I have spread myself thin trying to maintain too many
blogs, I apologize. For this reason, I am combining them
into just one singular blog at the following link.
Please visit when you can
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Goodbye 2010
It's been quite a year.
We have lost, won, fought, stood our ground, been around the block a few times, smiled, laughed, cried...
We've woven stories, lifted hearts, begged for mercy, been broken and need I say...shocked into our reality.
Babies unborn, continue to die by the droves and people who still act like it's nothing at all.
Children so out of touch, harassed to the point of absolute break...by peers and those around them that they felt their only recourse was suicide.
We see the hope of children destroyed every day. Their future squashed and ground into fine particles of dust that are blown easily away with the next gust of hot air that arises from convoluted political bluster and uncaring lethargy.
Our world spins faster...our heads twist trying to keep up. And the world seems far less warm and inviting anywhere you go.
What lies ahead in this new year? Will there ever be a return to old standards and ideals? You know, the ones that helped make us feel secure and safe in our own homes? The ones that allowed us to be us, not the people that are being remolded and shaped into what fits best in this new world we live in!
I have become quite cynical in my dotage.
I see little to encourage any hope of real change. But then...I hope...that I'm wrong.
We'll see.
Happy New Year, just the same. And let's hope it will be better than this old tattered and weary, worn one that's sneaking out the back door with it's tail tucked between it's legs!
My biggest reward in life is my husband and son...and the little family that remains. I love them all and find that they are the only reason I can truly look forward to anything in this life. May you, whoever you are...find a reason to keep on keeping on. To keep hoping.
And may God, who blessedly controls everything...keep you through the next new 12 months so that you may come out the other end of it, still sane and doing some good in the world.
Happy New Year.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Here I go again...
I am the world's WORST Blogger! I hardly ever post to my own blog. What's up with that?
I am always in terminal lamentation concerning my lack of wordage here...and for that, I apologize! I guess I get my aggravations out often enough that finding the blank page here is most often considered unnecessary. Not that that is a proper excuse, but hey...I tried.
I seem to come up with the same old same old complaints anyway. Am I the only ONE out there who is just exasperated beyond reason about the general condition the world is now spinning in? Sometimes, I really wonder.
I have lived thru lots of things. From the assasination of President Kennedy, thru the Korean & Viet Nam wars...both miserable and demeaning in and of themselves, the "hippie"...make love not war peace movements, the Kent State Shootings, Watergate...the rabid techno awakening, the sexual revolution, the you name it and I've lived it stuff that brings me here today. A disgruntled older woman who can hardly believe that the country I knew & loved so well through it all, has become virtually unrecognizable to me.
We have, as a nation, slipped into a state of blatant oblivion! We have lost our senses and as a result, ultimately...are fast losing our hope for any real change to come.
I was born in a small community and my hope is that there will be enough younger "activists" alive in that small community, to keep fighting for everything that is right in the world. Right here, right now, right in our own little rural communities! I would love for Boone, IA. to become the National Beacon of hope for what really CAN be done when like-hearted individuals pull together to fight the things that pull us further down! The things that most people feel they have no chance whatsoever of winning by their own little selves...but collectively, can become an insurmountable odd to the machinations of big intrusive government and the long bony fingers of those who think they are above reproach!
Right now I refer to the citizens united in the fight against the
Des Moines River Overlay
At this moment, there are entities at work to restrict and steal rights from land owners in our little area. Read about it and then weigh in. But more than that...rise up and take action! And when it comes around again, fight it again! And be on the alert and watch for the sneaky ways it will be snuck in on us again...because people, big business and greed never give up. They just come back under the radar and hit in the middle of the night when no one's around to stop them so that they can get their way.
And if you don't believe that public service agencies lie, cheat and steal to get their way...then you need a big dose of reality. It has been this way for years, they get better at it each year.
Stand firm Rural Boonies! Fight the good fight...and "get er' done"...
I'm with you 100%
Monday, August 16, 2010
an email notice of ingenuity and response from me...
MY COMMENT CONCERNING THIS HUMOROUS ANECDOTE & JUST THE GENERAL STATE OF AFFAIRS AS WE NOW KNOW IT TO BE (FROM MY VIEWPOINT),
IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS EMAIL. AND WHILE IT IS YET ANOTHER FUNNY ACCOUNT, IT ONCE AGAIN JUST POINTS OUT WHAT WE ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH & HOW FAR AWAY FROM "OUR AMERICA" WE'VE TRULY DRIFTED - linda
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fw: From a Texas Friend
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:42:40 -0500
To:
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 8:49 PM
The Dallas Solution
I have a friend who is president of his homeowners association in the Dallas , Texas suburbs. They were having a terrible problem with litter near some of his association's homes. The reason according to my friend is that six very large, luxurious new houses are being built right next to their community.
The trash was coming from the Mexican laborers working at the construction sites and included bags from McDonald's, Burger King and 7-11, plus coffee cups, napkins, cigarette butts, coke cans, empty bottles, etc. He went to see the site supervisor and even the general contractor, politely urging them to get their workers not to litter the neighborhood, to no avail. He called the city, county, and police and got no help there either.
So here's what his community did. They organized about twenty folks, named themselves The "Inner Neighborhood Services" group, and arranged to go out at lunch time and "police" the trash themselves. It is what they did while picking up the trash that is so hilarious.
They bought navy blue baseball caps and had the initials "INS" embroidered in gold on the caps.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand what they hoped people might mistakenly think the letters really stand for..
After the Inner Neighborhood Services group's first lunch time pickup detail, with all of them wearing their caps and some carrying cameras, 46 out of the total of 68 construction workers did not show up for work the next morning -- and haven't come back yet.
It has been ten days now.
The General Contractor, I'm told, is madder than hell, but can't say anything publicly because he could be busted for hiring illegal aliens. My friend and his bunch can't be accused of impersonating federal personnel, because they have the official name of the group recorded in their homeowner association minutes along with a notation about the vote to approve formation of the new subcommittee -- and besides, they informed the INS in advance of their plans, and according to my friend, the INS said basically, "Have at it!"
SO, FOLKS, I THINK YOU COULD SAY THAT TEXAS INGENUITY TRIUMPHS AGAIN!
Reminder: Don't forget to pay your taxes....... 12 million illegal aliens are depending on you.
No apology for sending this! ! ! After hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Spanish - enough is enough. Nowhere did they sing it in Italian, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German or any other language because of immigration. It was written by Francis Scott Key and should be sung word for word the way it was written. The news broadcasts even gave the translation -- not even close. I'm NOT sorry if this offends anyone because this is MY COUNTRY - IF IT IS YOUR COUNTRY SPEAK UP -- please pass this along. Come through like everyone else. APPLY FIRST - Get a sponsor; have a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
PART OF THE PROBLEM
Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone -- YOU'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM! It is Time for America to Speak up. No wonder California is in such financial trouble!
Yep, I passed it on!
Calling an illegal alien an 'undocumented immigrant' is like calling a drug dealer an 'unlicensed pharmacist'
________________________________________________________
MY COMMENT:
I have nothing against immigration, all done legally and correctly. Nor do I have anything against any people group whatsoever due to their race, creed, religion, lifestyle or any other thing...just as long as they are legal citizens, paying taxes, paying attention, paying respect to all others, paying their dues, like every American citizen should be.
But do not suppose for a minute that I, as a dues-paying, legal American citizen, will not take offense against anyone who would presume that they can take any ILLEGAL action in this country and not be expected to be called out for it, or made to account for what they do.
If my neighbor steals from me, he is a thief. An unlawful citizen. If I'm paying my taxes and yet my neighbor is not, I am the one that should be considered first when it comes to benefits. My neighbor should have to "wait in line" to recieve any helps available via my own government, run essentially by the people I put into office.
