The reduction expected in the number of people working in calendar year, 2010:

Based on CBO’s forecast for the average unemployment rate in calendar year 2010, 2.3 million fewer people will be employed on average next year than they projected in January.

For comparison, in July there were about 140 million people employed in the U.S.

Next year’s reality will depend heavily on when the economy turns up and how quickly growth returns. A new projection of fewer people employed next year should not surprise anyone. But 2.3 million is a big bad number.

And this is, actually, the “other shoe” – the first shoe is the fact that by the end of the year more than a million Americans will exhaust their unemployment benefits. This latest CBO estimate shows that their chances of gaining new jobs is going to be a lot smaller next year.

It piles up – one thing on top of another. What does it come out to? That we’re in a serious economic mess – and, right now, we’re doing nothing to change the course of events. We will get an official recovery from the recession – likely with the third quarter, 2009 GDP results. But it will all be smoke and mirrors and it won’t be enough, even in fantasy, to compensate for what we’ve lost in terms of wealth. And the worst part of this is yet to come – and I expect it by March of 2010: a collapse of the current global stock market bubble, dragged down by renewed bank failures resulting from the commercial real estate collapse and a new surge in home foreclosures as people walk from their “upside down” houses.

The most hopeful estimates I’ve been able to find are for our economy to cease collapsing and then meander along with high unemployment for years – and, friends, that is the hopeful estimate: that it won’t get any worse! If our hope is for lousy, then we’re in a lot of trouble. We need policies which will put America back to work – all we’re getting is bail outs for the banks which caused the problem, cover ups for the politicians who allowed it to happen, and hand-outs for politically favored corporations. Its like being slowly dragged in to a nightmare – we can see the horror, we don’t want to go there, but those driving the train refuse to stop, and are telling us to ignore Frankenstein, we’re sure that bright days are right behind himi.

Who would benefit from all of Obama’s grand plans?

When under the pretext of fraternity, the legal code imposes mutual sacrifices on the citizens, human nature is not thereby abrogated. Everyone will then direct his efforts toward contributing little to, and taking much from, the common fund of sacrifices. Now, is it the most unfortunate who gains from this struggle? Certainly not, but rather the most influential and calculating. – Frederic Bastiat

It takes one lousy SOB to try and profit off the backs of others – unfortunately, having a pile of taxpayer money around brings out the lousy SOB’s in droves. These are the people who would knock granny down in order to get their fill – and they will be the prime beneficiaries of Obamunism…just as they have been the prime beneficiaries of all these socialist, tax-and-spend schemes since FDR.

And the countdown…5….4….3….2….1….

Repairing Same-Sex Attraction

Experts Question APA Report

Mental-health professionals should avoid telling same-sex-attracted clients that therapy can change their sexual orientation, the American Psychological Association advises.

The organization, which represents 150,000 psychologists nationwide, also issued a report during its annual meeting in early August saying the latest research on “change” or “reparative” therapy was inconclusive and therefore the APA could not recommend it.

No therapist should “promise outcomes they can’t deliver,” Judith Glassgold, the task force’s chairwoman, said. “We were concerned clients were being misled by promises of change. We don’t want clients’ expectations to be so high that they can’t reach their goals.”…

…According to the APA, the one thing recent research does show is that “sexual orientation identity” — versus sexual orientation — can “shift and evolve in some individuals’ lives.”

“Sexual orientation is underlying attractions and desires. You can’t choose who you fall in love with,” Glassgold said. “Sexual orientation identity — who you identify with publicly and in groups — can be controlled.”

NARTH disagrees that change is limited: “Some people can and do change, not just in terms of behavior and identity, but in core features of sexual orientation such as fantasy and attractions,” according to a press release.

Angelo S., a spokesman for Courage, agreed change in both sexual orientation and identity is possible. He cited programs such as “Journey into Manhood” retreats that have “helped men reduce feelings so that they’re not in the homosexual lifestyle anymore. Some say they don’t experience same-sex attraction at all anymore,” he said.

Persons with same-sex attraction are invited to unite “whatever sufferings and difficulties they experience in virtue of their condition to the sacrifice of the Lord’s cross,” according to “On the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons,” a 1986 pastoral letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In the letter, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger pointed out that “homosexual activity prevents one’s own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God.”

