Saint Patrick’s Day Snarls In Springfield, Pa.

Springfield, Pa.’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade is certainly thriving.

Traffic is snarled throughout the township for the event’s 34th year and there is hardly a parking spot left within a half-mile of Saxer Avenue.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

Saint Patrick was a rich Brit born in 390 and kidnapped at age 16 where he was taken to Ireland to work as a sheep-herding slave.
While in the Emerald Isle he had a religious experience, converted to Christianity and was directed by a voice to escape, which he did catching a ride on a pirate ship back to Britain. In Patrick’s absence, Britain had been deserted by the Romans after a 400-year occupation.
Patrick was reunited with his family and began studying for the priesthood. He was ordained, then returned to Ireland to begin converting the natives.
That was not easy. He was constantly beaten by members of populace, bothered by the Irish royalty, and lectured by his ecclesiastic bosses in Britain.
Despite this, his perseverance bore fruit and today the three-leafed shamrock is the nation’s symbol as it is said to have been used by Patrick to explain how the three persons of the Trinity can be one.
Patrick died on March 17, 461, which gives us the day we celebrate his life.
The parties and parades, of course, are an American creation.

Why Mitt Romney Will Lose To Obama

By Chris Freind

Being in the media, I have no friends, as it should be.  If I did, however, 3 of 10 Republicans would surely take offense to this column, since it points out what is increasingly obvious to everyone but Mitt Romney’s 30 percent base of support: Mitt won’t beat Barack Obama. 

Should Romney become the GOP nominee — likely, but not certain — he will have a difficult time unseating the President.  Can he win? Given the stagnant economy, high unemployment, and skyrocketing gas prices, yes.  But will he? No.

Since many Republicans are calling this election the most important in history, it’s worth a look at why Romney will fall short:

1) He cannot relate. Nominating Romney would be par for the course for a GOP that likes to elevate stiff, out-of-touch pols who can’t relate to most Americans.  John McCain, Bob Dole, and George Bush I (after he acted like he had better things to do than campaign for reelection) are prime examples.

Of course, it is rare for an incumbent president to lose, which occurred only four times in the 20th century.  But in those instances, sitting presidents lost to charismatic leaders articulating bold visions. Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton achieved success over Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, because, more than anything, they were extremely effective communicators, speaking from the heart rather than a script. There was a widespread perception among Americans that these candidates were talking directly to them — that they were leaders who innately understood what the problems were, and how to solve them. 

On a scale of one to ten, Romney’s ability in this regard is zero. Not only is he unable to relate, but when he tries, things gets worse. He either becomes a laughingstock (an aloof Northeastern moderate patronizing unamused Southern conservatives by saying “y’all” and “grits” as many times as possible) or a human gaffe machine (“$10,000 bet,” “I’m not concerned about the very poor,” telling unemployed people that he too is “unemployed,” he knows what it’s like to worry about getting a pink slip, and “I have some friends who are NASCAR team owners,” among countless other beauties).

Romney doesn’t understand that trying to be someone you aren’t is death to a candidate. Nowhere was that more apparent that in 1988, when another Governor of Massachusetts, Michael Dukakis, was photographed riding in an army tank. Given his liberal positions on national defense, Dukakis was ridiculed to such an extent that his candidacy never recovered, with that iconic photo symbolizing his ill-fated campaign. 

Apparently not a student of history, Romney is doing his best to upstage his Massachusetts colleague.

2) Romney is regressing. After spending hundreds of millions over the last six years, Romney is still routinely losing 7 of 10 Republicans. And that is with a weak field. Ron Paul is running to keep the others honest, Newt Gingrich has won just two states, and Rick Santorum, who two months ago was polling at two percent, is surging only because he is the last “anti-Romney” candidate standing. 

Comparing apples to apples, Romney is faring considerably worse than in 2008. That negative trend is bad enough, but even more startling is that four years ago, Romney faced a number of credible candidates, including John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee and Fred Thompson. In other words, he is doing worse now despite competing against a rag-tag cadre of opponents who have virtually no money or organizations and who mathematically can’t win the nomination.

