What's in a Name?

I must confess, I don't like my name. I hate having to repeat it, spell it and slowly dissect it. I despise having to say..."You know, like Tyra Banks." She is not exactly the role model I aspire to be; although, she is quite the looker. Oddly, my name is very popular in the African-American Community and usually gets listed in the credits of any black film. My parents were Caucasian, yet decided on "Tyra" for a girl and "Tyrone" for a boy. Sorry, Mom, but...are you kidding me? Perhaps my mother's secret crush on Sidney Poitier inspired the soal-sister in her; or perhaps trying to match my father's T.N.T. initials left her searching. Actually, my mother's story is that when I was born, her sister reminded her of an acquaintance that she went to college with named Tyra (she was white), so I should blame my aunt Barbara. Did I forget to mention my middle name is Neill? I know what you're thinking...what kind of drugs were my parents on?

A name defines a person. It's such an important part of one's identity and I'm not sure if parents take this challenge seriously. Hollywood stars, for instance, are notorious for naming their children strange, exotic and bizarre names...remember "Apple"? I just want a normal one. I like Kasey or Kaitlyn. What do you think, am I too old to change it?

Fannie and Freddie...Who's Fault Is It?

I must admit, I'm not a financial genius, and trying to wrap my mind around the complicated intricacies of America's latest economic downfall has me spinning. I first went to my brilliant financial-CPA-husband, whom so graciously explained the fiasco. My first question was: "Whose brilliant idea was it to get the Government involved with a lending corporation?" Upon further investigation here is what I discovered:

Eamonn Butler at the Adam Smith Institute blog offers his answer:
It started with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, which aimed to support community groups, but in 1995 the Act was extended and beefed up, giving regulators far more powers to punish banks who refused to lend to people in poor urban neighbourhoods – so-called ‘redlining’ – because they considered the risks too high in those particular areas.Congress's idea, obviously, was to extend to poorer people the same rights and enjoyment of home ownership that the middle-class majority possessed. But in fact it precipitated the banks into giving loans to some rather shaky people. Quite simply, they feared retribution by the regulators if they did not.As a result, sub-prime loans mushroomed in the late 1990s. Not too bad for as long as the US economy was booming. But booms inevitably burn out and then the banks started to realize the magnitude of their dodgy contracts. And now, the whole world is being sucked into this crisis, and ordinary, prudent bank customers find themselves and their money frighteningly exposed.

2003 NY Times article:
According to the NY Times article, the Bush administration proposed new regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which would have tightened up loose lending, but Democrats opposed it because it would make it harder for poor people (read NAMs if you prefer) to own homes:
Among the groups denouncing the proposal today were the National Association of Home Builders and Congressional Democrats who fear that tighter regulation of the companies could sharply reduce their commitment to financing low-income and affordable housing.
''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.'' Representative Melvin L. Watt, Democrat of North Carolina, agreed. ''I don't see much other than a shell game going on here, moving something from one agency to another and in the process weakening the bargaining power of poorer families and their ability to get affordable housing,'' Mr. Watt said.

That's rich. Liberal Democrat Barney Frank said that Fannie and Freddie "are not facing any kind of financial crisis." Had Democrats voted for this legislation, a financial crisis and expensive government bailout might have been averted.

The New York Times also said there was a "lobbying battle" over Bush's proposal to reign in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...so, lets follow the money! Over the last ten years, from 1989 to 2008, the top three recipients of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac campaign contributions are...drum roll please: (1) Democratic Senator Christopher Dodd and Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, (3) Democrat Senator John Kerry. What about number 2 you ask? I think someone stepped in number two because, in less than four years in office, a certain inexperienced, junior Senator from Illinois somehow managed to rise to the number (2) spot in most campaign contributions received from the, now under Federal conservatorship, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac: Democratic Senator Barack Obama. Change!

So in essence, Jimmy Carter in 1977 started it, and Bill Clinton "revised" it, Bush tried to change it (but it didn't pass a Democratic Congress) and now Obama is benefiting from it. Great. Now the tax payers will have to pay for it.

So much for NOT living in a socialized society. Thanks, Democrats, once again!

Football...it's just a game!

I don't get America's obsession with Football. It's just a game to me. People get crazy over their team (my husband included) and lose their minds over a game. Maybe it's just me, but I find getting THAT worked up over ANY sport to be a little strange.

