My Final Prayer

Dear You Tube Friends, it's all over

Mom called an hour ago.

She was sobbing. My older brother has taken his life.

Just...too much bullshit. He'd lost his pension, and had too many debts to float into safety.

Before I got off the phone with her, I knew I was going to join him, soon. We were as close as two brothers could be. This will be my final blog post. Perhaps you'll find something of value in it.

I tried.

FRANK TALK

I am sad to leave the world I have loved so well. I must. No longer can I live with the knowledge I possess.

Before I leave, and it will be before my wife gets home with our son, (they're shopping for groceries); I want to leave a video legacy for her and for him. And I guess for you. I feel to type out...my final prayer.

THANK YOU LORD

Thank you, Lord for life itself. That span of time wherein we each can find what we desire, to titillate, depress or inspire. Thank you for the air, the breeze, the storms, the clouds, the sunrises each day, so reliable. Thank you for toilets, and plumbers and pipe makers, the porcelain factories in Ohio and China. Thank you for the water, the sewers, the plumbers, pipe fitters and engineers who made it all possible. Thank you for the machinists, the salesmen, the advertising firms and the warehouse men.

Thank you, Lord, for good toilet paper, the soaps and toothbrushes, great tooth pastes and valves. For the floor beneath my feet, and the tile upon which I stood. I thank thee for the windows, the sashes, the Windex and paper towels.

Lord, I thank Thee especially for coffee, and friends and memories and such great music.

 For laughter, orgasms and natural-sex porn. Thank you, Lord for the Super Bowl and Doritos, for Pepsi, Chevrolet and Budweiser. And salsa, peanuts and of course, toothpicks. I am grateful for the couches, chairs and curtains, without which, I would have more headaches than I do.

Thank you for the front door, the hinges that make it so useful, the screws that give authority to the hinges, and the wood that held those brass screws for so long, with so little complaint or subsequent cost. Thank you Lord for the doormat, the sidewalk and the orchid my wife prays for each day. Let it bloom, Lord, for she has been a good wife and a wonderful mother. Thank you for our front gate, the welder, his torch and carbon sticks, or whatever you call those things. For the painter and the used stack of newspapers. They are the real unsung heroes of earth.

Lord, I thank Thee for groceries, and stores, and truck drivers, unloaders, forklifts, Security Guards and linoleum. For shelves and stockers and price cuts and good lighting. Thank you for the hours we keep, that give us time to work till we tire, then rest till we're refreshed. Thank you so much for sleep, pillows, sheets, mattresses, beds, with their legs, the rugs near them and the dust that keeps my wife from becoming too lazy.

Thank you Lord for the look and sound of my boy's delight ~

There is no happier boy on earth than he. His bliss is my only defense.

When he finds every new adventure we've lined up for him, I am justified. Then, even his soul-cutting deep cries, when I don't let him stay on You Tube too late, are pardonable.

Thank you for his aura of complete serenity while he naps, his carefree hair locks, perfect cheeks, those Knightly knees and intention-filled fingernails. I so loved his complete peace in sleep, Lord.

I am thankful for the fan, the air conditioner and the lighting in our humble home. Thank you for cinder blocks, the rebar and cement, the sand and water, lime and shovel-mixing workers who gladly produced the fine shelter for my family.

Thank you for shoes, socks, sandals, tee shirts, Levi's, undies and especially the cool nakedness during our weekend and sleeping hours. Thank you for showers and shampoo, clean water, the municipal pipes, the reservoir, the rains and especially the bottled water. I thank thee for shaving cream, quality disposable razors, the drain at the bottom of the sink and especially the mirror.

Lord, I want to thank you for icing on cake, pork chops, rice, pineapple, bananas, can openers, (both hand and electric), Lord. Thank you for the stove, and its fuel, the oven, the refrigerator and the television. Thank you so much for electricity, wires and malfunctioning meters. Thank you also for the VCR and our TIVO, the satellite dish and programming that is still a little competitive.

Thank you for my years as a human being, my job and my family. Thank you for music and toast and blackberry jam over real butter, and surgeons and anesthesia. Thank you for so few ingrown toe nails, Lord.

