Really True Grit!

By John Kubicek

What an awesome day! I didn't sleep last night. I knew something big was coming. I started tracking video to possibly add to my youtube account, and it sure hadn't come from the Democrat National Convention in Denver. No, it seemed like there was something even bigger that would be coming up. My vibes ended up being right on. A couple of days ago, I put a banner on this blog - regarding John McCain's pick for VP. Right under the banner, I had written, "John McCain: Pick Sarah Palin!"

Okay, okay, enough with patting myself on the back for getting the pick right. I'll just say how I'm so happy about who McCain actually picked the right person, and he'll actually get my vote. I got this video shortly before the news was confirmed by Fox News. Sorry, it may seem like old news now..... the news comes quickly these days. But this was the moment when my hopes were looking really good this morning! This has been fun, despite no sleep!

We need to know, that by picking Sarah Palin, John McCain has made it clear, he has the TRUE GRIT we need as a President. She's Pro-Life, and she's tough. She could easily take the job as President if needed, God forbid. John McCain made the right choice!

What we see is what we get?

By John Kubicek

What we see is what we get. Or, wait, should that be what we THINK we see is NOT what we get?

If I don't feel comfortable with Barack Obama, it is not just because of him. It does have a lot to do with who he associates with. Or is that, who associates (identifies) with him? Well, I think I'm getting so that I can pick them out of a crowd.

I know, this is a short one today, but the video speaks for itself. Besides, I'm in the process of celebrating John McCain's choice of the next Vice President of the United States, Gov. Sarah Palin!

Related stories:
Michelle Malkin's Discombobulated Convention Experience

Michelle Malkin's Discombobulated Convention Experience

By John Kubicek

In a column earlier today, Michelle Malkin reported on how the hard-core left vowed to turn out 50,000 protesters for the Democratic National Convention this week:

They pledged to "Re-create '68" and cause the kind of tear-gas-infused revolutionary havoc that marked the DNC in Chicago four decades ago.

Here is Michelle's report on Fox News with Neil Cavuto, regarding the "68-man protest":

I think that somewhere in the beginning of that video, Alex Jones may have made a cameo appearance. I could be wrong... But, as to the "protests" around the DNC, it wasn't really just about far-leftists or disaffected Hillary supporters. It was what some may call, the "loons". Maybe DNC should stand for Discombobulated Nut Convention... More about this soon!

Related story:
What I Saw At the Discombobulation - by Michelle Malkin

The Discombobulated Dream Team

I am sorry, but it's all Bill Kristol's fault that this is being brought up one last time. This cut is from FoxNews Sunday with Chris Wallace on Sunday, August 24, 2008:

Unfortunately, we can still say that the Discombobulated Dream of John McCain picking Hillary Clinton as his VP running mate remains to be a viable possibility. While it may still get laughs as it sounds like a joke, there still could be a remote way that it could happen, right? How?

As we all know by now, Barry Obama has picked his running mate. It will be Senator Joe Biden, (D-Delaware). That means, of course, it won't be Hillary Clinton. The fact is, Hillary wasn't even contacted by the Obama campaign. Meanwhile, many of her supporters are furious that not only did Hillary not win the nomination, but now she's snubbed from the being on the ticket. Supposedly, Hillary's people have been told to set up a team of "whips" to make sure that her supporters do not get out of line at the DNC (Democrat National Convention).

Meanwhile, over at the McCain camp, they are still trying to decide who to pick for McCain's Veep. (I'll concede that they may have already chosen somebody, but are just keeping it quiet until just before the RNC. For this column, though, we'll assume the choice hasn't been locked down yet.) McCain has to make a choice. Will it be somebody that is Conservative to draw the Conservative Republican base back, or will it be a more socially liberal person to draw more Independents and disgruntled Hillary-supportering Democrats?

The "Civil Forum on the Presidency" at Rick Warren's Saddleback Churh brought on much discussion about McCain's choice for VP, for the reason that it "appeared" that McCain had made a good effort to win back the Conservative base of the Republican Party. A week ago, on Monday, August 18, Rush Limbaugh discussed how John McCain had performed so well, and Obama didn't, "the Dems and Drive-Bys were reduced to accusing him of cheating." In the email synopsis of the show I received, "Rush In a Hurry - August 18, 2008," there was this great statement by Rush:

Pearl of Wisdom: "If McCain doesn't do something stupid, like name a liberal running mate, he should be able to hold on. Obama's campaign is falling apart."

But the question really remains, which side does John McCain want to sway? Despite his "great performance" at Saddleback, who is the real McCain? Isn't he the one that has crossed the aisle on numerous occassions? Who are some of the Democrat Senators that he's worked with? Well, let me see... Feingold and Kennedy, and even Joe Lieberman, though he isn't technically a Democrat any more.

But tell me this isn't an even larger "coincidence":

Am I just misreading it all? Am I the only one here that is seeing the strong desire to show the McCain presidency as a bi-partisan effort? Even if it isn't literally the Hildebeast that becomes John McCain's VP choice, would he so blatantly disavow the right-wing base of the GOP in order to get those "in the center", those that would have voted for Hillary if she had won the nomination?

But, here is a factor that McCain has to consider: What will happen if he does pick somebody very liberal as his running mate, and that will be the loss of any support he would have from Conservative talk radio. However, in a way, McCain can STILL depend on Conservative talk radio, along with the New Media commentators and blogs, that will disparage Obama to such a degree, that it would still get votes for McCain. Oh, great, count on getting elected just out of the fear of the other candidate? This leads us up to the next point, and that is what this all means from the viewpoint of the Conservative voters.

We have to face it, we're really in a pickle, aren't we (Conservatives)? With a quick glance at the candidates, many of us would probably think of Obama as being the greater of two evils. But wait, would that view change if McCain picks a Veep that is considered as a Liberal, even if Republican? You know, like Tom Ridge or even Rudy Guilliani? Should that be the case, there will be a stampede "to the exits" from the Republican party by the Conservative wing. McCain would be gambling that the loss of that base would be made up by the attraction of the former Hillary supporters.

I don't have a solution for the way out of this pickle. I can't do anything to help on my own. It's time to organize the The Discombobulated Dream Team to rescue us from this nightmare. While the "Showdown at Saddlesore" tried to show McCain as a Conservative, we really will not know exactly where he stands until he announces the other half of the ticket. The Discombobulated Dream Team must now do our best to influence McCain not to abandon us. Hopefully, there will be enough us to write on our blogs to influence the talk radio hosts to influence the New Media to influence the McCain campaign to make the right choice. We need to let the Republican Party know that moving to the left, any more than the RINOs have already done, is not acceptable.

I hope and pray, that while trying to attract female voters, that McCain doesn't go to the dark side. No, John, don't pick Hillary or any other liberal. If you want a good female running mate, which I have no problem with, go with Sarah Palin. McCain, salvage the Conservative base or throw us under the bus. It's your choice!

