The Shack

If you only read one book in 2009, make sure it is The Shack. I know that is a very strong statement, but I promise it is one you will quickly understand once you start reading it. This book has stretched me in ways I'm not able to describe yet. It has given me an entirely new perspective on my relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that has already had a very deep effect on my life and will continue to for the rest of it as well.

If you like C.S. Lewis's writing style then you will definitely love this book. The author weaves an incredible story of heartache and reconciliation in such an amazing and real way that I know I'll have to reread it several times to get all the nuggets. It's not a book you can read fast (because if you do you will miss so much), but it is also one you can't put down.

2008 - The Year Manmade Global Warming Disproved

Here is an excellent article that reports that 2008 may very well be the year that manmade global warming was disproved...here's hoping!!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone from Mr. and Mrs. Comeaux =)

Making it Legal

More pics from the wedding month =) As I had mentioned in a previous post, on Nov. 12th we were legally married in Baton Rouge. We had to do this in order for Mike to be allowed to "remarry" us in the Bahamas 3 days later.

Mike Haman getting his prayer on!

Yep, it's legal!

No turning back now! =)

Brad Duplechain (far stage right) and Michael Ferris (far stage left) were our witnesses being they couldn't make it to the Bahamas and I really wanted them to be a part of our wedding, so this was the next best thing.

All Is Complete

Presents under the tree...all is complete now for our first Christmas at home =)

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

That is the title of the book I'm currently reading, and it is blowing me out the water. I love apologetics b/c I love learning how to defend my faith even stronger.

I'm only on Chapter 3 and "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist" has given me so much material to chew on that I can't wait to read the rest. The authors walk you through a 12 step process using everything from logic, to astronomy, to thermodynamics, to archeology and many more solid scientific arenas to go from defining truth to the conclusion that the Bible is the Word of God. I'll list the steps here, but trust me, you have to read the book!

1. Truth about reality is knowable.
2. The opposite of true is false.
3. It is true that the theistic God exists. This is evidenced by the:
a. Beginning of the universe
b. Design of the universe
c. Design of life
d. Moral law
4. If God exists, then miracles are possible.
5. Miracles can be used to confirm a message from God (i.e., as acts of God to confirm a word from God)
6. The New Testament is historically reliable. This is evidenced by:
a. Early testimony
b. Eyewitness testimony
c. Uninvented (authentic) testimony
d. Eyewitnesses who were not deceived

7. The New Testament says Jesus claimed to be God
8. Jesus' claim to be God was miraculously confirmed by:
a. His fulfillment of many prophecies about himself
b. His sinless life and miraculous deeds
c. His prediction and accomplishment of his resurrection
9. Therefore, Jesus is God
10. Whatever Jesus (who is God) teaches is true
11. Jesus taught that the Bible is the Word of God
12. Therefore, it is true that the Bible is the Word of God (and anything opposed to it is false)

If anyone is truly seeking, they will find what they are looking for after reading this book. If anyone who doesn't believe in God can read this book and still not believe in God, then they are willfully denying the truth they know is right but just don't want to admit it for reasons mentiond in the book =)

Happy Birthday to Me!!! Halfway to 70!!! YIKES!!!

A few weeks ago one of my sisters-in-law brought a cake home and it was very yummy...I mentioned that...she told her friend at work that made it...so she made me one for my bday =)

Mimi's First LSU Game

The month of November is being dubbed the wedding month. It started when we left for LA on the 5th and we finished our last official wedding event on the 30th. One of the things that was needed before the "I Dos" was to introduce Mimi to an LSU home game.

What better one to bring her to than LSU-Bama. Unfortunately it didn't turn out so well for the home team, but we had a great time nonetheless. It was a day game so tailgating started at 6am. All day long Mimi kept saying, "They do this EVERY weekend??? I can see once a year, but EVERY weekend???" =)

Here she is learning the ropes on tailgating cooking at its finest...jambalaya!!!

Tiger Band was rocking the house as always!

Despite the final score we still had a great time and Mimi learned a little more about football and a lot more about her husband to be =)

Global Warming Causing COOLING TREND???

First when record snow falls started occurring a couple of years ago the manmade global warming fanatics said it was because of global warming and that it wasn't going to continue. Now with 10 straight years of cooling, now even that is man's fault b/c of man causing global warming!

This latest statement, "cooling trend...actually illustrates how fast the world is warming" is so absurd it is laughable. Yet, that is what they are trying to claim now being all evidence continues to point to weather CYCLES and the current cycle appears to be a cooling one.

Adding to more recent trends, Denver breaks 107 year old record with -18 degrees on the 14th and a 57 year old record was shattered by 13 degrees with -19 on the 15th.

Also a city in Montana shattered an 86 year old record by 12 degrees coming in at -29.

Stumping for the Texas Vote?

People ask me a lot as such a solid conservative is there anything I agree with Obama on. Well I can now say there is one issue that we agree on 100%!!! Playoffs in college football!!! However, if Congress or the President try to pass a law to force it, then we would be back to disagreeing.

I just found out today that he spoke on the issue election night eve. Had Obama made this a more center part of his campaign, especially if the election were held a month later, he may have even won Texas. Stranger things have happened when related to college football teams and their fans =)

New Big Three Car Ad

Snow in Death Valley

For the non-LSU fans out there...no, I'm not saying hell froze over, however if it did, AlGore would have an even tougher sell to continue to push the global warming scam like he continues to do despite tons of mounting evidence to the opposite.

