OnlyThreeSoFar

Snow in all 50 States

2010-02-18T13:47:00.000-06:00

Even Hawaii???
From the KBTX Weather Blog:

Thursday night snow was falling here in Bryan/College Station, piling up in Dallas/Ft. Worth to what would amount to be 12.5", and spreading east towards other parts of the United States. By Friday night, that same system even put a dusting of snow on the ground in the Florida Panhandle! That got us weather folk wondering, could there have been snow in all 50 states at the same time? After scientists in Hawaii scoured the mountain tops, it seemed as if they were the only state holding out meaning, only 49 of the 50 had snow on the ground.

Until this happened....

A graduate student out of University of Oklahoma named Patrick Marsh confirmed the milestone in his blog with this picture. Two tiny specs of snow atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii on February 13.

Technology Divides

2010-02-03T19:31:00.000-06:00

I remember when my eldest child was 2 yrs old and I had to chase her away from the vhs tapes on our shelves.

By the time my youngest came about, now ten yrs old, I had to chase her away from our growing collection of dvds.

I did a double take as I chased my 2 yr old niece around the house yesterday though. In her hands was the portable dvd PLAYER!

Wow, technology sure is changing fast but those little ones still know what they want.

Even Atheists Know

2010-02-02T13:56:00.001-06:00

Take a look at this interview conducted by a Unitarian minister and a hardcore atheist.

Marilyn Sewell: The religion you cite in your book is generally the fundamentalist faith of various kinds. I’m a liberal Christian, and I don’t take the stories from the scripture literally. I don’t believe in the doctrine of atonement (that Jesus died for our sins, for example). Do you make an[y] distinction between fundamentalist faith and liberal religion?

Christopher Hitchens: I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.

Which one is the Atheist? Which one is the Minister?

Marilyn Sewell is the Unitarian Minister and the hardcore athiest is Christopher Hitchens, who wrote God is Not Great. I think the Bible is very clear about many things, clear enough that an athiest knows.

h/t First Things

Food Police and the Obese

2010-02-01T12:07:00.001-06:00

I recently watched John Stossel's program on food police and found it both informative and infuriating. I'm sure Mr. Stossel would be thrilled to hear that.

I don't remember the name of the lady guest so I'll just call her Ms. Food Police. She kept saying she didn't want to restrict our freedoms but didn't think it wrong to dictate where and when goodies should be sold. Nine out of ten ppl are obese because of life choices and therefore the government has to limit those choices. To her, limited freedom was just as good as real freedom. For example, she said that Girl Scouts and clubs shouldn't be able to sell cookies anywhere but in the grocery store. She also agreed that BMI is just a starter for measuring actually obesity but then is also willing to make statements about the number of obese which are most likely based on general population BMI scores. I felt she was full of double speak.

There was also a Mr. Food Police, a lawyer advocating for food warnings on fast food was also a featured speaker. I found his proposal ridiculous, especially in light of the New York experiment. Mayor Bloomberg ordered calorie information be put on menus to enlighten his fellow citizens as to how bad their eating habits were. Unfortunately, the ignorant masses continued to eat the large restaurant portions. Mr. Food Police really got my goat though when he insulted the next guest, Mr. Statitician, for not being a doctor. How dare he talk about health science yet not have a doctorate! Wait, isn't that what he is doing? I hate hypocrites.

Mike Huckabee was also on as a guest since, as governor of Arkasas, he signed a bill authorizing the schools to weigh kids, calculate BMI, and send a letter home to parents with the information. Mr. Huckabee wasn't that great at defending his policy though. He stated that the state had an interest in keeping people healthy because it was going to have to pay for any health problems down the road anyway. Though the statement is true, he didn't elaborate further to distinguish why this justification was okay in this instance, but not for the many times Food Police try to use this reason, money, to take away our freedoms. Is weighing children an interference? I would say no for two main reasons. First, as Mr. Huckabee did note, the schools had traditionally take height and weight measures of the kids anyway. Second, I would suggest that this is not intereference by the state, it's merely a public service. The state spends funds telling you to buckle up, watch for ice on bridges, not to litter, and not to shake babies as a public service announcement. The weight and BMI info is a public service announcement on a personal level. I would say it only becomes interference from the government when it causes changes in your life. Now if the school also sends home a letter saying their putting your kid on a special diet or exercise program, then that becomes interference.

Haitian Politics

2010-02-01T09:55:00.000-06:00

Previously I had blogged about international complaints concerning the United States' humanitarian efforts in Haiti. Yesterday, John Bolton hit back hard in an article he wrote for the New York Post.
Read more.

The motto for United States humanitarian relief efforts around the world, most recently in Haiti, should be “damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” However much or little America contributes, someone complains, from those who think we unfairly have to shoulder a disproportionate share of the world’s disaster relief to those who think our response smacks of imperialism.

Fun Friday Favorites

2010-01-29T14:20:00.000-06:00

And here it is, another Friday but I still haven't installed a trackback program. I did look it up and since Blogger doesn't make it easy, I have to add a second comments feature to the program specifically for trackback. Oh bleh, I really don't want to!

Boots and Sabers: How far would you go for a pack of cigarettes? Is the recession really that bad?

Clayton Cramer: How to start the day on a positive note.

FinestKind Clinic and Fish Market: Twinkies and more Twinkies!

Michelle Malkin: This is exactly why I read the SOTU speech the next morning.

Hot Air: A Video on "How to Report the News"

Maggie Farm: Failing as a Father

Why Women Can't be Mechanics

2010-01-28T10:09:00.000-06:00

Why can't women be mechanics you ask?

Click here for the answer.

It's just the mechanics of it....

h/t Maggie's Farm

Anti-American Sentiment Strong While Helping Haitians

2010-01-26T13:18:00.000-06:00

There has been a strong backlash against the US for stepping up and taking the lead for the Haitian aid. Oh, it's not coming from the Haitians, as this Time article reports:

On Monday, the U.S. is sending troops in to help restore order — and far from resenting the intervention, many Haitians are anxious for the American colossus to arrive quickly and to completely take over the running of their country.

Au Contraire! It's France and Brazil that are angry about USA's organizational skills, and now Italians that are getting air time complaining about the use of military as humanitarians. Do a search for "haiti military takeover" and you'll be shocked at the many news references you get. Ex-Haitian government officials are getting into the act, even as the UN states that military is needed for security escorts. The French have such an anti-American attitude that their news organizations are using "domination" and "occupation" to describe our organization of aid relief. It's gotten so bad that President Sarkozy of France had to make a statement against the anti-American blabbermouths. What's the basis for this argument?

Some French officials had accused the US of sidelining the French effort, including a minister who angrily accused the US of "occupying Haiti" after a French plane carrying a field hospital was turned back from the airport, the Telegraph reports.

Seems the plane was diverted to Dominican Republic.

The Anchoress has been calling for a strong, public leader for Haitian aid on the US side for a while now. Maybe communication from a front and center international leader could have prevented, or at least nullified this anti-American backlash.

Haiti Updates

2010-01-23T10:54:00.003-06:00

Pastor Harrison has updated his blog, Mercy Journey, with a slew of articles.

We were taking a brief break drinking water to recoup from the exhausting and draining heat when a nurse ran to call us back to pastoral care duty. She said: "The sitution has turned chaotic and dangerous! Please come and calm them! Some are jumping from the second story building fearful that another tremor might kill them!

He also talks about the Medical Mission Team that's on the ground and gives details you won't find in the nightly news.

A team of helicopters, financed by a generous individual had been and continues to fly in victims of the quake. Port au Prince is some 50 miles distant, across the Haitian Border. I write this morning at 8:30 a.m. from the veranda of a large vacant home, which now houses forty or fifty medical professionals, including the LCMS team. The hospital runs on two shifts, and performs about 40 surgeries per shift. About one third of the procedures have been amputations.

The Anchoress has been following Ed who's been posting from his home in Haiti.

We are using our last gallon of gas in the generator as I type. The UN is still not here. A few Christian doctors are here for a couple of days. Though it has been 8 days since the earthquake, it has all been one looooong… day for us. Thank you so much for the prayers and please keep praying.

Friday Favorites Roundup

2010-01-23T00:00:00.000-06:00

Howdy!

I've been thinking of adding a couple of other websites that I enjoy reading to the favorites lists but that would make these round ups very long!

Local politics have been a hoot over in Wisconsin this week over at Boot and Sabers. First, their governor is proposing a statewide health care plan and promising that it will be "entirely self-funded." I guess their Democratic governor didn't learn a thing from the national health care fiasco. Second, the Milwaukee School Board comes up with three finalists for the superintendent and they all have terrible resumes.

Clayton Cramer has officially started his teaching career as a Professor of World History.

The good doctor at FinestKind Clinic and Fish Market has a slew of links to interesting articles published in the UK in respectable papers. including a reporter, diagnosed with a terrible disease, contemplates suicide but learns to live instead. The other article is another reporter's personal story, as he announces he's become hetero. Two articles espousing right-wing ideas in the same week? What is Great Britain coming to? If those are too much for you, she has dancing and singing kittens.

Educator Joanne Jacobs highlights the National Council of Teachers of English trying to change the standards of education. Their idea is that writing should more about self-expression rather than college and career readiness. Thank you Joanne for keeping us informed of such crap.

Lutherans for Life says they can provide you with a Speaker if you need one for an event.

Michelle Malkin is probably having one of the best weeks in a long while. Most of the news you're probably heard though the general media so I picked her article about the "The Left's Palinization of the Brown Family". Now that Mr. Brown is Senator Brown, they're flashing old pictures of his wife in a bathing suit. Are they ticked that she's sexy? I just don't get it.

Secondhand Smoke looks internationally as he investigates Scotland's proposed assisted suicide bill. It would allow non-terminal teenagers to be prescibed suicide drugs plus be administered by non-doctors.

That's all folks! I swear I'm gonna install trackbacks somehow.

Charity and Americans

2010-01-20T13:29:00.001-06:00

Over at Maggie's Farm, there's an awesome picture graph page of how Americans give to charity. ~~Sorry, it's extremely large and I can't figure out how to get blogger to let me post it here. Please do go and take a peak though.~~

I went to Mint.com, the creators of this "wallstat", and found a treasure trove of information. They also have links so that I can embed these awesome stats for you to view also. I'm sure most of y'all wouldn't have clicked the link to see this.

budget planner – Mint.com

Zeitgeist

2010-01-17T01:15:00.002-06:00

Zeitgeist: A good strong German word but I can't seem to remember it's definition. I can't pronounce it either but that's nothing new to me. If you click on the link, you'll be able to hear the word also.

From Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: zeit·geist

Pronunciation: \ˈtsīt-ˌgīst, ˈzīt-\
Function: noun
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: German, from Zeit + Geist spirit
Date: 1835
: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

Favorites Roundup

2010-01-15T09:27:00.000-06:00

Over at Boots and Sabers, Owen is ticked about the new taxes being proposed for banks.

Clayton Cramer's rolling his eyes over people who are depressed that they can't live in Pandora, the imaginary world in Avatar. He's hasn't been blogging as much because he's preparing to teach a college class. That's a class I wish they would stream for us to watch too.

The doctor over at FinestKind Clinic and Fish Market shows us how to make different kinds of Fry Breads. Is that healthy doctor?

We're all talking about the superintendent of Houston's new proposal to fire teachers based on student performance over at Joanne Jacobs. The comments are very interesting and worth your while.

Life issues are in the news again and Lutherans for Life have rolled out their newest program for Life Sunday on January 24th this year. Just last week, I was watching Fox News at my sister's place and saw Lutherans for Life in a clip of an pro-life protest they played. I sure wish I could be there one day.

Michelle Malkin learned that the veggies used on the Iron Chef White House Special were all staged. None of them came from the White House garden. Veggie-Gate! *laugh*

Last but not least, we're discussing two big topics over at Secondhand Smoke: the legal defense of justifiable homocide in the murder of the abortion doc and the health care tax exemptions only unions members. There's always more than meets the eye and Wesley J. Smith always puts it in prospective for me.

Helping Haitians

2010-01-14T15:23:00.002-06:00

I ask that you help Haitians with your prayers and petitions to God.

You can Fast for Haiti. Spend the time you would be eating in prayer and donate the cost of your meal to relief efforts.

If you want to help Haitians with your money, I highly recommend Lutheran World Relief. Okay, I might be a bit biased here but even The Anchoress put us on her list of recommended charities and so did USA Today. :) You can also read Pastor Harrison's blog Mercy Journey with all the current updates.

01-13: LCMS World Relief and Human Care responds in Haiti with emergency funds after devastating earthquake

As news of what is being called the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years reached LCMS World Relief and Human Care (LCMS WR-HC) on Tuesday, the Synod’s mercy arm began preparing to reach out in the Caribbean nation with much needed assistance and working in cooperation with Lutheran partners.

Only hours after getting reports of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the Synod’s mercy arm announced it was making available funds to meet initial emergency needs. "The unfolding drama in Haiti calls for unlimited mercy on the part of the people of the LCMS. The needs are urgent and overwhelming right now," said Glenn F. Merritt, LCMS WR-HC director of Disaster Response. "I appeal to God's people to respond as generously as possible during this most difficult time."

Early reports indicate extensive property damage and terrible suffering among people trapped in collapsed buildings in an impoverished country already challenged by longtime political strife and poverty. Haiti is widely known as the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

News of the devastation triggered numerous calls and e-mails to LCMS Life and Health Ministries Director Maggie Karner who, even before the earthquake, was preparing to send the first LCMS WR-HC Mercy Medical Team (MMT) to Haiti next month. Ironically, on Monday Karner sent a massive MMT recruitment appeal to LCMS pastors and congregations asking for physicians, pharmacists, and other medical professionals to volunteer for the team that is scheduled to serve in Haiti March 11-21.

"Our preliminary legwork for the first MMT team to Haiti in March will serve us well as we prepare to respond," Karner said Tuesday night. "Perhaps now, because of this tragedy, people will see the desperate need in Haiti and prayerfully consider how they can use their gifts and talents." (To learn more about the MMT trip to Haiti, contact LCMS WR-HC’s Jacob Fiene at 800-248-1930, ext. 1278, or jacob.fiene@lcms.org.)

LCMS WR-HC is working cooperatively with LCMS World Mission, Haitian missionaries, and partner churches to provide relief in a timely fashion. Funds are urgently needed to help Haitians who have lost loved ones and homes.

To share Christ’s mercy with suffering Haitians, make a gift by clicking the Give Now button below, call toll free 888-930-4438, or mail donations marked “Haiti Earthquake Relief” to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861.

End of Year Lists

2010-01-14T15:19:00.007-06:00

Over at Lowering the Bar: Legal Humor. Seriously, Mr. Underhill has released his Lowering the Bar 2009 Awards showing us the "best of 2009's worst." Here's a couple of the nominees for Best Lawsuit:

•Speaking of banks, reports in July said that Wells Fargo had sued itself in Florida. Depending on who you ask, this was either a really clever strategy or a thoroughly stupid mistake.

•Hilton v. San Francisco Int'l Airport, et al.: Stanley G. Hilton sued lots of people, including his realtors and the airport, for allegedly failing to warn him that his house was close to the airport. He blamed the noise, pollution and stress for his divorce.

