Saturday, November 26, 2016

Micro-wave Popcorn.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/

tschuckman@aol.com

Lord's Prayer

By a 15-year-old school kid who got an A+ for this entry

(TOTALLY AWESOME)!

The Lord's Prayer is not allowed in most
U.S. Public schools any more.

A kid in Minnesota, wrote the following

Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.

If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
And anytime my head I bow
Becomes a Federal matter now.

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,
That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..
The law is specific, the law is precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.

For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith at all..
In silence alone we must meditate,
God's name is prohibited by the State..
We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,
And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...
They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.
To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King.
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,
We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..

We can get our condoms and birth controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles...
But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,
No word of God must reach this crowd.

It's scary here I must confess,
When chaos reigns the school's a mess.
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
Should I be shot; My soul please take!
                                                          Amen

Hi Friends,
    You know, I NEVER did like even the smell of micro-wave popcorn, and the ladies always made fun of me for that simple reason.... duh.   But I love the old fashioned way my Mom used to pop corn in a kettle, and then salt and butter it, with real WISCONSIN butter ! You just pour a little oil in the bottom of the kettle and add the corn kernels, and pretty soon I will make some, like tomorrow.    I always heard that the old style of popcorn was healthy for us.   If it wasn't so late right now I would fire up the stove and make some !
     I have also heard that countries like Russia forbid micro-waves, and for good reason, perhaps, but I have and use one for convenience and when someone comes over.   I don't drink coffee or tea, but I always keep some here.    I will never drink Diet Coke, but I keep a few bottles of it in my Frig., too.     I like to be a good host, even if research say that somethings are not so good for us.   The old song, "In heaven there is no beer --- that's why we drink it here..." might be true.   But if we are to dine at the same table as the Lord when we get to heaven, the Bible says that we shall drink SOME wine and eat SOMETHING, and whom am I to question all of that, if it's in God's Word, the KJV Bible ??   I do not consider myself a radical or a fanatic, but the Bible has always been a great source of encouragement and strength for me, and I have also given many away from my own money, and never felt like it wasn't worth it.   But then, how could any man or woman stand before the Lord and explain why they could NEVER find any time in their life to read His Bible !     And I just happen to be a History Buff, and the Bible is pure History, and so exciting !
      Well, I just hated Math in school [long story..], but I had to study it and pass the class to graduate, and I even studied college Math, and passed ! Whoop de doo !   I also passed the Securities Federal Exam for Investments, considered one of the hardest in the nation, compared on the same level as a Real Estate exam, and passed. Now that really made me feel good inside, so no one could ever call me stupid after that... LOL !   But, on the other hand, perhaps I AM stupid for having the poor judgment to allow some women mercenaries pick me clean of my finances and then kick me out of their house.... Ha!   They will have to face the Lord, too.   Now, if ladies like that don't make it to heaven for some odd reason, and I do, who is the goof ball ?   But there is more to it than that. I love to explain the "why's and wherefore's" in my blog posts, and I love teaching people and also making them feel good about themselves.    There is enough fault to go around, and I have always admitted that I am far from perfect.   Let's be kind to one another, for a change, before the SHTF.   Jesus said, "there will be anxiety enough for tomorrow, so why worry today ?"

I am going to take my own advice and relax more after this day is over.   Most things are going according to plan, anyway. So why sweat the small stuff ?

Tom

Microwave popcorn gives off a toxic, lung-damaging gas when cooked

Saturday, November 26, 2016 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: microwave popcorn, lung damage, diacetyl

608Shares

(NaturalNews) You might be reassured to learn that the buttery flavor in microwave popcorn typically comes from a chemical actually found in butter, but you shouldn't be. This chemical, called diacetyl, is so toxic that it commonly destroys the lungs of workers in microwave popcorn factories, afflicting them with the crippling and irreversible disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans.

Bronchiolitis obliterans is so rare outside of this context that it has become more commonly known as "popcorn lung," after the primary cause of the disease.

Regulators and health professionals have known of this risk for decades but always assumed that it would only affect people breathing in especially high concentrations in factory settings. Then, in 2007, a man who regularly ate two bags of microwave popcorn every day was diagnosed with popcorn lung, proving that diacetyl enters the air and lungs when microwave popcorn is cooked.

