Coincidence?

Usually James naps for maybe an hour or sometimes not at all. I sleep when he naps, usually not for long because I wait for him to fall asleep before I sleep myself. Today he slept longer. I had a very vivid and detailed dream, very unusual for me. I don't remember ever dreaming during these naps. I woke up when I heard James waking up and was amazed how long we slept, about 3 hours. But things happen for a reason. On her way home, Irma was in an accident. Not bad, no one was hurt, but the other car was high enough to just go over the front bumper of the van and it bent the radiator. It took out some coolant hoses and I believe a gas line because I could smell gas. It wouldn't start and isn't drivable anyway because of the radiator. She called me to come to the scene. When I got there the police were not there yet. We waited. And waited. Finally the Kissimmee police stopped by to tell us we had to wait for the Florida Highway Patrol. The accident happened at 5:30pm. As it turns out, FHP didn't show up until 10:00pm! An hour earlier we had decided, after talking to the Kissimme police, to leave the scene and go to the station and fill out an accident form. Somehow this is OK but the police can't do a report on the scene. We called AAA for a tow and they wouldn't do anything until FHP had been there. Finally they agreed but said it would be awhile.

It was so unbearably hot I had to take James home so he could cool off, refill drinks and take a bath. Irma got to talking to the people in the house she was parked in front of and they had a tow truck and would to it for $25.00. I got some money and went back. That's when FHP showed up (10:00pm) and they gave her the same report she would have had to fill out at the station...and that's all! We waited for absolutely no reason whatsoever except we were told to wait by the Kissimmee Police. I don't have alot of respect for any of them right now. As they were loading the van on the flatbed somehow a spark started a fire in the engine compartment and they had to use a fire extinguisher on it. I don't know the damage that caused yet. On the way home I saw the AAA tow truck just pulling up. Screw them! I don't like AAA very much right now either.

I don't know what's going to happen now. I've bought enough parts for that van to know it's gonna be expensive to fix. I even have a feeling the insurance company won't think it's worth the expense. We'll see. Maybe I'm wrong. The damage is mostly cosmetic except the radiator. It's a good thing I got some sleep earlier because my main sleeping time is 7 -10pm and I got none at all. That's really got me thinking, was it just a coincidence that James slept so long today?

Good News Out of Iraq

Confirmed: Saddam Husseins sons have bit the big one. Uday and Qusay Hussein have been killed by US forces. Now let's get Saddam so we can start getting out of there.

The Scorpion and the Frog

Here's a great commentary: Why I Hate Lawyers

Unusual Movie Review

I thought I was the only one who hated the subliminal and not so subliminal messages contained in alot of movies. Sometimes they ruin an otherwise good movie. One example that stands out in my mind is Assassins, with that stupid elevator scene where Julianne Moore paints a womans fur coat and there are ads in the background throughout the movie. Annoying. And when I see something like this it makes me want to cook more chicken, in fact we had chicken today. But that's not a movie. Check out what's in Lethally Blonde.

"Bruce Friedrich, a director in PETA, says plainly, "If we really believe that animals have the same right to be free from pain and suffering at our hands, then of course we're going to be blowing things up and smashing windows." Terror is, Friedrich thinks, "a great way to bring about animal liberation."

This is what happens when you negotiate with terrorists. All terrorists must die. It's the only thing they understand.

Meditation

I sent for and received a free sample of a meditation cd. It has rain, some chimes and a guy talking over it telling you about the product. You need headphones for it to work so I put some on and listened for a while. James wanted to hear it too, so I gave him the headphones, he put them on and listened for a few seconds and said: "I hate this music.

If you're curious, you can get the free demo here. At first the order form for the free demo didn't pop up for me but after looking over the order form I think I closed a window and it popped up. I just tried to duplicate my efforts and couldn't get it to pop up again. Perhaps it only pops up after a certain amount of time, I don't know. It's not quite as easy as they describe.

A Nice Day

Today was a beautiful day but, of course, hot! James wanted to ride his tricycle so I rode Joshua's bike and we took off down the road to see the cows and horses. James insisted on going all the way to the end of the street (dirt road) where they have some horses. They had just finished loading some horses on a trailer and drove by us. James started riding after the truck saying "Wait! Man, wait, I wanna see the horses!" I tried to stop him but he was a boy on a mission. At one point the front tire got stuck and he and the tricycle fell. He got up like nothing happened and started running after the truck. He gave up finally and told me the truck was going too fast. He rode to where the pavement starts and didn't want to ride anymore. I put him in front of me on the bar and held his tricycle in my left hand and rode home like that, saying goodbye to the cows on the way. He said he had alot of fun.

Hey, That's Great, Good Luck to You

Dismayed Americans contemplate Canada.

"It's the most amazing opportunity I can imagine. To live in a society where there are different priorities in caring for your fellow citizens."

You can also go to North Korea (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea), they have different priorities in that country too.

"Canada has an opportunity to define itself as a leader," Hanley said. "In some ways, it's now closer to American ideals than America is."

If you are one of those who believe the communist manifesto was America's founding document.


"In school I was always told this is the best country on earth, and everyone else wants to be American, and that never really rang true to me," she said. "As I got older, it occurred to me there were other choices."

That's great, it finally occurred to you. Now please spend some time exploring all your other choices first hand. You will either find your perfect match or you will be back with a new appreciation for America. Either way we all benefit.

Who Spilled the Milk?

Every morning I make coffee for Irma. I put the milk in a mug, heat it for 30 seconds and add sugar (That's what she likes). While waiting for the coffee to brew I went in the garage and got the garbage ready to go out. Task complete I came back in to find the mug on its side and the milk all over the counter and floor. James was no where to be found. Hmmm. I went to the living room and saw his head sticking up from behind the sofa. I called him, "James". "I didn't do anything," He said, "Mommy did it." I asked him over and over, he was so convincing. I took him in to see Irma and he still insisted she did it. I ended up putting him in time out and after a while, finally, he admitted he did it and said he was sorry.

16 Words

I am so tired of hearing about how President "Bush lied." The whole thing is such a non issue...pathetic and desperate. Perhaps (unfortunately) the Kobe Bryant thing will take the media attention off it. The media is as pathetic and desperate for a sensational story as the Democrats are to "get" President Bush. Here's the truth: Bush didn't lie. Perhaps it depends on your definition of the word lie.

Today

Today I took James to the playground over at the lake. They took the roof away and now the kids have to bake in the sun. It's unbearable, they better be putting a new roof on it or I'll have to take James to a different park. He played with a 4 year old kid named Robby and a slightly older girl, I didn't get her name. As hot as it was, James didn't want to leave when it was time to go. I finally got him to go with me to the beach to wash the sand off and Robby and his Aunts came along. One of them took James into the water and washed him up, because I was holding the camera. It was funny watching him because he probably wouldn't have stood still if I tried to do it. On the way to the car he met a dog named Lil' Mama and of course didn't want to leave the dog. He loves going to the park and I try to let him play as long as possible but it's way too hot to stay out there too long. We went to Walmart and bought his favorite drink: Dole Orange, Strawberry and Banana juice. He calls it nana juice. It was nice to get in the A/C.

The salmon was so good yesterday and the whole meal was less than the cost of the cheap pizza Irma wanted to bring home. She liked it too. Today I made ziti and meatballs and it came out great too. I would rather cook, as long as I have the ingredients I need and she would rather go out or get fried chicken from Publix or whatever.

