Jersey Girl

EASTER SUNDAY

Easter is the holiday that celebrates and commemorates the central event of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death by crucifixion. All major branches of Christianity observe the holiday. Today, other than church attendance, the holiday often involves Easter Eggs for toys and candy as well as the imagery of bunnies and rabbits (see more below). Easter occurs the Sunday after Good Friday.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the centerpiece of the Christian faith, according to the Apostle Paul, who even says that if Jesus Christ has not been resurrected then the Christian faith is worthless and futile (1 Cor. 15:14-17). Therefore, without Easter there is no Christianity.

Easter is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year. All the Christian movable feasts and the entire liturgical year of worship are arranged around Easter. Easter is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week, and followed by a 50-day Easter Season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

There is evidence that Christians originally celebrated the resurrection of Christ every Sunday, with observances such as Scripture readings, psalms, the Eucharist, and a prohibition against kneeling in prayer. {6} At some point in the first two centuries, however, it became customary to celebrate the resurrection specially on one day each year. Many of the religious observances of this celebration were taken from the Jewish Passover.

The specific day on which the resurrection should be celebrated became a major point of contention within the church. First, should it be on Jewish Passover no matter on what day that falls, or should it always fall on a Sunday? It seems Christians in Asia took the former position, while those everywhere else insisted on the latter. The eminent church fathers Irenaeus and Polycarp were among the Asiatic Christians, and they claimed the authority of St. John the Apostle for their position. Nevertheless, the church majority officially decided that Easter should always be celebrated on a Sunday. Eusebius of Caesarea, our only source on this topic, reports the affair as follows:

A question of no small importance arose at that time [c. 190 AD]. The dioceses of all Asia, as from an older tradition, held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving pasch, contending that the fast ought to end on that day, whatever day of the week it might happen to be. However it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world to end it at this point, as they observed the practice, which from Apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time, of terminating the fast on no other day than on that of the Resurrection of our Saviour. Synods and assemblies of bishops were held on this account, and all with one consent through mutual correspondence drew up an ecclesiastical decree that the mystery of the Resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but the Sunday and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only. {7} With this issue resolved, the next problem was to determine which Sunday to celebrate the resurrection. The Christians in Syria and Mesopotamia held their festival on the Sunday after the Jewish Passover (which itself varied a great deal), but those in Alexandria and other regions held it on the first Sunday after the spring equinox, without regard to the Passover.

This second issue was decided at the Council of Nicea in 325, which decreed that Easter should be celebrated by all on the same Sunday, which Sunday shall be the first following the paschal moon (and the paschal moon must not precede the spring equinox), and that a particular church should determine the date of Easter and communicate it throughout the empire (probably Alexandria, with their skill in astronomical calculations).

The policy was adopted throughout the empire, but Rome adopted an 84-year lunar cycle for determining the date, whereas Alexandria used a 19-year cycle. {8} Use of these different “paschal cycles” persists to this day and contributes to the disparity between the eastern and western dates of Easter.

Common elements found in most Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant religious Easter celebrations include baptism, the Eucharist, feasting, and greetings of “Christ is risen!” and “He is risen indeed!”

In Roman Catholicism, and some Lutheran and Anglican churches, Easter is celebrated with a vigil that consists of “the blessing of the new fire (a practice introduced during the early Middle Ages); the lighting of the paschal candle; a service of lessons, called the prophecies; followed by the blessing of the font and baptisms and then the mass of Easter.” {9} The traditional customs of the Catholic church are described in detail in the online Catholic Encyclopedia {10}.

In Orthodox churches, the vigil service is preceded by a procession outside the church. When the procession leaves the church, there are no lights on. The procession conducts a symbolic fruitless search for Christ’s body, then joyfully announces, “Christ is risen!” When the procession returns to the church, hundreds of candles and lamps are lit to symbolize the splendor of Christ’s resurrection, and the Easter Eucharist is taken. {11}

Protestant observances also include baptism and the Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper), and often a sunrise service (to commemorate Mary Magdalene’s arrival at the empty tomb “early, while it was still dark”) and special hymns and songs.

Easter Eggs and Christianity

What do eggs have to do with Easter? Over the centuries, Easter Sunday has been supplemented by popular customs, many of were incorporated from springtime fertility celebrations of European and Middle Eastern pagan religion. Rabbits and eggs, for example, are widely-used pagan symbols for fertility.

