Dog's in Church

We have a couple ladies who bring their dogs to church. I'm ok with that. I think it's kinda colorful and freeing.

So, in view of the fact that many at the church are interested, in fact are very concerned with dog care we should have a series of sermons on God's attitudes towards animals. In particular dogs.

We could have round table discussions taught by leaders like Rick who are professional dog trainers and have developed skills.

We should have people promise to take good care of the dogs in their lives.

Every person should be well trained in the Biblical aspects of dog care and training.

Didn't know there were some? Oh, that's ok, we'll take a good sound secular book on dog training and sprinkle liberally verses of biblical square pegs and ram them in to dog training round holes.

The end of course all hope is that everyone will become better at training and caring for the dogs and the dogs brought to the Church will be better dogs.

Isn't that what Church should be all about? Making us better stewards of the dogs in our lives.

Convergence Comes Too Late For Some

I hope it's not me.

Talking with a good friend in Ministry yesterday he talked about the phenomena called convergence. It's what happens when after years of life and learning and frankly growing up a person comes to a point where everything comes together. Unfortunately that happens for most people right about retirement age.

It's the time when:

• Our Gifts,
• Our Passion,
• Our Skills,
• Our Life Experience,
• Our Spiritual Maturity begins to peak.

Not that we "Arrive" as such but we reach a point where we no longer wonder If we can or can not, we just do.

That is a feeling of afterglow. Mostly, it's a sense of the end coming and all at once we find ourselves needing to hurry but we are well able. Things we can or should do no longer are pursued, we are pursued by them. Particularly in Ministry. If I were in direct leadership of a Church I would be looking for people who's lives represented this convergence and make sure they were in the places that would best allow them to serve the people around them.

I noticed this about 3 years ago. I knew somehow deep inside, I was no longer almost qualified. I was now the one who had to carry that torch for the next leg of life's relay race. I also know that sooner than I think I will hand it off again. I just want to run my leg well enough so that when I hand it off we are ahead of the game.

This has to do also with hiring a president of the USA. Does he or she have the

• Giftedness
• Passion
• Skill
• Life Experience
• Spiritual Maturity

converged well enough to carry out the mission we would hand him or her as POTUS? I think we need to consider carefully. I'm not convinced all of them do.

Is The Earth Producing MORE Oil?

From a Motor Trend Blogger:

Posted Yesterday 01:09 PM by Arthur St. Antoine
Filed under: Editorial, The Asphalt Jungle

Lost in the big news last week -- the race for the Democratic nomination, the reeling U.S. economy, the ongoing life/death saga that is "Dancing with the Stars" -- came word that a new deep-water exploration area off the coast of Brazil could contain as much as 33 billion barrels of oil. How much is that? If estimates are accurate, the Brazilian find would amount to the world’s third-largest oil reserve. In comparison, the U.S. has proven oil reserves of 21.8 billion barrels. • • Just what the latest Brazil find (dubbed "Sugarloaf Mountain") could mean to our oil-ravenous world isn’t yet completely clear, but the Associated Press quoted Roger Read, an energy analyst at New York-based investment bank Natixis Bleichroeder Inc., as saying, "This would lay to rest some of the peak oil pronouncements that we were out of oil, that we weren't going to find any more, and that we have to change our way of life." The find also brings up a name worth remembering: Thomas Gold. The Austrian-born astrophysicist, who died in 2004, was a renowned maverick in the science community, a brilliant rogue whose anti-establishment proclamations were often proven right. For instance, in the 1960s, as NASA began its assault on the moon, many scientists debated whether the moon's surface was comprised of hard rock or might in fact be a layer of dust so thick that, upon touchdown, the Apollo lunar modules would sink out of sight. Gold, studying evidence from microimpacts, moon cratering, electrostatic fields, and more, boldly predicted that the astronauts' boots would sink into the lunar regolith no more than three centimeters. And, give or take a centimeter or so, he was proven right. What does Gold have to do with the recent Brazil oil find? In 1999, Gold published "The Deep Hot Biosphere," a paper that postulated that coal and oil are produced not by the decomposition of fossils, but in fact are "abiogenic" -- the product of tectonic forces; i.e., deeply embedded hydrocarbons being brought up and through the earth's mantle and transformed into their present states by bacteria living in the earth's crust. The majority of the world’s scientists scoff at Gold's theory, and "fossil fuel" remains the accepted descriptor of oil. Yet in recent years Russia has quietly become the world's top producer of oil, in part by drilling wells as deep as 40,000 feet -- far below the graveyards of T-Rex and his Mesozoic buddies. Is it possible that Thomas Gold was right again, and that the earth is actually still producing oil? It's tantalizing to think so. Meantime, whether or not Brazil's recent find adds support to Gold's theory, for sure it's good news for Brazilians: Government-run Petrobras is one of the world's leaders in ultra-deep offshore oil extraction, and Sugarloaf Mountain alone could transform Brazil into another Venezuela or Saudi Arabia. For now, stay tuned. The earth may yet prove to have a heart of Gold.

