Eyes

Benjamin Franklin - 13 Virtues

2010-03-17T06:05:00.003-06:00

I'm reading HW Brands book "The First American: The Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin", and I found his listing of 13 Virtues really interesting. He made the list in an attempt to improve his character, and practice them each as time went by. Here they are:

1. Temperance: Eat not to dullness and drink not to elevation.

2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

3. Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.

5. Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.

6. Industry: Lose no time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. Moderation: Avoid extremes. Forebear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanness in body, clothes or habitation.

11. Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring; Never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

12. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

What a great world it could be if everyone tried to practice the 13 virtues!

The Blind Side

2010-01-13T17:24:00.002-06:00

As my husband can tell you, I really, really do not like football. It's sooooo borrrinnggg.... Even when the Cowboys are playing in the Super Bowl, I try to watch, but after about 15 minutes I find myself wandering off to do something in the house. I just don't "get it". So, when we saw this movie "The Blind Side", I was pleasantly surprised. It was such a good movie, that afterwards we were talking about it and he said "The Ravens have a game coming up..." I actually wanted to watch it - just to see Michael Oher! My husband did say something about the Ravens being a "defensive team" or some such thing... What do I know? Now of course the proof is in the pudding. My husband is betting I'll last 10 minutes... He may be right, but we'll see. I know this, Michael Oher and his family are incredible people and the movie was terrific!

28th Ammendment?

2010-01-11T06:14:00.001-06:00

Got this in an email today...
Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States".

Sounds good to me!

GI Squirrel

2010-01-07T10:12:00.000-06:00

This guy is tall!!!

2010-01-07T10:11:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-01-01T16:11:00.001-06:00

The Coconut Miracle

2010-01-01T16:06:00.002-06:00

After reading "Going Rogue", I am now reading "The Coconut Miracle". I had no clue there were so many uses for such a simple and cheap product. It seems it helps with almost all aliments - too many to cover here. If you have any illness, dry skin, etc, check it out. It's worth the read.

Going Rogue

2010-01-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

Sooo.... the first book I ordered on my new Kindle was Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue". What a great book - very interesting, and well written. I can now see why she scares the "left" so much. She actually gets things done. Most people who go into politics, and most people on the "left" are just plain lazy. The thought that they might actually have to work rather than pick their nose, drives them crazy. Look at BO vacationing over in Hawaii for weeks on end, even after several terrorist attacks. Lazy, lazy, lazy...

Kindle 2

2010-01-01T15:56:00.002-06:00

I bought the Kindle 2 for Christmas and I really, really love it! I was thinking about the Nook also, from Barnes and Noble, but since they couldn't get it out until after Christmas, I didn't want to wait any longer. Also, since the Kindle has been out a lot longer, I figured all the bugs would have been worked out of it. It is totally awesome being able to order books for only $9.99 or less - many free. The keyboard is also really nice to add notes for quick future reference. When I'm done reading, I just "delete" the book and it stays up on the Amazon website, sort of like a book shelf. No more books stacking up all over the house! Yeah! I love technology!!!

Congressional Reform Act

2009-11-24T18:16:00.003-06:00

I got this in an email today and think it would really be a terrific idea!

"Congressional Reform Act:

1. Term Limits: 12 years only -Two Six year Senate terms and six Two Year House terms

2. No Tenure / No Pension: A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security: All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates equally with the American people in the Social Security system.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans.

5. Congress will no longer be able to vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

6. Congress looses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

7. Congress must equally abide in and by all laws they impose on the States and the American people.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11. The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work."

Clinical Trials

2009-10-28T15:40:00.002-06:00

I was searching the net for information for a friend's illness and came across this government website which lists clinical trials: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ It's pretty interesting if you're curious about who's looking into which diseases.

Canadian Geese in Texas

2009-08-23T08:29:00.004-06:00

Three years ago 2 white geese and 2 Canadian Geese came to Texas. One of the white geese had broken wings, so all 4 geese stayed in Texas through the hot Texas summer. I felt sorry for them, especially the Canadian Geese, because they should have flown north in the spring. Actually, I thought the white geese were probably the females and the black/gray geese were the males.

The next year they had 3 chicks. All the chicks grew up with the same black/gray markings of the Canadian Geese. Again, that summer they all stayed in Texas. This spring they had 7 chicks! They also grew up to become Canadian Geese. We now have a flock of 12 Canadian Geese and 2 white geese at our neighborhood lake. It wasn't until recently that I figured out that the white geese are just some sort of domestic breed. The Canadian Geese became friends with the domestic birds and won't leave them. I wonder if anyone has ever heard of such a strange thing. If you have, let me know.

Sparkling Water by SodaStream

2009-07-09T16:55:00.002-06:00

We just bought this neat do-dad for carbonating water. It works really well and you can carbonate almost anything. I like making flavored sparkling water, but I suppose you could carbonate green tea or cranberry juice also. We've never really been huge soda fans, but it's actually kind of fun and cheaper than buying soda at the store!

