Tom to Lead His Company's United Way Campaign

I'm so proud of Tommy. Today he met with the CEO of his company so that they could get to know each other and to discuss United Way.

Background: The Executive Leadership Team had decided that Tom would be a good person to lead the company's United Way campaign. The company president called Tom into his office on Monday to find out if he'd be interested. He gave Tom the night to think about it.

As always, I couldn't help but put in my two cents - which was that he should do it. Tom also spoke to his dad who told him the same thing. Well, Tuesday morning Tom informed the company president that he was up for the challenge.

That led to the meeting today with the company CEO. Tom says he thinks things went well and I'm sure that they did. I have so much respect for Tom. He is a super talented manager and I'm sure he will do a great job! He has the leadership skills to excel at any opportunity that comes his way.

Notre Dame Scandal - Press Release

Today the Cardinal Newman Society issued the below statement:

First 300,000 Petition Signatures Delivered to Notre Dame Board Members, Fr. Jenkins
Copies Are Being Rushed to Rome, Papal Nuncio, USCCB and ND Bishop John D’Arcy

Manassas, Va. – Today, April 29, 2009, the first 300,000 names of individuals who signed the petition at NotreDameScandal.com — opposing the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama at commencement — are being delivered to Notre Dame president Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., the Board of Trustees and the Board of Fellows as they prepare for scheduled meetings on Friday, May 1, at Notre Dame.

As of this morning, more than 344,000 people have signed the petition, but because of the overwhelming numbers it took The Cardinal Newman Society more than 24 hours to prepare the data and print more than 64,000 sheets of paper, double sided, which were then bound in notebooks and sent via FedEx to Father Jenkins and individual members of the Notre Dame Board of Trustees and Board of Fellows.

Copies of the petitions are also being rushed by The Cardinal Newman Society, which sponsored the petition, to Archbishop Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Catholic Education; Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Apostolic Nuncio (Vatican ambassador) to the United States; Francis Cardinal George, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Bishop John D’Arcy, of Fort Wayne-South Bend, who presides over Notre Dame; and Bishop Robert McManus, Chairman of the USCCB Education Committee.

“Only the Notre Dame Trustees and Fellows have direct authority over Father Jenkins, so their meetings on Friday are our best hope for an end to this scandal,” said Patrick J. Reilly, President of The Cardinal Newman Society.

“It is critical for all of us to pray that the Trustees and Fellows charged with safeguarding Notre Dame’s Catholic identity will heed the 50 bishops and hundreds of thousands of faithful Catholics urging Notre Dame to withdraw its invitation to President Obama.”

The University of Notre Dame is governed by a 12-member Board of Fellows, including six Holy Cross priests, who are charged with ensuring “that the University maintains its essential character as a Catholic institution of higher learning.” The Fellows delegate most of their governing authority to the 38-member Board of Trustees, comprised mostly of lay people.

The university’s charter states: "The essential character of the University as a Catholic institution of higher learning shall at all times be maintained, it being the stated intention and desire of the present Fellows of the University that the University shall retain in perpetuity its identity as such an institution."

Specter's Exit Long Overdue

I'm pleased to see that PA Senator Arlen Specter has switched parties. He should feel right at home with the Secular/Socialists (the Democrat Party). Sen. Specter was the poster boy of RINO's. I honestly can't think of one single value that Senator Specter holds in common with conservatives.

I've always known he is far left on social issues - that was a given. However I mistakenly thought that Sen. Specter may still possess some remote sense of fiscal conservatism. So much for that! When he supported the fiscally irresponsible porkulus bill that was a new low - even for him. At that point I knew that we could never count on Sen. Specter to vote responsibly on anything.

Amongst all of the chatter in the liberal media about the Tax Day Tea Parties being Obama bashing events (which they were not), they mostly neglected to mention that a lot of Republicans got called out too. In fact, at the Dallas Tea Party the loudest boos of the evening came at the mention of Senator Specter's name.