Related stories:
A Discombobulated Dream
The Discombobulation Syndrome Strikes Again!
Even scarier than Discombobulated Dreams
The Lack of Fairness Doctrine

The Lack of Fairness Doctrine

By John Kubicek

Remember the good old "Fairness Doctrine"? Are you aware that there are people trying to get it revived? Do you know that it would also apply to blogs, the way "they" want it done?

And who are the "players" involved in this plot to void the First Amendment? Could it be the power brokers in the shadows, that call the shots? That tell Rick Warren what to ask and what not to ask?

Now, think back a few days ago, what was called the Saddleback "Civil Forum on the Presidency". Though it did a great job defining the two candidates, there was a lot lacking at the Lame Saddlesore Discussion show.... What bothers me to this day is the absence of certain topics that never came up. Should I list them? Okay, here it is, the topics that should have been covered by the questions from Pastor Rick Warren:

1. What are your views about illegal immigration? Should we do more to secure our borders?
2. How do you feel about keeping America as a sovereign nation? Yes, this is a question that relates to your patriotism or lack thereof.
3. Are you in favor or against the revival of the Fairness Doctrine?
4. Please explain what you think the 2nd Amendment means in relation to civilian gun rights.
5. Do you feel that homeschooling should be encouraged or discouraged?
6. Where do you draw the line when it comes to balancing national security with our rights to privacy?
7. Last, but definitely not least, what would your energy policy be? Would you put environment and fighting global warming over America's need for energy? How would you solve the problems with energy that we are now facing?

You see, that was the problem. None of those questions were asked. I'm not saying that the other questions Pastor Rick asked were bad, even though one of the questions was over a certain candidate's paygrade. However, without knowing their views on the topics I've listed, did we honestly learn that much about the candidates last Saturday night?

And, most of all, why weren't any of those seven topics I listed above included? Is it because they would have said the same thing? Would those have been issues that they would have agreed on? Hmmm.....

Also, it's interesting that in the last few days, I didn't hear any of the pundits mention the fact that none of those questions were brought up, and are still unanswered. It seems that those may be the questions that several third-party candidates would have very good answers to. So, that also leads me to the next question about the Lame Saddlesore Discussion show: Why weren't there any of the 3rd Party candidates invited to it? Of course, a quick reply would obviously be because of time constraints. Okay, then couldn't it be spread out over several evenings?

Yeah, it's too bad "THEY" didn't think of that... "THEY" may have had to allow the truth to be exposed, but it would have been a good money-making opportunity for "THEM".

But I DID think of this, and I AM going to capitalize on this opportunity. I challenge Alan Keyes, Bob Barr, and Chuck Baldwin to make their comments on the subjects that I listed above. In fact, I even invite Juan and the Obamassiah to add their spin to these subjects. I will post them here on this blog should any of you want to let America know your views on the TRUE ISSUES that weren't covered last Saturday night.

Even scarier than Discombobulated Dreams

By John Kubicek

The story I am about to tell you is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Lately, for some reason, I've been in a deluge of horrifying dreams involving my greatest fear: heights. The other night, I had the most terrifying dream ever in my life.

I had been sitting on top of a tall building on a park bench. I suddenly looked out, and saw nothing but the curvature of the earth and clouds far below me. At the time this happened, in my dream, I was on a cell phone call. Out of the corner of my eye, in my peripheral vision, I saw a construction worker standing on a beam, which had to be thousands of feet above the ground. He had no harness, no net beneath him. And yet, he was totally confident of where he was standing. He looked at me, smiling. and that is when I caught the view of being far above ground level myself.

At just about that time, I felt the feeling of falling. I remember telling the person that I was talking to on my cell phone call, "I need to go! I have to go! Can't talk any more! I can't!" And just as I began falling, while hanging up on the cell phone call, somebody grabbed me and pulled me back to the "safety" of that park bench in the sky.

It wasn't long after that part of the dream, I woke up. I continued to have the flash-backs of the feeling of that fall long after I woke up. I could feel that insecure feeling of being at a height that I was not comfortable with, all day long.

To the dream interpreters out there, this would have to be a tough one to decipher. Who was the man out on the beam? Who caught me when I began to fall? While I was on a cell phone call, why didn't I notice sooner that I was ascending toward the heavens to where my fear of heights would so totally freak me out, to where I had to hang up on somebody that I was talking to on the phone that I greatly love?

It's true, we sometimes must be eating the wrong things before retiring for the evening, and we have those discombobulated dreams. What is so scary, is that those dreams may be premonitions, where we see things; yet they are foggy, and interpretation is difficult. When it came to John McCain getting Hillary as his running mate, in that discombobulated dream - that was scary. What is really frightening me, along with many other Conservatives, is not Hillary, but a McCain pick of a liberal or Democrat for his VP choice.

John McCain has risen to very new heights in HIS dream of ascending to the White House. Should he completely blow off the momentum from his outstanding performance at the Saddleback "Civil Forum on the Presidency" by picking a person for VP that does not fit his current assertion that he is a Conservative, he will fall, and he won't have anyone to catch him on his way down.

But still, I have that gnawing thought in my mind: Who was that construction worker that was out on the beam that I saw in my dream? What was he symbolic of? I have some thoughts about that. It is something that John McCain needs to keep in mind, while floatiing in the clouds at this time, because his choice for VP will either make him or break him. McCain is the guy that really needs to know, or finally figure out, who that dude out on the beam is.

Related Stories:
The Lack of Fairness Doctrine

HELP WANTED: Freedom Fighters

By John Kubicek

In the process of job hunting for far too long, various ideas came to mind. Of course, one of the ideas had to do with how to get myself to stand out amongst the throngs of all of the other job searchers! That isn't an easy task. Obviously sending out a resume with bright green text on an orange background probably wouldn't be the ticket to fame and fortune, let alone avoiding the instant delete button on the potential employers' email program.

So, while various ideas swirled around in my head, only to be flushed just like .... never mind, you get the idea without the details... I did have one that kept sticking. (Um, please, try to avoid the former picture I had unintentionally put in your mind...) I digress.

Okay, so back to the point. I tended to keep looking for a job title like, "HELP WANTED; Freedom Fighters", and unfortunately those tended to be ads for military service, or....uh, Black Water.... The kind of "Freedom Fighter" I was actually picturing would be somebody like Ben Franklin, somebody that uses words for their weapon. (Replace "keyboard" for "quill" here.)

To no avail, I didn't find any ads saying that they (the potential employer) wanted to hire somebody to write from a Conservative Evangelic Christian point of view, at least not in the job sites. Too bad. I would have only had to compete with maybe just 100,000 other people for that one!

