Ethereal Trades

Instructions for Life from the Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

God and Judges: Justice in the Balance

By David Brody
Congressional Correspondent

Because the acknowledgement of God lies at the heart of our nation's founding, this bill would make references to God in the public square off-limits for tinkering by judges.

CBN.com – WASHINGTON - There's a new bill in both the House and the Senate that would prevent judges from ruling on cases that involve the acknowledgement of God. In other words, judges would no longer be able to get involved in issues like the Ten Commandments, the Pledge of Allegiance or school prayer. But the bill is running into some stumbling blocks.

It seems nowadays it is one case after another, judges ruling against the acknowledgment of God in the public square. The Ten Commandments in Alabama - gone, moved out of sight. Or the Pledge of Allegiance, the words "under God" ruled unconstitutional. The list is long and it goes back decades, to when school prayer was removed from public school, and Bible reading was a 'no-no' as well.

But some in Congress say it is time to take a stand. Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) said, "To say that this country was not founded on the principles that acknowledge God is to completely deny history, and I think what's important to remember in all of this legislation that we're looking at."

CONTACT CONGRESS

Aderholt says look up article 3, section two of the Constitution. It says in black and white that Congress has the power to regulate the power of the judicial branch: "The Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction, both as to law and fact, with such exceptions, and under such regulations as the Congress shall make."

Though the bill's backers say this all makes sense, it is on hold in the House Judiciary Committee. Committee Chairman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) isn't inclined to move it. His office tells me that since this is somewhat of a new issue on the agenda, so it needs more time to be examined.

Plus, it has just a few congressmen sponsoring it, so they don't see a need to move it at this point. Aderholt said "Anytime that you deal with the article 3 and restricting the federal courts, then I think any member of Congress will think say this must be an issue that we have to look at very slowly."

If this bill ever becomes a reality, its supporters say our country would be far better off. Because, they say, the acknowledgement of God lies at the heart of our nation's founding, and this bill would make references to God in the public square off-limits for tinkering by judges. For example, those nativity scenes that the ACLU wants to get rid of would be safe, because a judge couldn't rule on a case like that. Same thing goes for Ten Commandment displays. They are safe with this bill, as well as the motto, "In God we trust."

But for all of that to become a reality, the bill's supporters say, the public must engage. Rule 101 in Congress is that Congress doesn't lead, it responds. Former Congressman Bill Dannemeyer says that is what it will take to get the bill moving.

Dannemeyer said, "When the people in America contact their members of Congress to do something, members pay attention. And that's what we need to do in order to get the attention of Jim Sensenbrenner - he's a good friend of mine, you know - to set these bills for hearings."

Aderholt hopes Sensenbrenner will understand the need to move this bill. Aderholt said, "He has been talked to about this legislation. I hope to be meeting with him in the near future, about when we could get through committee, but Tom Delay [R-TX] is the majority leader, and he is certainly open to legislation like this."

Backers of the bill say don't expect to see coverage of this issue on the front page of liberal newspapers like The New York Times and The Washington Post. This will have to be a grassroots effort.

"Let's face it," Dannemeyer said. "The media in this country is controlled by people on the Left. They have chosen to ignore this, and they'll continue to ignore it until the people of this country tell their members of Congress to get this job done."

Time is running out, though. With a presidential election year looming in November, the Congress likes to get bills moved earlier, rather than later. And the bill's backers say this really is a crisis that needs immediate action.

WHAT IS AN OXYMORON?

DEFINITION: A rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined.

EXAMPLE: "Oxymoron" - Removing the Ten Commandments from the courthouse while making people in court swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God, while your hand is on the Bible!

submitted by MeowMommaGin

and another link just for FUNzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZ

Bobco

Perspectives

Jews for Jesus asks, "Who is Guilty for the Death of Christ?"
CBN

By Susan Perlman
Jews for Jesus

Does Mel Gibson's The Passion add more fuel to the collective guilt charges that have been laid at the feet of the Jewish people? In her article, "Guilty or Not Guilty? The Passion, Collective Guilt and Choice," Susan Perlman, of Jews for Jesus, says the answer depends on who you believe Jesus is.

The point is that Christ had to die for God's Plan to be complete, because "all are guilty", and it was pre-ordained that Christ would die and sacrifice himself for the Salvation of all men.

Christ is more alive today than ever before in our history, evidenced by the growth of our churches and by men such as Mel Gibson pouring their lives into projects like The Passion.

We are talking about The Son of God here... who freely gave His life for all men, and walked away from His grave. Stop crucifying Him anew...

Ten Thousand Thumbs Up for "The Passion of The Christ"

By Assist News Service

"Those of us who are often skeptical (of what comes out of Hollywood) were refreshed and blessed to be able to see Mel Gibson's film," said Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor of Moody Church in Chicago.

CBN.com – ORLANDO, FL (ANS) -- More than 5,000 pastors and Christian leaders representing over 80 denominations and 43 countries had the opportunity to hear Academy Award®-winning actor/producer Mel Gibson share his faith and film, The Passion of The Christ, at the Global Pastors Network (GPN) "Beyond All Limits 2" conference, held Jan. 21-23 at Calvary Assembly in Orlando.

