Wholly An O Holy Night

Celebrating Christmas without Christ is like a sugar rush.

The joyful holiday music with the catchy melodies and cheerful lyrics is addictive.

Together with the brightly colored lights, beautifully decorated trees and seasonal wreaths festooned with festive red bows, it all helps augment a celebratory holiday environment pulsating with excitement and anticipation.

Then Christmas Day arrives amid a flurry of rapidly shredded wrapping paper and flying gift bows.

That Yuletide chaos is punctuated by squeals of delight and beaming parents immersed in a few minutes of holiday glee at the sight of their mini-me’s making memories that last a lifetime.

Within a day or two the sentimentality rush from the holiday subsides and kids and adults alike wonder at the improbability of how fast the holiday came and went.

Psst…it doesn’t have to be that way.

With the right perspective Christmas can be the time where believers can experience the ‘thrill of hope,’ immerse themselves in the beloved ‘sweet hymns of joy’ and reflect on the child who taught us to ‘love one another.’

If you haven’t listened to the words of O Holy Night this Christmas, you should take a few minutes and treat yourself. As beautiful and inspiring as the music is, the lyrics are equally poignant and eloquent.

O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

(Chorus) Fall on your knees
Oh hear the angel voices
Oh night divine
Oh night when Christ was born
Oh night divine
Oh night divine

After hearing the lyrics and awe-inspiring music of O Holy Night, who isn’t willing to fall on their knees and praise His holy name?

The second stanza depicts the shining star of Bethlehem, the miraculous but humble birth of the Christ child and the arrival of the three wise men. Consider the last verse of the second stanza:

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the wise men from Orient land
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend.

Christ came into the world not only to intercede on our behalf with God the Father and forgive us our sins, but to encourage us to trust in Him and be our friend in all our trial and error experiences.

The scriptures teach us that Christ was born as a flesh and blood human because He loves us and so we might know Him better. He came to live life in our shoes and to experience temptation and human frailty as one of us.

For instance, Christ was fully human when he experienced numbing grief with the passing of his friend Lazarus.

As a human being Jesus endured the humiliation of being an innocent man ridiculed and mocked by His accusers; suffered through the spectacle of a public scourging, and the unimaginable pain of being nailed to a cross – all while enduring alienation from His heavenly Father.

During his brief three-year ministry Christ was the ultimate social justice warrior. He healed the sick, cured the lame, helped the deaf to hear and the blind to see. He assembled a rag-tag group of followers, ministered to thousands, fed the hungry and clothed the naked.

In short, he taught us by example to love one another.

Truly He taught us to love one another
His law is love and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name

As Linus reminds us every year in the Charlie Brown Christmas special, that’s what Christmas is all about. We just have to remind each other now and then by meditating on inspirational carols like O Holy Night.

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who think free speech is hate speech, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see.
 

Photo sources: bbc.co.uk, bibleinfo.com, 941thevoice.com, cdn.smosh.com

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

 

 

 

Playing Jeopardy with Your Oral Health

(Announcer) “This…is… Dental Plan Jeopardy!

“Let’s meet today’s contestants: a dental hygienist from Bicuspid Bay, Massachusetts  – Annie Amalgam. A dental lab technician from Crown Point, Indiana – Robert Resin. And, our returning champion, a dental sales representative and fifth grade spelling bee champion at Thomus Jefersun Elementary in Demineralization Springs, Colorado –  Flo Flossing, whose one-day cash winnings total…$19.29!

“And now, here is the host of Dental Plan Jeopardy, Noel McCavity.”

“Thank you Johnny, and thank you ladies and gentlemen, good to have you with us today. Always a lot of excitement on Dental Plan Jeopardy, and yesterday was no exception. In case you missed it, we had a brief melee break out in our studio audience between a gentleman dressed up like the Tooth Fairy and a precocious seven-year-old who claimed the Tooth Fairy left him just two breath mints and an IOU for his last baby tooth.

