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Open threads seem to work on other blogs to get people talking 
and interacting with each other so I’m going to try it for a few nights and see what happens.
Possible subject… I’m feeling a bit depressed today over some of the news coming out of Washington. Am I alone?
Gio-
It’s all yours!
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Oh, boy. Interesting topic.
I would have to say that I’ve been battling that particular feeling since shortly before the 4th of November when it looked like a shoe-in for O. If it weren’t for my abiding faith in God — that He has all this under control — I might be a basket case of worry.
But since I know how the story ends, and that evil will not triumph, I can rest in that and not get depressed.
Gio,
You’ve got a fair idea where I stand on Conservative issues and I you. Depressed does not describe the way I felt November 4th. Being struck with the full realization that our country has been infiltrated, taken over, and might irrevocably change for the worse is almost like going through a divorce. A part of me has been ripped from my lifetime of being an American. And it hurts.
But I made it through a divorce, among other life-altering experiences, and I have recovered – even gotten better at times. Age has taken a chunk out of my various ‘recoveries’ from things and made it difficult to rebound, but I’m still me. Just a whole lot crabbier.
Bottom line is to never quit. Never believe that all is lost. Know that you can still make a difference. Heck, if I gave up on our country I’d be dead by now. But I’m still kickin’ ass, as evident by my wordy rants.
Doktor Resolute
Divorce. Interesting comment. I guess I sort of feel like my country cheated on me.
Remember, folks. The battle of Helm’s Deep against all the Orcs and Urukhais has only just begun.
It’ll be a long night….
Courage and Faith!
Living in a suburb of Seattle, in an almost blue county, I’ve come to accept that conservative views will never be popular here. Having Representative Dunn (whom we lost in 2007) and her son continue in the conservative tradition gives me some hope. In just a few days, I have been completely unoptimistic about the direction we are heading. Yet I will not give up and am more determined than ever to let my voice be heard! Thanks for letting us post here.
One of my favorites, so that you all will take heart:
“By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really matter, full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was, when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing–the shadow–even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it’ll shine out the clearer.
“Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances to turn back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding onto something–that there’s some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and that’s worth fighting for.”
- Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Post-Barackalyptic Wasteland, on youtube:
Dok,
Have no fear, this old boy ain’t backing down one damned inch. I was just sharing how I felt today. Obama signing an order to close GITMO without even knowing yet what they intend to do with the terrorists. That reminds me… some time earlier today General Cullen was being interviewed on Fox and he kept calling the terrorists ‘bad guys’ in a manner that irked me. It came out sounding like calling a rapist a ‘horny guy’. General Cullen and 15 other high ranking military types came out in complete support for what Obama did today. Even this bothers me… hell, does this mean the Marxist bastards have infiltrated the military?
Ok, next… we have this guy telling a congressional committee today that they plan to spend hundreds of billions of stimulus money dollars on construction jobs, and related jobs. When asked how many jobs this might create, he shrugs his shoulders and says “don’t know”. Then I hear from someone else that all this supposed stimulus money is to be poured into infrastructure construction projects, says it’s a lie. Hardly any of Obama’s package goes to infrstructure, even though he keeps repeating that. Then I hear ‘if the money is spent on infrastructure and jobs, it will cause another massive rush on our Southern borders by illegal aliens becausethey will come here to fill those construction jobs’. We have Robert Reich say that he doesn’t want the money to go to WHITE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS! People around the world are cheering Obama for signing the closing of GITMO and of no more torture bullshit. NEWS FLASH WORLD… Obama demanded a clause be left in that executive order that allows him to use torture if he deems it necessary. So the USA won’t torture, unless he says it’s OK. And the world is ok with that???
My God I could go on for some time. So am I going to give up HELL NO! Am I a little down today because I’m watching my country get flushed down a toilet, YOU BET!