Letter From Santa

To Whom It May Concern:

I regret to inform you that, effective immediately, I will no longer serve the States of Georgia, Montana, Florida, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Texas, Louisiana, and Ohio on Christmas Eve.

Due to the overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. As part of the new and better contract, I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind.

However, I'm certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement, who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus.

His side of the family is from the South Pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us.

Differences such as:

1. There is no danger of the Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: "These toys insured by Smith and Wesson."

8. Bubba Claus doesn't wear a belt. If I were you, I'd make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.

Sincerely Yours,

Santa Claus

submitted by MeowMommaGin

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Twelve Days of Christmas - Rest of the Story

This song has always been less than easy to understand - we don't celebrate 12 days of Christmas and then, why did the lover give such strange gifts. When singing the song, I would picture the recipient's home as resembling a zoo by the 12th day!

Fr Hal Stockert, in digging through some old correspondance between French Jesuits and British Jesuits, stumbled upon the mention of this song as written by the Jesuits in England during the 16th century right after the Anglican split when there was a persecution of all who choose to remain Roman Catholic - Many Catholic churches were destroyed as well as convents and monastaries.

The Jesuits, in their efforts to keep the Catholic faith alive in Britain without calling attention to themselves (being Catholic was an offense punishable by death or imprisonment), reputedly wrote "The Twelve Days of Christmas" as an entertaining way for the children to memorize the catechism. To the Anglicans, it just sounded like a holiday song but the gifts had a deeper meaning.

Fr Hal wrote an article which has since circulated around the Internet. The article gave the Christian history and the underlying meaning of the 12 gifts.

Fr Russell Roide, SJ, Pastor of St Francis Xavier parish in Phoenix, AZ, ran into the history of the "12 days of Christmas" when he was visiting England and conversing with Jesuits there. Those he talked to, attributed the song to the authorship of some "wily Jesuit priests" in the 16th century.

Unfortunately, Fr Hal lost the correspondance which validated the story, in a basement flood caused by a leaky pipe. So when one of the urban legend websites approached him to validate the story, he was no longer in possession of the papers which mentioned the song. SNOPES.COM was unimpressed and wrote a rather scathing article refuting the possibility that the "12 days of Christmas" was a Christian song.

Here are the deeper meanings of the 12 gifts. "My True Love" is God who is giving these gifts to the Catholic individual:

The Partridge in a Pear Tree was Jesus reigning from the cross (often called a tree in hymns)

Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed

The article on Snopes.com raises the following points:

1. They cannot find the documentation for this being a catechesis tool. However, in truth, if the documentation is in old correspondance, owned by the Jesuit order, this would not be available to SNOPES.com.

2. Since the Anglicans and the Catholics teach a similar catechism, why would the Jesuits go through the bother of codifying the main precepts of the church in a song? It should be remembered that Anglicans and Catholics were not on speaking terms, since the Catholics were under persecution. It would make sense that Catholics would not use the catechism of the "enemy". Additionally, such a song like this does not replace a catechism but is merely a tool for quick memorization and is used IN addition to the catechism.

3. The snopes article states that the attempts to assign deeper meanings to nursery rhymes lacks historical basis and attributes this story about the "12 days of Christmas" as an attempt to do something similar. This is not a good argument. Many of the nursery rhymes have nonsensical words unless you look at the political meaning. We can see much of the same sort of thing in the Louis Carroll books "Through the Looking Glass" "Alice in Wonderland" and Carroll admitted himself, PUTTING the codified political stuff in the book. We can see this type of writing in the book of Revelations as well, which has been DOCUMENTED by scholars to be a codified catechism written so that if found by the Romans, it would be taken as nonsensical.

4. Snopes uses the logic that Catholics were "not really that persecuted" in the 16th century. This is not a correct assumption. Truth is after the Anglican split, the British despoiled just about EVERY Catholic church AND monastery AND convent that they could find. That is why there ARE NO really old Catholic shrines in the UK except if they were converted over to Anglican usage. Because there was often bitter feelings between churches which split off and the "mother church", Catholic history written by non Catholics is notoriously inaccurate. Changing history is something we are still doing in the 21st century and something which was done as early as 5000 years BC when Horemheb "lost" the 18th dynasty by leveling the city, Amarna and all the traces of it. He did such a good job that it wasn't until the late 19th century, that suspicions began to arise due to the appearance of artifacts from the 18th dynasty. And by 1920, archeologists confirmed the 18th dynasty and we learned about Amonhoptep, Nefertiti and King Tut.

I feel the logic in the article on the Snopes site is faulty and does not reflect a knowledge of Catholic history. Snopes.com offers no documentation that the "12 days of Christmas" was NOT a song used in Catechesis and we do have the Jesuit tradition on this from Fr Roide who is a Jesuit scholar, as well as Fr Hal's research. Both suggest that this WAS a song of catechesis.

Whatever the case, modern Christians can still be inspired by the song. See if, when you sing it next time, you don't think more of Jesus!

