Ludwig von Mises...LIberty...a lesson in economics

The issue is always the same: the government or the market. There is no third solution. Mises...I love that.

Why do I love Mises? Because he was a man of vision...with a mission.

His book...The Theory of Money and Credit should be read by the politicians of today.

Doubt????

Well, watch this.



There is little to say on the subject...oh...that Keynes guy...got it wrong.

Love,
The Lass

Susan Boyle...and a little dream...and oh what a dream!!!!.

Some people just meet their destiny...some wait...Susan waited, and now is her time. What a story behind this woman of song, what a woman behind the story.

Here she is...



All the best Susan...

Love,
The Lass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_xFNa7YKDw"

550 billion...electronic run on the banks...lions and tigers and bears...oh my...

By 2pm on September 15Th something evil this way came...so tell me comrades...you still believe in the tooth fairy? You think this group is going to do what?????

Wake up America!...take back our government. Throw the bums out. And get up off of your butts...and read and learn.

Here is what happened...My God comrades...we were taken to the brink...and you all need to DEMAND an answer.

Me...I am going to get my pitchfork out...



Think!!!!! Reason!!!! Have you all lost your minds?

This is no fairy tale. This is as real as it gets. Warning--- Will Robinson...warning.

Love,
The Lass

Rob Roy's Grave...

I love poetry...and I love a tale. This is the best of both...

Rob Roy's Grave
By William Wordsworth



A famous man is Robin Hood,
The English ballad-singer's joy!
And Scotland has a thief as good,
An outlaw of as daring mood;
She has her brave ROB ROY!

Then clear the weeds from off his Grave,
And let us chant a passing stave,
In honor of that Hero brave!

Heaven gave Rob Roy a dauntless heart
And wondrous length and strength of arm:
Nor craved he more to quell his foes,
Or keep his friends from harm.

Yet was Rob Roy as wise as brave;
Forgive me if the phrase be strong; --
A Poet worthy of Rob Roy
Must scorn a timid song.

Say, then, that he was wise as brave;
As wise in thought as bold in deed:
For in the principles of things
He sought his moral creed.

Said generous Rob, What need of books?
Burn all the statutes and their shelves:
They stir us up against our kind;
And worse, against ourselves.

We have a passion -- make a law,
Too false to guide us or control!
And for the law itself we fight
In bitterness of soul.

And, puzzled, blinded thus, we lose
Distinctions that are plain and few:
These find I graven on my heart:
That tells me what to do.

The creatures see of flood and field,
And those that travel on the wind!
With them no strife can last; they live
In peace, and peace of mind.

For why? -- because the good old rule
Sufficeth them, the simple plan,
That they should take, who have the power,
And they should keep who can.

A lesson that is quickly learned,
A signal this which all can see!
Thus nothing here provokes the strong
To wanton cruelty.

All freakishness of mind is checked;
He tamed, who foolishly aspires;
While to the measure of his might
Each fashions his desires.

All kinds, and creatures, stand and fall
By strength of prowess or of wit:
'T is God's appointment who must sway,
And who is to submit.

Since, then, the rule of right is plain,
And longest life is but a day;
To have my ends, maintain my rights,
I'll take the shortest way.

And thus among these rocks he lived,
Through summer heat and winter snow:
The Eagle, he was lord above,
And Rob was lord below.

So was it -- would, at least, have been
But through untowardness of fate;
For Polity was then too strong --
He came an age too late;

Or shall we say an age too soon?
For, were the bold Man living now,
How might he flourish in his pride,
With buds on every bough!

Then rents and factors, rights of chase,
Sheriffs, and lairds and their domains,
Would all have seemed but paltry things,
Not worth a moment's pains.

Rob Roy had never lingered here,
To these few meagre Vales confined;
But thought how wide the world, the times
How fairly to his mind!

And to his Sword he would have said,
Do Thou my sovereign will enact
From land to land through half the earth!
Judge thou of law and fact!

'T is fit that we should do our part,
Becoming, that mankind should learn
That we are not to be surpassed
In fatherly concern.

Of old things all are over old,
Of good things none are good enough: --
We 'll show that we can help to frame
A world of other stuff.

I, too, will have my kings that take
From me the sign of life and death:
Kingdoms shall shift about, like clouds,
Obedient to my breath.

And, if the word had been fulfilled,
As might have been, then, thought of joy!
France would have had her present Boast,
And we our own Rob Roy!

Oh! say not so; compare them not;
I would not wrong thee, Champion brave!
Would wrong thee nowhere; least of all
Here standing by thy grave.

For Thou, although with some wild thoughts,
Wild Chieftain of a savage Clan!
Hadst this to boast of; thou didst love
The liberty of man.

And, had it been thy lot to live
With us who now behold the light,
Thou would'st have nobly stirred thyself,
And battled for the Right.

