Running & Leaping…
Last Updated on Monday, 12 March 2012 11:29 Written by Ken Monday, 12 March 2012 11:29
I just read on Facebook that Robert Williams (not my nephew or former brother-in-law) from Jesus People USA (JPUSA) just passed away.
Bob Williams (from his Facebook page)
Bob spent the majority of his life in a wheelchair. In my time at Jesus People, I had the privilege to get to know Bob. As a single male at the community, certain of us were tasked with caring for Bob by sleeping in his room at night, bathing & dressing him in the mornings, prepping him for meals as well as getting him ready for bed in the evenings. I’ll never forget the 17 trays it took to get his food up close enough for him to use his fork to eat or the constant adjustments to his comfort in the wheelchair (“thigh to the sky” he would say) or the way Bob would have you place the computer keyboard just so when he wanted to use the word processor.
Bob was a unique man. He had wisdom from the years spent in the wheelchair, but was still curious because he wanted to know more. More of Jesus. More of life. More love. He was a gentle man. Humbled by life and yet he knew the power God gave him to overcome.
I remember going back to the community a few years ago and introducing him to my nephew. He got a chuckle out of meeting another Bob Williams. He had a sense of humor. A wry one sometimes, at that. Overall, Bob was a friend. How could you not love Bob?
Yes, Bob Williams spent much of his life confined in a wheelchair but now he is running and leaping and praising God. Run, Bob, run!
I will miss you, my old friend.
Costco Connection
Last Updated on Wednesday, 29 February 2012 12:04 Written by Ken Tuesday, 28 February 2012 03:54
I am subscribed, by way of my membership with Costco, to the Costco Connection – the member’s magazine that highlights items of interest to their members.
I am an avid reader of the Dialogue section (reader’s letters) although I don’t always read the articles people comment on. Such is the case with this month’s debate question:
“Should you be able to opt out of Social Security?”
To the “Yes” answer, one person’s comment is that he feels like he is giving his money away when he is forced to contribute to Social Security. Another commented that she should have full control over [his or her] own funds for the future.
The one that I’m concerned with is the response to the negative. Mr. Roger Bissett of Reno, Nevada believes that you should not be allowed to opt out because, as he puts it…
“The snake-oil salesmen are poised to come out from under rocks to feast on a vulnerable segment of Americans who can be tempted to rely on themselves and the private sector. This is the same private sector that gave us hustlers who created the derivative bundles of unregulated securities. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but a little periodic maintenance, lubrication and fine-tuning is required.”
Imagine that. Americans who are tempted to rely on themselves and/or the private sector. I guess Mr. Bissett thinks we should rely on the government to take care of us. Cradle to grave socialism. Obamacare. Romneycare. Pelosi & Reed sucking us out of our hard-earned money to support someone else like Mr. Bissett, who wants to rely on everyone else to take care of him in his old age.
I’m sick of this mentality. Let’s get this straight – If people had their own money to invest, they would be able to make more and do better than what the government gives them. True, the whole reason Social Security began in the first place was that people during the Great Depression made no plans for their future and either wound up in the proverbial poor house or just living out their miserable existence on the streets. Socialism is not the way to fix that. Especially when you involve the government.
Let’s examine what the government takes care of and how they are doing financially:
- Medicare – Medicare’s HI Trust Fund is expected to pay out more in hospital benefits and other expenditures than it receives in income in all future years. In other words, it’s broke and needs bailed out.
- Social Security – Social Security expenditures exceeded the program’s non-interest income in 2010 for the first time since 1983. In other words, it’s broke and needs bailed out.
- Amtrak – The Company has a history of substantial operating losses and is highly dependent upon substantial Federal government subsidies to sustain its operations. In other words, it’s broke and needs bailed out.
- Dept. of Veteran’s Affairs – According to a recent VA Performance Report, the VA had a total of $74,063,000 in assets but $1, 564,361,000 in liabilities. In other words, it’s broke and needs bailed out.
- US Postal Service – The FY2012 (Q1) financial report from the USPS says that “[T]he Postal Service continues to suffer from a severe lack of liquidity caused by over $25 billion of net
losses over the past five years including $21 billion of statutory payments for prefunding retiree health benefits.”
There are more agencies, but I don’t have the time to list them here. The point is that everything the government puts their hands to goes belly-up so why would I want to hand my hard-earned money over to them and why in the world would I trust Obamacare to manage my healthcare? An old Air Force colleague is dealing with his mother being extremely sick and Medicare not wanting to provide the proper amount of care. In his words…
It’s tough enough dealing with my mom’s decline but to watch social workers, who use a Medicare computer program to determine the level of patient care, try to kick an 84 year old woman with brain cancer out the door is nothing but cruel.
For those proponents of Obamacare who are going to argue that there isn’t going to be healthcare rationing for the elderly or infirm, you are wrong. Dead wrong.
Heaven help us if someone should want to depend on their own wits and invest in their own future.
Memo to Self…
Last Updated on Friday, 24 February 2012 10:33 Written by Ken Friday, 24 February 2012 10:32
Don’t try to brush your teeth in the shower when you are that tired. Shampoo doesn’t taste too good.
