• Is President Obama doing so many television appearances for his own PR, or for the country?

• Our military accounts for only 22% of the budget, but are 100% responsible for our safety.

• If you can read this thank a teacher. If you can’t thank a union teacher.

• If we cannot pray in school or say Pledge of Allegiance, why are children being taught songs that praise President Obama?
• Since the first moon landing what have all the billions spent gotten us?
• When the floods hit North Dakota, where was Sean Penn and all his actor buddies?How about South Dakota? How about Mississippi? Georgia?
• Politicians spend our money, and make millions.

In this crazy upside down world sometimes you just gotta stop and wonder.

The UAE has intercepted a N. Korean weapons ship making its way to Iran, the Financial Times reports. News of the incident was reported by the UAE to the UN committee responsible for implementing sanctions imposed against N. Korea as per UN Resolution 1874.

The report quotes a UN diplomat whose country is represented on the committee, stating 10 containers of weapons and “related items” including rocket propelled grenades and launchers were included in the cargo. The shipment was ordered by the TSS Company, an Iranian firm linked to the country’s Revolutionary Guard.

The vessel, Bahamian-flagged ANL-Australia was permitted to leave UAE after being apprehended at least two weeks ago, and the UAE remains responsible to dispose of the confiscated weapons and ammunition.

This quote from The 5,000 Year Leap sums it up pretty well.

If you have not read this book, I highly recommend it.

For the past several years as I’ve been traveling around the country, I’ve been approaching Soldiers in airports and thanking them for serving for us. On several occasions I have noticed that it felt a little awkward for both of us. There are several reasons, some of which I am even just now learning as I produce this film and talk to more Service Men & Women and Veterans. But they have always appreciated being thanked, and I have always felt better having expressed my gratitude.

I started to think that it would be nice if civilians had a gesture or sign that they could use to say “thank you” quickly and easily without even having to approach. I did some research and found the sign that we are now using.

Is this limited to the military? Not at all. If you look around you I’m sure that you’ll find lots of people who are serving their communities, from local to global. If you appreciate their service, give them a sign. Say “thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

-Scott Truitt, FOUNDER, The Gratitude Campaign

Now there is a video:

Please show your gratitude to our service members.

If you think he has valid questions, or don’t please comment your thoughts.

On August 17, 1997, IDF soldier Guy Hever went missing in the Golan Heights, just one kilometer from the Syrian border. Not a single clue has since been found that could shed light on his disappearance.

Evidence suggests that Guy may be held against his will in Syria. Demand your representatives – congressmen, statesmen, governors – to take action.

Bring Guy back to his family for Rosh Hashana!

Twelve years after he vanished, we are publishing a letter written by his mother Rina:

We are the family of Guy Hever, the IDF soldier who has been missing since August 17th, 1997. He was last seen on the Golan Heights at the Katzabiya junction just one kilometer away from the Syrian border. He was dressed in army fatigues and carried his personal weapon, as customary for all Israeli soldiers. He had his international military identification papers (Geneva Convention Card).

An extensive search was carried out by the military, the police and the secret services, but there were no results. Not a single item of his was found despite all the searches, not even his key chain or his dog tag.

The Israeli government’s opinion on Guy’s disappearance 11 years ago is that he was kidnapped to Syria. There are documented cases of Syria keeping a person in captivity while absolutely denying any knowledge on the matter.

The Israeli authorities in general and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in particular have made great efforts to obtain information on Guy’s where¬abouts, with international bodies, foreign governments and humanitarian organi¬zations.

We, Guy’s family, have also made such efforts over the years. Just in the last year we met with the Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, with the United Nations Secretary General, with United States Senators Dodd and Specter and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before or after their visits to Syria, with Mr. Uhrlau, a leading figure in the German secret services involved in recent negotiations, with the President of the ICRC, with the current Spanish Foreign Minister Mr. Moratinos, with Mr. Djerejian, a former US Ambassador to both Syria and Israel. Gen. Ashkenazy, the Israeli Chief of General Staff, promised us to look for information on Guy through all channels available to him.

Last month we again met Ambassador Djerejian who told us that the Syrian President knows Guy’s case well, but is not prepared to give any information.

In February 2007 a Syrian organization claimed it holds Guy and wants to exchange him for Syrian prisoners being held in Israel. This is the first hint from the Syrians after 10 years. Fact is that in Syria nobody expresses his opinion publicly without the permission of the authorities.

The state of Israel promised a reward of 10 million US dollars for details about Guy’s fate.

