The Christmas Story - The Birth of Christ

The old man sat down next to the fireplace and slowly opened his book. He adjusted his glasses and read to the children who had gathered around him.

The children wanted to know why we celebrate Christmas, so the old man decided that they should know.

He looked over the top of his glasses to check the door. It was as if he were about to divulge a secret. A secret that some have tried to hide.

The first page had the words, The Christmas Story

He turned the first page over and again he looked over to the door, then he tilted the book so that the light of the fireplace helped him read the old book.

He looked at the children and softly whispered, "You really want to know, so I will tell you."
He again glanced over to the door, then raised a finger to his lips to say quiet.

Then he started, "It all took place over 2000 years ago. There was a King by the name of Herod who ruled a land called Judea. Judea is now part of Israel.

God sent the Angel Gabriel to a young women who lived in the northern town of Nazareth. The girl's name was Mary and she was engaged to marry a carpenter named Joseph.

The Angel Gabriel said to Mary: 'Peace be with you! God has blessed you and is pleased with you.'

Mary was very surprised by this and wondered what the angel meant. She was scared and bewildered. After all, its not every day that an Angel visits us and actually talks to us.

The Angel said to her "Don't be afraid, God has been very kind to you. You will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a baby boy and you will call him Jesus. He will be God's own Son and his kingdom will never end."

Mary was very afraid, but she trusted God. 'Let it happen as God chooses,' she replied to the Angel.

Gabriel also told Mary that her cousin, Elizabeth, who everyone thought was too old to have children, would have a baby boy whom God had chosen to prepare the way for Jesus.

The door swung open, but it was only another child who wanted to hear the story.

So the old man continued, "So Mary lived in Nazareth and was visited by an angel who told her the God's son would be born through her. Once Mary understood that this is what God wanted for her, she agreed to let it happen.

Mary then said goodbye to her family and friends and went to visit her cousin Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah. Elizabeth was very happy to see Mary.

Elizabeth knew that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son. God's son who would be known as Jesus. An Angel had already told Zechariah that Elizabeth's baby would prepare people to welcome Jesus. He was to be called John.

Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned home to Nazareth.

Joseph was worried when he found out that Mary was expecting a baby before their marriage had taken place. He wondered if he should put off the wedding altogether. But then an Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, 'Don't be afraid to have Mary as your wife.'

The Angel explained that Mary had been chosen by God to be the mother of his Son and told Joseph that the baby would be named Jesus which means Saviour because he would save the people of the world from their sins.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had told him to do and took Mary as his wife.

At this time, the land where Mary and Joseph lived was part of the Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor Augustus wanted to have a list of all the people in the Empire, to make sure they paid their taxes. Yes, taxes was a big deal even back then and the Emperor wanted every bit that he could get.

He ordered everyone to return to the town where their families originally came from, and enter their names in a register there. It was a census.

Mary and Joseph travelled about 70 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem, because that is where Joseph's family came from. Most people walked but some lucky people had a donkey to help carry the goods needed for the journey. Joseph and Mary travelled very slowly because Mary's baby was due to be born soon.

When they reached Bethlehem they had problems finding somewhere to stay. So many people had returned to Bethlehem to register their names in the census, that every house was full and every bed was taken in all of the Inns.

The only shelter that they could find was a stable, actually a small cave, where animals were kept.

It was in that poor place that Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Son of God.

In those days it was the custom to wrap newborn babies tightly in a long cloth called swaddling clothes. Jesus' bed was the manger that the animals ate their hay from.

In the hills and fields outside Bethlehem, shepherds looked after their sheep through the long night. As the new day began, suddenly an Angel appeared before them and the glory of God shone around them.

The shepherds were very, very scared, but the Angel said, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you and everyone. Today in Bethlehem a Saviour has been born for you. You will find the baby lying in a manger.'

Then before they knew it, many more Angels appeared all around them lighting up the sky.

The shepherds heard them praising God singing, 'Glory to God in the highest, and peace to everyone on earth.'

When the Angels had gone the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go to Bethlehem to see what has happened.'

So the shepherds went to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph. The baby Jesus, the Christ Child, was lying in a manger as they had been told.

When they saw him, they told everyone what the Angel had said and everyone who heard the story were astonished.

Then the shepherds returned to their sheep, praising God for sending his Son to be their Saviour.

When Jesus was born, another miracle took place. It was another that no one has ever been able to explain. A star was born that night.

Yes, it's true. You see, when Jesus Christ was born, a brand new star appeared in the sky. A star brighter than all others. A star never before seen - even by those Wise Men would studied such things.

It was that star that would guide the Three Wise Men to the birthplace of Jesus Christ.

Yes, Three Wise Men in faraway lands saw the star and understood what it meant. They were very smart men who studied the stars and had read in very old writings. They knew that a new star would appear when a great king was born.

After seeing that star, they set out to follow it in search of the new king and bring him gifts.

The Three Wise Men followed the star towards the country of Judea, and when they got to the capital called Jerusalem they began to ask people, 'Where is the child who is born to be king of the Jews?'

Herod, the king of Judea, remember him, well he heard this and it made him very angry to think that someone might be going to take his place as king.

So what did Herod do? Well, Herod sent for the Three Wise Men to come to him. When the Three Wise Men got there, Herod lied to them and told them to go on following the star until they had found the baby king.

He said, 'When you have found him, let me know where he is, so that I can go and worship him.' But Herod did not tell them that he really wanted to kill Jesus who was considered the Messiah, the king of kings.

The Three Wise Men followed the star towards Bethlehem - exactly where it was said that the king would be born in the old writings. The star stopped and shine directly down upon the place where Jesus was.

The Three Wise Men entered the stable where they found Jesus with Mary. They bowed down and worshipped he who was Jesus - the Christ Child.

The Three Wise Men presented their gifts they had brought to Jesus. The gifts were gold, frankincense and myrrh.

You might be wondering why the Three Wise Men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh to baby Jesus.

Well, the gift of gold to the Christ Child came from King Melchior of Arabia. His gift is said to have paid for the Holy Family's flight into Egypt later on when escaping Herod.

Gold is as valuable today as it was in Jesus Christ's time. It symbolizes immortality, divinity, purity, and the kingship of Jesus Christ.

About the frankincense?

Well, King Balthazar was one of the Three Wise Men and came from the East to find the Christ Child. He presented frankincense to the baby Jesus as a gift. By honoring Jesus in this way, Balthazar fulfilled the prophecy that gold and frankincense would be brought from the Gentiles to honor the heavenly king.

Frankincense is a sweet gum resin that is the purest of incense. When burned, it produces white smoke and a sweet smell, symbolizing the prayers and praises of the faithful as well as Christ's sacrifice and the divine name of God.

And about myrrh? Well, King Caspar was from Tarsus and one of the Three Wise Men. He gave myrrh to the baby Jesus.

Myrrh is known for its medicinal value, for its medical uses, and it was used in ancient times for anointing kings. In Hebrew, the word Christ means 'the Messiah.' In the Hebrew Bible, a Messiah is a king or High Priest traditionally anointed with Holy anointing oil. The Holy anointing oil was the myrrh that Caspar had brought to Jesus.

Myrrh is named for its bitter taste and symbolizes the Suffering Savior, the Great Physician, and Christ's human nature.

Since God warned the Three Wise Men not to go back to Herod, they returned home to their countries in the East by a different route.

When the Three Wise Men had gone, an Angel appeared to Joseph in a dream.

'Get up,' the Angel said, 'take Jesus and Mary and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for Jesus to kill him.'

So Joseph got up, took Jesus and Mary during the night and they left for Egypt where they stayed until King Herod died later on.

But on that day, on the day that Jesus was born, Herod realized that he had been tricked by the Wise Men - Herod was furious and he gave orders for his soldiers to kill all the little boys two years old and younger who were in Bethlehem and the surrounding area.

He did that to try and kill baby Jesus, all because his plan to find the location of the Christ Child from the Three Wise Men had failed.

After Herod had died, Joseph had another dream in which an Angel appeared to him. The Angel said, 'Get up, take Jesus and Mary and go back to Israel, for those who were trying kill Jesus are dead.'

So Joseph got up, and again did as the angel told him and took Jesus and Mary back to Israel.