Below are some pics of snow in Baton Rouge yesterday:

It never rains in Death Valley or so the saying goes, but apparently it snows!

Not the first snow for this ancient Indian burial sites...if only bones could talk maybe they would say...WEATHER CYCLES! Considering this is only the 3rd time in my 35 years that snow has accumulated here those are the words that come to my mind at least!

Unless he is a Siberian (he's not) definitely Mike's first snow.


And he looks like he is enjoying it =)

Installment #17 - Persecution Watch - Afghanistan

Taliban gunmen shot and killed 34-year-old Gayle Williams, a Christian aid worker in Kabul, as she was walking to work because she was "spreading her religion," The Associated Press (AP) reported. The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting Williams, a South African – British national who worked with disabled Afghans.

"This woman came to Afghanistan to teach Christianity to the people of Afghanistan. Our leaders issued a decree to kill this woman. This morning our people killed her in Kabul," Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban, told AP.

AP reported Williams was working for a Christian charity organization, SERVE (Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprises), which has worked with Afghan refugees in Pakistan since 1980. In a statement on its Web site, SERVE described Williams as "a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled."

Lost Party

Looks like we have another case of a missing party. News is breaking that Illinois Governor has been taken into federal custody for trying to take bribes to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Obama.

However, if you were curious as to what party he belongs to you are going to have a tough time figuring that out with the first few reports. However, as we have seen over and over, that means only one thing...he is a Dem b/c if he were a Repub, it would be the leading line in every headline.

Looks like Louisiana won't be the only state now with a former governor in federal prison.

Our First Christmas Tree

Ever since moving out from my parents 17 years ago, I've never had my own Christmas tree b/c I've always said I wanted to wait until my first Christmas with my wife...well...that time is here =)

Adding the final touch

Of course Mimi did all the decorating and choosing the color scheme =) I did do the snow though =)

Now we just need some presents underneath...hint hint Mimi =)

Tide is Turning...Dems to Lose Big in 2010

Well, at least that would be the headline on every newspaper in the country if it were the other way around. Since Nov. 4th, 3 elections have gone to the Repubs, and had they gone the other way there is no doubt we would have heard how the trend against Repubs continues.

Thankfully for possibly the first time, Louisiana does the right thing and sends a crook packing by not re-electing William "Mr. Freeze" Jefferson.

Justice FINALLY Served

OJ is finally going to jail!!! Better late than never.

Happy Thanksgiving

I obviously have a huge reason to be thankful for this year...I'M MARRIED!!!! =)

I'm also thankful for 7 years of no attacks on American soil thanks to President Bush never taking his eye off the ball despite tons and tons of criticism from all sides.

I'm most thankful for living in a country where I'm free to give thanks to the One who was the original receiver of Thanksgiving from the Pilgrims almost 400 years ago...and no...I'm not talking about the Indians despite what is taught in public schools but God.

Take 2 - I'm MARRIED!!!

Now it is definitely official in the eyes of LA and of God. We had an awesome wedding on the beach in The Bahamas. I'm so excited to see where life will lead now that I've found my missing rib =)

I'm MARRIED!!!!

Earlier today we were legally married in the eyes of the state of LA. We are leaving in a couple of hours to head to the Bahamas and will be married in the eyes of God on Saturday!!!

And no...just b/c Obama won, I'm not even considering staying out of the country for the next four years, we'll be back on the 24th =)

Kinda Late Now!

Now that the election is over, the Washington Post admits it was biased for Obama. Not that comes at any surprise! The question now is will they learn from their mistakes or continue to do the same and look the other way. I'm not holding my breath that the Post or any of the rest of the MSM all of a sudden finds a conscience.

Historic Election

While I'm obviously disappointed with the results of the election tonight, no one can deny the very historic victory. Obama's speech tonight was a very good speech as they all have been throughout the campaign. Now is the time to start governing. Will he truly work to compromise with those of us whose vote he didn't earn? Time will tell.

While I'm moving more towards full time missions and less involved in politics, I'm sure there will still be times I voice my thoughts and opinions as I'm very afraid what the policies that are sure to come will do to the country I love so much. I'll do my best as always to do it in a positive manner sticking to the issues and not attacking the person. He is the person God has allowed to be our President and we are called to honor his authority in that position as stated in Rom 13:1 - "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." NIV

My 2008 Presidential Endorsement

You would think this would have been an easy decision considering who the Dem nominee is, but it hasn't been. McCain has stuck his finger in the eye of conservatives so many times and on many levels continues to do so. However, when weighed against the prospects of an Obama presidency, I have to vote for McCain, especially due to being in a swing state.

If were in a non-swing state, I may have pulled the lever for Barr, but even then I'm not so sure b/c I fundamentally disagree with his position in Iraq, which despite current sentiment on the economy, still is the most important issue of this election.

So on my three top issues, war on terror, economy and judges, I'm comfortable choosing McCain. However, don't think for a second he will get a free pass on the issues I disagree with him on if he pulls out the victory.

