Greg Simmons

M7 Youth Leadership Conference

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:08:00 +0000

On December 5th, our church - Rawlinson Road Baptist, is excited to host Greg Boone's M7 Youth Leader Conference.

Even better...we are inviting you to join us.

The M7 strategy will grow your ministry; first in depth, and then as a consequence, in height and breadth. No quick fixes or trendy programs; the conference focuses on 7 foundational principles, that if properly applied, will grow a ministry at any time, in any place, and under any circumstances.

Register your entire student ministry team now! Online registration will be open through Wed, December 2nd.

Key conference details:

This conference is designed for BOTH paid ministry staff and ALL ministry volunteers. We urge you to bring all of your student and children's ministry volunteers to this event!
All attendees MUST register via the website or by contacting me http://www.rrbc.org/m7
This conference is non-denominational
The conference itself is FREE - we are only asking for donations to cover some of the conference expenses and to cover food

About Greg

Greg is Executive Director at Look-Up Lodge, a non-denominational Christian Retreat in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Greg believes strongly in reaching our children and Youth and has designed this conference to equip leaders and volunteers.

www.lookuplodge.com

Get Out Of Debt - Step 1

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:19:00 +0000

Michelle and I are working diligently to eventually become debt free. We've used a number of resources both paid and free from Dave Ramsey and Joseph Sangl. Each day we're getting closer to debt freedom.

But the simplest way to get out of debt is quite simple:

Getting started on the road to debt freedom really IS that simple. If you don't have the money, don't buy it.

Spam - Where Did It Come From?

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:39:00 +0000

Spam and those that create it are the bane of the "connected" age. That's one of the main reasons I use web based email platforms. Their spam filters are really quite good.

But where did Spam start?

Now you know...spam, spam, spam, spam.

ThisMustChange.org - Seventh Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:20:00 +0000

First, I must apologize for not posting last week. But, as you can see by the post just below this one, the last week or so of our lives has been quite chaotic. In addition to an unexpected death in Michelle's family, I was out of town last Sunday night through Wednesday evening for our annual User Group Meeting at work.

Well, with all of that, my meals were way off and exercise was non-existent. Taking customers out to eat at the restaurant of their choices leads to some good, but less than healthy food. On top of that, we were eating VERY late. When I got back in town, we spent a lot of time with family eating very late and spending time together.

Sadly, I must report that I gained 3 pounds in the last two weeks. Bringing my current weight back up to:

210

I intend to get back in the groove with my eating and exercise. I'm discouraged, but I cannot give up.

Through it all, please continue to pray for Randy, Angie and Paul Hoover. They lost their son and brother, Luke Hoover, this past Saturday. Also, please pray for all of us as we miss Luke.

Memorial - Luke Hoover

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:10:00 +0000

This has been a tough week for my wife's family. We received a call after 11 PM this past Saturday that her 17-year-old cousin Luke had been killed in a car accident. As you can imagine, the shock and pain has been immense for Luke's parents and brother, Randy, Angie and Paul. No one ever expects someone so young and full of life to be taken away so suddenly.

In all the grief, there is one shining light. Luke knew Jesus. As a family, we know where he is and that we will see him again one day. He would want us to celebrate his life and over the last week, that is exactly what has happened. Everyone has celebrated the life and love Luke brought to everyone...and I do mean everyone. After hearing all the stories and memories, I truly believe that Luke was truly demonstrating God's love in how he encountered others.

He will be missed...that is certain. But the impact he made on so many others will be felt for the rest of their lives.

Last night, Tiffany Watson Nativi - one of Luke's other cousins, shared a video with us that she produced in his memory. With their permission, I posted it to YouTube in memory of Luke.

I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?
   No, my strength comes from God,
      who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

He won't let you stumble,
      your Guardian God won't fall asleep.
   Not on your life! Israel's
      Guardian will never doze or sleep.