Worx Cordless Blower

2009-07-09T16:49:00.003-06:00

So, I bought the Worx Cordless Blower. Very nice! And, I found another use for it -> Blowing the cobwebs and dust from high and low places in the HOUSE:>D Just make sure you do this first, then vacuum, because it makes a real mess on the floor.

Worx Cordless Edger/Trimmer

2009-06-08T07:15:00.002-06:00

This is the coolest edger/trimmer. No cords to fiddle with. I got one last week and it's amazing. I did the front and back yards - edging and trimming - and the battery is still not worn down. They say it lasts 20 minutes, but I'm sure I was out there longer than that! I got mine through Amazon - free shipping! Oh, you also get free spools for life (shipping on 6 spools = $6.00). This thing actually makes yard work kind of fun:>D

"Straw"

2009-05-23T09:02:00.002-06:00

I'm not a baseball fan, but I always felt a little sorry for Darryl Strawberry. He kept getting arrested for drugs and such in the '90s, and they would show him on TV at the court hearings, but he always seemed so humble. He seemed like such a nice person. So, when his new book came out, I had to get it and I wasn't disappointed. It's written very well, and you can really hear his voice in it. He's on the good guys side now:>D Two thumbs up for the Staw Man!

"It's better to light one candle than curse the darkness" ~ Author Unknown...

2009-05-13T15:33:00.002-06:00

Meet in between...

2009-03-11T15:26:00.003-06:00

This is pretty cool, especially if you live in a big city like Dallas. If you drive from the east side of Dallas to the west side of Fort Worth, at 65 miles per hour, it takes about an hour. So this will really be handy when meeting my gal pals:

http://meetinbetween.us

Horsehead and Orion Nebulae

2009-03-10T13:02:00.002-06:00

Horsehead and Orion Nebulae
Credit & Copyright: Dale J. Martin (Massapoag Pond Obs.)
Explanation: Adrift 1,500 light-years away in one of the night sky's most recognizable constellations, the glowing Orion Nebula and the dark Horsehead Nebula are contrasting cosmic vistas. They appear in opposite corners of this stunning mosaic taken with a digital camera attached to a small telescope. The magnificent emission region, the Orion Nebula (aka M42), lies at the upper right of the picture. Immediately to its left is a prominent bluish reflection nebula sometimes called the Running Man. The Horsehead nebula appears as a dark cloud, a small silhouette notched against the long red glow at the lower left. Alnitak is the easternmost star in Orion's belt and is seen as the brightest star to the left of the Horsehead. Below Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. Pervasive tendrils of glowing hydrogen gas are easily traced throughout the region in this deep field image of the same region.

IRS letter...

2009-03-10T06:39:00.002-06:00

This is pretty funny. A guy named Ed Barnett, Wichita Falls, TX wrote the following letter to the IRS:

"Dear IRS,

I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost.

I have paid these taxes: accounts receivable tax, building permit tax, CDL tax, cigarette tax, corporate income tax, dog licence tax, federal income tax, unemployment tax, gasoline tax, hunting licence tax, fishing licence tax, waterfowl stamp tax, inheritance tax, inventory tax, liquor tax, luxury tax, medicare tax, city, school and county property tax (up 33 percent last 4 years), real estate tax, social security tax, road usage tax, toll road tax, state and city sales tax, recreational vehicle tax, state franchise tax, state unemployment tax, telephone federal excise tax, telephone federal state and local surcharge tax, telephone minimum usage surcharge tax, telephone state and local tax, utility tax, vehicle licence registration tax, capitol gains tax, lease severance tax, oil and gas assessment tax, Colorado property tax, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico sales tax, and many more that I can't recall but I have run out of space and money.

When you do not receive my check April 15, just know that it is an honest mistake. Please treat me the same way you treated Congressmen Charles Rangle, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank and ex-Congressman Tom Dashelle and, of course, your boss Timothy Geithner. No penalties and no interest.

P.S. I will make at least a partial payment as soon as I get my stimulus check.

Ed Barnett

Wichita Falls"

Cleaning up your hard drive...

2009-03-08T10:28:00.002-06:00

Here's a good tip from April 2008 "Woman's Day", p.12:

"Clean up your temporary files every 2 weeks - Go to my computer, right click C: drive, select Properties and Disk Cleanup; check Temp Files and Recycle Bin, click OK."

Thumb Drives

2009-03-04T10:23:00.002-06:00

I was cleaning out some files yesterday and came upon an old receipt for a thumb drive.. In 2001, a 256 Mb thumb drive cost $159! Last week we bought a 32 Gb drive for $66!! Technology marches on!

Aurora from space...

