Saturday, Feb 7th - Zero: Obama's "Stimulus" Bill

I never blog on the weekend, but this thing has me so fired up I couldn't help but put it out there. If you feel even remotely the same as I do, please, please, go to google, search for your state's senators and congressmen and send them an email or call them and tell them NOT to pass this $937 BILLION TURD!!!!!!

There is only one reason Mr. President is getting his panties in wad about passing this thing so fast: the longer they delay, the more details are leaking out, and the more this thing STINKS! Apparently by "Change" he meant standing behind the podium and getting pissy with us AMERICANS who dare to question his Rescue Plan..

Here's a few of the nastier nuggets -

Let's start with $3 billion for "prevention and wellness programs, including $335 million for "education and prevention" of sexually transmitted diseases. FRC reports that recent government expenditures in this area include a transgender beauty pageant in San Francisco that advertised available HIV testing. Then there was the event called "Got Love? — Flirt/Date/Score" that taught how "to flirt with greater finesse." Does this strike anyone as a plan to jump-start the economy, instead of someone's sex life?

The Senate (and the House) somehow think it's a "stimulus" provision to give an additional $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts. Kiff Gallagher, a former Clinton staffer, protested to the Los Angeles Times that the arts "get the shaft" in spending battles because their impact seems fuzzy. "But the new president shows that a higher social, empathic intelligence is required to solve hard-core issues."

If we have enough "empathic intelligence," we might imagine how we fix the mortgage-banking mess with more spending on ballet.

On the tax-cut side, the Senate bill included a tax break worth up to $246 million over 11 years for outside investors in big-budget Hollywood movie projects. "Tax cuts for the wealthy" are OK apparently — as long as the wealthy are making movies. But bad publicity and pork-busting Sen. Tom Coburn pressed the Senate (including 13 Democrats) to scrap the tax break.

The "green" lobby is thrown a pile of bones in the "stimulus" bill, including $10 million for bike and walking trails, $200 million for plug-in electric car stations, $400 million for climate change research by NASA scientists, $600 million to buy new "green" cars for government workers, $800 million for more cleanup of "Superfund" pollution sites, and $1.5 billion for the construction of new "green" school buildings.

Then there's just plain self-dealing by the Democrats. The Washington Times reported on a $2.25 billion provision in the House bill for the National Parks — almost equal to the National Park Service's total yearly budget, and a eyebrow-raising increase of almost three times the $802 million the Senate Appropriations Committee put in its "stimulus" bill. The chief lobbyist for the National Parks Conservation Association is Craig Obey, the son of House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey.

- $6.2 billion for home weatherization
- $50 million for port modernization and water and wastewater infrastructure needs in Guam
- $100 million for children to learn green construction
- $800 million for Amtrack
- $150 million for the Smithsonian Institute
- $198 million for U.S. military benefits for Filipinos who fought for the U.S. during WWII
- $75 million for "smoking cessation activities"
- $87 million for the "design of a new polar icebreaker"
- $335 million for HIV/STD screening
- $14 million for the Accountability and Transparency Boards TRAVEL EXPENSES!!

Don't take my word for it, people. Go to www.readthestimulus.org.

You know the real shame of this? There is a lot of REALLY good stuff in this bill. It could be effective. But the unbelievable self-interest of the MORONS in DC is completely ruining it.

To put it in perspective, this bill equals out to $5205 for every person in the United States over the age of 18. That is how much more YOU are going into debt so the MORONS can make their lobbyist buddies happy. After all, if the lobbyists aren't happy, the MORONS can't keep getting their free vacations in the French Riviera, or buy those vacation homes in Aspen...

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Wednesday, Feb 4 - Zero: Nancy Pelosi

The Speaker of the House - 3rd in line to the presidency, mind you - told a room full of (so-called) journalists that it is vitally important for Congress to pass the newest Stimulus package (900 BILLION and counting).

The reason it is so vitally important? Glad you asked.

Because, "500 million Americans lose their jobs each month that goes by" without it.

Wow. That's a staggering number! Especially considering there are only 300 million people living in the good ole US of A.

Now, I knew you could be a total moron and be in the Congress. That's obvious. But, seriously, early last year there was such a big hoopla over the 300 millionth person born in the US, you would have had to have had your head up your butt to not hear it.

Anyway. Next group of losers I would like to point out are the so-called journalists in the room. You want proof that 99.5% of the media are in the Liberal Tank (face first, sucking it up through a straw)? Not a single one of them called her on it to her face.

Again, not surprised. The liberal movement in our country is re-writing our children's textbooks with lies and propaganda. Why should a little fact like how many people live in our country get in the way of their scare-mongering agenda?

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Monday, January 19th - Zero: Pain

Pain is an interesting thing. There are lots of different forms: mental, physical, spiritual. It can be sharp, stabbing, dull, aching. It can be quick, like ripping a band-aid off, or long term like an old bone break that just heals wrong.

I've been close friends with pain for most of my life. I can remember suffering horrible headaches as a young child, and I remember pain in my legs but it's much more abstract. As I grew older I had the bad fortune to have bad female problems, ulcers, and, always, the headaches. From my early 30's on, pain has become a constant companion. I still have the headaches, brought on by the slightest smell of someone's cologne or perfume or cleaning products, etc, etc. But the worst of all is the pain in my lower body joints. I thought it was bad, but I found out this week that it's so bad that I didn't even notice that I have a rib out of place. Crazy stuff, there.

On tonight's House episode there was a young father who tried to kill himself because of the overwhelming burden of living with constant pain. Interesting because House also lives with the pain on a constant basis. Both of them were at a point where the drugs were no longer working well for them. That's a fear, as well as the fear of what the drugs do to your kidneys and liver. I could sympathize with the father, because I have often wondered what's the difference between living in a constant drug haze and being hooked up to a machine? Of course, it's House, so I knew they would fix him! YAY, House..

