IF IT'S OK FOR THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTERS -- WHY NOT ALL? -- Just A Minute Radio for Monday Jan 31 - 110131

            Howdy folks… it’s Monday again… and hard to get the wheels a-crankin’ –

 

            We seem to have some of those WWII Gremlins giving us an attack again.  I guess since I’m about the only one in near proximity… that must mean I’m responsible for them seeking me out for more mischief.  Does that mean I have to leave the premises?  Well we’ll just have to wait till later in the day.  Things move slowly on Monday.

           

            What stimulated today’s program is a story put out on the ‘morning bell’ I think middle of last week from the Heritage Foundation’s newsroom. It told of a mother who had two daughters… and while the script didn’t say so precisely, I take it she and her husband were separated… possibly divorced and she was seeing after the two youngsters.

            The immediate problem was the difference between the achievements of the Akron school district where the mother and daughters lived and an adjacent district where the scholastic average was something like 40 points higher. (I’ve misplaced the news release but perhaps you can get details from searching the Heritage web site.) My understanding is the mother filled out papers indicating the girls were living with their father in the higher rated school district – and after two years went by the Akron district hired a videographer to photograph the girls being driven from their home in the lower-scoring school district to a school in the better achieving one.

            Apparently the mother’s deception had been discovered and here’s where my detail falls out… the mother was as far as I can tell, brought before and judge who sentenced her to a ten day jail sentence (before it could be completed she must have achieved a release at nine days) and after that I don’t know what happened.

            Heritage packaged the contrast of the Obama family being able to live in Chicago and then transfer to an upscale school in DC with no difficulty (Since the family was able to pay the bills.) And not much else was said about it. Meanwhile the Akron mother – not so well to do – was, it seems, discovered to be ‘smuggling) [my choice of words] her daughters into the better achieving school district of Ohio whereupon when it was discovered, she was put in jail for her ‘crimes’…

 

            All of this I’ve drawn from a misplaced news release but I think it is accurate in that it asks the question: “Have we come to the place in America where we put parents in jail for trying to get a better education for their children?”  I think the details can be discovered through the Akron school district and perhaps the local court.  It’s a very interesting case… and one I believe the American public would be interested. 

 

            From what we are hearing – many states are going to be reducing their school days per week by at least  a day…. 4 day weeks instead of 5. I suspect it will make *some* children happy – but certainly not their parents (If they are normally protective of their children.) and there will be an upheaval of some kind in Ohio… which may swell across America. At least it’s worth looking into – and I’ll try to do that.

 

            Meantime… ponder the question – and send in your opinions to me or to your Congressperson(s)…

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Jack

 

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110131WhyNotEveryone.doc

“JUST A MINUTE”

IF IT’S OK FOR PRESIDENT‘S DAUGHTERS -- WHY NOT ALL?

 

Just a Minute: - About two years ago when Mr. & Mrs. Obama were moving into the large white house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. -- there were big questions as to where the new President’s children would attend school.  The Obama’s picked a prestigious (and expensive) private school.

      Secretary of Education Arne sent letters to 216 scholarship families telling them they would get no further scholarship money from the District and were required to return their children to the DC public schools.

      Now it turns out a mother in Ohio wanting to exercise the same kind of choice for her two daughters spent nine days of a ten day jail sentence in an Akron jail for trying to get her kids in better schools. 

      I don’t have the space to explain it all here… but Heritage Foundation has all the relevant details if you want to ask them.

      My question is: If it’s OK for the President to shop around for schools for his children -- why does another parent have to go to jail for attempting to secure the same kind of result for her children? 

      I’m sure someone has a better answer than I do.

      <> I’m Jack Buttram

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BOHNER & LIEBERMAN REVIVE D.C. *SCHOOL CHOICE* - for JUST A MINUTE on FRIDAY 110128

            Great to have you all in breathless attendance  -- hanging on every word that comes out of the ‘Snowy North’.