Anxious to reassure consumers, most microwave popcorn companies phased out diacetyl -- only to replace it with chemicals that have the exact same effects.

Sources:

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/056146_microwave_popcorn_lung_damage_diacetyl.html#ixzz4RAcE8tKM

Happy Day.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/

tschuckman@aol.com

Hi Friends,
    This is just great news for all honest, red blooded, Patriots/ Americans who love and support the 'Law of the Land,' and the rightful Victory of Mr. Donald Trump ! This news just brightened my day, big time !
     And the sun is shinning too !
     I am just amazed, because the wicked and evil people in the world seem to win all too often, led by the 'dark side of fallen angels' misleading the entire inhabited world, led by Satan.   And even from the Beginning of Time on earth... it was never a question of "Who had the real Power."   But rather "Who had the Right to Rule !!"   And that universal argument will be settled soon enough, too.    Just be patient for a little time more, dear brothers and sisters.   It's what you DON'T KNOW that will hurt and kill you !   Be not ignorant anymore... Be not lazy, folks !   We all had to start somewhere in our lives, no matter if we were born with a 'silver spoon' in our baby mouths crawling on a clean, thick carpet, or playing on a dirt floor in a grass hut.   I know where and whom my ancestors are. were, and came from, but does that really matter ? Not !   'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' ---John 3: 16.   That's right... "Who so ever."  That means: the Germans, Swedes, the Thai, Africans, Chinese, Russians, and even the French !   And it seems that where ever there is severe persecution against real Christians, the Faith is strongest there.

I sure don't know exactly what will happen in 2 months, or two years, for sure.   It is not up to us to 'know the day or hour,' but we do/ should know the Season !   And that Season is now, IMHO. [In my humble opinion].

I was all alone 2 days ago, on Thanksgiving... again !   I tried to tell myself that all was well and I was blessed, but inside my pea pickin' heart, I was crying from being so lonely and depressed, even though I had so much good food and drink, sitting here in a big, old house so far U.P. North, in cold, chilly, weather, not knowing too many people, and certainly none that cared for me one little bit, so far away from my loved ones.    But it was God that 'brought me thru it' and I still have Him, and today is a brighter day.   Someday all of our tears will be dried up, and we will be ushered out of this polluted, violent, wicked system/ planet... or some will be left alive after Armageddon, [Revelation 16: 16 ]   to live on a Paradise Earth governed by our Lord and His Saints.    God has never broke even one of His promises, ever !   It's no gamble of money to put your heart, love and TRUST in God.   This is the one, sure thing that we can bank on, and it will be worth all the blood, sweat and tears, and indignities that we suffered while on earth.   Be not ashamed of Lord Jesus.... Matthew 7: 6.   After all, "Life is just a vapor," according to James.   And when men grow older like me, we tend to look back at all our successes and failures, joys and sorrows.   And the one sure thing that we can take away is our good relationship and knowledge of God, and His Word, the KJV Bible.   Hey! That knowledge is a valuable INVESTMENT and asset !   In fact so many people who graduated from college, could still be looking for a good job, totally unsatisfied in life, and messed up on drugs or booze, or silly, greedy women... or visa versa.   Men or women, it doesn't matter one bit, IMHO.    In fact, I just met a lady at the store today, and found out that she is divorced too, and I told her that I was sorry for her loss, and tried to be as kind as I could.   Shame on me, for not having a bible tract in my wallet at the time, to help her cheer up.    You see, anything can pop up and steal our happiness and joy !   I lost a good wife in death about 5 years ago, that broke my heart into many pieces, so that I wanted to die too !   I would have gladly died in her place, because then I would not be alive to be so lonely again.
    But, I am talking to a few ladies again, now, and sooner or later I might find the right one that I can help, and she can also help me, to make life better, until the Lord comes for us.
    Flash !   We hear about the Gov't and different agencies talking about Space Aliens, etc., and' or 'Fallen Angels,' and the South Pole, and why useless, John Kerry, "the Joke," was there on Election Day !   Hint:   The 'World Wicked Elite' will be looking for some kind of lame excuse when Jesus summons up all his Saints from planet earth !   Because millions of human beings WILL VANISH at the same time, and what will the evil, godless, ruling class say... when they don't even believe in God Almighty of the Bible ??   Ha!   And all the Muslims will be 'Left Behind!' That will surely be a day of reckoning.   And if you are still around on earth at that time, I hope that you will remember what I wrote, right here on my humble little Blog:  TOM'S JOURNAL.   And if you are here to remember all that --- you will be so, dang, sorry that you didn't heed my warnings and teachings about getting close and right with God and Jesus Christ ! ! !   Then you will wish and cry that you didn't shut of the stupid TV, and instead STUDY and READ the Bible.     Amen.   But even then, everything won't be lost.... but it will be so hard to exist and link up with Christ, because for one thing, the Holy Spirit won't be here on earth anymore to help and guide you, and you might have to literally "Lose Your Head," to stand approved by the Lord.   And you think you got it tough here now ?? Sorry, folks.   So what are you going to do right NOW ?  Just kick back and have another beer and watch the game?   I doubt that you will have any support, as we Christians do right now.     Ha! Some of you people might take action today, but many won't because they are so full of themselves, too proud, selfish, lazy, greedy, etc..   But that's OK, too.   I have done MY job, here, today. When will you do yours?
Have a great day.

