ThisMustChange.org First Weigh-In

Ok. It's been one week since I joined Jason Salamun on his project This Must Change!

Jason spoke on Matthew 25:

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them,'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)

Jason committed to lose weight as his part of the challenge. He asked others to do their part and donate $1 per pound to causes which meet each of the areas mentioned in the above passage.

Being overweight myself, in fact, heavier than I have ever been - I decided to take his challenge. I am challenging my family, friends, blog readers, twitter followers, etc to make a difference either through the donation links on Jason's site or to a local group of your choice. Some people have agreed to donate $1 per pound I lose to the groups listed on Jason's site. Others have decided to donate funds or food by the pound to local groups in their areas.

Please go to my original post to join in the challenge.

So...I've been at a week. How much have I lost?


My wife as the impartial judge confirmed my weight at 214. Which is 6 pounds!

As Jason said in his sermon, "We can't change everything, but we can change something!"

The Government Can

Who can? The Government can! Enjoy your Monday!

Less of me and ThisMustChange.org

OK, now for the evidence of my first weigh-in.



Yep, that's 220 pounds as a starting point.

So, here's what I'm asking you to do:

1. Join me in this challenge.
2. Meet Jason and get more info about the project and how you can help
   
3. Go to ThisMustChange.org and learn about the six causes.
   
4. Pick a cause and use the donation link on the 'Causes' page to donate $1 per pound that I lose. Check back for a weigh-in every Monday.
   
5. Let Jason know you're on board with the challenge.
6. Encourage me by leaving a comment below and letting me know you're on board.

In all honesty, I am now the heaviest that I have ever been. The weight needs to come off and Jason's project is a great incentive for me to lose weight and help make a difference in people's lives around the world.

As a bonus, start reading Jason's blog and I'm sure you'll be both challenged and inspired.

Reagan Speaks on Socialized Medicine

The debate has been going on for far longer than most people realize:



What do YOU think?

Pres. Obama on Healthcare Competition

At the same Town Hall on August 11 of this year, Pres. Obama attempts to make an analogy on Healthcare competition using FedEx/UPS and the US Postal service.



Well...that's an interesting choice of analogies. Companies that have to function in the public marketplace are profitable and functioning well - FedEx and UPS. It's the quasi-governmental agency, USPS, that is running a major deficit and suffering from competition.

Now, imagine what will happen to the Federal deficit and Federal debt if the proposed healthcare bill passes. The Federal government, which has no clue how to run ANYTHING efficiently, will enter a competitive marketplace. Costs will escalate, taxes will climb and, more importantly, the quality and availability of healthcare will decline.

More to follow I'm sure.

AARP, Obama and the Health Care Bill

Today, August 11, Pres. Obama held a Town Hall in Portsmouth, NH. During that Town Hall he made the following statement (opens in a new tab):


However, as Rachel Martin and Jake Tapper with ABC News report, there's a slight problem with that statement.

The problem?

The AARP hasn't endorsed any plan yet.

The country's largest advocacy group for Americans over 50 issued a statement after the event saying, "While the President was correct that AARP will not endorse a health care reform bill that would reduce Medicare benefits, indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate."

Now, why would Pres. Obama want to highlight a false endorsement by AARP? I believe that it was an attempt to placate the thousands of concerned senior citizens. If AARP, an organization many trust, endorses the Obama Health Care Bill, then it should be ok, right?

Another concerning aspect of this "Town Hall" is highlighted further along in the article:

After a bunch of rather genial questions, the President said he wanted to call on “somebody here who has a concern about health care that has not been raised, or is skeptical and suspicious and wants to make sure that -- because I don't want people thinking I just have a bunch of plants in here.”

Perhaps the most provocative question came from a woman who brought up concerns about medical panels that would "guide care" according to the administration, the same panels that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin called Obama's "death panels" which, she speculated, would determine who gets care and who doesn't.

But halfway through her question, the woman, obviously flummoxed, paused. The president said something to the effect of "you're doing fine."

Then the woman turned to the crowd and said coyly, "He winked at me."

And that was from one of the only "skeptics" in the room.

The White House said time and again that they weren't pre-screening audience members. Most people we talked to got their tickets by registering with a White House lottery.

Given the raucous response that many in Congress have received from their constituents, I have questions about the White House's audience selection process.

The Obama Administration has already demonstrated selectivity in press conferences. Pres Obama looks down at a list of pre-approved questioners during his press conferences. Why wouldn't his Administration do the same for a "Town Hall" to promote one of his pet projects?

The Healthcare Debate Continues to Heat Up

I urge you to read, research and ask questions. The pending legislation to overhaul the US Healthcare system will have widespread reach.

Here is an example of how those that just want to ask questions are being ignored by the Democrat Party:



I have emailed my Congressman, Rep. John Spratt-D, and asked if he will be holding a Town Hall, Forum or other meeting to discuss the Healthcare bill. As expected, I have heard nothing back.