The Bushes Return to the Obama White House--A Mercifully Gracious, Light-Hearted Occasion

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Source: Politico

Being On The President's Enemies List

NO PRESIDENT EXCEPT NIXON HAS HAD AN ENEMIES LIST. Until President Obama. Here from MyHeritage.com a must-see video of a successful businessman (his Idaho company) and Romney supporter who now finds himself designated an enemy of the president.

KIM STRASSEL: Trolling for Dirt On the President's List

Tale of Two Tippers

Thank Almighty God...

...FOR THE MILLIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO WERE/ARE WILLING TO DIE FOR THE IDEA THAT'S AMERICA WITH FREEDOM AND LIBERTY---AND RESPONSIBILITY---FOR ALL.

We entitled, spoiled and overly-affluent Americans today have no idea what these people and their loved ones have suffered. May God bless them all and have mercy on the rest of us.

Rainbow of the Day On SoHo

Great job, Michael, netting, photographing this fish for me! Your daddy has convinced me I need to use  7X on a longer leader on the SoHo to catch more and better fish.  I'm a believer.  HG taught me everything I know.  Your father has taught me lots I didn't know, and didn't want to know. This is a terrific fish because I had to learn some new tricks to catch it!  You come from a great line of outstanding fishermen/outdoorsmen! But you already know/are living that.

Sunday: How Do We Qualify For Grace?

LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and pray for those who persecute you.
— Jesus

THE CHURCH IS...made up of natural enemies. What binds us together is not common education, common race, common income levels, common politics, common nationality, common accents, common jobs, or anything else of that sort. Christians come together...because they have all been saved by Jesus Christ....They are a band of natural enemies who love one another for Jesus’ sake.

— D. A. Carson

PASTOR MIKE ATKINS: QUALIFIED FOR GRACE (UNMERITED FAVOR)

Memorial Weekend---Goose Is Loose

GREAT SHOT MICHAEL!

Days are hot in East Tennessee. No one's complaining. Rivers run through it.  Nights fall cool and clear. Looking up at the stars far away from bright city lights calms my soul.

Have a safe weekend.

UPDATE: Forget Bain, Obama's public equity investment record---with taxpayers' money---is the real scandal.

Tamny Blames Spitzer For Facebook Flop

Donald and Peta Win DWTS

ABSOLUTELY GREAT COMPETITION AND GRAND FINALE!  Three extremely talented, hard-working couples. Katherine and Mark were exquisite throughout the contest. William could dance but was never my cup-of-tea.  Instead Donald Driver with all those NFL/Green Bay cheese heads took the trophy home! The country western number was my favorite of the season. So Americana andindigenous.   What a talent,  a dancer and seemingly a very nice husband/father too.

Some Things I'm Really Thankful For.....In No Particular Order

THAT...

....I'm not Kate Middleton, adored by all the world, and totally over-exposed in every way to the point of now being massively, unendingly boring.

....I wasn't even tempted to buy over-priced, over-hyped Facebook stock at the IPO and have never gotten on the Facebook fleshpile. I have enough addictions---fly fishing, hiking, painting, investments and keeping in real touch with real people I care about----to be addicted to a dying, over-the-hill, privacy-invading social network. FB is over-exposed in every way. Investors who've lost millions/billions on the FB frenzy are going to scream bloody murder ad naseum.  Let the lawsuits begin to no one's surprise.

....I'm not Al Gore's 'serious' girlfriend.... or even his unserious dinner partner at a casual dinner party. Al. Their days are so numbered, as the sun sets on too big to fail. The sun may take a while to set, but set it is over the dying age of Wall Street ruling the world. You can bank on it.

.....I'm not in any way associated with Jamie Dimon and the charming banditos of Wall Street.  Their days are so numbered, as is the too big to fail policies that taxpayers are being used to prop them up. 

....Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will never marry because for the foreseeable future there are states like North Carolina which will never legalize gay marriage. They live in a world of narcissistic fantasy of their omnipotent influence.