Some Christians disassociate themselves entirely from Easter eggs because of their pagan connotations. Other Christians view Easter eggs, or other candies and treats, as symbols of joy and celebration (as they were forbidden during the fast of Lent) and as a “taste” of new life and resurrection that they have in Jesus Christ. A common custom is to hide brightly colored eggs for children to find.

ORIGNAL ARTICLE COURTESY OF RELIGION FACTS

WHY CHRISTIANS OBSERVE GOOD FRIDAY

Good Friday is the Friday of Holy Week, which commemorates the crucifixion, suffering, and death of Jesus. Good Friday is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Good Friday is a fast day in the Catholic Church, and falls within the Paschal Triduum. The holiday is observed during Holy Week on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover.

The crucifixion of Jesus occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally crucified. Collectively referred to as the Passion, Jesus’ suffering and redemptive death by crucifixion represent the central aspects of Christian theology, including the doctrines of salvation and atonement. ~JGT

Merciful Father,
In your great love,
You sent your Son Jesus Christ,
To suffer and die on the cross.
By reflecting upon his crucifixion this day:
May we find consolation in our suffering;
May we find healing in our sickness;
And, clinging to the hope that we have in Christ,
May we who will die find salvation.
We pray in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen.
~David Bennett~

I Remember My America © d.f. howard

I love America! I love MY country! I love what our Constitution stands for and I love it for the dream that our founding fathers imagined for us. I would give my life for my country!

Indeed, I’d give my life for the country that I grew up in and the country that I served while on active duty in the United States Navy from 1979 to 1990. THAT is the country I love! That America~ is the country I pledged to support & defend against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic! My pledges (two pledges taken during my 11 years in the U.S. Navy ) not only bound me with my fellow sailors, soldiers and American citizens but it also bound me to specifically support the Commander(s) in Chief of the United States Armed Forces, no matter what my political preferences were at the time. I Took An Oath! Under God! Twice!

I can attest that during my first year on active duty serving under then President Jimmy Carter, the military was pitiful & morale was at an all-time low. Iran had held 52 American hostages captive after sacking the American Embassy in Tehran 14 months earlier at the time & President Carter’s failure to secure their release through diplomatic means eventually led to the fatal “Operation Eagle Claw” mission that resulted in the deaths of 8 members of the Army’s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (popularly known as the Delta Force) & Naval Special Warfare Development Group (more popularly known as Seal Team Six) when their helicopter crashed on the night of April 24, 1980. I can tell you first hand that the entire U.S. Navy & our sister services mourned this horrendous tragedy!

Under President Ronald Reagan, we were proud, united and eager to serve! During THE GULF OF SIDRA INCIDENT on Aug. 19, 1981 two U.S. Navy F-14 jets shot down two Soviet-built Libyan SU-22’s about 60 miles from the Libyan coast after being fired on by one of the Libyan aircraft. While stationed overseas, I can tell you that we all went wild when we heard that! Tee-shirts, ball caps, pins etc., were printed up so fast and every Sailor or Marine I ran into on base (including me) had one on that read “USA=1 Libya=0”. What a kick!

Bush 41 carried Reagan’s legacy into the 1990’s but by then, I was a military wife & I observed much of this through my husband’s career which finally ended with his retirement (after serving 21 years) at the end of the Clinton Administration in 1999.

My father, uncles & father-in law all served in World War II. My grandfather(s) served in World War I. I have direct grandfathers, great grandfathers & direct ancestors that served in the American Civil War, the War of 1812 & the American Revolutionary War. I have served and my husband has served in the U. S. Navy. Hey, I’m a Jersey Girl and I was born in the middle of the “baby boom”!

Over the years, I have watched our country’s military decline. I barely recognize this country anymore and am terribly afraid of where this country is going. Many people I talk to about this are afraid as well. I spit on the leadership (if you can call it that) and the politicians who are currently running this country! And I don’t care what color they are or what race they are or what nationality they are or what religion they are. They are ALL to blame!