“Here’s hoping today is a bit more sedate. Good luck contestants, let’s get to work. Here are today’s categories: What Kind of Plan Am I?HMOs, You Can Quote Me, PPOs, Discount Dental Plans, and Mistaken Indemnity.

(Noel) “Flo, you are the reigning champion. Go.”

(Flo) “PPO’s for $200, please.”

(Noel) “PPO’s, or Preferred Provider Organizations, allow you to go in or out of these.”

(Flo) “What is a network?”

(Noel) “Right.”

(Flo) “PPO’s for $400.”

(Noel) “PPO’s usually require these for major procedures.”

(Flo)“What are types of anesthesia?”

(Noel) “No, that is incorrect. Annie?”

(Annie) “What is a waiting period?”

(Noel) “Right, proceed.”

(Annie) “What Kind of Plan Am I? for $200.”

(Noel) “These types of plans are sometimes called a ‘fee for service plan’ and allow you to visit any dentist.”

(Annie) “What is an indemnity plan?”

(Noel) “Right you are.”

(Annie) “What Kind of Plan Am I? for $400.”

(Noel) “These types of dental plans offer quick activation times and no waiting period.”

(Annie) “What are discount dental plans?”

(Noel) “Yes. Continue.”

(Annie) “What Kind of Plan Am I? for $600.”

(Noel) “These plans require you pay a fixed price at the time of service and use a network provider.”

(Annie) “What are rollover plans?”

(Noel)“Uh, no; that is incorrect. Anyone? The correct answer is, ‘What is a HMO plan?’ Annie, it’s still your go.”

(Annie) “What Kind of Plan Am I? for $800.”

(Noel) “These plans have no waiting periods, no deductibles, no annual limits and often cost less than other dental plans.”

(Annie) “What are HMO’s?”

(Noel) “Right you are, also known as Health Maintenance Organizations.”

(Annie) “What Kind of Plan Am I? for $1,000, Noel.”

(Noel) “This type of plan was actually included as part of a 1940’s movie title starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred McMurray.”

(Annie) “What is Double Jeopardy?”

(Noel) “No, Double Jeopardy is what we play after this round.  Robert?

(Robert) “Who are Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones?”

(Noel) “Right answer, wrong question. Judd and Jones played in the movie “Double Jeopardy,” but we are looking for a 1940’s movie that has this type of plan in the title. Flo?

(Flo) “What is Gentlemen Preferred Provider Organizations?”

(Noel) “Uh…no. Robert?”

(Robert)“What is Double Indemnity?”

(Noel) “That is correct.”

(Robert) “You Can Quote Me for $200.”

(Noel) “This online dental insurance program will provide you a free quote with just your age and zip code.”

(Robert) “Who is Dental Insurance Store?”

(Noel) “Correctamundo.”

(Robert) “You Can Quote Me for $400.”

(Noel) “This online dental store’s motto is, ‘Find the right dental plan, at the right price.’”

(Robert) “What is Dental Insurance Store?”

(Noel) “It’s a quick and easy way to buy dental coverage from the convenience of your computer, Robert. But please, let’s continue.”

(Robert) “Uh…okay. You Can Quote Me for $600.”

(Noel) “This quote tool will allow you to compare up to five plans at a time and is found where on the website.”

(Robert) “Dental Insurance Store’s Plan Comparison feature.”

(Noel) “In the form of a question, please…”

(Robert) “Where is Dental Insurance Store’s Plan Comparison feature?”

(Noel) “It’s on the Internet at Dental Insurance Store on the general quotes page. And if you need assistance they have operators available at 1-888-299-6441 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.”

Thank you, Noel for hosting today’s game. I’ll take it from here. Maintaining good oral health and the importance of seeing a dentist twice a year is no game, although millions of people lose out every year by not having dental coverage. Don’t put your pearlies in jeopardy, or double jeopardy, by going another week without protection.