.....That I'm going to be fly fishing/hiking with friends on the South Holston this weekend, not 10 miles from the NASCAR Bristol Speedway, yet light-years away in the most beautiful setting on Earth, besides the Tetons. Blogging will be light.

Will be back with more....but I'm gettng ready to leave on a fishing trip for the long weekend and have lots to do as well as watching the finals of DWT with Martha!

Public Education Has Come To This In Places

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FACTS HAVE NO RELEVANCE? Opinions can't be shared without being screamed out-of-existance by out-of-control, hot-headed, very immature 'teachers'?

Sunday Reflection

THE FUTURE of the human family rides on...a promise spoken and not forgotten. A man named Abraham strode off into his unpredictable future as he gambled on the reliability of a promise uttered by a Presence he had scarcely begun to feel. And so the new possibility for history began. Moses tried to get a better fix on the identity of this Presence...“What is your name?” he dared to ask. And the answer came:...“I am he who will be there with you.” (Exodus 3:14)...Then a man from Galilee talked to his friends about sealing this ancient promise in his blood and a day later he spilled it.. on a mound they called Golgotha. “I am he who will be there with you” was there with us, dying, then rising, and then being with us to the end of the world...Human destiny rests on a promise freely given and reliably remembered. Whenever you and I make and a promise we are as close to being like God as we can ever be. When you say to anyone that you will be there with [him or her or them], you are only a millimeter beneath theangels.

— Lewis Smedes

H/T Redeemer Presbyterian, Manhattan

SOLOMON SERMON:  Having a Godly plan as a mom.

Fadebook

FROM ZERO HEDGE.

AT BUSINESS INSIDER Stocks tank, Facebook flops.

Why I'd Avoid Facebook's Frenzied IPO/Stock Like the Plague For At Least A Year

FACEBOOK DEBUT: PLENTY OF BUZZ FOLLOWED BY LOTS OF FIZZLE

NOW HEAR THIS: THE BIG BOYS ARE IN, will make millions/billions as the stock jets up, then sell it and be out ASAP as the price crashes back to earth. The little investors will be left holding the bag, hoping their stock will go up again and make em some money one day.

Don't count on it anytime soon. Getting into this feeding frenzy is like swimming with sharks. There'll be blood in the water everywhere.

Josh Brown has more, as in Stay Desperate and Stupid.

Donna Summers

UPDATE IN FRIDAY'S TENNESSEAN
MAY THIS BEAUTIFUL LADY rest in peace. Her music inspired and delighted us all. A real class act and woman of faith.

Gallup: With History As Guide, Obama's Prospects For Second Term Dim

IS OBAMA IMPLODING? (A RHETORICAL QUESTION)

A LOSS FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA IN NOVEMBER IS LOOKING MORE POSSIBLE though anything can still happen.

Between job approval, economic confidence and satisfaction-with-country's-direction numbers, things are looking less and less well, hopeful, for Mr. Obama these days. Those numbers don't lie, and most likely will only get worse, not better in the days ahead.

There's also bad news for Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren who's seeking Scott Brown's job in Massachusetts. Her woman-of-color, wannabe native American false identity is making her look sillier and sillier. How can people take someone really that seriously who's pretended for years she's something she's not.

Of course anything's possible in Massachusetts, but it now seems unlikely she will ever make it to the U.S. Senate. And not a minute too soon.

Resting in Him

TAKE ADVICE THIS DAY, and resolve to possess the realities of Christianity, as well as the name, and the substance, as well as the form. Do not be content until you know something of the peace, hope, joy, and consolation which Christians enjoyed in former times. Ask yourself what is the reason that you are a stranger to the feelings which men and women experienced in the days of the Apostles: ask yourself why you do not “joy in the Lord,” and feel “peace with God,” like the Romans and Philippians, to whom Paul wrote. Religious feelings, no doubt, are often deceptive; but surely the religion which produces no feelings at all is not the religion of the New Testament. The religion which gives a person no inward comfort can never be a religion from God. Reader, take heed to yourself. Never be satisfied until you know something of the rest that is in Christ.

