Hardly able to post, due to two factors:

1. StartLogic is having a “server issue” - again - but not to worry, their “engineers” are “working to resolve the issue” - again - and will be finished “at the earliest” - again. StartLogic is crap. (did i mention that already?)

2. SciFi channel is having a Eureka Marathon - I know, it’s campy and goofy, but I like the story lines. Oh, and StartLogic is Crap. (i’m certain i’ve mentioned that before)

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

It’s time once again for a quick word from my cousin (actually, he’s my wife’s cousin, but I’ve claimed him as mine, too. I’m cool like that.)

While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age.

After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak….

“When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heart break and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me… The only thing that would comfort was this verse………

‘Jesus loves me this I know.
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
We are weak but He is strong…..
Yes, Jesus loves me…
The Bible tells me so.’”

When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don’t believe I will ever forget it.

A pastor once stated, “I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children’s hymn ‘Jesus Loves Me’ (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.”

Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For those of us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others, check out the “Senior Version” of Jesus Loves Me:

JESUS LOVES ME

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in Him.

(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME..
YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in His I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
‘Have no fear, for I am near.’

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life’s victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand His love

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love Him every day.

(CHORUS)

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I would like to extend a big “THANK YOU” to all who have communicated their support and encouragement. I will keep you posted.

I thought today would be a good day to urge you all to make a difference. Somewhere. Anywhere. I’ve got a few suggestions:

GiGi, from the DFW area, e-mailed this little tid-bit:

Let’s go POSTAL!!!! Payback is fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may have heard in the news that a couple of Post Offices in Texas have been forced to take down small posters that say ‘IN GOD WE TRUST.’

The law, they say, is being violated.

Anyway, we heard proposed on a radio station show, that we should all write ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’ on the back of all our mail. After all, that’s our National Motto, and it’s on all the money we use to buy stamps.

We think it’s a wonderful idea. We think it’s such a good idea that we think you should write it on the FRONT of the envelope, too!

We must take back our nation from all the people who think that anything that offends them should be removed. If you like this idea, please pass it on and DO IT. The idea of writing or stamping ‘IN GOD WE TRUST’ on our envelopes sounds good to us. Some people are having stamps made, others are adding it to their e-mail signatures.

It’s been reported that 86% of Americans believe in God. Therefore, we have a very hard time understanding why there’s such a mess about having ‘In God We Trust’ on our money and having God in the pledge of Allegiance. Could it be that WE just need to take action and tell the 14% to ’sit down and shut up’?

This does not require you to do anything - but not doing anything is one reason why this country is in the mess we’re in now. Don’t sit back and let it happen anymore!

IN GOD WE TRUST

I’ve added it to my e-mail signature block. After that, head over to Free Rice to do two things - test and build your vocabulary skills, and build up grains of rice (20 for every correct word) to be sent to areas needing food staples. In most cases, the sponsoring partner will purchase the rice locally to where it is being provided, to offer a double benefit. (I spent five minutes on the site and sent 2500 grains out. My best level to date is 43 [out of 60], what’s yours?) Do not go there during work hours - it is rather addictive.

Third on the list is a little something from a friend of mine. Something to think about, when someone tries to tell you that this country was not founded on Christian values:

Whether the founders followed the Christian faith or not, they understood that Biblical values formed the basis of the not only the republic but English Law, and that the republic would be destroyed if the people’s knowledge of those values should ever be lost.

This brings me to the head of the spear, so to speak. Understanding that our constitution is man’s interpretation of God’s divine law, one must assume that at times the constitution will fall short of providing adequate solutions to humanistic transgressions. When this occurs, such as the recent ruling against capital punishment extending beyond murder, and the California Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the vote of the people regarding gay marriage, the solution is not to interject one’s opinion or to seek a populous consensus as was done in both cases, but to go to the source of our constitution; divine law.

Because secularism has pervaded our society and our nation has become mostly agnostic, our appointed judges are ruling based on a popular opinion rather than using fundamental principles of interpretation. It is very clear that in both cases, the decisions would have been exactly opposite had they adhered to the basic truths and applied biblical principles to each case. Thankfully, we are still ‘One Nation, Under God’; but that is slowly slipping away.

