Have you ever applied for a Federal grant, or worked for an organization that was funded by a Federal Grant? Here is how it works: First you must prove to the grantor that there is a need for the service you plan to provide with the grant monies. Next, you must describe how this service will be provided. This includes submitting a budget listing all the salaries of all the positions and justifying all expenses associated with the delivery of the service. This budget must be approved by the grantor (the Federal Government). If, in the opinion of the grantor, any salary or other expense is not justified, it may be disallowed. Then, in order to show that there is local support for your organization, a portion of the total budget must be raised locally. Yes, even though the Federal government is only funding part of the project, they make the decisions about how many employees and how much they may be paid, as well as any and all other expenses.

Should you get the grant monies, representatives of the government will visit your organization on a regular basis to observe the operations, and to make sure you are providing the services specified in your grant application. They also will audit your books, and may disallow any expenditures they deem unsuitable. Most of these grants are given to non-profit entities who provide services for altruistic or charitable purposes.

If these entities can meet the terms necessary to obtain Federal assistance, why is it that banks and other for-profit entities can ask for and expect to receive Federal bailout money, and yet be so indignant at the idea of being accountable to the government for how that money is spent, and how much employees are paid? In light of the fact that they have mismanaged their businesses into bankruptcy, one would think these executives would welcome some assistance in running their businesses.

The babies who were born dead or brain damaged because their mothers smoked and drank? The children who contracted polio from a friend because they shared a pop bottle? The children who died from being thrown from the bed of a pick up or through the windshield of a car? Children who got lead poisoning from cutting their teeth on lead based paint on their cribs? Who were accidentally poisoned by their mom or dad's medicine that looked like candy? The children who were kidnaped, raped and/or murdered because they were out playing all day unsupervised? Unfortunately, these children can't send this nostalgic stuff out because they are all DEAD!

A friend sent me the following email:

A psychiatrist's analysis of W's mental health, and its connection with
the "surge" in Iraq .
>
An interesting perspective from Dr. Paul Minot, a psychiatrist in
> Waterville , Maine . George Bush's "irrational" consideration of a
> "surge" in the wake of the Iraq Study Group report -- which apparently

> defies all credible counsel - has begun to generate speculation
> regarding his sanity - references to Bush's "delusions" have appeared
> in the mainstream media and throughout the blogosphere. There may be
> even darker mechanisms at work.
>
As a psychiatrist, I understandably get concerned when I see clinical
> terminology bandied about in political discourse, and thought it might

> be of interest to share a professional perspective on this question. I

> have a distinct clinical impression that I think explains much of Mr.
> Bush's visible pathology.
>
First and foremost, George W. Bush has a Narcissistic Personality
> Disorder. What this means, is that he has rather desperate
> insecurities about himself, and compensates by constructing a
grandiose self-image.
> Most of his relationships are either mirroring relationships -- people

> who flatter him and reinforce his grandiosity -- or idealized
> self-objects -- people that he himself thinks a lot of, and hence
feels
> flattered by his association with them. Some likely perform both
> functions. Hence his weaknesses for sycophants like Harriet Miers, and

> powerful personalities like Dick Cheney. Even as a narcissist, Bush
> knows he isn't a great intellect, and compensates by dismissing the
> value of intellect altogether. Hence his disses of Gore's bookishness,

> and any other intellectual that isn't flattering him. Bush knows that
> his greatest personal strength is projecting personal affability, and
> tries to utilize it even in the most inappropriate settings. That's
> why he gives impromptu backrubs to the German Chancellor in a
diplomatic
> meeting -- he's insecure intellectually, and tries to make everyone
> into a "buddy" so he can feel more secure.
>
The most disturbing aspect about narcissists, however, is their
> pathological inability to empathize with others, with the exception of

> those who either mirror them, or whom they idealize. Hence Bush's
> horrifying insensitivity to the Katrina victims, his callous jokes
> when visiting grievously injured soldiers, and numerous other
> instances. He simply has no capacity to feel for others in that way.
>
When LBJ was losing Vietnam , he developed a haunted expression that
> anybody could recognize as indicative of underlying anguish. For all
> his faults, you just knew he was losing sleep over it. By the same
> token, we know just as well that Bush isn't losing any sleep over dead