God's your Guardian,
      right at your side to protect you—
   Shielding you from sunstroke,
      sheltering you from moonstroke.

God guards you from every evil,
      he guards your very life.
   He guards you when you leave and when you return,
      he guards you now, he guards you always. (Psalm 121, The Message)

Catalyst 2009 - Compassion International

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 12:53:00 +0000

As some of you may know, I was at the Catalyst Conference again this year. This is the first of several posts that I'm sure I will make about Catalyst 2009. If you haven't ever been, this is by far one of the most powerful conference experiences you will ever have. For me it has been life changing.

I wondered what I would post on first. Then, @Catalystleader (<-- that's a Twitter ID in case you didn't know) posted a link to this video this morning. We have all heard about Compassion International at one point or another. But many of us, including me- until now, didn't understand the impact that sponsoring a child can have. Watch this video - yes, it's a little long, but worth it - and then I'll have a little more.

Catalyst 2009 Compassion Moment from Catalyst on Vimeo.

In my two years attending Catalyst, this was one of THE most powerful moments. Others I have talked to that have attended more years than I said that it was one of the most powerful they have been a part of.

I believe there are two things we can learn from this.

We can make a difference. Regardless of our age, income bracket or location, each of us has the capability to impact someone's life. Jimmy's sponsor was a 20 something college student when he allowed God to use him to change Jimmy's life. Who's life can YOU change - if you allow God to use you?
Jesus is OUR sponsor. Jimmy's sponsor meant the difference between life and death for him. Jesus became our sponsor by paying the ultimate "sponsorship" for us. All we have to do is accept that gift. Maybe if we truly understood what that means for our lives, we would have the same reaction to our sponsor - Jesus.

If you've never taken the time to learn more about Compassion International, I urge you to learn more and consider the opportunity to become a sponsor.

If you attended Catalyst, I'd love to hear your comments about your experience.

UPDATED 2009-2010 Winter Forecast - Accuweather

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:15:00 +0000

AccuWeather's Chief Meteorologist and Expert Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi released his updated 2009-2010 Winter Forecast on 10-14-2009. Of particular note, Bastardi believes that the winter will be focused in areas that have missed out on winter weather for the last several years. For those of us living in the corridor along the East Coast between the Carolinas and Maryland/DC, this winter could be a cold and snowy one.

I've included selected highlights below:

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic

The areas that will be hit hardest this winter by cold, snowy weather will be from southern New England through the Appalachians and mid-Atlantic, including the Carolinas. Areas from Washington D.C. to Charlotte have had very little snowfall the past two winters. This season these areas could end up with above-normal snowfall.

Northern areas, including Buffalo, Boston and Maine, have been hit hard the past couple of winters, but will see normal snowfall with temperatures slightly below normal this winter.

and

While some parts of the Appalachians did have harsh winter weather in the form of ice last year, this winter could be one of the snowiest since 2002-2003, when up to 80 inches fell in many places. Snowfall totals this year could reach between 50 and 100 inches in the Appalachians.

Last winter, the usage of salt was way up because of the number of ice storms. Salt supplies could be compromised again this year for state and local road crews that battle the winter weather. On the other hand, ski resorts could have a great year with plenty of powder for skiers.

And what I'M excited about:

The South

The track this year right along the Eastern Seaboard would put the major cities on the cold, wintry side of the storms. Areas form Atlanta to Charlotte could have several snowstorms this year, which is something that this region has not seen in a while.

The Interstate 20 corridor from Dallas to Atlanta will be a strike zone for ice and snow, given the storm track and proximity to cold air. By the end of the winter, people from Dallas to the Carolinas could say "Wow, we had snow this year!" said Bastardi.

Selected highlights for other parts of the country:

Midwest and Plains

The Midwest and central Plains could get a break this winter, given that past couple of winters have been cold and snowy. Places such as Chicago, Omaha, Minneapolis and Kansas City may have below-normal snowfall and could even average a bit milder than past years.

