{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam","title":"Go Blog And Multiply","subtitle":"So Let It Be Written. So Let It Be Done.","author":{"name":"gbam"},"link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"service.feed","type":"application\/x.atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom","title":"Go Blog And Multiply"}}],"updated":"2008-09-29T19:43:54Z","entry":[{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:133108","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/133108.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=133108"}}],"title":"Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire! Obama afraid of make-believe and VHS","published":"2008-09-29T19:43:54Z","updated":"2008-09-29T19:43:54Z","content":"More from the debate<\/a>.

MCCAIN: He (Obama) has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who
make as low as $42,000 a year.

OBAMA: That's not true<\/strong>, John. That's not true<\/strong>.<\/p>

MCCAIN: And that's just a fact. Again, you can look it up.<\/p> OBAMA: Look, it's just not true<\/strong>.

Perhaps I should have said, "Liar, Liar, Liar pants on fire".

Let's look at the facts<\/a>, shall we?

Obama denied voting for a bill that called for increased taxes on “people” making as little as $42,000 a year, as McCain accused him of doing. McCain was right<\/strong>, though only for single taxpayers.<\/font>

To me, that makes McCain right, no apologies or caveat necessary unless single people aren't "people".

Want more Obama lies?

OBAMA: "Look, I mean, Senator McCain keeps on using this example that suddenly the president would just meet with somebody without
doing any preparation, without having low-level talks. Nobody's been talking about that, and Senator McCain knows it. This is a mischaracterization of my position."

Now, we all know what Obama said earlier in the campaign.

Barack Obama's original answer seemed crystal clear:<\/a> last July, asked whether he would meet with the "leaders" of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea "without precondition," during his first year as president, he quickly answered yes. <\/em>

Whether he changed his position now is irrelevant - the original was his gut decision.  As President, I can't wait for him to develop nuanced policy positions over the course of months or years.  No on the job training!

And on Russia and Georgia:

OBAMA: "Obviously, I disagree with this notion that somehow we did not forcefully object to Russians going into Georgia. I immediately said that this was illegal and objectionable."

Again, let's check the facts<\/a>.

It's true, as McCain said, that during the conflict between Georgia and Russia, Obama said, "Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war" in his first statement on the conflict. But so did the White House.<\/em>

"So did the White House" is not a defense, and besides, Obama is running against McCain, not Bush.  Anyone notice in the various "fact check" references I made that there is always an attempt to defend Obama after having said that McCain was right?

Now, how about a science lesson for Mr. Obama, a leader in our fight against terror.

OBAMA: "And the biggest threat that we face right now is not a nuclear missile coming over the skies. It's in a suitcase."

<\/a>Suitcase nukes closer to fiction than reality<\/a>
Suitcase nukes said unlikely to exist<\/a>

<\/span>The biggest threat according to Obama is something that doesn't even exist!  But wait, we have to be worried about Osama bin Laden too, after all he's launched zero successful attacks against us in the last seven plus years.  Why should we still fear him?<\/span>

OBAMA: And the point that I originally made is that we took our eye off Afghanistan, we took our eye off the folks who perpetrated 9\/11, they are still sending out videotapes..

OHMIGOD!!!! Videotapes!!! I'm sooooo scared!  You know what, Obama even gets that wrong for the most part in that those videotapes are fewer and farther between than ever before.

One last thing....

MCCAIN: There is the Republican Guard<\/em> in Iran, which Senator Kyl had an amendment in order to declare them a sponsor of terror. Senator Obama said that would be provocative....

OBAMA: Well, let me just correct something very quickly. I believe the Republican Guard<\/em> of Iran is a terrorist organization.

We all know by now that the correct name of the group in question is the Revolutionary Guard.  However, it goes to show again that McCain leads and Obama follows!


"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:132846","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/132846.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=132846"}}],"title":"Bailout Plan Fails - Who Looks Worse?","published":"2008-09-29T19:00:04Z","updated":"2008-09-29T19:00:04Z","content":"Well, it looks like the bailout plan failed<\/a>.  The only question is, who is the winner?

It's not President Bush, whose multiple pleas for unity fell on deaf ears.
It's not Nancy Pelosi, who couldn't convince her own party to vote for the measure. 40% of Democratic representatives voted against their leader's wishes.
It's not Barney Frank, who declared this a done deal several times.
It's not Jon McCain who made all that ruckus and couldn't convince his own party to vote "yes".
It's not Henry Paulson who got on his knees and begged Pelosi for acceptance.
It's not the American People who just lost another few percent off their retirement accounts.

Perhaps it's Obama, who didn't do anything except make some phone calls and try to keep his hands as clean as possible.  But then again, doing nothing is why he's in a position to gain the Presidency now.

