Posts filed under 'Politics'
Death may not be dignified in any light but the way it is perceived, handled and finally dealt with can be under certain circumstances even less dignified. The cause Cindy Sheehan has undertaken may or may not be worthy depending on who you ask. I choose not to ask anyone but rather I would ask a question of a different sort. It is not a question of the Presidents moment of accountability but of her son’s accountability. I would ask this question to her or anyone who might dare to question his moment of accountability. He did have one, let us examine it.
In August of 2003 Casey Sheehan re-enlisted in the United States Army. He was fully informed that his unit would be deployed in the Iraq theatre at some time in the future. Casey belonged to the 1st Calvary where he plied his skills as a Humvee mechanic. On April 4th of 2005 Casey was killed in a place called Sadr City in Iraq. He was twenty four years of age. Indeed a Hero of the highest order and a young man that according to all accounts would make any mother or any American proud of him.
In every state in this country there is a general consensus about when a person reaches the age of accountability. That consensus has found its way to the legislative annuls of every state in the form of various laws that credential it as the will of the people. Federal law too has been formed on the basis of this general consensus. Although the laws vary from state to state they all seem to fall into a very close and familiar expression of what is the age of accountability. For instance in most states the age limits for mandatory enrollment in a public or private school is up to age sixteen. The age at which a person can buy and consume alcohol goes between eighteen and twenty one in most states. Most states also will hold young people accountable for serious crimes somewhere between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. The US Military has similar age restrictions for anyone volunteering for duty. What does all this mean?
At some point in his life Casey Sheehan believed he had reached the age of accountability. Exactly when that moment came for Casey may only be known by him. But even if he shared it with his mother or others it was still his moment, his passage to manhood or to any other place he perceived it to be. It is not a moment that any mother can alter nor do they have a right to. When Casey signed on the line not once but twice, it was his moment of accountability. Perhaps he was never braver even in battle than he was in that moment. By the time he re-enlisted he knew a great deal about the military and what to expect, but at the moment he put his signature on the line for the first time there were only a world of unknowns, he faced them alone, he became accountable.
Without raising a single word about our Presidents honesty, a single word about Casey’s reasons or fears, it would still be undignified and less than honorable to cast aspersions on that moment. The moment when a young man made the decision of a man should not be diminished by the outcome of that decision. As far as President Bush being given a moment of accountability I would tread lightly in this area. He is accountable to all of us in this country, but if that weren’t enough both he and all of us in this country are accountable to a much higher power.
Those of us that put our trust in God do so in the midst of a world where life and death are all around us. We see children starving, hospitals full to capacity, wars we don’t always understand, crime and injustice on every hand, but we continue to have faith in God. Life did not come with a promise or a contract. We may die young or wish we could die because we feel so old but we believe he holds our hand throughout the journey long or short. This is more than faith it is trust and loyalty and it is the proof that no matter what we may endure we have shown ourselves to be accountable. May we always do so, and in the end will be found in good company along with other good men and good soldiers like Casey Sheehan.
Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote “Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You,” publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled “An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ.” Rev Bresciani’s website is,
http://americanprophet.org
May 24th, 2008
Your mission, should you agree to accept it, is to define a
strategy for good old Georgie to regain his equilibrium and get
his presidency back on solid ground. There is no question that
he has had a bad few months and the near future doesn’t look
good either, with the potential indictments coming for Rove and
Libby. The offense is definitely sputtering. What do you do,
what do you recommend that he do to score some points and turn
the tide?
As a coach of an athletic team, whenever we are having problems
I usually try to simplify the game, follow the Vince Lombardi
philosophy and return to basics. With that in mind, what is the
problem? Well, one thing for sure is that people don’t think
G.W. is being an effective administrator these days. If I were
the coach here, I would say to focus on one thing and make sure
it succeeds. Get the best people, work hard, and deliver.
Second, people are sceptical of all the photo ops. Stop them
unless they result in solid acts that provide substantive
results, no more fake crap. Third, about Harriet Miers, ask
supporters to hold off on the criticism as much as possible and
then provide the Senate with information that they want. If she
is actually that good, she should be able to stand on her own
two feet. She has to establish her own identity, independent of
the Presidency. She has to impress the right that she is not
against their beliefs. I wouldn’t say that she should say that
she will do everything they want. I don’t think any judge or
potential judge should say they will be beholden to any specific
political viewpoint, but she can allay some of their fears.