However, Oklahoma into Texas will be where the cold will lead to ice and snow, and it is not out of the question that snow and ice are as far south as College Station and San Antonio, Texas.

West and Pacific Northwest

A warm and somewhat dry weather pattern is expected from the Pacific Northwest into the northern Plains. The typical barrage of winter storms that hit Seattle and Portland may not occur this winter, which would lead to below-normal precipitation.

The core of the wet weather will be south of San Francisco into southern California and the Southwest. While some people across Southern California fear the El Nino intense rains, mudslides and flooding as seen this fall.

Of course, only time will tell if the forecasts above hold true. As for me, I'm hoping that Joe is right and we have more snow here in the Carolinas. We haven't had a decent snow in several years and I would really like to be able to enjoy it with the kids.

ThisMustChange.org - Sixth Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:56:00 +0000

Six weeks in...wow, time has flown by. Having this challenge in the back of my mind has definitely made me very focused on what I eat, drink and the exercise I get. Knowing that others will benefit from my efforts has been a great motivator.

Last week, I was at Catalyst for the end part of the week. I will have several posts coming about this AWESOME event. Seeing old friends and making new ones while listening to some great speakers AND enjoying great worship was completely amazing. The tough part was the food. We ate well and I didn't get to walk like I intended, so I was worried.

I weighed in yesterday, and to my complete surprise I lost a pound. So, now I'm down to:

207

YEA! So, that brings my total lost to this point to 13 pounds. I'm feeling better and looking forward to breaking through the 200 pound mark. Please, if you haven't supported me yet, please consider doing so. I urge you to check out the challenge HERE.

Personally, I'm supporting Blood:Water Mission and will donate $1 per pound lost. Others have chosen to sponsor me as well. That is what the counter in the right column represents. If you choose to sponsor me and want your pledge to go to the BWM tally, please leave a comment and let me know.

I Don't Drink Beer

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:40:00 +0000

(HT: @shawnmichael) Had to post here b/c too many of my readers wouldn't see a Re-Tweet.

Enjoy the afternoon giggle! Thanks Tim Hawkins!

ThisMustChange.org - Fifth Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:10:00 +0000

Well, tonight was the fifth weigh-in for my part in the ThisMustChange.org challenge.

Before going any further, I wanted to take a quick moment to thank Jason Salamun with Project Church for being the driver and encourager behind this project. ThisMustChange.org is a wonderful project to encourage and motivate us to bring change in our own lives - losing weight to be in better health - and bring change in the lives of others. It's this simple, God gave us two simple commands:

Love God
Love People

This project allows me to demonstrate HIS love by loving others enough to care.

So, what are the results this week? Well, I'm still looking for a replacement digital camera (if you have suggestions, please let me know), but here are the results (drum roll please):

208

That's right! 208! That brings my total loss to 12 pounds with several weeks left to go. Please keep me in your prayers as I travel later this week and thus eating healthy and getting exercise will be more difficult.

Remember, we can't change everything, but we can change something!

Weak El Nino = Coldest Winter in a Decade for the Northeast

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Since Joe Bastardi published his Winter Forecast in July predicting a higher probability for a harsh winter, people seem to be clamoring for more information on what to expect.

Bloomberg, the financial news publisher/broadcaster recently released an article and an accompanying interview about the potential for the "coldest winter in a decade". Now, I'm sure you have two questions.

Why would a financial network be presenting information on winter weather?
Who they turn to for that information?

The interview covers this very well, but there is a simple answer. The harshness of the winter will affect heating oil and natural gas prices. Obviously, home and business owners would be affected. But, this also presents an investment opportunity for investors. Therefore, commodity investors (commodities being things such as oil, natural gas, crops, etc) get information from companies that track one of the major factors to affect the pricing of commodities - weather.

Watch the video for more detail than the article provides.