If you believe that our government is totally out of control, and or completely lost it's collective ability to "reason" in the world we now live in, pass this along and remind everyone to take a stand! When you vote, vote every single solitary incumbent presently in office OUT! EVERY ONE OF THEM! If they have someone running against them, vote for them. In essence, we would be wiping the slate clean with a whole new batch of headaches to work with...BUT...we would have sent the biggest, strongest message to all the fat cat, lazy, good for nothing, resource sapping, self-promoting, self-serving bunch of dead beat legislators that have ever existed in our history that, "WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD AND BEEN DEALT ENOUGH!"
We certainly couldn't be worse off by doing this. And even if we are, I think the new guys would at least really work at some of the issues for a change maybe, and, quite possibly...value the high positions that we put them in for a change... enough to make a concerted effort to dig us out of the muck and mire that has covered and suffocated us just like BP oil in the gulf of late.
MAKE NO MISTAKE...It is NOT a Republican or Democratic issue at this point. Is is a critical AMERICAN common sense issue that has whatever American hutzpah and pride and effort and determimation we have left, wrapped up in it. I don't care if you came out of the womb mumbling "far left or far right...rah, rah, rah!!!" Unleash your mind long enough to entertain the thought that it is an individual's ability to have common sense, not a party platform, that makes or breaks a viable and acceptable politician!
LISTEN TO PEOPLE in high places and excise the truth from the balderdash that "they all" spew! If someone seems to really make COMMON SENSE in most every area, elect em'!!! Scan their speeches, their history, their voting records...scrutinize them senseless! If they still make good sense to you, then vote for them whether they are in "your" party or not. Go for the guts that are below the surface and the rhetoric. Go for the truth that we are all hungry to hear, not the same tired "say anything to get me elected" phoney baloney!
We need RADICAL change! And we need it now. The ball is in OUR court...let's not drop it!
lmpc
A favorite "truth" quote from politician and worthy advocate, Dennis Kucinich:
"I have seen
weapons of mass destruction ...
I have seen weapons of mass destruction."
Poverty - is a weapon of mass destruction.
Homelessness - is a weapon of mass destruction.
Joblessness - is a weapon of mass destruction.
Poor Health Care - is a weapon of mass destruction.
Hopelessness ... is a weapon of mass destruction.
And ... when a government lies to it's people
That - is a weapon of mass destruction! ~ Dennis Kucinich ~
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Fun Kids Observations Concerning Grandparents
I have no grand children, but got a kick out of this anyway.
My friends who have them will too.
Grandparents...
1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under
the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd
done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and
started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you
forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!' I will
probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about
kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!
2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, '62.' He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'
3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother
changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to
wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and
more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she
threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room,
putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left
the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling
voice, 'Who was THAT?'
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what
her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on
a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree
in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild
raspberries in the woods.' The little girl was
wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I
sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked,
'Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?' I
mentally polished my halo and I said, 'No, how are we
alike?'' You're both old,' he replied..
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her
grandfather's word processor. She told him she was
writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked.
'I don't know,' she replied. 'I can't read.
7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her
colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out
something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and
was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At
last she headed for the door, saying, 'Grandma, I think
you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'
8. When my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation
cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep
from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies
followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy
whispered, 'It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes
are coming after us with flashlights.'
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure.' 'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised. 'Mine says I'm four to six.'
10. A second grader came home from school and said to her
grandmother, 'Grandma, guess what? We learned how to
make babies today.' The grandmother, more than a
little surprised, tried to keep her cool. 'That's
interesting,' she said, 'how do you make babies?
''It's simple,' replied the girl. 'You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'.'
11. Children's Logic: 'Give me a sentence about a
public servant,' said a teacher. The small boy wrote:
'The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.' The
teacher took the lad aside to correct him. 'Don't
you know what pregnant means?' she asked.
'Sure,' said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child.'
12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. 'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one child. 'No,' said another, 'He's just for good luck.' A third child brought the argument to a close. 'They use the dogs,' she said firmly, 'to find the firehydrants!'
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little
children of their own. They like other people's.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there
when we come to see them. They are so old they
shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us
to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things
like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers
and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'
They don't say, 'Hurry up.'
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God
married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't
mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if
you don't have television because they are the only
grownups who like to spend time with us.
A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''
It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.
My friends who have them will too.
Grandparents...
1. She was in the bathroom, putting on her makeup, under
the watchful eyes of her young granddaughter, as she'd
done many times before. After she applied her lipstick and
started to leave, the little one said, 'But Gramma, you
forgot to kiss the toilet paper good-bye!' I will
probably never put lipstick on again without thinking about
kissing the toilet paper good-bye!!
2. My young grandson called the other day to wish me Happy Birthday. He asked me how old I was, and I told him, '62.' He was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, 'Did you start at 1?'
3. After putting her grandchildren to bed, a grandmother
changed into old slacks and a droopy blouse and proceeded to
wash her hair. As she heard the children getting more and
more rambunctious, her patience grew thin. Finally, she
threw a towel around her head and stormed into their room,
putting them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left
the room, she heard the three-year-old say with a trembling
voice, 'Who was THAT?'
4. A grandmother was telling her little granddaughter what
her own childhood was like: 'We used to skate outside on
a pond. I had a swing made from a tire; it hung from a tree
in our front yard. We rode our pony. We picked wild
raspberries in the woods.' The little girl was
wide-eyed, taking this all in. At last she said, 'I
sure wish I'd gotten to know you sooner!'
5. My grandson was visiting one day when he asked,
'Grandma, do you know how you and God are alike?' I
mentally polished my halo and I said, 'No, how are we
alike?'' You're both old,' he replied..
6. A little girl was diligently pounding away on her
grandfather's word processor. She told him she was
writing a story. 'What's it about?' he asked.
'I don't know,' she replied. 'I can't read.
7. I didn't know if my granddaughter had learned her
colors yet, so I decided to test her. I would point out
something and ask what color it was. She would tell me and
was always correct. It was fun for me, so I continued. At
last she headed for the door, saying, 'Grandma, I think
you should try to figure out some of these yourself!'
8. When my grandson Melvin and I entered our vacation
cabin, we kept the lights off until we were inside to keep
from attracting pesky insects. Still, a few fireflies
followed us in. Noticing them before I did, Billy
whispered, 'It's no use Grandpa. Now the mosquitoes
are coming after us with flashlights.'
9. When my grandson asked me how old I was, I teasingly replied, 'I'm not sure.' 'Look in your underwear, Grandpa,' he advised. 'Mine says I'm four to six.'
10. A second grader came home from school and said to her
grandmother, 'Grandma, guess what? We learned how to
make babies today.' The grandmother, more than a
little surprised, tried to keep her cool. 'That's
interesting,' she said, 'how do you make babies?
''It's simple,' replied the girl. 'You just change 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'.'
11. Children's Logic: 'Give me a sentence about a
public servant,' said a teacher. The small boy wrote:
'The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.' The
teacher took the lad aside to correct him. 'Don't
you know what pregnant means?' she asked.
'Sure,' said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child.'
12. A nursery school teacher was delivering a station wagon full of kids home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the front seat of the truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children started discussing the dog's duties. 'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one child. 'No,' said another, 'He's just for good luck.' A third child brought the argument to a close. 'They use the dogs,' she said firmly, 'to find the firehydrants!'
WHAT IS A GRANDPARENT?
(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)
Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little
children of their own. They like other people's.
Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there
when we come to see them. They are so old they
shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us
to the shops and give us money.
When they take us for walks, they slow down past things
like pretty leaves and caterpillars.
They show us and talk to us about the colors of the flowers
and also why we shouldn't step on 'cracks.'
They don't say, 'Hurry up.'
Usually grandmothers are fat but not too fat to tie your shoes.
They wear glasses and funny underwear.
They can take their teeth and gums out.
They have to answer questions like 'Why isn't God
married?' and 'How come dogs chase cats?'
