QUOTE OF THE DAY

"GREAT WEALTH IS ITS OWN NATIONALITY." 
Velda Johnston

A LIFE RERUN-STILL SEARCHING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

I started a course on the New Testament. (I don't need many credits to finish my M.Div. degree. I started in 1971.) It's hard getting back into the habit of justifying everything you write. Usually, when I say some outlandishly crazy things about Jesus. and someone challenges me, I just tell them I read it in the Bible. That satisfies 99% of the people I know. And wouldn't you know it, my professor is not one of them.

What Too Many Americans Don't See When They Watch 'American Sniper'

What Too Many Americans Don't See When They Watch 'American Sniper'



WHAT A GREAT DAY FOR A WAR.

HOWARD ZINN QUOTE OF THE DAY

“TO BE HOPEFUL in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
Howard Zinn

Five Years After: Long Live Howard Zinn

Five Years After: Long Live Howard Zinn



A TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“I am opposing a social order in which it is possible for one man who does absolutely nothing that is useful to amass a fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars, while millions of men and women who work all the days of their lives secure barely enough for a wretched existence.”
Eugene V. Debs

Super Bowl for the Rich: Upper-Class 91, Middle-Class 9

Super Bowl for the Rich: Upper-Class 91, Middle-Class 9



WELCOME TO THE GAME. IT'S CALLED CAPITALISM, WHERE THE POOR WORK AND THE RICH GET RICH.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Everyone should have health insurance? I say everyone should have health care. I'm not selling insurance.”
Dennis Kucinich

MLK's Vision and the Right to Healthcare

MLK's Vision and the Right to Healthcare



HEALTHCARE SHOULD NOT BE TREATED AS A COMMODITY. IT SHOULD BE THE RIGHT OF EVERY AMERICAN TO RECEIVE HEALTHCARE THAT IS EQUAL TO THE TREATMENT THAT THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS GETS. THEY ARE OUR EMPLOYEES, WE ARE THEIR BOSSES.

GUEST EDITORIAL

I was asked by some folks in favor of an assessment increase, but opposed to the establishment of a

two-tier membership system, to forward this email to people who I knew would be interested in the vote.

I am in favor an assessment increase but opposed to two tiers and the completely unfair and unethical

way this proposal was initiated, presented, and carried out by GM, and Board. They have indicated our

financial problem, but should remain neutral while we owners proceed with a vote. If you have formed a

definite opinion in favor of the "Proposal" , which is your right and entitlement, you need go no further.

Delete it. If you are unsure of your position or are supporting an opposing position please continue to

read this following message:

POA Email Distribution List:

Early in December, a V4RC supporter came to me and suggested that we, opponents to the 2-Tier plan, make a formal request of the POA, to have access and use of the complete email distribution list that the POA uses to communicate with all property owners.  Great idea, I thought, and, I did so, in writing, made a request to David Twiggs.  After all, in the spirit of “fair play”, I felt that we, V4RC should have access to the same electronic distribution list that the POA uses on almost a daily basis to promote their support of the 2-Tier plan.  Words that tout their opinions of 2-Tier have been embedded in every communication since this contest started. I thought, that since we, the property owners, are paying for this tool, the electronic distribution list, it should be only fair, that we, V4RC, have equal access to spread our word about 2-Tier to the same audience.

Yesterday I finally received a response to my request from David Twiggs.

 I was denied access.

While I am disappointed that V4RC will not have equal access to this powerful and impactful communication tool, I understand and respect David’s decision to deny our access to this tool.  The POA should not, and apparently is not, sharing our personal data, our email addresses, with anyone.  This is a good thing.

However, what I continue to have issue with is the POA’s blatant misuse of our personal information to promote their one-side views and opinions, at our expense.  Ask yourself; who’s paying for the electronic distribution list?  You and I both know the answer to this question: “The Property Owners.”

This one-sided, unfair practice is evident with the full color brochures that were mailed out with the first election proxies.  It was evident again, with the wasteful mailing of a postcard, (costing $14,000), and soon will come another. And now, with the second election, we see the insertion of a one-side letter from the President of the Board promoting 2-Tier.  The one-sided use of OUR distribution list is evident in every electronic communique’ that the POA distributes.

Our election process in Hot Springs Village is about as far from fair and democratic as anything can get.  It’s very discouraging to see how the one-sided actions of our leaders have driven such a sharp wedge through the heart and spirit of our Community.

Hopefully, we will be able to make some positive changes with the election of Marcy G. Mermel and Clark G. Vernon in the upcoming Directors’ election.  We surely need their help and guidance.  Further, we are hoping against hope, that one of the other four Directors will stand up, stand tall, and break the chains that bind them to special interest groups so that we can gain a majority vote, representing the voices of property owners at large.

This writing, had I been able to reach out to all Property Owners, would surely have gained us more NO VOTES.  Posting my thoughts here and on our Group FB Page has its benefits but reaching out to 25,000~ Property Owners in one fell swoop as they say, would have had a MASSIVE IMPACT.

Given our constraints, we once again are depending on everyone that shares our mission to defeat 2-Tier, to forward this message on to all your friends, family, neighbors and anyone that you feel needs to know.

JUST VOTE NO!

           Robert Busse

The Absence of Poverty in the State of the Union

The Absence of Poverty in the State of the Union



THE STATE OF THIS UNION IS RIDICULOUSLY SICK.