Thank you Lord for roads and parks and convenience stores and criminals who sacrifice their freedoms to give us such memorable stories each day. Thank you for Drudge, FARK and World Net Daily. Bless please Alex Jones, The Micro Effect and Orly Taitz. Thank you for pistols, semi-automatics and hollow-point ammunition, of all calibers, Lord.

Thank you for angry men, of all ages, but especially those who muster up the will to stand together and shout, then use fingers, then spines and finally sweat, tears, signs, groups, shouts, guns, and finally huge mobs to get us free.

Thank you for the radio voices of determined rage: the Levins, the Becks, the Lonsberries, the Savages and especially for that Great American out of Cincinnati, Willie Cunningham. Thank you Lord for getting Dr. Laura off the air. Bless you, Lord, for that great miracle!

Please bless my dear wife, who thought I was so funny, when I was most serious.

Bless her as she arrives home, and calls out for me to come help unload the groceries, that she will know that she's better off without me now. That my son (some day) will be proud of his father who said, enough is enough, and "I'm outta here!"

Lord, thank you for suicide, and mops and Febreeze and caring neighbors who will clean up the mess I make.

Finally Lord, if I have overlooked anything, and I'm sure I have, because my eye sight and mind aren't what they used to be...forgive me. I did love the steaks and the fries and those strawberry pies in June. With real whipped cream. I loved the Blue Light Specials and the many coupons each Thursday and Sunday. Thank you for the trash cans, the garbage trucks, the landfills and the maggots.

For the funeral Directors, the soloist and the printer of the little program that will grace our Family Bible for many years. Thank you for bookmarks and computers and Google and repair shops. Thank you for upgrades and shareware, Wikipedia and especially for Google and You Tube, Face book and FarmVille.

This is it Lord. If you want to burn me in Hell forever because I just couldn't suffer Obama any longer, then have at it. I am not worthy. I tried, but simply failed. Please separate my kin as they argue over the contents of my wallet, my Seiko watch and the pens.

Let my son know that he was the last face I thought of, as I swallowed the pills, drank the Drambuie and pulled the trigger a half hour later.

Thank you Lord for this escape route. I can't thank you enough for it.

I'll be seeing you soon. In Jesus name,

Amen

Oh, and Lord, thank you so much for Philip Glass.

 And for Beethoven, Mahler, Liszt, Vivaldi, Bruckner, Haydn, Bernstein, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Merle Haggard, Joe Satriani, Mozart and Rosini. And Pucini, Rott, Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and Sinead O'Connor. Thank you so much for Thank you also for the fantastic newer artists, of rap, hip hop, seriously smooth Jazz and pure Country music. Thank you for those one-hit wonders and the indies, the unique voices of those who thrilled me no end, bringing me tears of satisfaction and joy so many times. How I loved Eminem, Lord.

Please be with the future artists, Lord. Inspire them to outperform Johnny Cash, Neil Young, The Traveling Wilburys and Queen. May you find it in your heart to forgive me, if you can, Lord.  I know I've left out so many great ones.

Finally, if there are Juke Boxes in Heaven, please do whatever you have to, to come and get me.

Thank you, dear Lord.

It is finished.

.

A Little Strength - A Great Reward

"Food is good." - Jedediah Bartman, Cainsnake Files

An Essay by Paul Giff, PhD and an article from the New York Times: Today.

January 21, 2011

LOOK AT THE PICTURE I cannot get out of my mind. It was taken by my daughter yesterday, in the Philippines. She told me that he is a very healthy, happy child. One of the most active in the village.
This has stirred my thoughts, deeply.

Let me tell you why.

I am an American, and my country is bankrupt. There are 310,000,000 living in it, according to the latest report. 98% of these people would die terrible deaths if any one of several realistic events occurred this year.

Events such as:

Electrical power going out

due to

Urban Riots Escalating Out of Hand

because of

Hyperinflation, rendering human health a rarity

leading toward

A new harshness in business, government and society

which would cause

Increases in lewdness, brashness, immoral and dangerous behavior

leading us into

An overwhelming selfishness, making America no longer a wonderful nation.