Of particular note from the article:

The U.S. Northeast may have the coldest winter in a decade because of a weak El Nino, a warming current in the Pacific Ocean, according to Matt Rogers, a forecaster at Commodity Weather Group.

“Weak El Ninos are notorious for cold and snowy weather on the Eastern seaboard,” Rogers said in a Bloomberg Television interview from Washington. “About 70 percent to 75 percent of the time a weak El Nino will deliver the goods in terms of above-normal heating demand and cold weather. It’s pretty good odds.”

This forecast has caused the following reaction:

Hedge-fund managers and other large speculators increased their net-long positions, or bets prices will rise, in New York heating oil futures in the week ended Sep. 22, according to U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission data Sept. 25.

“It could be one of the coldest winters, or the coldest, winter of the decade,” Rogers said.

We really won't know if these forecasts are true until winter is in full swing

ThisMustChange.org - Fifth Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Another week has passed. I continue to walk regularly and watch what I eat (boy was that eye opening to note what I would've eaten vs. what I'm eating now). Unfortunately, when I stepped on the scales last night (I know, you're not supposed to weigh at night, but my first weigh-in was at night so I have to do it then to be fair), and I'm steady at 210. I didn't lose a pound. It was disappointing because I immediately thought about the donations that won't occur because I didn't lose a few more pounds. It's also discouraging to notice your clothes fitting better and the regular walks getting easier, but see no weight loss.

If this is your first time reading this series of posts, please click on the image above to go to ThisMustChange.org and learn more about the project. You'll also get a chance to meet Jason Salamun, the guy behind it all. Together, we can bring about change in our world.

In this post I want to focus on something we all take for granted: water.

In our office building there is a drink machine with a two rows of bottled water. While there is a faucet nearby with millions of gallons just waiting to come out to drink, people pay for water in a bottle. I know there are arguments about the taste of tap water, its true cleanliness, etc. What if you didn't even have that?

Look at the picture again. Each 16.9 oz bottle of water is $1.00. There's nothing special in the bottle. Or is there.

Without clean water and sanitation, disease would be rampant much like it is in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of clean water and sanitation contributes to the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Blood:Water Mission exists to help in the fight for clean water and sanitation in Sub-Saharan Africa. By partnering with over 600 communities, Blood:Water Mission and those that support them have been able to provide for nearly 500,000 people.

Here's the cool part. Remember that $1 for 16.9 oz of bottled water? That same $1 can provide 1 person in Sub-Saharan Africa with clean water for 1 year.

Blood:Water Mission is the one group I have chosen to focus on personally. You'll notice a button in the right hand column. I would like to keep track of the donations made to BWM. Currently, that number reflects the pounds I've lost. Since the counter is not automatic, please let me know if you want to help and what you're committing to and I'll update the button appropriately.

We can't change everything, but we can change something.

Getting Paid to Loaf

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:29:00 +0000

Did you know you were supposed to join a union to loaf?

ThisMustChange.org post coming later.

ThisMustChange.org - Fourth Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:11:00 +0000

It's been another week. Before I share the results of the weigh-in, consider the following statistics on human trafficking and sex slavery:

27 million people enslaved around the world
World’s 2nd largest criminal venture (32 BILLION dollars)
Estimates say 2 children sold every minute into human trafficking and sex slavery.

Love146 strives to end child sex slavery and exploitation around the world. Slavery, especially child slavery, still exists around the world and even here in the United States.

Again, I'm asking you to get involved and bring change to our world. The challenge is simple, visit thismustchange.org and read through the different causes (Love146 is one of them!!) Then, please donate $1 for each pound that I lose to one of those six causes. OR, you can choose a local charity or group in your area and donate $1 per pound I lose to them.

Some local organizations that you could choose to donate to include:

Homeless shelters
Food closets
Women's shelters
Children's homes
Agencies that help people with winter heating bills

Now, for this week's results. As you may remember from last week, our digital camera is trying to die and has finally died. I couldn't get a usable image with my cell phone either. (BTW, my wife has spoken so I have to find a replacement camera...COOL, permission to go buy electronics!)

