The Freedom to call President Obama a Liar, Or for us to accuse members of the administration openly and in writing. Yes The freedom to say or recall anything you want. It is the freedom to openly ridicule our President, Government and troops to all the world without fear of becoming a political prisoner or being taken out back and being shot.

I will tell you what I will be remembering… I will remember that it was American soldiers that freed my mother and her family from Italy in WWII, so that she could come here and we could have a better life. By today’s standards America would probably have been told they should have stayed out of that war also because the oppressed people didn’t actually ask for their help.

I will be remembering all the dead American soldiers that died for others all around the world so they could be free from communism or oppression from dictators so that others could enjoy the freedoms that we have.

I will remember how American lives were given on foreign soil, twice, to liberate France so they could have the freedom to come against us in many ways during these last few wars with terrorism. I will remember the how American lives were also given to liberate Germany so they could also have the freedom to come against last few wars with terrorism.

Some may say that we Americans think that we are so good and righteous that we need to be the “Policemen of the World”. I don’t think that is it at all. I think it’s no different than when most good Americans who aren’t wrapped up in their own lives or agendas see another person in real need, stop and help, without any need for repayment.

What I will be trying to forget is all the bitterness that I STILL hear in the news. I read in the paper how the world is outraged that we would occupy IRAQ or Afghanistan, The freedom for the news or press to ONLY show us the few that want us out of those places.

I will be trying to forget all the pictures of the destruction being shown to us from oversees and trying to envision some of the articles I have read about Americans rebuilding schools, hospitals, and homes and the children having places of education, with electricity and hot running water, and the AMERICAN soldiers who put themselves in harms way to protect others who can’t protect themselves.

I will be continue to remember the 9/11 victims. Not because they were brave people, but because we can’t let it happen again… here or anywhere else.

A sincere thanks to all the AMERICANS that selflessly gave their lives, be it by death or by service in the armed forces, who have made this country a safer place for me and my family. I only wish I could repay the debt.

May God continue to bless you and your families.

A bright and beautiful Tuesday morning, 8:46 am was the moment the world we knew ceased to exist. Sixteen minutes later, there was no doubt in any of our minds that America The Beautiful was under attack! It was indeed a day like no other!

Ten years ago, our world was forever changed. Two strong towers that the we would never have imagined could fall fell mere minutes after impact. One fell in less time than most have for their lunch hour- 56 minutes; the other in less time than the average movie- 102 minutes. When they started to fall, it took only 12 seconds. We looked on in disbelief that this was reality- the news- and not the latest Hollywood blockbuster.

The official number of those killed in the attack is 2,819. This number alone is staggering! It is nothing less than mass murder, no matter how you try to explain it. The statistics are overwhelming!

Many have tried to make excuses for the mass murderers, but there is no acceptable excuse. Murder is murder, whether it’s under the guise of ‘misguided beliefs’ or not. Political Correctness may try to gloss over the facts, but we will never allow it!

The memory of these lives will never be forgotten! Never!

Here are just a few of the statistics from that fateful day. It is a part of America’s history that we must never allow to be diminished.

9/11 by the Numbers

Number of firefighters and paramedics killed: 343

Number of NYPD officers: 23

Number of Port Authority police officers: 37

Number of WTC companies that lost people: 60

Number of employees who died in Tower One: 1,402

Number of employees who died in Tower Two: 614

Number of nations whose citizens were killed in attacks: 115

Bodies found “intact”: 289

Body parts found: 19,858

Number of families who got no remains: 1,717

Estimated units of blood donated to the New York Blood Center: 36,000

Total units of donated blood actually used: 258

Number of people who lost a spouse or partner in the attacks: 1,609

Estimated number of children who lost a parent: 3,051

Percentage of Americans who knew someone hurt or killed in the attacks: 20

Number of funerals attended by Rudy Giuliani in 2001: 200

Number of FDNY vehicles destroyed: 98

Tons of debris removed from site: 1,506,124

Days fires continued to burn after the attack: 99

Jobs lost in New York owing to the attacks: 146,100

Days the New York Stock Exchange was closed: 6

Point drop in the Dow Jones industrial average when the NYSE reopened: 684.81

Economic loss to New York in month following the attacks: $105 billion

Estimated cost of cleanup: $600 million

Estimated amount donated to 9/11 charities: $1.4 billion

Estimated amount of insurance paid worldwide related to 9/11: $40.2 billion

Estimated amount of money needed to overhaul lower-Manhattan subways: $7.5 billion