•White v. Wal-Mart: Plaintiff sued for injuries she suffered in a store when a “large wild nutria” jumped out. (She panicked and ran over her own foot with a shopping cart.) White argued Wal-Mart was responsible because its employees harbored the rodent, claiming they had given it a name. “You had an encounter with Norman,” one allegedly told her.

•Elliott v. Keyes, et al.: in March, Rev. Dr. Cheryl Elliott sued the United Pentecostal Church and its pastor alleging that he had knocked her over backward while “laying hands” on participants in a church service, and did not apologize afterward. There was a similar case last year in Tennessee.

Gov. Perry Supports States' Rights

2010-01-13T20:43:00.003-06:00

The Houston Chronicle sure picked a nasty, opinated title for this article:

Perry won't let Texas compete for federal school money
By ERICKA MELLON

The federal government is hanging a $700 million dollar carrot in front of needy school districts this year. All the Texas government has to do is totally cede all local and state control of their schools and change to federal ideals. The Governor laid out a number of valid reasons Texas in his speech and press release why we should not join the "Race to the Top" that the Chronicle just glossed over in their reporting. Here are some quotes for you to read yourself.

I am here to announce that Texas will not apply for federal “Race to the Top” funding because our state and our communities must reserve the right to decide how we educate our children and not surrender control to the federal bureaucracy. This program is not a “Race to the Top,” but a sprint to the middle where soaring costs and one-size-fits-all approaches will leave our children ill-equipped to compete in the global economy.

Texas’ curriculum standards, which determine what students are taught in Texas classrooms, are set by the elected State Board of Education (SBOE). The SBOE recently adopted one of the nation’s first college- and career-ready curriculum standards in core subjects after receiving widespread input from Texas education and business leaders.

...“Race to the Top” was slipped into the so-called stimulus bill. This legislative sleight-of-hand was a cynical attempt to sidestep state protections included in the federal “No Child Left Behind” legislation passed in 2002 that prohibited the use of federal funds for the creation of national standards and tests “Race to the Top” is clearly an effort to entice states into abdicating responsibility and surrendering their legal rights in exchange for short-term, immediate funding.

While Texas could be eligible for up to $750 million in Race to the Top funding, it would cost Texas taxpayers upwards of $3 billion to realign our education system to conform to the U.S. Department of Education’s uniform vision for public education.

I totally agree with Gov. Perry that Texas should not jump onto this eternal federal mandate for a tiny one-time payment. It's shameful that only Texas and Alaska didn't sell their soul for a couple more pennies. I think it speaks poorly of our country. Remember, if somebody is hanging a carrot, it means they're riding you like an ...

Birthday Fun

2010-01-13T19:25:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, my husband and kids woke me up by serving me breakfast in bed and singing me Happy Birthday. A couple minutes later I asked my husband what the date was. :)

I had a wonderful birthday and got lots of presents. The kids got me a new four slice toaster as the old one was not toasting correctly. I love useful gifts. My neighbor asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I replied,"Well, I could really use some new kitchen towels." She very sternly replied that she was not going to buy me dish rags as a present. Instead she got me Bon Jovi's new CD, something that hubby would never buy me. My friends and I went to Chili's and pigged out. Even I'm shocked at how much food I ate.

Hubby got me a new laptop, again. I originally recieved it as a Christmas gift but when we started it up, all it said was "Windows: Error". The new one came the day before my birthday. :) Now I just need a ton of stuff for it!

Holiday Sale

2010-01-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

At the store the other day, I found Christmas clearance, Valentine chocolates, and this....

And yes, I bought it.

In other news, Cadbury is under attack from a hostile bid takeover by Kraft.

Just Laws

2010-01-11T00:38:00.002-06:00

I didn't have to study any of Martin Luther King's writings in high school until my senior year. When my teacher put in on the syllabus, I was sure it was the same ol' "I Have a Dream" that's been done even more than Elvis impersonations. Ms. August picked Letter From a Birmingham Jail and, to my surprise, I really enjoyed it. We studied the definition of a just law and examples laid out in the letter. I'm surprised to find myself needing that information today.

Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.

...

Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal.

The same problems with law that MLK saw are not new in governments around the world. As a young adult, I just thought that those problems would never occur here. We studied the corruption in the national government under President Grant, but that was just a blip on the screen of our history. Civil rights movement was up against the abuse of law but was more of a cultural change than a corruption of our government.

The midnight vote for health-care "reform" was quite creepy to me. It felt dirty, hidden. Then the bribery in the bill started breaking across the Internet news sites. Have you seen them? The general public is so against the bill that the senators had to secure extra goodies for their vote. They needed to be able to tell their constituents that they're been taken care in an extra special way. The senator will wave his seniority flag and proclaim that such needed details wouldn't have happened without his expertise. This keeps the voters lax and fills the election coffers by those that were helped directly.

But there's a darker explanation at work here this time. A lot of time, the pork gifting has absolutely nothing to do with the bill. But in this case, the "reform" in this bill is so bad that senators were securing additional funds for their state to ensure they weren't hurt by the reforms. They don't want the health care bill to apply to them. They don't want the people and hospitals of their states to have to pay. They know it's bad, they know it's bad for hospitals and doctors, but they're going to secure goodies for their state to help alleviate the distress the bill will inflict. The rest of the country can rot as long as their state is taken care of.

And so with this bill, I'm seeing a new low. A bill that applies to thee but not to me. An unjust law that isn't applied to the whole country. A law that some people will pay for, but not others. A law that exempts some hospitals but won't exempt those hospitals that are built later.

I'm not going to be a sissy moderate and settle for order rather than justice. I sure hope other folks in other states don't look the other way. They need to ask themselves if their senator really represents what they think a senator should be. A bribe here or there, a lie here or there, bring home the bacon and I won't ask where you got from kinda guy? When you vote, I hope you're voting for somebody that you'd introduce to your mother. Somebody that you have no qualms about your teenage son spending time with. Somebody who actually represents you, a person you're willing to be associated with.

Welfare History

2010-01-10T00:06:00.004-06:00

I just started reading A Christmas Carol today. It doesn't even belong to me, but my 13 yr old daughter. I don't know where she got it but she sure didn't buy it with her own money. She's written her name inside the front cover or I wouldn't even have known where it came from. I had forgotten that it was even a book, not a movie, and that it was written by Charles Dickens. I once started reading his book Hard Times and found it extremely boring. That being said, I remember the beginning with the evil teacher refusing to address little girl by Sissy, saying it wasn't a real name. It's strange that a small section of a book that I quit reading should be so burned in my memory.

I was only through a couple of pages in the first stave (he calls them staves, not chapters, keeping with the "carol" theme of the title) but something caught my eye: "Poor Laws". And yes, he capitalized them, making me think these were government laws about the poor. "Welfare laws in the 1800s England? Nah," I thought. I kept reading the book but, in the middle of the rising action, as Marley's ghost haunts poor Scrooge, bells ringing, chains banging, all I could think about was those dang Poor Laws.

I'm such a boring person that I looked them up to tell you about them.

It seems the Poor Laws were in fact, welfare laws. Charles Dickens wrote his book in the 1840s and they were already well established. The first Poor Laws were passed as far back as the 1500s.

From The Victorian Web:

1563 — Justices of the Peace were authorised and empowered to raise compulsory funds for the relief of the poor and, for the first time, the poor were put into different categories

those who would work but could not: these were the able-bodied or deserving poor. They were to be given help either through outdoor relief or by being given work in return for a wage.

those who could work but would not: these were the idle poor. They were to be whipped through the streets, publicly, until they learned the error of their ways.

those who were too old/ill/young to work: these were the impotent or deserving poor. They were to be looked after in almshouses, hospitals, orphanages or poor houses. Orphans and children of the poor were to be given a trade apprenticeship so that they would have a trade to pursue when they grew up.

I can't help but laugh at the relief given to the idle poor.

A flurry of laws passed in the 1500s were consolidated into the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601. The Law authorized the raising of funds, opened alms houses and orphanages, and gave relief to people out of work. The idle poor weren't whipped though the streets anymore, but sent to workhouses. It also put responsibility on families.

Part of the 1601 Law said that poor parents and children were responsible for each other, so elderly parents were expected to live with their children for example.

I'm glad to say that my family still holds to this. It is an aberration of our society that children don't want to take care of their parents and that seniors think that they can get by on their own.

But the history of welfare goes back even further than the 1500s. In False Economy, I read about the grain welfare distributed by the Roman Empire. The grain was bought cheaply from the Egyptians, sailed across the Mediterranean to Rome, and distributed to poor Roman citizens. The cost of transporting the grain overland was astronomical and welfare was restricted only to those in the city. This, of course, led to the city suddenly surging with population of poor folks from the country. I can't remember exactly but I believe that the statistic presented was that at one time 300,000 of a city population of 1,000,000 were on grain welfare. It's simply astonishing how the Roman Senate failured to recognize the ramifications of their law.

I did ask myself "Where is the Church in all this? Wasn't the church the one that took care of the poor?" I've never really studied the transition of the care of the poor from the church to the government. Historically, the church has been in charge of the poor and The Victorian Web points out this change:

Before the Reformation, it was considered to be a religious duty for all Christians to undertake the seven corporal works of mercy. These were deeds aimed at relieving bodily distress: in accordance with the teaching of Jesus (Matthew 25 vv. 32-46) people were to

feed the hungry
give drink to the thirsty
welcome the stranger
clothe the naked
visit the sick
visit the prisoner
bury the dead

After the Reformation and the establishment of the Church of England, many of the old values and moral expectations disappeared so it became necessary to regulate the relief of poverty by law.

A change in morals, values disappearing brought about new laws and taxes to take care of the poor? That sounds strangely familiar. The great Roman Empire setting laws that cause a flood of immigrants to the city? Hmm, I've heard this song before. The fact is the Bible treats this very simply: "Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 Corinthians 1:20. All our wise programs fail to the simplicity that God asked of us.

In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge and his unnamed clerk receive two visitors in his business before heading home: his overly happy nephew and two gentlemen collecting donations for the poor. The nephew is the family, still taking care of, still loving his crotchety old family. The two men represent charity. The nephew puts up a great defense,

"And therefore, Uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my
pocket, I believe it has done be good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless
it!"

When confronted by the gentlemen asking for charity, Scrooge hides behind the law saying:

"Are there no prisons? ... "And the Union workhouses, are they still in
operation? ... The Treadmill and Poor Law are in full vigor, then?"

As we all know the ending already, Scrooge learns to love again. He learns to love his family, both his nephew and the lowly unnamed clerk, Bob Cratchit. He learns to give charitably, the giving of ourselves above and beyond the call of the law. We need to take care of our family, no matter how hard, and yes, good things will come of the work. We can't hide behind our social security and fica taxes, saying that we already give to charity. It seems we all have a bit of Scrooge in us and so this small book becomes a great lesson to us even today.

Pencils

2010-01-05T17:37:00.004-06:00

These are my son's pencils. The boy mentioned in passing tonight that he needed new pencils, that the only one he had had gotten kinda short and hard to write with. He also mentioned that he'd found a second short one on the ground today. Of course, I had no idea what he really meant. I'm sure the other boy is really missing his pencil right now, if you can still call it that.

As punishment, I gave him a Disney Princess pencil to do his homework with.

Self Defense

2010-01-04T21:26:00.001-06:00

When the boys come over, the girls have to be prepared for all possibilities.

New Technology

2010-01-04T12:16:00.003-06:00

This past year we got a really nice big screen LCD television (it was a gift). Then hubby surprised me with a Blu-Ray player to go with it a couple of months later. (Considering his penchancy for showing up with expensive items that I won't say yes to, I really wasn't that surprised. ) And this Christmas we finally got our first Blu-Ray disc: The Dark Knight. Again, a gift. All the other discs we've watched were rentals. Just the other day we decided that we'll pick up Snow White and Sleeping Beauty on Blu-Ray since been so highly rated on their re-do. That'll bring our total discs to a measly three.

I guess since we're finally getting into Blu-Rays, I guess I'm not surprised to read this report on the newest and latest television equipment.

From Fox News:

New HDTVs May Soon Be Obsolete? Thanks a Lot, 3D

Just bought a new flat-panel HDTV for Christmas? Enjoying that new Blu-ray disc player? Guess what? They're already obsolete. Everything may be going 3D.

Later this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a slew of companies will be pushing what they hope will be the next big thing in TV: 3D movies and games — even new 3D HDTV broadcasts.

Well, I can definitely see this being a fun invention. After all, we can't watch the current crop of 3D hit movies in our homes without it. This is every gamer's dream come true. If 3D takes hold, Playstation 5 will be something truly out of Star Trek.

Breakfast Muffins

2010-01-03T21:14:00.004-06:00

This is what I made my kids for breakfast this morning. I don't know what posessed me to buy this product, much less actually make it. I've seen the more expensive brands offer chocolate chip muffins for a while now but have resisted the temptation with no sweat. Suddenly my favorite thrify brand offers a muffin with even more chocolately goodness, and I fall all over myself to stock up.

I'm sure Bill Cosby's wife is serving them to her grandkids.

Ten Years Ago

2009-12-31T20:32:00.006-06:00

My Dad-in-law posted this up on facebook:

As the day draws to a close, I read my journal entry from 10 years ago. I worked all night as part of a Y2K support team on call for ExxonMobil's retail systems that may have a problem with the date conversion. Make a journal entry for tonight that records your transition to the 2nd decade of the 21st century.

Oh, I laughed when I read it! I remember going to the grocery store New Year's Eve '99 and watching people check out with huge cart-loads of groceries. One lady must have had ten dozen eggs under the cart. Another had TWO cart loads of groceries. As insane as the fear was, it was even worse to see these people buying cart loads of perishable items (milk, meat, etc.,) with the belief that there won't be any more electricity to refrigerate them.

If your interested though, you can get some great deals from amazon on Y2K books including:

The Y2K Personal Survival Guide by Michael S. Hyatt, or

The Y2K Survival Guide and Cook Book by Dorothy and Albert Bates,

or my personal favorite Y2K - It's Already Too Late by Jason Kelly.

But now there's a new reason that the present world system is going to be destroyed! So get your survival books now before it's too late. Your life can be safe for the mere cost of 33 cents (plus S&H).

Global Warming: Can Civilization Survive? by Paul Brown

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

2009-12-21T22:38:00.002-06:00

Here's a great version of O Come, O Come Emmanuel.

Each of the verses has a deep meaning, tracing the life of Christ here on Earth. Lutherant has some great blog posts on the individual verses and the scriptures behind them all.

Two weeks ago

2009-12-21T19:41:00.003-06:00

Over here at Onlythreesofar, we're stimulating the economy in our own special way. Hubby lost his sunglasses and celphone two weeks ago today. Seems he left the pocket on his riding suit open and they fell out on the way to work. They were lost along the first three miles riding to work and we searched the area diligently. I even walked along the entrance ramp to the highway, hoping to find them unscathed. It was weird walking along there on that cold and wet blustery day and I was sure glad no cops came and asked if I was planning on committing suicide.

We never found a single trace of either item, not even crumbs in the road. We've replaced the cel phone already at the steep price of $350. I had to buy those annoying accessories plus pay extra for everybody else to get their cel phone for free. Bleh!

