Saturday, March 30, 2013

Surprising Heart Attack Risks For Men


Guys: Your hair, or lack of it, can reveal hidden heart attack risks, according to startling new research presented at the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions.

In fact, baldness or a receding hairline can signal greater heart attack danger than having high cholesterol or high blood pressure, the researchers reported. The study found that people (particularly men) with three of the following visible signs of aging were at 57 percent higher risk for a heart attack and 39 percent higher risk for heart disease, compared to people the same age without these warning signs:
  • Receding hair at the temples
  • A bald spot at the top or back of the head
  • Earlobe creases
  • Yellowish fatty deposits on the eyelid (known as xanthelasmata)
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/surprising-heart-attack-risks




Memories of Norman Rockwell

Memories . . .

Bank of America Says No to the Second Amendment


UNBELIEVABLE.

McMillan Mfg in Phoenix , Arizona , was contacted by Bank of America and informed that they will no longer be allowed to use their services ( Bank of America ) because they are in the firearms business and support the second amendment.

McMillan Fiberglass Stocks, McMillan Firearms Manufacturing, McMillan Group International have been collectively banking with Bank of America for 12 years.

Today Mr. Ray Fox, Senior Vice President, Market Manager, Business Banking, Global Commercial Banking (Bank of America) came to my office.

He scheduled the meeting as an "account analysis" meeting in order to evaluate the two lines of credit we have with them.

He spent 5 minutes talking about how McMillan has changed in the last 5 years and has become more of a firearms manufacturer than a supplier of accessories.

At this point I interrupted him and asked "Can I possibly save you some time so that you don't waste your breath? What you are going to tell me is that because we are in the firearms manufacturing business you no longer want my business."

"That is correct", he says.

I replied "That is okay, we will move our accounts as soon as possible. We can find a 2nd Amendment friendly bank that will be glad to have our business. You won't mind if I tell the NRA, SCI and everyone  I know that Bank of America is not firearms-industry friendly?"

"You have to do what you must", he said.

"So you are telling me this is a politically motivated decision, is that right?

Mr. Fox confirmed that it was.

At which point I told him that the meeting was over and there was nothing left for him to say.

I think it is important for all Americans who believe in and support our 2nd amendment "right to keep and bear arms" should know when a business does not support these rights.

What you do with that knowledge is up to you. When I don't agree with a business' political position, I cannot, in good conscience support them.

We will soon no longer be accepting Bank of America credit cards as payment for our products.

I am fine with you re-posting it. . . . . . . . Thank for your support.

Kelly D. McMillan
Director of Operations
McMillan Group International, LLC
623-582-9635<tel:623-582-9635>
1638 W Knudsen Dr
Phoenix , Arizona 85027
McMillan Integrity-Global Vision

I urge all of my friends to do the same! If I could only get everybody to stand up for the Constitution of The United States we might not have this problem!


Pure Evil: Official argues for post-birth abortions


Video: Planned Parenthood Official Argues for Right to Post-Birth Abortion

Florida legislators considering a bill to require abortionists to provide medical care to an infant who survives an abortion were shocked during a committee hearing this week when a Planned Parenthood official endorsed a right to post-birth abortion.

Alisa Laport Snow, the lobbyist representing the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, testified that her organization believes the decision to kill an infant who survives a failed abortion should be left up to the woman seeking an abortion and her abortion doctor.

"So, um, it is just really hard for me to even ask you this question because I’m almost in disbelief," said Rep. Jim Boyd. "If a baby is born on a table as a result of a botched abortion, what would Planned Parenthood want to have happen to that child that is struggling for life?”

"We believe that any decision that's made should be left up to the woman, her family, and the physician," said Planned Parenthood lobbyist Snow.

Rep. Daniel Davis then asked Snow, "What happens in a situation where a baby is alive, breathing on a table, moving. What do your physicians do at that point?”

"I do not have that information," Snow replied. "I am not a physician, I am not an abortion provider. So I do not have that information.”

Rep. Jose Oliva followed up, asking the Planned Parenthood official, "You stated that a baby born alive on a table as a result of a botched abortion that that decision should be left to the doctor and the family. Is that what you’re saying?”

Again, Snow replied, “That decision should be between the patient and the health care provider.”

Watch the shocking video:  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/video-planned-parenthood-official-argues-right-post-birth-abortion_712198.html

Who died before they could draw their Social Security?


