Published in LA Times, By Carol J. Williams, Times Staff Writer
1:34 AM PST, February 19, 2008
Cuban leader Fidel Castro told compatriots early today that he would not accept another term as president, throwing open the Communist-ruled island’s leadership for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Castro, 81, and ailing with an undisclosed intestinal disorder, announced in a statement carried on the state-run Granma International newspaper website early today that he was stepping down as head of state.
-been a U.S. Congressman for 17 years, from 1979-1985 and from 1997 to present;
He has been a Flight Surgeon in the U.S. Air Force from 1963-1965, and a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air National Guard from 1965-1968; been married to the same woman for 50 years;-Never voted to raise taxes; Never voted for an unbalanced budget; Never taken a government paid junket;
Never voted to increase the power of the executive branch; Never voted to restrict gun ownership;
Voted against the Patriot Act;
Voted against regulating the Internet; Voted against the Iraq War;
Does not participate in the lucrative Congressional pension program;
Returns a portion of his annual Congressional office budget to the U.S. Treasury every year; been a ‘Distinguished counselor’ to the Ludwig von Mises Institute;
delivered more than 4,000 babies; written 2 books:
Challenge to Liberty: The Case for Gold by Ron Paul
A Republic, If You Can Keep It by Ron Paul
Dr. Paul’s consistent voting record prompted one Congressman to comment that “Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers’ ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are.” Another Congresswoman added that “There are few people in public life who, through thick and thin, rain or shine, stick to their principles. Ron Paul is one of those few.”
“It is not we non-interventionists who are isolationists. The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe and who chose to use force overseas to promote democracy…a counterproductive approach that actually leads the U.S. to be more resented and more isolated in the world.”–Ron Paul
“Peace is not the absence of conflict. It is the ability to handle conflict through peaceful means.” -Ronald Reagan
Representative Paul serves on three Congressional committees. He serves on:
“Conceivably we could have just had recession, hard times, sliding dollar, inflation, etc., but I’m afraid it’s going to be much worse,” he says. “Bernanke is printing huge amounts of money. He’s out of control and the Fed is out of control. We are probably going to have one of the worst recessions we’ve had since the Second World War. It’s not a good scene.”
(The central bank’s second interest rate cut in a week raises the risk of inflation and bails out the banks.)
(Interest rate cut=increased money supply=inflation=hard times for poor and working families)
Rogers looks at the Fed’s willingness to add liquidity to an already inflationary environment and sees the history of the 1970s repeating itself. Does that mean stagflation? “It is a real danger and, in fact, a probability.”
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish, a just and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with the world. all nations.6” (Abraham Lincoln, 2nd Inauguration speech, March 4, 1865, source: Library of Congress)
the following is an excerpt of Feb. 15 (Bloomberg) article by By Stanley White and Kosuke Goto– “The dollar headed for the biggest weekly loss against the euro since December after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke signaled the bank may cut interest rates further to avert a recession.
The currency traded near a one-week low versus the euro as Bernanke said the Fed “will act in a timely manner as needed to support growth.” The allure of U.S. assets diminished as the yield premium of European government bonds over Treasuries widened to the most in more than a week.
“The dollar will remain weak today after Bernanke’s speech,” said Motonari Ogawa, vice president of interest-rate products and foreign exchange in Tokyo at Morgan Stanley, the second-largest U.S. securities firm. “The U.S. yield disadvantage is increasing. I was about to turn into a dollar- bull, but I’m now rethinking it.”
“Conceivably we could have just had recession, hard times, sliding dollar, inflation, etc., but I’m afraid it’s going to be much worse,” he says. “Bernanke is printing huge amounts of money. He’s out of control and the Fed is out of control. We are probably going to have one of the worst recessions we’ve had since the Second World War. It’s not a good scene.”
(The central bank’s second interest rate cut in a week raises the risk of inflation and bails out the banks.)
(Interest rate cut=increased money supply=inflation=hard times for poor and working families)
Rogers looks at the Fed’s willingness to add liquidity to an already inflationary environment and sees the history of the 1970s repeating itself. Does that mean stagflation? “It is a real danger and, in fact, a probability.”
Great explanation of what is going wrong with our economy and why we should be upset on behalf of the people and the founding fathers:
Here’s how to give or get storm assistance The Jackson Sun The following is information on how to help and how to get help following Tuesday’s storms. If your organization has resources to add to this list for people who need help, or if you are having a fundraiser or benefit, send your information to news@jacksonsun.com:
Charter Media/Communications along with 101.5 FM radio plan to produce a disaster relief telethon called West Tennessee Storm Relief Telethon to raise money for the tornado victims, according to a press release.
It will air from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday on channel 19.It
will be produced and fed live from the Charter Media Studio at 919 North Parkway in Jackson across the state to all Charter cable systems.All money pledged will go to the American Red Cross.
The West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation is collecting donations for the Disaster Relief Fund to help those who have suffered damage.”This is the same fund that we have used for the past three tornadoes,” said foundation president Frank McMeen.The fund collected more than $600,000 after the 2003 tornadoes and more than $100,000 after the 1999 tornado.For more information, call 660-8770. To donate, send checks to Disaster Relief Fund at West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation, 708 West Forest Avenue, Jackson, TN 38301.