I could really care less about the cel phone. What I really wanted was those glasses! It may sound expensive for the phone but it's a drop in the bucket compared to what replacing his glasses is going to cost us. First, we have to get him an eye appointment, then frames and lens, and I'll have to replace the lens in his other two pairs of glasses. That'll probably run in the $500 to $700 range for all of that.

But if it's good for the economy, maybe we should all throw our cel phones out the window onto the highway. Maybe Obama and the Democrats should just offer to pay for the first $200 down on a new cel phone. Poor people could get theirs for free. But because there are so many plans that take advantage of poor folks, and so many poor folks that can't afford one, the government should come up with new, historical legislation to guarantee everybody coverage. If I'm elected to the Senate, I promise to fight for the highest bribe for my vote- for my state, you know. It's all for my state.

My BiL says the best way to stimulate the economy is to have a baby. Fast results with long lasting effects? Check. Consumer? Check. New tax-payer? Check! I think we have a winner people.

Christmas Tree Legends

2009-12-20T08:23:00.003-06:00

I just got a little curious as to where our Christmas trees come from and tracked down some neat webpages that talk about it. I know that evergreen has always been special to peoples of all nations, even to Indians on this continent. There definitely are quite a few tales that originate from Germany, even one involving Martin Luther.

The Story of the Christmas Tree

Legends of the First Christmas Tree

Handheld Water Sanitizer

2009-12-15T10:15:00.003-06:00

The Strategy Page has an article up about a pencil size water sanitizer that can be carried around. This has great implications for the military, backpackers, and those who travel to Central America. I know my Dad would have appreciated having one of these rather than brushing his teeth in Diet Coke.

Light The Little Suckers Up And Watch Them Die

Yes, that's really the title of the article! You gotta love it.

Star of Bethlehem

2009-12-01T08:20:00.005-06:00

Professor Rick Larson is holding his Star of Bethlehem presentations again for the public. I took the kids last year and was floored by it. Using modern astronomy computer programs, he opens the ancient skies for all of us to see what those who walked the grounds also saw. If you have the opportunity, you really need to see this! Take all your friends.

College Stations:
Dec 3 & Dec 17, 7pm

Houston:
Dec 11

There are many other shows in different towns. Click here to see a listing of his presentations this season.

This year, my son's school-issued laptop computer has the same sky program on it that Rick Larson uses in his presentation. I look forward to being able to look all the dates and sky scenes over and over.

It's already history

2009-01-13T12:34:00.002-06:00

HURRICANE IKE!?!?!?!?!

Can anybody remember the other storms that hit Texas and caused us problems?

Texas Against the States' Bailout

2009-01-13T12:16:00.002-06:00

The Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, and the Governor of South Carolina, Mark Stanford, put out this statement against the bailouts.

From the Office of the Governor:

As governors and citizens, we've grown increasingly concerned over the past weeks as Washington has thrown bailout after bailout at the national economy with little to show for it.

In the process, the federal government is not only burying future generations under mountains of debt. It is also taking our country in a very dangerous direction -- toward a "bailout mentality" where we look to government rather than ourselves for solutions. We're asking other governors from both sides of the political aisle to join with us in opposing further federal bailout intervention for three reasons.

First, we're crossing the Rubicon with regard to debt.

One fact that's been continually glossed over in the bailout debate is that Washington doesn't have money in hand for any of these proposals. Every penny would be borrowed. Estimates for what the government is willing to spend on bailouts and stimulus efforts for this year reach as much as $7.7 trillion according to Bloomberg.com -- a full half of the United States' yearly economic output.

With all the zeroes in the numbers, it's no wonder Washington politicians have lost track.

That trillion-dollar figure is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to checks written by the federal government that it can't cash. Former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker puts our nation's total debt and unpaid promises, like Social Security, at roughly $52 trillion -- an invisible mortgage of $450,000 on every American household. Borrowing money to "solve" a problem created by too much debt seems odd. And as fiscally conservative Republicans, we take no pleasure in pointing out that many in our own party have been just as complicit in running up the tab as those on the political left.

Second, the bailout mentality threatens Americans' sense of personal responsibility.

In a free-market system, competition and one's own personal stake motivate people to do their best. In this process, the winners create wealth, jobs and new investment, while others go back to the drawing board better prepared to try again.

To an unprecedented degree, government is currently picking winners and losers in the private marketplace, and throwing good money after bad. A prudent investor takes money from low-yield investments and puts them in those that yield better returns. Recent government intervention is doing the opposite -- taking capital generated from productive activities and throwing it at enterprises that in many cases need to reorganize their business model.

Take for example the proposed Big Three auto-maker bailout. We think it's very telling that each of the three CEO's flew on their own private jets to Washington to ask for a taxpayer handout. No amount of taxpayer largess could fix a business culture so fundamentally flawed.

Our Founding Fathers were clear and deliberate in setting up a system whereby the federal government would only step in for that which states cannot do themselves. An expansionist federal government of the last century has moved us light-years away from that model, but it doesn't mean that Congress can't learn from states that are coming up with solutions that work.

In Texas and South Carolina, we've focused on improving "soil conditions" for businesses by cutting taxes, reforming our legal system and our workers' compensation system. We'd humbly suggest that Congress take a page from those playbooks by focusing on targeted tax relief paid for by cutting spending, not by borrowing.

In the rush to do "something" to help, federal leaders would be wise to take a line from the Hippocratic Oath, and pledge to do no (more) harm to our country's finances. We can weather this storm if we commit to fiscal prudence and hold true to the values of individual freedom and responsibility that made our nation great.

Stepping Right Up! has a post on how other GOP Governors are handling the race for bailout money. Are there any Democratic Governors that don't have their hand out?

Breastfeeding Ban

2009-01-12T14:40:00.001-06:00

If you haven't heard the hullabaloo, there's been a breastfeeding pic ban at the popular Facebook website which I do not participate in.

I'm all for it.

First, it's not necessarily an all-out breastfeeding ban, but the enforcement of the rules already in effect which state that nipples and aureoles are not allowed. Obviously, the rule was put into effect to regulate the obscene pictures but is being enforced across the board. The word "obscene" has a gray zone that is fought about constantly in the courts but the rule Facebook have put in place give regulators a decent measuring stick. Yes, some non-obscene photos get cut and some obscene photos still get through. Overall, it's a rule that can be enforced evenly and clearly understood by all constituents. That's definitely a positive in anybody's book.

But the whole public breastfeeding crowd drives me crazy. In the name of "ala natural", these women go around baring their breasts for all to see. No it isn't obscene and yes, it's been around since, oh, the creation of humans by God himself, but these women keep forgetting to ask themselves one last question:

Is it decent?

No! No matter the reason, it's not decent to undress yourself in public. Public breastfeeding advocates have no historical basis for their views. The only people who still hang their breasts publicly are the tribes who don't have enough knowledge and manpower to produce enough of their own clothes. You can find their pictures in National Geographic magazine by journalist who had to hunt them down in deep, dank forests. When given donation clothing though I'm not surprised to find that most of them wear it!

I feel pity for the person who buys into the argument that breastfeeding is natural and therefore, it should be public. Natural does not translate into public! Consider these other bodily functions: burping, farting, pooping, peeing, and our ladies menstrual cycle. They are all natural, in fact, needed functions of our body, but most of us wouldn't be caught dead doing them in public.

It's not like it's that hard to avoid breastfeeding in public. I managed to do it for all three of my children.

End of Year Blogging: Texas

2009-01-12T13:43:00.000-06:00

I was going to spend the end of year compiling my favorite end of year lists for everybody to read but instead I spent it sick. I'm playing catch up here for your enjoyment. :)

Texas Monthly gathers and produces the "Bum Steer Awards" for your enjoyment! Consisting only of Texans, they highlight the worst and funniest of our state. Unfortunately you can only access it if you are a registered member. I guess you'll have to read it at the grocery store checkout lines.

Texas Parks and Wildlife came out with their own "Top 10 Texas Conservation News Stories". Ike definitely made the list but there were a lot of other good things that I didn't know about also. But hey, aren't you supposed to start with #10 and work up to #1 when doing a countdown list?

Nutty Allergies

2009-01-10T13:14:00.004-06:00

Here's some interesting information about Peanut Allergies.

Exerpts from the LA Times:

Nut allergies -- a Yuppie invention
Some kids really do have food allergies. But most just have bad reactions to their parents' mass hysteria.

Yes, a tiny number of kids have severe peanut allergies that cause anaphylactic shock, and all their teachers should be warned, handed EpiPens and given a really expensive gift at Christmas. But unless you're a character on "Heroes," genes don't mutate fast enough to have caused an 18% increase in childhood food allergies between 1997 and 2007. And genes certainly don't cause 25% of parents to believe that their kids have food allergies, when 4% do.
Yuppiedom does.

...

When I talked to Christakis, he made it clear that -- unlike me -- he doesn't think peanut allergies represent a mass hysteria. That's because scientists believe in rigorous study and proof, while opinion columnists believe in saying something outrageous to get attention.

But we did agree that it is strange how peanut allergies are only an issue in rich, lefty communities.

"We don't see this problem much in African American or poor communities. So there's something going on here. We don't see them in Ecuador and Guatemala," Christakis said.

updated 1/12: Caroline over at Ladyblog posts her personal experience with her daughter's allergies:

My daughter has what her pediatrician and her allergist have termed, “severe allergies” to eggs, peanuts, and all tree nuts. They prescribed EpiPens and dictated that I shoot her up with one if I even so much as think she might have ingested one of these dreaded foods. Seriously. I was terrified and depressed about it for two weeks.
...
Benadryl or Zyrtec does the trick nicely and I keep one or the other in my purse and at her school.

A solution for Africa

2009-01-10T05:12:00.000-06:00

This man is on his first step to accepting unconditional God's love for him.

From the Times Online:

As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God
Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity ofthe people's mindset
by Matthew Parris

At 24, travelling by land across the continent reinforced this impression. From Algiers to Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Central African Republic, then right through the Congo to Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, four student friends and I drove our old Land Rover to Nairobi.

We slept under the stars, so it was important as we reached the more populated and lawless parts of the sub-Sahara that every day we find somewhere safe by nightfall. Often near a mission.

Whenever we entered a territory worked by missionaries, we had to acknowledge that something changed in the faces of the people we passed and spoke to: something in their eyes, the way they approached you direct, man-to-man, without looking down or away. They had not become more deferential towards strangers - in some ways less so - but more open.

Sweepstakes Fun

2009-01-09T13:06:00.000-06:00

I found a whole lot of Sweepstakes at Reader's Digest!

Enjoy yourself!

Book Reporting: Mistaken Identity

2009-01-08T18:35:00.000-06:00

I just got finished reading Mistaken Identity by the Van Ryns and the Ceraks, the two families involved in this real life drama. I couldn't even get through the first chapter without bursting into tears. You'll need a box of tissue with you as you read. I got it from the library but it was good enough that I bought a copy for a friend for Christmas.

You might have heard the news reports last year. There was a terrible accident with a traveling group of college students and only one survivor. The accident made the news again when the families realized that the surviving girl was not who they had thought.

From the publisher's website:

Meet Laura Van Ryn and Whitney Cerak: one buried under the wrong name, one in a coma and being cared for by the wrong family.

This shocking case of mistaken identity stunned the country and made national news. Would it destroy a family? Shatter their faith? Push two families into bitterness, resentment, and guilt?

Read this unprecedented story of two traumatized families who describe their ordeal and explore the bond sustaining and uniting them as they deal with their bizarre reversal of life lost and life found.

And join Whitney Cerak, the sole surviving student, as she comes to terms with her new identity, forever altered, yet on the brink of new beginnings.

Mistaken Identity weaves a complex tale of honesty, vulnerability, loss, hope, faith, and love in the face of one of the strangest twists of circumstances imaginable.

You can also listen to an exerpt from the audiobook at the publisher's website.

Mislead by the Media

2009-01-08T15:20:00.002-06:00

Why shouldn't I be surprised?

It was all over the media last week: Abstinence pledgers were a complete failure. Those that took abstinence pledges had sex at the same rate as those who didn't. In fact, those that did lose their virginity before marriage were more likely to do so without any pregnancy or STD protection.

But a few days have passed and now we see a couple of articles from people who actually took the time to look at the data presented. Please go and read Mr. McGurn's article so that you can be informed the next time the topic comes up for discussion.

From the Wall Street Journal:

Like a Virgin: The Press Take On Teenage Sex
Yes, attitudes do make a difference in behavior
By William McGurn

The chain reaction was something out of central casting. A medical journal starts it off by announcing a study comparing teens who take a pledge of virginity until marriage with those who don't. Lo and behold, when they crunch the numbers, they find not much difference between pledgers and nonpledgers: most do not make it to the marriage bed as virgins.
Like a pack of randy 15-year-old boys, the press dives right in.

"Virginity Pledges Don't Stop Teen Sex," screams CBS News. "Virginity pledges don't mean much," adds CNN. "Study questions virginity pledges," says the Chicago Tribune. "Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds," heralds the Washington Post. "Virginity Pledges Fail to Trump Teen Lust in Look at Older Data," reports Bloomberg. And on it goes.

In other words, teens will be teens, and moms or dads who believe that concepts such as restraint or morality have any application today are living in a dream world. Typical was the lead for the CBS News story: "Teenagers who take virginity pledges are no less sexually active than other teens, according to a new study."

Here's the rub: It just isn't true.

Title IX Twist

2009-01-08T14:22:00.005-06:00

Some good news from the Title IX fight!

Title IX is the federal law that states there must be equal access to sports for both male and females. The rule helped open the door for female sports such as soccer and basketball but has had a devastating effect on all other sports, especially male orientated ones. If there weren't enough girls in the same sport, the male sport was just shut down. Suddenly, sports such as diving, wrestling, and weight lifting became a no-go for funding because they couldn't attract females to them. Men lost out at a highly disproportionate rate: for each girl added to the sports field, and higher number of men were tossed from the university support.

From One News Now:

Illinois school gets creative, complies with Title IX

"Rather than simply defaulting to this sort of bean-counting mentality of proportionality where you say, you know, 55 percent of our student body is female, [so] that means 55 of our athletes must also be female, they are going for a much more flexible approach that I think will be great for other schools to look at," she contends. "And they are using comprehensive interest surveys, basically asking their student body, 'What sports are you capable of playing? What sports do you want to play?' And they are using that data with the department of education to show that they are in compliance under Title IX."

Which is cheaper?

2009-01-06T04:22:00.002-06:00

From The Eagle:

Police: Man says he stole to feed family

A 23-year-old Bryan man tried to steal food from a grocery store to feed his family, authorities said.

He was charged with theft of property worth more than $50 and less than $500, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000 and 180 days behind bars.

Bryan police said around 8 p.m. Friday, employees of the H-E-B Grocery Store off Villa Maria saw the man walking past the checkout with a basket full of food.

The man had placed some of the food items into plastic bags he had brought inside, and when employees asked he could not tell which register he used for checkout, according to police reports.

The food in his basket totaled more than $200 in value, police said.

After repeated questioning by police, officers said the man admitted to stealing and said he needed food for his family.

