We All Got Bigger Problems!!!

Wall Street Executives received over 1.7 billion dollars of bonuses while the unemployed had to wait weeks for their extension to get approved. It’s ironic that some folks on the right complained about the unemployed getting this money and causing laziness in the ranks of the needy. Many of the unemployed were laid off due to problems in our economy and I doubt that so many people would rather sit on their butts and not provide for their families. Those that are working are still playing the lottery hoping one day to cash in on their individual American dreams. Too few employment opportunities are available when so many apply. I didn’t hear the media pressing the argument about the Wall Street bonuses. I wonder is it because the market giants are heavily invested in the media and can control what is released in the media. Again, I question the integrity of the news media. What is more important, the sponsors or the listeners? The more listeners, the more money provided by the sponsors. We are a money-driven society where it is more important to have a healthy bottom line than a compassionate heart. Love won’t pay the bills and if you have several homes, jets, and cars, you’ll need more money. Let’s be honest. True we do have racial issues to deal with but there is a bigger problem underneath. That agenda is widening the gap between the classes, the haves and the have-nots. There will only be rich people and poor people. The middle class is becoming a memory. It is going the way of the dinosaur, extinct. While we are focusing on race relations, there are powers that are moving towards putting all of us poor people, regardless of color, in these two categories, rich and/or poor. We need to wake up, people. Our fears are being used against us and we are being misinformed everyday to convince us that wrong is right. If we don’t have the right sense to know any better we will regret it later. Yeah, I said it. Some folks would want a race war, but it won’t work. There are still too many from all sides that will fight together. We will always remember that we are one nation, indivisible, under God! Even if it means that it is necessary for the Federal Government to reinforce it!

TEMPERatureS Are Rising!!!

It’s getting hotter every summer. But of course, it’s not due to global warming. (Hint of Sarcasm). We’re having extraordinary weather and storms but global warming doesn’t have a thing to do with it. We’re having some flash floods and wind storms with tornado force but again who’s to say they are happening because of global warming. So many people criticized and laughed at Al Gore about global warming and conserving our natural resources that if all of these catastrophes were the effect they wouldn’t accept global warming as the cause. So you know that they wouldn’t believe that God might be trying to tell us something. Of course, when temperatures rise in the summer, so do peoples’ tempers. Our impatience increases and attitudes heighten to the point where it seems we just don’t care. We have to work on this by working on ourselves. In the meantime, the smallest incident can provoke us to a major temper tantrum. Relationships go south, friendships explode, and social discourse takes a back to seat to quick tempers. I will always believe that there are more people willing to work together and encourage each other than those who prefer total separation of the classes and races. It is inevitable that all people will live side by side in harmony and peace because it is written and said by our Lord and God. There will always be those who hate and only see things their way. There is nothing that can be done about it. Ever since the devil entered Eden mankind changed for the worse, but it will never last forever just as we won’t. Everything that has been said philosophically by me is my own opinion. This includes religious, social and racial tolerance and political views. We all must make individual choices on what is right for us even though some of those choices can be wrong. We must still, if we believe, hold on to our faith, and to always include God in our decisions. I believe that whenever we keep Him first in our lives, he will always lead us in the right direction.

The Absolute Power of Negative News!!!

  Andrew Breitbart

By now everyone who has a TV has heard about the mistreatment of Shirley Sherrod, former employee of the US Department of Agriculture. A doctored videotape by an extreme right wing conservative, Andrew Breitbart, was sent to Fox News Network that created a giant wildfire comparable to California’s disasters. It managed to propel an innocent, gentle woman to the forefront of racial injustice and disparity. In his desire to discredit the NAACP, Breitbart almost ruined this woman’s reputation. Thank God she was the right one that he chose. This woman truly had God as her defense! Breitbart failed on so many levels. He wanted to prove that the NAACP was racist instead of the Tea Party. He tried to hide the fact that he is part of that group that want to keep America divided and return to the 50s. He tried to hide the fact that this woman at age 17, father was killed by a white farmer full of pure racial hatred. A woman later in life found in her heart to help all poor people not just black and white. I don’t have to go over the whole story, you already know how it goes. It’s shameful that Breitbart didn’t bother with a true apology to this woman who was used as a scapegoat. It’s embarrassing that our first Black President is reluctant to speak out against race relations because the country is now so sensitive that our elected officials are afraid of not getting reelected. Racism is not going away, people. It’s like the color of your skin, it’s not going anywhere. We can treat our skin, darken it, even lighten it, but we will still be the same person. We need to look in the mirror. It’s disgusting that these same officials on both sides of the aisle are not trying to represent all of the people, just the ones who yell the loudest. Please understand that I know that you don’t have to agree with any President’s policies. I also have enough common sense to know that it doesn’t make you a racist because you don’t agree. But there are some people hiding like cowards behind these smoke screens who are afraid to admit the truth. The truth will prevail. Lies and negative news travel fast. The past 48 hours were filled with nothing but the bad news. The power of mainstream media is absolute until we stop believing everything we see and hear. There are few such as Keith Olbermann & Rachel Maddow, who are not afraid of Fox or their bosses at MSNBC. The rest of the news stations bow before Fox, they must be afraid of the label liberal. Frankly, I credit the media with a lot of this racial division and political polling every other day. They seem to want to keep crap going. I have never seen so many polls taken about this current president. Yet, not one time has anyone polling agency asked my anything.

 Here is an excerpt from Seattle Times News:

*Conservative Andrew Breitbart on Monday posted a 2 ½-minute snippet of Shirley Sherrod's 43-minute NAACP speech on his website, BigGovernment.com.

*Fox News Channel then began its pursuit of Sherrod in prime time Monday night on three successive opinion shows that reached at least 3 million people.

*Leading off, Bill O'Reilly asked on his top-rated program, "Is there racism in the Department of   Agriculture?" He discussed the tape, plugged Breitbart's website and demanded that Sherrod resign  immediately. By the time O'Reilly's remarks, taped in the afternoon, were broadcast, Sherrod had resigned.

*Next up, Sean Hannity treated the resignation as breaking news. He played a short part of what he called   the "shocking" video from Breitbart and later discussed the development with a panel of guests, mentioning the NAACP's recent accusations of racism within the conservative tea-party movement.

*Fox's 7 p.m. show also covered the resignation as breaking news (Sherrod says Fox never tried to contact her before running the video clip repeatedly Monday).

*By Tuesday, Sherrod's forced resignation was the talk of cable-television news.

Side Note: The earlier footage of an undercover sting of an ACORN office, was even more flawed. The undercover operatives, James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, heavily edited their footage, implying they dressed as a pimp and prostitute when they went to seek financial advice on their illicit activities from ACORN employees. But they actually never wore such flamboyant attire to the ACORN office. He and Giles are now facing civil suits from ACORN employees.

They lied but more importantly the mainstream media didn’t want to follow that up.  Just like now.  Is America afraid to confront racism?  Post-racial society is not here just because a black president was elected.  Whether he spends only one term, it was still more than expected for just being elected.  It's not the right against the left, it's the far right against change.  I applaud Lindsey Graham for reaching across the aisles despite his party's politics of obstruction.  Change can not take place if you want to keep the status quo.

All I can ask is that those of you that really care for a positive, united progression for our nation, pray to our God for strength and maintain hope in our leaders to represent all Americans.

When Race-Baiting Backfires: Mishandling Shirley Sherrod!

