THOUGHT OF THE DAY

      From bondage to spiritual faith;

      From spiritual faith to great courage;

      From courage to liberty;

      From liberty to abundance;

      From abundance to complacency;

     From complacency to apathy;

      From apathy to dependence;

      From dependency back into bondage.”

THE FAT LADY SANG

Betty Davis said it best, "Fasten your seat belts; you are in for a bumpy ride."

After his election in 2008, Barack Obama warned everyone by saying, "Tomorrow we will begin the basic transformation of America."  He was honest enough to tell everyone what was coming.  The majority did not pay attention.  We can all see the results of his first term.

Last night, he warned us, again.  He said, "We are the American family and we will rise or FALL together."  Being as, concerning this issue, the man was telling the truth, don't be surprised at the results of the next four years.  Pack your bag; we're on the road to Babylon.  How long the enslavement endures depends entirely upon the grace of God.


In our humble opinion de Tocqueville (1805) should be required reading for all potential voters:

Alexis de Tocqueville > Quotes

“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

“America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

“Americans are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

“When the taste for physical gratifications among them has grown more rapidly than their education . . . the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint . . . . It is not necessary to do violence to such a people in order to strip them of the rights they enjoy; they themselves willingly loosen their hold. . . . they neglect their chief business which is to remain their own masters.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America Volume 2

“Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

“There are many men of principle in both parties in America, but there is no party of principle.”
― Alexis de Tocqueville

Enough said.

HARD LESSONS FOR THE NORTHEAST

Having lived the nightmare that is the major hurricane, our heart breaks for all the people assaulted by Sandy. We know what it is like to suffer through the fear during the darkness of the storm.  We know the shock of walking outside the morning after to view the unbelievably total devastation.  We have endured the aftermath; no power, roads blocked, houses damaged or destroyed, and life disrupted.  These experiences are truly life-changing. BUT, there are lessons that many folks up north are learning the hard way.  Folks down south learned these lessons long ago.

First and foremost: When the authorities issue a mandatory evacuation for the coastal and low elevation areas, GET THE HELL OUT.  Go to higher ground.  Go inland. No possessions are worth the loss of your life.

Next in importance:  Don't depend on anyone else to see to your needs.  Prepare for your own survival.  

• 1.  If you must evacuate, pack a bag.  If the storm is severe, chances are you will need clothing for several days.  You will need your medication.  If your home is in an area in danger of destruction, take along your important papers. (deed, insurance papers, etc.)

• 2.  If your home is in a relatively safe non-evacuation area and you intend to ride out the storm there, assemble provisions. (a generator, food that doesn't require cooking, cash, water, ice, gasoline for the generator, and anything else you, personally, require for survival. It is, also, a good idea to fill the gas tanks of all your cars)

• 3.  Understand that the government is NOT going to be all things to all people in a major disaster.  In the moments and days post hurricane, the cavalry is NOT right over the hill, waiting to ride to your rescue.  After Hugo, many folks in our area were without power for a MONTH.  We had to fend for ourselves and look out for one another.  No government agency was anywhere to be seen.

Relatively few people died in Hugo.  Without exception, those who did die were doing things they were told NOT to do; riding out the storm on a boat, staying in a trailer, going outside during the storm, or staying in evacuation zones. 

In this latest disaster, we, once again, see that human beings refuse to learn from history.  Granted, the northeast doesn't experience a large volume of tropical storms BUT these occurrences are NOT unprecedented. AND, the weather officials issued a plethora of warnings, advisories, and instructions during a full week before the storm actually hit.  Now, predictably, the same folks who ignored these warnings, advisories, and instructions are in a tizzy because their needs are not being met.  Unfortunately, we know from experience that this situation is bound to get worse before it gets better.  Our prayers go out to all.