Salem Snow Storm 2008

So we've been without internet since sometime Sunday. Why? This:





I figure we got about 6-8" total, plus a couple inches of ice. The latter caused a 6 hour power outage and the loss of internet. I have only lived here about 10 years, but I've never seen it like this. Normally power outages can range from a minor inconvenience to fairly fun. This one would have been except for the fact that the sump pump had no power, meaning I had to perform its duties. I have a new respect for that little half-horse motor. I hauled apporximately 30 gallons of water up the stairs every hour. Ooof. We're going to start saving for a little generator, because I don't want to do that again, let alone if we are gone.
Once again the feeble driving ability of Salemites was on display. There is no moderation. Some drive as if exceeding 10 MPH will instantly cause their vehicle to careen off the road. Others are apparently under the misguided belief that driving faster is the better way to go. They put the pedal to the floor the moment the light turns green, paradoxically causing them to go nowhere. So half the people drive 5 MPH, the other half like a bat out of hell. All of them have chains, of course, even if there is no snow anywhere near the road. We saw several drivers south of Salem on I-5 sparking thier way down the road. I saw a Toyota Tacoma 4x4 (on wet pavement) with all 4 wheels chained. Now (Dec. 24th) it is in the upper 30's so things are melting.

Tonight we are going to St. Paul's because "Services will be held, no matter the weather." It will be our second Christmas there. We know there are some things we don't agree with there, but that's going to be the case no matter where we go.

Happy Christmas all.

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone went to his own town to be registered. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David. He went to be registered with Mary, who was promised in marriage to him, and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people: Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord. 2:12 This will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us.” So they hurried off and located Mary and Joseph, and found the baby lying in a manger. When they saw him, they related what they had been told about this child, and all who heard it were astonished at what the shepherds said. But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean. So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.
At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Now when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to to present him to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be set apart to the Lord”), 2:24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves or two young pigeons.
Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, looking for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, Simeon took him in his arms and blessed God, saying, “Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”
So the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: This child is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. Indeed, as a result of him the thought of many hearts will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul as well!”
There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him.

This makes Bob happy

What On Earth Are We Doing?

American Christianity has turned Paul's admonition on its head.
Paul said,
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Ro 12:2).

We've changed it to
"And be conformed to the world, just make sure it has a veneer of Christianity so that we can claim we're only trying to reach the lost."

Exhibit A.

Is this church or a concert?

Is this a concert or church?

I'm really confused why the American Christian church has decided that worshiping God should look like the world's worship of its idols. I've heard all the excuses:
-I can't worship doing all that old fashioned stuff.
-We want to be relevant!
-People won't come to church unless we make it entertaining.
-Making Sunday service shallow and entertaining is the only way to be evangelical (i.e., it will draw the "unchurched").

Since when is worship about making sure we are satisfied? Since when did worship stop being about assenting to God's glory, and ascribing Him worth (which is the root of worship)? Since when did worship become nothing more than a vehicle for getting people to come in the door? Since when did we decide that church should be, "entertaining, attractive, not judgmental, and not invasive"? Since when did worship shift from God-centered to man-centered?


Exhibit B.


So we have Christian My Little Ponies. Is that so bad? I suppose you could make an argument that this is a harmless way to indulge in Western culture's obsession with providing our children endless forms and ammounts of entertainment. Heaven forbid they use their imaginations, much less in this case learn that Christianity is slightly more than pithy catchwords and jargon slapped onto the sides of rubber horses. Nevermind the fact that My Little Pony is fully pagan:


But then we have exhibit C.



Really? Really?!?!!!?!!? Is this where we are?

According to the manufacturer,
"Finally, a fasion doll you can feel good about giving your child or grandchild! God's Girlz are modest [if grammatically challenged -ed.], yet fashionable, and with meaningful content to encourage thoughtful play. Each 12" doll is fully posable and fitted with the latest fasion styles."