But when Joseph heard that Herod's son was now king of Judea, he was afraid to go there because he didn't know if Herod's son would try to kill Jesus like his father wanted to do.

So instead the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus went to Galilee, and there they lived in their old town of Nazareth.

For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God. He is the one who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death.

Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas day. It is the day that we remember that the Messiah was born into our world to save us from our sins.

It is also a time for family and friends to get together and celebrate a time of joy and love. And that for just one day there should be peace around the world. It is suppose to be a wonderful time, a time to remember forever.

Although lots of people think about Christmas trees and Santa Claus, the real reason why we celebrate Christmas, this date, is because Jesus Christ was born into this world."

One child looked at the old man and softly said, "Grandpa, can you read it to us again?"

"Tomorrow," he said. "Now go off to bed before your mother gives me a scolding for keeping you kids up late."

Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - Attacks On School Children In U.S. & China, Slain Border Patrol Agent's Family Sues Feds, and More!

Evil at Sandy Hook Elementary School

FBI statistics show that violent crime is at a 30 year low.

On days like today, when some killer goes into some sort of evil feeding frenzy, that statistic is not an encouragement at all. That statistic has no relevance at all when the criminally insane take out their evil intentions on the world.

Today, in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut, 20 children and 6 adults were killed today when an insane individual clad in black military gear opened fire inside his mother's kindergarten class at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The murderer has been identified as 20 year old Adam Lanza.

This morning, after Adam Lanza woke up, for some reason he decided to shoot his mother, Nancy Lanza, in the face at their home in Newtown.

Once that was done, he went to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School where his mother taught kindergarten. And yes, once there, he slaughtered her entire class.

Terrified, horrified, traumatized, the children who survived will never be the same.

Adam Lanza showed up wearing black military garb and toting three guns, according to reports. In the main office, and with the intercom transmitting the horror through the school’s halls, Lanza shot the principal.

Then as if on a mission, he made his way to his mother's class, sources said, where he killed her pupils.

The news reports said that "by the time it was over, Lanza, six adults and 20 young children were dead in the second-worst school shooting in the nation’s history."

The news said that "only the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, which left 32 dead, was worse."

Was worse? Was worse because of the number killed? I'm sorry, but I don't understand how anything could be worse than what took place today. It just doesn't get worse than someone on a mission to kill kindergartners. It just doesn't get worse than that!

In the next few days, anti-gun groups will want to outlaw guns and all of that sort of thing. I'm sure there will be some sort of outcry for new laws and regulations of some sort.

Lawmakers who see their job as pacifying the public will inevitably want to pass some sort of law to do something or other.

But friends, this has nothing to do with guns or the need for more laws. It has nothing to do with the killers ability to get a gun or break the law. It has everything to do with Adam Lanza.

No matter if there were a thousand laws, Adam Lanza would have broken those laws just as he broke the law today. No matter if he had a gun or not, I believe evil intending to do harm will find a way.

I am certain that the evil personified in Adam Lanza would have found some way to accomplish his mission of wanting to kill those who his mother cared about.

Was he striking at the thing that his mother loved - her class? Did he hate his mother so much as to want to harm the thing she showed concern for? Who knows. And honestly, who cares.

Sure it might go to his psychotic motive, but they're just excuses for an abhorrent deed that anyone should know is wrong at its core. Whatever excuse he may have had, it simply does not matter.

If he hadn't bought a gun, I believe he would have been found a knife, or a car, or a match. He was intent on conducting evil, and nothing was going to stop him.

Twenty-year old Adam Lanza was the problem. His desire, his craving, his wish to hurt and kill was the problem here. There is good and there is evil, and Adam Lanza was evil personified.

We should all know the difference between right and wrong. We should all be taught what is good and proper behavior and what is wrong and unacceptable in society. Adam Lanza had to know that contrary to what he saw on television and in the movies and in video games, murder of the innocent is not right.

Was Adam Lanza simply criminally insane, or was his problem a total lack of morality? Was his flaw a complete lack of a moral compass? Wasn't he brought up with someone to teach him the difference between good and bad, wrong and right, righteousness and evil?

I don't blames machinery like cars or guns for what happened at that school today. Just as I don't blame his mother's car for getting him there, I surly don't blame a gun for his desire to do such an evil act.

The vehicle that he used to drive to the school was registered to his mother. And thought three guns were found, we now know that he took a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, inside the school.

It appears that he took a rifle to the school, but he left it in his car. And yes, I'm thinking that he left the rifle in his mother's car because he knew that the school would have never allowed him entry through their security doors if he had it in his hands.

We know he left it in the car because authorities are saying they found a .223-caliber rifle in the back of his mother's car which he took to the school.

This tells me two very important things. First, it tells me that Adam Lanza was clear headed enough to know that he wouldn't get a rifle into the school but instead had to sneak two guns in. And second, this tells me that the security measures at the school had no way of knowing that he was carrying pistols when they let him into the school.

This is besides the fact that as the son of one of the teachers there, who would have thought that he would do this.

I blame Hollywood for inciting violence. I blame those who glorify violence in the movies. I blame those who are successfully desensitizing a whole generation of kids out there.

I blame those who think that people don't need to be taught the difference between right and wrong. I blame those who push the idea that any behavior - no matter how offensive it is to others - is simply OK.  Yes, I blame society for acting as though morality is not something that we need in the world.

Morality is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are "good" and right versus those that are "bad" and wrong.  It is knowing what helps versus what harms.

Morality is synonymous with "goodness" or "rightness." Morality goes to the heart of what each of us have for a Moral Code.  A great example of a moral code is the Golden Rule which states that, "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself."

Immorality is the active opposition to morality. It is the opposition to that which is good or right.  Amorality can be defined as an unawareness of, or the indifference toward, or disbelief in any set of moral standards or principles.

Sick or not, Adam Lanza's immorality goes to his motives for doing what he has done.

While there is no rationale for such an act, and there is no explanation that can pass for even being remotely plausible, those who will explore what movies and television shows he watched, what books he read, how he lived, and what he may have tweeted friends, may find his motives go to the heart of his complete disregard for what is morally wrong.

With some sort of understanding of his motive, we may understand why he had no moral code. We may understand why he would do such an evil act, then again we may never know what makes some people as evil as the devil himself.

The best thing to happen today in Newtown was that Adam Lanza killed himself. I just wish he had done it before going to Sandy Hook Elementary School.

My heart goes out to those children, those teachers, and of course the parents. May God Bless them all.

22 Children & 1 Adult injured in another Knife Attack at Chinese Elementary School

Yesterday was a horrific day for school children in Newtown, Connecticut, but also for a school in China.

To prove that crazy people will get the job done one way or another, and they really don't need to use guns to conduct their evil, take a look at what happened at an elementary school in China on the same day that Adam Lanza did his evil deeds in Newtown, Connecticut.

Beijing, China, is reporting that a knife-wielding man injured 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in central China as students were arriving for morning classes Friday.

This is the latest in a series of periodic rampage attacks at schools and kindergartens.

The attack in the Henan province village of Chengping happened shortly before 8 a.m., said a police officer from Guangshan county, where the village is located.

The attacker, 36-year-old villager Min Yingjun, is now in police custody.

No motive was given for the stabbings which are eerily similar to a string of assaults against schoolchildren in 2010 that killed nearly 20 and wounded more than 50.

The most recent such attack took place in August, when a knife-wielding man broke into a middle school in the southern city of Nanchang and stabbed two students before fleeing.

In one of the worst incidents, a man described as an unemployed, middle-aged Doctor killed eight children with a knife in March 2010.

In May of 2010, China was reporting that they were installing gates and cameras at schools as well as having security guards trained to fend off knife-wielding attackers of kindergartners.

This came about after a man with a kitchen cleaver barged into a kindergarten in central China, hacked to death seven children, their teacher and her mother and returned home while rescuers rushed to the scene before he took his own life.

Woman who Set Fire to Home and Killed Two Children gets 25 years

More proof that people don't need a gun to do evil got 25 years yesterday.

In Fort Campbell Kentucky, 39-year-old Billi Jo Smallwood was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for setting fire to her home and killing two of her children at Fort Campbell.