·         KEEP PASSING THIS AROUND UNTIL EVERY ONE HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT... THIS IS SURE SOMETHING TO... THINK ABOUT!!!! THE ONLY THING WRONG WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S CALCULATION OF AVAILABLE SOCIAL SECURITY IS THEY FORGOT TO FIGURE IN THE PEOPLE WHO DIED BEFORE THEY EVER COLLECTED A SOCIAL SECURITY CHECK!!! WHERE DID THAT MONEY GO?

Remember, not only did you and I contribute to Social Security, but your employer did, too. It totals 15% of your income before taxes. If you averaged only $30K over your working life, that's close to $220,500. Read that again!

Did you see where the Government paid in one single penny?

We are talking about the money you and your employer put in a Government bank to insure you and I that we would have a retirement check from the money we put in, not the Government. Now they are calling the money we put in an ENTITLEMENT when we reach the age to take it back.

If you calculate the future invested value of $4,500 per year (yours & your employer's contribution) at a simple 5% interest (less than what the Government pays on the money that it borrows), after 49 years of working you'd have $892,919.98. If you took out only 3% per year, you'd receive $26,787.60 per year and it would last better than 30 years (until you're 95 if you retire at age 65) and that's with no interest paid on that final amount on deposit! If you bought an annuity and it paid 4% per year, you'd have a lifetime income of $2,976.40 per month. If you have a deceased spouses who died in their 50's -- their S.S. money will never have one cent drawn from what they paid into S.S. all their lives over the past 30 years!

THE FOLKS IN WASHINGTON HAVE PULLED OFF A BIGGER PONZI SCHEME THAN BERNIE MADOFF EVER DID.

Entitlement my foot, I paid cash for my social security insurance! Just because they borrowed the money for other government spending, doesn't make my benefits some kind of charity or handout!!

Remember Congressional benefits? --- free healthcare, outrageous retirement packages, 67 paid holidays, three weeks paid vacation, unlimited paid sick days.
Now that's welfare!!! And they have the nerve to call my social security retirement payments entitlements?!?

We're "broke" and we can't help our own Seniors, Veterans, Orphans, or Homeless.
Yet in the last few months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile and Turkey. And now Pakistan......home of bin Laden. Literally, BILLIONS... if not TRILLIONS of DOLLARS are unaccounted for!!!

They call Social Security and Medicare an entitlement even though most of us have been paying for it all our working lives, and now, when it's time for us to collect, the government is running out of money. Why did the government borrow from it in the first place? It was supposed to be in a locked box, not part of the general fund.
Sad isn't it. 99% of people won't have the guts to forward this. I'm in the 1% --
I just did.

A Guy's Opinion


Deep thoughts..... Raked leaves today and after doing so I sat down and had
a couple of nice cold beers The day was really quite beautiful, and
the brew ignited some deep thinking on various topics . . . .


Finally I thought about an age old question: Is giving birth more painful
than getting kicked in the nuts? Women always maintain that giving birth is
way more painful than a guy getting kicked in the nuts.


Well, after another beer, and even more deep thinking, I have come up with
the answer to that question. Getting kicked in the nuts is more painful than
having a baby and here is the reason for my conclusion: A year or two
after giving birth, a woman will often say "It might be nice to have
another child". On the other hand, you never hear a guy say: "You know, I
think I'd like another kick in the nuts".


Case closed. Time for another beer.

Amazing Bible Story


In the Gospels we read that our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified for our sins at a place called "Golgotha."

“And they came to the place that is called Golgotha, which is the place of skull.” (Matthew 27:33)

So Golgotha is the "place of the skull." But if you've ever studied Hebrew, you may have realized a difficulty with the Bible's claim. Golgotha doesn't mean anything close to "skull" in Hebrew, Aramaic, or any other language. It's a big problem.

So we have to solve this puzzle. When we do solve it, you're going to be amazed . . .


Martyrdom and you


Martyrdom and you.


Over at the National Catholic Register, Matthew Archbold has this sobering observation:
Preparing my Children for Martyrdom

I was looking at my children in Mass yesterday and a horrifying thought occurred to me. If I do my job well as a parent, my children may end up persecuted and/or in jail. That may be the best I can hope for at this point in 21st century America.

I prayed that their faith would be strong enough to resist a pro-death culture, a secular academia, an antagonistic media, and the pressure of a government out to separate faith from action.