My weigh-in this week was 210! That means I have now lost 10 pounds. Thanks for all the encouragement.

If you haven't already, please let me know if you're taking the challenge. I would just love to know how many people are on board to bring change to our world.

As Jason said in the original launch sermon, "We cam't change everything, but we can change something...and something is better than nothing."

The Pledge of Allegiance

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Have you ever really taken time to understand the Pledge of Allegiance? In today's rhetoric filled climate, I wanted to share this with you. One of my favorite comedians/actors of all time, Red Skelton, provides a poignant retrospective on the Pledge.

Have a great Monday!

ThisMustChange.org - Third Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:45:00 +0000

It is now time for me to post my third weigh in, but before I do, I wanted to introduce you to one of the missions you can support as a part of this project.

A few statistics:

19 million children worldwide face outright starvation.
Global hunger affects more than a billion people worldwide.
As many as five million children die from hunger-related causes every year.

These statistics can be changed if you and I work together. If you've been following the project, the challenge is simple. I need to lose weight. People need a change in their lives. So, I'm asking friends, family and blog readers to help. How? I'm asking you to donate $1 per pound that I lose. You can donate to one of the six causes identified at thismustchange.org or pick a local charity, mission group or relief group in your area.

So, what're the results of this week's weigh in?

I apologize for the quality, but our digital camera is trying hard to die and I had to take the picture in low light with a cell phone.

According to my impartial judge, my wife, the number is 212!

That means I lost the 1 pound I had gained back on Michelle's birthday weekend and lost 2 more. This brings my total lost since I started to 8 pounds!

Remember, we can't change everything but we can change SOMETHING.

O'Reilly Interview with Accuweather's Joe Bastardi on Global Warming

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:00:00 +0000

This is really good. First, watch the interview, then read Joe Bastardi's open letter to Accuweather viewers.

As originally posted here:

An open letter to Accuweather.com viewers from Accuweather.com's tropical and long range weather expert Joe Bastardi.

My appearance on Bill O'Reilly brought up some things that seem to be a shock to people, but to many many people that are looking hard at the weather, are not.

Please remember that I am not, nor do I seek, to be a spokesman on the AGW issue. I will however take a stand when called upon, on what I believe to be true.

I have always had an open mind on man's input into the climate system. However because I have to be acquainted with long term patterns of changing weather, which is what climate is for any one site, I need to know where we stand against the course of history. Because of that, I have to be acquainted with the global warming issue in much more than a casual way. It is to my advantage as the chief long range and hurricane forecaster here to develop a working knowledge of where we are and where we are going in the overall global pattern.

To be sure, the cooling now is happening faster than it should because it got so warm in the first place via the super nino of 97-98. The last warm cycle reached its peak in the late 50s when we actually surfaced submarines at the north pole in 1959... IN MARCH! I often wonder what global temps would have been measured at then if we had the ways of measuring we do now. The fact that there was so much "shock" at some of the revelations that showed up on the O'Reilly Factor is because people are refusing to understand that so far, this has been a case of been there, done that.

One can pull out as many cases of bad weather in the 30s, 40s and 50s as they can now. I still believe the 3 greatest examples of how bad a hurricane can get in relation to latitude are the 1938 hurricane with 186 mph wind gusts at Blue Hill Mass,
the 1944 hurricane that destroyed the Atlantic City boardwalk, and Hurricane Donna which gave hurricane force winds to every state from Florida to Maine. The 1944 hurricane had winds 600 miles in diameter and stripped 50% of the screws from a recon plane into it.

Unlike many people, I am well acquainted and respect the co2 warming idea, but in its pure form, which actually allows for the cooling coming now! There in lies the problem. We can't know till after the period that is coming up through 2030 whether co2 is really a player or not. The threat of not only oceanic cycles cooling the earth, but the suns lack of intensity and increased volcanic and seismic activity could mean
that as some papers in the early 90s (and dismissed by many) opined we would be as cold as back in the early 1800s. What you see now may just be the beginning. One thing we do know, that we should be skeptical of any future event, no matter what we believe.