2009-02-04T12:00:00.001-06:00

Credit: Don Pettit, ISS Expedition 6, NASA
Explanation: From the ground, spectacular auroras seem to dance high above. But the International Space Station (ISS) orbits at nearly the same height as many auroras, sometimes passing over them, and sometimes right through them. Still, the auroral electron and proton streams pose no direct danger to the ISS. In 2003, ISS Science Officer Don Pettit captured the green aurora, pictured above in a digitally sharpened image. From orbit, Pettit reported that changing auroras appeared to crawl around like giant green amoebas. Over 300 kilometers below, the Manicouagan Impact Crater can be seen in northern Canada, planet Earth.

Milky Way

2009-02-01T08:49:00.002-06:00

The Milky Way Over Mauna Kea
Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (TWAN)
Explanation: Have you ever seen the band of our Milky Way Galaxy? In a clear sky from a dark location at the right time, a faint band of light becomes visible across the sky. Soon after your eyes become dark adapted, you might spot the band for the first time. It may then become obvious. Then spectacular. One reason for a growing astonishment might be the realization that this fuzzy swath contains billions of stars and is the disk of our very own spiral galaxy. Since we are inside this disk, the band appears to encircle the Earth. Visible in the above image, high above in the night sky, the band of the Milky Way Galaxy arcs. The bright spot just below the band is the planet Jupiter. In the foreground lies the moonlit caldera of the volcano Haleakala, located on the island of Maui in Hawaii, USA. A close look near the horizon will reveal light clouds and the dark but enormous Mauna Kea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. If you have never seen the Milky Way band or recognized the planet Jupiter, this year may be your chance. Because 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, an opportunity to look through a window that peers deep into the universe may be coming to a location near you.

Saturn

2009-01-11T14:23:00.001-06:00

Credit: Cassini Imaging Team, SSI, JPL, ESA, NASA
Explanation: In the shadow of Saturn, unexpected wonders appear. The robotic Cassini spacecraft now orbiting Saturn recently drifted in giant planet's shadow for about 12 hours and looked back toward the eclipsed Sun. Cassini saw a view unlike any other. First, the night side of Saturn is seen to be partly lit by light reflected from its own majestic ring system. Next, the rings themselves appear dark when silhouetted against Saturn, but quite bright when viewed away from Saturn and slightly scattering sunlight, in the above exaggerated color image. Saturn's rings light up so much that new rings were discovered, although they are hard to see in the above image. Visible in spectacular detail, however, is Saturn's E ring, the ring created by the newly discovered ice-fountains of the moon Enceladus, and the outermost ring visible above. Far in the distance, visible on the image left just above the bright main rings, is the almost ignorable pale blue dot of Earth.

Martian Sunset

2009-01-11T14:19:00.002-06:00

Credit: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Texas A&M, Cornell, JPL, NASA
Explanation: This month, the Mars Exploration Rovers are celebrating their 5th anniversary of operations on the surface of the Red Planet. The serene sunset view, part of their extensive legacy of images from the martian surface, was recorded by the Spirit rover on May 19, 2005. Colors in the image have been slightly exaggerated but would likely be apparent to a human explorer's eye. Of course, fine martian dust particles suspended in the thin atmosphere lend the sky a reddish color, but the dust also scatters blue light in the forward direction, creating a bluish sky glow near the setting Sun. The Sun is setting behind the Gusev crater rim wall some 80 kilometers (50 miles) in the distance. Because Mars is farther away, the Sun is less bright and only about two thirds the size seen from planet Earth.

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T07:52:00.002-06:00

Rylands Transcript

2008-12-31T07:35:00.002-06:00

The oldest known New Testament fragment is the Rylands Transcript, found in Egypt, now in Manchester England. It contains John 18: 31 - 33 and 37-38 (NKJV):

"31 Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” 32 that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die. 33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”
.....
(34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”)
.........
"37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all."

2008-12-24T12:16:00.005-06:00

Micah 5:2
"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times. "

Governor Gregoire is the Grinch?

2008-12-13T07:45:00.005-06:00

I think she looks like the Grinch! How appropriate that she would post a sign in the state capital saying belief in God is mind enslaving...

Snow in New Orleans!

2008-12-11T14:04:00.001-06:00

More pics here.

Pleiades

2008-12-09T08:35:00.003-06:00

Amos 5:8
"he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land — the LORD is his name- "

Find the Happy Face:)

2008-12-05T12:38:00.002-06:00

Hint: Venus, Jupiter and the Moon

My Sister-In-Law died today....

2008-11-23T10:21:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law died today. She was diagnosed with colon cancer, but it spread into her liver, bones and finally her brain. Thankfully, she died in her sleep. I love this scripture:

Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

She had a lot of moxie and will be remembered fondly. Now she knows all the answers to the BIG questions in life...

