Saturday, November 25, 2006

Regarding Minimum Wage

Political Pistachio has a post entitled - The dangers of raising the minimum wage - Good read. Douglas V. Gibbs sums up his posting in this line: "Just more proof of the idiocy of the left, if you ask me."

Well Douglas. Those with clear thinking on the matter agree with you 100%. Raising the minimum wage should not be the first order of business and is more proof that the Democrats are not serious about real problems facing this country.

I had to comment on his post then thought I'd bring my comment here and share my feelings on the subject.

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Raise minimum wages and it gives the unions the right to demand more. I understand that many unions have their wage structures tied in with the minimum wage. Hmmm. And the Dems love the unions...

Every time there is a raise in the minimum wages many people getting paid more than minimum wage find they're closer to the bottom and do not get increases themselves...


For those that do get increases commensurate with the increase:
Lets see. McD's pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their burgers.
Hardware store pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their hardware.
Grocery Store pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their groceries.
Beauty salon pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their beauticians.
Bar & Grill pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their food and drink.
Gas station pays more to it's workers. Raises the cost of their gas and goods.

Worker who get his wages raised pays more for the burger, etc. so his raise counts for nothing.

BUT To show Republicans REALLY DO CARE we should demand they offer more than the Democrats offer. What ever Polosi suggests why stop there? Lets have Republicans in Congress demand every employer pays every employee a million dollars a week so everyone can be rich. Just like Pelosi and her friends...

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Hmmm. It Stopped Being Funny!!!

Quite a while ago I posted some Retirement Jokes. Every so often I get hits on the posting through Google. I checked the Google page and saw some other Retirement Joke Pages and thought I'd check it out. Perhaps 'borrow' some items to update my collection.

The first one I hit was a gentleman selling books. Nice if you need 'em. The second I clicked on took me to RetirementSayings.com - A bunch of adverts. No Jokes. - Wait! - Here it is! Related Links/Retirement Jokes. - CLICK - Ok. Another advert page. Oh! Here's one. Retirement Jokes - 10,000's of fresh jokes, free! Quick search. Every joke category. - CLICK -

WHAT???

Download free JOKE TOOLBAR???

Toolbars are not a JOKE!!!

What is this outfit? try.starware.com huh! OK! Google Search.
- Dum, de dum dum. - Stopbadware.org Report - That's the one - CLICK -

We find that the Starware News Toolbar is not badware, although it does engage in behaviors that users should be aware of.

We currently recommend that users who want to download Starware News Toolbar be aware of the behaviors outlined in this report.
Redirects invalid web addresses
Replaces legitimate error pages with its own
Displays inline ads and pop-under ads

To their defense a note on the sidebar says:
08/15/2006 - Starware.com contacted StopBadware.org regarding our report on Starware News Toolbar. They have expressed a desire to work with us to bring Starware News Toolbar into conformance with our recommendations.

and

09/19/2006 - We have confirmed that the toggling off of the SiteAdvisor button by Starware News Toolbar is due to idiosyncracies in Internet Explorer's handling of toolbars, not malicious intent on the part of Starware. Since Starware News Toolbar has now been found to be in compliance with our recommendations, we find it to no longer be badware.


Well that is cool that the Starware Toolbar folks work to clean up their reputation. I wonder how the uninstall works? Gotta be better than Zango!

Well, I'm not going to be the one to find out.

Any volunteers?


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Thursday, November 23, 2006

A Prayer Request For a Little Bell

Rick Bell of The Bamboo Bell sent the following email out concerning his wife and their baby that is due in April of 2007. As the Good Lord reminds you (may He do so daily) please pray for the baby's good health.


Dear All,

Please be praying for us - we were doing a routine ultrasound at the specialist yesterday (at the specialist because of the Rh factor issues) and the doctor found what looks like a hole in our baby's heart between the two lower chambers. This could be fixed at some point after she is born. There could be other complications associated with it or there could be none. Jennifer had an amniocentesis test and we will hear of results in the next few weeks. We will have to settle in Cincinnati for Children's hospital there, and going back to China will be delayed perhaps another year. Please pray that the baby's heart might be healed even now, and that there would be no other complications involved.