Secularism isn’t just on the march, it’s positively doing a jig.
I’m not talking about troubled times ahead for my grandchildren’s children in some possible future. I’m talking about my kids. So revolutionary have been the recent changes in America that defending life, liberty, and the pursuit of holiness could very well lead to persecution in the very near future.


Are you in any doubt?

What is Maundy Thursday?


Why is Holy Thursday sometimes called "Maundy Thursday"?
The word "Maundy" is derived from the Latin word mandatum, or "mandate."
This word is used in the Latin text for John 13:34:
"Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos."
Or, in English:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you." 
Holy Thursday is thus sometimes called Maundy Thursday because it was on this day that Christ gave us the new commandment--the new mandate--to love one another as he loves us.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Did you know this about St. Francis?


Hijacking Francis

Did you know that St. Francis was more than just a peace-loving, garden-growing, animal-loving, hippie monk?

Did you know the popular Prayer of Saint Francis and song was not written by him?

Here’s some information that may surprise you . . .



Michael Voris
The Vortex


You may live in a country run by idiots.


You may not be a "Red Neck" but this tells where you live! 

You may live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
By Junius P. Long

If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If the only school curriculum allowed to explain how we got here is evolution, but the government stops a $15 million construction project to keep a rare spider from evolving to extinction ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

 If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If an 80-year-old woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is "cute," but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable .. . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.
If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing and free cell phones ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If the government's plan for getting people back to work is to incentivize NOT working with 99 weeks of unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more "safe" according to the government ... you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

 If we concentrated on the really important stuff in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."

Monday, March 25, 2013

Onward to National Socialism


The fundamental transformation of the USA . . .

Obama continues introducing National Socialism to the United States
The U.S. has dabbled in National Socialism before; elements of Roosevelt’s New Deal emulated Mussolini’s policies, and were implemented by men who made no secret of their admiration for Il Duce. But it has been a long time since anyone has seriously tried to turn the United States in a National Socialist direction.
Which is what Barack Obama seems to be doing.

Consider his 983 executive orders, compared with George W. Bush’s 63;
or his extra-constitutional czars;
or his illegal cramdown of bondholders in auto bankruptcies;
or the explosion in warrantless wiretaps and the even greater explosion in federal regulations;
or his “green energy” scams to distort the economy and enrich political cronies;
or the recent revelation that the Obama family costs U.S. taxpayers something like twenty times what the British Royal Family costs its subjects;
or, more important, consider Obamacare, a classic top-down National Socialist program.




Sunday, March 24, 2013

Twilight Years


Twilight years, just so you know...

As I approach my twilight years, I am struck by the inevitability that the party must end. And one clear, cold morning after I'm gone, my spouse will awaken in the warmth of our bedroom and be struck with the pain of learning that sometimes there isn't "anymore."

No more hugs, no more special moments to celebrate together, no more phone calls just to chat, no more "just one minute."

Sometimes, what we care about the most gets all used up and goes away, never to return before we can say good-bye, or say "I love you."

So while we have it, its best we love it, care for it, fix it when it 's broken and heal it when it 's sick.

This is true for marriage.....And old cars, and children with bad report cards, and dogs with bad hips, and aging parents and grandparents. We keep them because they are worth it, because we are worth it.

Some things we keep -- like a best friend who moved away or a son-in-law after divorce. There are just some things that make us happy, no matter what.

Life is important, like people we know who are special. And so, we keep them close!

Suppose one morning you never wake up, do all your friends know how you really feel?

The important thing is to let every one of your friends know your true feelings, even if you think they don 't love you back.

So, just in case I 'm gone tomorrow, please rest assured I voted against that bastard, Obama.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Up


You lovers of the English language might enjoy this...

There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'

It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP?
Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report?
We call UP our friends.
And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.
We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning.
People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.
To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.
A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP.
We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.

We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look UP the word UP in the dictionary.
In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.
If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used.
It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP.
When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP.
When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for a while, things dry UP.

One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP,
for now my time is UP, so.......it is time to shut UP!
Now it's UP to you what you do with this email.

English is a crazy language

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France . Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick'?

You think English is easy??

I think a retired English teacher was bored.
1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.

20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?


Illegal Immigrants Make Commercial Demanding Free Healthcare


Obviously, these people believe it is a natural human right to go someplace illegally and demand free healthcare.

Stand With Arizona reported on this latest movement:
A new ad campaign has been launched to extend medical coverage to illegal aliens in the state of California.