 

            Well, nobody’s perfect. We know the WX-man has a lot of data to keep up with.  And those winter storms are NOT easy to predict.  I only complained when I was having to fly through a ‘mistake.’ (L) And that didn’t really happen too often.  The difficulty is you don’t get to fly through the wx that is *FORECAST*

You have to fly through the WX that is THERE.  And when there’s a BIG difference… well… it can get exciting.  Like the THUNDERSNOW they were experiencing in the concrete canyons of NYC night before last.

 

            I don’t know why we don’t attune ourselves to the notion that sometimes the forecast IS going to be wrong… and sufficiently so.  We had a snowstorm in March quite a few years back when there was enough of that white, wet precip… that closed I-85 down for the better part of 24 hours.  The real devilment of that particular atmospheric disturbance was the freezing rain that accompanied the quite heavy snow. 

 

            The FRZ – which as I recall was the way the WXbureau guys abbreviated it was the real scoundrel.  Just a shift of one or two degrees in the temp makes a BIG difference. When the WX falls more than two degrees or so… the rain becomes snow… and when it goes up a tad it switches over to sleet – or as they wish to call it sometimes… “ice pellets”  -- and as sufficient collection of those little BB’s can make a bridge a killin’ machine when you hit it too fast.  – the FRZ is no picnic on a concrete bridge either because often the bridge will be a sheet of ice when the road has had enough left over heat from the ground to just be wet. The FRZ clings tightly to power lines – and often brings them down as it did in that storm.  Big patches of Greenville were without power for several days.

 

            Anyway… it’s the FRZ that give pilots the willies… makes both props and wings inefficient air foils… and that means lost lift or lost pull or something that will become catastrophic if you let it go too long without either getting out of it – or getting rid of it.  Even with the jets… coming down through a ‘wet’ layer of clouds on approach to the airport with the warm or hot bleed air off the engine that’s supposed to de-ice the intake cowls… or the leading edges of wings or control surfaces… if you have to pull the power back to the place where you’re doing the right thing on speed etc… you may find the tail surfaces icing up… which means loss of control… you get the picture… things get wobbly…. And you just don’t want to stick around in that kind of junk very long.

 

            Kinda reminds me of the kind of financial crisis we *were* in… and apparently are not too far away from now!

 

            Once again… I come back to PRAYER as the exquisite solution.  I can testify to it’s effectiveness.  I’m here because of the Lord’s grace. He was not ready for me to be a part of that aluminum tube coffin the elements – being manipulated by the Prince of the Power of the Air – wanted to create for me and the people riding behind me.  I’m glad we made it home.  And did thank the Lord – and continue to thank HIM and pray for them that are out in it. Not because I don’t want to go to Heaven… it’s just because I want what HE wants… and that’s it!

 

            So… it’s wise to pray for those who travel by land, sea or air… that their trust is in the Lord – not in skill or safety devices… and all of that… all are important… but it’s the LORD who is in control.

 

Well.. It’s late here… I’ve been up too long already so … I’ll put it to bed with a prayer and a bit of a hymn for you and your family.

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Barbara and Jack Buttram

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“JUST A MINUTE”

BOHNER & LIEBERMAN REVIVE D.C. SCHOOL CHOICE

 

            Just a Minute: - New Speaker of the House -- John Boehner, with Sen. Joe Lieberman joining him -- plan to restore the Washington school voucher program cancelled by Mr. Obama.

          The Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act -- will, they hope, become the “a model for similar programs throughout our country.”

          It’s a direct challenge to the teacher’s unions who want to exclude anyone outside strictly public schools which thus far have produced such miserable results -- including the District of Columbia.

          The measure would reauthorize the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program and provide funding for city schools, both traditional and charter, as well as increase the dollar amount of scholarships, mandate rigorous evaluation and incorporate some changes requested by the Democrats.

          There are nay-sayers like Iowa’s Tom Harkin, who is in the pocket of the unions, and would avoid the entire problem. The two sponsoring legislators expect also to change the name to something like the “Every Child Counts” Act.