Perhaps, it's Ayn Rand and Charles Darwin whose philosophies of naked capitalism and survival of the fittest is the ultimate driver of Congressional politics.

I'm moving to Argentina until all this gets worked out.

"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:132456","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/132456.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=132456"}}],"title":"Obama will be President becqause he's a better BS artist","published":"2008-09-29T17:49:49Z","updated":"2008-09-29T17:49:49Z","content":"I haven't posted in 6 months, so I guess I've been content to read what other people have to say. However, there are some things about Barack Obama's B.S. and the failure of John MCain to criticize Obama's (albeit brief) record that just tick me off. I'm just going to run through some things I noticed from the debate<\/a>. I apologize in advance for the length of this post.

First, I'll start off with the "I've got a bracelet too" remark. Let's ignore the fact that Obama disrespected the family's wishes<\/a> for him not to use the bracelet as a political gimmick. (The fact the mother changed her mind afterwards doesn't change the fact of what he did).  Now let's talk about philosophy.  The McCain bracelet story contained hope for the future and a desire to make sure the soldier's sacrifice was meaningful.  That family believed that sacrifice is a legitimate part of the social contract if the end result makes a difference, and they clearly swa that the end could still be positive via McCain's leadership.  The Obama bracelet story was based on putting personal happiness over societal gain.  There the feeling expressed was claearly that there was no hope to make Iraq a better place and that sacrifice should be avoided entirely, regardless of the outcome to society.  Obama was seen as a "healer" to stop other people's suffering, a task best left to the true Messiah and not a politician.  As an aside, I hadn't realized that Sgt. Ryan Jopek's dad had served one year in Iraq<\/a> as well. 

Regarding the financial crisis , Obama said, "Now, we also have to recognize that this is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush, supported by Senator McCain, a theory that basically says that we can shred regulations and consumer protections."<\/strong>  The crisis we are in is not one of either inflation, unemployment or even growth (although they have been getting worse), it is a function of the structure of the housing market whose problems can be lain directly at the feet of the Democrats as well.  See this video as to that specific argument<\/a>.  Obama never mentioned his close ties to these failed institutions<\/a> and their CEOs<\/a>.  I mean really, he could have chosen any of hundreds of people to help him choose his VP and he chose a non-politician who is one of those people he claims to want to punish now.  John McCain said in 2005<\/a>, "If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole."

On the same issue, Obama said, "Two years ago, I warned that, because of the subprime lending mess, because of the lax regulation, that we were potentially going to have a problem and tried to stop some of the abuses in mortgages that were taking place at the time.  Last year, I wrote to the secretary of the Treasury to make sure that he understood the magnitude of this problem and to call on him to bring all the stakeholders together to try to deal with it."<\/strong>  Once again, McCain leads, Obama follows.  Also, notice how Obama is arrogant enough to cliam that He had to eductae the secretary of the Treasury!
 <\/p>

On taxes, Obama said, "Now, $18 billion is important; $300 billion is really important. And in his tax plan, you would have CEOs of Fortune 500 companies getting an average of $700,000 in reduced taxes, while leaving 100 million Americans out. So my attitude is, we've got to grow the economy from the bottom up. What I've called for is a tax cut for 95 percent of working families, 95 percent."<\/strong>

The truth is, if Obama is whining that $18bn isn't important, then certainly $750mm (Fortune 500 CEOs saving $700k each), is truly insignificant.  Sure, it will make people feel good, and raising CEO taxes might be the right thing to do, but to poo-poo earmark reform and put CEO pay at the forefront is just to stoke the class war.  I also like the ideological zinger that the people who have a generous income are not "working" families.  I'm doing very well personally, and although I don't think I'm quite in Obama's upper echelon, I still want to tell him a big "fuck you" on that point as I work 50-60 hour weeks and my wife has a couple of part-time jobs because we want to be in that upper echelon.  Maybe I should scale back to a being a teacher and taking the summer off, or take a 35 hour a week factory job so I could be considered a real "worker".
 <\/p>On employment and taxes, Obama said, "What I do is I close corporate loopholes, stop providing tax cuts to corporations that are shipping jobs overseas so that we're giving tax breaks to companies that are investing here in the United States."<\/strong>  Tax breaks for corporations!  Woohoo! Besides by the count of the Beaureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, there are 5.3mm more people employed today than when President Bush's first round of tax cuts were passed.  Even when times were really horrible for jobs in 2004, only 2.5% of layoffs<\/a> were due to overseas relocations.  It was a bogus issue then, and it's a bogus issue now.  More xenophobia and class warfare.