Senator Specter had to know how disliked he is within the Republican party. The latest Rasmussen poll had former Rep. Pat Toomey with a 21 point lead over Sen. Specter in the 2010 GOP primary race for U.S. Senate. Clearly Sen. Specter could never win again as a Republican. Now let's hope Sen. Specter's desperate attempt to prolong his disgraceful Senate career as a Secular/Socialist (Democrat) comes up short. Go future Senator Toomey and good riddance Senator Specter!

Update on Notre Dame Scandal

It's very sad that Rev. Jenkins has made a mockery of Catholic values and brought disgrace upon the University of Notre Dame. I'm so glad that Mary Ann Glendon has refused to participate in this travesty. She is to be commended for her integrity. Below is a news release posted today on the Cardinal Newman Society website:

Mary Ann Glendon Declines ND ‘Laetare Medal’ Due to Selection of Obama as Commencement Speaker

At the news of Ambassador Mary Ann Glendon’s decision to decline the University of Notre Dame’s offer of the prestigious Laetare Medal and a speaking platform on account of the selection of President Obama as commencement speaker, Cardinal Newman Society president Patrick J. Reilly issued the following statement:

“Mary Ann Glendon is one of the most accomplished Catholic and pro-life leaders of our time. In heroic fashion, she has willingly sacrificed an award that she richly deserves, as a casualty of Notre Dame's choice to betray its Catholic mission. We urge Catholics nationwide to continue to pray that Notre Dame will end this scandal.”

Below is the text of the Honorable Mary Ann Glendon’s letter to the president of The University of Notre Dame, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.

April 27, 2009
The Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame

Dear Father Jenkins,

When you informed me in December 2008 that I had been selected to receive Notre Dame’s Laetare Medal, I was profoundly moved. I treasure the memory of receiving an honorary degree from Notre Dame in 1996, and I have always felt honored that the commencement speech I gave that year was included in the anthology of Notre Dame’s most memorable commencement speeches. So I immediately began working on an acceptance speech that I hoped would be worthy of the occasion, of the honor of the medal, and of your students and faculty.

Last month, when you called to tell me that the commencement speech was to be given by President Obama, I mentioned to you that I would have to rewrite my speech. Over the ensuing weeks, the task that once seemed so delightful has been complicated by a number of factors.

First, as a longtime consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I could not help but be dismayed by the news that Notre Dame also planned to award the president an honorary degree. This, as you must know, was in disregard of the U.S. bishops’ express request of 2004 that Catholic institutions “should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles” and that such persons “should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.” That request, which in no way seeks to control or interfere with an institution’s freedom to invite and engage in serious debate with whomever it wishes, seems to me so reasonable that I am at a loss to understand why a Catholic university should disrespect it.

Then I learned that “talking points” issued by Notre Dame in response to widespread criticism of its decision included two statements implying that my acceptance speech would somehow balance the event:

• “President Obama won’t be doing all the talking. Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, will be speaking as the recipient of the Laetare Medal.”

• “We think having the president come to Notre Dame, see our graduates, meet our leaders, and hear a talk from Mary Ann Glendon is a good thing for the president and for the causes we care about.”

A commencement, however, is supposed to be a joyous day for the graduates and their families. It is not the right place, nor is a brief acceptance speech the right vehicle, for engagement with the very serious problems raised by Notre Dame’s decision—in disregard of the settled position of the U.S. bishops—to honor a prominent and uncompromising opponent of the Church’s position on issues involving fundamental principles of justice.

Finally, with recent news reports that other Catholic schools are similarly choosing to disregard the bishops’ guidelines, I am concerned that Notre Dame’s example could have an unfortunate ripple effect.

It is with great sadness, therefore, that I have concluded that I cannot accept the Laetare Medal or participate in the May 17 graduation ceremony.

In order to avoid the inevitable speculation about the reasons for my decision, I will release this letter to the press, but I do not plan to make any further comment on the matter at this time.

Yours Very Truly,

Mary Ann Glendon

Mary Ann Glendon is Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. A member of the editorial and advisory board of First Things, she served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican from 2007 to 2009.

Greinke Does it Again!

Zack Greinke continues to sparkle! Greinke pitched a three hit complete game and would have had a shutout if it wasn't for an unearned run in the 5th. Zack struck out 10. Grienke is now 4-0 and still has an ERA of 0.00.
Royals 6. Tigers 1. KC is now 9-7 and in sole possession of 1st place - assuming the White Sox, who are behind 12-0, lose.

