Miracle?

So, last night at church this dude, Don Finto (check him out here http://www.calebcompany.com) talked about Messianic Jews and miraculous conversions. Most of y'all that read this blog were there. What do you think of that? I think many 'Conservative American Christians' find it hard to believe that in the modern world there are things like people being dead for a few days and coming back to life or visions of God or understanding strange languages or things like that. At the end a member got up and basically said that the reason we find that so shocking is because our faith is so weak. You know, I agree. I think it is actually a MORE LOGICAL statement to say that it isn't God that decided to stop doing miracles after the first century, it's US that decided to stop believing that He could.

Senator Idunno

I really like Tucker Carlson. I used to watch him with Bill Press in 'The Spin Room' on CNN during the 2000 election. This was back in my uber-political junkie phase. I just read this article that sites a recent study that revealed, "the greatest consumer of online pornography are children between the ages of 12 and 17." Ok, that's a bad thing. So, Tucker conducted an interview with a Senator sponsoring a bill to tax internet pornography as a way to discourage underage consumption. the topic itself is not the issue. I certainly agree with the spirit of the Senator's attempt. The part that absolutely flabbergasts me is how amazingly inept the person is. She cannot complete an argument, make a point or defend her position AT ALL. If you were to sum up the conversation, it would be something like this:

Carlson: I don't think this a going to be a successful deterrent because of [fact, fact, fact].

Stanebow: Well, I have several things to say about that. Firstly, [illogical rambling on a single point that does not address any of the mentioned facts]. Do it for the children.

Behold my favorite examples (underlines are mine):

CARLSON: As I understand it, this will tax monthly memberships to porn sites. I don’t think most children have monthly memberships, because most kids don’t have credit cards. So, how is this going to protect kids?

DEBBIE STABENOW, MICHIGAN SENATOR AND BILL CO-SPONSOR: First of all, it does three things. It would require that children have to verify that they’re at least 18 years of age, in other words, not be children, to get onto adult pornography sites. Pornography sites right now, I should mention, according to a study done by the Third Way, an independent group, says that the fastest-growing consumers on pornography sites are children ages 12 to 17. It’s really astounding. It’s very concerning to me as a parent, as well as a senator.

Tucker goes on to talk about how most of the porn that these kids are getting IS FREE!!! or labeled as 'art'. Debbie (bless her heart) doesn't even get it.

CARLSON: OK. But, at some point, somebody is going to need to make a hard determination.

STABENOW: Not at all. We’re talking about somebody who says, I’m selling pornography. I have a pornography site. I’m signing up as a business. And, right now, we know that children ages 12 to 17 are the fastest consumers of those sites.

CARLSON: Right. But I support keeping online porn away from children. Very much including my own. However, here’s the problem, it seems to me. As soon as you tax it, then you give website operators a real incentive not to declare themselves pornographers, right? You have an incentive for these people wanting to escape the tax to call themselves artists and to call porn art. So, at some point, you are going to have to decide. You’re going to have to regulate this even more. And somebody from the government is going to have to decide what is porn and what is not. Are you prepared for that?

STABENOW: Well, first of all, child pornography is already illegal.

ROFL!!! WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT!?! Tucker makes this home run argument, he exposes a loop hole in her thinking that is big enough to drive a mack truck through, and she doesn't even address it!

I wish this woman success. She's doing something, I guess, and her heart is in the right place. This article is just an shocking reminder that sometimes our leaders aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the shed.

Here's the article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8742696

You can't make this stuff up

As the saying goes, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction:

Tempest in a "teapot"? Cult followers arrested - Asia-Pacific - MSNBC.com

John "Playa" McCain

OK. I'm not the biggest John McCain fan. Sometimes he pi$$es me off when he screws up what the party is trying to do. Other times, I respect him for it. Right here, I like that he can have a sense of humor.

WorldNetDaily: McCain on sexy film: 'I work with boobs every day'

Chinese Nukes

Here's a pleasant bed time story for you.

"If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition on to the target zone on China's territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons," said General Zhu Chenghu.

FT.com / World / Asia-Pacific - Top Chinese general warns US over attack

Holy Yesterday Batman!

My main computer is a few minutes from being thrown through a window. It is having some boot-up issues, so I am using another one at my desk. I was doing so good, too! I got here today at 7:30! That's about an hour and forty minutes earlier than usual. The past two mornings I have had to be at a dentist's office in Franklin at 8AM, I made it both times and thought that was a good precedence and if I could keep it up it would be good for me to start getting to work at a reasonable time. I didn't count on spending every minute of my 'extra' time trying to TURN ON my @#$@%#@#$ computer!

Since I can't do any actual WORK at this computer, I might as well do some heavy blogging. I've got lots to say anyway.

So ... yesterday was a big day. I got to work and did my usual routine. I checked work and personal email, checked the bank and then started reading news. Of course, the big headline was the London bombings. Now, before I tell you the story I am about to tell, I'll jump ahead and tell you that three of my best friends in Nashville are in England right now. So as I read this article, here's what I am thinking:

"Certainly this wasn't the french! They were pretty ticked about loosing the Olympics hosting, but there's no way they could be responsible for this. They're too cowardly to actually use weapons of any sort."

- btw, it is still entertaining to read about how upset the french are about loosing. Check it:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8500436

"Wow. 30 people dead? {at the time} Multiple attacks? Oh, what do you know? Muslim extremists. Go figure."

- then ... after reading half the article, I finally had this thought:

"The girls are there!"