          It remains to be seen how much support will come from the White House.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan gave vocal support to the effort.  

            <>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

 

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SO CHICAGO TOPS WASHINGTON IN THE SNOW, EH? - Just a Minute Radio for Thursday 110127

            So – there’s a lot going on, even though January seems to be a hectic but not particularly pleasant month to be out and about.

 

            My guess is (although I haven’t looked it up) in the early days they delayed inaugurating a new President until March mainly to get out of the way of the winter weather in January.  But we, even in my memory, have had some doozy of a snowfall in March… So… whattaya do about it anyway?

 

            I didn’t mean to make fun of the CEO for getting stuck in the snow on Wednesday evening coming back from Wisconsin.  (Talk about snow… I’ve *seen* snow in Minnesota in January.  Actually we were in Upper Michigan… the Keweenaw Peninsula  -- it’s the little finger sticking out in Lake Superior and does it get *snow*… the answer is on a billboard up there…) Their record snowfall for one winter – 1931 I think – is right at 13 FEET!

 

            The excursion’s purpose was to shoot some scenes for a Christian film called “Captive Faith” detailing the Siberian Prison camp of the USSR… along with a bit of biography of its most well-known prisoner – Georgie Vins . And they needed a LOT of snow.  The Keweenaw Peninsula has a *lot of snow* believe me. The airplane gas tanks which we used, were rubberized canvas which managed to freeze and crack after we got back. They had to be replaced. I thought *I* needed to be replaced!

 

            But this week’s experience when the Presidential motorcade was delayed in getting in from the old “Andrews AFB” in suburban Maryland where they hanger the AF One fleet of 747’s.  It’s been renamed I understand – some conglomeration of Joint Base and Naval Air Facility… I’ll leave it up to the DoD to sort all that out… I’m sure the Air Force, Marines, Navy and possibly the Army and Coast Guard have some call on the facility…The history goes Waaaaay back.

 

            Anyway… there’s a lot to catch up on in DC. I was watching a televised replay of the beginning of a hearing of the House Budget Committee… and all this “work together” language gets swept away when they start getting down to business. It comes down to who has the numbers of people… and are they there and able to hold up their part of the argument *within* the time frame allotted to each side.

 

            I never worked on the House side of the Capitol.  They have to have more rules because that’s a 4xlarger group -- 435 people --  plus assorted other representatives of Puerto Rico and the various small island entities like those scattered out in the Pacific.  They all must be housed somewhere, and provided for… that’s what a small bit of the national budget goes for. 

 

            It looks to me like America has just grown out of its pants… and one of these days someone is going to try and propose a whole lot of new decision making processes and we’ll *really* be off to the races then. Character must win the day – or we’ll end up just like Rome or any of the other ancient capitols.

 

            The saving fact is America’s *people* are the bosses -- and if they become inattentive enough and let enough people steal away the blessedness the Lord has given us with our government so far that’ll be the end – well that’s the way it is. The major power to hold America to what we have known heretofore in government that’s affordable and works in my opinion is prayer.  If the majority of Americans decide the game isn’t worth the candle… then it will all go down the drain piece by piece just like it has happened to the governments in Europe and Africa and other parts of the world have seen.  We aren’t in some steel and plastic indissoluble bubble.

 

            We’re people… and if enough of us become barbarians… we have only to look up the history of Rome to see what that looks like.  If enough cling to Christ and His church – the body of Christ – and HIS WAY – we’ll be all right and able to withstand Satan’s attacks.  But when character, and love, and mercy are undermined – that spells the end of life and freedom as we know it.  America does not of itself hold a charmed place in the history of the world.

 

            This is my Father’s world – and I suggest you may want to look up the words to that hymn if you really want to know what to be looking for. That will give you a general idea. Of course the Bible is GOD’S WORD.  And no matter how the rest of the world may attack it and all that… It IS a sacred book given by God… all the evidence points that way … and we have the witness of the Spirit of God that bears out the same truth.  Those are the foundations to which we must cling.