For thou wert still the poor man's stay,
The poor man's heart, the poor man's hand;
And all the oppressed, who wanted strength,
Had thine at their command.

Bear witness many a pensive sigh
Of thoughtful Herdsman when he strays
Alone upon Loch Veol's heights,
And by Loch Lomond's braes!

And, far and near, through vale and hill,
Are faces that attest the same;
The proud heart flashing through the eyes,
At sound of ROB ROY'S name.



A man...a legened and a grave...

Love,
The Lass

Nancy...please...will someone shut this woman up???

I don't think this needs further comment.

Oh..

And comrades...this is just the tip of the ice berg. There is more to come. Four more years...unless the Republicans get their act together.

Just looking out for us.

Love,
The Lass

a paradox...fermi...and an equation....I love this one

"If they existed, they would be here." ---Enrico Fermi

Stated in a logical statement...if P...then Q. Wow, now that is something to ponder. And ponder someone did. His name is Frank Drake, who first thought (as a good scientist would)...what are the odds? Well of course you know that Scientists are really odds makers, which of course makes them a little odd...I digress...

Drake's equation goes like this...

N = (R_s)(f_p)(n_p)(f_b)(f_i)(f_c)(L_c)
"where R_s is the rate of star formation in the Galaxy, f_p is the fraction
of those stars with planetary systems, n_p is the mean number of planets
suitable for life per planetary system, f_b is the fraction of those plan-
ets suitable for life on which life actually developed, f_i is the fraction
of those planets with life on which intelligent organisms have evolved, f_c
is the fraction of those intelligent species that have developed communica-
tative civilizations, and L_c is the mean lifetime of those civilizations.
The first three factors are essentially astronomical in nature, the next
two are biological, and the last two are sociological. We are able to make
some educated estimates regarding the astronomical factors, we may be on
shaky ground with the biological ones, and we are almost playing numbers
games in trying to estimate values for the last two."

And it is a numbers game after all...just look at Carl Sagan's assessment:



Well...here is Drake:



An equation and a paradox...I just love this.

So...me being me...had to look further...sort of a search for truth...or maybe just a search.

It seems to me that the Drake equation does not examine enough variables. The formula relies on 'stabs in the dark.' This makes it highly imprecise and unscientific. The margin of error is far beyond what should be considered acceptable or meaningful.

And of course would advance civlizations rely on radio transmissions? Ours will soon give up the "ghost"...and considering the lifespan of our technology...this window was very small.

The equation does not take into account migratory patterns. What???? You mean moving about the universe? Well of course. We didn't stay put...what are the odds other intelligent life would stay put?

Well, there you are...and there are other factors as well. One big one...if God is in the picture...what are the odds that the creator thought it a good idea to create other life forms. We are messy...and seems likely that the creator would not think it wise to clutter the universe with us...or us-light. Or maybe the creator figured the odds for enlightened souls would be better...considering...Lot had difficutly just finding one...I digress.

The point is...getting back to Fermi...

Fermi's conclusion goes much further...and includes some givens...

It is obviously difficult to comment on the sociology of a possible extraterrestrial civilization. A fact which seems nevertheless to be essential is that such a civilization would inevitably end up seeking to spread itself beyond its planet of origin. One can quote three reasons for which this objective seems natural:

Exploration
Colonization
Survival

Exploration consists of sending a mission towards other stars once the necessary technological level are reached. There is hardly a doubt that this must happens one day, whether it is by curiosity or for prestige reasons.

Colonization as this is the underlining goal of most terrestrial civilizations since the beggining of times, for religious reasons as well as for economic or political reasons. Unless we assume that other intelligent beings would be more reasonable than us, the temptation of colonization would then be probably widespread.

Lastly, the third reason, and surely the more important one is survival. The lifespan of a star in a stable form is limited. For example, in approximately 5 billion years, the Sun will cease to be the stable star which we know. It will become a red giant that will probably absorb the Earth. Under these conditions, sooner or later, space flights and interstellar flights will prove to be essential to the humanity's survival. Any extraterrestrial civilization will be one day or the other confronted with a similar problem.

Are we the only technologically advanced age of the Universe?

Since only one extraterrestrial civilization could spread in a relatively short time, how is it possible that that we never saw the extraterrestrial ones and that our radio telescopes never collected signals of suspect origin?


But back to my point...Lot's odds should have been better...that being just find one good person. God kept having to lower the odds for Lot to come out alive...so what are the odds that a civilization exists or existed that could speak to us...or travel around bringing good tidings...I think for that...we should rely on Lot's experience...and remember...even Lot's wife was not able to keep her eyes toward the future...instead, she did what most of us do...ignore instructions...and keep looking back.

As for me...well I am keeping an open mind. As for the odds...well Sagan went from 10 to a billion with just one change in the formula...I am thinking he needed to add the Lot factor...

