Four Days until Mid-term Election

Friends, are we going to let the Koch brothers with their nasty attack ads filled with half-truths and innuendos influence our voting decisions?
No we are not, we are going to vote for the good people that have our interests, our needs and our goals in mind. We are going to throw out the plutocrats and again have a government of, for and by the people.
At least that is what I hope for. 🙂
Thinking back to the last presidential election I recall many Republicans that were convinced that Romney was going to win. So much so that there were numerous displays of shock and disbelief after Obama won. This was followed by anger and eventually the never ending hatred being voiced daily from various sources.
Having spent a lot of time with people that have the same thoughts and values that I do, politically speaking, I am currently cautiously optimistic.
I use the term cautiously optimistic because, if the election does not turn out as I expect, my heart and soul will not become filled with anger and hatred. The results will be accepted and life will go on with continuing efforts to make our community a place where all people can enjoy the fruits of their labors and carry on with their pursuit of happiness.

On the national level I think we Democrats will put a few of the tea party, plutocratic, governors in the unemployment lines. And against what we see on the main stream media, I think the Democratic Party will hold the senate. Or in a worst case scenario end up with a 50-50 senate.
In Michigan I am looking forward to the hard working middle class people rising up and throwing out the right wing plutocrat currently sitting in the governor’s chair in Lansing.
This rising up of the middle class, will result in positive results for many down ticket candidates. So once again we can all join hands and sing Happy Days are here again.
Join me in this effort and the celebration of shaking free from the control of the Koch brothers.
For assistance in voting, ie rides, polling location or any other concerns contact me at larryjben@gmail.com or call your local Democratic Office. (989)792-9900 in Saginaw, Mi.

EBOLA!!!!

Friends, Americans, countrymen, lend me your eyes. I came to squelch the fear not enhance it.
As of this morning two (2) people in America have been inflicted with this nasty virus. Both were nurses working on the individual that returned from West Africa infected with the disease.
Both of these nurses have been cured and are now safe to go bowling with.
A doctor that works with Doctors without borders has returned to America and found to be infected with the disease, he is currently receiving medical care in a quarantined environment.
A nurse that recently returned from West Africa and is currently clear of any symptoms of the disease is self-monitoring for any signs of the disease.
This nurse has been treated poorly by New Jersey’s bully governor Chris Christie. And some fearful folks on the internet.
This nurse works with Doctors without borders fighting the epidemic at its source and should be commended for her valiant efforts. The risks she is undertaking in this humanitarian effort are as intense as the risks taken by our military when sent overseas, maybe even more so in some cases.
Kaci Hickox should be applauded for her efforts along with all the other Doctors and Nurses that perform these charitable works.
Let us bring out the bands and flags and welcome them back to America with cheers and applause.

Friends, if you really want to protect yourselves, get your damn flu shot, cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing, wash your hands and lock up your guns.
Or even better burn your guns and turn them into plowshares.
I have to stop now, I criticized the bully Christie in this blog and I think I just saw a truck out front with some traffic cones. They look like they are going to do a traffic study at the end of my driveway.
SIX DAYS! IF YOU HAVE NOT VOTED YET, DO IT NOW!

Who do you trust?

Really, who do you trust? Watching various shows on the television this morning I see stories about putting a healthy nurse in quarantine in New Jersey. This action received the support of both New Jersey and New York governors. Political actions that truthfully serve no purpose to protect the people.
The nurse was let out of the quarantine tent and allowed to go home where she can impose a condition of self-monitoring and seek professional help if the need should arise. This release came about after she threatened to sue in federal court.
The Ebola situation in Africa is serious and will be addressed, if we let the experts do their job.
The media is telling us America is in a state of fear. Are we really, or is this media induced fear?
It saddens me to see the politicians use this catastrophe for political gain and the Main Stream Media use it to improve ratings.
The nurse that just returned and was held in a quarantine tent should have been welcomed home as a hero just like returning military. The treatment she received was shameful, all for political gain.
This mistreatment of American citizens must be stopped and it can be if we throw out the corrupt politicians.
Here are a couple of sites we can use to fight this corruption:

Homepage 2023 EOY

and
http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/
And here I a couple of politicians I think would work for the people vs. the corporate powers.
Bernie Sanders

Home

and Elizabeth Warren
http://www.warren.senate.gov/
The Republican supporters, Koch brothers, DeVos, and so on have the big bucks but they only have one vote each.
In the voting booth we are ALL equal, use your power November 4th!

