Three Pound Universe

Spielberg's Moses Movie

2012-01-27T08:19:00.000-06:00

A cross between Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan. Sounds great!

"Steven Spielberg is near to etching in stone with Warner Bros on that biopic portraying the Jewish leader as the warrior to beat all warriors. With a working title of Gods And Kings, what’s envisioned is “a movie like a Braveheart-ish version of the Moses story,” an insider tells us. “Him coming down the river, being adopted, leaving his home, forming an army, and getting the Ten Commandments.” And despite the awesome screen possibilities of the parting of the Red Sea, the movie isn’t being contemplated in 3D. Back in 1956, Paramount released The Ten Commandments in VistaVision to give moviegoers a more spectacular experience of scenes like that. But this film is as far from a remake of the Cecile B. DeMille-directed epic as you can get even though they cover similar ground. Instead Warner Bros wants Spielberg to direct it with the gritty reality of Saving Private Ryan, which is considered a masterpiece redefining battle movies. 'There have been glossy versions of the Moses story but this would be a real warrior story,' an insider tells us."

Deadline

Let's Go to the Races

2012-01-26T09:06:00.004-06:00

LONGSHOTS (OVERLAYS/PRICE PLAYS at > 3-1 ODDS)

AQUEDUCT 5 - #2
TAMPA BAY 7 - #1
TAMPA BAY 9 - #3
GULFSTREAM 8 - #2
LAUREL 6 - #5
LAUREL 7 - #2
LAUREL 9- #1
OAKLAWN 5 - #5
OAKLAWN 8 - #3
OAKLAWN 9 - #4
TURFWAY PARK 2 - #4
TURFWAY PARK 5 - #1 and #8
TURFWAY PARK 6 - #6
TURFWAY PARK 9 - #6

Republican Debate Tomorrow

2012-01-25T21:54:00.002-06:00

8pm ET on CNN

Location: University of North Florida in Jacksonville, FL

Sponsor: CNN, CNN en Español, The Hispanic Leadership Network and The Republican Party of Florida

Participants: Romney, Gingrich, Santorum, Paul

Bible Study

2012-01-24T07:45:00.002-06:00

Deuteronomy 30.1-31.13

The time is coming for Moses to depart. He has lead this people for almost forty years. He encourages the people to fear and obey God.

Read Deuteronomy 29.24-30.20.

Reread Deuteronomy 30.1-10. What is the “time” word in verse one? What does this word imply? Look at the word “return” in verse two. “Return” has two sides to it. In Hebrew it is used to explain where Israel’s obedience is directed. How is it used here? Compare verses 1-5 with Luke 15.11-32. How do these passages parallel each other? How are they different? What must Israel do to once again gain God’s favor? Is modern Israel the fulfillment of this prophecy? Why or why not? How will the people be able to turn to God? What phrase occurs twelve times in the first ten verses of this passage? Explain the significance of this phrase. What significance does this phrase have to you? What commandment is paraphrased in verse ten?

Reread Deuteronomy 30.11-14. Explain these verses. How does this distinguish Christianity from all religions? What did obedience to the Law indicate?

Reread Deuteronomy 30.15-20. What are the pairs of “opposites” in these verses? How do “hope” and “fear” define each of these pairs of opposites? What is the progression in verse 20? What covenant is reminiscent of this progression?

Read Deuteronomy 31.1-13.

Reread Deuteronomy 31.1-8. Who is speaking in these verses? How do they differ from the preceding chapters? What was the surety of the assertions in these verses? What charge is put before the people and Joshua? Is it a reasonable charge? Why or why not?

Reread Deuteronomy 31.9-13. How were the people to be able to store the Law of God in their hearts? How would you equate the year of Jubilee with the Law? What was the Jubilee a picture of for people under the Law? What concept is central to obeying God?

Questions for President Obama

2012-01-24T00:01:00.005-06:00

• What was the National debt three years ago?
• What was America’s global competitiveness standing?
• How many more Americans are on the poverty rolls and on food stamps in the last three years?
• What have our deficits been the last three years?
• What was the average price for gasoline three years ago?
• What was the average price for health insurance premiums three years ago?
• What was the price of a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs three years ago?
• How many Americans have lost their jobs or careers in the last three years?

Rachel Alexandra's Colt

2012-01-23T08:16:00.000-06:00

Rachel Alexandra, 2009 Horse of the Year, gave birth Jan. 22 to a 125-pound colt by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, who stands at Lane's End Farm.

Wisdom of the Dalai Lama

2012-01-22T06:17:00.000-06:00

"Everyday, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive. I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others, to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts for others. I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can."

Excerpt from "Ameritopia"

2012-01-20T08:57:00.000-06:00

Great stuff from Mark Levin:

Read it here

Breaking News

2012-01-19T14:44:00.000-06:00

Lots of breaking news today. Gingrich appears to be surging in the South Carolina primary. His second wife will be appearing on a hit piece in a Nightline interview tonight to slam Newt. Governor Perry has quit the race and endorsed Newt. Santorum actually won Iowa. Romney is under fire for "hiding" his money in off shore accounts. Last but not least is the CNN Primary debate tonight.

Penny

2012-01-18T14:46:00.002-06:00

Why is it, "A penny for your thoughts," but, "you have to put your two cents in?" Somebody's making a penny.

Mitt's Tax Rate

2012-01-17T11:45:00.002-06:00

At an event in Florence, SC, Mitt Romney told reporters that his effective tax rate is probably close to 15% because most of his income comes from investments, reports Bloomberg’s Julie Davis.

Obama to Accept Nomination at Stadium

2012-01-17T11:37:00.000-06:00

On the final night of this year's Democratic National Convention, President Obama will deliver his acceptance speech at Bank of America stadium, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Obama's Budget Deficits

2012-01-17T09:32:00.002-06:00

"In the past three years, President Obama has supervised budget deficits of $1.42 trillion, $1.29 trillion, and $1.3 trillion. As a comparative analysis, President George W. Bush’s highest annual deficit was in 2008, his final year (Nancy Pelosi was Speaker of the House, Harry Reid was Senate Majority Leader) and it was $500 billion."

-Congressman Allen West's newsletter

Huntsman Out

2012-01-16T10:07:00.003-06:00

Who cares?

Campaign officials confirm that Huntsman will withdraw from the race for the GOP nomination and announce his support for Mitt Romney.

The Trouble with Mitt

2012-01-15T10:50:00.001-06:00

The trouble with Mitt is that he doesn't seem to have a soul. When asked a question, it's like someone put a quarter in a juke box machine and he plays the tune you want to hear. The words come out in a torrent as if he knows the answer you're seeking. The man seems hollow at his core and doesn't have any solid beliefs other than he should be president.