Let's look at a little Scripture:
"You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; ^you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, ^but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Ex 20:4-6."
Recognize it? Yeah, that's Commandment #2.
A lot of people are going to say, "Wait, that's the Old Testament. We're not under the Old Testament, so we can make carved images (dolls) if we want. Besides, we aren't making them to be worshipped."
Jesus said, "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (Mt 19:17).
As far as worshipping, what is the purpose of this doll? I would argue that it teaches little girls how they are "supposed" to look. This doll represents what the world (and in this case American Christian culture) thinks women should look like, what little girls should emmulate. That is worship. That is the "thoughtful play" these dolls actually will encourage.

Is there a qualitative difference between these two? Be honest.

One is supposed to have "meaningful content" while the other is said to "sexualize young girls." I can't figure out which is which.

We can argue over whether it is appropriate to let little girls play with fashion dolls, but let's quit adding a Christian facade to secular culture - secular culture that we Christians are blaming for the moral degradation of morality in said culture. It's kind of like someone who wallows around in a pig's mud pit and argues, "But at least I'm not a pig!"
On the manufacturer's website, they encourage retailers to carry their stuff because, "Christian/Inspirational products account for over $4 billion in retail sales annually."

Truly we are of the world, but not in it. Most of us spend our entire life immersed in this pseudo-Christian subculture, thinking we are glorifying God because we are participating in that subculture. We would never be caught in a Nickelback concert, but we have no problem going to a Sunday service that is indistinguishable from one. We would never buy our child a Bratz doll, but we "feel good about" giving her a doll that looks just like one. We don't want our children playing with "pagan" My Little Ponies, but we will buy them "Praise Ponies" that are exactly the same, but for the little symbols on thier haunches.

Christmas decorating....check!

You Never Know What You're Going To Get

From an actual Google search:

The Religion of Zoroaster, Hinduism and Buddhism price comparison
Compare The Religion of Zoroaster, Hinduism and Buddhism prices before you buy to make sure you get the best deal. Find a list of The Religion of Zoroaster, ...shopping.msn.com/prices/the-religion-of-zoroaster-hinduism-and-buddhism/itemid941530610/?...of-zoroaster...buddhism - 36k - Cached - Similar pages

It's actually not bad advice...

Voting Dissapointment..

We voted yesterday. I was disappointed that there was no Communist candidate for president. I always loved reading their shpeal. Apparently they do have a candidate they are supporting though...
According to the Communist Party USA, Obama is "not a left candidate," but will help in "the struggle to defeat the ultra-right and turn our country on a positive path..." by overturning "Bush's third term."
The People's Weekly World argues that Obama will win handily:
"It is likely, most experts and pundits say, that the polls will tighten, making it look like the election is getting closer. However there are a number of factors which, taken together, can lead to a much bigger landslide than the polls predict."
Why? Voter perception. They list 18 "factors" that will lead to Obama's landslide. Not one of them is voters seeing his ideas as superior to McCain's. The top 3?
"1. The Cell Phone Issue: Many nowadays, especially young people, don’t have land lines, so most of the polls undercount a section of the populace that is heavily pro-Obama.
2. The African American Turnout Factor: Most polls have likely voter turnout models factored in, based on past turnout levels. If, as is very likely, African American turnout is significantly higher this year and even more Democratic than usual, that can change the outlook in states with a large African American population, mainly but not only in the South.
3. The Latino American Turnout Factor: The same is true for Latino voters, registered and energized by the immigrant rights upsurge several years ago. A greater Latino turnout can be enough to change the results in important swing states like Colorado and Nevada, and have a positive impact nationwide."
Looks like the Commies think (among other factors) young people and racists will win the election for Obama. At least they're honest.

Islam On the March at USC

I was doing some research today and ran across something interesting.
The University of Southern California is hosting a webpage run by the "Muslim Students Association", here.

The webpage address is under "dept/MSA" which I can only assume is short for "Departments."
The "texts" here are nothing short of an Apologetic compendium for Islam. They are not objective, but highly positive. This is the opening paragraph:
"In 610 CE, Allah ordained the final Prophet He would send to earth. Over five centuries had passed since the previous Prophet He sent, Jesus the son of Mary. This final Prophet was Muhammad ibn Abdillah (saas). Though Muhammad (saas) was born in the Arabian peninsula, he was sent to all of humanity. He was commissioned to deliver a message from Allah to Arabs and non-Arabs alike."

It gets better.