All because of

Misunderstandings between factions of ethnic, religious and economic groups fanned by artists

promoting a norm of

Individuals relying upon a shallow flow of popular data instead of personal experiences being the teacher.

I saw this article just an hour ago, as the leading news item today:

Path Sought for States to Escape Their Debts

 MARY WILLIAMS WALSH, On Thursday January 20, 2011, 9:56 pm EST  (New York Times)

 

Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers.

Unlike cities, the states are barred from seeking protection in federal bankruptcy court. Any effort to change that status would have to clear high constitutional hurdles because the states are considered sovereign.

But proponents say some states are so burdened that the only feasible way out may be bankruptcy, giving Illinois, for example, the opportunity to do what General Motors did with the federal government’s aid.

Beyond their short-term budget gaps, some states have deep structural problems, like insolvent pension funds, that are diverting money from essential public services like education and health care. Some members of Congress fear that it is just a matter of time before a state seeks a bailout, say bankruptcy lawyers who have been consulted by Congressional aides.

Bankruptcy could permit a state to alter its contractual promises to retirees, which are often protected by state constitutions, and it could provide an alternative to a no-strings bailout.

Along with retirees, however, investors in a states bonds could suffer, possibly ending up at the back of the line as unsecured creditors.

“All of a sudden, there’s a whole new risk factor,” said Paul S. Maco, a partner at the firm Vinson & Elkins who was head of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Municipal Securities during the Clinton administration.

For now, the fear of destabilizing the municipal bond market with the words “state bankruptcy” has proponents in Congress going about their work on tiptoe.

No draft bill is in circulation yet, and no member of Congress has come forward as a sponsor, although Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, asked the Federal Reserve chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, about the possiblity in a hearing this month.

House Republicans, and Senators from both parties, have taken an interest in the issue, with nudging from bankruptcy lawyers and a former House speaker, Newt Gingrich, who could be a Republican presidential candidate.

It would be difficult to get a bill through Congress, not only because of the constitutional questions and the complexities of bankruptcy law, but also because of fears that even talk of such a law could make the states problems worse.

Lawmakers might decide to stop short of a full-blown bankruptcy proposal and establish instead some sort of oversight panel for distressed states, akin to the Municipal Assistance Corporation, which helped New York City during its fiscal crisis of 1975.

Still, discussions about something as far-reaching as bankruptcy could give governors and others more leverage in bargaining with unionized public workers.

“They are readying a massive assault on us,” said Charles M. Loveless, legislative director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. “We’re taking this very seriously.”

 Mr. Loveless said he was meeting with potential allies on Capitol Hill, making the point that certain states might indeed have financial problems, but public employees and their benefits were not the cause.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a report on Thursday warning against a tendency to confuse the states immediate budget gaps with their long-term structural deficits. “States have adequate tools and means to meet their obligations,” the report stated.

No state is known to want to declare bankruptcy, and some question the wisdom of offering them the ability to do so now, given the jitters in the normally staid municipal bond market.

Slightly more than $25 billion has flowed out of mutual funds that invest in muni bonds in the last two months, according to the Investment Company Institute. Many analysts say they consider a bond default by any state extremely unlikely, but they also say that when politicians take an interest in the bond market, surprises are apt to follow.

Mr. Maco said the mere introduction of a state bankruptcy bill could lead to “some kind of market penalty,” even if it never passed.

That “penalty” might be higher borrowing costs for a state and downward pressure on the value of its bonds. Individual bondholders would not realize any losses unless they sold.

But institutional investors in municipal bonds, like insurance companies, are required to keep certain levels of capital. And they might retreat from additional investments. A deeply troubled state could eventually be priced out of the capital markets.

“The precipitating event at G.M. was they were out of cash and had no ability to raise the capital they needed,” said Harry J. Wilson, the lone Republican on President Obama’s special auto task force, which led G.M. and Chrysler through an unusual restructuring in bankruptcy, financed by the federal government.

Mr. Wilson, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for New York State comptroller last year, has said he believes that New York and some other states need some type of a financial restructuring.

