Where is everyone else??? Thank you for bringing this to our attention, RON PAUL!

"Messy" Carts? OH MY!!!

Read this while your stomach is feeling strong & before you go grocery shopping!


"The next time you head to the grocery store, you might want to arm yourself with some antibacterial wipes, and maybe some disposable gloves before you grab a shopping cart.

That’s because those carts are actually dirtier than a public bathroom, according to researchers at the University of Arizona, who swabbed the handles of 85 carts in four states looking for bacterial contamination, USA Today reported.

In the end, they found 72 percent of the carts had a positive marker for fecal matter, and 50 percent had E. coli.
Researchers said they found more fecal matter on the shopping cart handles than a typical bathroom due to the fact that bathrooms are disinfected more often than these carts.
The lead researcher, professor Charles Gerba, also recommends that shoppers keep a close-eye on those reusable shopping bags because they can become what he calls a “bacterial swamp.”
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/03/03/fecal-matter-72-percent-grocery-carts/#?test=latestnews

P-P-P-please! Must read link:

Pelosi Suggests Probe of Funding Sources Behind Opposition to Mosque Near Ground Zero

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/18/pelosi-calls-mosque-debate-zoning-issue-says-new-yorkers-decide/

Manhattan Mosque Debate Renews Concern Over Stalled Sept. 11 Trial

With President Obama lighting up a national political debate over the so-called Ground Zero Mosque by appearing to support the project during a White House dinner last Friday, one group representing the families of Sept. 11 victims accused the president of mixing up his priorities.


"He should be focusing on putting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his cohorts on trial and allowing them to plead guilty as they said they wanted to do, rather than lecturing the families of those firefighters and their children about religious tolerance at ground zero," said Debra Burlingame, co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America. Burlingame's brother was one of the pilots killed on Sept. 11, 2001.


This is an exerpt from the following article on FoxNews.com- below is the complete article:
 
             The inflamed debate over a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in lower Manhattan has renewed concern over the lack of public movement toward what was billed as a landmark trial for five alleged co-conspirators in the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

             The case against confessed mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four others has idled since Attorney General Eric Holder announced it last November. His decision to try the defendants in federal court in New York City was called into question by local officials and subsequently placed under review by the Obama administration. Months later, no decision has been announced regarding the date, location or venue for the trial -- earlier this summer, Fox News learned an announcement is not expected until after the November election.  With President Obama lighting up a national political debate over the so-called Ground Zero Mosque by appearing to support the project during a White House dinner last Friday, one group representing the families of Sept. 11 victims accused the president of mixing up his priorities.

         "He should be focusing on putting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his cohorts on trial and allowing them to plead guilty as they said they wanted to do, rather than lecturing the families of those firefighters and their children about religious tolerance at ground zero," said Debra Burlingame, co-founder of 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America. Burlingame's brother was one of the pilots killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
Former New York Gov. George Pataki told Fox News that the families of Sept. 11 victims and all Americans "deserve an answer as to why Khalid Sheikh Mohammed still hasn't been brought to justice."
        "The focus has been on the mosque, but what about those war criminals who attacked us on Sept. 11. Why haven't they been tried and convicted as they should be?" he said.

        An Obama spokesman clarified on Saturday that the president was not explicitly supporting the project, merely stating that the developers had the right to pursue it. Then the White House said the president was not backing off his original comments -- the set of explanations added to confusion about the president's stance and fueled criticism from Republicans, who had already stated their opposition to the mosque project.
      The debate gathered steam as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid came out in opposition to the project and then as Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie warned that the issue was becoming a "political football" for both parties.
Islamic advocacy groups in the United States have tried to battle the growing opposition to the New York City project.
Mahdi Bray, director of Muslim American Society Freedom, warned during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., that there was a "growing pattern" of mosques being opposed in the United States -- and not just near Ground Zero.

      "We are determined to defend religious rights and freedom," he said Tuesday. "We do believe that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution is sacrosanct."
Meanwhile, questions remain over the Sept. 11 trial.
         Holder told Congress in March that a final decision on the trial venue was "weeks away." But during one of his last news conferences before the latest congressional recess, the attorney general said "no decision" had been made.
      "The conversations we are having are ongoing," Holder said.
None of the five defendants being held in U.S. military custody have been charged. Complicating the case, the discovery of tapes depicting the interrogation at a secret prison of one of the defendants, Ramzi Binalshibh, was revealed Tuesday.

