I rarely hear from my first god-daughter, which is very sad as I cherish her greatly but her life has taken her far from her faith and family. But, usually once a year she feels compelled to get in touch - so it is good to not be forgotten.
This year I am sure she felt was a visual treat, as she had decided to tattoo her body heavily and send photos. Maybe so I could identify her body in a morgue one day? So sad to see that she has gone back to her old ways. I wonder where her son fits in with those parties and rotating roomies......?
I really feel extremely sorry for her. Her rebellion, against what none of us know, now seems to be fully embracing a far more pagan lifestyle than before.....
Bleech!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Strengthening
As I sat last week reading through all of my material people had saved for me, I was struck by the encouragement it has offered me! Yeah, some of those times were terribly hard physically, mentally and spiritually, but to see and know how those situations all contributed to bring me where I am today was encouraging. I can SEE God working quietly in my life still....
One has the tendency to forget just how active God is, unless you have something like a blog or spiritual diary to journal on.
And that is what I want to encourage each of my readers to do: start a spiritual journal! Put in there how you came to salvation - what was the trigger that pushed you over into God's camp? Write what you pray about and how those prayers are answered - or what you learned afterwards. Think on scriptures which have played an important role in your life. There are lots of possibilities you can write about!
You journal can be left for your children to learn from, reread by you to remember by, gleaned for juicy bits for studies/fellowships/testimonies/etc!
Yeah, this past week was immensely uplifting and strengthening for me, maybe the same activities will be so for you.....
One has the tendency to forget just how active God is, unless you have something like a blog or spiritual diary to journal on.
And that is what I want to encourage each of my readers to do: start a spiritual journal! Put in there how you came to salvation - what was the trigger that pushed you over into God's camp? Write what you pray about and how those prayers are answered - or what you learned afterwards. Think on scriptures which have played an important role in your life. There are lots of possibilities you can write about!
You journal can be left for your children to learn from, reread by you to remember by, gleaned for juicy bits for studies/fellowships/testimonies/etc!
Yeah, this past week was immensely uplifting and strengthening for me, maybe the same activities will be so for you.....
Sunday, March 27, 2011
2010 DARWIN AWARDS
8th Place..... In Detroit , a 41-year-old man got stuck and drowned in two feet of water after squeezing head first through an 18-inch-wide sewer grate to retrieve his car keys.
7th Place.... A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who "totally zoned when he ran", accidentally, jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.
6th Place ...While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom, when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him. It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.
5th Place... Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was robbing. Death was caused when the long flash light he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free, rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.
4th Place.... Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.
3rd Place.... After walking around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into Florida's H&J Leather &Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter.. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.
HONORABLE MENTION... Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 a.m. So they lit a stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed!
RUNNER UP... Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 a.m. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable lay nearby. They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other (!) to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.
AND THE WINNER IS... Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn , Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves.... 'shit happens'.
7th Place.... A 49-year-old San Francisco stockbroker, who "totally zoned when he ran", accidentally, jogged off a 100-foot high cliff on his daily run.
6th Place ...While at the beach, Daniel Jones, 21, dug an 8 foot hole for protection from the wind and had been sitting in a beach chair at the bottom, when it collapsed, burying him beneath 5 feet of sand. People on the beach used their hands and shovels trying to get him out but could not reach him. It took rescue workers using heavy equipment almost an hour to free him. Jones was pronounced dead at a hospital.
5th Place... Santiago Alvarado, 24, was killed as he fell through the ceiling of a bicycle shop he was robbing. Death was caused when the long flash light he had placed in his mouth to keep his hands free, rammed into the base of his skull as he hit the floor.
4th Place.... Sylvester Briddell, Jr., 26, was killed as he won a bet with friends who said he would not put a revolver loaded with four bullets into his mouth and pull the trigger.
3rd Place.... After walking around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door, a man walked into Florida's H&J Leather &Firearms intent on robbing the store. The shop was full of customers and a uniformed officer was standing at the counter.. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a hold-up and fired a few wild shots from a target pistol. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire and several customers also drew their guns and fired. The robber was pronounced dead at the scene by Paramedics. Crime scene investigators located 47 expended cartridge cases in the shop. The subsequent autopsy revealed 23 gunshot wounds. Ballistics identified rounds from 7 different weapons. No one else was hurt.
HONORABLE MENTION... Paul Stiller, 47, and his wife Bonnie were bored just driving around at 2 a.m. So they lit a stick of dynamite to toss out the window to see what would happen. Apparently they failed to notice the window was closed!
RUNNER UP... Kerry Bingham had been drinking with several friends when one of them said they knew a person who had bungee-jumped from a local bridge in the middle of traffic. The conversation grew more heated and at least 10 men trooped along the walkway of the bridge at 4:30 a.m. Upon arrival at the midpoint of the bridge they discovered that no one had brought a bungee rope. Bingham, who had continued drinking, volunteered and pointed out that a coil of lineman's cable lay nearby. They secured one end around Bingham's leg and then tied the other (!) to the bridge. His fall lasted 40 feet before the cable tightened and tore his foot off at the ankle. He miraculously survived his fall into the icy water and was rescued by two nearby fishermen. Bingham's foot was never located.
AND THE WINNER IS... Zookeeper Friedrich Riesfeldt (Paderborn , Germany) fed his constipated elephant 22 doses of animal laxative and more than a bushel of berries, figs and prunes before the plugged-up pachyderm finally got relief. Investigators say ill-fated Friedrich, 46, was attempting to give the ailing elephant an olive oil enema when the relieved beast unloaded. The sheer force of the elephant's unexpected defecation knocked Mr. Riesfeldt to the ground where he struck his head on a rock as the elephant continued to evacuate 200 pounds of dung on top of him. It seems to be just one of those freak accidents that proves.... 'shit happens'.
Friday, March 25, 2011
172
Now up to 172 restored posts! Wow! Who would have thought that so many had been saved by my readers! I will sniff around and see if there is a back up for a blog now, so I will never have to restore them manually again!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
100
I am so excited! I have been rereading and restoring old posts all week so far and have now found and restored exactly 100 of them!
