BasementBum

Bible Quiz

2007-02-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

See how ya do with this fairly insightful 40 question bible quiz here:
http://www.gotoquiz.com/how_well_do_you_know_your_bible_2

My results...
"You rank 53% on the biblical comprehension scale.
Good work. You obviously know your Bible well. However, there remains plenty of room for improvement. Close attention to the details of Scripture can result in great rewards over time. Perhaps a more focused Bible study plan would help you improve your level of biblical comprehension"

...back to the bible study!

from kids to homos...

2007-02-06T21:53:00.000-08:00

Amazing...the fruit of messed up families and bad morals is homosexuality...see this new data collected from 2,000,000 Danes :

- Men who marry homosexually are more likely to have been raised in a family with unstable parental relationships -- particularly, absent or unknown fathers and divorced parents.

- Findings on women who marry homosexually were less pronounced, but were still associated with a childhood marked by a broken family. The rates of same-sex marriage "were elevated among women who experienced maternal death during adolescence, women with short duration of parental marriage, and women with long duration of mother-absent cohabitation with father."

- Men and women with "unknown fathers" were significantly less likely to marry a person of the opposite sex than were their peers with known fathers.

- Men who experienced parental death during childhood or adolescence "had significantly lower heterosexual marriage rates than peers whose parents were both alive on their 18th birthday. The younger the age of the father's death, the lower was the likelihood of heterosexual marriage."

- "The shorter the duration of parental marriage, the higher was the likelihood of homosexual marriage...homosexual marriage rates were 36% and 26% higher among men and women, respectively, who experienced parental divorce after less than six years of marriage, than among peers whose parents remained married for all 18 years of childhood and adolescence."

- "Men whose parents divorced before their 6th birthday were 39% more likely to marry homosexually than peers from intact parental marriages."

- "Men whose cohabitation with both parents ended before age 18 years had significantly (55% -76%) higher rates of homosexual marriage than men who cohabited with both parents until 18 years."

- The mother's age was directly linked to the likelihood of homosexual marriage among men -- the older the mother, the more likely her son was to marry another man. Also, "only children" were more likely to be homosexual.

- Persons born in large cities were significantly more likely to marry a same-sex partner -- suggesting that cultural factors might also affect the development of sexual orientation. "Whatever ingredients determine a person's sexual preferences and marital choices," conclude the study's authors, "our population-based study shows that parental interactions are important."

More here:
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/nov/06112905.html

For Missy:

2007-02-06T21:50:00.000-08:00

Some friends wanted to say "HI"!

Of Germans and Homeschooling.

2006-12-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

They obviously don't go together.

Does this sound scary? :
"
The German government, in a throwback to its National Socialist Workers Party heritage, has declared war on homeschool families, promising to bring those with banned "religious convictions" into alignment with the state regulations.
The word comes through the Netz-Bildung Freiheit (Net-Education Freedom) organization in Germany, a coalition of efforts lobbying on behalf of the constitutional right of German parents to have their children's education "conform" to their own religious and philosophical convictions.
The report's English translation on the Homeschoolblogger.com website includes a very clear declaration, with a followup threat.
A government education official says the government is working to avoid future conflicts over homeschooling with one particular family by looking "for possibilities to bring the religious convictions of the family into line with the unalterable school attendance requirement."

First EU, then US.

More here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53457

Person of the Year: Ahmadinejad

2006-12-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

At least Pat Buchanan thinks so. I agree with his points though.

Please read this article and see what ya think.

http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53426

Soy is making kids 'gay'

2006-12-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

Really?
Well, it might fit with this whole Global Warming thing too...

Quite an interesting read though...

We tried soy formula on my son for a day or two...it was just nasty smelling, looking, and I can't even imagine how repusive it would taste!

Please read:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327

Published handgun owners in

2006-12-23T20:58:00.000-08:00

If you legally purchased and owned a handgun, how would you like your name to be published in the local newspaper?
We'll its public record ya know...
Really...we'll then what's next might I ask?

More here:
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061217/NEWS01/612170348/1018/NEWS02

Dude looks like a lady? ...or vise versa??

2006-12-23T20:54:00.000-08:00

You decide?

Just what is a gender test? And how would you like to fail one!

More here:

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/18/D8M3DS680.html

Christmas carols for the disturbed

2006-12-15T22:29:00.000-08:00

* 1. Schizophrenia -- Do You Hear What I Hear?
* 2. Multiple Personality Disorder --- We Three Kings Disoriented Are
* 3. Dementia --- I Think I'll be Home for Christmas
* 4. Narcissistic --- Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me
* 5. Manic -- Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and.....
* 6. Paranoid --- Santa Claus is Coming to Town to Get Me
* 7. Borderline Personality Disorder --- Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire
* 8. Personality Disorder --- You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why
* 9. Attention Deficit Disorder --- Silent night, Holy ooh look at the Froggy - can I have a chocolate, why is France so far away?
* 10. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder --- Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

Hmmm...

2006-12-15T22:26:00.000-08:00

An 80-year-old man goes for a physical. All of his tests come back with normal results. The doctor says, "George, everything looks great. How are you doing mentally and emotionally? Are you at peace with God?" George replies, "God and I are tight. He knows I have poor eyesight, so he's fixed it so when I get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, poof! The light goes on. When I'm done, poof! The light goes off." "Wow, that's incredible," the doctor says. A little later in the day, the doctor calls George's wife. "Ethel," he says, "George is doing fine! But I had to call you because I'm in awe of his relationship with God. Is it true that he gets up during the night and poof! The light goes on in the bathroom, and when he's done, poof! The light goes o ff?" "Oh, my God!" Ethel exclaims. "He's peeing in the refrigerator again

Lena and the Wisconsin Blizzard

2006-12-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

Up there by LakeSuperior it was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when Lena got off work. She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation. She remembered Ole's ad vice that if she got caught in a blizzard, she should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snow drift. This made Lena feel much better and sure enough in a little while, a snow plow went by, and she started to follow it. As she followed the snow plow, she was feeling very smug as they continued, and she was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions. After quite sometime had passed, she was somewhat surprised when the snow plow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled her to roll down her window. The snow plow driver wanted to know if she was all right, as she had been following him for a long time. She said that she was fine and told him of Ole's advice to follow a snow plow when caught in a blizzard. The driver replied that it was OK with him, and she could continue if she wanted...but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to Kmart next.