Going straight to the end of the debate, Obama said, "You know, my father came from Kenya. That's where I get my name. And in the '60s, he wrote letter after letter to come to college here in the United States because the notion was that there was no other country on Earth where you could make it if you tried. The ideals and the values of the United States inspired the entire world.  I don't think any of us can say that our standing in the world now, the way children around the world look at the United States, is the same."<\/strong>  One, his father<\/a> came to Hawaii in 1959.  Second, if everyone loved us so much back then, what a coincidence that the term "Ugly American"<\/a> was coined in a 1958 novel.  And if we're such a horrible country now, why do we have an immigration problem?  And just a gut feeling, but does anyone really believe that there are fewer African immigrants today that 50 years ago?  Finally, I guess his father really didn't really care that "he could make it if he tried here" because the poor guy was able to land a senior government role back in Kenya as soon as he availed himself of our fine universities and never bothered to try to stay here to build a career.  By the way, Obama supporters, can you say "Legacy"?

I better post this before I lose it.





 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 


"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:132350","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/132350.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=132350"}}],"title":"What","published":"2008-03-25T17:38:45Z","updated":"2008-03-25T17:38:45Z","content":"Hitchens speaks truth to potential power<\/a>....

But is it \"inflammatory\" to say that AIDS and drugs are wrecking the black community because the white power structure wishes it? No. Nor is it \"controversial.\" It is wicked and stupid and false to say such a thing. And it not unimportantly negates everything that Obama says he stands for by way of advocating dignity and responsibility over the sick cults of paranoia and victimhood.<\/span>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:132089","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/132089.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=132089"}}],"title":"Look, Up In The Sky","published":"2008-03-25T17:22:18Z","updated":"2008-03-25T17:22:18Z","content":"At Protein Wisdom<\/a>, Obama's advisors get some helpful hints.

Retired Air Force General Scott...Gration\u2019s big idea is eliminating nuclear weapons globally \u2014 a position that would be considered monumentally reckless but for its near-impossible utopianism. Obama has said only that \u201che would seek a world without nukes but would never disarm unilaterally.\u201d Mars has no nukes, so Obama can cross that one off the to-do list. <\/span>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:131812","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/131812.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=131812"}}],"title":"Busted!","published":"2008-03-25T03:29:47Z","updated":"2008-03-25T03:29:47Z","content":"Busted!

"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:131432","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/131432.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=131432"}}],"title":"Top 10 Reasons to Watch BSG Season 4","published":"2008-03-24T13:16:51Z","updated":"2008-03-24T13:16:51Z","content":"The cast of Battlestar Galactica appeared on David Letterman to read the \"Top 10 Reasons to Watch the 4th Season of Battlestar Galactica\"<\/a>. Guess which number Number 6 read?"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:131175","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/131175.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=131175"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2008-03-23T18:30:00","published":"2008-03-23T23:30:52Z","updated":"2008-03-23T23:30:52Z","content":"Old photos show flaws in steel of I-35W bridge<\/a>

Did these flaws cause the collapse? Beats me - I'm no engineer. However, that article prompted me to click on to a fascinating retrospective called \"13 Seconds in August\"<\/a> regarding the collapse of the same bridge. A long post-collapse photo is provided with a number next to each vehicle which fell with the bridge. By clicking on each car or truck, you can see a biography of the vehicle's occupants where it is known, and in some cases, video interviews with the survivors."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:130960","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/130960.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=130960"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2008-03-23T09:04:00","published":"2008-03-23T14:09:08Z","updated":"2008-03-23T14:09:08Z","content":"This post on normblog<\/a> got me to thinking (as most of his posts do).

\n\nIf the people of Iraq (or many American Democrats for that matter) don't believe that Iraq has been liberated, does that mean that they actually haven't been?

\n\nCertainly, the Iraqi people have suffered horrors of war which would not have occurred had it not been for the American invasion. But do we say that blacks weren't freed from slavery despite another hundred plus years of segregation, humiliation, lynchings and myriad other horrors? Do we say that G-d did not release the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, despite the fact that countless millions have been murdered and tortured over the millennia?

\n\nIraq was indeed liberated by the United States. However, some have confused liberation with the end of suffering. Freedom is not a guarantee; it is a series of doors behind which opportunity, and potentially tragedy, knock."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:130734","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/130734.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=130734"}}],"title":"Critters!","published":"2008-03-21T16:57:36Z","updated":"2008-03-21T16:57:36Z","content":"These little critters were living in my attic. We wouldn't have known about it were it not for some water damage to the roof that we had to repair this morning. The wife is bringing them to the local animal wildlife center.


\"\"<\/a>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:130554","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/130554.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=130554"}}],"title":"A Perfect Union - Part II","published":"2008-03-21T16:49:11Z","updated":"2008-03-21T16:49:11Z","content":"The other problem I have with Roger Cohen's Op-Ed is his ignoring of the violence that took place in South Africa (justified or not) under the banner of the African National Congress, and South African history in general.

