The Government Can...

Kudos to Tim Hawkins for telling it like it is.


Direct video link.

Your comments?

Joe




Maddy's Cancer Battle

AJA Press

A One World Currency?

Many End Times scholars believe that a World Currency will be adopted in the Last Days.

He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Revelation 13:16-17

The belief stems from the fact that the Antichrist will rise above other world leaders to assume leadership of a unified government. In his thirst for the ultimate power that got Satan ejected from Heaven, the Bible teaches us that the Antichrist will implement a payment system (the mark of the beast) that will require everyone to use the same currency to buy or sell. Whether that currency will be a physical currency -- as Russian President Medvedev recently presented a potential example of -- or a digital currency of some type is yet to be seen. From the Future World Currency proponents:

We are presenting the peoples of nations, governments, institutions, intellectuals, ordinary people, pragmatists and idealists, scholars and, above all, young people - the real protagonists of the future - with a simple, ingenuous yet determined long-term vision for building an ideal bridge with tomorrow and interpreting a dream to transform into reality. [emphasis added]

Of course, especially young people, as they are the most susceptible in our society to this type of manipulation. I have always felt that the Euro is possibly an early precursor of some type of one world currency. I can honestly say that I don't feel any better about a currency proposed by the Russian government. Especially when Medvedev's puppet-government is actually under control of the Vladimir Putin (whom my wife says is the Antichrist).

The silver-lining to this cloud? Every Biblical prophesy come true is one step closer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

What are your thoughts?

Joe

Maddy's Cancer Battle

AJA Press

Letter from Indianapolis Mayor Ballard on CIB Bail Out

It seems that the news is all about Bail Outs lately (unless it's about Pirates), and that is now hitting closer to home here in Indianapolis. I'm not completely up to date on the CIB Bail Out (and maybe I should be before I post on it), but this email from Mayor Ballard's office seems to make sense to me.

What are your thoughts?

Joe

To view this email as a web page, go here.

Having trouble seeing the email? CLICK HERE I hope this finds you well.  As you are likely aware of the financial problems facing the city's Capital Improvement Board, I wanted to reach out and update you on my position regarding the various proposals being discussed. The Capital Improvement Board is a vital part of our city.  Its role in funding facilities, special events, and projects throughout Indianapolis is critical to the economic vitality of not only downtown, but also to our neighborhoods, the region, and the state.  Facilities including the Indiana Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, Conseco Fieldhouse, and Victory Field bring millions of people to Indianapolis.  Millions of visitors generate significant business; hotel, restaurant, and retail, which in turn, provides thousands of Hoosier jobs and produces revenues that fuel the regional and state economies.  The Indianapolis hospitality industry draws an estimated 22 million people annually, drives $3.5 billion in the Central Indiana economy, and employs over 66,000 Hoosiers. Finding a solution to the problems facing the CIB is absolutely imperative as it directly impacts the employees and their families who depend on these 66,000 jobs.  Additionally, it impacts the long-term financial health of the city and the resources available to strengthen our neighborhoods. Finding a solution is important to the regional economy because many employers locate and remain in Central Indiana because of our vibrant Downtown.  And it is important to the state economy as Marion County contributes $975 million to the state; this represents 18% of the state's total sales tax revenues. Over the last several months we've worked closely with state and city leaders to develop solutions to fund this vital entity.  There are several components to the proposals making their way through the State House and it appears, with great regret, that local tax dollars will be needed as part of the solution.  I am committed to enacting a solution that protects the 66,000 Hoosiers employed in the hospitality industry and minimizes the burden on all Marion County taxpayers.  The solution must also involve the users of the facilities and those who most directly benefit from them. It is for these reasons that I am opposed to the proposal for a broad-based food and beverage tax, and I am opposed to any increase in property or income taxes.  While I certainly prefer not to have to consider tax increases of any type, I believe we should look first to users and visitors in the form of rental cars, hotels, and tickets.  And we must consider an optional expense, like alcohol alone, that draws more from visitors and facility users. Additionally, I have asked the state for an expansion of the Professional Sports Development Area to include the JW Marriott and allow for the redirection of that tax revenue from the state to the county.  I join Senator Luke Kenley and several legislative leaders in asking the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Pacers to each contribute $5 million.  And, in tightening our belts, we have already proposed cutting $8 million from the CIB operating budget.  This proposal is true to my pledge that the burden for solving this problem should fall mainly on those who use and profit from these facilities.  That's why we've worked diligently to craft a solution that doesn't involve broad-based taxes on food, income, or property.  Additionally, I ask that the General Assembly and City-County Council consider sun-setting any proposed taxes, as there are several variables that may change the situation in the years to come. Please know that I'm committed to continue working with state and city legislative leaders to enact a solution that will bolster our important economic engine that provides 66,000 jobs to Hoosiers and generates millions of dollars in revenues that are critical to the county, regional and state economies. As always, I welcome your input and appreciate your consideration of this proposal. Sincerely, Gregory A. Ballard Mayor City of Indianapolis Paid for and authorized by the Ballard for Mayor Committee, Jim Merritt Chairman