I will leave you with this. Common sense dictates that a trace gas needed for life on the planet would not be the cause for destroying life on the planet. Common sense dictates that what has happened before without man can happen again with man. Common sense would dictate that you not believe me, or any one else, but go look for
YOURSELF. If its important enough for you to be happy with what I said, or to be mad as all get out at what I said, you owe it to yourself to go read all sides of the argument. To be informed, and not to simply throw stones.

In the end, for me its all about getting the weather right. 1 day, 1 week 1 year or whatever. That is the bottom line.

What I opine about global warming is not because this is my goal...to be in this debate, it's a by product of the work I put in to do what I was made to do..forecast the weather. But I will not run, nor bow down to people who simply wish to destroy the chance to get the right answer in this debate, for IT IS ABOUT THE WEATHER! it's that simple.

I do not seek to be a spokesman, but my company believes in freedom of speech. Please remember my opinion is my own, but perhaps the reason for my successes in this field are because of the countless hours I spend that no one but me and the good lord above sees in preparing to answer the call. That call comes every day in my forecasts, but if it comes in this matter, I will not back down from what I have prepared myself for.

Thanks for your time,

Joe Bastardi

I continue to believe that some of the assumptions behind the current thoughts on Global Warming and Climate Change stem from overzealous attempts to fill in data on systems we do not yet understand.

I really appreciate the way Joe encourages all of us to take the time to read, learn and decide for ourselves.

ThisMustChange.org - Second Weigh-in

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:02:00 +0000

Sorry for the late post, but we were gone for the long Labor Day weekend celebrating my wife's birthday. We had a really great time and, unfortunately, found a LOT of great food. Michelle got to pick so we had everything from German food to barbecue over the weekend. I watched my quantities and I was on the treadmill at least once per day.

So...what's the verdict?

The angle is a little odd, but Michelle (my impartial wife) judged it as 215. The bad news is that I gained a pound back. I was hoping to lose some more, but that didn't happen. The only person I have to blame is myself for that one. It may have been a holiday weekend, but I still could've made better choices. (For the record, the Elvis sandwich was wonderful.)

This week I need to step it up. I have a good system in place for exercise and I need to get back on the program with better choices.

If you're still considering sponsoring me or joining in the challenge yourself, take a moment to check out one of the groups Jason has selected to bring about change.

Again, I urge you to get more information on the project and join us to make change!

ThisMustChange.org First Weigh-In

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:49:00 +0000

Ok. It's been one week since I joined Jason Salamun on his project This Must Change!

Jason spoke on Matthew 25:

Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them,'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)

Jason committed to lose weight as his part of the challenge. He asked others to do their part and donate $1 per pound to causes which meet each of the areas mentioned in the above passage.

Being overweight myself, in fact, heavier than I have ever been - I decided to take his challenge. I am challenging my family, friends, blog readers, twitter followers, etc to make a difference either through the donation links on Jason's site or to a local group of your choice. Some people have agreed to donate $1 per pound I lose to the groups listed on Jason's site. Others have decided to donate funds or food by the pound to local groups in their areas.

Please go to my original post to join in the challenge.

So...I've been at a week. How much have I lost?

My wife as the impartial judge confirmed my weight at 214. Which is 6 pounds!

As Jason said in his sermon, "We can't change everything, but we can change something!"

The Government Can

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:17:00 +0000

Who can? The Government can! Enjoy your Monday!

Less of me and ThisMustChange.org

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:00:00 +0000

OK, now for the evidence of my first weigh-in.

Yep, that's 220 pounds as a starting point.