Political Defiance

2012-01-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

Professor Gene Sharp has catalogues the tactics of protest in a society:

The Methods of Nonviolent Protest and
Persuasion

Formal statements
1. Public speeches
2. Letters of opposition or support
3. Declarations by organizations and institutions
4. Signed public statements
5. Declarations of indictment and intention
6. Group or mass petitions
Communications with a wider audience
7. Slogans, caricatures, and symbols
8. Banners, posters, and displayed communications
9. Leaflets, pamphlets, and books
10. Newspapers and journals
11. Records, radio, and television
12. Skywriting and earthwriting
Group representations
13. Deputations
14. Mock awards
15. Group lobbying
16. Picketing
17. Mock elections
Symbolic public acts
18. Display of flags and symbolic colors
19. Wearing of symbols
20. Prayer and worship
21. Delivering symbolic objects
22. Protest disrobings
23. Destruction of own property
24. Symbolic lights
25. Displays of portraits
26. Paint as protest
27. New signs and names
28. Symbolic sounds
29. Symbolic reclamations
30. Rude gestures
Pressures on individuals
31. “Haunting” officials
32. Taunting officials
33. Fraternization
34. Vigils
Drama and music
35. Humorous skits and pranks
36. Performance of plays and music
37. Singing
Processions
38. Marches
39. Parades
40. Religious processions
41. Pilgrimages
42. Motorcades
Honoring the dead
43. Political mourning
44. Mock funerals
45. Demonstrative funerals
46. Homage at burial places
80 Gene Sharp
From Dictatorship to Democracy 81
Public assemblies
47. Assemblies of protest or support
48. Protest meetings
49. Camouflaged meetings of protest
50. Teach-ins
Withdrawal and renunciation
51. Walk-outs
52. Silence
53. Renouncing honors
54. Turning one’s back

THE METHODS OF SOCIAL NONCOOPERATION

Ostracism of persons
55. Social boycott
56. Selective social boycott
57. Lysistratic nonaction
58. Excommunication
59. Interdict
Noncooperation with social events, customs, and institutions
60. Suspension of social and sports activities
61. Boycott of social affairs
62. Student strike
63. Social disobedience
64. Withdrawal from social institutions
Withdrawal from the social system
65. Stay-at-home
66. Total personal noncooperation
67. Flight of workers
68. Sanctuary
69. Collective disappearance
70. Protest emigration (hijrat)

THE METHODS OF ECONOMIC NONCOOPERATION :
(1) ECONOMIC BOYCOTTS

Action by consumers
71. Consumers’ boycott
72. Nonconsumption of boycotted goods
73. Policy of austerity
74. Rent withholding
75. Refusal to rent
76. National consumers’ boycott
77. International consumers’ boycott
Action by workers and producers
78. Workmen’s boycott
79. Producers’ boycott
Action by middlemen
80. Suppliers’ and handlers’ boycott
Action by owners and management
81. Traders’ boycott
82. Refusal to let or sell property
83. Lockout
84. Refusal of industrial assistance
85. Merchants’ “general strike”
Action by holders of financial resources
86. Withdrawal of bank deposits
87. Refusal to pay fees, dues, and assessments
88. Refusal to pay debts or interest
89. Severance of funds and credit
90. Revenue refusal
91. Refusal of a government’s money
Action by governments
92. Domestic embargo
93. Blacklisting of traders
94. International sellers’ embargo
95. International buyers’ embargo
96. International trade embargo

THE METHODS OF ECONOMIC NONCOOPERATION :
(2) THE STRIKE

Symbolic strikes
97. Protest strike
98. Quickie walkout (lightning strike)
Agricultural strikes
99. Peasant strike
100. Farm workers’ strike
Strikes by special groups
101. Refusal of impressed labor
102. Prisoners’ strike
103. Craft strike
104. Professional strike
Ordinary industrial strikes
105. Establishment strike
106. Industry strike
107. Sympathetic strike
Restricted strikes
108. Detailed strike
109. Bumper strike
110. Slowdown strike
111. Working-to-rule strike
112. Reporting “sick” (sick-in)
113. Strike by resignation
114. Limited strike
115. Selective strike
Multi-industry strikes
116. Generalized strike
117. General strike
Combinations of strikes and economic closures
118. Hartal
119. Economic shutdown

THE METHODS OF POLITICAL NONCOOPERATION

Rejection of authority
120. Withholding or withdrawal of allegiance
121. Refusal of public support
122. Literature and speeches advocating resistance
Citizens’ noncooperation with government
123. Boycott of legislative bodies
124. Boycott of elections
125. Boycott of government employment and positions
126. Boycott of government departments, agencies and
other bodies
127. Withdrawal from government educational institutions
128. Boycott of government-supported organizations
129. Refusal of assistance to enforcement agents
130. Removal of own signs and placemarks
131. Refusal to accept appointed officials
132. Refusal to dissolve existing INSTITUTIONS
Citizens’ alternatives to obedience
133. Reluctant and slow compliance
134. Nonobedience in absence of direct supervision
135. Popular nonobedience
136. Disguised disobedience
137. Refusal of an assemblage or meeting to disperse
138. Sitdown
139. Noncooperation with conscription and deportation
140. Hiding, escape and false identities
141. Civil disobedience of “illegitimate” laws
Action by government personnel
142. Selective refusal of assistance by government aides
143. Blocking of lines of command and information
144. Stalling and obstruction
145. General administrative noncooperation
146. Judicial noncooperation
147. Deliberate inefficiency and selective noncooperation by
enforcement agents
148. Mutiny
Domestic governmental action
149. Quasi-legal evasions and delays
150. Noncooperation by constituent governmental units
International governmental action
151. Changes in diplomatic and other representation
152. Delay and cancellation of diplomatic events
153. Withholding of diplomatic recognition
154. Severance of diplomatic relations
155. Withdrawal from international organizations
156. Refusal of membership in international bodies
157. Expulsion from international organizations

THE METHODS OF NONVIOLENT INTERVENTION

Psychological intervention
158. Self-exposure to the elements
159. The fast
(a) Fast of moral pressure
(b) Hunger strike
(c) Satyagrahic fast
160. Reverse trial
161. Nonviolent harassment
Physical intervention
162. Sit-in
163. Stand-in
164. Ride-in
165. Wade-in
166. Mill-in
167. Pray-in
168. Nonviolent raids
169. Nonviolent air raids
170. Nonviolent invasion
171. Nonviolent interjection
172. Nonviolent obstruction
173. Nonviolent occupation
Social intervention
174. Establishing new social patterns
175. Overloading of facilities
176. Stall-in
177. Speak-in
178. Guerrilla theater
179. Alternative social institutions
180. Alternative communication system
Economic intervention
181. Reverse strike
182. Stay-in strike
183. Nonviolent land seizure
184. Defiance of blockades
185. Politically motivated counterfeiting
186. Preclusive purchasing
187. Seizure of assets
188. Dumping
189. Selective patronage
190. Alternative markets
191. Alternative transportation systems
192. Alternative economic institutions
Political intervention
193. Overloading of administrative systems
194. Disclosing identities of secret agents
195. Seeking imprisonment
196. Civil disobedience of “neutral” laws
197. Work-on without collaboration
198. Dual sovereignty and parallel government

Bible Study

2012-01-14T10:25:00.001-06:00

Read Deuteronomy 29.1-29.

Reread Deuteronomy 29.1-9. If God made a covenant with the Israelites at Mount Sinai/Horeb, why is He making a covenant with them in this chapter? Is it wise to reiterate our covenantal relationship with God periodically? Why or why not? Explain verse four. In verse six, God concludes with the phrase “that you might (may) know.” What does this phrase reveal about God and His intentions?

Reread Deuteronomy 29.10-29. Who are the parties to the covenant? Part of verse ten could literally be translated: You have taken your stand. What commitment is implied here? What New Testament counterparts come to your mind? In verse twelve, the concept of entering into the covenant could be literally translated: that you may pass over into the covenant of Yahweh. Compare this to John 15. What needs to happen in each generation according to this passage? What particular warning is given about idolatry? Explain. Why do you suppose man is so drawn to idols? What is God’s response to idolatry? Are the idols powerful enough to overcome God’s curse? Explain.

Read Deuteronomy 30.1-14. What must Israel do to once again gain God’s favor? Is modern Israel the fulfillment of this prophecy? Why or why not? How will the people be able to turn to God? What phrase occurs twelve times in the first ten verses of this passage? Explain the significance of this phrase. What significance does this phrase have to you? What distinguishes Christianity from all religions?

