Why should I work?

Value of welfare payments  in 40 states are greater than a job paying eight dollars an hour, according to the Cato Institute and other sources.  In some states a worker would have to earn l5 dollars an hour to match the welfare payment.

What is the situation in Louisiana?  Welfare benefits are valued at over $22,000, while a job paying eight dollars an hour would bring in $16,500 a year.  That's not the complete story.  The worker would pay payroll taxes plus possibly  other taxes and deductions for health insurance.  The welfare  recipient, on the other hand, would not be required to pay any taxes.

I was surprised to learn that the value of welfare in neighboring states of Texas, Mississippi and Arkansas was $l0,000 a year less than that of Louisiana.

Obviously, welfare is a disincentive to work.  At the present with Obama's policies, not many jobs are available for those who want to work.

Time for serious discussion -- concerning the laying hen

Enough prattle and bombast from D.C. -- let's spend some time on serious matters -- such as the life and times of the laying hen. Yes, I mean that bird that provides the eggs for your breakfast.

First, the hen is a bird and like all birds responds  to  light, from the sun directly and artificially.  That's why birds build nests and lay eggs as days get longer in the spring.  For laying hens to produce at capacity they need 14 -- preferably 17 -- hours of light. Obviously, in winter and fall several hours must come from light bulbs or other artificial sources.

Hens are sociable creatures and, yes, they have a pecking order and soon learn who rules whom. However, a hen can recognize only about 50 other hens.  Therefore, no matter how many hens are in a house they should be provided with food, water, nests and roosting area in clusters so that each hen can avail herself of all her needs without meeting a stranger.

Now, I ask you, wasn't that more inspiring than the babble in Washington?

I oppose attacking Syria without clear goals

I do not support the proposed attack on Syria.  Several days ago I asked several questions that I wanted answered.  They have not been answered or at least not satisfactorily.  Has it been established without question that Assad used the poison gas on his people?  If he is guilty what good can we do by an attack at this late date?  Do we know what the consequences of an attack will be, and are we prepared for those consequences? What about Israel?  I am worried that Al Qaeda will take over Syria, or even worse, in my  opinion, Muslim Brotherhood could move in.

President Obama offers as justification that an attack by the United States will be "a shot across the bow" warning all nations that use of a poison gas will result in punishment.  Several of his Democrat supporters oppose the strike but say it is required to give Obama some credibility. Nothing he does now will make Obama into a president who can manage foreign diplomacy,  He is a failure there as he is with the economy.

Johnny Cash sings When the Roll is Called

Tia and Kyle with Brighton

Brighton at five months

Many jobless this Labor Day

According to the Department of Labor, Labor Day   "constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."

Nice sounding words but they are meaningless to the millions of want-to-be workers who are being short-changed by our sick economy -- workers who cannot find a job of any kind, much less a job that pays enough for a family to live well enough without becoming wards of the government.

Manufacturing jobs have been lost by the millions and we do not know how to bring some back to our shores.  Governmental policies are largely responsible, and Obama's policies are making conditions worse instead of helping.

We need to form an elite organization to advise on actions we can take to improve our ability to compete with the world. Just for a beginning we could lower our corporate income tax and work toward producing all the energy this country needs.  If there is a way to repeal Obamacare, that would be a good start.

What a Sunday!

Our Sunday school class is responsible for providing the coffee and donuts each Sunday in September, beginning September 1.  The crowd was at its most numerous when I poured myself a cup of coffee. For no reason I spilled the coffee on my shirt and the floor.  Before I could wipe up the spill, AnnaKate, who is the preacher for contemporary services, was on the floor cleaning up the spill.

Embarrassing enough but that was just the beginning.  As I knelt and attempted to get some money from my pocket to put on the altar, the cushion slipped and I hit on my knee. I was up with help and went on with nothing hurt but my pride.  One lady had to say, "you don't like using your walker, do you?"