Also, no matter what you hear on the news all day tomorrow...GO VOTE. The exit polls will be incredibly inaccurate, probably even more so than in '04, so don't let anything get you into thinking it is too late to make a difference. Every vote...especially in the swing states...will count!

The Forgotten Global Crisis

Yesterday I blogged about the forgotten war due to all the good news coming out of Iraq lately. Have you noticed another topic that has been very absent from the media? What ever happened to the end of the earth predictions for the global warming alarmists?

Maybe it has to do with FL breaking a 150 year record or maybe Switzerland having the most snow in Oct since records began or maybe it has to do with the first Oct snow in London since 1922 (on the day a Global Warming bill was being debated...lol) or maybe 15 degrees below normal temps in the Carolinas or how about near 125 year record cold in Cambridge (the day Al Gore spoke on Global Warming at Harvard...maybe Al Gore can stop Global Warming after all...he just needs to speak around the world and keep having record cold wherever he speaks!).

Don't worry, if this keeps up in about 5 years the lefty enviros will be warning of all the doom and gloom global cooling will bring and hope we forgot how wrong they were with global warming and the MSM will play right along.

The Forgotten War

In case you have been wondering if we are still fighting a war in Iraq being the MSM is no longer covering it, here may be the reason why you are no longer hearing about it. We just turned over the 13th province, Babil, to the Iraqis last week. That leaves only 5 provinces left. So being this is a very positive development, of course you won't hear about it.

Would the Last Honest Reporter Turn On the Lights?

This article is so powerful, I had to post the whole thing. It lays out in absolute terms who is responsible for the financial crisis we are in and how the MSM is totally covering it up by not reporting the facts. As you will see in the editor's note, the author is a Democrat, so Clinton can't say it's a right wing conspiracy on this one!


Editor's note: Orson Scott Card is a Democrat and a newspaper columnist, and in this opinion piece he takes on both while lamenting the current state of journalism.

An open letter to the local daily paper — almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President's Men and thinking: That's journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.
This housing crisis didn't come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.
The goal of this rule change was to help the poor — which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house — along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans. (Though why quasi-federal agencies were allowed to do so baffles me. It's as if the Pentagon were allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of Congressmen who support increasing their budget.)

Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefiting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?

I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."

Instead, it was Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

As Thomas Sowell points out in a TownHall.com essay entitled "Do Facts Matter?" ( http://snipurl.com/457townhall_com] ): "Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury."

These are facts. This financial crisis was completely preventable. The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party. The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!
What? It's not the liar, but the victims of the lie who are to blame?

Now let's follow the money ... right to the presidential candidate who is the number-two recipient of campaign contributions from Fannie Mae.

And after Freddie Raines, the CEO of Fannie Mae who made $90 million while running it into the ground, was fired for his incompetence, one presidential candidate's campaign actually consulted him for advice on housing.

If that presidential candidate had been John McCain, you would have called it a major scandal and we would be getting stories in your paper every day about how incompetent and corrupt he was.

But instead, that candidate was Barack Obama, and so you have buried this story, and when the McCain campaign dared to call Raines an "adviser" to the Obama campaign — because that campaign had sought his advice — you actually let Obama's people get away with accusing McCain of lying, merely because Raines wasn't listed as an official adviser to the Obama campaign.

You would never tolerate such weasely nit-picking from a Republican.

If you who produce our local daily paper actually had any principles, you would be pounding this story, because the prosperity of all Americans was put at risk by the foolish, short-sighted, politically selfish, and possibly corrupt actions of leading Democrats, including Obama.

If you who produce our local daily paper had any personal honor, you would find it unbearable to let the American people believe that somehow Republicans were to blame for this crisis.

There are precedents. Even though President Bush and his administration never said that Iraq sponsored or was linked to 9/11, you could not stand the fact that Americans had that misapprehension — so you pounded us with the fact that there was no such link. (Along the way, you created the false impression that Bush had lied to them and said that there was a connection.)

If you had any principles, then surely right now, when the American people are set to blame President Bush and John McCain for a crisis they tried to prevent, and are actually shifting to approve of Barack Obama because of a crisis he helped cause, you would be laboring at least as hard to correct that false impression.

Your job, as journalists, is to tell the truth. That's what you claim you do, when you accept people's money to buy or subscribe to your paper.

But right now, you are consenting to or actively promoting a big fat lie — that the housing crisis should somehow be blamed on Bush, McCain, and the Republicans. You have trained the American people to blame everything bad — even bad weather — on Bush, and they are responding as you have taught them to.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth — even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Because that's what honorable people do. Honest people tell the truth even when they don't like the probable consequences. That's what honesty means . That's how trust is earned.

Barack Obama is just another politician, and not a very wise one. He has revealed his ignorance and naivete time after time — and you have swept it under the rug, treated it as nothing.

Meanwhile, you have participated in the borking of Sarah Palin, reporting savage attacks on her for the pregnancy of her unmarried daughter — while you ignored the story of John Edwards's own adultery for many months.

So I ask you now: Do you have any standards at all? Do you even know what honesty means?
Is getting people to vote for Barack Obama so important that you will throw away everything that journalism is supposed to stand for?

You might want to remember the way the National Organization of Women threw away their integrity by supporting Bill Clinton despite his well-known pattern of sexual exploitation of powerless women. Who listens to NOW anymore? We know they stand for nothing; they have no principles.