Tebow Time

2012-01-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

Predictions:

San Francisco 27 New Orleans 23

New England 17 Denver 14

Baltimore 21 Houston 14

Green Bay 32 New York 27

Sales of Tebow's No. 15 jersey has jumped from No. 10 among NFL players to No. 2 behind the Packers' Aaron Rodgers.

Fox Republican Debate Rules

2012-01-13T19:13:00.001-06:00

At Monday's Fox News debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Republican presidential candidates will be given an extra 30 seconds of speaking time to respond to each question.

Van der Sloot

2012-01-13T18:44:00.000-06:00

Murderer Joran Van der Sloot was sentenced to serve 28 years in a Peruvian prison for the death of Stephany Flores. 30 years was a maximum sentence because in Peru, there are no life sentences or death penalties. Two years were taken off because Van der Sloot confessed to the murder.

Local to Appear on Jeopardy

2012-01-13T08:55:00.001-06:00

Lynn Hammerlund, one of the librarians at Judson University, will be competing on the trivia game show Jeopardy. The shows will air on January 19 & 20, 2012 at 3:30 on ABC.

When Mitt Romney Comes to Town

2012-01-12T10:43:00.000-06:00

Here is the 27 minute video produced by Newt's PAC:

King of Bain

Gingrich Surge in South Carolina?

2012-01-11T22:25:00.000-06:00

The InsiderAdvantage poll of South Carolina likely Republican primary voters shows Newt Gingrich surging, coming within a statistical tie of Mitt Romney.

Romney 23%
Gingrich 21%
Santorum 14%
Paul 13%
Huntsman 7%
Perry 5%

Defense Spending

2012-01-10T08:45:00.000-06:00

Stay informed, America!

"Defense spending is around 19.6% of our total budget. In terms of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) we are only at 4.5% in defense spending, and that includes funding support to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In contrast, our mandatory spending (net interest on the debt, MEDICARE, MEDICAID, and Social Security) makes up 62% of our federal budget. In Fiscal Year 2011 we saw a 6.7% increase in MEDICARE spending, but less than a 2% increase in defense spending.

With President Obama’s vision, we shall see defense spending over the next ten years drop to 2.7% of our GDP, while mandatory spending grows closer to 12% of GDP. One has to ask, what does President Obama believe to be the essential task of the federal government?"

-From Representative Allen West's newsletter

Hope and Change

2012-01-09T00:01:00.003-06:00

President Obama's Accomplishments:

First President to apply for college aid as a foreign student, then deny he was a foreigner.

First President to have a social security number from a state he has never lived in.

First President to preside over a cut to the credit-rating of the United States.

First President to violate the War Powers Act.

First President to be held in contempt of court for illegally obstructing oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

First President to defy a Federal Judge's court order to cease implementing the Health Care Reform Law.

First President to require all Americans to purchase a product from a third party.

First President to spend a trillion dollars on 'shovel-ready' jobs when there was no such thing as 'shovel-ready' jobs.

First President to abrogate bankruptcy law to turn over control of companies to his union supporters.

First President to by-pass Congress and implement the Dream Act through executive fiat.

First President to order a secret amnesty program that stopped the deportation of illegal immigrants across the U.S., including those with criminal convictions.

First President to demand a company hand-over $20 billion to one of his political appointees.

First President to terminate America ’s ability to put a man in space.

First President to have a law signed by an auto-pen without being present.

First President to arbitrarily declare an existing law unconstitutional and refuse to enforce it.

First President to threaten insurance companies if they publicly spoke-out on the reasons for their rate increases.

First President to tell a major manufacturing company in which state it is allowed to locate a factory.

First President to file lawsuits against the states he swore an oath to protect (AZ, WI, OH, IN).

First President to withdraw an existing coal permit that had been properly issued years ago.

First President to fire an inspector general of Ameri-corps for catching one of his friends in a corruption case.

First President to appoint 45 czars to replace elected officials in his office.

First President to golf 73 separate times in his first two and a half years in office, 90 to date.

First President to hide his medical, educational and travel records.

First President to win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing NOTHING to earn it.

First President to go on multiple global 'apology tours'.

First President to go on 17 lavish vacations, including date nights and Wednesday evening White House parties for his friends; paid for by the taxpayer.

First President to have 22 personal servants (taxpayer funded) for his wife.

First President to keep a dog trainer on retainer for $102,000 a year at taxpayer expense.

First President to repeat the Holy Qur’an tells us the early morning call of the Azan (Islamic call to worship) is the most beautiful sound on earth.

First President to take a 17 day vacation.

Tebow Time

2012-01-08T23:42:00.000-06:00

Interesting that Tim Tebow threw for 3:16 yards in the overtime playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

My New Country Music Song

2012-01-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

If I'd Shot You Sooner, I'd Be Out of Jail by Now.

Newt on Romney

2012-01-07T00:01:00.002-06:00

"As people look at his record and they imagine him debating Obama, Obama’s going to laugh at him. Obama’s going to say, ‘I developed Obamacare based on Romneycare. I even brought your staff into the White House in order to develop it.’" - Newt Gingrich said on ABC’s Good Morning America.

The Republican Presidential Race

2012-01-06T07:57:00.001-06:00

The race for the Republican nomination for president is in high gear. The Iowa caucuses produced a dead heat between Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum and winnowed the field with Michele Backmann taking her tea set back to Minnesota.

Newt Gingrich was angry at Mitt Romney and Ron Paul for their blistering negative ads directed at him in Iowa. The one time front runner finished in fourth place in the Hawkeye state. Newt promises to take the gloves off in New Hampshire.

The Boston Globe snubbed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and endorsed rival Jon Huntsman. Romney leads by a wide margin in New Hampshire polls and is now concentrating on South Carolina, which has successfully picked the Republican party nominee since 1980.

Endorsements from Senator John McCain (who won South Carolina primary in the last election cycle), Governor Nicky Haley, and a virtual Who's Who in the Republican party have made it clear that the establishment prefers the moderate Mitt Romney to carry the Republican banner.

Texas governor Rick Perry, who finished a disappointing fifth in the Iowa caucuses, has decided to soldier on with his huge campaign war chest. He will bypass New Hampshire and make his Custer's stand in the southern state of South Carolina.

Libertarian superstar Ron Paul has his cult following and will make it interesting. Rick Santorum will try to capitalize on his new found celebrity and try to be the anti-Romney candidate.

The fun begins this weekend with two debates- tomorrow night and Sunday morning. It's must viewing for political junkies.

Pick Your College Major Carefully

2012-01-05T11:24:00.000-06:00

"Today's college grads have it tough. The unemployment rate for students with a new bachelor's degree is 8.9% — which is pretty on-par with the rest of the nation.

Those with a GED have it even tougher, with an unemployment rate of 22.9%.

Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce released a study today that reveals the unemployment rates and salaries for nearly every type of college major — and includes these numbers for recent grads, those with experience, and those with a graduate degree (via Washington Post)."

Business Insider

Burka

2012-01-05T09:55:00.001-06:00

I saw two teenaged girls wearing burkas yesterday at the library and thought to myself what kind of religion is this that requires women to conceal themselves as if wearing some kind of Halloween costume. I did a little research and noted that this custom is just one of many forms of dress available to women in Islam.

Apparently it stems back to the days of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, who set up a curtain between his wives and the frequent visitors to his abode.

Hispanics in Florida

2012-01-04T09:14:00.000-06:00

Th Hispanic population in the swing state of Florida is 22.5%. Another reason why it makes good sense for the eventual Republican nominee for president to select Senator Marco Rubio of Florida as his running mate.