Long Day, Long Tomorrow

 I'm exhausted.  Nothing left.  All worn out.  etc.

 

So, tomorrow, I'll wake up, with any grace of God.

 

It's all an every day at a time thing with me.

 

Bis Morgens

I need this car

AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK63 Black Series

Local Boy Makes GOOD.

I guess when good things happen to someone I know I want to let you know. The Denomination I am credentialed with, the IPHC has a head guy. Not a pope. A Bishop. I know him. He's a really precious man. He likes Chicago. So, from time to time I have been fortunate to spend one on one time with him. That's about as close as I will get to the Pope, but Bishop Leggett will meet with Pope Benedict the 16th tonite in a meeting of many leaders from around the country. In many ways, as a movement with our roots in Luther and Wesley with the fire of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost we have more in common with Catholics sometimes, particularly in social issues, than we do with more liberal denominations and some evangelicals. From a news release.

Footnote: I knew we had in IPHC about 4.2 millions Adherants worldwide. In the USA about half a million. Then, in doing a tiny bit of research, the other church I am appended to, the Lutheran Church, let's put it, conservative Lutherans which includes the Lutheran Church Mo Synod and all it's sister congregations worldwide comprise about 3.4 million adherants. I used this WIKI of the International Lutheran Council as a guide. Apparently that conservative global coalition which includes the LCMS is an umbrella that conservative Lutherans embrace.

I guess my credentials with the IPHC aren't so wimpy after all. I'll keep them. We have grown globally by hundreds of thousands in the last few years. Good place to be.

Local Leader will Represent Evangelical-Pentecostal Groups at Historic Meeting

OKLAHOMA CITY- Local resident Bishop James D. Leggett will meet with Pope Benedict XVI on Friday evening. As president of the Evangelical/Pentecostal Family of Christian Churches Together, he is one of several religious leaders taking part in a prayer service at St. Joseph's Church in Manhattan.

Bishop Leggett is currently the Presiding Bishop of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, which has its international offices in Bethany, Oklahoma. He also serves in the leadership of several interdenominational organizations.

Bishop Leggett worked with Cardinal William H. Keeler in setting up Christian Churches Together in the USA. Its mission is "to enable churches and Christian organizations to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world." The organization is comprised of five Christian families: Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Historic Racial/Ethnic, Orthodox and Catholic.

Bishop Leggett currently serves as Chairman of the Pentecostal World Fellowship, a cooperative body of Pentecostal churches and groups worldwide committed to the furtherance of the Gospel to the ends of the world. He will also chair the 2010 Pentecostal World Conference.

He serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Evangelicals and Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America. He is a member of Mission America, American Society for Church Growth, the International Charismatic Consultation Advisory Council (ICC), the Christian Churches Together (CCT), and the Religious Alliance Against Pornography (RAAP).

Dr. Harold Hunter, Historian and Archivist for the IPHC, was also invited to the meeting with the Pope. Dr. Hunter works in numerous committees developing a Pentecostal-charismatic dialog.

For more information, contact the Office of the General Superintendent at 405.787.7110 or lscott@iphc.org. Photo of Bishop Leggett attached.

* The International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC Ministries), is a 108+ year old traditional Pentecostal denomination. Our Executive Offices are at 7300 NW 39th Expw, Bethany, OK, a suburb of Oklahoma City. We currently have churches in more than 95 nations of the world, with approximately 4.2 million adherents.

* We are charter members of the National Association of Evangelicals ( http://www.nae.net/), charter members of the Pentecostal World Conference (http://www.pentecostalworldconf.org/ ) and were instrumental in creating the Pentecostal & Charismatic Churches of N. America (PCCNA)( http://www.pccna.org/). For more detailed information, please visit our website at http://arc.iphc.org

Shaken NOt Stirred

 This morning while I was nestled snuggly in my bed I was apparently shaken by an earthquake.  5.4 at epicenter about 200 miles from here.  Buildings downtown swayed.  We don't do much quaking of earth here.  More might have been dangerous.

 

I didn't feel it.  I didn't know it till I woke up.

 

No damage, but not a trivial quake.

 

I was shaken not stirred.

Cultural Double Standards - Polygamy

This Good analysis from Classical Values:

Moral relativism?
Here's Ali Eteraz:I haven't seen too much outcry from Americans who are shocked by Muslim polygamy (regardless of the age of the brides), whether in Muslim countries or here. The reason I'm asking is because I was just watching Larry King Live, and there's quite a bit of fuss over fundamentalist Mormon polygamy. Women like this who "escaped the lifestyle" are prominently featured:And they might not be describing women as having "escaped from polygamy."Next thing you know, certain activists will seize upon this case as an argument for the "one man, one woman" ballot initiatives, with the usual unholy alliances. It's all a little too predictable for comfort.

