'I was born, I blinked, and it was over': Florida grandmother's self-penned obituary goes viral

When Emily Phillips was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February, she knew she didn’t have long to live.
So she decided to give the world a farewell in her own words.
The Florida grandmother’s self-penned obituary has taken the Internet by storm since she passed away last week, and has received more than 5,100 “likes” on Facebook since it was shared by The Florida Times-Union on Tuesday.
“It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I have passed away,” Phillips, 69, writes in the obituary’s opening. “Everyone told me it would happen one day, but that’s simply not something I wanted to hear, much less experience.”

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 (Courtesy of Bonnie Upright)

From there, Phillips, a longtime public school teacher who lived in Orange Park, takes the reader on a journey through her life. Her recollections of walking to Hazelwood Elementary School in Hazelwood, N.C. Her father calling square dances. Performing skits for the 4-H Club in fifth grade. Being a beauty pageant competitor. Leading the high school band down King Street in New Orleans for Mardi Gras when she was head majorette.
The obituary’s tone shifts between humorous and sentimental, and Phillips pauses to reflect on the little moments of her journey and takes a stab at some of life’s more existential questions.
“So many things in my life seemed of little significance at the time they happened, but then took on a greater importance as I got older,” Phillips says. “The memories I’m taking with me now are so precious and have more value than all the gold and silver in my jewelry box.”
Phillips began writing the obituary soon after she was diagnosed with the terminal illness in February, her daughter, Bonnie Upright, told FoxNews.com on Friday. At first, Upright says, the family was resistant, but listened when her mother insisted they hear her read it.
“We laughed where we were supposed to laugh, cried where we were supposed to cry, and looking back at it now … it really was one of the most special moments in my entire life,” Upright said, adding that the warm response to the obituary has soothed the family’s heartbreak.
“Being able to smile through the tears on my face has been an incredible experience, and an incredible gift that mom left us,” she said.

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 (Courtesy of Bonnie Upright)

Phillips is survived by her husband, Charles; her daughter Bonnie and her son, Scott; and five grandchildren: Sydney, 18; Jake, 15; Emma, 9; William, 9; and Charlie, 4.
“So ... I was born; I blinked; and it was over. No buildings named after me; no monuments erected in my honor. But I DID have the chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all my family members. How much more blessed can a person be?” Phillips writes. “So in the end, remember ... do your best, follow your arrow, and make something amazing out of your life. Oh, and never stop smiling.”

Tehran would be able to return to its nuclear activities if the West withdraws from an agreement that is expected to be finalized in June, Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in an interview on state-run TV that Iran has the power to take “corresponding action” and “will be able to return” its nuclear program to the same level if the other side does not honor the pact.
"All parties to the agreement can stop their actions (fulfillment of their commitments) in case of violation of the agreement by the other party," Zarif said.
Iran’s chief negotiator said the framework of the deal announced by Iran and six world powers on Thursday in Switzerland was not binding until it is finalized June 30.
Zarif said Iran is “committed” to implementing its part of any final agreement providing Western countries fulfill their promises. He said Iran wants to have a “moderate, constructive and proud presence” in the world.
If the deal is finalized, it would cut significantly into Iran’s bomb-capable nuclear technology while giving Tehran quick access to bank accounts, oil markets and other financial assets blocked by international sanctions.
Despite the criticism by hardliners, the deal has been overwhelmingly backed by Iran's establishment, including President Hassan Rouhani who pledged in a speech to the nation on Friday that Iran will abide by its commitments under the nuclear deal.
Zarif received a hero's welcome upon his return to Tehran on Friday Crowds of cheering supporters surrounded Zarif's vehicle and chanted slogans supporting him and Rouhani.
Zarif said in the interview he “objected” to Secretary of State Kerry using the world “suspension” rather than “termination” regarding the sanctions against Iran.
Zarif attributed Kerry's action as being aimed at addressing rifts between the Obama administration and Congress over the deal. Republicans are almost universally opposed to President Barack Obama's diplomatic effort; Democrats are divided.
He said the deal if finalized by June would nullify all U.N. Security Council resolutions against Iran's nuclear program and lead to the lifting of U.S. and European Union sanctions.
Zarif said the Switzerland agreement showed that the West cannot halt Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran insists is for peaceful purposes such as power generation and cancer treatment. Western countries suspect that Iran's nuclear program has a military dimension.
Without naming any country, Zarif assured Iran's neighbors such as Saudi Arabia which are concerned about Iran's nuclear ambitions that Tehran is not after regional domination.
"We are not after a nuclear bomb. We are also not after hegemony in the region, too," Zarif said.  "Security of our neighbors is our security, too."
Saudi Arabia has expressed concern about growing Iranian influence in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon which have large Shiite Muslim populations. A Saudi-led military coalition is now carrying out airstrikes in Yemen against Shiite Houthi rebels who are supported by Iran.