That's when the idea that popped out seemed to stick. I got thinking about just who other Freedom Fighters are, besides our brave men and women in the Armed Forces. Why, of course! Entrepreneurs! Business owners, whether small- or medium-sized; you know, the ones that employ 80% or more of us. Even the people that work from home in small businesses! They are heroes in the sense that they are the ones that keep the dreams alive, and depend on their own efforts - rather than the government - for their success, or failure. They are the true audacity of hope for freedom, and they are the ones that set the example by depending on their own efforts. They are also, in my view, true Freedom Fighters.

Ding-Ding-Ding! Many ideas started coming to me at about that time. It was a revelation. How about offering sponsorship opportunities to the various Freedom Fighters that agreed with my writings? After contemplating that idea, I realized that there are many options available; from a commission basis to affiliate programs to period-based fees. Total flexibility based on the advertiser's needs.

Sure enough, the idea has begun to catch fire. I have already started the process, and have a sponsor lined up. There is also a fantastic affiliate program that will be a part of my marketing scheme here on the good ol' "johnny2k Is Home" blog.

And sure enough, it's irony at it's best. When it seemed my opportunities were limited, and I didn't find any job ads like, "HELP WANTED: Freedom Fighters", I could be the one that is offering the opportunity, and not the other way around!

PLEASE NOTE (and this is not a Disclaimer Notice): This blog post was completely meant for a commercial intention, with subliminal information that will definitely infect you with the desire to express your freedom, start a business, ask johnny2k for assistance in marketing your business, helping you succeed, and helping to make my life comfortable (above and beyond trying to live off government benefits).

Who Are the Real Liberals?

By John Kubicek

So, who are the real "liberals"? Great question, huh?

The "liberal" label equates with what scholars in the West would label as "the Left", or "progressive". When it comes right down to it, I guess it would matter where in the world you are before you would define the "liberal" label as something evil or something good. For that matter, it could even depend on what time period you lived in, even here in America.

Well, my curiosity lead me to want to find out just how the dictionary defines "liberal" in the political use of the word:

1) Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.

2) Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.

(Emphasis: mine)

~~ The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 18 Aug. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal>.

Now, keep it in mind that I'm still giving you the dictionary meanings of the adjective, "liberal", here:

1. favorable to progress or reform, as in political or religious affairs.

2. (often initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to a political party advocating measures of progressive political reform.

3. of, pertaining to, based on, or advocating liberalism.

4. favorable to or in accord with concepts of maximum individual freedom possible, esp. as guaranteed by law and secured by governmental protection of civil liberties.

5. favoring or permitting freedom of action, esp. with respect to matters of personal belief or expression: a liberal policy toward dissident artists and writers.

6. of or pertaining to representational forms of government rather than aristocracies and monarchies.

7. free from prejudice or bigotry; tolerant: a liberal attitude toward foreigners.

8. open-minded or tolerant, esp. free of or not bound by traditional or conventional ideas, values, etc.

9. characterized by generosity and willingness to give in large amounts: a liberal donor.

~~ "liberal." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc.
18 Aug. 2008. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/liberal>.

When you look at some of the various definitions of "liberal" as an adjective, some of the those really don't look like that bad of a thing. As I mentioned above, the use of the word "liberal" is all relative to the perspective of geography and/or time in history. It could be a good thing or a bad thing. In America, a "liberal" political view at one time meant wanting to be a free sovereign nation away from the yoke of Great Britain, being against slavery, or favoring Civil Rights for African-Americans. In the case of the old Soviet Union, "liberal" views meant the end of Communism.

Now, in American politics, the word "liberal" has taken on whole new meaning, and most of that is based more on the word as a noun, as in "Liberal". And even more breathtaking, is the fact that the noun, "liberal", has become a label, generalized to fit a group of like-minded people, that supposedly have the "liberal" (in the adjective sense) values regarding generosity and tolerance ("free from bigotry"). What doesn't make sense is that the people with the "liberal" label don't always seem to fit into any of the actual dictionary definitions. Either that, or those definitions have been distorted and perverted to mean something entirely different.

This column came to me shortly after reading a piece that I saw this last weekend, called "Liberals are meaner, cheaper, more willing to steal than Conservatives". I was further inspired today after looking up the word "liberal" on dictionary.com, and seeing that many of the meanings of the word in the adjective sense don't seem to fit the characteristics of that "Liberal" label we hear about and use to define political viewpoints.

In the column referred to above, by Warner Todd Huston, he is writing about a new book by Peter Schweizer, called "Makers and Takers". It seems to me, after reading about what is included in the book, people with the "Liberal" label do not tend to fit the dictionary definitions of the adjective, "liberal". Obviously, those people, "the liberals", do not follow their own prescription for "product safety", truth in labeling!

I can tell you, in the interest of full disclosure, that when I started this article, it wasn't my initial intention to discuss the meaning of the word "liberal". However, I found it so profound how the dictionary definition didn't equate to the reality of the label "Liberal", that I had to include it in the perspective of what I learned in the quick research I did. Well, maybe, it is just that I wanted to add credibility to this column, that writing on this subject isn't "above my pay-grade" (as a certain candidate used as an excuse for not answering a quesiton....) As it turned out, I found that the discrepancies between the definition of "liberal" (adj.) and the people labeled as "Liberals", just as Peter Schweizer writes in "Makers and Takers", was the evidence that I was looking for. It was those discrepancies that is the case-closer for Schweizer's evidence he has written about. It is the fact that those with the "Liberal" label are in fact true hypocrits.

So, you "Liberals" out there, what went wrong? Well, maybe it is as Warner Todd Huston wrote in the last paragraph in his column:

Schweizer argues that the failure lies in modern liberal ideas, which foster a self-centered, “if it feels good do it” attitude that leads liberals to outsource their responsibilities to the government and focus instead on themselves and their own desires. (Emphasis: Mine)

And now you know who are the real "Liberals". And it will especially be easy to spot "Liberals" when it comes to their responses to this article... They won't be very tolerant of my point of view!

Related stories:
Liberals are meaner, cheaper, more willing to steal

The Circus under the BIG GREEN TENT

By John Kubicek

It has become a three-ring circus under the Big Green Tent. In this circus, there are many performers and three rings of performances.

In the first ring, there are many clowns running around, screaming "the sky is falling, the sky is falling": They claim that man is causing global-warming. There is one big fat clown that gives me the creeps, not to mention nightmares about clowns. His name is Algore. No, these clowns aren't funny at all, they all have their sad painted faces. These are the exact same clowns that work part-time as your Senators and Representatives, and refuse to find ways to keep our energy costs down. These are the exact same clowns that have decided that the solution to keep from toasting the planet is to keep your energy costs very high in order to force you to cut back in energy usage.

Funny, though, these clowns don't peddle around in little clown cars. No, their idea of transportation is their own personal corporate jets or large RVs... It is the rest of us that are supposed to find ways to "cut back" on our use of environmentally-unfriendly fuels, as if that is even possible. Their idea, while serving in their part-time jobs in Congress is to tax energy and energy-producers so that we can't afford to heat our homes or drive to work.

