Magic Votes, Closed Doors, Heart Tones and a UNIX Admin in Wallstreet

85% scrap abortion plans after hearing heart tones.
The CMR blog reported that an executive director of a Community Pregnancy Center named Candice Keller said in the Middletown Journal that 85% of expecting mothers who are considering an abortion change their minds after hearing their baby’s heartbeat. So the abortion industry wants to close down pregnancy centers or prevent them from exposing the mother to hear the child’s heartbeat. The comments on the combox produced a suggestion to have kids go on field trips to see an ultrasound machine and even hear the heartbeat of an unborn child. I thought that was great because it will prevent the tragedy of having a mother tricked into murdering her child thinking that it was only a blob of flesh. And I won’t wait for the school field trip. I will show my daughter how a baby develops on the web and let her hear the heartbeats there.

20 million Democrat supporters from scratch.
It’s not from scratch really but from illegal aliens. Just give them amnesty and you get new voters.

Watching the nation get screwed.
This ping-pong tactic to ram the healthcare reform obviously subverts the democratic process. Then it is blatantly kept in the dark, contrary to the president’s promises. In the face of such a travesty, I wonder why the opposition sits there watching helplessly while twiddling their thumbs. Why don’t they stand up and walk-out to protest this mockery of the legislative process?

Exploding underwear and a UNIX admin in Wall street.
One of my buddies was a UNIX System admin in Wall street. When a server goes down, he has 15 minutes to bring it up. If he fails, he’s out because, millions of dollars would have been lost during that time. How about the admins who were supposed to keep the terrorists out? Do they have more than 1 strike? That underwear bomber could have crashed the plane in Detroit killing thousands of Americans. How much would that loss be in dollars?

Rice not Steele. Time for the brother to go.

Recent comments of Michele Steele does not inspire confidence at all. But greater odds have been surmounted in the past. Just think about George Washington as he led his beleaguered and battered strugglers on a winter march and crossed the Delaware for that decisive stand. What we have now is such a welling of popular support that anyone else will be more than optimistic about the GOP victory. Is Steele’s loyalty is with his homey in the oval. Does he feel unappreciated that his support for the party is half-hearted to say the least? I think he’s already jaded and cynical, so it’s time for new blood. I say bring back Condi Rice and let her lead the party to take back America.

Variety: Stock Opportunity, Used Electronics, Living Large

Live like a millionaire without spending a cent:
The single leading pastime of the richest Americans (net worth of >$10 million) is spending time with their children or grandchildren.  I think we can all do that and know how it feels to live like a millionaire.

Investment Opportunity from Stimulus:
$3.4 billion of stimulus funds will be used to modernize the power grid to better accommodate renewable sources e.g. solar & wind.  The likely benefeciaries of this are companies that increase energy efficiency e.g Ener-NOC, Esco Technologies Inc. & Echelon Corp.

Used Electronics Bought:
Sears, Walmart & Costco are giving gift cards for used cell phones, cameras, laptops & other electronic devices.  Go to  sears.gazelle.com, walmart.gazelle.com or costco.gazelle.com for details.

Preserving Children's Innocence, Purity & Chastity

I’ll start moving my kids to Catholic schools this year starting with my 10 year old. Every little thing can help or hinder. When it comes to their spiritual and character formation, I have decided to give it my all. For what does it profit them if they become a golf champion or the speaker of the House if they lose their souls? Also, the peer group is quite an influence. And in this sex crazed culture, I need to instill in them the virtue of purity and chastity and the last thing that I need is some other kid telling my son that masturbation is natural because his dad thinks so.  In Catholic schools, there is some selection and control. Also, I do not want them to come home with a fisting kit – compliments of the safe school czar. The in-parish tuition is 6 grand;  that's steep but it is well worth the innocence of my kids. 