Hope you all have a great couple of days. Remember I won’t be around tomorrow, since TMBWitW will be working from home and I will not have access to the computer. Unless, of course, one of you wants to send me a laptop, then I can be on line all the time…

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Inside joke, the title.

As in, inside the cat’s room. Yes, I’m talking about a certain cat who likes to think outside the box. Normally, a good way to come up with a solution that had not been thought of before. In this context, I’m going to have to vote against any further thinking outside the box, as it results in pee by the door and cat poop on the floor.

Cinnamon, the little brown dog, tells me that if she were allowed in the cat room, there wouldn’t be a poop-on-the-floor issue.

I don’t wanna know.

I managed to sabotage my bike riding efforts yet again - I left my phone (with the alarm function) in the closet last night, in stead of on the bathroom counter. That way, when the alarm went off, it was muffled by the closed closet door…

So - how’s your week going?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Saw this over at Texas Fred’s place and thought I would share it with you. He got it from a neighbor and fellow gun-owner, and wanted to pass it on to all of us:

The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental.

1. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him “Why do you carry a 45?”
The Ranger responded, “Because they don’t make a 46.”
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. “Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?”
“No Ma’am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.”
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!

But wait, there’s more!

I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did.

She said “Well I certainly hope it isn’t loaded!”

To which I said, “Of course it is loaded, can’t work without bullets!”

She then asked, “Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?”

My reply was, “No, not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.”

To which I’ll add, having a gun in the house that isn’t loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

I’m a firm believer of the 2nd Amendment! If you are too, please pass this around.

Remember - never advertise how well armed you are, or how well trained your dogs are. Let it be a surprise.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

So, I re-read yesterday’s entry. Up at the top, where I was laying out the plan of the morning?

Yeah, forgot to mention that the snooze button got all the miles, instead of the bike. And then again, this morning. I am never going to get an exercise plan going as long as I stay up late and have a snooze button.

Someplace along the way I also wrote a guest post for My Point regarding the Mexican Nationals that have been attacking here in Phoenix. (so far, they have only been attacking drug/drop houses, we’ll see how long that holds true)

Today is MEG’s 18-month visit. I cannot believe how fast time is flying. Luckily, we have pictures.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, Time, Inc. is a bunch of weasels, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

If you are a Marine, please take the time to read and comment. If you are not a Marine, then it’s up to you whether you read this or not. The issue was brought to my attention by Akinoluna. She blogged about the trend of the term “Devil Dog” to be looked on as a curse more than a point of pride.

Personally, I find this trend disturbing. I am very proud of the nickname “Devil Dog” and find it odd that the younger Marines of today would be bothered by it. However, I will take to task those of higher rank that use it only when getting ready to issue a correction or reprimand - of course it would become associated with bad behavior. The idea behind using it, as stated in the article:

“I think the backlash against ‘Devil Dog’ does begin with the leadership. [Noncommissioned officers] (myself included) use the following phrase, ‘HEY, DEVIL DOG!’ to initiate a ‘correction’ when we don’t know exactly who the Marine may be. Thusly, hearing the phrase Devil Dog creates a negative Pavlovian response in Marines. As they come up in the Corps, the response stays,” one Marine wrote.

(emphasis mine) (yes, I know the article appeared back in April. sue me.)

Now, when I was serving, if you didn’t know who the Marine was, you would use the term “Marine” to get their attention. “Devil Dog” was reserved for when you knew who were motivating - and it was used as motivation: “Come on, you Devil Dogs! Let’s take that hill!”

Corrections or reprimands would start out with you, the corrector or reprimandor, spotting a goldbricker slouching across the parade deck (for example) and hollering out, “Hey, MARINE!” This would get their attention and allow you to quickly determine the rank of the offender.

You would then issue the correction based on their rank: if the Marine in question was of lower rank, then “boot” or “maggot” was used to get your point across: “Hey, maggot - quit dragging your heels whilst strolling across my parade deck - step to smartly, and make it look like you know where you’re going!”

