T-Bred Pick

4 Belmont #6 (2/1)

This Date in History

On May 23,1934 bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed by police and killed in Black Lake, LA.

Thoroughbred Picks

For Thursday 5/23:
1 Betfair Hollywood #1 (9/5)
7 Betfair Hollywood #3 (5/2)
3 Golden Gate #4 (9/5)
5 Golden Gate #5 (6/1)

For Friday 5/24:
2 Arlington Park #4 (10/1)
4 Arlington Park #2 (4/5)
9 Arlington Park #7 (8/1)
10 Churchill Downs #1 (7/2)

This Date in History

On May 22, 1972 President Nixon became the first US president to visit Russia.

Tattoos

Think twice about getting a tattoo.

1) Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:28

2) Your risk of contracting Hepatitis C increases 5 times.

3) Chances are you will regret getting the tattoo before you reach middle age.

4) Removing a tattoo is difficult, lengthy, and painful. Think hot bacon grease spattered on the skin. Think the sting of a stretched rubber band smacking you from up close.

5) Imagine paying $159 to $1,000 for the multiple appointments to obliterate a tattoo.

Response from Congressman Hultgren

Thank you for contacting me about the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting conservative organizations, including Tea Party groups, for special scrutiny during the 2012 election cycle. I appreciate knowing your views.

Quite simply, this is reprehensible, not to mention illegal, conduct on the part of the IRS. Regardless of one’s political views, everyone should be outraged when a government agency abuses its public trust by stepping outside its mandate to harass private individuals or groups simply for exercising their First Amendment rights. The IRS’s actions are emblematic of the continued disregard for the law by the Obama Administration and exacerbate the deep distrust many Americans already harbor towards the agency and government in general.

Over a year ago I wrote to IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman expressing my outrage over the agency’s undue delays and excessively burdensome information requests for tax-exempt status of certain non-profit organizations for no apparent reason other than the political persuasion of the applicants. Obviously, the IRS continues to flout the law and this cannot be tolerated.

I have called on the White House to clean house at the IRS and to hold those responsible accountable for their actions. The House Ways and Means and Oversight and Government Reform Committees will be holding investigative hearings on this matter. Clearly, such behavior on the part of the IRS speaks to the urgency of reforming and establishing additional oversight over the agency so that it adheres to its mandate and acts within the law. The IRS and those involved in this scandal will be held accountable.

Thank you again for your counsel. It is a privilege to serve you and the people of the 14th Congressional District. If you have additional questions, of if I can ever be helpful to you or your family, do not hesitate to contact me or my staff at 202-224-2976, or 630-232-7104.

Sincerely,
Randy Hultgren
Member of Congress

RH/dt

Difference Between Shi'a and Sunni Muslims

1. Shi'a (Ali’s party)

a. Believe that the Caliph should be a descendent of Ali.

b. Doctrine of Imamism, which looks to certain divinely appointed leaders who arise in the direct succession of Muhammad.

c. Emergence of a Mahdi figure in times of distress to restore the faithful and protect the Prophetic message.

d. Emphasis on human freedom.

e. Found in vast majority in Iran and Southern Iraq.

f. Added to the Shahadah: "There is no God, but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of God, and Ali is the friend of God."

2. Sunni (Normative party)

a. Believe that the Caliph should be chosen in a rational way by the Council, regardless of his blood descent.

b. Believe the "Imam" is simply the leader of the Islamic assembly on Fridays (preacher).

c. Reject any notion of a final mahdi.

d. Emphasize Divine sovereignty - predestination.

e. Easily the majority world-wide, with 5 times the adherents of Shi`a.

f. Reject any changes or additions to the Shahadah.

This Date in History

On May 21,1927 aviator Charles Lindbergh reached Paris, completing the first solo airplane flight across Atlantic Ocean.

Terrorist on Army Payroll

Nothing is surprising anymore.

"The Department of Defense confirms to NBC 5 Investigates that accused Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan has now been paid more than $278,000 since the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting that left 13 dead 32 injured. The Army said under the Military Code of Justice, Hasan’s salary cannot be suspended unless he is proven guilty."

Ft. Hood Shooter

This Date in History

On May 20,1506 Christopher Columbus died in Valladolid, Spain.

Changing the Legal Limit for Alcohol

One of C-SPAN's guests this morning was Deborah A. P. Hersman, the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, who is recommending that the blood alcohol level for driving under the influence be reduced from .08 to .05. The latter level is currently used in Europe and Australia to determine impaired driving.

Ms. Hersman cited the following statistics: 1/3 of traffic deaths are alcohol related; there were 9,878 deaths attributed to impaired driving in 2011; there are approximately 172,000 people injured in alcohol related accidents and 27,000 of those are life altering; over $130 billion dollars are spent dealing with the aftermath of alcohol related accidents. She estimates that 500 to 800 lives could be saved if the legal intoxication limit was lowered.