Cohen writes, \"When I was a teenager, my relatives advised me to enjoy the swimming pools of Johannesburg because \u201cnext year they will be red with blood.\u201d But the inevitable bloodbath never came. Mandela walked out of prison and sought reconciliation, not revenge.\"

According to his biography<\/a>, Cohen's teenage years were roughly from 1969-1973. Now, Mandela did walk out of prison in 1990, but what happened<\/span> in the 20 years prior to that? Was there no violence? I'm sure the victims of the Soweto massacre <\/a>wouldn't say so. Or victims of the Church Street Bombing. Or the thousands of others<\/span> who suffered in tit-for-tat attacks and sabotage that occurred during those years.

Maybe it wasn't as bloody as the American Civil War, but to suggest that blood wasn't spilled in the struggle against apartheid is ridiculous.

By the way, here's<\/a> a report about Nelson Mandela's<\/span> ANC<\/span> per the Truth and Reconciliation Commission<\/a>.

While it was A.N.C. policy that the loss of civilian life should be ''avoided,'' there were instances where members of its security forces perpetrated gross violations of human rights in that the distinction between military and civilian targets was blurred in certain armed actions, such as the 1983 Church Street bombing of the South African Air Force headquarters. . . . <\/em>
<\/em>
In the course of the armed struggle, the A.N.C., through its security forces, undertook military operations which, though intended for military or security force targets, sometimes went awry for a variety of reasons, including poor intelligence and reconnaissance. The consequences in these cases, such as the Magoo's Bar and Durban Esplanade bombings, were gross violations of human rights in respect of the injuries to and loss of lives of civilians.
<\/em>
Individuals who defected to the state and became informers and\/or members who became state witnesses in political trials . . . were often labeled by the A.N.C. as collaborators and regarded as legitimate targets to be killed. The commission does not condone the legitimization of such individuals as military targets and finds that the extrajudicial killings of such individuals constituted gross violations of human rights.<\/em>

Maybe I'm missing something as Cohen's family is South African and he has been there on numerous occasions<\/span>, while I myself have never even been there, but I think not."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:130135","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/130135.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=130135"}}],"title":"A More Perfect Union","published":"2008-03-21T14:53:33Z","updated":"2008-03-21T14:53:33Z","content":"Right now, the most popular article on the NY Times website is Roger Cohen's Op-Ed peace on race relations, \"Beyond America's Original Sin\"<\/a>. As with Obama's speech the other day, during a first read-through, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside as we are told that all we have to do is drop our irrational fears, talk to each other, and then everything will be all right.

However, two things bothered me. The first was the suggestion that somehow President Bush's \"us-against-them formulas\" are somehow responsible for maintaining a culture of racial discrimination. Here Mr. Cohen is confusing policy differences with racism. President Bush has spoke very clearly on numerous occasions about how wrong it is to demonize Muslims for 9\/11 and how wrong racism is in general. If the press fails to concentrate on it, or feels that he is being false about his feelings, that's another story.

I quote below from the President's speech honoring African American History Month<\/a>, given on February 12, 2008.

It is important for all our citizens to know the history of the African American struggle for equality. We must remember that the slave trade brought many Africans to America in chains, not by choice. We must remember how slaves claimed their God-given right to freedom. And we must remember how freed slaves and their descendants helped rededicate America to the ideals of its founding.

Our nation has come a long way toward building a more perfect union<\/strong>.
<\/em>
A more perfect union!?! Wasn't that the title and theme <\/a>of Barack Obama's speech? Plagiairist!

The fact is, the President is not afraid to look stupid if he's trying to show his appreciation for other cultures....

"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:129956","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/129956.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=129956"}}],"title":"Jews' News You Can Use","published":"2008-01-03T20:20:13Z","updated":"2008-01-03T20:20:13Z","content":"Is the surge of women's participation in public Judaism driving men away<\/a>?

\"\"


For those of you in NY, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is holding it's annual Jewish Film Festival<\/a> from January 9-24.  I have heard great things about Beaufort<\/a>.  I wish there was some way to see these movies without attending the festival (I would pay for a restricted download!), but most are in limited release or are hard to get because they are made overseas.

Keep an eye out this month for the PBS series \"The Jewish Americans\"<\/a>.  Liev Schreiber narrates.

Here's the trailer for the upcoming Adam Sandler \"Zohan\" film.  Just goes to show that when you have money, you can make your fantasy movie, no matter how ridiculous the concept.  Doesn't mean I don't want to see it though.   :-)

"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:129637","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/129637.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=129637"}}],"title":"The low point of Jewish-American culture caught on tape!","published":"2007-12-07T02:48:49Z","updated":"2007-12-07T02:48:49Z","content":"If your family has a tape like this<\/a>, make like the CIA<\/a> and destroy it immediately.