If the Marine was of the same rank, then a more comradely term would be used: “You know, corporal, by dragging your heels while walking across the parade deck some boot might think that was the way to do it. Let’s try stepping a little more lively to impress the newbies.”

If the Marine was of higher rank, then a whole new attitude would have to surround the conversation: “Good morning, Second Lieutenant Wetbehindtheears, here on the hallowed grounds of the Third Battalion, we have a tradition of either circumventing the parade deck or stepping off in a smart manner in order to impart the respect we have for those who have passed before.”

Using “Devil Dog” as a jumping-off point for corrections is setting a bad example - and chewing up the traditions of the Corps. Shame on the Marine who helps tear this fabric. Let’s show some respect for those who HAVE passed before!

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I had to borrow the wording for the title of this piece from my good friend Gawfer.

I was curious about a certain candidate’s constant chant of “hope” and thought I would look it up to see if that might give me a clue as to what he was talking about, since the candidate in question (*coughobamacough*) is kinda light on the details about the “hope” he has.

So, let’s go to Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (I’ve always liked it, although since the revisionists have gotten hold of it there seems to be some changes that don’t jive with me):

Hope
Hope\, n.

1. A desire of some good, accompanied with an expectation of obtaining it, or a belief that it is obtainable; an expectation of something which is thought to be desirable; confidence; pleasing expectancy.

2. One who, or that which, gives hope, furnishes ground of expectation, or promises desired good.

3. That which is hoped for; an object of hope.

So, “hope” is a wish or desire for something, accompanied by expectation of its fulfillment.

Therein lies the problem.

This campaign is not about race, no matter how much the supporters of a particular candidate want to make it so. This campaign is not about age, no matter how much the supporters of the same candidate want to make it so. It’s not even about experience, no matter how much the supporters of either candidate do or do not want to make it so.

It is about perception. The perception of what is expected. With the RepubliCAN’Ts offering, the voters know that they cannot “hope” to see anything different, so the voters will be getting what they see (and, in a way, deserve, since they allowed the MSM to guide their voting in the primaries - but that’s another topic). With the DemocRAT’s offering, their supporters are claiming that their candidate offers “hope” but cannot express what exactly is being “hope”d for.

The demographics of the supporters of the candidate with “hope” would indicate that since they have a shorter attention span, they don’t stick around to find out what the “hope” is for, so they cannot possibly be expected to be able to tell you what the “hope” is for. On the other hand, those of us with more *ahem* experience in life have the second part in the forefront of our mind when we hear “hope” - that is, we have an expectation of its fulfillment, and we don’t see that forthcoming based on the “hope”ful candidate’s track record.

Thursday, I may take a look at the “change” part of the equation.

Or not.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I have been thinking on this subject for a while; I had been noting the changes here in Arizona as the sanctions law went into effect and wondered if the rest of the nation was taking note.

One of the biggest obstacles to ridding the country of illegals, or so the left would tell you, (and, by extension, the best reason for granting amnesty to these lawbreakers) is that we can’t deport them all. Well, actually, we don’t have to. If the nation were to take on the task of actively deporting the illegals, it would cost hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars - money that could be much better used elsewhere.

My buddy Gawfer pointed me to this article on The Loft. In particular:

That’s right…. by simply enforcing immigration laws and penalizing employers for hiring illegal aliens, the numbers of illegal aliens went DOWN. Does this mean they all left the country and returned home? No, of course not. Some probably did, while others went to another area of America where laws are not respected or enforced.

I’ll tell you this, from first-hand observation: the traffic levels are lowering. There are fewer Mexican plates on vehicles on the street. There aren’t the crowds outside the home improvement warehouses that there once were, although there are still the hangers-on. And, stats do show that there are fewer car-jackings and ID-jackings going on.

And, while the majority of these invaders may have gone back to Mexico, a good number of them, still trying to force their way into the American Cream, have gone to other states where the sanction laws have been either not put in place yet, or, if they have, activist judges are trying to knock them down. Arizona’s laws are facing the Supremes soon, followed closely by other states (Oklahoma, for one) and the Arizona ruling is expected to set a precedent.

Now, if only the Career Politicians would get a clue, and realize that We the People want secure borders and enforced laws…

I know, but I can dream, can’t I?

