Grandma Bloomberg meet Grandpa Patterson.
I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up with politicians who want to legislate society into living a healthier lifestyle, always under the pretense that it “for our own good”. First our dear mayor Michael Bloomberg bans trans fats from restaurants. Then he requires fast food providers to post the caloric intake of their foods. And let’s not forget his fixation on banning smoking. It is now easier to smoke a joint in New York City than it is to smoke a cigarette . . . And no, I am not a smoker.
Now New York State Governor David Patterson has decided that he will out-grandparent Mayor Bloomberg by pushing for a “fat tax”. (http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2008/12/the-doctor-is-in-cyberspace.html) According to New York Daily News columnist Elizabeth Benjamin, this tax will involve an “18 percent levy on sugary drinks like non-diet soda.” New York State Health Commissioner Richard Daines openly admits that the purpose of this tax is to, in Benjamin’s words, “disincentivize sugary drinks, which research shows are the top culprit in the childhood obesity epidemic, and encourage people to return to 1970s-era levels of consumption of other, less fattening beverages like milk and water.”
Instead of worrying about our cholesterol and the size of our waistlines, our esteemed Mayor and Governor should focus on more important things, such as the following:
$ Why the MTA continues to lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually, resulting in ever rising fares paid by commuters?
$ Why it is that NYC public school teachers are forced to hold classes in hallways because of limited space? Isn’t the money generated from Lotto supposed to go towards our schools? Where instead is that money being spent?
$ What rules were bent and what “incentives” were given to the Yankees to encourage the franchise to build its new stadium in the Bronx?
Maybe if our elected officials spent more time on pressing issues such as these, they would be less inclined to worry about our vices.
Donald Tremblay
Catholic Agenda
Catholic Agenda
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas
1 And it came to pass, that in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that the whole world should be enrolled.
2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David,
5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock.
9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.
10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: 7 "Her firstborn"... The meaning is, not that she had afterward any other child; but it is a way of speech among the Hebrews, to call them also the firstborn, who are the only children. See annotation Matt. 1. 25.
11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.
15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.
16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.
18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2: 1-20
Merry Christmas.
Donald Tremblay
2 This enrolling was first made by Cyrinus, the governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be enrolled, every one into his own city.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem: because he was of the house and family of David,
5 To be enrolled with Mary his espoused wife, who was with child.
6 And it came to pass, that when they were there, her days were accomplished, that she should be delivered.
7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock.
9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear.
10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people: 7 "Her firstborn"... The meaning is, not that she had afterward any other child; but it is a way of speech among the Hebrews, to call them also the firstborn, who are the only children. See annotation Matt. 1. 25.
11 For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.
12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger.
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying:
14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.
15 And it came to pass, after the angels departed from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us see this word that is come to pass, which the Lord hath showed to us.
16 And they came with haste; and they found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.
18 And all that heard, wondered; and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, for all the things they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2: 1-20
Merry Christmas.
Donald Tremblay
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Sold a Bill of Goods?
My generation was taught that greed and capitalism-run-amok were responsible for the Great Depression. We were taught that the Stock Market crash was directly responsible for the eventual 20%-plus unemployment rate which plagued the country for several years during the early 1930s. Thomas Sowell refutes this notion in his latest column, “Another Great Depression?” (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/12/another_great_depression.html) Using data from Out of Work, a book written by scholars Richard Vedder and Lowell Galloway, Sowell argues that it may have been the government interventionist policies of Presidents Herbert Hoover and FDR that were truly responsible for the skyrocketing unemployment rates of the 1930s.
Sowell points out that in Nov 1929, one month after the stock market crash, the unemployment rate was 5%. In December 1929 it climbed to 9%, but then steadily decreased until it hit 6.3 percent in June 1930. It was at this time that the Smoot-Hawley tariffs were passed, which like all tariffs sought to limit imports to protect American jobs. According to Sowell just five months after the passage of these acts “the unemployment rate hit double digits for the first time in the 1930s.” From there despite government intervention, or because of government intervention as Sowell argues, the unemployment rate climbed to over 20% where it remained for nearly three years.