Research data:

Fr Russell Roide, SJ

Fr Hal Stockert

Terry Mattingly's "on Religion " column available on the net as :

http://www.tmatt.net/column/1999/12/22/

Article by Sue Widemark

Happy Holidays!

Bobco

We Three Kings of Orient Are

By Kenneth W. Osbeck
Guest Writer

Although there is no scriptural basis for stating dogmatically that there were three wise men, the fact that three distinct gifts are mentioned has given rise to this traditional idea -- taken from the book Amazing Grace: 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions by Kenneth Osbeck.

CBN.com -- Each of the participants involved with Christ's birth-Mary and Joseph, the inn keeper, the angels, shepherds, and wise men-has much to teach us.

Although there is no scriptural basis for stating dogmatically that there were three wise men, the fact that three distinct gifts are mentioned has given rise to this traditional idea. Master artists throughout the centuries have depicted three wise men on camels as one of their favorite nativity themes.

The number of wise men is not important, but the fact that they persisted in following the light that was given them until they found the object of their search, that they responded in worship, and that they returned home to share their experience with others all has much to tell us. Also, the gifts presented to the Christ child were both significant and appropriate: gold, symbolic of His kingly reign; frankincense, symbolic of His priestly ministry; myrrh, symbolic of our redemption through His death. How important it is that our gifts of love and devotion be offered to Christ after we have first found Him and then have bowed in true adoration before Him.

The author and composer of this well-known Christmas hymn was an Episcopalian minister from Pennsylvania. John H. Hopkins has been credited with contributing much to the development of music in his denomination during the nineteenth century, writing a number of fine hymns and hymn tunes. One of his publications, Carols, Hymns and Songs, enjoyed four editions.

We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Glorious now behold Him arise, King and God and Sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia! Earth to heav'n replies.

Did you know...

Did you know... As you walk up the steps to the Capitol Building which houses the Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view? It is Moses and the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door. As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall right above where the Supreme Court judges sit a display of the Ten Commandments!

There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.

James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement... "We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."

Patrick Henry, that patriot and Founding Father of our country, said ... "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Every session of Congress begins with a prayer by a paid preacher ... whose salary has been paid by the taxpayer since 1777.

Fifty-two of the 55 founders of the Constitution were members of the established orthodox churches in the colonies.

Thomas Jefferson worried about that the Courts would overstep their authority and instead of interpreting the law would begin making law...an oligarchy...the rule of few over many.

The very first Supreme Court Justice, John Jay, said: "Americans should select and prefer Christians as their rulers."

How then, have we gotten to the point that everything we have done for 200 years in this country is now suddenly wrong and unconstitutional?

submitted by Cookie Goddard

Peace in the Middle East?

Another Banner from my favorite Frogman! See the Featured Sites section on the left.


While we here in the United States are celebrating all the things we are grateful for this week, the remainder of the world is still in turmoil. The Turkish, Arabs, Iraquis, Israelis, Palestinians, peoples from all over continue to suffer, lose lives and property. Are our prayers enough? Is the money and resources we send enough? Are the lives of American soldiers enough? Are our strategies and world position as a nation enough?

I know I'll be praying for so much more this year...

Bobasaur

Dear Lord...

Author Unknown

Off to Phoenix, Prescott, and Tres Dias!

Well, I'm off to Phoenix, AZ., and then on to Prescott in the mountains for a little well deserved R&R. I went last year at the same time and came home refreshed, renewed, and in much better health than when I'd left... mental health that is.

It seems the older I get (I'm over 50 now) the more I want to know, to give, and to love. That extends to not only my family, but to each and every person that I come in contact with on a daily basis. A current book that I'm reading is The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. Even at 50, with my family still growing, I am still asking myself What on Earth am I here for? And, judging by the response to Rick's book, there are many of us asking ourselves the same question. It is a complex world, and we here in the United States are truly Blessed in so many ways when we have an honest look at the conditions and problems in the rest of the world. Yet we are still plagued by our own, everyday lives that consume us completely. And that is where the refreshing comes in, the grounding in reality of our true purpose to our families, neighbors, and friends. And especially to strangers...

I will be supporting the Tres Dias weekend that is taking place there in Prescott, AZ. Tres Dias is a direct offshoot of the Cursillo movement in the Roman Catholic Church, is interdenominational, and brings each candidate to a closer understanding of him or herself, our responsibilities to each other, and for me personally, a face-to-face confrontation and union with Christ. You may be of another faith and I apologize if I offend you in any way, but I also pray that one day each of you that may happen upon this entry will know, deep in your heart and without a doubt, that there is something that is larger and more important than ourselves, and that the things that take up our time are usually trivial when compared to the vast needs of the world around us.

So my dearest children, family, and friends, be thinking about me as I am you. Be safe and happy while I'm gone!

Bobasaur

Returning to Our Senses?

WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court turned aside a church-state fight over a Bible club (search) given permission by a lower court to meet in a public school during classtime.

Attorneys for a school superintendent in the state of Washington argued that a federal appeals court was far out of bounds when it ruled in favor of the Bible club last year. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the club, called World Changers (search), should be treated the same as other school clubs and allowed to use school space and supplies.

