“What the heck is going on”? 

This is my daily round up of all of the stories that are sent to me through FaceBook, Twitter and e-mails. These stories will be the ones that I find interesting or informative.

Warning: The sarcasm meter is off the charts!

The world is going crazy and while it is in the process of so doing, and before it reaches its final destination, of “CrazyLand,” I am going to continue to be informed.  Feel free to join me, but be warned, as Margo Channing memorably declared in “All About Eve” – “Fasten your seat belts. It is going to be a bumpy night” – or day!

Variations of verbiage for today:

So, how did the government takeover of the airwaves go? I turned on both television and radio and heard the message being read while the message was scrolling across the television set. YAWN…..Oops, I dozed off there. I am still wondering what is the real “back story.”

While the government was taking over the airwaves, because it can, life was going on, and this news that gasoline prices could soar to "record highs" is alarming. I put gas in my car, drive from the gas station to my first destination post fill up, and I have already used a quarter tank. OK, that was a slight exaggeration.

Here I am worried about the potential increase in the price of gasoline, when this story makes the price of gas look like chump change? What the heck is the Palestinian Investment Fund? It is being debated whether The US Treasury should sanction it?  I guess the following paragraph tells me a lot:

The Palestine News and Information Agency WAFA reported over the weekend that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has tapped the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF) to build houses for the prisoners released in the October exchange that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, whom Hamas had held for five years. Recipients will include convicted members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

Are US taxpayers helping or primarily financing this lifestyle? If the US Treasury is underwriting this, what happens to the millions of Americans who are homeless, without work, without food, the ability to shack up in “the al-Mashtal Hotel, the only five-star accommodations in Gaza—and another PIF property”? In America, charity does not begin at home.

Meanwhile in the general area, a completely different scenario is playing out, and this prisoner is not going to have a home built for him. In Iran, the authorities are “pressuring a jailed Christian pastor to convert to Islam”? In a previous post, I stated that the pastor should not give in. I know that it is easy for me to dispense such advice from the relative safety of where I am. However, my advice is still the same. Pastor, do not give up your eternal salvation for those mythical 72 virgins!

Now, here is a man who is not giving in! So far, Attorney General Holder is not apologizing for “Fast and Furious” or for the death of  Border Patrol Agent Terry, according to this report. Mr. Holder, you refuse to budge. Why should you apologize that the US Government is in the gun-running business, and one of those guns in the “program,” is alleged to have killed a US Border Patrol Agent? You may not have apologized to the family of Agent Terry, but you do “regret” the incident. I am sure that you also regret that Agent Terry and his fellow agents were “armed” with non lethal weapons, right? I am glad that I am not related to Agent Terry.  My sanguinity would have been parked at the door of the hearing.

It appears that it is indeed open season on Border Patrol agents. The latest agent to be imprisoned for doing his job, now has to hear from prison that "government fines jailed Border Patrol agent's family." That ought to get the message out to Border Patrol agents. Do your job, and you could either be killed by a gun from your gun-running government, or jailed, and the coup de grace being, your family fined?

I am getting such an education. The new additions to my vocabulary are the words vishing and smishing, meaning ID thieves are owning and ruining our lives. Is it time to revisit the punishment for such crimes? These are not “white collar” crimes. The perpetrators probably have some very dark collars, from all of the crime and venom pouring out of them! Have a nice talk with God.

Continuing with the theme of crime and criminals, here is a story about cyber criminals (who) hijacked 4 million computers. This one has a happy ending. These criminals were caught.

I hope that teenagers and parents get to read this story about the connection between synthetic marijuana and heart attacks. The natural stuff also affects the heart, but as is the case with the manufactured version of so many items, the risk is upped, by the synthetic version.

Some hearts may skip a beat at this news that the Agriculture Department imposes (a) Christmas tree tax. The tax is supposed to help increase the sales of natural trees? So now we have fifteen cents added to purchases, and “a new board tasked with promoting the Christmas tree industry”?  And how is this tax supposed to do this promotion? It worked! I have now made a vow to support the fake tree industry! I will not be supporting yet another board, agency, department of government. Merry Christmas, President Obama, the Christmas tree Board, and the Dept. of Agriculture, from Ms. Christmas!

Here is a nice story. Plumber turns over stash of cash. The plumber is claiming that he is not a hero:

"I think it's a shame that I should be a big hero for doing the right thing."

Mr. LaLiberte is correct. But, he is still a hero, especially in the context of a society that is losing its grip on morality. Even a few years ago, what he did would have been “the right thing,” and nothing more. Alas, “the times, they are a-changin’” – and not for the better. But, we keep doing what we know is right, even if difficult.

In case anyone is wondering, this post has been deliberately kept free of news of Occupy Whatever, Candidate Cain, and Penn State scandal. My recipe for prevention of all such situations, is returning to doing “the right thing.” We have traded in our moral compass for ephemeral satisfaction from sex and money. That satiety is very short-lived. May God help us – if He is not too disgusted.