I believe the Courage people are on the right track here. We are human beings – we are not slaves to the flesh unless we choose to be so. Just as some men – with the normal inclination towards attraction to females – can eschew sex completely so other men can choose to change from attraction to men to attraction to women. There are plenty of men out there who will testify that they were once completely gay in attraction and lifestyle and are now completely straight – attempts to shove this under the rug, as the APA does with this recent report, doesn’t change the facts.

We Catholics hold that those with a deep-seated attraction to the same sex are not negligible in number and must be treated with respect and love – but because we are to tolerate doesn’t mean we are to support. Just because some gay people have chosen to do what they do it does not follow that we have to congratulate them on it, nor pretend there’s no way for them to change their mind, and their lives, at a later point.

If we are to be genuinely reasonable, we must keep our mind open to the full truth. Homosexuality, as a field of scientific study, is fairly new, and our knowledge of psychology is still limited, even under the best of circumstances. It is absurd to say there is no way to alter one’s way of living – there may, indeed, be ways whereby gay men and women can decide to change. If one does in any way believe that human beings should have a choice, then the only way to go with this is with a willingness to discard propaganda points and see what is really out there. No one is going to force gays in to religion camps where they are to be brainwashed in to being straight – but if going from gay to straight can be done (and it looks as though it can) then gay people have a right to know the facts about it.

From the Anchoress – one Catholic to another:

Some will focus on his personal sins -the assumed repentance or lack of same (of which they will likely have no real knowledge, just hunches) and some will presume to know the state of his soul, but those will be the inveterates, working from long-habit. Most Christians will, I think, understand that “the favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies not over and done” and will simply pray in hopes that Kennedy had made a contrite and humble confession of his failings and sins.

Others, of course, will suggest that Kennedy’s pro-abortion positions, in and of themselves, should damn him forever in the eyes of God.

Thankfully, God knows more, and sees more, than the rest of us, because eventually we’ll all need to count on his mercy, as we face his justice…

…So, upon hearing of his passing, I say “ah, he’s gone, then,” make a Sign of the Cross, and think of what C.S. Lewis wrote of Purgatory:

Our souls demand Purgatory, don’t they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, ‘It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy’? Should we not reply, ‘With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.’ ‘It may hurt, you know’ – ‘Even so, sir.’

I assume that the process of purification will normally involve suffering. Partly from tradition; partly because most real good that has been done me in this life has involved it. But I don’t think the suffering is the purpose of the purgation. I can well believe that people neither much worse nor much better than I will suffer less than I or more. . . . The treatment given will be the one required, whether it hurts little or much.

My favorite image on this matter comes from the dentist’s chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn and I am ‘coming round’,’ a voice will say, ‘Rinse your mouth out with this.’ This will be Purgatory. The rinsing may take longer than I can now imagine. The taste of this may be more fiery and astringent than my present sensibility could endure. But . . . it will [not] be disgusting and unhallowed.”

What can one do when one is likely unfit for heaven, but possesses just enough charity and love to stave off hell? Let us suffer the purgation, then. I am certain that someday I, in all my sins, will end up there, too.

I should like to get clean, too. And it won’t bother me in the least if, one day, Ted Kennedy and I are laughing at the disagreements we shared here.

And the only thing lower than the agent provocateur is the group which sent him:

The young vandal who smashed windows at the DNC headquarters in Denver on Tuesday worked for a democratic politician, was paid by a SEIU-related front group, and was arrested at the RNC convention last year in St. Paul.

Maurice Schwenkler and his accomplice caused $11,000 in damage at the DNC headquarters.

A poster protesting health care reform was plastered on the window during the attack!

What is the left trying to do here? It is trying to slander the right – to make it seem like we’re a bunch of violent crazies – and then use the powers of the United States government to suppress us. Its like this: “we can’t allow things like this to go on, right? I mean, these crazed right wingers are painting swastikas on Congressional offices and smashing DNC windows. What’s next? Well, don’t you know – they are going to try to get the President…and we must prevent that.”

Never has liberal fascism been painted in more stark terms. And the liberals better stop this nonsense. We won’t be suppressed. That isn’t a threat, liberals; its a promise.

Gee, what a nasty surprise:

The Cash For Clunkers program is adding to the activity at treasurers’ offices all around South Dakota. First, people were asking for proof of ownership, so they could show they owned their vehicle for a full year, allowing them to cash it in. Now, they’ll be returning to register their new vehicle. And when they do, new owners need to bring every bit of paperwork provided to them by their dealer.