~ J.C. Ryle

Was a relaxing Mother's Day with tons of much needed rain all day long. Hardly went near the computer until I skyped with children and grandchildren. Hope you had a good weekend as I certainly have.

Amateur Hour

THE SAD DECLINE OF SNL

FOR ANYONE WHO'S BEEN BREATHING THE PAST FOUR YEARS,  Bill Clinton's description of President Obama as an amateur is not news. Same ole, same ole.

 Still it's a little more than heartening when you consider the source.

That Bill allegedly urged Hillary to quit her job at State last fall and run against the hope-and-change president says volumes to the average voter.

The Romney people should use this Clinton quote to its maximum advantage.

Reese Witherspoon's Family-of-Origin 'Caper'

OBAMA'S 7 STATES OF GAY MARRIAGE GRIEF

JUST WHEN YOU THINK fame and fortune makes for a perfect life, or that you've got the craziest family alive, Reese Witherspoon's father goes and out-does himself in the dysfunctional department. 'Dr. Witherspoon,' as he's known around these parts is an ear, nose and throat specialist who's  evidently specializing in other things these days and making a spectacle of himself and his family in the process.

Betty, Reese's mother, is understandably concerned that her estranged husband of 42 years has 'married' another woman---read that gold digger---from a nearby town. Dr. Witherspoon doesn't remember who the woman is or that he married her, or at least that's the story he's sticking to at the moment.

In a slow and endlessly boring news cycle in which all our eyes have long since glazed over, leave it to the Dr. Witherspoons of the world to give us some comic relief though it's surely not funny to the rest of his family. Have no idea but wondered why Dr. Witherspoon and Betty---living apart for more than 15 years have never gone on and gottened divorced. 

More

Best of Monday's Met Gala

LOTS OF GILDED GOWNS ARRIVING ON 5TH AVENUE LAST NIGHT, but all that glitters is not gold.  Here are, however, several of  my favorites from surverying women coming in for the fashion kill.  From top to bottom are my favorite looks.  If you want to see more with descriptions, you can go here. And here.

Each of these is feminine without being overdone, glamorous and elegant, from Camilla and Renee to Chelsea (who looks really wonderful), Emma and Ivanka (though her blue velvet is more suited to a winter fete). There were lots of others---Gisele, Gwynneth---but none made the Webutante grade in my opinion.

Jim Rogers Talks Reality Economics

NAZI-NOMICS AND THE NEW GREEK MINORITY POWER

FARMLAND ANYONE?

Sunday Reflection

HE [CHRIST] is Isaac, the beloved Son of the Father who was offered as a sacrifice, but nevertheless did not succumb to the power of death….He is the good and compassionate brother Joseph, who in his glory was not ashamed to acknowledge his brothers, however lowly and abject their condition….He is the sovereign lawgiver Moses, writing his law on the tables of our hearts by his Spirit. He is the faithful captain and guide Joshua, to lead us to the Promised Land….He is the strong and powerful Samson, who by his death has overwhelmed all his enemies.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune.

---John Calvin

H/T Redeemer Presbyterian, Manhattan

RICKY BOLDEN, GUEST PASTOR @ MCLEAN: Taking Our Lives To The Next Level

Perfect 10-10-10

MALKIN: MAMA, DON'T LET YOUR DAUGHTERS GROW UP TO BE JULIA.

NEO AND GEO POSTED IT. I HAVEN'T CAUSE OF OTHER STUFF GOING ON. But I tell you for the past 4 weeks, I drop everything to watch DWS with Martha. Not the least bit guilty either. Nothing else fills this slot. I like Catherine and Mark. They're technically perfect dancers in every way----except Katherine is too sweet/perfect for me and lacks the deeper inner pathos of suffering and soul. I like Melissa and partner too.

However Maria and Dereck are my personal favorites. Unless they stumble mightly in the next week or two, I declare them winners. Fabulous score, dress, execution!

In my next 30 years, I want to dance like this. No really.