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I know, it’s Tuesday. I had a weird Monday, is all.

And, being the lucky person you are, I’ve selected YOU to be the one who gets to hear about it!

It all started about the normal time - no, wait. Monday started Sunday afternoon, when, for no apparent reason, the left front tooth in TMBWitW’s mouth chipped. Not a big chip, but enough that there was a rough little line at the bottom of the tooth. TMBWitW, being the tooth-conscious gal that she is, was very concerned.

Bright and early Monday morning, the dentist was called. Actually, the receptionist was called. She could be worked in at 1015, and it would be the other dentist, not her regular one. Meanwhile, a certain blogger husband of hers woke up with a dull pounding in the back of his head. TMBWitW started working on the computer, getting done what she could without going into the office. For whatever reason, MEG slept until 0900. Blogging husband, not sure what was going on with his head, decided to take two Tylenol and sit quietly so as not to bother his head. He thought to himself, “This is why I quit drinking; why go through all that expense and sloppiness when I can get the hangover headache without even trying?” He took two Tylenol and sat at the breakfast table, reading the morning paper.

Once MEG woke up and had breakfast, she was quickly dressed and the entire crew was off. Not sure if numbing methods were going to be used, TMBWitW requested a back-up driver, just in case. Not sure if he would live until the end of the driveway, the husband took two Tylenol and said “Sure!” with a cheery grin. Relieved that TMBWitW wanted to drive, the husband sat in the back seat and gave the appearance of entertaining MEG while secretly wishing he had taken the entire bottle of Tylenol with him, as a snack for the road.

At the dentist’s office, it was determined that it would not take very long at all; in fact, by the time MEG had walked her father from one end of the compound to the other, climbed and descended two sets of stairs, discovered a pigeon nesting on a landing, played in three of the eight fountains in the courtyard and determined that there was a fountain under repair, TMBWitW was finished and waiting for the return of her support crew.

No numbing methods were used, as it was only an edge fill.

It was decided that lunch was in order, so TMBWitW headed home. (quick side note here - TMBWitW, pre-baby, had an unerring sense of direction. now that she is a mommy, she needs maps and directions to anywhere that is not work or a mall. the trips to and from the dentist office were amusing - or at least, I would assume they were amusing - due to the fact that the person giving directions had a forty five piece drum corps playing in his head during the entire ride and directions were monosyllabic at best.) Once there, a quick lunch was generated, TMBWitW went back in the office, and once MEG had finished her repast she was laid down for a nap. At that time the husband decided it would be a good time for a nap, also, so he took two Tylenol and laid, gently, on his side with a pillow covering one ear and blocking most of the light.

There was a huge ruckus, and the husband was jolted awake almost as soon as he had laid his head down, or about two hours later. TMBWitW needed to go to her chiropractor visit, and would be taking MEG with her, would the husband like to take a migraine pill? No, no - too late for that. He’ll settle for a couple of Tylenol and maybe a bit more of a nap before the HOA board meeting that evening.

Pizza was ordered for dinner, and consumed. The husband operated in a slight fog, and decided to forego the meeting; what use would he be if all he could say was “Turn off the light, it’s too bright”?

Husband decided that in order to sleep off the nagging wisps of migraine still clinging to his skull fragments, he would need to take a small sleeping pill. Sleeping aid acquired, he promptly lay down at 2030 and discovered that his mind was now wide awake and not nearly as pained as it was earlier in the day. Instead of tossing and turning fitfully, he decided to do something constructive that would make his mind shut down so he could sleep.

Ninety three expert games of Minesweeper later, he decided that wasn’t going to work, and maybe laying down would be OK after all. Going back to bed at 0245, he promptly fell asleep. At 0635, he awoke with a start, thinking that TMBWitW had left without a word, taking the baby and the dogs, leaving him to fend for himself with the cats.

I hate migraines that sneak up on you. I hate drugs that affect you in ways they aren’t designed to. I love Tylenol because my body know what to do with it. I need someone to research me and figure out why my threshold for pain and drugs is so weird.

Thank you for stopping by, God bless you all, listen to The O Word on BlogTalkRadio, Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!