Oh, by the way, did I tell you that those clowns in the first ring all wear GREEN suits with BIG RED poke-a-dots? Did I also forget to tell you that the first ring is way over on the left side of this circus under the BIG GREEN TENT?

And then there is the second ring in this 3-ring circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. Many of the clowns from the first ring tend to spill over into this ring. This is the ring of the wing-nuts of ALTERNATIVE energy. This is the ring right smack in the center of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. One of the clowns reminds me of the olympic gymnasts, flip-flopping around until the whole crowd is impressed, and calls him, "The One." And "The One" is the funniest of all, making us all laugh with (or at) him and his great ideas touted by many in the Main Stream Media. He goes to inflate the tires on his clown car until they explode! Hilarious!

And yet, these guys over in the 2nd ring in the center of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT are not just the jokesters, but they can also be the illusionists, the magicians. They somehow find a way to make a lot of GREEN in the form of money, by finding so-called solutions to our energy hunger. They are like the money-making concession stands in the entertainment business. "That's right, our product will save the planet! Turn your left-over swimming pool water into fuel for your limo!" Well, that pretty much tells you who buys into that hype...

I'll say a little more about the 2nd ring in awhile, but first let me divert your attention over to the fun things going on in the 3rd ring, way over on the dimly lit right side of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. It seems there's a few - maybe about 13 - elephants over there dancing in bright yellow tutus singing, "Zippity-Do-Da, Zippity-E-A... drill here, drill now, pay less today!" The ring master for the 3rd Ring over on the dimly-lit right side of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT is known as Newt. Hey, let's go over there to see what Newt has to say!

This was by the far the best part of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT, that is until somebody came out, stood in front of the 2nd ring in the center of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. This must have been the ring-master for the 2nd Ring. This guy, I think his name was something like "T-Bone-Pickens", (or is that T Boone Pickens?), had some interesting things to say, too:

T-Bone-Pickens must not have been one of the government-provided clowns. He had some outstanding things to say, although, I'm not in a position to change over all of my appliances to all-electric from natural gas-powered. Maybe his purpose was to sell new appliances. Hey, they need to pay for the Circus under the BIG GREEN TENT one way or another!

But now comes the guy that must be ring-master of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. What he has to say brought many cheers and applause. He explained what could be done to bring all three rings of the circus into one big ring, one that actually makes sense. No more blowing up tires or driving your car around with a huge fan attached to the top of it (to generate electricity as you're driving....). This guy should be the one that captures everyone's attention:

Yes, that is the ticket! We need to bring all of the rings in the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT all into one ring, where we are using all of the available resources, and at the same time, keep the planet green. No, I haven't bought tickets into seeing the 1st Ring way over on the left side of the circus under the BIG GREEN TENT. No, I'm not supporting that side of the circus. However, the performance brought to us by ... um, let me see, oh yeah - farmers and entrepreneurs taking part in FREE ENTERPRISE - seem to be the ones keeping this circus going, BIG GREEN TENT, or not.

Who is the real Barack Obama?

By John Kubicek


It wasn't that long ago, I started reading about the disturbing rumors that Barack Hussein Obama was the Antichrist. Thankfully, I was never naive enough to take that rumor any further than face value.

Though I may not truly believe the person we have as the presumptive Democratic nominee for President is the Antichrist, I don't think it would be all that far-fetched for BHO to be instrumental in allowing the introduction of the one world government, or New World Order, to dominate the global political and economic systems.

Just today, a new book by Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D., was released, called "The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality". And according to WorldNetDaily.com, as of last night, Corsi's book "stood at No. 1 on the Amazon non-fiction list."

From the book description in the WND shop, the book is described as follows:

In this thoroughly researched and documented book, the No. 1 New York Times bestselling co-author of "Unfit for Command" and senior staff reporter for WND explains why the extreme leftism of an Obama presidency would leave the United States weakened, diminished and divided, and why Obama must be defeated -- and how he can be.

By tracing Obama's career and influences from his early years in Hawaii and Indonesia, the beginnings of his political career in Chicago, his voting record in the Illinois Legislature, his religious training, his religious conversion through his recent involvement in Kenyan politics, his political advisers and fund-raising associates and his meteoric campaign for president, Jerome Corsi shows that an Obama presidency would, in his words, be "a repeat of the failed extremist politics that have characterized and plagued Democratic Party politics since the late 1960s."

Corsi examines:

• Obama's extensive connections with Islam and radical politics.
• His 20-year religious affiliation with the black-liberation theology of Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
• Obama's continuing connections with Kenya.
• Obama's involvement in the slum-landlord empire of Chicago political fixer Tony Rezko.
• Obama's far-left domestic policy.
• Obama's anti-war, anti-nuclear foreign policy.

Soon after Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Corsi began investigating Obama's personal and political background. This book, with more than 600 footnotes, is the result.

On Hannity & Colmes last night (July 31, 2008), Dr. Corsi appeared on the show for a long segment, discussing Obama. I was fortunate enough to get the first half of the segment recorded and uploaded to youtube.com. You won't want to miss seeing the following video:

I think you could agree after seeing the above segment, Barack Hussein Obama is dangerous to this country if he is somehow elected. He definitely isn't a Messiah, but just the opposite (though I am not ready to say he's the Antichrist.) He must not win in November. Obama is a radical Socialist and he has associations with people that are quite undesirable. He can't throw them all under the bus. But if he is elected, he'll have no problem throwing America as we know it under the bus.

Related story:
How Obama prepped world for the Antichrist - By Hal Lindsey

My Tribute to Rush Limbaugh

By John Kubicek

Even as a little kid, I was very much into talk radio. I was lucky to have guys like Paul Harvey and Earl Nightingale on the AM radio for an occassional break from the Rock and Roll music filling most of the air time back then. It wasn't until I reached the old age of 35 that real talk radio started to be something to help the AM radio stations to make a gigantic comeback. Unfortunately, it was even a few years later when I discovered somebody so cavalier that would dare to talk about politics, and the religion of politics.

Yes, I'm talking about El Rushbo. Rush Limbaugh was a pioneer that changed the whole nature of talk-radio, and it wasn't until my late 30's before I was to make my discovery. I found that there were other people that felt just like me! And one of them was an up and coming radio talk-show host! I repeat, he felt JUST LIKE ME!!! And so did so many of the people that called into the show. I no longer felt alone in the realm of politics. It answered my questions about how Ronald Reagan had won two elections so convincingly when it seemed I was the only Conservative on the face of the Earth.