The proof is in the pudding: of Romney’s 15 wins (out of 27 contests), he has barely broken fifty percent in just four — heavily Mormon Nevada and Idaho, his home state (Massachusetts) and Virginia, where Gingrich and Santorum weren’t even on the ballot. In fact, Romney couldn’t even attain 60 percent against “quirky” Ron Paul — known for his non-interventionist foreign policy and reduced military spending platform — in Virginia, despite it being one of the biggest military and defense industry states in the country.  

Four years ago in Minnesota, Romney garnered 41 percent, yet this time (as the “frontrunner”) he won less than 17 percent of the vote—yes, 17!  In his true home state of Michigan, where he grew up while his father was governor, he hung on just enough to defeat Santorum — and that was after a dismal debate performance by Rick.  In Ohio, despite vastly outspending his opponents, he eked out a one point win. And most recently, not only didn’t he win Alabama or Mississippi, but came in third in both states.

A successful candidate needs to win states in every region, an achievement that has thus far eluded Romney. A number of Mitt’s wins have been in states that will go Democratic in the general election (Vermont, Massachusetts, Washington and Hawaii), and he is struggling mightily in must-win battleground states (Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan). Not exactly a roadmap to success.

3) Flip-Flops.  Conventional wisdom keeps predicting that the Republican base, weary of the drawn-out primary season, desperately wants to coronate Romney so the focus can be on Obama. Yet every time another primary rolls around, Convention Wisdom is turned upside down. Why can’t Mitt seal the deal?  Because to many, he simply isn’t trustworthy. 

Sure, Romneycare makes him wildly unpopular to many Republicans (whose main objection to Obama is Obamacare). But much more unsettling are his flip-flops, too numerous to list in their entirety, but which include abortion, gay rights, guns, government mandates , indexing the minimum wage, the auto and TARP bailouts, and even whether he is a Ronald Reagan fan.

But Romney’s inconsistencies go beyond the policy arena and extend into his personal life, such as the issue of illegal immigrants working at his home.  When questioned about that situation, Mitt responded that he fired the landscaping company that employed the immigrants, not because illegals working in the U.S. is wrong, against the law and hurts American citizens, but because, “I’m running for office, for Pete’s sake….I can’t have illegals.” Political expediency at its worst.

 *****

Mitt Romney embodies an articulate politician without a soul, one who will say whatever it takes to get elected.   So prevalent is his flip-flopping that he couldn’t even decide whether to campaign in Iowa. 

He’s so out of touch that he doesn’t understand the peoples’ yearning for a leader who stands for something and sticks to his guns.  Instead, Romney’s “be all things to all people” approach has him foundering, and should make him easy pickings for Obama in November.  

There are those who will say the media is deciding this election, because columns like this are killing Romney’s chances to win before the general election campaign even begins. 

While it will be a bitter pill to swallow, those on the Right would be wise to realize two things. The “Anyone But Obama” approach is a losing strategy, since negative premises always produce inferior candidates.  And Republicans looking to cast blame for Mitt Romney’s troubles should stop looking for a scapegoat and see the real reason he will flop: Mitt Romney himself.

$2.50 Per Gallon Gasoline

Newt Gingrich remains on the campaign trail pushing a platform of $2.50 per gallon gasoline which it should be noted would be 65 cents more per gallon than what it was when Obama took office.

Obama and others are expressing skepticism that Gingrich could do this. The website Fuel Fix, for instance, rates Newt’s claim as “near empty” saying that  increase domestic production by removing red tape and opening more waters for offshore drilling. The Keystone XL pipeline has long been debated for its potential impact on U.S. jobs and prices at the pump . . . And it’s unrealistic to think (Gingrich’s plan) could bring gasoline to $2.50 or lower.

They claim that drilling in ANWR and off the coasts would be just a drop in the bucket of world-wide oil supply and take years for the oil to come to market.
It says the Keystone pipline would only lower prices by “15 to 20 percent”
OK, one suspects that most of us would be quite happy with a “15 to 20 percent” cut in gas prices which would be 60-cents-plus per gallon, and one is not sure if Fuel Fix et al is taking into account how more U.S. drilling would affect the pricing plans of those in places like Iran but what is most strange is that they seem to be limiting Gingrich’s point of “eliminating bureaucratic red tape” as applying solely to new wells.
Gingrich has been consistent in his push for a requirement that the Environmental Protection Agency consider economic consequences to the regulations it creates.
Wonder why that subject is being ignored by those covering Newt?