There are several articles taken from something called Perspectives. Here is what the USC WEBSITE says about it:
"Perspectives has kindly agreed to give MSA-USC permission to place literature under their copyright on our site. We would like to acknowledge the service they are providing for the sake of Islam by informing the public of how to subscribe to this excellent newsletter. It is published on a bimonthly basis by the Foundation for Islamic Knowledge. In order to subscribe, please send $20 (if you can afford it) to:
PerspectivesP.O. Box 65250Hampton, VA 23665
Along with the newsletter, you will also receive a prayer schedule for your particular residence insha-Allah." (emphasis mine)

Incredible.

Then I found this.

The "Muslim Students Association" is not listed as a student group at USC. There is a Muslim Student Union, but their site is like all the others - sepatate from the official USC websites.
Further, there are no other religious texts actually hosted by the official USC website (at least not that I could find searching thier site for 45min.). In fact, on the site dedicated to "Muslim-Jewish Engagement" links to the site hosting these decidedly pro-Muslim texts, while the Jewish texts are hosted on outside websites.

To be fair, the website does say that USC is not responsible for the content of the site. I wonder, though, why this is the only website of its kind on the entire USC system (if it isn't, they've hidden the others so well that a seasoned researcher could not find them).

If I had more time, I might think about charging USC with a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. USC, a public institution, is hosting a website containing pro-Islamic materials to the exclusion of all other religions (as far as I could find).

We are losing our country, increment by increment. Imagine the furor if USC hosted a site that began,
"In 1-2 BCE, The Lord God sent the final sacrifice for sin. This final sacrifice was Jesus Christ, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, was crucified, and rose from the dead. Though Jesus was born in Israel, he was sent to all of humanity. He was commissioned to provide a message of salvation from the Lord God to Israel and Gentiles alike."
Ironically, that kind of language would not be tolerated at USC here in America, nor at the University of Damascus in Syria. Apparenly, though, pro-Islamic literature is not only tolerated, but sponsored at both.

The latest biography from Random House...

The Fluffy Cuddlekins Story

Yay! We avoided Fascism for one more day:
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/senators-push-lawmakers-pass-bailout/

Evolutionists Flock To Darwin-Shaped Wall Stain

September 5, 2008

Darwinic pilgrims claim the image fills them with an overwhelming feeling of logic.

DAYTON, TN—A steady stream of devoted evolutionists continued to gather in this small Tennessee town today to witness what many believe is an image of Charles Darwin—author of The Origin Of Species and founder of the modern evolutionary movement—made manifest on a concrete wall in downtown Dayton.

"I brought my baby to touch the wall, so that the power of Darwin can purify her genetic makeup of undesirable inherited traits," said Darlene Freiberg, one among a growing crowd assembled here to see the mysterious stain, which appeared last Monday on one side of the Rhea County Courthouse. The building was also the location of the famed "Scopes Monkey Trial" and is widely considered one of Darwinism's holiest sites. "Forgive me, O Charles, for ever doubting your Divine Evolution. After seeing this miracle of limestone pigmentation with my own eyes, my faith in empirical reasoning will never again be tested."

Added Freiberg, "Behold the power and glory of the scientific method!"

Since witnesses first reported the unexplained marking—which appears to resemble a 19th-century male figure with a high forehead and large beard—this normally quiet town has become a hotbed of biological zealotry. Thousands of pilgrims from as far away as Berkeley's paleoanthropology department have flocked to the site to lay wreaths of flowers, light devotional candles, read aloud from Darwin's works, and otherwise pay homage to the mysterious blue-green stain.

Capitalizing on the influx of empirical believers, street vendors have sprung up across Dayton, selling evolutionary relics and artwork to the thousands of pilgrims waiting to catch a glimpse of the image. Available for sale are everything from small wooden shards alleged to be fragments of the "One True Beagle"—the research vessel on which Darwin made his legendary voyage to the Galapagos Islands—to lecture notes purportedly touched by English evolutionist Alfred Russel Wallace.

"I have never felt closer to Darwin's ideas," said zoologist Fred Granger, who waited in line for 16 hours to view the stain. "May his name be praised and his theories on natural selection echo in all the halls of naturalistic observation forever."