 "},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:129397","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/129397.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=129397"}}],"title":"Freedom Requires Religion? Could be.","published":"2007-12-06T20:32:07Z","updated":"2007-12-06T20:33:06Z","content":"When I first read through Mitt Romney's religion speech<\/a> today, even I cringed when I read \"freedom requires religion\".  If I were a Democrat, I would be using this cringe factor to rail against the evils of conservative Jesus-lovers so that I could feel warm and fuzzy in my liberal righteousness.  However, given that I am Republican, I realize that I must try to rationalize Romney's statement and explain what he meant to those who choose not to actually think the issue through, if not just to confirm their own deeply held beliefs.

Not too long ago, I came across a comment or essay regarding the phrase \"all Men are created Equal\" and how belief in God was necessary for the founding fathers to have written and agreed to that phrase.  (I wish I could remember where I saw it).  The basic argument was that stripped of all of the moral teachings that we have been brought up with, it's pretty obvious that on almost any scale - physical, mental, spiritual - not one human is truly \"equal\" to any other human.  That certainly would have been true in the time of slavery to the outside observer.  The only reason we are able to base our society on \"all Men are created Equal\" is because our underlying equality rests solely on the belief that we are all made in G-d's image.  That is the lowest common denominator of our \"equalness\".   And without the belief that we are all equal based on G-d's creation, any one person could claim superiority and dominance over any other person for just about any reason imaginable, which is how the erosion of freedom begins.

I realize that in times past, Kings and religious leaders alike used their power and claim to divine authority to enslave people.  But that was then and this is now.  Perhaps that is why Romney tacked on the second part of the phrase \"and religion requires freedom\".  Without freedom (and along with it, education) you would sink back to those heinous \"religious\" realms of olden times.

------------------------------------------

There are some headlines that just cry out for attention.  Kangaroo Farts Could Ease Global Warming.<\/a>

My question isn't whether the sign below is somehow inappropriate (see here<\/a> for more)...I'm just wondering if the price per pound was marked up like kosher meats!

\"\"
<\/span>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:129215","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/129215.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=129215"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2007-12-06T08:46:00","published":"2007-12-06T14:47:04Z","updated":"2007-12-06T14:47:04Z","content":"A small plane crashed into an Augusta, Georgia synagogue<\/a> yesterday, killing the pilot.

Superman has his kryptonite - Kiefer Sutherland has alcohol.  48 days in the slammer<\/a> for Jack Bauer.

----------------------------------------

They say that George Bush was lying when he claimed to be a \"uniter, not a divider\".  I disagree - Americans both on the left and the right now believe that America is going to hell in a handbasket.

From the Left,  Thomas Friedman<\/a> - \"...9\/11 has made America afraid and therefore stupid.....America\u2019s bridges, roads, airports and Internet bandwidth have fallen behind other industrial powers, including China...it is highly unlikely that America will arrest its decline.\"<\/i>

From the Right, Pat Buchanan<\/a> - \"America is coming apart at the seams..Bush (has) l<\/i>ed us to the precipice of strategic disaster abroad and savage division at home.<\/i>..one of every six U.S. manufacturing jobs vanished under Bush.  The Third World invasion through Mexico is a graver threat to U.S. survival than anything happening in Afghanistan or Iraq....IS OUR DAY OF RECKONING JUST AHEAD?

<\/i>----------------------------------------

Israeli archaeologists find 2,000-year-old mansion<\/a> linked to historic queen<\/a>.

You still have a few days left to get that child in your life a special gift for Hanukkah.  Here's oytoys.com<\/a> to help.





<\/i>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:128789","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/128789.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=128789"}}],"title":"Our schizophrenic economy","published":"2007-12-05T19:34:23Z","updated":"2007-12-05T19:34:23Z","content":"The employment situation is looking bad<\/a>....

\"U.S. companies announced layoffs jumped 15.9 percent last month as the economy grappled with a worsening housing slump and credit crisis, outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas reported on Wednesday....<\/i>

The unemployment situation is looking good<\/a>....

Private payrolls grew by 189,000 jobs in November, far more than analysts had expected, according to Automated Data Processing, an independent company. <\/span>

These reports don't necessarily contradict each other really, after all, you could have an increase in new hires which outstrips an increase in new layoffs. I guess it's like they say - if you have a job things are great, if your neighbor loses his job it's a recession, and if you lose your job, it's a depression.

Then again, getting let go is not always such a bad thing...

\"\"
."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:128547","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/128547.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=128547"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2007-12-05T07:51:00","published":"2007-12-05T14:46:08Z","updated":"2007-12-05T14:46:08Z","content":"Apparently, the Venezuelan police think that Jews have a habit of hiding guns and explosives in their community centers<\/a>. They broke down the main gate and raided La Hebraica<\/a> this past Sunday on the eve of Hugo Chavez' referendum on constitutional changes.