Spanaway Lake High School (search) set aside classtime each morning for students to receive tutoring, do homework, attend assemblies or attend meetings of clubs approved by the school. Attendance at some approved activity was mandatory.

"No other court has ever held that religious clubs have the right to meet in a public school during instructional time when attendance is mandated," the school's lawyers argued in court papers.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's dismissal of a complaint filed five years ago by Tausha Prince, then a sophomore at the Tacoma-area school.

Prince argued the school district violated her First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion (search), as well as the Equal Access Act, a 1984 law forbidding public schools that take federal money from excluding religious or political extracurricular clubs if they allow others.

Officials with the Bethel School District maintained that it allowed Prince and her classmates in World Changers to meet at school by establishing a separate category of student-run religious organizations.

The school noted that the club's stated goals include a pledge to "Evangelize our campus for Jesus Christ," and to "teach students that Jesus Christ is the Answer to the confusion, pain and uncertainty this world offers."

The First Amendment says government will not establish religion, a term that has come to mean a general ban on government promotion or endorsement of religion. The First Amendment also guarantees that government will not interfere with the "free exercise" of religion.

Prince asked the school district for permission to form World Changers in the fall of 1997, but officials said that because it was a religious group, it could not be set up as a regular student group.

That meant World Changers could not use a pool of funds for club activities. Members could not make announcements over the school's public address system, and they were limited to posting notices on one bulletin board rather than throughout the school.

The case is Jacoby v. Prince, 02-1610.

...as reported by FOXNEWS.COM

SUSPICION

New Technology: Security Precautions or Privacy Violations

By Paul Strand
Washington Correspondent

The Pentagon's already developing a system that can track and library every car and driver in a city, a complex matrix of cameras and computers constantly sifting information about the traffic, looking for suspicious activity.

CBN.com – WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Pentagon calls it the Terrorist Information Awareness program. It will do what is called data-mining, constantly sifting for data in computer records all across the world, so many records that on paper they would fill more than 900 million books. That would add up to some 40 pages of information on each of earth's six billion human beings.
Chris Hoofnagle of the Electronic Privacy Information Center says, "The goal of the program is to use ultra-large databases to find relationships between people that might be suspicious, and then to stop terrorist behavior."

It would constantly scrutinize the digital trail of humanity's airline tickets, car rentals, financial records, passport applications and on and on looking for patterns that might signal terrorists at work on their plots.

Hoofnagle explains, "They even want to look into information such as veterinary records and the purchase of farm products. So there's really no database that is outside their scope, and they're pursuing this very vigorously."

This worries civil libertarians on both the left and right. David Keene of the American Conservative Union says if it gets up and running, the Terrorist Information Awareness program will allow intelligence agencies access to private databases.

"[They would be able] to look at every private database in the country. So if they wanted to look at you, they could look at all your credit card records, all your banking records, everything that you've done, bring it all together and create a profile to see whether you're somebody they ought to look at more closely."

And what is the problem with that?

Lara Flint of the Center for Democracy and Technology says, "What it can do, first of all, is turn all of us into suspects. It looks through everybody's information looking for patterns of terrorist activity. But fundamentally what this country has been based on, what our constitution says, is that if the government doesn't suspect that you're doing anything wrong, it can't look at what you're doing. It can't search your home, it can't look through your stuff. And what this does is it looks through everybody's stuff all the time."

Hoofnagle comments, "You're suspicious or suspected until proven innocent. And so Total Information Awareness and other types of surveillance systems being developed treat everyone like a suspect. And that's unfair, that's not the American way."

Senators on both sides of the aisle fear this program, and Democrats Ron Wyden and Byron Dorgan are trying to kill its funding.

They say it would "Be the biggest spying and surveillance over-reach in America's history, and it should be shut down. It is possible to fight terrorism vigorously without gutting civil liberties."

This Total Information juggernaut doesn't exist yet, but a cousin to it called CAPPS II is much closer to reality at your local airport. As you walk up to the counter, CAPPS II will let the airlines quickly do a mini-investigation of you.

Keene says, "And they'll be able to scan private databases, bank records and the like, and then look at that and say that either you're a risk or not a risk and you need to be searched more thoroughly or whatever."

"Once they've figured out whether they think I really am who I say I am, they run my name through a secret government algorithm and secret government intelligence information to see if I somehow fit the pattern of the dangerous people they're looking for right then," addsFlint.

Hoofnagle says, "They could use the system in a lot of contexts outside airlines. They could share the information with local and state police for instance. So you could imagine going to a public event and before you're allowed to come in, being required to show your driver's license and being run against a database."

And there are other hi-tech wonders worrying civil libertarians. Global Positioning satellites and devices proved a blessing to our soldiers during the war in Iraq, they could always know exactly where they and their fellow troops were. But combine GPS with new hi-tech scanners, and it may not be more of an intrusion than a blessing.

"[Suddenly] you have automatic toll machines that track cars and can plot where your car was at a certain time. In Oregon right now, there's a proposal to put GPS devices on cars, and that way the state could track where cars are and administer a travel tax. So the more you drive, the more you'd be taxed," says Hoofnagle.