Friday: A Resounding Fashion Yes!

RELATED

IF EVER THERE'S SOMETHING TO APPROVE in the far-too-influential but decadent world of haute couture, it's news that at Vogue et al are now declaring underage and under-weight looks out-of- fashion. Not a minute too soon. These poor pre-puerile girls---often pushed by over-ambitious mothers---were s couted out,  then made up and dressed like 25-25 year old freaks.  It's a despicable trend that's needed to stop for years.

If we never see it again, it'll be too soon as far as I'm concerned.

There's no telling how many pre-teen, teenage girls, not to mention women of all ages, have been pushed to anorexia, smoking and alcohol, diet pills, plastic surgery, lipo and other serial addictive fixes in order to look acceptable in the eyes of an impossible standard set by the liberal fashion industry/press that's published and pushed for decades the laughable myth you can't be too skinny, or too young looking.

Starting in June, Vogue has vowed to ban underage and underweight models from its pages in the U S and Europe in hopes of encouraging a healthier approach to body image within the fashion industry.

Attention Ms. Angelina Jolie, your too skinny look is out. Now you can stop smoking and gain a little weight. You can read more here.

A healthy, toned look should always prevail. And while they're at it, these silly publications should outlaw air brushing models to look perfect. Perfection simply doesn't exist and shouldn't be promulgated with impressionable young women who fall for every bizarre fashion trend that comes down the pike.

Nothing's wrong with striving to look great. But when it goes over the line to obsession, compulsion and addiction based on unreality, then it stunts entire generations of girls from growing up into real women with realistic images and expectations of themselves and what's really attractive. I hope many more publications follow in the steps of Vogue.

Ann Romney's Great Looking Shirt

Hanson and Tamny---Two Outstanding Conservative Columns This Week

IN HIS CURRENT PIECE IN FORBES, John Tamny explains counterintuitively  when it comes to containing healthcare costs the way down is first up.  In other words, it has to become more expensive before it can get dirt-cheap.

If you don't believe it, read this outstanding piece and  you most likely will. Too bad our elite political class and its chattering  media enablers can't quite get their heads around this concept:

In every market of every kind, goods and services start out as luxuries---expensive and obscure---on the way to eventually becoming cheap and commonplace thanks to entrepreneurial incentives. Sadly with healthcare both parties strive to make it cheap, which means it will never be.

ALSO, going along with Tamny's piece, Victor Hanson's asks rhetorically in NRO this week if America is suffering from a lack of mastery over its wealth in Decline or Decadence? An excerpt:

If our students are burdened with oppressive loans, why do so many university rec centers look like five-star spas? Student cell phones and cars are indistinguishable from those of the faculty.

The underclass suffers more from obesity than malnutrition; our national epidemic is not unaffordable protein, but rather a surfeit of even cheaper sweets.

Flash mobbers target electronics stores for more junk, not bulk food warehouses in order to eat. America’s children do not suffer from lack of access to the Internet, but from wasting hours on video games and less-than-instructional websites. We have too many, not too few, television channels.

The problem is not that government workers are underpaid or scarce, but that so many of them seem to think mind readers, clowns, and prostitutes come with the job.

An average American with an average cell phone has more information at his fingertips than did a Goldman Sachs grandee 20 years ago. Over the last half-century, bizarre new words have entered the American vocabulary — triple-dipping, Botox, liposuction, jet set, COLA (cost of living adjustment), three-day weekend, Medi-something compounds (Medicare, Medicaid, Medi-Cal) — that do not reflect a deprived citizenry. In 1980, a knee or hip replacement was experimental surgery for the 1 percent; now it is a Medicare entitlement.

American poverty is not measured by absolute global standards of available food, shelter, and medical care, or by comparisons with prior generations, but by one American now having less stuff than another.

Sometimes the answers are simple. But we don't want even a moment's discomfort in our entitled society, so we opt to continue the quick fix and nothing changes. That is, until we fall off a cliff and can no longer keep living as we now are as a country.