 

            God bless you… IN HIM

 

            Cordially,

 

            Barbara and Jack Buttram

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“JUST A MINUTE”

SO CHICAGO TOPS WASHINGTON IN THE SNOW, EH?

            Just a Minute: - The President, mocking Washington’s fumble in trying to handle a tad of snow, spent an hour in his stranded motorcade traveling from “Andrews AFB” (re-named Joint-Base One) to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue attempting to get back home in a mad dash back from Wisconsin on Wednesday evening.

          He learned “Mother Nature” -- having deposited a scant two inches of ‘white stuff’ -- tied up the Chief Executive who allows they don’t ever cancel school in Chicago.  But Presidential motorcades are not immune from getting stuck in snowy D.C. traffic.  Usually it’s barely a ten minute helicopter trip aboard Marine One, but proved to be almost an hour on D.C. sleety slip’n’slide streets.

          Mr. Obama previously mocked the Capital’s fumbling with winter weather compared to Chicago. He had joked about his daughters getting a “snow day” off from school because of a little “ice.” In January of ’09 he had dubbed locals as “weather wimps” saying his seven-year-old said they even went out in the snow for recess.

          And so – friends – When the President got shut down it opened up another “Cold War!”

          <>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

 

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            Here we are in the middle of the week… it's not forecast to be real pretty this morning… but maybe later…

 

            Last night was the usual SOTU speech… except it was the large economy size.  I've heard longer I think… but I have this tendency to doze off.  I suppose if I were in the hall and the applause and jumping up an down was going on…. But I have this … well… I inherited it from Dad. (L)….

 

            Probably I wouldn't be a good judge of State of the Union Messages.  I think I dozed off even during the "Great Communicator's" offering one time.  Although I think they were generally shorter than last night's example.

 

            But I'm non-partisan when it comes to dozing. I was a couple of months old when FDR was inaugurated as (I started to write – "I recall…") but I really don't remember. They were still putting President's in their places in March of 1932 (I think).  I'm really not terribly excited about speeches anyway… even though I did participate in preparing them from time to time as a Senate staffer. [I didn't go to sleep during my own speeches…. Things were too hectic etc.]

 

            Now I've jumbled things up so badly… you'll probably think I wrote speeches for FDR… but that's not correct. I did write a eulogy for Dwight D. Eisenhower's commemoration at the U.S. Capitol… but it was my boss who delivered it… and it was only a few paragraphs long… not long enough to nap in – besides I think it was just entered in the record… I'm not sure it was actually read out loud. That wasn't my job.

 

            Well --- back to the present. I've heard so much about this coming speech over the last week… its sort of dead to me – and probably to you also.  No need for me to spoil your day. Perhaps this will go down in somebody's album as the speech of the century.  I don't think I'll be a party to that.  It wasn't that bad… it's just the form I don't care for.  I don't think I could pleasurably sit still while someone read a speech for over an hour… but I know it can be done… in fact is probably done week by week in pulpits and lectern across America. I just don't seek them out. (J)

 

            Forgive me if I've punctured a 'sacred cow' for you.  But from the remarks televised from Atlanta recording the reactions of a FOX News focus group… well they didn't exactly become entranced from the recorded reactions.

 

            So… while that was a phase of history unfolding… I think we're in for two pretty full years of speechifying – and what is even more difficult to contemplate is that if Mr. O should win the WH for another term …. Well… I hesitate to even contemplate it.  Not him particularly… just 'it' – as I said above… reading a speech of anything over say five minutes… isn't my cuppa tea.

 

            Thus… I've done my chore for today… and will leave it to your own wrestling match.  Have a great day.

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

            Jack Buttram

 

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"JUST A MINUTE"

THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU JUST HAVE TO CRY OVER

Homer: JUST A MINUTE: – Mr Jack, did-ja git ta hear the Prezidint a-speakin?

JACK: I did Homer – what did you think of it?

Homer: Ah asted you firs

JACK: Well… it was long.

BB: Ah'll go 'long wif tha-ut. …

Jack: Right Billy-bob – What did you thank of it?