This email was sent by: Indiana Republican Party 47 S. Meridian St., Ste 200 Indianapolis, IN 46204 USA We respect your right to privacy - view our policy

Random Thoughts...

Random thoughts I've had lately.

My new book is available, and as I work on recording the Audiobook version of it, I find myself running across several things that I think I could have done just a little differently. Ways that I could have expanded the story. I remind myself constantly that I was working under the strict timeline of National Novel Writing Month while I wrote it, but I didn't have such a deadline while I edited it and prepared it for publication. I could have taken just a bit more time to do a better rewrite of the book.

It's my first book, and I'll have to be happy with it. I plan to start writing the sequel in May -- when any deadlines I have will be self-imposed and, therefore, flexible. I have some great ideas for the sequel, and feel that the storyline really has some great places to go in book two.

Speaking of books (and this post will be about more than books, but while I'm on the topic...), I'm enjoying a reread of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein saga, as I eagerly anticipate the arrival of the third book in the tale. I had to order the third book from Amazon.co.uk, as the book doesn't appear to have any planned release date in the U.S. yet. It's a sad thing, really, as I know that many, many readers are eager to learn what happens next to Deucalion and Victor Helios.

Stay tuned for my review -- I expect the book to arrive sometime in mid to late April.

I've been paying a slight bit of attention to the many ways in which (I think) Barack Obama is screwing up America. I've been watching, and I've been wondering why, as a country, we allow the person holding the highest office in the land to run for reelection. I find myself wondering if much of what Barack Obama does is designed to earn himself reelection.

It seems that from the moment a President takes the Oath of Office, he is running for reelection. Then, upon winning reelection, the moment he takes his second Oath of Office, he is considered a Lame Duck because someone else is already running to succeed him. It seems to me that our government would be much more effective and efficient if we immediately eliminated the possibility of reelection for our President and lengthened his only term to six years. This would enable the man elected to be the leader of the free world to actually do what is best for the country without fear of polls and second terms.

In addition, I think we should immediately enact term limits for the Senate and the House of Representatives. We have men and women (I could name some, but I won't) in Washington right now that have served in the Senate for so long that they are beholden to too many people to actually be effective. I voted for John McCain for President, but frankly, he needs to leave the Senate. Instead, he is already running for reelection on the heels of his failed White House bid and two years before his term is up.

Over the past week or two, it seems that my commute to work has been quite dangerous. Traffic on Indy's Interstate 70 can be quite dense at times, but lately it seems that cars are moving at sixty and seventy miles per hour with mere feet between them and the cars that surround them.

I'm also starting to think that my car is invisible. It seems that other motorists frequently decide to place their car where mine is, whether I want them to or not. At least once a morning I find that if I don't stay alert and nimble, I'm likely to be (literally) pushed aside. Come on, people, can we really be in such a hurry all the time?

And one more thing, and I think this one could be a product of the way our country has been headed over the past two months or so. What is it with everyone who expects everyone else to pay the price for their mistakes? I'm not just talking about things like bankruptcy and welfare, or panhandling (which has become even more common in Indianapolis recently). At work, I find people who come in and expect my company to actually help them to pay for services that they have to pursue elsewhere because we are unable to provide them. People who have actually tried to falsely claim that my company was responsible for damage to their property -- and when called on the carpet about it, they don't even apologize for their deception after confessing their guilt.