          Fox News confirmed that the tapes were found at the CIA in 2007. They could throw a wrench in the trial process by revealing evidence about the defendant's mental state and treatment at the Moroccan-run prison.
However, a U.S. official downplayed the significance of the tape, telling Fox News they only show "a guy sitting at a desk answering questions years earlier."
"They don't show anything more than that," the official said.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/08/17/manhattan-mosque-debate-renews-concern-stalled-sept-trial/

             

 
 

The Fight Still Continues...

Congress Passes Health Care Bill
Despite overwhelming public opposition, Washington D.C. Democrats steamrolled the American people and the citizens of Colorado this week by ramming the health care bill through.
I support Colorado Attorney General John Suthers joining thirteen other states in a lawsuit to block Obama Care.
The U.S. Constitution gives the federal government only enumerated powers. All other powers are expressly left to the states and their people. In the health care legislation passed in Washington, Congress is attempting, for the first time in our history, to use the interstate commerce power to regulate citizens who choose not to engage in a commercial activity, by forcing them to buy insurance. Never before in our history has Congress mandated citizens to purchase a product or service as a condition of living in this great country.
I also support Jon Caldara from the Independence Institute who is working to bring forward an amendment to the Colorado Constitution to preserve our right to health care choice.

I am a small business owner who struggles with the cost of providing insurance to my employees and see their struggles affording their match to buy insurance.

Government run health care will not produce low cost quality care. We must move in the direction of our free market to succeed in solving our health care cost issues. Lasik eye surgery is the best most recent example of our free market succeeding in lowering costs and increasing accessibility and increasing quality.
Signed:
Our State's Senator

Progressives are pitting kids against their parents in order to get elected

http://video.foxnews.com/v/4015237/the-one-thing-212

The government has your baby's DNA By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent

(CNN) -- When Annie Brown's daughter, Isabel, was a month old, her pediatrician asked Brown and her husband to sit down because he had some bad news to tell them: Isabel carried a gene that put her at risk for cystic fibrosis.

While grateful to have the information -- Isabel received further testing and she doesn't have the disease -- the Mankato, Minnesota, couple wondered how the doctor knew about Isabel's genes in the first place. After all, they'd never consented to genetic testing.

It's simple, the pediatrician answered: Newborn babies in the United States are routinely screened for a panel of genetic diseases. Since the testing is mandated by the government, it's often done without the parents' consent, according to Brad Therrell, director of the National Newborn Screening & Genetics Resource Center.

In many states, such as Florida, where Isabel was born, babies' DNA is stored indefinitely, according to the resource center.

Many parents don't realize their baby's DNA is being stored in a government lab, but sometimes when they find out, as the Browns did, they take action. Parents in Texas, and Minnesota have filed lawsuits, and these parents' concerns are sparking a new debate about whether it's appropriate for a baby's genetic blueprint to be in the government's possession.

"We were appalled when we found out," says Brown, who's a registered nurse. "Why do they need to store my baby's DNA indefinitely? Something on there could affect her ability to get a job later on, or get health insurance."

According to the state of Minnesota's Web site, samples are kept so that tests can be repeated, if necessary, and in case the DNA is ever need to help parents identify a missing or deceased child. The samples are also used for medical research.

Art Caplan, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania, says he understands why states don't first ask permission to screen babies for genetic diseases. "It's paternalistic, but the state has an overriding interest in protecting these babies," he says.

However, he added that storage of DNA for long periods of time is a different matter.

"I don't see any reason to do that kind of storage," Caplan says. "If it's anonymous, then I don't care. I don't have an issue with that. But if you keep names attached to those samples, that makes me nervous."

DNA given to outside researchers

Genetic testing for newborns started in the 1960s with testing for diseases and conditions that, if undetected, could kill a child or cause severe problems, such as mental retardation. Since then, the screening has helped save countless newborns.

Over the years, many other tests were added to the list. Now, states mandate that newborns be tested for anywhere between 28 and 54 different conditions, and the DNA samples are stored in state labs for anywhere from three months to indefinitely, depending on the state.

Brad Therrell, who runs the federally funded genetic resource consortium, says parents don't need to worry about the privacy of their babies' DNA.

