The Front Fell Off Interview

How could anyone be upset that crude oil is covering a portion of the sea after watching an interview like this? Good job oil company. Good job.



HT: Riley
Hoax

Baseball Fight Video

There's apparently more than one way to win a fight.

McCain's Costly Calculated Risk

With McCain announcing the suspension of his campaign and his return to Washington to focus on the impending economic crisis, he has taken a calculated risk that may or may not backfire depending on how it appeals to the American public.

Here are my thoughts: By John McCain being the one to announce this move (not Senator Obama) he took the offensive and placed Barack Obama on the defensive. You see, Obama has to respond to McCain's move and here are his options:

1. He can go along with McCain's plan and suspend his campaign as well until a plan passes Congress that is acceptable to the lawmakers and good for the country (hopefully). This makes Obama look like a follower and not a leader as he was not the one to suggest this strategy.

2. He can criticize McCain for bailing on the debate and mock him for not being able to handle both the campaign's responsibilities and his job as a senator of this great country. This is risky for Obama as this shows arrogance on his part and could show his green-ness when it comes to his experience in the Senate. After-all, this is similar to the situation in which President Bush was in when he stayed to read with the children instead of getting out of the classroom and in the loop of what was going on during the September eleventh attacks. He has been criticized ever since by the Democrats for this move (the same move the Obama campaign is advocating now.

Either way, John McCain has put Obama on the defensive and caused him to have to respond to the move Senator McCain is making. There may be another option he or his campaign staff are working on but regardless, he will have to make that move as a response to McCain which puts him in a reactionary role.

It doesn't sit well with me that these men were hired to do a job (the campaign is not one of them) and currently this nation is at a crossroads that could wind up costing tax-payer's billions of dollars and only one is willing to go back to Washington and do what he was hired to do. Did they both agree to the debate? Yes. However, they both were sworn in to fight for the good of this country as Senators and they both have a responsibility to lead in this regard. I say forget the debate as they are about as meaningless as they can be (that is another topic for another time). For one to say that that both should be doable if they have good staff around them and that they would go back if they were needed... well, again, that smells of the move Bush made during the Sept. 11th attacks and has been criticized for. Plus, it appears to show that Obama does not take seriously the economic issue that is gripping the nation and will affect every American in some way.

So while McCain is back in Washington working both sides of the aisles to help produce a plan that will stave off a disaster for tax-payers across our nation, Obama is out campaigning. I don't know about you, but this speaks volumes to me. Your thoughts?

From The Mouths Of Children (And The Imagination Of An Animator)

Thoughts?

There are a bunch more here.

I Fart In Your General Direction & Get Charged For It

So, this guy is driving with no headlights on. He gets pulled over, fails the sobriety test and is taken in for DUI charges...

When police were trying to get fingerprints, police say Cruz moved closer to the officer and passed gas on him. The investigating officer remarked in the criminal complaint that the odor was very strong.

Cruz is now charged with battery on a police officer, as well as DUI and obstruction.

You can read the rest here.

Some questions:
-What in the world! Seriously? Battery?
-What will be chargeable next? Bad breath? Oily hair?
-Has law enforcement gone too far?

Worst Breakfast In America

Bob Evans Stacked and Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Hotcakes
1,543 calories
77 g fat (26 g saturated; 9 g trans)
2,259 mg sodium
198 g carbs
109 g sugars
Saturated fat equivalent: 26 strips of bacon
Sugar equivalent: 12 chocolate chip cookies
Sodium equivalent: 12 small bags of potato chips

It’s not a good sign when it takes you nearly five seconds to spit out the name of your breakfast. This bad boy packs in more than 75 percent of your calories for the day, along with more sugar and fat than nine glazed Dunkin’ Donuts, and nearly as much sodium as five Bloody Marys.

You can see other "worst food choices" here.

Some questions:
-Will information like this change your eating habits?
-How long would it take to burn all that off?
-Do you think that eating the above every day will shorten your lifespan? If so, by how much?
-Can people sue for things like this?

A Small Mistake, A Huge Error

The Majesty Hymnal has, in its relatively short life, become one of the more common hymnals of fundamental Baptist churches. If you happen to have a copy of this particular volume, stand with me and turn to hymn number 188. There you will read the following words:

Jesus shall reign where'er the sun
Does His successive journeys run.