Come on, America! What is happening to us? Is this really what we want to become? A nation of people who would rather sit back and let others do for us? There is a billboard in Indianapolis for Citizens Gas that shows a picture of a Black (is that politically correct now?) woman saying, "What are you doing to lower my gas bills?" Really?!? I see that stupid billboard every morning on my way to work (maybe that's what is distracting other drivers as they cut me off), and every morning I answer, "How about turning down the stinking thermostat!" Really, whose responsibility is it? I manage my utility bills by managing my utility use. That's the way I was brought up. Not thinking that someone else was going to foot the bill for me!

Your comments?

Joe

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His Love Never Fails

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

SCRIPTURE:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 [MSG]

OBSERVATION: When times get tough, turn to God.

APPLICATION:

It is not news that our nation -- the world, even -- is in the midst of tough economic times. My wife has been quite stressed lately about money, and the task of buying Christmas gifts for two toddlers surely doesn't help. I tried this morning to calm her concerns, reminding her that God has always provided for us, seeing us through tougher times than this.

Then God led me to the epiphany of His Word. Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. At a time when many are concerned about jobs, mortgages, even just making ends meet, the Father still reaches out to us through His Word to let us know that He is there to provide for us. Does God still speak to us in the 21st century? The timeliness of this passage is no coincidence.

PRAYER:

Thank You, Father, for directing me to Your Word, for reminding me that You are in control. Your love never fails, Lord.

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Your comments?

Joe

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My Predictions for the Next Four Years

Should Barack Obama fulfill four years as President of the United States, I believe we're going to see some interesting and some very troubling things throughout his Presidency. These are my predictions:

• Republicans will regain control of the Senate in a huge landslide in 2010. The Democratic majority in the House of Representatives will narrow so much (in 2010) as to make it an insignificant majority.
  
• Barack Obama will make several token appointments (or offers of appointments) to Republicans and/or Independents in an attempt to cross party lines (thinking of the 2012 re-election campaign). Most (if not all) of those bi-partisan appointments will resign before the midterm elections.
• Barack Obama will speak about making amendments to the Constitution early in his Presidency. Congress might even concur and support prior to midterms, but the states will not vote to ratify.
• Barack Obama's first budget proposal will include federal funding for stem cell research, federal funding to help unwed mothers pay for abortion procedures, federal funding to schools for sex education programs and contraception programs (he'll describe it as a program intended to reduce teen pregnancy) as well as contraception programs for low income women.
• Obama's tax cut plan for the middle class will be lost among tax increases to fund increased spending and his plan to increase taxes on the wealthy to provide credits to the poor. The middle class will never see a tax cut under an Obama Presidency.
• We will find ourselves in an energy crisis similar to the Carter years, as Obama will refuse to drill offshore, will tax coal companies into near oblivion, and the country's reliance upon foreign oil will become crippling.
• America will return to an Affirmative Action state, with preferential employment for blacks and hispanics mandated and enforced through tax credits and penalties. Whites will begin to become the oppressed class.
• Obama will push legislation providing even more protection to the credit unworthy than the Community Reinvestment Act. This plan will include protection for credit card borrowers, added mortgage protection for struggling homeowners, and socialized medicine. If acted upon before the midterm election, the bill will see several rewrites in both houses of Congress and the final version will include protection from credit card debt, mortgage debt, and medical debt, but will fall short of instituting socialized medicine.
• Early in an Obama administration, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will announce her resignation. With a Democrat controlled Congress, Obama will nominate an extreme liberal to replace her on the bench, and Congress will confirm her nomination (yes, a woman, and likely a black or hispanic woman) quickly. Justice John Paul Stevens will either die or fall seriously ill and be forced to retire from the bench, resulting in a second speedily confirmed Obama liberal to the bench. The repercussions will be felt for decades.
• The now liberal government will attempt to prosecute President Bush and Vice President Cheney for war crimes.
• As more states enact legislation legalizing gay marriage, the Supreme Court will refuse to hear suits to ban it, resulting in gay marriage sweeping the nation on the state level. I would expect to see additional vacancies to the Supreme Court result in more liberal appointments and further Court action to legalize gay marriage on a national level.
• Private schools and home schooling will suffer greatly under the weight of mandated sex education, to include mandated education that homosexuality is normal and okay. Home schoolers will go underground and faith based private schools will be forced to comply or be shut down. Public education will become over-crowded due to the lack of private schools and home schooling issues, resulting in poor education across the country.
• Obama will attempt to fulfill his campaign promise on the Iraq war and will attempt to withdraw troops within 17 months. The progress of redeployment will be halted as terrorist elements will stage a dual attack on American troops in Iraq and on American soil. Obama will be forced to return redeployed troops to the region to restabilize Iraq and the middle east, and will order National Guard units to deploy on American soil in response to the attacks here. Martial Law will be all but officially declared in the new ground zero.
• I do have a prediction about Obama's promise to meet without preconditions with leaders of Iran, North Korea, etc., but I think it prudent to exclude that prediction from this article for now.