Oops, it looks like somebody pulled the hood over everybody’s eyes! The extremes people are willing to go through just to make someone look bad. Well, if you dig a grave for your enemy, dig two, you’ll need one for yourself. As I said before, there are groups out here in this nation willing to sacrifice all to destroy this country. Harmony and peace is not in their vocabulary. Polarize, divide, and separate from within is worse than the terrorists we are fighting internationally. This stinks from Willie Horton days and the heinous act of Timothy McVeigh. Yep, Rush, Glenn & others are the front men but somebody, somewhere is paying. Bizarre that Glenn actually defended Ms. Sherrod. One thing for sure, Fox won’t apologize! "The politics of fear cannot overwhelm the politics of truth, and she has truth on her side." J. Jackson.

Vonetta McGee, Film and TV Actress, Dies at 69!

Vonetta died on July 9 in Berkeley, Calif. She played in “Blacula”, “Shaft in Africa”, “Eiger Sanction”, “Thomasine & Bushrod”, “Melinda”, “Hammer”, “Brothers”, “Repo Man”, “To Sleep with Anger”, and “Hell Town.” Don’t get her confused with Lonette McKee who played in “Sparkle.” Vonetta was 65. There seems to be an error in her birthdate. She was born on January 6 or the 14th, 1940. That would make her 69. The cause of death was cardiac arrest. Rest In Peace, Ms McGee.

Honorable mention also goes out to James Gammon, who passed yesterday.  He was 70.  You might remember him from the baseball movie, "Major League."  He was the gravel-voiced coach.  Rest in Peace, Mr. Gammon.

Resegregation: Now Or Later?

In a June 15, 2010 photo, North Carolina chapter NAACP President Rev. William Barber is escorted from the Wake County Schools board room in handcuffs by Raleigh Police after he was arrested for staging a sit-in with three other activists during a recess of the board's meeting. The Wake County Board of Education's decision to scrap a much-praised busing-for-diversity program has sparked a public backlash not seen for decades in these parts.

It is discouraging to see how some adults can act stupid but question their children’s behaviors. They wonder where the kids picked up that kind of language and actions because they couldn’t have learned it from home. They don’t realize that children watch what adults don’t do, too! I hear some parents say that they don’t tolerate racism or bigotry in their home but will not speak out against injustice. Currently, the argument is whether or not Tea Party activists or racists. I’m sure not all of them are, the majority is mostly white and there are opportunists in every race that use organizations as a front for their own hidden agendas. My question is this. Have people really forgotten the reason why so many black organizations, newspapers and functions were formed? Do they realize that Blacks were not admitted to any mainstream America organizations simply because they were black? Cotillions, parades, magazines, contests, restaurants, and etc., were not opened to blacks, so we developed our own. Segregation was wrong because not all schools had equal access to finest educational material available. The black teachers made do with what they had and I think they did a helluva job with what little was available to them and teaching us in subpar conditions. They didn’t put up with the foolishness we now see at schools. Integration brought on busing. Kids were leaving their neighborhoods to attend school across town even though their old school was right down the street. Wouldn’t it had been cheaper to improve the schools and improve the technology, give the teachers higher salaries and upgrade the books than buy buses and maintain them enough to haul kids across town? Now 50 years later, resegregation is gaining ground and ground zero is in Raleigh, NC. Black and White Americans couldn’t predict that when integration cracked segregated walls, there were bound to be some fallout. It could expand opportunities for jobs and improve black children’s access to quality education. Common sense would dictate sending your child to the closest school, it’s practical safer and cheaper. The problem is how much better is your school in your area? Low income neighborhoods may not get the funding and support they need to better equip their children for school and technical vocations. Let’s stay away from the stereotypical labeling expected from low socioeconomic upbringing because not everyone is the same. So what’s normally the color of the majority in poor neighborhoods and the majority in affluent neighborhoods? We all know if you live in an affluent area, you’re going to ensure you have all your needs met without going to far to find them. What we as a people need to know that if people don’t want to be around you, why be around them? You don’t have to spend your money to prove to people that you got it. It hurts more when you don’t do business with them and spend it in their stores. What concerns me more are the code words for state’s rights and sovereign statehood. I lived in the 60s and these ultra-right conservative politicians want to take us back to it. Don’t vote on party lines, vote for what’s right for all Americans.

Thoughts from Rev. Ben Colley

Rev brought me some insight on his sermons. You’d need to be there to get the full effect! The subject was on people are looking for a word. I’ll try to give you a picture of what he’s saying. Wall Street is waiting on the government, the government is waiting on each other, BP is waiting for a solution, the people in La are waiting for an answer and Main Street is waiting for jobs and hope. People are like cars, running out of gas and just about ready to stop. So he presented 4 principles to think about while Jesus was in the boat during the storm. The first, Jesus was in the boat with the apostles sleeping while a terrible storm raged about them. It frightened the apostles so bad that they woke up the Son of God. All He said was, “Peace be still.” Immediately the storm ended. The premise is recognizing the external conditions. The apostles didn’t have control over the storm but God does. The second, Jesus asked them, “Where is thou faith?” He addressed their internal conditions. Before I go further, you have to ask yourself, if you had Jesus with you would you worry about anything? The third, Jesus told Peter, “I have overcome the world.” He was speaking to Peter about the future. He had taken the power out of failures. The fourth, Jesus said, “Believe in me.” Yes, you can see the utility bills, the doctors’ bills, credit cards, and all things physical, but you can’t see Jesus. Where do we go from here? I only touched on Rev’s sermon. I can’t do him justice except to recommend that you hear him.  He keeps The Word simple to understand!

You Should Have Stood Up Sooner, Bob!

Former South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis says too many Republican leaders are going along with what he calls a poisonous "demagoguery" that threatens the party's long-term credibility.


Inglis was defeated in the Republican primary last month by Spartanburg prosecutor Trey Gowdy. Inglis says that approach is dividing the country into partisan camps, making it difficult for people to work together and find solutions to problems.

I don’t see a problem with anyone’s political affiliation or loyalties, it’s their choice. The problem is allowing that loyalty to overwhelm the heart for the few and forsake the many. Both of our nation’s parties are polarizing the nation. Hate speech and untruths are flooding the airwaves and only the truth-seekers will not be convinced or persuaded unless they did deeper into the “hearsay.” Some will say Inglis is a bitter, sore loser, others will say he should have said it while in office. Both could be right, but at least he did say it. It does matter to stand up for your constituency as their representative. You might sacrifice the “good life” and connections in the election but right is right. You’re not just looking out for your special interest groups who can pay you to speak up for them, you’re looking out for the people who don’t have anyone speak out for them. In the meantime, we can watch our nation literally split in two, while those that wanted this will sit back and continue to sow the seeds of strife and discontent.

Am I Giving God The Proper Respect?

I’ve been thinking about this for some time and have been very objective with my answer. My answer is no, I’m not giving God proper respect. I’ve been developing a relationship with Him so that when I do enter valleys, I know that He is with me. My intentions are to praise Him in the good times and in the bad. God won’t take you so far and then leave you. If anything, we leave Him. But back to my answer on respect. I’d like to think of myself as a Christian but sometimes in this life I’m living, I’m not always being Christ-like. To respect God, I must begin with myself and then my fellow man. The dilemma is knowing exactly what respect is. One of Webster’s definition of respect is: To take notice of; to regard with special attention; to regard as worthy of special consideration; hence, to care for; to heed. Again, I ask, am I giving God the proper respect according to this definition? If respect is towards another means this, then I’m not even a tenth of the way towards giving God respect and honor. I must be still care careful not to confuse respect with obedience even though they both go hand in hand in honoring God. Choices, choices, choices. My choice is simple. Joshua 24:15.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Rawl!!