Not being an economist I am in no in position to argue whether Sowell’s contention is accurate or not. However, since I generally believe that when government bureaucracy gets involved in anything it tends to make matters worse, it would not surprise me if his analysis is correct. Which brings me to the current taxpayer bailout of corporate America. I understand that if these corporations tank many jobs will be lost. But are we just throwing money into an empty pit? Will the same mismanagement that bankrupted these companies waste the bailout money as well? Where does the accountability lie?
Plus, the game of politics dictates that you never agree to anything unless there is something in it for you. The people on Capitol Hill are politicians, not missionaries, which means that in exchange for approving federal handouts in any form they will expect support for their pork projects. For ex., today Las Vegas television network News 3 reports that Nevada Senator Harry Reid is looking for one billion dollars from a possible federal economic stimulus package to repair and upgrade Las Vegas roads. (http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9567674) I’m sorry but you will be hard-pressed to convince me that fixing roads in Vegas somehow benefits those who have been laid off without a severance package and are relying on unemployment insurance to feed their families and pay their bills.
Something tells me that decades from now history will not look back kindly at how taxpayers dollars were spent.
Donald Tremblay
Sowell points out that in Nov 1929, one month after the stock market crash, the unemployment rate was 5%. In December 1929 it climbed to 9%, but then steadily decreased until it hit 6.3 percent in June 1930. It was at this time that the Smoot-Hawley tariffs were passed, which like all tariffs sought to limit imports to protect American jobs. According to Sowell just five months after the passage of these acts “the unemployment rate hit double digits for the first time in the 1930s.” From there despite government intervention, or because of government intervention as Sowell argues, the unemployment rate climbed to over 20% where it remained for nearly three years.
Not being an economist I am in no in position to argue whether Sowell’s contention is accurate or not. However, since I generally believe that when government bureaucracy gets involved in anything it tends to make matters worse, it would not surprise me if his analysis is correct. Which brings me to the current taxpayer bailout of corporate America. I understand that if these corporations tank many jobs will be lost. But are we just throwing money into an empty pit? Will the same mismanagement that bankrupted these companies waste the bailout money as well? Where does the accountability lie?
Plus, the game of politics dictates that you never agree to anything unless there is something in it for you. The people on Capitol Hill are politicians, not missionaries, which means that in exchange for approving federal handouts in any form they will expect support for their pork projects. For ex., today Las Vegas television network News 3 reports that Nevada Senator Harry Reid is looking for one billion dollars from a possible federal economic stimulus package to repair and upgrade Las Vegas roads. (http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=9567674) I’m sorry but you will be hard-pressed to convince me that fixing roads in Vegas somehow benefits those who have been laid off without a severance package and are relying on unemployment insurance to feed their families and pay their bills.
Something tells me that decades from now history will not look back kindly at how taxpayers dollars were spent.
Donald Tremblay
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Pride and Global Warming
Uh-oh.
Looks like it might be time for a certain CNN meteorologist to begin searching for a new line of work.
Chad Myers, an American Meteorological Society certified meteorologist, uttered blasphemous words on the Dec 18 edition of CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight”:
“‘You know, to think that we could affect weather all that much is pretty arrogant,’ Myers said. ‘Mother Nature is so big, the world is so big, the oceans are so big – I think we’re going to die from a lack of fresh water or we’re going to die from ocean acidification before we die from global warming, for sure.’”
(http://businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081218205953.aspx)
Myers must have had a case of temporary insanity. Questioning one of the commandments of 21st century western society? He should immediately run up to the nearest tree, prostrate himself before it and beg forgiveness. Otherwise, environmentalists will demand he be burned at the stake.
Oh no, scratch that. I forgot that fire releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thus killing the ozone layer.
Well, maybe they can make an exception in this case and give this heretic the fiery punishment he deserves. After all environmentalists often disregard their “values” when it’s convenient. Ozone Man Al Gore allegedly uses enough electricity to supply the eastern seaboard of the U.S.