U.S. Borrowing

2012-01-03T00:01:00.000-06:00

Can you spell U-N-S-U-S-T-A-I-N-A-B-L-E?

Senator Rand Paul said in a speech in Iowa yesterday that the United States Government is borrowing money at the tune of $40,000 per second.

Bible Study

2012-01-02T15:32:00.002-06:00

Read Deuteronomy 28.1-14. This chapter contrasts with the preceding ones in its style. This chapter echoes the style of the Suzerainty treaty of the Hittites as God speaks in a cultural framework. What would the Lord God do if the Israelites accepted His sovereignty over them? Does this mean that they would have no difficulties? Explain. Whose effort will accomplish these things laid out in these verses? What is the Israelite’s responsibility to bring this about? Compare the order of the blessings in verses 1-7 with the order of the elaboration of the blessings in verses 8-14. This type of ordering is called “chiasm” or “chiastic.” It is a literary tool or element that is common to Hebrew writings. How will the countries around Israel view Israel if Israel is blessed in obedience?

Read Deuteronomy 28.15-68. What word would you use to summarize these verses? Which motivates you more: promises of good things happening or the equivalent of the word you used to summarize these verses? Explain. This passage divides into three sections: verses 15-46; verses 47-57; and, verses 58-68. Compare the first section with the blessings of verses 1-14. What are the personal costs of disobedience in verses 15-46? How does personal disobedience endanger the nation in verses 47-57? Where does endangering the nation lead? What will the Lord do with His Chosen Nation if, in spite of the consequences, they will not repent? How does this demonstrate our individual responsibility to obey God? What are the personal costs of national disobedience? In your understanding, does this passage have prophetic significance for our nation today? Explain.

What aspect of blessing always follows obedience in God’s Grace?

China in Space

2012-01-02T00:01:00.000-06:00

Looks like the 21st Century may be the Chinese Century.

"On Thursday, China unveiled a five-year plan for its space exploration program that includes putting laboratories in space, building space stations and collecting samples from the moon.

As for that last goal, they’ll start collecting samples with probes, but, as previously announced, they eventually want to put a person on the moon — though that will not happen in the next five years."

Smartplanet

Major Movies of 2012 Release Dates

2012-01-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

Underworld: Awakening January 20
The Hunger Games March 23
The Avengers May 4
Men in Black 3 May 25
Snow White and the Huntsman June 1
Prometheus June 8
Brave June 22
The Amazing Spider-Man July 3
The Dark Knight Rises July 20
The Expendables 2 August 17
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 November 12
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey December 14

Debt

2011-12-31T17:37:00.001-06:00

Iowa Caucuses Vote History

2011-12-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

For Democrats

2008 Obama (38%), Edwards (30%), Clinton (29%)

2004 Kerry (38%), Edwards (30%), Dean (18%)

2000 Gore (63%), Bradley (37%)

1996 Clinton (unopposed)

1992 Harkin (76%), Uncommitted (12%), Tsongas (4%)

1988 Gephardt (31%), Simon (27%), Dukakis (22%)

For Republicans:

2008 Huckabee (34%), Romney (25%), Thompson (13%)

2004 Bush (unopposed)

2000 Bush (41%), Forbes (30%), Keyes (14%)

1996 Dole (26%), Buchanan (23%), Alexander (18%)

1992 George H.W. Bush (unopposed)

1988 Dole (37%), Robertson (25%), Bush (19%)

Good News for 2012

2011-12-30T20:45:00.000-06:00

Looking forward to the new year!

"Harry Reid's Senate is now 53-47, counting two independents who caucus with him. So far, eight senators, six of them Dems, have decided to retire instead of facing this already seething American electorate.

Fully 23 of the 33 Senate seats up in 2012 are held by Democrats, which is a lot of seats to defend.

The GOP would have to nominate a large number of Elmer Fudds to blow this one. Holding their own and grabbing four seats gives Republicans a majority in that body, which means the country could have a federal budget for the first time in nearly three years."

Investors article

Median Income

2011-12-30T19:30:00.003-06:00

Waiting

2011-12-29T12:00:00.003-06:00

I heard somewhere that we spend six to seven years of our life just waiting.

Week 16 Fantasy Football Summary

2011-12-28T17:54:00.002-06:00

You ranked 120 out of 1593 contestants.

You scored 134.5 points. The average score was 117.5.

You started the right player 78% of the time. The average was 54%.

Quote from Sowell

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

"What do you call it when someone steals someone else's money secretly? Theft. What do you call it when someone takes someone else's money openly by force? Robbery. What do you call it when a politician takes someone else's money in taxes and gives it to someone who is more likely to vote for him? Social Justice." - Thomas Sowell

Obamas Celebrate Kwanzaa

2011-12-27T09:43:00.001-06:00

Don't want to offend any voting group. Next year will be a tough re-election sell.

"Michelle and I send our warmest wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season.

Today marks the beginning of the week-long celebration honoring African American heritage and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa -- unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

We celebrate Kwanzaa at a time when many African Americans and all Americans reflect on our many blessings and memories over the past year and our aspirations for the year to come.

And even as there is much to be thankful for, we know that there are still too many Americans going through enormous challenges and trying to make ends meet. But we also know that in the spirit of unity, or Umoja, we can overcome those challenges together.

As families across America and around the world light the red, black, and green candles of the Kinara this week, our family sends our well wishes and blessings for a happy and healthy new year." - President Barack Hussein Obama

Key States to Decide Presidential Election

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

"Political strategists in both parties say the number of reliably Democratic states should give Mr. Obama at least 196 electoral votes, and the solidly Republican states should give the GOP nominee 191. With 270 electoral votes needed to win, the campaign will be fought in the battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin — a total of 151 electoral votes up for grabs."

Washington Times

Weather to Determine Iowa Caucuses Winner

2011-12-26T09:08:00.000-06:00

Let's hope that a true conservative (i.e. Bachmann, Santorum, or Perry) makes it into the top four.

"If the weather is good on January 3, Mitt Romney will win the Iowa caucuses; if the weather is bad, a weaker turnout will result in a victorious Ron Paul, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee predicted Sunday."

CNN

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T00:10:00.000-06:00

Obama to Hawaii

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

President Obama is off to vacation with his family in Hawaii. Gotta work on that golf game...

Conspicuous Consumption

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-06:00

"The Oscar statuette given to Orson Welles 70 years ago for his critically acclaimed movie “Citizen Kane” has sold at auction for nearly $900,000, organizers said.

'Welles received this award for best original screenplay, which was, incredibly, the only Oscar that either ‘Citizen Kane’ or Orson Welles received,' said auctioneer Nate Sanders."

The Blaze

Israel's Missile Defense Exercises

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

The drumbeats of war are getting louder...

"Israel is moving forward with plans to hold the largest-ever missile defense exercise in its history this spring amid Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.

Last week, Lt.-Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the upcoming drill, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in Israel."

Jerusalem Post

Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-06:00

"Carved on these walls is the story of America , of a continuing quest to preserve both Democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream." - President George Bush

SOMETHING to think about - Most of the surviving Parents are now Deceased.

There are 58,267 names now listed on that polished black wall, including those added in 2010.

The names are arranged in the order in which they were taken from us by date and within each date the names are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it is 36 years since the last casualties.

Beginning at the apex on panel 1E and going out to the end of the East wall, appearing to recede into the earth (numbered 70E - May 25, 1968), then resuming at the end of the West wall, as the wall emerges from the earth (numbered 70W - continuing May 25, 1968) and ending with a date in 1975. Thus the war's beginning and end meet. The war is complete, coming full circle, yet broken by the earth that bounds the angle's open side and contained within the earth itself.