BB: Ah saw one of 'em fokust groups in Atlanta -- they dint seem to be very impressed.

Homer: But everbody done figgered out Mr. Obama spells investmint different.

Jack: Oh… how does he spell it?

MizP: Ah…know…. Ah know.

Jack: OK you tell us how you spell investment?

MizP:  Ah ain't shore… but ever time he said hit… hit sounded like spendin' ta me.

               … ever thang he cawled investmint – come out ta be spendin!

BB: Yeah… Ah believe Miz Pearl is rite… Oh… an didja notice Justice Ginzberg?

Homer: Ah thank I saw her sleepin' on th' frunt row.

MizP: Mebbe tha'ts jist whut happens wif her when speeches go's purty long.

Homer: Ah thank at's whut done happened.

MizP: She's purty show-art ya know.

Homer: Yeah Ah reckon so.

BB: Hit'd be hard fer me ta stay awake a-sittin in court on a bench.

MizP: Well she's hafta larn how ta fake hit Ah reckon… .

Jack: I checked and education costs have jumped up by 150% since 1970…

MizP: Oh an is th' kids a whole lot smarter?

Jack: Actually … there are no increase in the scores in math, reading or science.

BB: Oh … that's a bummer… lots more spent … but no improved reezults.

Jack: Well  – Be back with us next Wednesday everybody . <> I'm Jack Buttram.  (End)

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EVERYBODY GOT TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND -- Just A Minute Radio for Tuesday 110125

            No kiddin’ it’s gonna happen tonight?  The President is going to *reveal* the State of the Union? Last time he did that I think he lost the attention of Mr. Justice Alito… and this time instead of dividing by political party it’s supposed to be one big happy family… only some of the members of the family don’t ever seem to get the memo.

 

            Well… there shouldn’t be – according to the prognosticators (whose record of accurate predictions haven’t quite matched those of the professional weather people).  I guess we’ll just have to wait and count the numbers of time they jump up and down and applaud.

 

            Do you think Mrs. Pelosi will be upset at not being able to sit up on the top floor with V.P. Biden?  I mean it IS a come down.  And the former Speaker doesn’t impress me as someone who ‘cotton’s’ to a ‘come down.’  But we’ll wait and see.  I’m sure the TV cameras will catch any hint of dissatisfaction.

 

            Well… the House has voted to repeal the Obamacare mighty 2000+ page law.  I haven’t heard anyone own up to reading the whole thing yet… maybe it’ll make a new record in the Guinness book of world records as the most famous 2300 pages or so that everyone knows about, but nobody’s read. Oh well… I guess there would be several phone book listings that might compete on that score.

 

            One thing that has happened thus far is – all the fussing going on under the Capitol Dome has sort of shoved into the background so far – talk about Ground Hog Day.  I would guess Puxatawny Phil will be working up a head of ‘groundhog steam’ if they keep ignoring him like this.  It isn’t a good omen.

 

            OK – tomorrow’s another day – and we’ll have lots to talk about during our brief get together over at Earl ‘n’ Lester’s Bait Shop and Sushi Bar on the Caroliner Line… Seems like the season’s been a bit slow this year.  But I asked my barber… who’s a more than just casual fishing enthusiast, if it was slow out there on the lakes?  He said it has reduced the number of crazy boat drivers who seem to think docks and other obstacles will just get out of their way if they make enough noise and go fast enough.  But I don’t think it works that way. 

 

            Anyway… for all those frost-bit fishermen… send us an e-mail so we’ll know who’s ahead in the fishin’ race this year.  We’ll read it to Puxatawny Phil when he comes out next week or so.

 

            Cordially Everybody!  IN HIM

            Jack Buttram

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“JUST A MINUTE”

EVERYBODY GOT TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND

            Just a Minute: - Peggy Noonan – revered speech writer for “The Gipper” – lost her “mojo” on Republican political opinion somewhere after George W. Bush began his second term -- and has never quite regained her well-tuned balance. Over the weekend she attempted to advise concerning tonight’s State of the Union message – and gotten lost in the rhetorical jungle.