Understanding The Tax System

2006-12-15T22:14:00.000-08:00

When explained like this, it is much easier to understand.
Taxing the People
Sometimes politicians, journalists and the liberal left exclaim; "It's just a tax cut for the rich!" and it is just accepted to be fact. But what does that really mean? Just in case you are not completely clear on this issue, I hope the following will help. Please read it carefully.
Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for dinner and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
* The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
* The fifth would pay $1
* The sixth would pay $3
* The seventh would pay $7
* The eighth would pay $12
* The ninth would pay $18
* The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20."
Dinner for the ten now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still eat for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his "fair share?" They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to eat their meal. So, the restaurant owner suggested:
* The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing
(100% savings)
* The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings)
* The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings)
* The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings)
* The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings)
* The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings...
the least proportionate savings)
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to eat for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings: "I only got a dollar out of the $20,"
declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,"but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!" "That's true!!"
shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The first nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start eating overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

written by:
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia

out of wedlock births up.

2006-12-07T22:25:00.000-08:00

Every 4 out of 10 kids born in the U.S. last year are to couples who are not married.

When you read that, it just doesn't sound healthy does it. Something deep w/in you thinks wow, that is a lot of kids...I'm glad I didn't have to go through that.

And why every 4 out of 10 kids born in the U.S. last year are to couples who are not married?
No commitments needed I guess...root cause selfishness and pride.

This needs to end, or our society will...

Did you know?

2006-12-07T22:22:00.000-08:00

Illegal aliens murder12 Americans daily.
Death toll in 2006 far overshadows total U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Let's give the illegals a free pass!

More here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53103

Warren might be wacky?

2006-12-07T22:16:00.000-08:00

We'll would you invite a pro-death nut case to speak at your church?
We'll maybe if TD Jakes can invite Al Gore it should be OK, right??
Wrong...comprimes to accoplish what? The only thing you accomplish is comprimise.

How about standing firm...and after you've done that stand firm!

What this rant about? Rick Warren, author of the famous Purpose Driven Life has invite Obama to speak at his church for an Worldwide aids conference. And not but a few weeks before he ws over in Syria saying what a great place it was with such a peaceful and tolerant government.
Maybe he has just went purpose driven crazy!

More here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53134

Farts bring down airplane?

2006-12-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Sound funny? It's true!...at least don't try to light matches to cover up them smells!

I feel sorry for the lady with the flatulent problem...

Read more here:
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=40210

Did you know?

2006-12-07T21:18:00.000-08:00

Ya this Litvinenko dude was an all-out Muslim?
Possibly even invovled in trying to smuggle polonium 210 into rogue states?

...weird twist...

Read more here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53208

Do you know why flags are at half mast today?

2006-12-07T21:01:00.000-08:00

December 7, 1941
Attack on Pearl Harbor
On the morning of December 7, 1941, planes and midget submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy began a surprise attack on the U.S. under the command of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo. This attack brought the United States into World War II. At 6:00 a.m. on December 7, the six Japanese carriers launched a first wave of 183 planes composed of torpedo bombers, dive-bombers, level bombers and fighters. The Japanese hit American ships and military installations at 7:53 a.m. They attacked military airfields and at the same time they hit the fleet anchored in Pearl Harbor. Overall, twenty-one ships of the U.S. Pacific fleet were damaged and the death toll reached 2,403 with 1,178 injured.

Let's not forget!

Rocky for Jesus?

2006-12-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

Maybe...according to this article, Stallone is working on Rocky #6.
A recent quote from Stallone:
"No matter what, you can overcome your past," he said. "With help, if you look to God, you can overcome your past and be reborn."

There ya go!

More here:
http://www.citizenlink.org/clcommentary/A000003061.cfm

Find Website host

2006-11-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

An interesting thing a buddy showed me the other day...
Goto this website:
http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp

You can type in the domain name, for example "cnn.com" and find out who sponsored and is control of a specific website.

This proves helpful in finding out who is behind a particular website if they are trying to hide their identity or to simply gain more information about them.

Try it out!

FINALLY...revived mineral research building?

2006-11-15T19:49:00.000-08:00

After years (since 1988!) of walking by that dingy, falling apart, and abandoned building...the U decided to get going on remodeling it.
Maybe they were able to put some of those millions snagged from tuition hikes?
Guess it is gonna change into an education science place.

I say bulldoze it down and put up a parking lot!

More here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/11/10/69836

Bing bang Boobs.

2006-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

At least that's what I'm calling them...I guess you can be a Big Bang Boob and win Nobel prizes now.

Ohh...a Big Bang Boob is a scientist who believes in the Big Bang theory of the Universe's birth.

And a couple of Big Bang Boobs won a Nobel prize for coming up with calculations that support the theory.

I might be a Big Bang Boob in the sense I believe in A big bang universe birthing theory...in the beginning God spoke it, and BANG it happened.

Read more here:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-10-03T144526Z_01_L03200407_RTRUKOC_0_US-NOBEL-PHYSICS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

Abortion petition?

2006-10-22T22:01:00.000-07:00

You got to be kidding me...but it's true.
A petition is being circulated around that women sign who had aborions that support the procedure and continue to want it protected.

Two words I got for that:
SICK and WRONG

I'm sure glad that morality is not defined by these kooks...or even a majority of people...true morality is defined by the Creator God and His Word.

Read more about it here:
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/03/D8KHAOB00.html

Dumb, dumb Minneapolis!!!

2006-10-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

So Minneapolis can appoint a fire chief (or chiefette...or lesbianette) that is an out-of-the closet, flaming lesbian...who showcases her homosexual lover and is nationally praised for its diversity, including a special commendation by Mayor Rybeck (read about that here: http://www.eleventh-avenue-south.com/archives/000645.html)

...needless to say they had to "gracefully" let her go after a year or so b/c of harassment charges...read about that here: http://www.queery.com/q-item2.php?category=News&idx=100461)

BUT when it comes to a menial psychologist who works for the Minneapolis police department and used to be part of a pro-family group years ago....we'll we can't have that wacko on staff of our fine city!

More here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52265

Politcal YouTube add

2006-10-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me this link and I had to pass it on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h3GPc_yMCE

Chirstian movies?