Mr. Rawl & Grands (Undated Photo)

Frances L. Rawl was murdered Tuesday by a young thug who thought it would be easy to rob a 91-year old man. Police say 18-year-old Jesse Ray Lane was arrested at his home in Hopkins around 8:30pm Wednesday. Rawl's grandson, Les Rawl, says he got worried when Rawl didn't show up for work at the family business. Les found the body inside the house. I met Mr. Rawl in 1975. I had moved off campus from USC and worked part-time at WLTX on third shift. The duplexes were close to the TV station furnished and cheap. I could walk to work, which I did. Mr. Rawl and his sister Elizabeth were two of the kindest people you could meet. Why either of them lived on the property in one of the duplexes, we may never know. One thing was for certain, they didn’t have to. They had the money but they chose to live a humble and modest life. He didn’t talk much of his past or family. I knew that he was a former legislator and worked at a golf course. I didn’t know that he owned it! He didn’t drive a fancy car and Ms. Rawl walked everywhere. As landlords, they really cared about the tenants. So if you had a backed up toilet, other problems or even wanted to borrow the lawnmower, they took care of you. Ms. Rawl departed years ago. I pray for the family and Jesse Lane. God bless us all.

Happy Independence Day!!!

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by 12 of 13 colonies (New York not voting) on July 4, 1776, but wasn't actually signed by all the delegates until August 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and member of the Committee of Five died on July 4, 1826.  John Adams, not very liked, also a committee member, died on the same day.

In a famous clause that was ultimately deleted from the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson cited the African slave trade as one of the examples of British oppression. Jefferson refers to the English government's repeated vetoes of attempts by colonial legislatures to restrict or halt the import of slaves. Virginia, especially, had profited from a great natural increase in its slave population and had no desire for a further slave "surplus" or for competition with its own profit of selling slaves to South Carolina and Georgia. By including only three-fifths of the total numbers of slaves into the congressional calculations, Southern states were actually being denied additional pro-slavery representatives in Congress. While there were a few Founding Fathers who were pro-slavery, the truth is that it was the Founders who were responsible for planting and nurturing the first seeds for the recognition of black equality and for the eventual end of slavery.

The 56 men who signed this important document in American history had only one man who signed it on July 4th. John Hancock, whose name appears above and larger than all the other names.  The names of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence were kept secret by the colonists for almost a year, because the British government had offered a $2,500 reward for those men’s names, considering them guilty of high treason, a crime punishable by death!  What a price for freedom, giving up everything that you loved for a cause that you believed in heart and soul.

HBO ran a series on John Adams this past weekend. It was as close to the History Channel as can get. I really enjoyed it, maybe because I did go to Independence Hall a few months ago and imagined what it was like. The mural above, by John Trumbull, was not liked at all by John Adams because he said it was false. The members were not always together at one time and they were all not very peaceful!

Is It Heritage Or Something Else?

A picture is worth a thousand words. It can speak to your mind and massage your soul. I’ll let this picture speak for itself.

Out With The Old, In With The New!!!

The Gamecocks win in the College World Series over shadowed the quiet but historical inauguration of Columbia, South Carolina’s first black mayor, Steve Benjamin. He was sworn in by the first black federal judge, Matthew Perry. Major Benjamin replaces Major Bob Coble after twenty years. I foresee a day that people will not be described by their color as a signature of firsts. I might not live to see it but that day will come. He has some unifying goals that would be nice if implemented. The majority of the people in this city is tired of the same old system and would like to see some positive changes occur. I wish the best for our city’s new major.

University of South Carolina the 2010 College World Series Champions!!!

Congratulations to the USC Gamecocks who showed remarkable poise and class in Omaha.  They beat UCLA 2-1 in 11 innings.  Even some of their worse rivals from Clemson supported them.  Too bad our politicians can't cross the aisle to support the American people, they could learn something.  Well done, Gamecocks!

Happy 30th Year Anniversary, LT!!!

Lt. Wilson and his wife, Susan, celebrated their 30th anniversary Monday, yesterday!  Congratulations, LT, 30 more to go!!! 

Welcome aboard Bre'onna!!!

I have a new niece but no pictures of her, yet.  The lack of pictures are more of my fault because I am not a cell phone expert.  Don't send me pictures or texts on the cell because I barely know how to even open them.  If you have anything to say, just call me, don't write me.  Anyway, my grandniece's name is Talim Bre'onna Montgomery who was born on 6/8/10. She was 7 lbs 1 oz; 20' in long.  Mom & dad are doing fine.  Rest assured when I get pictures you'll see her.  But right now pray for all of the little ones that are being born in this world.  They'll need all the help they can get.  God bless all of these little ones!

Happy (37 Years Of Marital Bliss) Anniversary, Mary & Carl!!!

Mary & Carl, it's not many couples that can put up with each other that long!  Congratulations for love, patience, understanding and tolerance to name a few.  Just a few qualities that some of us don't have.  I got your picture from Facebook.  I wish you two the very best of everything!!  God bless & take care. 

Now For November, 2010!

Tim Scott

The runoffs are over and South Carolina voters have had their say, for now. If what we have seen is a glimpse of what the general elections will look like, hold on to your hairpieces and weaves, we’re going for a hayride. Nikki Haley, a Republican, is set to be the first Indian-American governor in South Carolina. Her campaign was focused on the issues, not necessarily on answering direct questions, but overall, clean. I still find it hard evading questions on generating revenue when she can only answer what areas can be caught. We are suffering already. NO one wants to pay higher or extra taxes, but if it means getting this state back on its feet and keeping jobs, let’s get ‘er done! But she is another Sanford clone so, here’s another 2- 4 years. That’s right, I said 2 – 4 years. I expect her to run as vice-president in 2012. So her first two years will be campaigning and our state problems will not be hers. Sarah taught her well. I’m being premature, because her campaign did come with some accusations from her “opponents” that she had a couple of affairs. Sort of Sanfordesque, but this time without any evidence, apologies, or tears. Another claim was changing her religion from Sikh to Methodist to begin her run as a politician. I don’t care about the religion, I’m worried that she will bump heads with the legislators like Sanford did and the little people will be ignored, again. I am happy that the state did see that a woman and a part of the minority and is capable of doing the job. Déjà vu! The nation said that about our President and look at the polls now. Love is temporary if you can’t produce any results.

South Carolina also has a chance to send its first Black Republican to Congress since Reconstruction and the second since J. C. Watts. His name is Tim Scott. Voters want to see something different and are looking for people that will represent them in a positive way. By the way, he did beat the son of Strom Thurmond who rallied behind Scott to support him. I’m disappointed to hear folks saying that only Blacks voted for him. Get a grip folks, most blacks vote democratic and frown on Republicans. Besides, Republicans aren’t trying to court black folks, anyway. Just think about Mr. Steel, the RNC Chairman. Anyway, I doubt if Mr. Scott got over 100 votes from minorities. Did I mention that they both beat their opponents with large margins? Did I mention that Sarah supported both of them? Go figure.