          Ms. Noonan – who has a gift for the well turned phrase – has never quite shucked the atmosphere of her original network boss, CBS’s fallen anchor star, Dan Rather.  Certain quirks still linger. I suppose it happens to all. 

          She’s right in noting the… [Quote] “big thing the President has going for him now, is he was chastened in 2010.  … Americans know their presidents have extraordinary power, and so enjoy reminding them who's boss. In the 2010 election they did just that.”

            I’ve been through a winning Senatorial campaign where my candidate’s opponent could not shut-up about gun control.  That opponent lost. Mr. Obama most likely will do the same – just read the responses. 

          <>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

 

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REMEDYFOR "SKY IS FALLING" DEBT CEILING - For Just A Minute Radio Monday 110124

            Hello, hello,, hello…. Winter, winter, winter… but no snow… at least not here this morning…

 

            It appears the weather guys and gals have got more information than their computers can swallow.  They end up with two or three or more storm tracks and when they swing way down south in the cold wx times… things get very tricky. 

 

            If the air is cold enough (and so far the Canadian north has not seemed to run out of cold air) and the jet streams zag far enough south to pick up the moisture from the Gulf of Mexico… then the slightest deviations can make BIG differences in snow or precip falling rates down South… and depending more on how the winter winds whirl around the low pressure areas and the steering currents pluck at the here and there… then Washington – Phillie – NYC – Newark – Boston and the Maritimes have a wonderful time drawing sort straws to see just which one – or ones – get the really heavy stuff.

 

            Couple that with the undermining the extra ground water does… (as in swallowing a north Georgia snowplow hind end first) in a parking lot) – and you’ve  got a real mess.

 

            I’ve not heard any theories as to why Australia got hit so hard with flooding this year… especially when the weather was acting up so much in the northern hemisphere.  At one time there was a great huge theory that *all* the WX systems were linked together in some mysterious way… so wet in the northern HS… meant Dry in the southern HS… -- lots of rain in the southern California coasts meant dry weather along the east coasts etc. etc. etc…

 

            Of course the EARTH has but one atmosphere … and in some fashion it is all ‘of a piece’ – but trying to figure out when you lift it up here… it’s too short over there…. Or wet… or dry… it seems beyond fathoming.  There’s little doubt that we have more INFORMATION.  Just how it hangs together – or what effect  one part has on another has thus far escaped the scientists…. They guess and guess and sometimes it seems they get it right.  But then I’ve proven pretty sharp on figuring out the sun comes up with some regularity over the eastern horizon and goes down out west…. It does shift around a bit….

 

            And I read somewhere how difficult it was for the soothsayers when comets crossed the skies… or some of the planets appear to go backwards when you don’t understand exactly where they are in their own orbital jig around the solar system. 

 

            There’s so much we DON’T KNOW – and as a matter of truth, have not figured it all out yet…

 

            I think I’d better take a nap now. 

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

 

        Jack Buttram

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“JUST A MINUTE”

REMEDY FOR “SKY-IS-FALLING” DEBT CEILING

            Just a Minute: - Newly-elected GOP Senator Pat Toomey – replacing  Arlen Specter in the Senate – has outlined in the Wall St. Journal how we can freeze the debt ceiling without defaulting on our debt obligations. Jim DeMint calls Senator Toomey's argument -- “nothing short of a game changer…”

          DeMint says Toomey correctly points out even if the debt limit is reached later this year, the government will still have plenty of money to service the national debt.

 

          [quoting] "In fact, if Congress refuses to raise the debt ceiling, the federal government will still have far more than enough money to fully service our debt. … Next year, for instance, about 6.5% of all projected federal government expenditures will go to interest on our debt, and tax revenue is projected to cover about 67% of all government expenditures. With roughly 10 times more income than needed to honor our debt obligations, why would we ever default?”