The California Endowment, a private foundation that advocates for affordable healthcare, wants county-run Medicaid expansion programs called Low-Income Health Programs to be “retooled” to provide insurance for this population – well over 1 million people!

Just what the people of California need, right? First they cut tuition assistance for citizen students by $1.2 billion.


Happy Birthday


Happy Third Birthday, Obamacare!

Thanks to Obamacare:
            My taxes went up.
            My premiums are going up.
            I’m going to lose my current health coverage.
            I can’t find a job.
            It will be more difficult to access Medicare services.
           
           
My thanks to Obama, all Democrats, and all the morons who voted for them!





ObamaCare Will Be A Major Issue In 2014 And Will "Hurt The Democrats"


We can only hope the clueless wake up . . .

Krauthammer: ObamaCare Will Be A Major Issue In 2014 And Will "Hurt The Democrats"

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: And it points to the distinction between health insurance and real healthcare. You could have sham health insurance, which a lot of Americans are going to get. But if you don't have a doctor, if doctors refuse to treat because of the payment schedules that are obscenely low that no doctor will take. And already today, Medicare patients are turned away from a lot of doctors. If that becomes widespread there's going to be no real care.

And I think the other point that's emerging as it begins implementation with all these regulations is that those of us who claimed early on that it was nationalizing healthcare, even though it's disguised as still a private system, we were absolutely right. There will be hundreds of thousands of pages of regulations, obscure, arcane, written by the bureaucrats only understood by them, and also administered by them. As are the waivers. All the power is in the hand of the government now and it's an arbitrary one. People are going to discover that it is a system run out of Washington, it is not a private system. And I would say, if you're going to go that way go the way of the British. Do it honestly, openly and simply own it instead of this pretend private healthcare system.

BRET BAIER, HOST: Down the road, is Obamacare a major issue in the 2014 elections?

KRAUTHAMMER: Absolutely, and it's going to hurt the Democrats. (Special Report, March 21, 2013)


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

And Then It Is Winter

You know. . .Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is...The winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free will...I just fall asleep where I sit!

And so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!! But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...its over. A new adventure will begin!  If you have a personal relationship with Christ, your new adventure will be the most fantastic, wonderful  adventure ever,!!!

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, what ever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

"Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one.

LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN! BE HAPPY!

HAVE A GREAT DAY

Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver

LIVE HAPPY IN 2013! LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING:

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER BE SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore.

~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch.

~You tend to use more 4 letter words ... "what?"..."when?"... ???

~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

~Everybody seems to be whispering.

~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet.... 2 of which you will never wear.

But Old is good in some things:

Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Stay well, "OLD FRIEND!" Send this on to other "Old Friends!" and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!!

It's Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.!!!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

"In the name of God, go!"


“Recently, California’s Senator Dianne Feinstein gave a graphic demonstration of what can happen when you have been in office too long.

During a discussion of Senator Feinstein’s proposed legislation on gun control, Texas’ freshman Senator Ted Cruz quietly and politely asked “the senior Senator from California” whether she would treat the First Amendment and the Fourth Amendment the same way her gun control bill was treating the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms.

Senator Feinstein never addressed that question. Instead, she became testy and told Senator Cruz how long she had been in Congress and how much she knew. 

Watching her get up on her high horse to put him in his place, recalled the words of Cromwell to Members of Parliament: “You have sat too long for any good that you have been doing lately. … In the name of God, go!””

Dr Thomas Sowell

Norwegian Blood


An Arab Sheik was admitted to Gunderson Lutheran Hospital for heart surgery, but prior to the surgery the doctors needed to find a supply of  his rareblood type in case the need
arose.  However, it couldn't be found locally, so the call went out to all the states. Finally, in Westby, Wisconsin, a Norwegian was located who had the right blood type. The
Norwegian, whose name was Ole, willingly donated his blood for the Arab. After the surgery, the Arab sent Ole, as appreciation for giving his  blood, a new BMW, a pile of diamonds & several million U.S. dollars.

Many days later, once again the Arab had to go through some corrective surgery. His doctor telephoned Ole who was more than happy to donate hisblood again. After the second surgery, the Arab sent Ole a thank-you card & five  pounds of lutefisk. Ole was shocked that this time the Arab did not reciprocate with a new car, diamonds & money. He phoned the Arab & said, 'I thought dat you vould be yenerous  again,  & dat you vould give me anudder BMdubleU an diamonds & money. But you only gave me a tank-you card and some lutefisk!