First Image of the Earth from the Moon

2008-11-18T10:03:00.002-06:00

Credit: NASA/LOIRP
Explanation: Pictured above is the first image ever taken of the Earth from the Moon. The image was taken in 1966 by Lunar Orbiter 1 and heralded by then-journalists as the Image of the Century. It was taken about two years before the Apollo 8 crew snapped its more famous color cousin. Recently, modern technology has allowed the recovery of higher resolution images from old data sources such as Lunar Orbiter tapes than ever before. Specifically, the above image recovery was led by Nancy Evans as part of the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project. Images like that above carry more than aesthetic value -- comparison to recent high definition images of the Moon enables investigations into how the Moon has been changing.

A Bubble in Cygnus

2008-11-13T10:07:00.002-06:00

Image Credit & Copyright: Keith Quattrocchi, Mel Helm
Explanation: Adrift in the rich star fields of the constellation Cygnus, this lovely, symmetric bubble nebula was only recently recognized and may not yet appear in astronomical catalogs. In fact, amateur astronomer Dave Jurasevich identified it as a nebula on July 6 in his images of the complex Cygnus region that included the Crescent Nebula (NGC 6888). He subsequently notified the International Astronomical Union. Only eleven days later the same object was independently identified by Mel Helm at Sierra Remote Observatories, imaged by Keith Quattrocchi and Helm, and also submitted to the IAU as a potentially unknown nebula. Their final composite image is seen here, including narrow-band image data that highlights the nebula's delicate outlines. What is the newly recognized bubble nebula? Like the Crescent Nebula itself, this cosmic bubble could be blown by winds from a massive Wolf-Rayet star, or it could be a spherically-shaped planetary nebula, a final phase in the life of a sun-like star.

Pink Lady

2008-11-12T13:06:00.001-06:00

How cute is this version of the Lady Smith? Mine is boring black with a wood grip... I think this one is too cute!

Happy Veteran's Day!

2008-11-10T18:08:00.001-06:00

My grandpa, served in WWI. Pretty good lookin' huh?

The election is over...

2008-11-06T09:23:00.007-06:00

I predict the left is going to be very disappointed with Obama's performance. For example, if he keeps his promise to "bankrupt" the coal industry, the higher heating costs will push us further into recession.

There are some good things that came of the election:

1. The Democrats have no excuses now. They have the Presidency and both houses. The ball is entirely in their court. The only thing I would fight them for would be Supreme Court judges.

2. California said "NO" to gay marriage, and the gays are not so gay today! They are marching in the streets in protest.

3. We have proved racism is dead in America, although it looks like sexism is still alive and well (Hillary, and Palin were both treated extrememly unfairly).

4. Republicans can now get their party back on track with conservative ideas.

5. There were no riots!

2008-10-23T14:51:00.002-06:00

Hubby bets there will be riots if BO looses the election....
I bet the DOW will drop 1000 points the next day if he wins...

Great Orion Nebula

2008-10-23T10:37:00.001-06:00

Madonna

2008-10-21T17:31:00.003-06:00

Sheesh, Guy Ritchie said she looks like an old hag without makeup - he was right! She babbled away at one of her recent concerts about how Sarah Palin was not invited to her party, and from the looks of it partying is the one thing Madonna has had too much of!

Madonna told the audience "you know who can get off of my street? Sarah Palin! I'm gonna kick her ass if she don't get off of my street!"

Madonna also heckled Palin at her show at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, she shouted: "Sarah Palin can't come to my party! Sarah Palin can't come to my show. It's nothing personal."

Madonna is not going to grow old gracefully.

Reflection

2008-10-21T09:37:00.001-06:00

1 Corinthians 13:12
"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

Lagoon Nebula

2008-10-19T18:05:00.000-06:00

An American Carol

2008-10-15T09:12:00.003-06:00

We saw this movie last night and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend it, especially with the election right around the corner. I've heard some theaters are selling tickets to other movies when you ask for this one - so check your movie ticket to make sure credit is given where credit is due. Also, this would be a fun movie to own/give for Christmas. There was a great line by President Washington, where he said something along the lines of "When you die, and you face your maker, you will have to tell the truth."

Congratulations Canada!!

2008-10-15T09:08:00.003-06:00

Yeah! Conservatives re-elected in Canada! Story here

2008-10-13T12:21:00.002-06:00

Just got this in the email... TOO FUNNY!

Bright Bolide

2008-10-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

Credit & Copyright: Howard Edin (Oklahoma City Astronomy Club)
Explanation: On September 30, a spectacular bolide or fireball meteor surprised a group of amateur astronomers enjoying dark night skies over the Oklahoma panhandle's Black Mesa State Park in the Midwestern US. Flashing past familiar constellations Taurus (top) and Orion, the extremely bright meteor was captured by a hillside camera overlooking the 2008 Okie-Tex Star Party. Astronomy enthusiast Howard Edin reports that he was looking in the opposite direction at the time, but saw the whole observing field light up and at first thought someone had turned on their car headlights.

Obama's terrorist ties...

2008-10-10T08:16:00.002-06:00

Cartoon hat tip Debaterbrawl
Just got this in an email: "Now isn't this something to think about! If Barack Obama would apply for a job with the FBI or with the Secret Service, he would be disqualified because of his past association with William Ayers, a known terrorist. If he is elected President he would not qualify to be his own body guard!"