Voter ID Now The Law In Pa

The State House okayed the changes the Senate made to HB 934 — the rational, reasonable bill requiring voters present identification albeit not necessarily photo identification — yesterday, March 15, and Gov. Tom Corbett signed it into law a few hours later.

The Democrats strongly fought the bill and are pledging legal challenges to it.
Why are the Democrats totally outraged by this law that merely requires voters to present identification proving residency before voting  and allows those without identification to cast provisional ballots?
Oh, I think we know the answer to that.

Off The Internet — The Atheist And The Bear

 Courtesy of Micky Rair

An atheist was walking through the woods.

‘What majestic trees’!

‘What powerful rivers’!

‘What beautiful animals’!

He said to himself.

As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes

behind him.

He turned to look. He saw a 7-foot grizzly bear charge towards him..

He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder & saw

that the bear was closing in on him.

He looked over his shoulder again, & the bear was even closer.

He tripped & fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw

t hat the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left paw

& raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the Atheist cried out, ‘Oh my God!’

Time Stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky.

‘You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don’t exist and

even credit creation to cosmic accident.

‘Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you

as a believer’?

The atheist looked directly into the light, ‘It would be hypocritical of

me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you

could make the BEAR a Christian’?

The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped

his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke:

“Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through

Christ our Lord, Amen”

Prison Pop In Pa Surpasses Harrisburg

The Commonwealth Foundation has created a chart showing the amount Pennsylvania’s prison population and correctional spending has grown since 1980 rising from under $200 million to over $1.6 billion in spending and from under 10,000 to over 50,000 in population.

The rates are well above inflation and the state’s population growth.
According to the Department of Corrections the inmate population — which does not include county prisons — is over 51,000.
If the prison system was a city it would make it the state’s 9th largest ahead of Harrisburg.
One should note that there are townships such as Upper Darby (81,821) and Lower Merion (59,420) that have larger populations that several of the cities on that list.