2006-10-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ya, there seems to be more and more these days...at least that I've seen and/or heard about. A lot of friends have reccommended "Night with a King"...the story of Esther. And there is another one coming out in December about the birth of Jesus called "The Nativity Story"...a trailer can be found at:
http://www.thenativitystory.com/

A father daughter talk

2006-10-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and was very much in favor of the redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the addition of more government welfare programs. The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, "How is your friend Audrey doing?"

She replied, "Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus, college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties, and many times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over."

Her wise father asked his daughter, "Why don't you go the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, "That wouldn't be fair!" I have worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played, while I worked my tail off!"

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently,

"Welcome to the Republican Party."

Touching and amazing story

2006-10-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Be sure to read and then watch the video on the bottom of the page:

http://cjcphoto.com/can/

Did it make you cry?

New Link section -->

2006-10-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

So check out the NEW and IMPROVED link section on the side of my blog...I finally figured out all that jazz...a little bit behind the times I guess...but ahh well.
If you wanna be cool and included please let me know and I'll bring it up at the next board meeting!
:)

Voting this fall?

2006-10-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

Educate yourself:
http://www.mnvoter.com/

A Christian should have no excuse for NOT voting.
There is no such thing as a political vacuum…If you don't voice your opinion someone else will voice theirs and it will be heard and counted in your absence!

Abortion = Terrorism.

2006-09-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Try to think of abortion in this perspective just once...

Unborn baby = innocent human life.

Terrorism = Death or injury to innocent human life.

Abortion = terrorism attack on innocent human life.

Therefore:

43,000,000 unborn babies aborted in the US since 1973.

or

43,000,000 terrorist attacks against innocent human life in the US since 1973 (little over 1 million per year).

Think about that...a million terrorist attacks on US soil in major metropolitan areas by US citizens against other innocent US citizens.

Where is the public outcry?
Do we really understand?
Do we really care?
What are we doing to stop it?

Give your university a condom grade!

2006-09-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

Ya really...Trojan did an actual study at 100 college campus across the US rating them on "Sexual Health Awarness".
#1(best) was Yale
#54 was U of M Twin Cities
#100(worst) was Brigham Young

Thought it was kinda funny how they were surprised why Brigham Young got such a poor score.
Duhhh...Mormons!

More here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/27/69144

Military draft?

2006-09-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

So I was watching a documentary on the 60s the other day and with our present global conflicts and threats I got thinking about the possibility of a military draft.
I looked into it a bit and think at 27 years old, married, and a father I am a bit safer than if I was 20 and single.

Still ran across some interesting things on Selective Service website:
Conflict and Number of Inductions:
WWI: (Sept. 1917-Nov. 1918) 2,810,296
WWII: (Nov. 1940-Oct. 1946) 10,110,104
Korea: (June 1950-June 1953) 1,529,539
Vietnam: (Aug 1964- Feb 1973) 1,857,304

More info at:
http://www.sss.gov/Default.htm

Tuition on credit card?

2006-09-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

What do you think about this? The U's latest deal allowing students to put there tuition bill on credit cards.
Personally I think bad idea. When "stuff" goes on credit you tend to forget and take less not of how much that "stuff" costs. Students, and particularly this age group, would be the most susceptible to defaulting on payments and accruing huge interest.
But I guess our institutions of higher learning moved from arenas of training and teaching to areas of money grabbing games...kinda like the government.

More here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/20/69040

Family and Elijah pics

2006-09-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

To try and keep stuff semi organized from now on Amber and I will be putting all pics and family realted articles on our other blog:
http://petersonposse.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

Iranian humor?

2006-09-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Iranian Ambassador to the UN had just finished giving a speech, and walked out into the lobby where he met President Bush. They shook hands, and as they walked the Iranian said, "You know, I have just one question about what I have seen in America. President Bush said, "Well, anything I can do to help you, I will." The Iranian whispered "My son watches this show 'Star Trek' and in it there is Chekhov who is Russian, Scotty who is Scottish, Uhura who is Black and Sulu who is Chinese, but no Arabs. My son is very upset and doesn't understand why there aren't any Iranians, Syrians or Iraqis on Star Trek." President Bush laughed, leaned toward the Iranian ambassador, and whispered back, "It's because it takes place in the future."

Interesting...notice the black states...

2006-09-21T19:24:00.000-07:00

If the print is too small for you to read, the black states have hate crime laws that include crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Women and their hair...

2006-09-19T21:27:00.000-07:00

So the average woman spends $65,885.32 total and a cumulative of about 2 years fussing over their hair in their lifetime.
Amazing!

Story here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=402793&in_page_id=1770

Thought for the day!

2006-09-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

...Friends...
Friends are like butt cheeks.
Crap might separate them,
But they always come back together.

1st Muslim to US house from MN?

2006-09-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Probably will be since the 5th district is all Democrat…in fact, I dunno if a Republican even lives within 5 miles of that district! Wonder if they'll give him flack about praying in the name of Allah? Ohhh I forgot...everything is OK as long as it's not in the name of Jesus...b/c that would be simply to bigoted.
More here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/13/68937

New U stadium on student's nickel?

2006-09-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

Yup...just another one of those friendly "add-ons" to our students ever-increasing tuition.
Well to me personally I can swallow this better than funding Queer Student Cultural Center.
But in some miracle of discussion, the previously endored student fee of $100 was dropped down to $25 per student.
Just think:
$25 x 50,000 students = $1.25 millon!

More here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/13/68939

YES...finally legitamate use of student evaluations!

2006-08-28T21:23:00.000-07:00

All props to these dudes who are pioneering this idea.
It would have sure made me take more time to fill out an eval of my professor and class in college.

What they are doing is acutally making the evaulation results available to prospective course takers.

Wow...an idea that kinda make sense and caters to the well-being and desire of the individual student...seems too good to be true...and maybe even too capitalistic for the U.

Read more here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/08/16/68728

Meeeoooowww!