Guy was born on May 30, 1977, firstborn to Rina and Eitan and brother to Or and Shir. Surrounded by a loving family and friends, who miss him very much, Guy had an avid interest in computers, enjoyed music and read science fiction.

We have in our possession the dog tag of a Syrian soldier found on the Golan Heights. We published in the Syrian media that we are looking for his family in order to give them the tag.

Respectfully,
Rina Hever

www.guyhever.com

Source

Goldbits

1) These days you have to be more careful than ever keeping your compuiter safe from intrusion. I mean you never know when you might get the random White House email tracking you. To clean all that pesky stuff off you PC, try out CCleaner!

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool. It removes unused files from your system – allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space. It also cleans traces of your online activities such as your Internet history. Additionally it contains a fully featured registry cleaner. But the best part is that it’s fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware!

I highly recommend CCleaner! (formerly call Crap Cleaner)

2) Second golden bit I want to impart is a fun video from the group called OK GO! If you don’t like the music you will still love this video. It is such a hoot!

3) Want to find unique gifts for your self family, friends, or just that random gift to impress someone? Go shop at Etsy! The place to buy and sell all things handmade. Fantastic!!!

4) This golden bit is a new favorite for me. Great blog posts, news and fun all in one spot. Check out Big Hollywood. The discussions are always interesting.

5) Charity begins at home, and our military always need our support. One of the charities doing good for our fighting men and women is Fisher House. Fisher House support America’s military in their time of need, we provide “a home away from home” that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time — during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.

There’s some gold to help you feel better. Enjoy, and I’ll see you all after vacation! Mmmmm…margaritas!

Col. Davy Crockett
1884

From The Life of Colonel David Crockett
Member of the U.S. Congress 1827-31 & 1832-35

Compiled from The Life of Colonel David Crockett
by Edward S. Ellis (Philadelphia: Porter & Coates, 1884)

One day in the House of Representatives, a bill was taken up appropriating money for the benefit of a widow of a distinguished naval officer. Several beautiful speeches had been made in its support. The Speaker was just about to put the question when Crockett arose:

“Mr. Speaker — I have as much respect for the memory of the deceased, and as much sympathy for the suffering of the living, if suffering there be, as any man in this house, but we must not permit our respect for the dead or our sympathy for a part of the living to lead us into an act of injustice to the balance of the living. I will not go into an argument to prove that Congress has no power to appropriate this money as an act of charity. Every member upon this floor knows it. We have the right, as individuals, to give away as much of our own money as we please in charity; but as members of Congress we have no right to appropriate a dollar of the public money. Some eloquent appeals have been made to us upon the ground that it is a debt due the deceased. Mr. Speaker, the deceased lived long after the close of the war; he was in office to the day of his death, and I have never heard that the government was in arrears to him.”

APPROPRIATE: To set apart for, or assign for a particular use, in exclusion of all other uses; as, a spot of ground is appropriated for a garden. [Webster?s 1828]

MONEY: 1) Coin; stamped metal; any piece of metal, usually gold, silver or copper, stamped by public authority, and used as the medium of commerce. 2) Bank notes or bills of credit issued by authority, and exchangeable for coin or redeemable, are also called money; as such notes in modern times represent coin, and are used as a substitute for it.If a man pays in hand for goods in bank notes which are current, he is said to pay in ready money. [Webster?s 1828]

CHARITY: Liberality to the poor, consisting in almsgiving or benefactions (Alms – Any thing given gratuitously to relive the poor, as money, food, or clothing, otherwise called charity), or gratuitous services to relieve them in distress. [Webster?s 1828]

“Every man in this House knows it is not a debt. We cannot, without the grossest corruption, appropriate this money as the payment of a debt. We have not the semblance of authority to appropriate it as a charity. Mr. Speaker, I have said we have the right to give as much money of our own as we please. I am the poorest man on this floor. I cannot vote for this bill, but I will give one week’s pay to the object, and, if every member of Congress will do the same, it will amount to more than the bill asks.”

AUTHORITY: Legal power or a right to command or act; as the authority of a prince over subjects, and of parents over children.? Power; rule; sway. [Webster?s 1828]

He took his seat. Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and, instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as, no doubt it would but for that speech, it received but few votes and of course, was lost.
Later when asked by a friend why he had opposed the appropriation, Crockett gave this explanation:

“Several years ago I was one evening standing on the steps of the Capitol with some other members of Congress when our attention was attracted by a great light over in Georgetown. It was evidently a large fire. We jumped into a hack and drove over as fast we could. In spite of all that could be done, many houses were burned and many families made houseless, and besides, some of them had lost all but the clothes they had on. The weather was very cold, and when I saw so many women and children suffering, I felt that something ought to be done for them. The next morning a bill was introduced appropriating $20,000 for their relief. We put aside all other business and rushed it through as soon as it could be done.