When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't
mind if we ask for the same story over again.
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if
you don't have television because they are the only
grownups who like to spend time with us.
A 6-YEAR-OLD WAS ASKED WHERE HIS GRANDMA LIVED. ''OH,'' HE SAID, ''SHE LIVES AT THE AIRPORT, AND WHEN WE WANT HER, WE JUST GO GET HER. THEN WHEN WE'RE DONE HAVING HER VISIT, WE TAKE HER BACK TO THE AIRPORT.''
It's funny when they bend over; you hear gas leaks, and they blame their dog.
A Classic Email Send - Who'll Take The Son?
Take my Son
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandt's. Get on with the real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
'$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn 't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!'
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.
He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.
On the platform sat the painting of the son The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'
But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting. Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandt's. Get on with the real bids!'
But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.
We have $10, who will bid $20?'
'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'
'$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?'
The crowd was becoming angry. They didn 't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'
A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'
The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'
'What about the paintings?'
'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.
The man who took the son gets everything!'
God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'
Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE
It Was For Me...
A Special Easter Post (older post from my FBk page)
The Glue That Binds
If you want to know more about laminin, go to Snopes.com and in the search box insert the word laminin and click on it. They try to make fun of the pastor's story, but that's the norm..
You medical, and non-medical, folks - if you haven't already seen this, you will love it!
This is a pretty neat story and an interesting thing that few of us know. It's brief, so please read. (THIS STORY COMES FIRST-HAND, FROM A PHYSICIAN)
A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio.... And I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned.... But I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway.
He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is... How He spoke the universe into being... How He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire.. . Etc. Etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) .... And I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking.... 'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???'
Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer.
And then I lost my breath.
And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!!
It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how Wikipedia describes them:
Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.'
You see.... Laminins are what hold us together.... LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what they LOOKED LIKE.
But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like... AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it...
If you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see: 
Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!! Amazing!!
The glue that holds us together... ALL of us....Is in the shape of the cross.
Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.
'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities things were created by him and for him.
He is before all things, and in him All things HOLD TOGETHER. 'Colossians 1:15-17
Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, The apostle Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together... One cell to another... by the cross. You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything Other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam breathed his first breath!!
Have A Blessed Easter
An Older Post On Health Care Reform Concerns
Although the health care bill has passed, it will be years of "in-fighting" and struggle through change. Here is a real change that will REALLY affect senior citizens. Keep it in mind when you vote in the elections to come.
If we don't vote out every single solitary incumbant that currently sits in his/her high place of prominance and start over...THIS is a taste of what the future holds people. It's not "scare tactics" anymore, it is REALITY! And this reality BITES!!
(email written by: Harriett Tate
hmtate@bellsouth.net)
Thanks everyone who's asked and kept up on this... :-)
It's been a long time coming...
Trafford Publishing Book Details
WANDERINGS of a wayward heart, PONDERINGS of a well found Soul
By Linda Marie Pharaoh-Carlson
* Published: January, 2010
* Format: Perfect Bound Softcover(B/W)
* Pages: 268
*
Size: 6x9
* ISBN: 9781425174019
Overview
This book is born from the complexities of life. Unorthodox poetry, brief anecdotes and life observations, quotes, written in a form that is this author's own unique style. Each portraying the roads traveled through the many hardships, as well as joys encountered, in one simple and ordinary life. After having been dealt a blow from the diagnosis of chronic auto-immune illness after only ten years into her marriage, Linda recounts the simple things of life that can be considered blessings. And reveals the ongoing struggle with depression, pain, and illness, that have spanned over thirty years of trying to live normally despite them.
Being alone in life at age fifteen was preparation for the physical battles that lay ahead. The feelings of isolation, loneliness and of 'being out of place' most all of her life, helped build the mental stamina to endure the illnesses that were to come later on. Through it all, she's kept the optimistic view that life still mattered. These compiled works, some from the time she was very young, through today, encompass the multitude of emotions experienced in a sometimes difficult life, and will hopefully serve as an encouragement to others who struggle.
Free Preview
Walking The Rim
Tottering along the edge.
Arms spread wide to steady
as one step is placed upon another.
Sometimes eyes wide-then closed,
then at others, intently watching
so as not to falter.
Around and around we travel.
Encircling world upon worlds of dreams,
and heaps upon heaps of ashen promise
ready to be scattered with the wind.
Should we stop, or
venture onward to destinations yet ahead?
Have we lost our way?
Time worn grooves rut life’s pathways too often.
We remain on the rambling sphere where
comfort means traveling the sure footed route.
The kind that becomes all the same.
The one where blindfolds are easily worn and
one will always end up back at the start.
Because the grooves never change.
I take a breath.
I step outside.
Peer over the precipice
and let the blindfold fall.
And finally stop
to take it all in.
This all encompassing
new view of life…
Walking the rim.
The Dancer
She sat silently
Watching the other children play.
Hoping that she’d jump up and run
To play with them one day.
And summer’s came and then they went,
And seasons were here and gone.
Her youthful longings kept their pace
As those children grew up and moved on.
Then as a young teenager balancing books
With crutches in tow…
She still dreamt her dreams and endured the taunts
That hurt her spirit so.
She was a pretty thing. And had a ready smile…
That betrayed the lonely saddened heart,
Which held no grudge nor guile.
She’d close her eyes and feel her feet
Gliding gracefully across the floor.
Her auburn hair and bright blue eyes
Filled with love and hope and more.
As the day approached…the big dance came,
She dressed her Sunday best.
A most beautiful little wounded bird
Not quite fitting in with the rest.
Oh how she longed for strong arms
To wrap her tiny frame.
And sweep her up,
Let her feel loved, and ‘normal’
For a change.
She lived her life of solitude
Never abandoning that dream.
For in her heart of hearts she knew,
Her prince would come one day-
To fulfill all that she had seen.
And as upon her bed she lay,
Awaiting to draw her final breath,
They all thought it rather odd-to hear her laugh
In the face of death.
For she was once more sitting in
That lovely gown of lace.
As He gently took her fragile hand
And lifted her in place.
He looked at her with loving eyes
So deep and very true.
She smiled and took His hand and said,
“I’ve waited my life-long for You”.
Her Prince had come to rescue her.
Said she was the prettiest and fairest of all.
As they danced across the floor with grace
At the angel’s Starlight Ball.
She looked upon her Savior’s face,
And finally felt so free.
As she swirled and swayed and realized…
The greatest Prince in all the world,
From everyone…chose me.
When we realize the unique significance of every human spirit…No soul can be entrapped, no heart considered hopeless, no limitations upon one’s life imposed. And a word such as “handicap” ceases to have meaning, and fails to exist in the hearts of men.
~Linda Carlson
About the Author
Linda Carlson is a native of Boone, Iowa. Married forty-one years, and the mother of two grown sons. She has written most all of her sixty years and finally decided to place just a few of her works in book form, primarily as a legacy to her children. She has experienced significant losses in life. From her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent abandonment as a young girl, to the loss of a ‘normal’ life due to serious autoimmune illnesses suffered for well over thirty years. Through these and other life experiences she has managed to cope, and to learn and grow. And to thrive, to fail, to fall, and to continue living on anyway.
She hopes that a few of the experiences shared from her poetry and life observations, through the best and worst of times, will be a ‘touch point’ for others who have struggled through tough times of their own. Which may then enable them to come away still able to love and live a full life despite the hardships they endure.
She lives with her retired husband and their son in a small bedroom community not far from where she was born. And her plans include spending ‘The Golden Years’ enjoying reacquainting with old friends and feeding the birds and squirrels that wander into the yard. And of course, writing. She maintains a website for other writers to showcase their work, also an interactive writing community and a support community for those with Myalgic encephalitis (ME) a.k.a. Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction (CIFDS), Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Myofascial Pain Disorder (CMPD), Addison’s Disease, and other Related Chronic Illness and Pain and Autoimmune Disorders.