And while all of these and more and things were going on, our Governor Sanford left the state without telling the Lt. Governor that he was leaving, again. The man is whipped but at least he spent Father’s Day with his children this year. Only in South Carolina can we nominate an Attorney General that is a son of the Congressman that called a President of the United States “a liar” in the hallowed chambers of Congress. Decorum and respect lost in a moment of “anger” to only be hailed as a hero by so many bigots. Shameful, but a harsh reality.

How Bad Does This Crap Gets?

Rep. Joe Barton (R) Texas

This excerpt and more came from the AP:

A leading House Republican on Thursday accused the White House of a "$20 billion shakedown" of oil giant BP by requiring the company to set aside that amount to compensate those hurt by the Gulf Coast oil spill. Rep. Joe Barton made the assertion at the outset of a House hearing where BP's chief executive officer, Tony Hayward, is appearing for the first time before Congress. Facing Hayward at the witness table, the Texas Republican congressman said, "I'm ashamed of what happened in the White House" on Wednesday. Barton was referring to the agreement that President Barack Obama announced with BP for establishment of a $20 billion relief fund.

Don’t these hypocrites ever stop? The President is damned if he does or does not. Joe Barton represents Arlington, TX.  I want to attach the face to the person because we need to know what these politicians look like. Apologize, shakedown?  Wrong is wrong and just because you said it does not make it right.  Had the President said we will use US dollars for compensation, there would be outcries on expanding the budget. These so called politicians that are non-supportive and obstructive are so deep in these major corporations back pockets that they have no other choice except to criticize. (Barton has received more than $1.5 million in campaign donations from the oil industry, according to Open Secrets, a nonpartisan watchdog group.) The money they are paid must be worth it to look and act like a jackass. They can’t offer solutions, but plenty of criticism. So I ask the question, if the Democrats are considered as liberals who support a socialist agenda, are the Republicans, Nazis who supports an aristocratic ruled society in favor of a corporate based economy? Nazis hate anyone who don't look or believe in the same ideology. Sort of reminds you of why the Tea Parties were formed. We already know about the Klan’s origins. As Don King would say, “Only in America.” Because only in America can people say treasonous words, file it under free speech, and get away with disrespect and stupidity. I believe that there is not a day gone by without some poll being taken about the president or some negative news on what he is doing. The media seems to perpetuate the negative instead of stating the positive. The fact is, I’m glad this is the right man in place to lead this country. I do not think that had anyone else won this election, they would not have been able to handle the multitudes, I repeat, multitudes of problems, this nation is facing. Sarah would have quit and John would have gone on an extended vacation. Just running his campaign was taking a toll on him. With all of this mess…no telling.  There are a lot of people who are very positive and look forward to progress.  Unfortunately, the most vocal are getting the news.

Another strange twist to this mess.  The GOP Leaders make Barton retract his apology to BP.  Here's another quote from that same website on the Washington Post.  "According to a GOP leadership aide, Barton met with House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) and Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) Thursday afternoon, and was told, "Apologize, immediately. Or you will lose your [subcommittee] position, immediately. Now that he has apologized, we'll see what happens going forward." Another aide said Barton would now not be removed unless he goes on "the TV circuit" and causes further controversy. The aides requested anonymity to discuss the private discussions of the Republican leaders."

Who is really representing the peoples' interests.  You can get used to saying no for so long that you can begin to dumb things.

Rep. Steve King (R) Iowa

I wanted to talk about the President’s 17 minute speech tonight but found out the roaches are coming out of the wood work. I found this article from the AP.

Democrats on Tuesday denounced an Iowa Republican congressman who says President Barack Obama favors blacks over whites, and a GOP candidate from Colorado canceled a fundraiser the Iowan was to keynote. Rep. Steve King, known for sometimes incendiary remarks about immigration, Abu Ghraib and other issues, criticized Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder, who also is black, in an interview Monday on G. Gordon Liddy's nationally syndicated radio talk show. "I'm offended by Eric Holder and the president also, their posture," said King, 61. "It looks like Eric Holder said that white people in America are cowards when it comes to race." Take a look at this guy and he looks like he could easily slip comfortably into a hood.

Holder, in a 2009 speech, did not suggest that whites are more cowardly than blacks when discussing race, as King indicated in the radio interview. "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot," Holder said, "in things racial we have always been and I believe continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards."

This is nothing new, folks. The hatred held inside of these bigots is eating through. They can’t hold it any longer and don’t care because so many of these people hate our president who is representing all of us. If they were so concerned about racial equality where were these buttheads during Jim Crow? They didn’t speak out because they were contented with the way things were, keeping minorities from progressing.  We can't allow ourselves to sit back passively and quietly.  We must learn to be vocal!  We believe in free speech, too!

A Reminder Of Our History

An undated rare photo provided by Keya Morgan, found in a North Carolina attic, depicts two slave children, art historians say. In April, the photo was found at a moving sale in Charlotte, accompanied by a document detailing the sale of John for $1,150 in 1854. The picture was purchased for $30,000 and $20,000 for the sale document by collector Keya Morgan. Morgan said the deceased owner of the home where the photo was found was thought to be a descendant of John. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Keya Morgan, LincolnImages.com)

This is Some Tacky Frackenackel Bull!!

Gary Coleman and his wife had a stormy past – Coleman pleaded guilty to domestic violence in February, but Santaquin Police Chief Dennis Howard tells PEOPLE, "There was absolutely nothing suspicious about (Coleman's) death. There is no (criminal) investigation going on." Gary drove himself to hospital after the accident because his ex, Shannon Price who lived with Coleman, was too ill to take him. He was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage, fell into a coma and died on May 28. Gary Coleman's estranged parents learned of the former child star's death in the media and now they want answers on how he died. Coleman sued his parents in 1989 for allegedly stealing his fortune, a claim they refuted. This woman who said that they were planning to remarry and that she has a will that gives her everything is very suspicious. How can you take deathbed pictures and sell them before the man is buried? So much for love and dead men can’t talk. I hope Gary haunts her ass. Sources say three of the four photos, which Gary's ex-wife Shannon orchestrated, may hit stands as early as this week. One of the photos that was sold shows Shannon posing next to a bedridden Gary who is riddled with tubes.

How Embarrassing!!!

Less than a day after Alvin Greene scored an upset victory in South Carolina’s Democratic Senate primary, the state party has begun a PR campaign to push him out following news that he faces a felony-grade obscenity charge. Earlier today, news broke that Greene, a 32-year-old Army veteran, was arrested and charged in November on accusations he had showed obscene photos to a University of South Carolina student. Greene declined to comment on the accusations to The Associated Press. An unemployed military veteran who raised no funds and put up no campaign website shocked South Carolina's Democratic Party leadership by capturing the nomination to face Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint in November. Besides lacking a politician’s polish, this guy seems to have a problem communicating to the press. I’m still not sure what Mr. Greene’s platform is. He doesn’t seem to budge after the Democrat’s pressure to step down. Congressman Clyburn is requesting an investigation. How can unemployed person come up with $10,000? Long story short, if the Republican’s did put up the money to set this guy up against DeMint, they got more than their money’s worth. Not only did an unknown win the primary, which on the surface seems as smart as a squirrel. They also embarrassed the Democratic Party and the people who voted for him. If you don’t do your research or can’t find any information on your candidate, don’t vote for that candidate. If the Republicans did pay for Mr. Greene’s fees, they paid him more to stay in the position. So much for team work.

Did You Vote Today??