My oldest son decided he wanted to play football this year. I was against it; I got overruled. It's not that I mind him trying new things, it's just that I know my son. He wants to be big and strong and tough, but he's not; he's still a little boy. He gets obsessed with his socks not being on "just right" or his shirt being too long or his shoe strings not being tied a certain way. Let's just say that putting on ALL that gear has been a challenging experience for him. He isn't able to wrap his mind around "just grin a bear it" when his shoulder pads are too heavy or his knee pads don't fit "exactly" over his knees. Anyway, I hate to say "I told you so"...but I TOLD YOU SO!

Another thing that irritates me about Football is the time commitment and their attitude that football comes first. Huh? I'm secretly hoping that my boys decide baseball is the sport for them. I don't think I can take another season of football.

Don't Worry...Be Happy!

Life is weird. In my beautiful neighborhood I've got the liberal-loving Obamas across the street from me and the Baptist-conservatives to the right of me, and the moderate-Catholics to the left of me. I ran into my Baptist conservative neighbor this morning who was saying if Obama wins, she'll just give up hope. We talked awhile about politics, Palin, God, etc...we stand for basically the same things so it was a "rah-rah" session, but afterwards, I thought..."This isn't right. We are getting ourselves worked up when we aren't even in control!"

As I was on my knees today before the Lord I just proclaimed, "You are STILL on the throne. You are Sovereign. No matter what happens, You are my king. It doesn't matter who wins; what matters is that I am on Your side! I will follow You know matter what...so it just doesn't matter." It feels so free to let go of the world's problems and lay it at His feet. I am so thankful God passionately pursued me. I hope whomever reads this knows, He is passionately pursuing them too.

Sad...Disgusting...Pathetic...

From Jonathon Martin's Blog:

"South Carolina Democratic chairwoman Carol Fowler sharply attacked Sarah Palin today, saying John McCain had chosen a running mate "whose primary qualification seems to be that she hasn’t had an abortion.” Palin is an opponent of abortion rights and gave birth to her fifth child, Trig, earlier this year after finding out during her pregnancy that the baby had Down syndrome.Fowler told my colleague Alex Burns in an interview that the selection of an opponent of abortion rights would not boost McCain among many women.“Among Democratic women and even among independent women, I don’t think it helped him,” she said. Told of McCain's boost in the new ABC/Washington Post among white women following the Palin pick, Fowler said: "Just anecdotally, I believe that those white women are Republican women anyway."

Inspirational Reads

I have been blessed lately to read so many inspirational biographies about peoples' lives and the path that God takes them on. At the present time, I am reading the most remarkable true story of a small town no-name pastor who feels a calling to reach out to the gangs in New York City. It takes place between 1957-60. A time in History in which most Americans would consider "the good ole days", and yet, evil, despair, destruction and lawlessness were at the core of these lost teenagers' lives. I'm so in awe of the Holy Spirit's power to transform a black and cold heart into one of repentance and shame, seeking the Lord's Holy love....all in a matter of seconds. What years and years of counselling and rehabilitation could accomplish, the Holy Spirit did instantaneously! Here is an excerpt from the "Cross and the Switchblade" by David Wilkerson:

Nicky Cruz, the toughest, meanest, life-taking gang-banger in New York testified: "Well, I went back to my seat and I was thinking harder than I ever thought before. He (the preacher) started talking and it was all about the Holy Spirit. The preacher said the Holy Spirit could get inside people and make them clean. He said it didn't matter what they'd done, the Holy Spirit could make them start new, like babies. Suddenly, I wanted that so bad I couldn't stand it. It was as if I was seeing myself for the first time. All the filth and the hate and the foulness like pictures in front of my eyes."
" 'You can be different!' he said. 'Your life can be changed!"
"I wanted that, I needed that, but I knew it couldn't happen to me. The preacher told us to come forward if we wanted to be changed but I knew it was no use for me."
"Then Israel told us all to get up. 'I'm President,' he said, 'and this whole gang is going up there!'
"I was the first one at the rail. I kneeled down and said the first prayer of my life and this was it: 'Dear God, I'm the dirtiest sinner in New York. I don't think You want me. If You do want me, You can have me. As bad as I was before, I want to be that good for Jesus.'
"Later the preacher gave me a Bible and then I went home wondering if the Holy Ghost was really inside me, and how I would know. The first thing that happened, when I went in my room and shut the door I didn't feel scared. I felt like I had company in the room-not God or anyone like that, but the way I'd feel if my mother came back. "
"The next day everyone was staring because word had gone around that Nicky had religion. But another thing happened that made me know it was real. Little kids would always run when they saw me, but on that day, two little boys stared at me a minute and then they came right up to me. They wanted me to measure and see which one of them was taller-nothing important. Only I put my arms around them because I knew then I was different, even if it didn't show except to kids."
"Then, a few weeks later, a Dragon came up to me and he said, 'Is it true you don't carry weapons any more?' I told him it was true, and he pulled a ten-inch knife and went for my chest. I threw my hand up and caught the knife there. I don't know why, but he ran, and I stood there, looking at the blood coming from my hand. I remembered how blood always made me go crazy, but that day it didn't. Words came into my mind that I had read in my Bible, 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' I ripped my shirt and tied up my hand and from that day blood never bothered me."