"The states have in place very rigid controls on those specimens," Therrell says. "If my children's DNA were in one of these state labs, I wouldn't be worried a bit."

The specimens don't always stay in the state labs. They're often given to outside researchers -- sometimes with the baby's name attached.

According to a study done by the state of Minnesota, more than 20 scientific papers have been published in the United States since 2000 using newborn blood samples.

The researchers do not have to have parental consent to obtain samples as long as the baby's name is not attached, according to Amy Gaviglio, one of the authors of the Minnesota report. However, she says it's her understanding that if a researcher wants a sample with a baby's name attached, consent first must be obtained from the parents.

More Empowered Patient news and advice

Scientists have heralded this enormous collection of DNA samples as a "gold mine" for doing research, according to Gaviglio.

"This sample population would be virtually impossible to get otherwise," says Gaviglio, a genetic counselor for the Minnesota Department of Health. "Researchers go through a very stringent process to obtain the samples. States certainly don't provide samples to just anyone."

Brown says that even with these assurances, she still worries whether someone could gain access to her baby's DNA sample with Isabel's name attached.

"I know the government says my baby's data will be kept private, but I'm not so sure. I feel like my trust has been taken," she says.

Parents don't give consent to screening

Brown says she first lost trust when she learned that Isabel had received genetic testing in the first place without consent from her or her husband.

"I don't have a problem with the testing, but I wish they'd asked us first," she says.

Since health insurance paid for Isabel's genetic screening, her positive test for a cystic fibrosis gene is now on the record with her insurance company, and the Browns are concerned this could hurt her in the future.

"It's really a black mark against her, and there's nothing we can do to get it off there," Brown says. "And let's say in the future they can test for a gene for schizophrenia or manic-depression and your baby tests positive -- that would be on there, too."

Brown says if the hospital had first asked her permission to test Isabel, now 10 months old, she might have chosen to pay for it out of pocket so the results wouldn't be known to the insurance company.

Caplan says taking DNA samples without asking permission and then storing them "veers from the norm."

"In the military, for instance, they take and store DNA samples, but they tell you they're doing it, and you can choose not to join if you don't like it," he says.

What can parents do

In some states, including Minnesota and Texas, the states are required to destroy a baby's DNA sample if a parent requests it. Parents who want their baby's DNA destroyed are asked to fill out this form in Minnesota and this form in Texas.

Parents in other states have less recourse, says Therrell, who runs the genetic testing group. "You'd probably have to write a letter to the state saying, 'Please destroy my sample,'" he says.

He adds, however, that it's not clear whether a state would necessarily obey your wishes. "I suspect it would be very difficult to get those states to destroy your baby's sample," he says.

CNN's John Bonifield and Jennifer Bixler contributed to this report

This is so refreshing! Watch & enjoy!

This is wonderfully patriotic! What a treat! National Anthem at Eagles Game - Amazing
Finally, somebody got it right!
Tired of all those "recording stars" singing the national anthem?

Here's what our military can do. If this doesn't put a lump in your throat, and fill your heart with PRIDE, you need to move to another country.

Reagan Audio - Don't say we weren't warned

This is an amazing speech given by Ronald Regan BEFORE he was even President. We believe he was right on! Below is the transcript...the last sentence is CHILLING. This looks long, but trust us, you'll be glad you either listened to the link or read the transcript! Try BOTH!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx3ycMDTfw4


