Mercy Now

Network Solutions hijacking your searches!

2008-02-13T21:37:00.004-05:00

Read this link or google "Network Solutions holding up your domain searches".

So I was doing domain searches and NS says that they are available. Then I went to GoDaddy to register the one I like since GoDaddy's cheaper but it wasn't available. Ends up finding out that NS holds your searches up so that you must go through them for a HIGHER price. Isn't this hijacking?

I wish I know some high power attorney to get him to file a class action lawsuit. Since I don't, pass this info on to ALL your friends, bloggers, and anyone you know, see, pass by, and everywhere you go.

Race is narrowing

2008-01-27T21:24:00.000-05:00

1. Do you think America is more ready for a woman pres or an African American pres?
2. On the Rep side, I think whoever gets the party nomination will need to have Huckabee as VP to get the religious votes.

Survey: Ranking Your Candidates

2008-01-12T09:37:00.001-05:00

Take this 10 question survey to see the ranking of your candidates. Of course, I dunno if this is accurate or not but let me know whether the results are what you expected, esp those who keep a tight pulse on the political scene like Palm Boy and Bike Bubba.

Happy New Yr!

2008-01-01T12:05:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a Happy 2008!

So what are your top goals for this year? Getting a new job, having another kid, moving to a better home, getting a girlfriend, going to your fav destination?

At the Auction

2007-12-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

So I went to my first auction today and in order to enter, I have to show a cashier's check for a HEFTY amount as a down pmt should I get the winning bid. Of course, I had no plans to bid at this point, just merely to observe for the next time.

Anyway, as I was sitting on the 6th row and about 5 min into the auction when things were going crazy and loud, I had an itch on my head. I told myself, move very very very slowly so they don't take my scratch as a bid. Then the more I thought about it, the more itchy I became afterward. Needless to say, I have never moved so slow in my entire life before, esp when it comes to scratching:o)

Mortgage Bailout Plan

2007-12-10T19:51:00.001-05:00

Well, I thought I left socialism when I came back from China. However, the latest mortgage bailout plan seems to be a part of what socialist countries do, big brother intervening in the free market.

On the one hand, no one wants to see houses being foreclosed but on the other investors who put money and risk on these mortgages deserve what they were promised. The mortgage/note is a contract between parties w/ terms attached and both parties willingly agreed to the terms. Now, when it's time to collect, one party cries foul even though there was none and the govt steps in and said you're not allow to collect. I can understand if this action came from a diff political party but not from this admin.

Pics from Beijing

2007-12-09T23:06:00.000-05:00

The top is Bell Tower, 2nd & 3rd are obvious. 4th down is Tiananmen Square (the largest outside public gathering space and just outside of the Forbidden City). The 5th is the emperors throne inside the Forbidden City. The rest are Forbidden City which is huge! The 2nd to last is Summer Palace, where the emperor goes for vacation, and last is Ming's tombs. I can tell you that the emperors had it made:o)

Top 6 of China

2007-12-03T19:07:00.000-05:00

Shanghai Financial District, 08 Beijing Olympic Stadium, Guillin.

Ok, ok, thanks to Gino's & KingDavid's reminders, I am back. China was awesome as I went to 4 cities. Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City), Xian (TeraCotta soldiers), Guilin, and Shanghai. I liked Beijing & Shanghai the most, both are very modern with high skyscrapers and about 17 million population each. Beijing, of course, has a lot more history. So here are the top six of my China trip:

6. The control reckless chaotic driving. Frightening @ 1st but used to it afterward.
5. Amazed at the history of all the cities (one, Xian, dating back 6k yrs)
4. Very inexpensive (lunch for $2 & fancy dinner for $12)
3. Bargaining w/ the vendors, I'm super cheap so I drive a hard bargain:o)
2. Seeing a restaurant sign stating they serve dog meat!
1. Riding the MagLev in Shanghai, the fastest bullet train that tops 270mph!

B Back in Nov

2007-10-14T23:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm signing out and heading to China. In the meantime, check out the Bloggers on the right.
Bike Bubba's insightful.
Palm Boy keeps u up to date on current events.
Rabenstranger and Trebonte blog from 1/2 way round the world in Japan.
KingDavid makes you scratch your head at times.
Gino is full of surprises!

Suit will be dropped Fri 10/12

2007-10-11T19:50:00.000-04:00

Continued from previous post:
I was so mad when I learned about this that I contacted a local radio station and they aired the story Thu AM. I'm sure I wasn't the only one as others contacted the local TV stations so it was everywhere. Anyway, enough pressure and public outcry to the City of Casselberry that they have placed the person on leave and the person has decided to drop the case. Even a well known law firm, one that has tons of TV ads about personal injuries, was outraged that they are trying to get this attorney to be disbarred nationally.

The Lowest of the Lowlife

2007-10-10T19:37:00.000-04:00

According to this article
CASSELBERRY - In January, 1-year-old Joey Cosmillo wandered into the backyard and fell into the family pool. When his mother hauled him out, he wasn't breathing. Rescuers were able to bring him back to life, but he suffered severe brain damage and cannot walk, talk or even swallow.

Now, his family faces another burden: One of the rescuers, Casselberry police Sgt. Andrea Eichhorn, is suing, alleging the family left a puddle of water on the floor that afternoon, causing her to slip and fall.

Andrea Eichhorn's attorney filed: If the Cosmillos had made their pool baby-proof, police would not have been called to the scene, there would have been no water on the floor, and Eichhorn would not have hurt herself.

"It's a situation where the Cosmillos have caused these problems, brought them on themselves, then tried to play the victim," he said."

So the next time you call 911, make sure your entire house is safe proof from hazards, buglars, fire, and whatever danger. So is there a need to dial 911 then?

I never thought any person could sink this low but I am now proven wrong.

Iraqi Panel wants firm to pay $8 million per death

2007-10-08T22:11:00.000-04:00

From this article
BAGHDAD - Iraqi authorities want the U.S. government to sever all contracts in Iraq with Blackwater USA within six months. They also want the firm to pay $8 million in compensation to families of each of the 17 people killed when its guards sprayed a traffic circle with heavy machine gun fire last month.

So their govt is doing absolutely nothing about the daily explosions by their own people in the civilian markets and squares. Blackwater, one can argue they used too much force, but they had to defend themselves from being slained like the first incident when four guys were killed and dragged through the streets.

I find it outrageous that they want to prosecute Blackwater guys and at the same time pass laws to pardon fighters who have targeted US troops. If they continue w/ their shenanigans, Congress will vote for troop pullout. The result will be these asses will flee their country and come to the US for asylam because the militias would kill them all. As the saying goes, power corrupts.

Man has Vasectomy at 28

2007-10-03T21:35:00.000-04:00

From this article
Like many men, Toby Byrum decided to have a vasectomy to end his reproductive years. Unlike most of them, Byrum had his at 28 while he is still single and childless.

He said, “I view the next 15-20 years of my life as some of the best years I’m going to live. I wanted to make sure those years were . . . going to make me ultimately the happiest person I could be,”

I'm not married but the ultimate thing I see is leaving something behind when I'm gone and that is children and their children carrying not only the family name but the things that I've taught and passed along. That gives life meaning beyond the present.

Those @#$%!# Communists! :o)

2007-09-27T19:47:00.000-04:00

Well, I had to apply for a People's Republic of China entrance visa so I can be admitted when I vacation there later in Oct. It ended up costing me $150! This is not so bad if it has always been that way but up until a year ago, it was $10 each time you enter the country. They somehow decided to raise it to $150 but it's good for a year. What vacationer on earth travels to the same country more than once or twice per year? My only conclusion is that they can get these huge profits when the 2008 Olympic Games come.

Communists are capitalists after all.

Character is EVERYTHING

2007-09-19T22:59:00.000-04:00

Now, I'm beginning to pay attention to the candidates out there. In this world of political spin and all that jazz, we're never sure if that candidate will actually carry our his message from the campaign trail when elected. There are the pros and cons but two things will be the clear factors for me and they are:

1) their voting record
2) and most importantly, their character

As a friend told me about dating and looking for a spouse, old habits are hard to change. In other words, if someone cheats on his girlfriend or lies but says that he'll stop, be careful.