\u201c..The descendants of those who crucified Christ... have taken ownership of the riches of the world, a minority has taken ownership of the gold of the world, the silver, the minerals, water, the good lands, petrol, well, the riches, and they have concentrated the riches in a small number of hands.\u201d - Hugo Chavez, December 24, 2005<\/a>

<\/i>President Bush's annual Hanukkah message is here<\/a>. The White House 2007 Holiday page<\/a> actually has some pretty interesting videos of the various celebrations and decorations in and around the President's home this time of year.

If you forget what day of Hanukkah it is, there's an on-line menorah<\/a> here.

I watched the movie \"Waitress\"<\/a> last night.  To me it was a great movie for the first 30-45 minutes or so and then the joke got kind of tired. 7 out of 10.  You may recall that one of the supporting actresses, Adrienne Shelly, was murdered in New York <\/a>in October 2006.

Ashley Tisdale gets a nose job<\/a>.  Hey - this would be important to you to if you had a 7-year old daughter.  Deviated septum, my ass!

\"\"


"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:128368","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/128368.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=128368"}}],"title":"How bad is it?","published":"2007-12-04T14:41:59Z","updated":"2007-12-04T14:41:59Z","content":"Crime in Dallas is so bad....that a film crew from a local news team parked in a south Dallas neighborhood to do a story about a victim of an armed robbery...and had their van broken into<\/a>.

Lost - box of depleted uranium somewhere in the Fort Worth area.  Not to worry.  A man found it on a roadway and took it to his house.<\/a>  \"The man's wife saw news reports this morning about the device and call 911\".<\/i>  Add a check to the \"female\" column for which is the smarter sex.  Jeez.  Maybe my wife won't complain the next time I track a little mud into the kitchen.  I'm wondering which part of \"Caution - Radioactive Material\" the husband didn't understand.

Usually, I find latkes very hard to make - they keep falling apart or I make a huge mess with the frying.  Last night I followed this recipe<\/a> in the December issue of Gourmet magazine and they came out excellent as far as shape and texture.  Could have used a little more salt and pepper though.

\"\"

My 7 year old daughter asked me for either a Webkinz<\/a> pet or a laptop computer for Hannukah.  Guess which one I got for her?

\"\"

Better luck next year, kid.

Someone please explain something to me.  If the new NIE suggesting that Iran had stopped it's nuclear weapons program in 2003<\/a> is proof that a previous NIE from 2005 was wrong<\/a> - what makes this one so definitively correct?  One would think this would throw doubt on the subject, but instead, the latest report is being taken as gospel.  Is it just because it bolsters the pacifist cause?  NIE's are either based on good intelligence or they're not.  Are Democrats now ready to admit that the Bush administration has bolstered our intelligence capabilites which was one of their main claims that Bush had not done post 9\/11?  What a bunch of political bullsh*t this is."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:128218","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/128218.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=128218"}}],"title":"My personal experience with Imus' new partner","published":"2007-12-03T15:10:01Z","updated":"2007-12-03T15:20:09Z","content":"Don Imus is back on the air<\/a> at WABC.  I listened to about a half an hour of his show and it was just as boring as it it ever was.  I think WABC really f*cked up with this one.  I really enjoyed the occasional Curtis & Kuby in the morning to get my NY fix.

I also just found out that Imus' new sidekick is comedienne Karith Foster<\/a>.  See my testy exchange with her at my Go Blog and Multiply site where she calls me an embarrassment to Plano<\/a> after I criticize her for comparing life in Plano to a Klan rally!  She also accused me of being a...Republican!  I was stung!

NPR has it's annual Hanukkah Lights: Stories of the Season<\/a> up for 2007.  I don't think they're downloadable for some reason, but I'm going to try to listen to one each night before bed time.

\"\"

From Dec 4-12, XM Radio is providing free trial access so that you can herar it's Radio Hanukkah - XM 108<\/a>.

Funniest \"Christmas\" story ever.   Lemony Snicket's The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming<\/span><\/a>

\"\"


In a rare venture out to an actual movie theater, we saw Disney's \"Enchnated\"<\/a> with the girls.  I would highly recommend it - actually for adults more than children since it's really a send-up of classic Disney movies and smaller kids may not be in on the joke.  The best part was when we came to the typical \"prince kisses the sleeping princess\" scene towards the end of the movie.  The theater is silent, anticipating the big moment we've waited an hour and a half for - will she wake up, or won't she? - when my 4 year old lets out the biggest, loudest yawn I've ever heard.  Everyone started cracking up.  Thank G-d it was a Disney movie or they would have chased us out with pitchforks!"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:127832","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/127832.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=127832"}}],"title":"One Jew. Alone. Or Not?","published":"2007-12-01T05:06:23Z","updated":"2007-12-01T05:06:23Z","content":"The other day, I came across this post<\/a> from a convert to Judaism who co-authors a group blog with others who have converted and\/or are trying to ramp up their religious observance. He writes about his frustration with finding the right branch of Judaism that will fully accept him as a convert, allow him the best expression of his Judaism, and also provide a sense of comfort and community. His words were so heartfelt and describe so closely what I feel myself that I was compelled to post a comment.