The first known casualty was Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , Mass. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been killed on June 8, 1956. His name is listed on the Wall with that of his son, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B. Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept. 7, 1965.

There are three sets of fathers and sons on the Wall.

39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or younger.

8,283 were just 19 years old.

The largest age group, 33,103 were 18 years old.

12 soldiers on the Wall were 17 years old.

5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years old.

One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was 15 years old.

997 soldiers were killed on their first day in Vietnam .

1,448 soldiers were killed on their last day in Vietnam .

31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.

Thirty one sets of parents lost two of their sons.

54 soldiers on attended Thomas Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from one school.

8 Women are on the Wall. Nursing the wounded.

244 soldiers were awarded the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the Wall.

Beallsville , Ohio with a population of 475 lost 6 of her sons.

West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation. There are 711 West Virginians on the Wall.

The Marines of Morenci - They led some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop. 5,058) had ever known and cheered. They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the Apache National Forest . And in the patriotic camaraderie typical of Morenci's mining families, the nine graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966. Only 3 returned home.

The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales were all boyhood friends and lived on three consecutive streets in Midvale, Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards apart. They played ball at the adjacent sandlot ball field. And they all went to Vietnam . In a span of 16 dark days in late 1967, all three would be killed. LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov. 22, the fourth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Jimmy died less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245 deaths.

The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.

For most Americans who read this they will only see the numbers that the Vietnam War created. To those who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters. There are no noble wars, just noble warriors.

Bible Study

2011-12-20T00:01:00.001-06:00

Deuteronomy 26.16-27.26

This week we come to the curses to be pronounced on Mount Ebal. Of Deuteronomy 27.26, Matthew Henry says: By our obedience to the law we set our seal (See Daniel 6.8-10, 15, 17.) to it, and so confirm it, as by our disobedience we do what lies in us to disannul it… Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not mentioned in this combination, should think themselves safe from the curse, this last reaches all; not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those who also omit the good which the law requires: to this we must all say Amen, owning ourselves under the curse, justly to have deserved it, and we must certainly have perished for ever under it, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us. (italics in original)

Read Deuteronomy 26.16-19. How do these verses frame a covenant? What is the first expectation (verse 16)? What is my response to God? What does God vow to my response? What will God do when the Israelites keep his commandments? Which of these elements apply to Christians today?

Read Deuteronomy 27.1-26.

Reread Deuteronomy 27.1-10. Who stood with Moses to give the charge to the people? Why do you think he had these people stand with him? What were the people to construct right after they had crossed the Jordan River? What would be the significance of each of these? One of these was to be built with uncut stones. According to Daniel 2.34-5, 44-5, what is the significance of this? When these construction projects were done, what were the people to do? Explain verses nine and ten. Compare this to James 2.19-26.

Reread Deuteronomy 27.11-26. Who were the six tribes that were appointed for pronouncing the “Amen” on the mount of blessing? Who were the six tribes that were appointed for the mount of cursing? What criterion was used to select the tribes? Explain this criterion in the doctrinal structure of God’s Word. How does Christianity explain the relationship of the believer to Christ? What relationship does Scripture ascribe to nonbelievers? (See Galatians 4.21-31.) Matthew Henry said that the Jews had a saying to encourage people to say “Amen” after public prayers, “Whosoever answereth ‘Amen’, after him that blesseth, he is as he that blesseth.” Henry continues, “But how could they say ‘Amen’ to the curses?” He cites two reasons: a profession of faith; and, an acknowledgement of the equity of the curses. Explain Henry’s reasoning. These curses are related to five commandments: two, five, eighth, seventh, and sixth. Explain. “Ministers must preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing but awe them to it with the threatening of a curse.”

Inside Job

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine is a conspiracy buff. He emailed me a list of reasons why he believes that 9/11 Twin Towers attack was an inside job by the U.S. government.

1) The towers were evacuated the weekend before 911 happened

2) There is proof that explosives were placed in the towers

3) There was a staged terrorist exercise using planes to be hijacked and flown into the buildings

4) in 1962 Kennedy nicked the northwood plan to use commercial air liners as missiles, and have them flown into skyscrapers

5) Commercial airplanes are made of aluminum. This metal is to soft to go through concrete and steel

6) Those towers were built to with stand air planes flying into them. In 1947 a commercial jet liner flew into the Empire State Building at about the 95th. Floor. It never went through the building. It fell to the pavement below, and part of it hung out of the building.

7) Right after the first plane hit the building there was a picture of a woman looking out of the hole.

8) The fuel used in commercial air planes is kerosene based. Kerosene is a slow burning fuel. It doesn't flare up. Historians believe that the great Chicago fire was probably caused by a kerosene lamp rather than a gasoline lamp. Gasoline flares up and explodes. Kerosene does not. You can throw a match into a bowl of Kerosene and the match would go out. There wouldn't be an explosion and a hot fire caused by the planes going into the buildings.

9) The planes were piloted too well for a couple of rag heads that couldn't even fly piper cubs in flight school

10) Jay Silverstein took out insurance on both buildings a couple of months before 911. He made something like 3 billion dollars on each building

11) No reason for building 7 to be brought down. Building 7 was brought down by controlled demolition just like the other two buildings. However, no plane hit building 7

12) Condoleeza Rice warned the mayor of San Francisco not to take a plane to Washington to attend the mayors' meeting. In other words, she warned him the day before 911

13) Thermite was evident. Possibly plastic explosives was used. I have been trained in both. These were planted in the buildings, and set off by electrical charge.

14) Our government has a history of staging events. The explosion of the U.S.S. Main, the Gulf of Tonkin affair, and so forth.

Liberal and Conservative TV

2011-12-18T00:01:00.001-06:00

What you watch on TV may determine your politics.

You're probably a liberal if you like:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
The Colbert Report
30 Rock
The View
Glee
Modern Family
The Late Show with David Letterman
Saturday Night Live

You're Probably a Conservative if you like:

Only in America With Larry the Cable Guy
American Pickers
Pawn Stars
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
Dancing With the Stars
Man vs. Wild
Wheel of Fortune

The Dalai Lama Defines Buddhism

2011-12-17T20:26:00.000-06:00

"Perhaps the chief difference between Buddhism and the world's other major faith traditions lies in its presentation of our core identity. The existence of the soul or self, which is affirmed in different ways by Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is not only firmly denied in Buddhism; belief in it is identified as the chief source of all our misery. The Buddhist path is fundamentally a process of learning to recognize this essential nonexistence of the self, while seeking to help other sentient beings to recognize it as well."

The Temp Rabbi

2011-12-16T00:02:00.001-06:00

A priest was called away for an emergency. Not wanting to leave the confessional unattended, he called his rabbi friend from across the street and asked him to cover for him.

The rabbi told him he wouldn't know what to say, but the priest told him to come on over and he'd stay with him for a little bit and show him what to do.

The rabbi comes and he and the priest are in the confessional.

A few minutes later a woman comes in and says, "Father forgive me for I have sinned."
The priest asks, "What did you do?"
The woman says, "I committed adultery."
Priest: "How many times?"
Woman: "Three times."
Priest: "Say two Hail Mary's, put $5 in the box, and go and sin no more."

A few minutes later a man enters the confessional and says, "Father forgive me for I have sinned."
Priest: "What did you do?"
Man: "I committed adultery."
Priest: "How many times?"
Man: "Three times."
Priest: "Say two Hail Mary's, put $5 in the box, and go and sin no more."

The rabbi tells the priest that he thinks he's got it, so the priest leaves.