Sadly, we have a president and his staff continually peddling bullshit to the American people. Our unemployment numbers are NOT approximately 5% because the underemployment rate is approximately 15% as of February 2016. I’m no financial genius but I’d say if we added those two figures together we’re at about 20% unemployment rate in the U.S. And since when do we include part-time employment in the weekly jobs report? Oh, I forgot~ it’s the hope & change Obama’s Administration & OUR White House has been peddling since 2008! And tell me, please~ what is this so-called “recovery” the White House is still babbling about? What recovery? I don’t see it. Do you? Indeed, once the Affordable Care Act (aka) Obamacare went into effect it’s costing hard-working American families thousands of dollars more every year all the while government employees, Congress, the Senate and ALL their staff(s) get the “Cadillac” plans that many of us once had & paid to have. (Take it from someone who actually pays for health care through employment & has seen her premiums go up over $3000 a year as well as co-pays & out of pocket costs since Obamacare took effect in 2009!)

Regrettably, most insurance companies no longer carry those plans because of Obamacare & due to the high federal taxes being imposed on it! Why can’t insurance companies compete across state lines anyway? Answer: Because Americans were suckered into voting for politicians promising to serve them in Washington but are now being ignored in favor of big-money donors & lobbyists giving them perks & promising to get them reelected! Therefore~ the American voter who elected them in the first place is then brushed aside because we’re not needed anymore! Did you know that insurance companies have pulled coverage out of so many states that many states are left with just one? How’s that for a monopoly? I thought monopolies were illegal in this country? Nonetheless, Obama- the Hope & Change Monarch of America- has decreed it is not! (What a creep!) And, Ditto~ for those slimy politicians WE voted for!

We Americans have been shrouded in darkness by our government. We have been lied to and violated. We have been surreptitiously and methodically stripped of our rights as Americans by the politicians with whom we have voted for and placed our trust in for years! Our politicians are “in” the top 1% of the American “elite” who get rich while the rest of us get poorer. We, the working class (working poor in most cases) are left to eke out an honest living by working hard, paying our bills AND paying federal, state & local taxes in order to provide for our families every single day. It never stops! Have you ever heard the saying; “Death & Taxes”? I have~ and I know that in our country, even our heirs must pay taxes even after our deaths! But there again, it’s double jeopardy because the deceased has already paid taxes on the very money or property that their heir(s) have inherited. It’s mindboggling!

How about voting? Do you believe that as an American, voting should be sacrosanct? Isn’t it supposed to be one vote for each LEGAL and LIVING American citizen? I always believed that. Additionally many people have voted several times in several states! Did you know that thousands of dead people, convicted felons as well as dogs & cats actually voted for Obama in the last two election cycles? Amazing!!! How did they do this? It is “Houdiniesque” (my word). Meanwhile, there are several states that want to protect our right to vote under the Constitution by requiring that each voter (ONE vote per person) provide a photo ID and have passed bills into law in their respective state legislatures that require this. Indeed, don’t we have to show an ID to someone almost every single day? Ever try to rent a hotel room or a car without one? How about buying a beer a pack of cigarettes; using a credit card and being asked for a photo ID or cashing a check ANYWHERE without an accompanying photo ID? Ah, what to say about those airlines, huh? Try getting on a plane going anywhere without showing several IDs along with the added (dis)pleasure of a possible cavity search! Yikes!

Regardless, the federal government is currently in the process of spending taxpayer dollars in an effort to sue those states. Now I ask you; what is wrong with that picture? And why are WE AMERICANS allowing the FEDS to spend taxpayer dollars to do so? I believe it’s because they (the feds) figure that very few Americans (accept the state being sued) are actually paying attention. So what happens when we, Americans and the states try to correct this or any imbalance or uphold the constitutional rights promised to us in our constitution? We are sued and called racists. This, my fellow Americans is BULLSHIT!!!

A final thought. Now~ we are in an election year but I’ll reserve my opinions on the candidates of both parties until after the primary is held in my state of New Jersey on Tuesday June 7, 2016. Heaven help us all after it’s all over. Until then, I remain hopeful that America~ the country & land I love, will once again become the country I had always been proud of & that I once unswervingly served.

For now, I can only remember~ My America!

JASPER

Jasper Howard *2000-2015 ( My Sweet Boy~ My Valentine!)

It took my husband Luke 4 months to trap Jasper & his brother (Buster) after my mother had scooped their small sister (Misty) up in her arms in June of 2000. Once we had him & brought him to our house to join Misty he disappeared somewhere into the house (we never found out where) but came out to eat & use the litter box. Indeed; he was like a little ghost! After looking up the name ‘Casper’ in a baby names book, I discovered that it was interchangeable with the name ‘Jasper’ & thus he was named!