Prosecutors described her act as a scheme to escape a rocky marriage and collect on her soldier husband's life insurance policy.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Lesousky Jr. described Smallwood's actions as "premeditated and devious" that justified a life sentence.

"She turned her back on those children, and when she did so, she lost two of them," he said.

Smallwood was convicted by a federal jury in Paducah of maliciously setting fire to the two-story housing unit in 2007 while her children slept inside.

Prosecutors argued her intent was to kill her husband and cash in his $400,000 insurance policy.

She was convicted of one count of malicious damage and destruction by fire to property owned by the United States, resulting in the two deaths on the Army post straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee border.

The May 2007 fire at the base killed 9-year-old Sam Fagan, and 2-year-old Rebekah Smallwood.

Smallwood's husband, Army Spc. Wayne Smallwood, crawled out of a second level window and suffered a leg injury when he jumped. Their toddler daughter, Nevaeh, was not injured. Wayne Smallwood is no longer in the Army.

Smallwood herself suffered serious burns but investigators testified the injuries were consistent with someone setting a fire.

Judge Russell mentioned the "powerful and sincere" remarks by Smallwood's defenders while handing down the sentence. Russell also ordered Smallwood to pay $209,000 in restitution for damage caused by the blaze.

Evidence presented at trial indicated she purchased a gasoline container about 12 hours before the fire was set. Remnants of the container were found by investigators in the first-floor dining room, where gasoline had been poured and ignited.

Matthew Cummings, special agent with U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Division, testified during her detention hearing that the doors in the home had been locked from the inside and smoke detectors had been removed.

Cummings said Smallwood told him the family had just returned from a trip to Georgia when the fire was set and they had just $17. Cummings said she was "aggravated" that her husband had gone out earlier in the evening to a VFW club bar.

Prosecutors also pointed to evidence showing Smallwood fabricated her claim that an intruder was responsible and that she received a threatening phone call meant for her husband on the eve of the fire. Records show no such call was received. Her intent, they said, was to divert attention from herself as a suspect.

"The telephone call never happened," Lesousky said Thursday. "It was part of her cover up."

Not surprising, Smallwood said she wasn't the person portrayed by prosecutors. She talked of her supposed devotion to her husband and of being thrilled when she found out she was pregnant with her oldest child.

Another thing that doesn't surprise me much is that her mother and her aunt offered tearful statements asking for leniency.

And yes, believe it or not, even though the evidence says different, Brenda Napper, a sergeant at the Marion County Detention Center, where Smallwood has been held, said she believes Smallwood's claim of innocence.

Brenda Napper said it's the first time she's ever felt an inmate was innocent. Imagine that!

But it doesn't stop with Napper, Mitchell Embry who is a volunteer chaplain says he has gotten to know Smallwood during her incarceration. Believe it or not, he called her "the most faithful, deep-thinking, spiritual person I've been around."

As unbelievable as it is, these two individuals helped Smallwood get only 25 years instead of a Life sentence.

So can I believe how a guard and a chaplain can get sucked in by an inmate? Sure I can. After all, there are always those who are gullible enough to swallow what criminals hand out.

Back 35 years ago when I worked in Corrections in the Marine Corps, it was my experience that all of those behind bars were innocent. Not one prisoner, confinee, ever did what he was supposed to have done. Yes, they always proclaimed innocence.

In fact, I can truthfully say that I never met a prisoner who owned up to what they really did. And yes, convicts are great liars.

Family of Murdered Border Patrol Agent Sues Federal Officials over 'Fast and Furious'

A report out of Phoenix, Arizona, says that the family of a murdered Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry has sued federal officials over the botched "Fast and Furious" gun smuggling operation.

Agent Brian Terry was mortally wounded on Dec. 14, 2010, in a firefight north of the Arizona-Mexico border between U.S. agents and five men who had sneaked into the country to rob marijuana smugglers.

During the firefight, believe it or not, while the Drug Smugglers were shooting at Terry with live rounds from weapons that they got from our Justice Department during the screwed up "Fast and Furious" operation, Terry was firing back non-lethal "bean bag" rounds.

Imagine that. The bad guys are using bullets but the Department of Homeland Security restricted our guys from using regular bullets and instead forced them to use non-lethal bean bag rounds.

Federal authorities conducting "Fast and Furious" have faced tough criticism for allowing suspected gun buyers for a smuggling ring to walk away from gun shops in Arizona with weapons, rather than arrest them and seize the weapons.

The lawsuit filed Thursday and made publicly available on Friday came from Terry's parents against six managers and investigators for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The family also sued a federal prosecutor who had previously handled the case but is no longer on it, and the owner of the gun store where two rifles found in the firefight's aftermath were bought.

The family alleges that the ATF officials and federal prosecutor created a risk to law enforcement officers such as Terry and that the firearms agents should have known their actions would lead to injuries and deaths to civilians and police officers in America and Mexico.

The family also alleged that firearms agents and the prosecutor sought to cover up the link between Terry's death and the botched gun smuggling investigation.

The "Fast and Furious" operation was launched in 2009 to catch trafficking kingpins, but agents lost track of about 1,400 of the more than 2,000 weapons involved.

Authorities say the ring was believed to have supplied the Sinaloa cartel with guns. Mexico's drug cartels often seek out guns in the U.S. because gun laws in Mexico are more restrictive than in the U.S.

Some guns purchased by the ring were later found at crime scenes in Mexico and the United States. And yes, we're not talking about a few guns. The operation lost track of over 2,700 assault rifles.

Although many of the guns have turned up at homicides along the Mexican border, no one knows exactly how many of these guns have been used to slaughter Mexicans and Americans on the border. 

The probe's failures were revealed - and later examined in congressional inquiries.

So far, 15 of the 20 people charged in the gun smuggling case have pleaded guilty to charges.

Authorities have a separate case pending in federal court in Tucson against five men charged with murder in Terry's death.

So far, one man has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Of the five men accused in Terry's killing, two are in custody, and three others remain fugitives.

The Obama administration is hiding documents needed in the investigation. Using the President's power of Executive Privilege, Obama is concealing those documents from the Congressional Investigation.

It is all speculation as to why Obama would do such a thing, but some believe that the documents tie the White House into the Fast and Furious Operation - something that President Obama said he had no knowledge of.

It reminds me of when Richard Nixon said he knew nothing about Watergate.

EPA Imposes Controversial New Rules

The Environmental Protection Agency issued its first major regulation since the November 6th election, imposing new air quality rules on soot pollution in what critics called evidence of a post-election "regulatory cliff."

The EPA rule reduces by 20 percent the maximum amount of soot released into the air from smokestacks, diesel trucks and other sources of pollution.

The new soot standard has been highly anticipated by environmental and business groups, who have battled over whether it will protect public health or cause job losses.

The American Petroleum Institute warned Friday that the new rule "is unnecessary and could drive up costs for new and expanding businesses trying to hire employees."

"There is no compelling scientific evidence for the policy decision to develop more stringent standards. The existing standards are working and will continue improving air quality," API Director of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Howard Feldman said in a statement.

"We fear this new rule may be just the beginning of a 'regulatory cliff'."

Feldman was referring to a host of forthcoming environmental regulations.

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who for months has been warning about those regulations, called Friday's announcement "the first in an onslaught of post-election rule makings that will place considerable burdens on our struggling economy."

"And so it begins," Inhofe said.

Announcement of the new standard met a court deadline in a lawsuit by 11 states and public health groups. The new annual standard is 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air, down from the current 15 micrograms per cubic meter.

Soot, or fine particulate matter, is made up of microscopic particles released from smokestacks, diesel trucks, wood-burning stoves and other sources and contributes to haze.

Environmental groups and public health advocates welcomed the new standard, saying it will protect millions of Americans at risk for soot-related asthma attacks, lung cancer, heart disease and premature death.

But congressional Republicans and industry officials called the new standard overly strict and said it could hurt economic growth and cause job losses in areas where pollution levels are determined to be too high.

Ross Eisenberg, vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said the new rule is "yet another costly, overly burdensome" regulation that is "out of sync" with President Barack Obama's executive order last year to streamline federal regulations.

The new rule will "place many promising new projects --and the jobs they create -- into permit limbo," Eisenberg said.