A few minutes later another woman enters and says "Father forgive me for I have sinned."
Rabbi: "What did you do?"
Woman: "I committed adultery."
Rabbi: "How many times?"
Woman: "Once."
Rabbi: "Go do it two more times. We have a special this week, three for $5."

Stroke

2011-12-15T00:01:00.000-06:00

A few months ago, I went to a lecture by a neurologist Syed Munzir on the topic of preventing your first stroke. Dr. Munzir explained that stroke is a lack of blood flow to the brain caused by a clot or rupture and can result in sudden brain damage. He provided an acronym F.A.S.T. to help identify symptoms of stroke which necessitate fast action if you suspect a person has experienced a stroke:

F = Facial weakness. Ask the person to smile. Their mouth may droop.

A = Arm weakness. Ask the person to hold their arms parallel in front of their body. One arm may be lower than the other.

S = Speech. The person's speech may be slurred. Ask them to repeat "The sky is blue". It may come out garbled.

T = Time to call 9-1-1 if any of the above mentioned symptoms are noted.

For every minute of a stroke, the brain loses 1.9 million neuron, 14 billion synapses. Don't hesitate to call 9-1-1.

Common general stroke presentations are:

Unilateral weakness (face, arm, leg or a combination)
Unilateral numbness (face, arm, leg or a combination)
Unilateral vision loss (one eye or visual fields from both eyes)
Aaxia or clumsiness
Slurred speech
Aphasia (often mistaken for confusion)

Stroke is the leading cause of serious long term disability in adults.

Prevention:

1. Check blood pressure at least once a year.
2. Stop smoking.
3. If you have high cholesterol, work with your doctor to control it.
4. Exercise daily.
5. Eat a low sodium, low fat diet.
6. If you experience any stroke symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

Tanakh

2011-12-14T09:47:00.000-06:00

The Hebrew Bible is known by Jews as TANAKH, an acronym from three divisions:

T-Torah (Instruction, Law, Pentateuch)
N-Nevim (Prophets)
K-Ketuvim (Writings)

Quotes from Kobe Abe

2011-12-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

•"Defeat begins with the fear that one has lost."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"Mankind, which has always been a part of nature, has reached a point where it is too much for nature to accommodate."
- Kobe Abe, The Green Stockings

•"When I was young, I could bounce back from things like a brand-new rubber ball."
- Kobe Abe, The Ghost is Here

•"When I look at small things, I think I shall go on living: drops of rain, leather gloves shrunk by being wet."
- Kobe Abe, The Box Man

•"The thorn of death falls from heaven, and its myriad forms leave us no room to move."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"The minute you begin to have doubts, the floor under your feet starts to shake."
- Kobe Abe, The Green Stockings

•"Things have value / Because somebody buys them, / Because somebody pays money; / If you can find a buyer, / Even a lie is worth a thousand yen."
- Kobe Abe, The Ghost is Here

•"Loneliness was an unsatisfied thirst for illusion."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"The most frightening thing in the world is to discover the abnormal in that which is closest to us."
- Kobe Abe

•"Suicide is an escape from life. What is life? An escape from death. This means that each of us must die twice. There is the death waiting for us ahead, and the death that comes pursuing from behind.... Once you are free at least from the death that comes pursuing you, you can relax and enjoy life as you go along."
- Kobe Abe, The Green Stockings

•"Work seemed something fundamental for man, something which enabled him to endure the aimless flight of time."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"A plausible rumor / Seems a lot more believable / Than the truth itself."
- Kobe Abe, The Ghost is Here

•"Yet there seemed to be some truth in the law of probability, according to which the chance of success is directly proportionate to the number of repetitions."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"Year after year students tumble along like the waters of a river. They flow away, and only the teacher is left behind, like some deeply buried rock at the bottom of the current."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"Some people, when they're called before the police, like nothing better than to spill everything, fact and fiction alike, hoping to create a good impression."
- Kobe Abe, Involuntary Homicide

•"It's a dangerous dog that doesn't bark."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

•"Green makes me think of silence, or maybe it's loneliness. I get the feeling of a terribly distant star."
- Kobe Abe, The Green Stockings

•"Now that you are dead, / You are splendid. / Photographs of people who have just died / Are worth twenty percent more, / And for suicides / There is an additional five percent. / Now that you are dead / You are much in demand."
- Kobe Abe, The Ghost is Here

•"Time cannot be spurred on like a horse."
- Kobe Abe, The Woman in the Dunes

Bible Study

2011-12-13T09:12:00.003-06:00

Deuteronomy 25.17-26.19

The greatest honour we are capable of in this world is to be taken into covenant with God, and to live in his service. --- Matthew Henry

Read Deuteronomy 25.13-19. How would someone use light and heavy weights; smaller and larger measures? Summarize the offenses of the Amalek. Which of Amalek’s offenses specifically provoked God’s anger? How could the concept of having multiple measures and Amalek’s fate be linked?

Read Deuteronomy 26.1-19.

Reread Deuteronomy 26.1-11. What are the three stages of entering into the promises of God? What flows out of that process? Why was a specific place designated for presenting the “first fruits”? What are the stages of the growth of Israel? Compare those stages with the life of a person who becomes a follower of Christ. How is the journey of the Israelite nation like the journey of a believer? What is to flow out of God’s blessing?

Reread Deuteronomy 26.12-15. Compare these verses with Deuteronomy 14.28-29. How is the Israelite to be accountable to God? What is the view of verse 15? How is this verse instructive for our prayer?

Reread Deuteronomy 26.16-19. How do these verses frame a covenant? What is the first expectation (verse 16)? What is my response to God? What does God vow to my response? What will God do when the Israelites keep his commandments? Which of these elements apply to Christians today?

Meditations of the Buddha

2011-12-13T00:04:00.000-06:00

The first meditation is the meditation of love, in which you so adjust your heart that you long for the weal and welfare of all beings, including the happiness of your enemies.

The second meditation is the meditation of pity, in which you think of all beings in distress, vividly representing in your imagination their sorrows and anxieties so as to arouse a deep compassion for them in your soul.

The third meditation is the meditation of joy, in which you think of the prosperity of others, and rejoice with their rejoicings.

The fourth meditation is the meditation of impurity, in which you consider the evil consequences of corruption, the effects of sin and diseases. How trivial often the pleasure of the moment, and how fatal its consequences.

The fifth meditation is the meditation on serenity, in which you rise above love and hate, tyranny and oppression, wealth and want, and regard your own fate with impartial calmness and perfect tranquillity.

Woman in the Dunes

2011-12-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

Hiroshi Teshigahara's film masterpiece, Woman in the Dunes, is a modern version of the myth of Sisyphus, the man condemned by the gods to spend eternity rolling a boulder to the top of a hill, only to see it roll back down. This is an incredible 1964 B/W Japanese film which is exceptional. Kobe Abe, the celebrated Japanese author of the book, also wrote the screenplay. It is a film that demands multiple viewings. Good stuff.

Here is a review from IMDb:

"Harsh and beautiful analysis of existentionalism. All the Sartrean trappings along with an element of Camus are presented in this film better than any other I know. The realization that life is absurd leads the main character to venture towards trying to make meaning out of what is essentially meaninglessness. The intersubjective relationship between man and woman is examined both erotically and violently while the villagers play the crucial role of the everpresent Other. Disturbing ending only underlies the overpowering presence of the sand dunes. The sand being the strongest metaphor in the film, illustrating the belief that life is nothing but a giant and endless egg-timer flowing sand down upon us. Highly recommended.

Obama's Plan

2011-12-12T14:51:00.002-06:00

Obama is telling the truth … he is not redistributing wealth … he is redistributing POVERTY.