Jasper soon discovered that he had been rescued by humans who had not only ensnared him but whom also lived with four dogs! (He had no idea that those dogs had recently lost the last of three elderly cats that they had lived with & suffered through all their losses.) Those wonderful dogs welcomed him into our home as if he were one of them. Our dogs, Marcus, Willow, Christian & Emmet all welcomed him into the “pack” & it wasn’t long before he became a member of the Howard family!

Jasper discovered that he adored ALL dogs! Indeed, we have always believed that he preferred them over us! Over the past 15 years we have rescued & lost dogs & cats and lost family members and friends that he had been accustomed to receiving affection from. Jasper had lived through it all including the losses of his litter mates Misty & Buster who left us in 2011 & 2012. We know that he mourned the losses of the four dogs that he met in 2000 as well as our adopted dogs Bear & Heidi who he welcomed years later but subsequently mourned their losses as well in 2011 & 2012.

Duffy came to us in mid-2012 & boxed with Jasper until just a few days ago. We knew he was ready to leave us & move on to meet up with his old playmates in Heaven. I truly do believe that there are Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates~~ and my faith in God through Jesus Christ has convinced me that our beloved Jasper who passed on today will be meeting up with all of his Howard family sibling cats & dogs who have gone on before him over the years.

Thank you, Jasper for sharing your life with all of us these 15 years. We will miss you, Jasper and we pray that you will give our love to the “gang” when you meet them at the Rainbow Bridge & let them ALL know that we still miss & love them all & we know that they are happy for you to join up with them at last.

“Not even a sparrow, worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.” ~ Matthew 10:29.

Celebrating Ash Wednesday

I was raised Presbyterian by a Roman Catholic mother who thought it wise to let my brother & me make our own decisions as to which faith we would eventually embrace as adults. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lenten discipline for observant Christians & especially Catholics. It is traditionally a time of fasting and prayer in preparation for receiving or reaffirming baptism at Easter. For some Christians, Lent is a time to think about one’s life choices and mortality, as well as reflect on life directions. It serves as a wakeup call for some Christians. There are also those who choose this time of the year to donate to charities or take part in charity events as a way to get close to God. For all my friends & family who celebrate this day, & especially for those that don’t ~ God Bless You All! ~JGT

UPDATE Canine Influenza 2016: Pet Owners Guide

Bear’s last photo

CANINE INFLUENZA: Pet Owners’ Guide (Courtesy of the American Veterinary Medical Association)

Canine influenza (CI, or dog flu) in the U.S. is caused by the canine influenza virus (CIV), an influenza A virus. It is highly contagious and easily spread from infected dogs to other dogs through direct contact, nasal secretions (through barking, coughing or sneezing), contaminated objects (kennel surfaces, food and water bowls, collars and leashes), and by people moving between infected and uninfected dogs. Dogs of any breed, age, sex or health status are at risk of infection when exposed to the virus.

Unlike seasonal flu in people, canine influenza can occur year round. So far, there is no evidence that canine influenza infects people. However, it does appear that at least some strains of the disease can infect cats.

Read my original post from 2012 on the death of our beloved, Bear. ~JGT

SYMPTONS & DIAGNOSIS

CIV infection resembles canine infectious tracheobronchitis (“kennel cough”). The illness may be mild or severe, and infected dogs develop a persistent cough and may develop a thick nasal discharge and fever (often 104-105^oF). Other signs can include lethargy, eye discharge, and reduced appetite. Some dogs may not show signs of illness, but can shed the virus and infect other dogs.

Most dogs recover within 2-3 weeks. However, secondary bacterial infections can develop, and may cause more severe illness and pneumonia. Anyone with concerns about their pet’s health, or whose pet is showing signs of canine influenza, should contact their veterinarian.

CIV can be diagnosed early in the illness (less than 3 days) by testing a nasal or throat swab. The most accurate test for CIV infection is a blood test that requires a sample taken during the first week of illness, followed by a second sample 10-14 days later.

TRANSMISSION & PREVENTION OF CANINE INFLUENZA

Dogs are most contagious during the two- to four-day incubation period for the virus, when they are infected and shedding the virus in their nasal secretions but are not showing signs of illness. Almost all dogs exposed to CIV will become infected, and the majority (80%) of infected dogs develop flu-like illness. The mortality (death) rate is low (less than 10%).