Despite the enthusiasm the so-called "Darwin Smudge" has generated among the evolutionary faithful, disagreement remains as to its origin. Some believe the image is actually closer to the visage of Stephen Jay Gould, longtime columnist for Natural History magazine and originator of the theory of punctuated equilibrium, and is therefore proof of rapid cladogenesis. A smaller minority contend it is the face of Carl Sagan, and should be viewed as a warning to those nonbelievers who have not yet seen his hit PBS series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

Still others have attempted to discredit the miracle entirely, claiming that there are several alternate explanations for the appearance of the unexplained discoloration.

"It's a stain on a wall, and nothing more," said the Rev. Clement McCoy, a professor at Oral Roberts University and prominent opponent of evolutionary theory. "Anything else is the delusional fantasy of a fanatical evolutionist mindset that sees only what it wishes to see in the hopes of validating a baseless, illogical belief system. I only hope these heretics see the error of their ways before our Most Powerful God smites them all in His vengeance."

But those who have made the long journey to Dayton remain steadfast in their belief that natural selection—a process by which certain genes are favored over others less conducive to survival—is the one and only creator of life as we know it. This stain, they claim, is the proof they have been waiting for.

"To those who would deny that genetic drift is responsible for a branching evolutionary tree of increasing biodiversity amid changing ecosystems, we say, 'Look upon the face of Darwin!'" said Jeanette Cosgrove, who, along with members of her microbiology class, has maintained a candlelight vigil at the site for the past 72 hours.

"Over millions of successive generations, a specific subvariant of one species of slime mold adapted to this particular concrete wall, in order to one day form this stain, and thus make manifest this vision of Darwin's glorious countenance," Cosgrove said, overcome with emotion.

"It's a miracle," she added.

This is obviously a fake article, from the Onion. However, all humor has the ring of truth...

I saw this famous picture on a site claiming "These websites will all generate income from the comfort of your home." The proprietors claim they set up the site as the "result of much prayer and fasting for God's knowledge, wisdom, understanding and discernment."

Really?

I wasn't aware that God was in the business consulting industry.

I'm not sure what they meant to convey by adding the picture of Jesus knocking on the door.

Speaking of the picture...

Just wondering,
If Jesus comes knocking at the "door" of your heart, and you don't answer, you don't "ask Jesus into your heart," is it becasuse you can refuse God's will (meaning you think God isn't all that powerful, or sovereign for that matter), or because there is something preventing you from answering (meaning you think man isn't all that free)?

More anti-global warming

I was looking for something else and ran into this:
Haifa University study: Local rainfall stats defy global warming fears
It is a headline from Haaretz news.
Basically it says that Israeli researchers have not found a significant change in rainfall levels in the last 60 years, despite the global warming crowd's contention that global warming is "already impacting precipitation quantities."
The lead researcher concludes, "The common belief that weather events are becoming more extreme can therefore be attributed to greater press coverage of weather events, in particular extreme events, and not to an increase in these events."
The article is here: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/943904.html

Global Climate Change and Fascism

I have been reading a facinating book by Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism. In it I came across something that intrigued me.
He says,
"Crisis is routenely identified as a core mechanism of fascism because it short-circuits debate and democratic deliberation. Hence all fascistic movements commit considerable energy prolonging a heightened state of emergency." (pg. 43)
Sound familiar? I thought so too. At http://www.wecansolveit.org/ they state:
"The We Campaign is a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. Our ultimate aim is to halt global warming. Specifically we are educating people in the US and around the world that the climate crisis is both urgent and solvable."
A headline from a 2005 USA Today article shouts,
"The debate's over: Globe is warming!"
On the website of the Socialist party of the European Parliment they say,
"GLOBAL EMERGENCY! Climate Change is the greatest challenge facing the world today. The weight of evidence that climate change is happening and that it is man-made is undeniable. It is a global challenge requiring a global solution. Reducing carbon output is not only an ecological but also an economic and social necessity. As Stern says, the cost of inaction far outstrips the cost of taking action. The cost of inaction is huge - that's why we have to act now. We already have or can develop the technological know-how to tackle climate change. By rising to the challenge we will all benefit."
Goldberg gives the definition of fascism as,
"a religion of the state. It assumes the organic unity of the body politic and longs for a national leader attuned to the will of the people. It is totalitarian in that it views everything as political and holds that any action by the state is justified to achieve the common good. It takes responsibility for all ascpects of life, including our health, and seeks to impose uniformity of thought and action, whether by force or through regulation and social pressure. Everything, including the economy and religion, must be aligned with its objectives. Any rival identity is part of "the problem" and therefore defined as the enemy."
(pg. 23)
The American Liberal movemenet has done a clever job of changing the definition of "fascism" to mean conservative or "right-wing" while in reality Liberalism is far more a reflection of fascism. The very name "liberal" has been redefined as just the opposite, forcing scholars to use "classical liberalism" when talking about the likes of the founding fathers, while using "liberalism" to mean left-wing, "progressive" socialist (and I would now argue fascist) philosophy. Perhaps conservatives should point this fact out more often. Unfortunately, most conservatives are too busy earning livings and paying taxes to support our modern wellfare state to take the time to scream and shout and march and protest.