I could go on and on, but it will only begin to sound more spectacular. I think we will see much more than we can even imagine at this point in American history. Most importantly, after the Republicans resume some parity (and possibly control) in Congress, we will see a Republican President returned to the White House in 2012. Much of the damage caused by an Obama administration will take several decades to reverse as a liberal Supreme Court will continue to legislate their liberal agenda from the bench.

It will be at least a generation before we see one party control of the Executive and Legislative branches again.

God Bless America (please). We are going to need it!

Don't believe me? Bookmark this page and check my accuracy over the next four years.

Your comments?

Joe

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All Things For God's Glory

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

SCRIPTURE:

"Don't you even know the basics,
how things have been since the earliest days,
when Adam and Eve were first placed on earth?
The good times of the wicked are short-lived;
godless joy is only momentary.
The evil might become world famous,
strutting at the head of the celebrity parade,
But still end up in a pile of dung.
Acquaintances look at them with disgust and say, 'What's that?'
They fly off like a dream that can't be remembered,
like a shadowy illusion that vanishes in the light.
Though once notorious public figures, now they're nobodies,
unnoticed, whether they come or go.
Their children will go begging on skid row,
and they'll have to give back their ill-gotten gain.
Right in the prime of life,
and youthful and vigorous, they'll die." Job 20:4-11 [MSG]

OBSERVATION: That which we gain through dishonest means does not last.

APPLICATION:

In Indianapolis Wednesday, three men robbed a bank. The IMPD was on the ball and picked up on the trio's trail before they could make a clean getaway. After a brief high speed chase, the crooks were involved in an accident that disabled their getaway vehicle. Before Police could move in to take the trio into custody, one of them shot himself in the head. The other two are now in Police custody.

What could the three have been thinking when they made their plans to rob a bank? Did they really expect to get away with it? Did they really expect to be livin' large on loot taken by force from a bank? Did they forget that, after the recent shooting of a pregnant teller during another Indianapolis bank robbery, that the IMPD has been on a constant state of alert for such behavior?

This trio could only have been thinking of one thing: the easy money. They could not have considered the long term effects of their actions, could they? Of course not, and as is so often the case when we fail to consider the long term effects of our actions, sacrificing what we really want for what we want right now, they paid a terrible price.

The good times of the wicked are short-lived. The love of God transcends all time.

PRAYER:

Father, comfort the families of this misguided trio. Use this terrible event as a deterrent for some future soul that might otherwise head down the same path. Let some good come of this, Lord.

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Joe

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President Ronald Reagan on Taxes

“The most dangerous myth is the demagoguery that business can be made to pay a larger share, thus relieving the individual. Politicians preaching this are either deliberately dishonest, or economically illiterate, and either one should scare us. Business doesn’t pay taxes, and who better than business to make this message known? Only people pay taxes, and people pay as consumers every tax that is assessed against a business. Begin with the food and fiber raised in the farm, to the ore drilled in a mine, to the oil and gas from out of the ground, whatever it may be—through the processing, through the manufacturing, on out to the retailer’s license. If the tax cannot be included in the price of the product, no one along that line can stay in business.” —Ronald Reagan

Your comments?

Joe

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Why I Love My Wife

I love my wife because she is constantly looking for ways to stretch the family budget further.