Amazingly, Nicky had a terrible speech impediment but as he spoke, the straining, painful, stammering voice in which he had begun his story, had altered. Gradually the words came more readily, the sounds clearer, until he was speaking as distinctly and effortlessly as anyone in the room. Only now had Nicky himself realized it. He stood on the platform trembling, unable to go on, tears streaming down his face. Nicky Cruz went on to become one of Jesus' most humble servants and has since evangelized all over the world.

Ironically, I bought the book for a loved one that was in jail at the time. One of the world's troubled teens desperately searching for life's true meaning down a dark and scary path. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to receive any outside literature, so I started reading it. I'm so inspired by the author's story and his servant's heart. I so desire the Lord to place me where I'm needed the most. I so much want EVERYONE to know how precious they are to Him; how much pain and suffering our Lord went through so we could experience His unconditional love. My prayer is that I will be worthy of God's calling and discerning enough to hear His voice.

The Socialist Barnyard

Once upon a time, on a farm in Virginia, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat..

She called all of her Democrat neighbors together and said, 'If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?''
Not I,' said the cow.
'Not I,' said the duck.
'Not I,' said the pig.
'Not I,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.

The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.
'Not I,' said the duck.'Out of my classification,' said the pig.
'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread.'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen.
'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow.
'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck.
'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig.
'If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the goose.
'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, 'No, I shall eat all five loaves.

''Excess profits!' cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi)
'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer)
'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose (Jesse Jackson)
The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy)

And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.Then a government agent came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not be so greedy.''
But I earned the bread,' said the little red hen.
'Exactly,' said the agent. 'That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.'

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, 'I am grateful, for now I truly understand.'

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her.. She never again baked bread because she joined the 'party' and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. 'Fairness' had been established. Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared...so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.

Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs..Hillary got $8 million for hers. That's $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years, repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn't remember anything.

IS THIS A GREAT BARNYARD OR WHAT?

Bush...Africa's Hero

The Dems want the world to believe that Bush is an evil, war-mongering, unintelligent, oil-greedy president. I wonder if the liberal media has bothered to check out how the Africans feel about him. I found an amazing and insightful article in the Boston Globe.


Bush's enduring legacy in Africa
Boston Globe

With an 80 percent approval rating in many African countries, what is it that the Bush administration did differently in Africa than it did elsewhere?
Andrew Natsios
September 4, 2008
Andrew Natsios

"WHEN PRESIDENT BUSH traveled to sub-Sahara Africa in February he was greeted by large and tumultuous crowds of admirers - which mystified many of his critics, who believe that the animosity toward his administration abroad is universal. But polling data from the Pew Foundation shows something different: Approval ratings for the United States exceed 80 percent in many African countries, some with large Muslim populations. In Darfur, many families name their newborn sons George Bush.

What is it that the Bush administration did differently in Africa than it did elsewhere?
Certainly one factor is that Africa is not the Middle East or central Asia where America is fighting two unpopular wars and where polls show America at an all-time low in public esteem. In Sudan, the United States played a central role as peacemaker in ending a 20-year civil war between the Arab north and African south, which killed 2 million people.

It was the Bush administration that first raised the alarm about the atrocities in Darfur, organized a massive humanitarian relief effort to save people in the displaced camps, and rallied an international coalition to send peacekeeping troops to restore order through the United Nations and the African Union. While the civil war continues, casualties have declined and people are being fed by aid agencies, thanks to US government generosity, which may explain why Bush is so popular among the Africans in the camps. America has played an important role as mediator in Burundi, Liberia, Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo after civil wars devastated all five countries. Administration policy in Africa has not been without its failures: its military campaign in Somalia has been an embarrassment, putting vulnerable people at risk.

However important these diplomatic efforts may be, Bush's enduring legacy in Africa rests on humanitarian and economic, not political, foundations. More than anything else it has been the revolution in the US government's development assistance that is responsible for Bush's popularity.