The original version of  this post was published at Dental Insurance Store on Jan 14, 2015

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to all those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

Photo source: scrise.com

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

Lincoln and the Mother of Thanksgiving

Lincoln signed the Thanksgiving Proclamation in 1863

The name Sarah Josepha Hale may not sound familiar to most Americans, but she played an integral role in today’s holiday. A tireless advocate of education for girls and women in 19th century America, she worked as a writer and editor in order to support her five children after her husband David Hale, a lawyer, died of a stroke in 1822.

In 1830 she penned a book of poetry called Poems for our Children.  One of the poems was titled, “Mary’s Lamb,” which later became known as “Mary’s Little Lamb.”

Sarah Josepha Hale – the Mother of Thanksgiving

Mrs. Hale worked as a writer and editor for a single magazine for 40 years.  As writer and editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book she had been advocating and writing our nation’s leaders for years to set aside a single day for America to count its blessings.

She had even written five previous U.S. presidents with her suggestion, but it had always fallen on deaf ears. On September 28, 1863 the determined editor wrote yet another letter to President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward advocating the country observe a single day as a day of prayer and thankfulness.

Here in part is what she said:

Permit me, as Editress of the “Lady’s Book”, to request a few minutes of your precious time, while laying before you a subject of deep interest to myself and — as I trust — even to the President of our Republic, of some importance. This subject is to have the day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival.

You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive (sic) fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution.

Historians have recorded that according to an 1864 letter from Lincoln secretary John Nicolay, the proclamation  the nation’s 16th president delivered on Oct 3, 1863 was actually written by Secretary of State William Seward and sold one year later to support Union troops in the Civil War.

Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

It has pleased Almighty God to prolong our national life another year, defending us with His guardian care against unfriendly designs from abroad and vouchsafing to us in His mercy many and signal victories over the enemy, who is of our own household.

It has also pleased our Heavenly Father to favor as well our citizens in their homes as our soldiers in their camps and our sailors on the rivers and seas with unusual health. He has largely augmented our free population by emancipation and by immigration, while He has opened to us new sources of wealth and has crowned the labor of our workingmen in every department of industry with abundant rewards.

Moreover, He has been pleased to animate and inspire our minds and hearts with fortitude, courage, and resolution sufficient for the great trial of civil war into which we have been brought by our adherence as a nation to the cause of freedom and humanity, and to afford to us reasonable hopes of an ultimate and happy deliverance from all our dangers and afflictions:

Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do hereby appoint and set apart the last Thursday in November next as a day which I desire to be observed by all my fellow-citizens, wherever they may then be, as a day of thanksgiving and praise to Almighty God, the beneficent Creator and Ruler of the Universe.

And I do further recommend to my fellow-citizens aforesaid that on that occasion they do reverently humble themselves in the dust and from thence offer up penitent and fervent prayers and supplications to the Great Disposer of Events for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.

Abraham Lincoln and Sarah Josepha Hale

Today we live in divisive times. Many political observers have speculated that America is more divided today than at anytime since the Civil War.

This Thanksgiving Day as millions of families gather together across the country, my prayer is that we can peacefully put aside our differences, humble ourselves before God as one people, and petition Him in prayer for a return of peace, unity and harmony for our country.

God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources: biography.com, abrahamlincolnonline.org, shestokas.com

Photo source: commonamericanjournal.com,media1.britannica.com, si.wsj.net

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

Sen Frankensmarmy and Leftist Hypocrisy

Just when you thought liberals had already crossed the Rubicon of hypocrisy and insanity, Minnesota Senator Al Franken has called for a Senate ethics investigation into his own behavior.

Yes, you read that right. Franken called for an investigation of himself – by himself – because he’s ashamed of himself.

Minnesota Democrat Senator Al Franken

Sexual harassment allegations against the Democrat senator surfaced earlier this month after a photo of him fondling journalist Leeann Tweeden while she was sleeping went viral.