I love my wife even though we sometimes don't see eye to eye, and we're both too stubborn to back down as soon as we should.

I love my wife because she has chosen to stay home with the kids, home-schooling our son, rather than pursuing work activities outside the house, because she understands that our most important job is developing the next generation.

Your comments?

Joe

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The History of Economics

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: A great protest was mounted by the people, including the wives, against their fellow Jews. Some said, "We have big families, and we need food just to survive." Others said, "We're having to mortgage our fields and vineyards and homes to get enough grain to keep from starving." And others said, "We're having to borrow money to pay the royal tax on our fields and vineyards. Look: We're the same flesh and blood as our brothers here; our children are just as good as theirs. Yet here we are having to sell our children off as slaves—some of our daughters have already been sold—and we can't do anything about it because our fields and vineyards are owned by somebody else." I got really angry when I heard their protest and complaints. After thinking it over, I called the nobles and officials on the carpet. I said, "Each one of you is gouging his brother." Then I called a big meeting to deal with them. I told them, "We did everything we could to buy back our Jewish brothers who had to sell themselves as slaves to foreigners. And now you're selling these same brothers back into debt slavery! Does that mean that we have to buy them back again?" They said nothing. What could they say? "What you're doing is wrong. Is there no fear of God left in you? Don't you care what the nations around here, our enemies, think of you? "I and my brothers and the people working for me have also loaned them money. But this gouging them with interest has to stop. Give them back their foreclosed fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes right now. And forgive your claims on their money, grain, new wine, and olive oil." They said, "We'll give it all back. We won't make any more demands on them. We'll do everything you say." Then I called the priests together and made them promise to keep their word. Then I emptied my pockets, turning them inside out, and said, "So may God empty the pockets and house of everyone who doesn't keep this promise—turned inside out and emptied." Everyone gave a wholehearted "Yes, we'll do it!" and praised God. And the people did what they promised. Nehemiah 5:1-13 [MSG]
  
• O: The history of economics repeats itself.
  
• A: This isn't the first time in history that a people has put themselves so far into debt that they were literally slaves to their debt, facing foreclosure and the loss of all their possessions. Nehemiah faced the same thing, and took matters into his own hands, calling the nobles and officials together and putting them to task about their unfair lending practices. What we are going through in America right now has been described as an economic meltdown. It has been said that we could find ourselves in the worst depression in our nation's history. We could lose our homes, our jobs, our businesses. Nehemiah, in his time, called on the nobles and officials to enact a rescue plan that would forgive the people of their debts, to return foreclosed property, and to make no more demands of the people. Our own elected officials have rolled out their own rescue plan that is designed to accomplish the same goal in a different way. By calling upon taxpayer money to bail out those who have faced (or now face) foreclosure, the government is trying to save our nation from this "economic meltdown." It may work, it may not. One thing is certain -- doing nothing will result in nothing. This problem will not fix itself. People have got to tighten their belts and sacrifice for the greater good. People from all walks of life, at all levels of the financial spectrum, and from all branches of government. Taking action will achieve success or failure, but sitting on our hands and doing nothing will achieve nothing, and result in certain failure.
  
• P: Father, as our elected officials begin to make plans and take action upon the $700 billion bailout plan recently signed into law, please guide them to act wisely and prudently. And we, Lord, who our footing the bill with our tax dollars, please motivate us to make the necessary sacrifices for the greater good.
  

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Joe

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Why I Love My Wife

I love my wife because today she surprised me with homemade banana bread with chocolate chips. Unbelievably delicious!

I love my wife because she does an excellent job of managing the home so I can focus on my job of managing a retail store.

I love that my wife has found new and creative ways to save us money.

Your comments?

Joe

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It Didn't Have To Happen

Direct video link.

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Joe

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An Economic Lesson

Today's Daily Soap {Scripture | Observation | Application | Prayer}
FOR TODAY'S FULL READING, CLICK THE TITLE LINK ABOVE.

• S: Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." ... "Be generous. Give to the poor. Get yourselves a bank that can't go bankrupt, a bank in heaven far from bankrobbers, safe from embezzlers, a bank you can bank on. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being. Luke 12:15,33-34 [MSG]
  
• O: Earthly treasures are fleeting, and not worth the effort to obtain and protect them.
  
