More " A Sport for the Drama Momma"

More 'Extreme Ironing"

A sport tailor-made for the Drama Momma.

Check out Pilobolus

Click here.

Cool Clock

Stonehenge Robotic Clock

Very Disturbing...

Check this out...

Cool Pics

These are pictures of roof-top gardens in NYC.

Sexiest Carwash Video - ever

Check this out 

He ventured forth to bring light to the world

Here is a great article from the London Times.

Global warming may increase kidney stones

Read this.

Darn that George Bush!

New Obama Poster and Slogan

I'm a big Newt fan...

Watch this video.

Eve of Destruction

Since, at least to me, there is not much difference between the Democrat-Republican and the Socialist-Democrat idiots running for president, I've decided to make Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" my blog's theme song, at least until the election is over.

No matter which idiot wins, we are on the "Eve of Destruction"...

Here are the lyrics:
The eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’
You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but what’s that gun you’re totin’
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’

But you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction.

Don’t you understand what I’m tryin’ to say
Can’t you feel the fears I’m feelin’ today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ away
There’ll be no one to save, with the world in a grave
[Take a look around ya boy, it's bound to scare ya boy]

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction.

Yeah, my blood’s so mad feels like coagulatin’
I’m sitting here just contemplatin’
I can’t twist the truth, it knows no regulation.
Handful of senators don’t pass legislation
And marches alone can’t bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin’
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin’

And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for 4 days in space
But when you return, it’s the same old place
The poundin’ of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead, but don’t leave a trace
Hate your next-door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace
And… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend
You don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction
Mm, no no, you don’t believe
We’re on the eve
Of destruction.

Some of the specific lyrics are a little out of date, but the theme is right on...

I want to become an illegal alien...

Got this in an email. Supposedly(though I doubt it) it was actually written to Senator Harkin form one of his constituents.

The Honorable Tom Harkin

731 Hart Senate Office Building

Phone (202) 224 3254
Washington DC , 20510
 
 Dear Senator Harkin,
 
 As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, 
 I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department 
 of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming 
 an illegal alien and they referred me to you.
 
 My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to 
 illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate 
 and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is 
 accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five 
 years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and 
 income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I 
 see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone 
 figures it out.
 
 Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes 
 every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of 
 taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can 
 apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result 
 for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.
 
 Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency 
 room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying 
 premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost 
 $10,000 a year.
 
 Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would 
 receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, 
 as well as 'in-state' tuition rates for many colleges throughout the 
 United States for my son.
 
 Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden 
 of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance 
 premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college 
 age children driving my car.
 
 If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal 
 (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be 
 most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

A speech George Bush should give...

(Got this in an email from my dad...)

The speech George W. Bush might give:

Normally, I start these things out by saying 'My Fellow Americans.' Not doing it this time. If the polls are any indication, I don't know who more than half of you are anymore. I do know something terrible has happened, and that you're really not fellow Americans any longer.

I'll cut right to the chase here: I quit. Now before anyone gets all in a lather about me quitting to avoid impeachment, or to avoid prosecution or something, let me assure you: There's been no breaking of laws or impeachable offenses in this office.
 
The reason I'm quitting is simple. I'm fed up with you people. I'm fed up because you have no understanding of what's really going on in the world. Or of what's going on in this once-great nation of ours. And the majority of you are too damned lazy to do your homework and figure it out. 

Let's start local. Politicians and the news media have sold you a bill of goods. Polls show that the majority of you think the economy is in the tank. And that's despite record numbers of homeowners, including record numbers of MINORITY homeowners. And while we're mentioning minorities, I'll point out that minority business ownership is at an all-time high. Our unemployment rate is as low as it ever was during the Clinton administration. I've mentioned all those things before, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in. 

Despite the shock to our economy of 9/11, the stock market has rebounded to record levels and more Americans than ever are participating in these markets. Meanwhile, all you can do is whine about gas prices, and most of you are too damn stupid to realize that gas prices are high because there's increased demand in other parts of the world, and because a small handful of noisy idiots are more worried about polar bears and beachfront property than your economic security.

We face real threats in the world. Don't give me this 'blood for oil' thing. If I were trading blood for oil I would've already seized Iraq's oil fields and let the rest of the country go to hell. And don't give me this 'Bush Lied; People Died' crap either. If I were the liar you morons take me for, I could've easily had chemical weapons planted in Iraq so they could be 'discovered.' Instead, I owned up to the fact that the intelligence was faulty. 
 
Let me remind you that the rest of the world thought Saddam had the goods, same as me. Let me also remind you that regime change in Iraq was official US policy before I came into office. Some guy named ' Clinton ' established that policy. Bet you didn't know that, did you? Now some of you morons are considering another and more evil Clinton for president!!!! Go figure that one!! She wants to take your kids away and let the ' Whole Village ' raise them! i.e. governmental indoctrination .. Look this one up!! 

The rest of you morons want to be led by a junior senator with no understanding of foreign policy or economics, and this nitwit says we should attack Pakistan, a nuclear ally. And then he wants to go to Iran and make peace with a terrorist who says he's going to destroy us. While he's doing that, he wants to give Iraq to al Qaeda, Afghanistan to the Taliban, Israel to the Palestinians, and your money to the IRS so the government can give welfare to illegal aliens, who he will make into citizens, so they can vote to re-elect him. He also thinks it's okay for Iran to have nuclear weapons, and we should stop our foreign aid to Israel . Did you sleep through high school?

You idiots need to understand that we face a unique enemy. Back during the cold war, there were two major competing political and economic models squaring off. We won that war, but we did so because fundamentally, the Communists wanted to survive, just as we do. We were simply able to out spend and out-tech them. 
 
That's not the case this time. The soldiers of our new enemy don't care if they survive. In fact, they want to die. That'd be fine, as long as they weren't also committed to taking as many of you with them as they can. But they are. They want to kill you, and the bastards are all over the globe.