Obama's buddy William Ayres, then and now..

2008-10-09T06:14:00.004-06:00

Then (1969, when Obama was 8):

"Kill all the rich people. Break up their cars and apartments. Bring the revolution home, kill your parents, that's where it's really at."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now (September 11, 2001, when Obama was 41, and now his friend):

"I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we didn't do enough."

And then of course, there's the bombastic Reverand Wright.. We can't forget about him. Mr "God Damn America" and "US of KKK A". Obama is either a really bad judge of character (never a good quality for a President) or he's an outright liar and charlatan.

Obama's opposition to NAFTA "should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans."

2008-10-09T05:50:00.006-06:00

For the Canadians, a key point of concern was Obama's sharp criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement. DeMora wrote Wilson that in the Chicago meeting, Goolsbee "candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign" but reassured Rioux that Obama's NAFTA-bashing "should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans."

Three weeks later, Canada's CTV News reported that a "senior member" of Obama's campaign had phoned Wilson personally to advise him to "not be worried about what Obama says about NAFTA." The Obama campaign denied that story, which (if you believe DeMora's account) was only slightly off the mark, and declined to elaborate. On March 3 the Associated Press released the DeMora memo, which by then had circulated widely within the Canadian government. Asked once again to comment, Obama said his campaign provided Canada no such reassurance while Goolsbee maintained that DeMora "misinterpreted" his comments. For its part, the Chicago consulate smoothed things over with a statement saying, "there was no intention to convey, in any way, that Senator Obama and his campaign team were taking a different position in public from views expressed in private." It looks like President Obama may owe one to our friendly neighbors to the north.

Hat tip Slate.com where they have a photocopy of said document.

Of course the above mentioned occurred 7 months ago, however, it's a good reminder that what Obama says is not necessarily what he'll do. He will do and say anything to get elected. We Americans are supposed to be smart enough to look at previous actions to determine future behavior. A leopard can not change its spots.

Joe Biden says "No" to refugees..

2008-10-09T05:26:00.002-06:00

Here's a little something from a Vietnamese friend:

"This is the LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES!!! My family and most of the Vietnamese people know that very well and we are a testimony of it. The Vietnamese people do not forget that Joe Biden was against a bill to help open the door of Immigration to accept us/refugees in 1975. He said that we are better off to stay in VN. Thank God, the bill did pass. And here I am!"

My friend and her husband both worked their way through college and are now engineers. I thank God she is here:>D

Obama's buddy who ruined Fannie Mae - Franklin Raines

2008-10-09T05:19:00.003-06:00

Hat tip: email today from a friend
" Franklin Rains is the former chairman and chief executive officer of Fannie Mae, the government sponsored enterprise started in 1939 to offer mortgages to Americans wishing to become home owners. After serving as budget director under President Bill Clinton, Mr. Raines served as CEO at Fannie Mae from 2000 until 2004. While Mr. Raines was CEO, Fannie Mae went deep into the practice of buying mortgages based on almost no or no money down given to borrowers who could not afford them.

During this time he received bonuses and salary over 90 million dollars. In 2004 he was offered 'early retirement' after the accounting practices used at Fannie during his tenure to secure top executive bonuses were shown to be fraudulent. Civil charges were filed against Raines and two other former executives which sought $110 million in penalties and $115 million in returned bonuses from the three accused. On April 18, 2008, the government announced a settlement with Raines together with J. Timothy Howard, Fannie's former chief financial officer, and Leanne G. Spencer, Fannie's former controller.

The three executives agreed to pay fines totaling about $3 million, which will be paid by Fannie's insurance policies. When pressed by the Bush administration to tighten down regulations on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, members of congress - Republicans and Democrats alike - in positions to pass such regulations, did nothing.

Today, Fannie Mae owns or guarantees over half of America's 12 trillion dollar mortgage market, and we are in the middle of a credit crunch and housing slump brought on in large part by government backed Fannie Mae going down this dangerous credit slope under Mr. Raines.

And where is Franklin Raines today? He is a chief economic advisor to the presidential campaign of Senator Barack Obama."

Socialist Obama?

2008-10-08T19:58:00.002-06:00

Hat tip JB Williams and YWL:

"In 1995 Obama signed a contract with the DSA "promising a more open relationship with the Marxist New Party".

About 50 activists attended the Chicago New Party membership meeting in July. The purpose of the meeting was to update members on local activities and to hear appeals for NP support from four potential political candidates...."

And their Mission Statement is:

"Our mission is to establish democratic socialism as a political force in the United States and around the world by training and mobilizing socialist activists to participate in a vibrant and diverse socialist organization at both the local and the national level. DSA both educates the public about democratic socialist values and policies and builds progressive coalitions to win victories that move the U.S. and the world toward social democracy... In the long term, democratic socialists fight for a world in which all people share equally in the governing of the economic, political and cultural institutions and relationships that shape their lives."

