Sunday, May 20, 2018

Redemption Song ✡ "In That Day, This Song Shall Be Sung" - Israel365

In that day, this song shall be sung In the land of Yehuda: Ours is a mighty city; He makes victory our inner and outer wall.
Isaiah 26:1 (The Israel Bible™)

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יוּשַׁר הַשִּׁיר־הַזֶּה בְּאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה עִיר עָז־לָנוּ יְשׁוּעָה יָשִׁית חוֹמוֹת וָחֵל
Hear the verse in Hebrew

ba-YOM ha-HOO YU-shar ha-SHEER ha-ZEH be-e-RETZ YE-hu-da EER az la-NU ye-SHU-ah ya-SHEET kho-MOT va-KHEL


Do Not Complain About Godlessness, Increase Faith

Which song is the Prophet Isaiah describing in the above verse? The Prophet continues his prophecy with the lyrics to the song that will be sung in the land of Yehuda (Judea): "Open the gates, and let a righteous nation enter a nation that keeps faith" (Isaiah 26:2). Israel's first Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, explained this line of poetry: "The purely righteous do not complain about evil, but increase justice. They do not complain about godlessness, but increase faith. They do not complain about ignorance, but increase wisdom. Let us strive to become purely righteous by increasing justice, faith and wisdom in this world."
Learn more from Rabbi Kook

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Saturday, May 19, 2018

Be Blessed Prince Harry & Princess Meghan


Be Blessed Prince Harry & Princess Meghan












Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Speaker Ryan is a good man in a cynical town. He deserves tremendous credit for his historic conservative achievements.

SpeakerRyan-withJonahandJoel

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Speaker Ryan is a good man in a cynical town. He deserves tremendous credit for his historic conservative achievements. And he’s absolutely right to put his family first. A few thoughts.

by joelcrosenberg
(Washington, D.C.) -- Life can be funny. You never know who you're going to meet along the way.
In 1993-1994, Paul Ryan and I worked together as policy analysts for a conservative organization called Empower America. He worked out of one cubicle, primarily as an aide to former Housing Secretary Jack Kemp. I worked in the cubicle next to him, primarily as an aide to former Education Secretary and Drug Czar Bill Bennett.
Everyone in the office could see that Paul -- only 23 at the time (I was only 25) -- was smart as a whip, creative, highly energetic, devout in his Catholic faith, and the definition of "Midwestern Nice." There was no question this guy was going to make a major impact if he chose to stay in Washington. I can't say, however, that in our crystal ball any of us saw he was going to go on become the Vice Presidential nominee in 2012 or unanimously drafted (against his will, mind you) to become the Speaker of the House.
But that's where he is today -- the third highest-ranking elected official in the American government, second in line for the presidency only behind Vice President Mike Pence.
At only 48, Paul deserves tremendous credit for his historic conservative achievements:
  • passing the largest tax cuts and tax reform in U.S. history
  • passing budgets to dramatically rebuild the U.S. military and pay our troops and veterans more
  • creating an environment of true free market reform and economic growth
  • helping reduce unemployment for all Americans — especially black and Hispanic workers — to record lows
  • creating enterprise and empowerment zones in America's inner-cities;
  • passing some of the strongest pro-life legislation in history;
  • defending religious freedom at home and abroad; and
  • always working tirelessly to strengthen U.S. critically important ties to Israel and our Sunni Arab allies.
That's just to name a few -- and it should be noted that he actually helped craft and pass far more sweeping reforms through the House that were, unfortunately, not passed by the Senate (including the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare.)
What's more, he helped conservatives retake the House of Representatives from the liberals and hold the majority for several cycles. He's worked closely and effectively with President Trump even while at times disagreeing with him. He's set an example of working closely with Democrats whenever he could. And -- less noticed -- he's made it a point to consistently visit inner cities, build relationships with black, Hispanic and other minority communities, listen to their concerns and seek ways to empower them in a way that reveals his deepest convictions.
Is there more we could have asked for in a Speaker? I submit the answer is no. Paul would be the first to say he's made mistakes and this hasn't been a perfect ride. But the naysayers are asking for perfection and will never be satisfied.
Recently, Paul announced he will retire in January. He's not just stepping down from being Speaker; he's leaving Congress altogether. His reasons are clear and admirable: he's a husband and father first. He's gotten almost everything done he set out to do when he came to Congress two decades ago. Now his kids are teenagers. He doesn't want to be a "weekend dad" any longer. He wants to make his wife, Janna, and their kids the center of his life. He wants to move back to Wisconsin to be with family and friends. He wants to travel less, hunt more, and see what God would have him do next.
Bravo. He is absolutely doing the right thing and I couldn’t be happier for his decision or more grateful for the service he's given the country.
What a joy it was, therefore, to be invited to come over to see him in the Capitol yesterday. I introduced him to my 19 year old son, Jonah; presented him with a copy of my latest political thriller, The Kremlin Conspiracy; and we caught up a bit on old times and what has happened since.
The Speaker is a good man in a cynical town. He's a humble and honorable leader doing a brutally tough job in an often thankless environment. I was glad to be able to tell him thank you, and honestly tell him that I pray for him and his family and team daily. I hope he’s in your prayers, as well.
God bless you, Paul -- finish well -- I'm eager to see what the next chapter of life holds for you and your dear family!
SpeakerRyan-presentingnovel
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joelcrosenberg | May 18, 2018 at 6:42 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: https://wp.me/piWZ7-8GX