The NY Educational System Needs to Be Replaced

This is not the first time I'm reading about the NY educational system acting really stupid. an apparently smart 15 year old who started going to college instead of high school and is doing very well is being told she can't get her high school equivalency until she is 17. Read about it here. If she can pass the test and is showing herself able to handle college, let her get her equivalency diploma. You should be happy for her. What's the problem, you won't be able to teach her that the United States was founded on the communist manifesto?

I Took A Quiz

I don't usually do this but it was short and I read Zannah's websites often enough. More or less just giving her a little publicity. Very little from here.

You are Narilka! (Also known as Melinda). You are an alien! You have antennae, even if people can't always see them!

"Are you Zannah or Narilka?" by zannah @ voxmachina

That sounds about right.

On A Leash

Someone is poisoning dogs in a park in Oregon, apparently because too many people won't keep there dogs on a leash. That's terrible. There's no excuse for that. They should also be keeping their dogs on a leash since there is a leash law.

Canine owners are on edge, certain that some lifelong dog-hater got sniffed one too many times by an unleashed pet, and decided to take revenge.

You don't have to be a dog-hater to be a wary of strange dogs coming toward you. In fact it can get a little nerve racking if it happens alot. People go to the park to relax and you can't relax with unleashed dogs roaming around. If there is a leash law, use a leash. Go to a park where they let dogs roam. They have one in Orlando. If there is not one maybe they should see about getting one set aside instead of pissing everyone off.

Don't poison the dogs though. Please. It's not their fault.

Burnin' Up

I had to mow the lawn before it got too long to cut. I let James wander around the yard, he mostly stayed in one place, playing with some grass cuttings. It's so hot though, it's unbearable. I just wanted to get done but it was slow going, watching James and the grass is a bit long. At one point he called me over but I said I was busy. He came over and told me to turn off the mower. I did and asked what he wanted. "A couple of things." "A couple of things?", I don't know where he heard that before. He didn't want anything except my attention. He was really hot and looked worn out so I quit and told him to come in the house and take a bath. Mowing the lawn around here is like a 2nd job and it's hard to find the time to do it because alot of the time there will be a thunderstorm at the most convenient time to mow. Sometimes the lawn remains wet (soaked) for days on end. Other times it's unbearably hot and humid. Today was hot and humid, and James didn't want to come in.

Earlier I took him with me shopping for glasses. I need new ones bad because James has knocked them so many times they are bent beyond repair and they keep falling off, especially if it's hot and I'm trying to get some work done. It's no use though because I can't see without my glasses. I put the new ones on and have to get 3 inches from the mirror to see anything. The people who work at these places are no help, they don't really care what you look like. Most don't even pretend to help you. I know there are places where they do a really good job helping you get the right glasses but they aren't around here. I'll have to wait until I can go with Irma.

I have to go cook now. Salmon with sesame/ginger marinade, brown and wild rice, and fresh, steamed broccoli and string beans. James is hungry and so am I.

At Least They're Consistant

I don't know what to make of this story and I think there's more to it than they're saying. I just can't picture it happening. No one would say something like that at someones funeral, would they? In front of all his friends and relatives? "The Lord vomited people like Ben out of his mouth to Hell." It sounds like something from an Exorcist movie. I like this part though: "The priest was subsequently transferred to another parish." The Catholic Church likes to do that.

Dixie Stampede

I got a couple of complimentary tickets to see the new Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede here in Orlando. I have to use them by July 31. There are alot of dinner shows around here and I've never been to one. The Dixie Stampede looks like something James will enjoy, he loves horses, so I want to take him. Now if I can get Irma to agree on a day to go.

James was sitting here watching Spongebob and Squidward got an explosive pie in the face, they showed a huge explosion and James said, "That's gotta hurt!" I don't know where he picks up these sayings. I have an idea though. The other day I put in a movie (Analyze That) while James was busy playing with his toys. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the TV in any way, but suddenly he starts repeating something he heard in the movie. Of course it's something I'd rather not hear him say. I turned off the movie. He did the same thing to Irma the other night too. Why do they pick up those words so easily?

Guess who?

Can you guess which President the following describes?

The liberation of millions goes ignored.

Democrats attack the Republican president over a continuing conflict, insisting it cannot be won, as they position themselves for upcoming elections.

The president acts vigorously in response to a threat to our national survival - exacerbated by the fecklessness and timidity of his predecessor in office. His critics are outraged and unforgiving.

A retired general is one of the contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination, although the Army realizes it's winning and continues to support the president.

Continental European powers, especially France, tacitly back Washington's enemies, jockeying for financial advantage - even approaching open support for the enemy's leader.

Domestically, subversives and traitors are arrested. Some are handed over to military tribunals. Civil libertarians argue that the U.S. Constitution is being destroyed.

The nation's intellectual elite cannot bear the president's Western simplicity, rustic mannerisms and lack of polish.

The media attack the president savagely, making fun of his lack of sophistication and even his appearance. Cartoonists lampoon the man even more fiercely than his policies. Leading newspapers and journals insist that his policies are disastrous and that he is unfit to lead the nation.

Even the British media portray the president as a dangerous lunatic, out of control.

On Capitol Hill, self-interested members of Congress establish a committee to investigate the president's handling of the war, as well as alleged distortions and corruption in his administration.

The president's secretary of state is accused of failure and ineptitude, while the cabinet member responsible for the Army has a knack for angering everybody.

The verdict of the intelligentsia is unanimous: This president is leading the nation into disaster.

Yet, the people continue to support the man, admiring the very qualities the intellectual elite despises. The president continues to do what he believes is necessary for the nation's security and survival, ignoring his exasperated critics.

The answer is here. Are you surprised? I was.

Stupida

Is it really necessary to have a sign translating "open" or "closed" or other equally simple words? How about words that are almost the same in English/Spanish? Necessito? I went to Puerto Rico and had no trouble with simple signs and words like that and I don't speak Spanish. I even lived in Japan for a little while and quickly learned to recognize Japanese signs written in katakana or kanji. Do we really need to make it so simple for people that they don't even have to think for a moment? Is that really helping?

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

How's this for a cool diamond? Rare diamond goes bright pink in UV light. That's amazing. Gemstones are fascinating. Study the properties of gemstones sometime, you'll never look at them the same again.

Citizens of the World

What is it with these people? Some don't like U.S. flag at school. Well, most people do like the U.S. flag. Why does the opinion of the few who don't like it have to be pushed on the majority who do like it? Read this quote:

"I feel our country is on a strong push towards imperialism, and we're not a democratic nation anymore.

If the country were democratic, majority rules, so they can take a hike. But, this country is not a democracy and never was a democracy. It's a republic. Our founding Fathers did not think very highly of democracy. Yet it is repeated over and over and over that we're a democracy. No. It's like the running joke about not removing the mattress tags under penalty of law. That's not true. The consumer is supposed to remove the tag so it can't be sold as a new mattress after it's been sold. It says so right on the tag. That's a small thing but it makes the person saying it appear stupid. I think it's important to get the facts straight. The government needs to get out of the education business!

So, we are a republic. Liberals don't like that because there are too many checks and balances, and yes, that includes the electoral college. Well, that's too bad, they can still take a hike. If you don't like the principals on which this country was founded then go somewhere else. Go to Canada. Go to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, China, Japan. Oh, Japan doesn't want you, don't go there. Go to North Korea. Go build your social utopia somewhere else. Go show Castro how it's done.

Why do people insist on joining a group who doesn't think as they do, then force the group to change to suit their own personal views? It happens in churches all the time. Some small group joins the church, works their way into power and takes over, forcing the majority to leave. Guess who keeps all the money. Go build you own church. Go build your own club. Go build your social utopia somewhere else, we don't want you.

