In My Humble Opinion Today-Here's What's Awesome

I have been watching these guys for over a year and though I feel a bit silly about it, I love em and cannot get enough! I am talking about the vlogbrothers on youtube! They have a very positive and inspiring outlook that they share with a cult of Nerd Fighters (no not people who fight nerds, but nerds who fight against things that suck!) who faithfully watch and interact as an organization out to do good things. It's fun and silly, and just what a disenfranchised culture needs, a sense of belonging to something greater than their friend lists on websites.

The brothers are John Green (YA author) and Hank Green (song writing science guy). Their initial intention was to connect as brothers though they lived in different states. So rather than text and email, they decided to share a youtube channel and communicate regularly for one year. The thing is these guys are not just silly and entertaining, they are really smart and offer thought provoking content, along with the silly, entertaining stuff. I don't know how they were "discovered", but I am grateful they were!

Check them out, and I promise you won't be sorry!

DBTFA
Don't Forget To Be Awesome

How Much Longer?

How much longer will we allow this flagrant display of corruption happen right before our eyes? Why isn't this woman being investigated? We truly deserve the government we have if we continue to complacently allow these officials to blatantly lie to us while they fill their pockets?

Wake up Kids- Whose Hands are in Your Pocket?

Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this. It's easy to check out, if you don't believe it. Be sure and show it to your family and friends. They need a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican. Facts are Facts.
Social Security Cards up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the message, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, was removed



History Lesson on Your Social Security Card




An old Social Security card with the "NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION" message.
Our Social Security

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social
Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be
Completely voluntary,
No longer Voluntary


2.) That the participants would only have to pay
1% of the first $1,400 of their annual
Incomes into the Program,

Now 7.65%
on the first $90,000


3.) That the money the participants elected to put
into the Program would be deductible from
their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible


4.) That the money the participants put into the
independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the
general operating fund, and therefore, would
only be used to fund the Social Security
Retirement Program, and no other
Government program, and,
Under Johnson the money was moved to
The General Fund and Spent



5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income

Under Clinton & Gore
Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are
now receiving a Social Security check every month --
and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of
the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put
away' -- you may be interested in the following:

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ----

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the
independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the
general fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the democratically
controlled House and Senate.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax
deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -----

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social
Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the
'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the
Senate, while he was Vice President of the US

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Q: Which Political Party decided to start
giving annuity payments to immigrants?

AND MY FAVORITE:

A: That's right!

Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party.

Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65,
began to receive Social Security payments! The
Democratic Party gave these payments to them,
even though they never paid a dime into it!

------------ -- ------------ --------- ----- ------------ --------- ---------

Then, after violating the original contract (FICA),
the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of
awareness will be planted and maybe changes will
evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully
sure of what isn't so.

Tweet Goes The Birdie

I've been tweeting a bit lately. If you're interested I am, and remain, timcote7. Hope you're enjoying your spring.

Oh BTW please help those in Alabama who've been devastated by the tornadoes. This is an easy way:
The link will bring you to a Christian Ministry's list of stuff available on Amazon.com



Thanks Again

sheer joy-well as much as is possible from veggies

• The Lord Has Given by Veggie Tales

More Veggie Tales music on iLike

Nate Pinky (ep. 51) YouTube Bullies and Haters

Great advice to teens and kids being bullied

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Nate Pinky (ep. 66) Nonchalant

Easy way to make a difference

From a great missionary with a vision for Portugal, wo needs our help:

Finally, I would like to make all of you aware of a different yet efficient way to help support Mission Portugal - it is through an energy company called Viridian.

You may or may not be aware that the energy industry has been deregulated and state utilities are now required by law to let other energy suppliers use their infrastructure to supply energy to consumers and businesses at a discount to what the utility would pay. At the same time, the main utility continues to service any problems and do the billing, so any concerns about power outages, etc are still taken care of. Numerous large users of power typically use other energy suppliers because of the savings available.