Living with chronic pain, illness, and or depression does not have to steal away the goodness of life. You will recognize a few of the dark days written within these pages, but you may also see the lovely and good things that remain from learning to live past them as well. It is Linda’s greatest hope that you may find a little unexpected blessing as you read her life in poetry.
It's been a long time coming...
Trafford Publishing Book Details
WANDERINGS of a wayward heart, PONDERINGS of a well found Soul
By Linda Marie Pharaoh-Carlson
* Published: January, 2010
* Format: Perfect Bound Softcover(B/W)
* Pages: 268
*
Size: 6x9
* ISBN: 9781425174019
Overview
This book is born from the complexities of life. Unorthodox poetry, brief anecdotes and life observations, quotes, written in a form that is this author's own unique style. Each portraying the roads traveled through the many hardships, as well as joys encountered, in one simple and ordinary life. After having been dealt a blow from the diagnosis of chronic auto-immune illness after only ten years into her marriage, Linda recounts the simple things of life that can be considered blessings. And reveals the ongoing struggle with depression, pain, and illness, that have spanned over thirty years of trying to live normally despite them.
Being alone in life at age fifteen was preparation for the physical battles that lay ahead. The feelings of isolation, loneliness and of 'being out of place' most all of her life, helped build the mental stamina to endure the illnesses that were to come later on. Through it all, she's kept the optimistic view that life still mattered. These compiled works, some from the time she was very young, through today, encompass the multitude of emotions experienced in a sometimes difficult life, and will hopefully serve as an encouragement to others who struggle.
Free Preview
Walking The Rim
Tottering along the edge.
Arms spread wide to steady
as one step is placed upon another.
Sometimes eyes wide-then closed,
then at others, intently watching
so as not to falter.
Around and around we travel.
Encircling world upon worlds of dreams,
and heaps upon heaps of ashen promise
ready to be scattered with the wind.
Should we stop, or
venture onward to destinations yet ahead?
Have we lost our way?
Time worn grooves rut life’s pathways too often.
We remain on the rambling sphere where
comfort means traveling the sure footed route.
The kind that becomes all the same.
The one where blindfolds are easily worn and
one will always end up back at the start.
Because the grooves never change.
I take a breath.
I step outside.
Peer over the precipice
and let the blindfold fall.
And finally stop
to take it all in.
This all encompassing
new view of life…
Walking the rim.
The Dancer
She sat silently
Watching the other children play.
Hoping that she’d jump up and run
To play with them one day.
And summer’s came and then they went,
And seasons were here and gone.
Her youthful longings kept their pace
As those children grew up and moved on.
Then as a young teenager balancing books
With crutches in tow…
She still dreamt her dreams and endured the taunts
That hurt her spirit so.
She was a pretty thing. And had a ready smile…
That betrayed the lonely saddened heart,
Which held no grudge nor guile.
She’d close her eyes and feel her feet
Gliding gracefully across the floor.
Her auburn hair and bright blue eyes
Filled with love and hope and more.
As the day approached…the big dance came,
She dressed her Sunday best.
A most beautiful little wounded bird
Not quite fitting in with the rest.
Oh how she longed for strong arms
To wrap her tiny frame.
And sweep her up,
Let her feel loved, and ‘normal’
For a change.
She lived her life of solitude
Never abandoning that dream.
For in her heart of hearts she knew,
Her prince would come one day-
To fulfill all that she had seen.
And as upon her bed she lay,
Awaiting to draw her final breath,
They all thought it rather odd-to hear her laugh
In the face of death.
For she was once more sitting in
That lovely gown of lace.
As He gently took her fragile hand
And lifted her in place.
He looked at her with loving eyes
So deep and very true.
She smiled and took His hand and said,
“I’ve waited my life-long for You”.
Her Prince had come to rescue her.
Said she was the prettiest and fairest of all.
As they danced across the floor with grace
At the angel’s Starlight Ball.
She looked upon her Savior’s face,
And finally felt so free.
As she swirled and swayed and realized…
The greatest Prince in all the world,
From everyone…chose me.
When we realize the unique significance of every human spirit…No soul can be entrapped, no heart considered hopeless, no limitations upon one’s life imposed. And a word such as “handicap” ceases to have meaning, and fails to exist in the hearts of men.
~Linda Carlson
About the Author
Linda Carlson is a native of Boone, Iowa. Married forty-one years, and the mother of two grown sons. She has written most all of her sixty years and finally decided to place just a few of her works in book form, primarily as a legacy to her children. She has experienced significant losses in life. From her mother’s death and her father’s subsequent abandonment as a young girl, to the loss of a ‘normal’ life due to serious autoimmune illnesses suffered for well over thirty years. Through these and other life experiences she has managed to cope, and to learn and grow. And to thrive, to fail, to fall, and to continue living on anyway.
She hopes that a few of the experiences shared from her poetry and life observations, through the best and worst of times, will be a ‘touch point’ for others who have struggled through tough times of their own. Which may then enable them to come away still able to love and live a full life despite the hardships they endure.
She lives with her retired husband and their son in a small bedroom community not far from where she was born. And her plans include spending ‘The Golden Years’ enjoying reacquainting with old friends and feeding the birds and squirrels that wander into the yard. And of course, writing. She maintains a website for other writers to showcase their work, also an interactive writing community and a support community for those with Myalgic encephalitis (ME) a.k.a. Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction (CIFDS), Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chronic Myofascial Pain Disorder (CMPD), Addison’s Disease, and other Related Chronic Illness and Pain and Autoimmune Disorders.
Living with chronic pain, illness, and or depression does not have to steal away the goodness of life. You will recognize a few of the dark days written within these pages, but you may also see the lovely and good things that remain from learning to live past them as well. It is Linda’s greatest hope that you may find a little unexpected blessing as you read her life in poetry.
Attended the "Teddy Bear" Breast Cancer Awareness Tea today!
Very nice turn out! And it was enlightening and an enjoyable day.
They auctioned the "Teddie's" off along with several other donated things.
My sister in law, Karen, died with breast cancer a few years ago. And my other sister in law was treated for breast cancer just a couple of years ago.
I lost my mom to cancer 45 years ago. Cancer hurts more than the person who has it! Get involved!
Very nice turn out! And it was enlightening and an enjoyable day.
They auctioned the "Teddie's" off along with several other donated things.
My sister in law, Karen, died with breast cancer a few years ago. And my other sister in law was treated for breast cancer just a couple of years ago.
I lost my mom to cancer 45 years ago. Cancer hurts more than the person who has it! Get involved!
I received this from my friend, Kathe today. (the email following this note)
And while I am one to fully recognize and applaud religious freedoms in our nation, and truly believe in diversity,
in light of recent comments made by our president while in other Islamic nations, stating that the United States of America
is NOT a judeo-Christian nation, and the lack of recognition of Christianity here in our own country in any real sense,
I personally find this somewhat upsetting myself.
I am not an alarmist. Nor am I a radical conservative. But I am an AMERICAN CITIZEN who does believe our
country had it's underpinnings built upon Christian tenants, and our ultimate source of wisdom ... which this country's
founders attributed to God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth and all contained therein.
For years, our country was blessed, I feel, because of that fact. And because we, as a collective American citizenry realized
and acknowledged that fact. We have done some pretty dreadful things through the years as a country... legalized
the murder of unborn infants, and in our early formative years, some soul-less and ruthless people, in their selfish drive
towards their own ends, slaughtered innocent Native Americans and drove them into near oblivion. Others of the
same ilk, traveled to far away places and ravaged homes and families of human beings to bring them here and sell
them as chattel, property w/o regard to the human emotion involved, or regard for them at all. Slavery was not a pretty
scene in the back drop of our country's history. And we have allowed a smattering of people through the years, to undermine
the very basic principles that have molded our nation to become one of the greatest in the world, despite the mistakes and
dreadful acts of the past.