Bottom line, if you are ashamed of America or the American flag, go somewhere else where you won't be ashamed. If you say you can't find anyplace as prosperous as this country well then, you're right, but what made America great was first, God, then, our founding principles. The further we slide into socialism, the more our prosperity will decline.

Watch Out For Killer Hungry Kangaroos

Or maybe kangaroos should watch out for angry holidaymakers with an axe.

"The animal might have just been looking for something to eat because they trust humans," Mr Candy said.

Maybe, but he didn't say please.

New Bed

James got his new bed today. He helped me take the crib apart and move it out of the room. Then he helped me carry the new bed into his room and got the tools I needed to put it together. Irma was laughing because he thinks he's big and does everything I do. He spent the next half hour jumping up and down on and off the bed. His Grandmother brought over new Bob the Builder sheets for it. Now let's see if he sleeps in it.

Hyper-Speed

I took the McAfee internet connection speed test I found at Mandarin Design Daily and I only wish my connection was as fast as it says. I tried it twice and both times my speed was 83.706 Mbps. I pegged the speedometer! Faster than a T-2 connection! Wow! That's pretty good considering I'm using a 56K modem.

P.S. Apparently it's a Safari thing. Tried it with IE and got 41.44 Kbps. That sounds about right.

BTW, Mandarin is a great site, Meg does a really good job over there.

Here We Go Again?

Defector to Bush officials: Strike N. Korea before it's too late.

Making The Case For The Death Penalty

Are you looking for that special someone? Do you like romantic drives to in the lake, with the kids strapped in the back? Are you non-judgemental? If so, she's sensitive, caring, and kind-hearted, just ask Michael and Alex. Write her here.

Why isn't she dead? What is our problem?

12.713 Billion Years Ago

It always amazes me to read articles like this. What amuses me most is the detail of information. They found the oldest planet ever detected.

"The old planet is located near the heart of a globular star cluster some 5,600 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius. A light-year is about 6 trillion miles, about the distance light travels in a year."

OK, it's 5600 light-years from Earth. 1 light-year = about 6 trillion miles (5,865,696,000,000 miles ). Now, seriously, the human mind has a bit of a problem wrapping itself around that 6 trillion mile figure. 6 trillion. What about 5600 x 6 trillion. Can you even imagine how far that is? Really? And it's not even far at all when you consider other distances in the universe.

The Milky Way Galaxy is about 150,000 light-years across. That's just our galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy has at least 200 billion stars.

The Andromeda Galaxy is 2.3 million light-years away. Andromeda is the nearest major galaxy to our own Milky Way Galaxy. The galaxy is the largest member of the Local Group, a group of about 30 galaxies that includes our own Milky Way. So 2.3 million light years is considered part of our Local Group. Andromeda has about twice as many stars as the Milky Way.

"The most distant galaxies we can now see are 10 or 12 billion light-years away. We could never see a galaxy that is farther away in light travel time than the universe is old -- an estimated 14 billion or so years. Thus, we are surrounded by a "horizon" that we cannot look beyond -- a horizon set by the distance that light can travel over the age of the universe. This horizon describes the visible universe -- a region some 28 billion light years in diameter. There is every reason to think that the universe extends a long way beyond the part of the universe we can see. In fact, a variety of observations suggest that our visible patch may be a small fraction -- maybe an infinitely small fraction -- of the whole universe." From NOVA online: How Big Is The Universe? There is some BS in there when they start talking theories. You see, they really aren't as sure of the data as they make out.

OK, back to the original article.

"What we think we've found is an example of the first generation of planets formed in the universe," Sigurdsson said. "We think this planet formed with its star, 12.713 billion years ago when the (Milky Way) galaxy was very young, just in the process of forming."

They found an example of the first generation of planets formed in the universe. The planet formed 12.713 billion years ago. They go on to describe the process. It's fascinating how they know so much about something so far away and so long ago. They surety with which they tell you is a bit laughable. They could be wrong about some of these things. There may be errors in the formulas used to figure it all out. There are yet things undiscovered. Some assumptions they make may be wrong. The foundation on which they build is surely wrong as they leave God out of it, vehemently. But just because I do not leave God out as Creator does not mean I believe it was created only 6000 years ago. Starting at the 2nd verse of Genesis is desribed the rebuilding of a destroyed and flooded planet, not the beginning of the universe. The universe may be 14 billion years old, it may be older. Scientists are probably right about much of what they have discovered but they cannot know while leaving God out of it. They are wrong about many things as well.

"The neutron star evolved into a fast-whirling pulsar and changes in how it spun helped scientists determine that one of the three cosmic objects dancing in space was a planet, said Harvey Richer of the University of British Columbia."

" The old planet is too far away to be directly observed, but because it exerts a slight gravitational tug on the pulsar it orbits, scientists figured out its mass and position based on its pull on the pulsar, Richer said."

Yes, it's fascinating how we are able to figure out so much about something so far away. It's also fascinating that people so bright cannot see God in all they have discovered.

Speaking of Jesus Christ (read the context): Colossians 1:5 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

Romans 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Isaiah 40:21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

Isaiah 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.


The fact is, when it comes to the very beginning of it all, without God, you have to resort to alot of BS to get "something the size of an atom inflated to the size of a galaxy." The universe began with a vast explosion of what? Where did it come from? Why did it explode? Why didn't it implode? Where did the laws that regulate all this come from? What is gravity? Matter can neither be created nor destroyed. Matter can be converted to energy, and energy into matter, but the total amount of matter and energy in the universe remains the same. Science did not invent the laws of physics, they existed long before we did. Much of this is beyond our ability as humans to truly comprehend. We try, we do a pretty damn good job sometimes, but the incredible distances, the vast amount of time past, the enormous amount there is yet to know, and the time left in which to learn it, vastly limits us. It's interesting to be sure. I just think it's telling that we can amass such knowledge of the universe, yet the problems we face here on Earth, problems which are really more spiritual in nature, go unaddressed, and we're going to kill each other before we have a chance to finish our knowledge race. We're really good at the physical knowledge part, though. If only that were enough.

I found the squirrel

Annika hit a squirrel but wasn't sure what had become of it. Here it is!

What Makes America Great?

Bill Whittle has a 2 part essay that you need to read. Yeah, it's long but it's worth it. Trinity (part 1), Trinity (part 2).

The Big Lie Of "Islam"

More Language Police

I've had some posts on this subject before and it really irks me every time I hear more of this going on. The insidiousness of this is beyond belief. My first real taste was when I worked at the state run Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital (now closed) in New Jersey. Among other things, that's where they first tried to tell me that it's impossible for blacks to be prejudiced against whites. A Small Victory brought alot more to my attention. Read what she has to say, follow the links. There's more at USS Clueless. The rest of us really need to open our eyes and see what these idiots are doing. Read about the tactics they are using here: America's Re-education Camps. You know it's going on, you see it for yourself on a regular basis. We just don't realize how far it's gotten. In the end I think it's gonna come down to some good old fashioned, politically incorrect violence to get rid of it because it's not gonna go away on it's own.

But wait, there's more! A couple of interesting posts at Mrs. Du Toit:

America's Library

What it means...

Appetite For Destruction

Kim Jong-il's Chef escaped and wrote a book about the dictator (of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, what a joke!). Here's an article about it and it gives you a little peek into this guy's mind. He sounds like a fun guy to be around.

But Did They Mishandle the Evidence?

DNA cracks case of chicken-killing canine.

Tired of a dog killing his chickens he retrieved some hair from the chicken coop and got a DNA profile to nab the culprit.