The next summer, when it began to be time to think about the election, I concluded I would take a scout around among the boys of my district. I had no opposition there, but, as the election was some time off, I did not know what might turn up. When riding one day in part of my district in which I was more of a stranger than any other, I saw a man in a field plowing and coming toward the road. I gauged my gait so that I should meet as he came to the fence. As he came up, I spoke to the man. He replied politely, but as I thought, rather coldly.

I began, ‘Well, friend, I am one of those unfortunate beings called candidates, and-’

‘Yes, I know you; you are Colonel Crockett, I have seen you once before and voted for you the last time you were elected. I suppose you are out electioneering right now, but you had better not waste your time or mine. I shall not vote for you again.’

This was a sockdolager, I begged him to tell me what was the matter.

‘Well, Colonel, it is hardly worth while to waste time or words upon it. I do not see how it can be mended, but you gave a vote last winter which shows that either you have not capacity to understand the Constitution, or that you are wanting in the honesty and firmness to be guided by it. In either case you are not the man to represent me. But I beg your pardon for expressing it in that way. I did not intend to avail myself of the privilege of the constituent to speak plainly to a candidate for the purpose of insulting or wounding you.

I intend by it only to say that your understanding of the Constitution is very different from mine; and I will say to you what, but for my rudeness, I should not have said that I believe you to be honest. But an understanding of the Constitution different from mine I cannot overlook because the Constitution, to be worth anything, must be held sacred and rigidly observed in all its provisions. The man who wields power and misinterprets it, is the more dangerous the more honest he is.’

‘I admit the truth of all you say, but there must be some mistake about it, for I do not remember that I gave any vote last winter upon any constitutional questions.’

‘No, Colonel, there is no mistake. Though I live here in the backwoods and seldom go from home, I take the papers from Washington and read very carefully all the proceedings in Congress. My papers say that last winter you voted for a bill to appropriate $20,000 to some sufferers by a fire in Georgetown. Is that true?’

‘Well, my friend, I may as well own up. You have got me there. But certainly nobody will complain that a great and rich country like ours should give the insignificant amount of $20,000 to relive its suffering women and children, particularly with a full and overflowing Treasury, and I am sure, if you had been there, you would have done just as I did.’

‘It is not the amount, Colonel, that I complain of, it is the principle. In the first place, the government ought to have in the Treasury no more than enough for its legitimate purposes. But that has nothing to do with the question. The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be intrusted to man, particularly under our system of collecting revenue by a tariff, which reaches every man in the country, no matter how poor he may be and the poorer he is, the more he pays in proportion to his means.

What is worse, it presses upon him without his knowledge where the weight centers, for there is not a man in the United States who can ever guess how much he pays to the government. So you see, that while you are contributing to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 as $20,000.

If you had the right to give to one, you have the right to give to all and as the Constitution neither defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any and everything which you may believe, or profess to believe, is a charity, and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism on the one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. No, Colonel, Congress has no right to give charity.

Individual members may give as much of their own money as they please, but they have no right to touch a dollar of the public money for that purpose. If twice as many houses had been burned in this country as in Georgetown, neither you nor any other member of Congress would have thought to appropriating a dollar for our relief. There are about two hundred and forty members of Congress. If they had shown their sympathy for the sufferers by contributing each one week’s pay, it would have made over $13,000. There are plenty of men in and around Washington who could have given $20,000 without depriving themselves of even a luxury of life.

The Congressmen chose to keep their own money, which, if reports to be true, some of them spend not very credibly; and the people about Washington, no doubt, applauded you for relieving them from the necessity of giving by giving what was not yours to give. The people have delegated to Congress, by the Constitution, the power to do certain things. To do these, it is authorized to collect and pay moneys, and for nothing else. Everything beyond this is usurpation and a violation of the Constitution.

So you see, Colonel, you have violated the Constitution in what I consider a vital point. It is a precedent fraught with danger for the country, for when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it and no security for the people. I have no doubt you acted honestly, but that does not make it any better, except as far as you are personally concerned and you see that I cannot vote for you.’