No Excuse for Perez Hilton's Behavior

Re: The Perez Hilton vs. Carrie Prejean (Miss California) saga

I strongly condemn Perez Hilton's boorish behavior. Believe me Hilton does not speak for all gays and lesbians. Personally I'm embarrassed by him and gays like him. His hateful rantings are despicable and totally out of line. He owes Miss California a GENUINE apology.

Hilton asked Carrie Prejean a question about gay marriage and she gave an honest answer. Well that was just too much for the bigoted Hilton to take. How dare a contestant in the Miss USA pageant answer a question with integrity rather than political correctness! We can't have that!

Hilton's subsequent personal attacks on Prejean reinforce what I have learned through personal experience and that is this: Some of the most intolerant people around are the same gays and lesbians who are always preaching to others about tolerance. As a gay conservative I know firsthand the abuse that gay liberals will heap on anyone who dares to disagree with them about anything.

As far as gay marriage goes I have mixed feelings, but that is a subject for another post. My point here is that people ought to be able to express their opinion on the issue without worrying about coming under attack.

It especially troubles me that Christians are coming under attack more and more often nowadays. Without doubt, Christians are the most persecuted group of people in America today. The hate and bigotry that secularists like Perez Hilton spew forth daily against people of faith sickens me. The sad reality is that there are a lot of Perez Hiltons out there. God help us!

Royals vs. Rangers

Texas Rangers 6. Kansas City Royals 5.
Tom and I went to the Rangers/Royals game this afternoon. We had a good time despite the Royals losing. At least when we left, after the Royals batted in the top of the 8th, KC was up 5-2. We listened to the rest of the game on the way home and I'm glad we weren't there. The Royals bullpen had a total meltdown. The Rangers scored three runs in the bottom of the 8th to tie it. Then Michael Young hit a home run in the bottom of the 9th to win it for the Rangers.

We had great seats right behind the 3rd base dugout. Tom didn't care that we were in the sun and got up several times during the game to stand in the shade. I enjoyed the sun very much - my only regret is that I didn't wear sun screen and got a little bit burnt.

As usual there were a lot of Royals fans at the game since there are many Kansas City natives living in Dallas. In the top pic above I'm wearing the free Rangers cap they gave me at the gate (it was Cap Day today) - but my heart is still with the Royals. We usually try to go to see the Royals every time they are in town.

Greinke Pitches a Gem

Royals 2 Rangers 0
Just finished watching the Royals & Rangers game. My favorite pitcher, Zack Greinke, pitched a complete game shutout. Wow! This would be a great start against anyone but considering all of the bats in the Rangers lineup it is extremely impressive! Greinke now owns the team record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched (34) surpassing Kevin Appier. He is 3-0 and has not allowed a run in 20 innings in 2009. Way to go Zack!

Come and Get Me Janet

Sure signs you are a potentially dangerous right-wing extremist and will be subject to monitoring by Obama's homeland "security" department:

You believe in God and you live your faith.

You believe that "Thou shalt not kill" means exactly what it says.

You believe charity is defined by what you give of yourself - not by how much you demand others to give of themselves.

You believe in American exceptionalism and that the U.S. has been a force for good in the world.

You believe that freedom isn't free and must be constantly safeguarded.

You believe in peace through strength.

You are a veteran and strong supporter of the U.S. military.

You believe liberty is an inalienable right that cannot be conferred or taken away by government.

You don't believe in a "living" Constitution - nor do you believe in judicial activism.

You believe in the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, the right to keep & bear arms and the rest of the Bill Of Rights.

You judge people by the content of their character - not by the color of their skin.

You trust your friends and neighbors more than you trust government.

You believe that capitalism beats all the other "isms".

You believe that we are Taxed Enough Already.

You work and pay your own way in life and expect others to do the same.

You believe in personal responsibility and that rewarding bad behavior just encourages more bad behavior.

You believe it is quite reasonable to question the "science" of global warming.

You believe in protecting our borders.