"Tonight, Sabrina's owner, Karin Magid, will get her day in court. She is slated to go before a county panel to defend her dog and argue that Jones went overboard with his analysis, according to United Press International.

''We all treated it as a huge joke,'' Magid told the Globe. ''I don't deny that these dogs do this sort of thing, and my dog did eat one of his goats, but I think it was already dead.''

Some dog owners are in such denial about this kind of thing. Just last night on the news I saw there was a senior citizen who was attacked by a couple of Rottweilers, and the owner is pissed that they took his dogs and want to put them down. His excuse was, and I saw and heard him say this on TV, "If the dogs were trying they would have easily killed him." Hello? Here's a quote that I found in print:

"As for the dogs' owners, who were allowed to keep the one rottweiler that was still chained up, they wouldn't talk to us. But a relative claimed the dogs are harmless. "They just bark like any normal dog would. That's it. Hardly ever, never [see them running free] and when they do, they always come right back on their own right away," says Mike Torres"

Yeah, after terrorizing the neighborhood. And the news has been full of dog attacks lately. Don't these people understand the apprehension of other people when they see a large dog wandering around? If I see, and I occasionally do, a strange dog near my house I can't let the kids go outside and I only go out if I have to and then give thought to how to kill the dog if it is hostile. It's never a small dog either, it's always a large breed. It might be a great dog but I don't know that, and I will not just assume it. I should be able to shoot any dog on my property without my permission. If we could do that maybe the dog owners would suddenly become a little more responsible.

I'm not attacking all dogs or dog owners, I love dogs. But there is a certain percentage of dog owners who shouldn't be dog owners. They think a big, mean dog is cool. They think a wild, barely controllable, probably abused, large breed is protection. They have no concept of dog training. They are idiots. Every kind of pet has a certain number of owners who shouldn't own them but some animals have a far greater potential for harm or death of innocent people if they get out of your control and large dogs fit into that category.

A Happier Dog Story

Hurt hound hobbles into hospital.

The dog is hit by a car (they think) and limps to a hospital to get help. The hospital got hold of a vet and paid the dogs bill. That's cool!

Who Says TV Doesn't Influence Kids?

Palestinian TV Urges Young Men to Become Martyrs. Kill a Jew, get 72! Virgins that is.

Anatomically Correct

"SHOCKED six-year-old Leah Lowland checked out a mystery bulge on her Incredible Hulk doll — and uncovered a giant green WILLY." Yes, there are pictures.

Burnt Offerings

Anyone care for a BBQ? It's strange that some of those animals (goats, rabbit, pig, even buffalo) are somewhat commonly eaten and it's no big deal but because they were in a zoo it becomes verboten.

I remember reading about a college student who bought a mouse and announced he would kill it (I think he said he was going to crush it, but he didn't really have plans to go through with it), the town was in an uproar, the newspapers ran with the story, they even threatened this guys life. In the end he returned it to the pet shop and one of the "animal lovers" bought the mouse and gave it a good life, however he left all the other mice in the shop destined to be snake food.

I put animal lovers in quotes because the crazy, insane "animal lovers" would have you believe if you even so much as keep animals as pets you are an evil, slave keeping monster and couldn't possibly love animals and if you eat animals you are a murderer. Obviously, I don't agree.

Good Morning!

Man wakes after nearly two decades in coma, greets mother. His daughter was born shortly after his accident and is now 19 years old and they are meeting for the first time. You don't hear stories like this very often.

Slim and None

Israel wants full EU membership. I had not heard this before. I doubt it will happen, for the same reason I know England won't go full membership but I won't go into that. I just wanted to point out this article. It's time for me to hit the sack anyway.

View From Iran

If you want government to take care of you, then come to Iran. This government will tell you how to dress (men and women), what religion to believe in, and what to think. (Not that Iranians are listening…) Government that cares for you turns you into a child.

From View From Iran

Thanks to Redheaded Ramblings for providing the link.

Bid Early and Often

Place your bid for a genuine, authentic Elvis Presley tooth. But wait, there's more! Also included is a lock of hair originally presented to famous late night talk show host Joe Franklin by Elvis himself. And just in case you're still not impressed they'll include a "special edition gold plated record given in recognition of the prestigious achievment in reaching million seller award status for RCA records "Love Me Tender." Of course, all items "have irrefutable documented by experts."

I guess he was getting alot of joke bids because he ended the auction and relisted it requiring verification before bidding. Here's the new link. No bids yet as I write this.

PUSH-ing NASCAR

NASCAR needs to stop all dealing with the Rainbow/PUSH coalition and just put up with whatever Jesse Jackson wants to throw at them. Who's next? CART, IRL, NHRA, SCCA, IMSA? HSR? (Historic Sportscar Racing) F-1? Go where the money is, right.

Little Known Facts about the American Revolutionary War

This is an interesting page, I found this link at The Scobleizer Weblog. I know it was more appropriate a couple of days ago but it's still a good read.

Linux

I also saw this link to an interview with Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating system. I've always liked Linux but just don't have time to fiddle with my computer and Linux was always high maintenance.

Sunday

"The European Union has set up the policy that every member-state must have one day of rest during the week."

I didn't know it was a law. Interesting in that the new European Constitution completely ignores religion. I could be wrong, but that is my understanding.

"In Italy, the designation of Sunday as a "day of rest" was first set in 1993. That policy was changed in 2000, however, when-- in order to grant more flexibility for employers-- the nation required only that every employer produce workers with a 24-hour rest period each week. But by August 2003, under the new European policy, Italy will again be required to fix a certain "day of rest."

"In an interview with the daily Corriere della Sera, Bishop Giancarlo Bregantini-- who heads a committee dealing with social issues for the Italian bishops' conference-- remarked that attitudes on the observance of the Sabbath are "already bad enough" without a change in national policy. He said that any move away from the Sunday rest would be "a perverse act." And Cardinal Pio Laghi, the former prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, asked La Repubblica: "How can you overlook the fact that Sunday is a special day for millions of Europeans?"

It may wind up being Sunday for all the European states. That's significant in light of biblical prophecy, the sign or mark of God being the Sabbath, the mark of the beast being Sunday observance, a counterfeit of God's Sabbath. Of course, many would argue that point but time will tell. Why Keep Saturday for Sunday?

Us and Them

Kim du Toit has a link to the article Where Are You Going, Europe?, and I agree with what he has to say about it. I have to add one thing, however, Europe is not finished. The united states of Europe in it's present form will fail, no doubt, but when it does collapse, watch out. Think WW II.

Isaiah 10:7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

Life, Liberty, and the American Way


More gems from Kim. All too often native born Americans take our freedom for granted or just really have no understanding of what our constitution gives us, but not all foreigners get it either. Finding people like Kim is harder now than say, 100 years ago. I think one of the problems this country has is the great influx of foreigners who also don't understand, they come here with dollar signs in their eyes, bringing their own culture and languages, not willing to give them up or subjugate them to the "American way".

He Coulda' Had A Corvette

This is the kind of news you don't want to hear. Harold, my stepfather, was down in Atlantic City one Saturday a few weeks back. He had a comp card (I think that's what they call them), you use it in the machines you're playing and the casino tracks your gambling, I mean gives you freebies as you rack up points. Something like that. On this Saturday they would enter you in a drawing to win a 2004 Corvette. The drawing was in the evening, Harold went home earlier. A business associate of his was at the drawing and heard Harold's name called as the winner of the Corvette and the winner has one hour to claim the prize. He tried to get to call but couldn't get him that night. So that's it, Harold won a brand new Corvette but didn't win it cause he didn't stick around for the drawing. Don't think you'll never win anything, you never know.

