The Perfect Evangelical Candidate for President

For Evangelical voters who are looking for a Presidential candidate who has strong family and Christian values - they needn't look any further than the White House. President and Mrs. Obama are a shining example of what the Christian right thinks families should be. Liberal voters know that families come in many different forms, including single parents and gay parents. For liberal voters - those families are just as perfect. But if a "perfect two parent family" is all you can accept, then I urge you to watch this 20/20 Barbara Walters Special on the First Family. You would be hard pressed to find a better example on the Republican ticket.

Jesus was born naked in the sand - and that is how I intend to honor him today.

The Spenders

We have heard a lot over the last several years regarding the "Job Creators" ie rich folks. We've heard how they must be swooned, coddled and protected from any financial inconvenience so they can continue to create jobs. But the so called "job creators" are only one piece of the complicated puzzle we call economics. Another giant piece of that puzzle is the working middle class - those normal families trying to get by paycheck to paycheck. I call them "The Spenders". Without the commerce of day to day life of normal working folks - there simply is no economy. So, to improve the economy we must help the spenders spend. How? Easy. Get them more money. Not more credit - more money. There are really only two ways to do that - lower prices and/or higher wages.

Prices just continue to rise. And the only raise I've gotten in the last 5 years is from the Federal Government in the form of a payroll tax break that saved me over $1000 this year. Believe me when I say that made a significant impact in my very tight budget. Yes, I spent it - I had to. But while the job creators are clinging to their own multi-million dollar tax breaks, they want to take away my $1000 break that was supposed to be extended for another year. Somehow it doesn't seem fair.

The point is that the job creators do hold the reigns on economic recovery through job creation and government policies that affect the working middle class. Right now - quite on purpose I believe - they are pulling on those reigns and slowing the economy. The economy will not recover until they let go of the reigns and give the spenders the power to spend. But why would they purposefully slow the economy?

It is the one dollar question that is so easy to answer you surely don't need my help.

Magic in 3D

Awesome! I finally got to see a great movie on my new 3D TV. Last night I watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. I had seen it in the theaters this summer and really enjoyed it - it is the best movie of the series. In fact you could watch just that one and get a short version of the entire saga. My "at home" experience was just as good as the theater version - maybe even better in some ways. I have to admit that 3D magic is better enjoyed with a glass of wine, a pause button for a bathroom break, a rewind button to thoroughly enjoy the great 3D scenes and a furry companion curled up next to me. Perfection.

Lots of Stupid Stuff

Well I just can't get enough of watching this reality TV show called the GOP Primaries! It is truly very entertaining. The funniest part is that none of the candidates are Tea Party enough for the Tea Party. But of course none of them would be unless Reagan or Jesus were on the ticket. But wait - both of them were pretty liberal compared to the Tea Party - especially Jesus so that wouldn't work. Today alone on CNN I heard 3 or 4 Tea Party folks tearing apart all the various candidates - and they had some pretty serious gripes! But - all can agree that no matter who the nominee finally is - they will all vote for that person instead of President Obama. Isn't that just a little sad, funny and scary all at the same time?! Meanwhile the sane folks are shaking our heads in disbelief that these people would vote for a terrible candidate - who would likely do terrible things for this country - just because they don't like the President. No TV writer could do a better job of writing a situation comedy.

Let's get back to Jesus for just a bit since it Tis the Season. Next time you see one of these GOP buffoons talking - just ask yourself "what would Jesus do?" I'll bet you dollars to donuts it wouldn't be what the presidential candidates are suggesting. Ask yourself the same thing when you hear President Obama talking. Hmmmmmm. Interesting

In other stupidity - are we really having a debate on whether to extend the payroll tax break?! Seriously?! This is so much of a no-brainer that you wouldn't even think they would need to meet to approve it. Yet it is a big topic of debate this week. Why? Because the GOP wants to attach a very controversial oil pipeline bill to to it. What?! You heard right. They can't hold Americans hostage unless they have something they want. So there you have it folks - the terrorists are back again - just in time for Christmas.

If the payroll tax cut doesn't get extended I wouldn't call it a tax increase - that is just silly word play. This would return taxes back to their previous rates - just like if the Bush tax cuts were to expire they would return rates to a previous level. It's not a tax increase. But it is fun to hear the President use the GOP word play back on them. But seriously folks - this is really important! That tax break was significant for me this year - it helped me and a lot of other people too. So GOP - put down the gun - er, I mean pipeline and pass the payroll tax break extension. It's the right thing to do.

Oh I could go on and on - so much stupidity - so little time.

The Right Answers

In my seemingly never ending search for the cause of a lingering abdominal pain, I had a colonoscopy done this week. I've had one before so I knew what to expect, but I will mention to anyone reading this that it's not a terrible operation and if you are scheduled for one - don't worry. However, I wouldn't plan any intimate dates for the previous day - the "prep" is not entirely pleasant.

ANYWAY.........

Prior to my procedure the very busy nursing staff buzzed around doing what they do best. It was like an assembly line in there with at least 10 patients queued up and when one went out another replaced them. It was really amazing to see the process. One nurse took to the computer and began asking me a long string of questions:

(Lots of questions prior to this then)

When was the last time I had solid food? Tuesday

What time? 11:30pm

Did you void before you came in today? Yes

Do you have any infectious diseases (and listed a few)? No

Do you have a living will? Yes

Are you an organ donor? Yes

At this point she turned to me and smiled and said - you have all the right answers! The questions continued.

That kind of made my day. :)

I wanted to take this opportunity to give my props out to the nursing staff at this hospital and to nurses everywhere. These are the true unsung heroes in our society. They deal with an insane amount of pressure, work long hard hours, all the while treating patients like people. And they do all this while making an average working person's salary. Doctors make all the money and have an ego to match, but it's the nurses who are the real champions in health care.