Okay, confession, that isn't entirely true. I knew there were a few other Conservatives out there, people that believed that there was a Power in the universe much better than what the government could do. That Power was in realizing the personal fortitude, perseverence, resilience and Faith that allowed anyone to succeed in life, as long as they knew the Lord, where that strength was coming from. I listened to many cassette tapes in the decade before I knew who Rush Limbaugh was. Those cassettes espoused the greatness of Free Enterprise. Even with Ronald Reagan as President during that time, I had the fear that the central federal government stifled Free Enterprise with massive regulation and tax laws. And along comes Rush, already on the same page.

And now, two decades later, there's not enough time in the day to listen to all the wonderful radio talk show hosts. We now have the ability to pick and choose who we listen to. Of course, that may just apply to people more on the Conservative side of the political spectrum. It seems as though the Liberal-slanted talk shows haven't done so well. The next President of the United States may be somebody that doesn't like the current slant of the playing field and could try to do his best to gain support for the resurrection of the Fairness Doctrine in order to level the playing field.

But wait, the left already has the slant of the playing field in their favor in the main stream media, Hollywood entertainment, education and now even in some Christian denominations. The only thing left to stop their dominance is talk radio, the New Media, and the blogs. Let's say it this way: If Rush is ever stopped, we're all in trouble!

More tributes to the king of talk radio:
WND columnists honor Limbaugh for 2 decades on air

This story also appears at Blogging in Our Time 2 Escape

Snubbed by the NY Times: A lesson on the Fairness Doctrine

By John Kubicek

John McCain, this one's for you!

Really, Senator, now that you've seen what can happen in a political campaign, do you really think that the Fairness Doctrine should go back into affect? You, sir, were snubbed by the New York Times. They refused to publish your rebuttal to a Barack Obama staff-written commentary. And is that fair? Absolutely not! And just who came to your rescue (besides me)?

That's right, Senator McCain, it was Rush Limbaugh, Matt Drudge, and Fox News: the conservatives of talk-radio, the New Media and the leader of fair and balanced news! And I am sure many others have or will soon be throwing in their 2-cents. I am sure somebody from WorldNetDaily.com - most likely my hero, Joseph Farah - will be among the commentaries we'll be able to read that will go into further detail. That's not to mention yours truly, me, weighing in on this subject!

While heading to the grocery store today, I first heard about this on Rush's show. Just to tell you how big this was, in Rush's daily "Rush in a hurry - July 21, 2008," it was said, "The NY Times published an op-ed by Barack Obama. So John McCain submitted one, and the paper rejected it, but suggested they'd publish it if McCain rewrote the piece to sound more like Obama. This is how it is, folks." Clicking on the supporting story about this on Matt Drudge, NYT Rejects McCain's Editorial; Should "Mirror" Obama, I was able to learn even more!

Drudge wrote, "The paper's decision to refuse McCain's direct rebuttal to Obama's 'My Plan for Iraq' has ignited explosive charges of media bias in top Republican circles." Oh, really? Hey, Senator McCain, shouldn't that tell you something? That, just maybe, that Fairness Doctrine thing, you will assist the MSM (Main Stream Media for those in Rio Linda) in the further ability to increase media bias? You really need to rethink that.

You see, there won't be any oversight of the Main Stream Media bias should the Fairness Doctrine be reinstituted. The truth really is that when we DID have the Fairness Doctrine until Ronald Reagan was able to terminate it, nobody ever questioned their liberal bias. And why was that allowed to happen? To be honest, I do not know; I'm still in the process of researching that question, but my suspicion is that CBS, ABC and NBC had plenty of political support as long as they were able to deliver the right votes to the right people.

So, Senator McCain, you were given the press for your rebuttal to the Obamanation article because of the fair-and-balanced Fox News Channel. You should feel very lucky that they are around. You should very lucky for Rush Limbaugh's commentary, and the Matt Drudge piece that alerted Rush. And, in fact, you should feel good that johnny2k found this to be something that I would write about tonight (I know, a pat on my own back, but hey...).

But so that you know that I'm not out to totally discourage you, let me just say, sir, you were totally correct of your assessment of the War in Iraq and the way that your opponent, Senator Barack Obama, would have us lose.

Related stories:
Bring on the Fairness Doctrine Debate - by Roger Hedgecock
The McCain Op-Ed The New York Times Wouldn’t Publish - Fox News Channel - by John McCain

An EcoChallenge We Can Believe In

By John Kubicek

Our favorite hysterical comedian Al Gore gave a speech the other day in Washington, D.C., and the big news came when he said, "Today I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years." Does it sound even close to being sane?

Even Hank Green, writing for EcoGeek, mentioned how Barack Obama didn't show a lot of enthusiasm for the 10-year challenge. Barack didn't endorse, let alone mention, the 10-year deadline. Why? Well, as Hank wrote, "That is probably because the 10-year deadline seems a little insane. Gore's insistence on it's practicality is somewhat puzzling to me. But I certainly don't mind crazy goals..."

Now, let me tweak your mind just a little bit: I believe it IS possible! Your first thought, of course, is that John is losing it. But allow me to reassure you, I haven't. No, I haven't gone over to the dark side. I still disagree with the "Global Warming" hysteria, especially the way Al Gore makes us want to believe that mankind will not survive a coming apocalypse of massive climate changes. I don't believe in his desires for carbon taxes, global socialism, and bringing the American dream of freedom to an end. No, I haven't been converted to environmentalism.

In fact, as I've mentioned before, "I'm Seeing Red Whenever I See Green," and I stand by that still to this day.

However, it wasn't long after writing that piece that we began to see the price of oil increase at a quick pace, raising the prices we paid at the pump to keep our cars running, and of course, raising prices in many other places, because of the rising cost of transportation. Recent inflation figures came out that verified the huge increases in our expenditures for groceries.

Much of what I am saying can be summarized by the way Al Gore started his speech in D.C.:

There are times in the history of our nation when our very way of life depends upon dispelling illusions and awakening to the challenge of a present danger. In such moments, we are called upon to move quickly and boldly to shake off complacency, throw aside old habits and rise, clear-eyed and alert, to the necessity of big changes. Those who, for whatever reason, refuse to do their part must either be persuaded to join the effort or asked to step aside. This is such a moment. The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more – if more should be required – the future of human civilization is at stake.

I don’t remember a time in our country when so many things seemed to be going so wrong simultaneously. Our economy is in terrible shape and getting worse, gasoline prices are increasing dramatically, and so are electricity rates. Jobs are being outsourced. Home mortgages are in trouble. Banks, automobile companies and other institutions we depend upon are under growing pressure. Distinguished senior business leaders are telling us that this is just the beginning unless we find the courage to make some major changes quickly.

I really do not believe that many of us could argue with those points. We really do have to find the courage to make some big changes. However, those changes don't have to be by higher taxes and deflating our "lavish" lifestyles. In fact, it is this author's opinion that the challenges we face can not only be solved, but that it can result in a better WORLD, a more peaceful world, with much less poverty and better health. What may happen is that even the countries that do not enjoy the benefits we have in America can become much better off.