REAGAN: Now back in 1927 an American socialist, Norman Thomas, six times candidate for president on the Socialist Party ticket, said the American people would never vote for socialism. But he said under the name of liberalism the American people will adopt every fragment of the socialist program. There are many ways in which our government has invaded the precincts of private citizens, the method of earning a living. But at the moment I'd like to talk about another way because this trip is with us and at the moment is more imminent.
One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism on a people has been by way of medicine. It’s very easy to disguise a medical program as a humanitarian project. Most people are a little reluctant to oppose anything that suggests medical care for people who possibly can't afford it. Now, the American people, if you put it to them about socialized medicine and gave them a chance to choose, would unhesitatingly vote against it.
We had an example of this. Under the Truman administration it was proposed that we have a compulsory health insurance program for all people in the United States, and, of course, the American people unhesitatingly rejected this. So with the American people on record as not wanting socialized medicine, Congressman Ferrand said, if we can only break through and get our foot inside the door, they can we can expand the program after that. Well, let's see what the socialists themselves had to say about it. They say once the Ferrand bill is passed, this nation will be provided with a mechanism for socialized medicine capable of indefinite expansion in every direction until it includes the entire population.
Well, we can't say we haven't been warned. James Madison in 1788, speaking to the Virginia Convention said: “Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.”
Now in our country under our free enterprise system, we have seen medicine reach the greatest heights that it has in any country in the world. Today, the relationship between patient and doctor in this country is something to be envied any place. The privacy, the care that is given to a person, the right to chose a doctor, the right to go from one doctor to the other. But let’s also look from the other side, at the freedom the doctor loses. A doctor would be reluctant to say this. Well, like you, I am only a patient, so I can say it in his behalf. The doctor begins to lose freedoms; it’s like telling a lie, and one leads to another. First you decide that the doctor can have so many patients. They are equally divided among the various doctors by the government. But then the doctors aren’t equally divided geographically, so a doctor decides he wants to practice in one town and the government has to say to him you can’t live in that town, they already have enough doctors. You have to go someplace else. And from here it is only a short step to dictating where he will go. This is a freedom that I wonder whether any of us have the right to take from any human being. In this country of ours, took place the greatest revolution that has ever taken place in world’s history. The only true revolution. Every other revolution simply exchanged one set of rulers for another. But here for the first time in all the thousands of years of man’s relation to man, a little group of the men, the founding fathers for the first time – established the idea that you and I had within ourselves the God given right and ability to determine our own destiny.
This freedom was built into our government with safeguards.
We talk democracy today. And strangely we let democracy begin to assume the aspect of majority rule is all that is needed. Well, majority rule is a fine aspect of democracy, provided there are guarantees written in to our government concerning the rights of the individual and of the minorities. What can we do about this? Well, you and I can do a great deal. We can say right now that we want no further encroachment on these individual liberties and freedoms and that you demand the continuation of our traditional free enterprise system. You and I can do this. The only way we can do it is by writing to our congressmen, even if we believe that he's on our side to begin with, write to strengthen his hand. Write those letters now. Call your friends and tell them to write. If you don't, this program, I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow. And behind it will come other federal programs that will invade every area of freedom as we have known it in this country... until one day as Norman Thomas said, we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don't do this and if I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free.

Calls Needed to Congress About National Healthcare Bill

We received this in an email today and we feel this is an urgent call to action that applies not just to homeschooling families, but ALL families regardless of where your child is educated!!!!

"Dear Colorado homeschooling families,
Our friends at the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) have passed on an urgent message to us:
William A. Estrada, Esq.Director of Federal Relations July 21, 2009
Urgent calls are needed to the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to oppose H.R. 3200, "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009." Although this bill does not directly impact homeschool freedoms, it would significantly impact parental rights and early childhood education. For more information, read HSLDA's legislative summary of H.R. 3200.While this bill is being promoted as a way to reform health care and help Americans, it should be opposed because it would:
*Spend billions of dollars to allow the federal government to fund home visitation programs, where government officials would enter homes and monitor children and instruct parents in how to raise their children;
*Encourage states to pressure families to enroll their children in these home visitation programs;
*Put the federal government in the healthcare business, resulting in loss of competition, loss of patient choice, and loss of patient freedom;
*Require all health insurance plans, whether offered by a private company or the government, to include controversial "essential benefits," which courts or the Secretary of Health and Human Services may determine to include medical procedures which businesses and taxpayers may oppose on philosophical and religious grounds; and
*Increase the size and power of the federal government.

Action: Please call your U.S. representative and your two U.S. senators, and ask them to oppose the federal government's takeover of health care.
You need not identify yourself as a homeschooler. You can use some or all of the following message:
"Please oppose H.R. 3200, the 'America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009.' I am opposed to H.R. 3200's creation of home visitation programs through grants to the states. Parents, not federal or state officials, should make child-rearing decisions for their young children. Additionally, H.R. 3200 will expand the federal government's role, the federal deficit, and will interfere with medical decisions between my doctor and me."