‘I tell you I felt streaked. I saw if I should have opposition, and this man should go talking, he would set others to talking and in that district I was a gone fawn-skin. I could not answer him and the fact is, I was so fully convinced that he was right, I did not want to. But I must satisfy him and I said to him:

Well, my friend, you hit the nail upon the head when you said I had not sense enough to understand the Constitution. I intended to be guided by it and thought I had studied it fully. I have head many speeches in Congress about the powers of Congress, but what you have said here at your plow has got more hard, sound sense in it than all the fine speeches I ever heard. If I had ever taken the view of it that you have, I would have put my head into the fire before I would have given that vote; and if you will forgive me and vote for me again, if I ever vote for another unconstitutional law, I wish I may be shot.’

He haughtingly replied: ‘Yes, Colonel, you have sworn to that once before, but I will trust you again upon one condition. You say that you are convinced that your vote was wrong. Your acknowledgment of it will do more good than beating you for it. If, as you go around the district, you will tell people about this vote and that you are satisfied it was wrong, I will not only vote for you, but will do what I can to keep down opposition, and perhaps, I may exert some little influence in that way.’

‘If I don’t, I said, I wish I may be shot, and to convince you that I am in earnest in what I say, I will come back this way in a week or ten days, and if you will get up a gathering of the people, I will make a speech to them. Get up a barbeque and I will pay for it.’

No, Colonel, we are not rich people in this section, but we have plenty of provisions to contribute for a barbeque and some to spare for those who have none. The push of crops will be over in a few days and we can afford a day for a barbeque. This is Thursday. I will see to getting up on Saturday week. Come to my house on Friday and we will go together and I promise you a very respectable crowd to see and hear you.’

‘Well, I will be there. But one thing more before I say good-bye. I must know your name.’

‘My name is Bunce.’

‘Not Horatio Bunce?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, Mr. Bunce, I never saw you before though you say you have seen me, but I know you very well. I am glad I have met you and very proud that I may hope to have you for my friend.’

It was one of the luckiest hits of my life that I met him. He mingled but little with the public, but was widely known for his remarkable intelligence and incorruptible integrity and for a heart brimful and running over with kindness and benevolence, which showed themselves not only in words but in acts. He was the oracle of the whole country around him, and his fame had extended far beyond the circle of his immediate acquaintance. Though I had never met him before, I had heard much of him, and but for this meeting it is very likely I should have had opposition, and have been beaten. One thing is very certain, no man could now stand up in that district under such a vote.

At the appointed time I was at his house, having told our conversation to every crowd I had met, and to every man I stayed all night with, and I found that it gave the people an interest and a confidence in me stronger than I had ever seen manifested before. Though I was considerably fatigued when I reached his house, and under ordinary circumstances, should have gone early to bed, I kept up until midnight talking about the principles and affairs of government, and got more real, true knowledge of them than I had got all my life before.

I have known and seen much of him since, for I respect him – no, that is not the world – I reverence and love him more than any living man, and I go to see him two or three times every year; and I will tell you, sir, if every one who professes to be a Christian lived and acted and enjoyed as he does, the religion of Christ would take the world by storm.

But, to return to my story. The next morning I went to the barbeque and to my surprise, found about a thousand men there. I met a good many whom I had not known before, and they and my friend introduced me around until I had got pretty well acquainted – at least, they all knew me. In due time notice was given that I would speak to them. They gathered up around a stand that had been erected. I opened by speech by saying:

Fellow-citizens – I present myself before you today feeling like a new man. My eyes have lately been opened to truths which ignorance or prejudice, or both, had heretofore hidden from my view. I feel that I can today offer you the ability to render you more valuable service than I have ever been able to render before. I am here today more for the purpose of acknowledging my error than to see your votes. That I should make this acknowledgment is due to myself as well as to you. Whether you will vote for me is a matter for your consideration only.

I went on to tell them about the fire and my vote for the appropriation and then told them why I was satisfied it was wrong. I closed by saying:

And now, fellow citizens, it remains only for me to tell you that most of the speech you have listened to with so much
interest was simply a repetition of the arguments by which your neighbor, Mr. Bunce, convinced me of my error. It is the best speech I ever made in my life, but he is entitled to the credit for it. And now I hope he is satisfied with his convert and that he will get up here and tell you so. He came upon the stand and said:

‘Fellow citizens, it affords me great pleasure to comply with the request of Colonel Crockett. I have always considered him a thoroughly honest man, and I am satisfied that he will faithfully perform all that he has promised to you today.’