The EPA is simply out of control. And yes, I really believe that the Obama administration doesn't give a damn about helping businesses create jobs. They are more concerned about burdensome regulations that cost companies money that could be spent on hiring.

Harry Belafonte thinks Obama should "Jail Republicans"

Harry Belafonte’s advice to President Obama: Act Like a Third-World Dictator and Jail Republicans

During an interview with MSNBC’s Al Sharpton, singer Harry Belafonte offered some controversial advice to President Obama.

In fact, he said the president should act like a "third-world dictator" and put his opposition in jail!

Belafonte said, “What fascinates me, is that the face of millions of Americans expressing their desire, the whole political establishment defining its game, that there should be this lingering infestation of really corrupt people who sit trying to dismantle the wishes of the people, the mandate that has been given to Barack Obama. And I don’t know what more they want. The only thing left for Barack Obama to do is to work like a third-world dictator and just put all of these guys in jail. You’re violating the American desire.”

Belafonte once called U.S. President George W. Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world."

The American singer-songwriter, who was once considered the “King of Calypso,” this week ignited outrage after speaking with MSNBC’s Al Sharpton and saying President Obama should rule like a third-world dictator and toss his Republican opponents behind bars.

Belafonte went on to claim that Republicans are "violating the American desire" by working to keep government limited, taxes low and the country solvent. Sharpton was clearly amused by the suggestion – and could be heard laughing in the background.

But some critics are far from amused.

“Harry Belafonte has a long career as singer, actor, civil rights crusader, and now, professional lefty nutball. He no longer is content to just abuse conservatives, now he wants to envision Obama as a third-world dictator and have his opponents jailed,” Dan Gainor, VP of Business & Culture at the Media Research Institute, told FOX News.

Belafonte’s latest remarks have also drawn condemnation across the Twitterverse, including from former Republican Presidential hopeful Herman Cain who tweeted: “What’s up with these crazy liberals?”

“Every time Harry Belafonte is given a chance to speak, we are granted the opportunity to laugh at his incompetence,” tweeted one, while another called him a “total wackjob.”

Another observed: “Don't know what's more disturbing, Harry Belafonte's statement or that @MSNBC thinks he's worth talking to.”

This is hardly the first time Belafonte ignited a media star with his anti-Republican remarks. In 2002, he began making heated comments against then-President George W. Bush and his administration.

“There is an old saying, in the days of slavery. There were those slaves who lived on the plantation, and there were those slaves who lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master, do exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him,” he said in an interview with a San Diego radio station, referring to a quote made by civil rights radical Malcolm X.

“That gave you privilege. Colin Powell is committed to come into the house of the master, as long as he would serve the master, according to the master's purpose. And when Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture. And you don't hear much from those who live in the pasture.”

Powell later called the remarks "unfortunate" while Secretary of State Rice responded: "I don't need Harry Belafonte to tell me what it means to be black."

Some wonder why the mainstream media continues to provide a platform for Belafonte.

“In recent years, Belafonte has said that President George W. Bush as ‘the greatest terrorist in the world’ was ‘no better’ than Osama bin Laden,” Gainor added.

“He has claimed the Tea Parties were ‘at the vanguard’ of ‘the greatest threat of all is the undermining of our Constitution.’ The equally bizarre hosts of MSNBC keep giving Belafonte a platform because they want to give such bizarre comments credibility. It's an embarrassment to a once-great man to have fallen so far.”

Though I agree, I can't help but wonder if it may be drug induced delusions or maybe old age and senility. Either way, the old singer is off his rocker.

JOKE

It's said that the Obama Economy is helping out the Sporting Goods business because more people are buying tents to live in.


Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - Gun Rights Victory, Obama Adviser Praises Chinese Communism, Michigan Approves Right-To-Work Law, Obama Incites Instead Of Unites, and More!

Michigan Approves Right-To-Work Law

As pro-union protesters gather at Michigan State House, Michigan voted in legislation to give Americans in that state the right-to-work.

I know many of us don't understand what the problem is here. What is wrong with having a right-to-work?

A "right-to-work" law is a statute in the United States that prohibits union security agreements, or agreements between labor unions and employers that govern the extent to which an established union can require employees' membership, payment of union dues, or fees as a condition of employment, either before or after hiring.

"Right-to-work" laws do not, as the short phrase might suggest, aim to provide a general guarantee of employment to people seeking work, but rather are a government regulation of the contractual agreements between employers and labor unions that prevents them from excluding non-union workers.

Right-to-work laws exist in twenty-four U.S. states, mostly in the southern and western United States.

Such laws are allowed under the 1947 federal Taft–Hartley Act. A further distinction is often made within the law between those employed by state and municipal governments and those employed by the private sector with states that are otherwise union shop (i.e., pay union dues or lose the job) having right to work laws in effect for government employees.

So basically, a Right-To-Work law secures the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union. And yes, people should not be forced to belong to a union to have a job.

The Michigan Legislature on Tuesday gave final approval to their "right-to-work" legislation, in the face of raucous protests in the capital and stern warnings from Democratic lawmakers.

Threats of violence from Democrats? You betcha!

"There will be blood, there will be repercussions," State Democratic Rep. Douglas Geiss, speaking on the House floor on Tuesday, warned ahead of the votes.

The final votes on the House side Tuesday deliver a blow to the labor movement in the heart of the U.S. auto industry. The measures ban unions from demanding dues from workers.

One bill dealt with public sector workers, the other with government employees. Both measures cleared the Senate last week, and are expected to be signed by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder as early as Wednesday.

Coinciding with the votes were massive and noisy protests both inside and outside the Capitol from pro-union demonstrators. Thousands descended upon downtown Lansing to rally against the legislation that prohibits requiring nonunion employees to financially support unions at their workplace.

"This is about giving workers the freedom to choose whether their resources go to a union or not -- and I actually don't view this as anti-union," he said. "Indiana's had a strong experience. ... They've seen thousands of jobs come to Indiana. Those jobs could also come to Michigan."

Several high-profile Democrats, though, have gotten involved, with Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin and House Democrats meeting with Snyder on Monday and urging him to veto the bill.

The surprise move by Michigan Republicans last Thursday to approve the anti-union bills touched off a firestorm in the home of the U.S. auto industry.

Following high-profile fights over union privileges in Wisconsin and Indiana, Michigan in an instant became the latest battleground in that struggle.

Though Republicans control the capital and had the votes all along to send the bill to Snyder's desk, opponents are planning to mount a legal challenge.

Given the rapid manner with which the bills moved and the fact some demonstrators were kept out of the chambers, Democrats say they'll challenge under open-meetings laws.

The Detroit Free Press also reports that Democrats could try and challenge a provision that exempts police and firefighters.

However, any attempt to bring the proposal to referendum is complicated by the fact that the bill contained an appropriation -- and under Michigan law, appropriations bills cannot be challenged by popular vote.

In order to bring the "right-to-work" bill to referendum, supporters would have to first prove the appropriation to be somehow invalid or inappropriate.

Opponents could also launch recall campaigns against targeted Republicans in retaliation, as they did in Wisconsin following a vote that cracked down on collective bargaining.

More and more states are looking to improve their economies and become more attractive to businesses and this is seen as one step toward that, so we can only wait and see what happens from here.

Michigan Teachers Abandon 26,000 Children For Union Business!

Earlier in the day, a few school districts closed after hundreds of teachers called out to join the Union protests.

FoxNews.com confirmed that the Warren school district had to close Tuesday after so many teachers called out absent; WDIV in Detroit reported that the Taylor school district had to do the same.

A statement from the Warren system said that by 8 a.m. local time, 750 staff members had called out.

The Michigan Education Association (aka Teachers' Union) has pressed their members to abandon Michigan’s classrooms in order to lobby against Governor Rick Snyder’s right-to-work reforms.

Classes were cancelled today in several Michigan school districts to accommodate the absence of hundreds of teachers, who were prompted by their union to call in "sick" in a sort of "protest" of the right-to-work legislation at the Michigan Capitol.

The result, twenty-six thousand students are out of school today.

The mass exodus of teachers has primarily affected the Detroit metro area. The last thing Detroit children need is an unplanned day out of school. Under the leadership of Democrat, just 7% of the city’s Eighth Graders can read proficiently - and just 4% of the city's Eighth Graders are on their grade level in math.