Why Are So Many People Moving Out Of California? - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

 18 May 2018  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG


In recent years, the number of people moving away from the state of California has greatly outnumbered the number of people moving into the state. Reasons for the mass exodus include rising crime, the worst traffic in the western world, a growing homelessness epidemic, wildfires, earthquakes and crazy politicians that do some of the stupidest things imaginable. But for most families, the decision to leave California comes down to one basic factor…

Money.

For a lot of Californians, it simply does not make economic sense to remain in the state any longer. So over the past decade approximately 5 million people have picked up and moved to another state, and many believe that this trend is going to accelerate if California does not start doing things differently. The following is from an excellent article by Kristin Tate, the author of a new book entitled “How Do I Tax Thee?: A Field Guide to the Great American Rip-Off“…


The largest socioeconomic segment moving from California is the upper-middle class. The state is home to some of the most burdensome taxes and regulations in the nation. Meanwhile, its social engineering — from green energy to wealth redistribution — have made many working families poorer. As California begins its long decline, the influx outward is picking up in earnest.

I don’t know anyone that enjoys being taxed at extremely high levels, and in California extracting more and more revenue from the citizens has become an art form. California’s highest marginal tax rate is now a whopping 13.3 percent, and on average taxpayers are hit with a 9.3 percent rate

Taxes also are much lower in Arizona than California. California residents pay nearly twice as much in state income taxes. The individual income tax rate is 4.54 percent in Arizona. It’s 9.3 percent in California, according to the Arizona Sun Corridor.

Under the old rules, the tax burden imposed upon Californians was mitigated by federal rules allowing for the deduction of state taxes. But now the new tax bill has made some major changes, and some experts believe that this will actually accelerate the exodus out of the state of California. The following comes from CNBC

In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal headlined “So Long, California. Sayonara, New York,” Laffer and Moore (who have both advised President Donald Trump) say the new tax bill will cause a net 800,000 people to move out of California and New York over the next three years.

The tax changes limit the deduction of state and local taxes to $10,000, so many high-earning taxpayers in high-tax states will actually face a tax increase under the new tax code.

Of course taxation is only part of the equation.

For many, the exceedingly high cost of housing in California is the primary reason that they have chosen to leave. At this point, the average price of a home in California is more than $200,000 above the national average


According to Zillow, the average price for a home in the U.S. was $261,000 in February 2018. The average home price in California was $469,000. In Oklahoma, it was $116,000.

And that $469,000 figure is for the state as a whole.

In Santa Clara County (the home of Google and Apple), the median price of a single family home is 1.4 million dollars.

Yes, you read that correctly.

In some areas of northern California, the housing bubble is completely out of control. For example, just recently a burned out husk of a home sold for more than $900,000


Real estate agent Holly Barr says she’s never had a listing generate as much attention as the one on Bird Avenue in the San Jose neighborhood of Willow Glen. The house caught fire two years ago during a remodeling job. What was left was a burned-out husk of a California bungalow sitting on 5,800 square feet of land.

When Barr put the property on the market in April for $800,000, the listing made international headlines. It sold for over $900,000 — in less than a week. The burned down house will be razed and a new property will be built there that will likely sell for far more.

Well, if families cannot afford to buy a home, why don’t they just rent?

