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ARTICLES and ANSWERS 2008News and Information Center
May 23 **********Breaking News**********William Gates, who is in charge of messing up my MSN messages, says that he is not now, never has been, and never expects to be Secretary of Defense.
May 21 GOP – Going Overboard on Pelosi
By Patricia L Johnson and Richard E Walrath Fox News, reporting with their usual fair and [un]balanced flair published a special report Monday titled “Pelosi Did Nothing With Knowledge About Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” [1] The story indicates Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi “says she was made aware seven years ago that the CIA was contemplating using so-called enhanced interrogation techniques -- including waterboarding -- and that Justice Department lawyers had advised that such methods would be legal.” The article goes on to state that Speaker Pelosi did “nothing” with the information, but is now supporting an investigation into the legality of the advice the Justice Department provided. This originally began with controversy over the date Speaker Pelosi was first notified by the CIA that the US was involved in torture, and has now turned into an accusation that even if she wasn’t told on the date the CIA stated, she was subsequently advised by the CIA [2]; therefore she should have done “something”. The GOP has gone hog wild on the Pelosi subject. John Boehner has demanded Pelosi provide evidence in support of her accusations, while Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is doing no less than calling for her resignation. The GOP attack on Speaker Pelosi is absurd. Republicans have a history of attacks anytime there is anything that could be remotely construed as controversial while keeping their closets filled to the brim with skeletons. They appear to operate under two sets of rules. Operating rules for them v. operating rules for the Democrats. Two incidents immediately come to mind. · Former Speaker Gingrich was front and center leading the attack on President Clinton over his marital indiscretions; all while Gingrich was having an affair of his own. [3] · During the 911 Commission hearings most of us learned that, on an almost daily basis during the summer of 2001 Condoleezza Rice met with CIA Director, George Tenet, and on July 10, 2001 Director Tenet requested an emergency meeting to brief Rice and her staff on the possibility of a pending attack by Al Qaeda. At the time Condoleezza Rice was National Security Advisor, and claimed she did not recall the meeting. White House records later confirmed the meeting was, in fact, held. [4] GOP members are complaining that Speaker Pelosi did nothing after being advised of the [legality] of water boarding, yet did not find any fault with National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice doing nothing after being informed in an emergency CIA meeting of the possibility of a potential attack on US soil by terrorists. 60-days later, on 9/11/2001 the US was attacked. Republicans were in charge when the CIA was committing torture. What’s the media running on at the mouth about? Not that the Republicans were in charge and George Bush was president when the CIA was committing torture. No, the big story is they told Nancy so she’s the one to blame. The sad part of all this is it's not that they're interested in what's right and wrong for the county, it's that they want to make the Democrats look bad. And anybody that is anybody in their party is chomping at the bit to have their 10 minutes of fame at the expense of Democrats. The mindset of Republicans is anything goes with them, as long as they think they will benefit. The country? They don’t care. The people? They don’t care. The Republican Party has set this country back 50 years. That is how long it will take to undo the damage incurred while President Bush was in office. They lost control of the White House, they lost control of the US House of Representatives and they lost control of the US Senate. How long is it going to take them to figure out their childish allegations are hurting the Republican party more than the opposing party? [1] http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,520586,00.html [2] http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1168 [3] http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2007/03/09/sot.newt.gingrich.affair.fami © 2009 Richard E Walrath and Patricia L Johnson are co-owners of the Articles and Answers News and Information site Articles and Answers May 20 **********NEWS FLASH**********
In the future, GOP will stand for Grab Onto Pelosi and hold on for dear life. Take ActionPresident Obama recorded a special message for you about the budget he's submitted to Congress and what you can do to help it pass.
The budget President Obama has proposed isn't the same old document Washington has come to expect year after year. Right now, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally confront the systemic problems that have held America back for far too long in energy, health care, and education. But it's up to you to get involved and make it happen. Join a canvass this weekend and talk with everyone you know about the President's plan to secure long-term prosperity for our families. After watching the President's video, you can also look up your elected representatives and let them know you support this new foundation for economic growth: March 14 California Firm Recalls Poultry Products Imported From an Unapproved Source
California Firm Recalls Poultry Products Imported From an Unapproved Source March 11 Picture Worth a Thousand WordsA fisherman in Baghdad speaks to Dahr Jamail and Jason Coppola in the shadow of the massive new U.S. "embassy" on the Tigris River about life during occupation.
Iraq Right to LifeThe Iraq Status of Forces Agreement [SOFA] calls for “the withdrawal of combat forces from the cities, villages and localities” no later than June 2009, with the balance of troops to be out of Iraq by December 31, 2011. The agreement made between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq went into effect on January 1, 2009.