Republicans and Wall Street Say to Hell With Protecting the Public!

Republicans and Wall Street Say to Hell With Protecting the Public!



I'M DRAFTING A PROPOSAL ON WHAT WE SHOULD SAY TO THEM. IT WON.T BE PRETTY.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Some of us are old enough to remember
       the balcony in Memphis,
       the sanitation workers' strike,
       the shot that broke flesh,
       and the loss of Martin,
              and then the mule-drawn wagon,
                      and the funeral,
              and the riots, the violence, the fear,
                      and the failure.

All of us know the crowd in D.C.
     and "I Have a Dream,"
     the Birmingham jail,
     the broad stream of violence,
     and his steadfast nonviolence
                     in Albany and
                     in Skokie and
                     in Selma.

All of us know his awesome, daring speech,
        his bravery, his hope, and his generative word.
And we know the relentlessness of our government
        in pursuit of him.
       and the endless surveillance and harassment
                     of this drum major for justice.

At this distance, we have little access
    to how it was then concerning ambiguity
            and fear
            and reluctance
            and violence
            and injustice.

We do not doubt that you have persisted
                 even beyond Martin's passion,
                 even beyond Martin's brilliance,
                 even beyond Martin's fidelity, and
                              his loss.

We do not doubt that through him and beyond him,
           you, holy God of the prophets,
                     are still pledged to justice and
                                                    peace and
                                                    liberty for all.

We remember Martin in gratitude....
                   and chagrin.
And we pledge, amid our stressed ambiguities,
                 to dream as he did,
                 to walk the walk,
                 and to talk the talk of your coming kingdom.

We pledge, so sure that your truth
     will not stop its march
          until your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

Walter Brueggemann, Prays for a Privileged People

QUOTE OF THE DAY-MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

“People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other.”
Martin Luther King Jr.

Bill Moyers on LBJ and 'Selma' | BillMoyers.com

Bill Moyers on LBJ and 'Selma' | BillMoyers.com



MARTIN LUTHER KING'S BIRTHDAY-TOMORROW

SCARY

HERE'S HOW WE ARE GOING TO BEAT THE HUMANS

TEDxMaui - Carolyn Raffensperger - Becoming Great Ancestors

IT WAS A MIGHTY FINE DAY

Photo by Adam Littlefield

Is This Country Crazy? Inquiring Minds Elsewhere Want to Know

Is This Country Crazy? Inquiring Minds Elsewhere Want to Know

CONSIDER SEVEN GENERATIONS BEFORE DECIDING

MOVING ON-ONE DAY AT A TIME

I've made a decision that I'm going to concentrate most of my efforts of community building in Hot Springs. Hot Springs Village is way too "Outer Limits" for me. I'm going to start at the Project H.O.P.E. food bank in Hot Springs next Tuesday. Looks like my job is going to be "the bread man." Pick up and deliver bread. I like that. On Tuesday and Thursdays. No more worrying about Hot Springs POA and directors. It ain't going to change. I'm going to feel my way around Hot Springs, looking to see what may need my expertise in stirring up the status quo. Maybe some writing or social action. Hot Springs is a much more diverse community. It has a lot more potential than Hot Springs Village.The only diversity in Hot Springs Village is attached to the past professions and careers of the people. As for now, most are mired in the status quo and prefer to hide behind the gates. Being mostly white and racist are two of our biggest problems. Being for the most part better educated is supposedly one of our assets, but I'm not so sure about that. My time and my interests are better served in Hot Springs.

LISTENING

TO LISTEN, YOU HAVE TO GIVE UP THE NOTION THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW. THAT'S A HORRIBLE THING TO HAVE TO DO. WE EACH LIKE TO THINK WE HAVE IT ALL DOWN PAT. ONE OF LIFE'S HARDEST LESSONS IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT MY WAY IS NOT THE ONLY WAY.

PLEASE REF, PICK THAT FLAG UP

Last night ruined my NFL dreams. I like watching football. In what was the most blatant throwing of a game that I have ever seen, I'm betting a ref got an important call in his ear-buds. None of these rich hotshots want to see Detroit succeed. The story quickly moved from footballs worst call ever to Chris Christe and Jerry Jones hugging in Jerry's private seating arrangement. Who gives a shit? I'm more interested in what happened on the field, with an obvious mugging of the receiver. I never bought the argument that sports were fixed until last night. I love Green Bay and I hope they win, 198-0.

I went to a meeting Saturday to discuss finding some candidates to run for the POA directors positions that will be voted on. Three people will be elected, making it possible to have a four person majority with one of the directors joining the three. The meeting was pretty much as unreasonable as the POA directors are. There were some really neat people, and some, I'm not quite sure what they were doing there. All in all, it was seriously disappointing. The highlight was two ladies squabbling over who should be in control, and one calling me biased against the POA. That was a real revelation. I told her everyone at the meeting had better be biased against the POA, or they were at the wrong meeting. They should have been at the Friends of the Village meeting. This election, we appear doomed. It appears the military guys will remain in control of the directors and the Village will continue to march towards an oligarchy, with the motto, "Can't we just all get alone," swinging from every light-pole.

SUNDAY MORNING HYMN: Grace Potter and The Nocturnals Falling Or Flying RAVE-HD

Out with 2014, In with 2015, and Up with People

Out with 2014, In with 2015, and Up with People