Plus I have found some on an old back up disc, not sure how many or if they are duplicates yet - such fun!
Plus I have found some on an old back up disc, not sure how many or if they are duplicates yet - such fun!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
A Good Day
Last week my doctor put me on 40 whatevers of potassium a day and today I am downright chipper! Best I have felt since last August actually! She did this as it was supposed to help something that is wrong internally, so who knows? Maybe things are reversing a bit or I am going to die tomorrow - LOL! Yeah, I can be a bit morbid when the doctors agree the body is failing. eh.
My cousin turns out to have saved quite a few of my old postings as well, dating back to 2005! So, even though I exhausted the online cache I found, I still have another sixty or seventy I can repost! Cool! I am especially happy to know he had the funny ones. Maybe this weekend I will look at getting those restored - it really is a tiresome process.
Tried doing a coin show this past weekend - what a disaster! Hardly anyone showed up and then almost no one was buying anything. I sold six coins which covered all of my costs, plus enough to buy a Starbucks yesterday. Sigh. It would appear that God really does not want me to raise any money right now!
And of course, Timothy's car was wrecked by some careless parking lot jockey - so now I have to get his car's body repaired as well. Sigh. Thus a net of about -900 for the weekend. Very frustrating.
Well, need to get started on a car rebuild.....
My cousin turns out to have saved quite a few of my old postings as well, dating back to 2005! So, even though I exhausted the online cache I found, I still have another sixty or seventy I can repost! Cool! I am especially happy to know he had the funny ones. Maybe this weekend I will look at getting those restored - it really is a tiresome process.
Tried doing a coin show this past weekend - what a disaster! Hardly anyone showed up and then almost no one was buying anything. I sold six coins which covered all of my costs, plus enough to buy a Starbucks yesterday. Sigh. It would appear that God really does not want me to raise any money right now!
And of course, Timothy's car was wrecked by some careless parking lot jockey - so now I have to get his car's body repaired as well. Sigh. Thus a net of about -900 for the weekend. Very frustrating.
Well, need to get started on a car rebuild.....
Monday, March 21, 2011
Backups
Playing on the internet last week I found a cache of about sixty of my old posts! Yeah from blogs long gone in those early blog wars - where I seemed to have incurred the wrath of some "Christian" cult member - whom now languishes in prison I am assured.
So I have managed to restore about ten of them so far - a really time consuming process! Unfortunately none of them were from the really fun postings I had. Oh well, maybe I will find copies of those one day as well.
Well, I am off to soak my injured foot and ankle, as well as, see about restoring a few more of the lost posts later today.
So I have managed to restore about ten of them so far - a really time consuming process! Unfortunately none of them were from the really fun postings I had. Oh well, maybe I will find copies of those one day as well.
Well, I am off to soak my injured foot and ankle, as well as, see about restoring a few more of the lost posts later today.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Almost Forgot!
Gees, my brain these days! Why was Gaelic Girl here in the first place? St. Patrick's Day, of course, and it was not until about 3:00 yesterday I figured it out! I guess having the stuffin's kicked out of me and son sort of knocked it right out of my head!
So, rush, rush, rush and I was able to successfully have a meal in place by 6 for all of the kids and their kids, rascals at home and GG. The dinner went far better than GG's surprise appearance the other night! I tell ya I am still smarting from that one.
And just because it was quite a kicking we got from her in no way had anything to do with my running over GG with Timothy's car!
Honest, I never even saw her when I left last night! I have no idea what she was doing standing in the right blind spot as I backed up to leave. Net result - broken bones across the top of her right foot.
Oh yeah, Kris is so much just a pile of dead meat.....
So, rush, rush, rush and I was able to successfully have a meal in place by 6 for all of the kids and their kids, rascals at home and GG. The dinner went far better than GG's surprise appearance the other night! I tell ya I am still smarting from that one.
And just because it was quite a kicking we got from her in no way had anything to do with my running over GG with Timothy's car!
Honest, I never even saw her when I left last night! I have no idea what she was doing standing in the right blind spot as I backed up to leave. Net result - broken bones across the top of her right foot.
Oh yeah, Kris is so much just a pile of dead meat.....
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Politically Incorrect - Again!
I have been incredibly busy this week, dodging GG, while getting a few car things done, some cleaning, lots of job hunting, etc! I tell you I feel like a sandwich at a Magpie Convention!
I am so sick of listening to the radio though this week though! I tell you all of these "experts" the talking heads have on to discuss the nuclear situation in Japan makes me want to slam my head into a wall! I am sorry but if this is the best the US colleges can generate - we are indeed in bad shape! I have heard some of the worse descriptions of how a nuclear power plant operates, how much danger there is to expect from the situation, as well as long term problems. As a group these idiots are without an exception - utterly clueless! And mind you, I am only the son of an atomic pioneer - never a part of the industry! Maybe I with no college degree at all should be a talking head on this issue!?!
History Lesson Time:
When the US did the Bikini Island and Bimini Island tests, we are talking 1950/1960 time frame, there was lots of continental US testing done to investigate the issue of downwind radiation hitting us.
Detectors were used along the Cascade Mountain range to check for fallout. Ice samples were taken and tested as well. Rain water, reservoir water, city taps, fish guts - all were tested! Net result? Yeah, it was there but in such low of concentrations as to be easily ignorable.
Okay, but we really want to find radioactivity concentrated in amounts that might be harmful - so where are you going to look? How about he dairy industry? Yeah, milk, cheese, ice cream were are heavily tested for months from west coast dairies. And, again, yes there was a documented increase in the levels of radiation - however, again of no importance. Thank heavens for that because that meant all that ice cream had to have an eater and my sister and I did our very best to rid this country of that slightly 'hot' ice cream!