The spread of CIV can be reduced by isolating ill dogs as well as those who are known to have been exposed to an infected dog and those showing signs of respiratory illness. Good hygiene and sanitation, including hand washing and thorough cleaning of shared items and kennels, also reduce the spread of CIV. Influenza viruses do not usually survive in the environment beyond 48 hours and are inactivated or killed by commonly used disinfectants.

There are vaccines against the H3N8 strain of canine influenza, which was first discovered in 2004 and until 2015 was the only strain of canine influenza found in the United States. However, a 2015 outbreak of canine influenza in Chicago was traced to the H3N2 strain – the first reporting of this strain outside of Asia – and it is not known whether the H3N8 vaccine provides any protection against this strain. Used against H3N8, the vaccines may not completely prevent infection, but appear to reduce the severity and duration of the illness, as well as the length of time when an infected dog may shed the virus in its respiratory secretions and the amount of virus shed – making them less contagious to other dogs.

In November 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a conditional license to Zoetis to market the first commercially available H3N2 canine influenza vaccine. Later that month, Merck Animal Health announced the availability of an H3N2 canine influenza vaccine, also conditionally licensed by USDA.

The CIV vaccination is a “lifestyle” vaccination, recommended for dogs at risk of exposure due to their increased exposure to other dogs – such as boarding, attending social events with dogs present, and visiting dog parks.

PLEASE keep your pet’s vaccinations up-to-date & discuss your pet’s needs and your concerns with your veterinarian. We lost our little, Bear in 2012 and less than 2 weeks after his last trip to the groomer. All of his vaccinations had been up-to-date. Read my original article here. ~JGT

Additional Resources:

Frequently Asked Questions (for pet owners)

Canine Influenza reference page (for veterinarians)

H3N2 Frequently Asked Questions (Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine)

Doginfluenza.com (Merck Animal Health)

Canine Flu 2015

Time is Only A Matter of Minutes

Jersey Girl circa 1958

For over thirty years I’ve helped my husband, Luke (usually in a boisterous panic and always at the last minute) to find his car keys, wallet or cell phone just before leaving for work. Unfortunately, many of these ‘fits’ happen at 4 AM when he’s leaving for a 12 hour shift! And then~ the entire household is awake as well! But fortunately for the rest of the household~ we can go back to bed and try to sleep for a few more hours!

Let me ask you if you have ever misplaced or forgotten where you left something very important? I have. In the early 1990’s I searched an entire parking lot for my 1985 Cadillac Eldorado which I thought I had merely forgotten where I had parked it. At the time~ I believed I was going crazy but as it turned out, it had been stolen and turned up stripped in a terrible neighborhood Newark, New Jersey a week later!

That aside; as I’ve grown older~ I realize that more & more of my own time seems to be spent looking for my reading glasses or house & car keys. Indeed, hunting for my reading glasses is usually my primary concern and alas~ a daily event! It’s bad enough that I have become dependent on them over the years but adding insult to injury by misplacing them has become a regular occurrence!

I’ll admit that I have found them on the floor on more than a few occasions with the ear pieces showing extreme evidence of dog gnawing & chewing. In those cases I usually blame one of our two dogs. One of them (I know very well it’s, Bella) must have jumped up on the chair & stolen them from either the table, ottoman or bed. Bad Girl!

But more often than not, after looking for at least 5 minutes, I’ll usually find them in the first place I looked or searched in the first place! I know I looked there. More than once. Sometimes twice. Am I becoming forgetful? Growing senile? I’m not really ‘old’~ am I? Maybe I can’t find my glasses because I can’t see what I’m looking for? Does that make sense to you?

And that~ puts me in mind of an episode of the TV show, “The Twilight Zone” that I clearly do remember watching back in the day.

Here’s a Synopsis (courtesy Wikipedia) of the Twilight Zone ‘s episode, “A Matter of Minutes” which was the third segment of the fifteenth episode from the first season (1985–86) of the television series The Twilight Zone. Please let me know what you think? Who knows? It could be true? ~JGT©

A Matter of Minutes

Here’s the PLOT: A young married couple, the Wrights, wake up one day to the sounds of construction. When they get a good look at the world around them, they find everything has stopped. A crew of blue-clad construction workers are busy removing their furniture and replacing it with new. The Wrights run outside to find things being rebuilt that have already existed. The workers set up a crash, and distribute litter in the streets. The Wrights start to go in the direction of the voice barking out orders to the workers until the voice tells them to chase the Wrights.