So if one candidate is tough on terrorism but has shown to have mistresses and wore drag and now are courting the conservative, be careful. If someone has always voted for abortion and has been for big govt but now is saying not so, be careful. As Jer 13:23 says, "Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin or leopards change their spots?" Unfortunately, there are many people who will be fooled by persuasive language and crafty persona.

Places to visit in the next 5 yrs

2007-09-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

So I have just finalized plans to go to China in Oct. Then I thought I may as well put on my calendar of all the places I want to visit not before I die but within the next several years and they are: Argentina, S Africa, & Australia.

The Absurdity of Leona Helmsley

2007-09-03T13:30:00.000-04:00

She recently passed away and left $12 million to her dog yet she did not leave two of her four grandkids w/ anything.

According to this blog... and yes, there are lawyers who specialize in pet trusts: see pet lawyer Rachel Hirschfeld. When asked about it, Hirschfeld wasn't stunned by Helmsley's huge act of animal generosity. "It's not an outrageous amount . . . if her estate is $8 billion, then this is a fraction of 1 percent," said Hirschfeld.

In summary, these people are so out of touch w/ reality due to greed and selfishness of the Nth degree that they have practically wasted their lives. In the end, all of us have to answer to God for our actions.

America’s best cities for singles is

2007-08-29T19:56:00.000-04:00

San Francisco according to this Forbes article:
There have been major changes in the rankings this year. The winner: San Francisco, up from fourth place. It ranked first for culture and received high marks for number of singles, nightlife, online dating and cool. The "city that never sleeps," New York, N.Y., came in a strong second place, thanks to its performance as the country's No. 1 spot for nightlife. Entertainment mecca Los Angeles came in third, Atlanta fourth and Chicago fifth. Rounding out the top 10 are Washington D.C., San Diego, Seattle, Dallas-Fort Worth and Philadelphia.

Yah, San Fran is best if you prefer a lifestyle that is not normal but then again the media thinks that type of life is normal.

A Writer who agrees w/ me

2007-08-23T18:21:00.000-04:00

From this FOXSports.com article that was written a day after my NAACP post:
I agree with the president of Atlanta's NAACP, R.L. White. The NFL should welcome Michael Vick back to its league once he has finished serving jail time...I also hope that our modern-day civil-rights leaders stake out a consistent position on compassion. We can't demand it for Michael Vick and deny it to those we don't like, especially when it comes to high-profile public figures such as Don Imus.

"Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he had killed a human being," White said.

He's right. Imus' defenders would probably say the same thing, and they would add that Imus didn't kill anything (human being or otherwise).

The NAACP

2007-08-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

According to this article:
"As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football," said the president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter. "We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

Last month, state and local leaders of the NAACP urged the public not to rush to judgment. The civil rights organization said animal rights groups, talk radio and the news media were vilifying the embattled athlete, and that his team and corporate sponsors were prematurely punishing Vick.

This sounds very good and true but I can't tell you how many times if the person is white and makes a slight insinuation of race, he's condemned to be a racist and banned from his position, whatever it may be, forever even after the offender has sincerely apologized.

As for the media & people "prematurely punishing Vick", yes one is innocent until proven guilty, but how many times has the NAACP prematurely jumped to conclusion and demanded sanctions prior to giving the accused the opp to defend?

The sad truth is when you hold a double standard, making statements like this only falls on deaf ears and promotes further mistrust. Does this explain its financial woes for the past several years along w/ losing members and shutting down 40% of its operations? I wonder.

Romney, richest candidate, hedges his bets

2007-08-21T21:59:00.000-04:00

From this article:
As befits a former titan of Wall Street, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney owns a portfolio as complex and impenetrable as a Goldman Sachs quantitative-strategies hedge fund. Indeed, he's invested in one of those.

The unlikely alumnus of Democratic Massachusetts' governor's mansion is by far the richest of the declared candidates seeking to succeed George W. Bush. Together with his wife, Ann, and their children, his wealth is estimated by his campaign to be between $195 million and $387 million. About $100 million of that is in trusts for the children.

The lesson is vote for Republicans and you'll get to be like them, vote for Dems and you get to share your wealth with people who do not want to work and DEMAND you hand them your hard earned money! :o)

How to tell if someone's interested

2007-08-14T19:57:00.000-04:00

This not only applies to male/female relationships but any relationships be it @ work, @ home, with "friends", etc. You can buy all sorts of books out there telling you to look for this and what to say blah blah blah but I'm gonna save you time and money and that is this, are you ready? Drum roll please....a tennis game. That's it!

Let's use a conversation as an example, it's like a tennis game. If it's not, then one party is not interested. For pitching a sale, if the recipient never returns the ball in play, then he's not interested in the product. When meeting new people, if it's not a back and forth conversation, then that person is not interested. Last, it goes w/ male/female love interests as well. The only exception in this case is the guy must be the initiator and throw more than a few balls across the court, however, after throwing a basket worth and no returns only means one thing, move on to the next court:o)

I should start another Dr. Phil show:o)

Escape from Sinking Car

2007-08-06T21:19:00.000-04:00

From this article:
A bridge spanning the Mississippi River collapsed Wednesday, sending dozens of vehicles plummeting 60 feet into the river below. How do you escape from a sinking car?

First, roll down the windows. If the windows are still above the waterline, just climb out. 1) But if the car is sinking fast, wait for the interior to fill with water—you won't be able to open the door until there's enough water inside the car to equalize the pressure on the outside. 2) Opening the windows helps the water flow in faster, which gives you a better chance of escaping before your car sinks too deep. Survival experts recommend 3) keeping your seatbelt on until the last possible second. Otherwise, the rush of water could disorient and possibly injure you. Plus, it gives you extra leverage to open the door when it's time to escape. If for some reason you can't open the windows or doors, 4) try kicking out the windshield or smashing a side window as a last resort.

Ok, I can understand if they ask you to do one thing that may seem against your instinct but to do all the above is like, well, can you? I can do 4 since I've seen it in the movies a million times, maybe 1 but not 3 or 4, r u kiddin me.

Hilarious Vid!

2007-08-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

glumbert.com - Japanese Tetris

Pics from my vac.

2007-07-30T21:54:00.001-04:00

Rainbow between the American and Canadian side at Niagara Falls. You can see the 80 ft tourist boat at the bottom of the pic of Niag. The second pic is the CN tower in Toronto. On a side note, please pray for the Koreans that are being held hostage and killed one at a time. A seminary professor came and spoke to our church this past Sun asked me to pray for this group and for martyrdom.

Summer Trip

2007-06-27T20:54:00.001-04:00

Yahoo! No I'm not advertising for the dot com site but I just booked airfare to go to Detroit. No, I'm not staying in Detroit but will be driving up to Toronto, then Montreal, then back down to Niagara Falls and finish up in Cleveland where the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is located. My buddy from overseas is back for a short stay and will be going too. I'll post pics when I get back but I don't leave til mid July which is prob the next time I'll post since I've been busy up the wazoo lately.

Little Emperors Must Dance

2007-06-13T19:24:00.000-04:00

From this article:
Obesity is a growing problem in China, and the government’s new solution: mandatory dance classes, in the hopes that students will boogie their way to a slimmer waistline.

Chinese students, nicknamed "Little Emperors," have been growing chubbier by the decade. They are on average more than 2 inches taller and 6.5 pounds heavier than they were 30 years ago. Many Chinese blame the problem on the influx of Western fast-food chains – you can’t walk a block in a major city like Beijing or Shanghai without spotting a McDonald’s, KFC or Pizza Hut.
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So if they are called Little Emperors and they are still thinner than the kids here, what should we call the kids here, Chunky Chubbies? In 15 yrs, heart disease will be China's #1 problem.