I sincerely hope that you did vote!  Don't complain if your candidate didn't win.   You must make the effort.

Stop the Complaining and Start the Praying!!!

If you think that you are the only person with serious problems, think again. You are not alone. Most of the time, we’re feeling sorry for ourselves and wallow around in self-pity so that it can cover every inch of our bodies. Sort of like getting all covered up with mud so that everybody can see what you’re going through. This speaks levels. Once we get caught up in our own gook, we begin losing our confidence, our belief in our selves and very slowly our self-esteem begins to decline. We’re a train wreck and we haven’t even ran off the tracks. In fact, the collision from the other train is so far away that we have already began the countdown for the crash. We’re so busy about the crash ahead that we can’t even think about evasive actions and checking maps to see if there are other tracks ahead so that we can switch. Our focus lies in our supposedly inevitable crash and feeling sorry for ourselves that we don’t think straight. All we can do now is complain about our demise and the pitiful situation we’re in. It’s what we do and we do it so well. My brothers and sisters in Christ, we lose our faith every day and fight for it everyday. The way to gain ground is through prayer, without we’ll only concentrate on the negatives. As a saying goes, negative thinking draws the negatives to you. If you can’t control it, it will start affecting your relationship with others. You won’t be able to see the good in them because you’re caught up in self-pity. Well, stop complaining about your problems and start praying for wisdom and understanding to deal with them. There is not one person on this earth living and now dead that did not have serious problem or problems in their lives. Sometimes when we think we overcame one problem another shows up right behind it. Just when we thought we were getting ahead, we just got backed up a couple of steps. God will give us only what we can bear. Though there are times that it seems that it a lot to take. We tried crying, begging, borrowing, even asking others to pray for us. We half-heartedly say a few prayers until we’re straight again and stop praying until another bad time. We got it wrong! We need to pray all of the time. It’s like exercising. It becomes automatic and we maintain our focus. Yes, I believe prayer works and I believe you do, too. Think about it. Thinking back, we’ve all have gone through some stuff and wondered how did we get through it. Thank God, He’s always there. He keeps His part of the promise but we take our part for granted. We got to do better with prayer and faith or we’ll lose more than our friendships and lives. We’ll lose our souls, too.

U Don’t Have 2 Listen Now, But 1 Day U Will!!

Graphs from

Bureau of Justice Statistics/U. S. Department of Justice

“A hard head, makes a soft behind”, was what the elders use to tell us when we were growing up. We got the message when they spanked us. Yeah, we got out of line somewhere and got back in line with a butt-cut. We didn’t understand it as children but now as adults, we do. Some folks said, “You’ll find out the hard way.”  I also heard, "You don't have to listen now, but one day you'll wish you did."  The hard way was another butt-cut or something regrettable. You avoided the butt-cuts as much as possible because that was no badge of honor. Back then, you got butt-cuts in front of your friends and/or classmates and it was embarrassing and sometimes humiliating. Now going to jail is seen as a badge of honor and pride among some of our youth. Parents can’t discipline their children anymore like they used to. They might get reported to the Department of Social Services or watch-dog groups that look for abuse in families. My neighbors and teachers use to discipline us, too. I would say “whip” but that term in not politically correct anymore. It denotes a harsher type of punishment. But in those days, we did get “whippings.” I believe that most of did managed to live without any regrets and found that those teaching stayed with us. I believe that we didn’t turn out so bad and didn’t have to do any jail time or allowed ourselves to get into some bad situations. I will always believe that the elders had the same things told to them and tried their best to pass it on to us so that we can avoid unnecessary problems. I will always believe that they just wanted the best for us and if necessary beat it into us. I can’t reiterate enough that when a parent is not allowed to discipline his/her children for the good of the child, then society will pay for it. There are two many men and women, black and white, are in prison institutions of some sort. Even if unfairly incarcerated, there is still a huge cost for society to pay.

Memorial Day Weekend Movies!

With Memorial Day come all of the old movies from the 30’s up the present. I am a fanatic for these nostalgic scenes of yesteryear. I saw In Harms Way, From Hell to Eternity, Bataan, Midway, To Hell and Back, Darby’s Rangers, Sergeant York, Stalag 17 and as many others I could see without falling asleep trying to stay up all night. Somehow I managed to fit in some Clint Eastwood films, too! I saw a Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, Hang ‘em High, and Pale Rider. You can I see that I hibernated all weekend. I even saw Legend of the Fall! I saw some great movies these past four days mainly directed towards the brave and fallen. But what brought the true meaning of Memorial Day to me was not visit the Memorial downtown but seeing the movie Taking Chance, a true story. Please see this movie. It’s about a Lt. Colonel escorting a fallen marine, whose name is Chance Phelps, nineteen years old, back home in Colorado. Chance was killed in action in Iraq and the great care and love the techs did to prepare him for his final journey was amazing! They treated the body with dignity and honor. The LTC played by Kevin Bacon had to come to grips with his own emotions and inner battles. To me, this was the best I have ever seen Kevin act. This movie reminded me of Jamie Foxx in Ray, I soon forgot that it was Jamie playing and saw only Ray Charles. That’s how good this movie is. I remember those days how at times it was fun, laughing and joking one minute, and the next, worrying about whether you’re going back home in a body bag or with all of your parts. Don’t take your military men and women for granted! Don’t take your own life for granted! We have EMS, Police, firemen, first responders, doctors and nurses, who everyday get up in the morning and do what they do best to protect and help others. So many of them all take a last look at home before they leave because they know they can’t be sure if they’ll return. We have to support our troops. They are our babies, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, who feel that they are obligated to give something to this nation. This great nation cannot fail them, now or never. The powers-that-be need to stop bullshitting our military and veterans and treat them with the dignity and respect that these brave men and women deserve! There should be no questions of employment, housing and medical treatment that these veterans should enjoy from our government. And yes, I did wear my American Legion cap all weekend!

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation."


George Washington
General and Commander-in-Chief & First President of the United States of America

Memorial Day Salute!

Picture by Mel Coker

Many a good soldier has died for this country.  Some were recognized and many went unnoticed.  Some of these brave soldiers's bodies were never recovered.  Most importantly, families never recovered either.  Conflicts, battles, and wars always seem  meaningless unless you're involved.  Even then you question the purpose and value.  It's easy to sit behind a desk a make decisions for others to venture in harm's way.  But, let me stick to the point.  Many black soldiers and sailors have given their lives for this country and are still treated unfairly.  One day the world will recognize these brave men, too.  The Tuskeegee Airmen finally got their due even though many of them have already died before they got it.  Do not blame others for their own hatreds, pray for them.  You can't change a man's mind until you change his heart.  On this Memorial Day, take a moment and give all brave soldiers that died and are still fighting, a minute of thanks.  Then pray for those families that sacrificed their sons and daughters who will never see them again.  They gave up their love ones for freedom and causes that they may never know.

Get The Facts Straight!!!

I heard a local news anchor announce that the President was talking a lot of heat because he wasn't attending Memorial Day Services at the Tomb of The Unknown Solder.  Of course, you know what "fair and unbiased" network started it, but I honestly believe that one day Glenn Beck will have a nervous breakdown and blame the liberals for it.  I guess news anchors don't have to do anymore research for facts.  I wonder...?

I found this correct information on Media Matters, that President Obama was not the only President that didn't lay a wreath on the Tomb on Memorial Day.  Here it is:

Obama is not the first president to commemorate the holiday somewhere other than Arlington National Cemetery.

