It is true; I don't get out much. But even I notice that the retail world goes directly from Halloween to Christmas decorations, totally ignoring Thanksgiving. Every year, the Christmas decor comes out earlier and earlier.

This year I observed Mayfair Mall donned its Christmas decor BEFORE Halloween! I had gone there on Oct. 24th to get my monthly 5# bag of Sumatra whole bean coffee. The mall was decked in reds and greens.

Last Saturday I went to Mayfair again. (Yup, for coffee.) While I did not shop the entire mall, I did walk past many stores and breezed in a few just to look.

Only one store that I saw on the main floor featured an autumn or Thanksgiving theme. That store was Williams-Sonoma, a.k.a. a cooks heaven. Ah, great! A store that acknowledges the season of Thanksgiving.

As I walked through the store it came to me. People cook for Thanksgiving. It is probably one of the major cooking holidays of the year. Of course the store would be pushing Thanksgiving--it is one of the few times a year people cook! Thanksgiving is a BIG day in the culinary retail world. None the less, it was nice to see the displays.

I think it is a sad commentary that Thanksgiving gets squeezed out as a holiday, and more importantly the reason we are celebrating ignored. The day set aside to thank God for His provision has devolved into Turkey Day, football, shopping (I thought I heard a radio ad say Gander Mountain was open Thanksgiving day) and preparing a strategy for Black Friday sales.

Yesterday I saw a Christmas wreath lit on a home. I understand people wanting to put up the decorations while the weather is still nice. But please, can we just hold off lighting them until after Thanksgiving?

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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Obama's I'm against same-sex marriage but against ending it's practice via California's Proposition 8 rings about as true as Wisconsin State Senator Jim Sullivan saying, he is for Voter ID but not for a state constitutional amendment referendum question requiring Voter ID. It's doublespeak for I don't want the current situation to change, but don't want to be on the record as saying so.

Obama Says He is Against Same-Sex Marriage But Also Against Ending Its Practice In Calif.:

Barack Obama's nuanced position on same-sex marriage is on full display in an MTV interview which is set to air on Monday.

Obama told MTV he believes marriage is "between a man and a woman" and that he is "not in favor of gay marriage." 

At the same time, Obama reiterated his opposition to Proposition 8, the California ballot measure which would eliminate a right to same-sex marriage that the state's Supreme Court recently recognized.

That's their Obama! Trying to be on both sides of the fence.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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People, you have a voice. Use it!

When you speak up in volumes to corporations or to Congress, it usually has a positive affect. McDonald's recently reversed its support for gay and lesbian political and social issues. Sen. McCain is talking about drilling domestically because Americans demanded it.

Just a week ago, I told you about 2 Choice Hotels in New Jersey that offered a $50 discount to women who were in the process of having an abortion in Stay in our hotels, aborting young mothers do.  

I urged you to contact the hotel chain. I did. Evidently many people called and emailed, because yesterday I received a reply: (My emphasis)

Dear Kyle Prast:

Thank you for contacting us regarding your concerns about two hotels that are a part of the Choice Hotels franchise system.  We appreciate your input on this matter.  We have received several similar inquires. These two hotels, like all of our more than 4,600 franchised properties in the United States, are independently owned and operated. 

...While Choice as a franchisor develops national marketing programs, rates and promotion programs such as these are set locally.

As a result of inquiries like yours, The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, upon reflection, has ended this practice of offering special rates to patients of the Cherry Hill Women's Center.

In addition, we have been advised by the Quality Inn in Maple Shade that any assertions of a similar discount at that hotel are false.

Thank you again for alerting us to this important issue. We hope you can now feel more comfortable about staying at our hotels.

Sincerely,

Mark Weiner
Vice President, Customer Care and Reservations, Choice Hotels International, Inc.

I emailed back a thank you. I don't know why the Quality Inn in Maple Shade, NJ was included in Family Research Council's alert, but they say they are not involved in the practice. Certainly the outpouring of negative public comment should keep other hotels in the area from offering similar discounts.

Money talks. Most businesses know they cannot afford to offend large groups of potential customers--especially in a depressed economy. Now if we could just get our government to be as responsive. It takes a lot of hammering by the public to make even the tiniest dent.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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What if I had a cure for Parkinson's, leukemia, diabetes, or paralysis caused by spinal cord injury? All you would have to do is take an infant, remove all of its stem cells (sorry, the infant dies), tweak the cells, and transfer them to the ill patient.