Most Perilous Jobs

2007-05-31T21:54:00.000-04:00

From this article: The Most Life-Threatening Jobs

1. Fishers and related fishing workers
Fatality rate/100,000 workers: 118.4 - Avg salary: $29,000/yr

2. Logging workers: Fatal rate 92.9 - Avg salary: $31,290

3. Aircraft pilots and flight engineers: Fatal rate 66.9 - Avg salary: $135,040

4. Structural iron and steel workers: Fatal rate 55.6 - Avg salary: $43,540

5. Refuse and recyclable material collectors: Fatal rate 43.8 - Avg salary: $30,160
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Seems like the only one that is worth the risk is item 3, hi risks for hi rewards cuz if you die, you'll go down in flames and make the news. The worst is item 5, lo risk and lo pay, then if you die, no one knows since you're in the compactor @ the land fill!

It's not how much you make

2007-05-23T20:42:00.000-04:00

From this article:
HSBC found that 49% of respondents with at least $250,000 in income aren't saving more because they simply "want some spending money." In 28% of the cases for those who earn between $100,000 and $250,000, respondents say they do not save more because "something unforeseen always comes up." And in nearly one in 10 situations, people who earn $250,000 or more say they aren't even earning "enough to make ends meet as it is."

There's one saying that says, "He who dies with the most toys wins". This is, of course, FOOLISH as Scriptures warn us that "What does it profit for a man to gain the world and yet forfeit his soul?" So the Jacqs, the Tiffany's, the big house, and whatever unnecessary fancies we buy will burn away one day.

I was at a friend's house over Easter and I asked him if he was going to buy a boat since his backyard is on the lake. He said he and his wife decided to forgo the boat so that they can have another kid, #4 that is. Ah, treasure that will make a mark on this earth and make a diff.

Free Paris!

2007-05-10T19:22:00.000-04:00

From this article and other sources:
Looks like there's a petition going round in Cali w/ 10,000 signatures asking Gov Arnold to free Paris. You can see two teenagers protesting here in NYC to free Paris. I'm glad they have the freedom to show us they have a negative IQ. At the same time though, if the next gen is like this then the US is up the creek. Thankfully, we have kids like Palm Boy, Rabenstranger, and the gang from Ambassadors for Christ that will keep us intact.

Activists want chimp declared a 'person'

2007-05-05T06:27:00.000-04:00

From this article:
In a case that could set a global legal precedent for granting basic rights to apes, animal rights advocates are seeking to get the 26-year-old male chimpanzee legally declared a "person." Our main argument is that Hiasl is a person and has basic legal rights," said a Vienna animal rights group.
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You know we live in an insane world when something like this happens and at the same time there are millions of babies in wombs that are being aborted every year legally. Since this is in Vienna, I'm sure they have more liberal laws in abortion and other things. Therefore, I would say if the animal is suffering as the group claims, then it should be put to death under the right to die law.

A stay-at-home mom: $138,095

2007-05-03T22:01:00.000-04:00

According to this article:
That's the figure in a report by Salary.com, which calculates the wages that would have been paid a stay-at-home mom in 2007 if she were compensated for all the elements of her "job." That total is up 3% from 2006's salary of $134,121.

Mom works multiple jobs and rarely gets a break from the action, working an average of 52 hours of overtime...According to the Salary.com survey, stay-at-home moms work a 92-hour week, with more than half the workweek spent in overtime.

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Wow! I'm definitely going to look for a stay-at-home mom to be.

Mexico City vote to legalize abortion

2007-04-24T23:17:00.000-04:00

From this article

MEXICO CITY - Mexico City lawmakers voted to legalize abortion Tuesday...The proposal, approved 46-19, with one abstention, will take effect with the expected signing by the city's leftist mayor.

"Decriminalizing abortion is a historic triumph, a triumph of the left," said city legislator Jorge Diaz Cuervo, a leftist social democrat who voted for the bill. "Today, there is a new atmosphere in this city. It is the atmosphere of freedom."

Jorge Diaz Cuervo is right, there is the freedom, freedom to sin further more and away from God. Can anyone expect one who doesn't know God to care about His laws? At the same time, all of us will answer to God one day.

Are you touchy feely?

2007-04-21T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a really great sermon from Richard Pratt if you are up for the challenge. In other words, it's not touchy feely like your mainstream preachers nowadays. Go here and click on the link, Heaven is Not Our Home.

No More Beer!

2007-04-18T00:36:00.000-04:00

Click on the image to enlarge if you can't read the print.

Playing is Safe

2007-04-16T20:48:00.000-04:00

So Dr. Richard Pratt preached at our church this past Sun and every time he preaches, you can hear a pin drop in the sanctuary. I really like him because he does not back down from telling the truth, along w/ John Piper, who are the top two speakers I admire most.

Anyway, Pratt said that Christians can no longer "play it safe". What he means is we cannot keep our Christianity to ourselves and our children and live private Christian lives. We think that this is good by protecting them but in reality while we seclude ourselves from the bad and terrible world, the world is being conquered by Muslims who really think that they can physically take over the earth for Muhammed. Examples are that mosques are going up everywhere in the US, six in Birmingham, AL, and a 40,000 seating mosque is being built in Houston, TX. So if we continue to play it safe, we are risking the future. We need to take risks and venture into this dangerous world so that we can give them hope. The life that the avg evangelical lives is a life about me, me, me. Of course, I was convicted. It is not I that live but Christ who lives in me.

What's A Christian by Anderson Cooper

2007-04-03T23:34:00.000-04:00

If you get a chance, watch AC's show this Wed 10PM on CNN. I'd be interested to see what the media's perception is.

As science advances, religion pushes back. Is faith tested? And can prayer trump medicine and heal the sick? "360°" investigates "What is a Christian?" A two-part special starting Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Suspicious behaved Immans sued airline & passenger

2007-03-30T23:56:00.000-04:00

From this article:
MINNEAPOLIS - Six Muslim men removed from a plane last fall after being accused of suspicious behavior are suing the airline and threatening to sue the passengers who complained — a move some fear could discourage travelers from speaking up when they see something unusual.

Other passengers had gotten nervous when the men were seen praying and chanting in Arabic as they waited to board. Some passengers also said that the men spoke of Saddam Hussein and cursed the United States; that they requested seat belt extenders with heavy buckles and stowed them under their seats; that they were moving about and conferring with each other during boarding; and that they sat separately in seats scattered through the cabin.

So first they attacked us back in the World Trade Center, now they are attacking us in the courts. Next thing we'll know is we'll be outnumbered. Our hope is to outnumbered them either w/ conversions or pro-creation.

Christian Children - Part 2

2007-03-26T19:44:00.000-04:00

This is a cont from the prev post:

I was at the Fusion Conf and heard Voddie Baucham spoke on this topic. He said that we as Americans and Christians, do not think of things that are past our lifetime. While the death rate is about 2 person per whatever since I don't recall, the birth rate in the U.S. is about 1.8. At the same time the birth rate in France & Germany is around 1.4. Then in Finland or Sweden, it's about 1.1. So by those estimates, these cultures are dying.

Now, the birth rate among Muslims is 4 to 6 so lets put it at 5. What happens to these cultures in the next gen or the one after that? It is estimated that Muslims will make up the majority in both France & Germany by the year 2040.

So if Christians continue to have 1.8 kids like the avg of Americans, then we will be outnumbered by those of have more kids like the Muslims. Voddie like Paul, anticipated the question of evangelism, by saying that the statistic for successful conversion is 41 to 1. This means it takes 41 Christians to successfully convert one non-believer. The conclusion is the best way to have a positive impact on this earth is to have as many kids as possible. Of course, in my previous post, all evangels will agree but it's putting it in practice is something else.

Last, when was the last time you heard any pastor speak on this topic? I haven't until I went to this conference or read materials on my own. It's interesting that Gino mentioned that your blue collar worker should have 4 and I've noticed that they do while the white collar folks have about 2. The blues live on meager means while the whites have BMWs, boats, & exotic vacations. As the scriptures say, where your treasures are is where your heart is.