The LA-based journalist also charged that Franken tricked her into kissing him and shoved his tongue down her throat while practicing a skit scene for a USO show.

What kind of guy is smarmy enough to grope a sleeping woman and stupid enough to take a picture doing it – why, a self-professed male feminist and advocate for women’s rights!

As it turns out, Senator Frankensmarmy is just one in a long line of progressives this week whose sexual peccadilloes are being spotlighted in daily press reports in what Town Hall columnist Colonel Kurt Schlichter hilariously calls Pervgate.

According to Schlichter, part of Franken’s defense was to trot out seven former female staffers who said he never harrassed them, ostensibly confirming his status as a genuine women’s advocate who only sexually assaults certain women now and then.

Michigan Democrat Representative John Conyers

As I write this, Michigan Democrat Representative John Conyers, the longest serving member of the House of Representatives, is being accused by four female staffers of requests “for sexual favors, contacting and transporting women with whom Conyers was having affairs, caressing their hands and rubbing their backs and legs in public.”

On November 20, long-time PBS anchor and CBS This Morning host Charlie Rose was accused by eight women of unwanted sexual advances between the late 1990’s and 2011. CBS fired him 24 hours later, followed by PBS. His dog was reportedly unhappy with him too.

Former PBS and CBS This Morning Host Charlie Rose

Then there’s the hung jury trial of New Jersey Democrat Senator Robert Menendez, whose trial on federal corruption charges included cavorting with teenage prostitutes.

And who can ever forget the tawdry episode of the soiled blue dress in the Bill “I-never-had-relations-with-that-woman” Clinton administration.

For decades Democrats have promoted themselves as the party advocating for female empowerment, fair pay and equality for women. Who knew that those terms were actually a dog whistle for groping, fondling, and sexual perversion of female staffers, interns and co-workers?

Conservatives have often wondered how progressive voters could look the other way at the antics of senators Ted Kennedy, Chris Dodd and former president JFK while proclaiming that Democrats had women’s best interests at heart.

Based on recent events, it seems that many Democrats viewed such talk as nothing more than a pick-up line.

Sources: townhall.com, thehill.com, breitbart.com, washingtonpost.com

Photo source: opennewswindows.com.ng, newstalk1160.com, politico.com

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

 

 

 

 

Hillary Decries “Threat” to Justice System

Hillary Feeling the Heat

Can’t stand the heat? Then Hillary should stay out of the corruption kitchen.

On Nov 15th Fox News reported that Hillary Clinton said calls for a special prosecutor regarding the Uranium One sale was a “politicization of the Justice Department.”

The hypocrisy of her claim is worthy of an Oscar for Best Prevaricating Actress. Quote of the day from the Queen of Russian resets is that calls for an independent prosecutor in the Uranium One deal and subsequent contributions to the Clinton Foundation are just meant to distract from the Trump/Russian collusion investigations.

“And if they send a signal that we’re going to be like some dictatorship, some authoritarian regimen where political opponents are going to be unfairly, fraudulently investigated — that rips at the fabric of the contract we have that we can trust our justice system,” she said.

Wow. Hearing words like “dictatorship,” “authoritarian,” “fraud” and “trust” coming from a political animal like Hillary Clinton will cause the head of any conservative with a halfway decent memory to spin out of control.

Hillary may want to start shopping for fire retardant pants suits because if recent news accounts are accurate, the kitchen is going to get even hotter in the not too distant future.

Source: foxnews.com

Photo source: i.ytimg.com

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

 

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

Obama Should Pay for Bergdahl’s Benefits

From the moment Army deserter Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban, he became eligible for benefits available to troops held in captivity.  Combined with his basic and deployment pay, the Army Times says the dishonorably discharged former sergeant who plead guilty to “desertion and misbehavior before the enemy” may be entitled to more than $300,000.