Beck falsely claims Obama "has decided not to honor our troops on Memorial Day"

From the May 26 edition of Premiere Radio Networks' The Glenn Beck Program:

BECK: The president has decided not to honor our troops on Memorial Day and go to -- can you find out the last president that decided to take a vacation and then go to a Paul McCartney -- come back for a Paul McCartney concert, but not for the laying of a wreath on Memorial Day? Maybe this has happened before. I don't recall it.

Previous presidents have honored Memorial Day away from Arlington Cemetery

1983: Reagan attended summit meeting; Defense Department official Thayer laid wreath at Arlington. Deputy Secretary of Defense W. Paul Thayer laid a wreath at Arlington Cemetery during the Memorial Day ceremony in 1983, according to a May 31, 1983, Washington Post article (retrieved from the Nexis database). The Associated Press reported that President Reagan attended a "summit meeting in Williamsburg, Va., with leaders of the industrialized democracies."

1992: George H.W. Bush allowed VP Quayle to lay wreath. In 1992, Vice President Dan Quayle laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, according to a May 26, 1992, Boston Globe article (from Nexis). The Globe reported that President George H.W. Bush attended a wreath-laying ceremony and made brief remarks at an American Legion hall in Kennebunkport, Maine, where he also played a round of golf.

2002: George W. Bush spoke at commemoration in Normandy. On May 27, 2002, President George W. Bush spoke at a Memorial Day commemoration in Normandy, France.

Bush remained in Texas for Veterans Day in 2007

Veterans Day 2007: Cheney attended ceremony to pay tribute at Arlington as Bush remained in Texas. On November 11, 2007, the AP reported that "President Bush honored U.S. troops past and present at a tearful ceremony Sunday for four Texans who died there." The AP further reported that "Vice President Dick Cheney went to Arlington to pay tribute to Iraq veterans."

Source: http://mediamatters.org/research/201005260069

So much for bending the facts.  Years ago, the things said about our President would have been treasonous.  It's remarkable how we can find a great use now for Free Speech.

RIP, Gary Coleman!

Tragedy continues to strike the young cast of the old TV Series "Different Folks."  This time Gary Coleman, known for the popular phrase "What you talking about Willis", died at the age of 42 on Friday after a brain hemorrhage.  He was taken off life support systems Friday morning and passed on that afternoon.  He followed his TV sister, Dana Plato, of a drug overdose in 1999.  Her son couldn't get over her death and had committed suicide on May 6, 2010.  Todd Bridges has had his share of ups and downs, more downs than up.  Some have said that it was a curse on that show, I don't know.  Gary has suffered all of his life due to congenital health problems that aided in stunting his growth.  Rest In Peace, Mr Coleman!

Techno

I look for a way ...D5SPZF2GURVQ...but stay prepared.

Desire, Need, and Action!!!

Reverend Colley dropped by today to drop me some knowledge. I enjoy talking to the Reverend. He gave me the analogy I used on Hide ‘n’ Seek and Lions, Tigers, and Bears. This time at his last Sunday’s sermon, he used children as an example. Rev. uses a basic technique of getting the Word across, he keeps it simple. Understand that Rev is an intellectual but he doesn’t use it as a stamp, he’s just a down to earth guy, who knows how to present himself. Most importantly, I, personally, needed this message. Last week’s sermon was on what were the 2 important questions children ask? I hope that you adults can go back a bit and think like children for a few minutes. Thought about it? What were the primary questions did we ask our parents, others, or ourselves? What is that? Why? Weren’t we inquisitive? Our young minds wanted to know what things were and why were they like that. We got the definition on what and the purpose on why. The answers satisfied our small minds because they made sense. We didn’t know any better, but we trusted that the grown-ups did. But as children, as many things that we did, we still tried to stay on track because we had a single-minded focus on what awaited us. Okay, change back into the adult mode now. We are so busy with the job, family, multi-tasking here and there that we spread ourselves thin. We get off track. You can’t pay bills if you don’t work. If you’re unhappy at your job, you can’t quit until you find something better. Your family needs you now more than ever, but if you’re getting stressful every time you’re home, something has to change. What do you do? We have forgotten as children to ask ourselves, what do we do? Why are we doing it? We must slow down and get back on track and ask these questions. We have to be honest with our answers, too. In order to get back on track, we need to know what our true Desire is. What real Need will we accomplish? And what Action(s) should we take? Don’t allow what you’re doing get in the way of where you’re going. I know that I didn’t say or exactly quote word for word what Reverend Colley said but this about sums it up. We must become like Little Children in our way of thinking and acting. I’m reminding myself more than you why I am here on this earth…to get to my heavenly home. I get distracted at times, but a friend sent me an email reminding me that “we ought to develop godly friends. These are the Christian brothers and sisters who will laugh, cry, and empathize with us. Above all, believers need friends who will continually point them to God and pray over them.” Don’t forget to click on the red bold printed words, they are links to point you in the right direction.

Another Sinner's Prayer!

Lord, please hear my plea. Listen to the words of your humble servant. I am a sinful and broken man with a sorrowful heart. My brother and sister have no feelings for me. Is it really my color the reason for this hate? Is it the fruits of my labor that are not worth showing but jealous of? My heart is burdened with sorrow and grief. Their words and actions are like arrows piercing my very soul. They turn their backs on your loyal servant. Turn not your back on me, O Lord. My joy has been stolen by the enemy who planted these scornful seeds and I am too weak to fight by myself. David wrote constantly of his love for you but he was also anointed by you. I am but a man who has forgotten that he was created in your divine image and bears the breath of your Holy Spirit. I cry constantly because my sadness feels no love from my brother. What have I gained when I have lost everything that was so dear to me? Touch me, Lord. Wrap me in your grace and mercy. Hold me close to your forgiving heart so that I can love and forgive my brother for his anger. Guide me, direct me, Lord, to the paths that You have willed for me. Strengthen me in these times of weakness and despair that when I reach for your trusting hands, You are always there. I feel so alone, that I can’t talk to even my closest friends about my hurts. This is two years, two months, and a day since my mother has gone home to You. Is this why I feel so despondent today? Please, Lord, hear my cries. So many around me are being called home and we still do not realize that nothing is guaranteed. Life is so short and taken for granted. Thank you, Lord, I already feel your grace enveloping me.

Congratulations To The Brewbakers!

Jake & Angela got married last weekend in Virginia!  They had another celebration this weekend at their reception!  It was a great reception!!  Congratulations!!!  We are wishing you the best and long years together!

Rest in Peace, Pam!

An unexpected passing of a fellow co-worker occurred this weekend on Saturday.  Our prayers are with you, Pam!  We'll miss seeing you.

Pentecost Sunday

The Beginning of the church is what Pentecost is all about. This began when each of the Disciples of Christ were given the tongues of fire. They had the power of communication given to them. The Disciples were empowered to proclaim the Resurrection of the Lord and share the power of the Holy Spirit which is all of us. We have to be at peace within ourselves to allow Him entry. We know a lot about the Father and the Son, but we don’t speak often of the Holy Spirit, Who has been mentioned numerous times in the Bible. A couple of examples are: When John the Baptist baptized Christ and a dove (Luke 3:22) and in the Book of Job which mentions that "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life" (Job 33:4). Some religious authorities think that the Holy Sprit represents the feminine side of the Holy Trinity Who complements the Son. They see the work of the Holy Spirit as comforter, intercessor and source of inspiration could be represented in the ministrations of Mary and other holy women of God. I don’t know, but is it intuition that women seem to have when they know something is up or do they have a built-in receiver? Maybe women are so much better at multi-tasking that they know how to be at peace inside when everything around them is in chaos. Whatever it is, they are more open to The Spirit than us men.