Warm Regards,
Tommy Schuckman
Email: tschuckman @aol.com

THIS Was Just Revealed About Hillary’s So-Called ‘Popular Vote Win’, She’s BUSTED!

Liberals try to justify themselves by saying Hillary Clinton should have won because of her success with the popular vote over Donald Trump. Sorry liberals, but your bubble is about to burst.

The results of the 2016 election are in, and it turns out Hillary Clinton only won the popular vote because of the number of illegals who illicitly voted for her! (via the Gateway Pundit)
According to reports, an average of three million votes were cast in by illegal immigrants, with almost all of them in Hillary’s favor. Meaning, she didn’t even win the popular vote. She lost, period.
With these votes acknowledged and tossed aside because they were in violation of the law, Donald Trump won the popular vote over Hillary Clinton by more than one million people.

Also, as we all know, Trump beat Clinton in the Electoral College 306 to 232—in percentages that’s 57 to 43. Trump won more than 30 states, and Hillary didn’t even make 20. The results were 30.25 to 19.75.
Donald Trump beat Hillary with 61 percent of our U.S. states to Hillary’s 39 percent. That’s just sad, and it goes to show the Republican party won fair and square in more ways than previously thought.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Bridge to Salvation.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/

tschuckman@aol.com

BOOM! This Map Shows Just How Badly Americans REJECTED Hillary Clinton. Amazing how many jerks live in California

Via RedState Watcher

Thomas Neviaser

Hello Friends,
    What a glorious, yet dreary, overcast day !   The great turkey meal I made yesterday in my new 'Crock Pot' was delicious, but it also gave me the runs..... boo-hoo...LOL !   I took 3 showers, so I know that I am very clean, and went to bed early, just tired, I guess, and cold.   I feel 'lighter and cleaned out' today, and I happen to live in a very small town that is so quiet and peaceful.   I had one banana and a Cherry Coke, for breakfast, and I feel fine.   I need to do the dishes and organize today, when I get around to it, but I could also call/ text my nice, cleaning lady, too.   I had trouble finding clean clothes this morning, as to where she stacked them... but I did finally find them, and happy now.   Smile.   My eyes are sensitive to light, so I often wear a "Boonie Hat" [left over from my Vietnam era, in-country stuff] Hey, when something works well, you keep and use it !   Simple Simon.   And the hat also keeps my little, old head warm.   Ha!   I was just about to order a few more black sweat pants on-line, thinking that somehow my old ones just disappears.   It's so helpful to have a good woman around to help organize things, but an old Soldier can make due, too.   I pride myself on that much... LOL.

