Did You Know? Social Security in 1 Minute

A Few Facts About Social Security

Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn’t know this.Be sure and show it to your kids. They need a little history lesson on what’s what. And it doesn’t matter whether you are Democrat of Republican. Facts are facts!!!

Our Social Security:

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary.

2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into the Program,

3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,

4.) That the money the participants put into the Independent ‘Trust Fund’ rather than into the General Operating Fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other government program, and,

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month — and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the federal government to ‘put away’, you may be interested in the following:
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Q: Which political party took Social Security from the Independent ‘Trust Fund’ and put it into the General Fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically- controlled House and Senate.

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Q: Which political party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

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Q: Which political party started taxing Social Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the ‘tie-breaking’ deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.

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Q: Which political party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants? MY FAVORITE:
A: That’s right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, they began to receive Social Security payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments to them even though they never paid a dime into it!

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Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away! And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens believe it!

If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe changes will evolve. Maybe not, some people are awfully sure of what isn’t so.

But it’s worth a try.
How many people can YOU send this to?

Actions speak louder than bumper stickers.

AND CONGRESS GIVES THEMSELVES 100% RETIREMENT FOR ONLY SERVING SIX YEARS !!!

‘A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have.’
—-Thomas Jefferson—-

from: http://www.nationalteaparty.org/

Baby G update

This blog is mostly for my random musings, and most updates in the lives of the Gatlin's can and should be followed on my wife's facebook page. However, I feel this deserves some attention. Above is my yet unborn child, Baby G, approximately 10 weeks along. I'm told that at this point Baby G was the size of a small lime, like a Key lime. Enjoy.

Album Review: Revolution by Miranda Lambert

Released September 29, 2009, Revolution by Miranda Lambert was a pleasant surprise.
This is the first I've listened to Miss Lambert. I was surprised to learn that she had performed pre-stardom in the Johnny High Country Music Review in my very own Arlington,TX. The place that also helped launch the career of LeAnn Rimes. Of course, many know of Miranda Lambert from her 3rd place finish on Nashville Star, I did not.

Back to the music. In a word, fine. In the fullest sense of the word. This album has great vocals, but even better in my opinion, great instrumentation. Some of the best electric country I have heard in a long time. I would say that most of this album is extremely listenable. I loved it. One of the best I've heard in a long time. The only downside is it contains what I first found when listening to Brady Paisley music, really really stupid lyrics. I love Brad Paisley, the guy can play lights out all the live long day. But songs like Online, it just isn't cool.

This album really shines. Give it a listen, and soon!

Album Review: Bleach by Nirvana

This debut album from Seattle grunge band Nirvana was released July 15, 1989. It was recorded for a mere $606. I cut my alternative music teeth on Nirvana's Nevermind, but what young teen in the 90's didn't. I love that album, it is catchy, fierce, angry, visceral. I've probably listened to it more than most albums I've ever owned. I still love it. I picked the deluxe version of Bleach from my library recently and decided to give it a full non-stop listen.

It sounds like the same song over and over, I didn't even make it to the bonus live disc, I just couldn't take it. I recently read that a Kurt Cobain felt he had to stifle a lot of his pop sensibilities to please Sub-Pop. It shows, the rawness is there, but the melodies aren't. I also read that Cobain wrote 80% of the lyrics the night before the recording.

This is truly only for the hard core fan.

New Year

2010 will bring with it many incredible changes in the life of the Gatlin family.
Stacey is pregnant with our first child, due July 31, and we are incredibly excited!
I am starting a new position with TruHearing. I am so excited to get started on January 4th. The position is in Plano, so a move northward is in the plans in the next few months.

Also, Stacey and I have committed to reading through the Bible this year. The last time I successfully read through the entire Bible in a year was my freshman year of college. I made it about 3/4 of the way last year, but once you get behind, it takes a lot of effort to catch up.

Our church, MacArthur Blvd. Baptist Church, has given everyone reading plans for this year and is encouraging all of us to go through the plan together. A great idea!

Consider this: "In terms of frequency of readership, 16% of Americans say that they read the Bible every day, 21% say they read it weekly, 12% say they read the Bible monthly, 10% say less than monthly and 41% say that they rarely or never read the Bible."

In an interview with Assist News Service Rhodes quotes a recent poll, which indicates that 35% of born-again Christians do not read the Bible at all.

Wow.
Scary.
Lastly:
“American Christians are biblically illiterate. Although most of them contend that the Bible contains truth and is worth knowing, and most of them argue that they know all of the relevant truths and principles, our research shows otherwise. And the trend line is frightening: the younger a person is, the less they understand about the Christian faith.” —Barna

Source: http://www.centerforbibleengagement.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=7

Today Genesis 1-2; Psalm 1

A Year Without Chocolate

On December 31st of 2008, as a matter of personal discipline, I determined to give up one of my most favorite things in this world, chocolate. This was no small decision, I could probably eat my weight in chocolate!
Back in my college days, I was given the advice and example of a few godly men who impressed upon me the value of personal discipline, be it spiritual in nature or other. One of these men in particular shared with me that he would often give up a small creature comfort, i.e. ketchup or music, for a time to develop discipline in one area his life, which in turn would help him develop spiritual disciplines, like scripture reading, prayer, serving. I decided to try it back then, and found it true and useful. Learning to abstain from things with a purpose in mind is immensely valuable. Too much ease and too little resistance in our lives can easily lead to a multitude of unhealthy attitudes and lifestyles
So, in an effort to grow in spiritual disciples, I decided to give up chocolate for a year.
My last bite of chocolate was a Moose Munch bar purchased from Walgreen's drugstore at 11:45pm.