Photos at Shutterfly

I have built a website at Shutterfly to share my pics.
It is here: http://robertdrouhard.site.shutterfly.com/
Hopefully I will have time to edit and upload more soon.

Back From Israel

I made it back safe and sound, no thanks to Continental's sceduling or on-time-ness. I have just begun going through my pics, which I will probably post on some kind of album website, but for now, here are a couple:


This is the view from the hotel we stayed at the first night in Tel Aviv.







And this is the view the next morning at sunrise (for most of the tour we were up by at least 6 a.m.).
I will post more later.

Hi all!

It was a fluke that I could get on that morning...

Anyhoo, we are back in Cairo after our boat trip. By boat trip I should say small cruise ship. It was fantastic. If anyone is thinking about seeing Egypt, one of these boats is definitely the way to go. It was relaxing, and clean, like being at a nice hotel while watching the Nile go by. 

Today we visited the Coptic Christian community here in Cairo. They have interesting and beautiful churches and interesting worship practices. 

Tomorrow morning around 3 am we fly back to Tel Aviv, and I fly home. I had fun on the trip, but I am very ready to be home. 

From Cairo

Internet access has proven to be problematic in the Middle East. Fortunately, I was able to hop on here at the "internet center" at the hotel we are staying at in Cairo.
To fill in, we spent several days in Jerusalem seeing the sites and trying not to loose anyone. We were successful at both.
Jerusalem is as beautiful as I remember it, and I still love the city. They are building like crazy there, but the Old City is as timeless as ever.
I think I am close to 3,000 pictures now. I love having a digital camera because I can capture anything that catches my interest. It has been great taking pictures of the sites, but also the city and the people.
We are now in Cairo. It too is just as I remember it: hot, loud, and dirty. At least this time we are staying in high end hotels. We will be here until 5:00am tomorrow, when we will fly to Luxor to catch a boat that will take us up the Nile, ending in Aswan (I think. Yesterday I thought we were doing the opposite - going to Aswan and floating to Luxor). The boat is supposed to be 5 star, so we will see.
Today we are going to see the pyramids, then relax and rest. We got in at 4 this morning, so Dr. House and I are a little tired.
I might try posting again, though it might have been a fluke that I was able to use the internet this morning.

Second Post from Israel

I am far more busy than I thought I would be, and internet access is a problem.
I thought Israel was ahead of America in terms of internet, but it is not. Hotels still charge by the hour for it.
Anyway, it is late, bjut I am having a great time. We made it to Jerusalem today!
When I get home I will post pictures of the trip. I have taken well over 1000 so far!
More later.

Post from Israel #1

I made it alive!
We finally got unlimited internet, so I am going to update everyone.
We flew into Tel Aviv yesterday evening and checked into a hotel on the Mediterranean.
This morning we left Tel Aviv and visited Ceasarea Maritania, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, and Sepphoris before heading down to the Sea of Galilee at Tiberias.
Having lived here for a semester, seeing sites for whole days, it is a bit disconcerting the pace at which we must travel. For example, at IBEX we saw Ceasarea and Mt. Carmel in one whole day.
I am having a great time taking pictures, videotaping and generally "gopering" for Dr. House. (This is mostly for Bill - I bought a LowePro Primus for the trip, and it is awesome. I took it as a carry-on because I was not about to check my D50. If you are looking for a day pack that also carries a camera, I highly reccomend it).
The weather is in the 90's but breezy, and very hazy. When we were on Carmel you could barely see across the plain toward Nazareth.
I have to go, but I'll post more as I have time.