The Pentagon's already developing a system that can track and library every car and driver in a city, a complex matrix of cameras and computers constantly sifting information about the traffic, looking for suspicious activity. Some cities, like Washington and London, already have such extensive monitoring systems, it is nearly impossible to go through their urban cores without coming under the cameras' eyes. If these are married to biometric systems that analyze faces, walks or eyes.

"They lay an infrastructure that allows the government to track us, and to track us almost everywhere we go," states Hoofnagle.

One new technology offers the tantalizing prospect that someday soon, every item in the world can be tracked. Something called an RFID, a Radio Frequency Identification chip, no bigger than the dot on a dime, is making this possible.

SmartCode, a leading developer of RFIDs, manufactures them near this grocery store in Israel. The company brought some larger-than-life samples to show us how they would go on products just like old-fashioned bar codes. They are far superior, though, since they can contain loads of information and can transmit that information from a distance, without direct line-of-sight, but that means we will all soon be bringing scores of these tiny radio signaling devices into our homes and lives.

Well, SmartCode believes consumers will greatly benefit from RFIDs and will actually want them sending out their little signals since they can communicate valuable information to new smart appliances.

"When they take their products home, they would be able to auto-ID them inside their refrigerator, inside the microwave, inside the washing machine so the product itself could instruct," explains Ofer Avimeri, SmartCode spokesman.

For instance, they would let your new smart fridge know when products are running out or going sour. Or the ones on clothes would let your smart-washer know what temperature the water should be. But there will be ways built right in to disable RFIDS and SmartCode says keeping them alive and transmitting will be strictly up to the consumer. They say privacy was, is and will be an important aspect of their business.

Ofer says, "Privacy is a very important issue."

Still, there are those paid to worry about hi-tech's worst-case scenarios.

Hoofnagle says, "One of the problems with RFID is that it's very easy to use these tags to track humans. Everywhere you go, that tag could be scanned."

Will police someday be able to "scan" you as they pass you on the street? These miniscule devices, containing all sorts of data about you, could easily be embedded in your driver's license. The military already has similar devices to put in uniforms of soldiers going into war zones, and what is to keep some future fascist government from demanding such scanners be embedded right into all citizens' bodies so they can be tracked and scanned at all times?

Cattle on the open range are already being tracked in a similar way. Whole companies exist to plant these hi-tech trackers in pets and other animals. Many people might even want such devices embedded in their children so they would never have to worry about them getting lost or kidnapped. If all humans could be tracked automatically, it would certainly help law enforcement types who investigate and fight crime and to the authorities who have to anticipate and battle terrorists.

Keene says, "The question, though, is: we might be safer, but would we be living in the same country that we're living in now? That's the real question."

--------------------------------

Do you read only one newspaper or watch only one newschannel? Check out the Christian Broadcasting Network or Red River Radio to get another slant on what you normally consider as the "authoritative" truth.

Bobasaur

What Planet is this, and to Whom do we belong?

In light of the many perversions and jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

God bless you.

author unknown... contributed by MeowMommaGin via ClydzBonnie1

What this all brings to mind for me are the "reality" shows that have become so popular as we immerse our minds in such jewels to the soul as Jerry Springer, Elimidate, Cops, the one that catches cheaters on tape, the one that rewards the most conniving, backstabbing occupant of a house... is this the "reality" that we have made for ourselves? Or do we need to step back and take a harder stance to the abuse of a system intended to provide Americans with a better quality of life?

Have we erred on the side of the politically correct? Are we being submissive to the point that our future generations will pay consequences more severe than those we now encounter in our everyday lives? Are we that arrogant to believe that we are not responsible? And perhaps the most important question of all, do we no longer believe that there is still Grace for all of us?

Cause and effect... the equal and opposite reaction, and all fruit of our labor and the absence of the foundations our Fathers intended.

Bobco

S.P.A.R. Planetarium and the elusive Red Planet

It was a sultry summer night, yet we viewed the winter sky and were mesmerized to hear crickets chirping in the background as our host was telling stories of the winter night. Confused?

We went to the SPAR Planetarium in hopes of seeing Mars in all its' splendor. Two news crews were on site as were hundreds of Shreveporters hoping to get a glimpse of what turned out to be a very shy red planet. As thunderstorms moved through the area, lower clouds seemed to dissipate, but the clouds in the higher elevations of our atmosphere kept Mars from making a local appearance for the crowd. That didn't stop any of us from enjoying ourselves though. We were able to relax in air conditioned comfort and view a cloudless sky indoors as we learned about the constellations.

The boys and I saw friends from all over the area, enthusiasts and the curious alike. Young and old we gathered in hope of seeing a rare view of Mars, an event that will not take place for another 287 years. I don't think I can make the next one, so maybe seeing it with the naked eye over the next day or two will suffice. I must say it was good to see so much support for our local planetarium and the diversity of the crowd that made it tonight.