> American soldiers, to say nothing of dead Iraqis. He didn't exhibit
> any sign of significant concern until his own political popularity was

> sliding -- because THAT'S something he CAN feel.
>
Which brings us to his recent "delusion." To be blunt, I don't see any
> indication that Bush has any sort of psychotic disorder whatsoever.
> The lapses in reality-testing that he exhibits are the sort that can
> be readily explained by his characterological insensitivity to the
> feelings and perceptions of others due to his persistently
> self-centered frame of reference.
>
Mr. Bush knows that things aren't going his way in Iraq , and he knows
> that it is damaging him politically. He also sees that it is likely to

> get worse no matter what he does, and in fact it may be a lost cause.
> However, he recognizes that if he follows the recommendations of the
> Iraq Study Group, that Iraq will almost certainly evolve into a puppet

> state of Iran , and given his treatment of Iran he will completely
> lose control of the situation -- and he will be politically
> discredited for this outcome.
>
The ONLY chance that he has to avoid this political disaster, and save
> his political skin, is to hope against hope for "victory" in Iraq .
> Advancing the "surge" idea offers Bush two political advantages over
> following the ISG recommendations. One is that if it is implemented,
> maybe, just maybe, he can pull out some sort of nominal "victory" out
> of the situation. The chances are exceedingly slim, granted, but slim
> is better to him than the alternative (none). Alternately, if the
"surge"
> is politically rejected, he gains some political cover, so when things

> inevitably go bad, he can say "I told you so" and
>
> blame the "surrender monkeys" for the outcome. Most people probably
> won't buy it, but some (his core base) will.
>
Now, I know what many of you are thinking -- is George Bush willing to
> risk the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands more American soldiers, on

> an outside chance to save his political skin, in a half-baked plan
> that even he knows probably won't work at all? Yes, he is. Because
> George Bush is that narcissistic, that desperate, and yes, that
> sociopathic as well.
>
Especially interesting about Mr. Bush, but quite common, Narcissistic
> Personality Disorder is frequently associated with alcoholism. The
> insufferable "holier than thou" attitude associated with "Dry Drunk
> Syndrome" is indicative of underlying narcissism. Also, the way that
> Bush embraces Christianity is characteristically narcissistic. Rather
> than incorporating the lessons of humility and empathy modeled by
> Jesus, Bush uses his Christian faith to reinforce his grandiosity.
> Jesus is his powerful ally, his idealized "buddy" who gives a rubber
> stamp to anything he thinks.
>
Finally -- and this will sound VERY familiar to many readers -- those
> persons with NPD are notoriously unable to say they're sorry.
> Admitting error is fundamentally incompatible with their precarious
> efforts to maintain their sense of order. Anyone having this
> particular character flaw almost certainly has NPD.
>
ALLAN SCHNAIBERG
>
> Professor of Sociology & Faculty Associate, Institute for Policy
> Research

Not all Republicans ran for re-election last November. These congressmen and Senators are now running away from Bush like crazy, but many of them rubber-stamped everything he wanted to do for the last six years. We need to remember this when these people come up for re-election. Voters need to check their voting records prior to November 2006!

Your sweetie says, "Let's go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "Pick one; I can't do both!"

A sexy babe catches your fancy and your pacemaker opens the garage door.

Going braless pulls all the wrinkles out of your face.

You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.

You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police.

Getting a little action means I don't need to take any fiber today.

Getting lucky means you find your car in the parking lot.

An all-nighter means not getting up to pee.

A young woman (mid-20s) whose 4 year hitch had four months to go when she was ordered to Iraq. She served there for 7 months, then left the army the minute she got home. She drove a truck that transported tanks to the front line. Now she has PTSD to the extent that she broke her little brother's nose when he startled her. Now she is afraid to be around children, even though once she hoped to have a family of her own and even to be a teacher. She cried when she told me how her best friend lost both legs. It breaks my heart to think how many more there are just like her.