Off to Israel!

Well, for those who don't know, I am leaving for Israel and Egypt for 3 weeks. I don't know how much I will be able to post or email, but I'll try.
I will post things when I get back.
Oh, and I double checked the settings. Anyone should be able to post comments here.
Take care all.

A friend sent this e-mail they got the other day. How dumb do they think we are?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ATM CARD OFFICE <engel_john_diane@charter.net>
Date: Sat, May 10, 2008 at 7:10 AM
Subject: To: SENATE COMMITEE ON APPROPRIATIONAND FINANCE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OFNIGERIA.NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEXTHREE ARMS ZONE P.M.B 141ABUJA NIGERIA

ATTENTION:HONOURABLE BENEFICIARY,THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOUTHAT WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR CONTRACT /INHERITANCE FILE AND FOUND OUTTHAT WHY YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOTFUFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOURCONTRACT/INHERITANCE PAYMENT.SECONDLY WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOUARE STILL DEALING WITH THE NONE OFFICIALS IN THE BANK ALL YOURATTEMPT TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO YOU. WE WISH TO ADVISEYOU THAT SUCH AN ILLEGAL ACT LIKE THIS HAVE TO STOP IF YOU WISHES TORECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT SINCE WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TOYOUR PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OURSWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC, THAT IS THE LATESTINSTRUCTION FROM MR. PRESIDENT,CHIEF MUSA YARADUA (GCFR) FEDERALREPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.HOWEVER, KINDLY FIND BELOW THE CONTACT PERSON: DR. EZE AYOGU, Email:atmcardremitt04@live.comPhone:+2348054333073YOU ARE TO SEND US YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATIOM such as; 1. FULL NAME2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD TO(P.O BOX NOTACCEPTABLE)4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATIONPAYMENT DEPARTMENT EMAIL: THE ATM CARDPAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT $5,500,000.00 AS PARTPAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2008.

Quick, rock concert or worship service?

I was sent this in an email. Not sure who the credit goes to, but I have modefied it to more accurately reflect the current state of things, and what might happen if certain persons are elected to lead our country.

Bar Stool Economics

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The 1st four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The 5th would pay $1.
The 6th would pay $3.
The 7th would pay $7.
The 8th would pay $12.
The 9th would pay $18.
The 10th man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do. Unfortunately the cost of beer continued to rise. Soon the bill came to $200. The men got together and voted that the 7th through 10th man should pay the extra cost, since they made more money than the 1st through 6th. And besides, they out-voted the other group anyway. They also decided that since the 9th and 10th men made more than all the other men combined, they would pick up the bulk of the extra costs.
So the first 4 still paid nothing for the beer,
the 5th $1,
the 6th $3
7th now would pay $13.72,
the 8th $23.52,
the 9th $37. 24
the 10th man $121.52

The ten men drank in the bar every day, but hard times came, and some of the men in the group couldn't afford to come in every day. The bar, having done very well having this group come in so often felt the effects severly. The owner tried to think of a way to get the men to come in every day again, so he came up with a plan. ‘Since you are all such good customers, he said to the group, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $40. Drinks for the ten now cost just $160.”
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $40 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’
They realized that $40 divided by six is $6.66. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill according to his financial status. Since it was harder for the men in the middle incomes to make ends meet, they would get the biggest reduction, and so he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
He proposed:
The 5th man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings - he lost his job, so could no longer pay).
The 6th now paid $2.40 instead of $3 (20% savings).
The 7th now paid $10.88 instead of $13.72 (20.6% savings).
The 8th now paid $18.72 instead of $23.52 (20.4% savings).
The 9th now paid $29.76 instead of $37.24 (20% savings).
The 10th now paid $98.08 instead of $121.52(19% savings).