GIO-
Newsflash:
http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/01/20/will-obama-break-1981-ronald-reagan-record-for-inauguration-nielsen-ratings/11134
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Jen,
Divorce and a death of a close family member are two of the most stressful occurrences a person can go through. Cheating had nothing to do with mine – my wife was merely certifiably insane. The stress from the divorce caused another life altering health problem. But I was young and invincible then.
Point being, the feeling that we have lost our country hits hard and it is not easy to recover from that.
Eowyn,
By merely wanting to tell a yipping yarn, Tolkien actually placed a lot of himself and his beliefs and parts of his own beloved England into a classic tale. There is much to ponder and learn within his works. And although the little Hobbit children would like to listen to stories about brave Frodo of the Nine Fingers – - -
Frodo: ‘It’s saying a lot too much. Why Sam, to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you’ve left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. “I want to hear about Sam, dad. Why didn’t they put in more of his talk? That’s what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam, would he, dad?” ‘
There is still a conservative voice speaking out…
“government cannot spend itself out of debt”
“government must remain small”
“every child is cherished and protected”
“personal responsibility”
“demand corporate responsibility”
“act decisively, not politcally”
From Gov. Palin’s State of the State address that is streaming live. Regardless of what you think of her, she’s getting the message out. Only no one in DC is listening…
Gio,
Regarding -
The Doktor (22:45:46) :
- I am not clear when I write sometimes. By the time I got to the end (after ‘bottom line’) it was written in a more ubiquitous way. Sorry.
What you say about all that money and ‘where’ it will be ‘spent’ is so very Chicago. And to be a Chicagoan is to know how very much is intimated in that single sentence. What does Rush always say? ”Follow the money.” Oh, it and reminds me of another Illinois-Dude, Senator Everett McKinley ”Billion Here/There – Soon you’re talking real money” Dirkson.
A friend just sent me this. Very pithy and bull’s-eye accurate:
“The left wing believes in free speech, except of course for hate speech – which they define as speech they don’t agree with.
The left wing believes in diversity which means everybody to the left of Hillary Clinton and the right of Kim Jong-il.
The left wing believes in freedom of the press – except for talk radio and Fox News.
The left wing believes in freedom of religion – except for Christianity.
The left wing believes in free enterprise – unless somebody is making a profit.”
Dok,
Being a Ringer yourself, no doubt you know that the great JRR Tolkien set out to write a mythology, and the nature of myths is that they contain certain universal truths and address humanity’s enduring problems. Tolkien certainly succeeded at that. His LOTR will continue to be referenced and mined as long as humans exist.
I’m sorry about your divorce, which is always life-shattering and traumatic, some more than others. Was your 1st wife actually clinically diagnosed as bi-polar? I’m skeptical because for years, a friend told me she’s bi-polar. So I found some new diagnostic scales on bi-polar disorder and sent it to her. She refused to take them. I then asked her how she knew she’s bi-polar and whether she’s been formally diagnosed.
Her reply: “No.” So, I logically asked, “Then how do you know you’re bi-polar?”
[sound of crickets] No response.
I’m willing to bet that most, if not all, supposedly bi-polar people are Leftists. It’s just another “I’m a victim” scam.
Eowyn,
Great ‘Left Wing’ insights. All summed up in one word – Hypocrite.
——–
Manic Depressive is where a person (and I’m not looking up anything here – this is from my own experience) is extremely happy and effusive for a time and then, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, can become the most morose, depressing person to be with. When I was with her it was like walking through an emotional portal at times without ever meaning to or expecting the portal to even be there. It left me feeling totally off guard, mentally.
When I was finally rid of her all of my friends noticed a drastic change in me. It seems before, with her, I was almost like a caged, maltreated beast. Like an ”abused husband”. Afterward, I became myself once again.
I suppose a more ‘formal’ approach may have helped in understanding, at least on my part. Introspection and self realization were never any of her qualities. My solution was to leave the situation. To this day I don’t even know if she is dead or alive (much longer story involved there – and certainly of no interest to anyone).