Paul vs. Jesus (and James)

As a student of human nature I have always wondered how people could call them selves Christians and look away when confronted with the inhumanities of our world. Ebola crisis in Africa, genocide in Africa, starving children around the world and death by execution or as a result of WARS just to name a few.
This essay gives some detail of how many of today’s Christians have been led to believe they can pass through the pearly gates based on their faith only. As versus the teachings of Jesus which told us our actions were the true path to salvation.

Danizier

In the early decades following Jesus’ death, his followers remained a small, local sect. They retained their Jewish identify and, in fact, only Jews could be baptized as new followers, as “Christians.”

Although this nascent Christian movement was clearly a faction of Judaism, many Jews felt threatened by their challenges to the established orthodoxy and the many radical new doctrines that were taught. And this resulted in much persecution of Christians by some (but by no means all, nor even a majority) of the Jews.

One of the early persecutors was named Saul of Tarsus. He had the rare status of being both a Jew (the people conquered by the Romans) as well as being a Roman citizen. It is lost to history how he obtained such status; it is speculated that perhaps his father had saved the life of a Roman leader and was thus rewarded, or in some…

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Stuffing the Ballot Box?

(If you do a google search this article comes up on top.)
Received an email with a link to a story from a rightwing site detailing voter fraud in the form of stuffing the ballot box.
The story told of man coming into a polling place, plopping down a box of absentee ballots and stuffing them into the box. He also reportedly told the questioner to do something to himself that was anatomically impossible. (Go F*** yourself?)
This link/story was intended to show us all the voter fraud going on today and the need for even further voter restrictions.
Here is the link to the story…..
Link…..http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2014/10/surveillance_video_captures_man_stuffing_ballot_box_with_hundreds_of_ballots.html
However upon review we find that this action was/is totally legal. My suspicions are: if the young man had been lighter skinned and perhaps wearing a flag shirt with a cross hanging from his neck, he would have been lauded as a patriotic hero by the same site.
Here is a link with the video of the event, you be the judge.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/a-hispanic-man-delivers-absentee-ballots-and-now-conservatives-want-him-dead/
About 12 days until midterms, need a ride? Need directions? Give us a call. Stop in. Whatever you have to do, do it and vote!

A Good Visit with the Doctor this morning

Went to the Doctor’s office this morning for my semi-annual monitoring visit and my flu shot. After checking my physical condition we talked about general feelings. How ya doing? Are you keeping busy and so on?
Doctor was made aware of my political activity as I told him I was spending mornings at the local Democratic headquarters answering the phone, greeting visitors and providing them with signs or whatever else I could do to help them out.
Doc told me of his interest in politics and asked me what candidate most people wanted to know about. I told him Mark Schauer the candidate for governor gets the most requests for signs, many people come in expressing their desire to rid the state of our current governor.
I then told him about candidate Jeff Holmes. A doctor from Alma Michigan who is running for the 4th district representative seat. A seat formerly held by Dave Camp; a seat in a highly gerrymandered district.
Dr. Holmes had given a very good perspective on “Obamacare” in a brief speech I had listened to a couple weeks back and I shared this information with my doctor.
He replied by telling me he cannot begin to count the people he has been able to provide care for now that prior to the ACA did not come to him for financial reasons, and the people that were now able to receive procedures that were too expensive before the act was implemented.
The doctor told me I was in good shape for the shape I was in and told me not to forget to vote. 😉
So another medical doctor affirmed to me the benefits afforded the people through the affordable care act. Good news for sure!
14 days don’t forget to vote!

Another Confrontation?

Young Man at the Door
Young man just came to my door asking me to vote for his brother. I told him I had already voted and did not vote for his brother. I then pointed to the sign in my yard indicating my support for the Democratic Party. He expressed dismay at my decision to support Democratic candidates.
This led to a short discussion of the values of Democrats vs. the values of Republicans.
He asked me why he should have to pay for pre-natal care and vision coverage in his health insurance when he did not plan on giving birth.
I told him for the same reason I pay school taxes and do not go to school or have children in school, it is the right thing to do for our society. He seemed to have difficulty grasping the thought of doing for others. Typical Republican greed, thought I.
Telling him that we are the only advanced country in the world that does not provide health care to its citizens. He replied health care is not a right it is a privilege. More Republican greed?
I pointed out to him that when I used to go to Florida in the winter and the Canadians down there all expressed satisfaction with their government health care.
The fact that Canada is more left wing socialist than the U.S. and Mexico is more right wing capitalist than the U.S. was agreed upon.
I then told him the socialist from Canada were in Florida in their big Motorhomes enjoying the warmth while the capitalists from Mexico were in Florida picking oranges.
He smiled, thanked me for my time and told me to watch for him as he would be running for state representative in the next few years.
It was a fun thing.
Remember in November and vote out the GREED!