He noted that G.M. was salvaged only through an administration-led effort that Congress initially resisted, with legislators voting against financial assistance to G.M. in late 2008.

“Now Congress is much more conservative,” he said. “A state shows up and wants cash, Congress says no, and it will probably be at the last minute and it’s a real problem. That’s what I’m concerned about.”

Discussion of a new bankruptcy option for the states appears to have taken off in November, after Mr. Gingrich gave a speech about the country’s big challenges, including government debt and an uncompetitive labor market.

“We just have to be honest and clear about this, and I also hope the House Republicans are going to move a bill in the first month or so of their tenure to create a venue for state bankruptcy,” he said.

A few weeks later, David A. Skeel, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, published an article, “Give States a Way to Go Bankrupt,” in The Weekly Standard. It said thorny constitutional questions were “easily addressed” by making sure states could not be forced into bankruptcy or that federal judges could usurp states’ lawmaking powers.

“I have never had anything I’ve written get as much attention as that piece,” said Mr. Skeel, who said he had since been contacted by Republicans and Democrats whom he declined to name.

Mr. Skeel said it was possible to envision how bankruptcy for states might work by looking at the existing law for local governments. Called Chapter 9, it gives distressed municipalities a period of debt-collection relief, which they can use to restructure their obligations with the help of a bankruptcy judge.

Unfunded pensions become unsecured debts in municipal bankruptcy and may be reduced. And the law makes it easier for a bankrupt city to tear up a labor contract than for a bankrupt company, said James E. Spiotto, head of the bankruptcy practice at Chapman & Cutler in Chicago.

The biggest surprise may await the holders of a state’s general obligation bonds. Though widely considered the strongest credit of any government, they can be treated as unsecured credits, subject to reduction, under Chapter 9.

Mr. Spiotto said he thought bankruptcy court was not a good avenue for troubled states, and he has designed an alternative called the Public Pension Funding Authority.

It would have mandatory jurisdiction over states that failed to provide sufficient funding to their workers’ pensions or that were diverting money from essential public services.

“I’ve talked to some people from Congress, and I’m going to talk to some more,” he said. “This effort to talk about Chapter 9, I’m worried about it. I don’t want the states to have to pay higher borrowing costs because of a panic that they might go bankrupt. I don’t think it’s the right thing at all. But it’s the beginning of a dialog.”

- - -

THE KEY OF DAVID ~

Folks, the Lucky boy shown above, with beaming smile and tremendous vigor, can go to the shoreline a few hundred feet from his hut and gather the days snails. With no tools. However, 98% of Americans do not have such a luxury. What does this all mean? It means, we are in grave danger. Death for many millions is inevitable, as foretold in Holy Writ. We have sinned fully: Hell's jaws open wide.


It's time to drop all non-essential thinking and foolish distraction! Go shopping, fill water containers. Repent of our sins, so that we may avoid the same fate of all empires that ignore truth and common sense, for decades. Because America is like unto a precision built jet engine, and each part must be well made, alloyed with the very finest materials. To tamper with any one of these factors is far beyond catastrophic. Speak it well: Would you hire an enemy to maintain your Company Jet?  

But you allow the Man of Lies to eat in your Temple!

We're talking about an epic civilisation failure. It is a structured decline! I call it...genocide!

Those who caused it all by stealth legislation and media manipulation would be charged as War Criminals.

Adolph Hitler was an historical featherweight when compared to the potential tragedy knocking at our door.

Nothing is as devastating to all classes as is a long overdue, inevitable Hyperinflation.

There. Now I can go to bed, guilt-free.


- - - - -

This essay is by Paul Giff, PhD and is not copyrighted. It may be emailed as you like. Keep the article with a New York Times attribution, to avoid legal issues.

This list may come in handy, to you who are my friends: 100 Items to Disappear First in a Panic.

- - -

UPDATE:

DO - Cover your chimneys to avoid the state-delivered nano particulates.

DON'T - Vaccinate any family members. Whatever media shills: BEWARE.

Go to now. You have been warned: warn thy neighbor. Be wise. Be wise! 

In the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.