Yes, we've done some pretty terrible things, made huge mistakes, and now have come to swing so far in the opposite
direction today, that there is no fail safe. No stoppers to curb the swing or control it. We have so many now who want
unity to any degree that our entire country seems to be at great risk.
We don't need the ACLU! What we need is a people who truly DO BELIEVE in God the creator, maker of heaven and
earth and all that is. What we need is for people to stop talking and start praying. Because the talk gets us nowhere. It gets a door
cracked open, still securely locked from the inside...but no invitation in. And while others actually DO PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY...
regardless of where they are or what's going on in their lives, or what the circumstance...we run around clacking our tongues and
whining and complaining.
How many times as a christian in today's world, in this judeo-christian society of ours do we fully commit time to actually be on our knees regardless of where we are, or what the circumstances, or whatever's happening in our life minute by minute
to earnestly pray for the direction this country has taken, for wisdom, for our leadership...or just for every day opportunities to share the joy that is in us through Jesus Christ with another human face? We have the real deal! We have complete freedom (for the moment) to pray however often and whenever we want to...but do we? If we can learn any ONE thing from the Islamic religion, it is that they
DO TAKE PRAYER as a very serious matter and follow through each and every day...five times a day, no matter what! If we, as christians FOLLOWED THROUGH and followed this example in our prayer lives as earnestly as they do theirs, we might have a multitude of changes for the better, not just for our nation, but in our own hearts as well.
At the bottom of the web page that is listed here below, you will see in great bold letters the statement, "OUR TIME HAS COME"... directed at the
Muslim communities. Let it serve as a challenge to you, Christian...to WAKE UP! Maybe we as a Christian Nation should recognize that before the clock chimes a minute past "too late"... we need to adopt that admonition for ourselves and take it personally. Maybe it's time as a Judeo-Christian Society to say to ourselves "OUR TIME (to take a bold step up and change OUR ways) HAS COME"!!! Seize the day! And get on your knees and commit to REAL and earnest prayer about matters that only the true and living GOD can address by the move of His almighty hand. Until we recognize that fact and take it very much to heart, what happens next is merely a matter of a christian community that did not possess faith enough to believe that God WILL HEAR and take each earnest prayer and WILL ACT upon it accordingly, just as He has promised us that He would do.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. " 2Ch 7:14
Sincerely,
linda
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
The first website that ever gave me chills
Date:
Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:32:17 -0600
From:
To:
I checked this on Snopes.com, TruthorFiction.com and a few other fact sites and found nothing. The website looks real as does the event taking place on September 25th, 2009. I’ve heard nothing from any of the media so I was surprised when I received the email. They are selling some pricey sponsorships as well and claim they got the idea from the Obama inauguration speech and his remarks in Egypt . I find it very disturbing. If anyone can verify this, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Elections have consequences. Check out what the President has in store for America .
The first website that ever gave me chills
Washington , D.C. - On September 25th there will be a national prayer gathering of Muslims on the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building. They are expecting at least 50,000 to attend from mosques all a cross America . They will gather to pray from 4:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The gathering will take place by the site where U.S. Presidents have been inaugurated since 1981. The organizers say that it was Obama's inauguration speech in January and his speech broadcast from Egypt in June that gave them the idea for this prayer gathering on Capitol Hill.
They have a website set up for this event. If you never look at another website look at this one, especially the final words at the very bottom of the page!
islamoncapitolhill.com
And while I am one to fully recognize and applaud religious freedoms in our nation, and truly believe in diversity,
in light of recent comments made by our president while in other Islamic nations, stating that the United States of America
is NOT a judeo-Christian nation, and the lack of recognition of Christianity here in our own country in any real sense,
I personally find this somewhat upsetting myself.
I am not an alarmist. Nor am I a radical conservative. But I am an AMERICAN CITIZEN who does believe our
country had it's underpinnings built upon Christian tenants, and our ultimate source of wisdom ... which this country's
founders attributed to God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth and all contained therein.
For years, our country was blessed, I feel, because of that fact. And because we, as a collective American citizenry realized
and acknowledged that fact. We have done some pretty dreadful things through the years as a country... legalized
the murder of unborn infants, and in our early formative years, some soul-less and ruthless people, in their selfish drive
towards their own ends, slaughtered innocent Native Americans and drove them into near oblivion. Others of the
same ilk, traveled to far away places and ravaged homes and families of human beings to bring them here and sell
them as chattel, property w/o regard to the human emotion involved, or regard for them at all. Slavery was not a pretty
scene in the back drop of our country's history. And we have allowed a smattering of people through the years, to undermine
the very basic principles that have molded our nation to become one of the greatest in the world, despite the mistakes and
dreadful acts of the past.
Yes, we've done some pretty terrible things, made huge mistakes, and now have come to swing so far in the opposite
direction today, that there is no fail safe. No stoppers to curb the swing or control it. We have so many now who want
unity to any degree that our entire country seems to be at great risk.
We don't need the ACLU! What we need is a people who truly DO BELIEVE in God the creator, maker of heaven and
earth and all that is. What we need is for people to stop talking and start praying. Because the talk gets us nowhere. It gets a door
cracked open, still securely locked from the inside...but no invitation in. And while others actually DO PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY...
regardless of where they are or what's going on in their lives, or what the circumstance...we run around clacking our tongues and
whining and complaining.
How many times as a christian in today's world, in this judeo-christian society of ours do we fully commit time to actually be on our knees regardless of where we are, or what the circumstances, or whatever's happening in our life minute by minute
to earnestly pray for the direction this country has taken, for wisdom, for our leadership...or just for every day opportunities to share the joy that is in us through Jesus Christ with another human face? We have the real deal! We have complete freedom (for the moment) to pray however often and whenever we want to...but do we? If we can learn any ONE thing from the Islamic religion, it is that they
DO TAKE PRAYER as a very serious matter and follow through each and every day...five times a day, no matter what! If we, as christians FOLLOWED THROUGH and followed this example in our prayer lives as earnestly as they do theirs, we might have a multitude of changes for the better, not just for our nation, but in our own hearts as well.
At the bottom of the web page that is listed here below, you will see in great bold letters the statement, "OUR TIME HAS COME"... directed at the
Muslim communities. Let it serve as a challenge to you, Christian...to WAKE UP! Maybe we as a Christian Nation should recognize that before the clock chimes a minute past "too late"... we need to adopt that admonition for ourselves and take it personally. Maybe it's time as a Judeo-Christian Society to say to ourselves "OUR TIME (to take a bold step up and change OUR ways) HAS COME"!!! Seize the day! And get on your knees and commit to REAL and earnest prayer about matters that only the true and living GOD can address by the move of His almighty hand. Until we recognize that fact and take it very much to heart, what happens next is merely a matter of a christian community that did not possess faith enough to believe that God WILL HEAR and take each earnest prayer and WILL ACT upon it accordingly, just as He has promised us that He would do.
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. " 2Ch 7:14
Sincerely,
linda
-------- Original Message --------
Subject:
The first website that ever gave me chills
Date:
Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:32:17 -0600
From:
To:
I checked this on Snopes.com, TruthorFiction.com and a few other fact sites and found nothing. The website looks real as does the event taking place on September 25th, 2009. I’ve heard nothing from any of the media so I was surprised when I received the email. They are selling some pricey sponsorships as well and claim they got the idea from the Obama inauguration speech and his remarks in Egypt . I find it very disturbing. If anyone can verify this, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Elections have consequences. Check out what the President has in store for America .