The final decision on what Bergdahl is owed rests with General Robert Abrams, the convening authority in the case.  If Bergdahl is paid anything, here’s a suggestion: deduct his monetary award from Obama’s presidential pension.

Obama is the genius that brokered the deal to exchange Bergdahl for five Taliban prisoners and some reports say an undisclosed amount of cash.

Not only did Obama overpay and illegally go around Congress, but taxpayers could be saddled with paying Bergdahl’s back wages – despite the fact he plead guilty to the two charges mentioned above.

Apparently treachery paid better in Obama’s administration than it did during the time of Judas Iscariot and Benedict Arnold.

 

Source: Army Times

Photo source: Earl of Taint

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. Welcome to those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

 

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

Bowe Bergdahl Walks Away A Free Man

On Halloween eight pedestrians in lower Manhattan were mowed down and 11 injured by a Uzbekistan immigrant/jidhadist driving a rental truck.

On November 5 a former Air Force member facing military criminal charges killed 26 churchgoers and wounded 20 others in the largest mass shooting in Texas history.

Between the dates of those two tragedies military justice went AWOL Nov 3 when Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl escaped any jail time for desertion in Afghanistan. Bergdahl voluntarily deserted his unit in 2009. After being held as a Taliban captive for five years, Bergdahl was later charged with “desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.”

Bergdahl could have received a life prison sentence but instead Military Judge Jeffrey Nance sentenced him to no prison time, a reduction in rank, a $10,000 fine to be paid over 10 months and a dishonorable discharge.

And then there’s the matter of the five terrorists and reported cash President Obama provided the Taliban for Bergdahl’s release in May, 2014.  Did Obama ever make a deal in America’s best interest?

At the time Bergdahl disappeared on June 30, 2009 Army officials weren’t sure of his status other than that he was missing. Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers were deployed multiple times to search for their missing comrade.

“There is a possibility that one way or another, Bergdahl, betrayer of the military’s sacred trust, will walk away a free man.” – Colonel Ralph Peters

According to CNN, on August 18, 2009, Staff Sgt. Clayton Bowen and Pfc. Morris Walker were killed by an IED while searching for Bergdahl.  Eight days later Staff Sgt. Kurt Curtiss lost his life doing the same.

On September 4th 2nd Lt. Darryn Andrews and Pfc. Matthew Michael Martinek were killed after being attacked by insurgents while searching for Bergdahl, and the next day Staff Sgt. Michael Murphrey was killed September 5 by an IED while searching.

At least three other soldiers were seriously wounded and a military dog killed during the hunt for Bergdahl, including Army Sgt. Mark Allen who suffered a sniper’s bullet to his brain that has left him paralyzed and unable to speak; Navy Seal James “Jimmy” Hatch who had 18 surgeries to repair a severe leg injury, and Johnny Morita who had to relearn how to brush his teeth and write because his right hand was mangled by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Colonel Ralph Peters anticipated this miscarriage of justice in an October 27th column on Fox News. In short, he was saying that Bergdahl’s sentence shouldn’t be viewed as a legal case about a self-absorbed deserter, but more importantly, if there are no consequences to desertion, it sets the dangerous precedent of American soldiers deserting on a whim.

 

Considering his 5 years as a Taliban prisoner, the prosecution was asking for 14 years rather than the lifetime max. “It’s not only an appropriate sentence in this case, it’s what justice requires,” prosecutor Major Justin Oshana told NBC News.  But as Colonel Peters said in his column, many on the left (and apparently Judge Nance) thought that Bergdahl had suffered enough in captivity, but that’s missing this crucial point: deserting your post in a combat zone is the second worst offense a solider can commit.

