Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Quote of the day.
Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation. - Henry Kissinger
Sunday, November 19, 2006
To my lady friends...
Someone will always be prettier.
Some will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger.
Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go,
and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored
woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know,
she's got the car, the house, the clothes....
might be lonely.
And the word says, "If I have not Love, I am nothing."
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say,
"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed, to be disappointed!"
"Winners make things happen--
Losers let things happen."
Be "blessed" ladies.....
and pass this on to encourage another woman.
"To the world you might be one person,
but to the one person you just sent this to,
it could mean so much."
Some will always be smarter.
Some of their houses will be bigger.
Some will drive a better car.
Their children will do better in school.
And their husband will fix more things around the house.
So let it go,
and love you and your circumstances.
Think about it!
The prettiest woman in the world can have hell in her heart.
And the most highly favored
woman on your job may be unable to have children.
And the richest woman you know,
she's got the car, the house, the clothes....
might be lonely.
And the word says, "If I have not Love, I am nothing."
So, again, love you.
Love who you are.
Look in the mirror in the morning and smile and say,
"I am too blessed to be stressed and too anointed, to be disappointed!"
"Winners make things happen--
Losers let things happen."
Be "blessed" ladies.....
and pass this on to encourage another woman.
"To the world you might be one person,
but to the one person you just sent this to,
it could mean so much."
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Dirty Dozen
Click the picture for a larger version to print or go to http://www.foodnews.org/ and read more.
Friday, November 17, 2006
C.L.U.E. Reports
I've gotta share this one. Have you heard of The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) of 2003?
Check out http://www.choicepoint.com/factact.html to get more information about how you can get your free annual report on personal property and auto claims. You can get one free report per year, and I believe you can even get reports (one per year) on other property that you may be interested in purchasing.
If you want to get straight to the reports, go to http://snipurl.com/i2a2.
Check out http://www.choicepoint.com/factact.html to get more information about how you can get your free annual report on personal property and auto claims. You can get one free report per year, and I believe you can even get reports (one per year) on other property that you may be interested in purchasing.
If you want to get straight to the reports, go to http://snipurl.com/i2a2.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
"The Pledge of Allegiance" - by Senator John McCain
As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room.
This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.
One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.
Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.
As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it.
That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could.
The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.
As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.
So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home.
One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian.
Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country and our military provide for people who want to work and want to succeed.
As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it.
That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could.
The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room.
As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to Pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.
So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country
"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Lament to my fellow Republicans...
So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role
in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after
year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role
in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after
year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
"Wish You Were Here" by Pink Floyd
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
FREE!
This is guaranteed to brighten your day.
Update: This is another one that shows that this is GLOBAL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKILQPBcVTI
Update: This is another one that shows that this is GLOBAL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKILQPBcVTI
Monday, October 30, 2006
Most Dangerous Cities
Listed from least to most dangerous.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/30/D8L2OIB80.html
I'm happy to report that my city didn't even make the list. Of course, there are less than 40,000 of us.
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/30/D8L2OIB80.html
I'm happy to report that my city didn't even make the list. Of course, there are less than 40,000 of us.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Mozart's Requiem
Well, Angela's first performance is out of the way. I was there Saturday night, and it was a very intense experience. To have the Kansas City Symphony Chorus and Orchestra perform together was very powerful. Angela is circled in the picture. I think the only thing I would've added would be some pyrotechnics and have Metallica do a number with the group. That would've added a nice touch. If you're interested in experiencing other performances this year, go to the Kansas City Symphony Chorus web page to see the calendar.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Fiction? Maybe, but still a good parable.
This was written by a Hospice of Metro Denver physician.
I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends:
I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over.
Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying,"
so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me."
I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the c ar, wh o attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.
She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.
So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.
I gave her my gloves, a little hug and sai d a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"
This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."
It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.
Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings...
Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends:
I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn't even turn over.
Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the "quickie mart" building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a Gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay.
When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.
At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95.
I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying "I don't want my kids to see me crying,"
so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, "And you were praying?" That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me."
I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the c ar, wh o attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.
She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there.
So she packed up everything she owned in the car She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.
I gave her my gloves, a little hug and sai d a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"
This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."
It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.
Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings...
Psalms 55:22 "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Passion
Perhaps writer's block is a condition of being a better listener than a preacher? If there is one thing that I know for sure, if you want to be successful at something, you must have passion. So, given that I don't have a passion for writing, I must compromise and find things to write about that I have passion for.