From the Wiki entry for Osama bin Laden's father:

Sheikh Mohammed bin 'Awad bin Laden (Arabic: محمد بن عوض بن لادن‎), also known as Mohammed bin Laden (1908--September 3, 1967), a Yemeni immigrant to Saudi Arabia was a wealthy investor, businessman and patriarch of the bin Laden family. He married 22 times and fathered at least 55 children. Osama bin Laden is believed to be his 16th child and the only son with his tenth wife Hamida al-Attas, reportedly of Syrian descent.

Funny thing, but while I heard a lot of anger directed towards his son, I never heard much outcry against his immoral lifestyle.

In America, Muslim polygamy exists.Mormons are not the only ones practicing polygamy. And if you believe that Muslims, upon coming to America, become universally monogamous, you are sorely mistaken.

Eteraz goes on to criticize Muslim polygamy.

Is fundamentalist Mormon polygamy more shocking?

I just had this uneasy feeling that if the same sort of thing had been going on in a polygamous Muslim compound, there might not be the same outcry.

And they might not be describing women as having "escaped from polygamy."

Next thing you know, certain activists will seize upon this case as an argument for the "one man, one woman" ballot initiatives, with the usual unholy alliances.

It's all a little too predictable for comfort.

Last Gasps

When a thing is about to die, human, animal, plant, thought or system it becomes frightened stresses and usually rallies. It puts on a "Last Gasp". One more something. A try.

A spruce tree under stress and nearly ready to die will put cones on profusely in order to perpetuate itself. People do. Animals do. That Cougar they shot in Chicago did. If cornered any animal will. They have nothing to lose.

So when I see certain actions taking place in the market or in our culture I see them as last gasps. Striking out wildly. Absolute desperation.

Stories like a lawsuit just brought against Ben Stein's movie, Expelled. Like the no Christian policies that are over the top in Schools. A coach fired for bowing his head while a student prays, a student's art project rejected because it had a biblical theme. Last Gasps of an anti Christian worldview in the law. This is getting really stupid. But then cornered critters act pretty stupid sometimes.

Even the price of oil. I hear the wackos saying it's going to $150, 200, 300, 1000 dollars per barrel. Gold similar. NOPE. Last Gasps.

It's mostly the weak dollar. But even the touted housing mortgage crisis is nearly over in impact. The dollar is going to get stronger. There are bottoms to everything. The dollar is not going to be worth 20 cents from what it was in 2005, the current benchmark. It's worth about 78 cents now.

Trees have tops and so do prices. As our economy recovers, and it will, so will our dollar and so the price of commodities including OIL. If our dollar was as strong as it was in 2005, oil would be about $70. If proper economics was in place it would be under $50.

These things all reach a speculative blow off. A Kondratieff expiration. An exhaustion gap. A time when the cycle of that all foolishness comes to an end.

It happens with trees, humans, animals and yes, markets.

Relax, things are going to be OK. When, I don't know. But, 13 Trillion dollars per year is what we as a country churn thru out economy. If the USA were a household we would have an income and outgo of 13 trillion dollars.

When you consider what that means and the stakeholdership of every American you get a grasp on what that all the numbers you see bantered about really really means. It takes a THOUSAND BILLION TO MAKE ONE TRILLION. If you take all the war spending, all the stupid mortgage crisis it's still a small number compared to the whole.

Of course Liberals who don't understand economics will counter my optimism with some so called facts. They aren't facts. They are phony fear based pessimism.

Carter Embraces Hamas

And Hamas endorsed Obama. Boy, I'll bet he's glad.

I love this bar (Church??)

Many years ago (over 42) when I worked in Minneapolis in a steel fabrication plant as a welder for Steiner Mfg I often stopped into a little 3.2 bar for a burger and a beer.

 

It was a common hangout for those who worked there.  It was usually well populated.  I got to know many who were there.

 

What was interesting was Mr. Steiner used to stop in for a beer or two.  He never socialized with us guys.   He would just stand at the bar and quaff his brew.

 

That's not so unusual but I always felt that if someone, like me perhaps would have invited him to come sit down and shoot the breeze with the rest of us he would have welcomed the invitation.  But none of us ever did.  And he never did.  He just came in, drank his beer and left.

 

I never forgot that.  It seemed so sad.  So empty.  So futile.

 

He could have gone anywhere.  He owned the factory.  He could have gone and hobnobbed with the big shots over a martini.  But he wanted to fit in and we never invited him.

 

Fast forward 43 years.  Today I was with two guys, late 40s and late 50s who helped me load a truck.  We had a lot of chance to talk.  We talked about a lot.  They liked Rock and Roll and talked of days of yore when they played in a band.

 

After we loaded the truck we went to Jimmy Johns for a sandwich.  I bought.  During lunch we talked more of playing in a band.  I mentioned that I played in a band years ago and now play in Church.   Then I shared my love of Jesus as I am prone to do.  They knew me by then.  They were not taken aback.  They knew I was real.  They talked of days when they went to church and loved it.  They loved the songs. How they cried when they heard how Jesus suffered.

 

When I urged them to start looking for  a good church they were both convinced no church in America would accept them. One was a biker.  Hells angel type.  Dirty.  Hairy.  Tattooed.  Not elegant.  Needs Jesus.  Convinced he couldn't be accepted. 