• A: Economic crisis! Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman, Washington Mutual -- the failure of the banking industry. The stock market plunging over 700 points in one day. Mortgage foreclosures. The news today is rife with tales of financial woe and bail out. Finger pointing and blame gaming are the popular gestures. But why? Because we have allowed ourselves as a nation to become so obsessed with material possessions that we're willing to borrow outside our means to buy what we cannot afford to impress our neighbors. But what does God say? Put your treasures in Heaven. The things of Earth -- no matter how nice, no matter how expensive -- will all pass away. They will be left behind -- along with the mounting debt that purchased them -- when we move on from this place. But the treasures of the heart and of the soul will live with us forever in Eternity.
  
• P: God, whatever the politicians cook up to bail us out of this economic downfall, help us to learn a valuable lesson about the true value of valuables.
  

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Senator McCain's Success This Week

There will be great conjecture over the weekend about what exactly, if anything, Senator McCain accomplished by suspending his campaign and heading to Washington DC to work on an economic rescue plan. Well, I'll tell you what.

The current Senate session was scheduled to end today. Based on the behavior of the Democrat leadership in the Senate in the past, they would likely have adjourned the session without accomplishing anything toward economic recovery. That's the way Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid operate.

Enter Senator McCain. By making the call to suspend his campaign and heading to Washington DC, he put the Democrats on notice: there will be no debate, no Presidential politics, unless you commit to getting something done on the economy. Without an opponent, what could Obama do? Stand up on a stage in a town hall meeting talking bad about the Republican nominee while that very nominee was in Washington trying to hammer out an economic reform package? That's likely what would have happened. And that would have made it very clear to the American people who was truly ready to lead.

Instead, the Democrat leadership in the Senate -- likely either pressed by their Presidential nominee or simply out of partisan politics -- called an audible. Harry Reid took the podium this morning just before 11:00 am and announced that the Senate was going to get this done. He announced that they would stay in session until an economic recovery package was in place. They did this so that Senator McCain -- who had said he would only attend the debate if progress was being made toward a recovery package -- would be forced to attend the debate or look as if he was trying to dodge it.

Senator McCain has now announced that he will indeed attend the debate. He will face off with Barack Obama in Oxford, Mississippi, while Senate and House Leadership tries to come to an agreement on an economic recovery package. Senator McCain has achieved what he intended all along: to get the Democrat leaders of the Senate to extend the current session and not leave until the situation is resolved.

Who is the winner here? In my view, Senator McCain's tactics worked. He went to bat against Senate leadership for the American people, and hit a home run. We, the American people, have won, as the do-nothing Dems of the Senate have been forced to do something so their candidate could have his debate. And the best part is, Senator McCain has proven his leadership skills without having to speak a word during the economic conference last evening. Having been accused of sitting in the meeting in silence, Senator McCain accomplished what he needed most of all -- to get some action from the Senate.

Kudos, Mr. McCain, and thank you for standing up for America. Now all that's left is to make Obama regret the mere thought of tonight's debate.

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Joe

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Dems Call on McCain for Advice

If Democrats "need" Senator McCain to "tell us what to do," why the heck do they even need their own candidate? Seems to me that even the Democrats know who to turn to for action.



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Joe

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Vote Your Conscience

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Joe

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The Politics of Economy

You've likely heard by now that Senator McCain has announced that he will suspend his Presidential campaign tomorrow for the purpose of returning to Washington to focus on a bill to prevent the greatest economic tragedy our country has faced since the Great Depression. In addition, he announced that he would not participate in the Presidential debate scheduled for Friday evening, because now is not a time for Presidential politics.

You likely also heard that Barack Obama at first was resistant to the idea of postponing Friday's debate. Barack Obama also said that he wouldn't be returning to Washington, but that he would be available if needed (Call me if you need me). And if you've been paying attention to the media, you may have heard that Obama now claims that he called Senator McCain this morning asking him to join him in releasing a "joint statement" about the economy.

This evening at 9pm Eastern Time, President Bush addressed the nation on the economy. During his address, he announced that he has invited Senators McCain and Obama to join him to discuss the current economic situation. This invitation, of course, forced Obama to change his plans and agree to return to Washington to meet with Senator McCain and President Bush.