2006-08-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

Aug 24, 7:45 AM (ET)

JEANNETTE, Pa. (AP) - Meow. A district judge has been asked to decide whether that word is a harmless taunt or grounds for misdemeanor harassment. Jeannette police charged a 14-year-old boy for "meowing" whenever he sees his neighbor, 78-year-old Alexandria Carasia.
The boy's family and Carasia do not get along. The boy's mother said the family got rid of their cat after Carasia complained to police that it used her flower garden as a litter box.
The boy testified Tuesday that he only meowed at the woman twice. Carasia testified, "Every time he sees me, he meows."
The boy's defense attorney, David Martin Jr., argued that the charge should be dismissed.
"This should never have been filed," Martin said. "This is not something that police should be wasting their time with or wasting the court's time."
Jeannette District Judge Joseph DeMarchis decided to wait 90 days before ruling. DeMarchis said his decision will be based on how the boy and his neighbor get along in the meantime.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060824/D8JMP2JG0.html

Bush pushes the morning pill button?

2006-08-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

So what really is the morning after pill?
From what I understand a pill taken soon after intercourse that "stops" a pregnancy. Some refer to it as an emergency contraceptive, but this can be a misleading term.

I should really research a bit more myself, but the controversy comes from the fact that the morning after pill can actually be an abortifacient i.e. cause an abortion.

Then the question would be when does “pregnancy” begin?

It is really a question you should figure out.
Some say at the instant of conception.
Some say 12 days after conception.

If “pregnancy” begins sometime after conception I would conclude you can argue any particular timeframe you want, but if “pregnancy” begins at the instant of conception then the morning after pill can cause an abortion.

Would you want to take the risk of murdering someone?
But it doesn't matter if you can't see them right?

Jihad Watch

2006-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

Interesting blog with focus on Islamic rhetoric worldwide, take a look...

http://jihadwatch.org/

Latest story has text of Ahmadinejad letter to Merkel German Chancellor...interesting.

Photo fraud

2006-08-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

Some if not many have already seen this little online movie documentary of the photo fraud of multiple mainstream media outlets during the past Israeli/Hezbollah conflict, but if you haven't please view at:
http://www.aish.com/movies/JP/PhotoFraud.asp

Abortion vs unplanned pregnancy

2006-08-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

A national study that just came out in August finds teens who abort are more likely to experience subsequent mental health problems compared to those who give birth to unplanned children.

Duhhh. Abortion is not natural, having a kid is last time I checked.

Read more here:
http://www.physiciansforlife.org/content/view/1136/2/

Weather site

2006-08-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

My newest favorite weather site:
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/forecast/MapClick.php?CityName=Minneapolis&state=MN&site=MPX

What do ya think?
Know of any better ones??

Worm sermon?

2006-08-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon. Four worms were placed into four separate jars.
The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:
The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration?
A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

U of M Student Service Fees for 2006-20007

2006-08-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

African Student Association
.06
All-Campus Elections Commissions
.18
Al-Madinah Cultural Center
.67
American Indian Student Cultural Center
.28
Asian American Student Union
.44
Black Student Union
.66
Boynton Health Service
99.64
Campus Atheists/Secular Humanists
.11
Campus Conservative Cultural Program
.18
Community Child Care Center
.79
Como Community Child Care Center
.65
Crisis Point
.03
Disabled Student Cultural Center
.39
Entrepreneurship Club
.03
Event Partnership Grant Funds, Student Activities Office
1.05
Hillel Jewish Student Center
.39
La Raza Student Cultural Center
.50
Learning Abroad Center
1.21
Minnesota Daily
7.07
Minnesota International Student Association
.22
Queer Student Cultural Center
.44
Radio K - Operating
1.88
Radio K - AM Improvement
1.13
Recreational Sports Capitol, Depreciation, Maintenance
22.55
Recreational Sports Capitol Planning Fund
4.28
Recreational Sports Operating Fund
27.61
St. Paul Board of Colleges
.25
Student Conflict Resolution Center
2.68
Students for a Conservative Voice
.36
Students Services Fee Adinistration
1.23
Twin Cities Student Unions-Operating
56.38
Twin Cities Student Unions-Bond Repayment
48.65
Twin Cities Student Unions-Capitol, Depreciation, Maintenance
9.48
University Student Legal Service
12.26
Voices Merging
.07
The Wake Student Magazine
.95
Women's Student Activist Collective
.37
TOTAL
$305.10

from:
http://www.onestop.umn.edu/onestop/Tuition_Billing/Tuition_Rates/Student_Services_Fee.html

Record immigration to Israel?

2006-08-16T21:56:00.000-07:00

Yup...forget all the fighting, unrest, and regional termoil...they're immigrating to Israel in record numbers. At the rate of 24,000 last year and 4,000 in just the last two months!

Wonder why folks, mostly Jews, continue to come?

Read more here:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3291504,00.html

New weapon of warfare...cellphones?

2006-08-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Ya, no joke...so in the current Middle East conflict between Hezbollah and Israel...they are using cell phone text messaging and voicemail as a type of information warfare, mostly utilized by the Israelis. They will "hack" into the tower and/or satellite to basically transmit the desired message out to all local/network recipients.

Welcome to the age of cell phones!

Read more here:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/747405.html

Gimme some of those embroys, so I can kill them and have a nice face, eh!

2006-08-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Lovely thought, if you really wanted to look younger, hmmmm? But it's a sad reality of some new embryonic stem cell research...of course it is not proven, but many gals are lining up to have embryonic stem cells injected into their body to "rejuvenate" the skin. Talk about vanity...and the cost. Hello people! Read more here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=399376&in_page_id=1879&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=FEMAIL&ct=5

Should I stay or should I go now, Greg Boyd?

2006-08-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

So I guess you make up you own mind...and that's what roughly 1,000 members of the 5,000 member Woodland Hills Church in St.Paul, MN did…they decided to leave.
My opinion...'bout time...Greg Boyd (pastor of Woodland Hills Church) and his teachings first from "open theism"(the belief that God doesn't know the future) to now OK-ing abortions in the first trimester and more antics that seem Gnostic and Humanistic.

Well you decide...let me know what you think after 1st reading this...
NYT story:
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/disowning-conservative-politics-is/20060729195809990004

and then this...
http://www.worldviewweekend.com/secure/cwnetwork/article.php?ArticleID=954

Give me your comment...

If you want more information you can look at these for yourself...
Greg Boyd's personal page:
http://www.christusvictorministries.org/

Woodland Hills church's website:
http://www.whchurch.org/content/page_1.htm

People don't care about homosexual marriage, eh?