225th 227th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence

Every American should read this page from top to bottom.

"We live in an age of science and of abounding accumulation of material things. These did not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first. Unless we cling to that, all our material prosperity, overwhelming though it may appear, will turn to a barren sceptre in our grasp. If we are to maintain the great heritage which has been bequeathed to us, we must be like-minded as the fathers who created it. We must not sink into a pagan materialism. We must cultivate the reverence which they had for the things that are holy. We must follow the spiritual and moral leadership which they showed. We must keep replenished, that they may glow with a more compelling flame, the altar fires before which they worshiped."

Calvin Coolidge, speech on the 150th Anniversary of the
Declaration of Independence, July 5, 1926

As we continue to sink into pagen materialism.

Historical Maps of the U.S.

If you are interested in what this country looked like at different times in the past this is the site for you.

You're Only Off By A Couple Of Area Codes

I got a call tonight (on the local line, not 800 number) from a woman looking for her friends in Rm. 246. Vacant room. 346? Don't have that number. She doesn't even know the name of the person. It's the black guy and white girl on the second floor. Oh yeah, now I know! No, I didn't say that. I told her she must have the wrong hotel, we have 4 by the same name on this road, which one did she need. She asked if we were the one on Taimiami Trail in Sarasota. Sarasota? That's not even close. We're in Kissimmee, maybe 2 hours or more away. I gave her the correct number.

Where Does The Web Begin?

Apparently right here. I could find no other site claiming to be the beginning or start of the web or internet. I did, however, find the center. I guess all the action is at the end of the web.

Wait, you can take a Journey to the Center of the Web: Part I and Part II. This is alot more interesting than the first two. There are 13 root servers at the center of the web.

"The worldwide web is controlled from some tiny offices in southern California by what critics claim is a self-appointed group of people who answer to nobody. You think Chicago politics are something… "

Al Gore did not invent the web...somebody tell Apple...please.

This Is The End

Over at Mandarin I found this link to the end of the internet. Hmmm. Was that really the end. I was curious. I did a little searching and found this end. And this end. And this. This one. And this one (Fancy!). And this one. This one too. Are you getting tired? Here's another. And another (In Newfoundland, wow, I'd like to visit there.) And another. Here's a scary one. And, finally, because I'm out of time, this one wants you to turn off the internet.

Lunatics Teaching

The theory:

"The educational publishing industry follows very specific guidelines to ensure that school children are not exposed to words or topics that might be controversial, especially those that are related to gender, race, religion, or sex."

The practice:

"In Michigan, the state does not allow mention of flying saucers or extraterrestrials on its test, because those subjects might imply the forbidden topic of evolution. A text illustrator wrote to say that she was not permitted to portray a birthday party because Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in celebrating birthdays. Another illustrator told me that he was directed to airbrush the udder from his drawing of a cow because that body part was "too sexual."

"a well-known local writer for children sold a story to an American textbook company, along with illustrations. The U.S. publisher, however, informed her that she could not show a little girl sitting on her grandfather's lap, as the drawing implied incest. So, the author changed the adult's face, so that the little girl was sitting on her grandmother's lap instead. A contributor to a major textbook series prepared a story comparing the great floods in 1889 in Johnstown, Pa., with those in 1993 in the Midwest, but was unable to find an acceptable photograph. The publisher insisted that everyone in the rowboats must be wearing a lifevest to demonstrate safety procedures."

"When it comes to illustrations in textbooks, certain images--women cooking, men acting assertive, scenes of poverty, and old people walking with the aid of a cane or a walker--are likewise considered unacceptable. The specifications for photographs, I have learned, are exquisitely detailed. Men and boys must not be larger than women and girls. Asians must not appear as shorter than non-Asians. Women must wear bras, and men must not have noticeable bulges below the waist. People must wear shoes and socks, never showing bare feet or the soles of shoes, and their shoelaces must be solid black, brown, or white. People must never gesture with their fingers, nor should anyone be depicted eating with the left hand. Things to avoid: holiday decorations and scenes in which a church or a bar appears in the background."

"On the last administration of the Regents' English examination in January, the state (NY) asked high school seniors to write about a poem by Matthew Arnold. However, the examination did not mention the name of this famous poem ("Dover Beach"); it inexplicably offered only one stanza of the four-stanza poem; and it changed or misquoted an important line. Instead of Arnold's exclamation, "Ah, love, let us be true to one another!" it stated, "Ah, friend, let us be true to one another!"

It's a wonder anyone learns anything in public schools these days.

You can read the article here.

I tend to agree with Neal Boortz on this: "I learned that, in short, sensitivity sucks. It's a trap. Think about it - the truth knows no sensitivity. Life can be insensitive. Wallow too much in sensitivity and you’ll be unable to deal with life, or the truth.   So, get over it."

Point to ponder: Our Declaration of Independance, our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights could not be written and passed through Congress today.

Speaking of Neal Boortz

I've known about this Commencement Speech for a while now and I don't believe I ever linked to it. It's about time.

10 Things to Celebrate

This is a great article, you should read it.

Why I'm an anti-anti-American by Dinesh D'Souza

Spam, Spam, Spam

Do you keep sending back "removes" to spammers, keep adding your address to "remove lists", but yet your spam volume only seems to be wildly increasing? If so this page is definitely for you.

Free Global Spam Removal List

Brought to you by The Spamhaus Project

Very educational.

Europe Endless

Pension systems across Europe will soon be running out of money as Europeans retire earlier, live longer and produce fewer children.

"There is a fear that just as the world is entering its most competitive stage ever, Europe will be less competitive vis-à-vis the United States and the Asian economies, which are much younger and are benefiting from what you might call a demographic window of opportunity," he said.

This means, given the historically low birthrates of "old" Europe, that a decreasing number of young people are paying into pension systems that have to support a larger number of people who, on average, will be in retirement for almost as many years as they worked to earn their pensions in the first place.

The changing demographic picture has produced political uncertainty and crowds of angry demonstrators in European countries whose governments, reacting to the shift from youth to the aged, are moving to reduce social services, including the pensions that millions have been counting on for their golden years.

Interesting: Across Europe, only 39 percent of men age 55 to 65 still work.

Another social experiment crashing and burning.

Europe is under alot of pressure right now. A high unemployment rate and aging population only add to the list and Europe also doesn't have a history of reacting well under pressure. Europe desperately wants to be the major player on the world scene and that only turns up the heat. Watch out if the economy collapses, alot of people may get hurt.

"Gross Human Rights Abuses"

"Thank you for contacting me, but I don't think this would work. I have a huge problem with the way that the Israelis take the moral high ground from their appalling treatment in the Holocaust, and then inflict gross human rights abuses on the Palestinians because they [the Palestinians] wish to live in their own country."

"I am sure that you are perfectly nice at a personal level, but no way would I take on somebody who had served in the Israeli army. As you may be aware, I am not the only UK scientist with these views but I'm sure you will find another lab if you look around."

An Oxford University professor has provoked outrage by rejecting an application from an Israeli PhD student purely because of his nationality.

As they meander through the educational system, some people are incapable of filtering out the crap that invariably gets passed on to them and as they approach the higher levels of institutional learning they become so full of shit they can no longer contain it and it comes spewing out all over the poor souls who have the misfortune of coming into contact with them.