That's where you are right now.

It's not too late. You know that if the situation were reversed, and the truth would damage McCain and help Obama, you would be moving heaven and earth to get the true story out there.

If you want to redeem your honor, you will swallow hard and make a list of all the stories you would print if it were McCain who had been getting money from Fannie Mae, McCain whose campaign had consulted with its discredited former CEO, McCain who had voted against tightening its lending practices.

Then you will print them, even though every one of those true stories will point the finger of blame at the reckless Democratic Party, which put our nation's prosperity at risk so they could feel good about helping the poor, and lay a fair share of the blame at Obama's door.

You will also tell the truth about John McCain: that he tried, as a Senator, to do what it took to prevent this crisis. You will tell the truth about President Bush: that his administration tried more than once to get Congress to regulate lending in a responsible way.

This was a Congress-caused crisis, beginning during the Clinton administration, with Democrats leading the way into the crisis and blocking every effort to get out of it in a timely fashion.

If you at our local daily newspaper continue to let Americans believe — and vote as if — President Bush and the Republicans caused the crisis, then you are joining in that lie.

If you do not tell the truth about the Democrats — including Barack Obama — and do so with the same energy you would use if the miscreants were Republicans — then you are not journalists by any standard.

You're just the public relations machine of the Democratic Party, and it's time you were all fired and real journalists brought in, so that we can actually have a news paper in our city.

This article first appeared in The Rhinoceros Times of Greensboro, North Carolina, and is used here by permission.

Meet the BIASED Press

As I said when Tim Russert passed away in June, the presidential race won't be the same without him. That was proven yesterday on Meet the Press or should I say Meet the Obama Press. Russert was so revered by those on the right and left b/c of his fairness. Yesterday was anything but.

While I obviously disagree with Colin Powell's endorsement of Obama, NBC has apparently decided fairness is no longer their goal, not that that is any big surprise as Russert was the only host on NBC that did, by being completely biased and one-sided in their broadcast yesterday by not having one guest on to counter Powell's statements for McCain. Russert would have, and he must be rolling in his grave as his beloved show goes the way of the rest of the MSM.

Election by the Uninformed

These people are canceling out the votes of those who take the time to understand the positions of the candidates and be informed. Very sad!

Fairy Tale Candidate

Here is a great article written by a friend that points out some of the complete fairy tale claims by Obama. The biggest one being his statement that under his economic plan 96% of the American people will get a tax cut. The problem with that is only 68% of filers actually pay taxes. That doesn't stop Obama though b/c his tax rebates aren't dependent on actually paying taxes. Once again it is taking from those who pay taxes and giving to those who don't, Robin Hood welfare.

I'm not saying we don't have a responsibility to take care of the poor and those in need, but it is OUR responsibility to do that and not the government's to mandate it. When the government does it, we pay for things that we don't agree with like government sponsored healthcare abortions.

The Common Sense Fix

Here is an email Dave Ramsey sent out that makes complete sense on how to fix the economic situation we are in. The one thing I'd add is that whatever amount Congress uses, $50Billion in this proposal, that they offset it by cutting the exact same amount in government spending so we are not adding to the federal debt. Feel free to take this and send it to your Congress critters.

Here is Dave's Common Sense Fix:

Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country, but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen, I will not support any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following three steps:

Common Sense Plan.
I. INSURANCE
A. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance. Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.

B. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two things:

1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a 6% fixed-rate mortgage.

a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a chance to keep their homes.

b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and ruined lives.

2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and executive team members as long as the company holds these government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.

C. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.

II. MARK TO MARKET

A. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.

B. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.

III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX

A. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.

B. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement investments that go up instead of down.

This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.

The March Towards Socialism

Wow...it's been nearly a month since my last post...definitely a record for me. I have been busy, but that's not the main reason. I've been in a funk due to all this bailout nonsense, not quite knowing how to express my thoughts due to not fully understanding it, but deep down knowing this isn't what we should be doing. Today's News and Views by Chuch Muth completely captures my thoughts and does a great job of explaining the situation, so I'll repost it here in full. Warning it is long for my normal post length, but I highly recommend reading the whole way through and to especially watch the video at the end.

RUSH TO JUDGMENT
The biggest problem I have with this bailout - other than the fact that it's decidedly socialistic in nature and sets a horrible precedent for taxpayer bailouts of other industries down the road - is the rush to "do something" by President Bush and Congress.

After eight years of "compassionate conservatism" which gave us Homeland Security, the TSA, No Child Left Behind and Medicare prescription drugs, I'm automatically suspect of ANYTHING President Bush says about a "crisis" necessitating government action. In fact, my knee-jerk response is automatic opposition until proved otherwise.

And when you consider that it was Congress and President Clinton who really set us on this path to financial meltdown over a period of more than 20 years, you'll pardon me if I'm skeptical of a "rescue" plan hatched by President Bush and Congress which is only about a week old.

The fact is, most Americans are just now starting to understand the issue itself. And before they fully grasp what went wrong and how, Congress will have approved the "fix." Unfortunately, the cure is likely to end up being worse than the disease.

Here are three items which I think will help you get your arms around this extremely complicated financial mess, including the fact that today's crisis isn't the fault of the free market. The "root cause" (liberals love to talk about "root causes") was Congress and the Clinton administration trying to manipulate the free market on behalf of a voter constituency. It was the push for "affordable housing" that caused this "disturbance in the force."