Notice anything funny about the pronoun?

You can read more here.

Palin's Hacker Exposed

State Rep. Mike Kernell confirmed Thursday that his son, a University of Tennessee-Knoxville student, is at the center of heated Internet discussion into the hacking of the personal e-mail of vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Kernell, a Memphis Democrat, confirmed that it is his 20-year-old son, David, who is being widely named on Internet blogs and chatrooms in connection with an unfolding story about Palin's hacked e-mail accounts.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Do you think the democrats had anything to do with this?
-Will this negatively affect Obama?
-Do you think this is the result of a "like father, like son" mentality?
-Do you find what David Kernell did to be fair game, or should he be punished? What if it was the other way around: A republican's kid hacking Biden's email?
-Do you think there is more to this than meets the eye?

I Don't Celebrate This &$%@. I'm Black.

*** Expletives Present***

In a video posted on YouTube, the swingman [Josh Howard] is shown at Allen Iverson's charity flag football game in July. When the national anthem is being sung, various participants are shown mugging for the camera. When the camera gets to Howard, he says: " 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is going on. I don't celebrate this [expletive]. I'm black."

Howard goes on to make a difficult-to-discern comment that includes a reference to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Why do those in sports seem to be "role models" more than hard working fathers & mothers?
-What changed that allowed for sports to be more appreciated and respected than a man that puts in a hard day's work?
-Do you think that being black is a reasonable defense to not participating in the national anthem? How does being black even enter into the equation of not participating in the national anthem?
-Overall, what are your thoughts concerning the video?

Tim Is Giving Away Free Copies Of God In The Whirlwind

So you better act now!

Here is the link.

Satanists Sacrifice & Eat Four Teenagers

Image courtesy of http://fatpenguinblog.com

Four teenagers were horrifically slain by Satanists — stabbed 666 times each and then eaten. The gang of Devil worshippers butchered their victims and roasted them on a bonfire before devouring their flesh.

The pals, three girls and a boy aged 16 or 17, were all Goths. They were lured one by one to a cottage and forced to get drunk before being butchered. Hair from them was found in the embers of a fire the gang lit under a tree. Police believe the teenagers were cooked in the flames before their flesh was devoured. Their private parts had also been cut off in the sickening ritual in a rural area of Russia.

After police arrested eight suspected members of the ring, one boasted how they had previously dug up the grave of a newly-dead girl and eaten her heart. Another said he did not expect to be punished, saying: “Satan will help me to avoid responsibility. I made lots of sacrifices to him.” And a third said he had got fed up with God for not making him rich and that “things improved” after he started praying to the Devil.

You can read more here.

Some questions:
-Do the parent's have any responsibility in this?
-Why do you think these satanists believe Satan will protect them?
-If their world view is such that they believe God is at fault for not making them rich, how beneficial would it have been if they would have sought out why as opposed to turning to Satan for worldly gain?
-I wonder if when they were younger, before teenage years, if they ever thought they would have done such a thing?
-How do you rehabilitate people like this so that they can enter back into society? Or do you rehabilitate?
-Can Jesus save those that sold their soul to the devil? If no, why not?

DON'T Eat Your Vegetables (Or Drink Alcohol Or Be Obese)!

Scientists have discovered that going veggie could be bad for your brain-with those on a meat-free diet six times more likely to suffer brain shrinkage. 

Brain scans of more than 1,800 people found that people who downed 14 drinks or more a week had 1.6% more brain shrinkage than teetotallers. Women in their seventies were the most at risk. 

And being overweight or obese is linked to brain loss, Swedish researchers discovered. Scans of around 300 women found that those with brain shrink had an average body mass index of 27 And for every one point increase in their BMI the loss rose by 13 to 16%. 

You can read more here.

Some questions:

-Will this study change any of your current habits?

-Do you find studies such as these to be reliable (the whole "eggs are good/ eggs are bad" debate)?

-Do you think a shrinking brain has negative effects on the person?

-Does the brain shrink naturally with age anyways?