How Many Children Should Christians Have?

2007-03-20T23:07:00.000-04:00

Every believer will give you the Sunday School answer and that is "as many as possible" but when it comes to putting this in practice, many will cop out and say they can only have one or two because they cannot afford to have more financially. I'd argue that this is legit in only a very few cases given that most evangelical churches are middle to upper middle class.

The biggest problem is the sin of materialism. Unbelievers see kids as obstacles to their happiness while your avg evangelical sees the option of having kids but not the necessity of them. This is truly unbiblibical! Of course, the exceptions are those couples that are not able to have kids biologically but even then they can adopt kids. So instead of answering "as many as possible" because you will get all sorts of answers like 1 or 2 because of blah blah blah(excuses for satisfying self wants rather than needs) I'd say the answer should be a min of 3 kids. I'll give my reasons for this in my next post. What say you, eh?

Before you get mad at me if you come from a family of less than 3, I'm way behind the 8 ball myself since I'm not married and need to be. Therefore, I'm chief among this category as well.

Baptist leader sparks furor with article on gays

2007-03-14T20:49:00.000-04:00

From this article:
NEW YORK - The president of the leading Southern Baptist seminary has incurred sharp attacks from both the left and right by suggesting that a biological basis for homosexuality may be proven, and that prenatal treatment to reverse gay orientation would be biblically justified.

The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., one of the country's pre-eminent evangelical leaders, acknowledged that he irked many fellow conservatives with an article earlier this month saying scientific research "points to some level of biological causation" for homosexuality.
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1. We need to stand up to those who cheapen the Gospel by calling good evil and evil good, in this case sin not a sin.

2. Given that premise that one's born w/ homosexual tendencies, that does not make it right. For example, children, as innocent as they may be, naturally sin. Therefore is it ok for them to continue to misbehave?

3. Should we expect the world to like us for preaching the truth? If so then we're reading a different Bible. As Paul says, let him be anathema for preaching a diff gospel! So preachers who only preach prosperity and not justice, sin, nor longsuffering, be careful for all will answer to God one day.

Evolution of Dance

2007-03-08T20:06:00.001-05:00

6 min of some funny stuff

Being Comfortable

2007-03-05T22:23:00.000-05:00

The "American Dream" at least what it means today is to live comfortably so that by the time of retirement, we can sit around, relax, & enjoy the final years of our life. This is all really nice and all but what does Paul mean when he said I've fought the good fight?

Our culture tells us that we are successful when we have everything and therefore little if no struggles. Unfortunately, even preachers teach the same topics that if you're a believer then God will reward you w/ prosperity. The dilemma is what does Jesus say about the wide and narrow road? Fighting the good fight means going thru tough times and persevering through them and yet remaining faithful to God.

I'm not promoting that we go to the opposite extreme to live like the homeless but if we are comfortable over a period of time, then are we really fighting anything for the kingdom of God?

How much is enough?

2007-02-26T18:40:00.000-05:00

Sorry as I've been up the creek, not in a bad way but a busy way. I've been thinking about this as of late and that is how much possession is enough?

So a good bud of mine, Collin, is back from overseas mission field temp and he and I along with a good friend Pete went to the beach for the wknd. Anyway, we took time out to pray one night and the request from Pete who lives here was that he was convicted by the Spirit of his spending on himself. I echoed the same because I can easily go to my closet and find things that I don't remember I have. After our two requests, our missionary friend said he can spend less on himself as well. Then the both Pete & I looked at each other and felt even more convicted for our missionary friend lives on very little.

If we have so much, do we become independent of God? Instead of a vacation home that is used several times a year, would that $$$ be better used given to a ministry? Instead of buying another pair of shoes that I don't need or Starbucks coffee daily, could I donate that money to my church or world missions? On judgement day, do we tell God to look at how much money we spent on worthless possessions?

Coming Feb 23rd!

2007-02-15T23:10:00.001-05:00

I can't wait to see this muv! Wilberforce fought 18 yrs in the Brit Parlmt to abolish slavery and finally succeeded. John Newton was also a good friend of his. Chris Tomlin sang the theme song.

What is Life?

2007-02-14T21:52:00.000-05:00

In light of the news of my friend, Greg, about getting inoperable cancer of his organs, I'm reminded that all of us have a limited time here. The question that I've been asking myself is do I live a life that imitates Christ or do I live a life that's for me with Christ in the background? To put it another way, if Christ was to come back next week, would I be glad to see him or would I be ashamed?

Or if I was told by some doctors that I only have such and such time left, would I do anything different? Would I continue to work long hours, not give more $$$ or time to ministries, spend money on materialistic things that I don't need, wasting time watching TV aimlessly?

Your tumor is inoperable

2007-02-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

... the cancer has spread, get your affairs in order.
This was what an older friend of mine was told last week. Please pray for him. You can see the latest updates on his blog

Feb in FL

2007-02-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's Feb in the Central FL area and it's 60-80 degrees. I wish it could be a bit colder but I take this any day over weather like upstate NY where more than 70 inches of snow came.

From this article: Since Sunday, the small towns of Parish and Mexico have recorded more than 6 feet of snow, and forecasters with the National Weather Service say it isn’t over yet.

Can you say BRRRRRR?

Tony Dungy - A Great Example

2007-02-05T23:32:00.000-05:00

As I watched ESPN for post game analysis, all the analysts have great things to say about Dungy. One even emphasized that Dungy's faith has kept him through. He said it's because Dungy has faith in God and he passed it to his team and players. Then I was reading a foxsports.com article and another analyst said similar thing, that Dungy is a full blown Christian...

So congrats to Tony Dungy not only for winning the Super Bowl, but for being a good example like not losing your cool when things don't go well, being humble and showing humility like saying there are many black coaches that opened the door for you today and that those coaches could have made it too if they were given the opportunity. This is indeed a good witness as a follower of Jesus Christ.
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The question that we must ask ourselves is do we act like Christians most of the time?

Odds & Ends

2007-02-01T22:07:00.000-05:00

1. Lost in translation: The bishop was telling me Sun that he was invited to dine w/ the Queen of England and when he was full he said, "I'm all fed up."

2. The idiot box: I managed not to watch TV for an entire week last week. This has not happened since I don't know when. Did watch a little when with friends Sun tho.

3. Time management: people use this all the time like I need to manage time better. My mentor said it's really 'Self Management'. When you manage yourself, then you will find the time to do all the things you want in a timely manner. This is the reason why #2 happened cuz I was managing myself.

Lunch w/ the Bishop

2007-01-28T19:57:00.000-05:00

I was extremely priviledged to be invited to have lunch w/ a bishop from Uganda this Sun. He started a church 20 yrs ago w/ 3 people and for 3 yrs it did not grow by one person. Now, he's a bishop that overseas 300 churches of 80,000 people. Anyway, I learned so much from listening to him. Several things he said that struck me were:

1. Do we promote evil more that good?
2. We are living in a clash of civilization, Muslims against Christianity.
-----------
On 1, it seems like it when I walked into Blockbuster the other night and saw movies like Saw III and the likes where death and savage killings are promoted for entertainment not to mention many that promote infedility.

On 2, he has heard & seen Islamic fighters butchered civilians because they were Christians. In addition, these savage killers chop off people's arms, noses, legs because they would not join them in their jihad. They did not kill them because they want these people to serve as a warning toothers.

He was asked about his thoughts on the Iraq war and his response is that Muslims are spreading and if we don't stop them there, they will come to us here. He has seen Islamic carrying out their bombings in his country. This, he said, is indeed the biggest clash of civilization we have seen.

Last, one person mentioned that even if 1% of Muslims are radicals, that still means 14 million radicals who will do anything to destroy and kill civilians.

On the good news though, he said God is raising up churches in Uganda, AIDS has dropped significantly due to education of abstinence, and US aid on terror has contained radical Islamists there.