You should be grateful that they haven't gotten any more of us here in the United States since September 11. But you're not. That's because you've got no idea how hard a small number of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and homeland security people have worked to make sure of that. When this whole mess started, I warned you that this would be a long and difficult fight. I'm disappointed how many of you people think a long and difficult fight amounts to a single season of 'Survivor.'
  
Instead, you've grown impatient. You're incapable of seeing things through the long lens of history, the way our enemies do. You think that wars should last a few months, a few years, tops.

Making matters worse, you actively support those who help the enemy. Every time you buy the New York Times, every time you smoke a joint or snort cocaine, crack etc. or send a donation to a cut-and-run Democrat's political campaign, well, dang it, you might just as well FedEx a grenade launcher to a Jihadist. It amounts to the same thing.

In this day and age, it's easy enough to find the truth. It's all over the Internet. It just isn't on the pages of the New York Times, USA Today, or on NBC News. But even if it were, I doubt you'd be any smarter. Most of you would rather watch American Idol or Dancing with Stars.

I could say more about your expectations that the government will always be there to bail you out, even if you're too stupid to leave a city that's below sea level and has a hurricane approaching.
 
I could say more about your insane belief that government, not your own wallet, is where the money comes from. But I've come to the conclusion that were I to do so, it would sail right over your heads.

So I quit. I'm going back to Crawford. I've got an energy-efficient house down there (Al Gore could only dream) and the capability to be fully self-sufficient for years. No one ever heard of Crawford before I got elected, and as soon as I'm done here pretty much no one will ever hear of it again. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to die of old age before the last pillars of America fall.
 
Oh, and by the way, Cheney's quitting too. That means Pelosi is your new President. You asked for it. Watch what she does carefully, because I still have a glimmer of hope that there are just enough of you remaining who are smart enough to turn this thing around in 2008.

So that's it. God bless what's left of America 

Some of you know what I mean. The rest of you, kiss off.
 
PS - You might want to start learning Farsi, and buy a Koran.

So You Think You Can Dance Week 1 part 2

This was my favorite dance from last week.

Was a little distrtacted by her tan line though...

List of the Greatest Grills and Smokers

Check out this list.

Some of the coolest stuff I've ever seen...

So You Think You Can Dance Week 1

I love this show. It is my 3rd favorite reality show after Survivor and The Amazing Race.

Here are two of my favorite dances from 2 years ago. Benji and Donyell were my favorite couple from Season 2.

Here is Neil and Lacy from last season.

Here is Lauren and Neil.

Can't forget Pasha and Sara.

Crazy Courtroom things

Here are a couple of crazy courtroom things that I have run across lately.

Sudoku Jury

Porn Judge

The jury members should split the bill for the trial, maybe even be held in contempt.

This judge is on a short list for the Supreme Court??? Not any more...

Wedding Dance

Thought of my friends, the Meadows, when I watched this video...

(It's a little long, but worth it.)

My First Tomato

Picked and ate my first tomato last night. It was a cherry tomato. Opened the fridge to get some dressing. Decided to eat it plain.

It was yummy.

Almost Darwin Award Nominee

Just missed the Darwin Awards...

Awkward moment on national television

How about this kid.

Handled it pretty well, I think.

Seems fitting...

I like this story. Definitely thinking out of the box.

Summer Reading

Today we started our summer reading program. We are each going to read 1 hour per day.

I am reading "The Judas Strain" by James Rollins.



The drama son is reading "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel.


Drama Momma is reading some book about a dead guy that comes back to life. Sounds like a lifetime movie to me.

Not sure what the drama daughter is reading. Something spiritual, I am sure.

Geeky Gloria Gaynor remix

Found this on YouTube today. Thought of the drama daughter while watching...

My wife loves me...

Want to know how I know this?

She got a haircut yesterday. Rather than wait and stew until I noticed, she walked right in and said,"I just got my hair cut, what do you think?" Not even I can screw that one up.

She is awesome.

Food Porn Last Day

Last day of Food Porn Week. Here is the King of all Food Porn. It combines all the necessary things into 1 large plate of yummyness.

The king of all Food Porn is "Aussie Cheese Fries" from Outback Steakhouse. Check out the picture, go ahead, look closely, revel in the greasy, fried food pornnness. It has a whopping 2,900 calories, 182 g fat and 240 g carbs. Enough to give heart failure to, err, feed an Ethiopian village.



For an authoritative endorsement check out this article.

These can be had here in America for about $7.00. In Singapore, however, they are a little more pricey.



And they are smaller:



Good reason as any not to move to Singapore...

Food Porn, Day 3

This picture is from the Mermaids Casino on the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas. This place could be the Mecca for Food Porn lovers. Check out the menu - Fried Oreos, French Fries and the subject of today's post, the Deep Fried Twinkie.

I have been clear in previous postings that I am a fan of bacon. I am also a fan of "fried". Almost anything can be made better if you can batter and deep fry it.



Put a stick in a twinkie, then freeze it. Deep fry it for a few minutes and you get food porn yummyness. Add some powdered sugar and some sprinkles and you are very close to perfection.

As a bonus, here are some fried Oreos:


This might be a reason to go to Vegas...

Food Porn Day 2

 

This is a Hardees "Thick Burger". Here is a link to an article discussing it. 

As with most good food porn, there is bacon...

Makes me wish we still had Hardee's restaraunts.

Food Porn Week, Day 1

After an exhausting couple of weeks of deep(comparitively) Rich Mullins postings, I am going back to my comfort zone of shallowness.

Here is Day 1 of Food Porn Week, dedicated to food lusters everywhere.

Gonna start on a high note to get you all hooked. No single food says "Food Porn" more than bacon. This is the "Ultimate Bacon Sandwich" The creators were kind enough to completely document the construction of this amazing treat. I am glad they went the health route with 'Low Sodium' bacon. Watch them in awe.

Um Um Good!

Wall Hawks?????

Saw this bus the other day at Church's Chicken. About 6 guys and 1 girl got out. All jeans, cowboy boots, big belt buckles, you know the story.