Yes, I was, and am, very THANKFUL for all I have, including my life on planet Earth, for God's Grace, Love, Kindness and all Blessings that He has showered down on me.   There is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with enjoying the 'fruits of our labors' and God wants us to be happy and prosperous ! !   You can believe that when you just read the Psalms and Proverbs, and those 2 fine, inspired books of the KJV Bible always put me in a good mood.   I don't even need to pay a tithe to sit for a mealy mouthed, weak, "Sermon" at some so-called 'Christian' church U.P. here, only to be judged for some small infraction of 'man's opinion,' and not from the Scriptures.   I am not holding any grudges now/ today, but have been to so many churches in my life, and knowing the bible inside out and side ways, I KNOW THE TRUTH, so that I am never misled again !   Friends, I am NOT bitter, but happy that the Holy Spirit has enlightened me thru the many years of hard, study of my fav. BOOK, the KJV Bible !
       I already KNOW that drinking sugary soda pop is no good for me, but it is my own choice to get some 'liquid caffeine' into my early morning body -- to "jump start" my 67 year old, war torn, body and mind.   Smile.   The local VAMC staff cannot believe that I only drink one or two cans of Coke per day ! Oh well....
    I lack for nothing, except the close brotherhood of good, Vet friends, and a good Christian lady to spend time with me.   But, do we really know what God's Will is for each and everyone of us ??   Weather my Lord wants to keep me alone, pure, out of danger of some floosy, greedy woman [and most of the woman U.P. here just seem to fit in that category...sorry], looking to skin me and steal my wealth, and ruin my good relationship with the Lord, or not.... and let's face the Reality of right now, that ANYTHING could happen.   From a Russian or Chinese EMP blast device 100 miles above our country that would certainly put us back into the 'horse and buggy days,' to a world wide economic melt down, to killing a good man that would be POTUS, and what a shame that would be, but the 'Lefty-Loosey- One World Gov't Elite' would just love to do that !! And if they control the food, they control the humans.   IMHO, Mr. Donald Trump, is a blessing for America, but he might only be able to 'stave off/ hold back' the coming demise of our Republic, for a while.   I like the man and I voted for the man ! Let's pray for him and give him a chance to do some good !   Protect him, Oh Lord.   The air heads that threaten Mr. Trump and his family ought to be jailed for a long time ! !   I didn't realize how many low life, heathen pigs we have in the USA, who threaten our new POTUS !   WOW !  Is it any wonder why the Lord plans to take us down, soon enough. No where in the Bible does it even mention in any way, America, USA, or even allude to us !   But the Rapture will Save all honest, real, Believers in Jesus Christ, before the real SHTF, and we are so grateful for that promise.   And "God cannot lie." --Titus 1: 2.

As I may have mentioned, from all my recent study and reading [and I know that I have been wrong too many times...duh], but some experts say that a new 'Islamic Law' will soon go into effect, plus a few other things happening, so that the price of gold just may shoot up after, Dec. 31st.   Now, I know that most of my readers cannot just go out and buy a ton of gold, but I heard that silver might also go up too, maybe to $150 per troy ounce.   Well, don't be surprised that when the SHTF [the shoot hits the fan], that our own Gov't might AGAIN try to demand all of our PM's... gold, to back our money/ currency.   It might be time to start buying more: beans, bacon, rice, and bullets, dear readers.... but use your own judgment. Above all, get close to the Lord, and try hard to do His Will.
   Have a great day.

----tommy schuckman

November 25th, 2016

I pray that you are having a blessed -- and thoughtful -- Thanksgiving season.

It is vitally important that we pause often to reflect on God's blessings in our lives. Not only for our benefit, but for His, too. I believe that few things move God's heart like our genuine gratitude to Him for all He has done for us.

So, not only should we reflect on God's goodness in our lives, but tell our children and others about all He has done.

Most importantly, though, tell Him. Express to God your feelings and how much you treasure everything He has done -- and does daily -- for you. You may just be surprised how much happier your holiday will be!

We all receive the benefits of God's goodness daily, but do we deserve it? In fact, are human beings basically good, evil, or something in-between?

The Bible has a great deal to say about this. If you want to understand yourself and your fellow human beings; if you want to understand your children or your parents; if you want to understand history, politics, literature, psychology, or even rock and roll, you need to know what the Bible says about humanity's glorious origin and its present sorry state.

And you need to understand our "one hope."