So, here's what I'm asking you to do:

Join me in this challenge.
Meet Jason and get more info about the project and how you can help
Go to ThisMustChange.org and learn about the six causes.
Pick a cause and use the donation link on the 'Causes' page to donate $1 per pound that I lose. Check back for a weigh-in every Monday.
Let Jason know you're on board with the challenge.
Encourage me by leaving a comment below and letting me know you're on board.

In all honesty, I am now the heaviest that I have ever been. The weight needs to come off and Jason's project is a great incentive for me to lose weight and help make a difference in people's lives around the world.

As a bonus, start reading Jason's blog and I'm sure you'll be both challenged and inspired.

Reagan Speaks on Socialized Medicine

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:18:00 +0000

The debate has been going on for far longer than most people realize:

What do YOU think?

Pres. Obama on Healthcare Competition

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:25:00 +0000

At the same Town Hall on August 11 of this year, Pres. Obama attempts to make an analogy on Healthcare competition using FedEx/UPS and the US Postal service.

Well...that's an interesting choice of analogies. Companies that have to function in the public marketplace are profitable and functioning well - FedEx and UPS. It's the quasi-governmental agency, USPS, that is running a major deficit and suffering from competition.

Now, imagine what will happen to the Federal deficit and Federal debt if the proposed healthcare bill passes. The Federal government, which has no clue how to run ANYTHING efficiently, will enter a competitive marketplace. Costs will escalate, taxes will climb and, more importantly, the quality and availability of healthcare will decline.

More to follow I'm sure.

AARP, Obama and the Health Care Bill

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:23:00 +0000

Today, August 11, Pres. Obama held a Town Hall in Portsmouth, NH. During that Town Hall he made the following statement (opens in a new tab):

However, as Rachel Martin and Jake Tapper with ABC News report, there's a slight problem with that statement.

The problem?

The AARP hasn't endorsed any plan yet.

The country's largest advocacy group for Americans over 50 issued a statement after the event saying, "While the President was correct that AARP will not endorse a health care reform bill that would reduce Medicare benefits, indications that we have endorsed any of the major health care reform bills currently under consideration in Congress are inaccurate."

Now, why would Pres. Obama want to highlight a false endorsement by AARP? I believe that it was an attempt to placate the thousands of concerned senior citizens. If AARP, an organization many trust, endorses the Obama Health Care Bill, then it should be ok, right?

Another concerning aspect of this "Town Hall" is highlighted further along in the article:

After a bunch of rather genial questions, the President said he wanted to call on “somebody here who has a concern about health care that has not been raised, or is skeptical and suspicious and wants to make sure that -- because I don't want people thinking I just have a bunch of plants in here.”

Perhaps the most provocative question came from a woman who brought up concerns about medical panels that would "guide care" according to the administration, the same panels that former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin called Obama's "death panels" which, she speculated, would determine who gets care and who doesn't.

But halfway through her question, the woman, obviously flummoxed, paused. The president said something to the effect of "you're doing fine."

Then the woman turned to the crowd and said coyly, "He winked at me."

And that was from one of the only "skeptics" in the room.

The White House said time and again that they weren't pre-screening audience members. Most people we talked to got their tickets by registering with a White House lottery.

Given the raucous response that many in Congress have received from their constituents, I have questions about the White House's audience selection process.

The Obama Administration has already demonstrated selectivity in press conferences. Pres Obama looks down at a list of pre-approved questioners during his press conferences. Why wouldn't his Administration do the same for a "Town Hall" to promote one of his pet projects?

The Healthcare Debate Continues to Heat Up

GsimmonsSC@gmail.com (Greg) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:31:00 +0000

I urge you to read, research and ask questions. The pending legislation to overhaul the US Healthcare system will have widespread reach.

Here is an example of how those that just want to ask questions are being ignored by the Democrat Party:

I have emailed my Congressman, Rep. John Spratt-D, and asked if he will be holding a Town Hall, Forum or other meeting to discuss the Healthcare bill. As expected, I have heard nothing back.