Anyway, who thought of Wall Hawks??

Wall Papers
Wall Hangings
Wall Flowers

Gotta be a better name than Hawks...

Let's help them.

Coming next week - more food porn (What is the best way to serve bacon?)

Rich Mullins Part 6, the finale

This is the last post on Rich Mullins. I have saved my favorite song for last. Today's song is called "Sometimes by Step" It is a continuation of the worship chorus, "Step By Step. It was first released in 1991 on the album "The World as Best as I Remember It, Vol. 1."

The chorus was written by David Strasser, aka Beaker . When Strasser was little, his friends thought he looked like Beaker the Muppet, and the name stuck. When Rich referred to him in conversation, he always called him Beaker. When Beaker was in the 7th grade, his youth pastor introduced them. They quickly became close friends and began writing and touring together. The collaborated on many songs, the first being ""Boy Like Me, Man Like You", along with other hits like "Maker Of Noses", "Creed" and "Peace". In the mid 90s, Beaker got married and retreated from his music career to focus on his family.

When Rich Mullins first heard the chorus, he joked that it would be such a huge hit, that he had to add some lyrics of his own to get some of the credit, hence the re release in 1992 on Vol. 2.

When my kids were little, we sang it all the time. I would start the chorus, and both of them would join in. This song, along with "Awesome God", became part of his legacy of worship. He left this world in the prime of his ministry, having touched an uncountable number of people with his grand, poetic lyrics and innovatively instrumented music.

Here are the lyrics:
Sometimes the night was beautiful
Sometimes the sky was so far away
Sometimes it seemed to stoop so close
You could touch it but your heart would break
Sometimes the morning came too soon
Sometimes the day could be so hot
There was so much work left to do
But so much You'd already done

CHORUS:
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

Sometimes I think of Abraham
How one star he saw had been lit for me
He was a stranger in this land
And I am that, no less than he
And on this road to righteousness
Sometimes the climb can be so steep
I may falter in my steps
But never beyond Your reach

CHORUS

And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days
And I will follow You all of my days
(Sometimes the night was beautiful)
And I will follow You all of my days

Rich Mullins part 5

I missed the last 2 Rich Mullins posts last week. This one would have been Friday's.

Today’s song is “If I Stand.” It is from his 3rd album, “Winds of Heaven…Stuff of Earth. It was released in 1986. This was about when I first heard of him. The concert I mentioned earlier would have been about this time.

This is another song that carries the theme of nature scenes. I love how he compares the reality of the “stuff of earth” and the “allegiance…I owe only to the Giver...” Early in Rich’s career, he set up a team of advisers to handle his finances. They paid him a yearly salary around $24,000, equivalent to that of a common worker and gave the rest to various charities. Certainly “stuff of earth” did not mean as much to him as it does to me. He had taken a vow of poverty and stuck to it in the face of tremendous temptation, leading some to label him “monastic.”

Here are the lyrics:
There's more that rises in the morning than the sun
And more that shines in the night than just the moon
It's more than just this fire here that keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger than this room

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiment
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That You will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home

There's more that dances on the prairies than the wind
More that pulses in the ocean than the tide
There's a love that is fiercer than the love between friends
More gentle than a mother's when her baby's at her side

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiment
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing
The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things

So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That You will pull me through
And if I can't, let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs
And if I weep let it be as a man
Who is longing for his home.

Rich Mullins Part 4

Today’s song is “My Deliverer”. It is from the “Songs” album, released in 1996. It was the last album Rich Mullins released before his death in September, 1997. He and a friend were driving on I-39 north of Bloomington, Illinois to a benefit concert in Wichita, Kansas when his Jeep flipped over. Neither was wearing his seat belt and Rich was thrown from the Jeep. A passing tractor-trailer swerved to avoid the Jeep and killed him. If he had any time to think before he died, and lyrics came to his mind, they might very well have been the chorus from this song.

This is a much simpler song than the last ones. It has very few words, and is almost stark compared to the flowing nature scenes of others. It is simply a reminder that at all times, no matter what the circumstances,

“My Deliverer is coming- My Deliverer is standing by.”

Here are the lyrics:
Double-click it in the box to the left...
Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa
To escape the rage of a deadly king
There along the banks of the Nile,
Jesus listened to the song that the captive children used to sing

They were singin'
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by

Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights
Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart
There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry
For the healing that would flow from His own scars

The world was singing
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
I will never doubt His promise though I doubt my heart, I doubt my eyes

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise
Though the stars should break faith with the sky

My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming.

AI Top 4 Reject Show.

Castro is gone. 'nuff said.

Wednesday's song

Today’s song is “The Color Green.” It is from the album “A Liturgy, A Legacy & A Ragamuffin Band.” The band's name comes from Brennan Manning's 1990 book,” The Ragamuffin Gospel.” It defines ragamuffins as "the burdened, the wobbly and weak-kneed, the inconsistent, unsteady disciples... the smart people who know they are stupid... the honest disciples who admit they are scalawags.” Seems like a good way to define a follower of Christ to me. This album was released in 1993. Here is a video.

Like yesterday’s song, this one is full of expressive lyrics. While on the surface they seem to be about nature, there are deeper meanings. Which one of us doesn’t relate to “And the wrens have returned and they're nesting
In the hollow of that oak where his heart once had been
And he lifts up his arms in a blessing for being born again.” Rich was as master of reminding us how nature reveals the Creator and worships Him just by being. What if we lived like that?

Here are the lyrics:
And the moon is a sliver of silver
Like a shaving that fell on the floor of a Carpenter's shop
And every house must have it's builder
And I awoke in the house of God
Where the windows are mornings and evenings
Stretched from the sun across the sky north to south
And on my way to early meeting
I heard the rocks crying out
I heard the rocks crying out

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise

And the wrens have returned and they're nesting
In the hollow of that oak where his heart once had been
And he lifts up his arms in a blessing for being born again
And the streams are all swollen with winter
Winter unfrozen and free to run away now
And I'm amazed when I remember
Who it was that built this house
And with the rocks I cry out

Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands
Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land
Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made
Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise.