Fourth, regarding Iraq, the President needs to pray a lot,
because he really screwed this up. Walking away soon would be an
utter disaster, pouring more troops in would be politically and
logistically difficult, and staying the course, considering our
success or lack thereof, is not promising. Hope that the
constitution passes and people settle down to rebuilding rather
than destroying their homeland. I know that I would recommend an
all out effort to provide aid to the earthquake area of
Pakistan. It might not have a direct bearing on Iraq, but it is
a center of extreme fundamentalist Islam. Anything we can do
there would not only save lives but show those people we are
really on their side. Wow, what a mess this is.
There is my basic outline.
December 17th, 2007
Finding a good car dealership in ceredigion is an absolute pain. I brought a new honda last month that had to be recalled so I favoured not going back to that garage, and since then I havent found a car I have liked enough or trusted enough to put down any cash.Its a real shame that buying cars rurally is so difficult, If someone could come up with a seriously good website or medium to sell cars in ceredigion then I am certain it would work, especially for me because I am stuck between getting a lift 30 miles to the nearest lexus dealership and looking elsewhere - its such a pain living on the coast of wales some times, but in other ways its a blessing so I guess I should not moan.
December 7th, 2007
By Dean Konstantine
Under current rules of the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) once a loan is securitized it must stay off the lenders financial balance sheet and cannot be modified. This rule is regulated by Accounting Rule FAS 140Recent events in the sub-prime mortgage industry have Congress seeking answers from the SEC who is scrabbling to interpret FAS 140. Everyone is hoping SEC interpretation will allow lenders to modify loans if the loan appears in danger of foreclosure Under FAS 140 once a loan is securitized all future earnings of the loan are sold to the trust where they are pooled with similar assets help by the trust. Once the loan proceeds are transferred to a trust the loan cannot be modified until one month after foreclosure occurs. This of course does not help the current situation.Under FAS 140 which governs accounting practices for securitizing loan proceeds, lenders are reluctant to make modifications to loans for fear of SEC rule violation. (Isn’t it nice how the government has placed the fear of god into the business world?)
A letter has been issued by SEC chairman Christopher Cox. In his letter, Cox said that “modifications undertaken when loan default is reasonably foreseeable should be consistent with the nature of modification activities that would have been permitted if a default had occurred.” Conrad Hewitt, the SEC’s chief accountant, explained in an accompanying memorandum that the ability to restructure mortgages when default is foreseeable is “not inconsistent” with the notion of “continued off-balance sheet accounting treatment.”
So, without coming right out and saying so, it appears the SEC will allow modification to loans that appear in danger of default! This is great news, at least for now.
Lenders are now free to modify sub-prime loans and prevent the flood of foreclosures looming on the horizon.
Hopefully, fears will begin to subside and confidence in the mortgage back securities market can be restored in the near future.For more information go to www.deankonstantine.com or www.askdeankonstantine.com
August 11th, 2007
By: Dean Konstantine
Did you know that 70% of adjustable rate mortgage will be adjusting in the next 12 to 18 months? The worst may still be ahead for the sub-prime mortgage holders. The 2/28 loans have been a devastating ordeal for people thinking they would refinance their way out of these loans at the end of their two year fixed period or before their loans adjusted.
Why would anyone agree to such a nasty loan? Simple, they could not afforded the home of their dreams without the 2/28 reduced intro rate loan? No. It should be no surprise to the mortgage bankers who funded them and the mortgage back securities investors who bought these loans since the Fed steadily raised rates for fear of inflation, which I might add they, the Fed created when they drop their Fed rate to 1% in 2001. Read my article on www.deankonstantine.com
Now the Fed has spoken and they fear inflation more then mortgage defaults since they kept their rate unchanged today. Leaving mortgage rates to continue to climb if current economic trends do not change.
Now we have the politicians telling us how we need new regulations put into place so those bad brokers won’t be able to pull the wool over the eyes of the unsuspecting consumer! Looking back we know millions of these loans were sold with the blessing of the federal government who was encouraging home ownership for some who otherwise could not qualify to become home owner even with government programs like FHA, VA or Fannie, Freddy.
Was it really the brokers? No, of course not, the brokers only sell what is available to sell, brokers can not underwrite nor fund these loans, they can only submit them to the bankers who underwrite and fund these loans! Did the bankers create and fund these loans because they love people and really wanted to help with the home ownership dreams of the less fortunate? Not likely, they did it because of the huge and I mean huge profits made by these loans! Profits that make the oil companies feel poor!