The first website that ever gave me chills
Washington , D.C. - On September 25th there will be a national prayer gathering of Muslims on the west front of the U.S. Capitol Building. They are expecting at least 50,000 to attend from mosques all a cross America . They will gather to pray from 4:00 AM until 7:00 PM. The gathering will take place by the site where U.S. Presidents have been inaugurated since 1981. The organizers say that it was Obama's inauguration speech in January and his speech broadcast from Egypt in June that gave them the idea for this prayer gathering on Capitol Hill.
They have a website set up for this event. If you never look at another website look at this one, especially the final words at the very bottom of the page!
islamoncapitolhill.com
SALUTE to Denmark .. This could very well happen here on our Continent....
Susan MacAllen is a contributing editor for (FamilySecurityMatters.org
The Danish population embraced visitors, celebrated the exotic, went out of its way to protect each of its citizens.
It was proud of its new brand of socialist liberalism one in development since the conservatives had lost power in
1929 - a system where no worker had to struggle to survive, where one ultimately could count upon the state as in, perhaps, no other western nation at the time.
The rest of Europe saw the Scandinavians as free-thinking, progressive and infinitely generous in their welfare policies. Denmark boasted low crime rates, devotion to the environment, a superior educational system and a history of humanitarianism.
Denmark was also most generous in its immigration policies - it offered the best welcome in Europe to the new immigrant: generous welfare payments from first arrival plus additional perks in transportation, housing and education. It was determined to set a world example for inclusiveness and multiculturalism. How could it have predicted that one day in 2005 a series of political cartoons in a newspaper would spark violence that would leave dozens dead in the streets -all because its commitment to multiculturalism would come back to bite?
By the 1990's the growing urban Muslim population was obvious - and its unwillingness to integrate into Danish society was obvious.
Years of immigrants had settled into Muslim-exclusive enclaves. As the Muslim leadership became more vocal about what they considered the decadence of Denmark's liberal way of life, the Danes - once so welcoming - began to feel slighted. Many Danes had begun to see Islam as incompatible with their long-standing values: belief in personal liberty and free speech, in equality for women, in tolerance for other ethnic groups, and a deep pride in Danish heritage and history.
An article by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, in which they forecasted, accurately, that the growing immigrant problem in Denmark would explode. In the article they reported:
'Muslim immigrants constitute 5 percent of the population but consume upwards of 40 percent of the welfare spending.' 'Muslims are only 4 percent of Denmark's 5.4 million people but make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially combustible issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim. Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other crimes.' 'Over time, as Muslim immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less to mix with the indigenous population.
A recent survey finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants would readily marry a Dane.' 'Forced marriages - promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male cousin in the home country, then compelling her to marry him, sometimes on pain of death - are one problem' 'Muslim leaders openly declare their goal of introducing Islamic law once Denmark's Muslim population grows large enough - a not-that-remote prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist estimates, every third inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.' It is easy to understand why a growing number of Danes would feel that Muslim immigrants show little respect for Danish values and laws.
An example is the phenomenon common to other European countries and Canada: some Muslims in Denmark who opted to leave the Muslim faith have been murdered in the name of Islam, while others hide in fear for their lives. Jews are also threatened and harassed openly by Muslim leaders in Denmark, a country where once Christian citizens worked to smuggle out nearly all of their 7,000 Jews by night to Sweden - before the Nazis could invade. I think of my Danish friend Elsa - who. as a teenager. had dreaded crossing the street to the bakery every morning under the eyes of occupying Nazi soldiers - and I wonder what she would say today.
In 2001, Denmark elected the most conservative government in some 70 years - one that had some decidedly non-generous ideas about liberal unfettered immigration. Today Denmark has the strictest immigration policies in Europe . ( Its effort to protect itself has been met with accusations of 'racism' by liberal media across Europe - even as other governments struggle to right the social problems wrought by years of too-lax immigration.)
If you wish to become Danish, you must attend three years of language classes. You must pass a test on Denmark 's history, culture, and a Danish language test .
You must live in Denmark for 7 years before applying for citizenship.
You must demonstrate an intent to work, and have a job waiting. If you wish to bring a spouse into Denmark , you must both be over 24 years of age, and you won't find it so easy anymore to move your friends and family to Denmark with you.
You will not be allowed to build a mosque in Copenhagen . Although your children have a choice of some 30 Arabic culture and language schools in Denmark , they will be strongly encouraged to assimilate to Danish society in ways that past immigrants weren't.
In 2006, the Danish minister for employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, spoke publicly of the burden of Muslim immigrants on the Danish welfare system, and it was horrifying: the government's welfare committee had calculated that if immigration from Third World countries were blocked, 75 percent of the cuts needed to sustain the huge welfare system in coming decades would be unnecessary. In other words, the welfare system, as it existed, was being exploited by immigrants to the point of eventually bankrupting the government. 'We are simply forced to adopt a new policy on immigration'.
'The calculations of the welfare committee are terrifying and show how unsuccessful the integration of immigrants has been up to now,' he said.
A large thorn in the side of Denmark's imams is the Minister of Immigration and Integration, Rikke Hvilshoj. She makes no bones about the new policy toward immigration, 'The number of foreigners coming to the country makes a difference,' Hvilshoj says, 'There is an inverse correlation between how many come here and how well we can receive the foreigners that come.' And on Muslim immigrants needing to demonstrate a willingness to blend in, 'In my view, Denmark should be a country with room for different cultures and religions.. Some values, however, are more important than others. We refuse to question democracy, equal rights, and freedom of speech.' Hvilshoj has paid a price for her show of backbone. Perhaps to test& nbsp; her resolve, the leading radical imam in Denmark, Ahmed Abdel Rahman Abu Laban, demanded that the government pay blood money to the family of a Muslim who was murdered in a suburb of Copenhagen, stating that the family's thirst for revenge could be thwarted for money. When Hvilshoj dismissed his demand, he argued that in Muslim culture the payment of retribution money was common, to which Hvilshoj replied that what is done in a Muslim country is not necessarily what is done in Denmark.
The Muslim reply came soon after: her house was torched while she, her husband and children slept. All managed to escape unharmed, but she and her family were moved to a secret location and she and other ministers were assigned bodyguards for the first time - in a country where such murderous violence was once so scarce.
Her government has slid to the right, and her borders have tightened.
Many believe that what happens in the next decade will determine whether Denmark survives as a bastion of good living, humane thinking and social responsibility, or whether it becomes a nation at civil war with supporters of Sharia law.
And meanwhile, Canadians clamor for stricter immigration policies, and demand an end to state welfare programs that allow many immigrants to live on the public dole. As we in Canada look at the enclaves of Muslims amongst us, and see those who enter our shores too easily, dare live on our taxes, yet refuse to embrace our culture, respect our traditions, participate in our legal system, obey our laws, speak our language, appreciate our history .. we would do well to look to Denmark , and say a prayer for her future and for our own..
If you agree with this article, then please pass it on..
Susan MacAllen is a contributing editor for (FamilySecurityMatters.org
The Danish population embraced visitors, celebrated the exotic, went out of its way to protect each of its citizens.
It was proud of its new brand of socialist liberalism one in development since the conservatives had lost power in
1929 - a system where no worker had to struggle to survive, where one ultimately could count upon the state as in, perhaps, no other western nation at the time.
The rest of Europe saw the Scandinavians as free-thinking, progressive and infinitely generous in their welfare policies. Denmark boasted low crime rates, devotion to the environment, a superior educational system and a history of humanitarianism.
Denmark was also most generous in its immigration policies - it offered the best welcome in Europe to the new immigrant: generous welfare payments from first arrival plus additional perks in transportation, housing and education. It was determined to set a world example for inclusiveness and multiculturalism. How could it have predicted that one day in 2005 a series of political cartoons in a newspaper would spark violence that would leave dozens dead in the streets -all because its commitment to multiculturalism would come back to bite?
By the 1990's the growing urban Muslim population was obvious - and its unwillingness to integrate into Danish society was obvious.