What do you think?

Love,
The Lass

a great love letter...maybe the greatest...

July 14,1861
Camp Clark, Washington DC

Dear Sarah:

The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. And lest I should not be able to write you again I feel impelled to write a few lines that may fall under your eye when I am no more.

I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the government and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this government, and to pay that debt.

Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but omnipotence can break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly with all those chains to the battlefield. The memory of all the blissful moments I have enjoyed with you come crowding over me, and I feel most deeply grateful to God and you, that I have enjoyed them for so long. And how hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes and future years, when, God willing, we might still have lived and loved together, and see our boys grown up to honorable manhood around us.

If I do not return, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I loved you, nor that when my last breath escapes me on the battle field, it will whisper your name...

Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless, how foolish I have sometimes been!...

But, 0 Sarah, if the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they love, I shall always be with you, in the brightest day and in the darkest night... always, always. And when the soft breeze fans your cheek, it shall be my breath, or the cool air your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

Sarah do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for me, for we shall meet again...


This was written by a soldier...and so many solidiers have written to their loves...this one is here for us...a testimony of the human heart. A letter...full of grace. Who was Sarah? She was a woman who was loved.


Just sharing a little of the greatest of gifts...words of love.

Love,
The Lass

Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville...a little lesson in history

Soft Tyranny:

Well I believe fellow comrades...we have met the enemy...and that enemy of freedom is our Government. A new soft tyranny has come to town.

What is Soft Tyranny?

Soft tyranny is an idea first coined by Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1835 work entitled Democracy in America. In effect, soft tyranny occurs whenever the social conditions of a particular community hinder any prospect of hope among its members. For Tocqueville, hope is the driving force behind all democratic institutions. As such, whenever this all-encompassing hope is taken away from the people, liberal democracy fails. Examples of this failure can be seen in the Weimar Republic of Germany during the 1930s or in the French Third Republic around 1940. Hope for a better future effectively died in both of the aforementioned situations. As a result, fascist regimes were established to fill the void left by the departure of hope.

Senate Passes SCHIP Bill in Party-line Vote

The Senate on Thursday approved legislation to provide health insurance coverage to about 4 million uninsured children. The measure passed 66-32 in a vote split mostly along party lines.

So...9 Republicans voted for Socialized Medicine today, and don't let them say they didn't.

The nine turncoats...

Alexander (R-TN)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN) ***Note: He’s leading the Gang of 14 charge on the Generational Theft Act in the Senate***
Hutchison (R-TX)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)

So fellow comrades, this group of nine joined the ranks of the socialists. And we have now just witnessed one more nail in our coffin.

Soft Tyranny fellow comrades...there is more to come.

Love,
The Lass

Oh...and my favorite author...C.S. Lewis had something to say about this-


Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.

I agree and so does this man...



There is no free lunch!!!!

the cult of Obama....OH HELL NO....

Rush Limbaugh...not so silent

From Saul Alinsky...

RULE 12: Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions. (This is cruel, but very effective. Direct, personalized criticism and ridicule works.)

Who was he?

Known as the "father of modern American radicalism," Saul D. Alinsky (1909-1972) developed strategies and tactics that take the enormous, unfocused emotional energy of grassroots groups and transform it into effective anti-government and anti-corporate activism. Activist organizations teach his ideas widely taught today as a set of model behaviors, and they use these principles to create an emotional commitment to victory - no matter what.

So our President has dug into his bag of tricks and pulled out Rule 12 to attack Rush Limbaugh. And he and his little minions...his followers have taken up the cause...Rule 12...Attack...and they have.

What should reasoning...reasoned people do? REPEAT AFTER ME>>>OH HELL NO>>>

I don't care what your politics is...I don't care what you believe or don't believe. But if you allow this Messiah to get away with this...you will see the end of free speech. And that cannot be allowed. Period.

To the Democrats who think they will prosper with this tactic...you are so wrong.

To my conservative brothers and sisters...get off your butts...call, write...and stand up for Rush. You may not agree with him...but you surely must fight for him. Don't let these radical lunatics destroy free speech in this country.

I am writing...calling and speaking.

To Rush...I say...Go get them Tiger...and if they try to silence you...they will have to face us first. We have your back...and believe me...we are definately a force to reckon with...


As for Saul...well Mr. Alinsky...you got it wrong. That little ploy...just wakes up the rest of us...and we get testy...when you try that one. Some of us have read the Art of War...and know exactly how to deal with your rules...

“Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.”
William Orville Douglas quotes

And don't any of you forget that...

Love,
The very outspoken Lass...

once again the economists speak...I love this..

Economists from the Cato Institute buy full page ad in the New York Times slamming Barack Obama’s stimulus package. It’s a shame they have to buy an ad to get the opposing point of view into the Times.