AI Top 4 Torture

Tonight's show was not as good as I had hoped. Lots of great songs and an unlimited number of arrangements to choose from. Not many good choices made.

Cook was strong. I love "Hungry Like a Wolf". Not a big Duran Duran fan, but they had a couple of good songs. He kind of played it safe. 2nd song was even better. I did not recognize the title, "Baba O'Riley", but got it once he started.Great job.

Each week, I get more tired of Gomer. The humbleness has worn on me and I am ready for him to go. Sadly though, he did a pretty good job with both songs. Kind of syrupy, though.

Syesha went for Tina Turner. Her dress was nice. Her choreography was awkward and forced. The 2nd song was too emotional for her, but not a bad job.

Castro was a train wreck. Bob Marley? What was up with that? Like Syesha doing Whitney Houston, you can never measure up. Bob Marley was unique for his time, and doesn't translate well for today. Who remembers Marley's version of " I Shot the Sheriff"anyway? We all remember Eric Clapton's, it was much better. The he went further down and did Bob Dylan. Another guy not known for the quality of his voice.
We all remember "Mr. Tambourine Man." It was by the Byrds, not Bob Dylan. Where were Simon and Garfunkle when Castro needed them.

Castro should go, but he seems to have more fans than Syesha

Rich Mullins Music Part 2

The next song is called “Calling Out Your Name.” It is from the album
“The World As Best As I Remember It, Volume 1.” It was released in 1991. At the time, Rich was 36 years old, and had returned to college. From 1991 to 1995, he was enrolled at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, pursuing a B.A. in Music Education. He played French Horn in the band. He graduated in 1995 and received his teaching degree. He then moved to an Indian reservation in New Mexico where he taught music and art to local children.

Here are the lyrics:

Well the moon moved past Nebraska
And spilled laughter on them cold Dakota Hills
And angels danced on Jacob's stairs
Yeah, they danced on Jacob's stairs
There is this silence in the Badlands
And over Kansas the whole universe was stilled
By the whisper of a prayer, the whisper of a prayer

And the single hawk bursts into flight
And in the east the whole horizon is in flames
I feel the thunder in the sky I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I can feel the earth tremble
Beneath the rumbling of the buffalo hooves
And the fury in the pheasant's wings
And there's fury in a pheasant's wings
It tells me the Lord is in His temple
And there is still a faith
That can make the mountains move
And a love that can make the heavens ring
And I've seen love make heaven ring

Where the sacred rivers meet
Beneath the shadow of the Keeper of the plains
I feel thunder in the sky I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

From the place where morning gathers
You can look sometimes forever 'til you see
What time may never know
What time may never know
How the Lord takes by its corners this old world
And shakes us forward and shakes us free
To run wild with the hope
To run wild with the hope

The hope that this thirst will not last long
That it will soon drown in the song not sung in vain
And I feel thunder in the sky I see the sky about to rain
And I hear the prairies calling out Your name

I think it's great how he shows the creation worshipping. The buffaloes, pheasants, the hawk, the sun and moon all acknowledge the Creator just by being. They don't have to do anything unusual, they just do what they were created to do.

What if it we recognized that is all God wants from us?

Rich Mullins music

I am not a big Christan music fan. However, there are a few songs that I like.
My favorite artist is Rich Mullins. I have always been a fan of his. Drama momma and I went to see him once at the Civic Center. She made me dress up, 
because that is what you are supposed to do when you go to concerts. I was not too happy about that part. When the show started, Rich came out bare-footed in old jeans. I was way overdressed.

Anyway, what a  great show. He had so much passion for people. It shows in his music. This weeks non-AI posts will be dedicated to my favorite Rich Mullins songs  and some info about his life.

The first song is Elijah. Double click it on the list. Turn up your speakers and just listen. Don't sing, just listen. Here are the lyrics: 

The Jordan is waiting for me to cross through
My heart is aging I can tell
So Lord, I'm begging for one last favor from You
Here's my heart take it where You will

This life has shown me how we're mended and how we're torn
How it's okay to be lonely as long as you're free
Sometimes my ground was stony
And sometimes covered up with thorns
And only You could make it what it had to be
And now that it's done
Well, if they dressed me like a pauper
Or if they dined me like a prince
If they lay me with my fathers
Or if my ashes scatter on the wind
I don't care

CHORUS:
But when I leave I want to go out like Elijah
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the stars
Well, It'll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won't break my heart to say goodbye

There's people been friendly but they'd never be your friends
Sometimes this has bent me to the ground
Now that this is all ending I want to hear some music once again
'Cause it's the finest thing I have ever found

But the Jordan is waiting
Though I ain't never seen the other side
They say you can't take in the things you have here
So on the road to salvation
I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride
And His music is already falling on my ears

There's people been talking
They say they're worried about my soul
Well, I'm here to tell you I'll keep rocking
'Til I'm sure it's my time to roll
And when I do

But when I leave I want to go out like Elijah
With a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire
And when I look back on the stars
Well, It'll be like a candlelight in Central Park
And it won't break my heart to say goodbye

One thing that stands out his music is the quality of his lyrics. There is a great message, but he shares it with interesting words.
"Sometimes my ground was stony
and sometimes covered up with thorns"
and "So on the road to salvation 
I stick out my thumb and He gives me a ride"
are two examples.

AI Top 5 Reject Show

The night started with Ryan sticking up for Paula, "The rumors are not true, she is part of our family and we love her." Just because we love her and she is part of our family doesn't mean they are not true. It just means that the AI family is in denial.

Jason Castro is one lucky dude. Not at all the best singer, he just keeps surviving. Syesha survives also. Despite the fact that she is always in the bottom group, I think she is hitting her stride. I think the Andrew Lloyd Webber night was good for her.

David C. and Gomer will be the final 2. No doubt.

