Hawaii's Father Damien will become a saint this coming October, stated Pope Benedict. In case you've never heard of Father Damien, he lived with the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai back in the 18 hundreds. No one else would go to the vanquished island for fear of catching leprosy, which is just what happened to Father Damien. Father Damien was born Jozef de Veuster in Belgium in 1840. He was inspired to become a missionary by his older brother, who had hoped to go but became too ill to leave. Jozef de Veuster took the name Damien during his ordination in Honolulu in 1864. He served 8 years on the Big Island, where he learned to speak Hawaiian while building 8 chapels and churches for his parishioners in the Puna, Kohala, and Hamakua districts of Hawaii. It was on Maui, on May 1, 1873, that Father Damien learned of the suffering at Kalaupapa from a newspaper article, and 8 days later he was on a boat to Molokai. Father Damien was not the first person to minister to the leper colony, nor the last, but when he died of Hansen's disease (leprosy) at age 49, after years of labor on the patients' behalf, he came to epitomize all who lay down their life for another's. So, Father Damien's life was short, 1840-1889, but he lived and died for the benefit of others, not for himself. There will be 4 others who will become saints with Father Damien in October 2009, but the Vatican hasn't released those names yet. Many of us are hoping the Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul will be among those four. I just find it so amazing that the Vatican takes hundreds of years, usually, to make an individual a saint. It's not an easy process, it's a process that requires 2 documented miracles for each saint and a documented, dedicated Christian life. I think that the Vatican would take a lesson in speed by observing my husband's ex-wife, who became a saint in only 5 months from the time of their divorce. I guess that would be one of the required miracles. In fact I think that whole story would make a great blog.

I have been ask why I listen to National Public Radio. Here is my answer--in New Mexico--those of us who work, spend a lot of time driving to work, to home, to shop. The radio stations here contribute Latino music, country/western music, or 50, 60, 70, or 80 music. While commuting, I would rather listen to public radio than the aforementioned garbage. I do not listen to the Rush Limbaugh, Savage Nation, Shawn Hanidey, or any of the other political whackos. I usually listen to Paul Harvey, local, state, or federal news. Occasionally I listen to political or historical presentations, that do not include the aforementioned whackos. I figure this is better than doing the Mexican Hat Dance or the Shimmy.

Ladies and gentlemen, American now has Socialism whether we want it or not. By allowing the Democrats to build big government, we have allowed them to create a Socialist state. A country run by the government, paid for by the government with monies we do not have, where the rich minority is making all the decisions for the poor majority--we have now achieved--THE UNITED AMERICAN SOCIALIST STATES. Welcome to the next generation.

Tuesday the President will sign into law the latest economic stimulus bill passed by the Senate. Although it is lower than the House bill, it is still staggering. The bill will contain a provision for $35 billion dollars that doubles the size of an existing temporary homebuyer credit to $15,000. Which I guess is great unless you are one of the thousands of homeowners who can't afford their homes anymore and are foreclosure. If you can't afford to pay for the home you have, how are you going to buy a new home and get $15,00 to boot? The bill also includes a new $11 billion temporary tax break for buying a new car. How about the people who are loosing their present car? Also, a $70 billion measure that would protect middle- and upper-middle-income families from having to pay the Alternative Minimum tax for 1 year. Tax provisions in the bill total $35% of the total package, not the 40% which President Obama had included in his broad outline for a stimulus package that was estimated at $775 billion. Here is a list of things the Senate cut from the House bill: Partially cut--$3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings; 75 million from the Smithsonian; 200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund; 100 million from law enforcement wireless; 300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles; and 100 million from FBI construction. Fully eliminated--55 million for historic preservation; 122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters; 100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization; 50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service; 65 million for watershed rehabilitation; 100 million for distance learning; 98 million for school nutrition; 50 million for aquaculture; 2 billion for broadband; 100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology; 50 million for detention trustee; 25 million for Marshalls Construction; 300 million for federal prisons; 300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program; 140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program; 10 million state and local law enforcement; 50 million for NASA; 50 million for aeronautics; 50 million for exploration; 50 million for Cross Agency Support; 200 million for National Science Foundation; 100 million for science; 1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees; 4.5 billion for General Services Administration; 89 million for General Services Administration operations; 50 million for Department of Homeland Security; 200 million for Transportation Security Administration; 122 million for Coast Guard cutters, modifies use; 25 million for Fish and Wildlife; 55 million for historic preservation; 20 million for working capital fund; 165 million for Forest Service capital improvement; 90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management; 1 billion for Head Start/Early Start; 5.8 billion for Health Prevention activity; 2 billion for Health Information Technology grants; 600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind); 16 million for school construction; 3.5 billion for higher education construction; 1.25 billion for project based rental; 2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization; 1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing; and 40 billion for state fiscal stabilization. Now I'm not a financial expert; however, I think that a lot of things that were cut would have improved the job situation and improve education for our children which we were promised would improve. Except for the few things I mentioned first that were included, I couldn't find a list of items that would be included. Now if we are cutting the taxes and raising the amount of the stimulus bill, isn't that a bad thing? I've never held a million dollars in my hands, or a billion, but I do know that the only way to stimulate the economy is to put people to work (create jobs) so that they have the money to spend which will in turn stimulate the economy. Cutting taxes and spending billions of dollars that future generations will never be able to pay, is not the way to stimulate anything.

Shame on you, Michael Phelps. The Olympic gold medalist is being investigated for smoking pot on the University of South Carolina campus. Phelps admitted this past Sunday that the British published photograph of him smoking marijuana through a bong was a product of "regrettable behavior." The incident took place during a November party. "I engage in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," said Phelps, the record eight gold metal winner at the 2008 Olympic Games in Bejing. "I'm 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me," he said. "For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and public--it will not happen again." But, Michael, it has happened again. In 2004, Phelps was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation. He issued an apology after that incident too. The U.S. Olympic Committee has issued a statement that said in part, "Michael has acknowledged that he made a mistake and apologized for his actions. We are confident that, going forward, Michael will consistently set the kind of example we all expect from a great Olympian champion." And, with that they suspended him for 3 months from competitive swimming. Now to top it off, one of Phelps' sponsors has dropped him. "Michael's most recent behavior is not consistent with the image of Kellogg." Company spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz said, "His contract expires at the end of February, and we have made a decision not to extend his contract." Norwitz said Kellogg's relationship with Phelps began with the company's support of the U.S. Olympic team. Kellogg did not renew its sponsorship of the team when it expired in December, she said. Michael Phelps has become a victim of what so many new, instant celebrities find hard to avoid. It's called hangers-on and peer pressure. It's too bad that all the millions of children who see Mr. Phelps as a hero and role model must realize that he is also human. But, Michael, you're not much of a man if you can't standup for your fans and do the correct thing. All I can say is, shame on you.