Beautiful Plus Size Women

Fine Like Cristal Champagne

I want to address a subject suggested to me from Vivian, a member of the lunch crew. I said I will try. So some, if not most of this subject, will be addressed to her. Let’s be clear from the get-go, I don’t like the term “fat” women. You can use stout, thick, healthy, plus-size or even big-boned around me, but not fat. If you use PHAT, make sure that’s what you’re saying. PHAT = Pretty Hot And Tempting. I don’t know the origin, but I did hear Chris Tucker say it in one of his movies. Look at the women in the picture from the internet, they seem extremely collected, confident, competent, and complemented! They don’t look like they have low self-esteem issues. Don’t these women look beautiful!!??? Don’t they look good!!?? Your game better be on point! You can’t help what type of body you were born with but you can help how you want to look. Why would you demean someone or hurt their feelings to boost up yours? We did that when we were children because we didn’t know any better. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11 (King James Version). We don’t have a clue how some women feel about their appearances. We do know that they are self-conscious about how they look on the outside. There could be medical, mental, or physical problems that these beautiful women are undergoing. Some are having low self-esteem problems but they are no different than any other women. I guarantee that they are concerned about their health and if you’re willing help them achieve their goals with positive encouragement, they’ll comply. We all know as we get older our metabolism slows down. With us men, some of us act like we don’t care when we gain weight. Then again, some guys really don’t care. But, most of us are really concerned. There are great deals of health problems that can be associated with anyone being overweight but instead of criticizing we should encourage and show support. Let’s break it on down. For everything you seem to see wrong, let’s look at what’s right. Look at how smooth their skin is. Look at the face, how smooth it is with those high cheek bones. They can get by without makeup. They don’t need it! Already a plus! Look at their attitude, positive and uplifting. Some of the so-called “cuties” think they are too good to laugh out loud and let go. They don’t want to tarnish their “image.” Go to the eyes, the neck, the hands, the legs, and the feet. Thick, strong legs are already in place. I don’t want to stereotype but so many thick women are loving, kind, generous, and thoughtful. They’ll do whatever they can to make a man happy. But the man has to remember to treat a woman with respect and dignity. Accept her for who she is. Any kind of abuse is simply abusive. A loving woman will stand by her man if he’s doing the right thing. So stand by your woman. If the woman is willing and encouraged with the right support and encouragement, help her fight her low self-esteem. Build up her confidence and pride. Help her to believe in herself. Get her out of those sloppy outfits, coach uniforms, sweat skirts and onesies (thin cotton-like material with tops & bottoms that match). The clothing doesn’t need to be tight but professional and sexy. Dress to impress and make you feel good. Find things that both of you can enjoy and get to know more about each other. In the process, enjoy the positive mental and physical changes that take place. Obesity is a problem and we all can pitch in. Why pay thousands of dollars for cosmetic surgery, liposuction, and stomach staples and bands? That’s a temporary fix and not all that healthy unless the doctor ordered it. It took time for all us to gain weight and it will take time to lose it. We have to be patient and stick to our commitment. In time, it will pay off. Yes, we all have our preferences but whatever we choose, let’s be respectful and courteous. By the way, I’m not disrespecting the slender women in this article. I was asked to discuss how some women feel when they don’t meet the image of what men want. One very big point I almost forgot. Ladies, respect yourselves first! You’ll get from us when you give it to yourselves. Respect is earned before it is give. People, I hope that the next time you see or meet a plus-size woman, try to be understanding about the difficulties she might be facing. The next time you meet any woman treat her like a lady. Because no matter what size any of us are, we are all facing some type of challenge.

Stay Focus On The Will

Living is a tough and too complex for our human nature can understand. The longer we live, the more we begin to pity the world and our selves. Our disappointments last longer, our hurts are deeper, our loves are temporary, and our attitudes get aggressive. On the other hand, our patience becomes longer, we learn from our experience, and we realize by our mortality that life is too short to worry about problems we can’t handle. Some of us begin to see the Hands of God intervening and intertwining within our lives. At times, all that we see are uncontrollable events that seem to knock us two steps backwards just when we though we recovered from another problem. We are so close to our breakthrough but we just can’t seem to get it right. We question ourselves a lot and forget just how good we got it. Yes, we want more but can we handle more? Some people seem to have all of the luck. They got the money, the homes, the cars, the jobs, the right connections, and their lives are great from our perspective. We wonder why wasn’t our lives like that? The Bible says the sun shines on the good and bad. Indeed, it rains on us all, too! We wear our emotions on our sleeves and we become slaves to those emotions. Our emotions control our minds and can cloud our judgments to make the right decisions. We then make ridiculous mistakes and sometimes end up regretting what we did. What’s worse we developed this emotional slavery since childhood. We get angry when we didn’t have our way as children and we still do it now as adults. We have problems accepting criticism even when it’s positive. We can’t deal with rejections so we might not even try to progress even though we know that the next step would be good for us. We have lost our faith in ourselves. We are slaves to our emotions. We don’t want people feeling sorry for us but we welcome the sympathy. Why does it take so long for some of us to learn what our purpose in this life is? Because to me, most of the time in our early years, we left God out of the decision making process. We knew we had all of the answers or one of our friends did, so we made the grave decision of not praying to God for divine guidance. We forget that God talks to our spirit which in turn connects to His divine Will. If you thought life was complicated then what do you think about the Holy Trinity? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit make up the Holy Trinity. I’m not even attempting to go there. My faith is strong enough to just know. The Holy Spirit came down in the form of tongues of fire on Pentecost above the heads of all that were present in the Upper Room. I believe that from that time on we all have developed an ability to communicate with the Holy Spirit who intercedes for us. If developed, your spirit can recognize a kindred spirit. It can also recognize a fake one. “He without sin let him be the first to cast the stone…” Instead, the so-called, Christian, sinless man is always quick to make the first judgment call. I digress. Remember when Jesus was praying in the garden to the Father that He be excused from death, He said it is not His will but the Father’s? The human side was very emotional to point of sweating blood-like drops. But He got back to obeying God’s Will. What I am trying to say is focus on the will not the emotion. It will take some time but I believe that it’s possible. The emotions are powerful but the will is much stronger. Add faith, patience, perseverance and love to the mix, I think we might have something going for us. May the God of peace and love always be with you.

