scanning the horizon, breathing in the clear, cold, crystalline air.  In your hands are feathers that you have carefully collected that represent your soul's true desires.  As you stand on the edge of the mountain, affirm deep within yourself, "Today is the beginning”, as you throw the feathers high up in the air and watch them transform into white doves, owls and hummingbirds.  They sweep around you once and fly into the heavens.

Blessings, 
Diana Lang
THE WEATHER
©2006 by DIANA LANG

These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you feel so inspired, please feel free to pass them along, but do so without charge or alteration. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, please let me know.

Diana Lang
from the City of Angels
818/888-7319
www.DianaLang.com"

Presidents should not be impeached because we disagree with them.

The above statement comes from the chairman of the Vermont Republican Party , James Barnett, and I totally agree with him.

Somehow, somewhere you may have been manipulated into thinking that the President of the United States "lied" to you but here are some facts that should, if you are not brainwashed, change this embedded opinion:

(1) Information from translations of documents found in Iraq has recently been translated and published by ABC News, Newsmax, and The Weekly Standard (among others) and it shows that besides the fact that every major country in the world shared President Bush's intelligence about WMD (no small thing), Saddam was, in fact, hiding dangerous materials from the inspectors.

(2) Gen. Georges Sada (former senior military advisor to Saddam) says that he had the weapons transported to Syria before the invasion.

(3) The above-mentioned translations also prove that Saddam was, in fact, colluding with bin Laden.

Now, I don't know if anyone else cares, but I don't want anarchy in this country.

If you think the President has done something wrong, prove it or shut up.

Why don't people remember the saying "United we stand, divided we fall?"

It's true.

If everyone who disagrees with a President of the United States undermines him (as the current President's opponents continue to do), how can we be governed? We can't! And anarchy is ugly and dysfunctional and will spell the end of our freedom.

I have always supported our elected officials until and unless they were proven to be unworthy and so should you. Otherwise, what the hell are we all doing here? Just hand over the country to the terrorists, then, and save yourself (and everyone else) a bunch of time and trouble!

Personally, though, I think you are living in a dreamworld if you don't know the difference between a REAL police state and our country...and if you really don't, please move or spend time in another country and get educated on someone else's dime.


Technorati Tags: News

Love that Fairy

A man and his wife, now in their 60's, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.

On their special day a Good Fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good each one of them could have one wish.

The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband.

Whoosh...immediately she had the airline/cruise tickets in her hands.

The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger.

Whoosh...immediately he turned ninety.

Gotta love that fairy!

Technorati Tags: Love

The Truth

""Enough generations of socialist policies have now passed for us to judge their effects. They are bleak.

Socialism undermines the character of a nation and of its citizens. In simpler words, socialism makes people worse.

Socialism teaches its citizens to expect everything, even if they contribute nothing.

Socialism teaches its citizens that they have a plethora of rights and few corresponding obligations except to be taxed.

And that is why the citizens of less socialist and more religious America give more charity per capita and per income than do citizens of socialist countries. That is why Americans volunteer time for the needy so much more than citizens of socialist countries do. That is why citizens of conservative states in America give more charity than citizens of liberal states do.

The more Left one identifies oneself on the political spectrum, the more that person is likely to believe that the state, not fellow citizens, should take care of the poor and the needy.

Under socialism, one is not only liberated from having to take care of oneself; one is also liberated from having to take care of others. The state will take care of me and of everybody else.

The socialist idea sounded altruistic to those who began it, and it sounds altruistic to the naive who believe in it today. In practice, however, it creates self-centered individuals and a narcissistic society. So while it may have begun as a way to help others, it has come to mean a way of evading responsibility for oneself and for others." —Dennis Prager

But we all suspected this, now didn't we?

"Soap Operas and Talk Shows on Television are Associated with Poorer Cognition in Older Women"

"Southern Medical Journal. 99(3):226-233, March 2006.

Fogel, Joshua PHD; Carlson, Michelle C. PHD"

Technorati Tags: Television

Vets for Freedom

This is a brand new website just launched by a former Marine Lieutenant named Wade Zirkle.

During the last year, he's been recovering from injuries that were received when his unit was attacked and six of his fellow Marines were killed.

http://www.vetsforfreedom.org/

Perhaps this is, in part, a response to the partisan politics of those who would rather sacrifice our country by undermining EVERYTHING--not just the war in Iraq--that President Bush does in order to bring him down.