'To this the Arab replied, 'Ya, but now I haf Norvegian blood in my veins  so I gotta tink tvice before I spend my money.'



Epic Slap Down


Rand Paul Slaps Down Liberal Energy Secretary On ‘Freedom of Choice’

Deputy Assistant Secretary For Energy Efficiency Kathleen Hogan of the Senate of the Energy & Resources Committee has her liberal hypocrisy exposed on what ‘Freedom of Choice’ means. By the end of the video, she realizes she’s been had by Senator Paul by the circular reason of her logic.


Sunday, March 17, 2013

Our Lady of Mount Carmel was the Catholic Church for Italians in early Denver. 

Saint Mother Cabrini went to this church. 

This church started the observance of Columbus Day which was made a legal holiday in Colorado before it became a nationwide observance.
  
"OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL (1894)

"Seated in a comfortable carriage of the Santa Fe Railway, my glance swept across those immense plains which, around Denver, are dotted with the cottages of our Italian agriculturalists," reported Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Italian-born foundress of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint, she first came to Denver as a missionary in 1902.

Touring Colorado, Mother Cabrini found that:

 here the hardest work is reserved for the Italian worker. There are few who regard him with a sympathetic eye, who care for him or remember that he has a heart and soul: they merely look upon him as an ingenious machine for work. . . . I saw these dear fellows of ours engaged on construction of railways in the most intricate mountain gorges.

Mother Cabrini further lamented that Colorado's many Italian miners spent most of their waking lives underground, "until old age and incapacity creep over them, or . . . a landslide or explosion or an accident of some kind ends the life of the poor worker, who does not even need a grave, being buried in the one in which he has lived all his life."

At the request of Bishop Matz, Mother Cabrini came to Colorado to bring "the holy joys" to "our poor emigrants." In North Denver's "Little Italy," Mother Cabrini joined a handsome young priest who made building a parish for his countrymen his life's work--Mariano Felice Lepore. It was Father Lepore who had first invited Mother Cabrini to Colorado, after hearing of her miraculous ability to do God's work with meager resources.

http://ourladymountcarmel.com/

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMAMJQ_Our_Lady_of_Mount_Carmel_Denver_CO











St. Patrick's Catholic Church - Denver, Colorado

I went to St. Patrick's on this St. Patrick's Day.   I got there after Mass was over; so, I was not able to get inside.  I did see some people wearing bowler hats and sashes in the colors of the Irish flag. 

Saint Patrick's Mission Church was designed in the southwestern style.

The Colorado History Museum sponsors a tour of this church as described below.
            
 "ST. PATRICK (1881)
 As North Denver's pioneer parish, St. Patrick's has an exotic history involving a bitter struggle between Bishop Matz and a pastor powerful enough to twist the 20th Street Viaduct--Joseph P. Carrigan, who also inaugurated festivities that have evolved into Denver's popular St. Patrick's Day parade.

Bishop Machebeuf created St. Patrick parish in 1881. Michael J. Carmody, the first pastor, initially said Mass in the fire station at 15th and Boulder streets while awaiting completion of a small brick church at 3233 Osage Street, in 1883. In 1884, the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet opened a parish school, living in the basement while using the first floor as a school and the second floor as a church.

St. Patrick's finally received a steady pastor with the 1885 appointment of Father Carrigan by Bishop Machebeuf. Carrigan, an Irishman born and trained in New York, had come to Colorado after his ordination. A capable and outspoken priest, he had served at St. Mary's in Breckenridge, St. Mary's in Denver, and as pastor of St. Ann (Annunciation) parish before coming to St. Patrick's.

This young priest proved to be an able and popular pastor. He paid off the parish debt and, in 1889, enlarged the church and school. Father Carrigan aggressively boosted church attendance by urging his flock to bring non-Catholic friends to Mass each Sunday. Non-Catholics were also welcome in the church's public reading room.

North Denverites in those days were separated from the city by the South Platte River and a maze of railroad tracks, where trains killed and maimed people every year. Furthermore, the 15th Street bridge over the Platte was so rickety that the city posted a notice at either end: "No vehicles drawn by more than one horse are allowed to cross the bridge in opposite directions at the same time."