So, where are we in this Japanese disaster? Nowhere actually. Yes, some of it may make it to the continental US, yes, there may even be traceable amount of increase. But, just like in the 1950/1960 time frame, we are not going to see something to run amok in the streets over.....
There, feel better now?
I am so sick of listening to the radio though this week though! I tell you all of these "experts" the talking heads have on to discuss the nuclear situation in Japan makes me want to slam my head into a wall! I am sorry but if this is the best the US colleges can generate - we are indeed in bad shape! I have heard some of the worse descriptions of how a nuclear power plant operates, how much danger there is to expect from the situation, as well as long term problems. As a group these idiots are without an exception - utterly clueless! And mind you, I am only the son of an atomic pioneer - never a part of the industry! Maybe I with no college degree at all should be a talking head on this issue!?!
History Lesson Time:
When the US did the Bikini Island and Bimini Island tests, we are talking 1950/1960 time frame, there was lots of continental US testing done to investigate the issue of downwind radiation hitting us.
Detectors were used along the Cascade Mountain range to check for fallout. Ice samples were taken and tested as well. Rain water, reservoir water, city taps, fish guts - all were tested! Net result? Yeah, it was there but in such low of concentrations as to be easily ignorable.
Okay, but we really want to find radioactivity concentrated in amounts that might be harmful - so where are you going to look? How about he dairy industry? Yeah, milk, cheese, ice cream were are heavily tested for months from west coast dairies. And, again, yes there was a documented increase in the levels of radiation - however, again of no importance. Thank heavens for that because that meant all that ice cream had to have an eater and my sister and I did our very best to rid this country of that slightly 'hot' ice cream!
So, where are we in this Japanese disaster? Nowhere actually. Yes, some of it may make it to the continental US, yes, there may even be traceable amount of increase. But, just like in the 1950/1960 time frame, we are not going to see something to run amok in the streets over.....
There, feel better now?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Oh My!
I am thinking that my Lunar Cycle idea might have had some accidental validity. Yeah, I saw in Blog-land that my cousin is having the same problems as Dutchman and myself with our sons! Though his son is younger than mine, but still. Too weird!
However, that was nothing compared to the weirdness of yesterday.
I spent most of the day away, as I did not even want to get into it with my son again, so when I did return, there was a car in the drive I did not know. As I came in, I was in for a shocker!
Yeah, Gaelic Girl, in all of her fury was ripping son a new one! Holy (*&%^$%) ! If I had guessed she would have been there in her red haired rage, I would have gone to Vashon instead! Then it was my turn. Yeah, GG is an equal opportunity ripper!
I guess it was really sort of a God thing as son did listen to her, no smart remarks or attitude like I constantly I get. But no idea if he will change his ways - other than she gave him six weeks to get a life or get out of her house. And, yeah, really if I think about it, there is a good argument that it is her house. (I did sell mine in Wenatchee and this one was for the kids in school in Seattle.)
So over a very strained and quiet dinner, she feeling bad for having been a red head again, son for now realizing he has really messed up and me aching over the lashing I just took, I choked on my first bite of dinner. And yup, it was for good!
GG finally was able to used her medical training and did the Heimlich on me! Which of course caused my throat to void directly into son's face. Youngest Daughter was quite excited as she had never seen it done. I am sure her whole school now knows about it!
So, today, I feel like I drank drano my throat hurts so bad and my back apparently suffered injury as there is much pain from there as well. Well and add a sore mid-riff as well. Not going to be my day. But, better to be alive and damaged then dead on the dining table!
I think now I will just retire to a hot tub of water and soak my pains for a while and listen to the rain. And then I had better clean GG's house, or die, as she will be here for the rest of the week.
Time to think about working on my dead car over on Vashon it seems.....
However, that was nothing compared to the weirdness of yesterday.
I spent most of the day away, as I did not even want to get into it with my son again, so when I did return, there was a car in the drive I did not know. As I came in, I was in for a shocker!
Yeah, Gaelic Girl, in all of her fury was ripping son a new one! Holy (*&%^$%) ! If I had guessed she would have been there in her red haired rage, I would have gone to Vashon instead! Then it was my turn. Yeah, GG is an equal opportunity ripper!
I guess it was really sort of a God thing as son did listen to her, no smart remarks or attitude like I constantly I get. But no idea if he will change his ways - other than she gave him six weeks to get a life or get out of her house. And, yeah, really if I think about it, there is a good argument that it is her house. (I did sell mine in Wenatchee and this one was for the kids in school in Seattle.)
So over a very strained and quiet dinner, she feeling bad for having been a red head again, son for now realizing he has really messed up and me aching over the lashing I just took, I choked on my first bite of dinner. And yup, it was for good!
GG finally was able to used her medical training and did the Heimlich on me! Which of course caused my throat to void directly into son's face. Youngest Daughter was quite excited as she had never seen it done. I am sure her whole school now knows about it!
So, today, I feel like I drank drano my throat hurts so bad and my back apparently suffered injury as there is much pain from there as well. Well and add a sore mid-riff as well. Not going to be my day. But, better to be alive and damaged then dead on the dining table!
I think now I will just retire to a hot tub of water and soak my pains for a while and listen to the rain. And then I had better clean GG's house, or die, as she will be here for the rest of the week.
Time to think about working on my dead car over on Vashon it seems.....
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Lunar Cycles
No one likes getting caught in a lie and my son is no exception.
If we are born into a sin which we will struggle against in our lifetime, being a liar is his and honestly he is not struggling too hard on that one. Nor, is he a very good liar.
So, every time he lies to me, I have to weigh the importance of the situation - otherwise both of our lives would be a living nightmare - if I held him accountable 100% of the time! And, last night was another opportunity. I may have chosen poorly.
It was not even a good lie. He had not done what I had asked him to do on Friday, I already knew this, but he went for the "Yes, I did it." and then proceeded to compound the lie by arguing that I was wrong. Gees!
Today, I do not even want to talk with him, but I am going to have to and I have no idea what I am going to say. This is now affecting his "life" and I am having a really hard time coming up with options for him anymore. He really is the least responsible youth I have ever encountered!