The beauty of Viridian's program is not only do they offer savings(about 15% in CT) but they have a fundraising program that sends a residual commission to a referrring part every month. So here's the deal: if you were to switch to Viridian through my Associate #, either online or by phone, Viridian would send me $2-$3 every month that you pay your bill!!

That may not sound like much, but if you see yourself as part of the Corporate entity that are joning together for this, your participation WILL make a difference.

AND Viridian is offering an additional 10% discount for the first month for customers that sign up by 12/31!! So you're looking at somewhere near a 25% discount for your first bill.

This could truly be a great help towards my financial support, so please consider doing this. At present, about 10 households have done so with others genuinely thinking it over.

At the end of the email are links with more info including my website through which, in 4 simple steps with your electric bill in hand, you can join online. Again, a great and profound thank you. Please also feel free to call or email me with any questions you might have.

If the Lord allows, I would love to do some traveling around or after Christmas time and would cherish the oppty to see some of you.

Viridian(9.79 cents/KwH) vs CL&P(11.53 cents/kWh):
http://www.viridian.com/assets/marketing/Viridian_Historical_Rate_CT.pdf

My Viridian page for signing up and with company info:
https://www.viridian.com/portugal2020/Custom/Genealogy/EnrollCust.aspx

God bless all of you richly in His perfect Plan,

p larry a 443-762-7959

No matter where you are in the US, you can take part in this program. Contact me if you need more info.

Open Letter in Our (Progressively) Closed Off Society

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I know it's been around but I am more frightened than ever...

AN OPEN LETTER TO
PRESIDENT OBAMA

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike
any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.


You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive
Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no
visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth
growing up in America and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus
don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and 'class', always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned
yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to
publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail..

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the 'blame America '
crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style
country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system
with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly
capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose
that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of
living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use 'extortion' tactics
against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from
challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider
opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both
omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything
you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the
Limbaugh's, Hannitys, O'Reillys and Becks who offer opposing,
conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will
probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett


Lou Pritchett is one of corporate America's true living legends- an
acclaimed author, dynamic teacher and one of the world's highest
rated speakers. Successful corporate executives everywhere recognize
him as the foremost leader in change management. Lou changed the way
America does business by creating an audacious concept that came to
be known as "partnering." Pritchett rose from soap salesman to
Vice-President, Sales and Customer Development for Procter and
Gamble and over the course of 36 years, made corporate history.

"I'm Still Here" whether there's a point to it or not

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Casey Affleck has been following around Joaquin Phoenix with a camera during his apparent public breakdown in a film entitled “I'm Still Here”.

There is some question as to whether or not this is a hoax. Some experimental performance art, perhaps; in any event, “Spinal Tap, it’s not. It follows our real life actor friend , Joaquin as he announces his retirement from acting to become a rapper. No, seriously, he says he wants to pursue a career in music.

This just couldn’t be sadder or more pathetic whether it is true or not. We live in the era of reality TV where every bowel movement should be tweeted about, and everything else is on video for youtube.com.

This very talented actor is just a step ahead of our society, so narcissistic that he needs to give us all a bird’s eye view of the spiral down into madness. No boundaries, everything in your face. Casey Affleck is, in my opinion, a great actor, but apparently he is also a whore. In particular, if Joaquin isn’t in on the joke and truly has gone nuts; then dude, shame on you!

This “film” was released today. My suggestion? Go to your local institution and try to do some good for the crazy people nobody pays attention to.

I would love to know what Phoenix said to David Letterman after he took off his glasses.

It's "Politically Correct" or "The Daily Show", but for Sane People

When it seems as if only progressive liars and manipulators of the main stream media are the only ones to write in magazines or have air time on TV, it is wonderfully refreshing to find a smart funny news clips from a show called Newsbusters! They are insightful and tongue in cheek without making me want to bite off my own tongue.

They're doing a fundraiser to upgrade their website, on newsbusters.org
If you already spent money on my sponsors, go check them out and spend a few bucks while another opinion is still tolerated. If you haven't spent money here, then what are you waiting for?