 

He mentioned some things at the bar where he "Usually hangs out".  The Bar accepted him as he was.  Knew his name. Didn't hassle him.  Loved him in a bar kinda way.

 

The other older fellow was more tender.  He talked of how he tries to help the poor.  How he often misses church but because he has been a drunk, in jail and is now not very well (Diabetes) that church no longer is an option. 

His parents died young.  His brother just died.  He knows the clock is ticking.  He wants to get settled spiritually but he doesn't know how to get there.

 

I was grieved.  I shared that is was possible. But he was suffering from wounds only a church can inflict.  What he really wants is a church that is like a bar.  Walk in, everyone accepts you and you are one of the guys.

 

I guess the churches he has frequented aren't that type.  When I left them I know they wanted to hug me.  We didn't.  Not yet.  I had shared my heart with them.  They received it. 

I wish for just one second that the church was as accepting as the local tavern.  I love the Church, I keep trying to create an accepting encouraging atmosphere.  I don't know what else to do.

 

Serve hard liquor.  A beer and a shot for Communion?  I don't know.

 

What I do know for sure is that Mr Steiner was lonely, these men today was lonely.

 

The bars of America are trying hard to satisfy a need to belong, a need to be accepted, a need to be embraced, a need to be heard. 

We don't do very good at that, do we?

Perfect Way to Make a LOT of Money (if you have the guts)

Right now you can place a PUT option (Betting the price will go DOWN) on wheat, corn and beans in Chicago for 2010.  

 

Does ANYONE in their right mind thing prices of 12 bucks for beans, 9 bucks for wheat and 6 bucks for corn is going to hold thru till 2010?    No chance, no chance at all.

 

This means if you have the guts and the money you can place that bet.

 

And wait while this aberration washes thru.  You are also betting the dollar will get stronger.  It will.

 

This is one of those times when a million dollars is just waiting to be made.

 

I'll wish I had.

Welcome Home George McGovern

I watched the Democrat Debate last night on ABC.

 

I slept like a baby afterwards.  George McGovern is back.  Whew.  That was close.  Clinton won't get the nomination.  Pity that.

 

Obama will and he will trounced horribly in the fall. 

 

He's a weak sister or brother in this case.  He looked terrible last night and in the general election will be easily defeated.  George McGovern style.

 

Now, if we can just figure out how to get a conservative Congress once, we might have a chance.

 

My only regret is that it's going to be President McCain, I wish it had been someone else.  BUT, he won, fair and square.  Good on him.  Let's just be real sure we get a Good Solid conservative VP in there for when McCain changes worlds.

 

He will you know.

 

Moving without telling anyone

I have some email lists I use at church and other places to do different things. 

 

I don't expect many people to keep me up to date but I do expect those with whom I must interact on a consistent basis to allow me to keep in touch.   IF you change your email address, LET US KNOW! 

 

I have become discouraged by a trend, a trend I don't think is healthy or courteous.

 

People for many reasons change email addresses.  Then, they tell no one.  We are supposed to just know.  We are supposed to guess.

 

I know, I could send a letter, I could make a phone call.  I will.  But, I have other friends that when they change email addresses send out notices to those with whom they are communicating and say, "HEY" I changed my address and this is the new one, update your address book.  This happens with relatives.  This happens with church folks.  I know those who are courteous and those who are clumsy.

 

It's a little discouraging. 

 

I don't have a cure.  I feel bad for the guy who is in charge of contacting folks and he can't keep the email addresses up to date.

 

Very discouraging.    

Cougars Two

I saw the picture of the dead cougar on TV. There was also a video of it jumping a fence.

What a beautiful animal. Thrilling. Too bad he had to die. Looking for a Girl Cougar I'll bet. Course my wife had to spoil it by saying that's what I used to say about Giant Field Rats (Deer). They aren't real pretty anymore.

A friend sent a link to me regarding the Cougar Network. A group that tracks cougar sightings.

This map is on it:




WOW. Who knew they were making such a comeback. Shoot More Deer.

Why I don't Have Any MONEY

I Have to Stop Buying Such Nice Clothes

Pat Robertson is Losing it

I listen to the 700 club on the Television many days.  They have some inspiring stories sometimes.  They do news stories you won't hear on MSNBC. 

 

But Pat's Prognostications and his Economic Analysis is fatally flawed.  He's a bigger doomsayer than the left.  When it comes to his ability to predict things and when it comes to his ability to see thru the headlines into the truth he's a clinker.

 

I have in the past taken the prophetic God gave me and stood them up against what Pat said.  I did pretty well.  Pat didn't. 

So, now Pat sounds like a left winger: Food is going to go up and up, Gold is going to go up and up, oil is going to go up and up.  We are all gonna die.  Life is going to be horrible.  I expect this kind of doomsaying on Huffington or Kos but not from the 700 Club.

 

Look Pat, study a little economics.  Things cycle.  High prices ameliorate demand and stimulate supply.  That goes for food and fuel.  Government can screw it up.  But they are slow.