Divine Intervention?

2011-12-12T00:42:00.000-06:00

Broncos win sixth straight game. God must be a Tim Tebow fan.

"After failing to score on their first dozen possessions, the Broncos (8-5) erased a 10-0 deficit in the final 2:08 of regulation.

'I think we're rewriting the book on 'keep fighting,' coach John Fox said. 'Our guys never blink. They remain positive. As bad as it looked today — we didn't play well; we had some drops. But the guy who dropped a couple of passes caught the ... touchdown. That's kind of the M.O. on this bunch.'

NBC Sports

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2011-12-11T01:13:00.002-06:00

accept it because you may have a Vitamin C deficiency.

The Early Church a.d. 100 to Conversion of Constantine

2011-12-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

The early church period is from A.D. 100 to 312 (the conversion of Constantine). The spread of the Gospel began in the eastern part of the Roman Empire and spread west. The Visigoths raided cities in Asia Minor (today Turkey)and took prisoners, many of whom were Christians. Christianity followed the Roman Empire and beyond, spreading the gospel to India and as far to Ethiopia in the south. Much of the missionary effort was done by Christians just living christian lives.

Early church leaders saw themselves as heirs to the apostles. The emphasis was on the office of bishop who was an overseer in the church. The leader of Christians in a city or region had oversight. As churches grew they needed more resources as there were more needs to meet. The problems of persecution and heresy made leadership more important.

This trend of leadership, strengthening the office of bishop, was recognized and encouraged by the church fathers. Some cities became more important and four rose to prominence: Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, and Alexandria. Their bishops began to exercise authority as regional church governance was natural and the tendency to compete arose.

There was a controversy over when to celebrate Easter. Rome celebrated Easter on the first Sunday after the 14th of Nissan of the Jewish calendar. In Asia Minor Easter was always celebrated on the exact date that Jesus rose from the dead. The Bishop of Rome tried to command that Easter be celebrated on a Sunday. Agreement could not be reached and many church leaders objected to the arrogance of the Bishop of Rome.

Three major intellectual centers of Christianity showed the diversity of Christendom. Alexandria studied Christianity in the light of Greek philosophy. Antioch emphasized structure and order. Carthage in North Africa emphasized holiness.

The early church fathers taught the universality ("catholicity")of the faith. Like the apostles, the church fathers had a deep love for Jesus and a sense of self discipline. However, they had an unhealthy desire for maintaining order, and many emphasized works instead of grace. They tended to emphasize an allegorical interpretation of scripture.

The Apostle's Creed developed to teach new converts the elements of the faith. Remember that the Bible was not readily available. The books that formed the canon of the Bible were being gathered and collected. Before 140 we do not have a formal list.

In response to the Gnostic threat the books of the Bible that were accepted as authoritative were based on (1) Apostolic authorship (2) inherent character and worthiness and (3) general agreement among Christians.

The apologists of the early church tried to convince a hostile world that Christianity was a safe religion and there was nothing to fear. It was legitimate, safe, and true. They wrote to the emperor, pagans, and Jews that Jesus fulfilled Old testament prophecy. Christianity was rational and based on facts. Christianity contributed to the good of society.

The danger in the work of the apologists was that in trying show something was not new, they used Greek philosophy to make their arguments stronger. Pagan thought gained a bigger influence.

Gnosticism was a movement that offered secret knowledge to initiates. They said that Jesus was God, but one of many. The body of Jesus was an illusion. The Gnostic exalted the spiritual over the material and said that it didn't matter what you did with the body. Other Gnostics viewed the body as evil. The church response to the Gnostic heresies was to spell out doctrine and submit a list of books of the New Testament.

News Flash**

2011-12-10T01:11:00.000-06:00

Energiser bunny arrested: charged with battery!

A Political Allegory

2011-12-09T09:15:00.002-06:00

I invited the Republican presidential candidates to my house for dinner last week and surprisingly they all showed up except for Jon Huntsman who had a prior committment. Mitt Romney was the first to arrive and thanked me for the opportunity for a home cooked meal. Michelle Bachmann asked about the wife and kids and requested tea with her meal. Rick Santorum said grace. Newt Gingrich asked for seconds and talked at length about the history of the Pingree area which he may include in a future book. Rick Perry showed off his new cowboy boots. Ron Paul made several references to the Constitution.

It was a pleasant enough evening until there was knock at the door. I opened it and there stood an angry President Obama with his wife Michelle. The president said that since he was running for president also that it was only fair that he and Michelle get a free meal too.

Well, one thing led to another and the food began flying like in a Three Stooges movie. I guess that`s what happens when Democrats and Republicans get together. Unfortunately, nobody helped me clean up the mess that they created.

Blago gets 14 Years

2011-12-08T00:01:00.001-06:00

Stupid is as stupid does.

"My life is ruined. I have nobody to blame but myself for my stupidity and actions and words and what I thought I could do. I'm not blaming anybody."

-Disgraced ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich

Blago was sentenced to prison for 14 years.

As Jay Leno says, "Now he will be able to sell his seat."

Would You Kill a Person To Save Five People?

2011-12-07T22:05:00.000-06:00

"Imagine you are a train-yard operator who sees an out-of-control boxcar running down a track that five workers are repairing. The workers won't have time to get out of the way unless you flip a switch to change the car to another track. But another worker is on the second track. You have just seconds to make a decision: let the five workers die — or kill the one. What do you do?"

Research results here

Who Are You?

2011-12-06T21:39:00.000-06:00

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
- Jim Rohn

Cain Train Derailed

2011-12-05T11:21:00.001-06:00

Herman Cain has suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination for POTUS. He hasn't ended it because he needs to get matching funds. But the Herminator will not be president due to unsubstantiated allegations of sexual impropriety.

Herman was accused of carrying on a 13 year adulterous affair with a woman from Georgia. He denied the charge but admitted to knowing the woman who he claimed was someone he thought was a "friend". Herman did exercise bad judgement in not telling his wife of their friendship and his financial support for the woman.

Unfortunately, the media in this country has succeeded in eliminating a conservative simply on the basis of allegations. Cain's fundraising has dried up and he dropped faster in the polls than a Jason Verlander fastball.

Bible Study

2011-12-04T18:41:00.002-06:00

Read Deuteronomy 25.1-19.

Reread Deuteronomy 25.1-4. How were the stripes to be numbered? Why was a limit placed upon them? Compare verse 4 with 1 Corinthians 9.9-10, and 1 Timothy 5.17-18.

Reread Deuteronomy 25.5-12. What heading is inserted before this passage in your Bible? What were the purposes for the law in verses 5-10? How did the Sadducees apply this law in Matthew 22.24ff? Comment on the severity of the law in verses 11-12 and the reasons that might be advanced for the severity. What are the parallel passages? What light do they shed?

Reread Deuteronomy 25.13-19. How would someone use light and heavy weights; smaller and larger measures? Summarize the offenses of the Amalek. How could these two passages be linked?

Key Areas

2011-12-03T18:08:00.001-06:00

There are at least six key areas of your life: health, career, romantic, social, money, and religion. If you neglect any one of those areas, it will harm you in the other areas and keep you from being as happy as you can be otherwise.

Canine PTSD

2011-12-02T00:01:00.001-06:00

War affects men's minds. Why not man's best friend?

"If anyone needed evidence of the frontline role played by dogs in war these days, here is the latest: the four-legged, wet-nosed troops used to sniff out mines, track down enemy fighters and clear buildings are struggling with the mental strains of combat nearly as much as their human counterparts.