2006-07-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

We'll…”20 out of the 20 times it has come before voters, Americans have chosen to protect by constitutional amendment the idea of limiting marriage to one man and one woman”.
Yup. But it is OK what people do on their own time, in their own house, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with me…right?
Ideas have consequences…the idea of a “secret” societal homosexual relationship is unrealizable. Homosexuals will have to push to have their identity recognized and socially accepted as morally correct, less they be under a severe burden of guilt and shame.
The problem is, even if the homosexual lifestyle is recognized by a society…and even if the society is on the scale of the whole world…the guilt and shame of the lifestyle will still remain because it is a lifestyle contrary to the natural design of creation.

More here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51193\

My new favorite shopping websites...

2006-07-28T19:55:00.000-07:00

So as we are buying odd stuff for our house for the upcoming baby, I'm perusing the web for information, recommendations, reviews, good deals, and places to buy.

Here are some sites that I've found helpful...
www.shopping.com
www.pricegrabber.com
www.froogle.com

And ya know, you can buy groceries over Amazon.com now?

Let me know if you have found any others please.

Wanna cut a chained up bike?

2006-07-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

This LIVE video shows ya how.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4ryBd0Er5Jo&search=25

Ya gotta give it to these guys for pulling this one off...

More college educated women than men?

2006-07-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Yes...according to a NYT story(link below).
Appaerntly now men only make up 42% of the US college population.
And of people at college, more women(than men) tend to actually finish their degree.

I wonder why?

I dunno...I was really amazed by this story.

Read more here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/09/education/09college.html?ei=5065&en=117644ec4d27fcfd&ex=1153108800&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print

Blogging apology

2006-07-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

To my blogging public...all three of you...one of which is Amber...another one the baby...and the 3rd is an unnamed Aborigine in an internet café in Southern Australia…

Sorry for the long delay in posts the past few months. It seems as though I’m more of an impulse blogger than a routine one.

I haven’t obviously blogged for a while…we’ll I’ve been extremely busy over the past few months with multiple projects and only can expect to be busier as the summer rolls and the baby comes September 22nd.

Hopefully, I can blog more frequently, but please bear with me for now!

Family trip to Seattle, WA

2006-07-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

So Amber, the baby (inside), and I decided to have one last hurrah trip before the baby came "outside". Since I had a week off of work for Independence Day and none of us had ever been to WA...and the plane tickets were cheap we decided to go out there and nose around. We checked out Olympic National Park which included Hurricane Ridge, Sol Duc hot springs, and Hoh Rain Forest. After that, we checked out the Pacific Ocean coast. Then, we checked out Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainer, and Snoquamie Falls. And finally, we checked out downtown Seattle, including the fish market.
I put a few pics below…

Yes, you can speak publicly on college campus...even if you're a Christian

2006-05-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

Chaulk one up for free speech crowd, but not the ACLU free speech crowd...the "Let-the-Christians-actually-speak-out-on-campus" free speech crowd.
Notice how everything is free speech unless the speech is based in historic biblical Christian truth? If its based in historic biblical Christian truth than it is bigoted hate speech...what's up with that anyways? Guess folks just don't like hearing what can bring them life.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Read about it here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50365

Dr. Death now questions his practises...

2006-05-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Mr Kevorkian...i.e Dr. Death...the big proponent of euthanasia and physician assisted suicide…is dying in prison and now contemplating whether what he’s done with his life was all that good.
I wonder if he’ll choose euthanasia for himself?
Why do folks always contemplate their life when it nears an end? What does it matter…we just are buried and that’s it right?
We all seem to be pre-wired to know that our life’s works will be judged some day.
Do our present choices reflect this?

Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

Read more here:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=2008364&page=1

Another reason to limit illegal immigration...

2006-05-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

MEXICO CITY -- A Varig airlines cargo plane from Brazil sits parked at the Mexico City airport with its nose up in the air after the cargo was unevenly distributed. Brazil's troubled flagship airline, Varig, is reeling under an estimated US$3.3 billion (euro2.7 billion) in debt and is currently in the restructuring phase of bankruptcy proceedings and, last April 12, some 300 Varig employees boarded a chartered jet to Brasilia, the nation's capital, to call on the federal government to bail out the company, which employs 11,000 people. (04/17/06 AP photo)

Optional menstration?

2006-05-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

Read about it here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060521/ap_on_he_me/no_more_periods_2
Wierd, eh?
Not quite my topic of experience nor expertise, but ran across this story a few days ago and couldn't help but think how excepted birth conrtol is now and how weird it is to "stop" your body from its natural and "created-to-do" duties.
Its been around as long as my short life can remember, but its soo commonplace now, with gals using it to simply avoid the menstration process.
Hmmm...long term affects?...it's significant link to breast cancer??...but you can think about those later, what's important is that your care free and comfortatble now, right???

Nepal open for evangelism!

2006-05-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Got this email from a guy I know...

A few weeks ago I invited you to pray and agree with me for God to intervene in the country of Nepal. I was just there in September of last year and I now have and support a couple of ministries which I am affiliated with there .
The King and the Military ordered a curfew in Kathmandu! But God had other plans for this nation. The king was said to be incarnated from the Bishon god, and Nepal was the only Hindu Nation! Now all that has change since the King has stepped down from his rulership.
All the riots are over, the new Parliment with it's new government JUST GAVE A COMMAND AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT for the World and the whole Nation! FREEDOM OF RELIGION! WE ARE A SECULAR COUNTRY! Great news! For the past 50 years Christians and other religions have been mercilessly persecuted! That time of terror is over! Praise the Lord, let us rejoice together with the Family of Jesus Christ in Nepal! Freedom has come to them!

More info from Rusty at:
http://www.miraclelifemin.org/

Test your Memorial Day knowledge!

2006-05-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that is observed on the last Monday of May (scheduled next for May 29th, 2006). It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Some Americans use Memorial Day weekend to also honor family members who have passed away. Church services on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day may include a reading of the names of members who have died during the previous 12 months.
Many people observe this holiday by visiting cemeteries and memorials. A National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3 PM. Another tradition is to fly the U.S. Flag at half-staff from dawn until noon local time. In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also a time for picnics, family gatherings, and sporting events. Some Americans view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer and Labor Day as the unofficial end of the season. One of the longest standing traditions is the running of the Indianapolis 500, which has been held in conjuction with Memorial Day since 1911.
Memorial Day has traditionally occurred on May 30, and some, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW), advocate returning to this fixed date. The VFW stated in a 2002 Memorial Day Address, "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day.