Please also forward this information to as many of your friends as you can and urge them to call their elected officials. You can find the contact information for your U.S. representative by using HSLDA's contact information for your U.S. representative by using HSLDA's Legislative Toolbox.
If you are in Colorado, here is the contact info for COLORADO SENATORS:
1. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Washington, D.C. Office:702 Hart Senate Office Building,District of Columbia 20510-0605
Phone: (202) 224-5852 Fax: (202) 228-5036
Denver Office: 2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: (303) 455-7600 Fax: (303) 455-8851

2. Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)
Washington, D.C. Office: 317 Hart Senate Office Building, District of Columbia 20510-0605
Phone: (202) 224-5941 Fax: (202) 224-6471
Denver Office: 999 Eighteenth Street, Suite N 1525 Denver, Colorado 80202
Phone: (303) 650-7820 Fax: (303) 650-7827

"First 100 Days of Change" for the family

Yesterday, President Barack Obama marked his 100th day in office...
FRC has put together a great video on the impact Mr. Obama’s radical, neo-Marxist social agenda has had on American families in the first one hundred days of his administration. From abortion to fetal stem cell research to outrageous spending, American families have definitely been impacted by the “Hope and Change” regime.

Personal Protection Firearm Training

Joy and I just spent 11 hours this week in an NRA-sponsored Personal Protection class. We learned about gun safety, different handguns and ammunition, legal concerns (a full 3 hours just on this), basic shooting skills, and had personal responsibility and safety drilled in throughout each portion. We each shot about 100 rounds. This was Joy's first time in her life ever touching a real gun, and she did great. We waited 2 months to get into the class, because they keep small class sizes. We've now met the requirements to apply for a concealed carry permit for handguns in Colorado. We still have a lot of reading, thinking, talking, and practicing to do before we decide whether or not to carry concealed, and we've got an equal amount of work to do before we actually place guns in our home for the purposes of self defense, in the unlikely event of a home invasion. Of course, total safety is our highest priority (which is why we want guns in the first place), but it's also a priority once we decide to put a gun in our home. We're humbled by the awesome responsibility that being gun owners will be, but we're thankful for this freedom and are ready to exercise our right.

This class was exactly what two citified people who have never owned a gun needed in order to learn more about self-defense (including the many ways to avoid conflict and defuse a volatile situation without the display or use of deadly force) and allow us to begin the educational process of becoming resonsible gun owners. One thing we know we have to have down 100% before we ever bring a gun home is to ensure we have a plan for complete and total positive control of the weapons at all times, because of our young children. But this class gave us the tools and knowledge we need to be able to make smart choices and keep our family safer than if we did not have guns in the home.

If you have guns at home for self-defense, or for sport, we'd love to hear from you so we can continue learning. Why do you have guns for self-defense, how do you secure them, do you carry them with you outside the home, do you carry them concealed, have you or someone you know ever been in a situation where you had a gun and needed it, or were you in a situation that a gun would have made a difference? What are your thoughts on how to carry concealed for men and women and in what circumstances? What type of ammunition do you prefer for defense?

Our longer-term goal is to have our entire family become experts in other forms of self-defense, particularly a common martial art. When I (Ben) started Tae Kwondo classes a couple years ago, I was disappointed that I had to be in close contact with other women taking self defense classes and I thought they didn't belong there. Now, I have changed my mind. Knowing how sexualized and violent our society has become, I absolutely want to be able to equip my wife and children with as many skills as possible that allow them to protect and defend their lives if necessary. I believe that with the proliferation of sexual media on the internet over the last few years, there is likely to be a significant spike in violent, especially sexual, crime in the next 10 years or less. As children who have grown up exposed and addicted to prolific amounts of pornography from a very young age continue to percolate in their bedrooms and dorm rooms, I fully expect more of them to act out their corrupted fantasies on real people. I hope and believe odds are still low that something will happen to my loved ones, but I want all of us to be prepared so that we will not become victims and statistics. So we'll begin the martial arts phase at some point. We're not paranoid in the least - we believe we're just being realistic. We are confident that odds are that we'll not ever become victims of a violent act; however, in the unlikely event that we are, and especially if our lives depend on being able to respond properly in a critical situation, we want to be prepared. Please let us know what you think if you'd like to share your thoughts on this. We need to engage with others who have also thought through this in order to sharpen and refine our skills and knowledge in this important area.

Here's how we found our class, if you're interested.
NRA safety course finder: http://www.nrahq.org/education/training/find.asp
Our next class is going to be a 12-hour pistol use class, where we can have the opportunity to develop our skills more, and where we can learn from experienced people who can help us establish good habits from the beginning.