Father Carrigan and his parishioners joined the crusade to build a viaduct from downtown to North Denver as a safe crossing over the river and rail lines. Mayor Robert W. Speer cleverly persuaded the railroads to put up most of the cost of the viaduct. Completed in 1911 for $500,000, this three-quarter-mile-long trussed viaduct left Denver at 20th Street but landed in North Denver at 33rd Avenue--at the front door of St. Patrick's. Parishioners praised God for what is now the oldest and largest trussed viaduct in Colorado, and North Denverites still call its bend "Carrigan's Curve."




 http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMAMJM_St_Patrick_Mission_Church_Denver_CO








Sacred Heart Catholic Church - Denver, Colorado

This church is on the Colorado History guided tour.

A new Bike Denver facility just opened across the street which may bring more tourists to this end of Larimer Street that is not too far from Coors Stadium and Union Station.


SACRED HEART (1879)
Sacred Heart is Denver's oldest still-used church. St. Mary's, the pioneer 1860 church, was demolished in 1900, and St. Elizabeth's--the second Denver parish--outgrew its original 1879 church, which was torn down in 1898 to build the current St. Elizabeth's.

http://www.archden.org/noel/07039.htm

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33388-d560131-Reviews-Sacred_Heart_Parish-Denver_Colorado.html











Saturday, March 16, 2013

What I Learned From Noah's Ark


Noah's Ark: Everything I need to know, I learned from Noah's Ark. 
ONE: Don't miss the boat. 
TWO: Remember that we are all in the same boat! 
THREE: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark . 
FOUR: Stay fit. When you're 60 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. 
FIVE: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done. 
SIX: Build your future on high ground. 
SEVEN: For safety's sake, travel in pairs. 
EIGHT: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs. 
NINE: When you're stressed, float awhile. 
TEN: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals. 
ELEVEN: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.


Please pass this on to people you want to be blessed. 
Give it! Don't just get it!

Most people walk in and out of your life, but FRIENDS leave footprints in your heart.

The Other Story of St. Patrick - Norwegians


     The reason the Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day is because this is
when St. Patrick drove the Norwegians out of Ireland.  It seems that some
centuries ago, many Norwegians came to Ireland to escape the bitterness of
the Norwegian winter. Ireland was having a famine at the time, and food
was scarce. The Norwegians were eating almost all the fish caught in the
area, leaving the  Irish with nothing to eat but potatoes.

     St. Patrick, taking matters into his own hands, as most Irishmen do,
decided the Norwegians had to go. Secretly, he organized the Irish
IRATRION (Irish Republican Army to Rid Ireland of Norwegians). Irish
members of IRATRION passed a law in Ireland that prohibited merchants from
selling ice boxes or ice to the Norwegians, in hopes that their fish would
spoil. This would force the Norwegians to flee to a colder climate where
their fish would keep.

     Well, the fish spoiled, all right, but the Norwegians, as everyone
knows today, thrive on spoiled fish. So, faced with failure, the desperate
Irishmen sneaked into the Norwegian fish storage caves in the dead of
night and sprinkled the rotten fish with lye, hoping to poison the
Norwegian invaders.

     But, as everyone knows, the Norwegians thought this only added to
the flavor of the fish, and they liked it  so much they decided to call it
"lutefisk", which is Norwegian for "luscious fish". Matters became even
worse for the Irishmen when the Norwegians started taking over the Irish
potato crop and making something called "lefse."

     Poor St. Patrick was at his wit's end, and finally on March 17th ,
he blew his top and told all the Norwegians to "GO TO HELL." So they all
got in their boats and emigrated to Minnesota...The only other paradise on
earth where smelly fish, old potatoes and plenty of cold weather can be
found in abundance.

     And now you know the rest of the story.

That's when the trouble started...


I went to see a Muslim tribute band last night. They were called "Bomb Jovi". They were brilliant. Their last song "Living on a Prayer Mat" almost brought the house down.

Then this Muslim guy started bragging about how he had the entire Koran on DVD.

I was interested, so I asked, "Can you burn me a copy?"

That's when the trouble started.

The Black Lab's Name Was Reggie


They told me the big black Lab's name was Reggie,
as I looked at him lying in his pen.
The shelter was clean,
and the people really friendly.

I'd only been in the area for six months, but
everywhere I went in the small college town, people
were welcoming and open. Everyone waves
when you pass them on the street.

But something was still missing as I attempted to settle
in to my new life here, and I thought a dog couldn't hurt.
Give me someone to talk to. And I had just seen
Reggie's advertisement on the local news. The shelter
said they had received numerous calls right after,
but they said the people who had come down
to see him just didn't look like "Lab people,"
whatever that meant. They must've thought I did.