The men began to compare their projected savings.
‘I'll only get 66 cents out of the $40,’ declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he'll get $23!’
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I'll only save a dollar. It’s unfair that he gets twenty times more than I!’
‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $23 back when I get only three? The wealthy get all the breaks!’
‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’
The nine men shouted to the bartender, "It's not fair that the rich man gets so much more than all of us. If you do this, we'll never come back to this bar!
So the bartender thought some more, and came up with another plan.
The bill would still cost $200, but he would give each man a rebate for thier beers. To be "fair" (placate the poorer men) he would distribute the $40 dollars they would have saved to the nine lower-class men, according to thier need. So:
The 1st through 5th men got back $6.89
The 6th and 7th men got back $2.22
The 8th and 9th got $.55
The 5 poorest men decided they liked the plan, and convinced the 6th and 7th that it was only fair that they receive less, so they voted 7 to 3 for the new plan, and each received his rebate from the bar. As the bartender handed out the cash he said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need!" Since the poorest men not only could not afford beer, but also dinner, the bar tender paid for thier meals as well.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, but the nine sat down and had beers and meals without him. When it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill, even with the free food. So they convinced the bartender to write up a tab for them. The next night the nine came in and put thier bill on thier tab again. Soon, the men had run up a huge bill. The bartender warned that the men would have to pay or he would go out of business. Not having the cash, the men refused, so the bartender sold his business to a Chinese man, but was hired as an employee.

No sooner had the bartender been hired that the men pleaded with him to let them drink $200 worth of beer, but only pay whatever they had on them. The tough times had continued, and it was beginning to wear on the men. The bartender agreed. But he felt so bad for the men that he also continued to spot them thier dinners. After the men left, he balanced the till with his own money. This continued night after night until even the bartender was broke. He went to his Chinese boss and got an advance on his own salary. But even this wasn't enough. So he convinced his boss to give him a loan. Soon, the bartender was in deep debt to the Chinese owner of what was once his bar. The Chinese man demanded payment for the loan, and when the bartender couldn't pay, he was arrested. The men came in the next night, expecting to get thier dinner and a beer or two, but were met by a new bartender who promptly kicked them out of the bar.

Enjoy that "rebate" check that's coming...unless you make over 75,000. In which case, tough luck.

Another Bit of Mail

I got another interesting flyer in the mail today.

According to thier website, Jehovah's Witnesses, "do not celebrate holidays that have non-Christian religious origins." Because of this Christmas is out. But I guess Easter is in:

I'm actually tempted to go, but I think the ruckus I would cause because of my lack of ability to hold my tongue would not be helpful.

I've been waiting a couple months for them to post it, and they finally did. Here is an excerpt from a sermon at the church we are going to.

"Finally, a learned discipline of patience strengthens our faith. A healthy and mature faith is evident upon understanding and accepting when we are recipients of God’s presence and when we are instruments. It is not so much an issue of being one or the other, but rather the awareness that God’s desires of us to be both. That is why corporate worship is so important. We are visually reminded every time we worship together that each of us experiences the presence of the Lord vertically in a one to one relationship with God, as well as a horizontally in our relationship with one another. It is the intersection of the vertical with the horizontal that forms the cross of Jesus. With out the awareness that we are both recipients, as well as instruments of the Lord, then a learned discipline of patience makes little or no difference in our spiritual lives. What was the most evident experience in your life that tested your patience? Amen."

Unfortunately one might be hard-pressed to find that kind of language at most churches today.
I would only add that while we experience His presence individually we can only corperately worship Him as a united body. Kind of hard to do that if you can't hear your neighbor singing because even the drums are micked and amplified. Just my two cents.

The Jesus Who Never Lived

For those of you who don't know, I have been working for a professor as a research assistant since November.
Among other projects I have been helping with is an upcoming book about Jesus called The Jesus Who Never Lived. It's about false Jesus's through the centuries, and the actual Jesus of the Bible.
I found it on Amazon of all places:
http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Who-Never-Lived-Exposing/dp/0736923217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203097252&sr=8-1

I think it will be a very helpful book, debunking a lot of misconceptions about Jesus.

I Got this letter the other day, and thought it was too good not to share.

You'll have to click on the individual pictures to read them.

Karen labled this as, "scary." I tend to agree.