The Homemaker's Value-- (this speaks for itself)

The Homemaker’s Value

If women choose not to do this very special job,it will simply not get done,the mothering, the nurturing, the comforting and caringthat fills the committed homemaker’s daywill simply be lost,and society will be impoverished.Children will not get the spiritual guidance they need.Lonely teenagers will not be listened to.Many people with problems will not be ministered to,many sick folk will go unvisited.A special human quality will disappear from our culture.
Women can give up their jobsas clerks, engineers, sales people, doctors --other people will step inand the world will go on as smoothly as before.It will be business as usual.
The groceries will still be sold,trucks loaded with merchandise will still roll across our highway,and Wall Street will carry on.
Not so with homemaking.
Homemakers are the special people in whose handsthe country and the world have been entrusted.When women leave this job the world does not go on as before.It falters and begins to lose its way.
Homemakers are indispensable!

There are times, not so much anymore, but especially when I first began this mothering thing, that I had no concept of this position’s value. It seems America is a forerunner in destroying the view of the mother – being a businesswoman is best, limit the number of children to the number of hands you have to hold onto them, put them in school and fulfill yourself.
If women choose not to do this very special job of homemaking, It will simply not get done, the mother, the nurturing, the comforting and caring that fills the committed homemaker's day will simply be lost.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.John 15:13

We can show no greater love, than laying our lives down for our families. Churches come and go. Friends can move. Jobs get outsourced. Our families are a constant in our lives. We will always be the mother of our children. Always. Even when they’re grown and on their own. They will still touch base with us to share their lives and to get a booster shot of love.

From one mother to another,
Ky Wright

Abortion Industry Thanking President Obama!

This is a snapshot from the main webpage of the National Aboration Rights Action League. The abortion industry is thanking President Obama for his commitment to the spread of wider access by women to the opportunity to dismember a human being. It's absolutely heinous!

This blog is where we've been putting a select few of our thoughts. We're at the point now where we realize we can't remain silent and inactive, and we can't just sit by and comment on the sad state of our culture - we must devote as much energy and money as possible to helping secure a safe, secure, honest, just society and country in which to raise our children. We don't know yet where we'll direct our efforts, our money, and our energy, but we'll be thinking hard about the proper way to engage our culture with the truth of Scripture and the ideals of our founding fathers. We'll look to find one of the most central places in the cultural battle between good and evil. Maybe I (Ben) can even find a job some time that allows me to direct my vocation to the fight against evil as well. We'll see what happens. That's where we hope we're headed.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/23/obama-lift-ban-overseas-abortion-funding/

The Marketing of Evil

I'm reading a book I just discovered - it's called The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom, by David Kupelian (Amazon link here). It's fascinating. A link to the entire first chapter is available here. The most interesting part so far in Chapter 1 is all the quotes from two different books:
- After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's (Amazon link here) by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen - 2 Harvard-trained gay activist experts in psychiatry and marketing. Just look at the Amazon description and some of the comments - it's unabashed in it's effort to use propaganda and advanced marketing techniques to shape the thoughts of Americans
- Selling Homosexuality to America, by Paul Rondeau. (can't find it on Amazon, but here's a link that you can follow if you want to see source info)

It's fascinating and SHOCKING to see what levels these people have gone to in order to promote their agenda. If you have time to read the entire first chapter of After the Ball, it's WELL worth your time!

Folks like Doug Phillips, I believe, have figured this out. They haven't mindlessly swallowed everything that's been handed to them. That's probably in part why he's launched such a massive campaign to encourage media excellence in young people. He understands the culture war, the rules of the game, and how to make a difference. May we all become wise in these things and gainfully employ ourselves in useful activity to ensure a more promising future for our children and our countrymen.