Confused and frightened, the couple run into a back alley and enter a void of white space. They discover a man in yellow, who helps them out of the void and explains to them he is the supervisor of the maintenance of time. They have somehow slipped into a loophole of time. While they should be in an earlier time, 9:33, for some reason they have hopped over into 11:37. Showing them exactly how time is maintained, he reveals to them a new understanding of how the universe works: every minute in history is essentially a separate world, which must be built, maintained, and torn down once the world finishes with it. The supervisor informs them that they cannot return for two reasons: one, they cannot reveal to anyone the true nature of time and two, the supervisor isn’t even certain they could return if they wanted to. The Wrights flee from the foreman and his crew, and try to find a way to slip back to their own time. They hide inside a theatre ticket booth waiting until their time, 11:37, rolls around and catches up with them. The foreman finds them but too late. A sudden loud noise and whoosh of wind and the Wrights suddenly come into their world again. Back in their own time, they find a “blue” wrench sitting on a public telephone, a souvenir as proof of their experience. (Synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Matter_of_Minutes)

So~ Do you think I’m going crazy or do you think that it really is ALL~ just a matter of time that affects us all? ~JGT

Hey look, Honey; I just found that pesky snow shovel out in the garage where you left it last year! Just in time for the weekend! Aren’t you glad you married me? Really? Well~ I love you too!

OBAMA ADMIN BENDS OVER (AGAIN) TO IRAN & GIVES $1.7 BILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO TERRORISTS!!

I don’t understand this crap! Today, the United States and Iran settled a long outstanding claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in the Hague where Secretary of State John Kerry muttered, “This specific claim was in the amount of a $400 million Trust Fund used by Iran to purchase military equipment from the United States prior to a break in diplomatic ties” Blah-Blah-Blah, Mr. Kerry. You are more full of political bull crap than Mr. Obama!

BRIEF HISTORY LESSON

In 1979, the United States allowed the then exiled, Shah of Iran entry into our country for medical treatment. Meanwhile; a group of radical Islamists in Tehran violently seized our American Embassy there, burned our flag, looted and destroyed our Embassy (American Territory) & took over 54 American Citizen hostages These Americans were held captive in that disgusting country for 444 days! Eventually; President Carter acted by Executive Order in November of that year by freezing about $12 Billion Iranian assets which included bank deposits, gold & property. But the harm was already done to his weak administration because Americans remained captive in Iran until a new President was sworn into office in January 1981.

During the Reagan Administration, the United States increased sanctions against Iran after Iraq invaded them and in 1984 more sanctions were approved to prohibit all weapons sales and all U.S. assistance to Iran. (The Iran Sanctions Act (ISA) that is the basis of the current sanctions against Iran is a revised version of the Iran and Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) that was signed on 5 August 1996, ie: H.R. 3107, P.L. 104-172. The act was renamed in 2006 when the sanctions against Libya were terminated.)

In March 1995, President Clinton issued EO# 12957 which prohibited U.S. trade in Iran’s oil industry & EO #12959 which prohibited all trade with Iran. Later that year, Congress passed the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) which included foreign company penalties if they engaged in over $20 Million of petroleum development in Iran.

After ILSA expired in early 2001, it was summarily renewed under President George W. Bush later in 2001. And no wonder it has remained in effect until now. However, today~ in this writer & U.S. Navy Veteran’s opinion~ is another day that just may~ live in infamy! Indeed; I truly believe that this horrible precedent set forth by America, (And yes~ the POTUS & SOS do represent ALL Americans!) may just be the beginning of the end of our once proud & strong nation!)

The original claim was filed in 1981 during which Iran had an outstanding order for military equipment under the regime, which the U.S. refused to fill after the 1979 Iranian revolution. This $400 Million payment is in addition to the $100 to $150 Billion of Iranian assets that the Obama Administration has agreed to unfreeze as part of the Iranian nuclear agreement. SOS Kerry blabbed on: “In 1981, with the reaching of the Algiers Accords and the creation of the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, Iran filed a claim for these funds, tying them up in litigation at the Tribunal.” (Has anyone ever wondered if SOS stands for Secretary of State or Sack of Shit? (Americans have had several ‘sacks’ loaded full of ‘it’ during the Obama Administration!)

