Tuesday, October 30, 2012

CAN A CHRISTIAN BE A DEMOCRAT?

A friend snapped this photo of a large sign in south Lincoln on the heavily traveled Saltillo Road at 21st Street:



It's on a shared road between two businesses. A spokesman for one of them said that his company didn't put up the sign and he doubted the other business put it up. He said he believes a farmer who also shares the road, and has put up pro-life signs in the past, put up the sign. The farmer couldn't be reached for comment.

The sign is apparently in response to the Democratic National Committee platform mandating that tax dollars pay for abortion and contraception. In some people's minds, abortion conflicts with the Bible's Sixth Commandment, Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20:13). So if you're a Democrat, the thinking goes, you are violating the Bible, which Christ instructed people to obey.

In other people's minds, this sign is the height of intolerance, attempting to use a religious threat to influence political views and, most probably, votes.

So . . . what do YOU think?

Thursday, October 25, 2012

NEBRASKA MEDICAID RECIPIENTS COULD FILL MEMORIAL STADIUM THREE TIMES OVER

Go Big Red Ink! As we focus on Saturday night's big game, Nebraska vs. Michigan, and also on the upcoming elections, consider the impact of the longtime weak economy on the cost of taxpayer-provided services such as Medicaid.

Joblessness, high prices and high taxes create more need for health care for low-income kids and adults, blind and disabled people, and the aged, when they can no longer care for themselves. The economy's stress shows most of all in statistics like Medicaid.

So get this: there are 235,354 Nebraskans receiving Medicaid benefits, according to the 2011 annual Medicaid report of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Think about it: Medicaid recipients would just about fill our gargantuan Memorial Stadium three times over.



For many years, everybody has giggled about the fact that, when the Huskers are playing at home, Memorial Stadium becomes the third-largest "city" in Nebraska, after Omaha and Lincoln.

Well, if the economy continues southward, and Medicaid numbers go up just a few ticks, the Medicaid population will outstrip Lincoln (258,379 in the 2010 Census).

Let's huddle -- taxpayers, politicians, bureaucrats, medical leaders. Let's elect political quarterbacks who can call new plays to turn this situation around. Let's get our economy back on track so we can all go, fight, win.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE EWING IS MISSING A GOLDEN OP

Why didn't John Ewing's campaign committee realize that the Omahan looks a lot like Dennis Haysbert, the State Farm ad guy, who played President Palmer in the hit series "24"?

Democrat Ewing, the Douglas County Treasurer, is challenging incumbent Republican Lee Terry for the 2nd Congressional seat.

It would've made a great campaign ad to have Ewing question a few of Terry's policies and then finish up with a dramatic, "Are you in good hands?"

Or push the "24" connection. If a Democrat can't ride the real President's coattails to victory this time, maybe a TV President will do.

Which is which?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

A THREE-HOODIE EXPERIENCE

Last time our beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers played football, they did great in the first quarter, and then folded like a cardboard suitcase and lost to Ohio State by a whopping margin.

Turns out someone I know and love had her grandkids to a Burger King during that game, babysitting. She set them up with their burgers, fries and drinks right by the playground equipment. They commenced to dine. After a few minutes, she hopped up to go get another little cup of ketchup . . .

. . . and when she came back, the 4-year-old grandson was beet red and breathing hard . . .

. . . and as he began to retch, she hurriedly looked around for something to catch "it," and grabbed the hood of his hoodie . . .

. . . but after the first onslaught, he started to retch again, so she grabbed her granddaughter's hoodie . . .

. . . and then, third time's the charm, he retched once again, and the only thing left was HER hoodie . . . making for a rather unpleasant drive home, straight to the washing machine.

So it was a Three-Hoodie Experience, both for Grandma at the Burger King, and for us Cornhusker football fans, that night.

Here's hoping this weekend is a little better for us!

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

SPELL-CHECK CUISINE

A friend was trying to look up a recipe for "tostadas" but the spell-check mechanism on her computer kept changing it to "asbestos."

Ay, carumba! But her friends put her at ease, saying things like, "It just takes a lot of dip to make it taste good that way," and "Use a circular saw to cut your tortilla disks, and be sure to wear a mask."

I can relate. If I had a dime for every time someone said my meatloaf slices would make nice brick pavers. . . .