Ms. Hersman further stated that 25% of people do not drink; 50% are low risk drinkers; 10% are alcoholics; and 15% are high risk drinkers (i.e binge). 50% of impaired drivers also have other drugs in their systems.

This Date in History

On May 18,1536 Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England's King Henry VIII, was beheaded after she was convicted of adultery.

Today's Luther

"But if you are of the opinion that Christ and trust in the Law can dwell together in the heart, then you should know for sure that not Christ but the devil is dwelling in your heart under the mask of Christ, and that he is the one who is accusing you, terrifying you, and demanding the Law and your works as the condition of righteousness. For, as I said a little earlier, the genuine Christ does not chide you for your sins; nor does He command you to trust in your good works. And genuine knowledge of Christ, or faith, does not discuss whether you have done good works to obtain righteousness or evil works to obtain damnation; but it simply declares: “If you have done good works, you are not justified on their account; and if you have done evil works, you are not damned on their account.” I am not taking any of their glory away from good works; nor am I praising evil works. But I am saying that in the issue of justification I must see how I am to keep Christ, lest He become useless to me if I wish to be justified by the Law. For Christ alone justifies me, in opposition to my evil works and without my good works. If I feel this way about Christ, I grasp the genuine Christ; but if I think that He demands the Law and works of me as a condition for righteousness, then He has become of no advantage to me, and I am severed from Him."

Luther, M. (1999, c1964). Vol. 27: Luther's works, vol. 27 : Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 5-6; 1519, Chapters 1-6 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (27:17). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

Eightfold Path of Buddhism

The Wisdom Path (Prajna)

(Note that "wisdom" is prajna in Sanskrit, panna in Pali.)

Right View is also sometimes called Right Understanding. It is insight into the nature of things as they are, in particular insight into the first three Noble Truths -- the nature of dukkha, the cause of dukkha, the cessation of dukkha.

Right Intention is sometimes translated as Right Aspiration or Right Thought. This is an unselfish intention to realize enlightenment. You can call it a desire, but it is not a tanha or craving because there is no ego attachment and no desire for becoming or not-becoming attached to it (see Second Noble Truth).

The Ethical Conduct Path (Sila)

Right Speech is communicating in ways that promote harmony and understanding. It is speech that is truthful and free of malice. However, it doesn't mean being "nice" when unpleasant things must be said.

Right Action is action that springs from compassion, without selfish attachment. This aspect of the Eightfold Path is connected to the Precepts.

Right Livelihood is earning a living in a way that does not compromise the Precepts or harm anyone.

The Mental Discipline Path (Samadhi)

Right Effort or Right Diligence is the practice of developing wholesome qualities while releasing unwholesome qualities.

Right Mindfulness is a whole body-and-mind awareness of the present moment.

Right Concentration is the part of the path associated with meditation. It is focusing all of one's mental faculties onto one physical or mental object and practicing the Four Absorptions, also called the Four Dhyanas (Sanskrit) or Four Jhanas (Pali).

This Date in History

On May 18,1896 the Supreme Court endorsed "separate but equal" racial segregation with its Plessy v. Ferguson decision, a ruling that was overturned almost 58 years later to the day by Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

Saturday's Thoroughbred Pick

4 BELMONT #1 Barzini (7/2)

Response from Congressman Hultgren

Thank you for contacting me regarding the murder of our four American personnel in Benghazi, Libya.

I certainly share your outrage at the death of Ambassador Stevens, as well as the deaths of Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith, and security officers Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods.

Last year, I joined with 53 of my congressional colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama and former Secretary of State Clinton requesting a full and immediate response to a number of the allegations of incompetence, apathy, or intentional cover-up by their Administration. Specifically, I am concerned about the Administration ignoring prior attacks in Libya on American and international personnel, as well as the reduction of U.S. security personnel in Benghazi, while simultaneously adding danger pay to the personnel remaining - a tacit admission of the increased danger facing our personnel.

Additionally, I recently became a co-sponsor of a resolution to create a Select Committee on Benghazi, which would give the Congress vital powers of subpoena to finally get answers about what happened last September.

I am not optimistic that President Obama will show any willingness to work with the Congress to address this egregious violation of American sovereignty by foreign terrorists; however, rest assured my colleagues and I will continue to pursue accountability and answers from President Obama, including the possibility of forming a Select Committee on Benghazi and securing testimony from the eyewitness survivors of the attack.

Thank you again for your feedback and counsel; it is a privilege to serve you and the people of the 14th Congressional District. If you have additional questions, or if I can ever be helpful to you or your family, do not hesitate to contact me or my staff at 202-224-2976, or 630-232-7104.

Sincerely,
Randy Hultgren
Member of Congress

RH/mf