Police said he also had an outstanding warrant for theft out of Burnet County.

He was released from the Brazos County Jail on $3,500 bail Saturday.

To pay the $3,500 bond, you have to put down 10%, or $350, in this case. Couldn't come up with the money to buy food but found $350 to get out of jail? It's all about priorities.

End of the Year Blogging

2008-12-26T08:56:00.002-06:00

The end of the year is upon us and you know what that means...

LISTS!

The first one out is from the Young America's Foundation with Academia’s Top 10 Abuses of 2008.

Political correctness ran amuck in our nation’s school system this past year, and Young America’s Foundation has once again compiled our “best of the worst” academic abuses for 2008. From “free speech zones” to transgenderedspeakers at military academies, the following list may make you both laugh and cry in the same breath. That probably isn’t too surprising, however, since we are talking about academia after all…

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T23:24:00.006-06:00

What Child is this, who, laid to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet

While shephers watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherd guard and angels sing;

Haste, haste to bring him laud,

The babe, the son of Mary!

Why lies he in such mean estate

Where ox and ass are feeding?

Good Christian, fear, for sinners here

The silent Word is pleading.

Nails, spears shall peirce him through,

The cross be borne for me, for you;

Hail, hail the Word made flesh,

The babe, the son of Mary!

So bring incense, gold, and myrrh;

Come peasent, king to own him.

The King of kings salvation brings;

Let loving hearts enthrone him.

Raise, raise the song on high,

The virgin sings her lullaby;

Joy, joy for Christ is born,

The babe, the son of Mary!

Priority Blogging

2008-12-22T11:59:00.002-06:00

I don't think my husband can complain about my blogging after this guy.

From Fox News:

Maybe one day they will include it on the safety instruction card: in the event of a crash, please do not start Twittering until you have left the aircraft.

An American software engineer appears to have raised the bar on real-time citizen-journalism after the Boeing 737-500 he was traveling on careened off the runway on take-off at Denver International Airport Saturday.

As flames engulfed the plane, Mike Wilson sent his first Tweet even before managing to get off the aircraft, alerting his friends and family to the drama: "Holy f***ing s*** I was just in a plane crash!"

It was the first of 30 messages Wilson sent to the popular microblogging service, initially via text message and then, when he got home later that night, via the Web. Each message is a maximum of 140 characters long.

The aircraft veered off the runway at about 6:22 p.m. MST on Saturday, shedding one of two engines and catching fire as it skidded off into the snow.

Video explains Keynesian Economics

2008-12-20T08:13:00.000-06:00

(Hat tip: Robert Stacy McCain of RWN)

If God Sent a Christmas Card...

2008-12-19T12:35:00.000-06:00

...what would it say?

Hope
Love
Joy
Pictures of Angels
Merry Christmas

REPENT!

23 He said: “I am
‘ The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“ Make straight the way of the LORD,”’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John 1:23

Before you can spread joy, you must have joy in your heart. Before you can spread love, you must have love in your heart. If you heart is full of hatred and anger for your brother, then that anger is going to spew from your heart. I know we try to hid that anger but our mouths always betrays us!

So if you have sin and darkness in your heart, the love and peace the Christ brings can not find a home there. The Lord wants you to be free of these heavy hearts! Please spend this Christmas season learning to forgive others and asking the Lord's forgiveness. The Lord came to our little Earth just for you! He wants to fill your heart with the unmeasurable joy that the Lord brings to you with the gift of his only begotten Son.

Have a Merry Christmas everybody!

Friday Math Joke

2008-12-19T08:35:00.003-06:00

Did the cop assault the bicyclist?

2008-12-18T11:56:00.002-06:00

Maybe you've seen this video of a New York cop and a bicyclist colliding:

As you can see, it looks like the police man is purposefully elbowing the cyclist. I had watched it a couple of months ago when it was released and came to the same conclusion as many others. The policeman was charged with assault over the incident and today plead not guilty, bring the issue to the forefront again.

So, I watched the video again. This time I came to a completely different conclusion!

I really think the policeman was just trying to get out of the middle of the street. When he saw a cyclist coming his way, he tried to move a little faster and give the cyclist the right of way. The cyclist must have had the same thought as he made a sudden, tight move to the left in the video. The officer puts up his elbow in self-defense of the impending collision and runs. Well, while trying to avoid each other, they wind up colliding.

Well, if that was what really happened, then two normal, non New Yorkers might have apologized to each other and let it end. Maybe if it was on a normal day and not in the middle of an annoying, rude bicycle group's protest, things would have been different. Instead of helping him up, the police officer arrested him for assault and filed additional resisting arrest charges! On top of the assault charge that was brought after this video surfaced, the officer also faces charges of fraudulent filings against the biker.

I can't wait until this one is fought out in court. It seems that most New York cops are found not guilty of the charges against them. I would say he's not guilty of assault but is guilty of filing a false document against the biker.

last thought: I've been in an accident where I was the bicyclist and went flying over my handlebars. The guy I hit helped me up even as I was apologizing profusely.

Wait! You mean economic bailouts have been tried before?

2008-12-18T01:25:00.004-06:00

And they didn't work then either?

From Reason Online:

Return of the Living Dead
What the U.S. can learn from Japan's failed experiment with "zombie businesses"
Anthony Randazzo

Twenty years ago, Japan faced nearly the exact same problems. Then they fell prey to the zombies.

After Japan's asset bubble burst in the late 1980s, their economy took a sharp downturn, prompting government officials to try bailing out banks and investing in infrastructure, much like the activity and proposals floating around America today. The results were terrible.

Mr. Randazzo goes on to list the incredible parallels between the current American economic crisis and the previous Japanese one. It's uncanny and scary. It's your duty to read this eye popping article. Stay informed, no matter how much of an idiot we feel like after reading it.

Grrr: Why didn't our leading officials know this!?!?!

11 Tools to Get for Your Kids

2008-12-17T10:32:00.000-06:00

From Popular Mechanics:

11 Tools to Get for Your Kids
It's important to instill a work ethic in your kids early in their lives, but it is equally important to teach them how to enjoy working and gaining new skills, and it all starts at home. Kids will always remember the first set of tools they lay their hands on, the first thing they make. But with all the tools out there, where should you start? A building contractor gives tips and suggests eleven tools to buy for your children this
holiday season.

Getting Served on Facebook

2008-12-17T07:51:00.004-06:00

There are quite a few people raising alarms over privacy on the Internet after this episode.

From ARS Technica:

The Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court has approved the use of Facebook to serve legal documents to a couple who was otherwise inaccessible at their home or by e-mail, although the couple has since disappeared from the social networking site as well.

The unnamed Australian couple had defaulted on their home loan for AUS$100,000 (almost US$67,000), which spurred the bank to seek the services of Canberra-based law firm Meyer Vandenberg. Attorney Mark McCormack was assigned to the case and unsuccessfully attempted to contact the couple several times at their home, and then again via e-mail. With nowhere else to turn, McCormack asked the Australian court to allow him to serve the papers electronically to the couple via Facebook.

Did this couple have their "right to privacy" violated? First, let's note that this actually occurred in Australia and I have no idea what their laws entail. If this happened in American, I would say that no, there was no violation, merely embarrassment.

If the couple is being served, then that means these documents, their name, and their money problems are already a matter of PUBLIC RECORD. That means any Joe can go and see this document.

Second, the court has an obligation to serve people, even if they are hiding from them. I know in divorce cases, the court will allow for publication in the local newspapers. Facebook is just another means of communicating with people, just like a newspaper.

Now some people have also brought up the idea that you could be late on a bill and that creditor would publish something on your Facebook. In most cases, creditors itself have privacy rules about release of private information and that scenario would be in violation of their own rules. Violating their owe rules gets them sued a lot so I doubt they would do that. But if they publish on Facebook, heck, anywhere on the internet, would that be a violation of some privacy law here in America? I don't really know today but I know in the past, business would post public lists of those behind on store credit on the front door to embarrass their patrons. (It worked too.)

The words "internet" and "privacy" just don't mix. I know in the Brazos Valley, all documents and mug shots are available for free to the public with a quick internet search. I spoke with one mother whose son was arrested for being public intoxicated. She really worries about a future employer finding this past indiscretion and her son losing a prospective job over it. Okay, worried isn't the best word - livid is more like it!

last thought: Did you know that there are groups that peruse the public records to find and publish for business this very information? You can receive list of home and vehicle foreclosures, new purchases, and even lists of those who started up monthly utilities in the mail, all legally obtained from public records. That's one of the ways that you get junk mail when you just moved in a week ago!

Quote of the Day

2008-12-13T17:15:00.002-06:00

Sign me up when you find one!

From Ladyblog:

To be clear, I’m not opposed to a massive right wing conspiracy against an
S&M children’s toy. But I just can’t find any evidence that it actually
exists.
*edit - link fixed

He Stepped in IT

2008-12-13T13:18:00.000-06:00

and then wiped it on his shirt? Ewww!

From the Houston Chronicle:

DNA — animal and human — leads to man's conviction
Evidence on his shirt linked him to rape victim's dog

DUMAS — A Texas Panhandle man was convicted of rape and sentenced to three life terms in prison after tests showed dog feces found on a man's shirt matched DNA from the victim's pet.

...

Police sent the fecal matter on Nanez's shirt, fecal matter from the woman's yard and saliva from her dog to a veterinary genetics lab in California, which matched DNA. DNA does not exist in fecal matter, but cells from the walls of colons attach themselves to waste material, prosecutor David Green said.

Abortion Definitions

2008-12-13T00:21:00.003-06:00

NOTE: I wrote this back in September but forgot to post it. A little late, but I didn't think it was half bad after I re-read it. Sarcasm is hard so please forgive me if I don't get it right for you.

Abortion is a hot topic between two of my favorite blogs and Provenzo. Provenzo, who is desperately trying to defend a women's right to abort her baby has a long and thought out argument. But arguments can only stand of the base they're built and that's why you don't build on sand. The Left likes to use new words and definitions such as "biological independence", "fetus", and "personhood" and weigh them against the more common terms of "with child", "baby", and "human". It's a confusing world when

From Provenzo via Casey Fiano:

"But why is biological independence the defining factor of personhood in both
morality and under the law?"

Once outside the womb, a biological mother's body continues to sustain the "fetus". The same level of nutrients and antibodies, less oxygen, that were delivered to the fetus via blood and an umbilical cord are now delivered via milk and breasts. This unique system is equipped to every female to allow them to continue the biological dependence of their fetus.

As the fetus grows, it learns small tasks, such as picking up food and that, if you push certain buttons on doors, food pops out. Some talented fetuses even develop tool and hunting skills. Parents of the fetus are astounded when they use sticks to stab bugs before they eat them. At this point in development, the human fetus has the intelligence of it's close cousin, the ape. Since 99.99999% of our genes are the same, a blind alien might be unable to tell a human fetus from an ape fetus.

During this time of development, human parents are often exhibit signs of herd mentality. As with dolphins and elephants, two very alike creatures, the development is left with older humans of the same clan. At approximately age 3, humans teach their fetuses to poop in a distinct location, just like the earth animal named pig.

Suddenly, at approximately age 5, the fetus graduates into a new level of intelligence, decisively separating it from it's ape cousin and mysteriously morphing into a "human". The first sign of logical, verbal argument are usually presented in the fetus' self-defense: "But Jimmy did it first!" Though frustrating to fetus' parents, is also the hallmark that a fetus has finally developed into a human, unique from other animals on earth.

//sarcasm off

Biological independence is a bad fact, a farce. There is no such thing. I've never met a truly biological independent person. I can say today that I am biologically dependent from my mother but I can never say that I am biologically independent. Besides, the independent/dependent relationship does not automatically translate into an authoritative relationship. Even further, an authoritative relationship does not automatically grant the authority over life or death. Historically, even owners of slaves, which were considered property and not given recognition of personhood by the government, were not granted the authority over their life and death.

Even the left's definition of "personhood" is weak and easily ripped apart. Their definition of personhood is represented by what rights are afforded it. You're getting it mixed up. Historically rights have defined citizenship and, only recently, been afforded to all people. Yet all these centuries, people were people even without "rights". Rights are granted by government; Personhood is not and can not. Slaves were always people, just people without rights.

Being outside the womb isn't what makes us different from the animals around us. Being outside the womb isn't what makes us human.

Scientists can't settle on a definition of life yet everybody knows what it is. Don't hide behind made-up definitions.

Word of the Year

2008-12-10T06:18:00.001-06:00

Merriam-Webster announced their word of the year based on "highest intensity of lookups on Merriam-Webster Online over the shortest period of time."

10. turmoil
9. misogyny
8. rogue
7. precipice
6. trepidation
5. bipartisan
4. maverick
3. socialism
2. vet (v)
1. bailout

Most of the words are related to the most current election: bailout, socialism, maverick, bipartisan, and maybe even rogue and vet. Yet I'm completely floored at the simplicity of most of these words. Did people really not know what rogue, vet, or maverick meant? Yet, a look at previous year word list shows that this isn't a new trend at all.

Bailout takes the top honors. Just think of it: Congress passed a bailout but there were a lot of American that didn't even know what that meant!

Outstanding Young Man

2008-12-09T22:27:00.002-06:00

Do you remember hearing about the young man who campaigned for a local school board seat and won at age 19? Don't you wonder what happened to him? Here's an awesome article about him, definitely worth your time to read.

From Human Events:

Gen Y Republican
by Elisabeth Meinecke

He’s from Illinois, young, smart and has a natural talent for relating to voters. And no, he’s not Barack Obama: he’s Aaron Schock, the newly elected U.S. representative for Illinois’ 18th district. Even Biden would like him -- he’s young, clean, and articulate, and at 27, will bring a Generation Y voice to Congress in January.

British Schools Dump History, Geography

2008-12-09T15:08:00.002-06:00

Just remember, whatever Europe trys, liberals will eventually try to adopt here in America too, even if it's a complete failure.

From the Daily Mail:

History and geography axed in primary schools for lessons on healthy living and the environment
By Laura Clark

Traditional subjects such as history and geography are to be axed in the biggest overhaul of primary education for 20 years.
Timetables will instead be arranged around six 'areas of learning' that merge subjects into general themes. Pupils will also spend more time learning how to deal with 'deep societal concerns' such as violence, drug abuse, obesity, teenage pregnancy and debt.

This announcement comes on the heals over another important British educational study: (Hat tip: Joanne Jacobs)

From the Times Online:

School lessons designed to help children to learn social and emotional skills and improve classroom discipline have had little impact on pupil behaviour, a study suggests.
The programme called Seal (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) encourages pupils to discuss their feelings and manage their emotions. But a study of the group work phase of the project indicates that it is not having the desired effect on classroom or home behaviour.
Parents, teachers and pupils who took part in the study said there was no formal evidence the programme had any impact on “core” social skills like behaviour, empathy and self-awareness, when undertaken in groups.

I guess groups hugs, journals, wearing the same t-shirts, and hours upon hours of role play just couldn't rid middle school of mean girls and bully boys. Now they want to make failed programs like this into "curriculum". I wonder if students will be tested on it. Do you fail the section on healthy eating if they catch you snacking on a candy bar? Get caught fighting and have to "retest" on anger management?