But at first, I thought the shelter had misjudged me
in giving me Reggie and his things, which consisted
of a dog pad, bag of toys almost all of which were
brand new tennis balls, his dishes and
a sealed letter from his previous owner.

See, Reggie and I didn't really hit it off when we got home.
We struggled for two weeks (which is how long the shelter
told me to give him to adjust to his new home). Maybe it
was the fact that I was trying to adjust, too.
Maybe we were too much alike.

I saw the sealed envelope. I had completely forgotten
about that. "Okay, Reggie," I said out loud, "let's see
if your previous owner has any advice."
_____________________
To Whomever Gets My Dog:
Well, I can't say that I'm happy you're reading this,
a letter I told the shelter could only be opened by
Reggie's new owner. I'm not even happy writing it.
He knew something was different.

So let me tell you about my Lab in the hopes
that it will help you bond with him and he with you.
First, he loves tennis balls. The more the merrier.
Sometimes I think he's part squirrel, the way he hoards them.
He usually always has two in his mouth, and he tries to get
a third in there. Hasn't done it yet. Doesn't matter where
you throw them, he'll bound after them, so be careful.
Don't do it by any roads.

Next, commands. Reggie knows the
obvious ones ---"sit," "stay," "come," "heel."
He knows hand signals, too: He knows "ball"
and "food" and "bone" and "treat" like nobody's business.
Feeding schedule: twice a day, regular
store-bought stuff; the shelter has the brand.
He's up on his shots. Be forewarned: Reggie hates the vet.
Good luck getting him in the car. I don't know how he
knows when it's time to go to the vet, but he knows.
Finally, give him some time. It's only been Reggie and
me for his whole life. He's gone everywhere with me,
so please include him on your daily car rides if you can.
He sits well in the backseat, and he doesn't bark
or complain. He just loves to be around people,
and me most especially.

And that's why I need to share one more bit of info with you...
His name's not Reggie. He's a smart dog, he'll get used to it
and will respond to it, of that I have no doubt. But I just couldn't
bear to give them his real name. But if someone is reading this ...
well it means that his new owner should know his real name.
His real name is "Tank." Because, that is what I drive.
I told the shelter that they couldn't make "Reggie" available
for adoption until they received word from my company commander.
You see, my parents are gone, I have no siblings, no one I could've
left Tank with ... and it was my only real request of the Army upon my deployment to Iraq, that they make one phone call to the shelter ...
in the "event" ... to tell them that Tank could be put up for adoption.
Luckily, my CO is a dog-guy, too, and he knew where my platoon
was headed. He said he'd do it personally. And if you're reading this,
then he made good on his word.

Tank has been my family for the last six years, almost as long
as the Army has been my family. And now I hope and pray that
you make him part of your family, too, and that he will adjust
and come to love you the same way he loved me.
If I have to give up Tank to keep those terrible people from coming
to the US I am glad to have done so. He is my example of service and
of love. I hope I honored him by my service to my country and comrades.
All right, that's enough. I deploy this evening and have to drop this letter
off at the shelter. Maybe I'll peek in on him and see if he finally got
that third tennis ball in his mouth.
Good luck with Tank. Give him a good home, and
give him an extra kiss goodnight - every night - from me.

Thank you,
Paul Mallory
_____________________

I folded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope. Sure,
I had heard of Paul Mallory, everyone in town knew him,
even new people like me. Local kid, killed in Iraq a few
months ago and posthumously earning the Silver Star
when he gave his life to save three buddies.
Flags had been at half-mast all summer.

I leaned forward in my chair and rested my
elbows on my knees, staring at the dog.
"Hey, Tank," I said quietly.
The dog's head whipped up, his ears
cocked and his eyes bright.
"C'mere boy."

He was instantly on his feet, his nails clicking on the hardwood floor.
He sat in front of me, his head tilted, searching for the name
he hadn't heard in months. "Tank," I whispered.
His tail swished.

I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time,
his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed
as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked
his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into
his scruff and hugged him.

"It's me now, Tank, just you and me. Your old pal gave you to me."
Tank reached up and licked my cheek.

"So whatdaya say we play some ball?"
His ears perked again.

"Yeah? Ball? You like that? Ball?"

Tank tore from my hands and disappeared into the next room.
And when he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.

If you can read this without getting a lump in your
throat or a tear in your eye, you just ain't right.
=============================================
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in
front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
G. K. Chesterton