The story begins, as you might expect, with creation.

This week, I'm going to discuss again "The Great Schism."

Jesus Christ became a man and gave His life to span the chasm, the abyss created by The Great Schism. He is our only bridge to salvation and eternal happiness.

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

Watch this week's Report before it airs! An HD quality MP4 download of each week's show will now be available for purchase from the website. Visit the store at www.hallindsey.com to get your report.

God Bless,

Hal Lindsey

mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com

web: http

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Survival Basics.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/

tschuckman@aol.com

Here is a picture of me, Tom, about 15 years ago >>> with my shirt off, as I was a "Power Lifter."

Hello Dear Friends and Readers,
   Well, the snow is here and I have a new "Crock Pot" -- Slow Cooker that I need to 'baptize' tomorrow with some carrots, turkey legs and onions, and I just thought of putting some rice in there too !   I will be alone, as usual, but I am still so very thankful for every thing I have !   Thank You, dear Lord !

I kind of wish I could share my meal tomorrow with someone else, perhaps someone who has less than me, but that just won't happen, so I am NOT going to feel bad, sorry, angry, but just accept my life, as a Saved Christian man, and I have come a long, far way from when I was homeless in Milwaukee, back in 1994-5 in that harsh, cruel, Winter time, with not one human being on earth who cared enough to invite me over, including all of my so-called 'family.'   I am thinking about the long range life in heaven that will trump everything else in the Universe, friends !   Please don't misunderstand that I am not crying about my own life, but all those on earth that forsake the Lord, Jesus Christ, and therefore condemn themselves !   I am RICH by most world standards and able to pay all my bills on time, and also invest $$$ in the good stuff.   As a matter of fact, I just might look to some organization in my area to try and help some desperate family in need.    But I been doing stuff like that most of my life, one way or another.   Right now I choose not to contribute to any 'church.'   The last time I did that I only got a kick in the teeth from a so-called 'Baptist church' in Iron Mountain, MI.... Ha!   I know how to help people.   But if someone has some bright ideas, please email me:   tschuckman @aol.com
       And who knows that I just might move back to my beloved, Wisconsin, where the laws are smarter and the people are certainly smarter.... lol.

I just need to say right now, that I am very happy Mr. Trump has been elected, and I helping him in that process, and proud of it ! But he is going to inherit a terrible crap load of a failed fiscal, economic policy that is doomed to fall apart on his watch, created by Obama and his global elite, "One World Gov't" bums !   Donald Trump will do everything right, but it's too late now, as the whole world is collapsing already, and only a matter of time.   I keep telling everyone to JUST READ THE BOOK OF REVELATION, to find out what bible prophecy says is our future, good and bad.    Frankly, I don't care anymore, except that I want God's Will to be done, on earth, also in heaven.   Period.   I just want to get to heaven, and in God's mercy and Grace, no matter what it takes.   To that end, I think that God is guiding me, and with holding certain things and people from me right now, so I "qualify."   God will Judge all of us in the end.
       I don't really think that I need to Prep too much more at this point in my life, so maybe I can start paying down/ off my bills a bit faster now.
    The wind blows right thru this old house, and the landlord won't spend one penny to fix and repair things, so I am just living one day at a time, and keep a look out for better things to come.   I do like and appreciate the local Iron Mtn., MI., VAMC, where they do treat me well, for the most part.   PTL.

I hope you all read the article below.

Warm Regards,
Tommy Schuckman

Here is me in Vietnam at age 19, in 1968.

Here is me, Tom, as a helicopter door gunner, with a Royal Thai Soldier sitting next to me on my Left.