“That means they need their title, their damage disclosure, their bill of sale and the dealers have 30 days to get that to them,” Minnehaha County Treasurer Pam Nelson said.

But many of those cashing in on the clunkers program are surprised when they get to the treasurer’s office windows. That’s because the government’s rebate of up to $4500 dollars for every clunker is taxable.

“They didn’t realize that would be taxable. A lot of people don’t realize that. So they’re not happy and kind of surprised when they find that out,” Nelson said.

Its all a shell game – it has made it appear there’s been an increase in car sales; an increase in economic activity…it has allowed Obama and the money men to say that they’ve got green shoots popping up all over the place. But, its all BS – and now its taxable BS.

It just moved money around, and the people who got some of transferred money will now have to pay a tax on it. Geesh.

And this is what the dream would bring us:

Man collapses with ruptured appendix… three weeks after NHS doctors ‘took it out’

After weeks of excruciating pain, Mark Wattson was understandably relieved to have his appendix taken out.

Doctors told him the operation was a success and he was sent home.

But only a month later the 35-year-old collapsed in agony and had to be taken back to Great Western Hospital in Swindon by ambulance.

To his shock, surgeons from the same team told him that not only was his appendix still inside him, but it had ruptured – a potentially fatal complication.

In a second operation it was finally removed, leaving Mr Wattson fearing another organ might have been taken out during the first procedure.

And there isn’t a bloody thing he can do about it – and the system, being government-run, simply will not care about this or 10,000 other life-threatening/taking screw ups. When government runs the health care show, the patients are last on the list of concerns. Why? Because governments are interested in power, retaining power, increasing power and, of course, the quiet life – there’s no upside for government to do a good job for the schmucks who make up the general public. Heck, you start spending money on providing services for the people, and there won’t be enough money for juicy raises for the unions, or fat pensions for the officials…

I’m telling ya, people, if Kennedy’s dream becomes a reality, it will be our nightmare.

UPDATE: And there’s more:

The babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets

What to do with politicians who are ignoring the growing unrest in this nation:

When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat. – Ronald Reagan

So much for refurbishing our image abroad:

Never let it be said that the Obama administration took a defeat graciously. When the Honduran Supreme Court rejected the deal that Costa Rica offered, called the San Jose Accord, that would have reinstated Manuel Zelaya as president, the Obama administration had a choice: allow Honduras to make its own decisions and accept them, or try to pressure Hondurans to bend to American will. Guess which path they chose?

The OAS Foreign Ministers mission is in Honduras seeking support for the San Jose Accord, which would restore the democratic and constitutional order and resolve the political crisis in Honduras. In support of this mission and as a consequence of the de facto regime’s reluctance to sign the San Jose Accord, the U.S. Department of State is conducting a full review of our visa policy in Honduras. As part of that review, we are suspending non-emergency, non-immigrant visa services in the consular section of our embassy in Honduras, effective August 26. We firmly believe a negotiated solution is the appropriate way forward and the San Jose Accord is the best solution.

The White House firmly believes in negotiation rather than law enforcement so much that they will suspend visa services with an American ally in order to enforce a policy cheered by Cuba and Venezuela.

We have to make nice/nice with Venezuela but we’re to be hard-nosed with Honduras? Yep, that is Obama – or, as he’ll certainly be known, Carter II.

This is just idiotic – a democratic ally has used its own, internal political mechanisms to resolve a constitutional crisis and the US response is to demand that this ally violate its internal laws in order to come to a decision favored by our enemies. Just who does Obama think he is? Water-carrier for Chavez, or President of the United States of America? What Honduras did was precisely what we wanted – use democratic means to resolve internal political disputes. For decades, US policy has been to advance just this – now its official US policy to oppose democracy in favor of leftist dictatorship. The “blame America first San Francisco Democrats” of 1984 have returned – and they are in charge of US foreign policy.

Just heard the news. Senator Kennedy has now gone before the judgment seat of God, and I pray for his salvation:

God our Father,

Your power brings us to birth,

Your providence guides our lives,

and by Your command we return to dust.

Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,

their lives change but do not end.

I pray in hope for my family,

relatives and friends,

and for all the dead known to You alone.

In company with Christ,

Who died and now lives,

may they rejoice in Your kingdom,

where all our tears are wiped away.

Unite us together again in one family,

to sing Your praise forever and ever.

Amen.