Maybe this will serve as a wakeup call to some of our citizens who might mention to our city's leaders, or perhaps to Mayor Keith Hightower, that civic support for our planetarium is worthy of a portion of our tax dollars. There is much being said about attracting tourism to our downtown area and the economical boost brought on by the gambling resorts adjacent to the area, but of primary concern are those rare glimpses of science and our universe that we afford our children when financially supporting such treasures as the planetarium.

After all, our children are our most valuable treasure, and the experiences, education, and sheer delight such as those enjoyed tonight are indeed rare, and even the oldest of us experienced the wonder and awe of our childhoods anew.

Bobasaur

...dreaming of Angels. A Revelation

July 1, 2003 10:00pm

Lisa was trying to get Brooklyn to sleep after her dinner and a bath, both were tired and all was quiet. After a few minutes Brooklyn began whispering. Lisa said "Be quiet... go to sleep!" but Brooklyn kept whispering.

Lisa asked, "Brooke, what are you talking about?!"

She said "Mommy, I'm praying."

Lisa said "OK, but hurry up so we can sleep..."

Then Brooklyn said "Mommy, you and Daddy had two babies before me."

Lisa said "Yeah?!?!?" but was otherwise speechless.

Brooklyn continued, "They were really little babies" holding her fingers about three or four inches apart showing how big they were. She said "One's name was Michael and the girl was Grace. Michael's hair was black and Grace's hair was real little (not a lot of hair)." Then she said, "I saw them, Mommy, before I came down here. A really tall man was beside them."

Lisa said "Yes Brooklyn, I do miss those babies but I'm so glad I got you."

Then Brooklyn said "Mommy, you'll get to play with them and see them again..."

To our knowledge no one has mentioned the miscarriage to Brooklyn who is not quite 4 years old. She was born roughly two years after the fact, and we still have the sonograms from the pregnancy. I remember leaving the doctor's office with Lisa and how sad she was... devastated would better describe our mood. We drove out into the country to the lake and sat in the quiet, listening to the water lap the shore close to our feet. I remember all the times Lisa cried over our loss, a loss that Brooklyn's arrival couldn't completely erase, and how many times we would wonder what they would have looked like and if they would have been as wonderful as Brooke.

I know God was speaking through our little angel, healing a wound that desperately needed his touch, always knowing our needs. I also have no doubt in my heart that Brooklyn was there as she said she was, before she "came down here", with her brother and sister, and in the prescence of her Holy Father. And, I am humbled by a child who is so close to God's heart, and pray she stay as near as she was on that night.

Bobco

Colin Powell quote...

Recent Events...

...and then some of us have bigger things on our busy minds.

Metamorphosis

Sometimes I don’t want to be
what people think is me.

I want to change, metomorphosize.

I want to be something different than me.

Something or someone that has all the luck,
That has every ability that is not me.

I just want to be something that makes me happy.

Is that me already?
What if I am already that person?
What if that person is waiting inside me?

I want to be what I want to be, that is just me.

If it ever happens that I had to choose between myself and this other person,
I might choose. . .?

-jdj

--------------------

The above was written by my son John Daniel Jackson. John is a high school junior with a 4.0 average, sharp wit, and good heart. He loves his family, is an accolade in his church, his moral conviction is self evident. When he was younger he was bullied at school, but his character was tempered by many cruelties, and his determination to be the individual he already is has found fertile soil.

It's funny what we see of ourselves when we look in the mirror, and rare that we are comfortable with it. We worry so much of what others think about us, yet would be surprised if we knew they seldom did... think about us.

I'm proud of the man you are son, the man you will become, and grateful to a merciful God that you bless all our lives, and will bless those whom you've yet to touch.

Paternally,

Dad

IM Etiquette

Like any other new technology, instant messaging (IM) is evolving its own rules of engagement -- especially in business. Here are some tips for using IM wisely at work:

Consider the content: IM works best for quick questions, updates, and schedule changes. For complicated or critical messages, send an E-mail, pick up the phone, or hike down the hall.

Be brief: Keep messages almost telegraphic -- no more than a sentence or two. Save longer conversations for meetings and conference calls.

Be kind: Never deliver bad news or major announcements by IM; the format will seem to trivialize the message.

Be smart: Don't use IM to negotiate contracts, place orders, or make personnel assignments. Put those things in writing, preferably with a fax or a letter.

Be careful: Never include sensitive or confidential information in a message. It's too easy for someone to cut and paste the text into an E-mail or another document that might be passed on.

Knock first: Open every message by asking whether you're interrupting ("Is this a good time to talk about Davis?"). On your end, learn to say no when you're busy: "Can't now, how about at 2?" or "Later, OK?"

Try the tools: Many IM programs have icons that you can set to indicate your status: available, on the phone, do not disturb, away. Use them.

Keep it professional: Limit the use of cutesy, potentially confusing acronyms and slang -- "G2G" for "got to go," for instance. And pick an appropriate screen ID. As one CEO observes, "Monkeyboy42 is probably not a good business IM name."

It's been said that in cyberspace, no one knows if you're a dog. Yet people can act like dogs, when it comes to enterprise instant messaging (EIM).