 

The dollar is getting cheap enough and inflation is moving thru the world economy such that the cheap dollar which is the counter to high oil will get stronger.  There are bottoms and tops.

 

2 years ago Pat was telling everyone that the only way to make money was to have it all in the stock market for the long haul.  Then he went get your money into cash. Now he's screaming get into Swiss Francs or Gold.

 

He doesn't know a thing about economics and he's a lousy prophet.  But, he does show some good stories on the news portion of his TV show that I enjoy.  So I take the good with the bad.

 

Water Water Everywhere and run it to the sea

In another blog yesterday a good friend of mine was bemoaning the fact that states all across the USA were facing severe water shortages. 

 

First yes.  How come? 

 

One:  Many of the places that are short of water are places where water was always short and building has outrun supply.  Las Vegas comes to mind.   Stop building TODAY.  How dumb can you be and still breath.

 

Two: We don't manage and retain water on the land.  We do all we can to get it into drainage ditches and into streams and into rivers and then to the sea so we can plant 3 days earlier.  That means the aquifers aren't being recharged.  That means water shortage.

 

Three:  We treat runoff as sewage. It is if it's not processed.   Vegetation does this really well.  Bogs and swamps are great purifiers.  We must take our runoff and run it into swamps and then into ponds or lakes. 

 

Four:  Recharge of water holding areas isn't a priority.  See 3 and 4 above.

 

How much of a water shortage would there be if there were no demand to get on the land, all fresh water was captured, none went to the sea.  I'll bet the sea wouldn't rise (if it ever does).  We would be slowing the Colorado and Mississippi rivers to a trickle and recapturing all that water into sloughs for purification and recharge.  We'd be buried in water.

 

In Illinois right now we are drowning.  The tiles are running full, the drainage ditches the streams and the rivers are flooding.

 

I'll bet later they will all wish we had that water  back.  Let's hold  water on the land.  No run off.

 

A fish or two will have a struggle.  EVOLVE.

 

If you wonder about Georgia, it's all about some dumb fish.  Get the econuts out of the business of water management and start managing water for people and our shortages become surplus.

 

I wonder what political affiliation the econuts are.  Darn Republican Conservative Ecologists.  They are such a pain.

 

The Kiss of the Betrayer

Jimmy Carter kisses the leader of Hamas.

Token of Goodness or the kiss of a Betrayer.

You decide.

Jesus Camp and the Lord's Boot Camp

You remember the Jesus Camp Documentary that caused all the stir. How terrible to send kids off to camp to become passionate followers of Jesus. What a travesty.
I laughed it off as just so much liberal press baloney. I'm not convinced. We don't have passionate kids who become passionate adults because they are untaught and untrained as kids. My Friend Barry Kolb asks a good question about this in his blog. Why aren't believers sharing the Gospel aggressively with others. A quote from the article which I recommend you read: believers are sitting passively in church and never opening their mouth to share the amazing grace of Jesus.

I Don't wonder why. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old....

So, we don't. We don't want to seem weird like those Jesus Camp folks. We don't want to INDOCTRINATE our kids. We want the world to indoctrinate them with hip hop, violence, crime, sex, evil and demonism from television and Public Schools.

23 years ago our Son K went to Israel. He went with TEEN MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL. It's a group out of Florida. He was gone for a couple months. He was 13 at the time. He has been on other Missions trips. But this one I'm confident gave him the courage in part to become the man he has become. Bold and unwavering. Good on him.

On Saturday Night they had a special broadcast of 48 Hours on CBS. The subject was God's boot camp. You can watch the whole thing here. If you click on the videos link the whole feature comes up.

It's pretty fair. Not a hatchet job. The problem is the commentary that went on after. Atheists hate the fact that we might train young people. Waaaa.

Teen Missions did good for Kevin. Sure, there are extremes, there were for me at Boy Scout Camp too.

I'm glad he had a chance to do this. I have always wondered about Christians who struggle with the idea of "Indoctrinating" children with the truth of the Gospel. Why they didn't come out in force and support Becky was beyond me. We shouldn't send our kids off to be brainwashed?

AS OPPOSED TO WHAT? Insipid Sunday Schools in Most Churches?

If Barry Kolb's article is right, and I believe it is, shouldn't we be indoctrinating them. This is more than fun and games. This must be a passionate inculcation of all the Gospel that will drive them to share. I worry that what we do in Sunday School with our kids, I worry about what we are doing with our YOUTH. I don't think we are doing the job the world is doing on them.

So, they lack the courage to get out of the pew and on to the street.

We are failing our children because of our timidity and political correctness.

Get with it Church!

Doug Lier Alert - How big is this Cougar thing gonna get??

Cougar expert Doug Lier has some 'splainen to do. How come we got cougars in Chicagoland? Yesterday they shot one here. It had been seen in various places. They are turning up all over the place. In Peoria. In Moline. In Wisconsin.