We know Ms Clinton wants donations from the wealthy bankers for her campaign, so siding with them is only natural, brokers don’t have the money nor the political clout of the Wall Street bankers. But before throwing stones, think about this, auto dealers don’t build the cars, they only sell them, brokers can’t create the loans they sell, only big money can do that! Try to get it straight Ms Clinton.
I know people are led to believe brokers falsify information to get approvals for their clients and maybe a handful go that rout, but do you really think every broker is willing to risk their license to do business by breaking the law when they know the layers of quality control involved with a loan package? Not very likely. But before the pot starts calling the kettle BLACK maybe someone should look at the integrity and the self serving actions of politicians sounding alarm.
So, please stand by because if things do not get put in order the second shoe will drop soon in the form of the 3/27’s as they are known in the industry, the three year fixed ARMs now on the horizon and ready for adjustment. This might be avoided if the Fed inflates money again like it did to bail out their friends in the stock market crash of 2000. Follow along at www.deankonstantine.com
August 7th, 2007
One of the topics that “Triumph and Disaster“, the bilingual blog by Lothar Evers covers regularly is Rebell Clowning. The clownbatants of the “Clandestine Insurgent Clowns Army” (C.I.R.C.A.) were an important element in the protest against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm Germany. Lothars blog covers concepts strategies and exposes recent videos of these clowns. the posts are in German and English.
July 3rd, 2007
Barack Obama shares at least one attribute with John Kennedy. While a young man, before even seeking higher office, he was a successful author. His first book, Dreams of My Father, is his personal memoir, and make no mistake, he had an unusual childhood - Kenyan father, Kansan mother, lived in Hawaii, moved to Indonesia, next thing you know he is president of the Harvard Law Review. It is possibly the best personal memoir ever of a politician. Learn more about Dreams of my Father and Obama’s other book written after his ascension to fame, The Audacity of Hope at Obamabook.com
June 24th, 2007
At just about every level, political fundraising loopholes are found and are taken advantage of by current or would-be politicians that think all is well just because it’s following the law. But not all agree.
Take, for example, Republican John Benoit, a California assemblyman from Riverside, who recently introduced legislation aimed at one such loophole in his state’s law. Current California law allows candidates to circumvent limits in political races by filing for state and local offices at the same time and raising funds for each race.
Sounds like Benoit has the public’s interest at heart. Not so fast. On closer examination Benoit is not as altruistic as he would like the public to believe.
Benoit must leave the Assembly next year because of term limits and plans to run for a seat in the Senate whose current holder will also be termed out. His chief rival for that seat is yet another victim of California’s term limits, former Assemblyman Russ Bogh, a Republican from Beaumont.
Bogh has filed not only for the Senate seat in the 2008 race, but also for the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, which race is not until 2010. Bogh has been fundraising for both political races simultaneously, amassing more than $90,000 for the county position and more than $300,000 for the Senate seat.
California law for fundraising limits political contributions to $3,600 for legislative seats, while no limits are set for the county race.
Benoit claims Bogh has created a slush fund of county political contributions that can be used as donations to other political candidates who will in turn endorse Bogh in his Senate race. However, no evidence of such has been discovered.
It appears Benoit is using his current position to take unfounded swipes at a political rival, something which the voters in California should be aware.
June 15th, 2007
Thanks to new federal passport proposals, the cost of a Caribbean cruise, a Cancun honeymoon, or a Vancouver theater weekend could be going up. The security-related changes, scheduled to take effect over the next 2 1/2 years, will affect Americans who travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, Panama and Caribbean. Previously, American travelers simply flashed a driver’s license or birth certificate when returning from those destinations.
Beginning December 31, 2005, re-entry to the U.S. from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America will require a passport–$97 for adults, $82 for children under 16. On December 31, 2006 passport requirements will go into effect for all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada. And on December 31, 2007, passports will be required for ALL air, sea, and land border crossings to or from the United States.
A passport is an internationally recognized travel document that verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer. A valid U.S. passport is required to enter and leave most foreign countries. Only the U.S. Department of State has the authority to grant, issue or verify United States passports, and the process can be arduous and time consuming.
Frequently asked questions about passports such as: “When should I apply?”, “Do I have to apply in person?”, “What should I do if my passport is lost or stolen?”, “Does my baby need a passport?” Answers to these questions and hundreds of others can be found by searching the Internet. Interesting tip–even your pet will need a passport to enter the European Union.