“There is no disagreement that we need action by our government, a recovery plan that will help to jumpstart the economy.”

— PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA, JANUARY 9 , 2009
Notwithstanding reports that all economists are now Keynesians and that we all support a big increase in the burden of government, we the undersigned do not believe that more government spending is a way to improve economic performance. More government spending by Hoover and Roosevelt did not pull the United States economy out of the Great Depression in the 1930s. More government spending did not solve Japan’s “lost decade” in the 1990s. As such, it is a triumph of hope over experience to believe that more government spending will help the U.S. today. To improve the economy, policymakers should focus on reforms that remove impediments to work, saving, investment and production. Lower tax rates and a reduction in the burden of government are the best ways of using fiscal policy to boost growth.

BURTON ABRAMS, Univ. of Delaware
DOUGLAS ADIE, Ohio University
RYAN AMACHER, Univ. of Texas at Arlington
J.J.ARIAS, Georgia College & State University
HOWARD BAETJER, JR., Towson University
STACIE BECK, Univ. of Delaware
DON BELLANTE, Univ. of South Florida
JAMES BENNETT, George Mason University
BRUCE BENSON, Florida State University
SANJAI BHAGAT, Univ. of Colorado at Boulder
MARK BILS, Univ. of Rochester
ALBERTO BISIN, New York University
WALTER BLOCK, Loyola University New Orleans
CECIL BOHANON, Ball State University
MICHELE BOLDRIN,Washington University in St. Louis
DONALD BOOTH, Chapman University
MICHAEL BORDO, Rutgers University
SAMUEL BOSTAPH, Univ. of Dallas
SCOTT BRADFORD, Brigham Young University
GENEVIEVE BRIAND, Eastern Washington University
GEORGE BROWER, Moravian College
JAMES BUCHANAN, Nobel laureate
RICHARD BURDEKIN, Claremont McKenna College
HENRY BUTLER, Northwestern University
WILLIAM BUTOS, Trinity College
PETER CALCAGNO, College of Charleston
BRYAN CAPLAN, George Mason University
ART CARDEN, Rhodes College
JAMES CARDON, Brigham Young University
DUSTIN CHAMBERS, Salisbury University
EMILY CHAMLEE-WRIGHT, Beloit College
V.V. CHARI, Univ. of Minnesota
BARRY CHISWICK, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago
LAWRENCE CIMA, John Carroll University
J.R. CLARK, Univ. of Tennessee at Chattanooga
GIAN LUCA CLEMENTI, New York University
R.MORRIS COATS, Nicholls State University
JOHN COCHRAN, Metropolitan State College
JOHN COCHRANE, Univ. of Chicago
JOHN COGAN, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
JOHN COLEMAN, Duke University
BOYD COLLIER, Tarleton State University
ROBERT COLLINGE, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio
LEE COPPOCK, Univ. of Virginia
MARIO CRUCINI, Vanderbilt University
CHRISTOPHER CULP, Univ. of Chicago
KIRBY CUNDIFF, Northeastern State University
ANTONY DAVIES, Duquesne University
JOHN DAWSON, Appalachian State University
CLARENCE DEITSCH, Ball State University
ARTHUR DIAMOND, JR., Univ. of Nebraska at Omaha
JOHN DOBRA, Univ. of Nevada, Reno
JAMES DORN, Towson University
CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS, Univ. of Michigan, Flint
FLOYD DUNCAN, Virginia Military Institute
FRANCIS EGAN, Trinity College
JOHN EGGER, Towson University
KENNETH ELZINGA, Univ. of Virginia
PAUL EVANS, Ohio State University
EUGENE FAMA, Univ. of Chicago
W. KEN FARR, Georgia College & State University
HARTMUT FISCHER, Univ. of San Francisco
FRED FOLDVARY, Santa Clara University
MURRAY FRANK, Univ. of Minnesota
PETER FRANK,Wingate University
TIMOTHY FUERST, Bowling Green State University
B. DELWORTH GARDNER, Brigham Young University
JOHN GAREN, Univ. of Kentucky
RICK GEDDES, Cornell University
AARON GELLMAN, Northwestern University
WILLIAM GERDES, Clarke College
MICHAEL GIBBS, Univ. of Chicago
STEPHAN GOHMANN, Univ. of Louisville
RODOLFO GONZALEZ, San Jose State University
RICHARD GORDON, Penn State University
PETER GORDON, Univ. of Southern California
ERNIE GOSS, Creighton University
PAUL GREGORY, Univ. of Houston
EARL GRINOLS, Baylor University
DANIEL GROPPER, Auburn University
R.W. HAFER, Southern Illinois
University, Edwardsville
ARTHUR HALL, Univ. of Kansas
STEVE HANKE, Johns Hopkins
STEPHEN HAPPEL, Arizona State University
FRANK HEFNER, College of Charleston
RONALD HEINER, George Mason University
DAVID HENDERSON, Hoover Institution,
Stanford University
ROBERT HERREN, North Dakota State University
GAILEN HITE, Columbia University
STEVEN HORWITZ, St. Lawrence University