Confrontations

This particular incident took place way back when Rick DeVos was running for governor of Michigan in 2006.
Word came out that DeVos’ wife Betsy was coming to Saginaw where she would speak with local Republicans at their headquarters on Bay Road.
Betsy DeVos was at one time head of Michigan’s Republican Party and is remembered for her statement. “The problem with Michigan is the workers in Michigan are paid too much.” She has tried to spin this and walk away from the statement but it has been documented as being her words.
So you can imagine the interest many of us “workers” had in welcoming her to Saginaw. We created our signs and gathered at Republican headquarters; prepared to show our dislike of her dislike of working people.
We were milling around outside when some people came out of headquarters. They were somewhat upset with us being there. One older man was quite outspoken, he asked us “what are we doing over here? Why don’t you go back to the other side of the river where you belong?”
Saginaw is divided east and west by a river with the east being predominately black. The Republican headquarters is in a township on the west side of town.
Our group of 20 to 30 people consisted of people of all ages from say 7 to 70 years old, and included whites, blacks and Hispanics. Don’t know how the others felt about that dudes statement but it angered me.
When his remark got no response he continued with “I fought for this country.”
Well that was it, I had heard all I could stand from this arrogant bastard.
*“So did I” I exclaimed loudly to him followed by “And my son-in-law just got back from his third tour in Iraq.”
He turned tail and went back into the office, he may still be in there for all I know.
Don’t know if Betsy was called and warned or what but she did not show up.
• I have never served in the military but felt doing what I was doing at the time was in fact, fighting for this country.
The Republicans in this state still abide by the guidelines of Betsy DeVos’ statement. Workers are paid too much.
Remember in November!

Africa/Ebola WTH?

Turning on the televison brings nothing but fear mongering regarding Ebola. Both broadcast stations and cable news stations are “creating” news regarding this situation.

And of course the politicians are having a heyday with the situation. Republicans, as is their wont, are blaming everything on Obama.
Democrats in this midterm election period are doing their best to distance themselves from Obama while still expressing their concern about the impending “doomsday” event.
The virus stems from Africa and has been around for years. Interesting to note the fact that thousands of Africans have been inflicted and died from this disease and very little was said in the MSM in America but, two American citizens get infected and Viola! Congressional hearings must be held this problem will be stopped.
Michigan Representative Upton “People are scared we need all hands on deck.”
Hate to burst your bubble Representative but you are one of the people creating this fear in the people.

Africa has been ignored for years there have been genocides and atrocities going on in Africa for years and nary a word from anyone in America.
There is much talk of creating a vaccine for Ebola. Really? We all know just basic help like potable water would do much to improve health issues in Africa. And consequently reduce the possibilities of this type of event occurring again.

Eureka! The Catholic Church Bestows Personhood

Eureka! The Catholic Church Bestows Personhood
Results of a conference of 200 Catholic Bishops include granting personhood to gays and non-married cohabitating couples. While this is a good step in moving forward from the 15th century, we are holding back full support of the church. Waiting to see if they will grant similar status to those that hold different faiths. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and Humanists.
Reports from the conference left hanging the question of whether the church will follow the guidelines of the U.S. Supreme Court and bestow personhood on corporations. One hold back in this effort is the church’s concern for having enough room in the pews during Sunday mass if they provide seating for corporations. No one has defined the actual size of a corpeople but we would imagine they would be quite large, possibly taking up a complete pew.
And speaking of corpeople, they are making their voices heard loudly in the upcoming mid-term elections. Their nasty attack ads of half-truths and innuendos are dominating the air waves, both cable and broadcast.
In Michigan it is an Insurance corperson that is attacking Stacy Erwin Oakes. Nothing surprising here as her opponent receives the majority of his funding from insurance corpeoples.
Mark Schauer, candidate for governor is being attacked by a billionaire corpeople from Iowa and Senate candidate Gary Peters primary attacks come from the well-known corpeople more commonly referred to as the Koch brothers.
What do you think? Should the church recognize corpeople? They seem to prefer working behind the scenes in dark, secretive ways.