Info taken from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_day

It's a Boy!

2006-05-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

So this Wednesday we had our ultrasound. Everything seemed well according to tech.
We also found out we are having a boy. It was quite a surprise for my wife and I since we were both figuring on a girl.
So do you think he's as good looking as his dad?

Random pic...

2006-05-05T20:06:00.000-07:00

I gotta post this so I can attatch it as a picture to my profile and name.
My buck from last year. A small one, but in Northern Wisconsin we need to thin down the herd!

Hey dude, need a date?

2006-05-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

She's Korean though, if that matters and her name is EveR-1.
5'3" tall, 110 Lbs, dark brown hair.
She can speak, understand some speech, and make facial expressions.
You'll have to carry her around though...at least till the end of the year when she gets her legs fixed.
Amazing!
Next will be a cyborg, Cyberdyne system model 101, T800 (the 1st Terminator).
Read more about it here:
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200605/kt2006050417203910160.htm

War protest at the U

2006-05-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

So busses bring high school students to the U...a common occurrence...and for what do you think those busses with kids are coming for? Maybe some scholastic test, an educational tour, or possible a sports event?
None of the choices would be right. School busses on 4/28/06 brought a number of high school students from local high schools down to the pleasant institution of higher learning for an astute lesson in anarchy(History studies), blatant graffiti (Graphic Arts studies), and screaming and yelling obscenities (Communication studies) during the second annual anti-war protest.

Public busses for this crap? It makes my blood boil that I funded these moron's transportation to take a location where they would require more of my money for crowd and traffic control, and to boot require even more of my money to arrest, prosecute and clean up the mess.

Ohh, did I mention they totally defaced the Army recruitment center by splattering it with paint?

Knowing the public schools around here, they probably encouraged students to leave for the Walk Out. Probably even gave them a free pass for the afternoon. What the heck, it's just school...not like the teachers can do anything...not like there's any important stuff to learn there anyway...

Sponsored by your local: Youth Against War and Racism, Socialist Alternative and the Anti-War Organizing League.
I like the Socialist Alternative the most I think.

Read it all here:
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/05/01/68284

No Burrrrr-eeee-toe for you!

2006-05-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist this one from Monday's protest...

For those who are in the "burrito resteraunt of choice" debate with me...another fine reason why Burrito Loco is better the Chipotle.

Obituary for Mr. Common Sense

2006-05-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Mr. Common Sense. Mr. Sense had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.
He will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.
Mr. Sense declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Finally, Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.
Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her lap, and was awarded a huge financial settlement.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Day of Truth

2006-04-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Got this forwarded from a friend...never knew they started this, but I'm encouraged.
Why not? Speak forth, or you'll be spoken for. There no such thing as a political vacuum!
Should we be ashamed of the simple Truths of the Word of God that can be applied in our society to bring the same freedom a Child of God has??

The Truth Cannot Be SilencedOn Thursday, April 27, students from across the country will stand together on the Day of Truth...will you be one of them?
This year marks the second year of the Day of Truth, which was established to counter the promotion of the homosexual agenda and express an opposing viewpoint from a Christian perspective. Last year more than 1,100 students from over 350 schools participated and shared the Truth with their classmates.
But there are so many more who need to hear the Truth, spoken in love.

http://www.dayoftruth.org/main/default.aspx

Smelting La-ah-pa-lu-za 2006

2006-04-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

So headed up to my folks house in Ashland, WI this past weekend for the 4th annual Smelting weekend. The Lord blessed us with some great weather and an enjoyable time. Unfortuneatley the smelt must have been having an enjoyable time as well...out in deeper water, because we only ended up being able to net two of them...one each night.
At least we didn't get skunked though, eh!
Saturday we had a fun time of paintaball around my folks house. Think Dave Rettler got the overall "last standing award" and James got the "most kills in one game award".
We also got to do some shooting with the real guns...and zero casualities!
The crew is shown below:

Test your internet connection speed...

2006-04-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

Go to this website:
http://www.testmy.net/

Click on the little box in the center-right that says "Download Speed Test"
You can also click on the little box below it that says "Upload Speed Test"

It will tell ya how fast you are connecting to the interent and compare you to others with your service provider and give ya a comparison to other modes of connection in an easy to read bar graph...it is quite interesting.

My download at home is 6.33Mbps and upload is 0.36Mbps...but maybe this varies with the connection time too. I have Comcast cable internet service.

Try it out and see what ya get.

Our 1st Anniversary ~ 4/8/06

2006-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

So for our 1st anniversary I surprized Amber with a trip to Red Wing, MN and a night stay at the historic St.James hotel. It was a very enjoyable time. We had some good eats as well. Then on Saturday, since the weather was so nice we got to take a hike up on Barn's Bluff. It worked out well and is only an hour shot from the Cities. Maybe this fall we can return and see the colors alnog the river!

Easter funny bunny.

2006-04-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist this one either...

A gift for those "difficult" people in our lives...

2006-04-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

BigDog robot

2006-04-11T20:14:00.000-07:00

Ya a robot like a dog...can cary upto 120Lbs on rough terrain and 45° inclines!

Read more here (be sure to watch the video):

http://www.livescience.com/technology/060409_robot_sherpa.html

TRY THIS ONCE . GO AHEAD, I DARE YA!

2006-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

(an email I recently recieved and found interesting)

Enter Mexico illegally. Ignore immigration quotas, visas, international law, and all that nonsense.
Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.
Demand that the federal government provide retirement benefits for your elderly parents.
Procreate abundantly.
Demand that the Mexican school system provide schooling for all your children.
Speak only English at home and in public and insist that your children do the same.
Demand classes on American culture in the Mexican school system.
Demand bilingual nurses and doctors.
Demand free bilingual local government forms, bulletins, etc.
Deflect any criticism of this irresponsible behavior with, "It is a cultural United States thing. You would not understand."
Keep your American identity strong. Fly Old Glory from your rooftop; proudly display it in your front window and on your car bumper.
Demand a local Mexican driver's license and then use your new Mexican driver's license to apply for other legal rights and to legitimize your illegal presence in Mexico.
Demand that the Mexican driver's license be acceptable documentation for voter's registration.
Insist that local Mexican law enforcement teach English to all its officers.
Insist that you should not have to pay taxes, because you are not a Mexican citizen and are only there "temporarily."
Good luck! You'll be demanding for the rest of time or soon be dead.
It will never happen. It will not happen in Mexico or any other country in the world. The only place this happens is right here . . . in the land of the gullible and the home of the naively stupid.
If you agree, pass it on. If you don't, go ahead, head on down to Mexico . . . Gringo!