Since that date there have been 199 Iraqi citizens killed – 61 in January, 64 in February and with 2/3 of the month of March to go there have already been 74 deaths in March. What I fail to understand is the lack of interest in the number of civilians that have died in Iraq, at our hands. As you can see by the article written in 2004, it was estimated that 100,000 Iraqi civilians were killed by coalition forces since the beginning of the war [March 19,2003]. Six years have passed since the war began and civilians are still being slain in the streets of Iraq. There are people in this country that become enraged at the thought of a young mother who doesn’t want a child having an abortion, yet fail to bat an eyelash at the murders that are taking place in Iraq. Why is the right to life in Iraq so much different than the right to life in the United States? The Iraqi people have done nothing to us. They were not behind 911, nor have they taken any action to harm the residents of our country, yet many of them die for no reason other than the United States made a mistake and thought they had weapons of mass destruction. How many more Iraqi citizens are going to die because of our unacceptable error? At the end of March, Britain will begin withdrawing the balance of 4,000 combat troops stationed in Basra. The withdrawal will be completed by the end of July 2009, with a few hundred personnel remaining to train Iraqi police. Has the sectarian killing increased because we will not be able to meet the June 2009 date, or has the sectarian killing increased because we are leaving? How many more bodies will it take to determine the answer to that question? Technorati Tags: Iraq,Status of Forces Agreement,SOFA,Right to Life,Abortion,Lancet,Sectarian killing March 08 **********NEWS FLASH**********
Rush Limbaugh, Bobby Jindal, and Alan Keyes have been offered all-expense tour by Democrats as soon as a name for trio can be decided The Three Amigos was considered but rejected as none of the trio fits the Hispanic description. Best bet, so far, is The Three Stooges. Subject: New Stock Market Terms
Submitted by John S. CEO -- Chief Embezzlement Officer. CFO -- Corporate Fraud Officer. BULL MARKET -- A random market movement causing an Investor to mistake himself for a financial genius. BEAR MARKET -- A 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex. VALUE INVESTING -- The art of buying low and selling lower. P/E RATIO -- The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing. BROKER -- What my broker has made me. STANDARD & POOR -- Your life in a nutshell. STOCK ANALYST -- Idiot who just down-graded your stock. STOCK SPLIT -- When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves. FINANCIAL PLANNER -- A guy whose phone has been disconnected. MARKET CORRECTION -- Usually the day after you buy stocks. CASH FLOW-- The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet. YAHOO -- What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share. WINDOWS -- What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo @ $240 per share. INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR -- Past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse. PROFIT -- an archaic word no longer in use. February 19 Taking Action on Social Security
The best time to do something is during a crisis like the one we have now. It's far more dangerous than 911 and Iraq rolled into one. I'm speaking of the financial crisis we're currently facing. This crisis is an opportunity to do something about the hundreds of billions of dollars in IOU's that the government has issued representing the money that has been borrowed--and spent--from the Social Security Trust Fund. Here's what you do. FedEx the IOU’s over to the Federal Reserve and redeem them for money. IOU's issued by the United States government must be worth at least as much as the toxic assets of the banks that are about to be purchased by us taxpayers. If not, then we are all up the creek. The Fed holds the IOU's providing the Treasury with lots of money to buy those toxic bank assets and to start buying up stocks in what is now a very depressed market. Henceforth, instead of IOU's in a Trust Fund, there will be actual securities of DOW 30 or other companies truly representing value. The IOU's which would be held by the Fed will be worth just as much there as they are now wherever they are now. Instead of the government spending the Social Security surplus each year, the surplus would be invested in the market. An individual's pension would be guaranteed, as it is now if he/she qualifies. Over time, as the stock market appreciates, the government could buy back the IOU's held by the Federal Reserve. That's it. More detail there than Geithner gave. © 2009 Richard E Walrath Richard E Walrath is a former budget analyst and currently resides in central Ohio with his family. He is also co-owner of the Articles and Answers News and Information site. January 29 Tell Them What You Think
258 voted yeah [22 Republicans and 236 Democrats] but the number did not meet the 2/3 requirement necessary to pass the bill to delay the transition from analog to digital broadcasting scheduled for February 17, 2009. This vote took place under a special procedure requiring a 2/3 vote, instead of a simple majority. They know for a fact the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has 3.2 million coupon requests on backlog and there’s no way consumers will receive the coupons before February 17, 2009, but they don’t care. Why should they? More than likely they are already switched over to the digital broadcasting via satellite or cable. The people that will be affected by this change will more than likely be the poor, the elderly and people living in rural communities. They will wake up on February 17, 2009, turn on their TV and get nothing more than a black screen. Write to your member of Congress and express your views on this issue. NTIA is indicating a backlog of 3.2 million coupons, while Nielsen Co. estimates there are more than 6.5 million US households with analog televisions. Whether the number is 3.2 million or 6.5 million, these people need your help. Click on the following link to read the names of the 168 House members that voted against this bill, along with the six that did not vote. http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddcm6wzh_41dfd52xf6&hl=en Is your Member of Congress listed? January 18 What to Do When You Can’t Afford to Eat