In other words, the city is being inhabited by the ignorant taught by the incompetent more worried about union business than teaching.
And I agree with one writer who said that none of that matters to the union boss out there who perceives a threat to his power and had the teachers abandon those kids.

As everyone knows, unions across the country are politically powerful agents for the Democrat Party. And yes, that's even more the case in Michigan.

The most recent data available show that the Michigan Education Association spent more than $7 million on political contributions, and that 86% of unions’ political contributions went to Democrats.

Some teachers might take exception to their hard-earned money being used for such partisan political purposes, but that doesn't matter because the unions are going to back Democrats no matter who they run.

Of course, when the right-to-work legislation is implemented, teachers will have the option to control how their paychecks are spent. Imagine that!

Let's all join in and sing, Free At Last! Free At Last!

Union dues range between $600 to $900 per year. Teachers shouldn’t be forced to forgo that money in order to teach. And yes, like it or not, for some teachers who want to teach but don't want to belong to the union - they are being forced to pay a membership that they don't want.

That is at the heart of the question, should someone be forced to join a union, pay a huge "initiation fee" and pay monthly dues and in some cases fight seniority and other union rules, if all they want to do is find a job and go to work?

Establishing a right-to-work law in Michigan will be the beginning of freedom for thousands of teachers and trades across the state.

The unions recognize that when teachers aren’t forced to hand over their paychecks, that their bloated coffers will get a little lighter.

That’s less money the union can use for an overtly political agenda, less money that can go to the plush salaries of union bosses, and a weakened ability to block much needed education reforms in the state.

As such, teachers won’t be the only beneficiaries. Right-to-work legislation will loosen organized labor’s stranglehold on public education generally.

Governor Snyder’s efforts have the support of the workers that will be affected. Over half of Michigan voters support the effort, and 40% of union households are in favor - many of whom are fed up with their union dues going to political candidates that they do not support.

So why is there a problem if someone wants to work but not be forced to join a union? Well, let's face it, organized labor’s bosses see this as such a threat to their entrenched power.

And no, they don't care if children who really need to be in class are in fact sitting at home or on the streets.

Is this something new for the unions? No, these union tactics aren’t new at all.

The educational futures of 5,000 Louisiana children now hang in the balance because the Teachers’ Union there has filed suit against the state’s newly minted voucher program.

The Chicago Teachers’ Union forced schools to shut down this fall for an entire week, in order for education employees to demand an increase to their already extravagant salaries and benefits.  And as everyone knows, Chicago is not exactly a place were kids are doing well either.

Teachers’ unions have tried similar scare tactics recently in Oklahoma, Arizona, and Wisconsin. It's a modern day hostage situation and the unions know it.

They have control of the classroom and what is taught to the kids. Forget the Three Rs of yesteryear, these days they sing praises to Obama and the Democrat Party all while learning the evils of Republicans and others who really want to see them learn something to get ahead in life.

I know that my stance on teachers deciding to walk off the job and calling in "sick" is not popular.

As far as I'm concerned. since we judge people on their action, the teachers who pushed aside their responsibility to educate kids to instead show their support for their union should all be replaced.

They have clearly shown where their priorities really are. And no, it's not with educating children.

Obama Chimes In To Incite Instead Of Unite

President Obama also weighed in Monday, using a speech near Detroit to call out local Republicans.

"These so-called 'right-to-work' laws, they don't have anything to do with economics. They have everything to do with politics," Obama said. "What they're really talking about is they're giving you the right to work for less money."

I don't know if Obama is just ignorant or purposely misleading Americans by his statements. I can't help but wonder if the president understands that his job is to unite Americans and not incite anger and division.

It's really no surprise that Obama failed to mention that real truth behind the law.

The truth of the matter is that "Right-To-Work" laws prohibit mandatory union membership and "initiation fees" while allowing non-union employees to receive the same wages and benefits.

Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Illinois State Ban On Carrying Concealed Weapons

It's a victory for Americans living in Illinois. Those folks can now have the same rights as other Americans in other states.

They now have the right to carry a concealed weapon and defend themselves if need be.

A Federal Appeals Court on Tuesday struck down Illinois' ban on carrying concealed weapons - the only total concealed-carry ban in the country.

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals gave state lawmakers six months to come up with their own version of the law that legalizes concealed carry.

"We're extremely pleased with the ruling," Illinois State Rifle Association leader Richard Pearson said. "Now that the court has ruled ... we will work as soon as possible with legislators to craft a concealed-carry bill for the state of Illinois."

The 2-1 decision marks a huge win for gun rights advocates who have argued that the ban on concealed weapons violates the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment and what they see as citizens' right to carry guns for self-defense.

A new law could be in place by January, Pearson said. A bill has already been written by Rep. Brandon Phelps that includes background checks, field provisions and other issues.

"Christmas came early for law-abiding gun owners," said Phelps, whose proposed legislation came within three votes of passing in 2011.

"I said on the floor, `A lot of people who voted against this, one of these days, you're going to wish you did, because of all the limitations and the safety precautions we put in this bill, because one of these days, the court's going to rule and you're not going to like the ruling.' Today's the day. The court's pretty much said there's no restrictions," he said.

Judge Richard Posner wrote in the court's majority opinion that the state "had to provide us with more than merely a rational basis for believing that its uniquely sweeping ban is justified by an increase in public safety. It has failed to meet this burden."

He continued: "The theoretical and empirical evidence (which overall is inconclusive) is consistent with concluding that a right to carry firearms in public may promote self-defense."

The appeals court ruling reverses lower court opinions against a lawsuit filed by former corrections officer Michael Moore of Champaign, farmer Charles Hooks of Percy in southeastern Illinois and the Bellevue, Washington-based Second Amendment Foundation.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, who favors strict gun control laws and proposed an assault weapons ban earlier this year that lawmakers defeated, has vowed to again bring legislation that would prohibit the sale or possession of semi-automatic rifles and other guns.

While this is great news, sadly the poor people in Illinois have to worry about liberal Democrat politicians who see the citizens of that state as being better off unarmed and defenseless.

What this means is that liberals in power in that state will probably try to circumvent the law somehow. Their reasoning is that they rather see their citizens become victims of violence than see the use of a weapon in the act of self-defense be justified.

Chrysler workers canned for drinking and smoking pot on the job get reinstated

Chrysler workers who were fired or suspended two years ago after a MyFoxDetroit investigation found them drinking and and smoking pot during a lunch break are back on the job.

MyFoxDetroit first aired the footage of the Chrysler workers in September 2010. Video showed them in a park during the work day, drinking alcohol from bottles covered in brown paper bags and smoking what appeared to be marijuana.

With the auto giant having recently received a federal taxpayer bailout, and President Obama having visited the plant where the employees worked just months earlier, Chrysler appeared to take a zero-tolerance attitude. The company fired 13 workers, and suspended two.

But MyFoxDetroit reports that following a union-backed arbitration process, the employees were reinstated. This week, they came back to work.

Chrysler said in a statement that it does not support the decision to bring back the workers but would like to move on.

“While the company does not agree with the ultimate decision of the arbitrator, we respect the grievance procedure process as outlined in the collective bargaining agreement and our relationship with the (United Auto Workers union),” the company said, according to MyFoxDetroit.

“Unfortunately, the company was put in a very difficult position because of the way the story was investigated and ultimately revealed to the public. These employees from Jefferson North have been off work for more than two years. The time has come to put this situation behind us and resume our focus on building quality products that will firmly establish Chrysler Group's position in the marketplace."

These union employees can thank their union for their jobs. Any other job would have fired them for such blatant actions.

And just for the record, I worked with some people who I found out later were smoking pot and drinking during their lunch hour. I'm just glad they never got me injured while on the job.

Their are reasons that we as a society should not condone such activities. Besides the fact that they should not be at work drunk or high on pot, they do put the safety of others at risk.

The employees work at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant, which builds Jeep Cherokees.

So yes, if you work with any of these men - be aware that they may get you hurt. And if they do, thank your UAW union bosses who brought these guys back!