( Pictures are:  Blessed Laura Vicuna (13 yrs. old.) & St. Dominic Savio (15 yrs. old) )

Fisting Kit

Dems Pyrrhic victory; Buffet's winning choices; Wearing my gas mask first

Pyrrhic victory:
Democrats may skip procedures to push through health care legislation.  Read more here.  They won so they can do what they like and ignore more than half of the nation.  Why are they acting like that in an election year where there are 435 House seats, 36 Senate seats and 37 Gubernatorial seats that are up for vote?  They may win in ramming this into a law but lose everything because of it.  Perhaps, it does not matter;  because, they might be getting some form of reimbursement that is worth the loss of their political careers - must be nice and big.

Buffet's choices:
From the book:  Warren Buffett's Management Secrets: Proven Tools for Personal and Business Success, his investment choices are based on companies that:
have a consistent upward ten-year trend in earnings per share,
have less debt than its competitors or on average less than five times net earnings and have high gross margins e.g. Moody's rating service, Burlington Northern Railroad, and Wrigley Gum are all > 50%.

My gas mask first:
In an emergency the procedure is to help myself with the gas mask before attending to the kids - common sense.  So, looking out for number 1 is not always selfish.  When my beloved wife wanted to visit her mom for the new year celebrations, I was wheezing with asthma so I told her to just go by themselves as I may not be able to handle driving to NJ in the bitter cold.  I did find rest and relief but their absence was debilitating.  Anyway the point was, one needs to love oneself first - not overly but enough and that's not evil.  If not, one can burn out and be resentful.

Covering for Santa. Life flashes in Facebook. Christian Communism.

Covering for Santa.
Santa messed up in my 7 year olds eyes.  Instead of Sponge Bob Legos, he brought Sponge Bob Play-doh.  So, my boy was mad and sad.  Tonight, we went to Target and ToysRUs to get him something that he likes.  The message that I am sending is that Santa might have given him Play-doh, but God gave him his dad who will try to make his wish come true.

Life Flashes in Facebook.
They say your life flashes before you as you die;  it must be something with the brain as the neural networks traverses all the nodes for one last time.  However, I see my life flashing before me now as I find almost everyone whom I have known in Facebook.  From cousins who grew up with me, childhood friends, classmates in the seminary, students, co-workers, companions in prayer groups, in-laws, out-laws almost everyone except for those who would rather not be my friends.  So as my life flashes, so do the lessons learned on how to live.

Christian Communism.
This seems to be the idea behind spreading the wealth - like it is a charitable thing to do.  However, Christian Communism is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms.  When the early Christian community pooled their properties, they did so willingly.  Taking people's properties by force, the way the Communists do, is immoral because people have a right to their possessions.  So, the idea of spreading the wealth is immoral.  And as a system, Communism has not worked.  Can anyone name a prosperous Communist or Socialist nation?  Even China has modified the economics of Communism such that is it quasi-Capitalist.  And one simply needs to look at history, in order to avoid it's mistakes.  I don't understand why some political leaders are acting as though the Berlin wall has not fallen, the U.S.S.R. has not disbanded and there is no famine in North Korea.

Original Vision of America. It's not just the big bucks.

My favorite ballad.  It's not just the big bucks.  It's about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  America is a haven for political opponents of dictators;  they need not fear for their lives anymore.  One can enjoy the freedoms provided by the bill of rights - a prerogative only of the ruling class in other places.  Finally, one has the chance to work for their dreams.  In other places, diligence and talent is not enough.  I hope and pray that America continues to be this land of opportunity for always.

Source :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3S7mlRYL-8 or click here
Bill of Rights from Wiki.

• First Amendment – Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause; freedom of speech, of the press, Freedom of Religion, and of assembly; right to petition,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

• Second Amendment – Militia (United States), Sovereign state, Right to keep and bear arms.

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. ^[5][6]

• Third Amendment – Protection from quartering of troops.

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

• Fourth Amendment – Protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

• Fifth Amendment – due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, eminent domain.

No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

• Sixth Amendment – Trial by jury and rights of the accused; Confrontation Clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.

• Seventh Amendment – Civil trial by jury.

In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

• Eighth Amendment – Prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment.

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

• Ninth Amendment – Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights.

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.

• Tenth Amendment – Powers of States and people.

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.