Brooke was a train wreck that kept happening in front of our eyes. She would go from 1 bad performance to the next. She would argue/talk back to the judges and cry a lot. She did have a couple of good performances, but overall 
she disappointed each time.

She was on Fox and Friends this morning. She got to talk to Carly Simon who had always been one of her idols. She loved Brooke's version of "You're So Vain."

AI Top 5 Do Neil Diamond

I am not a big Neil Diamond fan. He is kind of so-so for me. The shiny shirts-Vegas style doesn't work. However, there are a few songs that I enjoy. "Caroline" is probably my favorite. BTW, during the show last night, 
the drama daughter asked "So, when was Neil Diamond popular?" I had to answer, "The 80's I guess, not really sure."

Anyway, our top 5 did not disappoint. They were all over the place tonight.

Cook was the best again. He is like the energizer bunny, he keeps going and going and going. The gap between him and the rest is widening.

Gomer Pyle's act becomes more tiresome each week. I am tired of the puppy dog smile. He is a solid 2nd, though Cook is way ahead.

Syesha, what to say? I hate to admit it, but she is growing on me. Randy called her a singer/actress. I think he is right. When she can be a character rather than herself she glows on stage, not the best singer

We have seen Jason each week. He is the same every time. Not great, but exactly what you expect. He is like sitting in the swing on your back porch. Are there better swings? Absolutely. Are there better backyards? You know there are. But you know, for right now, I am content.

Brooke is a train-wreck. I think she was shocked that Carly went last week instead of her. She has to know her days are limited. America just keeps prolonging her (and our) agony.  I don't enjoy her country music-tainted versions of songs, but that is how her voice seems to
work. However,  I do like her more on the piano than standing at the mike or playing a guitar.

Now for the judges. For a long time I have suspected that something was up with Paula. We all know of her problems in the past with prescription drugs. I bet that she also drinks before the show, maybe even during and after. My theory was that she was wearing an earpiece and that a producer would feed her lines. She kind of has a way of speaking with lots of pauses and stops, like she can't quite keep up. After last night, it is obvious that she reads preprepared cards, probably made during the rehearsal. (Who says "lower register") I was surprised how long it took someone to throw her a line. Seems like Ryan should have stepped in sooner. Also it really shows how closely everyone listens. She was able to ramble on for a while before anybody noticed.

Here is the uncomfortable video.

Gardening fun

Inspired by the postings of my longtime blogging friend, Robin, I have started a garden. While I can't compete with the size of her garden (it's about as big as my house) it is a fair beginning.

It is about 4 feet square. I planted 2 big tomato, 2 cherry tomato, 2 grape tomato, 12 onion and 6 cucumber plants. The cucumber plants died right off, but the others have grown great. The tomato plants have grown about 6 inches in the last month.

Notice the cinder blocks. I live in SE Edmond. Our yard has the cable box, the phone box and an electrical box. Also, a gas main runs right under the middle of the yard. When the utility guys come to mark their lines, hardly any grass remains unpanited. There is just nowhere to dig. The cinder blocks were the answer. Just build a box and fill it with dirt, problem solved. If all goes well, I will double the size for next year.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Of all the "patriotic songs", my favorite is the Battle Hymn of the Republic. When the Pope was in D.C. a couplel of weeks ago, the US Army Chorus sang it. Here is a link to the video.

Here are the lyrics(they did not sing them all):

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored.
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on!

[chorus]
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps.
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on!

[chorus]

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."

[chorus]

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on!

[chorus]

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me;
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.

I get chills everytime I hear it.

American Idol Top 6 Reject Show

Carly is toast. I was a little surprised, but not shocked. Over the last few weeks she had been in the bottom 3 a few times. It was obvious that America was tiring of her. At first, she was my favorite of the girls, but she has faded lately for me too.

Carly, Syesha, Jason and Brooke are all kind of in the same category for me - filler until the Davids finale. The order in which they go really doesn't matter to me.

Funniest Comedy Sketch ever

Click here.

None can compare...

American Idol Top 6 Torture

You know, I am getting into this show. I am (gasp) looking forward to it each week.

Read an interesting article this morning from the New York Times.

Full disclosure here, I have become something of a Broadway fan. When we went to Branson a few years ago, the Best of Broadway show was my favorite. On So You Think You Can Dance, my favorite dances are the Broadway dances. I was kind of looking forward to this show, especially after the last two weeks. If I never see/hear Dolly or Celene(sp) again, it will be too soon.

This weeks thoughts:

Syesha had her best night yet. She has a big voice and showed some great personality - something she had been lacking.
Brooke was not bad, but she is toast, if not this week, very soon. To me, she has lost her confidence and seems exhausted.
Jason was awful and if this is not Brooke's last week it will be his. He just doesn't fit in with any of the others. The Hallelujah song and Somewhere Over the Rainbow were his only good weeks.
David A. was alright, not great, just alright. He is wearing on me though. I am tired of his 
humble, almost Gomer Pyle-ish act. I keep waiting for a "Shazam!", a "Gol-ly" or a "Surprise, surprise, surprise".
Carly was great. I expected this to be a good week for her. Her voice is so big that I thought she would make this look easy. Glad to see her in sleeves. Tired of the gratuitous audience shots of her tattooed freak husband.
David Cook blew everyone else a way. I like his raspy voice.

Not that the results would have been any different, but these each of these songs has history. They are sung by some iconic character, in a specific emotion-packed situation.
If you don't know the facts, you can never sing the song believably. I think this hurt Jason Castro a lot.

Jason and Brooke will be in the bottom 2 for sure, maybe Syesha also. I think Syesha is safe and one of the other two goes this week, the other one, next week.

Saw Paul Stanley in the audience last night. Wow. Maybe there is a Kiss week coming...

Kristy and her horse...

For all you Idol fans out there. Here is a clip from some E Channel show called "The Soup".

The Zipper

My dad sent me this link. 
He has a sterotypical evangelist voice and it is a little long; but it is a funny story.