James Wesley Rawles: “Double Up On Your Prepping,” They Can’t Hold Back Collapse Much Longer

Mac Slavo
November 23rd, 2016
SHTFplan.com

Comments (47)

Read by 9,759 people

547

610

Enjoy your turkey, family events and holiday cheer. Enjoy the changing political environment and the strange sense of normalcy that has returned since the end of the election.
None of it is likely to last. 2017 may prove to be pretty brutal.
Now that the Western world has turned in the direction of Trump and Brexit, it may be that the bankster class is prepared to start the next phase.
The pressure that has been building since the 2008 economic crisis is poised to topple the system again. As reputed author James Wesley Rawles of SurvivalBlog.com points out, negative interest rates and big debt governing under Obama have set us up for a fall. Easy money, cheap money and free flowing, unlimited credit to the top of the heap have brought things to a desperate point of no return.
Nassim Taleb made the point that Obama’s most grandiose betrayal against the American people won’t be felt until the coming tide of inflation enlarges the national debt, already at record levels of government spending, even further:

Federal Reserve officials have already conceded that the zero percent interest/quantitative easing package is no longer capable of stimulating the economy, and so raising interest rates to normal is in order; however, raising these rates even slightly is enough to induce panic and economic turmoil.
Countless figures have come forward to warn that our financial system is set up for a pump and dump – and that the populist Trump presidency is likely to be background to economic pain, gloomy news and grim difficulties in every respect. Though the die was cast by the cronies who drafted the phony recovery, Trump will be associated with what could be one of the worst financial eras in history.
Worse, that time would leave millions and millions of people without jobs, money or a way to provide.
As usual, Rawles makes the case for how to survive in such a depressing and chaotic environment, and how to avert the worst of the collapse by preparing now, and building a lifestyle that is resistant to market pressures and political shoes dropping.
Here’s the interview from X22 Report:

Check out more of James Wesley Rawles work at SurvivalBlog.com or via his survival books.

America’s Fatal Wound? “What Obama Did That Is Unforgivable”

Collapse Strategist: “We’re In The Terminal Phase… Economic Pain Like We’ve Never Seen Before”

7 Jobs That Are Going to Survive the Next Economic Crash

What Life Will Be Like After An Economic Collapse: “Things Just Get Gradually Worse…”

Monday, November 21, 2016

Giant Crash Coming, Sorry.

Tom's Journal. http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/

tschuckman@aol.com

obamaVA

VA whistleblower hunted by Obama administration

November 17, 2016 98 Comments

President Barack Obama’s shameful legacy will be marred by his administration’s constant mistreatment of our country’s veterans — and just when it seemed it couldn’t get worse, Obama’s disastrous mismanagement of the Department of Veterans Affairs finds a way to reach a new low.
A new report claims the controversial agency allowed retaliation against the employee who alerted Congress to the poor treatment of veterans in Colorado.
According to the whistleblower, the VA corruption has gotten so bad, only President-elect Donald Trump can fix things.
Brian Smothers, who told Congress the agency was using unauthorized wait lists for mental health care in Colorado, has resigned after he was subjected to retaliation for speaking out.
Brian Smothers told The Associated Press Wednesday the VA had opened two separate inquiries into his actions and tried to get him to sign a statement saying he had broken VA rules. He said he refused.
Smothers also said that Obama’s VA reassigned him to an office with no computer access, no significant duties and no social contact.
He called the VA’s actions punitive and his working conditions intolerable. He said he resigned as of Tuesday.
VA officials had no immediate comment on Smothers’ claim that he was punished for speaking up but said the agency does not tolerate retaliation. They said previously they take any allegation about unauthorized wait lists seriously and were cooperating with an inquiry.
Smothers alleges that Colorado VA facilities in Denver and suburban Golden used unauthorized wait lists for mental health services from 2012 until last September. He said the lists hid how long it takes for veterans to get treatment and made the demand for mental health care appear lower than it really was.