Estimated amount of money raised for funds dedicated to NYPD and FDNY families: $500 million

Number of songs Clear Channel Radio considered “inappropriate” to play after 9/11: 150

Estimated number of New Yorkers suffering from post-traumatic-stress disorder as a result of 9/11: 422,000

__________

Source:

9/11 By The Numbers

If you attended this “come to Jesus meetin’ “, this is the situation that  precipitated the calling of that emergency meeting.

This week a situation occurred that required the involvement of a repairman. I will not bore you with all the gory details, but will give you an example of what your business practices reflects about you, as we discussed in our meeting.

We rent our home. The management company we rent has a name that is synonymous with honor. Their name implies that you can trust the company. The repair company that was sent out has a name that is a last name, Inc. There is nothing in the name that makes you think you can trust- or distrust- this company.

The repair that was required is outlined in the lease as the responsibility of the owner/management company. However, when I called in the repair request, after asking me a couple of questions, the receptionist told me it sounded like I would be responsible for paying for the repairs. Now, in the over-used words of our president- let me be clear: we are the kind of renters that every home owner dreams of. We do not call in fore repairs on anything unless it is an absolute necessity. We are in our third lease in this home, and this is only the 3rd time we have had to have a repair. The previous two repairs were not emergency repairs, but things we could not take care of. The last repair was an emergency: the air conditioner was not cooling properly. Being that it is one of the hottest summers on record, we are in a drought, and we have five children- this was an emergency.

We change our filters regularly. I keep a very clean house. Yes, even with five kids, I am a neat freak. I cannot function if everything is not in the right place. Clutter makes me crazy. I am a very detailed oriented person, so we have a schedule to make sure filters are changed and vacuumed, and other household chores are taken care of when needed.

We are also people who believe in personal responsibility. If we break something, we feel we are responsible for it.

However, if we are taking care of our responsibilities, and something happens, we believe that it is not our responsibility to take care of it.  The law agrees with us, as our lease specifically addresses this situation.

When the repairman called to get approval to do what he had to do, he was given the third degree as to the condition of the equipment. Now, before I go any further, yes, I understand that there are a lot of people that do not take care of things, nor do they take personal responsibility. Asking the questions to make sure nothing malicious or neglectful caused the problem is understandable. However, grilling the repairman is a completely different thing.

Once it was established that we had not caused the problem, and the cost for repairs was given, the repairman was then grilled about the breakdown of the charges. Now, again, yes, I understand that repairmen are usually not trusted, and many are known to be dishonest. However, when listing out the cost of the actual equipment, tools and other items needed to make the repair, factoring in the cost of travel costs and labor, anyone in the business world knows you have to make a profit to run a business.

The attitude of the owner of the management company was disdain that he would have to take care of the problem. This is the business he is in. He has renters who view the home he rents as their home, not just a rent home. We have never once been late with rent or any other issues.

His actions have reflected a lot less than a business owner with integrity. Not only has his attitude reflected poorly to his renters, but to the repair company as well. This business man- who identifies himself as a Christ follower- has reflected an attitude and actions of dishonor, deceit and untrustworthiness.

His reputation precedes him.

The New Oppressed Version of Barbie

I can just hear the commercials now:

“Hey, Girls!   Are you tired of having to drape a washcloth over your barbie when playing ‘Barbie and Ken love Sharia?’ Now you don’t have to!  Your Babie doll can now come complete with a hijab that covers her beautiful face lest Ken look upon her with desire….”

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this article, “It’s Barbie in a burkha: World-famous doll gets a makeover to go under the hammer for 50th anniversary”

I remember reading about the first changes Barbie had to undergo when they marketed the doll in the Orient.  It was logical, of course. There are no five foot, eight-inch tall blond-haired blue-eyed oriental women and the doll just sat on the shelves in Chinese and Japanese toy stores.

I remember when Barbie began to emulate women from all over the world in appearance and costume. It was a good thing. Often times the doll would wear the traditional costume of that culture and it was a learning experience for our daughters all over the world. I know I loved them. They were beautiful; but this is taking it too far.