Without the home of the brave there would not be a land of the free.

Ultrasound scheduled...you guess gender!

2006-04-11T19:51:00.000-07:00

So just yesterday we scheduled the ultrasound for May 9th.
That gives ya a little less than a month to guess whether a boy or girl.
I am just under the impression it will be a girl, but we'll see.
So there it is...so far...
GIRL = 1 votes
BOY = 0 votes
...your guess??

Tool Repair

2006-04-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Great website that has Part List, Assembly Diagrams, and Schematics for tool repair:
http://www.acetoolrepair.com/

Noah's Ark?

2006-04-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

You decide...

The related article can be found here:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49203

25 Lbs bass I caught the other day...

2006-04-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

...I'm just having another guy hold it while I take the picture...

read more about it here:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/outdoors/20060320-1251-bn20bass.html

Iraq war evidence?

2006-04-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

Declassified Truth

Posted 3/16/2006
The War On Terror: The government is finally getting around to unloading some of Saddam Hussein's secret documents. A look at just a few pages already leads to some blockbuster revelations.
In the early stages of the war that began three years ago, the U.S. captured thousands of documents from Saddam and his spy agency, the Mukhabarat. It's been widely thought the documents could shed light on why Saddam behaved as he did and how much of a threat his evil regime represented.
Yet, until this week, the documents lay molding in boxes in a government warehouse. Now the first batch is out, and though few in number, they're loaded with information.
Among the enduring myths of those who oppose the war is that Saddam, though murderous when it came to his own people, had no weapons of mass destruction and no terrorist designs outside his own country. Both claims now lie in tatters.
As we've reported several times, a number of former top military officials in Saddam's regime have come forward to admit that, yes, Saddam had WMD, hid them and shipped them out of the country so they couldn't be detected. And he had plans to make more.
Now come more revelations that leave little doubt about Saddam's terrorist intentions. Most intriguing from a document dump Wednesday night is a manual for Saddam's spy service, innocuously listed as CMPC-2003-006430. It makes for interesting reading.
Here, for instance, are the marching orders for Directorate 8, the Mukhabarat's "Technical Affairs" department: "The Eight Directorate is responsible for development of materials needed for covert offensive operations. It contains advanced laboratories for testing and production of weapons, poisons and explosives."
It goes on. Directorate 9, we discover, "is one of the most important directorates in the Mukhabarat. Most of its work is outside Iraq in coordination with other directorates, focusing on operations of sabotage and assassination."
The document also discusses the Mukhabarat's Office 16, set up to train "agents for clandestine operations abroad." The document helpfully adds that "special six-week courses in the use of of terror techniques are provided at a camp in Radwaniyhah."
Got that? Terror techniques.
Even as the media studiously avoid these new documents — just as they avoided 500 hours of Saddam's personal tapes showing his scheming on WMD — it's clear the U.S. did the right thing in invading Iraq and taking out a formative terrorist threat.
Saddam had close ties to al-Qaida. That's not just our opinion, but also that of the 9-11 Commission Report that so many in the media have selectively cited to bolster the case against the war.
As Chairman Thomas Kean said the day the report was released: "There was no question in our minds that there was a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaida."
As such, we were heartened to see that President Bush on Thursday reaffirmed the U.S. will continue to fight a pre-emptive war on terror — accompanied by news that the U.S. had launched Operation Swarmer, its largest anti-insurgent offensive since 2003.

Unique Sequence

2006-04-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

So gues what happens on this Thursday that hasn't happened for over 1000 years?
Our time and date go in sequence!

At 1:23AM on Thursday, April 5, the year 2006.
1:23, 04/05/06

1,2,3,4,5,6!

Kinda cool, eh!

Thanks Missy for showing me this :)

At home(in Ashland, WI) last weekend

2006-03-21T21:36:00.000-08:00

Got the final (and only) sledding of the year in. Went out with Amber, my dad, brother, sister and her two kids on a hill just south of our house by a mile. Luckily one of the slopes was not to melted. The tube is the only way to go!

Tennesse Twins?

2006-03-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

Could you please help me find the rightful home of either of these two twins from Reelfoot, TN?
The one on the right sure has a nice flannel on though!

Garage Door Torsion Spring replacement

2006-03-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

One of my torsion springs snapped on my door the other day.
Luckily both of are cars were outside at the time.
I just about popped a hernia lifting the door back up.
I actually measured the weight of the door with our bathroom scale and it weighed 290Lbs!

The replacement wasn't too bad. In the end it took only about 2 hours.
The hardest point was finding were I could buy a spring. A lot of these dudes in the yellow pages work out of their trucks (not that it’s a bad thing to do, to all my construction friends) and/or require that they install it.
The cheapest you could get spring were for around $40 a piece.

The place I found was:
http://www.northerndoor.com/
It's up in Vadnais Heights.

They suggest bringing in your old broken spring and they'll get ya a new one.
It worked out well.

I would suggest buying a couple of 1/2 inch rods for winding up the springs though...I used some screwdrivers to unwind one side and it was a bit scary.

Let me know if ya ever need a hand replacing your own.

Life Size Tabernacle

2006-03-01T21:13:00.000-08:00

Cool visual of the life size tabernacle:

For more pictures and information see: http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabernacle.htm

Simple definitions...do you know them?

2006-03-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

So I was thinking tonight during praise and worship, what does the word "Hallelujah" actually mean...I always knew it had something to do with "praise"...we sing it in songs all the time.