JOHN HOWE, Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
JEFFREY HUMMEL, San Jose State University
BRUCE HUTCHINSON, Univ. of Tennessee at Chattanooga
BRIAN JACOBSEN,Wisconsin Lutheran College
JASON JOHNSTON, Univ. of Pennsylvania
BOYAN JOVANOVIC, New York University
JONATHAN KARPOFF, Univ. of Washington
BARRY KEATING, Univ. of Notre Dame
NAVEEN KHANNA, Michigan State University
NICHOLAS KIEFER, Cornell University
DANIEL KLEIN, George Mason University
PAUL KOCH, Univ. of Kansas
NARAYANA KOCHERLAKOTA, Univ. of Minnesota
MAREK KOLAR, Delta College
ROGER KOPPL, Fairleigh Dickinson University
KISHORE KULKARNI, Metropolitan
State College of Denver
DEEPAK LAL, UCLA
GEORGE LANGELETT, South Dakota State University
JAMES LARRIVIERE, Spring Hill College
ROBERT LAWSON, Auburn University
JOHN LEVENDIS, Loyola University New Orleans
DAVID LEVINE,Washington University in St. Louis
PETER LEWIN, Univ. of Texas at Dallas
DEAN LILLARD, Cornell University
ZHENG LIU, Emory University
ALAN LOCKARD, Binghampton University
EDWARD LOPEZ, San Jose State University
JOHN LUNN, Hope College
GLENN MACDONALD,Washington
University in St. Louis
MICHAEL MARLOW, California
Polytechnic State University
DERYL MARTIN, Tennessee Tech University
DALE MATCHECK, Northwood University
DEIRDRE MCCLOSKEY, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago
JOHN MCDERMOTT, Univ. of South Carolina
JOSEPH MCGARRITY, Univ. of Central Arkansas
ROGER MEINERS, Univ. of Texas at Arlington
ALLAN MELTZER, Carnegie Mellon University
JOHN MERRIFIELD, Univ. of Texas at San Antonio
JAMES MILLER III, George Mason University
JEFFREY MIRON, Harvard University
THOMAS MOELLER, Texas Christian University
JOHN MOORHOUSE,Wake Forest University
ANDREA MORO, Vanderbilt University
ANDREW MORRISS, Univ. of Illinois
at Urbana-Champaign
MICHAEL MUNGER, Duke University
KEVIN MURPHY, Univ. of Southern California
RICHARD MUTH, Emory University
CHARLES NELSON, Univ. of Washington
SETH NORTON, Wheaton College
LEE OHANIAN, Univ. of California, Los Angeles
LYDIA ORTEGA, San Jose State University
EVAN OSBORNE, Wright State University
RANDALL PARKER, East Carolina University
DONALD PARSONS, George Washington University
SAM PELTZMAN, Univ. of Chicago
MARK PERRY, Univ. of Michigan, Flint
CHRISTOPHER PHELAN, Univ. of Minnesota
GORDON PHILLIPS, Univ. of Maryland
MICHAEL PIPPENGER, Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks
TOMASZ PISKORSKI, Columbia University
BRENNAN PLATT, Brigham Young University
JOSEPH POMYKALA, Towson University
WILLIAM POOLE, Univ. of Delaware
BARRY POULSON, Univ. of Colorado at Boulder
BENJAMIN POWELL, Suffolk University
EDWARD PRESCOTT, Nobel laureate
GARY QUINLIVAN, Saint Vincent College
REZA RAMAZANI, Saint Michael’s College
ADRIANO RAMPINI, Duke University
ERIC RASMUSEN, Indiana University
MARIO RIZZO, New York University
RICHARD ROLL, Univ. of California, Los Angeles
ROBERT ROSSANA,Wayne State University
JAMES ROUMASSET, Univ. of Hawaii at Manoa
JOHN ROWE, Univ. of South Florida
CHARLES ROWLEY, George Mason University
JUAN RUBIO-RAMIREZ, Duke University
ROY RUFFIN, Univ. of Houston
KEVIN SALYER, Univ. of California, Davis
PAVEL SAVOR, Univ. of Pennsylvania
RONALD SCHMIDT, Univ. of Rochester
CARLOS SEIGLIE, Rutgers University
WILLIAM SHUGHART II, Univ. of Mississippi
CHARLES SKIPTON, Univ. of Tampa
JAMES SMITH,Western Carolina University
VERNON SMITH, Nobel laureate
LAWRENCE SOUTHWICK, JR., Univ. at Buffalo
DEAN STANSEL, Florida Gulf Coast University
HOUSTON STOKES, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago
BRIAN STROW,Western Kentucky University
SHIRLEY SVORNY, California State
University, Northridge
JOHN TATOM, Indiana State University
WADE THOMAS, State University
of New York at Oneonta
HENRY THOMPSON, Auburn University
ALEX TOKAREV, The King’s College
EDWARD TOWER, Duke University
LEO TROY, Rutgers University
DAVID TUERCK, Suffolk University
CHARLOTTE TWIGHT, Boise State University
KAMAL UPADHYAYA, Univ. of New Haven
CHARLES UPTON, Kent State University
T. NORMANVAN COTT, Ball State University
RICHARDVEDDER, Ohio University
RICHARDWAGNER, George Mason University
DOUGLAS M.WALKER, College of Charleston
DOUGLAS O.WALKER, Regent University
CHRISTOPHERWESTLEY, Jacksonville
State University
LAWRENCEWHITE, Univ. of Missouri at St. Louis
WALTERWILLIAMS, George Mason University
DOUGWILLS, Univ. of Washington Tacoma
DENNISWILSON,Western Kentucky University
GARYWOLFRAM, Hillsdale College
HUIZHONG ZHOU,Western Michigan University