Smoking Obama

2008-10-08T19:56:00.001-06:00

From one of today's emails:
"Much is made of McCain's age. Has anyone brought up the fact that Obama smokes and both of his parents died at an early age. Plus Biden has had two brain aneurysms which could have killed him. If they both died while in office that would leave Nancy Pelosi as president. I can't think of a better reason to vote for McCain & Palin."

Obama Freudian Slip

2008-10-08T19:49:00.002-06:00

Obama has NPD?

2008-10-03T10:16:00.002-06:00

There's an excellent video examining the possibility that Obama has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, here. Hat tip The Merry Widow.

Republicans NOT Democrats were warning of Freddie and Fannie failure years ago...

2008-10-02T10:18:00.006-06:00

Maxine Waters today, talking about how the people were too stupid to read their loan documents and were duped!

Now, to see what Waters was saying back when the Republicans were urging greater regulation of Freddie and Fannie, take a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MGT_cSi7Rs

So, there you have it. The Democrats will lie and cheat to get elected.

2 Thessalonians 2:11
"For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie."

Banana Bread

2008-10-01T15:35:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas (I used 3 frozen previously - thawed)
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp canola oil, plus a little more for oiling the loaf pan
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour (I used regular whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used chopped raw almonds)

(I added about 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds)

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a loaf pan.
2. Mash the bananas and mix with the honey, canola oil and vanilla extract.
3. Stir together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda and salt. Add the nuts.
4. Blend the two mixtures and spoon into a lightly oiled loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set.

YUM YUM.. It turned out very good, especially buttered.

Three Steps to Change Our Nation's Future

2008-09-30T15:53:00.003-06:00

Dave Ramsey has an interesting post today at Dave Ramsey to help with our financial situation. It would be a good idea if you have time to cut/paste and send to your reps.

Here's the verbage:

Years of bad decisions and stupid mistakes have created an economic nightmare in this country, but $700 billion in new debt is not the answer. As a tax-paying American citizen, I will not support any congressperson who votes to implement such a policy. Instead, I submit the following three steps:

Common Sense Plan.

I. INSURANCE

A. Insure the subprime bonds/mortgages with an underlying FHA-type insurance. Government-insured and backed loans would have an instant market all over the world, creating immediate and needed liquidity.

B. In order for a company to accept the government-backed insurance, they must do two things:

1. Rewrite any mortgage that is more than three months delinquent to a 6% fixed-rate mortgage.
a. Roll all back payments with no late fees or legal costs into the balance. This brings homeowners current and allows them a chance to keep their homes.
b. Cancel all prepayment penalties to encourage refinancing or the sale of the property to pay off the bad loan. In the event of foreclosure or short sale, the borrower will not be held liable for any deficit balance. FHA does this now, and that encourages mortgage companies to go the extra mile while
working with the borrower—again limiting foreclosures and ruined lives.

2. Cancel ALL golden parachutes of EXISTING and FUTURE CEOs and executive team members as long as the company holds these government-insured bonds/mortgages. This keeps underperforming executives from being paid when they don’t do their jobs.

C. This backstop will cost less than $50 billion—a small fraction of the current proposal.

II. MARK TO MARKET

A. Remove mark to market accounting rules for two years on only subprime Tier III bonds/mortgages. This keeps companies from being forced to artificially mark down bonds/mortgages below the value of the underlying mortgages and real estate.

B. This move creates patience in the market and has an immediate stabilizing effect on failing and ailing banks—and it costs the taxpayer nothing.

III. CAPITAL GAINS TAX

A. Remove the capital gains tax completely. Investors will flood the real estate and stock market in search of tax-free profits, creating tremendous—and immediate—liquidity in the markets. Again, this costs the taxpayer nothing.

B. This move will be seen as a lightning rod politically because many will say it is helping the rich. The truth is the rich will benefit, but it will be their money that stimulates the economy. This will enable all Americans to have more stable jobs and retirement investments that go up instead of down. This is not a time for envy, and it’s not a time for politics. It’s time for all of us, as Americans, to
stand up, speak out, and fix this mess.

A True Image from False Kiva

2008-09-29T09:27:00.001-06:00

"Credit & Copyright: Wally Pacholka (Astropics.com/TWAN)
Explanation: Is there any place in the world you could see a real sight like this? Yes. Pictured above is single exposure image spectacular near, far, and in between. Diving into the Earth far in the distance is part of the central band of our Milky Way Galaxy, taken with a long duration exposure. Much closer, the planet Jupiter is visible as the bright point just to band's left. Closer still are picturesque buttes and mesas of the Canyonlands National Park in Utah, USA, lit by a crescent moon. In the foreground is a cave housing a stone circle of unknown origin named False Kiva. The cave was briefly lit by flashlight during the long exposure. Astrophotographer Wally Pacholka reports that getting to the cave to take this image was no easy trek. Also, mountain lions were a concern while waiting alone in the dark for just the right exposure."

17 Amputees Fighting in Iraq

2008-09-25T15:31:00.001-06:00

This is a pretty amazing story: Pat Dollard

Ike

2008-09-19T08:59:00.001-06:00

There's some really great pictures of Ike here:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html

Banana Spider

2008-09-17T13:06:00.001-06:00

We have one of these in our neighborhood... Eeeeeeee! I couldn't believe it when I saw it. Spiders make my skin crawl!

Patience and Wisdom

2008-09-15T08:44:00.000-06:00

Refueling Over Iraq

2008-09-13T10:37:00.002-06:00

Hat tip Pointniner

2008-09-12T08:30:00.000-06:00

911

2008-09-11T08:11:00.002-06:00

Thank you President Bush for keeping us safe for 7 years. Those of us who have the intelligence to understand the danger, and patience to read the Koran, know that it's been a tough job. You've done well. Thank you.

Sarah Palin

2008-09-10T08:45:00.002-06:00

I think it's amazing that the Dhimmicrats, or anyone, would complain about Sarah Palin's experience. She was the Governor of Alaska for a short time, but look at what she accomplished! I guess the Dhimmicrats would give a bigger applause to the person who could run a mile in 10 days, rather than the person who could do it in 4 minutes.

Dhimmicrats would rather everybody have nothing, than everybody have something if it meant anyone would have more than them. They're basically greedy, insecure people. Keep going though.. in the end, nobody will have anything, except the tyrants who will stop at nothing to get everything.

Three things to think about:
- When taxes are high, people will get laid off, and businesses will move offshore.
- When taxes are high, people will move their money offshore.
- When taxes are high, taxes collected by the government will decease.

Make sense? Just look at history and you can see it in action...

CNN

2008-09-06T14:16:00.003-06:00

I NEVER watch CNN, but once in a while I like to surf the channels and see what the liberals are moaning and groaning about... Today I watched CNN for a while, and they were covering BHO like he IS THE PRESIDENT! They're not even waiting for the election. In the above photo, they were attending a press conference he was having on the Fannie Mae / Freddie Mac mess. Incredible. I wonder if they'll give up when he loses in November? Totally insane.

Milky Way

2008-09-05T09:49:00.000-06:00

Peak-A-Boo!

2008-09-04T09:04:00.001-06:00

Moon and Earth

2008-09-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

Woo Hoo! Sarah Palin for VP!

2008-08-29T11:18:00.003-06:00

What a great choice! Of course the liberals are whining about her experience, saying "She was just a mayor for a town of 9000" - typical liberal lies. But in case they are that brain dead, watching CNN, MSNBC etc, then "EARTH to MOONBATS, she is the GOVERNOR of Alaska". Idiots...

And by the way, I thought the moonbats didn't want someone with a lot of Washington experience. I thought that was why they chose Osama Obama, or whatever his name is.

The Fetus Nebula

2008-08-29T07:48:00.001-06:00

They should post this one every January 22nd....

W5

2008-08-29T07:45:00.000-06:00

They should post this one on Valentine's Day!

NGC1232

2008-08-24T15:45:00.000-06:00

Why did God put us here?

2008-08-20T14:32:00.002-06:00

We were watching "Everybody Loves Raymond" the other night, and the little girl poses the question "Why did God put us here?" Raymond couldn't answer it, and I haven't watched the rest of the show (side-tracked)so I can't tell you what the final outcome was.

But it reminded me of the 3 BIG questions Charles Colson talks about in "How now shall we live?":

1. Where did we come from and who are we?
2. What has gone wrong with the world? (or, why is there evil?)
3. What is the source of our salvation? (or, what can we do to fix it?)

All religions and philosophies attempt to answer these questions, for example a communist would say:

1. Collection of matter
2. Capitalism
3. Communism (in spite of the fact it always fails)

Marx

2008-08-20T11:21:00.002-06:00

"Then I will wander godlike and victorious
Through the ruins of the world
And, giving my words an active force,
I will feel equal to the creator."

~ Karl Marx, from the poem "Human Pride"

Hmmm, sounds like it could have been called "Communism" instead....

Francis Schaeffer on the Environment

2008-08-18T10:41:00.003-06:00

Francis Schaeffer is probably my favorite theologian, followed by GK Chesterton, CS Lewis and Malcolm Muggeridge. I like what Schaeffer has said about the environment. I found an interesting website on apologetics here. Here's an excerpt:

"Creation is not equal with God nor is it an extension of God, but “created things have an existence in themselves. They are really there.” As such nature has value in itself since God made it."

"Because God created all things and treats them with integrity, so should we. This is not pantheism, but rather a way of honoring the creator. Thus, as a human, I recognize that I am more valuable than an ant, but the ant is a fellow creature, both of us made by the same God. I have the right to kill him, but only under certain conditions. Schaeffer explains, “We have the right to rid our houses of ants; but what we have no right to do is to forget to honor the ant as God made it, out in the place where God made the ant to be. When we meet the ant on the sidewalk, we step over him.”