On The Homefront

This morning I was thinking that I haven't been taking any pictures or videos lately. I was playing outside with James and he just struck me as having grown up so fast. He's not a baby anymore. He has conversations and he just acts so much more grown up. Now that Irma is back to work he takes his nap around 12:30 and he goes into his room and climbs into his crib without any complaints. He's about ready to get rid of the crib too, Irma wants to get him a bed. I need to take some video of him. I was laying on my bed looking into his room watching him go to sleep and he was so cute, singing and talking with his toys, I wish I had a video of that but as soon as he notices the camera he stops.

Later, I was looking out the window and saw a wasp carrying a grasshopper. I wanted a picture of that so bad but I couldn't get close enough without scaring it away. I've never seen that before.

Bye Bye Annoying Phone Calls

At least I hope so. I signed up with the Do Not Call Registry yesterday. It won't kick in till October though. As Spongebob would say, "I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, edy, edy, edy, edy!"

Detained Pending Expulsion

It seems as though we'll never hear that in the U.S. in regard to illegal immigrants. Not so the Netherlands: Netherlands opens first "deportation center'" for immigrants. Interestingly enough, but not without controversy.

How The United States Has Changed Since The 1930 Census

Here is a comparison of the United States between the Census years of 1930 and 2000. I am sure you will find it interesting. It's from the Census Bureau.

Total US Population: 1930: 122.8 million  2000: 281.4 million

Leading country of birth of foreign born:  1930: Italy (1.8 million) 2000: Mexico (7.8 million)

Life expectancy:  1930: 59.7 years    2000: 77.1 years

Median age:  1930: 26.5 years    2000: 35.3 years

Population of California:  1930: 5.7 million    2000: 33.9 million

Number of people age 65 and over:  1930: 6.6 million     2000: 35.0 million

Proportion of women in the labor force:  1930: 24% 2000: 61%

Percentage of households consisting of people living alone:  1930: 8% 2000: 26%

Average number of people per household:  1930: 4.1    2000: 2.6

Meteorite

I wanted to see if I could find more info on the meteorite that crashed into Siberia on September 25, 2002 and found some links but not alot more. No pictures. Here are some of the links.

National Space Center - UK

Channel News Asia

Very Large Meteorite Fell Down in Siberia

"Eyewitnesses said that saw very interesting and unusual things. People said that lamps turned on in their houses for several seconds, although there was absolutely no electric power that night. This means that the Vitimsky meteorite can be categorized as an electrophone one. Its flight generated a very powerful, albeit alternating, electric field in the atmosphere. Those people, who saw the meteorite flying across the sky, said that they had an incredible impression of it. Someone fell down on the ground on account of horror, someone thought that the doomsday came."

"The falling of the Vitimsky meteorite posed a lot of questions. First of all, all space monitoring means of the world failed to detect a huge meteorite that was rushing towards planet Earth. The meteorite fell down in the area, where no one lived, so there was absolutely no damage caused. However, things might have turned out totally different, if the falling took place in the densely populated Europe. It seems that Russian observing facilities turned out to be totally helpless."



This one is interesting in that it happened on the same day, September 25, 2002, but in Kansas City.

Darwin Award Winner

Man killed testing knife on bulletproof vest

"A police spokesman said: "The suspect and victim were trying to demonstrate their belief that this type of protective vest could withstand a knife attack. Obviously that was incorrect." Obviously.

Case of the Disappearing 727

The Japan Times has an interesting editorial regarding the Boeing 727 that took off from the Luanda Airport in Angola and vanished.

"The history of the missing Boeing is a tangled affair, with a cast of characters that includes marijuana smugglers and convicted frauds. Who took the plane and where it was taken are unclear, but the last owner reportedly replaced the seats with fuel tanks before it disappeared -- an ominous-looking move in the aftermath of 9/11. While this could be run of the mill criminal behavior in the Byzantine world of aircraft sales, it might be something worse. "

Only in Japan

Knife sets turn up across Hokkaido

"Hokkaido police are baffled. Since early April, more than 1,000 brand-new Chinese-made knives have been found abandoned all over Hokkaido, and no owners have come forward to claim them."

They are finding these knife sets in parks, under staircases, near train stations. In Japan, in my experience, when people see something someone left behind or lost they will usually ignore it (because it doesn't belong to them) and an official will pick it up eventually and put it in a lost and found. I've seen people ignore money (maybe the equivalent of $10.00) on the floor in a train station. They would walk around it or push it aside with their foot. I pointed it out to a man I thought had dropped it but no, it wasn't his. If it isn't yours you don't pick it up and walk off with it. I like that about Japan.

That's why there is such a controversy over these knives. I don't get the part about them getting into the wrong hands and used as weapons though. Everyone has knives at home anyway and you can buy them as easily as anything else, so why worry about that?

"In Sapporo, the response from police varies from police station to police station. While officials at the Sapporo Kita station say they are looking for the owners of the knives, the Shiraishi station said it will step up patrols."

If only we had these problems in America.

Arrogance

I like Dennis Prager. I've never heard his radio show, I don't think it's on in my area, or if it is it's not on when I'm in the car, but I use to watch his TV show years back. He's clear thinking and also communicates clearly and thoughtfully. Most of the time he is spot on as well. Here is his latest commentary: No arrogance like liberal arrogance.

I found this one in the archive. I like it, too: Monkeys and atheists.

The PowerPC G5 changes all the rules

Looks like some good news over at Apple.

"This 64-bit race car is the heart of our new Power Mac G5, now the world's fastest desktop computer," Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive.

It's a little too freaky knowing Al Gore has anything to do with that company though. That does not inspire confidence. No, it doesn't.

Anti-Semitism is Spreading

"It is anti-Semitism under the banner of human rights at a time when human rights is the new secular religion," Cotler said. "Israel is characterized as the human rights violator of our time, so that it emerges as a new kind of anti-Christ."

I wouldn't say Israel is perfect, but no clear thinking individual can say in a million years that Israel is "the human rights violator of our time." That's completely insane. What about (insert Muslim country here)? What about N. Korea or China? African countries? Do they count? Cuba? Getting better, but Central America, South America and Mexico? Israel is worse than all those? Israel is defending itself in a war. It's not even doing that nearly as strong as it could. Or should. They're bending over backwards to keep from hurting as many as possible. If Israel was "the human rights violator of our time" their would be no Palestinians to worry about. Iraq would have been glass a long time ago, as would Jordan, Syria and Egypt. Along with any other country who had it in there hearts to destroy Israel.

Israel, which is actually the nation of Judah in the Old Testament (The ancient nation of Israel was seperate from and sometimes at war with "the Jews." A nickname for Judah.), is not, in my opinion, God's country as it now stands (in the sense that God is with them, blessing them, protecting them and destroying their enemies.). The entire history of Israel and Judah in the Bible is one of failure on the part of the people to obey God and do as He said. They were often taken into captivity by other nations and many times killed. When they obeyed God they were blessed and when they didn't (mostly) they were left to the whim of other nations and not protected or blessed. It was that way then, as well as when Christ walked the earth (they didn't recognize the Messiah because they had gone off away from God, their own way, and formed their own religion based on their interpretations of the Scriptures. He didn't fit the mold they were looking for. He didn't do what they expected Him to, restore Israel. It's the same with Christians today, if Christ walked among them they wouldn't know him, would resent His teachings and would kill Him.), and it's that way now.

I'm not trashing Israel, no nation on the face of the earth is obeying God, Israel is not worse or better than any other in that regard. Israel, Judah of old, keeps God's Sabbath, a sign between God and His people. Ancient Israel stopped keeping the Sabbath and blended in with the gentile nations (actually taken into captivity over many years). Israel is singled out of all the nations of the world as "the human rights violators of our time." What else is new? The United States and Britain are not far behind on that list in the view of world opinion. It doesn't matter if it's true or not.