WALL STREET BAILOUT 101
"The meltdown in the financial markets has caused the finger of blame to spin like a weathervane in a hurricane. The underlying cause of the debacle, however, has been largely ignored. Driven by 'progressive' Democrats and Republicans, the cause is the relentless shift from a free market economy to a socialist economy.

"Until the Roosevelt era, the responsibility and privilege of having a home was left solely to the individual.

"Few people realize that Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) was created in 1938 by FDR, to provide a federal guarantee for home loans extended by local banks. Freddie Mac (Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation) was created in 1970, during Nixon's reign.
"Both were designed to buy mortgages from local lenders as a way to insure an adequate supply of money for local lenders. These 'secondary' mortgages were packaged into 'bundles' of securities that were traded among an array of financial institutions.

"During the 1960s, the United Nations produced the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Article V(e)(iii) proclaimed that all people had a 'right' to housing. Both the Kennedy and Johnson administrations supported the treaty, but it was not ratified until the Clinton administration, Nov. 20, 1994.

"...To meet its obligations under the U.N.'s Racial Discrimination Treaty, the Clinton administration instructed Fannie Mae to expand loans to low-income borrowers, according to Franklin D. Raines, Fannie Mae's chairman.

"Thus, the 'sub-prime' market was born, and government guaranteed-loans were extended to millions of families who could not qualify for a mortgage in a free market economy, but easily qualified under the new socialist scheme.

"In 2005, Republican senators saw the danger and tried to reform these institutions with the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulator Reform Act (S.190), but Democrats blocked the bill.
"...AIG, the international insurance giant, and other Wall Street and international financial institutions bought the bundles of mortgage securities that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offered. Everybody involved made a ton of money, and housing for low-income families expanded exponentially - just as the Treaty on Racial Discrimination and the proponents of sustainable development had predicted.

"With all the new loans being made, the home building industry flourished, the real estate industry flourished, all industries related to housing flourished - until the market became saturated.

"Home values stopped rising. Housing inventories began to rise. Home values began to decline. Foreclosures began to rise. Homebuilding slowed, housing-related industries began to lay off workers. Energy prices began to rise. Paychecks fell short of family needs. Foreclosures skyrocketed.

"Suddenly, there was little or no value in the bundles of security Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had packaged. Financial institutions found themselves in possession of massive 'assets' that had no value. Creak, crumble, crash! The financial markets came tumbling down.
"The piper must be paid. The question is whether to do it now - and let the chips fall where they may, or, to kick the can down the road and pay the piper later.

"The answer, of course, is to kick the can into the next generation, with another leap toward socialism. The bailout plan - whatever the particulars - is nothing short of a government takeover of the financial industry. The next president will have to sort it out and build the road toward future recovery or final disaster."
- Columnist Henry Lamb

BLAME CLINTON
The following story from WAY back in 1999, published by the New York Times, predicted that what is happening today would happen.

"In a move that could help increase home ownership rates among minorities and low-income consumers, the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans that it will purchase from banks and other lenders. The action, which will begin as a pilot program involving 24 banks in 15 markets -- including the New York metropolitan region -- will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough to qualify for conventional loans. Fannie Mae officials say they hope to make it a nationwide program by next spring.

"Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and felt pressure from stock holders to maintain its phenomenal growth in profits.

"In addition, banks, thrift institutions and mortgage companies have been pressing Fannie Mae to help them make more loans to so-called subprime borrowers. These borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough to qualify for conventional loans, can only get loans from finance companies that charge much higher interest rates.

"In moving, even tentatively, into this new area of lending, Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk, which may not pose any difficulties during flush economic times. But the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble in an economic downturn, prompting a government rescue similar to that of the savings and loan industry in the 1980's.

"'From the perspective of many people, including me, this is another thrift industry growing up around us,' said Peter Wallison a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 'If they fail, the government will have to step up and bail them out the way it stepped up and bailed out the thrift industry.'

"...Fannie Mae officials stress that the new mortgages will be extended to all potential borrowers who can qualify for a mortgage. But they add that the move is intended in part to increase the number of minority and low income home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings than non-Hispanic whites."

FAMOUS LAST WORDS
Actually, today's Famous Last Words is a brief You Tube video chronicling how the liberals, not conservatives, got us into this mess. Even if Congress unwisely rushes in to make matters worse with a bailout bill today, you should watch this video to understand and explain this issue better to those misguided souls who tell you they're voting for Obama.

May We Never Forget

The Game Begins

Now that both conventions are over, the real fun begins, and fun it will be. McCain's decision to name Palin as VP stole all the air out of the Dem convention and then her speech at the Repub convention has completely energized the base like McCain could not do for the last 6 months.

Dems are trying to say that McCain can no longer attack Obama on experience due to his pick. That is completely ridiculous. First, Obama is the PRESIDENTIAL nominee and Palin is McCain's VP nominee. McCain has the experience to LEAD the ticket whereas Palin is going to get great on the job training as VP, not PRESIDENT as it should be. Second, Palin actually does have MORE practical experience than Obama, so they would do well to drop that line very quickly.