Obama administration's business adviser says China’s "state-run communism" works

When this administration first took charge four years ago, I really didn't know what to think about all of the charges in that they were all a bunch of Communist and Socialist.

Over the years, this administration has proven themselves to be a strange group. Obama's policies seem to based more on Karl Marx and Joe Stalin than that of Thomas Jefferson or Abe Lincoln.

And yes, even his advisers are Communist sympathizers.

You think I'm kidding? Well just yesterday, Jeff Immelt who is the chairman of President Barack Obama’s job council has endorsed China’s Communist State, saying “state-run communism may not be your cup of tea, but their government works.”

It reminds me of a horrible quip that I once heard about Adolph Hitler. The ignorant bastard who said it could have been an Obama adviser.

He said, "Hitler might not have been your cup of tea with murdering millions of Jews and all, but more importantly Hitler got those trains to run on time!"

Sad, isn't it? I think so. I think its very sad that someone who is an adviser to the President of the United States would praise a system of government that takes freedom from the people and treats them like cattle.

Jeff Immelt is the dual-hatted chairman of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, and of General Electric, a huge company with businesses in many domestic and international sectors, including China.

He used a December 10th television interview with Charlie Rose to suggest that China’s type of state-run government has been great for business.

China’s government consists of a Communist dictatorship. That dictatorship overlaps with Chinese-style family networks of nepotism and communist bureaucrats who oversee the nation’s five-year economic development plans.
China’s government is now spending huge amounts of money to build up the country’s infrastructure. I remember Obama talking about infrastructure 5 years ago, but that was all just talk for the cameras.

And yes, while Obama and the Democrat Party as a whole are trying to destroy America's coal industry, China is spending huge amounts of money buying coal-fired and nuclear power plants, and the electricity transmission lines that that power will produce. They are also buying railroads and other equipment — all of which G.E. builds for export.

Chinese politicians and bureaucrats choose which companies, usually through bribes and payoffs and favors and such, so that companies such as G.E. get contracts. This is no different than how things were in the old Soviet Union Communist state.

Comparing the Communist system of government with a dictator to the United States with a president who some say wants to be a dictator is not too unusual these days. I've heard many say that Obama would relish the authority that a Communist Dictator has.

In fact, early in 2011, Obama told a group that it would be so much easier to be the president of China. As one White House official put it, “No one is scrutinizing Hu Jintao’s words in Tahrir Square.”

Technically the "President" of China has a lot of titles. Among them: “Paramount Leader,” “General Secretary of the Communist Party,” and “Chairman of the Central Military Commission.”

Being “president” in China isn’t the same as being President of the United States. It’s a dictatorship, or at the very mildest, the strongest position in an autocratic and thoroughly entrenched and unaccountable political system.

As such, yes, it’s easier to wield power. But why was Obama such an idiot for making the case for enlightened despotism over representative democracy?

Making power easier for government to yield was the exact outcome that our founders feared, which is why they wrote the Constitution and ratified it 222 years ago.

Enlightened despotism is still despotism, and the “enlightened” part depends entirely on whether the analysts fall in or out of favor with the despot.

And since the “president” of China doesn’t give a damn about the freedom and liberty of his own people, no one really gives a damn what he thinks about the freedom and liberty of others. Most see that as a feature of being President of the United States.

Sure, Obama might think it would be easier to be President of China, but he’d have found it impossible to become President of China.

Unlike Americans, who can vote for whomever they choose, the entrenched power structure in Beijing would never have allowed an untested backbencher with no experience in executive management to have come close to the top job.

Obama should be thanking his lucky stars rather than lamenting his fate as he did early last year.

So does it really surprise me that the chairman of General Electric, Jeff Immelt, who is also an adviser to President Obama likes the Communist system where all he has to deal with is a few bureaucrat flunkies to sell his products?

No, it doesn't. It sounds like he's used to dealing with bureaucrats.

Take for example that fact that he is an adviser to Obama, America's head bureaucrat, who has spent tens of billions of taxpayers’ dollars on green-tech energy programs, and his environmental regulations which has also forced companies to buy new generations of energy products manufactured by General Electric and other companies.

Obama's regulations spur sales of GE’s products, such as banking, medical equipment, locomotives and aircraft engines.

Immelt’s two jobs allow him to have the ear of the president while allowing General Electric to have access to federal dollars and help company lobbyists gain access to shaping federal environmental, energy and tax regulations.

For example, GE and its subsidiaries won at least 19 direct contracts or grants worth Billions of taxpayer dollars from the 2009 stimulus package.

Clearly Immelt is not an idiot when it comes to making money for General Electric, as he has the ear of President Obama to help him do so.

Not bad for a man who is not smart enough to know why communism doesn't work if you're subjected to its injustices.

Communism doesn't work because people will not work as hard for the benefit of strangers as they will for themselves or their families.

Remove all the incentive to work hard and progress dies. It's the same with Communism. Why break your back at work? You won't make any more or any less than anyone else.

The guy who makes money is the corrupt bureaucrat, or that guy from General Electric who doesn't have to live under that system of government but admires its proficiency.

TRIVIA  

Christmas is a holiday full of symbolism.

Why did the Three Wise Men bring Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh to baby Jesus?

What is the Meaning of Gold?

The gift of gold to the Christ Child is supposed to have come from Melchior, a king from Arabia, who, legend has it, was one of the Three Wise Men. His contribution is thought to have financed the Holy Family's flight into Egypt.

Gold, as valuable today as it was in Christ's time, symbolizes immortality, divinity, purity, and the kingship of Jesus Christ.

What is the Meaning of Frankincense?

Tradition maintains that Balthasar, one of the Three Wise Men who came from the East to find the Christ Child, presented frankincense to the baby as a gift. By honoring him in this way, Balthasar fulfilled the prophecy that gold and frankincense would be brought from the Gentiles to honor the heavenly king (Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72).

Frankincense is an incense given to the baby Jesus.

Frankincense, a sweet gum resin from the Boswellia tree, is the purest of incense. When burned, it produces white smoke and a sweet smell, symbolizing the prayers and praises of the faithful as well as Christ's sacrifice and the divine name of God.

What is the Meaning of Myrrh?

Caspar, a king from Tarsus and one of the Three Wise Men, is believed to have given myrrh to the Baby Jesus.

Myrrh is known for its medicinal value and was used in ancient times for cleaning wounds and sores, as an analgesic, and for embalming the dead or anointing kings.

Myrrh is actually an aromatic gum resin that oozes from gashes cut in the bark of the commiphora tree. It hardens into teardrop-shaped chunks and is then pounded into powder or mixed to make ointments and perfumes. It is named for its bitter taste and symbolizes the Suffering Savior, the Great Physician, and Christ's human nature.

  Story by Tom Correa

RANDOM SHOTS - ObamaCare Tax To Start January 1st, USDA Says Rural America Less Relevant, California School District Owes $1 Billion In Loans, and More!

Agriculture Secretary to Rural Americans: You're "Less Relevant"

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has some harsh words for Rural Americans: It's "becoming less and less relevant," he says.

A month after an election that Democrats won even as rural parts of the country voted overwhelmingly Republican, the former Democratic governor of Iowa told farm belt leaders this past week that he's frustrated with their internecine squabbles and says they need to be more strategic in picking their political fights.

"It's time for us to have an adult conversation with folks in rural America," Vilsack said in a speech at a forum sponsored by the Farm Journal. "It's time for a different thought process here, in my view."
"Why is it that we don't have a farm bill?" said Vilsack. "It isn't just the differences of policy. It's the fact that rural America with a shrinking population is becoming less and less relevant to the politics of this country, and we had better recognize that and we better begin to reverse it."

OK, so I don't know if Vilsack is just stating his political belief that this administration sees anyone voting Conservative or Republican as their enemy and subsequently doesn't matter?

Or is he calling for Rural Americans to jump on the Democrat bandwagon if they want representation in Washington?

Either way, it sounds as though this jerkweed is saying that rural America is not relevant to the decisions that are going to be made in Washington D.C. - decisions that will effect the lives of most rural Americans like a Farm Bill which touches everything from corn subsidies to organics research to food stamps to rural enterprise development.

So do we have a problem with the Obama administration that goes farther than most in America really understand? Are they neglecting to serve the 49% of the American people who did not vote for them?