And I note that I was not only one experiencing difficulties last evening with youth. It seems Dutchman's frustrations are building with his son again as well.
I wonder if there was a full moon last night........
If we are born into a sin which we will struggle against in our lifetime, being a liar is his and honestly he is not struggling too hard on that one. Nor, is he a very good liar.
So, every time he lies to me, I have to weigh the importance of the situation - otherwise both of our lives would be a living nightmare - if I held him accountable 100% of the time! And, last night was another opportunity. I may have chosen poorly.
It was not even a good lie. He had not done what I had asked him to do on Friday, I already knew this, but he went for the "Yes, I did it." and then proceeded to compound the lie by arguing that I was wrong. Gees!
Today, I do not even want to talk with him, but I am going to have to and I have no idea what I am going to say. This is now affecting his "life" and I am having a really hard time coming up with options for him anymore. He really is the least responsible youth I have ever encountered!
And I note that I was not only one experiencing difficulties last evening with youth. It seems Dutchman's frustrations are building with his son again as well.
I wonder if there was a full moon last night........
Monday, March 14, 2011
Japan, Science, Love and You
I have been watching all of the news feeds and videos from Japan, and it is appalling what one sees (and you probably do not understand).
Radiation workers with a paper face mask and TVEK outerwear, no idea what this is supposed to protect anyone from. Certainly not the radiation the workers where looking for with their detectors. Was there radiation? Heck yes! You can not blow the top of your reactor off due to a hydrogen explosion without the release of both ionized hydrogen and cesium. Yet, the news reports that there are only low levels of contamination! Call that one politically correct reporting in a land soon to watch the survivors all dead from various forms of cancer - probably all within statistical norms, especially if they doctor the statistics now. Sigh. Probably eating Japanese shellfish is a bad idea for the next 495 years.....
I have been struck at how you can have 13 diesel generators to act as back ups for the electrical supply to drive cooling pumps, to be used for emergencies, and yet your generators are not battery started! This one is not rocket science! But it shows the arrogance and lack of foresight by an industry more concerned with construction and less with "what if's". I wonder now how many of America's reactors back up generators are battery and not line fed? I wonder about back home now, how smart were those designers?
Certainly the tsunami videos have been impressive to watch. Just consider the amount of pollution this is going to be washing back out to sea! We are talking big time contamination to the shellfish and fish for quite some distance out to sea! That anyone survived those waves is amazing - yeah, I know, God's providence.
And thinking of God's providence, I am appalled at the amount of stupid American Christians out there! I have seen so many comments on YouTube and else where concerning this event - how it was God's condemnation against the Japanese, how it is the end times and they had it coming, etc, etc, etc!
Which lead me to 1 John 4 this past Sunday with my guys. The whole point of this chapter is LOVE for our brothers and sisters in the faith - as well as - LOVE for those whom are not. In the Roman era, the ancient writers held the Christians on one hand as being an abomination due their lack of worship for the Emperor and the gods. On the other hand, these Christians whom they persecuted were the very same ones whom came to their (Roman) aid in times of flood and famine! That is the LOVE we are to show the world - the LOVE that overcomes prejudice and wrongs done to us by even the world which seeks to destroy our faith.
On a personal note, in 1994 I got to play host to a young Japanese exchange student named Yuskae, whom had gotten in a bit of trouble. The Japanese consulate contracted me to sponsor him, as they had run out of resources and had been told of my work with troubled youth. We had a great time together and outside of having to discipline him once, he was a dream teenager. I am sure his parents were astounded at the young man they got back! (Papa, momma, I am so sorry! Those Germans made me understand how much I really missed you!) Unfortunately, he was from the town of Yamada, one of the towns completely destroyed by the tsunami. I pray he and his family are still alive - but in my heart I know there was little way they could have survived what happened there.
Let your prayers this week be not only for the survivors of this series of continuing events in Japan, but also to have God work in your heart to reach out to those in need with HIS LOVE, not only where tragiety has struck but in your community as well.....
Radiation workers with a paper face mask and TVEK outerwear, no idea what this is supposed to protect anyone from. Certainly not the radiation the workers where looking for with their detectors. Was there radiation? Heck yes! You can not blow the top of your reactor off due to a hydrogen explosion without the release of both ionized hydrogen and cesium. Yet, the news reports that there are only low levels of contamination! Call that one politically correct reporting in a land soon to watch the survivors all dead from various forms of cancer - probably all within statistical norms, especially if they doctor the statistics now. Sigh. Probably eating Japanese shellfish is a bad idea for the next 495 years.....
I have been struck at how you can have 13 diesel generators to act as back ups for the electrical supply to drive cooling pumps, to be used for emergencies, and yet your generators are not battery started! This one is not rocket science! But it shows the arrogance and lack of foresight by an industry more concerned with construction and less with "what if's". I wonder now how many of America's reactors back up generators are battery and not line fed? I wonder about back home now, how smart were those designers?
Certainly the tsunami videos have been impressive to watch. Just consider the amount of pollution this is going to be washing back out to sea! We are talking big time contamination to the shellfish and fish for quite some distance out to sea! That anyone survived those waves is amazing - yeah, I know, God's providence.
And thinking of God's providence, I am appalled at the amount of stupid American Christians out there! I have seen so many comments on YouTube and else where concerning this event - how it was God's condemnation against the Japanese, how it is the end times and they had it coming, etc, etc, etc!
Which lead me to 1 John 4 this past Sunday with my guys. The whole point of this chapter is LOVE for our brothers and sisters in the faith - as well as - LOVE for those whom are not. In the Roman era, the ancient writers held the Christians on one hand as being an abomination due their lack of worship for the Emperor and the gods. On the other hand, these Christians whom they persecuted were the very same ones whom came to their (Roman) aid in times of flood and famine! That is the LOVE we are to show the world - the LOVE that overcomes prejudice and wrongs done to us by even the world which seeks to destroy our faith.