Here's one Marine officer's take on this:

"I work with Mayor Najim [Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq]. He gets it. The vast majority of the Iraqi people get it. Almost all of us in uniform over here get it, as do our families back home. If the Democrats don't stop the nonsense and get it now, I can assure you, al-Qa'ida will give it to all of us later."

Here follows a fantastic letter from that very same Mayor to the men and women of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and their families:

In the Name of God the Compassionate and Merciful

To the Courageous Men and Women of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who have changed the city of Tall’ Afar from a ghost town, in which terrorists spread death and destruction, to a secure city flourishing with life.

To the lion-hearts who liberated our city from the grasp of terrorists who were beheading men, women and children in the streets for many months.

To those who spread smiles on the faces of our children, and gave us restored hope, through their personal sacrifice and brave fighting, and gave new life to the city after hopelessness darkened our days, and stole our confidence in our ability to reestablish our city.

Our city was the main base of operations for Abu Mousab Al Zarqawi. The city was completely held hostage in the hands of his henchmen. Our schools, governmental services, businesses and offices were closed. Our streets were silent, and no one dared to walk them. Our people were barricaded in their homes out of fear; death awaited them around every corner. Terrorists occupied and controlled the only hospital in the city. Their savagery reached such a level that they stuffed the corpses of children with explosives and tossed them into the streets in order to kill grieving parents attempting to retrieve the bodies of their young. This was the situation of our city until God prepared and delivered unto them the courageous soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, who liberated this city, ridding it of Zarqawi’s followers after harsh fighting, killing many terrorists, and forcing the remaining butchers to flee the city like rats to the surrounding areas, where the bravery of other 3d ACR soldiers in Sinjar, Rabiah, Zumar and Avgani finally destroyed them.

I have met many soldiers of the 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment; they are not only courageous men and women, but avenging angels sent by The God Himself to fight the evil of terrorism.

The leaders of this Regiment; COL McMaster, COL Armstrong, LTC Hickey, LTC Gibson, and LTC Reilly embody courage, strength, vision and wisdom. Officers and soldiers alike bristle with the confidence and character of knights in a bygone era. The mission they have accomplished, by means of a unique military operation, stands among the finest military feats to date in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and truly deserves to be studied in military science. This military operation was clean, with little collateral damage, despite the ferocity of the enemy. With the skill and precision of surgeons they dealt with the terrorist cancers in the city without causing unnecessary damage.

God bless this brave Regiment; God bless the families who dedicated these brave men and women. From the bottom of our hearts we thank the families. They have given us something we will never forget. To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life.

Finally, no matter how much I write or speak about this brave Regiment, I haven’t the words to describe the courage of its officers and soldiers. I pray to God to grant happiness and health to these legendary heroes and their brave families.

NAJIM ABDULLAH ABID AL-JIBOURI Mayor of Tall ‘Afar, Ninewa, Iraq



Technorati Tags: Politics, Love, Health

Hope

Dear friends,

All is quiet tonight.

The night is full of hope.

It is everywhere. Permeating everything.

All we have to do is tap into it. It's already on like the electricity is already there before you plug the toaster in.

As you move through the day sense the atmosphere. Feel the hope that is all around us. Let your spirit get sparked and sparkled by it.

It will give you energy. It will give you endurance. It will lighten your Way.

blessings, Diana Lang THE WEATHER ©2006 by DIANA LANG

These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you feel so inspired, please feel free to pass them along, but do so without charge or alteration. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, please let me know.

www.DianaLang.com from the City of Angels LifeWorks@aol.com 818/888-7319

Take a deep breath...

Dear friends,

Take a deep breath. Let your breath move beyond your lungs into your shoulders and neck and head.

Take another deep breath. Feel your breath move from the soles of your feet, up and all the way through your body, to the crown of your head.

Take one more breath and say in your heart as you do: "I flow peace through my breath. I flow peace in my life."

peace to you, Diana Lang THE WEATHER ©2006 by DIANA LANG

These letters are sent out as a gift and a service. If you feel so inspired, please feel free to pass them along, but do so without charge or alteration. If you wish to be added to or deleted from the mailing list, please let me know.

www.DianaLang.com from the City of Angels LifeWorks@aol.com 818/888-7319

Ingenuity

An old farmer had a pond on his property, next to a peach orchard. One day he took a bucket to go gather some peaches.