A Salute To My Lunch Time Crew

Most of us have a favorite group of people we have lunch with. I’ve been fortunate. I’ve had a couple. Sometimes, it’s your co-workers you eat with, sometimes friends, sometimes people from other departments, and sometimes a combination. These are people that depending on the length of time you’ve had lunch with, will either grow on you or become a part of you. If you don’t like their company, you usually find excuses not to eat with them. It could even be just one person in the group that can cause this kind of disassociation. Maybe something happened between you and someone else that was connected to the lunch crew that the person chose to stop eating lunch with you. It doesn’t matter, people will come and go in all of our lives. They are there for a moment, a time, and a season. It’s up to us to learn the lesson. Then we move on either as a friend or an associate. If you’ve been eating lunch with each other for so long, you share sometimes personal information. One would think that the information would be classified only to the people privileged to hear it. Otherwise, not all that info need to be shared even with family members. If they have never met and known the people in the group personally, then they shouldn’t make judgments because of what they heard of even seen. But, we’re human, and some people are like rusty water buckets, they can’t hold water. So they take bits of info home to their spouses, friends, and whom ever will listen just to have a conversation. Their life must be boring between them. I’m digressing because I want you to know about my lunch crew. They are all middle-aged between 45-55 years old. They are all beautiful, proud, and confident women. They are also all mothers of grown children and some are proud grandmothers. In other words, they are extremely compassionate and loving women who have a deep faith in God and a sincere trust in each other. I’m the outsider who works in a different department. I found out about this compassion a couple of years ago when my mother passed. I have to say that I am still deeply moved by it and the generosity that these ladies showed me. I wasn’t used to this. I never saw this from others except from my mom. If I did, I don’t remember. These women stood by and even took a collection for me! I was taken aback. It was me witnessing a wonderful thing. These ladies were not of my immediate family. Understand that all of us have our own personal battles to fight but we’re there for each other. Lila left the table abruptly the other day and I wondered if it was something that I might have said. Those of you that know me know that I cut up when I’m around people that I’m comfortable with. In other words, run my mouth. I asked Niecy (Velma) did I hurt Lila’s feeling. She said no that it was something else. I later found out that Lila’s mom’s birthday was also the day she passed which was very close to Mother’s Day. A double whammy.  She died on the date of her birth.  She had lost her mom some years ago. Understand this.  Lila will not let anyone gossip about anybody.  She believes in respecting each other.  She takes a lot from others because of her kindness but that's Lila.  Niecy is taking care of her mom and seems to be doing a great job. All that I know is you only get one mother so do whatever it takes to make her life comfortable and return to her the love that she gave you. Please keep Queen in your prayers, she’s about to undergo surgery. I don’t know for what and don’t need to know. Just keep her in your prayers. She brings salads all the time and shares which Niecy loves. Queen acts like the mother of the table by keeping everyone in line. On the flip side, Vivian is the youngest. Vivian is in her late 40s. Viv will curse you out in a minute but she will listen to Queen. I think Vivian has the biggest heart among all of us. There isn’t anything that she wouldn’t do for you. The woman even has another fulltime job! She works all of the time!  Vivian keeps me on my toes regarding my blog.  You might have read earlier about me thanking her.  Evelyn and Beverly have been very busy to eat lunch with us lately. I just want these ladies to know how much I appreciate them and how I feel about them. Thank you, ladies. May God bless you in everything that you do!

Count Your Blessings!

Do you have all the things that you want? Or do you have all the things that you need?  Do you think things could be better? Do you think things could be worse? I’m not playing games. I’m asking you legitimate questions. How unhappy are you? Do you feel blessed at all? Do you feel grateful at all? I’ve learned with experience that no matter how bad things might be going for me at the time that there is always someone else that has worse problems than mine. My small molehill is nothing compared to their mountain. I don’t always recognize the fact that I’ve been blessed. Here’s a big example. For the past 4 months, I didn’t realize that my car horn was not working. I never used the remote to lock my car doors. I’ve always locked them whenever I get out of the car. Two days ago, I used the remote, the doors locked but the horn did not go off. I didn’t think of anything being wrong. But this morning, I tried to use the horn just in case of any emergencies, and you guessed it, it didn’t work. My blessing has been never having a need to use my horn for an emergency! God is good! I sincerely hope that I won’t, but my horn is now working since I replaced the fuse! Now did I miss my blessing even though I was still blessed? Or did I take this blessing for granted? If I overlooked this small but very important detail, how many others have I overlooked? How about you? Do you sincerely appreciate your blessings?

I Love You, Mom!

I Miss You!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

To all of you moms who sacrificed so much for your children to give them the best life you could offer, I wish you blessings and happiness on this special day!  For all of you men who have such wonderful superwomen in your lives who are loving and nurturing your children, don't make just this one day out of a year special!  Remember, there are 364 other days unless during a leap year which has 365 days to treat the mothers of your children with respect and appreciation!  And to all of you children, no matter how old you live to be, you only have one biological mother, treat her with respect and courtesy.  Listen to your mother, she guide you and support you.  Obey her and cherish her.  She will not be around forever.  Let her know how much you love her now!  Don't wait to give her flowers after she's gone!  Give them to her now!!Thank you, mothers, I pray that you will enjoy your day!!

Let's give tribute to Lena Horne who also died today.  She was an American singer, actress, civil rights activist and dancer.  She believed in herself and refused to play roles that stereotyped African American women.  This wonderful woman remained true to the end.  God bless her!

Children With Diabetes

I was in the grocery store today in line behind a young mother and her child. As children do whenever they are in stores with lots of interesting things, the child asked her mom if she could have a soda pop. Her mom asked what kind of soda, since I do know that some sugar drinks could drive children to super speed, I thought I understood the direction the mom was going. Wrong! Mom simply told her baby girl that she knew she could not drink it because she was a diabetic. I had to ask how old the child was and was told that she was eight years old. I’m nosy, so I asked when was she diagnosed with diabetes. Since three years old. The child gives herself insulin. What can you say? The little girl said the kids at school tease her and sometimes she feels bad about it. But she has a very strong support system at home. Her grandpop tells her to stay positive and don’t let anyone or anything get her down. She just need to listen to her teacher, study hard, and when she grows up and becomes what she wanted to be. It’s tough enough what your little ones are facing these days. Peer pressure is rougher for this generation than it was for mine. I have some links to check if you have any questions. But know this! God does not make any mistakes! Continue to pray for the children.

http://www.cwdfoundation.org/

http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/diabetic-students.htm

http://www.mychildhasdiabetes.com/

http://www.lifeclinic.com/focus/diabetes/childrenteen_main.asp

Mind Your Own Business!!!

I have always tried to make my blog a historical record of things that have occurred in my little world. At times, mention some things that might have happened in the country. This past week, Arizona’s Governor passed a controversial immigration act. An oil spill happened in the gulf near Louisiana resulted from a BP oil platform that blew up and sank. Someone abandoned a car bomb in Times Square. Earthquakes in China, Nashville, TN, flooding, Alabama tornadoes, some smaller ones in SC, and a local county sheriff arrested for drug dealing. There are others of domestic (family) nature but what families do is not my business. I got enough problems of my own. That’s a major problem with the media on who’s getting divorced, separated, or breaking up. Leave these families alone. If you’re so worried about who’s screwing who, think about the politicians and the big money boys who are screwing America! Of course, there will always be someone screwing somebody but think of getting your mind screwed and you don’t appreciate it!  Unfortunately, there are many people who believes that they can retaliate when they feel frustrated with the government.  However, they do it destructively and very negatively.  The protests are making a statement but when people die, it opens up a can of worms.  Never forget our own domestic terrorist act done in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995.  It was in retaliation for what the Federal Government did in Waco.  People lost lives in both locations and what was proven?  Families were broken and destroyed.  I won't discuss this further, you get the point.

I Feel Great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgDrJ5Z2rKw

I went to Mass Saturday evening and I am nowhere near the depression and despair I felt last week when I didn’t go. Remarkable! I was there for the little ones first communion. Next Saturday at Corpus Christi, I will attend a friend’s son’s first communion. God is good!