He said the longer that veterans have to wait for mental health care, the less likely they are to use it when it becomes available.
“It was totally unacceptable to me,” Smothers said.
He added: “It’s my hope that the incoming administration (of president-elect Donald Trump) goes and fires people.”
Smothers estimated the lists contained 3,500 entries but did not know how many individual veterans were on them because some names appeared multiple times. It was not immediately clear how long veterans on the lists had to wait for care.
Unofficial wait lists have been used by VA health care facilities elsewhere. The discovery of the lists created a nationwide scandal in 2014 when 40 veterans died while waiting for appointments at a Phoenix VA hospital.
Smothers was a peer support specialist on the VA’s post-traumatic stress disorder clinical support team in Denver. He said he started the job in April 2015.
Smothers went to Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Cory Gardner of Colorado in September, saying he had uncovered the unauthorized lists on spreadsheets in the VA computer system. He also said a veteran had taken his own life while waiting for PTSD treatment at a Colorado Springs VA clinic.
At Johnson and Gardner’s request, the VA inspector general’s office — the agency’s internal watchdog — opened an inquiry into Smothers’ claims. A spokesman for the inspector general did not immediately respond Wednesday to a telephone message seeking comment.
Gardner said in a written statement that he was troubled by the circumstances of Smothers’ resignation.
“This employee’s communication with my office is protected by federal law,” he said. Gardner said he has asked the inspector general to look into whether the VA retaliated against Smothers.
Johnson said he too is concerned about Smothers’ case.
“My office will continue to work with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel to ensure that federal employees who blow the whistle do not suffer any retaliation,” he said in an email.
The Office of Special Counsel is an independent federal agency that protects whistleblowers.
Smothers told the AP he had emailed copies of the spreadsheets to himself so he could provide them as evidence. The VA later warned 2,100 veterans that their personal information may have been compromised by that, although the agency did not identify Smothers as the person involved.
Smothers told the AP he also offered copies of the spreadsheets — with the veterans’ identifying information removed — through Amazon.com’s self-publishing book service in order to preserve them in a public format. Smothers said two copies of the list have sold through Amazon: He bought one, and the inspector general’s office bought the other.
Smothers also provided redacted versions of the spreadsheets to the AP that do not contain the identifying information.
Smothers said that after he contacted the senators, the VA investigated whether his actions had violated agency rules and concluded they had not. He said the VA opened a second inquiry after discovering he had offered the lists on Amazon. That inquiry was still underway when he resigned, he said.
Smothers said the VA learned the lists were on Amazon by looking at his social media posts. He said that demonstrated the VA was monitoring him even after clearing him in its first inquiry.
The Associated Press

Friends,
I told you so ! As smart and well trained Mr. Trump is, I still don't think he can pull this trick off and save the world. It's really up to God.

Tom Schuckman

“Obama Set Up the Next President For a Major Recession”… And A Giant Crash Is Coming

Michael Snyder
November 21st, 2016
Economic Collapse Blog

Comments (54)

Read by 4,958 people

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This article was written by Michael Snyder and originally published at his Economic Collapse blog.
Editor’s Comment: The past many months have carried a lot of noise about the coming crash, about a tipping point that may be fast approaching. The economics are simply giving way, and they can’t hold the illusion forever. Now that Donald Trump will be calling the shots, the money powers can usher in collapse if they wish, and have ready their scapegoat. It won’t just be Trump the man or the president, but the people who elected him, who backed Brexit and who gave up on their system. They people who let loose the chaos that now consumes us.
Their rage, their anger and their desperation is brewing unrest. The ascent of populism in the political arena has put the establishment in retreat, and revealed, at last, a most dangerous atmosphere, from which collapse can properly precipitate … one in which all regulatory steadiness on the part of the system has been thrown off balance and out of whack by popular revolt. By the time the hammer falls, and the markets fall to the ground, the people rioting in the streets and losing their civility when ATMs stop working and store shelves go empty – these people will become the face of the disaster. The banks have been planning the next rise and fall for sometime; the next phase is all digital, and tightly monitored and controlled.
We Are Being Set Up For Higher Interest Rates, A Major Recession And A Giant Stock Market Crash
by Michael Snyder
Since Donald Trump’s victory on election night we have seen the worst bond crash in 15 years. Global bond investors have seen trillions of dollars of wealth wiped out since November 8th, and analysts are warning of another tough week ahead. The general consensus in the investing community is that a Trump administration will mean much higher inflation, and as a result investors are already starting to demand higher interest rates. Unfortunately for all of us, history has shown that higher interest rates always cause an economic slowdown. And this makes perfect sense, because economic activity naturally slows down when it becomes more expensive to borrow money. The Obama administration had already set up the next president for a major recession anyway, but now this bond crash threatens to bring it on sooner rather than later.
For those that are not familiar with the bond market, when yields go up bond prices go down. And when bond prices go down, that is bad news for economic growth.
So we generally don’t want yields to go up.
Unfortunately, yields have been absolutely soaring over the past couple of weeks, and the yield on 10 year Treasury notes has now jumped “one full percentage point since July”…

The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 2.36% in late trading on Friday, the highest since December 2015, up 66 basis point since the election, and up one full percentage point since July!
The 10-year yield is at a critical juncture. In terms of reality, the first thing that might happen is a rate increase by the Fed in December, after a year of flip-flopping. A slew of post-election pronouncements by Fed heads – including Yellen’s “relatively soon” – have pushed the odds of a rate hike to 98%.