So what's going on here? We've all heard about the collapse of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG. That's not my question. My question is, what's going on with the Presidential campaigns of the two major party candidates?

This is the way I see it:

Senator McCain is living his campaign slogan of Country First. He is standing up and putting his country first -- even above himself and his own political interests -- and suspending his Presidential campaign so that he can return to Washington and do the job for which he is currently paid -- being a United States Senator and working on legislation to get us out of this economic turmoil. 

Barack Obama is doing what he has always done. He is attempting to do what he feels is the politically expedient thing to do. First, he resisted postponing the Presidential debate. Why? Because he believes that Americans should hear where the candidates stand. But when the politically expedient thing became accepting the President's invitation to meet in Washington to work on the situation, Obama changed his mind and agreed to do what he could not possibly refuse.

As an American, I want to know what the Presidential candidates stand for. I want to know it, and if they can show it to me instead of just sitting in some cushy studio and answering the same tired old questions with the same tired old answers, then that's what I want: action! Senator McCain has shown us where he stands -- for his country first. By dropping everything and returning to Washington to do his job, he has shown us what he stands for. Barack Obama has done the same thing -- shown us what he stands for: Obama. By holding his own priorities above those of the needs of his country, Obama has shown us exactly what we should have been able to see all along.

Senator McCain = Country First (and the actions to back that up).

Barack Obama = whatever it takes to make Obama look good at the moment.

The choice has never been more clear.

Your comments?

Joe

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My New Commute

If you've been around here for long, then you probably know that, up until just a month ago, I had quite a long commute for work. For the past four years, I have commuted anywhere from ninety minutes to two-and-a-half hours to work. That's each way.

On December 28, 2007, we moved into our new home in Indianapolis, and my commute ever since has been from 20 to 25 minutes. It has been very, very nice only driving across the city instead of driving half way across the state. It has been nice to get an extra hour of sleep each night and have an extra hour with the family each night. And the money I've saved in gasoline has been very nice -- enough to make up half of the increase in our house payment. WOW!

But the commute hasn't completely ended. Just before moving, my wife and I decided to become members at the church we have been attending since the tragic 9/11 attacks. We've both felt very moved lately to become closer to God and more involved in our church. Having recently made the decision to settle down into a church home, neither one of us is ready to start searching for a new church in Indy.

Instead we have decided to make the commute back west every Sunday to go to church. It's roughly the same drive I used to make every day for work, but now we're making the commute only once a week, and making it for a reason of our own choosing -- for a reason that we both feel is the right reason.

There's just so much benefit for us to continue going to the same church that we have both come to feel so at home with. Not only do we feel very comfortable and very welcome there, and very in touch with the message, but the bonus is that my wife's parents are going to church with us every Sunday evening. Until we moved, they were only occasional attendees. Since we moved, they haven't missed a Sunday. It's been a very positive development!

For more info on our church, click here.

Joe

Bogus Info On New Presidential Dollar Coins

The following email has been circulating, and the information in it is incorrect. First, the email, then read on for the corrections.

REFUSE NEW COINS

This simple action will make a strong statement. Just Do It.

Please help do this.. refuse to accept these when they are handed to you. I received one from the Post Office as change and I asked for a dollar bill instead. The lady just smiled and said 'way to go' so she had read this e-mail. Please help out....our world is in enough trouble without this too!!!!!

U.S. Government to Release New Dollar Coins



You guessed it
'IN GOD WE TRUST'
IS GONE!!!
If ever there was a reason to boycott something, THIS IS IT!!!!

DO NOT ACCEPT THE NEW DOLLAR COINS AS CHANGE

Together we can force them out of circulation.

As usual, this is another case of someone jumping to conclusions and over-reacting before they know the whole story.

"IN GOD WE TRUST" is indeed included on the coin.



Don't fall for the hype. It should be crystal clear to any American that, at least under the current leadership in Washington, it isn't very likely that we would put out a currency that excludes the phrase IN GOD WE TRUST.

Please forward this along to anyone who might have sent you the phony email. More details of the "edge incused inscription," as they call it, can be found here.





Joe