Donations also may be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and sent to The American Red Cross Jackson Area Chapter, 1981 Hollywood Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.
Union University’s board of trustees has established a fund for designated gifts to be sent to Union University Disaster Relief Fund, 1050 Union University Drive, Jackson, TN 38305.
University officials also have established an emergency call center, according to www.uuemergency.com.The call center will be staffed 24 hours a day for the near future at (731) 668-1818 or (731) 661-5000.People interested in helping on campus should check the Web site www.uu.edu and www.uuemergency.com regarding opportunities to help with cleanup.
Students who need temporary identification for air travel or to use as a driver’s license should call Linda Cone at 423-6622. The cost is $20 for out-of-state students or $8 for in-state students. Students will need to obtain an official letter from Union University with their name, date of birth and enrollment status. See Dottie Myatt in the Chi Omega house for that letter.
Students needing passports, driver’s licenses or any other identification should contact Jane Jolley in U.S. Sen. Bob Corker’s office at (731) 424-9655 or by e-mail at jane_jolley@corker.senate.gov.
Jackson Energy Authority said it expected all customers, except for those who live on Walker Road or in Huntersville, to have their electrical services restored by 10 p.m. Thursday. If you did not, call the JEA customer service line at 422-7500.
Southwest Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation expects everywhere except a few scattered outages to have power. If you still do not, call 1-888-440-1990.
The American Red Cross and the Salvation Army will work together to ensure each affected site has food for residents and volunteers. Call the Red Cross at 427-5543 to find out where feeding stations will be set up.
The Red Cross will set up a service center at the Ararat Baptist Church.
Donations of food, hygiene items and money are needed by the Red Cross. To donate, call (731) 427-5543. No clothing is needed at this time.
Dement Construction Company has begun removing debris that has been brought to the street. If you have debris at the street and need it removed, call 425-2489.
A list of potential volunteers was being collected through the Emergency Management Agency Phone Bank at 425-8362.
Volunteers who are trained in the use of chain saws for disaster relief should contact Randy Brown, of Disaster Relief for Madison County-Baptist Men’s Group, at (901) 485-0767.
Central Distributors is bringing several hundred cases of water to donate.
Rusken Packaging has agreed to donate and deliver boxes to residents. If you need boxes, call 423-4464.
The approved burn site for the county is Old Huntersville Gin property, which will accept wooded waste and vegetation only.
The approved burn site for the city is the Old City Concrete property on Ameristeel Road.
The city is waiving permit fees for any work done on tornado-damaged homes. However, before beginning work to repair the home, you must obtain a permit from the city Building Department on the second floor of City Hall. Call 425-8262.
A news release from the city of Jackson reminds residents to make sure that anyone who contacts you about performing any type of repair to your home or business has an active local business license and is properly bonded. Any contractor who does work that exceeds $25,000 must have a local business license and a general contractor’s license.
If you have damage to your home or business, you are encouraged to first contact your insurance carrier. If you do not have insurance, city officials recommend calling the Area Homebuilders Association at 423-6226.
For contractors/equipment, contact Susan White, of the city of Jackson, by e-mailing her at swhite@cityofjackson.net or faxing her at 265-1869.
“…if teachers teach you to do to others that which is bad for yourselves, -teach violence, execution, wars- know that they are false teachers.”-Jesus Christ
These are the words of Jesus Christ in Lk. vi. 40:
“Those who judge, and condemn others to violent treatment, wounds, mutilation, or death, wish to correct them, but what can come of their teaching except that the pupils will learn to become just like their teacher? What then will they do when they have learnt the lesson? Only what their teacher does: violence and murder.”-Jesus Christ
“There are many causes I am prepared to die for but no causes I am prepared to kill for.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi“The Truth is far more powerful than any weapon of mass destruction.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” –Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi(Click here for a link to Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of Heaven is Within You, a very interesting book concerning Christian Pacifism and the teachings of Christ,Also, “The Gospel in Brief“ by Tolstoy as well, is a very good introduction into the moral teachings of Christ and is one of the best ways for one to clearly and easily understand the key teachings of Jesus Christ as laid out in the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John; it also contains cross references to multiple gospels for each event and key lesson taught by Christ to Christians.
(see Mathew 5:44 -” But I say to you, (A)love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,”)
On Luke 23:34: According to the gospel this request for his persecutors’ forgiveness (and some would say for the forgiveness of the sins of all of mankind) was Jesus Christ’s first saying as he hung nailed to a crucifixion cross at Calvary. We can only hope that Christ’s request for forgiveness was granted that day and similarly forgive our fellow man each day of our lives.
“In 37 years of public appearances, through wars, protests and highly emotional events, I have never had a dialogue end this way.” Kerry said. “I hope that neither the student nor any of the police were injured. I regret enormously that a good healthy discussion was interrupted.”
Mr. Andrew Meyer, a University of Florida student journalist, was handcuffed and tasered after asking Senator John Kerry some questions
Life in West Tennessee 