Despite the ongoing debate that higher amounts of carbon in the atmosphere leads to catastrophic global warming, or possibly climate changes, I can see the great benefits to all of us by replacing hydro-carbon fuels with other sources of energy! Having a cleaner environment will help us all. Yes, I said, "having a cleaner environment," and I will go out on a limb to state that increased oil production won't help us reach that goal. There is a better way.

Let me repeat that: There is a better way. This is another mind tweaker for you to contemplate. Al Gore's 10-year challenge can be done; not for the same purpose and not in the same way as he would have it be accomplished. There's a much better way, with a much greater purpose, with by far better results.

There is a way. The challenges we face can be overcome. For the sake of our imagination, for a minute let me pretend that I was writing our President's next speech, where he says the following:

Ladies and gentleman, our country is facing a great challenge. The security of the United States of America is threatened. And what many people of this great nation are wondering, is if there is the leadership available to overcome the obstacles we face. As your President, I know there are people out there that still believe we can persevere. I would agree with those that know that the liberty we have been given, along with the God-given talents and ingenuity that will continue to sustain the freedom we enjoy, regardless of all that has come upon us in new and great challenges.

The focus of our newest concerns is whether or not America will be able to have the continued prosperity that we have enjoyed in the last few centuries. I do, with all my heart, believe that we can, and we will, continue to be the shining light on the hill. But, how can that be accomplished considering the great impact on our economy and our lifestyles, should this great nation not have the energy to keep fueling the amazing growth that we've seen over the last decade, or for that matter, the last few centuries?

It is simple, but it will take the massive amount of ingenuity and the freedom to allow us to put our newest innovations into place. Our form of government need not to be a deterrant to finding better ways to fuel our economy. No, it is just the opposite of that; our leadership, the people you vote for, should be finding ways to give you all exciting new incentives to find ways to replace our dependence on foreign oil. Yes, you may be surprised to hear that from this administration, but we have a belief that we can find alternatives to our energy needs. With capitalism and free enterprise, new solutions can be found.

And today, I announce that new solutions have been found. All it needs is the leadership and reduction of the amount of government regulations that can instill the great amount of fortitude and hope this country has in it's normal prosperity; this can be done. I am telling you today, that in place of oil - fossil fuels, if you want to call it that - that one of the ways to harness the power of solar energy will be in developing the production of energy from alcohol, a source of energy that does not produce those hydro-carbons that some say have resulted in catastrophic climate change.

In conclusion, I believe that there is hope for this country, and for the world as we know it. You know, America wasn't just an accident. There should not be a fear of what can happen, but a hope and the will to get through what faces us in the future. We can do it. And the many generations of Americans, and in many places on this planet, will thank us for it. What I believe is that fear can be replaced with faith and hope. God bless you, and God bless America! I believe in you, and I believe that God isn't done with this country.

Related stories:
I'm Seeing Red Whenever I See Green
Better Living Through "Chemergy"

Better Living Through "Chemergy"

By John Kubicek

Well, if anyone were to ask me at this moment how I'm doing, I'd have to use Dave Ramsey's famous line, "Better than I deserve!"

So, how could I be so happy today, despite the rising prices of food, and fuel for my car?

Oh, for sure, anyone that gets all their news from the main stream media, would have to be depressed - except for the fact that oil prices had dropped dramatically in the last few days.... Wait, you didn't hear that?

But wait, believe it or not, that is NOT the news that is making me so happy today! Do you really want to know what IS making me so happy? Ecstatic? How about a lot of alcohol! No, not for my own personal consumption, but something as an alternative fuel to feed to our vehicles.

What I heard somebody talk about last night on the radio was the perfect antidote to Al Gore's rage about global warming. Did you hear or read all of what Al Gore said? Just to summarize it, the news headlines mentions that Al Gore feels that we should and can be "100% Carbon Neutral by 2018"! That's a great idea! Algore was 100% correct for the first time in his life!

Huh?

Allow me to explain, please. At a good old liberal website, http://www.ecogeek.org/, the whole Al Gore philosophy of blaming America and Free Enterprise just came down to a crashing end. While The truth really is that it will be America AND Free Enterprise that will keep us all going for another generation or two!

While Al Gore was making his usual lame claims that we are all doomed, he really did say the right things, and that is we need to get off the addiction, the habit, of using "fossil" fuels in order to live. We really need to quit importing oil from countries that want nothing more than to see our way of life fail. (Our FREEDOM makes them look bad, right?) So, don't you think we should cut back on our life-styles, our way of driving the SUV's, of being so blatantly selfish? Should we continue to torment the rest of the world in our way of exploiting the hydro-carbon resources so available in every other part of the world? And in our part of the planet?

No, I know, you think that the answer I'll provide is that we need to Drill, Drill, and Drill some more! I've been accused of feeling that we should sacrifice our "pristine" environment in order just to maintain our lush lifestyles. And maybe until last night, you could have been right!

True, that is like the garlic to vampires, to believe that real people could not in any way give up our freedoms or our lavish life-styles. Why, shouldn't we all know by now, that burning all these hydro-carbon fuels, supposedly created by dead dinosaurs, would make the world too warm for us to survive?

The Al Gore global-warming hysteria really never affected me. Really, it didn't, but I needed to make a big point of it, for a very positive reason: What I heard said last night just made all the more sense to me. We all know about the energy problem we are in right now. One side says to drill, drill and drill to slash our dependency on foreign oil. The other side says that we need alternatives to oil - really cool stuff like renewable sources, such as wind and solar generated electricity. In fact, I heard about a guy, just yesterday, that says that power can be produced by riding those various exercise machines at the health center!

We have all learned, though, that we need an energy source that isn't going to leave that big-foot sized carbon footprint. Isn't that the goal? To reduce the amount of carbon that we release into the atmosphere? Then, why aren't more people listening to a genius like David Blume? Oh, who's he?

David Blume is an Ecological biologist who realizes the "importance and benefits of alcohol-based fuels, and how the petroleum industry has suppressed their development." I am no environmentalist, but I do believe in preserving the environment through conservation, which includes the full use of our natural resources in an economical way. I found out that we don't have to produce energy by taking all the corn we can produce and making it even more difficult for agricultural enterprises to afford to feed their cows and chickens.

I could write about this all day, but I don't need to. David Blume has done all the work for me, already! What I heard about last night, based on his book, "Alcohol Can Be a Gas", blew me away, and it'll do the same for you! Everything I heard about it made me realize what an opportunity that true entrepreneurs really have in this country!

Our answers to the energy crisis - to paying $4.00/gallon for gas for our transportation - will not be solved by Congress passing legislation, and the President signing them into laws. It has NOTHING to do with the government, as a matter of fact. David Blume has given us information for US to use, at the grass-roots level. What I heard was totally opposite of the bitterness, the class-envy, that we are all used to thinking about - for those that listen to nothing but the lame-stream news (MSM)....