Allowing a soldier to willfully abandon his post and desert his comrades because he’s unhappy is a dangerous precedent that could adversely affect military readiness for decades. Allowing political correctness to infect our military is bad enough, but turning a blind eye to desertion and criminal misdeeds with a mere slap on the wrist is a green light for future deserters to do the same.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl arrives at the Fort Bragg courthouse

So the progressives get their way and Bergdahl is released on humanitarian grounds – despite pleading guilty to both charges. He is free to return to Idaho and write his memoirs. Hollywood will probably make a movie on his life’s story. As I write this an Army board is deciding whether or not to pay him $300,000 for his POW status and back pay while he was in captivity.

Unfortunately six good men in his unit won’t ever be returning home, nor will they be around to see their children grow up. Two others will never be the same physically, and  Sgt. Mark Allen’s wife will be pulling double duty as a devoted wife and caretaker.

Meanwhile, another dent is added to the armor of martial readiness and military honor on the altar of political correctness.

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. For those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country, welcome. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

Sources: foxnews.com, cnn.com, businessinsider.com, nypost.com, nbcnews.com, youtube.com, Ben Shapiro

Photo source: wwaytv3.com, thestar.com

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

Mad Maxine and the Mad Hatter

If you ever wondered what stupidity sounds like, look no further than Maxine Waters and Frederica Wilson.

Waters is a Democrat representative from California and Frederica Wilson is a Democrat representative from Florida. Listening to these harpies bash President Trump is like listening to the Deliverance theme being played on empty barrels.

 Mad Maxine Waters and Frederica “Mad Hatter” Wilson

Wilson, affectionately known as the Mad Hatter for her haute sense of haberdashery (she dresses like a cross between Liberace and the cowgirl from Toy Story), gained prominent news coverage this fall when she declared verbal jihad on President Trump for his reportedly insensitive condolences to a recent widow of La David Johnson, a Special Forces soldier.

Granted our current president may not have the elocution skills of his predecessor, but anyone with half a brain knew what he meant when he called Johnson’s widow Myeshia to offer his comfort and support. Wilson’s criticism was especially hypocritical since she had previously made similar comments as Trump when memorializing two FBI agents that were killed in her district in the line of duty.

Within days of the mainstream media blasting out her criticism of the president,she gleefully declared herself a “rock star” for the notoriety she generated for herself by capitalizing on the death of a real hero. She then dug a deeper hole when she besmirched White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a Gold Star parent himself.

When Kelly defended the president’s condolence call and referred to the loudmouth Floridian as an “empty barrel,” it took about 10 seconds for Wilson to spin that as a racist term.

The Mad Hatter of Florida

After slandering Kelly as a liar and a racist because of his Boston roots, Wilson soon found herself outflanked by public opinion. It quickly became clear that blithely attacking a respected member of the military who lost a son in Afghanistan wasn’t the savviest PR move. Happily she hasn’t been heard from much since.

Unlike Wilson, Waters has been saying stupid things for years. Who can forget classics like these:

Guess what this liberal would be all about? This liberal will be about socializing…uh, um…Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies.

I am not afraid of anybody. This is a tough game. You can’t be intimidated. You can’t be frightened. And as far as I’m concerned, the Tea Party can go straight to hell.

It’s time for the bully pulpit of the White House to bring the gangstas in, put them around the table and let them know that if they don’t come up with loan modifications and keep people in their homes that they’ve worked so hard for, we’re gonna tax them out of business.

Mad Maxine Waters

Since Trump assumed office, Mad Maxine has sought every available microphone within screeching distance to call for Trump’s impeachment. Forget the constitutional mandated grounds for impeachment. According to her Trump should be impeached because, well, he offends her personally.

Below are comments she made about the president at a eulogy. Is that classy or what?

 

 

In another anti-Trump blast she said: “The most upsetting part of the new administration is discovering that the person who won the election and became the president of the United States of America is a man who has no good values. His character astounds me. I can’t believe that we have a president who would lie, who would distort, and who does not appear to have an appreciation for government and how it works.”