No way I would ever do this...

Check this out.

I am too much of a chicken ever to do something like that. I get nervous in elevators sometimes. I won't ride tall amusement park rides. I am uncomfortable looking out from tall buildings windows.

BTW, is that girl screaming or yawning?

More song lyrics wisdom

Lately, in the alternative media, AM talk shows, and  at lc.tv, there has been some mention about the feminization of men.

Men are carrying man bags,(purses by any other name are still purses).
Men are getting manicures and pedicures and visiting hair stylists.
Men are going to chick movies in record numbers.
Men spend more time apologizing and being sensitive than at any previous time in American history.

Men aren't women in a costume, we are warriors. Sometimes we are gross. Sometimes we break things. Sometimes we are offensive. Sometimes we stink. Sometimes our aim is bad. Get over it.

The world was better and safer for all when men were men.

I am reminded of the Bonnie Tyler song, Hero. Here are the lyrics:

Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods?
Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need.

I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night.
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light.
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life! Larger than life.

Somewhere after midnight in my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach there's someone reaching back for me.
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet.

I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night.
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light.
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life!

I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night.

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me.
Through the wind and the chill and the rain and the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood.

I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night.
He's gotta be strong and he's gotta be fast and he's gotta be fresh from the fight.
I need a hero. I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light.
He's gotta be sure and it's gotta be soon and he's gotta be larger than life.


Today's men have lost their rawness, we have become chicks.

American Idol Top 7 Reject

Thankfully, I missed most of the show last night. I only watched the last 15 minutes. Kind of like a NBA game, that is where all of the action is. As I turned it on,  
the contestants were separated into 3 groups:
1. David C, Jason and Carly
2. Brooke, Kristy and Syesha
3. David A, all by himself

Ryan asked David A. to pick the safe group. Now we all know which ones were safe. You know he knew also. But he did the best thing, and just sat down and refused to play their game.

Finally Ryan had to bring the safe group closer to him.

Anyway to finish the story, Kristy is gone. I won't miss her. Like Michael Johns last week, she can't win, so her leaving before the final 4 was inevitable.

I won't miss her.

Anti Christ's Birthday?

According to this website the population of the world will reach 6,666,666,666 sometime on May 10, 2008.

Any significance to this?

I had a friend that was very superstitious about 666. We used to eat at this restaurant together, his bill would be $3.34. If he had a $5 bill, all was good. But sometimes he would pay with a $10 or a $20 and get $6.66 or $16.66 in change. He would make the cashier girl keep the penny. As you can probably guess, I though it was silly.

I wonder what he will do on May 10?

Left Brain Right Brain???

I took an online test the other day to see if I was left or right brained. ( No weak no-brain comments allowed, you all know better.)

The test is here.

I assumed I would be very left brained. I see myself as a logical thinker.

My score was 53% right, 47% left, almost evenly balanced. Not at all what I expected.

My dominant left brain characteristic was sequential. According to the results page:
"Sequential processing is a method used by the left hemisphere for processing information. The information that is received is processed in order from first to last. Information is processed in a systematic, logical manner. Through sequential processing, you can interpret and produce symbolic information such as language, mathematics, abstraction, and reasoning. This process is used to store memory in a language format. Activities that require sequential processing include spelling, making a "to-do" list, and many aspects of organization."

I will buy almost of this.

My dominant right brain characteristic was non-verbal.
"Nonverbal processing is a method used by the right hemisphere to process our thoughts with illustrations. Reliance on this method is why it is occasionally difficult for right-brained people to "find the right words" in certain situations. A right-brained person cannot just read or hear information and process it, but first must make a mental video to better understand the information they have received. For example, through nonverbal processing, a person giving directions may say, "Continue going straight until you see a big, red-brick courthouse. At the courthouse turn right, and go down that street for a couple of miles until you see a gray stone church which will be on your right. Straight across from the church is the road to the left you need to take." With nonverbal processing, the directions that are given are extremely visual compared to the exact, sequential directions that would be given by a left-brained person."

This is me also.

I have always made fun of you right brain creative types. I guess my chickens are coming home to roost, I am becoming one of you...

(Do I have an inner artist struggling to get out?!?!?!)

Wanna buy a ferris wheel?

Then Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel is for sale.

It's even solar powered...

American Idol Top 7 Torture

Mariah Carey night. I wasn't looking forward to this one any more than last week's Dolly Parton show. The only song of hers that I could think of was that Titanic song.

The guys owned the night.

David A. was great, but David Cook was the best. He will be the winner.
Jason's song was OK. He just doesn't hae the power of the other 2.

The girls had all kinds of trouble. Whenever Kristy sings the best, you know it was an off night.

Carly is sinking fast. She can't seem to get over the hump. What about her freakishly tattooed husband? She goes home this week.
Kristy was as good as she could be. She is a country singer, so until she hits heavy metal or hip hop week, she will probably be around for a little while. 
I can't quite figure out Brooke. She has become my favorite girl, but she needs to step it up a notch.

Bottom 3 are all girls, Brooke and Carly for sure.

American Idol Top 8 Torture Reject Show

Michael Johns is toast. Kind of a shock, but he wasn't going to win, so if not this week, it would have been next week or the week after. I enjoyed some of his songs, but for some reason, he always seemed awkward on stage, not sure how to move his body or what to do with his hands.

I liked his version of "Dream On" but felt that he should sing some Doors music. I think he could channel Jim Morrison pretty well, Michael Hutchence of INXS also.

Wait a minute...both those guys are dead...

Maybe that was what was wrong with doing Aerosmith, Steven Tyler is still alive.

My favorites left are Brooke, Carly and David C. Carly is sinking though. She may even end up going before Christy.

David A, for me, is kind of like James on Survivor. The longer he stays around, the less I like him.

Penn & Teller

Here is a great YouTube video from Penn & Teller.

I have always enjoyed their act.

American Idol Top 8 Torture

A strange week for me. One of my favorites did poorly, some of the bottom feeders were tonight's stars.