Wise & Wisest

2007-01-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

Good quote I found:
The wise learn from their mistakes while the wisest learn from the mistakes of others.

But the fool keeps making the same mistakes:o(

A Sucker for Bargains

2007-01-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

I've made it a rule not to buy things @ retail as much as possible and since my new job, across from the mall, I've been able to buy things not only on sale but @ 75% off! So a pair of nice pants and dress shirts for $10-$15. Anyway, I was having breakfast w/ a good friend and he told me the local seminary bookstore is having a sale of 30%-75% off. I made my way down there and below are the books I bought:

Georges Rouault's This Anguished World of Shadows

When God Comes to Church
Hope in the Midst of a Hostile World
Congregations at the Crossroads
Beyond Family Values

Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms

Neither Poverty nor Riches
God's Unfaithful Wife
Salvation to the Ends of the Earth

Commentary on Jeremiah & Lamentations
Commentary on Ezekiel

An Email of Sort

2007-01-16T22:09:00.000-05:00

So my bro sent me an email and here is the logist of it:
Hey, our cousin that lives in Australia sent us an invite to attend the wedding there...I'll be going to the wedding in Aug.

My reply:
Ha! Who the heck do you think I am that I can just decide at a moments notice to fly half way around the world for a wedding? There are many people like me who have not been to five continents for work and rack up those frequent miles.

Some people just have the nerve to rub it in, don't they:o)

Shirt Fold

2007-01-13T14:27:00.001-05:00

Check this out!

Improved way to take off your pants

2007-01-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all, I've discovered a new technique that will make you more efficient. This was inspired by Neemund's 10 Funny Lines post.

So the next time you take off your pants and socks after you come home from work or church, count how many motions it takes for you to take them off.

Normal person:
1. Unbutton the trouser button of course unless u r a toothpick
2. Unzip the fly
3. Pull down the pants
4. Set your bottom on a chair
5. Remove one leg from pants
6. Remove the second leg from pants
7. Remove sock from one foot
8. Remove sock from the other foot

My new and improved technique:
Steps 1 & 2 from above
3. Use one foot(say left) and step on the bottom pant on the other leg AND sock at the same time and remove left leg out.
4. Repeat step 3 with opposite leg.

This will save you 30 seconds off your busy schedule and allow your saved energy to be spent on something more useful.
** Warning: Please do not attempt this if you do not have a good balance

It's just not Britney, Paris, or Lindsay

2007-01-09T20:22:00.000-05:00

But it's Donald, Rosie, & Barbara. From this article
Trump Widens War With Rosie O'Donnell & calls Barbara Walters a liar...O'Donnell angrily confronted Walters backstage at "The View" on Monday. She called Walters a liar, too, adding an expletive, the newspaper said. O'Donnell was reportedly angry that Walters didn't call Trump a liar.

Uhm, don't these affluent people have anything better to do than act like children?

Gino, I'm pretty upset that you didn't call KD a liar.
Hammer, I'm mad since Michigan is Nat'l Champs.
PB, I'm disturbed that Kerry won the election.
Raben, I'm perplexed that you are living in China.
BikeBubba, I'm confused that you hate arts.

Oh, wait, never mind, I was caught up in a celebrity moment. My bad, my bad.

Reflection of 2006

2007-01-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

So how would you sum up 2006 in your life?

I'll start. I found the job that I was looking for, taught myself how to say no to things w/o feeling guilty, and added a couple more closer relationships w/ people. I have found that quality is better than quantity. In other words, being the best at a few things is better than being good in many be it friendships, hobbies, ministries, or whatever.

While he was speaking

2007-01-04T22:34:00.000-05:00

Gen 8-11 Vs that stood out - Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.

Job 1:13-18 Put yourself in his shoes and then one day a servant came and told him his other servants been killed and while he was speaking another came and more bad news. This happened 4 times simultaneously. What would go through your mind if this happens to you?

As if it's the 1st

2007-01-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

So I'm making an attempt to read the Bible as if it was my first read meaning no commentaries and forgetting the books that come after. In an essence, trying to put myself in the feet of those living at the time. Therefore, here's what I found. Try reading it and see if you come to the same conclusion and answer my questions if you can. Remember, put yourself back in those days:o)

Gen 4-6
1. Why did God prefer animal offerings than plants?
2. Lamech was the 5th gen of Cain and 1st note of having more than one wife, he was also more wicked than Cain, then great wickedness on earth...sin perpetuates and multiplies.
3. Eve had a third son, Seth, and that line came Enoch. Enoch walked w/ God and God took him away. What was the reason?
4. First mention of 40 in ...For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth. Yeah, yeah, this was w/ hindsight of 40 days in the wilderness. It's not easy I tell ya:o)

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T01:43:00.000-05:00

Hey, wishing everybody a happy new year! So what are some of your new year resolutions that you think you will achieve tis yr? One of mine is to lose weight and make my torso bigger, just kiddin:o)
-----------------------------------------
So I've decided to read thru the Bible in one year for 07 except that it will be in chronological order (yes, there will be books where dates are unknown for those of a theological mind) Check out this site!
Jan 1 (Gen 1-3)

Urbana

2006-12-26T19:17:00.000-05:00

So a local missionary, Saul Cruz, in Mexico that our church has been supporting for the last 20 yrs will be one of the main speakers @ Urbana this week. A couple families from our church are going to assist him w/ booth setup and all. In addition, Rick Warren is another main speaker plus I heard there will be over 25,000 people there, mostly college students. This is one of those times that it'd be nice to be a college student again, few luggage, little responsbility, and go wherever even if it means overseas to serve God. Please pray for Urbana this week if you get a chance. Thanks!

Oh, and for the first time in a long while, no one has commented on my last post. Guess my regular contributors ate so much turkey that their fingers have become so fat to type:o)

Merry Christmas To All

2006-12-23T12:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I've done the 1st half of my Xmas shopping online a couple wks back. I woke up and hit the stores @ 830AM Sat and got them all done by 1230PM. I prefer the Asian method better and that is you put cash in little red square envelopes and give them out on New Year's Day. This makes thinking of who likes what and from them exchange gifts back for whatever reasons. Needless to say, I'm happy I'm all done and so
Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night!

Something Odd

2006-12-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

I was at a Xmas party and struck up a conversation w/ this really pretty gal. Anyway, by the end of the six hour party, I went for the gusto and asked her to marry me, mind you that I've never met her before. Then my friend overheard me and pulled me aside immediately telling me I'm crazy. Fortunately, that was only a dream I had the other night. I guess in the midst of 5 Xmas parties and 2 friends recently getting engaged, those events fostered my dream. It's a good thing I don't think that was a vision from God:o)

The Fruit

2006-12-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23)

I was reading this psg and noticed it says the fruit in the singular. So if you have peace but are proud, is that having the spirit? Tim Keller points out that if that's the case, then you have peace cuz you're proud of your accomplishments and therefore not real peace since your peace is dependent on accomplishments. Ouch, seems like I need to work on a few things myself.

For more from Tim Keller go to
Redeemer.com and this sermon is How to Change.

Compassionate Conservatism

2006-12-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

I was listening to NPR on the way home today, yes NPR's more on the liberal side, and was surprised to hear this story. It interviewed a professor from Syracuse U about giving and the conclusion was that Americans are the most generous in giving to charity. Then he went on to say that it's not the people who say they are giving and this group tend to be the liberals but those who are conservatives. He pointed that it has to do w/ their religious beliefs. A second point was that it's not the rich but the working poor who tend to give the most when it comes to ratio of giving to income.

An exerpt from this aritcle:
"For too long, liberals have been claiming they are the most virtuous members of American society. Although they usually give less to charity, they have nevertheless lambasted conservatives for their callousness in the face of social injustice."
-----------------------------------
Conclusion:
1) Liberals will give lip service to get elected then freely spend your money.
2) Conservatives who are religious believe in something higher and have a responsibility to help others.
3) NPR can tell the truth at times.

Outrageous?