Thanks for Your Prayers

Thanks to everyone for your prayers. My family is fine and there was only light damage of a few shingles flying off the roof. Not everyone was so lucky, so please continue to keep the state in your prayers!

Gustav Prayer Request

As of right now Hurricane Gustav is headed on a direct path towards Lafourche Parish where I grew up. They are predicting it will be either a Category 3 or possibly even 4 when it hits land which will mean major destruction. Lafourche and all surrounding parishes have been ordered a mandatory evacuation, but of course my family isn't listening as they are all as of now planning on riding it out.

So my first request would be for a change in their decision, and if that doesn't happen then my second request is for their safety.

Awesome VP Pick!!!

I've said from the beginning that McCain needs a solid conservative as a running mate, and he has done exactly that in picking AK Gov. Sarah Palin!

She is very solid pro-life. She is the mother of 5 children. Her last child has Downs Syndrome. She was told before his birth he would have Downs and it was suggested she consider an abortion. Palin didn't even give it a thought for one second.

Her oldest son is in the Army and is deploying to Iraq on Sept. 11, so she knows what it is like to have a child in the military serving in Iraq.

She is very pro-2nd amendment. She is a lifelong member of the NRA. She is an avid hunter.

She is very solid on drilling as she is a huge proponent of drilling in ANWR. Alaska has 20% of US energy reserves.

She is a reformer. She challenged a Rep governor who was involved in corruption and beat him.

And one of my personal favorites. She was the president of her FCA chapter when she played basketball in school.

I Couldn't Agree More

"The White House is no place for on the job training"

"Obama voted to not protect our soldiers in Iraq by voting against body armor."

"Obama was wrong on the war"

"The White House isn't the place to learn how to deal with international crisis, the balance of power, war and peace, and the economic future of the next generation."

"I don't believe he is ready"

All the above quotes are from Obama's VP pick, Senator Joe Biden, and I couldn't agree more!

Installment #16 - Persecution Watch - Iran

An Iranian Christian couple in their 60s died last week from injuries sustained when secret police raided their house church service and severely beat them, according to a source for Compass Direct News. Amiri and his wife hosted the house church meeting just outside the central Iranian city of Isfahan. The secret police beat and arrested all those in attendance. Amiri died in a hospital on July 30 from injuries sustained from the beating and Amiri’s wife, Sakineh Rahnama, died on August 3 from stress-related causes, according to Farsi Christian News Network (FCNN).

McCain 1 - Obama 0

Last night's Saddleback forum was the first time McCain and Obama have "met" on the same stage. If you didn't watch it, try to see the repeats over the next couple of days b/c it was very informative. It is very clear why Obama is avoiding debates as much as possible, especially the town hall type forum. McCain was clearly the winner last night and it wasn't even close.

On life, Obama fumbled big time trying to make a joke when asked when does life begin saying that was above his pay grade to determine. McCain was unequivocal, conception.

On evil, Obama put the US in the same category as Darfur and didn't even discuss terrorism or al Qaeda. McCain was very clear who was the agent of evil in our time.

On taxes, if you or your small business makes more than $250K a year, Obama let you know that you will be paying more taxes under his administration. McCain was very clear that taxes need to be lowered.

On faith based groups, Obama said they should not be allowed to keep their convictions if they receive federal funding. McCain was very clear that no strings should be attached.

The one things I will give Obama credit for is his unequivocal definition of what it meant to be a Christian to him. McCain was equally as clear.

McCain needs to get his stories out more about his time in the prison camp. The two stories he told last night about sacrificing his freedom for his code of conduct and friends as well as his story about the Christian guard say so much about the man he is and everyone needs to know that side of him.

Call Congress Back, Madam Speaker!

I'm Out of Here!

As always in my life change happens fast. I can make all the plans I want and God always finds a way to remind He is in charge. I've been saying for 6 months now that I'd be leaving here Aug. 31st. Well, the prime on our contract decided they want me home earlier, so I'm leaving tomorrow.

That's why I've been very lax on posts lately b/c lots had to be done before I left due to the accelerated schedule.

Being nothing was planned for home these next couple of weeks, I'm going to take advantage of them and get some down time to decompress and more importantly some quality and quantity Mimi time =) So while I'll be home this weekend, I will still be pretty much out of touch for a couple of more weeks and then slowly reenter the wonderful DC pace of life. I'll also take a break from posting unless something major happens like VP announcements.

So, see everyone in a couple of weeks! And thanks so much for everyone's prayers over this past year!

I'm Paying for WHAT???

Do you believe that the only issue with two guys having oral sex is whether they are using a condom or not? Do you believe that a girl dropping her pants and asking others to look to see if she has an STD or not is appropriate? Do you believe that friends should be supportive and encouraging about masturbation because abstinence is tough? Do you believe that the answer to STDs, teenage pregnancy and the like is that you just need to explore and know yourself "down there" better?

Well if you don't agree with any of those things, guess what? It doesn't matter because you are paying to have those things taught. That's right. Planned Parenthood which receives over $400million annually from Title X "family planning" tax supported funds is spreading those messages online with their new video website, Take Care Down There. Warning: It is even more graphic than the above questions.

Have You Considered Suicide?

The title of this post is an actual question asked to an actual patient by the government run health care system in Oregon where physician assisted suicide is legal. So much for the argument that passing this law wouldn't led to eugenics. Hitler would have been proud.

