June 13, 2009 – At the suggestion of a good friend, I went to the bookstore and picked up a copy of Ayn Rand’s book, Atlas Shrugged. I should be cursing my friend for recommending it, as I have found it difficult to put the damn thing down to tend to my daily chores.

A few nights ago, way past my normal bedtime I might add, I came across a phrase that I haven’t been able get out of my head since reading it. Two characters, Dagny Taggert and Hank Reardon were having a discussion and one of them said something about how many people just occupy space on this planet.

I have always been fond of saying that some people are just wasting good oxygen, but when I read that in Atlas Shrugged, the words just leapt off the pages and struck a chord that is still resounding.

June 13, 2009 – If we refuse to consider ideas which may fall far outside our current paradigm, then we may find ourselves surrounded by an evil of unimaginable magnitude and not recognize its presence. Open your eyes fellow traveler to possibilities never before imagined and discover those things which have been directing your life, your thoughts, and your beliefs toward its evil end. Then reclaim your life and begin to live. (a voice in the wilderness)

Were the Sumerians and the Babylon’s stark raving mad? Was everyone in these early cultures in loss of their minds? 

June 13, 2009 - His room is ready; the walls have fresh paint and my kids prepared a basket of chocolates and other treats to place beside his bed. They hung a poster on his door that has been decorated with colored pens and glitter that says “Welcome Shobhi!” I have taught them that “Sobhi” actually means the “morning light”, and that during his visit, he will not be treated as a visitor, but as a brother. They have compiled a list of fun places to visit, parks, the beach and maybe a ferry ride.

Two weeks ago, my family, after months of anticipation, were scheduled to be the host family for a very special and unusual exchange program for kids from Gaza to visit the US. Our host child, Sobhi was schedule to arrive on May 30th.

June 13, 2009 – The $787 billion “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” otherwise known as the stimulus package, was signed into law by President Barack Obama in February. Since then, the economy has lost two million jobs, and unemployment has risen to 9.4 percent, — well beyond the administration’s top-end prediction of 8 percent if Congress would only spend the money. In Obama’s parallel universe, his so-called stimulus has thus far “saved or created” 150,000 jobs, and The One now promises to “save or create” another 600,000 jobs in the next 100 days. After that, he’ll part the Red Sea and turn water into wine.

June 13, 2009 – Hail the return of mob rule under the weak leadership of Barack Hussein Obama, the great and anointed citizen organizer, who has no experience at all running anything but a group of cretins (ACORN, etc.) who are out to change America into their grand vision of abject socialism.  That’s right, Obama’s mob, bought off by the Democrats with our money, have now elected their supreme emperor, to continue the great Democrat tradition of exploiting the naive and stupid among us, with promises of a socialist utopia, on the backs of American producers ….. you know, the responsible, self-reliant ones that work for a living, or create jobs with their wealth and end up paying for every unconstitutional handout, bailout or stimulus package that government can craft.

June 13, 2009 – “We” have to give the schools more money. “We” have to pay the teachers more. “We” have to get parents more involved in their children’s public schools. “We” have to get parents more involved in their children’s homework. “We” have to find a way to close the achievement gap between white children and black or Latino kids. “We” have to demand accountability from our public schools and teachers. “We” have to end the drugs and violence in our public schools.