Dallas Tea Party

I just arrived home from the Dallas Tea Party and am fired up! Tonight was about sending a message to politicians at every level of government - this reckless spending has got to stop! We are sick and tired of a government which takes us for granted. It is high time that politicians pay attention to the PRODUCERS instead of the parasites who freeload off of us.

A couple of the speakers tonight referenced John Galt. Who is John Galt? He was the hero in Ayn Rand's classic "Atlas Shrugged." I've read this book twice and believe it should be required reading for every high school student. Galt and the other producers withdrew from the world to let the looters fend for themselves. You can probably guess how that turned out.

Conservative radio celebrity Mark Davis emceed the Dallas Tea Party and did a fantastic job. We got a nice surprise when Michelle Malkin called Mark on his wireless. He put Michelle on speakerphone up close to his mike and she spoke to the crowd for a few minutes. I just love Michelle!

My office is just a block away from City Hall where the Tea Party was held so it was very convenient for me to walk over to the event after work. I had only intended to stay for about an hour but once in the company of so many other patriotic God-fearing Americans I didn't want to leave. I ended up staying until 8pm and then walked back to my office building to grab my briefcase before catching the train home.

Thousands show up for Dallas 'tea party'; Texas Gov. Rick Perry riles Austin
06:56 PM CDT on Wednesday, April 15, 2009
By WAYNE SLATER and DAVE LEVINTHAL/ The Dallas Morning News

Police estimated several thousand people attended the Dallas tea party event, which kicked off shortly after 6 p.m. Protesters waved yellow “don’t tread on me” flags and a variety of colorful signs alternately decrying taxes, panning a federal economic stimulus package, chiding President Barack Obama as a socialist/communist and announcing Christ has risen.

Becky Hanshaw, a pink papier machie pig hat atop her head, said she drove 10 hours from McAllen to attend the rally because “it’s time to stop the craziness.” “I work too hard to give my money away,” said Hanshaw, a dental hygienist by trade. “This is a message to both parties, because I don’t believe the Republican party is conservative enough.”

In Austin earlier today, Gov. Rick Perry told an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday the federal government is "rampaging through the halls of Congress" with big-spending programs and only states' rights can stop it. "We will not stand our pockets being picked, our children's future being mortgaged, our rights being taken away," the Republican governor told a cheering crowd of 1,000 people outside Austin City Hall.

Perry dismissed characterizations that those attending Wednesday's "tea party" rallies in Texas and around the country are "a bunch of right-wing extremists." "But if you are, I'm with you," he said.

During the speech, people waved "Don't Tread on Me" flags and signs lampooning the Obama administration's economic stimulus efforts. Some shouted, "Secede!"

Among the signs: "Obama. Liar in Chief" and "I'll Keep My Guns and Money. You Can Keep the Change."

Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party Day

Today Americans all over the country will be attending tea parties as a peaceful show of protest at all of the socialist spending taking place in Washington DC. Hopefully this signals the resurgence of the conservative movement to take back America from the radicals.

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!

Lead Story on Drudge Report

WAKE UP CALL: TEXAS GOV. BACKS RESOLUTION AFFIRMING SOVEREIGNTY
Tue Apr 14 2009 08:44:54 ET

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.”

Perry continued: "Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas."

A number of recent federal proposals are not within the scope of the federal government’s constitutionally designated powers and impede the states’ right to govern themselves. HCR 50 affirms that Texas claims sovereignty under the 10th Amendment over all powers not otherwise granted to the federal government.

It also designates that all compulsory federal legislation that requires states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties, or that requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding, be prohibited or repealed.

Developing...