Naturally Mad Maxine had no problem with defending the character of characters like Bill Clinton, who changed the meaning of “Easter Egg Roll” by cavorting with an intern in the Oval Office. Or Barack Obama, who illegally sicced the IRS on conservative groups, abandoned Libyan Ambassador Chris Stevens at Benghazi and turned a blind eye to Hillary Clinton’s machinations to sell 20% of America’s uranium to Russia.

If there’s a silver lining to dealing with the silly sound and faux fury from these hapless harpies it is this: the more they posture, preen and protest against Trump policies, the greater probability that “45” will be a two-term president.

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. For those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country, welcome. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

Sources: Youtubia.com, nbc.com, theamericanmirror.com, washingtonfreebeacon.com, cnn.com 

Photo sources: downtrend.com, thehill.com, conservativetribune.com

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

 

 

Methinks They Doth Protest Wrongly

Let me get this straight: Vice-President Mike Pence leaves a Colts-49er’s football game when twenty-three San Francisco 49er’s refuse to stand for the national anthem and it’s labeled a stunt, but players around the league taking a knee are lauded as exercising their constitutional right to protest.

Who knew that the Vice-President of the United States who took an oath to honor, protect and uphold the Constitution doesn’t have the same rights to protest as the disenfranchised millionaire athletes protesting?

Many of those taking a knee say they mean no disrespect to the country, our flag and our military but insist they are simply exercising their constitutional right to protest. San Francisco 49er’s safety Eric Reid says that those protesting are just wanting to make the country better.

“We love this country so much that we reserve the right to criticize her perpetually,” Reid is quoted telling ABC News.  “I need to use my platform to speak out for people who didn’t have a voice.”

So those protesting are standing up for what they believe – by kneeling?

Those taking a knee are missing the point of the national anthem: it’s not a platform to express one’s views, but rather a time to honor our country and those who serve.

Exercising one’s right to protest during the national anthem doesn’t make it right.

As Mark Steyn recently said on Tucker Carlson Tonight, the free speech argument is disingenuous. “A national anthem can be a national anthem or it can be an opportunity for self-expression, but it can’t be both,” he said

I have a simple solution that would allow players to openly express themselves during game day while thousands watch. If they really want to use their platforms as professional athletes to make a difference, why not take a knee during the game rather than before the game.

Imagine this. The opposing team is in the 49’ers red zone and it’s first and goal. What better time to make a statement and a difference than for the 49er defense to take a collective knee when the ball is hiked?

Sure the other team would likely score, but that would really get everyone’s attention and bring awareness to those issues some believe are important enough to blow off the national anthem and the flying of the colors.

Those players taking a knee at such a critical time could really express their concern about social injustice by sacrificing playing time, wins and losses and game day pay checks. And think of the flags that would be flying based on their selfless actions!

Recently someone on a TV panel debating this topic said, “I bow to the Lord and I stand for the flag.” Amen.

Kneeling is appropriate when praying because it shows subservience and humility. Likewise, standing during the national anthem shows respect for our country, appreciation for those defending it and is a historic tradition that should unite us as a people and a nation.

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. For those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country, welcome. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

Photo source: abcnews.com

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

The Best Kept Dental Surgery Secret Ever

This post was based on a secretive episode of U.S. history unreported in history books.

Oral cancer has always been devastating, even before it was known as oral cancer.

One reason it’s so pernicious is that the early stages of the disease are painless and often symptom-free. The sobering reality is that only half of people diagnosed with oral cancer live longer than five years.

In the late 19th century newspapers called cancer the “dread disease.” At the time there were no oncology centers, no walk-a-thons to raise money for a cure and no professional athletes who wore pink gear during games to raise public awareness.

On the contrary, people at that time avoided talking about it, including doctors. That is why one doctor examining his VIP patient in 1893 referred to it as “a bad-looking tenant” and recommended removing it immediately.

Public perception had also been shaped just 10 years earlier when several New York newspapers provided a highly publicized and morbid death watch of Civil War hero and former President Ulysses S. Grant as he lost his battle with the dread disease oral cancer.