Someone close to Myers, maybe a friend or a relative, needs to explain to him that he is confronting political correctness . . . a state of mind where the truth is irrelevant. Defending the cause is what matters, even if it means exaggerating or falsifying claims to gain supporters. Who can forget in 1988 when Sam Malone, aka Ted Danson, announced that humanity only had 10 years to live. Why? Because in 10 years he said the oceans would be dead from over-fishing. And if they died so would we.
Perhaps Ted’s calculator was on the fritz.
The global warming frenzy is based on pseudoscience and speculation. Myers likened it to purchasing a car:
“It’s like having a car for three days and saying, ‘This is a great car.’ Well, yeah – it was for three days, but maybe in days five, six and seven it won’t be so good. And that’s what we’re doing here.”
Our arrogant assumption that we control nature is a manifestation of our arrogance toward life in general. It is the most recent example of Pride casting its shadow over western society. We live in a world where Man worships himself as the highest good. God is okay as long as He fits within the confines of what is “my truth”. Make no mistake about it, the Church has its problems and is in part responsible for the emptying of pews, but the biggest reason that our churches are sparsely attended is because we have become a prideful society who will only accept God and religion on our own terms. We believe that it is God who should accommodate us, and if He doesn’t, then He should be shown the door.
Humility appears to have disappeared from our vocabulary.
Donald
Looks like it might be time for a certain CNN meteorologist to begin searching for a new line of work.
Chad Myers, an American Meteorological Society certified meteorologist, uttered blasphemous words on the Dec 18 edition of CNN’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight”:
“‘You know, to think that we could affect weather all that much is pretty arrogant,’ Myers said. ‘Mother Nature is so big, the world is so big, the oceans are so big – I think we’re going to die from a lack of fresh water or we’re going to die from ocean acidification before we die from global warming, for sure.’”
(http://businessandmedia.org/articles/2008/20081218205953.aspx)
Myers must have had a case of temporary insanity. Questioning one of the commandments of 21st century western society? He should immediately run up to the nearest tree, prostrate himself before it and beg forgiveness. Otherwise, environmentalists will demand he be burned at the stake.
Oh no, scratch that. I forgot that fire releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thus killing the ozone layer.
Well, maybe they can make an exception in this case and give this heretic the fiery punishment he deserves. After all environmentalists often disregard their “values” when it’s convenient. Ozone Man Al Gore allegedly uses enough electricity to supply the eastern seaboard of the U.S.
Someone close to Myers, maybe a friend or a relative, needs to explain to him that he is confronting political correctness . . . a state of mind where the truth is irrelevant. Defending the cause is what matters, even if it means exaggerating or falsifying claims to gain supporters. Who can forget in 1988 when Sam Malone, aka Ted Danson, announced that humanity only had 10 years to live. Why? Because in 10 years he said the oceans would be dead from over-fishing. And if they died so would we.
Perhaps Ted’s calculator was on the fritz.
The global warming frenzy is based on pseudoscience and speculation. Myers likened it to purchasing a car:
“It’s like having a car for three days and saying, ‘This is a great car.’ Well, yeah – it was for three days, but maybe in days five, six and seven it won’t be so good. And that’s what we’re doing here.”
Our arrogant assumption that we control nature is a manifestation of our arrogance toward life in general. It is the most recent example of Pride casting its shadow over western society. We live in a world where Man worships himself as the highest good. God is okay as long as He fits within the confines of what is “my truth”. Make no mistake about it, the Church has its problems and is in part responsible for the emptying of pews, but the biggest reason that our churches are sparsely attended is because we have become a prideful society who will only accept God and religion on our own terms. We believe that it is God who should accommodate us, and if He doesn’t, then He should be shown the door.
Humility appears to have disappeared from our vocabulary.
Donald
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown
Last night I watched my favorite Christmas special, A Charlie Brown Christmas, for the third time this year. As I listened to Charlie Brown rail against the commercialization of Christmas while pleading for someone–anyone–to explain “what Christmas is all about”, I realized that our national economic crisis has forced many Americans to confront the Truth of “what Christmas is all about”. Below is an example.