As he neared the pond, he heard splashing and giggling, and gleeful squealing. He arrived to find half a dozen young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

The young women spotted him and gathered in the deep end. One of them shouted, "We're not getting out until you leave."

The old farmer replied, "I didn't come here to see naked women (he held up the bucket) I just came to feed the alligator."

Technorati Tags: Jokes

Who's On First? (Windows Update)

It helps to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello (and too old to REALLY understand computers) to fully appreciate this. For those of you who sometimes get flustered by your computers, please read on!

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT... ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W."

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START". . .>

Technorati Tags: Jokes

The blame game

"Liberals tend to blame outside forces for evil. This emanates from the secular humanistic view of people as basically good—and therefore human evil must come not from the bad choices and bad values of the evildoer, but from the unfortunate socioeconomic and other circumstances of the person's life.

As you go further left on the political spectrum, it becomes increasingly difficult to blame the 'weak' for any atrocities they commit. The Left does not divide the world between good and evil nearly as much as it does between rich and poor, and between strong and weak.

Israel is stronger and richer, so Palestinian terror is excused. White America is stronger and richer than black America, so black violence is excused. The West is stronger and richer than the Muslim world, so Muslim violence is explained accordingly.

We don't know who will be the next target of Islamic or other murderers from poor or non-Western or non-white groups. All we can know is that liberal and leftist thought will find reasons to hold the targeted group largely responsible." --Dennis Prager

Don't tell Reese

Blonde LOGIC

Two blondes living in Oklahoma were sitting on a bench talking and one blonde says to the other, "Which do you think is farther away Florida or the moon?" The other blonde turns and says "Helloooooooooo, can you see Florida?"

CAR TROUBLE

A blonde pushes her BMW into a gas station. She tells the mechanic it died. After he works on it for a few minutes, it is idling smoothly. She says, "What's the story?" He replies, "Just crap in the carburetor" She asks, "How often do I have to do that?"

SPEEDING TICKET

A police officer stops a blonde for speeding and asks her very nicely if he could see her license. She replied in a huff, "I wish you guys would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my license and then today you expect me to show it to you!"

RIVER WALK

There's this blonde out for a walk. She comes to a river and sees another blonde on the opposite bank. "Yoo-hoo!" she shouts, "How can I get to the other side?" The second blonde looks up the river then down the river and shouts back, "You ARE on the other side."

AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE

A gorgeous young redhead goes into the doctor's office and said that her body hurt wherever she touched it. "Impossible!" says the doctor. "Show me." The redhead took her finger, pushed on her left breast and screamed, then she pushed her elbow and screamed in even more. She pushed her knee and screamed; likewise she pushed her ankle and screamed. Everywhere she touched made her scream. The doctor said, "You're not really a redhead, are you? "Well, no" she said, "I'm actually a blonde." "I thought so," the doctor said. "Your finger is broken."

KNITTING

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting! Realizing that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "PULL OVER!" "NO!", the blonde yelled back, "IT'S A SCARF!"

BLONDE ON THE SUN

A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day. The Russian said, "We were the first in space!" The American said, "We were the first on the moon!" The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!" The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads. "You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian. To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!" IN A VACUUM

A blonde was playing Trivial Pursuit one night. It was her turn. She rolled the dice and she landed on Science & Nature. Her question was, "If you are in a vacuum and someone calls your name, can you hear it?" She thought for a time and then asked, "Is it on or off?"

FINALLY: THE BLONDE JOKE TO END ALL BLONDE JOKES!

A girl was visiting her blonde friend, who had acquired two new dogs, and asked her what their names were. The blonde responded by saying that one was named Rolex and one was named Timex. Her friend said, "Whoever heard of someone naming dogs like that?" "HELLLOOOOOOO," answered the blond. "They're watch dogs!"

Technorati Tags: Jokes

Ben Stein's Last Column

For many years Ben Stein wrote a biweekly column called "Monday Night At Morton's." (Morton's is a famous chain of Steakhouses known to be frequented by movie stars and famous people from around the globe.) Last year Ben terminated the column in order to move on to other things in his life. Reading his final column is worth a few minutes of your time.

Ben Stein's Last Column:

How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?

As I begin to write this, I "slug" it, as we writers say, which means I put a heading on top of the document to identify it. This heading is "eonlineFINAL," and it gives me a shiver to write it. I have been doing this column for so long that I cannot even recall when I started. I loved writing this column so much for so long I came to believe it would never end.