I wonder if our Messiah will take this into consideration. On second thought, it is doubtful...He doesn't seem to need a second opinion.

Too bad...I love the voices of reason.

Love,
The Lass

they stood together...those wonderful...sane Republicans

Sometimes people understand their moment in history. The House Republicans found their moment. And truly it was fantastic. They said no to this Pork spedning spree. I say..."Yes !!!!" Don't give in.

History will judge...and I believe they finally understand...they must fight. And take the battle to the Dems...

So much for bipartisanship for now.

Today’s House vote on the $819-billion economic stimulus package was a stark one — 244 to 188.

244 Democrats on one side.

177 Republicans and 11 dissenting Democrats on the other.

I love a good battle...

And so for my Republican friends...Keep it up!!!! Of course the Senate side...well they might just want to remember...we are watching. And we...are going to take note of all votes.

Love,
The Lass

those poor lemmings....rumors...and metaphors...

I love a good metaphor. But, truly it must have some basis in fact. So, when my friend and I were talking today, he said, "Well, they are a bunch of lemmings". This was in reference to the Democrats. Now, although I know what he meant...we all do...lemming suicide is a frequently-used metaphor in reference to people who go along unquestioningly with popular opinion, with potentially dangerous or fatal consequences.

However, after thinking about the poor lemming, I decided to investigate. Could this be just a rumor? Did the scientists get it wrong? Have the lemmings been...well lemminged?

This...from Wikipedia...
While many people believe that lemmings commit mass suicide when they migrate, this is not the case. Driven by strong biological urges, they will migrate in large groups when population density becomes too great. Lemmings can and do swim and may choose to cross a body of water in search of a new habitat.[7] On occasion, and particularly in the case of the Norway lemmings in Scandinavia, large migrating groups will reach a cliff overlooking the ocean. They will stop until the urge to press on causes them to jump off the cliff and start swimming, sometimes to exhaustion and death. Lemmings are also often pushed into the sea as more and more lemmings arrive at the shore.[8]

The myth of lemming mass suicide is long-standing and has been popularized by a number of factors. In 1955, Carl Barks drew an Uncle Scrooge adventure comic with the title "The Lemming with the Locket". This comic, which was inspired by a 1954 National Geographic Society article, showed massive numbers of lemmings jumping over Norwegian cliffs.[9] Even more influential was the 1958 Disney film White Wilderness, which won an Academy Award for Documentary Feature, in which footage was shown that seems to show the mass suicide of lemmings.[10] A Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, Cruel Camera, found that the lemmings used for White Wilderness were flown from Hudson Bay to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, where they did not jump off the cliff, but in fact were launched off the cliff using a turntable.

So...the poor lemmings have a terrible public image...created of course...and my friend called the Democrats... lemmings...which really means they are victims of lies...oh my goodness...now what?

Well, me being me, contacted my friend, and explained the poor circumstance of the lemming, to which my friend replied..."you really do need to get a life." Perhaps...but I have at least made the lemming respectable...and that gives me a greater purpose in life...

Oh...

and there is this...



Do you think they were Democrats? Well...I know they were not lemmings.

Love,

The Lass

Ignoratio elenchi

also known as irrelevant conclusion or irrelevant thesis.

Similar to ignoratio elenchi, a red herring is an argument, given in reply, that does not address the original issue. Critically, a red herring is a deliberate attempt to change the subject or divert the argument. This is known formally in the English vocabulary as a digression which is usually denoted as "red herring".