Unfortunately, we have seen rents spiral completely out of control as well…


The median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Los Angeles area is $2,249, and in San Francisco it’s almost $3,400, according to Zumper. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Los Angeles area is $3,200 and in San Francisco about $4,500. By comparison, the median rent for a one-bedroom in Las Vegas is $925 and in Phoenix $945, and for a two-bedroom in Las Vegas $1,122 and in Phoenix $1,137.

Ouch.

Sadly, rapidly rising prices have greatly contributed to the homelessness epidemic that California is dealing with right now.

Even though we are supposedly in an “economic recovery”, the number of homeless people in Los Angeles has risen by an astounding 50 percent over the last five years…


The homelessness issue has achieved a special distinction in Los Angeles. Having increased 50% during the past five years, “it’s supplanted traffic as the topic everyone talks about,’’ says Tom Waldman, spokesman for regional homeless agency.

The homeless are as visible as the Hollywood sign. More than two years after Mayor Eric Garcetti declared a “state of emergency,’’ about 41,000 are “unsheltered’’ — sleeping in cars, outside City Hall, under freeway overpasses. The Los Angeles Times calls it “a human tragedy of extraordinary proportions.’’

And it isn’t just families that are leaving.

In fact, sometimes entire companies are picking up and relocating to another state. For example, Price Pump Manufacturing Co. is leaving the Golden State and is heading for Idaho


Price Pump Manufacturing Co., an 86-year-old company that has operated in Sonoma for 70 years, bought 6 acres of land in the Sky Ranch Business Center for about $86,000. The company plans to build a 40,000-square-foot plant at the industrial site east of Interstate 84 and south of Franklin Road.

The high cost of manufacturing in California made it more difficult to compete with other sellers in the United States and across the globe, president and CEO Bob Piazza said. He said the marketplace helps determines prices, and Price Pump could not simply raise prices to maintain a reasonable return on investment.

And I found another article today about a company that has decided to leave California and is relocating to Phoenix, Arizona


A company that manufactures workbenches and lab furniture is relocating to Goodyear, near Phoenix, Arizona, to save money, while creating 30 new jobs in Arizona.

Matt McConnell, director of sales and marketing for IAC Industries, said the move will increase the stability and longevity of his business. IAC is located in Brea, California.

“The commercial property costs in California versus the commercial property costs in other states” made the decision easy, he said.

As long as tech giants such as Google and Apple are thriving, the trends that are driving such dramatic change in the state are likely to continue.

So we are likely to continue to see a very large exodus out of California, and those that are leaving will continue to fundamentally change the communities that they are moving into.

Because there is such a disparity between the number of people moving out and the number of people moving in, it actually costs nearly twice as much to take a U-Haul from California to Texas as it does to take a U-Haul from Texas to California…


The cost of popular moving truck services, like U-Haul, is largely created through the ironclad rules of supply and demand. Turns out, there is much higher demand for trucks leaving high-tax blue states heading to low-tax red states than vice versa.

A route from California to Texas, for example, is more than twice as expensive as a route from Texas to California. Want to go from Los Angeles to Dallas? $2,558. Returning back? $1,232.

Once upon a time, millions of young Americans dreamed of moving to California. It was a land of gorgeous weather, movie stars and endless opportunity.

But now the California Dream has turned into the California nightmare, and people are heading out of the state in droves.

Michael Snyder is a nationally syndicated writer, media personality and political activist. He is the author of four books including The Beginning Of The End and Living A Life That Really Matters.

Strive for Calmness ✡ "All The Earth Is Calm" - Israel365

All the earth is calm, untroubled; Loudly it cheers
Isaiah 14:7 (The Israel Bible™)

נָחָה שָׁקְטָה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ פָּצְחוּ רִנָּה
Hear the verse in Hebrew

na-KHA she-KAY-tah kol ha-a-RETZ patz-KHU REE-na


Strive for Calmness

The Prophet Isaiah speaks speaks of an idyllic time in the future when the earth is calm. Calm may not be one of the first words that one would use to describe the future redemption. The Bible however does use the calm numerous times as a positive character trait as well as a desirable state of mind. According to Proverbs 29:11, "A dullard vents all his rage, but a wise man calms it down." And according to Proverbs 14:30, "A calm disposition gives bodily health; passion is rot to the bones." Both mention the loftiness of calmness and describe this state as one that all of humanity should strive to achieve.  
Strive for calmness

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