I'll step off now. If that didn't make any sense, don't worry, it's just me. I will return to regular blogging now.

Venezuela to replace US dollar with Euro

Venezuelan move to replace US$ with the Euro upsetting Washington more than Saddam's Euro conversion last November

They're lining up to convert. Who's next? This is something to be concerned about.

Land of the Giants

I'm not sure if the girl is really tiny or the cat is huge but either way it's phenomenal!




Imagine cleaning the litterbox.

World of Discovery

Ever wonder how icemakers work? Me too.



Something Completely Different

"In every human being, whether emperor or cowboy, prince or pauper, philosopher or slave, there is a mysterious something which he neither understands or controls. It may lie dormant for so long as to be almost forgotten; it may be so repressed that the man supposes it is dead. But one night he is alone in the desert under a starry sky; one day he stands with bowed head and damp eyes beside an open grave; or there comes an hour when he clings with desperate instinct to the wet rail of a storm-tossed boat, and suddenly out of the forgotten depths of his being this mysterious something leaps forth. It over-reaches habit; it pushes aside reason, and with a voice that will not be denied it cries out its questionings and its prayer."

--Bruce Barton, What Can A Man Believe?, 1927

Say What?

James had to go, you know? So, he's in the bathroom but he wants to shut the door and leave me outside. No, no, no that's instant trouble. "James, I'm not stupid, I know what you're up to." What does he say? "You're not stupid?" - Ok, maybe I am, a little.

Knowlton, NJ

In this northwest New Jersey town beavers have taken over and the town has finally given up after years of trying to get rid of them. An amusing little article but something else caught my eye:

This is a town that dealt with the discovery of several dead people by setting rules for body-dumping, complete with permit fees and bulk discounts. (They weren't serious, but the mayor says no one ditches bodies here anymore: "Just like anything else, once you regulate it they just go somewhere else.")

Welcome to the Dark Side

The article is 96 percent of cosmos puzzles astronomers

Observations in recent years have changed the basic understanding of how the universe evolved and have emphasized for astronomers how little is known about the major forces and substances that shaped our world.

What would we do without scientists?

"We owe our very existence to dark matter," said Paul Steinhardt, a physicist at Princeton University. And founder of the church of dark matter.

The nature of dark matter is unknown. It cannot be seen or detected directly. Astronomers know it is there because of its effect on celestial objects than can be seen and measured.

But the most dominating force of all in the universe is called dark energy, a recently proven power that astronomers say is causing the galaxies in the universe to separate at a faster and faster speed. It is the force that is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate.

Kirshner said it is clear now that dark matter and dark energy engaged in a gravitational tug of war that, eventually, dark energy won.

Kirshner said astronomers do not really understand dark energy. Albert Einstein first proposed a form of the idea, but discarded it later. Now, researchers know it exists, but its exact form and nature are mysterious, although it is thought to be related to gravity.

"What this is pointing to is a deep mystery at the heart of physics," said Kirshner. "We don't understand gravity in the same way we understand other forces."

At least they admit they don't understand. I think it's fascinating to learn about the universe, what's out there, what it's doing, how it works. The universe is like a wound up watch. It had a beginning and it's ticking down, deteriorating, wearing out. Radiation is proof of that. Science knows that. The most fascinating part is that the more you learn, the more you realize just how incredible it is that we are here. So many things have to be in complete and constant balance at the same time (and for such a long time) to sustain life here it's impossible for it to have just evolved. You can only miss it if you don't know or are on a vendetta to prove a creation without a creator or you just don't want to know. That's my opinion.

Isaiah 40:21-26
21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble. 25 "To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, By the greatness of His might And the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

Why Do They Need To Kill Whales?

Japan to become pirate whaler?

There is no longer any need for anyone to kill a whale. We don't need whale oil, we don't need whales for cosmetics or any other product. We don't need to eat them and we shouldn't anyway. We don't need their teeth to carve things in or make things out of. They don't hurt anyone. They're just awesome creatures who mind their own business and it's amazing and wonderful to know they are out there. Why can't some countries let go of killing them? Economics? They need to get over it.

Meteorite crash site located in Siberia

The meteorites fell on September 25 (2002?) and I don't remember hearing anything about it. I saw a little piece on the local news about it and had to search to find this article. You would think this would be more widely reported. The Discovery Channel and National Geographic should be there. Especially with all the coverage they gave to this exact thing possibly happening and killing alot of people.

Aim High

Another funny picture. This one from Rebel Yell.

Orrin Hatch again

Remember what Orrin Hatch said the other day about remotely destroying the computers of people who illegally download music? Well, it seems his website is using unregistered software illegally. What a buffoon. Orrin Hatch: Software Pirate? 

Commentaries

John LeBoutillier: Hollywood Hates America

Edward I. Koch: No U.S. Troops to Israel


John LeBoutillier: Muslim Nazis

And There is No New Thing Under the Sun

Psalms 79:1-5
1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3 Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. 4 We are become a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. 5 How long, LORD? wilt thou be angry for ever? shall thy jealousy burn like fire?

Is There a Full Moon?

Tonight was the most hectic night I've had in a while. Most of it was just weird. One guest said their phone was broken, she couldn't call anyone. I put a new one in the room but couldn't see anything wrong with the old one. It dialed just fine and all the keys worked. Then she didn't have the number she needed. I called the main Disney information line but they were closed. (?) I couldn't find a listing for the Animal Kingdom Lodge so I called another Disney hotel to ask for the number.

Me: "Hi, can you give me the number to the Animal Kingdom Resort?"

Hotel operator:"Do you need to make a reservation?"

Me: "No, I'm helping someone call a guest at the resort."

Hotel operator: "I can transfer you there from here."

Me: "I work at a hotel and I'm calling to help one of my guests, I just need the number to the Animal Kingdom Resort."

Hotel operator: "If you give me the guests name I can transfer you from here."

Me: "I don't know the guests name, I'm a hotel employee trying to help one of my guests. I'll just give them your number and they can call you and you can transfer them, OK?"

Hotel operator: "Well, I'll just give you the number for the Animal Kingdom Lodge then."

Me: "Why thank you."

The phone wouldn't stop ringing, one guy was mad because the guy he was trying to call wasn't in the room. I guess people on vacation are supposed to sit in their rooms waiting for him to call, not be out having fun. Another guy said he stayed here a few nights ago and left something in the room. I asked what it was and he said he was embarrassed to say but I would have seen it. "Well, you'll have to call back during the day, I haven't seen anything." I said. Which was the truth. It sounded like a joke to me anyway. It's not unusual to get crank calls on this shift. Then he started to describe it saying it was purple and finally he said "Oh, Ok, it's my dildo." I don't remember exactly what I said, probably just to call tomorrow. I'm still pretty sure it was a joke and I think I know who it was, the voice was diguised but it sounded like someone I've worked with before. Whatever. I hope he had a good laugh.

A lady came in to look at a room, I got her I.D. and she took off for about 45 minutes. I tried calling the room, no answer. Finally she came back. She was out shopping at other hotels for rooms. I checked the room but it was unused. I had a girl come in once who did the same thing but was only gone about 5 minutes. When I checked the room I saw she used it for a quickee. I didn't expect that, it was the shortest I've ever seen.

As busy as it was it was mostly questions, directions, some reservations, and towels. Only 6 checkins.