I got questions:

• Is this because of the unhunted deer populations in the are, easy pickings and lots of cover in forest preserves?
• Are they breeding, I mean if you have a tom and some momma cats and you got kittens, lots of kittens, is this that?
• I have always thought they were pretty reclusive and nocturnal, not much danger to humans, is that changing?
• I know there are plenty now in the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa, how far is this going to go?
• There will be press driven paranoia over this, how dangerous is a 150 pound carnivore with sharp claws and teeth anyway?
• Why did it take 20 rounds to down this animal?
• Are all Chicago Cops such bad shots?
• After the Cougar was down, the cops said they couldn't tell the gender of the animal. HUH?
• Where there's smoke there's fire, does this cougar kill mean there are lots of cougars or just a few?
• Shouldn't we be offing the easy prey, like kill a few hundred thousand field rats (Deer) that stand around and depredate everything in sight and provide food for cougars?
• Who's in charge of the decisions that are creating this cougarville environment?
• Since it's practically illegal to shoot a gun in Illinois (you can own one if it's properly owned with a firearms owner card but you can't shoot it anywhere) what should I do as an Illinois resident if a cougar takes up my back yard as it's home? Do you recommend a slingshot to take on a cougar?
• Should I be bringing Muffin and Skipper in from outside at night so they don't become Cougar Lunch?
• If it gets bad enough, do cougars make good house pets?
• Are cougars good to eat? They eat cats in Korea why not cougars in the USA? Cougar Chops....MMMMM.
• Does Cougar fir make a good coat? Will I Look Good in it?
• Why are there no Cougars in Minnesota as far as I can tell, too many Democrats? Is it possible Cougars don't like to eat Democrats? Is this a reason I should become a Democrat?

Doug?

You can never do just one thing

This is about computer software and polygamous families. Years ago when I was President of a computer software firm we were always making tweaks to the software. Fix this, tweak that.

The problem is, you can never do just one thing. If you fix this, that over there no longer works.

Everything you try to repair breaks something else.

The answer is, fix carefully and be sure than when you implement the fix you know what the consequence is. Sometimes when I get the windows updates I have visions of Bill and assurance that this repair is just a little fix. Then when the whole thing collapses in a heap the oops and Bills quick wit saves the day. But I don't have Bills quick wit. It's just some 19 year old kid in Redmond Washington who came up with this "Fix" and now it's really broken.

So, pardon me Mr Gates If I don't embrace every "Improvement" your folks make. They are just like Bill. Well intentioned and very quick. But, quite human.

THIS HAS TO DO WITH POLYGAMY IN TEXAS

By now you have heard all the stories about raids, incest, mismatch marriages and many wives. I won't come down on the side of Polygamy. But I am really questioning the heavy hand of the state who comes in an destroys families because child protective services knows better.
Interviews with Children of polygamous families from the fifties demonstrate the damage done to boys and girls permanently by the tearing of the family. Yes, it's not a family I would choose but how does the state have the fourth amendment crushing power to do what they did.

This really bothers me. A Lot.

The mothers are starting to speak out. This will have ripple effects.

You can never do just one thing.

Red or Blue Pills

I have seen the movie "The Matrix" more times than I want to admit. I can do nearly all the dialogue from it. Once in New York I almost bought off a street vendor the full script of the movie. Only office space is more stuck in my brain.

It's that good. The sequels stunk. Badly.

Peggy and I were talking Saturday about the making of the Matrix, two Jewish boys make this movie, I thought it was the Cohen Bros. But I was wrong. Warshawsky Brothers. Still good.


I don't think they had any clue what they were doing. I believe that the Holy Spirit caused them to create this work of profound art. They just carried it out unwittingly.

It has had great impact on my life. It has had great impact on the Body of Christ. And, lost of other religious and political expressions embrace this as a road map for discovery.

I mention this because of a post today by Julie. I read it but was most struck by the link to the Matrix Page.

It asks the question, are you better off knowing the truth and suffering for it or would you be better off believing the lie and living in comfort but deception.

I suspect that many people prefer the lie. Prefer the comfortable deception.

Go to the Matrix Page. Read the whole thing and answer the question, would you rather know the truth and suffer of believe the lie and live in oblivion?

It's a supposed tough choice. Not for me.

Winter Without End

It was in the high 20s last night. I see by the paper that it's over 100 in California. Is this what Global Warming is supposed to be like? Eternal Winter in one place and toast in another?

This actually has the potential to become problematic if it doesn't end soon. We should be planting and digging and planting and digging.

We're doing neither.

Pshaw!

Age to Age

When my parents died in a truck accident my Dad was 50 years old, my Mom was 35.

It didn't seem unusual. He was a young 50 and she was a wise 35. Yet today such marriages seem scandalous.

The recent events in Texas with the Mormon group that the police invaded seemed to focus on these May December situations.

I guess as the product of one such, I'm not sure I agree. You'd have to ask my 42 year old son and his 28 year old wife how that's working out.

Pretty well last I checked.

Are those Mormon Women and the Kids better off for this raid? I'm not convinced. Something about all this smells to me.

Let me be straight about this, sexual abuse is evil, 50 - 15 is not may December, it's February and over the top. There are laws about such things.