Rick and Jennifer Bell



As sort of noted in the email Rick and Jennifer have a heart for China and the people there. While you are at it pray for Divine guidance for them. That is something we all could use.

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UPDATE - Another email from Rick says:

We just got initial test results back today on possible chromosome
abnormalities. The initial results showed NORMAL, so we are thankful and
praising the Lord! We are still waiting for further results on other
chromosomes. Today's results were the big ones. The others are also
important so please keep praying, but we are so thankful today. Will
keep you posted. Still praying that that little heart is healed in the
womb...

Thanks for praying with us,
Rick

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Update 26 Dec 06:

Hi everyone, hope your Christmas was good.

Here is, I hope, a fairly clear summary of the situation with our little baby, due in April:

We got the test results back. The good news is there are no chromosome problems. But the baby's blood is rh positive and Jennifer has developed antibodies against that- which means she will have to be monitored closely. This could go by without any problem, or it could mean the need for blood transfusions in the womb. Jennifer will need to see a specialist on a weekly basis.

The hole in the heart is still there. It is a large hole, one the doctor says cannot heal on its own except by miracle. But it can be fixed- which means surgery at some point from birth to perhaps a year old- must be determined later. So we have to delay going back to China until all is well.

Logistically, we need to be in Cincinnati (Children's Hospital and family and church). We plan to be there in about two weeks. We need a home to rent and I will need to find work. We could be back in China within a year of the baby's birth. Right now, we trust that this is all of God. We know many of you have been faithful and praying, and we can only conclude that God wants us in Cincinnati at this time.

CHINA: For now we are just on hold. But things have really taken off there in our old hometown. We are hearing great reports of new believers getting baptized and others showing interest. God is bringing forth the harvest! Thanks for your prayers!

Rick and Jennifer Bell
www.bamboobell.squarespace.com


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Update: 20 Jan 07

Hi everyone- we do appreciate your prayers...

Concerning Baby Bell (due in April), we went to the hospital and got a fetal ekocardiogram and got some less than encouraging news. It is a very serious problem with the heart. It is a good thing the hole did not close up, because it is needed to allow for a flow- she would have died already if that hole had closed up. Also one ventricle is very small and in the wrong place. There are other complications that are too hard to explain.

Bottom line is that this will require some surgeries. Best case is that only two would be needed- one about 4 months after the baby is born and then when she is three. She may also need to have one right after birth- that can only be known when she is born. We pray that she won't need one immediately. Her heart will not be normal- but it may be functional just the same.

The doctor said we could feasibly and safely go back to China after the surgery at about 4 months of age. We could get periodic checkups in Bangkok- and eventually come to the States when she is three years old for the next surgery. Hopefully that would be it.


Hope you're doing well. We know the Lord will prove faithful through all this.
Rick and Jennifer Bell


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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Happy Thankgiving!

Last year about this time I posted a story - Did I Miss Something? - about a store setting up Christmas displays right after Halloween. The Grinch had stolen Thankgiving was my complaint.

This year I do see a bit more Thanksgiving displays so I guess some of the 'suits' in Corporate America took my posting to heart.

The first Thanksgiving was held in a time far different from ours. There were no frozen turkeys or catered meals. The Pilgrims had landed at Plymouth Rock, far from their intended destination, and had to carve out a livelyhood in a wilderness that was unfriendly to humans. As William Bradford wrote about the landing, "they had now no friends to welcome them, nor inns to entertain or refresh their weather-beaten bodies, no houses or much less towns to repair to, to seek for succor."

They did have God on their side and He provided.

Bradford wrote,


The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

June 20, 1676

"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion, and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened, and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them, without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed, It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:

The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the 29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all, even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."



prying1 sez: Here is a handy recipe: Combine liberal amounts of prayer and thankgiving and you will have an extremely joyous and peace filled holiday.


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