Terry Jones, Drink Your Brother Jim's Kool-aid

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Terry Jones,
Do you know the love of God? Doctor of divinity means you learned some stuff at school. Have you basked in the love of God recently?

You mentioned in the radio broadcast that the new believers voluntarily burned their occult books; if you have new converts who would like to burn it, have a nice day.

You're a hate monger, buddy. Read the Gospel of Matthew 5 and justify that with your 9/11 plan.

Dave Pakman, do you clearly see religious leaders of the Christian faith calling for the murder of Moslems? Grow up, it's a dopey comparison. Koran instructs believers to kill the infidels. Christianity says to love one another so that by this all may know you belong to Jesus Christ. I know what's been done in the name of Jesus has at times been abhorrent, but that’s the bath water; the baby is pure and true!

Arrogance-protection

When I get to thinking I know how to solve the problems of the world
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Truth Remains True

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred and class envy.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

By Abraham Lincoln Search Amazon.com for Lincoln

Emmy Port in the Storm

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I generally don't watch award shows. 25 years ago when "The Color Purple" was overlooked by Oscar, I was convinced that the award shows were more a high school popularity contest, than an actual acknowledgment of merit.

Also please note how many who have won acting Oscars, did so, not for the film they were in that year, but for previous performances. Most notably Liz Taylor comes to mind. She was amazing in "Cat on a Hot Tim Roof" in 1958, and she never gave a better performance 1959's "Suddenly Last Summer". But in 1960, Liz won the Academy award for "Butterfield 8; a good performance in a slightly better than average melodrama. Paul Newman won the award for best actor for his portrayal as Fast Eddie, in 1986's "Color of Money", chiefly because he deserved it for his portrayal of Fast Eddy, in 1961's"The Hustler".

In short, the shows don't usually reflect real merit for the present work. They're definitely more political. I don't respect The People's Choice award for the same reason pure democracy doesn't work.

Though I have no use for who won what, I did forget one fairly new trend; entertainment. Some of these award shows can be truly entertaining! Though I missed the Emmy's, I did catch this on Youtube, and I'm glad I did. I thought this opening was very entertaining and I enjoyed it; it's like buying Playboy for the articles. there really were some great articles.

Just The Facts Ma'am

I’ve been reading news items and blogs all day that are “covering “ The Restoring Honor Rally, held in Washington DC, today, and I want you to notice just one thing as you read along with me. The critics do not state a single FACT that could genuinely discredit these people or their movement. Nope, though there are lots of humorous jokes at their expense and patronizing observations made like statements of fact, I read nothing except unsubstantiated conclusions about how awful these people are, and how sad that so many are following this blather.

I DARE YOU to watch Glen Beck for two weeks to see for yourself what he is saying. If you find three falsehoods Beck is reporting, I will devote the next year of my resources, support and education toward your political ideology. You won’t find em, and if you find anything wrong, Glen will beat you to the punch on admitting them. I know it seems impossible but this guy seems to have genuine integrity. I can understand why you guffaw at a man like Glen Beck; integrity and politics? Not in my lifetime.

I was so distrustful of Mr Beck. I kept suspecting him of being like Andy Griffith’s character in 1957’s “A Face in The Crowd” about a likable common “every man” who comes to the new medium of television and becomes a megalomaniac, monster making it his job to shape and manipulate the hearts and choices of his adoring public.

Ultimately too many people whose opinions I respect spoke about Glen Beck as a courageous man who had the guts to tell the truth no matter how he’d be treated by the mainstream media. I watched him for two weeks and then “did my homework” (to investigate his claims researching with my own resources), as Mr Beck urges his viewers to do, and found him to be spot on accurate!

One more time, I urge you to read his detractors and see if they actually SAY anything factually or do they just infer their own distorted views of this man for their own purposes.

Glen has a red phone on his news set which he says the White House alone, has the number for, just in case they hear him report something incorrectly; funny, but no calls. No one from CNN was ever willing to respond to my questions about items that i believed were erroneous; I wonder why?