2006-12-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

From this msnbc article:
SALT LAKE CITY - The chief law enforcer in two Utah-Arizona border towns is accused of misconduct after writing a letter pledging love and allegiance to the leader of a polygamous sect, who was on the FBI's most wanted list at the time...."I love you and ... know that you have the right to rule in all aspects of my life," Fred Barlow wrote in the October 2005 letter to Warren Jeffs.

This is one of the most perverse stories I've heard of, except for the one where a man made love to a dead animal. With the way things are going like legalizing gay marriages, i dunno why there's a law against polygamy, then this story just sums it all up, do whatever the hell you want and say whatever you want cuz this is a free country. Then I'm reminded of Sodom & Gomorrah where God's patience won't last forever.

Ecoli, Cali, & Taco Bell

2006-12-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

From this article http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16089596/:
The scallions suspected in the E. coli outbreak linked to Taco Bell came from a Southern California grower, an official with the company that washed, chopped and packed them for the restaurant chain said Thursday.

First there was the spinach from CA and now this. A friend of mine who was a manager there said the grade level for the meat was 2 levels below that in dog food. I think I'd rather starve in this case.

Second, if I was Pat Robertson, I'd say to my viewers that God is punishing Cali for the liberal state that it is w/ this. Of course, I'm not so I wouldn't. Now, now, before you think I'm bashing Pat, I want to be honest and show that we can point at our own mistakes as well.

Ladies & Gentlemen, the Duggars!

2006-12-05T23:50:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about what BikeBubba said in the second to the last post and I found one family that fits BB's comments. Yes, the Duggars have 16 biological children in their Covenantal fam! So if every single Christian family does this, then the earth will indeed be filled with good.

My question is why aren't more doing so than just having the avg 2.5 kids? Maybe it's cuz they have a vacation home, a boat, a 5k sq ft house...

Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

At What Price?

2006-12-04T22:31:00.000-05:00

Please go and see Jamie's blog http://jamiehart.typepad.com/jamie What do you think? Dec 1 post on Rick Warren inviting Obama to speak at his 22,000 congregational church on his second annual conference for AIDS. For an extremely short written summary, Warren invited Barrak Obama to speak on AIDS to his church. Warren defends this by saying that Jesus loved and accepted everyone w/o approving of everything they did. Barrak is a Dem Senator who basically supports the normal Dem agenda.

Do you side w/ Warren on giving Obama the pulpit? At what lengths should we go to reach out to others? How much can we overlook?

Comment here tho so I'd get more hits:o)

A Christmas Story

2006-12-03T16:39:00.000-05:00

Today @ church an announcement was made of a couple finally arriving home from Africa as they adopted a baby girl. This is a young couple in their mid 20's and it's not like they can't have kids either. In fact, I remember talking to them a year ago and they said before they have any kids of their own, they would like to adopt first. The couple's white as can be and the baby is from Ethiopia. What a way to show God's mercy and grace! Adopting someone totally unlike them as their own. It's stories like this that further reminds me of what Christmas is all about, the story of Jesus. Thanks be to God!

Christmas' upon Us & a Sissy Boy!

2006-11-30T19:53:00.000-05:00

Is it me or does it seem like Christmas got a big head start this yr? I mean Christmas displays were out the day after Halloween. I actually bought my Xmas cards 3 wks ago when they were on sale and radio stations are playing Xmas music. Alot of lights are up in my hood and I have received 2 cards and one gift already! In light of all this, I'm gonna make my New Year resolution starting Dec 1st, yes, I've decided to get a head start for next year. Anyone wanna join me?

In other news:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A boy who wanted to compete on his high school's girls' gymnastics team cannot sue for gender discrimination, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
---------
What in the heck was the parents of this boy thinking when they tried to sue? They have practically ruined this boy's manhood. In case there's a female audience here, men are not better than women and vice versa but we are created to be different for good reasons. Therefore, men should not try to be women nor the other way around. As for this high school "boy", uhm words like sissy, wimp, coward, weakling come to mind. Such is the result of emasculation of men in our society.

Logic Anyone?

2006-11-28T21:53:00.000-05:00

So from The Far Wright's blog, Jesse Jackson is going to meet w/ network execs to get them to boycott Seinfeld due to "Kramer's" latest fiasco.

1. It's not ok for a white guy to make racist remarks and it should never be yet when black politicians call white people offensive names or make ludicrous comments, they call people who challenge them racists.

2. The liberals generally do not believe in capital punishment as it's cruel yet abortion of millions of babies each year is a woman's right.

3. The peace activists say that we should step in and help third world countries where AIDs and genocides occur yet they are the same ones that say we should pull out from Iraq as our servicemen are being killed.

4. "They" claim that they are open to all behaviors and religions like homosexuality, transgender lifestyle, mother earth, etc. yet they do not tolerate Christianity at all whatsoever.

The only logic that I can think of is we should do all these "good" ideals but not when they costs us something. Unfortunately, what people do not realize is anything that's not paid up front will end up costing later.

1st tis Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

So here are the first that I've encountered this Thanksgiving:
1. Went and ate all u can eat sushi w/ my fam, holy cow, that was awesome! With any all u can eat places, they end up losing $$$ on me.

2. Watched Titanic on TBS. Was not as mushy as I thought but my heart will go on and on...

3. My brudder asked if I've gained weight as in his exact words, "You look better w/ a rounder face". I ignored him until I came home and my neighbor 3 houses down said that I look bigger. Ok, it's time for a routine regiment excercise. Yes, I'm a fatso, chubby baby, etc but how is that possible when I'm 5' & 7 3/4" @ 146.75 lbs?

Thanksgiving

2006-11-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

With thanksgiving coming up and leaving town to spend w/ family, I'd like to thank my regular contributors. They are:
BikeBubba for his wise and challenging thoughts
PalmBoy for keeping up w/ current events & defending conservatism
Hammerswing75 for keeping things real
Rabenstranger for sharing experience about living in Japan
TokyoJosh for showing vids of Japan when he feels like it & leaving things hanging like to be continued
TheFarWright/KingDavid for funny stories w/ a point, is that call a comedyrable?
SuchIsLife/Gino good posts yet sarcastic comments on my blog but overall an ok kinda guy
TBqelite for very intersting stories like WaffleMouse
Ethereal Madness/Neemund for more sarcastic than Gino
NaturesMostPerfectFood/Markfor putting food on Steve Jobs' table

Mike & Steph for being the coolest couple I've met yet despite the fact that he must approve comments before they are posted, communist!
Jamie the most well read guy I know
~~Ethan the second coolest couple I know~~. This is crossed out as Ethan has never posted here. I dunno why I linked him up on the right.
Michael for well he's kinda disappeared from the face of the earth
Sharpie for beating me up in poker every single freakin @$#@%*%#!% time so I can learn humility

Have a happy turkey or duck or chicken or whatever MN sotians eat day!

Blizzard Hits FL

2006-11-20T19:19:00.000-05:00

Well, not really but you would think so by the way people were dressed today. I dressed as normal, long sleeve cotton shirt and pants but had to run back in the house and grabbed a light sleeveless sweater. When I got to work I saw:
1. A co-worker inside w/ a turtle neck sweater under a suit jacket
2. A lady in a trench coat
3. A man w/ beanie and thick sweater
4. Drum roll please...
a co-worker walking in w/ a heavy leather trenchcoat over a jean jacket which was over the medium wool turtleneck sweater along w/ a scarf. No, I am not exaggerating...and the temp was 47 F at the time.
----------------------------
On another note, Beta Blogger is getting on my nerve. Not only do I have to sign in twice, 1st under my old blogger acct, then 2nd w/ my gmail acct. In addition, sometime everything is displayed in Chinese for no apparant reason which is why I accidentally deleted my previous post so sorry to Bike Bubba & Gino.

Dreams

2006-11-15T22:19:00.000-05:00

Do you have dreams and what are they? Name top 2. I do not mean the dreams while sleeping but dreams like becoming a biz owner, going into a certain profession, going overseas for travel or missions, or finding a girlfriend/wife if you're a guy cuz this blog does not tolerate unrepentant deviant behaviors, etc.