But, this happened once before, big raid, in New Mexico, in the 50s. Those women and children NEVER recovered for the most part. This was clumsy and I don't like a government that just moves in and like forcing everyone to wear size 7 shoes which for my 13's would be very hard and for our little Danny's size 5 would be way big.

One size fits all - doesn't.

More on Sound Judgement of Others who Claim to be a so called Brother

From a Messianic Jewish Believer:

The typical liberal misunderstanding of the Christian religion is that Christians shouldn’t judge anybody. This misinterpretation comes from a superficial reading of Rabbi Yeshua’s (Jesus’) teaching where He said: "Judge not, that ye be not judged…" (Luke 7:1-5). But when read IN CONTEXT it’s understood that God will hold us to a standard as strict as that which we demand of others.

All judgment must be tempered with mercy. Jesus clearly taught that we can see others imperfections (the "mote" in their eye) and help to remove it ONCE we have first gotten the "beam" out of our own eye. The purpose is to help and not hurt: constructive criticism, not self-righteousness or sinister motivations.

There is a great difference between judging an act and condemning a person to Gehenna (Hell) fire. Only God truly knows the thoughts and intents, and potential, of any individual. When God delivered to Moses various statutes and laws for the nation of Israel, He commanded that they judge and condemn to death some individuals for certain infractions.

When Jesus pardoned the woman caught in adultery, He didn’t excuse her actions but admonished her to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11). In other words, repent (1 John 3:4; 2:4). He acknowledged it was a sin worthy of death, but obviously forgave her for God’s greater purpose, discerning a truly repentant attitude.

She didn’t argue about what technically constituted sin, lie about it, or threaten to vigorously go after her accusers. Jesus had let their own guilty thoughts shame them into leaving the scene and leaving her alone with the Savior (where we must all ultimately appear).

Again, the apostle Paul wrote that "he that is spiritual judges all things" (1 Cor. 2:15). Today such a Scripture would be politically incorrect. It appears as if it’s "live and let live," "never judge," as long as whatever it is is wrong and not right! The spiritual person is to judge everything based upon the Law Book that we call the Holy Bible. In fact, the fact that so many people are confused as to what’s right and wrong and have blurred any DISTINCTION between the two is the fault of faulty ministers!

Yes, I’m judging them! I’m judging them by their lack of performance since the Scripture teaches that they’re supposed to "teach my people the DIFFERENCE between the holy and the profane, and cause them to DISCERN between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it ACCORDING TO MY JUDGMENTS (not the latest poll): and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths" (Ezek. 44:23-24).

We’re to view the news from a higher perspective, through God’s eyes, and judge everything accordingly (Isa. 55:8-9). As is far too evident in our attitudes and actions, we’re so far away from true spirituality that it’s past time to read God’s mind and go by the Book! (Deut.17:18-20). Without that stabilizing standard there’s only chaos and confusion.

May God bless the American and British peoples, and our Jewish brethren, to remember our Hebrew roots and biblical responsibilities, restore law and order and flourish rather than flounder (Malachi 4:4).

I say yes and amen to this teaching. In the church today we have become lax in calling sin, sin and evil evil. In fact secular society calls evil good and good evil. The church wanting to fit in decides to follow suit and not rile the water much.

SO we are left inert. I think it's high time that we call it as we see it. But, judgement ALWAYS starts in house of the Lord. We as Christians must hold one another and so called Christian leaders to a higher standard than the world would. A world that embraces abortion, euthanasia, the homosexual agenda and pushing God out of the Commons.

Time to speak up folks. Some times that is going to sound like Judgement. We need to be as capable of standing the scrutiny that we hand out. Living Holy helps that. Jesus said: "Judge not, that ye be not judged…" (Luke 7:1-5). But when read IN CONTEXT it’s understood that God will hold us to a standard as strict as that which we demand of others.

By the same measure in which you hand it out you will be judged, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Can you handle that? I hope so.

It's time to blow the whistle.

12 shovels of it burying Obama - WHO KNEW?