It worked well for a long time, but gradually, my ! changing as a person and the world's change have overtaken it. On a small scale, Morto! n's, while better than ever, no longer attracts as many stars as it used to. It still brings in the rich people in droves and definitely some stars. I saw Samuel L. Jackson there a few days ago, and we had a nice visit, and right before that, I saw and had a splendid talk with Warren Beatty in an elevator, in which we agreed that Splendor in the Grass was a super movie But Morton's is not the star galaxy it once was, though it probably will be again.

Beyond that, a bigger change has happened. I no longer think Hollywood stars are terribly important . They are uniformly pleasant, friendly people, and they treat me better than I deserve to be treated. But a man or woman who makes a huge wage for memorizing lines and reciting them in front of a camera is no longer my idea of a shining star we should all look up to.

How can a man or woman who makes an eight-figure wage and lives in in! sane luxury really be a star in today's world, if by a "star" we mean someone bright! and powerful and attractive as a role model? Real stars are not riding around in the backs of limousines or in Porsches or getting trained in yoga or Pilates and eating only raw fruit while they have Vietnamese girls do their nails.

They can be interesting, nice people, but they are not heroes to me any longer. A real star is the soldier of the 4th Infantry Division who poked his head into a hole on a farm near Tikrit, Iraq. He could have been met by a bomb or a hail of AK-47 bullets. Instead, he faced an abject Saddam Hussein and the gratitude of all of the decent people of the world.

A real star is the U.S. soldier who was sent to disarm a bomb next to a road north of Baghdad. He approached it, and the bomb went off and killed him.

A real star, the kind who haunts my memory night and day, is the U.S. soldier in Baghdad who saw a little girl playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance on a street near where he was guarding a station. He pushed her aside! and threw himself on it just as it exploded. He left a family desolate in California and a little girl alive in Baghdad.

The stars who deserve media attention are not the ones who have lavish weddings on TV but the ones who patrol the streets of Mosul even after two of their buddies were murdered and their bodies battered and stripped for the sin of trying to protect Iraqis from terrorists.

We put couples with incomes of $100 million a year on the covers of our magazines. The noncoms and officers who barely scrape by on military pay but stand on guard in Afghanistan and Iraq and on ships and in submarines and near the Arctic Circle are anonymous as they live and die.

I am no longer comfortable being a part of the system that has such poor values, and I do not want to perpetuate those values by pretending that who is eating at Morton's is a big subject.

There are plenty of other stars in the American firmament...the policemen and women who go off on patrol in South Central and have no idea if they will return alive; the orderlies and paramedics who bring in people who have been in terrible accidents and prepare them for surgery; the teachers and nurses who throw their whole spirits into caring for autistic children; the kind men and women who work in hospices and in cancer wards.

Think of each and every fireman who was running up the stairs at the World Trade Center as the towers began to collapse. Now you have my idea of a real hero.

I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters. This is my highest and best use as a human. I can put it another way. Years ago, I realized I could never be as great an actor as Olivier or as good a comic as Steve Martin...or Martin Mull or Fred Willard--or as good an economist as Samuelson or Friedman or as good a writer as Fitzgerald. Or even remotely close to any of them.

But I could be a devoted father to my son, husband to my wife and, above all, a good son to the parents who had done so much for me. This came to be my main task in life. I did it moderately well with my son, pretty well with my wife and well indeed with my parents (with my sister's help). I cared for and paid attention to them in their declining years. I stayed with my father as he got sick, went into extremis and then into a coma and then entered immortality with my sister and me reading him the Psalms.

This was the only point at which my life touched the lives of the soldiers in Iraq or the firefighters in New York. I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon me, to help others He has placed in my path. This is my highest and best use as a human.

Faith is not believing that God can. It is knowing that God will.

By Ben Stein

Technorati Tags: Love

Not for atheists

Q: What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 117

Q: What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
A: Psalms 119

Q: Which chapter is in the center of the Bible?
A: Psalms 118

Fact: There are 594 chapters before Psalms 118
Fact: There are 594 chapters after Psalms 118

Add these numbers up and you get 1188

Q: What is the center verse in the Bible?
A: Psalms 118:8

Q: Does this verse say something significant about God's perfect will for our lives?
A: The next time someone says they would like to find God's perfect will for their lives and that they want to be in the center of His will, just send them to the center of His Word!

Psalms 118:8 - "It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

Now isn't that odd how this worked out (or was God in the center of it)?