Barbie has always represented the progressive American woman. She had her own mansion, she had her own jeep, she had various careers and an amazing wardrobe. Barbie also had a Ken doll, but he never really made it as her husband in our culture.  He was just kind of a “boy-on-the-side”, wasn’t he?  While I played often with my Barbie dolls, and even played Barbie “goes on a date” with Ken, I never really needed Ken to be happy with my Barbie collection. It was all about the clothing and accessories.

Well now some lucky little Italian girls will be able to play with their Barbies “appropriately”.

Clothing: Check!

Accesories: Check!

Amazing Shoes for Perfectly Arched and Dainty Foot: Check – infinity! (oh, yes, it is all about the shoes…)

Now dress her up, kids, but don’t forget to drape her underneath her Hijab. We don’t want anyone to actually SEE your Barbie.  They might like the way she looks.

In the article referenced above, they used a clever phrase to describe hidden-from-view Barbie. She’s going “under cover”. Isn’t that cute? Well, here’s a wake-up call, Italy.  Spies go “under cover”. Strong independent warriors who work overseas to keep our country informed and policemen who are trying to infiltrate crime rings go under cover.

Muslim women under the Hijab are not “under cover”. They are oppressed. Shrouded. Secluded. Mistreated.

From the article:  “The company director of Laird Assessors from The Wirral, Cheshire, said: ‘Bring it on Burkha Barbie, I think this is a great idea.  I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.”

Really? Even if what their playing with represents a life of bondage???

While I tend to agree with Cheshire in regards to the importance of girls identifying with their toys, I think she is out of touch with the realities of Islam. How this is possible is beyond my understanding when Italy’s own Oriana Fallaci wrote continuously about the dangers of the invasion of Islam and Sharia law upon her soil.  Cheshire must have never read any of Fallaci’s works, or Fallaci was tragically correct when she said that her society was in danger.  Why else would a career woman like Cheshire be so deceived that she would encourage the glorification of a symbol of sorrow?

Shouldn’t a girl play with a toy that gives her hopes and dreams to become something wonderful? A girl should have a doll that encourages her, not condemns her to a life of non-identity. Women are only allowed to remove the coverings within their homes, or in the houses of women friends whose husbands are not presently at home.

{Already that causes my eyes to sting with the tell-tale signs of tears.  They are “allowed”…} Does no one see what an imprisoned life this is?

You may be seen in your house, but nowhere else. Prison.

If you leave, you must cover yourself with this cloth. Prison.

Can you hear the women now, so brainwashed into thinking that it is appropriate that they are thanking their husbands for the generosity of providing the revealing eye screen so they won’t trip over things wherever they go?

Why is it that so many Islamic women are condemned to this lifestyle?

To quote cleric Nasser Al-Huneini, ”If revealing a woman’s face might lead to temptation and other things, it is forbidden. In addition, even when they permitted the revealing of the woman’s face, they placed restrictions on this.  Even Sheik Al-Albani did so.  The woman is not allowed to expose her neck or her hair. She is not allowed to appear with make-up or jewelry.”

In essence, women are draped in coverings for the sake of men who refuse to control their cravings and lust. Instead, they punish the woman for being. She is punished for being beautiful. She is punished for being attractive. She is punished for being lovely.

Every honest man would say that it isn’t what is seen that drives men wild. It is what is NOT seen.  To wonder at what lies beneath a woman’s clothing is the very thing that gets his blood pressure going, and anyone who has done a modicum of research knows that it is what is left to the imagination that men are attracted to. It is my personal opinion that seeing women walk around underneath such concealing items will only push a man to imagine himself into a frenzy. And now we are going to teach our little girls that it is appropriate to punish the woman for being born pretty instead of teach our little boys to control their eyes. It’s always been rude to stare, remember?

While I do not endorse skimpy clothing, and have even had my concerns about the non-realistic body of the Barbie doll, I have never prevented my own children from playing with them and I would certainly never endorse the shrouding of even a doll’s body and face in cloth.

What is next? Will Ken now come with his own stick to beat Barbie when he doesn’t know what else to do with her independent ways, and his own jeep to run her over in an attempt at an honor killing if she becomes “too western”?

Ms. Eliana Lorena with her designs.