My comments are posted below.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avi,
I came across your post via a Jewish blogpost aggregator and I felt like I was reading my own life story, but with one small difference - I was born Jewish.
Although my parents were always Conservative in practice, we belonged to a modern orthodox synagogue in New York in the \u201960s and 70\u2019s until I was about 12. Like many Jews at the time, my parents chose comfort and a nicer neighborhood over religiosity, moved to the suburbs and joined a Conservative shul. It was a little hard making the adjustment \u201cdown\u201d at first, but as a kid I just got used to it after awhile. Besides, we had always really been living \u201cobservant Conservative\u201d - keeping kosher at home but not outside, going to services and even weekday evening minyanim much of the time, but not all of the time, etc.
About 10 years ago, I finally met the woman of my dreams. She is the daughter of a convert of the Conservative movement. As such neither she nor my daughters are considered Jewish by the Orthodox. So now, I find that the movement I grew up in and actually respect a great deal for their level of education and observance is off limits to me. Not only that, but even on the rare occasion where I have come to attend an orthodox service, I feel out of place and out of touch - I sometimes can\u2019t believe how much of the full ritual and prayer I\u2019ve forgotten. (I do enjoy the occasional Chabad learning series, but it\u2019s really just for me personally).
Anyhow, now that my family and I am firmly planted in the Conservative movement in a large Texas city, I often get frustrated by the lack of involvement and interest in the halacha, outside of the usual 10% of the congregation that does particpate regularly. When I do go to Shabbat services, I often find that I\u2019m one of a few dozen people fully comfortable with the Hebrew and the singing in a crowd of 100-150. I know that if I turn to the next guy (or gal) and say, \u201cHey what do you think of this particular passage in this week\u2019s parsha?\u201d, I\u2019d just get a shrug from most people.
I am in no way perfect, shomer Shabbos, completely kosher, etc. but I want to strive towards that goal and there is very little guidance or support for increasing one\u2019s observance in the Conservative community. More importantly there is zero community pressure. Maybe it wouldn\u2019t be so bad if I was actually a little embarrassed to meet someone during dinner on a Friday night at the local babrbecue joint or Chinese restaurant.
I send my kids to a Conservative Day School where I do believe they are receving an excellent Jewish education. But don\u2019t even get me started on the lack of seriousness on the part of the majority of parents who allow the kids to leave their Judaism behind in the classroom as mommy picks them up with a cup from McDonalds in their hand (seriously).
And the point of all this is\u2026..
What I am slowly discovering is that the more I think about Judaism in general and take a look around, the more I realize that each individual Jew maintains their own level of education and observance and that it\u2019s almost impossible to find a congregation that will meet one\u2019s spiritual needs perfectly.
I don\u2019t get upset anymore at the Orthodox who don\u2019t accept my family, I don\u2019t get upset with the Conservative shuls (even my own) that try to push the boundaries of ritual and are making constant changes to their rituals to \u201cstay fresh\u201d and I don\u2019t get upset with Reform Jews because I guess I\u2019m just happy that they care at all. All I know is that I will do the best I can and I believe that Hashem will accept me wherever and however I turn to Him as long as I strive to learn the mitzvot, do as many mitzvot as I feel comfortable with, and treat all my fellow Jews with respect. And, with any luck, someone less observant than even myself (not to mention my children) will see how much joy I take in my Judaism and will perhaps think of getting more involved, or want to learn a little bit more. That\u2019s really what it\u2019s all about to me.
Now it\u2019s my turn to apologize for the rant, but your post really struck a chord in me that I\u2019ve been hard pressed to express or explain.
Bets of luck to you and yours."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:127612","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/127612.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=127612"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2007-11-30T21:54:00","published":"2007-12-01T04:00:39Z","updated":"2007-12-01T04:00:39Z","content":"Best headline I've read in long time - Thief lifts, separates 55 bras from Victoria's Secret<\/b><\/a>

The Ghost Whisperer is engaged<\/a>.