Can we beat the energy crisis? You bet we can!

Can we find energy that doesn't further pollute our environment? You bet we can!

Can we convert bio-mass into energy without keeping people from giving up that one vital need we have, to eat food? YOU BET WE CAN!

So, are you ready to make a difference? (And no, I'm not talking about anything but "Change")... Do you want to be a revolutionary? What I heard David Blume tell George Norre, and US last night, will do just that: eliminate our dependence on oil coming from countries that are not our friends, and at the same time, offer many new opportunities for those of us that feel we can take care of ourselves; we don't really NEED the government to take care of our only need... which is why this article may or may not ever see the light of day!

Related stories:
I'm Seeing Red Whenever I See Green - by John Kubicek
Global Gorecaster's 'green' lies infect popular mag - by Barbara Simpson

Related Web sites:
ALCOHOL CAN BE A GAS!
Recap from Coast to Coast A.M. on July 17, 2008 - Alcohol-based Fuels with David Blume

The First 40 Days of Purpose Award goes to....

By John Kubicek

If I were to ever be allowed to write a biography about somebody, there is a person that I would want to write about, unfortunately, posthumously. With all due respect to the family and friends of a great man, a project I had started back in early June had unintended consequences. All the things that I learned during that time seemed to all be summed up by the end of a patriot's life, on the last day of the project, July 12, 2008.

It was just two years and eleven months ago, I started reading Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life", with the commitment to broadcast what I learned while reading the book. I posted my thoughts in my forum concerning each "Day" while reading that book. And then, for some odd reason, I began posting each day's writing on DIGG.com back in June, about 10 days before the epic flood of Biblical Porportions in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. On the very last day of my posts on Digg.com, one of the people that could influence me, even more than Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter, passed away of that insidious disease, cancer.

There should be no doubt by now, if you've watched any of the positive news about Tony Snow, he touched a lot of lives in a positive way. Tony exemplified the way we should be living our lives. It had nothing to do with "fame" or "glory". It was the way he treated people, whether it was Bill O'Reilly, the President, or just some person on the street that recognized him and wanted his autograph. He treated everyone with the same respect.

Tony left a legacy. Because of the way he lived his life, he definitely would deserve being the recipient of the First 40 Days of Purpose Award. Now, if I could just find out what Tony would want to have benefit from this. I'm hoping to get many suggestions. This is new to me (it's the First "40 Days of Purpose Award" , you know). Do we help cancer victims? Their families? Research for the cure of cancer?

My thoughts, prayers, and love go to Tony's family. I'm only hoping that what Tony has done for me can be spread to many other people.

Related stories:
Tony: You were loved
40 Days of Purpose - TABLE of CONTENTS

Tony: You were loved!

Anyone that watched Fox News tonight would have seen what a great person Tony Snow was. They would have seen what kind of love that Tony had for people, and how much he was loved.

As Geraldo Rivera stated, Tony had this way of talking about the way that people who had cancer could beat it. And yes, there are the many that beat it. My own mother, still alive, beat it. I always believed that whatever comes at us could be overcome.

When watching Fox News tonight, yes, I was unable to hold back the tears.



God bless you, Tony. You were loved. You lived the life that made God and all of us proud! We'll miss you, my friend.

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

Being that I was getting a little bored in the last few weeks from being off work, I tinkered around in my garage for a few days, and came up with my latest invention - a Time Machine. In the process of taking a few "test drives", I started by going back to the past. Funny thing was, I kept getting error messages for any times I set before 8,000 BC. That error message kept saying, "ERROR 001: SORRY, BUT THAT YEAR WOULD SEND YOU TO OBLIVION, AS THE UNIVERSE HAD NOT BEEN CREATED YET...OUT OF LIMIT. PLEASE RECALCULATE." I was very disappointed not to go see those big dinosaurs that have provided all of our oil.

So, I proceeded to try a few other years within the LIMIT, specifically wanting to see things like the Ark, meet Abraham, Job (one of my favorite guys in the Old Testament), Moses... Okay, you get the idea. I can tell you one thing for sure: Cars don't pollute nearly as much as camels! So you think the stuff spewed out from the diesel-powered tractor-trailers going down our roads is bad, try camel's breath! Whew!

One of my latest stops in the past was when I went back to the time this country was founded. It was amazing! Nobody seemed to be able to say a sentence that didn't include God (or Providence) and Freedom! Oh, and prayer seemed to be constant. It was a joy to make that journey on July 4. Better than any fireworks I've ever seen!

But now, for the other news... Going into the future was very strange. I wasn't sure if that would even work. I kept getting a warning message on the display: "WARNING: GOD'S WILL DOES NOT MATCH FUTURE EVENTS. UPON RETURN FROM THIS TIME, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ALTER FUTURE EVENTS BY YOUR PERSONAL ENDEAVORS." What could that mean? Well, let's see... Let me start at about 2029, and see what happens...

There weren't any newspapers, but I did finally find the ON button to the wall display, and found the way to see the latest news headlines:

HEADLINES FROM THE YEAR: 2029

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia, formerly known as California.

White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops and livestock.

Baby conceived naturally! Scientists stumped.

Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica. No other country comes forward to help the beleaguered nation!

Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

85-year $75.8 billion study: Diet and exercise is the key to weight loss.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

Global cooling blamed for citrus crop failure for third consecutive year in Mexifornia and Floruba.

Abortion clinics now available in every High School in United States

Senate still blocking drilling in ANWR even though gas is selling for 4532 Pesos per liter and gas stations are only open on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals violates their civil rights.

Average height of NBA players is now nine feet, seven inches.

New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2030.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

Floruba voters still having trouble with voting machines.

But of course, I wrote this post in "jest"; the Time Machine I worked on in the garage really didn't work, for some reason. People on the electrical grid were pretty upset about their power going off continuously. Fortunately, it was blamed on the power company because of the flood... But I digress. Somebody sent me the Headlines from 2029 in an email, and I thought about those - shaking in my boots. But I loved how the email was concluded: "Now, send this to whomever you want and as many as you want, then, guess what....NOTHING will happen. No miracles, no money, absolutely nothing, except you might make someone smile or very, very scared."

With that, I will conclude with the final profound words of that viral email:

"I love this Country. It's the Government that scares me!"

Celebrating Independence Day in a Much Different Way

Tonight, I went to the DIGG page for my latest submission for my blog, "A Fourth that I'll always remember." DIGG user Brad3378 wrote a comment saying, "Best wishes towards a speedy recovery in Iowa." For some reason, other than just being very appreciative of that one comment at this point, I was inspired to write the following:

Brad, my friend, you're awesome. Thank you very much!

