An interesting article from The Patriot Post.

Libyan Revolution Portends Middle East Meltdown

Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi's ossified regime is following in the footprints of Hosni Mubarak's Egyptian dynasty. At least two of Gadhafi's military pilots defected to Malta on Monday rather than bomb their countrymen as Gadhafi ordered. Various regime ministers have resigned in protest, and Gadhafi has had to refute rumors that he'd already fled to Venezuela. Gadhafi still vows to fight to the end -- to the "last bullet" -- and die as a martyr, but his ability to do so appears weaker by the hour. That's no thanks to the UN, though. The Security Council issued a press statement -- its weakest possible option short of saying nothing -- to condemn violence against civilians perpetrated by the Libyan regime. Libya's seat on the Human Rights Council, the UN's top human rights body, seems secure as well.

Curiously, Obama has been much quieter about Gadhafi's bloody regime than he was in his support for Mubarak's ouster. Perhaps that is because, by extension, Obama has ties to Gadhafi that he would like to leave in the closet. As you may recall, Obama's spiritual mentor, Jeremiah Wright, has long been tied to Gadhafi and the U.S. organization he sponsors, Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam. In the 2008 election campaign, Wright even noted, "When [Obama's] enemies find out that I went to Tripoli to visit [Gadhafi] with Farrakhan, a lot of his Jewish support will dry up quicker than a snowball in hell." Of course, at the time, his sychophants were so focused on "hope and change" that nobody noticed.

Libya's oil industry came to a virtual halt this week, and oil and gas prices predictably spiked. Libyan crude, long the benchmark due to its clean, easily refined composition, provides less than 3 percent of the world's oil, and even a total loss could probably be made up by increased Saudi production. However, its loss, even the threat of its loss, has driven up prices worldwide, as seen when oil approached $120 a barrel this week. Europe will be especially hard-hit by any prolonged stoppage of Libyan oil exports for two reasons: Much of Europe's oil is provided by Libya, and many of Europe's largest oil companies, most notably British Petroleum, are heavily invested in developing Libyan oil fields -- a double whammy of higher gas prices and lost economic activity.

Pan Am 103 -- Lockerbie

It appears that the favor of the Scottish and UK government's release of Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in 2009, is not going to pay much dividend. Al-Megrahi is the terrorist convicted in the murder of 259 people aboard Pan American flight 103 on their way home for Christmas in 1998, and 11 Scottish citizens when the bombed plane crashed in their village of Lockerbie. Yet another great moment in BP history...

In related news about vulnerable Arabic regimes, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah returned from three months abroad on Wednesday and promptly cracked open the royal piggy bank, clearly hoping simply to pay off any of his subjects who might be getting ideas about revolt. According to differing news reports, the king doled out between $34 and $37 billion worth of cheer in different subsidies. Abdullah and his very extended ruling family have good reason to worry. Saudi Arabia provides free college education to its young men and women but cannot provide them with jobs. Outside the oil industry, which is largely run by foreigners, and a limited number of government jobs, the ordinary Saudi has little opportunity to move up in the world or to support a family.

Something to ponder. An e-mail from a friend

Here's something to think about . .  This past July, we had the pleasure of sharing a summer barbecue with a refugee from Cuba . Our dinner conversation was starkly different than most.  This refugee came to the United States as a young boy in the early 1960s. His family was more fortunate than most as they were able to bring a suitcase and $100 when they fled Castro's newly formed revolutionary paradise.  Our dinner consisted of all-American fare: hamburgers, potato salad, watermelon and fresh ears of sweet corn. This is a menu shared with family and friends nationwide, while celebrating the birth of our beloved America on the Fourth of July.  We began with a simple discussion about our country and the direction it has taken since Barack Obama came to power. We shared the usual complaints about the sour economy and liberal social engineering emanating from the rulers in Washington .  But then he said it. The sentence came naturally. I assume it was unplanned. But it carried the weight of a freight train. "You know when Castro took power, none of us knew he was a Communist."  We sat stunned. He continued, "Yes, we all thought he was a patriot, a nationalist. Before the revolution he didn't sound like a radical."  The comparison at this point was easy, and I interjected, "You mean just like Barack Obama?"  He responded;"Yes, just like Barack Obama."  He continued, "We were all shocked as the government just continued to grab more power. First they said the revolution is over, so please turn in your guns. We all complied."  "I remember my uncle saying after it started;'Castro will only nationalize some of the big industries, he will never come and take our family hardware store.' But that is exactly what happened; Castro started with the sugar mills and the large industries, but they eventually came and knocked on the door of our family hardware store. My family had run this store for generations. They said we now own the hardware store, you work for us. And that nice, large four-bedroom home you own, it is now our property also, and you can move yourself and five children into two rooms of the house because others are moving in with you."  The lesson learned from this discussion is a lesson most Americans refuse to hear. Political leaders can lie about their agenda and once in office they can take totally unexpected turns.  If you had asked us three years ago if we thought General Motors would be nationalized, we would have never believed it. We could never contemplate a country where the rule of law, the most fundamental building block of a justice society would be evaporating just like it did in Castro's Cuba in the early 1960s.  But the news of injustice keeps increasing. Black Panthers are not charged with wrongdoing by the U.S. Department of Justice because their crimes are against whites. The bondholders of GM are stripped of their assets without due process by the government. Governmental leaders are bribed in full daylight only to have all investigation of the crimes stifled by the Attorney General. The U.S. borders are overrun with crime and illegal activity and the leaders in D.C. act as if it is important to protect the lawbreakers while the innocent are killed and overrun. When local communities attempt to enforce the law, they are ridiculed and threatened as racists and bigots. They are sued by the very administration entrusted with enforcing the law.  Without the rule of law the U.S. Constitution is a sham. Without the rule of law our beloved America is swiftly becoming a country where only the well connected and politically powerful will be safe. As Michelle Malkin has so eloquently explained in her recent book, a culture of corruption has replaced honest government.  The only way this problem will be fixed is by massive citizen action. All honest citizens that want to be treated equally must come together and demand that the favoritism, the bribes, the uneven enforcement of law end now. And yes, it can happen here.

