This Day In History

The Boston red Sox traded the beloved Babe (the Bambino) Ruth to the New York Yankees, enraging the fans. The curse of  the Bambino began, and lasted a very long 86 years. The Red Sox did not win another World Series until 2004.

Dead Woman Gets Federal Stimulus Check

POSTED: 12:32 am EDT May 12, 2009
ANNE ARUNDEL, Md. -- Millions of Americans on Social Security are receiving $250 checks as part of the president's stimulus plan -- including an Anne Arundel woman who died more than 40 years ago.

The woman's son, 83-year-old James Hagner, said he got the surprise when he checked his mailbox late last week.

"It shocked me and I laughed all at the same time," Hagner said. "I don't even expect to get one for myself, and I get one for my mother from 43 years ago?"

His mother, Rose, died on Memorial Day in 1967.

Social Security representatives said there is a good explanation. Of the about 52 million checks that have been mailed out, about 10,000 of those have been sent to people who are deceased.

The agency blames the error on the strict mid-June deadline of mailing out all of the checks, which didn't leave officials much time to clean up all of their records.

Agents ask that people return the check if they receive it. Hagner said he'd like to frame it and hang it on his wall. "I just want to keep it as a souvenir. I'll never cash it," Hagner said.

Social Security officials said they aren't expecting to lose too much money to fraud. They're reminding the public that it's a federal offense to cash someone else's Social Security check.

This is the government that people trust and want running our country.  I wonder how long it takes them to get a  dead person out of their system? Do you wonder why we are so in debt, just do the math on this story. Do they really think people are going to send that money back? They aren’t expecting to lose too much money? 10,000 checks mailed to 10,000 dead people comes to $2,500,000. But to the government that is simply pocket change isn’t it. Social Security is already going broke, after reading this I don’t wonder why. If you trust the Government with your money, think again.

A Good Story

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave a very brief introduction of his childhood friend. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean." The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.

He continued, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life....to which boy he would throw the other end of the line. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves. As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw the line to his son's friend. By the time he pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black of night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of the old man's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us." With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian." "Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is it? But I'm standing here today to tell you that THAT story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me. You see....I was the son's friend."

This story shows us all what life is really all about; and that is Jesus. Our lives should not be about ourselves but about Him. If you know the Lord Jesus, then it really is better to give up your own life to save one that doesn't know Jesus; giving the one that is right now eternally lost a chance to come to know the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ.

Squash Power

Do you ever feel weak? I know I do. Sometimes things come my way and I think I will just crumble under the load. I really like the following article, and after reading it, it made me stop and think. I came to the conclusion that I really am stronger than I think. It is quite interesting the things that we can truly bear. I find that my strength comes from the Lord, for it is He who has given me the strength to get through so many seemingly impossible situations in my life. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did.

In an interesting experiment at Amherst College (Massachusetts), a band of steel was secured around a young squash. As the squash grew, it exerted pressure on the steel band. Researchers wanted to know just how strong a squash could be, so they measured the force it brought to bear on its constraints. They initially estimated that it might be able to exert as much as 500 pounds of pressure.

In one month, the squash was pressing 500 pounds. In two months it was applying 1,500 pounds and, when it reached 2,000 pounds, researches had to strengthen the steel band. The squash eventually brought 5,000 pounds of pressure to bear on the band when the rind split open.

They opened the squash and found it inedible. It was full of tough, course fibers that had grown to push against the constraining obstacle. The plant required great amounts of nutrients to gain the strength needed to break its bonds, and its roots extended out about 80,000 feet in all directions. The squash had single-handedly taken over the garden space!

We have no idea just how strong we really can be! If a squash can exert that much physical pressure, how much more strength can human beings apply to a situation? Most of us are stronger than we realize. I am told that it was Eleanor Roosevelt who observed that "a woman is like a tea bag - you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." The same, of course, is true about men.

Does an obstacle you are presently facing loom large before you? Does it seem just too big? Perhaps overwhelming? If so, remember the squash. It's single-minded purpose was to break the bonds which held it.

Tim Allen on Martha Stewart:

"Boy, I feel safer now that Martha Stewart is behind bars. O.J. and Kobe are walking around; Osama Bin Laden is still out there, and they take the one woman in America willing to cook, clean and work in the yard and haul her off to jail."

X for Kiss

Did you ever wonder where the X for Kiss came from? Well I get this news letter every month where I live and there were some interesting things about the month of February and Valentines. This just happened to be in there. So for what it's worth, here it goes.

The "X" symbolized a kiss because in ancient days, when few people knew how to write, they would simply sign an "X" to show their agreement, then kiss the mark to emphasize their sincerity.

Aren't you glad that people finally learned how to write? I sure am.

Good News

Good News! Today I recieved this e-mail concerning the previous post that I made on Monday:

THANKS TO YOU, KID ROCK WILL NOT BE APPEARING AT THE INAUGURATION
Dear Amy, Just a note to says thanks for participating in the effort concerning Kid Rock and the Presidential Inauguration. Because of your efforts, and the efforts of many thousands more, he will not appear. Thanks for caring enough to get involved. Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

I also want to personally say "thank you" to all of you that wrote or called in concerning this.

Upsetting News

I received an e-mail this morning that was rather disturbing to me. I thought that I would make this post so that you might be aware of this and if you wish, take action against it.

"Last week I learned that Kid Rock will perform at the Youth Concert at the Presidential Inauguration. Kid Rock represents everything that Values Voters voted against in the last election.

We asked a few of our supporters to call the Presidential Inauguration Committee (PIC) and ask that Kid Rock be uninvited. We were hoping that this situation would be resolved without becoming a major issue. Those who called were told that what AFA had said about Kid Rock performing was only an Internet rumor, that AFA did not know what we were talking about and that AFA was not telling the truth.

Elisabeth Bumiller, writing in the January 3 edition of the New York Times, confirmed that Kid Rock would perform. She wrote: "The Bush twins, Jenna and Barbara, will be hosts of the youth concert, where the teenage singer JoJo will appear along with Kid Rock." An article in WorldNetDaily also confirmed Kid Rock's appearance."

What I read about this guy I would rather not post because it is vulagar and sexual and so I have included some links for you if you are interested.: http://www.afa.net/petitions/kidrockinfo.asp

Here are the ways you can contact to protest against this:
e-mail: http://www.afa.net/Petitions/TakeAction.asp?id=114 The following information will also appear after you send your email. PIC's number is 202-863-2005. If the phone is busy, call until you get through. If you do not get a satisfactory answer, I suggest you call the Republican National Committee. Their number is 202-863-8500. Ask them to express your displeasure with the choice of Kid Rock. Maybe RNC can convince PIC to uninvite Kid Rock.

I really don't like posting things like this but these kinds of things make me sick. I'm hoping that enough calls will be made to put a stop to this guy performing at the Inauguration. one more link you might find interresting is www.afa.net