         

          If you want to help -- you can sign a petition at “StopTheDebtPledge.com” or call Senator DeMint’s office.  Sounds like a ‘game changer to me.

<>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

 

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HOLA HANDICAPPERS -- WANTED AT THE STARTING GATE -- Just A Minute Radio for Friday 110121

            Here we are already at the end of another week – with the weather folks making urgent noises… although I think it’s directed more at the mountains… and the Northeast than at us… but one never can tell.

 

            In any case if Washington gets more snow it might help keep tempers cool.  All the rumors I come across say “The Honeymoon – short as it was for the 112^th Congress – is over!  And I suppose we should take that pronouncement at face value.

 

            The news impending when I was writing this, was that on Friday – the Congresswoman from Arizona’s 8^th District is due to be released from the hospital there in Tucson – taken by ambulance to the airfield nearby and flown to Houston for one of the best ‘rehab’ hospitals in the USA.  It also happens to be where Gabby Giffords husband has family and a home – near the Houston Space Center – and so it’s an excellent situation all round.

 

            My own thoughts – just for a moment – is that it will be awfully hard for the public at large to realize what at once is an amazingly quick recovery thus far for the young legislator.  At the same time the doctors are cautioning it will be a long road back, with no certified guarantees she will recover in every way to the level of being the ‘same person’ as she was before the terrible crime inflicted upon her. So I pray for her recovery in the Lord’s will – and fully expect that will be the case.

 

            We are so certain of having things done ‘for the best’ as we see it. Yet a thorough study of the inspired Holy Scriptures – show us that the one certain thing we do NOT see is what’s happening here as seen from God’s viewpoint. It just happens my usual Bible reading schedule has recently taken me through the chapters in Genesis where Joseph – the youngest son of Jacob (Israel) – has had an amazingly bad streak of what we might call bad luck… [Chapters 37 – 50 of Genesis] in that his brothers all turned against him – even Reuben who would have rescued him from being thrown in the dry well was thwarted in his would-be rescue.  Joseph then suffered being sold into slavery, being lied about by his master’s wife, being forgotten in prison by a man whom he had befriended… What a string of ‘rotten luck’ would be the world’s judgment. It’s better than any novel I’ve read.

 

            Yet – all the time God was preparing for Joseph to be means of saving his family from starvation and indeed fulfilling the promises God had made to Abraham.  And Joseph was indeed the one who pulled the whole family through the fires of adversity – and I could go on.  The basic thing is: WE do not see all that is happening as God sees it and orders it.  That is *exactly* what has happened up to now in this political situation – and what *IS* going to happen going forward as God leads us along. I am more certain about that than anything I can think of.

 

            So… with that I’ll sign-off for this week – wish you well – and know that if you know the Lord, HE is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above, ALL, that we can ask or think. – Ephesians 3:20 and the verses surrounding it. You’ll enjoy reading that – just get the Bible in hand.  See you Monday.

Thanks for sticking with me.

 

Cordially, IN Him

 

Jack

Delayed Audio Link

 

http://www.wmuu.com/blog/category/audio/just-a-minute/

 

 

“JUST A MINUTE”

HOLA HANDICAPPERS – WANTED AT THE STARTING GATE

Just a Minute: - “You can’t beat *somebody* with *nobody.” That’s the folk wisdom of Washington – and absolutely true.

Incoming freshman legislators have barely found their way to through the tunnels from office buildings to the Capitol – but they learn fast.

 Heath Shuler, re-elected Democrat from western North Carolina, did *not* vote to repeal health care though many thought he would. Where do we go from here?

          Senator ‘Searchlite’ Harry of Nevada says the GOP ought to throw down their weapons since they can’t control the President or his veto. But that won’t wash with the folks who sent them to Washington to make a difference.  It looks like most of them plan try. Will they find a winning strategy? No clear view in sight. 

          A speculation back 2008 by Michael Barone, who I respect, said the GOP would need to win 40 seats as in ’94 – He didn’t think they could… in 2010 they won 63… Conclusion? We all “see through a glass darkly.” So… it’s really best we ‘pray and not faint.’