February 21, 1921 - February 13, 2011

Good bye Mama, you deserved so much more.  Now He has given it to you.  Enjoy your Eternal Rewards.

It is 6:50 A.M. Saturday February 12, 2011

The Dr. should be in within the hour to remove tubes and machines from my darling Mama.  I spent the night in her room with her.  One of us is with her all of the time.  If she survives the removal of the tubes and machines, we will keep her here for a couple of days to stabilize her and then take her home.  She dearly wants to die at home in her own bed.

Blogging mood

Sorry I have not had that much to add to the mix lately.
On Monday, my precious mother suffered massive aneurysm. It affected her entire left front lobe.  As the nurse told me, it is where she lives.  It is all of her.  Today, the Doctor told my sister that we will probably have to make a decision by Sunday.  I spent all of this afternoon at the Funeral Home making the arrangements.  Almost $12,000.00 later, it is done. Fortunately, she and daddy purchased their plots about 43 years ago.
The sad thing is that I was about one hour from the hospital and my brother, who arrived ahead of me, did not know she had a directive on file.  He signed papers for treatment for her, which included surgery and now breathing for her.  I could have rescinded his signature since I am her POA, but at that point, I was afraid family would then accuse me of taking her life when maybe it could have been saved. It is very difficult when there are 10 very emotional siblings involved.  I try to make decisions that will please everyone, yet respect her.
In my private thoughts and prayers, I know that all of the decisions that have been made, God was in control of.
I will just wait for Him to manifest Himself through it.  Our family is diverse.  Believers and non-believers.
Catholic and non-Catholic.  My brother is a Priest who is in a cloistered order in New Jersey.  I am hoping he will be given permission to come home. He has asked, but has not been given an answer.
On the 21st of February, we were going to celebrate the 90th birthday of this amazing woman.  We will celebrate, maybe just without her.
By the way, my mother has in excess of 100 direct descendants. 12 Children, two who preceded her, grandchildren, great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren.  When We All Get To Heaven, What a Day of Rejoicing That Will Be!!!
Love you Mama, and it does not matter how old a girl is, she still needs her mom.

How would you pronounce this girls name?

She spells her name "Le-a"     
So how would YOU pronounce her name?????

Leah?  .....................NO
Lee - A?  .................NOPE
Lay - a?  ................. NOT A CHANCE
Lei?..........................NICE TRY, BUT GUESS AGAIN 


This child attends a school in Livingston Parish, LA.     Her mother is irate because everyone is getting her child's name wrong.  She says it's pronounced "Ledasha." 
When the Mother was asked how in the world she figured  it should be pronounced that way, she said,  "cause the dash don't be silent!"  
So, if you see a name come across your desk like this,  please remember to pronounce the dash.  And if anyone axes you why, tell them it's 'cause the dash don't be silent!  
THEY LIVE AMONG US AND THEY VOTE !!!!!!!!.....AND RE-PRODUCE....!!!!!-!!!!!
  

 

Since we all understand that they only want the same way of life as we, I am sure we can continue to sleep as Rome burns.

