Is the truth out there? Update

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

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?

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"

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?

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?

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

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

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?

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

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

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?

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"

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!!

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!

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

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?

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"

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?

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

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 "overdogs” 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

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!

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"

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

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"

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"?

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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!"

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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"?

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

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

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

Pastors and Pews by Mike Huckabee

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!

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!

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!