In this exercise, I'm going to explore the things that I am passionate about. I don't plan to worry about editing for grammar, so I hope nobody posts a critique about my poor writing skills.
1) My wife. There is nothing in this world that makes my clock tick more. From the moment I met her to this very day, I have a very deep commitment to "giving" to this woman. I'm not sure that words really explain my passion for this woman.
2) My children. I don't think I knew what it meant to have loved completely until I experienced the miracle of creating life. In my days as a Director at a Children's center, I never realized that I had such a limited capacity to love. It wasn't until I held my daughter in my hands that I realized the depth of love that all other parents have tried and failed to describe. One may find a deep, deep love in something in this world, but I find it difficult to believe that anything on any level (physical, metaphysical, spiritual, material, blah, blah) can hold a flame to creating and caring for that life.
3) My religion. I'm not an evangelistic kind of guy. I know that us "Christians" are supposed to be, but I just have to go with my gut. I prefer to live and let live in this particular category. I'm not that vocal about my love of God, His Son, and the Spirit, but I do my very best to be driven by the love that God has given us. Every single thing I do (except sin), is engulfed in an unconscious wrapping of God's love. My love of God is involved in every other passion that I have in life. Even...
4) Health and Fitness. I have spent years developing my understanding of this subject. Although, very little of my development has been formal teaching. I do feel that I have a good start in what will likely be a life-long pursuit to gain knowledge to live a healthier life. Knowledge alone isn't enough; duh, as I have to "live" in a healthy manner as well. I plan to spend the rest of my life raising the bar.
Well, I've run out of steam. I feel a cold coming on, so I'm going to get downstairs to my gym and wake up some white blood cells.
There are many things that I'm very passionate about, but this is a good start.
In this exercise, I'm going to explore the things that I am passionate about. I don't plan to worry about editing for grammar, so I hope nobody posts a critique about my poor writing skills.
1) My wife. There is nothing in this world that makes my clock tick more. From the moment I met her to this very day, I have a very deep commitment to "giving" to this woman. I'm not sure that words really explain my passion for this woman.
2) My children. I don't think I knew what it meant to have loved completely until I experienced the miracle of creating life. In my days as a Director at a Children's center, I never realized that I had such a limited capacity to love. It wasn't until I held my daughter in my hands that I realized the depth of love that all other parents have tried and failed to describe. One may find a deep, deep love in something in this world, but I find it difficult to believe that anything on any level (physical, metaphysical, spiritual, material, blah, blah) can hold a flame to creating and caring for that life.
3) My religion. I'm not an evangelistic kind of guy. I know that us "Christians" are supposed to be, but I just have to go with my gut. I prefer to live and let live in this particular category. I'm not that vocal about my love of God, His Son, and the Spirit, but I do my very best to be driven by the love that God has given us. Every single thing I do (except sin), is engulfed in an unconscious wrapping of God's love. My love of God is involved in every other passion that I have in life. Even...
4) Health and Fitness. I have spent years developing my understanding of this subject. Although, very little of my development has been formal teaching. I do feel that I have a good start in what will likely be a life-long pursuit to gain knowledge to live a healthier life. Knowledge alone isn't enough; duh, as I have to "live" in a healthy manner as well. I plan to spend the rest of my life raising the bar.
Well, I've run out of steam. I feel a cold coming on, so I'm going to get downstairs to my gym and wake up some white blood cells.
There are many things that I'm very passionate about, but this is a good start.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Blogger
This is my little blogger in training. I'm certain that she already has a much better imagination than I do, and I believe she is just a few keystrokes away from being a better writer. She can do her ABC's with her eyes closed and is beginning to understand simple math. At just 3 years old, I think she is destined to be the genius that I never was.
Mensa Invitational
The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
Here are this year's {2005} winners:
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
17. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.
18. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.
Rap's beginnings?
This single band gave Rock, Blues, Electronica, and RAP a kick in the pants and perhaps it's earliest beginnings?
Guess who....
Thursday, October 05, 2006
1000 Words
What can I say? Since this is writers block, I offer up one of thousands of pictures of my boy.
Links of the day...
Those who know me, know my stance on abortion.
http://www.factcheck.org/article330m.html
Also, in your spare time, check out http://www.nrlc.orgWednesday, October 04, 2006
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