Relative to the rioting in Egypt, we are hearing a lot about the Muslim Brotherhood.  A number of   Middle East experts, government officials, media figures and ex-diplomats are reassuring us that the Brotherhood is not to be feared as it has renounced the use of terror to reestablish the Caliphate and impose Shariah law.  Well, read the following report and you will see that while they have renounced terror...at least here in North America...  they have  certainly not given up on their goal of conquering the U.S.    Also,  the  given list of organizations  they control is only a partial list.   Reportedly, they have spawned  and control or influence over 70 front groups here in the U.S.               Al Rowley     THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD'S "GENERAL STRATEGIC GOAL" FOR NORTH AMERICA In July 2007, seven key leaders of an Islamic charity known as the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development  (HLF) went on trial for (and were found guilty of) charges that they had: (a) provided "material support and resources" to a foreign terrorist organization...namely  Hamas,    (b) engaged in money laundering; and (c) breached the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which prohibits transactions that threaten American national security. Along with the seven named defendants, the U.S. government released a list of approximately 300 "unindicted co-conspirators"  and "joint venturers." During the course of the HLF trial, many incriminating documents were entered into evidence. Perhaps the most significant of these was " An Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America"  by the Muslim Brotherhood operative Mohamed Akram. Written sometime in 1987 but not formally published until May 22, 1991, this 18-page document listed the Brotherhood’s 29 like-minded "organizations of our friends" that shared the common goal of dismantling American institutions and turning the U.S. into a Muslim nation. These "friends" were identified by Akram and the Brotherhood as groups that could help convince Muslims "that their work in America is a kind of grand Jihad in eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within and 'sabotaging' its miserable house by their hands ... so that ... "God's religion [Islam] is made victorious over all other religions." Akram was well aware that in the U.S., it would be extremely difficult to promote Islam by means of terror attacks. Thus the “grand jihad” that he and his Brotherhood comrades envisioned was not a violent one involving bombings and shootings, but rather a stealth (or "soft") jihad aiming to impose Islamic Law (Sharia) over every region of the earth by incremental, non-confrontational means, such as working to “expand the observant Muslim base”; to “unif[y] and direc[t] Muslims' efforts”; and to “present Islam as a civilization alternative.”   At its heart, Akram's document details a plan to conquer and Islamize the United States – not as an ultimate objective, but merely as a stepping stone toward the larger goal of one day creating “the global Islamic state." In line with this objective, Akram and the Brotherhood resolved to "settle" Islam and the Islamic movement within the United States, so that the Muslim religion could be "enabled within the souls, minds and the lives of the people of the country.” Akram explained that this could be accomplished “through the establishment of firmly-rooted organizations on whose bases civilization, structure and testimony are built.” He urged Muslim leaders to make “a shift from the collision mentality to the absorption mentality,” meaning that they should abandon any tactics involving defiance or confrontation, and seek instead to implant into the larger society a host of seemingly benign Islamic groups with ostensibly unobjectionable motives; once those groups had gained a measure of public acceptance, they would be in a position to more effectively promote societal transformation by the old Communist technique of “boring from within.” “The heart and the core” of this strategy, said  Akram, was contingent upon these groups' ability to develop “a mastery of the art of 'coalitions.'” That is, by working synergistically they could complement, augment, and amplify one another's efforts. Added Akram: “The big challenge that is ahead of us is how to turn these seeds or 'scattered' elements into comprehensive, stable, 'settled' organizations that are connected with our Movement and which fly in our orbit and take orders from our guidance.” The ultimate objective was not only an enlarged Muslim presence, but also implementation of the Brotherhood objectives of transforming pluralistic societies, particularly America, into Islamic states, and sweeping away Western notions of legal equality, freedom of conscience, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech. Akram and the Brotherhood understood that in order to succeed in this endeavor, they needed to appeal to different strata of the American population in different ways; that whereas some people could be influenced by messages delivered from a religious perspective, others would be more responsive to messages delivered by educators, or bankers, or political figures, or journalists, etc. Thus, Akram's blueprint for the advancement of the Islamic movement stressed the need to form a coalition of groups coming from the worlds of education; religious proselytization; political activism; audio and video production; print media; banking and finance; the physical sciences; the social sciences; professional and business networking; cultural affairs; the publishing and distribution of books; children and teenagers; women's rights; vocational concerns; and jurisprudence. By promoting the Islamic movement on such a wide variety of fronts, the Brotherhood and its allies could multiply exponentially their influence. Toward that end, the Akram/Brotherhood “Explanatory Memorandum "  named the following 29 groups as the organizations they believed could collaborate effectively to destroy America from within – “if they all march according to one plan”:  Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)  ISNA Fiqh Committee (now known as the Fiqh Council of North America)  ISNA Political Awareness Committee  Muslim Youth of North America  Muslim Students Association of the U.S. and Canada  Association of Muslim Scientists and Engineers  Islamic Medical Association (of North America)  Islamic Teaching Center  Malaysian Islamic Study Group  Foundation for International Development  North American Islamic Trust  Islamic Centers Division  American Trust Publications  Audio-Visual Center  Islamic Book Service  Islamic Circle of North America  Muslim Arab Youth Association  Islamic Association for Palestine  United Association for Studies and Research  International Institute of Islamic Thought  Muslim Communities Association  Association of Muslim Social Scientists (of North America)  Islamic Housing Cooperative  Muslim Businessmen Association  Islamic Education Department  Occupied Land Fund (later known as the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development)  Mercy International Association  Baitul Mal Inc.  Islamic Information Center (of America)