The term red herring comes from the time when criminals would use fish to lead sniffer dogs off the trail.

Although similar...Don't shoot the messenger. Ne nuntium necare
Don't shoot the messenger. Don't blame the person who brings bad news. This idea was expressed by Sophocles as far back as 442 B.C. and much later by Shakespeare in 'Henry IV, Part II' (1598) and in 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1606-07)

People who lie, will not attack the lie they are caught telling, they will attack the messenger, they will attack the arugment...but they will not defend their lie.

So...if someone you know tells you something, and the liar attacks the person who exposes them or the lie...be aware. You have a choice. That choice is clear. Let the liar get away with it. Or hold them accountable.

I say...be clever...and never kill the messenger...and if you smell something fishy...it is obviously a red herring.

Love,
The lass

father corapi...a man who found God.

A soldier, investment banker, multi millionaire real estate investor, cocaine addict, and Catholic Priest. It’s said that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. So too, is the path of Father John Corapi, now famous for his touring the world to spread the good news of Jesus Christ and his Church. Fr. Corapi’s past has led to a great witness that has led many back to the church.

A great sermon...

The blessed and joyous time of Christmas is here again. So, I’ll just take the opportunity to thank all of our viewing and listening family for allowing us into your homes. I don’t take that for granted. I am honestly grateful to you for allowing us to serve you in that way.

As I look out the windows of my home in Montana it sure is “beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” We have about a foot of snow and it’s been below zero for about ten days. Two of my dogs are under my desk with their heads resting on my feet--looking like those big fuzzy slippers that little kids sometimes wear.

Christmas is, of course, the best time to recall that Jesus, the Son of God, in fact was born in a poor stable or cave on a cold night—“for us men, and for our salvation.” Amidst the escalating uncertainty and chaos of the modern world we must sit still for a moment and remember what really matters.

In recent years major corporations have been vaporized in the twinkling of an eye. It’s a sign of the times, but recall that what really matters is that it was the twinkling of a star that led shepherds and wise men to the One who is the Light of the world.

In recent years the biggest accounting firm in the world ceased to be over night. They don’t account for anything today, but it honestly doesn’t matter. What really matters is that on a cold night two millennia ago the God who loves us was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger by the Mother who loves Him.

In recent years the unthinkable has happened--major banks and financial institutions have ceased to be. That doesn’t matter either because the truly unthinkable happened on the first Christmas Eve long ago when the God who always was and will never cease to be came to show us the depth and breadth of His love.

In recent years I have been accused of being a “prophet of doom, and a pessimist.” I can understand this criticism, but it really isn’t true. I am a realist, and as a priest and Catholic/Christian of necessity must share in the prophetic dimension of Christ. The United States, and the entire world for the most part, is in many ways precipitating its own demise. That matters, and we must do all we can to “fight the good fight,” but what truly matters is the state of your soul and mine because in the end that will determine how we live forever, and compared to that nothing else really matters.

Things may go from bad to worse. It may well go from uncomfortable to dangerous to live your Catholic/Christian faith in a world unraveling rapidly due to one bad moral choice after the other. Remember that it will not be the first time if Christians are persecuted, even imprisoned and executed. “The blood of martyrs is the seed of Christians.” The Western world is too fat and lazy, in the secular order and even in the religious. Perhaps a jolly good persecution may be what it takes for people to decide to live their faith, rather than go along with what they know to be a sick society.

In any event, don’t let it get you down. Whatever happens, stay close to Jesus and Mary. Remember that our God is not against you. He is for you, and He will be with you through all of the ups and downs of life. He will be with you in sickness and in health; in good times and in bad; and when death comes knocking at your door He will be there to comfort you and lead you safely home. Having fought the good fight and run the race to the finish line, you will surely hear those beautiful words:

“WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT! NOW AT LAST ENTER INTO THE JOY OF YOUR MASTER’S HOUSE.”

A most blessed and merry Christmas and a holy, happy, and healthy New Year to each and all of you!

Fr. John Corapi


This is a man who knows God's love. And thank Heaven...he is on our side.

Love,
The Lass

oh Captain...my Captain...a Poet...a President...a death

When President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865, a war-weary nation was plunged into shock. The last great battles of the Civil War were still a recent memory, and the murder of the president seemed to be a bloody, pointless coda to four years of conflict and instability. There was a great outpouring of grief across the country, and poems and songs were written mourning the nation’s loss.

And it would be a poet that would put into words what only a poet could. Walt Whitman gave voice to what no voice could speak, nor heart endure. But voice he gave, and generations would know or come to know...Oh Captain...my Captain.