Great Wall

2006-11-12T16:08:00.000-05:00

So my bro has travelled to all continents except for Anarctica & Africa working for Gates & co. Anyway, he's in China for a month and sent me a few pics of his excursion from this past wknd. I have to admit I'm somewhat envious of him. He did say that Gates is hiring in Redmond tho, humnn, very tempting.

1.25 mill abortions/yr

2006-11-08T23:35:00.000-05:00

According to this msnbc article, there are 1.25 million abortions performed annually in the U.S. This is PER YEAR! My question is how is it that we as a nation are concerned about saving lives in Africa due to AIDS and hunger yet we willingly choose to destroy our own? I mean if we hear that 1.25 million of children are being slaughtered annually in the Congo/Zaire, all of us would be outraged. May God have mercy on us.

Dems Take Congress

2006-11-08T22:26:00.000-05:00

So the Senate goes to the Dems as well. They have done a great job toning down their ultra left wing liberal ideas lately and voters have bought into the idea that they are not that bad. Well, we'll get to see their true color in the next couple years, gun banning, heavy taxation, bigger govt, 3rd term abortions, all out funding for stem cell research thanks to Michael J Fox little TV stunt, and so on. Nancy Pelosi will be the head of the House and she's from San Francisco. Hold on to your seats, those of you voters who were greatly deceived.

Greatest Inventions

2006-11-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

1. Mankind - definitely the wheel. Imagine a world w/o it. Yikes!
2. Children - diapers. We're different from other species.
3. Older folks - dentures. Enjoying steaks than oatmeals.
4. Men - zipper. Makes things so much easier.

And last, drum roll please...Women - mirror. They'd go insane w/o it:o)

Withholding Good

2006-10-30T20:15:00.000-05:00

Prov 3:26-28
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor,
"Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow",
when you now have it with you.

How can you apply this and who is your neighbor?
Can the poor be included here? Do they deserve good (justice & mercy)?

Cardinals Win World Series

2006-10-28T12:38:00.000-04:00

So the Cards are the world champs by beating the Tigers 3 games to 1. I was hoping for a better competition which leads to my question and that is is the NL better than the AL? After all, the NLCS went to game 7 but the Tigers won their last 7th straight games to reach the World Series yet they only won one game this time around. U tell me.

Too Many Email Accts

2006-10-25T23:25:00.000-04:00

Just curious, how many email accounts do you have?

As for me, I've forgotten a couple but I now can count 4 hotmails, 1 work, 1 gmail, 1 yahoo, 1 cable modem, and I think that's about it.

3 Words on CompUSA

2006-10-25T00:22:00.000-04:00

1. Sucks
2. Incompetence
3. Rip-Off-Warranty

One would think that going to a store that strictly specializes in computers would know more about this field than say a Best Buy or Circuit City where they sell other electronics. Such is NOT the case. In fact, I intentionally asked a question to test their knowledge and the sales guy gave me an emphatic INCORRECT answer even after I challenged him. It's one thing to not say anything or to say something but take it back but another to stand behind a wrong answer, kinda like left wing liberals.

The other thing was that I felt like I was in a meat market cuz as soon as that guy walked away, a sales gal came around. At least I have some semblance of what a girl feels like when guys act like vulchers circling her. I asked about their extended warranty and was quoted $469 for 3 year. I said that's $100 higher than BestBuy but she said BestBuy is not as good, blah blah blah. After she gave her spill, it's the same as BestBuy's.

Moral of the story is do your research before going to CompUSA, buy it there if they have the best price but don't expect support or expertise.

Cap for the Week

2006-10-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

1. I've been staying up way late the last week watching the NLCS only to see the Cards hit a 2 run homer to beat the Mets @ the top of the 9th in game 7th. Argghhh! Can't wait to see the Tigers humiliate the Cards.

2. I was on my way to get lunch at the mall and took a glance at this nail place only to find that a beautician was cleaning someone's FOOT! The sight was disgusting that I lost my appetite. Come on people, manicure is fine but pedicure should be done behind CLOSED doors!

3. I am in the market for a new laptop and was thinking about getting a Mac only to discover that they cost about 75% more than a PC.

4. A friend was speaking to a group last night and asked me to help since he has written a book about the topic. On the way there I asked if I need to get $5's for change and he said not to worry since he sold 1 the last time. Well, I guess it was my charm or my subtle salesmanship that I ended up selling 9 books. Thank you, thank you, please hold your applause:o)

Seduction of Christians

2006-10-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

Excerpts from this article:

David Kuo was a rising star among social conservatives: he wrote speeches for Ralph Reed, served as a policy adviser to John Ashcroft and counted Bill Bennett as his mentor. He joined the Bush campaign in 1998 and rose to become second in command at the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. But he quickly grew disillusioned with the Bush White House for what he saw as its political manipulation of Christian groups—and the failure to fund a policy that the president portrays as his personal priority.

Are Christian leaders being naïve in their dealings with the White House or do they understand the nature of the exchange?
It’s a little bit of both. In some ways White House power is like [J.R.R.] Tolkien’s ring of power. When you put it on, it feels good and it’s dazzling. But after a while it begins to consume you in ways you don’t realize. That’s the nature of White House power. I have no doubt that Christian political leaders have gotten involved for all the right reasons. I just think over time it becomes harder and harder to stand up against that ring of power and the White House, to say no and walk away.

On why the Pres didn't deliver on his faith based agenda:
George W. Bush is a really good, caring person—a caring, compassionate man. He’s unbelievably empathetic for the people around him who are hurting. But President Bush is the head of the GOP. He’s leader of the government. He’s either the perpetrator or the victim of the modern presidency. He’s a politician and politicians make strategic decisions. In that context, our work wasn’t a political priority.
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Thoughts? I have mine but as a gentleman, you go first:o)

Mets beat Cards 2 to 0, Cat Cloning Shuts Door.

2006-10-12T23:23:00.000-04:00

Beltran hit a 2 run homer at bottom of 6. Mets win game 1. Now I can go to bed.

In other news, Genetic Savings & Clone, a biotechnology company that sold cloned pets, sent letters to its customers last month informing them it will close at the end of the year because of little demand for cloned cats. The company had recently reduced the price from $50,000 to $32,000 ( source)
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What idiot started this company in the first place? Why would anyone pay more than $100 for a cat?

A's & Tigers and Cardinals & Mets

2006-10-10T19:01:00.000-04:00

So the ALCS starts tonight and the NLCS tomorrow. Who do you think will win each series? I'll take the Tigers and the Mets w/ the Mets in the end, though I think the Tigers have an edge over the Mets.

As for those damn Yankees, they have fallen to the bottomless pit and everyone's smiling. Actually, I do like a few of the players like Jeter, A-Rod, Sheffield, & Mussina. It's just that if they are the highest spender year after year, they should win every year. The moral of the Yanks is money can't buy happiness and Steinbrenner hasn't been happy for the past several years but the rest of us are:o)

Amazing Race

2006-10-09T19:10:00.000-04:00

There are not many shows that I watch on TV but the ones I do watch when I have spare time are 24, CSI, and the Amazing Race. I'm glad that the two gay guys were eliminated from this past episode. I can't stand them because one whines like a every minute. My friends todler don't even whine that much. If they row the boat instead of one getting into the water and towing the boat w/ the other guy sitting in it, they may have done better. This is what I call stupidity. It's like let see if I can walk faster than riding a bicycle.

The other guy that I dislike is Peter whose partner is Sarah. Peter being the guy that tells Sarah she's the right one to climb up the mountain using her arms and legs while he's the more athletic type and would have done better. Sarah is the petite gal w/ only one leg. Sarah deserves to stay in but Peter is a manipulator. Hope she realizes he's nothing but a low life jerk.

Moral of the episode is
1) use equipment invented rather than your emotions and not your brains
2) don't let your lover manipulate you no matter what
3) don't whine if you are in a touch contest as whinner NEVER EVER wins!