I gotta feel for the students though. If there's one thing they can do, it's smell BS in adults. Can you imagine having to put up with 40 minutes every day?

Winter Solstice - A celebration of attacking everybody else?

2008-12-07T20:02:00.000-06:00

Here's the background story: Some religious groups have been putting up their holiday displays and an atheist group wanted to add their own Winter Solstice display. The sign was displayed, but stolen, found in a ditch, returned to a radio station, and put back on display.

As you can see, the sign is not celebrating anything. The group is taking this opportunity to insult and protest everybody else who disagrees with them. But the aethists can't even see the hatred in front of their own noses. Their leader was quoted as saying, "The atheist message was never intended to attack anyone."

Friendly rivalry

2008-12-07T17:28:00.004-06:00

Raising some money for a good cause.

From KBTX.com:

Twin Cities' Mayors Ring Bells For Salvation Army
Its a rivalry in the twin cities that's even involved the mayors, only this contest is friendly, and all about trying to see who could raise the most money for the Salvation Army.

Bryan mayor Mark Conlee rang a bell and took donations outside the Bryan Walmart for an hour Saturday.

College Station mayor Ben White did the same, in front of that city's Walmart.

Mayor Conlee was the overwhelming winner, and so Mayor White will present his Bryan counterpart with a bell trophy at an upcoming Bryan City Council meeting.

Over $5,500 dollars was raised for the Salvation Army, with Walmart providing $3,000 dollars to the cause.

Now the College Station Walmart is not a Super Walmart like the Bryan site. The Super Walmart has two entrances though, making it a fair fight. Kudos to Bryan people!

Thank you Walmart too!

Update:

The Eagle has a lot more details on the pots.

Conlee collected $4,002.89, and White brought in $1,589.28, officials said.
Wal-Mart added $1,000 each and pitched an additional $1,000 to Conlee's kettle for his victory, bringing the total raised during the event to more than $8,590.
Last year, Bryan's mayor raised more than $3,000, while College Station's mayor pro tem raised roughly $1,600.

The KBTX article makes it seem like $3000 of the $5,500 came from Walmart. It's good to know that the total was actually over $8000! Wow!

Legalized Sin attracts Crime

2008-12-06T16:23:00.003-06:00

European liberal society has tried to decrimilize the "sin" of our culture. By letting the sun shine on these victimless crimes, they believed that it would allow people to get their kicks and then return to their normal life. For some reason unknown, it just kept attracting more crime anyway. The Libertarians must be heartbroken!

From Fox News:

Many of Amsterdam's Brothels, Marijuana Cafes to Close

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to shutter up to half of its famed brothels and marijuana cafes as part of a major cleanup of its ancient city center.The city says it wants to drive organized crime out of the neighborhood, and is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including prostitution, gambling parlors, "smart shops" that sell herbal treatments, head shops and "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly.

Sex in the City....Park

2008-12-06T12:04:00.001-06:00

A town had to re-write their laws after a Judge suddenly decided that sex in the park was not considered "disorderly conduct".

From The State:

But in June, Columbia got a new chief administrative judge who had a different interpretation of the law, Coble said.

Judge Dana Turner, who was one of the city’s assistant city managers, said the disorderly conduct ordinance was meant to keep people from shouting profanities and fighting in public, not from having sex in public.

“We have made an attempt to have people charged for doing things in our park that were not acceptable, and we were not successful in court,” Baker said.

It was "meant" only to do what she think? The definition of disorderly conduct has been around since 1786. Maybe the judge should have read the definition of disorderly conduct at Merriam-Webster:

:a petty offense chiefly against public order and decency that falls short of an indictable misdemeanor

Does not keeping your clothes on in public fall under the term decency? Isn't keeping sexual activities out the public park part of keeping public order? If the judge is confused, she should just hire a Texas Grandma. If Texas Grandma says, "Well, that just ain't right," then it probably doesn't qualify as "decent".

I had thought the article would be about catching teenagers driving down "Lover's Lane" and making out in their cars. The first line of the article set off my "gaydar" though.

People are having consensual sex in Columbia’s parks — but primarily in Granby Park along the river — and a loophole in the city’s ordinance has kept the city from prosecuting them.

Consensual sex? Versus what- rape? By applying the label "consensual", the reporter is telling us not to judge them -butt out- as they are adults making their own decisions that are none of our business. If the newspaper is justifying the sex, then you know it's gotta be about gays. Oh yeah, it was all about gay men. However, I find over and over, it's always worse than I think.

Granby Park has had problems before with men soliciting sex from other men.

It's hook-up spot for whoring gay men. These aren't even couples! And it gets even nastier because the article goes on to state how it happens in a lot of other city parks. I must have been stupid to think it was just limited to airport bathrooms.

Medical Blogging

2008-12-06T08:43:00.001-06:00

My favorite Medical blogger closed up shop last year and I have been without for a long time! Here are two good articles for y'all to read.

The Blog That Ate Manhattan breaks down the marketing ploys of Big Pharma's newest, gotta have little pill.

But what if we could combine disease awareness with brand name recognition by actually renaming the disease with your drug's brand name? Better still, forget disease recognition altogether. Cast an even wider net and tie your brand name to the symptoms of the disorder. Who cares if other diseases might have the same symptoms? You're going to own that symptom, and then, like a rancher with a
roped calf, brand it.

Growing up, my mother always said that generics were no different than the name brand medicines. She might have been right then, but with the emergence of non-American drugs, can we still be so sure? Dr. Reyes breaks down a recent study for us here.

Translation: one of the ten studies, they found that generic diuretics, AKA “water pills”, a medicine used for water retention and high blood pressure,
didn’t work as well as the name brand product; but what is more upsetting is that two of the seven studies that compared Calcium channel blockers found that the drugs were not equivalent. These medicines are mainly used for high blood pressure, but sometimes used for irregular heart beat.

A Love Guru at Age 9

2008-12-05T07:54:00.004-06:00

This article was absolutely darling!

From the New York Post:

I WROTE THE BOOK OF LOVE
9-YEAR-OLD REVEALS DATING SECRETS
By JENNIFER FERMINO

He's only 9, but this pint-sized pickup artist already knows plenty about pleasing the ladies.

So much, in fact, that Alec Greven's dating primer, "How to Talk to Girls" - which began as a handwritten, $3 pamphlet sold at his school book fair - hit the shelves nationwide last week.

The fourth-grader from Castle Rock, Colo., advises Lothario wannabes to stop showing off, go easy on the compliments to avoid looking desperate - and be wary of "pretty girls."

"It is easy to spot pretty girls because they have big earrings, fancy dresses and all the jewelry," he writes in Chapter Three.

"Pretty girls are like cars that need a lot of oil."

He advises, "The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys. Don't let them get to you."

Sigh! Don't we wish all boys thought with the head and didn't think excess deoderant and hairspray was the way to impress the ladies.

Thanksgiving dinner

2008-12-05T07:33:00.004-06:00

Howdy Everybody!

I was hoping to have pics of my feast by now but no such luck. My mom takes most of the pictures in the family and I forgot to download them all before she left. Then I forgot again to download them when she was here on Saturday, and when we met on Sunday...

Our Menu

Turkey - Hubby makes the turkey! It was absolutely wonderful, juicy and tender.
Stuffing - I made three boxes for the turkey and then had to make two more to feed everybody.
Sweet Potato Casserole - Sister was going to try a new of doing the sweet potatoes as individual patties but we didn't. Instead we relied on Mom's years of experience and tossed her in the kitchen when she arrived. It was wonderful even though she didn't have a recipe. (I actually liked it a little better!)
Green Bean Casserole - A double recipe of this left us with no leftovers. Sad.
Mashed Potatoes - I used plenty of real butter and half and half instead of milk. Then I whipped them instead of beating for a different texture.
Apple Tart - Cut up apples in a pastry covered with marmalade jam. Sister forgot to add the butter and sugar to the recipe but it turned out wonderful anyway. The sweetness and flavor of the apples stood out instead.
Corn Bread - Again, made from scratch. Two people asked me for my recipe!
Desserts - There was so much food that I ran out of room for the desserts and had to set up my ironing board to contain the overflow. Three pumpkin pies, a pumpkin cake, banana bread, chocolate cake, pecan pie, apple pie w/ ice cream, pineapple upside down cake, and two giant pans of fudge. I also make my own cool whip.

I had 11 adults and four children for Thanksgiving. There were almost no leftovers! I'll make more food next time.

News You Can Drink To

2008-11-21T06:39:00.004-06:00

Dr. Pepper CEOs are still living in the 80s too.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Guns N’ Roses delivered and so will Dr Pepper
Nov. 20, 2008

LOS ANGELES — Dr Pepper is making good on its promise of free soda now that the release of Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy is a reality.

The soft-drink maker said in March that it would give a free soda to everyone in America if the album dropped in 2008. Chinese Democracy, infamously delayed since recording began in 1994, goes on sale Sunday.

“We never thought this day would come,” Tony Jacobs, Dr Pepper’s vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “But now that it’s here, all we can say is: The Dr Pepper’s on us.”

Beginning Sunday at 12:01 a.m., coupons for a free 20-ounce soda will be available for 24 hours on Dr Pepper’s Web site. They’ll be honored until Feb. 28.

Dr Pepper is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.

Last thought: I hear the bell ringing. I think I'll run out and get one!

Update: I wasn't able to get through the system to get my coupon! Boo hoo!

Reading List

2008-11-20T12:40:00.008-06:00

I just started reading Texas Women on the Cattle Trails. Yes, I'm a little weird. I read non-fiction instead of just fiction. In high school just glancing at the non-fiction section would give me the heebie-jeebies. Why would anybody voluntarily read a boring book? Why did the book stores even stock them? Did people actually buy, take them home, and read them more than once????

Shortly after I got married, I found myself wandering the non-fiction at the public library. I rarely go back to fiction stories as I'm always halfway through the story when the author decides to throw in something nasty to ruin a good story. Bleh. If it's gonna be dirty, real life is the way to go then!

The first story in the book is about Kate Malone Medlin. She was born in Kentucky but got to Texas as fast as she could, age 7 to be exact. She grew up in Denton County and was apparently quite a lovely lady.

In 1855 Kate, at seventeen, had attracted the interest of a local German, who asked to marry her. When Kate's mother, Polly, refused the offer, the infuriated man shot Polly and mortally wounded her. Kate's father rushed to his wife's defense, wrestled the gun from the man, and beat him over the head with the gun, breaking the man's neck and killing him.

She later married Jarrett Medlin and they had three kids with another on the way when the civil war was going on. Jarrett left to join the Confederacy and the pay just wasn't enough, or wasn't there at all, and all the mothers of the time just had to make do.

The war was hard on the women of the county, who were kept busy spinning and weaving their "own dresses; they looked awefully coarse and ugly, as many of us had never woven any cloth, much less worn such shoddy looking goods. "

Kate's husband died of measles and exposure during the war and she was a widow with four children. Her extended family decided to drive cattle to California to make a buck and she, not having any other family, decided to join them. That simple, totally based on need decision, for her family's survival, is what had her lined up in a wagon on the morning of April 15, 1868 to cross the wilds of the American West.

"Once out into the frontier of Texas amid the cattle range, we stayed there long enough to gather enough stock to bring with us, which took until the 3rd of May. Then we started for California with our string of seven wagons."

Did you know that's how the Texas cattle drives got their cattle? Yup, they just walked out and gathered them from the plains. Oops- you might have just learned something from a non-fiction book!

Driving 1800 head of cattle can cause some problems. One of the problems was a three day stretch of land with no watering holes at all. The horses and oxen stock were kept watered but not the cattle. After three days of traveling the cattle got their first whiff of water and went mad trying to get it. The herders tried to stop them because the water was bad; many drank anyway, dieing so fast they they didn't even crawl out of the water holes. When they finally reached the Pecos river, the animals pushed other off of cliffs and into quicksand to get to the river. Half of their herd died from water troubles.

Their leadership, the man elected captain, was also very poor.

Having selected a captain and given him decision-making authority on the trail, they set off heading west to California. As they neared the cutoff for the fort where they had planned to get provisions and ammunitions, the captain, expressing assurance for their safety, decided not to go to the fort but rather to continue on to find sufficient grass and water for the livestock. Hall Medlin, Kate, and the others went along with the captain and thus were not equipped with the needed guns, ammunition, and food for the ordeals that lay ahead.

Oh yeah, you need guns and hands. Why?

"So we started to our doom and I felt as though we were going into trouble as we had heard that the Indians had taken a large herd of cattle only three days before. This, our Captain did not believe, but I did, as we could see find beef cattle along the roadside. The Indians had secured them from the train ahead and had let them scatter out on the range to feed."

And, yes, the Indians came. "INDIANS!"

"I quickly placed my children and my sister's children in my wagon and put my feather beds around them, as I had heard that bullets would not go through feathers."

Kate was all ready to grab a gun and start firing at the Indians but the men had other plans for them. Oh, you're probably thinking, "They had them loading the guns while they fired."

Kate grabbed her old Enfield rifle, but the men told the women to make bullets for their few weapons. ... The women melted lead and then poured the hot metal into the molds and, after a quick cooling, passed the bullets to the men, who were reloading as fast as possible.

After the fight, the women went ahead to town while the men tried to gather what was left of their cattle. For two weeks, they had to beg for food but were told they were lucky to be alive.

Along the way, a relative died from complications of a pulled back. He was trying to lift a wagon out of the mud. Kate's daughter Sarah was also hurt.

One day Kate's daughter Sarah was walking by the side of the wagon. While attempting to climb back inside, she fell underneath the front wheel, which ran her over, breaking her leg and thigh. Hall Medlin had to sell one yoke of oxen, worth $25, to pay for a doctor in Yuma to set her thighbone.

See, doctors have always been expensive.

They did make it to California but the trip was a "financial disaster." They were lucky and happy to be alive and life continued. I did find this note very interesting.

Kate, as was common at the time, married her late husband's older brother, Marion.

Though I know re-marrying into the same family has it's roots in the Bible, I had no idea that it been continued in the American West. If you already have kids though, it makes perfect sense. As modern day divorced women can tell you, it's hard to find a man that cares for somebody else's kids. But with family, a bond between the man and children has already formed, and often a friendship bond between the widow and members of his family.

Final thought from Kate concerning her journey:

"I tell you, the women of California don't know what hard work is. We women of Texas had worked both indoors and outdoors when needed, which was often during the Civil War."

Last thought: Don't you suddenly feel inspired to go buy this from Busted Tees?

Favorite Political Online Places

2008-11-14T14:40:00.003-06:00

I don't take the newspaper and I don't pay for cable. I get most of my news from bloggers and news sites online now. Here are my favorite bloggers from this past political season, in no particular order.

Bloggers

Gateway Pundit: Once I got my connection fixed and could download videos, I completely fell in love with this video blogger. A girl? A guy? I don't even know. Gateway Pundit is from St. Louis and has new content on the website all day long. Short video clips are an awesome addition.

Michelle Malkin: Ms. Malkin has been a mainstay in the blogging business for a couple of years now. She writes newspaper columns, is a commentator for political shows, and has even done some cable news hosting. Her posting are always informative and right on target. She also runs Hot Air, a video blog.