12 reasons 'bitter' is bad for Obama By: Mike Allen April 13, 2008 09:08 AM EST
A Clinton comeback was looking far-fetched. But operatives in both parties were buzzing about that possibility Saturday following the revelation that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) told wealthy San Franciscans that small-town Pennsylvanians and Midwesterners “cling to guns or religion” because they are “bitter” about their economic status. Obama at first dug in on that contention Friday after audio of the private fundraiser was posted by The Huffington Post. Altering course, on Saturday in Muncie, Ind., he conceded that he “didn’t say it as well as I should have.” And he told the Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal that “obviously, if I worded things in a way that made people offended, I deeply regret that. ... The underlying truth of what I said remains, which is simply that people who have seen their way of life upended because of economic distress are frustrated and rightfully so." Here is what he said April 6, referring to people living in areas hit by job losses: “[I]t’s not surprising, then, that they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.” The Obama campaign contends that coverage of the San Francisco remarks is overheated and distorted. One aide said that “any logical analysis” would make it obvious that the brouhaha will not “change the pledged delegate count” — the key to the Democratic presidential nomination. In fact, this is a potential turning point for Obama’s campaign — an episode that could be even more damaging than the attention to remarks by his minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, since this time the controversial words came out of his own mouth. Here are a dozen reasons why: 1. It lets Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) off the mat at a time when even some of her top supporters had begun to despair about her prospects. Clinton hit back hard on the campaign trail Saturday. And her campaign held a conference call where former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a Pittsburgh native, described Obama’s remarks as “condescending and disappointing” and “undercutting his message of hope.” See Also Superdelegate count a mystery Obama on small-town Pa. Bill Clinton defends Bosnia remarks 2. If you are going to say something that makes you sound like a clueless liberal, don’t say it in San Francisco. Obama’s views might have been received very differently if he had expressed them in public to Pennsylvania voters, saying he understood and could alleviate their frustrations. 3. Some people actually use guns to hunt — not to compensate for a salary that’s less than a U.S. senator’s. 4. Some people cling to religion not because they are bitter but because they believe it, and because faith in God gives them purpose and comfort. 5. Some hard-working Americans find it insulting when rich elites explain away things dear to their hearts as desperation. It would be like a white politician telling blacks they cling to charismatic churches to compensate for their plight. And it vindicates centrist Democrats who have been arguing for a decade that their party has allowed itself to look culturally out of touch with the American mainstream. 6. It provides a handy excuse for people who were looking for a reason not to vote for Obama but don’t want to think of themselves as bigoted. It hurts Obama especially with the former Reagan Democrats, the culturally conservative, blue-collar workers who could be a promising voter group for him. It also antagonizes people who were concerned about his minister but might have given him the benefit of the doubt after his eloquent speech on race. 7. It gives the Clinton campaign new arguments for trying to recruit superdelegates, the Democratic elected officials and other insiders who get a vote on the nomination. A moderate politician from a swing district, for example, might not want to have to explain support for a candidate who is being hammered as a liberal. And Clinton’s agents can claim that for all the talk of her being divisive, Obama has provided plenty of fodder to energize Republicans. 8. It helps Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) frame a potential race against Obama, even though both of them have found support among independents. Now Republicans have a simple, easily repeated line of attack to use against Obama as an out-of-touch snob, as they had with Sen. John F. Kerry after he blundered by commenting about military funding, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.” 9. The comments play directly into an already-established narrative about his candidacy. Clinton supporters have been arguing that Obama has limited appeal beyond upscale Democrats — the so-called latte liberals. You can’t win red states if people there don’t like you. “Elites need to understand that middle-class Americans view values and culture as more important than mere trickery,” said Paul Begala, a Clinton backer. “Democrats have to respect their values and reflect their values, not condescend to them as if they were children who’ve been bamboozled.” 10. The timing is terrible. With the Pennsylvania primary nine days off, late-deciding voters are starting to tune in. Obama and Clinton are scheduled to appear separately on CNN on Sunday for a forum on, of all topics, faith and values. And ABC News is staging a Clinton-Obama debate in Philadelphia on Wednesday. So Clinton has the maximum opportunity to keep a spotlight on the issue. Besides sex, little drives the news and opinion industry more than race, religion, culture and class. So as far as chances the chattering-class will perpetuate the issue, Obama has hit the jackpot. 11. The story did not have its roots in right-wing or conservative circles. It was published — and aggressively promoted — by The Huffington Post, a liberally oriented organization that was Obama’s outlet of choice when he wanted to release a personal statement distancing himself from some comments by the Rev. Wright. 12. It undermines Democratic congressional candidates who had thought that Obama would make a stronger top for the ticket than Clinton. Already, Republican House candidates are challenging their Democratic opponents to renounce or embrace Obama’s remarks. Ken Spain, press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said: “There is a myth being perpetuated by Democrats and even some in the media that an Obama candidacy would somehow be better for their chances down ballot. But we don’t believe that is the case.” Politico's Jonathan Martin, Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris contributed to this story.
© 2007 Capitol News Company, LLC

Somebody once told me that if you find yourself digging yourself into a hole, get away from the SHOVEL.

Obama needs to Shut UP.

The Demecratic Presidential Race Get's Mean

Overheard at a San Francisco Fund Raiser for Obama----







Answering Barak Obama's definition of the Other America, Hillary Clinton Tries to fit in:

(2008-04-13) — Sensing an opportunity to portray Sen. Barack Obama as elitist and out of touch after his remarks about “bitter” rural Americans who cling to guns, God and xenophobia, Sen. Hillary Clinton stopped after church today at an indoor gun range, where she fired roughly 300 rounds through a handgun she said she carries concealed everywhere she goes.

Her lower lip bulging from a dip of Skoal, Sen. Clinton put her Bible in her handbag, and drew out her own Para Ordnance Warthog .45 caliber pistol.

As reporters looked on, the Democrat presidential candidate emptied one 10-round magazine after another, with fair accuracy, at a human silhouette target.

It's getting rough out there. FROM Amused Cynic
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