The CPI (Consumer Price Index) released January 16, 2009, for the month of December 2008, indicates a decrease in the food index of 0.1 percent. This is the first decrease in the food index since April of 2006. That doesn’t mean much to the average person who is attempting to buy $100 worth of groceries with a wallet containing $50. Food, energy and medical care in this country have skyrocketed during the past several years and doesn’t play favorites. All of us, rich, poor and middle class have been hit with exorbitant prices for basic needs. So what can you do to stretch your food dollars? Where you purchase your groceries is just as important as what you purchase. Do you often stop at a convenience store to pick up odds and ends because it’s convenient? Next time you stop at a convenience store take a look at the price of that loaf of bread, or bottle of detergent, or can of soup. You’ll find they are considerably more than what you pay at your local grocery store. But, what about that local grocery store? Most items are discounted once every 10-12 weeks, so buy when the item is on sale and buy enough to last 3 months. That way you’ll run out just about the time the item goes back on sale. If you have time clip store coupons and use them. A few weeks ago I was behind a shopper who was able to cut $70.00 off her grocery bill by using coupons. I was completely in awe of this wonder shopper. After carrying around six manufacturer coupons in my coat pocket for three months I eventually gave them to my husband to buy dog biscuits when they were ‘on sale’. Well, one out of two isn’t bad – he bought the dog biscuits but ignored the ‘on sale’ criteria. Just because coupons don’t work at our house, doesn’t mean they won’t work at yours. Don’t have any coupons? There are several online sites that offer coupons for various products. Searching for the right site with the right coupon takes time, but most of us have far more time than we do money so it can be very beneficial to the shopper on a tight budget to use coupon. Use a specific product month after month? Go to the manufacturer’s site and sign up for their newsletter. If you’re lucky you’ll also receive a coupon or two in your mailbox. The disadvantage to this method is you have to print out the coupons on your own printer, the advantage is manufacturer’s usually provide a deeper discount and a longer expiration date. Do you belong to a wholesale club? Major discounts are available by purchasing larger quantities at wholesale clubs. I belong to Sam’s Club and have saved at least 10 times what the initial membership fee cost. Can’t afford a wholesale club? Try shopping at your local Aldi’s. Aldi’s motto is ‘Incredible Value Every Day’. Aldi’s is similar to a warehouse, without the need to buy in large quantities. They have approximately 1,000 stores in 29 states and the only disadvantage is you have to bag your own groceries. A small price to pay for the huge savings available. In addition to the 1,400 items that are regularly stocked, Aldi’s also has special purchase items with special pricing. While the groceries are usually an off brand, which accounts for the huge discounts, the special purchase items are generally brand name products purchased in large quantities, providing you - the customer, with a lower price. Last, but certainly not least, is Angel Food Ministries. Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization providing discounted groceries to anyone that wants to cut their grocery bill in half. There are no qualifications, minimums, income restrictions or applications. EVERYONE is welcome to participate and food stamps are welcomed. Angel offers a box of food for $30 containing both fresh and frozen items. This same box if purchased at a retail store would cost you approximately $60.00. The initial box of food is called a regular box and each month the items in the regular box change. Once you have purchased your regular box of food, you are eligible to purchase additional boxes of specials. Example – one of their February Specials is a Fresh Fruit and Veggie Box for $21.00. Another is an Assorted Meat Box for $22.00. For the month of February there are six separate special boxes you may purchase. The drawback is you have to order and pay for these items in advance, and then pick up on a specific date at your host site. Angel Food Ministries has an area on their website where you insert your address and/or zip code and a map will pop-up providing you with detailed information on host sites in your area. No host site in your neighborhood? Talk to your church and or local community office about becoming a host site for distributing the food. © 2009 Patricia L Johnson January 03 The Secret to Saving Money
It's hard to save money after you've spent it because it is gone. Another simple thing is to recognize the difference between needs and wants. Needs are comparatively few, wants are unlimited. But realizing the difference can be far from simple. To keep busy not spending money--known as saving--here is something that will keep anybody occupied for the rest of the winter. Inventory everything you have in every room of your house, and take a picture of it. Why? You will find things that you have long since forgotten that you own. Also, you can check in with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to do the same thing. Then it's swap time. Who knows how many things you get rid of this way? I'm sure your friends and neighbors feel the same way. Craig's list is a cheap way of getting rid of stuff - stuff like old furniture. Find a local site on the Internet where you can post a description of your stuff and include a picture, if you can, and a phone number. You can move stuff real fast if you're giving it away. Or, if you think you can get a few bucks for it, try "best offer". Remember, one man or woman's trash is another's treasure. CongratulationsTo Corissa and Todd on their December 13, 2008 engagement
December 10 Justice Served?