Right Wing News: RWN is run by John Hawkins but this political season he branched out and now has many other bloggers on his site. The commentary is always posted fresh in the morning for everybody to read. His blogging has turned a pretty nickel and now he gets paid for writing some political columns at Townhall. He also runs Conservative Grapevine, a compilation of news and blog articles for you peruse each day.

There's also Powerline and Instapundit, two awesome groups.

Columnists

For commentary other than just blogs, I head over to Townhall and Human Events and get your head full of Hugh Hewitt, Ann Coulter, Thomas Sowell, and John Stossel. My dad saw Human Events up on my computer and spent the whole afternoon catching up on articles by Michael Reagan.

My other favorite is Spengler from the Asian Times. He's very much an international character and has a completely different perspective of how American decisions effect the rest of the world. He makes me go "hmmm". :)

News Sites

When I say I'm a Republican, people automatically assume I'm spending my evenings plugged into the Fox News Channel. Sorry to disappoint! I do love their online news site and will catch up on some politcal commentary every once in a while. I also frequent CNN but I really don't like their site, news seems scarce and it has too much video. This political season I also found myself going to the British sites for American news! Yes, I could find more commentary, diverse opinions, and even articles about good things happening in American over at the Daily Mail and Telegraph!

You
What are your favorites? Do you even read news online?

Updated: I fixed all the url links. I have no idea why blogger decided to add "www.blogger.com" in front of every url I listed. Somebody at Google has been messing with a perfectly good script.

Some parents DO get it right

2008-11-13T22:37:00.003-06:00

From Fox News:

A 6-year-old Arizona boy was grounded by his mother after he was hit by a police car while riding his bike, MyFOXPhoenix.com reported.

Recently released surveillance video of the Nov. 2 accident shows Jason Justice and his sister Jessica riding their bikes through an apartment complex parking lot. When the Phoenix police car slowly approaches the two, Jessica veers away while Jason continues straight ahead, ultimately getting hit and pushed a short distance by the car.

....

Justice said her son is grounded until he gets his bike fixed and starts wearing a helmet.

It's nice to see people take responsibility for their children instead of suing others.

Old Article, Good Read

2008-11-09T14:15:00.000-06:00

From City Journal:

How I Joined Teach for America—and Got Sued for $20 Million
by Joshua Kaplowitz

An idealistic new Yale grad learns up close and personal just how bad inner-city schools can be—and why.

It was May 2000, and the guy at Al Gore’s polling firm seemed baffled. A Yale political-science major, I’d already walked away from a high-paying consulting job a few weeks earlier, and now I was walking away from a job working on a presidential campaign to do . . . what?

Well, when push came to shove, I didn’t want to devote my life to helping the rich get richer or crunching numbers to see what views were most popular for the vice president to adopt. This wasn’t what my 17 years of education were for.

My doctor parents had drummed into me that education was the key to every door, the one thing they couldn’t take away from my ancestors during pogroms and persecutions. They had also filled me with a strong sense of social justice. I couldn’t help feeling guilty dismay when I thought of the millions of kids who’d never even tasted the great teaching—not to mention the supportive family—I’d enjoyed for my entire life.

I told the Al Gore guy, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Weird as he might have thought it, I had decided to teach in an inner-city school

Boys Prove Themselves the Ultimate Sport Nuts

2008-11-08T10:28:00.002-06:00

It started as a simple fundraiser for their new gym, but the two teams wound up setting a new Guiness World Record for the longest basketball marathon.

From The Reporter

School more important than world record, says coach
By Paula Schlueter Ross

It's official: "The longest basketball marathon is 77 hours, 7 minutes, 7 seconds, set by students of Heartland Lutheran High School in their gymnasium, Nebraska, United States, from 4 to 7 July 2008." So reads the certificate from Guinness World Records, received in August by Coach Lloyd Wagnitz on behalf of the LCMS high school in Grand Island, Neb. Wagnitz plans to officially present the award to the school during its first basketball game of the year Dec. 4.

The "Basketball Extravaganza 77," as it was called, also was designed to raise money for the school's new building, which houses classrooms and its first-ever gym. Players accepted donations from sponsors, with a goal of raising $27,000. As of Oct. 21, the fund was still growing and totaled more than $62,000.

...

Playing basketball for a little over three days straight wasn't an easy feat, he admits. After 10 hours of continuous basketball, the two dozen players - ages 15 to 23 -- wanted to keep going, even though their coach wasn't so sure they should. "I saw in their eyes that they were starting to question if they could do it," Wagnitz told Reporter. But he "continued to encourage the players, said a prayer, and pressed on," even though he was "sick with grief" and "guilt" for hours, and even "broke down in tears" to a parent, who assured the coach that the boys really wanted to keep playing.

Wagnitz says "God had His hand in this event all the way" and also credits the players, who "were willing to do whatever it took" to help the school raise needed funds. The "Basketball Extravaganza 77" Web site at http://www.icanphil413.com/ features photos and testimonies from the players, including Brett, a former Heartland Lutheran Red Hornet, who said he played "to honor all of my teachers, family, and friends that supported me when I was enrolled at Heartland Lutheran High School. They all encouraged me to be the best I could [be]. By playing this game we are raising money to save the school so more kids can attend and have a great experience. This is a great thing God is doing with this school and I want it to continue." The Web site and quotes from players "tell everyone that the main purpose was our school, not the record," acknowledged Wagnitz, whose life has changed dramatically as a result of the "Extravaganza."

The final score was 7,641 to 7,212 with the alumni taking the win. Will the students demand a re-match?

Reading List

2008-11-06T17:07:00.005-06:00

Trinity Schools has released a new reading list for 7th through 12th graders. Now, I don't know anything about Trinity but the depth and breadth of material that they cover is truly awe-inspiring. Their students will read and study these titles, not just recommend them to parents.

Reading List Linky

Ninth Grade
Documents in American history
The Federalist Papers (selections)
Selections from the writings of Thomas Jefferson
Selections from the Lincoln-Douglas debates
Crane, The Red Badge of Courage
Thoreau, Walden; Civil Disobedience
Twain, Huckleberry Finn
Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
Cather, My Antonia
Sinclair, The Jungle
Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea
Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
Short stories of Crane, Cather, O'Connor
Wilder, Our Town
American poetry

Of the whole list, I've read seven. I own two others on the list but haven't finished the.

If The Shoe Fits pt2

2008-11-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

HELMETS

Let’s start with the helmet. This one is easily the most likely to wind up tangled in debate. We won’t get into laws or which standard is better in this go-‘round. So, what makes a good helmet? It has been said, “If you have a $10 head, wear a $10 helmet.” I agree, to a point. You don’t need a very expensive helmet to get decent protection for your head. DOT is the minimum standard. Snell is a higher standard in the States. CE or ECE, I would say, is the European counterpart to Snell: a higher standard in an effort to produce the best protection. Oh yeah, in case you hadn’t picked up on it, I’m talking full-face helmets with a visor. Half and three-quarter helmets look cool but severely compromise protection and are for idiots and performers.

Flashy graphics are flashy and have no part on what will protect your head in a crash, so we’ll pretend we want something plain, a solid color. Graphics can add a substantial amount to the cost of a helmet. But image being everything that it is means that some will pick a helmet that isn’t right for them because it looks cool. Get over it! The first important thing to consider is comfort/fit. These go together because comfort won’t help if the fit is wrong. A comfortable helmet that does not fit properly will not provide ideal crash protection.

If it is too loose, the helmet may come off entirely in a crash. On a daily basis it will move around a lot in the wind and create distractions and even headaches from vibrations or the visual strain of a moving object in your face. If too tight, wearing on a daily basis may not happen because it hurts to wear it. If you can’t stand to wear the helmet, you are far less likely to wear one in the first place.

Trying on a helmet before purchasing it should take a long time. A 30-second assessment in a shop will not tell you if pressure points are there which will make your head hurt the first time you are on the bike for more than fifteen minutes. Try the prospective helmet on and wander around the shop. Take your time. Look at other stuff. Take some more time. It may be helpful to find a shop which will allow you to return a helmet. Cycle Gear is one such place. They have a 30-day return policy (check with your shop for their specific policies and details) and will allow you to swap for a better size if all is still well with the helmet.

One of my earlier helmets was Shoei RF-800. It fit like it was made using my head as the form. I loved it. But eventually the need arose to replace it and the 800 was no longer available. I went to the new-and-improved RF model and was very excited about it. It was lighter and had better ventilation than my old helmet. The price had risen a bit with time, but I managed to make the deal happen. At the time, I had a three hour one-way commute that was done two to three times a week. Six to nine hours per week, just in commute time. I had some trouble pretty quickly, but chalked it up to needing to get used to the new lid. I went almost three months before I hurt so bad after the commute, that I had to factor in recuperation time with my trips. My wife convinced me to go ahead and search for a new helmet.

I tried every model and brand in all the bike shops I could find. I kept coming back to one particular model I had never considered before because it was about three times as much as I considered to be reasonable for a helmet. I wound up getting the Shoei X-11, a high-end model that cost what I considered to be a ridiculous amount of money. It worked better than I could have dreamed because it was not only well fit to my head, eliminating any pressure points, but ventilates better than any helmet I have ever tried. I wanted a $10 helmet, but couldn't find one that fit. The X-11 and I are still together, and will stay so attached, so long as Shoei doesn't go and mess with the head-form design.

Do I think about my head as I ride? Nope. It's well fit and cared for.

National Day of Prayer

2008-11-04T17:15:00.002-06:00

I think that Election Day is the *official* National Day of Prayer.

A Prayer for Good Government

Eternal Lord, Ruler of all, graciously regard those who have been set in positions of authority among us that they may be guided by your Spiri, be high in purpose, wise in counsel, firm in good resolution, and unwavering in duty, that under them we may be governed quietly and peaceably; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

For Responsible Citizenship

Lord, keep this nation under your care. Bless the leaders of our land that we may be a people at peace among ourselves and a blessing to the other nations of the earth. Help us provide trustworthy leaders, contribute to wise decisions for the general welfare, and thus serve you faithfully in our generation to the honor of your holy name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

AMEN!!

Done the Deed

2008-11-04T13:45:00.004-06:00

My sister and I packed the baby into the stroller and walked over to the school to vote. We are official!

I do love the Texas electronic voting machines. Instead of a touch screen, you use a small wheel to move the cursor from candidate to candidate. Each time you move the wheel, a small click and pause helps you place the cursor. There are separate buttons for "enter" and "cast ballot". Kudos to the people who put together this well thought out, yet simple machine.

Even if my fellow citizens choose a President that doesn't lead my nation down the straight and narrow road, I'll still lead my life as a Christian, praying for those in need and showing love to my neighbor. "They'll know you're a Christian by your love," as the song goes, not by state of affairs that surround us.

Just Tell Us The Truth

2008-11-03T14:08:00.008-06:00

You have a choice to make this election. Do you know where the candidates stand on abortion? Do their written statements match the words coming out their mouth? This video makes it perfectly clear for the undecided Christian voter.

I think I've watched this video a dozen times! I love it! Great production, editing, symbolism, and the music is awesome. I had been studying that chapter from Deuteronomy they quote at the end for my Sunday School class and it made it even more personal to me.

The video is produced by Americas Choice Now. Go add your comments to their site if you liked it. We should definitely encourage each other.

The hat tip goes to Gateway Pundit. He's a video blogger that I now visit almost everyday. He has a comprehensive collection of all the wonderful pro-life videos and ads that have been produced this political season. This one is my favorite. I bet you could find a favorite of your own if you went there. To search his site for just pro-life related videos click here.

Last thought: You might also notice that I've added Lutherans for Life under my favorite links. Their news and commentary section is updated regularly and offers a comprehensive cross-section of life issues from around the world. The site also publishes a quarterly magazine you can get for free. Their leader, James Lamb, is an excellent writer and his essays are always pleasant, informative, and fulfilling. They offer an excellent opportunity to stay informed, fight, and pray!

If The Shoe Fits

2008-10-31T21:15:00.000-05:00

Recently I was reading Lee Parks Total Control (lSBN 0-7603-1403-9,) particularly the chapter on riding gear. In it he cites the Taoist sage Chuang Tze, who 2500 years ago established the standard for proper gear fitment. He said, “When the shoe fits, the foot is forgotten.” This really describes the ideal relationship for a rider and his gear. As good as your gear may be, as much as you have spent on it, as flashy as it appears, it should be quite forgettable once it is in place.

I have tried many different versions of the various gear available out there in mesh, leather, other synthetics for boots, gloves, jackets, pants and cold weather and rain protection. So, how does one go about quickly identifying the best in riding gear out there? It has taken me more than a dozen years to learn as much as I know, yet I haven’t the aptitude, patience or wit to enable you to quickly pick out what is best for YOU in riding gear. These evaluations are very subjective. I'll try to keep it to some tips and examples.

First, let’s itemize what we seek. 1) A helmet to protect the ol’ noggin’. 2)Gloves, cause it’s so hard to do buttons up without using your fingers. Walking would be pretty tough without feet, so 3) boots are in there too. And 4) protection for the rest of you, including varying climates.

All will be covered in due time.

Christians getting it Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

2008-10-30T17:19:00.002-05:00

The article itself is written by a bunch of people who are insulting Christianity and taking great pleasure at their mistake. Even so, I laughed heartily when I saw the picture. Hindsight is 20/20.

Where's Charlton Heston when you need him?
Posted on: October 29, 2008 9:59 PM, by PZ Myers

Picture Caption: We are going to intercede at the site of the statue of the bull
on Wall Street to ask God to begin a shift from the bull and bear markets to
what we feel will be the 'Lion's Market,' or God's control over the economic
systems. While we do not have the full revelation of all this will entail, we do
know that without intercession, economies will crumble.

Trust me, this is one of those things in the Judeo-Christian heritage that never ends well. There's this jealous god who does smitings.

My son is undecided still in this election

2008-10-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

I never thought politics would seep down so low, even to the elementary school level. My son came home last week talking about the election. One of his classmates told him that he was voting for Obama because "McCain was going to start a war with Russia and then all the world would be at war and there would be nuclear bombs everywhere." With saving the world from destruction on his mind, the boy announced that he was definitely voting for Obama.

Where's a parent to begin when faced with a statement like that from an impressionable ten year old? Well, I assured him that if Russia wanted to start a war that they probably didn't care who was President and that nobody was going to be dropping nuclear weapons on anybody else. Then I tried to explain taxes on small businesses, how it would effect his dad, and why I was voting for McCain.

Today my boy got to play McCain on the school announcements! He read a little statement and wore a face mask. Tomorrow the students get to hold an election and vote for their favorite candidate. I didn't see the speech that he gave before this afternoon. It wasn't BAD but it was elementary-ish. I would have re-written it slightly if I had seen it beforehand.

Hi everyone. My name is John McCain and I am the 2008 Republican Presidential nominee. I am 72 years old. My running mate is Sarah Palin who is the Governor of Alaska. I was born in Panama, and attended the United States Naval Academy. I am a senator from Arizona. I was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War and was captured by the North Vietnamese. I have a wonderful wife named Cindy and 4 beautiful children named Meghan, John, James, and Bridget. In High School I was a Varsity wrestler which I think helped me through the 5 and a half years that I was a prisoner of war. I have great ideas to change our society and make it a better place for everyone. I'd like to be your next President.
Please vote for me!