 

Grover Cleveland’s Secret Emergency Surgery

Understandably the important patient was panicked at the diagnosis, but neither he nor the country could afford to panic in June, 1893. Unemployment was skyrocketing, stocks were in a freefall and even the famous Reading Railroad wasn’t worth $500 of Monopoly® money after filing bankruptcy earlier that year.

Historians say it was the worst economic catastrophe preceding the Great Depression in American history.

It was because of all that economic fear and uncertainty that six medical professionals were covertly recruited and sworn to secrecy before boarding the private yacht Oneida anchored in New York Harbor. Included in the group of six were physicians, surgeons, an anesthesiologist and a dentist. Reportedly some in the group were even unaware of the patient’s identity until Oneida had set sail for the patient’s summer home in Massachusetts.

Shortly after noon the following day the patient took his seat in a large chair bound to the yacht’s mast in the parlor. Weighing a NFL-like 300 pounds before that league even existed, the patient’s girth required the extra support and the chair was serving as an operating table for the procedure about to commence.

Oxygen, nitrous oxide, ether, digitalis, morphine and strychnine (in case of shock) were on hand. Two storage batteries would provide lighting and power the cauterization instruments. None of the ship’s crew was present in the operating area other than the ship’s steward.

The patient’s doctors were concerned about stroke, and there was a 15% chance in those days that the procedure they were about to perform could result in death.

During the 90-minute operation the doctors removed the tumor, five teeth beginning with the first bicuspid to just beyond the last molar, and much of the patient’s upper left palate and jawbone. Remarkably, the entire operation took place within the patient’s mouth, including extraction of the tumor.

“The large cavity was packed with gauze to arrest the subsequent moderate oozing of blood,”  wrote W.W. Kean, one of the attending physicians, years later. “With the packing in the cavity his speech was labored but intelligible, without the packing it was wholly unintelligible, resembling the worst imaginable case of cleft palate. Had this not been so admirably remedied by Doctor (Kasson C.) Gibson, secrecy later would have been out of the question.”

Keen later credited the ability of the team to do the procedure without external incision to a cheek retractor he’d brought back from Paris in 1866. This was important so as not to reveal the secrecy that all involved had sworn to keep.

Two days after the operation the patient was out of bed and two days after that he was dropped off at his summer home on Cape Cod. Two weeks later in mid-July the VIP was fitted with an artificial jaw of vulcanized rubber to prevent the cheek from collapsing and support it in its natural position.

The customized plate fit comfortably enough that when the VIP spoke publicly afterwards no one noticed any change to his speaking voice. The public was merely told that he had had some dental work done for a toothache while vacationing but had recovered nicely.

In 1975 the famous patient’s tissue that had been removed in secret was reexamined and determined to be a type of carcinoma that is usually cured by surgical excision. In short, the attending doctors had made the right diagnosis and successfully performed the recommended procedure – all on a moving boat and in considerably less time than similar procedures today.

This gentleman went on to serve a successful second term as president of the United States, and remains the only President to have served two non-consecutive terms: 1885-1889, and 1893-1897.

President Grover Cleveland lived another 16 years before passing away from heart failure at the age of 71 in 1908. News of the President’s secret surgery in 1893 was not publicly acknowledged until 24 years later, in 1917.

We have no need for such secrets here!  All of our dental plans are transparent and affordable!

The original version of this post was published at Dental Insurance Store July 15, 2014.

Sources: healthmedialab.com, neatorama,com, pbs.org, doctorzebra.com, oralcancerfoundation.org
Photo source: neatorama.com

 

Thanks for reading Dean Riffs. For those who love American liberty, free enterprise, and who believe God has blessed our country, welcome. For those who believe in open borders, safe spaces, and who tolerate everything but free speech and conservative ideals, move on – there’s nothing here for you to see. 

This original version of this post was published at Dental Insurance Store on July 15, 2014

 

Copyright 2017, Dean A. George©

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