By some estimates, more than 5 percent of the approximately 650 military dogs deployed by American combat forces are developing canine PTSD. Of those, about half are likely to be retired from service, Dr. Burghardt said.

Though veterinarians have long diagnosed behavioral problems in animals, the concept of canine PTSD is only about 18 months old, and still being debated. But it has gained vogue among military veterinarians, who have been seeing patterns of troubling behavior among dogs exposed to explosions, gunfire and other combat-related violence in Iraq and Afghanistan."

NY Times article

Barack Obama's Definition of Sin

2011-12-01T10:27:00.001-06:00

"In one interview prior to his election, Obama was asked by a reporter whether he believed in sin. He said yes. What, the reporter asked, did sin mean to him? 'Being out of alignment with my values,' he said."

Front Page Magazine article

Black Conservatives

2011-11-30T17:10:00.000-06:00

ONCE YOU GO CONSERVATIVE BLACK, YOU BETTER WATCH YOUR BACK.

Go ask Herman Cain.

Depressing Stats

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

Here are the facts for America since January 2009:

- More than 2 Million Americans are unemployed, close to 26 Million are underemployed (National unemployment at or above 9% for 28 straight months, double that in the Black community.)

- Average gas prices have gone from $1.83 to $3.45.

- Federal debt has gone from $10.6 Trillion to over $15 Trillion, with three straight years of trillion-dollar-plus deficits (debt per person has gone from $34,000 to over $48,000)

- Food stamp recipients up by 41%, with 16% more Americans in poverty at 6.4 Million, the Misery Index is up 65%, and nearly 48.5% of Americans are on government aid.

- Home values are down 11%, and health insurance premiums are up 23% from $3,354 to over $4,000.

- United States global competitiveness is down from 1st to 5th in the world.

From Representative Allen West

Mitt

2011-11-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

Mitt Romney, the candidate for everybody. :)

"You want a government healthcare program? Mitt's got RomneyCare. You're against government healthcare? Mitt will repeal ObamaCare. You were all for the war with Iraq? Mitt was, too. You're against the war with Iraq? Mitt will move it to Iran. You're for “gay rights”? Mitt's the guy who promised to do more for “gay rights” than Ted Kennedy. You're against same-sex marriage? Mitt proposed a constitutional amendment to ban it in Massachusetts. You're for same-sex marriage? Mitt's administration said, don't wait for the Legislature to act, just order the town and city clerks to start issuing marriage licenses to “Party A” and “Party B” to satisfy the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and never mind that the law says otherwise. You're against judicial activism? So is Mitt, when he's not bowing and genuflecting to it.

You're against the next government bailout of those companies too big to fail? So is Mitt, even though he was for the last one. You want a balanced budget, but are opposed to defense cuts? Mitt's with you. We'll cut taxes and grow our way out of these deficits.

You want to preserve every department, bureau, and agency of the executive branch, while continuing to complain of “big government”? Again, Mitt's your man. Mitt wants to eliminate waste and duplication. Why have 13 federal programs to prevent teenage pregnancy? Why not just one or two? Mitt asks. Why not none, since it is not a federal responsibility and there is no constitutional warrant for it? Mitt hasn't a clue.

You don't like No Child Left Behind, but want education “reform” at the federal level? Mitt thinks that's cool. He's not one of the barn-burners who would eliminate the federal Department of Education, just because his party's platform promised for 20 years to do just that. You want a candidate who won't read the platform and doesn't know a principle from a pothole? You want another Bob Dole? Mitt's your man."

The New American

Bible Study

2011-11-27T19:03:00.002-06:00

Read Deuteronomy 24.1-22.

Reread Deuteronomy 24.5-13. Summarize the laws in this passage. Why do you suppose the law prohibits military service during the first year of marriage? How does God’s Law protect the poor in this passage? What was the cause of Miriam’s leprosy? What function would the priests serve with this disease? What principle of common law is iterated in verses 10-11?

Reread Deuteronomy 24.14-22. What teaching(s) about the treatment of employees is (are) presented in this passage? How are the harvest practices acts of worship and of mercy?

Read Deuteronomy 25.1-19.

Reread Deuteronomy 25.1-4. How were the stripes to be numbered? Why was a limit placed upon them? Compare verse 4 with 1 Corinthians 9.9-10, and 1 Timothy 5.17-18.

Reread Deuteronomy 25.5-12. What heading is inserted before this passage in your Bible? What were the purposes for the law in verses 5-10? How did the Sadducees apply this law in Matthew 22.24ff? Comment on the severity of the law in verses 11-12 and the reasons that might be advanced for the severity. What are the parallel passages? What light do they shed?

Reread Deuteronomy 25.13-19. How would someone use light and heavy weights; smaller and larger measures? Summarize the offenses of the Amalek. How could these two passages be linked?

Shame on Penn State

2011-11-26T22:07:00.000-06:00

Sandusky Indictment

Virgin Mary Relic

2011-11-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

Those Catholics are at it again.

"MOSCOW — Braving freezing cold temperatures and ice-covered sidewalks, tens of thousands of Russians stood in line Wednesday to see and kiss a newly arrived relic of the Virgin Mary in Russia's largest Orthodox cathedral.

The Virgin Mary's Cincture, a belt that Christians believe was worn by Jesus' mother, was brought to Russia last month from Mount Athos, a monastic community in Greece.

Kissing the relic, which is encased in an ornamental box, is believed to help barren women conceive and heal other ailments.

The line of people, mostly women, waiting to enter the golden-domed Christ the Savior Cathedral stretched for 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) along the Moscow River despite temperatures that dropped to below minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit)."

MSNBC article

Three Pound Universe

Spielberg's Moses Movie

Let's Go to the Races

Republican Debate Tomorrow

Bible Study

Questions for President Obama

Rachel Alexandra's Colt

Wisdom of the Dalai Lama

Excerpt from "Ameritopia"

Breaking News

Penny

Mitt's Tax Rate

Obama to Accept Nomination at Stadium

Obama's Budget Deficits

Huntsman Out

The Trouble with Mitt

Political Defiance

Bible Study

Tebow Time

Fox Republican Debate Rules

Van der Sloot

Local to Appear on Jeopardy

When Mitt Romney Comes to Town

Gingrich Surge in South Carolina?

Defense Spending

Hope and Change

Tebow Time

My New Country Music Song

Newt on Romney

The Republican Presidential Race

Pick Your College Major Carefully

Burka

Hispanics in Florida

U.S. Borrowing

Bible Study

China in Space

Major Movies of 2012 Release Dates

Debt

Iowa Caucuses Vote History

Good News for 2012

Median Income

Waiting

Week 16 Fantasy Football Summary

Quote from Sowell

Obamas Celebrate Kwanzaa

Key States to Decide Presidential Election

Weather to Determine Iowa Caucuses Winner

Merry Christmas!

Obama to Hawaii

Conspicuous Consumption

Israel's Missile Defense Exercises

Interesting Veterans Statistics off the Vietnam Memorial Wall

Bible Study

Inside Job

Liberal and Conservative TV

The Dalai Lama Defines Buddhism

The Temp Rabbi

Stroke

Tanakh

Quotes from Kobe Abe

Bible Study

Meditations of the Buddha

Woman in the Dunes

Obama's Plan

Divine Intervention?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

The Early Church a.d. 100 to Conversion of Constantine

****News Flash******

A Political Allegory

Blago gets 14 Years

Would You Kill a Person To Save Five People?

Who Are You?

Cain Train Derailed

Bible Study

Key Areas

Canine PTSD

Barack Obama's Definition of Sin

Black Conservatives

Depressing Stats

Mitt

News Flash**