Tomorrow is the day the students vote. J-Boy was telling me how he was still confused frustrated about who to vote for! He thinks what I said about McCain was very good but apparently he still finds his friend's statement about the Russian war very persuasive too!

Well, as an loving parent, I tried to reveal unto the small lad the second great mystery of the world- politics. I began by explaining the purpose of government, to provide a safe and stable infrastructure so businesses and people can thrive, but I had to backtrack and define infrastructure for him. I told him that making a decision on an election meant research, reading, and educating yourself, none of which him or any of his friends had ever done. I didn't expect him to know who to vote for! His friends were just listening to their parents and, though that's definitely a good thing, when he gets old enough to vote, I expect him to do his own research and not just vote because of what I was voting. This was suddenly a very deep discussion.

I hope that I've given him some ammo with which to make playground politics discussions non-stressful. He also said that the teachers really, really want everybody to participate in the vote tomorrow. I hope my assurances that he doesn't have to "make a choice" and I surely wasn't going to find fault in his indecision help him not to worry. His problems will probably end tomorrow. Us adults get to stress for another week.

Scariest Halloween Costume?

2008-10-25T16:20:00.001-05:00

Sure, there are a lot of scary Halloween costumes out there. There are Batmans, Jokers, and lots of Hannah Montana look-a-likes running around flashing their underwear. I've seen pictures of dogs dressed like Sarah Palin. What's worse is that I thought the dog was absolutely adorable in the picture.

This one made me spill my chocolate milk. The FLDS Mother Costume.

I hope they remember to have six other friends wear this costume with one man hanging around them.

Voter Registration Problem? All Fixed

2008-10-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

My sister and her family moved up to Aggieland from Houston this past December. She registered to vote a month or so ago but hadn't received her card yet in the mail. I watched the baby while she ran down to the Voter's Registration Office. It seems hers was one of the "bad" cards that couldn't be matched. The clerk didn't notice the "i" at the end of her name and it left off completely. Even though the DL# was input correctly, their system could not match the name or figure out the problem. A quick visual of her license would have shown the clerk what the problem was.

Voter Registration offices are just another underfunded government office. Stupid problems like this are going to occur if you don't have a good cross-referencing search engine on your system. If this had been Ohio instead of Texas, my sister's card would have been considered one of the 200,000 problematic cards. For years after I moved from Houston, my mother was getting Jury Notice Summons for me. When the news stations said how many people didn't vote in election, they were probably counting me too even though I was properly registered and voted 300 miles away.

This problem was solved though. My sister WANTS to vote and therefore took an interest in her missing Voter's Card. Simple.

Nuclear Bombs

2008-10-04T02:27:00.001-05:00

The debate leader asked the VP nominees under what conditions would they use nuclear power aka "nukes" during the presidency. I say this was definitely the stupidest question ever. I, the wonderful housewife, always at my best at 2am, will give you the proper answer.

If Al-Qaeda used nukes against us... Uhm, that's why were working so hard in Iraq and Afghanistan! We want to prevent this! Hello!

If Pakistan used nukes against us.... Well, if you're ACTUALLY worried about that situation, just elect McCain/Palin. He thinks she's too beautiful to be blown away by a nuke.

If Iraq used nukes against Israel.... Why is this a US Presidental matter? I'm sure that Israel would blow them away before they even called the President.

Our Pre-Hurricane Ike Drama

2008-09-19T22:18:00.000-05:00

With a lot of family and friends in Houston, we've had plenty of Ike news and coverage. We're in Aggieland and our city was an oasis of electricity in the aftermath. The kids didn't even seem to notice the storm outside.

The Wednesday before the storm hit, Hubby and I went down with a chainsaw to cut the tree branches that had grown onto my parents' roof. We thought three limbs, one hour, and poof, we'd be done and on the road again. Hubby was sick and his last patient of the day had shown up a half-hour late so it was a bad start to the trip. I had added the cost of the chainsaw rental, gas to travel, and food for the road and came to conclusion that these three lousy limbs were gonna cost me $35 each to get cut. *grumble grumble*

Instead we were met with a jungle covering half their roof! My dad also kept pointing out spots we shouldn't step so we didn't fall through the roof. After three hours of heavy labor, we still weren't done but had to go home. Instead of one tree and three limbs, there were three trees that needed to be cut back plus two more that it wouldn't hurt to include. We cut and hauled in the dark until a pile 6ft high and as long as the drive was piled onto the street.

To ad insult to injury, heavy garbage wouldn't pick up the limbs the next morning as planned because they weren't cut into perfect three foot section and bundled. That morning, as Houston woke up and realized a big, nasty hurricane was bearing down on them, the tree cutters were suddenly swamped with calls. To get those branches removed, I had to call a dumpster hauling company and pay them $200. Well, it was my little brother who pulled the cash out of his summer savings account to pay the workers. I did promise to pay him back though.

Our work was enough that the side of the house roof didn't suffer any ripped off shingles. Darn! Considering how bad of condition the roof was in, I wish I had just let the hurricane finish it off and get it replaced under insurance!

Badges of Squiddom

2008-08-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

(all names are approximations)

We’ll cover specific tires I like later. This is just a rant.

I notice in many forums the general question of which tire to use is rather a frequent one. I get the impression that many of those asking this particular question are newer riders or riders on a new (to them) bike. As the discussion begins, the usual names of what is popular at the time get thrown out. The list usually centers around the latest DOT race tires and those very closely related. The fact that someone recommends top-shelf or popular equipment somehow endows them with some form of automatic credibility. Those recommending such tires bear some badge of honor. Those who ask are really asking questions that most ad copy would answer, while those who answer respond with it. A lot of would-be experts on the matter buy tires that are able to perform way beyond their own riding capabilities and proclaim, ““Such-‘n’-such” from “So-‘n’-so” the best tires on the market, and anything else is just going to limit you or be dangerous. How could you even think of putting something else on a wheel?”

Isn’t internet anonymity grand?

"Expensive Sticky Race Tire Expert"

This one wouldn't be so bad if the forums were for new club racers and the like, or if the intent of the question was specifically track oriented. But the discussion involves harrowing and remarkable tales relating to how the race tire managed to save his life and rescue a cat from a tree at the same time. And so, the new STREET rider is left with the impression that only the stickiest of track tires is good enough to commute with or go to the grocery store on.

"Expensive Sticky Race Tire Rider on the Street"

Then there is a pecking order that soon to be debated in the way of mileage. Riders proclaim how quickly they swap their tires out in a contest of waste. Many also report needing more “contact patch area” to get through the turns safely and advise putting around half to three-quarters what the manufacturer recommends. A rider who gets 5-10k miles out of his tires is considered a wuss by comparison to one who has to swap his tires out every 1,500-2,000 miles. I'd be willing to bet they have chicken strips. That is, if they would put any air in the tires. Heck, I could do a long burnout and claim that I only got a quarter mile out of my last set of Super Tires! (I must be a motorcycling deity!) They claim to be spinning or sliding the tire, thus needing stickier rubber.

"Expensive Sticky Race Tire, at-the-Limit, Rider, Hero on the Street"

Trouble is, they’re spinning when it’s not even leaned over. But you won’t hear anyone recommending the DOT approved Micky Thompson drag tires. That wouldn’t be cool. They might lose the illusion that they are the next Gary McCoy. They don’t use any of the stick available on the sides of the tires and wind up swapping out tires that have a flat spot instead of being actually worn out. They want to have the appearance of being fast all around riders when they only know how to whack the throttle.

There are certainly many more badges in and beyond those of the tire sages. I myself wear badges of sorts, but I try not to wear it on my sleeve. I have experimented over the years with many tire brands and models. For the past two years or so, I have relied on and would recommend two to four tire models. Sure, I have tried others, but I keep going back to the same tires I finally found which complement my riding style. I ride year-round and in all weather since my bike is my primary transportation. I corner hard and gas it, but really don’t play much at the limit. I have fun when I ride.

Rain!

2008-08-18T15:32:00.000-05:00

What's a weatherman to do when he gets caught in the rain?

From Rodney Harris of KBTX.com:

Well, we've been asking for rain and Mother Nature saw to it that we knew she was coming to town! A solid, spring-like thunderstorm moved across Bryan/College Station early Friday evening. The storm brought a brief period of very heavy rain, but more noticeably a lot of lightning. The lightning and accompanying thunder gave most of us plenty of warning prior to the actual rain falling... well most of us. I was awaken from a nice, afternoon nap -- with no say in the matter -- a little too late. By the time I built up enough courage to take on the storm, other Nature presented whatever amount of rain we got -- in my car! My windows were half-way down. At least we got rain right! I wonder which weatherman I should call and complain to? (hmmm) I'll think on it. Have a great, tax-free weekend.

It's really great to see rain in the area even though it's isolated.

2008-08-02T01:04:00.000-05:00

Children have the amazing ability to memorize by sight an impressive amount of information, an ability that, as adults, we have "misplaced". However, this special ability is what also gave rise and credibility to the "whole word" method of teaching. Instead of using phonics and slowly building a reading vocabulary, the teacher could instantly impress a complete, basic vocabulary on the children, and they would remember it. Just as these parents are thrilled at their daughter's success, you can understand the joy and happiness of the parents to have a child reading so fast! It's a temporary joy- until the child ran into a brick wall, just like so many other kids who tried to memorize by sight our 60,000+ word language.

Not to be all dark and dreary, (even though I am in that kind of mood right now), this is what gives parents such hope and joy. "If she can do this, imagine what she can do when she's older!" Seeing this carefree girl memorize such impossibilities keeps parents pushing their children to their potential as adults through those tough-love years. :)

Good Intentions

2008-02-10T18:29:00.000-06:00

So, essentially, what is happening is that we are shipping the exact goods that the Chinese people made back to them for relief.

From the Hawaiian Star Bulletin:

Help wings to China aboard Hickam C-17
Humanitarian aid: 6,000 winter coats arrive

BEIJING » An Air Force C-17 cargo plane and crew from Hawaii delivered thousands of jackets, blankets and boxed rations Friday to help victims of China's worst winter storms in more than 50 years, the U.S. Pacific Command and the Chinese government Xinhua News Agency reported.

The supplies were handed over in Shanghai to the People's Liberation Army,which forwarded them for distribution to parts of the country's hard-hit eastern and central regions, Xinhua said.

Happy Hanukkah!

2007-12-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

From Two Wheeled Texans Forum:

Funny latke story:

Howard was to participate in a holiday party for his office the first year he moved to Texas, so he elected to bring latkes as he wanted to introduce his officemates to something other than the usual Christmas stuff. He got up super early to grind potatoes and fry the latkes fresh so they'd be hot and tasty when he got to work.

I called him later that day and asked how folks liked 'em, and he burst out laughing. Seems his latkes were snapped up pretty quickly, and when he commented on it, one of the larger African-American ladies patted him kindly and said, "Honey, this is Texas--it don't matter if it is Jewish, so long as it's fried!"

Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish friends out there. And a special shoutout to Talia Klein who went to Westbury with me!

Teddy Bear Terrorist

2007-12-02T00:59:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to CNN's compilation of news articles on Gillian Gibbons and the teddy bear named "Mohammad". Her classroom use of the bear, sending it home each night with a child to write a story and share it with the class the next day, is a learning tool that my daughter's first grade teacher did too.

I'm glad that the punishment isn't nearly as bad as it could have been. With only 15 days, the government saves faces by actually setting her free instead of having talks with the UN and other nations to try to get her out of prison years from now. I'm thanking God for this small miracle.

However, this teacher will always live in fear of her life now. Some crazy jihadist believing in her guilt may try to offer her blood as a sacrifice to please his cannibalistic god. I pray that the Lord will give her peace throughout her life.

I'll also pray for all the former school workers who lost their jobs when they had to shut down the whole school over this debacle.

Beautiful Lady

2007-10-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

The Elissa, a 100+ year old tall ship anchored in Galveston, is sailing in a race from Corpus Christi to Port Aransas. Y'all that haven't been blessed to live in Texas will remember her from the Statue of Liberty celebration parade of tall ships back in 1986. The officials couldn't let her be first; that honor went to the Constitution. She sailed in last, the oldest ship there in full glory, a sight worth waiting for as they passed the Statue of Liberty. Here's a video of her recently shot for the race.

Or you can look at this photo gallery.

Wow! I love looking at her, especially under full sail. I'm just too far away from Galveston right now to justify the gas money. Taking the kids out of school to let them see her under full sail - yeah, I can justify that! They did get to tour her this past summer though on vacation. The tour includes almost the whole ship and they even let you crawl up into the sleeping quarters. Boy, the ship has gotten a lot smaller from when I was a kid and toured it.

If my brother had been born a girl, my parents were going to name him Elissa after the ship. Not that my parents are somehow connected to the ship, but my dad is a history nut and the Elissa is romantic history alive today.

Good luck Elissa!

I'm Smarter than a California 8th grader!

2007-10-19T00:32:00.000-05:00

Thanks to D-Ed Reckoning, I found a state exam from California consisting of questions from their 7th and 8th grade math, reading, science, and social studies test. I'm glad to be able to say that I passed all sections with a 100%.

Overall, I don't think the test was bad. I can definitely say that there's no way to measure a student's knowledge over the year with this few of questions. There were two questions in social studies concerning the pyramids that seemed to contradict each other. I had to think a bit about the physics questions. All the math I was able to do in my head or logically eliminate the other possible answers.

http://www.nctimes.com/test/

Take it for yourself!

Texas Aggies in the News

2007-10-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Aggies with Meningitis

There are two Aggies who contracted Meningitis recently. The good news is that one of them went home yesterday. Our prayers are with you both!

Aggies in the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court decided not to hear an appeal concerning the school and and school officials' liability from the Bonfire Collapse of '99. A lower court ruled that the school and officials cannot be held liable. The whole case revolved around some new concept of law called "state created danger."

Aggies Being Insulted

A fraternity from Texas Tech has managed to insult Vick fans, Texas Aggies and, the scariest of them all, animal rights activists. Yeah, the shirt is nasty and degrading but I don't think they should be banned from selling it.

Is the HPV Vaccine a Failure?

2007-10-09T05:42:00.000-05:00

If the data from this article is correct, the new HPV vaccine is a complete failure, a total disaster that needs to be pulled from the market immediately for further testing. It has been available just one year in a limited market capacity and already there are eleven deaths.

From LifeSite.com:

US Death Toll Associated with HPV Vaccine Jumps to 11 with 3779 Adverse Reactions Reported

WASHINGTON, DC, October 5, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, yesterday released new documents obtained from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, detailing a total of as many as eleven deaths related to Merck's HPV vaccine Gardasil. Those deaths resulted between June 8, 2006 - when the vaccine received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - and August 2007 when the latest data was available.

The adverse reports coming from the HPV vaccine are increasing daily at an alarming rate. A LifeSiteNews.com report which scanned a publicly available database of adverse affects coming from the HPV vaccine found 3,137 adverse effects reported on September 28, 2007. Today the US Government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) lists 3,779 adverse effects. 52 of the cases were deemed "life threatening" and 119 required hospitalization.