How did it go? It wasn't really all that hard. At first, it was kind of fun, the challenge of just seeing if I could do it. I have to have sweets, so it was a bit of a challenge to find things that would satisfy like chocolate. I ate more gummy bears in the last year than in all prior 27 years combined. Then, it seemed that everywhere we went there was chocolate to be had, often times offered to me at meals and when visiting friends. After a while I really hated being "that guy", the one who isn't eating chocolate this year.

It did give me a really easy way to bring up a really important part of my life, my spiritual life. I was able to share with a lot of people why I was giving up chocolate. I mean, let's face it, most people love chocolate and I didn't talk with anyone who didn't tell me I was crazy to do so, or that they never could.

I had my first real taste of chocolate at 12:01 January 1 2010. It was a chocolate cupcake from sprinkles. How was it? Good, but a little to sweet. I think my passion for chocolate has waned some. Not a bad thing.

Discipline without direction is drudgery. You have to have a purpose and a goal.

This year I am going to give up craigslist. A big deal for me as I gave a lot of time and energy to it last year.

Find something that you love, give it up for a reason, and reap the rewards. Good luck.

CD Review: Kid A by Radiohead

Just saw on the Today Show this morning that Rolling Stone voted Kid A by Radiohead the Album of the Decade. I have this album and thought I would give it a listen this morning. I first purchased this Album the day of it's release in 2000, my first semester of college. I was going through an IDM (Intelligent Dance Music) phase at the time. I was listening to groups like Boards of Canada, Mouse on Mars, and Plone. In addition to Radiohead already having made what is probably the most musically enthralling album I had ever heard in The Bends, I couldn't wait to listen to Kid A. I remember having already read in Time or Newsweek an article about how Radiohead was going off the deep end and changing music forever, or something like that.

I think I picked it up at Hastings in Norman, quickly returned to my dorm room popped the album in the trusty Sony and gave it a listen. Dark, moody, ambient, tense, catchy, and in my most honest opinion, maybe a little too intelligent.
I think this might have been the first album that I really "tried" to like.

Back to present day, I have the same feelings about the album. I love how much it conjures up emotion, those were some dark days for me. But I won't ever listen to this CD for enjoyment, it is just too jarring.

Have you heard it? Tell me what you think.

2009 Year of Gear Review

I have gone through more guitars and amps this year than ever before due mostly in part to Craigslist. Truth be told, it all started when my buddy Travis Thompson asked me to play electric guitar at Disciple Now event at his church in San Antonio.



2003 Fender Squier Stratocaster.



2008 Epiphone G400



2004 MIM Fender Telecaster with Fender SCN noiseless pickups and 5 way switch.



2007 Epiphone Dot



2009 Xavier XV 620



2000 MIM Fender Fat Stratocaster



2005 Epiphone Standard Les Paul



2004 Epiphone Standard Les Paul



2006 Fender Highway One Telecaster. Made in U.S.A.



2009 Indian Esq-Wire Custom partscaster



I have loved playing all of these guitars. I only have the Highway One right now and love more than all the others combined.

These are the Amps I have used, bought, and sold this year:

Vox VR 15



Vox AD30VT



Roland Cube



Fender G-DEC Jr.



Fender U.S.A Blonde Blues Jr.



Marshall MG30DFX



Fender U.S.A. Ultimate Chorus



Blackstar HT-5 and Cabinet



Epiphone Valve Jr. Head and Cabinet with Celestion G12m Greenback speaker

CD Review: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd

I finally listened to this album all the way through without stopping this morning. I have tried this several other times, but either lost interest or fell asleep.

Originally released in 1973, about 8 years before I was born, the album has sold 0ver 45 million units worldwide. I have always wondered what all the fuss was about. I first listened to it during my sophomore year of college simultaneous with The Wizard of Oz. One has to be very familiar with both to get the full effect of the watching/listening.

I won't break this album down song by song. I don't have that much to say about it. This is one of those albums that I can appreciate. I suppose the use of synthesizers and sound effects is impressive, but the Beatles did better with Sgt. Peppers. I can appreciate that others enjoy it, but this is a one-and-done for me. I didn't really like any of the songs enough to even want to listen to them at another date. I guess I'll keep it in my library just in case someone happens to be around who wants to hear it.

Then again, it might be fun to try the Wizard of Oz playback some other time.

Check it out, and decide for yourself.

10 MILES....

That's right. I ran 10 miles tonight for the first time ever. It took me about 1 hour and 25 minutes. It wasn't so bad, but I won't be doing it again any time soon. A huge accomplishment for me as my longest distance before tonight was 8 miles.

Shiny New Knobs

I just put some new knobs on my Boss TR-2 tremolo pedal. I think it looks great! They are much bigger than the old ones, probably too big!

What do you think?

Before


After

Welcome to the Wonders of Dendrology

"Dendrology is often confused with botany. However, botany is the study of all types of general plants and dendrology should be considered more as a subcategory of botany specifying in wooded plants" Thanks wikipedia for explaining my wikimedia.

As I was walking back to our apartment from the gym I looked down and picked a leaf up from the path. I occurred to me that of all the trees around me, I couldn't tell you the name of one of them.

I took the leaf home and jumped on the internet to find out from which type of tree it fell. This is the information age after all.

This is my leaf


I simply typed "leaf identifier" into the yahoo search bar and clicked on this link:http://forestry.about.com/od/treeidentification/tp/tree_key_id_start.htm

Basically, you take your leaf and follow the prompts. It was as easy as that. I found out that my leaf fell from an American sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua). These trees have a fruit shaped like a spikey ball. The leaves look like stars,have 5-7 points, and change beautiful shades of red in the fall.


Thanks to bamboosage on flickr for this great gum ball pic.

With your new sweet gum identification skills, you have no reason not to impress your friends the next time you're out in nature. Just let 'em know how great those sweet gums look this time of year.