Insight For Living: Belonging To A Church

Locally we have a pastor in our area that produces little snippets for the local radio station (a very popular station that is local news and talk all day every day). He has titled it Insight for Living.  Today as I was driving to the office his segment came on and it was talking about how some men from his church recently helped him move and there was no grumbling or complaining, just smiles.  He stated that they were not just doing that because he was the pastor as they helped several others in his church move and they demonstrated the same love and joy in helping.  He went on to make his point and it was this: Anybody can be a member of a church all you have to do is show up on Sunday mornings, but it takes a lot more to be a part of a family.  At his church, it is like a family.  

I want to ask you, can anybody be a member of a church?  Is it just as simple as showing up on Sunday mornings?  This did not set well with me as I heard it as I believe his statement is unbiblical and hurtful to the cause of Christ however unintentional.  He seems to elevate this "family" mentality over and above that which is stated as necessary for Christians in scripture: the Church.  The Church is made up of a body of believers that are commanded to be actively growing in sanctification; that is, Christ-likeness.  Being a member is not equivalent with showing up.  It is much, much more and scripture outlines this in Ephesians and I Corinthians 12 when Paul, led by the Spirit, makes a comparison between a body and the church.  What is more, the entirety of the epistles demonstrates the believers need for the Church (and a healthy Church at that).  

I find that these kinds of statements (usually unintential) tend to groom minds to think in such a way as to be careless with their words.  If what he says concerning the church is true, then I might as well pack up, abandon the church and spend some time with my family, afterall, anyone can be a member of a church but not everyone can have a "family".  

In light of that, we have just began our new book studies for this semester at Church.  I am teaching through a book called What is a Healthy Church Member? (geared for the lay person) It is the flip side of the coin of 9 Marks of a Healthy Church. (geared for the pastor/elder)  I have already found this book to be very instrumental in helping us, as a body of believers, to understand what it means to be a part of a body and to seek after our corporate health as much as our individual health as we have a responsibility to the body and to our Lord to be healthy.  This is a totally different view of what the Church is and what it is about.  Church is so much more than just showing up on Sunday mornings and without the gospel preached, proclaimed and heralded both from the pulpit and each individual member's lives, it is nothing more than a social club or a "family" gathering.  

I have included a link to a comparative summary between the 9 marks of a healthy church and the 10 marks of a healthy church member below as well as links where you can read online versions of the books.  If you have not heard of either of these books, I would urge you to pick them up and read them.  

9 Marks of a Healthy Church is available free online here. (pdf)  

What is a Healthy Church Member is previewable here.

A comparative summary between the two can be found here. (pdf)

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

I was looking around over on the Said at Southern blog and came across this video. After watching that, I had to find more. It is kind of like the old potato chip comercial: you can't "watch" just one. When I tell you that my wife was singing this very song last night, I kid you not.
Here is one portion of the lyric: Once I tried to run, I tried to run and hide, but Jesus came and found me and he touched me deep down inside. He is like a Mountee, he always gets his man and he will zap you any way he can! It is very catchy and just plain fun :)



All joking aside (she really did sing along though when I showed it to her), it is produced (as is the one in the link above) by a cult.

You can visit their site here.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Not very often does someone come along and remake a classic and you know that you have something very special on your hands. World, meet child prodigy.

Common Sense Is Not So Common Anymore

A 10-year-old boy here has been suspended from school for having something most students carry in their supply boxes: a pencil sharpener.

So, let me get this straight. A student with no past record and no signs of aggression owns a pencil sharpener. No doubt the pencil sharpener was on the list of "Back to School" items on the approved list for his fourth grade class. He uses it a few times and the "made in China" pencil sharpener breaks exposing the blade. Now he has to make a decision. Do I A. Dissappoint the "go green" crowd and allow this to be yet another piece of non-eco friendly waste that will fill our landfills and destroy the earth. Or B. Do I continue to use it (it still works and allows me to be fiscally responsible)and bank on the fact that my teacher and the administrators are smart enough to recognize that a school approved pencil sharpener is being used for sharpening pencils.