Thanks for the concern, though. It’s really way back in the past now and doesn’t affect me one bit.
Just The Doktor
I’m not as well read as some of you, but I do read my Bible. Check out 2Thessalonians 2: 1-12. Let me know what you think. It’s definitely lifted my spirits and kept my eye on the Real Lord and Saviour.
Thanks, Kathyd, powerful stuff!
“Let no one deceive you in any way. For unless the apostasy comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one doomed to perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god and object of worship, so as to seat himself in the temple of God, claiming that he is a god…
“the one whose coming springs from the power of Satan in every might deed and in signs and wonders that lie, and in every wicked deceit for those who are perishing because they have not accepted the love of truth so that they may be saved. Therefore, God is sending them a deceiving power so that they may believe the lie, that all who have not believed the truth but have approved wrongdoing may be condemned.”
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 9-12
Information from http://gold-collection.biz
WASHINGTON – With fewer than 500 applications and only two-dozen homeowners helped so far, lawmakers want to revamp a new program that was intended to help hundreds of thousands of borrowers avoid losing their homes.
The changes being considered Wednesday by the House Financial Services Committee come as Congress and President Barack Obama refine the most dramatic steps yet to boost the ailing U.S. housing market. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is expected to announce a new approach for aiding borrowers and rescuing the flailing financial industry next week.
The Obama administration wants to spend up to $100 billion in financial bailout money to help borrowers stay in their homes. Republicans, meanwhile, are expected to seek a vote later this week on a plan to have the government drive down mortgage rates to as low as 4 percent.
The government’s efforts to stem the foreclosure crisis thus far have relied on voluntary cooperation of the lending industry. The plans have not stopped a dramatic surge in foreclosures that is likely to worsen as workers lose their jobs amid a deepening recession.
“We will have to do more — substantially more — to fix this crisis,” Geithner said Wednesday.
During the presidential campaign, Obama said banks that receive federal bailout money should be required to halt foreclosures for 90 days, but that hasn’t happened yet.
“I voted for Obama just for that reason,” said Leroy Hernandez, 52, who lives outside Richmond, Va., and fears foreclosure is imminent on his home loan. “Maybe I’m just gullible.”
The company that collects payments on Hernandez’s loan, Litton Loan Servicing, is owned by Goldman Sachs Group Inc., which has received $10 billion in federal bailout money.
Litton spokeswoman Donna Marie Jendritza said Hernandez was denied a modification because he did not provide proof of his income, but added that he is welcome to apply again.
“If proof of income is not provided, we cannot go forward,” she said.
Congress last year created the Hope for Homeowners program, which was supposed to allow 400,000 troubled homeowners swap risky loans for traditional 30-year fixed-rate loans with lower rates. But only 25 loans have been approved since the program started in October out of 451 applications, despite more than 66,000 calls to the Federal Housing Administration about it from consumers and lenders.
Under a bill being considered by the House committee, several restrictions on the program would be lifted in hopes of allowing more people to qualify.
Meg Burns, the federal housing official in charge of the program, testified this week that tight restrictions on who can qualify and high fees have led to the disappointing results. The bill being considered Wednesday would reduce those fees and lift some of those restrictions.
Republicans were skeptical. “While Americans all over this country are struggling with their own mortgages, should they be forced to pay their neighbors?” said Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas. “There are basic questions of fairness.”
However, some consumer advocates argue the changes aren’t enough.
“It’s not the magnitude of help that’s needed,” said John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a consumer group in Washington that’s pressing the administration to buy up distressed loans in bulk and modify them so borrowers stay in their homes.
While plans to assist homeowners likely will anger those who oppose subsidizing borrowers who may have acted irresponsibly, the Obama administration appears to agree that such action can help stem the financial crisis.
“We’re not going to be able to eliminate all foreclosures, but can certainly keep that number from getting out of control,” said Robert Litan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a liberal-leaning think tank. By doing so, “you should be able to reduce some of the losses on the securities which are driving the banks under.”