The article continues by highlighting two cases, one teenager found dead and another that experienced paralysis and lesions on her optic nerve. The reports obtained by Judicial Watch from the FDA can be viewed in their entirety. I admit I don't know why vaccines can cause such a wide range of side effects but it seems to be the case for many vaccines, not just this one.

My heart goes out to those parents.

What Texas Really Thinks

2007-10-08T07:20:00.000-05:00

From Fox News:

WASHINGTON — President Bush, who presided over 152 executions as governor of Texas, wants to halt the state's execution of a Mexican national for the brutal killing of two teenage girls.

The case of Jose Ernesto Medellin has become a confusing test of presidential power that the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears the case this week, ultimately will sort out.

The president wants to enforce a decision by the International Court of Justice that found the convictions of Medellin and 50 other Mexican-born prisoners violated their rights to legal help as outlined in the 1963 Vienna Convention.

That is the same court Bush has since said he plans to ignore if it makes similar decisions affecting state criminal laws.

"The president does not agree with the ICJ's interpretation of the Vienna Convention," the administration said in arguments filed with the court. This time, though, the U.S. agreed to abide by the international court's decision because ignoring it would harm American interests abroad, the government said.

Texas argues that neither the international court nor Bush has any say in Medellin's case.

Now, this Press Release from the Govenor's Office does not directly relate to this case, but it gives you a pretty good idea of how we Texans REALLY feel.

From Governor Perry's Office on August 21, 2007:

Statement by Robert Black, spokesman for Texas Governor Rick Perry, concerning the European Union’s appeal that Texas enact a moratorium on the death penalty:

“230 years ago, our forefathers fought a war to throw off the yoke of a European monarch and gain the freedom of self-determination. Texans long ago decided that the death penalty is a just and appropriate punishment for the most horrible crimes committed against our citizens. While we respect our friends in Europe, welcome their investment in our state and appreciate their interest in our laws, Texans are doing just fine governing Texas.”

Needed: A large vacuum

2007-10-04T13:46:00.000-05:00

I'm rather glad to know that, had I been in a situation like this, my husband would pick me up and walk us both out of there. In fact, had Mr. Peloski done just that, I'm sure he would have scored big points with the independent voters floating around right now. A "real man" earns a certain level of respect from society, even today.

From the Washington Post:

Whoopi Goldberg: Pelosi Admirer Extraordinaire

Sure, politicians always appreciate a warm welcome when they appear on daytime TV talk shows. But the welcome House Speaker Nancy Pelosi got today on ABC's chick TV show "The View" was more than warm - it was downright steamy.

Even before Pelosi walked on stage to take her seat at the round table, the show's moderator, Whoopi Goldberg, and its co-hosts - with former news anchor Barbara Walters leading the pack - started flirting with the speaker's husband, Paul, who was seated in the front row.

"You wanna take a look at Nancy Pelosi's handsome husband?" Walters asked the audience.

Yes, came the answer in the form of whooping and hollering. Poor guy was actually blushing. Then the show's hosts asked him how long he and Madame Speaker have been married.

"Forty-four years," Mr. Pelosi managed between pained glances in the direction of a blanket, a paper bag, anything to hide under.

Whoopi got the pleasure of introducing Speaker Pelosi, who she noted is the first woman speaker of the House who, somewhere along the way, managed to raise five children.

But Walters was still stuck on Mr. Pelosi, unfortunately for Mr. Pelosi. And this is where a little blushing turned to a Code Red alert, four-alarm fire.

Trying to shout over Whoopi and her other gabbing co-hosts and excited audience members, Barbara turned to Guest Pelosi and said she has heard Whoopi say before that she'd "do Paul Newman."

"And I think she'd like to do your husband as well," Walters deadpanned in that quintessential accent that made her the subject of late-night lampooning over the decades.

Of course, Whoopi being Whoopi, she couldn't let that one go, which is where the
speaker begins blushing.

Yes, Whoopi implicitly acknowledged, she'd like to do Mr. Pelosi - but she might take his wife while she's at it. "I would do her as well. But we should wait on that because you're still in office, I don't want to cause a problem."

Oh dear, would this were not live TV.

As you might expect, Speaker Pelosi remained silent underneath her signature permanent smile. And her press office later remained predictably mum on the specter of Whoopi-on-Speaker action.

You might also want to check out the comments left on this story. Quite a few of them are downright funny.

Life as a Hygienist

2007-09-04T00:56:00.000-05:00

To work is good. Glad to be among the productive in our society. Now I only need to make twice as much money so I can hurry up and pay off school loans.

I am working in an office about 9 miles from the house. Friends have asked if we would move since my job was on the other side of town. (Sad isn't it?) No, we will not be moving. I like having a commute which takes long enough to get my engine warmed up and through a proper heat cycle.

The practice is bustling with activity and has a large staff despite only one dentist practicing in the office. I do my part as a hygienist. They do all their parts. I want to learn all their parts. There really is a lot going on that I don't see, even though I am as behind-the-scenes as it gets.

The patients I see now have a different perspective on their oral health from the ones who sought out the school clinic. Most who come to the school don't ever brush or floss. Many have never been to a dentist. Some may have never owned a toothbrush. They are willing to learn about what is bothering them because things got so bad.

Patients who come to a regular dental office have a high opinion of their oral habits, regardless of the true state of things in there. They take for granted their visits to the dentist twice per year. They must feel as though through association they will acquire some immunity or protection from oral problems.

People! You have to floss! Don't tell me you don't have any plaque in there. There's a ledge of tartar on your lower teeth that you can see whenever you smile! It's so big I could drive tent stakes into it!

Sorry, I get caught up sometimes. The point is, everyone needs to floss and brush. PROPERLY. If using the correct technique, there will be significantly less plaque accumulation, better health in your gums and bone structure, and little tartar to speak of.

I will need to describe such techniques in a future post.

Happy Labor Day! I am thankful I can say I have more work to do tomorrow!

Knockabout pt.2

2007-05-21T01:31:00.000-05:00

THE QUEST FOR A PATIENT CONTINUES:

The few weeks prior to the exam led to a flurry of activity, seeking patients high and low, hoping for someone who fit the bill. Phones rang. Flyers were made, posted, and passed around. Stores and malls were staked out. The local community clinics were approached. Internet forums were solicited. Heck, even an ad on Craigslist. Suitable patients were not to be found.

Did I say "patients?" Yep. It turns out that I was not the only one seeking a patient. Classmate 1 was not confident with her patient when he showed up for a check the week before the exam. She was afraid there was insufficient calculus and wanted to find a back-up.

Classmate 2 was in a similar situation, also seeking a back-up patient.

Classmate 3 was without a patient altogether, though she tried to get one of the patients who went to an earlier exam. She was not successful in enticing him to be a WREB patient a second time.

Classmate 4 was one who took an earlier exam and was helping out in locating patients for the rest of us. What a saint.

Classmates 3 & 4 worked together, 2 worked with me, and 1 just worked. (She got a job as an assisstant until her license comes in.) We covered about a 100 mile spread physically and much further with the aid of the internet. Alas, not much came about. Lots of hits for folks willing to volunteer, but none who qualified.

Two days before the exam, Classmate 2 and I met a lady about 70 miles from home. She had arranged for us to meet with several friends and co-workers of her husband. That night, at about 9:30 pm, I found a woman who seemed to fit the criteria. I would not know for certain until I got her in the clinic and got x-rays, but there was a beam of light shining through.

That did not last long, as the woman, was afraid to leave her children with someone for the day. She is illegally in the country and fears for her family. I cannot say that I blame her, but Classmate 2 (originally from Mexico but is here legally) recommends against using her as a primary due to the possibility of complications with her family. We left, not having failed, but without the ring of great success.

As we headed up the road, I got a call from Classmate 3 who was seeing people 60 miles from us that night. She declared that success was with us afterall as she found two patients! They could be at the clinic the next day.

I continued with my plan to see patients who called in from the flyers and such, but with no success. More calls were made, and in the process, I made an interesting discovery. The guy who had been a previous WREB patient claimed he had been planning to go with Classmate 3 all along. I let Classmate 3 know that she needed to get in contact with this guy quick to confirm.

By the time one of Classmate 3's newly identified patients showed up, she had confirmed that she did have a patient in this other guy afterall. I had a patient. The other two who were looking for back-ups had decided to stick with who they already had.

Life was good, even though it was the day before the exam when I found my patient.

What A Knockabout Of Pure Fun That Was! pt. 1

2007-05-21T00:53:00.000-05:00

FINDING A PATIENT:

As a recent dental hygiene graduate, I hope to practice soon. Practicing requires getting a license in that state. Getting a license requires taking the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam , which is a written exam, and a regional clinical exam where your performance in cleaning a patient's teeth is scored. The Western Regional Examining Board administers those clinical exams for several states.

Some of my classmates took the exam in Dallas in April. Others took in in San Antonio at the start of May. I took it last Friday.

The exam itself is pretty basic. You clean a quarter of a mouth in 2.5 hours. Sounds simple, right? Well, it would be if I could hang on to a patient.

The patient requirements for the WREB exam are pretty tight. The patient must have heavy subgingival (below the gumline) calculus (tartar) deposits. Twelve is the magic number. 12. As in twelve large pieces of subgingival calculus in one quadrant of the mouth, or up to one quadrant plus four teeth anywhere else in the mouth.

I found my WREB patient early on. I was the first one in my class to have a WREB patient. I was excited, especially since it was our good friend and neighbor. I brought her in again in February to begin planning for my exam. I was rather upset to find out that she had brushed and flossed every day since the last appointment a couple of months earlier, diminishing the size and quantity of the deposits, and no longer qualified as a WREB patient. Good for her, bad for me.

I began to search again. It took another two and a half months to find another suitable candidate. She is a nurse in a retirement home. She said that she understood what it was like to have such big exams for getting a license to practice and agreed to do whatever she could to help, including go with me to my exam in Houston. Sadly, that was the last time I saw her. She has not returned any of my calls or messages since.

Which brings us to about three weeks before the exam. I have no WREB patient and no prospects.

It is the last week of school and I need a Class IV (a particularly difficult class of patient) to complete the semester and graduate. I have nobody on the list, and the clinic has not screened a Class IV since November. She walks in off the street one afternoon. I get her back in for two consecutive days to finish her periodontal treatment just in time for the semester to close out. Frustratingly, she would have been pretty good for WREB, except for the part where had I not completed her treatment, I wouldn't have been able to graduate, and therefore would not have been allowed to sit for the WREB exam.

The semester closes out without success at finding a WREB patient.

Ultimate Bed (for sleeping)

2007-03-09T08:23:00.000-06:00

Is it worth it?

From Fox News:
The $50,000 Bed: Could It Possibly Be Worth It?

Everyone loves to turn off the alarm and hop back into bed ... but would snoozing be any sweeter if you shelled out $50,000 or more for a place to sleep?

A small but growing number of Americans are purchasing beds from Hollandia, an Israeli company that offers “off-the-shelf” beds from $10,000 to $50,000.

My husband can barely get me out of bed in the morning as it is. I never want to go to bed and I never want to get out of bed!

Hollandia was founded 25 years ago by Israeli artichoke farmer Isaac Barssessat, who was inspired to start his company after a trip to the Netherlands led him to a bed that helped relieve his chronic back pain.

“The idea is that people spend 50, 60, 70, $100,000 for an automobile they're proud of, but if they're in it for more than two hours a day, they complain they were in the car all day and their back hurts,” said David Ashe, CEO of Hollandia International U.S.

Farmers always have that different outlook on life that just makes way too much sense sometimes.

Yes, I would buy it... if I won the lottery or something...

You give Unions a bad name

2007-03-09T07:56:00.000-06:00

A rather revolting look at what our society has become:

From the Houston Chronicle:

Ninety-nine HISD teachers who received performance bonuses are being told this week they have to pay back an average of $745 because the district accidentally overpaid them.

...

Although this affects less than 1 percent of HISD's 12,500 teachers, the error should not have been made," HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said in a written statement. "We regret it and apologize to those instructional staff members."

The head of the HISD's largest teachers union, however, is advising her members to keep the money.

"If it's the district's error, then the district should bear the loss," said Gayle Fallon, whose Houston Federation of Teachers represents about 6,500 employees.

"If you tell someone they deserve money and put it in their bank account, you've got a helluva nerve taking it back."

Fallon said she is encouraging teachers not to sign the form authorizing the district to deduct the money from their paycheck. Without the signed form, the district can't take back the money, Fallon said.

"And if they direct them to sign it, we'll see them in court," she added.

Asked to respond to Fallon's comments, Abbott said simply, "The money will need to be returned.

Good, honest, and for fairness for all doesn't describe unions anymore. In fact, it hasn't for a while. If a mistake was made, then I would encourage the people to pay it back, if at all possible. I know that it may be impossible for a couple of people but I would definitely encourage them to try.

And I'm not just preaching like a hypocrite. I'm sure that's the first thought that many people will have as they read this post. I had the opportunity last week to return a check to Walmart that the cashier had rung up improperly. I could have kept the money. After all, it's just Walmart, another global coorporation without a face already rich beyond comparison, that isn't going to miss my hundred bucks. But there was a great amount of thanks in the face of the manager and I'm sure that the cashier, who I found out was just out of training, is thankful too. She was a nice girl but she messed up. There are in fact, many faces in a global coorporation.

Texas AG issues order, screws up

2007-02-28T13:06:00.000-06:00

What, you've never heard of an Attorney General messing up? Well Greg Abbot pulled a fast one last week and brought Texas Courthouses to an almost complete standstill. This may be one for the history books. Have there been any other decisions that brought everything to a standstill like this? Okay, there probably have.

District and county clerks from across the Brazos Valley hovered in a state of chaos for the second day in a row Tuesday as elected officials scrambled to protect them from possible arrest if they're unable to comply with an old law that has new implications.

Clerks in the Brazos Valley, just like those from every other Texas county, have been in a frenzy for several days following the release of a legal opinion from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott that requires Social Security numbers to be removed from open records before the documents can be made public.

The law on which the opinion was based is designed to protect Texans' personal information from identity theft.

The issue is privacy. The AG issued a new opinion on an old law that is already in effect stating now that absolutely no documents should be made public with social security information on them. Currently, the clerks offer that as an option to customers. Well, absolutely no document includes a lot of documents. A lot of documents. This order he made would require every single document that is filed to be re-examined and a duplicate copy made available to the public with the privacy information redacted.

But today the AG suspended that order with a 60-day reprive to analyze the effect. Oh yeah, I can personally tell Mr. Abbott how difficult is it to continue a courtcase when you can't get copies of the files you need.

I don't think the real issue is privacy. I think the real problem is that credit agencies are willing to sign over thousands of dollars in credit and product to people without proper proof of identification. They are also too willing to just ignore the problem and eat the cost of theft as a "just doing business" expense. Then they pass these costs onto their good consumers and you and I wind up eating it. Stop the problem there and then we won't have to pay millions to re-do our state's county and district clerks.

Links:
Order that paralyzed clerks' offices suspended
Brazos Valley adjusts to AG opinion