<>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

Jebco Editorial Service

www.wmuu.com

E-mail n4zhk@arrl.net

 

 

 

ASIDE FROM THAT MR. VICE PRESIDENT--DID YOU ENJOY THE DINNER? -- Just A Minute Radio for Thursday 110120

            Of course you remember the old Abbot & Costello short about “Who’s on First?”  Well Mr. HU was at the State Dinner at the White House last evening… and the joke going around was Mr. Biden was hardly  talked out of doing his comic routine of ‘Who’s On First.’ I suppose President HU of the PRC wondered what all the snickering was about.

 

            Mr. Obama has pushed himself forward toward regimes like Iran, and China and half a dozen others that are not that cozy with the USA.  You remember the famous “bowing” down picture that made the papers in his first year.  Now this year … he – a 2009 Nobel Prize winner (who knows what for?) has carefully avoided taking notice of the Chinese Government’s holding the *current* Nobel Prize winner in either house arrest or prison.  A rather odd arrangement for two “winners” don’t you think?

 

            Aside from the “Hu’s on First” jokes… another one is the Chinese President’s “inability” to hear the question posed by one of the reporters at the joint press conference at the White House. The possibility President Hu didn’t hear – or understand the first questioner – is believable, but when a second newsman asked a similar question… there were long pauses in the translator’s voice as the struggled to make the answer cogent… and missed.  It was an obvious embarrassment which would not have been endured “back home” – and was difficult to side-step a second time.

 

            China – as a unified nation – has the *worst* ‘human rights’ record in the world for treating prisoners and their own populace in a harsh and sometimes horrible manner. The ‘people in charge’ have sent their own college professors to labor camps during the days of the Red Guards – who were trying to unseat the ruling class – and what was called the “Cultural Revolution.”

 

Mao has the worst human rights record in recorded history… except the history is not recorded very accurately as far as China is concerned. Best estimates are in the 60,000 and up range of people who died at the hands of their own government. Compared with the 13 thousand or so tops… that died in Nazi concentration camps, Hitler was ‘playing for peanuts’ compared with the Chinese Communists in the days of their‘re-education’ movement.  Most educators, artists and ‘bourgeoisie’ were sent to the countryside, thrown in prison or otherwise demeaned until they deferred to the Communist proletariat – the ruling class that dominate China under the Communist Class system. It’s a record not to be envied.

 

            In any case… the Obama Administration pays little attention to that ‘history’ and goes on it’s way favoring the groups that do not favor America—and he seemingly shows little interest in understanding the struggles that have brought us to this point in American history. But… on we go.

 

            Cordially, IN HIM

            Jack Buttram

 

Delayed Audio Link

 

http://www.wmuu.com/blog/category/audio/just-a-minute/

 

 

“JUST A MINUTE”

ASIDE FROM THAT MR. VICE PRESIDENT – DID YOU ENJOY DINNER?

Just a Minute: - The joke at the White House State Dinner Wednesday evening was -- Joe Biden was barely talked out of his comic routine – “Hu’s on first.”

More serious things were abroad such as the “Stealth” fighter China brandished just before China’s President Hu sat down to dinner with the Obama’s. China chafes under constraints America and allies placed around “our banker.” Little notice is taken of China’s recent $40 billion investment in Iran’s oil industry.

Does that ‘ring a bell’ at the National Security Council? 

Does President Hu’s “inability to hear”  questions posed to him at the White House press briefing, about China’s oppression of it’s people -- or does it register Mr. Hu’s regime holds a Nobel Prize winner in chains – bringing not a peep of protest from the Nobel Winner currently occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? 

We’ve simply seen another deliberate kowtowing to a regime we should be cajoling to our side – improving world peace not threatening it. 

It comes as another blot on the record of this Administration that could well affect history. 

<>I’m Jack Buttram. (END)

 

Jebco Editorial Service

www.wmuu.com

E-mail n4zhk@arrl.net