Sunday, December 7, 2008

FROM MY BLOG BAG

Hillary is 7.5 million in debt for her campaign expenses. They want her supporters to bail her out. They are having a fund-raiser with seats from $50 to $1000 to retire the debt --and selling a children's book, about her candidacy. If I were worth the millions Hillary is worth, I'd be ashamed to ask people of much more modest means to send me their hard earned dollars. Just send Bill out to make 7 speeches and they'll be almost there --old Bill was worth $700,000 from GM for a speech! Which explains some of GM's problem. If a company's leadership is that stupid to spend that kind of money on ANY speech, much less to hear an old reprobate dispense his wisdom, does that company deserve to be bailed out? Good grief!

CORRECTION: I tried to find on google a reference to $700,000 for a Clinton speech at GM --I found 700,000 paid to Clinton for a total of 4 speeches to Citigroup. Does anyone know if GM also paid him exorbitant speaking fees? I was sure I heard it or read it somewhere. One reference said he asked up to $350,000 for speaking fees.


I'm not saying I am against the loans to these companies, but they surely need to cut out the wasteful, self-indulgent ways of both management and labor.

In the local Mirror newspaper recently, there was a letter from a 4th generation GM employee who rose to lower level management--and she was horrified by union behavior --and how management seemed helpless. She said they worked 5 hours in their 8 hour days, and one fellow went to the bar and when written up for excessive absenteeism, the union saved him his job --with pay for the time he skipped out on work. She told of labor bringing a woman in at noon for sexual favors. I understand that a Jeep employee wrote about similar abuses when she worked for Chrysler. We know that unions tend to be headed by thugs who are just as self-serving as any manager could be.

Do you ever hear of public education teaching a good work ethic?
How employers should not have to pay people for their socializing time when they have work to do. I found a young lady in a dark doctor's office with her feet on the desk and having a personal phone conversation--while she was trying to accrue over-time; she had not clocked out. She was later caught forging doctors' signatures and is no longer wasting any doctors' time and money that I know of.

RELIGIOUS PEOPLE HAVE BETTER HEALTH; i.e. live longer
This is the finding of a recent study reported in the Blade. However, this is not news, really. The reason cited in former studies had to do with religiously observant people often not smoking and drinking and having high risk behaviors. Mormons, e.g., were said to be healthy for those reasons. Certain protestant and Muslim groups also avoid alcohol and/or nicotine.

Another recently reported study suggested that people who were around happy people enjoy more happiness, less depression. Church people in a healthy fellowship have a lot of good times and cameraderie --like our Christmas Choir. We have some very funny people with merry hearts.





"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

16 comments:

kateb said...

If you ever doubted that it's 'all about the money', this would say it all.

It is, indeed, all about the money.

Where have the Statesmen gone?

Jeanette said...

Obama has $30 million left in his campaign war chest. If he's so eager to help the car industry and other poor folks he'll dole it out for Christmas.

Then again, I read he and his wife don't buy Christmas gifts for their kids so why give Christmas gifts to the unwashed masses?

matthew said...

The long life thing may also be related to the fifth commandment.

Barb said...

Yes, Matt. I assume that's the "Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the earth."

I print it here for any lurkers who might not be familiar with it.

matthew said...

Barb,

Yes, thank you for being more explicit. That's the one I had in mind.

We (myself included) often forget about the promise attached to that command.

I'm sure you're right about the reasons you gave, also. I was just adding to your point. Seems like common sense to recognize that a lifestyle which doesn't abuse the body will result in longer and healthier life.

Of course, complete abstinence from something like alcohol is actually discouraged by Jesus and the Bible but moderate use of this gift from God is wise. Several proverbs come to mind. This wisdom will typically result in greater health.

Barb said...

I know that Paul said "a little wine for the stomach's sake."

And indeed, researchers at Johns Hopkins found that there is that ulcer-causing bacteria in stomachs --which they believe to be deterred by a little wine for the stomach's sake. More truth from the Bible!

And some have said a little wine may help against heart disease.

A word of caution, however: the JH medical report said "if you do not now drink, do not start for any medical reasons." There are greater health risks from drinking than health benefits, they went on to say. And once they figured out this bacteria caused ulcers, they found antibiotic that cured it. My mother had this bacteria and was miserable for years with her stomach --until she got the antibiotic. No more problems. But in Paul's day, there was no antibiotic --just a little wine for the stomach's sake!

Barb said...

Also, I understand that it's more of a principle than a promise about our days being longer upon the earth--as there are some very parent-honoring people whose days have not been long upon the earth.

"...that their days MAY be long upon the earth."

matthew said...

I'm not suggesting the wine for its health benefits. There are, as you say, other more effective ways to promote health these days.

I'm simply saying that we shouldn't scorn that which God has given us. He says it's a blessing from him. And not for health benefits.

matthew said...

Also, I understand that it's more of a principle than a promise about our days being longer upon the earth.

Oh, I don't know about that. Paul calls it a promise.

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (this is the first commandment with a promise)." Ephesians 6:1-2

Barb said...

I think of Rhoda's daughter and my father who died young even though they were Christians who honored their parents.

The English version says, "that your days MAY be long upon the earth."

It's a principle --not a promise if you mean an inviolable rule that God will not let a person die young who honors his parents.

Jesus died young and we trust He honored his parents according to OT Law of Moses.

matthew said...

I'm just saying the Bible itself calls this a promise so I do too.

Barb said...

It's a little like the promise, "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

And yet, some well brought-up kids do depart--just the way God, as perfect parent/Creator, saw his creation go awry --yielding to the devil. We hope they DO return in the end because of the spiritual foundation put in place by good Christian parents. We know that Adam and Eve WERE chagrined at their own sin.

Again, the statement above is a general, reliable principle --but I'm not sure it's an absolute promise --considering the role of free will. I don't know that you can blame the parents' training if the child does not return to faith and righteousness in his old age.

Just my opinion.

Jeanette said...

Baptists forbid drinking alcohol of any kind, but you can find a lot of them in the liquor stores. ;)

I don't drink because of the Baptist Creed, but mostly because I am a diabetic and never enjoyed the taste of alcohol of any kind.

I believe the commandment is also a promise, Barb. You're right that not all live long but when I hear of someone in their eighties or nineties dying the first thing I think is that they must have been good children to their parents.

As for the Proverb to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it, it is also a promise from God.

We may not see our children live the holy life in our lifetimes, but if we gave them the Christian foundation they will not stray from it forever. The Holy Spirit can be a real nag sometimes. :)

I know I've wandered off the path a couple of times but now that I am old I am on the straight and narrow. Except when I'm not. :)

matthew said...

Baptists forbid drinking alcohol of any kind, but you can find a lot of them in the liquor stores.

Ha... that reminds me of the joke about taking Baptists fishing: They say you should always take at least two. If you only take one, he'll drink all your beer.

Barb said...

Funny!

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