He went down, and there went up from that crowd such a shout for Davy Crockett as his name never called forth before. I am not much given to tears, but I was taken with a choking then and felt some big drops rolling down my cheeks. And I tell you now that the remembrance of those few words spoken by such a man, and the honest, hearty shout they produced, is worth more to me than all the reputation I have ever made, or ever shall make, as a member of Congress.”

“Now, sir,” concluded Crockett, “you know why I made that speech yesterday.”

Archive location: http://PatriotPost.US/histdocs/crock…rs_to_give.asp

The family is calling on people from around the country, from all walks of life, to attend on behalf of their son, who is spending his fourth birthday in captivity. This also marks 1144 days in captivity for Gilad.

Of late, there have Arab media reports on a deal that will result in Shalit’s release in the near future, before the end of Ramadan, but Hamas officials in Gaza have denied the accuracy of reports.

Please pray for Gilad, and his safe return to his family, very , very soon.

For more on Gilad check this previous post.

In 1963 President Kennedy revived the medal and gave it to individuals who had made “an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the U.S., world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors”. It is not known how precisely many Medals of Freedom have been awarded, but the number exceeds 20,000. A partial list of the past recipients can be seen here.

On July 30, 2009 the White House released the names of the 16 recipients of the Medal of Freedom awarded by President Obama. This year’s recipients are Nancy Goodman Brinker, Pedro José Greer, Jr., Stephen Hawking, Jack Kemp, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Billie Jean King, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Joe Medicine Crow – High Bird, Harvey Milk, Sandra Day O’Connor, Sidney Poitier, Chita Rivera, Mary Robinson*, Janet Davison Rowley, Desmond Tutu*, Muhammad Yunus*.

Several of the people raise questions, but the ones in bold are the ones I will be addressing. Each one is an anti-Semite, and proves that our sitting President also has issues with Jew/Israel.

Mary Robinson was the President of Ireland from 1990 – 1997, and a human rights activist. She also has a long record of harshly criticizing Israel.  One of the anti-Israel acts to her credit was to be  one of the people most responsible for the original World Conference Against Racism at Durban, 2001, when a conference convened to fight racism became a UN-sponsored hate-fest against Jews. Eventually, the U.S. and Israel pulled out of the conference over objections to a document it produced accusing Israel of racism in its treatment of the Palestinians.

Mary Robinson is involved with many other anti-Semitic groups such as Oxfam. She is Honorary President of Oxfam International. Which most recently fired actress Kristan Davis (Charlotte from Sex in the City), from being their spokesperson because she signed a deal with Ahava Cosmetics. This found in the press release for the award has some interesting wording: “Since 2002 she has been President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, based in New York, which is an organization she founded to make human rights the compass which charts a course for globalization that is fair, just and benefits all.” That sounds just like something Obama himself would say.

There is so much more to Mary Robinson’s long list of hatred for Israel/Jews that I could go on and on. She is also a member of The Global Elders / The Elders.

Next recipient is Desmond Tutu.  Really? There is so much to choose from that is wrong with this, but just suffice it to say that Desmond Tutu or “Arch” as he likes to be called, is well known for his harsh criticism of Israel. He is a proponent of the divestment campaign aimed at demonizing Israel and weakening its ecomnomy.

When Arch visited Yad Vashem in 1998 the lesson he drew from it was, “we pray for those who made it happen, help us to forgive them.” Wow, he really did not get it.

Desmond Tutu is a member of The Global Elders / The Elders.

Lastly, I wanted to mention Dr. Muhammad Yunus. This man really is a new name, but an interesting one. If you look into him he was educated in the U.S., and is in banking in Bangledesh as well as other commerce. Interestingly enough though he is crafting some kind of health care program, and has come here to talk about it with Secretary of State Clinton. Have to do more research on this man.

Dr. Muhammad Yunus is also a member of The Global Elders / The Edlers.

The Elders are a group of self-styled “elder statesmen, peace activists and human rights advocates” whose aim is to use their “almost 1,000 years of experience” to wrok on solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems and “use political independence to help resolve some of the world’s conflicts.”

It is fairly easy to deduce the “problems” they want to “solve” by looking at some of the other members who inlcude, former President Jimmy Carter, former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

The Elders are now planning a trip to the the West Bank and Gaza sometime this month.  What do you think the chances are that it will become a slamfest on Israel.

One last thing about the Medal of Freedom awards. The recipients must pass the scrutiny of the White House staff which include Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod.