Thoughts from Upstate SC

A Day of the Beast?

2011-11-02T15:20:00.003-04:00

Since "November 2 2011" (base 36) translates to 112,256,517,383,181,664,666 in our decimal (base 10) system, does that make this date one of the 'days of the beast'?

Base 36 is a neat "code" in which the 'numbers' are merged with the 'letters' to change a phrase into a HUGE number. It is 'hexadecimal' (1-F) on steroids! Anyway, I had a link to a converter, so I typed in today's date and saw "666" at the end. Since adding a day to the date puts a different multiplyer for the fifth (or even sixth) places, it would take someone better at math than me to come up with other "666" days like this. I'm sure some days would give a "666" at the beginning. If I had elected to ad a 0 in the sixth place, the result would not have produced this blog note, but hey, I did it on a lark.

Well, I thought I'd just share that little bit of trivia as we contemplate the 'meaning' of everything that's happens around us. It's a quirk of the 'code,' I know, but fun in a rather odd way.

Some thoughts on numbers

2011-10-15T19:17:00.003-04:00

Not wanting to be too weird, and certainly not to put to much stock in my conclusions, this is what I think the meaning of some of the numbers might mean as a general rule. I take the meaning from interpreting how they are used in the clear text of the Bible.

Any use of the following in the practice of "numerology" is fully the responsibility of the reader. I will not be pressed too hard on any private interpretations of obscure numbers as they appear in the Bible. I could be completely wrong on every point below, and only present it here because it does me no good sitting quietly on my computer.

Do with it what you will.

The Prime numbers

1 is the number of unity, and that is perfectly seen in God Himself

2 is the number of division, bringing the universe into existence

3 is the number of trinity. In the purest sense, this is with the Holy Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit. It is seen in Man in his three fold function upon the earth - king, priest, and prophet. Man is told to have dominion upon the earth, to intercede for the nations, and to tell those nations about God. The unholy trinity, led by Satan as the 'king,' has it's priests and its prophets as well.

5 is the sum of 2 and 3, and as so is seen in mankind who was taken from (a separation) the ground and made in God's image. Since he has fallen, separated (2) from God (3), the recombination is by Grace, which is often assigned to this number as the way God deals with mankind.

7 is the number of completion. It is represented by combining 3 (Trinity) and 4 (Universe). It is perfection as seen in God's rest from creating on that day. It was on the next day (8th day) that He began His work of sustaining what He had made. 7 is also 1+6, the only way sinful man can be made whole again being through union with God. As the sum of 2 and 5, we see the 'end of man' - to be separated unto perfection.

The squares: 4 and 9

4 is the number of the universe, the earth in particular. It is the result of the separation (2) on the second day of creation. As a result, there are four dimensions (space-time). As the 3 dimensions of space are spread out, four directions, or quadrants, are formed. On the globe of the earth these directions are east, west (rep. by coming and going of the sun) and north and south (cold wasteland and hot wasteland!) in the minds of the Hebrew writers.

9 is 3 squared, the result of God's continuing preservation of the universe. It has no other factors but 1 and 3, both numbers of God. It is seen as 1+8, God is the New Creation; as 2+7, God in Election; as 3+6, God taking on flesh and man's sin; and 4+5, the realm of God's inhabitance - both the universe and within the hearts of men. This last sum is that of the 'new heavens and the new earth, where God at last lives among men forever.
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The cube: 8

Of the numerals used to tell God's story, the number 8 is the only cubic, three dimensional number. It, takes the universe of '4' to another level. It is God working his creation to it's full potential. As 7+1, 8 represents both God's re-creation and His preservation of the old and the new. The basic cube is seen in the holiest of holies, that inner sanctuary where he dwells in a special way. That cube is seen by Ezekiel in the vision of the new temple and the vision to John of the New Jerusalem. As 2+6, 8 represents God taking away the sin of man and putting it upon His Son, the New Man. This is complete in the Resurrection of Jesus. As 3+5, the Rebirth is seen as God works to restore the elect to his standing before God lost in the garden. As 4+4 (2*4), the universe 'becomes one' as the division of the heavens from the earth is reversed.
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The triangular numbers: 6 and 10

The number 6, (1+2+3), is the number of man after he attempted to become equal with God (1). This 5+1 was disastrous, defiling the universe (4) by mixing what should have remained separated (2). While embroiled in a fight between the holy and unholy trinities (3+3), sinful man is in a triangle of his own, that is he is 1+2+3. Once in union with God (1), he separated (2) from him to be in league with the unholy trinity - Satan, the world, and sin. His whole body, soul, and spirit - physical, mental and spiritual - became dead to God. 6 is also called a 'perfect' number, because the factors both add and multiply to form the number itself (1*2*3 = 6). This makes 6 equal to "3!" (three factorial). Neither in his being (sum) nor in his work (product) can man become complete (7).

The number 10 (1+2+3+4) is also triangular. It is considered the number of completion of all things counted upon the earth. It is 5+5 (representing marriage, perhaps?) and 6+4 (full spreading of mankind upon the face of the earth). It is 7+3, God's complete work of creation including his day of rest; and it is 2+8, God's judgment in the casting the condemned into the "bottomless pit" an eternity removed from the New Jerusalem. Finally, it is 9+1, God's providential hand upon his finished creation. As the triangular, it may show God (1) separating (2) the unholy trinity (3) from this universe (4) into the bottomless pit (also seen in 8+2!).
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Not enough fingers - 11 and 12

I include 11 only because it falls between 10 and 12. It does not show up in numbering things often and is basically the same as 2, the sum of its digits. The notable use of the number is after the death of Judas Iscariot, "the twelve" became "the eleven." This was the core group of disciples that visited with their risen Master for forty days and saw him ascend into heaven. They were separated (2) from Jesus and had to wait 10 full days (not coincidentally) before the Holy Spirit came on the 50th day. Pentecost is the day beginning the week following the end of seven weeks past Passover - that is (7*7)+1. It is a day of thanksgiving for God's perfect provision.

12 is used in both the old testament and the new for the number of 'tribes' of the people of God. Jesus chooses twelve disciples specifically to reach all of Israel. As soon as "the eleven" are able, they use the lot to determine who the now-present Holy Spirit would use to complete and make full their number. 12 is 6+6, representing all fallen mankind, divided in any number of ways. It is also 5+7, the old man joined to God's righteousness. It is 4+8, the old universe made new; and 3+9, the God seen in his creation. It is 10+2, a new separation from the old world into a new one. Finally, it is 3*4, God multiplying his blessings to the universe through His chosen people.
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Fibonacci numbers (golden ratio)

1+2=3 [Creator]
2+3=5 [Creature, Man, separated (2) from the earth, in the image of God (3)]
3+5=8 [Resurrection, God (3) re-creates Man (5) in rebirth]

5/3 = 1.666... [First Adam plus False God = Man lost in sin, 6's to infinity]
8/5 = 1.600 [Second Adam plus First Adam = Sinful man made whole, no more division]

Basketball trumps Baseball

2010-08-18T21:20:00.003-04:00

I was doing some research for a book involving the early days of baseball, starting in New York City - center of the first professional baseball leagues. The original "Mets" played in the "polo grounds" just north of Central Park. This team spawned as sister team, the Gothams, which became the New York Giants. The home field for the Giants, wherever it moved in the city, became known as the Polo Grounds.

Well, long story short, I did a little searching for the original Polo Grounds (Wikipedia gave the address), and found the plot of land just north of Central park (between 110th and 112th Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues). And there, on these two city blocks, are high rise apartments. In the court yards of the apartment buildings facing 112th streets (opposite the street facing the park) are two outdoor basketball courts! The original "Mets" died after seven years and an attempt by its owner to have a team in both the American and National Associations. The Gothams had been created after the owner of the Metropolitans had chosen to stay independent a little longer.

Anyway, other fields were made, but the original parks (back to back) were torn down to make way for "real life" - but not without a pickup game in the court yard!

What If ...

2010-06-22T17:23:00.003-04:00

Alternate history is a fascinating genre. The further back in history you go, the more a little change can change all kinds of things. This is known as the "butterfly effect" whereby something as little as the death of a butterfly might start a chain of events that would totally alter the course of the world.
There is an old proverb that goes like this:

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

--Wikipedia article

The concept is the germ for all sorts of speculation. And thus, some very interesting fiction. In such fiction, real people in real situations are used. When things change, then new people may, and most likely do, come into existence.

A lot of alternate history is "wishful thinking" on the author's part, but if done right this avenue can be used for great philosophical musings. The old film "It's a Wonderful Life," starring Jimmy Stewart, was a fanciful look at a world minus just one man. A couple of theological titles have queried the idea "If Jesus had not come," though the one I read did not do the idea justice.

Along side the "alternate history" genre comes the "time travel" device that comes to the rescue in some science fiction (most notably the Star Trek franchise). In such cases, the theory of quantum physics leaves room for countless "alternate realities" to exist along side each other. The sci-fi favorite "Sliders" played on this theory.

Anyway, that is what I am "into" these days. Maybe a book will come of it someday -- but only after two or three OTHER books are written (some of which are half-way done now!).

I Really am still alive

2010-06-12T16:40:00.002-04:00

For a really committed blogger for over six months in 2008, I essentially "burned out" and quit the blog-o-sphere. What could have made me do such at thing? Well, here are a few things:

I lost my job. But really, that was in April of 2009, and my only blog of 2009 before that was on January 1. So that was no excuse. You'd think I would do a lot more blogging with more time on my hands.
I got into editing my mom's book on her dad's life. That really did take a lot of work. She even paid me in lieu of a Christmas gift. We got the book published in early 2010.
I discovered Facebook. That most assuredly took the place of the blog-o-sphere. "Friends" on Facebook tend to react a lot faster than followers of blogs.
I started writing alternate history articles at althistory.com. That has been fun, but the audience is only about twenty people! I thought there was more interest than that to such an intriguing genre.

And so, I have not blogged in quite a while. But perhaps I should return to this avenue of expression. I returned here today to add a widget based on an old Bible Code I found a decade ago. The date of 6 Av 5770 (or July 17, 2010) popped out of the "Antichrist Code" in 1 Samuel.

That date is just a little over a month away. I have begun the "countdown clock" to that date. The time on the clock is GMT, but based on sundown in Jerusalem on July 16, 2010. This is because the Hebrew calendar begins the day in the evening (Gen. 1 -- the evening and the morning, one day ...). The terminal time in Greenville will be 12:45 pm on July 16th.

When this date comes, we'll see what happens! If nothing of significance happens before 12:45 of the 17th, then that will be that. Then I'll change the clock to count down to the "great American eclipse in 2017! I KNOW that is going to be an event to look forward to. It starts in the Pacific Northwest and ends just off the coast of South Carolina. But more on that later.

The clock is ticking.

From Jerusalem to Greenvile, stop 1

2009-11-02T22:45:00.005-05:00

Well, it's been far too long away from the blog! I've gave a few cards out, and worked on a few websites, but generally, I have just not been into the blogging scene lately.

Here is a "rabbit trail" I got on the other day. Using Googe Earth I traced the "Great Circle" from Jerusalem to Greenville. A great circle is a straight line drawn on a globe which is equally distant from the center. It is shorter than the line along the latitude east-and-west. The longitudes north-to-south are great circles. So, while heading west from Jerusalem brings you to the coast of Georgia, the great circle to the same point, or rather one close to it, goes across Europe and the North Atlantic.

The great circle to my house from the temple mound, then, goes from Israel, to Greece and Croatia, then through Italy, Switzerland and France, over the the channel to southern Wales, and then across the North Atlantic to Canada and the East Coast of America. I was surprized how this route somewhat traces the spread of the gospel to upstate South Carolina.

And so, I am going to attempt a "travelogue" of some of the villages (very few cities are in the path) that I found along the "rabbit trail." I will especially be looking for evidences of the church in these places.

The first village outside of Jerusalem is Bayt Surik. This is a Palestinian village subject to much controversy due to settlement of Jews outside Jerusalem. It is also spelled "Beit Surik," and supposedly means "Springs village." A security fence was built near here in 2006 which upset the native Palestinians greatly. The village is just over the 1949 Armistice Agreement Line in what is considered "occupied territory" popularly called "the West Bank."

A good site to visit concerning this village is

http://www.beitsurik.net/

This is a site ran by some Britons who formed a friendship forum with the Palestinians. I borrowed the picture above from them. It seems that American Evangelicalism is very biased in favor of Israel, I would recommend that conservative Christians read both sides of what is happening in the "holy" land. The sin nature is alive and well in the homeland of Christ!

The nearest church that Google Maps pulls up is the Church of the Visitation, commemorating the site where Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, lived when Mary visited her (Luke 1:39). This is about eight miles away via curving road in a southern direction.

Biblical Ramah is three miles to the east, but the Google maps will not route you down the roads between the two places (both in the West Bank). The trip down into "Israel" and back up looks to be around ten miles. Keeping travelers off of dangerous Palestinian controlled roads seems to be a feature that Google wishes to provide. Mapquest, my other source for directions, is only for the US and Canada.

Naked and not ashamed

2009-01-01T21:03:00.016-05:00

(AR, AUR, AIR, ARaR, ARaM) and cognates all go back to the basic meaning of "bare," or exposed.

(AIR) shows up first alphabetically. It is translated "city" and "watch(er)," assuming an open area and/or a place that needed the watchful (and open) eye of a guard. This word is said to be from(AUM) which is translated "awake," "bare," "chaff," "skin" and even "blind," each with the idea of something spread out in the open - eyes, skin, grain, or eyes glazed over as with a skin.

(AR) comes from rye and is another spelling for "city," but is also translated "enemy" as coming from . The root (ARaM) seems be related less directly, but leads to the two translations of (AROM) so tantalizingly presented early in Genesis. Mre means either "to gather up" (from harvesting, and thus laying bare the ground?) or "to be prudent" (to be watchful, with "bared" eyes). A field denuded of its produce would be naked, and likewise, one who is prudent would have to have his eyes, and mind, wide open.

An unusual justaposition of two uses of the Hebrew word appears in Genesis 2:25 and 3:1. The concordance has two entries, 06174 and 06175.

Here are the two together:

Ge 2:25 And they were both naked (06174), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Ge 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil (06175) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

I have replaced (06175) with (naked) in every case, except for the oldest (Genesis and Job) in a positive sense of "prudence" rather than "subtle" as with the serpent.

But let us consider the translation in its purest sense as ALWAYS "naked."

Ge 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle (naked) than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

"The serpent was more naked (being hairless!) than any beast of the field." Indeed, the reptile has no hair, and in that way may be considered like man (whose hair was fine and nearly invisible). This lends to the rather ridiculous notion that Satan actually seduced Eve in a human-like form. But it makes sense taken literally.

Job 5:12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty (naked), so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

God, it is said, frustrates the plans of the naked, so that they cannot get things done. It seems that these poor saps just don't have the tools needed to do the job!

Job 15:5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty (naked).

Job is accused of admitting himself to be a sinner by cursing like a naked drunkard [choosing the tongue of the {shamefully} naked].

Pr 12:16 A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent (naked) man covereth shame.

"The naked cover shame," a rather prudent act for sure. Meanwhile, the fool's angry rantings are out in the open.

Pr 12:23 A prudent (naked) man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

The naked man covers what is known (that is, his nakedness). But fools make their foolishness known to all.

Pr 13:16 Every prudent (naked) man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

He who is naked acts with wisdom, but a fool lets everyone see his foolishness.

Pr 14:8 The wisdom of the prudent (naked) is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

The wisdom of him who is naked is that he knows how to act discretely, but fools are just sneaky!

Pr 14:15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent (naked) man looketh well to his going.

Whereas the naive will trust your words, he who is naked well aware of his surroundings.

Pr 14:18 The simple inherit folly: but the prudent (naked) are crowned with knowledge.

Whereas the naive live with fools, they who are naked are surrounded by those who understand.

Pr 22:3 A prudent (naked) man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
Pr 27:12 A prudent (naked) man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished.

He who is naked perceives evil intent and covers himself, but the naive will sin and face judgment.

The word's simple meaning is plainly to be "bare" with no pretense of self-importance. We are known fully by God, who sees through any pretense we might set forth. In the garden, Adam and Eve were fully open with one another. And then another naked creature seemingly opened itself to the same scrutiny, offering full disclosure of something he said had been covered up. That creature was inhabited by the Chief Liar of the universe.

But the nakedness the serpent displayed, an openness to discerning what is bad for relationships, is seen in those who are truly wise -- the "naked of spirit." Or perhaps, even in those who live "au naturale" in a spirit of openness most of us have a trouble with even within marriage! In these Proverbs a naked person is seen to be wise in deciding where he goes and with whom he associates. From covering himself among strangers (12:16, 23) to discreet behavior among friends, the "Edenist" is wiser than those who have things to hide. A naturist, being keenly aware of his surroundings, can sense when those who sneak in to gawk at him. He will not grant such evil desire, but will cover himself (27:12).

It doesn't work well the other direction:

Ge 2:25 And they were both naked (prudent), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

OK. So we have the first couple before the fall, unashamedly wise beyond their (apparent) years. Hmmm.

1Sa 19:24 And he stripped off his clothes also, and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked (prudent) all that day and all that night. Wherefore they say, Is Saul also among the prophets?

Well, perhaps this is not as redundant as at first translated. Without clothes, he would be naked. But to prophecy he must have some reason left, thus "prudence"?

Job 1:21 And said, Naked (prudent) came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked (prudent) shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.

Nope, that won't work. A newborn baby is not "prudent," for he cannot reason about anything. He is totally dependent upon animal instincts at that point. And as naked as the day he was born! And, though one may be wise when he dies, it is not the body that has the smarts.

Job 22:6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked (prudent) of their clothing.

Job is being accused of taking advantage of his neighbors. No carefully reasoning man would allow himself to be treated like that. Unless, of course the naked man didn't want the clothes in the first place. But then, it wouldn't be so bad to take them, would it?

Job 24:7 They cause the naked (prudent) to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

Here we have paralellism. No clothing and no covering, pretty much leaves one naked and in the cold. For a wise man to seek lodging when he has no clothes makes sense, but then, to be out in the cold without covering is definitely not wise.
But - [They cause the prudent to grumble, being without clothing and no covering in the cold] - makes sense out of context. But in context, the sin is in mistreatment of the poor.

Job 24:10 They cause him to go naked (prudent) without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry;

As above, the disinfranchised is being sinned against. Taking a prudent man's clothes is not the same thing as taking a hungry man's food.

Job 26:6 Hell is naked (prudent) before him, and destruction hath no covering.

Pure parallelism. Hell=destruction, naked=no covering.
Alternate: "What he asked for is laid bare in front of him, but destruction is just as sure."

Ec 5:15 As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked (prudent) shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.

As with the passage in Job, a baby is not prudent, though an old man may be in his choices before death.

Isa 20:2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked (prudent) and barefoot.

Isaiah is told to drop his drawers and take his shoes off to boot. Nothing quite like opening yourself to the scrutiny of the enemy to make one wise!

Isa 20:3 And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked (prudent) and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;
Isa 20:4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked (prudent) and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

Isaiah's message is clear - as I am now, so you will be very soon! Naked and barefoot!

Isa 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked (prudent), that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

In context, the poor soul in need of covering is no doubt naked and not liking it.

Ho 2:3 Lest I strip her naked (prudent), and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

A very stark picture of the inhumane treatment of the treatment of a newborn or miscarriage, abandoned to die by the side of the road.

Am 2:16 And he that is courageous among the mighty shall flee away naked (prudent) in that day, saith the LORD.

OK. This one almost works the other way - "Just as courageous men flee, so shall the prudent"

Mic 1:8 Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked (prudent): I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls.

The prophet is making a racket. "Stripped and wiser (!??)," he sounds like a wild animal. Not likely. Again, it "stripped and naked" just go together.

The shamefully naked, whether by design or from mistreatment, are far from discerning in their relationships. They understand only their distraught condition. They need relief. Nakedness, if not innocent, is sin. Since we all battle sin, in its many guises, very few of us can uncover our insecurities, to be truly "aromic," without shame. Ours is a city with walls, with its guard always up. We are always wary of others who charm us with an open face, for so few are pure. Our eyes are "peeled," looking for the dangers of those who just as cunningly look to take advantage of any "opening" they can find.

Open wide and say "ARR."

What Jesus Read

2009-01-01T03:16:00.004-05:00

On his inaugural sermon, Jesus is given the scroll of Isaiah. He opens to the place where it is written:

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

Luke records the LXX version, but has Jesus include: "and to let the oppressed go free," from 58:6. The English translation of the Greek NT has "opening the eyes of the blind" following the LXX. " tuflois anablepsin" is indeed best translated that way.

But what of this insertion? Why is it said to be "read" if it is not in the text. I submit that it was right there on the page, with his right thumb "marking the spot." He read his own interpretive insertion from the text in front of him.

The picture above is from the "Great Isaiah Scroll" (c. 150 BC). I have three pages as they would have unrolled from that copy of Isaiah. I have marked the words he read. Clicking on the image will give a larger version.

Jesus read everything Luke says he read, undoubtedly from a Hebrew scroll. Luke cites the LXX version because that is what he is familiar with. There is no inconsistency. The copy Jesus had may have had the verses on adjacent pages (its only a matter of a few words moved up. His copy might have been of a finer hand, putting the verses even closer on the page. The point is, this explains an apparent discrepancy in a concrete way.

Oops. What if...

2008-12-18T22:53:00.002-05:00

I saw this poster (outtake above) at work. The message was "Teamwork." Mrs. Clause wants Santa to take out the trash.

But doesn't Santa carry another bag about the same size on his sleigh? What if Santa grabbed the wrong bag on the way to the curb and they got switched?

Talk about "egg in your face"! Day old and in the shell, even! :-)

The artwork is by Tom Marlin, cartoonist for Mad Magazine. He does a lot of Parodies.

A young servant of God

2008-12-07T23:44:00.007-05:00

Young Timothy Scott Seiter has ventured out to understand life through studying the Bible! This is daunting task for one so young. Timothy S. Seiter was born just 10 days before my son, Timothy S. Martin. He has produced a website called "Understand Life" that includes the whole Bible in hypertext with the opportunity for the registered reader to offer interpretations along the way.

My best wishes go out to Scott in his efforts. Here is his logo. Click on it or the link above to begin exploring the Bible with him.

Jesus' Birthday

2008-12-06T22:13:00.004-05:00

I have written elsewhere in this blog about the real birthday of Jesus. Here is a Bible Code that seems to verify that the date 1 Tishri (Rosh Hashana, "Jewish New Year") is connected to the birth of Immanuel (the verse marked - Isaiah 7:14). An extended date did not show up, though, since that would be from three to five characters (depending on how the date is written, in full or in part). The year marked in the text above is {3}760, a three digit rendering of a full 3760.

Of course, there are other dates there, including a very good match for 3756, four years earlier. That year corresponds with 6 BC, the agreed upon date to allow for the "error" by the medieval monk who finally dated our modern calendars from the birth of Christ. That date, it is believed by many, HAD to be few years before the assumed 4 BC death of Herod. That evidence, though, is based on an eclipse that year. Another "better" eclipse occurred in Tevet of 3761, or January of AD 1.

The total eclipse of AD 1 would have allowed ample time for the sickness and death of Herod before passover over three months later. If the magi had come that same month (or the beginning of Shevat, the next month as the darkened sky of the "new moon" allowed them a better view of the guiding "star."

Thank You, Sarah Palin

2008-12-03T11:25:00.005-05:00

I came upon this video at a centrist (traditional) Democratic site. It seems that there are many Clinton supporters that are not happy with the party. Apparently they are somewhat like "Reagan Democrats." Anyway, one of them apparently has seen past the negative press and is impressed with Sarah Palin.

I like the diversity of those chosen to speak in this video. It's too bad that so many people let partisanship blind their reason and logic. In the past the true difference between the major parties was small government vs big government. The first "Democrat" was for small government (that is, Thomas Jefferson) and the first Republican was virtually the INVENTOR of "big government" as we now know it (the federal power grab of Abraham Lincoln in a noble attempt to save the union).

Things have changed. But I will cover that in another blog.

Saying too much?

2008-11-29T23:14:00.001-05:00

While surfing to some blogs "related" to mine, I got the link to this site. There you can build your own church marquee. The blogger had a fictional "dueling signs" post.

The above picture is of a real sign of which the "sign generator" collects from users of his site. This sign just about says it all (literally)!

A notice at the page says you can't link directly to the image, but I found it quite easy, really. I guess they want you to enjoy the REST of their site. It really IS quite entertaining.

A good rule of thumb with signs is to limit useful information to maybe fifteen words or so. The more precise the better. You'd have to stop the car to read this sign. Then what? Would you hurt their feelings if you didn't come in for a visit?

If you want to use the sign generator, the "imagemajik" links were down when I was writing this. His "classics," though, seemed to be working. I think the faq's revealed that he used readily available source code on those. Anyway, there were a lot of interesting real signs sent in

Some more fall colors

2008-11-15T20:55:00.006-05:00

This time I will start with a "close-up." Here is a little evergreen, surrounded with its perennial neighbors in their changing colors.

Then there were the full grown unashamedly changelings:

And then, there was this one (actually a cropped photo - my equipment doesn't frame stuff this well!) which I named "Americana." Note the "spacious skies," "the purple mountains" and even the "amber waves of grain."

Then we got a little closer to one of the mountains:

And then a little further away again.

Well, I guess I'll get back to "serious" stuff soon enough. I hope anyone who comes this way enjoys the shots.

A Saturday afternoon drive

2008-11-14T22:00:00.006-05:00

We started out south on I-385. Debbie had said the colors were good down Simpsonville way.

We ended up cutting over to Woodruff and up I-26 (pictures not shown), and then up I-85 (we got some video - I'll try to get some up if anyone wants to see. Just before Gafney, we got off at a rest area. The moon was in the sky.

And the sun shone through the trees.

Turning down Scenic Highway 11 we come upon this "piece of America" - you know, "spacious skies, purple mountain's majesty, and amber waves of grain." Not to mention an RV or two.

Finally, as we turned down Highway 25, we said good bye to the colors, and hello to a beautiful sunset.

In all we took over fifty pictures and a few videos. It was a good afternoon.

Obama and "antichrist"

2008-11-12T21:13:00.005-05:00

I apologize for the images here. Sometimes Blogger does not publish full-sized images. Above is pictured a dim view of the beginning of what looks to be an "interesting" study using Equal Letter Sequences (ELS) found throughout the Hebrew text. The more clusters of "words" beat chance occurrences, the more accurate the information found will be. And the longer a sequence goes, the rarer it is. "Obamah" (as spelled in Hebrew) is a five letter sequence - AOBMH, where the "A" is not pronouced (often written in transliterations as simply an apostrophe).

Six times the letters fall with NO GAPS. The above text is one of those. This text lead to an old "grid" that I did back in 1998. The one that leads off my new website is another one. This one has the "straight text" of 'Obama, though pronounce Ubama when read aloud.

I encourage all my "loyal readers" to check out http://obamacode.synthasite.com/

Synthasite.com offers free web hosting with no advertisements! Their software is online, with no downloads necessary. So I encourage everyone to go there to set up both web pages and blogs.

Is the truth out there? Update

2008-11-02T22:51:00.008-05:00

Okay, folks, this is just two strange. The governor of Hawaii has sealed the original CLB, and the district court has told a life-long democrat, but seeker of the truth, that he has no right to ask for the truth. It's going to the Supreme Court. The constitutional crisis will be huge IF Obama wins and the CLB proves suspicions to be true.

Below is the "copy" of the certificate of live birth and an example what the original certificates looked like back in 1963. I added comments below the two.

Clicking on the image will bring my original uploaded bitmap to show detail. I purposely uploaded a bitmap version because of the lack of distortion in the details. The original certificates had way more information, typed not computer printed. Was the photocopier not working in Hawaii? Any "delicate" information could have been as easily blocked out as the example on the left was. But the democratic governor of Hawaii seals the thing. We wonder if the Supreme Court will be able to see the original!

Look at the place where the copy indicates race of the father: AFRICAN

That was his nationality which on the original is box 11. The race of the father was in box 9. In 1963 that space would most likely have been "negro" or maybe "Afro-American." The "copy" is no more than a politically correct information sheet. It has an official seal, showing that it is officially what the authorities are willing to release. But the terms have changed, as the following article indicates

From the website

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/African-American#Definition_and_nomenclature

"Previously acceptable terms that are now viewed as archaic (and, outside of historical contexts, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or the United Negro College Fund) include Negro and Colored; today, the most common term is African American, with Black also commonly accepted since the late 1960s; the term Afro-American was first prominently used in 1961 by a group of activists including Maya Angelou and Leroi Jones (later known as Amiri Baraka)[4] and became common from the late 1960s into the 1980s; it remains generally acceptable, but less common, and has lately been developing a "period" connotation. Blacks are also included in the broader term "people of color". // Negro means black in Spanish and Portuguese (Latin: niger = black). It is an ethnic term applied to people of African origin; The term Negro is now largely seen as archaic and sometimes almost as offensive as the slur nigger. ... Colored and Colored People (or Colored Folk in the plural sense) are North American terms that were commonly used to describe Black people, but also included Asian (brown)/(yellow), Chicano (bronze or brown), and Native American (red). ... Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Johnson April 4, 1928[1]) is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. ... we all suck dick poetry. ... Colored and person of color (or people of color in the plural sense) are terms that were commonly used to describe people who do not have white skin or a Caucasian appearance. ...

The history of the use of these terms is evident in the names of various African American organizations founded over time. The civil rights organization the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded 1909, is significantly older than the philanthropic organization the United Negro College Fund, founded in 1944. The term colored had come to be seen as politically incorrect by the time of the UNCF's founding. Nonetheless, both Negro and colored remained common until the late 1960s, especially in the Southern United States. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP, generally pronounced as EN Double AY SEE PEE) is one of the oldest and most influential civil rights organizations in the United States. ... United Negro College Fund logo The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is a Fairfax, Virginia-based American philanthropic organization that fundraises college tuition money for African- American students and general scholarship funds for 39 historically black colleges and universities. ... Historic Southern United States. ...

As the Civil Rights Movement evolved in the 1960s into the Black Power/Black Pride movement, these older terms lost favor and became associated with the pre-civil-rights situation of Blacks in America. Through this movement, the terms Black and Afro-American both emerged into common usage in the late 1960s. Due to this legacy, by 1980, the term Black had become accepted by a majority of Americans of African descent, and had also became the referential term applied by White Americans in general. Martin Luther King is perhaps most famous for his I Have a Dream speech, given in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom This article is about the civil rights movement following the Brown v. ... Black Power is a slogan which describes the aspiration of many Africans (whether they be in Africa or abroad) to national self-determination. ... Black pride is a slogan used interchangeably to depict both the movement of and concept within politically active black communities, especially African Americans in the United States. ...

In the late 1980s, Blacks began to abandon the term Afro-American, adopting the autonym African American instead."

One's "race" out of Africa could be "black," "Arab," "white," or whatever. The official who "copied" the information onto the "official copy" was making things as "clear as mud"!

The truth is out there. But will it ever come out?

An Election Sermon - 1792

2008-11-02T15:49:00.007-05:00

One of my regular emails comes from an evangelical organization called Christian Worldview Network. A recent email recommended several things for Churches to do before an election, one of which was a time-honored practice of preaching an "election sermon" The following is excerpts from a sermon given before the state assembly of Connecticut in 1792.

A

Sermon,

Preached Before His Excellency

Samuel Huntington, Esq. L.L.D.

Governor,

And The Honorable The

General Assembly

Of The

State of Connecticut,

Convened At Hartford, on the Day of the

Anniversary Election.

May 10th,1792.

By Timothy Stone, A.M.

Pastor of a Church in Lebanon.

Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whether ye go to possess it. Keep, therefore, and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

DEUTERONOMY IV.5, 6.

Excerpts:

1. Wisdom will direct a community to establish a good system of government. It may be a question whether the all-wise God ever designed that any of His intelligent creatures — even in a state of perfection — should exist without some kind of government and subordinating amongst themselves. . . .

2. The wisdom of a people will appear in their united exertions to support such a system of government in its regular administration. . . .

Changes, however, should be few as possible, for the strength and reputation of government doth not a little depend upon the uniformity and stability observed in its administration. Laws, while they remain such, ought to be executed; when found to be useless or hurtful, they may be repealed. . . .

3. The wisdom of a people will appear in the election of good rulers.

The peace and happiness of communities have a necessary dependence, under God, upon the character and conduct of those who are called to the administration of government. . . .

Knowledge and fidelity are qualifications indispensably necessary to form the character of good magistrates. No man ever possessed natural or acquired abilities too great for the discharge of the duties constantly incumbent upon those who act as the representatives of the Most High God in the government of their fellow creatures: multitudes, however well disposed, are totally incapable of such trust. . . .

But when party spirit, local views, and interested motives direct their suffrages — when they lose sight of the great end of government the public good and give themselves up to the baneful influence of parasitical demagogues – they may well expect to reap the bitter fruits of their own folly in a partial unwavering administration. Through the neglect — or abuse — of their privileges, most states have lost their liberties and have fallen a prey to the avarice [greed] and ambition of designing and wicked men. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn” [Proverbs 29:2]. . . .

4. Wisdom will lead a people to maintain a sacred regard to righteousness in reference to the public and individuals.
. . .

There is in the constitution of heaven an established connection between the practice of righteousness and the happiness of moral beings united in society. . . .

5. The wisdom of a people essentially consists in paying an unfeigned [unhypocritical and sincere] obedience to the institutions of that religion which the Supreme Lawgiver hath established in His church on earth.

That religion which God hath enjoined [commanded] upon rational beings is not only necessary for His glory but essential to their happiness. . . .

The holy religion of the Son of God hath a most powerful and benign influence upon moral beings in society. It not only restrains malicious revengeful passions and curbs unruly lusts, but will in event eradicate them all from the human breast. . . .

If the preceding observations have their foundation in reason and the Word of God, we see the happy connection between religion and good government. The idea that there is, and ought to be, no connection between religion and civil policy appears to rest upon this absurd supposition: that men, by entering into society for mutual advantage, become quite a different class of beings from what they were before — that they cease to be moral beings and consequently lose their relation and obligations to God as His creatures and subjects and also their relations to each other as rational social creatures. If these are the real consequences of civil connections, they are unhappy indeed as they must exceedingly debase and degrade human nature; and it is readily acknowledged these things being true, that religion can have no further demands upon them. . . .

The whole sermon can be found at wallbuilders.com at the following URL:

http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=13044

Obama, the Christian?

2008-10-29T17:13:00.003-04:00

Okay, I know it isn't "right" to call into question one's professed faith. Or at least not "politically correct." But I would like to get to the bottom of Senator Obama's profession. Here is how he dealt with it in 2004 when in a debate with none other than Alan Keyes!

And to think that I was asked to contribute to the effort to defeat Obama at such an early point! I thought it would was inconsequential. I was SO wrong!

Proposing a "Scenario"

2008-10-19T22:27:00.005-04:00

Surfing the political postings, I came upon a site "the Arena" which asked its readers to propose a scenario in which McCain/Palin would win in November. Most respondents were ridiculous liberals that trashed the Republican ticket and/or voters. Some conservatives came through, and some liberals gave "worst case" scenarios from their point of view.

I went over to RealClearPolitics and found the polls show that Obama "solid" and "leaning" states have it clinched as of now. That electoral map looks like this:

If you click on the image, it will give you a full version of the map (I think). The light blue are "leaning" to Obama, and the gray states are "toss up." Assuming a successful turning of two traditionally Republican states (Virginia and Colorado) to turn toward McCain (Virginia being the home of Liberty University, and Colorado being the home of Focus on the Family) and the "toss up states to lean toward McCain, and turning Minnesota (traditionally Democratic) into a toss up state, I come up with this predicted electoral map for November 1:

Those changes are not that far out there, IMHO, and the race is still really too close to call. If the Christian Right is as serious about the "dangers" of losing this election as the radical left is, then this second map will be an accurate prediction. I have not seen any polls that factor in the Constitution and Libertarian parties which might siphon off some votes from both sides. But I don't think they will be a factor in the long run.

My advice to the Christian Right: Get out the vote! Stand up or prepare to stand back. God is righteous and America is ripe for judgment. With Reagan we were given our chance only seven years after Roe vs. Wade. But we were focused more on the economy than on righteousness. The result -- Abortion on demand remains the "law of the land." Then, a third party candidate siphoned off enough votes to give us Bill Clinton -- Twice! That was enough to give us ample warning to mend our ways. We "fought back." In 1994 we took back the Congress, but not by enough to effect change. And then, we got another chance -- the former president's son was elected by the barest of margins -- twice! The Congress and the presidency, and almost the Supreme Court, became conservative. But still iniquity rules.

A chance came for George W. Bush to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was pro-life. And it was not an anti-abortion bill. The case was a real, live adult. Permanently brain damaged, possibly by her husband, Terry Shaivo was allowed to die by orders of that very same husband. Bush -- and his brother in Florida -- could have PERSONALLY stepped in and stood in the gap. But they bowed to the "rule of law," where the "law" was the opinion of a corrupt probate judge! The war was lost at that point, IMHO.

I say that to admit that my "scenario" is just another move of MERCY from God who would be just in allowing this nation to go the way of other corrupt empires of the past. I pray not for justice, but for mercy!

Who's in charge, anyway?

2008-10-19T16:50:00.006-04:00

The real power is NOT in the president of the United States! Power is in the Congress - the Senate and the House of Representatives. The authority of the president is in executing the laws passed by the Congress. He can veto, but the veto can be over-ridden. The president usually compromises to stay in a "working relationship" with the "powers that be."

Which brings us to the economy. Who "holds the purse strings"? The House of Representatives, the closest thing we have to "democracy" in this conglomerate of "sovereign" states. IF the federal books had to be balanced as do the individual states' books, then we would not be in the mess we are in right now. That being said, a few figures from the Americans for Tax Reform show that whereas things are "worse off" today than they were seven-and-a-half years ago, they did not get there under Republican control, but under Democratic:

The combined cost of staples (Bread, Eggs, and Milk) went from $4.84 to $5.77 in 6 years under the Republicans. That is a 19.2% rise, or 3.2% per year. In the two years since the Democrats were elected in November of 2006, that price has gone to $7.12. That's a 29.5 % rise, or a 15.3% per year. That is a rate of over FIVE times the Republican economy!

Inflation overall went from 3.7% when George W. Bush took office to only 2.1% as America was bamboozled into voting in the Democrats in November, 2006. Since then, inflation has gone to 5.4%. That's a 43% DECREASE in a "Republican" economy compared to a 61% INCREASE in a "Democratic" economy. Hmmm . . .

Unemployment went from 4.2% to 4.6% (+ .4%) in six years. In the two years under Democratic control it has risen to 6.1% (+ 1.5%). Almost FOUR times the increase -- or OVER ELEVEN TIMES when annualized! Even in the two months from election day to the new congress began, the unemployment rate went up .1% (.6% annualized, compared to a .07% per year for the six years previous!)

But then, those wage earners out there -- the "working men and women" ARE still better off than they were eight years ago! Our average wage went from $28,700 to $32,960 -- a steady rate of over $500 a year. That amount did not keep up with inflation, but across the board tax cuts in the six years, and to an extent even since under the veto threat of the president, helped to indeed leave the average man in better shape now than then!

And, finally, I challenge any liberal who might be reading this to name me one Republican/Bush policy that has effected the economy adversely.

Is the truth out there?

2008-10-16T23:09:00.003-04:00

It's enough to be something out of the "X-Files"! Barach Hussein Obama, Jr., was born of an American citizen, by a Kenyan citizen. This is a given -- he is a "Jr." Beyond that, though, his citizenship is anyone's guess.

Obama, Sr., brought his wife Anne Dunham Obama to Kenya as she was at term. He was going to show her off, and let the family see his new son, I suppose. They didn't like the fact that she was white, so she wanted out -- back to Hawaii. It appears that she might not have made it. The man who would be president of the US was born instead in his father's Kenya! Or so says the family there.

Anne got out of Kenya fast, registering the newborn as being born in Hawaii two days after he was born in 1961. The Kenyan strongman who had fathered the child soon divorced his white wife, to be married several times more. An Indonesian suiter to the young Hawaiian student won her heart and claimed the child as his own, applying (and lying) to the Indonesian government for citizenship of the child. He went to elemetary school in Indonesia as a citizen there.

Back in Hawaii at age 11, but without his mother, it is assumed that he reapplied for US citizenship (so if he had been born there he would regain his "natural born" status). A Pennsylvania lawyer has filed suit for some answers but the DNC has filed to block the suit. Why? If this man is not an "natural born citizen" then let's put Hilary on the ticket (with Biden?) and go with her. If the original Kenyan birth certificate can be produced, then of course, the same choice has to be made. A "duplicate certificate" has been produced from Hawaii (date stamped Nov. 7, 2007) which is supposed to be the end of it.

Why bother with all this? The man who in 2006 could only be expected to carry Illinois has been polled as having the electorial votes to win (as of last week). He is the most liberal Senator after only four years there. But he is presenting himself as a centrist. I am a centrist. This man is not! Why could the DNC not choose someone with less baggage? The choice came down to "superdelegates" -- Senators, governors, etc. -- that run the party. And they overwhelmingly went for the young "black" man. It is so strange.

What is the truth? What if America votes and THEN it is proven to be against Obama? The election of 2000 will look like child's play then! Can you imagine a NEW election? Or perhaps President Baiden? Martial Law with Bush remaining in control?

I recieved an email putting me onto this story. A search reached this article.

The truth is out there. Is anyone willing to find it?

Added Oct. 18:

A friend found the YouTube version of the report. View below

Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate on Messiah and Resurrection

2008-07-06T23:04:00.005-04:00

Ancient Tablet Ignites Debate on Messiah and Resurrection

So reads the headline in the NY Times. Anyone reading this within a week can read the article here. For others, just contact me (I made a copy), or better yet, just do a search for more info.

The gist of the article is that a first century BC record speaks to the suffering servant AND the resurrection "on the third day" even as Jesus taught less than a century later. One scholar, Mr. Israel Knohl, of Hebrew University. Sees in it confirmation of his "iconoclastic" theory that Jesus and his followers just "made up" all their theology from existing literature at the time.

It is hard to tell who will most upset - the unbelieving "New Testament scholars" that insist that any prophecy that is too specific MUST have been inserted after the fact, or insecure believers who think that the ANY attempts to "reconstruct" Christianity from previous documents (such as the dead sea scrolls or this tablet from the century before Jesus) threatens the truth.

To unbelievers, the evidence is dangerous to their pet anti-supernatural theories that explain prophecies as after the fact inventions. Other unbelievers, like Knohl, try to shake our faith by pointing to all the "evidence" that our beliefs are all eclectic myths based on the political and religious expectations of the day in which they were written.

If this tablet is authentic - and it appears to be - what does it show? Does it strengthen our faith or weaken it? Well, it shows that the belief in the resurrection was strong - even to the point of expecting it "on the third day." It further shows that the disciples should NOT have been shocked at the possibility that Jesus would have to die before he could conquer the Adversary.

However, the disciples saw Jesus as more than a political rebel. Their Messiah was by nature a religious leader. They even saw him as GOD'S anointed, even as the Son of God! How could he be defeated by such base folk as the Romans, much less the Sadducees who ruled the religious courts of the day (and denied the resurrection). The Pharisees, on the other hand, would have seemed to be allies -- IF they had not been so corrupt in their orthodoxy.

And so, when Jesus used established interpretations of the prophets, applying it to himself, he was not "inventing" anything. The writers of this text were looking at the same scriptures, applying them to a different person, nearly a century earlier. Jesus just happened to be RIGHT!

Nothing I write here will convince an unbeliever that Jesus rose from the dead. This is a conviction that comes ONLY from God Himself. However, when unbelievers such as Mr. Knohl try to use this to disprove our sacred scriptures, then I can at least post an alternate view!

Through the Looking Glass.- Reflections on a weird day

2008-06-23T23:11:00.008-04:00

It is 11:11 pm. An appropriate time to "reflect" on a "Through the Looking Glass" type of day!

As I left the house this morning the clock read 7:17 -- pretty good as mornings go, for I was going to be on time! As I arrived at work, another clock showed 7:47. I knew something was up, though, when I looked at the odometer -- the trip-meter read 66.6. Yeah, that number again. But then things took a "turn" -- for above the trip-meter the odometer read 179992, with the "999" almost directly above the "666."

And then, I saw how the day was going to be a bit unusual. Technical difficulties delayed my day around four hours. No, I don't think it was four hours and four minutes (4:04) or any such reversible formula -- but then, it might have been. [Full disclosure: some of these times and figures were approximate, not all clocks being synchronized.]

And so, I headed out to my truck at 12:21 as the hands on the analogue clock showed an eerie "mirror image" of the normal time of around eight o'clock. It was around 1:21 when we reached our first stop. From that time on, the day progressed at about the same pace as normal, only about four hours behind schedule.

At our last stop, we finished at 8:28 or about the same time PM that we would have STARTED our first stop AM. We then preceded to base, clocking a rare "upside down reflection" on the odometer: 106890.1. And so, we arrived after 8 hours and 18 minutes (8:18) on the road. I pulled out of the bay to go park the truck at 21:12 (9:12 pm, but we record times in 24-hr mode).

I clocked out at 21:21, having put in thirteen hours and thirty one minutes (13:31). I got out of my car at 9:58 (21:58) -- 14 hours and 41 minutes after I stepped out the door. That's right 14:41! Stepping into the house, I see the clock on the wall reading 10:01.

Alice, I'm home!

On Peopling Heaven?

2008-06-12T22:18:00.006-04:00

There are a few enigmatic numbers in the Bible. Most are easily explained - three, ten, twelve, and a thousand come to mind. And then there is the number 153. An odd number, in more than one way. We read this number in the living object lesson Jesus uses after his resurrection - his last miracle while on earth. We read this in John's Gospel:

John 21:
3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.
8 And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes.
9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.

This number, it turns out is what some math whiz types call a "triangular" number. This comes from building a two dimensional pyramid (triangle) with one at the top and a progression of "blocks" of one additional each per level. The number is the summation of 1 through level n, where in is the base level. Each "side" of the triangle would have the same number of blocks. This example, using zero's, shows a triangle of ten, each "side" having four "blocks"

0
0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0 0

The formula for a summation is:

Sum (1 - n) = n * (n+1) / 2

For four (4) levels we have the sum of 1 through 4 = 4 * 5 / 2 = 10. The sum of 1 through 17 is 153. [ 17 * 18 / 2 = 17 * 9 = 153]

Those who try to make something out of this "parable" usually equate this catch with the future "catch" of people "from the sea" of nations. Perhaps even indicating 153 people groups. This is possible. Especially since another number, identified as the "number of man" is ALSO a triangular number. 666 is the sum of 1 through 36:

36 * 37 / 2 = 18 * 37 = 666

And so, we have a number representing mankind, and a smaller number representing those saved out of that number. The smaller number is just under 23% of the larger one. This agrees with the parable of the sower where one fourth of the seeds produce fruitful plants.

If we look for another number to represent the saved, we look no further than two chapters in the same source that gives us the "666" - The book of Revelation. That number is the total from the twelve tribes - twelve thousand from each, or 144,000. Since it can be demonstrated the number 144 is a number of redemption, and that "thousands" is a way of indicating multitudes, this number symbolically states "redeemed multitudes." However, perhaps John was actually just seeing the "leading edge" of this multitude - the "last level," so to speak. If this 144,000 was meant to be the "base" of a triangular number we would have 10,368,072,000 (10.3 Billion). A handsome "multitude" of ALL the saved throughout the ages.

If we take the 23% as a proportion of ALL the people that have ever lived, then we have a larger number of 45,078,573,913 (a little over 45 Billion) from which the 10.3 Billion came. This figure represents the doubling of the population on an average of about every 180 years. I arrived at this by estimating the powers of two. 2 to the tenth power is approximately 1,000. 2 to the twentieth power is approximately 1,000,000. And to the 30th power, we reach 1,000,000,000. Every power after that doubles the number 31st = 2 billion, 33rd = 8 billion, 35th = 32 billion. The final doubling would far exceed our number, so we divide 6000 by 35 to come to about 170, and then add a little! Clear as mud?

Graphically, or perhaps more accurately, symbolically, this is what that looks like:

The best defense

2008-06-08T16:44:00.004-04:00

In sports and in warfare, one can expect to win if they have a superior first strike advantage. The same thing can be said for public health! The best defense against killer diseases is to eliminate them at the source. The United States did that in the fifties with DDT. Then one of our own dear liberal souls saw what she saw as a threat to eagles and other birds of prey. And so, worldwide disdain for a Nobel Prize winning discovery began!

Last year, I seem to remember reading about the debunking of the environmentalists' arguments for banning DDT - the most effective insecticide ever developed. Especially against mosquitoes. Now the NY Times has an article lauding the efforts of diverse groups heroically raising money for nets to ward off the mosquitoes that the environmentalists saved from oblivion. The nets contain insecticide, but mostly they just keep the little beasts away from sleeping children.

Two children a minute, on the average are dying from malaria and related diseases, and we want to send $10 nets to save them. How much DDT will $10 buy? I would venture to say that would be enough to eradicate the mosquitoes in a small village with hundreds of children! Even an environmentalist group with a personal stake in Africa - The African American Environmentalist Association - demands the use of DDT to save the population of Africa from extinction! They have a web page dedicated to this. There they give lip service to the woman who lead the fight against DDT in the sixties, but they insist that the poison is safe around children when used properly.

I am a conservative, but I believe in responsible management of resources. Buy nets, but don't forget the bug spray!

Dax Creager Martin

2008-06-03T22:17:00.009-04:00

Well, this blogger has another grandson! It is hard to believe that it has been almost two years since I started this blog and included pictures of Jett as a baby. I saw a lot of old friends (well 3 to 5 anyway) and I sort of promised pictures tonight! :-)

And so, Dax was born early on May 14, 2008, and so by the time most read this he will be three weeks old. My most recent pictures are less than a week old, but I am sure he has grown!

And so, here he is (with family, since I didn't grab any of him in the bassinet.

The one on the right is Dax (French: "leader"). Jett is growing like a weed. The guy in the middle is Uncle Sam (and he has the hat [not shown] to prove it!)

I had a few more pictures (taken on the day Dax was born) but there seems to be an error in uploading them presently. Perhaps later.

6.66 Billion, another omen?

2008-05-01T19:06:00.005-04:00

Well, according to the calculators at the US Census Bureau, the world population has just topped 6.66 Billion. Since 666 is the "number of man," could this be an omen that mankind's time is about up?

Just wondering. Here's "proof"

Click on the image to view it full size. The data circled shows that this number has just been reached sometime in the last week!

"Project 50"

2008-03-23T22:57:00.003-04:00

I had a notion one day to plan a trip to each of the fifty state capitals. And to do it in five weeks. On paper in looked pretty good. I looked up pastors in churches of my denomination in or near each of the stopping points (my east coast jaunt would take in as many as three states in a day!), so I could get lodging. My "only" problem then would be upkeep on my car and time. I figured I could do it for $5000 or so - $100 per state!

But, of course, even that plan was ludicrous. Part of the plan was to come up with an objective. Just WHY would anyone wish to go to these places? What would I do when I got to the capital building. Well, what about just praying? A noble cause, for sure.

And so, that evolved into an email campaign to the fifty governors to ask if they would mind a telephone call "on one of the fifty days from Easter to Pentecost." Well, no takers on a phone call (so far), and only some have even sent a follow-up email. But I started the prayers tonight, "Easter" Sunday.

Check out the blog at http://50prayers50governors.blogspot.com

How 'Bout Them Dawgs!!

2008-03-17T19:45:00.004-04:00

I do not follow basketball - not even church league here at home - but here is another blog about basketball in as many days!

From the sports page of the New York Times:

"The sixth-seeded Bulldogs, who won four league games all season, won four in four days and captured the Southeastern Conference tournament championship and an automatic berth in the N.C.A.A. tournament with a 66-57 victory over Arkansas."

With a losing season going in, the Dogs tenaciously held on through a literal storm to get a spot in the big show -- March Madness! At least one man - their coach, Dennis Felton - received a "new lease on life" as his dismal season had put his job in jeopardy.

I am NOT going to embarrass myself by posting my "picks" this year. And I do not hold out any hopes that my alma mater will upset the likes of Duke, North Carolina, or Boston College. But let this Georgia Boy vicariously bask in the glory of the moment!

Watch Out NCAA!

2008-03-16T20:36:00.004-04:00

Faith and Basketball - an unlikely combination? Not to the scouts from the NCAA!

It seems that the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships have quietly worked up some interest in some of the most impressive Christian athletes out there! As this article in Sunday's New York Times points out, home-schooled students are not the slackers some would have you believe. Locally, here in Greenville, we have just finished our church league tournaments with some impressive games. Our teams did not bring home trophies, but the senior girls won nine of eleven regular season games! Some of our players were home-schooled.

Most of the players at the National Christian Homeschool Basketball Championships, though, had to field teams from OTHER home-schools because only 18 states - sadly South Carolina being one of them - will allow participation of home-schooled athletes in their programs. State Senator Mike Fair (from the upstate) is leading the fight for the home-schoolers.

I applaud the scouts who are looking for talent WHEREVER it may be -- even on the courts of a Christian College in Oklahoma City.

One Last Lecture

2008-03-14T23:12:00.003-04:00

Eat up by cancer, but otherwise healthy, Dr. Randy Pausch spoke on "Achieving your childhood dreams." In this out-take from an hour message, as presented to an audience at Oprah Winfrey's show, will bring a tear to the eye - or at least a lump in your throat!

What would YOU say if you KNEW you would die soon?

Signs of the Time?

2008-03-11T19:55:00.004-04:00

Check this out:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/09/business/worldbusiness/09crop.html

What's this world coming to? Well, Revelation 6:6 comes to mind:

"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine."

A "penny" is a denarius, equal to a day's wage. The daily wage in Nigeria is about $2.00 a day (median per capita is $560). But that does not stop the local middle class from spending half a day's wage for a serving of bread in the morning:

“I must eat bread and tea in the morning. Otherwise, I can’t be happy,” Mr. Sule said as he sat on a bench at a roadside cafe a few weeks ago. For a breakfast that includes a small loaf, he pays about $1 a day, twice what the traditional eba would have cost him.

To save a few pennies, he decided to skip butter. The bread was the important thing.

“Even if the price goes up,” Mr. Sule said, “if I have the money, I’ll still buy it.”

Addicted to wheat bread! Who would have thought? Though the economy looks like it is headed into a recession, things are looking up for America's farmers. STILL the breadbasket of the world, our market is growing! Even those that had very little NEED for wheat bread (like in Nigeria) are demanding the product! They can't grow much themselves, so the price is increasing towards their daily wage.

Is the end near? How much time do we have left? Will Africa's population "self-destruct"? So many questions? So little time!

Or, will everything work itself out? Supply-side economics and all that! Time, as usual, will tell all. Just you wait!

Free Speech and "Eternity"

2008-03-09T17:16:00.003-04:00

I was thinking of writing a blog on this mix-up in Cathedral City, California, but a blogger named Ben Witherington beat me to it! That is what I get for putting off reading my email until the weekend! Anyway, Ben has a lot to say, much of it quite humorous, so check out what he had to say about this at his blog.

Personally, I think the word "Eternity" is a little nebulous for a preacher of the gospel to use on the top of his building. To really get the message across, I would expect "Jesus Saves," especially from a Southern Baptist. Of course as Mr. Witherington shoes in a joke on his blog, the "Jesus Saves" message can be a bit of a cliche'. Then again, since this display in an out of the way place got so much attention, it might very well have been the BEST word to use!

All the more reason to pray for California, I suppose.

A Line in the water?

2008-03-01T22:53:00.006-05:00

The state of Georgia is dry. Not blessed with a lot of streams, rivers, and dammed up lakes, it has taken to begging water from it's neighbors like South Carolina. And now, a dispute as old as the state of Tennessee has presented a new attraction: water!

It seems that the smaller, more geographically blessed neighbor to the north has a river with plenty of mountain fresh water. The trouble is, it is JUST our of reach. Unlike the Savannah river to the east (which it shares with us in the fair state of South Carolina) and the Chattahoochee River to the west (which has its headwaters just south of the Atlanta airport) which it has to share with Alabama, the Tennessee River is not part of the official border. At least not on the maps.

But the law that the US government used to establish the Tennessee border specifically called for the 35th parallel to be the southern border. That line slices across a bend in the Tennessee River.

As this screen shot from Google Earth plainly shows, the tri-state corner is certainly in the Tennessee River. Clicking on it ought to give better detail.

So, what gives, Tennessee? Just because a few guys almost two hundred years ago put the corner post on land a mile south of here (who could blame them, really, especially in the winter!), it does not change the geography! The law could have designated the River as the boundary, but that would have given up a valuable water way to the "good ol' boys" established in Washington and Atlanta (or Milledgeville, or where-ever it was in those days).

Furthermore, if the boundary marker determines all points east, then Georgia should be about 140 square miles bigger. That's about the area of the city of Atlanta! Think of what developers could do with that! I grew up in Georgia back in the twentieth century [aka "the dark ages"], and my family lives there now [I'm the only foreigner], so I certainly will root for them to win this dispute. It will be giving up more than just water rights. But it will be good if the Supreme Court can come to a conclusion here pretty soon.

We will share some of our water. Tennessee can do as much.

A Word from the Chairman

2008-02-09T11:23:00.000-05:00

Ed Rollins, who surely understands how politics works, has some definite ideas on WHY it is still possible for Mike Huckabee to be the 44th president of the USA! He is Mike's campaign chairman. No confidential information is in this memo, so I thought it suitable for publication here. Here is the full memo:
February 8, 2008

Memorandum to Huckabee Campaigners

From: Ed Rollins, Campaign Chairman; Chip Saltsman, Campaign Manager

Re: Our Path to Victory at the Minneapolis-St. Paul convention

Too many Republicans have tried to turn this nomination battle into a coronation, not a series of further election contests. Big mistake on their part. They are wrong. We know that we are running an underdog campaign, but that's nothing new - we have always been the underdog. And yet a whole lot of onetime "overdogsâ€ are now on the sidelines, licking their wounds. The Republican National Convention is seven long months away; a lot can happen in that much time. A lot will happen.

But in the meantime, as you all know, Governor Huckabee is not a quitter. He has never shirked from a challenge, and he never will. He has always told us - and personally reaffirmed to us just today - that he is in this raceto win. That is, to win the Republican presidential nomination, and to win the White House. Why? Because he cares deeply about the issues that inspired him to get into politics in the first place - back in the 60s, when he started studying the works of the great conservative thinkers and writers, back in the 70s, when he was an ardent supporter of another underdog Republican. And what was that fellow's name? Oh yes - it was Ronald Reagan.

So don't let anyone tell you that it's over! In fact, as of today, no fewer than 27 states, districts, and territories have not yet had a chance to vote. That includes such big states as Texas (Chuck Norris' home state, 'nuff said), Ohio, and Pennsylvania. All the Republicans and Republican-minded independents in those states want to be part of the process, too, and they deserve to have a choice put before them. Folks don't want the Republican Establishment to pick the nominee for them, through a premature rush to judgment, and they sure as heck don't want the media to pick the nominee!

We note that in many of the hottest contests so far, the vote has been divided into thirds - typically, about one-third for Governor Huckabee, one third for Senator McCain, and one third for all the other candidates. And as you know, typically, Governor Huckabee has done best among hardcore Republicans - the activist base. That's one reason why we are looking forward to Governor Huckabee's speech to the legendary CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, in DC tomorrow morning. You'd better believe that the folks gathered at the Omni Shoreham hotel are the go-getters who make or break primary elections. Just wait till they get a load of Mike Huckabee!

We are confident that we will get most of the activists, the folks who work the hardest because they care the most about the issues. In addition, we note that many of the jurisdictions that have already voted have merely had the first round of their delegate-selection process. To be frank, there's still plenty of time for politicking, as Republicans really focus on the question of who should lead their party into the November election. Who's the most stalwart champion of Republican and conservative values? Who's the most articulate and effective campaigner? We know the answer to those questions - that's why we have been working our hearts out for Mike Huckabee. But soon, everyone paying attention will know that, too. As the campaign season grinds on - and let's again remember, this is just February! - there will be plenty of time for reflection and reconsideration, especially among those hundreds of delegates pledged to candidates who have now dropped out.

As we saw in West Virginia on Tuesday - where Governor Huckabee swooped in on the day of the state convention and won a decisive victory that changed the tone of the remaining Super Tuesday coverage - a single good speech from our candidate is often worth more than all the tens of millions of dollars, and all the big-shot endorsements, that the other candidates have been able to drum up.

Indeed, it's interesting that Mike Huckabee has done so well in the states so critical to Republican prospects this November. That is, those "swing states" that are essential building blocks of a Republican victory coalition this year. Let's face it: This November, we're not likely to be looking forward to a GOP landslide! The last two presidential elections were close - the GOP won 271 electoral votes in '00, and 286 in '04 - and we fully expect the '08 election to be hard-fought and close, too, as both parties wrestle to get the majority of those 538 electoral votes. What does all this mean to Republican activists? Well, it means that the next Republican nominee has to be able to nail down the electoral votes of such
"must-win" states in the South and Border States - exactly the states where Mike Huckabee has done so well this year. Hard-nosed political activists know that it doesn't do much good, November-wise, to run well in the blue bicoastal states. Sure, it would be great to carry New York and Massachusetts and California, but those mostly liberal states aren't a part of any gut-it-out strategy. (In fact, we think that Mike Huckabee would actually run stronger among traditional Independent and Democratic constituencies than any other Republican, but that'll be the subject of a future memo.)

And now, with the endorsement of Dr. James Dobson, who is the "gold standard" of social conservatism, we fully expect that Movement Conservatives - those who fight the good fight on Life, on Marriage, on the Second Amendment - will increasingly rally to our cause. In fact, come to think of it, any American who reveres the US Constitution has a stake in Mike Huckabee's success, because he has been an unstinting proponent of all our Constitutional freedoms, including the First Amendment, which he believes has been wrongly abridged by wrong-headed campaign finance "reform" legislation. Of course, there is one amendment that MH doesn't like: The 16th Amendment. That one was a mistake, which he will fix with the Fair Tax!

Mike Huckabee has great respect for John McCain. He has always defended the senior senator from Arizona against unfair and scurrilous attacks, and he always will. And because MH is who he is, he will continue to campaign as he always has - in an honorable and honest way. He will draw distinctions, he will debate and debate hard, but he will always be civil and decent. In fact, even many McCain supporters have told us that they appreciate the constructive role that Governor Huckabee can play in the months to come, because a vigorous discussion will keep all the media "oxygen" from migrating over to the heated Democratic contest.

Faith. Family. Freedom. Those are the words that have guided Mike Huckabee this far, and they will continue to guide him, and us, all the way to the White House next January. The 44th governor of Arkansas will be the 44th President of the United States.

See you at the Inauguration!

Mike's Story

2008-02-08T22:40:00.000-05:00

Here it is: A brief Video Biography of Mike Huckabee!

One of Four:

Two of Four:

Three of Four:

Four of Four:

This is the man that everyone dismisses. These short clips don't even scratch the surface of his accomplishments - any ONE of which could qualify him for public leadership. He deserves the FULL respect of all who must acknowledge him in this Two-man race!

Please consider helping with a donation (in the sidebar).

Mike Huckabee - The Only Conservative Left!

2008-02-07T22:12:00.000-05:00

Well, folks. It is down to a two-man race. Well, Ron Paul hasn't backed down, so technically we're looking at a three-man race. But even that being said, Mike Huckabee is the only Conservative left in the presidential race. Ron Paul is a libertarian at heart.

No one, even his staunchest supporters, can claim that John McCain is more conservative than Governor Huckabee. They will point to his "maverick" voting record as a strength - proof that he can work things out with the Democrats. Or even that he is following his convictions instead of the party line. But a conservative?

Here is a link to an interview this past Friday - before "Super Tuesday" - in which the governor answers some tough questions from Christian interviewers. This program was called "Americans of Faith"

In just a few days a few more states will have their turn. Huckabee has an even better chance to pick up the "red states" left. He has already shown strength in the south (which any candidate must get to become president). Can he deny McCain the 1,119 delegates? Can he actually surpass the senator and secure them himself? Or will there be a brokered convention?

Voters in the upcoming primaries and caucuses, you owe it to yourself to check out Mike Huckabee's website. If it you are looking for a conservative who has beat the Clinton machine numerous times - check out Mike. If you are looking for charisma to challenge the youth of the Obama wave - check out Mike. If you want to feel good about voting Republican to keep the Deomocrats out of the White House in November - Check out Mike!

Go Mike!

Biodiversity and "Evolution"

2008-01-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

When discussing "biodiversity" science writers cannot help but call it "evolution"! The very opposite of evolution - the LOSS of information - is a problem in the lucrative dairy business in Africa. Notice the mixing of the concepts of selective breeding ("assisted selection" as a opposed to "natural selection"!) with the concept of evolution (that is, "change"):

From "A Dying Breed" by Andrew Rice

"Every cow in the world is the product of some human agency. The extinct feral ancestor of all cattle, the auroch, was a fearsome horned creature that could grow to be six feet tall. There are two theories about the taming of wild aurochs. The traditional view holds that it happened around 6000 B.C. in the Fertile Crescent. But recent archaeological and genetic evidence suggests that domestication may have first occurred in Africa 2,000 years earlier, in the then-lush plains of the eastern Sahara. . . .

"For millennia, changing a breed’s genetics through husbandry required a long trial-and-error process. But today it can happen in an evolutionary eye blink. . . .

"To see the evolution in Ugandan dairy cattle, I visited a farmer named Jackson Sezibwa, who lives down a reddish dirt path outside the central Ugandan town of Mukono. A weather-beaten man of 46, Sezibwa greeted me in a torn, muddy shirt. He showed me to the metal-roofed stall where he keeps his Holstein, Kevina. . . .

"If the Ankole cattle are able to mount a comeback, it will be because circumstances have endowed them with a unique set of defenses, both evolutionary and political. Members of President Museveni’s ethnic group populate the upper ranks of Uganda’s government. . . ."

The author, Andrew Rice, seems to equate the term "evolution" with "selection." There is a continued LOSS of genetic information from the original "extinct" aurock (the oxen that came off the ark!). This is, it seems a detriment to the species - which is FAR from extinct. The worry is that there may be a pandemic in the ever warmer climate of the world bringing an actual extinction to the noble bovine race. Far fetched, of course, but possible.

The point is, true "evolution" is not at play here. The oxen - seven of which went on the ark (three pair and one to sacrifice) - were more diverse than other species because they were "clean." Therefore, it should not be of any concern to the world's guardians of "biodivesity" if the noble ankole breed disappears.

In fact, "evolution" of species is impossible! The only reason scientists continue this fable is because it takes the Creator out of the picture. The very evidence that humanist scientists use to "prove" evolution draw only from a diverse gene pool that has been diluted over time. No addition of information has ever been shown. Older species were just more diverse.

Bacteria are not bigots

2008-01-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

The New York Times felt that it was noteworthy to to tell the world that certain bacteria are "striking gay men." That implies that the microscopic pests know the difference and are picking on this population of San Franciscans (and Bostonians). This is downright foolish!

It is unmistakably the patently unhealthy lifestyle that spreads this "flesh eating" bacteria (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA for short). The article should have an "R" rating for mentioning the activity and body parts being affected. If anyone reading this is interested, I would suggest you "google" the MRSA and "gay" men. I will not provide a link to such vile stuff!

The alarm is that such a plague may spread not just among the homosexual community, but beyond. Like HIV, such infections are the result of unsafe practices that if held in check would leave the "straight" community practically untouched.

Bacteria are not bigots. They do not discriminate. Anyone that does the "crime" pays the price! My advice to those in danger of infection: "Clean up your 'act'."

Of One Blood: The myth of "race"

2008-01-08T22:07:00.000-05:00

I am a staunch conservative, but I have to admire Senator Barack Obama! The man refuses to make "race" an issue. In a New York Times article, he is accurately (as far as using "race" to describe human variation can be) called "biracial." He is just as "white" as he is "black," though his skin pigmentation is definitely from his natural father, Barack Obama, Sr, whom he never really knew. The Senior Obama was an exchange student from Kenya who separated from his very white mother, the late Shirley Ann Dunham, when the child was two.

"Disclaimer"*
From a comparison of MY records (incomplete) and a search via rootsweb (I am descended from the Dunhams), I am about a 10th cousin to the Senator!

His mother then remarried another student - this time Indonesian - and moved him to Indonesia for some of his earliest education. He basically "grew up white." However, he has consistently taken on the cause of Americans of African descent. But he refuses to call the cause "racial." And so do I. From the Genesis record we know that ALL mankind is descended from one couple. This is confirmed in the New Testament:

Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

And so, let us take some advice from the Junior Senator from Illinois. Let us admit that we need to look for solutions to HUMAN problems, not "racial" ones.

Is the polar bear "endangered"?

2008-01-05T15:20:00.000-05:00

Sara Palin lives there, so she should know. But environmentalist groups are lobbying to put the big whites on the "Endangered Species" list based on the flimsy excuse that their "habitat" is disappearing. Not so fast, the Alaskan governor declares.

It seems that there are more polar bears now than there were forty years ago. The laws meant to protect them are working. By using "global warming" arguments, which project short term trends to a logical conclusion, environmentalists claim that as goes the ice, so goes the bear. That is discounting the vast plain of permafrost which supports much more life than do icebergs! The bears may even have a BETTER time at finding land-based prey.

Besides, how biologically diverse is a polar bear from its cousins? Perhaps it would just adapt to changing conditions. Do you think a study has been done from THAT angle? Probably not, given the present evolutionary bias in the sciences. As a matter of fact, studies are not needed. History and science are replete with examples of "hybrids" among bears. Both the grizzly and the brown bear have been known to interbreed with the polar bear -- with fertile offspring! Therefore, it can be reasonably assumed that the "species" is not in danger at all! As you get away from the frozen north, bears of other varieties are numerous. It would be sad, I suppose, if a particular "breed" of bear were to disappear. But "endangered" is not a term that need be used.

Mission Accomplished?

2007-12-30T22:58:00.000-05:00

In May of AD 30, the risen Savior, Jesus Christ, told his disciples:

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Eighteen centuries and 15,000 miles away, on the tiny Island of Rata Iti, this task was accomplished:

"Rapa, on the southeast radial from the centre, is the most southerly island in tropical Polynesia and is sometimes included in the Austral Islands. Like the Austral Islands, Rapa had been so neglected that Stokes, who went there from Raivavae, found the myths and traditions scanty and confused. The few fragments that were gathered are interesting as remnants of a richer oral literature that was not committed to writing by the early native missionaries who were preoccupied with spreading the new theology.

The Reverend Davies, who visited the island in 1826, stated that the religion of Rapa was the same as that of Tahiti but without the parade and show. There were no regular religious structures, but a few stones were regarded as sacred shrines with magic power. No images in stone or wood were found, the the gods Paparua and Poere were represented by material objects." -- Vikings of the Sunrise, by Te Rangi Hiroa, chapter 13

After the gospel had spread throughout the civilized world, the London Missionary Society had set out to reach the heathen of the uncivilized world. A British sea captain, George Vancouver, rediscovered the island in 1791 on his circumlocution of the globe. Though better known for his exploration of the American Northwest, his voyage took him to Hawaii and Australia and around Africa back to England. Along the way he observed the island without much interaction. This was a "whirlwind" tour at the end of a short life (he died upon return to England at age 40).

The missionaries, though, used this discovery a generation later to reach this island that is the furthest point of land away from Jerusalem! The natives were eager to learn new ideas, and soon abandoned their old belief system. Unfortunately, the gospel was not the only thing that came from Europe. Diseases unknown to this far land ravaged a population of around 2000 people -- down to about 300! We can only hope that those who died had embraced the new faith. Our Lord is sovereign, so I am sure that in that generation HIS people were indeed brought into the kingdom.

Today a third of the inhabitants are members of the "Tahitian Choir" which spreads the gospel in their unique language - in their unique sound -- a widening audience (thanks to the worldwide web!) Of course, without translators, the wider audience will not benefit from the message. However, reviewers seem enthralled by the sound.

And now, if those in Jerusalem can just reach their own backyard!

Christmas in Heaven - a short story

2007-12-25T21:25:00.000-05:00

The newcomer looked around. Everything was glorious - so very glorious! The apostle John had attempted to describe it, but his words had been but an earthly attempt at describing the indescribable! This was the presence of the Lord!

Or at least it was the "outer court" where saints of all ages awaited the great day of resurrection only hours away (in heavenly terms). In their spiritual bodies the millions visited, reminiscing about the blessing. And lamenting the "mistakes." Here those of whom legends were written met with misguided "believers" with the facts that revealed the truth.

One such saint was Nicholas of Myra. A kindly man who had forsaken the world's riches to serve Christ. In giving away his wealth he had build memories embellished through the centuries. His generosity had been the basis of legends - even "fairy tales" - of annual visits by beings that friends of his day would never have recognized!

"If I could but turn back time," Clement Moore lamented, "I would never have written such nonsense." He spoke, of course of his famous portrayal of "Saint Nick" in "A visit from St. Nick," known around the world as "The Night Before Christmas." Though only a small percentage of he saints present had actually heard this story, the new comers of the past few heavenly "hours" were eager to know the truth.

"Don't feel bad," Nicholas said, "for you were only reflecting the combined fantasies of generations of ignorant people looking for hope and love in a world gone mad."

"But even when we knew it was make-believe," one new comer assured the repentant minister, "we enjoyed the 'spirit' of the story."

"But behold," Nicholas declared, "the Light of the world!" He directed attention toward the brightest light in the universe - where heaven met earth, where eternity touched time. This was the light of the nativity - seen by lowly shepherds in a heavenly army of God's angels, and by distant royalty as a star, which led them to the child born savior of the world!

The Real St. Nicholas

2007-12-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

On a day when many question the true nature of Christmas, we speak lightly of a man who has been so distorted by myth and legend. Most will admit that such a man as Nicholas DID exist, but feel that he was insignificant when it comes to Christmas as such. While "Christmas" was not observed in his day, Nicholas of Myra WAS there when the human nature of Christ was "settled" to most of the church's satisfaction. This was at the council of Nicea, when the Nicene creed was first set down on paper. It was subsequently amended, but the first and second clauses stayed essencially then same:

The "Nicene" Creed

We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.

And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father and the son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Nicholas was a short man, with apparently a short fuse. One story has it that while at the Council of Nicea he was so angry at the heretic on trial, Arius, that he slugged him across the face, knocking him to the ground! He had previously shown this zeal against the pagan worshipers of Artemas ("Diana") - to the tearing down of the temple in Myra - that the church is said to have adopted HER birthday as Nicholas' feast day (since he did not suffer martyrdom).

His kindness and generosity among believers, though, was "legendary." And thus, his nature as a giver of gifts survived through the ages. Read about the saint at the wikipedia article.

Energy Independence

2007-12-15T19:33:00.000-05:00

One of the winning points on Mike Huckabee's platform is energy independence:

"The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term."

That's right folks, not ten years, but eight! Of course, from NOW it would be ten (2009-2017). But that would mean the Democrats would have to pass Huckabee's plan now to give him a headstart. How about it Senator McCain? Representative Paul?

Well, not friends to the governor, the folks at the New York Times ran an article that supports the NEED he sees. The good folk in the oil producing countries are energy independent in a big way. Within the next decade some of the United States' major suppliers will become importers instead. It seems that they actually WASTE fuel! Go figure, huh?

We CAN do it, folks. With concerned men like Governor Huckabee and U.S. Representative Bob Inglis on the job, leading the way, this goal is possible!

The text of a bill authorizing an "H-Prize" (co-sponsored by Rep. Inglis (R. SC)) is found here.

By the way, my friend Bob Inglis has recently endorsed Mike Huckabee!

On a Cold Christmas Eve

2007-12-11T22:21:00.000-05:00

Here is a new twist to "The Night Before Christmas" that I come by accident:

http://jeannies-happy-world.blogspot.com/2007/12/poemplease-reflect-on-it.html

I am not sure of the setting - an officers home in Afghanistan, perhaps - but the sentiment is lovely.

They called it GREEN-land!

2007-12-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

Following a link with an interesting headline, I ended up reading about opportunities to fly to Greenland to see "evidence for global warming." It occurred to me that there must me a reason that island is called "Green-land." Indeed, back when the Norsemen discovered and exploited it, it was indeed a large GREEN island with mild winners and short summers. For hundreds of years the colonies there were prosperous!

"Cores taken from the ocean bottom west of Iceland show evidence that the ocean conditions between the 8th and 12th centuries were relatively calm and that little sea ice was present to hinder navigation. The build-up of sea ice beginning in the 13th century correspond with evidence from ice cores whose layers of annual snowfall show isotopic evidence that the 14th century had the coldest climate known in Greenland during the past 700 years."

-- from an article at the Museum of National History website.

This PAST climate change is quite apart from the industrial revolution. For four hundred years - in the middle of the dark ages when NO-ONE had machines and the population was in the low hundreds of millions worldwide! And now, a full SEVEN hundred years later, things are turning around for the giant step child of the Vikings! Maybe we'll be planting winter wheat there to feed the starving BILLIONS affected by rising seas!

Honestly, folks, if we would manage the planet like we are supposed to -- no clear cutting, no wasteful harvesting of wildlife, etc. -- we would not have to worry about the "pollutants" of carbon dioxide and water vapor ("natural" products of combustion). Plants thrive on the carbon dioxide that animals produce as bi-products of simply living. As we release this gas from "carbon" fuels, we are returning the earth to a state it hasn't seen since it was FIRST over-run with people back in "the days of Noah." Those people were evil to the core, but mankind was given another chance. We're it. Let's take advantage of the improving temperatures (where we have them), and try to make this a better, slightly warmer world.

"Get a horse!"

2007-12-08T22:55:00.000-05:00

Some environmentalists decry modern technology for its deadly pollutants. Never mind the fact that true pollutants, that made people sick, have been reduced to near nothing in the civilized West. Anyway, some have advocated literally going back to horse drawn vehicles. Not so fast!

In this article we find some interesting facts about nineteenth century problems with horse manure! Gary DeMar quotes original sources from the days when automobiles were rare and horses ruled the roads. It was, to put it mildly, a mess. Consider this:

"[A]s the health officials in Rochester calculated in 1900, the 15,000 horses in that city produced enough manure in a year to make a pile covering an acre of ground 175 feet high and breeding sixteen billion flies" [Joel A. Tarr, “The Horse—Polluter of the City,” The Search for the Ultimate Sink: Urban Pollution in Historical Perspective (Akron, OK: University of Akron Press, 1996), 323–324.]

Yuck! The job of cleaning this up went to the sanitation workers, who often skipped "regular" garbage to deal in the lucrative fertilizer business selling horses manure! The streets were less than pristine, if you get my drift. :-)

The "carbon footprint" of yesteryear was far bigger than anything our imperfectly burning engines will ever produce. The carbon dioxide - which is as essential to plant growth as was manure in 1900 - was once considered "safe," since it poisoned no one, and in fact was considered beneficial. And what about water vapor, the other, more prevalent "greenhouse gas," which is also the byproduct of burning "fossil" fuels? Is it not preferable to liquid water, with added chemicals, which graced the ground in the wake of the animals that knew no better?

Global warming may be occurring, but at what rate? And to what harm in the long run? Let us concentrate not on the "danger" of some gases changing life as we know it, but instead on "taking care" of those great gifts that God has given us - including horses!

A late entry into the Bible Code derby

2007-12-05T23:40:00.000-05:00

As promised, here is the code. I marked the code in different colors, though "excellent spirit" did not show well in th graphic below. Go here to view the original jpeg.

As I said, "for what it is worth." I have found that the Equal distant sequences DO yield quite a bit of information far beyond chance. However, here we have straight text with no gaps! It may mean nothing, but you've got to admit, it is amazing!

Homeless in New Orleans

2007-12-05T22:07:00.000-05:00

Twenty-seven months ago, the god of this world faced the God of the universe and lost. A category 4 hurricane named "Katrina" (possibly from Greek katharos, "pure," denoting a purification?) slammed into the "Big Easy" after showing itself for about a week. The governments involved - local, state, and federal - responded dismally. And so, now there are twice as many homeless and the "big bad government" is set on making that number bigger by kicking free-loaders out of trailers to find rental property that is still being build (and over-priced).

A Ms. Tracy Bernard is featured in this story from the New York Times. The author, Susan Salsny, paints a bleak picture - including protest squatters at city hall and responsibility being laid at the federal government's feet for sub-par levees. After 1381 words, Ms. Bernard is quoted as saying:

“I know I’m going to find something,” she said. “I have faith. I know God’s going to work something out for us.”

That's right, the last sentence, just eight words from the end, mentions God. Nothing is said of the work of the church along the coast. Only once is a family with a home mentioned as a place to stay. Government must be there - the god of this world that lost when it mattered most! Even now, the church needs to stand in the gap. One day, it will be an ultimate choice - God or government? - which will it be for you?

For what it's worth, an amazing little tidbit from the "outer limits" - a "Bible Code" - might have tagged this one. To simplify this blog, I will include the basic code in the next blog.

Huckabee on the death penalty

2007-11-29T23:07:00.000-05:00

Mike Huckabee gives the straight story on the death penalty - the only candidate that ever had to sign off on any. He rightly differentiates between guilty killers and killing the innocent pre-born child. And then, he ends with a zinger!

I like Mike -- winner of the debate in two statewide polls (undecideds in Florida 44%, general listeners in Iowa, %36)!

Connectional Church

2007-11-27T21:58:00.000-05:00

I have a new version of email composer with bellsouth.net (now actually att.net, but still retains the old email addresses). I does not have a "html" composer like the original, but rather builds a link automatically. Unfortunately, it is set to automatically word wrap and does not treat some links well. And so, I put it here to allow easier access to a great article about the blessing of a connectional church!

Pastor James Barnes, of a PCA church in Tennessee got a call from his wife, stranded in Alabama. After getting the run-a-round from professionals that were supposed to be able to help, he went to a directory and found a PCA church in the area. Click on this link for the heart-warming story.

Mike Gets Serious

2007-11-25T21:54:00.000-05:00

The Chuck Norris ad was "cute," and it got Mike's name out to the whole nation. However, many naysayers out there disapproved of the humor. Well, Gov. Huckabee used our contributions over the last week wisely. A short 30 second spot makes the point: "Believe"

I like Mike!

"Adult" stem cells from baby teeth!

2007-11-24T21:10:00.000-05:00

The liberals might just have to give up the fight to legitimize embryonic stem cell research! Everything else just seems to be working so much better. First umbilical cord blood, now baby teeth! Not to mention just about any cell from anyone's body (see earlier post). Here is a commercial ad for "BioEden" I come across providentially.

This is an existing program that costs a lot less than the umbilical cord blood process and can be utilized well after the child has been taken home from the hospital. As with other work with "adult" stem cells, this research has actually produced real treatments!

Within Ethical Boundaries

2007-11-24T13:49:00.000-05:00

An example of pure science - dedicated professionals using FACTS to solve problems that seemed "unsurmountable" only a few years ago! President Bush faced a dilemma, being pro-life while being considered anti-science. And so, he compromised, allowing continued work on existing cells created from destroyed human embryos. The Left was not satisfied, seeing a need for MORE of the killing of those tiny humans. The Right was not happy because the government allowed research, though without its funds, to continue. And so, dedicated scientists used funds available to them to do the obvious: figure out HOW an ovum could change nuclear material from a fat cell into an embryo (the source for "stem" cells) in the process of cloning.

The solution was in the genes. Trial and error, and some common sense elimination, narrowed the genes down to FOUR! In a strange switch of priorities, Japanese scientists did this with mouse cells and Americans did it with human cells. It works the same with both species. "Stem cells" can be grown from skin cells (or any cell) in a lab! Now BOTH sides of the political spectrum can get back to advancing research "within ethical boundaries."

Check out the New York Times article (full article available for a limited time only) for further details.

Is Science a "Religion"?

2007-11-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

In an interesting op-ed Paul Davies concludes: "until science comes up with a testable theory of the laws of the universe, its claim to be free of faith is manifestly bogus." In this copyrighted article, he explains that the only rational way to be a scientist is to BELIEVE that the "laws of physics" are absolute. Whether a scientist is peering into "inner space" at the sub-atomic level, or the vast expanse of outer space, he is EXPECTING to find order, not chaos. Even when he tries to explain HOW everything came to be, he must depend on the basic laws of physics to assemble "order" from chaos.

And so, away with this nonsense that "faith" is devoid of reason! For "reason" is not devoid of faith. And, it never will be. It is impossible for a finite mind -- even the collective minds of all of humanity -- to explain the infinite source of the "laws of physics." Isaac Newton was a genius, but he was also very religious. He saw the connection. Let our self-appointed gurus of science take note.

Debate excerpt: Mike on Morals

2007-11-20T23:09:00.000-05:00

From YouTube comes a pertinent answer to "What is the most pressing moral issue facing this country today?" Huckabee's pro-life concerns reach far beyond the womb:

Chuck Norris Approved

2007-11-18T19:52:00.000-05:00

And now, the winning TV ad of the primary season:

Pastors and Pews by Mike Huckabee

2007-11-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Some may wonder why we Christian Conservatives are so divided over the choices for the Republican nomination. I sure do. How can such good men as Bob Jones, III, and Pat Robinson make such endorsements as they have done? And why is James Dobson reluctant to make HIS voice known in a personal endorsement? We know who he WON'T endorse already!

Anyway, it is clear to THIS Christian Conservative who should be our standard bearer. I, for one, AM voting for a pastor, not just a president! I like Mike! And so, here is a much longer video (over 40 minutes) which gives a very real feel for just who this man is:

Please feel free to spread this message. We need a true conservative Christian to lead this nation back to God.

I Like Mike!

2007-11-11T22:17:00.000-05:00

It is a sad day when the biggest names in Conservative Christianity endorse candidates for their chances of winning. I submit to you all that ANY strong conservative will beat Hillary in the South - especially the "Deep South." If the conservative Christian community will just exert their strength in numbers behind ONE MAN - and that man being one of them! -- He can win! This add is a good one:

"Hell" to pay!

2007-10-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

For years -- well, actually for decades, mankind has been battling "air pollution." And for good reason. Natural "air" is a combination of nitrogen, oxygen, trace minor gases, water vapor, and carbon dioxide. The last two are what have come to be known as "greenhouse gases." Pollution is the introduction of dangerous gases and particulates that compete with natural air in interaction with plant and animal life on the planet.

The Environmental Protection Agency highlights the six most common pollutants, four of which so compete - and thus poison all life on the earth. These pollutants are: carbon monoxide [CO], Nitrogen dioxide [NO2], Ozone [03], Sulfur dioxide [SO2], particulate matter [dust, dirt], and lead [Pb, the ultimate "heavy metal"]. The first four are gases that co-opt life-sustaining oxygen in a way that cannot be easily released to feed cells in living things. CO2, on the other hand, is used by trillions of plant cells to build sugars to build healthy plants and feed hungry animals! The number one contributer of Carbon dioxide is - hold onto your hats - breathing animals!! Both plants and animals exhale the other leading "greenhouse" gas: water vapor! This is the beautiful cycle of life created by our wise Creator.

But now, as natural cycles seem to be bringing a warming trend to our planet, some people are considering artificially alter the air (at least above the clouds) to cool down the earth - or halt the warming - much the way a major volcano does. That is, by introducing Sulfur into the stratosphere! Ah, yes, salvation is to come from the bowels of the earth! What could be the consequences of a cloud of sulfur above our [water vapor] cloud cover? And how much would be needed to "save the icecaps (and the polar bears)"?

Two pictures come to mind - one ancient and one modern. That place of death now known as the "Dead Sea" once had thriving cities on its shores: Sodom and Gomorrah. The brimstone that covered them was this same sulfur that these environmental zealots seek to spew into the air! And who can forget the world of The Matrix! Humanity tried desperately to remove sunlight as a power source of the up and coming computers, only to become the living batteries to run the Beast!

As it was once said: "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." How much more so if mankind seeks to "save" the earth unnaturally!

Gap Theory - Revisited

2007-09-22T22:42:00.000-04:00

"And the earth became without form, and void."

Or at least that is how some scholars have CLAIMED Genesis 1:2 should read. (The Original Scofield Reference Bible, for instance.) This was to allow for the time that would have produced the geological "evidence," and possibly even evolutionary development. Well, now the evolutionists have come up against a "gap" of their own.

In an article in the New York Times, John Noble Wilford laments that:

"In the study of human origins, paleoanthropology stares in frustration back to a dark age from three million to less than two million years ago. The missing mass in this case is the unfound fossils to document just when and under what circumstances our own genus Homo emerged.

The origin of Homo is one of the most intriguing and intractable mysteries in human evolution. New findings only remind scientists that answers to so many of their questions about early Homo probably lie buried in the million-year dark age."

How tragic that so much time in digging for bones is used to bolster an unprovable theory which MUST assume that God does not exist. From a single jaw bone whole species are created, dated by the fossil-containing rocks that are around it! And these rocks are dated by the assumed evolution of the presumed extinct organisms that are in them.

In this article, much is made of a few bones found near Russia (Republic of Georgia). This "hominid" is thought to have migrated early on out of Africa, only to return after "evolving" beyond its contemporaries. But alas, the fossil record has a great big gap - one million years wide - with no evidence upon which to build an argument. Quoting a researcher, the article ends:

"Dr. Lieberman said that he and colleagues 'are relentlessly optimistic that we have all the information we need to answer our big questions, but just haven’t figured out the order in which to connect the dots.'

But the real problem, he added, with resignation tempering optimism, 'is that the fossil record doesn’t have enough dots.' ”

First, there is the problem of "irreducible complexity" and now there is just not enough fossils! What's a poor evolutionist to do?

The Nature of Love

2007-09-17T20:55:00.000-04:00

"Alex’s final words were: “I love you.”

There is no doubt that Alex had a keen awareness of the situations in which that sentence is appropriate — that is, at the end of a message at the end of the day. But to say whether Alex loved the human who taught him, we’d have to know if he had a separate conceptual grasp of what love is, which is different from understanding the context in which the word occurs. By any performative standard — knowing how to use the word properly — Alex loved Dr. Pepperberg."

Verlyn Klinkenborg, NY Times Editorial

The linked article raises some interesting thoughts about the abilities of animals to actually think. But the editorial raised the question of "grasp[ing] what love is," a concept I have just recently covered in my devotional reading. Just what is love? The best description of Christian love is in I Corinthians 13:4-7 (my own translation):

This love suffers long, for it is kind. This love is not envious. This love does not brag and it is not arrogant. It is not rude, for it is not self-seeking. It is not irritable, for it does not think on bad things. It does not rejoice when it sees evil, but rejoices when it sees the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, expects all things, and it keeps itself under control.

This is of course "charity," or sacrificial love. Alex the parrot certainly displayed an affection for his trainer, as does my cat towards me. Dr. Pepperberg spent thirty years with this one bird, teaching it concepts of colors and shapes, and even, it seems, numbers. Surely, then the filial relationship was established. The bird, though, was just too selfish to know "agape" love. This sacrificial love is known ONLY among men and with God.

D. James Kennedy - Warrior in Christ's Army

2007-09-09T22:47:00.000-04:00

“Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.”

D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.

I cannot say much personally about the ministry of the PCA's most famous preacher. His ministries have had worldwide influence and many others are writing of this in blogs and websites this weekend. Dr. Kennedy had suffered a heart attack last December and just two weeks ago had retired from the church he had founded and pastored for almost five decades. I recommend, though, that my readers go to Coral Ridge Ministries website to read of this great servant of our great God.

I recently blogged concerning Dr. Kennedy (about the time of his heart attack, unknown to me) to defend his stance on activism. He had said we are to "take back America for Christ." A local reader of our newspaper was shocked at such a radical statement. The answer to "Who's afraid of Dr. Kennedy?" -- ungodly men and women who fear righteousness! He has passed on, but his legacy remains at Coral Ridge PCA, Evangelism Explosion International, and Knox Theological Seminary, to name a few!

A Wall of Separation

2007-08-11T12:05:00.000-04:00

Who would have thought that traffic engineers would be "peace keepers." But that seems to be the case in Israel. With all the talk about a separate Palestinian (that is, Philistine) state within the Biblical bounds of Israel, the present government seems to have come up with a solution for "separate, but equal" access through lands claimed by the separate peoples. Two parallel roads, divided by a concrete, fake stone wall, will bypass Jerusalem. Only verified Israeli or authorized Palestinians will have access to the road with exits into town. Palestinians can pass by town but not enter (routed under or over access roads).

Israel is willing to give up some of its land for peaceful "co-existence," but it will not allow Jerusalem to be used as a capital for its ancient enemies. From King David's time on, this city has been considered holy. In Solomon's time it became not only the capital, but the "home" of YHWH! How can the home of God be sold out from under Him?! Of course, we know that He owns it all. Not only that, His temple is not His home. God's home is with and IN His people! This is why I believe that the literal interpretation of all the "eternal" promises to Jerusalem are so misguided.

The city is not meant to be an eternal point in space that God considers sacred. The terrestrial city has served its purpose, being replaced by a temporal spiritual city (the church) that points to the eternal "New Jerusalem" which will be the "center of worship" in a new heavens-and-earth. This center of the new universe is described as a cube twelve thousand stadia (approx. 1380 miles) to a side. The only other cube in scripture is the "Holy of holies" - the inner sanctuary where the ark of the covenant was (1 Kings 6:16-20). It was there that God "dwelt." The symbolism is perfect, as the account in Revelation seems to make quite clear (Rev. 21:1-2, 10-27). That city will be the ultimate in "separation" as the eternally blessed will forever be with God while those outside (Rev. 22:15, see also Rev. 21:8) will forever be apart from His love and protection!

Unfortunately, many who consider themselves "God's people" driving on the Israeli side of these new roads in Israel are "heading in the wrong direction" while there is a large contingency of Christians (probably larger than all the Christian Jews in the land) in the population relegated to the other side of the wall. Such irony.

Read about the wall and the roads at the article at the New York Times.

The Brave vs. the Bold

2007-07-26T18:49:00.000-04:00

A pumped-up giant (some would say ogre), Barry Bonds meets his match in the consistency of Atlanta pitcher John Smoltz. Incredibly, though Smoltz has allowed more homers against Bonds than any other pitcher, he has shown he can control the ball enough to keep the homerun king at bay in the homestretch. Bonds is still short of Hank Aaron's record, but Smoltz does not intentionally walk him as many others do.

I like that, though I have come to dislike baseball as a whole. The use of steroids has changed the game. It not only spoiled the results of the single season home-run race, it has spoiled the all-time home-run race as well. Just as there should be an asterick next to Roger Maris's old record (broke in a spectacular race by Mark McGuire against Sammy Sosa and then by Bonds three short years later), Hank Aaron's record will also be overshadowed in controversy.

Will Smoltz intentially walk Bond at his attempt at number 755 and/or 756? I think he will pitch as usual. But then, I don't follow baseball anymore.

Ironically, the New York Times article about this match-up has an html entitled "25Bonds.html"
This is strange, unless the bias of the sports writer is against the Braves or something. It sort of shadows the

Leviticus 4:11!

2007-07-02T22:42:00.000-04:00

A rather interesting curse, or empty swearing, is the expletive Holy S---. Not quite using God's name in vain, and using a vulgar word for a natural fact of animal life, it brings to mind instructions in the Torah concerning what to do with the left over stuff not burnt on the offer -- take it outside and burn it!

Well, I think saying "Leviticus 4:11" would be a clever way to express one's wonder at some incongruence. Those with a sense of humor would "get it" once they ran to their copy of the Scriptures.

Such was my thought when I read the editorial in the New York Times that explained the little island they dubbed "Little America" near Haiti. A "postage stamp" of land off the coast of Haiti is being claimed by Haiti and the USA. And it is literally a pile of dung! A guano island, first claimed by an American sea captain 150 years ago as a source of fertilizer, Navassa will not support human life, though it supports over 650 other forms of life. Haiti claims it, but we did not recognize them when they made the claim. What a picture of vanity!

An Analytical Visionary

2007-06-23T22:34:00.000-04:00

What kind of thinker are you? This test of 18 choices purports to determine what kind of thinker you are and then gives suggestions on how to better communicate with other types of communicators.

This is part of the analysis it gave of my thinking type:

Deep Thinker

You are a deep, thought-filled person who is constantly participating in a dialogue with others to test your creative and rational processes. You're always asking yourself and/or others these three questions:

"Why is something happening?"
"How does it work?'
"Who can I communicate with to help me understand what's happening or who is the best person to work with to complete a specific task?"

Whatever you are thinking about has to have some analytic, precise and systematic criteria with a historical and factual basis. If it does not meet most of these, you first become skeptical and then very intuitively creative in exploring other ways to reconstruct the problem into a different paradigm which may lead to a distinct solution.

Well, that just about sums me up. As my wife of almost 30 years asked, "You needed a test to tell you that?"

Anyway, if anyone happens along to this, the test can be accessed here. The folks at ActualMe.com have apparently employed some good social scientists, because they figured out my three-quarter brain just about right. Now if I could just come to a conclusion! :-)

Liberal Whining at the New York Times

2007-06-14T20:41:00.000-04:00

Which is worse - prosecuting a policeman for roughing up a known drug dealer, or pursuing a gang of sex slave marketers within the bounds of the US? A no-brainer, huh? Of course, it would be the modern slave traders! But note what the New York Times writes:

Pursuing trafficking cases, rather than those involving hate crimes or police abuse, was seen as important to moving ahead in the department, current and former career officials said. They added that political appointees in supervisory positions frequently vetoed proposed hate crime investigations or questioned them to death.

“You only needed for that to happen a few times and people got the message they shouldn’t be eager to send up such cases,” said one lawyer who would talk only on condition of anonymity.

It seems that their anonymous sources think priorities should be in harassing overworked cops or prosecuting a guy for beating up someone who happened to be of a different world view or ethnic differences. Slavery or prejudice? Where should the priorities be placed?

It is a sign of the depravity of man to traffic in the carnal pleasures of the unrestrained few. Prejudice has been with us since the tower of Babel (and probably before!) and seems to be a built-in flaw (or defense mechanism in some cases). It is hateful to beat up anybody - especially those weaker than you - and someone who showed respect (dare we say "love") for his fellow men would not beat anyone up anyway!

The bulk of the article, though, was the Liberal Times whining about "special" attention being shown to people of faith in the Bush Administration. It is ironic that many of those who are receiving this much needed attention are the same ones turning against the President on his approach to immigration. He is our friend, folks! Just look who his enemies are!

The article complains that a total of eight graduates of conservative religious based law schools -- Ava Maria (Catholic) and Regents (Evangelical) -- in a three year period which "only" saw 63 from the leading liberal law schools (Harvard and Yale). This "marked increase" was somehow a political move in what, to them, has always been "nonpartisan". What hypocrisy! Harvard STILL puts out the majority of government lawyers -- 16 of 31 -- with more that ALL others combined in 2006! In fact, all the religious based schools (five listed) came out far behind the secular schools (four listed), being overwhelmed 6 to 25.

The irony of this is that both Harvard and Yale were founded early in this nation's history for the express purpose of educating the next generation of MINISTERS! Google pulled up this site (http://www.whatyouknowmightnotbeso.com/academia.html) in which the truth of our founding institutions is clearly laid out! Only with the Liberal Press can such an overwhelming ADVANTAGE be seen to be a problem! The one-fifth representation, including one Mormon is surely close to that of the general community and should not be feared.

The graphic above was on the NY Times, copyright 2007.

Reasoning with Liberals

2007-05-27T23:40:00.000-04:00

I am beginning to wonder if you can even reason with the liberals any more. Coming from the New York Times, the reporters try to be reasonable as they report the what appears to be spiteful decision of the top Democratic contenders to even appear on a Fox News sponsered debate. It even has the Liberal media confused:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/washington/27fox.html

by Raymond Hermandez and Jacques Steinberg

[T]he leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus began looking for a television outlet to co-sponsor and broadcast a presidential debate to address the concerns of minority voters.

Only one news channel made an acceptable proposal, and an unlikely channel at that: Fox News, in what some Democrats viewed as an effort to associate itself with a group that could help it make good on its claim of presenting “fair and balanced” news coverage.

But now that relationship is being shaken by the decision of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, and former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina to shun the debate . . .

Fox’s proposal included broadcasting the debates in prime time, giving the caucus a say in selecting moderators and covering much of the production cost. . .

There is no reasoning with them. It is all about power with them. Compromise means agreeing with them, as we can see with the vitriol that continues even after a compromise has been worked out on immigration reform. Of course, the right wingers are just as opposed to the new bill. Many of them are no more willing to accept anything but their way either. There is no reasoning with them, either!

Fox News tries to be fair, but they apparently can't be balanced as long as news directors edit what is aired. Someone has to CHOOSE what is aired, and in that there is a bias. But to shun such a network because they can't control them -- that is not fair. Not to the network, nor to their viewers.

Perhaps the minority voters will see through the propoganda of the left in this most recent hypocrisy. Or not.

"You didn't have a baby, you had a fetus"

2007-05-22T22:19:00.000-04:00

How utterly heartless to say such a thing to a grieving mother of a stillborn child. But such is the mindset of the pro-abortion crowd. The state official that explained to Joanne Cacciatore that a death certificate was all she would get was just pronouncing the "official" practice in most states. A baby is not "alive" until it breathes air.

This is patently false! And the abortionists know this. The science is so clear that the pro-abortion forces are against the movement that has gotten nineteen states -- including such bastions of liberalism as California and New Jersey! -- to pass laws allowing official documentation of the births. But Democratic governor Bill Richardson (who happens to be "running" for president) has vetoed a bill that would have given babies in New Mexico this honor.

How can someone be granted a "death certificate" without first having LIFE? That is a logical inconsistency if language means anything at all. What a stillbirth amounts to is a spontaneous late-term abortion. A majority of "abortions" used to be just "stillbirths," for intentional acts of violence against a developing child was thought to be barbaric. Unfortunate deaths of developing children were grieved as any such tragic deaths were.

Thankfully, South Carolina is one of the states that offer certificates. But three cheers -- and accolades -- to Indiana, Missouri, and Arizona! These states not only offer certificates, they give tax exemptions for the child. Now THAT'S commitment to life.

Chart and story

I read this first in the NYTimes Headlines online edition, Seeing the headline there, I immediately thought of the "abortion debate." And sure enough, that angle received its due. I was a surprised that some at Planned Parenthood were soft to the idea of giving the parents ways to greive their loss.

Solar Powered Flashlight -- for real!

2007-05-20T17:27:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know folks have joked about a "solar powered" flashlight. I mean, after dark, how would you use one? But then, who's to say that a solar battery charger couldn't do the trick?

I had seen solar-powered walk lights advertised, but I didn't need those. It makes sense, but I didn't think how much of a difference it would make to Africa and other developing nations where ineffecient kerosene and throw-a-way batteries were eating away at there economy and their ecology. No, I don't necessarily mean "global warming," but just that there are more economical and "safer" ways of getting light into the darkness.

Anyway, I thought this would be a good way to get the message out:

Here is the URL. This is a GOOD IDEA. More on this later.

400 Years! Happy Birthday Jamestown

2007-05-12T20:59:00.000-04:00

This weekend marks the beginning of the fifth century of English America. In a very real way, the observance of the signing of the Virginia charter on May 14, 1607, is a "birthday" celebration for America. The "American dream" began with this experiment in liberty. Though a commercial enterprise, its purpose was primarily for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on earth. One hundred years ago, these words were inscribed on a monument to mark the 300th anniversary (concluding instructions to the colonists):

Lastly and chiefly, the way to prosper and achieve good success is to make yourselves all of one mind for the good of your country and your own, and to serve and fear God, the Giver of all goodness, for every plantation which our Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out.

Ah, yes, the American dream was still alive at the dawn of the twentieth century. Now, though, history is being re-written daily. Lest we forget our heritage, let us reflect with Stephen McDowell on the Uniqueness of the United States:

"America has been different than any nation in history. America has been exceptional. This has not been due to any inherent value of her people, but has been due to the valuable ideas upon which she was founded.

These include such ideas as: valuing the individual; freedom of worship; opportunity for all to labor and benefit from the fruit of their labor; freedom to elect representatives; freedom of expression of ideas; freedom to own property; freedom to get ideas, start businesses and create wealth; limited jurisdiction of civil government; the central role of the family."

"D.S." should not mean "Death Sentence"

2007-05-12T17:08:00.000-04:00

I was catching up on this week's headlines and come upon this article.

This article calls attention to parents of children with Down Syndrome fighting for the continued acceptance of these precious people. I have known the worst cases and the best, and it is a tragedy that 90% of those parents told their child will suffer this disability will chose to terminate that young life before it gets a start! To be fair to these parents, most of those that consent to the test are predisposed to abortion as an option anyway. But nonetheless, I salute these parents of Downs children who are speaking out.

By the way, this seems to be largely non-political, and is not linked to any pro-life group.

Not Quite Solomon

2007-05-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

For my small readership, I offer this test (available here for a limited time). On the side bar of the New York Times online, the teaser was an offer to test by Monica Ardelt from the University of Florida to assess one's "wisdom." Since fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, I was not sure how well I would do on such a test. Thirty-nine questions later, I find out (at least according to this scientist's test) that I am moderately wise.

I suppose this is about right, since I am probably two-thirds of the way through life. That would mean, of course, that I project myself to live another 27 years at least! At least by the age of 81 I might rate an 4.5. Since my grandmother Allen was my oldest surviving grandparent at 88, I suppose the 81 is reasonable. I have surmised elsewhere that my unusually good health might have "condemned" me to the life of a centenarian. If I do, then I guess I might attain the covetted rating of "5" on the good doctor's scale.

I wonder what HER score was? :-)

Welcome to the Web

2007-04-29T23:16:00.000-04:00

It's finally up! Second Presbyterian Church of Greenville - at the heart of Historic West End -- has entered the 21st century. After quite a long wait our website is up and running.

Check it out at secondpca.org

Coming soon I will link to various pages of this site - just to give my readers a taste of Southern Presbyterianism.

Right now, I have to hit the hay -- long day tomorrow!

Christianity Done Right

2007-04-22T23:54:00.000-04:00

In an article touting the "virtues" of Government assistance, the New York Times buries the true answer on the third page! True help is not in MORE government programs but in dedicated Christian ministries doing what the Church is supposed to be doing!

From the article (p. 3):

In the past 10 years, the infant mortality rate for blacks in most of the Delta has averaged about 14 per thousand in some counties and more than 20 per thousand in others. But just to the south of Hollandale, Sharkey County, one of the poorest, has had a startlingly different record. From 1991 through 2005, the rate for blacks hovered at around 5 per thousand. State officials say the county’s population is too small — it registers only 100 births a year — to be statistically significant. But many experts feel it is no coincidence that a steep drop in infant deaths followed the start of an intensive home-visiting system run by the Cary Christian Center, using local mothers as counselors. “If this is a fluke it’s a 15-year fluke,” said Dr. Glick, the neonatologist.

The website for Cary Christian Center, serving for 35 years to the poorest counties in America, shows a full range of ministries available. [For some reason the banner heading frame does not load on Firefox. It is best viewed, therefore, with Internet Explorer.]

The complaints of the Progressive Secularist establishment is that Governor Barbour's policy of fiscal restraint and welfare reform are contributing to increased infant mortality. The article itself mentions the destructive lifestyles of the poor - notable obesity among poor women and permiscuity among teens - that undoubtably account for the mounting problems. Noteworthy, I suppose, is the reference to "unborn infants." I guess the child is an "infant" if one wishes to carry her to term and a "fetus" if otherwise!

The article has a chart that shows all of the deep south much the same condition as Mississippi, including South Carolina. I am not aware of programs as effective a Cary Christian Center here, but it certainly looks like there should be!

Evil strikes Virginia Tech

2007-04-21T21:57:00.000-04:00

Words escape me. The evil that took 32 innocent lives in one morning - 3o of them within less than one agonizing hour - can hardly be imagined. Perhaps the hate of a twisted mind like Adolf Hitler might be capable of contemplating such an act. But even the evil German dictator had other people do his biddings under a reasoned plan.

The victims ranged from freshmen from small town America to a Holocost survivor whose family immigrated to Israel. The killer did not seem to have any particular victim in mind, but did return to classrooms to make sure his deed was done.

I encourage everyone to visit the New York Times and read the profiles and comments on the victims. I spent the better part of today doing just that. It is a sad excercise, but one that will lead you to appreciate life and the grace of God that keeps most of us safe from the greater evil in the world.

Our prayers are with the victims' families, friends, and colleagues. As the nation mourns, let us reflect on our purpose and calling -- whatever it may be.

Of Greenhouse gases and healthy plants

2007-04-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while the New York Times gets it. Even in the science section.

In an article entitled Green, Life-giving, and Forever Young Natalie Angier makes a lot of good points about the importance of plants. Unfortunately, she gets into evolutionary theory and messes it up. She finds plants so different from animals that "it's like plants evolved on Mars." And then, the very mechanisms that entice insects and humming birds to polinate many plants are somehow clever tricks of time and chance.

And then, there are a few things left out. Plants are said to make their own food through photosynthesis upon sunlight. And then the wonderful mechanisms of capillary action and evaporation get water as far as 400 feet from the roots. And, of course OXYGEN is produced.

But plants cannot make food out of water and sunlight alone. Sunlight is the energy, chlorophyl is the cataclyst, but the missing ingredient is none other than that -- shall we say it? -- is Carbon Dioxide! Yep, that dreaded "green house" gas that is threatening the planet! According to the article at wikipedia, the equation is:

6 CO_2(gas) + 12 H₂O_(liquid) + photons → C₆H₁₂O_6(aqueous) + 6 O_2(gas) + 6 H₂O_(liquid)

carbon dioxide + water + light energy → glucose + oxygen + water

And so, the plants make SUGAR from atmospheric CO₂ and give off oxygen and that OTHER -- gasp! -- greenhouse gas: WATER! Yes, the unmentioned greenhouse gas that NONE of us can live without, be we animal or plant, is good old H₂O!

In fact, there is more water produced in the burning of fossile fuels than there is in carbon dioxide. If you reverse the equation above you can easily see this:

Heat + C₆H₁₂O₆→ 6 CO₂ + 12 H₂O

It's clear -- twice as much water as carbon dioxide! And -- horror of horrors -- the main combustion of sugars (and other carbon molecules) is done by ANIMALS. Every breath expels both greenhouse gases: water and carbon dioxide. My how well the system was DESIGNED, huh?

Furthermore, studies have found that the photons are not lost in the process. The energy is "trapped" in the food the plant is making. When an animal -- like man -- eats the food, especially "raw," the energy of the photons is ingested to be released as energy in the many processes of the body, including our own building of "bio-mass." I read this aways back, but this article on "bio-photons" is what came up on my google search. Plants actually "give off light"!

Two saints go to glory

2007-04-15T23:37:00.000-04:00

This week at Second Church we lost two long-time members. Our prayers are with their families as they adjust to the loss that we only feel faintly. I am not a biographer, so I cannot speak to these lives with authority. However I will provide the links to their obituaries.

Mrs. Opal Holbrook was our church librarian for 15 years prior to her sickness in 2006. Her illness defied easy diagnosis and it seems that certain proceedures to allow treatment turned out to be detrimental to her recovery. It was sad to see her decline so quickly. Go to her obituary here

Mr. George Woods, a respected elder emeritus (thrice retired: US Navy, Cryovac, 2nd Pres. session), had been suffering from multiple problems related to age. He passed away after heart surgery, though he had been showing some signs of improvement. In hindsight, it was probably a bad idea to attempt heart surgery when they did. However, he was an elder statesmen for the the WW 2 generation that we are losing daily to unrelenting time. The picture at his obit is of him as a sailor. Every Thanksgiving he used to let us know how thankful he was just to be alive, noting that his being alive was a gift from God! Our prayers will go with his family.

I Corinthians 15

20 ¶ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Words mean things

2007-04-04T23:48:00.000-04:00

A truism made famous by Rush Limbaugh states simply: "Words mean things."

Unfortunately, conservative bloggers and commentators seem to be as guilty as liberals in taking words out of context. Or even "in context" but attempting to read too much into them.

Recently I have encountered two conservative sources that "took to task" Dr. James Dobson who was quoted by a news source selectively. Even in the simple quote, though, Dr. Dobson was stating an obvious opinion:

Gilgoff quoted Dobson saying of Thompson, "Everyone knows he's conservative and has come out strongly for the things that the pro-family movement stands for, [but] I don't think he's a Christian; at least that's my impression."

Of course, he goes on to explain why this matters, and what it would mean to a potential presidential bid to former lawyer-actor-senator Fred Thompson. Dobson didn't know much about Thompson's religion and was left with the impression that he was a Christian. He assumed, perhaps unwisely, that other Conservative Christians might have the same impression. If this was the case, the candiacy had little chance.

Fellow blogger "Hondo" of ConservativeChristians.blogspot.com felt betrayed as a rising star seemed to be derailed by such inflamatory speech. But the words are simply a opinion and NOT a declaration concerning Mr. Thompson's spiritual state. I tried to find information linking Thompson to ANY religious activity, and found only a video of him in a church immediately after the 9/11 attacks. He said all the "right things" but came across only as a cultural Christian at most. Most Americans came across that way in those early days of September 2001. The wikipedia article doesn't mention his religion in the sidebar. The religion of other potential candidates IS listed in the same source. This leads me to wonder if he even WANTS us to know his religious connections.

But words mean things. What Dr. Dobson said stands on its own. He had doubts that a one-time senator (who "replaced" Al Gore!) could stand a chance against political guru Newt Gingrich (who worked hard to impeach Bill Clinton). Of course, of the non-candidates, Thompson is now polling ahead of Gingrich. Dobson's statements may have been unwise, but they certainly weren't malicious.

"I don't think he's a Christian; at least that is my impression." Subsequent "evidence" of is status as a "baptized member" of the Church of Christ not withstanding, I have to ask, "Is he or isn't he?"

Another Fellow Blogger puts it well:
http://dakotavoice.blogspot.com/2007/03/dobson-on-fred-thompson.html

WorldNetDaily gives the "rest of the story":
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54963

Of course "the rest of the story" is a trademark of Paul Harvey, for whom Thompson subs occasionally. I think I wrote "rest of the story" before I researched Fred Thompson, but the irony of the use is fitting. I am astounded that some conservatives were so easily offended by this statement. Again, what do these words MEAN?

"I don't think he's a Christian; at least that is my impression.

A dot in the middle of Canada

2007-03-18T00:16:00.000-04:00

I have a "neat" counter in the side bar that locates hits from all over the world. Lately I have used Google maps to locate the lone dots out in the middle of "nowhere." I am pretty certain of one in Russia (Google only had ONE town in the vicinity) and tonight I was zooming in on the Northwest Territories to see if I could identify a couple of lone dots there as well. One was on Hudson Bay and I am almost certain it was from the hamlet of Arviat (pop. 2060, again the only settlement near that spot on the map). I am split between two small towns on the McKenzie River for another hit: either Ft. Providence (pop. 835) or Ft. Simpson (it has it's own website and looks to be about the same size as Ft. Providence) with Ft. Simpson more likely since it seems more connected to the net (internet access at the library!)

Just a little distraction on a Saturday evening. Maybe these accidental hits will re-contact me.

The Government should stay out of medicine

2007-03-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

I am a conservative, and I don't lean "libertarian" often, but when the government tries to forbid folks with MEDICAL reasons to partake of a relatively benign drug, then I resent its intrusion! States across the nation are passing "medical marijuana" laws that the federal government refuses to recognise. This is an unreasonable extention of federal drug laws - almost as far off mark as using RICO laws against lawful abortion protesters!

To quote the New York Times:

On Wednesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit found that while they sympathized with Ms. Raich’s plight and had seen “uncontroverted evidence” that she needed marijuana to survive, she lacked the legal grounds to exempt herself from federal law.

The court “recognizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes is gaining traction,” the decision read. “But that legal recognition has not yet reached the point where a conclusion can be drawn that the right to use medical marijuana is ‘fundamental.’"

In spite of the evidence and new laws, federal judges continue to hold fast to antiquated decisions going back decades. This is not justice as it should be. Justice must be tempered with compassion and common sense!

And for any family and friends who might read this - I have NEVER touched marijuana, and only know its smell because of a demonstration (burning some confiscated weed) at a police station when I was in high school (Civic Youth Day, I had been "elected" Mayor). In this one incident, at least, I agree with the ACLU. Does that make me a bad person? :-(

March Madness!!

2007-03-12T23:26:00.000-04:00

I am not a basketball fan, but I clicked through to "the bracket" at the NYTimes site and made my picks based on the standings. I chose only six "upsets," four in the first round. My only luxury, as I see it, is Duke getting to the final four. The championship will be Florida vs. North Carolina. The winner will be North Carolina!

After a very close game, # seed 6 Duke will probably beat # 4 Pittsburg in the second round. They will have to beat #2 seed UCLA and # 1 seed Kansas on the way to the showdown with Florida. They will most certainly lose then. Duke's last five games have been disappointing, and the only thing that makes them "favored" over Pitt is number of points scored against their opponents. In that stat, they have Pitt by an average 5 points. I see Duke 74, Pitt 69. The other games, though, are wishful thinking. :-)

My ususal scheme is: East beats West, South beats North, and University beats State. Tech is a long shot. :-)

It really doesn't mean anything since I am not a betting man. To all you fans out there -- have fun.

Return to "Eden"

2007-03-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Actual measurements from the atmosphere and space over the last forty years or so do not support the computer models being used by enviromentalists for "global warming." A special thanks to Hondo at conservativechristians.blogger.com (see sidebar) for this link:

http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm

Their conclusion is basically the same I came to months ago ("Paradise Restored"):

"Human use of coal, oil, and natural gas has not measurably warmed the atmosphere, and the extrapolation of current trends shows that it will not significantly do so in the foreseeable future. It does, however, release CO2, which accelerates the growth rates of plants and also permits plants to grow in drier regions. Animal life, which depends upon plants, also flourishes.

As coal, oil, and natural gas are used to feed and lift from poverty vast numbers of people across the globe, more CO2 will be released into the atmosphere. This will help to maintain and improve the health, longevity, prosperity, and productivity of all people.

Human activities are believed to be responsible for the rise in CO2 level of the atmosphere. Mankind is moving the carbon in coal, oil, and natural gas from below ground to the atmosphere and surface, where it is available for conversion into living things. We are living in an increasingly lush environment of plants and animals as a result of the CO2 increase. Our children will enjoy an Earth with far more plant and animal life as that with which we now are blessed. This is a wonderful and unexpected gift from the Industrial Revolution."

Over 17,000 scientists have signed this petition. Why isn't anyone listening?

Redefining morality?

2007-03-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

Riding high on what is arguably "bad science," the New York Times in a short editorial calls morality that is defined by how "humans behave with other humans" as antiquated. They "emphatically disagree" with traditional values when it comes to abortion and homosexuality -- two sins that destroying society -- while upholding the morality of "saving the planet."

The true science that upholds the true humanity of developing is disregarded in favor of false claims that went out with microscopes! As for homosexuality -- the open practice of such anyway -- the Times would insist that in is totally acceptable IN SPITE OF the verifiable facts of its dangers.

For over thirty years we have been losing the war with the children of the sixties -- and now they think they have the upper hand. It is time for us to stand up against the travesty of "Secular Progessives." Tonight I saw the movie Amazing Grace. This movie tells the amazing story of how William Wilberforce spent the better part of two decades bringing an end to slavery in the British Empire. The movement behind him did this by wide publication of the TRUTH. Against the odds, with the support of his friend, William Pitt (the youngest ever prime minister), he succeeded. John Newton, of course, was a big supporter of Wilberforce. He convinced him to persue the cause against the odds.

Where is the likes of William Wilberforce in our Congress today? Is there a presidential candidate of the caliber of William Pitt?

If we return to traditional values then we won't have to worry about our stewardship of the planet. If we care about the weakest among us, we will care about the world we leave to them.

The End of the World as we know it?

2007-03-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

Just who is in control? Are we indeed entering the last of the "last days"?

And if we are, can we stop it? How will we resist?

Click here and decide for yourself.

This is a long documentary (1:49) and makes a good argument against individual income tax. The truth of the Federal Reserve and the "phony money" the government "borrows" from them is well stated as well. The thrust in the last third of the report, though, makes applicaton of this double threat to the present War on Terror. It assumes that the present situtation is all staged for monetary gain of these unseen manipulators. I remain unconconvinced of this, though I am sure that the powers behind the "Federal Reserve" do indeed "profit" from the present effort.

Is Walgreen's Racist?

2007-03-08T18:57:00.000-05:00

In today's New York Times I read a confusing article. The gist of it is that the world's largest pharmacy "makes" African-American managers work in inner-city stores, thus reducing their ability to advance in the company. Johnny Tucker, a black manager with the company 21 years, is suing because he has always worked "in the 'hood" (my words, not his). From the article:

He applauded Walgreen for having stores in inner-city neighborhoods. But he said the company needed to spread the challenges of managing such stores among all its employees, not just black ones. Over the years, he added, he had been held up at gunpoint and threatened with a knife.

“I didn’t live in these neighborhoods, so why was I working there,” Mr. Tucker said.

It seems to me that if such people were not available to staff these stores, they would not open so many of them. Walgreens builds pharmacies across the street from their competitors and even within a mile or two or EACH OTHER on the same thoroughfare! They are "everywhere."

Mr. Tucker thinks that they should "spread the challenges" to all its employees. But not even a retail giant like Walgreens can dictate that good managers work stores that by there locations will not turn good profits. I am surprised that some stores open where they do. This suit is against Walgreens for placing the right people in the right stores in a society that is fractured in to "communities" of hyphenated Americans.

Walgreens with more than a hundred years in the business has learned what works. Neighborhood pharmacies serving neighbors is a proven formula. It would be a shame if this government action should force a socialistic answer to a personnel problem.

The circled area of this map is "my" route at work. I presently serve FIVE Walgreens stores, with one taking shape (M). I personally have NOT seen or heard any such prejudice here in the deep south!

Global Warming CAUSED the Ice Age

2007-02-19T23:28:00.000-05:00

I have been meaning to post my thoughts on this "politically incorrect" minority opinon for weeks now. I remembered reading Walt Brown's In The Beginning concerning the Ice Age.
To find this article, go to creationscience.com and search for "Global Warming" on that page. That short overview presents valid scientific theory as to how a WARM earth is the ONLY way excessive evaporation could produce the snow necessary for the observed ice caps. In part it reads:

"For a few centuries after the flood (during the ice age), much of the moisture that evaporated from the warm oceans fell as snow and accumulated so rapidly on the cold continents that large Antarctic lakes are still covered by glaciers today. Heavy cloud cover from so much evaporation and from volcanic dust further cooled the continents. Large temperature differences between cold continents and warm oceans generated strong wind systems that quickly carried the moist air up and over the continents where it cooled and fell as snow. Each winter’s glacial advances were followed by summer glacial retreats; these yearly cycles left marks on earth that some mistakenly associate with multiple ice ages."

Dr. Walt Brown's work, with it's working theories that have predicted discoveries from salt water pockets under mountains to the composition of comets, is probably the best out there!

The rapid "cooling" caused by warm seas evaporating is generally accepted science. It HAD to be warm before the evaporation could get water into the air to dump large amounts of snow! QUICKLY.

Does the Cent make sense?

2007-02-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

A New York Times Op-Ed piece raises an interesting question: Is the Lincoln Penny disrespectful of the Great Imancipator?

Of course, the fact that I am a diehard southerner, and long-time resident of the sovereign state of South Carolina, might just color my opinions of the "greatest president." But, be that as it may, I suppose my earlier blog in the penny's defense still stands. But should it retain Lincoln? And should he be replaced by a new indian or perhaps another president?

The NYT writer supposes a new president of lower standing for the penny (after the planned commemoratives in 2009 and 2010). After that, he supposes a new $2 or $5 coin with the same portrait of Lincoln. I vote for the $5 coin to coincide with the $5 bill. That will make it easier for the paper money to be phased out!

The writer proposes James Buchanan or Andrew Johnson [Lincoln's successor who survived impeachment by one vote]. How about it, readers? Any suggestions?

"Illegal" Immigration, reconsidered

2007-02-10T22:36:00.001-05:00

Several days, or perhaps weeks, ago I come across an interesting video of "border volleyball" over a 30 foot wall at the California-Mexico border. Unfortunately, I was just surfing the blogosphere and failed to bookmark the site. However, today I thought I would use Google maps and Mapquest to view the border. You can actually see a "line" from space across southern Arizona! Well, actually from an arial shot high above. [Some physics whiz or photographer can probably tell by the scale in the pictures below.] Anyway, look up "Walleyball" on YouTube for the video.

I included identically distant shots to indicate what an actual wall looks like. Most of my viewing today was on the border with no apparent fence. I wondered to myself about those making the difficult journey across desert to avoid the border guards. You can see that there is a large highway on the Mexican side that parallels the visible white line (dirt road?) at about a 200 foot distance. The actual line, according to the overlay, goes right by the structure. Pictures of trash strawn in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park shows that the traffic is heavy.

It is in this park, though, that the truely ILLEGAL aliens often lurk. These are the drug and "slave" trafficers promising a "better" life to those they smuggle and to American drug users that demand their product! It is such scum of the earth that gunned down a dedicated public servant, a true hero in the war on terror, Kris Eggle. If we are to "fight" illegal activity, let us go after the truely ILLEGAL aliens, not those who are only guilty of being human.

If anything, in my virtual trip down the border, I have seen populations of people just wanting what is best for their families. Let us make it as "easy" for them as it was for our forfathers to come take this land.

Is nicotine the villian?

2007-01-31T23:02:00.000-05:00

I have often mused about the fate of tobacco in this nation, once even in this format. However, the I have to disagree with a recent editorial in the NY Times (fancy that).

The conclusion in a NYTimes article on FDA control of cigarettes:

"It’s not enough to regulate the varying degrees of nicotine in cigarettes. Ultimately, there’s only one way to deal with the addictive effects of nicotine, especially on children: grant the F.D.A. the authority to get nicotine out of cigarettes altogether. Anti-smoking groups shouldn’t settle for anything less."

I am not a smoker, but I am not an anti-smoker either. The fact is, it is NOT the nicotine that is the "dangerous" part of a cigarette or other tobacco product. Even this article admits that the tars are what carry the carcinigens. Unfortunately, these "tars" and other plant fats also carry the flavor. To simply remove the nicotine from cigarettes would only make them less addictive. Or even non-addictive. Smokers would continue to smoke out of psychological habit and suffer from withdrawal symptoms needing medicinal nicotine for months. And then, believing it didn't matter, they might just keep smoking the cancer-causing product for the psychological "fix" they are use to!

The real dangerous substances are the tars which are very absorbant of trace minerals - especially RADIOACTIVE minerals! In fact, it is probably possible to grow "safe" tobacco in clean soil that has none of these trace elements. It is sure worth a study if nothing else. I propose that this noble plant - sacred to the Native Americans - be treated with more respect. It is more than likely that English settlers, in turning it into a commercial success, have ended up destroying its "reputation" forever.

Why not process the weed down to a non-radioactive (tar free) nicotine delivery system, even ADDING nicotine to make fewer necessary to the addicts. Or, if it is perceived that their will be a great loss of market, then formulate a "flavoring" to replace that lost when removing the tars. Meanwhile, tobacco marketers need to consider a post-smoker world in which the tobacco plant could be transformed into a plant protein source to feed livestock or even human populations. The nicotine could be exptracted for medicinal purposes and as an insecticide.

In remembrance of Brenda

2007-01-28T23:01:00.000-05:00

I wish I had pictures and family comments, but I will have to just post my condolences to the extended family of my cousin Brenda on her passing this week. She lived in Wewahitchka ("Wewa") Florida. She was only a little older than me and was a stabilizing force in the Holmes clan. She will be missed.

Growing up, I always spent time with her brothers nearer my age. Larry still lives in the area, and Randy died a few years back. Their father, Troy, died around 1971 (I had just graduated from high school), but their mother, my dad's older sister, just died last year. Brenda had spent the last years of her mother's life as her primary caregiver.

Brenda is the third of my older cousins -- children of my dad's older sisters -- to die. Our mutual cousin (they were "double" first cousins) Shirley (the oldest of her siblings) died several years back of complications from diabetes. Randy, Brenda's brother, died in an accident at his home near Jacksonville, Florida, a few years after that.

And so, I guess this is about all I can say right now. Pray for her family as the funeral is Monday, January 29.

It is suspected that Brenda suffered a stroke. Consider this, from a blog on heart disease:

What does a bad heart cost?

From now until 2050, they calculate, stroke treatment will cost $1.52 trillion among non-Hispanic whites, $313 billion for Hispanics, and $379 billion for African Americans. Corresponding per capita costs were roughly $16,000, $17,000 and $26,000.

"Lost earnings and informal caregiving were the highest two individual cost contributors in all race-ethnic groups," Brown's team notes, "constituting approximately half of the total costs."

Be sure to take the risk assessment test available at the link at the top of that page, or just go to the link directly from here.

Fifty Million Killed

2007-01-21T23:28:00.000-05:00

Fifty Million Dead! That's more killed per day than were killed on 9/11 !

The last thirty-four years have NOT seen an improvement in the lives of America's women. And it is NOT the fault of the political or religious right with a "continuing prejudice" against the fairer sex.

Abortion on demand has slacked off a bit in some places - such as South Carolina - but it is not all together clear why. I mean, really, the very ones that would be seeking abortions are those that never saw life outside of the womb. It can be reasonably assumed that around twenty-five million of those abortions were to the developing lives of girls, many of who would undoubtably grown up as "victoms" of society and "used" by the men in their lives!

But the numbers seem to be about the same year by year. Of course, we have gone from 200 million to 300 million in those three decades or so. And so, the "rate" of abortions has fallen. But our politicians can't seem to uphold the nations abhorance to "partial birth" abortions. That is, if you can call the court system "political." And you know it is (even if they deny it).

And so, here it is. After two weeks of silence, I rant again!

We pro-lifers have "science" our side and still continue to stumble politically. A conservative president gets two appointments to the Supreme Court in one year and we still have to "worry" about a "swing" vote in a pseudo-conservative put in by a previous "conservative" president. You'd think that with FIVE of NINE justices being Catholic the pro-life issues would be a "slam dunk." Not so. A "Kennedy" holds the cards in the Court even as a far-left Kennedy takes over a "ruling" position in the Senate. No relation. But we wonder. Hmmm....

Enough for now.

Just So Stories

2007-01-09T23:56:00.000-05:00

A little over a century ago, Rudyard Kipling, author of The Jungle Book, published a series of children's stories called Just So Stories. Recently, in an anthropologist Dr. Nina G. Jablonski explains the importance of man's "sweaty skin" to evolution:

"On an evolutionary level, there are three remarkable facts about skin. It comes in colors, of course. Compared to other mammals, our skin is relatively hairless. And it’s sweaty. In the last few million years, humans became the sweatiest of mammals.

Q. Is that important?

A. Absolutely. It’s often said that our large brains are what made it possible for us to evolve from ape to human. But those big brains could never have developed if we didn’t have exceptionally sweaty skin.

It happened this way. There was a tremendous takeoff in human evolution about two million years ago when primates who could no longer be called apes appeared in the savannahs of East Africa. These early humans ran long distances in open areas. In order to survive in the equatorial sun, they needed to cool their brains. Early humans evolved an increased number of sweat glands for that purpose, which in turn permitted their brain size to expand. As soon as we developed larger brains, our planning capacity increased, and this allowed people to disperse out of Africa. There’s fossil evidence of humans appearing in Central Asia around this time."

Mr. Kipling had nothing on this lady! This story may make logical sense if such changes came about according to the conditions. However, according to theory, these changes take way more time than a few hot summers in Africa. But give it ten years and this story "It happened this way ..." will be standard fare in the science texts read by our impressionable young people.

Is it any wonder that our young people are leaving the church in droves. The "public " schools push the evolutionary dogma and persecute children that seek to pray on school time. The church is lucky to have them two hours a week! Most parents, if the truth be told, probably have them for less time than the church!

Indeed, Jesus could not stand such hypocrisy. When will we learn??

The Anti-christ revealed?

2007-01-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

Tonight I updated my profile, adding a new picture of myself.

In the process, I saw that I was born in the Chinese "year of the dragon" (just barely, since the New Year usually begins in late January). Even more scary, my astrological sign is that of the GOAT. The goat head "pentagram" is a symbol most often identified with Satan.

In a posting to my blog months ago I received an unsolicitated appeal from a writer who claims that Christianity is the worst of the Abrahamic faiths all of which are false religions. That writer claims to be the "Lion of Judah" and the Lamb as seen in the Revelation. He bases this belief partly on his being born simultaneously in the year of the Sheep and under the sign of Leo. This, he says, is PROOF that he is the one spoken of in the Revelation!

And so, I figure that the same logic makes me a great candidate for the Antichrist! Couple that with the "fact" that my name "Henry Martin," phonetically spelled in the Greek as 'enri martin, does happen to add up to "666" the evidence adds up! Of course, the original photo of my profile is irrefutable "proof":

Scary indeed!

The fullsize picture, before correction, catches the "red eye" effect quite well. The goatee and the toothy smile help add to the illusion. Prophecy watchers, look for this creature to emerge in 2019 at the age of "66 and 6months" (That's on the 6th month and 6th day)!

Wait, that's about a decade too early for the 2000th anniversary of Jesus' earthly ministry. I see a fallacy to this myth in the making! Hmmm...

You can do quite a bit with a few numbers and "coincidences," can't you?

Happy New Year everyone. :-)

A new Governor for Massachusetts

2007-01-05T23:40:00.000-05:00

By some quirk of fate, the most liberal state in America has been governed by a Republican for the last 16 years! And now, in the course of political cycles, an African-American Democrat has been installed as the new Governor of Massachusetts. Governor Deval Patrick promises "change."

He says, “For a very long time now we have been told that government is bad, that it exists only to serve the powerful and well-connected, that its job is not important enough to be done by anyone competent, let alone committed, and that all of us are on our own.”

Huh? Just WHO has been saying government is to "serve the powerful and well-connected"? And what is this about lack of competence or commitment? But that is the way a "big government" liberal sees things! The poor peons out there must be "taken care of" from the cradle to the grave. Government must replace family, church, and, I guess, God!

One citizen, Beth Gilbert of Norfolk, MA, puts it this way: “When you elect a Republican governor, part of their bargain is they don’t really believe that government can solve the people’s problems. That’s probably what’s led to higher expectations here.”

Yep, higher expectations. I am not sure whether Ms. Gilbert is stating this as a positive or a negative, but the point is a good one. Except I think that the Republican phylosophy is not that the government CAN'T solve the problems, but that it SHOULDN'T. The more that the people come to EXPECT the government to help, the less they will do for themselves. History is filled with failing civilizations that have been "top heavy."

As far as the fact that this is the "first black governor" of Massachusetts, and only the second US governor since reconstruction (wait, wasn't "reconstruction" only in the South!), I for one don't see any significance in the color of a candidate's skin. What was it that Martin Luther King, Jr., said? Something about character, I think.

By the way, it seems that Massachusetts has been sort of split on the governors in the past century. Check out masshome.org, where the list of governors reveals more REPUBLICANS than Democrats since 1914. One of the Republicans, Calvin Coolidge, became President of the United States. One of the Democrats, Michael Dukakis, was soundly defeated by our present President's father George H.W. Bush in 1988. Will the exiting governor, Mitt Romney, repeat "Silent Cal's" rise to the top, or repeat Dukakis' flop?

"New Bagdad" or a new Babylon?

2006-12-30T14:53:00.000-05:00

This week I saw a news streamer mentioning a "New Baghdad" proposed as the center for the government of Iraq. I have searched the web and have only found mention of the section of the city called Baghdad Al Jadidah ("New Baghdad"). However, I am sure that such a secured place, surrounded by moats and/or soldiers would suffice in the present distress. Plans for the city have been optimistic in the past, and certainly could be constructed.

However, I have long thought that the "solution" for the unrest in the "ancient" capital of what is now "Iraq" would be to move it to a much more ancient site: Babylon! In a recent article I found, this idea seems to have the backing of none other than the United Nations itself. The recent execution of Saddam Hussein brought back mention of what HE had attempted there. He had rebuilt some of the walls with new bricks bearing his own name. He had also built a palace there which is now used by the US military.

It would be an interesting fulfilment of ancient prophecy if such a construction did take place, though not on the present site. Jeremiah 51:62 seems to indicate that such ruins are permenant! However, the plan is still in the works with those that have little regard for the word of God. On the other hand, a "New Babylon" could easily be built NEAR the ancient site. It is in such a new city that a more secure capital could be constructed. If that happened, Baghdad could be abandoned or even destroyed. And THEN a literal "Babylon the Great" could arise as a "wonder of the modern world."

The symbolic "Babylon the Great," as I propose the USA is in these latter days, would seem to be the necessary power structure making the literal fulfilment a possibility.

A "King" that became President

2006-12-27T23:06:00.000-05:00

On July 14, 1913, a King was born. His given name was Leslie Lynch. Named after his father L.L. King, Junior was his pride and joy. While Europe was at war, battles apparently raged in the King's realm as well. In fact, before America joined the war, little Leslie had a new father. The young "King" was soon being called Gerald, after his mother's new husband Mr. Gerald R. Ford.

Though his family called him "Gerald R. Ford, Jr." from 1916 on, it was "Leslie King" that played on the championship University of Michigan football teams in 1932 and 1933. His name was not officially changed until he was at Yale earning his law degree (in 1935). One wonders what happened to Mr. Leslie Lynch King, "Sr." Did he ever meet with his son after a divorce that was apparently so complete that his son did not even retain his name in the house? Mr. King died in 1941, just as the man then officially known as Gerald R. Ford, Jr., was beginning his carreer as lawyer in Grand Rapids, MI.

It was one district, around Flint, MI, elected Gerald Ford with comfortalble margins for over two decades. In that time, of course, Mr. Ford rose to prominence to be the House minority leader. He was an obvious choice when President Nixon wanted a honest man at his side. With Nixon's resignation, this choice made Mr. Ford a president of a land that had never voted for him!

Pres. Ford served well for two and a half years, and almost beat Jimmy Carter in 1976! He was probably one of the most respected presidents of the twentieth century! He has just surpassed Ronald Reagan (his primary opponent in 1976) as the longest living president. Our prayers are with his family as they mourn with America the passing of this historic man from Michigan.