Each year St. Ephrem’s Church in Brooklyn, NY, decorates Christmas trees with cards containing the age and gender of a poor child who will have no gifts to open on Christmas morning. Some are orphans; others have families but no money. Parishioners who would like to help these children can take a card and buy an appropriate gift for that child. The gifts are collected and held on the Church’s altar. Last Sunday as I entered the Church for Sunday mass, I noticed that despite the current economic turmoil there were as many gifts on the altar as there had been in years past. It was comforting to see that although people may be hurting financially, they still want to thank God for giving Himself as a gift to Man. And what better way to repay that gift than by giving gifts to the less fortunate.
Keep in mind that these Catholics who donated are not people who have “of their abundance cast into the offerings of God” (Luke 21:4). They are Catholics who have donated despite having lost their jobs or watched their savings plummet because of the tanking stock market. As members of Christ’s flock they know it is their responsibility to take care of the less fortunate sheep.
Maybe it’s naive but based on the outpouring of help that I’ve witnessed, the next time Americans are asked to explain the true meaning of Christmas, I believe more of us–Catholic and otherwise–will respond as Linus did to Charlie Brown:
“And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:
For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.”
Luke 2: 8-14)
Donald Tremblay
Each year St. Ephrem’s Church in Brooklyn, NY, decorates Christmas trees with cards containing the age and gender of a poor child who will have no gifts to open on Christmas morning. Some are orphans; others have families but no money. Parishioners who would like to help these children can take a card and buy an appropriate gift for that child. The gifts are collected and held on the Church’s altar. Last Sunday as I entered the Church for Sunday mass, I noticed that despite the current economic turmoil there were as many gifts on the altar as there had been in years past. It was comforting to see that although people may be hurting financially, they still want to thank God for giving Himself as a gift to Man. And what better way to repay that gift than by giving gifts to the less fortunate.
Keep in mind that these Catholics who donated are not people who have “of their abundance cast into the offerings of God” (Luke 21:4). They are Catholics who have donated despite having lost their jobs or watched their savings plummet because of the tanking stock market. As members of Christ’s flock they know it is their responsibility to take care of the less fortunate sheep.
Maybe it’s naive but based on the outpouring of help that I’ve witnessed, the next time Americans are asked to explain the true meaning of Christmas, I believe more of us–Catholic and otherwise–will respond as Linus did to Charlie Brown:
“And there were in the same country shepherds watching, and keeping the night watches over their flock. 9 And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the brightness of God shone round about them; and they feared with a great fear. 10 And the angel said to them: Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, that shall be to all the people:
For, this day, is born to you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the infant wrapped in swaddling clothes, and laid in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God, and saying: 14 Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will.”
Luke 2: 8-14)
Donald Tremblay
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cattle Call
One of the most famous incidents of people behaving like a herd of bulls took place in Dec 1979 in
Are these herd behaviors aberrations? Unfortunately, based on a number of studies, the answer is no. Numerous experiments have proven that under the right (or wrong) conditions, people can lose the ability to think clearly and rationally. Malcolm Gladwell offers several examples in his excellent best-seller The Tipping Point. Here is one of them:
Should this knowledge about Man’s vulnerability to the herd mentality affect our views about the Black Friday tragedy? Absolutely not. The people who trampled Mr. Damour should be held accountable for their actions. Although it may be easy to get caught up in the frenzy, people still have the Free Will to say no. If this were not the case then every customer that day would have participated in the stampede, which clearly was not the case.
Wal-Mart should also be held accountable for doing such a poor job of organizing, as they phrased it, their “door-busters” sale. As Jordan Hecht, the lawyer for Mr. Damour’s sisters, pointed out, “"Hundreds of stores around the country have these kinds of sales, but a tragedy only happens if you don't prepare." (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122818206309671069.html)
One word of advice to shoppers: the next time a store offers a crazy sale on the Wii game console or on the latest Xbox 360 game, wait till after Christmas to buy it. Your child’s emotional well-being will not suffer if he/she has to wait a week or two . . . and you may just save your own physical well-being in the process.
Donald Tremblay
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