Top US public employee union AFSCME gave $65M in 2014, mostly to Democrats, progressive groups

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees -- the country’s largest trade union for public employees -- gave more than $65 million last year to politicians, lobbyists and activist groups, according to 2014 federal reports obtained by Watchdog.org.
AFSCME is funded by roughly 1.4 million members and mandatory fees taken from 125,255 nonmembers. Critics argue AFSCME gets its revenue from taxpayers so its donations are essentially indirect support for Democratic politicians, political activist groups and bigger government.
AFSCME’s 2014 report to the Labor Department showed $64,585,115 in Political Activities and Lobbying spending.
The union also reported more than $1 million in donations to political nonprofits as Contributions, Gifts and Grants, with $126,500 going to MSNBC host Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
AFSCME’s direct campaign contributions and super PAC expenditures last year helped Democrats in Wisconsin, Illinois, Florida and elsewhere.
The union’s largest donation of 2014 was a $4.3 million contribution to the Democratic Governors Association.
But the vast campaign AFSCME spending, the federal reports show, was overshadowed by tens of millions of dollars in contributions to progressive advocacy groups including Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the Center for American Progress and National Council of La Raza, the Illegal immigrant advocacy group.
Click here to read more from Watchdog.org.

NCAA Mens Final Four 2015- National Anthem

Obama Cartoon

A false choice and a flawed deal

The deal that the United States has negotiated with Iran poses a grave threat to American security at home and abroad.
U.S. officials know that Iran has had a long-term plan to gain a nuclear weapon and destabilize the region through its support of terrorist organizations. And it is known that President Rouhani has never agreed to full and unfettered United Nations inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Iranian government has repeatedly, flagrantly violated sanctions put in place by the United Nations. We know that they have flat-out lied about every nuclear facility they have built over the last three decades.
This is not the behavior of a potential ally or of a partner. These are the actions of a country trying to bluff its way into persuading the United Nations, the United States, and its allies to allow it the freedom to develop a nuclear weapon for military purposes.
Because of these facts, we cannot trust anything they sign. Until Iran is prepared to (and opens its nuclear facilities to) full and unfettered UN-sanctioned inspections and demonstrates that they are willing to halt uranium enrichment, we cannot place any trust in any deal that is made.

This is not an agreement which will make Americans proud.

The message we have sent by making this deal is simple: Take our diplomats hostage for 444 days. Kill our soldiers. Cheat, lie, and be a menace to our allies in the Middle East. Raise the cost of international security, threaten your neighbors in the Persian Gulf, and support terrorist groups. Assassinate dissidents abroad and kill young Iranians who are fed up with your tyranny. Do all of that and we will reward you. We will treat you like a partner, like an ally, and we will place our trust in you.
This message has been received by Iran and by our allies, all of whom will view this deal as a capitulation by Washington. We were once viewed as an international leader that our allies could rely upon. We demonstrated our strength and capabilities, protected human rights, and led the fight to stamp out terrorism. We are sending a message to the world now that rogue governments can quash free speech, sponsor terrorism and denigrate our way of life, all with the tacit consent of the United States government.
The Iranian government has requested untenable concessions to legitimize their earlier violations of international law -- and this administration has given in to these requests. The U.N. Security Council has repeatedly called for Iran to stop its uranium enrichment efforts, but this deal recognizes Iran’s right to enrich uranium. Iran secretly built numerous uranium enrichment facilities in violation of its Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty commitments. This deal would legitimize those facilities.
This is not an agreement which will make Americans proud. It is not a deal that demonstrates our strength and resolve at home and abroad. Our allies will not point to this as a signal of our continued support.
It is a sad chapter of American history when President Obama and Secretaries Kerry and Clinton are more concerned with their legacy than they are with our national security. Unfortunately, this behavior is no longer unexpected; it continues six years of alienating our allies, weakening our international stature, and negotiating with states who have demonstrated that they cannot be trusted.
Too often, this administration has presented the American people with a choice: follow our flawed national security strategy that destabilizes regions and undermines our allies or commits thousands of American ground troops to a protracted war. This is a false choice. There are other options -- and a bi-partisan Congress should insist on voicing their opposition to this deal. We have many other options that have been left unexplored or underutilized. We should start by providing the support our Jordanian, Egyptian, Kurdish, Saudi, and Emirati allies have asked for.
We cannot let this agreement with Iran follow the disastrous Russian “reset” orchestrated by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. We cannot make concessions to a government which will then take advantage of our trust. We must meet these governments with strength.
This type of foreign policy cannot continue. We must stand up for our allies and for our American interests. We must re-assert American leadership and strength abroad. The world is a more dangerous and tragic place when America is not leading. For these reasons, we cannot and must not accept this deal with Iran.
Lt. General Michael T. Flynn served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and chair of the Military Intelligence Board from 2012 to 2014