The $1.7 billion payment stems from the original $400 million plus $1.3 billion in interest the State Department agreed to pay on that money. Earlier today, the US Department of State (SOS) released the following statement:

Hague Claims Tribunal Settlement~ Press Statement by John Kerry,Secretary of State, Washington, DC on January 17, 2016

“The United States and Iran today have settled a long outstanding claim at the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal in the Hague.

This specific claim was in the amount of a $400 million Trust Fund used by Iran to purchase military equipment from the United States prior to the break in diplomatic ties. In 1981, with the reaching of the Algiers Accords and the creation of the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, Iran filed a claim for these funds, tying them up in litigation at the Tribunal.

This is the latest of a series of important settlements reached over the past 35 years at the Hague Tribunal. In constructive bilateral discussions, we arrived at a fair settlement to this claim, which due to litigation risk, remains in the best interests of the United States.

Iran will receive the balance of $400 million in the Trust Fund, as well as a roughly $1.3 billion compromise on the interest. Iran’s recovery was fixed at a reasonable rate of interest and therefore Iran is unable to pursue a bigger Tribunal award against us, preventing U.S. taxpayers from being obligated to a larger amount of money.

All of the approximately 4,700 private U.S. claims filed against the Government of Iran at the Tribunal were resolved during the first 20 years of the Tribunal, resulting in payments of more than $2.5 billion in awards to U.S. nationals and companies through that process.

There are still outstanding Tribunal claims, mostly by Iran against the U.S. We will continue efforts to address these claims appropriately.”

In this writer’s opinion the old saying is right. “Those that do not Learn from History are Doomed to Repeat it!”

Written By: Dorian F. Howard© January 17, 2016

American Troops Revolt… Issue Massive Demand to Barack Hussein Obama

American troops are stepping forward and demanding the President Barack Obama allow them to carry concealed firearms on military bases in America, in defiance of his liberal agenda.

After several terrorist attacks on U.S. military bases (or, as President Obama would say, “acts of workplace violence”), a vast majority of the U.S. military wants to be able to conceal carry on bases.

The Washington Times reported that a Rasmussen Report found that 81 percent of military service members want to conceal carry on bases in the U.S.

They understand that we are war with radical Islam. I wonder if our own government ever will.

After five servicemen were slaughtered in July in Chattanooga, a review of military gun policies was begun, but has already taken far too long.

“The tragic shooting on July 16 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, illustrates the continuing threat to DOD personnel in the U.S. homeland posed by Homegrown Violent Extremists,” Defense Secretary Ashton Carter wrote after the terror attack.

“This incident and the ongoing threat underscore the need for DOD to review its force protection and security policies, and procedures, particularly for off-installation DOD facilities,” he added.

The review of this policy could mean more armed guards on bases, or it could result in troops being allowed to carry weapons. The troops would obviously prefer the latter.

The Islamic State group has made it clear that it wants its followers in America to kill U.S. troops whenever and wherever possible. They are bringing this war to our soil, and we need to adapt accordingly.

It’s naive to believe that our troops are safe behind a chain-link fence with a checkpoint at the entrance. In order for our military to have a fighting chance, they need the ability to be armed at all times, in accordance with their Second Amendment right.

We wouldn’t send them into a battle overseas with no weapons, so why are we disarming them stateside, where the battle is continuing?

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View the original article at http://conservativetribune.com/american-troops-demand/

DAVID BOWIE – The Concert for New York City (a musical celebration of gratitude for the 9-11 First Responders)

David Bowie’s opening tandem of Paul Simon’s “America and his own “Heroes”, dedicated to his local ladder company. ————————–
On October 20, 2001, this now-historic concert took place at Madison Square Garden, a mere six weeks after the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Thousands of firefighters, police officers, survivors, families, and fans witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event as, in the space of nearly six hours, many legendary musical performers donated their time and their talent to one of the greatest causes ever, in the process giving their audience an unforgettable burst of pure emotion. ————————–
The concert was broadcast live on VH1 October 20, 2001, and over $35 million was raised. An additional $275,000 was also raised with a connecting auction.

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