The Bush administration doubled foreign aid worldwide over the past eight years, the largest increase since the Truman administration, and used it to encourage poor countries to undertake political and economic reform. Total US government development aid to Africa alone has quadrupled from $1.3 billion in 2001 to more than $5 billion in 2008, and is scheduled to go to $8.7 billion in 2010, principally for education (primary school enrollment in Africa is up 36 percent since 1999), healthcare, building civil society, and protecting fragile environments.
Africa has received $3.5 billion in additional funds from Bush's Millennium Challenge Corporation initiative, which rewards poor countries that encourage economic growth, govern well, and provide social services for their people. The president's HIV/AIDS program, principally focused on providing Africans with anti-retroviral drugs to treat the disease (1.7 million people are on the therapy), has been such a success that the program has been extended to 2015 at $48 billion. His five-year, $1.2 billion effort to combat malaria has provided 4 million insecticide-treated bed nets and 7 million drug therapies to vulnerable people.

The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, approved in 2000 and reauthorized in expanded form in 2004, provides trade benefits with the United States for 40 African countries that have implemented reforms to encourage economic growth. Since 2001, US exports to Africa have more than doubled to $14 billion a year, while African exports to the United States more than tripled to $67 billion, of which $3.4 billion has been in goods other than oil. USAID has provided more than $500 million in trade capacity building for poor countries to access international markets, which is the only way Africa will escape the poverty that has for too long oppressed the continent.

While Bush's critics have given him little credit for his African initiatives, they will be among his most enduring legacies in a region of the world neglected by policymakers from both parties for too long. Africans will long remember what Bush' critics have ignored."

Andrew Natsios is a professor in the practice of diplomacy at Georgetown University, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, and former administrator of the US Agency for International Development.

Watch out DEMS...We got PALIN!

Sarah Palin...WOW! As I watched Palin give her speech last night at the RNC, I felt so proud to be an American, a Republican, a Christian and a woman. I got tears in my eyes when the cameras focused on the veterans in the audience, and specifically, one of McCain's cell mates at the Hanoi Hilton. I loved her quick wit and biting humor (and secretly hoped Obama, Biden or Clinton(s) were watching and perhaps felt a sting or two). I loved her precious-looking family, and her darling little girl holding her tiny baby brother (did you see her lick her hand to lay down his hair?). I loved how poised, calm, self-assured and intelligent she was. In essence, I'm blown away by her and I have to come clean: I've got a MAJOR girl-crush on Sarah Palin.

After almost two years of the liberal-biased media singing Obama's praises, we finally have someone to whom even they seem baffled by. I am on the edge of my seat, anxiously awaiting the debates. Hopefully, Biden will be packing some heat, because he's going to need it. Palin is no shrinking violet; although, she is quite the looker. This gives her an extreme advantage because it is exactly what men fear the most: a hottie with brains whose not afraid to use her "assets". You go, girl! You give them all you got...oh, and show a little cleavage while you're at it! :)

Baby On Board

I have to admit, I'm excited about McCain's presumptive Vice President, Sarah Palin. The more I research, listen and read about her, the more I'm impressed. McCain needed to throw a curve ball, and boy, did he ever! I am PUMPED for the first time about the McCain ticket! I can finally support a woman candidate to whom holds sacred the values that I cherish. Sarah Palin, you're my kind of woman!

Amazingly, the liberals (who claim to be so non-judgmental and open-minded) are focusing on Palin's 17 year-old pregnant daughter! Some liberals are saying, "If Palin can't run her family, how can she run the country." Others are saying, "If Palin were for sex education in schools, this wouldn't have happened." Are you FREAKIN kidding me??? Have these people just recently received an upper lobotomy? Did they go from diapers to adulthood and skip their teens? I was raised in a Christian home, went to church, knew that pre-marital sex was wrong and STILL did it! Guess what liberal anti-Christian America...Christians aren't perfect. We don't claim to be. In fact, that's the whole point of Christianity! We know we are sinners and need a savior! Hence the whole Jesus-dying-on-the-cross-for-our-sins idea. It's amazing to me that Clinton, a married adult and NOT a 17-year-old, whom was the President of the United States, could receive oral sex underneath the oval office desk by a 21 year-old intern, received sympathy and pathetic excuses from his leftest counterparts...but Palin...she's quite the monster. She has a teenager that is sexually active and now has to grow up extremely fast because she chose to participate in an adult activity. That's it. End of story. Perhaps if Palin's daughter would have aborted the baby and chained herself to a tree in order to save it, she could have become a heroin to these people. Amazing the hypocrisy.

The older I get, the more I realize that ONLY God's mercy and grace can save us. We are all sinners; we are all imperfect; we are all dysfunctional. Perhaps politics would be better served if we ALL remember that he without sin should cast the first stone.

As for Palin...well, God be with you...you are going to need him.