Jewish inventions I wish I could give for Hanukkah


"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:127283","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/127283.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=127283"}}],"title":"gbam @ 2007-10-28T20:57:00","published":"2007-10-29T02:01:56Z","updated":"2007-10-29T02:01:56Z","content":"

It might be argued<\/a> that moral treatment of people derives from human equality. Such an assertion cannot be demonstrated exclusively through reason, and I must treat it as a dogma of faith (one which I share). People are clearly not equal unless we have something perfect with which to compare them - some are brighter than others, some stronger, some richer, some better looking. And some are weak, stupid, poor, or ugly. There must be an outside point of comparison, One whose nature is so radically different from that of any person, however wonderful, that in face of that Other all people are essentially equal, despite their distinctions. People are equalized in comparison to the Holy Eternal One.  It is through God that the moral argument that all people are equal (\u201ccreated equal\u201d, in fact) gains force.<\/p><\/font>"},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:127145","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/127145.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=127145"}}],"title":"SCHIP without the rhetoric","published":"2007-10-17T03:46:19Z","updated":"2007-10-17T04:00:00Z","content":"\"\"

There's been a lot of rhetoric spewed by both sides of the SCHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program<\/a>) debate.   Commenters on the left are convinced that Bush just<\/a> hates<\/a> children<\/a> and wants to deny health care coverage for poor children<\/a>.  On the right, Democrats are accused of wanting to tax the middle class<\/a> to bring nationalized health care to the well off<\/a> as part of an evil plan to nationalize healthcare<\/a> for everyone.

I have done a little research<\/a> to try and separate fact from fiction.

SCHIP current budget - $5 billion per year

Bush's proposal - $6 billion per year (20% or $1bn annual increase)

Democrats' proposal - $12 billion per year (140% or $7bn annual increase)

The Congressional Budget Office's estimates<\/a>, the net additional federal cost to maintain current programs under SCHIP would be $8bn over the next five years - an increase of $1.6bn per year (see page 14 at link).  Then again, they overestimated this year's budget deficit by about 50%<\/a> and they only had to look one or two years into the future). Nevertheless, seems like a great compromise opportunity - 1.8 is between 1 and 7 - guess not!

(To cover the cost, the bill relies on tobacco taxes, especially the cigarette tax, which would be increased to $1 a pack, from the current 39 cents.<\/a>)

SCHIP current goal - coverage for children of families making 200% of the poverty level (approx. $40,000 per year for a family of four)

Bush proposal - maintain existing coverage levels, providing more funds to cover inflation

Democrats' proposal - allowing for coverage for children of families making 300% of the poverty level (approx $60,000 per year) with certain excpetions for states like NY  and NJ where the limits would be 350-400% of the poverty level<\/a> (approx $70,000-$80,000 per year).  According to my calculations, this would extend coverage to about half the families in the United States<\/a> and it is reported that the bill would double the number of children covered<\/a>.

You would think they could find some middle ground, wouldn't you?  The issue is not coverage for children who are \"poor\" (i.e., living below the poverty line).  They are already covered by Medicaid.<\/a>  The question is how many children above the poverty line should be offered government provided health care benefits. 

All in all the question comes down to this - is health care for children something that we should treat as a human right, and if so, who gets it for free and who doesn't?  I don't have the answer, but I wish those that are running the country would just have that specific debate instead of calling each other names.

If you read this, please let me know if you have any other interesting info that a concerned citizen might rely on to make their decision."},{"id":"urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:gbam:126899","link":[{"@attributes":{"rel":"alternate","type":"text\/html","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/126899.html"}},{"@attributes":{"rel":"self","type":"text\/xml","href":"https:\/\/gbam.livejournal.com\/data\/atom\/?itemid=126899"}}],"title":"Bush has the last laugh","published":"2007-10-05T22:33:18Z","updated":"2007-10-05T22:33:18Z","content":"Flashback - December 2003<\/a>.....
(AP) <\/b>President Bush's goal of cutting in half a projected $500 billion federal deficit within five years is being dismissed as too timid by conservatives, unachievable<\/b> by analysts and laughable<\/b> by Democrats.<\/i>

The actual budget deficit in 2004 turned out to be $413 billion.  That would mean that in order to meet Bush's goal, the deficit would have to decrease to $206 billion by 2009.

Turns out the 2007 deficit is $161 billion<\/a> - a 60% decrease in only three years<\/b>.  The decrease is even more dramatic when compared as a percentage of GDP, \"the measure deemed most important by economists\".

Looks like Bush was misunderestimated again.

Here's Paul Krugman, the NY Times' economic opinion guru, from January of 2004<\/a>.  If the man had any sense of decency, he'd apologize for being so wrong on the economy. Again.

Official projections that this deficit will decline over time aren't based on ''credible assumptions.''<\/b> Realistic projections show a huge buildup of debt over the next decade, which will accelerate once the baby boomers retire in large numbers. All of this is conventional stuff, if anathema to administration apologists, who insist, in flat defiance of the facts, that they have a ''plan'' to cut the deficit in half.

<\/b><\/i>I think it's fair to include Krugman in the (*snicker*) \"reality-based\" community based on his reliance on \"realistic\" projections."}]}