A Drexel Hill Woman’s Fight Against Diabetes And Time

The difference between tactics and strategy is substantial. A tactic is a method employed to help achieve a goal. A strategy is the long term plan of action to achieve that goal.
Four years ago, that distinction was crystal clear a 31-year old Drexel Hill woman who had been ravaged by diabetes.
Christine Grosso’s strategy was simple, but far from easy— survive the debilitating disease that had left her nearly blind in one eye, caused her sugar count to frequently soar over 600 (150 is high), and made her a household name in Emergency Rooms from Temple to Shore Memorial.
More pressing, however, was the tactic she needed to employ to continue her fight. She needed a kidney transplant, since one of the consequences of diabetes is that the body’s overstressed organs often shut down, placing the person’s life in jeopardy.
Christine’s story was bittersweet, since her courage, determination and heartwarming attitude almost made one forget how perilous her situation had become.
What is Diabetes?
Christine’s symptoms first appeared when she was 13, and were noticed by her mother, Toni: increased thirst and appetite (yet the result was weight loss), frequent urination, and mood swings. Grosso’s pediatrician initially thought these changes were related to puberty. Further investigation, however, revealed something different and far more ominous: Type 1 diabetes.
Christine realized that her life would never be the same.
“In the beginning, my treatment consisted of insulin injections twice a day; blood sugar tests four times a day and a strict diet— consisting of four meals a day, at specific times,” she recounted.
“Basically, I couldn’t eat the junk food that teenagers love. I would have to eat whenever my blood sugar was low, and couldn’t join everyone at a meal if my blood sugar was elevated,” Christine added.
Type 1 diabetes results from the lack of insulin production by the pancreas. Since insulin is a hormone required by all cells to utilize glucose for energy, a deficiency results in the depletion of energy stores, such as liver glycogen, fat and eventually muscle mass. This leads to significant weight loss and fatigue, and, left uncorrected, soon leads to the excretion of glucose in the urine and metabolic imbalance (ketoacidosis), requiring hospitalization. The longer-term effects are much more severe— damage to various organs and body systems, notably the kidneys, the eyes, the nervous system and the heart.
The need for a kidney
Christine’s condition steadily deteriorated over seventeen years. Whereas in high school she was involved in numerous activities, her lifestyle had become hampered. Her body functions had taken a tremendous blow, with the kidneys taking the biggest hit. When the tiny blood vessels (nephrons) in the kidneys become damaged by diabetes, the filtering units of the kidney are less able to filter unwanted substances from the blood. Damaged nephrons are also less able to retain essential substances, such as proteins. In time, as the kidneys continue to fail, the patient will require a kidney transplant.
After an exhaustive process, Christine qualified for such a transplant. But that was just the beginning. If a suitable donor was not found quickly, she would be forced to begin dialysis — never a sustainable long term solution. “My transplant time was as soon as possible since I was being evaluated for dialysis. If a live kidney donor was not found, I would have had to wait until a cadaveric source (kidneys of organ donors upon their deaths) was found which matched my tissue type. This could have taken years.”
Finding a Donor
The need for a kidney transplant is determined by a nephrologist, based on tests of the patient’s kidney function and clinical condition. Once the patient is found suitable as a transplant recipient, he or she is placed on the United Network of Organ Sharing list for a cadaveric source of a kidney.
But finding a kidney donor is a very personal process. “In my case, I began as soon as I was informed that I needed a transplant. I composed a Gift of Life letter in which I described myself and asked if anyone would be interested in being tested (to become a compatible kidney donor). Surprisingly, several people whom I did not know contacted me,” Christine explained. Yet two of those individuals were not a match.
“When I found out they were not suitable, I revised the letter and again circulated it to friends, churches, schools, businesses and newspapers. Several more people offered to help. My donor profile was someone between 21 and 60, in good health, same blood type, and without a history of cancer, diabetes or high blood pressure.” Easier said than done. If the potential donor was either rejected by the center or by the recipient, a new potential donor would be tested, and the process starts anew.
Christine’s Support Network
Through it all, Christine’s parents never left her side. “Our lives changed drastically after Christine became chronically ill. One or both of us is with her 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” her father Lou explained.
Toni elaborated: “Before the transplant, Christine was constantly in the hospital.” The hospital stays usually were a week to ten days, with Christine’s parents taking turns to always be in her room. “Although not under the best circumstances,” Toni added, “Christine’s illness has brought us all closer together.”
Christine’s attitude kept her spirits high. “My faith has helped me to deal with most of my medical problems, by trying to find positive reasons for my condition. Since I was 13, I have been searching for someone like myself to talk to. These people are hard to find, and dealing with diabetes is the hardest thing I have ever done.”
Because of this, Christine helps others with similar conditions. “I counsel young diabetics, and this helps me as well as them. It feels good making a difference in someone’s life.”
The search for a kidney was difficult but rewarding. Along the way, Christine became reacquainted with old friends, and met complete strangers selfless enough to offer a part of their body. “It is so overwhelming to meet these amazing people,” she reflected.
The Guardian Angel and the Transplant
Despite the unimaginable heartbreak for Christine and her parents when two donors fell through at the last minute, their undying faith paid off. A donor responded to a Church Bulletin article chronicling Christine’s inspirational story and her need for a kidney. The donor, who did not know Christine or her family (yet ironically lived just four blocks away) and wished to remain anonymous, met all the transplant requirements. Soon thereafter, she placed her own life in jeopardy by undergoing surgery, literally giving part of herself to another in the ultimate act of selflessness.
The result? Success beyond expectations. Christine Grosso just celebrated her four-year transplant anniversary — rejuvenated, vibrant and alive. No longer just surviving, she is once again living. While diabetes will forever be with her, the tables have now turned, with Christine controlling the disease. Her donor, Marie Manley — who can only be described as a true guardian angel — is also doing remarkably well, living a fully functional life and now working at the Kidney Transplant
Program at Lankenau Hospital as a transplant assistant, counseling donors and recipients.
In an age where many glibly say they “give back” and “give of themselves” — while making sure everybody knows it — there are still real heroes like Ms. Manley who believe that charity should be altruistic, the only “reward” being the selfless act of giving. She exemplifies those who truly walk the walk, content with the knowledge that she made the ultimate difference in someone else’s life.
In Christine Grosso’s case, Marie Manley’s act of charity was, quite literally, a lifesaver. Perhaps most amazing is something which will never be known — how many people, after learning of Christine and Marie’s remarkable story, were inspired to themselves become donors — and lifesavers.
There is no greater love than risking one’s own life to save another. In the spiritual, charitable and literal sense, donating a kidney is truly the gift that keeps on giving.