David Cook was awful. What was up with that song. Bad stuff. 

Carly did Freddie Mercury. Usually I would say that was a mistake, but I thought she did great, no matter what the judges said.

Brooke, David A, and Michael were great. They chose good songs and sang them well.

The shocker for me was that Kristy girl. She hit it out of the park.

Also, I enjoyed Jason Castro. I love that Iz song.

Hard to hate anyone this week, except maybe Syesha. I think it is over for her this week.

What about Paula's chihuahuas? I kept waiting for the blur...

Ketchup Surprise

How about this guy?

Not quite what he expected, I guess.

Blast Door Art

This website article pays tribute to blast door art. Basically, these are pictures from blast doors inside decommissioned nuclear missile silos. The silos were manned by 2 man crews 24/7. I guess, in their free time, some of them painted.

It was this kind of attitude that won the cold war, unlike the spaghetti-spined, European-like mindset that exists today.

Children find woman's head...

This is a strange one. It reminds me of this.

Wonder if they are related...

One for the drama momma

Here is a sport(???) that only drama momma could love. Here is the video.

This might be heaven for her...

American Idol Top 9 Torture

I am not a Dolly Parton fan. I expected tonight's show to be a train wreck at best, but was pleasantly surprised. Full disclosure though, we recorded it and just watched the singing and the judge's comments. We fast forwarded through all of Dolly's parts and Ryan's annoying drivel. We watched the whole show in about 20 minutes.

David Cooke is a star. He was the best tonight.
David A, Brooke, Michael and tattooed freak Carly were great also.

Again, Syesha was a 2nd rate Whitney Houston, maybe someday she'll figure out not to sing her songs.

Kristy was bad as usual, I just don't care for country music and country singers in general.

Ramielle is still Chinese sounding, maybe the only thing worse than country music is strangely accented country music.

Who's left... Oh, Jason - forgettable.

The final 4 or 5 contestant shows should be pretty good, just going to be too long before we get there...

Lego Church

There is a whole culture of freaks that build stuff out of Legos. The people have lots of free time, way more than me.

Here are some examples: The Chrysler Building, The Capitol Building, a battleship.
There are even Lego theme parks.

What about a Lego Church? Well wonder no more. This one was completed in 2002. Look through the site, especially the Construction section, there is lots of good stuff and very cool pictures.

More song lyric wisdom

Haven't done one of these in a while.

This song is called "The Heart of the Matter". It should be playing now. Here are the lyrics. It is by Don Henley. He is/was the vocalist/drummer/guitarist/song-writer for the Eagles. He has written many great songs but my favorite is probably "Hotel California".

Anyway, this song comes from the album, "The End of the Innocence". The song tells a story about a breakup, the causes, and the healing process that follows.

As the lyrics progress, we see bits of the story:

The causes -
"And I thought of all the bad luck,
And the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside loves open door
Make us throw off our contentment
And beg for something more?"
and
"The trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness
They're the very things - we kill I guess
Pride and competition
Cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us
You know it doesn't keep me warm"

The healing process -
"I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I'd figured out
I have to learn again
I've been trying to get down
To the heart of the matter
But everything changes
And my friends seem to scatter
But I think its about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore"

And even a little bit of wisdom -
"There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down, you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; life goes on
You keep carryin' that anger; it'll eat you up inside, baby

I am not usually against gun control but...

Check this out.

If he had only shot and killed himself he would have been eligible for a
Darwin Award.

Amrican Idol Top 10 Reject Torture

Chikezie is toast. No problem for me. He is in my bottom 5 for sure, along with Jason, Syesha, Kristy, and Ramielle.

The Vote for the Worst people have moved on from Amanda to Kristy. It paid off for her this week.

Again, Syesha is in the bottom 3. Will the big guns be back next week?

American Idol Top 10 Torture

Last night was, top to bottom, the worst show so far.
 
David Cook was great. Best version of Billy Jean ever.
Carly did Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart". She was great.
Carly and David C. are my favorites.
Syesha muzzled the big guns(too bad) but was good enough.
Brooke did some Sting, not up to the level of David C' and Carly, but was OK
Michael Johns did "We are the Champions." Not too bad, I thought. I still am convinced that you should never do Queen. You can never measure up to Freddie Mercury.

The rest sucked.
Chickeze sang Luther Vandross, wow, what a risk for him.
David A. sang some song I have never heard before, and don't ever care to again.
That country girl sang "God Bless the USA." A great song initially, but 20 or so years of overplaying have ruined it for me. She is truly awful.
The dreadlocks guy, Jason I think, was bad.
Ramielle is still Chinese and sings like it. If she could lose the accent, she might be better.

So to sum it up, 2 greats, 3 good enoughs, 5 wastes of my time.

I can only hope that the send the bottom 5 home tonight.

Whoops!!!

Check this out...

What about politics? Part 2

As I have stewed(prayed, thought) over this some more, I was reminded of a bible story.

In the small book of Philemon, there is a story about Onesimus. Basically, Onesimus was an escaped slave. Paul met him while in prison and shared the gospel with him. After rejoicing in his conversion, Paul wrote this letter to his former master, and did something that would be unthinkable in today's world. He sent him back to his slave life.

There are so many different ways to go here. It is clear that Paul knew that Onesimus' salvation was the most important thing, nothing else even comes close. Once he was heaven bound, 
his earthly perspective changed. Paul did not rejoice in his escape, but rather 
counseled him to "render unto Caesar" and go back to his master. Paul knew that for Onesimus' 
witness to be the strongest it could be, he must be in good standing with the law.

How would this play in the world today? Paul would be ripped by the media. "How can a so-called "christian" send a slave back to slavery?" "Paul's race doesn't care about Onesimus' race!"
He would be ripped by these "social gospel" churches. Surely a lawsuit of some kind would result.