Doug Phillips - As Hollywood Fails, A Christian Film Movement Prevails

FROM: http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2009/02/4920.aspx

Monday, February 23, 2009
As Hollywood Fails, A Christian Film Movement Prevails
“But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk.” Homosexual Activist Dustin Lance Black Accepting the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk
The distinction between Hollywood’s toxic culture of death and the burgeoning Christian film movement of life was highlighted in bold this weekend.
Millions of viewers tuned into the 81st Academy Awards where they watched Sean Penn receive the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of homosexual activist Harvey Milk, and Kate Winslet receive the Best Female Actor Oscar for her performance in The Reader, a pornographic story about a female Nazi war criminal seducing a 15-year-old boy. They also watched award-winners use their platform to push homosexual political activism and to encourage teenagers to pursue a homosexual lifestyle.
But just over twenty-four hours earlier, National Public Radio broadcast a seven-minute feature on a very different type of film movement and awards ceremony to a listening audience of more than six million.
“As Hollywood crowns its favorite movies and actors at the Oscars on Sunday, another group is trying to create a rival movie industry. Fed up with sex and violence in mainstream entertainment, conservative Christians are turning out their own films. And they’ve made surprising inroads.”
NPR Religion correspondent Barbara Bradley Hagerty reported on the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival in her feature report “Christian Filmmakers Creating an Industry of Faith.” She began her story with this telling question:
“What was the biggest grossing independent film in 2008? No, not Slumdog Millionaire. Not Milk. It was a movie you’ve probably never heard of...” Click here to listen to the report which includes interviews with Kirk Cameron, Steven Kendrick, and some of the more than 2,400 people in attendance at the event.

-- end Doug Phillips post

I'm SO thankful for what Doug Phillips and the many people who support, collaborate, and participate with him do. While most of us sit around talking about what's going on, Doug has correctly diagnosed that control of our culture rests with the media - and he's devoted great energy and resources to doing something about it!

I went to NPR's page to listen to the story - it was really good. What's funny is the responses of some of the people in the comments. So here is my own comment directed at those who are freaking out that NPR would cover a Christian story...and any of a million other rabbit trails related to Christianity that people posted.

NPR did a great job telling a story - that's what their job is! The venom and vitriolic speech of some who responded to this is ridiculous. Story: some Christians made some movies (I don't know of anyone who has been forced to see them, or forced to listen to NPR for that matter, so ease up a little) based on their values. Hollywood does the same thing - they just have different values and goals. Isn't this America - land of opportunity and freedom?Good for NPR for covering a significant story in a positive way. If you feel threatened by a couple thousand people celebrating an event designed to encourage talented filmmakers to make films that represent their values, that's too bad. Hollywood is certainly about pushing their values. Let's be grateful there are people in the world who devote themselves to what's helpful and beneficial for human kind! Huge kudos to NPR for covering this significant story on the weekend of the Oscars. The rest of you should probably ease up a little bit and consider what makes you feel so creepy about NPR telling a story about a few good folks making some nice movies and giving out prizes for it!

The Road to Socialism..."surprise!"

February 23, 2009 3:30 PM
The Road to Socialismby -->
By Glenn BeckHost, “Glenn Beck“
It’s official–I may have spent too much time in New York City these past few years, because I’m actually beginning to think about things like a New Yorker. For instance, life with our new President Barack Obama is beginning to feel a lot like being in a taxi, stuck in rush hour traffic: You’re not crazy about the guy behind the wheel, not only do you not like where you’re going (you are trapped in Manhattan after all), but you can’t understand the route he’s taking to get you there, and the whole thing is costing you a small fortune. Yes, a cab ride in the big city is like being on The Road to Socialism.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children.
When the government starts taking control of private industry, where else can this road lead? I don’t like it any more than you do, but that doesn’t mean either of us can close our eyes and pretend it’s not happening.
And it’s not just any industries I’m talking about here. If Obama wanted to rush in to “save” the ice cream cone industry, I could probably learn to live with that. As much as I’d hate to have the low quality government cones, I think we’d all live happy, normal and productive lives if we were forced to eat our ice cream with spoons out of little bowls.
But when the government has its dirty little fingers on vital elements of our economy, it has its hands around the throat of capitalism itself…and it’s squeezing hard.
Think of the housing bailout. A part of that plan (the TV show “Lost” is more rooted in reality) is President Obama giving homeowners an “incentive payment” of $1,500 if they remain current through their loan modification (translation: a handout just for doing what you’ve previously agreed to do). They also qualify for a bonus of $1,000 a year for five years if they keep up with payments. That’s a $6,500 perk for people to stay in homes they already can’t afford! And by the way–do you have a five-year mortgage? Me neither. Most of us have 30 year mortgages, so this is an awfully expensive band-aid on a problem that we’ll only have to rip off in five years –and you know how painful that can be. Plus, for good measure we’ve allowed people to remain under the delusion that they can and deserve to stay in homes they never should have been able to buy in the first place. It’s so insane, I’d actually laugh if I wasn’t so busy crying.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children. The message they’re sending will have long-term ramifications, some of which are already being felt. Some communities are considering offering “incentives” to families like a payment of $50 to get their kids a library card. And a recent study shows that nearly one third of all students believe they deserve a B just for showing up to class and if they do the work–regardless of the quality or its correctness–they deserve an A! Whether President Obama likes it or not, it’s a cruel world out there and there are still places (though not in Washington or Wall Street) where performance and results matter.
Kids who read, perform better. There’s the “incentive” for getting them a library card. And success in school requires more than just showing up-in real life, there are no As for effort. We do no one a favor–neither our children nor our own future–by believing anything else.
Yup, we’re on The Road to Socialism, and while we may have not yet reached our final destination, we’re well on our way. And just like that New York City taxi, the meter’s running. I wonder how high will we let it get before we tell this driver to pull over?