Years of immigrants had settled into Muslim-exclusive enclaves. As the Muslim leadership became more vocal about what they considered the decadence of Denmark's liberal way of life, the Danes - once so welcoming - began to feel slighted. Many Danes had begun to see Islam as incompatible with their long-standing values: belief in personal liberty and free speech, in equality for women, in tolerance for other ethnic groups, and a deep pride in Danish heritage and history.
An article by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, in which they forecasted, accurately, that the growing immigrant problem in Denmark would explode. In the article they reported:
'Muslim immigrants constitute 5 percent of the population but consume upwards of 40 percent of the welfare spending.' 'Muslims are only 4 percent of Denmark's 5.4 million people but make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially combustible issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim. Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other crimes.' 'Over time, as Muslim immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less to mix with the indigenous population.
A recent survey finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants would readily marry a Dane.' 'Forced marriages - promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male cousin in the home country, then compelling her to marry him, sometimes on pain of death - are one problem' 'Muslim leaders openly declare their goal of introducing Islamic law once Denmark's Muslim population grows large enough - a not-that-remote prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist estimates, every third inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.' It is easy to understand why a growing number of Danes would feel that Muslim immigrants show little respect for Danish values and laws.
An example is the phenomenon common to other European countries and Canada: some Muslims in Denmark who opted to leave the Muslim faith have been murdered in the name of Islam, while others hide in fear for their lives. Jews are also threatened and harassed openly by Muslim leaders in Denmark, a country where once Christian citizens worked to smuggle out nearly all of their 7,000 Jews by night to Sweden - before the Nazis could invade. I think of my Danish friend Elsa - who. as a teenager. had dreaded crossing the street to the bakery every morning under the eyes of occupying Nazi soldiers - and I wonder what she would say today.
In 2001, Denmark elected the most conservative government in some 70 years - one that had some decidedly non-generous ideas about liberal unfettered immigration. Today Denmark has the strictest immigration policies in Europe . ( Its effort to protect itself has been met with accusations of 'racism' by liberal media across Europe - even as other governments struggle to right the social problems wrought by years of too-lax immigration.)
If you wish to become Danish, you must attend three years of language classes. You must pass a test on Denmark 's history, culture, and a Danish language test .
You must live in Denmark for 7 years before applying for citizenship.
You must demonstrate an intent to work, and have a job waiting. If you wish to bring a spouse into Denmark , you must both be over 24 years of age, and you won't find it so easy anymore to move your friends and family to Denmark with you.
You will not be allowed to build a mosque in Copenhagen . Although your children have a choice of some 30 Arabic culture and language schools in Denmark , they will be strongly encouraged to assimilate to Danish society in ways that past immigrants weren't.
In 2006, the Danish minister for employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, spoke publicly of the burden of Muslim immigrants on the Danish welfare system, and it was horrifying: the government's welfare committee had calculated that if immigration from Third World countries were blocked, 75 percent of the cuts needed to sustain the huge welfare system in coming decades would be unnecessary. In other words, the welfare system, as it existed, was being exploited by immigrants to the point of eventually bankrupting the government. 'We are simply forced to adopt a new policy on immigration'.
'The calculations of the welfare committee are terrifying and show how unsuccessful the integration of immigrants has been up to now,' he said.
A large thorn in the side of Denmark's imams is the Minister of Immigration and Integration, Rikke Hvilshoj. She makes no bones about the new policy toward immigration, 'The number of foreigners coming to the country makes a difference,' Hvilshoj says, 'There is an inverse correlation between how many come here and how well we can receive the foreigners that come.' And on Muslim immigrants needing to demonstrate a willingness to blend in, 'In my view, Denmark should be a country with room for different cultures and religions.. Some values, however, are more important than others. We refuse to question democracy, equal rights, and freedom of speech.' Hvilshoj has paid a price for her show of backbone. Perhaps to test& nbsp; her resolve, the leading radical imam in Denmark, Ahmed Abdel Rahman Abu Laban, demanded that the government pay blood money to the family of a Muslim who was murdered in a suburb of Copenhagen, stating that the family's thirst for revenge could be thwarted for money. When Hvilshoj dismissed his demand, he argued that in Muslim culture the payment of retribution money was common, to which Hvilshoj replied that what is done in a Muslim country is not necessarily what is done in Denmark.
The Muslim reply came soon after: her house was torched while she, her husband and children slept. All managed to escape unharmed, but she and her family were moved to a secret location and she and other ministers were assigned bodyguards for the first time - in a country where such murderous violence was once so scarce.
Her government has slid to the right, and her borders have tightened.
Many believe that what happens in the next decade will determine whether Denmark survives as a bastion of good living, humane thinking and social responsibility, or whether it becomes a nation at civil war with supporters of Sharia law.
And meanwhile, Canadians clamor for stricter immigration policies, and demand an end to state welfare programs that allow many immigrants to live on the public dole. As we in Canada look at the enclaves of Muslims amongst us, and see those who enter our shores too easily, dare live on our taxes, yet refuse to embrace our culture, respect our traditions, participate in our legal system, obey our laws, speak our language, appreciate our history .. we would do well to look to Denmark , and say a prayer for her future and for our own..
If you agree with this article, then please pass it on..
Put in the Big Rocks First
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and,
to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood
in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."
He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front
of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them,
one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks
would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.
Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work
themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group
once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!"
he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping
the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks
and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it
in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked,
"What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your
schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches
us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your kids; Your family; Your education/career;
Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love;
Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you
sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little
things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real
quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask
yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in
your jar first."
Rec'd this from a good friend who rec’d it from a friend in Corpus who was diagnosed with cancer last year. See what his doctor is saying....
Wednesday, I was at the doctor whom I have been going to since we moved down here (he is the one who discovered my cancer). I have to get a very expensive shot every 3 months ($3000) that is designed to keep the PSI down and help to prevent a recurrence of the cancer. Has some uncomfortable side effects, and I was questioning the need to continue with it, which he assured me was necessary. He then asked how old I was, and when I replied 70, he said that if this legislation goes through as intended by the powers that be, that I probably would not be able to get it next year, as that would be money better spent on someone else with greater longevity. I would be referred to someone to "counsel" me.
I asked him why the AMA had recently endorsed the plan. He replied that only about 15% of the nation's doctors were members of AMA, and most of them were not really on the front lines of doctorhood but in some other areas of medicine. He said he was a member, but would not be after this membership year.
This man got part of his training in London , and practiced in Canada for 16 years before coming to the US , and he has no use for socialized medicine, regardless of how you wrap it, or what kind of bow to put on it. He said that we have a shortfall of around 400,000 doctors at the present time, and many of today's doctors are of the baby boomer generation who are nearing retirement and/or will decide to hang it up rather than deal with the results this is sure to bring.
Scary, my friends. The picture for our age group is not pretty.
ALL THE MORE REASON TO PUT Y OUR FAITH IN GOD, NOT GOVERNMENT.
In England anyone over 59 cannot receive heart repairs or stents or bypass because it is not covered as being too expensive and not needed.
Obama wants to have a healthcare system just like Canada 's and England 's. I got this today and am sending it on. If Obama's plans in other areas don't scare you, this should. Please do not let Obama sign senior death warrants.
Everybody that is on this mailing list is either a senior citizen, is getting close or knows somebody that is.
Most of you know by now that the Senate version (at least) of the "stimulus" bill includes provisions for extensive rationing of health care for senior citizens. The author of this part of the bill, former senator and tax evader, Tom Daschle was credited today by Bloomberg with the following statement:
Bloomberg: Daschle says "health-care reform will not be pain free. Seniors should be more accepting of the conditions that come with age instead of treating them."
If this does not sufficiently raise your ire, just remember that our esteemed Senators and Congressmen have their own healthcare plan that is first dollar or very low co-pay which they are guaranteed the remainder of their lives and are not subject to this new law if it passes.