The ever-trusting fourth grader chose to stay friendly with the "go green" crowd, show fiscal responsibility in not having his parents to buy him a new made-in-China pencil sharpener, and to trust in the common sense of those who are entrusted to educate him. Boy was that a wrong decision. Now he has to endure two days of suspension and possibly more disciplinary action for what? His parents buying a piece-of-junk pencil sharpener sold at Wal-Mart and made in China because they can make them cheaper and faster and Wal-Mart can continue to lower prices. You see what is going on here don't you? This is all part of the plan. Wal-Mart and China are in cohorts and due to our lack of common sense and our inability to put political correctness in its proper place, we will all have our children spending the entirety of their school age in suspension where they will be unable to learn and once they enter into the workforce the American economy will collapse and our nation will crumble. That is when China will move in and eradicate us to make way for their citizens to start having 2 children per marriage. After all, they will need the space and everything they need will already be sold at a Wal-Mart near them.

Ridiculous.

Here is the link.

7th Anniversary Of 9-11

I've been hearing that phrase a lot over the past several days. For some reason, the word anniversary just doesn't seem appropriate. What do you think?

Since we are on this topic (as today is the day) do you think 9-11 should ever be an official US holiday? Should we celebrate attacks on the US by closing up shop and taking the kids to the park to play?

Just some questions and thoughts I had.

Church sign consternation

I kissed a girl and I liked it.

Those lyrics have made Katy Perry's pop song a big hit on the radio.

But when a local church put the song lyrics on its marquee -- followed by the words then I went to hell -- some people got angry.

People driving by Havens Corners Church in Blacklick yesterday morning noticed the sign, aimed to warn people about what the church says is the sin of homosexuality.

"It's not something that is really a shock if you're a scriptural person," said the Rev. Dave Allison, pastor of the 100-member church at Havens Corners and Reynoldsburg-New Albany roads. "We meant that as a loving warning to teens. … The Scriptures tell us that you should not do what the song tells you to do. The Scriptures are not ambiguous on this issue."

...

Lynne Bowman, director of Equality Ohio, a gay and transgender advocacy group, said every church has a right to its beliefs. Havens Corners has made it clear to everyone who drives by that it is not a welcoming place that accepts all people, she said.

I personally am not a big fan of church signs that do anything more than inform of lead staff, events, and maybe the upcoming message if it's actually descriptive of the content to be delivered (as opposed to a snappy hook).

Read more here.

Questions:
-If you were new to the area and looking for a church, would you consider this one based on the sign? Why/why not?
-Should the church accept any and all people in it's doors?
-Does the spirit of the sign convey a "loving warning"?

Glorifying God: What Qualifies?

Some questions:
-Does this benefit/edify the body? If yes, how?
-Should this be condoned?
-Could this confuse the child concerning salvation? The congregation?
-Biblically can the Spirit anoint those who do not comprehend and trust in the gospel?
-What was your first thought when you saw this video?
-If you were touched by watching this video, was it spurred by its roots in scriptural truth or in emotion detached from scripture? Or something else?

More From Puerto Rico

El Morro En Viejo San Juan

If you haven't noticed I haven't been posting much in the past couple of weeks, well, you need to read the blog more often :)

I have been in Puerto Rico with my wife and a couple we are friends with from Church. I thought I would share some pictures. I will add more later on (and resume posting regularly), but I have a lot of catching up to do with work at the present moment.

Enjoy the Pictures! They were taken in Old San Juan, mostly at the Spanish fort- El Morro.

Stop or I'll Dial!

This boggles my mind:

A survey of 305 students at one campus found that 40 percent of cell phone users said they walked somewhere after dark that they normally wouldn't go. A separate survey found that about three-quarters of students said that carrying a cell phone while walking alone at night made them feel somewhat or a lot safer.

"Students seem to feel less vulnerable when they carry a cell phone, although there's no evidence that they really are," said Jack Nasar, co-author of the study and professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State University.

"If anything, they are probably less safe because they are paying less attention to their surroundings."

Folks, I carry a gun to most anyplace I am legally allowed to. Even when I do, you won't see me darking the doorways of a shady establishment or a dark alley.

Here are some questions:
--Do you feel safer going someplace if you have a cell phone? Why?
--Given that a great response time has help arriving in five minutes, what do you do while waiting?