Yeah, it's pretty tough here in Cedar Rapids. Took a ride through downtown Cedar Rapids tonight - where ground zero of the flood was. It was pretty devastating, but
wow, things are getting better every day.

And yet, many lives have been tragically affected, and most of us here certainly understand that. Yes, even I lost my job because of the flood, but for me it was a totally different situation. When it came right down to it, everyone was affected in one way or another.

Yes, the normal 4th of July celebrations in this area were very subdued. It is because nobody could say that they didn't know anyone else that had something bad happen; we all knew somebody that either lost their job or their home, or both. I can only say that there was a large sense of sorrow like I've not ever seen, not even after 9/11.

But what I did to celebrate the 4th was very uplifting. I had a good friend of mine over, and it took a lot of convincing, but got 'er done. My friend Ron, who lost his wife a little over a year ago, came over, and we had a great time. We grilled out, we watched some fireworks, talked, listened to some music, and forgot about out troubles for a little while. It was the best thing we COULD do! It was all about making a choice to be happy, to make the best of our situations.

Hey, not only did I convince Ron to come over, I think I even got him to believe that attitude is a choice. While it wasn't easy, we eventually got talking about all the things that we could still be thankful for. There were people out there going through the worst things of their lives, losing everything, yet they were able to find something to be positive about - they were thankful to still be alive, I guess....

For Christians, and maybe for any other religions, it was the greatest opportunity for doing what we could do to help each other out, whether by financial support or moral support. I was glad to hear that there was a Buddist group in Cedar Rapids that helped out a lot of people, Christian churches in Cedar Rapids were responsible for helping to evacuate thousands of people that may have perished when the city began flooding by going door to door, because the police couldn't get it done by themselves. A lot of people have been touched by the efforts of various religious groups, mostly Christian of course, but everyone that could, and cared, has been pitching in however they could.

I'm not ready to write off the City of Cedar Rapids, the state of Iowa, or even this country. Most of all, I'm not ready to write off our freedom. This is why I celebrated on July 4th, America's birthday, what is called Independence Day, with all ferverence that I could! And spending the time with a very special friend on Friday, and time with my family Saturday night, was the best thing that I could have done.

I can't wait until the fireworks show NEXT year!

Yes, while having plenty of sorrow in our lives, knowing and feeling the pain of others that suffered far more loss that we can ever imagine, had it's own way of lifting many of us up. So, just imagine that, while suffering our own losses, realizing that many others have had even worse things fall upon them, being there for each other, caring and finding ways to help each other, it can make all the difference!

There was a big reason that I decided to post this blog tonight, my friends. First of all, I'm very proud of the efforts of many people in this community. Many people have pitched in, just to help make the lives of others not seem to be so harsh. So, what if.... just a second, wiping tears from my eyes.... what if this attitude was to be duplicated throughout this great country? Not just here in Cedar Rapids, in Iowa, but all through out this great land of ours?

Despite all the possible efforts of the government, we will not all be taken care of. No, we will actually need to depend on each other. On family, on friends. What each of us must do, without a doubt, is to do our best to do all we can just to make sure that each of us make it through whatever distress we are encountering during these times. Not all of our efforts can be done with just financial support. Much of our effort should be on one thing, and one thing only: Keep on loving people and being there for each other. Sometimes, as I learned this weekend, it is just spending the time, listening, and being a friend.

And, let me remind you, it is a tough job, but somebody has to do it! Is it an easy job to find ways to bring somebody up that has suffered the loss of much of their life's memories, all their efforts to be able to live comfortably in their later years? Heck no, it "ain't easy"! But do you realize that sometimes you can do more to uplift somebody just by spending some time with them, by finding ways to make them happy, maybe just by your company? Really, sometimes it just doesn't take much more than just your time, and your love!

A Fourth that I'll always remember

Just one year ago, I had the opportunity to spend some special times with special friends. A year ago, times were good. It may be much different on this Independence Day celebration. Because of the Flood of 2008, there won't be the annual celebration in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thankfully, though, I will have this video to help me to reflect on what is so great about the meaning of Freedom.



Earlier today, I had even more enlightenment about the Independence that we celebrate every year. My good friend Alexander had written a great piece, called "The Greatest Freedom" and it helped me to understand much more about what Freedom is all about.

July 4, 2007: A Fourth I'll always remember! Although, maybe this will be a year I'll remember even more.

Have a wonderful Independence Day, a.k.a. 4th of July. Stay free!

In Biblical Proportions, Part II

By John Kubicek

It all came down on me while driving home from work this morning. It hit me on the side of the head. It slapped me in the face. It made tears stream down my face.

Of course, I'm talking about what happened here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, just a week ago. Lives had been ripped apart. Hopes and dreams were vaporized in just a matter of days, if not hours.

But, what was really ripping me apart was much more than getting a first hand glimpse of the aftermath of the carnage suffered in Cedar Rapids just a week ago. You see, not only did I have a quick glimpse of the piles of debris lined up along the streets, but I also saw, while going on with life in the last few days, that people are pulling together.

Keep in mind, it wasn't until yesterday (June 19) that President Bush finally got to visit our area of the country. And before I continue, let me allow you to see it for yourselves:

I can assure you, right off the bat, that the President's visit had nothing to do with the hope and unity that I've seen over the last week! In fact, while of course people will need all the assistance that they can get, it was much more than that. In the video you saw above, it was about the government helping us out, and about the losses that we've suffered. But what I want to say today differs greatly. It is about us helping each other out, and about what we will gain from this experience!

One of the Presidential candidates this year has been spouting change, unity, and hope. All good things, except, when we really look closer, we already have it. Yes, there has been drastic changes in people's lives around this area. For many, things will never be the same. But, while that was happening, I found out something else. There has been a lot of unity in this community. People have been helping each other out, in what ever way we can. For some it was filling sandbags, and for others, providing moral encouragement, shelter, food, what ever it takes.

So, if there was ever hope.... This is IT! Yes, I had tears in my eyes on the way home from work today. It was for both the people that suffered, and for the realization of all the good that I saw people do for each other! Not one iota of any of it had anything to do with a "Presidential Visit" to this area. Not that I minded the President coming, it was probably a good thing, to maybe give a few more people a little more assurance that things will work out.

But, the true positive perspective I had on the journey home today was overwhelming. While we will find much sorrow in our lives, it really is also up to us to find ways to make the bad things in life become the catalysts to better things in our lives.

For many of us, it may have been just finding the Faith that we may not have had for awhile.

For many of us, it may have been seeing that there are people out there that really care about us, and that isn't meaning the government officials, but neighbors, parents, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, or our church families.

For many of us, it may have been just knowing that God was helping us to get through this nightmare. It may have been the realization of how important the Lord Jesus Christ is in our lives!

While we have each other, and God, we really won't ever lose! That's the change, unity and hope that I'm talking about! In Biblical Proportions!

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In Biblical Proportions