On a personal note, in 1994 I got to play host to a young Japanese exchange student named Yuskae, whom had gotten in a bit of trouble. The Japanese consulate contracted me to sponsor him, as they had run out of resources and had been told of my work with troubled youth. We had a great time together and outside of having to discipline him once, he was a dream teenager. I am sure his parents were astounded at the young man they got back! (Papa, momma, I am so sorry! Those Germans made me understand how much I really missed you!) Unfortunately, he was from the town of Yamada, one of the towns completely destroyed by the tsunami. I pray he and his family are still alive - but in my heart I know there was little way they could have survived what happened there.
Let your prayers this week be not only for the survivors of this series of continuing events in Japan, but also to have God work in your heart to reach out to those in need with HIS LOVE, not only where tragiety has struck but in your community as well.....
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Then There Were Two
This morning brought the unwelcomed news of the death of my Swiss uncle. I only had three relatives left alive back home as it was, now it is down to two.
He was the youngest of my relatives and I figured I had plenty of time to visit with him, just as soon as my finances straightened out - alas, his time was up at only 64 years of age.
He lead a very hard life. Many hospitalizations due to a head injury in the army, the execution of his son in the Bosnian War, the death of one daughter in a car accident right after this and then the suicide of his other daughter following the death of her sister. Then his wife left him. Yeah, talk about being sucker punched by life.
But, he was always upbeat with me and I marveled at his ability to overcome. I am not sure how I will ever handle the death of one of my children.....
Suddenly, I am finding myself feeling very empty.
He was the youngest of my relatives and I figured I had plenty of time to visit with him, just as soon as my finances straightened out - alas, his time was up at only 64 years of age.
He lead a very hard life. Many hospitalizations due to a head injury in the army, the execution of his son in the Bosnian War, the death of one daughter in a car accident right after this and then the suicide of his other daughter following the death of her sister. Then his wife left him. Yeah, talk about being sucker punched by life.
But, he was always upbeat with me and I marveled at his ability to overcome. I am not sure how I will ever handle the death of one of my children.....
Suddenly, I am finding myself feeling very empty.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Kurse of the Kris
I know I have often mention that I am death to all mechanical objects. It is not like I set out to do anything to abuse them - they simply die around me.
So, Dutchman saw my note about having to hitch-hike (because Timothy's car died!) and so gave me a Lincoln Towncar. The thing is so hurking big that I have rarely driven it because it flat out scares me! I would rather drive a tank - honest!
But, two weeks with me and it was dead! It took most of this week for them to figure out that the auto-headlight shut-off switch had shorted itself out and took the electrical system with it! It was a nice fire, such a pretty car though..... Another Ford, Found On the Road Dead.
But, I think you see what I mean - if it is mechanical, it will commit suicide rather than be owned even operated by me.
So, it took last week to get Timothy's car up and running again (another electrical fire!). ThusI am still back to using Timothy's little car, which is mighty painful since my foot is still broken and the car is a stick - so I can not drive one footed! My last doctors exam was bad enough that now I get to go to a surgeon to discuss what to do with the rotten limb next Monday.
But, I am not alone in my hobbling, cousin broke his other foot (calcium problems with his bones) and is not doing well either. So one healing on him and one freshly broken.
Sigh, stinking Spencer genes.......
So, Dutchman saw my note about having to hitch-hike (because Timothy's car died!) and so gave me a Lincoln Towncar. The thing is so hurking big that I have rarely driven it because it flat out scares me! I would rather drive a tank - honest!
But, two weeks with me and it was dead! It took most of this week for them to figure out that the auto-headlight shut-off switch had shorted itself out and took the electrical system with it! It was a nice fire, such a pretty car though..... Another Ford, Found On the Road Dead.
But, I think you see what I mean - if it is mechanical, it will commit suicide rather than be owned even operated by me.
So, it took last week to get Timothy's car up and running again (another electrical fire!). ThusI am still back to using Timothy's little car, which is mighty painful since my foot is still broken and the car is a stick - so I can not drive one footed! My last doctors exam was bad enough that now I get to go to a surgeon to discuss what to do with the rotten limb next Monday.
But, I am not alone in my hobbling, cousin broke his other foot (calcium problems with his bones) and is not doing well either. So one healing on him and one freshly broken.
Sigh, stinking Spencer genes.......
Monday, March 7, 2011
How Big Is Your God?
In talking with my son this weekend, through his many issues, a reoccurring theme kept popping up - impossibilities in his life! And yet, I know there are no impossibilities - if I am walking in HIS footsteps and doing HIS will. But how do you communicate that to a hurting teenagers?
John 6:1-9 is a pretty good place to start, especially when paired with 1 John 3.....
First up, is the unpopular concept that we are ALL sinners. We have sinned, we do sin, and we are going to sin again! Yet, Jesus covered everyone of those puppies 2000 years ago on the cross. And, we must agree with HIM, on that sentence concerning sin, if we are to be on the right track with him. Confess, confess, confess and get over it. (You need to read 1 John 3 before disagreeing....)
So, what exactly are the impossibilities in your life? What stops you from being the person you should be or doing what you should be?
Your problems or situations are not too big for God to handle. He is not worried about them, He is not stressed over them, nor is He afraid to address them head on in your life - if you are willing!
But, leave God out and just watch how pessimistic attitudes become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Expect nothing to change, or get worse, and guess what - it will. You have to leave your life in God's hands and have the faith to keep it there!!!!
God delights in asking us to do what can not be done. When it does happen, it proves to us His authority in our lives and we know the credit is His and not our own. (Take credit for His work and watch out dude!)
This passage in John is about a guy named Philip, whose attitudes we all have in common with him, at times. We have to learn to walk in faith and not by our senses alone.
Faith is not the same as wishing. Faith is not the same as taking the initiative and doing (running ahead of God!).
Faith is a response to the Word of God. And how do you know how to "respond"? By reading, study, meditating and prayer.