A person learns to live with pain, usually. As far back as the Apostle Paul with his 'thorn in the flesh'. Some people take drugs, some people become shut-ins, some people become alcoholics, and some people become mean. Pain affects those that love those people, too. It's not fair to them, especially to the spouse. Because while we save all our 'good' moments for our co-workers and friends, we keep the venom for those in our house. I am devasted by the cruelty of that truth, but like so many of our own faults, I feel powerless, most of the time, to change it. It's one of those things that for some crazy reason I feel like it's up to me to fix, like I am so ashamed of it that I can't give it over to God. I feel like a little kid in the Ball Pit. You know the one, she scoops up an armful of those balls and loses her balance. Down she goes and can't get back up. You, on the outside, tell her to drop the balls and she can get up, but her desperation to hang on to those balls outweighs everything else so she struggles and struggles, but just sinks further down. I wallow in the Ball Pit on a regular basis. Because admitting that the pain exists means I am weak. Weakness is something I have learned from an early age to be completely and totally ashamed of.

How crazy is that. I can admit my weakness here, on this blog, but in the intimate conversation with my Father, my Creator, my weakness - my pain - is off-limits! In some way, I think part of the reason is that I feel like I deserve it.

There is a reason for everything, and similar to Paul, I feel like if pain weren't my constant companion my life would be almost too good. My pride would be an enormous hurdle. It definitely keeps me humble, because I have to watch my temper always. I also have started to have to admit that I can't do it all myself. I need help doing small chores and activities. That's big for me, cause I have always been a solitary person. I would have made a terrific monk, probably. But, that wasn't God's plan, obviously.

Praise God that He doesn't give up on us! My prayer is that I will get it right sooner rather than later.

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Monday, January 12th - Hero: Bill Connor

This is a guy I met on an airplane last year. I don't really remember which flight, except that it was a connection flight to Dallas.

I remember him though. He was a very nice guy who was with the Army Air Guard. He lives in San Antonio and that is what got us to talking. San Antonio is one of my favorite cities!

We talked to whole flight. He had daughters and we talked about them, and we talked about religion, but we mostly talked about traveling. He traveled alot, too.

In the course of conversation I mentioned how much I loved Argentina and Costa Rica which got us to talking about the fact that you can drive Highway 1 (or 101) starting at the northern most tip of the states all the way down to the tip of Patagonia in Argentina. That led us to talk about the book 'The Motorcycle Diaries' which chronicles a couple of young guys journey along this highway.

So guess what shows up in my mail today??? A DVD copy of the movie 'The Motorcycle Diaries' from Bill. He also sent a letter telling about the Hurricane work his unit has been doing and some training videos they have been shooting.

So, Bill Connor is my Hero today for reminding me that while travel can be a chore and sometimes unpleasant, there are some really great people out there - just waiting to be met.

Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Thursday, Dec 25th - Hero: Jesus

Happy Birthday, Jesus!!

So far, so good! We had a great evening at my Grandma's last night. I got to 'wrassle' around with some little boys (something I don't usually get to do), my brother James was there with his bride Natalie (James just got back from Iraq), and we sang carols and ate good food. Awesome night.

Afterwards, our girls made cookies and treats for Santa, made homemade ornaments, and took some goofy pictures in their new PJ's. They all got their big gift wishes fulfilled, so all is Merry and Bright.

Now we will be off to my Mom's for the afternoon. She's making Christmas dinner this year and I CAN'T WAIT. Beef tenderloin, garlic mashed potatoes, and all the trimmings. Should be fantastic. My uncle Dale will be there, which always a special treat. I just think this will be a very special Christmas. Trust me when I say Jesus Christ has made his presence felt in our family in a big way this Season. It's His birthday, but we are the ones who have been given gifts.

So, Merry Christmas everyone!!! Here's some pictures from our celebrations:

Wednesday, Dec 17th - Hero: My Brother

They say the measure of a person comes from how they handle the bad times.

My brother has been handed lemons lately, but he's made some great lemonade!! He's not let his Christmas spirit be diluted, and he's made the women in his family SO happy by taking all his girls to church, and being really and truly PRESENT while he's there.

There's not enough men in this world who are good leaders for their family. Men who wake up each day with the needs of their family foremost in their mind. Men who make their kids feel safe - not because they are perfect, but because they are always, always there. Jason is one of them. God bless you and the others like you out there.

Love ya, little bro...


Peace, Love, and GOD,
Tracy

Monday, Dec 8th - Hero: My Mom

Ding Dong the Grinch is dead!!!

Yes, my Mom has long worn the Grinch mantle, but no longer!! This year she has the Christmas spirit in spades.

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from her to help her buy a tree. Naturally, I dropped what I was doing and ran to Walmart with her. After all, it's one of my goals in life to help others discover their Christmas Joy.

Well, she got downright excited and even though the Walmart was stuffed tighter that a Christmas goose, she didn't even seem to notice.

When we got home, our husbands were crawling on the roof, stringing lights and wrapping garland around the newell posts. I'm telling you, I could have cried with joy. We went in and not only put up the most beautiful tree, but also decorated the front entryway, the dining room, AND the kitchen. And it looks fabulous. Truly.

Afterwards we ate a fantastic meal that the men fixed and sat around the living room listening to Elvis singing about our Lord. Even the men were wiping away tears.

To top it all off, she is having our family out to her house for an old fashioned Christmas Dinner where we will tell the Christmas story, listen to hymns, and pray together. In other words, we will be wallowing in Christmas magic.

This will be my favorite gift.

Thanks, Mom!

Peace, Love, and GOD, Tracy