Some users treat EIM communications -- messages that should have a business-like tone -- like a conversation in a bar or at a sports event. Others think EIM conversations should take on the appearance of short-message services (SMS) chats, where fully spelled-out words are dumped in favor of abbreviations and letter combinations that look like something out of a teenager's notebook.

With that in mind, we've put together a guide for proper etiquette when using IM in a corporate/enterprise situation. We won't bore you with a Miss Manners-style column that starts out with "Gentle reader" and then goes on to list items that at times sound like they're straight out of the 19th Century. Instead, these recommendations are designed specifically for today's business world, where electronic communication is king.

While some of these guidelines come directly from your humble InstantMessagingPlanet editor, others are from readers of the site. Those people will be credited after their contribution.

This list is by no means an end-all, be-all compilation. If anything, please consider this a living, breathing document. We'll be revising and updating items for later publications. If you have a tip you'd like to see included, please e-mail me.

Conversation Content
This one seems to be pretty obvious, but since this is intended to be a comprehensive guide, we'll address it.

As with e-mail, think about what you type into that conversation window. If you're the type who immediately regrets what you've written after you hit the "send" button, be forewarned -- not thinking about what you're typing can quickly change a friendly IM conversation into a full-fledged argument. And when you're not face- to-face and not seeing how the other person is reacting, its easy to have an argument escalate into a full-fledged word war. So no matter how a conversation is going, try your best to keep a cool head when IMing. And think, think, think about what you're typing before you actually enter it into the IM window.

Also...

Start each request with a polite question such as "Got a sec for a phone call?" "Do you have time for a text chat question?" or "If you have a few minutes, can I stop at your cube?" Do not just start typing your question. If you see that the person is inactive, you should formulate your question to be brief. Remember that if the application is terminated your question can go away so if you are concerned, use e-mail for the detailed question and just send an IM "Post-It" that asks them to read your e- mail question. Also a person may want to keep a record of a complex question or forward it on so still e-mail for more formal/detailed questions. (Alan L. Huberty, Ford Systems Integration Services)

Before sending an IM, the user should be conscious that the recipient might not be alone, might be projecting their PC for a presentation and that the eyes seeing the IM could be literally gobs and gobs of people. In that vein, any presenter should turn of IM before casting their PC display for all to see (it's easy to forget to do this). And anyone using Netmeeting or other share program where their entire PC is shared needs to turn off chat temporarily. (Claudia Siegel, DBM)

Use emoticons when you sense the opportunity for misunderstanding. A smiley face can go a long way in letting someone know your comment should be taken as a friendly one, especially if it may look to be unfriendly without one. (Adriene Nazaretian, Yale University School of Medicine)

On the flip side of that one...

Excessive abbreviations, emoticons, and the like should be used with restraint, or not at all. Enterprise IM communications are still business communications, and should be treated with the same amount of decorum as a written letter. People will say things in via IM they would never say via a written letter or in a telephone conversation. This is particular true for younger employees who may be used to IM more as a means of socialization than as a business tool. (Aryeh Goretsky)

I agree completely with Adriene, and am on the same page for the most part with Aryeh. Emoticons generally should not be used in EIM communications, but a well-placed one can avoid a heated, non-vocal argument in cyberspace.

Multi-User Conversations
Avoid non-business related multi-user conversations. People who aren't invited may feel "out of the loop" if all of their co-workers are giggling about a private IM conversation. Most people would think twice about standing around in a circle whispering jokes to each other on company time -- they should think twice about using IM for this purpose as well. (Mark Noble, Columbus, OH)

Don't invite someone to join a conference in progress without asking the other folks already there. The newly invited may see (hear) comments not intended for them. (Stowe Boyd, Ikimbo Inc.)

The Actual Act of Messaging
If you've ever been in an AOL chat room, you've probably seen all kinds of examples of "Chatters Behaving Badly." People typing in ALL CAPS, changing font styles and sizes, using different colors, and so on. A basic guideline here is don't do anything that would get users in an AOL chat room ticked off at you. Many would say the bar is pretty low by that standard. So let's raise it. Type normally, and in full sentences, when you're in an EIM conversation. After all, this isn't SMS. You wouldn't put a phrase like "c ya l8ter" in a business letter, right?

Also...

It's hard to know when an IM is over. Back and forth "see ya's" and "bye's" often take place. Good etiquette might be that the first person to indicate it's over is enough. (Claudia Siegel, DBM)

Direct the chat to e-mail (or even to the phone) if it appears to be a substantial issue that needs to be documented or intended for multiple recipients. (Adriene Nazaretian, Yale University School of Medicine)

When Available Really Means Busy, and Other IM Client Setting Details
Remember when IMing that just because someone is online doesn't mean they have the time to talk to you. Nothing is more annoying than being on a conference call or finishing something up for deadline and having the same person IM you repeatedly, asking why you are not responding. Especially on a client call, when the person on the other line is perfectly able to hear the repeated message ding, or the sound of your typing a response. (Mara Klein, Ingate Systems)