Tigers Beat Yankees!

2006-10-07T19:45:00.000-04:00

So the Detroit Tigers just beat the Yankees tonight 3 games to 1. It was great pitching by Ponderman. Now, let's see if the Mets can advance by beating the Dodgers.

Should Teachers Carry Firearms?

2006-10-05T20:12:00.000-04:00

See exerpts from this article:

MADISON, Wis. - In the wake of school shootings in Wisconsin, Colorado and Pennsylvania during the last two weeks, a state legislator says he plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers, principals, administrators and other school personnel to carry concealed weapons.

Rep. Frank Lasee, a Republican, said Wednesday that, while his idea may not be politically correct, it has worked effectively in other countries.

To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," he said. "Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin.

In Thailand, where officials have been waging a bloody fight with Muslim separatists for the last two years, some teachers carry weapons for self defense as they are viewed as part of the government. In Israel, teachers are not allowed to carry weapons in the school, but security guards at the entrances are armed.
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Whatcha Think?

The Blame Game

2006-10-03T19:55:00.000-04:00

In this article, Congressman Foley's attorney said he was abused as a teen and acknowledges that former lawmaker is gay. His atty continues to say that the Florida Republican had been molested by a clergyman as a teenager and that he was under the influence of alcohol when he sent lurid messages to congressional pages. "Mark was the under the influence of alcohol at the time he sent the alleged e-mails and IMs that I have been informed of".
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So I guess if you are a drunk, molested as a teenager, and you are gay, it is ok to send sexual messages to teens that look up to you. Common, give me a break! The irony is that such powerful people automatically run and hide rather than stand up like a man and face the consequences. At least he can preserve some dignity if he just stops giving excuses.

Imagine a world where a murderer said he can't help it because he was beaten as a child, a child molester said he does it because he was once molested, or a wife beater said he was beaten by his father when he was young. The problem with taking these factors into consideration is that there is no justice.

Money Rules

2006-09-28T20:53:00.000-04:00

To live by, that is. I thought the title would get some attention:o) Excerpts from this article:

In the latest research by Jumpstart Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes personal finance education, the average high school student correctly answered just 52.4% of the questions covering money basics. That's down from 57.3% in the 1998 survey and up from 50.2% in 2002, but it hardly matters. Anything less than 60% counts as an "F."

1. The difference between needs and wants
Our actual needs are pretty limited: food, shelter, clothing, companionship. Just about everything else is a "want," and our wants are essentially endless.

2. Scarcity makes your choices for you
It's lovely to believe in a world of endless abundance, but the reality is that at any given point in time our resources have limits. Their refusal to make the sometimes-hard choices needed to responsibly manage money means that they will have even fewer choices in the future.

3. The pointlessness of the hedonic treadmill
This means we quickly adjust to improved circumstances. A raise at work or a new possession may make us happy for a little while, but we soon take our situation for granted. Our expectations continue to rise: if only I could get another raise, or a better car, or a bigger house.

4. The miracle of compound interest
This is a concept best illustrated by example. Let's say I give you a penny today, and promise to double the amount every day for a full month. How much money would I be giving you on the 31st day?

The answer: $10.7 million. Check out the chart at the middle of this page.

Of course, no one's going to double your money every day. But this concept explains how people who save relatively small amounts over the years can build rather substantial nest eggs.

This also illustrates how debts can quickly balloon out of control. If you're paying interest and you're not diligent about paying off the finance charges in full every month, the unpaid amount will incur additional interest charges, increasing the total amount that you owe. This is why so many families who incur credit card debt eventually find themselves in trouble as the amounts they owe explode past their ability to pay.
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Proverbs 22:7 states, The rich rule over the poor. The borrower is servant to the lender. Wow, an ancient text that has so much revelence!

3 yr old buys pink convertible on eBay

2006-09-26T21:58:00.000-04:00

Excerpt from article:

LONDON - Jack Neal briefly became the proud owner of a pink convertible car after he managed to buy it for 9,000 pounds ($17,000) on the Internet despite being only three years old.

Jack’s mother told the BBC she had left her password for the eBay auction site in her computer and her son used the “buy it now” option to complete the purchase.

"Jack’s a whiz on the PC and just pressed all the right buttons," Rachel Neal said.
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And the moral of the story is don't leave your password stored on the PC and teach boys not to like pink:o)

Marriage, Relationships, & Setups

2006-09-21T19:47:00.000-04:00

So I'm going to a good friend's wedding this Sat and look forward to it because Mike and Steph are really wonderful people. Mike's one of those people that will make you feel at home cuz he hugs like every single person he sees. One downer is his 9/20 post:o) A side bonus is Steph's many friends will be there but the only thing is most of them are from out of town which doesn't help me out a lot since long distance relationships rarely work out.

Speaking of relationships, one of my best buds who is now a missionary in N Africa will be coming home for a brief stent in Dec. I am looking for a way to set him up so maybe I'll find someone at the wedding who'd be interested in overseas. He's a really great guy, blond hair, and a surfer dude.

Alrighty, fun wknd comin so have a great wknd yourself!

Wimpy Christians?

2006-09-18T23:07:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I've been posting on other blogs and so forth giving my two cents and I've been criticized because my blog name "MercyNow" means that I should only show mercy. For example, I posted a comment on another blog that the driver of illegal immigrants should be prosecuted since in trying to evade the border patrol he caused 7 illegals to die after the truck turned over. Then a comment was made that I was not showing mercy. In this case, I argued that showing mercy is to put the driver behind bars so he doesn't cause another 7 lives the next time. Then another post said the same when I was simply speaking the truth so that people can learn now than later when it can cost them more in real life. An example is would you not rather your professor fail you in class than to pass you and let you fail in life? This doesn't really bother me that much because people are allowed to have their opinions.

The thing that bothers me most is that people think that just because we are Christians that we should simply lay down, show unprecedented mercy at all times, and never stand up or fight back. In other words, the pacifists say they are against killing anyone which includes the death penalty and we should follow Jesus' msg of love. The fact that we do respect life is the reason we support the death penalty just the same that we put people behind prison so they don't cause further harm to society. Loving someone is to correct one's mistake so he doesn't make it again for his own good.

Is this showing mercy or being Christ like? You let me know and please do not post anonymously for this post. If you do, then you are only proving my point and that is you may have an opinion but you are afraid to stand up for what you think you believe because if you really believe it then you would not be afraid to stand up for it:o)

Survivor: Cook Islands

2006-09-14T21:02:00.000-04:00

So did anyone watch the 1st episode of Survivor Cook Islands? If so, did you find yourself naturally leaning toward the team of your ethnicity? For those that are not familiar w/ this latest Mark Burnett production, the teams are divided into four groups of ethnicity, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and Whites. If you did naturally cling to your group, does that make you a racist?

Pray for your Enemies

2006-09-12T21:47:00.000-04:00

When Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, what does that mean? For example, we can pray for our enemies in general but how do we pray for terrorists and those that are bent on killing the innocent (as in non-Biblical terms for all have sinned)? How about going back to 1940s, should Christians pray for Hitler or Stalin when they senselessly massacre millions of people back then? If so, what shall we pray for?

Missions

2006-09-10T22:37:00.000-04:00

Ah, today was a good day as our church bulletin had our annual budget on it which is a tiny bit over $X mil and 1/3 of that went to missions, 57% of which went to overseas and the reminder stayed here with local missions. Historically the budget has been around 10%-15% but this changed about a couple years ago when we started a focus that "It's not about us but for His kingdom". We started giving things away like building a house in a poor neighborhood and sending money to Mexico so they can build another NGO to help train the poor job skills. Since then we have done major rennovation to two houses in the same poor neighborhood and will do another one next week. In addition, we have contacted other churches to help w/ job training and assists in contributing health workers to provide free medical services. Our pastor reminded us that we do this not just to provide for the poor but to proclaim the name of Christ to them as well.

Thanks be to God!