Unfortunately, faith seems to be lost on this next generation - but maybe my son will remember this conversation in the years to come....,.
John 6:1-9 is a pretty good place to start, especially when paired with 1 John 3.....
First up, is the unpopular concept that we are ALL sinners. We have sinned, we do sin, and we are going to sin again! Yet, Jesus covered everyone of those puppies 2000 years ago on the cross. And, we must agree with HIM, on that sentence concerning sin, if we are to be on the right track with him. Confess, confess, confess and get over it. (You need to read 1 John 3 before disagreeing....)
So, what exactly are the impossibilities in your life? What stops you from being the person you should be or doing what you should be?
Your problems or situations are not too big for God to handle. He is not worried about them, He is not stressed over them, nor is He afraid to address them head on in your life - if you are willing!
But, leave God out and just watch how pessimistic attitudes become a self-fulfilling prophesy. Expect nothing to change, or get worse, and guess what - it will. You have to leave your life in God's hands and have the faith to keep it there!!!!
God delights in asking us to do what can not be done. When it does happen, it proves to us His authority in our lives and we know the credit is His and not our own. (Take credit for His work and watch out dude!)
This passage in John is about a guy named Philip, whose attitudes we all have in common with him, at times. We have to learn to walk in faith and not by our senses alone.
Faith is not the same as wishing. Faith is not the same as taking the initiative and doing (running ahead of God!).
Faith is a response to the Word of God. And how do you know how to "respond"? By reading, study, meditating and prayer.
Unfortunately, faith seems to be lost on this next generation - but maybe my son will remember this conversation in the years to come....,.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Musical Saturday Morning
I really do like the music of Tears For Fears, perhaps for no other reason than they so pointedly portray the hopelessness of man left to his own devices. This song, Sowing the Seeds of Love is a cute throw back to the 1960's (which so many of us remember all too well!) and their illusions to John Lennon in particular is interesting.
Because of one sequence in this video, it is a favorite of mine. It would be difficult to explain, so should you ever meet me in person - and you ask - I will explain something that will probably leave you wondering as to my sanity at times.....
:^)
Because of one sequence in this video, it is a favorite of mine. It would be difficult to explain, so should you ever meet me in person - and you ask - I will explain something that will probably leave you wondering as to my sanity at times.....
:^)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Tax Day
Yes today I am off to see the tax man to get my taxes figured out for all of the kids and myself. Sigh. Usually I end up over paying and do get something back but it is still a pain in the posterior!
I already know that son will owe, since he did not pay his quarterly filings, choosing instead to outfit his room with an electronics system. Hope he saved enough from this year's work so he can pay, he was warned.....
Hoping to terminate my early retirement in the near future, what was a manageable retirement just a year ago is now trembling on poverty level the way fuel costs are raising the prices of everything. Sigh......
I already know that son will owe, since he did not pay his quarterly filings, choosing instead to outfit his room with an electronics system. Hope he saved enough from this year's work so he can pay, he was warned.....
Hoping to terminate my early retirement in the near future, what was a manageable retirement just a year ago is now trembling on poverty level the way fuel costs are raising the prices of everything. Sigh......
Thursday, March 3, 2011
All Her Buttons
Rolling the clock back to 1973, this was when Dutchman, Swede and I first all met one another through a Christian college group. At first only Dutchman was a Christian but Swede and I followed along shortly after joining the group. As I have mentioned in the past, the change was so abrupt and obvious in my life that the church we all went to made me their high school group's youth pastor! (bad idea! i was way too young!)
Now, one of the girls in that first youth group of mine was to grow into International Banker Girl, whom I told you about perhaps two years ago when Dutchman flew her over for his birthday and sure stunned the two us! (what a joyous reunion!) Back in 1973, she was just an awkward teenage girl, certainly nothing like the accomplished self confident woman she is today. And she had a problem back then - an older brother whom both Dutchman and I classified as a sexual preditor - and history was to prove us correct.
So, we would tag team trying to keep her safe while her parents were not around and more than a few times had to trash said older brother (once within an inch of his life!). But, apparently he never learned and the justice system was the one whom eventually had to deal with him. Hence, she viewed us sort of as something between older brothers or pseudo father material or maybe shining knights.
Fast forward to this past weekend and you can better understand the context of this tale.
It is nine a.m. on Saturday, the gun show had just opened and Dutchman gets a call on his cell phone. Sort of odd, as everyone knew he would be at the show and could not really talk. IBG is screaming on the phone so loud that not only could I hear every word but so could some guys on the aisle behind us! (Dutchman is going deaf, but you never mention that topic - gees!)
In summary, her husband and her had a fight ending with him storming out of the house. Just before calling, she had gone online to pay some bills and discovered there was NO money in her accounts and all of her credit and cash cards were missing!
Dutchman and I mused over this for about an hour without coming to a conclusion It really did not sound like something her husband would do. But, then again, he recently had been told that he is going blind - so could he have gone insane or been so foolish to as to decide to go on a trip to Vegas or something equally as stupid? About an hour later, he walks up to our table and sheepishly says hi.
So for the next hour we hear the real tale, from his viewpoint anyways.
He had thrown his back out the night before and had taken a big pain killer. He was in so much pain and fell asleep so fast that he forgot to put 'HIS' dog in its kennel for the night. About five in the morning, the dog pees on the carpet at the foot of the bed, and an irate IBG wakes him up to clean up the mess. But, he is so tired that he only throws a towel over it and goes back to bed. A few hours later was the fight, which began over his not shampooing the carpeting at 5:00. She storms out of the room, he cleans out her wallet to make a point and takes off.
Now his father is with him through this conversation, standing there with his mouth hanging open most of the time and saying things like, "You said what!" "You did what!" and my favorite, "Are you insane?"
They amble off and Dutchmen and I are simply stunned - to the point of having NO response.
A few hours later, he comes back. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"
We agreed.
"What do you think it will take to get her over this?"
Dutchman went with flowers, I went with the most expensive chocolate he could find and flowers too! And he trundled off muttering at how it was unfair he should have to buy her flowers and chocolates really were not her thing.......
Dutchman and I both smacked our foreheads.
So, Saturday night, I call up Gaelic Girl and told her about this whole incident, which had become a running gag at the gun show in our table area. So I said, "Now I probably know you better than anyone alive and let us say that one day I decide I am going to push all of your buttons at once - what would it take to make up for this? Flowers? Chocolates? Cash if I sold all of my guns? What?"
There was a long silence. "Flowers, chocolates and you better save one gun and a bullet because I will still kill you!"
Next morning, 9:00 another call on Dutchman's cell. This time it is her parents calling to get Dutchman to please talk with their daughter and the husband because she had called them and was all hysterical over him not coming back home last night.
Dutchman explained the previous day's conversations and at how neither were looking objectively at the situation and how they are adults and do need to work this out on their own. It was hysterical.
But then the truth sort of worked its way out: husband had come back the night before but had not brought flowers or chocolates, just handed her an envelope with the contents of her bank accounts.
She slammed the door in his face and he spent the night at his dad's.
And, strangely enough GG is now not talking to me either because I would even think of pushing all of her buttons on purpose!
Now, one of the girls in that first youth group of mine was to grow into International Banker Girl, whom I told you about perhaps two years ago when Dutchman flew her over for his birthday and sure stunned the two us! (what a joyous reunion!) Back in 1973, she was just an awkward teenage girl, certainly nothing like the accomplished self confident woman she is today. And she had a problem back then - an older brother whom both Dutchman and I classified as a sexual preditor - and history was to prove us correct.
So, we would tag team trying to keep her safe while her parents were not around and more than a few times had to trash said older brother (once within an inch of his life!). But, apparently he never learned and the justice system was the one whom eventually had to deal with him. Hence, she viewed us sort of as something between older brothers or pseudo father material or maybe shining knights.
Fast forward to this past weekend and you can better understand the context of this tale.
It is nine a.m. on Saturday, the gun show had just opened and Dutchman gets a call on his cell phone. Sort of odd, as everyone knew he would be at the show and could not really talk. IBG is screaming on the phone so loud that not only could I hear every word but so could some guys on the aisle behind us! (Dutchman is going deaf, but you never mention that topic - gees!)
In summary, her husband and her had a fight ending with him storming out of the house. Just before calling, she had gone online to pay some bills and discovered there was NO money in her accounts and all of her credit and cash cards were missing!
Dutchman and I mused over this for about an hour without coming to a conclusion It really did not sound like something her husband would do. But, then again, he recently had been told that he is going blind - so could he have gone insane or been so foolish to as to decide to go on a trip to Vegas or something equally as stupid? About an hour later, he walks up to our table and sheepishly says hi.
So for the next hour we hear the real tale, from his viewpoint anyways.
He had thrown his back out the night before and had taken a big pain killer. He was in so much pain and fell asleep so fast that he forgot to put 'HIS' dog in its kennel for the night. About five in the morning, the dog pees on the carpet at the foot of the bed, and an irate IBG wakes him up to clean up the mess. But, he is so tired that he only throws a towel over it and goes back to bed. A few hours later was the fight, which began over his not shampooing the carpeting at 5:00. She storms out of the room, he cleans out her wallet to make a point and takes off.
Now his father is with him through this conversation, standing there with his mouth hanging open most of the time and saying things like, "You said what!" "You did what!" and my favorite, "Are you insane?"
They amble off and Dutchmen and I are simply stunned - to the point of having NO response.
A few hours later, he comes back. "I really screwed up, didn't I?"
We agreed.
"What do you think it will take to get her over this?"
Dutchman went with flowers, I went with the most expensive chocolate he could find and flowers too! And he trundled off muttering at how it was unfair he should have to buy her flowers and chocolates really were not her thing.......
Dutchman and I both smacked our foreheads.
So, Saturday night, I call up Gaelic Girl and told her about this whole incident, which had become a running gag at the gun show in our table area. So I said, "Now I probably know you better than anyone alive and let us say that one day I decide I am going to push all of your buttons at once - what would it take to make up for this? Flowers? Chocolates? Cash if I sold all of my guns? What?"
There was a long silence. "Flowers, chocolates and you better save one gun and a bullet because I will still kill you!"
Next morning, 9:00 another call on Dutchman's cell. This time it is her parents calling to get Dutchman to please talk with their daughter and the husband because she had called them and was all hysterical over him not coming back home last night.
Dutchman explained the previous day's conversations and at how neither were looking objectively at the situation and how they are adults and do need to work this out on their own. It was hysterical.
But then the truth sort of worked its way out: husband had come back the night before but had not brought flowers or chocolates, just handed her an envelope with the contents of her bank accounts.
She slammed the door in his face and he spent the night at his dad's.
And, strangely enough GG is now not talking to me either because I would even think of pushing all of her buttons on purpose!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Bubbus Americanus
Since my desire had been to raise some much need cash to pay for my auto insurance (due today!), I had decided to take one of the rarest of the rarest in my collection to the gun show - a CZ 27 pistol, from the first year of Nazi production, a nickel officer's presentation piece and all original! Like I said, the rarest of the rare, it may be one of the very few still to exist. I also priced it at a third of what it will bring at auction.
So, it is 2:30 Sunday, I am worn to a frazzle, you just would not believe how tiring these shows are, and I hear a thunk to my right. A young man had picked up the CZ and then tossed it with contempt back on to the table. He looked at me and said, "So, who pimped out the CZ?"
I told him the gun's history and then he decided to educate me that this was just a story and no piece ever came out of Nazi held Czechoslovakia of this quality! I was rather stunned, generally I never get called a liar, much less to my face! I find sticking to the truth far more stress free. So, I commented that perhaps he should research subjects prior to offering opinions, which he really took offense at!
He stormed away shouting at how I must be some sort of psycho and walked straight into a door frame, wherein he then attempted to punch out the door.
Dutchman, my cousin and son just sat there and starred at the now closing door as a voice echoed from the other side about psycho dealers having a bad day, whom will not listen.
I stood up looked at the table and said, "Yup, that is the end of this for me." And we all started packing.
But, even for how odd this was, it still was not the weirdest tale of the weekend. I will share that one tomorrow for you consideration.....
As a side note, there is a wonderful book just published on the CZ-27 which is worth its weight in drool factor.
So, it is 2:30 Sunday, I am worn to a frazzle, you just would not believe how tiring these shows are, and I hear a thunk to my right. A young man had picked up the CZ and then tossed it with contempt back on to the table. He looked at me and said, "So, who pimped out the CZ?"
I told him the gun's history and then he decided to educate me that this was just a story and no piece ever came out of Nazi held Czechoslovakia of this quality! I was rather stunned, generally I never get called a liar, much less to my face! I find sticking to the truth far more stress free. So, I commented that perhaps he should research subjects prior to offering opinions, which he really took offense at!
He stormed away shouting at how I must be some sort of psycho and walked straight into a door frame, wherein he then attempted to punch out the door.
Dutchman, my cousin and son just sat there and starred at the now closing door as a voice echoed from the other side about psycho dealers having a bad day, whom will not listen.
I stood up looked at the table and said, "Yup, that is the end of this for me." And we all started packing.
But, even for how odd this was, it still was not the weirdest tale of the weekend. I will share that one tomorrow for you consideration.....
As a side note, there is a wonderful book just published on the CZ-27 which is worth its weight in drool factor.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Horse Trading
A number of years ago, the first of my 'virtual' sons offered me a shotgun for sale. I knew he was hard up for cash (his wife embezzled a significant amount of money and in exchange for returning the money - she would not go to jail!) so I bought it sight unseen.
About the tenth time I took it out to fondle it, I noticed that the stock was chipped around the top of the receiver and a large flake of wood would one day split off along one side. Really poor stock craftsmanship and by Weatherby no less! What really irritated me was that as I was examining the flake, I noticed that the beautiful walnut burl stock was actually some type of polymer coating over a garbage grade of wood. And, from Weatherby no less! This shotgun was build in 1977! Not some new piece of garbage being cranked out these days!
I just wrote this down to: inspect before you buy. At the time, I would given him a similar amount with no question of ever being repaid. He is (and still is) family. But, I always wondered if he knew about that stock flaw or not.....
So, when cousin offered this idea of ganging together to sell anything we no longer wanted, that was the first piece I grabbed to get rid of and priced it according to its stock condition.
As the end of Saturday at the show was rolling around, a young man walked up and asked if I would trade that Weatherby for an older Remington 870. I looked the gun over, asked him twice if he really wanted to trade, which he did, so I did it. The Remington is worth about a third of the Weatherby, but you know, I liked the guy and his young wife. I could see in his eyes someone I used to see in the mirror decades ago......
So, I kept the Remington available, just in case he came back and was unhappy with the trade.
But, now weirdness sets in.
About lunchtime on Sunday, someone was standing in front of the table and I was so exhausted it took me probably 90 seconds to realize that virtual son number one was stand there in front of me! I could hardly jump over the table to greet him, but I would of, if I could of! But, what the heck was he doing here - and at the gun show no less?
Seems he has followed in my footsteps of utter klutziness and managed to break his left arm! Yeah, he explained how he had been playing hockey last week and took a stick to his forearm, snapping the outer bone. The doctors all recommended that if he could get the money to come here for surgery immediately (versus waiting months back home!) ! (Are you listening you idiot socialist health care demanders!?!?!?!)
So, as I write this he is in a hospital in Seattle having the bone rebuilt, in about thirty minutes. Hopefully, this will work well for him, he was in a great deal of pain Sunday.
But, even for how bizarre this is, it was not the weirdest of the weekend yet!
About the tenth time I took it out to fondle it, I noticed that the stock was chipped around the top of the receiver and a large flake of wood would one day split off along one side. Really poor stock craftsmanship and by Weatherby no less! What really irritated me was that as I was examining the flake, I noticed that the beautiful walnut burl stock was actually some type of polymer coating over a garbage grade of wood. And, from Weatherby no less! This shotgun was build in 1977! Not some new piece of garbage being cranked out these days!
I just wrote this down to: inspect before you buy. At the time, I would given him a similar amount with no question of ever being repaid. He is (and still is) family. But, I always wondered if he knew about that stock flaw or not.....
So, when cousin offered this idea of ganging together to sell anything we no longer wanted, that was the first piece I grabbed to get rid of and priced it according to its stock condition.
As the end of Saturday at the show was rolling around, a young man walked up and asked if I would trade that Weatherby for an older Remington 870. I looked the gun over, asked him twice if he really wanted to trade, which he did, so I did it. The Remington is worth about a third of the Weatherby, but you know, I liked the guy and his young wife. I could see in his eyes someone I used to see in the mirror decades ago......
So, I kept the Remington available, just in case he came back and was unhappy with the trade.
But, now weirdness sets in.
About lunchtime on Sunday, someone was standing in front of the table and I was so exhausted it took me probably 90 seconds to realize that virtual son number one was stand there in front of me! I could hardly jump over the table to greet him, but I would of, if I could of! But, what the heck was he doing here - and at the gun show no less?
Seems he has followed in my footsteps of utter klutziness and managed to break his left arm! Yeah, he explained how he had been playing hockey last week and took a stick to his forearm, snapping the outer bone. The doctors all recommended that if he could get the money to come here for surgery immediately (versus waiting months back home!) ! (Are you listening you idiot socialist health care demanders!?!?!?!)
So, as I write this he is in a hospital in Seattle having the bone rebuilt, in about thirty minutes. Hopefully, this will work well for him, he was in a great deal of pain Sunday.
But, even for how bizarre this is, it was not the weirdest of the weekend yet!
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