Would you do it?

Most people wouldn't and would consider that murderous act barbaric. Yet those who favor embryonic stem cell research are in effect doing just that in the eyes of those who are pro-life.

If you believe that life begins at conception, then even using an embryo for research purposes is an act of murder.

President Bush has been adamantly opposed to federal funding for embryonic stem cell research for that very reason. (The Bush stance only opposes federal funding--not outlawing private research.)

McCain has voted for existing embryonic stem cell research in the past, but those measures failed. John McCain is opposed to embryonic stem cell research that would encourage growing embryos for the purpose. The Republican platform is against any federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, but THEY ALL, BUSH, McCAIN, and PALIN FAVOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR ADULT STEM CELL RESEARCH! 

The outrageous Obama radio ad that distorts McCain's position includes a woman talking about her diabetic daughter. She says that John McCain is opposed to stem cell research. It goes on to say that medical research, benefiting millions, shouldn't be held hostage by a few.

So why do the Democrats constantly tell people that McCain and Bush are against stem cell research?

Two reasons: One, they want to portray the Republicans as heartless cretins, too stuck on religious principal to care about the ill. Two, if the Democrats can get people to buy into the necessity for embryonic stem cell research, it will dilute the anti-abortion/sanctity of life position of conservatives.

The issue should become moot in time, according to CNS, which is consistent with what I have seen reported*,

Stem cells obtained from adult humans have been widely acclaimed for their ability to promote human health and stave off dreaded illnesses. Stem cells obtained from human embryos, however, have not been successful in yielding results in scientific research thus far.

It will be wonderful to cure some of these diseases in the near future. McCain and Palin are in favor of curing these diseases too, just not at the expense of another individual! Remember that next time you hear an Obama ad saying they aren't.

PS Nick Reed (substitute for Vicki McKenna) called the mother, Jody Montgomery, from the ad to ask if she knew she was telling a complete lie. Turns out, this is the same woman who used the same type ad against Mark Green 2 years ago. Listen to the podcast from the 10am hour on Sept. 24th to hear more.

*Nick Reed just name some of the 73 benefits to human patients obtained from ADULT stem cell research on the same radio program. He continued the stem cell discussion into the 11am hour. He mentioned the 73 benefits at about 11:20am if you were listening to the podcast. See Stemcellresearch.org 

Brookfield District 7 Info meeting, Wed., Sept. 24, 2-3pm or 6:30-7:30pm City Clerk Kris Schmidt will be in attendance to answer questions or concerns regarding recent news about the Van Hollen lawsuit against the state elections authority.

Please, comment content should relate to the subject of the post. Although I try to respond to many, do not interpret my lack of a response as agreement.

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I am a little puzzled by this statement, since the Democrat's presidential candidate and platform are pro-abortion too.

The Roman Catholic group, Fidelis, says Barack Obama's selection of pro-abortion Catholic Joe Biden to be his V.P. running mate "is a slap in the face to Catholic voters" and poses a major challenge for American Catholics.

In a press release sent out overnight, Fidelis president, Brian Burch, declared that Barack Obama has "re-opened a wound among American Catholics" by picking a pro-abortion Catholic politician like Joe Biden.

According to Burch, the American Catholic bishops have made it clear that Catholic political leaders must defend the dignity of every human person, including the unborn. 

The article goes on to state Joe Biden's "steadfast support for legal abortion" in the US Senate. 

This same issue came up in the 2004 election when John Kerry "sparked a nationwide controversy over whether Catholics who support legal abortion can receive communion." 

The Catholic group's president, Brian Burch stated, "Selecting a pro-abortion Catholic is a slap in the face to Catholic voters."

According to Burch, "The American bishops have instructed Catholic voters to consider many issues, but have characterized the defense of human life as foundational and have explained that the issue has a special claim on the conscience of the Catholic voter. This means that a political candidate like Biden, because of his strong support for abortion rights, forfeits any claim for support despite his views on other issues like health care and the economy."

I would agree with Mr. Burch that this issue is foundational.

What I don't quite understand is why would a pro-life Catholic (or a pro-life voter from any other religion) be voting for Barack Obama--the most anti pro-life candidate? 

Links: 

Brookfield7, Fairly Conservative, Betterbrookfield, Mark Levin,   Vicki Mckenna