Lincoln’s death inspired Whitman to write one of his most memorable works—a simple, three-stanza poem of sorrow that bore little resemblance to his other, more experimental writings. "O Captain! My Captain!" was published in New York’s Saturday Press in November of 1865, and was met with immediate acclaim. The poem’s evocation of triumph overshadowed by despair spoke to readers throughout the shattered nation, and it was widely reprinted and published in anthologies. "O Captain! My Captain!" became the most popular poem Whitman would ever write, and helped secure for him a position as one of the greatest American poets of the 19th century.

The Poem...

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up--for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

And even a movie...would bring a moment for a teacher...and a lesson. Yes...Oh Captain...my Captain...And we are inspired.



Of course things don't really happen like that...or do they? A man died at the hands of another...after a war that nearly destroyed a nation...and it was a poet that put voice to grief...and we survived...because of our greater selves.

Oh Captain...My Captain.

Love,
The Lass

And thanks Walt...for words that would carry us...to a place of inspiration and greatness, even when we are weak.

lord, liar or lunatic? C.S. Lewis again...

In his famous book Mere Christianity, Lewis makes this statement, "A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on the level with a man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the devil of hell. You must take your choice. Either this was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us."


And thus, the argument...The Trilemma.

so...here is a bit of Lewis, and the Trilemma.



Philosophers will use logic equations...to disassemble the argument. I rather think this is not a good place to go. Logic...although helpful does not explain the divine. No argument can prove that Christ was divine...and no argument can prove he wasn't. So where does that leave us?

Faith...and a sense of the divine. You either have it...or you do not.

Love,
The Lass

gotta love this...

I say...dance!!!!!
How wonderful. Wish I could have been there...

Love,
The Lass

The playful search for beauty

I love that...and what a life!!!! Indeed...

Eva Zeisel has made everyday objects sensual, laden with luscious curves. She's crafted mundane implements with a playful twist. Her astonishingly prolific career spans more than 75 years.

Eva..not just a designer...not just a woman...not just a philospher...oh...so much more than that.

Her story...as splendid as her work.

In 1936, however, she was caught up in one of the Stalinist purges, accused of plotting against the life of Stalin. She was imprisoned in the NKVD prison for 16 months, most of the time in solitary confinement. She was subjected to early forms of brainwashing, torture, and the constant possibility that each day would be her last. (Arthur Koestler, a lifelong friend, based his book Darkness at Noon on her prison experiences.)

Then one day she was unexpectedly led out of her cell to what she feared was to be her execution but was instead put on a train to Austria in the clothes she was standing in. Just as the reason for her imprisonment was never really known, so is the reason for her release. (More details of Zeisel's Russian experience at our Membership Benefits page.)

Once in Austria, she left on the last train out at the time of the Anschluss and went to England, where she married Hans Zeisel, who had waited seven years for her. In 1938 they went to New York where they settled permanently.

There is more there...but I rather think it is what she suffered in this life that made her romance with life so extraordinary. How do you judge a lifetime of art...and search? You do so by celebrating it.

To Eva, my Hungarian relatives surely must be proud of the woman whose life was a playful search for beauty.


Love,
The Lass

two wolves and a lesson...

"The Wolves Within"

A Native Indian Grandfather, whose grandson came to him with anger at a schoolmate who had done him an injustice, said, "Let me tell you a story.

I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."

"But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"
The Grandfather solemnly said, "The one I feed."
(unknown)

The Lesson? Ah....

Love,
The Lass

Peck and people of the lie...and they are legion

For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie.
2 Thessalonians 2: 11

Scott Peck, found a way to explain this. In the most revealing terms. Simple for us to understand this divine statement.

Scott Peck's "People of the Lie" is the contrast to his first best seller, "The Road Less Traveled." The first book deals with goodness and hope, seeking the truth. The second is a look into the dark side of human nature. Peck offers these insights:

"Evil is the exercise of power, the imposing of one's will upon others by overt or covert coercion."

"The core of evil is ego-centricity, whereby others are sacrificed rather than the ego of the individual."

The People of the Lie would rather sacrifice you and me than admit we may be recipients of God's love and grace. Their power would be damaged if they admitted they might have been in error about us, so they will never make such an admission.

It seems to me that it takes courage to stand against the people of the lie. But if we do not, we have already lost our right to exist as Christians. We stand to proclaim that the truth will endure. By our lives, by speaking and working for justice, we continue to influence the hearts of those who have not become unreachable. We must continue to live in love, but we must also realize that there are limits on our own tolerance, and it is not a virtue to tolerate the intolerant.

I have met the people of the lie. And I believe we have a choice. I once believed that you could show them light, by living in grace. And that it would be God's grace that would help change the heart of such a person.

But then there is this...

The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

1 John 2: 4 - 6

And so I have heard the words...but actions...well actions move...and grace is given when one decides that the truth we must know, and in that we walk...as Jesus did.

The people of the lie...must not be engaged...and they cannot be saved, other than by God's grace...

Love,
The Lass