Please use the power of the Internet to get this message out. Talk it up at the grassroots level. We have an election coming up in one year and five m onths. And we have the ability to address and reverse the dangerous direction the Obama administration and its allies have begun and in the interim, we can make their lives miserable. Lets do this!
If you disagree, do nothing.
Noteworthy Thoughts to Ease the Stressors of Life
I'm sorry, I don't have the source of this entry...but it has been an email classic for years I felt it well worth putting up as a reminder for all of us!
Put in the Big Rocks First
One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and,
to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood
in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."
He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front
of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them,
one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks
would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.
Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work
themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group
once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!"
he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping
the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks
and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it
in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked,
"What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your
schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches
us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your kids; Your family; Your education/career;
Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love;
Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you
sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little
things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real
quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask
yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in
your jar first."
to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood
in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz."
He pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front
of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them,
one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks
would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"
Everyone in the class said, "Yes."
Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel.
Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work
themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group
once more, "Is the jar full?"
By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!"
he replied.
He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping
the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks
and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"
"No!" the class shouted.
Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it
in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked,
"What is the point of this illustration?"
One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your
schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"
"No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches
us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."
What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your kids; Your family; Your education/career;
Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love;
Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other?
Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you
sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little
things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real
quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks).
So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask
yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in
your jar first."
An Older Posted Note from my facebook notes
Denmark: Food For Thought
SALUTE to Denmark .. This could very well happen here on our Continent....
Susan MacAllen is a contributing editor for (FamilySecurityMatters.org
The Danish population embraced visitors, celebrated the exotic, went out of its way to protect each of its citizens.
It was proud of its new brand of socialist liberalism one in development since the conservatives had lost power in
1929 - a system where no worker had to struggle to survive, where one ultimately could count upon the state as in, perhaps, no other western nation at the time.
The rest of Europe saw the Scandinavians as free-thinking, progressive and infinitely generous in their welfare policies. Denmark boasted low crime rates, devotion to the environment, a superior educational system and a history of humanitarianism.
Denmark was also most generous in its immigration policies - it offered the best welcome in Europe to the new immigrant: generous welfare payments from first arrival plus additional perks in transportation, housing and education. It was determined to set a world example for inclusiveness and multiculturalism. How could it have predicted that one day in 2005 a series of political cartoons in a newspaper would spark violence that would leave dozens dead in the streets -all because its commitment to multiculturalism would come back to bite?
By the 1990's the growing urban Muslim population was obvious - and its unwillingness to integrate into Danish society was obvious.
Years of immigrants had settled into Muslim-exclusive enclaves. As the Muslim leadership became more vocal about what they considered the decadence of Denmark's liberal way of life, the Danes - once so welcoming - began to feel slighted. Many Danes had begun to see Islam as incompatible with their long-standing values: belief in personal liberty and free speech, in equality for women, in tolerance for other ethnic groups, and a deep pride in Danish heritage and history.
An article by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, in which they forecasted, accurately, that the growing immigrant problem in Denmark would explode. In the article they reported:
'Muslim immigrants constitute 5 percent of the population but consume upwards of 40 percent of the welfare spending.' 'Muslims are only 4 percent of Denmark's 5.4 million people but make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially combustible issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim. Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other crimes.' 'Over time, as Muslim immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less to mix with the indigenous population.
A recent survey finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants would readily marry a Dane.' 'Forced marriages - promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male cousin in the home country, then compelling her to marry him, sometimes on pain of death - are one problem' 'Muslim leaders openly declare their goal of introducing Islamic law once Denmark's Muslim population grows large enough - a not-that-remote prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist estimates, every third inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.' It is easy to understand why a growing number of Danes would feel that Muslim immigrants show little respect for Danish values and laws.
An example is the phenomenon common to other European countries and Canada: some Muslims in Denmark who opted to leave the Muslim faith have been murdered in the name of Islam, while others hide in fear for their lives. Jews are also threatened and harassed openly by Muslim leaders in Denmark, a country where once Christian citizens worked to smuggle out nearly all of their 7,000 Jews by night to Sweden - before the Nazis could invade. I think of my Danish friend Elsa - who. as a teenager. had dreaded crossing the street to the bakery every morning under the eyes of occupying Nazi soldiers - and I wonder what she would say today.
In 2001, Denmark elected the most conservative government in some 70 years - one that had some decidedly non-generous ideas about liberal unfettered immigration. Today Denmark has the strictest immigration policies in Europe . ( Its effort to protect itself has been met with accusations of 'racism' by liberal media across Europe - even as other governments struggle to right the social problems wrought by years of too-lax immigration.)
If you wish to become Danish, you must attend three years of language classes. You must pass a test on Denmark 's history, culture, and a Danish language test .
You must live in Denmark for 7 years before applying for citizenship.
You must demonstrate an intent to work, and have a job waiting. If you wish to bring a spouse into Denmark , you must both be over 24 years of age, and you won't find it so easy anymore to move your friends and family to Denmark with you.
You will not be allowed to build a mosque in Copenhagen . Although your children have a choice of some 30 Arabic culture and language schools in Denmark , they will be strongly encouraged to assimilate to Danish society in ways that past immigrants weren't.
In 2006, the Danish minister for employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, spoke publicly of the burden of Muslim immigrants on the Danish welfare system, and it was horrifying: the government's welfare committee had calculated that if immigration from Third World countries were blocked, 75 percent of the cuts needed to sustain the huge welfare system in coming decades would be unnecessary. In other words, the welfare system, as it existed, was being exploited by immigrants to the point of eventually bankrupting the government. 'We are simply forced to adopt a new policy on immigration'.
'The calculations of the welfare committee are terrifying and show how unsuccessful the integration of immigrants has been up to now,' he said.
A large thorn in the side of Denmark's imams is the Minister of Immigration and Integration, Rikke Hvilshoj. She makes no bones about the new policy toward immigration, 'The number of foreigners coming to the country makes a difference,' Hvilshoj says, 'There is an inverse correlation between how many come here and how well we can receive the foreigners that come.' And on Muslim immigrants needing to demonstrate a willingness to blend in, 'In my view, Denmark should be a country with room for different cultures and religions.. Some values, however, are more important than others. We refuse to question democracy, equal rights, and freedom of speech.' Hvilshoj has paid a price for her show of backbone. Perhaps to test& nbsp; her resolve, the leading radical imam in Denmark, Ahmed Abdel Rahman Abu Laban, demanded that the government pay blood money to the family of a Muslim who was murdered in a suburb of Copenhagen, stating that the family's thirst for revenge could be thwarted for money. When Hvilshoj dismissed his demand, he argued that in Muslim culture the payment of retribution money was common, to which Hvilshoj replied that what is done in a Muslim country is not necessarily what is done in Denmark.
The Muslim reply came soon after: her house was torched while she, her husband and children slept. All managed to escape unharmed, but she and her family were moved to a secret location and she and other ministers were assigned bodyguards for the first time - in a country where such murderous violence was once so scarce.
Her government has slid to the right, and her borders have tightened.
Many believe that what happens in the next decade will determine whether Denmark survives as a bastion of good living, humane thinking and social responsibility, or whether it becomes a nation at civil war with supporters of Sharia law.
And meanwhile, Canadians clamor for stricter immigration policies, and demand an end to state welfare programs that allow many immigrants to live on the public dole. As we in Canada look at the enclaves of Muslims amongst us, and see those who enter our shores too easily, dare live on our taxes, yet refuse to embrace our culture, respect our traditions, participate in our legal system, obey our laws, speak our language, appreciate our history .. we would do well to look to Denmark , and say a prayer for her future and for our own..
If you agree with this article, then please pass it on..
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To Blatherings and Bits Blog
Posts
All Comments