I sent a little email to our group asking them to keep the travelers in their thoughts. No big deal, whatever. But then I started thinking about it and reading more and I got pretty concerned. Several of us started exchanging emails. I dunno, maybe we got each other in a lather unnecessarily. We started trying to find ways of getting in touch with their parents to see if they are alright. One of Amanda's friends was talking to her brother, Katie tracked down LB's parents. I tried calling Mary's apartment to ask for her emergency contact, presuming they were either her parents or someone that could get us in touch. Turns out that they can't really give out any information. In fact, they couldn't even confirm to me that Mary lived there or not. So, instead I gave them my contact information and asked them to pass it along to Mary's emergency contact. They wouldn't even confirm to me that they would or would not do that. I, actually, think that is all a good idea and applaud them for protecting their tenants' privacy so well. Turns out that they did call Mary's folks, her dad called me last night. However, there were still some gems from the conversation with the apartment office. Thus follows snipits of that conversation:

Me: "You have a tenant that is vacationing in London. There have been attacks in London today.
I am attempting to get in contact with her parents."

Her: "Attacks?"

Me: "Yes. Terrorist attacks."

Her: "Oh." (As in, "Oh, You scared me for a moment, I thought it was something serious. But now
that you have cleared that up, I am less concerned.")

- I hear someone enter her office and start talking.

Her: "Can you please hold."

Me: "Sure."
- Apparently, somebody's noise complaint or late rent payment is more pressing.

... (blah blah, I give her my contact information.)

Me: "Mary's parents probably will not know me, please tell them that I am a friend from the ##### Church."

Her: "Was she on a mission trip?"

Me: "No. She is on vacation."
- thinking: "What the @#$@## does that matter?"

Her: "Oh, just curious. {hee hee}"


Now that I know that they are safe, I can blog about this and have a good humor. Yesterday, however, I wanted to crawl through the phone and beat the girl senseless.

Terror?

If you know me, you know that I have never really 'gotten over' the attacks of September, 11 2001. Whereas I despise country music, I like that one song with the chorus "have you forgotten?" No. I never have and I never will. Yesterday's attacks in London once again revived my rage. However, I discovered an interesting conundrum. To me, the fundamental problem are the radical, militant Muslims. I certainly do not believe that the problem is Islam, or that all Muslims are trouble. Muslims are not inherently militant or radical. But the radical militants are THE root of the problem.

Now, I'm about to say something that is a bit inflammatory. If you disagree with this coming statement, stick with me for a while.

The only way to end their terrorist ways is to kill or imprison every single one of them. That's right. 100% of them. Leave a single one out there and he will recruit more and / or strap a bomb to himself and go right for it. The argument that we should just leave them alone and they won't attack us is utter crap. According to their view of their religion, those that do not think and believe as they do are an enemy that deserves death. Do you think that Osama bin Laden would hesitate for one minute if he had the opportunity to reduce the entire Western world to a smoldering ash heap?

I would say that the majority of 21st century western thinkers find that particular line of thought to be abhorrent. To over generalize, we are tolerant of differences and understand that the guy next door probably isn't going to look or act like ourselves. Certainly, we value human life over our opinions and the inconvenience of differences.

Therein lies our simultaneous strength and weakness while fighting the radical militant Muslim. Genocide is unacceptable. We will not go to the Middle East and nuke the entire place. Though, I have to admit that idea has held a certain appeal, especially right after 9/11. It is our value of human life that is our difference from the radicals. And it is that difference that allows them to continue to live and do their work. Great Britain values the lives of innocent Arabs and is therefore rewarded with bombs that kill 50+ of her own innocent citizens. It is absolutely not a matter of COULD we obliterate them from this Earth. We certainly could do it. It would take about a half hour. It is a matter of us knowing that there is no feasible way and it is wrong, and therefore we SHOULD NOT do it. Thus, if it is impossible to win a 'war against terror' without destroying all terrorists, and we are unwilling to do the horror that it would take to actually destroy all the terrorists. We appear to be at a stalemate.

The exception to this is to introduce a true free market society to the region. THAT is why we are in Iraq. We are there to help a nation grow from a brutal dictatorship to a thriving economy of personal accountability. It is working, but it will take a looooooong time. Russia is still not there. There are tons of communists in Russia pining for the 'good old days'.

So! God bless Great Britain and be with her suffering. God bless hers and our troops and the heroic work that they do. God bless the Iraqi merchant who opened his first shop a few months ago. And God visit his wrath upon those that would willingly and intentionally kill innocents.

Journal

About two years ago, Microsoft gave me a really, really nice leather journal. I have hauled it to meetings all over this campus. I LOVE it. When I first got it, I thought it would be really nice to have one just like it (sans the Microsoft logo) to take to church and write notes upon.

I really thought about that. I have sat through literally thousands of sermons, Bible studies, classes, chapels, etc. I have spent a good percentage of my life at these things. I couldn't tell you about two of them. They're gone. The only way to keep all of that is to write it down. Hence, the little journal looked perfect.

Two years ago, the manufacturer didn't sell their wares online. In fact, no one did! I couldn't even find it on eBay. And I never have been able to find another nice leather journal that I liked as well. So I procrastinated. Well, just the other day I tried again. Lo and behold they have an online store now! I ordered my journal. It is sitting on my desk right now. I LOVE it! I can't wait to use it. I think I want to go to a nice office supply store and buy a nice pen to go with it. Come sit by me at church and check it out.