Just The Facts Ma'am

Is That My Left or Yours?

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I had a little epiphany today, as I was driving. I had to go about a 35 mile distance about 6:30AM. I took routes south, west, and then southwest. As I reached the end of my journey it occurred to me that the sun was facing all different directions because I was driving in different directions. Now don’t get me wrong I knew this before, but today I realized how easily recognizable it is and how explorers would have used these signs. Ok I know you may still be thinking, “What a dope.” That is precisely the point of my blog today. Not my being a dope, but on the subject of personal perspective.

The fact that human beings can be so similar and yet so different, like snowflakes, they seem to be endless in possible combinations, yet identical in makeup.

Now you might think that if I, at my advanced age hadn’t fully considered the placement of the sun to the direction of my travels, I might not be much of a thinker, but you’d be wrong. I have been called cerebral, daydreamer, romantic, among other adjectives, and they are pretty accurate. I probably spend more time thinking than I do in action, but I don’t perceive the practical universe around me as most seem to. In other words I have no common sense.

The importance of all this revelatory blather regarding you, my reader? In our relationships we think we know what is acceptable for our relationships, but only according to the voices in our heads. Sentiments, like “They should have known better”, “They knew I didn’t want…” or “Couldn’t he see I was trying to….” are subjections that are usually unreasonable. I am not trying to excuse thoughtless behavior, but the #1 reason people don’t get along is because of misconceptions due to their personal perceptions. Their personal life plan/rule book is the ethical code & values they have been nurture with, experienced and come to regard as ‘truth’.

It’s easy to feel wounded when your life plan/rule book has been violated, but unless you’re Dr Phil, no one has read yours, and only the most fanatic people pleasers will ask you to publish one.

I am ambidextrous, but I am not disturbed because most of you aren’t. I have friends with radically different political (Left and Right) opinions and I can accept most easily. I have found the more tolerant (not to be confused with accepting) I am of others plan books, the better I sleep at night, and the fewer problems I have in my relationships.

Injustice Isn't Color Blind

Well this is going to be controversial, I imagine, but try though I might, I just can’t let it go. On August 24th at 2nd & 24th street, in Manhattan, Michael Enright, a 21 year old film student who’d been following American soldiers in Afghanistan recently, hopped in a cab and asked the driver if he was Muslim. Allegedly, after the driver affirmed he was a Muslim, Enright became verbally abusive and then attacked him with a knife. The cab driver sustained serious injuries and is still in the hospital. Michael Enright is being charged with second-degree attempted murder as a hate crime, first-degree assault as a hate crime and criminal possession of a weapon. If he is convicted of attempted murder, as a hate crime, it would carry a 25 year prison sentence, alone.

What happened to Ahmed Sharif, the cab driver is a tragedy and I don’t think the possibility of his assailant going to jail for 25 years is too extreme, if Enright is not mentally imbalanced. What I think is also a tragedy, however, is the possibility that he will do this time because he is white. A white guy attacking a Muslim guy in our present political atmosphere means that this white boy is going to the slaughter as an “example” and is not receiving true justice.

I believe justice is blind, but do you think this would be as widely reported if it were a Muslim who’d attacked a white driver? Quite unlikely.

Justice should be done for all, and I know that the internment camps where we put Japanese Americans in during World War 2 is wrong; I know that crimes committed more often by people of color are more harshly penalized than “white” crime, and that is wrong. These things anger me as much as anything!

We also need to be sensitive to some people’s inclination to be hateful towards anyone who resembles our enemies, and make it clear we won’t tolerate it. But two wrongs don’t make a right, and demonizing this kid (if he in fact is just messed up or suffering psychological damage as a result of his time in Afghanistan) isn’t the proper response as a society. It’s why the United States has a Republic and not a democracy, this smells of mob mentality.

I am saying stop making an example of people and let’s treat them as innocent until proven guilty…..remember that?