FIRED UP about stimulus!

Finally got motivated to act about the stimulus/spending plan tonight.
Here's what I did.

First, I sent this e-mail to a number of conservative radio/TV hosts:
Obama wants real stories of people "made available to the public to show how critical it is to support the economic recovery plan." - they can be submitted at his website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/kainestories

Of course he's not interested in everyone's story, just those that support his plan. You should read some of them on-air and disembowel them - it's more Julio and Henrietta types asking for free stuff!

Maybe you can start a similar page for people whose story shows stimulus should not be supported. I'm one of them. I'm saving, renting a home, waiting to put 20% down on a 15-year note and still have an emergency fund in place. In Arizona Obama said "By bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everybody.” He should say “for everybody who currently owns a home.” I have acted responsibly and not taken out a home loan yet. So “shoring up housing prices” puts me at a disadvantage. I’m not asking the government to rescue me, but to stop intervening in the market.

How many other people out there have a story like this to tell - of saving responsibly and staying out of debt, who the package won't help one bit? We should counter Obama's pitiful PR attempt with the other side of the story!

Thanks!
B

FIRED UP - pt 2

Next, I sent this to Obama's story page, referenced above, and called it in:

President Obama said in his speech in Mesa, Arizona, on February 18th that “if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral [in the housing market], then every American will benefit.” This is not true! I will not benefit in any way from this action. I have been renting, saving my money, waiting until I could buy a house on a 15-year note with 20% down and a solid emergency fund in place. Now, with this action, I will have to wait longer to be able to buy a house if the market is propped up. It is false that “every American will benefit.” President Obama is about telling people’s stories – I would be very pleased if my story was also published - while it's not as sad as other stories, I believe it's valid and deserves equal attention. I will have deep respect for the President if he allows my story to be publicized with all the other sad ones where people are asking the government to help with everything from family problems to financial problems, which I don't believe is the government's job. Please don't support the economic intervention, because it will delay my conservative, well-planned, stable, entry into the mortgage market.

FIRED UP - pt 3

Next, I e-mailed this to all my federal and state officials for the state I vote in (Florida) and the state I live in (CO). Focus on the Family Action's Action Center (http://capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/) made it easy to send to multiple leaders at once.

SUBJECT: PLEASE stop trying to "save" the economy! Stop bailing people out!

I am overwhelmingly offended by President Obama’s policy called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Please – as a leader of our country – stop interventionist activity since it does not address the roots of the crisis – GREED! The lenders and borrowers who made bad decisions that resulted in this crisis will not be “changed” by being rescued! Even if the rescue plan works in this crisis, you can’t fix the greed and foolishness of borrowers and lenders who made the decisions that got us into this mess! This crisis isn’t ultimately about people who can’t pay their bills because of some unfortunate circumstance (there will always be cases like this in our world, and these cases don’t cause global recessions) – that’s not what got us into this mess.

Bad behavior got us into this mess! And rescuing people who made bad decisions will not reform them.

MAYBE dealing with the consequences of their decisions will. Whether we bail out or not, the responsible taxpayers pay a price – but with a bailout, the cost to the irresponsible is reduced while the responsible taxpayers pay a potentially higher price. So please, do not support any federal activity to end this crisis or bail out anyone. Please do not invest federal dollars (my tax dollars) in areas of the economy that aren’t the direct, ongoing responsibility of the intentionally-limited federal government.