A Look Back at the Past Week

Highlights and lowlights:
- Great news! Daddy's surgery on Tuesday was successful - they were able to remove the rest of the tumor.
- My sister Lori was hospitalized on Tuesday with an infection in her leg. She was released from the hospital on Friday but will need to remain on antibiotics for awhile longer.
- Mother hasn't had any headaches in the past week. She had banged her head pretty bad about three weeks ago. The doctor did a brain scan and all looked fine. The doctor had told mother the headaches would probably last about two weeks. Thankfully it looks like they have gone away.
- I had a follow up doctor's appointment on Wednesday. Doctor says the tendinitis in my right arm is much better. I was given the OK to resume light upper body workouts! I worked my triceps tonight for the first time in 2 1/2 weeks. Although I used light weight I did a lot more reps. I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow!
- AT&T and CWA still haven't reached agreement on a new labor contract but the union is continuing to work under the old contract.
- Tommy had the day off on Good Friday. I was supposed to have a full day of vacation but had a lot of work that I had to get done so I ended up working Friday morning and taking 1/2 day vacation. It was another very busy week for me at work.
- We spent the weekend in Goldthwaite. Left Dallas at 1pm on Friday and got back home at about 1:30 this afternoon. Last night we went to Jessica's (Tom's niece) birthday party at Kay and Mark's house. We had a nice visit to G'waite - it was great spending time with Tom's family.
- The Kansas City Royals are 3-3 after the first week of the season. We lost our season opener on Tuesday in Chicago but came back and beat the White Sox on Wednesday and Thursday to take the series. We then hosted the Yankees for a weekend series. New York won the first two games but the Royals avoided the sweep by winning today. Not a bad first week. I'm predicting that the Royals will win 85 games this season. The Royals have some great young arms so I'm confident we can do it!

Start of Baseball Season

The beginning of baseball season is one of my favorite times of year. Maybe it's the feeling that spring really is here. Or maybe its the anticipation of what the new season will bring for my favorite team - the Kansas City Royals. I don't know but I always get jazzed.

The Royals were supposed to open their season in Chicago tomorrow against the White Sox; however I just found out that the opener was postponed until Tuesday due to weather. Bummer.

As I say every year - THIS could be the season the Royals win it all. You never know. That is what is so exciting about it.

AT&T Bargaining Update

Below is a public statement released today by AT&T. Going into the new week, I'm just going to focus on doing my job and try not to let the ongoing negotiations be a distraction.

Negotiations continue, AT&T announces highlights of proposals to CWA
April 5 – Today AT&T Inc. and Communications Workers of America (CWA) continued to meet and negotiate toward new agreements for 80,500 Core wireline employees. The current agreements expired at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, April 4.

In the Southeast, where the contract does not expire until August 8, both parties have agreed to stop negotiations and reconvene this summer – as they would have under normal circumstances. These 32,000 union-represented employees are no longer part of the current negotiations.

AT&T’s wireline business is declining (20 percent of consumer access lines lost in the past 3 years), yet it is the part of the business where union employees have the richest health care benefits. Union-represented Core wireline employees pay similar amounts for their health care as union workers at the Big 3 automakers pay – and it’s clear what those sorts of unsustainable costs have done to America’s auto industry. These employees also pay significantly lower than what other AT&T employees pay, including those covered by other CWA contracts.

In a time when other employers are totally abandoning health care benefits – as well as pensions and wage increases – AT&T takes pride in being able to continue to provide good jobs with good wages and benefits that among the best in the nation to all of its employees. To that end, here is a general summary of the present proposals made by AT&T:

• Health care plans that keep Core wireline bargained-for employees with lower health care costs than AT&T management, other recently negotiated CWA agreements, competitors and well below the national average – remaining one the of most robust health care plans in the nation. Some elements of the plans include:
o Employee heath care costs pegged to wages, so that those who earn less, pay less for deductibles
o Full company-funded coverage of all preventative care, including annual physicals, mammograms, well-baby care, and immunizations
• Wage increases for all years of the agreement, through a combination of wage progression, raises and lump sum payments – at a time when many U.S. employers are either asking for wage concessions or freezing wages
• Upgrades for premises technicians – including additional wage increases beyond those outlined above and, where needed, conversion of employees from temporary to regular status
• Increase in pension contributions every year of the agreement and continuation of the 401k plan with generous company match, even as employers are decreasing or eliminating this benefit

It is important to note that the highlights above are what the company has proposed and is not an all-inclusive list. All items are still on the table and pending negotiation by the Company and the union.

The Company stands ready to negotiate with the CWA at any time in a continuing effort to reach an agreement.