The official definition from Vine's is...
Hallelujah: praise the Lord
Signifies "Praise ye Jah." It occurs as a short doxology in the Psalms, usually at the beginning, e.g., Ps. 111; 112, or the end, e.g., Ps. 104; 105, or both, e.g., Ps. 106; 135 (where it is also used in ver. 3), Ps. 146; 147; 148; 149; 150. In the NT it is found in Rev 19:1,3,4,6, as the keynote in the song of the great multitude in heaven. "Alleluia," without the initial "H," is a misspelling.

A similar thing happened a couple of years ago when an international friend asked me what “amen” meant after we had just prayed over a meal. I had to tell him I didn’t exactly know at the time. A general definition would be “so be it”. Come to find out it is used a lot more.

The official definition from Vine's is...
Amen is transliterated from Hebrew into both Greek and English. "Its meanings may be seen in such passages as Deu 7:9, 'the faithful (the Amen) God,' Isa 49:7, 'Jehovah that is faithful.' Isa 65:16, 'the God of truth,' marg., 'the God of Amen.' And if God is faithful His testimonies and precepts are 'sure (amen),' Psa 19:7; 111:7, as are also His warnings, Hsa 5:9, and promises, Isa 33:16; 55:3. 'Amen' is used of men also, e.g., Pro 25:13. "There are cases where the people used it to express their assent to a law and their willingness to submit to the penalty attached to the breach of it, Deu 27:15, cp. Neh 5:13. It is also used to express acquiescence in another's prayer, 1Ki 1:36, where it is defined as "(let) God say so too," or in another's thanksgiving, 1Ch 16:36, whether by an individual, Jer 11:5, or by the congregation, Psa 106:48. "Thus 'Amen' said by God 'it is and shall be so,' and by men, 'so let it be.'" "Once in the NT 'Amen' is a title of Christ, Rev 3:14, because through Him the purposes of God are established, 2Cr 1:20 "The early Christian churches followed the example of Israel in associating themselves audibly with the prayers and thanksgivings offered on their behalf, 1Cr 14:16, where the article 'the' points to a common practice. Moreover this custom conforms to the pattern of things in the Heavens, see Rev 5:14, etc. "The individual also said 'Amen' to express his 'let it be so' in response to the Divine 'thus it shall be,' Rev 22:20. Frequently the speaker adds 'Amen' to his own prayers and doxologies, as is the case at Eph 3:21, e.g. "The Lord Jesus often used 'Amen,' translated 'verily,' to introduce new revelations of the mind of God. In John's Gospel it is always repeated, 'Amen, Amen,' but not elsewhere. Luke does not use it at all, but where Matthew, Mat 16:28, and Mark, Mar 9:1, have 'Amen,' Luke has 'of a truth;' thus by varying the translation of what the Lord said, Luke throws light on His meaning."* [* From Notes on Galatians, by Hogg and Vine, pp. 26, 27.]

Bible reading question

2006-02-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

So anyways, this year I'm reading through the bible in chronological order...at least the order that the editor put it in. The bible is actually called "The Reese Chronological Bible"...it's been pretty good so far, and I've been gaining a lot of insights into how events are generally time lined.

Besides sharing news snippets and cool things I run across I had also hoped the blog to provide a simple forum for dialog and/or questions for topics that come up for myself and others during this year reading through the bible.

In Numbers 9 God outlines how He will direct the Israelites during there wilderness journey with the cloud upon the tabernacle.
When did God stop directing the Israelites in this manner?

Sex with students?

2006-02-24T14:31:00.000-08:00

What's up with all these female teachers having sex with their students?
Can't they control themselves?
Are they not interested in men their own age? ...if it's that big of a deal to them why can't they just go to the local bar and find somone??
Do they just like to use they're power and manipulation tactics for their own pleasure?
Maybe all of the above. It is quite discouraging.

We can control our bodies. We can control our lust.

Unless of fact we really are a more enlightened mammal that has evolved from monkeys...

Latest report here:
http://www.wral.com/news/7373950/detail.html

Port Deal or No Port Deal?

2006-02-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

What do you think?

It definately has been a politized issue.

Just kinda wonder what allowing the Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates vs British port operator P&O will change anything?

What exaclty does a port operator do anyways?

I do suppose you could let some fairly large amounts of "bad" stuff into the US through these ports.

India selas off Bird Flu town

2006-02-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

After the bird flu has been spreading in India, they stareted going door-to-door in certain areas in an attempt to catch people infected. The latest is they have sealed off and entire town of 30,000 people until testing has been completed.
Hopefully tests are negative and the disease stays in birds only.

See link here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4739800.stm

33Lbs cat

2006-02-21T08:20:00.000-08:00

How would you like to feed this 33Lbs kitty!

For more info and pictures see:
http://www.local6.com/news/7267453/detail.html

Buying tools online?

2006-02-19T22:52:00.000-08:00

Ya, believe it or not you can get pretty decent deals online.
The best I have found have been on:
http://www.amazon.com/
The good thing about Amazon is you can get free shipping at times plus bonus tools and/or deals.
My dad got a Makita compound slide miter saw the other day…it was a 50Lbs deal, but they offered free shipping. Plus they threw in a free Dewalt Sawzall. They also through in a $50 rebate.

Another place you can get tool idea prices is:
http://www.7corners.com/

But you should always check Home Depot, Menards, and Lowes…you might get lucky and find a better deal and/or special sale.

Anybody run anyother finds?

Online buying

2006-02-19T22:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some sites that I ran across for snagging online bargains:
http://www.hot-deals.org/
http://www.xpbargains.com/

Before you buy though, check out the seller on:
http://www.resellerratings.com/

I have been very impressed by all of these sites so far.
Hope you can use.

Anybody have other good sites?

PSPICE 9.1 student version

2006-02-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

For anyone who like plinking with circuit design and needs a decent ***and FREE*** tool to use at home...here is one link I found to get PSPICE version 9.1 student version. It has some limited functions, and not a very big part library, but it will help to get ya started.
http://www.engr.uky.edu/~cathey/pspice061301.html
Anyone else have circuit design program selections?
I have heard of Circuitmaker, and Workbench...but never used them and unsure if I can get a free version.

Real Estate info website

2006-02-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here a real cool website that will tell you a particular house's price, price fluctuations over previous years, taxes, lot size, amount and type of rooms...get this...with only an address, street, or neighborhood.

http://www.zillow.com/

Granted this is only a beta version, and some locations and info are not available, but it is still pretty cool if you ask me.