Alaska Breaking Summer Temp Record

Most people reading that headline that have been duped by the manmade global warming fanatics (MGWF) will automatically think that Alaska is about to break a summer HEAT record. Not so fast! Alaska is actually on the verge of having the COLDEST summer ever. So far this summer there have only been seven 65-degree days. The record for least days over 65 degrees is 16, and most weather forecasters don't see this year hitting that mark.

Don't worry though. The MGWF's and their MSM allies aren't giving up that easy. Even though one hot year or one bad year of hurricanes is enough to ring the alarms worldwide, one year in the opposite is just an anomaly. It's all La Nina's fault...here is the phrase that the MGWFs need to learn...WEATHER CYCLES!!!

Iraqi Critters Part 2: The Kingfisher

This little dude is a blast to watch. If you have never seen a kingfisher in action, you are definitely missing out. They hover about 10 feet above the water similar to how a hummingbird hovers by a flower, just a huge bundle of energy flapping wings. Then without any notice they go into full dive and disappear into the water, sometimes coming up with a reward for their efforts, but most times not. This particular fellow is pretty camera shy b/c I've been trying to get a pic of him for months now. I was hoping for an action pic, but he wasn't cooperating so I took what I could get.

Keep Moving...No Bias Here

Obama goes on a tour of the Middle East and all the networks send their top anchors. McCain goes, and he gets embeds. Then you add the NYTimes accepting an oped from Obama on Iraq but rejecting McCain's oped on the same topic! Nah...no bias there whatsoever...no need to look behind the curtain...keep on moving.

Free Market at Work

For months now, the Dems have been saying that more drilling will do nothing about the oil prices. Well, these last two days should once again prove they are wrong.

Yesterday, as soon as Pres. Bush announced he was lifting the executive order against offshore drilling, the futures dropped and oil dropped $9. Why is that? Simple economics. The prospect of more oil on the market means less supply, so prices drop. And that is with just the prospect of possibly drilling. Congress still has to remove their ban.

Then today to again prove that more supply will drop prices, a report came out that showed last weeks DOMESTIC oil and gas production jumped higher. What happened? Prices had the biggest one day drop in over 15 years.

So, what would happen if Congress lifted their ban? What would happen once we actually start drilling more domestically? What would happen once the oil started pouring in? Simple economics...prices will drop! So next time you are at the gas pump and are upset about the high prices, you now know who to blame, Dems in Congress.

A Day on the Diamond

On Deck

Another base hit =) 14 for 18 so far on the season!

Team Habibis (Iraqi for dear friends) - our last game with Coach Sarah (we won...whooohooo)

Tony Snow, RIP

Politico just sent out a breaking news alert saying that Tony Snow has died of cancer. He will be greatly missed. He was hands down one of the best White House spokesman ever.

You Know It's Hot When...

• the "cold" water in the shower is hotter than the hot water if used between 2 and 6pm
• after going to the gym, if your hair is wet from sweat, you just take off your hat and the air and wind drys it out in less than a minute
• even at 11:30pm you walk outside for more than 5 minutes and you are sticky from sweat
• you need to buy laptop coolers for laptops inside an air conditioned office
• planes can't land b/c the asphalt is too soft
• you go to the pool and you get out of the water to cool off

Just thought I'd give ya'll a little taste of life in above 120 degree weather =)

3 Year Anniversary

3 years and 830 posts since I started this little adventure into the blog world. As I've done the last two years, I'll list highlights from the year starting with the first two anniversary posts.

1 Year Anniversary

2 Year Anniversary

Burundi Stories Part 5, 6, & 7

Mimi Serving It Up in South Africa

No More Wisdom

Under the Overpass

756

Finally Headed Out

In Iraq at Last

From Riches to Rags

Remembrance Ceremony

Fasting During Ramadan

I Will Not Fear

Risking It All For Freedom

10 Great Dates Before You Say 'I Do'

Small World

Fasting Debrief

My 'Hood on Camp Liberty

A Walk to the Bathroom

God's Smuggler

Inaugural Camp Victory Water Bottle Raft Race

Happy Thanksgiving from Camp Victory

Heartfelt Love

The Costly Call

Heading Home for Christmas

She Said YES...Our Engagement Story

Hunting with Dad and Merry Christmas

Engagement Photos

Rekindling Ministries

National Champions Again!!!

It's Snowing IN IRAQ!!!

Mud Pics

The Second Mile

Dave Ramsey Rocks!!!

Adding Some New Flavor

Not About Mi

Authentic Manhood

Flintstone Village

American Heroes

Love AND Justice

Toby Keith Rocks!!!

Sand Storms Are Zero Fun!

Shooting Skeet

My Pic with the Man

Double Digit Midget

Missing My Girl

Good Bye to the Box

Combat Showers

Surprise Visit

Day at the Beach

Softball in Iraq

A Father's Love for His Son

Another Victory for ADULT Stem Cells

There have been many more successes with adult stem cells since my last post on the topic, so this is well overdue. A couple of Canadian doctors have used an patients own stem cells to cure a previously incurable cancer. It is still early in the process, but all results point to a full recovery.

Can someone tell me again why embryonic stem cells, which have yet to have one success in any medical procedure, are still being pushed when there have been hundreds of successes with adult stem cells that don't destroy a life?