It's So Slow

Tonight there is nothing happening here at the hotel. I'm just watching the Sanford and Son marathon on Nick at Nite. Nothing really caught my eye on the internet tonight either. Here's to Redd Foxx. Who you callin' ugly, sucka? That link does work but you might have to copy and paste the address into your browser. I don't know why. http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/3309/gorilla.au

A couple of things:

An article by Neal Boortz on Socialized medicine.

Rush Limbaugh says Hillary's publisher is lying

Ice Storm

I don't know where he (Kim du Toit) got the picture, but it is priceless.

Just Nuke' em

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, "said Tuesday he favors developing new technology to remotely destroy the computers of people who illegally download music from the Internet."

Oh great, we don't have enough problems now with spam, hackers, persistant popups, and viruses. Of course, they promise not to sell the technology to China.

Metallica Rethinks the Internet

Three years ago they sued Napster, now they are offering free, unrestricted MP3 downloads of three concerts (if you buy their new album). Maybe this internet thing ain't so bad.

I Think

The recording industry reminds me of the American car manufacturers in the 70's. Instead of improving and updating their product and giving consumers (their customers) what they want, they insist on trying to remove the competition by whatever means possible and offering the same old (overpriced) crap.  

They're Creepy and They're Cooky

Good news and bad news for Adams Family fans in Gaza City, Thing has agreed to sign autographs... but no one has a pen.

Actual Phone Conversation

I answered the phone at work.

Caller: Transfer me to room 205 please.

Me: I'm sorry, 205 is a vacant room.

Caller: I know it's vacant can you transfer me please.

Me: 205 is vacant, there is no one in the room.

Caller: I know, I just need to be transferred to 205.

Me: Why do you want me to transfer you to a vacant room? There's nobody there. No one is checked into that room.

Caller: My girlfriend just checked into room 205.

Me: I believe you looking for a different hotel, no one checked into 205 today.

Caller: Is this the one by the Taco Bell?

Me: No, it's not. You want...

American Chopper

The Discovery channel as been doing some cool shows on motorcycles lately. My favorite is American Chopper. Luckily they replay it late at night so I can watch it at work. Here's a review of the show. I love the bikes and I'd love to make them too. I'm not into the whole Live to Ride, Ride to Live vibe though. That's great for some but other things come first for me.

Adopt a Greyhound

If you're thinking about getting a dog give some thought to adopting a greyhound.

Here's a state by state listing of adoption agencies.

Orlando Area: Greyhound Pets Orlando

Joe The Mailbox Killer

Joe the mailbox killer stopped by and paid me the 20 bucks it cost to fix my mailbox. He was honest about the whole thing and did what he said he would with no pestering. Good show! If only I knew the name of his company...Joe's Tractor something...I don't know. If you live near St. Cloud, FL and need someone with a tractor, look him up. Just hide your mailbox.

It's Hot!

There's a sign down the road displaying a temperature of 96 degrees. It was higher a little earlier according to a friend. I believe it's a little high but it's still killer hot out there. We were sitting on the front porch in the shade and there is a cool breeze but we have to screen it in because the bugs like the porch a little too much for my taste. Even better would be a screened pool in the back, now that's Florida living.

Words Cannot Express

how frustrating it is to be able to connect to the internet but not be able to connect to any websites. Server not found. I hate that. I tried and tried, disconnected and redialed, nothing. Rebooted, nothing. I started thinking something was wrong with my computer. I let it sit for a hour, then a few hours, but it still wouldn't work. This evening is the first I've been able to connect since my last post.

Oobi

James was sitting here with me wanting to play Oobi. He was asking all kind of questions like "What's this wire?" Power cord. Or "Look at the ant." The little bug icon on the Safari web browser that allows you to report bugs. It was at this point that he turned off my computer. Everything started closing and I couldn't stop it, like watching water going down the drain. Luckily it wasn't a long post. And he's not playing Oobi tonight, he knows not to touch the buttons.

Now he's supposed to be going to sleep but he's pulling out all stops to keep from going to bed. There are toys he has to put away and whatever else he can think of he has to do. He's giving me "the look", trying to make me laugh. Saying "tickle me dad." He has more energy than I do. I don't usually put him to sleep at night. Irma does that and she's not home. I put him in the crib for his nap and he is used to that but at night it's different. Irma lets him fall asleep in her arms on the sofa. He's just not gonna go down without a fight. I'm gonna have to get off the computer to get him to sleep.

One last thing...

Detour Along The Roadmap!

Limited Time Only

For those interested in authentic Mississippi Delta blues - Now available: R.L. Burnside- First Recordings. Recorded in 1968. There are 3 free mp3's to download, too.

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your blog was not quite ready to be published yet. Please try again.

What does that mean? Blogger wants me to post more content? What did I forget?

Ok, fine. I installed my mailbox today and found it was more damaged than I thought. Somehow it was dented on both sides and the board it attaches to was broken in half. I used some dirt to refill the post hole, it's still alittle loose. As a bonus, I also dug up a fire ant hill. I hate those buggers. James carried the new mailbox out to the road for me and wanted to use the screwdriver. He's not strong enough for that yet. Joe said he would stop by some time in the next couple of days, let's see.

Irma and James went to Grandma's house after lunch and they are spending the night. I got some sleep yesterday and got up at 6:30 and mowed the lawn. All the rain we've been getting is making it grow fast. I'll go to sleep when I get home. I like sleeping first thing in the morning so I wake up in the afternoon early enough to do something if I want. Unfortunately I can only do that when no one is home.

Results Without Effort

I've been realizing more and more that Americans want results without effort. It's becoming a sickness. We want a healthy toned body while eating potato chips and soda laying on the sofa watching Survivor. Any amount of discomfort will cause people to abandon their newest exersice machine or dietary change. Our bodies can't take the processed foods we feed it every day. We fill ourselves with food our bodies can't use, get sicker and sicker, then go to the great medical profession for pills to make it better.

Scientists can't do it better than God. Scientists can only use what they know to make their medicines and vitamins. Unfortunately the vast realm of knowledge is like an iceberg. We see the tip and we use what we see to create our medicines and vitamins and process our food, taking out kernal of life in the food and replacing it with synthetic garbage. There is so much beneath the tip that we don't know about though. And we don't know what we don't know.

The same goes for the fertilizers we use to grow crops. The land is badly depleted. Synthetic fertilizers only provide the minimum needs of the plant to grow. They don't provide the wide range of vitamins and minerals we need. If it's not available to the plant it's not in the vegetable or fruit. The tomatos at the supermarket taste like cardboard, the watermelon is not sweet. The vegetables and fruits available today do not provide us with the nutrients our bodies crave.

Read The Bad News About Organic Food.

Read The Thesis of Body Mineral Balancing It's part of the New Zealand Health Information Network. Very interesting. Check out their Mineral section! Bookmark it, study it.

"The introduction of artifical fertilizers at the beginning of the last century greatly increased crop yeilds but put back into the soil only three nutrients:- Nitrate, phosphate, potassium, (NPK), Sufficient for crops to flourish but nowhere near enough for humans to flourish which is over 70, according to most nutritionists."

The Mailbox

I stopped at Home Depot this morning on my way home and bought a mailbox. The cashier said, "Your mailbox got hit, didn't it?" "Yes," I replied, "How did you know that?" She just smiled. Obviously she was guessing, I could have been buying it for my new house or just buying a bigger one or replacing an old rusty one. Who knows. All I know is Joe from Joe's Tractor something or other was working across the street and backed into my mailbox. ( I live on a very narrow road.) He was nice enough to tell me about it and told me he would pay for it. And my mail got wet. It couldn't take a break from raining one day.