One of the most important lessons that I have learned from using instant messaging every day at work is that sometimes it is perfectly acceptable not to use IM. By changing my Lotus Sametime status from available to "Do Not Disturb," my colleagues know that I am busy working, and they should contact me later. For the same reasons that I do not answer my phone 100 percent of the time, it is important that I am able to control who can IM me and when. This feature makes my co-workers feel more comfortable contacting me when I am available without worrying that they are disrupting my work. (Jeremy Dies, Offerings Manager for Advanced Collaboration, IBM Lotus)

Set the timeout below 5 minutes. More than that is not a good "available" indicator. Set your location status with as much information as possible to assist people in contacting you the way that you want to be contacted, like cell phone, pager number, cube number, and so on. (Alan L. Huberty, Ford Systems Integration Services)

Set the preferences on your PC to have a gentle, not-so-intrusive sound accompany an incoming IM. In an office where people have a sound for incoming e-mail and a sound for incoming IMs makes for a cacaphony. Perhaps turning off the incoming e-mail audio chime is a good option. (Claudia Siegel, DBM)

Public IM Usage
If your IM system is interoperable with the public IM networks (AOL's AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger or Yahoo Messenger), keep conversations with family and friends to a minimum. Remember: You're on company time, even when you're IMing with your significant other about picking up milk and flour on the way home.

Also keep in mind that more and more enterprise IM-strength systems have auditing and logging capabilities. So keep that in mind if you have long, winding conversations with friends or siblings. Plus (just like with phone calls), it's generally legal for your employer to "listen in" on your IM conversations -- after all, you are on your employer's time if you're at work.

Also...

Don't SPIM -- don't use IM as spam. Setting up a 'bot-based or alert-based service that pushes information is fine. But it is evil to pounce on the unsuspecting and put the hard sell on them. (Stowe Boyd, Ikimbo Inc.)

Above all, as Aryeh Gortesky puts it, "Treat each communication you have, regardless of whether it is with a co-worker or a customer, as if it were going to be printed in the New York Times." Amen.

What Planet is this, and to Whom do we belong?

In light of the many perversions and jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorist attacks, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school ... the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in!

God bless you.

author unknown... contributed by MeowMommaGin

Dell slacker pitchman arrested on pot charges

By The Associated Press
(2/10/03 - NEW YORK)

Dude! The actor who gained fame and a cult following as the slacker "Steven" in commercials for Dell computers was arrested buying a small bag of marijuana, police said.

Benjamin Curtis, a 22-year-old New York University drama student, was arraigned Monday on a misdemeanor drug possession charge. The charge assumes a suspect is not carrying more than a "use amount" _ enough to roll several marijuana cigarettes.

Police said he was arrested Sunday night on the Lower East Side after officers on a drug detail spotted him buying a small bag of marijuana from Omar Mendez, 19. Mendez faces drug sale and possession charges.

Curtis' portrayal of a surfer type who proclaims, "Dude, yer gettin' a Dell!" drove up computer sales and spawned T-shirts, caps, and backpacks, along with Web sites and online fan clubs.

At the arraignment, Criminal Court Judge Ellen Coin advised Curtis that his case will be dismissed, and his record expunged, if he avoids arrest during the next year.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Paradox

Gregory Lee Jackson - Jun 26, 1950 - Nov 2, 1985

I sit here listening to the music we used to listen to, wondering what it is I need to say, and who I'm really saying it to. Maybe I'm speaking to that part of me deep down that has always been hurt by the loss of you in our lives and the cloud over your soul even unto death. I felt your pain too, and wished I had shouldered more. When I couldn't hold you up I tried to lift your spirit. When the despair was a leaden shroud in your life, I turned you over to God. I didn't cry for eight months, and then it came in a flood of grief.

I shouldered the burden of your loss with our family, and your family. When your daughter cried I held her tight. When we speak of you, still, she knows only the best of you as seen from my eyes, her memories fleeing ever more. She still touches you through me when she isn't living her own life. I can only pray that you are in heaven and have all the answers. Except for faith only you know that secret... is it dark or light there? I guess therein lies the fear.

"Daniel, my brother, you are older than me. Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal? Your eyes have died, but you see more than I. Daniel you're a star in the (fanthomless) sky." -Elton John "Daniel" Always this song brings me to you. We were always waving goodbye and you were right here... Flying, raucous, in your face fun, all heart.

I'll never forget when you ran down the street and stopped a moving VW Beetle by the bumper after it had hit my dog, and then the compassion you showed the driver in your righteous anger. Turning my quad stereo up full-tilt-boogie while I was still sleeping, standing there with your 16oz breakfast and in your best "good morning" grin. Hair on your chest that was sparse but would put an eye out. Odd or Even, Greg? Was it really an accident? Can not a God that is bound by his own word also be merciful?

Life goes on brother, dear brother. I miss you, still grieve, still wonder if I'll see you again... is it dark or light there? Are you anywhere?

"FOR I AM PERSUADED, THAT NEITHER DEATH NOR LIFE, NOR ANGELS, NOR PRINCIPALITIES, NOR POWERS, NOR THINGS PRESENT, NOR THINGS TO COME, NOR HEIGHT, NOR DEPTH, NOR ANY OTHER CREATURE, SHALL BE ABLE
TO SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." ROMANS 8:38,39