Arson threat targeting Christian pizzeria just a 'mean tweet,' says Indiana news exec

The news director for an Indiana TV station was taking heat Friday for downplaying a high school coach's alleged Twitter threat to "burn down" a controversial pizzeria as merely a “mean tweet.”
WBND-TV news boss Aaron Ramey used the arguably mild characterization to describe a Tweet attributed to Jess Dooley, head coach of the girl’s golf team at Concord High School in Elkhart, that called for people to help her set fire to Memories Pizza in Walkerton.
“Who’s going to Walkerton, IN to burn down #memoriespizza w me?” Dooley tweeted after Crystal O’Connor told Ramey’s South Bend station Wednesday that her family’s pizzeria would not cater to gay weddings because of their Christian beliefs. .
The threatening tweet from Dooley prompted a police investigation, a referral to prosecutors and Dooley's suspension. While police, Dooley's school and the family that owns the restaurant took the Twitter threat seriously, Ramey did not, according to critics.
“Teacher suspended for mean tweet about pizza place who won't cater gay weddings,” Ramey said in a tweet Wednesday that has since been deleted.

Lesbian Jess Dooley, head coach of the girl’s golf team

 

More on this...

• Mainstream media attack Indiana pizza shop

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The school district suspended Dooley from her coaching duties pending further investigation. She deleted her Twitter account.
The Elkhart Truth said Dooley was a paraprofessional at Concord, not a teacher. Her employer is the Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative, which did not return calls for comment from the paper.
Walkerton Police Department investigated Dooley’s tweet and referred the case to local prosecutors for possible charges of harassment, intimidation and threats, Fox 28 reported Wednesday.
Ramey and his station’s general manager Jeff Guy, did not respond to requests for comment from FoxNews.com Friday.
Ramey’s “mean” characterization drew a fierce reaction on Twitter.

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“When you threaten to burn down #Memories Pizza that is not a mean tweet. ITS TERRORISM!” one Twitter user said. “@adramey, @ABC57News burning someones establishment down is a mean tweet? Ae you for real?” another said.
“’Mean Tweet.’ She asked who wanted to come with her to burn the place down,” still another tweeted.
WBND’s report on Memories Pizza became targets of gay marriage proponents after the story went viral and got picked up by national media outlets. Hackers attacked pizzeria's website with gay porn.
The firestorm prompted O’Connor and her father to go into hiding and temporarily shut down their business.
A crowd-funding effort on behalf of Memories Pizza has taken in over $530,000 from 18,000 people in just two days.

Gov’t program would fly in Central American children to join parents in US

Images of unaccompanied children flooding across the U.S.-Mexico border defined the immigration crisis last summer.
Now, the federal government is intervening so these children won’t have to make that trek -– they’ll get to fly into the U.S. instead. For free.
A new State Department and Department of Homeland Security program seeks to stop the surge of immigrant children from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador at the southern border by giving their U.S.-based parents the option to apply to have their kids picked up and put on a plane, without paying a penny.
The parents are eligible as long as they have some sort of legal status. As first reported in The Daily Caller, this would include permanent residents and even illegal immigrants given a work permit and deportation reprieve under President Obama’s recent executive actions, though much of that is on hold due to a pending court case. Of them, those with children under 21 and living in El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras reportedly could apply.
"I think many Americans are going to be surprised to learn that illegal aliens here in the United States are getting the Obama administration to go and get their children and fetch them," Tom Fitton, president of the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch, told Fox News. "And all at our expense."
In a November memo, the State Department explained that reuniting families this way is "a safe, legal, and orderly alternative to the dangerous journey that some children are currently undertaking to the United States."
So far, the State Department has not provided a cost for the plane tickets, or the benefits that follow upon their arrival in America. Asked Friday about the issue, spokeswoman Marie Harf said: “The price tag? I don't know.”
"Under this program, they would be quote 'refugees,' and refugees have access to government benefits that other illegal aliens don't," Fitton said.
Judicial Watch lists "free education, food stamps, medical care, and living expenses," as some of those complimentary benefits.
But not everybody believes this program will be a drain for taxpayers.
"I think it's good for the tax base," said Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha. "Every year, 13 billion dollars are put into the Social Security Trust Fund from undocumented immigrants. So if you have immigrants here who are working, who are doing the jobs that need to be done, that's money going into our tax system. People will say that it's free health care, that it's free education. Nothing in this town is free."
Still, critics are concerned this new policy sets a dangerous precedent, ignoring the long line of people waiting to get into this country through more traditional immigration channels.
"My gosh, what does the rule of law mean if you break the law to get here, and then you get the government to help bring the rest of your family?" Fitton asked.