Since 60% of rural America voted Republican, does this mean the Obama administration sees no reason to observe the needs of rural America because we did not back him politically?

If that's the case, America should worry.

USDA will allow more meat, grains in school lunches following criticism

The Agriculture Department plans to do away with limits on the amount of meats and grains that students can have in their school lunches, following complaints from parents and lawmakers alike.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote to members of Congress Friday announcing that his department would scrap daily and weekly maximums for the foods.

It comes after lawmakers wrote to his department saying kids weren’t getting enough to eat under the rules, and school administrators complained that the regulations were hindering their ability to plan daily meals.

"This flexibility is being provided to allow more time for the development of products that fit within the new standards while granting schools additional weekly menu planning options to help ensure that children receive a wholesome, nutritious meal every day of the week," Vilsack said in a letter to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

The new guidelines, which took effect in September, were intended to address increasing childhood obesity levels. They set limits on calories and salt and phase in whole grains.

Schools must offer at least one vegetable or fruit per meal. The department also dictated how much of certain food groups could be served.

While nutritionists and some parents have praised the new school lunch standards, others, including many conservative lawmakers, refer to them as government overreach.

The rules triggered a burst of news coverage this past fall regarding students who complained they weren’t getting enough food, and created the parody YouTube video “We Are Hungry,” posted by students in Kansas.

Students and teachers from a high school in Kansas created the YouTube video parody protesting the recent lunch restrictions placed on high school menus, USA Today reported.

The video – titled ‘We Are Hungry’ – came out just a week after students from a Wisconsin high school boycotted their school lunch over the changes.

The student video-makers, who attend Wallace County High School, say the portion sizes of their meals have significantly decreased. Callahan Grund, a 16-year-old football player featured in the video, told USA Today that they’ve cut the number of chicken nuggets in half, and the size of pork cutlets are much smaller than last year.

Even the teachers at Wallace County High School jumped on the bandwagon. Brenda Kirkham, an arts and publications teacher, came up with the idea for the video, while Linda O’Connor, an English teacher, wrote the lyrics for the song.

One of their main concerns was the decrease in protein during lunches.

The new rules now set a daily minimum and weekly maximum meat or meat alternate limit – meaning high school students must receive at least two ounces of protein each day, but they can’t have more than 12 ounces each week

The parody is in response to the new federal guidelines funded by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, dictating what is served in school cafeterias during lunch hour. The legislation was promoted by Michelle Obama, and is designed to improve nutrition standards for food served in schools.

Some of the changes include age-aligned calorie restrictions of up to 850 calories, serving more whole grains and less sugar, and only allowing low- or non-fat milk.

Though broader calorie limits are still in place, the rules adjustment will allow school lunch planners to use as many grains and as much meat as they want.

In comments to USDA, many had said grains shouldn't be limited because they are a part of so many meals, and that it was difficult to always find the right size of meat.

Congress to the rescue!

Last year, after USDA first proposed the new guidelines, Congress prohibited the USDA from limiting potatoes and French fries and allowed school lunchrooms to continue counting tomato paste on pizza as a vegetable.

The school lunch rules apply to federally subsidized lunches served to low-income children. Those meals have always been subject to nutritional guidelines because they are partially paid for by the federal government, but the new rules put broader restrictions on what could be served as childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed.

School kids can still buy additional foods in other parts of the lunchroom and the school. Congress two years ago directed USDA to regulate those foods as well, but the department has yet to issue those rules.

Montana Sen. Jon Tester, a Democratic senator among the lawmakers who wrote to USDA about the rules, praised the move.

"Schools need flexibility to make sure kids get the nutrition they need to focus on their studies," he said.

It is a shame when Congress has to write to the Obama's Department of Agriculture to get them to give more food to low-income children who are hungry.

Maybe, just maybe, the First Lady's phobia of obesity is getting a little out of hand?

Maybe Michelle Obama should worry about her own problem with obesity and not take out her problems with being fat out on children who have needs - especially children whose only real substantial meal is the one they get in school.

Obama Equals Job Loss Or Stagnation

So is job loss and stagnation the new norm under President Obama? That is the gist of one report that came out last week.

Friday's "Employment Situation" report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) showed that 5.4 million Americans have dropped out of the labor force since Barack Obama took office.

The labor force declined by 350,000 in November, despite an increase of 191,000 in our working age population.

In case anyone didn't notice, the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report was terrible. Unemployment didn't go down in November from 7.9% to 7.7% as the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported, it actually went up.

The true unemployment rate, calculated at the labor force participation rate that existed when George W. Bush left office at 65.8%, increased from 10.7% to 10.8%.

This put the true unemployment rate 1.3 percentage points higher than when Obama's so-called "economic recovery" began, almost 3.5 years ago. But then again, why let facts get in the way of the tale the Obama administration is telling.

Cliff or Not, ObamaCare Taxes To Start Next Month

Even if lawmakers somehow stop the Bush-era tax rates from expiring, taxes are still expected to rise on January 1st.

And yes, you can thank a trio of new fees tied to the federal health care overhaul - aka ObamaCare.

The IRS this past week published rules for some of the first major taxes meant to help pay for the biggest social program in history President Obama’s massive insurance coverage expansion.

Together, they will raise investment and income taxes on top earners and impose a separate -- and controversial -- tax on medical devices.

The bundle of fees has been largely overlooked as lawmakers and the White House bicker over the Bush tax rates, with Republicans demanding they be extended for everyone and Obama insisting rates rise for top earners.

But that same group of earners is already in the cross hairs under the ObamaCare tax rules published this week.

Starting Jan. 1, investment income for individuals earning over $200,000 and households earning over $250,000 will be subject to a new 3.8 percent tax.

Further, regular income above those thresholds will be hit with a .9 percent Medicare surtax. Should the Bush tax rates expire for those workers, those increases will be compounded.

But the rather obscure medical device tax is the one that has stirred the most controversy in Washington and the business community. This week, groups and lawmakers renewed their calls to repeal it as the IRS published its final rules.

"This week, the Internal Revenue Service outlined which medical supplies and technologies will be subject to a tax. Now, everything from latex gloves to pacemakers will become more expensive and in some cases, more scarce," Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said in a statement.

"The tax on medical devices harms America’s ability to conduct the necessary research and development to maintain our global competitiveness, resulting in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs and fewer groundbreaking innovations in this field. With millions of Americans unemployed, this simply makes no sense."

The Affordable Care Act imposed the 2.3 percent tax on medical devices with the goal of raising nearly $30 billion over the next decade.

Equipment makers, though, argue that the tax ends up being much higher than that since it’s on gross sales. One industry spokesman estimated earlier this year that the impact on actual earnings is more like 15 percent.

Already, some have warned that the tax will stifle growth. Indiana-based Cook Medical earlier this year announced it was scrapping plans to open five new plants because of the tax.

The Republican-controlled House voted over the summer to repeal the tax, but the Democrat-controlled Senate never took it up.

Not surprising, the Obama administration has defended the provision.

According to the Treasury Department, the medical device companies actually stand to benefit from the law.

Though the 2.3 percent tax hits the industry, the department argues that the millions of new health care customers insured as a result of the law will increase the demand in hospitals to order more equipment -- in turn boosting medical device companies' profits.

That’s not how the industry sees it. Stephen J. Ubl, president of the Advanced Medical Technology Association, said this week in response to the IRS rules that the tax could cost thousands of jobs – and is already causing companies to lay off workers and cut back on research and development.

“While Washington talks about a fiscal cliff, this tax could push us off an innovation cliff, costing as many as 43,000 jobs and hurting the ability of medical technology companies to find tomorrow’s treatments and cures. It should be repealed,” he said.

It’s unclear whether any of the ObamaCare taxes could be reduced or delayed as part of a deal to avert the looming fiscal crisis.

So far, negotiations have centered on the Bush tax rates, overall tax reform and entitlement cuts.

When the Obama administration says "everything is on the table" when discussing cuts - the high cost of ObamaCare is not looked at.

The House Republican counter-offer unveiled this past week did not mention the health care taxes.

Meanwhile, the health insurance industry is already raising alarm about an ObamaCare tax on health insurers taking effect in 2014.