To obtain a U.S. passport for the first time, you need to go in person to one of the 6,0000 designated passport application acceptance facilities nationwide, including many post offices, Federal and state courts, clerks of court, and a growing number of public libraries and public colleges and universities. For a list of the offices closest to you, search by ZIP code on the State Department website at http://www.iafdb.travel.state.gov.
You need to bring two identical 2-by-2 inch, full-face, front-view photographs, and a completed DS-11 application form (available from one of the 6,000 facilities or at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html)
In addition, you will need a driver’s license or government-issued ID card and proof of citizenship, which in most cases, is an original or certified birth certificate.
All children under age 14 must also apply for a passport in person, and both parents or legal guardians must appear together and sign the child’s form (if the second parent submits a notarized letter of intent, one parent signature is adequate). Minors age 14 to 17 must also appear in person and for security reasons, parental consent may be required. And, unlike adults, children under 14 must apply for renewals in person.
For Americans 16 and older, a first passport costs $97 and is good for 10 years. Children under the age of 16 require their own passport which cost $82 and are valid for five years. Renewals, which can be done by mail, are $67 for both adults and children.
One of the most often asked questions, “When should I apply for a passport?” has a simple answer–several months before your planned trip. If you will need visas from foreign embassies to enter those countries, allow even more time. Don’t wait to get a passport! Get it now, so you will be ready in case you may need or want to travel on short notice. The average time from application to passport arrival is six to eight weeks, and passport demand goes up during the summer months, so plan accordingly.
When you receive your passport, remember to sign it in ink and print your name and address so it may be returned to you if it is ever lost.
About the Author
Larry Denton is a retired history teacher having taught 33 years at Hobson High in Hobson, Montana. He is currently V.P. of Elfin Enterprises, Inc., an Internet business providing valuable information on a variety of timely topics. For an embassy full of advice, resources and suggestions about passports, visit http://www.PassportPlace.com
June 4th, 2007
Let’s continue with more Democratic “hopefuls” for the 2008 Presidential election. None have announced that they will seek election, but don’t be surprised if they do.
U.S. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana: He is the Son of former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh. Evan Bayh was a possible running mate for Al Gore in the 2000 election. Senator Bayh is from the right part of the country and is a moderate. He has not announced his intentions, but he looks like a very strong possibility.
U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware: Senator Biden has been around long enough that most of us clearly know who he is. He is a moderate with an anti-crime agenda. There has probably never been a better time for him to “throw his hat in the ring.”
Retired Army General Wesley K. Clark from Arkansas: One of the things holding Wesley Clark back is that he is just too honest. The American people seem to like candidates that “didn’t inhale,” rather than vote for a “straight shooter;” although, the American people did elect Ronald Reagan twice.
With the right public relations people behind him, Wesley Cark could go a long way. He is a moderate, with a proven military record, and could be acceptable to any region of the United States.
Wesley Clark has the best resume of all the democratic “hopefuls” for 2008. He was a Rhodes scholar, first in his class at West Point; he has a Masters Degree in Economics from Oxford, former Commander of NATO forces, and was a 4-star general.
U.S. Senator Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin: Remember the one dissenting vote in the Senate against the Patriot Act. This was Senator Feingold’s vote. He has also been an active opponent of restricting civil liberties for the sake of security. He is his own man, he is honest, but doesn’t seem to be a moderate. Don’t be surprised to see Senator Feingold enter the 2008 Democratic Presidential Race.
Former U.S. Senator John R. Edwards from North Carolina: John Edwards is another moderate and best known as Senator John Kerry’s running mate in the 2004 Presidential election. Being from the Southern United States is a strong point, but his time off the Senate floor could leave him “out of the loop.” Nevertheless, he is still a strong candidate and should have some strong contributions for the 2008 Democratic Party platform.
The Presidential Election issues are much larger and clearer for 2008. Education, health care, and the economy are all on the forefront. These issues are now much more than catch phrases.
American troops do not have to stay as “peace keepers” in countries that have their own freely elected governments. National security will always be important. However, we have to find ways to protect ourselves without going bankrupt in the process.
The final Presidential candidate, at the 2008 Democratic Convention, should be someone who can change the country for the best, get us “back on track,” and a person who Americans can really trust.
© Copyright 2005 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
May 27th, 2007
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