Installment #15 - Persecution Watch - Pakistan

On June 21, 16 Christians were abducted by Muslim extremists when they gathered to pray in Academy Town, Peshawar, Pakistan. According to The Voice of the Martyrs contacts in Pakistan, "Salamat Masih and 30 of his family and close friends were gathered to pray and celebrate the birth of his daughter, when 12 Taliban [members] of the Lashka-e-Islam group broke into his house yelling and shouting.

They held the believers at gunpoint. The Muslim house-owner, Haji Muhammad Saraj, was also present at the time to collect rent." VOM contacts added, "With machine and automatic guns, they forcibly separated the men from the women and children. Slapping the Christian men, they commanded all 16 men, including Pastor Zulifqar and Haji Muhammad Saraj, to get into the five waiting vehicles."

The 16 Christian men were held captive for an hour. "They were beaten and abused, and had all their money and mobile phones stolen from them. During this time, the Taliban attempted to persuade Pastor Zulifqar to convert to Islam, which he unquestionably refused. After sunset the Taliban took them to another place where they were kept in a cave until their release 10 hours later," VOM contacts reported.

Happy 232nd Birthday America!

Constantly Raising the Bar

A year ago, 8 of the 18 Iraqi governmental benchmarks were at the satisfactory level after only one month of the full surge in place. A year later, 15 of the 18 are at satisfactory level according to the latest Iraqi progress report.

Of course this can't be praised as great progress by the Dems. No, now the bar has been raised that it took too long. And they are placing blame on not removing troops from Iraq. They don't give a single ounce of credit to the surge and in fact place blame on it. Mind you that the only reason the government had the ability to make the improvements is due to the new increased security thanks to the surge.

Just the latest attempt at constantly raising the bar and never admitting that anything the President has done has brought positive results.

A Father's Love for His Son!

The son, who can't do a thing for himself due to severe cerebral palsy, heard about a 5 mile race to help a handicapped boy and told his dad he needed to help him. Over 500 races, 60 marathons, multiple triathlons, and 6 Ironmans (2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running) later they have become a huge inspiration and also show the incredible love of a father and son.

Is This Really the Argument They Want to Make?

Yesterday in an interview on ABC, Wesley Clark attacked McCain saying that just b/c he was shot down in a plane doesn't mean he has the experience necessary to be Commander-in-Chief. As a Captain in the Navy, (equivalent to a Colonel in the Army which is right under general) he had hundreds of people under his command.

How many people has Obama ever led? What executive experience does Obama have? I really don't think the Obama campaign wants to make this campaign about leadership or executive experience in the military or any other area for that matter because that is a definite losing issue for him.

When asked about Obama's executive experience, Clark said Obama is running on strength of his character and good judgment. So in other words, he has none!

Conception Begins Fatherhood But Not Life?

Bad News for Obama Campaign

Looks like there will be more "bitter" people "clinging to their guns" which according to Obama is not a good thing for his campaign thanks to the Supreme Court finally getting one right today and confirming our 2nd Amendment right in a baffling 5-4 ruling.

It totally baffles me how anyone cannot understand very clear and plain English, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Yet 4 of the 9 Justices tried to do that very thing. That it wasn't a unanimous ruling shows we still have lots of work to do to get the Court back to its constitutional mandate being we were only 1 vote away from losing a very fundamental right by a method not prescribed by the constitution.

Just one more reason I will hold my nose while voting for McCain this fall b/c while I only trust his pics at about the 60% level, I have no doubt I'd be 100% against any of Obama's picks. With two of the liberal justices very likely retiring in the next four years, we have a very strong chance of getting a strict constructionist court with a very solid majority.

Installment #14 - Persecution Watch - England???

How far has the "Christian" west fallen when Christians are being persecuted in ENGLAND for handing out tracts!!! How is it a "hate crime" to speak the Word of God? This is America's future if we don't get back to our roots and quick.

FEMA Shines

Seems that once again, in a state not Louisiana, FEMA does a great job. FEMA is getting great reviews from the people on the ground on how they are responding to the Midwest floods. Again makes my theory that it wasn't FEMA that messed up in Katrina, but the LA government (mainly Gov. Blanco) being every other disaster FEMA is the same and performs great. Also probably another reason you don't see Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson on the news every night b/c they can't use a disaster to blame Pres. Bush.

Softball in Iraq

Some of the activities held by the MWR (Morale, Welfare, Recreation...kinda like the military's YMCA) here in Iraq are sporting tournaments. Obviously this time of the year is softball. Our coach, Sarah, was able to get our team a sponsor, USSSA, so we did these cheesy baseball card pics to put together as a poster and send to them as thanks for the hats, bats, and balls they sent us.

Our team name is Habibis, which is Arabic for friends. We have played in 3 tournaments so far this summer. It's hard to field a consistent team with rotations of people leaving and new people, but we have held our own (most of the other teams are all Army unit teams and have been playing together for awhile back stateside). We took 4th out of 18 teams in the second one, but didn't do so well in the other two. So far I'm 10 for 13 with 11 RBIs, a sac fly and a walk at the plate, but do have 3 fielding errors in 7 games. We have at least one more tourney before I leave on the 4th of July weekend. It is definitely a great distraction for everyone here.