Those of us that didn't go to planet Mars for the week are aware Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were arrested yesterday morning on federal corruption charges. Governor Blagojevich is a sitting governor and it is a travesty that he was not treated with the respect due his office. Any other government official is warned in advance of an indictment and allowed to surrender at their own convenience. To go to his home at 6:00 in the morning and drag him off to court in his jogging suit is simply inconceivable, yet that is what happened. The last sentence in the following summary reminds the public that a complaint is only a charge and not evidence of guilt, that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In the minds of the people in this country, Governor Blagojevich and John Harris are already guilty, otherwise why would they be under arrest? One newscaster put it all in perspective by saying you could indict a ham sandwich, but that didn't make it guilty of a crime. During the next few months every detail of Blagojevich's life will be spread out and dissected by every newspaper and media analyst that has an opinion on his guilt. No matter what happens from this point on, his political career is over. He started out as a thorn in this administrations side by ordering medications from across the border to provide to the elderly in Illinois so they didn't have to make a choice between eating and taking their medications - they could do both. The day before his arrest, he advised all department heads to cut off business with Bank of America due to the closure of Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago. Governor Blagojevich has made numerous changes in this state to provide needed assistance to the poor, the elderly and the disabled - at the expense of Big Business. Is it any wonder he's under arrest? The following links will take you to both the indictment (pdf) and summary: Indictment - Source: Department of Justice Summary - Source: FBI
November 19 $100,000 lost in space
Captain Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper was several hours into a seven-hour space walk when a grease gun exploded in her tool bag. Now I may be wrong, but I think if a grease gun exploded in a man's tool bag, he would just let it go while he focused on the job at hand, which was to clean and grease a rotary joint. Not Piper, instead of finishing the job at hand, she attempted to clean the greasy mess off her gloves and a camera, while her $100,000.00 tool bag slipped from its tether and is now floating around in outer space. The tool bag contained two grease guns, a putty knife and some cleaning wipes that are required to complete work on a broken joint on the solar array. The tools are critical to the mission and are now floating around in space. NASA is tracking the tool bag in an effort to make sure it doesn't cause more damage by crashing into the International Space Station. November 17 King for the Day
Thoughts for the Day... Between the pillars of national health care and a tax-cut for the middle class, President-elect Obama needs to sandwich in food stamps for the hungry, expanded and extended unemployment compensation, public works programs to create jobs, refinancing of mortgages for those who are about to lose their homes, and a bail-out of the auto industry to save jobs. One mother facing bankruptcy put it this way--we have to have food and diapers. We need to get more money into the economy from the bottom and let it rise to the top. They've been pouring it in from the top forever and you see what the results are. When working men and women have money in their pockets, everybody has money in their pockets. Take a good look at the word, worKING--when everybody can find work, we can all be kings. November 14 Penance for What?
The other day I was listening to a religious station on the radio. I'm not sure what religion it was because I normally don't listen to the radio and the speaker made the comment that voters in this country put money ahead of life, by choosing Obama over McCain. It was impossible for me to believe a normal, sane person would make such a statement. In my mind, voters voted for Obama in part due to the brainwashing they were given by the MSM, but mostly due to his looks and charismatic personality. The question did stay in my mind however; did voters really believe what the minister was saying? This morning AP published the following so at least one person believes
His parishioners shouldn't be told they cannot receive Holy Communion, until they do penance, if they voted for President-elect Obama. If his parishioners had abortions, then surely he could say they committed a sin but if their only crime is voting - it would seem this guy is way out of line. National exit polls indicated 54% of Catholics voted for Obama - does that mean all of them are in favor of abortion? The Catholic religion should spend more time worrying about what goes on behind closed doors in their churches, and less time judging parishioners. |
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