America’s Health Insurance Plans says that cost will be passed onto the consumer, leading to another $2,000 in premium costs over the next decade for the average individual purchaser.

ObamaCare to Raise Prices for Pet Health Too

Not only is ObamaCare going to raise health care costs for consumers, but it will do the same for your pets.

A rule published on Friday by the Internal Revenue Service says a 2.3 percent “device tax” will be slapped on certain medical devices veterinarians use as a result of ObamaCare, according to the Heritage Foundation.

Many companies making the devices are expected to raise prices — passing on the costs to pet owners, who already spend more than $12 billion on pet care every year, the foundation said.

While the devices used solely for veterinary purposes will not be taxed, those considered “dual use” — by both human health care operations and veterinary practices — will be taxed.

These “dual-use” devices, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, include examination gloves, sterile catheters, and infusion pumps, the foundation said.

The IRS rule states:

“Section 4191 [of the Internal Revenue Code] limits the definition of a taxable medical device to devices described in section 201(h) of the [Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act] that are intended for humans, but does not provide that the device must be intended exclusively for humans.

Under existing FDA regulations, a device intended for use exclusively in veterinary medicine is not required to be listed as a device with the FDA, whereas a device intended for use in human medicine is required to be listed as a device with the FDA even if the device may also be used in veterinary medicine.”

The device tax is expected to raise costs for consumers.

The Heritage Foundation cites a survey of 181 medical-device manufacturers, 52.5 percent of whom said they planned to “pass along some or all of the increased cost [of the tax] to our consumers.”

Among device makers in North America alone, the percentage was even higher — 58 percent — the foundation said.

California School District Owes $1 Billion In Loans

Poway Unified School District in San Diego, California, owes nearly $1 billion on a $100 million Capital Appreciation Bond.

But wait, they are not alone! This is happening right now to nearly 200 other California School Districts.

Poway's financial situation is no different from that of nearly 200 other California school districts, as some districts are on the hook for 10 to 20 times the amount they initially borrowed.

In fact, the superintendent of the Poway School District, John Collins, recently told San Diego’s PBS affiliate that “Poway has done nothing different than every other district in the state of California.”

Imagine that! Is that the type of mentality that is permeated throughout the California Education system.

The Schoold District administrators have this crazy "Don't blame me, they did it, so I did it," sort of childish irresponsible excuse for their actions.

Yes, that's what these so called administrators are using as their reason for getting into this financial mess. And the question isn't how did they get into that mess, or why would supposedly educated people place themselves in this situation?

No, the question isn't even why do they think that that sort of bullshit fly's when it doesn't?

Fact is, because it is considered a sin to question school spending practices in California, this sort of financial irresponsibility does fly.

It works for administrators because finger pointing your way out of problems works when you are involved in California education.

School Districts who over extend themselves know that the Teachers Union has the most political clout in California. They know School Districts will just be forgiven for their debt because they know that the Democrats have a super-majority in California's capital in Sacramento.

In more cases than not, those Democrats owe their position to unions - especially the Teachers Union.

California's State Treasurer Bill Lockyer has determined that nearly 200 school districts in the state have borrowed nearly $3 billion in Capital Appreciation Bonds and are on the hook for a combined $16 billion.

My recommendation: Do not send your kids to California Schools to learn Basics Economics. The folks running California schools don't understand the basic rule that you never borrow more than you can afford to pay back.

Lesson From UK: Tax Hike on Wealthy Lowers Revenue

One side wants to rein in entitlements to deal with the budget deficit. The other side insists that any such moves be accompanied by higher taxes on the wealthy.

That may sound like the ongoing fiscal battle in Washington, but actually describes the situation in Britain.

The difference is that Britain has already raised taxes on the wealthy, with a telling result: The government actually lost revenue.

In the 2009-2010 tax year in Britain, more than 16,000 people reported annual income of more than 1 million pounds (equal to about $1.6 million today). Then in 2010, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a member of the Labour Party, introduced a new 50 percent top income tax rate for high-income earners. After that, the number of people reporting income of at least 1 million pounds fell to 6,000.

"It is believed that rich Britons moved abroad or took steps to avoid paying the new levy by reducing their taxable incomes," The Telegraph reported.

Harriet Baldwin, a Conservative member of Parliament, said: "Labour's ideological tax hike led to a tax cull of millionaires."

Instead of raising revenue, the tax hike cost the U.K. 7 billion pounds ($11.2 billion) in lost revenue — and that in an economy one-quarter the size of America's.

Now the government of Conservative Party Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that it will lower the top rate from 50 percent to 45 percent, a move the Labour Party officials have called a "tax cut for millionaires."

In ongoing budget talks, Conservatives want to freeze out-of-work benefits, which are set to rise with inflation, while liberals in the government "will only allow the benefits freeze if taxes on the rich are increased," according to The Telegraph.

Democrats in the United States might note that since Cameron's government announced the lower top rate, the number of Britons reporting income of at least 1 million pounds has risen to 10,000.

Americans on Food Stamps hit Historic high in September with 47.7 Million Americans

Americans on Food Stamps, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, reached another historic high in September, according to new data released by the United Stated Department of Agriculture.

The most recent data on SNAP participation were released Friday, and showed that 47,710,324 people were enrolled in the program in September, an increase of 607,559 from the 47,102,765 enrolled in August.

The number of households enrolled in the program also increased from 22,684,463 in August to 22,973,698 in September, an increase of 289,235. The average benefit, according to the new data, was $134.29 per person and $278.89 per household.

Texas, California, and Florida were the states with the most recipients, the Agriculture Department reported.

1 in 6

The new numbers mean that an estimated 1 in every 6 people in America were on food stamps in September.

In the 1970s, 1 out of every 50 Americans was on food stamps. Since 2001, spending on the program has quadrupled and doubled in the last four years.

The benefit is intended to supplement a person’s overall food budget.

US Birth Rate Falls to Record Low

The birth rate in the United States dropped to the lowest level ever recorded last year, led by a significant plunge in births to foreign-born women.

The overall birth rate in 2011 was 63.2 per 1,000 women of prime childbearing age, 15 to 44 years.

That is the lowest rate since at least 1920, the earliest year for which there are reliable numbers, according to a new report from the Pew Research Center.

The overall rate peaked most recently in the Baby Boom years, hitting 122.7 in 1957, nearly double today's rate. The rate sagged but stabilized after that, until falling after 2007, the beginning of the most recent recession.

Overall births per 1,000 women declined 8 percent from 2007 to 2010.

The rate for U.S.-born women dipped 6 percent during that period, and plummeted 15 percent among foreign-born women. The birth rate for Mexican immigrants dropped by 23 percent.

Total births in 2010 were 4 million, including about 3.1 million to U.S.-born women and 930,000 to immigrant women. Preliminary data for 2011 indicate there were 3.95 million total births last year.

"This report does not address the reasons that women had fewer births after 2007, but a previous Pew Research analysis concluded that the recent fertility decline is closely linked to economic distress," Pew reported.

States with the largest economic declines were most likely to experience large fertility declines, Pew found.

The number of children born to the average woman in the United States this year is estimated to be 2.06, according to the CIA World Factbook.

That is lower than France, but higher than almost all other European nations. The lowest rate is in Singapore, 0.78. The highest is in Niger, 7.16.

Other findings from the Pew report:

• Immigrants arriving since 2005 and their descendants will account for 82 percent of U.S. population growth by 2050.
• Teenage mothers accounted for 11 percent of births to U.S.-born women in 2010, compared to 5 percent for foreign-born women.
• Among U.S.-born women, the birth rate per 1,000 white women ages 15 to 44 was 57.3 in 2010; for blacks, 61.3; for Hispanics, 65.4; for Asians, 32.
• Among U.S.-born white women, 30 percent of births were to unmarried women in 2010. The figure among U.S.-born blacks was 78 percent; Hispanics, 58 percent; Asians, 31 percent.

Not very surprising. It has been long estimated that white American low birth rate is one reason why white Americans will be considered a minority soon.

TRIVIA

More than 400,000 jobs in the U.S. auto supply chain have been lost to China since 2000. Another 1.6 million U.S. jobs are at risk unless China's illegal trading practices are curtailed.



Story by Tom Correa