Io's Surface

2008-08-17T10:53:00.001-06:00

Freecycle.org

2008-08-11T13:16:00.001-06:00

This is a pretty interesting website if you have something to give away, or have something you're looking for: http://www.freecycle.org

No more yellow pages

2008-08-10T13:54:00.002-06:00

Does anyone use the phone book anymore? I don't. If you don't, you can go here and ask to be removed from their list: Yellowpagesgoesgreen.org

Dichloroacetate

2008-08-07T08:14:00.004-06:00

My sister-in-law has been diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. So, I was strolling around the web and happened upon a new treatment using dichloroacetate in Canada which is getting excellent results. Medicor has been using it for a while now.

Naturally I continued my exploration to see where it could be procured in the USA. That's when I discovered that the FDA has banned it in the US... It has been used for years to treat “congenital lactic acidosis”, and consequently can not be patented. In other words, the drug companies can not make money off it.

So, I checked the FDA website to see why they've banned it, but couldn't find it listed anywhere. It's like they never have even heard of it, let alone banned it. How weird is that?

It can be bought online and shipped to Canada, Italy and Russia for those who are interested. I also read (not verified) that it is actually manufactured in the US. You just can't buy it here.

Cat's Eye Nebula

2008-08-04T07:37:00.000-06:00

Paper Mache Troll

2008-08-03T14:19:00.001-06:00

How cool is this! Troll

Islam on Campus

2008-07-31T08:28:00.003-06:00

For all those who think islam is "just another religion", think about how it influences its adherents. This survey has just been completed in England, surveying 1400 British students (not poverty stricken):

Islam on campus executive summary

Islam on campus entire file

Here's just a little sample:

"Killing in the name of religion:

- Just under a third of Muslim students polled (32%) said killing in the name of religion can be justified – the majority of these said killing could be justified if the religion was under attack, and 4% of all respondents supported killing in order to promote and preserve that religion.

- 60% of active members of campus Islamic societies said killing in the name of religion can be justified. By contrast, only 2% of non-Muslims agreed."

I wonder if the liberals will ever WAKE UP!

IC 4406

2008-07-27T12:23:00.001-06:00

2008-07-25T08:24:00.004-06:00

"Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of nature--a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort." ~ Albert Einstein

My dogs have trained ME!

2008-07-24T10:17:00.003-06:00

This is an old picture... See how small I am? Hee, hee! Seriously, I realized this morning that my dogs have trained ME! Every morning I have 2 cups of tea and one cup of coffee. When I get the milk out of the fridge to put in the coffee, they come and sit and stare at me. I then ask them if they would like some milk and they jump up and down like jumping jacks. I never noticed (until today) that they only do this when I have coffee, not tea (and I add milk to my tea also). How funny is that?

Now I'm wondering what other things they've trained me to do.....

Angelina Jolie

2008-07-24T08:25:00.002-06:00

She sure isn't your typical Hollywood liberal! She's quoted in "America's 1st Freedom" as saying "Brad and I are not against having a gun in the house, and we do have one. And yes, I'd be able to use it if I had to. If anybody comes into my home and tries to hurt my kids, I've no problem shooting them." Amen sister!

When God Paints

2008-07-15T07:47:00.000-06:00

I really love this picture - hat tip mom (email)

Lower Consolation Lake, Banff Canada

2008-07-14T12:13:00.000-06:00

Milky Way over Death Valley

2008-07-13T13:10:00.002-06:00

Here's an interesting website which talks about the issues with outdoor lighting and the concept of a "dark sky". I had never heard of such a thing...

Related???

2008-07-11T08:02:00.001-06:00

They sure look alike. They could be brothers!

2008-07-09T10:51:00.001-06:00

Disruption of wildlife by drilling in Alaska....

2008-07-02T07:57:00.001-06:00

Uh, this guy seems to actually like it!

Hebrews 11:3

2008-06-30T09:37:00.001-06:00

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

Job 9:5-10

2008-06-30T09:12:00.003-06:00

5 "He moves mountains without their knowing it
and overturns them in his anger.

6 He shakes the earth from its place
and makes its pillars tremble.

7 He speaks to the sun and it does not shine;
he seals off the light of the stars.

8 He alone stretches out the heavens
and treads on the waves of the sea.

9 He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.

10 He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed,
miracles that cannot be counted."

Indian Story

2008-06-27T07:43:00.002-06:00

There is a story told by the American Indians that the Great Spirit decided to divide the worlds of animal and man so he gathered all the living beings on a great plain and drew a line in the dirt. On one side of the line stood man --- on the other side stood all of the animals. And that line began to open up into a great crevasse - and at the last moment before it became unreachable, dog leapt over and stood by man. ~~Unknown