But if we step back from all of this emotion and look at the biblical principles, Paul would be doing the right thing. As followers of Christ, we have our first allegiance to God's word. Nowhere does it tell us to run from slavery. Matter of fact, it tells us to be the best slave possible, in order to lead our master to Christ. His word never tells us that we are owed a better place in society because of some past injustice. It tell us to bloom where we are planted, to seek out the people around us and share with them.

We must move away from this "social gospel" thinking. It ties all of our emotion and passion to things that when looked at from an eternal perspective don't matter all that much.

American Idol Reject Torture

The big guns paid off for Syesha. Will others follow her lead?

Amanda was definitely the worst of the bunch. Glad to see her go.

Kristy's "Blow You Out Of Your Socks" comment to Simon was very awkward.

America Idol Top 11 Torture

Last week's Lennon/McArtney songs were surprisingly good. Tonight's were mediocre at best.

Amanda( I am finally starting to remember their names) was awful with "Back in the USSR".

Kristi and Chikezie sang country Beatles - since Paul is giving away money nowadays, he might have spent a few million to shut these two up.

Ramielle sang Chinese Beatles - just didn't work.

Both Davids were good, however David C. seems to always sound the same.

I thought Brooke was good, she is the prettiest, and always seems happy on stage.

Syesha brought out the big guns, the judges were kinder than they have been. We will see if those babies(boobies) make a difference.

I thought Carly nailed "Blackbird".

Michael Johns should sing Jim Morrison or Michael Hutchence, he did badly tonight.

Carly, Brooke and the two Davids were by far the best. Let's send the rest home.

What about politics?

Why is the church here on earth? Are we here to start a political movement? Should the church stand and lead the charge to overthrow a bad government? Should church leaders use their standing to further a political career?

These are questions we are wrestling with today. Is this Jeremiah Wright (Barak Obama's pastor) guy doing the right thing? Is his preaching time best spent on political and societal issues? Does this kind of ministry grow God's kingdom, or does it just fire people up about supposed injustices? What about these fired up people, are they inspired to carry out the Great Commission, or just to become a bunch of whiners.

What is our purpose here on the earth? As Followers of Christ, why are we here? Are we called to transform our nation by changing the government? Is there a political cross we should die on? Is politics too dirty and we should just stay away?

I have stewed over these questions for a while. I was somewhat confident that I knew the answer, but was disturbed enough that I thought I should rethink.

Here are the two verses that seemed most important to my stewing:

Matthew 22:21 (The Message) "...Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his."
Matthew 28:19 (ASV) " Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..."

Based on these two verses, it is clear that we have two allegiances; first to God - to grow his kingdom, second to the government of whatever country we are in. Whenever they conflict,
our highest service is to the kingdom.

Therefore, after much thought(stewing), I think the pulpit ministry is best left to sharing the gospel. I think our(the church's) focus should be on this also. Nothing is more important than the salvation issue. Luke 9:25(KJV), "For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?" No matter how poor, rich, comfortable, persecuted.. whatever, without salvation, you are lost. Our(the church's) focus, energy, passion, all we have, should go to reach people for Jesus. If someone discriminates against you, you need Jesus. If you are poor, with little food, you need Jesus. If you are a victim of "rich white men", you need Jesus. If you are a victim of a crime, you need Jesus. If you are sick, you need Jesus.

Jesus is always the answer.

More tomorrow.

American Idol Reject Torture

Why do they make us listen to our least favorite songs again? Wouldn't it be better to let the top 3 sing, rather than the bottom 3? Obviously we didn't like these songs the first time.

The country girl, the black girl and the stripper in the bottom 3... Say goodbye to the stripper.

Not sure that he was the worst, the county girl was at the bottom for me.

Can we vote Katherine McPhee out also?

American Idol Top 12 Torture

Watched Lennon/McCartney night on American Idol last night.  The strangely-chinned tatoo girl was the best. Singing "Come Together", a difficult song, was a huge risk but it paid off. The blonde girl at the piano singing 'Let It Be" was good too.

The black guy surprised me as did one of the Davids with Eleanor Rigby.

The stripper, the country song girl, the biker chick and "sweet innocent" David all blew it big time.

The rest are in a boring spot in the middle.

Maybe tonight they will send a couple of extra home because they sucked.

I hope they send the stripper and/or the country singer girl home.

VFTW is sticking with Amanda.

Funny Story

Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my
interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little
something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt,
pocket/purse-sized taser. The effects of the taser were supposed to be short
lived, with no long-term adverse affect on your assailant, allowing her adequate
time to retreat to safety....??

WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home.

I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I
was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button AND pressed
it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity
darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!! Unfortunately, I have yet
to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't
be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right?

There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little
soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to
try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and taser in another.

The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your
assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major
loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your
assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than
three seconds would be wasting the batteries. All the while I'm looking at this
little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, "no possible way!"

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best...? I'm
sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to
say, " don't do it stupid," reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny
little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one
second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed
the button, and . . . . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . . . WHAT THE .. !!!

I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the
recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again.
I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my
eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found,
with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my
legs?

The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a
picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid
getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to "mug" yourself with a taser, one note of
caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You
will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent
thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered
conservative?

SON-OF-A-......., THAT HURT LIKE HELL!!!

A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that
point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the
landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The
recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My
triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it
had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no
control over the drooling. Apparently I crapped myself, but was too numb to know
for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head
which I believe was came from my hair.

P. S. My wife loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!

"If you think Education is difficult, try being stupid."

More hairstylist adventures

A while ago, I told the story about my hairstylist firing me. I am glad that is as far as it went.

I am sure Lauren Newton would rather have been fired than shot.

Vatican Lists Seven Social Sins

The Vatican has released a new list of sins.

Were the old ones not good(bad) enough?

Polluting the environment??

What about failing to reach the lost? What about placing more value on temporal issues like "morally dubious" medical research and "bioethical violations" while the world is going to hell?

Seems like we should worry more about people and building relationships with them rather than pushing them away with lists of rules. Deep inside, sinful people know they are sinners.