As I noted the other day, so many things in our financial system are tied to yields on U.S. Treasury notes. Just look at what is happening to mortgages. As Wolf Richter has noted, the average rate on 30 year mortgages is shooting into the stratosphere…

The carnage in bonds has consequences. The average interest rate of the a conforming 30-year fixed mortgage as of Friday was quoted at 4.125% for top credit scores. That’s up about 0.5 percentage point from just before the election, according to Mortgage News Daily. It put the month “on a short list of 4 worst months in more than a decade.”

If mortgage rates continue to shoot higher, there will be another housing crash.
Rates on auto loans, credit cards and student loans will also be affected. Throughout our economic system it will become much more costly to borrow money, and that will inevitably slow the overall economy down.
Why bond investors are so on edge these days is because of statements such as this one from Steve Bannon…

In a nascent administration that seems, at best, random in its beliefs, Bannon can seem to be not just a focused voice, but almost a messianic one:
“Like [Andrew] Jackson’s populism, we’re going to build an entirely new political movement,” he says. “It’s everything related to jobs. The conservatives are going to go crazy. I’m the guy pushing a trillion-dollar infrastructure plan. With negative interest rates throughout the world, it’s the greatest opportunity to rebuild everything. Ship yards, iron works, get them all jacked up. We’re just going to throw it up against the wall and see if it sticks. It will be as exciting as the 1930s, greater than the Reagan revolution — conservatives, plus populists, in an economic nationalist movement.”

Steve Bannon is going to be one of the most influential voices in the new Trump administration, and he is absolutely determined to get this “trillion dollar infrastructure plan” through Congress.
And that is going to mean a lot more borrowing and a lot more spending for a government that is already on pace to add 2.4 trillion dollars to the national debt this fiscal year.
Sadly, all of this comes at a time when the U.S. economy is already starting to show significant signs of slowing down. It is being projected that we will see a sixth straight decline in year-over-year earnings for the S&P 500, and industrial production has now contracted for 14 months in a row.
The truth is that the economy has been barely treading water for quite some time now, and it isn’t going to take much to push us over the edge. The following comes from Lance Roberts…

With an economy running at below 2%, consumers already heavily indebted, wage growth weak for the bulk of American’s, there is not a lot of wiggle room for policy mistakes.
Combine weak economics with higher interest rates, which negatively impacts consumption, and a stronger dollar, which weighs on exports, and you have a real potential of a recession occurring sooner rather than later.

Yes, the stock market soared immediately following Trump’s election, but it wasn’t because economic conditions actually improved.
If you look at history, a stock market crash almost always follows a major bond crash. So if bond prices keep declining rapidly that is going to be a very ominous sign for stock traders.
And history has also shown us that no bull market can survive a major recession. If the economy suffers a major downturn early in the Trump administration, it is inevitable that stock prices will follow.
The waning days of the Obama administration have set us up perfectly for higher interest rates, a major recession and a giant stock market crash.
Of course any problems that occur after January 20th, 2017 will be blamed on Trump, but the truth is that Obama will be far more responsible for what happens than Trump will be.
Right now so many people have been lulled into a sense of complacency because Donald Trump won the election.
That is an enormous mistake.
A shaking has already begun in the financial world, and this shaking could easily become an avalanche.
Now is not a time to party. Rather, it is time to batten down the hatches and to prepare for very rough seas ahead.
All of the things that so many experts warned were coming may have been delayed slightly, but without a doubt they are still on the way.
So get prepared while you still can, because time is running out.
This article was written by Michael Snyder and originally published at his Economic Collapse blog

Saturday, November 26, 2016